Stronger Than Bloodlust, Weaker Than Despair

Stepping onto the evening train, Mika placed her earbuds in her ears, gently pressing a fresh piece of gum between her plump lips. She had dried blood all over her face, and the eyes of someone who had been through hell and back. Yet, she was relaxed. Her mind was filled with thoughts of her new comrade, Xianshi. He went to incredible lengths to live his life as a proud man, even at the cost of his own freedom. Mika pondered deeply, wondering how she would feel in his shoes. As curious onlookers met her gaze, they could see the hardened girl was deep in thought, about something they could never fathom.

Mika stepped off the train, watching as the sun cast a warm glow over the comforting streets of Arakawa-ku. Her footsteps were surprisingly light for someone who had just endured a year's worth of stress in a matter of hours.

She confidently opened the door of the Bara-gumi apartment complex, studying the faces of the various members whom she loathed with great abhorrence. Her lips curled into a carefree smile.
"What, do I have something on my face? Where is Charlotte?"

The Bara-gumi members broke into a harmonious grunt, shouting curses as half of them removed their wallets from their pockets. Mika watched in confusion as they exchanged quiet whispers and groans of displeasure. She wasn't sure what was happening, but she patiently waited for an explanation.

"I thought for sure you would run off with the money, loser dog"

"Ha! I had faith in you, kid! You just won me a million yen!"

"We thought you would run away again, so we took bets."

Mika couldn't help but burst into laughter. She had never shown any sort of happy emotion in front of the Bara-gumi before; thus, the act of her laughter sent a chill down their spines. Her chuckle held a malicious undertone to it, very similar to how Charlotte reacts when torturing.

"What's so funny, puppy?"
A larger member of the Bara-gumi stood from his chair, studying Mika's wet eyes.

She wiped the tears from her face, placing one hand on her hip while removing her hair tie with the other.
"You all must be crazy if you think I'm leaving the Bara-gumi before I kill Charlotte. That was a funny joke; I needed a good laugh. I'll be in my kennel. If you see Charlotte, tell her to come find me."
Mika's hips swayed with an arrogance.

Her legs finally gave out upon reaching her cage in the basement. As she crossed her arms behind her head, Mika hummed a tune to herself as the exhaustion of her day took hold of her body.
"I wonder if Xianshi made it to the airport safely."
She had fallen asleep.

"...an... ka-chan... Mika-chan."

Mika stirred from her slumber, wiping her eyes with the back of her hands. She wondered who had been calling her name with such a soft, motherly voice. The first name that came to mind was,
"Harumi?!"

Squatting before Mika in her cage, was a woman in her late twenties; her long, silver hair resting against her curvaceous body. It was Kawaguchi Harumi, wearing a fresh scar across the bridge of her nose.
"You're awake, Mika-chan. Thank goodness, I thought I might never talk to you again."
Her face shifted into a sweet, innocent smile.

Mika knew what she had to do. She had been waiting to see Harumi for so long that the moment her eyes finally landed on her, she threw her body into her arms, clinging to the taller woman with unforgiving force.
"Harumi! I've missed you so much!"
Mika nuzzled her nose against Harumi's neck, inhaling her lovely aroma. Her mind seemed to falter away from everything bad, giving in to the cherished moment she had been waiting for.

"I missed you too, Mika-chan. I knew you would be alright. You're such a strong girl."
Harumi gently caressed Mika's hair, embracing her with maternal warmth. She felt as if the pain from Charlotte's endless torture meant nothing to her as she held the small girl in her arms.

"Harumi... your face. Does it hurt?"
Mika gently traced the outline of Harumi's new scar, watching as the blood dried on her face. She was curious as to where it came from. Realistically, it could only have been one of two things.

Harumi let out a quiet hiss, prying Mika's hand away from the fresh wound.
"Of course it hurts, silly. I may be an assassin, but wounds are wounds."

"Right, sorry. Was it Charlotte?"
Mika straddled Harumi's lap, her small legs resting on either side of the tall woman. Feeling as if she belonged against Harumi's body, Mika offered her a piece of bubblegum from her suit pocket.

"No, I was just careless during a mission... And what's with the gum? Are you taking up a new quirk or something?"
Harumi gratefully accepted the gum, chewing it between her pearly white teeth.

"I had no idea there were so many flavors of gum. I kind of went overboard and bought way too much."
Mika blew a bubble with her own gum, watching as Harumi followed suit.

Harumi's gaze landed on the floor. She took a deep breath, choosing her words carefully.
"Mika-chan... you lost someone important to you. How are you feeling?"
She watched as Mika began to think.

In her mind, Mika struggled to put her real feelings into words. The pain of losing Hidaka Nozomi was her one driving point for returning to the Bara-gumi. She had lost people before, such as Sato Ichiro and various other vagrants from her time as a homeless orphan. Yet, there was something about losing Nozomi that plagued her mind with a feeling she didn't quite understand.
"Losing Nozomi was... interesting. Of course, I was so sad that I cried for days, but I also felt this overwhelming surge of adrenaline whenever I thought of her dying face. If I had to explain it... it feels stronger than bloodlust, but weaker than despair."

Harumi smiled, cupping Mika's cheeks between her warm palms.
"A desire for vengeance. That's what you're feeling, Mika-chan. You want to kill Ninagawa Charlotte, but you know once you do, you'll lose your reason for living. I've been in your shoes more times than I can count."

Mika's eyes widened at Harumi's revelation. She hit the nail on the head almost perfectly.
"A desire for vengeance... I see. But, why are you helping me? You're Charlotte's wife; shouldn't you be trying to help save her?"

Harumi giggled, lifting Mika off her lap. She stretched her long, tattooed limbs, bouncing on the balls of her feet.
"If you want to kill my wife, go ahead. She means a lot to me, but as an assassin, I have no right to stop you. She's evil, conniving, and downright wicked, leaving her with enemies who want her head all over Japan. We all die someday, so you better make sure you fulfill your desire before it's too late."
Her hand extended down to Mika.

"Right. I'll be the one to put an end to her reign, Harumi."
Mika grabbed her hand, standing up with a burning fire in her eyes. She was unsure of how, when or where her opportunity would arise, but one thing was for certain; Mika was going to devour Charlotte's heart.

* * *
End Of Part 3