I didn't know for how long we ran, and truly, I was shocked that we did without facing any roadblocks, but we made it to our abode.
The first step I took into that door, I collapsed to the floor, gasping for air. Juke placed Rover down and sat on one of the wooden tables.
"We... ain't there yet, kid. One last push."
"...Curses."
I gritted my teeth and got on my feet. When I arrived at the counter, I knocked it in poor imitation of how Dennis did. The backdoor opened and out came the man from earlier.
"Oh, you've returned. Where is Dennis?"
"..."
I didn't know what to say. I didn't know if I even could. But Juke was there to help me.
"I'll get ya caught up on the situation, man. Yer not gonna like it though."
He furrowed his brows and solemnly nodded, granting us access to our living quarters. We walked in haggardly. The first thing I did was claim a seat on a couch. Juke placed Rover on the one opposite of me.
"I'll go tell the guy the news."
"Alright."
He left the room. I was all alone now. Aside from the sleeping Rover, of course, but she didn't count.
I was alone now. I didn't have anyone to talk to, nor anything to gander at. I didn't have anything to distract myself with.
So, with nothing to stop them, thoughts flooded my brain.
"Damn it. Just, damn it."
I leaned over, planting my face into my hands and harshly rubbing it, trying to sort out the mess in my mind.
"..."
I felt hopeless.
Truly, I felt hopeless.
It was just my luck that things turned out this way, wasn't it? It was just my luck that, despite my efforts to truncate the mission, I still faced such a hideous obstacle. It was iniquity from the very world. Hard-Bringer? What kind of cruel joke was being played here? Somehow, the severity didn't register with me until just now. Hard-Bringer; I had to overcome the clutches of a group so vile and infamous that even an esoteric kid from the boonies like me knew about them.
"Hard-Bringer... why, why now? Why? Why!?"
I hadn't even the strength to flail and squander. The only outlet for my frustrations was this couch; all I could muster up was a dozen slams on the armrest. It did little to assuage my worries– in fact, it only made them rebound harder. I pinched my nose and rubbed my brow. I scratched my skin and stomped my feet. Then, I laid back, gluing my eyes to the ceiling.
It only made them rebound harder. I didn't move this time. I wouldn't repeat that mistake. So, I glared at the ceiling.
"Ya don't look so good."
"Juke!?"
He made me jump. I didn't even hear the door open. I felt embarrassed.
"H-How much did you see?"
"See what?"
"Phew..."
At the very least, that weight was lifted off my shoulders. I sunk deeper into the couch. Juke walked past me and sat on the seat beside mine, leaning his head on his hand and sighing.
Silence permeated throughout the room. The already sullen mood was growing dimmer by the second. If it went on any longer, I would've lost my mind, so I spoke up about the first miscellaneous topic that came to mind.
"Oh yeah, the thing with your helmet... is that the Endowment you were talking about?"
"Yeah, it's pretty handy, ain't it? Weak people like me gotta have some tricks up their sleeve, otherwise, they just wouldn't stand a chance."
"Weak...? I don't get why you call yourself that."
"That's just cuz I am. Strong folk like ya never seem to get it, though."
"And you're calling me strong? That's just ridiculous. You were doing all of the fighting!"
"Nah, just most of it... Hey, that doesn't make much sense. What are ya doing kid, breaking the order of things?"
I sighed. It seemed that no matter what I said, Juke couldn't be convinced that he was anything but weak and that I was no pillar of strength either. Therefore, I left the conversation at that.
"So... this situation sucks, don't ya think?"
Then, he finally addressed the elephant in the room. I nodded along before responding.
"Hard-Bringer. Honestly, I was skeptical of their existence, but..."
"Yeah, they're our problem to deal with now."
We sat in silence, ruminating.
"Hey Kenny," Juke started, "where the hell did ya and Rover run off to? Ya have no idea how much of a heart attack yer stunt gave me."
A little guilt seeped into me once I realized we left nothing to indicate our actions.
"S-Sorry I didn't leave any note, but to answer your question, Rover and I delivered the letter."
"...Eh? Are ya serious!?"
Juke's voice took on a mantle of great astonishment.
"Yes, we had it delivered."
"Ah, thank The King! That's a relief!"
I had never heard anyone thank 'The King' before, so I knew Juke's expression was genuine.
"That news changes the whole situation. Ha, I seriously thought we'd have to deliver it while dealing with these lunatics. Good job kid!"
"No no, thank Rover's intuition. She had a good hunch, all I did was act on it with her."
"I'd thank her if she was awake."
"...Yeah."163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc774vq1IF0
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Silence came again. I leaned over and gnawed on my finger, drawing at but failing to pull words from my mind. I stared at Rover, almost enviously, but also hoping that she would wake up without issue.
"Judging by her legs, ya must've run into some trouble."
"...Yeah, we did. She fought twice, and her second bout left her weary and injured."
"Then what the hell was she doing fighting a Harbinger? Is she crazy?"
"No, just reckless. Say, you brought up 'Harbinger' again. What do you mean when you say that?"
Juke looked at me as if he was questioning his reality.
"Ya heard the crazy bitch, right? She called herself that. Since she said it so loudly, she's probably a big shot."
"Ah, I see."
Upon the mention of the congregation at the plaza, a forgotten question returned to my mind.
"How did you wind up in the crowd anyway?"
"Ah, ya see when I woke up and noticed yer absence, I ran out with Dennis to look for ya. That's when we saw these guys in robes, and they told us that a 'special announcement' was being held somewhere. I didn't wanna go, but they had a whole gang to scare me into doing it, so I did."
"Scare you? What, did they threaten you?"
"Yeah, with jail time. It wasn't just me, but Dennis too. Didn't wanna throw him under the carriage like that."
"Ah... of course."
Silence again. I returned to gnawing on my finger.
"--Kid, ya gotta calm down, seriously."
"H-Huh!?"
Juke spoke a surprising statement, one I couldn't formulate a response to.
"Yer chewing on yer fingers and jittering like yer havin' a seizure. Losing hair over this ain't gonna help anybody."
"I... I get what you're saying, but I really can't help myself."
"Gah, ya strong folk twist my brain."
He sighed and pinched the rim of his helmet as if it was his chin.
"Yer a smart kid, but ya don't think smart."
"...What?"
His sentence made as much sense as the sun being purple. He clicked his tongue and shrugged, then continued.
"Maybe I'm being too easygoing, but think about it– ya delivered the letter, ya ain't dead, ya got all yer limbs. All we gotta do now is find a way to get out."
"..."
Though his standards for what was an ideal situation were low, I had to admit that his outlook had merit. It had merit, and more importantly, it had me thinking about it. And, even more importantly–
"You're right. I'm alive, that's always nice. Rover is still alive, you're still alive..."
"See? Yer getting it. Feel better now?"
"...A little, yeah."
It was enough to stop me from chewing on my skin, but my body was still jittery. I took a deep breath. It helped a little.
"Since you brought it up, let's discuss a method of escape."
"Sounds good, but we oughta wait for the girl to wake up–"
"The girl... are you two talking about me?"
Shocked by the sudden third voice, I turned my head to the sleeping– rather, formerly sleeping –Rover. She rubbed her eyes and stretched her arms, then cracked her neck, wincing once she did.
"Ack! That hurt! Wait, where are we?"
I smiled. At the very least, it seemed like being beaten didn't change who she was.
"Welcome back, Rover. Did you sleep well?"
"Kenny, you..."
She didn't continue, just narrowing her eyes instead. She then stood up and looked around the room.
"This is... our apartment."
"I carried ya here on my shoulders. Ya don't have to thank me, but you oughta."
"Y-You carried me!? Ah, that means I got knocked out, right?"
Juke and I both nodded. Rover groaned and collapsed onto the couch, rubbing her temples.
"That sucks. That sucks so bad."
"I'm just happy that you're alright."
"Yeah... I might be alright, but I don't feel that way!"
She fiercely stood up and pumped her fist, then instantly had to catch her fall. I stood up worriedly.
"Y-You probably shouldn't move so much. You did just pass out, after all."
"...Whatever."
Despite her dismissive remark, she obliged to my suggestion, taking a seat and crossing her arms. I returned to sitting on my couch.
"Now that yer awake, let's get to our discussion."
"Discussion? What are we talking about?"
"We were just talking about leaving the city. Since you and I delivered the letter, we don't have any reason to be here."163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXI8FGHAmrD
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"Eh? Leave?"163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhzCsPbGZDj
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Her outrage at the proposition raised my eyebrow.163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOK9GylQ9e2
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"Yes? You do realize who, or rather, what we're dealing with, right?"163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ26bgd8C2K9
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"Yeah, I do. It's those scumbags, Hard-Bringer."163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt0DW7GQm4c
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Her words came from a place far more visceral than just her throat. They stunned me for a moment.163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuZQnv11IKG
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"Do ya have an alternative proposal?"163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe0oDgZxCvU
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"Yeah, I do," she yelled, stomping her foot on the ground, "I think we should eradicate those bastards!"163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbOoIDma8I6
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My eyes widened and almost popped out of my socket. I turned over to Juke to gauge his reaction, meeting eyes with him as he likely did the same for mine. Even though the shadow cast upon his face from his helmet, I could see the whites in his eyes.163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoktpUNOtlm
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We looked back at Rover. I couldn't speak for Juke, but my impression of her had just been discombobulated.163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHT2sCFmyOU
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"What are those looks for? Don't you feel the same?"163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKuPpmHpiS2
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"No."163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYWDZ9hVCu3
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"Nah."163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtiBiIkceha
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"H-Huh? You're lying to me! Of course, you want to see them destroyed!"163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUvrEk6hths
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I blinked a few times and pinched my skin. I realized that this was a reality that I was facing; that somehow, Rover truly wanted to fight Hard-Bringer.163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNwojJSeaNA
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I shook my head and thought that I should be civil about it, starting with forming an understanding.163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBFWl00yMUx
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"Rover... if I may ask, why are you so, uh, set on this?"163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFNPQ7SRmzD
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She looked at me as if I asked the dumbest question ever.163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQwqTwVgwTM
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"Why wouldn't I be? I hate Hard-Bringer just like anyone else!"163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDyayXtj6eB
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"W-Well, I get that, but this seems more than just passing scorn."163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDzjDoyDSVW
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"Passing what?"163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsXCb6nwS3j
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I sighed. My effort from ten seconds ago to prevent misunderstandings felt moot.163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhp4QQkGwfs
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"I think what Kenny's tryna say is that ya seem to have a vendetta against 'em."163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH5gWQYZqRE
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"A v-vendetta? That's not right, I just hate them like anyone else! I'm telling you!"163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdx6s6jxRGy
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Once the shock of her understanding what vendetta meant but not scorn washed away, I decided to confront her directly.163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW6K6KXE7s7
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"Hey, Rover–"163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoKSnODXUsH
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"Alright, ya don't like Hard-Bringer, we get it, but now ain't the time to be getting yer revenge or whatever."163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKyn1IGDn1Y
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Juke unintentionally cut me off. I would've been miffed, but as he was trying to diffuse the situation, I stayed silent.163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6BYVxk1Rgg
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"B-But, they're right here! You know how slippery these guys can be, don't you!?"163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh1FgCXXkNj
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"I don't, but I do know that ya got yer ass kicked by just one of 'em. Ya think trying to take 'em all down is a good idea?"163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLaopWXtfJT
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Rover looked taken aback, biting her lip as she threw a scowl at the floor. Knowing her–163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnOiHGvu9Jy
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"F-Fine. You're right."163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlWyfEsf9Ad
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I let out a sigh of relief, grateful that the chance of me being swayed at all had been removed.163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGIDVAETIoO
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"So what are we going to do? Are we going to go out on the streets sword's shining and escape?"163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDBdSMJqXiY
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"Nah, these are a crafty bunch of assholes. We need to think of a strategy."163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIdfd7VeBbM
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Rover shifted her gaze at me when Juke finished his sentence, putting me under sudden pressure.
"W-What?"
"Do you have any ideas?"
I did not begin to formulate them; before I did, I needed to establish conditions.
"Uh... well, to escape, we'll probably have to find Dennis and take the carriage."
"I'm with ya on the carriage, but how are ya planning on finding Dennis?"
I looked at the ground, pinching my chin.
"That's... I'm not sure. Do you remember when you last saw him, Juke?"
"Yeah, he was a few shoulders away from me in the crowd. Beats me where he is now, though. For all I know, the poor guy could be dead."
"Don't say that!"
I rose to my feet and narrowed my eyes at Juke.
"My bad, but ya can't deny the possibility."
"Y-You may be right, but I'd rather not think that."
I sat back down. My plotting thusly plagued with macabre thoughts, I was barely able to conjure up a good idea.
"Maybe the coachman's hiding away somewhere, or maybe he's passed out in the street, or maybe he really is dead. Now that he isn't around, it might as well be impossible to find him. Why didn't you two go searching for him?"
At Rover's vocal thinking and inquiry, I could only bite my finger. She was right; Juke and I shouldn't have left until–
"Ya passed out and we were being attacked by some lunatic with a mop for hair. It ain't fair to ask a question like that."
Juke responded in my place, giving an answer that assuaged my anxiety.
"I-I guess that's true... damn it."
Rover, visibly frustrated, crushed her couch's armrest.
"Then, what do we do?" I asked. I looked at the other two for a possible answer, but they looked just as void of them as I did.
I knew throwing stones in a glass house wasn't right, but–
"Are we seriously just going to leave him to die!?"
"Nah, we don't have to worry about him dying."
Juke made a strange comment, eliciting a look of intrigue from both me and Rover.
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"These Hard-Bringer folks are a real pain in the ass. They're volatile, destructive bastards, and worst of all, they're downright crazy."
"You're just spilling the obvious!" Rover yelled.
"That may be so, but I ain't done yet. They may be crazy, but they ain't trying to hurt anybody deliberately."
I stared blankly at Juke. Indeed, he was serious, and when I thought about his assessment–
"That disheveled man wouldn't have attacked us if it weren't for our being on a mission."
"Ya get it. Why he wants our heads in particular is a whole 'nother mystery, but that guy ain't the only evidence. I didn't see any of those robed freaks attack some stranger on the street. They probably don't give two shits about collateral damage, but the only folks they were attacking were those who attacked 'em."
I sifted through my memory to double-check his assessment. My recollection was hazy, but I remembered the sea of people vividly.
"If they wanted to kill... then the crowd would've been slaughtered on the spot."
Juke nodded along to my conclusion.
"Yep, that's a great point. We don't gotta worry about Dennis' well-being."
This collective observation Juke and I made was undeniably reassuring. It made the prospect of leaving Dennis here less treacherous and more reasonable.
However, the root problem wasn't addressed.
"...It doesn't sit right with me. It's not just Dennis, but there's Lola, and Mason, and Pars, too. But! But... If they'll be fine while our lives will be the ones in danger, then leaving would be smart, I think."
That was my conclusion. I looked at Juke, and he was nodding along with me. Then, I looked at Rover.
She did not do anything so kind. Her eyes were narrowed; she glared daggers into my very soul, accompanied by a foul grimace.
"R-Rover?"
"For a minute, I was considering what you two said. But I think I get it now– at least I get you, Kenny."
I stared at her blankly, a sinking feeling forming in my gut.
"You're the weirdest wimp I've ever met."
"--!"
The world around me turned to black, and it was just me and Rover. My eyes couldn't blink, I couldn't even breathe. I wanted to respond to her, but the words didn't even form in my mind. They had no chance to do so in my throat.163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVsOzmLiKpZ
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My mind had shut off.163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOAPOp8xzXy
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"The hell are ya saying, girl?"163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡclQrBlQ0Ku
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"I'll tell you what I'm saying!"163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdZkGA4YvOX
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Rover stood up, stomping the ground.
"I don't buy into the shit you're saying, that's what! This shit about how, 'Oh they won't get hurt!' 'Oh, they're only gonna attack us!' Are you fucking kidding me!?"163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFkalMwqHhK
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She swiped her arm across, glaring at Juke.163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRBzpKSII80
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"You don't know shit! You don't know what Hard-Bringer's like! So what if they didn't kill the crowd, do you really think that means they won't kill anyone at all? Are you crazy!?"163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWkgPq0iair
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"..."163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1Aodsc98OJ
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"And why are you keeping quiet, huh!? And you, Kenny!"163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdZAhz50lFe
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She brought me out of my trance. I flinched, casting a weak gaze on her.163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAv5zsQrRPX
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"Why are you believing it!? I know you're not a dumbass– hell, you fought them! You saw how evil they were first-hand! They'd go attacking a kid if they just felt like it!"163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBbPR6kZQ2f
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"I–"163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUmzdXiBobJ
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"So why are you running away, huh!?"163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn9VlaSuJfN
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I couldn't respond to that. I wanted to desperately say "But I'm not running away," or "But it's the most tactical decision," but I couldn't. Whether I believed those assertions to be true or not was irrelevant.
That question hit me too hard in a place too close.163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDgIIIy9IqO
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"...Tch."163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqc7E1EJAgW
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She stormed away, stomping to the door. That's when I spoke up.163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH8FC571ugi
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"W-Wait, Rover–"163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP34SQF5ueU
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"What!?"163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGRYWY7i6UE
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I swallowed hard before responding.163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtCwg88WI6y
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"I-It's dangerous, you know. And, Juke is right, they're set on killing us–"163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy9h6LUGtao
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"So what? I'll just beat 'em back like the reckless bitch I am!"163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmYEt8iMHJw
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Her statement was so ridiculous I almost couldn't cough my next words out.163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVvd1F1cxZl
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"B-But, you saw what happened, right? Y-You'll just get beat up again, and then you could, d-die. You even agreed with that idea!"163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ35T1fNtrvD
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She narrowed her eyes and huffed at me with a face of disappointment.163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ43eLBMu4yq
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"It wasn't until you brought up that idiot with the crossbows that I remembered you telling me to try teamwork. Did you forget it too?"163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwspcOeMabu
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I froze.163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCl8fwvqLe1
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"I'm sure Lola and that guy with the crossbows want to push back. I'll join them, and I'll fight. I might even befriend them, and then we'll win!"163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyabYE6PN9D
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My voice and strength faded. I almost raised my hand out as if to reach her.163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4ELc3GkXtE
163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4MTJ3wzDcg
"Are you... serious?"163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs0ZjQIJBzm
163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvNGgRexkmS
"Hell yes, I am!"163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZA7Lel10j5
163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbHI9hBwh70
My arm went limp. Everything below my neck followed. I only had the strength to keep my head up.163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnpaOIbB8I7
163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqAT79j992H
"If you two want to leave, go right ahead, but I'm staying. Hard-Bringer– I have no interest in letting them run around. And you, Kenny."163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5Yb1ZB0bN4
163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo4Um0XS7AP
She pointed a finger at me. But, she didn't immediately speak. She twitched her brow and gritted her teeth, shook her head then growled.163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJJ5SEykRfY
163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA1Adscz7FI
"Fuck! You're pissing me off!"
It came out as a yell. She flung the door open, practically leaped past the threshold, and slammed the door behind her.163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5MCUjmIGlu
163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTwJx9LSCVL
"...W-Wait."163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIG2QVagfWV
163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5Hhlv3EXiY
I wasn't sure what being inside me compelled me to do so, but I stood up. I stood up and walked to the door with an arm out, but I stopped just short of putting my hand on the knob. I couldn't touch it, I wasn't allowed to touch it.163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMlw7mI3K8L
163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJdQy5wj7mr
Too much had happened. It was too much, just too much, too much too much too much–163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGClRdltxFA
163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpppkUAn9WR
"Are ya gonna go with her, kid?"163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDEJhai1KQk
163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWvlnm3PIJo
Juke asked me the very question that had me stuck. Now that it was verbally addressed, I didn't know what to say.163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6fgpy67IRk
163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa3mKrD4Xol
But I had to say something.163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmeGs885IeY
163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZYr6JxY5qO
"I don't... I don't know. I don't know what to do."163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5Hcp4TRgps
163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRtJlb3EVx6
He sighed. I couldn't see him, but I'm sure he put his hand on his helmet.
163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZCnWmL4XHW
"What a mess."
"Y-Yeah."
"Well kid, if yer gonna go after her, be my guest, but ya should go now. She's a quick one."163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFIjYG5svM6
163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa1VJHfYRYO
"Yeah. She is quick, isn't she?"163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCL33IHPXtb
163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7yvfus4mJ8
I still couldn't move it. I couldn't even get it to nudge an inch. It was so close, only, only, only–163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1D9BkpovaH
163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEAMhAyK6G4
Did I really want to open this door?163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbvQDjhoOXl
163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDb1BrepymT
"...I don't know what to do."163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAnOLK5yYIu
163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4TgeoUzkRT
My legs shook. I was aware enough not to let them cave in and fall, so I just fell on my butt, staring at the knob.163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqkMK3S6Z6a
163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡADHVPn7I0m
"...Hey, Juke."163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnGVDZWeH3h
163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeuBntGtgFo
"Yeah?"163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSMG1v6i9Nu
163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9MZh9zveZP
"How sure are you of your assumption? That we're the only ones who will get attacked?"163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3etiqzmZVu
163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ20neSGDdZM
"I think it's pretty likely."163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq7ZgM2NV9z
163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFzWmWuBBkk
"...I see."
So, it was nothing more than an educated guess. Yet, I saw its merits. I believed in it.163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXlKk7KvH2Z
163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbyrJKGFttp
So why was it that the door grew larger and larger in scale? Why did it overtake the entirety of my vision and fog my mind?163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBXhJHjtdpP
163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtXBkTEdVhv
"..."163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZHwi4jLNqJ
163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFkDUzpXjJL
I stood up and bit my finger. Only once. I didn't grind, I didn't chomp, it was a quick, singular bite. I turned around and walked to the couch and took a seat.163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAJFxqOylpU
163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLzswZIbc1B
"It's late, so I'm gonna go hit the hay. 'Night, kid."163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ08fKReDTJb
163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ59PX8ZftvT
"Yeah, goodnight."163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrIMKFtoebx
163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbQlqSN8tMX
Juke stood up and waltzed to his room. Now I sat there, alone, with only my thoughts to keep me company.163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtQwEJ8sADC
163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdNYrAkjle1
"..."163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0KYV7kpHP4
163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbjDXVeTmP5
Cold and composed, I mulled over the situation. I rested my chin on my hand and I gazed at the wall. I was thinking. Yes, I was thinking. I was thinking a lot.163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2uZ5YYM5ii
163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBuAo1AP9WN
"...Damn it. Damn it. D-Damn it."163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4RViK7JNI4
163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGZSh48SVRa
By letting Rover go alone... Did I condemn her? That had to be what I just did, right?163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNhPsLC7neO
163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPAJRhiPExy
"..."163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1K8pAm5nlz
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I mulled over the question. I couldn't draw a conclusion. No, it's not that I couldn't, but that I refused to.163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwdskw5DvW5
163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDhG3DwuDOj
Leaving through that door; consternation was all the idea drew. I didn't freeze, but with what Rover had told me, it was truly just impossible.
The door stayed shut that night.
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