15 14. Queen Bee

Harriet Donovan approached her window, gazing at the streets of her hometown. She was grounded for flipping off her art teacher in school but to be honest, she had it coming.

"Hajun though, that guy's crazy. Taking on four of the greatest players by himself and winning? He has to be hacking, and even if he's not. He definitely has to be."

Harriet headed back into her room, she made up her mind, she'd start a gaming career, and one day she'd meet Hajun, she'd play with him and one day. She'd defeat him.

…

"Hive," Harvey spoke as he collapsed onto the ground, the star lodged in his back vanishing.

"I thought you'd never do that," Adrian muttered still on the floor. "Did the fangirl in you make you hesitate?"

"No," Hive responded as she walked over to Adrian, helping him up.

"Why…" Harvey managed to utter.

"He's still alive," Hive materialized her sword once more, about to kill him.

"Wait, before you end it all. Let me tell him all about us, about how he never stood a chance to begin with." Adrian laughed. "Hive, Drake, everyone under the bridge? They all work for me. Your dilly-dallying with them only gave me what I needed, you're strength, your technique. You'd think you'd learn your lesson after Harlow but here we are."

"Can I do it now, Sir?" Hive asked.

"Why... was everything you said a lie? What you wanted... what you experienced?" Harvey's voice cracked as he spoke, scraping his hands along the floor, breaking his fingernails.

"All for a spot in the 'Hunting Dogs,' you, my friend, were betrayed for a job opportunity. The first time cost your girlfriend's life, and the second, yours," Adrian taunted, relishing every moment of it. "I can't wait to see you in hell, Harvey."

Hive swung her blade, swiftly decapitating him. "I knew you'd do the right thing," Adrian commented as Hive helped him walk. "I'll have to give Drake an award for his help as well, throw some money his way for his continued cooperation."

Hive walked alongside Adrian, her heart sinking and beating faster. Everything she had done was for her own sake, all for her own miserable life. She didn't fight with the faction, what they had couldn't be considered a battle. Cornered and at death's door, she managed to carve out a deal.

DanielPrime, Rocketrain, and now Hajun—these were all skilled players she had sent to their deaths, all to save her own skin. "I'm sorry," She whispered as she continued walking. She couldn't look back, the weight of her guilt would not allow her to, or perhaps she was deceiving herself in some cruel way.

In the same way, Schrödinger never knew the state of the cat in the box, she deceived herself, by not looking back she could walk away from the fact she had killed her hero, her inspiration, her friend.

"After the Unknown is killed in Winterglaides, we'll be one step closer to our 'goal' and if you keep on performing like this, I'll let you in on the strike team." Adrian coughed up blood as his health slowly began regenerating. "Finishing Harlow's job... the boss really needs to upgrade my position-"

Hive observed something fall to the ground. When she looked closer, it was Adrian's head. She glanced at the head as it rolled on the carpet, staining its white tufts with a red pigment. Turning back slowly, she saw Harvey standing in the middle of the room, a skull appearing next to his name.

"Why, Hive?" Harvey spoke, avoiding direct eye contact. "Why?"

"Harvey," Hive uttered.

"I didn't want to suspect anything, even when you were acting strange when Drake was acting strange. I didn't want to entertain the possibility. I didn't want to." Hajun covered his eyes, sobbing.

Hive was urged to apologize but the words never left her mouth, she reached out but her hands never got to him either. "H-"

"You know what, forget it." Harvey backed away with his hands in the air, he didn't want to hurt her. He backed away slowly letting her know that he wouldn't tell anyone of anything that happened, he wouldn't hold it against her or go after her. However as he turned around, she rushed toward him.

Hive swung her sword but the damaging effect was negated as it struck Harvey's neck, "You're wary of me, the only reason you survived both attacks was because you expected them." Hive smiled as she swung her blade once more. "That's why you didn't show your true strength to me, why you didn't use your innate technique."

Harvey evaded her attack, gently restraining her hand to prevent further swings. "Please, let me walk away."

"You know, everyone has a choice. Every single person in this world has a choice." Tears ran down her cheeks as she spoke. "I had a choice, but what did I do?" She laughed.

"Hive."

"I've killed two people, Harvey, I led them to their deaths, people I'd met, people I had fun with, there's no coming back from that."

"I'm not holding it against you, Hive." Harvey clarified.

Hive smiled awkwardly, a tear streaming down her cheek. "I've gone in too deep already, they know my name. It doesn't matter where I go, X is dead and they'll chase me down."

"I'll help you, I'll get you off the country. You can hide."

"Where?" Hive smiled genuinely and Harvey glanced at her, confused.

"No... no... no no no, don't give up. Not yet."

"My life is over but that doesn't mean yours has to be, i messed up and it's finally time for my punishment." Hive shoved Harvey aside, charging at him with her sword. "Go to Winterglaides, the faction is planning something. That's where they are right now, that's where you'll find Harlow."

"No."

"Don't be like that." Hive shut her eyes, smiling again, tears streaming down her cheeks. "One more thing Harvey... My name is Harriet Mary Donovan, I'm eighteen years old and I like you."

Harvey deflected Harriet's blade, swiftly pivoting to thrust his dagger into her heart. She coughed up blood and crumpled, but he caught her before she could hit the ground.

"Heh."

"Why, why, why, why! FUCKING WHY HIVE!!!"

"Because... this is a much better ending," Hive coughed up blood, the glimmer in her eyes fading. "Living after what I've done would have been too much... even for me."

"It didn't have to come to this!" Harvey cried, his voice breaking. "It never did."

"Don't worry... Champ... when you get back home... you don't have to tell them about... this." Her eyes shut, and he sensed her final cold breath escaping her lips. "Goodbye... Harvey."

"We were supposed to make it back home together... dumbass."