In the end, the only thing Anya could really do was go where the bus dropped her off in front of her building.
The driver takes care to make sure kids get off at the right stop. Even if Anya had considered getting off somewhere else, the driver wouldn't allow it without a signed notice anyway.
The bus pulled up to the curb where Yor waited. Her long black hair in it's usual style with the majority of it caught up in the back, with loose thick strands in the front.
A gentle smile graced her fine features, belying the deadly assassin that she was.
"Mama." Anya sniffled as she ran off the bus to cling onto the safety of Yor's leg.
"Anya? What's wrong? Are you hurt?" She asked worriedly as Anya cried, burying her face into her leg for a moment.
She hiccupped through her tears as she let go with one hand to rub at her runny nose.
Yor immediately picked her up and carried her inside, baffled. Once in the safety of Yor's arms, Anya calmed quickly.
"Anya, did something happen at school?" Yor gently pried as she entered the apartment.
Anya shook her head where it was buried in her neck. She couldn't tell her. Couldn't tell her she could still feel the lab agents waiting somewhere outside.
Yor sighed, at a loss. If she didn't tell her, how was she supposed to help? She sat her on the couch.
"How bout' some hot chocolate?" She knelt in front of her, holding her hands.
Anya wiped at her eyes again and nodded. Bond came to rest his furry head on her lap as Yor left to the kitchen.
Anya couldn't help but glance at the door. She was pretty sure they wouldn't come in here. And if they did, they wouldn't get far before being brought down by one of her parents and taken into custody.
She didn't think they'd give information away if they were interrogated, but it nagged, and nagged at the back of her head. Anya knew she should want the lab to be found. For everyone else to be freed. But if she said anything. . .
"You know a lab where kids are being experimented on?! How do know you this?! Are you one of them?!" Yor exclaimed.
Anya shuddered and sniffed, deciding that was a bad idea.
Instead turning to look out the window, seeing not a trace of those following her.
It bugged her so much she could sense so little from the agents. If they didn't have those devices she'd at least feel like she had a bit more control.
Anya's fingers clenched at bonds fur with these thoughts. Thinking thinking, thinking of anything she could do.
Yor came and placed a hot mug of cocoa in her daughters hands, and wrapped her's around Anya's.
"Are you scared of something?" Yor questioned, aware of the little nervous ticks she was showing. Uneasy glances. Fidgety fingers. A little shaky and tense.
Anya promptly relaxed her muscles. Her body was shaking slightly of its own accord. She didn't know if she could do anything about that. Just the idea that she might end up back there scared her more than she could say.
Yor let her hands slip from Anya's as she lifted the mug to her lips and took a long sip.
"If you're scared of something, you can tell me." She continued. "Maybe I can help."
Anya swallowed and shook her head. "Anya not scared." Her voice sounded convincing, she thought. It didn't matter.
"Why is she lying?" Yor thought sadly.
Shock! Anya gasped.
"Don't worry. If anything bad happens, you come straight to me, okay?" Yor smiled, satisfied for now with the nod Anya gave her. She wanted to push a little further, but didn't want to push too much either. If it was something serious, Anya would tell her.
Anya sweat-dropped, taking a large gulp of cocoa.
—-
The next morning, Anya exited Yor's bedroom where she had slept the night before. It felt much safer there, than in her own.
She rubbed at her sleepy eyes as she passed the kitchen where Loid was already making breakfast. Anya wondered if she could convince him to let her stay home today.
"Morning, pwease." Anya greeted.
"Good morning." He said to both Anya and Yor as she joined them.
Loid and Yor chatted as they sat down to breakfast.
Anya joined them at the table but didn't touch her food.
"Anya, eat up, you don't want to be late for school." Loid encouraged.
"Anya doesn't feel good." She lied, a guilt she didn't expect weighing heavy in her stomach.
"Oh, dear." Yor said fretfully, laying a hand on Anya's forehead. "You don't have a fever." She sighed, relieved.
"It's Anya's tummy." She lied again.
Yor and Loid glanced at each other. Loid didn't looked convinced.
It sounded suspicious compounded with what Yor told him happened yesterday.
"Are you sure?" He stared intensively. Anya had never lied to him before that he knew of. But she was a child, and it wasn't uncommon for them to fake being sick to get out of school. And to top it off, it looked like Anya hadn't realized she looked rather guilty.
Of course, Anya, hearing this, tried to look as not guilty as possible. Though not completely sure what that looked like.
She nodded in answer to Loids question.
"Maybe we should bring you to see the doctor then." He said.
Anya listened in to his thoughts, but all he was thinking of was Anya's well being. She was acting a little odd, but he would give her the benefit of the doubt. And if she was sick, he needed her to be healthy again as soon as possible. For Operation Strix.
"N-no. It's not that bad." She mumbled, taking a fork to stab at her scrambled eggs.
If they went to the doctor, they'd know she was lying.
Her plans foiled, she later held tightly to her parents hands as they waited for the bus.
They believed the earlier incident was a result of stress from school and encouraged Anya to just do her best and not worry too much about it. Loid wanted to talk this through with her properly, but it'd have to wait til afterwards. The condition of her mental health was becoming more and more concerning.
And so, Loid, next to her, once again wondered what she was doing as she carefully scanned their surroundings. He considered the times she would hide under signs, or tell him she was watching for kidnappers.
'Does she think she's in danger?' He questioned. Curious, he also checked for anything suspicious, but saw nothing obvious. 'I'll have to have a look around before I head to her school.' He decided as the bus rolled up.
Anya reluctantly left her parents and boarded the long yellow vehicle.
—
Anya set her face with determination. A strange calm had come over her on the bus ride.
She was not going to be afraid. She was not going to get kidnapped, and everything was going to be fine she told herself.
As if.
But she couldn't live fearing every corner and step she took. She would be careful, but she was certain they couldn't get her in the school. Or they wouldn't, anyway. Even if she could still sense them around.
She repeated these words to herself like a mantra as she met Becky like usual at the school entrance.
"You seem like you're feeling better." Becky commented as they strolled to class. "You were being really weird yesterday.
"Anya wasn't weird." She insisted.
". . . Sure. . ." Becky said. "Anyway, have you seen the new episode of 'Berlint in Love'? It was the best one yet!" She sighed, dreamily. She told Anya all about it, who half listened if only to appease her best friend on the way to class. This was her favourite thing to talk about.
—
Anya was suspicious.
The day had gone rather well so far. And while she had relaxed somewhat, compared to yesterday, she was still expecting something to happen.
Nothing did.
'They must be planning something.' She thought, worry pooling once again into her mind. She doodled absent-mindedly in her notebook as the teacher droned on about history.
She didn't know what to do if they really were planning anything. Disguise as someone else and leave the country? Fake her death? Go live in a cave? Maybe she could find a nice bear that would adopt her.
But she didn't want to leave her parents. Was the risk worth it? If they found out the truth, she'd lose them anyway, and then still probably end up back at the lab.
She heaved a world weary sigh and looked out the window, a sensation of unease crawling over her skin.
She was vaguely aware of Becky giving her a side-look. 'Not again.' She thought.
She ignored her.
Anya didn't expect the agents to be so patient. Her reasoning was sound that they would remain hidden and discreet, but there's always a part of her that expects them to run in and grab her.
She shook the thoughts away and made herself forget about it for now. She didn't want to think about it.
Anya let the thought that her Papa was here, soothe her and she relaxed a little again.