Belladonna

3.5 ] Carrie

••●••

USUALLY DURING TIMES like this, I'm the first to speak. To make a witty remark. To brighten the mood. To make someone laugh, to maybe bring a smile to someone's face despite the dampened atmosphere.

But, weirdly, and rarely, I find myself speechless. Staring. Quiet. Fucking shocked. 

"Twenty-six." Are Margeux's first words. She only speaks because no one else did. Because we're all stunned. 

"Huh?" Keagen voices aloud. 

Margeux clears her throat, "There were twenty-six of them."

"Oh."

"How did you know that?" Elliot asks.

"I counted on from where we left off." She says. When no one speaks again, she elaborates despite the fact I think we all got it; "I killed them."

"Oh really?" Liam scoffs sarcastically. Does he really have time to be sarcastic right now? We have one of our closest friends - our fucking family member on the table - and a girl drenched in blood so severely you'd think she's a zombie. 

Margeux suits blood. Which is also a weird thought to have. But all of the intrusive ones are unravelling. She stands there, still in the gear provided to us. Black pants, a black top, black gloves. Red falls all over her figure. Up in her hair, smudged around her face - contrasting disgustingly with her deep blue eyes. 

Her hair is so soaked by the liquid it looks greasy. Like she's been rained on. And she doesn't look uncomfortable for one seconds.

I've seen a lot of gruesome things given my occupation. A lot. 

But seeing Margeux covered in blood has been one of the most shocking and distressing experiences of my life.

"With what?" I finally find my words. They come out hoarse, unprepared. Because there's no way Margeux killed - what? Eleven men? It's possible. Definitely. But not for someone as new as her - it can't be. I've never ever seen something like this before. There's no gun on her person - not one I can see - did she set off an explosion? A bomb? A fire?

She looks down at the bloody knife she's holding, pointing at it kind of awkwardly before dropping it to the ground as the item clatters and dribbles small pools of red onto the cafeteria floor. 

"Shit." Heather says what we're all thinking aloud. It's not an impressed shit. It's an exhausted one. A surprised one. Whatever the opposite of anticipation is. All of the above. Concerning, confusing, alarming.

"Are you okay?" Odyssey asks her. If we were under different circumstances right now she might step forward and hug Margeux. Wipe some blood off her face. But Odyssey hasn't moved from Vika's side this entire time. Even when she went to confront Reign, she went as far as she could whilst still holding her limp hand. 

"I'm fine." Margeux responds. Dryly. She has to be in shock. With her responses. With her casualness. Jesus fucking Christ - what is going on right now?

"Did anything else happen?" I ask softly. I don't know what else to ask. What else to say.

She pauses to think before shaking her head, "Nope."

"All with a knife huh?" Liam chuckles, shaking his head, "Perfect. Fucking perfect."

Margeux raises a brow at him. 

Liam claps them, "Give up for Ms. Miracle everybody! She just took down a dozen men with a knife! Can you believe that?" He faces her, "I know I sure as hell can't."

Margeux grins at him, the first expression she's shown that isn't neutral, "Wanna see some proof?"

Liam leaps forward at the invitation, "You little bitch-"

"Hey." Elliot's back to playing peacemaker, holding his shoulder firmly for the second time in the past ten minutes. "Out."

"But-"

"Out." Elliot says louder. 

Liam sends one final look to Margeux before storming out, making a show as to his dirty glare in her direction. 

"Can someone update director Hayes?" Margeux asks like we're talking business right now, "I don't have his number. He never gave it to me."

"Uh...yeah." Keagen clears his throat, "I can."

"Good." She smiles, rolling her neck and wincing as she cracks it out.

"You killed them all with a knife?" I speak again, not moving past the chaos we all just heard. Why is no one questioning this further? This girl is crazy? I knew she was different - strong minded - but psychotic? Crazy? No. I never picked up on fragments of it all until now. 

"Yeah." Margeux looks happy to talk about it as she beams at me, "I didn't have a silencer so I figured I would use my knife for stealth. I was able to take most of them out without alerting others nearby - until the last two."

I'm going to regret asking this.

"What happened to the last two?"

"Killed one, used his body as a shield, leapt to the other one." She explains.

Well. Not terrible. Could have been worse given her Carrie costume right now.

••●••

I know it's cool and all - but the point of this part of the plot is to show Margeux's true nature. Which, I don't know how you'll end up feeling since I'm releasing this all at once, but is meant to be a little scary even for any readers roting for her. 

This is where the downfall starts.

Margeux:

- Juana.