ToA: Novice (II)

At the time, he thought nothing of it. After Luke had disappeared from Baticul, Van took Asch to Belken. The boy was in the foulest of moods, more so than usual, but this tag along was voluntary. Asch decided to come on his own free will, even though he thought of Van's research with complete disinterest. He had no mission to fulfill, no task to take, so poking around in Van's affairs saved Asch from boredom.

But even that plan didn't last long.

On the way, Van talked nonstop about a specific test subject that was long in the making "She's amazing." He kept saying "And she learns so quickly. My team can hardly keep up!"

Asch the Bloody, one of the most feared out of the six God-Generals, the toughest of the tough, refused to give a damn about some replica girl from the Dawn Age. The year was ND2018. Keyword: ND; New Dawn. It was time to move on.

He set his scowl deep, lazily scanning the town as he walked towards the research lab, Van at his side "What makes her so important, Van? Why are you going through all this trouble to teach her things? You didn't do anything like that with the others." Van smiled "This one was able to carry over a specific power from her original." He said "She's not like the others, Asch."

At the time, Asch didn't think elaborately on what Van ment by 'specific power'. The sketchiness of it all flew right over his head whenever he thought about fomicry, or Van's plans to change the world in general.

Replicas.
Asch had just met his today, and felt angry at how weak he was. It was embarrassing, Asch being so strong while his ‘perfect’ copy was weak. He was pitiful, and anger swelled inside Asch. He would make that replica pay. What a traitor and wimp he was.

"She's even taken on her own personality." Van said. Asch turned his head to look at him. It was funny how Van was thinking about creating replicas, seemingly swooned by this one clone in particular, and Asch was thinking of ways to destroy them, his own especially.

As they entered the lab, Asch looked around curiously. He had only visited the lab a few times, and always came with either Largo or Sync. He didn't know its layout very well. Now that Asch was bored of Van's chatter and was actually paying attention, everything looked new to him. The twists and turns were hazy, but Asch immediately began to picture a map, piece by piece, in his mind and noted that many of the researchers were nothing short of oddballs.

Van lead the way. He shepherded Asch through the labyrinth of bleak, harshly lit rooms. Many workers stopped to talk with Van, others said a rushed hello as they stumbled by with charts and graphs tucked loosely under their arms.

They soon entered the infirmary. A man wearing an oversized white lab coat, who was no older than Van himself, greeted them "How is she doing?" Van inquired casually "Quite well." the doctor replied "She snuck into your room earlier, I suppose to read." The men shared a smile, shaking their heads "She's been doing that a lot lately." Van mused "Come, Asch, I'd like for you to meet someone."

Absentmindedly, Asch followed. His mind wandered, drifting from one topic to the next. He missed his old life - his mother and father, his friends, his childhood - but at the same he thrived in its wake. He could put it all behind him. He had been given a shot at something different, something new and exciting. Yet there were always the "what ifs", and Asch knew he was becoming spiteful from the changes his new life brought. Cutting off all of his old ties meant rebuilding.

Reconstructing a new reputation from the ground up was like grasping at air, trying to make something from nothing.

And he walked through this alone.

Sure, Asch had Van, but there was only so much that his own Master could do for him. Besides, Van had been teaching his replica  how to use a sword for years now. The copy  knew how to fight in the same style both Asch and Van fought in, he knew all of Asch’s fonic artes.

The copy had undoubtedly become a pupil of Van’s, and sharing him was the last straw. It infuriated Asch. He already had to give this weakling his old life - and after meeting the spoiled brat today, he didn't deserve it. Not at all.

Yet through everything he'd seen, Asch felt Van's betrayal the most. Yet what purpose would Van get out of betraying his own pupil, the original? What had Van lied about, if anything? Asch couldn't figure it out, yet the thoughts hounded his mind, even going so far as to chase him in his sleep. Van was hiding something, that much he knew for sure.

The doors to Van's office shimmied open. Books big and small were stacked everywhere, some in teetering piles while other were thrown haphazardly.

A young girl with straight, long blonde hair sat crossed legged on the floor, her back to Van's desk. She blinked as she glanced up at Van, then Asch. Her eyes held a soft violet hue.

Asch's eyes widened, he stared at her as she stared at him. Her face was round and baby like. A long, messily done braid ran down her back and just barely grazed the floor. She was small and skinny, but not at all sickly.

She marked her page, set down the book she was reading, and stood. She wobbled, but clenched her fists tightly and managed to stay upright. She wore a long simple white dress and a green elven cape. She smiled brightly "Hello again." She said to Van. Her voice wasn't highly pitched, it was rather low for a girl's.

Then she turned to Asch "Hi." she said, still smiling "My name is Leeanna." With this, she clasped her hands in front of her. Asch looked at this girl, studied her for a minute, then looked away, annoyed. She acted too humane to be a copy of someone.

Leeanna frowned at this, then looked to Van for an explanation "Leeanna, I'd like you to meet Asch." Van said. He placed his hand on Asch's shoulder, bringing him forward.

Leeanna began to walk towards them, weaving between the books. She moved like a newborn fawn. Asch vaguely wondered if she'd catch her foot on a pile of books she so carelessly threw aside and trip.

But she made it to them, even though she walked slower than Asch's horrible excuse for a replica. Leeanna extended her right hand towards Asch. His gaze flickered to her hand, then he looked back at her waiting face. She flashed him with that plastic, flaky grin "Did you create this mess?" He asked suddenly, gesturing towards the empty bookcases that lined the farthest wall. The action even surprised himself.

The girl frowned, dropping her hand "I guess you're not the friendly type." She muttered. Asch couldn't help but sneer. Leeanna let out a long, heavy sigh "Yes, to answer your question, I was the one who created this mess. And yes, I will be the one to clean it all up." She rolled her eyes "This one's worse than you." Leeanna said, looking at Van.

Van himself couldn’t help but laugh, he wasn't aware Leeanna knew the concept of sarcasm. She definitely knew how to use it. He patted Asch's shoulder and said in an amused tone, like a father talking to his son "I think you two will get along quite well." At this, Asch turned to look at him. He didn't like where this was heading, not at all.

He was a God-General, he wanted to say. God-Generals didn't babysit. And in no way, shape, or form was he going to be the first one to start. His pride couldn't take it. The others, even the girls, would never let him hear the end of it.

But when they left for Daath, they took Leeanna with them. She sat near Asch on the boat. She wasn't exactly next to him, or across from him, but she never really let him out of her sight either.

Asch ignored Leeanna as she spoke. But off and on, he'd answer her, making her believe that he was actually listening to her factual babble.