when we were BROKEN

Buenos Aires, Argentina

The soft tick of the clock filled the heavy silence in the dark kitchen. A single bulb above the stove cast a hazy sphere of yellow light that did little to illuminate the people there. Ana and Ginny were missing. Ginny hadn't been able to stay in the same room with Rémy without hyperventilating. She'd been tasked with watching over Ana, who'd eventually been given sedatives and sent into the outer sitting room. The rest of them stood in the semi-darkness, absorbing the reality of their circumstances, which were, for some, astonishingly connected.

Ikeno was the first to break the long silence, irritation over the situation overriding her fear of Benjamin Masters. 

"If everyone wants Ginny, what are you going to do, Masters?"

"Like I'll tell you." His growl was soft, the edge of his features highlighted by the glow of his cigarette. Uncomfortable, Ikeno looked away.

"We're in this together, Benji-"

"Shut your trap before I break it, Tony."

"Why don't you-!"

"Rémy," Ikeno turned to look at him.

"What! He walks in here like he's in charge of what's going to happen, and I'm sick of it!" Fierce blue eyes clashed against turquoise. "Let him prove it!"

"Anytime, French."

"That's it-!"

"Stop!" Ginny's strident tone froze them as they all looked toward where she stood in the doorway hugging herself, primal fear and desperation painted across her face. Thin fingers were curled into shaking fists as her gaze locked with Ji's. "Stop this! We're here because we need help, aren't we? We need help!"

"Like a whore knows what she's talking about."

Ji moved so fast no one reacted until Rémy staggered back, hitting the counter behind him. Spice containers clattered together as three dull thuds and a groan filled the brief gap between Rémy's cutting remark and his croak of pain. Powerful fingers twisted into his shirtfront, keeping him from hitting the floor.

"If you say one more word to her, I'll rip out your tongue and shove it down your throat."

"That isn't helping," Ikeno offered quietly, slowly moving toward them. Ji backed away, giving them room. "Ginny is right. We need to stop fighting each other."

"It's not like we're on the same side, exactly," Tony mentioned from where he stood near the back door. "But... we're not enemies. At least, we don't have to be. We could help each other out."

"So, I'm going to ask you again," helping Rémy stand, pulling some paper towels to help staunch the blood running from his face, Ikeno faced Ji. "What are you going to do?"

"Go to ground," he answered after a moment, sliding a sideways glance at Ginny that she avoided. Despite her initial relief at seeing him earlier, she'd been distant, and he knew she was hurt and scared. "We'll find a place to just disappear."

"There aren't too many of those," Tony kept the conversation going, hoping to come to some sort of agreement where they all walked away. "Axis has a long reach."

"Don't forget the person who shot you," Rémy's sarcasm didn't go unnoticed. Hard turquoise eyes swung in his direction, burning in the dim light. "That's a fun little distraction that needs to be dealt with on top of everyone you know hunting you down."

"Then," slowly letting out a cloud of smoke, Ji shrugged "I'll have to give them something else to think about."

"What do you mean?"