The Corrupted Syndicate

"I think 'tapping his body with your fists' is an understatement. You've nearly painted every color of the spectrum between black and blue on his body. Also, haven't I seen you somewhere before?" questioned the dragoness as she loomed over the body.

He bore no animalistic features, appearing instead as a slender, almost frail young man. His short brown hair matched the dull hue of his eyes, which held a certain intensity despite his otherwise unassuming appearance.

Draped in a tattered beige tunic and worn grey pants, his fingertips revealed the telltale signs of frostbite, stark against the pale skin that had been exposed to harsh elements for too long.

To the Viceroy's amusement, the seemingly lifeless body began to writhe, forcing his boot to rise as the male pushed himself upright. With a swift motion, he turned around, his gaze locking onto Matt with a fierce glare.

Without a word, he pointed an accusatory finger at Mavislin, as if she were the source of his troubles.

"You... You are the one who destroyed my lab!" roared the angered enemy, trying to jump at the dragoness.

With a swift side step, Zenos brought his foot down hard on the male's attacking arm, the sound of shattering bones slicing through the air. The enemy howled in agony but pressed on, undeterred in his relentless pursuit of Mavislin.

The dragoness tilted her head, a mix of confusion and concern flooding her senses. Who was this desperate figure, fighting through pain and instinct?

The frantic energy of the moment heightened her awareness, as she searched his face for recognition, her heart racing with uncertainty.

Once she recognized him, the limbal rings in her eyes flared with a brilliant amber hue, only to quickly dull into lifelessness as she approached the writhing, furious figure.

"Ah... I remember now—one of Venom's old brethren: Wendigo. You betrayed your master so horrifically that he obliterated everything you held within the Syndicate. It's almost amusing how you criticized Venom's methods, yet descended into madness yourself."

"Believing you could surpass him in the Legion, you chose to continue your twisted research there. In the end, it was your hubris that brought you to your knees when I liberated your creations. Such an easy task it was…" mused Mavislin, her voice as cold as ice.

"That's rare to know that you would leave a target alive after infiltrating his lab..." quizzed Matt, swinging his blade to rest on his shoulders.

"I didn't."

The Viceroy glanced at the dragoness with a raised eyebrow before realizing what she meant.

"All my beautiful projects... My hard work! All gone to waste when you rampaged through my life's creations! I was so close to making the perfect soldiers, the perfect-"

"Perfect? You were centuries away from reaching that useless dream of yours. The Legion knew it from the very beginning and used you to get rid of the displaced people of the places that they've enslaved," replied the dragoness, cutting the Wendigo off.

"You should've minded your own business! My experiments had nothing to do with you or the Syndicate! I would rather have Venom settle scores with me instead of you!" 

"That may be so... However, it became our business once you've decided to take a darker turn. Your initial experiments were fine and harmless. Hell, I would've worked with you if you had stayed on that path since artificial bodies could do wonders for our groups."

"Then why did you destroy my work? Why did you kill me?!"

"Because you were dead and still moving. Beast doesn't take lightly to our targets roaming about when they are supposed to be put down. Have you forgotten?" 

Mavislin's tone was terrifying, instilling a deep-seated fear in both the Wendigo and Mattheos. Her voice cut through the air like a blade, sharp and unyielding, as her question hung heavy on the Wendigo's ears.

Both the Wendigo and Mattheos could feel the chill of her presence, the coldness of her demeanor matching the frost that surrounded them. The dragoness had transformed from an uncertain ally into a formidable force, and her icy resolve was unmistakable.

"You've died once. And do you remember, at the very end, what monster had you become?"

The Wendigo convulsed as a rush of memories flooded into his visions. The blood... The flesh... The scent... The taste.

"Venom destroyed your lab. I destroyed the 'workhouse' that you built afterward. Haven's Hearth. I had to put down every last living thing in that place. They were too far gone to function within society after the hell you've put them through..." added the dragoness.

Matt's eyes widened at the mention of the workhouse, memories flooding back of the joyous, spirited children who once filled the gardens with laughter. Despite their physical limitations—many missing limbs—they radiated a resilience and hope that had always inspired him.