The click-clack sound of footsteps rings out sharply in the darkened hallway. A jarring sound, contrasted against the overwhelming silence of the abandoned building. It would not be out of place for one of the horror movies that his little sisters have been obsessing over recently, Sluagh thinks.
But this is reality, not a movie. And even if it were, Sluagh holds no fear of wraiths or ghosts when he has already witnessed far worse in his life. He straightens and turns around.
“How persistent,” Sluagh notes coldly. “You’ve been following me through three different star systems. What do you want?”
… As a Type-3 Stealth Unit, some instincts are hard to shake. Evasion over confrontation, for instance. But given the dogged persistence that this particular pursuer has displayed, Sluagh knows that it’s only a matter of time before they eventually manage to catch up to him.
Which is no small feat; Sluagh is one of the best among the Iron Cavalry when it comes to stealth. This is not an empty boast. So for someone to be able to track him down like this–
“I apologize for making you uneasy,” comes his pursuer’s easy response. A young man. Or at least, what appears to be a young man. Sluagh also bears the appearance of a young man himself, but that is no accurate indicator of his real age. “I mean you no ill will. There are simply a few questions that I’d like to ask, if possible.”
Sluagh arches an eyebrow. If possible? … Ha. If the extended pursuit over three different star systems is any indicator of things, then this man is absolutely determined to turn ‘possibility’ into ‘certainty.’
In that case–
“Ask your questions, then.” If it’s only a conversation, then Sluagh does not see any problem with obliging them. His gaze flicks over the man once more –long dark hair, pale skin, ice gray eyes– and pauses.
A stream of new knowledge surfaces seamlessly to the forefront of his mind, courtesy of the shared hivemind among the Iron Cavalry.
“… But to be blunt, I don’t see why the leader of the Galaxy Rangers would be interested in me.” Unlike numerous other rambunctious siblings he could name, Sluagh tends to keep a low profile on the rare occasions when he leaves Glamoth. He’s also quite certain that he hasn’t crossed paths with any Galaxy Rangers, either.
“No?” A tight-lipped smile, as La Mancha steps closer. “Then I’ll be blunt as well and cut to the chase. You, Stewart, were present on Vonwacq while Dr. Primitive was conducting his experiments. And you are the only survivor not to be transformed into a primitive state. I want to know how you accomplished this, and how I might be able to replicate this for others.”