Why ?

The compassion of an enemy

A/N : It has been decided by some readers (on ao3) that the code name of the guard will be Shepherd.

About 1 year later (18 months after her capture)

3rd Person POV

Carmen was nervous. She was twisting her fingers in all directions as she went along. She had finished her assigned work when Professor Maelstrom had called her into his office. Since her suicide attempt, she had been closely monitored by the Faculty, but it had been a while now that she had regained their trust so as not to hurt herself. They allowed her more autonomy, as long as she respected the rules set up for her safety. She'd even managed to stay good and out of trouble for the month she'd been asked to, so she'd been able to find the picture of her father and herself. Maelstrom wasn't exactly fan, and had been harsh and blameless with her in the days that followed. Eventually, it was Bellum who had punished her when she accidentally hit and broke a test tube while cleaning up her classroom. Since then, she hadn't been able to get it back. The source of her nervousness is that she has been summoned to his office ! Every time she is called there by one of the faculty members, there are only two ways out. In one, it's an interrogation about her mental state (with Maelstrom or Bellum) and in the other... she gets beaten up for a reason they won't tell her. Taking a breath, she calms her nervousness and raises her hand.

Carmen knocked on the door to Professor Maelstrom's office and entered when she was given permission. The professor was sitting at his desk, concentrating on a file, and he barely looked up to acknowledge her presence. Knowing better than to disturb him, Carmen went and knelt down in the usual place (namely near his desk, within reach so that he could do what he wanted without having to move around too much) and lowered her head. Her body was shivering from the cold, there were many draughts in the old castle and her 'room' was not really well insulated, not to mention her clothes which gave her little protection. From what she could see through her room window, it had snowed yesterday, so it was winter. A few minutes passed with only the sound of Maelstrom's writing before he got up to put the file on the cupboard near the door, stopping for a few moments to pat her head in congratulation for her good behaviour. Returning to sit comfortably in his seat, he studied her, clearly looking for something to reproach her. He smiles to himself when he sees her perfect posture apart from the shaking. Distractedly, he strokes her hair and traces the outline of the collar on the skin of her neck with his index finger.

"How are you, child ?"

"Fine, Professor."

"Anything unusual to report ?"

"No, Professor."

"No thoughts that are out of the ordinary or that would present any danger ?"

"No, Professor."

"Good..." He thought for a moment before speaking again. "How is your hand, little Black Sheep ?"

She looked down at her right hand wrapped in bandage. The pain hasn't left her once in the last two weeks and she's still struggling to bend it since Cleo punished her. Carmen still remembers the pain of the moment.

FlashBack 2 weeks earlier

Carmen POV

I was cleaning up the rest of the cafeteria after the students' lunch. It was low of the Faculty to give me a job so close to food so I got little, just enough to survive and work. And even then only if I did enough for them. Even though I would rather clean up than serve them their food and watch them eat. But I couldn't do anything, I was condemned to spend the rest of my life trying to satisfy the ever demanding Faculty. That's where I belong.