Perfect School

Michael:

"You should be dead Marie." I didn't bother looking at her, but every fiber of my being wanted to find a weapon and finish the job I'd started so long ago. Instead I looked to Kira and Krissy. They were the ones that kept me grounded and almost calm.

Krissy:

Fear stabbed at my heart.  Almost everyone I loved was here in this room, Marie could do so much damage…  I took hold of Michael’s hand and held firmly, even as I felt Kyle’s grip on my shoulder tightened.  

Marie laughed.  “So should we all, Michael.  You and wife more so than most,” she replied.  Pure hate bubbled up inside me.  

“Watch it Marie,” my brother growled.  “Do not threaten me Kyle.  What can you expect to do with two ex-assassins, and a child?  You’re out numbered and out matched.  Now, I didn’t come all this way to harm any of you.  If you cooperate, there will be no need for violence.”

It had been many long years since I felt the urge this strongly.  It took all of my control to keep it in, but my self control was about to run out…

Michael:

"Out number perhaps...out matched on the other hand." I finally turned to level a hard gaze her way. "I was leagues above your best then. It hasn't been that long and I still have skills." I searched her face for a moment then looked away in a gesture of pure dismissal. Her guards were armed, they were ready. The odds were certainly not in my favor. With Kyle and Kyra here I felt I could have a shot but someone would get majorly hurt in the process. Now if I had a weapon the odds would be more even.

Jonah:


My interest piqued at his words. Either he was incredibly arrogant, or he was a very interesting man. I watched the spectacle with rapt attention.

“You were. But I have produced a better weapon. I suppose I have you to thank for that, Michael. You made me change my goals. I realized I had create what I wanted. Just like you were created.” She was smiling. She enjoyed this. “So, I took the same basic material and-”

Krissy lunged up out of her chair. Guns raised around Marie. Kyle caught his sister and restrained her, hissing something in her eyes. My hand hovered over my holstered gun, while my eyes fell on Kyra who had her hand in her pocket on some kind of knife, and her narrowed eyes glued to me.

Michael:

I was the only one who didn't move. Myself and Marie. Instead I watched for a moment, blue eyes resting on Jonah for a moment before following his gaze to my niece and then to her knife. "Kyra. Can I have that?" I kept my voice careful and extended a hand out.

Kyra:

My eyes widened at Michael’s request. My hand tightened on the hilt. “Kyra, no,” I heard my father say.

“You fucking bitch!” Krissy shouted. My heart was racing. I shook my head at Michael. Dad had told me to stay down, don’t get involved unless I had to. I had to do what he said. I glanced at Jonah again, scared that he would do something while everyone else was preoccupied with Marie.

“Control her, I said you weren’t going to be harmed. But if you give me now other choice…” She raised her eyebrows at my dad and Michael.

Michael:

I only nodded once. Perhaps it was better that she didn't. I turned my attention to Marie even as Krissy started shouting. I was about to retort when a soft sound chimed in. I frowned and looked around a moment then focused on the one person in the room who had yet to say anything at all.

"...Please just go...." Kira was awake and even as her body was wracked with another tremor her green eyes were locked on us.

Jonah:

My eyes flicked to Kira when she spoke. “You heard her,” Marie said. “Jonah, escort them out,” She ordered me. I moved over to Kyra first since she was closest to me.

“Jonah, no. Please,” she no longer held her knife, but she seemed rooted in her chair. “Don’t touch her,” Kyle growled at me. “Kyra, come now.” She looked stricken at Kira, but she followed after her father who was dragging Krissy out while she hissed a string of curses at Marie. I turned to see it if Michael would go on his own.

Kira:

I watched Michael, the man who was my father.  He was watching me, studying me.  "Go.  Please."  I repeated in a strained tone.  He wasn't happy about it, I could tell in the set of his shoulders and in his eyes.  But otherwise his face was an impressive mask.  After several long moments he nodded and moved away from the bed.  He didn't look at anyone on his way out but as I followed him with my eyes I looked at Marie and her guards as well as Jonah.

Once Michael was out of the room I forced myself into a sitting position, though the act alone made me nearly pass out.  Swinging my legs off the bed I sat at the edge hunched over and hugging myself as I gazed at Marie.  "You came." There was an unveiled question in the statement, as well as a few tinges of accusation. I'd been hurt in the field before. Close to death numerous times. Collapsed hundreds of times and yet not once had she come to me after the event. This hadn't been about me, this had been about my family.

Jonah:

I hung back by the wall, arms crossed again, watching Kira and Marie. "Of course," was all she said then she motioned for one of her guards to come over.

I watched with an indifferent expression, but I did not like what I saw. The guy treated Kira roughly, wrapping a band around her arm and then injecting her with a grayish liquid. When he was done, he pushed her shoulder, causing her to fall back on her bed.

“You’ll need to take your medicine in two hours, so don’t fall asleep,” Marie said. She had lost all her fake smiles and enjoyment over bantering with the others. She was cold.

Kira:

"You never come..." I murmured as I looked away from the shot injected into my arm. The push was enough to send me back onto the bed and into full body spasm. It lasted only a few seconds before it faded into just the constant mind numbing pain.

I fought my way free and tried to sit up but after a few attempts I gave it up for futile. "Yes Ma'am." It was taking everything I had to stay lucid, but I pushed further to hide the emotions that wanted to be free from the surface.

Kyra:

Krissy still fought Dad even when we were out of the room. “Stop it!” He hissed at her. He pulled her up and pressed her back against the hallway wall, with his forearm across her collarbone and shoulders. It frightened me. I had never seen him treat her this way, nor had I seen Krissy act like this.

“You need to calm down. Confronting her now will only get you hurt or killed. No good will come of it. We have to take this slowly,” He said.

Michael:

If it had been anyone but Kyle I would have attacked them. As it was I still wasn't pleased by what he was doing to my wife, no matter how necessary it was. "Krissy, it's okay." I went over to her and caught one of her hands in mine. "I'm here." I kept my eyes on her, judging and gauging her reaction. How long had it been since I'd last seen her go into a blood rage? Was this even one?

Kyle:

When Michael approached, Krissy’s face changed. She went hard, to tearful, and when he spoke to her, she sagged against the wall. I let her go and she immediately turned into him and sobbed.

I stepped over to my daughter and cupped her face. She looked very young in that moment. “Are you okay?” I asked her. She nodded, her eyes watered but she didn’t cry.

“I don’t know if we can get her back this time,” She whispered, her eyebrows knitting together.

Michael:

I held onto my wife, hugging her close to me. I glanced at Kyle and Kyra for a moment then focused on Krissy. "We can. It won't be easy though Krissy." I didn't say what I was sure we all were thinking about. The three adults especially. We had to get out. There wasn't any other option for us.

Krissy:

I clung to Michael, my face pressed into his chest. “I want her dead,” I murmured against him, though at this point my urgent need to do it myself was passing.

“We need to leave. We won’t be able to see Kira again. Not with all Marie’s people here,” I head my brother say. Then his daughter, “I’m not leaving.”

"She should have been dead a long time ago..." Krissy's words brought back to me the very first thought I'd had at seeing Marie. I had killed her. I had been so sure of it. But there was no escaping reality. Marie was alive. I'd failed to kill her.

Hearing Kyra refusing to leave I sighed and rubbed Krissy's back. "We need to go, your dad is right."

Kyra:

I couldn’t do it. “No, I’m not going with you. I’m staying here,” I insisted. They had only just met Kira, but she was a huge part of my life. I couldn’t leave her without knowing she was okay.

I heard Kira’s room door open and out came Jonah along with a few of the guards. “Jonah!” I called, turning his way, with my back to my family.

He was impassive as he walked up. He eyed the adults behind me but kame up to me. “Please tell me what they’re doing to her,” I said pleadingly.

“She got her medicine. She should be getting better now,” he said with a shrug. He acted like he didn’t care, but I knew he had soft spot for Kira.

Michael:

I turned to look at the door and the boy who came out. His name was reminded to me again as Kyra called his name. I studied him for a moment then focused on my wife and consoling her while he talked to Kyra.

"Did her medicine or lack of it cause her to be like this?" I had been out of the loop of what was happening, but could fill in enough blanks to guess that.

Jonah:

I looked at Michael.  “The three-story fall didn’t help.  But yes, she went off her meds, so her body started shutting down,” I said.  

“When can we see her?” Kyra asked.  I shook my head.  She started to protest.  “Kyra, not even I am allowed in the room now.  You think Marie is going to let you or your family in?  Get your brother, Paublo and Eve and go back to the house to wait for us,” I told her.  She would be furious when she found out about Eve, but that was for another time.  

“As for the rest of you.  I would make myself scarce if I were you.  That’s not a threat, its simply very good advice.  Don’t try to contact Kira, it will only get her in trouble.” I made eye contact with both Kyle and Michael.

Michael:

"Is she going to be okay?" I looked Jonah over with an evaluating look. Back in my hay days I'd have said he and I had similar builds. At first I was evaluating him like I would any other random person, but before long I was noticing the small things. The way he held himself, the same calculating look in his eyes, and for a brief moment I had caught resentment in his gaze when speaking about Marie.

As my eyes shifted to Jonah I had a moment of surprise. Kyra trusted him, looking to him for approval. And ultimately as I switched back to Jonah he in turn cared for her. He was the team leader and it seemed he had earned that place.

Jonah:

“Yes,” I said simply. He was assessing me. I trusted that I gave off little information, but even so I redoubled my defenses and took care to display nothing.

As to his question. Kira would be okay, but she might have lingering effects from being in such bad shape. I wondered if Marie would take her back or if she would trust her to rebuild herself on her own. Either way I was hoping that I had proved enough to Marie that I was trustworthy with Kira.

Michael:

It was amusing to watch him throw up his walls, hide himself further from my scrutiny and I gave him a small smile. I knew, and I made no qualms about hiding it. I never had bothered learning to hide emotions or intent. I just had a mask for that. "We should go then." I gently started to coax Krissy to move before pausing.

"Jonah. Watch yourself too. You walk a dangerous line." I glanced at him as I spoke.

Jonah:

I watched them carefully. I knew now, that there was a lot to learn from Michael. How interesting that Kira’s father could be nearly as complicated at her. Kyra’s dad called her, saying that he would see her and “Kaiser” off before they left.

I did almost nothing for the next day. I was barred against seeing Kira until she was up on her feet. Marie gave her instructions to improve herself, then she turned to me, right in front of Kira, and thanked me for informing her of the situation. She then told me to tell her if Kira was slipping again, and to let her know if the family tried to make contact. She made a special point about keeping Kyra under control. I suppose she could tell that the girl was getting close to Kira.

Marie wanted Kira to know that she was out of favor. She wanted her to think that I was her favorite now, but I knew it not to be true. This was another way for her to turn the two o us against each other.

Jonah:

I watched them carefully. I knew now, that there was a lot to learn from Michael. How interesting that Kira’s father could be nearly as complicated at her. Kyra’s dad called her, saying that he would see her and “Kaiser” off before they left.

I did almost nothing for the next day. I was barred against seeing Kira until she was up on her feet. Marie gave her instructions to improve herself, then she turned to me, right in front of Kira, and thanked me for informing her of the situation. She then told me to tell her if Kira was slipping again, and to let her know if the family tried to make contact. She made a special point about keeping Kyra under control. I suppose she could tell that the girl was getting close to Kira.

Marie wanted Kira to know that she was out of favor. She wanted her to think that I was her favorite now, but I knew it not to be true. This was another way for her to turn the two o us against each other.