Chapter 2
Simple actions can cover even the darkest of secrets.
-/-
Being an agent was never my choice. I was dragged into this without my consent and still continued on. There was really no motivation for me to pursue this, I just did, and maybe I knew that, even after I finish my schooling, I will never be able to make my own choice.
I'm being treated like a robot, always being manipulated by the owner and decisions are made by someone else; programmed to be perfect in every aspect. Despite all of this, I just wonder, how long can my body keep up?
-/-
(Between Episode 2)
"Everyone! We'll cut practice from here; we'll just polish some steps when we get back." Eli announced to the group while sinking into the sofa of the villa.
"Eh?! I want to practice more, Eli-chan!" Honoka pouted to the blonde with Rin joining in.
"Rin is energized already nya! I want to practice more too!"
Eli sighed while smiling at the two. "That won't do, Honoka and Rin. I insist that you all will rest for awhile. We've been practicing non-stop since yesterday; it's fitting for a break." The blonde said to the two, patting their heads when they continued to pout.
On the other side of the sofa, was Umi, quietly observing the blonde's actions. Her dream the other day hadn't left her mind, leading her to carefully watch over the older girl.
With thoughts preoccupying her mind, she didn't even notice Eli settle next to her after dealing with her two juniors.
"Umi," Eli said with no response from the archer. "Umi." She repeated, still no answer. Eli then sighed once more before she held the second year's shoulder and turned her, making them face each other. "Umi!"
"Y-Yes!" Umi flinched, meeting the sharp cerulean eyes of the blonde staring right at her amber orbs. She noticed the closeness of their faces and blushed slightly before Eli pulled back.
"Finally. Are you okay? You seem to be spacing out and you look a bit red, do you have a fever?" Eli asked, placing her hand onto the archer's neck and forehead.
"I-I'm fine." Umi stated, taking the blonde's wrist and moving it away.
Eli stared at the archer with a worried look but nonetheless, she let it go. "If you say so." She said sharply.
Without another word, Eli stood up and walked away, heading for where a certain purple haired girl was.
-/-
"Nozomi, why..." Maki muttered, her arm shaking while gripping a stick with a red colored tip. The rest of the members also had sticks with different tips.
"Oh, Maki-chan! You're with me and Nicochi!" Nozomi exclaimed with a wide grin on her face, clearly pleased by the results of their assignments for who's going to sleep with whom.
The results are as follows: Nico, Nozomi and Maki, Kotori and Honoka, Rin and Hanayo, and lastly, Eli and Umi.
-/-
Setting down her things, Eli looked at the archer who she was sharing the room with. Since the villa had bedrooms that aren't being used, Nozomi figured it'd be nice to use them. Despite Eli and Umi being paired up, Umi's unusual behavior didn't escape the group's notice, especially Eli's.
Ever since practice, Umi's performance wasn't exactly different but her focus was somewhere else. There was also several times in which she was spacing out, but nevertheless, she still guided the group in their practice.
=== Current time: 8:47:24 pm
"Umi," Eli called at the archer who was fixing her things.
"Yes...?" Umi replied, avoiding the blonde's gaze. The dream she had still bothered her, it wasn't any kind of dream she had before, and it seemed too vivid, as if she was really there, witnessing Eli being beaten up by someone.
"Are you okay?" The blonde asked.
"W-What makes you ask that question? I'm fine." Umi replied, stuttering slightly and continuing to avoid the blonde's gaze before Eli hummed in response.
After about five silent minutes with occasional sounds of things moving, the both finished fixing their things for the next day and changed their sleep wear for the night.
"You can take the bed." Eli broke the silence, standing up and heading towards the door.
"Huh?" Umi said. "What do you mean?"
"You need a good night's rest and besides, you're probably not used to having someone next to you when sleeping since we only have 1 bed." Eli said, chuckling a bit. "I'll just go ask Maki if she has a futon I can borrow."
"O-Okay..." Umi replied as the blonde left the room.
-/-
=== Current time: 12:52:46 pm
=== Utility Activate: Night vision
Eli grit her teeth as she felt the effects of the utility kick in. 9th time...
Regardless of her throbbing head, she glanced to the side and looked over the sleeping figure on the bed. She smiled slightly, remembering the figure fall asleep as soon as her head met the pillow. She must've been worn out. Eli thought before turning her attention back to the folder in her hands.
The blonde was seated at the sofa of the balcony outside the room. Despite the dim light source emitting from the moon, she continued to stare at the folder containing papers that was given to her before, during, and after the meeting.
EFO File 442
Name: Takeo Takahashi
Occupation: Owner of Takeo Industry
Well-known medicine manufacturer.
Suspected to be the cause of most crimes in Japan.
Over 57 cases of crimes have suspected this industry to be causing it.
—
Report 15 - Dead Emaciated Bodies Found at the Turf of Takeo Industries.
Retrieved from - JPND (Japan News Daily)
Bodies were identified to be two teenagers and an adult. All three seemed to be tortured until they reached the point of death. The bodies were then left outside one of the buildings inside the turf of Takeo Industries. Several bloody footsteps were also present but left no trace as to where they came from.
Eli sighed after reading the excerpt, finding pictures of the dead bodies at the bottom of the page. The blonde however, had seen worse sights than that before. She continued to flip through the papers, reading almost everything and acquiring the most important and crucial information needed for the mission.
About fifteen minutes had passed and a quiet groan was heard from the sleeping figure on the bed.
Umi woke up, rubbing eyes once or twice to clear her blurry vision. She then threw off the blankets gently off her and sat upright slowly, turning her head to the side where Eli...was supposed to be.
She then looked around, wondering—and slightly worrying, where in the world would the blonde be. Her eyes then landed onto the balcony where she found the blonde.
Breathing a quiet sigh of relief, she stood up and headed towards where the blonde was.
"Eli." Umi called, somehow in a form of a whisper.
The blonde looked back to see the archer approach nearer, in haste she tucked the papers back into the folder and hid it beside her, just as Umi arrived.
"Ah, Umi." Eli said and gave a small grin before she scooted over to the left side of the sofa, making space for the archer.
"Sorry, did I wake you?" Eli asked with a slightly apologetic tone in her voice as Umi sat down next to her.
"No, I..." Umi said, a yawn interrupting her statement. "I...just woke up." She said with a nervous chuckle as a blush crept into her cheeks and she averted her gaze from the blonde to the forest and mountain.
"Oh okay." Eli said in response.
"How about you then?" Umi asked, leaning onto the blonde unconsciously as they both stared at the scenery in front of them.
"I couldn't sleep." Eli responded. "Somehow, this place is makes a good spot for reflecting." She chuckled.
"Oh." Umi said. "I understand."
A few silent seconds passed and a yawn escaped from the archer. Eli watched intently as Umi rubbed her eyes with her hand after she laid her head on the blonde's shoulder. Out of curiosity, Eli gently rubbed the top of the archer's head which in turn Umi responded by closing her eyes and nuzzling the side of her head against Eli's neck.
Eli giggled at her response. "You're very childlike aren't you, Umi?" You're so adorable too...
"...Eh?" Umi replied sleepily, apparently deaf to what Eli just said. "I'm sorry, Eli. What did you say?"
"I was just asking what's on your mind." Eli changed her previous question, choosing not to tease the latter so as to keep her close to her, knowing that she would burst beet red and move away if she mentioned her original statement.
"Oh." Umi said in a monotone.
Eli noticed the change in her voice and spoke. "You seem to have been spacing out several times during practice. I was worried about you so I cut practice short."
Umi didn't answer, her thoughts drifting into the dream she had from the other day, debating whether or not to tell Eli about it or not. Is it better in, or out?
"Umi," Eli's voice interrupted her train of thoughts as she felt an arm wrap itself around her, somehow making her feel relaxed and secure. "It's alright if you don't want to tell me, I'm not forcing you. I'm always here for you if you need me, okay?"
Umi's eyes widened slightly as another blush painted her cheeks. How can someone make you feel so safe and cared? Umi smiled internally at the thought, almost giggling. She nodded in response to Eli's kind words and concluded: As if my dream would ever be true.
"Thank you, Eli." She said, turning to the blonde and smiling.
"Anytime." Was Eli's response, smiling as well before she averted her gaze from the archer and faced the scenery she was observing awhile ago.
However, unlike Eli, Umi's eyes were traveling all throughout Eli's face until it landed onto a scar on the left side of forehead. Although it was covered mostly by her bangs, a small part of it was visible if you're able to look carefully.
"Eli." Umi called out, removing her head from Eli's shoulder to face her.
"Hmn?" Eli asked before turning to face the archer, finding her eyes glued onto a certain area of her face. "Is there something on my face?"
"May I?"
"Sure..."
Gently, Umi's fingers brushed away Eli's bangs that were in the way and true enough; there was a scar that was almost about two inches long and seemed to have just healed up recently, leaving behind a scar.
"Did you happen to have been cut or something, Eli?" Umi questioned, not even noticing the closeness of both of their faces.
"Ah, yes. I accidentally cut myself, don't worry about it, haha..." Eli said normally but there was a hint of nervousness in her voice.
"How did you cut yourself on your forehead?"
"I-I wonder how too, haha... A-Anyway, let's sleep now shall we?" Eli said as she stood up and headed to her bed without looking at the archer.
Umi, though confused, got on her feet and headed to her bed.
-/-
The next morning came too early for Eli, only having about four hours of sleep, nevertheless she woke up to a warm feeling on her back. Confused, tried to turn around but stopped when she saw navy blue in her vision.
"Umi..." The blonde whispered, smiling before she turned slowly to face the sleeping girl and encircled her arms around her.
How cute... Eli thought, wrapping her arms around the second year's head and gently stroking her long blue hair.
Maybe, I'll sleep just a bit more...
-/-
"Umi... It's time to wake up." Eli hummed softly as she gently shook the blue haired girl who was unusually clinging onto her.
"Mhn..." Umi responded unconsciously, tucking her face into the blonde's chest. Soft...
"Umi..." Eli said, blushing slightly as Umi rested her head on her chest. This is bad...
"Umi." If the others were to come here...
"Wake up..." We'll be teased on end...
Slowly, the archer's eyes fluttered open; the first thing she saw was light blue: Eli's shirt. A red hue then spread onto Umi's cheeks as she realized what she had been doing, and what position they were in. Immediately she backed away, her hands covering her mouth.
"S-Sorry! I-I...uhh..." Umi said, frantically trying to look for words to say as she turned her head side to side, avoiding the blonde's eyes as her hands waved in front of her defensively.
"What are you apologizing for?" Eli chuckled, relieved that Umi woke up before the other members came, although there was still a light blush on her cheeks.
The blonde giggled when Umi was left speechless, not knowing how to respond.
"Come on, let's prepare breakfast for the others, or do you still want to cuddle up more?" Eli teased making the latter blush harder.
"E-Eli!" Umi pouted as the blonde took her hand and pulled her up.
"Hehe... Let's go then."
-/-
"Are we almost there?" Nico asked, crossing her arms as she leaned onto the train's window.
"Not yet, Nico-chan. How many times do I have to tell you?" Maki said as she tried to relax on her seat, ignoring the mumbling of the dark haired girl beside her.
"How troublesome." Nozomi commented, laughing slightly, earning glares from the two.
"Kayo-chin, my legs are stiff, Rin needs to move around!" Rin whined, stretching her arms and legs out while Hanayo giggled and patted Rin's head.
"I believe its best if everyone keeps it down, we might be bothering other passengers." Umi said.
"Okay..." The other members agreed and quieted down.
"Honoka-chan's asleep." Nozomi said, smiling.
"Oh, Kotori-chan too." Hanayo mentioned as well, looking at the ashen grey haired girl sleeping with her iconic pillow.
"I think we should all get a little bit of sleep, it's still a long way and we'll be practicing for a while once we get there." Eli said and the members agreed once more.
"Hey, Umi," The blonde said, grinning as she turned to the archer who was sitting next to her.
"Yes, Eli?" Umi replied as usual, turning her attention to the blonde.
"Cuddle?" Eli teased, giggling while the archer burst into beet red and faced away from her.
"Come on, Umi... How are we going to cuddle you're facing the other way..." Eli said with a playful tone, wrapping her arms on the latter's neck and making her flinch.
"S-S-Shameless!"
"Okay, okay." Eli giggled as she placed her hand on the top of Umi's head and patted her. "You should get some sleep then, I won't bother you anymore." She said, standing up.
"W-Where are you going?" Umi asked as Eli pulled her hand away from her head, making her somewhat miss the contact. Wait what?
"J-Just going to check something, I'll be right back." The blonde said and left hurriedly without another word.
Eli stepped into another train cabin and sat onto an unoccupied seat, as soon as she was out of sight from the other members, immediately she clutched her head; it's been aching since after breakfast and worsened when she got onto the train.
=== Received Message: RSC. (30 minutes ago.)
"View." Eli commanded, clutching her head tighter when a sharp pain pierced both sides of her head.
=== [Ayase, once you are done with practice, head to the agency and prepare yourself. The operation head requested you specifically to do a mission. He'll brief you on the details once you arrive. Be careful in this mission but still follow the orders given to you.]
=== [Other heads have also requested your presence; they will be starting with the tests and experiments. You'll be inspected first by me and the aid department beforehand.]
=== [Lastly, you are assigned to a new trainer. He's Takeshi Sho. Again, be careful, he's usually violent during training sessions and will likely shout and punish you for his own pleasure.]
=== [That's it for this message; I hope you've rested well. You'll be flooded with work once you're back so do enjoy yourself with your friends as much as you can.]
"Aghhh..." The blonde groaned; the strain from just reading the long message caused the pain in her head to increase momentarily.
Once the pain had settled slightly, she leaned back onto the seat and sighed. As if I'll ever get any rest... At least being with μ's keeps me emotionally stable.
Eli stood up and started walking back to where the other members were after she rested for a bit. She approached her seat wherein Umi was asleep. She took off her jacket and draped it over the sleeping girl's body before she sat down.
The blonde then heard a light ruffled sound and felt a slight movement next to her, she turned to the side to see if Umi had woken but stopped when the archer's head rested on her shoulder.
Eli smiled, "That's the second time, Umi..." She muttered with a light chuckle before she closed her eyes and slept alongside the archer.
-/-
"See you tomorrow, everyone!" Eli exclaimed as she ran off hurriedly while waving at the rest of the members.
As Eli was soon out of sight, Nozomi and Umi sighed at the same time, causing them to exchange glances before they came to an understanding that they were sighing about the same thing: Eli.
"Eli-chan's been leaving early for a while now, nya..." Rin mentioned; a frown on her face.
"Now that you've mentioned it, she has been... Even before we held our training camp." Honoka said, looking at the members who had the same furrow in their eyebrows her.
"Eli must be hiding something." Nico concluded with a matter-a-fact tone.
"Maybe but she's still acting normal around us." Maki argued Nico's statement but before the dark haired girl could argue back, Hanayo joined in.
"That's right, maybe she just needs to help out at home or she's doing a job." The brunette said with her usual low and quiet voice.
"That must be it then." Kotori said and the other members nodded their head in agreement except for Nico who just turned her head to the side with a huff.
"What do you think, Umi-chan?" Nozomi, who was quiet the whole time, asked the second year who was seemingly trying to avoid being dragged into the conversation by facing away and rummaging her bag for no apparent reason. Unfortunately, at the mention of Umi's name, all heads turned to the blue haired archer.
"Eh...? Why me?" Umi asked; confused as she looked at the other members who were all staring at her.
"You and Eli slept together in the training camp right?" Nico said nonchalantly.
"S-S-Slept to-together?!" Umi exclaimed, her face turning as red as Maki's hair, while her face contorted into a shocked expression.
"Not that!" Maki cleared up, her face red as well as the rest of the μ's members before she threw an accusing glare to Nico who seemed to be unaware of her choice of words.
"W-What do you mean then?" The blue haired archer asked with a small voice, still shook from the last question.
"Do you think Elichi's hiding something from us?" Nozomi asked seriously and the atmosphere changed; everyone became silent as they stared at Umi, waiting for an answer.
"It's not our business to pry." Umi said while looking down. "Eli seems to be acting normal around us and I don't see why we have to doubt her. If she is hiding something from us, I believe that she will eventually open up to all of us or if not, at least one or two of us because..."
Silence.
"Umi-chan?" Honoka asked quietly as she looked expectantly at the archer.
Umi took a deep breath and looked to the side before she continued. "Even someone as responsible and intelligent as Eli, will need a helping hand at times of need."
Nozomi smiled and surely the other members did too as they understood what Umi said. Is Umi getting attached to Elichi?
"There we have it then." The purple haired girl said with a grin. "So I take it that everyone knows what to do now?"
The members smiled and agreed enthusiastically, nodding their heads and raising their thumbs before Honoka and Kotori ran to their blue haired childhood friend, hugging her.
"That was great, Umi-chan!" Honoka exclaimed, tightening the embrace.
"Ho-Honoka?! K-Kotori?!" Umi stuttered, her voice muffled due to the hug.
"I didn't know you knew a lot about Eli-chan!" Kotori said with her usual high and bubbly voice while she joined Honoka in making the hug tighter as Umi desperately tried to wiggle herself out of the embrace.
"W-What are you saying, Kotori?!" The blue haired archer said, a blush creeping into her cheeks.
"Hey, hey, Umi-chan! Tell me more about Eli-chan!" Honoka teased as she and Kotori continued to hug the blue haired girl who was clearly embarrassed.
"H-Honoka?!"
"Did you two do anything during the training camp?"
"K-Kotori?!"
"Tell us, Umi-chan!"
-/-
(After Episode 2)
"Your mission will start at 10 pm. You'll be sent to Kobe by helicopter at 8 pm, be at the take off location by 7:30 pm." The operations head said as he passed several pieces of paper to Eli.
The blonde took it and bowed slightly, saying a stern 'thank you' before the man turned his back on her.
"You have two goals for this mission. First, restrain the targets like you always do, but before that, you'll have to retrieve a bit of information from the targets; that is your second goal. To get that information, you need to act weak and let them beat you until the time is right for you to attack and force them to answer you." The operations head said in a monotone. "Do you understand, Ayase?"
"Yes, sir." Eli replied as she saluted.
"Very well. Prepare yourself, the helicopter will arrive soon."
"Understood."
-/-
Eli coughed after another kick was delivered to her ribs. She grunted in pain as the man pulled her up and brushed away Eli's blonde locks away from her face before the man held her by her chin, a finger laid onto her lips.
"Such a beauty," The man whispered, his eyes filled with lust. "Maybe I should just turn you into a slave... or better yet, a prostitute?"
Eli hissed in which the man smirked and slapped her face in response, making her fall to the ground. He brandished a knife while he grasped Eli's wrist and made a cut on her forearm before he gestured to his two companions who came and grabbed her by her arms.
"Take her to our place and do the usual." He said, turning his back on them.
The man expected a reply but heard none; he scowled as he turned once more, only to find Eli pointing a gun at him.
"What the—"
BANG!
"Agh!"
The man cried out, falling onto his knees and clutching his shoulder with his other arm as blood seeped through his clothes. Eli approached slowly; unsheathing a knife from her jacket and holding it out in front of her before she roughly grabbed the collar of the man's shirt, making him shake in fear and raise his hands up in surrender.
Eli pressed the knife on the man's throat in a threatening manner but still keeping it firm and ready to slice. Her blank eyes met the angry and scared ones of the man.
"Answer me." Eli spoke, no emotion laced in her voice but the man responded by backing away slightly, making Eli lean forward to continue to press the knife on his throat.
"Who do you work for?"
"Tch, as if I'll ans—"
Eli didn't hesitate as she deepened the pressure on the knife; enough to draw out blood, making the man discontinue his sentence. "Answer or die."
"Ta-Takeo! Takeo Industries!" The man said frantically.
"Are there other groups like this?"
"I didn't sign up for another—"
In one swift and accurate movement, Eli mercilessly made a deep gash on his wounded shoulder, causing more blood to seep through.
"A-Alright! Yes! There are more groups like this! They're scattered all throughout Japan as well!"
"Where do your orders come from?"
"W-We don't know exactly where but it comes to us as papers from the head tower, the person who sent it keeps his name hidden but the initials are Y and S..."
As soon as the man finished speaking, Eli knocked his head down onto the ground, rendering him unconscious.
Eli sighed as she stood up; wavering slightly on her feet as she finally felt the pain from her wounds. Gritting her teeth, she forced herself to ignore the pain before reaching up to her earpiece.
=== Current time: 12:01:23am
=== Operation no. 28
=== Status: Complete
"Data send, OHD."
She walked away from where the three men were left, Eli then stayed at a secluded and private spot while waiting for the agency's response. In the meantime, she proceeded to treat her injuries.
The most obvious injury of course, was the one on her left forearm: a long cut. She took off her jacket and sighed at the sight of blood, some fresh, some dry. Well, at least it's on my left. Eli thought while placing a bandage over the wound for now.
After dealing with her arm, she stood up and placed a hand to her side causing her to wince at the pain. Bruised ribs... Eli deduced, sighing once more.
=== Received Message: OHD
"View."
=== [Good work. Head back, the helicopter and medic is waiting for you. Make your report once you arrive at the agency, leave it at my table, I'll be expecting it later today.]
Eli cursed internally at the message but still followed the order and started heading back to where she was dropped off. Report, school work... I'm not sleeping today aren't I?
-/-
"There, make it quick, Ayase." The man said to the blonde who entered the office.
She walked briskly to the desk and placed the folder she was carrying on it before she turned around and exited the office, giving a monotonous 'thank you' before heading off to her dorm.
=== Current time: 2:15:36am
"Ayase."
Eli turned to where the voice came from and saw the experiment head approach. She saluted and bowed on instinct.
"I believe you have school today, correct?" He asked.
"Yes, sir." Eli replied her face stoic as usual. "I'm on my way to my dorm to pack my belongings and head home; however, if you will need my presence in anyway, I will abide to your orders."
"I see you are trained well by your previous captain. Head to the laboratory by 5 am. We'll be tagging you for our experiments, wear your training uniform. In the meantime, you may train or treat your injuries." The experiment head said, gesturing to the blonde's bandaged arm.
"Yes, sir." Eli said.
"That's it then. I'll see you later."
-/-
"We'll be starting, Ayase." A slightly muffled voice said.
Eli lay on her stomach, her arms, legs, lower back, and neck secured with metal restraints. Two masked men were hovering over her, both covered in white.
"Yes, sir." The blonde replied, internally preparing herself for what was to come.
The sound of a motor buzzing was heard as cold hands held her back, pinning her.
Eli bit back a sudden gasp of pain when the needle pierced her skin as she winced visibly. She gnashed her teeth and closed her eyes tightly, enduring the pain emitting from her shoulder blade.
A few agonizing seconds passed and finally the last letter was etched onto her skin.
The needle was retracted, along with the hands that held her as she breathed heavily. The metal restraints were then unlocked and Eli slowly pushed herself up and sat down, she was bare in her black sports bra and shorts.
A throbbing pain continued to reverberate on her back but she masked the pain, not allowing it to show.
"Proceed to the aid department and have the tag checked. Hiroki is outside, he'll escort you there. After that, come back here. We'll be testing amphetamines and other medicines." The man who had held her said.
"Yes, sir." Eli said in response, standing up and saluting before walking to the exit.
It's going to be a long day, huh?
-/-
"Eli-chan's not here?" Honoka asked the two third years.
"I'm afraid not." Nozomi said with a confused and worried face. "Elichi doesn't usually skip school, I wonder what happened."
"It's a change of pace isn't it?" Nico said. "Who knows, maybe she'll come here after school."
"Maybe." Nozomi replied with a sigh.
"She might have overslept or something, I'm sure she's alright." Kotori chimed in, hoping to lessen the worry of the purple haired girl.
"Oversleeping doesn't seem to be something that Eli will do." Umi said, countering Kotori's statement.
"My thoughts exactly." Nozomi said, agreeing with Umi.
"Well, maybe she caught a cold or something." Honoka said unsurely. "How about let's visit her after practice?" She suggested with a nervous laugh.
"Where does she live though?" Nico asked, looking expectantly at Nozomi and Umi.
Silence ensued between the five of them. A few seconds passed and still no one answered Nico's question, even Nozomi who supposedly knows Eli the most.
"You don't know?!" Nico, Kotori, and Honoka exclaimed, shocked looks on their faces. This made Nozomi and Umi take a step backwards at their reaction.
"E-Elichi told me..." Nozomi said hesitantly, avoiding the eyes of her friends.
"And?"
"I forgot..."
"Ehhh?!"
-/-
At the desk of a dimly lit office, stood Ryuu. He was flipping through some papers on his desk, after a minute of looking for the right document; he turned his heel but still kept his eyes onto the paper for a few seconds.
"Ayase—" He called but cut off his sentence when he saw the blonde had dozed off in the sofa, her face peacefully asleep and her body relaxed unlike her usual tense muscles.
Ryuu sighed. "You didn't get to sleep today, did you?" He whispered, taking off his blazer and draping it over Eli's torso.
"Ayase! Wake up!" A man shouted at the blonde who had accidentally dozed off in her dorm.
Eli awoke and stood up immediately, a wave of dizziness washed over her and she wavered in her footing, almost tripping over.
"Pathetic." The man said before delivering a hard punch to the blonde's face and a kick to her stomach. She fell to her knees trying to suppress her coughs.
"What are you doing, Ichiro?!" Ryuu interrupted, running to the fallen girl who was clutching her stomach yet still trying to stand up.
"She just slept in the middle of duty. That's unacceptable." Ichiro said nonchalantly, glaring at Eli who was still in pain.
"You've been working her for 24 hours straight! Do you not have any mercy?!" Ryuu argued, his face filled with rage as he supported the blonde, her whole body shaking as a new found pain assaulted her head, trying her best to stay upright.
"Your rules are different from mine, Ryuu. She's one of the agents I handle; she abides to my rules and orders." Ichiro argued back, his face emotionless as ever.
"She's one of the best agents as well! This isn't healthy! If you don't care about her well being then I might as well be her captain instead of you."
Ryuu grimaced at the memory, especially after he took her in; Eli's body was covered with bruises, not from missions but from Ichiro's beating sessions.
Due to her time being handled by Ichiro, Eli had perfected her emotionless mask; as if she was treated like a robot all this time. Ryuu hated to see that, he hated to see Eli force herself to do anything that she's ordered to despite the fact that she's already at the brink of unconsciousness due to her tired and overworked body.
Since then, Ryuu had become protective of Eli. Being a father himself, he always made sure that Eli was healthy and well, however, Eli usually disregards his orders of not overworking herself but despite that, she was less prone to fainting and other health problems.
"We'll continue later then." Ryuu said, lightly patting Eli's head before he walked to the door to his office and locked it.
-/-
Eli's eyes slowly fluttered open, she blinked once more to clear her vision and she saw the familiar office of her captain. In panic, she hastily took off the bla—blazer?
"Stay calm, Ayase." A voice spoke.
She turned to the sound of the voice and found her captain in his chair flipping through some papers and was missing his usual blazer that was draped on his shoulders.
"H-Heichou...?" Eli said, her voice sounding a bit hoarse.
"Did you manage to rest?" Ryuu asked quietly, his eyes meeting Eli's cerulean ones.
"Yes, sir..." Eli replied hesitantly.
"So your sister was right when she told me that you overwork yourself..." Ryuu joked as he saw Eli's face turn red, very unusual of her to do due to her usually stoic demeanor.
"H-Heichou..." Eli said, trying to fight back the blush that was already on her cheeks.
"Alright, alright. Go to the training facility, Takeshi is waiting. After that, go home and get some more rest. Umi says your group will be having a live coming up, you'll need your energy to be in top shape for that live."
"Yes, sir." Eli said, standing up and giving back her captain's blazer before walking out the office.
-/-
"Ayase! 10 more reps! You should be used to this already! Faster!"Takeshi yelled at the blonde.
"Yes, sir." Eli replied emotionlessly, quickening the pace of her crunches. After she finished the thirty reps, she stood up and bowed, waiting for the next order.
Instead of a normal order where the trainer would just yell it out on her, a kick was delivered her abdomen as well as another hit to her ribs. Eli bit back any sounds of pain as she managed to remain standing.
"Bars. Pull-ups, chin-ups, leg raises and leg circles. 4 reps each, 3 sets."Takeshi said.
"We were given permission to do anything to an agent as long as it will help in training. Now if you were to waver on the bars or do anything I dislike, expect a 30 minute addition for this training session but this time, I'll be motivating you." He smirked, almost as if he'd been waiting for eternity just to have to freedom to do what he wants.
Eli knew this however; the current trainer she was with was the one who was always strict and pissed for who knows why. She also knew that the so called motivation was actually punches and kicks that he will give to motivate her.
Without further ado, Eli saluted and started, not bothering the pain radiating from her head and abdomen.
-/-
"Keep you back straight! 1 minute more!" Takeshi shouted as he circled Eli who was doing a wide plank. Originally, Eli's training session should be over by now but Takeshi had other plans for her.
Once she had finished the two minute plank—which was supposed to only be one minute—she stood up and bowed, waiting for the next order once more.
"Push-ups. 10 reps for normal, 10 reps with clapping, 20 reps with your leg raised, 10 for each leg. 2 sets." Takeshi said while landing another blow to the blonde's abdomen.
"Yes, sir." Eli said as she saluted, she then got into position and—
"That's enough, Takeshi." A familiar, much warmer voice filled the room, making the said man turn around in shock.
"S-Sonoda-san." Takeshi said a quiver present in his voice. "I-I was just finishing up Ayase's training session."
"Like hell, you were." Ryuu spat coldly, making Takeshi flinch at his voice. "Ayase, stand up, let's go."
Eli did as she was told, silently thanking her captain for saving her from more of Takeshi's shouting and training. They both left the training facility as well as leaving Takeshi who had an angry and slightly embarrassed face.
-/-
=== Current time: 10:39:18pm
Eli opened the door to her apartment, finding the lights still on. She slipped off her shoes and walked into the living room where she found a half asleep Alisa at the dining table.
The older blonde smiled weakly and placed her school bag down as she approached the younger blonde and gave a soft pat to her head, enough to wake her.
"Onee...chan...?" Alisa spoke while rubbing her eyes.
"Yup. I'm sorry for leaving you on your own again." Eli said apologetically, running her hand through Alisa's hair.
"No... Its okay, Onee-chan." Alisa said, pulling Eli into a warm hug; something to soothe the older blonde. Once they pulled back, Alisa's eyes spotted Eli's bandaged arm with red stains.
Alisa bit her lip. "Did you...get injured again?" She asked her voice sad and concerned.
Eli sighed and nodded. "It's just a minor injury. Don't worry about it, I've had worse."
"Still..." Alisa spoke again with the same tone in her voice as she stood up and grabbed her first aid kit that she always uses for treating Eli's injuries.
"Alisa..." Eli mumbled as the younger blonde took hold of her injured arm, she gently unwrapped the bandages around it.
Silently, Alisa treated Eli's arm with great care, cleaning the blood that had seeped through, disinfecting the area and wrapping a clean bandage over it.
"Are you injured anywhere else?" Alisa asked quietly as she fixed the things in her kit.
"No—" Eli was cut off, wincing when Alisa suddenly put her hand onto her side.
"Onee-chan..." Alisa said seriously, looking up and meeting Eli's eyes with her worried ones. She sighed and packed up her kit and went to the kitchen. She took an ice pack from the refrigerator and gave it to Eli who took it hesitantly.
"Place it on where it's bruised." Alisa said as she took the cold food that was on the table and brought it to the kitchen.
"Alisa, I'll do that. You've done enough for me." Eli said softly, approaching her younger sister and taking over.
The younger blonde silently let Eli do the work but stayed by her side. Once the food was ready, the both returned to the dining set and ate quietly.
"Onee-chan," Alisa spoke after minutes of silence, making Eli look up expectantly.
"Do you really need to continue going to work?"
Eli stopped the spoon that was about to scoop another serving of food.
Do I...?
Seeing Eli's confused and somehow surprised expression, Alisa sighed and continued eating her food, not expecting any answer coming from her older sister.
"I just don't want you to get hurt anymore." Alisa said, throwing Eli aback.
The older blonde sighed and stood up; she walked over to Alisa and embraced her smaller form.
"Alisa, I—"
Eli slapped a hand to her mouth, alarming the younger blonde. She felt a wave of nausea wash over her and a sudden sharp pain in her head.
"Onee-chan?" Alisa spoke worriedly, looking at the older blonde who paled visibly.
Without warning, Eli ran off to the bathroom. Alisa flinched at the sound of her sister throwing up and immediately she ran after her.
The younger blonde rubbed circles around her sister's back in an attempt to comfort her. Eli heaved heavily once more, gasping and shaking as sweat rolled down her face. It took almost about 4 minutes for her to stop heaving, leaving her exhausted after.
Alisa brought some water for Eli to wash her mouth and drink. It helped take off the burning in her throat and the acidic taste. Only the little food she ate from dinner came out since she skipped lunch.
After a few minutes, Alisa helped clean Eli up and resumed dinner quietly with Eli eating less or almost nothing.
-/-
(Between Episode 3)
Eli woke up the next morning, feeling drained and exhausted. She didn't get much sleep due to waking up in the middle of the night and vomiting once more.
She threw off the sheets over her and sat up, she turned to the side and placed her earpiece back and picked up her phone. Looking at the messages sent to her the day before.
[Tojou Nozomi (Yesterday, 9:11am] - Elichi, where are you?
[Sonoda Umi (Yesterday, 1:28pm)] - Eli, I have heard that you are unable to attend to school today. Are you alright?
[Tojou Nozomi (Yesterday, 1:43pm)] - Elichi, can we visit you later? Send me your address please! Haha...
[Kousaka Honoka (Yesterday, 3:51pm)] - Eli-channn! You're going to miss practice!
[Sonoda Umi (Yesterday, 4:27pm)] - I take it that you are ill. Please rest up and avoid working yourself. Hopefully, I'll be seeing you tomorrow, Eli.
Those were not only the messages she received, some messages also came from their group chat. Eli smiled weakly before she put her phone down and started to get ready for school.
-/-
"Agh..." Eli clutched her head, rubbing circles on her temple in an attempt to ease the pulsing pain on both sides of her head. She then felt a familiar warm feeling rise up her throat and covered her mouth with her hand in reflex.
"Elichi...?" Nozomi muttered after hearing the blonde's pained groan. She turned to the side to find her best friend's face contorted in pain.
"Elichi, are you okay?" The purple haired girl asked once more, turning her full attention onto the blonde instead of the lesson being taught in front.
Before her hand managed to reach out to touch the blonde's shoulder, she raised her hand and excused herself from class to go to the washroom, leaving Nozomi with a worried and confused look.
Immediately after she left the classroom, Eli walked quickly to the nearest washroom. She entered a stall in haste and locked it. She knelt down as her stomach heaved violently; she shook heavily as the contents of her stomach emptied, although nothing much came out.
Migraine...
About three minutes passed as Eli finally forced herself up, her knees slightly shaking and her forehead covered with beads of sweat. She tidied herself to look presentable and made sure to cover up the foul smell before she flushed the toilet and exited the stall.
Green eyes met cerulean ones as the blonde emerged from the bathroom stall.
Eli's face contorted into one that showed shock from seeing her best friend but returned to her normal features in less than a second.
"Nozomi? What are you doing here?" The blonde asked with her usual soft voice and small smile; however a slight tremble in her voice was present.
"Elichi," Nozomi said with a serious tone, causing Eli to stop abruptly. "Are you okay?"
The blonde in question smiled before she replied, "I just ate something, okay? I'm alright now, don't worry anymore, Nozomi."
The purple haired girl bit her lip lightly, "But you didn't even eat lunch today."
"Then it's probably something I ate this morning." Eli said with a forced chuckle.
It was a lie; everything she said was a lie. She hated to do it but she forces herself to, because of her occupation as an agent. Her migraine was not from food at all, it was from the medicines she was taking.
-/-
"One, two, three, four, one, two, three, four! Eli, keep up please!" Umi said, leading the group.
"Yes!" Eli responded but clearly her dancing was way off and unusual. After her predicament at the washroom, Nozomi kept a close eye on her despite the blonde's assurances that she's alright.
The group then ended their dance with a pose; afterwards, they all took a break.
"Eli," Umi called, approaching the blonde who was walking to where her things were. The latter turned to face her after picking up her towel.
"Are you okay?" The archer asked. "You don't look very well..."
A small smile tugged on Eli's lips despite the continued dizziness and pain she felt in her head. "I'm fine, just a little under the weather." The blonde said.
"Oh okay," Umi said, not noticing the slight quiver in her voice. "Just tell me if you need help with anything." She offered.
"Thanks." Eli said before a sudden wave of dizziness washed over her and she averted her eyes from the archer and stumbled forward, she balanced herself well enough to not make herself fall.
"Eli...?" Umi said, looking at the blonde. Now that she looked at her, she noticed the difference of her appearance to her usual.
She's pale, thinner, and sweating more than she's supposed to be. Under her eyes were dark circles, seemingly covered up by something but whatever it is, it's starting to fade.
With thoughts occupying her mind, Umi barely noticed the blonde leave for the washroom.
-/-
(After Episode 3)
"Mhmm... Our live was successful!" Eli said to Nozomi while stretching her arms upwards.
"It is." Nozomi simply said, avoiding the blonde's gaze.
They walked in silence for a few seconds, reaching a certain point where they would go to separate ways.
"So... I'll see you tomorrow then, Nozomi." Eli said, giving a warm smile in which Nozomi responded with a nod, her eyes downcast.
"What's wrong?" Eli asked a furrow on her brow.
"Elichi." Nozomi spoke quietly before she turned to look at the blonde. "Will you be alright? I can accompany you on your way home."
"Is this because of awhile ago? I told you to not worry right? I'm fine." Eli huffed, smiling at her companion. "Besides, I'll be stopping by some place before I head home."
"Then, I'll accompany you there." Nozomi insisted.
"It's okay, I'm fine. You worry too much."
-/-
AN: I hope you enjoyed this chapter! And hopefully I didn't overdo Eli's injuries *im sorry eli ;-;* I'll explain some stuff here:
1.) Timeline: As you can see, this story follows the timeline of LL Season 2. I've placed the episode and when it happens at some points (Ex. Episode 1, Between Episode 1, After Episode 1)
2.) Heichou means Captain
If you don't understand something from the story, don't hesitate to PM me! Also, please review and tell me your thoughts about this! Thanks for reading!