The mines were worse the next day. All of the leaders seemed on edge, and we still hadn't eaten. My stomach growled painfully and twisting with the raising of the axe. It must be so much worse for Pitri, not to mention I had fallen asleep in his lap. He had to sleep sitting straight up, if he did at all. A guilty feeling wormed and wriggled among the other pains in stomach. I wanted to throw up, and I might have if there was any food in there.

The chips and flaking of the substance seemed harder to force off today. All the clumps removed were smaller and more quickly picked up by collectors. Barking orders for faster, made me curious. Perhaps something really was different today, and not just the feeling of slower after a whole day of hard labor yesterday. I worried at the wood, wringing my hands. A sharp sting made me drop it, surprised. I had gotten a splinter by accident.

The small drop of brown blood teared on my finger tip, trailing the splinter and falling to the ground. I stared at the spot, surprised at. Even in the dim lights of the mine, it shone the unnatural swirl hinting at what more hid within it.

"Hey you!" A sharp voice, drew my attention. "Get back to work." A burly man held a hammer out threateningly at me from over by the forge.

Kicking dirt over the blood, I hid my truth. I could save them all...or kill them. Picking the splinter out from my skin, I flicked it out to the ground and stuck my finger in my mouth, licking away my blood as it heeled without the obstruction. Still lost in my thoughts at the new reality...no the true reality I had discovered.

"Hey, I said. Get back to work," The attached hand of the voice gripped the back of my hair, slamming my face into the rock. "You worthless little piece of shit." He drove it in with each word.

My skin smeared across the rock leaving a tiny trail of flakes.

"Let her go, she's had enough." Pitri's sharp voice argued.

"I don't think so, this bitch has been trouble since she got here. Always looking around with her head in the clouds instead of working, I've had enough. Think you are too good for us? Too good to work those dainty little hands of yours? Then I'll beat the lesson into you that you aren't."

My brain spun from the shaking, the man was pretty strong. He had yet to break my skin to the blood beneath; however, given his anger fueled force it probably wouldn't take long.  I tensed my muscles and snapped my head back. Catching him by surprise, I manage to drive it into his leering face. The sicken crack of his cartilage rewarding me. I brushed my face, checking for any traces of blood, looking down at him. I had hurt a human, those I swore to protect. Those I had been created to save, their Alice. Yet...I felt nothing.

My voice dropped any emotion at the sight before me. "I'd like to see you try to teach me anything. You pathetic excuse for a human."

"Alice." Pitri stepped in front of me, blocking the man from my line of vision.

I raised my eyes to met his silver. The man scrambled away, swearing and calling me names. None though that could hurt as much as though I had already been called, those red words by people who knew who I was. My thoughts felt dead and leaden, they were sinking in me to be consumed by a pit of black. I didn't see the hope here, maybe there wasn't any anywhere.

"I want to leave."

"You aren't going anywhere." Malia drifted forward, leaning in with her zooming goggles stare. "You owe us for a tent."

"Fine, we'll pay for it then and be on our way. I have money." Pitri stated firmly, reaching back to grab my wrist.

The mine seemed to freeze, they had not even been this quiet for their fallen friend the other day.

A unnerving smile was plaster on Malia's face. "No. I don't think so. We don't need money, we need labors."

"You need lab rats."

The smile slipped, her eyes flashing, dangerous and calculating. I started, surprised he had said it out loud. He was the one adamant that we be secretive with this all. Pitri's gaze bore down on her, unflinching under her seething barely contained rage. He shoulder blades were twitching just so slightly, phantom wings beating. Malia raised a trembling hand, touching the tips of her fingers to her ear. A small device made noticeable by the attention drawing action. It was some kind of communicator.

"It appears there are two people in the mines not feeling so well. Can you please send down the medical unit?"

She was flung to the ground, Pitri having shoved her out of the way. I was dragged behind him, taking a moment to find my feet. People shifted and flowed from around the run, most got out of our way, dead or fearful eyes watching our escape, but some moved to intercept. I jerked myself free of Pitri's grasp, tilting to charge at them. I had already hurt one human today, there was no remorse as I plowed more over.

People were sent sprawling across the ground from the force I drove into them. My shoulder hurt now. Pitri was fighting one off that was taking a pick axe to his head. I went to go help when I was flung to the ground from behind. Hissing in pain, I kicked a leg up rolling onto shoulders to hit them under the chin. Blood sputtered out from them biting their tongue, raining down on me. I continued tilting my center of gravity, using my legs to drive the startled person to the ground. Sitting astride them, I slammed my clasped together fists into their abodmen causing a wrenching sound from their mouth. I spun off them, looking for my next target. Humans were so much easier than those I had been trained to take down.

Malia was watching from a distanct, her finger still to her ear and relying the scene like it was a good show that a friend couldn't watch. I growled, prowling forward. Pitri's shouts though made stop. Turning back, I raced towards him. Knocking heads together and punching people hard in the gut to get them to go down, I had yet to permanent damage to a human. I planned to save that for those who had so viciously used and killed their own. Dancing through the chaos, I wove my way to Pitri. Reaching him, I grabbed and ripped someone off of Pitri, throwing them into a wall.

"Thanks Alice." He gasped, struggling to breath between the blood pouring from his nose and the exhaustion from fighting. He really needed to work out more.

We began working our way back towards the exit, keeping close to one another that we were constantly brushing the other, as though to make sure the other was still there. I focused on the stronger looking ones and those that burned with desperation, these were the true threats. Those who had nothing to lose and believed they could gain from this opportunity. If they had any brains they'd be trying to make a break with us. Perhaps humans were just too stupid. I had never considered that as a possibility. It was an odd one though, maybe humans weren't cruel they were just idiots. Then again, even idiots had a sense of right and wrong...didn't they?

As I crunched my fist into another person's face, I considered where my life had gone and I missed my little hole of darkness. If it had consumed me, I wouldn't be here. I'd still believe in those I had been created to save and I would have a purpose, even if I knew it was one that the world didn't want me to fulfill. But now, now life was so messy and confusing. Still, if I hadn't come out of that hole, I also wouldn't have met Pitri. He silent presence had become something I associated with kindness and safety. I should tell him that...

"Pitri."

"Kinda busy Alice." He swung the wooden handle of a pick onto a person's hand that had been reaching for him, making them fall back.

Maybe I'd tell him later...

We made it to the door, the metal barring our way. I was tempted to rip the door off the hinges, but I didn't have to. The door slammed inward. Lieutenant Aho stepping through the threshold like it was an average day. Behind him, rows upon rows of white uniformed people milled among soldiers in tan. I sighed, looking to Pitri unsure. I really didn't want to kill any humans today. This would all be so much easier if they were Others.

"And where do you think, you are going?" The lieutenant, remarked off-handily.

Pitri stiffened before announcing, "We are leaving."

I attempted to count our enemy, but I was too short to see them all. I enjoyed being small and cute, yet this was rather annoying. Perhaps if I got on Pitri's shoulders? I didn't think this would be the right time for that though.

"I don't think so. After all you've just damaged our livelihood as well as many of our workers." He gestured around him, as though he actually cared for the people on the floor. "Someone will have to pay for that."

"I offered to pay, but was told our money is no good."

"Money has long since lost most of its value in this world, what is really valuable now is bodies."

A shiver crawled up and down my spine. "That's really creepy." I muttered.

The lieutenant turned to give me his full attention. "I knew we'd have problems from the moment I saw you. Self-privileged little girl who has never worked a day in her life, nothing but a whinny spoiled brat."

I frowned, running my tongue over my teeth to feel the prick of my canines, eager for blood.

"Then let us go, this makes no sense. You call us trouble so just be rid of us." Pitri shouted, fear causing his voice to peek and drop octaves.

I shifted on my feet, bouncing back and forth. My head tossing between the two as they held a staring contest.

"Don't worry about that, I'll be rid of you soon." The lieutenant answered, a blink cutting off the conversation with finality.

Guns raised and clicked from behind him, all aimed at Pitri and I. I was sure I could survive them, but Pitri was another issue.

"Dead bodies be useful to you Malia?"

"I suppose, but it's more fun when they are alive."

"Well we wouldn't want to ruin your fun now would we? Keep one alive."

Pitri stood their, a dumbfound look of disbelief and horror twisting his features. I didn't know what to think. I had always been told to have faith in humanity. That humans were right and justice, the good guys. The truth though had crushed all my fantasies so quickly over the past day that I was an odd mixture of numb and swirling emotions, kinda like a lollipop. You never knew what you were going to get with each like. I didn't know what to think anymore...well about most things anyway.

His Alice...he had said I could be his Alice.

The world hardened in my vision, I would save him.