MONACHOPSIS- V. Hargreeves ³

022. LAMB TO THE SLAUGHTER.

Even so, Nadine had never wanted her dead.

She hated her mother. She'd hated her since she was ten years old and began to comprehend that her Papa was a lot nicer to be around. Louise was cruel, and biting, and a game of Russian Roulette—you never knew what you were going to get with her. But, even then, a part of Nadine still continued to love her.

Finding out that she'd passed away—or, apparently, been killed—the day she was born had sent a whirlwind of emotions rushing through her. Oh, there had been a twinge of sadness there, but it had been overruled by overwhelming shock. First of all, she didn't technically exist. Second, the woman whose phone had connected to hers might not have even been another version of herself at all. Third, this whole thing would undoubtedly have quite literal earth-shattering consequences.

Now, though, learning that Harlan had been the one to do it... Nadine couldn't help but be angry. Even with Harlan's insistence that it had been an accident, he had killed her mother. He had been the one to end her life, to pull the last breaths from her chest.

She might even have boiled over, exhaling a plume of fire in typical Nadine Vidal fashion. That was to be expected, especially considering Harlan was also the reason this whole universe-ending kugelblitz was occurring. But any rage that might have bared its ugly teeth was yanked to a halt by Allison. Allison, who was staring at Harlan with murder shining in her eyes. Allison, who Nadine knew was a capable killer.

There was no question about it—Allison was going to annihilate Harlan where he stood.

And Nadine couldn't let that happen.

"Wait, Allison, stop." When Allison took a slow step forward, Nadine leaped into action, putting herself in between her friend and the lamb she meant to slaughter. She was breathless, her chest rising and falling in rapid succession, and her vision was spotted with red, but she firmly threw her arms out, regardless, forming a human shield. "You don't want to do this."

"I think I fucking do, Nadine," Allison growled, her face as dark as the storm that Harlan and Viktor had wrought. "He killed—he killed our mothers. He wiped my daughter from existence!"

"I know," Nadine said. She was trembling from head to toe. "I can't—I'm angry at him too, Allison. But we can't just—we can't just kill him."

"Why the hell not?" By now, Allison's eyes had become slits. Her entire face was contorted, twisted. Barely any glimpse of the friend Nadine knew remained. The rest had been replaced by pure bloodthirst.

"Because—because... because it was an accident," Nadine said, even though her own thoughts were chiming a chorus of some fucking accident. "He didn't—he didn't mean to do it. And if we killed him... well, we'd be hypocrites, wouldn't we? Viktor ended the world, and we gave him a second chance. We can—we can do the same for Harlan. No matter how fucking awful it is."

"No. No goddamn way. There is no goddamn way I am letting him live after he eviscerated my daughter!"

"I—I didn't—" Harlan stuttered. Nadine wished he hadn't spoken. He was probably just making it worse.

"Get the fuck out of my way, Nadine!" Allison shrieked.

Nadine stood her ground. "I can't let you do this."

"Like hell! Get out of my way."

Allison stepped forward, shoving Nadine in the chest so hard, she nearly fell backward. Even so, she kept her ground, ensuring that she was still shielding Harlan from harm. "No."