Jackson learned that following morning what had happened. While fighting the Wurms, Barbara had transformed, and tried to save him. The Berserker then put him inside the armor and transformed. They, as a new Berserker, killed all the Wurms and returned to Gypsy. Jackson then broke from the armor, freeing them both and collapsed in the Bird’s nest. Barbara then somehow convinced Gypsy to keep quiet about it and took over guard duty while he recovered. They then reached their destination after several days. That entire time, he was asleep in the wagon. Gypsy and Barbara would take turns watching him. After they reached the town, they brought him to the Madame’s shop, where he’s been sleeping since. Barbara and Gypsy have tried to stay by his side as much as possible. What Jackson didn’t know was how his sight suddenly got better, how him and the Berserker became one, and what that dream was about.

“Hey, you had us worried! How could you just throw your life away fighting those things?”

Jackson looked down. He didn’t want to answer Gypsy. Barbara moved into his line of sight. She looked mad.

“I… I lost the right to live a long time ago. I can’t throw something away I don’t have a right to.”

“That makes no sense! If you don’t deserve to live, why are you still alive. Surely, you could have just let Barbara kill you when you first met?”

“I don’t want to die, but I’m living a life I don’t deserve. It hard to explain. I did something really bad…”

“What? What is so bad you don’t have a right to live anymore?”

“Can’t we drop it?”

Barbara shook her head.

“No, I want to know why my guard is willing to die!”

“I… I… Don’t…”

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“What did you do?”

“Killed my parents.”

The room went silent. Gypsy looked down. Barbara didn’t seem to understand.

“Was there a reason?”

“I don’t want to talk about it. The fact is I killed them, then burned our house down. I wanted to die in those flames, but my body moved on its own. I lived the last ten years living with this fact. Since I keep fighting to survive, yet I also want to die. It like two sides fighting, one will kill me while the other will stop it. Maybe, I just want to suffer.”

Gypsy looked back into his eyes.

“Hey… I talked to the Madame, while you were asleep. She agreed to take you two as guard for the shop. You’ll get a room, food and a few silver a week. We can go over all you’ll need to do later. She doesn’t know about the Berserker, but she seems happy when I said you fought it and won.”

“That’s good. Thank you.”

The three sat on the bed. A strange mood hung in the air. Jackson decided that it was a good moment to tell them his resolve.

“Hey… Um… Gypsy is that… Um… offer still on the table?”

She just stared at him.

“Which one?”

“You know… about… don’t make me say!”

She started to laugh again. This time it seemed harder than normal. Jackson regretted his decision.

“What about Barbara? Want her to watch? Wow… never thought…”

“No… I wanted… three…”

Gypsy fell off the bed laughing. Barbara seemed confused. She clearly had no idea what was going on. Gypsy dragged herself from the floor, with a wicked smile. She nodded, moving behind Barbara, and started to undress her.

Meanwhile, Joseph and his companions were traveling in the desert. In the heat, the heroes were fighting over the water.

“Hey, Angela why do you look so mad?”

“I feel like someone is cheating.”

Carley looked over at Joseph. He was currently drinking some water, then handed it over to Franklin.

“I don’t think sharing water counts.”

“It’s not that. I can’t explain it… Someone, somewhere is doing something to something that belongs to me!”

“Maybe your family is selling your stuff?”

“Maybe.”

“What’s this town called again?”

“Border town. It just on the border in the free territories.”

“Really, a place called Border town is on the border. This world needs better names. Like, twin peaks just because it has mountains nearby. Or, the kingdom just because it is a kingdom. How on the nose can you be?”

“Hey, their a simple people. Let them name as they like.”

“Whatever.”

The heroes laughed as they headed for the Border Town. No one could of guest at what was to unfold, nor what was to be discovered or the travesty that was to occur.