Zero Reverse (Reverse! Zero Gravity)

A Human Once (1)

Warning: This episode contains descriptions of child abuse, graphic scenes, sexist speech and self murder.

WINTER 1322

A family was inside of a chariot, a mother, a stepfather and a child was between them. The mother had her arms crossed and a grumpy look on her face, the father looked serious.

"Why did we have to come here?" the mother asked.

"Because it's my hometown." the stepfather answered. "And I decide where we go, I'm the man here."

"We could have left the brat back in England, then." the mother said.

"I need an heir, and you can't give me one." the stepfather said. "Might as well stick with the failure you gave me." he added. "But if we are lucky enough, we can mold him into a good heir."

How they hated the poor child, all because he had the DNA of his biological father, who abandoned him at the age of five. His father was an entity, the kid was half entity, but his parents hid it from him, because that was a blessing, a blessing he didn't deserve.

"Gideon." the stepfather called.

Gideon, the child, looked at his stepfather. "Yes, papa?"

"Don't call me that." the stepfather ordered, slapping Gideon.

A sad look appeared on Gideon's face, he couldn't cry, or else he would do something worse, so he just held back his tears.

"Sorry Mister. . ." Gideon said.

"You're forgiven." the stepfather said. "Now, what are you doing with a doll?"

Gideon looked at the doll in his hands, the recent braid he made on her blonde hair, the pink handmade dress she wore with no shoes on her feet.

"Mama gave it to me. . ." Gideon said.

The stepfather glared at his mother, who just looked back at him a bit scared. "I just wanted him to know what kind of woman he should find for himself."

He rolled his eyes and snatched the doll from Gideon's hands, Gideon looked down in sadness but did not dare complain of try to get it back.

"You're already 9, Gideon." the stepfather said. "Dolls are for children, and girls."

". . .Sorry sir." Gideon said.

"Raymond, the chariot is taking too long." the mother said. "Are you sure we should keep going?"

"Yes, I am." Raymond said. "Why are you so insistent in leaving, Cassandra?"

Cassandra glared at Gideon, then back at her husband. "Reasons."

Raymond understood what she meant and let out a "Tsk.", Gideon looked confused at his parents, who looked away from him, he just looked down, keeping his mouth shut.

The chariot stopped in a simple house nearby a tent, the three hopped down the chariot and Raymond paid the man that rode them there.

"Have a nice day, sir." the man said.

He beat his horses with a whip and they ran out quickly, Cassandra let out a small hum. "We should do that to Gideon."

Gideon gave his mother a scared look, trying to hug the doll, but she wasn't there anymore, so he just hugged his own arms.

"Good idea, Cass." Raymond said. "That's a good idea."

They all went inside, Gideon still trembled at the thought of being beaten up with a whip.

"This is so small." Cassandra said.

"Get used to it." Raymond said. "It's thanks to you that we're here."

"Thanks to me!?" Cassandra asked.

"Don't raise your voice at me, woman!" Raymond shouted, slapping Cassandra. "You spent great part of our money in luxury for yourself! We had no choice but to live in a smaller city because of you being so expensive!"

"I wasn't—"

"I didn't let you talk!" Raymond shouted again, grabbing her arm tightly.

Gideon looked at the two in fear, but he couldn't do anything, he wanted to protect his mom, even if she hated him, but he was weak, he was a child.

He couldn't do anything.

He just went upstairs and hid in a room, there was a small bed, he laid on it and closed his eyes, trying to sleep.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Gideon, a child, chatted with a girl by his side, she was blonde, also had blue eyes and surely had a great amount of energy, that was his cousin, Pacifica Southeast.

"Hey, Gid, do you think that we could help that Will guy?" she asked.

"I'm not sure, Pacifica." Gideon said. "I would love to try, but I don't think that we can. . ."

"It's because of the Gleefuls?" Pacifica asked.

"Yes, it is." Gideon said. "They're too strong against us, we barely managed to escape last time."

"I know. . ." Pacifica said. "But he's not a bad demon! He doesn't deserve to be trapped like that!"

"I agree, but what can we do?" Gideon asked. "We have no awareness of magic, it's pointless."

"You're right. . ." Pacifica said.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Gideon's flinched awake with his stepfather shouting his name, slamming his fist on the door. "Gideon, open this door right now!"

Raymond's voice had anger in it, Gideon was sure of one thing.

He would get hurt.

Gideon quickly slid off of bed and hid under it, the space was small but it was a good hiding spot, he hoped his father wouldn't find him. Raymond slammed the door open, looking around for Gideon, who just kept a hand in front of his mouth and kept his eyes closed, trying not to cry in fear.

He opened his eyes and saw a hand coming under the bed, he retreated from it and the bed moved a bit.

"Found you." Raymond said.

Gideon let his tears out, Raymond pushed the bed away and grabbed Gideon, who cried even more at seeing the whip in Raymond's hands. "Sir. . . P—Please. . . Don't hurt me!" Gideon pleaded.

Raymond raised his arm and beat Gideon with the whip, who cried more and more, screaming in pain, but his pleads and cries were ignored.

"Shut up!" Raymond shouted, beating him more.

The louder Gideon screamed the more Raymond would hit him, but he couldn't stop, he couldn't hold back, it hurt too much. It wasn't even that long since the last beating, and now he was using a whip, Gideon wanted to stop screaming.

But he couldn't.