The author makes absolutely no profit off of this work of fan fiction, and no copyright infringement is intended on the franchise of Heart no Kuni no Alice and Doctor Who. Some of the elements in the story have been incorporated belong to chaos-dark-lord but I have received permission to use them from Wonderful Wonderful Science and its sequel Wonderful Wonderful Science: Diamond Dust. There are also references from the M-rated one shots she has published, and are canon in this story.
After inhaling a deep breath to calm her rattled nerves, Erin informed Carlo what their next move was. "Let Giovanni know what's happening. For now, we'll have the security to keep a closer eye on Elliot and Alice, but don't make it too obvious. The March Hare did not survive this long in Wonderland without being paranoid." The fourth Outsider ran a hand through her hair. "And if something does happen-"
The faceless smiled reassuringly. "You don't need to worry about that. The staff took the liberty of preparing an escape route when things around here get dicey. I'll head out now, and be back here in a few time changes. Think you can cover the gallery until then?"
Erin nodded. Patting her shoulder lightly, Carlo turned around and walked out of the VIP room without as much as a trace. The young woman almost jumped a few feet in the air when someone called out her name; wide green eyes swiveled to the source and saw a stout gentleman - a well-known benefactor of the museum and potential client - staring at her with a small frown. "Is everything alright, my dear? I daresay you look a little pale."
Although the anxiety still bubbled in the pit of her stomach Erin tried to hide it with a small, business-like grin. "I'm fine, sir. I understand that you are interested in the medium that was used for the painting you are interested in, Electric Witch, is that right?"
When the well-dressed faceless responded with a hearty laugh, she discreetly diverted his interest to the piece of art that was fairly certain to be sold at the end of the time change. Once their ten-minute conversation ended a very pleasant note and directions to find the sales manager, Erin resumed her walk around the gallery. Why? Why of all places that could possibly provide entertainment for them, did Elliot and Miss Liddell decide to come here? I know the advertising team has been putting in a lot of work to spread the word about our new exhibit since it's the largest one so far, so maybe either of them heard about it while they were in town? And from what I've heard from the staff, apparently the Hatters' second-in-command doesn't venture to new places unless it involves carrot cuisine or business.
The fourth Outsider curled a finger under her chin, a contemplative expression etched her face. But the more I think about it, Giovanni is being especially daring to display paintings of the Berceuse in both the public and private galleries. He knows that by doing so, both denizens and Role Holders could see the reproduced art pieces from the other world themselves, all of which have their terrenial god in all of them. It's almost like putting up a sign that says 'Hello, I'm a direct link to the organization that is currently kicking role holders collective arses for territory and power'. Erin's brow furrowed slightly. But is that really the only method behind Giovanni's madness? Or is there some objective involved? She pondered this conclusion for a few seconds until the college graduate finally shrugged her shoulders.
Regardless of what I might think, Giovanni would not have done this exhibit if he didn't realize what he was getting into in the first place. It might have even been an order from the Berceuse herself. And this place is like a fortress: nothing comes in or leaves without someone knowing. The security and technology in here is far more advanced than what the people of this dimension or even I are used to. Satisfied with such knowledge, Erin continued to mingle with the guests, exchanging polite business conversation over refreshments.
xRVx
Elliot snuck a glance at the blonde-haired teenager by his side and sheepishly grinned at her enthusiasm. While he definitely did not expect to see Alice while he scouted the area surrounding the Looking Glass Gallery, the March Hare was actually glad she could be here; an Outsider was unique to Wonderland, providing enough distraction from the security while he slipped away from the painted puppies exhibit and purchased a painting of Erin at the gift shop, one that he was pleasantly surprised to see was for sale.
After Blood had given him another chance to find and coax Erin back to the Hatters, Elliot immediately went to work. He did not have that much luck for the first seven time changes searching around the town with his cohorts, collecting information that turned out to be just gossip, rumors that were so well placed that he couldn't help but think it wasn't pure coincidence. Therefore Elliot decided to take the investigation a step further, the March Hare hired some faceless brokers who specialized in getting what he needed. Their services did not come cheap, though the product he received from them was worth it. Yet curiously, some of them dropped out their assignments midway and returned his money. All except for three.
This place, according to them, had to be the new residence for one Erin Oswald. The young woman could be seen entering and leaving the building every fifteen to twenty time changes, yet rarely seen without a faceless co-worker at her side.
This information gave Elliot more than enough motivation to sneak into the museum during their opening time change, survey the area for a bit while trying to keep a low profile. He noticed, while vaguely admiring the artwork, that there was a door leading to a private gallery but was guarded by two or three faceless staff members.
Once he had made this discovery and backtracked his steps to the main lobby, Elliot stumbled upon Alice at the ticket booth before he casually mentioned that the place just expanded, and was worth taking a look around. His comment worked its magic on Alice's indecision and promised to meet each other for the next showing. It gave Elliot an excuse to come back to the establishment without raising too much suspicion.
However, in the present time change he saw that despite all of the aimless roaming, that he would not get any further with his scouting than where he was now. That was when Elliot decided that it would be better to call it a day and wait to talk to Erin later. He and Alice soon went their separate ways after exiting the museum; the first Outsider went back to the Hatter Mansion, while the March Hare hung around a pub across the street while keeping an eye on the Looking Glass Gallery.
After five tall glasses of carrot juice and an appetizer with carrot sticks, Elliot finally saw Erin leave the museum and she was alone this time. He could not let this opportunity slip, when the woman he had been trying to find was at last within reach.
He paid the bill and left, weaving through the meandering hordes of faceless denizens as Erin walked towards a quieter area hidden in the bustling town.
He thought his cover had remained safe, until Erin suddenly turned around at a corner street and faced him with a cautious, even fearful stare. His purple orbs looked at the twitching hand hovering her left thigh and felt his clock sink in sadness.
Erin was armed. With a gun.
Just as she was about to pull out her hidden weapon, Elliot immediately raised his hands in self-defense with drooping ears. "E-Erin, wait! I just want to talk. Hear me out, please!"
The Outsider's immediate response was an icy hiss. "Before or after you try to kill me again?"
Elliot felt his ears flatten even more against his head as the steady ticking inside his clock grew heavier. It looks like Erin had not forgotten his treatment towards her, and he had forgotten that an Outsider always took things too seriously, especially when the matter revolved around violence. But then again, who could have possibly forgotten their own executioner?
Erin remained tense, before a low-frequency signal began to buzz consistently from the tiny black pearl carefully hidden in her ear. The corner of her bright green orbs suddenly twitched a second later; barely moving up, then from side to side. Such an action would go unnoticed by almost anyone, with the exception of an extremely observant dog with equally good ears, and Elliot happened to be that. He was the Hatters' Bloodhound.
The tiny object in Erin's ear, which he almost did not see due to the poor lighting in the streets, was a comm piece. By far it was the smallest one he had ever seen or heard of its production in Wonderland's black markets. Furthermore, and although he did not understand why there was buzzing coming from it, Erin's stiffened posture relaxed as she looked around the area. That was when his blood began to chill.
Someone was on the rooftops with their gun aimed at him. More likely far more than ever; Erin was a smart girl and knew he was dangerous. She wouldn't relax unless there was a force strong enough to bring him down, to pull the trigger if he did something rash towards her. The March Hare inhaled a deep breath and looked at the foreigner straight in the eye, addressing in a manner as if he had no idea what was going on behind the scenes.
"Erin...I'm sorry that I've scared you, but more so about...what I almost did in the forest. Believe me, taking your life is the last thing I ever want to do."
Erin kept her angered gaze on him. "Bullocks. The Hatter ran out of patience when you were unable to give him what he wanted and decided that killing me would tie up all of the loose ends. And you went along with it willingly, while still being aware of my amnesiac condition."
The orange-haired Role Holder winced. Note to self: Outsiders can hold a grudge for very long periods of time, even when they admit it doesn't bother them. Case in point. Nonetheless, Elliot persisted and continued their one-sided conversation.
"Erin," Elliot bit his lip, realizing he had not actually planned this far ahead when he decided to confront the young woman. "I'm really sorry, I really am. I'm not that bad of a guy and things aren't how you think they are -" His eyes widened as Erin's hand slowly rose from her left thigh and rose along with her right one, curled around a silver gun in the dimly-lit avenue. A second later Elliot's ear picked a subtle yet distinctive sound.
CLICK.
The college graduate removed the safety mechanism of her pistol without blinking.
"Get to the point Elliot March, or so help me I will knock your bloody arse out, regardless that you are someone with duties in Wonderland. And I will certainly not have a change of heart after listening to your pitiable excuses. I know what exactly you are. A thug. Nothing else matters except Blood's satisfaction and what you get in return for a job well done."
Regardless on how accurate Erin's response was in regard to his occupation, her words were like a rapier; sharp, merciless, and accurately hit vital areas in Elliot's clock. She knew and understood him, simple as that. "Yeah, I might be a thug but it doesn't change the guilt I still feel. Even now, I want to make things right between us. Let me take you somewhere, and from there you can decide if you accept my apology or not. Pick the place, date, and time. I'll be there."
Erin scoffed. "And how do I know that this is not some grand scheme to catch me off guard and haul me back to that cell in the basement? Or better yet, finish me off an overdue execution with plenty of witnesses to see it happen, your testimony included."
"Because you decide all of those details, and you can point a gun at me for as long as you want." Elliot dropped his gaze to the ground, his ears pressed even further against either side of his head. "If I wanted to kill or kidnap you, I could have already tried that when I was following you. And for the record, my testimony would be irrelevant; unlike a faceless or myself, a foreigner does not turn into a clock after they die. If anything, I could just carry your body and toss it in a busy place while claiming that I did it. But I don't want that to happen to you, and I would most likely kill whoever did such a terrible thing."
A heavy silence fell upon the two for a few moments until a new buzz happened in her ear before Erin slowly lowered the pistol. "There's a cafe that is located three blocks from the Looking Glass Gallery. It is called Black Swan. Meet me at the front door in ten time changes. If you try anything funny or fail to arrive at this rendezvous then you will lose what little trust I have left in your half-baked honesty."
Elliot agreed to the Outsider's terms with a curt nod, and then slowly walked away from Erin. Despite being in such a precarious situation just moments ago, a small smile was stretched across his face.
He had a chance to win Erin's heart.
xRVx
The following evening time change when she returned home, Erin nearly collapsed in her sleeping quarters. Truly, what in the world was she thinking, to accept an invitation to dine with the March Hare? However, if Giovanni had not suggested it as an opportunity to gather new information on the Hatters through the comm, she would have turn it down in a heartbeat. The fourth Outsider sighed heavily, bright green orbs staring up at the ceiling. How do I get myself into these things?
Just as she was about to fall into a light sleep, there was a knock at the front door. Erin's relaxed form grew tense, alert to her surroundings. Who in the world could be here, without been cleared by security? Erin slowly rose up from the four-poster bed and retrieved the silver gun from her nightstand before she walked to the door, the weapon hidden behind her back.
Twisting the bolt to the left side with a spare hand, Erin opened the door just a few inches to see who was the mysterious visitor. Her eyes widened slightly in surprise at the sight of a navy-haired gentleman with cobalt blue eyes, and she pulled it open fully.
"Julius? What are you doing here?"
The Role Holder seemed unsure to answer for a brief second, but did so with reluctance. "I ask for an audience with her. I know you can take me there."
Erin frowned at the Clockmaker. "I haven't the slightest idea who is this person you want to have an audience with, Julius." The young woman watched in morbid curiosity as her guest's frown deepened beneath the lamp near the door.
Julius sighed heavily. "I'm referring to The Woman. The new piece on the chessboard, or rather, the player behind the new chessboard. I need you to take me to her. I've heard her being addressed by Aria...or something of the sort. She's the one who is controlling Ace and has allied herself with Joker, isn't she?" He placed a hand inside his coat, and with a blushing face, pulled a pink booklet titled A Steamy Threesome. "This … is a story with Ace and I with a mysterious woman, its contents contain too much about either of us to be a coincidence. Also, it had quite a strange note inside it."
The college graduate opened her mouth to speak until a wave of pain washed over her mind, followed by fragmented images. An underground cathedral where a casket rested on its wooden altar. Dark tendrils. A dimly-lit office that smelled like cigars, with a beautiful woman sitting in a leather chair and an ocelot made of shadows sitting in her lap. And then three words burn in the front of her mind.
Aria Hadron Scherzi.
Thank you to everyone who has reviewed, subscribed or favorited. I hope this chapter has lived up to all of your expectations! Please feel free to review or PM me with any questions, comments, or constructive criticism. And without further ado, here are a few words from chaos-dark-lord!
Message from chaos-dark-lord: A new chapter and more memories unlocked, not only that. Julius now knows, but what does he knows and why he wants to speak with the Berceuse?
PS - I have a special treat planned in October for the Heart/Clover/Joker no Kuni no Alice archive! Please stay tuned for more details and have a great week! :)