Halfway through leaving the station, there was a loud shriek from behind. I surmised the wagon doors had just been ripped off their braces. There was no need to, and she could have caught up to me anytime. That stupid girl just really thought I was faking my escape. I was scared shitless. Perhaps her act doubled in her eyes as intimidation, asserting her authority over me... and everyone.

  I didn't look back; I knew better by now. I took the stairs three by three and signed a taxi when I hit the street. If I lost her, she'd probably cease with the destruction.

  When I got in, I asked the driver to get me to 41st Street downtown as fast as he could, pretexting an important reunion I was te for. I'd give him five hundred if he ignored the traffic lights whenever possible.

  If only it had been that easy.

  The man hit the gas repeatedly, and the engine roared, but the car didn't move. Confused, he looked back at me and then at the rear window.

  I already knew what was happening. Clutching it in my pocket, I unstuck the slide. Trying to repress a panic attack, I kicked the door open and did the st thing I thought of. I pulled the gun back out and put the muzzle on my temple, locking eyes with Miya. She released her grip as soon as I did, letting the taxi wheels hit the ground. It sped off, leaving a smell of burnt rubber lingering in the air.

  I didn't have a spare magazine, but she couldn't tell.

  "D-darling? What are you doing? This isn't funny. Hand me the gun right now," she said, her confusion giving way to a commanding voice.

  "Leave me alone, or I'll press the trigger. This is an ultimatum. I wish it wouldn't have come to that, but here we are."

  Miya remained silent, her eyes shifting between me and the gun in a candid, puzzled expression.

  This was when it struck me—she believed she was doing the right thing. Her attitude, no, her entire behavior, felt oddly natural. To her, it was simply common sense to act like that.

  Two seconds of distraction is all it took. I didn't notice the girl leaning on her right leg while slowly pulling her left back in.

  She rocketed towards me before I could process anything, knocking the gun away with a backhanded flick.Dumbfounded, I stared at my open palm, trying to process the situation. I thought I'd put enough distance between us.

  "What- the-"

  I made a break for it when I saw the crumpled pavement she'd left in her wake, but it was futile. Miya nded a couple of feet in front of me. Thankfully, I had some leeway to stop instead of crashing into her.

  She looked furious, waving the now-crumpled gun in front of her.

  "YOU IDIOT! What the hell did you have in mind!?"

  She took a breath and collected herself.

  "Anon, I love you, but I'll have to consider disciplining you if this sort of thing ever happens again. Your safety is something you cannot toy with! It's the most important fucking thing ever, Ano-"

  I didn't let her finish. Nothing I'd tried had worked so far, but when she spoke, it struck me. I knew earlier that if she had to have a weakness, it would be me. Leveraging this with a threat to end my own life didn't get me any results. The more I resisted, the fiercer she became. So, what if I intentionally did the opposite?

  The kiss I pnted on her lips silenced her. Miya looked utterly confused for a second before being swallowed by bliss. She hugged me back. The goal was to make her as mellow as possible, and I relented as I felt her tongue request access to mine. She didn't let me pull out until I was starting to gasp for air.

  It worked. She seemed to forget about my suicide threat from moments ago and now had difficulty forming words as she blushed profusely.

  "A-Anon, I-I'm... don't know say- Anon and Miya, s-so happy..." She mumbled, fidgeting with her fingers.

  Hah, now it was her turn to be overwhelmed. That said, I also enjoyed it a bit too much, and I cursed myself for it.

  I snapped back to reality. All the passersby had long since left the area, and I had unloaded a Glock 17 moments ago in public transportation. The police were on my tail.

  It was, however, now evident that the cops—or, hell, the army—would probably be just as helpless in stopping that girl as I had been. And they first had to realize I wasn't the problem.

  Still, I thought about getting far away from Miya without leaving any trail. I'd be free again if she didn't know of my whereabouts. But I first had to persuade her to leave me alone for a couple of hours to disappear from her radar. I didn't lend much credence to this pn, but there was no alternative.

  The main issue is that she wouldn't easily be tricked. The way she broke into my computer and found me out online meant I'd have to be really careful.

  Time was running low, and I had to rush things up with her. Circling back to Miya, I wondered how to keep such a girl from causing trouble or if it was even possible.

  I felt stupid again. Jeez, of course...

  "Alright, you win! We're, um... a couple... now."

  I took her hand in mine. She was on cloud nine. As I nudged her to follow me, though, confusion showed on her face.

  "Right now, I'd like to show you where I live. There's a lot the Internet and my PC don't show you."

  Revealing my address to her should give me her trust. It's risky, but she probably already knows it anyway.

  She partially regained her composure.

  "I'd love to, Anon! By the way, you love me too, right, Anon? Please say it! Let me hear it! Hehehe~"

  Now, it was my turn to blush. Despite everything she said and did earlier, Miya now looked utterly inoffensive. I was confused about my fear, even though I knew it was legitimate.

  But she sure had a huge weakness. I felt intense relief at the thought.

  "Sure. I love you, Miya." I muttered, averting my eyes in embarrassment.

  Her mouth went wide open. She rushed to me and hugged me tight. Miya was a sobbing mess now, clutching me as if her life depended on it. I think my soul was squeezed off my body for a moment. She apologized many times as she loosened her grip.

  In all honesty, I would have been head over heels for her if not for her psychotic streak. As it was, my feelings were mixed. She didn't intend to hurt me, and as she melted into my arms, all of her assertiveness and controlling nature evaporated. Now exploiting her weakness, I no longer felt scared. However, I was anxious about how everything would unfold if I kept up with the act. For all I know, she could still be unyielding to any compromise I'd devise, even in her bubbly state.

  My fascination with her beauty, strength, and willpower conflicted with my stupor over her visceral ck of humanity. What if she insisted I relinquish my friends and freedom? If this continued, I could very well become a puppet to her.

  But she was a potential threat to anyone out there, and I didn't want her to harm innocent people. Bonding with her would put a target on my back, but it seemed like the more thoughtful pick. The necessary-evil pick.

  I put all these worries into the back of my mind as we departed the scene on foot, holding hands, heading to my pce. A few blocks behind, I could hear sirens closing in on the station. This had been a close call.