Precious

"Are they the ones who killed my brother?"

When Daisy didn't get an answer, she glanced to her left. Her companion, an android named Clyde, stood in the shadow of the trees. His frown couldn't have gotten any deeper. It was the same expression her brother sometimes gave her. Daisy twisted her hands around the metal bat she was carrying. "If you don't answer, I'll assume it's a yes. And if you're wrong, whatever I do to them will be your fault."

"Yes, it's them," Clyde said.

"All four of them?"

He clenched his jaw. Eventually he settled for a nod.

"Was that so hard? And stop looking so offended," she said. Clyde's brow pinched, and guilt pricked her. She smothered it with scoff.

"I don't want you to do this," he said.

Shoulders set, the young woman peered back at the group some ways away, winding down for the evening. Their weapons were on the ground next to their bags, an overly confident move in this apocalyptic world. Her heart pulsed in her grip around the bat, and Daisy stepped forward. Clyde caught her elbow.

"Erik wouldn't want you to do this."

Daisy snapped her arm away. "Don't start. You don't know what my brother would've wanted."

"You know I'm not lying."

"Just because you can't lie doesn't make you right about him. You didn't know Erik. If you did, you would've protected him. You didn't do a damn thing." Heat stabbed at her chest and stung her eyes.

"Erik told me to leave him."

"You weren't supposed to listen to him." Daisy wanted to scream, but she settled for hissing instead. "You can choose. You could've chosen, right?"

Clyde held her gaze, but she was sure it burned him. "Yes. But if something happened to me, you'd be alone."

"I don't care. You promised you'd take care of him. You're a liar." Daisy tore her gaze from the android before he could argue. She needed to hit something. "Just stay out of my way."

The four criminals had their backs to her as they lit a fire. Daisy walked up, the balls of her shoes soft against the dirt. She hefted up the bat once she was within reach.

One of the men noticed her first, but it was too late. With perfect form, just like her brother taught her, Daisy twisted her body and swung. The back of the man's neck cracked. From Erik's description of the game long since forgotten, Daisy imagined that was what a baseball would've sounded like.

Erik grinned when Daisy finally landed a hit. She completed the swing, and the stone went flying. It tinged off the dilapidated barn they camped near. "I'm impressed. You've got a knack."

Daisy weighed the bat in her hands. Her forearms burned. "It's really heavy."

"Yeah. You'll have to strengthen those spindly arms of yours."

"My arms are barely smaller than yours, Erik. You get over here and try."

Her brother flexed, but the display was muffled by the thick sleeves of his coat. "What're you talking about? I can swing that bat all day, baby sister. Ain't that right, Clyde?"

Clyde stopped a few feet from them, dropping the makeshift baseballs he'd been throwing to Daisy. "No, actually," he said. "You told me last week the bat was too cumbersome."

Daisy snorted. For the first time, the android made her laugh. Her side started to cramp up. "Oh, man. You walked into that one. Did you forget your robot can't lie, bro?"

Erik willed the blush from his cheeks as he scratched the back of his head. "Clyde, really? I told you that in confidence."

"I'm sorry. I heard a question."

"Well, I didn't think you'd correct me. I even winked at you. That's your cue to play along."

"I thought you were blinking. Besides, I can't lie by omission."

"Thorough," Daisy said. Picking the bat up again, she rested it on her shoulder. The android looked put out. His range of emotions was more curious than his programmed honesty. "No wonder the world went to shit so fast. No one could pretend to like each other. Not with these robots around."

"Would you stop calling him a robot?" Erik said. Then he glanced at Clyde. "But yeah. What was supposed to be a psychological and philosophical breakthrough turned into the apocalypse." He draped an arm around his android. "Sorry, buddy. You ended the world."

"Incorrect, Erik. Humans did."

"Touché," her brother said. Daisy rolled her eyes and lifted her bat. She took a swing.

Neck broken, the man toppled. The woman shouted. Daisy's next target jumped to his feet, but she was already swinging low. His kneecap crunched, and he went down with a strangled yell. Two down, two to go. Daisy would have to finish him off later. The third man lifted his arms. Daisy lunged forward, and the barrel of the bat snuck past the block and smacked into his solar plexus. The man grunted and stepped back on his heel, but he didn't fall. Daisy's confusion cleared when she glanced up at his face. His eyes glowed that artificial blue like Clyde's. Her stomach flipped.

The android grabbed the bat and returned the jab. The handle tore out of her grip and punched her in the gut. She dropped with a breathless cough. The android let go of the bat, and it rang against the stones. The woman stepped up and took out a knife.

"The hell did she come from? Hey, girl." Daisy tried to blink the pain away as the woman nudged her foot. "You're seriously stupid."

The growl in Daisy's throat petered out before it escaped her lips. Not even her mouth worked like she wanted.

"She had more fight than the other one," the android said.

The woman's brow raised. "You related to that guy? Yeah, you do look like him. I'll do you a favor. I'll gut you quick. He did enough screaming and crying for the both of you."

Daisy's heart clenched. The fire that lit across her limbs was beyond feral. But all the anger in her broken world wasn't enough to force her arms to work. Tears licked down her face as her lungs burned. Wild images of Erik's death filled her mind, and she choked back a sob.

Footsteps sounded on the dirt. The woman's head shot up. Clyde barreled into her, her knife hand flailing, and the two collapsed to the ground. Attention diverted, Daisy twisted and reached for her bat. She didn't waste time trying to sit up. The woman's android was reaching for Clyde. Dragging in a breath, Daisy whipped the bat at the android's ankles. Instead of the hollow crack of bone, the sharp ring of metal against metal vibrated up the bat and into her arm. It was enough to make him stumble.

Clyde was up and on the android in two seconds. Frozen where she lay on the ground, stomach still throbbing, Daisy watched. As soon as Clyde got his hands on the android's face, the fight was over. Slender fingers drove into both eyes like spikes, and the AI stopped moving.

For a moment, Daisy lay there and listened to the adrenaline in her ears. The man whose knee she shattered groaned. He was dragging himself away, bit by bit. Clyde stood up and put out his hand. Daisy ignored it and used her bat to pull herself up.

"I told you to stay out of my way."

Clyde had a slice on his cheek, and blood as red as hers painted his pale skin. Before he opened his mouth, Daisy shoved past him and marched toward the crawling man. Groans turned into pleas when his eyes went from her face to the bat in her hand.

Daisy's voice came out shrill. "What did you do to him? What did you do to my brother?"

"Nothing! I didn't do anything!"

Daisy lifted the bat, her closed fists sliding together on the handle. The man screamed before the bat landed. She didn't hear the impact through the roaring in her ears. She pulled in a breath and let it out.

"Try again, or I'll go get your friend's knife."

"Okay! Okay. Wait. Just wait." The man panted, a hand up. Clyde walked up, and the man hesitated. Recognition lifted some of the haze from his eyes. Then he paled. Daisy's lips twisted.

"That's right. No lying. Tell me."

Clyde was looking at her, his body angled almost enough to get in her way. "Daisy, you don't want to know."

"I want to know. I need to know."

"Please, Daisy. Erik told me to protect you."

Daisy sucked in a breath. "Shut up. Stop talking, Clyde."

The android reached out to her. Daisy slapped his hand away and then jabbed him in the chest with the bat. He took a step back. "Don't touch me. You couldn't protect Erik, and I don't want you protecting me. Just focus on protecting yourself. You're good at that."

He clapped a hand on her shoulder. "No. Just listen." Rage flashed under her skin. "I'll tell you," he said. This time, Daisy slapped him across the face. The cut on his cheek started to bleed again. He stuttered and blocked her next hit. "I'll tell you everything. I'll tell you the truth."

"Clyde, tell me," Daisy ordered.

"No. Come on, Daisy. Leave him out of this," Erik said.

Daisy directed her glare at her brother. She tossed his ration bag at his feet. It landed with a thump. "You told me you split the food evenly. But your food's got to be a week old. You've been skimping."

"No, I haven't. I've been eating my share of food, just like you. I told you, it's even."

Daisy didn't flinch when Erik offered a smile. It faltered. She snapped her gaze back to Clyde. "Has Erik been skimping on his portions?"

The android pulled the collar of his jacket closer to his jaw. Daisy squinted. Clyde never got cold.

"Spit it out."

He seemed to be struggling to keep his lips still. Finally he sighed, deflating. "Yes, he has. Sorry, Erik."

"I knew it."

Erik frowned. "Daisy, don’t look so proud. Can't you see how uncomfortable you're making him?"

"Hey, it's not my fault the robot has feelings. And I wouldn't need to ask him if you'd just be straight with me."

"You forced him. It wasn't an ask."

Daisy rubbed her face. "This isn't about him. It's about you and me. Erik, I don't want you to do this anymore. Eat your share. I don't care if you're older or my brother or whatever. We're in this together."

It was Erik's turn to slump his shoulders. "You're right. But I can't help it."

A few moments passed as Daisy chewed her lip. Then she let out a breath. "You need to take care of yourself, too, you know?"

This time, when Erik smiled, it was warm and strong. Daisy returned it with a dimpled grin, and he reached out and tugged on her braid. Then he leaned down and picked up the rations. "I will. I promise." He straightened the pack on his back.

When the android came to stand next to him, Daisy gave him a half smile. It felt like a grimace. "Clyde, take care of him. Don't let him climb any high trees or fall into any rivers."

She wasn't surprised to see a flicker of confusion cross his blue eyes. Clyde gave up trying to interpret her humor and nodded. "I'll take care of him," he said.

"I'll have camp all cleaned up by the time you're back. So don't take too long," she said.

Erik waved. "I'll bring back a banquet and tales of grandeur."

Daisy's gaze lost their focus. No. She didn't want to know. She didn't want Clyde to tell her. So she yanked out of his grasp and adjusted her hold on Erik's bat. The broken man stared up at her. The shadow of her body in the evening light hid his face. Clyde was trying to get her attention. She wasn't listening. The pressure in her chest filled her throat. She couldn't breathe.

When the young woman raised the bat over her head, it weighed nothing. Daisy brought it down, and then again and again. Fire crawled up her arms and shoulders until they wouldn't move. Someone stood over her, and Daisy closed her eyes.

"Daisy, can you hear me?" Clyde placed his hands on her shoulders the way her brother always did. She cried. The tears didn't stop when she wiped them from her face. He waited until she finally spoke.

"Why did Erik have to do that? He promised. You promised."

"We did. I'm sorry."

Daisy let out a breath. It shuttered and only made her chest hurt more. She leaned her forehead against Clyde's chest. He was wearing one of Erik's jackets, and it smelled just like him. It took three deep breaths for her to speak again.

"Tell me. Could you have saved him?"

Clyde answered with painful relief. "No. I'm sorry, Daisy. There was nothing I could have done." One of his hands left her shoulder, and she let him take the bat. Her hands shook.

"If there had been?" she started.

"I would have, in a heartbeat."

Pressed against his chest, Daisy listened for his. There was no heart beating there, only a steady hum. It radiated warmth against her cheek.

"Why'd you listen to him?"

Clyde took a moment to find the words. "Because you were precious to him. And he was precious to me."

Daisy sighed. "Yeah, that's true. He was precious."