DM-ST-1: Beg For Mercy

DM-ST-1 Beg For Mercy

Darknights Memoir: Shattered Front Next DM-EX-1

Characters

W Unyielding Child Waifish Child

Backgrounds

1 2

“

Children who instigate, children who are cowardly. They all have gaps in their hearts and have no choice but to rely on each other. Within these possibilities, W also sees herself.

”

<Background 1>
W	You're still pushing forward? Without treatment, you're definitely getting infected.
Unyielding Child	Why would I believe a devil?
W	A devil, huh? So many devils around me all the time, sometimes I forget we even have that word.
Unyielding Child	Gah, stop following us!
W	I've been keeping my distance.
Unyielding Child	And stop acting nice! If you're gonna kill us, just do it already!
Waifish Child	Ru-Rublev, you really shouldn't provoke her...
Unyielding Child	Okay. We're going then. Ignore her.
Waifish Child	S-sorry!
Unyielding Child	I don't care if I get infected! We don't need a devil's help!
Waifish Child	...Um.
W	Uh huh... There's an abandoned hospital around here. Chernobog District Hospital. Wanna know where it is?
Unyielding Child	......
Waifish Child	Rublev...?
Unyielding Child	Don't listen to her. She's trying to trick us. Let's ditch her... quick. See that alley over there? You take that corner and I think we can get there in less than a minute!
Waifish Child	Okay.
Unyielding Child	—Run!
<Background 2>
W	They're fast.
Unyielding Child	H-How did she catch up to us so quick?! Agh!
Waifish Child	Rublev... your leg! Th-the blood is turning black...
Unyielding Child	Ugh, I could've outran her if I didn't have to save you!
Waifish Child	Sorry...
Unyielding Child	Whatever! Just be quiet. Don't let her find us.
W	...... Head down that street, turn left, and you'll come to a ruined plaza. On the west side, that big white building, that's the hospital. The abandoned hospital.
Waifish Child	...I think... she knows we're here...
Unyielding Child	Because you don't listen to me—fine. Hey, devil. Why did you tell us that?
W	Felt like it. How do you two know each other?
Waifish Child	......
Unyielding Child	I found him while I was out looking for food.
Waifish Child	Rublev saved me...
W	And that's why you do what he says?
Waifish Child	......
W	No skin off my back. Whatever you want. But now it's time for you to help out your savior here.
Unyielding Child	What are you gonna make him do?
Waifish Child	Rublev...
W	Nothing. I told you, there's a hospital right over there. I mean, Reunion isn't dumb, so they wouldn't waste perfectly good medical supplies... So if you wanna save your little pal Rublev, you're gonna have to steal. It's a bunch of Infected thugs over there. Thugs who murdered your family and friends. And that's the only place they'll have the drugs that can stop the onset of Oripathy. So go steal, rob, loot, it's all good. Just don't expect anybody to help you.
Unyielding Child	No! Don't listen to her!
Waifish Child	B-But...
W	No? He knows your name, Rublev. Do you know his?
Unyielding Child	What does that have to do with anything?! Don't go! You can't do it! There's too many—
Waifish Child	I— I... I want to try... Rublev isn't the only one who got hurt in the Catastrophe... There's so much pain... I...
Unyielding Child	Why aren't you listening to me?!
Waifish Child	I...
W	He doesn't have to listen to you. It's good that you wanna save those people. Just keep that hospital in mind. They keep the supplies down in an underground storeroom. You could get in through the vents in the parking garage, or through the sewers, as long as there's not too much toxic waste down there. You could die there though.
Waifish Child	......
Unyielding Child	C'mon, your legs are shaking! You can't do it! We were dumb to even listen to a devil in the first place! Let's get out of here!
Waifish Child	I...
[An explosion occurs nearby.]
Waifish Child	Eeep—
Unyielding Child	Wh-What was that?
W	Some things went down in Lungmen... wiped some stuff out here too. Why wouldn't folks have their eye on a perfectly good battlefield hospital here in Chernobog? Why do you think... a devil like me would know that hospital so well?
Unyielding Child	Because you—Umm, ah—
Waifish Child	I... I...
W	That must hurt like a bastard. I'm starting to think he's probably beyond help at this point. If you don't act soon... You might just die right here.
Waifish Child	Ah...
Unyielding Child	You, ugh, what are you doing? Stay away from me!
W	To go? Or not to go? Oh... but what if it's already too late, even if you did go? There's a riot going on, it might be too hard to sneak in and grab the goods—
Waifish Child	I-I'm going.
W	—Yeah... you're dead.
Unyielding Child	Why are you still listening to her? I'm the one who saved you!
Waifish Child	But I... want to try...
Unyielding Child	There's no way you can do it! We'll go to a drugstore, we'll find some food, that'll be enough!!
Waifish Child	— I'm sorry!
Unyielding Child	Hey... wait!
W	If you knew his name, maybe you could call out and stop him? Kinda sad.
Unyielding Child	You... you tricked him! You devil!
W	Tricked? I haven't told a single lie. But hey, whether or not you believe me, that's your call. Whether or not you believe him, that's your call too.
Unyielding Child	...I, I'm gonna go find him, nnggh...
W	Why?
Unyielding Child	H-He can't do anything without me...
W	You're scared he's gonna run away. You're thinking... why did he leave you alone with me? With a devil?
Unyielding Child	Am not! Suka! A monster like you—
W	Shut up. Wait here for him. Don't move. Or I'll kill you.
Unyielding Child	Nnng—
W	Who do you think I am? I'm a killer. I'm the killer who destroyed this city, hurt your parents and friends. Ah... haha. That's right. I forgot you had that blade. Look, it's got a Sarkaz charm on the hilt, and it's still bloody. Whose blood do you think it is?
Unyielding Child	*Whimper*... I, I don't know... you made him...
W	Go ahead and cry. Kids can cry. It's all up to you... whether you live or die.
<Background fades out and in>
Unyielding Child	He can't do it...
W	You sure?
Unyielding Child	If I hadn't dug him out of those ruins, he'd already be dead... He needs me.
W	...... Nope... nobody needs anyone. Nobody does.
Unyielding Child	......
<Background fades out and in>
W	This ruined city got quiet again. There's a lot less resistance, after that slaughter. That's a good thing. Less effort. Less death. But it's quiet over at the hospital too. Nothing moving over there, as far as I can tell.
Unyielding Child	...... He... he didn't...
W	Huh?
Unyielding Child	Maybe... he didn't actually go... It's been... Nng... so long...
W	He ran away.
Unyielding Child	......
W	But you saved him. Wouldn't he want to save you too?
Unyielding Child	...I...
W	Or maybe you're strong enough to save him, but he couldn't save you?
Unyielding Child	He... He can't do anything right! Like when we went looking for food! He couldn't even tell there was someone else in the store! It's all his fault my leg got—!
W	......
Unyielding Child	......
W	Where are you going?
Unyielding Child	I... I'm going home alone...
W	I already told you, you leave and you die.
Unyielding Child	But he already ran off!
W	Hah. I can see it in your eyes. You hate him.
Unyielding Child	N-No I don't! But if... if he did go... it's been so long... he must be...
W	—Shut up. You won't know anything until he comes back. You can sit here thinking he's coming back, or that he's not. But if you're thinking that he's not, if you're doubting him, hating him, that's on you. But you went right to thinking he blew it and ran off. Why? Because you saved him? Because you're the strong one?
Unyielding Child	...*whimper*. Waaahhh—
W	You're still strong enough to cry. Settle down. Give it a minute and you'll be in too much pain to cry. You're young, you're not Sarkaz. So if can't take it anymore, you can tell me. I'll end it for you.
<Background fades out and in>
W	......
Unyielding Child	Wah... aahhh... waahh...
W	You're losing consciousness. Ah well... guess he won't make it in time.
Unyielding Child	No... I can still... I'll wait... for him...
W	...... You've got faith in him again. That's because you're scared to die. Kids are a good judge of character. You won't get this kind of stuff out of me.
Unyielding Child	....Hnng...
W	But he's definitely taking way too long. Got maybe ten minutes. Don't worry. If it comes down to it, I'm not gonna let a kid die in pain.
<Background fades out and in>
Unyielding Child	......
W	...can't even whimper anymore, huh? What are you thinking? Do you hate me? Or him? Or maybe you hate yourself for sticking your nose where it didn't belong, saving that kid, and getting yourself hurt?
Unyielding Child	...I don't...
W	You sure? So you can still talk. Guess I misjudged you.
Unyielding Child	......
W	Look, Rublev. What do you think it is that decides what a person's gonna do? Is it a nature or nurture thing? Where they're born, how they're born? What kind of baggage they're weighed down with? Nah, none of that matters. It's the whole, complete, sum total of the influences on his life, all those changing thoughts and beliefs. And just how strong he believes in those beliefs. You saved that kid, but you didn't really trust him completely. You looked down on him, because you saw yourself as his messiah. But him? He's easy. You saved him, he wants to save you. When it comes to this stuff, he's stronger than you are. Keep the blade. It's a Sarkaz blade, so I'm allowed to stand in for its owner and give it to you. Wave it around, learn to swing it, sell it for cash. Whatever. It's yours. That's the deal.
Unyielding Child	What... are you talking about...?
Waifish Child	R-Rublev! Are you okay?! Look! I did it! I stole an entire box of medical supplies! Painkillers! Bandages! Rublev...
Unyielding Child	Keep it... down. I'm not dead yet...
Waifish Child	O-Okay. Let me bandage your wound...! How do you use the bandage...? Is– is this the Oripathy medicine? I-I'll open it...
Unyielding Child	Aren't... your parents doctors?
Waifish Child	Oh... they never taught me anything. But I'll try...
Unyielding Child	...You got hurt?
Waifish Child	I'm fine. Just a scratch... Somebody hit me with a piece of metal...
Unyielding Child	Idiot...!
Waifish Child	...Hehe...
Unyielding Child	Where's... the Sarkaz?
Waifish Child	Oh... I didn't see her when I came back... Did she stay with you?
Unyielding Child	......
Waifish Child	Rublev?
Unyielding Child	...... ...Say, um... What's... your name?
Waifish Child	Oh? Err... Andrey.
Unyielding Child	Your whole name...?
Waifish Child	Andrey Fyodorovich Ostrovsky... heh.
Unyielding Child	What are you laughing at?
Waifish Child	You finally asked, Rublev.
Unyielding Child	...Sorry.
Waifish Child	N-No, you don't have to apologize... All right. How do you feel?
Unyielding Child	Better...?
Waifish Child	Great! Let's go back home. I'll help you up. The grown-ups will be very happy about this box!
<Background black>
I smiled, watching those kids. If they were going to survive, they had to kill that seed of doubt. You only suffer if you survive. Like a moth to a flame, a worm in a hole. You have to chase something, even at a cost.
W	Isn't that right... ...Talulah?