Remnants 14 - Begin Again by Katherine Alice Applegate Page A

anything hurt him. Not anymore.
    Death would be different, though maybe not better or worse than where he was now. In a place between waking and sleeping, life and death.
    A place in which Billy still needed — or maybe just enjoyed — companionship. He liked the voices of humans. Humans like Jobs and Mo’Steel. And Sanchez.
    Billy sighed and felt his body unfurl ever so slightly.
    When he was dead, he wouldn’t need companionship. Maybe he wouldn’t even remember it.

    *
It was easy to overpower D-Caf. He was down and out before he knew what had hit him.
    Harder had been to steal Claw’s tin-can-lid knife. The jagged, ultrathin blade was just the weapon 2Face needed to accomplish her goal.
    Get rid of Billy.
    And, as a consequence, stop the charade he’d concocted. A green world! 2Face hadn’t believed it possible for a moment.
    She stepped over the unconscious twitch and slunk inside the ruined ship. This time, she totally ignored the pile of bones and headed straight for the alcove in which she’d find her prey.
    There was no sound but for the shush of ash under her feet and her own steady breathing. 2Face held the makeshift knife loosely in her hand and —
    “You never did learn, did you? It’s like that old, old song. All you need is love. And all you had to do was listen.”
    2Face whipped around to face the person who’d just spoken. But no one was there.
    “Where are you?” she demanded. “Who’s there?”
    The response came readily.
    “It’s me, 2Face. It’s Tate.”
    2Face darted toward the crumpled bones. They were still. No dancing skeleton like in a cheesy car-toon.
    “Where are you?” 2Face demanded again, backing into the center of the ship.
    The voice laughed, but not nastily. “Oh, I’m here. And there. But I think the more important question is —”
    “2Face!”
    2Face whipped around again, eyes darting through the gloom.
    This voice was a man’s. 2Face didn’t recognize it at all.
    “Stop playing tricks on me!” she shouted.
    “You came here to finish some business, didn’t you?” the voice boomed. “Well, then, come on! Get it over with.”
    Angrily 2Face rushed back toward Billy. He was still doing his magic act, hanging from invisible wires. With a cry of rage, 2Face thrust the knife through the golden humming glow —
    And it was whipped from her hand, tossed away. And 2Face herself was lifted up and into the circle of light with Billy.
     
    She felt her body recede from consciousness, her mind open, her heart bleed….
    A face smiled….
    “Mommy? Is that …”
    “Yes, Essence. It’s me. Oh, my daughter, all you needed was to forgive. How did I fail that you so easily hardened your heart against me? Against the world?”
    “I was angry. I was hurt I hated you.”
    “I cared about you.”
    “Really?”
    “Really.”
    “I wanted to punish you.”
    “You only punished yourself.”
    “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. …”
    Tate’s voice now, in her mind. From long, long ago. From now. From the future.
    “It’s over,” the voice said sadly.
    2Face crumpled to the floor, an expression of rest spread evenly across both the beautiful and ugly sides of her face.
    Violet noticed 2Face was missing. She went directly to Mo’Steel. Mo’Steel gathered Jobs, Sanchez, and Cocker They entered the ruined ship. And found 2Face’s body.
    Worse, they found Billy, still in the golden glow, but now the glow was dull and Billy was lying on the floor in a fetal position. Sanchez determined that Billy was still alive, though weak, and stayed with him while the others removed 2Face from the ship.
    Once outside, they placed her gently on the ashy ground, and Jobs told the gathering crowd about Billy
    “How do you think she died?” Noyze asked, her voice hushed.
    Olga knelt and quickly examined the body. Finally, she stood and wiped her hands on her thighs.
    “No visible wounds. No signs of struggle on her, though there must have been some kind of —
    violence — in light of