CHAPTER 4

002 watch the cat intently as it fell, claws extended maws open. Time seemed to slow down. When the cat was near enough, quick as lightning she lodged a knife in his upper jaw. It roared and tried to bite her, but it just succeeded in driving the knife deeper and giving itself more pains.

"Close your mouth, big fool" 002 taunted, putting a finger into the cat's mouth. It roared again and lashed out with it's two front claws. 002 dodged easily and lodged a knife under it's paw. Under the force of the motion, the paw hit ground, driving the knife deeper. It raised the paw and regarded 002. With one paw raised awkwardly, an open mouth and a knife lodged in each place, coupled with the pains in it's eyes, it cut a somewhat comical figure to 002. It regarded 002 some more then turned and started ambling away. For a while 002 watched it, then decided she is going to need her two knives and went after it with her only remaining knife. She strolled leisurely to it's front and faced it. The cat looked at her with pleading eyes. She hesitated, then survival instincts took over and she cut the maw joints. The cat roared and in a last minute struggle lunged. She easily dodged and with one movement slashed the hind paws. The cat tried to stand and toppled over to lie on it's side, groaning in pain. 002 pulled out the knife under it's paws, sawed out the two front paws, pulled out the one it's mouth and left it to bleed to death.

She walked away cautiously. Experience have taught her caution. She hadn't walked for a long when she saw a clamp of bushes. She stared at it, trying to place the familiarity.,Then she remembered her dream. She plucked some leaves, mashed it and rubbed the juice all over her body.

"Hey,brave one you are".

002 quickly turned and saw a girl. She was in the same cloth she is wearing. That alone made 002 put down her guard.

"I'm 020. Hi, I saw the cat you killed" she said jerking a thumb back to the cat which was still in sight.

"First time for it, and I dare say, the last. No one ever succeeded on killing it before. Congrats."

"Hi, I'm 002" 002 said then paused as if she just realized something.

"002, 020, sounds alike. You must be from..." 002 paused, realizing she didn't even know where she had come from.

"Suplex camp" 020 supplied, slashing forward with her knife at the same time. 002 quickly parried it.

"Good reflexes, I see, let's see how good it is"

" what the... I thought we have a common origin"

"Obviously. But different interests" 020 replied smirking and then added

"Trust is expensive"

"I just learnt that" 002 replied and threw a knife straight at 020's forehead. 020 ducked, the knife missing her by a hair's breadth.

"Good aim too" she said but some of the smirk was gone.

"But no brains. What are you going to fight with?" The smirk returned. She lunged, aiming for 002's cheekbones. She had almost got it,or she thought, when she heard the clash of metal against metal. Another knife was holding hers an inch away from her target.

"Where did you get that from?" 020 asked.

"When you that trust is expensive, it's easy" 002 replied.

"But... You just threw your knife away" 020 said, glancing back to where the knife have fallen. That was her mistake. 002.quickly slashed her wrist and her knife clattered to the ground.

"So who now has the brains?" 002 mocked.

"You have the brains, I admit, but I have a superior weapon" 020 replied

"What weapon?" 002 asked, sneering, and moving in to slash again.

Then she felt a stabbing pain on her stomach. She stepped back quickly, the part of her cloth shielding her stomach was burnt. She looked towards 020, flames were dancing on fingers shaping itself into a blade. 002 knew at once that she is in danger. 020 threw the flame blade. 002 ducked, but the heat seared part of her hair anyway. She ran the short distance to 020, dodging flame blades, and stabbed 020 in the stomach. For her troubles, her hair erupted in flames. She slashed wildly at 020, not caring which part about her got burnt.

020 finding herself assailed with such a for knew she will never get out alive, even if 002 burnt to death. She decided to go against order and kill 002. She kicked 002 away. 002 fell two meters away, various parts of her body burning. Through the blinding pain, she saw a huge ball of flames coming towards her. Reflexively she knocked it away, and then her brain told her that one can't knock fire away. But the ball didn't hit her. Curious she got up and saw some bushes burning and 020 standing astounded. Not wasting any time she plucked a tongue of flame her hair. She didn't know how but she shaped it into a blade and threw it at 020. Still dazed, she didn't see it coming. A blinding pain in her abdomen woke her to reality, but she woke too late, 002 was already slashing every part of her body. Screaming in pains, 020 fell down unconscious.

002 staggered away, beating at the flames on her hair and clothes. Twenty meters away from 020, she fell down unconscious.

002 awoke to the sound of grasses rustling near. She had somehow survived the flames. She quickly jumped up, at the alert. Her eyes darted around and she spotted a boy dressed like her coming towards her. Without thinking she lunged, her knife in her hand. But she was tired and her aim wasn't good. The boy easily sidestepped her. She rolled away and got up darting towards the boy.

"Gold?" the boy said desperately. She froze. Then she looked at the boy's face and found out it was the same guard that has shown her her room.

"Who are you?" She asked, still cautious.

"I am Stephen. I have come to take you out of this hell" the boy said.

Some distance away, a great roar shook the ground as the cat gave up the ghost.