Perfect School

Paublo:

Kira did first aid on my hands, cleaning them and wrapping up the wounds before looking back at Andrew and Kyra. Her expression was mostly unreadable but I could see the edges of concern on her face for a moment before she turned back around.

Kira:

Climbing up into the front seat I glanced at Jonah then ahead at the road. Zero led us to what looked like a simple Motel but as we arrived two doors opened and some men rushed out, medical supplies and a gurney being taken along with them.

Jonah:

They took him in and gave us some rooms to wait in. Kyra wouldn't stop pacing, or sniffling. She left a few times to make calls then returned to the room. She was usually so strong, I had never actually seen tears fall down her face, but now she looked like a shell.

Paublo:

I fidgeted, torn as I watched my three friends. Jonah seemed thoughtful, watching Kyra from his seat. Kira was leaning against the wall, eyes roaming the room slowly with small pauses on Kyra. Why weren't they helping her? She was in distress and neither Kyra's family nor her leader were being helpful. It was confusing, and simply felt wrong to me. After Kyra returned from her latest call, I heaved my bulk out of the plastic chair I'd been sitting in. I went over to her and without a word hugged her gently. "He'll be okay. Andrew is tough. Tougher than me. That whole mess and he didn't have a visible scratch that I could tell. I just moved some rubble and look at my hands. All cut up. He is going to be okay Kyra." I told her softly, trying to be as reassuring and comforting as I could.

Kyra:

I more or less melted into him, getting his shirt front wet from tears (and snot).  I held onto him for a long moment until  doctor came in to update us.  They said Andrew was doing well, that were was some internal bleeding, but that they had been able to drain it and they gave him medication to prevent more bleeding.  He was sedated now, but they said we could see him if we wanted.  

The room they had him in was kind of a mini suite, with enough room for all of us to have a spot to sit and be.  I pulled up a chair to the bed and sat with my upper half laying on the bed next to Andrew.  My tears dried, but I wouldn't feel better until he opened his eyes again.  

I sat like that for the next few hours, and to their credit, no one left us except to get food.  Jonah and Kira showed they cared by staying with us and not leaving to the other room.  


Jonah:

I had the TV turned to a channel that played old black and white movies, but kept it muted so as to not disturb Kyra.  Andrew was going to be fine, according to the doctors, but she was still frazzled.  

The door to the room was open, and I was the only one sitting with the vantage point to see down the hallway.  I was the first to see the pair walking toward the room.   My eyes fixed on them in recognition, even though I had only seen them from far away.  

The woman was was taller than Kira by a few inches.  She wore jeans and a green top with a black jacket, to ward off the chill.  I placed her in her late thirties, probably thirty six or thirty seven.  She was slender, but not muscular.  In fact she looked on the frailer side.  She was walking quickly with deep worry lines on her face.  The man looked healthy, not quite in his prime, but close to it and about the same age.  I could see Kira in him, same black hair, same cheek structure.  They even carried themselves in the same way.  

I tapped the table between Kira and myself to get her attention and nodded down the hallway.  My whole attention was focused on her now, after I had appraised her parents.  I read every micro expression on her face as if they were symbols on a page.

Kira:

I could have left.  Any of us could have left.  But none of us wanted to leave Andrew.  Our team had it's moments.  Moments where we argued, we fought, we hated everything about those we worked along side.  But in moments like this we proved our worth.  None of us left.  Everything became about Andrew and in turn about Kyra.  Anytime one of us steppedd out for the restroom, to get food, a drink, anything.  We'd return with something for her.  I was no different.  I was the second to do it.  Paublo had been the first with his hug.  I had made a trip to the van, grabbing our weapons and bringing them inside, as well as grab everyone's jackets.  Originally I had only planned on grabbing mine.  But after seeing both Andrew's and Kyra's in the back I had gathered them all.  I'd folded up hers beside her and wrapped Andrew's around her shoulders after tossing the boys their own.

The corner had become my place then, each gun taken from a bag or case and placed on the table to be disassembled, cleaned, and reassembled.  The need to do something filled me.  And this seemed the most productive event for me.  Sure it kept my back to the door, but it gave me something to do to stay busy.

When Jonah tapped the table I glanced at him then followed his gaze to the couple who were just now entering the room.  I looked both of them over for a moment then dismissed them from my mind, turning my attention back to the rifle in front of me when my brain actually processed what I had seen.  I froze then and took another long look at them.  I could only stare, face going pale for a moment.  That second look was all it took for my mask to shatter.  Longing, betrayal, hurt, loss, and confusion flitted across my face in that instant before I quickly yanked my gaze back to the table.

Skilled assassins have been known to throw off a presence.  It is the same presence one can find when you look at an armed soldier.  You can't help but feel intimidated by their power.  Because at that moment they are the most dangerous person in the room.  Among equally skilled assassins such a thing isn't felt and I'd always suppressed such things.  Being underestimated had it's advantages.  But for a moment I was the most dangerous one in the room.  An animal trapped in a corner.  It was instinct that made you feel such a thing, and it was instinct that made me want to do nothing more than to fight or to flee.

Just as quickly as it came it was gone, the tension of that single moment ending while I slowly stood and flipped up my hood.  "I'm going to step out for a moment."  I told Jonah softly.  It was easy to keep my head down, hands jammed into pockets as I slipped out of the room.  As my steps carried me out of the room I could feel both of them behind me.  My parents.  Just feet away.

I'm not running. I told my heart and brain.  They are here for Andrew and Kyra.  Having me there only complicates things.

You run because you are scared, my brain returned back softly.

You are scared because you know they aren't here for you, my heart whispered.

They were right.

Jonah:

Emotions erupted from her like free flowing lava in one instant. It wasn't just her face, which was partially obscured from my view, but her body that gave her away. She reminded me of a dog fleeing with it's tail between it's legs. “Okay,” I responded quietly to her before she left. I would follow after her in a minute, I took the advantage of being able to study her parents up close in the time being.


Kyra:

I heard the footsteps but didn't look up until a hand touched my shoulder. “Hey, Honey,” My aunt said. I was shocked to see her here. The time it took didn't seem possible. I immediately hopped up to hug her tightly, fresh tears coming to my eyes. After she held me for a few minutes I hugged Michael while she explained that they had been on vacation and much closer to our location. Dad had sent them since he was farther away on business and couldn't get to us immediately.

Paublo:

I had been watching the television, the only person to really be watching it when the couple came in. A weak smile covered my lips at first one that grew once I knew they were part of Kyra's family. I didn't really recognize them but the man gave me a curious look and a brief smile before focusing once more on Kyra and Andrew.

Kira:

I stayed down the hall just a bit, arms crossed, chin tucked to my chest, gaze on the ground as I worked the mask back into place. Every emotion was buried deeply or cast out if I could manage it. I was growing weak, every time I had to do this growing more difficult. It didn't help that the source of it all was just a bit away, well within hearing distance. I had tried to go to the sitting room, tried to get away. But in all I couldn't. And so I hid within my hood, and listened.

Jonah:

After a the few minutes on which they focused on Kyra and Andrew, Kyra finally turned around and introduced them to Paublo and myself. She gave a half stricken look when she realized that Kira had left. For once she hadn't pushed them on her, but Kira was still ambushed all the same.

After the introductions were out of the way I went to find Kira in the sitting area. “Are you okay?” I asked her. She looked almost shell shocked, and much paler than usual. I wasn't going to pretend that I hadn't seen her emotions. She was hurting, and for someone who refused to feel, that kind of emotion was going to hit them harder. I sat in the char next to her.

"I'm fine." The words fell flat, and I didn't move or react to his presence. I had heard the introductions, glad in part for being able to leave, and sad at the same time. The duality was eating at me. Consuming me till I tottered on a razor edge. A little push to either side would be all it took to either harden me or break me.

Jonah:

It was a lie, and she didn't even attempt to make it sound convincing. I reached out to touch her shoulder gently, squeeze it lightly. “Remember what I said on the plane? You can't just bury this.” I was genuinely concerned that she was going to break, and not in a way that I could use.

"I can, because right now isn't the time to handle this. None of what is happening now is about me. It is about Andrew. Return to them Jonah, I'll use this time to get food for us all." I didn't move at first after speaking but slowly I raised my hand to squeeze the hand he had placed on my shoulder. It would be the closest reaction to a thanks he would get.

Jonah:

“Andrew and Kyra don't need me, they're with family. In fact, neither of them especially like me,” I said with a little shrug. “If you're leaving, I'm going with you.” It wasn't that I thought she would do something stupid, it was just that she was unpredictable right now, she wasn't thinking. That made her an easy target for anyone.

I glanced at him then brushed his hand off as I stood. "Fine. I saw a pizza joint across the street." A part of me welcomed the chance to get into something. We weren't in the best neighborhood. An altercation could happen. I was no fool about why he might wish to come with me. I knew what he wanted and I also guessed he wished to keep me from doing anything stupid. With him following me I left to go place the order.

~some time later~

Kyle:

I had finished my job and got on the first plane to them. Krissy had been in contact with me since she got there. It wasn't serious, she said, and in the last hour he had begun to wake up a little. I wasn't too worried, but I knew my daughter wouldn't be content until everything was right.

Walking into the building, Kira was the first person I saw. I hadn't known if she would be there or not, Kyra hadn't mentioned it. It complicated things greatly that she was here. Certain things couldn't be ignored. I approached her and Jonah.

“I know you're not my biggest fan, but I think you should be warned. I'm going to tell them, you can chose if you want to be in the room or not,” I said. She didn't seem like the same girl I had known. There was something about her manner that was different.

"Is now the time? I can't stop you but you should focus on your children first. I am and only should be an afterthought." I replied softly. They were going to know, the very thought pushed the rest of the air from my lungs but I didn't look up at him. I studied the floor instead, drawing a knee up to my chest so I could hug it.

Kyle:

I nodded. “It wont be until later, so you have time to think about it. I just wanted to give you the option.” I nodded to Jonah, but that was the only attention I gave him. I left the two there and went to see my family. My son wasn't awake, but Kyra was much relived to see me. I was even forced to thank Paublo for what he had done, even though I disliked the kid. I had to give him credit, not only for going in to collect Kaiser, but for staying with them for so long.

A couple hours past, He woke up a little but went back to sleep. Krissy and Michael were talking about getting a hotel room for the night and coming back in the morning. Kyra kept looking at me questioningly and I finally had to nod to her in answer. I finally told them that I had to speak with them alone. I had them follow me down the hallway to a secluded room. We past Kira on the way and I looked at her, giving her one more chance. Krissy looked as we passed too.

I could only nod mutely in response before he went in. I didn't move from my position, keeping my eyes closed and my emotions inward as the hours passed. I kept an ear trained on the room during the whole event and my eyes opened slowly as I heard Kyle ask to speak with my parents. I looked up at him as he passed me, but didn't move. I glanced at the woman, then the man as they too passed. But with them I tucked my chin again.

Kyle:

I was disappointed that Kira wouldn't come, though if I was being honest, perhaps it was better that she didn't. This was something huge, and I knew Krissy, at least, wouldn't take it well. I walked the two of them into a small rrom and closed the door behind us.


Krissy:

I was curious and a confused as to what Kyle was going to tell us. It had to be something personal, or else he wouldn't be acting the way he was. My first thought was that he had been seeing someone and wanted us to meet her. Odd timing to bring it up though.

“I met a girl a few months ago,” He said seriously. I started to smile. I knew Lexi had been the love of his life and he wouldn't ever replace her, but at some point he had to let himself love again. Life was too short to just work as he was doing.

“It was on a job I took. She was this tiny little thing, but she was incredibly skilled, probably more so than anyone else. And I've fought with you,” He nodded to Michael. “And Ebony. This girl very nearly killed me. Turned out that she was at the school with my children.” I tilted my head, a little confused at his story. So she was a teacher then, or a mentor to Kyra and Andrew. That must be weird for them, or maybe they were happy about it…

“There was something about her that had caught my attention. She seemed familiar, in her fighting style, and in her appearance. I took a temporary teaching position at the school, as you know. But I was mainly wanting to investigate her.” My eyebrows twitched to a small frown, his story was getting strange...

“I did a DNA test on her to confirm my suspicions, and it came back positive. She's here now, and that's why I'm telling you this now. We passed her in the hallway, the little girl with dark green eyes,” he looked at me, “and black hair,” he looked at Michael. My mind was trying to wrap around this new information that wasn't fitting with my original thought. I had seen the girl he was talking about when we first came in. There had been something about her that struck me, something about the way she stared. I couldn't help but look at her again when we passed for the second time.

“She's your daughter,” Kyle finished his speech. For a moment, I thought he was only talking to Michael. I snorted. It was just like Kyle to pull something like this. I hadn't realized that he was still holding onto a grudge against Michael. It was stupid to make something like this up. I thought then about the DNA test, that was so easy to disprove, why lie about it? For the briefest second, doubt flitted through my mind. I glanced at Michael. There had been some time early on when we had been separated… No. He would have told me about something like that. I trusted him completely.

I looked at Kyle, completely baffled. “I don't understand,” I said.

Michael:

Kyle had warmed up since the wedding. Doting on his kids, and keeping my wife happy had led to a mutual respect even among our brief moments together. It certainly wasn't a brotherly bond, but an understanding and just acceptance. And so when I had heard him say he wanted to speak to both of us I couldn't help but be curious.

I'd hazard a few guesses as to what it might be. A relationship, a worry he had, or perhaps just a better explanation of the group of teens. Seeing them all had been a wonderful dose of nostalgia. I'd only ever been on one team before, and it was a brief thing many years ago. I only held contact with Jack now. Ebony I could only hope was either happy somewhere or that her pain had been brief before her passing.

But the longer he spoke the more I felt confused. I had noticed the girl he spoke of, how for a brief moment as we entered the room the hairs on the back of my neck had tingled and stood on end. She's dangerous, I had thought in that moment. But it was gone just as quickly as it had come and other matters had taken precedence. By the time I had the chance to look again she had been gone.

And then Kyle dropped the little bombshell among our midst. Our daughter? We had a daughter? My forehead smoothed, and my head tilted with wonder. Kyle had always been serious, sometimes boringly so. Making a joke like this was out of character so it had to be truth. Krissy had always been barren. Ever since....

"It couldn't be..." I murmured softly. The wheels churned in my head, drawing up the memories long in the past. Of Krissy's pregnancy. And of Eric 's blade jamming into her stomach. Surely what the doctors had done for her and the incident itself had rendered the baby dead. And yet if Kyle was to be believed it had happened. And as I thought about it. I did believe him.

Kira:

I didn't move at first, body twitching for a moment before I stood up. "Stay." The order was given to Jonah who had yet to leave me alone to myself. This had become something I had to hear, needed to know. And for once I cared who got to hear. "Please." I searched his face for a moment before moving quietly down the hallway.

Krissy:

I looked between the two. Michael understood, somehow, yet I was still lost. My brain couldn't make sense of it. “Krissy, your daughter is alive,” Kyle said after another minute of my incomprehension. I don’t have a daughter, I I thought, don’t have a child. Not ever a living one… Oh God...

The air died in my lungs. My heart beat was the only sound in my ears. I couldn't breathe until my brain screamed for oxygen.

“No,” I said. “No. No. No. That is not possible” My mind was whirling through the memories. I hadn't been far enough along… They said the baby died…

“I don't know how it's possible, but DNA doesn’t lie. And after being around her, no one could deny that she's y'alls daughter,” Kyle said while I shook my head in denial. I looked at Michael as if he would have something to saw to make sense of this.

Kira:

I listened at the door, leaning into the wall beside it. She didn't believe it. She was in denial. And I didn't blame her. If anything that helped me repair the cracks in my armor.

"Krissy...it might be possible to have brought it back. We don't know if it was injured and if they placed the baby into a surraget or an artificial womb...she could be our daughter." The man said softly.

I frowned at that silently wishing he hadn't spoken up. The bandage the woman had applied in her denial was only ripped away by the man's logic. I didn't want to believe. I wanted to feel whole again, not shattered.

Krissy:

I starred at him in disbelief.  He was supposed to make this better, not rationalize it.  Who were the “they” that he was talking about?  I had to sit down in a chair to think about this.  

“Not it, she.  Her name is Kira,” Kyle said, frowning at Michael.  “She is your daughter, and whatever they did, she survived it.”

I put my head in my hands.  It it was true what they were saying, then someone did this deliberately.  “Oh my God,” I moaned.  This was a nightmare.  “So they, whoever the hell they are, stole our baby?  For what purpose?” My voice was high, on the verge of hysterical.  “She's at the school with your children…  Oh God…  she's the most skilled assassin…  So what, they were trying to make her into Michael?”  I had never said his name as if it were a nasty word before.  

“What the hell Kyle,”  I was nearly hyperventilating with horror.

Kira:

Michael?  Why would it matter if I was turned into the man?  Unless he was incredibly skilled himself...I tried to imagine it, but I couldn't see him as being the best assassin of the previous age.  My lips curled slightly.  It had to be false then, the woman had to hate assassins.  Had to dislike the very idea of them to have that kind of venom to her tone.  She didn't like me.

Michael:

I put a hand on Krissy's shoulder. It was rare that she got like this. Rarer still that she showed so much passion and hysteria over this event. "Honey...the purpose doesn't matter now. We can take her out of it. She is our daughter."

Krissy:

I uncovered my face to look up at him. “What?” That thought hadn't even crossed my mind. “Take her out of it? She's been raised in it. She's probably been brainwashed since she was a baby. This was exactly why I was scared to ever have kids. I was afraid they would end up like me. I was afraid I wouldn't be there for them, like my parents weren't there for me. I didn't realize that it could be worse than that. I didn't realize they could be like you.”

“I didn't want her, I don't want her now with the way she is. I can't do anything with that. I should have ended the pregnancy when I first found out,” I said bitterly.

“Krissy,” Kyle said disapprovingly. “She's your child, you can't do anything about that now. At this point you have to accept this and do what you can to make it better.”

“Accept this? Accept it, Kyle? How the hell am I supposed to do that? I accepted it a long time ago. I accepted that I was going to have an unwanted child. I accepted that I was never going to have a child even if I did want it. How the fuck am I supposed to accept a child that is the worst of all of that? She's not even a child, shes an assassin,” I my voice was hysterical now.

“Why did you even meddle with this in the first place? You could have left it alone. Please tell me you didn't talk to her about it? Kyle? Goddamit!” I could tell from his face that he had and I was furious. It could have gone away, but no, he had to mess with it.

Michael:

Her words stung and I frowned at her. I couldn't exactly fault my wife for her words. But I hadn't thought that I was something to be despised. I pulled back my hand and searched her face. "You changed me didn't you? Why can't you do it for her?"

Kira:

I flinched. She didn't want me. I had been right at first. For once being right didn't give me a pleased feeling. If anything it hurt. My heart ached and my eyes stung. I didn't cry, tears didn't even show in my eyes though I could feel them wanting to come. I had been teetering on the edge for so long. But every wall came up. My mask was restored. I had been right all along. I wasn't wanted. I wasn't needed. I was better off this way. The few who wanted me didn't matter any more. If my own parent didn't want me, then I wasn't a part of any family.