Belligerent (Vicara)

by B. N. Mauldin

  “We haven't established that the villa is safe yet,” Mackenzie said, but Aria was well out of hearing distance by then.

  Daylan snorted. “You really think that would stop her?”

  “It's safe now,” Logan whispered.

  “How did you fight them all off?” Ryan asked.

  “I only stopped Leon and Katherine. Clarisse handled the others.”

  “How?”

  “No idea. I know Stewart and Jon both ran away. I'm not sure about the other four.”

  Ryan glanced up. “What are these labs you're talking about?”

  “She used a sleeping gas on them,” Aria said as she returned to the foyer, carrying a bruised and unconscious Clarisse. “Looks like she couldn't get to a mask. She's completely knocked out.”

  “She's okay though?” Kenichi asked before tripping over his own feet. Daylan managed to catch him before he fell.

  “Yeah, she looks fine,” Aria said shifting the girl in her arms.

  Mackenzie sighed. “We need to get this place cleaned up.” She looked around. “Mystique's team has overstayed their welcome.”

  “I'll get them out of here,” Eva volunteered.

  “I can help,” Ryan spoke up.

  Mackenzie nodded to her combat specialist. “Make sure to take them-”

  “Far enough from the villa for us to not be implicated?” Eva said.

  “Yeah, that would be right. Logan, you injured?”

  “Not really. Bruises and scratches. Nothing new.” Unlike the rest of the team, Logan could actually be trusted to give an honest answer when asked about his injuries.

  “Think you could get the tech up and running? When you're finished, have Daylan give you a checkup. Just in case. I'm going to contact Shifter and see if there's a way for him to post an emergency exit pass for each of us before they try to take points away or something.”

  “On it,” Logan said. “I'll need to get Ryan's band back on well. If he's staying, that is.”

  They all looked at Ryan.

  He nodded to them. “Looks like I can't help you just yet, Eva. I've got a band to put on before the disciplinary squad decides to make a house call.”

  Eva smiled. “Not a problem.”

  “Daylan, can you handle Kenichi and Clarisse on your own?”

  “You doubt my abilities?” Daylan nodded to Aria. “Go ahead and put Clarisse in her bed. I'm going to hook her up to a vitals monitor just to make sure she's not having any reactions to the toxin. I'll wait to examine her until she's conscious - and after I've gotten this bullet out of Kenichi's shoulder.”

  “I'll help you move the bodies then, Eva,” Mackenzie volunteered. She stared down at the blood coating the floor – it would leave a telling stain.

  “I'll get rid of the blood once I've gotten her settled,” Aria called over her shoulder. “I've got plenty of chemicals that'll get it up with no problem.”

  “Thank you,” Mackenzie said.

  Before joining Logan, Ryan approached Kenichi with a shamed look on his face. “Listen,” he said, “I’m… I’m sorry I got you shot.”

  Kenichi waved him off. “It happens.”

  *

  Everyone ran their tasks quickly and efficiently. Aria was back by Clarisse's side by the time the girl woke and was forcing her to guzzle cups of water to combat the dry mouth side effect of the gas. All evidence of any fighting in the villa had disappeared and Logan had gotten the security system back up and running.

  “Where's Kenkun?” Clarisse asked once she could talk without her throat hurting too much. “I thought I heard something about getting shot?” The vitals monitor let out an uncomfortable shrieking as Clarisse unhooked herself. Aria reached over and flipped it off.

  “Just in the shoulder. Daylan handled it and he’s all patched up.”

  “I want to see him,” Clarisse insisted, planning on climbing out of the bed.

  “He's sleeping right now. Besides, Daylan wanted to make sure you didn't get injured earlier.”

  “I didn't. Only a few bruises. I'm sure you already noticed,” Clarisse said.

  “Humor me.”

  “Yeah... Okay. Tell me about the others then.”

  “You really hate being out of the loop, don't you?” Aria asked while pushing aside some stuffed animals to sit on the bed.

  “It doesn't suit me.”

  “Ryan's decided to stay.”

  “I knew he would.”

  “Same way you knew he was going to escape today?”

  “He would have kept doubting us otherwise. He had to see for himself that we're here for him.”

  “People are so complicated.”

  Clarisse smiled. “You have no idea. What about the others?”

  “Daylan is with Kenichi, of course. Logan's been working on the tech stuff, and Mackenzie and Eva took out the trash. I believe the girls and Ryan are now fixing dinner.”

  “You're so vague.”

  “That wasn't detailed enough?”

  Clarisse shook her head and sighed. “I'll just have to check the cameras.”

  “You know that's super creepy right?”

  Clarisse raised a thin eyebrow. “What's your point?” She sniffed a strand of her hair and made a face as she caught a whiff of the sleeping gas. “Shouldn't that have faded by now?”

  “You used the experimental gas,” Aria said. “A side effect is that the smell lingers even if it's no longer effective. You could have used one of the other sleeping gasses.”

  Clarisse shrugged. “I wanted the fastest acting one. Besides, Teresa's allergic to something in the original, and I didn't want to kill her.”

  “How did you know that was the fastest acting one? How do you even know what chemicals are in what gasses?”

  “You talk about them,” Clarisse dodged Aria's grasp and leapt off the bed. “I need a bath,” she said. “This smell is making my noise itch.”

  Aria was still staring at her in surprise. “Did you do one of those creepy things where you memorized what everyone said about their work?”

  Clarisse rummaged through a drawer for a change of clothes. “You get excited when you talk about your work. That makes it stick,” she said. “Now, if you will excuse me, I am going to go get the smell of these chemicals off of me.”

  “You need to let Daylan see if you have any injuries first,” Aria protested.

  The girls stared each other down. “I'll go see Daylan as soon as I'm done,” Clarisse said, offering her truce.

  “You'll take hours in there.”

  “I want to check on Kenichi though, so I'll be quick.”

  “What if you get dizzy?”

  “Then I guess you should join me to make sure I don't pass out from the heat. The bath water is pretty hot after all. Then you can determine when it's time to head to Daylan.”

  *

  Kenichi groaned as he tried to shift to a more comfortable position on the infirmary bed. He paused for a few seconds then tried again only to hiss a curse from between clenched teeth.

  “It wouldn't hurt as much if you stopped moving.”

  “This bed sucks,” Kenichi said.

  Daylan glanced up from the book he had been reading. “If you promise not to try to escape then I'll help you up to your room in a half hour.”

  “Why such a long wait?”

  “I thought you might want to wait for the painkiller to kick in,” Daylan said while crossing the room.

  “A painkiller might be nice,” Kenichi said. He then saw that Daylan was reaching for a syringe. “Not if that needle's going near my shoulder though.”

  The removal of the bullet followed by the stitches had been painful enough. Kenichi had no desire to have anything near his shoulder any time soon.

  “Don't worry. This is going into the IV line,” Daylan said.

  “When will that be removed by the way?” Kenichi asked, watching as Daylan injected the painkiller.

  “Maybe tomorrow morning.”

  Kenichi leane
d his head back on the pillow. “I never thought I would want to go into a pod.”

  “Too bad the pods are for after pit games only. And life or death situations.”

  “And this isn't life or death?”

  Daylan smoothed back some of Kenichi's hair from his face noting that color was slowly appearing in his cheeks once more.

  “You'll live,” he assured.

  Clarisse wandered in then. Her hair was still wet from a shower, and she was dressed for bed despite the early hour. Close behind her was Aria, who also had wet hair and was dressed for lounging.

  “How do you feel, Kenkun?”

  “I'm fine, Princess.”

  Clarisse rolled her eyes and began to speak in soft but rapid Japanese. Kenichi replied in Japanese while Daylan and Aria patiently waited for them to have their conversation. Daylan hoped that Clarisse would be able to get Kenichi to admit if he was hurting more than he was letting on. If anyone had the ability, she would be the one. Their conversation was brief, but Clarisse looked satisfied if still a little concerned when they switched back to English. Daylan glanced over to Aria, who shrugged.

  “Beats me. I'm just here to make sure she gets checked out,” Aria said.

  “Apparently I'm not trustworthy,” Clarisse remarked, taking a seat on the second bed in the infirmary.

  “I trust you,” Aria replied. “I trust you to avoid seeking medical care for anything other than a paper cut.”

  “I do like band-aids, especially the cupcake and unicorn ones Daylan has for me.”

  Daylan checked Clarisse's injuries to make sure there was nothing more than bruises. He also tested her breathing to confirm that the sleeping agent hadn’t done anything it wasn't supposed to do.

  “You'll probably be a little drowsy for the next day,” he said, “and you're going to have a sore throat for a while. You used quite a high dosage.”

  “I wanted to be sure I got them all,” Clarisse said. “I'm still frustrated that Stewart and Jon got away.”

  “Who gave you the bruises?” Kenichi asked.

  “One of them.”

  “But who?”

  Clarisse shook her head. “If I tell you, you'll try to attack them, and we're not ready for something like that right now. Besides, I've had worse injuries from you guys, so it's really no big deal.”

  Kenichi was frustrated by the reply. Clarisse might be a Belligerent, but she wasn’t supposed to be involved in real fights. Her job was to battle with words, not fists. And while she was more than capable of defending herself, there was something about her that drew people to want to protect her. Kenichi, especially, felt that Clarisse was his to protect.

  “You're okay to go,” Daylan said. “Take it easy though, and drink your precious tea. It'll help your throat.”

  Clarisse hopped off the bed and over to Kenichi. She gently planted a kiss on his forehead. “Feel better, Kenkun. I'll visit you in your room soon.” She turned to Daylan. “Thanks.” When she left the infirmary with Aria leading the way, they could hear her say, “I want ice cream for dinner and I think some custard would be yummy.”

  Daylan glanced back at Kenichi. “Ready to head to your room?”

  Kenichi nodded. His body was starting to feel distant and insignificant thanks to the combination of drugs that Daylan had given him. He tried to sit up and was pleased when the hole in his shoulder felt no more painful than a dull ache. He thought he was in the clear until he tried to stand. He realized that a lack of feeling in his legs made walking a bit difficult.

  “Going to let me help you?” Amusement filled Daylan's voice and Kenichi didn't need to look to know that Daylan was smirking.

  “You don't have to be so smug about it.”

  “And you don't always have to be so stubborn,” Daylan said while gently taking hold of one of Kenichi's arms. They started awkwardly, making their way out of the infirmary and to the flight of stairs that led to the villa's kitchen.

  “Has your opinion of Ryan changed?” Kenichi asked, trying to distract himself from how much effort it was taking to move his legs. He had a feeling that Daylan had medicated him a little more than had been necessary. He wished Daylan would remember that Kenichi wasn't Clarisse. He didn't want to be handled as if he were a delicate doll.

  Dylan grunted and responded. “My opinion of Ryan is that as long as he’s a part of this team, I’ll treat him as I would any of the rest of you.”

  “But..?” Kenichi said. “I know there's something you're not saying.”

  Daylan shook his head. “You'll be angry if I say it.”

  “I can get Clarisse to trick it out of you. You know that.”

  “I don't trust him still. Not completely. I'm going to advise Mackenzie that she should make sure she never has of you being left alone with only Ryan for backup.”

  “And by 'one of you', you mean...?”

  “Aria, Clarisse, Logan or you. Maybe not Mackenzie either.”

  “And what about you and Eva?”

  “Eva and I can handle ourselves.”

  “So can the rest of us,” Kenichi said.

  “The rest of you have jobs that require your attention be focused on something other than who's around you. You have to worry about breaking into safes and stuff like that. Logan has to focus on whatever tech stuff he's doing at the moment. Aria's attention has to be on the chemicals she's handling. Mackenzie's usually too distracted making sure the plan is going right to focus on anything else.”

  “And Clarisse?”

  “She has to concentrate on whom ever her mark is at the moment.”

  Kenichi snorted. “Please. Clarisse is always aware of her surroundings. Every moment of every day, she knows who’s in the room with her and what they are doing. She's as aware as Eva, if not more so. You can't use that excuse with her.”

  Daylan held open the kitchen door and guided Kenichi through. Clarisse waved at them from her seat on the counter.

  “There's something about Clarisse that makes everyone want to protect her,” the medical specialist said.

  Kenichi chuckled under his breath. “Clarisse is not as delicate as people like to think. She's not as innocent either.”

  “I'm aware. I think everyone but Aria is aware. It doesn't change the fact that there's something about her. Do you need to take a break?” They were in the foyer, but Kenichi was beginning to lean heavily on his escort.

  “I wouldn't need a break if you wouldn't have drugged me up so much.” His speech was beginning to slur.

  Daylan switched his hold on Kenichi. “I used the right amount. It happens to be a new drug, that's all.”

  “One that you had Aria create, I’m guessing?”

  “She made a pill form which can be easily crushed up and hidden in someone's food.”

  Kenichi smirked. “Is that a threat?”

  “It's more of a warning. We'd go much faster if you allowed me to carry you. You are aware of that. Aren't you?”

  “Not gonna happen,” Kenichi said.

  Eventually they got to Kenichi's room where he collapsed on his bed, careful of his shoulder. Daylan moved around him, organizing things to where Kenichi could reach something from the bed if he wanted. Kenichi squirmed around for a few moments before sighing.

  “I feel gross.”

  “I got all the blood off of you,” Daylan said.

  “Still feel gross,” Kenichi muttered.

  “You've lost quite a bit of blood today, and the baths are too warm for you to soak in right now. You'd pass out.”

  “I could take a shower,” Kenichi countered.

  Daylan sighed, knowing that Kenichi wouldn’t relent. “Wait a few more hours, and then you can go clean up. In the meantime, you can change into something other than those training clothes,” he said while placing a stack of clothing on the bed for Kenichi to change into.

  “You're not going to leave me alone for a while, are you?”

  Daylan shook his head. “No, not until I'm sure you're settled in bed a
nd not wandering off into more trouble.”

  “I can take over watching him for a while, if you would like a break.” Clarisse stepped into the room. “I told you I'd only be a few minutes,” she told Kenichi with a grin. He returned her smile and patted the spot next to him on the bed.

  “Thank you. I need to get the infirmary cleaned up, but I'll be back before dinner. Keep him in bed for now,” Daylan instructed before leaving the room.

  Clarisse carefully climbed into the bed with Kenichi and curled up against him. “Don't get shot again.”

  “I won't.

  “You said that last time.”

  Kenichi used his uninjured arm to tug Clarisse closer to him. “I'll try harder this time,” he said.

  *

  They ate dinner that night in the main room, dressed in their pajamas. Logan, Clarisse and Kenichi were doted on by the others, who refused to allow any of them off the couches for anything - despite the fact that Clarisse and Logan weren't that injured. In spite of the drama from the day's events, they all joked and laughed while eating.

  It wasn't until dessert that anyone mentioned Ryan's betrayal.

  “So, Ryan, I assume since you have the band on again that you've decided to remain here?” Daylan asked.

  Ryan realized that he was facing a precarious Daylan for the first time. The medical specialist was actually terrifying when he was angry because he was the kind of person who hid behind a calm facade until finally exploding with devastating effects. Ryan could see the emotions simmering in the medic's eyes and chose his words as carefully as he could manage.

  Placing his plate down on the coffee table, Ryan looked around at his teammates. “Today I learned that I really shouldn't trust anyone, but I also learned that you guys really did mean it when you said you protect your teammates. I know that right now probably none of you trust me, but if you are all willing to give me another chance, I hope to be able to prove to you that I can be a loyal teammate.”

  “We've already given you another chance,” Mackenzie said. “Otherwise, we wouldn't have saved you back there.”

  “Yes, we would have,” Clarisse said. “We wouldn't let anyone be taken to an Omega training camp if we could prevent it. Not even our enemies.”