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"You want to what?" Fred's voice echoed Maria's own concerns, that what she was planning was a horrible idea.
"Look, I know it sounds crazy-" Maria tried to defend herself despite not believing in it herself.
"It's not just crazy, Maria," Fred cut Maria off as looked down at the frantic girl whose wild eyes stared back at him pleadingly. "It's absolutely bloody insane."
"I know," Maria nodded her head in agreement. "That's why I need you to trust me."
Silence filled the Room of Requirement for several moments as Fred scanned Maria Black's face for any sign that would help him stop her madness, but he found none.
"Please, Fred," Maria's soft voice pleaded with the redhead, enough to lower the rest of Fred's defenses as his shoulders sagged in defeat at Maria's stubbornness.
"Perseus is going to bloody kill me, isn't he?" Fred joked, his voice cracking at the end as he realized they were really going through with Maria's plan.
"Thank you," Maria breathed in relief as she reached down and pulled a dagger out from her boot.
"Whoa, you've just been carrying that around with you?" Fred asked in disbelief as he stared at the silver dagger in Maria's hand.
"I carry it with me everywhere," Maria replied as she gripped the dagger tightly, turning her knuckles a deathly white as she tried to prevent her hands from trembling. Glancing up at Fred's incredulous face, she elaborated, "Some things are better done without magic. Never thought it'd be for this but..."
Maria trailed off as she nodded towards the dagger, her strength fading as her hand began to slightly tremble.
"How do you know you'll be able to see Death?" Fred questioned as he looked back up to meet her petrified, silver eyes.
"I don't," Maria's short answer only caused Fred's heart to drop in his chest. "But I think I know how to call her."
"Still," Fred's voice trailed off as his eyes glanced down to the knife. "Isn't there a better way to do this?"
"No magical death," Maria reminded Fred of what they discussed when she first laid out the plan. "I'm still not sure how this works but we know mundane deaths won't stop me from coming back."
Maria took a deep breath as she mentally prepared herself for a journey she dreaded and feared every day. There was no going back, not from death anyways.
"You don't have to do this," Fred reminded her gently, watching the way the knife had begun violently shaking in Maria's hand.
"Yes," Maria pushed out firmly, ignoring the twists in her stomach that made her want to hurl. "I do."
"We can find another-"
Fred barely had time to react as Maria suddenly slit the knife against her throat before she could lose any more courage.
