"It's strange that they don't seem to mind you, Otto," he said, calming down a little.
"Vell, I am not official," said Otto. "I do not haf zer sword und zer badge. I do not threaten. I am just a vorking stiff. And I make zem laff."
Vimes stared at the man. He'd never thought about that before. But yes...little fussy Otto, in his red-lined black opera cloak with pockets for all his gear, his shiny black dress shoes, his carefully cut widow's peak and, not least, his ridiculous accent that grew thicker or thinner depending on whom he was talking to, did not look like a threat. He looked funny, a joke, a music-hall vampire. It had never previously occurred to Vimes that, just possibly, the joke was on other people. Make them laugh, and they're not afraid.
(Warnings: threats of murder, non con touching/kissing, implied captivity)
Working at the Bureau had been your dream job.
Vought had ruined so many people’s lives. It felt good to be part of something that stood against that company for those who couldn't. Despite not having powers, even you could be a hero. You'd worked under Victoria Neuman for years. You knew everything about her.
And then Hughie Campbell ruined everything.
You’d like to think of him as a friend. You and him had lunch together sometimes. You’d sit and smile as he went on and on about his girlfriend. He was a nice guy. You’d like to think that he and you were close.
But Hughie broke you.
Evidence. He’d shown you evidence of what she’d done. So much blood. So much gore. The orphanage, the files.
“She’s one of them,” he’d whispered right before he fled into the night, “stay away from her. Quit. Please, for your sake, don’t go back to that fucking snake den.”
And then he was gone. Just like that.
Work in the Bureau continued as normal. Safe for the rumors of Soldier boy sightings, everything was so…fine, even without him.
Even Neuman was unphased.
She still smiled and laughed and told jokes as she surrounded herself with regular humans. She curled her lip when Supes were discussed. You used to love it when she brought Zoe around, but even her daughter you couldn’t even trust to be real.
Victoria didn’t act like a Supe.
But Hughie wasn't lying.
Friday night. The bureau had a party going on tonight. Another Supe had been successfully put away. Those were always a sight, especially considering Gina would get shitfaced. You couldn’t go, feigning illness before you slipped out the night. You couldn’t enjoy yourself, not when you had so much to think about.
Instead of enjoying the night with coworkers, you found comfort in the hardest liquor in your cabinet. Your one true friend.
Not Hughie. Not anymore. Hughie left. Or maybe he was killed. Who knows. Who fucking cares.
There’s a knock on your door. When you ignore it, it comes again louder. You groan, but you pull yourself off the couch eventually. Your neighbor again. You need to have a talk with her about disturbing you at odd hours of the night.
“You look like you’ve seen better days.”
You can only stare. Victoria tilts her head.
“Gonna let me in or will I have to stand out here?”
Against your judgment, the instinct of always listening to your boss kicking in, you open the door. She elegantly steps in, surveying your home.
She’s wearing that blue suit you’ve always complimented her on. Earlier, you would have admired her professional elegance. Now, it makes her look more inhuman. She looks even more out of place in your shabby apartment, studying your upkeep.
“Sorry,” you say when you stop gawking, “I…I hadn’t had time to clean up.”
“Don’t worry about it.” Victoria waves you off. “Just checking in on my favorite employee. How’re you feeling, by the way.”
“Good.” You quickly reply. “I was just feeling a little under the weather earlier. I hope I didn't worry you."
"Why wouldn't I be worried?" She tilts her head, grinning with straight white teeth that get increasingly eerie the longer you stare. "We're friends, aren't we?"
Before, you wouldn't have blinked twice at her words and tone. You would have mindlessly agreed, smiled even. But things were different now. You were playing pretend with a known murderer.
If you close your eyes, you can still remember the faces in that court before their heads exploded. You'd been behind a screen, watching it all in horror and you remembered closing your eyes and begging for Victoria to be alright, praying that it would be okay if everyone died but her.
And now to realize she caused all that?
"Maybe you have a fever. You're shaking."
You were. You clasp your trembling hands together, trying to ease your nerves.
"Yeah." Even your voice was wavering. Calm down. Calm down. "I still might not be over...whatever I came down with."
The predator clicks her tongue in sympathy, cooing as she nears her prey. You force yourself not to stiffen when she wraps a sturdy hand around your shoulders, leading you over to the couch. You sit next to her with your thigh pressed up against hers. You feel like you're about to vomit.
"You should rest," Victoria says, "take a few days off work. I'll let everyone know."
"Yeah," you say because this is good, it'll help you focus on what you need to do next, "definitely, thank you."
"Oh, please, don't thank me." She laughs. "I'm glad you're not in the office because you're sick. For some reason, I thought you were avoiding me. Y'know, 'cause you were scared, I would pop your head."
One second. Two seconds. And then you're up, scrambling off the sofa. It's instinct to run from monsters, no matter if they would take your head off your shoulders on a whim, whenever they want. It's instinct to be stupid and careless and run.
If anything, you should be grateful this monster is her.
She's strong, like all Supes are. Even though you know what she is, it takes you a moment to realize it's Victoria who had pinned you against the couch, keeping you underneath her. You used to win arm-wrestling competitions against her. The pressure caused your lungs to tighten, making it hard to breathe. Even has you struggled, tried to claw at her hands, tug on her pristine clothes, she didn't budge. You think the worst thing about all of this was that it didn't even look like it took much effort to keep you down. Like she was wrestling a kitten.
"Easy, easy." She hushes, tone soft and condescending. "C'mon, we're both adults, aren't we? Let's be civil here."
Civil. Like she had any right to use that word after what she's done for months, perhaps all her life. Your heart is a hummingbird frazzled with fear, but you can feel that twinge of anger and resentment even then. Something else too: betrayal.
"Why?" You asked, your voice failing. "Why, Vicky?"
For the first time tonight, her mask cracks. Her eyes flicker, looking at your defeated body before coming back up to your face. She looks remorseful, but not guilty.
"I didn't....I didn't want you to find out this way." She admits, slightly easing off you, enough to ease the force in your lungs. "Or maybe ever, actually. Fucking Cambell, leaving a mess, and then running off. What else can you expect from that guy, right?"
You just stare. Victoria sighs.
“Of all people, I thought you would understand.” Her voice wavers. “I thought you’d get it, somehow.”
You look at her, and you feel like you’re staring at that girl from Red River. Scared and Trembling Nadia, who just wanted love, someone to lean on. Someone who wasn't scared of her.
Then it flickers, and then Victoria's back.
"You murdered a whole room." You finally say. "How could you possibly ask me to understand that?"
She glowers, her frown deepens, and then she's sitting up, getting off you. You learn your lesson from last time, but you still huddle in the corner of the sofa, watching her.
"Right, because I'm supposed to believe you feel bad for them." Victoria rolls her eyes. "Half of those guys vacationed on Epstein's island before the brand change, and you were there when those deep fakes came out. Remember Congressmen Davis? He kept staring at your ass on the House Floor, so I'm not sure why you're acting like they're suddenly men of valor."
"Yes, yes, yes, they were terrible people." You press your hand to your forehead. "But you-we-we can't kill people. We-we're supposed to do things the right way and I just-" You choke on your words.
"Hughie got to you," she notes, "I knew I shouldn't have paired you up with each other."
"You lied to me." You murmur. There's no anger anymore, just heartbreak. "You lied to everyone. I thought we were fighting against Vought, but we've been in their pocket this whole time."
"We're still fighting-"
"You're Stan Edgar's daughter. We're in their pocket."
You press your hands to your face, squeezing. All the while you can feel Victoria watching. You ignore her. There's no point in talking to her, not anymore. You might not have known Victoria, but you know the Supe that committed a massacre. Her cover was blown. You were a leaking faucet she needed to turn off.
"What now?" You ask, drawing up to look at her. "Are you going to kill me?"
Her mouth twitches. Her eyes flicker with realization. A soft coo comes from her lips, utterly condescending. Suddenly, her posture changes: less intimidating, more welcoming.
"Oh, sweetie, is that why you're so upset?" She shifts until you're trapped in her arms. You don't bother fighting. Your bravery has run out. Tears are already dripping down your cheeks. "You thought I was gonna...." There's a laugh spilling off her lips. You squeeze your eyes shut when she hugs you tighter.
"I'm not gonna hurt you," Victoria says, a smile in her voice. "Not to you. Never to you."
Her hands are so warm as she cradles your face, forcing you to look at her. It's a gentle type of cruelty, forcing you to face your fears while the monster gives you a beautiful smile.
"I cherish you too much to do that."
You must look so lost. She laughs even more at that.
"Seriously? It wasn't obvious? C'mon, Zoe is crazy about you, she never shuts up. And I...I think it's better if I just..."
Her lips are soft. Gentle. You don't kiss back. You can't. You're frozen in ice.
"I won't hurt you." Then, her tone tightens just the tiniest bit. "You're friends and family, on the other hand..."
When she pulls away, she's the most relaxed you've ever seen her. You wish you could say the same. While her smile grows larger, so does the gaping hole in your stomach.
You close your eyes, slumping in defeat.
"What do you want?" You plead.
You can feel her lips press on your cheek. Victory.
When you walk through the door, Zoe looks elated.
She calls your name with a delighted giggle, reaching out to hug you. You wish you could return her enthusiasm, but you can barely pat her head.
"What're you doing here?" She asks when she's done hugging you, looking up at you with pretty eyes. Her eyes are much like her mother's; they just haven't lost their innocence yet.
Neuman steps in, a strong hand on your shoulder. That same gentle smile that holds the comfort a mother has for her daughter.
"Gas leak, right?" She turns to look at you. "Real nasty. So, I offered our home for a little while."
Zoe nods. She's the only thing so far that's remained stagnant. Maybe that's why you're more than eager to listen to what she did at school that day. She rambles on and on, and there's nothing left to say anymore. Until Victoria sends her daughter to bed.
"It's probably best to keep the real reason hush-hush," she tells you later, shutting the master bedroom.
You're seated pliantly on the bed, watching her shrug off her cardigan. The mattress sinks underneath your weight. Silk covers. It's too big for just one person.
You're not a captive, she explained in the back of her fancy black car. You could roam around, meet up with friends, call people, do whatever your heart desired. It would just be under her eyes from now on.
"A safeguard." She charitably explained, perfectly manicured fingernails drumming on her thigh. "Just so you don't do something we both might regret."
You don't know if she'd been telling the truth when she insisted your head was off-limits, but you knew she had your family's names and addresses. So you sat pliantly in that car, pliantly listened to Zoe, and pliantly followed Victoria into her bedroom.
On paper, you weren't a captive. But you and Victoria both knew better.
"Is Zoe also...?" You trail off, averting your eyes when she unbuttons her blouse. You can hear her clothes drop to the floor as she unabashedly rifles through her drawer.
"No," Victoria answers. And then your heart drops when she adds. "Not yet."
You shudder, but she's already sitting next to you. She coaxes you to look at her with a hand on your cheek. Even dressed down, she's gorgeous. Unblemished skin was barely covered by a silk gown.
You think she looks just as upset as you. Maybe even more. She pets your cheek thoughtlessly.
"When I brought you to my bed for the first time, I thought things would be different, somehow." She laughs. It sounds bitter.
"I never wanted this. Not for us," Victoria says, "but-but there's nothing else I can do. It...."
A tear drips down your face. She's pushing it away.
'You'll be okay." A kiss to your temple. "I know you will." Lips at your cheek.
When she finally gives into her inhibitions and kisses you, you know she was lying about it all.
