A/N: Big thanks to Mirai-Akina for proofreading this chapter! A few announcements: I'm going to focus a lot more on Our Inner Demons until it's done. Until then, this story will be on a temporary hiatus! There's also this neat Elsword tumblr page for fan requests and such here: .c om. And finally if you're interested in joining a group of Elsword fanfiction writers, join the Elsword Fanfiction Brigade! We have a discord server. Just pm me for a link!
"Thanks for letting her stay at your place," Elsword said to Kuenbaran as they followed Aisha up the wooden staircase to the second-floor living quarters.
"It's no problem, Elsword," the old restaurant owner said, "It's a great suggestion, and I could always use an extra hand to help with work in the morning."
"Er… sorry, gramps, but I wanted her here so you can keep an eye on her. Not put her to work-"
"Don't worry, Els," Aisha said, throwing him a smile before leading them to her old bedroom, "Grandpa knows I'm more relaxed if I keep my hands busy. Besides… it's the least I can do for letting me stay."
Aisha set aside her small rolling travel bag and flopped on the recently washed bed sheets, taking in the scent of her old bedroom.
"Haven't been in this room for years," Elsword chuckled, "Good to see the old man didn't take down any of your decorations."
There were numerous science-related motivational posters as well as trophies and ribbons for district-wide tech fairs that the young woman had participated in. Dusty books lined a small bookshelf that sat next to a desk that had been altered to function as a simple robotics workbench. Aisha remembered the look of surprise when he first snuck into her room and found out he was dating a total nerd.
"I kept them here in case she decided to come back," Kuenbaran said, "And don't you worry about paying for anything, Aisha. What kind of grandparent would I be if I charged my own grandchild for staying?"
"Thanks, grandpa," Aisha said, staring up at the ceiling and kicking her legs as she rode her nostalgia wave, "I promise I won't be here too long."
"Stay as long as you like, Aisha. I appreciate the company."
Elysion's 3rd district, colloquially called "The Pens", was a segment of the city notorious for its poor living conditions. High population, low income residents, and minimal police patrol created the perfect breeding ground for illegal activities.
Somewhere within the tight alleyways of the district, a scene not uncommon to the area was playing out:
"So, do you have it?" a figure asked. Face hidden under a black hood, they wore a bright white winter jacket and jeans. As they spoke, their voice carried a noticeable quiver not attributed to the cold air. The glow of a single back alley light cast a shadow over the wearer's face. All the while, another hooded figure toting a simple sports bag approached.
They stood a fair distance apart as a silent standoff between the two began. The second was the first to break the silence with a chuckle.
"You new to this, or what?" the second asked, stopping a fair distance away from the first. "You don't fucking ask if anyone has anything."
The first said nothing further as a knowing sneer peeked out of the second figure's hood.
"I ain't stupid, lady," the second grunted. He gripped his bag tighter to his chest and turned to leave. "I'm outta here."
He spun around and, to his surprise, ran straight into the first. He didn't even see the first hooded figure move. Confusion filled him as he found himself blocked from leaving the alleyway.
The familiar flash of approaching police cars could be seen on the street.
"What the hell-" his eyes fell on a glowing staff tucked behind the first, and he raised his arms to defend himself.
"You're not going anywhere," the first said as time began to slow around her. She threw a punch that landed square on the second's jaw. The brief contact temporarily pulled the second out of the timewarp, sending him stumbling back before contact was broken, and his body was frozen into real time again.
The warp ended. The force of the impact caught up with the second as his body was sent spinning in the air before rolling to a stop in a beaten and broken heap.
Aisha pulled her hood away, gasping at her own strength before rushing to the body to see if he was still alive.
She rolled him over, all the while shaking the sharp sting that lingered on her fist. Thankfully, he was breathing, but his jaw was completely shattered. Perhaps bringing time to a near stop was too much.
"Sorry! I'm so sorry!" Aisha whispered as she quickly opened the man's bag and found what she was looking for: bio-enhancing drugs. She breathed a sigh of relief as Aisha placed the drugs back in his bag and zipped it up. Normally, she'd wait for them to show the goods before acting. This was sloppy… incredibly sloppy. With no experience in hand-to-hand, Aisha panicked when he tried to make a run for it and did what she thought was best. She intended to simply knock him out, not break his jaw! Subduing criminals was one thing, but if it turned out this individual was just an innocent bystander, she didn't know if she would ever forgive herself.
The rumble of police cars drew close, and she quickly unfolded a flap of cardboard. Drug Dealer had been written in all capital letters on the board, and she gently tucked it under the man's limp arm just as the police officers arrived at the scene. She pulled out a marker and quickly wrote an extra message. "Broken jaw. Call an ambulance."
Satisfied, she stood, letting the flow of energy encompass her in a timewarp once more. The cars slowed and the movement of the police officers exiting the vehicles came to a complete halt. With time around her brought to a standstill, Aisha quickly used the opportunity to make her escape.
As she left the scene, Aisha caught a glimpse of a familiar face in the middle of pulling off his seatbelt as she passed. It was Elsword. Exiting the driver seat was his father, Elkashu. Even late at night, the father was still training his son. She quietly blew him a kiss before pulling the hood over her head and putting herself discreetly out of sight just as the time warp spell faded around her.
Aisha stumbled out of the spell and leaned against a pillar out of view from the police. Sweat poured down her face despite the cold winter air. She was desperately out of breath at this point. She had only used the time warp ability twice in that encounter… so why did she feel so drained? This wasn't like the last few encounters.
Glancing over her shoulder, she saw Elsword rush out of the car with his father. They were responding a lot quicker compared to the previous nights. Had she taken any longer, Aisha would have surely been caught. But, in a way, Aisha felt glad she made this job easy for both of them.
Aisha pulled out a notepad and flipped past hundreds of notes taken regarding her powers and began scribbling down her findings. She didn't understand why she felt so exhausted after only using her abilities twice. Her first encounter she used time warp five times before her body began feeling repercussions. On the third encounter, she managed to push herself to ten.
She scratched her head and thought back on the drug sting she pulled just now. Wanting to test the limits of the time warp, she was successful in bringing her surroundings to a near standstill. Yet, as she did so, she was only able to hold the spell twice and for a fraction of the time she was used to. Maybe it was correlated to how slow she made time flow around her?
Slower time = More energy consumption ? More tests required.
Aisha circled the bullet point several times before tucking the notepad back in her pocket. This was her fourth field test of the ring's powers. After the convenience store robbery, Aisha saw the potential of good the ring could bring in the right hands. Inspired by curiosity and her recent binge reading of her favorite visual novel heroine, the purplette took it upon herself to learn what she could about the ring attached to her finger. What followed was a week-long series of trial and error eventually leading her to live field tests on petty criminals.
Thus far, her findings only lead to two conclusions: it's incredibly difficult to get in contact with the seedy underbelly of Elysion, and she had no idea how to fight.
The relic's powers were still largely a mystery, and it would take months, even years, for any one person to even scrape the surface of its potential.
She couldn't stay long to think on her recent test, however. She needed to get back home and rest. Tomorrow was the first day she was allowed back on her internship. She could present her research to Adrian, and he can figure out how to remove the ring from her finger.
"Argh!" Mr. Cronwell writhed in his seat as the technician tweaked a wire in his mechanical arm that she wasn't supposed to have tampered with. "Do you even know what you're doing?!"
"Sorry! I… I didn't mean to!" the woman said, pulling the screwdriver away.
"I knew I should've waited for Eve… She said she was going to upgrade my arm herself!"
"Sorry… Again, I am not very good at this," the technician said, bowing her head.
Aisha, who had been observing the entire ordeal, fidgeted restlessly as the technician tried, once more, to fix a malfunctioning motor carefully tucked within the arm's wiring.
Without Eve's expertise on the matter, this technician was the only one available to help Mr. Cronwell adjust the temporary fixes made to his prosthetic… and she was terrible at it.
She was a young woman with long black hair. Several of her long locks held strange white streaks and was fixed together with a large black and white bow. She also had a noticeable accent; one that Aisha wasn't too familiar with. Perhaps the most striking feature of the woman was her heterochromatic eyes. Her left was a soft amber and her right had a deeper, reddish hue.
The technician tried once more, but was stopped by Mr. Cronwell. "Enough. Honestly, I'd rather just wait until Eve is available."
A look of defeat filled the technician's face, and she relented, handing him the parts to put his arm back together. He tried to adjust his arm to put the plating back on himself, but Aisha could see him struggle to even move it.
"I can do it for you," Aisha chimed in. She couldn't just let the poor guy suffer waiting for Eve to come back.
"Aren't you that intern that Eve introduced me to?" Mr. Cronwell asked warily.
"Yes. But I know my way around machines. It's just a simple motor malfunction, right? I've worked on a few before. Give me a chance, and I'll have your arm back in working order."
Mr. Cronwell eyed her before relenting. "Fine."
The technician stepped aside, letting Aisha take her seat. The intern nodded at her. "I got it from here."
Aisha stared at whirring gears and wires, quietly tracing each to their respective origins and making mental notes on which one she could temporarily detach without hurting the user. The task was complicated, but nothing she couldn't handle. In fact, she felt at home dealing with the precise circuitry of machines. It was a lot more interesting than fetching coffee for employees for several hours at a time, and this was her chance to really set an impression with the other workers.
Carefully, she pulled at a wire and began to unscrew the copperhead that held it in place. Once undone, she pulled the wire free, setting it aside before looking up at Mr. Cronwell to see if he was okay. No reaction. He was quite handsome up close. Very rugged looking. And he had all those scars-
She shook her head and continued working, unscrewing a panel that granted her access to the tiny gears that operated the prosthetic's elbow joints.
After the delicate procedure of reaching the gears, the rest was pretty much cleaning and replacement. Her mind began to wander as she pieced the gears together, her fingers moving efficiently as her thoughts fell on more important tasks ahead.
She still had the issue of seeing the head of Altera Inc. That had been her goal the entire day, and sitting around doing nothing for most of the afternoon had left her restless.
She had to speak to Adrian and no one else. Ever since the accident last week, Aisha had the same nightmare over and over again. She remembered Eve hanging upside down, motionless in the car wreck. She remembered the sound of gunshots just outside of the overturned armored truck she had crawled into. She remembered seeing flowing white hair as someone burst in searching for something before abruptly leaving.
They were looking for the relic; the very same object that had manifested itself as a ring around her finger. Based on her study, in the wrong hands, the relic would be used as a devastating weapon. She couldn't entrust that kind of knowledge to anyone other than the head of Altera Inc. Adrian already understood the risk. That was why he went through extensive measures to conceal the moving of the relic from one place to another. After what happened to Eve, Aisha was sure Adrian would do whatever it takes to help extract the relic and put it into safe keeping.
If only she could just speak to him!
"All finished," Aisha said, screwing in the last of the paneling and sitting back with a satisfied sigh.
Mr. Cronwell raised his arm with significantly more ease, and he tested the grip on his fingers before nodding in approval. "Impressive. Thanks."
"I… uh… believe you have to speak to the lobby attendant a floor below regarding your repairs."
"Will do. Thanks, um…"
"Aisha. Aisha Landaar," she held out her hand and he shook it before putting on his shirt. The man left the room, and she watched him enter the waiting elevator at the end of the hall.
As she watched him leave, her eyes were drawn to a nearby television hung up on a wall at the nearby waiting room. It was a news update regarding the accident that happened last week. Recordings of interviews with Adrian were replayed as the anchor went on detailing how the CEO of Altera Inc. had yet to comment on the matter.
Rumours had been circulating about his daughter's condition as well. Though little was known about Eve's current state, some believed that she was in a coma and had yet to wake up. Others believed she had made a full recovery, and the incident had caused Adrian to realize the time with his family to be more precious than anything else and had decided to spend more time with his only daughter. Other, more radical rumours stated that the large spike in experimental equipment being sent to the upper levels are due to the fact that Eve's limbs had to be amputated, and much of her body had been replaced by prosthetics.
These were all, of course, simply rumours that Aisha took with a grain of salt. Until she actually had a chance to see Adrian and visit Eve, she refused to draw any conclusion on the matter… if only she could draw a conclusion herself. Access to the private upper suite was restricted unless Adrian or Eve specifically authorized it, so taking the elevator was completely out of the question. But at this rate, she wondered if she'd ever have a chance to see either of them. Unless…
"Welcome to Altera Inc.," A hologram of Oberon greeted just as Aisha pushed the button on the elevator for the upper levels, "Unfortunately, suite access is limited to-"
"Hi, Oberon. It's Aisha."
"Ah, Ms. Landaar! A pleasure to see you again. How are you faring?" the hologram asked, giving her a proper bow.
"I could be better… what with the accident and all."
"I've heard. Poor dear… When the news reached the tower of you and Mistress Eve's accident, I was stricken with worry! It's good to see you are in good health."
"Yeah… I came out of it unscathed for the most part," Aisha shrugged, "But… since we're on the topic… how's Eve?"
The hologram flickered as there was a notable pause in the android butler's response, "I'm not at liberty to say, Ms. Landaar."
"Oh, c'mon, Oberon. Surely you can tell me? I'm her best friend. I'm really worried about her."
"I… I understand, Ms. Landaar. But my programming… Only Mistress Eve or Master Adrian can authorize the release of such delicate information, and I'm afraid that I'm just not able to disclose it to you."
"Can you at least let me see her? Is that possible?"
"Unfortunately no, Ms. Landaar. I'm truly sorry."
"Please?" Aisha gave the hologram the best pleading look she could, "I worry about Eve every day. I just want to know if she's doing okay. Please, Oberon, I'm begging you."
The hologram flickered as the butler stroked his chin in consideration. He wasn't really… was he?
After a brief pause, Oberon looked over his shoulder as if checking if someone was watching. "You there," he said out of the blue, "are you free at the moment?"
Aisha blinked and realized that he was addressing her. "What… Me? Er… yes? I just finished my shift half an hour ago… Oberon? What's going on?"
"Sorry to bother you, ma'am, but as efficient as I am running the multiple levels of administrative work, I am unable to fulfill some of my master's demands. It is almost time for Master Adrian's afternoon coffee. Would you be so kind as to prepare a cup for him and bring it to the suite?"
Aisha stared, perplexed at the hologram as none of this seemed to make any sense to her. It wasn't until the android gave the purplette a knowing wink that she understood what he was trying to do.
"A-at once! What kind of coffee does he like?"
"I wouldn't worry about the specifics, ma'am. I'll handle it from there."
"T-thanks, Oberon!"
Oberon smiled at her. "No, ma'am. Thank you."
She still felt drained. Even after a full night's rest and an entire day of classes and internship, Aisha felt as if the mysterious energy reserves used to activate her abilities were only a fraction of what they used to be.
As the elevator carried her to the top floor, she made a mental note never to bring time to a full stop again. She just hoped that if and when she saw Mr. Nasod, that there would be enough power to at least show Adrian what the ring was capable of.
The elevator doors opened, and Aisha nearly jumped upon seeing the tall, imposing figure of the butler standing at the entrance ready to greet her.
"Did you bring the requested item?" Oberon asked, raising a brow at the young woman.
Aisha held the tiny paper cup of cheap coffee she hurriedly made from her floor.
"Good. Good," Oberon nodded, stepping aside and letting her pass.
"Where are they keeping Eve?" Aisha asked, hurrying off the elevator only to be stopped when the android placed a hand on her shoulder. A hologram of the living quarters was projected in front of her. It showed her current position and highlighted her destination in the lower levels of the suit.
"This is Master Adrian's personal library. You are to deliver the coffee here. At the moment, Master Adrian is holding a meeting with all authorized personnel at the other end of the suite. He is scheduled to finish in another twenty minutes. It is highly advised you do not disturb him at any point of your delivery."
Aisha stared at the map and saw the entire east wing of the suite crossed off. She nodded quietly. So meeting him was off limits. It dampened her spirits knowing she'd have to put off meeting Adrian when he was so close, but what mattered to her most at the moment was Eve.
"Alternatively, Mistress Eve is resting in the second floor west wing. I would very much appreciate it if you completely avoided that wing as I have strict orders from my master not to let anyone visit her. Please, do not let me catch you wandering out of the intended path, or I will be forced to report you. Are we clear?"
"Crystal, Oberon."
The android threw her a knowing grin, "Excellent. Now if you excuse me, I must be at my master's side for approximately fifteen minutes. I trust you can find your way to your destination in that allotted time?"
"It should be plenty. Thanks, again."
The butler bowed and turned on his heel before making his way towards the eastern wing, leaving Aisha to wander the suite herself.
Wasting no time in taking in the grand hall, she first made her way towards Adrian's library. Walking down the hall with rays of simulated sunlight filtering in from outside the window, she quickly found the room she was looking for. Adrian's library was vast and expanded downward towards the lower floors, revealing shelves upon shelves of books and data terminals. To think that a man as busy as Adrian Nasod even had time to read all of these books when Aisha could barely find time to study, let alone read her comics, was mind boggling to her.
Shaking the thought from her head, she placed the coffee cup on the nearest desk before glancing at her clock for time. She had about thirteen minutes left. She had to hurry.
Aisha made her way back out to the grand hall, and she turned her eyes upward towards the walkway that led to Eve's personal wing. In that brief moment, she could have sworn she saw movement at the corner of her eyes. It was a woman with long, flowing white hair that disappeared over the railings.
"Eve…?" Aisha whispered. If Eve was walking around the halls, then that meant she was okay! Relief washed over Aisha as she hurried up the stairs after her. She ran along the western walkway, eager to catch up to her friend, towards the door that had been left ajar. It was there that she came to a complete halt as she stared at the long hallway.
Eve was nowhere to be seen. The large windows that lined the right side of the hallway no longer projected the expanse of beautiful green fields. The smog-filled cityscape of Tower 9 had taken its place with its false sun already disappearing behind the numerous skyscrapers in the distance, casting the hall in a dull blue light. There was a noticeable chill in the air as she stepped into the hallway. Her heels clicked softly against the marble surface, each step echoing the empty feeling of the entire wing.
It felt dead.
Brushing that notion out of her mind, Aisha pressed forward. Eve's room at the far end of the hall was barely visible, but a ray of fluorescent light filtered out from the door that led to Eve's personal workshop.
Was she working despite her condition? Aisha had always known Eve to be a workaholic, but Aisha couldn't excuse her friend's recklessness this time. She should be in her room resting!
Mentally preparing herself to give her friend a proper scolding, Aisha approached the door and peeked into the brightly-lit workshop. It took a moment for her eyes to adjust, but she could hear shuffling somewhere within the room.
She pushed her way in and was immediately greeted by a sprawl of prototype android parts lining the off-white walls of the workshop. Four different workbenches were cluttered with experimental machinery in different stages of development, and piles of notes and datapads were stacked almost as high as the benches they sat beside. Strange containment tubes sat on the far corners of the workshop and appeared to be preserving some incredibly sensitive electronics.
Standing in front of one of these tubes, was the same person she saw at the grand hall. Her long, flowing hair cascaded past her waist, and she appeared to be wearing a white lab coat that bore the Altera Inc. logo on its shoulder.
It was difficult to see from the grand hall, but standing level with this individual, Aisha knew that this person definitely wasn't Eve. The woman was staring at the containment tube, operating a strange handheld device that was raised in front of the tube. It gave the user a series of readings that ultimately flashed red, garnering a frustrated grunt from the individual.
Aisha's initial reaction was to duck back into the hallway to avoid being spotted. Only authorized personnel were allowed in the upper floors, after all, and Aisha was not about to get caught.
The handheld in the individual's hands let out a series of soft beeps that caught the white-haired woman's attention, and she followed it. Slowly she turned around until she stood face to face with Aisha, giving the purplette ample time to take in her features.
Apart from the woman's flowing white hair, Aisha noted the woman's build. She was taller than Aisha, and only slightly taller than Eve. She had a pronounced bust that even her lab coat draped over her form couldn't hide. Her face had a light complexion with four noticeable red marks on the woman's cheeks. She was beautiful, Aisha couldn't deny it, but the woman also bore a pair of intensely red eyes that brought an unsettling chill down the purplette's spine.
They both stared at each other for a long moment before the other woman realized there was someone else in the room. Aisha noted the brief look of confusion in the individual's eyes.
"Sorry. No one else was here, I thought," the woman said, brushing the bangs back. Her voice carried a noticeable accent that Aisha had heard only once before. But where? It was stilted; awkward in pronunciation and varying in intonations unnatural to Elrian common.
"L-likewise," Aisha mumbled.
The woman chuckled, "Then I suppose we should both get back to our workstations, yes?"
There it was again. She definitely had a strange way of speaking.
Although Aisha wanted to think on the situation more, a more pressing matter crossed her mind. If it was only authorized personnel… why wasn't this person at the meeting Adrian was holding? And furthermore, what were they doing in Eve's workshop?
Aisha noted the way the woman tried to nonchalantly conceal the handheld before making for the exit.
Something wasn't right. This woman wasn't supposed to be here. Granted, Aisha wasn't supposed to be here, either, but they had no business rummaging through Eve's personal workshop when her friend wasn't around.
Aisha blocked the woman's path, putting herself between the woman and the doorway leading out to the west wing hall.
"Who are you?" Aisha asked.
The woman cocked a brow at her, clearly not intimidated by the purplette.
"I am simple worker of this place. I am… an assistant, understand?" the woman said in a noticeably threatening tone that, coupled with the definite glowing red eyes, caused the hair on the back of Aisha's neck to stand on end. The woman leaned closer. "Move," she demanded, "please."
In that moment, Aisha found herself once more inside the overturned armored truck. The door leading to the front of the truck was kicked down and all she could see was the top of a head with flowing white locks.
Aisha was pulled back into reality as she took a wary step back. It was her. It was the same woman that caused the accident! She was the one that hurt Eve!
Aisha couldn't let her leave. She had to subdue her here and now.
The purplette summoned all her available strength, feeling the trickle of what was left of her energy reserves pool to the ring in her hand.
Time began to slow around her as her staff materialized. She gripped the metal rod with both hands, bringing it over her head for a swift, downward strike.
The woman reacted. Fox-like ears perked up from her white hair just as Aisha attacked.
To Aisha's bewilderment, despite her moving faster than humanly possible, the woman was ready and had already entered a defensive stance. The flowing white hair around the woman billowed outwards and, for a brief moment, it almost looked like they were tails. The rod came down, striking the woman's arm at an angle.
The brief contact with the rod pulled the woman into Aisha's time warp effect. In a blinding pace that Aisha could barely keep up with, the woman wrapped her arm around the staff, twisting it and forcing Aisha away from her weapon in one swift movement that ended with the white-haired woman burying her elbow into Aisha's gut. The wind was knocked out of her, forcing Aisha to let go of her weapon and stumble backwards, sending the assailant back into real time.
Yet, even while under the influence of the time warp, the assailant's movements were still too quick for Aisha to react. Aisha caught her balance just in time to meet the roundhouse kick square in the chest.
The time warp spell was cut off, and Aisha was sent flying back through the doorway and against the window across the hallway. The window shattered, setting off an alarm as her body fell limp amidst broken glass on the cold marble floor.
The woman approached the downed intern. Aisha's head was still spinning as she tried to get a bearing on the situation. This woman was quick. Unnaturally so. Even under the time warp spell, this person was able to keep up and come out on top.
Aisha looked up at her adversary. The flowing hair swished from side to side… like tails. Were they really tails?
"I did not expect that," the woman said, brushing her white bangs away from her face, "But you are sloppy. Very sloppy. Learn to fight next time."
"What are you doing in Eve's lab?" Aisha gasped, struggling for breath.
"That's none of your business, little intern," the woman said.
"If you're trying to hurt my friend… it IS my business."
"Oh…?" the assailant dropped the staff in front of Aisha "And if I were? What would you hope to accomplish? Your fighting form is poor. You are standing no chance against me, and I am without a weapon."
Aisha grunted, feeling the sting of the truth as her adversary continued to berate her. She was right, though. Aisha knew next to nothing about fighting. Being able to slow down time was a huge advantage on her part, but if she was without that ability, she would be left defenseless.
The woman knelt down and took Aisha by the chin. Purple eyes glared up at the woman's red glowing woman stared back, taking in the young intern's features. "We have met before, yes? Where did I see your face…?"
It was then that Aisha noticed the woman had fox-like ears at the top of her head. "Who… what are you?" Aisha groaned as consciousness slowly left her.
Voices were heard approaching from the grandhall, catching both of their attentions. A smile appeared on the woman's lips. She let go of Aisha's chin, letting her head fall limp as the woman rose to her feet.
"Some call me 'Harbinger'. Your people know me as 'White Fox'. But for you… you may call me Eun."
Eun.
Aisha clung on to that name all the strength in her body left her. Her eyes shut, and her body slipped into unconsciousness.
"And that's all you remember?" Elkashu asked. He knelt in front of Aisha as she sat on the back of the ambulance.
Aisha nodded, as a medic android scanned the young woman's body. "It was a woman with long white hair. She called herself 'Eun'. She was sneaking around in Eve's workshop, so I tried to stop her."
"That wasn't smart," Elsword said. He was hovering over his father's shoulder. "You could've been k- you should've called for help."
"I panicked… okay?" Aisha muttered. She slouched forward, "I thought that they were going to hurt Eve, and I wanted to protect her so-"
"So you threw yourself at her hoping to take her down?"
"Yes…" She could see that Elsword was very upset with her. There was a mix of anger and fear in his eyes that she honestly couldn't blame him for feeling.
"Aisha… you don't know the first thing about self defense-"
"I know," Aisha blurted out, "I know. I just… didn't want them near my friend."
Elsword held her gaze for a long moment before breaking it, shaking his head with a heavy sigh. "At least you're okay."
"More importantly," Elkashu interjected, "What were you doing in the upper floors?"
"I-" she trailed off, remembering that she wasn't even allowed up there in the first place.
"I was bringing coffee up for Adrian… and I wanted to see Eve before I left."
"You realize that area is off-limits?"
"I do… and I'm probably going to lose my internship at this rate," Aisha muttered, "And who knows what else. I'm probably going to get arrested for trespassing or something…"
"Dad," Elsword interjected, getting the attention of his father who looked up at his son. Not a single word was exchanged between them, and as far as Aisha could tell, her boyfriend simply motioned his head towards Aisha at his father and shrugged his shoulders. Elkashu dropped his head with a heavy sigh before turning his attention back to Aisha.
"So, let me get this straight," Elkashu stood, reading over his notepad, "You were tasked with bringing a cup of coffee to Adrian. He was in a meeting, so you dropped it off at the appropriate area."
"Yes."
"And on your way out, you noticed someone sneaking around in the floor above."
"Yes…"
"So… in an attempt to warn them not to go there, you decided to catch up with them, discovered they were up to no good, and decided to try and fight them yourself in order to protect Eve."
"Well, when you put it that way, it doesn't sound so bad," Aisha chuckled. Realizing what Elsword's father was doing, she looked up at him, noticing a kind smile crossing his face. The lieutenant glanced at his son who gave him an approving nod.
"I'll see if I can spin the report in your favor," he said.
Elsword's red hover car exited Tower Nine's dome through one of the many skyways that connected Elysion's towers to one another. Neither Aisha nor her boyfriend said anything to each other since they left. He wanted to say something, though. Aisha could feel it.
The projected clear night sky that hung overhead disappeared as the transport tubes revealed that the world outside was heavy with rainfall. Aisha stared out of the car window, noting the lightning storm that hung over Tower One far in the distance. There was nothing below them except a dense sea of dark clouds.
"You shouldn't have done that, you know," Elsword finally said as he overtook a large transport bus.
"I know. It was stupid of me," Aisha replied.
"You could've been hurt. Or worse!"
"I know, Elsword. I get it. It was a dumb decision, and I'm sorry. I just… felt like I had to do something."
"You don't even know the first thing about self-defense. How could you ever hope to stand up to anyone like that?"
"I was panicking! I didn't know what to do!"
"So you fought her?!"
They both fell silent once more… save for one audible huff from Elsword.
She knew what this meant. He was beyond pissed. But could she blame him? He knew nothing of the power she had. If she could just somehow hone her fighting ability, then she wouldn't have him worrying about her all the time.
They were quickly approaching Tower 6, and Elsword didn't seem like he wanted to speak with her for the rest of the night. She should've expected that much.
"Aisha?"
"Yeah?" Aisha's voice cracked, and she turned to face out the window to hide the fact that she was crying.
"Listen… I'm sorry."
"No… no. Don't be. You're right. It was super stupid of me, and I shouldn't have-"
"You've been going through hell these past few days. I'm just scared," Elsword said, prompting Aisha to look over at her boyfriend just as he brought the car to a stop in front of her grandpa's restaurant, "I've seen a lot of people beat up or worse in my line of work. And with what's been happening with you? Every single time I've gotten a call with you involved, I'd fear the worst. And that was just this week. It's not you that I'm angry with. I'm angry at myself because I wasn't there to protect you. I mean… it's why I joined the police force to begin with. But what does it all mean when I can't even keep you from harm?"
"Els…" Aisha threw her arms around him, squeezing him in a tight embrace and giving him a big, tearful kiss on the cheek, "I'm sorry for making you worry."
"Just promise me you'll take better care of yourself, alright?"
"I'll do my best to keep myself out of trouble," she said, kissing him on the lips before stepping out of his car.
"Promise?" Elsword said, looking up at her as she stood on the sidewalk.
Aisha nodded, "Promise."
"So what exactly are you looking to focus on?" the blonde-haired woman said as she guided Aisha past the numerous training equipment and striking dummies to the back of the dojo. She had always known this dojo to be near her grandpa's restaurant, so she took it upon herself to stop by once Elsword was out of sight.
She promised him that she'd stay out of trouble, but she wasn't sure if learning how to defend herself was something he'd approve of outright.
"Erm… focus on?" Aisha asked.
"Typically people come to my dojo with a particular goal in mind. Whether it's just for physical fitness or for self defense, I want to make a note of all of my students so I'll know where to have you start."
"I don't know where to start…"
The woman turned around, her green eyes sizing up the purplette with a critical eye. Two pointed ears poked out from under her golden-green locks. Her eyes focused on them, and the woman blinked before quickly fixing the braids to her hair, tucking the ears under them and well out of sight.
"You're an elf?" Aisha asked, somewhat astonished by the discovery.
"Yeah? What of it? An elf has got to make a living somehow."
"Oh. Sorry, it's just-it's the first time I've ever seen one."
"We're a lot more common than you humans think," the elf said with a wink, "We're not usually the type to sit out in the open for you humans to gawp at."
Elves in Elysion were rare. Little was known about the ancient race except that they were considered vagabonds after the surface world was lost centuries ago. They were thought to primarily exist in the shadows of the slums in Towers 1 and 2. To see a living, breathing elf in the city, let alone living well within the middle-class district of Tower 6, was an extraordinary case.
"Regardless!" the elf continued, "you were telling me what you wanted to focus on?"
"Oh… right, uh…"
Aisha looked around, noting the open space sectioned off by a ring of white tape designated as the sparring ring at the center of the training room. Racks of wooden practice weapons lined the edge of the ring,
"Rena, was it?" Aisha asked.
"Mhm?" the trainer leaned forward, an eager grin across her face that caused Aisha to lean back and away from her.
"Um… I wanted to learn how to use a staff."
Rena cocked a brow. "For self-defense?"
"Yes. I want to know how to take people down with them."
"That's an oddly specific request. Wouldn't you want to learn hand-to-hand first?"
"Is that really necessary?" Aisha groaned, though it only seemed to reinforce the elf's stance on the matter.
The elf turned to a weapon rack. She picked up a wooden staff and tossed it over to Aisha who fumbled to catch it just as the elf backed into the sparring ring. Rena entered a fighting stance armed with nothing but her fists.
"Come," she beckoned, "Show me what you got."
"Rena… now?"
"That's master!" the elf said, her tone growing more strict as she moved towards the center of the ring. "Come at me!"
Aisha looked at the wooden staff and sighed. She set her bag down, took off her lab coat, and kicked off her heels.
Aisha held the staff like she would a sword, pointing it at Rena who looked on with a confident grin. The thought of using her ring crossed her mind, but with the power drained from her run-in with Eun earlier that evening… she probably didn't have enough energy to even cast the spell. She had to take her head-on.
Aisha charged, staff raised for a downward strike.
Rena didn't move from her spot. And, as Aisha brought the weapon down on her, the elf quickly ducked low, catching Aisha with a leg sweep that knocked her off her feet. Still in midair, the elf snatched the staff from her loosened grip, spinning with a flair just as Aisha hit the ground.
The wind was knocked out of her again. She tried to stand up but immediately found herself staring up at the staff just stopping inches from her face.
"You had a weapon… and now you don't. What do you do in this situation?" Rena asked, a look of intense focus in her eyes.
Aisha was quick to surrender, raising her hands in defeat as she moved to a sitting position.
"Okay… okay, I get it. My focus will be on hand-to-hand, then," the purplette grunted.
The elf lowered the weapon, extending a hand to help her up. "Everyone has gotta start somewhere. Once you've mastered the basics we'll move up to weapons training."
"And when will we start training?"
An excited gleam appeared on the elf's face, "So you're signing up with me, then?"
Aisha dusted and straightened out her work skirt. She looked around once more. As much as she hated to admit it, she was going to need this training if she wanted to keep people like Eun at bay.
"Teach me everything you know."