Vicki darted, Tomb-raider style, firing both pistols into Hyde to little effect, as she drew the gunfire away from Jack.
“Are we even doing anything?” she asked.
“I don’t think so. That’s Osirian built armor. Nothing is getting through that shit.”
“Do we just leave?” she yelled. Can we just collapse the whole city?
“No, that Blackstone is demo-resistant. His gun doesn’t have infinite ammo. He’s gotta run out eventually."
“So do we. I got 4 rounds left.” Vicki sighed.
“Two.”
“DAMNIT!” she screamed in frustration, switching to her regular ammo because screw it, why not? It’s all useless cover fire. She looked down and noticed she was standing in ankle deep water, and as the bullets silenced, she could hear the running of water rushing in from somewhere above. “Is this place flooding?” She asked.
“That’s why they shut it down. It floods.” Jack said switching to standard rounds as well. Hyde gave a mighty belly-laugh.
“You stupid humans don’t understand this world like I do. This is MY underground, MY domain. I am the god of this hell, and this hell is usually underwater. You’re in the Kraken’s den now!” he laughed insanely. “How long can a human hold their breath? How long can you tread water?”
“Guys, it’s Nicole. The place is flooding, move to the pillar to the north and take the stairwell up to the top level.” She ordered.
“He’s just going to follow us.” Jack said signaling to Vicki with no other option.
“No he won’t. Drop one of your guns.” She said, “Trust me, Jack.” He dropped a pistol and pushed Vicki in front of him to go first up the stairs as Hyde stomped and sloshed through the flooded streets. He approached the stairwell, gun ready, and suddenly a dark streak fell from the stairs and into the water. He took his finger off the trigger and waited. Nicole stood up, navel deep in the cold seawater, pistol tucked behind her back, a dim glow from the handle.
“Hello little chicken tender. Offering yourself to save your friends? Noble, but pointless."
“So shoot me, do it. Shoot the women you love to prove to her, you’re a real man.” She said, sloshing her way forward towards him with no fear, her hands held up to show she was unarmed. “Or…you could have what you always wanted. The real me, all to yourself.”
“You don’t mean that. You never did. You’re just distracting me so they can leave, but it’s fine. They’re still in MY world, full of MY guards. Dozens of them.”
“Copy that, guards are dead.” Gizzy said into her earpiece. “Girls are safe with me, I’m on my way down.”
“No”… She said to both Gizzy and Hyde. “OUR world. I need this, let me have this.” She said as her eyes turned black.
“What are you doing, little one? You can’t hurt me, I won’t hurt you. Your friends are going to die anyway, you should be with Vinn."
“I had Vinn… I had him since before you and I met. Yet I kept coming back here where you are. Why am I drawn to you?” she asked, stopping right in front of him.
“Lie to me, proceed to make your pointless point or draw that gun from your back and unload it at my face, you don’t put a dent in this armor.”
“No, but it would take my entire head off.” She said placing it to her temple. He felt a flutter of an unfamiliar sensation…fear.
“Point that at me or throw it aside, Nicole.”he ordered.
“Oh, I have your attention now, do I?” she asked.
“Why?” he asked. Why even threaten that?"
“Because you don’t understand me. You still don’t understand me, Hyde. You’re so close, but you still don’t get it. I’m not happy with Vinn, I’m not happy with anyone. I need the fear, the dark, the risk, and without that I feel nothing. But you feel something right now, and that’s fear. Fear that I'm just crazy enough to do it. Tell me where Dee is, and I’ll drop the gun, refuse, and I’ll break your heart in a way you can’t fix. Because right now you are the closest thing to something that understands the monster I am, and you still don’t get it…not yet. My friend is in danger and I have your heart in front of this barrel. You don’t want Dee, you’re better than that. Petty revenge for someone cheating on you? A HUMAN? That’s below you. That’s weakness and pathetic, weaker than Vinn and his overprotective teddy-bear bullshit. Where’s the Kraken that got me excited in these waters and drew me back? Are you really just a neutered copy with no power and no balls, reduced to a sobbing petty vengeance seeking child who has to punish a human for cheating on you?” she asked, aggressively.
“It’s not about Dee.”
“Prove it, tell me her location. Show me what it’s really about.”
“Fine. She means nothing. Drop the gun. Surface, white van, 34th and Avon Street, awaiting the winner.”
“Claybourne, you got that?” she asked.
“Be there in 60 seconds.” He said climbing out of the armored vehicle covered in blood, eyes glowing green in the dark.
“And there you go… It’s just us.” She said, tossing the gun aside.
“I can’t just let you go.” he growled. "You haunt me."
“I know… I don’t want to go. I want you to understand. We’re both monsters, Hyde. We belong in the dark water together. You always felt it. But you were broken, just like Evee was. There’s still the Kraken in there, stop fighting him and let him out.” She said with a slight coldness to her breath.
Jack and Vicki stumbled into the mansion, noticing Vinn on the ground.
“Where’s Nicole?”
“Lost city.” He slurred.
“You gotta be fucking kidding me.” Vicki sighed.
The doors of the white van opened up as another van backed up to it and opened its door, meeting in the middle.
“Hi there.” Smiled Zeph. “So you’re the lucky bidder who won?”
“Yes, now where’s my prize?” said a familiar looking gray bearded Delmarian with a cane.
“Right behind me, and thank you for outbidding me and saving me a million and a half credits. For your contribution, instead of ripping your dick of a skinning you alive, I’m just gonna squeeze your head until it pops.” He said clapping lightly to himself.
“I am a general.” He growled.
“MMmmm, not for much longer.” Zeph chuckled like an excited kid…or like Gizzy sometimes does.
The night air filled with the high pitch feminine screams of a large Delmarian having his head slowly compressed until silenced, in a small metal box, an unusual tune but not the strangest that night had to offer.
Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
Hyde stood half submerged as Nicole dove and popped up to jump into his arms.
“You really don’t fear me." He whispered, "How can I trust you? How can I ever let my guard down with you?”
“You don’t have to…because love can go through any cold metal armor.” She said, leaning in for a kiss and planting it on the visor as he refused to move it. "Just…like…electricity.” She said, dropping suddenly into the water. He reached back, and before he could grab the shock collar, 300 volts surged through the metal and send him under the water. He lifted his head up and she was gone.
“You dumb piece of shit.” Said her voice in the dark. “This isn’t YOUR world, it’s mine. You can swim, but you can't breathe underwater?” She said diving and rapidly changing locations as he looked around in the dark. “You can see in the dim light, but in the pitch black, you’re blind, and I’m as good as ever. I see you.” She said, tapping the shock collar remote and sending him under again. “And it’s awfully hard to swim with all that weight and 300 volts going through your neck, now isn’t it, baby?” she said, climbing up the stairs. “You let me drown, you son of a bitch. Now you get to know what that feels like. How does your big bad metal armor feel now…like protection, or like a coffin?” she said darkly as a hand gently laid on top of her hand.
“Don’t” Jack said softly. “Don’t kill him. He’s scared and helpless just like you were.”
“Jack, he has to die.”
“He will…in front of the council, hung by the neck as the law demands. Don’t push that button and become a killer. You can’t go back from that. Once you kill someone in cold blood, you’re never the same, Nicole. Listen to him flap and keep his head just above the water. He’s defeated thanks to you. Go to Vinn, it’s over.”
“I can’t sleep at night if he’s alive.”
“Trust me. Jack can handle this.” Vicki said giving her a hug. “It’s over” she whispered. “Go to Vinn.”
Nicole welled up with tears and handed the controller to Jack, climbing the stairs as they stood together smiling and watching the Kraken weighed down by his own armor, swimming sluggishly for the stairs.
"Thank you." she sobbed, disappearing into the dark.
“Are we really going to bring him in, Jack…let the law handle it?” asked Vicki.
“Hell no.” He chuckled, hitting the remote and listening to the splashing. “Nicole is not a killer, she’s too innocent for that. That kind of heart is not meant for it. Now the two of us on the other hand….” He sighed with a smirk. She placed her hand over Jack’s, looking him in the eye and embracing him in a gentle kiss, pressing the button together and holding it down as they pulled closer and their embrace intensified. The splashing and sizzling sound made their passionate kiss seem silent as they gripped tighter to each other, and the remote. She pulled back, eyes red and teeth sharp, and a slow panting of restraint in her breathing
“You’re just mean, aren’t you?” he said, licking his lip, still holding down the button as the bubbles stopped, and the splashing went silent.
“Someone has to be, to keep up with you.”
“You think he’s dead?” Jack yawned.
“Just to be sure.” She said, pulling him back in for another long kiss, button mashed tightly down and the soft sound of water dripping now the only noise echoing in the dark.
Vinn sat on the couch, shakily drinking his coffee, as Zeph walked in, carrying a very shallow sobbing Dee past them. Nicole followed shortly.
“I’m mad at you.” He said as Nicole sat down next to him.
“I didn’t kill him. I think Jack and Vicki might be doing that for me. He’s an animal, and he needs to be put down, but I still don’t wanna be the one to do it"
“Ya stabbed me in the neck with Vicki venom?” He blurted with an annoyed tone.
“I know…I’m kind of a crazy bitch like that, and I’m really sorry, but you would have stopped me, and then Jack and Vicki would be dead and Dee would be sold off into slavery, and you’d probably have just showed up in time to die too. So I’m sorry, but I’m not like…super sorry? I’m a little sorry. I’m sorry I had to jab you. I’m sorry I had to hurt you a little. Can you forgive me?”
“You know I’m gonna forgive you, but you should definitely feel bad enough to owe me like 3 favors or something.” He said.
“I accept whatever punishment you think is fair, sweetie.” She said with a playful pout.
“Get a room…or a whole house.” Jack said, as he and Vicki strolled in.
“Is he…dead?” Nicole asked.
“Very.” He yawned.
“Are you sure?” she asked nervously. “It’s not like one of those horror movies where the credits roll and the monster pops up from the water still alive somehow?”
“Nope.” Said Gizzy, saturated in blood from head to toe, holding Hyde’s freshly torn off head. “It’s one where the other monster takes his fucking head for her wall, and then orders a pizza.” She said, trudging to the downstairs shower, dropping the head outside the door and stripping down as the door closed. “Large Meat lovers, red onion, jalapeño and vodka sauce!” she yelled through the wall.
“Wow, we really do have scary friends.” Vinn nodded.
“It’s good to have scary things sometimes.” Nicole smiled.
The dark depths of the flooded and forgotten city laid silently, a ripple in the water where the body went under. From the water, a few bubbled surfaced and a slight splash echoed in the chamber, followed by the wet slap of a pair of hands grabbing the rock face. A moment later, the loud splash of something pulling itself up and out of the cold water broke the eerie silence. A pier of glowing green eyes in the dark hunkered lower to investigate.
“What…MENACE!?” said Izleena in a playfully scolding voice.
“Hi!” Menace grinned.
“Geet out of that water. That’s icky water, Menace. There’s dead things in there.” She said picking her up like a child. “Now you have to take another bath.”
“YAY!” she blurted.
“You silly little goober. Scaring momma like that.” She said, heading up the stairs.
And then there was true silence.
Dee sat on the edge of her bed next to Zeph, blanket wrapped around her and trying not to cry.
“You rescued me.” She said
“Yea, I did, I’m kinda the shit.” Zeph grinned.
“I owe you my life.” she sighed.
“No you don’t, you can make me dinner sometime if you want.” He shrugged.
“I can’t cook!” she blurted.
“Well… I dunno then. So you’ll definitely call me though, right?” he asked.
“You literally fought alien bugs and armed guards for me, and you’re not even gonna expect a reward?”
“A hero doing what’s right is his own reward.” He said boldly.
“Oh bullshit.”
“No, but seriously I’m gonna milk this hero status for months and every time I screw something up I’m gonna use it like a freebie card. I am 100 percent getting my reward out of this in the form of general ass-kissing and public flex-clout, bet on that. I’m getting a news story and shit, I want the word hero in the title and everything.”
“So you didn’t do this for me, you did this for public hero flex?”
“Well mostly because you’re a friend, and you needed my help but yea also the hero flex, hey I didn’t even ask for sex or anything. I gotta get my reputation up and shit.” He admitted. She scrunched her face and tilted her head slightly.
“No, I get it, that kinda makes sense. Fair point. So what are we now? In this...us thing?”
“Same as before, except if you wanna go out, people are gonna want pictures of the hero. Other than that, pretty much the same.” He shrugged.
“Look, Claybourne..."
"Actually my name is Zephyr, just call me Zeph. Claybourney is my middle name. Just sounded cooler when I was doing spy shit." he shrugged.
"I’m not that great of a prize, honestly. I’m just hot and kinky. I’m kinda dumb, I get into trouble a lot, I cheat on my boyfriends, like I would probably cheat on you too at some point, I’m just like that. You could do way better.” she admitted.
“Yea probably, but I already invested time in this so why not at least give it a try? I’m probably gonna cheat on you too at some point. I’m kind of an asshole. I’m a badass but also…like I have no friends for a reason.”
“Douchebag vibe?” she asked.
“Yep, douchebag vibe. Hardcore. Total honesty, I only gave you a shot initially to piss off my mom, but you grew on me and I kinda like you. You’re cool for a human. I’d be honored and amused if you would at least pretend to be my indebted girlfriend when we go downstairs, just so mom shits a turducken. I gotta get my prank on after that stressful night.”
“Your mom is downstairs?” Dee asked, looking lost.
“Well, one of her mini surrogates, she’s still gonna flip out the same.”
“GIZZY, is your mom?!” Dee asked.
“Yea, I didn’t mention that before?” he asked.
“NO! Oh my god, she’s gonna kill me.” She barked.
“Oh, she’s not that bad. I promise. She’s just scary.”
“Oh I hate my life. I hate it so much.”
“So is that a no on the dating thing?” he squinted.
“UUUgh…” she groaned, kicking the air. “You saved my life and I like you, and my last boyfriend just kidnapped me and got decapitated BY YOUR MOM…I kinda have to. I’m in a weird, vulnerable place right now, and I made it clear I was interested before all of this."
“Okay, but if you could tell her you’re pregnant…”
“NO!”
“I’m just kidding, Dee. She knows that’s medically impossible. She’ll be plenty annoyed that I’m dating a human as it is. It’s fine.” he shrugged.
Jack stood by the window, apocalypse mode on, no filter, sipping an old-fashioned on the rocks as Vicki leaned on his back and put her arms around him.
“So…am I still sleeping alone tonight? I’m still not entirely over the sleep-walking thing. I might be dangerous.” Jack reminded.
“Good.” Vicki whispered. “I’ll just lock you in with me.” She added, kissing his neck and giving him a very soft, playful bite. “I think I can handle you, if need be.”
“You know the house is gonna feel huge now with so many people gone. Mel and Silverback leaving, Evee taking off, Hyde’s going home with Gizzy, he won’t take up much wall space."
“You know…I think we’re gonna be okay, Jack. I think we’re gonna be just fine.”
“Of course we will.” He smirked, grabbing her hand and placing something in it. She squinted and looked suspicious at him, opening her hand and noticing a very simple but elegant tungsten ring with a single flush-set ruby.
“Is that an offer?” she asked.
“We could exchange it for a stone hair bead if you wanna be traditional.”
“Don’t you dare.” She said, slipping the ring on and hugging him tightly.
“I’ll take that as a yes in general, and a no to tradition.” He smirked.