[GL] Black Gold

Chapter 41

Camie was so bored in class that she turned her phone on. She didn't want to look at it, she just felt better knowing that if she needed to, she had a way out. She would turn on the screen from time to time and didn't understand how it was possible for time to go by so slowly. Just when she thought she was going to evaporate, the teacher finally changed slides and something new came on:

"For this class you will have to do a group project. You will present this project a month from now and it will be your only mark. You should choose two pathologies of cognition and find a common symptom between them that you would find an innovative way to treat. You can do this project alone or in groups of two maximum. If you are by two, we are going to spend double the time asking questions. In fact, we don't want two people to have exactly the same grade so we want to see exactly what part of the work you did."

Camie looked around her. She liked her classmates but she by far preferred working alone. She quickly started writing, hoping that no one would ask her to do the work together. Camie did see one person bending closer to her in her peripheral vision but she suddenly received a text. She jumped on the distraction and quickly read it. However, what she saw made her jump up. Everyone immediately looked at her:

"Camie? Is there something wrong?"

Camie needed a second to realize that the teacher had talked to her.

"I... I'm sorry I don't feel good. May I leave?

-Yes, of course.

-Thank you so much."

She quickly grabbed her things and ran away as quickly as possible. She found her friends very quickly and seeing Camie run towards them made Emma frown:

"Who texted her?"

Topiary looked away:

"Topiary...

-What? I didn't know that she couldn't know.

-What did you think? She had class and she ran out here. This is going to be exactly like last time.

-I'm sorry... I just thought she would want to know."

Camie caught up to them and asked her friends for more information:

"Where are they?"

Emma rolled her eyes:

"Camie, you can't just leave class like this.

-Where is Lula?"

Feeling that she wouldn't win, Emma gave up.

"This way."

Camie followed her friends further behind the buildings and after two minutes she started hearing the cheers. Just by hearing them, Camie felt that they were a big gathering and a few seconds later her impressions turned out true. There was a huge crowd of students standing around a fountain and cheering, their fists in the air. Camie couldn't help feeling scared of so many people. However, she soon forgot her fear when she heard a familiar voice:

"I have been Black Gold's number one fan for years and this is how she thanks me! We have been standing by her side and supporting her for eight years! We have been there for her all this time and this is how she repays us? She abandoned us!"

Camie opened wide eyes. What was going on? Lula wasn't supposed to turn against Black Gold yet. Did Camie accelerate things? Was this all because of her?

"Firo stayed in Black Gold's shadow for all this time but he never forgot his duties!"

Camie didn't have time to think that she was already running towards the crowd. Emma tried catching her but she was way too fast. Seeing her friend run away, Emma sighed:

"Here we go again."

The three of them rushed after Camie but they lost her in the crowd. Camie pushed herself in front as Lula was still screaming heinous things:

"I say, Black Gold should publicly apologize to us! At least!"

Camie almost fell a few times but she finally reached the front. She emerged so quickly that she almost fell into the fountain but she stabilized at the last second. Lula immediately spotted Camie and seeing her made Lula smirk:

"What the hell are you saying?

-Oh, hello there, Camie. I didn't know that you would grant us with your presence."

Camie didn't need a microphone to make herself heard:

"You are disgusting! You are here complaining like a stupid kid because Black Gold didn't show up two times in a million? What did you do to protect the others all this time?"

Lula laughed:

"Maybe you are brave enough to face villains, Camie. But most of us poor students don't have that possibility. We would die if we did and this is exactly why we have heroes to protect us. Just like we have bakers or teachers. What would we do if others stopped doing their job? Am I right?"

More cheers.

"Even doctors have vacations! There are so many heroes, Black Gold shouldn't have to do all the work!

-With great powers comes great responsibility.

-This is not responsibility! This is slavery!"

People around Camie started booing.

"Are you saying that a hero protecting innocent people is somewhat unfair?

-When she is being overworked then yes!

-So we don't deserve to be saved? Are you happy that she didn't show up for the hostage situation?"

People gasped and Camie could hear Emma's voice from somewhere behind:

"Don't change her words! I'm going to sit on you!"

Lula ignored the threats:

"Should we have let those poor hostages be killed? Would that make you feel better?

-They didn't die! It wasn't even an attack from Omen! Don't we have the police for these situations?

-But what if they did die, Camie? Wouldn't their families hate Black Gold for not even moving a finger to help them? And what about their trauma? Does mental health not matter to you? Do you only care when damages are visible? How could you say that when most students suffer from depression or anxiety?

-Why should Black Gold be responsible for everything that happens in our World? What about her mental health? Does she not deserve the same thing as those hostages? And how do you know that she didn't have something urgent to do? Maybe she just couldn't make it!"

Lula looked shocked:

"Do you mean that saving hostages is not urgent to her? Or is that something that you don't judge urgent?

-Neither!

-It does sound like it."

The crowd started waking up more and more. Camie could feel them pushing her and telling her to stop talking but she refused to give up:

"If this is what Black Gold gets after eight years of service then yes, you deserve to die! I hope that she doesn't help you when you get attacked!"

One of Camie's friends screamed amen from behind. This last scream made everyone angry and Camie couldn't fight their pushes anymore. She fell forwards and Lula stepped away, not trying to catch her. Camie fell right into the fountain, scratching her knee on the way.

Camie sat in the cold water for a few seconds, surprised. Seeing her in this state made everyone laugh around her and Lula bent very close to Camie, a smile on her face:

"It seems Black Gold isn't here to help you. Just like always. Are you going to keep on defending her, Camie?"

Lula pretended to look sad:

"It's okay, darling... I know that because your mother abandoned you, you can't take other people doing the same thing. But you have to let go of Black Gold. She won't be here for you. No one will. You are all alone."