Some Day
Berserk coughed and wiped her face off, looking around in a daze. The world was still spinning, but things were slowly coming into focus. She was lying in a muddy puddle, she realized with a groan, rolling over and staring up at the sky. Her sisters must have ditched her when she was knocked out of the sky. With a little growl, she sat up and rubbed her head.
"Dammit…" she cursed under her breath when she felt the rain start to pick up again. With another sigh, she started to climb to her feet. She blinked, peeking up when a hand appeared in front of her. What was he doing? She glared up at the hero, "What do you want?"
"You'll catch a cold if we don't get you warm soon, Miss Berserk. Please, allow me to assist you in going home," Akio insisted, beaming when she begrudgingly took his offered hand. He tugged her to her feet effortlessly and, with a flourish and a swoop of his arms, bundled her in his cape, pulling it over her head to block out the rain.
Berserk grumbled a thanks under her breath and tried to keep up with him as he led the way back to the mansion. She growled and cursed, "Dammit!" when she stumbled and nearly fell again. She was freezing, why was it so cold? The rain sucked, she hated the rain. It was stupid. Akio was stupid. This stupid jerk nerd hero trying to help her. What an idiot, a big dumb idiot, helping her, a villain.
"Miss Berserk? Are you having trouble keeping up? Here," he offered his hand again, gently wrapping his warm fingers around her trembling, cold mitt.
Berserk's cheeks lit up hot pink and she turned her gaze back down to her feet. She tightened her hold on the cape, but nodded, falling into step beside him. She glanced up at their clasped hands and her blush darkened.
"St-stupid n-nerd…" she muttered.
Akio beamed and gave her hand a squeeze. Her heart skipped a beat and she swallowed the lump in her throat.
"So tell me about the descendant of Jaaku. You don't seem eager to return home...ah! If you don't mind me asking, of course, Miss Berserk. I don't mean to intrude. It will just be some time before we get back, I only wished to get to know you a bit more," Akio bumbled, laughing sheepishly.
Berserk frowned, "The Oppressor is our lord and master, who rules the city of Viletown with an iron fist. His rule keeps this wretched city under control and without him we'd be nothing. We're all worthless garbage he made useful.. We're lucky to serve him and owe our very creation to him." she spouted off mechanically.
Akio paused, turning to her with a strange look on his face. Were his eyes watering?
"You must be mistaken, Miss Berserk. Do you really think that?" he asked in a low voice.
Berserk shrugged, "It's probably true...I mean, we are just garbage without him, so I guess it's true. We can't overthrow him and we wouldn't know what to do if he wasn't around anyway. He's the rightful ruler of the world." Berserk rolled her eyes, "That's what he says, at least."
"It's not true at all, Miss Berserk! The world is an amazing, beautiful place filled with more magic than you could even imagine! No one person could ever rule that. No, every person's experience is an incredible journey, there is no such thing as a worthless person." Akio explained, tightening his hold on her hand.
Berserk swallowed again, looking up at him finally. The way he was smiling, how he gestured wildly to emphasize each and every word. It was so stupid and weird...but she couldn't help smiling too.
"Yeah right...the Oppressor says the world is," she rolled her eyes and spouted off mechanically once more, "A wretched, useless place in need of its true master,"
"There are bad things in the world," Akio agreed with a nod. But, he stopped and stooped down to her eye level. Berserk blushed once again, "But, there is good in the world, too. I've seen so many amazing things in my travels. People with nothing, who still give everything to help someone in need. Rich men who give up their fortune to revive a poor community. Even criminals who...when their time comes, become heroes to those who need them. I've seen kingdoms rise and fall with rulers like Jaaku and his descendants, those who think they alone deserve this world."
Akio shook his head. He smiled and gave Berserk's head a pat and stood back up.
The little girl tightened her hold on his hand and came to a stop, forcing him to turn to look at her, "Where...where exactly have you been?"
"It would take days to tell you every village, every town, every person I've met. Perhaps in…" he chuckled and gestured toward the rain, "Better weather, we could discuss it at length? I could tell you about when I met a Pharaoh, or when I assisted in building a wall that stretched across the entire horizon. Or when I visited Atlantis!"
Berserk cocked her head, "Atlantis is real?"
Akio laughed sheepishly, "Well, at one time, yes. It's been many, many years since...the erm, accident," He paused and knelt down beside her again, "Perhaps...you would like to see those places for yourself? I could show you,"
The little punk frowned and nearly pulled her hand away from his, "Are you some kind of pedo or something?"
The monstrous hero cocked his head, tapping his chin, "I'm...not sure I understand what you're asking, Miss Berserk."
She smiled and shook her head, "You are such a stupid idiot l-loser…" her smile slowly vanished, "I can't though. I...I can't leave Viletown, the Oppressor would never let me." Even if he would, what would be the point? She didn't care about a bunch of lame people being nice to each other. Akio was probably lying anyway, no one in the world would just be nice to be nice. No one except him, and he was a stupid idiot. He was probably lying to turn her against the Oppressor.
Berserk glared at him, turning her gaze down. That was probably it. This was just a trick, to use her to get to the Oppressor. He was supposed to stop him, wasn't he? She was so stupid. First, getting knocked out by Jomo, then letting this nerd use her and confuse her.
"I'm sorry...I just think you should have a chance to be happy, Miss Berserk. You're clearly not happy with the way things are now. I apologize, it wasn't my place to suggest how you choose to live your life,"
"It's not like I have a choice," the words came tumbling out before she could stop them. With an angry tug, she jerked her hand away from his and threw his cape back at him. "I'm just stupid, worthless garbage and you're just a dumb fucking st-stupid nerd hero trying to trick me!" She snarled, flames licking the corners of her lips. They were quickly doused by the now pouring rain.
"I'm sorry, Miss Berserk. I didn't mean to upset you! I only wished to show you the world that exists outside of this place." Akio insisted, bowing so low his horns nearly touched the ground.
"Quit lying to me, d-dammit!" she barked, her face turning red, "You're a liar! There isn't anything outside of Viletown except new places for the Oppressor to take over! You can't change that! I can't change that! That's how it is! That's the truth!" Without waiting for him to respond, Berserk screamed and took off flying through the air, back to the mansion.
Akio watched her go, picking his cape up from the ground. A frown slowly spread across his lips. Things were worse than he'd thought. His grip on his cape tightened and his eyes narrowed.