𝐒𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐎𝐍 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐂𝐇 (Kill Bill)

0.

𝐒𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐎𝐍 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐂𝐇

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑: 𝟎

"𝐁𝐢𝐥𝐥... 𝐢𝐭'𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐛𝐚- -"

Danielle Mikelson flinched, closing her eyes tightly, a tear rolling down her cheek as the gunshot sounded.

This didn't have to happen. Danielle knew that. Bill had a way of holding grudges, she'd known that since the day she met him. But this didn't have to be how it all ended, with one of her closest friends lying on the ground.

Beaten.

Bloody.

Dead.

She was sure that Bill knew she had no intention of helping. That she would stand back while the others all took care of it. As they murdered Beatrix in cold blood. She didn't think he would have expected her to be crying while it happened, but what could he do? He may have been her boss, but he couldn't control how she felt, how she reacted.

And right now, she was having a really bad time. 

Though, it couldn't have been nearly as bad as what Beatrix must have felt before that gunshot.

By Bill's account, things had been going well. He had met Beatrix's fiance, a man named Tommy. He worked in a record store, Beatrix worked with him. Bill had actually had to pose as Beatrix's father, which, at the moment, was probably funny as all fuck, but no one was laughing now.

The wedding party was about to run through everything when Danielle, Budd, Vernita, O-Ren, and Elle arrived to join Bill.

Armed and ready, but Danielle hadn't had any intention of firing her weapon, no sir.

The reverend's last words rang clear in Danielle's mind. He had been talking something over with Tommy when he'd seen the group come in.

"What the hell?"

The guests had taken off running.

Beatrix's voice rose to a cry of anger of fear. 

"No! Bill!"

Danielle had stayed back while the others opened fire. She had actually grabbed Budd's wrist and tried to pull him back, had gotten out one word- "Wait- -"- before Elle started firing and all the others- besides Danielle, of course- followed suit.

Killed everyone but Beatrix in one go. And when all the inferiors were dead, Budd, Elle, Vernita, and O-Ren took turns beating on Beatrix. Throwing her around the circle, getting her good and bruised, ready for Bill to manage the killing blow.

Danielle's tears were running free at that point. She moved closer to the scene, if only to see Beatrix one more time before it was all over for real. Budd had wrapped an arm around her, pulling her into his side.

"I'm sorry," she had whispered, but Budd's reproachful look stopped her from saying anything more.

 And she had closed her eyes as Bill's footsteps sounded on the church's hardwood floors.

"Do you find me sadistic?" Bill had asked, his voice startlingly loud in the church that was almost silent save for the sound of Beatrix's ragged breathing. She didn't answer. Blood covered her teeth, her skin, her white dress.

Bill lowered, wiping a bit of blood away from the corner of her mouth with a handkerchief embroidered with his name. "I'll bet I could fry an egg on your head right now, if I wanted to," he noted.

A sharp sob escaped Danielle. Budd's grip tightened as Bill continued.

"You know, kiddo..." she let out a sob, and Danielle went rigid. "... I'd like to believe you're aware enough, even now, to know that there's nothing sadistic in my actions. At this moment... this is me at my most masochistic."

That was when she'd started to speak. "Bill... it's your ba- -"

A shot to the head had ended that statement quickly. 

It should have killed her.

It didn't.