The Girl With Metal Claws

Too Late

ELLIOTT

"Come with me," she said with her gaze fixed on Elliott's face. He tried to resist her knowing what he had decided for himself. In the back of his head, he had the fear of what she might've done to everyone in the classroom who were passed out on their seats.

"What did you do to them?" He asked, trying to sound calm.

"Tranquilized them," Asami shot him a bored look like he was being irrelevant but then she smiled again, "it can be worse if you don't follow me."

She was trying to blackmail him and she knew it was working. It always worked.

"You ma-"

"Maniac, psychopath, lunatic. I know, Elliott. I've heard it a hundred times," Asami said, looking like she didn't want to stay there any longer. "Come with me."

So he did. He followed her out of the classroom, leaving behind all the fainted students and followed her out of the school through the corridors. No one was there, no one saw. He could only hear silence and his own footsteps.

Once they exited the building, Elliott looked up to see the clouds had overpowered the sky, wiping the sunlight away. It reminded Elliott of something similar, but he couldn't place it right until he noticed Asami's laid back walk in front of him. He was out of his mind for relating a monster with the moons and stars.

Asami led the way through the main road. Elliott noticed that the road that was busy had no cars anymore. It was empty.

They walked into an alley and stopped when the reached the outer banks. The trees had taken the colour of orange, the leaves slowly wilting.

"Stay here," Elliott said, not wanting to walk with her anymore. He was faltering with his decisions and she was making it worse. Asami stopped but then she knelt on the ground and started nibbling at the grass with her fingers.

"I think you know what I would say to you now," he said, half unsure.

"Hmm," she nodded.

"This was a bad idea from the start. I shouldn't have deceived the others for you," he sighed but he didn't feel much remorse either. Asami nodded.

"We're ending this here. From now on, you'll stop showing up, stop manipulating me by getting inside my head, and just disappear," Elliott said. He didn't expect a reaction from her but when she nodded, he felt wronged.

"That's all you have to say," he raised his voice, irritated.

"I tend to avoid nonsense," she got back on her feel and smirked at him, making his skin crawl.

"I'm being for real, A-Asami," he found himself hesitating pronouncing her name. Asami kept staring at him for some time, not saying a word.

"It's too late," she said before walking away. Elliott stood frozen as she got away. Then he turned to her direction and yelled out.

"I don't want to see you anymore," he said, ironically. He realised that most of the time it was him who ran around trying to find her. Her feet didn't stop.

"I do," she murmured back. Elliott felt like he had lost him voice but he breathed in and yelled out again.

"The only day I want to see your face is the day we confront each other," Elliott called out making Asami slow down. She turned around. Her face curved and she flashed a smile.

Elliott's flinched at her smile. It looked real and painful. She looked like she was hurting but Elliott feared that he was just imagining it. He was standing, watching her in awe and shock.

"You'll be safe, Elliott," she said. Instantly her smile took an evil figure and her eyes turned piercingly cold, "but I won't look after the safety of anyone else."

With that, she turned around and disappeared into the woods like thin air. Elliott found his hands trembling and the thunder had just started striking.

He had no idea of what happened to the people back in the classroom but he didn't go back there. Instead, he headed back.

~

Elliott sat on the couch of the basement listening to the conversations. He didn't want to pay attention to what Fred and George were talking about, instead he sat on Jack's side and silently observed.

"What did the doctor say?" Nish asked, worried.

"It has healed but the bandage needs to be kept on for some more time," Jack said, glancing at Isis. She had quietened down even more, barely speaking. She just raised her face every now and then looked at everyone's faces.

"You're okay, right?" Jack said, leaning over to Isis and she nodded. Elliott had rarely seen Jack being affectionate that openly. He sure had his ways.

"Now that it's settled, it's my turn to talk about my problems," Nish announced and Meraki shook her head chuckling. "So, it's almost been a week and Keith hasn't texted Meraki at all. He keeps texting me for tips to get Meraki to like him but he never once texted her. Is he actually that shy?"

"Keith?" Elliott raising his eyebrows in amusement. He wondered if she was talking about the Keith who was his foster brother.

"Yeah," Nish turned back to Meraki and continued, "I don't know how to talk to him anymore, what do I do?"

Silence passed through the room. Everyone was reluctant to answer.

"Nish, I don't understand what's wrong with you," Meraki sighed. Nish gazed at her, confused.

"What?"

"I thought you were smart, confident, even a flirt. It's just a boy, what are you so afraid of?" Meraki stated.

"Yeah, I thought you were the extrovert type too," Jack said, scrolling through his social media accounts and smiling over the 23 likes on his new profile picture. He leaned over to show Elliott his achievement as well.

"You're right, maybe.. I'm being dramatic," Nish said, having a new conclusion to her situation. Everyone cheered her on. "Meraki, pass me your purse."

Meraki reached over and gave her purse to Nish. She took the handbag and slung it over her shoulder. Then her eyes focused on Elliott.

"You dimwit, talk to me," Nish said, pointing at Elliott with an arrogant look on her face. She looked like she was trying to get back in her groove.

"Hi.. Nish," Elliott said awkwardly.

"Sorry, can't hear you over my Chanel purse," she said, c*****g an eyebrow at him. Everyone burst into laughter and cheers. Even, Isis started chuckling, breaking her silence. Elliott was glad their bickering had lifted her mood.

"Perfect," Meraki chuckled.

"Look, even Isis is smiling. I might be god," Nish boasted and reached over to Isis wrapping arms around her. Then, she held her hand out and pulled Meraki into the group hug of the trio. They were way closer than before. It was true, overcoming hurdles together do brings people closer.

"Did you notice we're like the powerpuff girls?" Nish said and another round of chuckle spread around the room.

Suddenly, three knocks sounded on the basement door and it was unlocked. The door open and two people trailed down the stairs and under the light. Garry and the person he had brought with him entered.

"You," Meraki gasped, standing up. Her face looked terrified as well as raged. Vincent Turner stood with Garry, smirking Meraki to get on her nerves. "How did you find me? How dare you come this far just to-"

"Meraki, calm down. He's here for something else," Garry said.

"You brought him here? How could you do that? Even when I told you that this man-", Before Meraki could complete, Turner walked upto her and smiled creepily.

"You changed, Meraki. You're all grown up and disobedient now," his smirk grew wider. Suddenly, Fred pushed Turner away from Meraki and clutched his collar tightly. He glared at Turner.

"If I see you trying to talk to her, look at her or even breath in her direction, I'd bury you alive and no one would know," Fred threatened him and then pushed him backwards. He looked scary when he glared which made Turner raise his hand, surrendering, but the smirk on his face didn't falter.

"Thank you," Meraki whispered and Fred nodded in understanding.

Then, all of them sat back down on the meeting table and the girls were told the whole plan and the discussed requirement of Turner in this mission. Elliott kept observing Meraki who looked like she had a lot of objections but as George had ordered, they kept quiet, listening.

"He has more men and arms that we need as well. We have the brains and powers, that's why we're doing this partnership," George explained. He looked around the room and stopped at Meraki, "you can speak now."

"I don't want to work with him," Meraki's tone was stern.

"We need him. Without his help, we might not be able to make it," Garry said but Meraki didn't falter. Turner was asked to keep quiet throughout the meeting to not get anyone agitated. Except smirking, he didn't do anything.

"Then leave me out of it," Meraki crossed her arms across her chest.

"We have signed a contract, I hope you're not forgetting that," Fred said. He had a short-temper as well. Gabrielle held up her hand and stopped him.

"Look child, if you bear with it for just a few days, it'll be of great help. In return, we'll give you all the protection against him. You've nothing to worry about," Gabrielle held Meraki's hand and smiled.

"Ha, I feel like a demon. Am I going to eat you up Meraki? Aren't you overreacting?" Turner said and instantly, he gained a glaring eye from everyone. He backed off.

"It's not the time to think about your personal experiences. It's the time we've all been preparing for. Please think over it," Elliott added. They had to get Meraki in on the plan.

"Come on. Say yes," Jack said.

Meraki took a deep breath, fretting over everything she had heard until then. She took some time for herself, thinking it over with all the expectant eyes on her. Finally, she shook her head and laughed bitterly.

"What's the plan?" She said.