Deeper into the rabbit hole

Chapter 2:

I awoke and instantly struggled, against an unknown force. All I could see was deep black. Perhaps, that's all I ever really knew. Despite my struggles, I was comfortable in the dark. The darkness was and always will be, my friend. The things that lurk in the dark on the other hand, is a different story.

"What the hell is going on?" I growled lowly, feeling cold metal tightly around my wrists, as I pulled at them. Suddenly, the black cloth was pulled from my face and I was hit with a blinding light, till my eyes adjusted themselves. I was met with an empty room, with only half of the room lit. A man with long white hair, and a simple white shirt and black jeans, sitting on the line between the darkness and the light. His legs and part of the man's torso could be see while the rest of him was shaded in the darkness. I tried to stand up to run, but was stopped with a chain grinding into my bare ankles.

I could feel a shiver of fear spread up my spine and through my veins like ice, freezing everything it touched. I watched eerily as the man cocked his blank face from side to side.

"Where am I?" My raspy whispered broke the silence, like bomb shells, as my shaking voice betrayed me once again. Last thing I wanted, was to show fear, but it played on my face as plain as day, I could feel it.

"You're in the Subcity, in my underground bunker. They created this place sometime ago for the World War Three. Interesting, is it not?" The unknown man spoke in such a way that his words didn't seem quite real. Like perhaps, just maybe. All of this was an oddly timed dream.

But sadly, it was was not.

The man blew smoke from what looked like a strangely bent pipe, that filled the room with an odd smell, other than nicotine. I would recognize it if it was. Instead, of answering the man's rhetorical question, I just glared and gritted my teeth.

"Not interested? Hmm.. well, this might interest you." The mystery man smirked with his words, before throwing a paper scroll at me. I caught it, happy my hand chains were long enough to move, if only in the slightest. I was surprised at the paper scroll, I didn't even know they made writing paper anymore.

I looked at it suspiciously, before opening it. It looked like a battle plan. 'Who the hell uses paper anymore?' I thought, as he glanced over the various markings and names under each category.

"Wonderland?" I read the name of the document out loud with a curious expression. "What is this crap?"

"A way to get out from under the Red Prince's thumb.. forever." The man said, looking dead at me, I could tell without his face actually being fully seen.

"You mean our leader, our dictator? You're planning on killing him?" I asked, doubtfully cocking an eyebrow at the person. They must be freaking crazy, the Blood Prince was the main dictator at the moment, who is the son of the old dictator. His name's Viktor Vladimir. With a name like that, he doesn't even need his years of military and combat training to make him intimidating. To top it off, he's only 31 and has a mechanical arm. He's war and death incarnate.

"Yes." He replied plainly, almost disinterested. This guy was crazy. Mother level crazy. Crazy enough to make me mildly interested, yes. Correction, Maybe..

"You're insane. You're gonna get yourself killed. Their systems are way too advanced to even get with in 20 miles of him, and even if you did, he'd kill you himself. And you wanna freakin' kill him?!" I scoffed in disbelief, adding an eye roll of good measure.

"That's where you come in." The man said with an optimistic voice.. Too optimistic.

"I'm not doing shit for you." I spat out through gritted teeth. I hate optimism, If you haven't noticed yet.

"You will, and you will do it happily."

"Unlikely, buddy."

"Very likely and I'll tell you why." The man walked forward slightly, till the shadows just covered his shoulders upward, reveling his long white hair that cascaded down his broad shoulders. "We saved you from execution, and we payed off all your debt from the hospital bills. Also, without being able to go to the ground city, you only have the Subcity to live in now. And we both know, that a hacker like you, wouldn't last one night on the Streets of the Subcity. You'd be dead by sunrise."

I sat there in shock. They paid my debt, seemingly of course, but the idea was unthinkably comforting. I'd be freed from the string that attached me to that 'woman.' It was a beautiful feeling. If only I could believe it…

"That's cute, but I don't believe you." I smirked, then threw the plans at him. Only to have him catch it with such speed I didn't even see his hand move. I couldn't hide my smirk, he was interesting, despite his insanity, that was for sure.

"Very well, Mattie will be in, in a moment to show you around, only then will you know who we truly are." He whispered, before starting to walk away, his shoes clacking on the basic concrete floor.

"Hey! Asshole!! Unchain me first!" I yelled angrily tugging on the chain. "At least bring me cig!"

The man replied with a heavy door slamming shut.

"Jerk." I mumbled pulling a hand through my sand colored long hair.

I pulled harshly at the chairs trying to slip my hand out from under the heavy metal, even cutting the side of my arm in the process. Then lights lit up the entire room, revealing a very long room with blank rounded walls almost looking like an old 1920s bomb shelter, that I'd seen in photos on the deepweb. I froze. I knew I was in the Subcity. So, It's not all that surprising, if it was a bomb shelter. The dictator has his men bomb the Sub-cities every month or so to keep population low near the subdivisions.

The large door creeped open as I held my breath, expecting another ominous person to step out and perhaps torture me, but damn was I wrong…

A very short girl peered out from behind the door, and smiled at me. In an innocent kind of way.

"CAIN!" She shouted and ran towards me, bouncing on her large combat covered heels, once she was in front of me, I could see her pale skin and short red hair that spiked every which way. Her clothing resembled that of a gothic victorian type of style, with black and white stockings and a black lace dress that was ripped and frayed at the seems.

I leaned away from her overly excited form and frowned deeply.

She was freaking me out…

"I'm so happy you're here! Luic has told us so much about you! What's Euphoria like? Anything interesting?" She raddled off questions as she made quick work of unlocking my chains and freeing me. The second I was free, I got to my feet and started to run, before being tackled to the floor and being put in an arm bar by the seemingly "weak" girl. Yeah, I was starting to think she wasn't all that weak, concreting my arm was screaming in pain.

"Well, that wasn't very nice! Here I am, so happy to see you and run from me? Very rude, Cain.." The girl had a pout to her voice as she tightened her grip.

"Damn! That hurts! I'm sorry, okay, now let me go!" I growled and tried my hardest not to move.

I was a lot bigger than her and actually was rather proud of how toned I was, despite not really doing anything to deserve my muscles, yet this young girl was able to hold me down with ease. Like a cat playing with a mouse.

"Promise not to run?" She cooed out in an almost singing song voice. I clinched my teeth as I grunted out a pained, yes.

Then she released me as I stood up, and rubbed my shoulder grunting at the pain as I moved it around. "So, who are you?" I sighed mentally giving up on running, if I die here, then I die. Who gives a shit anyways, if you haven't noticed life hasn't been all that fun so far, death can't be any worse than life.

"My names Mattie! Now enough with the dilly dally, let's show you around!" She giggled and grabbed my hand with such strength that it aggravated my already hurt shoulder.

I reluctantly followed her as she dragged me through the large door where I was met with a pretty incredible living room space with lime green couches and chairs, with white walls and marble floor.

I looked around almost dumbly, it was the nicest looking place I've ever seen, so clean and so obviously above my pay grade, that it was agonizing.

"This is the meeting room/living room! You can customize it, how ever you like, right now it's set to Luic's preference." She walked over to a screen on the wall before starting to mess around with the holo-screen as the room started to change and form into a more rustic styled of room that looked more like an old school bar with graffiti lining the red bricked walls. "This is mine!" She smiled happily "Pretty cool right! Luic payed some people down here to install it about a month ago! You can make one too if you want, I'll show you how later." She smiled as I smirked looking around.

"I can figure it out on my own, thanks..This is pretty damn high-tech. Only big companies in Euphoria have this kind of tech. Nice." I smirked and looked around, before she grabbed my hand again and pulled me into what looked like a kitchen area with windows streaming in natural light.

"Oh yeah, forgot your our new hacker." She nodded as if just recalling an old thought. I didn't love how she said 'new,' like that was a normal thing to interchange human lives. I choose to change the subject.

"Hey, how is it so bright outside? This is the subcity right?" I asked. "We're suppose to be underground…"

She started to mess with a watch that was on her right wrist before the windows revealed a dark world, with broken down buildings, currently crumbling, lit up with all the lights of a dead city. "That's what it usually looks like, but Luic prefers the hillside view from where he grew up. So, we use that as inspiration for the videoblinds. Anyway, this is the kitchen, you're welcome to have whatever you like, and you can put in orders for Ace. She buys us all of our food. So, when she goes back to Euphoria, you can have her bring back things for you. Luic covers the bills." Matty smiled as the street magician from last night walked in, with his blonde long hair pulled back in a short pony-tail, I stiffened as he walked up to me.

"Hey there, pip-squeak. How's Sub-life treating you so far?" The man asked as Matty rolled her eyes, at is comment.

"Cain, this is Harry. He made the plan that you saw from Luic." Matty mumbled. "Also, He's a huge pain in my ass." She added under her breath as Harry pretended to be hurt as he grabbed at his heart and made a guttural noise of pain.

Well.. aren't these two a pair.

"Yeah, He was a pain in my head earlier today…" I scoffed, as I narrowed my eyes into a glare, hoping I'd scare him off. Apparently, It didn't work. He was completely unfazed. Perhaps, he was unaffected, because he was use to seeing disfigured faces. Considering, he had a scar running from his forehead to his cheek, cutting right through the middle of an eye that he kept shut.

"That's where you're wrong." Harry pulled his lean frame on to the counter, before stealing an apple and bitting into it. "I knocked you out a day ago." His words muffled by the piece of apple he was still chewing. His lifeless eye, informed me that he really didn't give a single shit.

Not that I cared either, but non-the-less he annoyed me.

I growled and was about to move forward to leave, before two cards flew by my face, before I felt a burning sensation on my cheek, and warm blood began to leak down my face as I paused. I touched my check and looked at the red on my fingers, before looking back up at the man. He was lazily chewing on his apple with a bored expression.

"What the hell was that?" I pressed out slowly and smoothly, Not letting my anger or curiosity get the best of me. But, the man did just use a card as a deadly weapon, that's pretty cool..

"Harry! God, don't make him bleed. If you wanna hurt him, don't leave a mark, at least…. Luic will be mad." Mattie whined, while she dapped a handkerchief to my cheek, as I remained frozen in place. I didn't even see him move, let alone throw card at my cheek.

How the fuck was a human even cable of something like that.

I pushed her hand away and looked at him. "How'd you do that?" I said more like a statement than a question.

Harry smirked. "Wouldn't you like to know." He scoffed and got up, before walking off, disappearing into another part of the 'house' that was not lit.

I looked at Mattie once again, with a questioning look.

"I'm guessing, you want me to answer the question you threw at Harry." She crossed her arms and leaned against the counter.

"That would be helpful." I grunted with sarcastic undertones to my words.

She rolled her eyes and sighed a deep kind of sigh, clearly not all that willing to give away information. "Look kid, Luic likes to collect things." She began.

"Collect things?"

"Yeah, like fancy technology, or old rotted artifacts from before the great wars, But most of all he likes collecting rare things. Including people such as yourself."

"What does he do after he "collects" what he wants?" I mumbled now fully intent on digging up some information, other than how fancy this place is.

"He trains you, gets you ready to fight. We all have abilities. You, me, Harry, even Luic has a few tricks up his sleeve as well." She spoke, but she had a far off look for a second, before snapping out of it.

"Anyways, let's get going. There's someone I think you'd like to meet." She smiled widely and grabbed my upper arm, dragging me once again into a larger room that looked almost like a medical center of some kind.

"Ace, I brought your lover boy." Mattie called out in that sing-song voice that was slowly, but surely starting to annoy the living hell out of me.

I surveyed the mostly white room with curtains, that separated hospital beds. Some man with strong looking arms, covered in tattoos laid on the bed looking almost lifeless as he slept.

But, my attention was pulled away, when I heard a soft familiar voice, echo around me.

"Good to see you, Cain."

I snapped my head into the direction of the voice, and felt my heart fall to the pit of my stomach.

A tallish woman with dark black hair, cropped to her shoulders, with straight inky bangs, wearing a doctors jacket, looked at me..

"Dr.Martin." I breathed out the words in disbelief. I couldn't trust my eyes. The woman that has been taking such good care of my mother for years, stood before me, with out her glasses. It was the first time, I had ever really seen her eyes. They glowed a soft green. I hadn't noticed before.

"How….?"

"Long story, sweetheart. Just know, I'm your friend." She smile in a warm way that made me feel both confused and comforted, as she leaned against her desk and crossed her arms over her chest.

In this light she was quite a beauty with the way her dark hair framed her pale face. She looked younger now, with her glasses off, so much so I was surprised that I recognized her.

I breathed out a slow breath as a smile tugged on my lips. I was happy to see her, I really was. "So, Your names Ace?"

"Yeah kiddo. Did you meet Luic already?" She asked rolling over a chair for me to sit in as Mattie plopped down on one of the hospital beds and bounced impatiently.

I looked at Mattie curling my lip slightly annoyed. "What? The freak with the white hair?"

Ace scoffed and giggled slightly, in the same warm way she had done back at the hospital. It was comforting to know that some things had remained the same, despite my whole world changing. I guess, it all just hadn't quite hit me yet.

"Yes, I'll be sure to tell him you called him that. He'd get a kick out of it." She chuckled softly and smiled. I smiled back, before looking at her seriously once more.

"Look Dr. Martin, It's really a pleasure to see you, but why are you working here…" I asked softly as her smile faded into a soft frown.

"Look, Cain. I never worked for your mother's hospital innocently, It was just a way to build up credit in Euphoria, I've worked for the rebellion, before I knew you, but once I met you and began to know you, I found how valuable you'd be for our team. But also how much of a good kid you are. It hurt to see you wasting your life being a Server just to get by. You're just a kid."

"Not like it matters, I ended up here anyways…" I sighed and rubbed my face, I never understood why I always trusted Dr. Martin, It just felt natural, perhaps like the mother I never had, or always wanted.

"Cain, you're a smart boy, and it just sucked to see you throwing your life away. You're more free now than you've ever been. I bet that this is the first time in your life that you haven't seen a Cleaner for a whole hour." She said slowly as she cupped my chin, lifting it. "You're worth more than those Cleaners, society or even your mother ever could have known. You're important, Luic would have never even looked at you other wise. So It does matter, Cain. You matter.." She smiled as I looked into her sea green eyes that glowed with worry.

I smiled softly and nodded. "Thank you, Dr.M-

"Just call me Ace now, we're friends." She stopped me as I just nodded again and chuckled.

"What kind of Name is Ace anyways? What's your really last name 'Of Hearts'?" I rolled my eyes as she hit my shoulder.

"Better name that Cain, What are you a bible character?" She huffed and smirked, looking all proud of herself.

"And what the hell is with Luic.. He's a collector, why didn't he just stick with stamps would have been easier.." I scoffed.

"Oh yeah, the easy route is always the best. That's why you were a server." She rolled her eyes.

"Man, Doc you really have to work on your insult game, I think my grandmother just got offended…" I laughed hard. I always had the most fun just being around someone to tease like this. Like a family. In fact, Dr. Martin really was the closes thing I've felt to a really mother figure.

"Okay, okay. Brat, it's about time for the house meeting." Ace wiped her eyes as Mattie hoped up and rolled her eyes.

"Great.. we'll just get another lecture from Lu, won't we?" Mattie frowned with a small child like huff. She really did act a little more like a child than you'd think. She honestly looked more around my age.

"Lu?" I mumbled and drew my attention back to Mattie, "And what's a house meeting…" I asked looking between the two.

"Lu is what the twins call Luic, the man from earlier. They're like little sister's to him." Ace filled me in.

"Yeah, acts like an annoying older brother too.. House meetings are just an hour of Luic telling us what we need to do, and what we screwed up on." She grumbled till, Ace knocked the back of her head in a mother like fashion.

"Mattie, you know it's only to keep us safe." Ace scolded her, as Mattie just rubbed the bump that was possibly forming on her head, if Ace hit her nearly as hard as she use to hit me…. "Lets go." She finished leading the way out of the room.

I followed closely behind her, as she led us to a room in the middle of a their base, near what looked like a garage fill with everything from an old tank to cars that looked like they where made from both scrap and high-tech gear. I had never seen anything like it before. I smirked when I noticed an old school

Cadillac in all black matte, bet it even ran on gas… Dangerous, but cool as hell.

The closer we got to the all glass room in the middle, I started to notice quite a few people sitting inside the room all in a semi-circle facing front. Once inside, I could see all their faces, about 10 of them were just looking at me.

Top hat guy, Harry or something like that, was smirking at me, before striding over and wrapping an arm around me. "Hey guys this is our new buddy, name's Cain." He said cheerfully rubbing my hair threw my hood that was still up.

I shoved him away annoyed, before I heard a soft voice sigh as well.

"Harry, Stop being such a prick." I looked up to see a fair skinned girl with deep brown hair, that was long and curled lazily around her shoulders in the corner of the room. She was wearing what looked like a sundress, that hung loose around her shoulders, and hips, ending around her knees. She looked like an angel in all white.

"Who are you?" Was all I asked, suddenly feeling insecure being so close to her, with my scars and all. I felt like a freak, so pulled my hood tighter around my neck area.

Isn't it strange how just being near something so beautiful, can make you feel so ugly.

"She's my annoying sister, Kattie." Mattie scoffed and ran over to a little dark skinned girl, with green eyes and an afro, before pulling her into her own lap, and signing something to her with her hands.

'Little girl must be deaf…' I frowned at that thought, she looked so young and innocent.

"Wait, you're the twins." I mumbled Ace's earlier statement making sense all of a sudden.

"Yeah, that dimwit is unfortaintly my sister.." The girl referred too as Katie jutted her chin the direction as Mattie, as the other sister just cuddled into the girl on her lap and tuck out her tongue in a childish way.

I cocked an eyebrow and groaned slightly, before a large man that looked to be in his later 20's chuckled, beside a young girl with light blonde hair, that looked no more than 13. "Don't worry kid, that's just the way the twins are. Complete and utter opposites." He smiled in a kind way that felt warm, kinda like how Ace smiles. "By the way I'm Semron, this girl beside me is Dell. The girl, with Mattie is Train, and that weird guy in the corner," He nodded his head to an albino man around his 20's as well, with a clean cut suit, that just glared at the taller and much stronger man. "That's Tick."

I nodded looking around, eyeing them all carefully, feeling somewhat over whelmed by all the new faces. I just about jumped out of skin when I felt a large hand on my shoulder. "Good to see someone's making some friends." I turned around quickly to see a familiar man that was in the bomb shelter earlier.

His long unnaturally white hair was now pulled back in a bun with glasses on that looked similar to ones Ace use to wear back in Euphoria. The man's clothing resembled that of a clean cut homeless guy, with ripped saggy jeans, but clean creme colored shirt.

"Luic?" I asked unsure, considering I had never really gave his face a good look. He was also quite a bit taller than I thought.

"Yes, and please sit, the meetings about to start." He gestured to a couch that wrapped around the glass rooms permitter, with tables in front of them.

I curled my lip at him annoyed at being told what to do. I was sure their motive wasn't to kill me, well, I think so. Now that I know, Ace is here at least, I freely showed my emotions as I willed. But, who really knows in this day and age.

I sat reluctantly in the far end beside Ace, who was sitting by herself in the corner, and crossed my legs at the ankle and crossed my arms over my chest.

"Good, now let me properly introduce everyone to you." He smiled as he pulled a glass phone from his pocket and projected some images from it, casting a holographic screen.

"Fancy." I thought somewhat bitterly. I wanted that technology.. It was the PearMock 98' with holographic capabilities, and black glass frame for style. It was the top of the top line.

"First, we have Ace who you already know as Dr. Martin. She is our spy and sharpshooter. She's ex-military and is very good with a sniper, bout as good as she is at infiltrating. Ask her if you need information about Euphoria or need something from there. She'll know how to get it." A picture of Ace when she was younger flashed on the screen in military attire, holding a gun with medals pinned to her chest. Her hair was shorter than it is now, in a short pixie cut, but cruder. I looked at her and raised an eyebrow, as she just returned a sheepish grin. I rolled my eyes, and looked back at Luic as he cleared his throat. Drawing back my attention.

"Second is Tick, He's our time manger, and Underland connections. He spent years in Underland in the black market. You will need him for information on anything and everything: Underland. He can get you anything, from information, guns, even organs. If you need it for a mission that is." Luic smirked as he tapped a joint on the top of his right ear. "But, he get's me, my meds." Tick just did a small head jerk, showing his attention. Photo's of a man in what looked like grainy footage talking to what looked like gangs, in a rundown area flashed on to the screen. I looked back at the man in the footage nervously, as he just smirked looking forward, some how knowing my gaze was on him.

"Then, we have the twins, Mattie and Kattie." Mattie waved at me and giggled, but I ignored her and focused on the hologram. There were photo's of what looked like their childhood, except they were all dark and depressing. Most of them, in grimy clothes, in the streets, holding a gun over each shoulder.

And I thought my life wasn't a cake walk..

"They grew up in Underland, they are both trained in street-smarts and the school of hard knocks. They can get you into anywhere you need to be. The girl's are know as the top killers in Underland. Mattie is extremely skilled in killing with explosives and long ranged weapons. She'll will be teaching you some of her skills, as well as Kattie. She is mostly skilled at the silent art of killing, close range assassin. Ask them for help on anything like that." Mattie gave a smile before shooting a fake gun at me with a wink. I felt a sweat bend forming on my forehead at the thought of that girl with a bazooka.

I was so dead.

Luic continued on through my troubling thoughts. "Third, Harry, the guy that you first met on the streets of Euphoria. Harry use to do card tricks on the city streets of Euphoria, before that he was the son of a very rich and powerful man, that was close to our lovely Blood Prince, or as you as you know him; Dictator Viktor." I rose an eyebrow at Harry, as he smirked his pearl white teeth at me, his one gold peeping out as well. Yep, he totally seems like a well bred brat.. Asshole. I scoffed at the thought and looked away.

"But that's not why he's here, Over the years on the streets of Euphoria he learned to throw cards with such speed that by the time you try and grab your weapon his card has already hit you and killed you. He's our bodyguard, as well as Semron. It's a perk that it can't be picked up in a metal detector." Luic showed the photo's of Harry shaking the old dictator's hand with an older man beside him that looked like an older version of himself.

"Wait, why him? He doesn't seem all that protective of me." I grunted and glared at the hat guy's annoying face, as he just did that gross squinted eye, smirking thing again. He just gives me the creeps.

Luic adjusted his glasses to fit nicer on his face. "Cain, My house my rules, questioning me, is how you get yourself killed. Being here means you're not out on the streets of Underland. Try and be a little more grateful." He said warmly, but his words were ice cold. I swallowed hard and nodded.

"Right…" I sat up and recrossed my arms and looked around, before Luic broke a smile, as I awkwardly returned my thoughts back to him.

"Don't worry, I'm not the one that will cut your life short, but if the other guys get a hold of you, you'd wish I was the one to kill you." He chuckled as the rest of them snickered as well. "I'd be gentle."

I looked around once more thinking about how utterly strange this new world was, yet so fascinating. It really blew me away. More that fear, I felt belonging. Which, was defiantly not something I was very use too. They started to talk amongst themselves, before Luic spoke up once more. "Okay Okay. Back to what I was saying. Next is Dell." He pointed to the blonde girl that was dressed in only what I can describe as 1800's attire. She sat on the lap of the really huge guy that I guess is names Semron. "She's our one and only swords man. She wills two double bladed swords, and uses them better than most people under the sun. On top of that she's only 14." I looked at the girls blank face confused. The people here are so not normal. "The man that she sitting on is Semron, they're kind of a packaged deal. You can't have one without the other. Semron goes where ever Dell goes." He flashed image after image of her and Semron going through what looked like concentration camps, in uniform. She was fighting in every other photo, before a video played and showed her standing in front of a guy, before the camera shook, and the next thing you knew, the guys head was rolling around on the ground. I had seen worse on the deep web, but the speed was mind blowing. I didn't even see her pull her blade or put it away.

I looked around confused. "Was that real speed, or did you jack with the film?" They all chuckled, except for Dell who was still stone faced, What's with all of them having freak levels of speed? Like damn, chill the hell out of this shit.

"No Cain. Dell can move faster than the eye can see." He smiled and walked over to Dell, as he patted her head softly, like a father would to a child. She pouted slightly and shoved his hand away, before half of his joint landed on the floor, cleanly cut. I looked at it terrified, I hadn't seen her that time either, I didn't even see her draw a sword, honestly I didn't even know if she had one on her.

"She doesn't like being touched. Even by me.. Heartbreaking." He frowned, then he went right back to all smiles. "She use to be a test experiment by the former dictator. Fast, huh?" He grinned as I nodded dumbly. Very dumbly.

"Yeah.. really fast." I looked at her from the corner of my eye, I swear I saw a slightly look of satisfaction playing on her soft features, then sadness before it faded.

"Now, then. Tick please go get me another roll of Ganja." He chuckled as Tick got up and started walking out of the room. "While, he's doing that. Last, but not least, there's Train." He pointed to the little girl sitting on Matties lap, with her big afro that was a mess on top of her head. "She can work on anything that moves, and can be fixed with parts. She's my adopted daughter. So, please be nothing but perfect around her." He smiled and threw what looked like baby photos of her up, then more recent photos of her working on cars, boats, even a tank. She's 12 years old and amazing at what she does. A complete protégé, I think." He smiled as she spit a raspberry his way, while he just giggled like a child himself. "Oh, while she's amazing at working on cars, she's not so great at hearing. So, when talking to her, she needs to see your lips. That's the only way she can tell what you're saying."

I nodded and smiled at the little girl as she gave me a soft child like smile back, before I frowned. What kind of man allows his 12 year old daughter to be involved in a rebellion like this. How good is this Luic guy anyways, if he's down in this hell with us? I just don't really feel like I trust his yet. Dr. Martin, I mean Ace, I trust. But not him.

"Well, now that all of that is out of the way." Luic said as he closed the holograph, and sat on a chair that was pulled from the side of the room. "Let's talk about how we executed yesterdays plan." He smiled almost tauntingly as half the room groaned. I couldn't help, but smile as well, it really did feel like some sort of jacked up family.

As Luic berated the various members of the group about there conduct, I drifted off thinking about how being here really meant I'd never see my mother again, or the Cleaners. I'd never have to warm all those women that I hated so much, or have to deal with watching my few equally fucked up friends get weeded out one my one.. It was comforting, yet scary. All sarcasm and angst aside, I really do feel, for the first time, like a child in a world I truly didn't understand. Is this really my life now?

"Cain." A soft voice shook me from my thoughts as Ace's soft had was place on my shoulder. "The meeting is over. You'd didn't really have to pay attention this time, but in the future, you will be involved. So, don't make it a habit." She smiled sweetly as I nodded. "You must be tired, let's get you to bed. It's pretty late."

I nodded and stood up, as I mumbled my goodbye to the few people that was chatting among themselves still in the room. I followed Ace through the garage and back to the living room before we walked down a long hall and up a flight of large hovering stairs. She stopped at the third door on the right, as she placed her palm against the white wall, as the room slide open.

"Well, put your hand scan into our database tomorrow. I know this is a lot, but you'll get use to it. Just like all of us. I promise." She said reassuringly, as she tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. I couldn't help, but feel my cheeks heat at the gesture. Very rarely do people touch my face with out affliction about my appearance.

I signed, "Okay, but only because you say so.. I don't trust Luic." I mumbled honestly and without shame. No one should trust anyone, everyone lies.

"He'll prove to you, that he can be trusted. The people here today, that bet their life on him. So, do I." She nodded before closing my door after me. I was alone here, for the first time, since I arrived.

I breathed out a long breathed. Then, pulling off my hoodie and shirt, throwing it lazily on the twin sized bed in the center of the room the head against the wall. It was one of those resizable ones, that you could adjust to your liking. I read about them online last month. I smirk and located the remote and started screwing around with the settings. Making it as big as it could go which was a king then changed it to the feeling of a water bed. I poked at it chuckled. "I have a freaking water bed!" I laughed and sat on it before, seeing the holo-screen to adjust the walls.

I walked over to it, before enlarging the screen by pulling my hands apart. I flicked through some of the basic themes, Like traditional Japanese, or Victorian gothic. I logged into the main frame pretty easily and found a unique theme I made myself with in seconds.

It looked like a forest surrounded by trees and green grass, in the autumn, the sound of the breeze and all. I smiled softly. It felt so real, I had never see tree's in person, this is as close as I will ever get, won't I?

I walked into the bathroom that was attached to my room and turned it into an underwater theme, with glowing jelly fish. I smiled as I peed in the comfortingly normal toilet. Then, I walked back to my room and sat on my new water bed, in the new room, ready to sleep and start my new life. So, odd.