Okay, wow. So I've finally begun writing continuously, as in almost every day, and I'm feeling a lot better IRL. THANK YOU SO MUCH for all the favourites and reviews and everything! I love hearing from everyone and I'm so glad you like this story. I am aware that this story isn't perfect…even after literal months of researching The Matrix and whatnot, I still can't seem to remember everything. But I'm doing my best :P
In response to Mi5chief: Go ahead! I don't mind someone else having a story about the Merovingian having a child :)
Alright, and here's the chapter. It's a long one. There's gonna be some awesome action soon, I promise.
The following day came sunny and warm. A perfect breeze billowed into Mona's room through the patio doors, causing the drapes to dance about pleasantly. She felt the wind caress her skin lightly, leaving goose bumps in its wake. It was ten in the morning, but Mona had woken at eight-thirty and had found herself unable to fall back asleep. Now she stared unblinkingly across her room, running her dreams over and over through her mind.
Usually Mona was not bothered by her dreams. They were almost always odd and sometimes bordered on disturbing, but she never really connected them with anything other than a potential coding glitch. But this one was different. The last time Mona experienced this feeling was many years ago, when the Merovingian was nearly killed during a particularly vicious attack from agents. Quite a few of his close henchmen had met their demise that day, but Mona had been having bizarre dreams that left her feeling oddly sick for at least a week before. When she brought it up with her father later, he had dismissed it as a silly coincidence, and that she should not worry herself about it. Now, she was getting that feeling again.
One of the most vivid images that remained pasted in her brain was of the Twins, standing alone in a dark grungy room. They were in their human forms, though still looked fairly transparent. Dull, yet sparkling halos revolved slowly above their heads. Their sunglasses were gone, and they stared at the floor with a trance-like quality.
Mona focussed on this scene for a few moments. It was strange, yes, but had a definite sense of foreboding that she could not fully grasp. Tired of dwelling on it, Mona tried to remember more of the dream.
It seemed to come back to her so easily, which was also quite strange. Generally her dreams returned to her in snippets, never quite flowing together properly, but this one was like a smooth graceful river in her mind. As the Twins stood in place like statues, other Exiles entered the room. Sid, Lisa, Dev, Rem, Jules, Mergo…every one of the Exiles under the Merovingian's employment slowly walked in, heads lowered, before stopping in front of the Twins. Mona's mother and father finally joined them. As one, they all turned to face forwards and their heads rose, revealing blank expressions and lifeless eyes. Then, gradually, they seemed to quake, as if violent shivers were racking their bodies. Blood leaked out of their eyes like tears, ran out of their noses like streams. Their mouths opened slowly and more blood poured out in horrible thick waves. Only the Twins remained still and void of blood-oozing orifices, though they were slowly fading, as if they'd soon cease to exist altogether. It was so vivid in Mona's mind that her pupils dilated, her breathing picked up, and her body became tense. She wanted to stop thinking about it, wanted to forever erase the horrific image of all her loved ones bleeding dry, but she couldn't.
So, when someone banged loudly on her bedroom door, Mona nearly propelled herself right out of her bed in shock.
"TIME TO AWAKEN, PRINCESS!" Sid's voice bellowed outside, mingled with his continuous barrage on the door.
"Fffffuck…" Mona moaned, rubbing her eyes and sitting up properly on her bed. Sid's banging finally ceased, but was immediately followed by the doorknob turning. Before Mona could protest, Sid had flung her bedroom door wide and strolled in like he owned the place. While it was refreshing to see his friendly and lively face smiling at her after such a terrible nightmare, Mona was still irritated at his intrusion. She scowled at him, doing her best to come across as intimidating.
"If that's your greatest pissed-off look, you're gonna have a hard time replacing your father," Sid said. "Now up! We've got a big day ahead of us!"
Still glowering, Mona stretched. Her muscles were tight and sore from a night of improper sleep. "How are you so cheery all the goddamn time?"
Sid gave her a big toothy grin. "It's a gift."
" 'Gift' my ass," Mona muttered. As she passed a hand through her tangled hair, a pillow struck her hard in the head, nearly causing her to topple over. Just as Mona recovered, another landed right in her face. Sid stood holding a third pillow at the ready, with a couple more piled on Mona's reading chair.
"Cheer the hell up or feel the wrath of my pillows," threatened Sid. When Mona didn't reply and only frowned, the werewolf raised the pillow in his hand, preparing to throw it.
"Okay, okay! Jeez. Lower your pillow."
"I wanna see a smile."
Mona sighed, then presented Sid with a big ear-to-ear smile. Satisfied, Sid put the pillow back in its place. "That's better." He walked over to the bed and sat down beside her. Despite being only a few inches taller than Mona, Sid was considerably bulkier, and the springs creaked slightly under his weight. "All jokes aside, I want you to know I'm here for you. You seem kinda 'blah' lately. If you want to talk later, after the angel stuff is finished, I'm game."
"Thank you, Sparky. That's really sweet," Mona said, feeling touched by his kindness. Sid was a werewolf through and through. He never backed down from a fight, never hesitated to show off his physical strength, and tore apart his enemies with terrifying efficiency and brutality. But Sid was also surprisingly caring and soft-spoken towards those he cared about. Years ago Jules took this as an indication of weakness and tried to beat Sid into submission…and failed miserably. There was no bad blood between Jules and Sid following the incident, seeing as "turf wars" were very common among werewolves and helped establish a hierarchy between them. However, from then on, the other Exiles knew not to underestimate Sid due to his compassion.
"Alrighty. Now that you're sufficiently awake, I'm gonna leave," Sid said, patting Mona on the arm. "Get dressed and come to the dining room; Lisa's making breakfast again."
The idea of a warm, tasty breakfast waiting for her sped Mona up. She strolled to her closet, pulling off the T-shirt she had worn to bed in as she walked. Though her dream had not been completely shoved from her mind, Sid's upbeat attitude and the new Exile arriving today was enough to distract her from it. Maybe I'll bring it up with my dad later, Mona thought to herself as she pulled on a pair of tattered skinny jeans. Then again, she reconsidered, probably not.
Lisa had prepared a huge sprawl of food, likely because she knew every exile under the Merovingian's rule would be present that morning. The vampire also honestly seemed to enjoy cooking for all of them, and even slapped Dev's hand away when he tried to help her with the bacon. By the time she was done, the dining room was laden with plates of toast, eggs, bacon, hash browns, pancakes, and a pre-prepared bowl of fruit. The smell alone was enough to make Mona drool.
Many years ago, Mona had been confused when she kept seeing the vampires eating normal everyday human food. It seemed common knowledge that the vampires required human blood, or at least the coding in human blood, to live. When Mona finally got the guts to ask Lisa about this (since this was before they were close), the vampire had laughed good-naturedly and explained that vampires could still enjoy food if they wished. As long as they fed regularly on blood, they were able to consume human food without a problem. This then led to the inquiry of how Lisa and her fellow vampires found human blood to consume safely, to which Lisa had winked and replied, "Tis the mystery of the vamps, dear."
The group leisurely chowed down on their breakfast, chatting amongst one another. Even Crow seemed to be in the conversational mood; he was quietly talking to Jules while picking at some bacon. Since no one had heard any new pertaining to the specific time of Heller's arrival, they all agreed that their best plan of action was to stay in the dining room until further notice. Mona was perfectly happy to go along with this. Her belly was full, her dreams were pushed out of her mind, and she was content. Even Sid throwing some extra scrambled eggs at her didn't dampen her mood. Instead, Mona retaliated with a particularly crispy piece of toast, hitting him butter-side-up in the face. When Jules shamelessly pointed and laughed, Sid grabbed a left over pancake and hurled it across the table at him. Thankfully, Persephone entered the dining room before a full-scale food fight could erupt. The group hastily quieted down and, in Sid and Jules' case, removed food from their scruffy facial hair, then looked to Persephone for instruction.
"I see you have all eaten. Excellent," she commented, nodding at the table laden with dirty dishes. "I have been informed that Heller was held up a bit before entering Mobil Avenue. There was suspicion of the computer being aware of his departure. But, apparently, it's been cleared up, and our new recruit should be arriving shortly."
There was much nodding around the table. Then Lisa asked, "'Shortly'…which means what?"
"At least in the next hour," Persephone replied. "I would like all of you to stay put. Don't go wandering off, at least not further than the walls of the Chateau."
More nodding followed this, and a proclaimed "Yes ma'am!" from Sid. Persephone smiled at them, then turned and headed back towards the office, black heels clicking after her. Once she was gone, the group turned their attentions back to one another.
"I'm really looking forward to meeting this angel," Dev said, his fingers steepled.
"Amen," Mergo added.
"I don't know about you guys," Sid began, "but I think I'm gonna hang out in the lounge and play some Left 4 Dead."
"Yeah, that sounds alr—" Dev started.
"Hey, who the hell do you think is gonna clean up this mess?" Lisa interjected angrily.
"Uhm…you?" Sid said, albeit timidly.
"Like fuck I am!" The vampire stood, put her hands on her hips, and gave them her best "scolding mother" look. Of course, no one could take this seriously. Both Rem and Jules began snickering, and Sid was vibrating in an effort to contain his giggles. Even Mergo, the perpetually stoic vampire, grinned.
"Jesus Christ," Lisa growled, picking up the mostly-empty fruit bowl and shoving it brutally to her left, where the Twins happened to be seated. She nearly conked One right in the head.
"Careful," One said softly. He and his brother both rose gracefully, but when neither took the bowl, Lisa shook it insistently at them. The contents of the bowl sloshed around like an ocean in tumult, threatening to spill at any moment.
"Take it or wear it, Twinsies," Lisa barked. One merely shrugged, knowing they could just switch forms and avoid the bowl either way, but Two gave in and reached over to take the dish. Lisa immediately went about handing the rest of the dirty tableware to various people. While it would seem to an outsider that Lisa was really angry at them all, the Exiles knew she wasn't. Unless actually threatened, Lisa's temper was really a façade; deep down she loved and valued each one of them like siblings. Everyone just liked to push her buttons, since her reactions were generally hilarious.
By the time the dining room was clean and the kitchen was mostly in order, it was nearing one in the afternoon. Too late to start any video games, much to Sid's disappointment. Mona was about to suggest watching TV to pass the time, when the telltale clack of heels approached. Once again, Persephone arrived at the perfect time.
"Right, everyone, to the entranceway," she said right as she bustled in. Mona was thankful that her mother was wearing one of her more modest dresses. It was a nice clinging cocktail dress that ended at the knees and didn't reveal too much cleavage. Mona was happy to admit that her mother was quite the beauty, but that didn't mean she wanted to see her walk around in barely anything.
As they all bustled down the wide hallway leading towards the large double front doors, Mona stepped up to walk alongside her mother. "They didn't drive anywhere, did they?"
Persephone shook her head. "No. Your father has the master keys with him."
"Okay, good," Mona said, feeling slightly comforted by this.
"He wanted to take you along, but it's much too dangerous," Persephone continued. "Just you two, alone, no protection? Not a chance."
"Oh, but him going alone is perfectly fine with you."
Her mother shrugged as they entered the entranceway. "He has been doing this for many years. You, however, have not."
"How does that make any differ—"
"I do not have time to argue this with you. Go stand with your guards, please, in case anything goes awry."
Mona pursed her lips, biting back a retort. She found her parents' indifference towards one another infuriating. And stand with her guards? What could possibly go awry? As much as she didn't want to hang around the Twins, Mona decided quickly that now was not the time to press the issue with her mother. She took a deep breath and walked to where the Twins were standing, all the while trying to look nonchalant.
"Looks like you two are on guard duty for now," Mona said. "You know, in the event that a psycho murder comes through those doors instead of my father. Though I suppose the two aren't so different…anyway, yeah."
Both nodded in perfect unison. "Stranger things have happened," the one to her left said.
"Yes, I'm sure." Mona put her back to them and frowned. God damn beautiful fucking twins, I hate them for looking so good, she thought bitterly. Normally she would stand behind them, so they could "better protect" her, but at that moment Mona really didn't feel like seeing any part of them. It was like some weird part of her brain had been awoken. Before she had been able to completely ignore the Twins perfect physical manifestations; now it seemed that was all she could focus on. Flawless pale skin, confident graceful movements, pristine stunning eyes, and a pretty good sense of style. They seemed so crisp, too stunning to be real.
What could have possibly changed? When the Twins weren't seeing to Mona's safety, they were picking on her and enjoying her angry reactions. It really didn't make sense, and if they were any other guy, Mona would just have sex with them and get it over with. But it was much more complicated than that. For one, her father would probably burst a vein if he ever found out. Mona was pretty sure that, at some point in the past, the Merovingian had forbade the Exiles from ever touching her. For two, the Twins were not normal in any sense, even compared to the other Exiles. It was dangerous to think that they'd ever be compassionate to Mona or ever take her feelings into account, considering that the Twins barely had emotions themselves. There was a good chance that they'd use her feelings against her, to further ridicule her.
Fuck, I really do have daddy issues, Mona thought, sighing. The best thing for her to do was to crush these feelings. She could still admire them, like she had done safely for years, but anything beyond that was asking for trouble.
The doors to the entranceway burst open, surprising Mona out of her thoughts. In strode her father, accompanied by a tall, broad-shouldered man that could only be described as dreamy. He had chiseled facial features, short tousled blonde hair, and sparkling grey eyes. The stranger wore simple jeans and button-up flannel shirt, but the way his clothes clung to him made it obvious that he was well-built. As the Merovingian and the Exile cleared the threshold, the group could see the kitchen at La Vrai behind them, where the stone porch leading to the driveway should have been.
From amongst the crowd Mona heard Lisa's low whistle of approval at the new exile. The Merovingian turned, quirked an eyebrow in the vampire's direction, then proceeded with business.
"Well, this is Heller. His retrieval was slightly bothersome, but successful all around," he said coolly. "I expect you'll all help in showing him the ropes around here. As for me, I am weary and fancy a glass of fine merlot."
Typical, Mona said to herself, father's extravagant lifestyle leaves him lazy. Dump the new guy on the rest of us so he can have a drink.
"I believe I will join you, husband," Persephone said, with particular emphasis on the word "husband". The Merovingian's lips pursed ever so slightly. No doubt he had intended to pick up a pretty young thing for some fun, but his wife's presence would make that a bit more complicated. The Merovingian didn't say anything in protest, though, and the pair walked briskly back in to the restaurant's kitchen, shutting the doors behind them.
Mona breathed out slowly and looked back to where Heller was standing. Mergo was already there with him, shaking his hand professionally and speaking to the angel with a welcoming smile. Dev and Rem approached together, followed by Jules and Sid. Lisa caught Mona's eyes and wiggled her eyebrows at her before approaching Heller herself. Mona laughed and shook her head.
"He looks sane enough," came the smooth voice of a Twin from behind her. The two walked forward to flank her. "What are you waiting for?"
"We would think that the daughter of the Merovingian would be the first to welcome the newcomer," added the other Twin. "Instead, it was Mergo."
"I'm going, calm down," Mona growled, and strode purposefully forward.
"—That's Crow, he's a zombie and a bit on the reserved side. He's a pretty badass fighter though, likes to be very hands-on if you know what I mean," Jules said with a smirk, apparently having taken the role of introducing everyone. He spotted Mona and pointed to her. "That is Mona, the Merovingian's daughter. I'm sure he mentioned her."
"He did," Heller affirmed, his voice a pleasant rumble, like slowly tumbling boulders. Mona's eyes locked with his, and she was taken aback by the intensity of his gaze. It was almost unnerving. Thankfully, Heller broke his stare and focussed his attention behind her, where the Twins were standing with impassive expressions.
"And last, but not least, the Virii Twins," Jules jumped in. "Spectres, seemingly one program in two bodies. We just call them 'One' and 'Two', though no one has any idea which is which."
Heller gave a short chuckle, more like a quick exhalation, and the Twins remained expressionless. "Why do they follow you?" the angel asked, looking back down at Mona. "Are you three friends?"
Mona snorted loudly before she could really stop herself. "Uhm…not quite. They're my body guards…they shadow me, and I don't really have a choice about it."
"Good protection. Your father must care for you a lot."
"I suppose," Mona shrugged, then changed the subject. "How are you feeling? This must all be quite new and overwhelming."
"It is…different. Very extreme. All my feelings are amplified." Heller studied his hands, flexing the fingers slowly. "Having a real corporeal form is also quite unique."
"Well, you have lots of fellow Exiles here to help you out," Mona said with a smile. "You can test out your powers, too."
"Yesss…" The angel snapped his fingers in quick succession, and a small spurt of flame popped to life. It disappeared soon after. "I'll need practice."
"I can help!" Lisa said enthusiastically. She sidled over and grinned widely, sharp teeth gleaming. "The great hall in the back is real good for training, or outside when the weather is nice."
Heller seemed mildly confused by the vampire's lively zest. Lisa's intensity was usually a lot to handle for newcomers who were not used to such displays of emotion. The vampire was almost always aware of this and was able to tone it down, but her attraction to Heller seemed to override this completely. Thankfully Rem grabbed Lisa and dragged her back.
"Whatever you need, man," Rem said, shoving a struggling Lisa behind him. "Take your time, explore the place, have some food. We don't want you to get too overwhelmed."
"Thank you. I think I will enjoy it here."
Heller exited down the hall, heading towards the dining room. He walked slowly, taking in his surroundings with deep interest. After the angel left, the rest of the Exiles also departed. Mergo left with Dev and Rem, all discussing a new assassination task that had come up from outside the Mega City.
"Fuck, I bet I looked pathetic," Lisa grumbled, straightening her shirt. "Drooling all over the poor guy. No one told me he was going to be so sexy, though."
"Well, at least give him a few days to settle in before throwing yourself at him," Sid suggested, half laughing. "If you screw him too soon, it might send him over the deep end." Lisa punched him in the arm, only causing Sid to laugh harder.
"I need a drink," the vampire sighed.
"Mhm, sounds good," agreed Sid. "Then I'm finally playing some Left 4 Dead. Jules, Mona, you in?"
"Why not," Jules said from where he was leaning against one of the huge marble support columns.
Mona shook her head. "As much as I'd love to, I want to finish up my coding."
"Pffff what's the fun in being responsible?" joked Lisa.
"We'll let you go this time," Sid said, giving her a ridiculously leery look. Then the three left, and Mona realized that Crow was still there, sitting on the stairs that led up to the second level. His dead eyes were locked on her. Unsettled, Mona forced a smile.
"I don't like Heller," Crow said bluntly. Despite his voice being barely more than a hiss, it carried very easily.
"Uh…why's that?" Mona inquired.
Crow mercifully looked away and began picking at his tattered jeans. "I just don't."
"I'm sorry you feel that way."
He was such an disquieting Exile. Mona wasn't sure if this was just the natural state of a zombie, since Crow was the only one she had ever encountered. When Crow didn't say anything further, Mona decided it was safe to escape. She turned on her heel, only to smack right in to one of the Twins.
"What the fuck? What are you two doing here?" Mona snapped, backing up a step and rubbing her forehead where it had collided with the Twin's chin. "You couldn't have, you know, shifted forms? So I didn't have to smack in to you?" she asked with exasperation.
"Hmm. We could have," the one she had run in to mused, the barest of smiles lighting his lips. To Mona's complete and utter shock, he reached out and drew a slow line along her jaw with his fingertips. "But then we wouldn't get to see your entertaining reaction, would we?"
"No, we wouldn't," the other Twin agreed. They might as well have been speaking through a pile of pillows, for Mona could barely register their voices. In all the time she had known the Twins, and even after they had been assigned to her protection, neither of them had ever touched her like this. They chose now, of all times, to do so, when Mona was experiencing enough conflicting emotions as it was.
His hand was still touching her face. Forcing herself into coherency, Mona tore away from the two of them, all but stumbling away a few feet. She tried to appear unaffected, clearing her throat loudly and brushing her fingers through her hair.
"See? Entertaining reaction," the Twin said.
Glowering, Mona searched for a witty comeback, anything, that would help her save face, but all her brain could focus on was that haunting touch. All she managed to come up with was an angry, "Fuck off," as she tore out of the entranceway to the refuge of her bedroom.
