Anita

The next few waves had been relatively uneventful; Anita and Layette had joined up with Diaxel while Cassius randomly lent a hand from the air, with the air. The foursome had destroyed their targets with ease, the Herects no match for their combined strength as one by one they took down each one until nothing remained but piles of bodies. Dead Guardians and Herects still covered the field as the final wave ended, the ringing bells releasing them for the day. The three of them sat down with a huff as the Keepers got to work clearing the dead. Easy as the fights had been, they were still exhausting and they were glad it was over.

Cassius joined them a few minutes later; after collecting his now trampled on and soggy shirt. He stared at it with distaste and the other three laughed at the look on his face. “Don’t even try to save it kid,” Diaxel reached over and burned the soaking piece of fabric to dust. “They’ll get you a new one, if you were that attached.”

“You know, I’m surprised they even let us keep bringing shirts with us down here. They always just get thrown aside.” Layette raised a questioning eyebrow.

Diaxel chuffed with laughter. “There are still women here, and most of the Keepers are men. Higher ups probably don’t want to make it seem like they’re parading your bodies around.”

“Pfft, doesn’t even matter with Anita. Amount of times she gets her ass whooped, might as well just burn all your shirts right now.” Diaxel wiggled his eyebrows suggestively at Layette’s words.

Anita rolled her eyes, swirling the water underneath them and knocking Diaxel onto his back. The Guardian wiped the mud from his cheek and retaliated by smearing some on her nose. Cassius frowned at their discussion, “They beat you?”

The three of them piped in at the same time, “Almost every day.”

“Anita’s just a trouble maker.”

“Robert just loves making her scream.”

Anita wrinkled her nose at Layette. “Did you have to make that sound so sexual? Plus I don’t scream.”

“Coulda fooled me,” Layette mumbled under her breath.

Cassius gaped at them, “Seriously?”

Anita nodded and turned her back, revealing the collage of shattered stones framing her skin. He gasped, reaching out a hand before remembering and snatching it back. “Oh god, are you okay?”

She spun back around slowly. “Yeah, he went pretty easy today.”

“That’s being easy? What did you do? How can you even stand?” Cassius was utterly appalled.

“I was late getting up. I tend to do that a lot, and compared to the sting of an Alpha this is nothing.” Anita shrugged. “I’m fine,” she added when she noticed his clenched fists. “Don’t do something stupid.” She nodded at Layette, “She stepped in for me on her first day and he beat her senseless.”

“Whoa there guys,” Diaxel interjected, “no need to terrify the kid on his first day. It’s not so bad if you stay in line, what wing are you in?”

“E8,” he said, still frowning at Anita.

“Ayyy!” Diaxel grinned, “That’s my wing! See? Nothing to worry about. Teagan’s not as bat happy as Robert is.”

“Who’s not as bat happy as who?” Layette flinched at the voice and Anita calmly met the gaze of her Keeper.

“It’s nothing,” Diaxel muttered, keeping his eyes averted from Robert. He shot an apologetic glance at Anita, realising his mistake might cost them a beatdown.

“That’s what I thought.” He sniffed loudly and put out his hand. ”Ladies." He said the word mockingly and Anita glared at him before slowly rising to her feet, ignoring his outstretched hand.

“See you later Diaxel, Cassius.” Anita nodded in farewell, standing to the side and waiting for Robert, who was staring at Cassius.

“Cassius? You’re the new Guardian?” Robert’s smile was sickeningly sweet as he gazed at the boy.

“Leave him alone,” Anita snapped, earning herself a brutal backhanded slap to the face that knocked her to the ground.

“You shut your mouth,” Robert growled as Anita returned to her feet. The Keeper grabbed Layette’s arm and shoved the two Guardians in front of him. “Get moving.”

One by one he gathered the rest of his charges, all but one who he informed them was dead as a doornail. He didn’t spare them a moment to process that as he shooed them towards the lab; eager to go and do whatever it was the Keepers did while the Guardians underwent their daily two to three hours of testing.

The tests were obnoxious but at least it freed her from the hands of the Keepers, and at least the scientists actually seemed to care about the Guardians; even if it was only like a favoured pet.

Once in the lab the scientists gently urged the Guardians onto the little stools that would allow them to spin and adjust as necessary and began; poking and prodding at their skin, examining their crystals for wounds and clearing out any corrupted crystals that hadn’t been removed before.

Anita hissed as they rubbed peroxide on the gaps in her skin. A numbing agent was applied to her back when they saw the mess Robert had made and Anita’s attendant, a slim, red headed woman with dark, grey eyes named Amy, tsked when she discovered the beating. “I’ll have a talk with him,” she promised and Anita rolled her eyes. Amy, and others, had done the same several times before and it never changed anything.

“Is that any better?” Amy asked, after applying the rest of the numbing agent.

“It’s fine, thank you.” Anita spoke in a clipped tone.

“Excellent, please head over that way so they can begin the CT scans.” Anita sighed and pushed herself off the little stool, examining the different test tubes scattered around while she walked. They were filled with anything from blood to crystals, some even held detached eyes or ears from Herects, or Guardians, who had died or been wounded irreparably. She wanted to ask what they were doing with all the stuff they had collected, but figured she wouldn’t get a straight answer anyway.

She’d apparently taken too long as one of the scientists came over and urged her onward, clasping her hand in his when she paused once again, and virtually dragging her to the CT scanner. “Alright, alright,” she mumbled and the dorky looking guy patted her hand a few times and smiled sheepishly.

“Please, sit. Lay back.” He tugged her down onto the plastic surface and began attaching wires and other uncomfortable machinery to her skin. The scans were relatively fast and he had her sit on a different bench when they were done. Finally, he went to drain a few pints of her blood, gathering a few six ounce vials and placing them nearby on a counter. She squirmed at the needles, not liking the feel of them under her skin and he merely patted her hand a few more times. “Please sit still,” he asked when she didn’t settle, “I would hate to have to strap you down.”

She grit her teeth and forced herself to stop shifting, clenching her fists in her lap while he drained several ounces of blood, setting the vials gently to the side when he was finished. “Excellent, thank you. That is all for today. Please head over there and wait for your Keeper to escort you to lunch.”

She dipped her head and rose from her spot, walking briskly through the lab until she’d reached the exit; where she was instructed to sit and wait for the others before their Keeper would collect them. It didn’t take long before Layette and the other five had joined them and Robert appeared shortly afterwards to lead them to the mess hall; an unusually contemplative look on his face as he gazed over the group of Guardians.