(no subject)
Kennedy Foster was late. Jason Cain had an agenda, and it had to be executed down to the last second. Rupert Giles was somewhere in the hotel, he was sure of it. Attempting to spoil his latest step to ascension. And so he sent his weapon, his slayer, for a brief reconnaissance. But strictly told not to engage. She’d already stepped too far in her time ‘babysitting’ Genesis Torres. If she engaged him without his expressed order…
He stood stock still, hands clasped behind his back, as the key card unlocked the door. Curtains drawn back, the Las Vegas skyline shimmering in the night heat. The city seemed to vibrate on some almost indiscernible level, only something Cain could witness.
Kennedy wiped at the blood spilling down her cheek, fighting the tears from spilling over as she angrily made her way back to her own room. The events that had just conspired left her feeling so many emotions at once, she wasn't sure which one to cling to. Get it together Kennedy. You gotta calm down before you get back there. Otherwise, he will know something's up. Stopping, she took a deep breath, putting her hand against the wall to stable and center herself. "Okay. I can do this." She muttered to herself as she resumed her journey to her room. Stopping outside the door, she whispered a silent plea that she would be able to slip in unnoticed and get cleaned up before she had to check in with him. Opening the door, she glanced around and started to the bathroom.
The rush of air as the door opened rustled the curtains on either side, draping him in velvet. Yet, Jason Cain didn't move a centimeter.
"Last minute errands?"
His voice sent chills to her spine as she stiffened, stopping in her tracks, yet not turning to face him. Instead, she kept her face away from him so he didn't see the blood or the cut. "Just doing what you asked. Recon and all that. Still no sign of them." She wasn't lying entirely. He hadn't specifically mentioned Isabella as one of the people to keep an eye out for. Shrugging, Kennedy looked down at the floor. "They must be laying low."
"They are here."
Still he didn't turn. Cain's focus remained, at least outwardly, on the city. Filth and decay, sprawling cities, mewling children scratching out existence with no discernable purpose. He'd offer purpose. And they would accept his love. Or perish.
Cain kept his back to the room, to his immediate surroundings. Focusing on Kennedy's reflection in the glass. Watching her body language. Her agitation. Her fear.
That. Caused him to turn.
"Is there something you're not telling me?"
Kennedy's body tensed even more as he turned towards her, asking her a direct question. She took a silent deep breath, hoping she could pull this off.
"Nothing that's worth bothering you with." She shook her head. "It's cool. Everything's fine."
It wasn't a lie per se. It was more of an avoidance of truth. But she knew how he'd react if he knew. She remembered what had happened to land them in this position to begin with. It was him who sent Isabella away. To keep them apart. This time he might not be so kind.
"Nothing is beneath me, Miss Foster," Cain rebutted. "And it's the simplest matters, those that go undetected, that could sway the tide in battle."
He removed a handkerchief from his coat. As he folded the corners, Cain removed two pieces of ice from a nearby bucket and covered it within the silken thread. Closing the gap between them, he held the makeshift ice pack up to the noticeable cut on Kennedy's face.
"I warned you to keep a distance. That woman is dangerous when cornered."
Her eyes widened briefly as he crossed the room and held the makeshift ice pack to her face. She gazed upon him in a new light. Maybe the man truly was capable of caring. His comment however left her feeling ashamed. Confused. Even more than she already was.
"You knew she was dangerous? I didn't even know that and I thought I knew her better than anyone." She paused, putting her hand up to the handkerchief covering the wound. "But I guess I never really knew her at all."
Her eyes met his, a sad look on her face. "No use dwelling on it now. We've got a battle and she chose her side."
"Of course she's bloody dangerous," Cain harrumphed. "Once she fell under that prat librarian's spell." He removed his hand from the cloth, allowing Kennedy to tend to her own wound. "I suppose no one's infallible, not even me." He smiled then, hoping to lighten her mood. He needed a warrior on the coming battlefield, not a simpering, love-struck...
Cain's eyes narrowed slightly. "We are speaking of Miss Torres."
Kennedy returned his smile. She was feeling somewhat better. She might've totally screwed it up with Isabella, but she still had Mr. Cain. He'd become like a father to her lately. The two of them had formed quite a team. He'd believed in her when no one else did. And now that all was said and done, he was still right there. Just as he'd promised he would be.
"We are speaking of Miss Torres."
The smile faded quickly as Kennedy fought to hide the panic that hit her like a ton of bricks. Oh God. Think Kennedy think. You need a cover and quick. She shifted nervously, pulling the handkerchief away from her face and staring at the red stains on the expensive material.
"Looks like I've ruined your good handkerchief. But I'm sure you have lots more don't you?"
"Mother taught me to be prepared for any situation." He chuckled softly. Cain hadn't thought of his mother in... what, ten years now? And she did prepare him for any contingency. Even to have the appropriate emotional façade and a convenient lie in place when the constables required of his whereabouts after she fell down the stairs...
"But I only need one second-in-command, Miss Foster. Are you still her?"
Kennedy inwardly sighed in relief. He'd not pressed the matter further. But part of her couldn't help but to wonder if he did, in fact, know of the events that conspired. If he did know that Isabella was in Vegas.
A look of determination filled her eyes as he posed the question to her about her loyalty once again.
"Of course." She nodded, a smirk firmly in place. "Haven't we been over this? Haven't I proved myself to you? Yet, you still question me. You still question my loyalty. I've given up so much. Sacrificed her in favor of you."
Her eyes grew wide. She hadn't meant for that last part to come out.
"Bottom line Mr. Cain. I think I've shown you where my loyalty lies. You wanted a General, a second in command. And I've more than proved my capability."
"Sacrificed her in favor of you."
Cain kept his gaze upon hers a long moment before relaxing his features, offering her his acceptance. As if to ingrain the moment further, a small alarm in his pocket chimed. Cain briefly pulled out his PDA and touched a few buttons, then slipped it back into his pocket. Alarms were tripped downstairs. Everyone had a price; the security at the Luxor's came at just under one hundred thousand.
"You wanted a General, a second in command. And I've more than proved my capability."
"Then lead on, Mac Duff. Time to rally the troops and let loose the dogs of war, hmmm?"
The Slayer kept her eyes locked with his. Not backing down, yet waiting for him to snap on her. To let her know he was onto her. But, he didn't. All she saw in his eyes and on his face was acceptance.
Wiping the cut on her face again, she found that the wound had stopped bleeding. All that remained was the remnants of dried blood and a gash across her cheek. One that would heal in no time. Hopefully with no scar. Her fingertips danced over it, trying to see if it would be deep enough to scar as Mr. Cain punched something into his PDA.
"Then lead on, Mac Duff. Time to rally the troops and let loose the dogs of war, hmmm?"
"Now we're talking" A wicked grin crossed her face as she nodded in affirmation. "I have a feeling this is going to be one hell of a battle. Let's grab the prisoner and go have some fun."
She pushed down all her thoughts and feelings about the incident with Isabella. She had to. There was a battle to fight. One she was going to win.
As they walked from the suite to the elevator, Cain made one final note on his PDA.
"You knew she was dangerous? I didn't even know that and I thought I knew her better than anyone. But I guess I never really knew her at all."
The appropriate emotional façade. A convenient lie. Cain wasn’t the only one capable, it seemed.
He stood stock still, hands clasped behind his back, as the key card unlocked the door. Curtains drawn back, the Las Vegas skyline shimmering in the night heat. The city seemed to vibrate on some almost indiscernible level, only something Cain could witness.
Kennedy wiped at the blood spilling down her cheek, fighting the tears from spilling over as she angrily made her way back to her own room. The events that had just conspired left her feeling so many emotions at once, she wasn't sure which one to cling to. Get it together Kennedy. You gotta calm down before you get back there. Otherwise, he will know something's up. Stopping, she took a deep breath, putting her hand against the wall to stable and center herself. "Okay. I can do this." She muttered to herself as she resumed her journey to her room. Stopping outside the door, she whispered a silent plea that she would be able to slip in unnoticed and get cleaned up before she had to check in with him. Opening the door, she glanced around and started to the bathroom.
The rush of air as the door opened rustled the curtains on either side, draping him in velvet. Yet, Jason Cain didn't move a centimeter.
"Last minute errands?"
His voice sent chills to her spine as she stiffened, stopping in her tracks, yet not turning to face him. Instead, she kept her face away from him so he didn't see the blood or the cut. "Just doing what you asked. Recon and all that. Still no sign of them." She wasn't lying entirely. He hadn't specifically mentioned Isabella as one of the people to keep an eye out for. Shrugging, Kennedy looked down at the floor. "They must be laying low."
"They are here."
Still he didn't turn. Cain's focus remained, at least outwardly, on the city. Filth and decay, sprawling cities, mewling children scratching out existence with no discernable purpose. He'd offer purpose. And they would accept his love. Or perish.
Cain kept his back to the room, to his immediate surroundings. Focusing on Kennedy's reflection in the glass. Watching her body language. Her agitation. Her fear.
That. Caused him to turn.
"Is there something you're not telling me?"
Kennedy's body tensed even more as he turned towards her, asking her a direct question. She took a silent deep breath, hoping she could pull this off.
"Nothing that's worth bothering you with." She shook her head. "It's cool. Everything's fine."
It wasn't a lie per se. It was more of an avoidance of truth. But she knew how he'd react if he knew. She remembered what had happened to land them in this position to begin with. It was him who sent Isabella away. To keep them apart. This time he might not be so kind.
"Nothing is beneath me, Miss Foster," Cain rebutted. "And it's the simplest matters, those that go undetected, that could sway the tide in battle."
He removed a handkerchief from his coat. As he folded the corners, Cain removed two pieces of ice from a nearby bucket and covered it within the silken thread. Closing the gap between them, he held the makeshift ice pack up to the noticeable cut on Kennedy's face.
"I warned you to keep a distance. That woman is dangerous when cornered."
Her eyes widened briefly as he crossed the room and held the makeshift ice pack to her face. She gazed upon him in a new light. Maybe the man truly was capable of caring. His comment however left her feeling ashamed. Confused. Even more than she already was.
"You knew she was dangerous? I didn't even know that and I thought I knew her better than anyone." She paused, putting her hand up to the handkerchief covering the wound. "But I guess I never really knew her at all."
Her eyes met his, a sad look on her face. "No use dwelling on it now. We've got a battle and she chose her side."
"Of course she's bloody dangerous," Cain harrumphed. "Once she fell under that prat librarian's spell." He removed his hand from the cloth, allowing Kennedy to tend to her own wound. "I suppose no one's infallible, not even me." He smiled then, hoping to lighten her mood. He needed a warrior on the coming battlefield, not a simpering, love-struck...
Cain's eyes narrowed slightly. "We are speaking of Miss Torres."
Kennedy returned his smile. She was feeling somewhat better. She might've totally screwed it up with Isabella, but she still had Mr. Cain. He'd become like a father to her lately. The two of them had formed quite a team. He'd believed in her when no one else did. And now that all was said and done, he was still right there. Just as he'd promised he would be.
"We are speaking of Miss Torres."
The smile faded quickly as Kennedy fought to hide the panic that hit her like a ton of bricks. Oh God. Think Kennedy think. You need a cover and quick. She shifted nervously, pulling the handkerchief away from her face and staring at the red stains on the expensive material.
"Looks like I've ruined your good handkerchief. But I'm sure you have lots more don't you?"
"Mother taught me to be prepared for any situation." He chuckled softly. Cain hadn't thought of his mother in... what, ten years now? And she did prepare him for any contingency. Even to have the appropriate emotional façade and a convenient lie in place when the constables required of his whereabouts after she fell down the stairs...
"But I only need one second-in-command, Miss Foster. Are you still her?"
Kennedy inwardly sighed in relief. He'd not pressed the matter further. But part of her couldn't help but to wonder if he did, in fact, know of the events that conspired. If he did know that Isabella was in Vegas.
A look of determination filled her eyes as he posed the question to her about her loyalty once again.
"Of course." She nodded, a smirk firmly in place. "Haven't we been over this? Haven't I proved myself to you? Yet, you still question me. You still question my loyalty. I've given up so much. Sacrificed her in favor of you."
Her eyes grew wide. She hadn't meant for that last part to come out.
"Bottom line Mr. Cain. I think I've shown you where my loyalty lies. You wanted a General, a second in command. And I've more than proved my capability."
"Sacrificed her in favor of you."
Cain kept his gaze upon hers a long moment before relaxing his features, offering her his acceptance. As if to ingrain the moment further, a small alarm in his pocket chimed. Cain briefly pulled out his PDA and touched a few buttons, then slipped it back into his pocket. Alarms were tripped downstairs. Everyone had a price; the security at the Luxor's came at just under one hundred thousand.
"You wanted a General, a second in command. And I've more than proved my capability."
"Then lead on, Mac Duff. Time to rally the troops and let loose the dogs of war, hmmm?"
The Slayer kept her eyes locked with his. Not backing down, yet waiting for him to snap on her. To let her know he was onto her. But, he didn't. All she saw in his eyes and on his face was acceptance.
Wiping the cut on her face again, she found that the wound had stopped bleeding. All that remained was the remnants of dried blood and a gash across her cheek. One that would heal in no time. Hopefully with no scar. Her fingertips danced over it, trying to see if it would be deep enough to scar as Mr. Cain punched something into his PDA.
"Then lead on, Mac Duff. Time to rally the troops and let loose the dogs of war, hmmm?"
"Now we're talking" A wicked grin crossed her face as she nodded in affirmation. "I have a feeling this is going to be one hell of a battle. Let's grab the prisoner and go have some fun."
She pushed down all her thoughts and feelings about the incident with Isabella. She had to. There was a battle to fight. One she was going to win.
As they walked from the suite to the elevator, Cain made one final note on his PDA.
"You knew she was dangerous? I didn't even know that and I thought I knew her better than anyone. But I guess I never really knew her at all."
The appropriate emotional façade. A convenient lie. Cain wasn’t the only one capable, it seemed.