A/N: Hello hello. Thanks for the comments, I love them. All. So much. Keep them coming, they're like crack. Remember, this is an ALT UNIVERSE story so things can get UNCOMFORTABLE. Like I said if you can't handle a bit of ~violence~ and *mature stuff* don't say I didn't warn you.

7

The buildings were farther away than I thought, but I was feeling weirdly energetic, so it didn't really matter. As I got closer, I saw that they were surrounded by a high, unclimbable fence with barbed wire lining the top. The larger building looked like some kind of warehouse.

At the gate, I saw a familiar figure with long, greasy brown hair and an unflattering build. It took me a moment to register who it was, since he was in a really awkward, spikey getup that looked like something you'd wear if you went to a death metal motorcycle show.

"Game shop guy?" I asked, tilting my head.

"The name's Roger," he snapped, sneering at me. I noticed some huge metal glove-like things on his hands. More weapons? "And I have no idea what you're referring to."

"Shyeah, whatever! This is one of your stupid role playing game fantasies, isn't it? Take me back!" I folded my arms, hunching forward pessimistically.

He was giving me an irritated look. "Did you take too many bullets to the head?"

I smacked myself on the forehead. This was getting me nowhere. "Ugh, whatever. This seems too cool to be something of yours, anyway. Where am I?"

The game shop guy shook his head and heaved a pissy sigh. "Seriously? You're at Benny's Skivvy Stop."

"Underwear?"

"Not those kinds of skivvies."

"What kind of skivvy, then?" I asked, blinking.

Whatever his name was heaved a second sigh and opened the gate, motioning for me to go inside. "Just come on in, we could use the business anyway..."

Since standing out in the open waiting for giant crabs to come eat me would probably get me nowhere, I followed him inside. He took me to the smaller of the two buildings, after locking the gate behind us. "Sorry to interrupt you, sir, but you have a guest," he said, knocking on the door.

The door opened and I nearly gagged as Benson answered us, smiling an uncomfortably wide smile. He was wearing a freaking tailcoat. Granted, it was dirty and torn up in places, but it was most definitely a tailcoat. "Hey, there, I'm Benny. Welcome to my shop! Come on inside, and I'll lay down the basics, okay?" Rupert (or whoever) headed back to the gate. I was too completely dumbfounded to say anything, so I just went along with it.

8

I was sitting in a stiff, plasticy chair across from the desk Benson was at. He looked happy. Disturbingly happy. He kept going on and on about something, but I was having a seriously difficult time listening.

"...those other places, but believe me, those aren't quality goods, not at all! Here at Benny's Skivvy Stop, our skivvies are raised with love and care."

I stared at him blankly. What the heck's a skivvy?

A thin, wimpy looking guy in dirty clothes stepped up to Benson, who's expression instantly changed to the bitter scowl I knew him for. "Not now, I'm busy." The wimpy guy fidgeted anxiously.

"Uhh, hey, I was wondering, do you know what's going on around here?" I asked, unable to word my question in a less stupid way.

"Come again?" asked Benson, staring at me blankly. I scratched the back of my arm. "Ohh, you're not from around here? What brings you to the West Wastes?" he said, sporting another friendly, oblivious smile.

"A mirror," I muttered.

"What?" He blinked.

"Nothing."

"Umm, p-pardon my intrusion sir, but there's been a bit of a.. thing..." The guy looked like he was about to piss his pants. Benson frowned again, eyebrows lowering.

"What kind of thing, you ingrate?"

The thin guy hesitantly bent down and whispered something to Benson. His globelike face reddened and his mouth twitched. When the guy was finished, Benson's words came through a clenched jaw.

"Then bring her in here and get back to work, or you're dead." The way he stressed that last word made my fur stand on end.

The other guy pulled back, terrified. He disappeared behind another door, and then two rough-looking guys came back, restraining a small girl. She was struggling wildly. They threw her down between Benson and me. She landed clumsily on her hands and knees.

"Eileen?" I whispered, in disbelief. Benson and the game shop guy being here was one thing, but her? And what the hell were they doing, throwing her around like that?

Benson stood, towering over her like she was at the bottom of a crater. "Well, what do you have to say for yourself?" He was holding back again, I could tell. It was always creepy when he did that.

Eileen got to her feet, and I saw that she was wearing a ragged dress. She glared up at Benson with uneasy defiance and contempt, her eyes glossy and wet. "I'm never going to work for you, okay? Never! I don't care what you guys do to me!" she cried. What the heck's going on? None of it seemed possible, even in an alternate reality. Even Eileen standing up for herself was hard to believe.

Without warning, Benson smacked her to the ground. Her loose hair hang around her head, hiding her face. I gaped, horrified; unable to move. Was that what it looked like when I shoved her? A massive brick of guilt smashed across my face. Oh god, I'm the scum of the Earth.

"You should know better than to talk to your superiors that way," said Benson, almost boredly. Eileen trembled, but was silent. I couldn't breathe, even though I was taking in air.

"Take her out of here," he dismissed, nodding casually towards the door before turning to sit back down. The two henchmen grabbed her by the arms and hoisted her up. She didn't resist this time.

"Wait, wait!" I said, jumping on top of the desk and holding up my hands.

Benson frowned at me, like he wasn't sure if he would like what I was about to say. "Yeah?"

"This is a slave shop, isn't it?" I asked, trying to keep calm as it all came together in my head.

Benson raised an eyebrow. "You mean, you actually came in here without knowing that? I thought you were a customer."

I grit my teeth and took a deep breath. This was not good. Eileen may have been an awkward, nerdy girl, but I couldn't just let them treat her like dirt! "Yeah, well, how much is she, then?"

A slow grin spread across Benson's face. "How much have you got?"

"...About three bucks."

His face soured. "You're kidding, right?

9

(Eileen's POV)

Who was this guy?

"Yeah, uhh, I'm not exactly rich, but maybe we can crack a deal?" He looked strong, smart, and capable. He looked like somebody who really knew how to get things done.

He... looked incredibly attractive. So why, in all that was logical, was he trying to buy me? There was nothing special about me.

"No, I mean, why do you have paper money? That stuff hasn't been used since before the Big Hit! Where did you even find that garbage?" mused Benny, laughing with a slight sense of arrogance.

"Huh? Big Hit?" The rugged stranger stared down at his useless currency questioningly. Butterflies partied inside my stomach. I had to look away. "Well, hey, if this stuff is that rare, then it must be pretty valuable, huh? Huuuh?" He grinned, waving the money around Benny's face.

Benny swatted his hand away like a gnat. "No. Not at all." He was starting to get bored with the conversation, and that wasn't good for me, or the handsome rogue.

"Uhh... what do you use, then?" he asked, blinking.

Humoring him, Benny reached into his pocket and pulled out a handful of change, which he dropped on the table. It made a pleasant chinging noise as the coins hit each other.

The stranger smacked himself in the forehead. "Shoot. I should've brought my penny jar," he grumbled under his breath.

"So you're broke, then?" said Benny, crossing his arms. "You two, take her away," he said, poining to the thugs that were restraining me. My heart sank to the floor. True, I'd rather be free than a slave, but I'd also rather be dead than remain in the Skivvy Stop for the rest of my life. "And you," he continued, turning back to the stranger, "get off my property. If we can't do business, we're useless to each other."

The stranger muttered something under his breath before speaking up again. Why was he trying so hard? As far as he was concerned, I was just like any other slave, if not weaker, smaller... "Benson - er, Benny. Whoever you are. I'll be back, okay? With money. Lots of money. So dont, like, hurt her or anything, got it?"

I got the distinct impression Benny didn't believe him at all. "Yeah, okay. Just make sure it's enough. Since she's so much trouble anyway, I'll sell her to you at a discounted price. 560 cents. They usually go for a lot more, so I'm practically giving her away."

The rogue got down off the desk and stopped in front of me, looking oddly restless. "Hey, don't worry, okay Eileen? I'll be back for you." My face glowed bright pink. How did he know my name?

At the last minute before he headed out the door, he turned back to Benny, glaring. "I mean it, Benson! If something happens to her, I'm gonna have to put the hurt on you!" He karate chopped at the air.

So hot.

"Take her to the cage," snapped Benny, after my mysterious rogue had left. "And why did he keep calling me Benson...?" he mumbled in afterthought.