4

Chapter 4

Mika blinked back tears.

"I... I don't want to die," she whispered. "Please... I beg you..."

"Nobody ever does," Kai said with a shrug. He must hear these words too often for them to have any real effect on his heart.

"I... I can help you," she spluttered, speaking up. A last-ditch attempt to stay alive. She felt herself begin to glitch - her hands snaking - as an idea occured to her. "I'll do anything."

"Anything?" Kai asked, tilting his head to the side. 

'That means he's considering it!' she thought, not daring to count her chickens.

...

'Where does that saying even come from?' she wondered. An inopportune time to be pondering the legitimacy of the old warning.

"Don't even think about it," Vrethie warned him. 

"Aww," Kai complained, pursing his lips. "But she's just way too hot to kill, man."

"If we keep her alive, she is your responsibility," Vrethie warned. "She will have to get approval but I can swing that."

"You acctually gonna do anything I say?" Kai asked, bending over to stare into her eyes. "You aren't just talking shit?"

"Yes, Sir," Mika said, nodding furiously. 

"Sir?" Kai asked. "Ha! I like that."

"Just don't do anything stupid. You know what these women can be like," Vrethie warned before leaving them alone. "And clean that floor."

Sitting naked in her own blood, Mika looked up at Kai.

"Well you heard the man, clean up your mess," Kai demanded.

'My mess?' she thought.

"But... I... I'm naked," Mika protested. 

"So?" Kai shrugged. "Cleaning products are under the sink."

As Mika cleaned she tried to retain what little dignity she could, but ended up slipping on the mixture of blood and water, sliding flat onto her face.

A pair of trainers appeared in her eyeline.

She looked up slowly to see Milo staring down at her.

"Having fun?" he asked, grinning down at her through blonde curls.

Mika wasn't sure how to respond.

"Are you completely useless?" Kai asked, joining Milo. He tutted and led Milo away but Mika could hear their whispers. 

"You pulled that bird?" Milo was asking.

"Hmm. Well, I guess you could say that," Kai replied. "Not entirely accurate."

Mika squeezed the thin mix of blood and water into the mop bucket several times until the floor was clean enough. Luckily it hadn't left any marks. She dreaded to think what would happen if she'd caused a stain on Vrethie's precious floor.

After one last check, Mika washed her hands.

She turned off the faucet and took a step back into something hard. Turning, she saw that the hard object was Kai. 

"What are you made out of?" she cried. This made him laugh. He wasn't as scary when he was laughing.

"Stronger stuff than you lot," Kai told her. 

"Erm," Mika looked down at her naked form. "You wouldn't happen to have any spare clothing?"

"Mine will be too big and Vrethie... well let's just say Vrethie doesn't like to share. Milo is your best bet," Kai told her. "His room is first on the left."

...

As Mika pulled the teenagers clothing onto her small frame she wondered what would be best?

Should I try to run? Stay and clean the house?

'Or do something else entirely, a voice whispered from the deep recesses of her brain. Her unchipped, uncensored thoughts.'

"The only sensible mind I have left" she muttered to herself.

"What was that?" the blonde teenager asked.

He must have been watching - staring at her undress. The thought made her shudder for reasons she couldn't quite describe or assign any meaning to.

She smiled at the angelic looking boy. "Oh, nevermind."

He nodded, still smiling and eyeing her curvy frame as she continued to dress herself in his clothing.

"Suits you better," he commented.

Mika nodded and thanked him.

"Well, what now?"

"We have a mission tomorrow," the boy said casually. "A girl of your.... talents.... could come in handy."

Miaka nodded again, ignoring the subtext.

"I'd love to help in any way I can," she nodded, playing it safe for now. She had no idea how powerful these people were - especially the tall, androgenous one. His aura was more terrifying than even Eigen himself.

"And Eigen is a monster," she muttered under her breath.

"You do that alot." the boy commented, still regarding her with ice blue eyes, like orbs, burning into her soul. "The muttering thing."

His stare continued.

"Don't you know its rude to mutter about people under your breathe."

"Don't you know it's rude to stare?" she shot back without thinking.

"That was a mistake." Kai said, appearing in the doorway.

Miaka's breath got stuck in her throat as she waited for him to continue talking.

...