All bad things come to an end ( 1/2 )

    Meanwhile, outside the scattering fog, a human shape was enclosing Merlish. The latter squinted her eyes at sight of that silhouette which soon unveiled to be the Players’s leader.

“How can you even be alive? I saw you die. You were at my feet…”

    Her interlocutor displayed an amused smile.

“Effective Bipolarity. Thanks to this… I am able to split my mind in two and to make appear another self. And, as you guess so far, killing a copy isn’t enough to kill the original.”

“This time you won’t trick me.”

    As he approached her, playing with metallic spheres between his fingers, Merlish pointed her gunfire at him. She shot at once, however Woodle deftly avoided it. Exactly as he did with the subsequent shots until the mayor realised her mag was empty.

“It is time to repay for what you did to my brother, Ernst Bomme.”

    Donna Merlish stole the most valuable thing he possessed. More than his life, his humanity… There was no space for absolution in the death stare Woodle took at her.

“Don’t do this… You ought to be proud of him. A271 was the first successful experiment. The searchers had abandoned the idea of developing a consciousness out of nothing for the androids and began trying to transplant one instead. They solely needed to suppress the undesirable parts. Ernst Bomme’s consciousness was the very first one to adapt correctly in its new body. The first one they achieved to suppress its feelings without side effects. The first after 270 attempts. See! In commemoration of that grand day, I even asked the searchers to shape A271 according to your brother’s appearance.”

    Woodle Bomme immobilized, glaring at her.

“See. You remember he had a name. Now listen intently, as these are the last words you’re gonna hear.” the leader’s voice was gloomy. He took his time to articulate. “Did I ever allow you to tear us apart? Did anyone ever ask you to destroy the mind of the most empathic, gentle human that have ever existed? I won’t ever forgive you. Even your death won’t be enough. You deprived him of what made him the one he truly was. Even if he can’t condemn you anymore, I will resent you for both of us. …You’ve been polluting this air for far too long.”

    Anger overwhelming him, tears begin to spread down his cheeks while he shouted with harshness, hurling two metallic spheres at her.

“DISAPPEAR!!!!”

    Donna Merlish widened her look letting out a horrified cry.

***

At the second he heard that sudden scream, the android halted his fist a few centimetres before the face of the inspector. Beyond the remnants of the haze, he could behold the mayor in critical position once he rotated his head.

    Instantly, he propelled himself ahead, briskly pouncing on her. The succeeding moment he was between Donna and Woodle, grasping skilfully the projectiles, clenching his fists round them. However, it didn’t prevent the explosion. Flames flaring all around Ernst.

    For a few seconds, Woodle stared in disgust at this abhorrent scene, his iris trembling into his eyes. Then he simply closed them for a few seconds.

    When the fire dispersed in the air, the android appeared still standing though his both hands had been ripped off by the blast. The edges of his forearms were sprinkled by electrical crackles.

    Both brothers exchanged a long stare without uttering a single word.

“I am sorry.”

    Many souvenirs crossed his mind.

“You don’t have to worry, nor to cry. For we will always stay together, no matter what.”

    The promise they made after their parents death, eager to stand shoulder to shoulder. The day Ernst got a work, allowing them to live better. All the night Woodle waited impatiently for his brother to come back home. Each time Woodle was ill, Ernst worked twice harder to come back earlier and tenderly take care of his little brother. Alas… The end was always the same. One night, Ernst didn’t come back…

    A final touch on his screen. The android fell to his knees forthwith, astonished. The other Woodle and Kiseki rejoined them while Ernst Bomme gazed peacefully at his brother, a slight smile upon his face. Woodle widened his eyes. That was brief, the following instant he looked into the void with a neutral expression.

“Impossible! What did you d-”

    Before she could even finish her sentence, a crimson feather split the air until piercing her heart, followed by four another. With bulging eyes, blood flowing out her mouth, the mayor soon fell heavily on the ground.