Formed by Fire

"You Seem To Get Along Pretty Well"

Against his nature, Dre left us alone with a last withering look at the door. I knew, I would hear his thoughts about it later on. Now I watch Akio with a mixture of curiosity, distress and wariness as he walks around like a lion in a small cage. He is very handsome in his custom tailored clothes. Suddenly he stops, his head lowered, thoughtful. Not a word leaves his mouth. He seems lost in his thoughts or highly focused on something happening inside his head. "Er....Akio?", I try to jolt him out of his little trance. He reacts cautious and tense, squaring his shoulders. Obviously, I am not the only one stressed here. Slowly he turns around, facing me. His normally gentle and friendly looking eyes are dark and hooded. No more trace of the easy-going guy I got to know. My eyebrows rise into my hair. What is troubling him? It must be something clearly related to me...but what?

"Akio, what's eating you? You can tell me, I won't judge!", I try to ease the moment. His eyes soften. "Oh Kimmy, it's so hard not to like you! What is there not to like?", shaking his head he laughs silently. His words are somehow odd ...as if he SHOULDN't like me. This doesn't make sense at all, but I keep quiet. Perhaps he'll explain...? "This is such a havoc", he mutters, rubbing his face with his hands. Slowly concern rises from the depths of my soul. A red alarm flashes in my mind but I can't fathom what my subconscious tries to tell me. An uneasy feeling crawls up my back and I hate it. I am a very analytical person. Premonitions are not my cup of tea. But something is directly under my nose and I can't put my finger on it.

"Listen, Kimmy", Akio starts speaking. With a view steps he strides in front of me. "You don't know me well, but I DO know YOU", he emphasizes with a piercing gaze. "You are a wonderful girl in all aspects there are", he hesitates briefly his eyes not leaving mine. "You are so beautiful on the inside and outside."

I can't prevent the blushing on my cheeks. I hate being so pale: every time I blush, it is on plain view for everybody. Akio chuckles. "So damn cute", I look away and clear my throat. So...you wanted to talk to me", I peek at him, ... "talk now", I prompt. Akio nods sighing. "Where do I start", he exhales loudly. "So, Izumo explained, that he and my dad talked about you being on watch because he was afraid, you'll get abducted again. There were several hints indicating that somebody is out for you. My dad made the proposal, that I should earn your trust, befriend you, so I would be able to have an eye on you and to be on guard, when you weren't. So I enrolled at MIT, although I am a business student at Harvard."

I furrow my forehead. "You are a business student, how should you be able to", I make quotation marks with my fingers, "guard me"? His instant smile makes my skin crawl with uneasiness. He nears me until his mouth is nearly on my ear. "Your family were proud Samurai, but mine were  Ninjas." I freeze instantly. "Ninjas? There is no real proof that they existed...they are only a legend", I answer back automatically. Akio watches me smiling. "Yeah?" In an inhumanly fast move he punctures the back of my neck with one finger. It's only unpleasant for one short moment ... and then my legs give out like they were made of jelly. I can't feel them anymore. Horrified I watch Akio catching me smoothly and laying me gently on my back on the floor. But my mind works perfectly, no impairing. Akio bends down. "A legend couldn't paralyze your legs, don't you think?" I watch him, analyzing his facial expression. "You really mean it? Your family originates from a  Ninja clan?" Akio only nods. Then he puts his fingers behind my neck again, putting pressure between whirl three and four. The life returns slowly back into my legs. "Unbelievable ... but fascinating. You have knowledge about pressure points and can influence a partial paralysis", I say while Akio helps me to get up.

He steadies me because my legs are still shaky. As he holds me, we look at each other. He smirks. "You would like to put me in a Petri dish to make a research under the microscope, hm?" I watch him silently. "I am stunned, Akio, can you blame me, this is extraordinary", I cry out. He takes my hand and leads me slowly to an armchair. "What other kind of ... skills do you have?", I ask immediately as I sit down. His face goes blank. "No outsider is allowed to know, Kimmy. I can't tell you. Our traditions, skills and believes are highly confidential." I nod, torn between curiosity and discomfort. And then one realization sweeps over me like a big wave: Akio is dangerous! Sensing my fear, he sits himself down on an armchair opposite of me.

"Now you know, why one man CAN be enough in the right situation." He keeps his voice calm and without emotion, focusing on the wall above my head. "But I couldn't achieve my goal because you fell in love ... with Dre." His eyes turn back to me again. "And he made it perfectly clear, that you belong to him. So how should I have been able to be near you without causing a fight with your hotheaded ass of a wannabe boyfriend?" The wheels in my head turn. "When? You two only met once?", I ask wondering. Akio snorts, "Oh, your boyfriend and I met on several occasions and ... they weren't very pleasant." His cynical smile vanishes. "Andre de Rocha is dangerous too, Kimmy. You don't know him THAT well."

Again, I am speechless. Secrets, deceptions, I've had enough. When I am out of this room, I'll have a nice little chat with Mister de Rocha. But then my brain activity concentrates back on Akio. "This is all really dumb. You all should have talked to me, explained to me your plans and intentions, THEN there wouldn't have been any kind of problem." I huff. "You know, I feel like being stuck in some kind of trashy cheap romance. This is exactly the moment where the intelligent audience shouts 'No, cut the crap, who wrote this stupid script?'"

Akio laughs his nice smooth laugh that I really came to like. And I laugh along about the absurdity I call my life. The door suddenly opens with a bang. Dre's accusing gaze watches us. His eyes turn to slits. "You seem to get along pretty well", his sarcastic voice resonates the room accompanied by a dark malicious chuckle. 

Oh no, not THAT again ...Pure jealousy. Are they fighting again? Somebody call Makoto...

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