'Truth. Now.'

Elise and Bridges stood in the middle of a clearing, conviently placed among the seemlingly endless forest that covered the island. The air was damp, disgusting, and the smell of death hung over the island. The air was suffocating before, but confronting Bridges here made it even harder for her to breathe. It's not like he could hurt her...

so why was she so anxious?

"Sweetie, while you know how much I love playing around with the truth..." Bridges sneered, before pulling out his favorite lighter. It was old - his oldest, actually. Covered in grime, either from the events of today or the years he spent carrying it around. He pulled a cheap ciggarate out of his other pocket, before pausing and looking at it.

He dropped the cig and stomped it into the dirt.

"...but you know I respect you far too much to play you like that."

Elise huffed. She knew she probably only had a few minutes to get this out of him before her friends showed up, and he was still acting like his usual self. He wasn't stupid, he had to know that he was trapped!

'Who did you hurt.'

Bridges demeanor changed, his smile faltered and he tensed up.

"Gonna have to narrow it down honey. Because I've hurt a lot of people in a lot of different ways. Are we talking about my time as a lawyer and how many people I've gotten locked away? Or, maybe, all the time I've spent on this filthy fucking island trying to engineer the next cash cow."

Well, she didn't know what a 'cash cow' was, but...wow, he really was being honest for once.

'How many did you kill.'

"Now that's a good question. And since we're such good friends, I'll be as clear as crystal. The truth is...I don't know!"

Elise stared at him and huffed, blowing hot air in his face. A low rumbly growl came from her throat...Rexy taught her that one.

"Don't try me, I told you I'm being as honest I can! It's just hard to narrow down how many bodies are buried out here, even harder to tell when you leave their bodies to whatever the Hell roams out here."

Elise leaned back. She could tell he was speaking the truth, for the first time she had ever seen. She almost tried to say something, anything, but he cut her off and continued his tirade.

"Don't act shocked, it's not like I killed anyone who would be missed. The people who work here, the poachers, the scientists...they all had it coming, sooner or later. The moment they decided to work here was enough to justify what happened to them. Me included, of course!"

Elise was disgusted.

'You can't decide who lives and dies.'

Bridges' smile was back, and he let out a small chuckle.

"Wow, wow, that's fucking rich coming from you. I've never hurt an innocent person, and I mean that."

'I've changed. You haven't.'

"Good for you! Now what about the innocent men, women, and - get this - children you killed. Maybe not with your own freakish hands, but with the consequences of your actions. Hundreds of Small Ones were *ripped* away, crushed, eaten...can you even comprehend the scope of what you've truly done? Maybe you're too stupid. Or maybe your mommy and daddy don't want their favorite money maker to realize she'd be better off in the ground with her sister."

Elise started crying. Bridges kept going.

"Let me make this clear, I'm still a good friend! Let me prove it - remember when you killed the whole ACU team almost? That was a *blast*, I'm sure. I was nice enough to tie up your loose end. Well, I didn't, he was a pretty nice guy actually, but I just thought I'd tell you."

...Did he mean...?

No. Oh no. Oh no no no...

"Well come on! We still have time, and I'm sure you're missing the taste of a person. Do it, kill me."

Elise felt something inside her snap. Some unbridled rage she tried her hardest to keep inside so it wouldn't rot her away. So she could still be loved. She gripped his body using her right hand and tried to crush him. He needed to suffer.

"Is that all you got? They really mellowed you out, huh?"

Why couldn't she do it? Why couldn't she just...add one more to the body count.

She dropped him onto the ground and started sobbing. An ugly, loud sob.

Bridges got up, shakily, and looked at his blood covered hand. He was disappointed.

"Hey, you broke my lighter!"