Forced Heroes

Pierce

The cold water falls off my cheeks as I clean the sweat off my face. Standing over the bathroom sink I look at the mirror in front of me. I sigh softly, finally leaving the bathroom since I've been hiding in here once I woke up. Killian is sitting at the desk, folding a letter and placing it in an envelope. On the front of it, written in neat handwriting are the words, 'For Kana'.

"We should make sure the girls are okay," he suggests as he stands from the wooden chair.

I nod, staring at his back, "They are probably shaken up. Do you want to send your letter before we check up on them?"

He looks down at the letter in his hand silently, running one of his fingers over the envelope, "...Yes. You can go ahead. I'll be there soon."

I leave the room, walking towards the girl's room. I knock on the door loudly, a little harder than I intended. I hear shuffling and soft voices on the other side of the door. After a handful of minutes, the door opens and Lucy is standing in front of me with fading black bags under her eyes.

"Can I come in?"

"Yes. Cora is in the bathroom right now, if you came here for her."

I walk into the room and move to stand next to the desk, "I came to check up on you both."

"Oh! Well, I um... I have been better."

"That was a weird experience, I will admit... What did you see?"

She sits down her bed, hugging herself, "My family and home were burned to the ground. What did you see?"

Without realizing, I grab my throat gently. I close my eyes, the memories flooding back into my mind. "He's innocent! Don't do this! Please!" Cora tries to push her way through the angry crowd that's yelling and cheering for my death, the tight rope around my neck, the tears falling down her cheeks, and the thought of leaving her alone. The thought of her seeing me die. The pain she would go through. I have to fight back the tears that threatened to spill. I refuse to cry. I refuse to be weak.

"Pierce? Are you alright? You're turning a little pale," Lucy's voice draws me back to the room, making the memory fade away.

I look at the woman, "Oh, uh, yeah. I'm fine."

"If it's too personal to say, you don't have to tell me."

I shake my head lightly, "It's nothing even worth sharing. I won't let a future like that happen to me."

The bathroom door opens, getting my attention. I watch Cora walk out of the small bathroom, her hair covering her eyes. She looks up, seeming to notice me, "Pierce! I uh, didn't hear you enter the room. Where's Killian?"

"He had something to take care of. Are you okay?"

She nods as she grabs her hands gently, "I'm doing well. What about you?"

"I'm fine. You don't have to worry about me."

"I do. I always will whether you want me to or not," her voice grows serious.

The door opens as Killian walks in, "I see you all are awake. I've been thinking about what happened last night and I have come up with a plan."

"What is it," Lucy's voice comes out softly.

"I heard some rumors that some guards in a nearby town have become corrupted. I was thinking since they seem to be abusing their power and being cruel to the civilians. That we could start our hero work there. What do you guys think?"

"Are you sure I should be facing guards," I raise a brow.

"I know it's risky, but they have been hurting innocent people who can't even defend themselves. I thought it would be a good way to get our names out there, so people know we are helping them."

"I think it's worth a shot. Go big or go home," the princess mumbles.

Cora walks over to me, "It might be good to help those people. We can even try clearing your name. If people see you be heroic and helping others then maybe they won't want to kill you. You won't be a wanted man anymore."

I push the hair out of her eyes, making eye contact, "Your wrong. I am not an innocent man so there is no way to clear my name. I can play hero but, in the end, people will still want me dead. I'm sorry Cora but no matter what, my story will end with a rope around my neck."

"How can you say that? You did what you needed to so you could survive," her voice cracks as tears fill her tired eyes, "You need to have hope. I won't watch you die!"

"Pierce, I'm not one for being optimistic but Cora is right," the rogue states. He walks over to me, "I think this God wants to help us as weird as that is. If we do good enough, no one will be able to sentence any of us to death."

I sigh softly, my gaze falling to the wooden floor, "I won't get my hopes up. But I will do my best to help others. Just, don't lie to yourselves or to me."

Cora hugs me, "I just needed to hear that you're not giving up."

I hug her back gently, closing my eyes softly as I take in her scent. Pinecones and acorns, reminding me of my childhood. The nightmare from last night creeps back into my mind. Her tear-streaked face making me feel ill. I won't let her suffer or be forced to see me die. While I deserve it, she doesn't. Maybe I can talk to Killian and make a deal with him. Someone will need to keep an eye on her after I'm gone.

She pulls away from the hug, turning to face the other two, "I guess we should get ready to leave."

Lucy nods as Killian speaks up, "Tomorrow morning we will head out. Let's take it easy today and as hard as it may be, try getting a full night's rest."

"Easier said than done," Lucy glances away.