The Girl With Metal Claws

Smile

ELLIOTT

Elliott landed on the second floor, inside the building. The room was dark and still. He could hear nothing except the nervous rattling of loaded guns from the streets.

He clutched the grip of the gun on his holster, being cautious with each step. The smell of wood and old furniture covered the room. Elliott couldn't tell for what purpose the room was used because everything was scattered and flipped over.

He took a deep breath and started walking towards the exit door that was already pushed open. In front of him, he could see a long passage, empty and soundless. The passage was divided into a series of rooms.

Maybe Elliott wasn't as brave as he imagined.

The first thing he did was placed his ears to the door for noises and then he pushed open the doors, pressing himself against the wall, away from any sudden assassinations.

He didn't understand what had happened in the Police Station that the rooms were destroyed like the whole place had blown up. But he kept moving, checking every corner on his way.

Had he missed the chance? Had he left behind Jack and the others for nothing? He knew he was already almost trapped in the building with what existed there.

He moved to the next room, keeping his ears out for any sound of threat and taking shallow breaths. He pushed the door open and stepped inside. The room looked like some officials' cabin. The large desk was overturned as he tried walking around it to have a look outside the window.

The police were still alert, c*****g their guns towards the entrance to open fire at anyone, even a survivor. Because they were... cowards.

Suddenly, Elliott's feet struck on something. His eyes slowly tracked down and he immediately retreated. His eyes widened with fear. He tried to hold his ground but he was gasping heavily. At first, he saw just the legs wearing grey boots but as his eyes trailed to the side, he saw the whole body buried under the overturned desk.

He got up and gripped the desk tightly. He pulled it up with all his strength, his arms feeling numb. After multiple attempts, he finally moved over the desk and it dropped with a loud thud.

Elliott slowly brought himself to look at the body that lay below it. Scratch marks, torn clothes, an eyeball almost popping out of its socket and dried blood everywhere. He winced, kneeling in front of the old man's lifeless body.

He forgot everything. His purpose, his intent, and even the situation he was in.

"You don't feel sorry for those who lie dead. You step over them."

Elliott was staring for too long at the dead man's face while repeating her words over and over his head. His impulses were taking over again.

Suddenly, the corners of the old man's lips crooked to the side. Elliott sat, frozen in horror. A small smile appeared on the dead body's disintegrated face which made Elliott feel like he was seeing things. He was shaking, his body freezing. What was he seeing?

His hand extended on its own, intending to check the man's pulse. He noticed his hands shaking and the dead man smiling. He had to be alive, Elliott thought.

"Don't touch it," a voice alerted from behind him. Elliott whipped around to see Jack leaning on the doorframe with a revolver. He had followed Elliott in.

He stood up and looked at Jack, hoping he'd cuss him out. But he saw Jack shrug and walk out of the room. Elliott relentlessly started following him, not glancing back at the dead. Never.

The passage looked like a maze with doors all around. The rooms were the cabins of jailors, inspectors and other police officials but now, every room looked the same.

"Next time you want to do something like this, you're out of the agency," Jack said, keeping his tone even. He was referring to Elliott impulsively doing things like entering the police station alone.

He felt at ease with Jack.

The passage led to a huge metal door that was supposed to divide the prisoners and jailors. It would've been an impossible task to break through that door but at that time, it was cracked open.

To get through the door, Jack started using his strength to c***k open the door wider.

"I.. can hear something," Elliott said, being alarmed all of a sudden. Jack slowed down and waited for him to say more.

"Is someone coming up?" He asked and Elliott shook his head.

"It's... coming from inside-" he declared, pointing inside the metal door. He felt a shiver run up his spine. His senses felt something strange that he could not decipher.

The door space widened enough and slowly, Jack passed through it and into the dark. Elliott followed him.

They entered the pitch-black darkness of the prison. The only light pouring in was the faint light from the open metal door. He took out the torch and flicked its switch on. Everything went quiet.

As they walked forward, they saw that the jails were unlocked. Those that were locked, had a body lying on the ground upturned. The noises started again.

Elliott kept walking, following the noise. He couldn't stay back and look at the corpses anymore. He walked ahead till he abruptly stopped in front of a jail cell whose gate was wide open.

"Jesus," the small word faintly sounded coming out of Jack's mouth.

Slowly, he turned his head to the side. The floor was flooded red and the walls had violent scratches. But beyond it, he saw a dark figure. It had its back turned to him and it knelt on the ground. In front of it, a man wearing an orange uniform lay. His eyes stared straight at Elliott. He had a faint smile on his face.

The shadowy figure silhouetted against the wall as the torchlight fell on it. He noticed the shady figure's hands moving and the scratching noises continuing.

Elliott started walking into the cell. Jack's hands grabbed him back but he shook it off. He walked inside the cell, his grip on his handgun loosening. He had no intention of using it.

Because he was realizing it. He knew what was happening to him. He has been here before.

He came to a stop behind it and watched over it. It was scraping and scratching on the body with something sharp as the man lay cold and lifeless. Elliott's shoes were red and he couldn't move.

He found his hand stretched out. Was he trying to touch the one hiding behind the dark?

"Asami.." he whispered knowing he wouldn't be able to talk any louder.

The scraping slowed down.

"I know it's you.." he said, hoping for something unattainable.

The scraping was reduced to none. She could listen to him. She was aware of him watching her, Elliott decided. Then his body and feet stumbled back cautiously as he saw the figure rise, slowly standing up, taller. Taller than she was.

"Elliott, come back-" Jack tried but Elliott held his hands up to stop him. He didn't want her to notice Jack lurking outside the cell.

Suddenly, a large thud sounded and Elliott flinched. The cell gate had slammed shut, locking him in. His hands and feet turned cold, accepting what was before him. The figure slowly moved, turning around to face him.

He saw the hood, the same hood he had seen the first time he saw Phoenix looming over the allies. But he could see nothing. He could figure out the outline of the hood inside, it was pitch-dark.

Suddenly, Elliott could hear whispers and whir all around him. He couldn't tell if it was his mind or it was her doing. But he stood still, trying to stare right into the eyes of the hooded. Jack was just as baffled, speechless at what was happening. He rattled the cell from outside, trying to open it.

He saw the shadow raise its hand, reaching for Elliott. He stared in horror as the hand hovered over his face. Then it touched him.

The hand's palm pressed against his face and the fingers gripped it. His breathing increased and heaved against the hand while his eyes stared through the cracks between the fingers.

The grip tightened and the sharp nails dug into Elliott's skin. He could feel the blood drops seeping out of his wounds. Then he felt an immense pressure on his skull, gritting and churning inside.

Elliott kept breathing to not run out of air. His skull was crushing and his body refused to move. He tried to move his foot but it was in vain, he wasn't on his feet anymore. He was held up by her, hyperventilating.

He could hear Jack's voice behind him, faintly and the rattling of the jail bars but soon it stopped.

He looked forward, the blood trickling down and reddening his vision. His hands fell to his side, not trying to defend himself but his eyes were open, still trying to look beyond the hood.

Suddenly, a flare passed through them. It illuminated the darkness Elliott was staring at. It came to vision as he saw an eye, bloodshot and white. Asami's eyes, eyeballs blank and then it was dark again.

The pressure increases and Elliott lets out a grunt, feeling every inch of his skin stretch. Blood spilt out of the corner of his mouth. He was struggling, his body could finally move.

His eyes widened at the force and he could only think of the smile of the dead. The old man smashed beneath the desk, the man lying in front of him and their smiles. Nothing about them looked peaceful.

In front of his eyes, he saw a blink of light, bright and hopeful. The light grew and grew and kept growing till the light was all he could see.

He felt the corners of his lips rising into a crooked smile. He was smiling even if he was churning in pain, his body about to burst apart. He was smiling, just like the other dead.

He thought of her, trapped in the light.

He thought of the girl who made the dead smile.