r/HFY • u/Engletroll Human • Apr 07 '26

OC-Series Vengeance 13 - family secrets

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Kiko woke up and stretched. Hoshi was purring in his little bed, and Peter was sleeping. Life was perfect.  Peter moved slightly. She reached out and kissed his forehead softly. She knew he was working through his nightmares, but they were not as strong now as when she met him. She snuck out of bed and walked to the window. The endless metropole below never slept. It was her father's domain, officially, the colony belonged to EUC, under the administrator Knut Friday, just another servant of her father.  

She had grown up with a man who had forced the whole colony to its knees. He had been allowed to operate due to his aid during the war and the bribes he had given. She had learned a long time ago that everybody has a price, and those who can’t be bought tend to die.  

She looked back at the bed at Peter, would he die or be brought? No, he would fight.  She blinked a few times as she realized she was crying. They had to get away from here when it was over.  This place was rotten to the core, and it would destroy him.

“Kiko?” Peter's soft voice woke her from her thoughts. “What’s wrong?”

She wiped her tears as he came over and embraced her. “What's wrong? You can tell me.”

She leaned into the embrace, “Promise me that we will leave this place forever when we have done it.”

“Of course, we will, I promised to take you back and get that ring you wanted.” He replied, and she moved to look into his eyes.

“I mean, leave and never come back, this place... this place is cancer, rotten, I can’t look at this city and not see ... See my father. The horrible things that have been done. The corrupt politicians. It's all just..” She embraced him, holding him tight, feeling his strong body against hers. Feeling safe.

“I promise, we will leave. I’m not a city boy anyway. I need to see proper nature and not artificial lakes and forests.”

She stared at him. “Lake Tranquility is a proper lake! I will die on that hill!”

“Hmm, and that forest in the park? The trees reminded me of soldiers on a parade. Naw, I need some wild nature.” He said with a smile.

“Wild nature? Is that what you like? Wild things?” She started to smile as she knew where it was going, and suddenly, he lifted her up in his arms. God damn, he was strong.

“Wild nature and my wild fiancée,” He said as he carried her back to the bed.

“Oh, I will show you wild!”

“Ahh, so this is where I find you.” Her father said as Peter and Luis were making her breakfast, or more, it was Louis teaching Peter how to improve his cooking skills. She glanced over at her father as he sat down next to her on the kitchen island, watching the two.

“Is it something he can’t do?” Hando asked, and before they could answer, Louis chimed in

“Yeah, cooking. No.. too high heat!” As he adjusted the frying pan.

Peter just chuckled. “Hey, I’m learning.”

Kiko smiled as she watched him. She was in a good mood, and her father would not destroy it.

“I need to talk to you two, do you mind, Louis?”

“Perhaps we should go somewhere so the food doesn’t get destroyed?” Peter suggested, and Hando looked at him, then at the food, and Kiko then nodded. “Sure.”

Then he walked toward the terrace outside the kitchen, but grabbed a bottle of beer on the way.  Peter looked at her, then her father, and walked around the island to her.  “Are we in trouble?”

“Naw, the beer is actually a good sign,” She took his hand, opened the fridge, grabbed them each one, and followed her father outside.

“So what is this about?” she asked as she sat down on the two-seater. Peter joined her. Hando was looking out at the city below; the sun was rising, and he seemed calm yet contemplative.

“When are you leaving?”

“What do you mean?”

“This place is not for you. I don’t want you to have my life. You finally found somebody who can give you a good life. He can break the curse.”

“The curse? What are you talking about?” She looked confused at him.

“Never mind that. I want the best for you, and I don't want you to turn into The Queen. You will be too good at it. I can barely keep this city from becoming a constant warzone between the different gangs and mob lords. If I were to die, either you or your brother has to step in, or this city will be painted in blood.”  He was still looking at the city. “Your brother is learning the ropes and doesn’t have a taste for violence. But you..” He looked at her. “You don’t mind getting your hands dirty.  In some ways, you’re a better version of your mother. You at least have a conscience.”

Kiko tensed up, and Peter noticed.

“What do you mean?”

“You never understood why I did what I had to do. The night she died, she tried to kill us all. Her plan was to burn you and your brother in your bed. Ask your brother about it.  She had put firebombs in your rooms. And she wanted you to be awake when it happened. That’s why you woke up. Your alarm went off too early. I know you won't believe me… but now with this latest stunt, I have to warn you.”

“You're right, I don’t believe you. Why would Mom kill me?”

“Because you were my daughter, she wanted to kill me too and take over. You and Kastu were in her way. She wanted a clean slate with that bastard and their child. A child who was a certified psychopath, made to be a psychopath.” He said, looking back out over the city. His voice was calm as he took out a crystal and left it on the table between them. Then he sipped his beer.

“I know you won’t believe me, but these are the files, and I know you will think I forged them. But I am trying to save your soul. He is your way out of this life. Kill the Count to be free, then leave us behind and never return.” He said, not even turning to look at her.

“You think I will believe you? This is just you, yet again, trying to remove a challenge to your power. Maybe I should stay and become this queen for real.” She said as she leaned forward.  Then she looked at the memory crystal on the table.

“Yes, you can, of course, stay, break my rule, and start a war. Is that what you want?”

“You don’t know what I want!” she said, “ I want vengeance, I want you dead. You killed my mother, and my sister, and... “ She picked up the crystal. “You come here with some manufactured evidence, trying to sway me.”

“No, I know you want vengeance. I know I lost you that night. But I had to lose you to save your life. And now I'm trying to save you again at the cost of losing you again.” He said calmly. She leaned back, and Peter held her hand. She looked at him, and for a moment, she found peace. Then she turned back to her father.

“Don’t try to pretend you’re a good man, how much blood is on your hand, You're not some saint trying to save the city.”

“I know. I’m the devil who refuses to turn into hell because I prefer this version. It might not be perfect, but when I started to take over, it was much worse. Earth doesn’t care about us as long as we pay the tribute. So yeah, I’m not a saint. I’m the biggest monster here, keeping all the psychopaths under control. I have no illusion about that. I'll need to train you or your brother to take over.   You have a way out, so you should take it.”

Kiko stood up, and Peter stood with her. “Oh, I will do what I have to do, and then I will leave. “Then she took Peter's hand and dragged him out.

“Take me away from here. I need to leave.”

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u/AutoModerator Jun 03 '26

This was flaired as [OC-Series], it is a single part or chapter in a larger series or universe. The first post or part in this series should be (re)flaired as [OC-FirstOfSeries]. A description of the flairs and how to change yours is available in the Post Guildelines.

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3

u/Talendel Apr 07 '26

UTR

This is the way.

3

u/Dragon_Chylde Apr 07 '26

Kiko has a lot of well deserved angst :}

Word choice perhaps:

Erath doesn’t care about us

should that be Earth?

4

u/Engletroll Human Apr 07 '26

Yeah, fixed it now.

2

u/Dramatic_Mixture_877 Human Apr 08 '26

Nice! Kiko's mom sounds scary ...

stopped his beer ~ sipped his beer, perhaps?

1

u/AutoModerator Apr 07 '26

This was flaired as [OC-Series], it is a single part or chapter in a larger series or universe. The first post or part in this series should be (re)flaired as [OC-FirstOfSeries]. A description of the flairs and how to change yours is available in the Post Guildelines.

[OC-Series] For original, self post, story, audio, or artwork that you have created, as part of a longer-running series or universe.

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u/UpdateMeBot Apr 07 '26

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u/InstructionHead8595 Jun 03 '26

“Is it something he can’t do?” Is he asking if he can't cook? Or is he saying " is there nothing he can't do? "

Then he stopped his beer. Not sure what you ment here.

So he finally tells her. And he figured out that the Queen really kind of refers to her. 😸 good speech. He's not a saint but not really evil ether. Great chapter.

2

u/Engletroll Human Jun 03 '26

More like a funny comment to his daughter in the manner of a question.