chapter 9

Chapter 9

Mac stud by the safe door entrance. His hair messy, lips curled into a cheeky grin. The appearance of him made Kate want to laugh out loud, but the sense inside her stopped the action before it could form.

“You took you time you lazy bum,” Mac grinned, walking towards her. “I have been waiting here ages, nearly fell asleep.”

“Not my fault that you use the advanced jump to show off,” Kate stuck her thong out.

“No surprise that everybody want to kiss you if you stick your thong out every time you see them,” Mack said and shook his head. “And not to mention, its so rude as well.”

“And you are suppose to comfort me now, not make me feel worse,” she made a sad face. “I feel so lonely.”

“Aww,” Mac hugged her gently.

“Aww sounds like you take me as a baby,” Kate burst to laugh. She buried her face to his chest, wrapping both hands around Mac. This was the peace she had aimed for.

“Well as far as I am concerned at the moment, you ARE like a big baby!”

Kate pulled away and forced Mac away from her. She looked into his eyes with a confusion.

“You have lost me here now?”

“Its simple,” he turned his eyes away, just like she had burned them.

“Explain to me how is it simple and lets just start from the beginning, shall we?”

Mac leaned against the wall, crossing his arms. His face turned stern, but not as stern as Destroyers had been. There was some very different spark, making Mac more vulnerable than he might have known himself. It was like Kate could look trough the brave mask he was putting on. It was no use for him to hide, he didn’t need to.

“Well you are in trouble most of the times,” Mac started with low voice. “Al tough you fly into the battle only to save your clan mates and never fight only because you want to destroy someone with purpose.”

“And why does that make me a big baby?” She was still very confused.

“You moan a lot about things, miss Blue!” Mac grinned. “That’s what makes you a big baby!”

“How comes? Any specific examples?” she frowned.

Mac pushed himself away from the wall and walked behind Kate. She turned around to face him. The knowing he might have scared her or do something silly while she was not looking, didn’t appeal to her much. Sometimes Kate wished she could have had eyes behind her back.

“You make a big fuss about the fact that other VRU members take you as a hero,” he explained. “Well big deal, let them call you that. I know you didn’t necessarily fight alone and I deserve some of the credits for it, but its the way it is and you should be proud of what you did.”

“Anyone would have done the same for their clan member,” Kate argued back. She didn’t want to get use to with a fact that she was given a credits she didn’t deserve as much as other made out.

“Not necessarily, but probably about 60 percent of clan leaders would have tried to go and help,” he tapped his finger against the small security camera. He knew he was in VRU maps, but as far as he was concerned he was safe.

“What about the other examples?” Kate sigh. “There must be at least two if not more.”

“Well I don’t want to go into your private life, but you hating Deadly is a big piss take on him,” Mac grinned wide. “Lets be honest, he is deffenetly in love with you and you gotta give him some kind of answers about you feelings or you will just make him as evil as you.”

Kate narrowed her eyes.

“You have nothing to do with that,” she hissed. “And for the record he is not in love with me, or at least I cant see it so I am puzzled how can you.”

“You obviously haven’t thought about it properly,” Mac laugh. “He flew trough the whole space to find you and made a contact with many enemies who he knew cared for you. That’s a way to prove his feelings are not just numb for you.”

“That wont prove anything,” Kate continued her arguing.

“That proves that you are one very stubborn big baby!”

Mac pulled her arm, leading her out from the room into a small hallway. The space shined above their heads.

“This is why I am never going to make a mistake to fall in love with a woman like you, Blue!” he said quietly, hugging her. “You will be more than I can handle!”

She burst to laugh.

“Or its the opposite way actually,” his body rocked with laughter. “You can never handle me enough to make me obey your evilness.”

“As far as I am concerned you have no reason to worry about me,” Kate’s voice was serious once again. “I have no intention to brake your heart.”

“But you will brake yours if you let herself go deeper into the world of darkness,” Mac turned her to face him. His eyes were sucking Kate in.

“I am not going anywhere,” she pulled herself free, walking back to the main room.

“Really?” he grinned. “But yet you are walking away from me just now!”

Kate stopped and turned around.

“Is there any more examples or are we done with them?” she tilted her head on the side, sending Mac a this- better- be- over look.

“Got no more in my head at the moment,” he walked lazily past her. “You just need to man up and take a credit you have been given.”

“Even if the credit is not mine?”

“Yes, even then,” Mac pushed his palm to the camera, scanning his fingers.

“This is not what I am aiming for, Mac!” she sat on the shallow chair by the secured glass window. “I cant take a advantage over others and use it like its mine. Its like stealing someone else’s powers.”

“As long as you put them into a good use, you as matter as well have them,” he smiled, scrolling trough different quests what appeared before him. “Not everybody know how to help others.”

“And you think I do?”

“You make people follow you and that’s a half of the job done,” Mac explained. “You jump, not just fly, to save your clan mate and you look very sweet. I would say you have everything what is needed to be a good leader. In fact, you should lead VRU!”

“I would rather use the phrase:”You lead, I follow!” than be the boss.” Kate smiled. She was no leader and she knew it, regardless that she owned RTK.

“That would not work very well, darling,” Mac grinned, but suddenly his face turned serious. He sigh and walked towards Kate. “I need to go and sort some stuff out in EIC base.” he hugged her. “You need to sort things out before you turn mad. It does not matter how hard they get.”

“Thanks for meeting me, Mac!” Kate said, hugging him back. “Fly safe. Or should I say jump fast!” grin played on her lips. “You cheater!”

“Well I at least know how to use my powers!” Mac smiled. “See you later, Bubble!”

Kate walked after him, emerging into her ship. She had not far to go, but for some reason she decided to jump back as well. The light feeling when she travelled trough air made her head spin. Landing just near the base made Kate feel awkward. Was Mac really right about Deadly? Was he really in love with her? And, most important- how did she feel about Deadly?

When she entered the base, there was not many people around. The empty corridors scared her, just like there was a some kind of secret war going on what she had no idea about. Well it was a one big war they had all got into when started the game at first place, some of them taking it way too seriously than others.

“Kyle?” she reached out to her personal computer.

“Yes, Blue!” she answered with a split second. Kyle was a computer after all.

“Scan trough the area and let me know if there is any RTK members around!” she ordered. “I have no intention to meet anyone on my way who might ask me questions I have no answer for.”

“As you say.” Kyle followed the order.

“Thank you!” Kate felt so exhausted that all she wanted to do was fall into her bed and sleep until everything was over.

“Blue!” Kyles voice returned soon after Kate had given her the orders.

“Yes?” She walked slowly, needing the comfort of her own place, but not wanting to hurry before she could be sure there was a possibility to make to it safe.

“There is no RTK members around, but I am afraid Deadly has picked up your signal and is on his way to meet you.”

“How far?” Kate narrowed her eyes. She might had a chance to run free and lock herself into her room before he reached her. Now was not the best time to face him.

“Around the two corners of the main corridor,” Kyle explained.

“What are my chances to get to my quarters before he gets to me?”

“If you make a run for it now, you will reach your door just before he reaches you, but you need to run as fast as you possibly can or you run into him before the next corner!”

Kate didn’t waste time. She took off as fast as she could, sprinting trough the white blurry corridor. She was no marathon runner, but for some reason her mind ensured her that she will make it. There was only one more corner to go and she was by her door. Just a quick scan could have been enough to close into the safeness of her room. The aim was ignore everybody for a night and start fresh in the morning. Kate was so close to succeed, but just before she overtook the green- silver VRU member, her foot slipped and with a scream she flew into a wall, finding just enough time to guard her face with her hands. Impact was as bad as she expected and regardless that she didn’t damage her face, her left wrist twisted, making a painful sound escape her lips.

“BLUE!” she heard someone shouting, but the voice was unfamiliar.

Her mind stopped for a second, so it could reconsider the tune of the voice she heard and the hands what picked her up from the floor. There was two body’s she saw trough the mist of losing conscious because of the impact with the wall. She had never thought running into a wall could make her pass out.

“She must have hit her head and knocked herself out!” unfamiliar voice said. “She was just like flying past me!”

Kate felt like the world span around in a big unsteady circle when strong hands lifted her higher. All she wanted to do was scream out loud, but no matter how much she wished, there was no voice inside her. So she closed her eyes and let herself fall into darkness.

***

She woke with a scream. Her left hand hurt, so did her head. With no understanding where was she, Kate rise from the bed, losing her balance just before she could make few steps.

“Stay where you are, Blue!”

low voice said from the chair by the closed window. She had not yet registered how dark it was in the room. There was only small light coming from above the window. She sat back to the bed,examining her left hand.

“What happened?” she asked out loud.

“You had an interesting impact with a corridor wall!” Deadly said quietly.

Kate heard him laugh. It made her angry.

“I wonder from who you were running form?”

“This is none of your business,” she hissed, making another try to get up, but her feet weren’t as steady as she wished.

“Didn’t think it was,” he gave back. “But I am curious person.”

“Curiosity kills the cat!” Kate wobbled across the room, finding her way trough the half dark room to the door.

“Oh no,” Deadly was by her side faster than she had expected. “You are not going anywhere!” his firm grip around her waist lifted Kate up from the ground. “Not until you are steady on your feet.”

“You are not in position to stop me,” she hissed, but didn’t make a try to brake free. Without thinking she lifted her left hand to hit him, but it was burning with pain.

“I would be more careful with your left wrist if I was you,” Deadly blocked her attempt with gentle move. He spanned her around, making Kate face him. Despite the darkness, she could she the strain in his face to stay as put as he could.

“I assume it is your room?” Kate sigh, resting her head to his chest. She had done with fighting. At least for now.

“Yes, it is indeed!” Deadly smiled, slowly pulling her towards the bed. “And you should sit down now. I will make some dinner and then you can tell me why did you attack the poor wall. Is that OK with you?”

“You and make a dinner?” Kate busted to laugh. She had no hope to get a proper meal when a man was in charge.

“Are you discriminate me now?” he lifted her up and tossed on the bed as gently as he could have.

“You might burn the kitchen down?” she laugh. “I have no trust into a man cooking after my brother made an attempt to cook simple macaroni cheese.”

Memories of her brother cut into her voice. He had been her best friend as long as she remembered, but he was taken away brutally after he joined army. He died in a explosion when he was only twenty seven.

“Are you all right?” Deadly lifted her chin.

“Yes,” she lied. “So what about me cooking and you telling me why are you stalking me trough the space?”

“No, you stay here and I make food,” Deadly refused. “This is my room after all and you have no choice than stay put.”

“You do know I make a try to run!” she warned him with a obvious answer.

“I know, but you have nowhere to run,” he grinned.

Kate felt bad. What was he up to now?

“What you mean with that?” she narrowed her eyes and hoped he saw it. “We are in the VRU base? Are we?”

“Of course...” he started and stud up, walking away from the bed. “...not!”

“WHAT?” Kate screamed, jumping up with such a speed it made her head so dizzy. “WHERE ON EARTH HAVE YOU BROUGHT ME!”

“Relax, love,” Deadly said from the kitchen. His voice was loud enough so Kate could hear every word. “And we are not on earth if you remember. We are still in the game.”

“You will pay for what you have done,” Kate hissed. “I swear I will hurt you!”

“Oh, cant wait!” His voice was sarcastic. “I would like you to make me pay. I like it rough sometimes!”

Kate rolled her eyes. Where was she? What was going on and most important- was she ever going to leave the game alive.