"So… He killed himself?" Detective Duncan said, looking at the dead pedophile in the hotel room. It didn't seem right, it smelled disgustingly of the woman he'd met… Selene Gallio.
"Ey Duncan," His partner, Eric, yelled out, holding up an I pad. "Surveillance team said that Selene woman checked into this hotel last night, this same room. And then there's this."
He flipped the tablet around, a video of Selene's feet on Loras's desk played, the fat principal hacking off to them.
Duncan nodded, a grim expression on his face. "I want every officer on stand by, we're bringing her in for questioning."
…
"Do you have to go?" Laura asked, looking glum as she hugged Victor. He'd already said goodbye to the rest of his family, but Laura had been out with friends so he'd visited before he left the country.
"It's alright, I'll only be gone a week. Protecting the president of the United States is simple work… Keep the family safe okay?" Victor asked, stroking Laura's hair.
"Your 18th is coming up soon right? I'll come back with lots of gifts." With this he gave her one last squeeze and got back in the car, it'd be an easy week for him. For his family… Not so much.
Detective Haines crossed his arms. "You're saying you left, and then he just... killed himself? That sounds pretty convenient."
Selene's expression softened into one of weary exhaustion, playing the part of the overwhelmed mother-to-be perfectly. "I was shocked by what I'd seen, and this pregnancy has been incredibly difficult. I went home, I laid down, and I must have fallen asleep. By the time I woke up, his death was already all over the news." She gave a small, helpless shrug. "If I had known he would do something like that, I would've called immediately."
Reynolds narrowed his eyes. "You didn't think to call the police immediately afterwards You just would have let him go home, go to the school the next day? Prey on more children?"
Selene's face remained neutral, her expression calculated. "Like I said, I had to rest. Growing life inside you... it's exhausting. By the time I realized what had happened, there wasn't anything left to report. The man was dead."
There was a heavy silence as the detectives exchanged glances. They were trying to piece things together, but the puzzle didn't quite fit. Finally, Selene broke the tension.
"One last thing," she said, leaning in slightly. "It's not easy to overpower a man. Especially the way Loras was found... castrated, mutilated. Do you really believe a heavily pregnant woman like me had the strength to do that?" Selene arched a brow, feigning disbelief. "Detectives, do you really think I could've managed that in my current state? I can hardly walk up a flight of stairs without getting winded. The idea that I could hold a man down and... do that? Come now, it's absurd. I'm a PTA mom for fuck's sake. I bake cookies, I don't commit murder."
Duncan shifted uncomfortably. As much as he wanted to press her further, the logic of it was undeniable. Selene's condition, her calm demeanor, and her clever alibi made it difficult to see her as the perpetrator of such a gruesome act.
Reluctantly, the detectives nodded. "You're free to go for now, Mrs. Gallio," Duncan said, though his tone still carried a hint of suspicion.
Selene stood slowly, smoothing down the front of her dress with a graceful hand. "Thank you, detectives," she said sweetly. "I hope you find whoever is responsible for this... tragedy."
As she turned to leave, Selene couldn't suppress the smirk that tugged at the corners of her lips. They hadn't even come close. And with Daken having slipped in and out of the hotel through the service door—off the cameras—they never would.
The doors to the interrogation room closed behind her, and Selene stepped out into the cool evening air, the weight of her victory settling comfortably on her shoulders.
"Get down!" One soldier yelled, grabbing Victor and shoving him to the ground as he began shooting. Victor just smirked, feeling bullets fall out of his skin.
He growled, zipping forward and dispatching three attackers before grabbing the US president. "Let's get you out of here," He said, smiling wildly as he rushed toward the waiting helicopter.
He had never expected a mutant uprising, not in America at least. Charles Xavier had seemed so calm and patient, yet the X-men, led by gambit, were now attempting to kill the president.
"Victor!" Cyclops yelled, shooting a blast into the vampire's back and sending him slamming into the ground. "That's mystique! Why are you helping her!" The "hero" yelled as Victor rolled his eyes.
"Mystique died long ago little Cyclops, stop fucking with my clients…" Victor said, wiping some blood off his ruined suit. Selene loved this suit, he'd had a few nights with her taking off this suit, and now it was ruined.
He looked at the X-Men, heroes, or were they? Why would they want to kill the president, just what was happening now that he lived in Canada?
Jean Grey threw him away, slamming him into the helicopter blade as he frowned. 'Wonder what Selene is doing…'
Selene leaned back on the couch, her fingers absentmindedly stroking the husky puppy, Onyx, who was curled up beside her. The house was unusually quiet today—a rare reprieve from the usual chaos. Magritte was in the garden with her hippy friends, Laura was upstairs doing something suspiciously quiet, and Delilah, for once, seemed content.
Victor was away on business, which normally filled her with anxiety, but today she found herself relaxed. For once, things are calm.
That peace was shattered by the sound of the doorbell.
"I'll get it!" Delilah's excited voice rang out as she darted to the door, her footsteps a blur of youthful energy. Selene barely had time to process the sound of the door creaking open when Delilah's voice came again, louder this time.
"Mom! The new principal is here! And he brought a kitten!"
Selene's stomach dropped, and an uneasy feeling crept up her spine. Principal? Kitten?
Standing up, she padded silently to the door, her curiosity overtaking her sense of dread. As she stepped into the foyer, her eyes landed on the man standing in her doorway, holding a tiny, mewling kitten in his arms.
Her breath caught in her throat. Daken.
"Good afternoon, Selene," he said smoothly, his warm smile betraying nothing of his true nature. "I was just going door to door, checking on how my students are coping after the... Loras situation. I wanted to assure parents that their children are in good hands."
Selene plastered on a fake smile, her heart thundering in her chest. "How thoughtful of you." She exchanged a quick glance with Delilah, who was already fixated on the kitten. "Delilah, sweetheart, why don't you take the kitten to the living room while Principal Akihiro and I talk about your progress."
Delilah's face lit up, and she eagerly scampered off with the kitten, leaving Selene and Daken alone in the hallway.
Selene's smile dropped the second Delilah was out of earshot. She motioned for Daken to follow her into the kitchen, her eyes narrowing as they entered the room.
The moment the door swung shut behind them, her facade shattered.
"What the hell are you doing here, Daken?" she hissed, her voice a low snarl. "You show up at my house, pretending to be the principal of my children's school, and with a kitten? Are you insane?"
Daken remained unbothered, leaning casually against the counter as if they were discussing something as mundane as the weather. "Relax, Selene," he replied calmly. "You were worried about your kids, weren't you? I'm just making sure they're safe. What better way to keep an eye on them than from the inside?"
Selene's eyes flashed with anger. "You're not even a teacher!"
He smirked. "Forging the documents wasn't that hard. Besides, the school wasn't exactly picky after what happened with Loras."
She threw her hands up, pacing in frustration. "This is going to come back to haunt us! You have no idea what they put me through during that interrogation. They're watching everything."
Daken shrugged, his demeanor infuriatingly calm. "Let them watch. Just keep your cool, Selene. I've got this under control."
Her mind raced, the weight of the situation pressing down on her. She wasn't sure what terrified her more—Daken's cavalier attitude or the fact that he was now so deeply embedded in their lives. She looked at him, her voice quieter now, tinged with something almost like curiosity.
"You're not doing this just for me and the twins, are you?"
Daken's smile faded, replaced by something harder to read. "You know what it's like to be abandoned by him. You think I don't? I'm not going to let that happen to her."
Selene studied him for a moment, her anger slowly morphing into something more complicated. "Are you going to tell her who you are?"
He gave a noncommittal shrug, his eyes darkening. "What difference would it make? She doesn't need to know right now."
Her lips tightened, but she couldn't deny the truth in his words. As much as she wanted to argue, she knew Daken was doing what he thought was best. And in a twisted way, maybe he was right. She sighed, her hand resting on the counter as she tried to calm her racing thoughts.
"Just don't screw this up, Daken. You have no idea what we've been through. Don't make this worse."
He met her gaze, his expression unreadable. "I'm not here to make it worse, Selene. I'm here to make sure you survive it."
She wanted to believe him, but there was something in his eyes that made her uneasy.
Before she could say anything more, Delilah came bounding back into the kitchen, the kitten nestled happily in her arms.
"Mom! Can Principal Akihiro stay for dinner? He's so nice, and the kitten loves him!"
Selene forced herself to smile again, glancing at Daken before turning to her daughter. "We'll see, sweetheart."
But deep down, she knew nothing about this was as simple as it seemed.
Victor yawned, sitting on top of a dead Cyclops, the former alive hero's eyes on two of his claws. The president laid in front of him, beaten to a pulp while the rest of the X-men surrounded Victor.
"You… Killed him." Jean said, sounding calm despite her boyfriend's early death. Beast looked at Scott's body, growling slowly before stopping himself. A beast recognizes their betters.
Victor used to be somewhat easy to take care of, but the man in front of them wasn't Victor Creed anymore, he was Victor Gallio, king of the Gallio clan.
"Why does it smell like filth?" Victor asked before someone stood in front of him, an elderly looking man, bloody fangs sticking out of his mouth and claws that rivaled victors as well.
"I thought I smelled a Gallio spawn, but you're not the daughter… Awe, a consort?" The older vampire said, looking down on Victor as he looked uninterested.
"Now just who the fuck are you?" Victor asked, eyes glowing as his body steamed. This vampire was strong, and he wanted his blood. It's like he instinctively knew he was facing his god…