Chapter 3: Kind Heart

Michiru sat in the small cell she had been locked up in, staring down at her feet. Her eyes came up when the  sound of the door being unlocked echoed through the room; seconds later, the door opened and light fell on the aqua haired girl, causing her to blink. Her eyes got used to the light fast, allowing her to recognize the person standing in front of her. Haruka gave her one of her typical cruel smirks and knelt down in front of her, looking at her. "I hope you are enjoying your stay." The blonde then spoke, frowning when Michiru looked away from her. Roughly, the blonde grabbed her prisoners jaw and forced her to look at her again. "I like it when the people I talk to look at me." Haruka grumbled, her grip tightening until it hurt. Michiru winced in pain, convinced that her jaw would be bruised by tomorrow. "Clear?" Haruka now asked, the aqua haired nodding in response as far as the steel tight grip around her jaw allowed it. "Good." Haruka growled, letting go of her prisoner. "How long do you want to keep me here?" Michiru now softly asked, looking at the blonde with fear in her eyes. "As long as necessary." Haruka replied, her voice as cold as ice. Michiru could feel how she started to tremble, though she tried not to show the blonde her fear. With not much avail though. "Scared?" Haruka asked, grinning. Michiru just stayed silent, and finally, Haruka rose again. "Why did you come here?" the aqua haired girl suddenly asked, her voice so soft that it was almost inaudible. Haruka gave her another cruel smirk while she replied: "Just wanted to check if you're locked up securely. I don't want you to run off, you know." "Just let me go." Michiru now whispered, her eyes filling with tears. "Please…" Haruka just snorted and turned around, leaving the room and slamming the door behind her. Michiru hung her head low, hot, salty tears running down her cheeks while she sobbed silently.

Two hours after Harukas visit, Heihachi entered the small room again, carrying a tray with food on it. "Hey." The tall, scarred man spoke while he set the tray down in front of Michirus feet, the smell of fish and rice filling the air. Heihachi started to untie Michirus hands, all the time babbling about Haruka. "You know, the boss isn't as bad as it seems. Once you get to know her…" Michiru simply ignored him and picked up the bowl with rice, making him think that she was accepting the food. "I hope you like it." He babbled on while he put the rope Michiru had been tied with away. "Our cook isn't the best, but he tries hard and…" Heihachi got cut off in mid-sentence when Michiru suddenly smashed the bowl on his head, rice splattering everywhere while the tall man broke down unconscious. "Sorry." Michiru mumbled while she quickly got to her feet and pulled Heihachis gun from his belt. Fast, but still quiet, the aqua haired girl hurried out of the room and checked out the hallway. Much to her relief, there were no Yakuza in sight; the only fact that caused dismay to Michiru was that she didn't know which way to go. Finally, she decided and hurried to the left, hoping that she was going the right way. Her blood froze when an all-to-known voice called out to her. "Hey! Stop!" Looking over her shoulder, Michiru saw Haruka running down the hallway, towards her. And the expression on the blondes face turned the aqua haired girls guts into water. Don't look back! Just run! Her mind screamed at her, and that got her feet moving. She sped off again, hoping that she would be able to outrun Haruka; she had smelt smoke in the blonde's breath and clothes before, and the fact that Haruka probably had a smoker's lung gave her new hope. "Stop right now, bitch! Or I'll shoot!" Haruka now yelled, her voice so full of anger that it was unsteady. Michiru just continued running, the sound of Harukas footsteps following her thundering through her brain. And suddenly, the blonde tackled her from behind, causing them both to fall to the ground. Michiru let out a desperate "Ooff" sound when the air got knocked out of her, the weight of the much taller Haruka nearly crushing her. "Gotcha." Haruka panted, wearing her typical smirk again. "Let go of me!" Michiru cried out, squirming underneath the blonde, trying to get away. In a far distance, the sounds of other Yakuza approaching could be heard, and that gave the aqua haired girl another burst of strength. She shoved herself upwards as hard as she could, causing both her and Haruka to roll over. "Let go of the gun." Haruka ordered while she held the aqua haired girls arms in a tight grip, trying to keep her from moving. The two women kept wrestling on the ground for a few more moments, and then, the shot suddenly rang.

Michiru slowly raised her head, not sure what had happened a few seconds ago. Haruka laid on top of her motionless, and for some reason, something warm started to wet Michirus clothes. Frowning, the aqua haired girl looked down as far as the blondes weight on top of her allowed it, only to let out a shocked gasp in the next second. The warm, wet thing turned out to be blood; and it wasn't her own. "No." Michiru whispered, shocked at what she had done. "No…" As gentle as possible, the aqua haired girl crawled out from beneath Haruka before she rolled the blonde on her back, hoping and praying that she didn't kill her. Much to her relief, the bullet had hit Harukas shoulder, instead of her chest or her stomach. For one moment, Michiru thought about just running on and leaving Haruka behind; then, her kind heart got the better of her, and she tore a long stripe off of her shirt to press it on the wound. As if on cue, Haruka started to come back to consciousness; her eyelids started to flutter before they shot open, the teal orbs filled with pain. She tried to sit up, only to be held back by Michiru. "No, don't move. You are hurt." The aqua haired girl gently spoke, to her own surprise taking the blondes hand into hers. Haruka looked at her, both anger and surprise in her eyes – a weird mixture. "I don't understand you." The blonde finally spoke, her voice clearly showing the pain she was in. "Why are you…still here?" "Hush, don't talk." Michiru replied, giving Harukas hand a gentle squeeze. "What is going on here?" Heihachis voice suddenly came, not all too friendly. Before Haruka or Michiru had realized what was happening, two pairs of strong hands grabbed Michiru and pulled her away from the blonde. "You knocked me out and shot our boss!" Heihachi cried out shocked, staring at the aqua haired girl in anger before he yelled at one of the by standing men: "Go get Tetsuya! And hurry, before Haruka bleeds herself to death!" The man nodded and ran off while Michiru was taken back to her cell – leaving Haruka wondering why the aqua haired girl had stayed with her in the first place until she lost consciousness again.