Disclaimer: I don't own Elsword, or any of its playable characters or NPC's
Warnings:
Spoiler Alert: If you haven't reached the Missions in Atlas Station, I suggest you play it first before reading this
Out of Character behaviors
Some inconsistencies with the game
Minor appearances of some characters with implied pairings
I was in the dark till I saw you smile. And in silence till I heard you laugh. I felt nothing till we touched and you made me feel more alive than I was before you pulled me out of the darkness
Chapter 1
"What do you want?"
Add looks down at her, afloat from his dynamo, crossed-leg and with a default smug look on his face. He jumps down and is followed by his weaponized plates.
"Is that anyway to greet your savior?"
The young alchemist places the tubes she's been fiddling with back in her satchel and gives Add an exasperated grin. She pulls a lollipop to nibble on.
"All hail the El Search Party, savior of Elrios, guardians of the world."
Add supplements the sarcasm with his own and takes a profound bow. The girl rolls her eyes and pulls a chair for him.
"How's business?" He asks, taking his seat. His dynamo makes a beeping sound and soars away.
"Terrible." She says after taking a good lick on her sweet, "Peace has costs me customers. I can't even pay my stupid rent to this place."
"Kind of expected you say to that." Add says. She responds with a mean glare.
"I don't really mean it, you dummy." She says, "No decent person will ever sustain market from blood wars. It's just – everything has been… uninteresting, lately."
"Didn't know you're a decent person." He teases him further, but then takes on a more serious tone right after. "But I do know your business was not the only cost paid in this victory."
He snaps his finger and his dynamo returns, this time carrying what looks like a large metal casket. The outside linings have NASOD techlight running through them, regulating energy throughout the casing.
The plates hover closer to the two. The young alchemist savors the sight, but isn't completely impressed. She's made one or two models of these Stasis Vessels before.
But then she sees an expression on Add she never thought she'd see.
Quiet sorrow.
"Who is it?" she asks softly, reaching out and placing her palm on the subtle vibrates of the surface.
"A fool." Add answers, slowly, as if to be accurate, "A friend. A hero."
She lets the young Mastermind in his own moment. He closes his eyes, and leans on the casing, almost as if he wants to embrace it. After a while, he takes a deep breath, and finally returns to his usual proud look.
"You know, the most irritating part about having friends is that you'll never get rid of the urge to protect them from what can cause them pain."
Beyond the many discussions they've had before involving hardcore Nasod tech ciphers and weapons optimizations this would be the most complicated thing she's heard from him. And the most unexpected, particularly adding the term 'friend' in the mix.
Add might've sensed the confusion there, but makes no effort to elaborate further. He instead makes an offer.
"4 billion Ed for accepting the job, including expenses necessary for completion." He says. The shock causes her to drop her lollipop.
"Additional 10 billion for successful outcome." He continues.
"Hold on, you don't have that kind of money." She tells him. Add pulls a small bag from his coat and throws it at the table.
Luster passes through the cloth sheet of the bag as small rays of sunlight touches it. At first disbelieving, she opens the bag to behold not silver, not gold, but Elriolite – the rarest element in Elrios, and an absurd unit of currency in the land.
Each nugget the size of a small pebble is worth 10 million Ed, and Add has just handed her a bag full of it.
"My entire savings, plus a few favors I had to call." Add tells her. "Echo, I beg you – do what you can to bring back our friend."
He hands her another bag, this one not as heavy as the last, but by how he holds the thing, it might be a lot more valuable.
First sentimental, now begging? This can't be the same lunatic that has been obsessed with Nasod tech. But when she looks at him, there's nothing short of genuine resolve in his eyes.
End of Chapter 1