Beatrice Freede

Beatrice Anne Freede (b. 8th July 293), known to her friends as Bee and later Sting, was a student at Downstead Correction School. Three weeks before correction surgery, Bee and her friends attended the 311th Annual Charity Ball and were recruited by The Underground to participate in the revolution. Bee became a notorious rebel and well-known public figure, as well as soldier, who helped push the revolution forward before she was captured.

Early life
Bee was born to Jane and Stuart Freede in 293. Her mother was a teacher and her father was a chef. She had three older sisters: Grace, Lucy and Marie. Growing up, Bee exhibited "strange" behaviour compared to the norm in New Britain: as a child she often argued with teachers and refused to participate in class activities. She got along well Marie, though none of her sisters applauded her rebellious behaviour. According to Bee, she wanted to be like her sisters when she was younger, and often tried obeying rules, though would never succeed.

Downstead Correction School
At the age of eleven, the teachers at Bee's school finally refused to teach her anymore. After an incident in which Bee ended up hitting another pupil, government intervention was called in. She was referred to Downstead Correction School, a boarding school for troubled children in the remote area of Downstead. Though initially unwilling to go, Bee warmed up to the idea after realising she had no friends where she was living and, even if it was a horrible school, at least she'd be with people like her. She agreed to go and her placement was made official in 47.

Life at DCS was much different to life at home. Timetables were stricter, and punishments were heavier if duties or tasks weren't carried out. Despite this, Bee remained true to herself and made friends. In particular, she enjoyed the company of Sally Gardener and Alice Whitford. Though communication between opposite genders was strictly forbidden at DCS, Bee and her friends used to sneak out through a tunnel made by a previous pupil at the school. Through the tunnel, Bee met James Poynter and Edward McKay, with whom she became very close to. When they began work experience in the kitchens, Bee's friendship with the boys strengthened even more so.

Whilst at DCS, all three of Bee's sisters underwent correction surgery, and on home visits Bee saw a huge change in them. This, amongst her own distaste towards the government, made Bee question correction surgery.

The Underground
On the day of the 311th Charity Ball celebrating correction surgery, three weeks before surgery, Bee and her classmates witnessed an act of rebellion which was also broadcast live to the nation. In this act of rebellion, the mayor was knocked off his stand and Kate Noble made a speech accusing the government of taking away the freedom of the people. The police, focused on her, did not notice that a group of rebels then took Bee and a group of students away - though this was all broadcast on television.

On the journey, Bee had her tracker removed and she and her fellow classmates were taken to The Underground. There, they meet the rebel leader, referred to only by his nickname, Voice. Bee is marvelled by The Underground, and cannot believe such a large rebel unit exists. She refuses Voice's offer to go home and spends the next week relaxing and doing whatever she wants. Her and her friends from DCS especially love the lake.

After a week, Bee decides she wants to help with the rebellion after watching a broadcast of the government announcing the age for correction surgery is to be lowered by six years. She approaches Voice, who asks her if she has a nickname for herself yet. She does not. He's dubious in agreeing to her help as she's currently on the wanted list and police are searching for her. Despite this, he admires her spunk and offers to let her go up if she trains with him every day until the day of their next mission, which is in two weeks. She agrees.

Personality & Traits
Bee is a strong-minded individual, immune to the negative influences around her. She is brave, loyal and good at heart, though an enemy to be feared. Once crossed, it is unwise to approach Bee again. Others have described Bee as being 'hard to approach, but alright once you get to know (her)." Bee can sometimes appear cold and harsh, especially when in a bad mood. Bee is a natural rebel and goes against any sort of authority, even against The Underground. She believes strongly in Freedom of Mind, a cause she fought passionately for. After her first mission above ground, Bee earns herself the nickname "Sting" from fellow rebel Voice, who stated, "Seems like our Bee has a real sting." Bee sacrifices her body for Freedom of Mind, though despite this her mind remains strong. She comforts herself in knowing that the government will never understand that they left her her greatest gift of all: the power to think.

Physical Appearance
Bee is 5"8 and has dark hair, skin and eyes. She is described as striking rather than pretty, with broad shoulders and a slender torso. She has thin legs, which she describes as "chicken legs", and long, "claw-like" fingers. Bee has frizzy hair which is often difficult to contain: she keeps it in a tight bun most times to stop it from annoying her, but frequently thinks about shaving it all off. As the rebellion progressed, Bee put on a considerable amount of muscle. However, after she was captured, Bee lost a lot of weight and became "emaciated, like a skeleton", with "hollow cheeks, sunken eyes and dry, white lips."

Parents
Bee had never been close with her mother or father, who she viewed as "vapid, brainwashed and boring." Her parents were ashamed of her rebellious behaviour growing up, and Bee once overheard them telling neighbours they only had three daughters. However, she still loved them, and admitted that they were "probably a lot more interesting before their surgery." This was a belief partly confirmed to her when she discovered old photographs of her mother before she'd had her surgery - she noted her mother looked "free and happy" with an "adventurous look about her", and reminded Bee of her sister, Marie, before she had surgery. Despite this, Bee knew that her parents would never be the same again, and their relationship was tested even further when her mother called the police on her when she sought them for safety. After her parents' death, Bee felt guilt for the way she treated them, and knew that the way they acted was not due to their own fault, but the government's.

Marie Bradshaw
Marie Bradshaw was Bee's oldest sister. Because Bee was only six when Marie had surgery, she has little memories of her before that time. However, she remembers crying on Marie's lap and Marie attempting to comfort her by saying sadness goes away after surgery. Though Bee didn't agree with Marie's advice, she was the only family member to try and comfort or understand Bee, and for this Bee was grateful. After surgery, Marie moved away and married Philip Bradshaw. Bee rarely saw Marie after this, except on holiday. Bee believes Marie is very different now, though moments of her kindness still shine through. After her mother calls the police on Bee, Bee remarks that she "should've gone to Marie's" because "Marie is much less likely to do something like (that)."

Other sisters
Bee has little to no time for Lucy or Grace, who she believes are just as brainwashed as her parents. She felt that they were always judging and looking down on her, and she did not miss them after they left home. However, when they died, though she did not like them, she felt their deaths were on her hands, and for that she was sorry. She stated "though I didn't see eye-to-eye with them, they didn't deserve to die."

Sally Gardener
Sally Gardener was Bee's first and best friend at DCS. The pair met on Bee's first day, and Bee noted that she looked "odd and out of place at a school for bad kids". She reminded Bee of Marie pre-surgery, and upon getting to know her decided that she was "at the other end" of the rebellion spectrum, as Sally was "too kind for the government's taste." Bee was the only one to acknowledge Sally's intelligence and was never cruel to her, unlike the other children at DCS. Whilst in The Underground, however, their relationship was tested: Sally wished to leave, whilst Bee wanted to stay. This culminated in an argument between the two, and the next day, Sally left. Bee volunteered to go on the mission to get her back and saved Sally's life after Jacob Edwards attempted to shoot her. Despite this, Sally still ran from Bee. When they next saw one another, Bee was horrified to see that Sally had undergone correction surgery and was not the friend Bee once had. Bee noted Sally seemed "less kind, more passive and had lost the gentleness that made her so unique." Seeing Sally like this fuelled Bee's anger at the government.

Alice Whitford
Alice was another friend Bee had at DCS. Bee began speaking to her because they had similar attitudes. They were good friends, though because they were so similar they argued a lot. Bee noted that Alice and her were both stubborn, meaning arguments between the pair lasted a long time. In The Underground, Alice and Bee developed completely different strategies for attack: Alice was a part of the Greater Good campaign which involved bombs and attacking civilians, whilst Bee was part of the Freedom of Mind campaign, which was a more time consuming and complicated plot to overthrow the government using the remaining free thinkers. The pair came to blows over this and refused to speak to each other when Alice and the subgroup of rebels she was affiliated with threw the Freedom of Mind group out of The Underground. This led to Bee getting captured and tortured. After this, Bee was sent to hospital where she had corrective surgery, though surgeons (arguably on purpose) botched the surgery up, leaving Bee unable to walk, talk, or move at all. When the Greater Good bombed the hospital where Bee was left at, Alice saw Bee and dragged her out of the wreckage. After this, the two reconciled.

Elliott Carter
Bee and Elliott had a tumultuous relationship to begin with. She found him cocky and arrogant, and decided to avoid him. However, when Bee decided to train to become a speaker for The Underground, she trained with him once a day for two weeks and began to see his true nature. She believed he was soft, kind and generous, as well as fiercely loyal and protective. He was also very trusting of her, as shown when he told her his real name and told him of his past abuse. Their relationship eventually turned romantic, and the pair admitted these feelings to one another just before Bee's first mission. When she returned, they almost shared their first kiss before the fight broke out between the two rebel groups. Elliott and Bee ran away together and lived on the run for a short while before meeting the remaining rebels and creating a new group with them. Whilst on the run, the pair shared their first kiss. Throughout this ordeal, Bee remained with Elliott and stuck up for him when others doubted him. When they were tortured, Bee could hear Elliott call her name but was unable to do anything about it. She briefly saw him as she was being carted off for more torture. She was heartbroken to see he looked thin, unkempt and run down, "as though (they'd) sucked his spirit dry". During torture, Bee thought longingly of Elliott and missed him dearly. Elliott and Bee reunited in The Underground, where he showed Bee a device that allowed her to communicate with him freely, as she did not speak to others. He was relieved to find that her mind survived. Throughout therapy, the technology allowed his thoughts to flow to her's, and whilst he was on the battlefield he spoke encouragingly to her, and she to him. The communication was so strong that Bee could sense when Elliott died, as it felt like "something (had) been torn from (her)." Bee mourned Elliott's death, though it fuelled her desire to get better so she could avenge him.