Guilty x Creatures Ch. 12

"What!?" cried Fiona as she looked from where the orb had just been to him and then back "What happened!? Where did it go!?"

"It went to the closest "Center of Enforcement" office" said Anton as he rolled his head along his shoulders to crack his neck "Should be back in a few days. ...At least I hope it is. Those things are expensive!"

"...It what!?" exclaimed Fiona as she looked back at him with panic in her eyes "Why!? Why is it going there!?"

"Because it knows you're guilty. And it's going to record your crimes" said Anton as he gave her a perplexed look "I told you it would do that"

"No you didn't! You never said it was going to report us!" exclaimed Fiona "You, you tricked us!"

"I did no such thing!" declared Anton as he shook his head "I specifically told you that it would record your crimes and I warned you not to use it unless you were absolutely sure that you were innocent! And you said that you were!"

"So wait! What happens now!?" questioned Kianna "What does "Record your crimes" mean!?"

"It means exactly that" said Anton as he turned to her "It'll record your crimes and then the COE will confirm your identities and issue warrants for your arrest. The whole process may take a few days but afterwords officers and bounty hunters will be alerted to your wanted status and they'll be on the look out for you"

"You bastard!" screamed Fiona as she pointed her ears straight back behind her head "We're going to be arrested because of you!"

"Excuse me!? Because of me!? None of this is because of me, Fiona!" declared Anton as he leaned over the edge of the tub and glared at her "The only thing I'm guilty of is sitting at a bar and minding my own business! You and your sister are responsible for everything that's happened after that!"

"You!" seethed Fiona as she glared right back at him "You bastard! You planned this!"

"Well, that is somewhat true" said Anton as he eased himself back and resettled into his chair "I did think this particular opportunity might arise, and I did plan ahead so I could take advantage of it if it did"

"I knew it!" cried Fiona "...Wait, what are you talking about!?"

"I'm talking about using the Warden's Orb" explained Anton "I thought the opportunity to use it at some point today might come up so I kept it with me just in case"

"...Why did you want to use it?" asked Kianna.

"Because it'll make things a lot easier on my end" said Anton "It'll streamline a big chunk of the paperwork I'll have to deal with by having the information about your crimes processed by the COE itself. Now all I'll have to worry about is filing with the registry and maintaining your health records. Which will be easy enough really. We'll go ahead and get my personal files started and out of the way today, and I'll try to setup an official doctors visit for sometime in the next week or so"

Fiona fell back as her eyes went wide.

"Wait! Wait!" she exclaimed as she shook her head frantically "You can't be serious!"

"I'm very serious" said Anton as he folded his arms over his chest and looked her in the eyes "This is happening Fiona"

Fiona's eyes darted to the door before zipping back to Anton.

"You can't do this to us! We, we have to agree! You can't just enslave us unless we agree!" she exclaimed as she scowled maniacally at him "And I won't agree! I won't!"

"I don't need you to agree to anything Fiona" said Anton as he shook his head "I'm the reason you have that imbalance. You targeted me specifically, so you owe me personally. In this instance, I can choose to either press charges against you or keep you myself. We already know what decision I'm making. But either way, whether it's a prison cell, or a collar, you're losing your freedom regardless"

There was a moment of stillness as the three of them sat in silence.

"But you stole from us!" exclaimed Fiona as her eyes widened in excitement "You're a thief! You're not innocent either!"

"If you had been innocent and I had just left with your money then yes I would be guilty of being a thief. That wouldn't be enough to stop me from doing just that however, as I would be remiss if I didn't feel compensated for all of the troubles that you've caused me. As it sits though, that's not going to be an issue, at all" said Anton as he slowly shook his head before again locking eyes with the dark elf "You struck first Fiona. And everything that has happened so far has been in direct response to that. You are guilty, and you will pay for your crimes. I suggest that you accept that"

Fiona lowered her ears and began to slowly scoot backwards until her back was again pressed against the back sidewall of the tub. Swallowing back the bile that had risen in her throat she pulled her knees up to her chest as she stared at Anton.

"And as for everything I'm going to take from you? Well, the sad reality for you is that I can't steal something from someone I own, Fiona" he stated softly "Everything they have will also belong to me"

Kianna had a solemn look on her face as she watched Fiona slowly drop her head forward and rest her forehead on her knees. After a moment of stillness she slowly turned to look up at Anton.

"...If, we had been innocent?" she asked as she let her eyes drift away from him and land on the doorway "...Would you have really left?"

"I'm not a gambling man, Kianna. I knew there was no way you would be" said Anton as he looked away from Fiona and stared forward at nothing "But in the off chance that you were... Then yes, I would have left"

Kianna shifted her eyes back just enough to see him clearly.

"Really!?" she questioned around a sudden tightness in her chest "After everything that's happened! You'd just leave forever!? Why!?"

"Because I'd have no right to be here, Kianna" explained Anton "And as hard as it may be for you and your sister to believe. I'm not monstrous enough to terrorize innocent people without a reason. There are more than enough guilty people in the world for that... I wouldn't be happy to leave though. I don't like to walk away from something that I want"

Kianna was still for a moment as she stared at him.

"...Why!?" she whispered as her eyes tightened in question "Why do you want us!?"

"You already know why he wants us!" snapped Fiona as she raised her head and scowled at Anton "The only reasons he would ever want us is so that he can rape and torture us until our minds crack! You know all he's going to-!"

"Do you honestly think that's all you're worth Fiona!?" interrupted Anton as he turned to face her "Is that really the only value you can see in yourself!? A warm body, something to put a whip to and a mind to crack!? Is that really all you have to offer!? Is that really all you are!? Because I don't believe that's true! I think... I think there's more..."

Fiona went to speak but stopped short as she seemed to be contemplating her words.

Kianna's eyes had gone wide as she swiveled her head and looked back and forth between Anton and her sister.

"...You two did something very stupid. And you've both been punished for that. You've suffered enough pain for it though" declared Anton as he turned away from Fiona "Now, I'm not going to lie to you. I do very much enjoy being sadistic. And if given a reason I will happily punish you both again. That being said though, I am neither monstrous nor bloodthirsty. And I have absolutely no intentions of abusing you two simply for the sake of it. You have my word, there is no reason to fear that ever happening"

Fiona shook her head and continued to scowl for a few moments before dropping her head again and hiding her face back behind her knees.

Kianna had once again become solemn as she watched her sister. Moving only her eyes she glanced down at the water before looking back up at Anton.

"...I don't, get it? Why? Why do you want us then?" she whispered quietly as her voice began to waver with a slight crack "Nobody else has ever wanted-!"

The dark elf stopped short as Anton shifted his head and locked his eyes with her's.

"You're doomed. Both of you. Neither one of you can defend yourselves in any way. You won't last in prison. You'll be targeted immediately. Simply because of what you are. It won't be long before you're gone. Your lives, amounting to nothing..." he said matter-of-factually "You're not innocent. You did this to yourselves. You've earned this. And I shouldn't save you from a fate that you deserve... But I just can't... It would be such a waste..."

Kianna remained completely still as she stared back at him.

"...There are several reasons that I could give as why I want you. And they'd all be true enough. I could just say that I think you lives might be worth saving. That I think you're interesting, and endearing. Or that I find you entertaining. And I do! But if I'm going to be truly honest with you... Well..." said Anton as he shifted his gaze forward and away from her "I've, had a lot of time available to me, and I still do. So far, I've managed to fill this time with various pursuits and goals. Mostly it's all been in an effort to keep myself occupied. You see, I don't like to be bored, and I rarely am... But even though I've done well to keep myself busy, the vast majority of my time lately, has been spent alone. Not that I don't have people in my life, I do! Family members, friends, coworkers, even a few business partners that I'm on pretty close terms with... Lately though. It's been that, well, I guess you could say that I've, stepped away... and distanced myself... I can't really say why, nothing caused this per'se. But for a while now... I've just... stepped away... People will call, stop in to visit, invite you to one thing or another... And as you decline and continuously cut the call or visit short... Eventually, they just stop calling, and stop visiting... And before you know it... You're alone, and have been for some time... And so far, I've been fine with this! Being alone has never bothered me before. And I wouldn't necessarily say that it does now... But for some reason though, and I'm not even fully sure why... I think I'd like to try, not being alone, at least for a little bit... So if I was going to give you a real answer Kianna. I guess that would be it... I just don't really want to be alone anymore..."

"...It sounds like you really need to get yourself a pet!" growled Fiona as she kept her face hidden against her knees.

"Hm! That's pretty much exactly what I'm doing!" chuckled Anton as a smirk spread across his face.

Fiona stiffened and pointed her ears straight back behind her head.

"Fuck you! You bastard!" she snarled into her knees as her ears began to quiver in anger.

Anton started to chuckle again but stopped short as movement at his side caught his attention. Turning, he found Kianna sitting right next to him and leaning with her shoulder pressed against the edge of the tub.

The dark elf had laid her ears back submissively and was staring up at him with eyes that were on the verge of tears.

"I, I don't want to be alone anymore either!" she claimed in a barely audible whisper "I hate it!"

"...I know Kianna" whispered Anton as he reached out, placed his hand on her shoulder and gave her a reassuring squeeze "I know you do..."

The dark elf made a small sound and leaned into his touch as she felt the warmth of his aura begin to seep into her being.

"I hate it so much!" she whispered as she blinked away the moisture from her eyes and laid her head against his arm "I just..."

Anton gently tightened his grip on her shoulder as Kianna closed her eyes and sobbed softly.

"...Will it? ...Does it hurt!? ...When you!" she whispered quietly "...When you!?"

"It can, if you try to fight it" said Anton in a soft, calm tone "But if you stay relaxed the process will end quickly and it'll be painless"

"...When are you going to do it?" asked Kianna as she raised her eyes to meet his.

"I can do it at any time. We can even do it now if you're ready" said Anton "It'll only take a moment"

Kianna lowered her eyes and stayed still for several minutes before taking a deep, but quiet breath through her nose.

"...You!" she whispered around another shorter breath "I'm, I'm gonna trust you! Okay! I, I am! I don't know why you want-! ...But I! You, don't, don't just, leave! Okay! You can't, do that! Okay! Please!"

Anton stopped short for a fraction of a second before lifting his hand from her shoulder and laying it atop her bowed head.

"Kianna?" he whispered as he gently ran his hand across the top of her head "What are you saying?"

"...Everyone else is gone! They got scared!" Kianna whispered through her clenched teeth as her voice became laced with panic "You can't do that too! You-!"

"Stop" said Anton as he nodded and let more of his power flow into her through his hand "I won't"

"...You promise!?" whimpered Kianna as her ears raised themselves upwards in order to hear him.

"Yes" breathed Anton "I promise, I won't"

"Yes!" whispered Kianna as she raised her head to lean into the warmth of his touch "...Thank you!"

They both remained silent and still for a moment as they each digested what had just happened.

"Hm, well then" said Anton as he eased away from her and rose out of his chair "I think it's best if we just get this over with..."

The dark elf nodded softly as she watched him rise to his feet.

Anton stood still for a moment as he looked from Kianna to Fiona and back.

"I'll be back in a few minutes" he said as he nodded to Kianna.

Kianna nodded back as she watched him turn away and disappear through the doorway.

Fiona gawked in disbelief as she watched Anton actually leave the room. Looking to her sister she found her watching as well but with a small smile on her face. Moving as quickly as she could she frantically scooted back to the front of the tub and poised her ears forward to see if she could catch the sounds of any movement before turning to her sister.

"Holy shit that was great! I can't believe you fooled him!" she exclaimed in a hushed whisper as she rose out of the tub and sat on the edge "C'mon! Now's our chance! We gotta be quick!"

"What!?" questioned Kianna as she looked up at her sitting sister "What are you doing!?"

"What am I doing!? What are you doing!?" exclaimed Fiona as she glared at her sister "C'mon! This might be our only chance!"

"...For what?" asked Kianna.

"To get out of here you idiot!" cried Fiona as she reached down and grabbed hold of Kianna's arm "Now c'mon! We don't have time for this, we gotta go now!"

Kianna was still for a second as she stared up at her.

"...Go where?" she asked in a genuine tone.

"Wha? I don't know! Maybe Tantarra!? It doesn't matter!" hissed Fiona as she gave Kianna's arm a tug "We just gotta get out of here!"

Kianna turned to the door before looking back up at her sister.

"Don't be scared! I'm right here!" exclaimed Fiona "I'm with you!"

Kianna looked down at her sister's hand before looking back up at her face. Silently she opened and closed her mouth before quickly looking back at the door.

"Kianna it's okay! We can make it!" cried Fiona as she gave her arm another tug "But we gotta go now! Before it's too late!"

Her eyes wide now, Kianna went to turn away from the door but stopped instantly when her vision landed on Anton's book, now laying on the seat of his chair. She gazed at it for a moment before slowly turning back to her sister and staring her in the eyes.

"Fiona... nobody has ever wanted us before!" she declared quietly "They've never even wanted us around them! Nobodies, ever even cared about us before!"

"...What!?" exclaimed Fiona as her face took on a look of confusion "What the Hell are you talking about!?"

Kianna stared at her for another second before shifting her gaze back to Anton's book.

"...I'm gonna stay!" she whispered quietly "I don't wanna go!"

Dumbfounded, Fiona sat completely still as she stared at her sister.

"What, did you say?" she whispered as her eyes went wide "Are you joking!?"

Kianna's face was stoic as she turned back to face her.

"No" she whispered as she shook her head and eased herself back.

Realization spread across Fiona's face and was quickly followed by intense anger.

"What the fuck are you doing!?" she demanded as she tightened her grip on her sister's arm "This could be our only chance Kianna! We have to go now!"

"Go where!?" cried Kianna as she pulled back on her arm "Fiona we're wanted now! What if we end up in prison!? What are we gonna do then!?"

"That's not gonna happen!" snapped Fiona "And even if it did, that'll still be better than staying here and getting raped and tortured for the rest of our lives!"

"That's not gonna happen!" declared Kianna as she turned back to the door "If he was gonna do that then he already would have done it! We can trust him Fiona!"

"Trust? Trust him!? Seriously!? You're still on that shit!? How can you trust this psychopath Kianna!?" exclaimed Fiona "This guy wants to enslave you, you dumbass! And you think you can trust him!? Are you crazy!?"

Kianna went still before pointing her ears straight back behind her head.

"No, I'm not!" she declared in an even tone "And he is not a psychopath Fiona!"

"Oh please! You don't even know what he is!" growled Fiona "Don't fool yourself Kianna! You don't know anything about this guy!"

"...Yes I do!" declared Kianna in the same quiet even tone "I know he tells the truth. He doesn't lie! He hasn't once!"

Fiona went to speak but was taken aback as her sister turned to face her.

"I know he's smart! I know he's strong and powerful! I know he has patience! And I know you won't think so but Gods alive Fiona, he's damn good looking! Even for a human! ...I know he can be kind! He can be so kind and gentle! And then at the same time... He can be so cruel and scary!" exclaimed Kianna as she slumped in on herself and shuddered "...He's not scared Fiona! Nothing scares him! He's been in control this whole time! And he's been planning for everything!"

Fiona was silent as she pointed her own ears straight back and stared at her sister.

"You're right okay! I don't know everything about him!" cried Kianna as she tightened her eyes in determination "But dammit Fiona! I love everything that I do know!"

Fiona let go of her sister's arm as she slowly leaned away from her.

"You've lost your fucking mind!" she whispered as she shook her head "This bastard has you brainwashed!"

Kianna sighed in annoyance as she looked away.

"No, he doesn't Fiona!" she mumbled as she shook her head.

"The fuck if he doesn't!" cried Fiona as she pointed her finger at her "Why else would you ever do this to yourself!? You-!"

"Because! ...I'm scared!" exclaimed Kianna as she stared at the empty doorway "And I know you're scared too!"

Fiona was taken aback by her sister's statement. Before she could speak however she was stopped short as Kianna continued.

"Fiona we never even leave this house! And every time we do people always stare at us! They look at us like we're monsters! Like they're scared of us! And they don't want us anywhere near them! It's just like at Bridgemont! But it's like that everywhere we go!" exclaimed Kianna as she let her head list forward and her eyes fall to the floor of the tub "So it's always just us! And now we never even do anything! We never go anywhere! We don't know anyone! We're always, alone! And no one ever even told us why! Fiona! We don't even really know what we are!"

Fiona let her pointed finger fall away as she pulled her arm back to herself.

"But he does! And he's not scared of us!" cried Kianna as her eyes became misty and her voice began to crack "He's not scared of me! ...He even says he thinks I'm cute!"

Kianna hunched in on herself and lowered her ears as a heavy sob racked her body.