You and I [Desami Fanfiction]

Chapter 10: Actions and Consequences

Asami

I hardly have a chance to glance behind me, but when I do, I see Mako firing away at two of the Triads’ boats. I make as many hard turns as I can, trying to get them off our trail. Mako almost falls on top of me in the process. I hear him grunt as he continues to fire at Viper.

Viper comes at us with an attack of his own, and I have to steer clear of icebergs coming out of nowhere. Just as I think he’s given up, I feel the boat rise from under me. Suddenly we’re being flung into the air.

“Ah!” I yell, holding onto the wheel as tight as I can. I clench my teeth and keep going as soon as we’re back on the water. I barely have a chance to look back at Mako. I see that he’s okay when he hops up into the front with me.

“They’re getting closer!” he tells me.

“Not for long,” I respond as I spot an opening between two ships coming towards each other.

“Watch out! We’re not going to make it!” he shouts. I jerk the wheel as hard as I can, making the boat fling to the side. I do the same to the other side until we’re around the ships. Why does he ever doubt me?

I glance back just in time to see Ping flip one of the boats. At the same time, the other one cuts me off in the front, forcing me to kill the engine.

I try in vain to get it on again, but it’s no use. “We’re stalled!”

Shady Shin and Viper are coming right for us, so Mako hops on the front of our boat. He flung his fist back to get some fire going, but their boat rams us before it even leaves his fist. We’re both flung backwards. Viper takes this opportunity to come onto our boat. He bends the water around him, crashing it into Mako’s chest.

Finally, the engine gives in. “Mako, hang on to something!” I tell Mako as I hit the gas. I jerk the wheel to the left, sending Viper into a nearby building.

We’re finally alone, with no one else chasing us. “What was that all about?” I ask Mako.

“Someone paid the triple threats to keep us distracted.”

“Distracted? From what?” I ask, just as it clicks in my head. “Oh no.”

We race back to my factory, but it’s deserted by the time we get there. I flick on the lights, and there’s a heart-dropping echo in the empty room. The entire building is completely empty. Where it used to be filled with machinery and cars, there’s only dust.

“Whoever paid the Triple Threats stole everything,” Mako says.

I feel my heart fall in my chest as the realization downs on me. “I’m ruined.”

Mako makes some sort of suggestion to check my other warehouses, but I stop him there. “You don’t understand. Everything I had was in here.”

“We have to search the place for evidence. If we can find a lead…”

“Mako, it doesn’t matter anymore,” I tell him, getting sick of all this detective business.

“I can figure this out,” he tells me.

“Just stop. It’s over,” I say, feeling the tears fill my eyes. What was I going to do? I let Varrick, Mako, everyone down. “I give up,” I whisper.

“Well, I’m not giving up one you,” he tells me. The sincerity in his voice causes me to meet his eyes. All I see in them is fiery determination. I used to love that about him.

I feel something inside of my click, something I hadn’t felt for a while. My knees give way, and I feel myself falling-no leaning into Mako. My lips find his, but I can’t bring them to move there. His stay perfectly still, not exactly kissing me back, but not telling me no. I peer my eyes open to see him looking right at me. I quickly pull away.

What had I just done? Sure, Mako was single, but I wasn’t. Well, he thought I was, but still. I had Desna to worry about. What had I just done? I could have ruined our relationship, not to mention my friendship with Mako. “Sorry, I-.” I didn’t even know how to finish.

“No, it’s fine,” he says. It’s fine? It most certainly was not fine. We didn’t kiss. I didn’t like him! I didn’t like him, did I? “Um… Anyway, I gotta run. I’m gonna find out who did this, and I know just who to ask.”

I didn’t ask him to elaborate, and truthfully, I was relieved when he left. I was still freaking out in my head.