Sleeping on a stone floor did no favors for anyone. I hardly slept, having passed out in short fits only to awake in a panic. It was a vicious cycle. Of course, Sasori added to my hesitance to sleep. How could anyone sleep well with a strange, threatening man sharing the room with them? If you could, I applaud you, but I wasn't about to fall into that trap.

With a groan, I sat up, rubbing at my stiff neck in hopes to get some feeling back into it. "It's no hotel, but at least the bugs can't get to me," I muttered. Sasori had, at some point, gone to bed last night, but he'd risen early. I hadn't seen him leave and couldn't gauge how long he'd been gone, but I figured I'd get up and get ready before he came back.

On the bed sat an outfit; a mesh top, tank-top, and pair of shorts. They weren't quite my size, but I presumed them to be for me; I couldn't picture Sasori squeezing into the clothes, after all. I snickered to myself at the thought as I washed and dressed. My hair was tangled after sleep, but try as I might, the crimson mess remained untamed. Fine, if it wanted to stay that way, it could be my guest. I was lucky I wore it shorter, god forbid I allow it to grow long, I'd have matted hair for days. In the back of mind, I queried about where Sasori might be. Right at that moment, the door creaked.

Speak of the devil, right?

Sasori came in without knocking—lucky for him I was dressed. I doubted it'd have mattered, but it was too early for me to scream an expletive and throw something. I turned my head towards Sasori when he paused in the doorway, cocking my head in question. Without a word, Sasori inclined his head out the door, indicating I follow. It wasn't as if I had many other options. Without dawdling, I composed myself and followed the redhead outside, where the drafty chill turned my exposed skin into an expanse of goosebumps.

I stuck close behind Sasori as he led me down the corridor, nervous of the unfamiliar, dank surroundings. Everything felt too eerie, like I was being watched. Eventually, the corridor led out into an open room. A living area of sorts? There was a refined leather couch and a couple of chairs, and—

"Alex!" I exclaimed, catching sight of my brother flopped over on the couch. I rushed towards him as he sat up and threw my arms around him. It had been the first night we'd spent away from each other in ages, and without knowing if the other was safe and all right? It had been a nightmare. "Are you hurt?" I asked, lowering my voice between us.

Alex snorted, but he shook his head, although his initial reaction worried me some. I pulled back enough to see his expression was cold and annoyed, but such a vitriolic expression wasn't aimed at me, but over my shoulder. I cut my eyes to the side to watch Sasori disappear through an entryway that looked like it led to a kitchen; already in the kitchen stood Deidara, a mug in his hands as he greeted his partner. If looks could kill, Deidara would be laid out on the floor in half a second.

Deidara happened to glance at us, startling me. "Stop glaring at me, cat," he warned Alex, who hissed beside me. Deidara smirked at the tragically catlike reaction. He abandoned the kitchen and headed into the living area, passing the two of us on the couch. He reached out along his way and flicked one of Alex's ears, garnering a wince as my brother snapped his hand out to brush Deidara's hand away. I couldn't get a grasp on whether they hated one another or were playing with each other. I also wasn't sure which choice would have been the safer one.

"I've never met such a pompous, infuriating, perverse bastard in my life," Alex seethed, bristling with anger. I rested a weary hand on his shoulder.

"Try not to piss him off," I murmured, "we need to stay alive, perhaps he won't hurt you if you stay quiet." I was only thinking of my brother's safety, but he cut his eyes towards me with a dangerous glint in them.

"Don't you dare stick up for him," he snapped, "he'll end up doing whatever he wants regardless of what I do."

I didn't doubt that, but that didn't mean Alex wasn't making it worse with his attitude. "I'm always on your side, don't make me the enemy," I pleaded.

Alex's expression softened some, and he opened his eyes to glance from me towards the kitchen, where Sasori still was. "What about him?" Alex asked, "what's he like so far?"

Lovely, he's a gem. "He hasn't tried to kill me thus far, so I'd say there are worse people," I carefully said, leaving out the parts where Sasori threatened me and basically called me a filthy animal. "He gave me a corner to sleep in. It actually makes me miss sleeping outside in the grass," I admitted with a fond smile.

Alex rolled his eyes, but there was a smile tugging at his lips, himself. "Deidara offered the bed. I turned him down, sadly."

I understood then what Alex meant when he'd called Deidara "perverse" earlier, and I felt the urge to knock Deidara's balls into his throat. My brother could well take care of himself, that didn't eradicate any of my innate need to protect him. That was why Deidara had picked us up, that was what he'd meant by stress relief—he wanted us as pleasure slaves.

My insides churned violently, I felt Alex put a hand on my shoulder, but I shrugged him off, the touch feeling too intense to my suddenly buzzing nerves. I wasn't going to let Sasori put his fucking hands on me, and I wouldn't allow Deidara near Alex, not like that. Not like this.

"Amaya, snap out of it," Alex's voice was calm and close as he brought me out of the start of a panic attack. Only then did I realize how fast I was breathing, and only then did I work on getting myself back under control. Sasori had made no moves like that, maybe he was nothing like Deidara. Hell, maybe I was jumping to the worst conclusions and Deidara was only making a sick joke.

I jumped when Deidara appeared in my field of vision, his arm outreached for Alex. Alex snapped at the blond for grabbing him by the arm, but Deidara didn't let go. "Get up, kids. We're leaving for that mission," he explained, pushing Alex towards the exit. "Nothing too serious or difficult, yeah. Just something to test your skill and potential. Try not to let us down, yeah?"

Sasori came out of the kitchen then. "We'll be leaving in separate directions. Come on, I don't want to waste any extra time."

To my luck, Sasori didn't seem as keen about manhandling as Deidara, and he left me to walk on my own accord. I trailed behind him as he took me out of the base, the blinding light almost searing my eyeballs. The false light and dim torches inside were nothing compared to sunlight, I realized, and what a painful realization.

I watched with disdain as Deidara flew off with my brother on the back of a large, presumably clay bird. I had the vaguest memory of flying on one myself, but I shook it off. I would sooner die than fly up that high. I shook my head and turned my focus back to Sasori. "How do you expect us to prove anything with these bracelets on?" I asked, picturing myself trying to battle without my chakra. Without it, I was completely cut off from my main way of fighting, I was a sitting duck.

Sasori had an answer for me, but it wasn't the greatest. "I can control your access to your chakra, as Deidara can control your brother's. The bracelets are programmed to respond to our commands. And if you want to try and escape," Sasori trailed off a moment, and I could feel the smirk in his voice, "see what happens."

Nope, actually, how about I didn't? I didn't care for his tone. I was temperamental, but I wasn't an idiot.

Our walk continued in peaceful silence for several tense minutes, of which I wasn't bold enough to attempt asking Sasori any other questions. I was on the verge of asking him what exactly this mission entailed when an explosion swallowed my voice. I screamed in shock, but that too got swallowed by the "BOOM!" that echoed through the forest.

Sasori emitted a suffering sigh, pulled out a scroll, and waved me forward. "Go on, show me what you can do," he encouraged. He didn't have to tell me twice, not with the rage and pent up energy locked away inside. I was running forward before Sasori had hardly permitted me, my hands pumping at my sides and charging with static power. I could only hope I wasn't running into a battle blind and with nothing, Sasori's word was all I had, and I wasn't too trustful of it.

I broke out of the forest and into a clearing, where several weaker trees were bowed back from the force of Deidara's explosion. Alex was already on the ground, lunging forward and driving a kunai into the throat of the nearest enemy. I hadn't gotten a visual, but if the ninja were enemies of the Akatsuki, then they had to become enemies of mine. Alex, lightning fast and agile as any sleek cat, traversed the battlefield at a speed I could hardly keep track of. Blood spattered the ground along with a couple of bodies already, while a few remaining nin stood between trying to attack my brother and glaring at the sky, where I was certain they were trying to get a visual of Deidara.

A duo of ninja was closing in on me, I had to focus on my own battles. I closed my eyes and took in a deep breath; my lungs expanded and my arms extended, and as I exhaled, electricity pushed through my veins and outwards through my fingertips. I was alight with energy, a thrumming power that swathed me as I whipped my right arm before me. The kunoichi stood no chance as she lunged for me; the sound of a feminine scream and the scent of sizzling flesh would never, ever become easy for me. I was a monster already, though, and a monster never stopped to pity the dead.

I darted past the male counterpart of the duo who'd tried to take me down, thrusting my right arm forward and straight through the poor fool's abdomen, crackling electricity slicing through flesh like butter. Blood sprayed across my skin and dripped to the ground as I shoved the man's body off, my lungs heaving for air. I had weak stamina; I could exude powerful energy, but I couldn't do it for long.

I heard the whistling sound of shuriken hurtling towards me and I crouched low to dodge, only to find myself forced to use the momentum to push myself up into a jump to avoid the swing of a kunoichi's katana. I twisted in the air and reached for her blade. It sliced my palm open, but the contact was enough to generate electricity into the weapon and electrocute her through it. She dropped the weapon with a scream and sunk to her knees, giving Alex the opportunity to finish her off. I shut my eyes so that I wouldn't watch him stab her through her chest. Watching the light leave a person's eyes wasn't…it wasn't something you stopped seeing, even when you closed your own eyes.

I opened my eyes to find the clearing scattered with bodies, most of them dead, their chests long since fallen still. I had lost track of both Deidara and Sasori while my brother and I fought. We weren't particularly skilled ninja, mostly self-taught; but when together we were a formidable duo. Alex was the speed, agility, brutality... I was strength, raw power. When combined, we could pack a punch, as I'd hoped the two Akatsuki would notice and take mark of.

"What's a little girl like you hangin' around with the Akatsuki for?" A voice startled me, prompting me to turn to face the source. A sleazy, greasy man stood a few feet off, holding no weapon and wearing a dirty smirk. "You two would be better off coming back with me, sweetheart. I could teach you a thing or two about being a real ninja," he schmoozed.

"I doubt you're much of an upgrade," I snarled, tightening my hand into a fist and reeling back. The man laughed, as if the thought of me hitting him was mirthful. I soon knocked the look clean off his face, along with knocking his consciousness right out of his body. The man crumbled to the ground in a heap, something having cracked beneath my knuckles. I straightened up, smirking with victory, but it was a transitory win. I hissed when a sharp pain sliced into my arm, and turned to face the woman who had just used her sword to cut me. A ribbon of blood wound down my arm and began to drip down to the dirt.

She raised the weapon again with the full intention of stabbing me. I brought my arms up to cover myself, hoping they would absorb the hit and prevent a fatal wound, it was all I could do. The woman swung her sword down and I prepared for the hit; right before the blade could touch me, something swished past my face. I recoiled and shut my eyes when blood flecked across me, the woman heaving a wet cough. I gasped as I got pulled back when the woman fell, dead.

"Keep better track of your enemies or you'll get yourself killed," Sasori warned as he pulled me up against him, out of the way of the collapsing corpse. He cast a critical eye over the surrounding clearing, where several bodies littered the ground along with burnt grass and trees. On the other side of the clearing stood Alex, his chest heaving and his lips curled into a smug grin. His pride felt contagious, and I couldn't help feeling a smile tugging at my own lips. How was that for proving our worth?

Deidara dropped from the sky, leaving his bird to hover overhead. As he straightened, he glanced around with a low whistle. "Damn, and that's that, yeah." He glanced down at the people I had all but fried, smoke still rising from their bodies, and sent a wary look at me. He headed for Alex and reached down to pull him up; he whispered something to my brother that made him grin, perking my curiosity, but I was too far to hear.

I flinched when Sasori began to talk. "Not the most impressive, but enough to perhaps aid us," he decided. I wasn't entirely sure I should feel pleased with his remarks. "You could both use improvement, but we have time for that."

I rolled my eyes and, to my surprise, so did Deidara. He appeared completely used to Sasori's nonchalance and challenging standards. "What's someone got to do to impress you?" I asked, to which I got no answer.

"We need to destroy the evidence. Deidara, if you would?" Sasori asked with a pointed look towards Deidara.

"Oh, I can take care of that!" Alex volunteered with a wicked grin. I bristled and turned on my heel to get the hell out of there—I didn't have any interest in getting incinerated that day. Alex, like me, possessed a unique ability special to ibrida, a certain Kekkei Genkai. Our parents could generate fire, Alex had inherited the skill. Sasori cut his eyes towards my brother with suspicion, but without me even having to warn him, he began to follow me. Deidara leapt back onto his bird to stay out of the way.

"What does he plan to do?" Sasori asked. It was my turn to ignore him for a second, heading a bit farther out before I stopped and turned to watch Alex in his glory.

"Look for yourself," I said, covering my eyes to protect them as Alex raised his hands, palm outward. Fire burst from his fingertips and singed the surrounding grass and trees, swallowing the little clearing whole. Nothing would be left of the bodies or what had transpired there that day. Before the flames could envelop him too, Alex jumped up onto the bird with Deidara.

Sasori watched the flames for several moments, drinking in the sight and the realization of what my brother was capable of. "I've never…" Sasori murmured, trailing off. "Is this a Kekkei Genkai?" he finally asked, turning to face me.

I shrugged, "there are stranger ones around, aren't there?" I replied as we headed away from the destruction.

"And yours is different, it's—"

A forgotten enemy, a small man who must have slipped past, darted out from behind a tree. His arm was raised with a sword as he cried out in vengeance, as if he truly believed he stood a chance. I raised my hand and with a final expense of energy, electricity surrounded my hand and I swung forward. My palm touched the man's chest and the awful sound of sizzling skin combined with the man's dying scream as I yanked my arm back, leaving him to drop face-down on the forest floor.

Panting, I glanced at Sasori, who had watched the display, and smiled at him.

"Impressive," he offered, inclining his head with the slightest recognition.

I wished that didn't make me as proud as it did, but at least now I knew how to get a compliment from the stingy bastard.

Deidara and Alex had beaten Sasori and me home. Deidara turned to glance at the two of us when we headed in. "You should have flown home, Danna. It'd save you a lot of time, yeah."

Fuck that, I wasn't getting on that flying deathtrap.

Fortunately, Sasori didn't deign the suggestion worthy of a response. "Did you already deliver a report to Leader-sama?" Sasori asked. When Deidara nodded affirmative, Sasori sighed and waved his hand at me—dismissing me?

As annoyed as I felt by the rude dismissal, I wasn't about to argue with a chance to rest. Alex lay sprawled out on the floor instead of the couch, his arm resting over his face. "Why are you on the floor?" I asked, accidentally speaking a little harsher than I'd intended due to my irritation towards Sasori.

Alex didn't comment on it as he raised his free arm in an "I don't know" gesture. "Ask the princess," he said, and it took me a moment to understand he was referring to Deidara.

Deidara shot Alex a look. Something in me prickled with wary discomfort; I didn't trust Deidara, I didn't like the way he looked at my brother. Something in his eyes made me feel like he might be as unstable as his bombs. "Watch your mouth, bitch."

Alex jerked himself upright and bared his teeth in a furious sneer. "Don't tell me what to do, I'm not a fucking animal!" Alex snapped. I recoiled from the force of his rage. Had I the chance, I'd have warned him he was going too far—even I could see Deidara's temper was too volatile to tempt—but it was too late. I cringed as Deidara stormed towards us, wrapping his hand around my brother's wrist and yanking him up. Alex hissed a litany of expletives at Deidara as the blond dragged him off, heading towards the blond's room.

"You and your brother both need to learn when to be quiet," I heard Sasori say. I turned a venomous glare towards him. How dare he insinuate either of us should sit back and let them talk to us like we were—we were some sort of pet! I wanted to say as much when I turned to face the redheaded man once he returned to the living area, but before I got the chance, Sasori had shoved a warm bowl into my hands. "Eat," he said, "the last thing I need is to care for an ill child."

"I'm not a child, I'm eighteen," I grumbled, the steam from the rice making my stomach growl. Sasori cocked a brow at me, as if to say you're still young, to me. He didn't appear much older than me, I realized. He couldn't have been anywhere older than his mid-twenties. Where did he get off calling me a kid?

I inhaled the food he'd given me in record setting time, hardly tasting the rice at all. Sasori lingered around me, scrutinizing a couple of scrolls. I took the moment to look at him, taking in the sight. Sasori's hair was a lighter shade than mine, the deep red of it contrasting with the grey of his eyes. As he read, his eyes narrowed and his lips would purse as if reading something that required extra concentration. His features were soft, young, but his eyes were far from.

Sasori glanced up then and my face colored as I turned my eyes down, as if I'd never been staring at him. "If you're done, wash your bowl and head back to the room."

That didn't sound exciting at all. As I stood to follow the first instruction, I glanced over my shoulder. "Isn't there anything else to do around here except sit around?" My boredom and restlessness would eat me alive. I had lived a life traveling miles almost each day, I couldn't handle dropping from that to sitting cooped up in a room all day.

"No, now leave. You'll only cause trouble."

Well, fuck you too.

I trudged back to the room after washing the dish, hoping my stomping footsteps would prove how unhappy I was with Sasori's order. I had just chosen to sit down at the window-seat instead of the floor when a beautiful sound reached my ears. Rain pattered down against the glass, glimmering on the pane with clear blobby shapes. Thunder rumbled outside, the low purr of the sky sending a shudder down my back. It'd been ages since I had last experienced a good, honest rain storm. It would be a warm rain, the summer air outside still crisp and pleasant even as we neared fall.

I couldn't let this opportunity pass me up, even if Sasori denied me. I launched from my seat and raced outside to the living area, where Sasori was still poring over the scroll. He looked over the top of the parchment, unamused with my sudden and loud entry. "It's storming," I said, as if he could have somehow not heard. "Can I…can I go outside? Only for a little while?"

Sasori's brow furrowed, like he couldn't believe what I'd asked. "In the rain?" he asked, "why would you want to?"

"I love the rain. You saw me on the field, lightning is a part of me—storms are my favorite, please?" I implored, my veins thrumming with adrenaline and excitement. "I can't even get far when I'm wearing this bracelet, like you said!"

Sasori brought his fingertips to his temple. I'd poked holes in any argument he could've made. I wasn't going to take no for an answer, Sasori had uprooted my entire life, the least he could do was give me the simplest pleasures I had left.

"Fine," he conceded, "but stay close and don't get into any trouble. Come back within an hour." He stood to escort me outside, seeing as I couldn't activate the base's entry, myself. I scrambled past him, eager to get outside and feel the rain against my skin. From behind, I heard him sigh with exasperation. I thought I heard him speak, but a flash of lightning and bout of thunder drowned out his voice. It was hard to feel any sense of freedom when you were a captive, but this was as close as I could possibly get.

"What a strange woman."

"Let go of me!" I snapped, struggling to pry Deidara's bruising grip off my arm. My flesh was already darkened with a mark, I didn't need him adding any further injury, but he appeared to have a different opinion. His temper reminded me of the explosions he was so fond off—equally as short fused and about twice as deadly. I hadn't meant to piss him off the way I had, but I couldn't take it listening to him talk to me that way. I wasn't an animal, I wasn't a pet, and I sure wasn't something for him to shove around and do what he wanted to.

Deidara's grasp only tightened, anger radiating from the terrifying blue of his eyes. "Shut up," he hissed, the lowest he'd ever spoken to me. I flinched, my ears pinning down. I had really fucked up; wholly and truly. When we reached the bedroom door, Deidara kicked it open and swung the arm he had holding me, throwing me onto the floor. I cracked against the ground, jarring about every bone in my body.

"What the hell is your problem!" I cried out, wincing as I scrambled to get upright. I struggled to back away from the imposing blond as he slammed the door shut, but he was faster than I was. I cried out as he stepped on my leg, holding me in place as he smirked down at me.

"You need to be taught some respect, un."

My eyes widened at the implication, the dark look in his eyes didn't bode well for me at all. Deidara stepped off my leg and reached out, taking a handful of my hair to drag me up. Pain burst across my skull and I swore in pain, clawing at his hand, for all the good it'd do me. I pried open an eye to look at the blond as he pulled me upright to his level, a smug smirk on his lips. It was an awkward position but I kicked my leg out, trying to knock the arrogant jackass off his feet.

Deidara muttered a curse under his breath and threw me back down on the floor. I landed on my stomach, a piss-poor choice. Deidara wrenched both my arms behind my back and used his weight to press me into the floor. I heard him speak, but the ringing in my own ears drowned out his voice. An awful, electrifying pain lit up my entire body. I tried to scream, but when I opened my mouth, nothing came out aside from a weak gasp. All my senses were alight with the paroxysm of agony, leaving me to burn alive.

I couldn't say how long it lasted. The fire surged through my entire body for minutes or for hours; either or, by the time it stopped I could scarcely breathe. My throat was raw and dry, maybe I had been screaming. Maybe I'd been begging Deidara to stop. The blond got off me, releasing my arms, where they collapsed at my sides. My breath was coming in frantic, shallow pants. A foot planted itself in my stomach and kicked me onto my back. I flinched as Deidara knelt over me, bringing one of his hands beneath my head and lifting me up a bit. "Let's try this again," he cocked his head, "are you gonna behave, yeah?"

I nodded slowly, feeling almost robotic as my senses sizzled with lingering pain. I was shaking beneath Deidara as he grinned maliciously. "Good boy." He leaned down, his lips grazing over mine before he let me back down to the floor. I couldn't find it in me to move after that, lying still as he stood and left me be.

Maybe I'd bitten off more than I could chew.

Me aged fourteen: oh no is my OC overpowered? Is this not a skill she should have, what if people think I'm trying to godmod?

Me now: FUCK yeah, kill them, light them the fuck up

Listen, people are going to tell you a lot of complaints about your OCs. Frankly, some advice is great. You can indeed have an overpowered character. But, you can also easily balance that out. Just make sure you're having fun no matter what.