Just Like Animals ≫ Blackheart

》s e v e n《

-o l i v i a-

Johnny and Blackheart now stand across from each other, but they don't face each other. I have been assigned the role of duel master, whose job is basically to decide who wins and who loses, as well as to begin the duel. On Blackheart's brief, previous and private instruction, I start to relay the rules as I remembered them.

"Boys, let's make this fair and square. No cheating, obviously. Bystanders may not help the duelers. Duelers may not use their abilities or weapons. This will be a hand-to-hand fight. Neither of the duelers is permitted to kill the other. Are you ready, Johnny Blaze?" I ask, trying to sound as authoritative as possible. Johnny nods. I turn to Blackheart.

"Are you ready, Blackheart?"

"Yes."

"Let the duel between the Devil's son and biker Johnny Blaze begin!" I shout, but my voice wavers slightly at the end. Johnny charges at Blackheart, taking him down almost instantly while cursing at him, occasionally mentioning my name. Blackheart is slippery, and manages to free himself from Johnny's grasp. Roxanne suddenly appears beside me, her arms crossed over her chest.

"If anything were to happen to either of them..." She murmurs, biting her lip. I sigh.

"Knowing Blackheart, he'll probably break the rules when he realizes that he's in a bad situation."

"He seems like a good man now. Does he treat you well?"

"He does."

"Then I don't know what Johnny is so worried about. If he treats you with respect, you should be fine."

"Blackheart is a demon, and he's done some awful things in the past. That's what he's worried about."

"Blackheart has changed, hasn't he?"

"Very much, according to what I've heard that he's done, and what he used to be like."

"Men in love change." Roxanne says, smiling.

"What makes you think he's in love with me?" I ask, nervously chuckling.

"I saw the way he looked at you while he was teaching you the rules of dueling. There was so much love, Olivia. Not even Johnny looked at me like that. I always knew you'd find him again."

"What?"

"When you met the Devil and his son. Blackheart was young, then. Just a boy. He couldn't keep his eyes off you. You remember him, don't you?"

"I only saw a man. Blackheart told me that he was born fully-grown."

"Typical him. No wonder you don't remember."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"He erased your memory so you wouldn't recall the exchange, since you saw the whole thing happen. Johnny selling his soul to the devil for you. I understand why he wouldn't want you to remember that."

"And why is that?"

"I can't explain it. He will tell you, sooner or later, I think."

A moment of silence passes between us as we watch Blackheart get thrown into a tree. What kind of fight did I really just start?

"Olivia?"

"Yeah."

"What happens if Johnny loses?"

"I-I don't know. Blackheart didn't say."

A familiar sticky feeling takes over my feet. I look down, and see that it's covered in that weird tar that Blackheart showed me before. I then lift my gaze to the field, which is covered in the tar. Blackheart is unaffected, while Johnny struggles to free his feet. A smile creeps across my lips.