Everybody Wants to Rule the World

15

Trigger Warning(s): mentions of trauma

Angels by Within Temptation

~ Emira's Point of View ~

10:32 AM, SUNDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2028. BANYAN TREE SHANGHAI ON THE BUND, CHINA.

"Yeah, hi," she replied dismissively and turned right back to Jimin. "You're going to be the death of me. I should have known you were the reason she went to Shanghai."

"You know damn well I had nothing to do with that!"

"Let's see..." She began to tick off numbers on her fingers. "You double booked a room with Mirie–"

"That was a mistake. It could happen to anyone."

"You played along with Anesa's charade, hurting Mirie in the process."

"She's fine – just a little rattled. Look at her. She's never been better."

"She is pale as a ghost, Jimin."

"ARLIE, ARE YOU A FREAKING SPY?!" I screeched.

"In conclusion, I hate you, and you're stupid," Arlie huffed at Jimin. She turned to me and mustered a sheepish smile. "Surprise! I'm a spy."

He smacked her arm. "Don't encourage stereotypes. This is serious."

She eyed him severely for several moments. "I'll give you that."

"Wait, where did all the bad guys go?" I whirled around, surveying the corridor to ensure one wasn't lingering behind, waiting for the opportune moment to attack me. "S-so many people were shot, but I don't... I don't see any c-corpses."

Arlie sighed. "Look, none of this is going to be easy to explain, but we need to get you to a secure location, somewhere we can talk without the risk of being monitored."

I tried to nod, but I was trembling so violently that I felt dizzy. Jimin placed a warm hand on my back, but the intended comfort was tainted by the knowledge of how many people he had killed. At least, I assumed he killed them, despite the corridor being absent of corpses. I couldn't stop thinking about how many deaths I had witnessed. My stomach rolled every time I remembered the blood pooled on the floor of the conference room and how every shot fired from Jimin's gun had induced a splatter of blood on the walls.

"Kira," he murmured, "are you okay?"

"Should I be okay?" I snapped. "You are a spy, Arlie is a spy... why is everyone a spy?! And... s-so many people are dead." Tears stung my eyes, and my voice became choked with sobs. "I've never seen anyone die in my life, and in a single day, I saw h-h-hundreds of people die."

"There weren't hundr–"

"And I don't care whether they were trying to kill me or not. Death isn't something humans should decide. That's... that's up to G-God, okay?" I fixed my gaze on Jimin, even though I could not see him properly from behind a layer of unshed tears. "No more killing people. Please."

"Baby, I wish I could promise that, but–"

"Jimin." Arlie was trying to subtly nod at Jimin, but I noticed and whirled on her.

"Are you trying to make him lie to me?" I demanded.

"Yes, because we need to move before the Alters realize you are more valuable than being used solely to make a point."

"T-the... Alters?"

"Please, Mirie?" I had never seen Arlie desperate before, but she appeared to be moments from begging on her knees. "I can't afford to lose you today, okay? It's already enough that you got caught up in this whole mess."

I nodded shallowly, squeezing my hands so hard that I was cutting off circulation. "Fine. Yeah. I just... yeah."

Following my affirmation, Arlie led us through the corridor and down a back stairwell. I intended to keep my distance from my lover-turned-murderer, but when it became clear that I could barely stand on my feet, I allowed Jimin to wrap his arm around my waist and stabilize me. There was a man standing post at one of the doors. Before he could unleash his assault rifle on us, Arlie made quick work of him. I was grateful to Jimin for covering my eyes, but I still heard the gunshot echoing like an explosion.

He had shielded my sight, but he could not shield me from the implications of the gunshot, and I still found myself struggling to breathe even as we emerged from the stuffy building in an alley. Jimin helped me climb into the backseat of the black vehicle waiting there and pressed a gentle kiss against my forehead. It couldn't soothe me – not while there was still so much blood on his hands.

"Jimin, why are you getting in the drivers' seat?"

"Because I'm driving."

"Oh, hell no – do you remember what happened in Budapest?"

"You and I remember Budapest very differently," he muttered, but he relinquished the driver's seat to her.

"Is that... from The Avengers?" I was surprised how hoarse my throat sounded, as though my fright had taken a toll on my vocal cords.

"Huh? Oh... yeah, it is, isn't it?" Arlie chuckled. "I like to think that line was inspired by us. It's a bright way of looking at the day I learned Jimin couldn't drive."

"Um... what?"

"Don't confuse her," Jimin whispered.

"I'm not confused, I'm just... wait, why would you have inspired that line? You aren't... you're not Avengers, right?"

Arlie was silent for several moments. "Do you want the easy answer or the long answer?"

Jimin smacked her arm. "Stop encouraging stereotypes. And drive, or I might shove you out the window, and Kira will experience a repeat of Budapest."

"Oh, hell." Arlie's eyes went wide, and she hurried to start the car's engine. "We can't have that."

I was only allowed several seconds of a peaceful drive before Jimin mumbled, "I happen to think I'm a great driver. And Kira is a great rider." It was almost comical how swiftly our three expressions changed. I momentarily forgot about the horrifying events that had preceded, and my face blossomed with a deep, red flush. Jimin chuckled mischievously, but his joviality disappeared when he noticed Arlie's death glare.

"How," she growled, "the hell do you know that?"

Jimin smiled weakly, trying to backtrack. "Well, we can't exactly talk until we get to the safe house, right? This car could be... could be bugged. Yeah, bugged."

"Like I give a damn. Answer me now, or you're going to look like that garbage can in three seconds." She pointed at a dilapidated garbage can that had fallen over on the side of the road. Jimin's gaze met mine in the rearview mirror, but before I could school my expression into one that begged him not to reveal anything, he smirked and began to go into explicit detail about the previous evening. "Okay, stop! Geez, I'm sorry I asked. Look what you've done to poor Mirie – she looks like a tomato."

"A sexy tomato." Jimin winked, and I choked on my own saliva.

"I hate everyone in this car," Arlie mumbled. "Except myself. And you, of course, Mirie. You're a delight, and we're happy to have you."

"...that only leaves me."

"What a stunning observation. I do, in fact, hate you."

"The feeling is mutual."

Then, they smiled at each other, and he reached over to rest his hand absentmindedly on her thigh while scrolling through his phone.

I swallowed hard, pinching my leg to quell the tears that threatened to spring to my eyes.

~ ~ ~

Published September 18, 2020.