Rebirth in the Apocalypse: Third Time's a Charm

358  Two Sides To The Same Coin

"I wondered where everyone was," said Wang Chao, waking Chen Zi Han up. He looked at Li Dai Lu, relieved that she was still sleeping on top of Liu Yu Zeng. There was a brief flash of rage in the other man's eyes, but he calmed down quickly when the woman in his arms started to stir.

"You know how she is without her puppy pile," shrugged Chen Zi Han as he rolled out of bed. Tilting his head towards the kitchen, he indicated for the other man to proceed him. He definitely didn't want Li Dai Lu waking up before she absolutely had to.

'Fucking War, can't stand to be left out of anything. What's the new term for it? YoYo?' grumbled the voice in Chen Zi Han's head.

'FOMO,' replied the man as he shrugged on his clothes and left the room, shutting the door behind him. 'Fear of missing out.'

'Yup, that fits War to a 'T',' agreed the skeleton as he appeared in Chen Zi Han's head. 'Fucker was always the one fucking things up for everyone. And now that he feels he has done enough penance, he wants what the rest of us always had.'

'And what is that?' asked Chen Zi Han as he started making breakfast. He ignored Wang Chao, choosing instead to have a conversation with the voice in his head.

'Our woman in our arms,' smirked the skeleton as much as a skeleton could smirk. 'Can you make extra food for me? Look at me, I am wasting away to nothing,' it continued, holding apart his cape so that Chen Zi Han could see his bones.

Chen Zi Han chuckled out loud, causing Wang Chao to turn to look at him suspiciously. "Is there something funny?" the man snapped, really not looking impressed that Chen Zi Han might be laughing at him.

'Any idea what soul that one is?' asked Chen Zi Han.

'Hard to say. Both Wang Chao and War are assholes,' replied the voice with a shrug of his shoulders.

'And what am I going to call you?' asked Chen Zi Han.

'I am Famine,' chuckled the skeleton. 'And whether you get the girl or not will depend on how well the two of us get along.'

'That's bullshit, Liu Wei killed his voice,' smirked Chen Zi Han.

'Yes, well, with Death, it was always going to be one or the other. Especially when it came to … her. He hates sharing what he considers to be his. But the problem is that she belongs to all of us. Well, War is on thin ice. It would be interesting to see if he is kept.'

"You never answered my question. What are you laughing at?" said Wang Chao looking at Chen Zi Han with a strange look on his face.

"Apparently, Li Dai Lu's voices are contagious," smiled Chen Zi Han, not caring about the other man. If he stayed, great. If he left, fine too. Their Queen would be the one to decide all matters. All he needed to do was stand beside her, and things would be just fine.

'Smart way of thinking about it,' said Famine. 'Then again, we were always smart. But I think I like you much more than the others.'

"Voices?" demanded Wang Chao.

'Others?' asked Chen Zi Han, not paying attention to Wang Chao until the other man walked right up to them.

"When I ask a question, I expect an answer," snarled Wang Chao causing a brief glimpse of rage to pass over Chen Zi Han's face. Too bad that Wang Chao caught it. "What? Not impressed? You are nothing but a lowly enforcer for some criminal organization. Nothing more than the scum of the world as far as I am concerned."

"And he is my man, which is more than I can say about you right now," snapped Li Dai Lu as she strolled into the living room of the small RV, staring down the man twice her size.

"Sorry, Trouble," said Wang Chao, taking a 180 from his previous attitude. "There seems to be something wrong," he continued rubbing his forehead in frustration. "Some days, I want nothing more than to wrap you in my arms and never let go. And other times, I am ready to burn down everyone and everything in the world. And that mood seems to switch at the drop of a hat."

The poor man seemed to be completely beside himself. Liu Wei shared a look with the other two men. "I think I know why," he said slowly, not sure if Wang Chao wanted to hear what he had to say. "We were recently informed that there are two souls in our bodies. One that is us and another that is… other. I think the other one takes control sometimes."

Wang Chao studied Liu Wei for a second. "You think that is why I both want to kneel down at Trouble's feet and…" Wang Chao stopped mid-sentence.

"Say it," suggested Li Dai Lu looking at the man. "If you at least voice it out and then tell us your thoughts on the matter, then we might be able to work through whatever is going on."

"There are some days that I want to kneel at your feet, swear my loyalty to you and only you. Find my place among the other men, one where I don't question my usefulness to you, and live happily ever after on the ranch," said Wang Chao as he grabbed Li Dai Lu's hand and brought her to sit down on the couch.

"And then there are others where I think that you are just a useless little girl that is overly dramatic and always wants to have things done your way." As Wang Chao spoke, his voice took on a harsher, more sinister tone to it. His eyes narrowed on her, and he started squeezing her hand mercilessly. "What man wants to be subservient to a woman that can't hold a sword or kill to protect her people? What man wants to be subservient to any woman, period? Not a real man, I can tell you that."

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