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“Are you sure you’ll be okay? What is Safeena?” Barnjötunn asks Ladka quietly. He doesn’t want to leave Ladka alone with this gnomish woman who just threatened the Little Stinkers. Jamna stands firm next to the door she was just blocking a minute ago, and gestures again, motioning them out with a nod. Her dagger stays directed at Ladka.
How did saying ‘Safeena’ stop her from killing Myria? She knows something, Ladka thinks. “I will be okay. Go to the others. I can take care of myself,” he reassures the other two. Ladka turns to Jamna, examining her for any indication of what she wants, what she knows. Just who are you…?
“Okay, we will go to them. Be careful,” Myria says cautiously. They give a trusting nod to Ladka as the door shuts behind them and Barnjötunn. The room stays quiet for just a moment.
“What the fuck did you wan-,” before Ladka can finish, Jamna lunges towards Ladka with her dagger, aiming for his throat. “Shit! I thought you wanted to talk!” Ladka says, dodging the stab and moving back to get more distance between them. His back hits the table where they were just discussing the cart job they really need. Ladka dislodges his daggers from his wrist gauntlets, grabbing one in each hand as they fall. He readies his stance, anticipating another attack.
“HAH! You Ladka really are all the same,” she chuckles, swinging her dagger loosely on her finger. Confidence exudes off her, as though she’s fought him multiple times before. “Why didn’t they program more brains into you? Letting your friends leave was a stupid move,” she grunts in frustration. “God, this better not jeopardize my job.” She bolts for Ladka again, as if to swing with her blade. Ladka charges forward as well, but at the last moment, she ducks down to swipe his feet, swiftly knocking him to the ground. “I know all about you Ladkas,” saying the word with distaste and hate.
Ladka expected a fight, but he probably should’ve thought this through more beforehand. Fuck. My bad, Barnjötunn and Myria. She’s really going after me. “You said you've met some others,” Ladka says, trying to get her to talk, looking for an opening while staying on the ground. “Those fuckers can die for all I care. They might all be identical to each other, but I was Safeena’s!” Ladka declares. “She made ME! The other fuckers are just stolen copies.” Ladka jumps up and kicks Jamna’s hand, making her drop her dagger.
“Yes! Exactly, you’re Safeena’s!” Jamna exclaims back, emphasizing Safeena's name mockingly. She throws another punch, right into Ladka’s gut. He stumbles back, watching as she pulls another dagger out.
“I know, I just said that! What do you know about her?” Ladka asks, putting a hand out to stop the fight for just a moment.
“Safeena. The creator of the Ladka. You.” she looks at Ladka with a slight smile, ”I finally found you. Fucking finally!” she exclaims, then brings her hand to her temple, “Do you know how long I have been going through Ladkas to get information on Safeena? And finally, here you are, Boy,” Jamna states, once again pointing her blade toward Ladka. ”The supposed ‘First’. The Organization’s ‘Technological Marvel’. The one who fucking STARTED IT ALL,” she yells before attacking Ladka again. With a dagger in one hand, Jamna jumps onto the stool and towards Ladka to kick him in the chest. He groans, hearing a rib crack, but before he can recover, she swipes her dagger, slashing his shoulder. Ladka stumbles back. His clothes start staining with his blood. He steps back further, regaining a little composure.
“Yes, yes. I am special. So what. Why do you want Safeena?” Ladka asks, getting angry and trying to understand what this woman's deal is.
“To kill her myself,” she spits. “So, to make this quick. Where is she?” She starts to close the distance between them.
“What?” She doesn’t know?
“Before I have to rip it out your memory box, Boy. Where IS she?” She darts for him again.
She doesn’t know.
As Jamna charges, she leaps up to punch Ladka in the throat, rendering him unable to breathe. He gasps for air while she scrambles onto his back to choke him even more. She removes his hood and bonks the mask with her dagger, then goes to wrap her hands around his throat. Ladka grabs her above him, flips Jamna over his head and slams her on the ground. She groans and rolls away to the side and flips to stand on her knees. She sprints toward Ladka, going for his legs again. Ladka, noticing this move again, jumps over her and does a very useless backflip to get to the other side of the table. Jamna grabs a couple throwing knives from her belt and launches them directly at Ladka. One misses and hits the wall. The other slices his already hurt arm. Shit, this is getting bad.
“FINE,” Ladka screams, ”I KNOW WHERE SHE IS.” He is blatantly lying. She slightly pauses from throwing another knife in his direction.
“Great! Tell me!” Jamna beams, throwing that last knife toward his head. Ladka jerks his head aside to dodge it, narrowly getting got. “And maybe I will spare your life,” she adds.
“Okay, that’s a fucking lie,” Ladka argued, preparing to evade another attack if needed. God, was this a bad idea?
“I am SO close. And to think! I was going to kill you on this caravan in your sleep. I should thank your friend. The Changeling?” Jamna smiles wide, almost laughing.
Okay, nevermind. Fuck this woman. “I need something in return. I am not going to sell out my own Creator for nothing.” Like hell I would sell her out.
“You do not seem to be in a place to be making demands. But sure, I’ll humor you.” She stands straight, no longer in a fighting stance, and walks back to the table. She’s back to being calm and swinging her dagger on her finger
“Since you seem to know a ‘shit ton’ about Safeena,” Ladka air quotes ‘shit ton,’ not knowing if Jamna is really telling the truth, but gets serious again. ”I.. I need to know what you know about her.” Ladka says, and she raises her eyebrow. “I need to know why I was created.”
“Easy. To conduct assassinations and reconnaissance missions for your fucking Organization.”
“NO,” Ladka takes a breath, “the REAL reason.”
Jamna makes a look of recognition. The look someone gives when they realize they have the upper hand. “Oh? I see. Based on my sources, I could've sworn you were close enough with Safeena to know. Must’ve been wrong,” Jamna says with a sweet smile, shrugging.
“To fucking know WHAT?” Ladka exclaims, frustrated. ”Look, I know Safeena made me for a reason, outside of the fucking Organization’s desires. She didn't care what they wanted! I know she didn't! She isn’t malicious like them. She just isn't! But then why? Why the fuck did she make me?” Ladka looks down at his hands, and feels the beat of his own artificial heart. I need to know. “She was supposed to tell me before she-” Ladka stops. “Before we parted ways.”
“Okay, enough with your sob story,” Jamna cuts him off, putting her dagger back on her belt. “I have what you want to know. And you have what I need to know. Let’s make a deal then, shall we?”
“Unlikely,” Ladka retorts matter of factly, barely calming down.
“Look. As much as I want you fucking dead, I still need this cargo to make it through safely. And you and your crew need to be hired,” Jamna says, annoyed. She crosses her arms and continues, ”AND we both have information the other wants. So, how about we exchange the information once we get there.”
“Hah, and how am I supposed to trust you? You admitted to wanting to kill me in my sleep!”
“You think I want to trust a Ladka? But I have a job to do. Seems like you do, too,” she offers her hand to shake on the deal. But, she pulls back and adds, “Also, let’s not tell your friends about this deal, capisce? Keep it between us.” Ladka stays still.
“Why the fuck should I?”
“Then our deal is off. I don’t trust your friends any more than I do you. The less people know, the better,” she says and holds her hand back out for Ladka, who still hasn’t budged. ”Not convinced huh? You want to know about Safeena, no? No one but us will know about this deal. Tell them you owe me a debt or something. I don’t know. Do what you need to make it convincing.”
Ladka hesitates. The woman is pissing me off. Let’s just get this over with. “Fine.” He agrees, but refuses to shake her hand. “I still don't trust you.”
“Good call.” Jamna pulls out her dagger again and stabs him in the leg. Ladka winces. “Since you wouldn’t shake my hand, you decided to go for a blood pact instead,” Jamna says in a customer service voice. She takes her dagger out his leg and pushes him through the door. “The deal is on. See you soon!”