Recap:

"You can't kill me. You have morals." She spoke of it like it was a disease and threw her head back with a cackle. "Rumours fly faster than witch brooms at the academy."

"Then you must know people have a knack for changing here." His eyes glimpsed over the fur spreading down her boyfriend's back. "In more ways than one."

The apples of her cheeks spread upwards. "Well what do you want us to tell you?"

"Who is it?" Archer asked.

She batted her lashes. "Who is what?"

"Who is the Beast?"

The boyfriend raised his voice. "Which one?"

Archer's silence made the villains cackle again and they exchanged smiles. "He doesn't know," Faith said.

A grin spread across the boyfriend's face. "No, he doesn't."

+++

Archer's hands trembled in fury. "Are there two beasts?!"

"Way more." Faith's eyes widened. "We're surrounded by them. We are the beasts."

His fist slammed into her face and I watched her head whip back. "You know what beast I'm talking about, you fucking shit."

She moaned, head still laying back. I peeked up to find her eyes slightly open, a tear rolling down her cheek. She began to whisper things, earning another crack to the head.

This time her scream travelled into our ears and I saw her body jerk, something slithering under her skin and poking outwards. Her dark façade peeled off and she slowly moved her head forward. Faith's glossy eyes darted to me, tears glimmering like diamonds down her pink cheeks. "Don't. Don't let them take over. Fear the ones who save us. Don't let them save you, Vhalerie."

My frown turned upside down and her heels skid backwards, refusing to give me a straight eye. I smiled, and reached forward. She flinched as I tucked a strand of blonde behind her ear and then pulled something from her ear. My eyes lit up. "Ta da!" She stared horrified at my hand and I waved the bubble gum piece in her face. "Why. For me?" I pressed a hand to my chest. "You should'na have."

I popped it in my mouth and chewed, before smacking my lips. "Tastes like cherries. Sweet." My fingers danced up her arm. "It's got that soft touch. I bet it's making my tongue red. My lips look good with red." I swiped my claw against her skin and she whimpered, shaking as she watched me put my finger in my mouth. "Yeap. Definitely cherries."

"Vhalerie."

"Hm?"

"We have a goal at hand."

I rolled my eyes and dragged my head to the side. "What? You don't find this hot? Don't you like this?"

Faith's boyfriend piped up. "I do!"

A crooked, slow smile crawled up my mouth.

"Vhalerie." Archer's voice rumbled in anger.

With a sigh, I pecked a kiss on her trembling forehead before slinking back to him. "Look, baby." I slid my hand into Lance's jeans and pulled out his gun. "Talk the talk or make the walk."

"Walk to what?" she spat.

"To your grave, ya bonehead," I cooed and loaded it. "I'm clicking the redo button. Annnd action." Faith stared into the barrel of my gun. "The fucker asked you a fucking question."

"Is this how we're going to die? Under the hands of a Hero?" whispered Faith.

Her boyfriend tilted his head sideways, getting a glimpse of her blonde hair. "Don't worry, baby doll. The beast will finish them. It always does."

She sniffed and nodded, looking back to us. I stuck out my bottom lip and stroked her cheek. "Awe, honey. What's wrong? Who said you're gonna die?" My fingers did a cute tug on her nose. "C'mon. Have a little faith."

She glared and I looked over at Archer who deadpanned. "What? Too early for the jokes?" I asked.

"I don't see how you find this as a laughing matter," Archer said.

The boyfriend giggled. "I find it funny. I find it all funny." He started laughing until a blade ran down his ankle, blood spilling over the floor. He screamed. "You fucking cut off my foot?! What the fuck were you thinking?!"

Archer clucked his tongue. "I don't get how you villains find humour in the oddest situations."

Faith didn't blink.

"The trick is to not mind," she whispered. "That's the difference between heroes and villains. When our ancestors were treated as the underdogs, they had to learn how to not mind. The hate and death wishes from both you and the citizens." She straightened her back. "But now isn't the time for a history lesson. The beast will set things straight and change the traditions."

"How many beasts are there?"

"You'll never find them," she whispered.

Another shot echoed in the boiler room and she clutched her hand, wailing.

I swatted down Archer's gun and told him, "Baby, you're ruining her nails!"

Faith spat at me. "I fucking hate you!"

"Yeah, I hate myself too." I shrugged. "Loving is too much work."

"Enough of the small talk!" Archer roared. He put the gun to her forehead. "Tell. Me."

That villain-like smirk lifted the corner of her glossy lip. "Do it."

Two bullets fired and blood splashed again Archer's neck.

I put the gun down. "Whoopsie." The heroes looked at me and I put both hands up in surrender. "What? She wasn't gong say noth'in."

"They were, you fucking idiot," Archer insisted.

"No, you're the fucking idiot," I said. "Guess you haven't rotted in this shithouse long enough. Us freaks aren't trained to give in. If our goal is to not reveal information, we won't consider any exceptions or excuses-including our own life. They were a dead end."

"Stop it with the jokes!" he screamed and banged his fist on the table. He began breathing deeply, his back to me. "I had everything under control."

I scoffed in disgust and thrust the gun to Lance's stomach. My glare directed at Archer. "It's not like you could've shot them." He swung his arm and pain erupted on the side of my cheek.

"I could shoot whoever I wanted."

I removed my hand away from my face. "Could." I lifted a bitter laugh off my tongue. "So you cut through skin, toss a punch, snap an arm. You can only torture a man so much. You are limited." I closed the gap between us. "Killing gives you endless power."

He fisted my shirt, and yanked my forehead against his. "You think I'm doing this for power? It's more than that! More than your dark, twisted mind can handle! I'm not hungry for power."

I grabbed his hair and pressed his lips against mine. His body stiffened, his warm mouth heating my cold lips. Then I separated us by an inch; his breath mixing with mine. "Or are you afraid of the power?" I whispered.

I yanked away, and shouldered past Lance, sliding open the metal door. An inch close to shutting it, I looked through the crack and stared into his empty eyes. "Chicken shit."

The door slammed shut.

"Does she know of her location?" Price asked.

Archer wiped his hand across his mouth. "She knows more than she thinks." His gaze dropped to the two bodies below him. "C'mon. Let's get them out of there."

Lance made a 'tsk tsk' noise.  "Rushing to put away bodies. Techincally, we didn't commit a crime." He winced. "Except for the whole slice of leg thing. So Texas Chainsaw Massacre, man."

"There's no such thing as crimes in Villain Academy."  Archer spread his arms out.  "Don't you see? There is no justice. This a twisted school, Lance. We don't have much time before it crushes us."

+++

The bed groaned as it dipped down, Roger's weight sinking into the cushion. "What are you doing?" he nagged. My silence made him crawl over, leaning on the bed railing. "Making a love potion for the Hero? I've always wondered how a hero-slash-villain baby would function."

I shoved my hand in Roger's face but he bounced right back. "You're sick."

"I learn from the best," he said. I gave him a look. "If not a love spell, what the fuck are you mixing up?"

"Archer has too much control over himself," I said. I flicked the glass tube and poured it into the mug. "Villains are suspicious about his sanity. If he wants to survive in this hellhole, he needs to let loose."

"Or are you just doing this because you're jealous he knows more than you."

"I'm not jealous. I'm doing him a favour. The only way to live is to go a little mad."

He picked up the bottle. "And Bloodlust is his ticket to crazyville?" I grinned. "Are you going to tell him?"

"Should I?" I asked.

"Wow. You're considering my opinion?"

"No. Why the fuck would I do that?"

"Because you're a lunatic."

"Again, true. But aren't we all in this fucked up academy?" I grinned and he rolled his eyes, bouncing back to the centre of the bed.

"So how are you going to serve this fuckmeup-milkshake to Archer? With his breakfast in bed treat?"

"There's nothing like a little something to wash down the eggs and bacon."

+++

I knocked on the door for Roger and he let me in. I stepped into the room and found Archer just waking up. I gave Roger his paper bag and he took a good whiff before diving his hand into it. "Club sandwich! Yes!"

I hanged Archer's breakfast bag in front of his nose. "Looky what I got here, cutie. Breakfast."

"You spit in it didn't you?" His eyelids fluttered, his gaze clearing up as he adjusted to his surroundings.

"Nope. Spitting in food is nothing but low class-an amateur move. I don't spike food. If I wanted you dead, I would've killed you by now."

He sceptically watched me before taking the bag out of my hands. He peeked into it and stuck his hand in. "Grilled cheese and a smoothie? How healthy."

He sniffed the smoothie and handed it back to me. "Here, you have it."

I crossed my hands in front of me in protest. "Nonono. You take it."

"I'll have some if you have some," he said.

I took the glass out of his hands, raised it and then took a heavy gulp. "Delicious." I handed it back and once he took it, I raised both hands.

He sniffed it and then took a small sip.

"Sweet right?" He took another. I watched the bulge travel down his throat, a satisfying sigh leaving his mouth. "Taste good?"

His tongue roamed the top of his lip. "Like cherries."

"I know right? Be careful though-If you drink too much it may stain your lips. But then again, you shouldn't mind." I smiled. "I bet red looks good on you."

+++

A/N: The plot is building! Yeah! :)

It is my senior year in high school so I did just rummaged up an unedited chapter for you (yikes).

I hope you liked it :) And if you have any fanart, send it to me at [email protected] and I'll be happy to post it on here!

I'll also keep you posted about my new Wattpad Youtube channel coming soon! And don't forget to follow me on Instagram so I can follow ya back ;) @avianna.mery

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