Chapter: 7... Realization

ALICE P.O.V

I was awoken by my phone's ringing. 'Who the hell phones at this time of night.' I reached for the phone and answered it. Jayden stirred next to me switching his light on, sitting upright.

"Hello?"

"A-Alice..." Leo's voice was strange.

"Leo? Is something wrong?"

There was a long pause, one that sent chills down my spine. I stared wide-eyed at Jayden who moved closer to me so he could hear.

"Leo? Are you still there?"

The line crackled a bit and I could swear I heard a man screaming and gurgling in the background. Jayden quickly got up and headed to fetch Alaric.

"Alice... It's Nicole... Something... Happened... Please!" Leo's voice cracked, then he cut off the line, Jayden and Alaric headed into the room and stared at me. "Alice?" Jayden asked warily.

"Jayden and I went to look in Nicole's room to fetch her, but she wasn't there." Alaric said gently trying to find out what is going on, I thought of a million ways to respond, none of them viable as an answer.

I was frozen... Now what?...

Alaric and Jayden stared at me waiting for my reply. "Leo... Something happened to Nicole..." I felt deflated, I had no idea how to react or how to feel, I felt lost...

"Did Leo say where he was?" Jayden asked gently.

I shake my head. Jayden looked at Alaric, a hidden message drifting between them, Alaric nods, then heads out. "Go get dressed." Jayden ordered. I nodded obediently before heading upstairs to get dressed...

"Alice we know where they are. Please, come here." Jayden called to which I once again obeyed heading back down to them.

"I am here." I whispered.

"Good. They are at the hospital right now. Alice..." Alaric seemed conflicted about something.

"Alaric?" I pushed. Jayden gave Alaric a 'nothing' look, once again sending an unreadable message.

"It's cold out, you need to put on a jacket." Alaric continued, not looking me in the eye.

I nodded, but before I could go get one Jayden gave me one of his. "Here. Now, come on we need to go." Jayden said urgently.

Alaric, to my surprise, gave the keys to Jayden, before we all headed out. Jayden opened the passenger door for me, closing it once I finally got in, Alaric was situated behind me in the rear-passenger seat, Jayden in the driver's seat. "You can drive?"

"He taught us to drive." Alaric answered from behind. "They suspect he might have been a car thief or racer or something as a part time job when he was human."

Jayden was surprisingly quiet, he started the car and we headed towards the hospital... The closer we got the more my fear rose. By the time we arrived, and stopped in the parking lot, I was suffocating. Jayden squeezed my hand supportively, before he got out. 'I have a feeling something terrible happened... What if Nicole was disabled... or worse... what will I do.' The sound of Alaric getting out brought me back to the real world. Jayden opened the door for me, I struggled to get out, my legs were more like jelly than muscles and bone.

"You ok?" Jayden asked, supporting me.

"Yes, I was just thinking I needed to somehow let the Lab know, but I do not know how as they left no way to contact them." Of course that was a lie, but I did not want to tell them what the truth was, the truth that I am scared to death of... What will we find?

Jayden and Alaric nodded in understanding. "It's ok we will work something out, right now though we need to go find our friends." Jayden answered.

"Can I have a few minutes please, I need to do something." Alaric eyed me sceptically. "I'll come as soon as I am done." Jayden nodded and headed in leaving Alaric with me for a while.

"I know you're lying, Alice. You obviously have their contact number, how else will you report certain incidents." I sighed.

"Alaric…" I fumbled trying to think of what to say. "I am scared, what if she's disabled, or worse... I have no idea what I am supposed to do. They will want a full scaled report, and then some… They may even want a full fledged investigation… And I will need to perform it… I can't… I don't want to relive whatever it is that happened to her… Please understand… Please..." Tears start to well up against my eyelids, forming walls of blurriness and pain.

Alaric inched closer to me, then patted my head. "I am sure everything will be fine. Take as much time as you need I'll spin a story to Jayden. While you're out here... You should call the Lab." Alaric smiled kindly, then headed in.

I leaned against the car trying my best to calm down. Jayden was at the reception, asking for directions, I think. Alaric standing right next to him, they both pointed to me, the receptionist turning her head towards me, waved, I waved back. I waited a bit till they were out of sight, then grabbed my phone from my pocket.

"Hello." A cold emotionless voice drifted through the phone.

"Hi, this is Alice, reporting from Project Z." I replied.

"Hold on..." The line gets shifted, I wait patiently for it to connect.

"Alice!!" A deep gruff voice answered. Remember I explained about the guy running the labs that placed us here, the only recorded Devil? The one who kills your parents and everyone who knows you and all that?... Well. "Sweetheart!!."

"Hi dad." I answered softly. I may or may not have left out the part that I was born to a Devil and a Zelba as part of an experiment to find the perfect heir for the company. I am the only one who can leave whenever and wherever I want. "We have a problem." I sigh sadly.

"What's wrong? What happened?" his voice went from joyful to hideously concerned in seconds.

"Nicole... She's injured. I am outside the hospital now, I don't know what happened yet." I bit back my tears.

"O, sweetheart it's ok I'll send you another toy to play with, anyone you want, you have the pick of the litter." He laughed.

I hissed, my blood boiling. "WHAT THE FUCK DAD!!??" gal rose in my throat as the anger grew, raging through my whole body.

"I'm joking, I'm joking!! I'm sorry your favourite toy broke." His voice was serious for once and that PISSED ME OFF!!!!!

"She is not a goddamned TOY!! She's a human with a genetic mutation the same as me and you!!" I was furious. HOW DARE HE SAY THAT!!

"No sweetheart, you are the only Zelba with a dormant Devil-gene inside you. Which only you can activate, unfortunately though if you get bitten you could still die, only difference is that you have a bigger chance of turning into the strongest Devil that has ever been on record, thus far... You are my precious jewel..." He lectured.

".." I stayed silent for a while. "Goodnight dad."

"Goodnight my precious jewel." I quickly ended the call.

Someday I hope he can see the truth. That was my heart's deepest wish. Taking a deep breath I head into the hospital, straight to the reception desk.

"Excuse me." I almost whispered.

"Hello, there, you must be Alice, your friends asked me to take you to them once you entered." She smiled politely.

I nodded. "Yes, please." The urgency in my voice made even me feel rushed.

She smiled again before leading me to the room where Alaric, Leo and Jayden were waiting. "Hello..." I announced myself, where after I greeted the lady and thanked her.

Jayden came closer and hugged me, he stepped away and was replaced by a distraught Leonardo. "What happened?" I asked, stroking his back gently.

"A-Alice..." Alaric started. "You might wanna sit down."

Leo let go of me sitting back down in his chair, I took a spot on the chair closest to Leo and Jayden.

"Nicole... Nicole was..." Alaric fumbled taking a deep breath.

Jayden took over holding my hand supportively. "Nicole was rapped repeatedly for hours, and before Leo could get to Nicole Sam had bitten her."

The world suddenly stopped. He rapped her... Then bit her... We cannot get bitten... WE could die. My tears slowly slipped down my cheeks. "W-What? No, that can't be, maybe there was a mistake or something."

Leo stirred next to me. "I'm sorry Alice... I am so sorry... I was wrong about Sam... I caused this... This is all my fault." Leo was completely shattered, his voice was shaking, he was as pale as a paper is white.

This is a joke right... Right? "Where is Sam?" I growled.

"I killed him..." Leo said boldly. "But I was too late to save her... Why did this have to happen with the girl I wanted to give my life to..." Leo broke, tears freely rolling down his cheeks.

"Leo, it's ok. It'll all be ok. Don't blame yourself, this is the dick who did it's fault, no one else's. I will not stand for you feeling sorry for yourself and making yourself look bad."

Just as I was almost finished the doctor came, "Guys... I am so, so sorry." I took a deep breath trying to calm down. "Nicole passed on..." He finally completed. I held my breath. W-What? N-No!

Jayden held me as sob after tiring sob ripped through my body. The doctor gave his apologies before walking out and leaving us alone.

"How..." Was all Leo could manage, he was broken, his eyes were cloudy and tears slowly trickled down his cheek.

Alaric was pale white, he tried to comfort his brother, but to no avail. I took a deep empowering breath. I need to get myself under wraps, my pain will have to wait for now, I need to take care of Leo... "Jayden..." I whispered softly. "I am ok now, I need to help Leo now." Jayden nodded, letting go of me.

"Leo..." I approached him gently... Words completely fail me, I have no clue what to say to make him feel better. It's not ok and it never will be ok, one member of our 'Family' died!

Leo looked up at me. "A-A-Alice... She's gone... She's really gone." My heart ached for him. I pulled him into a standing position and hugged him.

"I was so cruel to her, I really liked her... Alice... I lost her... Now what?" A sob rattled his body, as all the realizations started to hit him one after the other.' I am so, so sorry Leo, if I hadn't asked her to come with me, this would've never happened, I am so sorry... I wish there was a way I could ease your pain... But I don't know how.' I patted his back softly as the 2m giant cried... 'I'm sorry!!'