"You look tortured, my dear."

Felicity is shaking violently, covered in sweat, and strapped to a table in the center of the dark empty basement. The Count circles her.

"Oh there are drugs coursing through your veins that you could not even imagine, but that is not what i mean, you know."

She had her eyes clenched shut, but now she opens them. They're bloodshot, full of panic.

"No, I think you have been tortured for much, much longer than this. I think you've been suffering from a pain that not even my drugs could create. [He stops walking, pausing at the head of the table] You say you're in this for justice, and truth, and all manner of grand ideals, yes?"

Her breathing is erratic, violent, and ragged. She opens her mouth, perhaps to speak but nothing comes out.

"You don't have to speak sweet one, shhhhh [he presses his finger against her lips]. I know. I know exactly what is keeping you in this futile conflict."

He pulls his finger from her lips and glances at the mark of lipstick on it now.

"You are unhappy right now? You are. You don't want to be saved, do you? You want to be the one doing the saving. You think [he laughs and turns to face away from her, walking towards the foot of the table] you think you can save him!"

Her panic increases and she strains against the ties against her.

"Oh no no no darling, he is not in immediate danger, yet. You should know better. That is not what I mean by saving him. [he steps closer and peers at her face] You want to save his soul."

She closes her eyes tightly and turns her face away from him.

"You know why I am not torturing you right now? [he touches her hair, pushing it off her forehead, then steps away swiftly] Two reasons: One, you are here to torture him."

She tries to scream but it's muffled and cut short by the decreasing energy in her body.

"You know it will torture him, right? You were not delusional on that front. You're his… [he looks out the window] his light, shall we say."

She stops struggling, her breathing silencing, eyes closed.

"Number two: [he turns back towards her] I am not torturing you, because you are in more pain… [he walks towards her, touches one finger to her shoulder] in more pain, than anyone else knows, hmmm?"

He bends down and whispers in her ear.

"You want to go back, don't you? You want to go back and say no to this little crusade? You want to wake up and it will have all been a bad dream."

He grips her chin, pushing her head to the side, forcing her to look at the door.

"You're not afraid that he won't come for you. You're afraid that he will."

He pulls her face back to look at him.

"My dear… I'm right, aren't I? You're more afraid of his presence… [she opens her eyes] you're more afraid of him that you are of me. He brings you more pain than you ever thought possible."

She squeezes her eyes shut again. Her chest expands as she holds in her breath.

The count takes a step away

He holds out a pill. Half green, half black.

"So what do you say, darling?"

He is silent until her eyes open and lock with his.

"Do you want the pain to go away?"

She gasps in a breath of air.

Tears streak down the sides of her face into her hair.

She opens her mouth to speak but violently convulses for more air.

One last deep breath and her reddened tear filled eyes lock with his.

She whispers: "No."

[two seconds of silence]

An arrow shatters the window. Felicity closes her eyes.