Disclaimer: I don't own The Expendables Franchise or Lewis Carol's Jabberwocky or Alice in Wonderland. You'll see! ^.~ Chapter 4: Return to Wonderland
It was dawn when we got the call and Uncle Barney told us everything would be alright. It was then that I cried black tears into the river Styx and thanked God that he was alright.
It was then that I knew what I needed to do. I collapsed in bed that morning and allowed the noises of the street to be my lullaby. When I woke up I packed everything. This time when I went walking out the doors I didn't try to hide my footsteps and Uncle Tool came rushing out after me.
"Baby Girl?! What are you doing?!"
"Leaving. I never should have stayed here... This kind of business only ever causes hurt..."
"Come on Baby Girl! At least stay and see Lee one last time..."
I couldn't look at him, "I can't..."
I got into the car and backed out of the garage before speeding off towards the airport. Reaching into the glove compartment I shuffle through my various passports and fake ids until I find the one I want.
Alice Devenhart is very nice simple girl who works as a receptionist at a dentists office in Annapolis, Minnesota. She is currently single, but the white mark on her ring finger suggests she just got out of a long term relationship. 'He just wasn't he man for me!' she will chirp optimistically, because she is just that kind of person, when people ask. She dresses in simple sundresses with sandals, usually pastels and wears makeup that looks as though she has no makeup on. The girl is home grown and knits in her spare time, usually scarf, hat and mitten sets for her friends. She spends her plane rides reading Nicholas Sparks novels and due to her hopeless romantic nature she will then spend the rest of plane ride envisioning her perfect Romeo... or Noah...
I smile cheerfully as I hand my passport over to the woman behind the counter.
"How are you today Miss Devenhart?"
"Very well, thank you, and you?"
"Wonderful! Thank you! Here are your plane tickets! I hope that you have a nice flight!"
I beam at the woman as I thank her and bid her goodbye before I maneuver my way toward the terminal. The plane ride is quiet for the most part as I sit reading my book. The sudden sound of my phone going off alerts me to a call. I pull my phone out of my pocket and look down at the caller ID and feel, for a just a second, a frown ghost over my features. I pull the red arrow through the name of Barney as I ignore his call. It isn't a moment later that my phone is ringing again. Once again I ignore his call. When it rings for a third time I relent and answer the call.
"What do you think you're doing?!" bellows the enraged Italian on the line.
"Whatever do you mean?" I question innocently.
"You know exactly what I mean!"
I roll my eyes, "No...I can't say that I do," I sing into the receiver.
"You're getting revenge aren't you?"
"... no …"
"Don't lie to me!"
"Don't yell at me Uncle Barney. I won't have it. I'm not some little girl that has to do whatever you say. And has it ever occurred to you that I may not be cut out for that life anymore? I just need to get away... Lee's incident was a little too close to home for me okay?" I murmur as I allow tears to cloud my voice.
"Awww... come on... don't cry..." relents desperately, "I'm sorry honey..."
"I have to go..." I choke out before I hang up on him. The moment I do the fake tears dry themselves and I continue reading my book, checking first to make sure that no one saw my display. Satisfied that they didn't I continue with my sappy romance novel... Really... how do people read this stuff?
Alice Devenhart is far too sweet for Burma, so when I get to Europe I decide to leave Alice there. She will enjoy a delightful vacation of sunbathing and sightseeing, perhaps she will meet a nice Italian boy and never come home.
I step out of a stall in an Italian restroom at the airport. My black heels click smartly on the floor as I apply deep blood red lipstick. I allow a smirk to slip upon my crimson lips.
Mary Hartford is not to be trifled with. She obtained her law degree from Harvard and skyrocketed to success at a defense firm for the wealthy. Vicious and cold by nature she doesn't take anyone's crap. The Virginia Slim that she chain smokes helps keep her slim and her nerves tightly coiled. She prefers her privacy and is quick with a sharp retort to anyone who insists upon asking her questions. Her head is incessantly buried in her laptop and her ear might as well be super glued to her cell phone.
My eyes narrow at the man eyeballing me from across the terminal. I turn my head and pray that I'm no where near him on the last leg of my flight. I take my seat in first class, which is far better than coach, and open my laptop to begin my search. I'm situated at the back so that there is no one there to look over my shoulder. I groan as I see the man sit himself down beside of me. I roll my eyes as I try to continue with my illegal snooping.
"Hello, my name is Robert and yours is?" a voice intrudes.
I turn sharp eyes to the man beside of me and shoot him a glare while he just continues to look at me with a brilliant smile.
Oh no... he's one of those... the ones that like a 'challenge.'
"Not interested."
"Now... come on... we both know that's not your name..."
"I'm not giving you my name."
"Why not?"
"I don't want to."
"Surely you could do some friendly conversation."
"No."
"Are you sure?"
"Positive."
"Alright..."
I'm not convinced that I'll hear the last of 'Robert.' Too bad I can't shoot people in public...
Sure enough throughout the entire flight Robert attempts to talk to me. He wants to know everything and I am suspicious... No man can be shot down as many times as him and still have a leg to stand on.
"So... Dinner?" Robert asks as we begin to exit the flight. I turn to him and glare before my look becomes a smirk and I disappear into the chaos that is the Chinese airport. I'm short enough to get lost in the crowd of people that are swarming the place like an anthill. My black wig slips from my head and lands in a trash can as I walk by it. The wig that I had under it for such an occasion is strawberry blonde long and wavy, quickly I pull a navy trench coat out of my bag and slip it on, belting it before I casually apply a mauve colored lipstick. I walk over to the baggage claim and grab my standard black tote. I brush by Robert practically mowing the man down and he doesn't even send me a second glance.
I still got it...
When I step outside of the airport I see Hugh waiting. He catches my eyes and I head his way before I run the last little bit and we end up embracing like two long lost lovers. Hugh smirks as he puts me down and ushers me into the car. The British man beside of me catches my eyes before we squeal out of the parking lot. Of course, he's roguishly handsome with his dark hair and eyes and devil may care attitude.
"How ya been love?"
The endearment makes me flinch, but I attempt to ignore it in favor of my current mission.
"Alright I guess..."
"It's been awhile... I thought you had retired? Heard you were gettin married or somethin like that."
"No... I'm not getting married..."
"So what are you here for?"
"Vengeance..."
"Ah... So the Red Queen is returning?"
I roll my eyes, "Just drive..."
`Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.
I know my target inside and out as I confidently walk down the hallway of the mansion that I managed to break into. For a crime lord it was surprisingly easy...
"Beware the Jabberwock, my son!
The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!
The man that shot Lee is an assassin for the crime lord of Bulma. Had his shot been just an inch to the left Lee would be dead now.
Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun
The frumious Bandersnatch!"
The man's influence reaches far across the country and he has many to do his bidding. I hate men like him...
He took his vorpal sword in hand:
I slide the knife from its holder at my side...
Long time the manxome foe he sought -
After I finally got the details of what happened out of Uncle Barney, it took two weeks of searching to locate the base of the crime lord.
So rested he by the Tumtum tree,
And stood awhile in thought.
I heard footsteps coming from down the hallway and quickly duck into the shadows. The feet pass by without any issue and I continue on my way.
And, as in uffish thought he stood,
I ponder how I'm going to do this...
If I'm going to do this...
The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame,
Came whiffling through the tulgey wood,
And burbled as it came!
I creep into the room where the man known as the Dragon sleeps. I watch him for a moment and ponder whether or not I'm sincerely going to do this. With one swing of my knife I will be back in the business.
Continuously hunted and sought after...
One, two! One, two! And through and through
The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!
Without another thought I swing my sword down and it effortlessly slices through his neck. His eyes open as panic and pain shoots throughout his body before he goes limp.
He left it dead, and with its head
He went galumphing back.
I wrinkle my nose in disgust as I look down at the remains of the monster before me. However, I can't deny the deep sense of satisfaction that comes with knowing that there is one less vile presence in the world. That countless lives could have just been saved by ending the tyranny that now sleeps before me.
"And, has thou slain the Jabberwock?
Come to my arms, my beamish boy!
I rush from the manor, nothing more than a shadow in the night. When I am far enough away I slow my gait and nonchalantly push a button.
O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!'
He chortled in his joy.
The sound of an explosion in the night rattles the nearby houses. Panic and chaos suddenly erupt throughout the streets as many stream from their homes to see what all of the commotion is about. When they realize precisely what house blew up there is an eruption of cheering and all begin to celebrate in the streets.
`Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.
I smirk as the words slip from my lips before I can stop them, "Off with his head..."
I walk up to the condo and rap smartly on the door. I hear a groan from the other side before the door opens to reveal the man behind it. He gives me a disapproving look before he opens the screen door and pulls me into a one armed hug, the other he uses to support his weight on the door frame. My arms are wrapped delicately around his midsection, careful of his injury, I hug Lee to me. He leans part of his weight on me before he closes the door and brings me farther inside.
"What're you doin here? I thought you left..."
I help lower him to the couch and sit down beside of him, "I had an errand to run..."
"That was you wasn't it?"
"What are you talking about?" I murmur feigning innocence.
"When are you going to stop lying to us love?" He doesn't sound angry just exasperated.
"What are you talking about?"
"You know what I'm talking about... That fiance of yours... he came by last week looking for you..."
My eyes widen and I lower my head in shame.
"Love why didn't you tell us he cheated on you?"
I just shrug, "I didn't want anyone to know..."
"Why not?"
"Do the others know?"
"What? 'Course they know! Why didn't you want us to know?"
"Because it's embarrassing!"
"They're your family love... And there's nothing embarrassing about being hurt..."
I look at him for a moment before I slide closer to him, "Who cheated on you?"
"My ex-girlfriend Lacy..." he sighs as he takes a swig from his beer.
I lay my head on his shoulder and close my eyes.
"Why do people do things like that?" I wonder aloud as I settle in closer to him.
"I don't know love... I don't know..." he murmurs as he pulls me closer to him and wrap his arm around my shoulders.
"Why did you do that for me love?"
I smile shyly, "I made a promise a long time ago that anyone who hurts someone I love will pay."
"That was pretty reckless...I don't think I'm quite worth that..."
"Don't say that... you've done more for me than you think... Plus I needed to prove to Uncle Tool and Uncle Barney that I can still do this."
"But why would you want to love?"
"Because I missed it..."
"Really?" He asks as he looks down at me in surprise.
"Yeah... you know this is apart of you... this business... you know you love it."
"But you were out..."
I just shrug in reply, "Sometimes being normal is overrated..."
Lee laughs, "You're mad!"
"Oh honey... we're all mad here..."
Well... How do you all like it? I wanted to give her an aliese that would be fun and yet fitting! Personally I thought the poem was fun... Anyway I continued to be floored with my lovely reviewers! One person even said that its the best Expendables story on here! You make me blush! Really! I'm very grateful for each and every one of you and I do appreciate you taking the time out to read my story let alone review it! I love hearing from you all so please review!