Like hell she was going to stop… Though she did have a problem now. With his arm blocking the counter the way it was, Mara didn't have much choice since she wouldn't be able to get around it. But she didn't want to be caught by him again, she had to get away. So she turned again and headed for the only gap she saw.
James had figured Mara would do as much.
"Got ya," He said triumphantly, second hand wrapping around her and jolting her to a stop.
Mara grunted as the air was briefly knocked out of her as he wrapped his other hand around her. She shook her head and clutched her hook till her knuckles turned white. Her hands were just above his but her arms were pinned by the grip. Despite being unable to move much, she still attempted to stab him with the sharp end of the only weapon she had.
"I'll take th- FUCK–" James had been reaching to take the hook from Mara when she managed to stab him. He dropped her back to the counter he had been lifting her from, the hook still in his hand as he pulled both close to his chest. He hissed as he started to pull the hook out, murder in his eyes.
Mara yelped a little as she was dropped but quickly started running again. She needed that hook to get around, in fact it was the most important tool she owned… but maybe she could get another one later. Right now, she needed to get away from James and back to safety.
James got the hook out, tossing it to the ground. By the time he did, though, he didn't have a chance of catching Mara. He tried to grab her fruitlessly, letting out a loud yell of frustration.
Mara ducked into a hidden tunnel and let out a breath of relief. She’d made it. She got away. The thought almost made her chuckle but she had to stay quiet. Going back to her home was out of the question. He knew where it was and could easily catch her again if she went back there. She would just have to hide out in here until he left or until Darius got home.
Neither thing would come in a timely manner. James took the time to fix up his hand, looking fruitlessly for Mara. He knew when Darius would be back, he had plenty of time. He looked the home up and down, frowning deeply. He was going to get her back for what she did.
Fortunately, Mara was in her comfort zone. She had grown up in these tunnels, so she could wait in here for a very long time. Though she did feel a little bad for hurting him but given her opinions at the time, she didn't have a choice.
James didn't know Mara felt bad about hurting him, and at the moment he would want nothing more than to hurt her back. He gave up the search eventually, though, flopping down on the couch.
Maybe she could ask Darius to pass on the message since talking to James on her own was out of the question. Mara sighed as she walked quietly through the tunnels. She didn't really have a destination in mind but she needed something to do for a little while. But the thought of telling Darius everything that happened actually made her a little nervous. She had to, of course, but if the two were friends she didn't want to ruin that.
It would ruin things, of course. James had attacked Mara, and Darius wasn't going to stand for that. James would be lucky to get out of this without something hitting his face. James figured this, so he was going to leave before it was time for Darius to return. For now, though, he sat there, relaxing and fuming over what had happened.
Mara didn't know what would happen when she told Darius but she just felt like she should. She didn't want to keep secrets from him, especially not an incident like this… Though honestly, she didn't really blame James for what happened, she wasn't surprised by it, her mind circling back to the comparison she’d made earlier of the Owl and the Sparrow… even though she felt more like a mouse the whole time. But that's just how she saw it. Because of their sizes, he was a predator and she was more like prey. Of course, she could have avoided the whole thing but hiding that key sooner. But there was no changing things now.
There was no changing things. Darius would have a long talk with Mara if he ever learned she saw herself on the level prey compared to humans. James checked the time on occasion, eventually getting up from the couch. He left, hiding the key in its usual spot before closing the door and taking off.
Mara didn't really see herself that way, it was just a good comparison considering how small, helpless, and powerless she was against someone like James or even Darius. Though she was very grateful that Darius never took advantage of her size they way James did. She let out a sigh of relief when she heard the door close and started to head back to her little home. Now she just hoped that Darius would be the next one to come in.
It was a good half hour before the door opened again. James hadn't risked anything, then, in terms of leaving before Darius got back. The man in question, Darius, stepped into the home, humming softly as he closed the door behind him. He sat his stack of homework down.
"I'm back!" he called out.
Mara had been quietly sitting in the main room of her home, trying to find something to do to get her mind off… what happened. Though she couldn't think of anything. She barely even noticed the front door opening but when Darius called out, she actually jumped in surprise. Though, once she recognized his voice she was able to relax and the feeling of momentary panic decreased into a little worry about what she was going to say. “I… I’m in here!” she managed to answer, her voice cracking slightly.
Darius looked over, taking a few steps over to take the picture off of the wall.
"How are you doing?" He asked. He didn't pick up on what had happened quite yet, offering a small smile to Mara.
“I… I’m alright.” Mara smiled weakly back. It wasn't a lie, she was alright now. Though still a bit shaken. “How are you?”
Darius faltered some.
"Are you sure?" He asked, not answering the question about himself yet.
Mara shrugged a little. “Yes… and no, I guess.” she explained, feeling a little awkward. “I just didn't move the key in time. I’m not hurt but your friend came over.” she explained, not looking up at him.
"He…" Darius was frozen at the news, blinking rapidly. "Are you sure you aren't hurt??" Darius was on the verge of flipping out.
Mara nodded again, still not looking up. “He didn't get a chance to. He just grabbed me a couple times and asked me what I was. But when I told him, he didn't believe me and wanted to “test” me somehow. He thought I was saying that I was the same as you and him, but I wasn't. I just said we were similar.” she started to ramble, trembling slightly as she sat back down.
Darius was only more shocked, horrified, and furious as Mara continued.
"I…" Darius shook his head to keep it clear. "He should have never touched you," the man said softly. That wasn't okay.
"Let alone… let alone threaten to do testing on you…"
“It was my fault. I should have hidden the key earlier instead of waiting.” Mara said, actually feeling a little responsible for everything. “If I had hidden it before, he wouldn't have seen me or even been able to get inside.” she rationalized before his words caught up to her. “He didn't get a chance to. He… He put me in a glass jar while he looked for something in your kitchen. But I got out and stabbed his hand with my hook when he caught me again.”