Chapter Two
Becky was surprised at Anya's strong grip clasped around her hand.
It worried her further.
Anya had made an uncharacteristic choice to leave right when school ended. She hated crowds. She usually waited until they had dispersed a bit.
Her normally energetic demeanour was diminished, replaced by flickering eyes and a jumpy disposition as well.
'I don't think I've ever seen Anya so upset.' She thought. 'It's like the rest of the world didn't exist to her all day. She's barely said a word. And now she's all wobbly. What's going on?'
Anya had in fact not been very present minded in her classes. She put all of her energy into tracking her enemies, the agents that the scientist's sent out for her.
She recognized some of their minds.
They had patrolled the halls, keeping order, keeping watch. Escorting children from place to place. Surveilling the outside of the large building. Intruders were dealt with quickly and quietly.
She shook her head of the memories, refusing to dwell on it and before she knew it, they were greeted with fresh air on their faces. The afternoon sun hanging lower in the sky.
Her breath hitched, a sob threatening in the back of her throat. She hadn't been scared to step outside before.
'Get on the bus. Everything will be fine. Just have to get on the bus. Get on the bus.'
"Ow, you're holding too tight." Becky complained, startling Anya. She loosened her grip.
"What's wrong?" Becky whispered fiercely once more. Anya's jitters were freaking her out but Anya remained silent, scanning the grounds, roofs and streets.
'There's no-one.' Anya thought dejectedly. She could vaguely feel them in the mix of voices, but saw no evidence of them around.
She was pretty sure that was a bad sign.
She could feel them. She knew they were there. It drove her nuts. She knew their general direction, but the devices didn't just garble things up. It was if it wobbled the brain signals around. Like a paddle ball being bounced over and over, except a lot faster and more static-y. It messed with her head.
Her eyes turned to the front. The bus was right there. She walked a little further with Becky, but she was going too slow.
She let go of her hand to run up to it, weaving through other students, in a rush of adrenaline that she thought would burst her heart open.
"Anya?!" Becky called after her in confusion with only a wave from her fleeing friend to signal she was leaving.
Anya should've said goodbye properly, she felt, but it was hard to care at the moment. Her head was on a swivel, a panic to reach safety. She wanted to go home.
With a quick rifle through the drivers head, she knew he was not one of them. He'd been driving the bus all semester, but she had to check.
He gave her an odd look as she scrambled on board quicker than she ever had, but she didn't care. She panted heavily as she plopped down in the back to watch other students climb on.
Tiny as she was, she drew her feet up on the seat to wrap her arms around her knees. Her breath caught in her throat.
'They wouldn't come on the bus. They wouldn't cause a scene.'
She convinced herself. They relied on secrecy and being inconspicuous to continue their work. They couldn't risk their existence being publicized, or even suspected. Especially with the secret police on lookout for them now, so she'd heard from Papa.
Anya swiped tears forming in her eyes, her heart calming and the rumble of the bus taking her away from them and the school.
'Wait a second.' She realized, a new fear washing over her. 'They'll follow Anya home. Won't they? Of course they would. Why wouldn't they? If they're trying to bring her back, they would do everything they could.
And as she searched for them, she could feel them trailing behind somewhere. She didn't know how far, but she could still sense them. Meaning they were staying within range. She wondered if they knew she knew they were there.
She wanted to cry. She was scared.
If she led them home it wouldn't be safe anymore. She knew Papa and Mama could overtake them, but if the agents gave any hint to what she was, it would be over. Her parents would leave her.
'If Mama killed them straight away it wouldn't matter', She thought morbidly.
Stuck as to what to do, she sat quietly, gathering herself.
She was never going back. Never, never, never, in a million years.
After escaping the lab, she was determined to forget about it. Block it out of her head. But now that was a little impossible.
Anya had to find a way out of this.
—-
In the end, the only thing she could really do was go where the bus dropped her off in front of her building.
The driver takes care to make sure kids get off at the right stop. Even if Anya had considered getting off somewhere else, the driver wouldn't allow it without a signed notice anyway.
The bus pulled up to the curb where Yor waited. Her long black hair in it's usual style with the majority of it caught up in the back, with loose thick strands in the front.
A gentle smile graced her fine features, belying the deadly assassin that she was.
"Mama." Anya sniffled as she ran off the bus to cling onto the safety of Yor's leg.
"Anya? What's wrong? Are you hurt?" She asked worriedly as Anya cried, burying her face into her leg for a moment.
She hiccupped through her tears as she let go with one hand to rub at her runny nose.
Yor immediately picked her up and carried her inside, baffled. Once in the safety of Yor's arms, Anya calmed quickly.
"Anya, did something happen at school?" Yor gently pried as she entered the apartment.
Anya shook her head where it was buried in her neck. She couldn't tell her. Couldn't tell her she could still feel the lab agents waiting somewhere outside.
Yor sighed, at a loss. If she didn't tell her, how was she supposed to help? She sat her on the couch.
"How bout' some hot chocolate?" She knelt in front of her, holding her hands.
Anya wiped at her eyes again and nodded. Bond came to rest his furry head on her lap as Yor left to the kitchen.
Anya couldn't help but glance at the door. She was pretty sure they wouldn't come in here. And if they did, they wouldn't get far before being brought down by one of her parents and taken into custody.
She didn't think they'd give information away if they were interrogated, but it nagged, and nagged at the back of her head. Anya knew she should want the lab to be found. For everyone else to be freed. But if she said anything. . .
"You know a lab where kids are being experimented on?! How do know you this?! Are you one of them?!" Yor exclaimed.
Anya shuddered and sniffed, deciding that was a bad idea.
Instead turning to look out the window, seeing not a trace of those following her.
It bugged her so much she could sense so little from the agents. If they didn't have those devices she'd at least feel like she had a bit more control.
Anya's fingers clenched at bonds fur with these thoughts. Thinking thinking, thinking of anything she could do.
Yor came and placed a hot mug of cocoa in her daughters hands, and wrapped her's around Anya's.
"Are you scared of something?" Yor questioned, aware of the little nervous ticks she was showing. Uneasy glances. Fidgety fingers. A little shaky and tense.
Anya promptly relaxed her muscles. Her body was shaking slightly of its own accord. She didn't know if she could do anything about that. Just the idea that she might end up back there scared her more than she could say.
Yor let her hands slip from Anya's as she lifted the mug to her lips and took a long sip.
"If you're scared of something, you can tell me." She continued. "Maybe I can help."
Anya swallowed and shook her head. "Anya not scared." Her voice sounded convincing, she thought. It didn't matter.
"Why is she lying?" Yor thought sadly.
Shock! Anya gasped.
"Don't worry. If anything bad happens, you come straight to me, okay?" Yor smiled, satisfied for now with the nod Anya gave her. She wanted to push a little further, but didn't want to push too much either. If it was something serious, Anya would tell her.
Anya sweat-dropped, taking a large gulp of cocoa.
—-
The next morning, Anya exited Yor's bedroom where she had slept the night before. It felt much safer there, than in her own.
She rubbed at her sleepy eyes as she passed the kitchen where Loid was already making breakfast. Anya wondered if she could convince him to let her stay home today.
"Morning, pwease." Anya greeted.
"Good morning." He said to both Anya and Yor as she joined them.
Loid and Yor chatted as they sat down to breakfast.
Anya joined them at the table but didn't touch her food.
"Anya, eat up, you don't want to be late for school." Loid encouraged.
"Anya doesn't feel good." She lied, a guilt she didn't expect weighing heavy in her stomach.
"Oh, dear." Yor said fretfully, laying a hand on Anya's forehead. "You don't have a fever." She sighed, relieved.
"It's Anya's tummy." She lied again.
Yor and Loid glanced at each other. Loid didn't looked convinced.
It sounded suspicious compounded with what Yor told him happened yesterday.
"Are you sure?" He stared intensively. Anya had never lied to him before that he knew of. But she was a child, and it wasn't uncommon for them to fake being sick to get out of school. And to top it off, it looked like Anya hadn't realized she looked rather guilty.
Of course, Anya, hearing this, tried to look as not guilty as possible. Though not completely sure what that looked like.
She nodded in answer to Loids question.
"Maybe we should bring you to see the doctor then." He said.
Anya listened in to his thoughts, but all he was thinking of was Anya's well being. She was acting a little odd, but he would give her the benefit of the doubt. And if she was sick, he needed her to be healthy again as soon as possible. For Operation Strix.
"N-no. It's not that bad." She mumbled, taking a fork to stab at her scrambled eggs.
If they went to the doctor, they'd know she was lying.
Her plans foiled, she later held tightly to her parents hands as they waited for the bus.
They believed the earlier incident was a result of stress from school and encouraged Anya to just do her best and not worry too much about it. Loid wanted to talk this through with her properly, but it'd have to wait til afterwards. The condition of her mental health was becoming more and more concerning.
And so, Loid, next to her, once again wondered what she was doing as she carefully scanned their surroundings. He considered the times she would hide under signs, or tell him she was watching for kidnappers.
'Does she think she's in danger?' He questioned. Curious, he also checked for anything suspicious, but saw nothing obvious. 'I'll have to have a look around before I head to her school.' He decided as the bus rolled up.
Anya reluctantly left her parents and boarded the long yellow vehicle.
—
Anya set her face with determination. A strange calm had come over her on the bus ride.
She was not going to be afraid. She was not going to get kidnapped, and everything was going to be fine she told herself.
As if.
But she couldn't live fearing every corner and step she took. She would be careful, but she was certain they couldn't get her in the school. Or they wouldn't, anyway. Even if she could still sense them around.
She repeated these words to herself like a mantra as she met Becky like usual at the school entrance.
"You seem like you're feeling better." Becky commented as they strolled to class. "You were being really weird yesterday.
"Anya wasn't weird." She insisted.
". . . Sure. . ." Becky said. "Anyway, have you seen the new episode of 'Berlint in Love'? It was the best one yet!" She sighed, dreamily. She told Anya all about it, who half listened if only to appease her best friend on the way to class. This was her favourite thing to talk about.
—
Anya was suspicious.
The day had gone rather well so far. And while she had relaxed somewhat, compared to yesterday, she was still expecting something to happen.
Nothing did.
'They must be planning something.' She thought, worry pooling once again into her mind. She doodled absent-mindedly in her notebook as the teacher droned on about history.
She didn't know what to do if they really were planning anything. Disguise as someone else and leave the country? Fake her death? Go live in a cave? Maybe she could find a nice bear that would adopt her.
But she didn't want to leave her parents. Was the risk worth it? If they found out the truth, she'd lose them anyway, and then still probably end up back at the lab.
She heaved a world weary sigh and looked out the window, a sensation of unease crawling over her skin.
She was vaguely aware of Becky giving her a side-look. 'Not again.' She thought.
She ignored her.
Anya didn't expect the agents to be so patient. Her reasoning was sound that they would remain hidden and discreet, but there's always a part of her that expects them to run in and grab her.
She shook the thoughts away and made herself forget about it for now. She didn't want to think about it.
Anya let the thought that her Papa was here, soothe her and she relaxed a little again.
—
It had been three days.
Damian wasn't happy.
'Is she ignoring me?' He glared unbelievingly at her from his seat, considering what that meant.
Nothing. Nothing for days.
The Anya that would bug him about visiting his house, to bring her dog to play with his. The Anya that would try to get his attention. Every. Day.
Was ignoring him.
He supposed she had been acting kinda funny lately, but still!
Besides the feeling of confusing disappointment he conveniently decided to ignore, he was utterly baffled. Why in the WORLD would she ignore him?!
'How dare she? I'm a Desmond!' His mind yelled.
And as if that caught her attention, he watched a shiver run down her back, and for the first time in three days, turned to look at him from her seat.
He jolted, like someone had jump scared him, which in turn startled his two best friends next to him.
She stared at him in confusion.
'Confusion? Why is she confused?' He thought, feeling oddly uncomfortable that she happened to look at him just now, when he was thinking those thoughts, for no apparent reason.
"Tch." He looked away from her gaze and stared angrily at his book, his face feeling rather warm.
Emile and Ewen glanced at each other, Damian, Anya, than each other again before shaking their heads in confused resignation.
Gasp! Anya watched him turn away. Now he's annoyed she is looking at him? He was just mad that Anya was ignoring him.
…..?
He's mad that I was ignoring him? She thought he hated her. Anya took a moment to think about this.
And then she understood.
He was arrogant. Everyone paid attention to him.
She turned back around.
It wasn't that she was trying to ignore him. Keeping it together and being overly cautious had been a task in and of itself. Her nerves were shot. She was tired just thinking about it.
'If he really wanted to, he could just come talk to Anya himself' She thought stoutly. Though she knew he never would.
—
Anya stood ready.
Anya stood fast.
Anya held her hands wide.
Anya forgot to move when the ball flew into the net.
Shock! Anya watched it rebound and slowly roll back out.
"Point to Wald Hall. Two to zero." Professor Henderson proclaimed.
A cheer went up on the opposing team led by Bill Watkins. An elementary student who looked more like a full grown navy seal who guarded the opposing teams net.
Cecil Hall had yet to score a goal.
"Dummy!" A certain boy yelled. "How are you so bad at this?! Stupid uggo!"
"Yeah! Stupid uggo!" His friends backed him.
"Shut up, you're being pigs!" Becky defended.
A whistle blew through the gym, quieting the children. "That's enough." Professor Henderson said. His voice rang loud without his voice being raised.
"Not elegant, boys." He chastised.
The young trio had the good sense to look abashed in the Professor's presence.
Damian managed to get a glare in at Anya without him noticing, anyway.
The professor nodded to Anya to throw the ball in.
She nodded back, very serious. She had to make up for failing to block.
'Now's the time to unleash Mama's technique! She raised her leg high in the air, considering with little thought if this was how you threw a soccer ball the same way as a dodgeball. She was sure it didn't matter.
The class deadpanned, knowing what was coming. She had tried this once before.
Anya breathed. Exhaled. Her eyes narrowed, focusing on her target. It was up to her. She wondered if this is what Bondman from her favourite cartoon felt like when he was against insurmountable odds.
She gripped the ball tightly as her arm reached back as far as she could. The muscles in her arm tensed, prepared to give everything that it could.
Then with as much speed and might she could muster, her leg slammed down with a mighty thud that reverberated through the gym floor, (That might have been her imagination) her arm swooshing forward like a gust of wind, faster than she could see, displaying her glorious strength and. . . .
Nothing happened.
The ball was gone.
Her hand was empty and she froze in place. She looked up. Anya had expected to see it flying across the room but saw no sign of it.
The class was quiet, stunned at her inadequacy.
She looked behind her to see the ball innocently waiting for her to pick it up. Taunting her.
Damian scoffed.
Becky glared at him.
Anya turned to grab it. Put it down in front of her. Gave it a kick.
The quiet broke as children raced all over. Sneakers squeaked loudly, lots of yelling to pass the ball. Several attempts at Wald Hall's net were made. None of them successful.
It went from student to student until Emile got a hold of it, feinted to his left, and passed to Damian.
Desmond caught it expertly. He confidently charged the net with a war cry, sending hope into his teammates. Wasting no time, he sent it flying to the left of Bill's neck with a swift boot.
As if in slow motion, and it took no effort whatsoever, Watkins grabbed it with one hand.
And that was it. Their hope deflated like a balloon that couldn't keep the air inside.
There were collective groans of disappointment from Cecil Hall.
Watkins held the ball, standing upright from his slightly crouched position. Stood tall as he raised his arm back.
He looked at Anya.
'Crap' She thought.
He was gonna aim straight for the net. She moved to the side of it. No way was she going to get hit by that. With the force Bill Watkins famously threw his balls at, it would break something.
"Hey! Idiot! What are you doing?!" Damian shouted along with other students.
"Works for me." Watkins yelled over everyone else as he sprung his arm forward.
Immediately as the ball left his fingertips, and his victory was assured, Anya faced the net and gave it a hard push.
The net was light and slid easily across the floor. A slight scraping sound accompanying it's departure as everyone silently watched.
The ball zoomed past it into the wall with a loud thwack.
Crickets. More scraping before it gently bumped into the wall.
"Heh." Anya turned to smile cheekily at Bill. She was very proud. She protected the net.
Becky laughed.
Professor Henderson blinked a couple times, not sure if that was a penalty or not.
The children didn't know what to make of this development.
"H-hey!" Bill's lone voice called from across the gym. "You can't do that!"
"Say's who!?" She retorted.
"Say's me." Professor Henderson said, followed by a couple snickers from the kids. "They're won't be a penalty, but you will not be doing that again." He decided.
A couple Wald Hall kids 'awwed' in discontent, hoping to get a shot in.
Anya pouted as she retrieved the net.
The game went on for another few rounds. Cecil Hall tried valiantly, but they didn't make any progress getting past the opposing goalie.
In the end, the score 5-0 went to Wald Hall.
"Don't feel bad about it. You tried your best." Becky told her, referring to the the goals she let through. "Not everyone was meant to an athlete." She said opening the school doors.
Anya looked at her through slitted eyes, slightly offended at the remark.
"Yeah, no kidding!" Damian taunted from up ahead, on his way back to the dorms "We lost because of you!" He said, angrily, marching down the path.
"Oh, shut it, Desmond." Becky replied sticking her tongue out at him. "It's not like you got any goals! C'mon!" Becky took Anya's hand and walked her the rest of the way to the bus. Anya gladly held Becky's hand as she felt herself tense at the unseen eyes watching her walk away and ride off on the bus.
Something bad was going to happen soon. She could feel it. A heavy sense of dread placed itself on her shoulders as if confirming it.