Spoilers for Labari Hollow, with some references to Alvin's backstory.
Obligatory Disclaimer: I own nothing with Tales of Xillia
A/N: This story came about because I wanted to read a story with Alvin and Elize about the events at Labari Hollow and there weren't any in the archive. And you know what they say - write the stories you want to read.
Alvin cursed Milla. Of all the ways she could have tested his allegiance, why did it have to be like this? It couldn't have been delivering a message or killing someone for her. Those ways would have been easy.
No, he had to choose between making his mother a target or leaving Elize in danger. Just his luck.
He knew, of course, he couldn't abandon the little lady. Although it seemed like the Exodus agents were only after Teepo, Alvin wasn't so sure they would pass up the opportunity to do something with Elize as well. After all, she and Teepo showed unprecedented levels of compatibility. Who knew what Exodus could do with that knowledge?
So that was how Alvin found himself skulking through Labari Hollow, dodging patrolling agents while trying to follow Elize's tiny footprints. He hated the place – even when he'd been sent there years ago to gather intel, he'd felt uneasy. The sky was always been gray and overcast, threatening a downpour but never actually committing to it. Instead of rain, Alvin was left with the anticipation, the waiting. And boy did Alvin hate waiting.
He'd seen Elize years ago when he'd first invaded the research laboratory. There had been actual buildings back then, instead of the cavernous warehouses that were only kept from collapsing thanks to rotted wooden beams and sheer luck. She'd been much younger and smaller, and the pretty smile he often saw now had seemingly never graced the girl's face. She'd been crying for her toy and had only calmed down once it had been given to her. Alvin had passed by without much thought – after all, it was normal for kids to throw fits over toys. How should he have known that toy held a top-level booster?
Yelling in the distance made Alvin move cautiously. While he'd seen people patrolling periodically, they weren't much for talking. His gut told him Elize was there, and he'd been a mercenary long enough to trust those instincts.
One of the doors to a warehouse was left ajar. Inching his way closer, Alvin kept his watch sharp as he tried listening to the yelling. Although he'd been a lone wolf for years, he couldn't help but wish he had some backup. Jude would be able to move quickly and remain undetected, perhaps getting a better look into the room. Rowan would think up some kind of foolproof plan, while Milla would be ready to take down any foes with her brute strength. Even Leia, though weaker physically than the others, would be able to counteract the dour atmosphere with her cheery disposition and positive words.
A quick glanced showed there was no one immediately inside. Alvin inched his way in the tunnel, keeping the door open to remain undetected. He was met with even more gray – it was as though all color had been sapped from the compound. The stale air provided little relief, the overwhelming mildew odor only adding to Alvin's irritation. The voices grew louder as he made his way through the tunnels, peering around the corners before making his moves.
"Please, give Teepo back!" Elize's voice cracked, as though it took all her willpower not to cry. Alvin's grip on his gun tightened.
"You'll get your toy back once you give us more information about the boosters." The voice was harsh and definitely masculine. Alvin didn't recognize it, but that made his job easier. Less personal.
"I don't know!" Elize cried. "They didn't tell me any of that! I just use Teepo to channel spirits!"
Alvin had wondered why the Exodus agents had gone in this direction. Labari Hollow was a dead end – why take the girl here? It would be easier leave Xian Du in the opposite direction, or at the very least hide in the city itself. Did they think bringing her here would bring back memories of the experiments?
He made his way further into the cavern. He initially thought he'd reached a dead end, but a quick glance showed some figures in an alcove. As he peered around the corner he caught a glimpse of Elize's purple dress and a man with a pompadour that was clearly compensating for something else. Alvin couldn't see the other agent, and he'd give himself away if he tried to get a better view.
"C'mon, let's just take the data from the booster and go," a female voice said. She had a gravely, low-pitched voice that Alvin would have found particularly sexy in any other situation.
"She knows something!" the man said. He grabbed Elize's arm and pulled her toward him. A small oof escaped from her, but Alvin had to commend the girl for not crying out.
"Well if you think so, then you get to explain why we came all the way here with some pint-size brat when we were supposed to return to headquarters." Oh no, she was assertive too. Alvin prayed she was hideous. "Look, if you think she's valuable, then you get to deal with bringing her all the way to headquarters. This wasn't part of the job description."
A low-pitched growl followed. "The job description was to get the doll because it'd be easier. However, if we can get both then that would be better in the long run! And guess what?" There was another small cry from Elize, which made Alvin see red. "We got her! So let's see what information we can get from her."
"Please, let me go!" Elize's voice cracked once more. "Just give me Teepo and let me go! I don't know anything!"
"I don't think so, cutie." Alvin saw the man leaning into Elize's face, the same way as the villains in the old storybooks Alvin's mother used to read him back when he was younger. The agent gripped Elize's arm and smirked as he said his next words: "If you're not going to tell us information about boosters now, we'll just have to keep you with us until you remember."
Over Alvin's dead body.
Without hesitation, Alvin turned into the cavern. It only took a second to get his shot.
Scarlet blood splattered on Elize's face as the body slumped to the ground. Alvin hated seeing Elize like that – eyes wide with shock, blood soaking her hair and dress – but he'd rather spill someone else's blood on her than see her blood spilled. Her green eyes went straight to the tunnel and went even wider.
"Alvin!"
"Help, Little Buddy!" Teepo shouted. "The bad guys won't let me go! Heeeelllppp!"
The woman snarled, the weapon on her back swaying as she moved. Alvin was dismayed to note that even with a disgusted look on her face she was very attractive. Just his luck.
"I don't have time for this!" The Exodus agent reached into Teepo's mouth and ripped out a small box. She tossed the toy to the side without a second glance; Elize immediately ran to Teepo, cradling in her arms.
"Teepo?"
"Hey! Let's play! But first, give me a name!"
"Teepo, what are you talking about?"
The woman stuffed the box in a pocket and turned to leave. However, Alvin was ready for the Exodus agent as she tried to make her escape.
"You're not getting away that easily." Although he wore his signature smirk, his dark eyes betrayed him. At times like these, he wished he could channel spirits so he could sic a fire spirit right at the agent's pretty face. "There's no way I'm letting you get away after mistreating the little lady over there."
Alvin aimed his gun, ready for her movement. If he could get info from her, great. If not – well, no skin off his back.
"Sorry to disappoint, but I have a prior engagement I need to attend." The woman swung her Spyrix weapon from its resting place. Alvin could hear the crackling as the weapon charged. "If it makes you feel better, I only want to kill you. The girl is of no concern to me now, but she could prove valuable later on."
"Can't say that helps you much."
Alvin's gun fired, but the agent had been anticipating as much and deflected the shot with a guardian shield. She leapt at him, swinging her gun around in an attempt to hit the mercenary. Alvin easily defected the attacks with his sword, but that left him vulnerable on his left side. The agent gave his side a well-placed kick, knocking the wind out of Alvin and possibly bruising some ribs. A moment later he was blinded by a bright light.
All of a sudden it felt as if his whole body was on fire. He could hear a guttural noise escape between his clenched teeth as electricity surged through his body. He slumped to the ground, his whole body acting unresponsive to his brain.
"I hate to end the party early, but I really must be going now." The woman had the nerve to laugh at him.
Forcing himself to raise his gun, he pointed it at the woman's face. "I can't let you do that."
Another laugh followed. "I don't think you have much choice," she said. "I didn't want to use this, but it helps make my job easier." She pulled a small box out of her pocked and dropped it on the ground.
Alvin fired his gun, but the woman was already halfway through the tunnel by the time he was able to process the action. As the shot's sound rang though the empty room, Alvin looked at the box that the woman had dropped. It was small enough to fit in his palm and had a tiny red light that kept blinking. It was only when he heard the ticking that he realized what it was.
"Elize!"
A surge of adrenaline rushed through his body. Elize looked up from Teepo just in time to see Alvin as he leapt at her. Holding tight to Elize, his whole body wrapped around her, Alvin managed to use his lilium orb to throw up a weak guardian shield just as the box exploded.
On Alvin's better days, he could hold up a shield for about ten seconds. At that moment, he could only hold it for five seconds. The explosion lasted six seconds.
The sound was deafening. Whatever spirit fossil had been used for the device must have stored a great deal of mana. The power rippled through Alvin's shield, easily destroying it. The power from the explosion threw the two people to the ground. The mercenary barely registered Elize's screams as he concentrated on protecting her.
The silence following the explosion was almost overwhelming. The air filled with sulfuric smoke and rained tiny bits of ash on the mercenary. Alvin let go of Elize and immediately felt his body go limp, his face planted against the warm ground. The danger was over. For now.
"Alvin!" He could feel Elize as she grabbed his arms and pulled him into an upright position. He could barely hear her over the ringing in his ears. He forced his eyes open, blinking away the blurriness. The smoke hung heavily, circling Elize in a hazy halo. The blood on her head had dried to a matted brown rust. "Alvin, talk to me!"
"You okay little lady?" Alvin asked in a raspy voice. "Did they hurt you at all?"
"N-no, I'm fine," she said, though the mercenary saw her rub the area just above her elbow on her right arm. "But Teepo…. I don't know what they did to him." She bit her lip as she looked at her toy. "I t-tried to channel with him, I tried to help you fight that woman, but he w-w-won't respond to me. I can't channel anything, and you're hurt and I can't help but-"
"Shhhhhhh…. Don't worry, the others will be here soon." Lies always did come easily to Alvin. "You don't happen to have any apple gels with you, huh?"
The girl shook her head. It would seem that both of them had run off without grabbing supplies. Alvin forced a sardonic laugh out. Just his luck.
"Teepo…. Teepo please, it's me! It's Elly!" Elize ran back to her toy, trying to get it to respond.
"Hey! Let's play! But first, give me a name!"
As his adrenaline wore off and the pain started registering, Alvin wondered if this was how he would die: alone in a cave with a scared girl, not even sure if his traveling companions would to come save the day. Not exactly a heroic death.
Would the rest of the group follow him here? He assumed so – Jude was naïve, but he was a do-gooder. He would insist. Still, Alvin forced himself to keep his gaze to the ground, trying not to get his hopes up. His expectations were rarely met.
"The others are coming, right?" Alvin looked up from the ground to see Elize looking at him. "Jude and Milla will be here soon, right?"
"Heh." He gave a small smirk. "C'mon, you know Jude would never let anything bad happen to us. They'll be here, I promise." He immediately realized his mistake.
Elize immediately started bawling. "But you're badly injured and Teepo isn't Teepo anymore! And they don't know where we are and this is all my fault!"
"Hey! Let's play! But first, give me a name!" That damn doll wasn't helping.
"Elize." The girl looked at him. Alvin hated that he was the one to make her cry, especially after she had been so strong in front of those agents. "None of this is your fault. Okay? You got that? It's not your fault."
"But you got hurt protecting me and I can't even heal you!"
"Did you cast the artes that injured me?"
Elize paused. "No."
"Did you cause the explosion?"
"No…"
"It's not your fault. You hear me? Don't blame yourself." Alvin paused. "Jude would agree with me. He'd think it was the bad guy's fault. Right?"
The girl looked so much younger as she nodded, and for a moment Alvin thought of the vulnerable child he'd seen here all those years ago. "I-I'll try not to blame myself."
"Good. I'm glad."
"Hey! Let's play! But first, give me a name!"
Elize immediately turned back to her toy and tried again to reason with it, trying to get it to talk to her. She begged Teepo to listen, explaining she had to heal Alvin and they needed to leave. No matter what Elize said, no matter what words she used, Teepo would only repeat the same phrase in response to her pleas. Eventually Elize gave up and started sobbing, her small body hunched over the booster.
So much for the pep talk. Alvin closed his eyes, trying not to let the little girl's sobbing affect him as much as it did. He was a mercenary – he wasn't supposed to grow attached to anyone. It left too many weaknesses. That was why he avoided working with groups. Until now, at least.
The door in the slammed closed, the sound echoing throughout the cavern, and footsteps followed. Alvin opened his eyes and lifted his gaze tunnel. Jude was at the front of the pack, with Milla, Rowen, and Leia right behind him. The mercenary tried to get up, but only succeeded in making a loud grunt.
"Pull yourself together Alvin!" Jude rushed to his side and immediately began healing him.
As the cool mana rushed through his body, he found himself explaining the events to Milla, who provided an impersonal response and promptly crushed the used-up spyrix. She hardly acknowledged the body in the corner, though Rowen gave a pointed look as the dead agent was mentioned. Elize didn't look at anyone after being told she wouldn't be able to go after the Exodus agent for Teepo's data.
As Alvin finished his story, he could feel his injuries healing. Though he would need a couple more days to fully recover, his ribs felt better and the ringing in his ears was gone. As the group made their way to leave, Jude stopped in front of him and offered a hand up.
"Thank you, Alvin."
Alvin gave a small laugh. "Heh. What for?"
"You know what." The boy turned to look at Elize. "Who knows what would have happened without you here to protect her."
"All in a day's work," Alvin said with a shrug.
His pride told him to get up on his own, but Jude's hand was right there. He was never very good at teamwork and looking out for other people. But he took the boy's hand and pulled himself up. It figured that the group he needed to sabotage was the first group that really seemed to take a liking to him.
That was just his luck.