Reaper

Japan 1995

Akihiko and company arrived in Tokyo late; they split up, and he took the girl home. He settled the girl in a guest bedroom while he explained most of the situation to his wife Naomi, who agreed the girl needed to be treated better. But while her husband only intended to do so to repay his debt to the girl, she wanted to because it was the right thing to do. Naomi only knew that he had picked her up from the Red Room. She didn't know that he was the reason she was left there in the first place. And she didn't like that he initially intended to drop her off with his ninja. But she was happy he changed his mind and brought her home. She wanted to treat her as a child should be treated. And she argued extensively with her husband all night until they could come up with a compromise.

Meanwhile, the girl knew how things would work. She belonged to Akihiko and would be trained by him now. She didn't know how things would change, but she would love the new arrangement if it gave her a comfy bed without shackles. She smiled at her silly thoughts and went to bed. She was giving herself expectations. This was probably a staging area until her trip to the training grounds. She had also stayed in a hotel when Akihiko first got her. They needed to stay there until the Red Room agreed to see them and then scheduled their flight. Only three nights, and then she was in the Red Room.

She wasn't stupid. She knew everything that was going on around her. She didn't mind. She enjoyed learning, even in the Red Room. She enjoyed learning about the world. She even liked the physical training. What she didn't like were the strict rules. She hoped for better food. Or maybe just more of any food. She was constantly hungry. She wasn't used to it. Human bodies were weak. Susceptible to hunger, illness, and pain. The worst part was sleep; it was a waste of a good chunk of the day-a waste of time.

As for what she was typically requested to do, that was no big deal. Humans die all the time. And apparently, life was a competition. That was what General Dreykov said. The fact that she survived meant she was doing a good job being a human. He also said no friends were in the Red Room, but she was out of there now. So maybe now she could be friends with Natalia. They never used that word there. It was more than likely because of that rule. If she ever met Natalia again, she would ask to be friends. She just had to look for blue hair and green eyes. Earth didn't seem that big. She was sure she would see her again.

That night, the girl slept remarkably well. When she woke at four in the morning, she made the bed and awaited instructions. She waited about three hours, but no one ever went to the room. She didn't think things would be this drastically different. She also hoped this wasn't a sign telling her they would skip breakfast altogether. She would hate that. She was already hungry. She also had to use the restroom.

The guest bedroom door was knocked, and a woman soon poked her head in. She planned on waking the girl but saw the bed was fully made, and the girl in question stood at attention at the head of the bed. She couldn't help but frown. What was she? In the military? According to her husband, she was nine. This was ridiculous.

She walked over to the girl and put both hands on her shoulder, "Relax. No one will hurt you here. I won't let anyone hurt you here," she said while looking into those light blue eyes, "Now go ahead and get yourself ready for the day in the bathroom across the hall. I already put some new toiletries out for you and a change of clothes. But they're going to be a bit big. They're some of my old clothes. After having my baby girl, I kept saying I would fit in them again. But it ain't happening." She said with a joking smile.

The girl stared at her with wide eyes. She was a very strange woman. She didn't sense any hostility, but she was still unsure of how to proceed.