Damian's Assassin

"I'm worthless!" He threw himself down and squeezed his head, furious at his own weakness. He couldn't resist Czerno. He couldn't save Sofi. He couldn't do anything! He wasn't a god-- he was a freak of nature everyone else had to take pity on because he was a fucked-up weakling!

Listen. He froze at the distant voice in his head. It was faint, but sounded like the Watcher's.

"Listen to what?" He waited for more. Nothing came.

Listen … listen … listen … He slapped his forehead with his palm in a rhythmic beat, waiting for some sort of divine inspiration.

He was divine! What the hell on this stupid planet was too hard for a god to fix? He pulled out his phone, texted Bianca, and waited, willing the message to make it to her in the in-between world where he'd accidentally sent her. Darian lowered the phone, losing hope once again, when it vibrated.

I don't understand.

Overjoyed at her response, he sat cross-legged, hunched over the only lifeline the thousands of innocent people around him had.

I mean, how do you heal people, like step-by-step? He typed.

There was a pause, then a longer response: I'm not sure. It's just something I do. I put my hand on them and I wait for their body to tell me what's wrong. And then I fix it.

You *listen* to them? He asked.

Yes, I suppose, she answered. Sometimes they know how to fix themselves, like you did, and I just give them my power and let them do it. Sometimes, I have to figure it out. Hey-- can you get me outta here? Talon's gonna kill me before long.

He bounced to his feet.

He can't kill you in that dimension, he assured her. Gotta call Dusty before he blows me up. Will chat later.

Bianca waited for Darian to say something more insightful, but nothing came. She hid the phone as Talon glanced over his shoulder again to ensure she followed. The Black God had been marching for what felt like hours, through the city towards the beach, and now, down the beach. Talon hauled her along until he, too, was worn out and she dropped behind both.

The time on her phone was the same as when they'd entered this strange world. She stepped over a tourist in a bikini on the silent beach. No one else would attempt to catch rays with the clouded sky and massive storm clouds in the distance!

Not even the ocean moved. The air was heavy and fragrant, the wet, solid sand near the ocean welcome after her initial attempt to keep up in the sugary sand higher up the beach.