Fragments of Decay

Ironically Alive

It had taken time and effort to convince them, but he'd succeeded. He'd convinced the higher-ups to trust him and the results had been beautiful. After weeks of torture - more so for him than for the girl - he's finally able to move on to the last phase of his little side project.

The child had fought, viciously in a way that reminded him fiercely of Vers. She had been just as impulsive, just as irrational, fighting with her emotions rather than her head. Lashing out wherever she could reach rather than where she would do damage.

Vers had been like that, once. He'd gotten it out of her and he'd get it out of the child.

He has a blank canvas to work with now, after all. Oh how he enjoyed seeing the hatred make place for confusion slowly as time passed. To see the fighting lessen as she stopped seeing reason to. Angry words had made place for uncertain questions and he'd delighted in it.

Now there's only one thing left to do.

He's stalking through the hallways, head held high in a clear display of authority. He refuses to be stopped, he's already behind schedule. At least this part of the plan will be easier than the last. As much as he loathed to admit it, he'd underestimated the girl. It had taken longer than he'd thought to wipe her and he didn't have much more time to spare.

Vers would come for her, she'd be there soon. He never thought he'd be able to outrun her forever. He's many things, stupid isn't one of them. He has little time to act and he cannot be wasting it. His perfect revenge. At the start, he considered just killing the girl, it would have been so easy to. But he's no monster, and after all the child is innocent. He's doing her a favour, allowing her to forget.

He'd been merciful.

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She's not sure how much time passes. Her days are filled with mostly training. The man from earlier - Yon-Rogg, she learns - acts as her mentor. She's not very good at it, thinks she must have forgotten all of that too. He's nice enough to not comment on it, just lets her try again and again and again. He beats her every time but she's getting better, really.

She'd been moved to a different room very early, away from the two other kids. Part of her is a little sad about it, she didn't even ask for their names. Another part- the biggest part - is just glad she has her own room. It's pretty small, just a bed and a desk, connected to a bathroom, but it's hers. The number 35 painted in black on both sides of the door acting as proof. She belongs, even if she doesn't quite remember yet, Yon-Rogg promised she would eventually.

He also promised she'd be allowed to directly help bring down the woman who caused this, all of it. Some days, when she's been training for what feels like years and every part of her body is begging her to stop, that promise is what keeps her going. Just the thought of getting revenge, getting justice, usually lets her push through another three fights.

She's not sure when, some time after she gets to use a pocket knife but before she gets upgraded to actual guns, but eventually she sees one of the kids again. She almost doesn't recognise him, he's asleep, being carried by one of the men she's classified as mentors - they're all dressed like Yon-Rogg, so they must be - She doesn't get the time to say anything to him before they've crossed the hallway, but Yon-Rogg noticed her staring. He nudges her shoulder.

"What's on your mind, kid?"

"That boy, what happened to him?" Yon-Rogg looks back, but the boy and his mentor are long gone. She casts a glance over her shoulder anyway.

"Oh, that must've been 27," He explains after a long pause. "He was already feeling unwell this morning, they're probably taking him to med." She turns her gaze back to her feet and nods. She wonders if the boy has another name too. The girl had said hers was Alice. Yon-Rogg always calls her 35, he says it's easier to keep track of numbers. She thinks that makes sense.

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She gets upgraded to guns. It's the most exciting thing that's happened since she 'woke up'. It feels like progress, it feels like she's finally getting somewhere. Every shot she takes is a step closer to getting rid of the annihilator, to freeing them all. Every shot is a step towards revenge.

She still trains every day, multiple hours, but with more responsibility comes more freedom. She gets to keep her gun on her at all times, she gets to walk through the halls on her own more often, she gets to enter doors that were previously locked.

She doesn't want to abuse her privileges, doesn't want to risk losing them, but she has to know. She waits until after dinner, the time she knows the mentors usually eat, and leaves her room. She's supposed to have quiet time now, to reflect and think of what she's fighting for. She already knows though, so she thinks it's okay if she skips just once.

The base is an absolute maze, she used to rely solely on Yon-Rogg to get around. She's better at navigating now, but it still takes her longer than she would've liked to find med. She pushes open the door to find it empty. There's rows of beds, cabinets lining only one wall. Dust has gathered on every last surface. No one's been here in a while, especially not someone ill.

She leaves the room.

It doesn't make sense. Why would Yon-Rogg lie? She turns on her heel and starts walking, glancing into every room with a window. She's not sure why, she's not going to find what she's looking for this way but she needs a purpose.

Then, like a divine interference - reality bending to her will - she spots him again. He's walking - being dragged by one arm - away from her. She follows them, trying her best to seem inconspicuous. They walk far, leaving the hallways she's familiar with. The section they enter is dirty and old, the tiles are loose and the wallpaper is peeling off. Her stomach fills with dread. None of it makes any sense.
She ducks around the corner as the man opens a door and pushes the boy inside. With one hand clamped over her mouth to silence the sound of her breathing she pushes herself stiffly against the wall and waits for the footsteps to get distant. Once she's sure he won't come back he practically runs around the corner. The door doesn't open with her access code, but it responds to Yon-Roggs.

Inside she's met with both the boy and the girl. They don't notice her coming in at first. The girl is too busy pushing and prodding at the boy's head - which is bleeding - and he seems too upset to focus on any newcomers. She just stands there for a while, staring at them both. Then the girl looks up.

"Alice."

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Authors Notes
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- is this a cliffhanger? idk

-more of the twins in chapter 17, i promise