♫ Even if it comes out an answer that's deceiving the world,
Holding out my hand to you, I'll tell you to have faith in me ♫
-- Honeyworks, アイのシナリオ (Love Scenario)

Peach felt a chill down her spine.

"No way! You want me to stay in China for weeks? Months?! I still have deliveries I want to make here!" Peach began struggling.

"Mistress has a delivery for you! Do not worry!" Rui exclaimed, not budging at all from her struggling.

"Then send it to my fucking mail! I'll go there on my own, and do things on my bloody own self! The international delivery will be free of charge since I owe her a favour, okay?!"

"Mistress has other things in mind for you too, Miss Peach!"

This was shady, no matter how Peach looked at it. The apprehensive feeling growing in her guts was telling her that too. This was just plain, simple kidnapping done via coercion.

Peach knew she had to fight back to break free.

I'm not going to any part of China just to cater a bloody mafia leader for no bloody reason! Fuck that! I'd rather die than do that!

Peach pulled down her bag strap swiftly, swinging it at Rui as he withdrew back. Rui's hand went to his gun, preparing to draw it out. However, he furrowed his eyebrows as a thought occured to him, and he pulled his hand away.

Peach noticed that and scoffed, knowing that Lu Ruoyi probably told Rui to bring her in safely. Without any harm coming to her.

"You cannot win me." Rui grinned, his brown eyes gleaming and his yellow hair brighter than ever.

He was really like the sun.

"Doesn't fucking matter," Peach hissed out. "At least I tried."

Peach knew she was stronger in her legs, thus she started with a spinning kick. She almost stumbled since she was wearing high heels, and she cursed softly. Rui dodged it with a grin, and Peach moved in with a punch, only for Rui to redirect it away with his arm as he counted swiftly with a punch of his own.

Peach barely dodged it by ducking out of the way. Rui predicted her movements quick enough that when she began to straighten herself, his knee was already ramming into her in the abdomen.

Her face twisted in pain as she stumbled back, clutching her tummy. He approached her menacingly as she swung her handbag at him again, albeit rather weakly. Rui laughed mockingly as he caught the handbag with his large hand, whipping a knife out hidden inside his holster with his other free hand. He dragged her forward with a harsh tug on her handbag and she staggered towards him, the pain in her abdomen unbearable.

He certainly didn't hold back kicking her at all.

Pressing the knife against her throat, the sharp end of the knife pierced her skin. Her blood then began dripping down the knife gradually.

Peach winced at the knife digging lightly into her skin.

"If the mistress allowed it, I would break your arms and legs, and drag you across the ground," Rui spoke with a sinister smile, Peach also could see the eagerness in his eyes as he stated those words. "Maybe, if she allowed even more, I would have cut your ear off or a finger. Very. Slowly. Miss Peach."

Peach shivered involuntarily, knowing it wasn't empty threats. Her pained expression changed into fear, and her breathing trembling slightly.

Fear was something Peach detested experiencing, and at this moment, she was transported back to the time where she was all alone.

All alone in that dark, abysmal place, where fear had consumed her completely.

Not again. I don't want to remember it again.

"Do not provoke me," Rui warned, digging his knife deeper into her throat as his eyes glanced down at the blood coating his knife. "And listen to me like a cute, little kitten."

Peach could see the slight hint of bloodlust in his eyes as he observed the blood. His smile seemed to grow a tad bit wider and she inhaled shakily.

There she was again, in that place. A place she never wanted to go back to.

She had never interacted with any gang, mafia or yakuza properly, both in conversations and fighting. The only interaction she had with them were via email and deliveries, with simple answers and orders to her questions. 

She knew they made threats like this, but it never occurred to her how terrifying it would be to be the victim of these threats.

The gut feeling within her began twisting uncomfortably.

"Do you understand?"

Fear coursed through her again at his question.

"Ye-yes."

Rui withdrew, a cheery disposition surrounding him again. He grinned happily, wrapping his arm around Peach and guiding her along.

"Let us go to the car, and I will bring you to our private plane!"

Peach then watched as Rui observed the bloodied knife with fascination, before cleaning it on his shirt. He clearly didn't care about blood stains getting on his shirt.

In fact, he seemed gratified.

Peach remembered how she stumbled upon a police case years ago, accessing them via Arwen. It was a picture taken of a victim, murdered brutally by the Zhong. He was sliced to death with knives, a common practice the Zhong mafia did when a member of theirs left the group without permission or worked as double agent.

She almost vomitted at the sight of it, cursing Arwen for letting her stumble upon the case by accident.

What does this fucked-up mafia people want with me? What the hell did I do?

Peach gnawed at her lips, doubting that Lu Ruoyi would even give her an explanation if they met.

I don't want to leave Neo. Not like this, being handed over to Lu Ruoyi like a dog.

Racking her brains for anything she could do, to allow herself the opportunity to run. The only thing she could think of was the tiny spray bottle in her bag, seeing as it worked on the detective before, she saw no harm in bringing it along. Alas, there was no chance for her to use.

A distraction is all i need, and I'll just whip the damn thing out and spray it right in--

"Ah, a detective!" Rui announced excitedly, forcing both of them to stop.

Peach felt her heart skip a beat, and a text displayed on her lenses.

Beep! A police badge has been detected nearby. Currently scanning their location...

A certain blue-haired male appeared in her mind, along with his handsome face and broody expression.

Detective...?

Location found! The owner of the badge is approximately 2 metres away from your position.

Rui clutched at his gun with his other free hand, and Peach lifted her head up, feeling her heart skip another beat. She directed her eyes to the side, seeing someone on the pavement a distance from them, aiming a gun at Rui.

The unfathomable feeling within Peach deflated instantly when she saw that someone.

It wasn't the detective she wanted to see.

In fact, it was a detective she didn't recognise at all. Though, he was vaguely familiar.

Short, dirty blond hair and hazel eyes, an unblemished face with a boyish charm. His clenched jaw showing off his sharp jawline, and his grey long sleeved shirt along with blue jeans that accentuated his lean, muscular body.

What is it with young detectives these days in Neo? Why are they suddenly handsome?

"Let her go!" Michael demanded, pointing his gun steadily at Rui.

"The mistress will not be happy if I did that." Rui raised his voice, taking out his knife and hovering over her neck again.

"Oh come on, my blood hasn't even dried up yet." Peach grumbled to herself, grimacing when she felt the slight pain itching at her neck.

Michael faltered a little, and Rui slowly dragged an unwilling Peach along. Rui raised his eyebrows at Michael, as if challenging him to just shoot him or make a move.

"He can't kill me, so just sho--" Peach exclaimed and Rui covered her mouth with his other hand swiftly.

She could feel impatience radiating off Rui, and it wasn't in a good way at all. It oppressed her, making her feel choked up and she knew if she wasn't essential he would have killed her brutally without hesitation.

Rui then fired his gun without warning. Michael had already dove out of the way when Rui aimed his gun at him, hearing two muffled shots.

Michael grunted, cursing softly and he shook his head, he wasn't expecting to be walking right into the right-hand man of Lu Ruoyi. All he knew was Celeste calling him abruptly, telling him to head to "Pixy" immediately and keep a lookout for the woman.

For Peach.

He wanted to ensure she was safe and sound, and hearing that made Michael choke on his saliva.

Cel? Caring for a someone he was chasing down?

When Michael questioned Celeste about the description of her apperance, Celeste proceeded to spew out a very detailed description about her apperance.

His head was spinning from the information overload.

Rui took opportunity of the distraction to dash away with a struggling Peach, blindly firing another shot. Michael avoided it again by scrambling away and almost kissing the cement pavement.

"Cel, mate, what did you throw me into?" Michael groaned out.