Chapter 8: Perspective

“I am sorry again about the blindfold, Vincent.”

The brunette gave a weak smile at the sound of his commanding officer’s apologetic voice, doing his best to appear far more relaxed than he felt at the moment. “It’s okay, Alice.”

“We don’t want to take any risks. You’re gonna have to prove yourself before we can trust you.”

Vincent sighed at the sound of the voice he knew to be Kurt. “I’m no threat to anyone.”

“Well, that remains to be seen, doesn’t it?”

“That’s enough, Kurt! Can you stop being so antagonistic? He’s honestly taken everything well, all things considered,” Alice snapped.

The blonde leaned back a bit in the front-passenger seat, silently willing her headache to cease. The day had only begun, and she was already exhausted.

Seth glared at the boy sitting next to him. He wasn’t sure just where this boy had come from, but he was sure he didn’t quite like how comfortable he was becoming with the blonde. “That’s Lieutenant Lynheart,” he whispered darkly, elbowing the boy.

“Ow!” Vincent yelped, glaring behind the blindfold.

Alice turned around in her seat to peer into the backseat of the car. Seth gave her an innocent smile, causing her to roll her eyes before turning back around to face forward again.

Vincent raised a hand, beckoning the boy closer with a finger.

Seth frowned. Now what? Scowling, he moved closer to the boy, only to yelp as he suddenly surged forward to crash their foreheads together. The brunette quickly leaned back, his hands involuntarily shooting up to rub his skull. He shot a glare in the amber-eyed boy’s direction, not that he could see in his current state.

“Asshole,” he muttered under his breath

“You started it,” Vincent whispered back in retort.

“I don’t know what’s going on back there, but it better stop.”

Both boys stilled at the blonde’s sudden warning.

“Honestly, Alice, why’d you pick these two? Don’t you have better, more competent, soldiers in your division?” Kurt quipped, earning a dramatic sigh from the female.

“Don't you start again,” the young lieutenant grumbled, “I swear, if ALL of you don’t knock it off, I’m going to blow this hunk of junk sky high.”

“Hey! Don’t insult my baby,” Kurt protested, reaching up to pat the dashboard affectionately.

Alice rolled her eyes. “Yeah? Well, your baby has seen better days,” she quipped, glancing out the window at the scenery flashing by.

The blonde closed her eyes against the sudden bout of nausea. She was so going to pay the price for her lack of sleep later. The car hit a bump in the road, forcing her to clench her jaw. As amusing as Kurt’s reaction to her throwing up in his car would be, it definitely wasn’t on her ‘to-do’ list for the day. Steady, girl. Just breathe. Get through this day, and you can rest.

The rest of the trip passed by in relative silence. It didn’t seem very long before Vincent felt the vehicle roll to a stop. He remained still as he heard the car doors opening and closing. The teen jumped slightly as the door next to him opened then, a small hand taking hold of his before guiding him out of the car.

The blindfold fell away then, the teen wincing slightly at the bright sunlight that assaulted his senses.

Alice chuckled lightly at the reaction, offering a brief apology.

Vincent opened his eyes once more, amber orbs growing wide at the large, open space before him. The chirping of birds filled his ears as he took in the colorful, bustling landscape. Large buildings of various assortments stood tall and proud against the crisp blue of the sky, intermingled with an array of modest homes. The laughter of children reached his ears, and the teen smiled.

“It seems livelier than usual today,” Seth remarked, folding his arms as he spared a glance at the lieutenant.

Alice gave a hum of acknowledgment, though she didn’t trust herself to give anything more. Leaning against the car for a moment, she drew in a deep breath. Her brows furrowed as she pinched her eyes shut, recoiling at the strong, sea-salt smell that carried through the air.

A smile graced her lips. If she didn’t feel so badly, she would be elated at the prospect of an excuse to walk along the shore. However, another wave of nausea sent her head throbbing once more.

“Sis? You okay?” Kurt questioned, his eyebrows raising in concern as she seemed to stiffen for a moment before finally turning to face him.

“I’m fine,” the teen quickly assured, drawing in another deep breath. She was feeling more than a little uncomfortable as all eyes fell on her. Straightening her posture, she cleared her throat. It wouldn’t do for them to see her like this. It would only serve as a distraction. “Let’s get this over with.”

The boys exchanged looks but nodded, nonetheless.

Vincent frowned. He wasn’t exactly certain what he’d done, but it was clear that she was still upset. What should he say? Should he say anything?

“We shouldn’t be more than a few hours. It all depends on how long this guy ends up taking to find us,” the blonde informed her brother, “Just lay low here and don’t draw any unnecessary attention.”

Kurt nodded. “Yeah, I got it.”

With that, the blonde turned on her heels, “Come on, boys.”

Kurt couldn’t help but smile as he watched Seth and Vincent scramble after her. She looked very much like a mother hen leading her brood. Giving a soft chuckle, he leaned against the car. She had a lot of people who looked up to her. Sometimes he wondered how she managed all the pressure.

Giving a small yawn, he frowned. So far, nothing noteworthy of reporting to Leo. In fact, the boy had been almost completely silent for the entire trip.

The brunette sighed. Leo was not going to be so happy. He resisted a disgruntled snort. He hadn’t been able to decrypt any of the information he’d been able to uncover that might lead to the boy’s origins. Not that it was all that surprising. If the boy really was from The Order, it would be understandable that they would wish to keep such a breach hidden from the general populous.

Standing up straight, the boy gave a long stretch. For the time being, it wouldn’t do for him to let his guard down around him. He only hoped Alice would be equally as cautious.

****

Alice sighed as she led the way through the busy streets. Catching sight of the boy beside her out of the corner of her eye, she frowned in exasperation at his openly concerned expression. “Please don’t give me that look, Seth. I’m fine.”

The brunette appeared as though he would protest for a moment before a suggestive smile tugged at his lips. “You most certainly are,” he commented, allowing his eyes to travel the length of her profile before settling on her face as he gave a flirtatious wink.

Alice rolled her eyes, smiling in spite of herself as a half-hearted snort of disgust escaped her. “Seriously, do you have an off button?”

Realizing her mistake in word choice a little too late, the blonde heated up with a blush as a wide grin erupted upon the boy’s face.

“Why don’t you do some pressing and see what you can find?”

Vincent scowled as he followed the pair. Ugh! Okay, the boy was more than a little irksome. How much was this poor woman supposed to take? The teen frowned. Though, judging by her reaction, she wasn’t entirely angered by the boy’s advances. “I bet I can at least find a total reset button. Permission to kick him in the nuts for you, Lieutenant?”

Seth whirled around to pin the amber-eyed boy with a glare. So now he had a mouth on him, huh? The brunette smirked. “Jealous much? Besides, I would love to see you try.”

“Enough, both of you. We have a job to do, or did you forget?” Alice quipped, bringing an effective end to the matter.

Vincent and Seth shared another mutual glare before falling silent, causing the blonde to give another sigh of exasperation. Not that she could wholly blame the boys. It was, after all, her fault as well for allowing herself to be distracted.

The trio fell mostly silent then as they traversed the streets. People congregated outside the many shops. The air was abuzz with lively chatter as they went about their morning routines.

“I don’t like this,” Alice murmured, her sapphire eyes narrowing, “I don’t know what’s going on today, but I do know that we better get our business taken care of so that we can split as fast as possible.”

Seth nodded in agreement. “Yeah, it looks like some sort of celebration,” he replied, taking in the various decorations that adorned the buildings they passed.

“Let’s start down at the docks. We can go from there.”

Seth, once again, nodded in agreement. “Probably for the best.”

The trio slowly made their way into what Vincent could only guess was the heart of the town. A large, decorated platform had been erected in the middle of one of the intersections of four street corners. Vincent felt his heart sink with dread as he watched Alice and Seth exchange worried glances before quickly moving on.

“What do you make of that?” Seth whispered.

“Nothing good,” Alice returned, her tone grim. With The Order, random platforms on public display were rarely a good sign of things to come. After all, executions were a spectacle nowadays. A feeling of dread settled in her chest, causing the young woman to spare a glance at the two boys following her.

Her gaze lingered on Vincent for a moment. The poor boy! He looked so out of sorts, his head on a swivel as his eyes darted back and forth in an attempt to drink everything in.

Alice smiled warmly. “You doing alright, Vincent? You’re looking a little pale.”

Vincent gave an awkward smile. “Oh, don’t worry about me. I’m just taking in the sights.”

“Anything looking familiar at all?”

A sigh left the boy’s lips. “I wish it was.”

Alice gave a rueful frown. “Well…just don’t force it, okay?” She paused, flashing the boy a reassuring smile. “I’m sure it will all come back to you in time.”

Vincent couldn’t seem to help the frown that darkened his features. Truth be told, he wasn’t so sure. So far, all his efforts to recall anything from his past only resulted in a painful, lingering headache. He was now positive that something had to be wrong with him, and it didn’t have anything to do with the burning gunshot wound to his chest.

A sigh left the boy then as he silently continued to follow the pair through the less populated backstreets and alleyways of the city. He gasped, nearly plowing into them as they suddenly stopped short in the middle of an alleyway.

Vincent’s eyes narrowed as he picked up on the shift in atmosphere. He gazed at the man blocking their path. He wasn’t sure why, but the long tattoo trailing halfway up his bare arm unnerved him. His blond hair was cut short, almost shaved. Ironically enough, he seemed to have just as much facial hair as what was on his head.

The brunette felt his heart jump to his throat as Alice took a step closer to the man that clearly dwarfed her in size. What on earth was she doing?!

“Good morning, kiddos,” he finally greeted, his tone gravelly.

Alice took a few steps, closing the distance to where they were only about a few feet apart in the narrow alley. “Good morning,” she murmured casually, not taking her eyes off the man as she moved to walk past him.

Eyes widening, Vincent quickly moved to follow. He turned to Seth, eyes narrowing in confusion when the boy stopped him with a hand clutched to his wrist. He shot the fellow brunette a questioning glance. Seth merely shook his head in response, making the slightest movement with his eyes that told Vincent to simply observe. The boy swallowed hard, heart filling with cold dread as he gave the slightest of nods.

“Now wait a minute, there, beautiful. Where you off to in such a hurry? Stay and play a while” the scrawny man murmured as he reached out for her arm.

Seth grimaced. “Oh, hey, I wouldn’t do that if I were-”

“Excuse me?” Alice questioned, quickly latching onto the man’s wrist as his hand connected with her shoulder.

Seth slapped a hand to his forehead, a knowing smirk tugging at his lips. “Too late…”

“H-Hey! Wh-” the blond choked.

“We’re looking for a friend of ours. White lilies mean anything to you?” Alice inquired, her eyes narrowing in a sign of obvious irritation as she dug her thumb into the tender underside of the man’s wrist.

The man gave choked, pained noise in the back of his throat as he desperately tried to wrench his arm away, but to no avail. His eyes widened. “Look, Lady, I have no clue what you’re talking about. You guys looked like an easy score, that’s all!”

Vincent stared in mild horror at the scene. Chancing a glance in Seth’s direction, he saw him bite into his lower lip to stifle what he was sure was laughter. Was this supposed to be amusing?! Their lieutenant was obviously in danger, and he was just going to stand there?

“Don’t let her fool ya, Vincent, Alice is a whole lot stronger than her physical stature would lead you to believe,” Seth chuckled. God, he loved the woman!

Alice scowled before a dark smile tugged her lips upwards. “Fine, you caught me in a generous mood. It’s time for a little demonstration, since you were so kind to volunteer yourself,” she spoke before turning her attention back to her comrades. “Listen up, Vincent, pay attention. This is how to properly disarm an opponent.”

Vincent gulped, blinking with wide eyes. He was both intrigued…and terrified of this new side of her that he was suddenly seeing. Perhaps it wasn’t such a farfetched notion that she could be capable of… Then again, she WAS a soldier, after all.

Satisfied that she had his undivided attention, she continued. Retaining her iron grip on the man’s wrist, she pressed her opposite elbow against the man’s chest as he resumed his struggle to get free. “Note the wrist control here. See how, in this position, I could snap it, if I so chose?”

The blonde squeezed for emphasis as she glared at him, causing the man to still then.

“You’re crazy!” he cried, suddenly redoubling his efforts. He yelped in pain when the girl’s grip nearly pulled his arm from its socket.

Alice sighed, her tone taking on that of a scolding mother’s. “Now how am I supposed to teach if you don’t,” she paused, sending the heel of her foot into the man’s knee, “Shut up and listen?”

Vincent's eyes were nearly the size of saucers as he watched her then send the man tumbling over her in one fluid motion with the drop of her shoulder.

The man wheezed from the impact, wincing as he felt the woman’s foot now pressed to his groin.

“And in this position,” she began, adding pressure for emphasis, “I could do just about anything. Including grinding his testicles into powder.” She shrugged. “Not that it would be much of a loss. It isn’t like he gets much use out of them anyway.”

The man gave a small whimper of fear as she leaned down then, resting an elbow on her bent knee. She released his wrist, leaning all her weight onto the foot currently wedged into his crotch. “P-please, I’ve learned my lesson, okay?”

Alice smiled, resting her chin in her open palm. “What? I thought you wanted me to stay and play. You’re not having fun?”

The would-be robber shook his head, resisting the pitiful sob that bubbled up in his throat.

“Oh, well, I enjoyed myself. Be a good boy next time, keep your hands to yourself, and maybe I’ll let you buy me dinner,” she murmured. Giving a small sigh, she straightened her posture, removing herself from her ‘victim’. “Now away with you.”

The man gave a wild yelp as he clumsily stood and sped away, shrieking as if he’d been set ablaze.

Seth gave a smitten chuckle. “Ah, my lieutenant is such a heartbreaker.” His brows crinkled in amusement as he strode toward her. “And a ballbreaker.”

Alice rolled her eyes as he gazed at her. Straightening the wrinkles from her dress, she sighed. “Seth, you can stop undressing me with your eyes now.”

The brunette recoiled, feigning offense as he pressed a hand to his chest as if he’d been wounded. “Hey, I’ll have you know you’ve only begun slipping out of your clothes. I’m just starting to get a view here.”

Vincent pinched his eyes shut, resisting the urge to purge the contents of his stomach then and there. Ugh…

“Vincent, are you alright?”

The blonde’s words snapped him out of his daze. The teen shook his head, a sheepish smile painting his features as he scratched the back of his head. “I’m, uh, fine. More than I can say for that guy, though.”

An emotion akin to embarrassment briefly flickered across the young woman’s features before she sighed. “Vincent,” she began softly, “you can’t let people run you over. Understand now that, if you give them an inch, they’ll stomp you into the ground. Nothing brings out desperate people like opportunity.”

Seth shrugged. Was the boy seriously that naïve? “The dickhead was a robber, Vincent.”

“At any rate, we need to go. We’ve wasted enough time here as it is,” Alice murmured, turning on her heels and making her way down the alley.

Vincent fell silent as he followed, once again getting the distinct feeling he’d said something he shouldn’t have. The boy smiled softly as he watched her stifle a yawn. Looking at her now, no one would ever suspect that she’d just assaulted a man. He hated to admit it, but Seth was right. The young woman was truly one of a kind.

The scent of salt in the air grew stronger as they neared the shoreline. Vincent’s eyes widened as he caught sight of the port. Large, docked ships were busily being unloaded, the ocean’s current causing them to bob and sway where they were tied in a form of natural dance.

The sound of aquatic birds filled the air amid the song of the waves. It was a symphony he’d never heard before, and the boy couldn’t help but sigh as a sense of tranquility began to fill him.

Turning a corner on the pier, the trio descended the steps that led down to the beach.

Alice smiled, reaching down to remove her sandals. A rare, contented sigh escaped her lips as her toes dug into the soft, white sand. Since this is such a rare opportunity…

Leading the way down the beach, the blonde missed the knowing smile that graced the brunette’s lips as he trailed after her. It was no secret to Seth that the woman absolutely adored the water, especially the ocean.

The lieutenant smiled, moving to walk along the water’s edge. She closed her eyes as the waves licked at her pale toes, cooling her skin. “We’ll hang out here for a bit where it’s a little quieter. Besides, the guy’s probably going to come to the pier anyway, since that’s the usual meeting spot,” she said, sparing the boys a glance over her shoulder.

“You got it, Lieutenant,” Seth replied, giving a wink and a thumbs up. She wasn’t fooling him. Alice would use any excuse when the beach was involved. Although, he couldn’t help but find the arrangement agreeable himself.

Alice rolled her eyes but smiled nonetheless before turning her back to them once again. Holding up the bottom of her dress a bit, she ventured a little further into the water, content to tune out the rest of the world if only for a moment.

Vincent gave a soft sigh, his warm gaze lingering. His amber eyes narrowed, a sharp yelp escaping his lips as an elbow collided with his abdomen. “Ow!”

“That was for earlier,” Seth whispered. A devilish smile graced his lips as glanced briefly back to their lieutenant. “And also… I saw that.”

Vincent quirked a brow, turning to give the boy an exasperated scowl. “Saw what?”

“You…staring at those legs.”

Vincent nearly choked, feeling his face burn. “I am not!” he whispered back heatedly, folding his arms. He rolled his eyes as Seth slung an arm around his shoulder.

“Hey, I’m not in any position to blame you, Vincent. I mean I fantasize about getting those wrapped around my waist too.”

“Ugh!”

“Just be glad it’s me that caught you and not her. You could end up like her friend in the alley earlier. You saw what happens when you look and touch.”

Vincent swallowed. “W-well, it’s a good thing I’m only lo-,” Eyes widening as realization dawned on him that he was speaking aloud, he looked away as his blush only deepened. “Just shut up.”

Seth shrugged. “Hey, your secret’s safe with me.”

“I’m not staring at her legs!” Vincent protested again. He was certain his entire face had to be the color of a cherry by now. Even the tips of his ears felt warm. He was only glad that the sound of their conversation seemed to be drowned out by the waves, as the girl remained with her back turned to them. His amber eyes lowered. Actually…it’s that fine rear of hers that has my attention…

Alice yawned, stretching her arms above her head. She was grateful for the good fortune of clear weather today. She smiled as she felt the heat of the sun on her face. Closing her eyes, she drew in a deep breath, feeling her body slowly soak in the heat. She sighed as she felt the warm energy fill her. She was delighted that her earlier bought of nausea had decided to give her a small respite.

The young woman opened her eyes after a few more moments, feeling somewhat invigorated. After all, heat was her aptitude. It would only make sense that she would take such comfort within the sun’s pull. She brought her hands up, glancing at them briefly before brushing her hair back as the breeze suddenly sent her golden locks askew.

She frowned. Such dangerous hands. If she were to lose even the slightest bit of control over her powers… The teen shook her head, attempting to snap herself out of her negative dwelling. It wouldn’t do. After all, she couldn’t let them down. They relied on her.

Another small smile graced her lips. Of course, absorbing power from the sun wasn’t without its certain benefits. Rotating her wrist, she glanced at her watch. She frowned. They’d been here for an hour now. Where was the informant?

A feeling of dread began to creep up the young woman’s spine before she stamped down on it. Giving a sigh, she made her way out of the water.

Vincent and Seth sat in the sand, one looking decidedly less comfortable than the other. Alice quirked a brow when he refused to meet her gaze. Deciding to save the matter for discussion at a later time, the blonde frowned. “I think we need to get moving.”

Seth stood up, stretching. “You think the guy’s a no-show?”

Alice nodded. “Well, he’s had over an hour now. I think it’s safe to say he isn’t coming. And we can’t be just standing around. It could draw attention. Attention we don’t want.”

Vincent frowned as he stood to his feet. “Do you think they could’ve gotten lost maybe?”

The blonde shook her head. “Not likely. With most information exchanges, it’s the informant that chooses the time and the place. This one only said they would find us.”

Seth gave a rueful sigh, scratching the back of his head in irritation. “Well, don’t you think we should have been given a little more info before coming today? Seems like we don’t have a lot to go on here.”

Alice gave an exasperated sigh herself, unable to help nodding in agreement. “Yeah, the whole thing is starting to sound a little too shady for my liking. I say we pull out and report back to Leo for now.”

The boys hummed in agreement, quickly moving to follow her as she led the way back up the beach. Reaching the pier, she strapped her sandals back in place.

The trip back to town square was a lot smoother than when they’d arrived, though there were considerably more people beginning to line the streets. A large congregation had formed in front of the decorated platform now, Seth’s eyes widening when he noticed the four kneeling individuals seated in a neat line. Soldiers stood behind them brandishing long swords with golden hilts.

Hazel eyes took in the elaborate white and golden armor they wore. Seth swallowed, sparing a glance at his commanding officer. Judging by the look on her face, she saw them too. “The Holy Council in Pheora?”

Alice’s sapphire eyes narrowed as she attempted to keep moving through the crowded sidewalk, her two comrades on her heels. If the Holy Council was here, it definitely wouldn’t do for them to linger any longer. Not to mention that she wasn’t sure she could stomach what was to come.

“Holy Council?” Vincent questioned.

“Emperor Shiro’s royal guard, Vincent,” Alice murmured.

Before the blonde could utter another word, a tall figure adorned in purple silk approached the stairs of the platform. Dropping the hood of his cloak, he turned to address the crowd.

“My brothers and sisters, this is a special day we have been blessed to partake in. I am honored to be named your commandant of the Holy Council of the illustrious Emperor Shiro. As my first token of my rule, I give to you these four traitors.” The blond paused, gesturing to the platform behind him. “These bleeding hearts are a menace to our perfect society. They speak of the farfetched, dangerous notion of peace with the scourge known as The Cursed.”

Loud rumbles of discontent filled the crowd. Vincent winced as people began to push and shove, nearly knocking him off balance as the trio slowly made their way up the opposite street.

“What are we gonna do, Alice? It’s going to be hard trying to get through this crowd, and if they start rioting, we’ll be in a real mess,” Seth murmured as they ducked into an alley.

The lieutenant bit her lip. This wasn’t good. From their new vantage point, they could still clearly see the platform. The blonde’s eyes fell to the trembling captives awaiting their inevitable demise. Her small hand balled into a fist. If she didn’t do something…

“L-Lieutenant?” Vincent questioned.

As if reading her thoughts, Seth quickly placed a hand on her shoulder. “Don’t you dare,” he whispered, squeezing her shoulder for emphasis.

“Take heed, my brothers and sisters, these are the weak links that plague us to suffer God’s wrath,” the voice of the commandant carried over the roar of the crowd. “We must exterminate these cockroaches wherever they surface, lest we suffer even more divine punishment. These fools would have you believe that The Cursed are peaceful and harmless.”

The man paused again. The puffy sleeve of his robes slipped down as he raised his arm in signal, exposing milk-white skin. A dark smile pulled at his thin lips. “But I assure you, my brethren, we must deal with these creatures swiftly and without mercy.”

With that, the lean blond waved his hand.

Time, for Vincent, in that moment, seemed to stop as sickening screams and cheers filled the air. His mouth hung open as the four people, three men and one young woman, on the platform slumped forward then, their heads now missing from their bodies. The brunette felt his stomach lurch as he saw the young woman’s head go rolling across the stage.

Vincent heard Seth let out a string of curses from his position beside him. A cold fear swept through him then, bringing the boy to his knees. For perhaps the first time since he’d awakened, the boy found himself wishing that he could have remained asleep. The young soldier pinched his eyes shut at the wave of nausea.

It was appalling how one day could change a person’s perspective.