Equilibrium - #ProjectWomanUp

Fourteen

The next morning, after a sleepless night of overthinking everything Kane showed me, I got up and dressed. Charlie was waiting for me by the weapons room, like I told him too. In the Intellect test, he needs to be able to shoot a moving target and throw a knife at a target. I will train him for this today.

"Morning" he smiles at me. I grunt in reply, and we walk inside. Viktor is inside the weapons room, and that makes me groan in annoyance.

"Well, isn't this a fine morning" Viktor grins, eyes looking me up and down in a seductive manner. I instantly think of Kane, and want to punch Viktor. I am not sure exactly what is going on between the two, but I know that Kane is trying to protect me and Viktor is playing on that.

"Charlie, go and find two knives and two pistols. Make sure to pick up some ammo as well" I instruct, glaring at Viktor. Charlie nods, and walks further into the room – leaving Viktor and I alone.

Viktor smirks, walking up to me. Pressing me against the wall behind me, he leans into my face – his arms caging me in. I play the victim for a few moments; pretending to be the prey and he the hunter. But in reality, I am the hunter and he is the prey – I am just playing a more dangerous game.

"You, my little Barbie doll, are just so hot" he whispers, voice husky. His eyes running up and down my body. He leans forward, lips nipping on my ear lope. "You have no idea how long I've wanted to get you alone".

"Almost as long as Kane has worked for this job" I whisper back. I don't know what the job is, but I know that Kane gave it to Viktor to protect me. I will have to ask him about that later. Viktor makes a noise of shock, but before he can pull away, I jump into action.

I grab the knife from my belt and break out of his grip. I spin quickly, pinning him against the wall with my body and pressing the knife into his throat. His eyes are wide with shock, and when he opens his mouth to speak, I press the knife harder. He sucks in a breath.

"Now listen good, Viktor" I hiss into his face. Kane has had such a hard life, and I want to make it better. Viktor is a bad thing in his life, minor, but still bad. And I want to remove one bad thing. "I don't want you, nor have I ever wanted you, nor will I ever want you. All I want from you is to go away. You're going to give Kane his job back".

Viktor cringes, "the deal was I get you or the job".

"Yeah, well no deal. Kane gets the job, and if you think you can get me you're mistaken. You can try? But believe me, this is a mild threat compared to what I will do" I reply – still whispering in his ear. I push the knife in once last time, making him whimper and slight blood appear, before moving away.

My knife has cut his skin, but it is only a flesh wound. I wipe my knife off on my thigh, just as Charlie returns with a bag full of weapon. He glances at Viktor's bleeding neck, and where I place my knife back into the holder. "Charlie, let's go".

"What was that about?" Charlie demands, as we walk out the weapons room.

"Nothing keep walking" I reply, pushing him on. Charlie can see I am in a bad mood, so doesn't push me. Clever boy.

I have cooled off slightly, by the time that Charlie and I reach the practice rooms. I drag him towards the gun ranges, and am glad to see it empty. It is only early – six thirty in the morning – and when I was leaving half of the other Novices weren't even awake.

I give Charlie a pair of safety glasses, and ear defenders, before I teach him how to load a gun. Kane taught me exactly the same way, on my first week. It was only two weeks ago that he thought me, but it feels like second nature to me now.

He watches me closely, before writes down the instructions in that trusty book of him. I am treating the entire training as a lesson, and he needs to study before the upcoming test. Charlie likes tests, and so by doing it this way – having him note it all down – makes him excited to learn and study it.

Charlie loads the gun; slowly, following the notes he had written on. He does it, unloads, and then does it again. He will not be tested on this, but I feel he needs to know this if his life is to ever be in danger. Not likely for an Intellect, but I still don't want him to be left defenceless.

We then spend the morning shooting and throwing knives. Charlie wasn't very good at either – not matter how many times we went through the steps and techniques. He just couldn't do it. Luckily, we have still have three days to crack it.

When dinner comes around, I grab a bite to eat and hope to see Kane. But, I don't. I frown, wondering where he is. I then spot another One who teaches with Kane. I ask him where his room is, but he is hesitant to tell me. I batter my eyelashes, and say I am returning a knife he lent me. Finally, he tells me where his permanent room is.

I walk to the far side of the Training Centre, where I have yet venture. It takes me a while to find his room, and I get lost a few times. But finally, I find the One living accommodation, and soon find the door with Kane's name on it. I knock, but there is no answer.

I swallow deeply, before opening the door – it isn't locked which I am happy about. I am hesitant for a moment, thinking it wrong to just walk in, but then push inside. The room is large, and spacious, with a kind sized bed in the middle and a small bathroom off the bedroom.

There are minimal personal items in the room, just a few used mugs and a knife or two lying around. I frown, thinking that Kane must be awfully lonely. I walk further into the room, and close the door before me.

I have a small glance around the room for a moment, before taking a seat on the edge of the bed. It's cold in the room, colder than the rest of the building, and I hug myself. I only have a thin shirt on, that cuts half way up my stomach.

I pause, before I head to Kane's closet and pull a sweater out. I pull it on – it is too big for me, so I roll the sleeves up but the length still falls to my mid-thigh. I took a seat on the bed again, warmer now. I waited for Kane to show.

I must have fallen asleep, because I wake to someone shaking me. I groan, and lazily swat the hands away. A deep chuckle rings out, as I open my eyes to see Kane sitting next to me. I am laying on the end of his bed, curled up inside his sweater.

"Morning" Kane laughs, slips turning up into an amused smirk. I chuckle as well, as I sit up and rub my eyes. Kane is perched next to me – so close that when I am upright our thighs touch.

"What time is it?" I ask.

"Close to nine pm" he replies.

"I was waiting for you, I must have fallen asleep".

"Clearly". He reaches up and tucks a loose strand of hair behind my ear. I stare into his large eyes, offering him a shy smile as he grins at me. "You suit my clothing, all those it is a little big for you".

I chuckle, "it's cold in here".

"I'll turn the heat up" he offers, moving as if to get up.

"No". I grab his arm, stopping him from moving away from me. "I have some things to say, and I worry that if we talk about more ideal things then I'll chicken out. So, please Kane just listen".

"Alright" he nods.

"You showed me things about myself last night, that I didn't even know. I still don't truly know. After Daniel punched you, he waited for me and convinced me it was him who wrote me that beautiful letter. That was the entire reason I started dating him, but of how romantic I thought he was".

Kane mumbles something, and I hush him. "After a while of being with Daniel, I guessed he didn't write it. He isn't very good at words see, but I always just thought that he had gotten someone else to write it for him. But I fell in love with him, and I didn't ever meet you until after I became a Warrior. And now I am questioning my entire life. Because my entire life has been with Daniel, and he will always be a part of my past. I've broken it off with him, but I will always have some type of feelings for him. And I--"

"Barbie, you're killing me here" Kane cuts me off. "Just please tell me if you want to be with me".

I offer him a smile, seeing the nervousness in his eyes. Kane is such a strong man, with a strong will, but with me – right now – he is showing me the vulnerable side of him. His weakness is his fear of rejection; and at the moment, his weakness if the fear of my rejection.

"I want to be with you, Kane" I reply. He grins bright, like a small child, before taking my face in his hand and kissing me.