Not Done til We're Safe and Sound

The World From Her Eyes

Maria's Pov

I picked up the clothes but Hiro took them from me. "A man's job sweetie." I scoffed.

"Too bad you're not enough of one to look right carrying it, though."

"Hey!"

I walk up to the register to see Riki run up to me. "Maria! Its Hunter! She ran away!" He looked breathless and flushed.

"What do you mean?" I ask.

"We sorta just got into the weirdest argument."

"What'd she say?"

"She was first acting all English and all. Then it was some other accent. And for some reason, we started arguing-"

"Idiot." She cursed at the ground. "Where is she?"

"She left..."

"Leader my ass. Hiro, I swear if my card is not given back to me I will kill you. Here, pay for this and get the rest and meet up at Le Renard Noir. Don't wait up for me and Riki, okay? Get Seiko and Takuto to look for Hunter, only at her favorite places which Seiko should know. Hiro, I am putting my faith in you to do this. Am I making a mistake?" I ask. He's dumbfounded.

"Yes--I-I mean, no. Of course not." He looked at Riki. "Leader Goals." He pointed at me.

"Shut up." He groaned and turned to me. "So what do I do?"

"Oughta make you go home..." I mumble.

"Huh?"

"Come with me." He followed like a lost puppy.

Knew I should have said something earlier...

"No, they won't leave me alone!! What'd I do to them other than exist?!"

Don't remember...please.

"They're mad because their experiment failed!!"

"Maria?" Riki waved a hand at me.

"Huh?" I'd stopped in my tracks.

"You okay?"

"Fine. We have to take a train."

She'll be there... Please be there...

We board a train heading south. "Where are we going?"

"To Hunter..." I hope.

"Has this happened before?"

Yes. "No. I just know where she usually goes." He's silence for a moment.

"Is there something about Hunter that makes her different?"

She's not like any one of us."She's an ordinary, misunderstood girl. I'd appreciate if you didn't talk the whole ride."

No more questions about her...

"I just want to be normal!!"

I choke on air. "Hey! Are you okay!?" Riki pats my back.
I nod my head making him immediately take his hand away.

Dammit. I said no more...

"Stay away, I'll hurt you!"

"Agh..." I grabbed my head.

"It hurts..."

Like hell it does...

"Are you sure you're okay??"

"Look, I'm fine!" I yell. I expect him to look upset or at least shocked. But his eyes soften. "I'm sorry... I'm just on edge..." I smile softly. He reluctantly nods and looks the other way.

After we got off the train, Riki stayed quiet the entire walk to our destination. When we get there, I see the place has been boarded up. I look around.

"There." Riki pointed up at a fire escape. "She probably got in through there."

"Good thinking. Let's go." The fire escape wasn't that high off the ground but then again I'm not the shortest person ever.

"Here." Riki held out his hand.

"Thanks," I take a step up and jump on to the fire escape. I put my hand down reaching for him. He shakes his head. And jumps up nearly 3 feet in the air grabbing onto the railing, pulling himself up with ease.

How?!

He noticed my face. "Been doing this for years." He didn't seem arrogant as usual, just matter-of-fact.

And it still irked me.

He kicked the door open and offered to help me down.

"No, I'm fine jumping."

"You'll twist your ankle or fracture a bone of two. I can't even make that." Again his voice was matter of fact.

What's up with him?

"Fine." I roll my eyes and was lowered onto the ground. "Wait, how will you-" before I could finish, he was hanging from the pipes on the roof. He stopped At one pipe and started shaking it. "Riki! Be careful! This place is old! It'll fall apart if you do that!"

"Kinda part of my plan!" When the pipe broke it was looking enough to hit just above a stage and he came sliding down. "Is this a Gymnasium?"

That's all he'll say?!

"No wonder she's so worried about you!!" I yell, not thinking.

"What was that?" I shake my head.

"Er...Nothing."

Hmph. They're just alike. Body of a human, mind of a machine. Hunter's case is just more severe than his. And it's not her fault.

"This a school." I nod.

I'd tell you more but this is Hunter's past, not mine. Its not my place.

"Let's get to the science lab." I say walking ahead. He hopped of the stage and walked after me.

When we came to the science lab, we heard weeping. "Hunter?" It stopped almost immediately. "Hunter, its you!" She stood up. Her hair covered most of her face but we could still see her expression. She was crying.

"Hunter?" Riki called.

"Thanks a lot for bringing him."

Of course that's something she'd say.

"Why are you here?" He asked stepping closer.

"Don't. I'm fine. I'm sorry for acting so weird earlier. It was stupid. I bet you don't want to talk to me anymore." She chuckled, breathlessly. Riki went up and hugged her. She gasped and her eyes blazed a beautiful color.

It looked almost as if it was a fire burning in her eyes but she wasn't mad. She exhaled shakily, sounding as if she was ready to cry again. "Riki?"

"I'd never do such a thing. You're...My teammate. I don't abandon my teammates."

I felt my mouth hang open.

DID HE JUST TEAM ZONE HER--

"Uh...yeah. Teammate." She pushed back and walked past him, to the door. "I'm sleepy. Let's go home."

Her eyes turned a grayish gold.

~☆~☆~☆~

Sorry, I haven't updated. Lately. This was to make up for that horrible last chapter--And all of the rest too, cause those suck.

Wow. People read this stuff. THANK YOU.