~O~

Alice took in a deep breath of the cool, crisp fall air, and found that it calmed her raging nerves. Although, it didn't rid her of all of her anxiety. She wanted to do well on her first mission to impress Levi and show him that she was serious about seeking out his help for her own desires. And maybe, just maybe, if she did well, it would also get Levi to leave her alone, even if it was only for a little while. It was a bit of a long shot, but it was worth trying.

"You nervous?" a voice asked. Alice snapped back into focus and turned to her left, where an unfamiliar face looked at her. It was one of the other Hunters, but she did not know his name. "Yeah, a bit," she admitted to the stranger. He chuckled, but it was completely void of any true humor; it made her skin crawl. Something wasn't quite right about this guy. Alice looked at him a bit closer and noted that his hair was black as the night, like Shun's. The realization made her heart clench. Her focus then shifted to his eyes, where she was met with two different colored orbs, one red, the other green; he had heterochromia.

There was something about his eyes that were cold and unforgiving, similar to Levi's, but at the same time, completely different. Levi's eyes had emotion behind them, this guy's, however, seemed dead, despite their vivid colors. They made her uneasy. "This will be a quick and easy mission, so don't let it trouble you too much, meat," he said with a twisted grin, which flashed his pointed fangs.

Alice tensed up. "Meat?" she said defensively. The guy did his humorless chuckle once more and said, "Yes, meat. I like to give pet names to Levi's new toys, and I feel that 'meat' is rather fitting for you, especially with the way I've seen him glance at you." Alice felt her face flare up; others had noticed? If they had been able to notice this, what other things had they picked up on? The endless possibilities made Alice's stomach churn. "And what might your name be?" she asked in an effort to seem unfazed by his comments, as well as to change the subject.

His grin didn't fall, even when he said, "Nobody calls me by my real name, mainly because many of them don't know it. Everyone simply calls me Blade." Alice narrowed her eyes, caught off guard by the obscure name. "Why is that?" she asked. There was something mischievous in his emotionless eyes. "All in good time, meat. All in good time," he said through his Cheshire grin. Alice couldn't help but think he looked like a madman. She didn't say anything else, and she even picked up her pace in order to leave Blade's side; she didn't care who she walked by, as long as it wasn't him. "Don't be so jumpy," a voice whispered. Alice glanced to her side and realized she had joined Emilia's side in her haste to leave Blade behind.

"Sorry. I'm just a little nervous," Alice explained. Her face still felt flushed with embarrassment from the previous conversation she had had. "What's that guy's problem?" she asked under her breath. Emilia glanced over her shoulder and sighed. "I take it you're talking about Blade?" Alice nodded her head. Emilia turned back around and said, "Blade, for lack of better terms, is Levi's lieutenant, and for good reason, too. He's one of the more skilled of our group, and has shown his worth as a Hunter. He's just really sick. In the head, that is. He's ruthless when Hunting, and sometimes he goes a bit overboard on missions. I'd suggest staying away from him, or else you might get cut." Emilia's suggestion validated Alice's assumption that something wasn't quite right about Blade, and that only made her even more uneasy; just exactly who all was messed up in this group?

Alice shook away her worries and asked Emilia, "So, what exactly is going to go down tonight? I mean, I know we're Hunting a Vampire, but why? Or is there even a reason?" The red-haired Vampire was silent for a moment, then finally said, "The only reason we're doing this is so you can get a feel for the missions, and so Levi can have a grasp as to what level your skills are at. That's all there is to this. The target isn't of any particular importance. Just a Blight that's been roaming this part of the City for quite some time, honestly. We hardly even waste our time on these kinds of missions. They're strictly for new members."

Alice didn't say anything; she only nodded. In a way, it felt like she was wasting everyone's time with this, even though she had no control over the situation. Silence overtook the group as they meandered through the streets and alleyways of Bay View. The City was still deathly still, seeing that none of its human inhabitants had returned yet; Alice figured it would be a few weeks before people started to return, and even then, things more than likely wouldn't quite be back to normal yet. In the dead silence, the sound of crashing metal echoed off the sides of the buildings.

Levi quickly signaled for them to halt, and they all stood there, still as statues and quiet as mice. Alice glanced around, thinking she might spot something through the darkness, but saw nothing out of the ordinary. That is, until something jumped down from a roof above. It landed on the back of one of the Hunters and sunk its teeth into the Hunter's neck. He screamed and tried desperately to shake his attacker off. Another Hunter, a female, ran up behind her comrade and stabbed his attacker in the back. The creature fell on the ground and twitched as poison coursed through his veins and stole his life.

The Hunter that had been attack clutched his neck where he had been bitten. Blood poured from the wound and oozed through his fingers. Alice saw the fear in his eyes, and she quickly realized why; it had been a Blight that had attacked him. Now, he was infected with the disease that would eventually turn him into a monster. Alice saw he was about to say something, but just as he was about to speak, something silver slashed across his throat, and blood spewed out.

The Hunter instantly dropped dead, and looming above his body, was Blade. Alice stared in utter disbelief; they had just killed one of their own. Yeah, he had been infected with Blight, but the fact that they had done it with so little hesitation took Alice off guard. Her eyes drifted down to Blade's hands, and she saw how he had gotten his name. Strapped to his hands were these glove-like devices, and long, wickedly sharp blades ran down the length of his fingers. In a way, he looked like some kind of cross between Wolverine and Freddy from a Nightmare on Elm Street. Blade flicked his hands, sending blood flying from the ends of his knifed-fingers.

His two-color eyes then locked onto Alice, and he grinned, once again revealing his fangs. He looked like something out of a horror movie. Levi approached the dead Blight and said, "This isn't the one we were looking for. Keep your eyes open; we don't need another ambush." The group was about to start walking, but Alice stopped when she caught a glimpse of movement to the right. "Wait, I think I saw something," she said. The others, in turn, stopped and looked. Alice squinted her eyes against the darkness, and next thing she knew, another Blight came barreling out of the shadows. It plowed into her, knocking her down.

The back of her skull struck the pavement, temporarily stunning her. She wasn't able to see straight, but she could faintly hear the voices around her. There was a lot of yelling. At some point, she heard Levi shout, "There's a whole pack of them! Act quickly!" The sounds of gurgling blood then filled the air, as well as the dying screams of Blights. However, the one that had tackled Alice, still sat upon her chest, holding her against the ground. She tried to focus on the Blight, but was unable to. Drool fell from the Blight's mouth and onto her face; she was about to end up like that poor Hunter.

Alice shut her eyes tightly and struggled to reach for her pistol. Her fingers grazed the cold metal, and she instantly retrieved it. But being that her brain had been jarred by the impact, she was unable to get a good grip, and the gun fell from her hand. The Blight saw what she had been trying to do, and quickly knocked the pistol to the side, far out of her reach. It then turned its attention back on Alice. "Get off!" a voice yelled. Next thing Alice knew, a flash of red-hair flew by, and the weight of the Blight was off of her. She struggled to sit up and saw the fuzzy silhouettes of Emilia and the Blight rolling around on the ground. However, it was the Blight who was able to get to their feet first, and when it did, it grabbed hold of Emilia and threw her against a wall.

Alice heard the sickening crunch of bones breaking. Slowly, her vision began to come back into focus, and she was able to see the Blight preparing to sink its teeth into the redhead's throat. Alice froze. She didn't know where her gun had gone, and she had no fighting skills, either. All she could do was watch as Emilia was killed. There was nothing she could do to help. Just as the Blight was about to rip out Emilia's throat, something slashed through the air and wrapped around the creature's throat; a whip. Alice followed the length of the whip and saw Levi was at the other end.

He was covered head-to-toe in the blood of dead Blights, and his eyes burned fire red. His lips drew back into a snarl, and Alice saw him turn something on the handle of the whip. Next thing she knew, the Blight began to scream and claw at its throat where the whip was wrapped around him. The skin also began to turn black; Levi had activated some kind of poison in the whip. It only took several seconds for the Blight to drop dead. Emilia, who was breathing heavily, let out a sigh of relief as she sat down on the ground. Relieved that Emilia was okay, Alice turned to face Levi to comment on his quick timing, but her words lodged in her throat.

Levi's hellish red-eyes were narrowed at Alice, and his face was displeased, to say the least; it was almost as if he were disgusted in her. Alice felt her blood turn to ice. Levi tore his unforgiving gaze from her and walked over to where Emilia sat. The two exchanged a few words, but Alice didn't hear any of what they said. Levi then helped Emilia to her feet, and the two walked over to where the others stood. Alice, still weak from her fall, struggled to her feet, but nobody assisted her, so she was all on her own. When she was finally standing, she saw all the bodies of dead Blights around her; it really had been a pack of them.

Levi faced his Hunters and said, "I'm sorry this happened. Apparently the Blights in the City have stopped roaming on their own and have combined their numbers. We were unprepared for this sudden onslaught, but we prevailed in the end with the one casualty. Although, one is too many, in my opinion. This will not happen again." There were several nods from the blood-splattered Hunters as they agreed with their leader. Levi then told them, "Let us hurry back to our compound before more Blights are drawn here by the smell." With that being said, they slowly started back the way they came, but Alice lingered, searching for her lost pistol. She didn't know which direction the Blight had tossed it in. "Looking for this, meat?"

Alice turned around and saw Blade twirling the pistol on one of his bladed fingers. "Yes," Alice muttered. Blade tossed the gun, and Alice, despite her trembling hands, caught it. "You know, meat, I wonder if you have seen the side of Levi you're about to be faced with when we get back. I really doubt you have, though, so this will be a quite the experience for you," Blade said with a sick grin.

Alice felt her stomach drop, and she thought she was going to be sick. She had done something to get on Levi's bad side, and now she was going to pay for it. Blade chuckled and left without another word. Then, with great reluctance, Alice followed behind the group of Hunters, dreading every step she took, for each one brought her closer to her impending punishment.

~O~

Alice was tempted to turn around and run away the moment she saw the Hunter's hideout, but she refrained from doing so. If she did, then that would only anger Levi even more, and probably make her punishment worse. Or, he might even decide against offering her help to get back at Sinclair and Gillfrey. Any of those possibilities made her sick to her stomach, but so did the thought of whatever was waiting for her. The Hunters, one-by-one, entered the rundown house; Alice was the last inside. When she crossed the threshold, she shut the door behind her, dreading that she just cut off her only route of escape.

"Alice," a voice said flatly. Slowly, she turned around and saw Levi standing behind her. "Yes?" she asked nervously. He narrowed his eyes and said, "Follow me." He didn't wait to see if she was following his order, probably because he knew she would. Alice trailing along behind him, her heart slamming against her ribs. They eventually stopped in the hallway, away from wandering eyes; Alice noted they were in front of the door to the basement. "You almost cost Emilia her life out there, you know that, right?" he said, more than asked.

Alice stared down at the ground and said, "I know. The Blight stunned me, and I was unable to fight back….And then when I finally came back to my senses, I didn't have the pistol, so I couldn't help here then, either. I'm sorry I failed you and the others, and I'm sorry I nearly cost Emilia her life." Alice had started to cry halfway through her explanation, but Levi appeared unfazed by her tears. Instead, he said, "Something like that cannot happen again. In fact, something like what happened tonight should never happen, and it's my job to make sure that our missions run smoothly. So, to do my job, I have to make sure you have learned from your mistake and never repeat it. I'm sure you know what that entails."

Before Alice could even respond, Levi took her by the wrist and flung the basement door open. It was dark and moist in the basement, which was expected. However, what wasn't expected was the smell of dried blood that hung in the air. It was strong enough to make Alice gag. She fought against Levi's hold as he pulled her down the stairs, but he wasn't letting her go until he wanted to. They reached the bottom of the stairs, and he tossed her onto the ground, which was cold and made of tightly packed dirt. Back at the top of the staircase, the door to the hall had swung shut, plunging the room into pitch darkness; even Alice's enhanced eyes had difficultly seeing through the blackness.

She scrambled on to her hands and knees and tried to crawl away, but Levi had scooped her back up by her wrists again and drug her across the room. She had started to scream and wail for help, but she doubted anyone could hear her from beneath the house. Alice then felt her wrists being pressed against something that felt like a metal pipe. Then, Levi bound them to the pipe with rope; she couldn't get away. Pure terror flooded through Alice. If she couldn't escape or fight back, then Levi could do whatever he pleased with her.

The thoughts that ran through her head made her panic even more. Suddenly, the room was filled with light from a single light that dangled from the ceiling, and she was able to see Levi standing there, his whip in hand. She felt her eyes widen. "Don't worry," he said calmly, "I'm not going to activate the poison that's inside. All I'm going to do is whip the mistake out of you so you'll learn from it. You won't be the first that's had this punishment, and surely you're not going to be the last. So, just grin and bear it. It'll be over in no time."

Alice was about to try and talk Levi out of it, but the first pop of the whip bit into her back, and she screamed. Then, lash after lash rained down on her, filling her body with burning agony. White flashes behind her eyes with every strike. The scent of fresh blood, her blood, began to fill the room and drown her senses. Her legs had long since given up holding her, so know she hung there, her bound wrists being the old thing hold her up. And even with that, Levi continued to strike her with the whip. She felt her shirt, which was more than likely ripped to shreds, sticking to her back because of the blood that had been whipped to the surface.

Alice no longer screamed every time the whip came down. Instead, she gasped; that was the only thing she had the strength to do. Finally, after what felt like hours, the whipping stopped,

and the full extent of the pain began to set in, burning her to her very core. Alice hung there and stared down at the ground; she was surprised she hadn't blacked out. Levi approached her and knelt down beside her. "You handled that very well, my dear, better than any before you," he said gently, as if he hadn't just beat her inches from her life, "That just proves how strong you are, and this has only made you stronger."

He then reached out and brushed aside a damp lock of Alice's hair; she wasn't sure if it was wet from sweat or tears. "Strength is a beautiful quality, you know," he crooned. Alice felt revulsion churn in her stomach. His hand then moved from her hair to her back, and she felt him touch one of the raw wounds. Pain jolted through her body, making her tensed up. "These will more than likely leave scars behind," he said, "but I like scars. They tell a story about the one who wears them, a beautiful story. I want to see them all. I want to see what my handiwork had produced this time."

Alice then felt him tug at her shirt, but being so weak, she couldn't fight back. He removed her shirt, exposing most of her upper-half, and marveled at the bleeding wounds on her back. Alice felt humiliation wash over her. Levi touched one of the wounds again, and this time, got a bit of blood on his fingers. He then licked it off and smiled. "Blood brought to the surface by pain is the sweetest of all," he said smoothly. Alice held back the urge to vomit. Levi had beaten her within mere inches of her life, and was now humiliating her. His face hovered near her neck, and she felt him bite into the flesh between her neck and shoulder.

The pain of his bite paled in comparison to that of the whipping. She sat there as he greedily took more of her blood, and would flinch every time he dug a nail into one of her wounds. To make my blood sweeter, Alice thought bitterly. When he drank all her cared for, Alice felt like death itself. She was tired, drained from the pain and loss of blood. Levi stood up and cut the rope from Alice's wrists. Like a bag of rocks, she dropped onto the floor. Dirt instantly got into her wounds, making them sting as if rubbing alcohol had been poured on them. "It's standard protocol that, after something like this, you are left down here by yourself for 24 hours.

That way, you can reflect on what exactly brought about your punishment, and that way, you can think of ways to prevent your mistake from happening again. So, I'll be back tomorrow night to retrieve you. Rest up." With that being said, Levi left the basement, leaving Alice alone to 'think about what she had done.' As she laid there, she thought about Shun. It was because she wanted to avenge his death that this had happened to her. "Why did you have to leave me?" she asked weakly, her voice only a whisper. She knew that if he were here now, he would tell her to stop putting herself through his pain, that it wasn't worth it. But Shun wasn't there to tell her those things. He was dead, and she was broken. Broken and alone.

I told you this chapter would be dark, but I needed to squeeze it in to lead into the next book, which I may have up tomorrow at some point. Anywho, I have nothing new to report, so please, read and do leave a review on the way out. ~Copperpelt~