Chapter 1

Authors note: this is the new and improved version of my Cyborg story. I was reading it and I found that what I wanted to put into the story would not fit with my already written chapters. I hope that everyone loves this new version as much as the old.

Thank you.

Her heart was pumping loudly in her ears as she ran down the street. She was late, but she knew Chang Changku wouldn’t be upset. Checking her watch she picked up speed. It was one thing to be slightly late but another to be 5 minutes late.

The lights and sounds of the city were a blur as she ran past shop after shop after shop. As if on cue, her boss flipped the open/closed sign on the door. He smiled and waved at her. Elf smiled and gave a quick wave back before heading around the back to the kitchen.

Walking in the door Elf was bombarded with different smells. Most of it was food, some were pleasant some where not. It all depended on your point of view. Elf put her backpack down in the storeroom, she was starting to put on an apron when Françoise walked in.

"Elf!" she cried before encircling her friend in a hug. Elf smiled and hugged the woman back. Letting go, Elf looked at what she was wearing.

"What in God’s name are you wearing?" she asked hoping it wasn’t the uniform that Chang Changku had told them about. Françoise looked down at the dress and sighed.

"It's our new uniform," she told Elf "Come on lets go get you into yours."

Elf groaned. It wasn’t that she didn't want to have a uniform, it’s just that it was unbelievably revealing. What was her boss trying to do parade them in front of the customers as pieces of meat? All train of thought stopped when they reached the staff break area. In the middle of the coffee table was a box; in the box was the little red dress.

Françoise pulled it out and held it up for her to see.

"It's not that bad." she said when she saw Elf's reaction. "Do you want help in getting into your dress or can you do it yourself?" she asked.

Elf raised her eyebrows.

"I think I can do it myself," she said before turning around and pulling off her top. If she wanted to she could walk around in just her underwear, as there were only two employees, both female, who had decided that Chang Changku was not allowed in unless he knocked. Lifting the dress up to eye level she sighed.

"Why couldn't he have chosen a different sort of dress, maybe with a bit more material to it?" she asked not really expecting an answer.

There was a knock at the door, which started them both.

"Hang on a sec," Françoise called out before pulling the dress over Elf's head. Elf stood there in the red dress, black pants on underneath. Françoise motioned to her to take the pants off and put the red shoes on.

She had just taken her pants off when Françoise opened the door to allow in not only Chang Changku in but a group of other people as well. Elf sat on the couch, putting her shoes on.

Elf looked up with crystal blue eyes as the group walked in. Raising her eyebrows at Françoise she turned back to her shoe. Françoise rolled her eyes at the boys and asked, "Now, what are you all doing here?"

Chang Changku turned and rushed the others out.

"Sorry Françoise, I didn't know they were following me," he said. Elf had finished putting on her shoes and stood up.

"Yeah right, you just wanted to show us off," she said whilst walking around the room. Elf didn't often wear high heels. She walked around the room to get used to the feel of them. Françoise stood in front of Chang Changku with her arms crossed.

"How could you? You know this room is only for women and, on occasion, you." she told him. Françoise wasn’t happy with Chang Changku and neither was Elf.

Elf walked over to them and crossed her arms.

“Just answer this one simple question. Why in God’s name did you choose a dress like this?” she asked tapping her foot. Françoise nodded and turned back to look at Chang Changku. He held up his hands in defence.

“It was the only thing that suited the shop,” he said, backing out of the room before they could really hurt him.

Françoise shook her head before turning back to Elf.

“We may as well start taking orders,” she said before walking to the door. She placed her hand on the handle and turned back to Elf to ask, “Are you ok?”

Elf looked up at her and smiled.

“Yeah, I’m fine, just thinking about something, that’s all. Nothing to worry about,” she said before nodding for Françoise to open the door.

She followed Françoise out, expecting to see many customers coming in, but to her surprise there was only one table full. ‘The men who tried to come into the staff room earlier,’ she thought to herself. Rolling her eyes she went to the kitchen, leaving Françoise to take their orders. Elf stood in the kitchen looking out over the almost empty restaurant.

“I guess, no one wants to go out tonight.” she said. Chang Changku looked up from the food he was working on and shrugged.

“Maybe it will pick up,” he said, going back to work. Elf sighed and looked at the clock. She hoped he was right. She really wanted to have an interesting night.

Françoise walked into the kitchen and handed the order to Chang Changku.

“So, what have you got planned for this weekend?” she asked while washing her hands in the sink.

Elf shrugged her shoulders. “Don’t know really, I think my dad is having a few work colleges over,” she said watching the door but no one came in.

Elf knew that if business didn’t pick up then both she and Françoise would be out of a job. Françoise stood looking out the window.

“Hey, Elf, what type of car does your dad drive?” she asked as a black sedan pulled up outside the Chinese shop.

“A black Rio. Why?” she asked as she walked out into the main part of the restaurant, orders in hand.

“Never mind,” she muttered as two men dressed in black walked into the store. Françoise walked over to them and smiled.

Françoise nodded her head and lead them over to a table by the front window. Elf was just walking back into the kitchen when Françoise caught her arm.

“What is it?” she asked.

Françoise pulled her into the storeroom. She closed the door and switched on the light.

“There are two men out their wanting you to serve them, they seem to be wanting something else,” she told Elf.

Elf shrugged her arm out of Françoise’s hold before opening the door.

“I’ll be fine,” she said before going out to take the men’s order.

Elf walked over to the table with a smile.

“I’m sorry to have kept you so long. What can I get you?” she asked trying to be as polite as possible. She was still slightly confused at why Françoise had gotten so protective. These gentle men only wanted to have a meal and probably talk about business of some sort before heading off. The men smiled at her before telling her what they wanted to eat. Elf nodded, writing down their orders.

“We also have a note for you,” one of the men said before handing her a piece of paper.

Elf took the paper and headed back towards the kitchen. She gave the order to Chang Changku before opening up the letter.

‘Dear Elf,

Sorry that I couldn’t give you this letter in person but things came up, and you know what things I mean. The two men are the new agents we were told about, don’t worry, they won’t hurt you in anyway, but I have to ask if you could find a place to stay tonight. I know you will have questions for me but I will answer them all tomorrow when you come home at 6:00pm. No later.

Have fun, I’ll see you tomorrow night.

Da’

Elf reread the letter before shoving into her pocket. She walked over to Françoise and apologised.

Elf looked up at her and smiled slightly before she was wrapped in a big hug.

“Um, is it ok if I come and stay at your place tonight? My dad is having his business partners over, and, well he doesn’t really want me in the way,”

Françoise looked from Elf to Chang Changku.

“What to do you think Chang Changku?” she asked letting go of Elf.

Chang Changku shrugged his shoulders before answering, “You might want to ask Dr. Gilmore first.”

Françoise nodded before heading out into the restaurant. Elf rolled her eyes and followed her out with plates of food. Françoise was already talking to the group of people who had tried to come into the staff room. Elf put the plates down and looked over to the other table only to find that the men had left. Sighing she headed back to the kitchen to tell Chang Changku he didn’t need to cook their food. Chang Changku mumbled something in Chinese before throwing the food into the bin, but before she could say anything Françoise walked into the kitchen with a big smile on her face.

“I guess that’s a yes,” Elf said. Her friend was almost literally bouncing off the walls. “Um, Chang Changku has Françoise had any sugar lately?”

Before Chang Changku could answer Françoise pulled Elf out into the restaurant and over to the only group of people in the restaurant.

“Guys, I would like you to meet Elf,” she said smiling at Elf.

“So this is the one you have been talking about,” said a man with red hair who was now leaning back in his chair.

“Yes, this is Elf, she is going to be staying the night so no funny business Jet.” she said with a bit of a smile.

Jet looked as though he’d been caught with his hand in the cookie jar. “What? Me? Now where would you get an idea like that from?”

Françoise rolled her eyes saying that their shift was almost up and, since there was nothing else to do, they would sit down. Françoise and Elf pulled up chairs and sat with the group. Not too long after, Chang Changku came out and sat with them.

“So, Elf, where do you come from?” asked Albert.

Elf grimaced slightly before replying “I’m from Ireland.”

Françoise could see that Elf was uncomfortable with talking about her back ground so she opted that they close the shop and head home. Elf nodded and started to pack up.

‘This is going to be one strange night,’ she thought as she changed and headed out into the darkened restaurant.