Hm. A little alice in wonderland thrown in because I couldn't think of original code names. ^^ Review if you have a chance to! XD

Chapter 9

Mia groaned as rolled onto her side. White light stung her eyes as she tried to open them but she instantly shut them from the sting of such a bright florescent light. She opened them slowly to see a crazy bright white room all around her. She quickly looked around, the room was completely empty except for a door on the other side of the room. She slowly got up and pain shot through every inch of her. She rubbed the back of her head and then noticed her arm had a knot in the shoulder. She saw a small red spot and remembered being dose with something that knocked her out. She remembered running late for Yuli's birthday party...and then ninjas.

She frowned as she remembered that they looked like the same ninjas who took her and Yuli to Shikaisen when they went to New York. She shook her head as she realized that everything had come full circle. She touched the door and pulled on the knob. To her dismay it was locked. She sighed and went to go sit down in the middle of the room. She crossed her legs and faced the door because someone had to come in sooner or later. She tried to remember what else had happened when the ninjas had shown up, and vaguely remembered White Blaze. This was definitely a new experience for her though. Usually, when she was kidnapped, she ended up in some ancient castle looking place. This was creepy, but it didn't bother her much.

The door opened and she looked up to see two figures walk in. She didn't dare jump for the open door, because she just wasn't that fast. They wanted her alive for some reason, it would be in her interest to stay alive to find out that reason. The first figure wore dark military fatigues with a motorcyle helmet that smiled at her with a shark decal. She couldn't tell if they were a man or woman, but she doubted that they would talk at all in the presence of the second person. The woman was beautiful, although a good decade older than her. She had cascading long silverish white hair and bright blue eyes that were like living sapphires. She was tall and thin, like a runway model and her pale skin was peachy and beautiful. She wore an a-line dress in cream colored satin that was lined with a soft blue rooshing that went from the left shoulder to the a small pendant on her waist. Her heals were thin stilettos matching the pop of blue on her dress. She smiled, "Miss Mia Koji."

Mia looked her over, her Japanese was impeccable. "Do I know you?"

"No, we have never met before," she smiled coldly as folded her hands together. Mia stood up, and the woman continued, "I apologize for the rough treatment, but it was...necessary."

"Necessary? You kidnapped me," she lightly complained in return. "You know who I am, but who are you?"

The woman bowed, "you may call me, Hare."

Mia nodded and looked at the military figure, "and that is..."

"This quiet one is Shark," she replied as she held out a hand to Mia. "Please, Miss Koji. I am in much need of your assistance."

Mia frowned and crossed her arms, "you could have asked. You didn't need to kidnap me."

"I told you, it was necessary," she smile sweetly but Mia could sense that she was a pit of fire underneath the cool exterior.

Mia crossed her arms to avoid taking her hand, "then please enlighten me why it was necessary."

"For what I need you for," she smiled as she placed a hand over her shoulder. She saw Shark follow them and she realized that Shark was Hare's brute force. She stepped out of the white cube into a metallic and artificial looking hall. She still had no clue where she was, but she wasn't in Toyama anymore.

"And that is?"

"We have a most curious object in our possession," she said as they stopped at a big glass window. She could see a box sitting in the middle of the room. It looked like the lacquered boxes that armors would rest in. She saw a crest on it that looked like a black sun. She wondered about the black inferno. Ryo had said that white inferno had come to him when battling the red kingdom but did that mean that the black inferno returned to existence as well? She hated to think about that part.

Hare looked at Shark, "could you show her?"

Shark only nodded quietly and started to head into the room. Shark opened the box and pulled out a helmet that confirmed what Mia had suspected. She glanced away and Hare leaned over to her, "well, now you know what this relic is?"

"You are only stoking the fires of war," Mia hissed at the woman who softly wound her fingers into her hair and yanked her head back ever so lightly.

"That is the whole point, my dear rabbit," she smiled as she gently touched her face. "You see my sister has great yearning for power. This game that she has played for years is not getting us anywhere."

"You don't understand what your getting into," she replied angrily.

"Oh, but I do," she smiled sweetly as a snake. She shoved her down the hall to another window and Mia gasped at the sight. She saw Kayura crumpled in Kale's arms. She was beaten and bloody, and Kale didn't look to hot either. She saw White Blaze pacing the room wearing a muzzle and was trying to pry it off his face. She saw Kale look up and she locked eyes with him. He knew she was there, how? She couldn't say but his gaze was filled with the hatred that she knew was directed at the silver haired woman. She leaned in close, "they are most peculiar. They don't exist in any record we could find. It would be shame to snuff them out so easily."

Mia glared at her, "someone will come for us!"

"Hm? I hope so. Those armors are so curious that the young men hold," she said cupping her face. "Shikaisen failed me when he stumbled upon his gold mine."

"You sent Shikaisen?"

"Well, we had a lead about your blonde friend, but we didn't understand the unimaginable power that he held," she grinned as she leaned close to her. "We had no clue who your friends were! Such beautiful spades made of precious metals. It's pathetic that such power is given to those who have no interest in using it."

Mia pulled away from her, "the ronins are not easily manipulated, and are not weapons for others. They kicked your little whipping boys butt."

"That they did," she agreed as pressed her hand against the glass of the room where her three companions were being held. She grinned ever so slightly as shark locked the other room and walked out to meet them. Hare looked at Shark, and then to Mia, "do you not value their life?"

Mia looked at the three helplessly locked in the room, she shook her head, "don't hurt them."

"Oh, I won't, as long as you help me," she paused, "I need to find a new owner for that armor. It won't just let anyone wear it. We tried the Mukala fellow, but the armor ...didn't like him very much."

"Mukala," Mia gulped, "is he alright?"

"Oh, he's fine," she snickered at her panic. "Just do as I say, and they will be too."

Mia cursed her extensive knowledge of the armors and she bit her lip. She nodded in agreement and the woman draped her arm over her shoulder, "splendid! Shark will you bring your companions some food while we discuss how to approach this."

She followed Hare, and her skin crawled as the woman kept her arm lightly draped over her shoulders and she wanted to so badly shake her off. She knew that the ronins would come, especially if there was link somewhere between Hare and New York. Mia counted on Rowen and she hoped Hoshi too. They would come for her, and the others. Hopefully, before a new war broke out. She knew in her heart, this wouldn't just have people disappear temporarily, but rivers of blood as well and she was helpless to stop it because she couldn't risk her friend's lives. Kale and Kayura were far from being great people, but she had learned to get along with the out of place time travelers. No one deserved to be used as bait for knowledge about the armors to start a war.