4
Marcus awoke groggily within a dungeon cell locked deep within the Merovingian's stronghold. He knew this because he had been done here several times... although never for his own incarceration. The room was very small and made of stone, a think wooden door the only exit. The shackles in which he was currently bound were rusted but strong, composed of a program that rendered them all but unbreakable.
The Merovingian was there when he awoke, smiling cruelly. "So our prodigal son finally awakens. I trust you're not too uncomfortable?"
Marcus's eyes narrowed. "Go to the Source."
Persephone clicked her tongue. "I do not think he much likes you, dearest." "It is to be expected, my lovely," he replied out of hand. "Now, would you care to enlighten me as to why you attempted to escape me?"
Marcus only glared.
The Merovingian sighed. "Very well zen, if you will not tell me, zen perhaps I should arrange for a more... effective method of interrogation?"
"Why not use the little kitty-cat?" Persephone suggested. "My idea exactly, my pet. It would be a shame if somezing were to… say... happen to her, non?" The Frenchman smiled evilly.
"You leave her out of this, you frog-eating bastard!" Marcus growled, straining against his bonds.
"Temper, temper, my friend. I will not do a zing to her, as long as you cooperate."
The vampire program hesitated. Persephone smiled coldly. "We have noticed that the Twins seem to like her… and that she fears them."
"It would be a shame if zey were to, say, be left unattended with her."
"If I tell you how and why, will you leave her be?" Marcus asked.
The Merovingian smiled. "But of course." Persephone nodded, still smiling her vampire smile.
"I left because I despise you. I despise this place. I despise what you did to me. I want my freedom. And how did I escape? I managed to slip out the back door while you were 'preoccupied' with that cake-stuffed girl in the women's bathroom," he replied heatedly.
The Merovingian shot a look at Persephone. "I 'ave no idea what zis… zis… zis swine is talking about." "Of course, my love," Persephone replied, inwardly seething. Oh, she knew about her husband's little "cakes". "Well, I am glad you finally decided to come around. However, you will 'ave to be reprogrammed. I'll leave you here until I can decide a fitting punishment for you." The Merovingian then opened the door, sweeping out a hand for Persephone to leave first. She exited, wondering just how she could repay her husband properly.
The Frenchman gave one last, withering look to Marcus, and then departed, to leave the vampiric program to his own... locked deep inside the castle of the Merovingian.
***
Sekhmet awoke with one hell of a headache and no memory of anything after the Merovingian had punched the button. "Ow…" she muttered. Her room looked much like it had before... if it wasn't for the bruises on her body and bump on her head, it was if nothing had happened.
She struggled to sit up, wondering what had happened. Her eyes fell on a videotape. there was a small envelope on top of it. Muttering dire curses, she opened it and read the letter.
"The below is evidence of further insurance...I like to ensure both loyalty and success. Cooperate, and nothing like what is on the tape has to happen again."
Having the sinking feeling that it had something to do with her bruises, she watched it in growing horror as she saw herself beat Marcus to a pulp. "No…." The tape ended, exposing only snow.
"No… Architect, what have I done….?"
"Exactly what I told you to do," came a voice from the door. Sekhmet looked up to see the Merovingian. "What do you want?"
"An effective minion."
She looked down. "What if I don't want to be a minion?" she mumbled.
"You agreed to ze job when you agreed to your facelift. Causality -- cause and effect. If you 'ad not asked for ze makeover, I would not 'ave installed my own programming. If you 'ad not purposely failed in your attempt to capture Marcus, zen I would not 'ave 'ad to release Bastet. Cause and effect, kitten, cause and effect."
"…" She had no response to that. She hated that. "What… what's going to happen to him?"
"A fitting punishment. Ze least of which will be reprogramming into a more docile form."
"Docile?"
"You would rather 'e remained aggressive? Perhaps 'e would escape again, and zen you would 'ave to recapture 'im..."
Again there was silence.
"You are welcome to any room service you want, provided zat you stay eizer in ze room or in ze club." The Merovingian then stepped through the same door he had come from. "Bastard," she muttered after the door had been shut.
***
Persephone waited until her husband was preoccupied, then left to visit the vampire program. "Hello, Marcus." "You," he replied, still rather upset at her. "Yes, me," she replied simply.
"What do you want?"
"Tell me… why is it you care so much for my husband's little kitten?"
"Because I see in her what your husband is doing to me... trying to turn people who once worked for the good of the system into killers, exploiting the vulnerable for his own good."
"You are sure that is the only reason?"
"What are you trying to get at?"
"Oh, nothing…" She rose to leave, her foot kicking something within his reach. A key. "Be a good little boy and run along with the kitten. She is quite a pretty little thing, you know, and the Twins may not be the only ones eyeing her."
He pulled at the chains binding him. "I cannot reach it as long as I am bound to the wall." "You are a vampire, are you not? You are stronger than a mere mortal… but, ah, that may take too much time." Persephone snapped her fingers, and the program creating the binds was erased.
He dropped a little and grabbed the key. "Why are you doing this?"
"I have enough competition as it is," Persephone replied. "I do not need him rewriting her to be his mistress." "Thanks anyway." He slipped from the room. The goddess-like program smirked. "That's one for me, my love."
***
Some time later, the knob of the hotel room housing Sekhmet turned, and through it stepped a more welcome face -- that of Marcus as he slid carefully into the more-than-likely surveyed room.
Sekhmet was fast asleep in a corner of the room, apparently not wanting to sleep on anything provided by the Merovingian. There were tear-tracks on her face, as if she'd cried herself to sleep.
He touched her lightly on the shoulder. "Sekhmet..." She woke instantly. "M-marcus?" He nodded. "Are you okay?" She stared at him for a long moment, then threw herself at him, hugging him fiercely. "Marcus… Marcus, I'm so sorry!" "You have no need to apologize...you were not yourself." He stood then. "We must move quickly...he may already know I'm free."
She looked at him, confused. "You… you'll help me, trust me, even after…?"
He nodded. "Of course."
"Why?"
"Because I know you are good at heart."
"But… what if he brings her out again?"
"I will find a way to incapacitate you." She smiled. "Thanks, Marcus. I'll go with you this time." He smiled back. "Alright...now hurry. We don't have time." She nodded, rising swiftly to her feet. "Which way?" He looked to the door. "We leave going through the hotel--not going through the club."
"That door leads to the club…" "Only when the key is used," he replied, walking towards it. Sekhmet didn't understand, but she followed him. Suddenly, the door slammed open, the Merovingian entering, with a Twin on either side. Sekhmet froze, wide-eyed. "Marcus!"
He hissed, reaching inside his coat. "Damnit!" Sekhmet's claws came out as she dropped into a fighter's crouch. "Leaving so soon? A pity, really. I 'ad jus' begun to plan ze dance," the Merovingian said angrily. "Leave him alone!" Sekhmet shouted, coming to stand between Marcus and the intruders. "You are in no place to command, my dear," the Merovingian sneered darkly at her. The Twins advanced a little. "Or do I 'ave to remind you who is really in command?" he lifted a remote.
Her eyes widened, and she shrank away. Marcus lunged for the remote, but the twins intercepted him, one producing a razor and slashing across the vampire's chest. He dropped to the floor and pulled out a pistol, shooting one of them in the chest--the bullet instead passed through the Twin as it became incorporeal... and straight into the Merovingian's hand, causing him to drop the remote.
With catlike speed Sekhmet lunged for the remote, hoping to destroy it or get it out of the Merovingian's reach. The Merovingian also lunged for it. However, before either could grab it, the remote shattered from another blast of the pistol from the now prone vampire. Sekhmet turned and bounded back to Marcus, slashing at one of the twins who was in her way.
He turned incorporeal, responding by slashing out his razor. The other started to advance, but the vampiric program rolled to his feet and discharged the weapon several times at the two twins, before grabbing Sekhmet and rushing through the door, into the club.
I hate this place, she thought as she ran with him. "Marcus, it's daylight!" "Then we get out through the basement... I have a key."
She nodded. "Okay. Lead me."
"Should we go after them?" one of the Twins asked. The Merovingian shook his head. "Why bozer? Wizout command from me ozerwise, ze Bastet subprogram will assert itself randomly. All we 'ave to do is wait, and let zem fall into our trap."
Eheheheh… so, that's it for chapter four! How are y'all liking it so far? Good? Bad? Crap? Keep reading for more on our programs! ^_^