Hurgh…
Hmmmm….
Aaahhh…
My head hurts. REALLY hurts. Imagine if someone pistol-whipped you. Twice. Ah…
Deep breathes. Deep breathes. Focus. Ignore the pain….
AGH!
"Sorry." A familiar female voice said from the darkness. A voice to calm beasts, yet with the hint that the voice could go toe-to-toe with a beast. I knew very well the voice was, and the feeling of antiseptic on my skin only proved to me who this was.
"Charlotte."
"Albert?" She asked. It's her. "You're awake. How're you feeling?"
"I've been shot several times, had a helicopter explode into my back, I fell several stories to land on metal beams…but thanks to you, I'm fine. Thanks." The darkness in my sight still was heavy. Charlotte's voice came from the right side. "Where…am I?"
"Shacktown. Remember? I set up a free clinic a week ago here. You built it."
Yeah. Shacktown. How could I forget this place? A town made from anything that these poor people could find. The houses are usually wooden, being that the town laid on a coast helped with any housing issues. The more important places, like the bank and elder's house, were made from stronger material, like discarded steel plating. Several builders came down here every month or so to help build houses, usually free or sometimes for a small fee (The highest charge? 5,000 HL.)
The only place in Remedial that poor people where treated well. At least in the last three years. The increasing trouble coming from other countries caused many internal problems. The rich got richer from defense contracts, and the poor guys couldn't keep up.
Trevor was trying to change that.
"Try not to think too much." Charlotte said. The darkness cleared up.
There she was.
Long blonde hair that reached the hips. Closed eyes that could still see, such is the way of Vinaya, they way that I also follow. She wore that olive-green, light-blue dress that I got her on a trip to Sanativa. It was clean, so she changed after she fixed me up…
…wait. Did I die? There's no way I could survive falling into the sea with a broken body. Not even with healing magic. Is this heavan?
"I found ya. Yeer not dead, yet." A another familiar voice came from outside. The clinic was small and wooden, but had plenty of beds, though empty. The place had a nice smell and feel to it, just like Charlotte's old home at Bacon.
Any way, the voice. Salis. A dragon who once lived in a secret cave that only me and Charlotte knew about. He wasn't friendly at first, but after three weeks of visiting him he eventually warmed up to us. We flew around the countryside together. He disappeared a year before I went to the army. My wanderer years ended when I found him in a mountain range, hiding from hunters. I dealt with said hunters (Closer to poachers.), and we flew away together.
The black Bahamut walked in with no problem (Either Charlotte ordered the doorframe just for Salis, or there's a lot of tall people in town.), with a dragon smile on his dragon face. That's rare. An old folk-tale says that seeing that is said to extend life by a few years. Considering what happened to me recently, I could use that.
"I heard what happened down at the President's office. Knowing you, I checked the nearby sea beds. I found ya bleeding body about two miles out. Carried ya back, and Charlotte fixed ya back up as best as she could. Ya been out for two days." Salis' smiled dropped. "I expected better."
"What?" I asked in disbelief. "You expected me to wake up at a earlier?"
"Why…" Salis' smile went even wider. "…yes."
I coughed little, trying to laugh. I needed some good humor after what happened. Not that I needed it.
"Still…thanks." I tried to lean up, but my back loudly told me not to. The helicopter really did a number on me.
"Wow." Charlotte moved over to gently push him down. "The shrapnel I was able to get rid of, but your back is going to need some time to heal. Don't worry. It'll probably take only about twelve hours. Just relax." I took a large breath. Agh…
"I suppose…" I started to say. "…I suppose…you guys want to know what happened."
The two gave a concerned look. I think they knew.
"Al…" Salis said in a solemn voice. "The whole world knows."
I…I…
What? How?
"But…I don't know." I said, in a scarred voice. "I can't remember anything…"
"It's natural." Charlotte said in a comfortable tone of voice. "You're in shock. You may have trouble remembering certain things. Just calm down. Take it easy."
"N-n-n-o-o." I said. I felt nauseous. I never had an anxiety attack before. "I don't remember. I don't know why I shot Trevor. I really don't."
"Calm down, calm down!" Salis moved over to hold me down. "That doesn't matter if you don't remember. The world wants you."
Charlotte moved him away to discuss something private. I couldn't hear, but…my dad did teach me something useful…
"…we need to take this slow." Charlotte's lips read.
"…solider…now. Ongoing crisis…" Salis was harder to read.
"Please…"
"Albert…" Salis turned to me. "Ya mind?" I held my hands up to silently say 'okay', and turned around. Now why did I tell them what I did in the army?
The two turned around, with Charlotte's face showing that she lost this one.
"Ready yourself." Salis went to a cabinet and pulled out a decent-sized VCR/TV. He brought it to my bedside. "I recorded this." He pulled a tape out of the drawer next to me. "You…need to see this." He put it inside and placed play. Static appeared on the screen, for about twenty seconds.
I wished it stayed that way.
A news program popped up. BREAKING NEWS filled the top and bottom of the screen. DEAD PRESIDENT is the breaking news, of course. A small rabbit with red eyes and stitched-up mouth sitting next to a red-eye, blue-haired girl wearing a white dress and a large red ribbon standing up like rabbit ears. Only the rabbit talked.
"…sident Trevor was found dead, in his office, shot right through the head yesterday. Only today have the press been allowed to know any details. The assassin escaped by falling into the ocean, and has been confirmed to be alive…"
"How?" I asked, pausing the video. "How did they know?"
"Continue." Salis said. He didn't sound angry, more emotionless. I pressed play.
"…by a eyewitness who took this photo." Said photo appeared. Me, bloody me, on a beach, with a black blur, Salis, coming at me. Eyewitness? Who found me, and had enough time to take a photo before my rescue? One person sprung to mind. The bird-masked man who took two in the chest. Two point-blank bullets didn't even annoy him. A push wouldn't even faze him. Possible personal agenda?
"This man is confirmed to be a Albert Simon, a 28-year old Heretic-class demon, former Combat Medic in our nation's army."
My heart stopped.
It stopped again when my photo, a full body shot from a press release about the opening of the first free clinic, appeared on screen. In denial, I paused again and checked every detail. Long, white hair reaching the elbows: like mine. Eyes closed: like mine. Thin, yet muscular arms: like mine. Long, thin demon ears: like mine.
It was me.
And to add on, a small seven-second tape of me running through the halls of the unfinished building, holding a gun. More accurately, the pistol that I shot the president with. The rabbit spoke. "This security feed from the new Black House, the only video footage that the Cabinet will release, shows the assassin running from the security forces. With both the photo and this footage, the world has confirmed the identity of the assassin."
I laid my back down on the bed. I needed a moment for this to sink in. The news didn't wait.
"President Trevor…" His picture appeared on screen. Him all right. Long light brown hair, a strong face, a small nose. A former male Bujin class demon. Changed to engineer, then president. "…was working on several treaties with other large nations before his death, as well fixing the national debt."
Insult to injury.
"To discuss this in more detail, is our political reporter Ms. Diane. Diane?" It changed from the rabbit and the girl to a blonde woman with glasses.
"Thank you, Usagi-san." Ms. Diane said with a loud voice. After clearing her voice, she spoke. "The countries of Valetudo, Persilschein, Kyoushinzai, and Magister have been for years trying to take control of smaller nations to expand their territory. Specifically, the smaller nations of Hicchi, Dawa, Ripristinare, Aizt, and Sanativa are those most targeted. President Trevor's negotiations was going to help settle matters; the countries would be allowed to trade with other nations, and the nations would get some members from our army to protect from other forces."
"But only Trevor had the charmisa, the ideas, and the general know-how to keep the large countries in line. The Cabinet has tried, but the negotiations barely lasted a minute. The countries have started their invasion of other countries almost immediately. Here's the safest footage we could get."
The footage changed to a live-feed (Live from yesterday anyway.) showing the army of Valetudo (The colors of dark purple and rich black gave that away.) storming, without any resistance, into the town of Joachim, Hicchi. I recognize the statue of the folk hero, the one whom the town was named. The next shot was that of the statue being blown up, with the Valetudo army raising their guns in victory. The people of Joachim just stood there, in stone-cold fear.
Tears rolled down their face. As well as mine.
More footage of the other nations being invaded bombarded me. Persilschein, with the colors of dark green, brown and dark blue destroying the wall into the kingdom of Dawa. The black, white, and grey colors of Kyoushinzai came next, with the city of Mao, Aizt burning. But the best is saved for last. The biggest country, only second to Remedial, of colors royal purple, royal blue, and royal black came Magister. They had a big enough army to conquer both Ripristinare and Sanativa at the same time. No resistance ever came out. No one fought back. They…just…didn't…have…the…will…to…fight…back…
I killed a single man. And damned the entire world. I couldn't stop crying. I only cried once. After a mission…but my memory is still fuzzy. My eyes burned.
"Salis…please." Charlotte pleaded. Salis remained quiet.
It continued, switching back to the rabbit and girl. "The army hasn't made any official statement about sending help. They may not, considering the staggering numbers stacked against them. Though the countries aren't working together, they did attack different countries at the same time, and our army is taking any chances." Both reporters kept the same facial emotion, but the rabbit's voice sounded forlorn.
"Albert Simon currently has been moved to the R.I.P.'s (That's the Remedial Internal Protection.) top of the Most Wanted List. But not just that." My tears stopped, in cold fear.
"The entire world has declared war on Albert Simon." To hammer this point into my skull, it switched to a protest about me. People, even uniformed police, were holding signs that said: KILL ALBERT, YOU KILLED TREVOR MONSTER, LONG LIVE THE PRESIDENT, DEATH TO THE TRATIOR, and many others. They wanted my blood. My head to roll.
"Even the countries that should be thanking Albert have declared war on him, stating that they would have preferred the trade…"
KKKKKRRRSSSSSHHH!
"Albert!" Charlotte screamed as my fist smashed the TV. She carefully removed my bleeding arm from the broken screen.
"I'm…sorry." Salis handed her a first-aid kit. She used some healing magic to fix the wound, and wrap up the tender arm. "I'll pay for it. Somehow."
"Don't bother." Salis said with a sigh. "I'll find ah new one in the dump. Maybe even a better one." He remained silent until Charlotte finished. "Listen…I'm sorry…"
"Don't." I reply. "I needed that." The tears, despite my eyes turning red, started again. "I just caused the end of the world as we know it."
"Shh…" Charlotte pulled my covers up.
"And don't think for a moment that those countries are just going to stop. They're going to go after everyone. The other nations that didn't make the hit-list, the poorer ones. Then other countries. I just caused a war that might not end." I coughed. "I need to leave soon. I don't want to put you guys in the crosshairs."
"Yer safe." Salis said. "Trevor's plans for fixing the debt wasn't coming along so nicely. The people of Shacktown like ya…a little. They don't like ya for causing the war, but at the very least, they won't turn ya in. Just as long ya don't do anything else."
"Still, the R.I.P. is going to look for me. I can't stay."
"The R.I.P. is focusing on dealing with the lost of power and spies from the other countries. Ya may be World Enemy No. 1, but first they got to deal with some…bigger problems. They got one guy and a small task force on it. That's all I know, and probably I'll ever know."
I stopped talking, trying to digest everything. I killed the president. Why? I don't remember. That's the only thing I can't fully remember, while others memories are a bit fuzzy, like my stay in the army, my wandering years, even the past three weeks.
I created a world-wide war. I let several innocent nations be conquered by several larger countries in their mad-ideal to take over the world. They won't stop until they get what they want, the only path that could be taken was the path of extinction. I bought Armageddon early.
But why? Why did I kill the president? That one question lingered in my head. That caused everything.
What did I do?
What did HE do?
I wouldn't kill anyone unless I had a good reason. Trevor might had a dirty secret, which I might had found, somewhere.
Damn. Did I actually consider that I created a war over revenge?
But I had to know. I want to go to jail, but the questions demanded answers.
I…had to do something.
I pushed the covers off, and got up, ignoring the pain that surged through my body. Charlotte tried to put me down, but I gently pushed her off.
"Err…bud?" Salis asked.
"I need to fix this." I stumbled, but quickly recovered. "Did the pistol…"
"Right here." Salis opened a drawer near him, and recovered the gun. "Don't know why you would hold on to this…" I grabbed it, nicely, and checked the magazine. Five shots, water-logged. I removed five, and threw them away.
"Is there somewhere in town where I could get some ammo?" I asked Salis.
"The dump again. Ya could probably find other better stuff…hold on. Slow down." Salis got close to me. "What're ya planning to do, buddy?"
"Fix things." I opened a drawer, the one holding second-hand clothes. With a grunt, I put on a black T-shirt, a green jacket with a blue stripe down the arms and with a hood, and some weathered blue jeans. Simple, but hopefully a little subtle.
"Hold it." Charlotte stood in front of the only door. "You need rest. Before you do anything else, you need time to fix your bones."
"I don't have much time. I need to clean up the mess I caused."
"By whut?" Asked Salis. "Ya thinking to tackle the armies?"
"No." I placed the pistol in my pant's pocket. At this point, I didn't care about hiding my gun. "Go after the leaders back in their own countries. Inspire people to rebel, and at least try, at the very least, try to atone for what I did."
"Army training will only take ya so far." Salis replied. "The countries, who people call the Centrum, may have their armies out there in the world, but there's still plenty of soldiers back at home. Valetudo is the smallest, so you would have to fight through…about, a quick estimate…two thousand regular soldiers, and three hundred elite guards?"
"I did black-ops." I said, remembering something. "I did some black-ops missions back during my army days. Ergh…I remember! I handled drug lords and war mongrels. Damn!" I held my head in pain.
"I warned you. Take it easy." Charlotte grabbed a bottle of aspirin and filled up a glass of water and handed them to me. "So you took down several big people. These people are bigger than that. You can't do this alone."
"Well…" Salis said. He sounded…confident. "…I could use some action."
"Salis!" Charlotte yelled. "Don't encourage him!"
"Charlotte. Listen." I said, trying to sound as nice as possible. "I'm a criminal. I killed a man. I caused a world-wide incident. I need to fix this as much as I can. I want to go to jail for my crimes, but I need to answer some questions first. I just need to figure out why I killed the president. The answer is out there. Call it running away. I…need to fix this, and then I'll go to jail."
"And if you die?" Asked Charlotte.
"I die. People will get my head. And then maybe peace will be restored."
Charlotte went silent and sat down. Her face hung low. She was holding back tears.
"You don't have to get involved." I said. She remained silent. All of us just remained still in silence. I rose up, going for the door.
"…if you get hurt." Charlotte suddenly said, though in a quiet voice.
"…yes?" I asked.
"…if you get hurt…come here. I'll heal you as many times as you need."
"I'll try not to bring any trouble to your door." I replied before opening the door. Salis followed me.
I learned this latter on.
She said this to no one.
"Albert…I love you."
Disgaea is owned by Nippon Ichi Software.
Shadow Hearts is owned by Midway/Azure/Nautilus/XSEED Games. (References)
Influences and character designs from Disgaea 3.