( They're standing in a concrete hallway leading to a bunker, and MK should lead them further that way. They could sit and drink iced tea, have some cookies. It feels offensively normal, actually, to do that. She's not sure she could actually do that without it feeling like a farce, and it's almost strange to think about anything she does being too normal. MK might live strangely, but that doesn't mean she isn't aware of the strangeness, the same way one is aware of a limb gone numb. It might be too late to prevent it, there might not be a fix, but—

iced tea could still be a ritual to bring comfort, in either case. That was something.

MK's hold on Beth does not loosen, just as Beth's hold on her is persistent, topples past persistent into desperate. )

If I'd left you all alone, you'd never have known—

( Her breath skips and catches, and she has to be quiet for a second. )

You would never have gone near Neolution or DYAD. I forced you into this.

( The same way she forced Niki into it, and she shuts her eyes tight shut. Part of her is hurt and so angry with Beth, but all the heat in it feels deflated with the reality of Beth in front of her, alive and real. )