"What do you want from the Red Nightmare?"
Mangé gulped, cold sweat slid across his forehead.
"Hooo" Mangé exhaled, calming his nerves down.
When was the last time I felt like this? Haha, as I thought, Stella is the only one capable of making me tensed up.
But this is my chance to persuade him.
"I need you Stel." Mangé looked at Stel with a serious, hardened expression.
Stel saw it in his eyes, something that resonated with him because he himself had that exact same thing.
Ambition.
Stel relaxed on his chair, focusing his gaze to the men at the other end of the room, without the energies they emitted, they were all laughing and drinking with each other, some arm wrestling, different men, some young, some old, some with illegal prosthetic arms, legs, he could tell that they were weaponized, some didn't talk at all.
There were at least fourty five men in the bar.
No wonder Jethro was happy to get a new customer.
Stel chuckled.
Stel focused his gaze back at Mangé.
Right, this guy
"I can tell you have great ambitions Mangé, it's admirable, I can tell just by looking at you, that shine in your eyes, it wasn't there before, only pain and anger, but they have been melted away by your ambition. And I don't know what your ambition is.."
Stel folded his arms.
Wait- he hasn't told me yet, he just said he needs me, he might just need me to help him, ah and I'd already started ranting.
"What is your ambition?" Stel asked Mangé firmly.
Mangé chuckled.
"Indeed I can't hide anything from you Stel."
Stel smiled wryly.
"I want to change this place Stel, the backlands, I want to change it, the people are suffering, many children die from hunger every day, even in this miserable wretch that we live in, the barrier between male Humans and female Humans still exists Stel! They still despise each other!! Shouldn't we be trying to find a way to support ourselves? Find a better future and lives for the children? Shouldn't we get a good governance? The Government abandoned us, didn't even bother to announce a ruler or anything, and nobody can rule this crazy backlands properly because the women rebel if the leader is a man, men rebel if the leader is a women and both gender rebel if the ruler is Spiffian! Only the four major gangs act like rulers here, doing however they like to the people and this entire Backlands. Doesn't it hurt you so Stella?!"
A spasm of grief contorted Mangé's heart, making him almost shed tears.
"There are still children that suffer the way I did out there..."
"..."
Stel felt the sincere emotions from Mangé's words.
At that moment, what Stel felt was happiness.
Yes, true happiness
Why?
It's Simple, Mangé's life was ruined In the most gruesome way possible, he had every reason and right to be a villain, raining destruction on the entire Backlands, but instead he chose to save them, to save the children from ending up like him.
Stel felt it was truly admirable, he had initially thought that Mangé would ask him to join his gang to rule the backlands or commit evils, but.. This made him realize that the broken man that Stel was, was gone, and he didn't know how.
Mangé...
Stel looked at Mangé with sad eyes, seeing him display those emotions, he sighed.
"Here are your drinks gentlemen." Jethro came abruptly, disrupting the gloomy mood Mangé's outburst had set up.
He brought two glasses filled with alcohol, Stel could smell it, he placed them on the table, one for Stel and one for Mangé.
"Thank you very much Jethro."
Stel bowed his head slightly, showing respect and Jethro did the same, Stel took the glass of alcohol and took a sip.
Jethro stepped back, going off to do his bartender duties.
"Ahhh, that's good alcohol, it's whiskey, I know you like it Mangé, drink up." Stel told Mangé who still had a sad expression, refusing to drink.
"Are you going to help me Stella?" Mangé finally lifted his lowered head to look at Stel.
Pang!
Stel dropped his glass back on the table.
"Mangé, listen."
Mangé listened carefully, waiting to hear what Stel had to say.
"Your ambition is indeed admirable, almost comparable to my own, but I cannot help you, I have greater things to do, things that require my will, strength and time. I am sorry my friend." Stel said to Mangé.
"Then what, if I may ask, is your ambition?" Mangé asked Stel with a hint of caution.
"Freedom for all."
That's all I can say, but even that sounds foolish and absurd, I know.
"Haaaah, you're really going far with your 'Humans own earth' theory, I'm telling you, we're nothing but slaves to them, even outside the backlands, the big cities, only the powerful ones out of all the humans are regarded as living things, if Humans are meant to be ontop then maybe one day.."
"Freedom isn't something hoped for Mangé, it's something fought for. If everybody keeps hoping for one day, then who'd do the work? Is it not when the first person volunteers that others follow behind him? If I don't do it, who will? You and the other humans waiting for one day? No my friend."
"..."
Mangé was silent as he saw some truth in Stel's words.
"And you've been outside the Backlands? That means you know how to go out?" Stel asked Mangé with an anticipating look.
Mangé rubbed his forehead.
"Why do I never keep my mouth shut?"
Mangé sighed.
"I smell the familiar smell of blood around you, so you've been working for the government and killing people outside the Backlands huh." Stel didn't ask, he was certain that was what Mangé did.
"How can you smell blood?"
"Did you forget my nickname, Red Nightmare?"
Mangé laughed.
"Of course not, and I don't kill for the government, I killed for one... just one person."
Stel clicked his tongue and shook his head in disappointment.