A/N: Two-shot, during volume nine. Implied MaiNaru, AyakoTakigawa if you squint. No owning of anything. Please review and tell me what you thought!


"Sorry, but I'm just going to lie down for a while."

Mai leapt up from the monitors, almost losing her balance. Just before Ayako had the chance to speak, she called perkily, "I'll help you there!"

Takigawa snickered and nodded once approvingly, smirking in her direction. "Now you get it," he muttered under his breath just so Mai could hear, earning himself a well-aimed scowl. He sat down at the monitors Mai had been watching and let the teens walk out of the room.

Mai almost had to jog to keep up with Naru's quick pace back to his room. He seemed to not notice she had even accompanied him, but yearning the attention she asked, "Why didn't you run or duck earlier?"

"Hn?" She hated those short, muttered responses of his. Mai could easily see he had heard exactly what she had said and knew exactly what she had meant. He was supposed to be the smart one, wasn't he?

"The-the fox spirit. Why didn't you try and avoid it?" Mai pressed on, looking up eagerly at Naru. He avoided her gaze with ease and placed his thumb and forefinger to either side of the bridge of his nose.

"I believe that is none of your business."

Mai narrowed her eyes, unwilling to give up. "If you had been hurt, it certainly would have been my business."

"But I didn't, did I?"

"Why didn't you try to avoid it?" Mai demanded more heatedly, ready for the angered retort. Naru merely sighed.

"You really want to know?" he asked, watching her with an ice blue stare. Mai, unperturbed, nodded eagerly. This she hadn't been expecting.

"Fine, I… Mai." Naru froze in his tracks, eyes wide. Mai still walked forward until she had noticed Naru was a good meter and a half behind her. She turned, cocking her head ever so slightly in confusion.

"Naru?"

"Leave. Now."

Mai blinked once, staring at him unbelievingly.

"But—wait, Naru…?"

He gave her no time to question his demands.

"Go back to the base. Run, go get Lin. Mai, just do it!"

"Naru, are you okay…?" Not listening, Mai approached Naru again, who took a forceful, shaky step backwards.

"Don't come near me."

Mai bit the inside of her lip, her heart pounding ferociously. What was going on? Naru's attitude normally hurt less and his tone had never been so scary. No, foreboding was a better word. She managed to swallow the growing lump in her throat and continue to talk.

"Naru, what's wrong? Tell me!"

She hadn't expected this much frustration to come with a walk to his room. Stepping toward him, barely a fourth of a meter away, she glared at him in a way to show she was serious. Mai stood her ground, but could easily sense something was not right here.

"You're in my way."

His harsh voice surprised her. She had never heard him speak this way before, so cold and so vile. Startled into a stupor, Mai didn't notice Naru's arms rising to reach her neck. His hands locked tightly around her neck, and giving a last gasp, felt the painful reality of this situation.

Blinking furiously, fighting against the literal death grip of Naru's, Mai saw no way out. The words and screams of desperation would not escape her lips, and no one was around to see her struggling with Naru for her life. Strangled sounds managed to reach her ears, but her world was beginning to grow hazy.

His hands constricted even more and Mai felt herself lashing out at him, tears staining her cheeks and coloring her eyes bloodshot. His face showed no emotion, as if that was a surprise, and he seemed to not care that he was killing his own assistant.

Mai found it harder to move, more difficult to get air to her lungs, trickier to even keep her eyes open. Her breath was shortening and quickly, she knew – she was losing this battle. If she could not free herself soon, she knew it would be too late.

Only a single word rang like a bullet through her mind as her own grip began to loosen on Naru's arms, uselessly trying to pry herself away from him. Why?

Noises echoed all around her and all pressure on her neck was suddenly released. She and Naru both fell to the ground and she could hear herself coughing brutally. Strong arms held onto her trembling shoulders and two concerned voices called out, "Mai? Mai?"

The world spun as Takigawa gently lifted her to her feet.

"Mai, are you okay? Come on, say something," Ayako pleaded furiously.

"Why… did he…?" Mai looked at Naru's limp form with traces of anxiety buried deep in her eyes.

"It wasn't Naru, Mai," Takigawa was quick to say, then continued explaining, "The fox spirit didn't merely go through him like we thought. It's possessed Naru."

Though relieved that Naru did not attempt to strangle her on his own accord, Mai could not help but feel wary. While walking back to base with the support of Ayako and Takigawa, she shot a glance sideways at Naru, still out cold.

She couldn't help but shudder.

"Mai…? Mai, come on." Ayako tugged on her sleeve brusquely, urging her back to the base.

"Ah, no, I think I'll wait a little longer. I'm fine," Mai said in reassurance as both the monk and miko sent her matching reproachful looks. Holding in her laughter, she shooed them on ahead.

Mai lingered by the room Lin had placed Naru in. Subconsciously, her hand had risen to the light bruises on her neck, tracing the still-tingling fingerprints. Just moments ago she could have died at the hands of her own boss, the one she thought she loved.

She still could see that blank, merciless stare in his eyes.

She still heard his rasping, heavy breaths while she had struggled.

She could still feel his hands on her neck.

As Lin turned around, she dropped her hand from the bruises and stood attentively at the doorway. He walked towards the exit and Mai stepped aside to let him through. No matter how hard Mai tried to feel hatred for her boss, tried to remember the vengeance she should have held, she knew that she not go very far without him.

"Don't let me down now, Naru."

Just when she had thought he left for base to get Takigawa and Ayako, Mai felt a hand rest upon her shoulder lightly. She turned to see Lin next to her, cautiously tracing her gaze back to Naru.

"You care too much, Taniyama-san."

Mai took the slight smile on his face and the softer tone in his words as a compliment.

A/N: So, did you like it? There's only one way to tell me, so go ahead and click the review button... come on, you know you want to!