Chapter 51: Cronus (Season II Opening)
Two Days Later
Tenne paced back and forth holding her cigarette in her shaking hand. The other just as unsteady, she tried over and over to light the lipstick stained bud. She shook her head, “S-somebody’s going to find out it was us. They’re going to know Connor, they’re going to know we killed Kai.”
He glared at her, “Yeah well it’s a little too fucking late to think about that now, isn’t it? You weren’t so concerned with his well-being when you stabbed him with the needle.”
“STOP BRINGING IT UP!” She screamed. “I-I can’t stop seeing his face. He just-he smiled. How can you smile knowing you’re about to die?” Throwing the unlit cigarette in the trash, she sat on the couch and faced the tv. “It’s like it’s forever there in my mind. I can’t eat, sleep or do anything without seeing his face.”
Connor let out a deep sigh, “I can’t either.” The nightmares of Kai plagued him over and over. With every story he fed the media of his death, Connor felt his very existence seem to blacken. “It’s like he’s-”
“Haunting you?” Sabine’s cool voice pulled from the darkened corner. Sitting in a chair she let out a smirk as she watched them jump, startled. She tilted her head, “Kai’s not haunting you. That’s me.” Closing her eyes, she opened them and they burned purple in fury. She stood, “Correction, not just me...us.” A low deadly growl came from the darkness.
“W-What are you?” Tenne stammered.
“Something, you pissed off. Something that was once someone, until you robbed me of my Paramour.” Her eyes glistened before rage set in again, “You took him from me.” She snarled.
Connor quickly moved behind Tenne, “IT WAS HER IDEA! SHE’S NUTS! SHE COULDN’T TAKE THAT HE’D MOVED ON AND-”
“ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?!” Tenne shouted, cutting him off. She pulled away from him, “You snake! This was all your idea, you said you wanted to make him as infamous and as tragic as Kurt Cobain or did that somehow just slip your mind?”
A small chuckle stopped their quarrel, as Sabine started to laugh. It vibrated harshly against her chest and turned from a small giggle to an angry roar. “I don’t care.” She said, wiping her tears. “Correction, WE don’t care.” Turning, she watched as Beemo’s cat eyes stalked Connor from the shadows. Connor backed away, “Yeah see, when you took Kai, you not only took him from his Supreme but from his familiar too.”
Beemo let out an aggressive growl and bared his claws, locking them deep into the floor. His breath ragged, he zeroed in on his target and then lunged at Connor’s neck. Landing in a heap on the floor, he swiped his large paw against the man’s face. “I want your fear,” he growled.
“I’M SORRY I-”
Beemo struck him again, “Nothing you say will fix what you’ve broken.” Grabbing Connor’s leg, Beemo pulled the screaming man back into the shadows. The sound of gargled blood and bone-crunching filled the air of the room.
Sabine watched the fear line Tenne’s face, “He wasn’t yours to take.” She said low. “He.wasn’t.yours and maybe if you truly knew that you would have realized what you’d done.” The chaos magic swirling around her body, she glowed as she walked forward. “Do you know what it’s like to feel only one emotion? To be so saddened, so broken that-” The tile blackened under her feet, “The only thing your body will allow you to feel is rage?”
Tenne cowered, “P-please don’t kill me.”
Shaking her head, Sabine looked at her coldly, “Why not? Maybe it will make me happy? Maybe I’ll laugh for real this time. MAYBE I’LL FUCKING FEEL SOMETHING THAT YOU TOOK FROM ME because all I feel is unbridled fury.” Raising her hand, Sabine pulled Tenne from the ground and she watched as she swayed back and forth suspended in mid air. Using her other hand she produced a painting, “Do you know what this is?” She waved and the large painting stood up on its own, “ It’s called Saturn Devouring His Son, it depicts Cronus eating his children to keep one of his sons from overthrowing him.”
Tenne’s eyes widened as she saw the creature in the painting drop the body it was eating, and then look at her.
“You see, the thing is they still winded up growing inside of him and you know, staging a mutiny, and normally while I would cheer them on for thwarting him, I’m hoping that at this moment his rage is as great as mine.”
Cronus extended his huge bloodied hand from the canvas. Tenne struggled, trying her hardest to keep him from grabbing onto her leg. A piercing shrill of frustration pulled from his mouth, and he jerked, grabbing her. Yanking hard, Cronus pulled her from the air. She belted a scream and Sabine only laughed as she watched the painting consume her.
“Hey no Cronus, chew your food!” Sabine teased as the monstrous creature ripped Tenne’s head from her shoulders and her screams silenced. Biting into the flesh of her arm, Cronus's face lined with confusion when Tenne’s head and limbs returned to normal. He belted a roar and Sabine nodded in understanding, “Hey Tenne?!” Tenne looked around momentarily stunned until the monster gripped at her neck again. “Unlike his sons, he’ll never be able to eat you in completion so.you.won’t.win.” She grinned, “But you WILL experience his wrath forever.” Looking past her, Sabine gave a glare at a darkened spot on the canvas, “As you shall experience mine Wilmot, you all will.” She sneered knowing he was watching, “I’ll be seeing you soon."
As Sabine and Beemo left the apartment, they let out a deep breath of pain. Knowing no one would ever find any remnant of Connor, while they’d view the canvas depicting Tenne’s forever murder without ever being none the wiser.
-------------------------------------------------
George folded his arms to his chest and gave Sabine a stern look. “You handle your business like I taught you Supreme?”
She nodded, “Yes Sir. I said it and did it just like you said-”
“With your own flair.” She bit the side of her cheek and remained silent. Pulling her into his arms, George whispered, “Good.”
She leaned back and looked at his hardened face, “You’re not mad?”
“If someone hurt Di the way they hurt Kai, I’d-” He exhaled sharply. “Just make sure you’re also doing the OTHER part I told you about.” He looked down to Beemo, “Both of you.”
Beemo gave him a small sad book smile, “Yes sir, work through the anger but don’t let it consume you.” Seeing Blaise at the door, he raced over and they embraced one another. “Missed you stupid.”
“Stupid, you’ve been missed. “ Blaise retorted before the two left to try to relax.
George turned his attention back to Sabine, “Go on ahead. Now that Wilmot knows that you spotted him, it won’t take him long before curiosity gets the better of him.” He raised her hand, feeling the power course through it, “Wouldn’t want to be in his shoes.” Seeing the corners of her mouth turn up, he patted her hand. “I’ll make sure to let you know as soon as anything happens.”
“Promise?”
“Wouldn’t lie to ya, you know that.” Seeing her hesitate again, George called out to Alexus, “She needs you all!” Alexus appeared and wrapped her arms around Sabine and the two left the room. George inhaled, then walked over to the closed bedroom door of the castle and slowly walked inside. Looking to the bed he shook his head, “He almost ready” He murmured as he sat in the chair across from an unconscious Kai, smiling when he saw the first flint of life.