Replacement [RK1700] -ENG-

Chapter 23

'Shut up, you whore!' He honestly didn't expect such words from Amelie.

The next events happened fast.

The android pulled Wanda's hair and with inhuman strength, just like only a machine could have, she dragged her through the room, ignoring her screams and attempts of escape.

'Let me go, you psycho!' The teenager yelled.

Unfortunately for her, the walls were soundproof, just like in every other dance studio.

She got pushed to the ground, hitting the floor with her forehead and she lost an orientation of the surroundings. It silenced her screams, too, her motor coordination got confused and even if she wanted to crawl or stand up, she couldn't make herself do it. In this short time, Amelie managed to pull out a part of a pipe, the one for stabilisation while stretching, and with cruelty nobody would've probably expected from her, started to smash the girl's head, and rage she felt was drifting away into reasonable thinking and fear with every moment, when Wanda's still body stopped reacting to her aggressiveness.

When she checked the heartbeat and didn't find the slightest sign of life in her, she got up from knees with no control over her trembling hands and legs.

She looked at the immobile body, at the blood that flooded out the fresh wound, at the massacred skull. Hair strands were glued from the sticky, warm liquid, the same one she had on hands and clothes.

Anxiety started showing and she ran out the room immediately, taking her things and everything leading to her presence there on the way. The classes were starting soon. An unfortunate coincidence made them show up there earlier than the rest of the group and even if it happened often enough, she would never think of doing this.

She ran into the restroom, throwing the murder weapon into her backpack and looked in the mirror.

She needed to dress up and calm down, then return to the place to enter the room with the rest of the girls. She almost felt bad, forcing them to look at the familiar dead body. Almost, because there was a relief she didn't have to put up with her bully ever again.

Though, when they entered the studio with the instructor to see Wanda's body, guilt and fear took over her. She was shaking like she never saw what she'd done before.

Then, the instructor began to calm the girls down and called the police and then it was only worse because when Amelie's seen Connor, knowing who he was, she realized she wouldn't leave as innocent. The part of hope she had, disappeared completely.

• • •

As he opened his eyes, he only saw more tears oh the android's face, when she took her hand away like it burnt, seemingly regretting her decision. The next intense seconds passed, while Connor was interpreting the scene. The backpack was taken away for search, the weapon was surely found by now, just like the bloodstained clothes.

He nodded, standing up. He wondered, should he say anything? Speak up to calm her down a bit. And he decided, yes, otherwise she could auto-destruct and he couldn't let her.

'Don't overthink that.'

She didn't even look at him. He left then with a sad expression, when he played the crime back in his head yet again, going out the interrogation room.

That day was really hard and no one'd deny it if he said it aloud.

The girl was taken to the one of free cells and he could return with Hank to their desks, work on the report. He could also approach the woman sitting on one of the chair and tell her that her daughter had time now and she could talk to her. Through the glass, though.