Chapter 12: Into the Inferno

Vincent coughed, sending a small cloud of dust wafting through the stale air of the holding cell. He sighed. What a fine mess they’d gotten into now.

The trio had been taken aboard a ship docked in the harbor of Pheora since their capture what the brunette boy was positive had to be nearly an hour ago. Truthfully, Vincent wasn’t so sure they were even still in Pheora anymore.

Highly unlikely…

The teen sighed again, his eyes drifting to the cold, wooden floor. He glanced at the silver chain fastened around his ankle.

“I bet you’re wishing you were up on deck with your buddies now, aren’t ya, Vincent? Or should we call you 012?” Kurt muttered, finally speaking for the first time within the last forty minutes.

Vincent rolled his eyes. The boy’s accusing tone proved to be even more biting than the shackles he currently wore. “I’m sure you’ll call me whatever you like.”

“Well, face facts, Vincent: It doesn’t look too good for you right now,” the brunette returned.

“I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but things don’t exactly look good for any of us. Any more obvious statements you want to make, Kurt?” Alice quipped.

“They recognized him, Alice,” Kurt returned. “I knew when we found those dog tags on him that we should’ve just gotten rid of him.”

Vincent glared.

Alice’s brows furrowed. What? “What dog tags?”

Vincent sighed as Kurt pointed an accusing finger at him. “When you brought him in, your ‘Mr. Dreamboat’, over there, had dog tags from The Order around his neck. Where do you think we got the name, Vincent, from? We didn’t pull it out of a cereal box!”

The blonde frowned. Why hadn’t they told her? She spared a glance at the amber-eyed boy. The very notion was absurd! He was a Touched!

“Kurt, you ran the bio test on him yourself. He’s a Touched,” Alice returned. “Use your head. You know that doesn’t make any sense.”

“Now that all depends on when he got infected, now doesn’t it? What if that’s why he was shot?”

Vincent closed his eyes against the headache he could feel beginning to form at the back of his skull. “Would you mind keeping your story straight, Kurt? If that was true, then I wouldn’t be working for them anyway. So which is it? Am I a spy, or am I a rogue?”

The young scientist fumed. “I don’t know; you tell us!”

“Look, I don’t care where he came from. The point is: He’s on our side. In case you weren’t paying attention, he’s in here with us,” Alice snapped.

The blonde winced. Her arms were beginning to grow tired from the heavy, metal mitts she wore. They also itched something fierce!

Giving a soft sigh, she continued. “We can speculate all we want about who he was, or what he may have done, but what matters is what he’s doing now. And, right now, he’s surviving…just like us.”

“Not to mention that it’s kind of obvious that I’m, well, different,” Vincent commented, glancing at his blurry reflection in the metal of his shackles.

Alice’s gaze softened. Even among The Touched, the boy was different. The concept saddened her. His eyes were beautiful, and they obviously made him uncomfortable. “Th-that’s true. I’ve…never seen eyes like yours.”

Vincent raised his eyes to meet hers, smiling for the first time in well over two hours.

Kurt made a gagging sound in the back of his throat.

Alice glared. “What?”

The brunette rolled his eyes dramatically. “You don’t have to say it like that.”

Sapphire eyes narrowed dangerously. “Like what?” she questioned again.

The boy was REALLY starting to get on her nerves. Did he have to scrutinize everything she said? Everything she did?

Old habits appear to be resurfacing, and history doesn’t need to repeat itself…

Alice quickly shook her head, the negative thought sending a jolt down her spine. No. She had made a mistake with Julius. A mistake that would NOT be repeated.

“Saying it all smitten-like,” Kurt quipped.

The lieutenant could feel the heat creep up her spine, despite her best efforts. Curse that boy! “I-I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she muttered, looking anywhere but her two companions as she slowly sat down.

Vincent frowned. So much for the momentary respite and comfort.

“Sure you don’t,” Kurt huffed.

“You wanna lay off her for once?!” Vincent snapped.

Kurt shrugged. “Look, your boyfriend is already sticking up for you. Real cute,” he snarkily spat.

Alice opened her mouth to reply, but Vincent was quicker.

“What happened to you? What happened to you that was so bad that you have to make everyone around you as miserable as you are?” The boy paused. “And I don’t buy for one second that you could hate your parents that much.”

Alice winced. Ouch. She cast a sympathetic glance toward her brother. For all his faults, she knew that talking about his past wasn’t an easy thing for him to deal with.

Kurt’s lips drew into a tight line. “You bastard. You got your nerve,” he spat venomously, his dark eyes narrowing.

“And you’re getting on the very last of mine, so it’s time to start talking,” Vincent returned coolly.

After a few more moments of heated glares, the teen scientist gave a sigh as he looked away. He brushed a hand through his bangs, a difficult task while wearing handcuffs. “What do you want me to say, Vincent? You expecting me to break down and sob about how my own parents called me a monster? How they threw me away to save their own skin?”

Vincent recoiled. He closed his eyes. That explained a lot… “I-I’m so sorry…”

Alice frowned, looking away. If she wasn’t bound, herself, she would’ve been able to offer her brother at least some form of physical reassurance. Circumstances being what they were, she could merely nudge him quietly.

I’m here. That’s what her eyes seemed to be attempting to say as he returned her gaze. The brunette bit his lip, averting his eyes again. He hated when she looked at him like that. He didn’t need her to pity him. As long as she was fighting those bastards on the front lines, he didn’t care. Perhaps, one day, all these stolen years would be nothing more than a bad dream.

Time seemed to freeze for a moment as the cell seemed to slip into a realm of its own. The air grew still and quiet. Water dripped from the ceiling from time to time as the shuffling of boots sounded overhead.

The crew carrying on about their duties, the teens assumed.

“So…any idea where they’re taking us?” Vincent finally asked, breaking the silence and wisely changing the subject.

“Fort Brein,” Alice stated glumly with a heavy sigh.

Vincent cocked his head. “Where’s that?”

“Somewhere we’re never coming out of,” Kurt quipped, shaking his head in exasperation. “What do you care? You’re the traitor.”

Vincent scowled. “I thought we already went over this.”

“Oh, this is only the beginning,” Kurt returned.

“Yeah, so you better save your energy,” Alice replied. “You’re going to need it.”

Kurt frowned. “Yeah? Well, what about you, Miss Lieutenant? You think they won’t have some nasty, little surprises for you?”

Alice swallowed. Though she did her best to hide it, the apprehension was clear in her tone. “You think I don’t know that?” The blonde drew in a deep breath. She had to be strong. They were counting on her. “But,” she continued a bit more forcefully, “I also know it won’t do any good to go falling to pieces just yet.”

Kurt sighed, flopping down onto the ground without much grace. The jangling of chains accompanied the ‘thump’. “I’m not falling to pieces,” he reasoned, “I’m merely being realistic.”

Vincent joined the other two teens on the floor, heaving a sigh of his own. The girl was right. It wouldn’t do any good to lose their heads. There would be plenty of time for that later… The grim notion brought a shudder down the boy’s spine, and he quickly shook his head to banish it.

Alice let her head tilt back to rest against the wall of the ship as she closed her eyes. Her entire military career had been filled with horror stories of Fort Brein. Unfortunately, even with all the tales she’d been told, she failed to recall a single one involving a successful escape.

The blonde opened her eyes to gaze at her brother and new cadet. She felt the resolve steel within her. She didn’t know what would happen to them when they arrived, but she was sure of one thing: She WOULD protect them…at all costs.

****

The shuffling of heavy boots drew the young woman from her slumber. Her sapphire eyes snapped open, unaware she’d even fallen asleep until now. The clattering of metal against bars sounded, followed by discontent murmuring and shouting.

“Look alive, you heathens!”

Quickly rising to her feet, Alice made her way to the front of their cell to peer out the bars. A few soldiers were walking around, banging on the cell bars to gain the attention of their captives. So far, counting themselves, Alice had counted nearly forty prisoners.

The blonde blinked.

Wait. It seemed like there were a whole lot more now. Sixty? Eighty? The boat must have made a stop along their route as she was sleeping.

What time was it?

The teen whipped her head around, glancing at the tiny window high upon the wall. Light was still leaking through, though, judging by the eerie shadows beginning to play across the floor, she supposed it was early evening. Perhaps four or five in the afternoon.

“What’s happening, Alice?” Kurt mumbled as he pulled himself to his feet.

“I think we’ve arrived.”

Both Kurt and Vincent grimaced.

“Alright, you three, back up against the wall,” a guard with a thick, black mustache ordered as he stopped in front of their cell.

The three teens frowned, but nodded amongst themselves, finding it best to remain compliant for the time being.

The guard was then joined by four others. The jangling of keys could be heard as the cell finally creaked open.

For a moment, if only for a split second, Alice’s eyes darted to the exit. There were only five of them… The blonde shook her head. She didn’t know what awaited them on the upper deck. Fort Brein’s location had always been a mystery. What if they were stranded on some desolate island?

The fleeting moment ended, and the blonde closed her eyes. No. A better opportunity would surely present itself. They needed more information on their surroundings first.

The guards, with their weapons trained on them at all times, quickly ushered them out onto the deck of the ship where they were joined by the rest of the other poor, unfortunate prisoners. The sickening feeling of dread was almost tangible as the group finally laid eyes upon their destination.

Great, tall towers stretched upward, almost seeming to touch the sky. Blood-red flags adorned the four peaks, giving the structure the appearance of a hulking, medieval castle. From the distance they were, the soldiers scurrying about on the tall, stone walls appeared no larger than ants. All in all, it was the sort of structure you would almost expect to be accompanied by a thunderclap or flash of lightning on a dark, haunting night.

Great! All that’s missing now is Dracula…and maybe Frankenstein’s monster… Alice shook her head at the dark, yet amusing, thought. She heard Kurt’s breath hitch beside her, and she did her best to give her brother a reassuring glance.

Kurt had never seen such a large prison complex. It easily dwarfed Leo’s base. The teen bit his lip. How were they supposed to get out of this one?

Vincent drew in a shuddering breath, feeling his stomach twist into knots. So this was it, huh? He looked beside him to his commanding officer. He frowned.

“Alright, you lot, welcome to your all-expenses-paid vacation,” a voice boomed, bringing a swift end to the hushed murmurs.

The group was marched off the ship, one by one, and was greeted by a tall, lanky man with broad shoulders, thin mustache, and brown hair.

“Ladies,” the brunette greeted, “welcome to Fort Brein. Line up!”

The group of prisoners did as they were ordered with little complaint, not that they were presented much in the way of choices. After all, who is going to disobey someone with an assault rifle pointed at them?

“I’m sure you’ve all heard the rumors about our little establishment. I can assure you…it’s even worse than the little bedtime stories you’ve heard,” the man’s voice came again. “Here, at the fort, we have a few rules,” the brunette began, “But first, we need to have introductions. I am Lieutenant Egan Grant. You will address me only as Sir. You will all be addressed as maggot. Any questions?”

One prisoner, a man looking to be in his mid-thirties, appeared as though he would say something.

Alice winced at the sudden, loud popping of gunfire. Glancing out of the corner of her eye, she bit her lip at the sight of the man’s, now lifeless, body. Blood trickled from his ears, forming a morbid pool below him.

“Do I have your attention now?”

Alice quickly turned back to face their captor as he began speaking again. She could feel Kurt flinch beside her.

“That brings me to rule number one. If I don’t like you; you die. Now we’re going to have us a little bit of exercise. The fort is about a mile straight back. Let’s have a little jog, shall we? You fall behind; you die. You try to run; you die. Are we clear?”

The group wisely remained silent.

Vincent swallowed nervously as the group of prisoners began to move. This was all surreal. Surely he was having the worst, most realistic nightmare of his life? Falling into step next to Alice, he began jogging with the rest of them.

Alice did her best to keep her eyes trained on the fortress as she kept up her pace, attempting to ignore the random, popping gunfire behind her. Stragglers…

“Pick it up!” Grant yelled, accompanied by two more rounds of gunfire.

By the time the fence lining the outskirts of the prison came into view, the group of about seventy-five had dwindled to nearly sixty. The group panted, most likely not trained for physical exertion of any kind. Some fell to their knees, others collapsed unceremoniously to the ground.

Alice did her best not to show the sheer relief she felt when both Kurt and Vincent reappeared to her left. The blonde closed her eyes, feeling her heart skip a beat. Thank God!

Kurt panted as he paused to catch his breath. He was mildly annoyed that neither Vincent nor Alice seemed to be in a remotely similar physical state. Okay, so he could understand why Alice wouldn’t be, but Vincent…

There was a loud, buzzing sound as the prison gates opened then, and the group was ushered inside. The gates immediately closed behind them, extinguishing all hopes of escape for the time being.

“Alright, line up against the wall, hurry up!” Grant barked again as he walked around the group to face them once more. “Take a good, long look at those towers up there. Turrets. Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, the boys are up there target practicing. I suggest you don’t draw unnecessary attention to yourselves.”

Alice’s eyes quickly surveyed their surroundings. So far, it looked to be a typical, open prison courtyard. Long, stone walls topped with barbed wire ran along the perimeter. Her attention drifted to a small band of people dressed in orange union suits as they busily dug the earth with their shovels. There were about five or so of them. Three guards supervised.

The girl blinked in horror as they were allowed to dig a while longer before being shot, their bodies disappearing into the large holes they’d dug. The guards chuckled amongst themselves before walking away, not bothering to bestow a proper burial.

“Rule number two: You speak only when spoken to. Now, a lot of my boys, here, have itchy trigger fingers. You probably heard that on the way up. They just love prey that screams and runs. Don’t do either. Rule three: No complaining. That will get you time in The Hole with Tom,” Grant informed, gesturing to a large hole in the ground a few yards away.

“The Hole?”

Lieutenant Grant’s eyes narrowed at the interruption. A collective gasp shot through the crowd as he raised his weapon again, pulling the trigger.

The young, blond man who’d spoken fell then, causing those nearest to him to give a deadly shriek and jump as blood began to pool underneath him.

“Rule number 4: Unnecessary questions will get you killed,” Grant shrugged.

The crowd grew deadly silent then.

“And just in case some of you were considering utilizing that savagery your disgusting, little disease has given you; don’t. That will get you time in The Hole as well,” The brunette continued. “You will all be outfitted with tracking devices at medical, but first-” He paused, his brown eyes quickly scanning the crowd. “There are still too many of you. Let’s see…” He paused again to point to two young men toward the back of the crowd. “You two!”

The two young men, one of which was a scraggly-looking redhead, froze.

Grant reached to his hip, unfastening a six-inch blade. He tossed it onto the ground before them. “Winner takes all.” A sadistic smirk played across his lips. “And by all; I mean you get to live.”

The two men glanced at each other briefly, the blond one of the two not wasting any time diving for the weapon.

They sized one another up, the blond swinging the weapon in a few jabbing motions from overhead. The red-headed male dodged the first blow, yelping as a second connected. Blood poured from the fresh wound on his shoulder. Quickly dragging himself to his feet, he lunged for his foe with a snarl not totally different from a wounded animal.

Steeling himself, the blond swung the weapon again, his green eyes widening when the redhead latched onto his wrist.

Giving a hard twist, the redhead relieved his adversary of his weapon. Not seeming to think twice, he plunged the blade into the blond’s neck.

A thick, gurgling sound was heard as the man fell then, blood erupting from the fatal injury to form a morbid, macabre pool.

Lieutenant Grant clapped. “Good show. Now drop it.”

The redhead blinked, his eyes widening a moment later. Gunfire pierced the air once more, claiming yet another victim.

Alice bit her lip, looking away as her stomach twisted. These barbarians would pay!

Grant shrugged again. “There is to be no hesitation. You hesitate; you die. As a matter of fact, you breathe wrong; you die.” The brunette retrieved his blade from the ground, fastening it back to his hip before turning to the group once more. “Now, before we continue, I see we have a celebrity with us,” he smiled as his eyes fell upon Alice.

Alice went rigid as he flashed a dark smile her way.

“Well, hello, Golden Phoenix.”

Alice felt her skin crawl, and she shuddered at the faux-friendly inflection. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Vincent’s eyes widen as he bit his lip in a clear show of apprehension. Drawing in a deep breath, she steeled herself. She couldn’t show her fear.

Low murmuring swept through the crowd once more as those in the back attempted to see what was happening. Sick, morbid curiosity.

Grant’s eyes narrowed when the girl gave no answer. “Speak up, my dear.” Pausing, the man clapped his hands together gleefully. “I got it! Why don’t you give it a whirl?” he suggested. Moving to unclip his blade once more, he added, “I’ll even let you pick your opponent.”

“I’m flattered, but I wouldn’t want to disappoint everyone here,” Alice finally murmured, “It wouldn’t be much of a match.”

Hearty laughter erupted from the brunette’s lips for a moment before his eyes narrowed again. He pinned the blonde with a predatory smile. “Oh, I think you misunderstand. You don’t have a choice, girl.” His smile grew as he pressed the blade to her throat.

Vincent opened his mouth, intent on drawing the man’s attention away from the young blonde. Before he could speak, however, a tall man with ebony hair appeared behind the lieutenant and placed a heavy hand upon his shoulder.

“Put that away, before I’m forced to use it on you,” the man grumbled in a thick, Slavic accent. “No one touches this one.” His eyes fell upon Alice briefly before he addressed the crowd. “Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Hell. I am General Andro Davor Vladsco.”

Murmuring broke out once more, though Alice hardly paid much attention to the prisoners anymore. Her hard, sapphire gaze fixated solely upon the older brunette. It had to be him; the man responsible for ruining her life!

The blonde had no more time to think on the matter as the man quickly continued.

“Don’t mistake my age for softness. My many years of service to our fine Emperor have left me a bit…cold to your pleas for mercy.”

Vincent blinked as the man stopped in front of him.

“012?”

Vincent blinked again. “Vincent,” he corrected.

A yelp was torn from the boy’s lips as the man quickly grabbed his shirt collar, wrenching him from the line.

“What are you playing at?”

Vincent cocked his head. “What do you mean?”

Vladsco’s eyes narrowed. “If this is some sort of game you’re playing, 012, I am not amused.” Pausing, the brunette turned to Grant. “Get 010 out here. He’ll want to see this for himself,” he ordered, a dark smile gracing his lips as he turned back to the boy. “This should prove to be quite interesting.”

Grant nodded, taking his leave.

Alice bit her lip in apprehension. These people were certainly convinced that Vincent was this 012 character. Her pale eyebrows furrowed. It had to be a case of mistaken identity, and when that was found out…

“Well, well, well, what a crowd we have today,” a voice drawled after a moment.

All eyes seemed to travel to the far-right side of the courtyard as a new figure emerged. His dark, raven hair was clipped modestly short, his sapphire eyes gleaming contentedly as he glanced over the group.

The brunette sauntered across the yard, stopping when he caught sight of Alice.

The blonde grew rigid.

“Oh, my, did someone bring me a present?” he inquired impishly, his eyes wandering her profile before settling on her face. “Just my taste…”

Alice felt herself shudder but resisted any physical reaction as his eyes continued to bore into her own. The young male raised a hand to her cheek. The blonde resisted the instinctual recoil, her eyes unflinching. She nearly leapt out of her skin when he brushed a thumb along her cheekbones, then across her lips…

“I might need a little extra time to play with this one,” he purred seductively.

There was a brief flicker of apprehension in the girl’s eyes, but the moment quickly ended as Alice opened her mouth to sink her teeth into the offending digit.

The boy howled in agony as the girl’s canines sank into his thumb, preventing him from wrenching his hand away.

Alice maintained her hold, a delicate, copper taste beginning to fill her mouth. Her sapphire eyes slammed shut as the boy drew back his opposite fist, delivering a solid blow to the left side of her head.

The crowd began to grow restless, quickly backing away as the blonde was then knocked to the ground by a second blow to her face. The teen coughed as the air was forcefully expelled from her lungs by the boot that struck her ribcage.

“010!” Vladsco snapped, his eyes narrowing as the boy delivered a second kick to his downed victim.

His hand now free, Cain winced as he rubbed his injury. Blood dripped from the wound as he glared at the fresh punctures cut into his flesh.

“If you are quite done biting off more than you can chew, boy, get over here!” Vladsco sternly demanded.

The brunette watched as the blonde slowly pulled herself to her feet, sending another glare in her direction before joining the general. His eyes widened, his pale skin draining of all color once he laid eyes upon the figure standing next to Vladsco.

I-it…it can’t be! The bastard was dead!

“Isn’t it nice to see your younger brother again, 010?” Vladsco drawled, glancing between the two boys as they regarded each other warily

Kurt ground his teeth. He knew it! I KNEW that little prick wasn’t to be trusted! He spared a glance at his sister as she slowly moved to stand beside him once more. He winced as he watched her dap lightly at the blood that had begun to trickle from her mouth and nose, though there was little she could do with the iron mitts she wore.

“W-welcome back, 012,” Cain greeted slowly, his tone hesitant.

Vincent’s amber eyes darted from his two comrades in the crowd to his ‘brother’. Brother? He shook his head, a sigh escaping his lips. “You can spare me the pleasantries.”

Cain’s eyes widened. Wh-what the hell? He...he never talked before!

“You came from Pheora, yes?” Vladsco questioned, seemingly unfazed by Cain’s reaction.

Vincent nodded. “That’s right. I was instrumental in assisting in the capture of the Golden Phoenix.”

Alice felt the gasp leave her lungs long before her ears registered it, feeling her brother go rigid beside her.

Vladsco eyed the boy for a moment before nodding. “I see. You must be quite tired. 010, take 012 inside.”

Cain bit his lip in apprehension, but nodded nonetheless.

Alice’s eyes widened as she caught Vincent’s almost apologetic glance before he walked away.

Once the pair had left, Vladsco turned his attention to the young, battered blonde. “Speaking of the Golden Phoenix,” he began as he marched over to stand in front of her. “I have heard so much about you from my colleagues. I must say that it is quite an honor to make your acquaintance.”

“Can’t say the feeling’s mutual,” the blonde returned.

The general gave a click of his tongue, shaking his head. “My dear girl, where are your manners?” he quipped. He paused, glancing the girl over. “And dressing like that… You call yourself a soldier? It would appear to me as though you’re seeking attention.”

Alice opened her mouth to reply, only to snap it shut a moment later as the thin straps holding her dress upon her shoulders were suddenly cut away. Her white jacket was then ripped off of her, leaving her in nothing more than her white, lace panties and bra. The young soldier’s eyes widened, and she quickly averted her gaze to her feet.

Kurt could do no more than glare as he watched his sister. Her hands being cuffed in the manner in which they were, she was unable to even cover herself.

Catching the brunette’s venomous glare, the general turned his attention to the boy. “You have a problem, boy? I’m sorry. Perhaps her clothing still isn’t suitable.” Pausing, he handed the knife he held to Kurt. “You do the honors. A little more off the top, please.”

Kurt froze, staring in disbelief at the knife he now held in his hands before sparing his sister an apprehensive glance. She wouldn’t meet his eyes.

The general glared when the boy’s pause had been too long. “Now, boy. We don’t have all day.”

Kurt flinched but remained unmoving. His eyes darted through the crowd. He wouldn’t. He wouldn’t humiliate her like that! He winced, hissing through bared teeth as Vladsco grabbed the back of his hair and yanked his head back.

“Either the bra goes, or I start carving flesh.”

Kurt bit his lip, feeling his eyes sting with tears as he looked to Alice once more. It’s…it’s to save her. With the thought in mind, he gave a flick of his wrist.

Alice was unable to help the strangled gasp that rushed past her lips as the last article of clothing covering her torso was severed in two. Feeling the air brush against her, now bare, breasts, the teen slammed her eyes shut. Forgetting herself, she dropped to her knees and curled over herself. She cursed the hot tears rapidly forming in her eyes.

“On your feet, Phoenix.”

The blonde rasped out a breath at the general’s order. She couldn’t. She felt her legs begin to tremble and bit her lip. She would rather die than allow them all to see her face now.

Vladsco shrugged, turning to Kurt once more. “Perhaps you should help the lady.”

Kurt’s dark eyes widened once more. Hadn’t she been through enough already?!

“Did I stutter, boy? Or do you simply like what you see a bit too much?”

Kurt wildly shook his head.

Vladsco’s eyes narrowed. “I have no use for liars. Do so again, and I’ll have your tongue cut out. Do you understand, boy?”

Kurt nodded.

“Then what are you waiting for? Be a gentleman and kindly assist the lady,” the general ordered again.

Kurt bit his lip in contemplation for only a moment longer before slowly reaching a hand down to his shivering sister. His brows furrowed when she failed to take it. Come on, Alice. Quickly shaking his head, he reached down again, this time taking her hand within his own and hauling her up.

Snickering erupted amongst the guards, causing Alice to pinch her eyes shut once more as she grit her teeth in anger. They would all pay. She would take great pleasure in burning them all to ashes!

“That’s enough, you filthy degenerates!” Vladsco barked, causing silence to take ahold of the group once more. “And you call these people heathens?”

Discontent murmuring shot through the crowd again.

Vladsco’s eyes narrowed. Quickly removing the handgun he carried at his hip, he turned and shot the interruption. He fell unceremoniously to the ground. “I may be nearly seventy years old, but I’m still the meanest son of a bitch in this compound. The lot of you would do well to remember that.” Turning away from the prisoners, he waved a hand to one of the guards in signal. “Hose them down before you bring them in. I’m not in the business of keeping swine.”

****

Cain regarded the boy walking beside him warily. So far, he appeared to be perfectly normal. This wouldn’t ordinarily be a problem, except he knew that 012 was far from normal. “S-so… Pheora, huh?”

Vincent nodded, allowing a small yawn to escape his lips. “Yes, isn’t that what I already said?”

Cain swallowed. “But how did you find Golden Phoenix?” And why are you alive?

The amber-eyed boy raised a hand to his temple. “The details are fuzzy. I remember being sent on a mission. I…think they did something to me back at their base.”

Cain quirked a brow. “You were inside their base?”

Vincent rolled his eyes as they continued down the long hall. “Yes,” he murmured simply.

In the distance, he could hear the cries and clamors of what he assumed were prisoners. The stone walls weren’t much to look at. Everything seemed blanketed in shadow, a stark contrast to the bright sunshine filtering in from the few windows he saw dotting the hallways.

Cain nodded, appearing to accept the answer for the time being. “So did you meet Derwent?”

Vincent’s eyes narrowed. “And if I did?”

Cain eyed the boy as he paused in front of a steel door at the end of the hallway. “It would be useful information to share. So how did you manage to infiltrate?”

Vincent gave the boy a suspicious look. “Well, I was wounded.” His eyes narrowed again. “Someone shot me, and they took me for one of their own. Funny how that works, huh, 010?”

Cain paled. Giving a soft chuckle, he opened the door, revealing a marble staircase. “That’s quite clever of you, I must say.” He rolled his sapphire eyes. “And you can quit with the code number crap, Vincent.”

Vincent allowed the raven-haired boy to lead him up the stairs and into another long hall. The upper floor was a complete contrast to the lower. Additional windows allowed for more natural light, casting the hall in an almost golden glow. A long, red rug ran the length of the hallway as far as he could see, giving of the impression of royalty.

Amber eyes took in the symbol etched into the stone walls. It was the same, star-like symbol that had been engraved into the dog tag he’d had on him when he’d arrived at the base of The Resistance.

“Well, I suppose you’ll want to retire to your room, then?” Cain murmured, turning to the boy once more.

Vincent regarded him suspiciously for another moment, then nodded. “That would be preferable.”

Cain gave a dramatic bow, gesturing with a hand down the hallway. “After you, then.”

Vincent gave a sigh. “I thought you were here to escort me, brother.”

Cain shrugged. “You don’t need me to find your room.”

“I told you that my head is a bit foggy at the moment. What part of ‘they drugged me’ escapes you?”

Cain frowned, eyeing the boy carefully again. Something wasn’t quite right, though drugging would explain a lot. The brunette sighed. “Fine,” he muttered as he led the way down the hall before turning down a corridor on the right.

Vincent remained silent as he continued to follow. It didn’t seem long before they stopped in front of a door near the end of the hall.

Cain gestured him inside.

Vincent gazed in appreciation as the door was opened to reveal a large room furnished with a large desk in the center. A sizable window occupied the back wall, bathing the room in an almost cheerful light. A large bed occupied the back-left corner of the room, though it looked as though it hadn’t been slept in for quite some time.

“Will there be anything else, Your Highness?” Cain questioned in a mocking tone from the doorway as he leaned upon the doorframe.

“Actually, there is,” Vincent replied as he turned to face him. “You see, I believe I deserve a reward for my hard work. I require Golden Phoenix be brought to me.”

Cain quirked a brow. “Vladsco says no one touches her. Since when did you take an interest in women anyway?”

Vincent shrugged. “I fail to see where that’s any of your business. Now, are you going to retrieve her for me, or am I going to have to speak with the general about my injuries? They do still pain me, you know?”

Cain frowned, glaring at the boy for a moment. And I thought I was the arrogant one. “Fine. If DAD has any objections, I will let him take them up with you. Don’t expect me to cover for you if you damage his little ‘trophy’.”

Cain stalked out of the room then, leaving Vincent alone for the time being.

Dad?

****

Alice gave a weak cough as she continued to pace in the cell they’d thrown her into. She had lost track of Kurt. She hadn’t even seen where they’d taken him after placing them all into their prison union suits. She grit her teeth against the pain that throbbed through her side where she’d been kicked.

The blonde sighed. At least she wasn’t chained to the walls like some of the others she’d witnessed on the way in. She supposed it was due to her identity that they kept her isolated. And where was Vincent?

Vincent…

The teen shook her head. It didn’t make any sense. Even if his memory had returned, why would he, a Touched, be working with The Order? Did they not know of his having the virus?

She had no more time to think on the matter as the sound of footsteps reached her ears. Cain and two other soldiers appeared in front of her cell.

“Alright, jaws, think you can keep the biting to a minimum? I have someone that wants to see you,” Cain quipped as he reached into his pocket to retrieve a set of keys.

Alice’s eyes narrowed. “Afraid I don’t feel much like company.”

Cain shrugged. “Well, then bite him and see what happens.” He smirked. “Though, I wouldn’t exactly push my luck with 012, if I were you.”

Vincent…

“Up against the wall,” one of the guards ordered as he moved to open the cell.

Alice glared but complied with the request. She couldn’t help the undeniable sense of apprehension as she began to follow the guards, and Cain, down the long halls. She tuned out the loud cries of the prisoners as they continued to clamor for attention. Somehow, she got the impression that quiet wasn’t exactly a common occurrence here.

A sigh left the girl’s lips as she was marched up the stairs and into another long hallway. She held in the gasp of astonishment. Okay, so the upper floors of this vile place were absolutely beautiful! She supposed she shouldn’t be all that surprised. After all, it served as a home of sorts for the higher-ups.

Cain opened a door near the end of the next hallway, quickly pushing her inside.

Alice swallowed as her eyes drank in the room. It looked like a royal chamber!

“Welcome, Golden Phoenix,” a hauntingly familiar voice greeted.

Alice turned her head to find Vincent peering at her as he sat upon the bed in the corner. Her eyes darted warily. How had she not seen him sitting there?!

Cain gave the girl another push, allowing himself into the room. “You wanted her; you got her. Now, dare I ask if there’s anything else?”

Vincent stood up, giving a languid stretch as he made his way over. “Actually,” he murmured, gesturing to the girl’s restraints, “You could take those off her.”

Alice’s brows furrowed. What?

Cain quirked a brow. “You’re joking, right? You know better.” Little fool’s out of his mind!

Vincent shrugged. “What can I say? I like the danger. Put her in a regular pair of cuffs, if you please.”

Cain gave an exasperated sigh. Reaching to his back belt loop, he procured a pair of metal handcuffs.

Alice closed her eyes in comfort as the metal mitts were then removed, replaced by the smaller, lightweight, handcuffs.

“You can put her over here,” Vincent stated as he pulled out a chair from the desk in the middle of the room. “Leave the key on the desk. I may need to move her later.”

Cain rolled his eyes, but did as his brother asked, locking one of the girl’s hands to the armrest of the chair. He was about to fasten the other hand when Vincent stopped him again.

“One is enough. I can handle her.”

Cain eyed the boy once more before slowly making his way to the door. “Cell 1B when you’re done with her. Make sure YOU put her back. I’m not taking the heat from Vladsco.”

The soft ‘click’ of the door closing brought an involuntary shiver down the young woman’s spine as she kept her eyes trained on her ‘host’.

Vincent gazed at her for a moment. A look akin to contentment reflecting in molten gold had the young blonde biting her lip after a moment.

The action immediately caused Alice to flinch. Judging by the pain, she was almost positive that her lip had been split open by the older boy earlier.

Vincent’s eyes seemed to soften as he made his way over to stand in front of her. “Well, Miss Golden Phoenix.” A warm smile tugged at his lips as he reached down, inserting the key into the lock on her handcuffs. “What do you say we get out of here? Because this act is getting pretty difficult for me to keep up.”

Alice balked, feeling as though her heart would leap from her chest. She blinked. Her wrists now free of confinement, she rubbed them. “Y-You, bu-but I thought-,” the teen stuttered.

Vincent smiled again. “They really believe I’m this 012 fellow. I’m apparently quite the good actor. I- Ow!” the boy yelped as the blonde sent her elbow into his abdomen.

“Too good!” she quipped.

Vincent gave a sheepish grin, absently rubbing the back of his head. “Y-yeah, well, at least I found out one thing: That 010 guy seems to be somewhat afraid of me for whatever reason.”

Alice’s brows furrowed. She’d noticed that too. “What all did he say, Vincent? Anything about where they keep the weapons in this place? Where we are?”

Vincent shook his head, giving a soft sigh. “I’m afraid not, Miss.”

Alice sighed. “Looks like we’re doing this blind, then,” she muttered.

The situation was far from ideal. The security was the tightest she’d ever seen. Not even Leo’s base was this fortified. She honestly wasn’t certain how they would manage getting past the front gates.

“So, uh, what’s the plan, Miss?” Vincent finally questioned, catching the girl’s intense gaze.

Alice shook her head. They needed to move quickly. After all, she would still need to find Kurt. “The plan is for us to find Kurt, then get our tails out of here as fast as we can.”

Vincent nodded resolutely. “Right.”

The brunette quickly fell into step beside the girl as she turned for the door. He didn’t want to think about how frightened she’d looked when that boy had brought her in earlier. She had really thought…

He quickly shook his head, following the blonde out into the hallway. There would be plenty of time to discuss the matter in detail later. Preferably when they were safe back at the base and didn’t have a team of soldiers on their tails.

Alice quickly led the way down the hall, her mind racing a mile a minute. She had no clue where they could’ve taken her brother. Would they even have enough time to locate him? Time was most certainly of the essence.

Vincent trailed silently along beside her. She offered him a glance out of the corner of her eye. She honestly felt a little guilty. For a moment, her faith had waivered.

The pair ducked behind one of the many statues adorning the halls as approaching footsteps reached their ears. A lone soldier came into view, whistling a nameless tune as he went about his apparent patrolling duties.

Alice turned to her companion, silently holding up a hand in signal.

Vincent wordlessly nodded.

The blonde then turned her eyes back to her target. Once he’d made it a few steps past the stone fixture, she sprang into action. Moving quickly, she leapt onto the taller man’s shoulders. Clapping a pale hand over his mouth, she prevented the alerting scream that tore from his throat. Using her other arm, Alice wrapped it securely around the man’s windpipe, making it increasingly difficult for him to breathe properly.

Seeing his opportunity, Vincent sent his foot into the guard’s knee.

The dark-haired soldier let out another scream into the girl’s hand as he fell, feeling the girl latched to his back tighten her hold yet again.

Wrapping her legs around the downed guard’s shoulders, Alice placed the heel of her foot to his throat. He ceased struggling then, his eyes rolling slightly as consciousness left him.

Vincent quickly retrieved the firearm tucked securely into the holster at the man’s hip. It was a small handgun, but it was certainly better than nothing. He handed it to the blonde.

Alice gratefully accepted the offering, quickly unclipping the man’s holster from his waist. “Don’t mind if we borrow this, though I can’t promise that you’ll be getting it back,” she murmured as she fastened the strap across her own waist.

The pair made it to the staircase without any further incident. Reaching the bottom of the stairwell, they held their breath. Alice nodded once to the boy behind her, turning the handle of the door.

“What did I tell you? I knew something was up,” Cain drawled as he took in the wide, surprised looks on the pair’s faces.

The teens froze as they beheld the handful of guards.

Vladsco rolled his eyes. “And yet you still saw fit to get her out of her cell?”

Cain frowned.

“Show’s over. Hand it over, girl,” Vladsco ordered, motioning for the gun at her hip.

Alice’s eyes narrowed. Glancing at the glaring boy beside her out of the corner of her eye, she sighed in defeat. She slowly unclipped the weapon, tossing it to the ground. Somehow, she’d known it was a farfetched hope.

Vladsco turned to the five guards beside him. “Get these two locked up. 012 isn’t to be trusted any longer.” The general glared at the young blonde in front of him. “I don’t know what you’ve done to him, but I do intend to find out.”

“There’s an open cell in block C you can put him in,” Cain suggested.

A smirk tugged the older man’s lips upward as he glanced between the captured pair. “No. I wouldn’t dream of splitting them apart now. Since 012 is so fixated on her, he can remain with her. Perhaps a night in a cell will bring him to his senses.”

Cain glared. “But wouldn’t it be easier to get information out of them if they were separated?”

Vladsco’s eyes narrowed. “Are you questioning me, boy?”

Cain huffed out a breath, casting a glance in Alice’s direction before looking away. “No, Sir.”

The general snorted. “Good. Now, as an apology for the particular…unpleasantness you’ve endured, young lady, I will even have your little friend from the courtyard brought in as well. He was with you, right? What was his name?”

Alice blinked, her astonishment displayed clearly on her face. “Y-yes. His name is Kurt.”

Vincent gave a quizzical glance, assuming he was referring to the beating she’d received at the hands of the boy he had been informed was his brother.

Vladsco nodded. “Very well, consider it done. I’m nothing if not a reasonable man.” He glanced to his guards, motioning them in signal. “You may take them away now. Cell 1B.”

Vincent hung his head as they were then led away. He’d let the girl down…again…

****

Vincent cast a somber glance at the young woman across the cell from him. She was sitting with her knees drawn to her chest in the right corner of the cell, her eyes closed. To the untrained eye, the girl appeared to be sleeping, but the brunette knew that to be untrue.

The teen then turned his attention to the opposite corner of the cell. He rolled his amber eyes.

Kurt sat with his back turned to him, refusing to so much as look at him since he’d been brought to join them what had to have been nearly an hour ago. Even more puzzling was the fact that he couldn’t seem to meet Alice’s eyes either.

Vincent frowned, beginning to grow impatient with the boy. His issues with him aside, he saw no reason why the boy would be unable to communicate with Alice. Biting his lip, he attempted to break the uneasy silence that had fallen over them. “H-How are you feeling, Miss Lynheart?”

A loud snort came from the left corner. “Give me a break, Vincent. Look at her! How do you think she feels?!”

Vincent’s eyes narrowed, golden irises gleaming dangerously in the low light. “I don’t know, Kurt. Why don’t you look at her?” Glancing at the girl once more, his gaze softened.

Kurt whirled around finally, his eyes almost seeming to spark with fury. “Why don’t you go find your brother, you traitor?! It’s probably your fault we’re even in this mess!”

“No,” Vincent returned coolly, “it’s Commander Leo’s.”

Kurt’s mouth dropped open. Of all the nerve! “Dad had nothing to do with-”

“That’s enough. He’s right, you know?” Alice finally murmured, raising her head from its resting place on her knees.

Kurt balked, giving an incredulous look. “What? You’re seriously going to blame Dad for this? If he was here, we-”

“We wouldn’t be!” Alice cut him off again. She sighed, slowly pulling herself to her feet. “Look, Leo didn’t vet his sources. He never should have sent us into Pheora the first time, given how little information he had. If you want to blame anyone for our situation, blame his oversight.”

Kurt opened and closed his mouth several times before huffing out a breath. “Everyone makes mistakes. He thought he was doing the right thing.” He pointed an accusatory finger at Vincent. “And if your little boyfriend hadn’t screwed up in Pheora, he wouldn’t have been so desperate for information on supply lines!”

Alice’s eyes narrowed. “That’s enough.”

“So what are you going to do about this, Alice? You know he’s one of them now. You going to just let him sit there and gather more information to give to them?”

Alice and Vincent exchanged looks. Was he seriously insinuating that she- The blonde shook her head, sighing in exasperation.

Vincent stood up. “I thought we already had this discussion,” he snapped, folding his arms. “If I’m such a traitor, then why am I in here with you? Sorry, but there’s much better places I would rather be.”

“Yeah, well what about that 010 guy? They said he’s your BROTHER!” Kurt returned, jumping to his feet.

Vincent opened his mouth to retort, but Alice quickly cut him off.

“I don’t claim to know what’s going on, but I do have to admit that it’s a bit strange, Vincent. With your eyes… I’m sorry, but I don’t think it’s just a case of mistaken identity.”

Vincent’s eyes shifted to the floor in discomfort. It can’t be. It just can’t be. I can’t possibly be one of those depraved animals…

The notion made the boy rather nauseous. Then again, if he were truly a kind person, why had his act been easily bought? Just…what kind of person was he?

“However, I don’t think it’s as simple as him being a traitor either, Kurt,” Alice continued, thankfully pulling the amber-eyed boy from his self-berating thoughts.

Kurt rolled his eyes. “Oh, please, Alice. What else could it possibly be?”

Alice sighed. “I acknowledge that it doesn’t make sense, but think about it: If he truly were a traitor, why would he be in here with us? Why would he have gone to the risk of attempting to break me out?”

“To lure you into a false sense of security!” Kurt retorted in exasperation. “It’s called gaining your trust.”

“To what end, though? What is there for him to gain from getting himself into trouble too? Not to mention that he hasn’t once asked where the base even is,” Alice returned.

Kurt frowned, seeming to have no reply.

Approaching footsteps echoing down the hall alerted the trio of their impending visitor. Cain appeared in front of the cell a moment later, a gallon of water in his hand.

“Good evening, folks. How’s the stay, so far?”

Alice glared, clearly unamused by the boy’s demeanor. “Nothing I’d write home about,” she quipped.

Cain pulled a face, feigning offense. “Ouch. Feisty as ever, I see.” He paused, allowing his sapphire eyes to gaze the young woman over for a moment. An amorous smile tugged at his lips. “I’d say you’re pretty thirsty about now,” he murmured, gesturing to the water container he held. “If you give me a kiss, I may just give this to you.”

The three teens in the cell balked, glaring daggers at the boy.

Cain shrugged. “One kiss to the lips, and all this extra water is yours. More than a fair trade, I would say.” He smirked. “Of course, no biting this time.” He winked. “What do ya say, Phoenix?”

Alice’s eyes narrowed as all attention seemed to shift to her. She ignored her brother’s pleading look. How dare he?! She felt Vincent move to her side, though she didn’t have to look at him to know he was shooting murderous looks at the boy. The corner of her lips twisted upward as she extended her right-middle finger in reply. Kiss that, you reprobate.

Cain’s eyes hardened upon seeing the gesture. “Suit yourself. Could have been easy for you.” With that, he twisted the cap off the container and dumped the contents onto the floor. A large puddle soaked the stone ground, the spot appearing almost black in the dim light shining through the sparse windows.

“No!” Kurt whined in desperation as he sat on his knees.

“Little piece of advice for you, Phoenix: If you plan on doing things the hard way here, it’s your little buddies that will pay the price for it,” Cain warned before taking his leave.

“Alice, why did you do that?! We could’ve used that water,” Kurt whined again. “You do realize we’ll DIE without water?”

Alice pinned the boy with a glare. “We could die WITH water, Kurt.”

Vincent rolled his amber eyes, his tone dripping with disdain. “I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but these people have guns. They certainly didn’t seem too shy about killing people on the way in here. How do you know that they won’t simply shoot us?”

“It was one kiss!”

Alice glared at her brother. “Then you kiss him!” she retorted hotly.

“And, while you’re at it, you could also fondle his testicles,” Vincent bit, his tone dark. “She has dignity!”

Kurt recoiled. “H-he was only asking for a single kiss. You mean to tell me that-”

“And that’s how it starts!” Alice retorted. “First, it’s a kiss, then it’s ‘how about you get naked for me?’ Do I need to draw you a picture of what comes after that?!” Alice barked, crossing her arms defensively across her chest.

Kurt noticed the action and bit his lip, refusing to meet her eyes. “Y-You don’t know that.”

Vincent watched the pair suspiciously for a moment. It was clear that he had apparently missed something while they were all separated. He closed his eyes. And, in the end, it isn’t like my plan even worked. He watched as the blonde made her way over to the small bed in the corner and sat down. He winced at the noticeable injury on the girl’s lip and frowned.

“Get some sleep, guys. For now, we need to conserve our energy. I’m sure we’re going to need it.”

Vincent nodded at the blonde’s soft command, not bothering to see Kurt’s response. He sat down with a sigh. He would not fail the girl again. He WOULD find a way for them to escape. Well, maybe not Kurt. The thought brought a smile to his lips before he sobered.

They had to get out of this mess. Or they would die trying.