Now. We are. Even

•CHRIS•

" Found you!", I looked at Aphie and and flashed her a smile. I had won this stupid cat and mouse game, She was good at hiding though! No cameras detected her. "You are pretty smart Aphie, its such a shame to see a talent like you go to waste" I pointed towards the cobblestone path saying, "here walk with me back lets have a nice chat till we reach the mansion".

She looked pretty panicked and I decided to wait for her to calm down, I'm not a patient man but again I did wait patiently a few months for her to wake up. 'Very surprising!' I thought to myself as that thought crossed my mind. Aphie looked at me having regained her composure and asked, "what are you doing here?" To which I genuinely laughed, this is her problem, she is so innocent and so stupid.

"It's my mansion aphie! I can go where ever I want, as to your Question since you were escaping I was playing a little game with you and seems to me. You. Have. Lost", I said those last words as I booped her on her nose. She calmly asked again, "I'll reframe the Question, how did you find me?" To which I simply showed her the tab in my hand. It showed me layout around my mansion and all the cameras. Aphie was pretty careful but little did she know of the secretive cameras that covered the blind spots. I think it was worth mentioning to her so I closed the tab and asked her again, "will you walk with me back? That would be way easier you know. For both of us!"

She wasn't giving up though, the fire in her eyes had ignited 'just like that day!' It was crazy to look at that. "I am going chris, move out of my way!", as aphie said that statement she pulled a hand combat knife and took the fighting stance. Whatever I was looking at in front of right now! Was a mesmerising scene. "I don't want to fight aphie, lets go back, like normal friends!", I said it to her and extended my hand asking for the knife, "Ok give me the knife! If you don't want to thats okay just keep it inside"

But aphie wasn't backing down at all, I thought she would wait but she started attacking swinging the knife right as my throat! I dogged it by just a centimetre. I just kept looking at the fire in her eyes, that is what I live for! The thrill of the fight when your opponent knows they are screwed to have you as their rival! But As they fight the fire in their eyes start turning to the flame of fear.

That is what I hate the most! That is where people underestimate themselves, and everyone who has done that to themselves have already lost the fight.

"I would love to fight aphie but I don't have time right now! Brian is on his way back and there is too much to take care of before that. Lets go back quietly", I said those words dodging all her attacks one after the other. She had gotten better, A lot better than the last we fought! She was gracefully throwing around punches and swinging the knife in well planned strokes, It was kinda fun to watch. But I was out of patience now, all that fight and nothing even grazed me. How boring!

As her fighting became patterned I grabbed her punch and twist it before her hand holding the knife could do anything. I was ruthless to the point that even she knew any movement from her will break her arm. I hate our last fight, it was unfair and she didn't deserve what had happened but I can't let that weigh me down right now! "Aphie I'm asking you last lets go back quietly, I don't want this to turn out like our previous fight. If you behave I'll let you stay with us in the mansion." She didn't answer and she didn't struggle cause that would bring her bad outcomes of her own deeds.

I got irritated and repeated myself, "Don't waste my time aphie, you can challenge me to a fight some other time now come back. Honestly I can only assure you we carry no ill will against you" I leaned in a bit closer tightening my grip on her arm which i held behind her back and whispered, "Be a good girl aphie or I'll use my ways to pin you right to the ground". I couldn't see her but at this point people give up on the fight, there is only fear left, the fear of breaking their hand off, the fear of being helpless! the fear of the unknown!

Aphie pressed further into me and jolted her other hand holding the knife. I had been careless! The knife went straight through my abdomen and I couldn't stop it. I winced at the wound and she twisted it as she refused to pull it out. I let go of her and moved away but she didn't stop she pulled the knife faced me and stabbed me again! "Ahh!!, you bitch" I shouted as she pulled the knife out again and blood gushed through the wound. I was fuming angry! And without a second thought I slapped her. Immediately removing my T-shirt I wrapped it around the wound to control the bleeding.

And I looked at her with utter fury, but she! She looked different. Like a small kid the fire in her eyes was still there but this was different. I snapped myself back to the moment and moved ahead and grabbing her collar and raised my fist to punch her. But before I could do anything she raised her hand with the knife up and opened it, letting the knife fall and suggesting surrender. I was angry! This is exactly what I wanted from her 5 minutes ago but she did this whole mess.

A smirk lingered on her face, I could her other arm dislocated from my grip earlier, she took this risk just to stab me and now she surrenders! This bitch! I let go of her, I heard footsteps coming our way and I got myself to breathe calmly, it hurt my insides just to even breathe. I walked up to aphie again and twisted her dislocated arm back into position, I didn't care anymore of what she does but I know her, she wont back away from her surrender.

There were guards in sight through the trees and I felt a sense of relief. But aphie supported me by taking my weight on her shoulder with one of my hand across her shoulder. And smiled at me saying, "Okay chris, lets walk back to the mansion. Don't forget your word of letting me stay there okay! The guest house is pretty lonely you know". She was smiling eye to eye with no evil in her eyes, even after what she had done! She continued herself, "and no need to worry about be running away, lets have a good talk about the realities of the situation. And...umm..." she booped my nose as said the next words, "Now. We are. Even"