Hollywood Zenith

"Woah, woah. I come in piece, there is no need to get rough." Samuel was on the ground on his back while Ariel was on top of him with her hands on his throat, her face completely without any expression.

The place where they touched created expected result poisoning him but he was still keeping a smile even though the blackness was permeated upward toward his brain.

He was more curious why this person was here. He had seen her before, the clumsy policewoman that shot him after which he used her car to go to the city in search of Talia. He knew that there was something wrong with the girl with how deliberate her actions were but he never expected her to be a part of Vishkanya.

Beside, seeing how she moved it was clear she was not just an ordinary member and currently she was slowly poisoning him but he couldn't feel any killing intent from her.

The other noticable change was her looks. She had thick glasses and made herself look normal but now looking at her from below. He saw a striking dark skinned woman with impressive figure and even more impressive 'assets' which he could feel on top of him.

Her curly hair was held up in a bun while her deep brown eyes held an intensity that reminded him of Talia. Her high cheekbones and plump lips gave her a look akin to models not which was prominent because of her swan neck and skin tight gear that leave very less to his imaginations.

Ariel retracted her hands and stopped straddling him. Standing up she was looking for reaction, anything to see if her methods were wrong but surprisingly, the young man showed no fear or discomfort.

The brief contact did have some effects but after some time the blackness already started to retreat inward and after couple of minutes it disappeared completely completely shocking him.

"You....does your family really have the magic antidote for all our poisons?" She couldn't help but ask.

"Is that why you attacked me? You could have just asked and what have you done if I died? It's not exactly pleasant to feel such potent poison flowing through my veins." Samuel was not bluffing.

Each different faction of Vishkanya had unique poison that were more deadly than the last. If Ariel had not controlled the dosage, he might really need half an hour to stabilize his body which would have put him in a disadvantageous position. But he trusted his instincts for now.

"You failure to survive would mean that you are not worthy to talk to me. If you can't even handle these things than you have no hope of rescuing Talia." Hearing Talia's name, his body jerked.

"Do you know what's happening to her? No, before that, who are you and why are you helping us?" He asked.

"My identity is not important. Just call me Ariel and I do know what happened to Talia but I don't think you would like it. Maybe, you will even leave after seeing her." Talia didn't entirely trust the young man.

He was dangerous hiding too many secrets for her to see through him completely. Beside, he was too confident or even arrogant coming here alone like he was on some sort of vacation.

She expected a small group of people which would be helpful but just the two of them? How could they wish to smuggle her out with so little manpower?

Samuel raised an eyebrow. Him leaving her? Impossible, no matter what they did to her as long as she was alive, he would do anything to heal her but listening to her tone, the situation sounded worse than he imagined.

"It seemed like we both are connected to her in some way. You know, the first time I saw you, I thought she returned. I had my doubts but seeing you now, except for slight difference in facial feature and skin tone, you are an exact cope of Talia. It's clear you share same family member."

She tensed but soon relaxed. She had to admit, they were quite similar. Both were tall and athletic with unique build, she had slightly exotic features but Talia was not far in that department. It wouldn't take a rocket scientist to figure they share the same father.

"I didn't call you here because I care about her. I can't bear to see how my mentor treated and leading to a catastrophe. It's hard for me to explain so you have to look for her yourself. I can create-"

"No, if you are not in on it completely there is no need for you to stick out your neck for this. I will only need the location of where you are holding her and sets of poison that were used used my your people, of course for research purpose."

"Why?"

"I said for research purposes."

"Fine, I will get youa sample."

"Thanks. If you my help with something in the future you could ask me, I will help you as long as it's within my power." He also vowed but she dismissed him completely.

She didn't know what was his plan but helping her was impossible. As long as this establishment stood she would have no peace. Maybe after she done helping Talia, she might go into hiding living it out like other people in her field always looking over their shoulder for threats but at least that will not pull heavy on her conscious.

Suddenly, Samuel's head jerked in one direction like he detected something. Talia also looked to see four figure emerging from the shadows, the twins were watching two of them with unmistaken curiousity.

"Your friends?"

"Well...I will handle it. It will be delivered to this location in few hours. I hope you will not let her down since I call you here because you were her last hope." Ariel would often hear Talia talk about Samuel mostly in negative sense but her complaining was obviously a ruse for her to mask her loneliness.

Samuel decided to slip away but he did look at Ariel one last time. There was no mistaking it, she looked exactly like Talia maybe even...forget it. He cleaned his mind but his heart remained shaken by Ariel's warning. What really happened to Talia? Something big or else she would casually say such things.