WORTH

A/N: If you haven't read Betray Me Not, most of the events mentioned here (Brandon's betrayal, Biscoe's harsh punishment, the artificial leg, etc) are elaborated in the prequel. Some concepts from Phantom Limb also appear here, because this is actually a rehash of that work. And here's a quick piece of information taken from the prequel's note: Dr. William is not an OC. I'm referring to the nameless scientist who talks to Biscoe about the Anti-Necrolyze bullets in episode 25.

All disclaimers apply.

Brandon was nothing more than a nuisance to Mika; if she happened to fall asleep at school today, he would blame himself. Last night, he made a mess in a stupid attempt to cover her back with her fallen blanket. Funny how he could feel like his lost leg still existed the moment he stood up. But then, he realized that his limb was never there, despite the sensation. And he tumbled. The loud thud woke Mika abruptly, while his sprawled body frightened her.

Moreover, Brandon thought he was just a burden to Millennion. Every day, unless Dr. William came to take him for a walk, he only sat idly on that massive metal recliner, waiting for the doctor to provide the transfusions he needed. If his medical expense hadn't made Norton whine about the organization's economy, maybe things wouldn't have been that bad. Or if he had had the ability to work, maybe guilt wouldn't have haunted him all the time.

Now, he was about to receive the medical care he never deserved. William had entered the trailer with a briefcase in his hands.

"Good morning, Sir." William placed his luggage on the desk beside him. "How are you doing today?"

Brandon only looked down, but he soon heard William's voice amidst a set of approaching footsteps. "You look uneasy. Tell me everything? I'll do my best to help you."

He only made a finger gun gesture and pushed the barrel of the fake weapon against the side of his head.

"What? You're asking me to kill you?" Lowering his arm, Brandon nodded. But William only replied, "I can't do that."

Brandon cast a fierce glare at William, who then adjusted the collar of his white coat. "That is against my profession's ethics."

"You're already going against that by not helping me."

"It's no different if I concur." William shrugged. "However, I will always prioritize my patient's well-being. Primum non nocere. First, do no harm."

"Doctor, if you don't kill me quick, you'll harm everybody in Millennion. The organization pays my medical expense, which isn't cheap. Nobody can support Mika if Millennion goes bankrupt," Brandon grouched. "Now, please grant my request. Kill me without leaving a bloody mess. I want to die without scaring Mika."

"As I've said, I can't do that."

Leaning forward with his jagged teeth gritted, Brandon growled.

"Sir, I know that you want the best for everybody, but there's no need to dispose yourself to help Mika and the organization." The scowl hadn't left Brandon's face, so William immediately added, "Try to change your mindset. Your existence is never that worthless." He paused. "Just look at Miss Mika. Without her, Boss wouldn't have provided me the equipment I needed to save you a while back. When Boss and his second-in-command weren't being nice to you, she even snapped at them. See? She loves – no, treasures you. Can you imagine how she'll feel if you're gone?"

Slowly, the frown on Brandon's face faded, but he didn't manage to smile. He found no reason to be truly happy unless he could reciprocate Mika's kindness.

"If you can't do much to help her, no need to force yourself. She will understand. You're one-eyed, one-armed, and one-legged."

Brandon sighed. Yes, yes, yes, Mika would never ask him to return the favor, but the issue right now was something personal. He was taking more than he could give.

"I think it's better if we forget about it. We won't go anywhere far by arguing about that." William walked past Brandon's gargantuan chair. A rustle followed, and soon, the doctor returned with an artificial leg in his hands. "Let's go for a walk around the lobby as we wait for the blood bags to come."

Brandon always smiled a little whenever he got off his seat and walked around Millennion's quarters; some physical activities refreshed for his stiffening back and neck.

"It's to prevent pressure sores," William always told him. "Having blisters on your backside will make you very uncomfortable."

Brandon didn't like the temporary prosthesis he wore, though. Short, tight, and lacking a movable knee joint, the fake limb would give him a backache and leave him breathless if he walked for too long. Without William acting as a crutch in the light exercise, Brandon would add falling to the list of his problems in walking.

He also disliked the environment of the lobby; many Biscoe's agents always stared at him whenever he set his foot there. Sure, most of them wore shades, but the lines on their faces hinted hostility. However, as long as they didn't talk about the betrayal he once committed, Brandon would pretend that they didn't exist.

Once his back started to restrain his legs, Brandon pointed at the strap metal bench further in front of him.

"You're tired?" William suddenly asked. He looked at his watch. "Well, I think that's enough for now. Let's have a break."

Brandon nodded. With William holding his only arm, he slowly limped towards the steel bench. As they reached the seat, he couldn't help but grin slightly at the bent metal of the bench. During the first few times William took him for a walk, he couldn't sit without dropping his butt abruptly. Fortunately, his tailbone was something a car crash couldn't even dislodge.

He turned around and lifted his artificial leg. By flexing his good knee little by little, he could sit down without damaging anything.

Sitting down, William exclaimed. "Fifteen minutes!" He gave a thumbs-up. "That's a record, Sir."

Brandon smiled at that. I hope I can start working soon.

"You know, I've been thinking of asking Boss to get you a proper artificial leg and refer you to a professional physiotherapist. Your physical condition improves very quickly." He took a deep breath. "But I do think that you may still need some more time to cope with various stuff. Like phantom sensation." He paused. "Do you sometimes feel like your lost limbs are still there?"

Smile fading, Brandon nodded. "I disturbed Mika because of that."

"How?"

"Last night, her blanket fell off. I thought I still had a pair of legs when I stood up to cover her with it, but then…" Brandon looked down. "…I fell. My leg was never there."

"Were you upset because of that earlier?"

"Yeah."

"Actually, that sensation worsens when you're stressed out. I'd suggest you to not think too much about it. Don't worry. It's not permanent and will gradually disappear."

"But it makes me bothersome."

William lifted his hand and wagged his index finger. "Not a big deal." He smirked. "You think someone who loves you so much will get mad at you just because of you being a nuisance against your will?"

Brandon shook his head.

"Don't think too much about it then. If it disturbs no one, why bother?"

All of a sudden, an unfamiliar voice chimed in, "Well, Miss Mika may just fall asleep at school because of that."

Brandon hissed through his gritted teeth.

"Sir," William grumbled, "would you kindly keep quiet if you don't have anything nice to say?"

"I'm just speaking the truth." The voice sounded cold and nonchalant.

"You don't pay attention to how he's feeling, do you?"

"Why should I care about someone who once betrayed Millennion?" A sigh. "Also, this guy was pardoned so easily after committing a betrayal. Not fair, you know?"

Cracking his fist, Brandon squinted. Unless the guy wanted to lose some teeth, he had better not venture deeper about Brandon's crime.

"Please leave. Your presence won't do any good for my patient."

"Whatever, Doc." Fading footsteps echoed. "But warning you. It's a bad idea to have someone like him as your patient. You won't know when he'll stab you in the back."

Bastard! Roaring, Brandon pushed himself out of the bench. His fist didn't make it to the man's hairless head, though, as his prosthetic shinbone hit a rigid object. Lying on the ground, he looked to his side to see William's stretched leg.

Rising from his seat, William muttered, "I'm sorry, but you'll only cause problems if you hurt somebody here." He crouched and grabbed Brandon's arm. "Anyway, let's relax for a few more minutes before resuming the walk."

Biscoe suddenly came to them. "I received a report from the surveillance room. They said you tried to punch a guardsman."

Brandon only nodded. He didn't find it necessary to elaborate the cause of his misconduct; Biscoe might just brush it off with "I don't need your excuse."

And a slap came. A thunderous, "Never do that again!" followed.

"One of your men harassed him, Boss," William quickly said. "Brandon disturbed Miss Mika by accident last night. And he was upset. I tried to console him, but then, a guard ruined everything."

"There's something behind Brandon's anger?" Biscoe raised an eyebrow. "What did my man say, Doctor?"

"He claimed that Miss Mika would fall asleep at school today. Brandon was already sad at that point, but then, the guard started babbling about Brandon's betrayal and made fun of the fact that he was easily pardoned for his crime."

"And he went mad because of that?"

"After the guard said that Brandon would someday stab me in the back, to be exact."

"I'll see that guard later. And I'll visit the surveillance room as well." Biscoe then pointed at Brandon like a father educating his child. "But you too, mustn't lose your temper so easily. Not everybody here likes that we didn't execute you for betraying us. If you happen to hurt just one person here, everything will get worse."

"Yes, Sir," Brandon responded firmly.

"Boss," William suddenly spoke, "have you talked to your men? You punished Brandon very harshly for his betrayal last month. No, that was actually an abuse. You forced him to wear a defective artificial leg when the wound on his residual limb was still stitched and sent him into a mafia operation."

Biscoe shrugged. "Told them, but this is the result. As I've said, not everybody agrees."

"I see." William patted Brandon's back. "I think you just have to endure everything, Sir. Try not to lose your temper. It's for your own good."

Brandon nodded.

"Well, I'm leaving now." Biscoe walked away, waving a hand. "Take care."

Biscoe soon returned with a bald man in a black suit. "Was this the guardsman you tried to hurt earlier?"

Brandon's eye widened. He had been looking down when the guard picked on him! The only moment he glanced at the guardsman was when he tried to smash his skull. His target was a man in a black suit with no single strand of hair on his head.

Hmm, this bald guardsman sure looked like the guy who barely escaped from his fist of fury. But the face... Did he have either mustache or stubble? Or both? The man standing beside Biscoe had neither.

"I didn't pay attention to his face," Brandon muttered.

"The surveillance cameras couldn't be wrong, Brandon."

"I really don't know."

"Hey, don't think that by not blaming me, I'll be nice to you!" the guard snapped. "You're still the one who was forgiven so easily for betraying Millennion!"

"Yes, it was this man," William confirmed. "But Boss, I thought you could've seen at the record that Brandon was looking down that time."

"I was just testing him, Doctor." Biscoe stared at his guardsman. "Brian, the next time you see Brandon, keep your mouth shut if you don't have anything nice to say. Yes, you don't like that we didn't kill him for betraying us, but there's no reason to act like that to him. You'll only start a fight." He looked at Brandon. "Besides, he is quite a gentleman."

"Sounds like you're defending him, Boss," Brian nagged, sighing. "Well, if he is a gentleman, he should've sucked it up instead of attacking me."

"I've told him to contain his anger next time. And stop arguing with me, will you?"

"I see nothing wrong with chiding him whenever I want to," Brian spoke nonchalantly. "He was pardoned too easily, so I believe he still needs some lessons."

"That's none of your business. I will discipline him in my own way whenever he behaves badly. And that's enough." Biscoe returned his gaze to Brandon. "Am I correct?"

Brandon nodded.

"Still defending him, Boss?"

Biscoe poked Brian in the ribs and snapped, "I'm just trying to be fair! Now, shut up and go back to work! And don't let me catch you pestering Brandon again!"

"Whatever." Brian walked away. "But I can't promise to not teach him a lesson when I see him."

"How dare you defy your boss! You won't receive your wage today, brat!"

"I can't believe it." Brian turned with a hand in his suit. "My boss is standing for a traitor."

At the sight of Brian pulling out a pistol, Brandon immediately stood up. With a strong thrust from his good leg, he launched himself at Biscoe.

And a gunshot exploded at the same time he reached the mob boss. But the bullet struck the left side of his face instead of Biscoe's heart. Fortunately, his flesh deflected it.

"W-what are you doing?" Brian stammered, his eyes widening in shock.

Brandon's monstrous body soon sent the mob boss crashing to the ground. He caught Biscoe's face in his palm before the marble floor could break any bones. With the support from his elbow and the back of his hand, too, he managed to avoid crushing Biscoe under his weight.

With Biscoe trapped under him, Brandon cast a death glare at the so-called Millennion guardsman.

Suddenly, a myriad of guards surrounded them, their pistols aimed at Brian. "Lay down your arms!" one of them commanded.

"You know, Brian." Biscoe raised his head. "Trying to shoot your boss is unforgivable. It'll earn you nothing but death, just like betrayal."

Another gunshot rang as Brian cursed. Brandon immediately covered Biscoe's face with his only hand. The little bullet jabbed the back of his hand before falling to the ground as a dented round.

"Shoot this offender dead!" Biscoe ordered.

And the guardsmen did, reducing Brian into a bloody corpse on the floor.

Brandon rolled to his side, allowing Biscoe to stand up before he did. Unfortunately, he himself didn't manage to get up until Biscoe held his arm and pulled him up gently.

Biscoe smiled at him. "Thank you for protecting me, Brandon."

Brandon shook his head. "Your man wouldn't have tried to shoot you if Dr. William had agreed to kill me earlier."

"What? You asked the doctor to kill you?"

Frowning, Brandon nodded. "I'm only a troublemaker here."

"You are never one." Biscoe placed a hand on Brandon's shoulder. "You're still recuperating. I'm sure that once you've fully recovered, you'll return the favor. I'm even afraid that you'll give much more than you take. You see? You still push your handicapped body beyond limit just to protect me." After a moment of silence, Biscoe looked into Brandon's eye. "Just be patient, Brandon. If you die, you'll never get the chance to repay us. You don't want that, do you?"

Brandon shook his head. Biscoe was right; if he died now, he would only help Millennion for a short time.

"Then don't die. Live long enough to recover. I'll be sure to find a job for you after that."

"Yes." Brandon smiled. "Thank you for your advice, Sir." He hobbled away and headed towards William, who stood beside the bench.

"That was so daring of you, Sir." William laughed softly. "You wanna walk some more before going back to the trailer?" He looked at his watch. "I don't think they've delivered the blood bags."

Brandon nodded.

"Let's go then." William held Brandon's forearm and placed a hand on his back.

"Wait a minute," Biscoe suddenly called and walked towards them. "Doctor, thank you for not killing Brandon."

"You're welcome, Boss."

Brandon walked away with William. But after limping for a few seconds, he found himself interested in the faint chatter between Biscoe and a Millennion guardsman. He didn't stop his stroll, though.

"Um, Boss, don't you think we should be more respectful to him? He is still willing to protect others despite his disability. I think this is the first time I ever see someone that heroic in my life."

"Yes," Biscoe answered. "You know, kid. Maybe he doesn't have as much authority as I do. He probably isn't as intelligent as my executives either. Moreover, he isn't as healthy as Millennion guardsmen. But despite that, we all are no match for the selfless, courageous Brandon Heat."

Brandon couldn't help but smile broadly. I'm not worthless.

Notes:

1. I keep Mika's status as a student. After all, she is said to still be going to school before Harry's Millennion turns her world upside down.

2. In episode 1 and/or 18, Brandon/Grave is drawn to have sharp teeth.

3. The car crash is a reference to the battle in episode 18. Brandon/Grave is unscathed despite having been rammed by a truck. And he throws it away as retaliation. This guy is a monster even without his guns.

4. Why the agent's name is Brian? If you look properly, the characters' names in the series, especially those in Millennion, mostly start with the letter B.