Children of a Lesser God

Chapter 117: Going South

"I know, I've been watching you," Yumi replied.

"Really?" Laz didn't notice himself being watched. At this moment, he felt something soft smacking his hand and he looked down. He saw Vivi nodding her head as though to confirm that she had noticed it as well.

"Why? And why are you helping me?" Laz didn't have a bad impression or a good impression about Yumi. But if he had to guess how their relationship would be, it would be good from his side, but she should want to kill him, or something similar. Considering what happened in that bathroom, he kind of thought she would be a bit... angrier? Yet she didn't say anything about that and is, in fact, helping him. This actually made him feel a little apprehensive.

'Is she the type who enjoys that kind of stuff rough?' Although he was thinking it, no way was he going to say it. He was no longer afraid of her but it would have just been rude to say something like that to the person helping you out.

"Because," Yumi held up a finger.

"One, I can't go back to my old job. As you can see, I'm no longer human. Even before that I was always getting offers from that dick, Tommy. He was offering an ungodly amount of money for me to be his personal play thing. Luckily, I had a contract to prevent that sort of thing. But if they find out I'm like this, they will no longer consider me a human."

"It can't be that bad, can it?" Laz was a bit shocked by her thesis. If that's how they were treating them, didn't that mean that everyone like them are in danger?

"Not yet. At least not everywhere." Yumi sighed. Considering the last time he interacted with her, she seemed to be a lot less playful and way more serious. It was an interesting change.

"Two," Yumi held up her second finger.

"I want to kill you. I was also ordered to find you and to kill you, but I was going to do it anyway after what happened." During this entire explanation, Yumi's expression didn't change in the slightest. Not only was she completely serious, she wasn't even bother by talking about it.

"Umm..." Laz didn't really know what to say to that.

"Killing is easy. It erases problems. And when done right, there is no evidence. Without a body and murder weapon, who would know someone died? Simple right?" Yumi when on to explain.

"Uhh..." Something was telling Laz that this girl wasn't all right in the head. In fact, he started reaching for the door handle and was thinking about those shows he had watched that showed the you correct way to jump out of a moving vehicle. The only thing that kept him from going through with it was that Vivi didn't react in the slightest as though she didn't see Yumi as a threat. Or that she wasn't taking her seriously. Not that Laz was going to fully trust Vivi's judgement, but so far she seemed like she was standing with him.

"And you... you took advantage of me. And you saw me naked. You even... well... you know what you did." Yumi's face, despite remaining a bit emotionless towards this, did get a bit red as she failed to mention everything Laz did.

"Any one of those reasons was enough for me to kill you. I had it all planned out too. You were so vulnerable in your room, sleeping and in peace. It would have been insanely easy to end you. And I would have regained just a bit of my honor at least." Yumi seemed to get a bit mad and frustrated as she spoke, like he had done something wrong which made her not able to kill him.

'Gulp,'

"And lastly, three," Yumi pulled the jeep over and looked at Laz while putting her hand down.

"How old are you?"

"Uhm... 14, no wait. I was out for 4 days... so 15 now," Laz responded, thinking about his birthday on the first of December he missed.

"THAT'S RIGHT! YOU ARE A MINOR. A BABY. AARRRGGGGG..." Yumi balled up her hands and started swinging them forward as though she was banging the side of the steering wheel like a drum while venting her rage. Despite seeing her obviously angry, Laz couldn't help but laugh at her rather cute behavior.

Swoosh..

Before he knew it, Yumi had pulled a small knife out of nowhere and held it to Laz's neck. Her sparkling black eyes seemed to carry a trace of insanity along with her anger.

"I really, really, really, really wished I had gone through with it before I found out your age. I could have forgiven myself for my mistake and promised myself to never do it again. After all, you look nothing like a 15 year old. Is it a lie? Please? Tell me it's a lie. A lie, right? A cover or something? You're not 15 right? Yeah? You're actually at least 18? You are truly a piece of trash that's just hiding his age, right? MMM?" Yumi had a look like she was pleading with him to agree with her. In fact, considering how desperate and pitiful she looked, he almost wanted to agree with her. But... that would have been stupid.

"I'm really only 15." Even though he had a knife at his throat, Laz still was rather amused by all of this. No matter how twisted this girl was, Laz just found it cute.

'Maybe I've just become a bit twisted myself...' Laz couldn't stop himself from thinking.

Sigh.

Strangely they both sighed at the same time, but for very different reasons.

"I know you are... damn it. No one could have changed your records that completely." Yumi put away the knife, put the jeep into drive and continued forward.

"Anyway, since you're a kid, there isn't anything I can do to you but let it go as my own mistake."

"Ah? Um, well thank you, I guess."

"Don't mention it. And I mean that. Literally. Don't. Ever. Speak. Of. It. Again."

"Yes."

"Good. Then it never happened." Yumi had regained her earlier, somewhat cheerful demeanor, with all of the seriousness and insanity vanishing.

"What never happened?" Laz asked in support.

"Good boy."

"Uh... I'm not a boy thank you," Laz said, a bit offended by it.

"You're 15 right?" Yumi glanced over with that strange look in her eye once again.

"Yes..."

"Then you are a boy, don't forget it."

"Right."

"So... what are you going to do now?" Yumi asked. She wasn't a part of the apartment raiding plan. In fact, since the night of the party, she hadn't been back to complex at all. She had given the excuse that she was just doing her job and looking for Laz liked she was asked to. But since things like this were hard to keep quiet, she had heard about it from a few co-workers she was friendly with. After getting some info, she quickly connected the dots between the old man they were looking for and Laz who she had been watching. She knew the old man was his grandfather. She had come her tonight after figuring out that Laz was in danger although even she couldn't explain the reason why that was.

"I'm going south. I don't know what all of this was but since my grandpa told me to go look for my parents, that's what I'm going to do."

"This was because the were looking for the old man who they deemed dangerous. It had nothing to do with Tommy and his family at first, but it was a request made by some other rich kid he is friends with. Their father's worked together to organize it and got the police involved. Something about the old man being one of the really sick people who would pose a threat to others? I'm not totally clear on it since it really doesn't make sense. Still... I can see this happening more in the future."

"History tell us that in times of crisis, reason goes out the window." Laz quoted something he had heard from a documentary he had watched about the holocaust.

"Pretty much. You really don't know anything, do you?" Yumi said, looking over with concern. Now that she had confirmed his age, she was looking at him like a normal kid and feeling a bit sorry for him. As long as he didn't wear that mask, she was able to lie to herself fairly easily.

"I don't. All I know is that my parents were last seen in the capitol and that's where I should start," Laz replied honestly.

"Hmm... well, I do need a new job since I won't be able to trust my old clients. But I doubt you can afford me. Still..." Yumi was a rather easy person to understand. She could be a murderously crazy hit man to some, but would be rather kind and sensitive to those she deemed 'innocent.' In Laz's case, she knew that he had gone home with that girl, but that nothing had actually happened. She was not present the night he went to pound town with Malene and Kennedy as that was when she was going through her first changes while she was gaining her power. After that, he had disappeared and she couldn't find him again. But since she knew his animal was still here, she just stayed around and waited for him to come back. Sure enough, he did.

Because of this and because she knew that his only relative was just taken away, she wanted to try to help him find his parents, but that didn't mean she could afford to work for free. She would be willing to do it for a little bit, but it went against her nature to just say she would. If anything, she wanted him to ask her for help. She wanted to feel needed.

"I might be able to pay you a couple thousand, but I need to get to someplace else first," Laz suggested while thinking it over. He had made a bit of money thanks to Kennedy and despite not getting the big payout, they had still racked up quite a bit before that. He could afford to pay her around five grand if she was willing to try. Laz felt that with her ability, she would probably have much more luck than he did.

"Really? Are you sure you can afford that? I don't take IOUs," Yumi asked.

"Yeah. Just let me know how I can contact you," Laz said, taking out his phone.

SCREEECH.

Yumi slammed on the breaks and the jeep skidded to a stop.

"WHAT?" Laz asked, looking around.

"Is that your normal cell phone from home?" Yumi asked with a weird tone in her normally sweet and seductive voice.

"Yes...?" Laz was wondering what the problem was.

"Stupid amateur, GGRRRR." Yumi reached over and grabbed the phone before reaching into the back seat behind her. Fumbling around for a moment, she pulled out a cell phone box and handed it to Laz. She then got out of the car, threw his phone on the ground in the snow, and proceeded to stomp on it. Weirdly, the heels on the platforms she was wearing seemed to be extra sharp and cut through the phone like a hot knife through butter. After that was done, she kicked the phone off the side of the road into the snow filled ditch, got in the car and started driving like nothing happened.

"What was that for?"

"You're kind of stupid, arn't you?"

"Excuse me?" Laz wasn't sure if he heard her right.

"If it's registered to you, it can be tracked. And since they are starting to put the government into their back pockets, it would only be a matter of time before they connected you and your grandfather's relationship. Once you're in their hands, it's all over. So learn to write numbers down and switch phones often. Get the prepaid ones you can load with a card, also known as a burner."

"But... I had numbers I needed to save in there..."

"Get over it. It's for their own good too. They can look at your phone records as well and investigate the people you call and talk to often."

"Yeah, but... but... but... sigh. Never mind." It wasn't like Laz was expecting a phone call from anyone any time soon, but still, that was his only way to get a hold of Kennedy and Malene, even if they weren't talking to him right now.

Course it was too late now.

Yumi continued to listen to Laz's directions while he told her were to go. Vivi just slept soundly the whole time as though nothing happened was her problem. They quickly arrived at the barn on the outskirts of his property.

Laz told Yumi that he was good as he figured it would probably be some sort of car to get away with. Therefore, he no longer needed a ride from her.

"You going to be ok?" Yumi asked while Laz grabbed his stuff and put Vivi on his shoulder.

"Yeah. It should be my ride. Time I get going," Laz replied with confidence.

"Ok. Here, take this and call me when you want to talk business." Yumi handed Laz a card with her number on it so that he would have a copy of it.

"Thanks. Goodbye Yumi."

"Take care of yourself Laz. And good luck." Yumi then waved bye as she drove away.

Laz walked over to the barn door and unlocked it with one of the keys on the ring before pulling the doors open.

What greeted him was a fairly new, silver and black camper with West Virginia license plates. Laughing to himself at how prepared those old guys were, Laz shook Vivi awake enough to tell her,

"Look Vivi, our new home."