As had been advised, Fang had left prison under the guise of an escape. It brought him little joy to knock out so many members of the police force, but he did it, and disappeared into the night. Getting back into the Equalist fold was easier than he expectedâindeed, Amon seemed distracted, and cared not how heâd been caught, only that he was free again. This, he found strangeâthe leader had shown no particular attachment to any individual subordinate, as far as he knew, but he put it down to a certain kind of desperation. The success, however limited, of the rescue effort had certainly gone quite a way to shaking confidence in him. Fang could only hope that this rescue would be enough to pull the floor out from under his feet. It was true that he still sympathized with the initial reason why the Equalists were created, but he was done with the organization as it was. Done with the whole conflict, if he were being honest. It had asked too much of him, and taken too much from him.
This, he decided, would be the last involvement he had with it, come what may.
It had not been easy to divine Rikaâs exact location, but he knew where she was now. He also knew that there was a limited amount of time until she was moved again, certainly not enough time to gather the forces the Council had put at their disposal. But there was enough time to fetch Haki and Kiara, and so the three of them now made their way down a darkened back alley, Fang in the lead, until they reached a specific manhole cover, which he lifted and placed to the side. âThe area is underground. It will be dark, but donât produce light if you can avoid it.â They would need every advantage they could get. Fang had already memorized the layout, and nodded when Kiara chose to grasp the back of his shirt with one hand and Hakiâs fingers with the other. That should keep anyone from getting lost without the need to speak.
They had to break formation for a moment to actually get down the manhole, but he waited until there were fingers in the fabric of his shirt again before he started forward, treading lightly over the smooth stone ground. Heâd not seen the cell they were using to hold Rika, but he knew it would have been carefully constructed of wood, seamless and floor-to-ceiling. It would have to be, if they had any hope of holding an Earthbender underground.
Kiara following behind felt a little less sure of her treads, but Fang thankfully moved slowly enough that she could muffle her footsteps for the most part. Her relief to see her friend again had been understandably dulled by the fact that the reason he was there was that Rika was missing, but she had not been so distracted that sheâd failed to notice the change in him. Fang looked⊠anxious. Worried. Afraid, even, and she could discern the feelings easily just by looking at his eyes. It was strange, to see that in him, and she supposed all of this must have affected him more than sheâd imagined, for him to be so readable like that. Somehow, all the hurt sheâd felt at his sudden disappearance had ebbed away then, and sheâd just hugged him. He was back, they were going to rescue Rika⊠everything was going to be okay. She had to believe that.
Haki nodded his head when Fang spoke. It would be wise to keep his fire from being used unless they absolutely needed it. He trusted Fang to lead them where they needed to be, and closed his hand over Kiara's when she slipped her hand into his. He let them lead, stopping when they stopped moving, and moving when they picked back up. It was strange, moving about underground searching for Rika. In all the years he's lived in Republic City, sneaking underground, going against Equalists was not something he would have put down as something he would have been a part of. It was, in a sense, insane. They were three benders going against well-armed and well trained Chi Blockers, trained Equalists.
What could they possibly hope to do against something like that? They were an army, however; they were with cause. That had to mean something. Perhaps, in a way, they were like the Equalists. They were fighting for a cause they believed in, and perhaps it is that belief that was giving them the strength they needed to rescue Rika and the others. Though, even that felt a little odd. The others were not his main priority. Rika was. She was the reason why they were here in the first place, and the reason why they were able to get Fang back. He shook his head softly, pushing all thoughts to the back of his head. He didn't need to be distracted. He needed to remain focused on the task at hand.
"We may have to split up once we get inside," Haki spoke, his voice loud enough to be heard, but low enough so that no one else could hear him should there be others around.
âYes,â Fang replied softly, still creeping along the pathway. âI do not know exactly where she is being held. The path will split as soon as we reach the baseâit should not have too many guards, but more than usual.â She would be considered an important prisoner, after all. Still, they shouldnât have any more than a dozen guards to deal with, if they were careful. âWhen that happens, you two go left. Donât separate; youâre more vulnerable alone. Iâll go right.â He didnât say it, but it would be better for him to assume more risk. Even without his bending, Fang was more than formidable. It was doubtful most of them would even attempt to chi block him anyway, making it much safer for him to be alone than they would be.
Besides⊠if someone had to assume more risk for this, he wanted it to be him. It would not make up for everything he had done, but it would be something, and for now, that something was all he could give. But the time approached for silenceâthey could see light filtering in from ahead, where the Equalists had located this base. His voice dropped to a mere breath. âIf you find her, donât worry about me. Just get out. I can handle myself if it comes to that.â He had some protection given his membership in the organization, and if it came to it⊠he would prefer more blood on his own hands than any on theirs. That much, he could do for them, too.
They approached slowly, Kiara releasing Fangâs shirt as they crept closer. There wasn'tâ a door as such, more like a sheet draped over a doorway. She could see the light from a fire flickering behind it, and assumed that the front room must be some kind of rest area for the guards. Fang looked back at the both of them over his shoulder, raising a finger to his lips, then drew his swords from his back silently. Slipping in under the sheet, he emerged on the other side. There was a brief cry of alarm, but it was quickly silenced. Kiara released Hakiâs hand so heâd have both free, then darted in after Fang.
It looked like there had been two guards in the front room, but they were both out cold now, Fang dragging their bodies to a corner and covering them with another blanket. Hopefully theyâd just look like they had passed out drunk or something. Not that she knew whether the Equalists drank on duty, but guarding prisoners had to be boring. As Fang had said he would, he slipped through the doorway to the right, leaving she and Haki to take the left. âOkay, letâs go.â
Haki gave Fang one last glance before nodding his head and following after Kiara. They went through the door on the left, tip-toeing quietly to make their way through the base. He stopped a few times, summoning a small bout of flame to see through the doors they came across. All of the ones they had stumbled upon, were empty rooms, or rooms that had previously been occupied. The ones that had previously been occupied were obvious with the half empty drinks and half eaten snacks. They might be coming back, and that thought alone caused Haki to press forward, crushing the light in his hands momentarily. He continued down the hallway and stopped at a corner. He motioned for Kiara to stop, and peered around the corner.
"There are five guards up ahead, Kiara. We have to take them by surprise if we want to keep going without sounding the alarm," he spoke in a hushed voice. He leaned back against the wall and glanced towards Kiara. "I'll go first, and then I want you to follow up quickly behind me," he continued, glancing at her and holding his hand up before slipping around the corner. He stalked slowly towards the Equalists, stopping to lean up against the wall when one of them turned in his direction. He let a slow breath escape him before continuing his way towards the Equalists.
He managed to get behind two of them, and managed to take the two of them out. The three that were left, however; managed to turn into three more. He miscalculated, and Haki cursed beneath his breath. They hadn't seen Kiara yet, so she had a better chance at sneaking up and taking them on by surprise. Instead, he chose to take a defensive stance, and kept from using his bending. He didn't need them taking it away from him quite yet if they didn't know he was a firebender. The less they knew, the greater chances they had at making it out together.
Of course, the problem was that these people were all capable of raising the alarm, and Kiara couldnât let them summon reinforcements. So she did the only thing she could doâshe bent. From the container at her waist, the drew for the her water, separating it into enough parts for each of the men, and gagged them with it, freezing the water to keep it banded in place around their heads. They could still breathe through their noses, but at least they couldnât shout. At the sudden attack from behind, though, the six split into threes, half of them going after her and the other half heading for Haki.
Knowing that these were most likely chi blockers, Kiara did her best to avoid being hit, but they were fighting in tight quarters. A quick offensive took out one of them, but she was out of water, and she wasnât sure she could afford to pull it from the air right now, not when there could still be more ahead of them. Rolling to the side to avoid another hit, Kiara came up in a sweep, knocking another Equalistâs feet out from underneath him. He wasnât down for the count yet, though, and the other one was swinging for her too soon to allow her to knock him out on a more permanent basis. He caught her on the arm, rendering that one useless for bending, and she grunted, trying to escape. His assault was relentless, but she managed to catch a break when she punched him square in the nose, surprising him more than anything.
That was, unfortunately, when he activated the shocking gauntlet on his wrist, and caught her in the shoulder. Trying her best not to scream, Kiara bit her tongue hard enough to draw blood and collapsed in a heap on the ground.
Haki waited on bated breath as the Equalist took charge, running at him with one of the electrified kali sticks. He really hated those things, and had he not been able to summon and control his own lightning, he might have fallen unconscious the first time he was hit. Luckily, he had shocked himself a few times, enough so that he could tolerate the simple jolt coursing through him now. He twisted the man's hand, turning the kali stick on the man and watching as he fell limp. He could hear the struggle on Kiara's end and furrowed his brows. He managed to throw the kali stick at one of his assailants, watching as the man writhed in pain before knocking him out.
"Kiara," he muttered, making his way towards her. He bulldozed the man to the ground, twisting the man's hand behind his back and ripping the gauntlet off of his hand. He still had the other glove on and he managed to twist the other arm behind him, grabbing Haki's hand and using the momentum to shock him. He gritted his teeth together and managed to separate from the hand. He released a strangled grunt and sighed harshly through his nose. As he stood from his spot, he felt something connecting with the back of his head, and he released a strangled cry. He fell to his hands and knees, and tried to roll out of the way, however; he felt a foot connect with his side, and he fell on his stomach.
"Damn it," he muttered, whipping a trail of blood forming at his lips. "Kiara, get out of here," he spoke, feeling another leg connect with him. This was not how it was supposed to go down, and she needed to leave. He would never forgive himself if something happened to her. If she could get out, then at least she could find Fang and they could come back later... but first, he wanted them to find Rika and get out of here. "I'll take care of these guys," he managed to mutter, though really, he wasn't going to be dealing with anyone in his current condition.
Kiara groaned from her spot on the floor, sucking in her breaths through her teeth and fighting her way to her hands and knees. âN-no,â she ground out, still feeling the aftershock of being hit with the electricity. It was causing her muscles to twitch involuntarily, and her chances of pulling off any acrobatic maneuvers were basically null. But⊠but Haki was in danger, and there was something she could do to help, something that tugged at the edges of her mind. An anger festered there. These peopleâthese people had taken one of her friends from her, and in a sense, theyâd taken Fang, too. They would not take Haki. Not ever.
âDonât. Touch. Him.â Kiara coughed, her fingers curling into fists against the wood floors. One of them still worked for bending, and even as one of the Equalists raised his foot to kick at Hakiâs side again, she hooked her fingers into claws and yanked backwards, slamming the man back against the wall before his foot could reach. With a hiss of pained breath, she did the same with the other, tossing him into a cell and watching with a strange disconnection as he fell unconscious, his head cracking back against the iron bars.
The effort left her breathing heavily, but she was able to crawl over to Haki. His condition was no better than hers, and she was strongly tempted to just collapse on the floor there, alongside him, and sleep off her exhaustion. Unfortunately, though, they didnât have that option. Laying a hand along the side of his face, she gave him a tired, crooked smile. âDidnât I say it? If you donât get to leave me⊠then I donât leave you either.â Slowly, painfully, they made their way to their feet. Their job wasnât done yet, after all.
Fang had a bit of an easier time than his friends did, considering his swords, and though he had to dispatch about five Equalists along the way, he encountered no more than two at a time, making it relatively simple to do so. He was also the one who ran across the wooden cells first, and he picked up speed until he was running full-tilt, stealth abandoned in the effort to find Rika as quickly as possible. When he did, he stopped dead in front of the bars, two quick strokes of his blade cutting through the wood with precision.
For a moment, words failed him, but then he dropped the hood covering his head and swallowed thickly.
âRika.â
Haki sighed softly, rolling over to face Kiara and smiled. "Alright, you win," he spoke quietly, lifting himself up as he tried to stable himself. His side ached, but he supposed that was what happened when one is kicked with boots. Steel-toed boots it seemed, but nonetheless, he pressed forward. They still had a job to do, and they had people to rescue. He suppressed a groan as he pressed forward. "Hold on, we're coming," were the only thoughts in his mind as he continued to run with Kiara.
Rika sat in the corner, head buried between her legs. She couldn't see much, the illumination in the cell wasn't all too bright to begin with, and she could feel the wetness of her sleeve digging into her skin. She had stopped crying a day ago, feeling unable to shed any more tears than she already had. What more could she do? They had her, her bending was useless, and she couldn't escape a wooden cell. It had surprised her, slightly, that Amon had not taken her bending from her yet. Sure, he might have been one for grand gestures and displays, but she wasn't anyone important. Why wait to take her bending? She inched closer to the wall, feeling the cold crawl up her spine, and tried to dig her head deeper.
It was as if she were trying to hide, trying to make herself disappear. She didn't care if they took her bending, all she wanted was to go back to her friends. Did her family even know she was gone? She could feel something like a strangled cry, building up in her throat, but she bit her lower lip to keep it from escaping. Did he know? The thought alone sent a shudder up her spine as she tried not to think about it. Would Haki tell him what happened? Some part of her hoped he did, and some darker part of her hoped he hadn't. He was in prison, and there would be nothing he could do from there. Still... all she wanted was to be able to say goodbye, at least just once. Who was to say that Amon would not go the extra step and just kill her for interfering the way she and the others had?
She could feel her chest constrict at the thought, and it did not stop the strangled cry from escaping her lips. All she wanted was a chance to see him... just one more time, to say something, anything to him, but she wouldn't be able to. She did not know what Amon had in store for her, but she would take it. She would endure it a thousand times over just to have said something to him. The sound of someone calling her name, caused Rika to press deeper into the wall, her heart beat picking up in a rapid pace. She did not recognize the voice at first, and she could feel herself trying to adjust her eyes to see who it was. Her eyes widened at the sight before her, and she felt her voice leave her.
"Fang?" she called out, her voice cracking, betraying everything she was feeling. She felt lost, broken, and afraid. Feelings she had never imagined would be amplified as they had in this place, without them. "Is that you?" she continued, her voice just a mere whisper to keep herself from completely breaking.
The gloomy light caught his eyes, and for a moment, they flashed the color of molten gold, before he shifted them just slightly and they receded back into the dim cast of his shadowed face. âYes,â he replied, his voice subdued, almost tentative. Flat he may have been, even subtle, once, but he was never timid. Not until this moment, anyway. âYes, itâs me.â In a smooth motion, Fang drew his swords from his back, and in a swift motion, sliced through the bars, catching the three wooden poles on their way down and laying them carefully aside so they would not clatter, the blades already back in their sheaths. âWe have to move quicklyâI donât know how much time we have. Haki and Kiara should meet us on the way out.â
If they didnât, he knew heâd go back in for them, but only once he knew she was out, and safe. That was simply his first priority right now. Ducking into the cell through the gap heâd created, he padded quietly over to her, crouching beside where she sat. He reached a hand out to touch her shoulder, but withdrew it before it actually made contact. He had no right. Not after what heâd done. Instead, he swallowed slightly and shook his head. âHave they⊠hurt you at all? Can you run?â
Something warm filled the back of her eyes, and Rika couldn't tell if they were falling or not, but she could feel something against the sides of her cheeks. She could see him so vividly now, as he crouched in front of her. She could barely register what he said, however; before she could reply, her arms acted on their own, and wrapped tightly around him. She brought herself closer to him, holding him as tightly as she could as she wept into his shoulder. He was here. It was the only thought that ran through her mind as she continued to weep. She could feel herself shivering, but none of it mattered. He was here.
"Fang," she whispered his name softly as she finally let go. "No... no I'm fine," she managed to choke out, a small smile covering her face as one hand laid gently against his. "I... I can run, I'm not hurt. They didn't hurt me, I was just..." so scared. She couldn't bring herself to say that. Hesitantly, she lifted herself off the ground and stood on shaky legs. She could still run, she had to. She took a shaky breath and exhaled slowly. "Fang... don't leave me... not again," she spoke lowly as she grabbed his hand. She wasn't so sure she could handle it a second time. Shaking her head, she glanced back up at him, holding his gaze.
"Let's go."
Initially, her embrace only caused him to stiffen, his muscles locking in place involuntarily. She shouldnât be⊠but she was afraid. She didnât have to say itâhe knew. Because he had been just as afraid. So for the moment, it wasnât about what he had the right to do. It wasnât about him at all; she was the only thing that mattered. So he wrapped his long arms around her and held her tightly to him, if only for a moment. This was not the place for such things, after all. âI wonât,â he said, almost too quietly to hear. It was a promise he did not know he would be able to keep, considering that his fate was no longer in his own hands, but⊠everything he could do, he would, to keep it.
Holding tightly to her hand, Fang drew a sword with his other and led the way out of the cell, looking both ways before exitingâand bringing the sword down hard on several projectiles aimed right for Rika. Not he. His eyes snapped to the spot, and, as though he had been there the entire time, Amon himself melted out of the shadows, a knife spinning casually in one hand, the other fist planted on his hip. That body language⊠something about it was very familiar, but heâd never seen Amon use it before.
âHow touching.â Though his voice was mechanically altered, the sneer in it seemed to come through incredibly clearly. âI wondered why you took so long to break out of prison, Fang. It was because you went in voluntarily, isnât it? And only came out again to rescue your little friend.â Fangâs jaw tightened; he shifted positions so that he was mostly blocking Rika from Amonâs view, his sword leveled out in front of him. His hand, however, did not relinquish its grip on hers.
Amonâs head tipped to the side, and for a few moments, there was silence. When it was clear that Fang wasnât going to dignify that with a verbal response, Amon sighed. âA traitor until the end of your days. You gave up your family and your morals for love, and then your love for your damned conscience. Just what, I wonder, will make you betray this one? Does she have to die, too?â A muscle in Fangâs jaw jumped, his eyes narrowing. It was the angriest Amon had ever seen him look. âI thought you were so good at holding onto things. Has she taken what once belonged to the other? Have you given her up so easily, now, after you promised?â
âStop it.â Fang drew himself up to his full height, making it very obvious that he was looking down on Amon. âThere is no point in being tethered to something like that promise. All it has done is made me into a person I hate.â In truth, that was all she had done. Saki. His heart still constricted at the mention of her, but he could not be leashed by her memory any longer. His friends, without ever once realizing it, had cut that tether. They had taught him to live again. Heâd been a Ghost, and only now was he again a human being.
Amonâs chuckle was dark, malicious. âA tether?â The knife stopped spinning, caught expertly in a practiced hand. âNo, Fang, she didnât tether you. It was nothing so weak as that. She had you chained, and you liked that about her.â There was a pause, and it was not difficult to imagine Amon smiling behind the mask.
âIâll prove it to you.â
Somehow, he knew. The instant before Amon reached up and took of his mask, pulled down his hood, he knew what face he was going to see. And, sure enough, the man behind the mask was no man at all. Her face was fair and smooth as the day sheâd supposedly died, her eyes an exotic shade of violet. The hair that tumbled from beneath the hood was sleek, glossy, and fell nearly to her knees in pin-straight strands.
âSaki.â
The one word carried yearsâ worth of emotions, and the womanâs cherry-red lips twisted into a coy smile to hear it. âItâs been a long time since I heard that name,â she said lowly, her voice half a purr, half a silken glide. As though it were the smoothest, most natural thing in the world, she slid over the remaining distance between herself and Fang, standing on her toes to place her nose in the crook of his neck. He went stock-still as she simply breathed him in, placing a lingering kiss on the juncture of his neck and throat. âIâve⊠missed it.â She blinked in dull surprise when his reply was to lay the blade of his dao sword at the side of her neck, in precisely the spot where sheâd just kissed him.
Saki sighed as though disappointed, then shot a sly smile at where Rika was standing. âI must confess to a degree of disappointment, Fang. If you were going to try and replace me, you could have tried to find someone who would compete.â Fangâs eyes narrowed.
âDonât you dare.â The hand holding his sword trembled, though whether with suppressed anger or something else, it was impossible to tell. âRika is a better person than either of us ever will be. There is no competition at all.â For some reason, that only seemed to amuse Saki, whose smile widened slightly.
âThat doesnât mean you love her more than you love me still. But if Iâm really such old news, kill me,â she said offhandedly, and Fang sucked in an uncomfortable breath. âWe both know you could, if you wanted. Right now. You could just move that blade, slice my flesh, and then the blight on your city would be excised forever. I might be able to get your bending beforehand, or I might not. But you donât care that much about it anyway. A small sacrifice, no? So why wonât you do it?â
Rika wasn't sure what to feel the moment Amon appeared, and she could feel herself stop breathing. Her eyes were slightly wide but there was no doubt the fear that shined behind them. She gripped tightly against Fang's hand as Amon spoke, causing her to frown in confusion. It wasn't until Amon took of her mask, the name Fang spoke, what Saki said and did, that Rika finally understood. Something in her heart broke as she watched the exchanges between Saki and Fang, and it only caused her gaze to falter and darken. She could feel herself shivering, an untold rage building inside of her, but she wasn't angry because of what Saki had said about her. She was angry because of what she was doing to Fang.
"No, Fang, she's right," she spoke out, laying her free hand against his back and pressing her forehead into the middle of it. "I am nothing compared to her, but," she spoke, her voice finding its volume as she pulled back from him. "I am glad that you chose me, even knowing that you had loved someone as beautiful as she is," she stated, her eyes glancing towards Saki, and it was true. She was glad that he could love her as he had loved Saki. Perhaps he didn't love her as completely as he had loved Saki, but she took what he gave, because he mattered to her in ways that she could never understand. And maybe that's what love did for her.
"But you're also wrong, Saki. Fang still loves you, yes," it hurt to say that, but she had to. "If he didn't, he wouldn't... he wouldn't have killed those people for you. He wouldn't have done anything that has made him hate himself so, if he didn't love you. Perhaps he can never love me as he loves you, but that's... that's okay," she spoke, her voice on the verge of cracking. "I'll wait until he can... even if my bending has to be taken away, even if it may never be in this lifetime," she stated, shaking her head in the process. "I will wait," she repeated. This woman was making her angry, but she was also trying to egg them on, to make them do something they, he would regret. And she couldn't let that happen.
"Don't do it, Fang, don't let her ruin you anymore," she pleaded silently, moving so that she was positioned in front of him, between his blade. "Please, do not permanently stain your hands for her," she stated, bringing their clasped hands together so she could wrap her other hand around it. "I love you. I love you, Fang. After everything you've done, continued to do, I still love you, and I will always love you. It may never be enough, and perhaps they may call me foolish for this, since it is my first love," she stated, reaching up to gingerly touch his face.
"And I know you still love her. No one ever stops loving their first," she stated, a weak smile playing at her lips as her eyes watered slightly. She wasn't as pretty as Saki, not even remotely close to being as beautiful as the woman in front of them, but Fang did not choose to be with her because of that. She did not choose to be with Fang because of what he was, or how he was. She chose him because of who he made her want to be when she was with him. He made her want to be something more, and even now she was trying to be. By not letting her anger get the better of her. "Just...," she paused, turning to face Saki.
"This has to stop. Why can't you let him go?"
Fang wasnât so sure as Rika was about what she was sayingâmostly because his feelings, such as they were, constituted a jumbled mess of things that he did not have the time to make sense of at the moment. He shook his head to clear it, some of the haze fading from in front of his eyes, and his grip tightened on his sword. Saki was rightâit would be easy to do this, to end her life. Physically, anyway, the task was simple. It was already half-done, considering the position that he was in. Would it stain his hands? Not in any fashion that had not been done already. But⊠he didnât want to do it, or could not, and the reasons why were unclear. Perhaps he loved her still, as they both seemed to think. Perhaps it was Rikaâs plea that stayed his handâhe did not know.
Saki knew it the moment he stopped wavering and came to a decision. Pursing her lips into a moue of disappointment, she tilted her head sideways at him, a silky strand of hair falling over her shoulder. Whatever she might have said, though was interrupted by Rikaâs last question, and the smile broke over her face again. For the first time, she spoke directly to the earthbender. âLet him go?â She echoed, almost as if faintly surprised. Indeed, her eyebrows both ascended her forehead. âLittle girl, would you let him go, if you had the option?â Her eyes narrowed dangerously. âIf you would, you might as well do it now.â
âEnough.â Fang found his voice after what seemed too long. âIf you donât plan to stop us, weâre leaving.â
Saki giggled. âOh, I plan to stop you. Which one of you would like to lose your bending first, hm?â She took a few steps back, from under the blade of Fangâs sword, and dropped into a practiced martial arts stance. For the first time in the whole confrontation, Fang let go of Rikaâs hand. He knew what Saki wanted, and heâd give it to her, because it meant he could breathe a little more easily.
âRun,â he told her softly, placing the free hand on her shoulder. âIâll keep her back, but you need to find the others and get out of here. Please.â He was willing to risk his bending, but not hers. It was a part of her, deep and important, and he would not allow it to be taken. Not while he was there to stand in the way.
âSo willing to risk that youâll return to me, darling?â Saki teased slyly, and Fangâs jaw tightened.
âThat wonât happen.â To Rika, he continued softly. âIt wonât. I promised, so please trust me. Go.â
"If I had to, yes," she responded almost immediately. "I would let him go if I had to. Holding onto someone that doesn't want to be chained to you shouldn't have to be chained. They should be allowed to come and go freely until they were ready to be a part of you," she continued, her eyes narrowing slightly. Her breath hitched in her throat, though, at Saki's statement. She glanced at Fang as the woman took a defensive stance, and he told her to run. She didn't want to. She wanted to stay, here with him. But his last words caused her to let out something of a strangled cry. It was low, but not so low that he wouldn't be able to hear it. She hesitantly reached out to him, to make him go with her, but she couldn't do that. He told her to trust him... and as he had trusted her that day, she would trust him.
"Fang, I trust you," she stated, tearing her eyes from him. She squeezed them tightly before she ran, not before echoing a few words. "Please be safe," and she was gone. She had to find Haki and Kiara. Once she did, she would wait for him... because he promised.
And she trusted him.