“I really have to go with them?” Cassie asked her father as he resumed collecting his things and putting them into a bag.

“Yes, I’ve already told them to protect you with their life. They know what’ll happen if they don’t.” They’ll still be better off than me. “But, you’ll at least be with someone you know. Amai is going to be there.” Cassie let out a small sigh, her father went to her and kissed her forehead. “Me and your mother will always be a call away, but once you get to the safe house, call us okay?” Cassie nods and gives her father a smile to ease him. He returned the smile.

“Honey!” She heard her mother yell. “Hurry up, the car’s here!”

“You know what to do if anything happens right?”

Cassie nodded and walked with him as he went down the stairs, “I’m not stupid.”

“No one said you were.” He said with a chuckle.

Cassie got down to the first floor and her mother grabbed her in a tight hug.

“Okay, there’s enough food and everything, and don’t stay up late.”

“I’ll try.”

Her mother smiled before giving her forehead a kiss. They both left out and Cassie sighed as she rested back on the door. There’s honestly nothing to do and all I want to do is write, but I won’t be able to do that in a car. Once more, Cassie sighed.

“What is that, the third time you’ve sighed in a minute?” She turned to see Amai approaching her. You would be too if you didn’t have anything else better to do, but you’re a beefcake who probably has a bigger dick than a brain.

“I can’t be upset?” She finally spoke.

“You’re with me so what does it really matter?”

She smiled a bit, but then someone came up behind Amai and hit his shoulder.

“Stop flirting and help us load up the rest of Cassie’s bags!” I can do that myself, but they’re already there so-

“I-I’m not flirting! We’re just talking.” Amai defended.

“Okay Amai, either way, just hurry it up.” He grunted a bit and went up the stairs and into Cassie’s room. “Your stuff is the last that we needed to get, so you can get in the car.”

She nodded and pulled up her headphones before heading out to where the car was at. Once inside, she sat there thinking about nothing for a while. The noise of them loading the bags into the back and the trunk closing was heard and then the door on the opposite side opened up. Amai slid beside her and with a huge smile he held up the newest Shonen Jump.

“I just finished the latest chapter in Yu Yu Hakusho.”

She removed her headphones, “I can’t believe they would actually hurt my baby Kurama like that!” She exclaimed, Amai chuckled and they began their long talk…

“Hiei’s sister never does anything besides cry, so I think they just have them in there for the male audience. I mean besides Boton, what female really does anything? I mean yeah, like one of them is actually related to one of the main characters, but besides that, why are they here?”

Amai just laughed and shrugged at Cassie's comment, Cassie was about to go on when the door on her side opened up.

“Geeze, you two can really go on about that stuff.” Cassie pressed her lips together and got up as did Amai. “But Amai has to help us so you’ll have to finish up that riveting conversation later.”

Cassie pouted, but nodded to him. She went to the trunk where Amai was at, as he was currently unloading her bags, she found her backpack and quickly ran inside the safe house.

Her parents had never been here with her so she always had places where she hid things, she went to the room where she normally slept and dumped everything out of her bag.

“Forget that, this time I’m gonna go and see what’s in those woods behind the house.” Cassie made sure she had everything and while they did normally check her bags, she made sure to hide what she was going to be using in her clothes. You think a bunch of trained killers wouldn’t be afraid of a girl’s underwear, but I guess even they have their weaknesses. Cassie smiled to herself before going under her bed and putting the knife and flashlight under there. She then ran back out and found Amai bringing her other bags up to her room.

“Can we talk while you’re doing that?”

Amai smiled and nodded to her and Cassie giggled while she went back to their conversation.

...

Later in the night. Cassie and Amai were up playing Earthbound on the SNES. Cassie played pretty much the whole night, but only gave it up after having no luck in finding the Sword of Kings, she handed it over to Amai where she promptly fell asleep on the couch.

After a little bit and some more encounters, Amai had taken Cassie to her room and put in bed. Once she heard the door close, her eyes opened up and slowly she sat up. She crawled to the door and carefully opened it, there she could hear the death music of Earthbound still playing, Amai was busy playing and so she went to her window and stared out at it. She could barely see due to the rain. You know, rain is a certain indicator of something bad happening, but… I guess I’m going to have to be an idiot today. Cassie softly went over and got the knife and flashlight, she then got her backpack and a jacket and opened her window before stepping out to the relief under her room.

She was careful not to slip and dropped down onto the overhang below it, she then got to the ground and looked out with binoculars.

“Whatever is out there has to be here…” Cassie began to walk with a flashlight into the woods behind the safe house.

She walked for a while and the rain wasn’t letting up, her eyes were irritated at how much rain had fallen into them, but she was determined to see this through. It was then, as she was walking, that she found a large wood plank below her.

“Huh?” She put the flashlight in her mouth and lifted the wood plank and saw a small hole. “This can’t be it right?” She threw back the plank and looked down into the hole trying to see if anything was inside. “But… if it was a ghost or something, maybe something could have gone down here.”

“Only a brat would think something like that actually exists!”

Cassie gasped and turned trying to find whoever had said that. She backed up and hit a tree and yelled, “Who’s there?”

“It won’t matter if I answer you or not.” She heard rustling beside her and moved to another tree. “Because soon you’ll be begging for something else!” Just as the person had said that, Cassie saw a glimmer near her and moved as a sword had struck the place where her head once was. “Trying to live huh?” The voice was in front of her, yet she couldn’t see anything.

It was then she saw a figure in the corner of her eye, she was about to reach for her knife when someone grabbed her from behind and covered her mouth. She tried to scream or move, but this person held her tightly against their chest.

“Stop struggling… I’m here to help you.” This was a different voice, but an unfamiliar one nonetheless.

Cassie didn’t want to believe what he was saying and kept struggling. This person moved her behind a tree. They shoved Cassie downward and she felt something warm slide down her cheek and then heard a scream of agony and more warmth on her face. Her hands had been released and she struggled to move and reach for her flashlight, she managed to get it and held out her knife defensively. Cassie said nothing and tried to keep watch of everything around her when someone stepped in the beam of her flashlight. She saw that whoever this was had been bleeding, she panicked a bit and touched what had been on her cheek and saw red on her hands.

She looked back and suddenly spoke, “You’re hurt.”

He chuckled, “Just a bit, but are you okay?” She nods to him, though she could barely see him, his features stood out to her in the moonlight. “That’s good… by now everyone should be looking for you, when they find you, tell them Ankara is no longer the head of the Wry Clan and treat them as a threat.”

“W-what? B-but they were good friends of ours!”

“I know, but the one who is in charge now sent us out on this mission. Thankfully, I don’t agree with senseless killing, but they were planning on using this attack as a sign to start war.”

Cassie didn't know whether to believe him or not, so she said nothing to that, “But… if you’re hurt let us take care of you.” She began. “Especially if you’re defecting, there’s no way those guys won’t kill you now.”

He chuckled, “I know, but I can take care of myself. You should remain vigilant though.”

Cassie grunted before removing her bag to look through it. She found what she was looking for and held out some bandages, “Here… you could use them more than I could.” His mouth turned up into a smile and he nodded before going up and taking them from her. Cassie was going to leave when she decided to ask him something. “…Do you mind if I know your name? Just in case something happens again and you have to save me.”

He chuckled, “It’s Hayate.”

Cassie nodded, “Well, thanks again, Hayate.” She then turned back and began to run back to the safe house.

Cassie got about halfway there when she heard the loud barking of the guard dogs. She smiled and began to call out to them.

“CJ!” She kept yelling that until she saw light, she went toward them and the first person to find her was Amai.

“Cassie!” He yelled, making a full sprint to her, she got to him and they stood in front of each other. “Where were you?”

“Amai, I’m gonna get yelled at either way, but I really have to tell you something!”

“Cassie, you really could have gotten killed without one of us here!” She stared at him,

"Amai I-"

"Let me finish,” He suddenly grabbed her in a hug. “I’m just glad you’re alright.” He pulled back and looked her up and down. “But whatever it is you have to tell me, do it now before you forget.”

Cassie moved past her embarrassment and nodded and began to walk back with him, “Let me say sorry though... for making you worry…”

His hand came up and rested on her head, “It’s fine, but you better be glad your mom’s not here. She would kill you if she saw your hair like this.”

She laughed at him and they walked back together…