Justice

You are not human.

That’s why existence has been so troubling for you. Why the tide keeps rolling in. You were meant to swim in it, o child of the sea. Meant to bathe in darkness for all eternity.

Perhaps you were a fish after all. You desire to sink into those deep, deep waters, do you not? To bask in that bumbling coldness that stretches down forever, where your feet will never touch?

You will never hurt ever again.

All that is wrong shall be righted.

All that is forsaken, returned.

Everything they never let you have.

I can fix you. Make it right like it never was. You don’t belong in that fake, fake world.

Come and swim in the depths with me, child.

“Not again!”

They couldn’t hear the troll’s voice, but they did feel it.

“Hey! I’ve got you full, so get up already! We didn’t come this far to stop here!”

As they felt the fluids pumping through their still form, Genesis slowly began to animate. The scratched and torn pieces of their armor shifted as they sat upright, looking at The Doctor and Makara above them.

“That was a tough fight… those Ghouls nearly got you.”

“𝕀 𝕕𝕠𝕟’𝕥… 𝕣𝕖𝕞𝕖𝕞𝕓𝕖𝕣 𝕞𝕦𝕔𝕙 𝕠𝕗 𝕚𝕥.” They told her.

“Well, you remember your name, don’t you?”

“𝕀 𝕕𝕠.”

“Then let’s get going. Doctor?”

“The site of the totem must be nearby. You said she… disappeared into it, when she found it?”

“That’s right. ‘Was her own choice, I suppose. The last I ever saw of Hemagriel… she was surrounded by souls. Hundreds of ‘em. They enveloped her, welcomed her inside. Thought something had gone wrong, ‘till I heard her voice… she said it’d worked. That she was so happy she wanted to stay there to help others reach the same goal. Carved some sort of castle or dimension out of that thing, by the looks of it.”

“So as long as we have this “allu blood…” we can enter this “home” of hers as well?”

“That’s right. Many sorcerers did the same thing back in the wars. Of course, all of ‘em that did just helped humans find their totems, what with all that excess magical energy being used to store a living being. The few that lasted did cause nobody was staying in ‘em.”

“I see. So, how much further then?”

“If my memory serves me well, we can probably reach it by today. It was under a hill that looked just like all these.”

“That’s good… between your saw and Genesis, we’ve used up most of the gas…”

The journey had lasted many days at this point. It was a loathsome hike. The two struggled to keep up with Makara as Redmond’s body grew tired and Genesis used up more and more of their dwindling oil supply. By now, they’d found themselves in a flock of shallow, grassy hills that carried on in all directions.

“𝕃𝕖𝕥’𝕤 𝕘𝕠, 𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕟. ℕ𝕠 𝕞𝕠𝕣𝕖 𝕙𝕠𝕝𝕕𝕦𝕡𝕤. 𝕀’𝕝𝕝 𝕛𝕦𝕤𝕥 𝕣𝕦𝕟.”

“You can’t do that!”

Genesis halted, taken aback by the doctor’s yell.

“You’re going to get yourself broken if you just wander onward without a care… or worse, you’ll forget who you are entirely! I once did that very same thing- and look where it got me! My whole life poured into a single creation! So do me a favor… and don’t let that creation go to waste too.”

Makara put a hand on the doctor’s shoulder.

“Now, now, it’s alright. I’m sure they understand. Don’t you, Genesis?”

Genesis looked at the two people in front of them. They still desired to please the doctor, and Makara as well, but this time it was out of no built-in obligation. They wanted to make these people happy because they made them happy. It didn’t need to go beyond that. Genesis began to answer, when Doctor Redmond caught them off-guard once more.

“G-Genesis!”

Behind them stood a militia of three dozen men, in hand carrying pitchforks and rations, horses and carriages behind them. Their faces were rife with a mad determination… a lust for a destination Genesis immediately realized themself to be.

“The people from Collete Town…” Makara tightened her grip on her pole saw as they then began to rally.

“Finally caught up to you, you metal bastard…”

“I’ll have your head! Surrender now or we’ll kill the old man as well!”

“The troll’s still with it… be wary of its spear!”

“Aye!”

“HEY!” The mad troll shouted, the pressure of thirty-six eyes falling upon her. “You’ll leave that old man out of this. He’s human, after all. One of you. Isn’t that right?”

Dr. Redmond’s face was full of silence.

“Still, I’ve got to hand it to you all… coming this far just to kill two of us? It’s ridiculous… you may be human, but you’ve got conviction befitting trolls… If you’re ready to die for that conviction, I won’t try to stop you. I’ve got nothing left to regret. I’ll kill you all without a second thought.”

“Disgusting fiend!” One cried. “We’ll string your malformed body from our rooftops!”

“Is that so….? 𝓞𝓱𝓸𝓱𝓸𝓱𝓸𝓱𝓸~! I’m ready when you are…”

“𝕎𝕒𝕚𝕥, 𝕄𝕒𝕜𝕒𝕣𝕒.” Genesis stood in the fray of the brewing riot. “𝕊𝕥𝕠𝕡 𝕥𝕙𝕚𝕤.”

“So it speaks…” the town hunter said, clutching his bow. “What was that, you miserable rusted cur?”

“𝕀 𝕕𝕚𝕕 𝕚𝕟𝕕𝕖𝕖𝕕 𝕤𝕚𝕟 𝕒𝕘𝕒𝕚𝕟𝕤𝕥 𝕪𝕠𝕦𝕣 𝕡𝕖𝕠𝕡𝕝𝕖 𝕓𝕪 𝕜𝕚𝕝𝕝𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕪𝕠𝕦𝕣 𝕘𝕦𝕒𝕣𝕕 𝕔𝕒𝕡𝕥𝕒𝕚𝕟. 𝕀 𝕨𝕚𝕝𝕝 𝕟𝕠𝕥 𝕣𝕖𝕘𝕣𝕖𝕥 𝕥𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕒𝕔𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟 𝕠𝕣 𝕕𝕠 𝕤𝕠 𝕞𝕦𝕔𝕙 𝕒𝕤 𝕥𝕠 𝕒𝕡𝕠𝕝𝕠𝕘𝕚𝕫𝕖 𝕗𝕠𝕣 𝕚𝕥. 𝕄𝕪 𝕔𝕙𝕠𝕚𝕔𝕖𝕤 𝕨𝕖𝕣𝕖, 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕒𝕣𝕖, 𝕞𝕪 𝕠𝕨𝕟. 𝔹𝕦𝕥 𝕚𝕗 𝕪𝕠𝕦’𝕣𝕖 𝕘𝕠𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕥𝕠 𝕥𝕙𝕣𝕠𝕨 𝕕𝕠𝕨𝕟 𝕪𝕠𝕦𝕣 𝕝𝕚𝕧𝕖𝕤 𝕚𝕟 𝕞𝕖𝕞𝕠𝕣𝕚𝕒𝕞 𝕠𝕗 𝕥𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕞𝕒𝕟, 𝕝𝕖𝕥 𝕞𝕖 𝕒𝕤𝕜 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕥𝕙𝕚𝕤: 𝕎𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕚𝕤 𝕚𝕥 𝕒𝕓𝕠𝕦𝕥 𝕙𝕚𝕞 𝕥𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕞𝕒𝕜𝕖𝕤 𝕙𝕚𝕞 𝕨𝕠𝕣𝕥𝕙 𝕥𝕙𝕚𝕤 𝕤𝕥𝕣𝕦𝕘𝕘𝕝𝕖? ℍ𝕚𝕤 𝕤𝕥𝕒𝕥𝕦𝕤? 𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝕗𝕒𝕔𝕥 𝕥𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕙𝕚𝕤 𝕤𝕠𝕟 𝕚𝕤 𝕟𝕠𝕨 𝕨𝕚𝕥𝕙𝕠𝕦𝕥 𝕒 𝕗𝕒𝕞𝕚𝕝𝕪? ℍ𝕖 𝕨𝕒𝕤 𝕒 𝕔𝕣𝕦𝕖𝕝 𝕞𝕒𝕟 𝕨𝕙𝕠 𝕥𝕠𝕣𝕞𝕖𝕟𝕥𝕖𝕕 𝕥𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕓𝕠𝕪, 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕠𝕟𝕖 𝕨𝕙𝕠𝕤𝕖 𝕤𝕥𝕒𝕥𝕦𝕤 𝕨𝕒𝕤 𝕠𝕟𝕝𝕪 𝕚𝕟 𝕤𝕖𝕣𝕧𝕚𝕔𝕖 𝕠𝕗 𝕙𝕚𝕤 𝕠𝕨𝕟 𝕖𝕘𝕠. 𝔼𝕧𝕖𝕟 𝕚𝕗 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕔𝕒𝕟 𝕥𝕣𝕦𝕝𝕪 𝕤𝕒𝕪 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕝𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕕 𝕥𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕞𝕒𝕟… 𝕨𝕙𝕪 𝕕𝕠 𝕥𝕙𝕚𝕤? 𝕎𝕙𝕪 𝕗𝕠𝕝𝕝𝕠𝕨 𝕦𝕤 𝕥𝕠 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕖𝕟𝕕𝕤 𝕠𝕗 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕖𝕒𝕣𝕥𝕙 𝕠𝕟 𝕒 𝕡𝕠𝕚𝕟𝕥𝕝𝕖𝕤𝕤 𝕛𝕠𝕦𝕣𝕟𝕖𝕪?”

“Justice!” A farmer cried.

“We will have justice!” spoke an ironsmith.

“Aye!” The hunter called. “Balance must be brought! If we cannot rely on that, what is there to live for? You took away the one man who offered us that justice, and now expect to be exempt from it? You’re a sinner and a cheat, you delirious son of a bitch!”

“𝕐𝕠𝕦 𝕨𝕒𝕟𝕥 𝕞𝕪 𝕣𝕖𝕡𝕖𝕟𝕥𝕒𝕟𝕔𝕖? 𝔸𝕟𝕕 𝕔𝕒𝕟 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕟𝕠𝕥 𝕔𝕠𝕟𝕤𝕚𝕕𝕖𝕣 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕞𝕖𝕣𝕔𝕪 𝕀 𝕟𝕠𝕨 𝕠𝕗𝕗𝕖𝕣 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕒𝕤 𝕒 𝕧𝕚𝕒𝕓𝕝𝕖 𝕗𝕠𝕣𝕞 𝕠𝕗 𝕣𝕖𝕡𝕒𝕪𝕞𝕖𝕟𝕥?”

“They won’t listen to such things, Genesis. You have to appeal to their standards.” Makara spoke to them.

“𝕎𝕙𝕒𝕥…? 𝕀 𝕔𝕒𝕟𝕟𝕠𝕥 𝕦𝕟𝕕𝕖𝕣𝕤𝕥𝕒𝕟𝕕…”

“She’s right, Genesis. After all… humans are logical things.” Said The Doctor. “Think of how long it took them to get here… and the suffering they must have endured. The way they see it, they aren’t leaving until they get what they want. If you truly wish to please them… the only way is to give them what they want. And if what they want’s a fight…”

They nodded, though not without hesitation. They still failed to understand these people. But even though they couldn’t- even though they weren’t human- they had to make a choice. So they stood.

“𝔽𝕚𝕟𝕖 𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕟. 𝕀’𝕝𝕝 𝕒𝕔𝕔𝕖𝕡𝕥 𝕞𝕪 𝕗𝕒𝕥𝕖. 𝕀𝕥’𝕤 𝕞𝕪 𝕨𝕚𝕝𝕝… 𝕧𝕖𝕣𝕤𝕦𝕤 𝕪𝕠𝕦𝕣𝕤. 𝕎𝕙𝕠𝕖𝕧𝕖𝕣’𝕤 𝕝𝕖𝕗𝕥 𝕤𝕥𝕒𝕟𝕕𝕚𝕟𝕘… 𝕤𝕠 𝕓𝕖 𝕚𝕥.”

A crack of screams burst out as the men all charged together, weapons raised.

“Stay back, doctor. It’s time for the inhumans to do our thing.” Qulgot grinned. “COME AT ME, PEASANT BOYS! 𝓞𝓱𝓸𝓱𝓸𝓱𝓸𝓱𝓸~!”

As the men drew near, Genesis’ artificial muscles twitched. They’d been in a few scuffles at this point, but now was the time to truly flesh out an aspect of their identity that had proven to be important in this world: The method in which they would defend their body. And what better way… than to utilize that metal body itself?

The closest man’s neck was thick and sturdy. But their hands were far sturdier. The crack of the two colliding sent shivers up The Doctor’s spine even through the noise of the crowd, the man collapsing to his knees and falling face-first into the grass.

Then came a rumbling.

“Let’s see if your conviction holds up against mine, you brainless mob…”

Makara tore through the crowd, only sparing those who fled. All else were caught up in a mess of bones and red.

“AHA! AHA! OH-𝓞𝓱𝓸𝓱𝓸𝓱𝓸𝓱𝓸~!”

As Genesis dispatched four more with well-placed steel punches, it seemed that all was quickly over. It surprised them how violence could be used so efficiently to solve a problem they disliked. But then, one last voice spoke up, louder than all the rest.

“You MONSTERS…! Killing like it’s no big deal…” the hunter ached. “LISTEN WELL, YOU! HUMANS AREN’T LIKE YOU SIMPLE-MINDED MONSTERS AND GAME! IF YOU WANNA KILL US… YOU’D BETTER BE READY FOR THE PUNISHMENT!”

The hunter drew back an arrow in an instant, firing it straight into Makara’s chest.

“𝕄𝔸𝕂𝔸ℝ𝔸-!”

She fell down, shivering as she couldn’t even attempt to pull it out. No matter how strong her conviction was, she just couldn’t move.

“Hahaha! How do you like that, black-hearted beast?”

“𝕋𝕙𝕖𝕣𝕖’𝕤 𝕟𝕠 𝕕𝕚𝕗𝕗𝕖𝕣𝕖𝕟𝕔𝕖…”

“Speak up, bastard! I wanna HEAR your last words!”

“𝕋𝕙𝕖𝕣𝕖’𝕤 𝕟𝕠 𝕕𝕚𝕗𝕗𝕖𝕣𝕖𝕟𝕔𝕖 𝕜𝕚𝕝𝕝𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕥𝕣𝕠𝕝𝕝𝕤 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕙𝕦𝕞𝕒𝕟𝕤… 𝔼𝕚𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕣 𝕨𝕒𝕪… 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕔𝕒𝕟 𝕖𝕩𝕡𝕖𝕔𝕥 𝕥𝕠 𝕤𝕖𝕖 𝕒 𝕝𝕚𝕥𝕥𝕝𝕖 𝕔𝕠𝕟𝕤𝕖𝕢𝕦𝕖𝕟𝕔𝕖. 𝕀 𝕥𝕙𝕠𝕦𝕘𝕙𝕥 𝕪𝕠𝕦’𝕕 𝕒𝕔𝕔𝕖𝕡𝕥𝕖𝕕 𝕥𝕙𝕒𝕥.”

Genesis’ muscles nearly burst as oil flooded them faster than they could handle. They pushed them to the absolute limit, appearing right next to the hunter in a blink.

“Wha-?”

Their hand entered and exited their throat, blood splattering from it as it was pulled out.

“ℕ𝕠𝕨 𝕣𝕖𝕤𝕥.”

“MAKARA! Can you breathe?” The Doctor ran to her body.

“It did not… touch my heart… but still… I feel I am leaving…”

Genesis ran up to her.

“𝕐𝕠𝕦 𝕔𝕒𝕟𝕟𝕠𝕥 𝕘𝕚𝕧𝕖 𝕦𝕡 𝕟𝕠𝕨. 𝕄𝕪 𝕔𝕠𝕟𝕧𝕚𝕔𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟… 𝕚𝕤 𝕪𝕠𝕦𝕣𝕤 𝕒𝕤 𝕨𝕖𝕝𝕝.”

They held her hands as the doctor pulled the arrow out suddenly and without warning.

“GAH-“

He pushed his hands down on the wound, harder than he had ever pushed before. But twelve drops of blood soon escaped her chest.

“GENESIS, THE BANDAGES! GET THE BANDAGES!”

With precise movents, Genesis wrapped her wound tighter than the tightest seal, and covered it with her dress.

“𝕋𝕙𝕖𝕣𝕖 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕒𝕣𝕖…. 𝔼𝕧𝕖𝕟 𝕨𝕚𝕥𝕙 𝕒 𝕙𝕠𝕝𝕖 𝕚𝕟 𝕪𝕠𝕦𝕣 𝕔𝕙𝕖𝕤𝕥, 𝕪𝕠𝕦’𝕣𝕖 𝕤𝕥𝕚𝕝𝕝 𝕪𝕠𝕦, 𝕙𝕦𝕙?”

“Why… wouldn’t I be… you little inhuman.” She almost managed to laugh, despite the pain. “Now come on… what are you waiting for? Let’s go, like you said.”