“Hey. Your disguises were stupid anyway,” retorted Bonnie, “I clocked that your colleague was Benjamin Hosmer years ago. He’s a legend in Houston. Why would a mask allow him to go incognito?”

“He told me that! He told me that,” cried Maurice before dropping on his knees next to her body, “B-but I already messed up and now you know my face.”

“I could have just looked you up anyway,” said Bonnie before trying her best to shrug despite the bindings and her missing organs, “F-ranks are as rare as S-ranks, and you’d have shown up alongside your mentor one way or another.” 

This last comment cut Maurice's breath short. His heart seemed ready to rip his body in half. He really was an idiot! Why did he say that information outloud?!

Noticing the state of disarray of her newfound obsession, Bonnie dragged herself onto the floor before rubbing the disgusting blob of flesh she currently had for a face on his leg. Pretty gross but she couldn’t exactly do anything else to comfort him. 

Once he seemed to settle, she added: “Think about it rationally, if Benjamin knew he would get recognized regardless but he still went to fight me, it’s because he trusted I wouldn’t talk or something.”

“R-Right. Right,” admitted Maurice who managed to breathe normally once again, “It’s logical. I hate when it doesn’t make sense.” That last part he added while looking directly at Bonnie, tears mixing with the grey reflections of his natural eyes.

She quite liked the sight. “Don’t cry that makes you even more appealing.”

She wasn’t good at expressing it.

“M’dame, I’m having a panic attack, covered in your blood and guts, after I shot you in the head. How are your priorities this twisted?” Maurice let out a pained laugh at the absurdity of the situation. What a mess this first contract had been.

His comment did raise a few questions within Bonnie’s mind but she clearly didn’t have the emotional intelligence to properly formulate them: “I dunno actually. I just love the fact you can kill me, and the amount of emotions you have.”

“...is that your idea of flirting?”

“Yes.”

“I hope I never encounter another Fighter again.”

This was Bonnie’s turn to laugh: “Damn. My first love and I've already been rejected.” Honestly, what a joke they met so late in their life. They were both well into their thirties. If only he could have made her feel things, then her previous years wouldn’t have been so dull.

“And here I thought I was getting some action.” Again, Bonnie, good attempt. He would have probably fallen for your charms if you weren’t the tied-up butchered corpse of a serial killer.

Strangely, Maurice’s reaction cut any desire from Bonnie for that moment. “Don’t joke about that,” he muttered while shuddering and losing the light in his eyes, “I just need to finish writing what our client wanted to say to you.”

“Ugh. A revenge plot? That’s so cliche, and childish.” was the best she could come up with. To be fair, emotions were missing for most of her pre-awakening life. It’s not like she was dishonest either.

“She wanted you to feel the humiliation and shame of being bested by two lesser Saints and publicly expose you as a monster while strapping you of your autonomy.”

She lived for herself and herself only. Did that woman truly expect Bonnie to have a change of heart after such an experience? So stupid. Grief truly renders you stupid. “What a good Mother Theresa.”

“It’s less about you and more about her getting some peace of mind,” argued Maurice before his addicting laugh broke through his own discomfort, “Grow some skin and morals. Maybe I won’t reject you that way.”

“You won’t?” 

Both troubled Saints found each other caught off guard by the sudden burst of genuine excitement and expectation coming from Bonnie. 

“Why are you-?”

“You’re talking with the target too much,” said Benjamin as he made his presence known before dragging Bonnie out, “Let me handle it.”

This all happened so quickly. Before he remembered what he was even supposed to be doing, Maurice took some time to let his question run around his mind. He shivered. He didn’t feel cold but the stress was eating at his autonomy once more.

Calm down. Calm down! There is still so much to do.

You knew. You knew! The only way you could have found work is through those murders. Why are you doubting yourself now? Don’t you remember what he told you?

“If you’re asking such questions, stop thinking.”

Right. Right. Right.

Take the bucket. Paint the message. Give a mother some peace.

And pray your next target is not innocent.

On the other side of the building and of morality, Bonnie found herself taking in her surroundings. She noticed Benjamin had not moved much after tying her to the pulley. The one time he bothered to speak was just to be insulting: “Hope you’re enjoying the set-up.”

“It’s cold and the blood smells.”

“Good.”

Despite the sarcastic attitude, it did not look like he was having much fun. “C’mon. Drop the attitude, Benjamin Hosmer, you sound like a cop,” commented Bonnie with as much of a grin as she could muster in spite of her missing flesh, “We know you don’t care enough to truly feel disdain towards me.”

Unfortunately for her, he seemed in a much fouler mood than she thought, even if he appeared devoid of such feelings. “I already told you. You give people like us a bad name. We lack empathy and sometimes emotion, not reason.”

He yanked her head by her hair, forcing their eyes to meet. Ah. This was beyond being a Fighter, wasn’t it? She grinned in spite of the pain. They were similar. Creepily so.

“You’re just weak. That’s why you were so isolated.” 

So annoying, Bonnie thought, I’d give anything to cave his face in. However, it was impossible at the moment to act on her impulses so she laughed: “And so what? Outsiders do not understand. They worship or fear us anyway!”

“The actions of a minority impact their larger group. What a surprise.”

“Of course the celebrity has the answer to everything,” berated Bonnie, “Tell me how to improve my life. I’ll be thrilled to hear it.”

“Improve your life? We’re here to ruin yours,” answered Benjamin before throwing her head back onto the concrete, “As much as you pretend to be okay with this, have you really thought about the consequences of your defeat?”

This time, Bonnie stayed silent.

No family.

No friend.

No identity?

But if she is arrested… If her secret is out…

She’ll have to find a new house, a new job, a new gym, and she can’t get those cream puffs anymore. She’ll be forced to leave that city but she liked that city.

Empty except for some brief moments that allowed her to feel good.

From bratty thrill-seeker to serial killer.

Bonnie wasn’t sure if she actually felt sad but she regretted something.

Since when did she become so narrow-sighted?

“Do you get it?”

“I think so.”

“You know,” Benjamin’s tone surprisingly softened, “Some see our condition as a curse but I’m comfortable with it. We can do jobs no one can. We have value for some people and I found someone worth my time.” 

She groaned. How perfect was his life? Why were they so different if their internal world was identical? 

“This new job gives me meaning. That’s why I carry on despite losing my previous career. The reason behind why I execute the wishes of insignificant people.”

“Lucky you.”

Another painfully isolating silence weighed on the kindred spirits. Until Bonnie found herself pondering a completely different question: “How long have you known?”

Benjamin remained unfazed even if it took him longer to actually answer.

“There were signs early on,” mused the old man, “My daddy never shamed me for not really understanding. He just told me to respect my neighbors and protect my family.”

“And you became a legend like that?”

“Thrillseeking with an old pal and a nice job. That’s all it was to me. I’m surprised your file never mentioned any hunting job. That’s how I fulfilled my cravings.”

“And look where it got you,” spat Bonnie, “Crippled, on the black market, without said friend by your side.” 

“No solution is flawless,” shrugged Benjamin before smirking at his captive, “Isn’t it ironic? We’re at the same point in our lives but I’m older and freer.”

At first Bonnie wanted to answer, but she bit her tongue.

This gesture intrigued Benjamin who pried for more: “Still mad you didn’t kill me?”

“Honestly I’m madder the contract didn’t ask to end me,” painstakingly admitted the woman, “I’d tell you why, but I imagine you wouldn’t care, would you?”

The impromptu silence became uncomfortable for her. Bonnie felt silly for revealing such a personal piece of information, especially since Benjamin ignored her. Unfortunately, now that she had started, she couldn’t help herself: 

“Even then, I don’t know how thorough your file on me is. Maybe you already know everything.” Memories of the foster system and the various reactions of people towards her invaded her mind. 

Ah.

She did become that monster in the end, didn’t she?

It’s funny how different things look with the right perspective.

Benjamin only spoke back once he finished inspecting the rope they were using. “I can only assure you that you won’t be executed despite your crimes. Berserkers like you are too rare and valuable to be discarded.”

“Of course not.”

“So? What are you going to do?”

“Get arrested?”

“Well in that case you gotta wait for thirty minutes.”

“Even though there was a gunshot and a building collapsing,” laughed Bonnie bitterly, “They’re always so slow. Everyone is always so slow…”

“Give them some credit,” interjected Benjamin as he pulled out his phone, “It’s hard to precisely track where a crime is committed when your biggest informant lied about the location.”

“Did you-” Bonnie stopped herself. This couldn’t be right. The biggest hero of Houston couldn’t be this…

No, he was just messing with her, so she answered in kind: “Does your pettiness run that deep?”

In response, Benjamin simply gestured towards her bindings. They had been loosened. Even a child could untie this knot. “You can get back to running in about twenty minutes, can’t you?”

Bonnie felt like crying at the misery he was inflicting upon her.

Kindness? Compassion? Empathy?

Not even once. Not from someone like her. Not after so long!

“I told you I don’t want to-!”

“And I told you, I don’t care about what a serial killer wants,” answered Benjamin as he put the remnants of her head between his palms, “You better make your choice now.”

What choice was there to be made, now? 

“Make yourself useful to society or,” he tightened his grip just enough to hurt her, “Kill yourself on your own terms.”

“Not much of a choice,” she laughed, “I don’t know… I don’t know anymore…”

“Poor suicidal sap,” despite the venom in his words she could sense the personal sorrow he imbued into them, “You’re inflicting misery onto others but when you get your wish granted, you chicken out?”

“Well, I can see why you’re not a counsellor.”

“Given the problems you caused on my turf, you’re lucky the client even asked to spare you,” answered Benjamin as he continued to tighten his grip, “I was asked to kill for far less.”

“Y…your turf?”

“You thought I was just on the Black Market,” he increased the pressure once more, “Missy, I’m the Black Market.” 

Bonnie felt like her head was about to be split in two once more.

“Now choose.”

Most would be terrified of Houston’s Local Legend but Bonnie just observed his erratic behavior. Twenty minutes, that’s all they had to get a good lead away from the cops. 

It’s short.

The thought made Bonnie laugh. Of course he’d get pressed for her to make a choice. This was just logical. He was still caring in his own way… “Fine. I’ll live. You win.”

Once more, Benjamin offered Bonnie no verbal answer. He just stopped gripping her head and went back to gesturing something at Maurice who was working on the bloody message for the wall.

This prompted her to ask: “What’s your opinion though?”

“About?”

“About this ordeal. Should I be left alive?”

“Absolutely not,” answered Benjamin, “But it’s not my call to make. If you save twice as many people as you murdered with your power, then I guess you have done your due.”

Bonnie smiled. He really offered her a way out of this mental prison of her own making… Most would berate him for being hypocritical, which gave her more reasons to be thankful.  “Utilitarian to the extreme, aren’t you?”

He stayed silent. Bonnie knew Benjamin did not really feel that strongly about the answer he offered her but she appreciated his attempts nonetheless.

One last silence, more comfortable but filled with sorrow, embraced them. In the end, for no reason, or no logical point, Bonnie did what she does best, acting impulsively: “I wish I could have met you earlier.”

“It’s less lonely, isn’t it?” ‘Knowing there are others like you’, but he tastefully left that part out.

She heard it anyway. Those pointless words left the monstruous C-rank Berserker silently crying to herself. Like an angel, Maurice lifted her pathetic form in the air.

On his way down their gaze met. She would not let him go. He knew.

But not today. Today is the first time she will try to do good.

See you later, mon amour.

Let yourself become a warning for those who have transcended humanity: 

“Treat all life with the utmost respect.”

I will try to love you when you come back.

In the end, mentor and apprentice left the scenery in a car with a stolen license plate. Maurice was not sure how to feel about the ordeal, even if the unexpected had happened, this was a lot for him to take in.

“Good message Maurice,” Benjamin’s words snapped the apprentice out of his daydreaming, “Very inspired.”

It amazed Maurice how little warmth and honesty he could feel from his mentor despite the compliments. Perhaps this wasn’t on purpose in this case but the Sniper was past caring at this point.

“I assume you know the rest of the plan and how to get back to the hideout?”

“Yes, M’sieur. I remember,” he remembered plenty of things that contradicted his mentor’s narrative for the past few minutes, “I’ll handle the client.”

But he wanted to keep quiet.

His mentor did not.

“So, how do you feel about securing a spouse for yourself, boy?”

Maurice was not feeling this banter.

“You’re cruel M’sieur Hosmer.”

Benjamin clicked his tongue at Maurice’s accusation.

“I never lied. I simply withhold some of the truth.”

“I never accused you.”

Benjamin stared silently at Maurice. That man still had some brightness left in his eyes. Perhaps it was misguided, but it did not matter. He would lose it eventually.

“Try thirty-six years on the job.”

No, I won’t. I just need enough money. Once I have the money I’ll stop.

…

This would be more convincing if he could stop looking back fondly on that night.

And at the justice that would be delivered.

“No one gets into the underground world by accident, Maurice.”

“Why do you think we’re the one called upon to drag Gods back down to Earth?”