Hell's Kitchen (DISCONTINUED)

5: Bow Down

Sorry, accidentally published this before finishing it. My bad.

Well, personally, I don't see what all the fuss is about.

I can tell you now, I know exactly what will happen. Lu will show up, talk to us, then leave. Really. What's the big deal? He's not going to explain his evil plan, He won't strike us down where we stand. Honestly. Anyway, none of us have anything to worry about; it's not like we've been doing something wrong. What could we have done wrong, He didn't give us any instructions, for crying out loud!
Obviously, Gabriel's got something to worry about-
Go away. He doesn't matter. All that matters is how stupid my thicko roommates are being. Cleaning up so frantically, reverting back to the freaking Latin once again. At least I get to go by Superbia. Very cool. Has a touch of power about it.

Narcissist. So full of yourself-

Quiet!

So this is life for the next two days. Then He'll arrive, do whatever on Earth He has planned, then piss off. All the worry will have been for nothing. I mean, come on. We've got Eve scrubbing this apartment within an inch of its life. Ben returning everything, putting all his stolen goods back in their place. Shock. Isaac being forced to sweep up all his crumbs; Cain acting as a pretty functional dictator in cleaning. Stephen getting in everybody's way, the lazy moron. Gabriel in his room, screaming music from his door, really screwing with everyone's nerves. It's pathetic. All so afraid of nothing at all. I meanwhile have stayed in my bedroom. The biggest one in the house. All mine.

But they're all the same size!

Wrong. Mine is clearly bigger. If it wasn't, then how would I have room for my drum kit? That's how I've been whiling away the hours. Bashing away without a care in the world- something the others could learn from. Though I can't see why they're complaining about the noise. I keep it quiet, for their benefit. Anyway, it's hardly true that I'm the loudest in the house. Seriously Gabriel, grow a pair. Weakling gayboy.

Right, now you're simply being cruel. You don't even mean it; you're just saying it out of spite. Leave him alone-

Knock, knock. Two timid taps.

I groan. "Come in, why don't you." They do. Eve. Damnit. She can be such a bitch, just like you, and some of the sluts she brings home. Only people she can relate to.
She lingers awkwardly by the door. "Listen, would you mind giving me a hand with Ben?" She asks. "He's moved all the cleaning supplies, and Cain's not getting anywhere with him. Some girl power might do the trick," she says, smiling ever so slightly.

"Sure," I relent. What? I can be friendly if I want to be. Key phrase, 'if'.

We head out, navigating the twisting corridors of our home. Such a beautiful place. Fitting. Suddenly, Eve makes a quick left into the bathroom. There's Cain standing over the toilet, and there's Ben... with his head about two inches above the water, Cain's hand forcefully pressing down on his neck. he's about thirty seconds away from getting his impish features drowned.

"Right then, you little shit," he growls. "Where are they?" Then he does something strange: grabs a tube of toothpaste from the sink and stuffs it into a back pocket.

Ben's twitching under his grasp. Although he's always twitching, trying to satisfy his urge of theft. "They?" He inquires, his voice fast-paced and energetic. "Going to have to be more specific, can't think what you mean, 'they' (he tries to make air quotes, but with his hands trapped against the sides of the bowl all he can manage is a small spasm of his fingers) is a very general term you know, can't play the pronoun game with me."

Cain pushes him further down towards the water. His nose is almost touching it. "The cleaning stuff, dumbass. One minute it was there, the next it wasn't. And you were right next to it. Now, I'm not saying it was you, but it's pretty damn likely," he spits, his grip tightening with each word. Then again something weird, snatching a toothbrush, Issac's I think- it's well used. Immediately, it clicks: Ben. There's nothing he can do physically, so he's inflicting his will on Cain as a distraction. I feel a compulsion to take something myself. Annoying. Clever.

Unfortunately for him, it's not working. Further down he goes. "Ok, ok. Let's be calm here. I'd rather not get my hair wet, so why don't we discuss this properly. And by that I mean you let me go and I don't tell you shit. That's the game, it's always been the game. Find it. It's not difficult. Need a clue? I'll give you a clue. Lions. Lions and Liam Neeson, that do?"

Splash!
Evidently not.

At this point, Eve stops having her fun. "Alright Cain, that's enough," she tells him, almost reluctantly. We'll deal with him." Grumbling, he storms off, but not without another quick dunk. Ben pulls himself out, hair disgustingly soggy. Can he not just behave?

Clearly not. None of them can. Otherwise you'd be less of a bitch.

Eve hands him a towel. Sidles up close. Time for the more subtle approach. Hopefully she keeps those vibes away from me. I do not need those kind of feelings, though to be fair he is kind of cute. A bit damp- Eurgh! She hasn't even started yet, what am I thinking? Ok, now she has. Resist, resist.

"So, Ben," she whispers seductively. Oh, I really hope this doesn't go where I think it will. "Can you tell us-no, tell me, where you hid everything? Please? For me?"

Oh, she's getting him. Shaking even more than usual, he struggles to keep his mouth shut. "Well, er, I'm not quite sure I want to do that, and I know what you're doing, you're not going to get me. Anyway, you don't need to persuade me like that. How about you head back to my room and I'll reveal something hidden in my pants- oh no, you're not getting me like this." With that, he shuts up. Stuffs his mouth with the towel, lips sealed.

"Damn," Eve mutters. "Abigail, you want to take a turn?"

"Call me Superbia," I smirk. "Seriously, do it. Don't want to upset our Lord and Master, do we?"

Good point, but maybe keep the power complex out of this.

I sidle up to him. He loosens his grip on the towel. Surely, there's nothing Pride can do. Wrong, wrong.

"So..." I begin, emitting my aura. "Sounds like you found a really good hiding spot for the cleaning supplies, huh?"

The towel falls from his mouth. Gotcha. "Yeah, I did. Brilliant. Amazing. You'll never find them. Even with the clue. Clever clue. You've gotta think about it."

"Bet you're so happy with it. So proud."

The biggest grin on his face. "Oh yeah. Yeah. The best place. Think about it, could be anywhere. Your room, Cain's room. Of course, it's in my room, but you'll never- ah, shit." The spell is broken. He sprints from the bathroom. I laugh, for once. Eve's struggling to breathe with her giggles. Yeah, this is fun. We spend a good minute enjoying our victory.

Soon, we fall silent, with the only sound being the faint lyrics from down the hall:

'I'm just being dramatic, in fact, I'm only at it again-'

"How is he?" I question, surprising myself. Eve looks much the same.

"Well, he spoke a bit yesterday. Let me in, just for a moment. Then kicked me straight out. He's angry, very angry. Scared. We need to be here for him when Lu comes back. After everything... All we can do is keep him safe."

"Of course," I agree. Then the realisation hits. "Wait a moment. Lions and Liam Neeson!"
"Ben's clue?" Eve wonders. "You know where the stuff is? His room is a big place, and he's pretty skilled at hiding things. It won't be easy."
"No, I think I know exactly where it is," I say. "Follow me..."