Kings of Hell

Wendy’s POV

My mission failed in the first few seconds. How else to say it… I walked through the Transpendiser into the fucking thick of it. In the middle of a parliamentary building – in plain sight and looking like a confused fool – I was immediately apprehended by security, my gun discarded and I was almost handed over to Atlantis police.

Until a politician with a familiar face, recognised me in the lobby.

My father used to work with Randy. A tall and old withered man, he was a conservative and one of Atlantis’s main representatives, of major financial support to their New World government.

I was called over to speak with him, standing with the security as he whispered to his other political friends close by.

As blood drained from their faces I overheard key whisperings.

Her whole family is dead.

She did it.

It’s too late to slip away.

So much for gathering intel quietly.

“With me,” Randy barks a command, clicking his fingers – the security guards grab my arms and drag me along as we go up into an elevator and head to Randy’s personal office. In this space, I feel helpless. I didn’t… I didn’t know what to do, nor why I was detained, “Cuff her to the chair,” Randy points, after I’ve been pushed down to sit, “Both arms,” I wonder if he’s going to hurt me. I stay silent, one of my personal weapons. I watch each security guard place cuffs around my wrists, connecting them to the arm rests, “Go,” Randy tilts his head, impatient for them to leave us alone, “Where the hell did you come from?” he slowly sits, his hands supporting himself on the desk, “Can you speak?”

“I’m not a cow, of course I can speak,” I let loose at that, annoyed he talks to me like an alien.

“You were reported for being the cause of your families murder in Frankincense City – have you any idea who you are?” he whispers, shocked or something.

“No, what do you mean,” I answer honestly, “I’m Wendy?”

Randy shakes his head and picks up a phone.

“Wait,” I know if more people get involved, I’ll have less chance to get out of here. I had to somehow convince him I was not a threat, “Randy, wait…” I ask it like a child, to see him slowly put the phone back down, to listen to what I have to say, “My family… they were hurting me…” he starts to lift the phone again, “Randy. I came here for help. Looking for answers. For help.”

“With a gun?” he puts the phone down a second time, “Where did you get that gun?”

“I was scared,” I whisper, “I stole it. I missed my home…”

“You don’t know what you are. I’ll tell you. You’re a violent failure, and I need to report you immediately to a head officer – you’re an experimental soldier, you weren’t meant to survive the mutations,” as Randy explains, he talks to me like I’m already a dead person. Shit. And I have no idea what he’s talking about.

“Please explain to me,” even as I beg, he doesn’t listen.

Randy makes his phone call, “Yes. Uhuh. I have a Unit to return to Colonel Hubert. Yes, right away. She’s here. Unit 888. She’s been missing more than a month. Good, do that. Goodbye.”

The name jogs a small memory, and my nose twitches. Hubert?

Randy places the call down and clasps his hands together, as if he is praying for me.

“What are they doing?” I ask.

“Wendy. Sometimes, we need to experiment. To save humanity,” he starts off, “Most donated babies died from the enhancements. Some survived, all eventually died, just a bit older. But you survived an old experiment conducted with injecting S.D. We weren’t sure what to do with you, so we sent you to a family who would stay with you in FC as you grew up, hopefully without incident. We thought you would fit in. But you’ve already killed your family.”

“Explain in very simple terms,” I ask clearly, hoping he says it in a way I actually understand.

“Your DNA was artificially upgraded, with a very old biological weapon, we’ve been trying to tinker with it… for our own purposes. You weren’t meant to survive. No one was. We don’t know what to do with you still. You’re probably better in a controlled environment, back with Hubert, he ran the experiment to compare it with FC records,” Randy has no idea none of this makes sense to me, but I nod and try to remember the details anyway.

“I’m just annoyed and confused,” I furrow my brows, “I’m just a 16 year old girl. I’m no different to anyone else?”

“All I know is you will be immune to ageing and most diseases, but perhaps you have a neurological issue… such as psychopathy. It’s been reported as an issue in the old records…”

“I’m not a psychopath,” I smile, “No way.”

“You killed your family,” he states again.

“They were hurting me –”

“You’re a murderer,” Randy cuts me off again, this time raising his hand, “You killed my best friend, your father.”

“They were injecting me with something called S.D.?” I snap back, “Against my fucking will. My whole. Life,” Randy seals his lips, and clasps his hands again, “Against my will. Are you listening?”

“Sacrifice is necessary,” Randy’s tone is dry, “God demands it. For humanity.”

“You’re a lunatic,” I roll my eyes and slouch in the chair, staring at the ceiling, “This is Atlantis. Ha.”

Randy gets to some political work, ignoring me.

I stare at the white etchings in the ceiling.

Eventually, more company arrives.

“Hubert,” Randy welcomes the officer, glad to be rid of me.

I just lean back to see the Colonel walk in ramrod stiff like a stick. His eyes are on me and he clearly recognises me. I remember him a little bit, when I was a small child.

“Hubert,” I test his name too, “Do I know you?”

The Colonel nods, and puts his hand on my shoulder, a welcome back gesture, I guess.

“Good work,” Hubert speaks to Randy, “I’ll take over the charge from here.”

“Just incinerate her, get her off the records,” Randy tries to shoo me off with Hubert.

“Fuck you,” I kick his desk with my free foot, and Hubert squeezes my shoulder to calm me down.

“I said, I’ll take over the charge,” Hubert repeats, “Including the outcome.”

“Do not release her again, into the wild, it’s too dangerous,” Randy waves his hands about.

Hubert takes the keys for the cuffs off the desk and releases me.

I stand up and walk out with him, hands in my pockets.

Once we’re on the way toward some back exit and stairs, I’m looking him up and down, “Am I going to die, Hubert?”

“No,” Hubert shakes his head, “You’re too valuable. I’ll give you a job, and send you back to Frankincense City.”

“Oh?” I don’t get an answer, until I’m ushered into the back of a military truck parked outside. I sit down at a table strewn with papers. Hubert is easier to deal with.

“You’re special. We accidentally made ourselves an old school Ultimate, and we frankly, didn’t mean to,” Hubert is astounded, blinking multiple times as he sits in a large chair, “You’re invaluable,” and he sounds impressed. I am too, as he is given a tray of lunch by some workers, he pushes it over to me, and the offer of food catches my attention. I dig right in.

“Tell me more –” I speak with my mouth full of bread.

“Have you ever heard of the nuisances in FC – they call themselves STRIKE, they back the president… they are also Ultimate like you,” as he explains, I nod.

“What is Casey?” I ask, and Hubert looks distraught for a second, so I clarify, “Shadow Mayor… uh, the FC President’s son?”

“Casey, you know he is different?” Hubert is careful with his words now.

“Um, no, he just seems, yeah, I mean yeah, he does seem different to them,” I just lie on the spot, trying to speak naturally, “I’ve seen him in the streets.”

“He’s another one of them, but, we don’t know what genes were manipulated in him, that’s more a mystery… we do know his parents are both psychotic to some degree, so that might explain his brain’s difference. But what I’m thinking right now, is how you can be of use to Atlantis – and for good reason, I can promise you whatever you want, if you give me, what I want,” Hubert speaks to me like you might to a child. I play along with the wishes and wants.

“Anything I want?” I whisper, dropping down the cup of orange juice, “No way. What do I have to do?”

“If you agree, if you can – you have to kill Dale,” as Hubert says that, I nod – kill one person? Easy. But then he continues, “All of them. His men. His son. His woman. I’ll tell you their names. Serge. Ace. Jose. Alyssa. Casey and Dale. Do you know what they look like?” I shake my head, “Here,” Hubert sorts through his papers, and pushes me one with all their faces. They do look familiar, as I’ve seen them walk the streets before, I just didn’t know their individual names, “Can you do it, Wendy?”

Kill another family?

“Who should I kill first?” I ask, “And how many wishes do I get granted?”

“Whatever you want, seriously,” Hubert purses his lips.

I raise my brows, “Deal.”

“Really?” Hubert shuffles in his seat, straitening his back, smug and blushing with his own success. How stupid did he think I was?

“Sacrifice is necessary,” I repeat Randy’s sentiment.

“Yes, exactly, you still have Atlantis values, good,” Hubert is too easily impressed.

“I’m only 16… even if I’m some special person… I’ll need weapons for this.”

“I can give you a bomb?” Hubert suggests.

“You want me to blow a bomb in FC?” I ask, trying not to laugh, “That’s a bit extreme, don’t you think? People could get hurt if they’re in proximity.”

“They’re all freaks,” Hubert dismisses my concern, “It would be no waste. Most are harmless, I’ll say that, but the few we’re concerned about, we have grave concerns about. Our whole planet is dictated by genetic freaks of nature that should not exist, they are not human, they should not be here in the first place.”

“Why do I exist then? Pssht,” I ask, almost spitting out the food.

“We needed to understand how it was all made… it was a sacrifice,” Hubert whispers at me, clearly secretly embarrassed by my existence.

“Whatever,” I’m bored of this conversation, “What else do I need to know?”

“Actually, I need to know, what you want in return,” Hubert eyes me off carefully, “Perhaps you would like a free education in Atlantis, in a boarding school? Military training? Perhaps you want to own a new car?”

I don’t like his tone of voice, like everything he says is meaningless.

I lose my smile, then quickly regain it.

I had to act right.

“Hmmm,” I feign interest, “A new car?”

“Okay, we can do that,” Hubert nods.

He really, truly thinks I believe all this shit. I guess it was my age.

“It’s good to work with you,” I also nod, “Deal on the car.”

“No, it’s my pleasure,” Hubert starts to stand, “I can return you to FC through our own Transpendiser?”

“Sure, but one last question…” I bite my lip, “What were my parents injecting me with, if I was already mutated into something I shouldn’t have survived?”

“Oh,” Hubert hesitates, “We were… testing… a few things.”

“I think I have a right to know. Please?”

“Actually, that’s none of your concern,” Hubert cuts me right off, “With me, soldier,” he tries that tone.

“Yes, Colonel,” I stand up, reigning in my anger as he shows me his back, and I imagine yanking on his hair and snapping his neck.

He was bad with kids – because reading his lies were too easy.

There would be no car.

And there was no respect.

He thought I was a freak like them.

And if I followed through with his idea – the only gift I’d get at the end would be a bullet through my brain too.

But hey, mission accomplished.

I had intel. Now I just had to work out what to do with it.

Alyssa’s POV

While Dale is in a secure cell in the FC Military – I’m in the Black Lair, staring at a reflection of myself.

But not in a mirror.

AlyssaV2.

I’m waking her up.

She would have Sammy’s old memory and my enhanced body.

I open the top, and I hover my hand over the button to release her from her sleep.

I have a gun in my back pocket. I had come here to kill her – but seeing her face, I had a striking moment of empathy and perhaps new intelligence.

If I could? I wanted to be her friend.

“Let’s see how much you remember,” I whisper to myself, as I press release.

Vials inject into her veins – and with a slow, calm breath, she breathes in, and her eyes open.

“Hello, Sammy,” I talk to her direct, “Welcome back.”

Sammy stares at me for a long time, before she asks, timid, “…who are you?”

“Obviously, I’m you.”

“Am I dead?”

“No,” I state, “What’s the last memory you have?”

“I was killed,” Sammy says it so sorrowful, as if consumed by the last memory of why she left the world, “By a child. Called Dale.”

“Dale is not here,” I reassure her, “Although I exist because of him.”

“We look exactly the same,” Sammy starts, “But you don’t have my scars?”

“You don’t have any scars anymore,” I explain with a sigh, “You’re free,” I step back and allow her access to the world and this dusty bunker, “Welcome to hell.”

“Hell?” she moves herself out slowly, standing and looking at her hands and sharp nails.

“Careful with those – this is the future,” I begin, “Your brain was preserved, you live on – as I said, welcome to hell, the city is fucked, the planet is fucked, and you’re free to make your own way. But come with me first.”

“I…I…” she doesn’t know what to say.

“I need your help,” I lead her to the elevator, and toward HB. I’ll make her some pancakes.

“With what?” Sammy asks, breathless, “I’m really hungry. I feel weak and dizzy.”

“I’m getting you food. And I need help with Dale.”

She sucks in a panicked breath. The trauma rises to the surface.

“He’s here?” she turns to me, eyes skittish.

I grab her shoulders to hold her steady, “Yes – and I know how to handle him. Well… mostly. That’s why I’m going to ask you how.”

“H-how to what…?”

“How to understand him, how to fix him, or at least bang some manners into him… and by bang, I don’t mean…” I start to chuckle, but realise the joke is probably going to fly over her head for now, “Anyway… do pancakes sound good?”

“I love pancakes,” she responds with a nod, still dazed and still confused. She probably thinks she’s dreaming.

First I’d feed her up, get her dressed, get her head screwed on tight – push her memories up to date, and then I was going to see what Sammy could do to benefit me.

Correction. Us.

She lived twice but she only had the memory of her first very old life. She died because of Dale’s hand. And I existed because of Dale’s hand. Together, we could work out how to get an appropriate ‘revenge’. We had to correct the dynamics. Because I did love Dale deeply – but I had never been at an advantage, nor ahead of him. Not until now. And I didn’t want to give up this lead on him. It was the first time I could think as clear as him. And to top it off, I had his greatest weakness right beside me, and she knew everything I didn’t about his existence. Sammy existed before him. And I was going to use that knowledge, to finally understand everything about Dale and his psyche.

First, I had to be brave enough to wake her up.

Which was now accomplished.

Second? All I had to do was ask her.

About everything.