Ren watched as Kyle seemed to stuff 15 fries in his mouth at once. They took a seat near the entrance of the food court located on the 570th floor. From what Ren had gathered from the little map brochure of the floors and levels, which was really more like a textbook of the building's locations than anything else, the last 200 floors/rooms, 401 to 600 were designated as food courts, restaurants, shops, etc. It was rather big for an organization, far too spread out if Ren had anything to say about it. In her last organization, they only had a total of 200 floors. Half was designated as training arenas and testing grounds. The next 30 were laboratories, 20 for weaponry, and finally only 49 floors for the agents and 1 for a communal lunchroom. Which was fair seeing as the agents of her 'mother's' organization didn't last long.

There were no such things as floors designated for food courts, shops, and the like. No movie theaters to relax with others or arcades to waste money on. Ren watched as a group of agents passed her by their black attire suggesting that they'd just come back from a mission. The small dark orange stripes coating the edges of their suits told her exactly what they did.

As far as Ren knew orange meant they belonged to the mercenaries group. Each fraction had its designated colors. Interesting, was it a way for the organization to categorize each fraction? But no one group seemed too discriminatory towards one or the other fraction, all except towards the Researchers. There was a little tension between the Informant and the Mercenaries but nothing too large. Not like how it was in Ren's old organization. Everyone fended for themselves. "Mmf, you gonna eat that?" Kyle said pointing to the sausage on her tray his mouth still stuffed. Ren had opted for the buffet lineup they had in the back rather than the fast food of McD's, Kyle's choice.

Her dish was sectioned off into five categories, one large square taking up ⅓ of the tray. That held her purple rice. The next was more of a medium-sized square which contained her main entree: a garlic bell pepper and beef stir fry. Ren always loved the Korean side dishes of sweet potato, stir-fried fish cake, and her favorite kimchi. She couldn't help grabbing the tiny sausages as well so she took an extra small side dish for the meat. Ren glared over at Kyle as she spooned a chuck of purple rice topping it with some kimchi using the chopsticks in her right hand to cram the sausage onto the pile before stuffing the whole mess into her mouth. The tangy flavor of the sausage combined with the fermented and spicy touch of the kimchi and the crunchy feel of the perfectly cooked purple rice made her mouth explode in flavors as Ren fought hard to hold in her moan.

"Good?" Kyle questioned a hint of laughter coating his voice as he watched her close her eyes in bliss. In a moment of weakness, Ren nodded, forgetting who she was talking to before her eyes popped open. Catching herself Ren glared back at the man sitting across from her his smirking lips and red hair almost shone the color of marmalade in the light. His mirthful orange-yellow eyes made her pause as memories assaulted her brain. Fleeting like the flick of a hand the times she spent sharing meals with the little boy of her past skated across her mind.

And perhaps it was this memory that she noticed the small stack of pickles strewn across his hamburger wrappers. "Ugh, I hate pickles." The little boy with amber eyes as haunted as little Ren's stuck out his tongue in disgust as she rolled her eyes in turn.

"Well you have to eat them, they are a source of vitamin K. Maybe next time you bleed it won't last so long." Ren bit back as Kyle pouted, holding up the pickle for Ren to take instead. Their lunches were monitored like everything else in this place. Ren spotted the guard stationed along each exit as she was planning a way for the boy to escape. e didn't know she wouldn't be coming along, she couldn't not with the tracker logged in her neck. Her mother would find her as soon as they left. She needed to get the boy out before they implanted one into him as well. The was still hope for him.

Sighing little Ren ate the outstretched pickle despite her distaste for the vegetable as well. She didn't mind cucumbers but something about them being pickled just changed the flavor for Ren. Wincing inwardly at the sour tangy taste of the thing Ren tried not to show her dislike for the thing. It was already too ingrained in her to not show any weakness no matter how small or insignificant.

On instinct, like she was still in the past Ren reached out with her chopsticks taking the five dill pickles and tossing them all in her mouth. Might as well get it over with. Eyes slightly widened Kyle looked over at her, a question already in his eyes. Realizing her mistake a little too late Ren cleared her throat, "I like pickles. You could have a sausage in return." A slight ting of red-coated Ren's cheeks as she tried not to meet the questioning amused look Kyle was giving her.

Damn, that was too close. Ren acted without thinking, it was just a habit to eat the pickles. She always did. That didn't mean she liked them though she still hated the taste. It was just, that she'd grown so accustomed to eating them for Kyle, that when he left, when he escaped she ate them to remember him.

"Then don't mind if I do," Kyle said already reaching for her largest one on the plate. Snaping out her chopsticks Ren caught his fingers in between the wooden sticks. Narrowing her eyes up at the man before her. Ren lifted his fingers away from her plate before grabbing the smallest of the sausages remaining on her plate to give to him.

"Well, that's not fair you ate five of-" Kyle began before a male voice called out to him from behind. Turning to his left as Ren glanced to her right they watched a moppy brown hair boy waved over to them, no to Kyle. Ren cocked a brow watching as Kyle's expression turned sour. His furrowed brows and ground teeth told Ren all she needed to know. She'd heard the rumors how could she not she lived on the same floor as the man after all. Plus the night they had come back from her trial run she literally heard the male moans coming from his room five doors down. And her room was pretty large too.

In a flash, Kyle's annoyed glare turned into a honey-sweet smile as he beamed back at the man jogging towards their table. Hmm, did he forget she was there? Ren wondered as she noted the slight slip of Kyle's mask she knew he was wearing. "Hey~ Laaaa..rk, wut's up?" Kyle said as if he wasn't sure what the boy's name had been.

"It's Lake." The boy said, pausing in his excitement but it was as if Kyle's slight slip in memory didn't even occur as his bubbly personality came back with a vengeance.

"So, umm. Funny thing I heard that I was reassigned to someone else. I thought, you know we were going together on this and well-" The boy, Lake, rambled as he fiddled with his hands. Ren cocked her head to the right. Was he seriously that daft or was he just playing stupid? It was obvious what had happened to Ren, who didn't even know the whole story.

"Oh, that, well, what can I say I'm a man in high demand," Kyle said which Ren supposed was true. She took a look at the score sheet of the agents so far and, despite his cocky, playboy ways Kyle was one of the top five best agents. Well, he was ranked third on the annual list. It was ranked on how many missions were completed successfully and how quickly they finished it. Mei, the girl who had tackled her, ranked first. Her picture was associated with her name on the list as with all the top 5 ranked agents. Aside from that Ren needed to learn more about that girl. Based on their small fight and the events after, Mei might have been favored by Anastasia and thus, could have been involved in helping Anastasia with her plans. Then there was that girl who was with Kyle when he interrupted their fight. She seemed to know Mei. In other words, to get to know more about Mei Ren was sure Kyle could give her more information. The only reason why she agreed to this little lunch-dinner thing they were doing.

"I-I know but you said-" The brown-haired boy, Lake muttered as he stared up at Kyle desperately.

"Look, you know how business is. And I told you I don't do commitments. I never once said I'd keep you forever. Don't get me wrong your a good lay but man, your a fucking pussy. I mean I'm not even sure if you're a guy with how much you like it in the ass!" Kyle said his announcement catching the attention of everyone in the food court. His cocky smirk fully in place. Great, an audience. Ren rolled her eyes as she turned to leave. She didn't need all these eyes on her. Her sudden new record for the fastest Trial Run in history was already giving her too much trouble. Example A that fight just two hours ago. But before Ren could turn Kyle grabbed her hands in his pulling her over to his side. Caught off guard despite her better instincts Ren was pulled off balance as she fell into Kyle's chest. Her head barely grazed his chin as she blinked rapidly at the sudden closeness.

Fuming Ren glared back up at the amber-colored joy glowing in Kyle's deep orange-yellow iris. Kyle only winked back at her as Ren's anger only grew as she fought back against his arms wrapped around her body. "Calm down, it's just for a bit I promise. Plus, take this as training." Kyle whispered under his breath referring to her PTSD before glancing back up at the boy, Lake. Ren knew of her issues but she could handle this. Ren closed her eyes trying not to think of the warmth spreading across her body. About the syringes that would plunge into her neck. Of the scalding liquid that surged through her to the bone.

Maybe Ren was more interested in the conversation than she thought as her trauma was held off if only slightly. Listening in on the mocking tone Kyle had taken on Ren arched her brow at their conversation.

"Y-you we- how could you say that! I loved you!" The boy, Lake, was shouting as the wounded tears in his voice echoed into Ren's ears. She could already see the eager glances and card tablets hovering to take video and photos of the scene before them.

"Love? I'm sorry did you think me fucking you constituted as anything but a good lay? You were just a good hole to use. I mean come on, I called you and you came running as if you couldn't get more. Quite frankly I'm shocked you'd ONLY want me. I think last time saw you. You did that one five some? You quite enjoyed it. Man, I think you enjoyed it so much you didn't even realize I wasn't even the one fucking you. I mean you had a cock in your mouth, ass, or was it two-" Kyle was saying before a loud moan echoed through the speakers of the food court.

"What- What?" The boy, Lake's, voice trembled as he was no doubt looking around him. And Ren knew what was happening as she closed her eyes. As she tried to breathe. She didn't need to see the large flat screens across the whole floor, to know Kyle's plans. She didn't see him talk to anyone, so she didn't know how he managed to do it but Ren knew the whole food court was seeing a sex video playing before their very eyes.

As if sensing the rising panic in Ren Kyle swiftly let Ren go but he still gripped her hand as Ren pushed herself off him. With their hands still linked Ren could go far not that she could, with the memories surging as she glanced around spotting the naked skin. The slapping sounds of flesh meeting one another. The loud moans and groans from the speakers as her mind closed off. She could barley hear what Kyle was saying.

"Now if you would excuse me I have a date to get back to. Unlike you though I'm good with just one partner at a time." Kyle said, holding up both their hands as he led them away. It was getting harder to breathe as Ren remembered the grubby hands pawing at her thighs as she lifted her gun. It was a good thing she never slept without it under her bed.

"Hey- Ren. Look at me. Ren?" Someone was saying her name as the grubby thick finger inched higher up her legs. They were going to try it again over and over no matter how many she killed. 'She' kept sending them, 'she' never stopped.

"Ren! For fucks sake you're not there. Hey! Listen to me!" Someone was shaking her as she tried to breathe. Metal glided across her hands.

'She' always did that, her so-called 'mother' was sending those men and women to their death bed knowing full well that Ren would kill them. It was 'her' way of "lessening" the trauma from killing someone, by letting them attempt to rape her.

"Ren?! Ren!" And suddenly amber eyes met her own as her vision cleared and her breaths evened out. Where- where were they? Ren blinked trying to spot out their surroundings.Looking down Ren noted the small handgun in her hands, it was empty Ren could feel it, it was second nature to her to know the weight of a loaded gun. She looked up at the clear amber gaze of understanding written in Kyle's eyes, "What did they do to you?"

A tear streaked down Ren's cheeks as she blacked out. The surge of adrenaline and trauma might have been too much for Ren. She was still too weak to not lose consciousness. It wasn't for all her episodes but every now and then strong attacks would overstake her senses and perhaps it was seeing the naked men on the screens or maybe it was the vulgar words spewing out the speakers that had caused that particular episode. It wasn't as if her nightmares had been any better. But the good thing about black outs Ren supposed was she didn't dream.

Popping her eyes open Ren felt something warm to her left as she moaned sitting up. Blinking around she didn't recognize the space before her. She was in a room in the new organization? But. Her fingers touched bare skin as Ren swiftly yanked the sheets off to find Kyle half-naked sleeping beside her. She glared down at the man before her but the slight trembles in his hand as he gripped the sheet near her told Ren all she needed to know. She wasn't the only one with a dark past, and despite her best efforts, it seemed Kyle still had to endure the darkness of this world.