Chapter 4

“You bought me clothes?” Ayumi asked, looking at him as she walked out of the shower when he returned to his apartment. She stood before him, naked and dripping, her pink hair plastered to her skin. “That’s ... that’s very thoughtful. Thank you.”

“I won’t lie,” Kayden said, his eyes roaming over her small, naked form, taking in the sharp angles of her hips, the gentle swell of her breasts, the way her pink hair clung to her skin. “I picked out something that would make you look cute and fuckable, just because I’m like that. But it’s also practical for our needs. For your protection. And it’s not going to tear easily.” He handed her the bag, and she eagerly dove into it, pulling out the clothing with a mix of excitement and trepidation. She held up the figure-hugging pants, the dark material glinting in the dim light of the apartment. She turned them this way and that, admiring the pockets and the way they seemed to shift and move in the light.

“Wow,” she breathed, her one good eye wide with wonder. “These are beautiful. And so ... me.”

“I’m glad you think so,” Kayden said, smiling. She pulled the pants on, shimmying into them, the fabric stretching and molding itself to her body. She turned this way and that, admiring the way they hugged her slender legs, the way they accentuated her small, tight ass. She felt ... dangerous. Like a spy, or a thief. Like a character from one of the action shows she used to watch before the SGC took her. She then pulled out the top, a mesh of dark synthetics that seemed to flow through her fingers like water. She hesitated, looking at the sheer material and the way it would cling to her body. She glanced at Kayden, a hint of uncertainty in her eyes.

“Uh ... This is kinda see-through,” she said, holding the top up.

“Yep,” Kayden said, his gaze never leaving her. She bit her lower lip, considering. Then, with a shrug, she pulled the top over her head, letting the fabric settle against her skin. It felt cool and soft, and as she moved, the mesh seemed to shimmer and shift, revealing tantalizing glimpses of her small breasts and flat stomach.

“Yup. Those are my perky little titties,” she said, looking down at herself. “And there’s my bellybutton. And the scar on my hip. Oh, and that small birthmark on my shoulder. Yeah, this top doesn’t really leave much to the imagination, does it?”

“Wasn’t the point,” Kayden said, his eyes roaming over her. “You’re built for sex, Ayumi. And we may need that. You look hot, but you can fight in it, too. Not many girls can do both.”

“Yeah, yeah. I’m a special little snowflake,” she said, rolling her eyes. She then pulled on the leather jacket, feeling the weight of it settle onto her shoulders. It was cropped just under her bust, showing off her slim waist and the curve of her hips. She looked at herself in the mirror, turning this way and that, admiring the way the clothes hugged her body, the way they made her look dangerous and alluring all at once.

“You look great, kid,” Kayden said, his voice low and rough. “You look like you’re ready to take on the world.”

“Thanks,” she said, blushing. “I feel ... I feel like I can, you know? Like I’m not just some broken, discarded little girl. I’m Ayumi. And I’m gonna get my revenge on those bastards.”

“That’s the spirit,” Kayden said, clapping her on the shoulder. “Now, you told me you have some leads. Some people who can help us get a ship and a crew. Where to?”

“Well. I actually have a small storage locker on the other side of the city,” she said, fidgeting with the hem of her jacket. “My parents ... they were wealthy, before they kicked me out. They left me some credits and ... and some other things. Things that could help us.”

“Okay, then,” Kayden said, offering her his hand. “Let’s go get what we need.” She took his hand, her fingers small and slender in his grip. He led her out of the apartment, into the neon-lit streets of the underlevels. They made their way through the crowds, past the stalls selling illicit goods, past the people hawking their wares, past the legal age prostitutes. Ayumi kept her head down, her pink hair hidden under the hood of her jacket, but even so, people still stared. She was a sight, a tiny, pale girl in dark, figure-hugging clothes, her small breasts barely concealed by the mesh top, her hips swaying as she walked. But they couldn’t recognize her under the hood, that was what mattered. They reached the storage facility, a nondescript building in a back alley, guarded by a pair of burly, heavily armed men. Ayumi typed in her credentials, and they were allowed inside. The facility was like a maze, with corridors branching off in all directions, lined with rows of lockers. Ayumi led Kayden to one in the far back where the small lockers turned into larger storage units.

“Here it is,” she said, stopping in front of a unit with a keypad. She punched in a code, and the door slid open with a hiss. The unit was large, yet cramped. A single bulb illuminated the space, casting long shadows on the walls. Covering an entire side was a mix of boxes and equipment. on the other side, was a small mattress, neatly made up, a pillow and blanket folded on top of it. There were some nutrition bar wrappers scattered on the floor, along with a few bottles of water. It looked like someone had been living here, hiding out.

“Did you live here, before?” Kayden asked, eyeing the mattress.

“Sometimes,” Ayumi admitted, her gaze fixed on the boxes and equipment. “When I didn’t have anywhere else to go. It was a safe place to hide.”

“I’m sorry, kid,” Kayden said, his voice gentle. “No one should have to live like that.”

“It’s okay,” she said, shrugging. “I managed. And now I have you.”

“Yeah,” he said, giving her a small smile. “You do. Now, let’s see what we’ve got here.”

“Most of this stuff is useless. But I’m pretty sure there is a credit shard in the back. I just need to crawl my way under some of this stuff and go get it ... We will need someone to hack into it for us so we can get the credits, but we can figure that out.”

“Sounds good,” Kayden said, his eyes scanning the room, taking in the boxes and equipment. “What kind of stuff is in those boxes?”

“Mostly junk,” Ayumi said, getting onto all fours. “Old toys, books, baby clothes. My parents’ stuff. Might be some guns though, or some other clothes that might fit me. We can look through it all once I ge this.” She started crawling into the storage unit. Her ass was in the air, as she disappeared under the pile of boxes and equipment, searching for the credit shard. She could feel the weight of the boxes and equipment pressing down on her, but she didn’t care. She had to find that credit shard. Kayden leaned against the wall, waiting for Ayumi to return. His gaze was fixed on the door, on the shadows that danced on the walls, on the flickering light that seemed to grow dimmer by the minute. He felt a sense of unease, a prickling on the back of his neck that told him something was wrong. He tried to shake it off, to focus on the task at hand, but the feeling persisted.

“Ayumi?” he called, his voice echoing in the small space. “You okay in there?” There was no answer, just the sound of Ayumi’s body shifting under the pile of boxes. He felt a surge of worry, of fear that she’d been hurt or trapped. He stepped forward, pushing off the wall.

“Kid?” he called, his voice louder, more insistent.

“Yeah. I’m at the safe ... Got it open ... and ... here’s the credit shard,” she said, her voice muffled by the debris. “I’m going to turn around and come back to you now. Be there in just a ... Uh oh...” Before Kayden could respond, a robotic voice came from the pile of equipment.

“Boot sequence active ... Assessing situation ... Trapped ... Ayumi is also trapped ... Calculating an exit path ... Commencing.” The robot said, before a series of blasts from a laser weapon cut through the pile of equipment. Kayden was forced to jump back and take cover behind the corner of the door as lasers shot through the storage space.