Kings of Hell

Alyssa’s POV

FC had never looked any better. There was true peace in the city for the first time in… probably forever? True peace.

And what better way to celebrate peace, than a date night.

I have chosen one of the new fancy restaurants in FC, opened by some Atlantis folk who wanted to move here for a culture change. Not everyone had been brainwashed by the religious movement, some were just in hiding.

All kinds of seafood are served here, and I’ve never had fish. I thought that was some old-world delicacy. I was excited to try some for the first time.

Just before entering the Fish & Crumb dining area, I had finished texting Casey.

All set? I had asked.

And he responded with two thumbs up.

I was excited for this.

I had even invited my parents to tag along, Zac and Lucy.

After arriving from Atlantis into FC, they already have seats by the window, while I’ve booked a booth for my unconventional relationship – my four beasts were yet to arrive but I was determined to be first.

Yolanda was also here, I invited her as well since she had been so good to me while I was brain-injured. Since she was all alone family wise, she has company with Aldo, who had been asking around for Armageddon earlier that day, and I told him he’d be around later tonight. Then I paid him to take Yolanda on a date.

Of course, the old granny was flattered to have such young company, and Aldo was strangely not weird about it – rather helpful, actually. Probably the most polite FC freak – his mutation being a forked tongue. The young lad was probably a good influence on Armageddon, considering Ariel’s sons temper and emotional mood swings. He was a hot head, to say the least, and Aldo seemed the complete opposite – a chilled out dude.

Overall, the restaurant is full of relaxed mutants. Anyone who survived the New Worlds up until this point, was a true survivor and just happy to be home.

I think about Hacksaw. He was a vicious, bloody cut-throat, who always got away with his horrific murdering sprees when he got bored. Sammy on the other hand, had already had a justified death – to be alive again was insult to injury. This time they’d be nothing left to come back from.

And as for REIGN – and more specifically, Kane, we had to deal with him next, pronto. His curiosity was causing more mayhem than help. We had to put him in his place.

But that was for another day.

Wendy and Armageddon were conducting the mission tonight. I wasn’t concerned about their safety because Casey and V were managing the whole thing.

If any two people on the planet could pull off the impossible – or the likely improbable, it was those two sweethearts.

As for dear old STRIKE and I, we needed to take a step back and just be the elders for once. There was a lot of power on the planet but it was finally balanced out, STRIKE, ARMY and the Zeniths, along with Sally and Ariel – they ruled with us, and we all had the interest of humanity at the core of us.

All of us were dangerous, but humanity was broken and we were the guardians of our species.

The danger to us all were power hungry lunatics, or fear mongers. We had defeated everyone in powerful positions who had obsessive thoughts about pure humans and mutant humans being unequal. We were ultimate conquerors holding the peace, for now.

I take a seat at the booth and wait for STRIKE to arrive.

I had run off from them a few hours ago and actually put some effort into my appearance, vs just wearing a leotard. I wear a red silk dress, transparent high heels and sexy crimson red lingerie underneath. I had never worn anything super-sexy with my beasts. Nothing beyond what my numb brain had allowed in that moment.

It feels nice to have put effort into my appearance. And I did it for me – cliché, I don’t care, it was nice to do something pretty for me. Even my nails are painted black. I left my hair out, but I added a pretty clip by my ear of a small gold butterfly.

I check the time and it’s late, as more people filter into the restaurant, my beasts do not show up, but I keep checking over my shoulder.

Zac and Lucy are talking in depth, I sense their deep love for each other.

Glancing to Yolanda, she is talking nonstop to Aldo.

Steaming food is brought out to those waiting, and I just feel embarrassed.

Where were my beasts? Did they have to be late?

I had a tablet set up and everything to show them what Ariel was going to live stream for us.

My C-Link rings and it’s Casey.

I answer, feeling lonely, “What’s up, Casey?”

“Mum,” Casey sounds both amused and worried, “Um… just watch.”

“What happened?”

“I guess I’ll say, old habits die hard, mum, turn on the feed,” Casey hangs up and I switch on the stream with furrowed brows.

It’s happening.

I see Ariel has a camera on her head, as she is walking through a lobby to the street. She talks to a bell boy for one of the Atlantis hotels, and I see what’s happening as her steps pick up pace.

It’s hard to focus, but there’s blurs around that back sedan, the old STR1KE.

Ariel finds a lamp post and peaks around it, showing the action from a better angle.

Dale, Serge, Ace and Jose are standing by their old car in Atlantis.

“DAD!” Ariel hisses out, and Dale turns to the sound of her voice, “That car is rigged to blow!”

Dale just shrugs and gives her a thumbs up and a wink.

Ariel sighs, annoyed, ringing Wade, “How did STRIKE get involved?”

“We talked, just record, baby,” Wade answers smoothly.

Ariel ends the call as STRIKE tense and I watch as four figures approach from a long walk out of an apartment block.

Ariel shuffles closer along the street, wanting to capture everything but not get involved too heavily.

When the camera focuses, I see Sammy is being led out by Armageddon, her arm twisted behind her back.

Louis isn’t bound, but Wendy holds a gun up to him, and his mouth is tapped shut roughly – as if they figured his greatest weapon was his mind control. Which it was. So it was pretty smart to gag the bastard.

Sammy says something to the beasts waiting for her, I can’t hear it. But the moment her mouth moves and she glares at STRIKE, they all point guns at Louis.

After the package is delivered, Wendy walks around the confrontation and spots Ariel, running toward her and the camera.

She blocks the view for a moment, looking confused.

Armageddon stays to play.

“The bitch came at me with a knife!” Wendy yells at Ariel, showing her a shallow cut on her arm, “I punched her in the face!”

“I’m sorry that happened, but move, quickly!” Ariel grabs her in a side hug, pulling her into her side as they watch the action, “Mum if you’re watching…” I am watching, I am watching as STRIKE suddenly put their guns back away and opt for a straight brawl – fighting Louis while Armageddon holds Sammy off to the side, “I didn’t know they’d be here!”

Louis fights back hard, but what do you know, without his tongue, Louis doesn’t stand a chance at winning. They don’t stop until he is unconscious. Every punch and kick is satisfying to watch, I don’t care if it’s bad to enjoy violence, he deserved what was coming. STRIKE haul his heavy, limp body up and throw him in the boot of the car. He didn’t go down easy, even from a distance, I can see my beasts are already red with cuts and bruises.

However, now they have to deal with the female who represented the love of their lives. My genetic twin and my arch nemesis, which was an understatement after everything she had put me through.

They turn to Sammy and my heart still leaps from my chest with jealousy.

They were always too easy on her. I’m scared.

Her mouth moves and for the first time I’m glad I don’t know what she’s saying.

Dale acts the gentlemen, he gracefully opens the door for her, she shrugs off of Armageddon’s hold and stalks toward Dale as Dale passes her the keys.

“He is letting her believe she can drive off,” Ariel whispers for me, “Are you watching this?” her voice raises with excitement.

Sammy had snatched the keys rudely from Dale’s hand, and jumped into the drivers seat.

On the way in, Dale caught her arm, leaned in and kissed her forehead.

I frown but at least it wasn’t on the lips.

I know it’s just a kiss goodbye.

I watch as he steps back with Serge, Jose and Ace.

They holster their guns twice and watch as the old war machine drives off in the opposite direction.

Jose looks morbidly on, and I know it’s because he loved that car to death.

Armageddon yells some kind of expletive in victory and Dale catches him in a headlock, scuffing up his head and grinning – just as the car makes it to third gear and…

I can’t blink.

It’s too good to be true.

It’s not… well… it’s not really a basic explosion.

Everyone’s clothes fly back, as the flash and shockwave ripples through the street – Ace even falls off his feet onto his ass, but the others stand.

“Wade rigged it,” Ariel commentates for me.

That explains why it wasn’t an explosion – and rather, a five-story pure incineration of the assholes inside.

The whole thing had lit up in white flames, blowing out windows of the nearby skyscrapers and burning with a heat and force that won’t leave anything behind but ash of ashes.

Ariel sprints to her dad, the camera is shaky with her running, and I turn off the feed, turning to the shadow of the waitress who arrived at that moment.

Her name tag, ironically, is Sammie – just with different spelling, and she looks totally different.

“Would you like a drink while you’re waiting, Mrs. President?” she asks.

“I’m not a president anymore… but thank you. Water for me,” I agree, “And… four bottles of whiskey.”

“Four shots,” she assumes my mishap.

“No, no, bottles, it’s a… well it’s a gift, a surprise,” I explain.

“We don’t let people leave with the… with the bottles,” she whispers, “Sorry.”

“We’ll drink it all,” I say.

“You’ll… oh,” Sammie closes her eyes and shakes her head, “Sorry, I forget… it’s STRIKE, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, they don’t really get affected by alcohol, they need a lot to get drunk – our systems are a little too efficient,” I frown and shrug and she scribbles down the order.

“I’ll be right back,” she smiles and runs off to the bar.

Fuck me.

I could kiss Wade right now.

That explosion had his signature of violence. A perfect justice.

I smile to myself, feeling euphoric with the quiet victory as I wait alone but totally full.

More families arrive and soon the restaurant is almost packed and brimming with happy voices.

I feel a deep, deep sense of peace.

Finally.

Fucking. Finally.

The whiskey bottles get dropped off and I push them to the end of the table near me, so I can hand them out when they arrive, which won’t be for a half hour at the earliest, because of their injuries. They’ll need to change.

The door swings open again, another family enter –

“It’s called a natural tragedy,” I hear Serge speak like a proud general.

“Or an accidental suicide, since she took the k –” Ace says.

“Karma,” Jose snaps, “It’s just poetic karma.”

“It’s logistics and planning, nothing more,” Dale drawls over all of them, and at the same time, my beasts are scanning the restaurant.

They don’t see me at any of the window seats, so they turn to the back and immediately spot me in the middle booth. I have turned and slouched down, leaning back across the booth, with my leg up on the pillows, and a small smug smile on my face, I even twirl a strand of my hair around my finger.

I’m trying not to cry, even as they look between my legs, as I show off a tiny bit of what is underneath my special, pretty dress.

I just stare at STRIKE, devouring them with my eyes.

My giant beasts arrived to the Fish & Crumb, covered in smoke, soot and blood.

I grin now.

I agree with Jose.

This was bloody poetry.