Beast Speaker, Monster Tamer

50: What Slips Through the Cracks

—LISE.

Wak—-u—

Elise jerked up, then immediately curled in on herself, whimpering from the pain in her head. A jolt of fear hit her afterward and she lurched to her feet and stumbled towards the door, regardless of the warning cries her companions sent her. When she hit the door, it didn't budge.

Wild eyes flickered about. "I'm sure it opened outwards," she whispered hoarsely.

Why isn't it opening now—People are in danger. Whywhywhy—

Trying another time, she slammed into the door with her shoulder, again and again, only stopping when her legs gave out and she slid down weakly against it. Elise clutched at her chest, wheezing as warm tears trickled down her face.

Dear one, focus on my voice for a little bit. Mewtwo coaxed. Just listen to me for a little bit.

She shuddered but latched onto the sound like a lifeline as he helped calm her down.

There we go.

Let one of us out, we can help you open the door.

They both talked to her in soothing tones, and Elise was lulled into a sense of calmness. She was ready to unfurl her fist to summon a Pokéball, to be able to get out of here.

"Sit tight, or I'll know and I'll make sure there'll be consequences."

Elise froze, the villain's final mocking words ringing in her head. Her heart rate picked up a renewed frenzied beat and her breathing started picking up again.

"I can't—I can't risk it," Elise rasped, clutching her head. She wasn't strong enough to prevent any casualties in her normal state. She would have no chance as she was right now, head pounding and vision blurry and shifting in and out of focus. It would be on her shoulders if anything happened because of her actions. She squeezed her eyes shut, a weak cry leaving her.

I want Lucas.

But nobody would come. So she resigned herself to huddle against the door as she hoped for someone to arrive soon, feeling like a coward.

~~~

When she was little, attending fancy events with the entire family for her parents and their work was commonplace. Pretty dresses, large rooms, golden light, and her brother helping her sneak food from the tables.

Those ceased to be anything more than memories after she got her quirk.

"Lucas!"

The echo of their mother's cry made both children startle, the younger one more so than the other. Elise turned her large eyes to her brother's, looking up from the manual of the newest modeling kit that Lucas was talking with her about. Her brother himself was dressed to the nines, in a navy blue suit and his hair slicked down. However, Elise was dressed in a semblance of fanciness too, as fancy as she could with digging out old dresses and getting ready by herself. Lucas looked older than his twelve-year-old age and almost a stranger to Elise's eight-year-old eyes as he said to her, "You know the plan right?"

Elise nodded. "Yeah! We'll go down, then try to—"

Apparently, the two had taken too long whispering together as the door to Elise's room swung open, the figure of her mother standing in the doorway. Asami Wing looked at them—her—with cold eyes. "Lucas, I've been calling for you. Why are you here? You know we're leaving soon."