Hitting the Floor

Elias pushed a button next to the door his steps deliberate as he worked through the lingering effects of the movement penalty. To his surprise, Elara stood on the other side, waiting.

"What are you doing here?" Elias asked, his voice tinged with confusion.

"I came to find you," Elara replied, pulling a tablet from her side. "There's a video I need to show you. It surfaced near where our hometown is."

Elias blinked, glancing down the hallway behind her. "Oh? I'm sure it's important, but I was about to grab some breakfast for Tidwell and the others. They're stuck and can't move."

Elara's eyes narrowed slightly as she looked at him. "Why are you moving so… fidgety?"

Elias shifted awkwardly, his leg trembling slightly as he took another step forward. "It's the penalty the Doctor gave to those who didn't meet the shard's requirements. My body's still adjusting."

Elara studied him for a moment, then gave a small nod. "I see. I'd give you a pat on the back for being the first one walking, but I'll settle for showing you this video while we grab food for the others."

"Fair deal," Elias said with a shrug. "I was gonna say I don't even know where the cafeteria is. You'll have to lead the way."

Elara let out a small laugh. "Sure, that makes sense. Follow me. Oliver's probably too busy to guide you anyway."

As they began walking, she handed him the tablet. Elias took it carefully, glancing between the device and her. "What are you even doing here? I thought you'd be stationed somewhere else—like a different base entirely. Honestly, I don't even know much about the base locations."

Elara's expression shifted slightly as she crossed her arms. "Normally, I am stationed at the Valkyrie base. But because of the shard, they've been keeping me close. Even with my rank, they've got me on a short leash."

Elias caught the subtle irritation in her tone but decided not to press. Instead, he looked down at the tablet as the video began to play. The scene showed a street he recognized almost instantly.

"Wait… this is near our hometown, isn't it?" he asked, his brow furrowing.

Elara didn't answer immediately, letting the video roll. On the screen, a man walked down the street, heading toward Elias's neighborhood. He stopped to speak with a woman who looked oddly familiar to Elias. They exchanged a few words before she handed him a small package. The man unwrapped it, revealing a sleek wristband, which he fastened around his arm.

Elias's eyes widened as he kept watching. "I know her!" he exclaimed. "She's the same woman who was getting mugged the night I got my shard!"

Elara raised an eyebrow but stayed silent as the video continued. The woman walked away, but the man lingered. A chill ran down Elias's spine as he watched the man head toward his own house.

"What the hell is he doing? Why was he so close to my home?" Elias asked, his voice rising slightly. "That's literally right outside my—"

He froze as the man on the screen entered his house. His stomach dropped.

Elara's voice cut through the silence. "We don't know exactly. Your mother was there at the time. She only got a small scratch on her cheek, but we've moved her to an on-base facility for safety."

Elias stopped walking, gripping the tablet tightly. "Wh-why though? I don't get it."

Elara let out a soft sigh as they reached the cafeteria. She grabbed a tray and began filling it with food, her tone steady but grim. "She said he was looking for something. Some special item your father used to have. She insisted she didn't know what he was talking about, but he tore through the place before leaving out the back door. Nobody's seen him since."

Elias stood there, processing her words as he absentmindedly followed her down the food line. His thoughts swirled, questions piling up, but none of them had clear answers.

Elias shook his thoughts for a moment and stated as she took a bread roll just eating it as she walked "So what are you up to right now? Work wise?"

"Hmm, not much going on," Elara said, her tone flat. "I've just been tasked with figuring out my Ikona more. They're not even putting me in the field because, apparently, 'it wouldn't yield any new results.'"

"Oh," Elias replied, glancing at her. "You mean, like, they already trust you and stuff?"

"Yeah, something like that," Elara muttered, her frustration evident. "But it's annoying. I don't even need my Ikona to fight, so I don't get why they're so hung up on it."

They walked in silence for a moment until they reached A Block. Elara moved her hand over the door button, and it slid open with a quiet hum. Inside, Tidwell stood tall, his hands raised high in triumph.

"Hell yeah! I did it!" Tidwell yelled, his face lighting up with a rare grin.

Elara placed the trays of food on a nearby table and gave a small clap. "Good job!" she said encouragingly.

Tidwell turned to her, momentarily distracted, and lost his balance. With a loud thud, he hit the floor again.

Elara winced but offered a small smile. "Oops. I guess that's something that can't be helped yet."