Camie could feel her whole body shake but despite that, she felt relaxed. She didn't move an inch, not lowering her head either. She couldn't appear weak. It was unacceptable. She continued staring at the man, shielding the woman's body with her arms. Usually she had a hard time staying in place but at that moment, Camie turned into a statue. She couldn't feel her body anymore and she didn't need to. She felt as if she didn't have a body anymore and all she could think about was keeping eye contact. All she needed was to continue looking
She didn't look away once, not when the man laughed, not when the man spat at her, not even when the man raised his hand towards her. Camie was disgusted at the idea of being touched by that person but it didn't feel real and she was right about that. Just as the man raised his disgusting fingers towards Camie, a scream was heard. It wasn't Camie's scream. She thought for a second that it was because she didn't understand where else it could have come from but the one screaming was none other than the man. It took Camie a second but she realized that the man's mouth turned into a grimace. It was hard to tell because it looked very similar to when he had been smiling.
The man was holding what was left of his arm and Camie had no idea where the rest could have gone. His scream sent chills down Camie's spine and that finally brought her back into her body. She could finally move her hand again and she forced herself to cover her ears. But no matter how hard she pressed down, she couldn't stop hearing that terrifying scream.
The man fortunately didn't scream for long. Two black orbs appeared on each side of his body and he suddenly got pulled in opposite directions. Camie couldn't see anything because of dark smoke covering her eyes but the man got torn apart in a matter of a second. It was so quick that Camie feared she had dreamed it. Maybe she was still at Théa's, asleep on her bed. That would make way more sense than what was going on. Camie did run into danger in the past but it was the first time that danger ran into her.
She wasn't dreaming. When the black smoke disappeared, it didn't give place to Théa's room. Instead, it gave place to Black Gold. Camie couldn't see her face, being surrounded by black smoke but she immediately recognized those glowing green eyes. Even dark smoke couldn't erase them. They were way rounder than Camie had ever seen before and they look panicked:
"Are you okay? Are you hurt?"
Théa raised her hands to Camie's shoulders but stopped inches from her skin.
"Please tell me that you are okay. I am so sorry that I didn't come before."
Camie smiled. Théa was apologizing but there was no reason to. All that mattered was that she showed up. Camie was so relieved that she lost the use of her voice. She knew that Black Gold would come. That was why she wasn't scared at all. That was why she could stare at the man without moving. But that realization made Camie's smile freeze.
Wait. Was she relieved? Had she been waiting for Black Gold to save her? Was that why she hadn't been scared?
"Are you okay? Please answer me. What's wrong?"
Camie suddenly felt terrible. It couldn't be. When did she start trusting Black Gold so much? If Black Gold didn't come, would Camie have done nothing? What would have happened if Black Gold didn't show up? Camie knew that she would. For some reason, she felt that there was no way that she wouldn't have. But in a world where it did happen, would she have been mad? Would she have died? Would Théa have felt guilty?
Seeing Camie so silent wasn't calming Black Gold down but Camie was getting just as panicked. She never relayed on Théa before but now she just sat there and waited to be saved. She didn't even try running away. She could have saved herself. Or she could have waited for any other hero. Why did she have to wait for Black Gold? Why did she have to put so much pressure on her? Was she any better than all the others who criticized Black Gold? Just like them, Camie waited for Black Gold to do all the work. She wasn't better than any of them. She was a burden to Théa and she felt really ashamed. She couldn't even look at Black Gold anymore and lowered her head.
That was the last straw. Seeing Camie look away, Black Gold thought that she was in pain and she started screaming:
"Where are you hurt? Show me!"
Théa was getting so anxious that she started checking Camie's body directly. She wasn't hurt badly at all but seeing the blood on her hand still made Théa grimace.
"Look at me, it will be okay. I will heal you. Don't worry. I am here."
Hearing those words was so soothing that Camie thought she would cry. She didn't deserve to be saved; she didn't want to be comforted. She pulled her hand away and tried her best to hide it behind her body. It was stupid but she felt that if Black Gold didn't see it, then it wasn't really there.
"May I carry you?"
Still getting no answer, Théa had a hard time breathing:
"I'm sorry."
She lifted Camie the next second and that finally woke her up from her torpeur.
"Wait! I'm fine! I am fine! I don't need to be carried."
Théa looked down at Camie and she sighed:
"Keep talking to me.
-Please, put me down. I'm fine, don't worry.
-I'll put you down soon.
-Wait!"
Being carried away, Camie suddenly remembered the other victims and she felt bad forgetting them in the first place. She looked back at the woman she had been protecting but the first thing she saw was half of the perpetrators body. Fortunately, she didn't have time to see a lot because dark smoke suddenly covered the parts. things were going so fast that Camie didn't even have time to be surprised that Black Gold killed someone for the first time.
"Don't look there. It's ugly.
-Wait, the woman is still there."
Théa didn't stop which perplexed Camie. She didn't think that Black Gold would leave anyone behind and that woman was in far worse condition than she was.
"I am fine, but that woman isn't. I have to take her to the hospital. She is elderly. Please, let me down.
-How could you think about her when you are in this state?"
Camie froze. She had never heard Théa angry before. It was... Weird. She thought she had seen everything about Théa but not once had she heard her be angry. Not even when people turned against her. What could have triggered her? Théa immediately noticed Camie's unease and she forced herself to sooth her voice:
"I am sorry. I didn't mean to scare you. I am simply worried about you. Could you please think about yourself before trying to help others?
-But I really am fine.
-You keep saying that.
-Because it's true."
Théa lifted Camie's bloody hand:
"Is this being fine?"
Camie quickly pulled her hand away:
"It doesn't hurt."
She could feel Black Gold getting angry again and she had no idea how to act around angry Théa.
"Then what is too much?
-I..."
She pinched her lips before looking away.
"Please. Could I just help that woman? I am sorry. I know that you just saved me. I shouldn't ask anything more of you but I wouldn't be able to sleep if I didn't help that woman."
Théa finally stopped with a sight:
"Don't apologize, please. I will always save you."
Camie frowned hearing that.
"You don't have to. There are a lot of heroes out there. One of them will surely protect me if there is a next time.
-Have I perhaps done something wrong?
-No! I just... I don't want to burden you."
Black Gold pulled Camie higher, closer to her eyes.
"You would never burden me."
Camie couldn't look Théa in the eyes and she quickly changed the subjects:
"Please put me down."
Théa didn't say anything, staring at Camie for long seconds.
"Black Gold?"
She stayed silent a bit more before sighing:
"I will be the one to help that woman. You should relax.
-What? No. I have to help her.
-Why does it have to be you?
-I...
-I won't let you down if you don't promise to sit down and wait for me."
Camie had no idea what was going on at that point and all she could do was nod.