Chapter 2: Whatever
Willow approached Candy with a broad smile, holding out a braided white bracelet. "Happy Birthday, Candy!" he beamed.
Candy furrowed her brow as she took the odd gift from his hands. "Will, thank you but, what is this?"
"It's a flower bracelet, just like in the history books," Willow explained, excitement bubbling in his voice.
Candy studied the sticky, braided object in her hands. "Except I don't think it was supposed to be made out of GGM flour, Willow. I think it meant flowers... you know, like the plant?"
Willow's face fell slightly. "Oh," he muttered, "but we don't have plants. I mean, where was I supposed to find flowers?"
Candy sighed, softening as she saw his disappointment. "Don't worry about it. It's still unique—just let it dry and I'll use it as a keychain."
Willow perked up at that. "Of course," he said, his cheerfulness returning as he walked away.
Candy watched him head off, her eyes following him until they landed on Draik, sitting alone on the steps in the distance with a thick book in his hands. She smiled and made her way over.
"Draik!" she called out. "Were you planning to come over for my birthday party today? I mean, will they even let you?"
Draik looked up at her, his expression blank. "Elitists don't hang with those who are destined to die at their hands."
Candy's heart skipped a beat. "W-what?" she stammered.
But Draik's serious expression suddenly broke into a soft smile. "Of course, I'll be there."
"God, Draik!" Candy gasped, playfully hitting his shoulder. "Don't scare me like that!"
They both laughed, but the laughter faded as Candy opened her eyes, realizing she wasn't on the steps with Draik anymore. She was in a hospital bed. She sat up quickly, but straps yanked her back down. Panic surged through her as a robot entered the room. She closed her eyes tight as it scanned her before leaving just as quickly.
Candy exhaled shakily, wiggling her body in an attempt to free herself. After what felt like an eternity, she managed to break loose. She slid out of the bed and tiptoed to the door, peeking into a long, empty hallway. With no one in sight, she darted out, moving with purpose as she grabbed an axe from the wall. Suddenly, someone grabbed her from behind.
She spun around, struggling to keep a hold of the axe. They tussled against the wall, and Candy stomped on the assailant's shin. He stumbled back, and as she lifted the axe, he pulled out a gun. Just then, Draik dove in between them, grabbing Candy.
"Ahh!" she yelped in surprise.
"Don't shoot!" Draik yelled, struggling to hold her. "Candy, it's me! Calm down!" She froze at the sound of his voice. "It's me, okay? Put the axe down," Draik urged, his voice softer now. Candy took a deep breath and slowly lowered the axe.
The man with the gun lowered his weapon as well. "She's a feisty one," he commented.
Draik nodded. "She's been through... we've been through some traumatic experiences down there. So we're always on edge."
"I understand, trust me," the man replied. "It was the same for some of us as well. I'm Felix, by the way—Felix Light."
"I'm... Romeo. Romeo Heartbreaker," Draik said smoothly, glancing at Candy. "And this is Candy Valentine."
Felix's eyes widened. "The Candy Valentine? Your captain's Genosai's daughter?"
Candy hesitated. "Uh, yeah... that's me."
Felix smiled. "Pleasure to meet you both. I'll alert Hero that you're awake. Just wait here," he said, backing up with a grin before walking away.
Candy turned to Draik, eyebrows raised. "Romeo Heartbreaker?"
Draik sighed. "Love gave the name to me in a note, alright? I didn't choose it."
Candy blinked. "A note?"
Draik waved her off. "I'll tell you later. Right now, we play it cool."
Before Candy could ask more, Hero appeared with Felix and another girl. "Glad to see you two conscious," Hero greeted. "I'm Hero Knight. You've met Felix, and this is Elodie Harp." Elodie waved at them. "Welcome aboard the Starduster."
"Yeah, um, thanks," Draik muttered.
Hero studied their faces. "I can tell you've had a hard time out there." Draik and Candy exchanged glances but remained silent.
"Not much for small talk, huh?" Hero said, scratching the back of his head. "Well, I'll let Elodie show you to the showers and your rooms. You look like you could use some rest."
Elodie gestured for them to follow. "This way."
They walked in silence as Draik scanned the ship's interior. His eyes narrowed as they arrived at their rooms.
"Here we are," Elodie said. "Showers are inside, and you'll find clothing in the drawers—boys on this side, girls on that side."
Draik's eyes flickered with curiosity. "This is a Royal Elite Starship. Where'd y'all get your hands on something like this?"
Elodie smiled softly. "Maybe Hero can tell you that story later." With that, she turned and walked away.
Candy's heart raced. "*Royal Elite Starship*? You mean like the kind the Elitists used to attack us in Sector Seven?"
"The very kind," Draik confirmed. "Except this one's a bit more expensive. It had to belong to an Elite royal class."
Candy's mind whirled. "So who exactly are we dealing with?"
Draik shrugged. "Someone we need to keep a good watch on. You go first. I'll stall for time while looking for clothes."
Candy nodded, walking into her room, but she couldn't shake the tension in the air. "*Careful,*" she whispered.
"Yeah..." Draik muttered, watching her go before disappearing into his room.
Candy was struggling to open a drawer in her room when she called out, "Draik, I can't get this drawer open!"
Romeo, now firmly adopting his alias, walked over from his room, trying to maintain his composure. "Starduster, bring up my outfit options," he said calmly, speaking to the ship's AI.
"Of course," the ship's voice responded. "Password, please?"
Romeo smirked. "AngelCupidCanterellaDraiker."
"Thank you. Please pan through the options listed on the wall for your outfit. Can I get a photo?"
Romeo sighed, his face still smirking, as he grabbed Candy, pulling her in front of him just as the ship snapped a photo. "Smile."
"Ugh, Draiker!" Candy grumbled, elbowing him repeatedly until she paused in awe as the walls lit up with images of herself in various outfits, each one twirling and posing. Her frustration melted away, replaced by fascination.
"Whoa…" she muttered, captivated by the sight.
Romeo smirked again, stepping back. "Enjoy. And stop calling me Draik—or Draiker—for both our sakes. It's Romeo now, if you will."
Candy eyed him, still mesmerized by the display. "Wait," she asked, her curiosity piqued. "So any Elite can use any cruiser at any time?"
Romeo crossed his arms, his eyes narrowing slightly. "No. Just those who were meant to survive this apocalypse. Those considered valuable."
Candy's face fell slightly. "...valuable…" she echoed, her thoughts elsewhere as Romeo left the room.
As soon as Romeo exited, the ship's luxurious lights illuminated the entire interior. Hero noticed, tilting his head curiously as he strode down the hall. At the same time, Romeo, flipping through the ship's outfit options, abruptly stopped and raised both hands in surrender.
Hero approached him, cocking a gun in Romeo's direction. "So, Draik Cantarella," Hero said slowly, eyes narrowing. "An Elitist."
Romeo shook his head. "Draik Cantarella died a long time ago when Sector Seven fell. My name is Romeo Heartbreaker."
Hero's grip on the gun tightened. "If that's the case, how did you know how to activate this ship?"
Romeo's smirk returned, more bitter this time. "The freak kept a diary of everything. I did what I had to do to survive." He quickly pulled a journal from his bag and tossed it at Hero's feet. "Everything you need to know about an Elite is right there."
Hero bent down cautiously, grabbing the journal and flipping through it. As his eyes skimmed a page detailing a man named Heartbreaker, Hero's demeanor softened. He nodded slowly, lowering his gun. "I'm… sorry about all this. I'm just trying to keep my team safe. They're the only family I know."
Candy, now standing in the nearby doorway, squinted and purposely opened the door wider to hear better. Romeo's eyes darted toward her briefly before replying to Hero. "Yeah…"
Hero glanced back at Candy, then changed the subject. "Wanna take a walk?"
Romeo hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Sure."
As they walked down the hall, Candy quietly followed not too far behind.
"So," Hero began, "you two... are you married, or...?"
Romeo chuckled. "She's a close friend. More like a sister, if anything."
Hero laughed. "Yeah, I get it. Elodie and I are the same way, though we're not related." He paused. "How much do you know about these kinds of ships?"
Romeo's expression darkened slightly. "I used to be a slave. I built them, so I know everything there is to know."
Hero's jaw clenched. "Who was your owner?"
Romeo's lips twisted into a bitter smile. "The one who calls himself Dracula."
Hero's eyes widened in shock, his breath catching. "Whoa… wow. I'm sorry." He lowered his head, clearly shaken. Candy, still following from behind, looked off to the side in thought.
"It's fine," Romeo said, dismissing it. "What about you?"
Hero sighed, his tone softer. "I was a slave too. Didn't work on ships, though. I was a weapons and armor tech for the NWO. My master wasn't Dracula, but... he could be a real pain." He showed Romeo some scars on his arms before handing the journal back.
Romeo glanced at the scars, then tucked the journal away. "I see."
Hero nodded in understanding. "Yeah, I know what it's like. But it taught me a few tricks as well. We all know what that's like here." He placed a hand on Romeo's shoulder. "So you should feel right at home."
Romeo nodded, though his eyes seemed distant. "I guess I'll take you up on that relaxation time."
Hero smiled. "Yeah, try to get some rest. I'll have someone bring you some rations?"
Romeo smirked, shaking his head. "I've activated the ship now. I can order a bit more from my room. But thanks." With that, he turned and walked away.
Once back in his room, Romeo took a long, warm shower before sitting down on the bed with the journal in hand. He began reading through it, pausing on a particular page when there was a knock on the door. He looked over his shoulder, rolling his eyes. "Come in. The door's already open."
Candy entered, crossing her arms. "Why can't you ever answer people normally?"
Romeo shrugged. "I wouldn't be me if I did."
Candy sighed, sitting on the bed behind him. "I see you and 'Hero' are getting along."
Romeo smirked. "You caught that, huh?"
"Yeah… you okay?" she asked, her voice softer now.
Romeo glanced at her. "Besides wanting to choke him out? Yeah, I'm good."
Candy laid back on the bed, he looked at her as if that were repulsive looking her up and down with disgust. She licks out her tongue at him he turns away annoyed. "Weird turn of events, huh?"
Romeo remained silent.
Candy shifted, clearly uncomfortable with the quiet. "Hey, I'm sorry about what happened back at the hideout, okay? I just… I felt like I was losing it. I know you didn't like Love, But he and I were… close."
"Lovers," Romeo interrupted flatly.
Candy bit her lip. "Not really. We never got to tell each other how we really felt."
Romeo's gaze remained on the journal. "I see. That's something I didn't care to hear."
Candy squinted, her frustration rising. "Look, Draik—"
"Romeo," he corrected, his voice sharp.
Candy ignored him. "I know you didn't like him, but you don't have to be so nonchalant about it."
Romeo finally turned to look at her, his expression unreadable. "I think you're all up in yo feelin's, Candy."
"Jerk."
"Gothic dingbat."
"Heartless troll."
"Undead corpse."
Candy sighed, her frustration boiling over. "Did Love tell you anything before, you know…?"
Romeo hesitated for a moment before replying. "He told me to give you his heart and that you would know what it meant, and what to do with it."
Candy blushed, surprised by the words. "...Oh. That was it?"
Romeo glanced at her again and suddenly blushed too, clearly uncomfortable. "Eugh. Is that... get out."
"Ewww!" Candy pushed his face away, laughing as she teased him. "Why are you blushing?"
"I'm not! This is a flush of anger," Romeo shot back, his voice flustered. "What are you talking about?"
Candy grinned, clearly amused. "Are you blushing because I am? Nice, Draik."
Romeo groaned, covering his face. "I told you what this is. Use your logic, not what you want to happen in your own fantasies."
Candy's grin faded. "Wow, really? You're full of yourself, Draiker, you know that?!"
"At least I've got enough brains not to try and commit suicide over a dead brod."
Candy's eyes narrowed in disbelief. "Are you talking about Love? First of all, Love is a boy, and secondly, why would you use that against me?"
Romeo's face hardened. "It ain't like we're friends, Candy. We've been enemies since forever, remember? Thanks to him, right?"
Candy scoffed, shaking her head. "As far as I remember, you made us enemies when we moved on to Junior High. You were the one who told me you had your own friends now—'better' friends than Willow and me!"
Romeo shrugged. "Having better friends doesn't mean you're not one, Candy. It just means you're a little less than, that's all. Your ego is what made us enemies. You always gotta be the best, right? Why don't you just accept that you're not, and it's not my fault that I am?"
Candy's anger bubbled over. "This… this right here is why I hate you so much. I don't even know why I gave you his heart! You're nothing like Love, and you never will be! I should've just let you die, Draik."
Romeo's expression darkened, his voice a low growl. "Romeo,"
"Whatever!" Candy stormed out, slamming the door behind her, leaving Romeo sitting in silence.
"Starduster, lock the door please," Romeo instructed, his tone steady.
"Doors locked," the AI confirmed.
Candy stood outside the door, her heart heavy and hurt. She turned away, retreating to her room, and sank onto her bed. Hugging her knees tightly to her chest, she let the tears flow freely, drifting into a painful memory.
Draik is walking alone towards his home, his figure silhouetted against the fading light.
"Draik!" she called out, a flicker of hope igniting within her. He turned, a smirk curling on his lips.
"You look happy," she said, attempting to lighten the mood.
"I guess for the first time in my life, I truly am," he replied, an unfamiliar confidence radiating from him.
"What happened to you?" Candy asked, genuine curiosity coloring her voice.
"I'm finally getting away from you. Haven't you heard? I'm a true elitist now," Draik declared, his tone sharp and final. "And better yet, I have friends of my own now. Friends that matter. I don't need you anymore, Candy. So take the memo and step back out of my life."
"What?" The words barely escaped her lips, disbelief flooding her. "Draik, you're kidding, right? We've been friends since kindergarten. Why would you…" Her voice faltered as she searched his face, and the realization struck her hard—he was serious. "But I don't understand—why?"
"It's nothing personal, Candy. It's just business." With that, Draik turned away, leaving her standing there, a deep hurt spreading through her as tears began to stream down her face.
Feeling utterly alone, she hugged her knees closer, the weight of his words crashing over her.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone