Warning: I thought that I should point out that the rating has now changed from PG to PG-13. Soon the rating will change to R, but not until later. This allows me a bit more flexibility in what I can and can't write.

Chapter 10: The Bet.

Venus nervously looked around, awaiting her fate. She didn't escape from last night's raid. She had just stood there; too stunned to do anything let alone flee. Venus felt stupid. She knew that others were going to look for that book that night; she should have been more prepared for them. The mutant tigers and lions had surrounded her easily, taking her hostage. Shere Khan, the head tiger she had learned, was too tired and decided to deal with her in the morning. Overnight Venus stayed in a holding room guarded by at least six other mutants.

Venus' fear had soon come, as the morning sun crept across the land. Shere Khan's eyes bore into her skin as he stared at her. Just about everyone in Shere Khan's army was in the room with her, looking at her with disgust.

"What were you doing last night?" Shere Khan's boomed, breaking the awkward silence. Venus gulped nervously.

"I… I was looking through this book. I have forgotten my past and I wanted to know if there was anything in there that would help remind of something", Venus said truthfully, at first scared, but then quickly built up confidence.

"Did you find anything?" the tiger asked sternly.

"No, I didn't. The four other people took it off me before I could find anything useful".

Shere Khan sat down in his chair, thinking to himself carefully. "Do you know of any other mutant cheetahs?"

"Well… no I don't know anyone. I've lost my memory as I've said".

'She hasn't joined the boys yet AND she has lost her memory! …Could be some use to me… Then again, she has a lot of spunk and that could prove dangerous', Shere Khan pondered. "Do you know that the penalty for espionage around here is death?"

"No… I didn't know that…" Venus said, unsure of where this was leading.

"Well… now you know. Guards… take her away. Let the hyenas deal with her. They get hungry this time of day", Shere Khan ordered coldly. Two tigers grabbed Venus's arms and started to drag her away. Her heart raced and panic settled in as she struggled for her freedom. She didn't want to die as she realised that she had only truly lived for one day; life is nothing if you don't remember it. The guards lost their grip on her skinny arms for a split second, where she used that time to run up to the large Siberian tiger. She desperately knelt in front of him, tears forming in her eyes.

"Please… Please reconsider! I'll do anything you want", Venus begged, a single tear had slid down her face. The two guards grabbed her again but Shere Khan called them off. He looked at her. There was so much pain in her soul; Shere Khan couldn't find the guts to kill the innocent female cub begging for her existence in front of him. He began to pity the child.

"I'll have to think about it", he said softly. Without saying another word, he stood up and left the room. Vasha, disgusted, followed him.

"What the fuck was that?" Vasha asked angrily, once the doors behind them were securely closed. Shere Khan turned around to look at her in face. Vasha was a tigress the same age as him, nine years old. For a while now, Vasha had worked right beside Shere Khan, helping him carry out and formulate their evil plans. Everyone thought that they would be great as a couple, but they're weren't. They both viewed each other as competition, fighting over which one of them is better. It was always difficult to say which one of them was the more evil, but Shere Khan always got more attention, and, in a way, more respect. Vasha despised this. She knew that she was better, that she deserved to command the troops, and would stop at nothing to screw up one of Shere Khan's plans, as long as it doesn't affect her in the long run. Vasha hated it when things didn't go her way.

"I…I couldn't do it… I'm sorry".

"Yeah, that's what your gonna be… sorry when she kills you! Don't tell me you're getting soft Shere Khan. If you won't kill her off, then I will!" Vasha turned towards the door determined to set things straight. Shere Khan knew he had to stop her. He didn't really know why he was trying to save the cub. It didn't make any sense. She was his soon-to-be enemy. Yet he wanted to spare her life, and said the first thing that came to his mind.

"But you can't!"

"Oh God! Why not?" Vasha was starting to get fed up with this game. Shere Khan tried his best to put some logic behind his reason.

"Because I am the first State Enemy in mutant history to capture 'The Venus' before she has joined the group. Don't you know what that means?"

"That we should kill her and be done with it!"

"No!" Shere Khan said hurridly. Just then an elaborate plan fluttered into his head. "…Do you remember three years ago, when Zareb's father made an army out of the locals of Ikhaya Labantu?"

"Yeah, so?"

"If we kill Venus, then the extras will hear about this and will fear and hate us even more".

"And that's a bad thing?"

"Yes, it's a bad thing! Three years ago, the extras were completely terrified of us. They listened to anyone who had the guts to stand up to me. One antelope doesn't hurt, but a whole herd of them does. Saringai could very easily lead them and turn them against me… just like Zareb's father did. They're looking for help Vasha".

"So? What are we supposed to do about it?" Vasha asked agitated.

"We could get them to like us. So then hopefully, they won't want to fight against us if Saringai and his brother, Raifu, try to form an alliance with them".

"So now you're saying that we've got to be NICE to those vegetarian freaks!" Vasha said, not believing a word that she was hearing. Shere Khan nodded in response to her question.

"And we can start being nice by not killing Venus. They know about the 'Book of Mutants', Vasha. The extras know how important Venus is. If we don't kill her, then the locals will like us better… and soon they'll be on our side… just like Venus will be on our side. We could use them, and turn them all against Saringai and his pathetic little ninjas. Think about it".

"I think you've completely lost it! You plan to be nice to both Venus AND the locals, so that you gain their trust and turn them against Saringai and the boys… God you're a wuss! Just kill her and it'll be over with! Besides, now that Saringai has the 'Book of Mutants' both he and the boys will be looking for Venus!"

"No he won't. I know Saringai well enough to know that he won't tell the boys about Venus; 'cause he fears that I'll find out and kill her".

"Which we're not doing now! You're going crazy you know… I should have been the leader… not some pitiful tiger like you."

"Vasha, we know how beneficial Venus is to the State Mutants, just imagine how beneficial she'll be for us".

"You know you won't be able to pull this off Shere Khan".

"Care to make a wager on that?" Shere Khan asked. Vasha stopped to think about his proposal.

"Alright. If you lose, meaning that you can't get Venus to trust you, then I get to kill her".

"Fine. If I can get Venus to betray the boys, then I win the bet. And if I win the bet then I want…"

"Name it."

"Rachel."

"RACHEL! But Rachel's my best servant!" Vasha sneered. Rachel was one year older than the cheetahs. She was a lovely mutant black-backed jackal that had won the hearts of all the males… and the jealousy of the all the females. Even Shere Khan was fond of her. There was just that something about her that made guys think twice. She was smart, kind and considerate, and always did her chores to the best of her ability. In a way, Vasha was jealous of her because she had managed to get Shere Khan to like her, something that Vasha wasn't capable of doing herself. Although Vasha disliked Rachel because of her male attracting powers, she valued her highly as a valuable servant.

"Oh come on! Where's your gambling spirit? If you win, you get Venus' life, and if I win, I get Rachel. Seems fair to me." Shere Khan persuaded.

"Ok…fine!" Vasha said between her teeth. She turned to leave, heading back to where Venus was waiting.

"Nice doing business with you. Don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out!" Shere Khan said mockingly. Vasha snarled back, before slamming the door behind her.