"Where are we going?" Emmie whispered. "My place, don't worry. It's safe," he patted her knee. Emmie shifted away from him, uncomfortable with the intimacy of the gesture and the amount of blood on his hand. Deidara looked down to his hand, "Oh shit, sorry." He said and wiped it on his thigh.
Traveling to the 5th floor in a dark dank elevator that shook ominously all the way up, Deidara unlocked then forced the door open. Inside was no better then the elevator. Stepping over dirty clothes and paint supplies, Emmie gave him a disgusted look. "I didn't plan on having anyone over," he said defensively, kicking clothing and towels into a corner.
"Ok you sleep there," Deidara pointed to a lumpy couch. "What? No way, what kind of gentleman are you?" Emmie exclaimed incredulous. "See there's no gentle in me, it's all man, baby and unless you want something to happen, you're sleeping on the couch," he shrugged. "You're such a bastard, your mother clearly couldn't raise you right." Emmie huffed. "Don't you bring my mother into this," Deidara said darkly, "You can't be throwing stones, your brother may or may not be involved in drug running, your mother can't raise you guys!" Affronted, Emmie shoved him, "How dare you! My brother not involved in anything shady! He's educated and successful, you're living in this dump, unemployed, and involved with organized crime! Yeah she did good." Deidara's face darkened and whipping out cuffs, he shoved her onto the bed and handcuffed Emmie to the bed's cheap metal frame.
Outraged, she screamed poison at him which he yelled right back in her face. Unable to contain his wrath, Deidara left in a huff while Emmie continued making a racket. She cursed his family, his ancestors, his pets, thrashed, and if she cried-which she never did-she would have done so in gasping sobs. "Hey miss?" Asked a young voice cautiously after Emmie finished with a fresh torrent of abuse. With some difficulty, Emiliana turned to face the kid. He looked around 8, skinny, tough, but cheerful. On his face was a large swirling birthmark. Noticing her interested stare, he shook his hair down to cover it.
"Hey kid, could you let me out of these cuffs? My shoulders are killing me!" Emmie looked a the kid beseechingly. "I'm not a kid! I'm twelve. I'm almost a man!" The kid stomped his foot indignantly. "Oh my, I'm sorry." Emmie tried to get on his good side. "I'm not very good at judging ages. I'm Emiliana, what's your name?"
"My names Tobi! D already told me about you Emmie and I'm supposed to watch you so you don't run away." Tobi said plunking himself down in a chair. "I'm not going to escape," Emmie tried. "I work with Deidara and we got in a fight that's why I'm cuffed to this dumb bed."
Tobi shifted uncomfortably. "D told me that you can't go nowhere. He's counting on me!"
Aha! Emmie knew it. This kid hero worshipped Deidara, he saw him as a surrogate father, a big
brother figure. "I promise I'm not going anywhere, I just wanna sit up," Emmie tried again.
"Ok, cross your heart?" Tobi asked nervously.
"Cross my heart."
Tobi picked the lock and freed, Emmie sat up slowly and stretched languidly. "You're so young! Are you alone?" Emmie adopted the tone she used with her patients. "Yeah, after the car crash, it's just me, myself, and I. I was on the streets until D's gang picked me up." Emmie smiled, "So the gang takes care of you?" Tobi shook his head, "They look out for me but D takes me to school and helps with homework." He hung his head, "I wish I do good in school. D says that the only way to go up in life is with education. I just can't read! D tried to teach me but the words get mixed up."
Emmie felt a pang of pity, poor kid probably had dyslexia. "The words seem to move and turn around right?" She asked. Wide eyed, Tobi nods. "You probably have dyslexia. If you want, I can teach you a couple of tricks. Why don't you tell me about your life here."
For a couple hours, they talked while Emmie taught him how to read. She learned quite a bit about gang activity, organized crime, and Deidara's role in it. Apparently he actually was a big shot. He rose through the ranks as a brilliant arsonist, nobody knew anything about his past. He didn't want the responsibility but it was given to him anyway. He was the youngest boss to control the ghettos. The gang didn't differentiate in race, age, or gender. All were welcome if they had skills to offer.
Deidara stomped in with a bunch of grocery bags. Swooping in behind him like a red headed shadow, a man carried more bags in. Unsure about his current mood, she kept quiet watching him. Deidara talked to the other man and Tobi and they went about the kitchen, putting up the groceries. He was pointedly avoiding eye contact. Emmie dithered on the bed uncharacteristically uncertain. Deidara finally sauntered over, smirking. Annoyance flared in her, he was making her uncomfortable on purpose.
"What, now?" she asked, breaking the silence. "Alright so Sasori and me got a invitation for one of the Triad leaders party and we're gonna spy on him at his yacht party." Deidara leaned back. "How-nevermind, when is it? Tonight?" He nodded, "Tonight? These things keep popping up!" Emmie said exasperated, "I don't have any yacht apparel!"
Hours later after much arguing and frustrated clothes flinging, Emmie finally wrestled both Sasori and Deidara into some adequate suits. "You have to button all of the buttons! You can't leave them open halfway! You look like an eighties pimp!" Emmie yelled, frustrated. She was buttoning up Deidara's dress shirt and he kept unbuttoning them. Giving up, she turned to the more compliant Sasori and started tying his tie. A harassed Haru scurried around picking up discarded clothing and putting items back neatly.
"How come I don't get a tie?" Deidara demanded. "You don't wear a tie if you don't button up your shirt," Emmie said primly, neatening Sasori's tie. "Fine, get me a tie," Deidara buttoned up his shirt and Emmie came over to tie his tie. Emmie tied the knot quickly and jerked it up, tightening it unnecessarily roughly. Laughing gleefully at his choking, Emmie went into the dressing room to change herself.
A couple hours later, the three walked up the ramp and entered the brightly lit yacht. Smooth classical music sweetly drifted unobtrusively in the background. Eyes drifted to her. Emmie was wearing a sea foam green dress that wrapped around her chest in an X and drifted down to her knees like a translucent cloud. "Stay with me," Deidara put his arm around Emmie's bare slim waist. This is her element, Emmie grabbed champagne from a server and starting mingling with Deidara alert at her side. After a lavish dinner- Emmie had to force Deidara to eat since he apparently didn't eat things he couldn't pronounce- Emmie and Deidara were snooping through the cabins.
"Where is this dude? It's been a great party but we're not getting anything!" Emmie closed another empty cabin in frustration. Hearing voices, Deidara motioned for her to shut up and the 2 crept to a door streaming with light.
"-I want to present to you Lithium. This is a drug that puts the user in a state of euphoria and at that time, the user is completely suggestible. You can command the user to do whatever you want. The effects last 72 hours and when finished, the user dies from a heart failure. Completely undetectable and perfect for assassinations." The man finished to applause. Emmie locked eyes with Deidara, horrified. "Dr. Zetsu, when are we getting an example?" a familiar voice asked. Emmie knew that voice and leaned in closer to the crack in the door.
"Here is a volunteer," Hidan's voice growled, "this is Deidara's friend."