The Castle of Viltrum stood silent against the night sky, its imposing structure gleaming in the moonlight that bathed Mount Everest's peak.
Inside the Grand Regent's private chambers, Amanda paused at the entrance, momentarily taken aback by what she saw.
Thragg stood before a massive marble table, his back to her, contemplating two garments laid out before him.
The first was familiar - his traditional crimson cape with its distinctive white sash, the uniform component that had marked him as Grand Regent for centuries.
The second was new - a magnificent coat fashioned from Battle Beast's hide, its off-white fur bearing the subtle markings of countless battles, now preserved as a trophy and memorial.
Amanda hesitated, suddenly uncertain if she should interrupt what seemed like a private moment. Before she could retreat, however, Thragg spoke without turning.
"Enter, Amanda," he said, his deep voice carrying easily across the chamber. "Your presence is not unwelcome."
She stepped forward, closing the distance to the table. "I didn't mean to intrude," she said, studying the two garments. "I just wanted to see how you were doing after... everything."
It had been three days since the battle with Battle Beast - three days since the Grand Regent had demonstrated power beyond anything Earth had previously witnessed,
three days since he had ordered the preservation of his fallen opponent's hide as a memorial garment.
"My condition is optimal," Thragg replied, his tone matter-of-fact. "The minor injuries sustained during combat have fully healed."
Amanda nodded, her eyes drawn to the new coat. The craftsmanship was exquisite, transforming Battle Beast's hide into a regal garment worthy of the Grand Regent.
The fur had been carefully cleaned and treated, its natural white color preserved, the subtle battle scars that marked it serving as testament to the warrior it had once belonged to.
"So... you're really going to wear him," she said, unable to keep a hint of discomfort from her voice.
Thragg turned slightly, studying her expression. "You find the practice disturbing."
It wasn't a question, but Amanda answered anyway. "I understand the reasoning behind it," she said carefully.
"Nolan explained the tradition - that it's meant as an honor, a way to preserve Battle Beast's memory. But yeah, from a human perspective, it's still kind of... creepy."
For a moment, Thragg was silent, considering her words. When he spoke, his tone held none of the dismissal she might have expected. "Cultural perspectives differ," he acknowledged. "What seems honorable in one tradition may appear barbaric in another."
Amanda's eyebrows rose slightly at this unexpectedly measured response. Since receiving the cellular acceleration device from Thragg, the dinner they had, she had interacted with him more frequently than most humans,
having been allowed to when she asked him if she could, a transport readied for her at her request, which surprised her immensily when she had first made her request, fearing it being too presumptous.
She was still though adjusting to the subtle shifts in his demeanor - the occasional moments when the cold efficiency of the Grand Regent gave way to something more... nuanced.
Her gaze shifted to the crimson cape beside the new coat. Without thinking, she reached out, running her fingers along the fabric.
The material was unlike anything produced on Earth - stronger than steel yet lighter than silk, with a subtle sheen that caught the light.
"I'll miss this one," she said, surprising herself with the admission. "It suited you."
Thragg observed her carefully. "You have an aesthetic preference for the traditional regalia?"
Amanda smiled slightly at his formal phrasing. "I guess I do. It's what you were wearing when we first met - when you gave me the device that changed my life."
Her fingers traced the edge of the cape, remembering the moment during the Flaxan invasion when Thragg had tossed it to her for safekeeping before unleashing his power on the alien dimension.
"Plus, I got to hold onto it for you once. Made me feel pretty special, being trusted with the Grand Regent's cape." She stated with a small smile.
Something flickered in Thragg's expression - a subtle shift that would have been imperceptible to anyone less attentive.
He seemed to be considering something, weighing options with the same methodical precision he applied to all decisions.
Then, in a movement that surprised them both, he reached for the crimson cape, lifted it from the table, and held it out toward Amanda.
"Take it," he said simply.
Amanda blinked in confusion. "What?"
"If you value it, it is yours," Thragg stated, his tone matter-of-fact despite the unprecedented nature of the gesture. "I have no further use for it."
Amanda stared at the offered garment, momentarily speechless. "I can't take your... I mean, this is your uniform, your symbol of office."
"It is a garment," Thragg corrected. "One that will be replaced by another. The symbol of my authority resides in my person, not in fabric."
When Amanda still hesitated, something almost like impatience crossed Thragg's features. With a decisive movement, he stepped forward and draped the cape around her shoulders.
The gesture was so unexpected, that Amanda froze. The fabric settled around her, surprisingly warm and much heavier than it appeared.
It was far too large for her human frame, pooling on the floor around her feet, yet somehow it didn't feel ridiculous.
"Oh," she managed, her hands instinctively rising to grasp the edges of the cape, pulling it closer around her shoulders.
The action brought the fabric near her face, and she caught a scent she hadn't anticipated - something distinctly Thragg, a combination of ozone and something else, something alien yet not unpleasant.
A flush rose unbidden to her cheeks, and she lowered her head slightly, hoping to hide the reaction.
The cape smelled like him. It was a realization, one that made her suddenly aware of their closeness in a way she hadn't been before.
"Thank you," she said quietly, her voice steadier than she expected. "I'll... take good care of it."
Thragg nodded once, then turned back to the table, seemingly unaware of her reaction. "The Battle Beast coat will serve as my new regalia," he stated, running one hand over the white fur.
"A testament to the most significant combat I have experienced in centuries."
Amanda studied him as he examined the new garment.
There was something different about the Grand Regent today - a subtle relaxation in his normally rigid posture, a slight softening around his eyes.
It wasn't dramatic, but to someone who had observed him as carefully as she had, it was noticeable.
"You seem... I don't know, more relaxed," she observed cautiously. "Did the fight with Battle Beast help somehow?"
Thragg considered this for a moment. "It provided a form of satisfaction that has been absent for a considerable time," he acknowledged.
"Though Battle Beast did not present a true challenge to my capabilities, the engagement was... stimulating."
Amanda nodded, understanding more than he perhaps realized. "Everyone needs to stretch their muscles sometimes," she said. "Even the strongest person ever.."
For the briefest moment, something that might have been amusement flickered across Thragg's features. "An apt observation."
A comfortable silence fell between them as Thragg lifted the Battle Beast coat, examining it one final time before donning it with a single, fluid movement.
The white fur settled across his massive shoulders, the garment perfectly tailored to his frame.
The effect was striking - regal, powerful, and somehow fitting, as if the warrior's spirit had found its proper place as part of the Grand Regent's new image.
"It suits you," Amanda said honestly. "In a scary, 'most powerful being in the universe' kind of way."
"Intimidation has tactical value," Thragg replied, though there was something in his tone that suggested he wasn't entirely serious - a subtle inflection that Amanda might have missed if she hadn't been paying close attention.
She smiled, adjusting the oversized cape around her shoulders. "So does having friends, you know."
Thragg's eyebrow rose slightly. "Friends?"
"People you can talk to," Amanda clarified. "People who aren't terrified of you or just following orders. People who... see you as more than just the Grand Regent."
For a long moment, Thragg was silent, studying her with an intensity that might have been uncomfortable if Amanda hadn't grown somewhat accustomed to it.
When he finally spoke, his words were measured, carefully chosen.
"The isolation of authority is a necessary condition," he said. "One I have accepted for millennia."
"Necessary doesn't mean good," Amanda countered gently. "And acceptance doesn't mean you have to like it."
Another silence fell, this one heavier with unspoken implications.
Amanda became more aware that she was standing in the private chambers of the most terrifying creature alive, wearing his former regalia, discussing his emotional state with a frankness that few would dare.
The absurdity of the situation almost made her laugh.
"I should probably go," she said finally, reluctantly beginning to remove the cape. "I didn't mean to take up so much of your time."
"Keep it," Thragg said, stopping her with a gesture. "As I said, it is yours now."
Amanda hesitated, then nodded, readjusting the cape around her shoulders. "Thank you. It's... the most unique gift I've ever received."
"It is not a gift," Thragg corrected, though without harshness. "It is a reassignment of resources to where they will be valued."
This time Amanda did laugh, the sound bright in the otherwise solemn chamber. "You know, most people just say 'you're welcome.'"
Something that might almost have been a smile flickered at the corner of Thragg's mouth. "You are welcome, Amanda."
As she turned to leave, Amanda paused at the doorway, looking back at the Grand Regent. With his new Battle Beast coat and his slightly more relaxed demeanor, he presented a different image than the cold, calculating ruler who had first come to Earth.
Not softer, exactly - Thragg would never be soft - but perhaps more... she couldn't really find a good word for it.
"If you ever want to talk," she offered, "about anything that isn't state business or Viltrumite affairs... I'm a pretty good listener."
Thragg inclined his head slightly, acknowledging her offer without explicitly accepting or rejecting it. "Your presence has been... illuminating," he said, "Perhaps we will speak again."
Amanda smiled, recognizing that from Thragg, this was practically an invitation. "I'd like that," she said simply, then departed, the crimson cape trailing behind her.
Alone once more, Thragg turned to the large window that offered a view of the world now he owned. Earth spread below him, its lights twinkling in the darkness, billions of lives now bound to his governance.
He adjusted the Battle Beast coat, feeling the weight of it - both physical and symbolic - settle across his shoulders.
The encounter with Amanda had been... unexpected. Unplanned. Yet not unwelcome.
Her perspective, shaped by human experience yet untainted by fear or sycophancy, offered something rare in his existence - genuine interaction uncomplicated by the burden of absolute authority.
His first life's memories suggested that such connections were valuable, even necessary for a nice life.
His second life's experiences had taught him that isolation was the inevitable consequence of power. Perhaps there was truth in both perspectives.
As he contemplated this, Thragg found himself touching the spot where Battle Beast had split his lip - the first injury he had sustained in longer than he could remember.
The wound had healed completely, leaving no trace, yet the memory remained vivid.
For a brief moment during that fight, he had experienced something he had almost forgotten - the thrill of battle , of being fully present in a moment rather than calculating a dozen moves ahead.
It had been... satisfying, in a way few things were to one who had lived as long as he had.
And now, this interaction with Amanda - similarly unpredictable, similarly engaging in its own way.
Perhaps Earth held more opportunities for such experiences than he had initially calculated.
Perhaps integration with this world would prove beneficial to Viltrum - and to himself - in ways that extended beyond mere genetic compatibility and resource acquisition.
Thragg turned from the window and activated the communication panel. "General Kregg," he commanded, "prepare the completed analysis done upon the Unopan, and ready it for me."
As he issued his orders, Thragg found his thoughts returning briefly to Amanda and the crimson cape she now possessed - a small gesture that had produced a disproportionate positive response.
An reuse of resources by Viltrumite standards, yet somehow... right.
It was an impulse, something he normally took careful logical thinking of where those instincts sourced from before following them, yet this time just... did.
It felt... good.
He wanted to feel that sensation more.
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(Author note: Well, I hope I didn't write Thragg too... not exactly soft, let's say warm.
I did though believe it reasonable that he felt a bit better after that battle, more at ease, more relaxed, like using some restless energy.
Do tell me how you found my writing of this chapter, was it too out of character or was it good?
Also, I like writing Amanda and Thragg together, do you guys also reading them together?
Well, I hope to see you all later,
Bye!)