The sleeping beauty's eyes start to twitch just as my muscles tense. I brace myself—those ropes won't hold her for long.
Her eyes snap open. She blinks, confused and drowsy, and then fixes me with a look I can't quite read.
"How—? Quill? What happened?" The anger from before is gone, replaced by pure confusion, which is honestly a surprise.
"Good morning, Roxy." I say, my voice awkward. It's hard not to remember she tried to kill me just a few minutes ago.
"Why aren't you tied up? Huh?" She wriggles in place, finally noticing the ropes around her. "You bastard! Untie me this instant!" she yells, loud enough to give me a headache. I can't help but feel a little bad.
"No," I answer calmly.
"N-No?" she sputters. "NO, YOU SAY?!" Her muscles tense, swelling as she strains against the ropes, which start to groan and tear. "NOT ONLY DID YOU STEAL HIS BODY, NOW YOU WANT TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF ME?"
A cold drop lands on my forehead. I swipe at it, but my skin's dry. Another drop. And another. Suddenly, it feels like I'm standing in a storm of icy rain. Is this what death feels like? Roxy rises from the floor, and I swear her golden eyes are starting to glow crimson.
My body shivers. It's so cold… What's happening? I've never felt this useless. I stumble back, but it's too late. Her hand snaps around my throat. Well, this was all my stupid plan anyway. Her grip tightens, cutting off my air, her eyes brimming with tears.
"It's me—the same Quill… Roxy…" I choke out. Her grip loosens for a second, but it doesn't last. Pain erupts in my gut as she slams her fist into my belly, sending me flying. My back slams into the wall. Agony flares through me, but I'm still alive. Probably thanks to the extra durability I picked up a minute ago. Too bad my body refuses to move; that was never part of the plan.
Everything's blurry. Through the haze, I see her stalking over to her axe, picking it up with the kind of ease that makes me feel completely pathetic.
"Tell me, Quill… why should I believe you? Why should I believe that a man who looks nothing like the Quill I once knew is really him? I just… can't accept it. It's impossible for someone to change that much in such a short time…"
Short time? We haven't seen each other in years… What is she talking about? Shit. If only I could move my fingers—I could heal myself, I could stop her. I really fucked up…
A kick smashes into my face. My head spins. Everything starts to fade around the edges.
"Talk to me!" she screams, her voice cracking with hysteria.
I cough, spitting out something metallic and warm. Likely my own blood, and a small hard lump. A tooth, probably.
I smile anyway. This is what I wanted, right? All of this... just to get stronger. Now I just need to survive, stall her for a second, move my fingers, heal myself…
"Because I remember what you told me that day." I see her next kick freeze in midair.
"What do you mean?" she asks, her voice trembling and confused, but desperate.
"I remember when you told me you loved me. It was raining that day. Cold rain poured down on us, and I didn't believe you. I thought it was just another trick, another way to bully me. So I snapped and ratted you out… I'm sorry, Roxy. I really am. I was a fool back then. I still am…" My consciousness slips further away, but somehow my will kicks in. I feel my fingers finally twitch, gripping the quill, writing desperately in the air.
"Quill… you… That's… something only he would know…" Her voice shivers, a sob threatening to break free. "You really are my Quill…"
{Freeze Roxy. Time pauses for her.}
I manage to scrawl the words in the air just before everything goes black and my mind starts to slip away.
--------
My head is spinning, like I've been dragged behind a bull through muddy fields. I struggle to open my eyes, and the first thing I see is a pool of blood on the floor right next to my cheek. I can't move; everything hurts. Am I even alive? My mind can barely keep up, and I just lay there, time stretching out until it feels like forever. Eventually, my senses start to return. I glance up, still lying on my side, and spot Roxy looming above me, completely motionless, frozen like a statue of ice.
"Haha…" I cough out a laugh, spraying even more blood onto the floor. I can move my fingers… barely.
Come on, quill… don't fail me now. I force what little energy I have left into my hand, but it's weak. My finger bursts into a faint, bloody mist, but it doesn't take shape like usual. Damn it. Am I too far gone? My consciousness starts to slip again—colder, heavier this time. If I pass out now, I might never wake up…
Desperation sparks a wild idea. I stare at the blood on the floor and will it to move. It starts to bubble and boil, twisting into a mist that wraps around my finger, forcing it to become a quill.
Don't ask me how... I just did it, right at death's edge. Maybe the system lent a hand… I'll figure it out later. Right now, I need to act.
{Heal me fully and perfectly} I scrawl the words, not even sure if it'll work. I've never pushed my powers this far.
A rush of green light floods over me, warm and all-consuming. My mind sharpens, the pain melts away, and even my lost tooth grows back—painfully, but it's real. I sit up, breathing hard as the system screen flashes to life:
[You have received +10 Durability]
[You have received +10 Defense]
[New Achievement: Escape Death—New Ability Unlocked: Super Healing]
"Shit… this could get addictive… hahaha!"
My heart thumps with new blood and fresh adrenaline. I glance at Roxy, still locked in place, and know it's time to settle this. I'd rather fight a mountain lion than deal with her rage, but here we are.
{Rewrite memories: Roxy woke up and broke free from the ropes, but didn't attack. She listened to what Quill had to say. She only remembers what he said at the end, about her confession.}
Yeah… I'll keep that part. Maybe it'll actually help me survive and recruit her to my party. It's time to start living like a real adventurer. With Roxy and Powder at my side, we'll be unstoppable! It's a crazy idea, but come on, you all know by now I'm crazy enough for anything.