This Thing A Quiet Madness Made

Chapter 20

Just as quickly as it had come, however, the memory once again faded to the back of her mind. She huffed indignantly and shook the memory from her head. She had been thinking too much about it recently, about them.

How ridiculous.

She didn't like the tightness in her chest whenever she thought about that house, that school, those people. None of it mattered. It wasn't real- not for her and not for them. It was nothing more than a means to an end, just like Ito Naoko, just like the League, just like everything she was doing even now, because she could see further than this, much further, and it didn't matter who she had to step on to get there.

She didn't care, and she could almost convince herself of it.

Unknown hadn't realized she had been scowling until a faint noise pulled her from her tumultuous thoughts. Slowly, the sour expression drained from her features, her brows unfurrowing, her jaw relaxing, until a familiar, comfortably blank stare remained in its place. Pausing in her steps, she glanced around at the still-empty hall, looking for anything that could have made such a sound. It was muffled enough that it could have come from one of the countless rooms along either side, or perhaps from an upper floor, seeing as this was the lowest level.

Or rather, the lowest level she was shown.

She heard it again, closer this time, and it did in fact seem to be coming from beneath her. Distant shouts reached her ears, though she couldn't quite decipher its contents nor could she tell who was speaking. There was something else too: not a voice, but... footsteps? The rhythmic thudding sounded like someone was haphazardly rushing up a flight of metal stairs, and it was getting louder rather quick-

The wall swung open a few steps ahead of her as a young girl burst into the hallway. She glanced around frantically, long white hair whipping messily behind her, before her eyes caught Unknown's.

"Get back here, you little brat!" a pitchy voice shouted from behind the open panel, causing the girl to flinch.

Unknown watched, puzzled, as the small figure dashed towards her like her life depended on it, a mortified expression on her face. The tiny, cloaked form of Mimic sputtered out from the same hidden door just as the girl ducked behind her.

"Hey! Temp!" Mimic jabbed an accusatory finger in her direction as he spotted her, "Don't let that kid get away!"

She heard the shallow breaths behind her hitch, only slowly resuming after a few seconds of motionlessness from her.

"Hey! You hear me?! Don't just stand there!"

She blinked, impassive eyes following Mimic as he marched up to her with as much intimidation as his tiny frame could manage. She felt a small, shaky hand grab onto the back of her jacket, tightly balling the soft material.

"The one day I have to babysit the brat and this happens! Overhaul won't be happy..." he muttered angrily as he moved around her to grab the girl.

She felt the hand quickly release her jacket as the small girl shuffled to stand by her hip, opposite of Mimic. She glanced down to see wide, fearful eyes peering warily at the man on the other side of her. Mimic stood still for a moment before circling behind her. The girl moved at the same time, crossing in front of her.

He took another step, and so did she.

"Quit moving!" Mimic demanded as he chased the terrified girl in circles around Unknown, frantically grabbing at her while she desperately kept herself just out of reach.