Blackest of Hearts

Close Call

Muscles screamed to move but stayed in place. My brain grew more fogged with anxiety with every foot step that grew nearer. I could see no way out of this.

Dementia giggled witlessly, as if not understanding what was bad about this situation. I whipped my head right to left, hastily looking for somewhere to hide. The curtained windows drew my attention; the drapes were long enough that they could probably hide my feet if I stood behind them. Like a child playing hide and seek, I rushed behind the curtains and stood as still as I could, pulling tightly on them to get them to stop swishing.

"Oh yes let's hide from him!" Dementia squealed and lept behind the other one. I almost shushed her to be quiet, but heard someone enter the room.

My breathing seemed too loud. The pounding of my heart in my chest was audible. I closed my eyes and listened as footsteps came closer to my hiding place, belonging to the one person I was to stay away from. I imagined him drawing closer, remembering the painting I'd seen in his office of a dark face and piercing eyes. Eyes that were now roaving the room, soon to discover me. His footsteps grew so close that I was sure he must be reaching toward the curtains. I could almost feel the heat of him through the thick fabric, coming closer as he stretched out his hand. I imagined the scene that would take place, of him ripping away the drapes to find me standing here. Of me panicking at the sight of his cold eyes and devious smile. Of everything going black.

A muffled giggle sounded from nearby.

"Dementia, why am I not surprised" the deep voice growled, mere inches away from me.

Then the voice moved away. I heard the sound of moving fabric, and then more laughter from Demencia.

"Blackhat you found me! Take me away!"

"I should have known it was you, what a waste of time." The voice grew further away.

"Wait Blackhat, where are you going?" Demencia followed after him. "I'll come with you!"

"I'm going to my study to take care of some business and you will most definitely not be following me there..." The voices faded away down the hall, and I breathed a sigh of relief, a little unbelieving that I hadn't gotten caught. Soon I couldn't hear them at all. I crept out from behind my curtain and ran down the hall towards Flug's lab, silently thanking Demencia for being so crazily obsessed with Blackhat.

I arrived in Flug's lab to find him slumped over a table, head resting defeatedly between his arms. I slipped in through the door and walked towards him.

"You doing okay Slug?" I asked, deciding to play it nonchalant.

"[Y/n]!" Flug's head shot up and he whirled around. "You're here! And alright!" His shoulders relaxed only to tense again. "Why'd you leave the lab? Do you have any idea how close you came to Blackhat finding you?"

My mind flashed to what had happened moments before; to being inches away from Blackhat with only a sheet of fabric separating us. "Oh yes, I know," I said, while my thoughts echoed the phrase you have no idea just how close. Flug seemed frustrated by my answer.

"[Y/n] you have to take this seriously!" He took a quick step towards me and reached out his hands; they hovered above my shoulders for a second before he pulled them back to his sides where they clenched fistfulls of white lab coat. "Whether you believe it or not, Blackhat is a serious threat to your safety, now more than ever, and mine too now, and I-I-I" He took a breath and started again, "I cannot let you stay here if you're not going to accept-t that!" he pointed a stern finger at me, and I looked through his mask to see his eyebrows knit together with tension.

"Flug I'm sorry," I insisted, surprised by his sour mood, my hands raising in front if me defensively, "I didn't realize he'd return while I was out of the lab."

Flug was silent for a while. He lowered his pointing hand.

"Ok, well... Be more careful next time," he said awkwardly.

"I will," I assured him.

"Good," He nodded, and we were plunged into awkward silence.

I glanced at the ticking clock, my eyes following it's twitching hands. I wondered if I should tell Flug about the threat Demencia made to turn me in, or if anything coming out of her mouth was nothing to worry about.

I was desperately thankful when Flug broke the silence again.

"The reason Blackhat was away," Flug began as he turned back to the lab table he'd been at earlier, "is because he was arranging a deal with a big client. Someone well known in black market weaponry is hosting a sort of weapons convention, and they, knowing of Blackhat's notorious business, have asked us to bring the main attraction. It'll be great for business," he picked up a clipboard, "that is, if we have something to actually bring to it."

"So what, should we... brainstorm ideas?" I asked, trying to be helpful and make up for the anxiety I'd put Flug through.

Flug glanced at his clipboard. "Well Blackhat already suggested an idea that he's pretty set on, but it's completely undoable, so we just have to come up with something that he'll like even more."

I smirked, "What, is there something the great Mastermind Dr. Flug Slys can't make?"

He glanced back up sharply. "It's not like that. The reason Blackhat was late today is because he ran into some guys from Blackstar Inc. on his way back, which if you remember, is one of the corporations trying to hunt you down. Blackhat realized you were in the area and went looking. His big idea for the convention is capturing you."