LAPIS :Chapter 19:

As promised, HERA took charge of Maggie's weapon training after that. Whether or not it was the right decision is something I can't really protest. On the brighter side, Maggie has been making good progress since HERA came. In the few days since, Maggie has mastered unleashing the pistol that is her soul weapon. She also has a good understanding of how to control her power in its raw state, even learning more details on her powers. HERA explained to us that Maggie's power is called "Soul", or under a simpler definition, "Energy." Soul is the ability to harness one's emotions and mental strength into a physical form, as well as certain capabilities. When Maggie asked what she meant, HERA simply looked over her and shrugged.

"I can't tell you what your capabilities will be," HERA answered bluntly.

Maggie looked confused by the answer. "But, shouldn't it of been obvious in the Power Processor?-" Maggie started.

"Ok, first; don't speak the name of that Hell hole again when I'm here, got that?" HERA interrupted, causing Maggie to cringe a bit into herself, "Secondly, no, not always. That place does show off some of your key potential, as we saw that you will seem to have a knack for hand-to-hand combat and that pistol. But, because you are still not fully aware mentally, it won't always show your mental abilities. The only hint we got of your mental status was that flash you did."

"Flash?" I interjected, trying to keep Maggie from having to carry the conversation by herself. HERA looked over at me, annoyed as she usually is to see that I try to get involved. Her expression read plainly just how much she just wanted me to disappear, but unfortunately for her, the “contract” that got me out of the Detention Sector early also gives a Commander’s order that I be involved with all steps of Maggie’s training. Meaning simply; HERA can’t get rid of me.

"Yes, flash. It's a simple term used to describe the quick movement a Jeweloid may use to attack or escape before a normal enemy can react," HERA explained coldly, "It's done by focusing your power into your legs and on the point you wish to reach. The rest is something you learn by practice."

"So it's like a super jump that super heroes do," Maggie commented to herself.

I chuckled a bit, fond of her way of making sense of things. HERA didn't seem too pleased by her action, replying by whacking her hard on the head with the palm of her hand. Maggie jolted on impact, stumbling into me since HERA caught her off guard. Without thinking, I began to put an arm around her, while I checked her head with the other. But, to my dismay, HERA ripped Maggie away from me, pushing her to the other side of the room, while I was kept pinned to the wall by HERA's sharp stare. "A Jeweloid, specifically a Class Zero, does not need the pity of a human. But, we can't show weakness, or else a human may become a power over us," HERA spoke, still staring directly at me, "If that were to happen, what do you suppose could occur, little Class Zero?"

Maggie didn't answer for a moment, still trying to gain her composure back after the hit. Before HERA could say anything else, she responded, "I don't know."

HERA smiled, responding with a sharp slap across my face. I froze in place just as Maggie had the first time HERA had slapped her, but instead of keeping my eyes open, I squeezed them shut.

I didn't want to see Maggie's face.

After a moment, I heard HERA chuckle, "A young man such as this could swallow you whole. He could make you into a simple pawn, and use you for his own gain."

That was the point when anyone could make out the dark side of HERA's involvement. She seems to hate me, and thus has her heart set on making Maggie see me as some kind of enemy. Luckily, Maggie hasn't given much thought to HERA's words. She still comes down to the front doors on her own to say goodbye to me every night. Depending on the events of the day, she'll apologize or thank me, more commonly it's the first. I think she believes that since HERA is here on her behalf, she is responsible for how she treats me. It's kind of her, but I try to relay that I don't blame her at all. She can't help it, even if she wanted to. We both know that we can't reprimand HERA, we're not strong enough.

I'm not strong enough.

I arrived this morning to the surprise that Maggie was waiting for me at the doors. Normally HERA has her preparing by the time I come around, so the sight was odd. Maggie didn't seem to care about the oddity of the circumstances, smiling as she welcomed me back. She quickly started into the plans for the day, excited as she revealed that HERA was gone on diplomatic business, so she was starting basic combat today. I grinned as I watched the joy flow out of Maggie's body, warmth floating on every word she said as she tugged me along toward the new room. HERA's disappearance for the day allowed Maggie to relax and enjoy herself. She also talked to me much more than she had since HERA came, which I strangely found myself enjoying.

Now it's almost time for lunch, and I'm sitting on the side of the patted room, watching Maggie train with a new instructor, Mr. Hanete. Unlike her Soul Weapon, Maggie has picked up combat quickly, much faster than anyone had anticipated to be perfectly honest. When I asked a few minutes ago, Hanete looked at me with wide eyes and admitted that she was already an equal ranking of a red belt, and that she could reach the rank of a 9th degree black belt in only a week. My eyes widened in astonishment, but quickly returned to normal. I suppose I shouldn't have been too surprised. Maggie is definitely lean enough to do such aerodynamic combat, and the way Hanete explains seems to match the way she thinks perfectly.

Now, they're simply sparring, and Maggie is concentrated hard on the padded targets Mr. Hanete wears all over his body. The sight is an odd one, considering that when she's with HERA, her normal strength is gone and any courage she has is depleted to its limits. Now, she is strong and controlled, and almost beating Hanete to a pulp. Each hit causes him to cringe even further into himself, and a final kick to the gut sends him flying back a few feet to land on his side. Maggie immediately checks out of her focus and hurries over to Hanete to make sure he's ok, met with a happy grin and a chuckle. I grin. It seems Hanete likes Maggie as a student.

"Sir, are you alright?!-" Maggie starts.

"Haha, I'm fine Miss," Hanete replies, calling Maggie by his own version of a nickname.

Unlike Anyola or HERA, he has made a loophole, calling Maggie "Miss", which could be assumed as followed by either 009 or Maggie. Maggie seems to accept it, smiling at the name as she stands and he continues to laugh to himself. She waits a moment, before holding her hand out to him, which he takes without a second thought. He takes a deep breath as he stabilizes his footing, before turning to look at me.

"I believe I'm done for the time being," he says simply. Maggie pouts.

"What? No!" she says, "Please, can we keep going?-"

"Haha, I only mean to break for lunch, Miss," he explains, grinning brightly, "We'll start off right where we left off in a bit. You have worn me out with your advanced ability."

Maggie's cheeks redden a bit, taken back by the compliment. "No Sir, I really don't deserve praise. It's my first day-"

"And you're already knocking me off my feet!" Mr. Hanete chuckles, "Truly, you are very agile. It's like you're used to moving like that." Suddenly, Maggie's face goes from red and warm to . . . sad. In fact, it's such a sudden change that Mr. Hanete starts becoming flustered. "Miss, I'm sorry, is something wrong? Was it something I said?"

She quickly shakes her head no, but it's easy to tell from her expression that something implied in Mr. Hanete's words has indeed upset her. I stand and join the two, putting a hand on Hanete's shoulder, catching his attention. "I believe you said it was time for a break, Sir?" I say, giving him a directive look.

He nods, understanding. "Yes, I did. We will begin again in ninety," he replies, before turning his gaze back to Maggie, "Is that alright?"

"Yes . . ." Maggie replies, nodding. She tries hard to return a smile, but whatever has taken hold of her thoughts holds back the warmth she had before. Hanete grins bitter-sweetly, patting her on the shoulder kindly.

With that, Hanete walks away, exiting and leaving Maggie and I to ourselves. It's been some time since we were alone together, so it's quiet for the first minute. I break the silence, "What's wrong?"

She looks up at me, puzzled, "Nothing happened-"

"Don't even try to lie. Something is wrong, or else you'd still be bouncing off the walls," I interrupt, crossing my arms, "So what is it?"

Caught in her lie, she doesn't know what to do, silent for what seems like ages. Then, I hear a little mumble, drawing out my curiosity.

"Maggie?" I say.

"I . . . am used to it," she trails.

I blink in confusion, "What?"

She meets my eyes, looking pained. The sight causes my brow to furrow in concern.

What could it be that's causing her so much distress?

As if she heard my thought, she sighs, "I used to have to move very quickly on my feet. I had to do a lot of training to teach myself how to keep constant control of my movements so I wouldn't mess up. So, because the moves he's teaching me follow similar principles, it's easy for me to understand."

It's at this point I realize that she's talking about something from her past, before she became a Jeweloid. The revelation clears everything for me in terms of why Maggie reacted the way she did. The way Hanete worded his compliment reminded her of something she used to be very involved when she lived with her family, and since she's still new, the topic of her past may still be a touchy subject. I clear my throat, catching her attention.

"It's alright, you don't have to say any more, I understand," I say. My simple words catch her by surprise, apparently expecting me to press the matter further. Though her expression quickly turns calm and content, a small smile forming. I grin, turning, "Want to go get something to eat?"

She blinks in surprise as she speaks, "Together?"

"Yeah, why?" I ask.

Maggie simply stares at me again, increasing my curiosity.

What, it's just lunch, did she expect that I'd just leave her here by herself or something?

Without warning, Maggie trots past me, taking hold of my sleeve as she continues towards the door so to lead me. The movement catches me off guard, but it's not long before I'm back to normal. Once I'm in step, she drops her hold on me, and we simply continue down the hall together, starting simple small talk. Soon we arrive at a small dining area, a guard standing along the wall as we enter. He looks over at us inquisitively before speaking, "Are you currently using this facility?"

"Yes," I answer, "We're on break." For further validation, I pull out a paper Kasami had given me at the end of my first day. At the sight, the guard nods, then turns and walks through a door a foot away, returning shortly with a shorter man. He looks from Maggie to me, then gestures over to a table beside the floor to ceiling window, already set for patrons. Without a word, we walk over to the setting and take a seat. The shorter man holds out a card, which I take, knowing the way of the system. He nods, then leaves, returning to the guard just as another pair enter. The entire process only lasted a few moments, but Maggie looks over at me as if it was an eternity, which causes me to laugh.

Maggie frowns a bit, "What's so funny?"

"You look odd," I answer bluntly.

"Well, I'm sorry for looking odd. That was just weird," she comments, "It was awkward."

"How?" I ask.

"It just was," she replies quickly, apparently flustered about something.

I feel a smirk rising on my lips as I say, "That's not a reason, Maggie."

"Well, I don't know how to put it, it just was weird to me," she answers. With that, Maggie breaks her gaze from mine, turning her sight to the window, which catches her by surprise. "Oh my God!" she breathes.

"What?" I ask.

"The view is amazing!" she answers, moving herself closer to the glass, "I haven't seen outside at all since I got here!"

My eyes widen as I comprehend her words. "Wait, what?" I say.

"Since I woke up, I haven't seen anything but steel walls," Maggie says, her eyes locked on the view in excitement, but her tone wavering between normal and saddened, "I was beginning to think Earth no longer existed . . . that the Sun had simply gone out and that the sky no longer lit up all blue. I've missed it."

A lump forms in my throat. I never thought I'd feel guilt for having stepped outside, but Maggie's words could cause anyone heartache. The way she has become overjoyed by simply seeing the sky makes me feel vain and selfish. And it's not just her happiness, it's the added fact that before now, Maggie never once said a thing about wishing to see outside. She stayed quiet, maybe because she just hadn't thought about it, maybe she didn't want to be a bother. . . .

Maybe she didn't want to see the world she'd once known corrupted and changed.

"I recognize that mountain."

Her words pull me from my thoughts, "Hmm?"

"That mountain in the distance, I know it. I saw it once when we were driving from Seattle," Maggie says, grinning a bit, "That's nice. The landscape hasn't change that much."

"Well, a lot of structures from your time period are still around, we just don't know what they all are," I reply.

Maggie's eyes widen, finally tearing from the window to meet mine. "Like, houses?" she questions.

"Yeah, some. Though, many are bigger structures, specifically those that are still around are on the east coast-" I start.

"New York?" she interrupts.

"Yes, I believe that's one of the cities. There's a really tall building there-"

"The Empire State Building?"

"I don't know, no one does," I chuckle, "Specific names like that are lost. I just know there is a tall building there that has survived."

She doesn't seem too pleased by my answer, but goes quiet, returning to look out at the rolling hills around us. The scenery is quite nice, as she pointed out. Gelus sits in a small valley among mountains, the facility we're in built into the side of one of the shorter peaks. The shoulder we're currently facing is open, but nearby are thick plots of trees and small creaks, which you can easily hear when walking in and out of the building. Though of course, Maggie isn't aware of that. Her eyes are focused on the clear stream that flows through the base of Gelus' right wing to the other side, reflecting very nicely against the bright light of the sun high in the sky. There are few clouds, each pure white and fluffy, which can be seen on the surface of the running water. A content smile sets on her face, and before long she sighs.

"It reminds me of home," she comments quietly, "We lived about five miles outside Anchorage, separated, but close enough that we didn't feel too secluded. My house was on a hillside, the patio faced out toward the shoulder, toward the road below, and the lake beyond that. In the summer, when it was nice, we'd all go out to the lake and kayak."

I watch her silently, not wanting to interrupt as she continued on thinking, "There was a stream that ran down the hill parallel to our house to the lake, but you couldn't follow it all the way there 'cause half way down it curved into the forest, and it was really thick. But it wasn't a big deal, we enjoyed the part we knew, it was deep and when we were young, it was our kiddy pool. I first learned how to swim in that stream. . . ."

A grin rises on my cheeks as she laughs to herself, "Then there was that one time Charlie dunked Dawn so deep that he got clay in his hair and Mom got really mad 'cause we had Aunt Tammy's wedding that day. Charlie had to wash him off and then wasn't allowed to go to the reception. He was angry too, 'cause we ended up getting to ride horses. He loved horses."

Without realizing it, I've become fully entranced by Maggie's recounts. The way she speaks of her childhood sounds strangely similar to mine, though of course my home wasn't near a lake, or in the mountains to be frank. I lived where the plains met the forests to the west and north. It was hilly along one side of the city with peaks of true mountains far off in the distance, but on the other it was as flat as paper. The landscape was different, but just the way she remembers nature intertwined with her family's day to day life is familiar to how I recall the past.

"Isugoro?"

I blink, surprised to find Maggie looking over at me, her eyes slightly large as she stares. "W-What?" I stutter.

Maggie grins. "You were staring at me," she replies.

"Oh, sorry, I was just . . . thinking," I apologize, causing her to chuckle.

"You're fine," she replies, before gesturing to the card in my hand, "What does that do?"

"Oh, this?" I say, "It's simple."

Without another word, I pull out the holograph rod, clicking the button on the top to activate the screen. At the sight of it, Maggie's jaw drops in astonishment, causing me to laugh to myself as I open a code screen. "Now, with the card, if I reflect it against the screen, the code on the side will allow us to open the menu, thus allowing us to pick our lunch," I explain, showing her as I hold the card parallel to the screen. After a moment, the embedded code accepted, and the screen shuffles through a few colored flashes before the menu pops up. Maggie simply stares, unable to say anything as I try to hand her the rod. She looks baffled by it, looking back up at me for guidance. "Alright, hold it by the rod," I say with a short sigh, "If you click one of the names, it'll show you what the food looks like."

She nods, before cautiously taking it from me. Once in her grasp, Maggie holds it as if it's an exquisite antique, her eyes tracing every detail as she carefully clicks one of the names. As I said, the action causes the screen to morph into the image of the food she picked, which in this case turns out to be a simple pasta dish, spaghetti. The sight startles Maggie for a moment, before her eyes light up in happiness, looking to meet mine.

"They have spaghetti?!" she breaths in excitement.

"Yes, they do," I reply simply, raising an eyebrow, "It's what I normally get."

Maggie gasps, "You like spaghetti too?"

"I mean yeah, it's better than a sandwich-" I start.

"Spaghetti is my favorite!" she chuckles, before pressing the order button, "I'll take that!"

I grin as she hands it back to me, allowing me to place my own order, which is spaghetti as well. She is way too excited, but at the same time, I sort of understand her reaction. I wish I could be eating one of my dad's burgers, they're juicy and fresh, and the taste is the perfect balance of tangy and sweet. Damn, just the thought is beginning to make my mouth water a bit.

"You're dad makes burgers?" Maggie asks innocently. I'm caught off guard by her question, my breath catching strangely in my throat, causing me to cough hard. Maggie's brow furrows a bit as she watches me compose myself, unsure how to take my reaction. "Sorry, I heard a bit of it. I still haven't fully grasped how to cut off your thoughts from my own," she explains with a grimace.

"I-It's fine," I stutter, clearing my throat, "Yes, he does."

Maggie grins, "Are you close to your dad?"

"I guess," I answer without thinking.

Maggie's brow raises as a smile forms. "Oh, I see. You're a Mama's boy," she laughs.

"What makes you think that?" I ask with a bit of resignation.

"The way your tone changed when I asked about your dad. Besides, you seem more like the type to be closer to your mother," she explains, "You think more than most guys. That's a tip-off."

"Really now?" I ask with a small grin, "Alright then, what about you?"

"What about me?" she responds.

"I'm gonna take a wild guess and say you're more a Daddy's girl yourself."

A bit of red rises in Maggie's cheeks, and she looks away, muttering, "You don't know anything about my daddy-"

"The fact that you just called him "daddy" proves it-" I interrupt.

"Shut up!" she groans, turning redder, causing me to break out in laughter. Maggie huffs as I lean over the table chuckling, seemingly annoyed by my enjoyment. But, underneath the frown, I see a hint of contentment in her expression. As I begin to quiet down, she sighs, leaning back against the chair, "Yes, I'll admit it. I am . . . was, a daddy's girl. But, I wouldn't say I loved my dad more than my mom. Mom was always there for me, especially during training and lessons. She was smart and quick to fix a problem, and I adored her for it. Dad, worked as a pilot. He carried cargo for some of the bigger retail companies in Anchorage, so he was busy a lot of the time. When he was home, he did his best to plan family outings and make time for each of us. I was closer to him mainly because we had very similar ways of thinking. You would've loved to see us during an election, because holy shit, we wouldn't shut up."

"Sounds like my dad," I comment.

Maggie blinks in surprise. "Hmm?" she questions.

"My dad doesn't shut up when it comes to politics. He's a very out-spoken person," I explain, "He'll argue something until the person against him gives up."

"So, he's stubborn then," she adds.

"Stubborn as a jackass is what my mom says."

Maggie chuckles, "That's nice."

I grin as I reply, "Yeah, but he's Dad. I strive to be as dauntless as he is."

Maggie's eyes spark as she replies, "Dauntless is he?"

"Yeah, he's not afraid to speak his mind," I say with a nod.

"He's not even afraid of heights?" Maggie asks.

I blink in confusion. "Uh, I'm not sure, I've never really paid attention," I reply.

My response causes Maggie to giggle to herself, which I pass over as I stand. My focus lands on the glasses of water sitting nearby on a secluded table. I take two, then look up, surprised to find the room, which had been empty when we entered, nearly full, groups packed into tables all around us. My eyes widen in shock.

Had I really not noticed anyone that's here besides Maggie?

Maggie seems to notice my confusion when I return to the table and hand her her drink, as one of her eyebrows raises in curiosity. "What's wrong?" she asks.

"Had you noticed everyone come in?" I reply by asking another question.

She blinks, then shrugs, "I mean, yeah. It's kinda loud in here, I don't see how someone couldn't notice them. Why?"

"No reason, just wondering," I answer vaguely, taking a sip of the water. It's clean and soothing, but for some reason, it has an odd taste to it. In fact, the water here has always tasted strangely, but I've never questioned it. I just assume it's how the streams take up particles or something like that. Who knows?

She sighs, taking a sip as well. "You really like to be vague, don't you?" she asks.

I raise an eyebrow, curious as I ask, "What do you mean?"

"You don't like to say a lot about yourself," she replies, "For instance, the most I've gotten out of you about your past is that your Dad is stubborn and you're a Mama's boy."

"I showed you where I'm from-" I start.

"You pointed at a map of a country that no longer exists, and even then the way you picked only gave me a small idea of what state it could be," Maggie interrupts, "I've told you a lot more about me. What is it that you don't want anyone to know?"

How the hell did this conversation go from the people in the room to my past? Honestly, I have no clue, it came out of nowhere. I'll give Maggie credit for her ability to turn the conversation, but even so, I'm not sure what to say.

"There's nothing to say Maggie-"

"Spaghetti?"

Our attention is pulled by the appearance of the short man from before, who holds two plates of steaming spaghetti in both palms. Without a word, he places the food in front of us, before nodding and walking off, leaving Maggie and I bewildered and unsure of where to start.

"Isu-" Maggie starts.

"Eat, Maggie," I instruct, catching her by surprise, "There's nothing to be said on the topic."

Aware that her attempt has been denied, Maggie sinks a bit in her chair. But, she doesn't press further, quietly beginning her to eat, cutting the noodles down to allow for easier consumption. I don't care, I simply eat them as nicely as I can without causing a mess. We don't speak for the rest of the meal. I will be truthful when I admit that the situation does make me wish I had handled the topic a bit differently, but I can't change anything now. I'll accept the silence if it means that we won't argue. I have a feeling that if we were to argue, it wouldn't be a simple back and forth. Maggie is very spirited, so the thought of riling her up only calls for caution.

Before either of us take notice, an hour has past. Both of us have finished, and with my gesture, we both stand, leaving the now crowded dining area for the training room. We walk for a minute or two silent, before I finally can't stand the silence anymore.

"Maggie, di-" I start.

"The spaghetti was good," she interrupts by accident. Her eyes widen in surprise, looking up at me as soon as she realizes what happened. "I-I'm sorry, what were you saying?" she asks.

"I was going to ask what you thought of the food," I answer with a small grin, "But you just answered."

Maggie looks a bit relieved, giggling slightly as she speaks, "Oh, I didn't mean to cut you off, I just thought I'd start a new conversation."

I show her a small smile as I answer quietly, "I guess we had the same thought."

She looks up at me and gives an understanding smile, her perkiness returning as we continue down the hall, entering the training room to find Hanete still gone. By now, she and I have almost returned to how we were prior to the sour note we hit at lunch, laughing about how I ate. We walk to the middle of the room, before Maggie suddenly stops in front of me. I stop, taken back by her random action.

"Maggie, what's up?" I ask.

"Spar."

"What?" I question, raising an eyebrow.

Without warning, she whips around, her arm coming up aiming to cut across my face. At last second, my arm pulls up to guard the hit, successful as Maggie pauses, smiling. My eyes are wide in confusion by this point, startled and perplexed. "Wh-What are you-" I start.

"I want to know how good you are," Maggie speaks, "I wanted to ask you about it at lunch, but it never came up. I never saw any video from the Power Processor, but I heard that when I tried to attack you, you held me off pretty well. I'm curious."

"Is this really something to do now, considering that one wrong hit to the gut and one of us will be seeing our lunch again?" I ask.

Maggie shrugs, "I'm not looking for gut busters. I just want to see if you can stay up."

"Maggie, I've been a soldier for almost three years. I've been trained in combat for four. You just started today," I point out, "I don't think it's fair."

Her eyes widen in shock at my comment, before they narrow in a way to make her stare threatening. My heart rate picks up a bit as she steps a little closer, "Do you believe that you're better than me?"

"N-No, it's simply the fact that I am more advanced in combat than you-" I start.

Another throw of her arm aims at the parallel spot on my face, and again, I dodge, but with greater difficultly since I had to guard with my non-dominant arm. Maggie picks up on the difference quickly, pulling her arm back with a quick flick to take hold of my wrist, twisting it sharply. The action causes me to turn abruptly and my arm to be pinned to my back. With no choice but to fight her back, I throw my free elbow out to catch her attention while I try to sneak my foot behind hers. The gag works, and I'm able to make Maggie loosen her hold as she tries to catch her balance and restate her footing. Using the opening to my advantage, I turn back to face her, hoping to gain the upper hand by catching her wrists this time. Unfortunately, she surprises me by trying to throw a hook. I dodge by falling back, catching myself by flipping back up, thus missing her attempt to take out my feet. She jumps back as I return to my feet, and we both stop for a moment to simply look over each other.

Though, the break is short, and before I know it, the floor is in front of me with wisps of blue coming into view from the side. I blink in astonishment.

She pinned me.

Maggie smiles triumphantly down at me, propped above me, holding one arm pinned to my back and the other pinned to the matted floor. From the angle, her hair seems to be glowing under the bright lights, but I try not to focus on it as I come to terms with the reality of what just happened. Without really trying, or any real training, Maggie was able to beat me. That means that a skilled Jeweloid would be able to take me out easy. A regular Jeweloid, I believe Class Three, is the equivalent of a Noxcus.

At this rate, a Noxcus could take me out, but not Maggie. I'm weaker than her, and I made the promise to protect her.

I can't protect her.