THE BAD GUYS IN: raising princess

Ashton desire

(A request from AlicornNorth my new favorite reader for this series)

Ashton Smith, known to everyone as Ash, had been locked behind bars for seven long months. The first few days had been a whirlwind of confusion, anger, and disbelief.

But as time dragged on, something inside him began to shift. What started as a lingering resentment toward those he blamed for his downfall—Eddie, Princess, and anyone associated with them—turned into something darker.

Each day behind bars, Ash's mind deteriorated. His thoughts became more fractured, more obsessive. Every night, he would replay the events that had led to his arrest in vivid detail, his mind fixated on the one person who had been his obsession from the very beginning—Princess. To him, she was his. He had always known it deep down, but now, locked away, it was the only truth that mattered.

Then, one night, as the storm outside raged with fury, fate intervened. A violent power surge ran through the prison, the lights flickering.

The world had taken her from him, had ripped her away, and he couldn't stand it. The so-called "bad guys"—Eddie, Wolf, Snake—anyone who had interfered in his plan—were the real criminals in his twisted mind. They were the ones who had stolen what was rightfully his. They had taken Princess, and they had to pay for it. Every day in that cell, his delusions grew stronger, and his hatred for Eddie—his so-called rival—grew to dangerous levels.

Ashton's mind, a storm brewed, much darker than the thunderstorm raging outside.

He sat in his cell, staring at a faded photo of Princess he had smuggled in. The edges were worn, and the image was faint, but it didn't matter to him. Her face was all he needed to keep his obsession alive.

"They took you from me," he whispered to the photo, his voice trembling. His once-clear thoughts had grown fragmented, consumed by delusions and twisted fantasies.

The storm outside roared, lightning illuminating the darkened prison for brief moments.

In his mind, Princess wasn't safe. She was trapped, manipulated by Eddie and the so-called "bad guys" who had poisoned her against him.

"She doesn't understand," he whispered as he crept through a shadowy corridor. "She thinks they care about her, but they don't. They just want to keep us apart. But I'll save her. I'll make her see the truth."

Every clap of thunder felt like an affirmation of his plan, every flash of lightning like a beacon guiding him forward.

In the control room, a bolt of lightning struck a nearby transformer, sending the entire prison into chaos. The power went out completely, plunging the facility into shadows. Emergency lights flickered on, but their dim glow only highlighted the panic among the guards and inmates.

Unbeknownst to anyone, the power surge had overridden several electronic locks, including Ashton's cell. The heavy metal door groaned as it shifted slightly ajar.

Ashton noticed the change immediately. He stood, cautiously pushing the door. It swung open, revealing the dimly lit corridor. His heart raced, not with fear, but with a manic determination.

"This is it," he muttered to himself. "A sign. Princess needs me."

Ashton reached the main gates, which had been left unguarded in the chaos. He found a guard's uniform abandoned in the confusion and slipped it on, the ill-fitting fabric hanging loosely on his frame. He kept his head low, his mind racing with plans.

He thought of Princess's house, of the places she liked to visit, of every detail he had memorized during their time together. He knew where she would be. He knew how to find her.

Ashton slipped out into the stormy night, the rain drenching him instantly. The cold water only fueled his mania, sharpening his resolve.

The rain poured down heavily, thunder crashing in the distance, masking any sounds of his escape.

The storm outside covered his tracks as he made his way out of the prison, his mind clouded with thoughts of Princess.

But he was coming, and nothing would stop him this time. Not the rain, not the darkness, and certainly not Eddie. He had one mission now: to take Princess back, to make her his forever.

By the time Ashton reached the city, the storm had subsided, leaving behind wet streets and a sense of eerie calm. He broke into an abandoned warehouse, a place he had scoped out years ago when he needed a hideout. It would serve as the perfect place for his "reunion" with Princess.

Inside, he began to prepare. He found an old chair, some rope, and a collection of tools. Each item was chosen with meticulous care, his delusions painting this as a romantic gesture rather than the horrifying reality it was.

"I'll bring her here," he said, arranging the chair in the center of the room. "We'll talk. She'll see how much I love her. How much I've sacrificed for her."

His voice trembled, switching between soft tenderness and seething rage. "And if Eddie tries to stop me... if anyone tries to stop me... I'll make them pay."

"I will make them all pay," Ash muttered to himself in the darkness of his cell, his voice hoarse from the days of speaking to no one but the walls. "They think they've won... but they haven't seen the last of me."

At the mansion, Princess was curled up against Eddie, sleeping on the couch, They had been watching a movie, one of their favorites, but the storm's intensity had made the atmosphere feel oddly cozy. The sound of the rain against the glass only deepened their sense of calm.

Thunder struck waking up princess form a nightmare.

"AH!" She dreamt about ash, his cold, cruel hands were around her throat, choking the life out of her.

her body drenched in sweat. Her heart pounded violently in her chest, her breath coming in shallow, panicked gasps. The sound of the storm outside seemed to intensify as she sat up, her body trembling.

"You ok princess" he asked as he was concerned

He pulled her closer, wrapping his arms around her protectively.

"What happened" he asked.

"I had a nightmare, it was ash again"

"It's okay, Princess. You're safe," he murmured softly, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.

Eddie's expression darkened, his protective instincts kicking into full gear. He gently held her face in his hands, his thumbs brushing away her tears. "I won't let anything happen to you. I'm here. You're safe."

But Princess's mind raced, unable to calm the fear gnawing at her insides. "Eddie, what if he's still out there? What if he's coming for me?"

"Relax what can happen" Eddie says.

As the storm continued to howl outside, the scene at the mansion remained tense. Eddie held Princess close, his mind racing with the possibilities. The nightmare had shaken her, and he could see the fear still in her eyes. He wanted to protect her, wanted to tell her everything would be okay, but deep down, he knew they weren't out of danger just yet.

And somewhere, out in the night, Ash was coming for them.