Trying to stay quiet, Cui Xi took Xiao Yu by the hand and they slowly edged up the road, closer and closer. Xiao Yu held the bra by the straps, stretching it taut. Cui Xi cautiously positioned herself behind her, centred the makeshift slingshot, and then pulled a packet back. She waited, holding it in place. 

Xiao Yu turned her head to look back at her.

‘Why aren’t you shooting?” Xiao Yu mouthed.

“Not yet…” Cui Xi whispered. “They have to be closer together. Not yet…Now!” 

She released, watching the packets arc through the air, hang promisingly….and then fall hopelessly short with cute little puffs as they tumbled to the earth. 

There was a hissing noise that sounded like a person trying not to laugh. Xiao Yu whipped her head around and stared into the trees.

“Fu--!” Cui Xi breathed, grabbing the bra and picking up a rock as she ran forward. She hung the rock in the bra and swung as hard as she could, bashing one of the men on the back of the head with it. 

By sheer luck, she managed to hit in the right spot and the man fell down with a thud. 

Four sets of eyes turned toward her.

“You!” the boy coughed incredulously, still clutching at his side. 

“Hey! You’ve got big guts to meddle!” one of the assassins pointed a sword at her.

She groaned internally. This really was the worst…but it had seemed like the only reasonable idea when it was in her head…she gritted her teeth and reached for her bravado.

“Stand down!” she said, in an imperious tone. “How dare you attack this boy in my territory!”

The man who had spoken first, sneered.

“Your territory? You aren’t even armed.”

“Sure, I am!” she grinned, taking the small dagger out from where she had tucked it behind her back.  She nonchalantly waved it at them. They gawked at her as she sauntered forward, frozen in surprise at her audacity. “And you’re right…I should say my Dad’s territory! You can’t rob people here without paying a tax to us…”

She inched slowly closer, smiling intensely without an ounce of fear, sliding a sideways glance at the intact packets still on the ground. Just a little bit closer…

“My people are all around us. You won’t be able to hurt me. So, if you leave the boy, I’ll spare you…if not…I don’t think you’ll like my Dad…” she said, cocking her head. Almost there.

“Who’s your dad? You little liar!” one of them chuckled menacingly. “But I like this one. After we kill the boy, let’s have some fun…”

I’ve got it this time! she thought. Rolling the packet neatly onto the top of her foot, she popped it up into the air and with a twisting kick whapped it right into the face of the chuckling man.  

“I’m your dad*!” she yelled ridiculously, as the knockout powder exploded in his face with a POOF! noise. 

And I’m a hacky sack queen…ka-cha!

“Ehhh?!”

As quickly as she could, she ran forward and swept the other packet up, aiming it with perfect accuracy. 

Hah…this body surprises me every time…

She was too late for the third as the man blocked it with his sword…Out of time, Cui Xi threw the bra in the man’s face, reached around him and grabbed the boy’s hand, covering his mouth and nose as she ran with him as fast as her legs could carry her. He grabbed onto her shoulder, using her as support as they stumbled desperately forward. 

Suddenly something silver zinged past her face.  Surprised, she turned to look back over her shoulder as two needles found their mark in the throat of the third man. Turning again, she nearly collided with Xiao Yu who had suddenly appeared in front of them. 

Cui Xi skidded to a stop and the boy thudded against her back. Cui Xi nearly toppled over, only catching herself just in time. She stared at the needles protruding out of the man’s neck, her gut turning as blood started to leak out of the man’s eyes. BLEH!

Did Xiao Yu always know how to do that? she wondered. What else don’t I know…?

There were no signs of the old man.

“Where are your other guards?” Cui Xi asked, shaking the boy slightly.

He shook his head looking woozy and then swayed.

“Not good!” Xiao Yu said, reaching him as he fell between them. “KYAAH! He’s really hot…I have to treat him…”

“Xiao Yu…you stay with him…those guys are only knocked out…and there wasn’t very much powder. I have to…”

Cui Xi looked away, gesturing with the knife.

“We can’t let them live,” she finished, swallowing.

“I used poison on that one. He’s already dead,” said Xiao Yu in a factual tone. She didn’t sound at all regretful or even remorseful.

Cui Xi’s heart thudded in her chest.

“I-I’ve never killed someone before,” she whispered. “Xiao Yu, you’re younger than me…did it bother you? Killing that man?”

Xiao Yu shook her head. She was kneeling next to the boy, diligently shoving pills into his mouth.

“Of course it bothers me, but if I hadn’t done it he would have killed us. If it’s my survival of course I don’t regret killing him. You’d better do it quickly. The others will wake if you don’t.”

Cui Xi hesitated, flexing her jaw.

Xiao Yu sighed, and stood up. She pointed to her own body.

“Look. Here. Here…and here. All those places will get you the same result. Don’t think too much,” she said in her doctor tone.

Cui Xi nodded, running back with her knife gripped tightly in her fist

However when she arrived where the men should have been, they had conveniently disappeared. Frowning a little, she noticed the wet stains in the dirt that were clear even in the dark. She dug at a spot with her toe. Someone had been there just before her.

“Huh,” she said to herself. So the hidden guards had silently tidied up for her after all. She shuddered and walked away. To kill so quietly…

She trudged back to where the boy lay on the ground. Xiao Yu didn’t even glance up

“What about Xiao Hei, here? Is he going to live?”

“Ennn,” Xiao Yu nodded, still working. “But you’re too soft-hearted, A’Xi.”

Cui Xi scuffed the toe of her boot, reddening guiltily.

Xiao Yu finally glanced up at her with a thoughtful expression when Cui Xi didn’t say anything.

“I’m not a brave person…but I can’t watch someone being killed for no reason…” Cui Xi sighed finally. “If that makes me soft-hearted…well, then I am. Do you blame me for it?”

“No. Whatever decision you make, I’ll support you because you’re my friend, right?” Xiao Yu smiled.

Cui Xi stopped digging her toe and covered her mouth with the back of her hand, suddenly feeling overwhelmed by a rush of emotion. She looked at Xiao Yu in surprise. Then, feeling like the air had just been sucked away around her, she turned away to hide her eyes. Is this what it’s like to have someone understand me? Why am I only finding out about this now?

“A’Yu…thank you…” she said very softly, with her back still turned, trying not to hold herself.