Chasing Shadows: An Alice In Borderlands Fanfic (Completed)

Chapter 5: Obsession

A huge party raged on the ground floor, spilling out to the pool area. People danced and ate and fucked everywhere there was room.

Abandoned by Niragi, I threaded my way through the crowd, looking for a place to get a drink. I really needed one after the game.

I ran into Chishiya just as I spotted the bar. He greeted me with the calm nonchalance I had come to expect from him. A girl stood by his side.

He introduced us to each other. "Kuina, this is Jen. Jen, Kuina."

"I love your hair," I said. "It's cute."

She touched the braids and blushed. "Ah. Thank you."

"So, you played a game tonight?" Chishiya asked, only half-interested.

"Yeah. With Niragi."

He scowled. "Didn't I warn you to stay away from him?" He harbored some deep hatred for the man.

"Sorry. It's kind of hard to ignore someone who has broken into your room twice."

"He did what?" Chishiya raised an eyebrow.

"You should see my door. It's absolutely smashed."

I started to say something else about what had happened, but the hairs on my neck stood on end. Niragi was close.

The look on Chishiya's face confirmed that.

I swung around to see Niragi marching my way, a rifle balanced on his shoulder. As a militant, he was obligated to carry a weapon and enforce the rules of The Beach. Something he took great delight in as he shoved hapless revelers out of the way.

"Come with me." He grabbed my wrist. "We have unfinished business."

I dug in my heels as he pulled on my arm. "I'm talking with my friends."

He eyed Chishiya with a scowl. "I'd hesitate to call this one a friend."

Chishiya just stood there, the ghost of a smile playing on his lips. "Hmph."

"Don't fight me, Jen. You know you won't win." Niragi pulled on my arm again.

I twisted free and took a step back. "I'm not going with you."

Just then some idiot in shining armor came up and laid a hand on Niragi's shoulder. "The lady said she doesn't want to go with you."

Niragi turned with this insane look in his eyes. It ran deep. "Did you just speak to me?" he growled. He brought the rifle around and shot the man in the chest.

Screams sounded and people scrambled to get away from us.

Niragi glared at the body and spat on it. "Tch. Baka."

I moved to touch his shoulder but he swung around, the rifle poised to shoot me, too.

I stood my ground. "Do it," I dared him. "Go ahead and fire."

He shifted. "I'm not going to shoot you." Then he leaned in. "Not with this gun, anyway."

I slapped him.

Niragi grabbed my shoulders and spun me around, pushing me backwards through the crowd to some unknown destination. If I stumbled, he steadied me so I didn't fall, but he didn't stop until we were encased in the darkness of a quiet hallway.

He slammed me against the wall so hard it knocked the breath from me.

"Do you have a fucking deathwish?" He pressed the muzzle of his rifle against my stomach.