Mahpari screamed again and struggled against the chains that bound her to the chair. They were clasped very tightly around her wrists, digging into them and drawing blood. Not only did she look like she had just been ambushed like a real soldier, but she felt like one.
Thankfully, the duct tape had been removed from her mouth.
"Let me go!" Mahpari yelled, attempting to snap the chains with some strange inhuman force. "I refuse to be bait to kill my nii-san!"
"You don't exactly get a choice."
Mahpari jerked her head to the right, looking up at the man that walked in. His blond and teal hair reminded her of a strawberry, but she knew better than to giggle at a time like this.
"Why not?" Mahpari asked, staring into the man's sky-blue eyes.
"Because. Vector wants your brother dead. So, that's what he'll get. And if you don't stop struggling, you'll meet the same fate."
The gray-haired girl hung her head. She looked back up slowly, then tilted her head to the left.
"Who...are you?"
The man turned to face her, a questioning look on his face.
"Who are you?" Mahpari whispered again. "I know what you guys plan to do. You'll kill me anyway. I wanna know who it is that will be killing me."
A small bit of upset touched the man's heart. He suddenly felt a little... sad, that he'd be the one to kill this girl. She did have a point, however. Might as well know the name of her soon-to-be killer.
"My name is Kite. Kite Tenjo. And I'm sorry it has to be this way. Sometimes I don't like what Vector orders me to do. Killing Durbe... no big deal. But killing you..."
Kite didn't respond for a moment. Mahpari blinked, then raised an eyebrow curiously.
"What's the matter?" she asked.
"Killing you would be like killing my own brother."
Mahpari was stunned. Kite had a brother, too? The girl raised an eyebrow, then stared up at him with a sympathetic look in her eyes.
"What's his name?"
"Who's name?"
"Your brother's."
The blond and teal-haired man sighed and turned to face Mahpari completely. Hurt was showing in Kite's eyes as he stared into Mahpari's, a few tears stinging the edges of his. Mahpari made a saddened face, then sniffled.
Something had definitely happened that this guy did not like to talk about.
"His name is Hart. And something happened to him a few years ago..."
"I see. You don't have to tell me what happened," Mahpari said, offering to be kind and understanding. She smiled sweetly when Kite looked at her, a shocked look gracing his features. Had he not known what real kindness was until this point?
Silence. It flooded over them, making Mahpari's ears ring.
"I think you have the right to know."
Now, Mahpari looked up again. She again tilted her head to the left, then blinked innocently. "What?" she questioned, raising an eyebrow. "You don't need to do that, dude. It sounds pretty personal."
Kite chuckled. "You're funny. And you're kind. Just like Hart...before...before..."
"Don't put yourself through the pain."
"Before they killed him!" Kite exclaimed it suddenly, falling to his knees and sobbing aloud, his pride completely demolished at the moment.
Tears were threatening to cloud Mahpari's vision now. She wanted so desperately to place a hand on Kite's shoulder. But she couldn't, considering the fact her wrists were still chained to the wall. How old was he? He appeared to be about eighteen.
Way too young to be suffering through something so horrible.
"He was killed?" Mahpari echoed, attempting to keep her cool. "How old was he?"
"About your age," Kite replied, wiping the tears away and staring at Mahpari. He stood, but only long enough to walk over to her and unchain her wrists.
Mahpari was stunned. She slowly raised her hands in front of her, staring at her blood-stained wrists.
And then, she threw her arms around Kite's neck.
At first, Kite didn't understand. But when Mahpari pulled away, the smile on her face totally revealed what she was thinking.
"He's in a better place now, is he not?" Mahpari asked, her smokey-gray eyes staring into Kite's sky-blue ones.
"I guess he is."
Mahpari nodded. She was about to ask something, but was stopped when the lights began to flicker. Not long after that, gunshots were soon heard from outside. Kite and Mahpari both looked up at the same time, watching out the window as hundreds of soldiers began to pile around the building.
And Mahpari could tell that among them was her brother.
"Nii-san!" Mahpari exclaimed, getting up and running to the window. She whimpered and fell to her knees, her fingertips still managing to touch the glass of the window. "Nii-san, you're okay. You're really okay. Just like you said you would be."
Kite felt a small bit of happiness flow through him as he stared at Mahpari while she acted all childish. All of a sudden, it was not okay for him to kill Durbe. They were really close to one another. A bond that couldn't be shattered easily by words, but could be broken to pieces in a matter of seconds by the shot he was supposed to take on the older of the two.
Just like the bond he had had with Hart.
Kite knew what he had to do. Quickly, he scooped Mahpari up, ignoring her startled yelp as he went bolting out of the room. Mahpari flung her arms around the blond's neck, holding on rather tightly.
"Kite, what are you doing?" Mahpari asked, a small amount of pain coming from her slashed arm. She stared at Kite as they raced out a door she hadn't seen before now, her eyes shining with fear and confusion when moonlight and gun flashes lit there way outside.
"I'm saving you. I'm not letting you get caught up in the crap that's about to happen to everyone."
"But, my nii-san is back there!"
"Yes, I know. But he'd want you safe first, wouldn't he?"
Upon hearing this, Mahpari froze. She stiffened a bit, then sighed and nodded.
"He would." The girl turned and stared at Kite, a small smile crossing her lips. "Thanks, Kite. I'm glad that I helped you have a small change of heart."
Kite chuckled and nodded. It was true. Mahpari had helped him see the change. And now, he was saving the enemy's little sister.
If he managed to get out alive himself, Vector would make sure it wasn't for long.