(And now I'll work at my capacity to push out chapters and end the story soon. I'll go with around 4-6 more chapters before we hit a conclusion. Enjoy~!) (2016 UPDATE: Very sorry for the wait and stuff, I've been really busy with Senior Year but since I have a study hall now I will probably be writing much more.)
(Because I have nothing to say..uh, hai :^))
Code 404
Chapter 10: A Breath of Air…?
By - Shadistic Archdevil
Assistance from Sangelvii
Setting: Chung's Laboratory
Time: 7:00 AM
Objectives: None Available for Public View
"Rise and shine, Eve~!" The dark elf nudged the Ancient Code as she finished tightening her tie on her new school uniform. It was a new one because her old one was a bit too small and was causing some intense reactions in the hallways at school.
"Why must we go to a place for learning when we already know what we are doing with our lives?" Eve mumbled as she rolled out of bed. Raven and Seris were nowhere to be found. It seemed as if she was the last one awake. She stretched a bit then got up to take a shower.
"Because anybody who sees us in public will be curious as to why we are not in school still." Chloe reminded her. "Now hurry up, Raven and the others are waiting for us at the breakfast table.
"Yes yes. I will be out in 11 minutes and 38 seconds. Do not worry about my presence during the path towards school. I will be there on time." Eve calmly walked into the bathroom before closing the door and locking it, leaving Chloe to go to breakfast by herself.
She was greeted by the many faces she had already become familiar with. Raven was seated by his Prince, with Lu and Ciel sitting on opposite sides of them, respectively. Seris was seated by Ariel and Luriel, casually conversing with them about various topics. She took her plate from the edge of the table and took her seat next to Seris.
"Ohhh~ Perhaps you have taken an interest in Master Ciel~?" Ariel giggled as Seris' face turned a little tint of pink.
"N-no! I was just curious after seeing him spar Raven yesterday!" Seris immediately threw back the words. She ate the rest of her breakfast in silence.
"Good morning everyone! I hope you all slept well because it is time to return to your daily school lives. You all remember that you must not show your identity to anyone at the school. The usual assassin standards. Anywho, Luciela has news for you all concerning your school. If you will, darling." Chung smirked as the last part of his sentence came out.
"S-shut up! I told you not to call me that in public! And just 'Lu' will suffice! Anyways, Ciel will be joining you all for school since I have my own business to attend to during the day. Isn't that right, Ciel?" Lu looked at Ciel, almost smirking in triumph as Ciel silently continued drinking his tea.
"Yes, Ma'am," Ciel said bluntly before getting up and taking his and Lu's plate to wash and put away. Raven chuckled a small bit as Ciel shot him a dirty glare.
"Chloe, where's Eve? Didn't you go to call her just now?" Raven finished up all of his food and took his and Chung's plate up to wash before getting his own belongings prepared for the day ahead of them.
"She's coming at her own pace. Said to leave without her, so let's go." Chloe shrugged as her and Seris and now Ciel, had left the house. Raven decided it would be best for him to stay behind and wait for her. After all, the two were still engaged, regardless of the current situation.
"So they're seriously coming this late? There's only like, 3 minutes 'til the bell rings!" Elsa practically yelled at Chloe after hearing the news.
"Girl, you need to relax before you break my eardrums. And I assure you that if you break one of my eardrums, you get twice the pain." Chloe covered her ears as she spoke.
"Sorry sorry. I just wanted to ask Raven something before class started. I guess it can wait until afterwards then." Elsa huffed as she returned to her seat. One minute 'til homeroom, and there was still no sign of Raven or Eve. What were those two even doing, she wondered.
"SORRY!" Raven practically kicked the door down as him and Eve dove into their seats as the bell rang. He adjusted his glasses and his uniform before Glave gave him a long, harsh glare.
"Well then, class is starting. Everyone, to your seats as Raven and Eve just demonstrated. Today we have….another….new….student...WHY THE HELL DO THEY KEEP PUTTING THEM IN MY CLASS?!" Glave screamed before smashing his face into the chalkboard so harshly that the board split into two.
"Hello. My name is Ciel. It is an honor to meet and serve you all." Ciel bowed the way a butler would and many girls were already swooned on the sight of his body. He shrugged and took the seat that was next to Seris.
"Now then, let's go on with today's lesson on how to enter the new and improved Secret Dungeons…"
"God damn that was exciting. I wanna fight the improved bosses right now." Raven's arm lit up with excitement as he strolled towards his locker casually, ensuring that no one had seen what he just did. His smirk soon faded back to his usual expression as the click of his locker opening brought him back to reality. No sooner did he pick his books than had Elsa appeared behind the locker after he slammed it shut.
"A-ah! Elsa! What are you doing here, at my locker?!" He stuttered, completely taken aback at her sudden presence after that night in the hotel.
"Listen here, punk. You made some pretty daring endeavors while we were eating and I was...stripping. And I like that about you. I like you, Raven, and there's nothing that will change that. But, I do know one thing about you that you think may have slipped by." Elsa's expression turned from slightly angered to a huge smirk.
"Oh? That I can predict your thoughts, Code 318?" Raven watched as Elsa's smirk faded into absolute chaos and confusion.
"Y-you. But….how?!" Elsa's face flushed into a crimson red as she buried her expression into the grooves of her hands.
"It's quite obvious. Only a Code would think such plans through 'til the end. Plus, you were so lust-struck in that hotel, I may have collected some of your...DNA to test at the laboratory." Raven watched as Elsa fumbled through her belongings for whatever she was searching for.
"F-fine then! Y-you want to play dirty?! Meet me at the Outdoor Lounge on the outskirts of the city by the pier tonight at 7." Elsa sputtered out before dashing off. A slip of paper flew from behind her, with Raven catching it in his right hand.
349-314-4350
XOXO
"Strange girl. And I thought she had enough that night…" Raven thought to himself as he prepared his explanation to Chung while walking towards the gym for his workout. He arrived soon after, meeting Elsword in the locker room once more. He immediately went for the bench press and set the weight to 300 lbs.
"Raven! How have you been? You don't really come to school anymore, but somehow you're still a candidate for Prom King." Elsword laughed as he watch Raven stagger with the weight.
"Prom King? Pffft. As if I'd go to prom. Besides, who would go with me?" Raven smiled as he continued his reps.
"Are you kidding? I can list like, 17 girls who'd go with you!"
"Go for it then."
"Rena. Ara. My sister. Eve. Chloe. Seris even. Camilla…"
"Who's Camilla?"
"Wow, low blow dude. She's the one who helped you with everything the first day."
And suddenly it all reappeared in Raven's mind about the girl that helped him with his belongings on Day 1. What a prick he was for forgetting, he thought to himself.
"Right….that's still not 17."
"Whatever man! You got options. You're strong, smart, and possibly one of the most chill guys in this school."
"What about you? Who are you going to ask?"
"Me? Well, I was planning on asking Aisha, but she seems so interested in that one kid, Allegro from 3-C."
"Hands down Elsword. If there was to be any pairing in this school, it's you and Aisha."
"Fine. If I ask her, then you have to come, got it?"
"Alright alright. Just don't make a fool of yourself."
"It's a deal. See you day after tomorrow!"
"Day after...what? But didn't we just get back from a weekend...?"
"Yeah. But every year the seniors get to ditch a day, and we've chosen tomorrow. So enjoy your day off!"
Elsword left in a hurry, presumably to plan his promposal to Aisha. Go figure, the kid was always an energetic one. But if he were to go to prom...Elsword was right. There were a lot of options, and he was only allowed one.
The thought crossed his mind repeatedly as he strolled home with the group. Seris and Ciel were talking quite a bit to each other, almost as if they were chatting like old friends. He glanced at Eve, completely silent as she glided the rest of the way, since they had passed the city limits. Chloe was already at home, since she did not have a free period, but instead obliged for going home early. He glanced at Eve again and walked alongside her.
"One hell of a day, huh?" Raven put his hands behind his head while they continued to walk, his Armor Arm now completely visible.
"I suppose. They have nominated me for this 'Prom Queen' title. When is that event anyways?"
"I believe it is in 2 weeks."
"So be it. Are you going?"
"Why are you asking me? You should go regardless of whether or not I am going."
Eve blushed lightly at this statement and the pink dusted her cheeks. The cherry blossom trees were in full bloom this spring, and Eve was like a princess walking through the leaves in Raven's hazel eyes. Her reaction was quite adorable.
"I-idiot! I only asked a simple question!"
"I am thinking about whom to ask, Eve."
"I see…"
The rest of the walk was left in silence between the two. As they approached the door, Chung looked ill-faced as he waved for them to come over.
"Prince? Is something the matter?" Raven immediately inquired, reading the expression on Chung's face.
"Read this." He stated firmly before handing Raven a piece of paper with elegant writing on it.
Dear Raven, Eve, Seris, and all of the others,
You will most likely be surprised to be reading this letter. You are also probably wondering why I have done what I have chosen to do. But, I think it is safe to say that I am no longer a part of this group anymore. I have left in search for Code 1 by myself. It is wise for you all to stay out of the way and away from my path.
To Raven, you were always a companion that I most certainly will never forget. I loved you at one point, but after seeing how things turned out, I think it is best that this has happened. I wish you luck in your future endeavors with 404 and the others.
To Eve, you were like a best friend to me. I had never gotten any real company back in my days of fighting alone. It was nice, even if you were just as silent as ever. You just being present made most of my days memorable, your constant monotone expression that would change every now and then that really made all of Raven's efforts worth it.
To Seris, you were my favorite Elfen sister next to Rena. I'm sorry that this has happened, but there was nothing else that I could have done before it all happened. I'm sorry Seris, but I am secretly hoping you and Ciel become very good partners without me.
To everyone else, I do wish you all luck in your quest to become the best. I also wish for your safety. My time has come. This is goodbye.
-Chloe
"No….no way...it can't be…" Raven scrunched the letter up after reading it aloud, clenching his teeth and throwing it to the ground. His arm bursted into flames as he began to repeatedly punch the ground in anger.
"WHY COULDN'T I JUST PAY MORE ATTENTION?!" Raven screamed as the flames engulfed his body. It was only when he felt Eve's hands wrap around his stomach that he stopped, realizing the amount of damage he had done.
"It is not your fault Raven...we all should have been more thoughtful about her…" Eve could not stop the tears from slowly spilling out of her eyes. Seris could not believe it and buried her face into Ciel's shirt, completely soaking it in tears. Ciel patted her back, unsure of what to do or so, relying on instincts he simply just let her cling for as long as she needed. Chung looked at the ground and kicked a few rocks before everything settled down.
"So...shall we eat some dinner? Ariel and Luriel have prepared a feast for you all since it is Senior Ditch day tomorrow." Chung tried to lighten the mood. Everyone followed but Raven, who went straight to his room to change. Even though he had suffered a loss, he did not want to cause the same mistake twice with Elsa. After all, she might prove to be a threat as a Code.
"Raven, where are you going?" Eve asked as she witnessed Raven about to step out the door in fairly formal attire.
"To meet someone. I don't want to neglect anyone anymore." And he left while slamming the door shut behind him.
"But...you neglect me so..." Eve silently said as she gloomily went to eat dinner with the others, small crystals of tears forming around her eyes. She loomed over to the table, where Ariel and Luriel dashed to her comfort.
Raven quickly rushed to the meeting point where Elsa was waiting. It was nearly 5 minutes until the planned meeting time. However, Raven was always first to arrive in case of any sort of fight or emergency, as he abided by prince Chung's orders. As he approached the rooftop, a magnificent view of the city's skyline came into view. The mixes of purple and violet hues dipping into the sweet orange of the melting sun seemed to be a fitting area for this meeting. His physical presence was there, but his mind drifted towards the loss of Chloe.
"Here so early, eh?" Elsa chuckled as she appeared beside him in viewing the sunset from the balcony.
"What? And show up late to a meeting with a girl as pretty as you? I think not." Raven smirked before turning to face the lounge area, hanging onto the railing as his only support. He sighed and glanced at Elsa, who was wearing a crimson dress that displayed much of her legs. The only thing stopping her body from leaking was the absence of wind to prevent the dress from blowing over.
"Enjoying the view? I was talking about the sunset." Elsa chuckled in response and Raven laughed a bit before turning back to where Elsa was facing.
"I do enjoy the sunset. The hue of it reminds me of days when things weren't so complicated. Anyways, why did you call me out here?" Raven turned to face Elsa, who was already gazing into his hazel eyes.
"I told you that I liked you already, didn't I? And now we're out here, alone. Why do you think I called you out on a formal occasion?" Elsa sighed as she lightly grabbed Raven's human hand.
"Listen. And I just want to talk before you say anything. I...don't have much time left in my life." Elsa looked down with her hair covering her face.
"What do you-"
"What did I just say."
"...My apologies. Continue."
Elsa cleared her throat as she motioned for him to sit down at the table, already set up with food. Raven nodded in compliance and let her hold his hand as they strolled back towards the table, avoiding eye contact. Raven gently pulled out Elsa's chair and pushed it in after she had taken her seat before continuing to his own.
"As I was saying. My life is going to be cut short. I'm a high priority Code, even though I'm not ranked high. My ability as a Blazing Heart Overdrive coming from my gear is leaving a lot of traces of high energy. I know for sure that at least 3 Codes are after it, though I can't pinpoint the exact ones." She said before taking a small bite of her food.
"I see. You can always come with the rest of us at the laboratory. Prince Chung would more than welcome-"
"I refuse."
Raven stopped eating to look at Elsa. Her eyes were slowly filling with tears. Raven immediately got up and walked over to her, putting his coat around her and taking her hand.
"Let's walk and talk. It'll feel a little better."
She nodded silently and got up. The two continued, with Raven leading the way.
"So, why do you refuse?" Raven questioned.
"There's no need to try and alter fate for me, Raven. I used much of my energy to resurrect Elsword and Aisha. It's draining slowly. That night we spent at the hotel….that was the best night of my life. Maybe it wasn't as I expected, but I really enjoyed what we did that night. With the man I love. Even if you have Eve, I just didn't want to leave this world without acting upon anything. So I did it, using Rena of course, and I apologize for being so selfish and bringing her into it but...I love you Raven."
Elsa said as she leaned into Raven's arms. Night had fallen and clouds formed over the horizon; droplets of water mixing with the tears streaming down the girl's face. Raven hugged her and pulled his coat over her to protect her from the rain.
"Elsa...we can fix you….we can change all of this, and we can all live a better life together. I promise." Raven whispered as Elsa began to tighten her grip onto Raven's chest.
"No Raven...I don't want to be fixed. I just want one more thing before I die…" She wiped away small tears before looking Raven in the eyes.
"Anything." He responded while holding her gaze.
"Just. Promise me that you'll be the one to use my power, and not anyone else in this goddamned world. Only you….are allowed…." Elsa choked on the words as they came out.
Both of them were near a large Chasm. It seemed endless, but Raven knew there was a way down and surviving: sliding down the side. Elsa let go of Raven slowly and turned her back to the Chasm and faced Raven.
"I love you Raven. I always have and always will. Don't forget me…"
She edged closer to the edge of the Chasm. Raven found that he could not move, regardless of how much he struggled. As her eyes filled with tears once more, she spread her wings and inhaled for the last time. Raven screamed her name, begging on his knees for her to stop and come back. The pain from his old fiance came back and hit him in the chest. His lungs filled with blood it seemed and Elsa said one last thing.
"You were always my love."
Her feet tipped back, the only parts left hanging onto the cliff were her heels. Raven roared one last time and watched her body plunge into the abyss. His eyes depicted her tears falling through the air and then it was gone. The thing restricting his movement. He immediately sprinted towards the edge of the Chasm and slid down the edge and grinded to a halt after reaching the bottom. There lay her body, the Heart surrounded by a pool of crimson blood. The only expression she had left was a smile. Raven looked down at her and picked up her body, determined to fulfill her final request.
"Eve? May I come in?"
She recognized the voice as the only one that belonged to the humble man of the laboratory, Prince Chung.
"Yes."
Chung opened the door slowly and closed it. He looked around the room, making sure nobody else was around, before taking a seat on the chair by the coffee table. His eyes stared directly at her while she hugged the Moby plushie. He allowed Eve to regain a bit of her composure before he began speaking. Eve immediately sat up and had her drones make the bed on which she was laying while donning her standard attire.
"What do you need, Prince?" Eve managed to spit out before sitting back down.
"It's been a few months since I took you in. Remember that? You and Raven fought, he brought you back here, and suddenly you two were engaged. I'm going to be honest, you two aren't actually engaged, but it was a psychological plan that left the imprint on your brains and worked fairly well. The reason I had him bring you back here is because I know you, Eve. Your family once worked for my father, Helputt. After my mother died, my father was left in shambles and his only hope was to keep me strong and breathing. He busied himself in work and had me sent to so many training camps and schools to become intellectual and feared. But him and I both knew one day it would have to happen. We would have to fight."
"Why are you telling me this?" Eve interrupted with a disgruntled look.
"He wasn't the best father. He always wanted the best for me, and I love him so dearly for all the effort he put into me. I mean, look at me now, managing many Codes and research at once. But you know what he forgot to do that was the most important?"
"What?"
"He forgot that his son was human. He forgot that humans need love and care when they are younger. He forgot that children, no matter how strong or how much endurance they have, they still need their parents' love and acceptance. My father was so buried in his work that we never played catch or any sort of recreational activity. The only time I did anything with my dad was fight. Which ended in his death. He died smiling, proud of how strong I had become. And now I don his legendary 000 gear."
Eve remained silent for a bit, processing all of Chung's backstory. She didn't know it before, but now she did. All that was left for her to learn was everything about Raven.
"I suppose you wonder how I got Raven to work for me. Well, it wasn't too hard. After he lost his fiance to his best friend, he trusted no one. I was offering him a second chance by fixing all of his flaws and risking his life. A poor decision by me, but he insisted that I put him through as much pain as I needed to make him the strongest. And so I did. 4 months of excruciating pain for Raven. Ever seen the scars on him? Those are from our surgeries on him. Everything organic in him has been modified to be 'better'. He knew of my background because of his Elite position, but I didn't bother with his. It's best if you ask him for yourself when he comes home."
"I see now, Prince. Thank you for the talk."
Chung smiled as he gave Eve a friendly hug. Eve let some tears soak into his shoulders before she let go and smiled at him. Chung grinned back before opening the door.
"Get some rest, 404. I assure you that tomorrow, he will be there only for you."
"As you wish, Prince."
Chung closed the door as he left. Eve sighed and stripped herself to her undergarments. Putting on Raven's buttoned shirt and leaving no pants on, she wrapped herself in the massive blanket and dozed off, her thoughts filled with Raven.
"And where will I stay then?" Ciel responded, infuriated and concerned that his Demon Queen was to sleep with the Prince from here on. Lu giggled as Chung called for Ariel to show Ciel to his room.
Ariel grabbed Ciel and practically flew out of the room.
"Don't worry, Master Ciel-"
"Just Ciel is fine."
"Okay, Mr. Ciel. You'll be rooming with Seris since the Prince's orders were to keep you two together and give Master Raven and Miss Eve their own space. Your room is here on the right, directly across from Raven's."
Ariel opened the door. Ciel quickly observed the room. It seemed the same as Seris' old room, except that their was much more room since there was only one bed. Wait. One bed? He was to share with Seris?! His face turned red before he sighed and noticed the Elf ears sticking out from underneath the covers.
"Ohhhh, I think Ms. Seris has turned in for the night. Enjoy your rest, Mr. Ciel. See you tomorrow!"
Ariel quickly closed the door and went to her room, leaving Ciel in an unfamiliar territory with nothing but a sleeping vessel in sight. He groaned lightly and took off his overcoat and put on a form-fitting tank top and a pair of loose pants to sleep in. Being careful not to wake up the sleeping elf, Ciel slowly lifted the blanket. His eyes immediately settled on the fact that Seris was completely naked. Only her back was in view, though, and Ciel blushed as he quickly got into the bed and turned around, facing opposite of her. He let out a small breath before slowing his breathing to fall asleep faster. Right as he was about to drift off, the elf sleepily turned around and moaned a bit before wrapping her arms around his stomach and pushing her exposed chest onto his back. Ciel stiffened as she did this, a full flush of red over curing his pale face. His breathing stifled as he tried to fall asleep again.
Lu giggled as Chung was still silently reading his book on Disfrozen Infusion.
"Chung-bear why are you so nerdy all the time? You can let loose once in awhile you know" Lu pouted as her face puffed up without Chung's attention.
"I'm sorry honey but I need to finish my daily chapter."
Lu pouted louder and smacked the book away from Chung and threw it and his glasses onto the ground. Chung looked down at her in dismay.
"Look at what you've done. Now what am I supposed to do?"
"Me."
Lu's instant response and a single kiss from her diving onto Chung left the night in silent bliss.
Raven silently slipped into the laboratory at around 3:12 AM. Nobody was awake at this time and the next person to get up would be up at around 3:20, so he had time to place Elsa's body onto the examination table before he used his knowledge from observation and mental note-taking to successfully disarm her gear wristlet and fuse it into his Nuclear core. The pain was unbearable but Raven had gnawed on a titanium rod to keep from screaming. The process was done with a minute to spare. He immediately sprinted out of the laboratory and buried Elsa's body by the Red El Tree that was located just South of the home. After doing so, he placed a bouquet of flowers and carved "May she sleep peacefully, eternally." He immediately dashed back home. He had plans for the next day.
As he approached his own room, he noticed that their was only one bed and Seris was nowhere in sight. Hearing small noises from the door parallel to his, he shrugged and opened the door quietly. Seeing Eve sleeping peacefully, he immediately threw off his clothes to leave him in his boxers and slipped into bed. Eve immediately turned to face him with red eyes.
"E-eve?"
"You. You always want to spend time with everyone, but forget about me."
"T-that's not true. I have a big day planned for us tomorrow."
"If this is true, then I will spare your pain and torture. Get some rest, 200."
"R-right."
Raven watched her eyes close and return to their normal aqua glow before she turned around again, arms crossed on her chest. He smiled and wrapped his arms around her lower waist. She sighed and wrapped hers around his before turning around and giving him a sloppy, tired kiss. He smiled and rested his head on her left shoulder. She couldn't help but smile before falling asleep again. Her lover was there for her again, and he would not leave, after all.
"Only a few weeks until we meet, Code 200. I hope you are prepared to sacrifice everything you have if you want to beat me."
Code 1 laughed loudly and his wife smacked him to hush him back to bed. He groaned lightly and settled in. His scientists were busy crafting the ultimate weapon. One that nobody could prepare for. His brother was unaware that one of his best and most athletic students would be dead soon, and frankly, he didn't care. After all, this is what Codes are made for, isn't it?