8. It's what he does

Home is not an option.

Now that Five Hargreeves intends to kill her, Elisa can't go back to the apartment. She can't go to any friends, either. He's an assassin trained by the commission. Just like her. There they are trained to be the best. Actually, not to be the best. They are the best after they finish their training. And that means that he'll find out who her friends are soon enough.

She can't endanger them. She just can't.

Morgana is already in danger because Elisa. . . Because Elisa wasn't fast enough. It could even be that the handler found out about Elisa's new identity, and that she planned on hurting Morgana in order to hurt Elisa. That isn't likely, but it could be.

If she doesn't know Elisa's new identity and new life already, then she'll find out soon enough when Five tells her.

She should've kept her mouth. She shouldn't have told Five anything. Absolutely nothing.

But he knows now. He knows her now. He'll find out about her weaknesses soon enough, even her strengths. He'll know everything.

So no, she can't go back. She can't go back anywhere that she has been already. That means that she has to flee once again.

She needs to let go again. Elisa liked her new life. It was normal. She liked normal. But normal and her never last long. Apparently, it's a combination that does not fit. Not then. Not now. Not ever.

Elisa's hands shakily push on Jude's name on her phone's screen. The beeping sounds fill her ears afterwards. The last call she'll have with Jude until Elisa succeeds in getting Morgana back and until she does something about the assassin that's now hunting her.

"Sam?" Jude's voice sounds through the device.

"Hey." Elisa has to keep herself strong when tears are threatening to spill. "I need to talk to you, Jude."

"What's wrong?" Of course. Jude always knows when something is wrong. Through her childhood, Elisa has learnt how to hide her own feelings from everyone else. No one was able to read her. Not even Morgana could always see through. But Jude always could. She always knew when someone was feeling down, even if she didn't know that person. It's a cool ability, Elisa always thought fondly.

"Well," Elisa already trails of. "I'll be looking for Morgana. I won't be home at all. Could you make sure Francis gets enough food and water? Oh. And cuddles."

It stays quiet for a few seconds. It's obviously shocking news, but Elisa does hope that Jude saw it coming, even if it was a little bit.

"Wow," Jude lets out. "I- I suppose. Yes. But what if Morgana comes knocking on the apartment's door? Nobody will be there, Sam. You won't be there."

"That right," Elisa says. "I won't be there. But she won't knock. Someone has her, Jude, and I'm going to get her back."

"How long will you be gone?" Jude asks her friend in a shaky voice. She's very close to crying.

"I have no idea," Elisa admits, already feeling awful for her friend. "But I won't be back tomorrow. It might take just a few days, but it could easily become weeks. I have no idea."

Now it's coming; "What if you don't find her?"

"No," Elisa barks. "I will find her, Jude. I must. I'm going to do everything in my power."

Elisa means it. She is going back to the commission. Back to the place where she never wanted to set foot in again. All for Morgana.

There's no reason that Elisa can think of why Morgana is at the commission except for her being Elisa's girlfriend. It's all weird, though. The handler isn't one to hurt everyone you care about to hurt you. She's more the 'if you defy me, then I will kill you' type. It's all so messed up.

"Good luck then," Jude sighs, breaking the silence. "Please come back to us soon." It was half a question.

"Thank you. I'll need it," she admits, accepting the fact that she might not return alive. It's after all the commission. The place that makes sure every single detail in time happens. Even if it's just a significant person getting a job, they will still take care of it. The place that has a whole prison built in it, plus a tiny hospital that Elisa used to visit frequently after her tough trainings.

It's far from sure that Elisa will come back. . . alive. Maybe not even in a body-bag.

Then the phone call stops. It's Elisa who lays off. Jude would probably watch the button until she falls asleep, not wanting to be the one to stop the call that might be the last ever. Both thought about that. Both knew that's a possibility. Jude was the only one that just didn't realize how big the chance of that is.

If Five tells anything to the handler, then she will expect Elisa to come. She'll be ready. That's why Elisa is forced to stay low for a day or two. Two days to make sure she has a plan. Two days without any shelter. But Elisa will create shelter. She'll have to. Like old times sake, Elisa will sneak in houses and takes whatever she needs without leaving a trace.

Five won't look for her there. He won't expect her to wander around in houses she's never been before.

Elisa wishes she could say that time passed quickly, but it did not. Time passes slow, and she counts the seconds while staying hidden in a house that she decided would be nice to spend some time. The house has two floors and is empty . . . except for her.

There are people coming back, though. Elisa saw them leaving with chique clothes on. They probably went to eat dinner with others. Not knowing that a stranger would enter their house and stay there for the next few hours, they left with an excited feeling.

"Stupid television," Elisa mutters, throwing the remote to the other side of the seat. "I don't need to see any romantic bullshit."

It's true. She doesn't need to see it. She doesn't want to see it. It only reminds her of Mor. Her Mor who's now at the commission. Her Mor that she's going to save in less than 48 hours.

With a deep sigh leaving her lips, Elisa stands up. The house she's in is cosy and small. The warm interior is adorable, and it reminds her of her old home. Her family's home.

Not the handler's house of course. She didn't even have much of a house. It literally was a tiny cottage on the commission's grounds. And the handler rarely was there. Elisa was never there, too. Both usually stayed at the commission, having there luxurious rooms. For real, the rooms were perfect. The king-sized bed was the most comfortable bed ever, and the pillows took you whole. The dark orange-painted walls gave you a warm feeling. Not to mention, the color went perfect with the fireplace in front of the bed. It had everything.

Everything but a family feeling.

It was a lonely life. That's why Elisa got so attached to Morgana. It was the very first time after her parents' death that she felt whole again. And now that feeling of wholeness is gone. Together with Morgana herself.

Not having eaten for a long time, Elisa allows herself to open the fridge. Her fingers caress the cold racks of food inside. There isn't much to choose from: a block of cheese, a few slices of ham, and yoghurt. Not feeling the urge to spend time looking for toast or bread, Elisa goes for the yoghurt.

A spoon is quickly found - mainly because she looked for knives to protect herself with immediately after she entered this house - and Elisa enjoys the yoghurt while leaning her back against a wall.

She presses her legs against her chest as she devours the (not so tasty anymore) yoghurt. But it fills her stomach. . . a little. It will give her strength after a while, she hopes.

She needs strength. Now more then ever. But she can't force herself to stand up again and take the ham and cheese out of the fridge. The tiredness has become too much, and Elisa closes her eyes.

The owners of the house will come soon, but right now Elisa can't think of that - she can't think of anything, really. The darkness swallows her whole.

"Keeps your fucking mouth shut!" Elisa's eyes fly open immediately. Fuck. Fuck!

Five Hargreeves is in the house. . . on this exact floor. Elisa, who's still leaning her back against the wall while her knees are pressed against her chest, looks around, panicking.

Who's he talking to? She does not know.

How did he find her? She also does not know. There are more questions zooming through her head right now, obviously, but none are answered just yet.

Without hesitation, Elisa stands up, ready to fight. Her hand slides into the leather jacket (that she might've taken out of this house's closet) its pocket. The knife is in it, ready and waiting to be used. Elisa isn't ready. Her breathing is quickening with every breath she takes, and her hands are already starting to shake.

This probably happened; Five followed her or traced her down with a commission's tool, he saw the couple arriving and threatened them to stay quiet. Yes, that must have happened. Well, he wasn't very smart. Elisa heard everything. She woke up by his loud ans threatening voice. What an assassin he is.

Her fingers fold over the knife's handle when the door opens. With shaky breaths she waits for someone to come through the door.

She waits.

Nothing happens.

There is a sound, though; the cracking of the door. But apart from that. . . nothing else. No voices. No footsteps. Nothing.

A frown gets placed on Elisa's forehead. She figured that Five would come in, maybe even the couple - threatened by Five. But nothing happens.

Elisa's eyes stay on the door. She takes in every inch of it. But it's just a door.

She swallows deeply, ready to run towards it. There was someone. Five is here. She knows it. Now she wonders if he's just too much of a coward to face her. An annoyed kind of growl escapes her lips. At least he could show himself. This is ridiculous.

But then a sound does sound when she was about to confront the cowardly assassin. A sound she knows too well - growing up at the Commission and all; cutting through flesh.

Blood. There's blood. Everywhere. Because the door was open, the blood has spluttered on the walls, the ground, the door even, and not to forget that blood also covered a tile whole just inches away from Elisa's feet.

Now he dares to show his face. A satisfied smile on the assassin's face, Five's face. He looks so content - so happy. It's the feeling Elisa never wanted to feel and never felt. Perhaps she was too young to feel the high that apparently came, but maybe she was never meant to be an assassin. Elisa hopes that the second one is true.

"Hello, Elisa Brookle." He smiles - too widely. It's weird to hear him say her name. Before the conversation about her childhood, she was just Samantha. Now he knows her - the real her. It wouldn't have been hard to find out her real name after she gave him every detail. He must've gone to the handler. She must've told him everything. Would she still want him to kill her?

"I thought you'd be more of a challenge. Instead you were here. It was like you were ready to die, ready to suffer at my hand." Five hasn't come all the way through the door. Elisa doesn't approach him, not wanting to see the scene behind him.

"Oh," she smirks, forcing her breathing to be slow. "You think it will be me who'll suffer?"

Five grits his teeth.

"Guess again." It angered him, obviously. But he snaps himself out of it rather quickly, surprising her, but not himself.

"I'm pretty sure of my part, Elisa," he tells her. He's smirk grows while Elisa's disappears. He walks into the living room while his eyes stay on something behind him - not something; someone. Well, a body. His fingers are tangled in the body its brown hair. With a firm grip, he drags the body behind him.

A gasp sounds and fills Five his ears. Elisa falls to her knees, and folds her hands over her mouth before she cries out loud. It's a miracle that she can do so. It would've been easier to just cry out loud, to show Five that she's torn.

Elisa was wrong.

It was never the couple that was threatened. They're probably not returning any time soon.

"Morgana!" she cries, not even trying to stop herself. Morgana's eyes are shut, but she's still breathing. . . barely, though. Elisa doesn't care about the blood around her anymore. Still on her knees, she tries to crawl toward the dying girl.

"No." Five shakes his head fiercely. "She makes you weaker. I did something good."

"Good!" she exclaims, repeating his word. "You murdered her!"

An annoyed sigh leaves his lips. "It's what I do, remember?"

"Yes," Elisa continues crying. "I remember."

"This will make you stronger, Elisa," he reassures her, but she doesn't believe a thing he says. "There's nothing holding you back anymore. No weakness. Now you can live." The last words come out as a whisper. Elisa didn't catch them very well. She was too focused on Mor's breathing. Her eyes slowly close, too. She might not know whatever it is that's making her drift away, but she happily accepts it. She closes her eyes.

That's when another sound fills her ears.

"HELP!" Elisa's eyes fly open immediately. It wasn't she calling for help. It was not even Morgana.

A woman waves her arms in the air, running away from Elisa.

"What?" Elisa mumbles, not sure what's happening. Her vision becomes clearer, convincing her that it was a dream. Morgana isn't dead. The fact that there's no blood anywhere is also a relief. Morgana is alive.

"Who are you?" An angry man runs into the room. With his face full of fury, he pushes Elisa up. "What did you steal?"

Elisa smiles a little. It was only a dream. She happily accepts the fact that these people might go to the police which will alert Five. That doesn't matter that much anymore because Morgana is still alive.

But maybe not for long.

She can't wait any longer. Morgana might die today. Elisa has to act right now, no matter what the cost. It doesn't matter if there's a trap.

Elisa pushes the man away, surprising him. He's about to raise his voice when she straightens herself.

"I stole some yoghurt," she tells him with a chuckle before running through the house and leaving the couple with tons of questions that will never be answered.