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Diana fumbles with the control panel, trying to figure out how to turn on the helper AI for the ship. She assumed it would be automatic— AI now was typical, so where the hell was it? She was able to get the ship going, but only with her escapee’s help.
Diana winced. Only a couple hours ago and she was her prisoner.
Only a few days ago and Diana was going to let her die.
She finally manages to unlock the AI.
David Chiem appears on the main screen, smiling. She knew that fucking smile. It was his perfect i’m-100%-judging-you-smile. He started to speak, and Diana cut him off, “Kill yourself.”
The AI David’s eyebrows furrow, “I don’t believe that’s part of my progra—“
“End your programming.”
“I don’t believe that’s—“
“SHUT UP!”
The AI disappears.
Diana ground her teeth together. Of course her brother’s picture would be aboard a palace ship. She could never escape him, not even when she escaped to Mai’s home planet— the Moon’s— Luna’s — home planet, Earth. He will always be there. Him and his perfect, hypnotized boyfriend.
“Are you okay? I heard yelling.”
She turns in her chair. Mai had found some extra clothes since her old ones were soiled with dirt, blood, and her own feces. If Diana knew that she was being neglected she would have sacrificed their whole escape plan. It would have been worth it.
Diana only knew Mai for a few short days, but she was sure she would die if it meant Mai would have an extra day alive.
“Everything’s fine,” Diana forces out, watching her dry her hair with an extra t-shirt. Currently she wore a baggy white one that clung to her skin in spots of see-through. Diana could see way more than she bargained for, but that wasn’t what she was staring at. She could see how hungry Mai had gotten. Diana stands, “I’ll go see if I can find some food.”
“No need,” Mai interrupts swiftly, stepping in her path. “I’m already heating up some tomato soup. I just came over to check in.”
“Everything’s fine,” Diana repeats flatly.
Mai frowns and shifts her weight to one foot, popping out her hip. Her face and tone were concerned, but her body was telling Diana that she knew she was full of bullshit. “You’ve never been a very good liar.”
“I’m Lunar Royalty. Of course I’m a good liar.”
Mai shakes her head, “That’s not what I mean and you know it.”
Diana let out a short and frustrated sigh, “You don’t know me. A week ago I would have let you rot in your cell.”
“A lot can happen in a week,” Mai counters. “Especially this past week.”
Diana tries to side-step her, but even exhausted and starving, Mai is more sly than she’ll ever be. “Diana Chiem.”
Diana drops her face in her hands, biting back a tearless sob. She couldn’t stand to look at Mai. The guilt of what she’d done, let alone what she was about to do, was too much. Mai was too kind. She needed something to make her hate her.
She opens her mouth to speak, but whatever she was about to say dies on her lips. She needs to push her away, but she can’t hurt her anymore. Diana promised herself she’d never hurt anyone again.
“Mai...”
“I know, stargirl.”
Before a sob could even rack her body, Mai had dropped everything and wrapped her arms around her. Diana held her with just as much ferocity. When she sunk to her knees, Mai did too. She never let go of her.
Diana didn’t deserve her.
“I- I’m s- so... sorry.”
Mai soothes her hair, “It’s okay, Diana. We’re leaving all of that behind. Together.”
“Together?”
“Together,” Mai repeated fiercely.
It wasn’t enough then, but one day, it would be.