Chapter 3
Sometimes you can't cover what can already be seen.
-/-
It's cold. My whole body feels cold... But this feeling is familiar, isn't it? It's always been like this, right? All this time, I've been cold, never meeting warmth from anything or anyone, it makes me want to sleep and give in to the darkness, but why am I still going? Why am I still living?
Ah, I remember. There's someone I have to live for, someone who's always there for me and someone who I would risk my life to protect. Despite the challenges and hardships I experience, I'm still moving on... For her.
-/-
Eli walked silently, her feet just grazing onto the concrete ground. She shivered at the cold breeze the passed through, she pulled on her jacket in an attempt to keep warm but instead winced at the pain that shot through her arm. As she continued to pace through the streets, she tried not to put too much pressure onto her sprained right ankle.
=== Current time: 02:48:19 am
The blonde hoped that Alisa was still awake for her to check her new wounds but she knew that that was very unlikely. She reached her house and entered it silently, careful not to wake her little sister as she navigated through the dimly lit apartment.
She found the first aid kit her sister owns and brought it to her room. She took off her jacket and draped it over the back of her desk chair, revealing bandages wrapped around her hands, extending to her arms and soaked slightly with blood.
Putting the kit on her bedside table, she headed to the washroom and tried to gently take off her clothes. She winced slightly as she pulled off her shirt, exposing purple hues scattered around where her ribs are. After that, she carefully peeled off the bandages surrounding her arms and finally removed the last piece of clothing on her.
The blonde showered quietly, trying not to relieve the experience she had just a while ago.
-/-
Having finished bandaging her arms and treating her ankle and bruises, Eli sighed while she set down the medicine bottle she just used. She picked up her phone and lay down slowly, making sure not to strain her ribs as she scrolled through her phone.
Reminders for Tomorrow:
- μ's Activity Discussion
- Talk with Directress and Faculty
- EFO meeting
Eli groaned as she turned off her phone and placed her arm over her eyes. Now I can't skip school tomorrow... The blonde thought, groaning once more, her whole body ached and she felt mentally drained. It didn't take long for her to drift off into sleep.
-/-
"Onee-chan... Onee-chan!"
As soon as Eli opened her eyes, brightness assaulted her vision, making her raise her arm up to cover the light. After she adjusted to the brightness, she sat up slowly, wincing slightly.
"What happened to you? The bandages on your arms are soaked with blood..." Alisa said, concern filling her voice.
Eli faced her arms and sure enough, there was blood already soaking through."Ah..."
"I'll help you clean up." Alisa said, already grabbing the things she needs.
"No, it's fine. I'll just take a shower instead." The older blonde replied, waving away her sister's hand that was about to touch her arm and standing up.
"At least tell me, what happened to you?" Alisa said, following her sister who headed to the washroom.
Eli stopped in her tracks, a memory flashing in her mind. Shaking her head, she replied quietly. "Special training."
"And? What happened there?" Alisa pressed some more, lightly touching Eli's arm who flinched in response.
"J-Just training for a mission. They needed to measure my pain endurance for a device." The older blonde said, staring down and ignoring the pulsing pain in her head.
"What device?"
"A special chip."
"Wha-What?" Alisa said; a shocked expression plastered on her face. No... Not again... The younger blonde thought, unwanted memories bubbling up her head.
Noticing Alisa's flabbergasted expression, Eli masked her pain before patting Alisa's head in a comforting manner. "Don't worry. It won't be the same as last time." Eli said with a forced smile. "They would just connect the chip using the earpiece."
"O-Oh..." Alisa breathed, feeling relieved slightly.
"Come on, let's prepare for school now, we don't want to be late."
-/-
"Nicochi, is it me or did your breast grow smaller?" Nozomi teased, poking the said girl in her cheeks.
"Shut up!" Nico said with a pout on her face. As soon as the purple haired girl stopped teasing the latter, their homeroom teacher entered. The class greeted the teacher altogether.
"Oy," Nico whispered, tugging onto Nozomi's sleeve as they sat down. "Where's Eli?"
"Now that you've mentioned it, I don't know." Nozomi replied, looking at the door of the classroom as the teacher started calling for attendance.
"What do you mean you don't know?" Nico asked, a scowl on her face.
"I mean, Elichi hadn't replied to my messages since last night." Nozomi said, turning to face the teacher and ignoring Nico's questions.
"Ayase-san!" The teacher, Suzuki Miyano called, looking over the class for the blonde but found none. She sighed as she looked down to see the class list and at the same time, the door of the classroom slid open.
"I'm sorry for being late, Suzuki-sensei."
"Ayase-san! Just in time, I was about to mark you absent." The teacher said, offering a smile to the blonde. She noticed the bandage on her hands and sighed once more. "May I talk to you after homeroom, Ayase-san?"
"Sure, sensei. I apologize for my tardiness again." Eli said with a bow before she walked to her desk and sat. She pulled down the sleeve of her blazer trying to cover the bandage she had as the teacher continued with the attendance.
"Elichi," Nozomi called, facing the blonde who was next to her. "What happened?"
"What happened?" Eli replied, hiding her hands underneath her desk.
Nozomi gave Eli a disapproving look before she somewhat roughly grabbed the blonde's arm. "This." The purple haired girl said, pointing to Eli's bandaged hand. "What happened?"
"I fell." Eli said simply, trying not to show any pain when Nozomi pressed onto her arm.
"That's it?" Nozomi asked, unsatisfied with her answer. "You can't fool me, Elichi."
"I fell, that's it. I had to catch myself when I fell so my hands got scraped by the ground." Eli made a plausible lie. "Do you believe me now?"
Nozomi gazed at Eli for a few seconds before she nodded. "Just don't do that again, Elichi."
"Of course, I'll be careful next time."
-/-
"Ayase-san, are you okay?" Suzuki asked with a concerned look, eyeing Eli's hands. "How's work?"
"I appreciate the concern, sensei. Yes, I'm alright. Work has been a handful but I can manage." Eli replied with a small smile. Even my teachers are worried about me... Eli thought, a bit overwhelmed.
"Take care of yourself, alright? I'll see you later for our meeting." Suzuki said in which Eli responded with a nod. The older girl bid goodbye and walked away right after.
Eli turned her heel to face the door of her classroom but felt a wave of dizziness wash over her and her vision blurred for a moment. She used the wall for support, it wasn't long before she composed herself and returned to class, her body heavy and aching.
-/-
The rest of the classes Eli was in were a blur for her, she managed to participate well enough for others not to notice that something was wrong with her. She was used to keeping to herself anyway.
Eli trudged along the corridors; her right ankle continued to throb with pain and with each step made the pain seem to intensify. She finally reached the idol club room and entered it, finding no one.
She sighed while setting down her bag and sitting down. She rummaged her bag for her phone to keep herself busy while waiting for the others to arrive.
When she finally found her phone, it lit up, signaling a call.
"Alisa?"
-/-
Umi walked hurriedly to the club room, she stopped just in front of the door to catch her breath.
"I'm fine, Alisa. I'll change my bandages later."
The archer's head shot up. Bandages? She questioned internally before looking through the glass window of the door and found the third year seated with her phone on her ear.
"Yes, I brought medicine." Eli's voice was barely heard. "Yes—they need to check some things, alright? I won't train anymo—"
"Umi-chan!" Honoka exclaimed, making the said girl turn around suddenly. "What are you doing, Umi-chan?"
"N-Nothing, I just arrived." Umi replied, her voice slightly trembling. Fortunately for her, Honoka didn't notice and just turned to open the door of the club room.
"Eli-chan! Eh? What happened to you?" Honoka said as Umi entered the room, her eyes meeting Eli's bandaged hands which Honoka was holding.
"This?" Eli said, removing her hands from Honoka's grasp. "I'll fill you in later once everyone arrives, since I know all of you will ask."
"Eh?" Honoka pouted, sitting opposite to Eli while Umi sat next to the blonde.
"Are you alright though, Eli?" Umi asked with a hint of hesitation present in her voice.
"Yes, I'm alright. Don't worry." Eli replied with a nod and a smile.
-/-
"Let's all have lunch together!"
Their meeting had just ended and the rest of the members started packing up to go back to their classrooms until Honoka suggested for them to all eat together.
"That sounds great nya!" Rin agreed, nodding her head enthusiastically.
"I'd rather have lunch in the class—"
"Oh come on, Maki-chan, don't you want to spend time with us?" Nozomi interrupted, shooting a teasing smile to the red head.
"It's not like that! I j-just want to... uhh..." Maki said, a blush creeping up her cheeks as she tried thinking of an excuse.
"Now, now, everyone, stop teasing Maki." Eli said as she stood up, her bag on her shoulder.
"Where must you be going, Eli?" Umi asked, looking at the blonde who was already at the door.
"Aren't you going to eat with us?" Kotori questioned, gesturing the bento boxes of the rest of the members.
"I'm sorry but I have a meeting with the directress and the teachers." Eli said in apologetic manner while giving a weak smile.
"Meeting? What for?" Hanayo asked with a confused expression on her face.
"They just want to discuss something about my studies." The blonde in question replied as she opened the door. "Have fun, I'll catch up with you all later. See you!" She said before stepping out of the room.
The whole room descended into silence as soon as the door of the room closed.
"I don't remember Elichi having trouble with her studies." Nozomi said, looking longingly at the door where the blonde just exited.
"Oh come on, Nozomi. Knowing Eli, she's an honor student. She must have been offered scholarships in some school." Nico said, turning away and opening her bento, the rest doing the same except for a certain blue haired girl.
"Umi-chan, aren't you going to start eating?" Kotori asked.
"Yeahmpfh..." Honoka said, biting into her bread while looking at the archer.
"I'll be back; I'll just go to the washroom. Excuse me." Umi said, standing up and exiting the room.
-/-
A muffled gasp behind the door made Umi stop abruptly when she reached out onto the knob. Slowly, she peeked inside, spotting a familiar blonde.
Eli...
The blonde's left hand was clutching her head while the other gripped what seemed to be a white bottle of medicine. She was breathing heavily, a pained expression on her face.
"W-Why..." Eli whispered frustratingly as she closed her eyes tightly.
Umi's eyes filled with worry, she couldn't take it anymore; she wanted so much to confront the blonde. She opened the door and entered the room slowly.
"U-Umi?" Eli's voice called out, making Umi face her.
"Eli?" Umi said, seemingly oblivious to what she saw seconds earlier. Eli was as if back to her usual and normal self, no bottle to be seen, no pained look, it just seemed as if she just ran to the washroom due to her panting.
"I thought you were—" The both said in unison, making them stop in mid sentence.
"Sorry, go ahead." Eli said, giving an apologetic smile.
"Excuse me for interrupting you too. I believe you were supposed to be having a meeting?" Umi asked, observant of Eli's movements.
"Ah, yes. I just needed to pass by the washroom. I'm about to go now, actually." Eli replied. "Aren't you supposed to be eating lunch with the others?"
"Yes, however, I needed to use the washroom too." Umi said.
"Oh alright, you go ahead then. I'll see you later!" The blonde replied before hurrying off.
Umi stood there, surrounded once more by silence. She sighed and turned to the sink of the washroom and proceeded to wash her hands.
Why do I get the feeling, she's hiding something?
As the archer finished, she reached out to the box of tissues but stopped when a white bottle was seen in line of her vision. She took the bottle in her hands and examined it. Isn't this the one Eli was holding?
She spun the bottle around for the label but found only marker writings on it.
EFO Aid Dep. M-PK3D (No. 135)
A-R1-AE
Umi had a confused look on her face as she read the writings. EFO... She repeated in her head, EFO was the company her father was working for as a captain after he graduated as an agent. She had also seen one of these bottles in her father's office, however, when she asked about it, her father didn't give any details
How did Eli come across this?
The archer's mind was racking up lots and lots of questions. Was Eli drinking this? Who gave her this bottle? Is Eli an agent? She shook her head in disagreement. As if. Only people in their 20s are allowed in EFO. She thought internally before pocketing the bottle and exiting the room.
-/-
"Ayase-san, please, sit down." Chairwoman Minami said, indicating the chair on her immediate right.
"Thank you, Directress." Eli said, bowing before taking her seat. The room was full of teachers, all teaching the third year students. A representative from EFO was also present and of course, Directress Minami.
"Now that everyone's here, shall we start?" The directress said. The rest nodded in agreement. "Alright. Miho-san, you may start."
The representative from EFO nodded and handed over papers to the group, with the exception of Eli. Suzuki gave Eli a weak smile before she turned to the file that was given to her.
Eli sighed. I won't be able to eat lunch again, huh?
-/-
The last class for the day was nearing to an end. Eli's attention focused on the reminders being given by the teacher in front.
After the meeting, Eli attended her afternoon classes, only being able to drink a bottle of water and snack on a little bit of chocolate. The meeting ended with the participants agreeing with Eli to continue her school activities and remain an undercover agent.
"Alright, everyone. See you all on Monday. I'll be expecting the essay." The teacher said as he exits the room.
The class then started packing up for their club activities.
"Elichi," Nozomi approached, her bag slung on her shoulder while Nico stood beside her. "Let's go?"
"Ah," Eli said as she placed her notebook in her bag and closed it up. "Let's go."
They walked to the club room, a conversation building along the way. As they reached the room, the rest of the members were already there, ready for practice.
"You all could go ahead, we'll meet you there." Eli said with a smile. Before she could move out of the way so the others could exit, Umi took her by the arm and dragged her.
"W-Wait a minute, U-Umi-san! Where are you taking me?" Eli said, accidentally adding the honorific in Umi's name out of panic, as she was dragged out of the room.
"Eh?" The rest of the members said, confused looks on their faces as they stood silently, watching as Umi took Eli away.
-/-
"Umi! Stop it this instant!" Eli said with a stern and stressed voice, catching Umi off guard and making her let go.
Eli grit her teeth, because of Umi's hold on her arm, Eli's certain that one of her cuts had opened up. They stopped in front of a washroom which was seemingly empty.
As Eli dusted off invisible dirt on her skirt before she said with a firm voice. "Care to tell me why you dragged me off like that, Umi?"
Umi opened her mouth to speak but no words came out, instead, she held Eli's bandaged hand with her own and thankfully for Eli, the archer gently pulled her inside the washroom. As Eli was about to speak, Umi held out her hand with the white bottle.
"I found this in the washroom right after you left." Umi said hesitantly, looking at Eli's confused features as she looked at the bottle. "I-Is this yours?"
"No." Eli said, taking in the bottle in her hands and examining it. "I haven't seen this before."
"O-Oh." Umi said; a bit disappointed to hear the blonde's answer. Eli handed back the bottle as Umi stared at it. More questions were building up inside her.
They stood in awkward silence for a few seconds; Umi was still looking over the bottle until her eyes spot a small red puddle on the washroom floor in her field of vision. She shot her head up urgently finding the source of it and in an instant; her eyes found Eli's left hand dripping with blood.
"Eli! Your hand!" Umi said, immediately pocketing the bottle and bringing out her handkerchief.
The blonde cursed under her breath as she took off her blazer, hoping it didn't get stained. A soft cloth on her left hand made Eli flinch as she looked at Umi gently wiping the blood with her handkerchief.
"Umi." Eli said. The archer's features contorted into one of worry. "I can take it from here."
The said girl bit her lip before she spoke with a guilty voice. "I must have pulled you too roughly awhile ago."
"Its fine, Umi." Eli assured, taking Umi's hand in her own and giving it a small squeeze.
Umi looked down, her hand falling back to her side. Seeing Umi's guilty expression, Eli's features softened as she tried to think of what to do. A few seconds passed and a bulb in her head lit up.
The blonde reached in her skirt pocket and pulled out several clean bandages, she lifted Umi's arm and placed them on the latter's hand. "You can make it up to me if you'd like."
Almost instantly, Umi's face lit up and she nodded shyly. Eli's chuckled internally at Umi's response.
"I'll have to take my blouse off first." Eli said before pulling Umi into one of the washroom stalls using her good arm. She locked it and proceeded to take off her blouse.
Umi looked to the side, her face red as her mind kept on repeating 'shameless, shameless, shameless!'
"Geez, Umi. If you're just going to stare that way then how are you going to help me?" Eli's voice spoke, and Umi steeled herself to look.
She turned her head and her breath caught in her throat. She wasn't sure whether she was holding her breath because of Eli's current lack of clothes and the small space between them or because of the bruises that covered Eli's abdomen and ribs.
"Eli..." Umi was speechless; she didn't know what to say. Her eyes travelled throughout the blonde's body. Both Eli's arms were bandaged; her left arm was covered from her hands to her upper arm while the right just reached up until below the joint of her elbow.
"Umi, stop staring..." Eli pouted, crossing her arms and taking Umi out of her trance.
"S-Sorry." Umi said before she started to unravel the bandage around Eli's left arm. Her eyes widened at the sight of the bloody cut and several scratches, making her stop abruptly as an image flashed in her mind.
Eli's beaten form, fell onto the concrete floor, blood dripping from various parts of her body while bruises and cuts littered everywhere.
A cold hand took the bloody bandage from her, pulling her out of her memory. After fully ridding Eli's arm of her old bandages, Umi dampened her handkerchief slightly using the sink before returning to where the blonde was, she muttered a quiet 'sorry' for spacing out as she cleaned the wound.
"You're really good at this, aren't you?" Eli complimented with a smile on her face. "Your first aid skills could even rival Alisa's." She joked, making Umi blush with a grin.
"My father is usually hurt at work or in our dojo. I took it upon myself to be ready to aid him when he's injured." Umi stated as she wrapped the blonde's arm with the new bandage.
"Oh, really?" Eli said, her voice shook slightly but was not noticeable. "That's nice. You're so kind, Umi."
"I-It's nothing." Umi said, the red hue on her face deepening in color as she finished covering Eli's arm and let go of it.
Eli opened her hand and closed it into a fist, repeating it several times before she smiled and embraced the archer. "Thank you, Umi."
"N-No problem." Umi stuttered, trying to ignore the fact that Eli was pressing against her, only clad in her bra. She was sure her face was entirely red.
After Eli pulled back, she found the courage again to look at the blonde who was reaching for her blouse.
"Wait." Umi said a frown on her face as her eyes traveled to the purple hues on Eli's body. "Aren't you going to treat your bruises?"
"This?" Eli said and looked down as she casually wore her blouse. "I usually leave them on their own to heal."
Usually? Umi's brow furrowed. If she says usually then does that mean she usually has bruises? Umi looked again at the area where most of Eli's bruises were and spotted yellow and blue discoloration on her skin, mostly on the lower part, suggesting that there was a healing bruise under.
As Eli finished buttoning up her blouse, Umi's mind was going on a rampage, it kept racking up more theories and questions, making her have a distressed look on her face.
Eli noticed and spoke. "Umi, why do you look so puzzled? You've been spacing out several times as well, is there something wrong?"
Umi looked down. She sighed and faced up, looking straight into Eli's eyes. "Eli," She said in a monotone.
"Do you have somewhere to go to after school?" She asked quietly.
"Mhm, yes." Eli said while putting on her blazer.
"Where?" Umi asked more.
"I have work." The words spilled out of Eli's mouth before she could stop them. Oh no.
"Work?" Umi said, her eyes widening. "You have work?"
Eli internally cursed herself for letting that piece of information slip. Why did she say it though? Usually I would have been able to lie, but now, it feels like I just want to spill everything out.
"Y-Yes, not very interesting work but able to sustain me and Alisa." Eli covered up, a noticeable tremble and hesitation in her voice.
"Oh, what kind of work do you do?" Umi pressed on, hoping for more information.
"Like I told you, I not that interesting. Just filing some papers and making reports, then giving it to my boss." Eli said, her voice firm.
Umi felt somewhat relieved with Eli's words but there was still that feeling that states that there's something off. She sighed and muttered a short 'oh.'
Eli felt a sudden familiar aching feeling in her chest. Stop. She said internally. Not her. She recalled having the feeling several times, those times in which she wants to give in and spill every single suffering she has experienced, times she just wants to be held and comforted.
The blonde closed her eyes and forcefully pushed away the feeling. She put a hand on Umi's shoulder and noticed that the girl seemed to be spacing out once more.
"Umi, let's go. The others are waiting." Eli said after her hand travelled down Umi's arm and grasped her hand. She pulled onto Umi while unlocking the door.
"Mhn." Umi hummed in response.
Before they could exit the washroom, Umi stopped.
"Umi," Eli called, tugging on Umi's hand. "Come on."
"Eli, why don't you skip practice for today?" Umi suggested, taking Eli aback.
"Is this because of my injuries? I'd rather not skip, Umi..." Eli said with a frown on her face. "Besides, it was my fault that I gained these."
"Eli." Umi said with a serious tone. "You should rest and heal your body. I wouldn't recommend you to work or train while you're in this condition."
"But Umi..." Eli pouted.
"No."
-/-
"Eh? Eli-chan won't practice with us?" Hanayo said; a confused expression present on her face. The rest of the members seemed confused as well as they looked at the archer and blonde who were in front of them.
"Due to some circumstances, I have forbidden Eli to practice with us today." Umi said.
"Hah..." Eli sighed. "Even though I protested, she wants to make me stay put."
"That is because it is unhealthy for you to work yourself while you are injured!" Umi argued, looking at the blonde who had a teasing smile on her face.
"Aw, is Umi-san worried a lot about me? I told you already right, I'm fine." Eli said, poking on Umi's cheeks.
"Eli—!"
"Alright, alright. You two break it up, you're acting like an old married couple." Nozomi said, earning giggles from behind her while the two in front burst into red.
"W-What are you talking about, Nozomi?" Eli said, a displeased but embarrassed look on her face.
"Old married c-couple? Wha-What?" Umi said who was blushing madly.
"Hehe..." Nozomi and the others laughed at their reaction.
"Come on, you two. Let's get started with practice." Maki said while twirling a strand of her hair.
"Like I told you, Eli won't be participating in practice!" Umi protested even with the growing blush on her cheeks.
"Eh, but Umi... "Eli pouted once more.
"Eli!"
"Umi..."
"Cut it out you two! Now we really think that you both are an old married couple!" Honoka's voice spoke out loud, interrupting the two.
-/-
Eli approached the group of scientists in front, Ryuu walked by her side.
"Are we ready?" Ryuu asked the head scientist, his voice emotionless as usual. The scientist nodded and gestured to the table in front.
Ryuu gave Eli a stiff nod and she nodded back. She walked towards the table and lay on it. Two scientists hovered over her and secured her onto the table, her arms were spread wide while her legs were open slightly. Eli moved her arms and legs upward, checking the restraints, she gave another nod to the scientists to signal that she was ready.
"You know why this is happening?" Ryuu said as he stood next to the table, looking right at Eli.
Another nod came from Eli before she said, "Special Training."
Ryuu gave Eli a pitiful look before he shook his head and returned to his usual stoic face. He withdrew from his place and let the scientists gather. He stood by away from the table, enough so that he could see what was happening.
The head scientist, Dai Hachiro, ordered two of his men to place small detectors on Eli's temples, wrists, shoulders, thighs and the soles of her feet. One of the men then placed a small chip in Eli's earpiece before Hachiro slid a small stick in between Eli's teeth and made her bite down for it not to fall.
He gave the go signal to the rest of the scientists and they started.
Eli bit down hard on the stick as a knife cut through both of her forearms simultaneously. She curled her hands into fists as they cut in deeper. Her half healed wound from before opened up from the tension.
"Turn on the chip." She heard Hachiro say.
A sharp pain pierced both sides of her head, mostly her right where the earpiece was situated. She closed her eyes tight, her whole body tense as pain kept pounding in her head.
She flinched as someone held onto her right foot, before she could even anticipate what would happen, she felt her ankle twist. She bit down harder, certain that she must have damaged the stick. Eli felt tears want to escape from her eyes but she refused to shed them.
They continued on for five more minutes, the pain in Eli's head decreasing and increasing at different points. When they finally finished, they went over the data they collected and released Eli of her restraints and took off the detectors.
"Get a damn medic from the aid department!" Ryuu's voice rang out loud despite the ringing in Eli's ears.
"Ryuu, after Ayase's wounds are treated and she has rested, take her to the training facility. We would need her to spar with one of the agents; this is part of the training." Hachiro said, giving a emotionless look to Ryuu.
"You're going to make her fight in this condition?!" Ryuu shouted as he helped Eli sit up. "I did not know about this nor do I agree to this!"
"Orders are orders, Ryuu." Hachiro simply replied before exiting the room.
"Heichou..." Eli said; her voice came out weak and frail. Her whole body was in pain, especially her head. She felt exhausted, as if she would immediately fall asleep if she gave in. Everything around her went slow, she could hear her captain exchange words with the medic that was treating her but she couldn't make out the words.
Ryuu grit his teeth. During the time that Eli was in the hands of the scientists, he imagined Umi in her place. He can't imagine how much pain Eli is in and how the experience would scar her for the rest of her life. She's only lived for seventeen years and she's already experiencing pain that even someone in their nineties would have never experienced.
He supported Eli's weight as she leaned on him, her whole body drained of energy. The medic that was treating her was quickly wrapping up her bleeding cuts; it was soaked with blood almost immediately.
Ryuu and the medic supported Eli as they transferred her to the aid department. They lay Eli on a bed and immediately, the medics present started treating her injuries while the blonde fell unconscious.
Gritting his teeth, Ryuu stormed out of the room and to the office of Hachiro.
"What the hell was that, Hachiro?!" Ryuu yelled; his face full of anger. "You just walked away as if nothing happened while you know very well that Ayase's in pain! Are you that insensitive to not even help aid her?!"
Hachiro had a calm look on his face as he looked at the papers in his hands, this angered Ryuu even more.
"Ryuu, we've been friends since we were agents, I'm not insensitive, you know that. It pains me to hurt her but, like I told you, orders are orders. She needs to have a high pain tolerance due to the painful effects of the special chip." Hachiro said; his face unreadable.
"Ayase is just seventeen. Seventeen!" Ryuu said, frustrated. "When we were agents, we did not go through what she is experiencing now! She's just—"
"Ryuu." Hachiro cut off Ryuu's sentence. "Are you that much protective of Ayase?"
Ryuu fell silent, he avoided Hachiro's gaze as he cursed internally for letting himself go out of control. Hachiro just observed Ryuu. For a minute everything was silent until Hachiro stood up. He walked passed Ryuu and stopped just right behind his back.
"She's not your daughter, Ryuu. Remember that." Hachiro stated before walking to the door. "I'll see you later."
The familiar thud of the door closing resonated throughout the room, and then silence followed.
"Damn it." Ryuu said before exiting the room.
He walked silently to the aid department, his face stoic but on the inside, he was pissed and furious at Hachiro. "Tch." He cursed before he entered the room where Eli was held.
Eli lay on the bed, both her eyes were open and she lay on the right side of her face. Her arms were bandaged as well as her ankle.
"How's she doing?" Ryuu asked one of the medics checking up on her.
"She's doing well. She had lost a fair amount of blood; however, we have given her medicine for it. We've also prepared extra bottles in her dorm for her to take home." The medic replied.
"Will she be able to stand?" Ryuu said.
"It's going to be painful for her right ankle but yes, she will be able to stand. Just give her half an hour to rest." The medic said before bowing and then left.
Ryuu bowed to the medic and sat on the chair next to Eli's bed. "Are you alright, Ayase?"
It took a few seconds before Eli managed to respond with a weak nod. Ryuu sighed and placed a hand on her head before he said, "Rest up, I'll wake you up later."
Eli gave another weak nod before she closed her eyes and fell asleep almost immediately.
Forty minutes passed and Eli awoke from the calling of her captain. Eli groaned as she forced herself up, wincing slightly.
"Can you fight?" Ryuu questioned, helping Eli up.
Eli sat up and gave a curt nod before she swung her legs to the side of the bed and slipped her boots on and wore her jacket. Experimentally, Eli placed pressure on her right ankle, testing how it was. She bit her lip when pain shot through it
"Can you—"
The blonde stood up before Ryuu could even ask if she can. Eli exited the aid department without a word, making Ryuu catch up. With each step she takes, she grits her teeth and suppresses a gasp of pain. They reached the training facility where Hachiro and three people were waiting.
Hachiro approached Eli while Ryuu gave him a glare.
"I'm sure you know why we are doing this." Hachiro said to Eli calmly. "The goal for you is to put your opponent into a position where they will not be able or want to move; something like a joint lock."
Eli nodded in reply.
"Your opponent will be Satoshi Hiroki, Rank 10." Hachiro said and motioned the said boy to come forward. Satoshi gave Eli a small weak smile in which Eli responded with a short bow.
"Let's start?"
-/-
Eli sighed internally as she watched her arms being checked by the medic that treated her the day before. Her captain stood stiffly next to her.
"It's healing fine." The medic said while bandaging Eli's arms again.
"I don't recommend her to be going to missions but with her current state, she is able to if she is assigned." The medic stated. "That is all."
"Thank you." Ryuu said sternly before turning to Eli. "Let's go, they're waiting."
Eli gave a nod to her captain and a bow to the medic before they were on their way.
Ryuu noticed a difference in Eli's way of walking; she was putting more weight on her left leg rather than her right. Eli would have been limping if she didn't force herself to walk normally but due to her experiences with her previous captain, she didn't want to show any signs of weakness.
"We're here." Ryuu said as he opened the door to the meeting room.
The room was full of silent people, all facing the big screen in front. It was dimly lit; the only illumination was coming from the screen. A figure stood in front which Ryuu recognized to be Hachiro.
"Sonoda, Ayase." Hachiro addressed. "You both are nearly late."
"Excuse us. Ayase had to have her injuries checked." Ryuu replied quietly before taking a seat next to which he recognized as the experiment head. He gestured Eli to sit between him and the laboratory head.
"Very well. Now that we're all here, we shall start." Hachiro said.
"This meeting will only serve to fill you all in with the details of chip 02-SP-EM. To put it into simple words, this chip will allow the manipulation of electricity, turning the user into an Electromaster."
-/-
"Alisa... I'm home." Eli announced as she took off her boots and jacket.
"Werucomuhm backuhm, Onee-han!" Alisa said, her voice coming from the living room.
Eli chuckled at the way Alisa replied. She walked into the living room and spotted Alisa on the sofa, munching on some chocolate, bits and smudges of chocolate present around her lips.
When Alisa's eyes met Eli's, she gave a wide smile and offered the chocolate she was holding.
The older blonde giggled which in turn Alisa did as well. They both laughed for a moment before Eli took the chocolate and gave it a bite.
"Let's get you cleaned up, alright?" Eli said and stood up, she grabbed a towel from the bathroom and wet it before she returned to Alisa and started wiping her lips.
Eli finished and stood up to wash the cloth. "Thank you, Onee-chan!" Alisa said with a happy tone in which Eli responded with a smile.
"Hey, Onee-chan..." Alisa said as Eli sat next to her.
"Hmm?"
"Do you hate Papa? For making you work as an agent?" The younger girl asked, a bit of hesitation present in her voice.
Eli sighed and thought for a bit before she replied. "Not really... Besides, there are advantages for me being an agent, I can protect you."
"Geez, Onee-chan..." Alisa giggled.
"It's my career, you know, protecting you and others. Although I do sometimes get hurt in doing so, it's worth it knowing that you aren't hurt… That brings me happiness." Eli said with a smile.
Alisa gave Eli a smile as well and they both stayed silent for a moment.
"You mentioned a something about a special chip earlier..." Alisa broke the silence, her tone changing as she leaned in and looked straight into Eli's cerulean orbs. "It won't be the same as last time, r-right?"
Eli gave Alisa a sympathetic smile and patted her head. "It won't. I won't leave you again." She said reassuringly and pulled the younger blonde into a warm embrace.
They both knew very well what happened three years ago. After the chip was inserted into Eli's brain, a complication appeared which led Eli to stay unconscious for a span of 3 days. During this time, Alisa was depressed. When Eli finally came through, Alisa cried tears of joy and hugged the older blonde tightly while muttering 'I love you' and 'I missed you.'
"Okay..." Alisa replied softly as she relaxed into the embrace.
"Onee-chan..." The younger blonde said after a minute.
"Yes?"
"You smell bad."
"Ehhh?!"
-/-
Umi opened the door to her father's office. She was tasked to organize the papers on his desk because her mother had to run some errands.
Thirty minutes into organizing, a folder caught Umi's attention. EFO Agent 06-042 Ayase Eli was printed on the front of the folder. She froze. Hesitantly, Umi reached out and took the folder in her hands, slowly, she opened it.
The first thing she saw was a picture of Eli's face. She was in her usual ponytail, her expression stoic but what bothered Umi was the look in Eli's eyes, it was blank and void of any emotion.
She averted her eyes from Eli's picture and read the information below.
Name: Ayase Eli
Birthday: October 21
Blood Type: B
Height: 162 cm
School/s: Российская военная академия, Otonokizaka High School
Agent Number: 06-042 Date Employed as an Agent: March 16
Umi's eyes grew wide at the latter part she read. Her suspicions and theories where correct; Eli said she had work, she was leaving early for the past few days for work and she was injured from missions agents do... yet...
No, I refuse to believe.
-/-
AN: Hello! It's been—what twenty days? I'm sorry huhu ;-; Anyway, I'll just leave this here, if you might be wondering... actually I just want to tell this, hehe...: When Eli talked to μ's about her injuries, she told them she fell and that there was something sharp near her than sliced her arms... Well, they bought it XD. Okay, so here are the review replies!
Aethuran: Drama is real! Haha... I hope this chapter did not disappoint :3 (My writing is not that good to be honest...)
sable-rover: Glad you enjoyed it! The concern from others won't really affect the agent as much since Eli is the only 17 year old there and the relatives of the agent does know about an agent's activities. Umi did connect the dots here... I think. I'm not sure if I answered your question correctly though :o
See you all in the next chap! Tell me your thoughts about this and don't hesitate to talk to me :)
