I will strive beyond this cursed bloodline!

She was thinking if this was a good idea or not.

 

"So what [Echidna] just fixed your skill?" Asked Elizabeth to the girl in front of her.

 

The restaurant was abandoned after the last client left, no new ones came in, even though she could see that it was still in the afternoon. Even so, no one had asked them to leave, so she was just drinking from her glass of water. The owner seemed to know this girl.

 

"I mean...She just helped me to control it more precisely...?" Said in a questioning tone Zoe. "You can't really [Fix] these without diving into the skill...But [Echidna] doesn't encourage that...And if you mess it up you can worsen your [Bad Trigger] so not many do that."

 

So that [Villain] either had a [Skill] that allowed her some control over other's skills...Or she had a way to suppress skills...That wasn't such a rare [Skill]. The owner of the restaurant seemed to have a variation of such power since she still couldn't control the shadows here...

 

Besides those under their table, but even those couldn't really extend very far from her.

 

"And she does this...Service...From the goodness of her heart?" Said Elizabeth in a mocking tone.

 

No one would believe a [Villain] would do that after all...Actually...She didn't really have proof of anything this girl was saying, did she?

 

"That's a good one red-eyes." Answered Zoe while laughing in her seat. "Nah, [Echidna] is a good to god (Or Devil) [Villain]. If you want her to help you have to either promise to not mess with her." She said while bringing a blue notebook with the words [Peace] on it.

 

The girl opened and it was full of names and signatures, with some small descriptions and photos of people, most of them had some grade of red in their eyes.

 

"That would mean you sign one of these notebooks and she will make sure that so long you are under her area of influence your skill will not go out of control. And if it does, she will make sure to help you deal with the...[Problems] from it. You will, however [Pledge] to not get in her or her associates' way." Finished saying Zoe while showing her the notebook. At the end of it was an open spot and a pen ready for her to write with.

 

"Or..."She said while closing the notebook and offering her a red bracelet with the motif of Cerberus, the three-headed dog guardian of the netherworld. "You work for [The Hydra's Fang]. And we will make sure you get your [Skill] under control. Teach you ways to mitigate the [Taint] and help you. Of course, the more committed you are, the better the treatment..."

 

That was a tempting offering, if nothing else she would need help to rein in her [Skill's Temper]. And besides...Her father had suggested her as an option to work with...

 

"...Fine." Said the girl while grabbing the red bracelet. "Do I use two of these then?"

 

"Hah! Of course not. That is for when you are working with us." Answered Zoe while showing her a silver one like the one Rossie had. "Our [Tinker] doesn't like those made by others. So don't carry yours while working with us. Also, leave any tech not provided by [The Hydra's Fang] while under work..." Said Zoe while grabbing another note from her backpack.

 

She gave Elizabeth the note "These are the instructions for the next recruitment notice. After the [Heroes] hit us last time [Echidna] ordered a new recruitment notice so you are in luck." Added the violet-haired girl.

 

Elizabeth grimaced at the thought that her Father was the one orchestrating that.

 

For her part, Zoe didn't seem to care that much "See you there Red-Eyes..." And said so while standing, only to hit her forehead with one of his hands "Oh right...What was your name again?" And ask her for her name.

 

Right...She didn't introduce herself...

 

"Oh, I'm Al..." Started saying only to stop herself, a cold shiver running from in her back.

 

"Oooh...Right, use a fake name if you don't intend to work with us too long, glad you noticed it before giving away your identity red-eyes...Not that it will work with me since I know your face already." Smirked the violet hair girl.

 

'What was I about to say? Alexa?... Why?' For her part Elizabeth was just confused, her brain racing for answers.

 

"...You can call me Alice." Settled Elizabeth in the end, she wasn't planning on using her real name with this [Shift] anyway...And since she started saying a name with an Al, she needed one on that theme.

 

But she was worried, she looked into the shadows below the table. 'Are they affecting my mind?' Thought the girl.

 

'And if they are...Why was I going to use Alexa's name?' More and more questions.

 

"...It doesn't fit you red-eyes." Said Zoe while smiling. "You don't look like an innocent girl traveling a marvelous world full of dreams."

 

She...Didn't think of herself like that, she was just stuck with a name that needed to start with Al!

 

"But then again..." Started saying, Zoe. "You will indeed dive deep into the Rabbit's hole that is the underworld of a powered...Pleasure working with you Alice." Finished saying Zoe while extending her hand.

 

Elizabeth took that hand in a firm handshake. Glaring at the violet-haired girl for her bad-tasting joke.

 

For her part, Zoe didn't seem to mind it that much. "Don't be late for the meeting, and don't eat too much. See you tomorrow." And on that note, she left the restaurant. Leaving Elizabeth on her table with a new bracelet and another series of doubts to check on.

 

Was it true that her skill was [Tainted] by someone else [Skill]?

 

Powered [Triggered] before coming to school?

 

If so...How come she never felt this [Connection] to her shadows before then?

 

"We have extra bedding if you need somewhere to spend the night..." Said a meek voice, bringing Elizabeth out of her musings.

 

She found the waiter girl looking at her. She was pointing at the stairs at the end of the restaurant. "It's okay," Said Elizabeth while fishing her phone from one of the pockets in her hoodie.

 

"Amm...." Started saying the girl while looking at her phone. "If you start working with Zoe...You will need a new phone." Said the girl while running towards the back of the restaurant.

 

This time her running didn't blur, but that in turn made her notice how each of her steps seemed measured as if she didn't want to overextend and was making a conscious effort so they all traveled the same distance.

 

After a few minutes, she returned back with a coupon "I break my phone often so I have some extra coupons...If you show them the red bracelet Zoe gave you and this one, you will be able to get a new phone not tied that deeply to the network of [The Twelve]." Afterward, the girl ran to check what the new customers wanted.

 

It seemed that they started flocking in right after Zoe left.

 

She pocketed the coupon and stood up. "Thank you for the meal." She waved at the waiter girl and decided her next course of action, she would need to return to the library and search more about [Trigger Events].

 

She needed to make sure the information about the age of [Triggers] was right. The book she read before only spoke about the forming of [Skills] and why [Bad Triggers] harmed their users. But it didn't speak about the age.

 

"Miss, it will be $27.66 for both meals." Someone said when she walked by the cashier.

 

"Zoe didn't pay her part?" Asked the blonde while searching in her purse for a wallet.

 

"She never does, most of the clients know to not let her order food for that same reason." Said the cashier, he looked somewhat familiar...

 

Was he the same guy that threw chopsticks at Zoe to stop her skill? She felt like she knew the man before that though...

 

"Will you use cash, credit, or charge it to the bracelet?" Asked the mysterious man.

 

For her part, Elizabeth was about to answer credit, but then her attention got picked at the last word. "Can you charge it to this one too?" Asked the girl showing the red bracelet.

 

The man seemed to pick on her idea to try and charge it to Zoe, but he shrugged "Your funeral." And scan the engraving on the bracelet.

 

It charged normally without any alarms, and afterward, he gave her the ticket. It seemed that Zoe had also asked for a take-out (The Gall!). But the ticket didn't say any name at the part where the owner of the bill was.

 

It however had some weird letters that read [ᛏᚱᛅᛁᚾᛁᛁᛋᛋ: ᛅᚴ: ᛅᚢᚴᛋᛋᛅᛁᚾ], might be bugged the printer or something.

 

She pocketed the ticket for later and walked to the outside world. She now was wearing the red bracelet since it seemed to have some cash on it, having saved her onyx one in her [Inventory].

 

Her shadows were now calmer too, and she didn't feel the [Hunger] anymore. She wasn't sure if it was because of what she had eaten or because she now knew that her skill was somehow [Tainted].

 

She didn't like how that sounded, so for now she would go back to the Library.

 

The return wasn't as fun as her travel here, she had some other options for the library according to her map, but since these were smaller she wanted to go to a bigger one. And the one she visited in the morning was among the biggest ones.

 

"Can I help you...Miss?" Said the receptionist, somehow with a more cutting tone than the one in the morning.

 

That surprised Elizabeth since in the morning she had been so accommodating.

 

"I need to look for some information in one of the booths." Said Elizabeth while waiting to see if the booth she had used before was open.

 

For her part, the receptionist just arched one of her eyebrows and typed something into her computer. "It seems we are full. I can recommend you one of our partner libraries...One that is more accommodating to your [Condition]." Said the receptionist while a couple of guards walked into the reception.

 

Something weird was going on here.

 

"My condition?" Asked Elizabeth confused.

 

For her part, the receptionist just pointed to her bracelet, the red one. "I [Know] what one of those means. And we can't have you endangering our customers...No matter what you peasants say. You all are dangerous." Said the receptionist while motioning for the security guards. "These fine gentlemen will escort you outside."

 

At this both guards took a step towards her, one of them seemed more imposing, and she could see a gold bracelet on him. "Miss, this way please." Said one of them while the other one seemed to start to shine in a subdued way.

 

She focused her senses on her shadows, feeling that she could extend them if she wanted, but it seemed that something was pushing them down. Not allowing them to rise.

 

She had the feeling that she could break past that, but under whatever that was pushing her shadows down was a [Knowing]. A feeling that if she broke past that the shadows would be unhinged.

 

She almost could feel as if her eyes would start shining red if she allowed her shadows to go free.

 

"...Fine. Can I have that list of libraries...And will I be able to access the same information there as here?" Asked Elizabeth, not wanting to risk leaving her [Shadows] to go free.

 

The receptionist just huffed while writing haphazardly something in a Post-it and throwing it her way. "There. Now stop bothering my customers." The Post-it landed on the floor almost half a meter away from her.

 

So she picked it up from the floor and started walking towards the entrance. "Sorry about that." Said one of the guards. When they arrived at the entrance. "I have a niece that is [Tainted] too. So I know you all aren't dangerous."

 

The other one wasn't as forgiving. "Stop talking to the freak." He said while shoving Elizabeth when they were out of the library.

 

She didn't fall to the ground thanks to her higher dexterity, but she still found that annoying. When she turned to complain what she found was an extended hand that was shining under the effect of a [Skill].

 

And when she turned to the other guard he just looked apologetic, but his right hand was still firm on her left, and while it wasn't pointing at her, it was however, shining too. He also was preparing a [Skill]. Probably whatever skill they got from an artifact.

 

Since they were guards probably had some variation of a restraining skill.

 

She couldn't help but laugh at that, and while doing so, she soon found her reflection in one of the doors. Her eyes were still red, even if they weren't shining as before, her black hair was messy from being shoved and pushed all the way to the outside.

 

And if she saw something like that laughing she would probably steer clear too. It didn't help her that the shadows under her were squirming as if they wanted to retaliate. Overall?

 

She looked like a deranged girl with bubbling shadows under her feet.

 

"Thank you for your understanding." Said Elizabeth while giving a small bow towards the guardsmen. The one that had apologized seemed thrown off by her actions.

 

While the other just narrowed his eyes. Ready to move at the first hostile movement of the girl.

 

Elizabeth for her part just carried on. "Send my regards to your niece." And after that, she turned and started walking towards the street once again.

 

She would try one of the other libraries on the list...She could return here after turning off her [Shift]. She hadn't this problem in her normal form after all. So perhaps this shift was more attuned to her [Skill] with the shadows...

 

Well...No, that was a lie. She had this problem before when she lost her temper...Granted she had wanted to attack in those instances...

 

But no. She would not return to that library anymore.

 

Could she return while using the onyx bracelet her father had given her? Yes.

 

But she wouldn't.

 

This was something more to do with her Pride. She would not allow herself to be treated like this... She wasn't sure what kind of things her onyx bracelet afforded her, nor how those that helped her would benefit from that.

 

But she wouldn't give them whatever perks it granted them after helping her. Instead, she would only strive to use what she had.

 

She would earn her things with her own work. She would earn her place in the world. And if she needed to work under a [Villain] to get control of her [Skill] and free herself from that supposed [Taint]?

 

She would.

 

But for now?

 

For now, she would go and get a new phone since the shop that she was pointed to was on the way.

 

What?

 

You can't give a girl a discount coupon and expect her to not use it.

 

Besides, she wanted to see what she would find when searching [Shadow Pact] on a phone that didn't have a filter made by one of her Father's friends...

 

For research purposes obviously...