Chapter Text
Blood doesn't sparkle in the setting sun the way water does - it shines, wet and dark, and stains everything it touches leaving behind red-orange blotches that never seem to quite go away even after a deep clean.
"I...oh-oh my god-" Berrie couldn't breathe. The blood felt scalding as it ran down her trembling forearm, soaking into her rolled up sleeve at the elbow. God, there was so much blood. "W-why did I...I..."
Berrie dropped the heart suddenly as though it had burned her and it landed with a sickening squelch on the linoleum as the blind range shifted into horror at what she'd done.
"No. Nonononono- what did I-I didn't mean to- oh god-" Berrie stepped backwards, her pristine white sneakers nearly slipping in the rapidly forming pool of blood. The metallic scent was overwhelming, making her stomach churn and she covered her nose and mouth with her clean hand.
She'd killed him. She'd killed her chemistry teacher, Mr. Abbott, the one who always made corny science jokes, the one who everyone liked. The one who had tried to assault Shun when he was alone in his classroom for detention after school. So...so then it was fine, right? Berrie had just been protecting Shun.
But even as she tried to rationalize it, her mind was racing. She'd never meant to do this. She didn't know how it happened. She just remembered feeling a sudden moment of blinding rage and then...then the heart was in her hand. And Mr. Abbott was on the floor. Dead.
A locker clanged outside the classroom and Berrie jumped before taking off in a flash of orange. She needed to get home. She needed to...to...she wasn't sure. Her dad would know what to do. He always did. She skidded to a stop in the hallway of her home, near hyperventilating.
"Berrie? You're home late-" Eobard entered the hall as well and paused, taking in his daughter's appearance before crossing to her and taking her arm, gently leading her to the kitchen. "Why are you covered in blood? Are you hurt?"
"No, I...it's not-not mine. I..." Berrie struggled to put her thoughts into words as she processed what had just happened.
"Did anyone see you?" He asked, still inexplicably calm as he wiped her arm clean. How was he so calm? He should be freaking out. He should be angry or-or worried or something right?
Berrie shook her head, feeling like she might be sick.
"Good. I'll clean things up and then we'll deal with the rest." Eobard said before dropping the rag in the sink and running off in a flash of red lightning.
Berrie stared at the blood-soaked rag in the sink without really seeing it, her mind racing. She couldn't seem to contain her panic, it felt like it was suffocating her, desperate to be released; she couldn't stay here, she needed to go somewhere, do something. She needed to leave. She needed to run. So, Berrie ran.
She gathered all of her speed, pushing herself faster and faster until the world around her started to morph. Colors blurred together, buildings shifted and changed, street sounds mingled in her ears. She ran faster than she ever had before, orange lightning flashing around her, pushing past all the limits she had until suddenly in a flash of light she was careening into a dumpster as her speed cut out without warning.