Kings of Hell

Alyssa’s POV

Serge, Ace and Jose walk in on two of us – Sammy and I. She sits eating pancakes for a second time, this time at the FC Military cafeteria, but she spits it out as she takes in the beasts.

We have the room to ourselves.

My beasts go pale sitting down, speechless, all eyes glued on her.

“You’re all grown up,” Sammy stutters and stands up, reaching a hand over the table toward them, reaching for their hands. I pull her back down, and she sits with a blush, “Sorry,” she apologises.

“This is Sammy, the one you knew back then… you’ve met her before… well… here she is revived again,” I speak gently, while I grab her hand and twine my fingers through – clasping them in front of my silent beasts, “But this time – we’re allies.”

“We’ve met?” Sammy takes her hand out of mine and spins to face me, “Alyssa?”

“This whole time, you’ve been talking to me… about the experiments – on these men. I haven’t had time to fill you in yet –”

“She blew your fucking brains out,” Serge holds up a hand toward me – ratting me out. Ruthlessly.

I turn to him and glare – but Lightning’s glare is far more potent.

Ace and Jose remain quiet, for now – letting Serge run with it.

Sammy shuffles over on the bench – once hip to hip, now she scoots to the end, pushing the pancakes away, “Are they poisoned this time?” she whispers.

“No,” I hiss, before glaring at Serge, “What’s your problem, Lightning?”

“What Dale did was wrong, but what you did was fucked,” Serge snarls it at me, standing up, “I followed your order against him – never again,” he’s snarl is true.

My eyes go down to the salt and pepper shakers, my hands clasped so tight together I feel my nails digging into my palms. Okay then.

I did not expect this.

“We have a simple… rule, Alyssa…” Ace speaks so quietly, as quiet as I’ve ever heard him talk. I look at him now, between Serge and Jose, and he is cold in his quiet tone, “The rule is. No discourse. Even if the world burns. Even if an alarm is distracting or disorienting the mission, or the moment… STRIKE comes first, always. Last night was the first time we betrayed one of our own. Dale will take this bad.”

Fine.

“Jose?” I look to him, for his opinion too.

“Your actions,” Jose starts, carefully.

“And Dale’s actions?” I cut him off, unable to keep my cool, “He slit a civilian’s throat.”

“That’s what he was trained to do,” Sammy of all people, has a voice in this moment, “You’ve known him a lot longer than me, and you’re surprised he has a leopard’s killer instinct?” she asks this with too much sass for my liking.

“Jose,” I ignore her for the moment, coming back to him, “My actions… continue…” I’m on a tight rope, and it’s about to snap, but I was ready to hear what he would finish off with.

“Sammy said it,” he looks to her, shrugs toward her.

I sit back, speechless.

When I sideways glance, she’s fucking blushing at them.

Why. Did. I. Wake. Her. Up?

Intelligence. I got her to tell me her story before she found out I hated her guts.

At least that was accomplished – but now my beasts are staring at me like I’m untrustworthy… or worse.

“What was so urgent?” Serge asks me, and I feel his gaze – it’s pained, but it’s almost like I’m a stranger. But I guess I am. I am no longer the complicit whore they were used to.

The urgency was a surprise – I was going to show them Sammy, we were all going to be friends and work out how to deal with Dale. Instead. The opposite fucking occurred. And I’m a little surprised I expected their loyalty over his.

“Nothing –” even as I say it, my C-link rings and I answer the call aloud.

“Is this the Interim President?” I cringe at the voice questioning my position, but it shakes with fear too.

“Yes, it’s Alyssa –”

A shuffle of the microphone has a heavy breath taking over, and a deep drawl, “Hello, Kitten.”

My eyes instantly roll up to each corner of the cafeteria. Marshall and Alton have refused to remove themselves until the 4 weeks was up. I guess they knew trouble was coming. How did Dale get out of High Military Detention? Should I even be surprised?

“Dale –”

“Shut up and listen,” Dale speaks harsh, yet another reprimanding tone to deal with. I look at Sammy and she’s staring at my watch like she’s staring at her long-lost love. She loves his voice. Even as a human, I was a whore, fuck, “You better have the gun ready the next time I see you.”

“Miss –” at that moment, a security guard slams through the cafeteria doors, grabbing my attention, “He escaped!”

“I know,” I drawl back, waving him out.

“Oh – you don’t have the message yet?” Dale asks sadistically.

“What. Message?” I’m short as I can be.

“My city you called Hell? I’m the King of Hell. The Black Lair is mine. It’s off limits to you. Oh and – if I ever see you again, the first fucking thing you’re going to do is put a gun in your mouth.”

“What about our daughters?” I’ve asked the question but he’s hung up at the end of his own sentence.

I didn’t get a choice.

But my question gets delivered from the beasts instead.

“Sally goes as she pleases,” Serge states, stiff.

“…and Ariel…?” I ask, quietly, “I haven’t seen her for weeks. She stays underground a lot.”

“Ariel will answer to her father,” Serge cuts me off, “And I’m referring to those dogs she can’t stop getting high off of.”

“She’s doing drugs?” I whisper.

“No, she’s high off them – like you were off us,” Jose explains, “I knocked on their door a few days ago… wished I never opened it.”

I gulp as each Beast stands to leave.

“Back to the Shadows?” I ask, hesitantly, “It’s illegal now to–”

Serge barks laughter, cutting me off as he leads the way.

Ace follows, solemn.

Jose remains, looking at Sammy. Then me.

“She safe with you?” Jose asks me.

“What do you think?” Sammy stands, “I won’t stay with her. Take me to Dale.”

“He won’t be in a good mood,” Jose warns her.

Sammy hesitates, and looks back at me.

“Stay away from him,” I warn her, begging her, “Please.”

“No. You’re not coming with us,” Jose makes the decision for Sammy.

“Fine, I’ll stay with her,” Sammy murmurs quietly, glancing at me sideways.

Jose hesitates before looking at me, then turns to leave but quickly turns back.

“…he will forgive you, doll…” he says it quietly, like he shouldn’t have said it.

Then he goes.

Marshall and Alton start to come forward.

“Wait outside,” I snap at them, and they nod – exiting the flapping doors.

Once they are shut, I turn to Sammy and she turns to me.

“Thank you for not pushing it – you don’t want to be around them now that they’re men, beasts… they’ve been without a war a while now, it’s been worrying me. I can feel their tension. They crave violence,” as I say it, Sammy nods.

“I made sure they did,” Sammy replies casually, “And if I told them to kill you, if I gave the order, they would,” oh, she’s trying to threaten me, cute.

“No… last time they had a choice between you and me… and…” I trail off, however…

“I told you my truth, now you tell me yours,” Sammy is smart for business.

I shrug.

Why shouldn’t I be clear?

I would be.

“They chose me, Sammy. But this is the crucial reason why. I was you, born again, genes tweaked to be the perfect whore. Of course, I could think straight – except when they were in a room with me. Alone. Not even alone. I’ve sucked their cocks in public without a second thought, and they humiliated me like that time and time over, like it was normal. I was designed to please them. And smart just enough to be entertaining.”

“And now?” Sammy asks, inquisitive.

“I fixed it,” I speak briefly, “I’m okay now. I’m clear headed. For the first time in my life.”

“Recent, huh? So, you won’t kill me in a jealous rage this time?” Sammy asks, letting something slip.

How did she know when I killed her, it was a jealous rage?

My small smile dissipates.

Sammy stands up, and I watch her walk to the doors, turning back to look at me.

If she was that Sammy. The one who took my daughter’s growing years from me. If she was that Sammy. I – with this new brain – I’d kill her again anyway.

I keep in my simmering, almost boiling rage, as she looks me over at the doors.

While we’re alone.

“Maybe you should remember this. Dale killed me, because I am the greatest liar of all time. Better than him,” Sammy is straight with me, “I’m also better at stories. At science. Because, even though he is not a psychopath, I am. And it helps me think masterfully.”

“Why are you taunting me,” I murmur, quietly, “You lied to me since the moment you woke up –?!”

“I doubt I’ll see you again,” Sammy admits, “Kane made sure when I woke up… so would he... simultaneously.”

I furrow my brows, as she leaves.

He?

Did she mean...

Hacksaw.

Kane had… Louis?

The first thing I do is call him.

“Hello?” Kane answers, openly happy.

“Is Louis there?” I snap.

“Oh – well, yes. He’s awake. He’s contained, but – nothing contains him for long. As we all know.”

“Everything is falling apart here in this city, Kane.”

“Oh, is it?” Kane’s apathy is too clear.

“Did you really fix my brain?” I ask, suspicious now.

“I’ll put you onto Vana if you don’t believe me.”

“Please.”

“Alyssa?” Vana answers next, “I watched every operation as you know – and I can confirm, Kane followed the procedure. There was no tinkering with your head, Mrs. President. Your brain has a full functioning range.”

“Why Marshall and Alton?” I ask, and Kane grabs back the phone.

“Security? You haven’t worked out why?” Kane laughs, “I thought you would have… by now.”

“What, that Dale is a danger to this city?” I ask, scoffing, like it was new.

“…oh… no… dear… oh, dear…” Kane speaks privately to Vana for a bit, before he returns with a sigh, “Should I just tell you then? He’s a danger to you. Idiot.”

“He slit another girl’s throat. Not mine.”

“Alyssa,” Kane snaps back at me now, “I saw the club footage. Don’t lie. You incentivised him.”

“No – it’s not my fault. I wasn’t holding the blade.”

“Weren’t you?” Kane asks, then he hangs up as well.

He changes my whole perspective in an instant.

I look at my clear hands.

Spotless skin.

But blood could be all over them.

My Ultimate brain puts a few puzzle pieces together.

That one memory of Dale drinking whiskey, sculling so much in DynaPrism, too much, then admitting to me… he was a whore for me.

The megalomaniac… searching for control. Always searching.

Because Dale didn’t have it.

It was me, this whole time.

I was the threat.

He was desperate to hide it.

I had control.