Arson

Chapter Three

Alexandria's P.O.V

I wake up...in my own room? The fairy lights hang low, but not low enough to hit me in the face. Just enough to where I could just barely graze my touch over it.

In my own bed...what...how did I get here?

The pain in my neck was less severe. I guess the dart must've been taken out.

Who did it, then?

Oh...now I remember.

Castle must've put me here.

Immediately, I try to throw myself off the bed. My arms are tied down, along with a rough rope around my waist.

"Took yah long enough to wake up."

"C-Castle..." In my hazy state, my mind was definitely not in the right place...but how could I not recognize that gruff growl?

"Yeah," I could hold my head above the bed slightly, so I followed his blurry figure. "It's me."

"What...what have you done with Micro?"

"Tied him down to a chair, so he don't go anywhere. Now...since you've woken up first," His grasp was on the top of a chair, and easily swung it around for him to sit in. "You're gonna tell me everythin' I wanna know."

"And why would I do that?"

"Because," With a flick of his other hand, there's a folder on my waist. It...it was my list. "I wanna know...why you're hunting Rawlins."

"Y-You went through it!? When I'm out of here, YOU'RE DEAD!" I begin to thrash wildly.

"Yeah, okay." His eyes rolled. Suddenly, Frank's hand pressed down on the center of my left shoulder, completely pinning me down. "I don' think you understand. I'm not the one who dies..."

Leaning down, his face was inches from mine. I study every detail in his face...the explosive but subtle hues of orange and light browns in his irises. The scars adorning his skin. I could actually see them now, since he had recently shaved off his hipster look.

It's hard to tear my eyes away...so, very hard. I never let a man this close to me...so, why wasn't I thrashing? Never in my life have I ever had a boyfriend or any relationship...but...

His calloused, rough hand...the scent of gunpowder.

He was different from me...and yet, so similar.

"I'm the one that does the killing."

"Why did you go through that list...?" My voice became weak. I wanted an answer...and for a moment, I let my guard down. "Are you planning on killing me...? Figure out where my weapons are, so I'm weak. That's smart, Castle."

"I need you for answers. You have my word, I won't hurt you."

"I don't believe that." I twisted my gaze away from his. I don't need him. He just wants to use me, and dispose of me when he's finished.

"Then don't." The pressure he had put on the bed loosened up once he had risen from it.

"You didn't answer my question!" I thrashed again, the rope burning my wrists. Ah, it hurts!

"When you decide to answer my questions, and you cool off a little," His dark figure mixed seamlessly with the shadows. My heart was beating so quickly...a part of me wondered if he could hear it pounding in my chest. "I'll talk. And maybe I'll consider lettin' yah go."

And just like that.

Gone.

...But my heart was still threatening to tear through my ribs.

Why? The Punisher was a stone cold killer.

Like me.

He doesn't understand me.

He does.

He wants to kill me. Everyone does eventually.

Does he?

Those contradicting thoughts burned through my brain. Every negative I conjured up...there was a positive to disintegrate it.

Why didn't he just...get the information he needed? Why is he giving me time to process all of this?

What is he really planning?

Well, I would figure that out later. If we were gonna work together, I needed to learn how to get along.

And calm my heart.

_________________________________

It was hours later. The birds were chirping, I could hear them through the wall. The entire night, I had worked tirelessly to destroy my bounds.

The left wrist snapped...it was raw, and bloody.

And then the right. They stung like nothing before, but now I was free...time to take revenge.

I blasted out of the bed, fully recovered from the medication. Castle was going to pay, no one struck me down and got away with it.

My footsteps were light, barely noticeable by those who weren't listening.

I swiftly grabbed a knife on my soon to be bloody vengeance. He was in my line of sight...had no idea I was coming.

The predator has become prey. MY PREY.

But...it has to be ruined by Micro. Like always.

"WAIT, ALEX, DON'T-" He called to me.

My heart...DROPPED.

I was met with a sudden emotionless gaze. I went to stab him in the arm, like I had done before, but he was ready.

His rough hands caught my wrists. The pain nearly made me shriek, but I bit my tongue and began to struggle.

"Hurts, don't it?" He pulled me in close, holding my arms above my head. The pain started to become unbearable...and I dropped my knife.

But I wasn't giving up.

My legs swung forward, landing a kick on his waist. It...kind of stunned me, how hard his abs were.

He dropped me, falling onto his back...but it wasn't long before both of us were up.

If he wasn't giving up, I surely wasn't going to make this easy for him.

"Guys! Guys, wait!" Micro yelled over our little squabble. "Don't kill each other! It'll get us nowhere. You can chase and destroy each other as much as you want, but that's AFTER we end the bigger threat coming!"

Frank's ember colored eyes lock with mine.

"You gonna behave? I'd really appreciate it."

"I don't care about what you want, Frank! I'll behave, but only because I want to see Lieberman reunited with his family," I slowly rise to my feet, arms riddled with tremors. They hurt...so badly. "Whatever gets me away from you the fastest, I'm game."

"Ouch," Castle said, sarcastically. He didn't care. He would never care. "And here I thought this was gonna be easy."

"Not on your life, Castle."

"...Well, while we're all getting used to each other...can someone please untie me?"

"I'll leave that up to Frank here," I snarled, leaving the two of them to talk about whatever they needed to discuss. They would catch me up if it was necessary. "I'm going to deal with this rope burn."

"Yeah, go and lick your wounds...I'll be here." His guttural taunt made my blood boil.

This...was going to be the hardest thing for me to get through.