"All done," Alfred said with enthusiasm in his voice as he stepped back, admiring his work.
In front of him stood a little girl, completely covered head to toe in clothes. Layers of thick, protective fabric wrapped around her, reinforced with magical runes etched across key areas. The only part left exposed was her face.
"This is really uncomfortable…" Ellen muttered, pouting as she tugged at the stiff fabric around her arms and shifted awkwardly in the heavy outfit as she try to adjust in it .
"It's not about comfort, child. It's about practicality and survival," Alfred replied, placing a firm hand on her head to stop her fidgeting.
She looked up at him with an expression he couldn't quite describe—somewhere between defiance and curiosity. Her bright eyes gleamed in the light.
"What?" Alfred asked, slightly wary of whatever came next.
"I want a cool mask like yours," she said, puffing out her cheeks as she swatted his hand away from her head.
Alfred let out a tired sigh. "For a child, you certainly ask for a lot."
"I'm not a child," she snapped back, folding her arms defiantly.
Alfred let out a dry chuckle, clearly amused.
"So, not a 'child,' huh?" Alfred said, raising an eyebrow as he made exaggerated air quotes with his fingers. "Then tell me, just out of curiosity — how old are you?"
Ellen didn't respond right away. She fidgeted with her fingers, looking down at the floor. Her voice came out so quiet it was almost inaudible.
"…Seven."
Alfred, of course, heard her clearly but - but he chose to pretend otherwise. He leaned in with a mischievous grin and cupped a hand behind his ear.
"Sorry, I didn't catch that. Could you repeat that, Ellen? How old are you again?"
"Seven," Ellen said again, turning her head to the side with a slight pout.
"Oh no, Ellen… I think my hearing's gone. I just— I couldn't quite catch what you said. "He sounded completely sincere — too sincere.
specially with the wide grin on his face, even if it was hidden behind his white mask.
Ellen narrowed her eyes at him before glaring up at him, her tiny fists clenched. "Seven! I said seven!" she shouted, cheeks puffed up in frustration. "But I'm very mature for my age!"
Alfred let out a soft chuckle, clearly enjoying himself. "Ah, of course. My mistake, Miss Very Mature. Clearly, I didn't realize that I was speaking to an old soul trapped in a tiny grumpy body."
Ellen stomped one foot with as much authority as a seven-year-old could muster — which, admittedly, was not much. "I'm not tiny! I'm just… not done growing yet!"
Alfred made a show of nodding solemnly, crossing his arms. "Naturally. A temporary state. Soon you'll be towering over me, I'm sure."
"Exactly!" Ellen huffed, then paused. "Wait… are you making fun of me?"
"Me? making fun of a child?" Alfred gasped, placing a hand on his chest like she'd just accused him of a crime. "I would never. what kind of person makes fun of child"
Ellen squinting her black eyes, she look at him clearly unconvinced with his words. "I am sure your are making fun of me."
Alfred gave her a mock-wounded look, stumbling back a step as if her words had physically struck him. "Your mistrust wounds me, Ellen. Truly. Right here." He tapped the center of his chest, just over his black armor.
Before Ellen could say anything more—
Boom!
A series of loud explosions erupted outside, shaking the building.
"Okay, enough with this," Alfred muttered to himself. He quickly glanced out the window, assessing the chaos.
Turning back to Ellen, he reached out his hand, and a sleek black mask materialized in his palm.
"Alright, it's time to go. We'll put this conversation on hold for now."
The mask Alfred handed her was the mask of Ken Kaneki from Tokyo Ghoul—a special item that could fit anyone, regardless of age or gender.
"Oh, it's so cool!" Ellen said excitedly, quickly grabbing the mask from Alfred's hand and holding it up to her eyes in awe.
"No time for admiration of it hurry up and put it on. We've got a city to burn," Alfred said flatly, already turning his gaze back toward the window.
"What do you mean 'a city to burn'? The city's already burning," Ellen replied with a confused frown, motioning vaguely toward the chaos outside.
Alfred let out a long sigh, his shoulders relaxing slightly before he stepped closer to her.
You won't understand," Alfred muttered under his breath, more to himself than anyone else.
"Hey," Ellen said nervously, glancing at Alfred from the side. His mask concealed any emotion on his face as he carried her outside.
"What is it?" he asked.
"I—how about I call myself Black Mask? Then we can be called the Mask Duo!" Ellen declared, trying her best to sound brave.
Alfred stared at her in shock for a moment, then flicked the center of her forehead gently with a little burst of power, just enough to sting but not to hurt that much .
"Oww! Why did you do that?" Ellen protested, rubbing her forehead.
Alfred smirked behind his mask, the faint glow of his eyes softening.
" because that name suck ass but you've got a lot of spirit for someone so small," he said with a teasing tone. "But don't get too ahead of yourself. We've got bigger problems to deal with first."
He tightened his grip gently, making sure Ellen felt safe despite the danger outside.
"Now, let's move."
- - -
"Whooo!" Ellen screamed, her voice a mix of fear and awe as she soared through the air. Her tiny hand clung tightly to Alfred's, the only thing keeping her from falling. The world around her was a blur—buildings streaked by as nothing more than shadowy shapes, the wind rushing past her face in wild, cold gusts.
Her heart pounded in her chest. She wanted to shut her eyes, to block out the dizzying height and speed—but she didn't. Because somehow, even in the middle of all this chaos, she felt safe.
She glanced up at Alfred. His face was hidden behind that white mask, unreadable as always. But his grip on her hand was firm and steady.
Despite the fear, despite the storm inside her, Ellen let out a shaky laugh.
"I'm flying," she whispered to herself, eyes wide. "I'm really flying."
"No, you're not flying, Ellen," Alfred said, breaking the moment with his flat tone.
Ellen's face fell a little, her bright smile fading into a soft frown as she looked up at him, her expression like a balloon slowly deflating.
"Well, I felt like I was," she mumbled under her breath.
"I'm just jumping really high," Alfred clarified, almost as if he were correcting a fact in a textbook.
Ellen pouted, turning her face away dramatically. "You really know how to ruin a magical moment, you know that?"
Alfred glanced down at her, still holding her close as they arced through the sky.
"…Sorry," he said after a pause, his voice softer now. "Next time, I'll let you pretend."
Before Ellen could say anything more, Alfred suddenly dropped down into a narrow alleyway, landing with effortless. In one swift, fluid motion like he had done it a thousand times before he gently placed Ellen down on her feet.
Without hesitation, he clapped his hands together. A sudden blue light burst from between his palms, and as he pressed them against the cracked concrete beneath them, the ground responded—twisting unnaturally, like it was alive.
Ellen gasped, eyes wide with confusion and awe, as the pavement around her shifted, folding and curling upward until it formed a protective dome over her.
It all happened so fast.
One second they were soaring through the air, and the next, she was sealed inside a glowing stone cocoon. Before she could say a word to Alfred. Alfred cut her off
"Wait here."
His tone was calm but firm
The dome sealed almost completely, save for a small hole just big enough to let in air enough to keep her from suffocating, but nothing more. Ellen pressed her palms to the inside of the dome, as she was scared not all for herself but also for Alfred.
"Please… be safe," she whispered, pressing her ear against the dome, straining to catch any sound from outside.
- - -
Alfred looked up toward the blackened sky, his eyes flickering to the dome shielding Ellen in the corner of his vision.
Skiiiiii—
A piercing screech echoed through the night air. Alfred's hand shimmered with an intense blue light for a split second before a black sword materialized in his grasp. He tugged it once, testing its weight, then pointed the blade skyward.
From the darkness above, a massive bat-like monster descended, its huge wings casting ominous shadows. Madness burned wild in its eyes, raw and terrifying.
"Man-Bat," Alfred muttered as he jumped backward from where he was standing. The monstrous creature landed with a powerful thud, its wing-like hands smashing the pavement beneath him. The ground cracked and splintered under the force.
Without hesitation, Man-Bat lunged toward Alfred, its sharp claws poised to slice him in half.
Alfred wasn't about to let that happen. With a swift motion, he raised his blade and blocked the deadly claws just in time, light flashing from his palm as he met the attack head-on.
Alfred twisted his blade slightly, forcing Man-Bat to stagger back a bit. The creature quickly repositioned itself, readying for another attack — one Alfred wasn't about to let happen. With a sudden leap, Alfred lunged forward, blade raised, aiming straight for Man-Bat's head.
He thrust the blade forward, but the attack was stopped just inches from Man-Bat's face as the monster slammed both clawed hands against the blade, blocking it with terrifying strength.
A deep, guttural growl escaped Man-Bat's throat. Its glowing red eyes burned with pure rage — a monster hungry to tear Alfred into pieces.
Assessing the situation, Alfred smirked slightly. With his free hand, he commanded the metal swirling around them. Sharp steel shards darted swiftly from behind, piercing straight into Man-Bat's head. The monstrous creature's eyes widened in shock before it collapsed—dead.
"Wow, that was easier than I thought," Alfred muttered, eyeing the lifeless corpse of Man-Bat in front of him.
-