"You need to make yourself scarce," crackled a voice down the comm.-line.

"Blend in. I can do that," she replied.

"No tricks, Kyra," he warned.

"Me? Tricks? Never."

"Always. No playing hero, we don't have time. If it's someone that's not on this team, you leave them. Don't try to save everyone."

"Fine, fine," Kyra muttered, touching the earpiece to cut it off.

She pulled her gun halfway out of her back pocket, keeping a hand on it as she moved silently through the warehouse.

"Alright, got a label," came a new voice. "A-374."

"Got it, Zack. Thanks."

"A-374…A-374…" Kyra muttered to herself, moving through the stacks of boxes.

There was a scuffling sound coming from up ahead. Kyra pulled her gun out, holding it straight up, finger straight and off the trigger, as Max had taught her. She carefully turned the corner, eyes wide to catch any light that was present, trying to see through the gloom. Something ran out, knocking her to the ground. She was smart enough to not scream, although the stench alone was enough to make her want to.  Kyra writhed in agony as her stomach was ripped open, still not making a sound. She could feel her flesh tearing, the blood exploding from the veins. She could feel it, spilling across the floor beneath her. She heard the growls of the creature as it ripped her open, but they seemed to be getting farther away, as if in a fading dream, but the pain was real enough. Kyra felt her eyes slide closed, welcoming the blackness that would take her away from it all.

"Get off her!"

Gunshots.

One.

Two.

Three.

The weight was relieved, but the blood was more.

Her name.

Questioning.

Alarmed.

Frantic.

Shouted.

"Kyra? Kyra. Kyra, stay with me! Kyra!"

READ THE DESCRIPTION. GO NOW. DON'T READ THIS BEFORE THE DESCRIPTION.



When the doorbell rang, Aaron hopped down the stairs and opened the front door to reveal Kaia, her normally straight black hair, which had obviously been curled, frizzy and everywhere.

“Hey Kaia,” Aaron greeted her. “What were you all dressed up for?”


“I had a thing. Listen, Aaron, I need to talk to you.” Kaia’s cheeks were flushed and her brown eyes were brighter than usual. Aaron nodded, opening the door wide and standing back to let her in, watching his friend carefully as she stepped over the threshold and tromped up the stairs.
Aaron shut the door and followed her into his room. Kaia was draped into his desk chair when he entered the room and shut his door carefully behind him.

“Kaia...have you been drinking?” he asked her, almost hesitantly

“No!!” Kaia sat up straight in indignation, all but glaring at Aaron.

“Okay,” Aaron said, avoiding a meltdown on her part. She seemed to relax a little.

“I need to tell you something, Aaron,” Kaia said, not looking at him.

“You know you can tell me anything.”

“I know...Well, you know how I’m always trying to hook you up with girls?”

“Yeah,” Aaron murmured slowly, unsure of what she was getting at.

“The girls I choose....they’re not who would be good with you...they’re who I think would be good with me...” The last word was barely a whisper, and Kaia was fiddling almost feverishly with a pen she’d picked up off the desk, staring intently down at it.

“Wh-what are you saying?” Aaron’s voice took two tries to finally work, and when it did, it was dry and quiet. He was trying to process this. Kaia, his best friend for his entire life, how could he not have known...?

“I...I think...I don’t think I’m straight...” Suddenly, Kaia’s head snapped up and her eyes were large and drilling into Aaron desperately. “Don’t hate me, Aaron, don’t kick me out, I can’t--”

“I’m not going to kick you out, Kaia,”

“Y-you’re not?”

“No. Why would I? I don’t care what you are. You’re still my best friend. I wouldn’t care if you were really an alien with yellow skin and five hundred heads.”
“But that’s not even remotely like what’s going on!” Kaia interrupted, her voice high and tight.

“Kaia.” Aaron knelt down in front of her and took her hands. He gently took the pen and set it down on top of the desk, then covered both her hands with his. “I don’t care if you’re asexual, bisexual, lesbian, gay, pansexual, whatever. You’re my best friend, and I’ve known you for as long as I can remember. I would never kick you out.”
“But you won’t look at me the same either.”

“Maybe not, but I’ll never look at you in a bad way. You’ll always be my Kaia.” With that, Aaron stood up and pressed his lips to her forehead, like a big brother would his little sister.
Kaia squeezed her eyes shut, but it was a tender moment, and she stood up and wrapped her arms around him, pressing her face into his shoulder.