“This is not what we agreed on!"

Heechul's voice was heated as he was held at bay outside the Psych department. Barring his way was a squad of five Epsilon recruits, with a smug Seo Hee behind them. 

"I believe you agreed to the need for her re-education after all this time. Too much time in the wild, you know? We can't afford to have a rogue element in our ranks." 

Seo Hee sounded almost reasonable, but for the contemptuous sneer on her lips. Heechul took a deep breath, trying to center himself. He had received intel earlier that Yerin had just been sent to Psych for re-education, which was standard operating procedure and couldn't have been avoided, a fact that he had laid out for her before bringing her back in. 

They knew what to expect there, and it wouldn't be the first time Yerin had gone through the process. It was mandatory for all of the trainees back in the day, and while it wasn't perfect, it did manage to implant basic suggestions and reinforce certain behaviors in the recruits. The process might be harsh, even brutal at times, but that largely depended on the will of the person being broken in. Most of the Delta kids had experienced it at a relatively young age, which made them a lot more receptive to the brainwashing. Heechul was a little concerned about Yerin would respond to it as a fully grown adult, but it was a necessary compromise he had to make in order to reintegrate her back into the organization. 

Despite his concerns, it was still a softer approach compared to directly hardwiring someone's brain with a magical geas. That was as good as giving the recipient a lobotomy, and the final result was the pliant toy soldiers of the Epsilon program. He had never agreed with that approach from the beginning, but with the state of affairs being the way it was, he had been overruled in the end. 

He would not have been so concerned about Yerin being carted off, but when one of his contacts in the department sent him an urgent message about a change in plans regarding Yerin's re-education schedule, old instincts for paranoia came to the fore. Sensing a possible snag, he rushed over immediately, only to be stopped at the entrance by Seo Hee and her minions. It was never a good sign if the woman was getting herself involved. She wasn’t known as a control freak for nothing, and the way she treated the Epsilon recruits was a good enough indicator of her ethos. Heechul hadn’t brought Yerin back only for her to be neutered like this. It would run contrary to everything he was working towards.

“You don’t understand what you’re messing with, Seo Hee. You’ll break her, and what good will that do? I know that’s not what you want.”

Heechul’s voice was even, flat grey eyes staring into the deep brown of Seo Hee’s. The younger woman scowled, a shadow creeping across her features as she raised her chin defiantly.

“And what do you know of what I want, old man? Maybe I just want her to be a good little girl. I could use someone like her to warm my bed again, you know?”

Heechul snorted, looking disappointed.

“She was never a good little girl, and if that’s all you want out of her, you’re more of a fool than I thought. She’s worth so much more than that, and have you even seen the reports coming back from your little toy soldiers?” Heechul shook his head. “Blunt instruments all. We need someone who can run the kind of field ops HQ needs. This isn’t about a simple smash and grab anymore, and you should know that.”

“Don’t try and unsettle me with your premonitions of doom, Heechul. Your little spy games are hardly necessary.” A cocky smirk twisted her lips. “Aren’t you the one playing out your little fantasies of being a spymaster? I’m not the one wasting company resources here.”

Heechul’s lips compressed into a thin line, his eyes narrowing.

“Incheon might be our home ground, but who do you think made it as impenetrable as it is?” Heechul’s eyes were dark. “Unless you intend to convert the city to martial law, you’ll never exert the same level of control we used to have. We have competitors, Ms. Han. And they never play nice.”

“And you think one girl can change that?” Seo Hee chuckled derisively, twirling one of the longer curls of her chocolate brown hair. “She’s capable, I’ll give you that much, but what can she do on her own? This changes nothing, old man. You’re on your way out, and she’ll come under my control sooner or later.”

Heechul was about to rebut her, but sudden alarms going off inside the department made them all tense in surprise. Without a word, Seo Hee her heel and shoved her way in, her forming up around her like a guard of honour. Silently, Heechul slipped in behind them, trailing a ways off to see what was going on. He had an inkling it had something to do with his favorite protege. 

He wasn’t wrong. They stepped in to the scene of resident psych specialists desperately trying to sedate a wild eyed Yerin, who had torn free of the shackles holding her down. Heechul had known she was strong, but even he had underestimated how strong she could really be when she was pushed to a corner. A vaguely familiar employee lay bleeding in a corner and missing most of his teeth, and Heechul couldn’t help the tiny smirk that curled at the corner of his lips as he finally placed where he remembered the person from. One of Seo Hee’s plants, and even restrained as Yerin had been earlier, she must have sensed a threat and retaliated instinctively. 

The girl was bleeding from where the plasti-metal had cut into her skin when she had broken free, but she seemed not to feel it, crouched in a corner and hissing threateningly at anyone who tried to come close. Someone had already gone to fetch a tranquilizer gun, but they had to make sure she didn’t try to make a run for it in the meantime. Seo Hee wrinkled her nose, obviously displeased by the turn of events.

“I told you she can’t be tamed the same way. They were trained for counterintelligence efforts, doing this is meaningless.” Heechul’s irritatingly calm voice cut through Seo Hee’s annoyance, which only served to inflame it. Her knuckles went white from the strain of clenching her fist, though her face remained coolly indifferent.

“And you can claim to control her? There’s no way something like this can be trusted.” Seo Hee tsked, tossing a contemptuous glance Heechul’s way, but the older man remained unbothered. In fact, he stepped forward, excusing his way through the ring of lab coated technicians to crouch down a few feet away from the still wary Yerin.

“Hey, I told you I won’t let them hurt you. Remember?” His voice was gentle, like he was talking to a child, and Yerin shrunk back, the confusion in her eyes fading slightly at the familiar face and voice. She was still breathing heavily, and beads of sweat glistened at her temples, slicking the hair near it. Heechul cursed inwardly, guessing what they had tried to do to her. No matter, he would have to improvise somehow. In fact, now that he thought about it, he could definitely take advantage of the situation to solidify his hold on her. A convenient loophole.

“ ...hyung…” Yerin rasped out after a second, recognition sparking in her eyes. She shook her head like a child, clutching her wounded hand to her chest as she muttered to herself. “I’m not a traitor...I’ll be good…”

Heechul’s jaw tightened, shooting a backwards glare across his shoulder at the technicians surrounding them. While he understood the theory behind what they had been trying to do, pushing too hard so soon would only have negative side effects. Yerin wasn’t a malleable child anymore, and using the same old methods could have unexpected results. There was no way they didn’t know that, but the Psych guys had always been a little on the sadistic side. They hadn’t had any new toys to play with in ages, and messing with anyone unfortunate enough to fall into their charge was quite a common affair; it was no secret to anyone who knew anything that the last place they wanted to be sent to was the Psych department.

“Let’s get you out of here then.” Heechul continued speaking soothingly, extending a hand and waiting for Yerin to take it. He knew his kids, and with what the girl had just been put through, he had a good chance of reinforcing his image as someone to be trusted within her mind. He wasn’t above taking advantage of the situation, and if they were going to be so kind to aid his efforts, he wasn’t going to let it pass him by.

“But she’s not cleared for release!” One of the technicians, under Seo Hee’s baleful stare, spoke up quickly, though his trembling hands betrayed his nervousness. He had seen how Yerin had broken free earlier and nearly choked one of his colleagues to death, right after knocking the teeth out of another man. They would have to up the dosage on muscle relaxants if they intended to do any more work on her. Her files hadn’t quite been complete in that sense, and they had been taken off guard. 

“She’s done here. I’m only bringing her to Solitary. That’s still in the program, is it not?” Heechul’s voice was gruff, and Yerin tensed visibly at the mention of Solitary, seeming to shrink further into herself. Her always active glamour had been suppressed under the anti-magick cuffs they bolted onto her wrists and ankles, but it managed to leak through under her evident distress, and it became difficult to look at her, as if something was directing their eyes to look away. Heechul blinked rapidly, focusing his mind to keep his sight on her.

“It’s going to be fine...Yennie’s a good girl, right? No one’s going to hurt you…” 

Yerin hesitated, cocking her head to one side as if listening to a distant voice, and after a long moment, she finally nodded, reaching out to take Heechul’s hand as they rose together.

“Heechul, you know it’ll be all on your head if something goes wrong here.” Seo Hee’s voice was clipped, something between rage and envy flashing in her eyes as Yerin hovered docilely next to the older man. 

“I’ll take full responsibility for rehabilitating her, don’t you worry about that.”  

Heechul locked eyes with Seo Hee, knowing that she could easily order her minions to take them both down if she chose, but betting that she wouldn’t. Too many witnesses were around, and not everyone within Psych was working for her. He expected her to send guards though, not trusting him to keep to his word. In a way, the young woman was extremely predictable, and easy to maneuver with the application of the right levers.

His guess proved correct, and Seo Hee motioned part of her to see the pair safely to the confinement cells located deeper within Psych. It was true that Yerin had yet to be cleared for active duty, and not even Heechul could overrule that. He had promised to shield her where he could though, and he was a man of his word. Some time alone would do her good, and she would only be more tractable after getting released. He still had contacts within this department, and that would be enough to keep ahead of anything Seo Hee tried to pull off.

“I’ll come back for you when the time is right. Just hold on, okay? Be good, and they’ll let you out soon.” Heechul applied the last of the medicine to Yerin’s open wounds, the girl bearing it stoically with no change in her facial expressions ever since they had stepped into the cells. Heechul knew she was scared though. The psychological profile he had of her from before detailed the type of triggers she had, and solitary confinement was one of the things guaranteed to wear her down the most quickly. He needed her clear as soon as possible, and even though it was cruel to subject her to such conditions, it was still better than the other type of psychological torture Seo Hee had been planning. 

When Heechul moved to step away, Yerin suddenly moved, trapping his wrist to keep him from leaving. There was a quiet, pleading terror in her eyes, and Heechul grit his teeth, placing his other hand over hers.

“It won’t be long, I promise. No one’s going to take you away. You’ll be safe here.”

He peeled her grip away from his hand, ignoring the mute appeal she was making. He shook his head minutely, mouthing something quietly, and Yerin lowered her head, her hair falling forward to hide her face. The cell was already dark, and when Heechul stepped back out, the door clanged shut, plunging the tiny space into an absolute darkness.

“I’m sorry…” Heechul murmured, remembering the vulnerable form of his charge before the door sealed shut. No sound, no light, sensory deprivation for days on end. It was enough to drive any normal person mad, but he trusted in the quality of his kids. Yerin had been through this before, she could do it again. It would only make her more receptive when they let her out eventually.

It was for the best. Sacrifices had to be made, and she knew what she was getting into. There was no turning back for either of them.

Stay safe, Yennie. You can do this.

“Any luck?”

Umji asked from the side, where she was waiting safely out of range of any potential accidents for Eunha to finish her latest attempt at a tracking spell. It hadn’t been easy for the fire mage, since her only experience with it was whatever Yuju had taught her before. Her talents had always manifested best in combat, and wielding fire as a weapon wasn’t the same as the more subtle arts Yuju practiced.

Without the more systemized education Yuju had apparently grown up with, Eunha had always just had to figure out how her own magic worked without anyone to guide her, all while trying to hide the explosive bursts when her magic flared up from the inquisitors hunting down anyone different while they had been growing up. It left a lot of gaps in her knowledge though, and Yuju had been tutoring her over the past year in the more technical aspects of the craft to cover up the flaws in her technique.

Trying to locate Yuju with the same skills the shaman had taught her before was bitterly ironic somehow. Eunha had been working on her fine control over the last few months, and while she had made a stunning amount of progress, she was still nowhere near the proficiency Yuju possessed. Her last few attempts had fizzled out on her, and even with using the charms Yuju had given them previously prior to the fight with the imugi as a focus, it was ridiculously difficult trying to create a self sustaining locator spell. Eunha had a lot more appreciation for what the shaman did now after all her previous attempts had essentially imploded on her. 

“You want to try adding the blood we collected?” Umji suggested helpfully, mentally scanning all the grimoires she had downloaded as reference guides to help Eunha out. They had wisely collected the blood Yuju had left on the ground before the shaman had vanished three days ago, thinking it might be of use somehow. Eunha hadn’t touched that yet, wanting to try other means before using blood as a medium. It was a lot more volatile to deal with, and the fire mage didn’t have the confidence to handle it without something going spectacularly wrong somehow.

While Eunha was still trying out location spells, Umji trawled the Matrix for any news that might hint at where Yuju had gone or might be doing. Having a rogue blood mage on the loose worried all of them, especially after Umji’s description of Yuju as the hacker had last seen her. It looked disturbingly like Yuju had gone out of control, and with no Yerin to calm her down, it didn’t bode well for everyone else. Sowon had grimly instructed Umji to look out for suspicious disappearances and/or a rash of deaths in any sector. 

Blood mages weren’t particularly prevalent, but there was one thing in common for all the previous cases recorded: people died. Often in quick succession, before escalating into exponentially larger numbers until the mage in question was stopped, usually permanently with lethal force. Umji didn’t want to think the worst of Yuju, but they had to track her down before things spiralled out of control. The more energy the blood mage pulled out of living things, the more difficult it would be to put them down when the time came. 

And Yuju could kill on sight. It wasn’t like the others where some sort of ritual or close contact was required. It made her way more dangerous by default, and Sowon had mentioned to her that she wasn’t sure how they were going to neutralize her even if they were able to track her down. The leader had been out the last few days with SinB in tow, the pair trying to pry information out the old fashioned way through rumours and questioning people off the grid. Umji’s hacking skills were impressive, but her information was only as good as anything that was recorded and uploaded. The hacker hated to admit it, but Yerin had been right; sometimes the only way was to keep one ear to the ground, because there were things that would be hidden otherwise.

A tiny shockwave erupted from the center of the room, and Umji dived behind the couch automatically, a habit she had developed after the first few times, only poking her head up after a few seconds to ascertain that Eunha was okay. The mage was fine, if a little frazzled by her latest failed attempt, a sulky pout visible behind the soot on her face. 

"No good?" Umji ventured tentatively, resting her chin on her arms as she propped herself up on the back of the couch. Eunha sighed, scratching in frustration at her short hair. 

"It should have worked! I'm sure I did everything right but the moment it starts zooming in, something shorts out and then…" The fire mage made a boom gesture with her hands. Umji cocked her head thoughtfully. 

"Have you considered that maybe Yuju-unnie is blocking you? If she doesn't want to be found, she knows how to jam locator spells. I think she mentioned something like that before, let me check…" Umji rummaged through her notebooks, muttering half to herself. 

"Ah yes, here, she set up anti-scrying wards around our old base before. So I don't think you messed up or anything, she might just be interrupting the signal…"

Umji trailed off at the irritated expression on Eunha's face, dipping back behind the couch nervously with only her eyes and forehead barely visible over the top. The fire mage sighed, rubbing at her face in exhaustion. 

"It's been almost four days, Umji. The snow’s here already, and she's out there all alone…even if her magic is strong, she's still human. Is she even eating? Is she staying warm? What if she catches a cold?” Eunha knew she was babbling, but she was tired, and worry was eating away at the last vestiges of her good sense. She desperately needed to do something, anything, to try and find Yuju before something bad happened. Regardless of her own feelings, she felt responsible for Yuju’s wellbeing, and the girl had literally gone missing from right under her nose.

“She’ll be fine…” Umji tried to reassure the older girl. “I heard Yerin tell a story once about how Yuju used to live in the wastelands on her own. She can take care of herself.”

Eunha closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. She knew Yuju wasn’t helpless, far from it, and if Sowon was right, the girl was more of a danger to other people right now. It was difficult though, trying to reconcile the earnest young woman she was used to with the almost casually brutal blood mage she had seen with her own two eyes before. Though she trusted Yuju to do the right thing, there were still times when the nightmares came, driving her awake as cold sweat ran a chill down her spine. Some things could never be forgotten or unseen, and vengeful Yuju with her mad eyes was one of them.

Yuju was deeply hurt right now, Eunha knew. Yerin’s departure might have been an opportunity for her to slip into the gap left behind, but there was no questioning how much the assassin had meant to Yuju. There was a bond between them she couldn’t really supersede, and Eunha was honest enough with herself about that. She could never replace Yerin in Yuju’s heart, but she wanted a place there as herself regardless. She was willing to wait, give Yuju time to heal, let the girl lean on her in her time of need, but none of that could happen if Yuju just ran off like this.

Was it bad of her to have selfish motives like this? Perhaps, but Eunha didn’t consider herself a saint. As Jung Eunbi, she had been in love with Choi Yuna in the past, and while it wasn’t quite the same in the present, she had been deeply interested in Yuju from the first time she had seen the girl when Sowon brought the duo back as fresh recruits after a mission. That interest only grew the more they interacted, and the crush that developed seemed only natural after that.

It could have never progressed beyond that. Even back then, before the dragon orb, Eunha had known that Yerin and Yuju were close, and having a simple crush wasn’t enough for her to try and make a move at the time. Everything changed with the memories of the past though, and Yuju became almost like a drug to her after that. SinB was right to call it an obsession, even though it irked Eunha to describe it as such. She couldn’t, and didn’t want to let go. 

To her, Yuju was worth it. When you remember what it was like to be the center of someone’s universe, it was hard to give up on that feeling. Yuju had a way of looking at someone like they were the only thing that existed in her eyes, and it only meshed all too well with her memories as Jung Eunbi. The same earnest innocence was present in both versions of the girl she used to love, and the girl she was growing to love. She was never going to be able to separate the two entirely, no matter what she said to Sowon before.

Though she had tried to convince herself to step away, to let go, especially after Yerin and Yuju had gotten together, it was never going to be easy for her. Jealousy didn’t sit well with her, but she couldn’t help herself, not when Yuju looked at Yerin like she was her whole world. I used to have that. You used to look at me like that.

It didn’t matter now though. She had a chance to make things right, and Yuju needed someone who could care for her by her side. Involuntarily, Eunha was reminded of something Yerin said before. Watch over her when I’m not around. As if she needed to say something like that. Eunha would never leave the person she loved, unlike a certain someone. 

“Eunha-unnie? You okay there?” Umji’s voice cut through Eunha’s reverie, and the fire mage looked up into the hacker’s concerned eyes. “Maybe you should take a break, wait for Sowon-unnie to come back. She might have better luck outside.”

Eunha exhaled, looking back down at the rudimental ritual circle she had painted earlier. She was certain it was correct, and if Umji’s theory was right, Yuju was simply blocking the attempts at tracing her. Well, she wasn’t about to let her get away with that.

“One more time, Umji. I think I’ll use her blood this time. Let her try and block that.”  

A look of determination crept onto Eunha’s face. She was going to find her wayward puppy, whether the girl wanted to be found or not. It was not safe for her out there, and it was for her own good. Eunha just wanted Yuju to be alright. That wasn’t too much to ask, was it?

The blood was still fresh on ice. Eunha hoped it would be enough. It would have to be enough. It always came down to blood, didn’t it? Blood mages, blood magic. Blood and bone, spirit and flesh linked as one. You could not have one without the other, and some things could never be denied. There was power in blood, in life, and in sacrifice. The symbolism mattered, that had been her first lesson from Yuju. Well, time to see if she had learned her lessons right.

Time to come home, Yuju. Play time’s over.

trigger warning: description of ual assault ahead, please be careful

Minding your own business was how one stayed alive and safe to steal another day. The girl knew this, keeping to herself and pulling the beanie she had scavenged lower over her head. Her ears were cold, but winter was always hard. Staying on the move, keeping an eye out for opportunities, it was just the beginning of one more day in the slums.

The pickings were better around the larger trash yards, but she had little choice. Too many eyes were around the more popular areas, and she had to lay low after narrowly evading a capture attempt. She had gotten lucky with the Spider’s surprise entrance the last time, but she couldn’t count on that kind of luck always. The only thing that could be relied on was herself, and she had to stay one step ahead to make sure she was never cornered again.

It was before dawn, but she was always out early. Better pickings the earlier she went, and if she made it one step before the dump trucks came, she could check the garbage points of key buildings before they were carted away to the landfills. If she could scavenge useful parts for her brother to repurpose, they wouldn’t have to worry about food for a few days. 

She had a small reputation around these parts, so she wasn’t bothered by other lone scavengers. This was not officially part of any territory claimed by the local gangs, and while competition was fierce, she was quite capable of taking care of herself. There were scuffles, of course. Whoever was stronger had first choice, the largest share of whatever could be stripped and taken away. 

She had won and lost her fair share of fights, but that was normal. No one really fought to the death, not this early in winter. Desperation came later; for now, the worst one could get were only bruises and a few scratches. She could survive that, and left her rivals in the same condition they would have done for her were the tables turned. They were all just trying to make ends meet here, and making enemies was not encouraged when you lacked the protection of a group. Live and let live, survival of the fittest; these were the rules she had grown up with.

So when she saw a couple of lone scavengers trying to wrestle a tattered blanket off someone huddled in the corner of an alley, she was prepared to just move on and ignore it. It was winter, the cold was starting to set in, and anything that could help someone survive the night freeze was valuable here in the slums. She had neither the time nor energy to be sympathetic to the weak. Her hands were full enough trying to keep both herself and her little brother alive. What good would it do to help someone else? Better to move on and pick her fights.

But they were in her way, the shortcut she was planning to take just beyond the alley they were in. No matter, she could step past them and be on her way. One of the scavengers glared at her when she came close, but she kept her hands to herself and nodded briefly. Just passing through.

They had just managed to rip the blanket off the huddled figure as she stepped around them, and a passing curiosity made her dart a quick glance at the tangle of limbs exposed to the grey light of pre-dawn. Clean, her mind supplied. Too clean to be a slum-dweller. 

The sharp intake of breath from the other scavengers perked her interest, coupled with heavy breathing she knew all too well. Even from that brief glance earlier, she knew the figure on the floor was a woman. It was difficult being female in the slums. Unless you had the strength to fight like she did, men would often take advantage of the disparity in strength to take what they wanted. She was barely fourteen, and already had to fend off attempts from s who thought she was easy pickings since a couple years back. 

It disgusted her, but apart from learning how better to protect herself, she rarely got involved when such things happened. She couldn’t protect everyone, and if something happened to her, who would take care of her brother? 

She quickened her steps to put what was about to happen safely behind her. Out of sight, out of mind. The whole thing made her sick, and a part of her toyed with the idea of turning back to get the jump on the two men while they were distracted.

No, Ryujin. Just move on. It’s none of your business.

A scream cut through the murky air of the alley, and it was decidedly not female. Surprised, Ryujin jerked around to check out what was going on. 

She was only a few meters out, and one of the scavengers was writhing on the ground, clutching at his lower half in agony. His friend seemed caught off guard by the woman’s retaliation, and he stepped forward, backhanding the groggy woman with one hand, the loud smack of skin on skin echoing down the alley.

“Stay down, . We’ll make it quick if you don’t fight back.” He sneered. “You might even enjoy yourself if you relax.”

Ryujin knew she should probably leave. But her eyesight had always been unnaturally good even in low light conditions, and she thought she recognized that face before the backhand knocked the woman’s head to one side. There were no tattoos on that face now, and the hair was dark as night, not the blood red that still haunted her dreams, but that face had definitely left an impression on her before. It was hard to forget a sight like that.

The man had no idea what he was getting into if that woman was who she thought it was. Suddenly, she didn’t really want to leave. She was curious what the human form of the Spider was going to do under these conditions. If, of course, this really was the same person.

She didn’t have to wait long. When the man put his grubby hands on the woman, trying to force her down, her head whipped back, slamming hard into the bridge of his nose. The sound of bone cracking was quite satisfying, and Ryujin moved to one side to get a better look, crouching by a pile of abandoned boxes as she watched them fight. 

The fallen man had also gotten up again to try and restrain the woman, along with Broken Nose, who was cursing furiously. The pale woman looked gaunt and half frozen, and despite having put up a good fight so far, she was obviously no match for two grown men out to subdue her. 

Ryujin held her breath when they smashed her head against the wall, forcing her to her knees. The woman had made a good account of herself, knocking a couple of teeth out from the other guy, and Broken Nose was limping where she had kicked him in the knee. The men were mad, and they were in no mood to be gentle.

“Not so tough now eh?” Broken Nose taunted, one hand moving to undo his pants. “You’re going to pay for making me bleed, .”

The woman’s forehead was gashed open against the rough concrete, blood trailing down one side of her face in a way that felt eerily familiar to the watching Ryujin. Was it her, or did the temperature drop by a few degrees? And that was definitely not the blood making that glow right there.

When a hand reached out to try and rip off the woman’s clothes, it was suddenly frozen in mid-motion, and Ryujin caught the explosion of black light tearing out like a pair of dark wings from the woman’s back. It engulfed the two men, and for a brief, beautiful moment, Ryujin saw their outlines etched in a circuit of pulsing lights that rapidly faded into nothingness. Then she blinked, and the next thing she saw were two bodies hitting the ground. 

Red eyes found hers with eerie certainty, as if the owner had always known she was there. Ryujin in a breath, feeling oddly guilty that she had been nothing but a bystander the whole time. The unknown woman rose to her feet shakily, placing one hand against the wall to prop herself up. Underneath the blood that stained her face, the wounds were closing at a rate visible to the eye. It was breathtaking to watch.

Ryujin backed up nervously as the woman approached. This close, she could see the exhaustion and confusion apparent on the woman’s face, as if she wasn’t fully aware of what had just happened. The red glow in her eyes had faded away, leaving behind liquid dark orbs projecting an innocence that didn’t match what she had just done.

“...where am I?”

That was the last thing Ryujin expected out of her. The woman was taller than her, skinny and shivering in the biting cold. The young street rat wasn’t really sure how to respond, but then the rogue mage suddenly fell over in front of her, shaking uncontrollably like one of the drug addicts in the ghettos that had missed their fix. Ryujin hesitated, unsure whether or not it was safe to approach. But the fallen woman suddenly reached up and grabbed at her hand, the contact burning hot despite the chill of winter, and their eyes met. The street rat winced, averting her eyes.

She saved you before. And she needs help now.

Having a conscience really , Ryujin mused as she helped the taller woman up. There was a debt to be paid there, like it or not. She owed this woman, and the least she could do was take her somewhere safe for now. They could work things out later.

Ryujin wasn’t a good person. She could never afford to be, not with the kind of life she led. The strong devoured the weak, and rarely did anyone have the generosity for kindness. All the kindness she possessed was reserved for her kin, and that alone was weakness enough. She couldn’t afford to be kind, but she understood obligation, and power.

This mage was powerful, insanely so. It would be good to have her close, if she were not a threat. Ryujin wasn’t sure why she trusted the mage to not hurt her, but something in those dark eyes had moved her, and the fact that the mage hadn’t already killed her the last two times was oddly reassuring.

It was also somewhat disappointing to realize the Spider was only human, but compared to an untouchable myth, Ryujin felt that this was a lot more real, and worth the investment. If the woman could extend her protection over them, they would never have to be afraid again. 

But first they had to get to safety. The scuffle earlier could have drawn attention, even at this hour. Attention was bad, especially with the mage partially incapacitated. None of her plans would work out if they got caught now. 

Let’s hope you’re worth the trouble.