"What's wrong with you, bitch? You should be grateful to the boss, not attack him!" Joan shouted.
Those words confirmed his suspicions that the brat had really attacked him.
Was she slow? Lloyd wanted to help her, but if she acted like this it would be very difficult to do so.
Lloyd wasn't that upset about the blow, he probably deserved that rock to the head. But of all the times she had to defend herself. Did she have to choose precisely this one?
"See, this just proves my point; it's clear that all this time, we gave her what she was looking for," the boy replied while wiping the blood from his forehead, trying to maintain his composure.
"You're really gonna let her get away with this?" Joan asked with disbelief.
"You sure you're okay?" Gustavo added with concern.
Lloyd just rolled his eyes.
"This is nothing. Do you really think something like this can cause me pain? That vile and treacherous attack won't make me change my mind."
Both boys sighed. They knew it, when Lloyd gets something in his head, there's nothing they can do to convince him otherwise.
He was stubborn as hell.
"Fine, understood, we'll stop paying attention to the flea-ridden mutts."
Joan sighed, he couldn't convince Lloyd. Though it was also likely he'd change his mind in a few weeks.
"I see you're getting i—"
Lloyd turned, the brat had gotten up and was now running toward him.
What was she trying to do?
The boy put his arms in front of him, seeking to protect himself from her. The girl grabbed him by the arm and tried to push him.
Though she completely lacked strength.
"What the hell are you doing? Why don't you just get lost?" Lloyd asked annoyed.
The stone was perhaps resentment, or some way to check if he was telling the truth.
However, why did she keep attacking? She had reasons to hate him, but doing it now was stupid.
"Ouch, shit stop it!"
The boy shoved her to the ground while checking his hand, the little animal had bitten his hand.
Was she that insulted?
Maybe claiming she sought their constant abuse had made her snap. But wasn't the stone enough?
Lloyd looked at her again... There was no hatred on her face.
There was confusion and desperation, as if she couldn't accept what was happening... And fear, there was also fear.
Why would she fear him now? Was she afraid he'd retaliate?
Lloyd raised his hand, as if he were going to strike back; when he did, the girl's body didn't flinch... It relaxed.
She felt relieved that he was going to hit her.
"What the hell?" Lloyd said confused, taking a few steps back.
Was she looking to get hit? Was she a masochist?
No, she was too young for something like that. But it was undeniable that she was trying to anger him.
"Liar," the girl then whispered.
It was barely audible, but Lloyd managed to understand it.
"You really think I'm lying? I'm not, I really don't plan to interact with you again," Lloyd said seriously.
Maybe the girl found it hard to really believe they were going to stop bothering her.
The blond felt a bit of pity, but he didn't know how wrong he was.
"Idiot," tears ran down her face.
The boy remembered they'd hit her multiple times. She'd never shed a single tear before.
Why now?
"What..."
She got up, running to flee from there.
The blond felt he had more and more questions, but no answers.
"You won't escape, bitch! Come back here," Joan then shouted.
Lloyd hadn't seen it, but his lackey's gaze had darkened while watching that scene.
It was no longer a matter of ideals, Joan couldn't tolerate them hitting his friend like that. If they let it slide, the other xenobrats would stop fearing them and would start fighting back.
Lloyd didn't react in time, Joan had already run off to chase the girl.
He had to stop him.
His legs moved on their own, and he started running in the same direction as his friend, being followed by Gustavo.
Meanwhile, Joan kept running, while memories of "that day" returned to torment him.
"COME BACK HERE YOU FILTHY XENO!" he shouted. "I'M GONNA TEACH YOU A LESSON!"
But something got in his way, colliding head-on with someone's back.
The boy bounced back, falling to the ground.
"Why don't you watch where you're going, you little shit?" the man he'd crashed into turned around, glaring at him.
Joan could immediately tell that man was a xeno. He had cat ears and a tail.
"Get out of my way instead, trash like you shouldn't even be here," he replied irritably.
He'd heard his father say that hundreds of times, and as irascible as he was now, he saw no reason to hold back.
However, regret was immediate. Joan felt something hit his ribs, knocking the air from his lungs.
The boy doubled over in pain on the ground, clutching his aching stomach.
First, he felt confusion. How dare a xeno hit a human child?
"This brat really wants to die."
Looking up, Joan understood. Anger was replaced by fear in that instant; xenos weren't like humans, they had no conscience or morals, that's why they were so hated.
"What if we give him what he wants?"
But he wasn't a defenseless brat, he was an adult. Someone dangerous.
None of that guy's friends seemed opposed to the idea; in fact, they seemed excited about it.
"Take this!"
The man's foot struck the boy's chin full-on. Joan felt a whiplash in his neck, his neck bent backward, his nape hitting the ground.
A wave of pain spread throughout his body, but there was something that worried the boy more...
Those men's eyes were the same as his mother's killers had... Before they ended her life.
Joan knew in that moment that he was about to suffer the same fate as her.