“They sure are.”Kira smiled wide at the humans.“Like I said before, I don’t need fancy powers to deal with shit like you.”
She was more than enough.
The scorpion struck, immobilizing one human.
Kira tore out the throat of the pirate’s leader mid scream, enjoying the gurgling sound as he died.She prowled forward as she, Arly, and Jin’s spawn picked the humans off one after another.Until the only things left living were them and the three children.
“Not bad for someone with noki,” Kira drawled, admiring her handiwork for a second before glancing at Arly.“How did you let yourself get taken?”
Arly tossed aside her makeshift weapon, bending to riffle through the Tuann’s clothes.“I figured it was the fastest and easiest way to find Caius.”
Look at that—she and Jin had the same idea.
Not finding a weapon on the Tuann, Arlytskedand shoved his body away.“Getting knocked out for several hours wasn’t part of the plan though.I don’t know what that red head hit me with but it carried quite the punch.”
“Flame was part of this?”Kira asked.
What were the chances the man Kira encountered in Cat Three was one and the same as the one Arly had met?Red wasn’t the most common hair color among humans but it wasn’t a rarity either.
“Is that his name?”Arly asked.
“Probably not, but it’s what I call him.”
Arly grunted.“I don’t know what he was called.Just that he moved different compared to the others and seemed to know his way around the hotel.There was a hidden entrance in my room.”
Kira tried to look surprised.
“Anyway, what are you doing here?”Arly asked.
“You and Jin had a similar thought.”
“The child was taken too?”Arly’s face showed alarm as she looked around the cell.“Where is he?Is he alright?”
“We’re getting to that.”Kira moved over to crouch in front of the cot the children were hiding under.“Hello, there.My name’s Kira.What’s yours?”
Jin
Jin squatted in the middle of the passageway, wrapping his arms around his knees as he stared morosely at the ground.
Pirates these days.No pride in their craft.
He’d been wandering this honeycomb for an eternity and not encountered a single one.
Where was the professionalism?The respect?The least they could have done was post a couple of sentries.The lack of situational awareness was concerning.Kira was going to eat them alive when she finally got here.
At the sound of feet tramping through the next chamber over, Jin perked up.
Finally.He’d been waiting forever.
When the pirates rounded the corner, they paused at the sight of Jin standing in the middle of the room.
He fluttered his eyelashes at them.
Look—an innocent, defenseless child.Alone in the big, bad ol’ honeycomb.Whatever shall you do with him?
Jin hoped they took him to their leader.That was a reasonable expectation, wasn’t it?
“Who let you out of your cell?”one of the pirates demanded in human standard.
