Asphalt (1/1)

“Sebastian works for Huh. But Huh isn’t just there for monitoring Hideula, there are hundreds of branches. So you have to understand Huh itself before you understand Ellie, me, and Sebastian. We have military ties, ties with the CIA, MI6, we have positions in governments around the world. I know a few people who were part of the secret service  for U.S. presidents. But you don’t get put in those right away. There’s a place you go first, we call it the garden, cause it’s where you grow. Huh agents, the ones farther up in the food chain, put the new recruits through tests upon tests and training upon training to figure out what branch to put you in. Most agents stay in their branch, with little time working outside of it. Other agents, such as myself and Sebastian, belong to one specific branch but can work well in other branches and do so often. We’re called the Verssies, for versatile. Then there are the Elite.”“Wait, you have a group called the Elite? Why?”“Because they’re the best. That’s where Ellie is. It’s for agents that passed every test and endured all the training from the garden. They’re good at everything. Some of them stay in the garden as the top dogs. They work for which ever branch needs them at the time. Then there’s Ellie. She didn’t start out in the garden, she started out in the military branch. I had gotten in a few months earlier and was still in training when she turned up. She was just traveling someplace in Italy when she crossed into our training place. They thought she was one of us and started attacking her, for defense training, and she passed with better marks than some of our higher ranked agents. So we recruited her and after a while they put her into the garden and determined her as Elite. Once they discovered her computer skills, though, they put her into the branch monitoring Hideula.”“So she’s Elite?” He looked over at the house, she was the best of the best, and she had decided to waste her time protecting them personally. “Then why did she want to leave?” “Everyone wants to leave at one point or another, but the Elite’s time comes sooner than the rest of us. The better you are, the sooner you’re done with it. Ellie was different than all of us, not just because she was Elite. She was still innocent. She hadn’t found the lust for blood and adrenaline that most of us find. She just wanted to help the world and help people. She worked for the CIA briefly and was given a new , temporary partner, Rupert Kio. Rupert was only 16. She was 18. They got put on a job in Djibouti.  They were caught by one of the rogues on the other side who fired at the, She tried to protect him, she got shot in the process, but Rupert died and everyone thought she did, too. So she took that opportunity to leave and be normal before Huh sucked her in even more.” Luhan was just listening, taking in every aspect of the story, trying to understand his best friend more. “So that’s her history. Now on to Sebastian. Before she got placed with Rupert, she was still working with the military branch. She had to go undercover, since she was our best spy, and get us some intel on a new drug dealer in London. So they sent Sebastian in after her as her fake boyfriend, since she had lied to one of the dealer’s guards                                                                                                                                                       to avoid trouble. So they ‘dated’ for a week or so until the mission was over. They both knew it was a fake relationship, but I think Sebastian was a bit confused by the fake part. We had someone talk to him so he knew Ellie was over it, it was just a mission, but Sebastian’s always had feelings for her. He flirts a lot and says that’s all it is but there is something behind it.” Luhan could tell that Six was adamant on getting him to understand that Sebastian would no doubt be up to something when he was here. He figured it had to do with Kris being here and actually being with Ellie, not just having a relationship that was fake.“Do you think that’s why she doesn’t want to be here when he gets here? Because of her and Kris and her and Sebastian’s history?” Six looked impressed.“You’re smart kid.” He  ignored the fact that he was older than her, but he wasn’t too strict on being called hyung anyway. “Yeah, that’s probably it. She never really could talk with him straight after finding out that he liked her. It took a month or two until they were back to normal-ish.”“How does he know where she lives then?”“They had come here before she left Huh. We were hiding out because some Chinese arms dealer was trying to kill them. I found them this place, before she renovated it, and she went on and on about how she’d fix it up if she ever left. She loved it the second she saw it. So yeah, we all figured she was still alive, taking three shots wasn’t going to kill the best of us, and this is the first place she would go.” He thought about it for a minute, Ellie on the run. Having to hide out and trying not to get shot compared to the Ellie that makes pancakes for dinner and has a stuffed penguin as a throw pillow in the Lounge.“She sounds so different.” He thought out loud. Six looked over at him before answering. He was attractive, both cute and handsome at the same time. He was lying back on the asphalt staring at the stars. She wondered what she’d be like if she had left when Ellie asked her to. Would she have a best friend like him that remembers that she doesn’t like poofy scarfs? Would she have a boyfriend like Kirs that truly cared about her? Or a beautiful house where no one will bother her?“It’s because she’s happy.” She said finally, lying back with him to look at the stars so far away. “Do you think I could be as happy as she is?” She asked him? It was an odd moment for Six, feeling free and peaceful. Able to open up for once.“Of course you can. Everyone has the chance to be happy.” He looked over at her to find her already looking at him. “It’s easy you know. You just need to find something that makes you happy, and even if you're still in Huh, no one can take that away from you,” he looked back up to the night sky, “remember this moment.” He told her. “Remember being with Ellie, you’re best friend, you’re family. Remember the stars and the feel of the asphalt and the breeze.” She closed her eyes as he talked, trying to take in everything around her. “Remember me and Jongdae, cause I know you like him, and the rest of the boys. Remember this moment and how happy you feel, and you can always look back on it when you need to feel good, because its not going anywhere.” If he was going to say anything else, it was cut off by the sound of tires on Ellie’s driveway. “Well hello there Six. Who’s your friend?” Sebastian was tall and British. Those were the first things Luhan noticed as he got out of his car. He couldn’t understand him because he wasn’t speaking Korean or Mandarin, but he understood the gist of it. “Luhan.” He said, turning Sebastian’s concentration from Six to him, giving him a better look at his face. He had a generally handsome face and brown eyes. His hair was a light brown and it was cut short, military style. He held his hand out and Sebastian shook it.“Sebastian.” Six stood up from where she was to stand next to Luhan. Staying in Korean, she turned to him.“He doesn’t speak Korean so I’ll have to translate for you.” Luhan nodded as Six turned her attention to Sebastian. “How are you?” She asked him English.“Good, good. I was actually just in Seoul. I’m supposed to leave in three days so I’ll be able to come back tomorrow for the whole story and my payment.” Six knew he didn’t mean money.“What government is hse hacking for you this time?”“Americans, actually. General Jeffrey Taxon.” he told her, pulling hean envelope out of his pocket. “Tell her I need everything, e-mails, phone calls, schedule, employees, employers, everything.” He handed it to her and turned his attention to her jaguar. “Nice car.”“Thanks. Take it. For now,” she added, seeing the look on his face. “Bring it back tomorrow around noon and we’ll explain anything need to know and you’ll get your research And call Ellie when the car’s secure. Don’t expect a long conversation.” She tossed him the keys and stepped back as he got in and started the engine.“So that’s Sebastian?” “Yupp.”“Kris is going to hate him.” She nodded, agreeing with him as Sebastian drove off and they went back inside.