Rain trickled against the window , creating a rhythmic tap as it drizzled against the facility.
Lin Na sat crossed leg above the kitchen table, hands cupped around a mug of tea- Olong tea.The scent reminded her of her mother, her home back in the Hun Nan province , her brother - and her heart ached at the thought.
She took a sip, eyes tentatively watching the downpour in silence. She glanced at the clock, it was one a.m, yet she was feeling restless.
" What have I dragged myself into," she sighed. She knew that this mission was far greater than expected, it was dangerous and risky.
They were going against criminals , villains. Not to mention that they were outnumbered too, and undoubtably weaker in terms of their abilities.
Lin Na glanced at her fingers, watching them vanish now and then. She knew what Charles was asking from her - he was asking her too fight.
Yet it was the last thing she wanted, and the one thing she always tries to avoid. If she had to choose to fight or flight - she would always choose to flight.
That's what she's considering at the very moment, because she knew a war was coming - and she didn't need to be involved with another one.
" You wanted me to stay, yet you are planning to leave."
Lin Na flinched at the sudden voice , and she turned to see Erik leaning against the doorframe of the kitchen.
She looked away, head hung low as she tightened her fingers around the porcelain," I have to go."
She stood up, and went for the door. Yet Erik blocked her, moving in front of her.
" Why is it that you always seem to shy away from me? Is it because you're scared ? I already told you, I don't bite."
He gave her a smile, this time it wasn't a grin - it was more of a smirk.
" I am not afraid of you," she said, trying to be bolder.
" I am afraid of what you can do," she thought.
" Good," he moved forward, making her step back," then tell me, what makes you so afraid ? Don't you tust Charles? You seemed to be well acquainted with each other."
" We are good friends," she replied, and she could feel the table behind her. She was trapped, and he was only inches away from her.
" He told you that he would be recruiting more of us, so we shouldn't be outnumbered. We have the CIA on our side ," he spoke, tone low - near a whisper," So why are you still afraid?"
" I am afraid of war," she blurted out, and she didn't noticed that she had raised her tone until he raised his brow - whether in amusement or in surprise , she couldn't tell.
" I don't want to see blood spilled, or lives taken. I have already had my share of it- to put me in another war would -"
She paused," Would break me."
Yet she didn't say the last part out loud.
" Charles said that I would be stopping a war," she continued," But I haven't been honest with him. I'm not entirely convinced about it, how if we would only start one?"
Silence hung in the air once more, and by now the rain had subdued, yet the clock still ticks irritatingly against the wall.
" If you can't take Charles' word for it, take mine," he spoke," We would be stopping a war, I can assure you that."
He spoke as if he knew about war, and from what Charles had told him - she knew that it was a war just as bad as hers. Maybe even worse.
" Can I trust you?" She asked.
" Only if I can trust that you wouldn't run away from me anymore."
She tried to hold back her smile.
She gave him good look, scanning his face to see if he was sincere.She shouldn't be this quick to trust anyone, especially dangerous people like him -
Charles told her with so much conviction that he trusted him, even Raven- the most skeptical person she knew, seemed to trust the man.
Doing the same wouldn't hurt.
" This man, that we are stopping. You know him?"
" Believe me", he scoffed," more than I'd like to."
