"I heard you and your grand hall partner have made up."

Rahn turned to see Butok behind her as she entered the alleyway after being released from her debrief by Prala. She eyed him for a moment before huffing and nodding. "Of course you did."

"You should be happy, right?"

"About what, exactly? I feel like I just used my body to gain information. I feel... dirty. Not to mention the fact that if he finds out, he'll never speak to me again."

"You'll get used to it."

She rolled her eyes and turned to walk down the street.

He followed her. "You're either all in on the cause, or you're not. That's just how it has to be. If you choose to partner with someone outside of our cause then you have to expect to lie to them."

"I expected to lie and keep secrets, not use him."

He took quick steps to block her off, halting her steps.

"I'll say it again, Lana. You're either all in or not at all. Which is it?"

She huffed and crossed her arms. "I did it, didn't I?"

"And if he does find out? If at some point you have to choose between him and the cause?"

He stared down at her, as if he could wait all day for her answer.

"I..." she sighed. "Have you ever had to choose?" She said as she hugged herself, trying to make herself appear vulnerable and unsure, thinking a little self-doubt was a good way to show her authenticity.

"We all make a choice at some point. We're allowed to have relationships outside of those within the cause. But we all have to understand that if it ever comes down to it, your loyalties are to the cause above all else. So you choose to potentially break someone's heart later or choose to simply not engage in the first place. I choose the latter."

She huffed."Yeah, I'm sure it has nothing to do with females finding you a creep." She smirked at him.

He straightened and pinned her with a glare. "Don't joke about things you know nothing of. I have sacrificed plenty for what I believe in. If I'm going to trust you, I need to know that you'll do the same. I didn't lose my entire family so some indecisive little female could come make everything I've worked for be for nothing."

She gasped as he pushed roughly into her shoulder as he walked by. She stared at him in silence as he disappeared around the corner.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Rahn didn't bother glancing at Dom as he entered her bedroom. She kept punching and kicking the newly hung bag of beans.

"What is it this time?" He asked as he leaned against her doorway.

"Just keeping my head clear and my body in shape."

"No."

She scoffed and turned to look at him. "What, you can tell the difference between my normal punching and my frustrated punching now?"

He simply gave a short nod.

She shrugged and turned back to continue pummeling the bag as he removed her tablet from its hiding place so he could download her most recent notes.

"What's your plan if you ever get caught?" She said between punches.

When he didn't respond she stopped and crossed her arms as she faced him. "You're carrying information that would be detrimental to my well being if you're discovered. Does it ever worry you?"

He returned the tablet and turned to face her. "Such a situation would be detrimental to my well being as well." He said flatly. "You can have confidence that being careful is at the top of my priorities."

She gave a slight nod and then went back to punching.

"That's not what has you wound up."

"I always..." She paused as she punched the bag. "I get more anxious as I get closer to results. It keeps my guard up." Another two punches. "Keeps me focused." She turned her body and bent her knee while raising her leg to slam the front of her thigh into the bag. "But it also means I have to release my pent up energy so I don't end up doing something foolish."

He silently nodded in understanding.

"I can feel you judging me with your eyes." She said as she stopped her attack on the bag and faced him. "Do you have a better idea for me to release my tension?"

He simply continued watching her. This was one of those moments she hated his mask. She couldn't look for any micro-expressions to get a glimpse of what he was thinking. Or what mood he was in. Meanwhile every time he was around and staring at her, she felt extremely exposed and vulnerable. At first it was almost fun and mysterious. Now it was simply getting annoying. She was too high strung over her mission to have such a large unknown paying her regular visits.

"Right. You can see yourself out, then." She said as she began to walk toward the door, wanting to get some water.

Just as she neared the door he stepped in front of her, staring down at her.

She sighed. "What now?"

"You have a larger opponent blocking your exit. Get out of it."

"Fine."

She went to the other side of the room before turning and running towards him, sliding feet first towards the opening between his legs. He bent down on one knee to block her, reaching his hands out to grab her most extended foot as it slid towards him. Mere inches in front of his hand, she turned her foot to create friction with the floor and came to a standing position as her momentum propelled her forward. She continued the momentum and dove over top of his hunched figure. Landing on her hands in the hallway, she rolled until she came up onto her feet. Turning to face him with her hands on her hips after she took a few steps away from him.

"Not bad." he said.

"I'm glad I have your approval." She said flatly.

He stood and joined her in the hallway, following her as she walked into the kitchen and pulled down a glass to fill with water.

After she finished drinking half the water, she turned and looked at him. "You're still here?"

"Again." He said, as he got a new defensive stance in the doorway out of the kitchen.

She sighed in frustration. As she sat the empty glass in the sink, she walked into the middle of the kitchen and crossed her arms, staring at him. "No, I'm good where I am."

He didn't say a word as he stood and took a step towards her. And then another. With the last step to close the distance between them, he reached out and grabbed her arm tightly. She twisted and got free from his grasp before taking steps towards the kitchen exit.

He reached out and grabbed her around the waist, pulling her back to his front. She grunted at the force of the movement, even though she hadn't expected to get away that easily.

She lifted her knees up, forcing him to hold her entire weight with his one arm. He instinctively shifted in an effort not to drop her. She used his distracted state to shift her weight, flinging her legs to the left, as she leaned the rest of her body to the right and twisted to where her body was facing his side.

The swift movements caused his grip to release entirely, his hands unable to find purchase. But his arms remained firmly around her. If she stayed still at all, he would have her captive again. So she continued her movements, using the momentum to fling her legs around his back, ducking her head under his arm and slipping herself upright as she wrapped her arms around his neck and her legs around his back. He twisted hard to fling her off, but she held tight. He turned his back towards the spot on the wall with no cabinets next to the doorway and took a step backwards toward it. But before he could take another step, pushing her into the wall, a muffled cry left her lips unintentionally.

"No!" She screamed as her grip on him changed. Her arms shifted to where both of her hands were clasped onto his shirt, in front of his chest. her face buried into his neck and her legs clinging tightly to him and her abdomen pressed tightly against his back.

He stopped abruptly. Standing up straighter, twisted his body and he reached one arm around to grab her waist, the other undoing her fingers from his shirt. He pulled her around to his front and embraced her.

"You are OK." He whispered into her ear. As her hands clutched the fabric wrapped around his shoulders. She took in a deep breath before giving a slight nod. After a long moment of silence, she released her grip on his shoulders and placed them flat on his chest, creating some distance from him, even though her legs were still wrapped around his waist.

"I'm OK..." She whispered as she leaned her forehead against his with her eyes closed, taking deep breaths to calm herself.

"You're OK" he whispered again as he brought one hand up and held the back of her head, consoling her.

Her hands clasped onto his shirt and she leaned her face to where her lips were almost touching his, their breaths mixing together. She wasn't sure if it was her or him that closed the distance, but their lips were suddenly touching. Not the heated, passionate kiss their shared previously, but a gentle, comforting kiss. As quickly as it began, it ended. She quickly removed herself from him to walk back over to the sink and take a small sip from it before sitting it down on the counter. "I think that's enough for tonight. I need to get some rest." She said with her back to him.

When he didn't speak, but she also didn't hear him make a move to leave, she reluctantly turned to face him. They stared at each other for a moment before she crossed the kitchen, heading toward the door.

Before she could exit, he gently placed his hand on her upper arm. "Should I be worried?" He spoke softly.

She scoffed. "Don't worry, if I screw up and get myself in trouble. I wont do anything to jeopardize you as well."

"Rahn." He said as if her words annoyed him.

"It's not like I know who you are anyway, your real name or what you look like. Right?" She said, ignoring his comment.

"You know that's not what I meant."

"Do I? Like I said, I don't know you. Just because we see each other a couple times a week and spar occasionally doesn't mean we know each other." She said as she kept her eyes down the dark hallway instead of looking at him. She didn't know him any better than she knew Butok. Both of those relationships were just due to obligations. Neither actually wanted to be her friend, and they certainly didn't want to be anything more. "And like you said before, anything more than a working relationship is a mistake."

"Ra-"

"You don't have to worry." She cut him off. "I have a job to do, and I'm going to do it."

She shrugged his hand off of her arm and continued down the hall. "Lock the door on your way out." She said as she went into her room and closed the door behind her.

She leaned her back against the door and listened as he took steps, her heart beating as she heard him stop outside of her bedroom door. After what felt like an excruciatingly long moment, she heard the door open and close and the sound of the lock clicking into place.