Chapter 41: Dodging Bullets
She spent part of the night turning Victoria's words over in her mind. Every time the word "humanity" passed through her thoughts, the monstrous cultist flashed back like a fleeting vision. It made her writhe where she lay, cold sweat running down her spine — that image, burned into her retinas forever.
'I need to… learn more about this world.'
If she didn't, the world itself would force her to learn. She understood she couldn't go up against those monsters alone and head-on — the same thing that had happened to those girls would happen to her.
'If I don't want to become a monster myself, I have to learn everything I possibly can about the Desert Ballads. Every last detail, no matter how small — I have to learn to understand it fast.'
Alongside that flood of thoughts, sleep finally defeated her. She collapsed, curled up near a log from where she could see her best friend Capella.
As had become habit, she found herself drifting inside her dreams — a black void that quickly became the desert of shadowy hands. There was a mirror with its own small table covered in cosmetics in front of it. Bonnie walked toward the mirror and sat down, looking at her reflection.
In that reflection sat Samuel Calloway.
"So — is this going to happen more often? I'd really like to understand how this place works," said Samuel from the other side of the mirror.
Brushing her hair, Bonnie nodded.
"I know. So would I. We both know the same things, so we can only guess what this place actually is."
"Could it be some kind of side effect of my transmigrating into you?"
"It could be — but like you, I'm not sure. We could assume it has something to do with the ritual those people performed on us. I'd imagine it's connected somehow. Also — do you remember what that girl said? That we might end up like her?"
"Hmm… That's possible. We don't know where she comes from or whether she's part of the Devil's Cult, but the fact that she spoke about us with that much certainty doesn't just make her suspicious — it makes her a possible piece of whatever is happening to us."
"Yeah… For now, we need to focus on other things. So let's lock everything that happened in Steam City away inside our hearts… There'll be a moment when we can use our trauma and frustration," said Bonnie, looking at Samuel with a gentle smile while a small tear crept to the corner of her eye. "Starting tomorrow, we have to become strong."
"I know. We already have the right people around us for that. I'll handle it myself."
"Right. Good luck, Samuel."
"Thanks… Bonnie."
The mirror darkened into deep colors. Samuel disappeared from the reflection, leaving only the empty glass staring back at her. She looked at her own hand — it was holding the brush Bonnie had been using to fix her hair — and she closed her eyes.
When she opened them again, it was still very early in the morning. The sky had barely taken on its blue tones. Lady and Evelyn were still asleep, curled up side by side. They looked absolutely precious — enough to draw a drowsy smile out of Bonnie.
"It's good to wake up early every now and then," Victoria said suddenly. She was standing near her horse, holding a piece of bread — this time it wasn't rock-hard, and it didn't look like a brick. "The body needs it."
La Señora tore the bread in half and tossed that half to Bonnie. She nearly dropped it, but after a brief fumble, managed to get it between her hands.
"Eat a little. You're too thin."
"Thank you. I was starting to need that," Bonnie answered, taking a bite. As she chewed, she looked over at the two sleeping girls, who were resting side by side like sisters.
That caught Victoria's attention.
"Those two always sleep in too long. Usually I just let them sleep as long as they want. They're both so high-energy — that energy works better when they've had a good rest."
"I see…"
That didn't seem to have much to do with the conversation from the night before — but Bonnie now knew a little more about Victoria. She was an incredibly observant woman, even this early in the morning, though there was something more behind those sharp eyes that hinted at a particular aura of experience and shrewdness.
She hoped her instincts were right, because she was about to do exactly what she had promised the real Bonnie in that dream.
"Excuse me — Victoria."
"Don't call me ma'am, Bonnie. Being called La Señora already makes me feel old enough. Just Victoria is fine."
"Oh, right… Victoria. I wanted to ask if you might help me develop my First Stigma powers. I can't think of a better way to improve than by learning from you all… I could use trial and error on my own, but it's easier if I have someone nearby who actually knows what they're doing."
"Hmm… Improve, you say…"
Bonnie nodded with eagerness. Victoria thought it over for a few seconds, glancing toward Lady and Evelyn. Then she turned her gaze back to Bonnie, studying her from head to toe with narrowed eyes, and said:
"Well, there's not much else to do over a three-day ride to the far edge of the state. We could start with something simple and work our way up from there."
"Are you sure?"
Victoria answered with a brief nod.
Bonnie felt a burst of joy and relief in her chest. Given the way things had been going over the past few days, everything had been so overwhelmingly complicated — and Victoria always seemed far too distant to ever agree to something like this.
It was a wonderful surprise. However, all of that joy — which almost had her bouncing on her heels — died the moment she saw La Señora draw her revolver.
'What is she…?'
Pointing the weapon right at her, Victoria said:
"Let's begin."
Bang!
Bonnie jumped, landing on top of the dry log she'd been leaning against. The bullet had grazed her boot, leaving a small scorched mark near the sole before burying itself in the dirt.
At the same instant, Lady and Evelyn jolted awake, hands already on their respective weapons the moment they heard the shot. They aimed at Victoria, assuming it was an enemy — but froze in confusion when they realized it was her who had fired, and that the terrified Bonnie, trembling on top of the log, was the target.
"Vicky, what's going on?" Lady said. She didn't know who to point at — but after a second, she swung the barrel of her rifle toward Bonnie.
"What the hell, Victoria?! Bonnie hasn't turned into a monster yet! Why are you shooting at her?" Evelyn demanded.
Without a word of explanation, La Señora cocked the hammer and readied the next round.
"We're training this girl's powers. I don't have unlimited bullets, so you two are going to have to help."
Lady and Evelyn looked at each other.
"What?!" Bonnie shouted. "This is not what I was expecting! Why are you shooting at me?! Are you trying to kill me?!"
Victoria smiled with an unsettling calm.
"This is training, girl. It's how I taught Evelyn. It's the fastest way."
Bonnie looked at Evelyn, her eyes blazing.
"You…"
So that was where the idea of throwing rocks at superhuman force had come from. Which meant Thieving Cat had, in some way, been preparing her for exactly this moment. How far ahead could she see?! Was this another one of those powers she had sworn never to speak about?! This was insane — three lunatics shooting at one scrawny teenager.
Evelyn let out a nervous laugh and said:
"Good luck, I guess."
Lady sighed, put on her serious face, and aimed her rifle straight at Bonnie's head.
'No, no, no, no!' Bonnie screamed inside her head. She spun around and ran, while nearby, Capella grazed on the grass as though absolutely nothing was happening to her rider.
Shots rang out one after another. Each bullet tore through the air at tremendous speed — but Bonnie's heightened senses, the same way they had reacted in front of the cult monster, saw everything in slow motion. Her body, however, was moving at that same slow speed.
Running at full tilt across the plain, she glanced back — four bullets were about to find her shoulders and legs. She had to dodge them now. So she threw herself face-first at the ground, and the bullets sailed past overhead.
"Reload," Victoria ordered.
"This is kind of fun," Lady added.
"You're all taking this a little far," said Evelyn, loading her revolvers.
'You're taking it WAY too far!'
Bonnie scrambled back to her feet. Her eyes locked with Victoria's. Again…
"Fire," said La Señora.
Feeling the pressure bearing down on her, Bonnie understood that if she ran, there was a higher chance the bullets would catch her in the back — so, terrified as she was, she stayed still and let her senses flow with the speed of the incoming shots.
Her eyes, lit with a faint green glow, showed dilated pupils. The speed of everything slowed once more, and this time Bonnie threw herself into a small, quick leap to the left. She managed to dodge almost all of the bullets in the fall — but one of them grazed her arm.
When she kissed the ground a second time, she watched the small drops of blood welling up from her arm, and…
"Ahhhhhhh!"
Lady and Evelyn both looked at Victoria, knowing full well that last one had been completely on purpose. La Señora sighed, holstered her revolver, and said:
"Toughens her up."
This was Victoria — leader of the Sisters of the Horizon. She and the ever-ironic Evelyn must have had something in common after all…