Be Careful What You Wish For: A Zombie Apocalypse-Chapter 446: What Could Have Been

The door to Réne’s office opened, causing everyone to turn towards it. "Bishop!" cried Libby, the sound of her voice and the happiness she was radiating a completely contrast to the dark and gloomy atmosphere that had descended over the four people in the office.

While the child might be happy to see the man, the adults knew better.

"Are you here to save us?" continued Libby, slipping away from her mother and launching herself at the man in the door. Wrapping her arms around his waist, it never even clicked in that he wasn’t holding her in return.

"After a fashion," nodded Bishop, his eyes never leaving the adults as he took in their positions in the room. "I’ve learned from an old friend that saving people takes on a lot of forms."

"I don’t understand," muttered Libby, confused as she looked over her shoulder.

"He’s here to kill us," announced her mother, her face turning white even as she gripped her fists tightly. "That is how he will save us from the creatures outside."

"No he isn’t," shot back Libby as she glared at Sophia. "Bishop is an angel, and angel’s don’t kill people. Angels save us, and look after us. You are the one who told me that." Looking back at Bishop, Libby paused just long enough to give Bishop the opportunity to agree with what she was saying.

"I was an angel," Bishop agreed with a nod of his head. "And then I was kicked out of my home, ripped from my soulmate and child, and sent to die."

There was a soft gasp from Sophia as she heard his statement, but Alicia only snorted. "There is no such thing as souls or soulmates. In this life, I have fought tooth and nail to get Réne, even though he was never mine. Now look at us."

"A desperate bitch and a cowardly dog who would do anything for a quick pity fuck? Oh yeah, you’ve two are the inspiration for future generations," agreed Bishop as he pulled Libby off of him and pushed her toward her mother. "But let’s get back to the pound of flesh you owe me."

"We owe you nothing," stated Réne, coming to his feet. He had been sitting behind his desk, trying to figure out how to manage the newest ’incident’. At least with Bishop back, he had a scapegoat. "We are the ones who gave you a home, supplies, a purpose. It’s not our fault that you pretended to be something that you weren’t in order to stay with us."

"Says the meat sack," agreed a new voice from the door. Turning around, Bishop looked at Pride.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, his expression darkening as he thought about his kills being taken away by the other man. "I got this."

"I’m not lifting a finger," assured the demon, flinging up his hands in surrender. "I’m simply here to watch."

"Who are you?" demanded Réne, his eyes narrowing on the somewhat familiar man. "What is your business here?"

"I was the voice in your head," chuckled Pride as he sat down in one of the chairs. "Back when you had one or two redeeming qualities. Unfortunately for you, you failed the final test and got kicked to the curb."

"You—" started Réne before shaking his head. "Not possible. Alicia saved me from the voice in my head. She is the one that I owe everything to."

"Alicia," nodded Pride, crossing his legs in front of him like he was sitting down for tea. "Right. A pleasure to meet you in person. But if you hadn’t shown up, Réne would have had complete control of the world. Everyone would have bowed at his feet as he ruled everyone with an iron fist. The apocalypse would have had a completely different outcome, and the life that Réne had dreamed about would have been in his grasp. Good job, Alicia, for destroying a promising human."

Alicia looked at Pride, her eyes wide. "I would have been able to give him all that if the timeline had kept the same. I am the protagonist in this world. I am the one who determines what is to come next."

"Cute," chuckled Pride, flicking off a piece of lint from his black cargo pants. "But don’t think you are that special, just because you have been reborn. I mean, it’s the Devil’s number one punishment. You get to relive the same thing over and over again. Some lives, you will get everything you ever dreamed of, and others... well. I’m sure that in your next life Réne is going to have a thing or two to say to you when you meet up. It’s all fun and games until you piss the Devil off."

"You’ve been reborn?" grunted Réne as Sophia gasped in shock. "Is that how you knew what was going to happen in the beginning?"

"I would have known even more, if things didn’t get fucked up. In my last life, there was no Adam and Eve. No snow storm, no dumb zombies, no bugs. If it wasn’t for all those, then things would have been just fine."

"Don’t forget about the killer clowns," chuckled Pride. "They are a personal favorite. But that’s what happens when people make wishes and the Devil wants to play. After all, we are just pieces on her board that she can move at will. We are all hers to command."

"I obey no one," snarled Alicia, pulling a gun from behind her back. Without warning, she fired off two shots. The first hit Pride directly between the eyes while Bishop got off easier. His bullet flew past his cheek and buried itself in the wall behind him. "I am in control."

"Yeah," agreed Pride, even as the bullet fell out of his head. Only a small trickle of blood even showed where he was shot. "I believe that."

"You’re hurt," hissed Hattie as she appeared in front of Pride, her eyes narrowed in rage. "You let yourself get hurt."

"Don’t worry, Mon ange, if you were here just a few seconds later, I would have already been healed," chuckled Pride as he cupped Hattie’s cheek. "I’m fine. But you need sleep. Go, see if Tink wants to cuddle."

"Tink is off making friends behind the house," Hattie announced, her eyes narrowing in frustration. "And apparently, I can’t sleep without someone in bed with me."