Dragged Along

The men and women stare down at the group, their presence intimidating. The café seems even quieter now, the air heavy with tension. The burly man breaks the silence.

"We need to have a conversation, if you don't mind," he says, his voice gruff.

Alice remains composed, meeting his gaze without flinching. "What do you want?" she replies, her tone level.

The burly man smirks, his eyes narrowing as he looks at Alice. "You know exactly why we're here," he says, his tone dripping with condescension.

The platinum-haired women remain silent, standing behind the man with a slight smirk on their faces.

Alice's expression stays unreadable, her blue eyes unyielding. "Enlighten me.”

The burly man chuckles, a mocking tone in his voice. "You and your friends here are quite a curiosity. We've been tracking you for a while now."

Alice remains unruffled, her gaze unwavering. "And what interest do we hold for you?”

The burly man's smirk widens, his eyes glinting with cruel satisfaction. "Well, let's just say your...skills...have caught our attention."

Alice's expression betrays nothing, her voice steady. "And what skills are you referring to?”

The burly man leans forward, resting his forearms on the table. "Your unique abilities, darling. We've heard stories about your Miracle Eyes."

Alice's blue eyes narrow slightly, her composure unmoving. "And what about my Miracle Eyes?" she asks coolly.

The burly man chuckles, his tone dripping with malice. "We have a certain interest in your...gift. We believe it could be very...useful...to us."

The platinum-haired women exchange sly glances, their smirks widening.

Alice's hand clenches into a fist under the table, her jaw tensing. "And if I refuse?”

The burly man grins, a menacing glint in his eyes. "Oh, let's not make this difficult, darling. We have...methods...to persuade you. You don't want any harm to come to you or your little friends here, do you?"

Alice's expression remains unyielding. "You're threatening us?" she grits out.

The burly man grins, a menacing glint in his eyes. "Oh, let's not make this difficult, darling. We have...methods...to persuade you. You don't want any harm to come to you or your little friends here, do you?"

Alice's expression remains unyielding, but anger flares in her blue eyes. "You're threatening us?" she grits out.

The burly man leans back, his smirk transforming into a cruel sneer. "Oh, I see you need a bit more convincing. Well, let me put it simply: we'll be taking you and your friends with us, one way or another."

The platinum-haired women behind him nod in agreement, their smirks growing more sinister.

Alice's gaze darkens, her patience thinning. "And if we resist?" she repeats, her voice low and controlled.

The burly man chuckles, his demeanor growing even more arrogant. "Resistance is pointless, darling. We have the manpower and means to overpower you and your friends easily. You'd be wise to cooperate."

The platinum-haired women behind him let out soft, sinister laughs, their gazes still fixed on Alice.

Alice's fists clench tighter under the table, her eyes blazing with anger. "You think we're just going to surrender without a fight?" she retorts, her voice barely masking her fury.

The burly man chuckles again, enjoying the power he holds. "Oh, darling, you can try if you want. But let's not kid ourselves. We're more advanced, more powerful. You're no match for us."

He gestured at the platinum-haired women behind him and said: "Get her.”

The platinum-haired women nod, their smirks turning into sinister grins. They move around the table, approaching Alice with a confident, almost predatory grace.

"This isn't going to be pleasant, dear," one of them croons in a condescending tone.

Rachel rises to her feet, her eyes blazing with defiance. "You'll have to go through me before you even lay a hand on my friends," she mutters.

The platinum-haired women and the burly man scoff at Rachel's defiant gesture. "How valiant. But you're in no position to stop us, little girl," a platinum-haired woman sneers.

"This is your last chance to cooperate, darling. Save yourselves the trouble," the burly man adds, his tone dripping with condescension.

Rachel glares at them defiantly, her fists clenched tight, unwilling to budge an inch. "I said, you'll have to go through me first," she hisses through gritted teeth.

The platinum-haired women and the burly man exchange amused glances. "Brave one, isn't she?" one of the platinum-haired women comments, a cruel smirk on her face.

The burly man snickers, his tone mocking. "But bravery won't save you, little girl. You're outnumbered and outmatched.”

Rachel's jaw clenches tighter, her expression unwavering. "I may be outnumbered and outmatched, but I won't just stand aside and watch my friends be taken by the likes of you," she responds through grit teeth.

The platinum-haired women chuckle, finding amusement in Rachel's determined stance. "How noble. But like I said, bravery won't save you from the inevitable."

The burly man chimes in, his smug smirk growing wider. "Your loyalty is admirable, but futile. You're just prolonging the inevitable. Cooperate, and perhaps we'll be merciful.”

Rachel stands her ground, her eyes never wavering. "I won't cooperate. I won't let you take my friends without a fight," she reiterates defiantly.

The platinum-haired women snicker, their smug expressions never faltering. "Such defiance. But it's misplaced. You're just a pesky fly, and we're the swatter."

The burly man chimes in, his condescension clear. "So anyways," he says, his attention focused back on Alice, "You're coming with us.”

Alice gazes back at the burly man, her expression unyielding. "I won't go anywhere with you," she replies, her voice cold and resolute.

The platinum-haired women scoff, their smirks hardening. "You really have no choice, love. You're outnumbered and outmatched. Resistance is pointless."

The burly man narrows his eyes, his patience wearing thin. "You'll come willingly, or we'll drag you by force. Your choice.”

Alice's grip on the table tightens, but she doesn't back down. "You'll have to drag me," she says defiantly, her tone unwavering.

The platinum-haired women chuckle again, enjoying the verbal spar. "Oh, really? So you prefer the hard way, do you?"

The burly man lets out an impatient scoff, losing his veneer of smugness. "You're making a mistake. Come along."

The first two women beside him reached out, grabbing Alice by either arm.

Alice resists briefly, but the women's grips on her arms are strong. "Let go of me," she hisses through clenched teeth, trying to pull away.

The women smirk, their grip tightening. "Not a chance, love. You're coming with us, like it or not."

"You're on camera, you know," Kairy said.

The women glance at the nearby camera and scoff, unconcerned. "We're aware, darling. But we don't care. You can record all you want. It won't change anything."

The burly man gives a dismissive nod. "We have the resources and the means to do whatever we want. Nobody's stopping us."

They then began to walk off with Alice in tow, but Kinsey, Kairy, and Rachel weren't having it.

Kinsey, Kairy, and Rachel step forward, determination in their eyes. "Let go of her, right goddamn now," Kinsey demands, her voice sharp.

The women glare back at them, unwavering. "And what if we don't?”

Kinsey doesn't back down, meeting the women's gaze unflinchingly. "Then we'll MAKE you."