Chapter 4 - Sleeping Beauty

"You must tell me about this new man of yours, Seeth! Word is spreading like wild-fire throughout the dungeon, all my Marks and Nodes are talking about him! We've heard the two of you deep into the night, and it sounds most passionate!"

A fierce red alien swept into the room, dressed in a black armoured corset with crimson detailing and a long, trailing black cape, carried by several of the monotone figures behind her. She was tall, thick, muscular and, most importantly, curvaceous, just like her consociates.

Seeth sighed quietly. "Good morning to you, Moltezz."

Moltezz's skin was an intimidating, smouldering ruby, with ashen-coloured carapace dotted around her body, often weaved into tight interlocking patterns. She carried herself with an undefiable confidence, as if the world was hers and hers alone. Her fiery dreadlocks started a bright cherry red at the roots, but faded into warm, crackling honey at its tips. The carapace on her shoulders and upon her head were both tipped with pointed amber crystals, perfectly embedded like crowning jewels. Her most noticeable feature though were her eyes. Her flaming amber irises and black pupils were surrounded by brilliant white halos. She had a brilliantly intense stare, as if a pair of molten black holes were locking on to you, fancying you for their next feast. She sat down at the head of the table, directly between Seeth and Leech, her fingers plucking at her chin playfully as she decided on what she wanted to eat.

The three Controllers were sat around a long rectangular table in the dungeon's mess hall. The old brutalist architecture of its previous life now covered up and adorned with hanging tapestries and lanterns, giving the room a more dungeon-like aesthetic with its tall ceiling and solid brickwork. The solid steel 'I' beams lining the ceiling made for perfect shelves for candles and colourful, decorated bottles, used purely for their aesthetics. A brief frown appeared on Moltezz's face as she noticed most of the candles above them were unlit, but all it took was a brief wave of her hand, and the wicks flickered to life instantly.

A slew of monotone figures scurried about the room, placing plates of meats, breads and various fruits and vegetables onto the table, before quickly departing without a word. In the blink of an eye, the once empty table was now laden with a feast, including a thick, silver goblet of sweet smelling fluid placed right at Moltezz's side.

Moltezz grinned around her goblet as she watched Seeth closely, deeply intrigued by her new plaything. Across the table, however, the toxic-green alien from days prior sat with a scowl. Leech glared at Seeth, who calmly stared back, her eyes only glancing away to look down at her meal. She was piling various foods onto a side plate too, very slowly, very deliberately; she couldn't help but revel only slightly in the satisfaction of watching her friend get more and more triggered, with every piece of food added to the plate.

"Something bothering you, Leech?" Seeth asked calmly.

Rather than reply to her, Leech instead snapped her focus to Moltezz.

"I wouldn't bother wasting your breath. She's not saying a word." Leech sneered, then instantly snapped her gaze back to Seeth. "Three days you've been locked up in your quarters with him! It's nothing short of a miracle you've decided to make an appearance today! And you won't even spill a word as to why. You won't even offer me a go on your toy - I thought we were closer than that." She laughed, dryly, without smiling, and her eyes narrowed even further.

"You have plenty of toys to play with already, Leech; the only reason you want mine is because you can't have him." Seeth sassed back, then shifted awkwardly in her seat to address Moltezz. "He's… wonderful, Moltezz."

"...That's it?" Although Moltezz was warmer in her approach, it was obvious that both of the Controllers weren't satisfied with Seeth's lack of details. "Seeth, you know I need more than that! Why all the secrecy?" She gracefully raised her arm and propped her chin against the back of her hand, her brilliant eyes staring right into Seeth's soul as an almost flirtatious smile creased the corners of her smokey lips. "None of our Marks have managed to keep you entertained for more than an hour." She was teasing desperately for more information. "We've got dozens of them who are falling over themselves just to spend five minutes with you, desperate to see you! Suddenly, this one man turns up and you lock yourself away with him for three days, and you expect 'he's wonderful' to suffice? Come on, now!" Moltezz clicked her fingers on her other hand, and one of her servants came running up obediently, and started to refill her glass. "I assume from all the noise you've been making that he can keep up with you?"

"Ever the detective, Moltezz." Or, should I say, nosey bitch? Seeth sighed, leaning on her arm and placing more meat onto her side plate, which Leech was now watching closely. "Yes. He was able to stay awake for much longer than anyone else I've been with."

"I hear he was armed with a giant sword on arrival... he must be rather fit to use such a weapon - Oh I wish I'd gone out with the two of you now! It's just been so boring recently, with hardly anyone left to hunt…" Moltezz paused for a moment. Her tongue flickered out delicately from between her lips, detecting a slight sweet smell in the air. "That's... That's very pleasant..." Her eyes widened and she grinned at Seeth. "Is that his aroma? How absolutely delicious! I have to see him, I absolutely insist upon it."

Oh of course, you have endless playthings of your own in your prison, and now you want mine too?! Seeth stood abruptly from the table; she was absolutely sure she'd washed herself down but apparently, she still smelled of Diego.

"Maybe… Whatever, Moltezz. Look, I've gotta go. I'll talk to you later about it..." She huffed, grabbing the plate of food and quickly heading out the room. Moltezz clicked her fingers again and a squad of figures marched into the room, pulling her chair back and allowing her to stand.

"Please do get back to me soon. Perhaps your new plaything can entertain us both together." She cackled, stretching her limbs out.

"Get in line, Moltezz." Leech growled, scraping her chair back and following Seeth out of the room.

The dungeon in which they resided had been built from the remains of a partially completed nuclear bunker, the majority of which had been situated deep underground. As Leech followed down the corridor, her eyes scanned over the multiple connecting rooms, with more monochrome figures inside. They were completing manual labour tasks and building work. They shuffled under her passing gaze as they finished the reconstruction of a stone wall, hung lanterns from the ceiling and set up rugged pipe networks for sewerage, ever-expanding the dungeon. 

Seeth had quickly made her way back to her private chamber, and was already pulling a key from her corset and sliding it into the heavy metal door. She had pulled it open just slightly, when she heard Leech calling out to her.

"Seeth! Hey! Wait, stop a second!" 

Seeth sighed in frustration, but stopped. She quickly slipped the plate of food inside her room, then pulled the door to. She turned around and stood in front of the door, arms folded as Leech caught up to her.

"If you're just going to snap and have a go at me, I'm not interested, Leech."

"No! No, I'm not… ugh." Leech placed her fingers against her forehead and rubbed her eyebrows. She's here, you've finally got her, right in front of you, just say something! Use your fucking words! "I… um… I'm worried… about you?"

Seeth raised an eyebrow. "That a statement or a question?"

"Seeth! I'm trying here, okay?!" Leech snapped, then quickly took a deep breath, and calmed back down. She stared at the floor, her feet fidgeting under Seeth's gaze. Seeth glanced inside her chambers, then back at Leech, and her face softened. Leech's attitude from the dining hall had gone. She unfolded her arms and placed a hand on Leech's shoulder.

"Why are you worried about me, Leech?"

"I mean… Moltezz wasn't wrong, Seeth! This... you've changed since this guy turned up. You've barely said a word to me in the last three days. I've hardly seen you, and when we are together, at least one of us is acting like a complete asshole." Leech gingerly raised her hand, and placed it on top of Seeth's. "I'm asking you, as your friend, to please come and talk to me? Just for half an hour! You don't have to tell me shit about your new boy-toy, we don't have to talk about sex o-or… any of this. I just want to talk to you, alright?"

A small smile twitched at the corner of Seeth's lips. "Okay. I'm sorry, you're right, I probably have been a little too…"

"Absolutely obsessed?" Leech suggested, grinning as she wrapped her arm around Seeth's shoulder, leading her away from her chamber.

"I was going to say preoccupied, but yeah, that works too." Seeth smiled back. 

"I mean, I can only blame myself really. You've always been like this when it comes to guys, and I should definitely be used to it by now." Leech teased.

"I thought you weren't going to be an asshole!" Seeth playfully shoved Leech away and took off down the corridor. 

"I'm not being an asshole if it's the truth!" Leech shouted as she ran after her. The sounds of their heavy footsteps fading away as they made their way towards the lounge… 

Unbeknown to Seeth, she'd left her chamber door unlocked. And inside her chamber laid Diego, completely oblivious to the conversation that had taken place just outside. He was snoring quietly on the bed, his lover's slime still coating parts of his naked body. Despite the noise, he was sound asleep, which was to be expected really, considering this was the first time in three days he'd been given the opportunity to rest. He hadn't even realised it had been so long. If he wasn't napping, he was eating, showering or fucking (if not all three at once!) The last seventy-two hours had been an incredible but an exhausting blur, and now he had crashed hard, in desperate need of a proper night's sleep. 

Unbeknown to him, the denizens of the dungeon had been gossiping furiously about him and Seeth; their three-day session had not gone unnoticed, and there was a lot of curiosity floating around…

…If not a little animosity.

A figure gently pushed the door ajar following Seeth and Leech's exit, and was staring at him through the crack in the door. She was an alien creature like the others, only her skin was a bright royal blue. She also looked rather scared; her eyes were wide and her body was shaking slightly. She wasn't dressed in a corset like the others, either, instead she was covered in large, unflattering rags. She didn't go inside the room, instead her two beautiful blue orbs stared at him intently from the doorway as he slept. The way his chest rose and fell as he slept, the dark colour of his skin and hair, and his smell... She blinked and the longing expression in her eyes changed. She shook her head sadly and went to leave.

Moments later however her expression changed again; her eyes narrowed, forming hunter-like slits and her mouth opened wide into a pointy grin as she transformed from a shy, cautious creature, into a ravenous, predatory one. She turned on the spot, pulled the door open and crept silently across to the bed. A snaking tongue slowly slithered out from her leering maw as she towered over his sleeping body. 

She stood over him, inches away from his peaceful face, her tongue tracing his outline as neon-blue saliva dripped over his shoulders. She roughly rolled him onto his front, leaped up onto the bed and stared down at his naked body.

"Mine... you will be mine.... MINE-MINE-MINE-MINE! BUT-NOT-yet.... Careful slow... plan..." Her voice twisted as she spoke, from a soft whisper to a loud cackle, but still Diego did not stir. She bared down over his sleeping form and planted sloppy wet kisses onto his nose and ears, leaving copious amounts of glowing blue goo behind. "YOU TASTE SO GOOD! I WILL EAT YOU ALL UP!" And with that, she leapt gracefully off the bed, cackling madly and dashed back out of the door.

How he'd managed to sleep through that was a mystery, but there Diego laid, cosy and snoring away. 

He only was allowed a few brief minutes more of peace before a pair of new voices could be heard through the crack in the door.

"Susie, please just put the knife down! Let's go back to - "

"Keep away from me, Trent!"

"Please, Suzie!"

"You don't get it, do you? You don't understand HOW MUCH I NEED TO DO THIS!"

A small feline lady, shaped not too dissimilarly to Oxyi but sporting shoulder length, brown hair, stormed through Seeth's chambers, where Diego remained asleep, vulnerable and undefended. Desperation flickered in her jade eyes, a sharp knife trembled in her shaking hands. Her steps were slow and deliberate.

She approached the bed and stood awkwardly above him, clutching the blade in her grasp tightly. Moments later her partner, a fluffy vulpine-morph with soft orange and white fur and a desperately worried expression, charged through the door after her.

"I-It's not fair…" Susie spluttered, glaring at Diego with an intense hatred. "Since you showed up, I've not had a single minute with her. It's been all about you... when it should be about me!" Her voice broke, a tear ran down her cheek. Her mind was conflicted, that was obvious; her hands were shaking and her body trembled, but there was also a madness in her eyes that remained absolute. She pressed on, had to press on, ignoring the rational thoughts screaming inside her head and listened solely to the ache in her heart. "B-But if I take you out of the picture, it can be me and her again... just like it should be..." A smile cracked across her face.

Behind her hovered Trent, watching the girl in panic.

"Susie... you can't fucking kill him just because you're not getting enough time with Seeth! Are you nuts?!" He pleaded in despair, quickly trying to think of how to stop this getting out of hand. "If Seeth finds out, think of what she'll do to you!"

"She won't find out! She won't find out because I'll frame it on you and kill you too!" The pieces of her flawed and broken puzzle were fitting together perfectly in her mind. "Yeah... That's right... you got jealous of him! C-Came into her room and murdered him, and in revenge, I killed you... Seeth will be hurt but I'll be there for her... I'll make her... smile..." The last threads of sanity were fraying away in her mind, that much was clear.

"That doesn't even make any sen- Fine. Alright Susie." Thinking on his feet, Trent quickly changed tactics. "That sounds like a great plan an' all, one problem though..." The fox would have been proud of his next actions, if his heart hadn't been thumping against his ribs so hard. "...You'll need to kill me first!" He dashed through the door, and the feline scowled viciously after him.

"Then so be it! I won't have some mutt stand between me and my love!" Susie dashed madly after him, knife gripped between her fingers as they began their chase down the endless corridors of the dungeon.

*

The lounge was a large but cosy, nicely decorated space, with numerous oversized armchairs dotted about, several sofas with side-tables, and large red tapestries draping the walls. Seeth was sitting in one of the armchairs. Leech stood behind her, gently massaging the other Controller's shoulders.

"Things are going so well for us, Seeth! We've taken over nearly all villages in these mountains, the city is practically abandoned, we've got Nodes and Slaves taking over maintenance and filling our base everyday with more supplies... I know we had that drainage problem a while ago but some of those Nodes we've acquired have excellent DIY skills, and we've figured it all out... So, what's the problem?"

Seeth sighed gently. "I just... since the incident, we've always acted like this is the way things have got to be. But what if it's not? Just because we can corrupt people, it doesn't mean we should." Seeth was relaxing slowly at her friend's touch, but the cocktail of feelings coursing through her was difficult to defuse. She'd never spoken so freely about their situation before.

"Seeth... We help and take care of our people, you know this. Look at our Marks! They're utterly obsessed with us!"

"They're addicted to the pleasure, Leech, not to us. It's not the same. And what about the Slaves?"

Leech continued massaging Seeth's shoulders, but something in her expression suggested that she'd thought long and hard about her answer, long before Seeth had ever braved these questions. "Isn't that what love is? Being addicted to someone? The universe isn't a black and white place, Seeth. Look. I'm speaking frankly here -" She pressed hard on Seeth's shoulders. "Fuck the universe. Look at what it did to us. Look at what it took from us. We don't owe anyone an ounce of remorse or compassion. Life isn't fair. I understand that you're still coming around to our new way of life, but you just need to embrace it. You've hardly even decorated your chamber! You don't smile or enjoy yourself like me or Moltezz, or even Plasia..." Leech softened her tone a little, but continued to rub her shoulders. "We need - I need you to get more involved. Just look around! Just look at all we've managed to accomplish here, this place was a derelict shell before we arrived, but now... we're definitely redecorating your chamber." Leech said firmly. "Spice up your room!"

"I don't care about any of that stuff, Leech..." Seeth sighed loudly, holding her head in her hands. "I don't know what I want... I don't know who I am anymore."

"You used to care, Seeth… Is this all because of Diego, or...." Leech stopped rubbing her shoulders and knelt by her friend's side instead. "Or is this… something else bothering you?"

Seeth quickly glanced around, ensuring her thoughts could be shared in safety.

"Don't get me started on Moltezz. She just wants everything, all of the time. She has so many Marks already and still, she wants Diego."

"Greedy bitch, isn't she?"

"So are you though." Seeth sighed.

"Pfft! Compared to her I am practically a charity!" Leech laughed. "And besides, if you didn't want me to… You know I wouldn't, right?"

Seeth paused for a few seconds, thinking, grinding her teeth together.

"Why are we even doing any of this, Leech? Like, all of it? I don't want to conquer anyone. I don't want any of this. What the fuck is my life right now?"

"Hey-hey-hey! That's enough of that, calm yourself down." Leech spoke softly, resting her hands on Seeth's enclosed fists. "Sometimes… Sometimes it doesn't make sense to me either. But this is working for us! Look what we've been able to achieve together, right? Nobody commands us anymore, we're doing our own thing and we're succeeding!"

"... Apart from Moltezz."

Leech placed a hand on her thigh and knelt in silence for a moment, then raised her head and looked Seeth in the eye. "I think you need to get some fresh air. Alone. Promise me you'll go out on a hunt tomorrow." 

"Leech, I don't know if that's -"

"Just listen for a second!" Leech said sternly. "You need some air, you need a little time away from this guy, this place, so you can actually have your own thoughts. Go on a hunt, the adrenaline and fresh air will clear your head, help you figure stuff out. I hate seeing you like this and…" Leech hesitated. "...I really need your support, Seeth."

Seeth thought for a few seconds, watching her friend closely, then sighed reluctantly. 

"Alright. I'll go on a hunt tomorrow." 

Maybe she's onto something, maybe she's right… 

Although no matter how much she repeated it in her head, conflicting thoughts and feelings continued to bounce around her mind. 

"Good! We'll talk after and see how you're faring then. I reckon you'll be right back to your old self in no time!" Leech grinned, patting Seeth on the back, hard.

"Yeah... We'll see, I guess..."

*

Try as she might, Trent was fast, and Susie could not gain any ground on him. They ran from room to room, bounding over furniture, trying to keep low and quiet as not to alert the Controllers to their chase.

Slowly though, Susie began to lose her patience; her time was limited, and she grew more and more desperate as her thoughts filled with Seeth. The fox could see it clear as day; she was losing it, her mind and common sense was degenerating, quickly. Her plan wasn't going to work. She couldn't catch Trent. But, she could still kill him.

Their chase took Trent into an empty lounge, he scanned the room, quickly looking for his next move. Susie was hot on his tail but, just as she rounded the corner into the room, they both froze. Heavy, thudding footsteps shook the stone floors; someone was coming. Sensing the danger, they both dived for the nearest cover as Moltezz's fiery form entered through the doorway, her eyes scanning the room suspiciously. 

Susie was closer to the exit, hiding behind a dark wood dresser unit. Trent was crouched up behind an armchair in the far corner of the room. They both remained silent and still, heads down as not to look at her directly - they knew if you were looking at them directly - listening for any movement.

Moltezz stood still in the centre of the lounge, her eyes narrowing as she sensed something was happening. But she remained quiet, and simply surveyed the room bathed in a tense silence, listening closely, very closely. Fuck, she knows…Trent held his breath, as did Susie who had come to the same realisation. 

The alien towered in the middle of the room, an intimidating obelisk, waiting patiently. She had already won, and she knew it. Trent felt his lungs ache from their chase, desperate for air as his heart pounded in his chest. He struggled against the pain, desperate not to give up his position, knowing what it meant if Susie got the chance to slip away...

He slowly let out his breath, as quietly as possible and took another, but he wasn't quiet enough. The alien turned directly to his hiding spot, striding over with a menacing grin on her face. Susie took the opportunity and bolted for the door, but in her haste, she knocked into the dresser. It rocked forward and crashed against the floor. Moltezz spun around, frowning now, and caught a glimpse of the girl's tail leaving the door. She quickly marched over to investigate but didn't give chase; by the time she'd reached the corridor, Susie was already gone.

Moltezz turned back to the armchair, the smugness returning to her face as she yanked it away from the wall… revealing nothing but an empty corner.

Trent had slipped out through the other door while Moltezz's back was turned, but he already knew that it wouldn't do him any good. He couldn't get back to Seeth's chambers without passing by her. He cursed under his breath.

I have to do something… Even if it means getting punished by Moltezz, I can't just let an innocent man die…

*

Susie grinned to herself, clutching the knife tightly against her chest; it was all coming together. She arrived back at Seeth's chamber to see the door as they'd left it. Peering around its metal body, it revealed Diego as he was previously, sound asleep. She looked around to ensure no one was coming, but all seemed to be quiet, so she padded into the room without making a sound, and sat on the bed next to him, taking in his features.

"I don't see what's so special about you... Seeth would be far better off with someone like me. I was here before you. I was her first Mark, y'know. I'm special to her. You're just a nobody." She raised the blade and rested it against her own face. "M-Maybe it was self-defence? I can't trust Trent to get anything right, after all… Maybe I just innocently wanted to see her, and you attacked me? I-I just had a knife on me... just in case..." Desperation took hold as she tried to make her story make sense - but nothing made sense these days, not since being locked down here. The only thing that made sense was Seeth.

She looked over his sleeping form again, taking a deep breath to calm her nerves. Was she nervous about killing a man? Or just nervous about killing him right? She didn't know. But she did know she wanted to leave. Her body was poised at the edge of the bed, tail flicking towards the door, but she couldn't take her eyes off the lizard's body - no, not his body, but the slime on it; Seeth. She gently rolled a finger in some of the goop on his arm and brought it to her nose, inhaling deeply. Her legs wobbled and her eyes rolled to the back of her head; that smell was irresistible.

Her face turned sour again as she wiped the slime away.

"It's not fair. I won't be denied any-fucking-longer."

She roughly prodded the male's sleeping form, almost like she was trying to stab him with her fingers, but he still didn't stir... Fine. She took a final breath, grasping the blade with both hands and standing above him. She held the blade high, exhaled loudly and then drove it down -

Something grabbed her hands from behind. Two large purple fists were gripped around the blade, as it hovered mere inches from Diego's neck.

"S-Seeth!" Susie gasped in happiness, and twisted so that she could face her Controller. Her happiness was short lived, however; Seeth was towering over her, holding her arms firmly, her face beyond furious. Seeth quickly glanced at Diego, but seeing him unharmed, went back to the stuttering girl in her grasp.

"I-I missed you Seeth! Will you f-fuck me now? Plea-" Her face contorted into a hollow gasp as Seeth crunched her wrists like a single squeeze, the knife tumbling free. In the blink of an eye, her grip suddenly snapped around the feline's chest.

She picked Susie up like a doll and began to crush the life out of her, squeezing her ribs with tremendous force. The feline couldn't struggle out another word, the grip around her was too tight, too strong, her body went limp in Seeth's overwhelming grasp. 

Seeth's mind was in overdrive. What if she hadn't made it back in time? What would she have come back to? The thought of him cold, lifeless, gone… 

Over and over those images played; beside herself in fury she continued to crush, the sound of bones splintering, cracking, crunching, repeatedly rang out around her room.

What was left in her hands no longer resembled the young girl who'd stood in her room only moments ago.

In the doorway, both Leech and Moltezz were watching Seeth closely. Moltezz had Trent slung over her shoulder, bound and gagged. Leech was smirking with satisfaction.

"There's the girl I know." She cackled, loving the scene. "Well done, Seeth. That was an amazing display!"

The purple alien ground her teeth together and dropped what was left of Susie onto the floor with a wet slap. With a slight flick of her fingers a squad of monochrome figures quickly appeared and set to work, removing the body, cleaning Seeth's hands and tidying up the room. On Moltezz's shoulder, Trent breathed a sigh of relief; this place was dangerous enough without Marks murdering each-other. He dreaded to think what Moltezz had planned for him that evening, but she seemed pleased, so maybe it wouldn't be too bad. His eyes met with the sleepy lizard for a brief moment as Diego finally woke up. With a quiet whine he yawned and stretched, quite unaware of the danger he'd just been in. He smiled wide at Seeth, and reached his arms out towards her. As she sat down beside him however, he finally noticed the other two Controllers in the doorway, watching him. He froze as Seeth lovingly rubbed his neck and ears.

How many of you lot are there?! 

Seeth's anger was quickly fading away. She looked over at Moltezz with glassy eyes and a grateful expression.

"Thank you, Moltezz... if you hadn't told me... I only just caught the blade in time..."

"No need to thank me, Seeth! Loyalty is everything, I would never stand for such a barbaric display." She stared down at the bloody-stained floor in disdain. "Although, one could say… you owe me, Seeth?" Moltezz grinned, tilting her head with a knowing look.

"I suppose… I do..." She already knew where this was going. She sighed loudly and obviously, inviting Moltezz into the chamber. Leech's gaze flickered from seeth to Diego, and the pair made eye contact for a long, deliberate second, before she turned and left, without a word.

"Don't be like that, Seeth! It'll be fun. Bring your man down to my chambers in a couple of hours." She entered the room and sat on the other side of Diego, Trent still hanging over her shoulder. "Goodness... he is quite the succulent slab of fuck, isn't he?" She watched him closely, and he warily eyed her back. Considering that Seeth had had nothing but her way with him for the last three days, he was surprisingly alert. "I think we'll have some fun later, I'll round up Plasia too, and we'll ensure his every need is catered for... I know what you want, Seeth. We'll get him settled, don't you worry." Moltezz winked at her and stood, deciding not to waste any more time. "When we're done, this gorgeous little hunk will never want to leave your side. Ever."