Chapter 686: Feared

Mina listened to Nael speak, and unlike how she would have reacted in the past, she was completely free of judgement. He told her that he tried to force a kiss on the then eighteen-year-old Mills, she reacted violently, he responded aggressively, and Leal, who had been asleep in the next room, had to get involved. She now knew that both men were in 'love' with Mills, but the woman was uninterested in being with either of them because she 'had her brother to take care of.'

"I know what you must be thinking, but that was the lowest I had ever been. I was drinking heavily around that time, trying to block out the sounds of the people I killed. Meeting Mills somehow made all my pain worth it."

"She was nice to you," Mina added. "She understood what you were going through, and you misread her affection."

"I didn't misread; Mills liked us both, but because she couldn't decide, she chose not to pursue either of us. I was just an idiot."

"Not much has changed," Mina joked, and Nael chuckled before scooting closer to her.

"Can I sleep here tonight? We don't have to do anything. I just…" Unable to find the correct word, Nael stared at Ami, who sighed deeply with the request.

"You know you don't like me, so why are you doing this to yourself?"

"I don't know," Nael admitted. "Maybe it's because you remind me of something I lost, or maybe it's because of the way you treat my brother; I'm really not sure. I just know that since you entered my life, it hasn't been the same."

Mina laid back on the bed and Nael made himself comfortable beside her. There was not much room on the mattress, but they were far enough apart that she did not feel uncomfortable, and she made sure to keep her eyes on the maps she had taped to the ceiling. The man asked her about them, and using her finger, she pointed to each mark she had made, explaining their meaning to him, but it was not long before she noticed he had fallen asleep.

Staring at Nael, Mina wondered if she could ever be with him, and if she did, what would their relationship be like. Would he treat her differently if he found out that she was not scarred or would he continue to be the same? There were so many paths a relationship between them could take, and like she had told him in the past, she was uninterested in being someone's punching bag.

Mina wondered if Naell had always been the man he was or was his behavior the product of abuse. She would sometimes have the same thoughts about herself; was the woman she turned out to be created or was she born the way she was. As she watched Nael sleep, she thought about the many times she was forced to hold her bladder until her parents unlocked her bedroom door because she did not want to wake them. She recalled moments when Sadie would sit outside of her room and talk to her through the door, and now that she was looking back, all those things were mentally damaging.

Closing her eyes, Mina suddenly wondered how much different her life would have been if she were not considered a threat since little. She was accused of many things, actions that she swore to her parents she was innocent of, but they told her that she had chosen to 'forget' them. If there were ever a time Mina wanted to forget, it was now, and yet, memories of the past plagued her nightly.

"I'm tired," she said aloud, talking to herself because she knew Nael was fast asleep beside her. "I don't want to hide anymore."

----

Nael followed Ami's figure across the deck with his eyes. She had lost more weight, and while the scars on her face were still there, she sometimes used some sort of wax-based makeup to cover them. She still wore masks, in fact, she had several custom made; each one more theatrical than the next. Nael liked to see the confidence she was displaying among his crew, but another part of him felt that he was losing her. She was not afraid anymore, not of him, or anyone else, and it showed in everything the woman did.

Ami had put together her own crew, people who were from various countries, all of whom grew up without opportunity, and had nothing to lose. Their task was to take over the slums of Sani and clean it of those who preyed on the people around them. She did not have to do much convincing, she was offering a lot of money to the men and women helping her, and with Ivy's help, she already knew which politician to bribe into looking the other way.

As far as the politician was concerned, the people in the slums deserved death, but what he did not know, was that Ami was plotting his demise behind his back.

"Are we really letting her do this?"

"Can we stop her?" Nael asked his brother, who was nothing but worried. Ami was still the sweetest and kindest woman they knew, and it was odd watching her intentionally put herself in the position of an aggressor, but at the same time, she was no longer helpless. She knew how to defend herself, and how to protect herself, and although she had not spoken much about it, Nael knew she needed to feel like a hero.

"What if she dies?"

"Then we blow up the entire area," Nael replied, and he meant every word. Ami had not invited them on her crusade, and out of respect the men yielded, but neither of them were prepared to see her 'ride off to battle' without secretly following her into combat.

When Ami was done speaking to the people she had gathered, she innocently waved at them, and it sent a round of chuckles through those near her. No matter who she had become, she was still the sweet girl who boarded their ship looking for help. She did not like doing the things she did, but she had convinced herself that it was the only way to change the meaning of whatever past she was running from. For that reason alone, Nael was allowing her to be free, hoping that she would see his actions as acceptance.

The brothers watched Ami pull a black veil over her face before leaving their ship and both, although unspoken, held fears that they would never see her again.

"We've created a monster," Leal said, and Nael smiled at the comment.

"And she is all mine," Nael replied, filling his brother with dread.

----

Mina did not immediately plan to kill every 'bad person' in the slums. If possible, she wanted to reform without bloodshed, and so, she used the same tactics as the healthy child initiative, offering incentives for people to trust her. Her group sat in the back of an armored truck, handing out food and water to those bold enough to approach. After a few hours, they packed up their things and left, but the next day they repeated the action, wanting to reach more people with kindness, instead of violence.

In Mina's mind, swarming the slums with heavily armed men and women would have only done two things; fill people with fear, and alert those who are 'in charge' of a possible hostile presence. All the same, handing out charity had the same affect, and when the group returned to the slums the next day, no one came to collect the packages they put together. Even when they physically approached, people did not accept the gifts, and it was then that Mina knew her plan was working.

As she expected, the man who made everyone afraid to accept her kindness showed up. He was flanked by six men, but Mina knew there could be others hidden all around.

"What is your aim?" the man asked.

"I want to help these people clean this place up; turn it into a decent place to live, and maybe get the children enrolled in school." The man laughed at her words, mocking her for her kindness by bringing up past visitors who came with similar intentions and never made good on their promises. "Those people weren't me," Mina said.

"And what makes you different?" the man asked, and with a gesture, he was shot in the head. Knowing the bullet had not come from anyone standing in front of them, the men he had come with started to flee, but another gesture sent them to their graves as well.

"Does anyone else want to know how I'm different?" She asked, and when she received no response, she clapped her hands together excitedly. "I'm so glad you've made this decision. Now; let's talk about our future together?" Mina waited, but no one stepped forward, and one of her men whispered into her ear making her frown. "You don't have to be afraid of me," she said in the friendliest tone she could muster.

"Why should we believe you? You're a monster just like they were."

"You're right, I am a monster, but I only hurt other monsters." Mina hated the word choice, but it was true. "I understand why you don't trust me because I have once lived in your shoes." Mina was going to continue speaking, but she was cut off.

"You won't even show us your face, why should we?" Mina chuckled, turning to face the woman who had spoken. She lifted her veil, revealing ugly scars, that while not real, were still grotesque.

"Like I was saying; I understand pain."

Seeing that she was getting nowhere with the crowd, Mina gestured for her people to leave, and she told herself she would return in the morning, but out of everyone, a young boy approached, asking her what she meant by shelter. She extended her hand to the child, who tentatively took it as she guided him toward the truck she had arrived on. It was meant for the adults around to view, but since she had only one taker, Mina wanted to make the best of it.

"This is called a shed home; I want to give one to everybody."

"For free?" The boy questioned skeptically, making Mina chuckle.

"No, not for free. Everyone here will work for me, and everyone will be paid to do it."

"That's a lie," a man shouted, and Mina could not help but understand his disbelief.

"It's okay if you don't believe me, but that is the truth."

"You want to take our children," another screamed, and Mina shot to her feet.

"No!" she said loudly, suddenly remembering every time her parents told her she was in danger of being taken away. "I would never hurt a child."

"This is too good to be true," an old woman shouted. "You say you want to come in, clean up, and build us new homes, but what does that do for you?" Mina smiled, and she hoped it did not come off as creepy as her thoughts.

"I have my reasons, but I won't reveal them until I can trust you." As Mina spoke, the bodies of the men she had killed were being packed into the back of another truck she had come with. "I will return tomorrow with my plans to renovate. If we can all work together, everyone will be resettled within the month." Mina started to leave, but the boy who had approached her tugged on her arm and an elderly woman shouted for him to let go. "He's fine," Mina replied, kneeling to the child again.

"Can we still have the gifts?" he asked. She tousled his messy hair and led him to where the bags were.

"I bought these things for you," Mina replied. "Please come and take them."