The heart of Cleopatra

Ultimatum

Chapter fifty one

As Cleo ventured down the left corridor she crossed many more money driven men with the pure intention of killing. Her blades were being put to good use as she progressed, but she was saddened and disappointed by the amount of faces she recognised. Racers. The people she had met through the years dotted around Arcane. Instead of sharing their same love of cars, Cleo was now taking their lives and claiming their souls in her blades.

"Valencia." One of the men spoke with a shaky voice. Cleo looked down to the half dead human. "I thought it was you."

"Jimmy?" Cleo asked stepping closer to the red headed male. "I wish I could say I'm surprised it ended like this."

"They aren't good people Valencia." He replied, struggling as he choked on his blood.

"None of us are." Cleo bluntly said as she bent down, stealing his phone. Target number two appeared on his screen, she couldn't argue that he wasn't a good man. He was rich but by stealing and clever fraud. However, some people in Arcane had done much worse, they just never get caught. She watched him take his final breath and sighed to herself. Whoever is the mastermind has managed to brainwash Arcane into their dead pool, it's genius the more Cleo thought about it. It's now just another war between Arcane and Asterin.

"Lola have you heard from my Dad?" Cleo asked as she walked down the now silent halls.

"He's in the ball room still, keeping an eye on everything." Lola replied. Cleo knew what she meant by 'everything.' Madeline was in there meaning without probable cause he wouldn't be leaving that room.

Two gun shots made Cleo's head snap towards the brutal noise. The familiarity of it still made Cleo uneasy. The sound brings back the haunting memories of her past. Before Lola could give her a location Cleo began to run. Her speed had declined due to her leg but she was far from slow. She burst through the emergency exit to see bodies on the floor with bullet holes through them, and there he was. Kai.

He stood tall as Cleo watched his victims suffer. She was shocked by his dark threatening appearance. She wondered if this is what the others saw when she became 'full Valencia.' It wasn't until she stepped further out in the cold air did she see Kai aiming his pistol to a man Cleo couldn't believe. "Kai." She said slowly, she though keeping calm was the only way she could talk him down. "MALAKAI!" Cleo shouted. Her stern voice captured his attention, but he didn't shift his eyes, his sharp and deadly featured focused on the man in front of his loaded gun.

"He's one of them." Kai said with complete certainty.

"You are one insane boy." The man spat at Kai. Cleo wanted to curse at him for adding fuel to Kai's fire that was clearly already out of control, but she didn't want to add to the situation.

"Kai, listen to me. He's not just some hit man, he's..."

"Dad?" Charlie gasped in disbelief as he crashed through the emergency door. Cleo sighed, this was escalating rapidly. "Get away from my Dad." Charlie shouted with Venom, Cleo had never witness Charlie's aggressive side. His jaw hardened along with his fists. A burning rage he had for Kai just tripled.

"I always knew you were up to something." Kai said to Charlie. "Do you want to tell him, or should I?" Kai asked Charlie's Dad, he was oddly calm considering as he had a gun pointed to him.

"I don't know what you're talking about. You need serious help." He replied showing no emotion. Charlie looked at Cleo, she had been in many situations, but nothing like this.

"Do something. Please." Charlie pleaded to the injured girl. The universe that Cleo viewed as evil in a lot of circumstances, for once saved her. Zeus, Jax, Lola and Hade stormed through the door. Cleo's faced said it all to them.

"I swear to god if you don't step away from him right now!" Charlie shouted as he gave up on Cleo.

"You'll do what? Kai scoffed, amused by his confidence. "Money won't buy you out of this one. Your Dad is a part of this whole thing, and I have no doubt you are too." The Valencia's looked at each other, communicating with only their faces to try and come up with some sort of plan.

"If you kill him. I'll kill you." Charlie said as he pulled a black Glock from his waist band. Cleo immediately stepped in front of Charlie. Zeus, Hade and Jax moved to pull her back, but she held her arms out telling them to stay back.

"That will get us no further forward. Everyone need to calm down." Cleo urged pushing the shock she that she felt. Charlie had a gun!

"Wake up Valencia. Sooner or later he'll kill one of you, then you all realise I'm right." Kai said finally meeting her eyes and she turned her head to face him.

"Cleo move out of the way, NOW!" Charlie yelled aggressively. Charlie's usual gentle and kind manner was something Cleo admired about him, but now it's hard to imagine that's who he is when all he looks like now is a monster.

"He's Charlie's Dad. We don't hurt people's family." Cleo said to Kai.

Kai narrowed his eyes, finding it impossible to believe that she was buying Charlie's Dad's bullshit. "And what about your family? What happened to the girl who doesn't care who lives or dies if it keeps them safe? He's going to kill you the second he gets the chance, and you'll wish you'd let me pull the trigger." Cleo paused to take a second to compute his words. He was right. If there was even a tiny chance that someone could harm her family she would kill them instantly, and yet here she is trying to stop him.

"Cleo, you've got to believe me. We aren't against you." Charlie told her. She couldn't bring herself to face him.

"If he lives, you'll lose me. So, what's it going to be Valencia?." Kai was totally serious. He had given her a big ultimatum. One that she knew she had a high chance of regretting. She wanted to look back at her family but she had a feeling they would disagree with her answer.

"Stand down Kai." She said, containing her mixed feelings. Kai's face was hurt and disappointed, but he knew deep down she would never choose him. He was only a rival to her, he felt a fool to have ever thought different. He slowly lowered his gun and backed away.

"I knew I was never truly going to be in the team. Your enemies are closer than you think. I just hope he's worth it." Kai spoke directly to Cleo. She could feel unwanted tears starting to well up in her eyes. Kai was always going to be the sacrifice, she said that since the beginning, so why did she feel her heart hurt as he took his ear piece out and toss it to Lola?

Cleo closed her eyes and bowed her head as she heard his footsteps quieten as he walked away. She turned to her family to see them wearing similar disappointed faces. That's when she got her confirmation that she had made the wrong decision in their eyes, but in hers Kai would be dead and so would Charlie's Dad. There was no good way out.

"Cleo." Charlie softly said acting as if he didn't just put her in the worst place she's stood in a long time.

"Don't!" She shouted ripping her arm from his gentle touch. She hitched her dress up and walked into the dark night. She needed to be anywhere but here.