chish

This story takes place following the trial and execution of Eva Tsunaka. We pick up with Damon Maitsu and Kai Monteago returning to the dorm.

Both are visibly shaken up.

Kai: "I... I don't know what to do anymore man..."

Damon: "Well... best we can do is go to sleep. Nothing more we can do."

Kai: "Okay. Also, you get the bed for a few nights. I think you need it more than I do."

Damon looks at Kai in slight surprise, but Kai insists.

Damon: "...Thank you, Kai."

Suddenly, a voice from outside the room breaks the silence.

???: "THAT'S FUCKIN' IT! I'M SLEEPING ELSEWHERE!"

A loud kick at Kai's door is heard, followed by footsteps. Grace Madison, visibly fuming, walks up to the guys just as they were heading to sleep.

Grace: "Damon, out!"

Damon, taken aback: "Wait, what?"

Grace: "You heard me! Beat it!"

Damon: "Oh, come on! Why?"

Grace: "Well A. I'm not bunking with Diana because she keeps talking about Wolfgang, whom she clearly knows nothing about! And B-"

She points at Damon.

"I'm definitely not bunking with you! Especially after you befriended that... that..."

Grace loses her words, her arm lowers as she begins fighting tears. Her cold, tough demeanor becoming weaker.

Damon attempts to muster up something to say.

Damon: "Grace, look, I don't-"

Grace: "Just save it... Go the hell away, you awful son of a bitch."

Grace's mood is now somber. Damon turns to Kai.

Damon: "Come on, man. Back me up here. She can't just throw me out of here, right? Isn't his your room? Don't you have a say?"

Kai, feeling guilt: "...I'm sorry, Damon. I don't think now's the time."

Damon, left with no other choice, sighs and exits Kai's dorm with no words. He shuts the door behind him, walking into the quiet, almost haunting ambience of the hallway. It's not quiet for long, as he hears a faint crying. Damon traces the sound back to Diana Venicia's dorm. He lightly knocks on her door.

Damon: "Diana?"

The crying stops, and a quick gasp is heard. Then, Diana answers the door.

Diana: "O-oh, Damon! Hey."

Damon: "Hey, Diana. I would ask if you're okay, but..."

Diana: "...Please, come in. I need someone to talk to."

He enters Diana's dorm. Diana closes the door behind them, Damon stands across from her.

Damon: "What... happened between you and Grace?"

Diana: "Well... I let her bunk with me, then I tried to comfort her... I tried to help her understand that Wolfgang will... always be with us. I guess she knew something I didn't, because she just snapped at me, then stormed out."

Damon: "Oh... I assume you also heard her kick me out, yeah?"

Diana: "Yeah. I heard everything."

There's a silence for a moment.

Diana: "Eva was right... I deserved it..."

Damon: "Diana..."

Diana: "Damon, I'll never be meaningful to anyone. Whenever I try to help or comfort anyone, they just take me for granted."

Diana becomes even more distraught, tears welling up in her eyes.

"I failed Wolfang. I failed Eva. And now, I'm failing everyone else!"

At this point, Diana breaks down sobbing.

"I CAN'T DO ANYTHING RIGHT!!!"

Damon, after being silent for a few minutes, composes himself and walks over to Diana.

Damon: "Diana, that's wrong."

Diana: *sniffle* "W-w-what?"

Damon: "Diana, you're not useless. You're not stupid. None of this is your fault. Don't say that."

Diana: "W-... What... do you mean?"

Damon: "When you spoke up about your experience seeing Wolfgang, we all thought you were guilty... but, you proved yourself. You're the reason everyone else is still here. You didn't fail Wolfgang or Eva. If anything, wherever they are now, they're probably very proud of you. I'm sure everyone here's proud of you too."

He walks up to Diana.

Damon: "I'm proud of you, Diana. I owe a lot to you."

Diana's sobbing starts to subside as her eyes widen. She takes in the words Damon said, looks to her side, then looks back up at Damon. In this moment, she realizes how much he truly cared about her. She then proceeds to tightly hugs Damon.

Damon's taken aback by Diana suddenly hugging him, but he reciprocates, hugging her back. Diana's crying lessens, as she forms a faint smile.

Diana: "Damon... thank you... for everything. You stood up for me during the trial. If it wasn't for you... none of us would be here. You not only helped me... you saved me..."

She looks up, her eyes meeting Damon's, and puts her hand on the side of his face.

"Damon Maitsu. You're my hero."

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