This fic is based on the 1996 anime adaptation, Kaiketsu Zorro. More specifically, it's an alternative version of what could have happened after episode 17, Zorro Is Cornered. The main character is Lieutenant Gabriel, but the rest of the regular cast will be important as well.

Since this is going to be quite a long story, it will deal with a good number of different plot points. Here is a list of what to expect at some point in the story. Since the story is rated T, none of the listed issues will be explored in graphic detail.

Pairings: Romance isn't important in this story, but there will be some Diego/Lolita, one-sided Gabriel/Lolita, Gonzales/Emilia and OC/OC het

Content: blood, violence, character death, suicide

Different dubs of the series use slightly different names and ranks for some of the characters. I'm basing nearly everything on the German dub, so the bumbling sergeant is going to be called Gonzales, not Garcia.

Finally, big thanks to PengyChan who gave me the idea and inspiration to write this fic. It was a good revenge. Watch out, I'm going to get you for this.

Note: This story has been on hiatus for some years now. As of Septemer 2014, I've given a slight edit to all the chapters to fix problems with the dialogue formatting and to improve some scenes. I hope I can continue the story soon, but I don't want to give anyone any false hope, so it's still officially on hiatus.

THE RIGHT TURN OF THE ROAD

Chapter 1

Damn that Zorro!

Lieutenant Gabriel had rarely felt such fury and humiliation. Considering that Zorro made a fool of him almost weekly, that was quite an achievement for him. His bound hands were shaking with anger, and he would have screamed his hatred to the world if it hadn't been for the gag in his mouth.

How dare that masked rebel treat him like this? Being bested in a swordfight by scum like that was bad enough, but being forced to wear his clothes and ride his horse had to be his most embarrassing defeat yet. His own men were chasing him, thinking that he was Zorro! Gabriel swore that as soon as he was free, he would take his anger out on those imbeciles who couldn't even tell their lieutenant apart from the lowlife they were supposed to capture.

He growled under his breath and tried to struggle against the rope that tied his hands to the reins of Zorro's horse. Maybe he could stop the stupid animal so that his men could catch up with him. However, the horse seemed to know what his master expected of him and kept galloping onwards to the forest. The sounds of his men yelling and the dogs barking were becoming more and more distant.

A sudden bang startled him and he felt something zip right past his head, barely missing him. His eyes widened in alarm and he tried to turn around to look over his shoulder. They were shooting at him!

Fear mixed with his anger, and for a moment he forgot about his revenge on Zorro and his soldiers. His struggles with the rope became more frantic, but at the same time he willed Zorro's horse to run faster and take him away from the range of the muskets. For once he was glad that his men were terrible at –

Blinding pain exploded in his right shoulder and he screamed against the gag in his mouth. He slumped against the neck of the horse, barely able to keep his balance so that he wouldn't fall off and be dragged behind by the animal. He grit his teeth so hard he thought they might shatter and breathed in heavy pants, trying to force the agony out of his mind and failing at it.

The pain was unbearable! Gabriel had never before been shot during his years in the army, and nothing could have prepared him for the experience. His shoulder felt like it was on fire and someone was twisting a hot iron inside it, shattering his bones and tearing up his flesh. He had to clench his eyes shut to quell the tears that threatened to flow. He would not be that weak! Not because of something Zorro had done to him!

He opened his eyes some moments later. A wave of dizziness immediately hit him, forcing him to lean against the horse's neck. When he glanced down at the shirt he was wearing, he saw that it was no longer white. It was drenched with his blood, and the sight of it only added to his nausea and panic.

Just because he hadn't been shot before didn't mean he didn't know about such injuries. Being shot in the shoulder was no laughing matter. If the bullet had struck bone, it would take a long time for him to heal, and even then he might never be able to use his arm normally again. Even if he had been lucky and no bones or arteries had been hit, he would bleed to death if he didn't get help soon.

Damn that Zorro! Damn him to hell! He had to have planned the whole thing from the start. If he thought he could get rid of him like this, he was wrong. Gabriel would never agree to die like this, tied up on Zorro's horse and shot by his own men. Never! He'd rather – His angry thoughts came to a sudden halt when the horse stopped without warning and the movement set a fresh wave of pain through his shoulder.

He glanced around, forced to face reality. He was all alone deep in the forest with a wound that would kill him soon and with no way of tending to it himself. If he could have at least got his hands free, he could have tried to stop some of the bleeding so that he'd live until someone found him. Surely they had already noticed that he wasn't at the barracks and were wondering about him.

Or maybe Zorro would come and get his horse back. Gabriel didn't know if that scenario actually presented any hope for him. It was possible Zorro would just finish a job well done.

No, it couldn't end like that! He had to get back to the city somehow. His fear and desperation rising, he kicked at the horse's sides to make the animal do something other than stand there. He had to make it back to the city.

You stupid nag! Get me out of here!

The horse took only a few steps, shaking his head nervously. Gabriel guessed the animal was bothered by the stench of his blood. Well, he ought to be, that useless thing.

He closed his eyes again when he realised how sick he was feeling. It was so cold, and his head was spinning so hard he was afraid he might throw up and choke because of the gag. He leaned to rest his forehead on the horse's neck, forcing himself to breathe evenly so that he wouldn't lose consciousness. Even if it hurt like hell, it was better than fainting and never waking up again.

Gabriel shivered and tried to steady his hands on the horse's neck, but they were trembling so much he didn't have much control over them. The pain in his shoulder had become number, and that frightened him more than he wanted to admit. He had never felt so helpless before, and if he hadn't been so exhausted and sick, he would have jumped off the horse and dragged it with him back to the city.

Though he tried to fight against it, there was nothing he could do to stop darkness from engulfing his mind. He had lost so much blood that he was barely aware of the pain in his shoulder anymore. As he finally lost consciousness, there were only two thoughts in his head. One was how much he hated Zorro and the other that he didn't want to die.

Zorro and Little Zorro were on their way back to the de la Vega estate, walking carefully by the road near the trees. It wasn't very likely that anyone would spot them, or at least care if they did. All of the locals saw them as heroes for their battle against injustice, and the army was busy chasing a false Zorro.

"Did you see the look on his face? He has probably never had such a rude awakening!" Little Zorro said for the fifth time, his eyes shining with the excited mirth only children and few lucky adults could feel. He was almost skipping instead of walking, and Zorro couldn't help but join in his smile despite the pain he was still in. It would take a while before the wounds Gabriel's dogs had inflicted on him would heal, but he didn't want to ruin Little Zorro's joy.

"You know it's not good to laugh at other people's misery," he pointed out.

Little Zorro chuckled. "But it's Lieutenant Gabriel! He deserves a lot more than we did."

That much was true. Zorro knew that Commander Raymond was the man behind the schemes and injustice that befell the local people, but all of it was personified in Gabriel. He was the one who barked orders, stole from honest people and beat up everyone who dared to object. Not once had he shown sympathy for anyone or regretted his actions. He was the one everyone hated, and they had every reason to do so.

"But even then," Zorro said, "I think our good lieutenant has had enough. I had better go and find him."

"Are you just going to let him go? Too bad," Little Zorro said, crossing his hands behind his back.

"Viento is with him, and I'd rather have him back before the army gets their hands on him."

"Oh, that's right. I almost forgot."

Viento was intelligent for a horse. The previous night, after his injuries no longer hurt so much, Zorro had trained him to run to a specific spot in the forest. He hoped that Viento had remembered the lesson and had taken Gabriel there. If everything went as he had planned, he would find the lieutenant before the army, leave him in the forest and ride away on Viento.

"You should get back home. Maria is probably wondering where you are this early in the morning," he said.

"No, I think she's more curious about where you are. You don't usually get up from bed until well after noon," Little Zorro said.

Zorro let out an amused laugh. "Well, some of us have an image to maintain."

They agreed that Little Zorro would get back home and tell everyone that Diego had gone for a walk and would be back in an hour or two. Zorro would use that time to find Viento and get safely back to the estate. Maybe he could claim he had stumbled on his walk and fallen down a hill. That way his father, Maria or Lolita wouldn't ask why he was acting like he was hurt.

He slipped into the forest and started following a path that would take him to the chosen spot. It wasn't very far away from the road, but the forest was so thick that nobody would happen upon the place by accident. There would be nobody to bother Viento.

Sure enough, he soon spotted his white stallion standing on a small clearing where hunters had set up their campfire in the past. Now it had almost been consumed by bushes and small trees. Viento was standing by the edge of the clearing with Gabriel still on his back.

"Hello, Viento," Zorro called out. He approached the pair, noting how Gabriel was slumped against the horse's neck. Maybe the ordeal had been more tiring for him than they had thought.

"Did you enjoy the ride, Lieutenant?" Zorro asked. He expected the man to turn to glare at him, so he was a little surprised when his words got no reaction out of him.

Frowning, Zorro walked closer. There was something off about Viento as well. The horse was stomping on the ground with his hooves and shaking his mane like he was nervous about something. The fact that Gabriel still wasn't moving gave Zorro an uncomfortable feeling in his stomach.

"Lieutenant?" he asked and grabbed the man's arm.

Zorro let out a surprised yelp when Gabriel's cape shifted and revealed the blood that was all over his shirt. What the-?

"Lieutenant? Can you hear me?" He gave the man a shake. This didn't get a reaction out of him either, so Zorro quickly moved to untying his hands. He almost started getting him off Viento, but then he realised that it would be too difficult to get him back on the horse later on.

He took off his glove and placed two fingers on Gabriel's neck, trying to ignore how cold the man's skin was. Zorro didn't know whether to be relieved or disappointed when he felt a weak heartbeat. His eyes spotted a small hole in Gabriel's cape, and he immediately guessed what had happened. His hands moved to tear open the bloodied shirt, but then he stopped.

Zorro turned his eyes to the lieutenant's face. His skin was sickly pale and sticky with sweat, and there was a slight frown on his brows. He looked so weak and vulnerable that for a moment Zorro could only stare at him. Then he banished those thoughts. This man had caused so much pain and misery to others that nobody would care if he died. It would be justice.

Wouldn't it be better for everyone if he let Gabriel die here? It wouldn't take much longer. He had already lost so much blood that he might not survive even if Zorro got him help. Zorro felt his hands tremble as he battled with the decision. He didn't feel pity or compassion for the lieutenant, but the thought of leaving anyone to die like this was against everything he had sworn to fight for when he had assumed his secret identity. It made him sick to his stomach, but wouldn't it be selfish of him to help a monster like Gabriel just because of his own convictions? If Gabriel lived, he would just continue hurting others.

He almost withdrew his hands, but then the image of Bernard's laughing face flashed before his eyes. The two of them were to blame for what had happened, at least indirectly. Zorro knew he could live with the responsibility, but Bernard was just a child. He didn't deserve to have anyone's death on his shoulders.

It was foolish of me to let him help me, Zorro thought with regret. This wasn't a game.

But there was no time for that now. If he wanted to help Gabriel, he had to be fast.

"Viento, you're going to have to carry the both of us," he said to his horse and climbed behind Gabriel on the animal's back. He slipped his hands under Gabriel's arms and took the reins. Viento didn't need much directing; he could sense that something was wrong and that getting home was the best course of action.

Zorro decided that that best thing to do was to take Gabriel to the de la Vega estate. It was the closest residence, and there he could keep an eye on the lieutenant as Diego, assuming that he would live.

Lolita was a morning person. She loved watching the sun rise and how the whole world woke up to a new day. The air smelled fresh and was still pleasantly cool before the Californian sun started its work.

This morning, however, she wasn't smiling, and her steps lacked the usual determination. She couldn't help but think back to the previous night when she had helped Zorro escape Gabriel's dogs. Her hero had been wounded, and fear for him was clenching at her heart. She knew his injuries weren't fatal, but in this state it would be easier for the army to catch him.

She was currently on her way to the de la Vega estate. Visiting her friends would make her feel better. Besides, it was always amusing to watch Maria kick Diego out of bed in a futile attempt to get him to do something productive. Despite her worries, Lolita couldn't help but smile at the image of Maria pouring cold water in Diego's bed to wake him up.

"Hello, Bernard!" she called out when she spotted the boy in the yard.

"Oh, hi, Lolita!" he greeted her. He was carrying a basket with some clothes, and Lolita guessed he had to be running errands for Maria. "What are you doing here this early?"

"I just came to say hello. Is Diego already up?"

"Yes, he went out for a walk."

Lolita was a little taken aback. Diego? On a walk only about two hours after dawn? It was inconceivable!

"Is something wrong with him?" she asked.

Bernard chuckled. "Not at all. I think he just wanted to have some fresh air."

"Well, that's news to me, but I guess even he has to wake up in time at least once in his life," Lolita said. It was too bad that she had missed Diego on his way out. It would have been fun to join him. Though he was weak and a coward, he was a true friend and always managed to make her feel better when she had problems.

She was about to ask Bernard if she could help him somehow, but that was when the sound of hooves against the road reached their ears. Lolita turned around and gasped when a white horse with two riders stopped before the gates to the de la Vega mansion.

"Zorro!" Lolita exclaimed when she recognised her hero. Her joy was short-lived when she noticed the other man. He was dressed just like Zorro, but his shirt was red with his blood, and he only remained on horseback because Zorro was supporting him.

"Quick! Get help!" Zorro told them, but both Lolita and Bernard remained glued to their spots.

"What's going on?" Lolita asked.

"Lieutenant Gabriel has been shot. If we don't do something, he's going to die."

Lolita turned her eyes to the face of the wounded man. When she looked carefully enough, she thought she could recognise his features behind the mask, but that only made the situation more confusing to her. Why would Gabriel be wearing Zorro's clothes? And why was he injured?

"Hurry! We have no time to waste!" Zorro yelled, and his voice brought Lolita back from her puzzlement.

"I'll get Don Alejandro!" Bernard said, turned around and started running towards the house.

Lolita rushed to Zorro's side, but she suddenly didn't know what to do or say. She wanted to help and know what had happened, but her feet felt like they had been frozen, and she couldn't will her mouth to voice the question. There was something very wrong about this.

"Can you help me get him off the horse?" Zorro asked.

"Of course," Lolita said with a small nod. She hurried over to him and helped Zorro get Gabriel to the ground. The lieutenant was a heavy man, but Lolita hardly noticed that. She swallowed her disgust when she had to grab his shirt and how it stained her hands. For a moment, she felt panic at that she had nothing to wipe her hands on and almost used her dress.

"What happened?" she forced herself to ask.

Zorro knelt down to take the mask and hat from Gabriel. Lolita let out a sigh; without the disguise it was a lot easier to look at the lieutenant. Now he didn't look so much like Zorro anymore.

"That's a long story. I will tell you about it later." Zorro threw Gabriel's mask to the ground with a disgusted grimace. Before Lolita could say anything, he jumped on the back of his horse and pulled at the reins.

"Let's go, Viento!"

"Zorro, wait!" Lolita called after him, but Zorro didn't stop. With a heavy heart, Lolita watched him disappear down the road. Only then did she turn back to look at Lieutenant Gabriel.

His face was ashen and terrible against the contrast of the blood on his shirt. He looked dead to Lolita, but she didn't have the courage to get any closer and check his pulse. She had often confronted him about his evil ways and yelled at him, but now she was afraid to approach him. She was relieved when Bernard returned to the yard with Don Alejandro and Maria.

"What is going on here?" Alejandro asked.

"I don't know. Zorro brought him here," Lolita said.

Alejandro knelt down by Gabriel's side and put a hand on this throat. Lolita held her breath as she waited.

"He's still alive," Alejandro said. "But there's not much time. We have to get a doctor."

"I will prepare everything," Maria decided. True to her fashion, she immediately took charge of the situation and told everyone what they had to do. Bernard was to get water and start heating it while Alejandro had to ride straight to the city and get a doctor. Maria would prepare a room where they could move Gabriel.

"What about me?" Lolita asked.

"You're going to sit down for a moment. You're almost as pale as him," Maria said.

"But I -"

"No objections, young lady! Let me handle this."

"Hey, everyone! What's going on?"

Everyone turned to look to the direction of the gates when they heard Diego's happy voice. He was walking towards them with his other hand in his pocket and with an airy smile on his face. He stopped to stare at the scene before him.

"What happened to Lieutenant Gabriel?" he asked, sounding baffled.

"There's no time for that. Take the wagon and go to the city to get a doctor," Alejandro told him.

Diego's expression grew serious at once. It was moments like this that made Lolita wonder just how he could be so weak and pathetic most of the time. He looked like a completely different person now.

"Right away," Diego said. He ran towards the stables to get the horses ready while the others continued their work. Alejandro and Maria carried Gabriel to one of the guestrooms. Maria started taking off the bloodied shirt and tried to clean the wound as best as she could without causing any further damage. Bernard brought the water and immediately left the room. Lolita couldn't blame him.

She watched Maria work and tried to swallow her discomfort. Just what was wrong with her? Why did she feel so sick and numb, like none of this was really happening? She should have joined Maria and done something to help. As much as she hated Gabriel for his actions, she knew she didn't want to watch him die like this. He might have deserved it, but she didn't want to be that vindictive.

"He's been shot from behind," Maria observed.

Lolita felt a chill go down her spine. Had Zorro done it? Could he have done that? Was that why he hadn't wanted to explain what had happened?

"I wonder why the lieutenant is wearing these clothes," she said.

"I'd like to know that, too," Alejandro said. "Maybe the army is planning something."

Maria snorted in disdain. "None of that matters now. We can ask him if he lives."

"True," Alejandro muttered. His tone sounded hesitant, and Lolita wondered if he even wanted to see Gabriel survive. Alejandro never held back from expressing his opinion of the army and what they were doing. Maybe he thought it would be the best for everyone if Gabriel died.

"Of course he's going to live!" Lolita snapped, making the others turn around to look at her in surprise.

"Lolita…" Alejandro said quietly, "maybe it would be for the best if you weren't here."

"No, I'm not weak. I can help," she said, feeling how her cheeks grew flushed with her sudden anger.

"It's not that. I just don't think it's good for you to see it if he… I'm no doctor, but I can tell it's not good. He has lost too much blood," Alejandro said.

To be honest, Lolita didn't really want to be there. She hated seeing Gabriel so weak and vulnerable because it almost made her feel sorry for him, and she loathed that feeling. She didn't want to carry any guilt for all the times she had wished a terrible fate on him or hope that a man who had caused so much pain would be alright. Ironically, it was this feeling that made her so determined to stay. She would not turn her back on her weakness and let it control her. She could deal with this.

"Maria, tell me what to do," she said in a tone that told the others she would not accept any further objections.

Diego had made his way to San Tasco so fast that he thought the wagon might come apart at a steep curve of the road, but he was able to control the horses and prevent the accident. The people in the streets, upon recognising him as the lazy de la Vega idler, had been pointing at him and muttering to each other. Diego hadn't paused to think about their speculations as he had stopped the horses before the house of Dr. Timothy and run inside.

He had quickly explained the situation to the doctor, and they were now on their way back to the de la Vega estate. Despite his flaws, Dr. Timothy was the best doctor in the city, so he had been the first choice on Diego's list. He had been relieved beyond belief when he had seen that the doctor hadn't started drinking that day yet.

"When you burst in like that, I thought something had to be wrong with your father," Timothy said.

"My father is tough. I can't imagine the day when he might need your help," Diego replied. He did his best to keep an aloof smile on his face, but the act was getting more and more difficult every minute. There were times when he yearned to let go of his disguise – both that of Zorro and Diego the idiot – and let the world see what kind of man he really was.

"Still, you gave me quite a scare. Not that it's right for a doctor to be glad it's someone else," Timothy said.

Diego just nodded. He hadn't had time to properly digest what had happened, so he didn't know how he felt about the turn of events. He wouldn't be sorry to see Gabriel die. He more than deserved it for everything that he had done. On the other hand, this wasn't how he had planned to defeat the lieutenant.

It wasn't the thought of death that bothered Diego. When he had decided to wear the cape and the mask, he had accepted that sometimes his encounters with his enemies would lead to death and that it was a burden he would have to carry. This wouldn't be the first time one of his enemies died.

The problem was that people like Gabriel and Raymond were useless if they were dead. If they died, the army would simply declare them victims of Zorro or local rebels. Their crimes would never become public, and nothing would change. Diego wanted to see those two stand in court for what they had done and reveal the corruption that had spread through the higher ranks of the army.

A few minutes later, they arrived at the de la Vega estate. Don Alejandro was there to greet them and led Dr. Timothy to the guestroom where Gabriel was. The doctor said he would accept Maria's help but that everyone else would have to wait outside.

Diego, Lolita and Alejandro were left standing in the hall. Now that the action was over and they could only wait, Diego felt awfully restless. He ran his fingers through his hair and turned to look at Lolita, worried for what her reaction to all this might be. She was strong, but it wasn't every day that a half-dead man was dropped at her feet.

Lolita's lips formed a tight line, and she was staring at the closed door with what looked like angry determination in her eyes. Her fists were clenched and shaking. It was torture for Diego to suppress his desire to put his arms around her and pull her close. It hurt so much that he could only do it as Zorro.

"Do you want something to drink, Lolita?" he asked.

Lolita shook her head. "No, I'm fine."

"Diego has a point," Alejandro said. "We can do nothing more here. Let's go and sit in the dining hall."

Everyone followed his suggestion, but the change of rooms did nothing to improve the atmosphere. All three of them sat in silence. Don Alejandro did his best to eat an apple he took from a bowl on the table, but he forgot about it after only a few bites.

"I just can't take it anymore!" Lolita snapped all of a sudden and hit the table with her fists.

"Don't worry. I'm sure the doctor is going to tell us the news soon," Diego said.

"It's not that. I couldn't care less about that horrible man! I only want to know what happened and what Zorro had to do with it!" Lolita said. With that, she jumped on her feet and marched out of the room, leaving Diego and Alejandro staring after her.

"Maybe I should go after her," Diego said and started to get up, but his father gestured for him to sit back down.

"Let her be alone for a while. She's worried for Zorro-"

"But why? I thought Zorro was alright," Diego said.

"Zorro is the one who brought Gabriel to us. He didn't explain what had happened, but I don't like what I see. The lieutenant was shot from behind, and he was wearing Zorro's clothes. Zorro must have something to do with this," Alejandro said.

"Maybe that's just it. Since Gabriel was dressed like that, someone might have thought he was Zorro and shot him," Diego suggested. It was perhaps too clever of an idea for him to get like that, but he didn't care if his father got suspicious. He had to convince him that this wasn't Zorro's fault.

Alejandro looked at him in surprise. "That would explain it. But why would Lieutenant Gabriel dress up like Zorro in the first place?"

"I…" Diego started, but he didn't know how to continue. He couldn't possibly tell his father that Zorro had forced Gabriel into it. He felt ashamed when he thought back to how he and Bernard had been laughing about their little joke.

"Hey, where is Bernard?" he asked then. He hadn't seen the boy around at all.

"I don't know. I completely forgot about him."

"I'll go and look for him," Diego said. He was worried for his friend, and he felt he really needed to get out and walk a little to clear his head.

First he checked the stables, but there was no sign of Bernard there. He wasn't in the kitchen or in his room either. Diego's worry grew with every empty room he visited. He was certain Bernard was bothered by what had happened, and he didn't want the boy to be alone with his troubles. None of this was his fault; only Zorro was to blame.

He stopped on his tracks and slapped his forehead. Of course! How stupid he had been. There was only one place where Bernard would be right now.

Diego made his way to the secret passage that led to Zorro's cave and entered once he was sure neither his father nor Lolita was around. He closed the revolving piece of the wall behind him and started descending the stairs. He could see light coming from the cave.

As he had expected, Bernard was there. He was tending to Viento and was brushing the horse's sides with slow strokes. Next to him was a bucket of water and bloodied rags.

"Hey, what are you doing here all alone?" Diego asked. He sat down next to Figaro who was lying on the floor and watching Bernard with a worried look in his eyes. It never ceased to amaze Diego what an intelligent dog Figaro was.

"I came to wash Viento. There was blood all over him," Bernard replied.

"I should have done that, but I'm afraid I completely forgot it in the chaos. I'm sorry, old friend," Diego said and offered the horse an apologetic smile. He expected Bernard to add some joking comment of his, but there was only silent from the boy. His brushing of Viento never stopped.

Diego frowned when he saw Bernard's mechanical movements and how he refused to turn around to look at him. He had been hoping that it wouldn't have to be this hard.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

"I'm fine," Bernard replied in a stiff voice.

"Don't worry about what happened. It's all my -" Diego started, but he was cut off when Bernard suddenly whirled around, eyes blazing and the hand holding the brush shaking with fury.

"I'm not worried!" he snapped.

"Bernard…"

"No, I'm not! Lieutenant Gabriel deserves this! I'm not feeling at all sorry for him!" Bernard insisted. His voice grew higher with each word until he was almost screeching. Diego felt his heart break as he watched the anger and hurt on the boy's face.

"Bernard," he said softly and got on his feet. He walked to the boy and knelt by his side, putting his hands on his shoulders. Immediately, Bernard collapsed against him and buried his face into Diego's shirt. An angry sob escaped through his lips.

"He deserves it, Diego!" he yelled.

"It's alright," Diego said. "You can feel sorry for him. That makes you human and a better person than him." He closed his eyes and let Bernard cry against his chest. Regret was gnawing at his insides. He should have never let Bernard become part of his fight against injustice. He was too young and didn't realise that there was more to it than adventures and fun. There was always a darker side to being a rebel, even if your cause was justified.

"It wasn't your fault," he said.

Bernard lifted his head to look up at him with teary eyes.

"But I made him wear those clothes."

"Just because I told you to. It was my idea. I'm responsible." Diego hoped that he was being convincing enough. At this moment, he feared nothing more than that Bernard would try to carry the blame. He didn't deserve to have any part in this.

"But I -"

"Don't worry. You have no reason to feel guilty," Diego said.

Bernard shook his head. "I'm not guilty. It's just… I…" He trailed off, unable to put the emotions he was feeling into words.

"I know," Diego said. "It's not easy to see someone be hurt, even if it's someone like Lieutenant Gabriel."

"I didn't think it would go like this."

"It was an accident. We didn't mean for this to happen," Diego said. He hoped that Bernard's outburst was mostly due to the shock of seeing someone wounded so badly because of their actions. Men had fallen before Zorro before, but he had always made sure Bernard didn't have to see the aftermath. This was the first time the boy had directly taken part in actions that brought harm to someone.

Diego was certain that Bernard would understand the necessity of killing in extreme circumstances, but this wasn't about that. Gabriel hadn't been injured in a fight or in the middle of yet another evil scheme. They had simply dragged a sleeping man out of his bed and played a trick on him, thinking it was funny to make him taste his own medicine. How they had laughed about it in the morning when the lieutenant was bleeding in the forest made a chill go down Diego's spine.

"Is he going to die?" Bernard asked.

"I don't know. Dr. Timothy is with him now."

Bernard stepped away and wiped his eyes, sniffling. Diego was relieved to notice the beginning of a hesitant smile on the boy's face. Maybe the first shock was starting to wear off.

"If someone can help him, he can," Bernard said.

"That's right, so no need to worry. The lieutenant is going to be back on his feet in no time. We'll barely get a break from him."

"Next time we face him, he's going to be really angry with us," Bernard said.

"No doubt about that," Diego said. In his mind, he had already decided that from now on, he would have to be more careful about what kind of missions Bernard could help him with. He felt shame weigh on him as he thought back to all those times Bernard had risked his life and seen things not meant for his eyes. Zorro's adventures were not for a child, and it had been selfish of him to drag Bernard into his battle.

However, he couldn't tell that to Bernard now. He would talk to him later when things were back to normal and everyone had had a good night's sleep and something to eat. That thought reminded him that he hadn't had any breakfast yet.

"Come on. Let's go and see if we can find anything in the kitchen. Then we'll just have to wait for the doctor to tell us the news," he said.

"Alright, let's go."

Maria occasionally came out of the guestroom to fetch more water or towels, but other than that, they got no news of what was going on inside. Lolita joined them again some time later, but she remained in her thoughts and only spoke when someone said something to her. Bernard was sitting on his chair and waving his legs back and forth, even after Alejandro told him to relax. None of them wanted to admit it out loud, but they were all worried about what Dr. Timothy would have to say.

"We have to let the army know as soon as possible," Alejandro said.

Lolita looked up from her hands at these words. "That's right. They should come and take him away."

"I think we should let him stay for as long as necessary. It might not be a good idea for him to get up too soon," Diego pointed out.

"You're such a bleeding heart. How can you stand to have that man in your home?" Lolita asked.

"I don't like it, but what else can we do?"

"Diego's right. I won't throw an injured man out, even if it's Lieutenant Gabriel," Alejandro said.

"He'll probably want to go as quickly as he can. He doesn't like us," Bernard pointed out and crossed his hands behind his head, leaning back on his chair.

Lolita looked like she was about to argue, but they all turned to look at the door when they heard a knock. Diego went to open the door, and Dr. Timothy stepped in. His hair was messy, and he had a tired look in his eyes.

"How is he doing?" Alejandro asked. He gestured for the doctor to have a seat and poured him some wine, which Timothy took gratefully. Everyone waited in silence for him to gulp it down.

"Well," the doctor started, "I have to say he was lucky. The shot must have been fired outside the range of a musket because it didn't tear his shoulder apart. It didn't even hit bone or any major arteries."

"Does that mean he's going to make it?" Diego asked.

"I can't say. It's still a serious injury, and he has lost a lot of blood. If he survives, it's going to take a long time before he's back on his feet. And I'm afraid he probably won't be carrying a sword anymore," Timothy said.

"What? But I thought you said he was lucky," Diego said.

Dr. Timothy put away his empty glass and sighed. "Yes, but you have to understand that the shoulder is a complex part of the human body. No doctor can put it back together when it's injured badly enough. I'm sure the lieutenant will recover well enough to lead a normal life, but handling a sword takes so much precision and strength that I doubt he'll be able to do it," he explained.

Diego felt an uncomfortable weight in his stomach when he realised that his stupid little joke had probably crippled a man for life. He knew it would be a good thing for the local people if Gabriel could no longer terrorise them as easily as before. Maybe he would even have to leave the army entirely if his injury was bad enough. This had been Zorro's goal all along, but this victory felt horribly empty. He hadn't wanted to achieve it like this.

"Is there anything we can do?" Alejandro asked.

"I left Maria to bandage the wound properly. I was able to remove the shreds of clothing that the musket ball brought into the wound, so it shouldn't become infected. He just needs rest and someone to tend to him, but I assume the army will take care of that," Timothy said.

Alejandro nodded. "We'll send word to them when we take you back home."

"I would suggest that he's not moved until he has woken up and is a little stronger, but I understand if you don't want to have him in your house," Timothy said.

"That's no problem," Alejandro said with a shake of his head. "He can stay as long as is necessary."

He asked Dr. Timothy if he wanted to stay and dine with them, but the doctor said he'd rather get back to the city since he was expecting a patient later that day. Diego offered to take him back to San Tasco, and Alejandro decided to come along so that he could inform Sergeant Gonzales about what had happened.

"I'm going home, too," Lolita decided.

"Can I come with you, Diego?" Bernard asked, but Diego shook his head.

"I think it's better if you stay here with Maria. She might need your help," he said.

Bernard glanced down at his shoes. "But I don't want to," he complained.

"You don't have to go and see him. Just stay here in case you're needed. We can't all go away."

The uncertain frown on Bernard's face didn't disappear, but he nodded in agreement. "Alright, I'll do that."

"Good. We'll be back in no time," Diego said. He gave his friend a wave as he went outside with his father and Dr. Timothy.

Now that the situation had calmed down and the strongest urgency was gone, exhaustion threatened to take over his mind. He was still aching from his own injuries, and the mixture of shock, guilt and relief he had felt within only a few hours had drained him. He could only hope that things would start to get back to normal now.