Alice In Borderland: Riptide

EPISODE EIGHT: BRING ME TO LIFE

You quietly pull Niragi's door shut, leaning your forehead against it for a moment, and hear footsteps behind you. The soft shuffle of the spa socks, accompanied by cherry blossom and jasmine with just a subtle hint of hand sanitizer.

"Yes, An?" You ask, and hear her figuratively screech to a halt.

"Someday you have got to tell me how you always know who we are, without even looking at us."

"Sure," you grin into the door, having no intention, ever, of letting on that you can recognize each person at what is now called "Home" by everyone by their personal choice of scent. "So... what's up?"

"I thought you might be interested to know that Arisu and Karube have returned with their scout party.

"And they brought a surprise with them." She continues in her near-monotone after a short pause for dramatic effect.

Your jaw drops. "They found Mira?"

At her nod, you turn and rush toward the lobby. "Why didn't you lead with that, An, for god's sake?!"

"They aren't in the lobby," she calls after, trying both to keep up and also not slip in her socks.

"Then where are they?" You ask, skidding to a stop. An nearly runs into you.

"They put her in the same cage we used for Niragi and bound her hands, although they forewent the chair. I think they're hoping to torture her a little before they question her." At your horrified look she quickly back pedals, raising her hand to squeeze your shoulder. "Oh god! No, not like that! I just meant... her feet are injured. Cut up pretty badly—probably broken glass during a game. I think Karube feels that if they force her to stand on them for awhile, she'll be more pliant in answering questions."

Your relief must be evident on your face because she smiles at you and pushes open the door connecting the hallway to the lobby and leads you across to the little closet containing the stairs to the basement storage are.

"Why won't you talk, dammit!"

Karube's voice carries across the long room, and you wince with the anger evident in it.

"Karube, leave it for a while please," you say firmly, placing a hand on his arm. "Go, rest. You too, Arisu; and the rest of you—I'm sure you're all running on empty."

"But we need answers, boss," Karube insists, trying to brush past you toward Mira, who looks quite done in but is, for some reason, still wearing the sick smile you remember from the Old World. You hold Karube back by means of wrapping both arms around him and planting your feet on the concrete floor.

"No, Karube! I said no! Leave her for now. You can hold another Inquisition later. Okay?"

You look into his eyes until he finally relents and relaxes his fighting stance.

"Ugh—fine! But only for a couple of hours. We need to know what she's planning."

"I know. And we'll find out everything. But not now when we're exhausted—yes, all of us, including me. There was—a lot of drama. I'll fill you in later, after we've all rested."

Karube dips his head in a quick nod. "Seems fair," he tells you before dropping a kiss on your forehead. "All right, I go under extreme duress, though, you know that."

"Mmm-hmm," you smile tightly. "I do. Goodnight, Karube."

"Night, Boss," he yawns and leaves with Arisu and the other scouts. You scrub a hand down your face and turn to An and the others, ignoring the creepy, smug look on Mira's face.