Author's note: again, don't read
without having read thesepeopleareus' story first. this scene follows
immediately after the last one, and the first half, where they're all
in the kitchen, is a direct parallel to the Happy Story. if you want
to know what happens to Kisame, go read chapter 13.
anyway, this
started out on way and ended another. let me know what you thought of
the ending when you get there. it wasn't what i was expecting, but i
can see it happening. -shrug-
and, as always, this never has been,
or will it ever be, mine in any way shape or form. Maddie is
thesepeopleareus' OC, so she's still not mine. -sigh-
--kyra
"What in gods' names is going on here?"
Konan's head snapped up, her breath catching. She didn't care about the girl who'd spoken – Maddie wasn't her problem, though she didn't envy Kisame – but the figure behind the ghost was far more ominous and far more dreadful for Konan. Kisame didn't appear to have noticed Pein just yet, wrapped up as he was in the horrors of being discovered cheating on his girlfriend by the girlfriend in question.
"Ah… hi Maddie."
Maddie ignored him, something Konan applauded. She might not like the girl, but she almost respected her. Not many could die, then come back and be more dangerous than they'd been before. Of course, Maddie hadn't been that dangerous to begin with, but that wasn't the point. Konan had heard, in far too much detail for her taste, the various conversations between Maddie and Pein, and any girl who could stand up to Pein, even dead, was worth at least the beginnings of respect. However, if Maddie had run back to Kisame with open arms, forgiving him all his faults, even that inkling of respect would have vanished. Konan was a woman with principles, and one of them was, 'never lose an opportunity to Make Him Pay.' Apparently Maddie shared that one, at least.
"Konan, what is going on here?"
Konan grimaced. It had only been a matter of time until they noticed him, but still… She could have used some more time to prepare her answer. She glanced around the room, trying to gauge the mood. Pein, of course, was little less than livid, Maddie looked about in the same state, and Kisame seemed to be caught in that regrettable state halfway between shock and disbelief. Konan slipped out of his arms, noting with no little satisfaction how he once again wilted without her. Maddie's scowl at this truth didn't escape her, and Konan smiled slightly in superiority and satisfaction.
"Well? I am waiting with baited breath for an explanation."
Konan opened her mount to make up something – anything – but Kisame beat her to it.
"It was my fault. I seduced her. I apologize. I will accept my punishment without complaint."
Konan glanced at him, then at Pein, wondering if he'd accept the story. She hadn't expected this, but she wouldn't do anything to disprove it, either. Part of being a puppet-master was allowing her puppets to take the blame.
"Well Konan? Is this the truth?"
"Yes Sir." Better to be excruciatingly polite at times like this. Maybe she'd earn points for proper respect.
Apparently so, because Pein nodded slightly at her and turned back to Kisame, his expression morphing into one Konan knew well. It was his patented 'You Are Dead And Haven't Bothered To Lie Down Yet' look. She felt glad that it wasn't being directed at her. Last time he'd taken that Look out of the box where he kept it carefully, the person on the receiving end had expired in a gruesome and dreadful manner soon after. She doubted that Kisame would follow, but he was in some serious trouble all the same.
To Konan's shock, Pein didn't turn toward Kisame and start spitting out metaphoric fire. Instead, he inclined his head at Maddie.
"Would you like some say in the punishment?"
The girl hardly took time to think before nodding.
"Then I will leave Kisame up to you. Come to me when you are finished with him, and I will devise a suitable punishment."
"Thank you, Sir." Maddie bowed, clearly eager to get started. Konan realized that she still wouldn't want to be in Kisame's shoes. While Maddie wasn't anywhere as deadly as Pein could be, she had the look of a girl who has been wronged and wants vengeance.
"Konan, come with me."
Konan stepped farther from Kisame, going slowly out of stubbornness, more than anything else. She would show him that she couldn't be cowed by anyone, not even the great Pein. Well, he thought he was great, at least. Maddie's expression boded ill for Konan as well as for Kisame, but Konan didn't care. Some criminal she'd be if she couldn't defend herself from an undead teenager.
Konan followed Pein out of the kitchen, leaving Kisame to his fate. She didn't even look back as he led her firmly away.
They walked in stony silence to his room. She waited until he'd closed and locked the door, then leaned against the wall, her arms crossed over her chest.
"Which heinous crime in particular are you going to punish me for?"
"How many have you committed?"
"None, that I can think of. We're not married, so it's not adultery, and he accepted, so it's not rape."
"I assume you were the instigator, not him?"
Konan snorted. "Of course I was. Did you expect Kisame to come up to me on his own? He'd have to be a lot braver than I gave him credit for to do that."
"Yet you let him take the blame. Why?"
She shrugged. "I wanted to buy time."
"What for?"
"So as not confess in front of Maddie."
"You have a particular aversion to Maddie?"
"She has the capability of hurting me. I like being alive."
Pein's eyebrows shot up. "You're afraid of her?"
Konan snorted. "I'm not afraid of anyone, especially not her. No, I respect her as a worthy opponent and look forward to the day when I can dispose of her."
"Don't kill my men. They're not particularly replaceable."
"Maddie's a girl."
"You know what I meant."
"You could just as easily have been talking about Kisame."
Pein grimaced. "So I could have. But you know me well enough to know that I wasn't. Which reminds me, since it wasn't him who started it, I suppose I have no excuse to kill him myself?"
Konan shrugged. "No one would yell at you if you did. The only one who might would be Itachi, and he's currently off with his own undead lover. Though you'd be short a fighter. Besides, I promised him you wouldn't. You wouldn't want to make me a liar, would you?"
Pein scowled. "At this point, I'd denounce you as a whore and a traitor, if I thought it would do any good."
"You wound me. Do you think for a moment that I meant it?"
He scowled. "You certainly looked like you did."
"I'm a good actress."
He grimaced. "Apparently so." He paused for a long moment, looking off into the distance. When he spoke again, his voice had changed. Gone was the acid edge, gone was the sarcasm and dry wit. In it's place, Konan heard curiosity and, worse, pain. "Why did you do it?"
She sighed. "I'm not sure." Her own voice was serious again; it too lacked the bite and cynicism of moments before. "I felt I had to."
"Are you trying to tell me something? Something I could be doing differently here?"
Konan opened her mouth to deny it, then closed it again. Eris' words flashed through her head again and, suddenly, she wasn't sure. What if she had been trying to tell him something? She looked down at her hands, trying to think of what to tell him.
"Konan."
The tone of his voice, both tender and commanding, forced her to look up at him, her gray eyes meeting his red ones.
"Tell me the truth. What are you trying to tell me."
She shook her head mutely, unable to speak. He reached out to touch her, but she twitched away. She didn't want to be touched. She just wanted to be left alone, just wanted to sit in a corner with the lights off and the windows closed to try and figure out what she was feeling.
He seemed to sense her reluctance, or maybe he just didn't want to be rejected again, because he didn't try and touch her again. Instead he sighed, looking at her with sadness and confusion. She couldn't meet his eyes, couldn't face the open questions in them. Instead, she turned and pulled the door open, slamming it shut behind her, and running to her own room, hoping to anyone listening that no one was watching as the tears began streaming down her face.