CHAPTER FORTY

DANG OF HALCYON

Dang was with Anna now, amidst the orchestra of ventilators, heart monitors, and the faint voices of kids who had decided to stay up past their bedtimes. They’d been laughing about some story that Tiger told them. He sat on a stool, his hand laced in Anna’s, and watched over her. Bored and tired, he allowed his fondest memories of her to flood his mind.

He thought back to his time at the orphanage, under Anna. Admittedly, he wasn’t the most obedient kid, and his powers made it even harder for him to control, but Anna made it work. Nobody was as compassionate, caring, and kind as she was. Always willing to take in strays no matter whether the orphanage could afford it or not, standing up to injustice wherever she found herself and sticking up for the little guy.

She was more of a role model to him than he’d like to admit.

“There you are,” a familiar voice rang out behind him, “Daedalus mentioned you going to see her.” Dante came through the curtain, drawing it shut behind him. “How’re you holding up?”

“Tired,” Dang replied.

“Didn’t you just wake up?” Dante joked.

“Not that kind of tired,” Dang explained, “I’m just so over this war. It would’ve been fine if it were just us - the five of us - being affected by it, but now, innocent people are being dragged into it.”

They both regarded Anna on the bed.

“I can’t believe this is the second time I’ve had to say this today,” Dante scoffed, “but dude, what happened to Anna wasn’t your fault. You know that, right?”

“I didn’t exactly do anything to prevent it.”

“There’s literally nothing you could’ve done. You weren’t there.”

“That’s the problem, I should’ve been. I was distracted.”

“You were saving people! From the murderbots!” Dante’s voice was getting louder now.

“You guys could have handled the bots. You and Daedalus. My first task should’ve been to make sure Anna and the kids at the orphanage were safe.”

“Daniel and Megan were already there. You heard their report. Caden and Kai hid themselves. You couldn’t have known they were there.”

“That’s the thing,” Dang looked up at his doppelganger, “I…maybe I would’ve noticed. I keep thinking about the whole thing. No offense to Daniel and Megan, but it seems really __ that they didn’t notice two high-powered bad guys standing in the corner.”

Dante stared with a look of disbelief. “You can’t seriously be blaming them for this-”

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

“I’m not! I swear I’m not, but I’m also about 70% sure I’d have noticed them following me. I mean, they were standing right there!”

“They hid themselves. With their powers. You’re telling me after all the weird shit we’ve faced, a person with the ability to hide their perception isn’t possible?”

“They didn’t hide their perception though, because the twins saw them.”

“Because of the twins’ own powers!”

Dang pouted, his argument defeated.

“Look,” Dante sighed, “I know…how you feel, okay? I had an Anna too.”

Had.

“What happened to her?” Dang asked. Guilt washed over him as he realized how selfish he’d been acting. He watched as Dante grabbed a stool and sat.

“Bellum happened.” He rarely ever talked about his world, largely due to the fact that there wasn’t much back home to talk about. Everything of value had either been destroyed in the invasion, or destroyed after, including his loved ones. Only Andrea remained. “I mean, even before the invasion she was pretty sickly.”

“I didn’t know, man, I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be.” An image of his Anna flashed through his mind, “To be fair, she was much older than yours was by the time we met so, she wasn’t exactly in the best of shape…but it still sucked watching her grow old.”

A silence passed between them as Dante recounted memories of the woman who took him in when he was a kid and raised him. The woman he watched as, every morning, she found the strength to get up and push through the day simply because there were people who needed her.

She, too, ran a home for the less privileged just like this one.

“By the time Bellum had arrived, there wasn’t much she could do by herself. At that point, someone always had to be with her in case she needed something, and it was my turn for the day.” Dante took a deep breath as he recounted the events that took place in his world. “I didn’t mind spending the day with her, even as a kid, but there was a new movie out that day and a bunch of the other kids were going to see it.”

Dang placed his hand on his doppelganger’s shoulder, filling him with the strength to go on.

“She could tell I really wanted to go, so she told me she’d be fine by herself for a few hours while I watched my movie.”

Dang could already tell how the story went, or at least an idea of it formed in his mind. He knew this scenario all too well. It was an integral part of the life he lived. Making a seemingly harmless decision only for it to have terrible consequences…

“Bellum and the murderbots attacked while we were in the cinema,” Dante continued, “and by the time I’d managed to rush back home, she was gone. The entire place had been destroyed.”

“For months after that, I blamed myself. And so did the other kids. I should’ve stayed with her no matter what, that was my job, but instead, I chose to go watch some dumb movie.” Dante scoffed, “I don’t even remember what the movie was about.”

“Dude…” Dang started, but couldn’t find the words to finish. He’d felt terrible but at least his Anna had survived. A part of him was happy she did. He didn’t know what he’d do if she hadn’t.

“It’s all good,” Dante said, shrugging off the dark atmosphere that had settled in the room, “It took a while, but I finally realized that my Anna wouldn’t have wanted me to go around blaming myself forever. She would’ve wanted me to keep fighting and to keep protecting the things that matter. That’s the only way I can make her proud.”

“Trust me, if she were here, she’d be so proud of you. Of us.”

“Thanks, but you’re just saying that.”

“No, he’s right.” A third voice said, and they both jumped in response. Anna had her eyes open albeit only a little. Dang rushed to his feet.

“Anna…I…”

“I know, Dang, I know.” She turned her head slightly, addressing Dante, “I didn’t know your Anna, but if she was anything like me, and she knew how much you were doing for this world and its people, then trust me, in this life or the next, she’d proud of you.”

Dante stared for a while, taking in the words he needed to hear for so long, from the person he needed to hear them from. Or at least someone with her face, “Thanks for that…”

“You’re welcome.”

“Do you need anything? Water? Food?” Dang said.

“Some peace and quiet would be nice. It was hard to sleep with the two of you shouting at each other earlier.”

“…sorry.” Dang said, but Dante just laughed.