Kings of Hell

Wendy’s POV

Trish wasn’t the best of friends after all. When I finally return to my dorm, the room is empty. Trish is gone; because I’ve been reported.

Dexter waits for me inside, and when I see him in his white uniform I know better than to run, so I just roll my eyes and walk into the dorm, shutting the door.

“I’m here because you broke a law,” Dexter speaks slowly, “You touched a KINGS guard. The punishment for that is pretty severe. You can be drafted into the army without pay… and it is a lifelong sentence,” well, geez, that was fucking severe.

“If it’s that severe why did you seek me out? I’m just a young woman,” I don’t know why I even try to reason like that, “Why didn’t you just leave me alone –”

Dexter stands up now, as he pulls out some handcuffs from his belt, “Insubordination during arrest will evoke further punishment. Turn around.”

Dexter speaks like a police brochure, though his sad eyes spell a different reality.

“Are you serious?” I murmur at the door, as he comes forward, his hand presses against my head and moves it forward so my forehead touches the door. Once my head is down, he picks up my wrist, and clamps over one half of the cuffs. Dex doesn’t answer me. So much for a friendly reunion. Now I can’t help but ask, as he reaches for my second wrist and I try to wave it out of reach to delay him for a further moment, “Are you still a virgin?” I mock.

Dextor clamps his hand over my second wrist and tells me simultaneously, “I don’t need to have sex to be fulfilled.”

I snort into the door, while I stick my ass out back into his groin, as he pulls me off the door. I fall back into his chest, eyes rolled up, provoking him.

In truth, I was also a virgin – though I was kind of sick of it.

But looking back into his eyes now, all I see is crazy.

Craziness.

He was fucked in the head.

“Dale,” I say his forgotten name, “That’s your real name. I didn’t forget.”

I expect a snarky reply.

Instead there is silence, as Dex ignores my ass in his groin, and he reaches over me to open the door, leading me out, placing a hand on the top of my head to keep my eyesight down as we walk.

I go compliantly, and I notice other steps come forward.

Dusty, Randy and Ryker have joined to escort me to the hovering police van outside the college ground.

On the sparse grey road outside, I’m pushed into the back where I’ll be locked in for the ride.

I sit on my plastic bench, pouting in disappointment as I watch Dexter simply moving to close the door, refusing to act human in any way with me.

Until the last second.

Dex looks up at me and we lock eyes again.

“I’ll be recommending a death sentence to the jury,” he speaks coldly, then shuts the door.

Fuck. This was fun and games until that just slipped out of his mouth.

Fucking monster.

What was I to expect?

He was raised by one.

Tortured by one.

And now he was simply the same.

And obedient.

It made me sick.

As I sit in my confined area, I look through the bars to the free space, where the KINGS guard sit in as the vehicle drives autonomously down the road. Only high officials were allowed to drive, everyone else had to walk, so the roads were always very empty.

Over the years, Airen had slowly implemented more and more rules to give him and his politicians absolute power. The rest of us ‘lucky humans’ were treated like cattle in Atlantis.

Being arrested was the highlight of my stay.

I just watch as the KINGS guard all act a little more relaxed with one another. Sharing snacks. Water. Even sneaking out a bit of alcohol from a unlabelled glass bottle hidden in a cabinet. Hmm. Okay. I observe every behaviour, without drawing attention to myself. They mostly stay silent, but seem to communicate through knowing looks and shared expressions with each other.

We’re almost to the Detention facilities.

I know my time is coming to an end.

I had to do something.

Before the van stops, I speak for the first time that ride.

“I’m an Ultimate,” I tell all of them.

Hoping I won’t regret it.

Dusty and Randy laugh.

Ryker just looks at me like why would I even bother to dare to speak?

I look down, feeling defeated. Well, that failed.

There was nothing more I could do.

The van finally stills, the doors swing open and they all pile out.

One lone shadow remains and I look up to see Dexter coming over to look in at me, eyes curious.

“Really?” he asks in that deep melancholy tone he’s adopted.

“Yup. I’m an Ultimate. And did I destroy the world in my 4 years running rampart in Atlantis?” I whisper at him, “Did you check my ID record? Did you see my top marks? My perfect attendance? Have I not added in a positive contribution to your hell of a city?” I accuse Atlantis of being hell, and I see this makes his eyes flicker, thinking deeply as I speak, “Common sense, mother fuck. Dale, you’ve been brain washed –”

Dex stops thinking.

And looks in at me with his rage filled chocolate brown eyes.

“You’re talking nonsense because you’ll be dead soon. You assaulted me, you broke the law, you resisted arrest and now you’ll pay accordingly,” Dexter starts to growl at the end. Resisted? When I waved my hand around so he couldn’t handcuff me quickly?

But I can tell, his mind is on me touching him in the public crowd.

A shoulder tap. Assault.

“You liked it,” I guess, “Mmhmm, that little shoulder pinch,” I mock him again, putting on a fake seductive voice, “Virgin.”

“Why do you say it like it’s an insult?” Dale asks, glaring in at me.

“Ooo, you’re talking with me now? So I do interest you,” I keep pushing him.

Dexter looks me up and down and finally backs off and exits the vehicle, coming to the back to haul me out.

When I stand outside willingly, my cocky grin quickly slips.

Airen is stepping out of an adjacent van just next to us.

He’s looked over and seen me before I put my head down.

“Father,” Dex salutes.

“Dex!” Airen has a small chuckle in his throat, “You caught her so quickly.”

“Should I have been slower?” Dexter rumbles, making a ‘joke’.

“I like your humour. My Lord. You’re the perfect son,” Airen congratulates him, “I could not think of a better son. You’ve done everything I’ve ever asked –”

“Everything?” I snap, looking up on impulse.

I wish I could shut the fuck up.

But it’s already too late.

Dexter’s vein is almost splitting in his forehead, he’s enraged.

“Do not speak,” Dexter snarls at me.

“Calm,” Airen holds up his hand, looking between Dexter and I, “…calm… it is time…”

Dexter tilts his head in question.

His team waits by the gate that they’ve opened back to their facility.

Large unclimbable bars surround the Detention Centre. They didn’t like calling it a jail. It’s a big white building with no windows. It’s ominous. It feels cold.

Featureless. Who knew what happened inside there.

I’m just staring at it thinking I’ll never see the sun again once I’m in, when Airen breaks my small trance.

“You’ve got the night off,” Airen nods at Dexter.

“Sir?”

“You heard me,” Airen slow blinks and nods, “Yes. I punish the disobedient. This nameless girl reminded me of that. But I also reward the loyal,” Airen purses his lips as he looks me over, “And she is a young woman now,” he looks back to Dexter, “You can’t keep your eyes off her, son.”

“No, I –” Dex blushes with frustration.

Airen tries not to laugh, “She’s yours now.”

“I was sentencing her to an execution –”

“If her life is over in the eyes of the law,” Airen suggests otherwise, “Simply take her life as servitude to your own, as my own wife is a servant to me.”

“A… wife?” Dexter doesn’t seem to understand the word.

“Yes, a servant for your needs,” Airen talks too calmly.

I want. To fucking. Scream.

I barely keep in my tongue, biting my cheek as I look anywhere but at them as they have this ‘profound’ conversation together.

“A wife,” Dexter repeats, like a brainless fucking robot.

“What is your name, once more?” Airen asks me.

“Wendy,” I speak through tight lips, still looking away. If I look at Airen he’ll see nothing but my urge to kill, and I might even tell Dex to fucking do it.

Only from Casey’s teachings, do I know never to use my mind control again unless it’s immediate life or death.

“Wendy,” Airen continues to address me, while I now look down and observe my running shoes, “How would you like to be the KINGS’ wife?”

Why ask me?

I move my head a bit but can’t find the words.

Airen walks toward me, and his old creepy fingers pinch my chin while I keep my head down.

He think’s I’m terrified.

He thinks I’m scared.

It’s attracted his predatory touch.

His leathery dehydrated fingers move against my chin and I try not to throw up in my mouth.

“This is not a gift to you, my love. This is the Lord’s word. You will serve your husband forever, in all things. It is your only purpose. Now bow your head to his shoes… and let him see what it feels like to own a human being.”

Could Airen provoke me any further?

Move over… and bow… to Dex’s fucking boots?

My brain does not compute. I can’t. Even. Fucking. Pretend. To do it.

I finally raise my head, I pull back a bit – my aim? To smash my forehead into Airens’ stupid mouth.

Before I can even move, Dexter quickly walks over and grabs the nape of my neck – pulls me aside, while his foot with agile and grace, kicks out my ankle out of Airen’s site to make it look natural – or somewhat, as I fall forward, hands still handcuffed behind me as my face smacks his boot in my fall. I’m just glad I didn’t have my face hit the concrete like that.

“And that is why you deserve it,” Airen laughs loudly, “You’re too perfect,” he praises Dex over and over, “I will see you tomorrow. Back on duty.”

“Of course,” Dexter murmurs quietly under his breath.

I listen as Airen walks off, step by step.

A minute of silence passes.

I’m just sitting back on my heels now, exasperated.

Dexter looks down at me, while I look over his white fancy suit.

I catch his eye and blush just a little.

Then I try to look elsewhere.

“Get up,” Dexter snaps.

As I struggle to stand, he walks around me and frees my wrists from the restraints. I turn into his chest as he side-steps back around me.

“Ew,” I insult his looks now, too frustrated to keep my composure.

Dex, after all that, had a softening gaze.

However, now at my choice word of ‘Ew’ he goes cold again.

And he leans down to kiss me.

Out of fucking nowhere.

I gasp in a breath before our lips collide, my hands going up and touching his neck, to choke him but then I quickly switch to caressing his skin instead, as his hand cups the back of my head and he pulls me up and into his mouth.

His lips know exactly what they’re doing.

And for some reason, perhaps from starvation, I’m kissing him back.

On my own accord.

Some of the security looking on starts to cheer around the facility.

I try to breathe him in, while Dex pulls back just as I get desperate.

“I’m not a virgin,” Dexter mocks me now, “But I can tell you are.”

I just blush. Dex almost smiles a little bit, even with eyes looking on.

His team waltz back up, intrigued by what the hell just went on.

Dusty is at his left, Randy and Ryker on his right.

“Your married to the KINGS guard,” Dexter advises me.

“Yeah, you,” I half shrug.

“No – all of us,” Dex corrects me and also tilts his head a bit, raising a brow, confused why I didn’t understand that.

“No, just you,” I complain again, “Airen said –”

“You serve me,” Dexter finishes it for me, too smooth, “And I’m telling you. You’ll serve all of us. I know my rank. And now you’re listening to your superior.”

“Do you even have a personality beyond that tongue and those lips?” I ask, chuckling nervously, “You sound so bland.”

“How do you punish wives?” Dusty asks under his breath, “If we cannot kill her for constant insubordination?”

I roll my eyes.

They all look perplexed.

“Well you don’t abuse them,” I quickly snap, “Don’t even think about it –”

“No,” Dexter talks over me again, “If she doesn’t obey, we’ll just ignore her. No acknowledgment.”

I blink.

“Great, ignore me,” I clap my hands together, “Great.”

“You onto something?” Randy whispers in Dexter’s ear, “What does –”

“Just watch, I’ve worked her out, she’s an attention whore,” Dexter walks past me, with the others. I am expected to follow. And I do. I have nowhere else to be. I don’t even care about the insult right now.

I walk along behind the KINGS guard, as they do actually ignore me. For now, at least. Around me, I take in the looming Detention Facility getting closer and closer as we walk into it.

I had felt useless for 4 years.

Now I could smell something fresh and dangerous in the air…

…opportunity.