Odd opened the door in mid-flight.
"Where are you going?" Razputin yelled over the screeching sands.
"I'm not leaving Ulrich behind!" Odd jumped out, feeling the sand pound him in the face. He shielded his eyes, and ran in the direction of the sand. "ULRIIIICH!" Odd yelled.
"Ulrich! Ulrich! Where are you!" Odd dashed back, into the heart of the storm, feeling the sand tear into his skin and bones like needles, as he trudged on ahead. He coughed, sensing a desert sickness gathering among himself. He coughed and coughed, heading into the heart of the storm, as it beat only harder upon him. He yelled in agony, as the blood red sun set over the desert. It would be far too hard to find Ulrich at night; but he had to find his best friend.
Feet lifted barely from sand, as he looked for Ulrich still.
"Will my Ulrich dear be alright?" Sissi asked Razputin.
"Doubtful."
Sissi gasped, yanking his arm. "How can you say that?"
"It's simple," Razputin said. "I've seen it all happen before; in a dream, a terrible, terrible dream. Someone went into the desert and we searched and searched for days. All we found was his jacket, covered in blood.
"It can be different this time!" Sissi gasped, scared.
"It could be," he muttered, lowering his head. He suddenly hit the door button, lowering his flight goggles over his eyes, and diving out into the burning hot sand. He ran after Odd's footsteps, which seemed to disappear behind him.
Odd cried, collapsed by a single branch growing out of a cliff. He screamed and yelled, crying like only a child again. Razputin looked up, finding only a bloody, tattered jacket. "Oh no," he whispered, his eyes welling up with tears.
"Odd," Razputin said, "take it, and come back to the ship."
Odd still lie upon the ground, facing away from the storm, crying. "God is a bastard," Odd said between sobs, "a dirty bastard."
"And payback's a bitch," Razputin said, also full of sorrow. "Let's go."
They headed back to the ship, from the storm. "Where's Ulrich dear?" Sissi asked.
"Sissi," Razputin said, bleakly, "he's dead as dead can be."
Odd held up the bloodied coat, dropping it to the ground, crying. He fell to the ground. Everyone around him was dropping like flies. He wanted it all to end.
"It's okay," Robert said, taking Sissi's hand. "I'm here."
What had started as simply a comforting moment became a beautiful moment, as Sissi looked up at his calm face through tears, seeing a hero. She clutched his hand. "Robert, don't let me go; don't let me die."
"I won't," Robert said, warmly.
Odd, meanwhile, was going insane. He was about to his the door button once more. "Ulrich has to be out there! You'll see! He's not dead! He can't be!"
Razputin held him by the scruff of the neck. "No," he said coldly. "Your best friend is dead."
Odd turned around, punching Razputin in the face. He kicked him in the stomach, and grappled him to the ground, placing his foot upon his chest; all happening within a few seconds.
"You had to close the god-damn door! We could've saved Ulrich and brought him aboard, but you closed the door! You bastard! Payback is a bitch, and it's your fault! I'm gonna do what you did to Ulrich!"
Odd found himself berserk with rage, pushing Razputin up against the door, beating him senseless, throwing him against the window, and finally opening the door and throwing him to the sandstorm which raged ever harder.
"Odd, you idiot!" Robert yelled, knocking him to the ground. "Two wrongs don't make a right! You god-damn idiot! How could you do this to him? He has a life just like you! His heart beats just like yours!"
Odd sobbed. He could feel the blood in his veins cool, and could feel something move around in his overshirt pocket – the little demon, crawling around and laughing a sinister laugh, before jumping out unseen to Robert's shoulder.
Odd silently walked to the cockpit, sitting down at the pilot's seat. "Six alive, with ten coming in. Welcome to hell," Odd whispered silently. "There's nothing in the desert but a friend and a comrade." Odd whispered. "There's nothing in the hills but a windmill and an army."
Odd lifted the ship suddenly, departing for the jungle.
Jeremie sat next to Aelita, drying his crying eyes. "Ulrich is dead and Odd just killed someone... I can't believe it! Is this a game? Or is this a monster?"
"Don't worry, Jeremie," Aelita said, sorrowfully."We'll be out of here soon enough," she wept.
"I hope to god so," muttered Jeremie, beginning to tremble.
The ship was crossing a deep ocean of blue, as Odd was slumped over the controls. All this death, he wished he could just die and visit them. He hung his head low, but looked up. He began slowing the ship, as they arrived at the jungle. Odd docked the ship, and landed.
"Greetings," a humanoid voice sounded to them.