Chapter 17: Broken promise
The air went still. The grinding of metal, the crash of waves below, it all faded from Arisa's awareness. All that existed was the two men in front of her. Distro shifted first, stepping wide to the right. Flair's palms ignited, blue fire roared to life.
Arisa moved instantly, darting toward the nearest container as the flames surged past her, missing by inches. The fire didn't stop. It warped, bent, curling around the metal, closing in on her position.
Heat slammed into her, Arisa's skin burned. The container she pressed against began to sear her palms, forcing her back with a sharp hiss of pain. She let out an angered yell, then planted her foot. driving a brutal push kick into the container. The entire thing lurched, then slid fast.
Flair laughed at first, feeding the flames. Blue fire flooding the deck, lighting the ship like a distorted sunrise. Then he noticed, his flames were closing in on him. His eyes snapped open but it was too late. The container slammed into him with crushing force, knocking the air from his lungs as the flames cut out instantly.
Distro wasn't laughing, he was already moving. His teeth clenched as he charged forward, hammer in hand. Arisa met him head on. She expected to be faster. The hammer was massive, slow. Or so she thought.
A sharp, unnatural click echoed from the weapon as Distro twisted its handle. The glow intensified. The hammer came down fast. Too fast. Arisa barely slipped to the side, the strike missing her head by inches, but it threw her balance off completely.
The hammer slammed into the deck with a loud boom. Metal warped beneath it. Distro released the weapon instantly, and drove a vicious uppercut toward her.
Arisa snapped her head back, the fist grazing her chest and chin. She reacted immediately. Both her hands locked onto his arm. She yanked it inward, then jumped. Her legs wrapped around his neck and chest, her body twisting mid-air as she dropped her weight. Forcing him down on one knee. She locked it, an arm bar.
Distro grunted, muscles bulging violently as he tried to tear free. Arisa leaned back further, tightening her grip. The tension built, until a crack was heard. Not bone, not yet. But it was getting close.
Distro roared. He surged upward, standing fully despite the hold. His free hand grabbed his own forearm, dragging Arisa up with him. He prepared to slam her, but she released. Her body snapped backwards as a kick exploded into his face and chest, flipping her cleanly through the air before Landing low.
"FLAME WALL!"
Flair's voice tore through the chaos. A streak of blue fire carved across the deck before surging upward into a towering wall of flame, racing toward Arisa.
She jumped back, but the fire clipped her. Arisa's hair ignited, her vision burned. A low grunt escaped her as she stumbled, eyes forced shut. Everything went black. All she felt was Heat and Pain. Her eyes were charred, bleeding. The blood turned black, then began to reform. Rebuild. Arisa gritted her teeth, her body trembling as her vision forced itself back into existence.
Suddenly, Distro moved through the flame wall. Hammer in hand as he swung. She didn't see it coming. The hammer landed with devastating impact. Her body was launched off the deck floor, flying in a blur before slamming into a nearby container. Metal dented inward as she hit, her body embedding into the container.
Distro walked toward her slowly. "You got some damn guts," he muttered. He reached forward into the container and tore her free before lifting her by the neck. She hung limp, eyes closed.
"Did you kill her?" Flair asked, stepping closer, smoke still rising faintly from his hands.
"Don't know," Distro said, glancing at her. "Girl's tougher than she looks."
"No shit," Flair scoffed. "She threw a whole damn container at me."
——
"T-thank you… thank you so much…" The woman's voice trembled as she clutched the boy's hands, tears streaming down her face before she let go and ran with the others.
The keys jingled softly as the boy turned to the final container. Unlocking it was easy, opening it wasn't. The lever resisted him completely. His arms shook. His breathing grew heavy, but it wouldn't budge. Eventually he grabbed a nearby cloth, wrapping it around the handle for grip. Then threw his weight into it.
Once, twice, on the third attempt a clank was heard. The seal broke, the container doors creaked open. Inside, the captives stared. Confused, terrified. Only a boy stood before them.
"C-come on…" he said, trying to steady his voice. "Follow me. Stay quiet." They hesitated for a moment then moved. One by one, they followed him.
He led them down the ramp, the ship behind them looming like a shadow. They were almost clear, Then came a loud boom. The sound of impact echoed from above. The boy froze, his heart dropped. Arisa.. Without hesitation he turned.
"W-what are you doing?!" a young man grabbed his arm. "Come with us!"
"There's one more person," the boy said, pulling free. "She has to make it out."
"You're crazy!" the man snapped. "What if they catch you again?! You saved us, we can't just leave you!"
The boy stopped. For just a moment, Arisa's face flashed through his mind, her voice, her promise. "If it wasn't for her…" he said quietly, "…none of us would be out here." He turned and ran back.
"Wait!" The man called, but the boy didn't stop. He disappeared back into the ship. The remaining captives hesitated. Then panic took over, They fled into the night.
The young man lingered a second longer, almost going after the boy. Almost. But in the end he turned, and ran.
——
Distro still held Arisa up, her body hanging in his grip. Flair was stepping forward, scanning the deck, eyes narrowing as the wind whipped across the open lanes between containers.
"How does a member of the C.F.R end up here?" Flair muttered, more to himself than anyone. "It doesn't add up… did they send her?"
"And there's no way those idiots captured her," Distro added, watching Arisa closely for any sign of movement. "We question them when they wake."
"If they wake," Flair replied, already stepping toward one of the downed men.
"Let her go!" A voice cut through the air. Both men snapped their heads forward.
It was The Boy, Standing Alone…Arisa's eyes shot open. They flicked to the side, locking onto him. Why did he come back? Arisa couldn't help but think.
Flair stepped forward, his expression hardening. "Not a smart choice, kid," he said coldly. "You should've left." His palm raised, Blue fire flickered to life. It spiraled tight at first then grew, swelling into a dense, swirling sphere of heat and light.
Arisa's teeth clenched, Distro felt it. The subtle shift in her body. But by the time he reacted, Crack!
Arisa's knee slammed into his face. His head snapped back violently, blood spraying from his nose as his grip broke. The war hammer slipped from his hand, clanging heavily onto the deck. Arisa dropped and moved.
Without hesitation, she seized the hammer. The weight dragged at her arms, veins bulging as she forced it into motion. She leapt, twisted and brought it crashing sideways into Flair.
The impact sent him flying, his flame collapsing mid-release as his body spun across the deck and slammed into the ship's railing. He barely caught himself with one arm, the other hanging limp, broken.
But the ball of flame had already left his hand. It roared forward. The boy tried to move, but he was too slow. The fire struck, engulfing him.
His scream tore through the deck as his body was launched backward, slamming against the metal. Blue flames clung to him, burning violently as he rolled, crying out in pain.
"Fuck—fuck!" Arisa rushed to him instantly, dropping the hammer and ripping off her jacket. She smothered the flames, pressing down hard, extinguishing what she could.
The damage was severe. Burned skin across most of his body, raw and brittle. But he was still alive, barely. Arisa looked around, panicked. She didn't know what to do
Behind her, Distro hauled Flair back over the railing, dragging him onto the deck. Flair hit the floor hard, breathing heavy. "Damn it…" he muttered, clutching his arm. "She got me good… arm's done."
Distro blew out the blood from his nose, eyes locked on Arisa. "She's strong…" he said low. "…but she's got a weakness."
Flair followed his gaze. He saw Arisa holding the boy, looking lost, Vulnerable. A slow smirk spread across his face. "A soft mind like that…" he muttered, rising to his feet. His good arm lifted, blue flames igniting again, stronger this time.
Arisa looked down at the boy. "Can you swim?" she asked quickly.
"H-huh…?" he choked out.
"Can you move and swim?" she pressed.
"Yes…" the boy whispered.
Flair roared. "Won't get you far in this world!" The flame surged, bigger and deadlier.
That was enough, Arisa didn't hesitate. She threw him, his body flew over the edge of the ship. Their eyes locked, just for a moment. Then, the flame hit. It slammed into Arisa, swallowing her in blue fire.
The boy's body struck the water below with a distant splash. The dock was still close. If he could swim, he might make it. That's all she could hope for. Arisa's body skidded across the deck before she caught herself on all fours, the air changed. Almost as if it shifted. Distro and Flair both felt it. Their eyes now locked onto her.
Arisa rose. Fire still clung to her skin, but it was being blown away by a sudden strong gust of wind. Her body was already healing, this time Faster. Her purple eyes burned brighter than ever. Suddenly she moved towards them.
"S-shit…" Flair let out as he stumbled back. But Distro stepped forward, grabbing the hammer as he charged toward her.
They met again, Distro swung downward. But Arisa had already seen this move. She pivoted left, clean and precise. The hammer slammed into the deck. She was already in the perfect angle. Her body coiled then exploded with torque, a devastating left hook drove into Distro's stomach.
The force lifted him slightly off the ground, the air ripped from his lungs as he dropped, hunched over. Arisa moved instantly, slipping behind him and locking her hands at his waist. She lifted, and drove him backward in a brutal suplex.
His body folded violently on impact, head and shoulders slamming into steel before collapsing flat.
Arisa was already up. She flipped him over, and struck. His head bounced off the metal. She struck again, this time the deck dented beneath him.
She raised her hand for a third, until Blue flames spiraled towards her. She stepped aside swiftly. The fire roared past, barely missing Distro's body.
Her eyes snapped to Flair, he raised his arm again but she didn't wait. Arisa grabbed the hammer, Spun. And hurled it.
Flair dove to the side, clutching his arm as the hammer tore past him, smashing into a distant container with a thunderous crash. Arisa stepped forward, Ready. Then she stopped.
Footsteps, From below. They were heavy and fast. Four D.O.P soldiers emerged onto the deck, their weapons in hand. They saw Flair first, then Arisa. Instantly they raised their weapons towards her.
"No!" Flair shouted, still on the ground. "Go to the helm! Get this ship moving!"
The soldiers hesitated. "But sir—"
"GO!" Flair roared. They obeyed, running to the helm.
"That won't help you," Arisa said, now standing behind him. Flair turned, her leg was already in motion. An axe kick dropped toward his head.
He barely rolled away, her heel slammed into the deck. Denting the metal floor. She followed him. But Distro was already behind her, arms wide. Going for a grab.
Arisa leaned back, Her elbow drove backward straight into his chest. The impact knocked the breath from him instantly. She couldn't follow up, Flair was already in front of her again. Hand thrusting forward, a small flame forming.
She pivoted, caught his wrist and redirected. His palm slammed into Distro. The explosion erupted outward, Blue fire bursting across his body as he was sent flying back.
"Distro!" Flair shouted.
Arisa was still holding his wrist, she yanked him towards her. Hand locking around his throat as she drove down. Choke slamming him against the deck. Flair's body bounced. He was dazed, but Arisa didn't stop. Her fist came down, brutal and final. He went limp, unconscious.
She looked up, just in time. To see Distro's boot. Crack! It connected clean with her face. Her head snapped back violently as she was launched across the deck, skidding until she came to a stop.
She pushed herself up slowly but stood on one knee. Her head stayed lowered, Blood And teeth Fell to the metal. Red, then black.
Her face began to rebuild, bone, muscle, teeth. Snapping and Reforming. It was louder, slower. More Painful. Her low grunts echoed through the deck. This time it seemed to hurt more.
She stood up slowly, Distro still standing ahead. The world blurred, her hearing rang. Balance shifted, just for a moment. But it was enough. She knew she couldn't keep healing much longer.
"You don't have much time," Distro said. His voice cut through the haze. "And if you didn't notice…" He gestured slightly. "They got the ship moving."
Arisa looked. The dock was getting further away. It was moving too fast for a cargo ship.
"There's no guarantee that boy makes it," Distro added. Those words hit her hard.
"The farther we get… the less chance you have of reaching him." He finished.
Arisa's teeth clenched, She moved. Dashing toward him. The soldiers at the helm appeared not far behind her, weapons raised
"Damn it…" Distro muttered, bracing himself. Time slowed, he watched her approach. He was Prepared, ready.. But she ran past him.
His eyes widened, her purple gaze burned into him Just for a second, Then she was gone. She didn't stop. Didn't turn. Didn't hesitate. Arisa sprinted forward, and leapt off the ship, into the sea.
——
The water was cold, Dark. There was no telling what lay beneath. Only endless black stretching below her. The neon lights of Norad shimmered faintly across the surface, breaking apart with every wave. The ocean was restless. Each swell pulled at her, dragging, tugging. As if it wanted her beneath it.
But it wasn't stronger than her. Arisa pushed forward, every stroke cost her. Her muscles screamed, her body heavy, drained from the fight. But she kept moving. The ship loomed behind her, growing smaller with every second as it carved its path deeper into the night. The dock ahead felt impossibly far. But not unreachable.
After what felt like forever, her hands finally caught the edge of a lower deck platform. No boats, no movement. Just empty metal and the quiet hum of the harbor. She pulled herself up. Her arms trembled under the weight. Water poured off her, her jeans clinging tightly to her legs as she dragged herself onto the surface.
For a moment she wanted to stay there. Just breathe. But she didn't, she forced herself up. Drops of water trailed behind her as she stepped forward, scanning the empty dock before turning back toward the sea. "He better have made it…" she muttered under her breath.
Her hand instinctively moved to remove her jacket, but there was nothing there. She had thrown it with him. Her chest tightened but she kept looking…Nothing. No movement, no sign. Her heart grew heavier.
"Why did he come back…" she said quietly, her voice barely carrying over the wind. The memories flashed into her mind. The van, his eyes, Her promise.
"No—" she snapped, shaking her head hard. trying to silence the thought before it could take root. She hadn't seen a body. That meant he could still be alive.
She inhaled deeply, and focused. Arisa now looked up toward the higher docks, retracing everything. The ship's position. The direction she had thrown him. The way the current had pulled at her while she swam.
South, It was pushing south. If he swam, If he survived. It would carry him, her eyes locked onto another dock further down Norad's shoreline. "He has to be there." She moved quickly. Making her way up the nearby stairs. As she reached the upper dock she stopped.
Dawn stood in her path. "First day out of the academy," he said calmly, voice clear beneath the mask, "and you're already getting yourself into unnecessary mess."
Arisa's brow lifted, disbelief cutting through her exhaustion. "Unnecessary?" she snapped. "Aren't those your men? Do you know what the fuck they were—"
"I'm very aware," he cut in. "And they're not my men."
Arisa's anger flared. "You're aware?" she stepped closer. "Then what the hell are you doing about it?"
D.O.P soldiers flooded the area behind him. Vehicles pulling in, boots hitting the ground. One skidded to a stop on a D.O.P bike, jumping off aggressively. "Step back from the Commander!" the soldier barked.
Dawn raised a hand, the soldier stopped instantly. His eyes never left Arisa. "I know where you're from," he said. "But things are different here. Stay out of it. Let the system handle it."
Arisa stepped closer. The space between them disappeared. "Your system is shit," she said coldly. "It always has been." Her eyes hardened. "All of you are soulless in my eyes." Silence followed for a moment after her words.
Dawn studied her. "…what are you in the C.F.R for?" he asked.
The question hit unexpectedly. Arisa didn't answer. Dawn continued. "The system isn't built to save people," he said quietly. "Even someone like me is limited."
He paused. "But a ruler… a ruler isn't." His voice lowered. "The D.O.P bends its own laws for them." He looked at her closely. "If you even make it that far… what kind of ruler will you be?"
Arisa stared at him. Her answer was already there. She just didn't say it. Her thoughts shifted back to the boy. She moved fast, her shoulder brushed past Dawn as she ran.
Some soldiers stepped forward, "Don't," Dawn said. They stopped. "I'll handle her." He then turned. "Lock down the area. Get investigators in. Prepare for media." Then he walked.
—-
Arisa ran, Her steps were heavy now. Each one harder than the last. She pushed through the streets until she reached the smaller dock. It was a training area, quiet and empty under the night sky.
Without hesitation Arisa broke through the fence, wood replaced steel beneath her feet. The dock creaked softly as she stepped onto it. She looked around but nothing.
Until her eyes caught movement. A crate at the far end. Hair Shifting in the wind. Her breath caught, she ran towards it. Hope pushing her forward. She turned on the corner of the crate, and stopped.
The boy sat there, back against the crate. Sitting still with his eyes open. Looking out toward the ocean. Toward the ship that had already disappeared into the distance.
Her jacket rested in his hands. Arisa lowered herself slowly, Relief washed over her. "You didn't have to save this…" she said softly, reaching for the jacket. She pulled, It didn't move. Her hand froze. She let go.
Her eyes lifted to his. There was nothing there. No light, No life. Just stillness. Her breath caught, she didn't want to touch him. Didn't want to confirm it.
Arisa's body rose slowly, her gaze staying on him. His chest didn't move. His skin was burnt…burnt like their skin… The world began to blur, Arisa stepped back.
The air around her shifted. Water near the dock rippled unnaturally. Wind curled inward, circling her. The black markings along her body began to move, subtle at first. Then glowing a faint purple, as if Alive.
She stepped back again. Trying to hold it in. Trying her best to. Until a hand suddenly gripped her shoulder firm, grounding her. Arisa turned, the world snapped back into place… it was Dawn.
"I think it's time you go home," he said calmly. "You still have class tomorrow." Arisa shrugged his hand off and walked past him.
Dawn stepped toward the body. "Did you know him?" he asked.
Arisa stopped and turned slightly. "…I don't even know his name."
Dawn looked at her. Then back at the boy. "We've received reports," he said. "All of the other victims made it out."
Arisa's voice came low. "But he was the one I wanted to save the most..."
Dawn didn't respond, there was nothing to say. He crouched and gently took the jacket from the boy's hands.
"The least you can do…" he said, tossing it toward her. "…is take this." Arisa caught it, looked at it. Then turned, making her way out of the dock.
She reached the side walk past the broken fence. A D.O.P vehicle pulled up beside her. Soldiers and Investigators rushed past toward the dock as the car window rolled down. A man in dark shades looked out. "The Commander sent me to take you home."
"I'll be damned if I—" Her body faltered. She caught herself against the car.
Two soldiers stepped forward from behind her, attempting to help her but she shoved them off. "Don't touch me."
"It's not a request," the driver said calmly. "Either you get in… or we make you." Arisa stood there, exhausted. Empty.
A soldier opened the door. "Please," he said quietly. "Get in." Arisa looked at him for a moment, then stepped in. The soldier closed the door behind her.
The car moved, city lights now passed by as Arisa sat in silence. The jacket in her hands. She stared at it. The weight of everything settling in.
The boy. His voice. His future..Gone.. Her grip tightened.
"I failed you…"
A memory bled into her mind. Her in the van, telling the boy she would get them all out…
"…I'm sorry."
The driver glanced in the mirror but said nothing. He reached forward. Turned the radio low. And kept driving through the neon lit streets of Norad.
Chapter 17: Broken promise
End