14. Where To Start

Elisa wakes up to a comfortable warmth. With a deep sigh, she slowly opens her eyes, but only to realize that she has no idea where she is.

She shakes her head, needing her vision to sharpen. Her eyes fall on the television on the other side of the room. Bit by bit images of yesterday fill her head.

Morgana is one of the commission's assassins now-and next to that, she's the cause of the apocalypse.

Elisa asked Five to join him on stopping the apocalypse. So that means that she'll have to stop Morgana.

She has gotten herself into a lot, but she doesn't have any other plans next to that. So saving the world it is.

"Coffee?" a familiar voice speaks up, and Elisa turns to look at Vanya. The woman is sitting at the table, drinking her own cup. For a moment Elisa doubts whether to ask for Five, but she stops herself. He's probably already crossing his finger in hope that Elisa will leave him to work on his own.

"Sure." Elisa forces her lips to curl up, remembering very well that Vanya wasn't fond of her. Well, she didn't shown any sign that she hated Elisa, but she also didn't really like her.

With the fresh energy, Elisa practically jumps out of the couch and walks towards the table. The welcoming smell of coffee changes the forced smile into a true one when she sits down next to Vanya.

"I'm sorry, Vanya." Elisa folds her hands around the warm cup. Vanya's head turns to Elisa, not paying attention to the delicious looking chocolate bun. She tilts her head, wondering why Elisa is apologizing.

"I didn't know where Five was bringing me," Elisa continues. "He brought me here. I do hope you don't hate me now for disturbing." Elisa half expects Vanya to let it out. After all, she showed that kind of attitude last night. So when Vanya's lips part a little before a chuckle sounds, she's surprised.

"I must say," Vanya starts. "I was surprised when Five took you here, indeed. Now, he told me that you know all about his history. So you should know, he was a mess when he returned. He told me some details, yes. But he was mostly cold-to everyone. I haven't seen him smile truly in a very long time." Vanya pauses to sigh before she says: "That's why I'm afraid."

"Afraid?" Elisa repeats, and Vanya nods. The chocolate bun lays there, but isn't being payed attention to. The coffee cups are standing there, too. Only Elisa's hands curl around one of them in order to heat up.

"I'm afraid that he'll be even more driven with his mission." Vanya shrugs shyly, showing how much she cares about her brother. "He's going to want to protect you, too."

"Oh, no." Elisa chuckles. "I volunteered. Plus, we're both trained to be assassins. We know the risks. And you're making it sound like he cares. . .deeply. When we're going to stop the end of the world from happening, I'll help him as his partner."

"His partner," Vanya whispers, trying to look through Elisa, trying to find out what's going on inside her head. "I'm afraid he's already trying to protect you. He asked me to change your mind about your plan to join him."

Elisa's jaw drops in surprise. "He did not!"

"Oh, he did," Vanya nods. "He wanted me to put some sense in your head."

"Unbelievable," Elisa mutters under her breath.

"That's my brother, Elisa. He protects."

"I can protect myself."

"I know. That is why I'm not going to do as he says. I want you to join my brother."

Elisa stays quiet, but does now sip from her coffee. Vanya's warm eyes stay on her.

"He thinks of himself as undefeatable. Maybe he is-I don't know. But it makes him reckless. Please, Elisa. I'm begging you. . . Try to get my brother home safely."

Then there's only silence. The sunlight shines through the window, warming up Elisa's pale cheeks a little. The two watch each other. In Vanya's eyes there's a hopeful twinkle. She scans Elisa's every reaction, needing her brother to be safe.

"Don't forget that your brother is an assassin. He's a weapon himself. And he's trained by the best," Elisa tells Vanya, sounding sure of the words leaving her lips. "But I'll do whatever I can to make sure Five comes home safely."

"Thank you." Vanya's soft smile widens, and then she does something that surprises herself and Elisa; she stands up and approaches Elisa to give her a hug. Both smile widely, enjoying the comfort they're giving each other and getting.

Both cups are quickly finished after that. After one chocolate bun and one toast, Elisa is already helping Vanya with cleaning up the mess that she and Five had made yesterday; blankets were laying on the ground and pillows were underneath them.

The subject doesn't come up again, though. Vanya knows that she can trust the well-trained assassin to do everything in her power to save her brother, and Elisa didn't bring it up again because she didn't want to scare Vanya even more.

It is scary for her, Elisa knows that. Especially after Five has told Vanya that dangerous persons might be coming. To hear such a thing isn't reassuring.

It doesn't take long for Five to come again. Smiling thinly, he knocks on the apartment's door. Elisa and Vanya share a glance, but look away again when Vanya tells her brother to come in. Five doesn't notice that they're both fighting back a smile when he enters.

"I'm sorry that I've been gone the whole morning," he apologizes to both Elisa and Vanya.

"You're just in time," Vanya tells him. "I'm going out now. I've got to teach the kid on the fourth floor again." Again, he does not see the wink Vanya sends to Elisa when his sister grabs her violin and leaves the apartment.

"I hope you weren't too bored." Five smiles while he leans against the door that Vanya just left through, watching Elisa carefully. "Without my awesome companionship."

"Vanya and I had a lot of fun, actually," Elisa shrugs, not wanting to make him even more cocky. Five tilts his head, clearly surprised since Vanya seemed to ignore the girl just yesterday.

"Really?"

"Mhm," Elisa nods. "Plus, I had a lot of time to think. . ."

"Did you?" Five attempts to hide his widening smile, but Elisa sees. She knows exactly what she's doing. Her and Vanya planned this out correctly.

"Yes," she nods once again. "Five, about yesterday. . ."

"I understand." Five immediately reacts, throwing his hand up. A sly smile comes onto his lips, and Elisa frowns.

He's falling for it.

"You understand that. . ." She tilts her head, too, acting surprised. "That the comedy you put up last night truly bored the shit out of me."

Five's jaw drops, and his eyes widen enormously. It's that humorous that Elisa can't hold her laugh anymore. Her face lights up, finally showing how truly comical she finds the situation. Her laugh is loud, but it sounds heavenly. That's what Number Five thinks, at least. He ignores that he just fell right in her trap, and watches the girl laughing. He enjoys it.

"All right," he then mumbles. "What did Vanya tell you?"

"Vanya?" Elisa stops laughing. "What are you-"

"Tell me."

"Oh, did you really think that I'd let you go on your thrilling mission on your own?" Elisa chuckles. "I'm here for all the fun!"

"So that means there's no way you're not coming with me?"

"You're not getting rid of me, my friend."

"All right." Five swallows. "Then we should start."

"You know where to start?"

"Of course I do," Five frowns at Elisa, expecting her to know what the next step is. "We're going to go back in time just after I brought Davis to the commission."

"Morgana," Elisa corrects him.

"Davis." Five chuckles. "And then we're going to convince her to come back."

"Just like that?" Elisa wonders, her eyes wide.

Five nods with a thin smile. "Just like that," he whispers quietly. If Elisa comes, then Morgana might come immediately with Five and Elisa. Everything can go so quickly and so easily. Afterwards the two assassins will only need to protect Morgana. They'll need to bring her somewhere safe, somewhere where the commission won't find the girl. That's the plan Five tells Elisa. She listens carefully, even though he's letting details out. Such as what happens afterwards. Neither of the two know yet, so they stay quiet when Five finishes.

"I suppose we should get to work." Elisa forces the corners of her lips to curl up, and Five nods.