Theophany

She lay there beside him, sleeping and hauntingly beautiful. It was a bit different, this time. She had been a lot more compliant, even creative, after she was allowed to check on that kid's wounds. What was his name? Snipe or Scope was it? He would have to keep an eye on him. But no matter. He was just a boy.

The Boss always viewed himself a powerful man, but this woman had charmed her way into being his weakness. She was supposed to die back then with her family. Just another body to dispose of. But as soon as those dark, hooded eyes looked at his, he felt all the shame, guilt and blood that he had taken. Again, he had tried drowning that feeling. Drowning it by doing even more horrific acts to this woman. But this weakness, this feeling, just grew with time. He convinced himself that he was a horrible man. It was true, he really was a horrible man. Therefore, he was only keeping her because of her body. That's how horrible a man he was. So horrible he would watch her carefully as she slept, memorizing her face. So horrible he couldn't bring himself to show her mercy and end her life. So horrible that he pretended she loved...

Gunshots. He jumped out of bed, pulling on his pants and getting his shotgun. There was a loud banging outside, near the western gate, it seemed like.

"What's going on?" she asked, blinking the sleep out of her eyes.

He walked to the window and couldn't believe what he was seeing. Nighties of all shapes and sizes were bashing themselves through the gate. Its crack reverberated around the compound.

"Get dressed. We're getting out here." He said, grabbing as much ammo as he could. It seemed like there were screams of people mingled with the inhuman growls now, as well as the endless gunfire.

Her eyes were wide, "I-I'm... I have to stay here," she stuttered, putting on her clothes and shoes.

"Like hell you are." He dragged her in front of the door. They were more likely to die if they tried to make a stand against that many of those freaks. Again, she hesitated. Of all times, now she had to have a backbone.

"Severity. You will die if you stay here. Come with me, and you might live." He growled at her, not sure himself why he won't just leave anyway.

"But I can't. This is where I said... " she sounded desperate, torn between staying or leaving. He didn't understand. Was there something she wasn't telling him?

Right then, a part of the window was broken by a large rock. It tumbled across the floor, stopping at their feet. He sighed roughly. It seemed these nighties were a bit faster on the uptake than usual. They would come by the obviously huge window instead of the ground working their way up.

As he looked down carefully, hidden by flattening himself on the wall next to the window, he assessed the situation. There they were, a couple of the freaks were climbing their way halfway to the window already. He let them come up a bit closer, within range of his weapon. Then BOOM BOOM. The two fell to their deaths in a pile of blood.

But more seemed to be making a ruckus down there, scaling the wall already, eager to avenge their dead. This wouldn't do. He tried to reload, but suddenly a nighty limb broke through from above, long and lithe. He dodged just in time, rolling away. It had been above the window all this time, just waiting.

It was in the room now, as Severity, who was still near the door, shrieked in surprise. He managed to shoot it, blowing a limb off and injuring it, but it had moved away to avoid certain death. It shrieked, and charged in. In a matter of seconds, it had closed in on them and though the Boss managed to dodge away, it was now going after Severity, who seemed petrified. He ran up to it and tried hitting it with the gun, no time to reload, but it turned and managed to knock him backwards, shotgun skittering across the floor.

"Damn it," the Boss said under his breath, feeling a bruise forming on his side. Severity was a pale statue, feet away from the hideous creature. Without thinking, the Boss tackled the creature before it could deliver a fatal blow to the girl.

As they rolled around the room, he felt claws rip through his side and teeth gnash against his shoulder. He bared his own and punched the nighty repeatedly in what seemed to be its face. The nighty seemed stunned at the force of his blows, but its claws continued to rip against his muscles. They were both a bloody mess on the ground now, but still he continued to fight; punching, elbowing, wrestling it. Finally, he got a hold of its neck and with all his remaining strength, snapped it.

Breathing heavily and bleeding badly, the Boss rolled away from the creature. He had beaten it with his bare hands. He stood up shakily, as more blood seemed to trickle away from his various wounds. Severity was walking up to him, slowly. Good, she was safe. She seemed to be holding something in her hands.

She was very close now, but her face had a cold look to it. As soon as the Boss saw her eyes, he knew what was about to happen. A shard of glass from the window drove into the existing gash on his chest, driven there by Severity. His Severity. Blood flowed, staining her hands. This was for all the horrible things he had done. All the atrocities he had committed and this was payback.

She lowered him to the ground, hands shaking. But her eyes were pure hatred. He was feeling dizzy and his vision was blurring. He welcomed this feeling of powerlessness. He welcomed finally paying for his sins. Tears filled his eyes for the first time in a very, very long time. But, like a true horrible man, the only thing that he could think to say to this woman were the words that he had thought of since they met.

"I love you..." His voice was weak, carrying none of the power he used to have.

Her beautiful face seemed shocked, then tears started flowing as she made the terrible realization and understood. How beautiful she still was, even more so now that she knew. His vision faded and he could not see her anymore, but he thought he heard her scream in agony.

What a terrible person I truly am, he thought to himself for the last time.