Raizo had watched her apartment for the better half of a day. Dark almond shaped eyes studying the way the light played in different parts of her apartment building. When another ninja finally showed up it was almost a let down. The ninja in question had walked up the steps pretending to be a pizza guy. A slow shake of Raizo's head was given as he stood up and stretched. On the one hand he could take care of him now, but then he would risk being seen. On the other he could wait till Mika got back, and do everything at once. He hated to say that he was almost bored with this ninja's tactics. Either he didn't know how to walk amongst shadows, or he was spent a lot of time underestimating his adversaries.
Nonetheless Raizo noted the name of the pizza company he "worked" for. He tried to keep the amused smile from his lips, but he found it harder to do that. Something else Mika had unlocked when she found him was a sense of humor. Sadistic and dry, but still a sense of humor. He waited to see if the ninja pizza delivery guy was going to come back out, and of course he did. Had to keep up appearances and all. He dropped from the roof he was perched on, and hopped shadow to shadow as he trailed the younger ninja. A few times he had been close enough to reach out and touch him, but the younger ninja had continued to go on unaware of his surroundings. Raizo was almost disgusted. Wasn't being aware of your surroundings taught in ninja 101?
Once the ninja laid his pizza bag down Raizo took the time place a letter containing black sand inside. If he were lucky the ninja would see it, and bag away from Mika. There would be no bloodshed, and he would go home and tell his other ninja buddies that Mika was being watched by none other then Raizo himself. Unfortunately the ninja saw the letter opened it, and threw it away. Raizo mentally shrugged. Sometimes all your conscience needed was the attempt to advert killing someone. The rest was Darwinism.
Moving back into the shadows he broke into Mika's apartment and waited. She would be coming home soon. Mika didn't realize it, but Ryan had at least two agents follow her home everyday. They made sure she made it to work and back everyday. Once her light came on they took off. Raizo knew she would be safe until she stepped into her apartment. Then the ninja would make his move. Raizo for his part went about doing what other boyfriends do when they are stuck in their girlfriend's apartments. That's right, he snooped around. He didn't find anything scary like a random room filled with unicorns, or a dungeon… though a dungeon wouldn't have been that bad to find. He did see that she liked dragons, frogs, and apparently had a secret stash of chocolate chip cookies under her bed. Why she hid the cookies when she lived alone he had no idea.
He also saw that Mika was a reader. She had everything on her bookshelves from Shakespeare to Silberstein. He found poetry and books on different cultures. Cookbooks filled with recipes from all over the world. It was clear she had a desire to see everything, and he would help her do it. He was thumbing through a book on ninja's trying not to inwardly scoff at everything he was reading. The person who wrote the book clearly had never so much as met one. Then the door clicked, and the light came on. He stepped back to blend in with the shadows watching Mika go about her normal routine. Well almost her normal routine. She was packing.
Raizo frowned, and just continued to watch her. Where could she be going. He saw all of the sensible clothes she was taking, and thought maybe Ryan had decided to send her off on assignment so she wouldn't be here when he came to get her. If so, he was going to pay a long visit to his house, but then he saw the nighty and it all came together or him. She was going to come looking for him. At least she had better becoming to look for him. There was no one else she would be wearing that for, at least there had better not have been.
So distracted by the thoughts of her tramping through the countryside looking for him in the nighty he almost missed seeing the Ninja slip inside. It was a testament to his preoccupation with Mika that something as small as her wearing a simple nightgown could make him miss the ninja almost tripping into the apartment. Raizo followed him into Mika's room, and it looked like he was going to kidnap her. He watched for a few minutes waiting for Mika to pass out. He didn't want her to be awake for what would happen next.
Once he was sure Mika was asleep he stepped out of the shadows. The ninja of course was justifiably surprised, and hesitated. The hesitation was paid for with a shuriken in the side of his neck. The pizza ninja dropped Mika, and stood up to fight. He jumped from the bed and landed in front of Raizo. Raizo of course kicked his legs out from under him. Kicking him in the side when he thought that he was about to get up.
"Who are you, and what clan are you from?" Raizo was not in the mood to play with the younger ninja. He had no desire to torture him, but he would if it became necessary. Mika's safety was the top priority on his list.
The younger ninja started to laugh until Raizo stomped into his stomach. The ninja started coughing, until blood began to stain his lips. "I am from the Clan of the Silent Hand."
Raizo recognized the name, but hadn't run into any of their ninja's before. They spent a lot of time doing corporate espionage. They were more like bureaucrats then ninja's. "I see, and what would a bunch of pencil pushers want with Mika?"
At first it seemed like the ninja wasn't going to answer him, but a few ribs being broken made him more talkative. "We want the Black Sand's money. Your ex-clan has amassed a fortune with your willingness to kill. Ozouno made a lot of enemies, and as an honor less cur he killed other ninja's to gain his power!"
Raizo agreed with pizza boy that Ozouno was an honor less cur. However it didn't stop him from breaking the man's nose. One he was the Black Sand now, two he had mountains of honor, and three the ninja had put his hands on what belonged to him. "Well, you can't have it, it's mine, and so is she. What are the chances of you going back to tell your clan that this money maker is a dead end?"
The other ninja sneered, and when he laughed he started coughing up more blood. Raizo might have been a little over zealous with the getting answers. The ninja spit the blood out at Raizo's feet, and laid back to look at the ceiling. "None. I will not go back to my clan with my tail tucked between my legs. They will send more after me, and I will tell you nothing more."
Raizo saw the ninja move his jaw, and knew the ninja was about to kill himself. If he thought Raizo was going to let it go that easy he was very mistaken. Before the Ninja could bite down Raizo pulled his jaw apart and took the cyanide tablet out of his mouth. Throwing it across the room he looked down at the ninja with a smile. "No, I don't think so. You are going to go back to your clan with a message from me."
The younger ninja sneered, but became either very still. Raizo didn't know if it was the look in his eyes or the katana he pulled from the other ninja's scabbard, but in the end it was a long night for them both. By morning, the ninja was on his way back to his clan, sans his limbs and his tongue. A letter was written and filled with black sand. He didn't want to have to come after the whole clan, but he would do it for Mika's safety. He just wanted to make sure that the other clan knew it. He doubted however that he would hear from that particular clan again. Bureaucrats were horrible at following through with their plans. They had grown soft while trying to adapt in the new world. If picking on women was the extent of their bravery Mika would be fine with basic training.
After that matter was taken care of, he made his way back to Mika's apartment. He had taken the time to clean up; he hadn't wanted her to be alarmed when she awoke. Sitting on the bed he just watched her sleep for a moment. She looked so peaceful. Long fingers lifted to stroke away a few tendrils of hair from her face, and he smiled as her face scrunched and she turned her chin towards him. He watched her beautiful eyes open, and she smiled up at him softly. He waited for it, and watched the wheels turn in her head. Soon the smile became a frown, and she slowly sat up looking around.
"What happened, and don't tell me nothing because unless you slipped me a roofie, there is no way my head should be hurting like this!" Raizo smiled and shrugged slightly. Clearly she was okay.
Mika awoke to Raizo sitting on her bed looking down at her. There were a lot of dreams where this happened, and a lot of fantasies. The difference being he was wearing less clothes, but the ache in her head was telling her that being frisky right now was not a good idea. Raizo laughed at her statement, but sobered some when she stayed silent waiting for an answer. If he thought he was just going to smile at her with those sexy lips and everything was going to be okay he was very much mistaken.
Seeing as how she was not going to be dissuaded he seemed to content himself with stroking her hair from her face. Which Mika was not to ashamed to let her self enjoy. "A ninja from the Clan of the Silent Hand decided to pay you a visit last night."
Mika frowned and pulled away the cover. Nothing had been taken off, so it was safe to say her "virtue" hadn't been tampered with. Her brow lifted at Raizo, and he smiled again that infuriating smile that made her want to forget she was slightly made at him. "Are there more coming?"
"Probably not from that clan. They are amateurs. But from other clans trying to make a name for them using you as bait to make me do what they want… Most likely"
"So you came back just so the other clans wouldn't get to me?" Mika voice was low. He rescued her true enough, and she was grateful, but that wasn't what she wanted to hear.
"Yes that, and I wanted to see you." Mika watched him become confuse and tried to keep the exasperation out of her voice.
"Why?" Mika decided to go another route.
Raizo floundered for a minute. What did she mean why? He just hopped over a full continent just to secure her safety and she was still frowning. He literally tortured a ninja for her. How many Valentine presents compare to that? "I don't understand."
"Raizo, I appreciate the save. Believe I do, but I've got guards that Ryan doesn't think I know about following me everyday. The police will come if I call them. If you're here because of some misplaced sense of duty, then you should go home."
The ninja blinked at her. In fact he blinked at her twice. He wasn't sure what he was supposed to do at the moment. Mika watched his eyes go vacant for a minute and knew that he was truly lost. She sighed and tried another approach. "I love you Raizo."
Raizo blinked for a few minutes and smiled. Not the sardonic one he had on earlier but a full-fledged smile. He rose from the bed lifted her hands to his lips, and placed a soft kiss over her knuckles. "Get dressed. We have a plane to catch."
Mika was about to start asking questions, but the quick glance he gave the shadows told her that now was not the time to argue. She zipped up her suit case, and grabbed her coat. He waited for her at the door, and held out his hand, which she took without hesitation.
"I need to call Ryan and let him know that I won't be in." Mika started, and was hushed by the quick kiss Raizo placed on her lips.
"It'll be fine. Come we must hurry." Raizo opened the door, and they quickly left her apartment. She looked back at the building, and sighed silently. She didn't know when she would see it again, but she knew she was making the right choice. It was just a question of if Raizo knew if he was making the right choice that was the problem.
The ride to the airport was pretty anti climatic. Clearly ninja kept night hours. There was a private jet waiting on them at the airfield. They got out of the taxi. Mika grabbed her suitcase, and stared for a moment. She looked over at Raizo with both brows raised, and the ninja could only shrug. "People owe me a lot of favors."
"So I see. Raizo what happened to the other ninja that was in my apartment?" Mika kind of expected the answer, but wanted to hear it anyway. She knew that the world she was about to walk into was not a kind one.
"I severed all of his limbs, cut out his tongue and mailed him back to his clan with a note not to come near you again." Raizo's voice was flat and noncommittal. It was what Mika liked to call his ninja business mode. He was quite, but she could tell he was waiting for her reaction.
"Was cutting out his tongue necessary?" She wasn't sure if she would ever be all right with the amount of death that floated around him, but she knew that he never killed without a reason. She gave him half a smile, and turned to walk towards the plane and her new life.
Raizo caught her arm, and pulled her back looking deeply into her eyes "Jealousy is a very ugly thing." This time when his lips touched hers it was a real kiss. One that set every part of her being on fire. She tried to bite back the moan that threatened to spill past her lips and failed. She was just about to drop her suitcase and wrap her arms around him. When Raizo took her suitcase from her and moved towards the plane. Effectively ending the kiss.
Mika stood there with a moment. Her fingertips were pressed against her lips as she tried to assimilate the passionate response to his jealousy to the calm ninja that was now walking away from her. Then her mind mentally swerved back to the fact that he was jealous! She was tired and a little woozy, but that did not stop her from doing a little dance in the middle of the landing pad.
She stopped before Raizo could turn around and sees her, and ran to catch up with him. Her smile could have lit up the state of Texas with how bright it was. Though it didn't keep for long. Whatever it was that the ninja gave her was not out of her system yet, and it made her really tired. Raizo helped her onto the plane, and she swayed a little bit. The medicine was still making her head fuzzy. Raizo noticed, and led her to a bed in the back. Once she was settled he turned to leave, and this time Mika caught his arm.
"Don't go, stay with me?" Mika mentally promised not to rape him. She just wanted to lie next to him and shut the rest of the world out for the time being.
"I promise to be back. I have to tell the pilot that we are ready to leave." He leaned over and placed a kiss on her head.
Turning to leave he looked back at her for a moment, and it looked like he was about to say something. Mika watched him wrestle with it for a moment before turning to walk out. She was a little exasperated, but smiled and snuggled down into the covers of the bed. It would just take a little more time. She just had to be patient.