The water splashing over her face caused Asami to sit up while a gasp found it's way out of her lips.
Coming to her senses quickly, another slower sigh escaped her when she looked up to see a smirking Kuvira standing above her with a half-empty bucket.
"Up and at 'em, Sato." As the words came out and a menacing smile danced around Kuvira's lips, Asami couldn't help but feel the irritation inside of her transform into anger with no delay. She used to be a morning person. She enjoyed mornings but that was before.. back when she was seen as an actual person, and not just a weapon.
Exhaling slowly through her nose, she swung her legs out of bed. No use in protesting and going back to sleep when your bed is drenched. She didn't mutter a single word as she began to make her way to the bathroom. Her lack of response didn't keep Kuvira from continuing on, though.
Following close behind her, Kuvira crossed her arms, speaking in a very matter-of-fact tone. "Today is the day, Asami."
Asami only stole a single glance over her shoulder at the girl before she reached the entrance to the bathroom. Pausing to turn around, she leaned against the door frame; her lips curling into a plastic smile and her tone of voice cold and sarcastic. "Wow, you used my first name. I am shocked by the genuine display of affection, 'Vira." Her fake smile slowly diminished, as she straightened her posture, no longer using the door frame as a means leaning post. "I know what today is." And with that, she shut the door in her girlfriend's face.
Kuvira let out a small grunt that she almost immediately attempted to cover up with a snarky laugh. Asami kept her hand on the doorknob until she heard her footsteps making their way out of her room.
Sighing, she pulled away from the door and looked at herself in the mirror, resting her hands on the counter. She saw familiarities in the reflection. A girl with fair skin and a messy dark bun, silk red pajamas, and greens eyes tinted with the absence of rest. Although the physical appearance is something she recognizes, this girl staring back at her is different. Her eyes have gotten colder. Her face has hardened. She couldn't look at herself too long without her stomach swallowing itself. She slid her silk pajamas off her body, and stepped into the shower.
As she turned the knob and water hit her skin, she felt her shoulders slump with relief. It was sad but this was the only alone time Asami felt that she really got. During this time every day, she would think of the same unfolding of events and try to dissect each part and wonder where she went wrong.
This thought process usually began with her first meeting Kuvira.
In her mind, she is brought back to her father's office exactly one year ago. She is sitting in an oversized leather chair across from her father. She is wondering who the broad-shouldered woman standing behind him is. She feels his eyes burn into her for what feels like a century of silence before he opens his mouth. She listens as he explains the aftermath of her mother's death - how his involvement began in the Equalist movement, the true reason he had Asami enrolled in so many self-defenses classes, and who exactly the brown-haired girl standing behind him was.
Asami remembers her vision becoming shaky. She remembers staring at her father's name plate that was displayed on his desk. Hiroshi Sato. When she read the name, one word came to mind. Dad. Now she had to wonder what came to the minds of people she didn't know yet, people like the brown-haired girl who standing behind him, when they read the name. Leader of the Equalists?
She remembered being paralyzed by silence as he introduced the unchanging face of the girl who was standing behind him. Kuvira. She remembers not even being able to wonder about the strict looking girl's relevance to the situation before her father answered the unasked question. Leading lieutenant.
She remembers responding by running out of the office. She remembers barely making it to her room before collapsing to her bed and releasing a sequence of sobs. She remembers a knock on the door. She remembers opening it to see that same pair of piercing eyes and brown hair. She remembers how Kuvira's face looked different this time. How it wasn't unchanging and cold like it was in her father's office.. but sympathetic and soft. This is where Asami wonders if she went wrong. She loved to give Kuvira the benefit of the doubt.. that Asami only let her in due to a moment of weakness. If she could go back in time, Asami wouldn't have opened the door.. in fact, she would have locked it instead. But Asami let her in. She let Kuvira comfort her that night. And the next. And the night after that.
It didn't take Asami long to not only accept her father's life-style, but become a part of it. What else would she do?
And just like that. Asami Sato was the daughter of the Leader of the Equalists. Asami Sato was romantically involved with the Leading Lieutenant of the Equalists - who was also a girl. Asami Sato was a part of the Equalists.
For a short while, everything was fine. It was even good, actually. She was in love, and she was closer to her father than ever. This is where Asami really has to wonder where things went wrong. Each morning, in that same shower, she analyzed the situation over and over again in her head - determined to figure out any sort of answer that would explain how she ended up like this. A weapon. She was in love with a person who wasn't in love with her, but her ability. She was the daughter to somebody who didn't see her as a daughter, but an opportunity. This wasn't a new realization.
She is brought back to exactly 8 months ago. Once again, she is in her father's office. Once again, she is sitting in an oversized chair staring at a man she only wants to please accompanied by a woman she only wants to giver herself to. She listens as her father and Kuvira inform Asami of a master plan that she never knew a thing about. A plan that would be set in effect on the date of March 16th, 2014. A plan that would require extensive training every moment up until that very day.. which was today.
Did things go wrong here? Or did things go wrong when her father was arrested shortly afterwards and Kuvira stepped into his position? That was when everything went wrong. Asami was sure of it.
She is brought back to herself when a loud knock breaks apart the thought process she didn't want to be experiencing anyways. She was used to this knock. How long had she just been standing there this time?
Kuvira's voice was harsh as she snapped at Asami from the other side of the door. "We gonna wait another year to put this plan into effect, Sato? Kidnapping the Avatar is gonna take a little more time than you're allowing so I suggest you get out of the shower." Kuvira waited impatiently for a response she realized she wasn't gonna receive. Asami, once again, waited until the sound of Kuvira's foot steps became non-existent before moving. She was used to this routine by now.
She turned the knob and the water stopped wrapping itself around Asami's body. And just like that, as the water ceased to exist, so did any chance at alone time. She couldn't hide away in the shower forever anyways. She had a job to do.
She had an Avatar to kidnap.
