He pulled Adeline in close for a hug, possibly their last one ever.

Techie’s legs gave out as the pressure of anxiety in his chest intensified. On his knees on the cold ground, he started to sob. How where they going to get out? How was he going to keep them both safe? It all seemed so hopeless. “S-sorry, Addie,” he sobbed. “I’m a t-terrible dad.”

Not a moment passed before he scooped Addie up into his arms and mafe a run for it. Any minute now MaMa’s cronies would realize something was up and look for them. As Techie ran through the hallways, desperate for an exit, he suddenly remembered how they’d first met.

It was eerily similar: the two of them running for their lives from gang members, clutching each other and terror, that horrible *terror*.

As soon as MaMa focused all her attention on Adeline, Techie aimed the blaster at her chest and fired four times, terrified that he’d hit Addie but needing to try and save her by means possible.

“Maybe I don’t. Not an-anymore. It’s been a wh-while, a lot can change.” This he said to her as he eyed the terrified Adeline. “But y-you’re still the s-same old *bitch* you always w-were!”

If she just dropped her guard for a few seconds…

He was openly seething. “You know wh-what I meant!” A little closer and he could shoot. All he had to do was distract MaMa.

“We both know y-you’re nothing but a whore,” he says, eyes hard, “Who pretends like she’s p-powerful.”

“No m-matter what you d-do to her, I’ll love A-Adeline with all my heart! Even if she never s-speaks again!” He’s been inching closer to MaMa as they speak.

Techie bit back a scream until he bled. “What d-do you w-want from us?” he growled, terrified and frustrated and *furious*. “I’ll give you what you wabt as l-long as Addie’s safe and aw-away from you.” The blaster did not move away from MaMa’s chest.