Unknown Facility

Small hands rose to rub at her crusted eyes, Alice slowly shifted from her slumber.

She looked around at her surroundings wearily. Grey metal surrounded them from all sides with a single panel at the wall to right as a likely doorway. A narrow vent blew fresh air in, providing a gentle breeze. A small lavatory sat behind her, made from the same cold metal that was beneath her.

The room was dimly lit and the air buzzed with some sort of noise like that of fluorescent lights.

And... there was something else there.

It sounded like whimpering, followed shallow breaths of air and a sniffle.

Alice stood up hesitantly. "Is-is someone there?"

No response. Alice walked slowly to the source of the sounds, each step as quiet as she could manage.

She gasped loudly before muffling herself with her hands. Before her was another young girl, possibly younger, lying on the ground. She had short blonde hair with a single long ponytail on the left of her head. She wore a torn and stained red and white dress, matted with something that looked like hardened red clay. Long slender legs were barefoot, the other girl was shivering from the lack of warmth.

Alice bit her lip, conflicted. She looked around for a moment before bending down and gently shaking the other blonde. "Excuse me? Wake up?"

The other girl drearily opened vermilion eyes. She blinked once, twice, and opened them fully. She gasped and sat up, taking in her surroundings and then settled her gaze upon Alice. Frantic red eyes met confused blue ones as the younger girl edged away weakly.

"H-hi." Alice stuttered. She slowly reached out an arm, offering it. "I'm Alice. "Who're you?"

The other blonde looked away, breaking eye contact. "Flandre..." She mumbled.

"It's nice to meet you, Flandre." Thinking back on what Tick Tock told her when meeting new people, she searched for what little courage she had and asked, "Do you want to be friends?"

Flandre's eyes widened and watered slightly. "I.." Her voice trembled, unsteady as her eyes and nose began to trickle. "I... yes?"

Alice came slowly closer and took Flandre's shaking hands into her own. She gripped them as comfortingly as she could muster.

The touch spread warmth through Flandre's aching body, her face heating under the dim lights.

Neither noticed the camera hanging at the corner of the room, recording what took place.

Flandre Scarlet did not understand the world.

She did not understand why her mother died when she was too young to even remember.

She did not understand why her sister was different from her.

She did not understand why her father did the things he did. He kept telling her about how 'this was for her own good' and that 'Remi has been a bad girl. She had to be punished.'

Father always told her that she was the favorite, that she was the better daughter.

Flandre knew she wasn't; things always broke around her. Her things, her toys, her pets, her loved ones.

She was content though. Despite her sheltered and isolated life, she was happy. Her sister always visited when she could, telling her stories about her triumphs and victories.

It made the dull ache inside her chest a little lighter when she came.

She understood the small world around her. She was just too big for it at times.

Then everything changed.

She was taken away, screaming for someone to stop the strange men.

She was screaming for Remi, for her to help.

She was still screaming when she lost sight of her sister, only to have no sound escaping her throat.

Then she met her.

She was different, Flandre thought. She didn't run away from her. She didn't go boom or thud or splat. She was still there.

And she wanted to be her friend.

Flandre understood that she wasn't allowed to have any friends. It was safer that way.

A sliver of hope was offered before her. A forbidden fruit that she knew she should have turned away.

Yet she decided to be selfish anyways.

Despite the circumstances, Alice had admitted that things were still manageable.

She was not home, lying on her plush furniture and colorful toys. She did not have Tick-Tock's comforting smile as he brought in a tray of delicious food and snacks.

Instead, she was locked away in a grey box with the bare minimal necessities. Outside of the poor ambiance, her needs were mostly met.

Flandre had discovered a small container of food shortly after. It held snacks varying from water bottles, juice packs, granola bars and even the odd meat jerky.

Alice was reminded of how hungry she felt after seeing all the food and tore into it ravenously.

Her newly found friend seemed the same, ferociously tearing at the dried meat with snarling bites.

Once satisfied, she collapsed onto the cool metal floor. Alice smiled as she felt Flandre's warmth settle near her and fell into a comfortable sleep.

It reminded her of Tick-Tock; the soft fluorescent humming fading into an echo of a firm and masculine voice, serenading her into a serene bliss with tales of princesses and knights.

The world of Remilia Scarlet had retreated into the sanguine haze prior to her sobriety.

Claws tore away at the nameless peons that dared to stand in her way.

She had to be here. She had to be.

Talons tore into steel as she passed through the former dead-end.

Lights around her dimmed, only to be replaced by the flashing alarms and blaring sirens.

It mattered not. She had failed in duty long enough.

As far as she was concerned, Goliath has descended into this den of Davids.

And no slingshot nor weapon was going to deny Remilia Scarlet.

It started as a faint plucking at the back of her mind, but grew steadily stronger as Flandre roused from her slumber.

Despite the cold floor, Alice was really warm and the company made it that much warmer.

It felt nice, feeling someone else's skin for once.

Flandre rubbed at her eyes and she sat up, the hardened shreds of her skirt a bit irritable on her thighs.

The sensation grew and she felt the strangest emanations coming from it. Echoes of desperation, excitement and anger came to mind.

However, the loudest of them was the blind hope.

Suddenly, the sirens blared. Alice jumped, startled at the sound. Her breathing soon settled and she saw the other's still form. "Flandre? Are you OK?"

It was becoming tangible now, the warmth exuding from it exceeding that of their shared body heat. Red, slitted eyes widened as a trembling smile spread across fanged lips.

"I-I think I will be."