I can't Hurt You - Marcus Lopez Arguello

30

"Em! Emma!" Someone said worriedly as they shook me.

I opened my eyes a bit more to see Marcus kneeled down next to me, shaking me awake. Shit, my head was pounding. What the fuck happened? I was still on the floor, so my guess was that I passed out after they took Saya.

"Huh? What?" I said groggily.

"Fuck, you scared me. Are you okay?" Marcus asked looking more relieved.

"Yeah, I guess. My head hurts like a bitch, though." I replied as I sat up and slowly regained consciousness.

"What happened after they knocked me out. Do you remember?" He asked.

I tried my best to remember what happened. Vivid memories then started to flood back into my head little by little. They were only fractions of memories which I quickly put together.

"Um, I- I think I ran to you after they knocked you out. Then they tried to knock me out too. They um- they went up to Saya and choked her out, then they carried her the rest of the way out of there. That's all I can remember. I think I passed out after that." I stuttered, slowly explaining what I could remember.

"Shit. We have to find them. Where do you think they went?" Marcus asked.

"My guess, they wanted to take Saya back to Tokyo, so they had to be taking her out of King's. They're probably in the meat shop entrance." I suggested.

"Why the meat shop?" He asked.

"I don't know, probably trying to look more natural. Though, I doubt it's working since they're wearing masks and suits in this shitty part of town." I explained.

"Okay then, let's go. I don't know my way around the basement." He said as he stood up and grabbed my hand to help me stand up.

"Okay, relax, I got it." I said calmly as I stood up.

I looked down and saw my mother's pink knife on the floor which I quickly grabbed and tucked into my boot before starting to run to the basement entrance.

There was no time to walk or take our time with things, so we sprinted. Saya was getting kidnapped, and Petra and Viktor were on the edge of death as we speak.

We made it up to the meat shop and walked into the gruesome scene unfolding before us. Saya and Master Lin were attacking the Kuroki men, and it seemed like anything but a fair fight if both of them were on the same team.

"Show time, Arguello." I said as I took out my knife from my boot and ran to help Saya.

Marcus looked flustered, but quickly went to help Lin out.

I scraped the man down his spine with my knife, making him turn around and push me with his wooden cane. I fell backwards towards one of the many empty tables in the meat shop before the man swung with his cane and I ducked. That gave Saya enough time to attack from behind with her katana I guessed Lin gave back to her. They fought one on one for a couple seconds before I stabbed the man in the neck from behind. He fell to the floor as his neck oozed blood.

Almost on cue Marcus and Lin finished off the other man, stabbing him in the chest.

I looked at Saya who tried her best to look like she wasn't fazed, but it was obvious. No matter how much her cousins sucked, they were family. They were Kuroki, just like her.

"Saya I-" I went to apologize before she cut me off.

"It's fine. I'm fine." She lied as tears pooled her eyes.

She then went to stand over her cousin which I had killed and took his mask off. He had lifeless eyes that were open wider than they normally would've been if he was alive.

One look at him and she broke down. One look at him and a shitload of tears and emotions overtook her.

I went to hug her as she collapsed on the floor. I went down with her, embracing her in a hug.

"Hey hey hey, it's okay. It's okay, I've got you." I said as she sobbed and I caressed her shoulder.

Saya and I stayed that way for a couple minutes. I understood why she couldn't control her emotions. I wouldn't have been able to either. I would've been taking it way worse if anything.

"We should get back to school, make sure everyone is okay." Lin said emotionlessly after Saya had calmed down a bit.

"Yeah, yeah we should. Are you okay?" I asked Saya as I let go of her.

She slowly nodded, and went to stand up. She wiped the tears and blood off her face and followed Lin back inside, trying to bottle up her emotions once again and leaving me and Marcus in the meat shop.

"She's not okay is she?" Marcus asked.

"Nope, but she's one of the strongest people I know. If she's not okay now she will be. Just give her time." I said before I picked up my knife and my mother's knife that was on the blood covered floor and went inside.

Marcus followed me and we finally made it to the hallway leading to the library. People were flooding the hallway looking at something, I couldn't exactly make it out so I pushed my way to the front of the crowd, holding onto Marcus's hand. We saw monks carrying people out on stretchers and that's when it hit me.

Petra.

I saw her being carried out, blood staining her shirt and pants. I couldn't even tell if she was alive or not.

"No no no no. Is she okay? Tell me she's okay." I said, my voice getting louder as I approached one of the monks carrying her, making him stop in his tracks.

"Baby-" Marcus tried to comfort me before I ignored him and tried to talk to the monk again.

"She's okay right? She's gonna be okay." I asked as I tried to get in the monk's face, tears pooling my eyes.

Marcus held me back by my wrists as I tried to run to Petra, using all of my strength an energy. Though, I didn't have much left after all that Kuroki shit.

"She's my fucking friend! Why won't you tell me if she's okay? Speak, you useless fucking asshole! Tell me she's okay! I swear to god I'll slit your fucking throat, tell me she's okay!" I yelled as tears fell from my eyes.

By now everyone was looking at me like I was crazy. Marcus was holding me back with every ounce of strength he could. Once he pulled me out of the way the monks say passed by us, ignoring me like I was never there.

I collapsed on the floor and I sobbed, picturing my friend that was alive a couple hours ago in a casket soon. Marcus went down with me, comforting me as people stared.

"Everyone clear the fuck out! Get back to your dorms! Lin's orders!" Saya yelled from the end of the hallway.

Lin probably didn't say any of that shit. She was just trying to let me break down in peace. Nonetheless, the dumbasses believed it and rushed to their dorms. Saya looked at Marcus, almost telepathically asking him if he had looking after me covered. Marcus gave her a slight nod and she walked away, leaving us alone in the middle of the hallway.

"What if she's gone?" I asked through my cries.

"Then she'll know you tried your best to save her." Marcus said as he caressed my head.

"I'm so so sorry I couldn't save her." I sobbed.

He planted a kiss on the top of my head.

"It wasn't your fault. You did your best. I'm proud of you." He comforted again.

I couldn't even put any more words together. All I did was cry. I cried for what felt like an eternity. Marcus stayed with me the whole time making sure I was okay. I wasn't, but he was trying, and that's all that mattered to me right now.