Chapter 17: Secret Ingredient

Wide, azure eyes took in the horror displaying across the monitor.

“My beloved republic, we must wage war against these murderous devils that seek to oppose the teachings of our Almighty. As you bare witness, weep not for her soul, for it shall be saved today!”

“Get a trace on this feed now!” Leo demanded through clenched teeth, his gaze never leaving the frightened face of the young woman on the screen.

Issac swallowed, tears stinging his eyes despite his best efforts. Alice…

The girl had obviously been beaten, judging from the bruising on the right side of her forehead.

“Sir, it’s being routed through a heavy encryption program. I-I can’t determine the origin,” the blond scientist informed, typing furiously upon his keyboard.

Leo’s eyes narrowed. Kurt would have been able to crack it.

The three men could only watch in horror as the sound of gunfire played through the speakers. The blonde fell then, leaving the frame.

Leo ground his teeth. Turning swiftly, he slammed a large fist into the wall. Steel split flesh, creating a morbid, crimson line across his knuckles. Seemingly numb to the pain, he growled low in the back of his throat.

The bastards would pay!

Issac bit his lip, his jaw trembling. The surreal moment came to an end when the commander finally spoke again.

“How many prisoners do we currently have in our cells?”

The blond scientist thought for a moment, adjusting his glasses. “Fifty-four, I believe, Sir.”

Issac swallowed the lump in his throat as the commander then turned his steely gaze to him.

“Execute them all. I don’t care how you do it. Tell them it’s all thanks to their heroes. Tell them their precious, sacred leaders of the ‘righteous’ sold them out. Then gather up a few of your men. You have an office to paint tomorrow.”

Nodding numbly, the teen swallowed again. He only prayed for the strength to conceal this sorrow. God, what would Seth say when he found out? Did he know? Did Jonathan know? Were they watching the feed too? And what of the rest of her men? How was he even remotely going to maintain their morale after this?

Alison Nichole Lynheart, The Golden Phoenix, was gone…

****

Vincent sighed as he continued to pace. She had been gone for quite some time now, and, given the events from the night prior, he could only imagine what new horror she was enduring.

Another agitated sigh escaped his lips. He honestly wasn’t sure if reality or imagination was worse anymore.

“So how long do you plan on feeling sorry for yourself?”

Amber eyes narrowed as he turned to pin the brunette scientist with a glare. “Pardon?”

A chuckle bubbled up in the boy’s throat, choking off into a condescending snort. “And you called me the weak link.”

A feral growl vibrated through Vincent’s chest. Of all the nerve! “Yeah, well, you were pretty useless yourself. I didn’t see you lining up to take on any of the guards.”

“Probably because we were grossly outnumbered,” Kurt countered with a roll of his eyes.

“So you just give up?”

“What would you have had me do, Vincent?” Kurt returned. “Face facts: You nor I can protect her. It sucks, but at least I know that I’m dead weight. And you… “

“What about me?!” Vincent challenged.

For a moment, Kurt hesitated to answer. Perhaps it was the punch he had received earlier, but he wasn’t exactly in a hurry to earn himself another blow. However, cocksure wit got the better of him. “You’re the reason this is all happening. First, you showed up and threw everything into chaos. Then, you had to go out of your way to expose us and get us captured. Let’s also not forget that you’re that sick animal’s brother.”

“That monster is no brother of mine!”

“Oh, you wound me,” a hauntingly familiar voice commented.

Both teens turned to glare at their sudden visitor.

“I thought you were given orders never to come near here again,” Kurt spat.

Cain rolled his eyes, seemingly unfazed by the teen’s venomous tone. “What are you? A schoolboy? You gonna tattle on me?”

“Shouldn’t you be off somewhere torturing small animals or something about now?” Vincent drawled, rolling his eyes.

Cain’s lips cocked into a grin. “Oh, but the animals here are so much easier. Already locked in their cages and waiting.”

Kurt snorted. “So spill it, already. Why are you here again?”

Their brunette tormentor gave a mock pout. “Well, don’t you know how to take the fun out of everything?” Pausing, he gave a devilish smile. “And here I had news for you.”

“I highly doubt we would be interested in any news of yours,” Vincent quipped, folding his arms in a clear display of his agitation.

Cain quirked a brow. “You sure? Has a lot to do with your current cell accommodations.”

Interest peaked in the two captive teens as they exchanged a wary glance.

“What accommodations?” Kurt muttered. “I wouldn’t exactly call this a luxury hotel.”

The older teen chuckled, a chortle in the back of his throat. “Well, of course not, but I would personally like to know when my roommates are changed. Then again, maybe you like bunking with corpses.”

Amber and hazel eyes widened.

“What? Didn’t anyone tell you? Golden Phoenix was executed this morning by firing squad. While she may be a lot of things, bulletproof she definitely is not.”

“W-wh-what?” Kurt managed to croak around the lump that had formed in his throat. It couldn’t be. It just couldn’t be!

“You’re lying!” Vincent challenged in desperation. Deep in his heart, however, he knew something was terribly wrong. She had been gone far longer than they normally kept her away.

Cain quirked a brow. “You don’t believe me? It was shown on live broadcast.” Snapping his fingers, one of the guards escorting him handed him a tablet. Making a series of gestures upon the screen with his fingers, he revealed a video to the boys.

Both Vincent and Kurt ceased to breathe as the video of their worst nightmare played out before their eyes.

Vincent collapsed to his knees, all strength leaving them. His heart squeezed painfully in his chest. Hollow. He felt so hollow. What was there to even fight for now? The only friend he seemed to have made since his recovery, which had been nothing short of miraculous, and she was gone. One breath in. A choked sob bubbled in his throat. The breath out betrayed him, staggering in his chest.

Kurt didn’t seem to be faring much better. He was nearly doubled over, leaning onto the wall for support.

“Hey, if it makes you boys feel any better, I could always arrange to have her body brought down here,” Cain offered with a smile befitting his blatant sadism. “You could play connect the dots with the bullet holes.”

Vincent glared, though tears still streamed from his burning, amber eyes. In that moment, he would have loved nothing more than to see this boy breathe his last breath.

****

Alice winced as she rubbed her sore leg. She grimaced at the deep, purple bruising that decorated her pale skin. What on earth?!

Vladsco chuckled as he met her wide-eyed gaze. “Airsoft guns. Remarkable invention. All the thrill of the real deal without the bloody mess. I do apologize, but I had to capture a genuine reaction.” Pausing, he pulled the girl to her feet.

Still somewhat dazed, the young blonde blinked. Her mind seemed to be racing even more than her heart currently was. The fact that they had just broadcasted her ‘execution’ was certainly not lost on her. While the capital most certainly witnessed the event, she was certain that Leo’s base had picked up the broadcast as well.

“What you have witnessed shall never leave this room. For all intents and purposes, Golden Phoenix was executed,” the general stated, capturing the girl’s attention once more.

Alice frowned. Kurt would be devastated. All hope of rescue was now gone. If they were going to make it out of this place, they would need to survive long enough to escape on their own strength. Of course, it wasn’t as if she’d expected any different. To blindly hope for a rescue party to find them was idealistic at best. After all, she hadn’t had the time to leave much in the way of clues as to their current whereabouts.

“The bruising will heal in time, but this is the only way I could keep you alive. When the emperor orders an execution, there’s only so much I can do. However, I see no merit in allowing a perfectly good resource to go to waste,” Vladsco continued. Making his way over to the door, he knocked in signal.

Jack appeared in the doorway.

“Take her back to her cell. No disturbances.”

Jack nodded. “Yes, Sir.”

“And bring Kurt to my office. We have some things to discuss.”

Jack frowned but nodded again. “Of course, Sir.”

Alice winced as she was pushed forward and into Jack’s custody. She was mostly silent as he led her back down the halls. Descending the staircase proved to be more of a challenge than she’d initially thought. Her legs were so sore! However, her mind refused to focus on the pain. She would need to be more vigilant than ever before. Heaven only knew what the general meant to do with her now. By making her a ghost, he’d effectively erased her existence. No one would even know she was here now, and no rescue team would be deployed for a dead person.

****

The sound of gunfire echoed the chorus of screams as smoke filled the air. Another charge went off, sending more people scattering out of the building like ants.

“How many of them do ya think got trampled before they even made it out?” a brunette soldier asked his superior as they observed the fray from their position on an adjacent rooftop.

The older man, appearing to be in his late thirties to mid-forties, aimed his rifle. He pulled the trigger, dropping a man as he fled the building that was currently on fire. “More than is going to make it out of the city alive,” he replied gruffly. Straightening his posture, he lowered his firearm. “Take Jackson and Murphy with you on the ground assault. No surviving leaders. We have two more government buildings to go before we’re done here. Above all else, eliminate any Holy Council members you see. Not one of them is to make it back to Deinan.”

“Got it, General Ferris, Sir,” the soldier replied with a nod of affirmation. Turning, he motioned for his comrade to follow.

“I still say we’re giving away too much. Won’t The Order put two and two together? They’ll be all over Pheora now,” the blond whispered to his fellow soldier as they descended the steps leading to the rooftop that had served as their vantage point.

Eric Thomson whirled on his comrade. Such outbursts would earn unimaginable retribution from the commander if he were to overhear. “Shut your mouth, Murphy,” he hissed. “Commander Leo’s orders, remember? We’ll both spend the night in the stocks if Commander Victor hears of you breaking ranks.”

Steven Murphy blew out a breath, lowering his voice. “Well, I sure hope Commander Leo has a plan for what comes after this.”

“Our job is to follow orders, not scrutinize everything our leaders do. Big picture, remember? Now fall in line,” Eric grumbled.

Steven sighed but obeyed. He was honestly beginning to wonder what made their organization much different from The Order anymore. It seemed that the longer the war raged on, the less the voice of the common people was heard.

Did HE even have a voice anymore?

As the pair neared the ground floor, it became increasingly difficult to breathe due to the amount of thick smoke. The scent of gun powder mixed with burning flesh clung to the air, creating an almost suffocating cloud.

Five men were stationed at the entrance to the building they had claimed as their temporary headquarters for the time being.

“Where’s Jackson?” Eric inquired of the largest of the men.

The blond shrugged. “Last I saw him, he was heading with Dakota to intercept supplies from the line down at the docks.”

Eric nodded, giving a salute before turning to his companion. “We’ll meet up with Jackson and help him hold the line. We take out the docks, it’ll cut off their supply lines. Pheora won’t last long after that. We’ll need to keep an eye out for aerial assault. We can round up all the wind users.”

Steven nodded. Couldn’t argue with that logic.

Opening the door, the pair made a break for it. Blood streamed down the pavement like rain into a gutter. There had to be hundreds dead already, their bodies left where they were slain. Of course, then there were the ones who were left wishing for death.

Steven tried not to dwell too deeply on it as he raced after his superior. If he did, he would surely lose his resolve. In such situations, it becomes easy to fall prey to tunnel vision. Thoughts of what he might be now if he had never joined up for this whole bloody affair clouded his mind.

Of course, losing your concentration has its price.

Steven never saw the white-clad guard looming in the alleyway as he sped past, nor did he hear the ‘click’ of the handgun being cocked. Not even the sound of the gun discharging seemed to catch his attention. It was only when the bullet tore through his shoulder that he finally took notice.

The young soldier howled his pain to the heavens as he spun on his heels, finally falling to the ground in agony. He clenched his teeth.

Where was Eric? Had he left him behind?!

Slamming his eyes shut, he drew in a labored breath. The sound of footsteps staggering toward him had him forcing his eyes open once more.

The man who’d wounded him appeared to be injured himself. He bore a heavily bleeding wound in his leg, causing his steps to be somewhat unsteady.

Steven returned the man’s gaze of contempt with one of his own. Spreading the fingers of his left hand wide, he focused his energy.

The Holy Council member’s eyes widened as a fissure began to form beneath his feet.

Steven’s lips drew into a sadistic smirk as he then clenched his fist.

What would have been a wild shriek of terror was cut off as the ground suddenly rushed back together. The man’s wound preventing him from moving quickly enough, he was trapped beneath the ground’s crushing force as the fissure swallowed him.

Steven rolled over onto his back, his breathing quick and shallow. He had expended too much energy in his wounded state. His eyes briefly widened as he realized the sudden dizziness of blood loss that was overtaking him. With a final, gasping breath, his world faded to black…

****

“You know, I’m really going to miss her,” Cain sniffed in a mock sob, dabbing at his eyes.

“Fuck you,” Kurt rasped, struggling to maintain what was left of his composure.

Cain’s lips curved into a devilish grin. “Well, actually I was aiming for her, thank you.”

Kurt glared, a gagging snort bubbling up in his throat. This boy was officially the most degenerate he’d ever had the displeasure of encountering.

Vincent gave a feral growl as he grasped the bars of the cell. If only he could reach the older boy! Sorrow was beginning to fade within him, leaving only the rage. “I’ll kill you. I swear it. You’ll pay, you sick bastard!”

Cain’s smile only seemed to widen. “Talk about brotherly bond. I’m feeling the love, little brother.”

“Vincent, don’t waste your breath. He’s not worth it. You giving him a reaction is just what he wants,” Kurt muttered.

This fact did little to ease the boy’s pain as he continued to glare at the monster known as his ‘brother’.

Cain shrugged. “I’ll only say this: I liked her. I don’t like you two.”

The sound of a young man clearing his throat brought an end to the tense moment.

Amber and hazel eyes widened.

There, in the hall next to Jack, stood Alice. She was alive!

Cain snapped his fingers, clicking his tongue in disappointment. “Damn it, Jack. Your timing could use some work.” Turning back to the two boys in the cell, he gave a wild grin. “Well, would ya look at that, boys? She really is a phoenix. Rose right up from the ashes.”

Vincent and Kurt said nothing, simply allowing the elation from seeing their comrade returning to them alive to fill them.

“What are you doing down here, 010? Don’t you have other business to attend to?” Jack inquired pointedly, folding his arms. Honestly! Hadn’t the boy tortured them enough already? While he would prefer to avoid conflict with the teen, orders were orders.

“Just stopping by for a little chat with my friends,” the brunette answered with a coy smile. “No harm in that, is there?”

“Yeah, well, unless you want me to inform the general of your little visit, you best be moving on,” Jack returned as he motioned for the other two guards escorting him to open the cell.

Cain shrugged. He threw a wink in the blonde’s direction, earning himself a glare from said female, before finally taking his leave. The guards escorting him seemed to share a look of mild exasperation before following.

Once back in her cell, Alice was immediately greeted with a tight hug from her brother.

“Thought I’d lost you,” the teen murmured as he finally released her.

Vincent smiled, placing a hand on her shoulder. “You okay?”

Alice returned the smile with a warm one of her own. Honestly, she’d never been happier to be back in that cell. She nodded. “I’ll live.”

The three shared a light laugh, and, for if only a moment, the air of tension seemed to clear. For now, they were simply happy to be alive…together.

“You’ll want to try to take it easy for a few days until that bruising on your legs goes down,” Jack commented, drawing the trio’s attention away from their happy reunion. Both teen boys looked questioningly at the blonde, but, before much explanation could be given, the guard spoke again. “And the general wants to speak with you, Kurt.”

The three teens frowned. So much for respite.

Kurt sighed, but obeyed, nonetheless. It was the least he could do, right? After all, his sister had been returned to him. Although, the video did leave him with more questions than answers. “Sure you’re alright?” he asked, reaching over to place a hand on his sister’s shoulder. She nodded again, allowing a small sense of relief to finally wash over him.

Jack couldn’t help but frown as he watched the exchange. If he were to be perfectly honest with himself, he had yet to see any vast differences between these people and himself. Throughout the past decade, he’d been told horror stories of The Touched being heathens and murderers.

The young soldier glanced over the young woman who he was certain had to be in immense pain. Even looking at her now, it was difficult to believe she was even remotely the monster the stories he’d heard made her out to be. Then again, he wasn’t so sure even a monster deserved the night he’d heard she’d endured. Clearing his throat, he attempted to shift his concentration back to his task at hand. “We, uh, better get going. The general doesn’t like to be kept waiting.”

With a final farewell, with promises to catch up in detail later, Kurt allowed himself to be led away.

****

Issac sighed as he took notice of the light at the end of the hall. He was positive he hadn’t left the light on earlier.

Seth…

Unfortunately, despite his best efforts, news of Alice’s execution had spread through the base like wildfire. He’d recently learned that Seth had been one of the unlucky souls in the break room when the broadcast had initially aired. It had since been played on repeat in random intervals throughout the remainder of the day.

With another sigh, the brunette lieutenant made his way to the familiar room. He should have known that Seth would seek out her office as a hiding spot in his grief. Opening the door, he entered the room to find Seth seated in the chair at the desk. He was slightly slumped over, a bottle of dark liquid in his hand.

“Should have known you’d be here.”

Seth gave a half attempt at a smile, though it came out more of a grimace than the friendly greeting he’d intended. “I should have been on that mission, Issac. She’s gone because I didn’t say anything.”

Issac frowned. “Seth, you know that isn’t true. You didn’t have clearance to go on that mission.”

“I don’t give a shit about clearance!” the distraught teen barked. Taking a large gulp from the bottle he held, he sighed. “I should have gone anyway. If I’d pushed, she would have taken me along.”

Issac frowned, a look of sympathy shining in his misty, blue eyes. “You couldn’t have known.”

“No,” Seth finally replied, taking another gulp before pinning his friend with a pointed look, “but Leo should have.”

Issac bit his lip in discomfort. As much as he didn’t want to dwell on it, his friend had a point. What had Leo been thinking? Perhaps a change in subject was in order. “Look, you shouldn’t be drinking. You know it’s against regulations.”

Seth gave a dry chuckle in the back of his throat; a cynical sound devoid of any sort of humor. “What are you going to do? Tell on me, Lieutenant?”

Issac glared. “You can’t avenge her if you’re drunk!”

Seth’s brown eyes narrowed. “And you’re not even half the leader she was. You don’t even realize just what this means, do you?”

Issac winced. He had a point. He knew he did. Then again, it wasn’t as if he’d asked for this. “What?”

Seth sighed, leaning back in the chair as he closed his eyes. “There is no hope anymore.”

Issac rolled his eyes. “Bit dramatic, don’t ya think? Look, it’s tearing me apart that she’s gone. I know it hurts. She was my friend too!”

Seth shook his head. “You don’t get it. You think I ever gave a damn about this war? All I wanted was to get by and just live through this mess, then she showed up.” He paused, giving a small, sorrowful smile. “Everything changed after that.”

“Seth-”

“I was gonna desert, you know?”

Issac’s eyes widened. “Seth, the punishment for-”

The raven-haired teen held up a hand, silencing him. “I know, I know. After the whole deal with Price, she gave me the same lecture. She convinced me to stay. Been crazy about her ever since.”

Issac smiled. “I’m pretty sure you were always nuts over her.”

Seth chuckled. “Yeah, you’re probably right.” He paused, taking another drink from his bottle. “I guess I really am lost without her. Where do I even go from here, Issac?”

Issac sobered, moving over to place a hand on his broken friend’s shoulder. “We move forward. One step at a time.”

Seth drew in a deep breath. One foot in front of the other. After all, she’d want it that way.

****

Kurt squirmed in his chair as he sat across from the general.

“Have you given more thought on our last conversation?”

The boy shrugged. “What was I supposed to be thinking about?”

Vladsco gave an exasperated sigh, pushing his chair out. “I believe I made myself clear the last time we spoke. If you’re going to survive, you need to make yourself useful.”

Kurt snorted. “And how, pray tell, do I do that?”

Vladsco smiled, making his way over to a shelf in the far corner of the room. “I trust that you are aware of the implications of the video you saw this morning?”

Kurt chewed his lip in discomfort. God, he was fool! Had the whole thing been nothing more than an elaborate plan to break them down? And I fell for it…

“Don’t bother attempting to play coy. I know my son too well. He wouldn’t have been able to resist the opportunity.”

Kurt’s eyes widened. What? Son?

Vladsco smiled. “I know, shocking, isn’t it? Shame he couldn’t have inherited my charm. Though, 012, surprisingly, seems to have made quite a bit of progress with your sister.”

Hazel eyes narrowed. He glanced briefly at the jar of pens sitting upon the desk in front of him.

“Oh, don’t give me that look. I believe you and I can find some common ground.” Vladsco paused, turning to take a small vile from the shelf. Suddenly sensing something amiss, he quickly turned to catch the wrist of the teen attempting to stab him with one of the ink-pens from his own desk.

Kurt yelped in both pain and surprise as the aged general grasped his wrist tightly before bending it backward. A howl of agony was torn from his lips as Vladsco gave a swift jerk. A sickening ‘crack’ was heard as the teen’s wrist bone was snapped.

“I must admit, that was a stunning act of bravery, coming from you. You may just be able to put all that hate to good use. After all, you and I have the same goal,” Vladsco spoke, releasing the boy’s arm.

The teen slumped to the floor in a heap, holding his injured wrist.

“Look,” the general began, “believe it or not, I want to keep your sister alive. Unlike my superiors, I see great value in her. Now, you know good and well, she can never leave this place alive.” He paused. “However, that doesn’t mean you and I can’t work something out.”

Kurt let out a pained breath as he continued to cradle his injured wrist. “W-wh-what do you mean?”

The general smiled. “You can help me keep my valuable experiment alive, my boy.”

Confused, Kurt’s brows creased. What was the old fool blabbering about? Alice; an experiment? Despite his excruciating pain, he simply had to know. “Experiment?”

Vladsco reached for the boy’s uninjured arm, pulling him to his feet. “You and I have more in common than you realize. You help me, and I don’t see why you can’t walk out of here.”

The boy’s eyes widened in disbelief. His ears had to be betraying him.

The general shrugged. “What? I’ve got no use for you. No offense, but it isn’t as if you’re some high-profile officer I could use. You’re nobody to me.”

“I thought you said no one has ever escaped this prison,” the boy murmured as he was placed back into his chair.

“Not really an escape if you’re escorted out,” Vladsco returned, resuming his seat at his desk.

Kurt chewed his lip, briefly looking away. What should he do? On one hand, he wasn’t sure he could bare the thought of leaving Alice alone in this place. On the other hand, however, if he were to be released, he would have a chance of sending help back to her. “Wh-what do I gotta do?”

Vladsco placed a small vial of clear liquid on the desk. He slid it over to the boy. “If you please,” he gestured with a wave of his hand.

Kurt’s eyebrows furrowed, slowly reaching for the container with his good hand.

“Be very careful not to drop it, my boy. Open it.”

The teen quirked a brow, clearly more than a little apprehensive. “Now what?” he inquired upon doing as instructed.

“What do you notice?”

Kurt squinted. All in all, there didn’t seem to be anything particularly unique about the vile. There was no color to the substance inside, making it appear as though it were nothing more than a vile of clear water. Finally, he gave up on attempting to identify the answer that the general was obviously seeking. “Nothing, really.”

Vladsco smiled. “Precisely. No color. No odor. No trail. That, my boy, is a powerful neurotoxin. A single milliliter can cause paralysis. Two can put a person into a coma. Three can stop a person’s heart. I would avoid any contact with the skin if I were you.”

Kurt’s eyes widened. What the hell was such a substance doing here?

Vladsco gave another smile, this one full of pride. “One of my more…interesting inventions. Stumbled across it during my days in Sardona. Magnificent little town. Well, it was anyway.”

Kurt swallowed, carefully placing the lid back on the vile. “Who?”

The general closed his eyes briefly, drawing in a deep breath. It was for the greater good. “012.”

Kurt’s eyes widened again in disbelief. “Y-you’re asking me to kill your own son?”

Vladsco quirked a brow, leaning back in his chair. “I thought you’d already branded him a traitor. Not having a change of heart, are you?”

The teen looked away. What was the angle? If the general was being truthful, what reason did he have for killing his own son? Was there something he was missing? “Why? If you want him dead so badly, why don’t you just kill him?”

Vladsco gave a dry chuckle. “Call me a sentimental, old fool. Given your current conduct with one another, I wasn’t aware you required much in the way of motivation.”

“But you’re his father,” Kurt returned. “Supposedly,” he muttered under his breath.

The general shrugged. “If you doubt my claims, that is your prerogative. Sleep on it, if you must. However, by evening two days from now, either you or Vincent will be dead.” He paused, his eyes narrowing. “I would implore you to not second chance your gut on this one, boy. A loose cannon is a danger to everyone. You want your sister in the same cell as that weapon when it goes off?”

Kurt paled, shrinking back in his seat. While the general wasn’t directly answering his questions, one thing was perfectly clear now: His very life was on the line, and there was no way he was going to sacrifice himself for a traitor.

****

“What’s going on, Alice? That video… It was so real.”

The blonde frowned from her place on the bed as she glanced the brunette over. Should she tell him? He hadn’t seemed to take the news of being related to Cain very well. She wasn’t certain the boy would be able to handle finding out his father’s identity just yet. And what of them being an experiment? The teen sighed. She would be lying if she were to say that it didn’t explain a few things. Choosing her words as carefully as one could in such a situation, she slowly began. “I-I’m sorry, Vincent. You and Kurt must have been so scared. They had to do it. The emperor apparently ordered my execution.” She paused, attempting a small smile. “Guess I’m just lucky they didn’t really go through with it, huh?”

Vincent frowned, finally bringing himself to sit next to her upon the small bed. “How can you do that?” Taking a chance, he slowly reached over to take a small, pale hand within his own. He didn’t miss the way the appendage stiffened slightly before trembling within his grasp.

“D-do what?” she questioned. Her pale eyebrows knit together in confusion, despite her racing heart. Breathe. It was only Vincent, after all. Regardless of all the wild claims she’d heard, it was clear that he meant her no harm. In fact, it appeared they had more in common than anyone realized.

“Smile through all this? I know you’ve got to be in pain,” Vincent finally replied. “And I know you have to be just as scared as I am.” The teen paused, looking away. “Then again, maybe you aren’t. You’re so much braver than I am, Alice. I…,” the boy trailed off, closing his eyes.

“Vincent, being brave doesn’t mean that you aren’t scared. Just so you know, I’m terrified. Them showing that broadcast means that everyone is going to think I’m dead now,” Alice replied. She sighed. “Which means that no rescue party is coming for us.”

“What do we do?”

“Keep our faith and keep surviving the best we can,” the girl replied. She smiled. “Of course, a few prayers couldn’t hurt.”

Vincent’s brows furrowed as he finally released her hand. “Prayers?”

Alice looked at the boy for a moment. “Well, yes. At this point, I think God is the only one who can help us out.”

Once again, the brunette appeared puzzled. “God?”

Alice’s brows creased. “Well, yes.”

Vincent appeared thoughtful. He wasn’t exactly sure who this person was that she was talking about, but if she was sure he could assist them in some way, who was he to judge? “Okay, then how do we get word to this person?”

Alice froze, pale eyebrows ticking upward. Did he really not know? Then again, she supposed it wouldn’t be that far beyond reason, if what she’d been told held any truth. Considering her words carefully, she began. “Well, Vincent, God isn’t just any mere person.”

Vincent looked perplexed for a moment. “Are they a general or something, then?”

A light, airy giggle leaked from the girl’s lips. “No, Vincent. Far greater. God is the creator of the entire universe; everything there is, or ever was.”

Amber eyes widened. What? And how did the girl possibly know this? The boy sighed. Then again, it wasn’t as if he had a vast array of knowledge to pull from. He began slowly, unsure. “W-well, this person is going to help us why?” He honestly didn’t mean to sound so critical, but her claims seemed so outlandish from his perspective.

“Well, because he loves us.” The blonde smiled. “As a matter of fact, he loves us so much that, a very long time ago, he sacrificed his only son to save our souls.”

Vincent quirked a brow. “What’s a soul?”

Alice let out another small chuckle. “A soul is what makes you who you are, Vincent.”

“So there are good souls and bad souls, then?”

The blonde gave a grim nod. “Definitely. Wherever there is great good, unfortunately, there is also great evil. Just know that, as long as there is good, it will also rise up to triumph over evil in the end.” She paused, leaning back to rest her head against the wall as she closed her eyes briefly. “I know it may be hard to believe, given current circumstances, but that’s why it’s called faith.”

Vincent frowned. “What about if you’ve forgotten who you are? What happens to your soul then?”

Alice returned the gesture, frowning. How was she supposed to answer that? Truthfully speaking, she had no idea what kind of person he was prior. She shook her head. No. That wasn’t entirely true. That little boy she had met all those years ago had been so kind to her. Glancing him over, she gave a small smile. Of course, he’d had more bruises back then. “Well, I’m not saying that your past doesn’t matter at all, but I like to think that who you are now is what’s really important.”

The brunette attempted a small smile, however, he didn’t really feel the part. Who was he? Once again, he found himself pondering the question. With no memories to pull from, how was he to know? Did he even want to know? He gazed into sapphire eyes, feeling the familiar warmth creep up his spine to settle in his cheeks. If for no one else, for her, he would continue moving forward. And maybe, just maybe, he would grow strong enough to face his past. Whatever it may be.

****

Kurt Landon sighed as he arranged the requested ingredients on the counter. He had been lucky enough to be assigned cooking duty for the past couple of days due to his injury. The general had promised him such, after all, in exchange for his broken wrist.

The teen reached up to wipe the sweat from his brow with his good arm. He was running out of time. He lowered his arm. His fingers brushed his pocket, feeling the outline of the concealed object inside. One day left…

The sound of sweeping drew the brunette’s attention to the corner. He smiled, feeling his heart lighten a little. The small boy was certainly a diligent worker. The teen turned his eyes to the door, watching the silhouettes of the guards at the door pass back and forth as they continued their assigned task of guarding the entryway. Deciding it was safe to chance talking to the boy, Kurt smiled again. “I don’t suppose you think they’d let us take a break, do you?”

The young boy quickly looked up from his current task, obviously not expecting to be addressed. He flashed a smile, shaking his head. “No, and I don’t know about you, but I’d much rather be in here than on shower cleaning duty.”

The teen chuckled. The boy definitely had a point there. Turning back to his task at hand, he gave a grunt of mild irritation, reaching his hand into his pocket to feel the vile he knew to be there. It’s to save her, he reassured himself. If he were to be honest with himself, it wasn’t as if it was a terribly difficult decision. Glancing at the pot simmering on the stove in front of him, he sighed. Lifting the lid, he grimaced. It appeared that there was hardly any meat to be found within the concoction, save for a few floating chunks near the surface.

The brunette spared a glance at the metal door in the corner of the room. The walk-in freezer, he assumed. He briefly looked to the refrigerator. He knew what cuts of meat were in there, and they were borderline inedible. However, he had yet to peruse the freezer. Perhaps there were better cuts of meat the guards were hoarding for themselves? His lips twisted into a dark grin. Well, they would be liberated from it, if he had any say. If he was going to be left in charge of feeding the prisoners for the time being, they were going to get better than the slop they’d been eating.

Glancing back toward the door to ensure the coast was clear, the teen resolved himself. Starting for the metal door, he missed the look sent in his direction from the young boy who’d stopped his sweeping.

“What are you-” The child never finished his sentence, his eyes widening in horror as he realized the older boy’s destination. “N-No, don’t!”

Kurt flashed the boy a mischievous grin, his hand wrapping around the long, silver handle. “Relax, Matthew. It’s only a freezer, right? How about a little treat today? I bet they even have ice cream in here, if we’re lucky.”

Giving a tug, the door opened with a ghastly creek. Kurt stood, frozen, in the entryway. It wasn’t the eerie sound of the old door opening, or even the child’s, suddenly frightened, cry of alarm that sent a chill to his bones. It was a paralyzing chill; one that had nothing to do with the temperature of the environment he’d just stepped into.

A pool of partially frozen blood had formed beneath the grizzly carcass. Surprisingly enough, it wasn’t the, clearly human, head adorned with thick, black hair that perturbed him. No. What disturbed him the most was the large, clean cuts into the flanks of the corpse. His eyes involuntarily darted back to the pot on the stove. Had they been…?

Bile quickly rose in the boy’s throat. A faint odor wafted through the cold air as the teen went to his knees. Glancing in the corpse’s direction again offered no alleviation for the nausea that gripped him. The body, a young man appearing to be around his twenties, was missing his left leg entirely. There were several slices removed, just above the hip bones, exposing the man’s spine partially.

Kurt was unable to suppress the groan that escaped his lips as he tore his eyes away from the macabre sight. His eyes pinched shut as he felt his stomach lurch again. The teen shuddered as his body forcefully purged his stomach of its contents. Saline stung his eyes as his esophagus burned. A small, tentative hand gripped his shoulder.

“I-I tried to tell you.”

Kurt’s watery eyes widened at the small boy’s confession. “You knew?”

The young boy gave a grim nod. “Why do you think I’ve been sneaking you guys food?”

Kurt swallowed. “Then this is a regular thing?”

The child nodded again, sending a sickening chill down the teen’s spine. “Sometimes, they make me eat it too when they want to punish me.”

Kurt drew in a shuddering breath, pushing himself to his feet. Forcing a smile, he placed a hand on the boy’s shoulder in comfort. “Listen, it’s gonna be okay, alright? Why don’t you go get me some rags so I can, uh, clean up my mess, then we can see if we can find some cookies or something in the pantry, okay?”

Matthew gave an enthusiastic nod.

The door opened then, revealing the two guards that had been standing watch, no doubt responding to the boy’s earlier, distressed cry. The one appearing to be the younger of the two smiled. “Ah, I see ya met Carl. Stubborn fellow. Always wondered what was eating him.”

The older of the two, a brunette man appearing to be in his late thirties, did not seem to find humor in his youthful companion’s comment. He rolled his eyes at him before addressing the teen. “Just get this cleaned up and get back to work. Prisoners will be expecting dinner on time.”

The younger, auburn-haired, guard frowned. “God, Drake, you can be such an old fart sometimes. Have a sense of humor.”

“Well, Colby, if you actually had some material, I might consider laughing from time to time,” Drake grumbled.

Kurt frowned. “You expect me to act like this is no big deal? How do you think the prisoners will react when they find out you’ve been feeding them their carved-up comrades?”

Both guards shot the teen a look. Finally, Drake shrugged. “How do you think they’d react if we were to tell them that there was no meat to spare?”

Colby snorted. “You’re also assuming that you’re the only one who knows.”

The teen’s eyes widened.

Colby gave a hearty laugh. “What? You thought you were special? Then again, I suppose that most don’t get the pleasure of meeting the meat while it’s still recognizable.”

Drake gave an exasperated sigh as he made to retreat for the door. “Colby, I think you’ve said enough. Let’s go. We need to prepare for shift-change anyway.”

Colby begrudgingly began to follow his companion, pausing to flash one last, cheeky grin. “Bon appétit,” he quipped, gesturing to the, still open, freezer door.

Kurt resisted the urge to vomit again as he quickly shut the metal door. Closing his eyes, he rested his hand against the pocket of his union suit. If he’d had any doubts before, there was no trace of them now. He would do what he had to in order to protect his sister. The teen did his best to swallow the lump of guilt forming in his throat. It was for the greater good. Glancing at the wall on the far-right side of the room, his eyes settled on the large self of labeled trays. Each one was named appropriately for each individual cell block and number. He chewed on his lip as he zeroed in on the slot for Cell 1B.

A shuffling sounded as Matthew returned from the adjacent pantry with a couple of white towels in hand.

Kurt bit his lip. He had to think quickly. If things were to go wrong, and he was caught, he certainly didn’t want the kid to be implicated. Of course, he didn’t want the boy as a witness either. “Hey, Matthew, I would really appreciate it if you would go grab some more disinfectant from the supply room down the hall.”

The blond quirked a brow. Couldn’t he just use soap and water? Why hadn’t he asked earlier when he’d gone to get the towels? He wasn’t certain why the teen suddenly wanted to send him away, but it was most likely for the best if he rolled with it. “Okay. I’ll be back, then.”

Kurt watched as the small boy took his leave, scurrying away to collect the requested item. The teen moved quickly to the shelf of trays. He didn’t have much time before the child would be back. Pulling out the three bowls that were waiting to be filled, he selected one and carried it over to the cooking utensils. If he was going to do this right, he couldn’t afford to have any mix-ups. Selecting a large clever, he brought it down on the edge of the bowl. A hair-raising screech resounded as metal met porcelain. The fragile ceramic splintered at a section along the outer edge of the bowl, a sizable chunk of material falling away. Satisfied that the bowl was now successfully marked, the teen proceeded to the stove and filled it with the simmering stew. Retrieving the vial of poison from his pocket, the teen carefully twisted off the cap.

For a moment, if for only a short period, an eerie silence burned through the teen. Sweat filled his brow as his good arm began to shake. He chewed his bottom lip. He couldn’t afford to have second thoughts now. Drawing in a deep breath, he slowly tilted the vial. One drop dripped into the bowl, followed by another. Kurt paused, seemingly in doubt for a moment longer before he thought better of it. No. It was him or Vincent, right? He allowed a third and final drop to fall into the soup before quickly twisting the cap back on the vial and tucking it away into his pocket once more.

Carefully placing the, now full, bowl of stew back onto the tray on the shelf seemed to bring the teen a sense of relief. He nodded to himself. It would all be over shortly. He’d see to that.

****

Vincent sighed as he glanced between his comrades. Well, with Kurt, he wasn’t so certain comrade was the correct term. Nevertheless, all had been quiet since the brunette boy’s return from kitchen duty. He hadn’t even spoken much to Alice when she’d explained the situation regarding the video they’d seen. Perhaps he was simply in pain from his injured arm. “So, uh, I don’t suppose you managed to arrange something a bit better for dinner, did you?”

The look he received in response from the young scientist told Vincent that his innocent question had been taken as anything but. Another sigh escaped his lips. At this point, he wasn’t so sure why he even tried anymore. There didn’t seem to be any getting through to the boy.

Kurt’s eyes flickered back and forth as he watched his sister slowly pace back and forth near the front of their cell. He honestly couldn’t remember ever being so vexed in his life. As much as he desperately wished to tell her what he’d witnessed, he knew it would only serve to further complicate his plan. He spared a glance at Vincent. Above all else, he had to make sure that he ate that bowl of concoction tonight. His eyes darted back to Alice, who continued to remain blissfully unaware of his inner turmoil. For a brief moment, if only for an instant, he considered telling her everything. Of course, he knew she would only stop him. He couldn’t risk it. She could have her faith. He would personally rather get them out of this situation. All that remained was waiting for the dinner trays to be brought out, then he would personally hand that traitor his just desserts.

Alice frowned. She grumbled lightly under her breath as she pressed her fingertips to the metal contraption still affixed to her throat. Her neck itched terribly now. The teen sighed. Being honest with herself, she wasn’t certain how they were going to get out of this one. Even if they were to be provided an opportunity to escape, she wasn’t sure how they would remove the tracking devices attached to their ankles, or her collar, without injury to themselves. She stole a glance at Vincent out of the corner of her eye as he sat on the bed. She still had yet to tell him about being part of an experiment. Given their conversation earlier, she hadn’t been able to bring herself to. Truthfully, she was still processing the information herself.

The loud clang of a door opening at the end of the hall drew the trio’s attention.

“Alright, you slobs, look alive! It’s chow-time,” a boisterous guard proclaimed as he began wheeling the cart down the hall.

A small ruckus began as the prisoners eagerly accepted their dinner trays. Kurt was only happy that it wasn’t Matthew passing out the meal trays this time.

The teen had expected many things to happen once the guard appeared in front of their cell. What he hadn’t anticipated, however, was Alice beating him in accepting the tray. Panic and dread quickly wrapped their icy hands around the boy’s throat as sweat began to fill his hairline. He stood. “H-Here, Alice, why don’t you sit down? I can pass out the food. You must be exhausted,” he tried.

A small smile graced the blonde’s features. There was no denying that she was exhausted. However, it wasn’t as if she would be able to rest anyway, with as chaotic as her thoughts were at the moment. She shook her head. “It’s fine, Kurt. I appreciate your consideration, though.”

Kurt swallowed. His eyes darted as she handed a bowl to Vincent before making her way over to him, handing him the second. A wave of relief washed over him as he quickly scanned his bowl. No knicks adorned the rim.

Alice leaned against the wall with her own bowl. Having ditched the wooden spoon, she absently sipped at the broth as she carefully considered their options. She highly doubted Leo would take news of her ‘death’ without some form of retaliation. As for what that reaction would entail, she wasn’t certain.

Vincent swallowed a spoonful of his stew, not missing the brown eyes seemingly studying his every move. The teen resisted the urge to roll his eyes. What now? Given the boy’s past demeanor, he would likely accuse him of doing something as outlandish as eating incorrectly.

Kurt frowned as he met the other teen’s amber eyes. The way he was holding his bowl made it impossible to tell whether or not he had the ‘special’ meal he’d intended for him.

For a moment, a somewhat tense silence blanketed the group. It seemed that no one had anything particular to share. Then again, what was there exactly to be shared? It would appear as though their situation only grew increasingly bleak with each passing moment.

The young scientist continued to study his brunette nemesis closely. Any moment now. Surely at any moment he would be reduced to nothing more than an unpleasant memory. He watched as the boy rose from the bed, walking over to place his, presumably empty, bowl back onto the tray for the guards to retrieve later. Upon finishing his own bowl, the teen made his way over to the tray. His eyes widened at the sight.

The chip. Where’s the damn chip?!

Once again, sweat began to fill the teen’s brow. Setting his bowl down on the tray, his eyes then darted to the third member of their group. His heart plummeted. He had a full view of her right side now. There, just beneath her pinky finger, was a rather large chip in the paint around the rim of her bowl.

Fear darkened the brunette’s eyes as he watched his sister closely. So far, she was exhibiting no signs of distress as she continued to drink the broth from her bowl. Kurt glanced over to Vincent. He was sitting on the bed again, oblivious to his cellmate’s internal terror. Kurt drew in a deep breath. Perhaps the broth was thick enough that it would coat her stomach, preventing any harmful effects?

The teen swallowed as he continued to fret. There was nothing he could do now. He couldn’t risk her asking questions.

Alice sighed as she swallowed another mouthful of broth. It was far from anything she would call pleasant, but it would at least chase away the pangs of hunger for the time being. Her brows furrowed as a sudden weight in her chest made its presence known. A sour taste began to fill her mouth a moment later, causing the teen to nearly gag.

“You okay?” Vincent questioned as he stood.

Panic set in as the blonde suddenly dropped to her knees upon realizing she could no longer breathe, the metal bowl she held loudly clanging against the ground as she lost her grip. Her pulse throbbed loudly in her ears, causing her to wince from the intense pain. She went rigid, her muscles spasming in irregular intervals. The teen barely registered the arms now holding her as her eyes slipped closed.

Time seemed to freeze, Kurt’s eyes widening in horror. Why?! Karma, apparently, saw fit to give the boy no answer. Vincent’s cries became drowned out in the dull roar of his mind. He couldn’t go down for this. It was an honest mistake! How was he supposed to know that she would end up with the poisoned bowl?

“Miss Lynheart!” The girl didn’t respond to her cadet’s shouting. The brunette gasped as blood began to seep from her nose and mouth. Terror took on the form of tears as he tried desperately to hold onto what small shred of composure he had remaining. “A-Alice?” he attempted again. No response. He choked back a sob. Whipping his head around, he glared at the boy now huddled at the back of the cell. What on earth was he doing?! Both hands were buried in his hair, almost as if he was prepared to yank on the thick locks. “Kurt, what are you doing?!” he barked, snapping the boy from his thoughts with a start, “Hurry! Press the red button on the wall!”

Kurt nearly tripped over his own feet as he hurried over to the left wall of the cell. Locating the large, red button just below eye-level, he quickly jabbed it with his thumb. A loud buzzing sounded. It wasn’t really until then that the teen scientist noticed just how loudly the other prisoners were shouting in the background. Then again, perhaps he’d simply gotten used to the dull roar?

Satisfied that help was on the way, Vincent gently laid the girl down on her back. He hesitantly pressed a hand to her chest, biting his lip when he felt no heartbeat beneath his palm. Swallowing the lump forming in his throat, he folded his left hand over his right and began to press just beneath her ribcage in intervals. Pausing, he drew in a deep breath before pinching her nose shut with one hand while pressing his lips to her own.

Kurt said nothing as he watched, wide-eyed, as the boy attempted to literally breathe life back into his sister. For a rare moment, the teen was pretty sure they shared the same thought.

Please. Please, come back to me. Please, don’t leave…

For what seemed like an eternity, the young woman did not stir. Finally, a ragged cough erupted from the girl’s chest. Eyelids slowly flickered. “V-Vi-Vincent?” Her voice was weak, and her throat burned terribly. Another cough escaped her. “K-Kurt?” she questioned as she attempted to make sense of the two blurry figures within her periphery.

Vincent released a breath. It was as if he was twenty pounds lighter. He quickly pulled the girl into a sitting position as Kurt rushed over to kneel next to him.

“Thank goodness,” Kurt breathed, placing a trembling hand on his sister’s shoulder. “I think we all can agree; that was a scare we definitely could’ve lived without, Alice.”

“Wh-what happened to that light?” As soon as the question left her lips, the girl regretted it. Her throat felt as though she were being stabbed. Reaching a trembling hand to her neck, she winced as she felt the metal prongs of the collar she wore dig deeper into her flesh. Then again…

Kurt quirked a brow at the blonde’s almost delirious inquiry. “Huh?”

“What light?” Vincent asked as he continued to hold the, still trembling, girl.

“What happened?” a concerned voice questioned from the doorway of the cell, drawing the attention of the two boys.

Vincent breathed a sigh of relief. Finally. “Something’s wrong with our lieutenant,” he replied, turning to see Jack and his two usual guards enter their cell.

Jack frowned as he glanced at the shivering girl. “I repeat: What happened?”

“We don’t know!” Kurt nearly bawled. “One minute, she was fine, then she stopped breathing all of the sudden.”

Jack’s frown deepened. Something wasn’t right. She had seemed perfectly healthy the last time he’d seen her. There was only one thing he could possibly think of. He turned to one of his guards. “Taylor, let’s get her down to medical right away. That collar has to come off so that she can breathe easier. Frank, you go get the general.”

The two men nodded.

“You sure it’s wise,” Taylor whispered as Frank hurried away, leaving only Jack and himself in the cell alone with the teens.

“She’s in no condition to be causing anyone any trouble. And they aren’t gonna pull anything with her life on the line,” Jack returned.