The Girl With Metal Claws

Nightfall

ELLIOTT

Elliott had an urge to say something, anything. But he was too intimidated.

She turned away and stared back into the night. Elliott felt himself praying that she'd go away but he wanted an explanation for all the things she had been doing. Why was she here?

"Just kill me. Please." Asami said, her voice emotionless.

"What do you mean?" Elliott asked, goosebumps spreading through his body.

"She said before dying." She said.

Elliott felt himself quieten down. He was lying down, his eyes focused, terrified on the girl on his window.

"Who was she?" He asked, his voice low.

"I don't know." She shook her head a little, no sign of remorse on her face. Elliott's heart was beating unevenly, surfacing the fear inside him.

"Did.. you kill her?" Elliott asked, hoping she'd say no. But he watched her nod her head once.

"Why?" Elliott asked, again. He was diving to the deep end, looking for answers. He was trying to understand her. Even if he knew she could kill him in a blink of an eye, he knew he'd live.

"I was just hurting her. She told me to kill her." Her voice was demonic even if it sounded humane. She spoke slowly, letting her words sink into Elliott's head and take over completely.

A silence passed through both of them, quiet.

"Why didn't you kill me when I told you to?" Elliott said.

Asami looked at him, a strange look on her face. Her body hadn't moved an inch since she had been there, neither did she blink once. For a second, Elliott felt that she was going to move her hand and he'd have no air to breathe.

But that didn't happen. Instead, a smile crept on her lips and her head tilted to the side eerily.

"I want to keep hurting you." She started giggling as her demonic screeches clouded the room. Her laugh sounded peculiarly peaceful like whispers of the dark.

"Let me go." Elliott's voice was louder as he spoke.

"I will..", Asami said, her eyes as lifeless as they looked as she lifted her a little against the window sill. "...but you won't."

With that, she pushed herself forward and jumped out of the window of the three-storeyed apartment building. Elliott's stomach dipped as his eyes looked outside the window wildly.

Immediately, he was able to move and he bolted to the window to look down. But there was no one. No sign of a body sprawled on the floor. Blood rushed to his face as the pit in his stomach deepened.

He ran out of his apartment and bolted down the stairs as fast as he could. His heart was beating fast, making him out of breath in a few seconds. He struggled to his feet and ran out of the building, wildly searching everywhere for her.

She had fallen from such a height but nothing was remaining of her. She was gone, just like the wind that was blowing fast. Elliott looked up to see dark clouds in the sky, covering up the moon.

Soon, the rain will arrive. But even that would not know of her. Elliott fell to his knees. His eyes still looking around for her, knowing he wouldn't find her there.

He felt raindrops on his body, slowly increasing in numbers. As the rain took over, Elliott was forced to let it all go.

But her reign of terror wouldn't last any longer, Elliott promised himself and everyone she has ever laid her hands on.

Elliott shook his head, letting the rain take over him.

~

Someone was banging on Elliott's door loudly.

He jumped out of his bed, waking up from the deep sleep after last night. He opened the door, struggling to stand up properly.

"Are you freaking deaf? Did you not see the thousand calls and messages? Are you trying to ignore me?" Nish said, bursting into his apartment and throwing her purse on the worn-out couch.

Elliott closed the door and picked up his phone. It was true, Nish did blow up his phone with everything she got.

"Why are you here?" He said with a straight face.

"And here I expected an apology." Nish rolled her eyes.

"Sorry. I was sleeping." He said, sitting on his bed.

"Wow, you are really poor. You have a kitchen, a living room and a bedroom in the same damn room." Nish said, looking around. "Not even a photo frame? You're a ghost."

Elliott looked around his room, feeling embarrassed. But he had never considered the apartment to be his home and neither did he have any pictures he'd want to keep looking at.

"So? What is it?" Elliott asked, sighing softly.

"Take me to your.. shady.. basement or whatever," Nish said. Her brown hair was tied in a half ponytail and she had a very formal looking outfit on. Her face looked a little concerned.

"You're in?" He asked, referring to the mission.

"I'll talk to your superiors first." She raised an eyebrow.

After Elliott agreed, he freshened up and changed while Nish looked around the room.

When he came out of the washroom, he saw Nish standing in front of the window. She had pushed the window panes open. The sky was pale because of the rain last night, and the wind was chilly.

Elliott rushed past her and shut the windows close.

"Don't open the windows," Elliott said, a shiver running up his spine. He couldn't forget to remember someone who had claimed her place on the window sill last night. He couldn't keep the windows open anymore.

"Uh.. okay. You done?" Nish asked, frowning.

"Yes," Elliott nodded. He was being as formal as he could but he didn't enjoy guests. He shrugged a little hoping she wouldn't come unnoticed anymore and soon, both of them set out.

~

Elliott's school had declared to be closed for a week to deal with the aftereffects of the events caused by the powers of the three girls. To be safe or to just renovate, they took this step.

Moreover, none of them were in trouble or were spotted which was a good thing.

Elliott knocked on the basement door three times and got inside, Nish following his lead.

"Hey, Nish's with me," Elliott announced as he got inside but he stopped short. He looked around to see familiar faces and two unexpected guests.

Meraki and Isis.

"Wait-" Nish said, her mouth dropped.

"I knew the directions so I came directly," Meraki said with a blank look.

"I followed her," Isis confessed.

"And you know the weird thing? I didn't even realize she followed me till I reached here." Meraki said, glancing at Isis.

"She's a professional, remember?" Nish smirked.

"What's your decision, then?" Fred said, coming up to them.

"I'll do it." Isis declared.

"Yeah same whatever," Meraki said, sighing.

"Me too," Nish said.

"Really? What made you change your mind?" Jack asked, his brows furrowed.

"You," Nish said, winking at Jack with a smile. He blinked twice and backed off.

"My powers are cool and I like violence. And I've nothing better to do." Meraki answered. She sounded completely honest about it.

"What about you?" Elliott asked Nish.

"I am.. scared. The locality I live in is next to Sunnydale, the locality where the recent murders happened. What if the next is ours? So I wanted to help stop it." Nish said, her gaze pondering on the floor. She scrunched up her face. "How often do you clean up?"

"Look, this isn't a joke. Once you're in, you can't go out anytime you want. Think carefully." George said, standing up holding the cane.

No one changed their statements or decisions.

"Very well. I need you three to sign this contract along with your parent's consent. I can also talk to them if they want to. We'd like to start the training right away after the contracts are signed." George explained, handing out the documents.

"My parents don't care," Meraki said.

"My parents live in another country," Nish said.

"I don't have a mother and... my dad's in jail," Isis said.

Elliott and the rest of them shared a glance, silently.

"Give us some time to discuss," Fred said, as they hurdled up in a corner and started murmuring things.

"We have our own issues but why can't you bring a signature?" Isis asked.

"Uh, they're overbearing. I wanted to do something without their assistance." Meraki replied, leaning back in her chair.

"Assistance?" Nish asked.

"If I told them, they'd want to meet everyone. They'd want to support us financially because I am a part of this team. They're rich, they love showing off. And finally, they'd take away all the credits and steal the spotlight when I did all the work." Meraki sighed, frustrated.

Isis and Nish shared a glance and then smiled at Meraki.

"So you have caring parents who are rich and always around?" Nish asked, smiling.

"And a good, not traumatic childhood?" Isis asked, smiling.

"Yeah pretty much," Meraki replied, frowning in confusion.

"She's the first rich girl without family problems I've ever seen," Nish whispered to Isis and she nodded in agreement.

By then, the discussion was over as George walked up to the girls.

"Get it signed by a guardian or someone who is a witness and is allowing you to do it. We are not a big agency so we cannot be any formal than this." He said.

"We can start the training, right?" Isis asked, looking hopeful.

"Yes, Gabrielle will take over now," Fred said walking away to where Jack was working on the laptop, or just scrolling through his social media.

"I have a question," Meraki said. Gabrielle turned to her.

"Yes, dear?" She said.

"How did we get the powers? I know for a fact that it didn't just manifest itself." Meraki said, thoughtfully.

Elliott's eyes widened a little as he realised he was on the brink of extinction. He had seen how brutal Meraki can be.

Gabrielle's mouth sealed, and she just turned her face to look at Elliott. Everyone else in the room followed her gaze and looked directly at Elliott. Meraki's face turned as she looked like all her doubts were cleared.

Elliott was in trouble.