9. No Need For A Weapon

The darkness would scare others. Their breathing would be heavy. But Elisa is calm. She's happy. In fact, she can't be happier.

Morgana is alive.

Everything went rather fast after running out of the house. Her thoughts were racing, and so was she. Elisa ran and ran; she didn't stop. Of course she didn't have the endurance. Not anymore, at least. But that didn't stop her. She would rescue Morgana.

Elisa would make sure that Five wouldn't murder her.

Now she is at the place where she never belonged; the commission. "Elisa Brookle is back," she mumbles.

Hidden behind bushes to catch her breath, she watches people arriving and leaving. There are many agents in blue costumes, but there are also "normal" clothed persons. She doesn't spot the handler - and that's a good thing. Elisa isn't capable to face her just yet. She might never be. But she does have a feeling that today will be the day that the handler will see how much she has grown. In a good way, thinks Elisa. For the handler, of course, it will be an awful change.

The door is an awfully easy way to go in. She'll be spot too easily and too quickly. Nah, that's not a thrilling plan. Nobody should see her just yet. Elisa can handle a fight, sure, but Morgana must be in safety first.

Climbing in her old room would be handier. It wasn't really Elisa's room, but nobody else would have used it when she was gone. Nobody else slept here, at the commission. Only the handler and Elisa (because she didn't have much of a choice).

Elisa's clothes aren't that recognizable. They're Five's, except for the leather jacket that she stole. Oh, she should've told the couple about the jacket. A smile catches her lips. The surprise on the man's face was too amusing when she told him that she only stole yoghurt.

Hoping that she won't be recognized, Elisa starts to walk. Not many eyes fall on her, and when some do, they aren't surprised. They shouldn't be. She used to be an assassin. It's easy to sneak in here, especially when time travel is a real thing. Elisa can easily pretend that she's her old self.

Her feet drag her over the path, the grass, the sand. In only a matter of time she's behind the building. Unfortunately, her old room is on the second floor. But Elisa can handle that. Please, she handled the handler's training just fine, this is nothing.

Good thing that the handler decorated the empty space around the busy commission with trees. Elisa used to wonder why, but the handler would never need to run. She's practically the queen of this place. If she ever gets thrown out by some miraculous reason, then she can use one of her time capsules to flee if necessary. She doesn't need trees to escape the building. That's why Elisa decided that they were only meant as decoration a long time ago.

Elisa presses her body against the trunk, and hugs it. The déjà vu hits her. She used to do this as a kid. Oh, how she had fun escaping her room in the evening. The handler wouldn't be pleased, but that was only another reason why Elisa felt like she needed to do it. She never went far. Actually, she stayed in this exact tree. She used to climb to its highest branch, and press her back against the trunk. Hours, that's how long she spent in here. The silence was marvelous. It gave her some peace in her - very - adventurous and wild life.

The ascent starts; she grips the lower branch firmly and sneaks her free hand around the trunk, needing the grip. She climbs successfully on top of the first branch. Her muscles haven't all disappeared, she thinks with a smug smile on her lips.

The second and third branch are also easily reached. Even though it has been a year - more actually - Elisa finds this child-play. Without a problem-ignoring her wound that has started to hurt a little while climbing- she pulls herself onto the branch that faces her old room's window.

She doesn't even have to try and test her theory, the window is locked. It always was. The handler used to sent people to check her room all the time. Elisa is a hundred percent sure that the handler did the very same after Elisa had fled. There might've been clues to where she went. There weren't. Elisa was taught by the best.

Breaking the glass it is.

Elisa crawls closer to the window-closer to the end of the branch. After two deep breaths, as if to prepare herself for what is inside of this building, she curls her left leg around the branch even better, needing the balance. She curls her hand tightly around a somewhat thinner branch that's a little higher than her in case she does lose her balance. Her other hand stays on the branch she's sitting on, ready to take her whole body its weight while she uses her right leg.

Elisa stretches her right leg, unsure if the glass will actually break. There's no time to hesitate-and no time to lose since Morgana is somewhere in here. She's so close.

With a sudden burst of adrenaline, she thrusts her leg into the window. Thanks to the energy that's now coursing through her veins, it breaks.

It makes noise, but no one will hear a thing, no doubt. No one ever comes in this wing. Well, except for the handler. But Elisa is sure that the handler is behind her desk right now, deepening herself in her work. . . like always.

Careful not to get too hurt, Elisa climbs through the broken window. Some glass touches and cuts her, but she isn't bleeding badly. This is nothing compared what can happen in here. So Elisa continues her plan.

Her eyes scan the room. It's the exact same as she remembers. Nothing has changed. The dust tells her that no one has slept here in a long time. Probably no one has came here after Elisa left.

But Elisa doesn't have any time to stay in the room. She goes for the door almost immediately. It's not locked, good. There wasn't any reason for it to be locked. Still, Elisa was scared it would've been. It would be hard not to make noise when breaking a door out of its frame.

With no one in this hallway, Elisa quickly moves to the door that leads to the exit of this wing. There will be more people. Some might even recognize her. It's hard to tell if they will find it weird for her to be here. Elisa hopes they won't go to the hander straight away.

The door cracks open, causing passing people to look at Elisa.

"Great," Elisa mumbles, too low for others to hear. But they can see her expression. That's why she forces her lips to curl up, and greets the persons that look at her with a peculiar expression upon their faces.

After that, they continue whatever they were doing. With a relieved feeling, Elisa starts to walk, too. She doesn't know where to go. Morgana could be everywhere, and the commission is too huge to scan it completely. There's a prison, but Morgana won't be there. No, she wouldn't fit there. She's most likely to be close to the handler's office-especially now that the handler might already know that she's close to Elisa. But she will be in a sort of cell. She will be locked up.

Elisa's eyes widen, and she winces when realizing that Morgana must be in the chamber under the handler's office. There's a cell in there, and not to forget; it's the place where agents (but especially the handler) question people. Yes, Mor is most certainly there.

It's not far from here, but Elisa does have to cross one of the busiest halls in here.

She urges herself through the hallway, through the people, through everything. She can feel it; it won't be long until she lays eyes on Morgana.

After that it's just having to flee this place once again. It'll be hard without a time capsule, but if Elisa doesn't get spotted at all then she might be able to grab one with her. If so, then it's all done. They'll find  a safe place and settle down.

With a shaking hand, she pushes the door open. This action of hers reveals a very crowded  hallway, just like she expected. Blue costumes are everywhere. Weapons, too. If even one finds out that it isn't Elisa from a few years back, then she's in serious trouble.

She starts walking, not wanting to be seen already. Eyes fall on her, but not long enough to be recognized-she hopes. No one seems to find it weird that Elisa is here. Many don't even recognize her. It's all going better than fine.

Elisa's eyes fall on the door leading to the hallway where the chamber is, the one underneath the handler's office. It's ten steps away. It shouldn't be a problem.

After swallowing, Elisa heads for it in a quick pace. She doesn't look at the blue costumes anymore. Her eyes stay on the door.

"Oomph!" It all happens fast. There isn't a fight. It's just a familiar face stumbling because of Elisa's rush. A man in a blue costume falls onto the ground. The gun he was holding falls on the ground with him.

"That hurt," he complains followed by letting out a few coughs.

Elisa doesn't know what to say. What would her old self have said?

"I'm sorry," she apologizes, immediately regretting it. This is everything but what she should've said. An assassin barely apologizes.

The man looks up, and a frown comes onto his face. "You are apologizing?" he says, probably shocked.

Okay, this blows it all.

"I'm sorry you're this fucking clumsy, Hazel," Elisa rolls her eyes in an attempt to make up for it. This can't go wrong. "Next time I'll rip your throat out."

"Yeah," he mumbles, but Elisa hears him very well. "I know that."

"You know," Elisa looks down at the man while he grabs his fallen weapon with a sigh. "You should stay out of my way."

Hazel, the man she has known since childhood, nods silently. He's always been kind to her, but also afraid. Everyone here is afraid of her. She's the kid raised by the handler. They have every damn right to be afraid of her.

"I didn't expect you to be here. . . in this time, you know," he tells her, now facing her again.

"I'm here," she shrugs, now glaring at the man. "I'm everywhere."

"Mhm. I suppose you are," he agrees. "'Till next time, Elisa."

Elisa does not say it back. There won't be a next time, she hopes. Trying not to show any sign of anxiety, she look around in order to check if people are watching. There aren't, although, some must've stopped a few seconds to see how she would react. She think-and hopes-she acted well.

With a frustrated sigh, Elisa starts walking again. The door is now just a few steps away. She's so close. Without any other stop, Elisa reaches it. With a content smile, she touches the latch and opens the door. All right, she has gotten this far.

This hallway seems almost empty. Only a single assassin walks through, and Elisa does not recognize the woman. She doesn't give her more than once glance, too. Her old self wouldn't have done so, either. She's above all of these ridiculous assassins, even though she never wanted it. All those years she pretended to be someone she was not. She never was a brute. Might've acted like one, but she felt ashamed of herself inside. Just like she's ashamed of herself right now.

A cold breeze makes Elisa shiver, even though she can't get cold. It's just the feeling of the wind colliding with her skin that makes her shiver. One of the windows is open. The woman looks at Elisa when she sees her shiver. A scoff escapes the woman's lips, making Elisa doubt what she should do. It'd be wise to just ignore it and go straight for what she came here for, but if word escapes that the handler's kid ignored a fight, then Elisa will be discovered.

"How dare you even look at me?" Elisa turns herself around so that she sees the woman's back.

In response, the woman turns around, too. Now that the two are facing each other, it's clear that none of them will back down.

"Who do you think you are?" the woman rolls her eyes.

A smirk comes upon Elisa's face. She tilts her head, but keeps up her chin at the same time. "I'm Elisa Brookle."

"I don't know you," the woman sneers. "Can't be too important, then."

Fury combined with anxiety floods though Elisa. She did not expect this.

"Actually," Elisa starts, not even knowing what to say next. "You should."

"And why is that?"

"I'm quite sure you know the handler," Elisa continues. "I'm her personal assassin." She hates the words as they roll off her tongue. It always felt awful to realize it, but now to say it like it is something huge feels wrong and disgusting.

"Are you now?" The woman doesn't appear to be even slightly intimidated by Elisa. Apparently she doesn't have her old good mask anymore. "It sounds to me that you're feeling a little too much, is it not?"

Elisa does not know what to say. Her taught instincts tell her to throw herself at the woman. But her own instinct tells her to draw back, to leave this woman with the air she has. So what if Elisa's name is hurt? So what if it gets out that Elisa walked away from a fight. She'll be gone in just a few minutes.

"Don't you know what to say?" The woman laughs, truly irritating Elisa now.

What if Elisa did like that everyone was afraid of her?

What if she did like her station at the commission?

Doubts fill Elisa's head. Her eyes drift off to the ground. She does not know what to do.

She might've not liked the killing part, but did she mind being strong? Did she mind being someone others fear?

"To me you're nothing," the woman shrugs now, causing Elisa's eyes to flicker to her again.

Elisa's breathing quickens. Her chest rises and falls quicker than it has ever done. Her vision becomes blurry, but becomes sharper even quicker. Something has changed, and it's not only her vision and her breathing.

She narrows her eyes at the woman who has now turned her back at her, ready to walk away. Her hands burn. She realizes what's happening, but it's too late.

The walls start to shake, and this makes the woman stop in her tracks.

"Are you too afraid to face me, then?" The words leave Elisa's lips quickly. This isn't herself. This isn't the one she wants to be.

This is the monster that killed her own family.

Her chest rises and falls even quicker when trying to stop whatever is happening. But she has no idea how to stop this. She doesn't know how to change back.

Will she even change back again?

The woman turns around, but slowly this time. This makes the monster inside of Elisa happy. When hoping that this might be enough, the monster inside of Elisa forces her to raise her hand.

"how are you doing this?" the woman asks with fright in her voice. "Which weapon are you using?"

"I don't need a weapon. I am a weapon."

The woman doesn't seem to doubt that. But even that doesn't stop whatever is happening. Elisa wants it to stop, though.

Elisa would cry if she could control herself. She would scream for help. She'd do everything so that these feelings full of hate would go away.

Instead, they're only growing. They already have taken control of her body. What is next?

Then the explosions start.