Random note- you know, I didn't think that "Reduced Fat" Oreo's would taste any different from regular Oreo's, but I was wrong... So, very wrong...
Kaze Ookami- Ok, that's what I thought. But there's only one "O" for Okami. I don't know what Hayabusa will do... your going to have to ask him.
Chapter 10:
Ayane grumbled as she walked to the alley beside her apartment building looking for the fire escape. She couldn't remember if she had just left her key at home or if she had lost it somewhere in the forest, but now she was locked out in the middle of the night...
When she actually found the stupid ladder she grumbled some more. It had been pulled upwards and locked against the railing. Ayane looked at the nearby wall and measured the distance between it and the fire escape.
She nodded to herself and backed away a few steps before running directly at the wall. She jumped up and took two more steps up the wall before pushing off into a flip that landed her on the lower platform of the fire escape.
Who needs ladders when your ninja?
A quick flash of dizziness swept over her. Grabbing hold of the rail she stood there waiting for it to pass. This is getting old... Once she felt stable she quietly she began to climb the stairs, counting each floor until she reached her window.
I'm going to get out of these clothes and take a nice, hot bath...
But when she tried to open the window it wouldn't budge. With her face to the glass she could see that she had, without even remembering it, locked the window.
Tonight is just getting better and better...
Ayane focused on the area above the lock, aimed, and sent her fist through the glass. It didn't shatter completely, just mostly... Reaching in she unlocked the window and lifted it so she could climb in.
Broken glass crunched under her feet as she closed the window again. I'll clean it in the morning... She pulled the curtains closed and headed for the bathroom, pulling off her clothes along the way.
Once settled into the warm, comforting water in her bathtub, Ayane closed her eyes and let out an easy breath.
I don't want to think about anything... Just let me lay here for a while...
But she had no such luck. As soon as she closed her eyes the image of Hayate's face returned to her. "I'm sorry...please don't do it again..."
"Not as sorry as I am, Hayate..."
Why the hell did he have to show up? I thought I wasn't going to be tolerated anymore... Prick...
Ayane opened her eyes and set to the task of washing her hair.
It was nice to see him there though, Ayane's heart told her. It wanted to believe that Hayate truly cared for her as he did for Kasumi. But then her mind chimed in and reminded her heart that she wouldn't have been there if it weren't for him.
But, if it weren't for him I wouldn't have been able to see Hayabusa like I did... Ayane shook her head and began to scrub harder. No, if it weren't for him I wouldn't have been annoyed by Hayabusa like I was...
Ayane dunked her head under the water and rinsed the shampoo out of it.
Had it really been that bad? He was kind to me...
She sat up and looked at her reflection in the water.
Me, the bastard child of the Mugen Tenshin... The one nobody wants...will ever want...
She once thought that if she had killed Kasumi, their once supposed "leader", then the clan would have to accept her as a powerful member of their ranks... But no, what Hayate had said that night was true...
"All of the clan holds respect for Kasumi... If she hadn't run away then she would now be clan leader..."
If she killed Kasumi they would just continue to hate her... But Hayabusa was different... He wouldn't have helped her if he hated her, even if Hayate had asked him, and he knew she was trying to kill Kasumi... So why was he so nice to her?
He should've just left me in that forest... But no, he had to save my life... If he hadn't taken care of me I probably would've bled to death...
Once again the question of weather or not he did it because he wanted to or just because Hayate asked him slipped into her mind. Ayane shook her head to dismiss the thought. She was tired... All this could wait until morning.
Quickly she finished her bath and after wrapping her arm in a lighter bandage she headed to the kitchen in her nightclothes to make something to eat. The thought that Hayabusa had been cooking for her when she walked out of his house made her feel a little guilty.
Does Hayabusa even know how to cook? He's a grown man, he should know... I wonder what he was making...
While eating a bowl of plain rice Ayane had made just because she was lazy, she noticed Kasumi's ID still laying on the coffee table.
"Tomorrow..." She spoke aloud, "You'll die tomorrow... Just you wait..."
Ayane finished with her rice and washed her dishes. She then turned off the lights and headed for her bed. The sheets felt cold against her warm skin and the bed seemed incredibly small compared to Hayabusa's...
Her face grew warm thinking about how she had basically snuggled Hayabusa while she was sleeping... She hid her face in her pillow trying to figure out why he hadn't just woken her up...
Argh... At least I won't have to wake up to him hovering over me...
"..."
...Is that a good thing?
---------------
She had woken up early that morning, probably from sleeping so much at Hayabusa's. She got dressed and had breakfast before she grabbed Kasumi's ID and headed out the door. Looking for her stupid school took longer then she expected but after constant walking in circles she found it.
Ayane sat quietly in a tree that over looked the school; she had arrived just in time for the lunch bell to ring. Getting in had been easy for her, now the hard part was finding Kasumi, she couldn't just walk around and look for her, someone would notice her easily.
Ayane watched as one girl separated herself from the crowd and walked towards the tree Ayane sat in. She looked like one of your average schoolgirls, long hair, glasses, and a book in one hand and her lunch in the other.
After checking if anyone had followed her, Ayane dropped a branch closer to her as she sat beneath the tree.
She looks slightly bigger then me but she'll have to do...
Swiftly she dropped down and hit the girl from behind, knocking her out for Ayane to drag her into the bushes. Minuets later Ayane reemerged wearing the borrowed school uniform, a navy, long sleeve sailor fuki. She slipped a kunai under her sleeve and headed for the school building.
Besides from the few glances she received no one paid her any mind. She automatically assumed that Kasumi would be in a classroom or the library trying to kiss up to any teacher she could, but she wasn't having any luck finding her...
"Hey, you!"
Ayane spun around on her heel to see a security guard walking towards her, "Get out of the hall! You know the rules!"
Rules? Not really...
"I'm sorry, sir." She gave a polite bow, "Today's my first day here. I'm not familiar with the rules..." The security guard gave a grunt and nodded.
"First day, huh? Ok then, listen closely! During lunch students are to report to the cafeteria or go outside to eat, talk, or do whatever they do. You are not to walk among the halls, disturb any classrooms, or leave school grounds unless you have a pass allowing you to do so, understand?"
Ayane nodded, quickly getting tired of his droning voice. She hadn't seen Kasumi outside so she had to be in the cafeteria...
"Now, do you know where the cafeteria is? No? Follow me then."
The guard led her through the different halls until they reached the set of double doors leading into the cafeteria. The guard nodded to her and walked off. She walked in cautiously; there were far too many people for her liking...
One by one she scanned the tables, searching for the amber hair that should've stood out amongst such normal kids... And it did stand out... She spotted Kasumi at one of the tables closest to the back. Thank god... She didn't think she could deal with Kasumi if students surrounded her on all sides...
Kasumi sat with a group of girls eating their lunch. Once and a while they would mention something and begin to giggle, except for Kasumi, she would just smile that stupid smile of hers and watch the conversation go from one girl to the next.
Those girls could be a problem... I don't want to draw too much attention...but then again... her little friends could prove useful...
Ayane started towards them, easing the tip of the kunai in her sleeve to rest against her palm, ready to be thrown if Kasumi decided to run.
"Good afternoon... sister."
Ayane could feel the wicked grin curl onto her lips as she watched at Kasumi's shocked face snap up at her voice...
Stupid little fool...Didn't think anyone would find you here did you? The girls sitting around her turned to look at Ayane.
"Oh wow! Kasumi, I didn't know you had a sister!"
"You two look nothing alike..."
"Yes they do! Look at the eyes!"
"Would you like to join as for lunch, sister of Kasumi?"
"No thank you, I just came to pick up my sister..." She walked around the circle towards Kasumi, "We have a lot of catching up to do..."
Kasumi was getting up as if she was about to run, but Ayane quickly reached forward and pulled Kasumi to her in a mock hug, pressing the side of her kunai into Kasumi's back.
"Try to run..." Ayane whispered into her ear, "And I'll kill each and everyone of your little friends here..."
"You wouldn't... Not when there are so many people around us..." Kasumi whispered back.
"It's never stopped me before..."
Kasumi winced as Ayane pulled away long enough to loop her arm underneath hers in what would seem like a sisterly hold. Only this hold let Ayane position the kunai next to Kasumi's ribs.
"We have to be going now! Ja ne!" (See ya!)
Kasumi nodded to her friends and Ayane poked her into the direction of the doors leading outside. Kasumi's friends giggled behind them.
"They're so close! How sweet! I wish my sister was that nice to me!"
Yeah, real nice...
She continued to hold the kunai in place as they walked, pushing passed students in the crowded cafeteria. It was hard to move when she had to hold Kasumi, but she wasn't going to give Kasumi any chances to escape...
The only disadvantage Ayane had was being so close to Kasumi. She was wearing the same uniform Ayane stole from the other girl, and had her hair in its normal high ponytail. Her stupid strawberry perfume was overwhelming her. What did she do, bathe in the stuff?
"Where did you get that uniform?" Kasumi kept her eyes looking forward, her voice calm.
Wow, she has the nerve to talk...
"I borrowed it... Now shut up and keep walking..."
She made Kasumi open the door so she wouldn't have to remove her hidden weapon from its position. Once outside they headed for the front gate.
"The guard won't let us leave... School's not over yet..." Her voice remained quiet.
"How do you think I got in? The guard is taking a little nap so you don't have to worry about him..."
As they passed the gate Kasumi could see the guard still standing at his post, leaning against the wall. But for some reason he didn't stop them... Just continued to lean on the...
Then she saw it... It was small, but she could see the swelling at his left temple. He wasn't leaning on the wall... He was slumped in that position.
"What are you planning to do, Ayane?"
"What do you think? Once we're far away from any possible witnesses I'm going to kill you painfully slow..."
Ayane pulled her across the street from the school and into the current stream of pedestrians walking along the sidewalk. They just had to walk a little further until they reached a deserted factory; it was there that Ayane planned to kill Kasumi...
"Why do you hate me so?" God how she hated the sound of Kasumi's voice...
"You're going to die soon, instead of asking me dumbass questions I recommend you start praying..."
The crowd jostled them around as they made their way down the street. It's barley mid day, why the hell is there so many people out?
They came to an intersection and waited for the light to turn so they could cross. Kasumi looked around for possible ways to escape and found it in a burly, rather dumb looking man.
"Hey ugly!" The burly man turned towards them with a grimace on his face. Ayane glared at Kasumi and pressed the kunai deeper into her skin.
"What the hell are you doing?"
"You tralkin' to me?" Kasumi ignored Ayane and continued to bait the man.
"I said 'ugly' didn't I? Who else would I be talking to, you big ape..."
"Why you!" The man reached out and grabbed Kasumi by her shirt and away from Ayane's grasp.
It was all Kasumi needed...
She sent her knee into the man's stomach and slipped out of his hold while he doubled over, and ran deeper into the crowd.
"Damn it!" Ayane pushed past the man and hurried after her. She followed by angry curses has she pushed by surrounding bystanders. Kasumi was fast, damn her. She had so much practice that it must be second nature to run for her.
Ayane readied the kunai in her hand and threw it at Kasumi's retreating back; a yelp and Kasumi stumbling forward rewarded her. Few people turned to look at Kasumi and shook their heads thinking she had triped. Ayane strolled up to Kasumi and smiled down at her. She could see the slash at Kasumi's side and how her blood was starting to seep out of the cut.
"You're not getting away..." But to her surprise Kasumi smiled back.
"That's what you think..." Kasumi took a deep breath and let out an ear- shattering scream. Everyone around them stopped to see who was screaming.
"What the hell's going on?"
"Oh my god! That girl's bleeding!"
"Someone call an ambulance! Hurry!"
They all started to close in around them, a few of them were giving Ayane looks that she didn't like. She cursed and slowly backed away from Kasumi. The bitch was still smiling damn her...
"This isn't over... I will kill you sooner or later..."
"I think I can hear the police coming, you better start running..." Ayane gave a final curse and threw herself into the surrounding crowd, dodging the arms that reached out to grab her.
Damn it! Why am I the one running?