CHAPTER TEN
Jet managed to calm Alice down enough for the doctor to examine her. But before all that, Alice had opened the window to let a lone crow in. It was evidently smaller than the others by the window. As soon as it was inside, it circled the room once before landing on top of Alice's shoulder and hasn't left since.
The doctor and the nurses with him left the room so overwhelmed with Alice. She was in perfect condition; with not even fatigue. When asked; the girl merely shrugged. And the doctors left the room with no answers.
As soon as the doctor closed the door, Alice removed the government-issued earphone. And the two men with her jumped to their feet. But the girl did not even flinch even as the Freakquency attacked her in full.
"Whoa, whoa!" Jet exclaimed, stepping away from her. "Why are you removing that?"
-"To study it," Alice answered. "It's not very comfortable,"-
She took her own headphone off the table and wore it. And then, she opened up the earphone and her eyes started twinkling as if she had discovered something new. The crow on her shoulder cawed and she laughed, still with no voice though, as if they were talking.
"Uhmm, Alice?" Alec started cautiously. "It is a requirement to wear a government-issued earphone. And what about your Alpha pills?"
-"I've never taken them. I've no need for them,"-
Alice turned to him and put the now destroyed earphone and removed her headphone once more and started tinkering with it. After a few more minutes of silence, Alice raised her headphone with a beam as if proud of what she had done.
-"It's the same now!"-
She excitedly announced. And Jet told Alec what about she had said. The two of them looked at each other at a total loss. But Alec sighed and nodded at her. With another smile, she wore it once more and the crow on her shoulder nuzzled her cheek.
"Tell me," Alice started. "How am I Alice?"
"Uh… That's Alec's specialty," Jet answered.
Alec took his wallet out of his pocket and revealed a hidden pocket—which contained a single photograph. Jet looked at it as Alec gave it to Alice. It was a photo taken years ago; post-Freakquency apocalyptic, judging by how different Alec looked in the photo. He was younger.
And with him, was the girl in front of them. She was younger; probably just fifteen or sixteen. But despite the age, it was definitely the two of them. Alec was sitting crossed-leg on the grass, his right hand holding a glass of juice raised in the air as if to cheer. His smile was carefree, while his left arm was holding Alice who was behind him her own arms wrapped around his neck in an embrace and a huge grin gracing her lips.
"That was taken four years ago before I left the country for my job transfer," Alec explained. "It was the last time we were all together,"
Alice continued to stare at the photograph as Alec slowly made his way closer to her. He sat down at the edge of the bed and gave her a pained smile. "Dad and mom were supposed to be with you. What happened?"
Alice crooked her head as she returned the photo back to Alec.
-"There is nothing in my memories," Alice answered, looking at Alec. "I woke up one day and that was that,"-
Alec turned to Jet as the younger man repeated what Alice was telling him using their telepathic connection. Understanding, he nodded and turned back to Alice.
"It is possible you are suffering from amnesia. But—this speaking in his mind; is it necessary? You seem to be understanding me just fine or is he repeating it to you telepathically?"
Jet shook his head. "Hell, I'm not doing anything like that. That sounds so troublesome,"
-"I can understand fine," Alice started. "But—I can't speak,"-
"Why?" Jet asked as soon as he repeated her words to Alec.
Alice shook her head. She gave a pained smile as she raised a hand and held her throat gently as she opened her mouth as if to speak but no voice came out.
-"It doesn't have to be him, necessarily. He's just the first person who has heard me,"-
"So, what? I'm special?" Jet asked with a smirk but he received a smack from Alec.
"But the doctor said there's nothing wrong with you. More tests must be done, then," Alec muttered.
"Should we really be talking about her voice when her power is the real question here?" Jet asked and Alec turned to him. "You do know The Agency is looking for you, right?"
-"But I have no need for them,"-
Jet groaned; feeling frustration for the nth time that day. "It doesn't work that way, you know?"
"The Agency is here to keep things in order, Alice. If you're not a member of it you're not allowed to use your powers. It keeps the peace,"
Alice frowned. And the crow on her shoulder opened its wings and cawed loudly. Her eyes glinted but when they blinked it was gone as if it wasn't there in the first place.
-"I use my powers to help,"-
"We know that," Alec answered. "But people want proof that they are safe. It's human nature to fear what we don't know," he explained before giving Jet and Alice a back and forth glances. "Especially you Alice. How are you talking to Jet even though you are wearing headphones used to stop our powers from being used?"
She merely shrugged in response.
-"You do understand that I had no one to explain how these things work. I had to study them myself. So, how can I answer your questions?"-
"That she said," Jet added after voicing the thoughts in his head.
Alec sighed. They were getting nowhere. "Then, why didn't you go to a branch of The Agency after knowing you have these abilities?"
Alice jumped up from the bed. The room was suddenly full of deadly aura as the crow inside started cawing loudly and wasn't stopping. Alice's eyes were glinting with anger. And with her back from the window, the dark sky outside only exacerbated the blaze of her orbs. And if there was any doubt in Jet's mind about these two's relationship it was gone now.
Alec's eyes tend to glow like that as well.
But—it doesn't change the fact that Alice is seriously scarier.
-"You don't think I've tried that? The Agency did things to me! I barely escaped with my life. The only reason I'm still here despite you mentioning their nauseating name is that I trust him!"-
She growled, pointing at Jet. And as he repeated her words to Alec, his own eyes glinted in his own anger. He clenched his fist in order to calm himself as he braved himself to ask her to elaborate. Alice's expression turned grim.
-"You do not want to know,"-