Fred Burkle (huntress_fred) wrote in theoperatives, @ 2008-02-28 22:42:00 |
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Current mood: | pissed off |
Continued from here.
Fred caught the keys with a smile. "I'll be careful, promise," she told Ruby. "And I think hybrid's are great."
She let her pull her out into the living room to the weapons cabinet, taking in everything that was in there. She had thought that the collection they kept at the Hyperion was impressive, but this was even more so. After nodding at Ruby's promise that she wouldn't hurt Angel, Fred set about selecting a few weapons. She picked up a mini-crossbow since that was the weapon she was most comfortable using as well as a gun. Once she had kissed Ruby goodbye, she went out the hybrid, putting the weapons in the foot well of the passenger seat before pulling out of the driveway.
On the way to firm, figuring that was the best place to start, Fred stopped at a store, where she bought a long leather jacket. Jackets were good for hiding weapons, and she didn't want to attract attention to herself once she got to the firm.
It didn't take her long to get there, and she pulled one of the surface lots behind the building, not wanting to use the underground one. After stowing her gun and the mini-crossbow in her jacket, she got out of the car and headed for the firm. She looked at one of the surveillance cameras, wondering if it would pick her up since the system was supposed to be set to pick up vampires. Of course, she still had a heartbeat, and she was out in daylight. Plus - she decided - she didn't care if it did. She wasn't going to let anyone stop her from doing what she had to do.
When she headed into the building, no alarms went off, and she headed directly for the elevator. A couple of people tried to flag her down, but she ignored them.
He was there, just as she figured he would be, sitting on the sarcophagus, staring away from her toward her office in what looked to be a prayer or meditation position. Charles was on the floor in front of her, a fire extinguisher nearby. Creeping over, Fred leaned down and checked his pulse. He was still alive, just out cold. Fred narrowed her eyes at Knox and pushed herself from the ground as she pulled her gun out, hiding it behind her back.
"Hi, Knox," she said.
Starting, he turned around his eyes widening when he saw her. "Fred! You're...you're alive! How...?"
"Why wouldn't I be? Everyone was trying to find a way to help me."
"It's just...Illyria..."
"Illyria what? Can't be destroyed unless the host dies before the rebirthing process is complete?" She drew out her gun and pointed it out him. "You were expecting it, weren't you? Not me."
Knox jumped, practically falling off the sarcaphogus. "Ye--I mean, no! Why would you--?"
"I know you're responsible for this coming here. I know you wanted Illyria to kill me," she hissed.
"How could you say that! I love you, Fred!"
She cocked the gun. "You loved me for your God."
Keeping it pointed at him, she slid around to one of the counters and, without taking her eyes off him, reached into one of the storage units to take a vial out. Knox tried to take advantage of the moment even so, grabbing a nearby cart and rolling it at her. Without even thinking, Fred jumped to avoid it, darting after Knox when he tried to run and grabbing him, pushing him against the wall.
"You made a mistake choosing me, Knox," she told him, twisting his arm up until he starting crying out in pain. "Not a little mistake, but a really big, huge mistake."
"What happened to you? You're not Fred!"
"Actually, I thought the same, but the people who love me - really love me - convinced me that I am still Fred. I'm just the Fred I was meant to become."
"What do you mean?"
"Sorry, that's not for you to know." Pulling Knox away from the wall, she took him down to one of the isolation rooms and threw him in, locking the door behind him. Knox winced and stood up, holding his arm as Fred went over to the observation window and turned on the intercom.
"What are you doing?" he asked
"Do you know what it's like to have an old one trying to hollow you out? How painful it is?" She held up the vial. "Well, you're about to experience that kind of pain."
Opening up the small door in the wall next to the window, she threw the vial in and then shut it again. The vial hit the floor inside and broke, its contents hissing and bubbling. Almost immediately, Knox grabbed his stomach and doubled over in pain. Silently, Fred watched for a few moments before snapping off the intercom and walking away, knowing that Knox would be dead in minutes.
She stopped to call medical, telling them that Charles was hurt, and there had been an accident in the isolation room. Then she left to head back to Ruby's.