NEVER Talk To Strangers

~ 16 ~

"Are you sure this place is safe?" Mari asks, looking around. They were in a dark graveyard, both wearing all black. Budo nodded his head, also looking around.
"Of course." He grinned, gently holding on to her hand. "Nobody's getting close to us without us knowing and being able to escape," Budo assured her. That didn't completely calm Mari, however.
"What if Dr Casey tries to kidnap me again?" She asked, concerned. She didn't completely trust him, even though she knew he hadn't been completely lying to her. Budo sighed.
"We can trust him. I told him to come alone, and if he has anyone we can deal with it." Budo assured her. He wanted her to feel safe around Dr Casey, and trust him enough to believe his answer when she asked the questions she needed to. "The only reason he had me kidnap you was to get you away from Dr Shuyona. He was right to do that, wasn't he?"
"I guess you're right..." Mari sighed. He was right to try and take her away from Dr Shuyona, as it exposed the truth about him and the lies he'd built her life around.
"Then do me a favour." He said. She gave him a somewhat confused look. "Give me a beautiful smile. This is all going to go fine." He assured her. She nodded her head, giving him a small smile.
"I trust you." She told him. He smiled brightly, glad to hear her say that. 'That's music to my ears!' She heard him think. She looked around, a chill running down her spine. "Did you really have to pick somewhere so creepy?" She frowned. She wasn't keen on them being in a graveyard at night.
"Hey, you wanted out the way. This is out the way." He told her nonchalantly, shrugging his shoulders. She sighed, knowing that was true. He put his finger to her mouth when he heard a sound to hopefully keep her quiet. "I hear someone." He told her quietly, going silent. She tensed up, going quiet too. She moved closer to him, slightly scared. The fear soon fizzled away when she saw it was just Dr Casey.
"Glad you could make it Dr Casey. Have any trouble finding this place?" Budo asked, giving him a small smile. The older man shook his head.
"No, your instructions were precise as always." He said, smiling warmly. He quickly turned his attention to Mari, glad to see her again. "Are you alright, darling?" He asked her. She nodded her head at him.
"I'm fine, but you knew that. You knew I couldn't be hurt, didn't you?" She asked curiously. She was already asking questions, something they'd both expected. She had a lot to ask and didn't have forever to get the answers. "You've known what I can do the whole time, haven't you?" She asked, her tone turning more accusing. He sighed a little before speaking.
"Just because you can heal yourself doesn't mean you're alright." He told her in a caring tone. She sighed and nodded her head. Just because she could physically heal herself, that doesn't fix anything else.
"I suppose..." she sighed. "I guess I would be a lot worse off if it wasn't for Budo." She admitted, fiddling with the edge of her black t-shirt. If it wasn't for him, she would probably be being used as Dr Shuyona's guinea pig. Both of them smiled hearing that.
"I'm glad I sent him to save you." He told her, glancing up at Budo. He grinned, flicking his hair back. He too was glad he'd been the one to save Mari.
"This is nice and all, but don't you have some questions to ask, Mari?" Budo asked her. She nodded her head, acting as though she suddenly remembered the real reason they were here. Not for pleasantries, but to find out the truth.
"Do you know who my father is?" She asked Dr Casey. That was most important to her, finding out who her father was so she could find him and know where she came from. He nodded his head. Mari's eyes lit up. "Who is he?" She asked quickly.
"He's... well... He's me." He confessed. She gasped in pure shock. She'd never even considered the possibility that Dr Casey was her father.
"You're my dad?" She asked, clearly shocked and surprised. Budo looked just as confused as she did. He honestly hadn't known, he would've told her otherwise.
"I didn't know, honest!" Budo told her quickly. He turned to look at Dr Casey, raising his eyebrow slightly. "Why didn't you tell me?" He asked. The older man sighed.
"I didn't want it to come out like this. I wanted to get to know you better, Mari." Dr Casey told her. She nodded her head slowly, still in complete shock. She had to push it aside and press on to learn the truth about her past.
"Why did you let Dr Shuyona take me and raise me as his daughter for all these years if you knew you were my father?" She asked, taking a small step back. "You knew what he was like, so why didn't you come for me?" She asked, this question having a hint of sadness in her voice when she spoke. He frowned when he heard the sadness.
"It was never safe. If I could've taken you back safely, then I would've." He told her. She looked down, not knowing what to believe. She knew she couldn't believe a word that came from Dr Shuyona's mouth, but could she trust Dr Casey either? "Dr Shuyona kept your location top secret. He made sure there was heavy security around you at all times when it wasn't. I didn't stand a chance against them until I met Budo." He told her truthfully. "He was the only one who could contact you, and it was pure luck that you went out in public for your seventeenth birthday." He sighed, remembering how much of her life he had missed. He could tell she still wasn't sure, and it broke his heart. He just wanted her to believe him. "Please believe me, darling. I wanted nothing more than to have you back safe and sound." He sighed sadly. "Please let me make it up to you and be the father you deserve to have." He asked, wanting that more than anything.
"I... I don't know. You're a stranger to me." She sighed. She wanted to embrace her real father, but part of her couldn't. What if he was just going to use her the same way Dr Shuyona used her.
"He's a good guy, Mari. Give him a chance." Budo said quietly to her. 'I wouldn't have taken this job otherwise, even though I do owe my life to him.' She heard him say in his mind. She glanced over at Dr Casey, reading his thoughts too. 'If only she'd say yes, I'd finally have a piece of my Kaido back.' A part of her felt guilty, he sounded like he really missed her mother. She knew she should at least give him a chance. It's what her mum would want.
"Okay, I'll give you a chance." She said, smiling and moving closer to him. He smiled lovingly at her, happy she hadn't rejected him.
"I'm so glad." He smiled, gently hugging her. She hugged back, embracing him fully. She still didn't know if she could completely trust him, but he was her father. He deserved the chance to prove himself.
"So, do you know why I can do these cool things?" She asked. She knew he knew she could do some really cool things, and she was hoping he knew why too. He nodded his head.
"You've carried the potential to do incredible things even before you were born." He explained to her. She nodded her head, although she was slightly confused too.
"What am I then?" She asked, working herself up slightly. If she'd been this way even before she was born, she must not be human. That was the only logical reason, right?
"It's okay, Mari. There's no need to get worked up." Dr Casey told her, gently placing his hand on her shoulder. She shook it off, folding her arms.
"That's easy for you to say. Unless..." the gears in her head started turning as she started thinking. "You're just like me! Are you?" She asked, grabbing his arm and shaking it a little. She wasn't doing it to hurt him, she was just curious and excited.
"No, I-" He started. He was going to tell her the truth, but he was cut off. What cut him off scared Mari slightly.
"Is this a private party, or can anyone join?" Mari recognised that voice. It was that of her fake friend, Ayano. She'd found them, and she wasn't alone. With her was the two new bodyguards, who looked ready for a fight.
"Stay behind me, Mari. I'll protect you." Budo said heroically, getting in front of her and Dr Casey. The doctor put his arm protectively around his daughter as Budo charged at them. He was intentionally starting a fight with them as a distraction so Mari and Dr Casey could escape. Unfortunately, it wouldn't be that simple. Ayano walked over to them, her hand on her hip.
"Now, are you going to come quietly or do I have to get ugly?" She spitefully asked Mari. The redhead shook her head, moving closer to Dr Casey.
"It's too late for that, Ayano." She said. She was never going back to Dr Shuyona by choice. Never! Ayano narrowed her eyes.
"You'll pay for that, bitch." She hissed. Mari wasn't scared. She knew Ayano wouldn't hurt her, even now.
"You can't hurt me, your boss would get mad." She told Ayano, smirking. Ayano would just have to try another time. Ayano shook her head, laughing.
"I can hurt you all I please so long as I don't kill you." Ayano retorted, folding her arms. That scared Mari a little. Knowing Ayano, she would actually go through with that threat. Then again, she couldn't say she knew Ayano. The Ayano she knew had turned out to be a lie. "Accidents happen all the time, after all." She smirked, planning to pass off any injuries inflicted on Mari as accidents. The redhead shook her head.
"You'll have to catch me first!" Mari told her, getting ready to run. She would've run away right then, but Ayano's laughter held her back.
"You run like a girl, I'll catch you easily." She laughed. Mari frowned. She didn't know what else to do now. If she ran she would probably get caught and dragged back, but if she stayed she would probably be taken back. She didn't think she could win. Deep down, she knew she couldn't run away now. Budo was still fighting the bodyguards, she couldn't leave him. She decided to try and keep Ayano distracted until the bodyguards went down because then they could escape a lot easier.
"How did you find us anyway?" She asked, changing the topic somewhat. Ayano smirked, glancing up at Dr Casey.
"We just followed Dr Casey. He lead us right to you." She said, keeping her eyes firmly on the doctor. She wanted him to blame himself for her getting to Mari. For what reason, that was unknown. "You really should've brought some security with you, just to guarantee your safety." She smirked. He would've brought some security, but he had been told to come alone. He trusted Budo. He held his daughter closer.
"I wanted to prove to Mari that she could trust me!" He told her, getting angry. He wasn't completely angry with Ayano, but she was getting the brunt of it. He'd rather it be her than with Mari. "I thought I had taken proper safety precautions." He sighed and turned to Mari, calming down. "I'm so sorry darling." He said to her. She didn't blame him at all for this, it wasn't his fault.
"No, these psychos can't take no for an answer." She assured him, giving him a small smile. She looked over at Budo, seeing him winning against Ayano's thugs. "You should probably go before Budo gets done with your new bodyguards." She smirked, folding her arms. "Where did you even find those losers?" She asked, laughing a little.
"It was easy to replace the two you shot. Dr Shuyona authorised any means necessary to get you back." Ayano told her. It didn't matter what he did to get Mari back, she was never going back to him.
"I'm never going back!" She shouted defiantly. Ayano laughed, stepping closer to her.
"Oh yes, you are!" Ayano shouted at her. Mari and Dr Casey took a step back.
"Just wait and see what I can do!" Mari laughed. She didn't quite know the extent of her powers yet, but hopefully she could discover something that would deter Ayano from trying to take her back to Dr Shuyona. She shoved Ayano back as hard as she could, throwing her to the floor. She got up, growling angrily. Clearly that had pissed her off.
"You bitch!" She screamed. She pulled out a gun from her jacket pocket and fired two shots. The first missed, but the second hit Mari in the shoulder. She screamed, terrifying Dr Casey.
"Budo was right... getting shot hurts." She frowned, her hand going to the bullet wound. She knew it would heal, but that was beside the point.
"You're not going down?!" Ayano asked in a mix of shock and anger. She didn't know Mari had super fast healing abilities now.
"Nope, but you are," Mari smirked, shoving Ayano back again. This time she stayed down, much to Mari's relief. She looked down her nose at her former friend, smirking slightly.
"Mari, you've been shot!" Dr Casey started to panic. He'd been worried from the moment Ayano had fired the gun, but now the immediate danger of more gunshots was over he could worry.
"I'll be fine." She assured him. He smiled with relief, doubling over seconds later. He was clutching his heart, terrifying Mari.
"My... heart..." he groaned in pain. Budo ran over to them, having dealt with the two bodyguards. He had a look of concern on his face too.
"Are you both okay?" He asked anxiously. Mari nodded her head quickly. She was okay, but she was more worried about Dr Casey.
"I'm fine, but there's something wrong with Dr Casey!" She told him, kneeling down to be on his level. Budo knelt down too, concerned for him.
"I need my pills for my heart." He told them, holding on to his heart too. Mari glanced up at Budo, hoping he would know. When he didn't even acknowledge her, she turned back to Dr Casey.
"Where are they?" She asked. She could get them and give them to him no problem, well, hopefully no problem.
"In my car..." he told her, glancing over in the direction of his parked car. Mari nodded her head, standing up.
"I'll go get them for you." She told him. Before she could run to the car, she was stopped by Budo. He had a concerned look on his face.
"No, there's no time. We have to get out of here." He too got up and picked up Dr Casey. He was in a really bad way, which terrified Mari more than anything. He couldn't die now, not after she had just found out he is her real father. Not to mention that he had answers for her that she so desperately needed.
"We have to get him to the hospital, Budo. He looks really bad!" She cried worriedly, watching Budo like a hawk. Budo nodded his head, carrying Dr Casey to the car. Mari stayed right beside him.

They rushed the doctor over to his car, laying him down on the back seats before getting in the front. They started driving, but Mari couldn't take her eyes off her father.
"Hurry, Budo. He looks weak!" Mari cried, grabbing his hand. She was fighting back tears, worrying that much about him.
"It's alright darling, I've had attacks like this before." Dr Casey tried to reassure her. "Just take me home, I don't need to go to the hospital." He said, trying to calm his daughter down. He could tell how worried she was.
"Are you sure?" She asked, keeping hold of his hand and her eyes on him. She had to make sure he was okay, her future depended on it.
"Of course. I am a doctor after all." He told her, laughing softly. She looked up at Budo for guidance. She was quite naive when it came to things like this, and she wanted to make sure she was doing the right thing.
"He IS a doctor, Mari. I think we should trust him. He wouldn't want to risk his own health, after all, right?" He said to her. She went silent for a moment, looking back at Dr Casey. He seemed to be doing considerably better since they left the graveyard.
"Okay. Budo, head back to the mansion. We'll figure out what to do there." She told him. He nodded his head. "If Ayano or any of Dr Shuyona's people show up, we'll be ready for them." She said, narrowing her eyes at the thought of them returning. Admittedly, it was her fault that they knew where Dr Casey lived, but in her defence, she was in the wrong frame of mind. She'd been essentially brainwashed by Dr Shuyona.
"That's my girl!" Budo grinned, driving back to Dr Casey's mansion. They made it back safely with no trouble or sign that they were being followed.

"You take Dr Casey upstairs, I'll find Mr Manson and see if he knows anything about his medications," Mari told Budo as they entered the mansion. He nodded his head and took Dr Casey up to his bedroom. Mari started her search for Mr Manson. She called his name, and he came into the sitting room quickly.
"Miss Mari! What are you doing here?" He asked, surprised to see her again. He couldn't hide that he was happy to see her again, and she too was quite happy to see him.
"There's something wrong with Dr Casey! It was like he had a heart attack or something!" She told him worriedly. Mr Manson gasped, covering his mouth.
"He's had another one, has he? I'll go fetch his medication." He said with a frown, leaving to get the medication. Mari decided to go with him, curious.
"He's had these before?" She asked. Mr Manson nodded his head, glancing down at Mari as he went towards the kitchen.
"Oh, yes. The doctor is not a well man." He told Mari, worrying her more. She was scared to lose him without having asked everything she needed to. "He's been working day and night. So dedicated to work he forgot to take care of himself." He told her, reaching the kitchen.
"Budo's taken him up to his bedroom, so hurry up." She whined, changing the subject somewhat. He nodded his head.
"I will, and I'm glad you're back where you belong Mari." He told her, smiling warmly. She nodded her head, wondering if everyone knew she belonged here except for her. She walked slowly up to Dr Casey's room, quietly talking to herself.
"I hope he gets better... I can't risk losing anyone else in my life..."

Mr Manson gives the doctor his medication. Mari paced outside the room, worried for him. She got to a point quickly where she couldn't take it anymore. She ran into the room, praying he was okay.
"How is he?" She asked Budo as Mr Manson left the room. She looked at Dr Casey, frowning. "Oh no, he's unconscious." She frowned sadly. Budo nodded his head, also looking over at the doctor.
"Yeah. He went unconscious not long after Mr Manson gave him a shot of something." He told her. She looked over at him, not knowing what to do.
"What can we do?" She asked Budo. He sighed and shrugged his shoulders, being just as clueless as she was.
"I don't know Mari, I just don't know..."