Burn Amongst Humanity [D. Hale ]

|XCIX|

"Ghosted (II)"
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"Hey." Beatrice had very nearly punched Casey, who jumped back to avoid the strike. "You should go and talk to him. He might show even you, a sort of remorse." Casey noted and she scoffed.

"Theo Raeken, showing remorse? I'm sorry, were you not here when he was killing people? Constantly?" Beatrice asked sharply and Casey looked at her meaningfully as Beatrice stared at her with her eyes wide. "I hate you." She muttered.

"No you don't..."

"Yes I do!" Beatrice snapped as she walked past Casey, who was now very clearly smirking.

Theo was not too far down the next tunnel and Beatrice crossed her arms over her chest. "What the hell do you want?" She asked and Theo raised his eyebrows. "If you want a thank-you for bringin' me back to life, you aren't going to get one." She said and Theo was shaking his head with a smirk on his face.

"Still the same feisty Hale. Just three inches taller and a few months older now." Theo said and Beatrice hardly even blinked at the words. "Okay, my humor is a little rusty. Look, Casey wasn't lying. I did really just want to apologize." He said and she looked at him.

"Answer my one question with complete honesty and if you do, I'll listen." Beatrice said and Theo raised his eyebrows. "Would you have killed me, like you did to Josh and Tracy, if I hadn't left?" She asked and he looked at her.

"No." Theo answered and Beatrice nodded. "You were listening to my heartbeat, watching and sensing all my chemo signals, weren't you?"

"Your heartbeat only jumped when I asked you the question... Which is the natural indicator of surprise. And then there was the steady heartbeat throughout the words, which could either mean that you were lying and way too good at it." Her claws swiftly snapped out on her left hand as Theo's eyes widened at the sight of the wolf-like claws. "Or, that you were telling the truth. But I don't take any chances, not anymore."

"Beatrice, wait..."

"Beat!" Liam shouted but he was too far away and way too late to separate them, as Beatrice's claws came around and they stabbed into the back of Theo's neck.

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"There's nothing worse than what I have been through."

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The corpse of Theo's sister, Tara, she was taking back her heart, over and over again.

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Theo was sitting against the wall and he was staring up at his sister, whose eyes were empty and cold. "You don't have to stop." The squelch noise came next.

~~~~~~~~~

"I know that I deserve this. I deserve all of this. Every second, minute... All of it."

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Beatrice yanked out her claws and her hand was shaking, as Theo was staggering, trying to get his balance back as Beatrice was shaking and she was trying to process it. "You could have just killed him." Liam said and Beatrice looked up at him, as she was shaking her head.