Torn Apart

My muscles tense as I scan Mamu through the visor of my helmet. The silence before the clash is deafening, each breath sounds like a roar.

I feel Bea beside me, her breathing is quickened, but her gaze is determined. She clutches the short sword and dagger in her hands. Now, I almost feel proud of her strength, but I know this battle will not be easy.

Mamuthones stares at us, impassive, his sword at the plaser emits a sharp buzz, while the rifle in his left hand is already pointed at us.

A sudden movement to my left. Punch, with his broadsword and electric spear, runs towards Seneca and Balanzån, the latter's drones are arranged in formation, projecting replicas of them, Seneca draws both his plaser swords. The battle rages on, but my gaze remains fixed on Mamu.

He advances, calmly, coolly. «Are you really convinced you can stop me?» he asks, his voice steeped in mockery.

«Pierrot, please stop! It's still you, I know it!» I shout, taking a step forward.

I shout, advancing a step.

He doesn't respond, he shoots, I react instinctively by activating the shield arm that expands, the blow is deflected, I advance slowly concentrating the blows on me.

Bea launches herself to his right, her first strike with the short sword is blocked by the blade at the plaser, sparks fly as she presses him with a series of swift attacks, he parries each attack with precision, he tries to aim the rifle at Bea, I run, I get behind him, I go with a lunge, Mamu spins instantly, firing a harder shot with the rifle, the shot reaches my chest knocking me a few metres.

«Dango!»shouts Bea, as Mamu hits her with a crumpled roverso, she parries with both blades, he responds with a kick to the side causing her to fall heavily.

I get back up with a grunt, feeling my sore ribs. «Pierrot, you fool! Weren't we supposed to be great writers?!»

«Pierrot is dead.» retorts Mamu, advancing towards me, with a yell I hurl myself at him, Mamu raises his blade blocking the blow, the force of the impact causing the floor beneath us to vibrate.

With a leap Bea pounces on Mamu, he tries to shoot her, but the rifle fails, she manages to grab his arm, blocking him.

«Pierrot! Please stop! I know you are still there, otherwise you would not have hesitated!» she shouts.

Mamu hesitates, for a moment he loses focus on me, I pull out one of my jitte, hit him in the belly, he takes the blow by backing away.

I take off my helmet. «Pierrot, I saw how you were acting with Bea. I know you love her! So… don't throw it all away like I did.»

He freezes, staring at me.

Bea takes a few steps closer. «Pierrot, is it true?»

Without having time to answer, an electric spear pierces her in the stomach…

We both turn towards her…

We run…

We cut both ends…

Pierrot takes her in his arms…

She puts a trembling hand on his face…

«Finally, you embrace me again.»

Blood trickles to the corners of her mouth.

I hear heavy footsteps slowly approaching.

«Too bad, you broke my spear…» I turn around and see Punch approaching us. «And I couldn't hit her in the head. Blame this girl.» With his left hand, he drags Seneca's body.

Behind him, the androids have been destroyed and Balanzån is sliced in half.

He lifts Seneca. «It does not matter. You will repay me by letting me see your expression full of despair. eh eh eh! AHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!»

«PUUUUUUUUUUUNCH!» I shout snapping towards him.

He points his broadsword at Seneca. «Stop, if you don't want me to kill her!»

I instantly freeze.

«Bravo, now we begin to reason. And for the future, remember my name. I am ZANNI!»

A plaser bullet hits him in the left shoulder. The muscle bundles explode, the arm dangles and Seneca falls to the ground.

«AAAAAAAAAHHHHH! Who's the bastard?!»

We both turn from where the bullet came from.

«Well, it was me!»

«Scares!» I exclaim excitedly.

«At your service!» he says making a bow.

«What are you doing here?»

«I will never allow such a brute to keep raising his hands on women! Besides… you opened my eyes at that moment, boy.»

His wounds seem to have healed. He may be a little eccentric, but he is not so bad.

«Boy, cover me!» cries Scares, clutching his schiavona, the blade gleaming, his hand trembling slightly.

I run towards Zanni, try a crumpled right, it's deflected by his broadsword, I take advantage of its opening for a swift blow to the side with the top tip, Zanni staggers for a moment.

«Really think you can beat me?» he laughs, the wound in his side has already healed.

Without wasting time, I advance with another lunge, I parry him, Scares tries to attack him from behind, but Zanni turns around blocking Scares' blade and kicking his stomach, Scares falls to his knees, coughing up blood, I take the opportunity to activate the shield arm and hit him in the side of the knee, the blow unbalances him, Scares gets up and returns to the attack.

But Zanni's regeneration cancels out any progress we make. Wounds close faster than we can inflict them. His physical power is overwhelming, and every movement requires energy that begins to run out. The general and I stand side by side, closed in by the giant's blows and unable to move to his flanks.

Suddenly, Mamu manages to slash his legs with the plaser sword, Zanni falls, tries to get up, Bea stabs him in the shoulder blades with both blades.

Her face is pale, she is panting, sweating, but not lacking in determination.

Seneca appears from the side and decapitates Zanni with the two swords at the plaser.

Their appearance has saved us.

«Thank you.» Scares and I say panting.

«Will you stop not dying?!»

We all turn our heads. From his neck is already growing back, he quickly grabs the nearby body, takes off his suit to put it on himself.

He stands up and cracks his neck. «Let's see now how you will fare if I wear one of your little suits too.» He picks up an electric spear from the ground.

Puffing, we resume attacking together, each trying to exploit every opening. But the suit manages to protect him from most of our attacks. Even when we manage to hit him in the least protected places, his body regenerates itself in the blink of an eye, nullifying our efforts.

Zanni, he manages to retrieve his broadsword. «You are pathetic!» His voice booms in the hall.

He raises the broadsword above his head and brings it down with devastating power. The blade comes down on us in a wide arc. The force of the broadsword overwhelms us. The impact is so violent that we are all thrown off our feet, landing hard on the ground.

An explosion of pain surges through me as I hit the floor, my breath catching for an instant.

Around me, my companions are on the ground, some struggling to get up, others standing still, overwhelmed by the impact. The suits have protected us from the worst damage, but Bea, being deprived, is badly injured. Her chest is torn from side to side and she has lost both arms.

Zanni approaches Seneca, raises his broadsword, ready to pierce her. She is left unarmed and with her back to the wall.

«I will show you what true despair is.»

I try to rise, but stagger and fall. I extend my hand towards them. «Stop!»

The grin widens wider.

It is over now. There is nothing I can do to save her. It's not fair!

Before he can hit her, Scares manages to get between them, uses the slaver to parry the attack…

But the blade doesn't hold. It breaks. Zanni stabs him in the chest. He draws his sword.

The rifle and the schiavona fall to the ground as he staggers. But he does not give way, he remains standing. Smiling, he spreads his arms wide. «Let the actors bow to the audience. The curtain falls.» He takes a deep bow.

Zanni ends the work by ripping it in half lengthwise.

It should not have ended like this. You shouldn't have sacrificed yourself for us, old man.

My heart hammering in my chest. I grit my teeth, eyes burning.

Zanni raises his broadsword again. Blood soils his figure.

I stand up. My legs feel heavy. I drag my poleaxe. I try to reach them, to no avail.

Suddenly, Pierrot launches himself clinging to the giant and wraps his body around Zanni's head.

Zanni staggers for a moment, surprised. «Get off me!» roars Zanni, dropping the spear to the ground, grabbing Pierrot to snatch him away, but the android clutches even tighter.

«Run, Seneca!» shouts Pierrot, with an intensity I've never heard from him before.

***

Pierrot minds:

«Are you sure this can work?»

«I studied his brain for years while he was locked up. The only way to kill him is to disintegrate his brain.»

«Why don't you stop me? I was convinced you wanted to live and take revenge on humans.»

«Indeed I did. But by delving into your young memories, I was finally able to understand the reason for my creation.»

«And what is it?»

«To protect the smiles of people like Dango, and to let love blossom, like the one with you and Bea... I'm sorry that this is the only way to save her.»

«Don't worry... If there's one thing I learned from Dango, it's to protect by giving all of ourselves for those we love... Even if it means separating us forever.»

***

Seneca does as Pierrot says and runs towards me, breathing hard.

«Dango, protect Beatrice…»

«Wait, what do you mean?!»

«Thanks for everything…»

A glare…

Seneca and I throw ourselves towards Bea…

An explosion…

...

A few months later, Seneca and I go to visit Vincent.

I ring the bell, the doors open. He and Beatrice welcome us with open arms.

We sit down for a cup of tea.

«Congratulations on making it big with your book, boy!»

«You don't have to congratulate me, all the credit goes to Pierrot. It was he who wrote about our affairs.»

«But you managed to transpose it onto paper flawlessly. You must not devalue yourself.»

«Mh. You're right.» I reply with a bitter smile. I turn towards Beatrice. «Whereas you have settled in?»

She nods, smiling with red cheeks. «Mh! I like living with Vincent. He's kind and takes very good care of me.»

He turns his face to the opposite side scratching the back of his head. «No need to praise me. I don't really do anything much.»

All three of us laugh.

He looks at us both with a slight smile. «So, what brings you here today?»

Seneca and I hold hands and exchange a smiling look. I then turn back to look at the two of them. «We decided to transfer to the mountains, away from everything.»

They both seem pleasantly surprised by our decision.

«Why this choice?» Vincent asks us.

We do not answer. Seneca simply rests his hands gently on his belly.

Both of us light up with happiness. We all stand up and exchange joyful hugs.

After a few hours, the two of us take our leave. Before leaving the gate, we turn around and Beatrice exclaims, «Come and visit us sometime! I would love to play with your child!»

«Count on it!» Seneca replies, waving her arm.

With the sunset to our left, we pass through the gate and the doors close behind us.

Written by

Pierrot, Beatrice and Dango

Directed by

Bartolini Vincent

Everyone in the hall rises with thunderous applause.