These Violent Delights

Chapter 52: Say My Name

All the lights were out at MD-670 Place.

Leaning against their luxury speeder in the driveway, Vicrul exhaled a cloud of smoke as he pulled the cigarette from his mouth. He craned his head to the left, peering up to the second-story window illuminated by the icy-cool glow of the full moon. He took another drag before tossing it on the cement. He usually wasn't one to smoke, but tonight, he made an exception.

Ultimately, this was all part of the plan, but that didn't mean he actually looked forward to executing it. He had bet on the Korras letting their guard down after he spoke very loudly into his commlink under their security system about leaving for Exegol. Little did they know, it was all a strategic fabrication, as he had returned the night before to make his usual rounds without being detected. As for tonight, he hadn't intended on returning to their home, but that changed quickly after the Unlos Tagge chief of police gave him a call, as he had been instructed to do if any crime occurred on their quaint, affluent little planet.

"A speeder bike went missing a few hours ago, sir. But if you were right about the Supreme Leader's prisoner having limited resources, I don't think she is the perp."

"Why do you say that, chief?"

"Well, a Nothoiin diamond necklace was placed in its stead. I can't imagine a roughed-up Resistance fighter having something like that at their disposal," the chief had said with a laugh over the commlink. "Oh man, you should have seen the owner's face when he saw that! He didn't even—"

Vicrul didn't let the chief finish, immediately departing on a First Order Xi-class shuttle to travel to the Tepasi system. He left the Night Buzzard on the Steadfast in case the others needed it, but didn't tell them of this lead on M421 until after he left—he didn't want word getting back to the Supreme Leader. Not yet, anyway.

Before he received the tip about the necklace, he had just tried to see Master Ren, but Vicrul left after the knocks went unanswered. Even through the door, he could feel Ren's turmoil brewing within him as he attempted to astral project into Kitten's dreamscape again. He was growing more and more desperate every day, slinking into old patterns that he had worked very, very hard to overcome. He just didn't seem to care anymore, and that put Vicrul on edge.

He knew that if the Supreme Leader led the mission on Tepasi in his current frame of mind, he would do so with vicious barbarity, and something in his gut told him that things would end badly if it went that route. If Vicrul learned anything over the course of his life, it was to follow his intuition and do what the Force told him. So he slipped away, departing from the Steadfast hangar with his casuals on—a white tee, dark jeans, and a black leather jacket, and of course, Lucy strapped to his back. Getting here didn't take long, nor did retrieving Miss Ren's necklace from the station.

"Thanks, chief," Vicrul had said. He nodded toward the motorcycle out front. "I'll be taking that, too."

He didn't give the officer a chance to object, though Vicrul doubted he would even try to. The entire station knew that he was acting upon the Supreme Leader's orders. Orders that were very clear: find Prisoner M421 and bring her back unharmed. He let out a deep sigh and ran his fingers through his hair. He turned toward their vehicle, planted his hands on the hood, and pushed himself up in a swift, agile motion. Standing atop their speeder, he looked up past the garage doors and locked eyes on the security camera watching silently in the corner. After giving it a friendly nod, Vicrul returned his attention to the second-story window. He crouched and tensed into the jumping position.

Three, two, one.

With a little help from the Force, he landed on the gables with effortless grace. He remained still for a long moment, letting enough time pass after his landing to make sure he didn't wake the household. He stood up and straightened his spine to scope out the area. A long row of windows stretched the length of the house. He guessed the Korras were in one of the rooms farther down, although he couldn't pinpoint where. But he knew exactly where Kitten was. He was deeply attuned to her energy, and right now, it was calling to him—no, screaming at him, from the room right above his head.

Taking calculated steps across the roof, Vicrul let that energy pull him in. After he approached M421's window, he paused, ensuring there was no movement in the room. But the night remained quiet, aside from the gentle serenade of crickets, so he used the Force to override the security sensors and quietly slid the glass up. He moved quickly to position his frame through the sill, scanning the room before lowering his legs inside. He held his breath as his boots landed loudly on the floor.

Positive that this would be the sound that woke Miss Ren up, Vicrul tensed and crouched, preparing himself for her attack. But all she did was let out a soft, pretty sigh as she turned over in her sleep. He uncurled his posture and frowned. That was easy, too easy. It almost felt like cheating. He could simply walk over to her bed, Force-compel her to stay asleep, and carry her out the front door. He'd be able to complete the assignment his Master trusted him with, restoring his sanity and ultimately benefiting the entire galaxy.

Vicrul took one step closer to the bed, and another. Moonlight poured in from the open window behind him, filling the large, elegantly decorated room with a dim glow. M421 was curled up on top of the comforter, her hair neatly braided and sitting atop her head. She was dressed like she expected to have to run within a moment's notice, her boots still on as she wore what appeared to be Resistance garb as two bags sat beside her on the bed. Fully prepared, and yet, she was still sound asleep.

His fingers twitched by his side. He didn't want to cheat, but he also knew that somebody would get gravely injured if she woke up first. This way, nobody would get hurt. It would be so, so easy, and all he had to do was reach out and influence her with the Force...

Vicrul outstretched his hand, hovering over the bed, but suddenly stilled. He felt something emanating from her. Faint, but active enough for him to pick up on it—a Force signature.

"I'll be damned," Vicrul muttered. He had never felt this on her before. But as he tapped into it more, it got stronger, darker. It reminded him of Master Ren's energy, tugging on his own power and calling out to him. It wrapped him in the warmth of her own potent, distinguished energy, mixing elegantly with this new presence of the Force. His heart hammered in his chest. It was calling to him, pulling him in, taking over his senses and—

Kitten shot up in bed and gasped.

He stumbled back, pulling a ragged breath through his lips as he crashed into a dresser behind him. Before he could get a word out, M421 sprang out of bed and grabbed a knife from the side table. She held it out at him, eyes wild and hands shaking. "Don't."

"I'm not here to hurt you," Vicrul said, holding up his hands. But she continued to blink rapidly, inching down along the side of the bed to get as far away as possible from him. "I'm serious, Miss Ren. You know I wouldn't hurt you. I'm just—"

"Do I know that?"

His lip tugged down. "I would hope so." She didn't say anything. Just kept her eyes on him as her chest rose erratically, labored pants tumbling from her mouth. "Fine."

Vicrul sighed and closed his eyes, keeping his hands in the air. He tried to manipulate her fear via the Force to take the edge off for her. He reached out and waited for impact, but hit a wall instead. The energy surrounding her was keeping him out.

"Um, hello?" she hissed from across the room. "Why are you just standing there with your eyes closed?"

Vicrul dropped his hands and set his sights on her. "You have a Force signature on you."

She stepped closer toward the window. "And I'm supposed to know what that means?"

He hesitated. "Do you feel different?"

"I feel like shoving this blade through your neck. So no, I feel the same as always."

Vicrul took a tiny step closer. "Hm."

"Fuck you and your hmm," she spat, receding from him. "Tell me what that means. Is he here? Is it his signature?"

"No, Miss Ren. It's just you and me."

"Then tell me what that means."

"You are Force-sensitive," Vicrul said slowly, clearly. There wasn't an ounce of doubt in his mind that he was right. Much to his surprise, she groaned in annoyance.

"Oh gods, not this again," she said under her breath, tilting her head back. When she made eye contact again, she looked exhausted. "That's not possible. I didn't put the necklace on. Whatever it is, it's just residual from when I did have it."

He looked at her like she was crazy. "What are you talking about?"

"The pendant that was mine as a kid, but then somehow Organa got it? Probably because Luke supposedly stole my powers from me at the orphanage?" He continued to stare at her blankly and she blew out an agitated exhale. "I thought Kylo would have told you this, seeing as how he just tracked me down in my dreams again. I told him everything Organa told me about the necklace, and how they said my mom was wearing it while I was conceived or whatever. But even if it is real, I never put the damn thing on. So, no. No Force powers here."

Lost. Vicrul was so, so lost. "What?"

"Forget I said anything," she snapped, stress pouring from her as she started pacing by the window. With the knife still in her hands, she tapped the flat side of the blade against her pants, mumbling under her breath. "It doesn't matter because none of that stuff is even real. It can't be."

"That's fine. We don't have to talk about it," Vicrul said gently, eyeing her as the moonlight outlined her frame. He tried to look into her mind to see what the hell she was talking about, but he was still being shut out. All he could feel was her confusion and denial. It was so strong, he could taste it on his tongue. He cleared his throat, trying to approach her again. "Please—"

"Don't you dare," she demanded, bringing him to a stop when she directed the knife at him.

"Okay, okay." He put his hands up again before reaching behind him, unstrapping his scythe from his back to set it on the ground. "I'll stay over here, unarmed. Put your weapon down too, and let's just talk."

"I don't want to talk. I want you to fucking leave," she said through gritted teeth. "How did you find me, anyways? Have you known all along?"

Vicrul sighed, stepping back. "I'm sure Myla told you we've been keeping tabs on their residence. And the chief of police called me and told me about the bike," he said, digging into his coat pocket. He held out the diamond necklace for her. "Master Ren would want you to have this back."

She glared at him. "How nice of you to come all this way just to return that to me. Now, please, kindly fuck off."

"No, Miss Ren," he murmured. "You know why I'm really here. I'm bringing you back home to the Supreme Leader. There will be no escaping this time."

She was quiet for a while, glowering at him with an unmistakable hatred in her eyes. But eventually, he felt something inside of her break. Her shoulders slumped forward, and her forehead crumpled as she dropped the knife by her side. She sounded tired, defeated. "You know I don't want that. Not yet."

Vicrul didn't say anything. He knew what she wanted, and he sympathized with her. But when it came down to it, it was his job to fulfill his Master's orders. In his silence, he felt her sadness expand, filling every nook and cranny of the bedroom.

"Please," she whispered. Her bottom lip trembled, her eyes watered. "Don't do this, Vic. Please, don't do this."

Vicrul's stomach dropped, her vulnerability sparking something in his chest. He didn't want to take her against her will, but he had to. He pressed his tongue against the inside of his cheek. "With the state of the First Order right now, Master Ren needs you, and it's my duty to bring you home to him. And I know you don't want to face this new potential of your powers, but they are very real, M421. You will need him now, too. More than ever."

She stubbornly swung her head from side to side. "No. All Kylo cared about was finding the Resistance base. He didn't say anything about it being real. He would have told me if it were."

"There's no way he could feel the extent of it in your dreamscape," Vicrul explained patiently. "Deep down, you know it's real. I can sense it. Please stop lying to yourself. I feel real power within you, even if the transfer didn't complete. You must—"

"No," she insisted, cutting him off with a raised, shaky voice. "I don't have powers. I have nothing."

"You do. And you will need a teacher," Vicrul continued, taking a step closer to her. "You will need Kylo. Just like I know you already do."

Tears flowed freely down her face. "What do you know about my needs? You don't even know me."

"I know you well enough to know that you're running away from something you've always wanted."

"No," she cried, voice wavering. "Not like this. I can't do this. Not now."

"You can," he started, extending his hand for her to take, "and you will."

"No, no," she panicked, shaking her head and inching away from him. "Please, I beg of you, just let me go."

Vicrul dropped his hand and stuffed them both in his jacket pocket. He gave her an apologetic shrug. "You know I can't do that. I'm sorry."

She sniffled. "So, you're refusing to stand down?"

He remained resolute, giving her a stiff nod. She bowed her head, seemingly in defeat, and for a moment, he thought she would acquiesce. But then the energy in the room flipped. The tears dried on her face, her hands stopped trembling. He felt her fear dissolve into something she could wield as a tool—anger. When she raised her head to meet his gaze, there was a renewed inferno blazing in her eyes. And Vicrul was ready for what was about to come.

"Do you remember what you said in my quarters all that time ago, when we first properly met? The night before Kylo brought me..." She stopped as her voice cracked, struggling to say, "Ani. The night before he brought me Ani."

"I remember everything."

"So, when we were talking about what I'd do to escape, what did you tell me about committing mass murder for personal interest?"

"I said that I understood, and that I, too, would kill anyone that got between me and my freedom."

"Ah," is all she said as she twirled the knife in her hands. The silence that followed told Vicrul all that he needed to know.

"I see." He rubbed his chin, amused. "You have every intention of killing me, don't you?"

Her nostrils flared, and her lip curled over her teeth. "Do not underestimate me, Vicrul."

"Of course not, Miss Ren," he hummed. He took lazy steps toward her, dragging his finger along the dresser as he did. "Now, do you remember what I told you outside of General Hux's quarters? Before any of this happened?" The way she was glaring at him told him that she did, in fact, remember. Vicrul continued anyway. "I told you that you were used to weak men, like your ex-comrades, and that I could subdue you with a pinky finger." He stopped at the end of the dresser and put his hands behind his back, speaking through a cocky smirk. "Do you remember that?"

She stepped back from the stream of moonlight and into the shadows of the room. After his eyes adjusted, her cruel smile came into view. She looked him up and down. "You are so blindly arrogant," she said prettily, softly. "It will be your downfall."

He cocked his head at her. "That's funny. I was going to say the same thing to you."

M421 ran at him. If he didn't have the Force on his side, he would have been on the receiving end of a kick to the face. But Vicrul bent backward just in time, her leg grazing over his head as she spun around and landed on both feet. He lurched forward, trying to grab her, but she somersaulted to his right and ended up behind him. A grunt ripped from his chest as she latched onto his back, her legs wrapping around his waist as an arm secured around his throat. One hand gripped his hair, yanking his head back, as she began to squeeze with her other arm, trying to choke him.

Okay, I see how this is going to go. Vicrul didn't even bother trying to loosen her grip around his neck. Instead, he hooked a hand under her knees and pulled, thinking it would cause her to fall off him. While the move made her yelp as her legs unlocked from his waist, she didn't let go. Instead, she pressed her body against his back with her feet still dangling off the ground.

"Asshole," she panted, using the grip around his neck to pull herself up again. Her legs wrapped around him from behind as she kept him in a headlock.

Red in the face, Vicrul grit his teeth. He really didn't want to have to do this, but she left him no choice. "Fucchhh," he sputtered, the inside of her elbow crushing his windpipe as he struggled to walk to the end of the bed. He widened his stance and crouched down, using his own strength and the Force to curl his hands around her wrists and pull her off.

Miss Ren went flying off his back as he flipped her over and slammed her onto the bed. She landed on her back, gasping for air as though the crash knocked the oxygen out of her lungs. She rolled over on her side, and Vicrul stepped back, holding his hands up in defense.

"Please, let's stop this. I do not want to hurt you."

Desperately sucking air through her lips, Kitten positioned herself so she was sitting on the edge of the bed. Dipping her head between her legs, she continued to draw in frantic breaths.

Vicrul frowned and took a tiny step toward her. "That can sometimes happen when your diaphragm is compromised. It'll pass." She didn't say anything or raise her head. She just continued trying to breathe, struggling loudly, violently. Concern washed over him as he inched closer. "Are you okay? M4—"

She attacked. Springing up from the bed, she used the heel of her boot to kick him in the balls. The momentum of the kick sent Vicrul backward as his hands flew to his groin. He groaned, keeling over, as he vaguely heard her run through the door.

"Fuck," he hissed. A wave of nausea hit him, and he struggled to stay on his feet, cupping his aching crotch. "Fuck, fuck."

He hobbled across the room to grab Lucy and pushed himself through the door. When he heard her footsteps as she flew down the stairs, he knew he didn't have much time. He acted quickly, even though it felt like his left testicle had been kicked into another dimension, and after getting a running start, he swung his feet over the banister and jumped down to the second floor. He blocked her exit just in time.

"You will stop," he panted, lifting out a hand to Force-compel her.

She came to an immediate halt, looking down before her wide eyes met his. "No."

He grimaced, barely able to stand up straight. "I didn't want to have to do this. But you left me with no choice."

"Coward," she whispered, her bottom lip trembling. A single tear rolled down her cheek. "You're a fucking coward. You say you can subdue me with a pinky finger because I'm used to weak opponents. But you need the Force to subdue me, don't you? That makes you weak."

"Miss Ren—"

"That's not my name," she said, voice wavering. "I want to hear you say it, Vicrul."

"I—" he stopped, considering her carefully. What she said struck a chord. Must he rely on the Force to subdue her? What kind of fighter did that make him if he had to rely on it?

"SAY IT!" she yelled, snapping his attention back to her. "SAY MY NAME!"

He opened his mouth to speak, but he wasn't given the chance to respond. A door cracked open upstairs, followed by a flood of footsteps in the corridor. An audible gasp echoed in the room.

"Oh my gods, are you—"

"Ixxie, Myla," Kitten called out, her voice perfectly composed while her scorching gaze never left Vicrul's face. "Leave now, and don't come back for a while."

The Korras rushed down the stairs, both of them watching Vicrul with terrified eyes. "We can't leave without you. Please—"

"You will leave without me. Do you understand? Get out of here, now." She didn't wait for a response before spitting venom at him. "And don't you dare fucking touch them."

Vicrul frowned and stepped out of the way so they could exit the stairs. He nodded a hello at them as they inched past him, their fear so strong, it nearly choked him as they scuttled across the foyer. Before they slipped through the front door, they shot a nervous glance at M421, but she was too busy glaring at him to notice.

"I have no reason to hurt them," he said, trying to ease her anger. "Or you, for that matter."

"Then let me out of this thing and prove it to me," she hissed. "I am utterly defenseless like this."

"If I stop using the Force and subdue you naturally, will you come quietly?"

She bared her teeth at him. "The only way I'll be quiet is if I'm dead."

Vicrul sighed. "I figured." With a wave of his hand, he released her from his Force-restraint and just stood there, waiting for her attack.

The moment she could move again, Miss Ren rolled her shoulders and started stretching, eyeing him. "No matter what I say, you won't let me go, will you?" As she finished her stretch, he shook his head no. "I figured."

Giving him one last dirty look, she sprinted down the corridor. Vicrul turned his head to watch her flee with a frown on his face.

And so it begins.