“What do you want now, noodle boy?” Red grimaced as Mak scampered over.
“What? Can’t a guy take some time to chat with a friend?”
“We are not friends.”
“Uh- villain I’m on good terms with? Whatever, irrelevant. I need to ask an itsy bitsy thing of you. And I mean unimaginably minor.”
“And that is?”
“Can I stay with you for a while? Pretty please?”
"...Come again?”
“I don’t mean stay as in, like, just sitting around on the couch. I can do plenty for the right price. Destroy some buildings, strike fear into the hearts of mortals, whatever you demons do nowadays.”
“And you’re making this offer why?”
“Monkey King has it out for me, same as you! I figured we should team up. And you owe me, for kinda saving your dad and the whole city from the white bone spirit, y’know.”
Red son wasn’t sure whether to be shocked, insulted, or wary at the noodle beast’s claims. He figured the kid wasn’t smart enough to make up this sort of elaborate trick, but...
He dismissively snorted and walked onto the man-lift to take him back down. “I’ll think about it.”
“Heh, I actually need an answer now.” Mak smiled to hide his agitation.
“You’re in no position to demand anything of my family, much less me.”
“What if you got credit for convincing me, then?”
Red paused. Got him.
“Surely your dad would be impressed knowing you brought the Monkey King’s successor to his side, right? The perfect weapon to achieve his plans, all thanks to his genius son.”
The demon bull prince glanced back at him, contently grinning from ear to ear. He held out his hand to shake, and Red son took it.
