It was nice to see how well Shizu and Lucian were getting along, this could possibly the start of a new friendship, of course he would be a part of it too. He was sure that Ivan wanted the two of them to not only monitor her but help her adapt to this new life that she was given. Hell, even if Ivan had told him to stay away, Elias probably wouldn't. That would leave Shizu alone, making it hard for her to assimilate into society. Why else had Ivan sent her out here? Not only would the organization be able to keep an eye on her but she would have someone to talk to and seek out for help. He knew that Ivan wasn't a cruel man, even if he had to play the villain every now and then. Elias could only hope that he and Lucian would be able to help her out when she needed it. They weren't the most knowledgeable when it came to interacting on a social level. Maybe this was also a way to make them learn how to interact with other people. Elias was sure that Lucian wasn't thinking too far into the situation at this point.<br/><br/>Elias frowned slightly at the response that was given to his question. That was certainly not the best answer but it could have been worse seeing how it was Lucian who said it. The hacker let out a sigh knowing that he was probably worrying too much. He would talk to Lucian later about becoming closer to her, that way they could earn another friendship and she wouldn't be alone in Toronto. It was like killing two birds with one stone really. He stood outside for a moment, glancing up to where Shizu's place was. He was definitely worrying too much about this but he knew that if anything happened to her there would be hell to pay and then some. Getting in the car, he took Lucian to his home, thankful for the short distance between the two places as his exhaustion slowly began to kick in. The day was almost over and once he returned home, he was going into a coma for the next day or so.<br/><br/>Walking his friend up the steps to his complex, they stood there awkwardly. It was just the same as usual, he supposed. He nodded his head as Lucian spoke, before he tensed slightly at the brief contact. He returned the hug with a small pat, thankful that it didn't last too long. He always hated getting sudden hugs from the male, but this time he was relieved. He knew it may sound stupid, but this hug told him that this all wasn't a dream. That Lucian had really been saved from the kidnapping. "Yeah, sleep well, Lucian," he murmured softly, the emotions he had been trying to contain almost boiling over. He smiled slightly as the pilot went inside and Elias turned to head back home.<br/><br/>The drive was short and he couldn't say that he wasn't excited for the well deserved sleep he was about to reward himself. Getting into his place, he walked to his room and pulled up the cameras on his monitors. It wasn't as if Elias enjoyed watching people in their most private moments, he actually felt uncomfortable from time to time but he was one of the few who actually stuck through until the person was ready to be disconnected from the cameras. He glanced to see that Shizu was watching the television and he smiled a bit. It eased him to know that she seemed to be adjusting well, for now. Within the next few days, he would be bringing her tutor over and helping her find an occupation that wouldn't be too difficult for her.<br/><br/>Sighing he dimmed the brightness of his monitors, knowing that he could pass out regardless. He double-checked the security alarms, his tendency for perfection kicking in. He kicked off his shoes and shrugged off most of his clothes. He gently placed his glasses on his nightstand before sitting on the edge of his bed. Diving under the covers, he rolled around for a while until he was comfortable before letting out one last heavy. Soon after he closed his eyes, he passed out as his mission was done for the day.<br/><br/>----------<br/><br/>Ivan was glad that Zachariah wanted to call it a day. This conversation definitely had taken a huge weight off of everyone's shoulders. However, he knew there was still so much that they needed to do and the fact that they would be one man short on the field was a bit of a shame as well. However, after this war they had lost more than just one man on the field. He wondered if Zachariah would be up to recruit more people or to simply strengthen the numbers that they were left with. If they had another war like this in the future then they would definitely need more forces, but they would have to be stronger as well. Ivan would simply put that on the mental list of all that he needed to speak about with Zachariah later. Another sigh left him as he knew that there would be long days ahead.<br/><br/>There was also the fact that he would somehow have to convince Azrai to take another dose of medicine. He knew his friend was already tired of being here and the fact that he needed more medical attention would probably make him unhappy. Not like he wasn't unhappy already. He stopped thinking about Azrai as soon as Maverick spoke up. The sudden silence in the room caused his ears to ring slightly. Sometimes, he forgot that Maverick didn't live close by. He had suggested a long time ago that Maverick move to Israel simply because he would be close to everyone, but that man had refused. Maverick was an enigma to the organization, he only saw him whenever Zachariah called upon him. He hardly let anyone know what was going on back home and the fact that he would be leaving soon caused slight concern to fill him. He wasn't that close with the male to try to pry into his personal life either. He could only hope that things were alright, but knowing their lifestyle, things were hardly ever alright.<br/><br/>It was still a shame that he wouldn't be able to stay around for longer, but they had called him out here on short notice. It was only natural that he would have to return home. However, Ivan knew that Maverick would be unable to handle Azrai, especially when the male became difficult. Still, he was Azrai's friend and he knew that Maverick would be straightforward with him when it came down to it. Maybe Ivan could talk him into finally moving out here with the rest of them. Ivan knew that they could use someone like Maverick around when Zachariah was busy. Maverick seemed to attain that charismatic charm that Zachariah possessed. He knew that Maverick was a very valuable member and that many people would follow and listen to him; it was only a matter of time until his full potential blossomed. If he lived closer...it would be a lot easier to deal with the mess that they were in right now.<br/><br/>Ivan nodded his head in agreement at Zachariah's sentiments. Lord knew that he was more than thrilled that they all were alive, minus the few injuries that they had. At least they were alive. He could understand why Zachariah said what he had, knowing that he was glad that Azrai was still alive. Even if Azrai played the lone wolf lead far too enough, he was the glue that held everyone together. They were all connected because of him and if they had lost him...Ivan wasn't sure what would have happened. Would they have been able to truly recover from just a devastating loss? Ivan really didn't think that they would be able to do so, despite how well composed they all seemed to be. Surely, Azrai would be the death of all of them. Poor Maverick and Elias worried far too much about him. Ivan had been in far too many severe scenarios alongside the male and Zachariah had dealt with the same kind of scenario. Ivan wondered if Azrai knew how important he was in all their lives. Probably not since the bastard selfishly went the brink of death and back, nearly causing Ivan to have a heart attack.<br/><br/>Ivan shifted a bit as he was more than ready to leave, knowing that he would have to give Azrai another dose of antidote before they left and called it a day. He smirked a bit hearing his friend groan under his breath, but it had to be done. They needed to be more than careful with that poison; it nearly took him away from them. What would happen if it decided to act up again? It wasn't like they were being paranoid, well maybe just a bit, but it was for the best. Maybe Azrai would finally take it easy for a while. Ivan prayed to God that the man would finally listen to them and rest. Azrai would have fewer missions to take so that would give him more time to do leisure activities. Maybe he would pick up a hobby or something that was relatively normal. Ivan scoffed at the idea of Azrai playing golf or some kind of sport the retired people did. He wondered how well this whole thing would go; sure for a while with the lack of missions he would be able to heal up but after that...what then? Ivan knew that he would go mad without being able to do anything close to his occupation for a while. His apartment was pretty boring as it was, seeing how he was hardly there. Azrai's place was pretty much the same...Ivan shrugged a bit knowing that this would be more of a waiting game than anything else.<br/><br/>This could either be good or bad for all of them.<br/><br/>Ivan started to move to leave the room when Azrai spoke up once more, well someone was sure more talkative than usual. Ivan looked at him with mild interest at what else he wished to say today. He smirked a bit as he asked about Shizu's education. That was something that even Ivan knew to take care of right off the bat. He was sure that Elias had already found someone suitable for her needs. Even if it took a while for Azrai to speak his mind, Ivan was actually glad that he was being so open with everyone today. It wasn't like him to speak his mind and it was certainly nice to have him get a few things off his chest every now and then. Ivan let out a relieved breath as Zachariah gave the nod of approval for them to retire for the day. Ivan would supervise that Azrai got another dosage then escort him home and call it a day.<br/><br/>Ivan moved out to the hallway, he was about to move after Azrai, who wasn't moving that fast when a hand came to his shoulder. He stopped, looking at their leader, he noted the low tone he was speaking in. "I'll keep you up to date with everything," he murmured with a slight nod. He waved slightly as Zachariah moved away from them. He glanced at Maverick, who still seemed a bit unhappy with the fact that he had to leave. "It's a shame that you can't stay out here longer, but you look like you could use some rest for right." He placed a hand on his shoulder, giving it a slight squeeze. It was a way of him saying that he was glad that he had made it out alive as well. "Come back out here when you can, yeah?" Before things back too awkward for them, Ivan let go of his shoulder before allowing Azrai and Maverick to say their goodbyes as well.<br/><br/>"Alright, let's get you the antidote and get the hell out of here," Ivan said to Azrai. Ivan had a date with his bed and he didn't want to stay at the base any longer than necessary. Of course, making sure that Azrai was alright was one of his top priorities, but still...his bed was calling him. Moving back to the medical bay, Ivan spoke with a nurse briefly for the antidote. After a few moments, the woman came back with the correct dosage and prepped Azrai's arm for the injection. Ivan was surprised that Azrai wasn't lashing out or trying to run away, but then again he was sure that Azrai was either too tired to deal with such things or didn't want to be reprimanded for those actions. Not like they needed even more problems today.<br/><br/>Once the antidote was given, Ivan felt a lot better. One, they wouldn't have to worry about the poison attacking Azrai anymore and two; they would be able to leave and find some sort of normalcy once more. "Let's go home," Ivan said in a tired manner, exhaustion slowly taking a hold of him. Now that he knew that he would be able to rest, he felt it more than ever. Heading out of the medical wing and up to the ground above, took a moment due to the fact that Azrai was still injured and a bit weak. Not that Ivan would point it out; he was probably not in the mood for jokes anyways. Ivan wasn't sure if he should say anything to the male or just go home in silence. Ivan wasn't sure if Azrai was in the mood for chatting, probably not, but Ivan didn't really enjoy the silence between them. He assumed it couldn't be helped; Azrai had a lot to take in at this point.<br/><br/>Getting into the car, he waited for his friend to settle in the passenger seat before starting up the engine and heading off towards Azrai's place. Tapping his fingers on the steering wheel, Ivan wondered what would happen now. He would have to monitor Azrai for a while, which meant he couldn't take too many missions. Also, he had to make sure that Shizu was integrating into society well. There would be a lot of things that would have to be taken care of now. It seemed as if things would be busy for a while, not like Ivan minded too much. Things were better for him when he was busy. "I just want you to know..." Ivan started off slowly, not really sure of what he wanted to say, least he cause any tension between them. "I just want you to know that she will live a happy and safe life...I have made sure of it..." Ivan said in a low tone.<br/><br/>There really wasn't more he could say; Ivan mainly thought it would give Azrai some kind of closure of sorts. After all, he wanted to make sure that Shizu would be safe all for the sake of having Azrai at peace of mind about everything. Even if it wasn't much, Ivan felt like he had to say something, anything to appease the guilt that he still felt. Was it wrong for him to feel this way? Maybe somewhere along the ways he would get over it, but for now he felt some sort of guilt. He decided to stay silent for the remainder of the drive, knowing that he could only make things worse or awkward for this point on. The rest of the drive was in silence and before long; they arrived at the familiar scenery of his apartment complex. "Well, this is where we part....you straight?" Ivan looked over at Azrai, concerned about him still. Hell, until that man was all healed up, he wouldn't stop worrying. "I'll be seeing you later, get some rest, yeah?"<br/><br/>After they bid their farewell, Ivan headed back to his place which as a ways away. As much as he worried about Azrai, he still liked his privacy and a few miles put between them. Wouldn't it seem a little too weird if he lived extremely close to Azrai? They were friends and all but Ivan liked the fact that he didn't have to see his face a few blocks down the road. The drive back to his place didn't last for that long; his was preoccupied with everything that had happened thus far. Could anything have been avoided? No, Azrai would have taken the mission regardless of their approval or not. Shutting off the engine, Ivan sat in his car for a while, staring out the windshield. Letting out a heavy sigh, he got out, heading into his place. It was a bit cluttered, seeing how the last time he was there; he was rushing to get supply and gear before tailing after Azrai to Japan. He'd clean it up later for now he just needed to close his eyes and call it a day. He would check up on Elias tomorrow, maybe he would ask for a monthly progress report on Shizu. Even though he knew he shouldn't worry too much about her. However, he felt the need to make sure she was alright, especially for Azrai's sake.<br/><br/>Kicking off his boots, he went face first into his bed, a groan leaving him. His body ached and his mind was slowly starting to shut down. All he could think about was tomorrow. Tomorrow he would be productive and more functional than he was now. For now, he just needed to sleep. With that final thought, he shut his eyes, allowing himself to get the rest that he deserved.<br/><br/>--------<br/><br/>She had lain there for a while now, staring at the television screen. Blinking a bit, she realized how heavy her eyes felt. It seemed as if the exhaustion she had felt earlier and finally kicked in. Slowly, she sat up from the spot on her couch, rubbing her eyes. Letting out a slight groan, her wounds ached as she moved. Looking out the window, she could see that the sun was already starting to make the sky a bit lighter. How long had she been staring at the screen? She was sure for an hour or longer. Walking over to the television, she turned off the screen. She guessed it was about time to call it a night...or day. Lucian had stated that her sleeping cycle would be weird, so she only assumed that this was what jet lag was.<br/><br/>She yawned as she stumbled through her new home. It was still strange to her that she was on her own. It felt like this was all a dream. It felt as if she was going to wake up soon and this would all be gone, everything. She knew it was wrong to think like this, she should truly be relishing in the glory of her freedom. Yet, it just felt empty. Maybe she was going through some form of shock. Yeah, that was what this was, shock. It was finally setting in as well. She knew she should have felt this long ago. She had had her moment when they entered the forest but that had been a small episode. She shook a bit as she moved through the hallways, going back to her bedroom. She would just sleep it off, that would solve everything. She just needed some rest, the lack of sleep she had was causing her to react this way.<br/><br/>Making it into her room, she wasn't really sure if she should change or just go to bed as she was. In all honesty, she was too tired to change and she didn't want to reopen any wounds. With that thought and a slight sigh, she crawled into the bed, not really used to such luxurious items. It was certainly different from the futon she had back in Japan. However, she had a feeling that she could get used to the soft feeling of the bed. She curled up beneath the covers, trying to relax her anxious mind. She knew that it would be difficult for the first few months, but surely she could manage. After all, everyone considered her to be strong...so she must be, right? She was only strong because she had the support to do so. Now, she felt as if she had no one but she knew that wasn't the truth. Elias and Lucian would be here, they said to call if she needed anything right? She was sure that they would help her but they had their own lives, she shouldn't bother them too much.<br/><br/>She rubbed her face against the pillow, letting out a slight groan. She was thinking way too much right now, especially since she was trying to sleep. She had promised to Zachariah that she would live a happy life, even with Azrai out of the picture. As much as it made her sad, she never went back on her word. So would live a life just like that, so that way one day...One day she would be able to see Azrai again. She would work towards that goal to live happily so when they met again, she could show him all that she had learned. To show him that the mission he took wasn't for nothing; that she was worth it. Maybe this was to prove it to herself. All this time she had thought that she wasn't worth saving but she knew that she had the potential to be happy and free. It was time to stop thinking about it and actually do it. She fought for her freedom, so now she had to decide how to use it.<br/><br/>It sounded like a plan to her and soon her life would start. She knew that she would find Azrai again, maybe not for a few months or years but she would find him. She had to thank him for all that he had done, she had to show him that she was alright, and she needed to see that he was as well. It was unlikely that she would be able to see him sooner, so she would work hard towards that goal, as well. For now, she would devote her time to adapting to this new world and culture that surrounded her. She would learn to be independent and strong. Closing her eyes, she felt a surge of determination. The next time she opened her eyes, she would begin her transformation and with a little help from the people she had met, she knew that she could make it on her own. She now had a choice in her life; she now was able to do things by herself. After all these years, she had finally come to this point in her life.<br/><br/>This was her freedom.