• Chapter Three: Open up, Alice.


    One Month Later


    She jumped at the timbre of the Mjolinor entering the room. It took note of her surprise and examined the room.

    “Alice, what has you startled?” the voice was male.
    Ever since she got the Mjolinor she felt a hole in her chest filling; one that knew before him she lacked safety.

    “Jinn, you scared me. I didn’t notice you were in the house…” She looked about the home. It looked the exact same as her former home, a mirror image if you will. Just as boring. The memory almost made her wince. In the entire month that passed since the last attack that had sent her to the hospital, she had heard nothing of Aeliric, and no sightings either. She, herself, hadn’t even seen him. Perhaps he had left the dome? That would make sense; after all, he did let her live, and that revealed his kind to the limelight.

    “Alice, you’re not getting out enough. Why don’t we go out? C’mon, I’ll help you dress…” The voice was kind, and gentle, sounding only faintly metallic. She was calmed greatly by it.

    She stood and walked into her bedroom where she and Jinn went through her closet. He was better at dressing her than she was at dressing herself, and it generally looked better.

    “Hmmm, I have a feeling tonight is a red night. Do you agree, Alice?” He held up a halter dress. The color was a bright red, and there were black ribbons about the waist. She wrinkled her nose at the dress. She wasn’t really the dress type, though she had to admit that the dress was kind of stylish. Several holographic crystalline stems hung from the hem of the skirt, accompanied by a black crystalline vine that would wrap up her body and move with her, as if an actual vine.

    Moments later, she emerged from the bathroom, in black stilettos, the dress slimming her already slender waist. Her red hair was dangling lazily about her shoulders. Jinn raised a mechanical hand to a mechanical chin and pondered.
    “Oh, I know what to do! You just have to let me do your hair!” He ushered her back into the bathroom. All sorts of neat little gadgets adorned the white countertop and he stood her in front of a mirror. “You’re so pretty; we can’t have your hair hiding your face!” He picked up a brush and began to brush feverishly before she lost all sight of his hands. He was moving too fast for her to keep up.

    “Perfection!” he almost squealed moments later. She had closed her eyes when he was working to avoid becoming dizzy. When she opened them, a gasp caught in her throat. Her hair was tied away from her face, small, intimate strands dangling intricately around her face. Black and white gems were scattered about the beautiful red locks. She felt like she looked like a princess. Princess wasn’t her thing, but again… the person staring at her in the mirror, though it wasn’t her, was gorgeous. He had taken the liberty of doing her make-up. Neon red eye shadow outlined her green eyes, very dark black eyeliner accompanying it. Her lips were a very light rose color, almost nude, but the shine in them was obvious.

    “Oh, Alice! You’re going to be so irresistible! I know just the place to go! Come now! Hurry!” He ushered her out the door, grabbing a slim fitting black duster for her to throw about her shoulders. She grimaced, having had no time to protest, or even think for that matter. Getting hastily into the backseat she looked into the rearview. Jinn didn’t look like a machine at all, though looks could be deceiving. He would have made a gorgeous human, all seven feet of him, with his sunshine blonde locks and glossy blue eyes. Blue eyes… She pushed the thought away. A smile crept across her face. She simply couldn’t help it, as she watched the Mjolinor in the front seat sway back and forth in an excited jig.

    All this time she had been so wrong about the Metatypes. Metatype is the technical name for the androids that we used to help us along. She often times wondered how she got along without one. Jinn had been a bright hour in some of her darkest days. She didn’t feel like he was a Metatype at all.
    They pulled into the parking lot of the large club, the music pulsing out of it. At first, she seemed annoyed at all of the underage girls trying to sneak their way in with fake I.D. s. She shook her head and stood in line behind them before Jinn pulled her up front.

    “Jinn,” She hissed, “Cutting in any line is against regulations!” She nervously attempted to head back to the end of the line before Jinn caught her arm.
    “Come now, Alice. Missus Head of the Intelligence Bureau, you don’t have to be all hardcore all of the time. Let loose, it isn’t too severe a law or I wouldn’t be able to suggest it. I am a Metatype, you know…”

    “Oh, Jinn, don’t refer to yourself like that, it almost makes me ill…” she caved, allowing herself to be dragged to the front of the line.

    The bouncer was large, and definitely intimidating. He turned his large brown eyes onto Alice and stopped for a minute. Blinking once or twice, he removed the metal rope to let them into the pulsing x-fest.

    Dodging dancers and drinkers of all sorts, she finally made her way to the bar, Jinn hot on her trail, and pouting. She ordered herself a drink and proceeded to ignore Jinn for a while, having a feeling that she knew exactly what he was pouting about.

    She also was forced to ignore several wayward glances and she hadn’t even removed the duster. Apparently, the bouncer was not the only one who was charmed by what the Mjolinor had done with her. The attention making her a tad uneasy, she turned and faced the bar. Looking at herself in the mirror, she absent mindedly began to count the gemstones that sparkled in her hair. She caught a glimpse of Jinn moping from the corner of her eye and finally conceited defeat, turning to look at him.

    “What is it now, Jinn? Why are you pouting?” she inquired, nudging the shoulder of the Metatype.

    “Nothing, it is just I worked really hard to make you look stunning, and you are not even flaunting it…” He responded, timidly looking up at her with mechanical blue eyes. She stared at him in disbelief.

    “Flaunt? Since when have you known me to flaunt anything but a badge?” She questioned, turning her full body now to face him. He looked up at her.

    “Alice, you cut yourself short all the time. This was supposed to help you get out of that furrow you are in. The one where you do nothing but insult yourself and put yourself down. But you refuse to even remove the jacket.” The tone of his voice was a pitiful one. He knew which of her buttons to push, perhaps because he was her Metatype.

    “Jinn, listen. This just isn’t my scene…” she spoke, but in turn took off the duster that hid the pale porcelain skin.

    “You shouldn’t try to push the H.I.B. She’ll get you.” The voice belonged to a woman almost six feet tall with devilish hazel eyes and dyed burgundy locks. She was wearing a grin on deep black lips, the hazel eyes drowning in a sea of black eye shadow and liner. A piercing lay at each corner of her bottom lip, snake-bites. It was a primitive piercing, but it made her look dangerous, sexy.
    “And who are you?” Jinn responded, his interest seeming to be sparked. He cut a glance at Alice before turning to look at the burgundy haired woman again. Alice rolled her eyes. Great she thought, he’s found me a friend…
    “My real name is Meredith Crown. But everyone in these parts calls me Poison. Don’t ask me why. I couldn’t tell you anymore that what you already know.”

    “Is this including or excluding the fact that you’re nosey and rude?” Alice responded, cutting a glance at the woman. The woman merely responded with a grin.

    “Give or take, honey. Things are different in here. No one gives a s**t about your title.” Meredith spoke, her tone almost sounding threatening. With this in mind, Jinn rose to his feet towering down over the woman.

    “Sit, Jinn. Was that a threat? Do you know who I am?” Alice barked, now standing herself.

    “Yes, Alice Carter, Head of the Intelligence Bureau, I know exactly who you are. And I’m not threatening you. I’m warning you. You try to pull rank here, and you’ll get yourself in some trouble that your monstrous Metatype won’t be able to get you out of…”

    “Slow your roll, Meredith. Get back in the kitchen, there’re plates that need washin’.” Spoke another woman behind the bar.

    Meredith rose and disappeared quite as quickly as she had appeared in the first place.

    Alice looked over at the woman who had spoke, seeming kind of surprised. She looked no older than seventeen, but was standing behind the bar, running a cup under a dryer so it would be dry for the next order. Her red eyes, Alice assumed they were contacts, were painted in a deep blue color, and her long, acid green hair was tied behind her head.

    “You’ll have to excuse her… Our Meredith it’s very keen on the term: ‘manners.’ Hi, I’m Sagura. I own this bar.” The woman had set the cup down and outstretched a pale hand, lined with long slender fingers. The nail polish was black, but reflected whatever color was shining upon it at that time.
    Hesitantly, Alice took the woman’s hand, preparing to introduce her name.
    “Oh no, honey, there’s no need for you to introduce yourself. We already know who you are.” Sagura smiled gently, nothing threatening about her at all. “How are you recovering? I heard about you being attacked on the news and I sent you some candy and flowers. Nothing soothes the soul quite like some of my famous chocolate covered pretzels. I make ‘em right here in this bar.”

    “Well, thank you for your consideration. It’s good to know that there are still good upstanding citizen’s in this town.” Alice flashed one of her prettiest smiles. This was none too pretty.

    Jinn visibly flinched in the background. He had not been prepared for that one. Looking quickly over to their new friend, Sagura, He noticed that she was wearing a smile herself.

    Sagura set a drink down onto the table and looked up at Alice, “It’s on the house, love.” She had a very maternal air about her. She sparked Alice’s curiosity.

    “How old are you, exactly?” She pondered aloud.

    Sagura simply laughed. “Oh, honey… It’s been so long since someone asked me that, I’ve long forgotten. I think I’m just about thirty though…” She smiled another one of those maternal smiles.

    “Wow, really? I thought you were no older than seventeen…” Alice responded, her eyes carefully examining her.

    “Now, now. You quit looking at me that way. I understand you’re the H.I.B., and you’ve certainly been given reason to be wary of people, but I assure you, I mean no harm.” Sagura responded.

    Jinn was being awfully quiet. Alice peered over at him to see the grin on his face. It looked like some sort of trophy, like he had won a tournament or something. She knew what this meant, and she was sure she would be hearing it all night.

    “You two seem to be hitting it off quite nicely.” Jinn remarked, deciding it was time to enter the conversation.

    “Eh, I’ve seen a lot of people come and go. Looks can be deceiving, you know. Miss Carter, please be careful. Nothing here is what it seems.” Sagura added.
    Alice mustered up an amused laugh. It was somewhat dry. “You don’t have to tell me that twice. Remember, on the news? I was sure for weeks I had been attacked by someone who has been dead for over a century.” At this, Sagura laughed herself.

    “I have respect for you, Miss Carter. You’re brave. I have to go tend to others, but please. Come back and see me…” Sagura spoke as she began to walk away.

    Alice began to do the same until she heard her voice being called behind her. She turned to look at the kind red eyed woman.

    “And don’t be afraid to open up a little, Alice. I’m always willing to listen to what you have to say.” Alice felt warmed.

    “Sure. I’ll definitely be back.” She spoke, her earlier authoritative tone now meshing into something a little more casual. Sagura nodded her head, and within seconds she was lost in the crowd of dancers and drinkers.