Fire Hides the Stars

I can't figure out what's wrong with Dango tonight. Does he have some brain damage I couldn't detect? Or maybe he hasn't had enough rest to heal... Going over there and talking to him wouldn't help, it's better to leave him alone with his thoughts for now. He'll calm down on his own, as always.

I go back to cooking for the three of them. As soon as the food is ready, I give it to Beatrice and Punch. They seem to enjoy it. Seeing her smile like that... I don't know why, but I feel a sense of lightness in my chest.

After that, the mutant seems to fall asleep almost immediately. While I keep Beatrice company in her bed for a while. The passing clouds have thinned and we watch the stars together. Beatrice seems to shine like them as she watches them. It's also the first time she's seen the starry sky.

Hesitantly, I reach out my hand towards hers. I don't understand why I'm doing it, or why I hesitate to do it. But... I feel like that's what I want right now.

My hand finally reaches hers. I feel an uncertain movement from Beatrice, in the end, she reciprocates and we hold hands.

I would like to pay more attention to the starry sky, but I can't help but focus only on Beatrice. The night light reflecting on her makes her shine like snow. Looking at her is like admiring the moon.

After a few minutes, I let her sleep in peace and go back to working on the weapons. Shortly after, Dango also comes out of his den and sits by the fire. He doesn't take his eyes off Punch for a moment.

We spend a couple of hours in silence with the crackling of the embers. He keeps himself busy keeping the fire alive. As soon as I finish a weapon, he places it near the vehicle to let it cool down.

«Dango, you've been acting strange all night, can you tell me what's going on?» I ask, interrupting the oppressive silence.

«What's up, now you want to talk about it?»

«I already told you. I want you to open up more.»

«The last time I checked my ID card, it didn't say my name was Julius Caesar. So stop stabbing me in the back.»

«I don't understand, how am I betraying you?»

«You're always against me about the mutant.»

«Punch.»

«Mutant.»

«... Why do you hate him so much? He's harmless.»

«If he was harmless, where are his masters? Why did he wander around for an hour before approaching us? And why did he approach right where you couldn't see him? Didn't you ask yourself these questions?»

«… No.»

He's right, I took for granted that he couldn't do any harm. However, so far he has proven to be kind and Beatrice seems to have taken a liking to him. I can't hurt him.

«Those are very good reasons, but he hasn't given us any reason to see him as a threat.»

«He wanders around too suspiciously and since he's been here we've been arguing all the time.»

«Actually, you wander around suspiciously too, and when we argue, or rather, when you argue, it's because of your emotional instability... You know, Beatrice has always been afraid of that. But she tried not to say anything, because she knew it's not entirely your fault.»

He looks at me with a sullen look, I think he understands where the conversation is going.

«Yes, I'm talking about your medical records. We know you have some problems. And that's why we always try to forgive you. Despite what you tell us. Like tonight, when you vented on us and said all those things about Vincent.»

I throw the sword, sticking it near his feet.

«Take it, I finished that one too... Try not to kill us in our sleep in a fit of rage.»

We remain silent for a long time and in the meantime I have also finished the last weapon.

«I'm going back to sleep. You do whatever you want.»

As soon as I lie down under the covers and spoon with Beatrice, I see Dango pick up the stick with his food that I had left him. He takes just one bite and puts it back where he got it.

After a brief moment of silence, he mumbles something barely perceptible. «Finally you learned how to cook...»

***

Four hours later, the sky begins to lighten.

Dango hasn't stopped staring thoughtfully at the one-handed sword I gave him. Since he pulled it from the ground, he hasn't let it go for a second.

I hear a rustle of the trees, Dango rolls to the side, where he was, a figure in black with red neon crashes to the ground, armed with a plaser sword.

I didn't know there were hot suits of that color.

Dango goes on guard, I jump up, they start dueling, Beatrice wakes up, I run towards the figure, I try to hit it from behind, it dodges, Dango tries to intercept it with a slash, it lowers itself and kicks Dango in the stomach.

He doesn't seem as reactive as he was in training. He hasn't eaten since Vincent's house and he must have slept a total of an hour and a half. I have to try to compensate.

I notice that Punch has already escaped the danger zone, he is hidden behind the vehicle, where we left the weapons.

«Punch, the broadsword!»

But he seems too scared to move. I can't leave Dango alone. He's barely parrying the enemy's blows, continuing to retreat.

I pick up a branch from the fire, throw it at the enemy, hit him in the head, it doesn't seem to have any effect, he just turns slightly towards me, Dango takes advantage of it, hits him on the neck with the pommel of the sword, they both take a step back.

«Pierrot!»

It's Beatrice, she throws me a one and a half-handed sword, I catch it on the fly, I immediately run into the fight, I jump, the enemy parries my slash, Dango joins in from the side.

Unexpectedly, he draws another plaser sword. His arms seem to move autonomously, keeping up with both of us with extraordinary dexterity and agility. His strength seems to match mine, could he be an android too?

We're in a stalemate, or maybe we're at a disadvantage. Dango is panting from exertion and his sweat evaporates in the cold air.

Even though the weapons we are using are coated with graphene, I don't know how long they can withstand the blows of the high temperatures of the plaser. The blades, blow after blow, become increasingly incandescent. It doesn't take long before he manages to disarm me and knock Dango down.

I'm scared. We're going to die. I wasn't up to the battle. I couldn't protect Beatrice. I'm sorry Vincent, I won't be able to keep the promise I made you.

Dango gets back up, the enemy attacks him, he parries, the sword breaks, the second sword approaches Dango's side, he quickly grabs the broken blade, his flesh sizzles at the contact with the red-hot blade, he grits his teeth, deflects the blow, a blade comes out of the enemy's chest.

The sword is pulled out and he falls to the ground, revealing Beatrice's empty gaze. Her whole body is still.

Slowly, her breath returns. Her body begins to tremble. She brings her gaze to her bloodstained hands.

Slowly, her breath returns. Her body begins to tremble. She looks at her hands, which are covered in blood.

«AAAAAAAAAAAHHH!!!!»

Her heart-wrenching scream echoes through the forest. Followed by tears, a cry. Without even looking at each other, Dango and I drop our weapons to the ground, we kneel beside her. We hug her and start rocking her.

At the contact I immediately feel every fiber of her body trembling and her breath continues to contract in the space between us.

Dango puts a hand on her head and with a slow movement caresses her hair. Even if a little, I feel her starting to calm down.