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Jacky's world/New Powers

Peter's POV:

I arrived in Jacky's back yard, a large green expanse trimmed with lilac bushes. Ahh, such a calming scent compared to roses, I mused. I turned the knob of the back door, found it unlocked. That wouldn't do. I'd have to lock it before I left. Even if Jacky wasn't going to be living here anymore, I didn't want anyone stealing from her long-time home!

The house itself was painted dark black, with white suburb-style houses on either side. How very like my dear Jacky, to stand out and apart from her neighbors! The living room was well-furnished with two black couches and a dark purple armchair, with an ebony coffee table in the center. There was no fireplace, so I assumed the house had central heating. A 45'' flat screen TV was mounted on the wall so it could be easily seen by all in the room. The curtains over the large windows were black with purple embroidery. I was beginning to sense a theme, here. I quickly left the room, finding myself in the kitchen, which had a plate of white chocolate macadamia cookies sitting on the table.

I doubted Jacky would mind if I had one or two as long as I brought some back for her, so I helped myself to them. They were soft and quite fresh, still faintly warm from the oven. Jacky must've made these before we left. Proceeding to look for her bedroom, I found a library, a gaming room, a trophy room, a greenhouse, the bathroom, an empty guest room, a secret tunnel and three secret rooms (how big was this place?!) before I finally found Jacky's bedroom. It was at that point I wondered why I didn't simply use my sense of smell to track the largest concentration of her natural scent? Shaking off my moment of stupidity and deciding to enjoy the little adventure, I took in the sight of Jacky's chambers.

The walls were purple (clearly Jacky's favorite color) with black and silver filigree patterns. A king-sized four-poster bed sat proudly in the middle of the room, with long swaths of black silk serving as curtains to block out any light that might interrupt her sleep. The blanket was a dark mauve, and the sheets, black silk with at least twenty pillows ranging from black at the back to a rich shade of purple at the front like a spectrum. A plush white rabbit that bore my likeness in lilac silk pajamas sat leaning against one of the pillows, patiently awaiting its owner's return. Jacky still slept with stuffed animals at her age?

Only then did I become aware of the large stuffed animal collection - complete with little outfits for them - that seemed to watch me from one corner of the room.

Oh my Dealer, she's an otaku.

Plushies of cats, puppies, bunnies, teddies, and ragdolls filled an entire corner of the room to the ceiling, and a variety of dolls with different skin tones - some not genetically possible - lined the wall. Jacky was into these things? Strange, considering her love of bold and rebellious clothing. I shook my head, tearing my gaze from the odd collection. Back to the matter at hand. I needed to get the swords, a few changes of pajamas and undergarments, maybe a few more (or all) of those cookies, and be on my way. The rabbit hole would only be open for so long before it closed again. I found the swords easily, but when I opened the door that led to her wardrobe, I found a huge walk-in closet that one could easily get lost in. I took one of the spools of thread I found, tied one end to the doorknob so I could find my way out. I soon found a few pairs of pajama tops, pants, a few nightgowns, and the undergarments. I held up a pair of lacy dark purple underwear, found it hard not to imagine Jacky writhing beneath me as she called my name while wearing these. Blushing, I put them in a suitcase, before grabbing a few more, along with the bras. I blushed harder when I saw she was a C. Closing the suitcase, I hurried back to the kitchen, put several... well, all the cookies into a plastic bag, then hurried back to the back yard. I locked the back door, then jumped down the hole.

Jacky's going to be so happy!

Meanwhile, back in Wonderland...

Jacky's POV

After collecting my cut of last night's revenue, I hurried to the Hatter's domain to find the potions shop Ace had mentioned. While I was well aware that this was risky as Hell, I WANTED SUPERPOWERS, GODDAMMIT! I soon found exactly what I was looking for: "Mad Madame Mim's House of Magic." I looked through the window, slightly considering turning tail and going back to Heart Castle. The last time I'd heard that name, it'd belonged to an ugly old witch who Arthur had faced as a child with the aide of his good friend, Merlin. I was alone with only my quick wits and mortal combat training. I really hoped that if worse came to worse, I'd be able to hurl one of her concoctions at her - hopefully with explosive results.

Taking a deep, calming breath, I reminded myself that fear, as Diego the Saber-Tooth Tiger from Ice Age once said, was for prey, I entered the shop, and soon found someone at the front desk. It was a pale, old Faceless woman with a rather bony physique, white hair, and what could only be described as witch's clothing. She looked up at me with a grandmotherly smile as I approached. I could only hope she was a good witch, and not a bad one.

"Mad Madame Mim, I presume?" I asked, tilting my head curiously.

"Why, indeed, young miss!" she said, her voice surprisingly sweet. "I am the magnificent, marvelous, mad Madame Mim! Am I right in guessing that you are the new Outsider? Jacky Anderson, was it?"

"Yes. It's an honor to meet you," I said.

"And you, dearie!" she said. "Now, what brings you to my humble shop? Need a love spell, perhaps? Oh, wait, no need for that. A magic charm to keep danger at bay? Oh, you're a fighter? Hm. Oh, something to give you superpowers! Is that what you need?"

"Yes, Madame Mim," I said with an eager nod. The old woman looked me over, circling me, all the while tapping a bony finger to her sharp chin. At last, she seemed to know exactly what to give me. She turned to the shelves, and began taking a few items before beckoning me to follow her to the back room.

"As you're an Outsider, the potion must be custom-made," she explained. "All the stuff you see on the sales floor are all made for Faceless. If I used one of them on you, at best, you'd become a Faceless yourself. At worst, you'd be killed or disabled for life. Now, how much do you know about magic, dearie?"

"Not much, actually," I admitted. "Just that magic doesn't mix well with science."

"Damn right, they don't," Madame Mim said. "Science is an exact, unquestionable thing, whereas magic is more unstable and difficult to control. Now, a potion to give you superpowers. Let's see here... wings of a horsefly (Wonderland horseflies actually look like horses with fly wings), 1 tablespoon blood of a turtledove, three tears from the Jabberwocky - believe me, that isn't easy to get - two teaspoons of Bandersnatch drool, and the grown-up shell of a Jubjub egg. Mix together into a thick paste, then add a cup 500 year old Amontillado and mix until smooth. The wine actually helps dissolve the drier ingredients so it's easier to swallow, dearie. The alcohol will be neutralized by the Bandersnatch drool, so don't worry about getting tipsy. Ah, perfect consistency!"

I watched as the witch ladled the potion into a dark purple glass vial, then placed the stopper. "Here you are, dearie," she said. "Drink it before you go to bed. Your powers will reveal themselves once you wake up."

"Thank you very much, Madame Mim," I said, graciously accepting the potion. "How much do I owe you?"

"$25, dearie," she replied.

"Done." I handed her the cash, which she gladly pocketed. "Thank you again. Oh, and by the way, did you by any chance ever know an old guy with a long beard named Merlin?"

"No, dearie, I can't say that I have," she said, looking puzzled. "I've lived a long life and I rarely forget the people I meet, but I've never met anyone named Merlin. Why do you ask?"

"Just making sure you're not the Madame Mim I was thinking of." I said, before leaving, hearing her call of "Come again!" Pocketing my potion, I hurried back to the Castle. On the way, I spotted Elliot, who was going into a cake shop (typical!). I realized I was a bit hungry, so I decided to get some cake and keep him company.

I was greeted by the sweet scent of frosting and cakes the moment I opened the door, making my stomach roar demonically. Elliot looked up curiously from his place in the line, then smiled. "Hey, Jacky! How the hell are ya?" he asked as a came to join him in line.

"Great! I got my cut of the profits from the concert, so I decide to treat myself," I explained. "It'll give me something to do while Peter's getting my katana swords from my old world."

"You own weapons?" Elliot asked in surprise. "I didn't peg you for a fighter."

"If the Bloody Twins didn't carry poleaxes and own a room full of weapons, no one would think they'd be dangerous, either," I said as the line moved forward. "One should never judge by appearances. Didja really think Peter brought another damsel in distress to a crazy world of weapon-toting psychopaths? I'm not some sweet little girl with a broken heart like Alice was. I'm the girl next door with a secret lair and a super-cool alter-ego. It's unwise not to underestimate me."

"I'll try not to," Elliot said. "So, care to join me for some carrot cake?"

"Sure, I've never been one to turn down a good slice or two of carrot cake when offered!" I said happily.

After chatting over several slices of carrot cake, I headed back to the castle. Peter was waiting for me in my room, my beloved swords mounted on the wall, and a suitcase full of pajamas and underwear in the closet. I couldn't help but hug and kiss him senseless, especially when I saw he'd brought home my cookies! We snacked on a few before the time period shifted to night. "Well, that was a short second day," I said. But it was just as well. I was a bit worn out, and ready to get some rest. After showering, drying off, brushing my teeth, and changing into my favorite violet silk nightie in the bathroom adjoining my bedroom, I chugged the potion (which tasted so bad, I had to brush my teeth again,) then returned to my bedroom, finding Peter waiting in his bunny form on my bed. I couldn't help but giggle at the cute sight. A white rabbit in light pink silk pajamas. Kawaii- overload! I tucked myself into bed, cuddling him in my arms, and drifted off to sleep. I couldn't wait to discover my new powers in the morning!