# 1 - The New Member
"I have one question to ask, Master." The girl asked. She has an expressionless, doll-like face and dressed in Lolita fashion with pink and black frills and lace all over. Her dress is paired with a black little fedora. Her fair flawless skin is filled with random colored body stitches. Her wide blue pair of orbs sparkled as she looked at her master. She keeps a black eye-patched bunny that shares the same color and design as her master.
"Hmm?" Without looking up as his eyes were entirely focused on the newspaper, he replied. Her master only looked a little older than her with long, lanky arms and alabaster skin with perfect square jaws and almond-shaped chocolate eyes. He wore a simple pair of collared shirt and a pair of black jeans. He wore the same black two-stringed eye-patch on his right eye.
"We're going back there tomorrow. The flight's already scheduled and I have fixed our luggage. But, Master, why come back? I can't comprehend it."
He ignored the Lolita girl and flipped the page of the newspaper. It showed some serial killings in a country that made its way in the country.
"Ah, forgive my rudeness—,"
"Are you expecting me to answer that I'll only come back there for revenge?"
"It actually just crossed my mind, Master. However, I believed it's not your reason to return because you are—," The master stood up, placed his forefinger in her pale rosy lips and shushed her. His build is expected from his lanky arms and he is a foot taller than her.
"Why not both?"
"B-both?" The girl titled her head in confusion.
"I'll return there for revenge and for my duty as well. Two birds with one stone," He chuckled, messing up her hair. The girl awed at her master who smiled brilliantly at her. Yet, it brought her some goosebumps since her master can hide his anger under that sunshine-like smiles.
"Did you inform the worrywarts, Master?"
"I only told Mr. Rabbit because I want to hurry things up and I'm using his service."
"If Chessy heard this, Master. He'll get infuriated. He doesn't trust Rabbit."
The Master looked at her and returned his attention to the newspaper, "What about you? I'm sure you don't trust him as well?"
"Well..."
He chuckled again, ruffing her hair.
"I'm just kidding. I informed them all especially Mama Hatter~" He said, playfully. He withdrew from the room.
"I'll brew some tea. Which tea do you prefer, Mousy?"
The girl called Mousy walked enthusiastically towards her master. "Assam milk tea please!"
***
5 months later
"Everyone is invited but only the strong survived. To the six of you, who passed the tests and challenges with flying colors, we salute you!"
With only an eye to see everything, he is probably at the limit where his eye can't see past the spotlight and the bright colors. He can't remember if there was this kind of opening back then.
"Please welcome the six initiates!"
He frowned. Yeah, this loud, celebratory events weren't included back then.
To be fair, the tests and challenges were easy even if didn't had some changes within his body. He found it stupid for the hundred applicants to quit like chickens.
He eyed the elite team that is present in the venue. If the information he got is correct, the elite team has the least members but they are called capable ones. He took a glance on the five team group before he returned his attention to the MC.
Everything was blurry afterwards. All he care was that he was miraculously placed in the same elite team he was eyeing for. He made sure he didn't went overboard just like before and only hit the minimum scores required to achieve the possibility to be accepted in the elite team.
"The test and challenges is just the beginning, boy. Real battles and missions requires all those things." A senior trainer reminded him as the elite team make their way to the stage just to greet him.
"I'm called Knight in this area but, my real name is Eliot Clearwater." The leader introduced himself and extended his arm to him.
He received his hand and shook them.
"I'm Alice James Kingston X..." He paused momentarily. He doesn't want his blood lust and anger took over immediately. "...Alice... I still prefer the name Alice..."
No, he didn't. Whoever came up with that name should die! He could understand if it's on the women's side: Alice Clarity Liddell. But, adding the name Alice straight before James. Ugh...
"You're going to use your name as a code name? You're quite an arrogant brat, huh? You remind me of someone I used to know." This time, the doe-eyed witch spoke in authority and in a condescending manner. "Anyway, my name is Bluebell Ramirez, the code name's Cleopatra."
The next one is Pepper Torralba whose code name is Sugar. She is the hacker, informant and has the most sense in the team followed by Eliot. And the way, she stared at him made him quite nervous.
"You have an almost perfect scores on the visual tests. I assumed that having an eye is not a hindrance to you." Bluebell said, coldly.
"But, are you hiding some injury behind the eye-patch? I don't mean to be rude but, is it an injury? A inborn problem?" The youngest, Joachim Bartolomeo, asked. His code name is Janus. Just like his code name, he is quite a two-faced bastard. He pulled out his eye-patch which surprised him.
The two girls of the elite gasped at the sight but, he grabbed it back and wore it again.
He shot a glare on the youngest jerk.
"U-Uh..." The sight of it had Eliot's mind blank. It was neither hideous nor in pitiable state. It just made his mind blank.
"It's just that—W-What?"
Eliot blinked, dumbfounded. He forgot something in the blink of an eye.
"Let's go to the dorms. We didn't expect to have a member to join so you're going to share rooms with Joachim for the mean time." Eliot pointed the youngest.
"Man, it's been five years since we touched that room. Seriously?" He heard Joachim complain but, Eliot distracted him enough by placing his arm on his shoulder.
"Welcome to the family, James."
"Y-yeah..." He nodded.
Family, my ass. 593Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHpk7F3w0MV
Alice pondered the reason of that guy's absence. He is the team's main killer after all. Also, that guy was also his partner. 593Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHGWxekxOsG
