Beautiful Things

Seven

*General Karrigan's POV* (This isn't in the film just thought I would put it in there to change things up a bit)

I let them find their own way back to their rooms. My mind was preoccupied. Normally I would escort them myself so that I knew they weren't hanging around, causing anymore trouble. But that girl . . .

As I walked, the bot buzzing behind me, I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply. When I had first seen her, I hadn't noticed her - not really.

And maybe it was the way she didn't cry while I caned her hands, or the way she struggled so fiercely against me. Maybe it was the way she snarled at me. 

Yes. No rose. All thorn.

As I ran my hands through my hair, I stopped and overlooked the garden. It was occupied by a class, standing in straight lines, shoulders back, eyes straight ahead.

My soldiers.

I could have any one of them - so many of them were beautiful. And yet - I wanted her. 

Fourteen. 

So young. So innocent.

And all mine. 

I turned and stalked back to my room. I had plans to make. And although Briar always played at the back of my mind, I kept pushing back my desires, taking other soldiers to my bed instead.

And yet, my whole body still yearned for her, struggling beneath me as I ripped her shirt off of her body, ran my hands along her stomach, down, down, down. . .

One week passed. She started classes and I watched her closely. She hadn't lost the fight in her after our punishment, which is what I had been afraid of. And she hung out with that Serpent. She always looked to him in awkward or dangerous situations. I wanted that look. She was more cautious of what she said, but even as I heard her sassing the instructors, watched her take the beatings they dealt out, I could see that fire blazing deep within, the thorns exposed.

Another week passed. I kept watching her. I would check in with the techies to see if the bot had seen anything I hadn't.

One more week.

And then the techies reported something rather disturbing.

She had been cornered by Community members. 

I dropped the call and raced to where they had told me she had been cornered, hoping to find any lurking members of the Community unit. Instead, I found two unconscious bodies, one dead one, and blood - everywhere.

I couldn't help the shiver of glee that ran down my spine.

I smirked down at the bodies before calling a cleanup team.

My little Briar. It seemed her thorns were for more than just decoration. . .

***

*Gabriella's POV again - back in the film and her memories*

Three weeks passed. My wounds slowly healed and I started the classes Cooper and I had heard about. We were in every class together, and hung out at lunch with the other bee bots - Mystery Unit, we were called - at a different table every time.

I knew he was watching me.

Mason Karrigan, a creep with a lust for blood, was stalking me.

So when the three Community Unit members cornered me behind the cafeteria, I couldn't help but smirk. The classes weren't all useless. I didn't just learn how to walk in straight lines and read body language. I learnt how to use a gun and how to fight - how to kill.