“Octavius, you damn bastard!” Yelling at the top of her lungs in anger, Rose uttered. “What the hell did you make Zack take!?”
“Ugh…why are…you so loud…?” Covering his ears in frustration, Zack muttered as he rolled across the ground. “Everything’s…so loud.”
“You shut your mouth!” Rose yelled as she pointed in anger at Zack. Frantically looking across the passage, Rose continued. “Where the hell is that bastard!?”
“Man, why are you screaming so much, Rose?” Successfully attracting his attention with her yelling, Rose witnessed Octavius approaching. She simply gazed at him with a cold glare as he approached. “Are you trying to give away our hideout–ohh…”
His original irritation was replaced with a look of resignation as he witnessed the reason for Rose’s ire.
“What the hell is that white powder!? Don’t you dare tell me that it’s what I think it is!” Rose said. “I know you’re responsible for this shit in some way!”
“...Hey, you can’t kill a guy for having a little fun once in a while,” Octavius replied as he shrugged his shoulders, sparking even more anger in Rose.
“You gave him cocaine and other drugs so he can have fun!? Do you want me to murder you!?” With arteries popping from her head, Rose threatened. “How long have you been giving him that shit!?”
“Uh, it’s the first time he’s even taken something like that. You’re just overreacting,” Octavius replied. “You’re weirdly overprotective of Zack.”
“S-Shut up…”
“Ugh…don’t be angry…at Octavius. I’m the one…you should be angry at,” Mustering the strength to sit upright, the delirious Zack chimed in. “I’ve gone…through alot…and they help…soothe the pain.”
“Tsk, you idiot! That shit will mess you up!” Rose replied. “Not to mention you’ll get addicted!”
“Ugh…my body is stronger than a normie…I ain’t going to get addicted that easily,” Zack replied as he slurred his words. “I’ll be fine…don’t worry about me.”
“...Uh, see, he’s good. A few drugs ain’t gonna screw with him,” Octavius replied. “I think you should–”
“Damn it! Shut your mouth! You’re pissing me the hell off!” Rose yelled.
“...My bad.”
“Hurry up and pull yourself together! We can’t just leave your room looking like a shitshow!” Rose ordered. Damn it, it’s like I’m the only one caring about his wellbeing!
- * * *
After the intense spar between the two S-Class criminals, the doctor was called to perform ‘damage control.’ Made to lay in the sofa of her living room by Olivia, the injured Lilith awaited the treatment.
“...Ouch, Charles hits so hard,” Lilith said. “I think…I broke my arm and a rib or two. It hurts so much, but I’m surprised I haven’t burst out crying.”
“M-Maybe your pain…tolerance have increased…as you get stronger,” Olivia replied as she sat on a couch beside Lilith. “A-Also, if you’re feeling uncomfortable, I could bring you some pillows…for you to rest on.”
“Nah, I’m comfortable enough. I’m just shocked how I could take such a hit from Charles of all people…and only end up with this,” Lilith said. “Hehe, Nathan would have been upset…if he saw me like this.”
With the mention of Nathan from her own lips, her expression quickly turned to scrunched eyebrows and a frown.
“N-Nathan…I miss you so much…” Lilith said in a low, melancholic tone, much to Olivia’s concern. Amid her frustration, the injured Lilith could no longer sit still as she tried to pull herself from the sofa. “I-I have to see…if he’s doing fine–”
“N-No, wait! You can’t move around with all that bleeding…and your broken b-bones!” Leaping out her seat and rushing to Lilith’s side, Olivia frantically advised. “P-Please! I-I’ll check on Nathan for you, just lay down…and rest until t-the doctor arrives!”
“...O-Okay, I’ll wait then,” Successfully calming her down, Lilith responded as she relaxed. “J-Just…tell me…if he wakes up.”
“...Uhm, alright,” Olivia replied. Lilith…is a bit too hopeful…
Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings.
With her words of assurance, Olivia left Lilith to check on Nathan.
“Urgh, hurry up…and wake up, will you, Nathan.”
- * * *
In the dead, silent husk that is Nathan’s room, the door slowly creaked open. Like a mole popping out of a hole, Olivia peeped in before she entered. The well-lit room gave Olivia a clear view of the man who lay on the bed.
Laying perfectly still on the bed, Nathan showed no signs of waking up. Not to mention, the noticeable loss in muscle tone and paler skin were proof that there wasn’t much sign to him leaving his lengthy coma.
This is the first time I’m seeing him since he went into a coma…he looks better than I thought he’d be, although he lost some muscle. Olivia pondered. Sigh, it’s just like I expected…he doesn’t look like he needs anything now.
Fulfilling the promise to check on Nathan for Lilith, Olivia made her trek back out. Strangely, she stopped on her way out.
“...I-I’m sure you’ve gone…through a lot of stuff…but you have…made terrible mistakes, Nathan,” Olivia muttered as she turned her gaze back to Nathan. “Y-You’re leaving Lilith…all alone…to deal with these monsters. Who’s there…to protect her…?”
Her words were responded only by the constant beeping by the IV machine that Nathan was hooked up to. Disappointed by the unsurprising ignoring from Nathan, Olivia left the room with a sigh.
“W-Why do all of you lie…and leave us behind,” Olivia muttered as she closed the door behind her. As she muttered, Jack had flashed through her mind. “Is it so hard…to think about us too?”
- * * *
“The doctor is here to heal you, Lilith,” Opening the front door and entering with the doctor, the NPC said. At the same time, Olivia had made her way back to the living room. “Sorry we took so long…the doctor just finished healing Charles.”
“Hello, Lilith! It’s been a while!” Pleasantly greeting Lilith as she approached her, the doctor said. “I hope you’re doing well!”
“...Uhm, yes, I have been…okay,” Lilith replied as she turned her gaze to Olivia. “Is Nathan…okay, Olivia?”
“Y-Yes, he’s still…asleep…like always.”
“...Oh.”
Seeing Lilith’s frown, the doctor couldn’t help but also be slightly infected by her sorrow.
“...C’mon, let’s get you all patched up,” The doctor said as she stretched out both her palms towards Lilith. Of course she wouldn’t be fine…what a stupid question from me.
As a lime green sphere shone from her palms, Lilith’s injuries rapidly healed.
“Fuu…thank you. I feel a bit better now,” Lilith thanked.
“No problem!”
“Now that you’re healed, what do you wish to do now, Lilith,” The NPC questioned. “Do you want to continue sparring–”
“No, let her rest for today! She has clearly sparred enough!” Angrily pointing at the NPC and cutting off his words, the doctor yelled.
“...Sorry,” The NPC muttered.
“...You’re right, doctor. I think I’ll rest today,” The depressed Lilith agreed as she laid back on her sofa. Maybe I should rest…I’m not really in the best mood to train anyways…
“Yes, enjoy your rest, dear. You earned it after such a fight against Charles,” The doctor complimented before giving the NPC a sharp glare. “The NPC will train you tomorrow…”
“Y-Yeah, sure.”
“We won’t bother you any further,” The doctor continued as she grabbed the NPC’s arm. “Let’s go, shall we.”
With the wave of Olivia, the two NPCs departed.
E-Enjoy your rest, Lilith. Turning her gaze on Lilith who shut her eyes, Olivia thought.
Attempting to distract herself from the sudden depression she felt, Lilith went to sleep.
- * * *
Time had passed since Lilith entered her sleep – enough time for the strange sounds of laughter to cut through her hazy state. It never sounded genuine though, but the type of overdone exhausting laughter on those late-night sitcom reruns.
The laughter bled through the room and forced its way into Lilith’s dream, the increasingly loud voice pulling her mind. With the twitching of her eyes and groans slipping from Lilith’s mouth, it was clear the noise had pulled hard enough.
Just another burst of laughter was all it took to yank Lilith back to reality as she flinched, cracking her eyes open. Olivia, sitting across the room, sinking into the couch in front of the television with the remote in hand, her eyes glued to the tv like nothing else existed.
“Ugh, Olivia? You’re…still up?” Much to Olivia’s surprise, Lilith said as she sat up.
“L-Lilith, you’re up? S-Sorry…was the television…too loud?” With a clear look of regret on her face, Olivia apologized. She frantically turned the volume down.
“No, don’t worry about that,” Lilith assured. “What time is it?”
“Uhm, it’s two forty one…”
Wow, how do you normally stay up so late?
“I-I should have…brought you to your room,” Olivia said. “B-But I didn’t…want to wake you up. So much…for that.”
“Fufu, it really is fine,” Lilith assured again as she stood up. “Actually, I think I’ll use this opportunity to take a walk. I feel energized after all!”
“O-Okay. Be careful!”
- * * *
“Fuu…I still can’t get my mind off it. Maybe I shouldn’t have listened to the doctor and just kept training with the NPC,” As she walked through the darkened forest that not even the moonlight could illuminate properly, Lilith talked to herself. “How long has it even been…two months?”
“Two months since what?” Immediately stopping in her tracks, a foreign voice answered Lilith’s hypothetical question. With widened eyes, Lilith clenched the handle of her sheathed katana as she turned her gaze to the direction of the voice.
It never took much looking to find the source of the voice, as a duo of super soldiers stood a few trees away from her.
“Hello, Lilith.”