Chapter 7: A New Dawn

The blue ball bounced once before hitting the trunk of a small apple tree. Childish giggling carried through the crisp, morning air. Blonde pigtails bobbed and swayed as the young girl gave chase. Retrieving the runaway toy, she beamed as she held it up for her father’s inspection.

“Daddy, I threw it really hard that time, did you see?”

Carl Lynheart smiled, brushing a hand through his sandy, blond hair. “I sure did, baby, that was really good.”

“Carl, dear, could you come here a minute?” a voice suddenly called, drawing the man’s attention.

“I have to go see what your mama needs. I’ll be right back. Stay in the yard, Alison.” The father instructed.

The blonde nodded. “I will, Daddy.”

Her father smiled before disappearing into their large, white home.

Alison continued to play with her toy, a particularly hard throw sending it bouncing over the white, wooden fence.

“N-No! Come back!” the child cried as she scrambled after her prized toy.

A sharp, penetrating pain thudded within the girl’s skull, drawing a whimper from her lips as her world fell to black.

“You’ll do.”

The heavy, Slavic accent burned hot in her ears.

Searing pain surged down the child’s spine before spreading through her limbs, causing her fingers to twitch. A burning heat scorched her skin. Upon opening her eyes, the young girl gasped.

Only smoldering landscape and flames greeted her hazy vision.

“M-Mommy, Daddy, where are you?!”

Her cries echoed across the silent landscape…

****

Alice bolted upright, a scream still fresh upon her lips. Drawing her knees to her chest, she attempted to still her trembling. Her heart threatened to burst from her chest.

“Alice, it’s alright. It was only a nightmare, sweetheart.”

It was then that the heavy hand upon her shoulder made itself known.

The young soldier turned to give her father a mournful look before burying her face into his chest, wrapping her arms around him.

“There, there, soldier. It’s gonna be alright now,” Leo murmured, gently patting the girl’s back.

After a few moments of consoling the girl, Leo stood, making his way into the bathroom. He returned a moment later with a box of Kleenex. It had been a while since he’d seen the girl so distraught.

“Here.”

Alice sniffed, accepting the offering. Wiping her eyes, she sighed. She supposed that she shouldn’t be all that surprised. After all, it’s often the most traumatic events of a person’s life that tend to linger.

After a few moments, and her sobs had subsided somewhat, her father sat down next to her once more.

“Feeling better?”

The blonde gave a weak hiccup, shaking her head. “N-not really. H-How did you even know I was having a nightmare anyway?”

Leo gave the teen a glance that quite clearly told her the answer should be obvious.

Alice gave an exasperated sigh with a twinge of embarrassment. “You heard me all the way out in the hall, didn’t you?”

****

Vincent jolted awake, his heart racing from the blood-chilling scream that sounded in his ears.

What’s going on? Th-that sounded like a woman!

Quickly rising from his bed, his blood only ran cold as he realized that he, in fact, recognized the voice.

That was Alice. I’m sure of it.

Taking no time to pull on any socks, or even shoes, Vincent made his way to the door.

The teen paused. He wasn’t sure what he could possibly do, especially since he had no clue how to use the alleged ‘powers’ he possessed.

I-I can’t just do nothing though…

Biting his lip, the teen made his way back to the table next to his bed. Grabbing the only form of protection he could find, a spork left over from his dinner earlier that evening, he headed back toward the door. Mind made up, he turned the doorknob, stepping into the dark unknown of the hallway.

The hallway was eerily quiet. Much too quiet for the boy’s liking. Straining his ears for any auditory clues as to which way to go, the teen took a hesitant step forward. A sudden movement to his left caught his attention.

With a short cry of alarm, he swung his weapon. A sickening ‘snap’ was heard as the plastic utensil made contact with something solid, snapping the end off within its target.

“OW! Vincent, what the hell are you doing?!”

Vincent’s golden, amber eyes widened. “K-Kurt?”

Eyes already adjusting to the dark, the teen made out the outline of another figure huddled next to the wall. Vincent bit his lip as the figure continued to rub their right hand. His eyes glanced to the floor when the silhouette kicked at an object that skittered away from the impact. The end of the spork, he assumed.

“Yes, dumbass. What are you doing out of your room past curfew?”

“I heard a scream. I was worried!”

“So you stab me with a… What was that anyway?”

“A spork.”

Kurt rolled his eyes in a clear sign of exasperation, not that he expected his companion could see in the dark. “Seriously? You hear a noise, so you come out here stabbing people with spoons?”

Vincent shrugged. “Well, it’s also a fork.”

“Go back to bed, you idiot!”

“But what about the scream? Or are you about to tell me that’s normal?”

Kurt’s eyes narrowed. “It’s none of your concern, Vincent. Go to bed.”

Vincent frowned. What on earth?! Why did it seem that absolutely everything in this place was shrouded in mystery?

“Under that logic, what makes it any of your affair, then?”

Kurt scowled, giving his hand one last rub before straightening his posture. He would need to be sure to disinfect the wound before he went back to sleep. “Didn’t I just tell you to go to bed?”

Vincent seethed. Who did this guy think he was? He wasn’t sure what he’d done to warrant such hostility from the boy, but he was growing tired of it. “What am I? Five? You going to tuck me in?”

Kurt pinned the younger boy with a glare. “I don’t think I like your tone.”

“You’ve had a problem with me from the minute I got here for whatever reason. I’m merely returning the sentiment.” Vincent retorted coolly, folding his arms in defiance.

Whatever this boy was attempting to pull, he refused to take it lying down. He’d already been forced to join their little cause. The least these people could do was be a little more forthcoming with information. Though, if screams in the night were commonplace here, he wasn’t so sure he wanted to know the details. However, he wouldn’t sit back if the only one to show him any true kindness was, indeed, in peril.

“Maybe because I don’t buy your little, bullshit amnesiac story. Not to mention, you showed up here wearing a dog tag from our enemy. What do you expect? Hospitality?”

Vincent rolled his eyes. “Miss Lynheart didn’t seem to have much of an issue.”

“Because she doesn’t know. You’re on thin ice, and you don’t even know it,” Kurt snapped, returning the boy’s glare. “Let me lay it out for you, Vincent, in simple terms so that you can understand. You have no rights here. You do as you’re told, without question, if you want to get by. Now, I’m telling you to go to bed, or I can call someone down here that’s going to give you something to make you go to sleep for a good, long while. Capisce?”

If looks could conjure fire as easily as the girl that had saved him, Vincent would have gladly set the boy aflame and thought little of it. Once again feeling much like a rat within a cage, the brunette huffed in defeat. “Yeah, whatever, but will you at least tell me if Alice is okay? I’m almost positive it was her that I heard.” Not that I could protect her. My only weapon was a spork, for crying out loud!

Kurt gave a dismissive wave as he made his way to the door next to Vincent’s room. “Goodnight, Vincent.”

Feeling defeated, Vincent sighed before trudging back into his room. Sleep would not be coming easy tonight

****

“You do realize it wasn’t your fault, right?”

The blonde gave a weak nod, the last of her sobs dying into a spell of hiccups. How pathetic she must look! A high-ranking lieutenant in The Resistance bawling over a bad dream? It was almost laughable. It was a wonder Leo didn’t demote her.

The door suddenly opened, and Kurt stood in the doorway. His smile was forced and apologetic as he closed the door behind him. “They’ve started up again, huh?”

Alice heaved a heavy sigh, her weary shoulders slumping. “I’m so sorry, guys.”

Kurt shook his head. “You have nothing to apologize for, Alice.”

“I agree. There’s little sense in apologizing over something beyond your control.”

Alice looked away when Leo patted her shoulder again in an attempt at reassurance. Would she ever be free of the tortures of her memory?

Kurt frowned, retrieving the desk chair from the corner of the room. “You know,” the teen began as he sat down across from his sister and father, “I do find it kind of ironic that your nightmares have started back up now, of all times.”

Alice’s brows furrowed. “What do you mean?”

The brunette shrugged, leaning back in the chair. “Just a theory I have, that’s all.”

Leo’s eyes narrowed at his son for a moment as he straightened his posture, removing his hand from his daughter’s back. What was the kid insinuating? “Care to enlighten the class, Kurt?”

“Well, I just think that it’s pretty ironic that she ends up having a nightmare the day after that Vincent guy wakes up.”

Sapphire eyes rolled in dramatic fashion as the girl scowled. “Are you seriously trying to blame Vincent for my nightmares?”

A wave of relief rushed through Leo. Honestly! An amused chuckle left his lips as he stood up. “Don’t you think you’re shooting a little off into left field with that one, son?”

Kurt glared, quickly shaking his head. “I don’t think so.”

“Oh, come on, Kurt! That’s ridiculous!”

Once again, the brunette shook his head. “Not when you think about it, Alice. Look, you were actually starting to get decent sleep for once. The nightmares stopped for a whole month.” Kurt paused, brushing a hand through his thick hair. “Now you just happen to have a nightmare the day after he wakes up?”

“What are you proposing here, Kurt? Cause, from where I’m standing, it looks like you may be the one suffering from the lack of sleep the most,” Leo muttered, rolling his eyes.

“I think putting Vincent into her division was a bad idea, Leo. The added stress is getting to be too much for her.”

“What?! That’s absurd, Kurt!” Alice retorted.

“Oh, come on! He’s a shady character. I mean, we don’t even know a single thing about him,” Kurt argued.

Leo scowled at the bickering. One of these days, he was going to have to handcuff them together until they got along, but, until that day, he resolved himself. “That’s enough, you two!” he barked, bringing a swift end to the squabbling.

The two teens exchanged a final glare before quieting down.

Taking advantage of the moment of quiet reprieve, Leo took in a deep breath. What didn’t sit right with him was the fact that the kid had actually had the nerve to insinuate that he had made a mistake of sorts. A frown tugged at his thin lips. He didn’t make mistakes.

“Kurt, I think you need to go back to bed now.”

The aforementioned teen frowned. “I-I was only saying-”

“And I’m TELLING you to get to bed before you say anything else that makes you sound like a complete and utter moron!” Leo cut him off, leaving no further room for debate.

Kurt frowned, giving a sigh of defeat before slowly making his way to the door. Sometimes, he couldn’t help but feel somewhat invalidated. It was certainly no secret to him that Leo tended to favor Alice. “Sleep well, Alice,” he murmured, closing the door behind him.

Alice shook her head as she watched him go. Kurt meant well, but he definitely knew how to wear on the nerves after a while. She was brought out of her thoughts as her father sat back down on the bed next to her once more.

He gently patted her thigh. “Don’t worry. I’ll stay here with you until you fall asleep.”

The girl smiled before shaking her head. “It’s okay. You don’t have to.”

“Well, to be perfectly honest, I think we need to talk,” Leo spoke, gently rubbing the girl’s thigh.

Alice squirmed. Though she so adored the man, Leo had a way of making her feel somewhat unnerved at times. “A-about?”

Leo sighed as he ran a hand through his blond hair. “Look, Alice, I would be lying if I were to say that I don’t sometimes worry that I put too much on you.”

“You don’t put too much on me. I can handle it.”

Leo smiled. “Well, you know Daddy just worries.”

Alice snorted in slight amusement. “You do realize that I’m not a little girl anymore, right?”

“Of course, but you’ll always be my special girl, Alice.”

“Dad, you’re embarrassing,” the blonde murmured as he brushed his lips to her forehead.

“I don’t think I tell you often enough how proud I am of you,” Leo spoke as he combed a hand through the teen’s disheveled hair.

Alice opened her mouth to speak, only to look away after a moment. “I-I just…I don’t know. I keep thinking that maybe there was something more I could’ve done.”

Leo frowned at the girl’s murmured musing. “I certainly hope you aren’t talking about your parents, Alice. You were six years old.”

“But-”

Leo held a hand up, silencing her attempt at a protest. “And if you’re talking about Price, there’s nothing you could have done that would have changed the outcome of that battle. Price made the mistake, and he paid dearly for it.”

Alice’s eyes fell to her lap. Perhaps he was right. However, the knowledge didn’t serve as any form of comfort in comparison to the lives lost. “We…lost so many that day…”

“Alice, sooner or later, you’re going to have to start forgiving yourself. You’re so focused on the numbers we lost that day that you fail to even acknowledge the lives that were spared. Lives that YOU saved, might I add. I’m sure plenty of your men would gladly tell you so.”

Heaving a heavy sigh, the commander stood up and stretched. “I’ll say it again, Alice. It wasn’t YOUR mistake.”

“But if I don’t remember the ones we lost, then who will?”

Leo opened his mouth to retort but paused. The girl had a point. “I suppose you’re right,” he murmured. Turning on his heels, the commander began walking to the door. “You should get some rest now, Alice.”

Alice managed a small smile. “Goodnight, Dad. I love you.”

Leo stopped in his tracks. The girl’s voice was positively music to his tired ears. Turning around, he gave her a warm smile. “I love you too, sweetheart. Sweet dreams.”

Alice gave a rueful smile as she watched him go, Yeah…if I can even get back to sleep…

****

Vincent yawned, rolling onto his side. He frowned at the headache he could feel throbbing at the back of his skull. Sleep, for the most part, had successfully eluded him for most of the night.

I sure hope Alice is alright…The teen sighed. Not like Kurt would tell me if she isn’t.

Rolling onto his back, the teen sat up. Catching sight of the wall clock in his dorm, he yelped.

Ten o’clock!

“Yikes! I overslept!”

Giving a wild yell, the boy grabbed the blue armor he’d left on the floor, quickly changing into it before dashing from the room.

He was pleasantly surprised to find that the halls didn’t seem nearly as vacant today. People walked about as they quietly chattered away.

Vincent did his best to ignore some of their stares as he passed by. He supposed he was an abnormality. If his status as a new soldier didn’t give him away, his eyes sure did. Giving a soft sigh, he resolved himself to focus on his task at hand: Find Alice.

I suppose I should start with her office. I’ll check there first.

Passing through the cafeteria was unnerving. The large room was much more populated than the day before, yet only hushed whispers seemed to greet his ears.

Exiting the cafeteria, he made his way down the long corridor. Warm memories of soft hands, bright smiles, and dazzling, blue eyes played through his memory.

The girl had to be okay. She just had to be.

The boy was mildly surprised when he managed to find his way to the training room without much incident. Taking note of the small group of familiar faces standing off to the far corner of the room, he breathed a sigh of relief.

Approaching the small group, he paused to listen as they continued with whatever conversation they’d been having.

“Think everything’s alright?”

Seth gave a shrug, shaking his head. “I only got to see her for a minute this morning. Now she’s not in her office, so I don’t know. I thought she was acting a little odd.”

Vincent’s brows furrowed. Acting odd… “Good morning,” he greeted as he approached the group.

Issac turned with a start, giving a sheepish smile. “Oh, hey, Vincent. Sorry, I didn’t see you there.”

Seth rolled his eyes. Truth be told, Issac got on his nerves sometimes with the fake cheeriness. From the brunette’s perspective, it was often better to simply say what was on your mind. He frowned. If only he could apply that same logic to a certain blonde angel.

“What’s going on? Why is everyone so quiet today?”

Issac gave a forced smile to the amber-eyed teen’s question. “Well, everyone is pretty busy, so I wouldn’t really pay any mind to it.”

At this, Seth scowled. “Just who do you think you’re fooling, Issac? You can’t keep leaving him in the dark. To be honest, that’s kinda shitty.”

“I hate to admit it, but I have to agree with Seth. You’re not really doing him any favors, Issac,” Jonathan muttered, sparing the new cadet an apologetic glance. “You do realize that he won’t make it around here if you don’t start keeping him in the loop.”

“He’s new! Do ya want to overload him?!”

Vincent drew in a deep breath, doing his best not to scream. It was bad enough that these people seemed content to essentially abduct him, but they continued to treat him as a fool. I really wish they would quit talking like I’m not standing right here. “E-excuse me, but I am still here, you know? Please, tell me what’s going on.”

Issac gave a weary sigh, rubbing the back of his head. “I am sorry, Vincent. I hope you’ll forgive me. I just didn’t want to overwhelm you.” The teen paused, giving his comrades an apprehensive glance. “That’s probably why the lieutenant didn’t tell you about today either.”

“Huh?”

“Let’s just say it’s the anniversary of a rather tragic day in our history,” Seth murmured, his dark eyes downcast.

Vincent frowned. “But what about the scream last night?”

“Scream?” Seth questioned, his dark eyebrows furrowing in obvious concern.

Vincent nodded, rolling his eyes in exasperation. “Yes, that’s what I’ve been trying to ask about. You guys didn’t hear it? It sounded like a young woman.” He paused. “Actually…it sounded like Miss Lynheart.”

Seth and Issac exchanged worried glances.

“Vincent, your room wouldn’t happen to be close to the lieutenant’s, would it?”

“Seth!” Issac chided.

Seth glared, folding his arms. “I’m being serious here; no bullshit.”

Vincent nodded. “Yeah. We’re right next door to one another.”

“Don’t worry about it, Vincent. Everything’s fine, okay?” Issac quickly muttered, turning his attention to the glaring teen standing across from him. “What, Seth?”

The raven-haired teen scowled, his hands balling into fists as he took a step toward the boy. “You are so full of shit! Tell him the truth!”

Vincent frowned. What was going on in this place?! His temper getting the better of him, he glared. “Is someone going to tell me what’s going on already?!”

Seth sighed, turning away from Issac to give the fellow brunette his full attention. “I’ll be honest with you, Vincent,” he began, shooting Issac another glare. “What you heard was probably the lieutenant having a nightmare. After all, she’s prone to them. Then again, with everything she’s seen, it’s not exactly a surprise.”

Vincent’s brows furrowed. “What do you mean?”

Seth opened his mouth to reply. Issac, however, quickly cut him off. “I think you need to relax, Vincent. Everything is okay. Why don’t we go grab something to eat in the mess hall?”

The brunette pursed his lips, though he would be lying if he were to say he felt no sense of relief. At least she’s alright.

The teen sighed. It was no use. He wasn’t going to convince Issac, and it was now clear that he wasn’t going to be seeing the girl at the immediate moment. Giving a short nod, he resigned himself and followed as the young soldier led him in the direction of the cafeteria.

****

Leo straightened up the desk at the back of the control room, doing his best to neatly arrange his son’s various papers before sitting himself down in the chair.

He didn’t like it. He didn’t like it one bit. So far, Kurt had been mostly unsuccessful in finding out any clues as to the boy’s origins. The only thing he’d managed to find was an encrypted report documenting the loss of one of The Order’s laboratories.

Leo sighed. He was honestly hoping for something a little more concrete.

The blond resisted the urge to scowl. Until he was certain, he couldn’t very well leave the boy unattended. He was still unsure whether the boy’s amnesia case was fabricated or not.

Leo smiled. If the boy turned out to be a mole, he would simply have him dealt with. Plain, simple, and to the point.

The commander wasn’t blind. He could see that the boy seemed infatuated with his girl. That was fine. The closer the boy got to Alice, the closer he would get to him. Sooner or later, all truths come out.

A knock on the door brought the man from his rather dark thoughts. “Enter.”

The door slowly opened to reveal the phantom of his thoughts lately. Such an occasion would usually warrant an uncharacteristically cheery smile from the commander. However, the girl showed obvious signs of fatigue.

Dark circles clung to the undersides of her eyes. Her lips were drawn into a tight line, an obvious sign that she was absorbed within her thoughts.

Leo smiled warmly when she met his eyes. “Ah, just the young lady I wanted to see. Come in, Alice.”

The blonde returned his smile with one of her own. “Good morning.”

The commander gestured to a chair across from him. “Have a seat.”

Alice gave a somewhat strained smile, reluctantly accepting the offer and settling herself in the black, leather chair.

“Before we get down to business, how are you feeling?”

The young lieutenant cocked her head. “I’m fine. Why wouldn’t I be?”

Leo gave a relived smile as he reached into his pocket to retrieve his cigarettes and lighter. “So you did manage to get some sleep then?”

Alice pursed her lips, giving an awkward smile as she brushed a hand through her hair in nervous habit. “W-well, not really. I’ll be fine, though. It’s not like I’ve never gone without a little sleep before.”

Selecting a cigarette and lighting it, Leo frowned. “That’s unfortunate, Alice. You really should take better care of yourself in that regard.” When it looked as though the teen would interject, he continued. “Today’s mission I have for you is a relatively easy one”

“Oh?”

Leo nodded. “You will be going into Pheora today to meet with an informant.”

“Anything special I should know about the guy?”

Leo shook his head, reaching into his other pocket to retrieve a rose pin. “Not really. He’s going to more or less find you, so be sure to wear this.”

Alice accepted the floral pin, briefly admiring it before slipping it into the pocket of her black jacket.

“Your code phrase is white lilies. Being basic info retrieval, I think this will be a good introductory mission for Vincent.”

Leo watched in mild irritation as the mention of the boy’s name caused the girl’s eyes to light up.

“You’re right. I’ll be sure to take him along then. It will be a great chance to get him acclimated too. Who knows, maybe something in town could jog his memory.”

“Just don’t take any unnecessary risks, Alice. Remember: Never let your guard down.”

Alice nodded as she stood up. “We’ll be fine, Dad. It’s not like we’re marching into Deinan.”

Leo took a long drag of his cigarette, seeming to savor it for a moment. “Then I leave everything in your capable hands, Lieutenant. Round up Vincent and another one of your men, then go meet Kurt at the loading dock.”

Alice gave a quick salute. “You can count on me.”

Leo watched the girl go, another warm smile pulling at his lips. He counted on her more than she even realized…

****

Vincent sighed. He pushed the oatmeal around his bowl for what had to be the fifteenth time within the last thirty minutes.

“You, uh, alright over there, Vincent.”

The brunette looked up from his bowl to pin the young soldier with a half-hearted glare. “I don’t see how eating at a time like this is going to help me, Issac.”

“Well, you do need to keep your strength up, Vincent. You’re not looking so great.”

Vincent rolled his eyes at the fellow teen’s weak attempt at reassurance. “Probably because I didn’t get much in the way of sleep last night.”

Issac regarded the boy with a sympathetic glance. “Just try not to think too much on it right now, Vincent.”

Vincent closed his eyes, drawing in a deep breath. His head felt like it was going to explode. How does one simply ‘not think’ about a scream in the night?! Blowing out a sigh, he frowned. Weren’t these people the least bit concerned?

“Where’d Seth go?” Jonathan questioned.

Issac shrugged. “I ain’t his keeper.”

Vincent released the spoon he was holding, letting it loudly clatter into the bowl. “You people are just full of compassion and concern for each other, aren’t you?”

Johnathan’s eyes momentarily held a flicker of surprise at the teen’s bold tone. It appeared he may have been wrong in his initial assessment of the boy being a clueless moron. He quirked a smile. “Hey, don’t lump me in with gutless wonder over there,” he remarked, jabbing a thumb in Issac’s direction.

Issac folded his arms, refusing to comment.

Vincent and Johnathan rolled their eyes at the childish display.

The trio turned their attention to the doorway when the large, metal doors of the cafeteria opened to reveal a familiar face.

“Hey, Seth, over here!” Johnathan waved.

The brunette offered the group a small smile as he approached the table.

“You want something to eat? Where’d you disappear to?”

Seth shook his head at Johnathan’s kind offer, waving a hand in decline. “Sorry, no time. I just saw the lieutenant. She’s back in her office now, and she sent me to come find you, Vincent.”

Vincent perked up upon hearing. So she really was alright? Not only that, but she was asking for him? Shoving his bowl away, the brunette stood up. “That works for me. I wanted to speak with her anyway.”

****

The young girl sniffled as she sat with her legs drawn to her chest. Her stomach burned with hunger. When had she eaten last? Though the time of year was such that the weather was dominantly warm, she had never felt so cold.

The air was still. Thick and oppressive, it carried little sound.

Alice shivered. No one. There was absolutely no one left. Biting her lip, she felt tears roll down her pale cheeks. Her sobbing had long since taken her voice.

The blonde swallowed, wincing at the pain from her sore, dry throat. She needed to find water soon. She had lost all sense of time since her awakening.

A dull throbbing buzzed at the back of her head, causing the poor girl to wince again. The pale-gray light of dawn did little to comfort the girl as she finally stood on shaky legs. She ambled along in no particular direction, having no clue where she was even going. She had only left her hometown a handful of times before, and, as such, anything that lied beyond was, for the most part, unknown.

The girl sniffed again, fresh tears filling her eyes as she walked. It was no use. She couldn’t stay. There was no shelter to offer her refuge should it decide to rain.

The child wasn’t sure how long she’d been walking when the sound of footsteps reached her ears. Fear gripped the girl’s heart as she whipped her head around.

Panic quickly set in. What if it was one of the ‘bad men’ in uniform that her parents had warned her about? Or…that other guy…

Glancing around for any form of refuge, the young girl spotted a small scrub bush next to a tree and scrambled behind it. Being far too weak for much of anything else, Alice shivered as the footfalls drew closer. Clasping her hands over her mouth, she pinched her eyes shut in an attempt to prevent herself from crying aloud.

Heat. Hot and painful, the sensation traveled down the girl’s spine. Her sapphire eyes snapped open at the sizzling sound next to her ears. Finding her only cover now aflame, the girl let out a wild shriek as she made to run.

The girl had made it no more than three paces before colliding into what felt like a solid wall. Upon opening her eyes, she gasped as she found herself staring into a pair of icy-blue eyes.

“Whoa! Take it easy there, little one,” he smiled kindly as he held out a hand to her. “Now where’s your mommy and daddy, hmm?”

The dam broke. Upon the mention of her parents, Alice immediately flung herself into the stranger’s arms. Her choked sobs were muffled by the blue jeans he wore. Wait… blue jeans? Raising her head, she gave the tall stranger a second glance.

His blue eyes stood out against the dark-gray t-shirt he wore. His blue jeans were a deep navy wash, making them appear almost black. Well, he bore no uniform. His blond eyebrows creased in concern as he placed a gentle hand on her head.

“Th-th-they’re gone! Everyone’s gone!” Alice bawled, her voice raw.

The man’s eyes widened briefly before his friendly smile returned. “Well, it certainly sounds like you’ve had quite a day already. My name is Leo Derwent. What’s yours?”

The girl gave a weak hiccup, rubbing the tears from her eyes. “A-Alison. Alison Nichole Lynheart.”…

****

A swift knock at the door drew the young woman from the dark confines of her memory. Taking a quick drink of her coffee, she gave a soft sigh. “Come in.”

The heavy door creaked open to reveal Seth, a cheshire grin tugging at his lips. “Miss me, Lieutenant?”

Alice rolled her eyes. “Just get in here already.”

Seth pursed his lips. “Yeesh! I keep forgetting that you don’t have a sense of humor,” he muttered as he strolled over to one of the chairs and flopped down. “Anyway, I brought your new boy toy like you asked.”

The reaction was even better than Seth had imagined. The lighting in the room turned bright, the blonde’s cheeks filling with color as her sapphire eyes widened in mortification.

“Seth!”

Vincent peeked into the doorway, a mixture of bemusement and confusion playing across his face. “Boy toy? What’s that supposed to mean?”

Seth smirked, opening his mouth to reply.

“Nothing, Vincent, j-just come in and sit down,” Alice muttered, cutting the brunette off.

Vincent quirked a brow but obeyed the young woman. “U-Um, Okay.” Making his way over to the other chair in front of the lieutenant’s desk, he sat down.

“Since we’re all here, I wanted to brief you on today’s mission,” Alice began after a moment.

Vincent felt the blood drain from his face. Already? He swallowed.

Alice’s eyes softened. “It’s going to be alright, Vincent. It’s just going to be basic info retrieval. You’re gonna do great.”

Vincent offered a sheepish smile. Why me?

“Today, we’re going to be doing an undercover mission in Pheora. An anonymous informant has requested to meet with us to exchange some information.”

Seth nodded in understanding. “Sounds good to me. Besides, it will be nice to have a day out.”

“This isn’t a pleasure trip, Seth. It’s a serious mission. We have a job to do.”

Seth groaned as he tilted his head back in the chair.

Alice snorted, stifling a small chuckle at the dramatic display. “Go get changed into your street clothes. We meet at the loading dock in fifteen.”

“U-Um, I’m sorry, but I don’t know where that is, Miss,” Vincent interjected, feeling his knees weaken when the girl turned to him with a dazzling smile.

“Oh, that’s okay, Vincent. You’re with me. We need to pick up some supplies from the storage room anyway, so we’ll just go together. Sound good?”

Vincent could’ve melted then and there. Her radiant smile seemed to light up the room. Feeling his cheeks warm with a blush, the teen nodded. “S-sure.”

Seth rolled his eyes. “Well, I guess we know who’s the favorite,” the brunette muttered.

Alice cleared her throat, fighting the blush dusting her porcelain skin. “That will be all, Seth.”

Seth grumbled under his breath. The blonde’s tone left no room for argument. Giving a short nod, he made for the door.

Once the embarrassing nuisance was gone, the lieutenant stood from her chair. “Ready to go, Vincent?”

The brunette shook his head, snapping himself from his thoughts. He returned the young woman’s smile with one of his own as he gave a dramatic bow. “After you, Miss.”

Alice paused. The gesture seemed to steal her voice, her heart missing a beat. What was this? She swallowed, feeling the familiar heat creep up her spine to cause the hair at the back of her neck to stand.

“U-Um, Lieutenant, are you alright? You’re turning red-”

“I’m fine,” she replied quickly; too quickly. Biting her lip, she turned on her heels. “W-well, we better get going.”

Vincent quirked a brow but said no more as he began to follow. Amber eyes studied the girl as the pair quietly made their way down the halls. Gone was the leather armor she wore the day before, being replace by a lovely, white, cotton dress with a slate-colored, button jacket.

The teen bit his lip. The girl was definitely a vision. Looking at her now, she was the perfect portrait of an angel in white. It was difficult to believe that she was even capable of malevolence, much less faced any aimed toward herself.

Vincent frowned. Collecting his thoughts, he cleared his throat, prompting the girl to glance his way out of the corner of her eye. “S-so, uh, where is this Pheora anyway?”

Alice smiled briefly. “Oh, it’s a peaceful, little place not too far from here. You’re gonna love it.”

The lieutenant stopped in front of a large door about half-way down the hall that Vincent recognized as the one leading to the clinical room he’d awakened in. There was a small, black box affixed to the wall next to the door, and he watched in fascination as the girl inserted a card into it. A metallic beeping was heard as the box lit up with a green light.

“Coming, Vincent?” the blonde smiled as she opened the door then.

Vincent’s eyes widened slightly as he stepped into the room. It was much larger than it appeared. Large cargo bins were arranged in neat rows throughout the space. A very large monitor took up the back-left corner of the wall. There was a small machine much like the one beside the door in front of it.

“Wow.”

Alice turned to the boy with a grin. “Yeah, this is the storage room. Only authorized personnel are allowed in here, though. This is where we keep all the supplies for the entire base. Well, except food. That goes to the kitchen, as you would imagine.”

Vincent nodded as he allowed his eyes to travel around the room once more. He watched as the lieutenant then made her way over to one of the many bins.

“Come on, let’s find you some clothes to wear. Having to constantly wear that armor can’t be comfortable.”

The brunette gave a soft chuckle as he followed her into the shipping container. “Yeah, I suppose armor wouldn’t exactly be appropriate for an undercover mission, huh?”

Alice chuckled. “Well, to be fair, it defeats the purpose.”

The pair shared a laugh before Alice turned to one of the many racks of clothing that filled the bin.

Once again, Vincent found himself in awe as he took another moment to glance around. The cargo container was filled from top to bottom with various articles of clothing of just about every nature. There was a clear walking path that led through the space in a zig zag like pattern.

It’s like its own little shop in and of itself. Well, except for a few things…

Vincent glanced over his shoulder where he could still just see the monitor on the wall through the doorway of the bin. “U-um, Miss Lyheart, could I ask you a question?”

Alice paused in her searching to glance over at the boy. Seeing his troubled expression, she cocked her head. “Of course you can, Vincent. That’s why I’m here, remember? To teach you everything you need to know.”

“R-right,” Vincent murmured, his hand reaching back to scratch his neck. “I was just wondering… Well, I’ve seen a lot of monitors on the walls since I’ve been here. I’m just curious… What are they for?”

Alice’s sapphire eyes seemed to light up for a moment, a mischievous smile tugging at her lips. “Oh, so you noticed those, huh? All the better to spy on you, my dear.”

Vincent paled. “Wh-what?” he choked.

A mirthful giggle cut him off, causing his heart to skip a beat. Alice snorted before erupting into another peel of laughter.

“I’m only kidding, Vincent.”

The brunette felt his cheeks warm in spite of himself. He managed a half-hearted glare. “St-stop doing that, Lieutenant. You’re going to give me a heart attack.”

Alice feigned offense, letting one pale hand down to rest at her hip. “Aw, but most find my humor quite charming.”

Vincent glanced the young woman over for a moment as she smiled warmly at him, feeling the familiar tingling of butterflies in his stomach. Trust me, it isn’t merely your humor they’re finding so charming.

Alice shifted under the boy’s warm, amber gaze. Why did he keep looking at her like that? Straightening her posture, the blonde did her best to ignore the warmth settling in her cheeks. “On a serious note, those are for security purposes. When it’s not being used for live broadcast announcements, it serves as surveillance.”

Vincent’s eyes only widened.

Alice smiled softly. “Stop worrying so much, Vincent. You’re safe here, I promise.”

The blonde turned back to her task of locating a suitable set of clothing for the boy, well aware of the amber eyes gazing in her direction. Locating a black and green athletic suit, the girl’s eyes lit up. Plucking it from the rack, she held it out for her companion’s inspection.

“Here, Vincent. This one looks like it will fit you. Why don’t you try it on while I make a note in the inventory?”

The raven-haired teen smiled, accepting the offering. “Sure.”

Vincent watched as Alice made her way to the front of the storage container, stopping at a small, electronic device mounted to the doorway. A series of beeps could be heard as she began typing something on the contraption’s keyboard.

The boy swallowed. She wasn’t leaving? His eyes widened as he noticed nothing resembling a sort of changing room in the immediate area. Biting his lip, the teen began to slowly back away behind one of the many racks of clothing.

Once he’d gone far enough to where he was certain that he could not be seen, the teen set about removing the restrictive, blue armor he wore. The soft, silk-like fabric felt refreshing against his skin as he pulled the pants on. Now shirtless, the boy spared a glance at his discarded armor. What should he do with it?

“Well, Vincent, did those clothes fi-” Alice began, turning her attention to where she’d left her companion.

The rest of the words died in the blonde’s throat as the boy shyly stepped out from behind the rack of clothing he’d been hiding behind, holding his armor in one hand and the shirt to his new clothing in the other.

Alice swallowed, the sight nearly stealing her breath away. His pale, exposed abdomen was a lot more toned than his youthful face would lead one to believe. His chest, while devoid of any hair, had decent muscle-tone to it for his age. Apparently, the boy was considerably more developed than she’d originally anticipated.

The young lieutenant remained frozen as the teen slowly made his way over to where she stood, a blush mirroring her own staining his features.

“I, uh, wasn’t sure what to do with my other set of clothes, so…”

“Tha-that’s okay, Vincent,” the blonde stammered, clearing her throat as she reached over and took the set of armor from him. “Y-you can just leave it here for now.”

Vincent watched in mild fascination as she turned away from him then, making her way over to one of the racks to discard the blue, protective clothing. The lighting in the room gradually shifted, and it was then that he noticed that it had been much brighter only a moment ago.

“S-so, um, thank you for the clothes, Miss,” the teen stated before slipping his new shirt over his head.

Alice bit her lip lightly. “No problem, Vincent,” she replied, not turning around. Drawing in a deep breath, she did her best to calm her racing heart. Take it easy, Alice. He’s just a guy. The teen spared a glance over her shoulder. “Th-they do seem to suit you.”

Vincent gave a bashful smile, the fact that the lighting had brightened once more not being lost on him. “They’re quite comfortable, actually.”

Alice gave an awkward smile, her pale skin tinged red. Okay, so he’s a guy with positively the most gorgeous set of eyes you’ve ever seen… And despite the voice that could probably melt butter, you have a job to do! Clearing her throat, the blonde turned on her heels. “Shall we go?”

Vincent frowned. Why did he suddenly feel as though he’d done something terribly wrong? “After you, then, Miss.”

****

Seth gave an impatient sigh as he leaned against the steel wall. Where were they already?!

“Oh, don’t tell me you’re going on this little trip too.”

The brunette glanced up at the interruption to his thoughts. A scowl marred his features as he looked the boy over. “You’re bullshitting me, right?”

Kurt scowled. “No. You happen to be looking at your ride for the day, I’ll have you know. So you might not want to piss off your driver.”

Seth rolled his eyes. “Oh, goody.”

“Honestly! I can’t leave you alone for more than a few minutes, can I?”

Seth whipped his head around to see Alice entering the room, Vincent trailing behind her. It’s about time.

“Seth, how many times do I have to remind you to watch your language?”

The brunette rolled his hazel eyes once more. “Yeah, well, what excuses him?”

Alice sighed, resisting the urge to rub her temples. “He isn’t one of my cadets.”

Kurt smirked at the glare sent in his direction from the teen soldier. A snort of laughter escaped his lips before he could stifle it, causing the blonde to turn her attention to him almost instantly.

“And as for you, as a technician, shouldn’t you be conducting yourself a little more professionally?”

Vincent bit his lip in his best effort to stifle his sudden bout of laughter. It was safe to say that he definitely liked this girl already. She certainly wasn’t afraid to speak her mind. Unlike him…

Kurt’s brown eyes narrowed. “Hey, shut up, Vincent! You know, I don’t HAVE to take you all the way into town. How about I just drop your skinny ass off in the middle of nowhere, huh? Make you walk the rest of the way. Don’t think I’ve forgotten-”

The room suddenly dimmed, causing Vincent’s eyes to widen as the temperature plummeted. He spared a glance at the woman standing next to him.

“Are you quite done?” she uttered, her tone almost deadly calm.

Vincent shivered lightly. I-I’ve never felt such power. I’m getting a chill just standing next to her.

“Alright, already! Quit absorbing all the heat!” Kurt yelped, giving a sigh of relief as the temperature and lighting shifted back to normal after a moment.

Alice gave another weary sigh. “Honestly, I’m dealing with children.”

Kurt frowned but continued. “Anyway, we should get going. It will probably take a half an hour to get to Pheora.”

Seth snorted. “Make that two hours in that contraption you call a car.”

Kurt glared, crossing his arms in indignation. “Hey, can you build a car?”

“I don’t have to know how to build a car to know when one sucks,” Seth retorted, earning a glare from the blonde Lieutenant.

“Please, tell me we aren’t taking your car, Kurt,” Alice shook her head in exasperation.

Kurt pursed his lips as he gestured to the black car behind him, or at least Vincent assumed it was a car. The wheels appeared somewhat rusted. The front bumper was terribly bent, giving the vehicle an unnatural shape.

“Hey, this is a perfectly good car. I even designed it myself. It’s perfectly functional.”

Alice couldn’t help the snort that escaped her, her pale eyebrows crinkling in amusement. “That depends on what you constitute as functional, doesn’t it?”

Kurt’s dark eyebrows furrowed in frustration. “Oh, you’ve never been a good judge of my work, Alice.”

The blonde shrugged, giving a soft sigh. “Well, as long as we can make it to Pheora and back without it blowing up, we should be good.”

Vincent’s amber eyes widened. “Wh-what? Blowing up?!”

“For crying out loud, it isn’t going to blow up!” Kurt protested, looking very much like a toddler pitching a temper tantrum as he stomped his foot.

Alice smirked, crossing her arms. “Oh, yeah? Is it still making that horrendous noise?”

Kurt huffed. “What horrendous noise? I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“The horrible, grinding noise it was making the last time it overheated.”

Seth scowled, shaking his head in exasperation. “Oh, lovely. You mean this piece of crap has blown up before?”

“ONCE! And that was when I first started working on it!”

Alice gave a knowing smile. “And how many times has it been driven since then?”

Kurt hung his head. “J-just get in the damn car.”

Vincent paled, swallowing a nervous gulp of air as he followed after the trio. The teen gave an apprehensive glance to his commanding officer as she then turned to him with an apologetic smile. Reaching into her jacket’s pocket, she retrieved what appeared to be a piece of cloth.

“I am sorry about this, Vincent, but where you haven’t completed your training…”

“H-huh?” Vincent stuttered as the young woman made her way behind him, the cloth she held now obscuring his vision. Suddenly blinded, the teen waved his arms. “Wh-what?”

“It’s alright, Vincent,” the lieutenant reassured him as she placed her hand against his back, gently guiding him into the vehicle.

Vincent sighed in resignation, feeling someone else slide into the seat next to him. This was going to be a very long day.

As the four teens set off, the brunette couldn’t seem to shake the overwhelming sense of foreboding that settled within his chest. After all, the hour is always the darkest before the dawn.