A/N: Big thanks to Mirai-Akina for proofreading this chapter. Its a bit long and it must've been really tedious fixing all my comma mistakes from beginning to end. Please check her stories out! I would be lying if I said her pokemon/precure crossover fic didn't inspire this story. Anyways, here's one giant chapter! Enjoy!
The old red hover car rumbled to a stop in front of a diner, separating itself from the congested morning commute from the overhead skyway. The clock on the dashboard read five minutes before eight, and the aged male driver looked at his passenger with a smug, knowing smile.
"See, Aisha?" he said, his voice slow and shaky, "I told you you'd be on time." He was an old fellow, recently turned eighty just a week ago. Though his back was beginning to hunch, and his hair was grey, the man still insists that the already receded hairline would grow back when the winter season returned. This was, of course, nearly ten years overdue, but the purple-haired young woman humored him every time the need to express his youthful heart surfaced.
"Thanks, grandpa," Aisha smiled back, feigning a look of defeat, "I shouldn't have doubted you."
The old man leaned over to her side, peeking through the window as he looked up at the worn sign hung above the beat up, aqua blue trailer-restaurant. "Tiffany's Diner," the sign read, "Open 24/7!".
"It's been a while since I've last dropped you off here," he said as his granddaughter gathered her things and unbuckled her seatbelt, "Haven't been here since… well, you and that boy were together."
"You can say his name, grandpa," Aisha giggled, "Elsword and I are on good terms. We just… grew apart." Looking out the window, she spotted long red locks sitting at one of the corner booths inside the diner. She leaned over and kissed the tiny old man on his forehead. "I'm here to see his sister, anyways-more of last night's incident to discuss."
"Last night," a scowl appeared on his wrinkled face, "Honestly, I'm just glad you're still in one piece. Do you need me to pick you up afterwards?"
"No, it's okay. It's going to take a while. I did call in sick from work, afterall." Aisha stepped out of the hover car, giving her grandpa a wave. With that, the old red vehicle hummed to life once more and floated its way back onto the skyway.
Aisha drew in a chilly morning breath and exhaled steam, pulling the brown trench coat tighter over her body. She subconsciously thumbed the ring on her right ring finger as she stood in front of the diner entrance as a way to brace herself for what's to come.
The doorbell dinged, signalling her entrance, and immediately the waitress's eyes were on the purplette, who shined her a smile before welcoming her to the diner.
"Have a seat anywhere! Coffee?" the waitress offered, already pulling up a kettle of boiling hot brew.
Aisha declined, scanning over the few patrons before setting her sights on the red-head sitting at the far corner of the trailer. "I'm just here to see someone."
The lieutenant looked up from her datapad upon hearing Aisha's voice. She tapped her watch, raising an eyebrow at her, prompting the purplette to hurry to her table.
"I'm not late," Aisha stated, taking a seat across from Elesis in the corner booth.
"You're not early, either," the red-head replied, a look of impatience and lack of sleep clearly visible in her eyes. She looked out the window towards the beat-up red hover car still waiting for a spot into the skyroad. "How's Kuenbaran's restaurant been? Haven't eaten there in years."
Aisha shrugged, "Grandpa's business is fine. I still consider the place a hole-in-the-wall. But that's the way he likes his business, so he's happy."
Elesis nods passively. They both watch as the car slots itself in an open spot. The sky above them is congested with enough vehicles to nearly blot out the morning sun. Aisha silently whispered a prayer that her grandpa will make it home safely in that traffic before turning her attention back to Elesis.
"And, uh… How's he been?" Aisha doesn't need to say his name, for her brother had clearly been on the forefront of her mind since the accident last night.
The lieutenant sighed, shrugging her shoulders as she set the datapad aside, "Els hasn't woken up yet. Doctors say it's a light coma due to the shock but… unfortunately it only gets worse from there."
"Is he… going to be okay?"
"Define 'okay'," Elesis snorted, "He'll live… That's all you need to know."
"Thank gods. At least he's alright."
The older sister eyed Aisha with a look that seemed to pile all the blame on her; as if the purplette had no right to express sympathy for her brother. Aisha shrunk into her seat.
"We're here for other matters, though," Elesis began. She tapped on her datapad, bringing up a personal transcriber, "State your name."
The purplette stared at the recorder. Elesis's words appeared as text on the blank screen.
"Elesis, is that thing necessary?"
"It is."
"I was kinda hoping that this would be something kept between us."
"It will be. For now. If anything goes wrong with our deal, I'll have this to work with. Think of it as a fall back plan: if you prove me right-that you're a danger to this society-I'll have this little bit of info ready to release to the public at the drop of a hat. You prove me wrong, you keep your secret."
"You're blackmailing me?"
"I'm securing my part of this deal. You want my help? I want something as well. In your case, it's the truth. Now: state your name."
The purplette sighed, "Aisha Landaar."
"Any aliases?"
She paused. "Dimension Witch."
Elesis raised an eyebrow at her.
"Otherwise known as 'The Witch of Elysion'. I call myself the Dimension Witch. Everyone else just seems to have their own name for me."
Elesis nodded, satisfied with the answer. "Age?"
"23".
"Occupation?"
"Research and Development Technician for Altera Inc."
The lieutenant gestured at her, silently asking for more. Aisha frowned at this before rolling her eyes.
"Vigilante. Is that what you wanted me to say?"
"I was looking more for 'criminal' but that'll do. So, Ms. Landaar, would you care to give me a detailed account on why it is you consider yourself a vigilante? What brought you to take up the identity of the 'Witch of Elysion'?"
"I… don't know where to start."
"From the very beginning. When you first decided to become this 'heroine' you claim yourself to be."
"I… don't think there was ever a concrete time I decided to become a hero. It was more or less a series of events that led me to slowly realize that I was the only one that can really make a difference in certain situations."
"Debatable," Elesis stated rather harshly. She leaned forward, "But go on. I want to know where it all began; where you came about these strange powers of yours."
"It's a long story," Aisha warned, looking around for listeners. The diner was beginning to crowd with the morning rush of patrons, but the noise was enough to drown out their own voices.
"It's my day off," the lieutenant shrugged, "I have all day."
"Alright," the purplette sighed, leaning back as she recounted the years prior, "Where to begin…"
Aisha strode across the massive first floor lobby, her heels clicking against the cold, black, marble tile. To her right, a refreshment bar filled with employees and business associates having their mid-morning bagel fix. To her left, a crowd of news reporters waiting expectantly behind a velvet rope for someone to appear through an executive elevator door.
Everyone in the lobby wore executive-style suits. Aisha was no different. Dressed in her black business jacket and skirt, she had to look her best for her first day of her internship. Slung over her shoulder, though, was a rather lumpy bag that contained her lab coat and a small sealed box tucked carefully inside the fabric.
She approached one of the free reception desks, where a female Nasod greeted her with her pre-programmed customer-friendly smile and opening dialogue.
"Thank you for visiting Altera Inc. How can I help you today?"
She had medium brown hair, tied into a professional-looking bun. Her suit was grey and white, completely free of any lint or other blemishes… the perfect receptionist model.
Despite how realistic these androids looked to actual humans, the cone-like ears that functioned as an electronics port were a dead giveaway for any and all Nasod models. She wasn't a real person. But without the ears, anyone could easily mistake her for one. Such was the selling point of Altera Inc's robotic division.
"I'm here to see the Chief Architect," Aisha stated, her hand gripping the strap of her rather large bag, "I have an appointment."
"We're sorry. Due to an abrupt change of schedule, the Chief Architect is not available today. May I have your name?"
"Aisha Landaar."
There was a momentary pause as processing lines could be seen running through the Nasod's eyes. The receptionist's body shifted as she silently turned her head to a pair of security guards standing at the door to her left. The guards stepped aside, opening the door that led to the main elevator accessway.
"I'm sorry for the delay, Miss Landaar. The Chief Architect will see you now," the receptionist said, motioning for her to step on through, "You'll find her office on the seventy fifth-"
"I know where I'm going," Aisha replied with a smile. She stepped through the doorway to the quieter elevator access area. Finding the upper floor lifts, she slipped into a waiting elevator before the doors shut. She scanned the selection of floors, skipping past the seventy fifth floor and pushing the button for the ninety-first floor suite.
A hologram flickered into existence, displaying a mini figure of a man dressed in a largely white suit with gold trimming and short black hair. He stood with an air of dignified servitude and greeted the lift passenger with a bow. The cones on his ears were noticeable even in miniature form.
"Welcome to Altera Inc. Unfortunately, suite access is limited to-"
"Hello, Oberon. It's me, Aisha. Care to let me in?"
The hologram straightened, recognizing her voice, "Ah, Miss Landaar. Of course. Granting you access now."
The lift began to move, its ascent gradually picking up speed as it climbed past the other ninety floors of the skyscraper.
Upon arrival, the doors opened not to an office floor but an estate. Pearl colored marble tiles with an elegant red and gold carpet led visitors into a grand hall large enough to house a fountain in the middle. At the center of this fountain was a grand statue of a woman sitting with a large bountiful bowl in her lap. Her hand gestured to an unseen audience below her as if offering gifts to her onlookers while the bowl at her lap overflowed with water.
Surrounding this fountain were a series of exotic flowers mainly pink and purple in color, giving the floor level of the grand hall a garden-esque feel. Behind the fountain was a wide stairway that led to the upper floor of the estate, its walkways running around the fountain as the building's main central attraction.
Aisha stepped into the hall, the murmur of voices growing closer from the upper floors.
"It's good to see you, Miss Landaar," a voice caught the purplette's attention as she turned to the family's personal butler, bowing graciously at the guest. "And my, have you grown into a beautiful young woman."
"You don't seem to have changed at all, Oberon," Aisha joked, getting a knowing smile from the Nasod.
"Such is the way of an android. Though I was promised upgrades in the coming future."
"That's good to see she's still taking care of you though," Aisha commented, "Speaking of… is she…?"
Oberon nodded, leading Aisha towards the stairs where the murmur of voices has reached its peak. A flood of reporters appeared, tailing a single man as he descended the steps in an ill-fated attempt to shoo away the cameras being shoved in his face. He was an aged individual in his fifties with a face layered under a noble silvery mane that fell well past his shoulders. A beard of equal length cascaded down his black and white, gold-trimmed cloak and robes, giving him the regal appearance comparable only to his status as president of Altera Inc.
The man stopped, spotting Oberon's follower, and his brow furrowed at the young woman.
"Oberon?"
"Yes, Master Nasod?" the butler bowed deeply at the bottom of the steps.
"Who is that young lady behind you? Another reporter to join the masses?" the man motioned at the crowd of camera-bearing individuals behind him.
"Thankfully no, master. This is Miss Aisha Landaar. A friend of your daughter's. She's here to wish her a-"
"Aisha Landaar… is that really you?" a small smile of disbelief appeared across the man's face.
"Y-yes, it is, sir," Aisha squeaked meekly, feeling as if she was standing before a king rather than any normal person.
"My… has it really been that long since I've last seen you? Why… you've grown into such a beautiful young lady. You're looking more like your mother. I nearly mistook you for her."
"Thank you, Mister Nasod. I see you've… redecorated the place."
Adrian chuckled, "A few improvements here and there, sure. Maybe two or three dozen extra floors added to the old office building. What brings you to my humble abode?"
"I'm here to see your daughter, actually."
"Ah! Of course. I just put two and two together. It is her special day, after all. Sadly, official celebration plans have been delayed until tomorrow. Do make sure she has a good time, will you?"
"Of course, sir."
"And have her back before midnight!"
"Midnight…?" Aisha wasn't sure if that was possible considering the plans they had. "I don't know if I can…"
In that brief moment, Adrian's face changed. What once was that of a calm, kind, businessman flashed into something of a lion protecting its offspring.
"Before midnight, please," Adrian stated, "I don't want her out too late."
"O-of course. No later than ten, even." Aisha replied quickly. And just like that the kind doting father returned. Aisha sighed before turning the conversation back to him. "And how have you been, sir?"
"Oh please. Adrian is fine," he raises a hand at her as if pushing away a curtain of formality and then motions at the crowd behind him, "As you can see I'm busy as always. It's a revolutionary discovery this time, though. Something that will change the very foundation of the way our city functions."
"Oh? What kind of Nasod invention did you cook up, this time?" Aisha asked, tilting her head and smiling.
"Oh, I didn't invent anything. Not yet anyways. Rather… my company has found something."
"And… that is?"
Adrian winks at her, "I'd tell you, but we'll save that for later after the news channels had their fill of commercials." He then turns to the crowd, "And as for the rest of you, I've said it once, and I'll say it again: if you want information on our discovery, you have to wait until the presentation later this evening! I will not disclose my findings now. So leave!"
This only seemed to spur the reporters back into their flurry of questions. They threw inquiries that ranged from the implications of "changing the very foundation" of their city to the road map of future products the new discovery will bring in the near future.
Adrian proceeded down the stairs past Aisha and Oberon and disappeared into the elevator room.
"He's just as I remember him," Aisha sighed.
"This is true, unfortunately. Though the crowd seems to be notably larger than usual," Oberon added.
"What is it that he discovered exactly?"
"I'm not sure, nor would I be at liberty to discuss it, I'd think. I just know that it came from the surface world."
"Adrian found a relic from the surface? That's nothing new. What's so special about it?"
"Again, I don't know nor would I be at liberty to discuss it. Now, I believe you had an appointment with someone." Oberon said before leading her up the stairs.
She followed Oberon to the top, turning left and followed the walkway to a much quieter, but equally grand hall. To her right, as she walked, was a wall of glass that looked over a holographically projected field of farm lands and trees that met with a cloudless blue sky. It felt… empty, seeing nothing but green that stretched to the distant horizon. Much emptier than the crowded concrete jungle Aisha was used to. She didn't know if she'd like that, to be honest, but according to ancient records, this was what the surface world looked like a millennia ago.
To her left were a series of large double doors leading to different rooms ranging from a library, a recently converted personal workshop, a grand bath, and finally to a bedroom where Oberon came to a stop before. Aisha expected no less of the demands of the Chief Architect. She would keep all of these in her own personal wing of the estate.
The butler raised his hand to knock, but Aisha quietly stopped him. "I got it from here. Thanks, Oberon."
"As you wish, Miss Landaar," Oberon said, bowing and taking his leave.
She listened to the footsteps fade, primping her hair one last time before taking a deep breath and exhaling. She gripped the bag over her shoulder and carefully opened the door. The large door quietly swung open, and a muffled voice could be heard beyond the doorway. Looking around, she found herself staring at a thick door curtain that had been drawn to hide the rest of the room.
Aisha shut the door and peeked through the curtain, purple eyes searching for the source of the voice. This was the first time she had seen the Chief Architect's room in years, and it was apparent in the choice of decor that she had not changed much since Aisha last had a slumber party with her.
A large circular rug sat at the room's center with a coffee table, and two lounge chairs sat in front of a large unlit fireplace. At the corner of the room was a massive, princess-style bed complete with drapes and everything a young girl would want hanging over it. At the far opposite corner, a door leading to a large walk-in closet could be seen with the light catching more extravagant outfits than Aisha could ever dream to own in a lifetime. Along the wall back towards the entrance was a grand vanity desk big enough to seat a family with the star of the day sitting in front of the mirror.
The Chief Architect was talking to the mirror. Several holograms were on display around her, and it was clear she was recording something. All the while, a blank Nasod frame, unaltered by holograms to give it any clothes or flesh, stood behind her, rolling her long silver hair into a complex pair of buns that fell to the side of her head. As the machine worked, the young woman carefully straightened her bangs, setting it to part neatly over her brow.
"...That concludes my summary on the matters of this morning," the Architect said to the recording, "Aisha should be here any moment. She said she had something she wanted to show me. I'll update you this evening, assuming I'd be back by the end of today… end diary entry."
The holograms vanished, leaving her to stare at herself in the mirror as the Nasod finished rolling the second bun in her hair. With a tilt of her head, she brushed a few loose locks away to put on a set of diamond earrings.
"Ahem!" Aisha cleared her throat loudly through the curtain, startling the woman sitting at the vanity table, "I hope I'm not walking in on anything personal!" Aisha peeked through the curtain, her purple eyes meeting with golden ones.
The silver-haired woman put a hand over her chest, taking a breath to calm herself, "You didn't… hear any of that, did you?"
"Maybe," Aisha replied with a mischievous lilt in her voice, "But more importantly… I have something for you."
The architect checked herself in the mirror one last time before turning fully towards the door. "What is it?"
Aisha grinned, dipping into the curtains once more before sliding a stockinged leg in between the folds.
"Happy birthday… to you," she sang in the most seductive voice she could muster.
"Oh no…" Aisha could hear her friend groan at this. Suppressing a giggle, Aisha continued, stepping forward with her other leg as she held the curtain around her body in mock playfulness.
"Happy birthday… to you!" She threw her hands aside, pushing the curtains away revealing herself to still be dressed in her business attire, thankfully.
"Shouldn't you be saving this act for your boyfriend?" her friend said with a roll of the eyes.
"It's not his birthday, though. And besides, he's out training. Just be happy I decided to keep my clothes on!" Aisha explained dismissively with a giggle. The thought crossed her mind, but Aisha couldn't imagine the lawsuit she'd have if she did this to her new boss in the nude. Still, she thought, given the circumstances, this was appropriate for her best friend's special day.
"Happy birthday, Miss Eve," she continued, advancing towards the Chief Architect as seductively as she could without getting on the ground and crawling. Instead she reached into her bag, fishing out a tiny box from her bag as she slid onto Eve's lap. "Happy birthday to you!"
Eve took the box, smiling and shaking her head before being startled yet again when Aisha suddenly threw her arms around the silver-haired woman in a tight hug. Eve returned the embrace and looked on at the box curiously. It was small.
"You're not proposing to me, too, are you?" Eve asked.
"It's your twenty-first birthday, you got me an internship to work with you, the next obvious step is for us to get married. Also, I'm really digging your house. I wouldn't mind moving in with you," Aisha replied jokingly, "Open it. It's not… keys to a new hover car or anything. I couldn't possibly outdo your lifestyle now so I was aiming for something more… sentimental."
Eve began the meticulous process of pulling the wrapping apart by the adhesives without ripping the paper and undoing the ribbon. This was a habit Aisha was quick to pick up from her friend and, instead of watching her work, began poking around at the birthday girl's desk.
"So I see you're still keeping a diary."
Eve nodded as she carefully separated one piece of tape from the wrapping.
"I'm assuming you still do this stuff daily as well?"
"I try to," Eve replied, sticking her tongue out in deep focus as she worked on the third of the four adhesives, "Which was why I decided to do one earlier today since, knowing you, I most likely wouldn't come home until later tonight."
Aisha tried to hide the guilty grin as she turned to the blank android standing off to the side. It was a model she hadn't seen before: a dark grey humanoid frame with a cushioned plasti-fiber weave to give it the texture of human skin. It stood taller than Aisha, perhaps just as tall as Eve. Its empty lenses were fixed in a mouthless skull and stared straight past the two towards some distant target in the horizon.
"And who's this little beauty?"
"I call her prototype-Q. Q, for short. She's the latest model of our yet-to-be-revealed android line. Q's still in development stages, though, hence the name."
"So you're having her do your hair in the meantime?" Aisha asked, idly playing with her friend's hair and subtly pushing her locks back to stare at the beautiful diamond earring fixed on the young woman's ear.
"I was testing her cognitive response to commands and the coordination of her limbs," Eve pulled away from Aisha's hands, turning her head to reveal the tightly knotted and neatly managed buns, "As you can see: she earns a pass. My next step is to build a personality algorithm for her that not only learns but adapts more quickly to emergencies than our current generation of androids."
"Will I get to work on her, too?" Aisha asked, excitedly.
"Possibly. She's hasn't been revealed to the public, and I'm not sure father would want an intern to poke at our company's secret projects just yet. No offense."
"None taken."
"Done!" Eve pulled the wrapping apart and opened the cardboard clam to reveal a small pink data stick with a white ribbon tied around it. The architect picked up the data stick and inspected it, tilting her head curiously before looking at her friend. "What is it?"
Aisha laughed, "Why don't you plug it in and find out?"
With a wave of her hand, the hologram controls appeared at the vanity table once more, and a slot opened for the data stick. As Eve plugged in the stick and downloaded the unexpectedly large amounts of data, Aisha took the liberty to glance over the files stored in the windows on display. As Eve had said, there appeared to be a diary entry for every day stretching back as far as she can remember.
"You really have made an entry for each day of your life, huh?"
"After mother passed, I realized how little I had saved to remember her by," Eve sighed, "I used to keep these entries to sort my thoughts with her no longer with us, and father encouraged me to do it, saying I shouldn't take every day for granted. After losing my mother… I couldn't agree more. Since then, I've been keeping a record of everything that goes on in my day."
A sly grin appeared on Aisha's lips, "Everything?"
Eve averted her eyes, "Everything I wouldn't be embarrassed about in the future."
"Well that's unfortunate," Aisha replied as the datastick finished its download, immediately opening up a massive album of pictures and videos that took Eve a moment to look over before realizing what they were. The birthday girl's eyes widened as they flicked from one picture to another, all the while Aisha's devilish grin only grew.
"...Because I took the liberty to compile all your embarrassing moments that I managed to film or snap a picture of into one big library!"
All the while, the clips previews of a few of the princess's less-than-princessy moments played over Aisha's shoulder. One of which featured Eve gorging herself on a massive plate of waffles at Tiffany's. It cuts to her moments later hugging the toilet in a sick pile of both guilt and satisfaction.
Another featured Eve too drunk to stand. The sounds of Aisha giggling in the background were drowned out by Eve ranting on and on about company secrets. The crowd of bar attendees, who appeared less than pleased at having to sit next to the drunk, were shouting over the music, asking Aisha to take the poor girl home.
Another was of Aisha hiding and recording a younger Eve, barely in her mid-teens. The young Eve was scanning the area, making sure she was alone, before giving a heartfelt smooch on the cheek to a rather handsome looking Nasod prototype at the time.
Eve pulled the datastick out, covering her face in shame. "Why would you do this?"
"Because you're my friend and that's what friends do!" Aisha laughed, seeing the genuine embarrassment fill Eve's face.
Eve pouted and turned her head away, forcing the purplette to play along with the architects' sulkiness.
"Oh don't be like that, Eve. It's all in good fun. It's not all embarrassing. Some of the stuff in there are stuff I thought were pretty sweet. Like the time we went to robotics camp together? The time you third wheeled for my first date."
"You insisted I go because you were too scared to be around Elsword alone," Eve acknowledged, still not looking at her friend.
"If anything, that's embarrassing for me," Aisha added, "But really, this is just a big thank you. When we were kids, it never occurred to me how much different we were until you started focusing more on your family's business. And as time went on, we both started having different lives. People may see you as this prim and proper young woman in the news… the future 'queen' of Altera Inc."
"Such is the responsibility of an heiress, unfortunately," Eve sighed, "It's pretty much nothing but business from here on out."
"But to me, you'll always be my friend," Aisha continued, "And I wanted to remind you of that. I'll stick by you, always. Through thick and thin."
Eve finally turned to her friend still sitting on her lap. A soft smile appeared on the silver-haired maiden's lips, "Thank you. Really, Aisha. Thank you."
"Don't worry about it!" Aisha hopped off Eve's lap, "It's the least I can do for landing me a spot as an intern for this place! Speaking of which… aren't you going to show me around?"
The Chief Architect sighed again, "Alright. I guess it's about time for you to start, anyways." She took the datastick and slid it into a small drawer at the corner of the vanity table, "But from this point on, I'm deciding what we're doing. I'm your boss, after all."
"And it's your birthday!" Aisha added as they both made their way out of her room, "Which reminds me: drinks for tonight…"
Eve wiped the sweat from her brow, a satisfied sigh escaping her lips.
"How does it feel, Mr. Cronwell? Better, I hope?"
A man in his mid twenties sat on a chair with a mechanical left arm resting on the examination table. He was shirtless, revealing a myriad of scars across a toned body. Aisha stood behind Eve and was given the simple task of observing her boss as she worked. That was what she was supposed to do, but she couldn't help herself but take her fill staring at the man's body as he clenched and unclenched the fingers of the mechanical arm.
"Significantly more responsive, thanks to you, Ms. Nasod. It's an honor having you personally fix my arm."
Eve began piecing together the arm's metal casing before shrugging off the show of gratitude, "This isn't normally my department. Programming is more my specialty. Though if it acts up again, I'll see to it that Ms. Landaar here will take care of you." Eve motioned at the intern behind her and the purplette perked up, giving the man a shy wave which he regarded with less confidence.
He lifted his prosthetic and gave it a few test clenches before quickly extending it outward in a quick jabbing motion that surprised both Eve and Aisha. The metal appendage was rigid, not a loose gear clattered as the tiny pistons and cogs turned. A perfect, if not superior, replication of the human arm.
"I noticed the tech you're using is a little dated as well," Eve added, "I highly recommend an upgrade to our more advanced prosthetics. Your warranty should cover it."
"It is? I thought it was only for replacement parts… not a whole new arm."
"Due to your selfless service on our behalf, it's the least I can do as a representative of Altera Inc. Think of it as a token of appreciation."
Mr. Cronwell blinked at her before shooting her a look of genuine gratitude. "Thanks, again, chief."
He stood, buttoning his top before taking his leave. As he left the prosthetics ward, the two exhaled in a silent acknowledgement of a job well done.
Eve glanced at Aisha. "So, what would you rate it?"
"The guy or your workmanship?" Aisha snickered, "I saw the way you were looking at him."
"I'm sure he both saw the way we were looking at him. Did you see his scars?"
"I think the more appropriate question is: did you see his muscles under those scars?"
"No…" Eve replied innocently. She glanced at Aisha before muttering a barely audible "maybe." She packed her tools, ignoring the impish grin on Aisha's face.
"That concludes most of your responsibilities as an intern. Do you think you can handle it?"
"Seems easy enough. Though I'm surprised. I didn't expect you to go out of your way to help someone like that even if it's not your department."
"It was a simple recalibration job," Eve said with a shrug, "Besides, what kind of heiress would I be if I ignored the needs of a client?"
"You're adorable, you know that?" Aisha grinned.
The Chief Architect pouted at her subordinate, "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Nothing! Nothing. I'm just happy knowing after all these years you still have a good head on your shoulders."
Eve rolled her eyes and, after finishing packing her tools, stood and dusted her lab coat before making her way out of the prosthetics ward with Aisha in tow.
"We're pretty much done with the tour and orientation. But since we have a bit more time before the office closes, I have something I want to show you."
"Oh? What is it?" Aisha tilted her head, following Eve to the elevator and watched her punch the basement level three button.
Oberon's miniature hologram appeared, "Voice recognition activated. Please state the password."
"Eve."
Her face was scanned before Oberon bowed, "Access granted."
Aisha cocked an eyebrow. "The password's your name?"
Eve raised a hand defensively, "Don't look at me. Father was the one who programmed the security."
The elevator descended past the ground floor, and despite it being only three levels below, it felt like the elevator continued to travel deeper.
"How deep underground are we traveling exactly? This feels like some kind of super restricted area that you're taking me to."
"That's because it is. No one is supposed to see this but, for you, I think father can make an exception," the Chief Architect said, throwing her a coy smile and putting a finger over her lips, "Assuming he never finds out."
"Eve… As a new employee, I don't want to get in your dad's bad side."
"He won't know. Trust me," Eve said. With a wave of her hand, Oberon's hologram appeared once more.
"How can I be of service, Miss Nasod?"
"Oberon, are there any scheduled processes taking place in the next ten minutes in basement level three?"
"No, madam. Though we are scheduled to transport cargo from level three within the hour."
"Excellent. Please cease all recording functions in the third basement level for ten minutes. There's a glitch in the network I must address."
"Certainly, Miss Nasod. Ceasing recording functions… now."
"Oberon can do something like that just by telling him to?"
"Of course. He's my android, after all. Since father integrated him into the building's security system, I took the liberty to install a little backdoor through him. It has its uses… It lets me sneak a few midnight snacks into my room without father knowing."
The elevator doors slid open, revealing a short concrete hall lit by dim fluorescent lights. The soft hum of ventilation could be heard echoing up and down these halls, and Aisha couldn't help but stick closer to her friend as she led her to the end of the cold walkway.
They stepped into a grated walkway overlooking a large high-security research lab. Scientists numbering in the fifties crowded the floor below, their attention locked on their numerous individual projects. From where Aisha stood, she could recognize a few of the stations working on robotic limbs similar to Q's blank frame. Others had more abstract projects, one of which featured what looked like the use of dimensional portals: a step in scientific discovery that was still being researched. To see Altera Inc. trying to incorporate dimensional travel into their product line seemed… out of place for a robotics company.
"Good evening, Chief Architect," the voice of a woman said form Aisha's immediate right. This startled her and immediately caused her to duck behind Eve as the heiress regarded what looked to be another Nasod. The female android had short, black hair. She was wearing a white, black, and pink dress more suited for cleaning and housework than anything else. She was essentially a maid in a research lab.
"Good evening, Ophelia," Eve smiled, tilting her head, "I was beginning to wonder where father stationed you after I completed your programming."
"He's tasked me with security on this floor," the Nasod replied.
"That's odd, considering I made you to be Oberon's pair."
"It's a temporary decision on his part. With the discovery of the artifact, he has me stationed here as an extra security measure should it be necessary… On the note of security… who is that behind you?"
"This is Aisha. She's just here for a tour."
"Access is restricted to authorized personnel only. I should report this to Master Nasod at once."
"Ophelia," Eve sighed, "Execute override protocol seven-three-six-one-two. You won't report this intrusion to Adrian Nasod."
A processing line appeared through the Nasod's eyes and her posture changed. "I won't report this intrusion to Adrian Nasod." She repeated.
"You will delete all accounts of ever seeing either of us here for the next ten minutes."
"I will delete all accounts of ever seeing either you or your companion for the next ten minutes."
"Good girl," Eve said, turning back to Aisha. "It's a good thing it was Ophelia. I don't remember the override codes for most of my androids off the top of my head."
"I'm… not going to be in trouble, am I?" Aisha asked, still trying to hide her face from Ophelia.
"You'll be fine. I think."
"You think…?"
Eve changed the subject, pulling the purplette's attention to an object at the center of the large room.
Following her gesture, Aisha's eyes settled to an entire area encased in glass. Kept safely within the glass prison was a heavy-looking bronze box worn and faded by time. Just from glancing at the container, Aisha could easily estimate the object to be over several thousands of years old.
"Is that… a relic from the surface world?" the purplette whispered.
"Not just a relic. The relic," Eve whispered back, "Father's excavation team found it almost a week ago and it's been stored here ever since. That gentleman that you've seen earlier? Mister Cronwell? He was part of the survey team that found it. He lost his arm fighting whatever monsters infest the surface world just trying to get to this relic. I won't let his sacrifice go unappreciated."
"That's a lot of work for some old world junk," Aisha mumbled.
"It's not your usual throwaway trinket, Aisha. This relic is the real deal. It's magical."
Aisha snorted, "What? Magical? Now that's something I'd never expect the heiress to a technological giant like Altera Inc. to say. Magic was thought to be lost thousands of years ago."
"Not anymore," Eve said, shaking her head, "I know it might sound superficial, but that item from the surface world… it's the reason why there are so many news reporters at our offices for the past week. And they have every right to be excited. Though they don't know what they're in for."
"So… what is it, then? Your dad said something about changing the very foundation of how Elysion functions."
Eve looked around for any prying ears but only found Ophelia, who had returned to her patrol route as the only viable person to listen in, "We're not sure yet. But our tests thus far have concluded that this object has an immeasurable amount of El infused into it.
"El…?"
"Magical energies."
Aisha rolled her eyes, "Eve…"
"I'm serious! One drop of this stuff can power an entire section of Elysion for a week. What we found is an ocean's worth of El in that box."
"In that tiny box?"
Eve nodded. "Think of the possibilities with that kind of power at Elysion's disposal! We can expand. We can grow. Maybe we can even secure a home in the surface world with it!"
"Now that last one's a little far-fetched. But I see the need to keep the discovery secret."
"You don't understand, Aisha. As it stands, our city's generators are what keeps Elysion from growing into anything more than it is now. The relic alone can power an entire nation for a lifetime. Maybe even longer. Can you imagine what it would mean if any ordinary person had that kind of power at their disposal? Can you imagine that person using it against us?"
"So that's why your dad refused to tell me what it was about..."
"Don't take it personally, Aisha. I've only just learned of this object's existence three days ago. I understand where my father is coming from, keeping this relic a secret until he understood what it was. And frankly, I'd prefer he didn't release his findings to the masses. But… I trust what he's doing. I just fear what would happen if the relic fell into the wrong hands. It doesn't make it easier knowing who he's meeting with tonight. Father's holding a high security meeting with the city's higher-ups regarding the use of the item. I suspect the news will be all over it."
"The higher-ups… you don't mean…"
Eve sighed and nodded her head, "Yes. Elysion's elite. The city's esteemed guardians."
"I doubt they'd put the relic to any good use considering-"
"Yes, but father is the only one with the tools available to study it. With him holding the cards, he has more of a say on how they should use it."
"And if he has control over it… then that means Altera Inc..."
Excitement flashed in Eve's golden eyes, "I know! Can you imagine what that would mean for Elysion's future? We can help everyone with this discovery. We just need to learn how we can apply it-"
A ding from the elevator shafts caught their attention, and the two young women quickly hid around the corner as the doors flew open.
"It's father," Eve reported, causing Aisha's face to go white, "He's with Oberon."
"What do we do-"
"Don't worry. I'll handle it," Eve reassured her, pressing Aisha against the wall as she peeked around the corner. The footsteps drew closer, causing Aisha's hear to nearly leap out of her chest.
"If preparations are complete, Oberon, then I don't see why we can't get this ball rolling… Notify the transport. We'll move the relic as soon as the dummy cars are ready-"
Eve rounded the corner, pulling Adrian's eyes away from the side Aisha hid behind as the Chief Architect seemed to clumsily run into her father.
"Ah. Eve! Wasn't expecting you down here… erm. What are you doing down here?"
"Checking up on the progress of R&D teams one through ten on regards to prototype-Q's limb enhancements," Eve stammered. She glanced at Aisha who stood directly behind Adrian. Eve subtly tilted her head, prompting her to make a move for the elevators. Oberon saw this, turning his head to meet hers, but a quick wink on the android's part revealed he had no intention of revealing Aisha's presence. The purplette held her breath, quietly slipping behind Adrian and tiptoeing her way back to the elevator access area.
"I thought you'd be giving Aisha the grand tour, still… speaking of which, where is she?" The president of Altera Inc. turned his head to look around, immediately prompting Eve to force herself into his attention once more, stepping into his field of view as a look of urgency filled her face.
"She's getting ready in my room. Um… Are you… moving the relic?"
"Ah, yes. Yes, I am. I need it for the presentation, after all," Adrian chuckled, "Which is why I want you home safe before it gets too late at night. I plan on making the reveal this evening. Word will spread fast about the relic's power. Gods forbid that some miscreant would learn you're out and about late at night and decide to hold you for a city's ransom… Can't you do this some other time, my dear?"
"If it's any time after you reveal the relic, I might as well say goodbye to ever setting foot outside the company's offices ever again," Eve reasoned, "Let me have tonight to enjoy myself. It's my birthday, after all."
There was a look of strong conflict in the aging man's face. He very much wanted to say no, but the puppy dog eyes in Eve's golden pools were the only thing keeping him from outright saying it.
"Very well."
"Thank you, father! I love you!" Eve said, throwing her arms over him in a tight embrace.
"But be back by eight, this evening."
"Nine?"
"Eight!"
Eve tilted her head, half to throw Adrian another pleading look and half to see if Aisha was in the elevator, yet. She caught a glimpse of her friend disappearing behind the safety of elevator doors.
"Fine… nine o'clock. No later… With your mother gone… I can't help but worry."
Eve kissed her father on his cheek. "I promise I'll be back by then."
"I thought I was dead!" Aisha squealed in a fit of laughter as the two of them hopped into Eve's black hover car.
"I thought you were, too. I was sure father was going to turn around when he asked about you…" Eve sighed, a gloved hand over her chest as she took a moment to recompose herself.
The two had changed out of their lab coats and Aisha had slipped into a more comfortable set of clothes: a royal purple top and skirt and a pair of white thigh high socks. This was a style that seemed to follow her since her mid teens and, for the sake of nostalgia, she decided to bring the look back.
Eve had changed out of her business attire, but her choice of dress did little to hide her nobility. She wore a black and white long sleeve tube dress that stopped at her mid-thigh and met halfway by a pair of thigh-high white boots. A long white coat and gloves completed the ensemble, making Aisha feel woefully underdressed for the occasion.
"That was smooth of you, too, getting your dad talking about his plans for the night. It felt like forever just waiting for a lift to come down and pick me up. Oh thank gods the elevator was empty too," Aisha slid down on her seat as the two of them simultaneously sighed in relief. "What was it that you were talking about, anyways?"
"Father's just being himself and worrying about me," Eve groaned.
"Well isn't that cute," Aisha shook her head and smiled, "Don't worry, I'll have Cinderella home by midnight-"
"He wants me home by nine."
"What?! Couldn't you convince him to give you a little more slack?"
"I did. Nine was the latest. But it's because of the presentation tonight. He just wants me home safe after news gets out about the relic's existence."
"What do you mean home safe?"
Eve started her car, "Remember what I said about the relic falling into the wrong hands? That makes me a prime ransom target once word spreads of the object's power."
"Okay, so after the big announcement and all, when would it ever be a good time for you to set foot outside Altera Inc?"
"Never… realistically speaking."
"Lame!" Aisha cried, "That's not fair to you! You're pretty much going to be a prisoner of your own home!"
"Yeah…"
Aisha unbuckled her seatbelt, "I'm going to have a word with your dad."
"Aisha… No. It's okay."
"No. It most definitely is not okay. I'm not going to let my friend live the rest of her life in her tower."
"Aisha. I'm not really going to be locked in there forever. There'll be times where I'll step out. With heavy security, of course."
"But that's not… ugh," Aisha scratched her head in frustration.
They both sat in silence, the soft hum of Eve's hover car filling the gap as the night seemed to be ruined before it even started.
"It's… what I want," Eve whispered.
Aisha shook her head, "No. No, that's not what you want. You're just saying that because-"
"Because I'm the heiress. And I wouldn't want it any other way. Altera Inc. is the largest reason why Elysion is able to keep afloat, both physically and metaphorically speaking. We provide the generators that keep us in the air. We create the tech and the security. Without us, Elysion would crumble and literally fall. With my father's discovery, what's my freedom when the lives of millions rest on our company's stability? I don't mind it. Really."
"Eve…"
"Besides," the architect turned to Aisha, her golden eyes affirming her stance, "I'd have you to keep me company, right?"
Aisha could feel herself wanting to cry. She wanted to tell her friend otherwise. But the look on Eve's face revealed she had her heart set on seeing this through to the end. The purplette had to respect that.
"Don't make me make promises I can't keep," Aisha chuckled, wiping her eyes, "I almost got fired today, remember? That doesn't bode well for the rest of my internship."
Eve leaned over to the passenger side, hugging her friend tightly. "I won't make you do anything that stupid ever again."
"Promise?"
The silver-haired maiden nodded. "Promise."
Aisha hugged back, settling back in her seat as she tried to get the tears to stop forming in her eyes. "Okay. For now, I say let's forget all this business crap. It's your birthday! And I'm getting you drunk before nine!"
"You realize you don't have a license to drive me home if that happens, right?" Eve said, pulling out of the company garage and onto the main street.
"Ugh, you're no fun."
"A drink and some cake, how about that?" Eve suggested.
"And maybe shopping?"
"Sure. Haven't done that in a while with you." The hover car stopped at the lift-off point in front of Altera Inc's skyscraper. The friday evening traffic was in full effect, and to make matters worse, seven armored trucks had beaten Eve to the queue. Aisha leaned forward, watching as one of the cars floated up and, after a full minute of waiting, slotted itself into the busy skyway.
"What's with all the armored trucks?" Aisha muttered, tapping her finger impatiently as another truck waited for another slot to open up.
"Father's transporting the relic. I was hoping we'd beat them here but… well… I wasn't expecting to sit and talk in the parking garage for so long."
"Don't pin the blame on me!"
"I am pinning the blame on you," Eve said, a smug grin appearing on her face as she looked for an opportunity to force her way further up the queue.
"You're partly to blame, too, bringing all this heavy stuff to the table."
"Uh huh," Eve sighed, checking her mirrors before flicking on her signal light, "Whatever, it's my birthday. I want to at least do this." She pulled off the road, driving on the sidewalk before re-inserting the car as the next in line on the road's lift-off point.
"Such a rebel," Aisha commented. Eve said nothing and slotted herself into the skyway right behind the second armor car. A projected path guided the hover car up and away from the Altera commercial platform, giving Aisha a full view of Elysion's ninth tower in all its concrete glory. The metropolis of Elysion was divided into ten major domed districts labeled as "towers". Each varied in size, was densely packed with at least a million inhabitants, and specialized in providing different commodities that allowed the ten towers to function like a well-oiled economic machine.
Tower 9 was the corporate district and focused heavily on running the businesses of the other nine towers. Skyscrapers were a common obstacle in the skyway, and it wasn't uncommon to find buildings that scaled close to the hundreds in floor count like Altera Inc. To Aisha, though, as she sat in Eve's hover car, it felt as if she were a firefly, turning and weaving through a massive concrete forest, and the giant colorful billboards that filled the landscape were the leaves. That didn't mean it was completely absent of other commodities. As a district that naturally favored the wealthy, many of the shops and bars catered to the expensive tastes of its inhabitants here. The district was way too posh for Aisha's wallet, coming from the middle-class in Tower 7. But for Eve's sake, she had saved months worth of cash specifically for this occasion… Not that it made finding a bar that fit Aisha's budget any easier.
The hover car slowed to a stop, still behind the armored truck they were tailing.
"It seems like my father's exhibition will take place near the bar you picked out."
"Huh," Aisha muttered, "If anything, you can swing by your dad's meeting, right? He can give you a ride home if you're completely drunk out of your mind." The purplette was joking, of course. Though there was a hint of seriousness in the suggestion. She really wanted her friend to let loose once in a while, especially since this was supposedly the last time she'd be allowed out without a retinue of bodyguards following her.
"Absolutely not. The last thing I want is for my father to see me when I'm intoxicated," Eve replied, bringing the hover car back to the street level.
"Aw, where's your sense of fun? I'm sure he wouldn't mind if-"
The last thing Aisha remembered was a blinding flash of light coming in from the driver side window.
She didn't remember how the hover car spun out of control, nor how its engines were ripped from the front, sending the vehicle careening across the street and onto a patch of green turf. She didn't remember seeing the armored truck roll dangerously nearby, nor how it slid towards them and slammed against the black car's windshield.
What she did remember was the sound of voices. Several of them. They weren't panicked, nor were they calling for help. The voices were direct. Demanding.
Aisha slowly came to, the scent of oil strong in her nostrils. Her head throbbed and every joint in her body felt as if it had been crushed by some unseen force. It felt like something was digging into her shoulder and her hip. She blinked and found herself peering through red. Blood. But it wasn't hers.
"W...what…?" Aisha tried to move. Gripping her seatbelt, she undid the buckle and was suddenly pulled towards the car's roof where she hit it with a pained thud. The car had been flipped upside down.
She slowly rolled over, turning her head to see… Eve.
The heiress had taken the brunt of the collision. Still hanging upside down in the driver's seat, much of the driver's side door had buckled into her. Most of her body was crushed between the door and the steering wheel. Blood trickled freely down her chest, painting her silver locks a deep crimson. Yet despite all this, she was alive. Her friend was clinging to life, her single free hand reaching for Aisha.
"Oh gods… Oh gods. Oh gods. Oh gods… Eve!" Aisha's voice shook as she carefully took Eve by the hand. "Hang in there… Hang in there, Eve. I'm going to call for help-" Aisha felt around for her phone, only to find it destroyed in her pocket. Her hands were soaked in blood, the flow having trickled its way down Eve's arm to hers.
"No… no no no. Eve, hold on… Hold on Eve. Just-" Aisha tried to push the twisted metal out of the way, getting a pained and empty gurgle from the heiress in the process. Aisha immediately stopped, panic reaching its peak.
The voices drew closer. Aisha dropped her head to the car roof to peek through the crumpled window. A pair of heavy boots thumped its way across the turf traveling along the wreckage towards the front of the armored truck.
"H-hey! Help!" Aisha croaked, not able to find her voice.
"The guards are taken care of. Check the cargo" the voice of a male said, causing Aisha to immediately clam up as she covered her mouth.
"We can't get in through the back. It's wedged against the car," a second voice reported, standing over the flipped wreckage.
"Well then, open it from the front!" the first barked, "And make it quick. They're bound to know something's up now if their second truck isn't responding. This damned cargo better be worth it."
"W-what's going… what's going on? What are they doing? Why are they-" Aisha whispered as she quickly noted the barrel of a rifle next to the pair of boots standing at the car's window. She had to get out of here. She had to get Eve out of here.
She looked to her friend, Eve's gasps were light and haggard as she continued to reach for Aisha. "No… Eve don't… please don't go. I'll get you out of here. You'll see. I'll get you-"
Eve weakly shook her head, reaching not for her, but past her.
"H...huh?" Aisha followed her gesture past the windshield and towards the inside of the armored car. Inside the tangle of wires and bent metal storage shelves, resting within a large cushioned container that had popped open from the impact, was a small copper-colored box.
"R...r…" Eve choked, her fading golden eyes focused on the container, "...re...l..."
"Eve… no… what matters most is you! I can't-"
"P-p…" her friend was fading in and out of consciousness at this point, a deep pool of blood lay on the roof below her, "Ple...ase."
Aisha watched as life completely vanished from her friend's golden pools. Her arm fell limp and Aisha drew in a sharp breath, covering her mouth as she felt tears rolling down her cheeks.
She searched around frantically in a panic for something, anything, to bring her friend back. What she saw was the copper container, sitting at the other end of the truck's cargo hold. Unsure of what to do and grasping at straws at this point, she crawled. She crawled through the broken glass, its shards digging deep into her skin as she pulled herself free from the wreckage of Eve's hover car and into the cargo hold of the truck.
Dragging herself to a sitting position, she made a grab for the box. She held it to her chest, its weight surprisingly light in her arms. The door at the front of the truck banged loudly against its hinges, causing Aisha to nearly leap back against the black car.
"Damned door's bent shut."
"Put some muscle into it! The police are on their way!"
Another loud bang, followed by another that threatened to knock the door out of its frame. Sirens could be heard in the distance.
Aisha gritted her teeth, turning and searching for a way to open the copper container before settling with just pulling the container apart at the clam-like lid. No matter how hard she tried, the object remained shut, held by some unseen locking mechanism. Aisha tried again and again as the pounding on the door turned to loud rattling. The door's hinges were hanging on by a thread. She was running out of time.
"Please open," Aisha begged in her mind, "I can't let them hurt Eve! I have to save her!"
The banging stopped.
Everything stopped.
The shouting, the sirens, everything around her fell silent. Aisha looked around, noting the stillness in the air. Even the wisps of smoke floated motionless around her. Something was here. She could feel it. The copper box lay open at her feet, empty, its contents nowhere to be found.
Aisha couldn't see anything other than her initial surroundings but it felt as if she were being watched. No, it was more than that. It was as if an entity was directly addressing her. It didn't speak as there was no sound, but she felt as if a question was being pushed into her mind.
It involved Eve, the men just beyond the door, and strangely enough, all of Elysion in this question. Aisha was confused and this entity sensed it, prompting it to ask the question once more. This time, it was strictly about Eve.
"If… if it can save her..." Aisha mumbled.
A sense of sorrow that didn't belong to her filled her mind. Its emotion directed at her friend.
"Please… I don't know what it is you want but if there's anything I can do-"
As if to answer her, she was filled with a sensation as if she were soaring through the air. A feeling of weightlessness and the unhindered ability to spread her wings swirled in her mind. Then, just as suddenly as this sensation came, it left, shifting into one that was directed at her. Another question. A promise. One that involved all of the city.
Aisha's thoughts drifted to Eve. Sensing this, the entity pressed the question further into her mind, demanding an answer. Unsure of what else to say, Aisha merely nodded.
"As long as I can fix all of this."
A sense of reassurance filled her mind followed by a sudden rush of energy that swirled around her. The initial pain of the deep cuts along her body vanished and was replaced with a soothing pulse of heat. Time slowly began to move and as the fluorescent light in the cargo hold flickered off, her eyes strangely caught every detail-every flicker and spark of electricity-before the bulb popped, shrouding her in darkness. But it wasn't pitch black for her. Rather, her eyes immediately adjusted to the change in lighting, the edges of each bent metal as sharp and as clear as day for her to see. The scent of oil was stronger now. But on top of that, she recognized the burnt plastic of the turf, the burned rubber of tires and asphalt, even the smell of alcohol from the nearby bar was discernible amidst the numerous sounds returned, but it wasn't just the sirens she could hear. It wasn't just the shouting of those standing just beyond the metal door. It was far more than that. Voices of people calling emergency services across the street. The murmur and panic of nearby onlookers standing or watching from the safety of their hotel windows. She could hear all of it, especially the soft thump of fast approaching footsteps from high above.
All of this came crashing down on Aisha at the same time. Everything from the smell of gunpowder to the minute detail of broken shards of glass at her feet flooded her mind like one giant tsunami. She could do nothing but fall to her hands and knees. She felt like she were going to vomit. Overwhelmed by everything, she almost couldn't comprehend it as a copper metal band took form in a flash of golden light around her right ring finger.
She heaved, rolling to her side as the fine grains of glass rubbed against her skin, bringing in a new wave of unwanted sensation ripping through her mind.
"Hey!" the male voice shouted at something standing on the sidewalk, "Nothing to see here! Keep moving!"
The heavy thunk of metal punching through metal echoed through the armored truck. The first tried to gasp for air but the grating of steel could be heard, turning the gasp into a gurgled rasp.
"What the-" the second male voice managed to say.
Another heavy thunk, this one more blunt against the steel surface of the truck.
The door slammed open shortly after. Aisha couldn't take it anymore and had curled into a tight ball at the ear-shattering assault of noises. All she saw at the corner of her eye as she turned away from the door was white hair. There was a brief pause as the intruder seemed to be assessing the situation.
"Shit," a female's voice said under their breath, "Another decoy."
Without another word, the soft, padded footsteps of the intruder faded. Its sound was replaced by the shrill shriek of sirens arriving at the scene.
Aisha's mind was reeling. The flood of sensations was too much for her to handle. She laid there, her breath shallow and her mind feeling as if it were about to burst from her skull. Yet all she could see was Eve. Whatever the entity did… didn't do anything for her friend. Eve was still. She wasn't breathing. And that was all that Aisha could focus on before her own vision faded to black.