Chrysalis looked out the passenger side window as Antonio drove them back to his house. She was only half-minding the people and scenery that whizzed past. Her mind had already turned to her next meal. Salazar and the old woman from whom she got these clothes had brought down her relative age and made her stronger. But after that little "display" of power back in Banali's office, she could feel herself aging forward again. She would need to feed again soon. Hopefully someone young and strong. Maybe that would keep in form long enough to accomplish what she wanted.

She had planned on sinking her teeth into Banali's secretary. But as he pointed out, that would be a bad move. A secretary, while still low on the socio-economic totem pole, was still on that pole. Her turning up missing, especially after the first two murders would have raised more than enough red flags to complicate, if not thwart, her plans altogether. So now, on the drive back, she thought about who she could munch on next.

"You look distracted." Antonio said. He really didn't want her to say anything but he was also unnerved by her silence. He didn't know what she was thinking or planning and that made him worried. So he took the chance and tried to open up a conversation.

"Who's your prey?" she asked very off-handily. Antonio wasn't even sure if she had directed the comment at him or was just thinking out loud. She hadn't even turned from the window when she said it.

"Pardon?" he asked confused.

"Your prey. You said I couldn't eat your secretary because she was too integrated into your social system. So, who are your prey? Those individuals who fall outside of your society? The ones no one cares about or would miss if they were gone? Who is your prey?" Once again, she never turned around to look at him.

"I thought you would already know that. You know just about everything else." Antonio replied with more than a hint of mockery.

It was then she turned and looked at him. "I know many things, having absorbed the thoughts of those that I have consumed. But like eating an entire plate of food all at once, only the strongest flavors come through. Those memories, those thoughts which each held so dear and in such esteem have made their way into my consciousness. The rest is white noise. I can make a tone or a sound out here and there; but mostly it is lost, gibberish."

She then reached over and sunk her nails deep into his upper thigh. It was all he could to keep from creaming out in pain. "Try to make jest of me again and I will tear you apart. - Understood?"

"Y-y-y-yessss." he winced out, doing everything to keep driving the car right.

She let go and said, "Good. Now, who is your prey?"

Antonio let out a sigh of relief. "Typically it's the poor. The less money you have, the less valuable you are to society. The poorest being the homeless. Also those which society deems morally inferior, drug addicts, dealers, pimps, prostitutes, those as well. Prostitutes and junkies are the most preferred since drug dealers and pimps have money and therefore power. Plus you run the risk of having the mob or some other organized crime syndicate come down on you. But junkies and whores, people are actually glad to see them go, if they notice they're gone at all."

"Take me to one." Chrysalis simply said.

"Not here." Antonio replied in fear.

"Why? aren't there any in this area?" Chrysalis was mad at being denied. If this human didn't have a good excuse for defying her, she would make him pay.

"No; there are. But this area is controlled by Discord,"

"Discord?" Chrysalis interrupted. Was he here? How could he be? Was it a coincidence? She had to know more. "Who is this Discord?"

"Local crime boss. Controls pretty much everything here. Gambling, drugs, money laundering, human trafficking, pretty much the works. I've used him to obtain certain . . . things for our ceremonies over the years."

"Oh don't be coy Tony darling," Chrysalis laughed as she mocked him. "You mean he's where you go for your human sacrifices."

Antonio felt like a black hole was opening in his stomach, threatening to suck all his insides into it. "Um, eh, yes. It costs, but all the members are wealthy, so we have the funds to get what we need. Anyways; he directly controls the prostitution in this area. Every working boy and girl is on his payroll. He even owns the motels in which they conduct their 'business'. Take one of them, he'll notice. And that's a war I don't want to fight."

"Hmmm." Chrysalis let out with an evil grin spreading across her face. Antonio knew exactly what she was going to say before she said it. "Take me to one now."

******************************************************************************

Sandra Fine stood on her assigned corner and waited. This was noon on a Wednesday, not much in way of "customers" (for which she was thankful for). She never wanted her life to turn out like this. But she never wanted any of her life to be what it had been. Her father was a compulsive gambler; her mother a drunk. Her early years were ones of hunger and physical and emotional abuse. Eventually her dad got in so deep with Discord, his only options were to give her over to him as payment or death. Guess which one he chose. The fact he committed suicide a year later helped a little.

She was fifteen when she was "sold". She was beaten on a regular basis and kept in a small room in which men would come in, rape her, and leave. It was like that for about a year and a half until she had become so psychologically beat down; she was deemed safe enough to work on the streets. At first one of Discords' goons would watch her to make sure she didn't run. But even she knew over half the cops in this city were on the take and would just send her right back so it would be pointless if she tried. Soon she was left on her own to do her business.

She often wondered at first why this had happened to her. Why she had been born to such horrible parents. Why she had to endure such torture and abuse. She knew pasts lives were some peoples way of rationalizing things like this. "Oh you must of done something really horrible in a past life, so now you're paying for it in this one"; that sort of nonsense. But she didn't believe in past lives. Even if she did, why wouldn't whatever was keeping score out there punish her in that life; or even better, keep her from doing whatever it was she was supposed to have done to deserve this? This life was fresh and new. Why would it have to pay for the sins of a past life? And what of the people who were doing this to her? Would they be punished in their next life? If so, why? If they were only punishing her for her past sins, why would they need to be punished. That would be like sentencing someone to die and after the deed was done, arresting and jailing the executioner. It was all bull.

In the end, there was no Karma, no God, no divine justice. All there was, was cause and effect, action and reaction. She was here because her parents were lowlifes who mated. Some are born into wealth and privilege, she was born here. Cause and effect. Maybe she would escape someday, probably wouldn't. Even if she did, as a woman who had been involved in the sex trade, society saw her as damaged goods and not worth it's time. She had no hope, only survival.

But then, what was she surviving for. Another day of being forced to sell herself to disgusting Johns? To not even see any of the money herself, to have all taken away from her and only given food, water, and shelter in exchange? Why bother? Death would be preferable. But millions of years of evolution had programmed her to survive, so she did.

And not all the Johns were bad. Some were like her in a lot of ways. She could see it in their eyes. The hallow, vacant stares. These were the eyes of men who had been beaten down themselves, most were ugly, stupid, some had disabilities. Crap rolls down hill and they were near the bottom. She, and others like her, were just one lower layer for the crap to come down on. For those Johns, she almost felt a kinship to.

The ones she really hated were the rich or nearly rich. All she was to them was a commodity to be used and discarded. And they took every opportunity to let her know that as well. It was these men she really hated and wanted to kill. But she knew if she did, she'd be dead herself. So, once again, she tolerated the intolerable to continue living a life she didn't want. Vicious irony.

Just as she was coming out of her thoughts; a white Mercedes pulled up. Oh god, one of those, she thought as she walked over to the car. The window rolled down and reveled a man and woman in the car. She had heard of such things, but never had a couple as a customer before. But there's a first time for everything.

"Hey, how you all doing? You look like a nice couple." She hated the banter. She hated that more than the sex. At least that could be somewhat enjoyable from time to time. This always sucked. Pretending to like the person (or in this case people), to talk in code, and pretend this was anything other than what it really was; it was horrible.

"Oh my yes," said the woman in the passenger seat. "She will do nicely. I can taste her already."

Well, no beating around the bush here, she thought again to herself. And without further word, she got in the car.

******************************************************************************

"What took you so long?" Antonio was frightened and irritated. He had been waiting for over a hour. He felt used and vulnerable. He considered leaving but knew she would find him and exact revenge.

"Oh pish posh Tony baby," Chrysalis teased, now looking even younger. "I had to clean up. You wouldn't want me getting blood all over your fancy car here now, would you?"

Antonio grimaced in anger. "Fine! But get in and let's get out of here."

"Eww, bossy. That's ok. I'll let you play boss for a while. Maybe I'll even let you spank me later for being such a naughty girl." Chrysalis burst out laughing.

Antonio felt diminished and small. Weak and impotent. He couldn't even bring himself to protest. He simply scowled and got in the car.

Chrysalis smiled at seeing Antonio's torment. She also smiled at the thought of the little message she left. In Sandra's blood, she wrote on the wall: DISCORD, I WOULD HAVE WORDS WITH YOU.

Author's Notes:

Alright; I've been keeping quiet here through this story, but I felt this was a good time to speak up. This is dark. It's really dark. But I want you to feel a real sense of dread when it comes to Chrysalis. She's not a cartoon villain anymore. But more than that, I wanted you to feel something for the victim. I gave her a name and back story so you could relate to her and thus feel the horror of her demise more fully. When the final battle comes, I want you to root for our heroes not because they are our heroes, but because you want to see Chrysalis stopped. That is all.