"Lisa?!" Lincoln said with surprise. "You were the one I've been talking to all this time?"
"You are correct, elder brother." The genius said. She was using a brown jacket over a green blouse, blue jeans and black boots. Her hair was now longer and a little fuzzy, and now she was using smaller glasses that really made her a favor, standing out the features of her beautiful face. She was fourteen years old, but yet her body was very well developed. Lincoln couldn't say a word; he was still astonished at the sight of his now grown up little sister.
"But… I thought you were in a reformatory for selling guns to terrorist groups in the Middle East…" The boy said.
"Correction, it was actually a jail. Even though I was still underage they decided due to my high intellect and the severity of my crime I should be judged as an adult." The brown-haired girl said at the time she fixed her glasses. "But… let's say my services were required for … someone, and that person moved influences to set me free from that dreadful place."
"Well, I'm happy to see you're finally out of that place." Lincoln said while getting close to Lisa. When he was in front of her, the boy gave her a tight hug. "I missed you so much."
Lisa was taken aback by the sudden act of her brother; she always said she was indifferent to human emotions, but she knew very well that was a lie. She had missed her family during her stay in jail; even though they visited her often it wasn't the same as being in home, where she know they were always willing to help her (unless it involved some kind of physical pain).
But over all, she missed her brother. The day they found out he enlisted in the army she knew very well all the possibilities that might have occurred, and that's the reason she decided to get involved in that world. The girl was aware the army wouldn't do shit to bring her brother back, and even with her influences in the scientific world… there wasn't too much to do for a little girl like her. Don't worry sweetie, your brother is a hero and will return soon. That's what the god damn recruiter told her when she tried to explain her reasons. Resorting to her family wasn't an option; they had already many problems dealing with dad's illness to take one more, if she wanted to bring her brother back…
She would have to do it alone.
The girl felt as tears fell down her cheeks; her heart began to race at the joy of seeing her brother again, something she thought would never feel again filled her. She returned the hug, burying her face on his chest. Lincoln at first didn't know why she was crying; it honestly surprised him to see his sister like this, but then he understood what she was feeling, she was letting out all she's been bottling through the years, in a way it was just like he felt when he saw Lucy after all those years.
He broke the hug and faced his little sister, holding her face between his hands and washing the tears away with his thumbs.
"Don't worry, I won't go this time." He said with a smile, trying to transmit confidence to her.
Lisa understood his words, and fixing herself she walked toward the container.
"I'm sorry you had to witness that." She said while taking her glasses off and cleaning them with a handkerchief. "Anyways, I got what you asked me." The genius took from her pocket something he identified as a remote, and after pressing a button the container began to retract, leaving just a much smaller box. Lisa pressed another button which made the container move some kind of mechanism. After some moments, the door opened, releasing a thin cloud of steam. When it finally opened Lincoln saw what he's been waiting for since he arrived to Royal Woods.
"I would like to say I'm impressed, but coming from you I don't have a doubt this will be more than enough to accomplish my task." The man said. Despite what he said he was indeed impressed to see such a good job done in less time than he expected. "So… how much is it?"
"Let me tell you, it wasn't easy to make so it won't be cheap." The brown haired girl said while doing something on her cellphone. "But since it's you… I'll make you a discount."
"Alright, just tell me…" As Lincoln was speaking his cellphone vibrated. The man took it from his pocket and saw it was a message from that unknown contact. He tapped the screen to open it, but as he read the content, his eyes widened and his heart skipped a beat.
"So…? What do you say, brother?" Lisa asked.
If that's the price for family I don't want to know how much it is for normal people. He thought. "Alright. I'll transfer you the money; just take the weapon to this address." He handed a piece of paper to the girl.
"It's a deal, dear brother." Lisa said, taking the paper to her pocket without even reading it. "It was great to see you again Lincoln, but as you might understand I'm a busy woman."
"I do. Thank you Lisa, I'll see you later." Lincoln said and headed to the exit; before he could even open the door he felt the need to see behind him, and as he did he noticed both she and the container were gone.
I just hope things end well…
The time he was on that warehouse was enough for the weather to get even worse; the air was blowing strong and instead of snow, a light but cold rain started to fall. He rushed his step in an effort to arrive to the mall on time, or at least find a place to protect himself until the rain stops.
The man suddenly slowed his step; something… just didn't feel right, he has been having that sensation since he left the warehouse but it wasn't as strong until now. Luckily he was close to the mall; all he needed to do was going around a long block and he would be there in time, but instead of using the normal path he cut through an alley.
As Lincoln advanced, a chill ran down his whole body. He stopped halfway just to look over his shoulders; from behind a trash container, a bad looking man stepped out, using a brown leather jacket, a pair of jeans, shoes and a colt .45, the man pointed the gun towards Lincoln.
"What are you doing in such a solitary alley, partner?" The man asked.
"I'm just in my way to the mall, that's all." Lincoln said, hands slowly rising in the air.
"Here's the deal." Another man stepped from behind a trash container, this time a few feet away from Lincoln. "You give us the money, we go to the mall and you stay here lying in the floor beaten up, but alive."
"Doesn't seem like a fair deal…" Lincoln said. His hands still in the air but his voice calmed. Both men walked forward slowly, the one behind retracting the slide of the gun, setting the bullet in the chamber and the other putting in a pair of brass knuckles on his hands.
"Looks like you want to do it the hard way…" The guy with the gun held the muzzle on the back of his neck, but as soon as he touched Lincoln, the white haired boy quickly moved aside and at the same time grabbed the robber's arm, then he bend forward to take the armed man down. The latter slammed hard on the ground and Lincoln took advantage of this to snatch the gun.
The one with the brass knuckle rushed to stop Lincoln, but he came to a crashing halt when the white haired boy pointed the gun toward him. Lincoln aimed right in the middle of his eyes; his finger trembling in the trigger and squeezing tight the handle. His body was tense, but if he wanted to get out of there quick he would need to relax. Closing his eyes he inhaled, retained the air and finally sighed. Next he pressed the magazine release button and retracted the slide to take out the bullet left inside the chamber.
"Guns… are for fags." Lincoln said. The man in the ground managed to recover just in time to see the white haired boy bend the gun, making it useless. The man was astonished to see such strength; he felt as fear ran through him and a wave of sickness built on his stomach, if it wasn't because he didn't eat he would take it all out. His partner on the other hand was not intimidated by this; in fact it enraged him more.
Lincoln threw the gun aside and got in guard position, waiting for the man to make a move. He charged against Lincoln like a bull to color red. Lincoln, who already knew what was coming, waited for him to get closer. The man tried to punch him right in the face, but Lincoln avoided him and returned the aggression with a powerful hook in his right flank. The man tripped with his arms wrapped around his abdomen trying to reduce the pain, but quickly got up and charged against him again. This time the attack wasn't as strong as before, and Lincoln took advantage of that by grabbing his fist at the time the attacker attempted a punch. The robber tried to break free from Lincoln's grip, but instead he was pulled toward him just to receive a strong knee right in the abdomen, taking the air out of his lungs.
The man who was taken down moments ago finally reacted and tried to take down Lincoln, but the white haired boy noticed that just in time to avoid it. The attacker recovered quickly and went at it again, but at the moment he tried to punch Lincoln in the face he received a powerful kick right in the side of the head, knocking him down. With both of them in the ground trying to recover unsuccessfully Lincoln knew they wouldn't do anything at least for the rest of the day, so leaving them there he walked away. Unbeknown to him, the one he take down with a knee on the gut moments ago managed to recover in time to take out a blade from his pocket, and quickly advance towards the white haired boy.
Lincoln stopped; a shiver ran down the back of his neck, and without even turning his head to see them, he stepped aside to avoid the guy. The latter tripped and dropped the blade, which conveniently fell at Lincoln's feet. The white haired boy took it and quickly grabbed the man by his hair and pulled up, exposing his neck.
"You know what to do. Don't move or you're dead." Lincoln said with an ice cold voice.
Fear filled the robbed as he felt the sharp edge of the blade on his flesh, ready to slit it at any moment. His eyes started to get wet as tears ran down his cheeks, and soon the man started to beg for his life.
"P-please don't kill me man I promise I won't do this again I-I will get a job or something to get money the right way but please don't kill me!" The robber said as he felt the blade almost sinking on his flesh even more.
"I'll let you go, but if I ever see your faces again around here I won't hesitate in leaving you sleeping in your own guts." Lincoln said, releasing the man and pushing him with the foot. He quickly got in foot and grabbed his partner, who still was unconscious, and dragged him all the way out of there. Lincoln sighed, and after throwing away the blade he exited the alley.
In front of the entrance, he looked at his cellphone and noticed he barely made it on time. Heh, five minutes left, he thought. The man sat on a bench trying to calm after that fight; his heart was still racing and he could feel his face hot as a thick cloud of steam emerged from his mouth every time he exhaled.
Man, it's been a long time since he suffered an assault like that one, and precisely that way he got involved in that world the first time. He was lucky those were just a pair of robbers; if they were like the ones he'd run into in Europe he would have barely escaped alive from there. It was like-
"Hello Lincoln." Lucy said from behind, scaring Lincoln and almost making him fall to the floor.
"Lucy! I forgot you always do that…" Lincoln said, breathing heavily and taking a hand to his chest.
"I'm sorry." She apologized. "I finally managed to lose Brie after being trapped in that place…"
"Did you just leave her alone there?"
"I made clear to her I wouldn't guarantee to be in that place after the seventh dress." She said, showing some bags in her hands. "Besides we haven't bought the things we came for."
"Well, you're right there. Let's go, I think I'll see the city next time. Right now I want to finish this and go home."
"Why? Did something interesting happen?" Lucy asked.
"Uh… not really."
"Leni?" A feminine voice coming from the doorframe said. The girl turned the lights on, revealing to be a black-haired girl dressed in a white t-shirt, sweatpants and sneakers. As the light filled the room she saw nothing but the kind of furniture you see in an apartment. The bed was still made, indicating that nobody has been there at least since the morning. "Where the hell did she go this time?"
"I'm right here, Misha." Leni said from behind, making the girl flinch and turn around to see the blonde in a similar outfit to the one she was using, the only difference was that her shirt was pink and the back was wet. "I just took a bath."
"Well, at least you could dry your hair, that way you wouldn't be wet and catch a cold." Misha said with concern in her voice. Leni glanced at her with narrowed eyes, which confused Misha. "What?"
"Just a few days ago I was out in a cold 20°F night with nothing but a dress and you're telling me I'm going to catch a cold just by walking around a little bit wet?" The blonde asked sarcastically while taking the sweatpants off.
"I'm sorry; it's just that… that day you were too close to… just look at that cut on your leg…" She pointed at her healing wound; it was stitched and a little bit swollen, but it was progressing much better than a wound treated by a normal doctor. "You're like a sister to me; you were the very first friend I had when I entered the special ops and you taught me everything I know. Seeing you like this… it's hard to me."
Leni felt a little bad for her. She knew her story; poor girl lost her parents on an explosion caused by a terrorist attack when she was five, and since then she was raised by her grandfather, who happened to be a retired member of the USMC. She grew with his example and trained to enter the army. Training since such a small age really did well; she not just entered the army, but she was selected to be part of the special ops program.
"I really sorry Misha… I know how you feel, and I'll try to be more careful next time." Leni said, getting up in her good leg and hugging the girl. Now, hand me those bandages on the nightstand, will ya?"
"Alright." Misha said doing what Leni said.
Once the blonde finished changing bandages she got up and walked towards a coffin on a corner. She slid her hand under a wardrobe, dragging a strange object with a cylindrical shape. Next, she introduced it in a rabbet on top of the coffin, turning it and unlocking the safe. The lid got open, allowing her to access the content. It didn't have much; just a few valuable objects such as a family photograph, some jewels Aunt Shirley left her the day she passed away, an old stuffed bunny with a purple t-shirt and a lot of papers with draws of dresses, measures and notes on them. She made all of it aside, making enough room to grab a long, cylindrical slightly curved object wrapped in some kind of cloth.
"What's that?" Misha asked. Leni, instead of answering her question, unwrap the object, revealing it was a scabbard. Leni retired completely the cloth, revealing the handle of the sword.
"This..." She said whilst unsheathing the sword. "…is a genuine Kenta Midori Japanese sword." The blonde slashed the air in front of her, making advanced sword techniques at the time she tested the blade by slashing a piece of the wardrobe. Misha looked with amazement as Leni took the sword again into the scabbard; at the very moment it clicked, the piece from the wardrobe Leni slashed came down.
"W-where did you get that?" Misha asked nervously.
"Remember out trip to japan?" Leni asked.
"Of course I do. You disappeared for three days and… Oh…" Misha answered, realizing the reason why the blonde was gone for three days and returned all filthy and covered in mud, dry leaves and branches.
"It took me a whole day to find the home of the swordsmith's descendants, and two days to stea-I mean, convince them to give it to me in a polite way." She explained at the time she took the sword again in the coffin.
"And… what would you need that for?" Misha asked with a worried voice.
"Because I want to get this job done." Leni said at the same time she closed the lid.