Pitri raised an eyebrow. "The Hopes of Humanity?"

"The Hopes of Humanity." I breathed in awe.

I wanted to be that, one of the Hope's of Humanity. I was meant to be here. I just knew it, if this was a place that humans looked to for hope then they could find me here and know what I was. It was my starting point, the place that would go down in history as where humanity's savior appeared. 

The confident lieutenant waved his hand for us to hurry up. I hummed, skipping forward and pulling Pitri along with me. Pitri hobbled awkwardly behind me, almost tipping over. The general looked down on us despite his height shorter than Pitri, not that it was hard for most humans to tower over me. I stopped in front of him, saluting like I had seen the guards do around the lab. He strode forward, leering down. He grabbed my hand squeezing it and smashing the bones together.

"Wrong hand." He shoved it down.

"That was a bit extreme." Pitri muttered, his eyes darting to my hand I was rubbing and flexing. "You good?"

My fingers rolled into a fist. "Always."

The doors shuddered to a shut behind us. People paused to gape at us, the strangers. Eyes suspicious, accusing, wary, and some even curious. Humans, real humans again. Despite the rather cold welcome, I bounced on the tips of my toes trying to take in everything. I danced about, pointing at things to Pitri and tugging him in a tiny circle with excitement. The houses were small, no more than two floors and many just flats. The buildings were a mixture of wood and brick with a couple cement buildings prominent on the outer circle. These were obviously important and from before the Others. One had a pole tall and true, a tattered flag waving on it. A simple navy blue with a gold border it was something created in haste to mark that the humans still owned something.

There was a medical building, an armory, and one labeled a school. It was amazing. I giggled running forward to introduce myself to some children when a shot ricocheted off the ground in front of me. Startled, I halted, hand instinctively reaching for my sword.

"Just because we let you in, doesn't mean you can have free reign. We have rules here. New people need to learn them quick, otherwise," His eyes traveled to the wall and over. "Well, you get the idea."

"Hold on, what happened to the Hope of Humanity spiel? You seriously going to throw us out because we don't follow some rules?" Pitri countered stepping forward, a strong purposefully move to guard my back if need be. 

The soldiers around us shifted, all hands tense near their weapons. Eyes on the hand hovering above mine. I hissed, canines poking at my lower gums where they had grown out in frusteration. I drew a breathe through my nose, trying to relax. I was their Alice, their savior. I wanted...needed them to like me. If I went and showed them my canines, my Otherness...they could...they could...

Monster

Demon

Unnatural

My lip quivered as the strength drained out of me. Those words, those angry words. I was unwanted. It still cut fresh. I couldn't lose humans again. I couldn't be no one's because without them, I was not Alice. It was not my name to claim without them.

Pitri hand's rested gently on my shoulder, drawing my attention. The soldiers were watching, wary though I had lowered my guard. Parents were clinging and shielding their family, from me.

"What are the rules?" I whispered.

"Good girl." He smiled, holstering. He turned on his heel, expecting us to follow.

We trailed behind the lieutenant. The soldiers falling in line around us, protecting them from us. I sighed, dejected by their presence. Lieutenant Aho headed straight to one of the cement buildings, people waving and acknowledging him to whole way. Why was he their hero? It wasn't fair. I could do that. I would do it so much better in fact. My spine straightened as I tried to mimic his stride and posture, the one that commanded attention. Pitri raised an eyebrow, but didn't say anything. The door was held open, guards at attention for their leader.

The bright lights made me squint. The cement made everything echo and sent each slap of feet loudly rebounding. It reminded me a lot of the lab. Most certainly smelled like the lab. We were lead into a room with a mirror, a sniff revealed the humans watching from the other side. Three chairs surrounded a small rectangular table. I wondered if this really worked to intimidate humans. I sat down, criss-crossing my legs on the seat so they wouldn't dangle. Pitri pulled out the one next to me, lowering himself down with darting nervous eyes. The lieutenant paced in front of us.

"Before we get to the rules, there are some questions that need answering."

"Like what?" I rested my face in my palms, trying to get comfortable.

"For starters, who are you?"

"My name's Pitri, and this is Alice. Like I said, we are travelers heading East."

"Why East?"

"I heard there are people regrouping, those that are living in peace with the Others there."

The lieutenant paused his movement, a predator lurking. "You shouldn't believe everything you hear boy. The Others have no wish to live with us in peace."

I nodded leaning forward. He was right of course. The Others were nothing but killers, humans' enemies, my enemies.

Pitri frowned. "How would you know? Have you ever been out there?"

"I don't have to. I've seen what the Others do." He turned on me. "What about you? You don't seem exactly in agreement with your companion."

My eyes traveled to Pitri, but he was busy glaring at the lieutenant's head like he could make it explode.

"I...I don't know. I'm trying to find my place, a place where I'm wanted."

He bore into me, staring into my squirming soul. A blink broke the moment.

"You shall both be allowed to stay." He knocked on the door, and a lock could be heard coming undone. "Travelers are not allowed to stay for more than one week. We don't have the resources. If at the end of your time you wish to stay indefinitely, we shall talk again. While you stay with us, you are expected to contribute to the community with chores and the like."

He walked out, projecting so we could still here his lecture. I jumped up after him, Pitri advancing less enthusiastically.

"The compound is divided into three classes: the military, the working, and the caretakers. The workers and caretakers rotate on a monthly basis. Each person has two areas of expertise. One in caretaking and one in working, for example teaching and blacksmithing. The military members are exempt from rotations and stick with their positions indefinitely, only advancing with the ranks of the military. The military is a prestigious and hard-earned honor. We protect the compound and the people in it. We take our job very seriously."

We walked out the building and through rows of more, deeper into the area. The material of the houses becoming less...just less, cement to bricks to wood to rotting to finally tents. We came to a halt in front of a particularly shabby one. It reeked and had many patches, held aloft by some sticks instead of poles. I frowned...this was not how I expected to be greeted.

"Please tell me this is a joke."

"Your contributions determine your standing and your standing determines your quality of life here. We have no need nor resources for things or people that are useless. Earn your keep, and maybe you'll be lucky enough to get some food before you leave." He strode off, leaving me gaping.

"They aren't going to feed us?" I grabbed at my aching stomach.

"Now I see why host is in hostile." Pitri leaned down to open the tent, not even half my height. "Come on let's take a look at our little abode."

Crawling in, I examined our tent. It was small and moldy, obviously some of those patches didn't work. I couldn't even lay down in it without my feet hanging out. Pitri joined me, making it hot and cramped. He gave an awkward smile.

"Cozy."

I screamed, standing up and ripping through the top of the tent. Drawing my sword, I lashed the rest to shreds.

"Um..."

"I am humanity's savior! I do not sleep in a crappy piece of shit tent!"

"Wow, I'm surprised you even know that word."

I grumbled, kicking the tent away.

"Look Alice, at least it's something. We had to sleep outside before and you didn't complain." He glanced around at the wreck from my tantrum. "Though I guessing we may be star gazing again tonight."

"That was different. It was while we were traveling and there was no one else around."

"I don't understand."

Flopping to the ground, I sighed. The clouds floated across the sky in puffs, forming odd shapes in my mind, like the ink bloats one of the scientist used to show me. What did I see compared to everyone else?

"It's different because I am supposed to be their Alice. They are supposed to care about me and take care of me."

"You really are a pampered, spoiled brat aren't you?"

I slammed my fist down onto his foot making him yelp and hop about one legged. Ignoring him, I returned to the clouds. That one was a tree and that one was a pony and I was pretty sure that one was a needle drawing blood from the pony...that last one was probably not what everyone else saw.

A body laid down beside me in the dying grass. I reached out a hand and put it over his face. He blew on it making me laugh. I tweaked his nose this time causing a chuckle to escape him.

"You are so weird."

I smiled, removing my hand to reach for the sky. "You don't understand. When I was growing up I got everything I wanted. Good food, fancy clothes, the comfiest bed," Dropping my hand, I pulled out the disc shard. "the best video games."

"That's spoiled Alice."

"Yeah I guess...it's just I was always told I deserved it. I was special, so it was my right. I was humanity's savior, their Alice."

He rolled away. "You and I had very different childhoods."

Staring at his back, I couldn't help touching the place where I knew the scars were, tracing the ridges beneath his shirt.

"Who did it? Humans or Others?"

"It doesn't matter, both wanted to."