章 24: Millie’s Meekness
After the incident with Max, someone both kids had focused on visited the 'victim' of this sudden assault.
"Ow... Ow... I can't believe you did that to me." Steve spoke pitifully... with his soft-looking feminine face.
"I can't believe you!" Millie defended the 'boy' while cuddling him in her arms. Looking angrily at Max.
This was definitely a farce!
There was no way the boy's mother couldn't heal him back to normal. The only reason she didn't...
...was likely because she approved of his methods.
Max turned his eyes to see Garcia spying on them.
Sharing a secret thumbs up with Steve, who was pretending to be seriously injured by his attack.
These scheming little pieces of-
"Where is your apology?" Millie growled at him, and the youth could only sigh while lowering his head.
"I'm sorry for hurting you." Max showed some sincerity. Not looking reluctant in saying this to him.
"That's fine. Can you leave us alone for a bit?" Steve took this opportunity, and Max couldn't deny him.
No matter how much he wanted to keep them apart.
Even though he knew this was a scheme to reveal the truth behind Millie, he couldn't reject this request.
Nodding his head before cooling himself outside.
He trusted that since Millie knew nothing about her condition... This simple talk would end up useless.
.....
....
...
..
.
"Are you feeling okay?" Mille patted his head the same way she did to Max not too long ago.
"Don't worry. 'Tis just a flesh wound." Steve proudly wore his loss. Not caring about things such as 'pride'.
He never learnt how to have that in the first place.
"Then... what about the result?" Millie herself didn't seem to think that was the case. Asking this to him.
"It's bad. Oh no... Well, maybe I'm done, and maybe I've lost. Should I give up?" Steve asked rhetorically.
"No." Not quite getting the memo, Millie answered.
The feminine boy decided simply to role with it.
"That's right. Cute stuff. Ever lose a fight like this yourself. Just remember what you still keep putting up a fight for. If it brings you up, then let that be your life goal." He started to act like a nagging adult.
One that was mixed with a caring aunt's tone.
"Then what about you? I don't like fighting. It hurts and people get hurt too. So why?" Millie scratched her head. Her perspective similar to the younger years of his past life. Back when he had school.
"For me... I guess it's because I love my mom, and I love my family. I want to protect them." (Steve)
"That much?" Millie found this inspiring awe in her.
"What's strange about that? When I was young, they would all look after me. Don't you feel the same?" It was a question which already had an answer, but she felt like simply saying 'Yes' wouldn't do it justice.
"I... don't want to fight. I don't know why, but I feel like a burden. Weak. I just... hate fighting." (Millie)
"...You're serious?" Steve raised his head to make eye-contact. This was quite the mindset to have.
Especially in this world...
"Mmmm." She affirmed while nodding.
"Don't worry about it then. I spend my whole life overthinking my purpose. Training myself to the point I couldn't really cry anymore. My body is so used to the hurting." Steve revealed the scars marring his arms and legs. He kept them personally.
Using them to remind himself of his failures.
But sometimes, scars were better than anguish.
"I don't want to be a burden to anyone. If I choose to be in other's care, wouldn't they hate me?" Millie's question opened a scar of anguish that Steve would never be able to erase. The girl saw his expression...
...It was one that was too complicated for her.
"Sorry... Trauma creeps up on me at the wrong moments. I know what you mean. Not wanting to be called 'useless', and all..." Steve hit the nail on the head. Even though he shouldn't be able to relate.
The known Steve Thornebrook of today was someone many aspired to be. A genuine, real talent.
Truest of them all.
But the 'real' him was no better than his past life.
He couldn't erase the ghosts haunting him. He could never forget Samantha. She'd always be here. Inside.
Waiting for him to call out to her.
A part of him felt fearful that she'd walk down the same path he did, and end up with the same fate.
He needed to say... anything. Something deeper.
"Don't think too much about your place in the world right now. We are still young." Steve lazily fell back.
"It's hard to relax..." Millie revealed her impatience.
"But you have to. We're still little kids. I know we grew up a little too fast, mentally speaking. But if you waste this time... you'll end up missing the days that 'we' could chill and relax." Steve persuaded.
He emphasised their team dynamic.
Pretending they were all in one circle.
All because Steve didn't want her to die the same way he did. Lonely… Alone against the world.
"It won't be like that." Millie didn't understand him.
"Trust me. You'll end up asking: 'Where did the time go?' in the future... Realising it all passed." (Steve)
"That's-" (Millie)
"You'll only regret it when it's too late." (Steve)
"That's not-" (Millie)
"Leave. Don't you need to go back home anyway? I won't train you." Steve shooed her away with a sigh.
"Please... Just listen to me." (Millie)
"About what?" (Steve)
"It's just... I had no worries before, but always made plans. It's just... now the only thing I do these days is take out the trash. Clean up the house and try to cook in the kitchen. Do stuff like that." (Millie)
"And…?" (Steve)
"It feels too suffocating." (Millie)
"...It's easier than going beyond your mental ability to cope. Even if you knew how to fight, would you? That mindset of yours isn't suitable for fighting. Just let others protect you. Don't you have Max?" (Steve)
"Haha, right..." Millie gave an empty giggle, but couldn't play pretend: "...It's harder to laugh now."
Steve felt like he was going about this the wrong way. He felt a headache trying to speak to her.
He had to get up... and then work on his craft in the morning. Not having time for this type of banter.
Now he felt he was lucky to do that.
But rather than letting her do all this by herself, he'd rather keep his eyes on this former friend of his.
'Right... Miliv was my future comrade. I can just substitute him for Millie if she has the same talent and is easier to control.' Steve suddenly found a thread among the bundle of thoughts in his head.
At first he needed some kind of inspiration, but now that he'd found it... He needed no validation of his mindset. Not all teams has the same perspective, so even if she was like this... She will still be useful.
'I will make sure you will turn out better than me.' A fire arose in his eyes while looking at her femininity.
That weak upper body and arms similar to his own.
"Fine. I'll train you properly." Steve acted like he was reluctant to do so, but still abided by her wishes.
"Thank you~!!!" Millie hugged him strongly, and he simply patted her head with a scheming smirk.
If Garcia had stayed long enough to see his face, she might have had some doubts on what he planned.
"Alright then. I'll put down some ground rules about this. Firstly, no doping yourself or using any sort of steroid medication. Try some meditating instead. I don't need you to save me in the future." (Steve)
"But then what's the point in training?" (Millie)
"Becoming stronger." (Steve)
"I want to be as strong as you." (Millie)
"Yeah, right." Steve scoffed in mockery, but quickly covered his mouth after that unconscious response.
"...Why do I feel like all of you hate me?" (Millie)
"What do you mean 'all'?" (Steve)
"You. Max. Dad... Everyone..." (Millie)
"Aw... No one here hates you. Cute stuff. Let's just say that... Everything's been so hard with all the situations lately. We're tired. I mean, just look at me now. It hurts~ Ah... I need to numb the pain for a minute. Can you give me a bit of time?" It was hard to tell if Steve was being sincere or condescending.
"No. Tell me about everything." Millie asked something he was thinking of doing at that moment.
...But then realised something was on the table.
A marble? No, it looked like Max had left a detached mechanised eye and ear to spy on their conversation.
If he said anything wrong, he'd be chased to the ends of the planet. That kid... was taking this too serious.
'Hah... I should just run away and go on a vacation or something.' Steve simply looked back to her face.
"I don't know what else to say. You're just imagining things." He kept everything a secret for his goals.
Perhaps Millie would be better suited to be his comrade. If so, he couldn't risk 'breaking' her.
Especially if she inherited Miliv's killing talent.
"...All of you are liars." Millie seemed to be catching onto something. She was about to get up and leave.
The injured boy caught her before she left.
Holding onto her hand.
"Millie..." He brought her close in his arms, and used his feminine appearance to disarm her wariness.
Smiling like the beautiful sunshine.
"What?" She turned her head away, but didn't subconsciously reject him like she would a boy.
The way she'd reject Max if he had gotten too close.
Steve loaded some sincerity into his persuasive monologue. Speaking from the depths of his heart:
"Is the truth that important? After all, I myself would choose a white lie over accepting 'facts'." Steve tried to reason with her without really scratching on the topic. It was a slimy way of wording everything.
"This is my life." (Millie)
"Of course. Hey, listen... I myself thought it was right to be productive and strong one time." (Steve)
"Then...?" (Millie)
"I died." (Steve)
"Liar..." (Millie)
"You don't believe me? Until the end of my past life's story, I lived hating myself for being weak."
"For all of it?" (Millie)
"All of my life." (Steve)
"Let's say I believe you. You're not a liar and you can understand me. Why this? Why pretend?" (Millie)
"I don't know what you're talking about." (Steve)
"You're lying." (Millie)
"I'm not. Honest~ The past can haunt you, but it shouldn't decide what you're doing in life." (Steve)
"What if I want it to?" (Millie)
"Then don't." (Steve)
"You don't tell me what to do! Hmph!" (Millie)
"Hey, let's say I lived my past life being angry about myself like you are. Feeling like there's something wrong with the way people treat me... and that everyone's out to get me." Steve exaggerated.
"I don't think like that..." Millie puffed her cheeks.
"After dying... In this new life, I'm looking for something new. Rather than being all stuck in my ways like the old-fashioned days, I'll find myself here... Wanna know what I found in the end?" The boy became more passionate about this interaction.
"...What?" (Millie)
"I found my comrade. You." Steve winked at her.
"Me? 'Comrade'...?" Millie found this concerning.
She started to find the atmosphere turning strange.
"Yes. All the roads of life led me to you. Destiny was hoping we'd meet. All to set us up." (Steve)
"Don't fib." (Millie)
"Am I...? Well, you can always decide that in the future. Just remember some things." (Steve)
"I won't expect anything." (Millie)
"Alright, listen... The house that you live in doesn't make it a home, but you have me here. Even if you're feeling lonely, it doesn't mean you're alone. People in life will come and they'll leave. Sometimes liking you and other times hating you, but I won't." (Steve)
"Is this a confession?" (Millie)
"Something similar. Think about it like this. If you had a choice, where do you want to end up? You could run a shop, make weapons, study, and do whatever you want. The sky is the limit!" (Steve)
"...Please stop speaking to me." (Millie)
"Millie, I promise... All through the lows and the highs, I will stay by your side. There's no need for goodbyes. We will be together forever. FOREVER, I TELL YOU. Oh, now I'm seeing the light." (Steve)
"S-stop..." Millie tried to escape his hand, but he wasn't letting go. His fingers clamped to her wrist.
"When the sky turns to grey and there's nothing to say... at the end of the day, I'll always choose you to accompany me the thick and the thin. We'll be like a den of thieves. Like the stars shining bright." (Steve)
"You're not making sense anymore." (Millie)
"Nonsense. Who needs logic or 'sense'? All we need is to save the world in the future. That will be something that'll make our lives worth it. Both you and me, we'll end up as legends!" Steve's eyes started to burn with a silver light. A flame of his resolve.
"MAX!" Millie called out her real 'comrade' of this life, and a figure came breaking the lock of the bedside window and forcing himself in. A hand hit the wrist of the feminine boy holding onto the girl.
"Ouch..." Steve shook his hand while realising he might have went overboard. They gazed at him.
Looking at him like he was some sort of freak.
But he smiled in response. Brightly. Like their opinion of him had never mattered whatsoever.
"Don't touch her ever again. She is under my protection." Max puffed his chest out like a lion.
A robot guardian that would protect its owner.
"You both are connected to me now. Remember? I think we'll see each other a lot regardless of if we want to or not. I hope we get along~" Steve said nothing about earlier and laid back on the bed.
Relaxing himself rather than pursuing the duo.
The two of them left the room in a hurry.
Max dragged her little body along out of the house to somewhere they could be alone. Millie followed.
It was only then did they start to take deep breaths.
"Stay away from him!" Max confronted the girl. He couldn't control his voice and ended up roaring.
"...?" Millie took a step back. Looking scared.
"S-sorry. That guy... He's a bad person you shouldn't talk too much with. You'll only get hurt." Even Millie could sense he was hiding something at this point. It wasn't difficult to see the panic growing in his eyes.
"...I'll listen to you." (Steve)
"So you won't meet him?" Max wanted to make sure.
"I don't want to, but he's not wrong. The three of us are 'connected' now. We can't avoid each other for long." Millie spoke more rationally. It caused her friend to become both annoyed, yet understanding.
"...Fine." Max barely spat out.
"Thank you for coming." Millie was surprised he really came out when she called out for him in fear.
"Don't worry about it. We're friends. You're part of my crew, after all." Max seemed really proud.
"How did you know I was in trouble?" These words from her suddenly made the boy realise his faults.
"Err... Anyway, I beat him up. He's not an issue for me anymore. Now that I found the strength to make a change, you can count on me. Just look at the magic I found. Interesting, right?" Max strutted his peacock feathers like he was courting someone.
Even though Millie could see right through such a bogus scheme, she just let him change the subject.
"Are you protecting me because I'm weak?" There was a darkness in her eyes that reflected her image.
Millie would hate herself if others got harmed for her sake. All she wanted was to not cause any trouble.
"We're friends. That's why. Do I need a different reason for it?" Max gave a careless response.
It was a lazy reply, but... it somehow felt nice.
Unlike Steve, he wasn't expecting big things from her or seeing her as a weakling. It was... friendship.
Something much more precious than she'd initially thought. Millie wanted to protect this innocence.
What they had together...
"Thank you." She told him again. It made the boy blush in both pride and embarrassment about it all.
Something was born in Millie's heart right then.
She wasn't as resolved as the two of them to fight any hardship, but she wouldn't let them be alone.
There was something off about her name and identity. Her memories. Her very sense of being.
But no matter the name or where she came from, it all didn't matter. Life didn't need that much thought.
Steve was right about that.
No one had much figured out at their age. It was fine to go through life and find the place they belonged.
'No...' Millie shook her head at that thought.
She had already found the place she belonged. It was a place of happiness and warmth. Their paradise.
And she knew Max would be there at every step of the way. Ready to be there for her with open arms.
She didn't need Steve.
One day, she will find out the truth they had all hid from her. But for this moment, she'll let it go.
Max had shifted to become her biggest concern...
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