Chapter 13: Chapter 12: Comforting
Deros
While the diagnosis was running, I went to look for some food. There were a couple of flightless bird on this island jumping around by the coastline. They were nice and fat, but I held back from trying to catch them. The dokudoku were a rare bird, once plentiful on the mainland but now only seen on these islands.
There were attempts at reintroducing them on the mainland, but it always ended up in failure. They were easy prey for the homeless beach bums, and didn't adapt well to the busy, urban environment that had come to dominate most of their former lands.
I watched the birds for a while, their carefree behavior a stark contrast to the chaos and destruction we had just escaped from. It was a reminder of the world we were fighting to protect - a world where creatures like the dokudoku could exist peacefully.
After a while, I turned away from the coastline and headed back into the forest. The undergrowth was dense but I knew what I was looking for. Fruits and berries native to the island were in abundance, and I collected as much as I could carry.
When I returned to the mechs, Vyran was still working on Varia's chip. He had set up a tent between the two mechs.
Commander Varia seemed to be in pain but was doing her best to hide it. I wasn't sure how either if them could do handle it. Varia must've really trusted her brother too, letting him perform brain surgery on her. Did Vyran know how to perform it or was he using his A.I. to help him?
"I got some food," I announced, putting down my makeshift basket.
"Thanks, Deros," Vyran said without looking up. "Can you get some water too?"
I nodded, heading towards a nearby stream I had spotted earlier. Thankfully, this island had a mountain with some snow caps. Else we would've had more difficulty finding any freshwater.
I did have a filtering system on Aegisa, but I wasn't sure if it would work, given the condition it was in. I wonder why Vyr's mecha escaped the blunt of the force. Was it because he was further from the railgun? Or did he have better protection against emps? My bet was on the former.
As I filled up our canteens, my mind wandered back to the battle it. Despite their outdated tech, the enemy was stronger than we had anticipated, and they had the advantage in numbers.
The sound of rushing water brought me back to the present. I shook off my worries and returned to the base. We had survived today, and that was what mattered. Tomorrow was another day, and we would face whatever it brought together.
As I handed Vyran a filled canteen, I caught his eye. There was a determination there that matched my own. Even Varia, in her weakened state, had a fire in her eyes.
I set down and smiled.
"Thank you, you two," Varia mumbled.
Vyr leaned against his mecha and chuckled. "What was that, Sis? I couldn't hear you."
"I said thank you," Varia repeated, a little louder this time. "For... for everything."
Vyran just smiled, patting his sister's back gently. "Don't mention it, Sis. We're family, after all."
I couldn't help but smile at the exchange. Despite the dire circumstances, there was a warmth here, a sense of camaraderie that was comforting.
"We'll get through this," I assured them. "We've got each other's backs."
Varia nodded, giving me a small smile. "Yes, we do. And we're not going down without a fight."
With that, we settled down for the night. We had a long day ahead of us and we needed to rest and recuperate.
As I lay down, staring up at the stars, my mind couldn't help but wander back to the enemy. Who were they? What did they want with Orginal?
My eyes widened as a hand wrapped around me. It was Varia.
My face reddened as she snuggled me.
"Bobo, you're so soft," she mumbled in her sleep.
I blinked. Was Bobo her childhood plushie? Regardless, he must've held a special place in her heart.
I pulled her blanket over her to keep away the cold. After the emergency surgery, she was vulnerable to infections and such. We had to maintain our health.
Taking a deep breath, I closed my eyes. I didn't think I would feel tired after what happened, but having Varia hugging me made me feel a little safer.
Varia
I opened my eyes and felt some warm between my arms. "Bobo?" I asked, opening them. I expected to see my bear, but it turned out to be Deros.
My face reddened. I slowly let go of him. The boy slept so peacefully. His already youthful face looked even younger. I wasn't sure how a guy could be so cute.
He turned and hugged me, pressing he head against my chest. I felt something wet against my bossom. He... was crying?
I rubbed his back. Poor guy. Was he dreaming of his family? If only I had reacted a split second faster. I couldn't attacked the rail gun or tried to redirect the attack. Now those mysterious invaders were on this planet, for who knew what reason.
"Uh, what are you doing?" Vyr asked.
I looked up and saw him giving me a disgusted stare.
"Wait, it's not what you're thinking! I am just consoling him!"
"While he sleeps?"
"He was crying, alright?"
"Oh," Vyran's face softened. "Alright, just... don't let it get weird, okay?"
I rolled my eyes at him. "I'm not some creep, Vyr!"
He huffed a laugh at that before going back to bed. My brother could be such a pain sometimes, but I knew he was just looking out for me. We were all we had right now. Given the disruption in communications on this world, we couldn't contact home.
As the night wore on, I found myself unable to sleep. Deros' tears had dried, but his grip on me remained. I could feel his heartbeat, slow and steady against my chest. It was oddly comforting, knowing he was okay.
Our situation was dire, but we weren't alone. We had each other, and that was something worth fighting for.
The next morning, we woke up early, ready to face the new day. Deros seemed a little embarrassed about last night, but he didn't say anything. We all had our ways of dealing with stress, and I wasn't about to make him feel bad for it.
As we started our day, I couldn't help but feel a sense of hope. We were still here, still fighting. The enemy might have had the upper hand, but we weren't going to give up. Not yet. Not until we were deep underground, covered in dirt or burnt into ash.
And so, we started our preparations. We had a long day ahead of us, but we were ready to face whatever came our way. For Orginal and for the rest of our galaxy.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
sun_imperial
sun_imperial Hope you enjoyed the episode ^^. Thoughts on the trio thus far?
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone