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Parasite is the third part of The Underground series

Chapter 20 of 29

Hell Hath No Fury

Alias

I think about myself, guarding my own little self-constructed environment in The Underground. My territory; I guard it like any beast would. This whole concept is why I truly believe we are closer to our feral, animalistic brothers who inhabit this world more than we want to believe.

There are no good reasons why nature made some of us stronger than others. Why some have greater intelligence. Or why some have it in them to fight, and others to flee. I question a lot about myself, but I am glad that whatever happened to me in my past left me with the skills I've needed to survive. I've done what I've needed to do to live. I make no excuses for anything I've done to survive, and I don't apologize for it. How can I be sorry that I've stayed alive when I've watched so many perish? I hold my personal right to live above most anyone's.

Just like every other person in this universe does.

Terwilliger would be the first to admit that he had bitched about coming to Arcadia, but he had forgotten about Delirium. Sure, the city itself held the stink of a port town past its prime, but there were certain diamonds in the rough. No matter how cold and damp Arcadia got, there were lots of pretty women here...

The scantily clad waitresses of Delirium alonewere worth this trip. You never know what one of them might be willing to do for a little tip on the side. Their tiny, black skirts covered just enough that the mind filled in the rest, leaving only the desire for the real thing. The more you drank, the stronger the urge. The mystery of what these women looked like without the protective covering of their clothing ran rampant. So when Isis asked him to do a job here, Terwilliger hadn't been too opposed.

Although it seemed like a strange place to recover from a gunshot wound, this Underground rave scene was a perfect place to drop below radar. Ten to fifteen other girls, all dressed similarly, were walking around, and the house lights that flashed shards of color around the room as they moved automatically messed with your eyes.

How the hell they had ever managed to carve a club out of an old victorian mansion that was on this block was beyond Terwilliger. When this end of town had been in its apex, there were several buildings spanning the streets like this place. The mansion that housed Delirium was simply one of many. Over time, it fell into part of the city that was less desirable as the social boundaries shifted. The rich left, and the poor moved in. Now it was another boarded up building on the outside, but it's true beauty was on the inside.

All the marble flooring had been demolished, and replaced by pristine glass plates where more lights illuminated the floor from underneath. Terwilliger could only guess that a harder form of glass was used, thick layers of bullet proof glass, that could support a fair amount of people. There wasn't much in the world like it. Between the color-changing floor around a restored mansion, hanging lights and blaring music, you had yourself an Underground club. They stood out like the last saloons of the wild west. You never knew what would go down in them.

Maybe that's what he'd would do. Terwilliger's mind had begun to wander as he worked his way slowly through the mob. He'd run a club like this one when all this shit with Isis was over. Keep pretty bitches around for eye candy... maybe more.

As he thought this, one of the clad waitresses, a young, gorgeous hare like himself turned around, bumping into him. She let out a gasp as her breasts pressed against his chest; a shocked look in her doe-eyed stare. Her green eyes stood out against her snow white fur.

Not tonight. He was here on business, and that overrode anything, because he loved his life a lot more than anything she could offer him.

"Excuse me!" Terwilliger growled rudely, pushing past the girl. Looking a little angry at the rejection, she let out a scoff as he brushed past her. Shoving her nose in the air dignified, she flounced away.

He almost laughed at this. She could get as pissed as she wanted to at him. Terwilliger had another woman's scorn to worry about. Talk about pissed, he scarcely knew why he was still breathing.

Terwilliger had heard the crash from the other room. Slowly moving to the closed door, he had cracked it slightly, only to find that black fox holding Isis by her throat. His soul had lit up with such a joy, hoping that his black paw would crush her spine. Then he'd be free of any obligation to anyone, but most especially to Isis.

However, in the end he had let her go and it was Terwilliger's hopes that had been crushed. After he left, he watched her face twist into something evil. Quickly, Terwilliger left the building through the back, making sure the fox didn't see him, and snuck around, entering from the front. Waiting a few minutes, he bounded up the steps, running until he burst through the double doors, finding Isis still standing in the middle of the room. With his pistol drawn, Terwilliger rushed in, asking what happened, if she was okay. He put on the act, pretending he had just arrived and was concerned.

He lied his ass off.

"Call your men into this room, Mr. Terwilliger." Isis commanded in a seething tone. It was not a request as she expected no less than compliance or things would have gotten ugly.

Going back out the doors, the two guards were recovering. One was holding his head back as his crippled nose bled openly. The other touched his jaw tenderly, before retracting in pain from the dislocated body part. Helping them both to their feet, Terwilliger had ushered them to Isis, having them stand before her.

"Your weapon, Mr. Terwilliger." Isis requested in her velvety, but cold tone.

Hesitating, the hare slowly complied, pulling his black pistol from it's holster, and stood behind the guards who had taken a brutal beating.

Without even batting an eyelash, the gun was cocked and the back of both of their heads exploded. Standing behind them, the bullets passed safely by Terwilliger's head, but he felt the wet sticky texture of blood spray over him, coating the sides of his face. Mouth hanging open in revulsion, a new sense of shock and horror swept through him as the metallic taste of blood coated his tongue.

Unconsciously and inadvertently swallowing when he closed his mouth on instinct, Terwilliger's stomach had taken control of his body. He had vomited slightly in his mouth before staying the urge.

The guards' bodies flopped to the ground without a single cry of protest, and soon Terwilliger found himself looking down the barrel of his own gun.

"The only reason you're still alive and they're not is because I know you understand what running will do for you; nothing." Isis stated flatly, no emotion in her voice. "If a machine has a part that doesn't function, what do you do?" She pulled the hammer back on his gun; the metallic clicking echoing off the walls. "Remove the broken part and replace it. Your colleagues have been... replaced because they were not useful. Are you still useful, Mr. Terwilliger?"

Terwilliger opened his mouth to say something. He wanted to speak, to breathe, but nothing had came. He knew what words to say, but his throat had locked solid.

"Well?" Isis's venomous voice broke the silence.

"Yes!" He replied, almost immediately as she spoke.

"Good, because it may not be just my problem if we lose control of that cantankerous beast. Look at your men." She spat, looking down at their lifeless corpses. "He could have killed them," she snapped her fingers, "like that! If you can't provide me with protection, I will find someone who can!" The attractive feline threatened in an acidic tone.

Relief washed over him as the gun had fallen from his face, silently thanking God in his own way. "I didn't think I'd be the one figuring out how to keep him in line." She continued, condescendingly. "It took me some time, but I've found Mr. Alias's weakness. It's not lust, or money, or even pride..." Her sharp eyes narrowed, as if she were homing in on a kill. "It's his friend; the girl." Her eyes flashed to Terwilliger. "Control the girl; control the fox. Simple."

"H-how?" Terwilliger asked nervously; pistol still cocked in Isis's paw.

That's when she had pulled out this strange little clear vile and had given it to him.

"Make sure she ingests this." Isis instructed. "We can always issue an antidote, as it takes a while to circulate through your system. But if our dark friend continues down his belligerent path..." She smiled, sending a chill down Terwilliger's spine. "Chaos ensues..."

That had been nearly a week ago.

Tailing her from her apartment on Grinstead Avenue to Delirium was a little harder than expected. The calico, who seemed to be the club's queen, had personally come to pick up the blue vixen, escorting her down to Delirium. Seeing her hobble down the street on a single crutch because of her wound, Terwilliger almost felt a little bad, like he was picking on a gimp.

Almost being the key word.

Being fairly sure she had seen Terwilliger before, he had to stick to the shadows. From the conversation he picked up on, it sounded like they had been worried about her staying there alone, especially with a gunshot wound. Surely to God that fox had made enemies by being a merc, so maybe that's why even with a bullet wound in her leg, she didn't want to be left alone in her house.

A public area would be ideal for confusing anyone looking for you, unless they already knew you were there.

Waiting his turn in line, the hare made his way to the bar, slipping onto a stool. When that calico came by, asking for his order, he was sure to sit right next to the tap where she worked preparing her drinks. The calico was so busy, between managing her waitresses and tending her own bar, she didn't even recognize Terwilliger. The vixen was too far away from Terwilliger to see him. In a seat a few feet down the bar on the inside with her leg extended, the vixen sat cleaning some glasses, tidying up as her friend ran the bar. To her right, there was a small glass of bubbly liquid, a club soda. Nodding to himself, Terwilliger knew it was just a waiting game.

Eventually her glass ran dry, and her lips became parched and craved the calming of a cool liquid to ease her. Like a good friend the calico gathered the vixen's glass, bringing it over near Terwilliger. The calico fixed another drink for the vixen, another club soda, placing it aside with the other completed drinks; a gin and tonic an a dark beer.

Cap already popped, Terwilliger took the opportunity when no one was looking. Reaching over the bar, he discretely dumped the liquid into the club soda. No one saw; no one cared. He stuck around long enough to see the glass being brought to the vixen, and her bringing the soda to her lips, and that was it.

"We will watch them..." Isis had told him. "There's something the fox is hiding... I feel it..."

Wondering what she meant by that statement, he didn't question her further. Terwilliger wondered what he had just spiked that poor girl's drink with, but to be perfectly honest, that really wasn't his concern. He really didn't know what this would do to coerce that black fox into helping Isis either. Again, it wasn't his concern. Terwilliger just knew one thing: he had done exactly as he was told.

That was his concern.