***
Layla threw up her hands. "I don't get what the fuss is about," she exclaimed. "What does it matter?"
The men at the table didn't immediately respond. Truce and Felix exchanged a look, while Ralphred continued to appear worried.
"It matters," Truce said heavily.
"It could be argued that he didn't walk her out, she was rescued," Felix reasoned.
"The agreement was not ratified by any subsequent action."
"They made an agreement, and one minute after, she walked free," Truce said.
"Layla consented to the terms beforehand. He'll feel justified in holding her to it."
"That's ridiculous!" Ralphred insisted. "Layla found her own way out. She can't possibly be expected to adhere to a bargain where she never received the benefit."
Truce laughed bitterly. "Zole goes out of his way to seem a man of his word, but his honour is limited to mere technicality. There's no way to prove he didn't honour his part." He turned to Ralphred. "He'll claim to have deliberately set Layla free."
Layla's jaw dropped. "But I saw him
trip
like a fucking idiot!"
"He'll say he did it on purpose," Truce rolled his eyes. "We can't prove otherwise."
"Bullshit," Layla said furiously. "Alarms went off when we escaped-"
"Maintenance... fire drill..." Felix rubbed his eyes. "The Poker could come up with anything."
Layla sat back in her seat. "Okay, so it's not like he wouldn't come after me anyway. I'll just avoid getting caught, like usual. And if I do get caught..." her eyes wandered. "I'll just...stab him."
Truce's jaw was working. "There's more on the line, Layla."
"This isn't about the sexual threat," Felix quickly intervened, his eyes going to Truce's stony face. "You...don't understand the implications of agreeing to do what the Poker wants. There are some things you cannot afford to concede."
"Then explain it to me!" she snapped, her temper flaring when the three men seemed to exchange several looks. "What is it?"
"I think it's time we left you two alone," Ralphred said, Felix was already on his feet.
Truce stared at his palms until the door closed behind them. Layla interrupted his deep thoughts, sliding her little hand into his.
"Truce, talk to me," she implored. "Why is this such a big deal?"
"Zole has a taste for theatrics, as you know," Truce began. "He likes to wreak havoc under the guise that his hand was forced."
Layla watched Truce's grim, attractive profile. He toyed with her hand but kept his dark eyes ahead. Finally, he looked at her.
"Layla, if he accuses you of a renege,...he'll use it to commit some devastating incident. Even though you're not to blame, he'll somehow make you feel like you are. Like you could have prevented it. The guilt can eat you alive."
"You're talking about yourself," she said. "He's done this to you, a lot. But that means you must have agreed on something."
"No." Truce's expression was closed, and he looked away again.
"Will you tell me what happened?" she finally prompted.
"Zole and I have history," Truce said the obvious.
"All of Gothic City knows there's something between you," Layla sighed. At his silence, she drew back with realisation. "You're not talking about the hero versus villain thing."
"No."
Layla swallowed. "What happens if Zole catches me, and I don't cooperate?"
Truce looked grave. "He'll rape and release you, then commit some atrocity in your name."
"And what if I... cooperated?"
"If it's what I suspect, even worse."
"Why?"
"He wants more than sex from you, Layla," Truce said irritably, as if she was being deliberately obtuse. "There are some things he can only complete with your consent."
Layla made a tired gesture. "Can you stop this foreshadowing and just be straight with me?"
Truce looked at her, his jaw tight. "Zole has a capsule of sorts, a tank. The mechanism can only function if the person inside it enters the correct codes." He paused. "Since the experimental phase was complete, he rarely bothers putting people in there. Too time-consuming for him. But since you've caught his interest..."
"What do the codes do?" Layla frowned. "How does it work?"
"No one really understands how it works, because the creators are dead," Truce said. "The scientists installed the code function as a safeguard, to ensure the recipient fully consented. It was initially designed for people with physical complications, phobias, addiction problems..." he trailed off. "But after it was created, Zole murdered the scientists involved. They were sacrificed to verify the tank's efficiency."
"How?" Layla asked in a hushed voice. "What does it do?"
"It's some sort of mind control system," Truce answered. "You'd be forced to obey Zole, whilst remaining fully conscious of the fact you don't want to. It was very cruel." He took a deep breath. "The scientists were forced to hurt each other, to torture themselves. To rape each other. All kinds of horrors until Zole was satisfied it genuinely worked."
"Jesus."
"Like most of his toys, he became bored with it," Truce said. "But I think he wants to put you in there."
His hands clenched into fists. "To imprison you with him, have you sometimes compliant, sometimes not. He would enjoy forcibly raping you but also enjoy you seducing him, with you aware of your actions but powerless to stop yourself. I couldn't do anything to fix it and he would relish in my suffering. He'd never bore of this kind of arrangement. Never."
Layla shivered. "Tell me about what happened with him." She gripped his bicep when he hesitated. "Truce, we're going to be married. No more secrets."
"I'd never been in love before you, but I once believed I was." His eyes fell. "Dana Lopez. You might remember her as Blue Siren."
"Blue Siren?" Layla gasped. "You, and
Blue Siren?
"
"It was early days. I was only getting into the swing of being Oxman. My engagement with the Poker was borderline playful. We had a vaguely mutual respect due to certain personality similarities, I guess. But I was a fool not to realise the monster he really was."
Truce took a deep breath. "Zole wanted Dana and made no secret of it. But he hardly knew her."
"But...wasn't Blue Siren a wild card?" Layla asked. "Like, she wasn't a hero or a villain?"
"Correct. That's what Zole enjoyed about her."
"And the fact she was with you," Layla added meaningfully. "Zole's obsession with me is because I'm with you."
"It's different," Truce said. "Dana's public image appealed to Zole, but she didn't personally arouse him the way you do. He knows I'm in love and..." he curtly shook his head. "And possibly some insane part of him thinks it might be the same for him."
"Did Blue Siren go into the tank?"
"She was forced in, given the codes and an ultimatum," Truce said lowly. "She couldn't ignore the gravity of Zole's threat, but she couldn't give him control over her. She killed herself inside the tank, after entering the codes."
Layla considered it. "She outsmarted him."
"In a tragic way, yes. Zole wasn't empowered to carry out the threat since she had technically done what he wanted."
"And you blame yourself."
"I underestimated him, and she paid the price."
"You didn't kill her, Truce. She killed herself."
