Chapter 19: No Angel

Ricardo grumbled under his breath as he rubbed his bruised chin. It would appear he’d underestimated the girl. His brother sat across from him, his broken nose wrapped securely in a bandage as proof of his own misstep.

They couldn’t have this. They had too much at stake to allow for such insult and humiliation. After all, such nonsense stood to ruin their business. They would be the laughingstock of the entire prison!

“And your embarrassment is my problem how?”

The two brothers exchanged a glance.

Ricardo snorted. “Hey, do you want the chica or not, Shan? You said blondes fetch a high price.”

Shan shrugged. “And they do. It isn’t my fault you dickheads bit off more than you could chew. Besides, it isn’t as if Golden Phoenix is the only game in town. Gotta tap that low hanging fruit before you can pluck that cherry, ya know.”

Ricardo glared. “She insulted my little brother.”

Shan rolled his brown eyes as he took a swig from his water bottle. “Doesn’t that just break your heart? Once again, not my problem.” He grinned, twisting the cap back on his bottle. “Sounds like your little brother needs to man up and grow a pair.”

“That cellmate of hers is going to be a problem. He’s been in the way since they got here,” Esteban tried, resisting the urge to rub his bandaged nose. Giving in to the temptation, he gave a hiss of pain. The little witch wouldn’t get the better of him again.

Shan shrugged again. “So separate them, then. Does the fox kill chickens when the farmer is right there watching?”

The brothers exchanged a glance.

Shan reached into his pocket, pulling out a container of tobacco. Collecting a generous amount, he placed it in his mouth. “Besides, you two seem to be forgetting one little thing: Vladsco. Phoenix is, shall we say, a favorite of his. You don’t think there’ll be consequences for you messing around with her?”

“I couldn’t care less about this Genesis Project, and I ain’t afraid of Vladsco!” Ricardo snapped. “He likes to think he’s running this tight ship, but he doesn’t even know what’s really going on in this place.”

Shan snorted, spitting tobacco juice upon the floor at the Latino’s feet. “Is that right? Well, you better care, and you better be watching how boldly you play your hand. I ain’t gonna be responsible when he decides to make a big show of mounting your empty head on a spike out there at the prison entrance.”

Ricardo chuckled. “We’ll see about that.” Motioning for his brother, the two took their leave of the older inmate’s cell. With or without him, he would make sure the pair paid for the humiliation they’d caused.

****

Alice stretched as she stood up from the bed, grimacing slightly at the dull throbbing in her lower abdomen. She turned to her brother, who was now nearly asleep in the corner. “Hey, Kurt. Didn’t they give you extra gauze with your broken finger?”

Kurt quirked a brow as he looked up. “Yeah. Why?”

Vincent cocked his head. Why was the girl asking about gauze? Had she been injured earlier?

The blonde bit her lip, clearly not wishing to elaborate. “W-well, where is it? Could I have some?”

A look of realization passed over the brunette’s features as he quickly stood up to reach into the pocket of his union suit.

“Why do you need gauze? You aren’t hurt, are you?” Vincent inquired as he stood up as well. Though he wasn’t crazy about the idea, perhaps another night in the infirmary would be best?

The teen shook her head, a crimson hue beginning to bleed into her fair complexion. “No, it, uh, isn’t for an injury, Vincent.”

Vincent’s brows furrowed. What other use could there possibly be for the cotton bandages? “But…but isn’t gauze used to help with bleeding?”

Kurt gave an exaggerated snort, rolling his eyes as he handed the requested item to his sister. “Congratulations, Captain Obvious.”

Vincent scowled. He was really beginning to grow irritated with his intellect constantly being called into question. It seemed as the only one that showed any signs of believing he held any intelligence whatsoever was Alice. “I may not be a doctor or physician, but, generally speaking, when one is bleeding, they are typically wounded.”

“Well, that’s technically correct,” Alice murmured, still continuing to avoid eye-contact with either of her two companions. She was quite positive that this situation couldn’t possibly be more embarrassing. Well, that was until the boy spoke again.

“See? Then, you ARE injured. Why else would you be bleeding?”

Ba-bump!

The girl nearly choked as her heart suddenly missed a beat, her blush only deepening. She and her brother exchanged incredulous glances.

Kurt gave an awkward chuckle as he shook his head. “You’re kidding, right?” He snickered as he glanced to Alice once more.

The girl in question chewed her lip, clearly wishing to be anywhere else at the moment. “Look, it-it’s just a normal thing, Vincent, okay? It’s…a, you know, woman thing.”

Vincent’s brows furrowed, clearly still not understanding. What did the girl mean ‘woman thing’? He shook his head. “I’m afraid I’m not understanding. What does you being a woman have to do with you bleeding at random?”

Kurt barked out a laugh at the astonishment on his sister’s face. “Oh, that’s rich. For crying out loud, Vincent, tell me that you at least know the difference between men and women’s bodies.”

The brunette frowned. Yet again, it would seem his intelligence was being called into question. “Of course!” he huffed, folding his arms.

“C-can we just drop the subject, please?” Alice squeaked. By now, she was positive she had to resemble a cherry. Or, at the very least, a deeply ripened strawberry.

Kurt let out another hearty chuckle. “Oh, come on, Alice. It’s not every day that you get the opportunity to teach sex education to your soldiers.”

The girl flushed. “I said to drop it!”

Vincent chewed his bottom lip, feeling his face burn. He wasn’t certain how bleeding tied into…that, but it was obvious the subject was making the girl uncomfortable.

“Make love, not war, Alice,” Kurt remarked, earning another heated glare from his sister.

“Shut up.”

Vincent rolled his eyes, doing his best to ignore the color darkening his cheeks. “I think you’ve said more than enough, Kurt.”

Truthfully, the teen wasn’t so sure he wanted to know anymore. As long as the girl was unharmed, he would be happy to leave it at that.

The blonde cleared her throat, clearly desperate to bring an end to the conversation. “We, uh, we should probably be getting some rest now.”

Vincent nodded, more than happy to comply with the girl’s wishes at this point.

Kurt snickered but said nothing more as he resumed his former position in the corner of the cell. He propped himself up against the wall and closed his eyes, a weary yawn finally escaping his lips.

Vincent scratched the back of his head awkwardly as he made his way over to the bed after a moment to join the girl. What should he say? Should he even say anything at all? Was she angry with him for prying so much earlier? “S-so…”

The blonde seemed to pause a moment before having the courage to fully face him again. She gave an awkward smile. “Er…I, uh, I’ll take first watch. You should get some sleep, Vincent.”

The brunette offered a smile, a weak chuckle escaping him. “Right.” He resisted the urge to slap his forehead with his palm. Could he be any more awkward?!

Alice didn’t seem to be fairing much better, the embers of her previous humiliation still burning within her cheeks as she turned away. In all honesty, she wasn’t totally certain why she was so shy around him at the moment. She really had no reason to be, after all. Especially seeing as he seemed to fail to understand the situation, though she wasn’t sure how such a thing was possible. Sparing a glance at the teen as he situated himself back against the wall, she smiled. Once again, she couldn’t help but ponder why she hadn’t recognized him. After all, she’d said it herself before: Eyes such as his were not exactly common.

“I’m sorry,” the teen suddenly blurted, throwing the girl off guard, “I, uh, didn’t mean to embarrass you or put you on the spot like that. I just-”

“You were just concerned, Vincent. There’s nothing wrong with that,” Alice finished for him, finally sitting down next to the boy.

“So you’re sure you’re okay?”

The blonde chuckled, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder in reassurance. “Positive.”

The pair regarded one another for a moment.

Vincent swallowed, his heart missing a beat. What was this feeling? It wasn’t merely admiration, and it certainly went beyond infatuation.

Alice tucked a strand of hair behind her ear as the boy continued his warm gaze. She blinked slowly, attempting to ignore the tickling of butterflies in her stomach. Suddenly, her earlier abdominal discomfort was forgotten. She resisted the urge to chew her bottom lip as she felt the heat begin to bleed into her cheeks again, once more drawn in by molten gold. Somewhere in the back of her mind she knew that it probably wasn’t such a good idea to allow him so close. After all, hadn’t she made that mistake before? She wasn’t too keen on this newfound vulnerability that was beginning to wash over her.

The brunette slowly reached a hand up to place over her own, his eyes never leaving hers. He swallowed again as he felt his heart begin to race in his chest, a shiver running down his spine. He wasn’t sure if he’d unconsciously leaned forward at some point, or if she had shifted closer to him without his detection. However, he was hyper aware of the warm breath now teasing his lips.

The girl swallowed, blinking in an almost silent dare. Would she? Could they? Just how far was she willing to allow him to push the boundaries? They barely knew anything of each other, after all. However, she was unable to deny her racing heart. Though she knew he would fail to remember, she had never gotten the chance to properly thank the small boy to whom she owed her life. Drawing in a deep breath, she finally allowed her eyes to slip closed in silent permission. What would be, would be. Her heart nearly stopped at the sound of her brother’s voice.

“You know, I thought we were steering clear of the birds and the bees?”

The pair sprang apart, faces flushed, and eyes widened. Hadn’t he been asleep?!

Alice was the first to recover, clearing her throat. “Weren’t you asleep?”

The teen shrugged. “I don’t know. Weren’t you keeping watch?”

Alice and Vincent avoided eye-contact, both silently praying that the boy would fail to detect the heat searing into their cheeks.

While Vincent wasn’t sure what birds or bees had to do with anything, it didn’t take a genius-level IQ to tell he hadn’t approved of the direction in which their interaction had begun to shift.

The brunette gave a faux yawn, stretching his arms above his head as he pinned his sister with an almost accusatory stare. “You know, I would’ve thought you’d learned your lesson with Julius.”

The girl recoiled as if struck. Of all the nerve! She opened her mouth to retort, only to have her brother cut her off as he spoke again.

“I do have to admit that, as a scientist, though, your body’s sick sense of irony has always intrigued me.”

Vincent wasn’t sure what the boy meant by his statement, but judging by the shift in the girl’s features, it was anything but good. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Alice’s eyes narrowed. “Go to sleep, Kurt.”

The boy shrugged, seeming to ignore her. “Well, haven’t you ever thought about it? Why go through all the motions of fertility if it’s futile?”

Vincent resisted the gasp that stuck in his throat as his head whipped over to the girl.

There was more sorrow than anger within her eyes as she finally turned away from them. “You’re a prick.”

Vincent felt his heart sink as she walked away to the front of the cell. He turned to shoot a glare in the other boy’s direction before finally sitting down on the bed once more, suddenly feeling a lot colder than he had only a few short moments ago. A weary sigh escaped him as he closed his eyes, preparing for the inevitable restless night ahead.

****

Flames licked the blackened sky as the torched remains of what once were businesses and houses chased away the phantom known as darkness. Screams filled the air as townspeople scurried through the streets. The Order had come to Rose Point.

Rain had soaked the streets, leaving large puddles upon the sidewalks. Of course, that didn’t matter to the small boy dressed in black as he darted through the alleyways of the city. His brilliant, golden eyes darted in search of his target. After all, he was on a mission: To carry a message…of death.

Catching sight of his target, the child sped up his pace. Being only a kid, he was met with little resistance as he darted through the crowd. Behind him, he could hear his squad setting off yet another chain of explosives. Come morning, there would be nothing left of what once was the small, northern town.

Once the boy’s target was within range, the child shot his arm out, a pillar of water extending forth from his fingertips to wrap around his prey’s leg.

The blond cried out as he lost his balance, hitting his head on the sidewalk as he was dragged backward. His green eyes widened as he peered up at his assailant. No words needed said. He knew the child meant death. Of course, any words he might have said were choked off when the boy clenched his fist. Terror flashed in the captive’s eyes as he felt his lungs fill with fluid.

The young boy watched as the man’s eyes gradually glazed over. He felt little pity. The man was an informant of The Resistance: A terrorist. Satisfied that his target was now dead, the boy pulled the hood up on his black cloak before making his way back the way he’d came…

****

Vincent jolted awake. Reaching up, he quickly wiped the cold sweat from his brow. That wasn’t him. That couldn’t have been him.

“Bad dream?”

The teen jumped slightly at the soft, familiar voice. Turning, he finally took notice of the young woman watching him from her place at the front of the cell. Judging by the lack of light, it was still the earlier hours of the morning. He brushed a hand through his hair, standing up. “Yeah,” he finally answered as he slowly made his way over to stand next to her.

The girl gave a sympathetic smile as he approached. “Been there. Try not to dwell on it, okay? You’re awake now, and that’s what matters. Nothing in your dreams can hurt you.”

The teen raised a hand to the back of his skull in a vain attempt to ease the sudden headache he had. He missed the second glance of sympathy from the girl as he closed his eyes. “I suppose that’s true. No matter how real they seem.”

The blonde nodded firmly. “Your fear is nothing to be ashamed of, Vincent. Everyone has their own inner demons to battle. It’s how you slay them that really counts.”

The brunette managed a small smile. “Even you?”

Alice smiled, nodding once more. “Even me.”

The pair was silent for a moment, neither seeming to know what more to say.

“You don’t suppose our gracious hosts would be kind enough to bring us some coffee, do you?” the blonde joked, finally breaking the awkward silence that had fallen between them.

Vincent couldn’t help but chuckle. “No. I highly doubt it.” After a moment, he quirked a brow. “Have you been up this whole time?”

The blonde nodded. “Yes, but I did manage to pick up on something. The guards really began to dwindle about three hours or so after lights out. I can’t tell the time for certain, since I don’t have my watch anymore. And we’ll need to observe for a while longer to make sure it wasn’t just a one-night thing.”

Vincent’s brows furrowed. “Well, I guess it wasn’t all that bad then. At least now we can formulate a plan. You do need to sleep, though. Why don’t you go lay down? I’ll take watch.”

Much too tired to argue, the blonde nodded as a small yawn escaped her. There was no denying that the notion of sleep sounded heavenly.

****

Vincent sighed as he swung his sledgehammer, shattering the rather stubborn piece of concrete. Straightening his posture, he leaned back to wipe the sweat from his brow.

The shrill whistle blew, calling a temporary cease to the grueling, manual labor; at least for the day, as even the guards themselves became lost in conversation before slowly filing out of the room.

The teen sighed again. He just couldn’t understand it. It seemed like every time he felt that he and the girl were forming a deeper connection, things were made complicated and awkward again. He closed his eyes, feeling his heart skip a beat. Had she really been about to allow him to kiss her last night? Was he wrong for actually WANTING to kiss her?

Resisting the urge to pinch the bridge of his nose in frustration, the brunette reached down for his water bottle. Twisting off the cap, he raised it to his lips. He nearly choked, water spurting down the front of his tank top as he was shoved from behind. Glaring to see that now nearly half of his water had pooled on the ground at his feet, he turned to face his aggressor.

“Well, well, if it isn’t Senior Jack Mayhoff. Where’s your chica today?”

The brunette inwardly cursed to see the familiar Latino face. At least he didn’t seem to have his usual entourage accompanying him this time. “It’s Vincent, for the record,” he grumbled. “And Golden Phoenix was assigned elsewhere today.”

Ricardo shrugged. “Well, ain’t that too bad? You see, she owes my little brother for his humiliation yesterday.” He smiled. “And you owe me.”

Vincent rolled his eyes. “What are you going on about?”

The Latino gave a fox’s grin. “I’m talking about a debt, muchacho. One that I intend to collect in full; starting with those fine lips of hers.”

Amber eyes narrowed.

Sensing he had struck a nerve, the inmate continued. “Oh, yes. It’s shower time, and she’s gonna be one busy woman. First, me, then my little brother. Who knows? I may even feel a bit generous and let my boys have a go.”

“If you so much as lay a finger on her…,” Vincent spat.

A sly grin tugged at Ricardo’s lips as he rested the broom he carried against his shoulder. “Oh, I plan on laying a lot more than just my fingers on her: My lips, my tongue… And you know what? She’ll love every second of it. She’ll beg for it. Beg to feel me inside her. I’d wager that even you’ll be begging for a taste too after I’m done making you watch.”

Vincent’s jaw set. His eyes darted. It would seem as if they had been forgotten. Save for this reprobate and himself, the room was completely empty. God, he was stupid! Had the degenerate planned this? The teen had no more time to think on the matter as Ricardo resumed his speech.

“Or maybe you want to be a participant?” He paused, reaching into his pocket to procure what Vincent assumed to be a rock that had been broken and sharpened into the shape of a knife. “Of course, I’ll have to break you in first. Gotta see how good you are so I can charge a fair price.”

Vincent dodged the first swing, mildly surprised to see him toss the broom he carried to the side.

Recovering, Ricardo swung his arm out again. He gave a malicious grin as he caught his target in the shoulder.

Vincent howled in agony as flesh split, staining his white tank top crimson. Amber eyes narrowed as his foe spoke again.

“You know what? I’ve had a change of heart. First, I’m gonna slice your balls off, then I’m gonna slit your throat and watch you choke on your own blood. Then, I’m gonna take your balls to your girl and make her eat them while the boys and I go down on her like there’s no tomorrow.”

Time, in that instant, seemed to stop for the teen as red bled into his vision. This man took great pleasure in harming others, and he especially meant harm to the girl. The teen grit his teeth. No. He refused to allow her to be subjected to such violation any longer. Hadn’t they been through enough?!

Ricardo rushed the boy, gagging as he was struck in the chest with the handle of the sledgehammer the teen carried. He growled in the back of his throat as he swung once more. He hissed, wincing as the teen jabbed him with the blunt end of the wooden handle again in response, backing him up a step. He was unable to prevent the startled yelp that escaped his lips as he tripped over his discarded broom, loosing his footing.

When his adversary’s weapon slipped from his grip, Vincent wasted no time in his retaliation. He swung his sledgehammer, paying no heed to the choked cries coming from his downed foe. The teen closed his eyes as his body seemed to go numb. Heart hammering in his chest, he continued to swing his weapon repeatedly long after the cries and gurgling noises had stopped. Liquid splashed his face, sending the teen crashing back to reality. The sight that greeted his vision was one he wasn’t totally prepared for.

Ricardo lay on the ground, a large pool of darkening blood forming beneath him. His skull resembled such in name only. Bits of white speckled with red now formed a pool of mush at the teen’s feet.

Amber eyes widened as the brunette stumbled back, dropping his weapon. He bit back the bile rising in his throat as he forced down the wave of nausea that suddenly swept through him. His eyes darted. The room remained empty. Unable to think properly, he fled as quickly as his feet would carry him.

Only one thought seemed permanently etched into the teen’s mind as he sped down the hallway back to his cell: He was officially a monster.

****

Alice sighed as she tossed the last bag of trash into the incinerator. Hearing the whistle blow, she straightened her posture and gave a languid stretch. As strange as it may have been, all she really wanted at the moment was to go back to her cell and rest.

The blonde exited the room to find that the two guards in charge of overseeing her had vanished.

Odd… The teen smiled. Odd, but fortunate.

If the rest of the prison was as scarcely populated by guards, they may have a chance yet. Before she could dwell on the matter for too long, a loud siren began blaring from the intercom system affixed to the walls.

Alice clapped her hands over her ears as the sound seemed to echo down the halls, amplifying it to a near unbearable pitch. She needed to find her brother and Vincent before planning their next move. Their cell seemed the most logical destination to begin her search.

Decision made, the teen swiftly made her way down the hall toward the stairs that would lead to the main floor of cells.

Ascending the steps, the blonde was mildly surprised to find the main floor just as vacant as the basement. Of course, until she turned a corner.

Shouting could be heard as a handful of guards rushed down the hall, presumably responding to the siren from a few moments ago.

Alice didn’t draw attention to herself as she slipped down the hall to her cell. Upon reaching the doorway, the blonde halted in her tracks. It wasn’t the familiar brunette that occupied the cell with his back turned to her. No. It was the sight that met her eyes as he slowly turned around at the sound of her entrance.

Blood. It was everywhere. It decorated the front of his shirt as it soaked through the white fabric. His left cheek was smeared, and it even appeared to have gotten into his raven hair. His dark locks stuck together on the one side of his head.

Alice failed to hold in the ragged gasp that flew from her lips. God, even his shoes were covered! “V-Vincent?”

The brunette seemed to flinch at the sound of his name. Whether it was from his initial shock, or from the girl’s horrified reaction was unknown.

The blonde felt her heart drop to the pit of her stomach. His eyes lacked the usual warmth and light she’d grown accustomed to. It was then that she noticed the hole torn into his shirt, revealing a large gash. She was at his side in seconds. “Geez, Vincent, what on earth happened?!”

The boy seemed to come back to himself after a moment, though his expression remained ever somber.

Alice felt her heart squeeze painfully, her expression softening. At that moment, he looked not so very different from the haunted, little boy who’d saved her life over a decade ago.

His voice, when he did finally speak again, was hollow; raw. “H-He stabbed me.”

Sympathy furrowed the blonde’s brows as she gently placed a hand on his shoulder.

“It was that guy from yesterday,” the boy continued. “He-he started saying all these things, and then he attacked me. I…I had to…to…,” the rest of the teen’s words died off as a choked sob stole his voice once more. His shoulders shook as he fell into her arms, burying his face into her soft, golden hair.

Alice swallowed the lump forming in her throat. Her heart truly ached for the boy. She understood all too well. For not the first time, she found herself in disbelief as to the notion of him being the killer bio-weapon she’d been assured he was. No. This trembling youth clinging to her was nothing more than a frightened teenager…just like her. “You… You didn’t have a choice, then. You had to defend yourself,” she murmured soothingly, rubbing his back in slow, gentle circles.

The boy merely hiccupped in response.

Alice continued to hold him a while longer until his sobs and hiccups had ceased. Finally, she pulled back slightly to face him. “Listen to me, Vincent. It’s going to be okay. Let’s, uh, not talk about it too much right now, okay? You’re in shock.”

The brunette sniffed but offered no argument as he averted his eyes. He shuddered to think what the girl must think of him now. At the time, his reaction had seemed the only logical response. Had there been another course of action he could have taken that he’d overlooked?

“We need to get you cleaned up,” Alice continued, moving over to the bed. She plucked the pillowcase from the pillow and tossed it back onto the bed. “Here. We’ll use this for now.” Locating Kurt’s hidden water bottles in the far corner, she dampened the cloth before returning to him. “We’ll get Matthew to bring a change of clothes, and I’ll burn everything after lights out. I’ll be out of commission until the tranquilizer wears off, so promise me you and Kurt won’t kill each other?”

Vincent couldn’t help but smile at the girl’s attempt at lifting his spirits. Now, more than ever, he was convinced she had to be one of those beings she’d referred to once as angels in disguise.

He nodded.

The blonde giggled before setting to work.

Vincent couldn’t help the soft sigh he uttered, closing his eyes as she carefully wiped his face. His hair took considerably more care, but the girl finally succeeded in getting the raven locks unstuck from one another. “Thank you,” he murmured, his eyes regaining some of their former warmth as he gazed contentedly at the blonde. It was then that he noticed the streaks of red in her golden hair. He frowned. “Here.” Taking the damp pillowcase from her, he carefully applied a bit more water from the bottle at the girl’s feet.

Confusion morphed into realization in the girl’s eyes as the boy took to cleaning the blood from her hair. She blinked, doing her best to ignore the tingling that began to run down her spine.

“There,” he declared finally, brushing his fingers through the, now clean, strands. Tucking a stray lock behind her ear, he allowed his palm to linger against her warm cheek. The teen swallowed, resisting the urge to brush the pad of his thumb against her fair skin. “As lovely as ever.”

Try as she may, the teen was unable to resist the blush that bled into her cheeks. Her heart missed a beat at his warm gaze. She resisted the scowl of annoyance at herself. She really needed to get a grip. “Y-You, uh, should probably rest for now. In the morning, you can go to the infirmary and have that wound in your shoulder looked at.”

For the briefest of moments, a look akin to disappointment darkened the boy’s features before it was gone. “Right.”

Another awkward silence fell over the pair as the boy made his way over to the bed for yet another night of what he was sure would amount to fitful sleep.

****

“Were there any witnesses?”

Hugh shook his head at the youth. “I’m afraid not, 010, Sir. You see, Ricardo wasn’t exactly the model prisoner either. He did have a lot of enemies.”

The brunette gave a sigh of frustration as he pinched the bridge of his nose. Vladsco hadn’t even been gone a full day. Then again, it wasn’t as if it totally mattered. The filth was nothing more than yet another face in the sea of endless fodder. It wasn’t as if their lives held any true value. “Did you do a headcount, then?” he inquired of the block leader.

Hugh nodded. “Yes, of course. It would seem that he and Vincent failed to sign in at shower time this afternoon.”

A predatory smile erupted on the older teen’s face. “012, huh? Thank you, Hugh.” Turning to a pair of guards, he nodded. “See to it that he gets an extra portion tonight. Get Jack down here and have him round up a few of his best guys. Looks like we may just have ourselves a trial.”

The group of soldiers dispersed, leaving the young acting-warden and the prison medic alone with the deceased and what appeared to be his only mourner.

“012?” the young Latino inquired, his dark eyes narrowing. “As in your brother, 012?”

Cain nodded. “The very same, I’m afraid. Ah, well, at least you had some good times with your bro, huh? Always good to have that kind of…closure.”

Esteban said nothing as he glanced at the bloodied sheet that concealed his deceased brother’s body. Closure, huh? Oh, he’d have his closure. The little bastard would surely pay!

****

A loud banging noise drew the brunette from his slumber.

“Alright, ya bunch of pissants, rise and shine!”

Discontented grumbling could be heard as the loud banging continued against the metal bars of the cells.

“Alright, alright, quit your bellyaching!” another guard ordered when the complaints of the prisoners came to a dull roar. “Due to the murder yesterday, there’s gonna be an investigation. The acting-warden will be coming around to each of you before dismissal for work detail today.”

Vincent turned his attention to the girl sitting next to him on the bed. They exchanged glances, grateful that her plan had gone off without a hitch the prior night. At least with the clean uniforms, they weren’t blatantly obvious.

“Acting-warden? What do you make of that?” Kurt murmured, drawing the pair’s attention as he moved over to join them.

Alice shook her head. “Got me. I would assume it means that Vladsco is detained with other things.”

“Like planning an attack on a secret base?” Vincent quipped, sending a glare in the older boy’s direction.

Alice sighed, shaking her head. “Not helping.” Casting a somewhat sympathetic glance in her brother’s direction, she nodded. “But yes. That would seem most likely. No matter the case, though, it’s for the best that we don’t draw any unwanted attention. If Vladsco is occupied, this might be the best opportunity for us.”

The boys nodded in agreement.

Alice frowned, Cain’s words from an earlier conversation replaying in her mind.

I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but Vladsco’s an old man. Who do you think is set to take his place once he’s gone?

The teen chewed her bottom lip. If her hunch was correct, the sooner they were able to escape the better.

“Well, well, well. It would seem you’ve gotten yourself into quite a bit of trouble this time, little brother. And Daddy isn’t here to save you this time.”

All three teens turned their attention to the doorway of the cell at the arrival of their new visitor.

Cain grinned at the sour expressions he received in response to the greeting. “What? Surprised?” His smile only widened at the blonde’s glare. “I told you that it would be me calling the shots around here at the end of the day. Being a general’s son does have its perks, you know.”

Vincent’s eyes narrowed. It wasn’t the first time that the boy had implied the identity of his father. It’s not true. It can’t be.

The older brunette scoffed. “You still don’t believe me, do you?”

Vincent rolled his eyes. “Well, you know, since you’ve been so trustworthy…”

Cain feigned offense. “Hey, I’ve told you nothing but the truth regarding that.” Noting the younger boy’s, still skeptical, look, he continued. “Ah, but I can’t blame you for blocking it out of your memory. You were put through a lot more trials in the experiment than I was. Heh! Guess that’s why you were the one they deemed a success.”

Alice and Kurt exchanged an apprehensive glance.

Vincent’s brows furrowed. “What are you talking about?”

“I’m talking about the whole reason for your insignificant existence, little bro: Being part of an experiment.”

“You’re a liar!” Vincent spat. No words could even hope to begin to describe how tired he was of this boy’s repeated, and sometimes successful, attempts to rile him. That couldn’t be true. There had to be more purpose to his life.

“Oh?” Cain returned, crossing his arms. “Think about it, numb-nuts. Why do you think we have code numbers for names, then?”

Once again, Vincent rolled his eyes. “As odd as that is, it still doesn’t prove why I should believe anything that you say.”

Cain shrugged before gesturing to Alice. “Why don’t you ask blondie? She’s the star of the show, after all.”

It was a miracle that Vincent’s jaw didn’t drop to the floor as his head immediately swiveled in the girl’s direction. He barely felt the impact with the hard floor as he sank to his knees. The look on her face as she refused to directly meet his gaze said it more clearly than words ever could: It was true. “W-wh-why?”

Cain shrugged again. “Why else? For glory. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to go PRETEND that I don’t already know that my little brother is a bloodthirsty murderer.” With that, the teen took his leave, motioning for his guards to follow.

It was a wonder that Vincent hadn’t toppled over the next instant with as quickly as his mind had begun to race. Finally, his voice seemed to find him again as he sent an accusatory glare in the siblings’ direction “Y-you knew. Both of you knew, and you never told me?!”

Kurt shrugged. “Hey, I only knew about your lousy father.” Jabbing his thumb to his left, he gestured at his sister. “As for the whole experiment crap, you’ll have to talk to her. It’s news to me, though I’d say it explains a lot.”

Ignoring her brother, Alice sighed as the burning, amber orbs fell onto her. This had certainly not been the manner in which she’d planned on telling him. “Look, Vincent, it isn’t exactly as it appears-”

“It APPEARS that you deliberately kept information from me, Lieutenant,” the teen snapped.

Pale lips tightened as the girl frowned. “The timing wasn’t appropriate, Vincent.”

Amber orbs sharpened. “Don’t you mean, 012? You obviously don’t trust me, right?” the brunette retorted, turning his back on the pair. He couldn’t bare it. Weren’t they supposed to be working together? Why had she kept this from him? Hadn’t she trusted him?

The teen hung his head. Unfortunately, it would seem that Kurt was right. It did explain a lot.

Kurt scoffed. “Since when was she the keeper of your memory?”

Vincent’s eyes narrowed as he opened his mouth to retort. Alice, however, was faster.

“No one asked you for your snide remarks.” Closing her eyes, she sighed again. “Vincent, I didn’t tell you, because it didn’t have any impact on the situation at hand. Your family doesn’t dictate who you are. At the end of the day, you’re a prisoner…just like us.”

As soon as the next words left his lips, Vincent regretted them. “What would you know about what kind of person I am? You don’t know me.”

The girl flinched, though she could hardly blame the boy for being hurt. “But I do know you,” she murmured.

Kurt snorted. “For maybe two months at most.”

The blonde sent a glare in her brother’s direction before continuing. She slowly approached the distressed teen, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. “Vincent, despite what you may think now, I know you’re a good person. You have such a gentle heart. You’re trying so hard to do what you feel is right. I lo-er-ad-admire that about you.”

Alice flushed. Dear God, what was she saying?! Now most definitely wasn’t the time.

Kurt’s eyes narrowed, though he remained silent.

Vincent slowly turned to face the girl. “H-How do you…,” the teen trailed off.

“Because you saved my life,” the girl answered with a small smile.

The brunette pursed his lips. “I’m sorry. I-I don’t know what you mean.”

What was the girl talking about? All his attempts to assist her in escaping had failed. How could he have possibly been responsible for saving her life?

Alice shook her head. “You wouldn’t remember. You were only a little boy at the time.”

“What are you talking about, Alice?” Kurt finally spoke up, raised brows twitching in his mounting agitation.

The blonde sighed once more, making her way over to sit on the bed. “I’ve never told anyone this, but, when I was about six years old, I was kidnapped from my yard and brought here to Fort Brein. I didn’t recognize it at first, since it was so long ago, and I’m pretty sure I was in a different part of the prison.”

Kurt frowned. “Why didn’t you ever tell me?”

“Probably because I was only a child at the time, and I didn’t really understand what was happening. For a while, it was as if it was all some wild fever dream,” Alice replied, shaking her head. “It wasn’t until we got here, specifically my little chat with Vladsco, that I finally connected the dots. Of course, it would only make sense.”

Vincent, eyes wide in shock and wonderment, finally found his voice again. “W-Why?”

Alice shrugged. “Because he’s the one who kidnapped me. I knew it the first time I ever heard him speak. Can’t ever forget that voice.”

Kurt’s dark eyebrows furrowed as he leaned back against the wall, folding his arms. “So, is that how you got the virus, then?” he questioned, obviously beginning to put the pieces together.

The blonde nodded. “Afraid so.”

“Well, if you’ve been here before, then how did you escape?” Kurt prodded.

Alice offered a small smile in Vincent’s direction as he slowly approached. “That would be where Vincent, here, came in. Of course, I never knew his name back then.”

Vincent felt his heart hammer in his chest. She knew him? Why hadn’t she stated so earlier? Is that why she’d saved him?

As if reading the boy’s thoughts, the blonde continued. “I didn’t recognize him, since he’s grown so much.” She looked away. “Well, that and I hit my head pretty hard shortly after he got me out, so some of the details are still a little fuzzy.”

To say Vincent was somewhat elated would be an understatement. They had met before? Not only that, but he was directly responsible for her escape from this godforsaken place? If he’d done it once, he could surely do it again! Of course, in order to do that, he would have to remember. He would be lying if he were to say that he couldn’t feel the headache already beginning to form.

“So you mean to tell me that you expect me to believe that, not only had you two met before out of some ironic twist of convenience, but he manages to get amnesia and miraculously find his way to you again?” Kurt drawled with a roll of his eyes. Honestly! Surely the girl realized how farfetched of a claim her tale was.

Alice scowled. “Oh, no, Kurt. I wouldn’t dream of asking you to believe in anything, given your track record.”

The brunette pursed his lips.

****

Shan Kobayashi whistled a nameless tune as he swung his cleaver. He had seemed to have lucked out today with being assigned to the kitchen. It was fairly easy work, and he would definitely take cooking over smashing rocks any day.

The door to the kitchen suddenly burst open, bringing a sour frown to the young man’s lips. The sour expression only seemed to grow as he turned around to see his Latino visitor enter the room.

“What are you doing here, Esteban? I thought they gave you the day?”

The brunette in question frowned, his eyes remaining a steely mask. “I want revenge on the sorry sack of shit that killed my brother.”

Shan paused, his dark eyes narrowing as he turned. “I don’t see what that has to do with me. You know, maybe, if your brother had listened to me, he might still be alive. He was so busy with his dick-measuring contest that he got his dumbass killed.”

Esteban’s fist clenched, jaw quivering. “He was my brother.”

“Yeah, and?” Shan returned, quirking a brow. “Look, you don’t even know for sure who did it.”

“I do so, dickhead!” Esteban angrily spat. “He’s the only one besides my brother that never signed in for shower time!”

Shan, seemingly unperturbed by the younger man’s outburst, folded his arms. “I still fail to see where this involves me.”

“He’s wrecking our business, now he’s killed my brother. He’s become too much of a thorn in the side to leave him be. What are you going to do about it?”

Shan shrugged. “Well, I ain’t the one promising goods I don’t have. That’s your problem. You never sell when you can’t guarantee a supply.”

The Latino’s dark eyes narrowed. So that’s the game he chose to play, huh? “Oh? Well, how about I make it your problem, then? You see, me and Ricardo were only the middlemen. Don’t you think the higher-ups would like to know the mastermind behind our little organization? I want 012 dead.”

A black eyebrow ticked upward. 012? Recovering from his momentary surprise, Shan quirked a grin. “You wouldn’t be threatening me?”

Feeling quite confident that he had the upper hand in the situation, Esteban folded his arms. “I’m only saying that I believe that they’d be awful interested to know just who’s responsible for starting the black market around here.”

Shan’s thin lips tightened, his grip tightening on the cleaver he still held. What a delicious opportunity the fool had presented him with. “You know, you and you brother always had the same problem: Neither one of you ever could figure out when to keep your mouths shut.”

Esteban blinked in confusion, eyebrows furrowing. He opened his mouth, only to snap it closed a moment later as he felt cold steel against the tender flesh of his throat. His eyes widened as Shan now stood behind him, arm wrapped securely around his shoulders as he pressed the cleaver to his would-be victim’s throat. “Wh-wh-,” he rasped in shock, the gravity of his miscalculation rapidly setting in.

“You made a grave mistake overplaying your hand,” Shan snarled in his ear. A sadistic smile played across his lips as his victim struggled within his grip. “By the way, dipshit, the higher ups aren’t even here.” He paused. “Now, you do me a favor and tell that bastard brother of yours I said hi.”

With that, Shan gave a quick twist of his wrist, bringing his blade across the thin skin of the Latino’s throat. He paid little mind to the gurgling as the inmate fell to the floor, blood streaming from the fresh slice in his neck.

Using the leg of his pants to wipe the fresh blood from his weapon, Shan smiled as his eyes then fell upon the freezer. One more for the pot.

The inmate felt nothing as he dragged the lifeless body across the floor, leaving a morbid, crimson trail along the way.

He smiled. After all, weren’t they all just meat at the end of the day?

“I wasn’t pulling your leg either,” Shan murmured as he opened the door to the freezer to reveal that a new body had already taken the place of the previous one. One that he was sure would send the Latino into a rage if he were still alive and conscious. “I really meant what I said when I told you to say hi for me.”

Chucking the body in to join that of his brother’s, Shan shut the door with a sigh. Now to deal with the one responsible for ruining his life.

****

Alice paused in her sweeping duties to observe the shirtless brunette a few yards away as he continued his task of nailing two-by-fours together to construct a doorway.

The blonde frowned. He’d been somewhat distant with her since morning. Her frown deepened. She hadn’t meant to hurt him. Pinching the bridge of her nose, the irony almost made her laugh. After all, her reasoning behind not telling him earlier was to avoid this precise conflict.

Sighing, the girl shook her head. Perhaps it was for the best. After all, she was beginning to grow somewhat uncomfortable with all the feelings he was awakening within her. These weren’t new feelings. She’d traversed this road before…and paid dearly for it. Of course, a part of her knew the comparison was unfair.

The teen was brought out of her thoughts as the shrill whistle sounded, signaling the end of the workday.

The room gradually began to empty out as prisoners made their way to the shower area, chattering quietly amongst themselves.

Alice couldn’t help the small smile that graced her lips, catching sight of the amber eyes that drifted in her direction as Vincent stopped near the doorway to wait for her. Perhaps all wasn’t lost, after all.

Upon reaching the shower area, the blonde hurried over to one of the spaces on the far-back wall. Turning on the faucet, she gave a contented sigh as she felt the hot water pour down her back, seemingly in an attempt to wash away the stress of the day. Given their situation, the girl was happy to accept any reprieve she could get.

Vincent couldn’t help but smile. At least she was safe. He allowed his eyes to drift down to her legs. The bruising was beginning to fade, which was more than he could say for the punctures in her neck. She still looked as though she’d been attacked by some rogue vampire. He frowned as he turned on his own water faucet. Perhaps he’d been too harsh with her. After all, she’d done what she had out of care. Maybe even…more.

The teen closed his eyes. Was he wrong for hoping for more? A sigh left his lips. Maybe he was. Even taking into account the past that they allegedly shared, he was still only her cadet. He pinched the bridge of his nose and swallowed the snort of frustration that bubbled up in his throat. Truthfully, he was at a loss as to how to feel anymore.

The rest of shower time passed by without incident, not much beyond idle chatter between the inmates. Perhaps most of them were simply worn down from the daily manual labor.

Alice failed to suppress a small yawn as the relaxing time came to an end, and inmates began making their way out of the room. She glanced to her right out of the corner of her eye, suddenly self-conscious of the warm, amber gaze aimed in her direction. At least he wasn’t ignoring her. She glanced down to her feet, her pale toes curling in frustration.

Speak, for crying out loud!

The blonde opened and closed her mouth several times in an attempt, only to sigh when words ceased to come.

“Shall we, then?” the brunette’s gentle voice urged when she failed to move.

Alice quickly nodded, leading the way toward the door. She’d made it around three steps from the doorway before pausing, turning to face the boy. “Hey, Vincent?”

Amber eyes immediately locked onto hers. “Yes?”

The teen froze, heart skipping a beat in her rapture. Those eyes… The blonde opened her mouth to reply, only to whirl around a moment later at the sound of the door behind her opening.

Sapphire eyes narrowed in scrutiny. She recognized the young man in the doorway. Wasn’t he the one Hugh had pointed out as Shan?

The brunette only regarded the girl for a moment before setting his sights on the amber-eyed boy behind her. He snorted, shaking his head seemingly in disgust. “Well, if it isn’t 012. The prodigal son finally returns. I almost didn’t recognize you not covered in blood.”

Both Alice and Vincent regarded their sudden host warily, the fact that they had been separated from the rest of the group not being lost on them.

Vincent’s eyes narrowed. He didn’t like it. Alice was directly between the two of them. If this exchange went sour, which he suspected it already was, she could end up getting hurt. It appeared as though the same thought had occurred to her as well as she glanced between them.

“You’re mistaken,” Alice shot finally, her gaze hard as she folded her arms. “He goes by Vincent.”

Shan snorted again, taking another step toward the pair. “I don’t give a shit what he ‘goes by’.”

Vincent stepped forward, gently placing a hand on the girl’s shoulder before nudging her behind him. “What exactly is it that you’re wanting from me?”

Shan’s eyes momentarily widened. He smiled as he strode forward, coming to a stop just a few steps away from the pair. He paused, his grin only growing. “So it does speak, after all?”

Alice’s eyes darted to the doorway. Where were the guards?

As if sensing the girl’s thoughts, Vincent took another step forward, placing himself fully between her and their new adversary. “You didn’t answer me. What do you want?”

“For an experiment, you sure do ask a lot of questions.”

Alice and Vincent exchanged a quick glance. How did he know about the experiment? Wasn’t that kept secret?

“How do you know about the experiment?” Vincent demanded.

Shan rolled his eyes. “You know, you’d think that you would at least remember the ones whose lives you ruined.”

Vincent’s brows furrowed. “What are you talking about?”

The inmate shook his head, reaching into the pocket of his union suit. “Haven’t figured it out? I’m 011, dickhead. You know, I used to be the pride of Project Genesis…until you came along. Suddenly, I wasn’t so important anymore.”

Alice’s eyes widened, catching sight of the cleaver he retrieved from his suit. The silver blade, speckled red, seemed to glint in the light. This was bad. Disastrous even. If he was part of the Genesis Project too, there was no telling what he was capable of. If they failed to overpower him in time… Once again, her eyes darted to the doorway. Where the hell were the guards?!

As if reading her thoughts, Shan chuckled. “The guards aren’t coming. Kinda hard to move around with your throat slit,” he quipped, bringing the blade up to slice the air in front of his neck.

Sapphire eyes hardened as Alice glanced down to her ankle out of the corner of her eye. She would have to risk it. They bore no weapons, otherwise. Vincent was also still unable to utilize his own powers.

Before either of the teens had a chance to react, Shan charged for his foe.

Vincent sucked in a gasp as his arms shot out in front of him on instinct, struggling with his attacker’s added weight. He yelped as Shan gave a particularly hard shove, wrenching his wrist free from the teen’s grasp. Amber eyes widened as Vincent quickly jerked his head back, the tip of the weapon’s blade missing his throat by mere inches as it caught the edge of his jaw instead.

The brunette cried out as blood streamed down his neck, staining it scarlet.

“Vincent, get down!”

At the blonde’s shout, Vincent hit the floor, holding onto Shan’s ankles to keep him still, as a ball of fire sped by.

Shan howled in agony as the flame hit its intended target. His hand gripping the knife shook as he struggled to maintain his hold. Shaking off the blaze and ignoring the pain of what had to be a second-degree burn, he delivered a hard kick to Vincent’s shoulder with a heavy boot.

The teen yelped again, releasing his grip as he rolled away.

Satisfied that the boy was sufficiently incapacitated, Shan turned all his attention to the blonde. She dodged his first blow, causing him to roar in anger as he kicked his leg out, sending her tumbling through the doorway and into a wall of lockers.

Alice hissed at the pain as her head struck the metal doors, the towel covering her loosening around her chest. Regaining her bearings, the blonde reached for the handle of one of the lockers. As her attacker bore down on her, she swung the door open, catching him in the nose.

Shan let out a pitiful howl of pain as he backed up a step, cupping his free hand over his, now bleeding, nose.

Vincent struggled to his feet, holding his injured shoulder. The teen ground his teeth. He knew it was dislocated. His eyes quickly scanned the room, disappointed to find nothing resembling any sort of weapon. A dark smile graced his features as he caught sight of a stack of towels near the doorway.

The momentary respite was all Alice needed to get back to her feet.

Shan recovered somewhat. Giving a feral growl more akin to the likes of a wild beast, he rushed the girl again.

Thinking quickly, Alice removed the loosened towel from around herself as her adversary thrust his knife forward.

Shan’s eyes widened as the girl caught the cleaver within the towel now wrapped around her hands.

Vincent wasted no time in taking advantage of his opportunity. Grabbing one of the towels from the pile, he launched himself onto Shan’s back. Quickly wrapping the towel around his foe’s head to blind him, the teen used his weight to bring him to the floor.

Shan gave a growl of obvious frustration as he moved to rip the towel from his head.

Knife in hand, Alice made for the door that led out into the hallway with Vincent hot on her heels. The pair had nearly made it when they froze in their tracks. A loud hissing could be heard as the room began to fill with thick steam.

The blonde’s eyes widened. A water user…

“Hey, what’s going on in here?” a voice inquired from the doorway as an inmate with shaggy, brown hair stumbled upon the scene, momentarily distracting the teens.

As the steam grew thicker, the three strained to see. Finally, the outline of a man stared back through the foggy mist.

“The hell?”

Paying little mind to their new companion’s murmured obscenity, Alice grasped the man’s suit and shoved him forward. He yelped as he collided with the water user.

Shan growled, shoving the man off himself and into the nearby wall.

The poor, foolish inmate yelped as he struck his head.

It was then that the group seemed to take notice of the blaring siren echoing through the halls outside.

“It’s over! You know they’re coming for you!” Alice shouted through the mist above the din, only to yelp a moment later as a shard of ice sped by her head.

Vincent, however, was not lucky enough to dodge. A pained scream was torn from his lips as a large ice shard impaled his already injured shoulder. He ground his teeth, squeezing his eyes shut as he dropped to his knees. He began to shiver, his eyes opening wide as he realized the chill was now moving to his lungs. He desperately grabbed at the shard embedded in his shoulder.

Alice’s eyes narrowed as she focused her vision. She drew in a deep breath as she felt heat travel up her spine and into her hand. With a cry, she thrust her arm out and unleashed the fireball she’d conjured toward Shan’s feet.

Shan howled as he backed up a step, losing his balance as he tripped over the unconscious body of the brunette inmate. Hitting his head against the wall, he let out a final grumble as he felt the tranquilizer begin to kick in, his consciousness fading.

Taking a moment to catch her breath, Alice wrapped herself back up in her towel before turning her attention to her fallen companion. Rushing to his side, she dropped to her knees next to him. “Are you alright, Vincent? Can you stand?”

The brunette drew in a shuddering breath as the girl gingerly brushed his shoulder. At least he could properly breath again. A sharp hiss left his lips as she grasped the shard of ice barely sticking out of his skin. A moment later, he gasped as an intense heat enveloped his senses. He closed his eyes. Under normal circumstances, he supposed he may have melted from the sheer euphoria.

“Hang in there, okay? I’ll be right back with another towel.” The girl whispered, gently ruffling his disheveled hair.

Vincent nodded.

Alice returned a moment later with a clean towel she’d collected from the pile near the door. Using the corner of the cloth, she carefully wiped the blood from the boy’s neck before winding it around his shoulder.

Vincent winced as she pulled it tight before tying it off. “Ugh…”

“Sorry, but it has to be tight. You’re losing an awful lot of blood,” the blonde apologized, brushing a hand through his hair once more before pulling him over to lean against a wall.

The boy almost laughed. Perhaps that’s why he was so lightheaded? And here he’d considered that it was the girl’s heated touch that brought the shivers down his spine. Finally opening his eyes, he fixed the girl with a warm gaze. “Thank you,” he murmured, “For everything. I-I’m so sor-”

The girl shook her head, pressing a slender finger to lips to silence him. “Shh. You shouldn’t talk so much right now.”

Vincent gently reached up to clasp a pale hand within his own. There was so much he wanted to say to her. Before he could voice any sort of response, guards quickly filled the room, no doubt responding to the calamity. A sigh left the teen’s lips as he noticed Jack among them. A friendly face… He leaned his head back against the wall as his eyes closed once more. The girl would at least be safe now. Unable to hold on any longer, he allowed the blackness to engulf him.

****

Alice chewed her bottom lip as she continued to pace within her cell. So far, no word had been sent from the infirmary on Vincent’s condition. Having nothing more than a bump on the head, she had been taken back to her cell instead of being allowed to remain with him. That had to have been nearly five hours ago. So far, the only thing she did know for sure was that two guards were dead, as well as four inmates that had tried to escape during the commotion. A trial was set to be held the following week.

The girl’s brows furrowed. With the connections Shan had built with some of the higher-ranking guards, she wasn’t so sure anything would come of it. Of course, there was also the fact that, despite her protests, Shan and Vincent had been taken to the medical wing together. What if Shan woke up BEFORE Vincent?

Alice felt her heart sink to her stomach. There was no doubt about it: Vincent was in danger.

“For crying out loud, Alice, stop pacing! You’re making me dizzy just watching you,” Kurt barked, finally snapping the girl out of her thoughts.

“I don’t like it, Kurt. Shan will be waking up soon.”

“And I’m sure they’re monitoring them,” Kurt returned, making his way over to place a comforting hand on his sister’s shoulder. “Look, they know Shan’s dangerous now, right? He killed two guards and attacked you guys. Connections or not, they aren’t just gonna let that slide.”

Alice shook her head. “They already pushed back the trial for a week. With Cain being the judge, you’ll have to forgive me for being skeptical.”

Kurt frowned. The girl had a point. It was no secret by now that Cain hated Vincent. Would he sway the trial just to get rid of him? “So what are you planning to do?”

The blonde shook her head again. “Better off if you don’t know. Just go to sleep for now. I’ll keep watch.”

Kurt pursed his lips. “Alice, you can’t afford more trouble. If you’re planning something reckless-”

“Go to sleep, Kurt,” Alice urged. Unbeknownst to the boy, her mind was already made up. She had no choice. Eliminating the threat was her only option.

Biting his lip, Kurt did as he was bid and made his way over to the bed. It was against his better judgment, but he would trust his sister. After all, of all their officers, Alice had one of the highest rates of bringing her men home alive. “Just…please don’t do anything reckless, okay?”

****

A pained groan left the brunette’s lips as amber eyes fluttered open. Dark. Everything was bathed in the low light from a lamp on a desk in the corner of the room. Desk? Glancing to his left, his dark eyebrows furrowed at the lack of prison cells. Where am I?

Attempting to sit up, Vincent bit back the howl of agony. “A-Ah!” Gritting his teeth, he glanced down to see both of his shoulders carefully wound up in medical tape. Right. I must have passed out.

Glancing to his right only confirmed his suspicions as he caught sight of the slumbering individual in the bed across from him.

Vincent’s brows furrowed. Why was HE here?

“Ah, welcome back,” a voice uttered softly, drawing the teen’s attention toward the door.

Vincent managed a faint smile. The doctor was at least a friendly face. “Hello, Harold. How long have I been out?”

The physician sighed, shaking his head. “Quite some time, I’m afraid.” He gestured to the other bed. “That brute sure did a number on ya.”

A sour frown darkened the boy’s features. “Yeah, well, why’s he in here?”

Harold shook his head, folding his large arms. “Because I’m a doctor, and I’m sworn to aid ALL those who need me, good or bad.” He quirked a grin. “Or maybe it’s cause they didn’t give me a choice.”

The teen failed to find any such amusement in the prison doctor’s words. He pursed his lips. “Well, fine, then. I’ll be going back to my cell,” he said as he started to get up.

Harold’s eyes widened before he placed his palm upon the boy’s chest. He pushed down on him, preventing his ascent. “You’ll do no such thing! You’re too injured to be moving about.”

Vincent rolled his eyes. “I believe I’ll take my chances. Forgive me for not feeling comfortable enough to sleep across from the guy that tried to kill me.”

The physician waved a hand in a passive gesture, attempting to calm the boy. “Look, he’s chained to that bed, alright? He can’t hurt you anymore. The tranquilizer in his tracker has also been refilled. He’s no longer a threat.”

Vincent bit back the retort that desperately wished to leave his lips. Something along the lines of how a by-stander such as him couldn’t possibly understand. However, the teen thought better of it, deciding to merely huff his irritation instead.

Harold sighed, shaking his head again. “Well, I gotta do a supply run. I’ll be back to check on ya in no time. I’ll bring you some painkillers.”

Vincent said nothing as he watched him go, his eyes solely trained on the individual now sitting up in the bed across from him.

****

Alice was silent as she crept down the hall, the sound of her shallow breathing almost deafening to her hypersensitive ears. Thankfully, Matthew had come through for her. She wasn’t certain just how the child had managed to steal the key to her cell, but she supposed it was better left a mystery for the time being. At the moment, the sole task at hand was to eliminate the immediate threat to Vincent’s life.

Though she would prefer they made their escape tonight, the blonde knew that there was no way Vincent would be in any condition to make it very far. At least she now had a decent idea of the layout of the land. If she had been brought here as a child, that would mean Segan lied directly due north. Sardona would then be northwest. From there, it would then be around another forty miles north to the port-town of Fayette.

The teen pulled at the dark hood that Matthew had given her as she slipped down the hall, dancing through the rising shadows as they crept across the cold floor.

A faint whistling drew the teen’s attention as she rounded the next corner. Pressing herself against the wall, she peered around.

Shit…

Harold whistled a nameless tune as he rummaged through the medicine closet for the supplies needed to treat his two patients. Removing a large, glass jar that was sitting precariously close to the edge of the shelf, he set it on the floor next to his feet before going back to his task at hand.

Alice bit her lip as she cautiously approached her new target. Nothing personal, she mused, retrieving the discarded jar. Lifting it as high as she could, she brought it down on her unsuspecting victim’s head.

Harold let out a faint gasp as he fell to the ground.

Alice let out the breath she’d been holding as she set the unbroken jar back down next to the doctor before continuing on her way.

****

“So, you want the good news or the bad news?” Shan spoke, his voice an eerie rasp as he glared at the teen across from him. When the boy failed to answer, he continued anyway. “I’m just screwing with you. It’s all bad news for you.” He smiled wickedly, a flash of white against the low light. “First, I’m gonna freeze these chains and break them like crackers, then, I’m gonna finish what we started.” He paused, raising his bandaged arm. “After that, I’m gonna find the girl. I definitely owe her.”

Vincent felt his blood boil as his eyes narrowed. This guy apparently didn’t know when to quit. Before he could voice anything resembling a retort, the sound of the door opening drew the pair’s attention.

For a moment, neither of the water users said anything as a figure dressed in a dark hood appeared in the doorway.

Vincent swallowed. Perhaps it was the fatigue, but the teen couldn’t help but shiver as the specter moved across the room. He blinked. Was he dreaming?

The figure stopped as it passed by the desk, retrieving a surgical blade that had apparently been left behind. Weapon in hand, the figure then continued to their destination.

Shan’s brows furrowed as the figure stopped at his right side. “Who the fu-”

The rest of the inmate’s words died off into a gurgling rasp as the figure suddenly gave a flick of its small wrist, bringing the blade across his throat. Flesh split like it were wet paper. Blood poured from the open wound and streamed down the prisoner’s shoulders. His eyes remained open in a ghastly stare as life left him.

“You talk too much,” the figure murmured, lowering the hood.

Vincent gasped at what he saw. A brilliant flash of dazzling gold met his vision. “A-Alice?”

“You look pale, Vincent. You should really go back to sleep,” the blonde spoke as she made her way back over to the desk. Carefully cleaning the blade, she placed it back where she’d found it before turning back to the boy. “No, you’re not dreaming,” she murmured. “Although, it would probably be best if you were.”

Vincent gaped at the girl as if she’d suddenly grown a second head. What on earth?!

Sighing at his horrified expression, the girl shook her head. “Vincent, you need to understand this now: I’m no angel. I’ve had to do things that I’m not proud of.” Pausing, she gestured to Shan’s lifeless body. “That, for example. You once asked me why I was on The Order’s Most Wanted list. Let’s just say that several of their top officers and I had the same disagreement that loudmouth over there had: They wanted to live…I disagreed.”

Vincent opened and closed his mouth several times in an attempt to formulate anything resembling a coherent statement. However, his fatigue, blood loss, and shock all made the task an impossibility.

Alice looked away. She had obviously shocked the poor boy enough for one night, and she was running out of time. “You really should get some sleep, Vincent. You need rest to recover from those wounds. Also…I was never here.”

The boy snapped his mouth shut at the penetrating look she gave him before making her way to the door.

“And Vincent,” The blonde added as she paused at the doorway, pulling her hood back up. “I meant what I said before. You really are a good person. You may not remember your past but treat that as a blessing. You’re free now to make your own way forward.”

Vincent froze. If he’d thought he was at a loss for words before, it was nothing compared to now. The girl’s bright, sapphire eyes lingered on him for a moment more before she was gone, disappearing back into the darkness. The boy was left to contemplate if what he’d seen was reality, or nothing more than some twisted fever dream.

****

Alice drank down her water bottle in silence as she watched her two companions finish their bowls of stew. She had elected to forgo her dinner that night. Since her earlier incident that had landed her in the infirmary, she hadn’t been able to bring herself to trust that particular dish again. Matthew would likely be bringing some form of alternative from the kitchen later in the night anyway.

The blonde’s eyes lingered on the amber-eyed boy that had situated himself in the corner. After four days in the infirmary, he still seemed to be in so much pain. Since his release earlier that afternoon, he’d also been fairly quiet. Then again, she supposed he was still in the process of taking everything in.

The investigation into Shan’s death was loose at best. It hadn’t taken much to clear Vincent of the affair. After all, he’d been chained to the bed across the room from the victim.

Kurt hadn’t said much on the matter at all, instead preferring to change the subject altogether. Alice couldn’t blame him. After all, murder was a difficult subject to traverse.

“I, uh, think I’m gonna turn in, if that’s alright.”

Alice nodded to her brother in acknowledgment. “Sleep well,” she murmured, receiving a hum from the brunette in response.

Vincent failed to respond, remaining silent as his eyes continued to bore into his bowl as if he were attempting to melt it with some unseen force he’d discovered.

Once her brother had settled himself in his usual corner of the cell, the blonde sighed as she moved over to sit down on the bed. For a moment, she simply observed the amber-eyed teen. Biting her lip, the girl grabbed the blanket from the bed before slowly making her way over to the boy.

Vincent finally looked up at the blonde’s approach, feeling his heart skip a beat in spite of himself. The low light filtering in through the high window cast the girl in an almost other worldly glow. He swallowed, feeling his breath catch as she met his gaze. Such a deep, brilliant blue. The teen was convinced that, even if he were to glance through a hundred shades of blue found on the planet, he would fail to find one that shone quite as brightly. His cheeks warmed as he cleared his throat. “E-evening, Lieutenant.”

The edges of the blonde’s mouth twitched downward. For some reason unbeknownst to her, the utterance of formality struck her heart. “Alice,” she murmured, tucking a strand of her golden hair behind her ear.

Vincent felt his blush deepen as the girl huffed out a breath before lowering herself to the floor beside him. Being mindful of his injuries, she wrapped the blanket she held around them both.

“You aren’t sleeping on this cold, hard floor alone.”

Though Vincent wanted to protest her leaving the only bed just to join him, he couldn’t bring himself to utter a single word as the girl’s warmth seemed to wrap around him much like the blanket she had bundled them up in.

For a moment, words were unnecessary. The pair seemed content to simply enjoy one another’s silent company and nearness. Shy glimpses turned into lingering stares as sapphire and amber regarded one another. After a few accidental brushes, the couple’s hands found one another beneath the blanket.

Once again, Alice felt the familiar heat creep up her spine. Biting her lip, she looked away. She had to be out of her mind. She couldn’t possibly be… Her heart thumped wildly in her chest.

Vincent felt his hand tremble as he timidly intertwined their fingers. “I, uh, I believe I owe you an apology.”

Alice shook her head. “No. I had no business overwhelming you like that.”

Vincent looked away for a moment. “No. You didn’t have a choice.” He sighed. “Maybe, if I could actually use my powers…”

“You can’t help that, Vincent,” Alice returned, giving the boy’s hand a small, comforting squeeze.

Vincent swallowed, steeling his resolve as he chose his next words carefully. “W-well, at the very least, I owe you a debt of gratitude.”

Alice felt her cheeks burn hot as he leaned toward her then, his warm breath teasing her cheek. She wasn’t certain just what compelled her to tilt her head when she did, but she couldn’t deny the warm tingle that overtook her senses as their lips met instead.

Whatever Vincent had imagined when he’d initiated the contact, it certainly wasn’t the warm electricity that ricocheted down his spine. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he wondered if the girl had managed to master that element as well. His stomach flipped, causing the teen to tremble as his free hand went up to gently weave through her silken hair. The faintest whisper of a moan left his lips.

Alice shuddered as she sucked in a gasp, her heart racing in her chest. What on earth was she doing?! Seeming to come back to herself, the girl slowly drew away. She flushed, giving a shy smile at the boy’s raptured stare.

Vincent blinked, feeling lightheaded as he opened and closed his mouth several times in a futile attempt to speak. When no words would come, he swallowed the shy giggle that bubbled up in his throat. Once again, he found himself gazing in awe at the blinding beauty in front of him. One thing was now abundantly clear: Angel or no angel, he was falling desperately in love with her.