Wow, it's almost been a year and 2 months since I last updated! O.O Woohoo!- I-I mean sorry for the long wait again! X'D I haven't been in the writing groove lately and with a new job, writing has taken a back seat but this story has always been on my mind (also because I kinda dug myself a loophole which I nearly couldn't get out of but I FINALLY FIGURED HOW TO WIN THIS DAMN GAME! lol!).

But anyway, thank you all so much for reading this story and for your support. I'm sorry I couldn't reply everyone's review this time but I do appreciate it, it really makes me wanna keep writing :'D Special thanks to chocochipscookies, suzubell-chan, Neko97, TheShadowedKissedAngel, Lorelle and Kurayami4Hikari for your encouraging PMs and a big shout out to ALL MY FORUM MOD BUDDIES ~ 3! Miss ya guys and the fun we had lots! =^^=

Once again I'll stressed that my writing may not be as good but I hope you'll still enjoy this update. You may now proceed! XDXDXD

Disclaimer: I do not own anything from the HnKnA series (which belongs to QuinRose) except my words and imagination for this AU, the school and my 2 supporting OCs.

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Chapter 10: The Key

Her sneakers treaded softly on checkered black and white tiled floor as she took a good look around Arena number 14. It was dimly lit with flashes of multicolored lights, as if someone had stashed Christmas lightings all over the place, yet it heavily bathed the room with a less-than-cozy feel.

This is kind of disturbing… Her timid voice mumbled in her mind. The thought itself was an understatement as Alice adjusted her eyes to the uncomfortably lit atmosphere and finding the elements in the room a little hard to take in. There were toys, mountains of them, and all apparently old and unused. It was as if whoever had been playing with it had grown out of it and abandoned them for good. A child's toy piano laid on its side helplessly, no longer able to play any song with its strings jutting out from the exposed and wooden body, while dusty black and white weighted keys splayed across the floor. A dull blue balloon, still inflated but lacking it's buoyancy, rested limply beside a propped up handheld mirror with its gold painted rim and handle chipped while the reflective surface sustained wide, long cracks. Animal soft toys and dolls sat side by side, their vacant gazes stared at her without a word from their stitched-in mouths while bits of cotton stuffing leaked out from their unsightly seams.

It would have been a pretty understandable sight had it not been for their absurdly LARGE size. Alice was only as tall as a doll's feet, the balloons looked like a humongous beanbag meant for 10 people and the piano keys alone could be passed off for a bench!

Oh wow… I think I'm in a giant toy box! It's almost like the one Edith had… Alice realized as she turned her head up towards her classmates to see if she had shrunk instead. Above in the spectator' s gallery, she could hear the rowdiness of her class and among the faceless faces that were peering into the arena, she spotted Eight' s annoyed and frowning one which surprisingly relaxed her a bit.

Ha ha ha… she's probably trying to tell to me stop wasting my time looking stupid- "Oh!" She couldn't help the astounded squeak that left her lips when she saw her multiple reflections in the huge broken mirror looking even sillier back at her. But her mirror image wasn't wearing the school's sport's attire but some brown, dirty and tattered rag. Her face was painted white, black and red to look like a clown but a magically added eye-patch covered her left eye, and top her head was jester's hat. Both accessories were black and decorated with gold linings.

Mirrors and me never go well, but isn't this a little much? She quirked the corner of her mouth disapprovingly at her ridiculous reflections as she tried to wipe the mirrored make-up off her face but to no avail, seeing that it wasn't on her in the first place. She even tried touching the eye patch and hat, half expecting them to be on her but only to find it strangely non-existent, her fingers coming in contact with her hair and eyelids instead.

How strange… She took a step back, eyeing the mirror's many broken reflections when suddenly her image started moving on its own! Alice could only gape as she watched 'herself' take a bow, swinging an open arm on one side while the other elegantly swiped the hat off 'her' head and cradled it against 'her' chest. And then, 'she' looked up at herself with one familiar blue-green eye, a sinister smirk that was entirely unlike her shaped 'her' lips as she heard her reflection let out a chilling and unusually high-pitched voice that reverberated through her bones…

"He he he he he!"

Alice let out a stifled scream as she stepped away from the broken mirror in fright. But then, her back bumped into something soft. The thing slumped over her from the impact and her vision was suddenly covered with rope-like tendrils from above. Looking up, she yelped when she found a face of a gigantic doll looking down at her! Immediately, she tried moving away but the doll, four times her size and clothed in a torn, lacy dress, inched even closer as it fell forward. Alice scampered to get out of the toy's way as it slammed onto the floor with a loud but padded crash, its head of orange yarn for hair rolling onto one side while a pair of wide, bright blue but lackluster glass eyes stared continuously at the breathless Foreigner.

"W-what… the hell..." Alice muttered under heaving breaths. Her hand latched onto a rough wooden and oddly shaped surface as she tried to catch her breath but right at that moment-

NEI-I-I-IGH!

The thing she was holding on suddenly shook itself free! She yelled and snatched her hand away when she recognized that the surface she was leaning on belonged to the head of a hobby horse which suddenly came to life! The toy horse, which was as big as the actual animal, reared its head against its own stick as it galloped around her, neighing and snorting its flared nostrils at the astonished girl. But its expression was static, with one of the craziest looking grins Alice had ever seen painted on a hobby horse's face. With a final, arrogant snort, the toy dashed past her and into the dark corners of the arena, leaving Alice exhausted and with a loss for words.

"HEY ALICEEEEE!"

Boris's cheerful voice echoed in the arena and though he startled her a bit, it gave her a semblance of comfort to know she wasn't alone in this madness. Alice held her breath, regaining her composure as her eyes peered through the darkness to find him. Sounds of roller coasters starting up could be heard and she could spot the coaster's empty cars rolling in the air on invisible tracks all around the Arena but there was no sight of the cat, catching just glimpses of his magical energy spiking around her and fleeting shadows of his nimble body and tempting tail.

She then heard a groaning sound coming from him next. Did…did he just yawn?! She considered with a grimace.

"Better faster come and catch me or I might just fall asleep!" Boris cried out in reply, his last words echoed annoyingly in the hollowed area and Alice could picture him wearing that cheeky, handsome grin of his.

"Oh shut up!" she yelled back with a huff at the laughing, disembodied voice.

"Ha ha ha! Don't keep me waiting too long, Alice!" the cat gave his last advice and by the time the echoes of his words had faded, the silence took away all of his traces, if any at all, into the dark corners of the Arena and Alice was once again left to face her mission alone. Alice let out a breath and bit her bottom lip, her hand feeling about the content of her pocket as doubt and hesitation slowly crept into her mind.

[Ah… I wouldn't give away my position like that if I were you, sweetpea.]

"Yikes!" the voice was so sudden and so close to her ear it made Alice jump out of her skin.

[Hey hey! Don't get scared by a lil'ole communicator device! I had every chest guard installed with them.] Now it was Gowland's electronic voice that greeted her and she placed her hand on her chest to calm herself down.

"So I've read," she said, steadying her breath again. She had done some studying on Fight Simulations to prepare herself and apparently it was one of the newly added safety features in the Arena's guidebook. "I think I just lost half of my life getting spooked in this place!" Alice replied with a hushed voice as she repositioned her grip on her gun and began her search, cautiously moving towards the toy piano with light feet.

[Ha ha ha! Ain't that the beauty of it?] Gowland told her proudly and she had to resist slapping her own forehead. She could see the increased possibility of dying from a heart attack in this place. And if that does happen, it would DEFINITELY be because of this particularly strange teacher of hers.

[Anyway, the brilliantly talented and charming creator of this building welcomes you to Arena number 14!] The man's bright and exaggerating voice filtered through the darkness and she suppressed a giggle. [Just to remind you, there are traps in this place but on the other hand, you are able to use anything you need here. Making full use of your environment will help give you an advantage. If you want to forfeit, there is a'HELP'button in the centre of your chest guard which will automatically teleport you out of the arena but that would disqualify you and your overall marks will revert back to zero.]

"So it's a lose-lose situation then?" she stated dryly with a frown as her fingers located the said button on her small amour. She then spotted a piece of piano wire that laid by her feet and she bent down to pick it up, careful not to make a noise.

[You can't have everything in this world sweetpea, or in any other world in fact. Don't you know that? Aw c'mon, don't give me that face!]

Alice let out a sigh with a wry smile at his light-hearted plea. Maybe it was because she was being monitored on screen, or maybe it was her habit of wearing her feelings on her sleeve, but Gowland suddenly reminded her of a certain mind-reading principal with a tendency of puking blood. Am I really that easy to read? she wondered. Between her fingers, the piano wire felt thick and coarse and a little too inflexible then she would have liked, and she placed it back down on the floor.

[Since it's your first time, I'll be actively guiding you through your battle. If you ever need me, just press the blue button that is on the guard over you left shoulder. The virtual map of the place will appear if you press the yellow button on your right shoulder, but it will only show you your current location. You've still got to seek out Boris on your own, got it?]

"Got it." Alice quickly tried out the round button on her shoulder and immediately, a small square hologram flashed in front of her, showing an illuminated green 3D, grid-like map with a blinking red dot. The virtual wireframe formed vague structures but she could recognize the shapes of the piano and dolls surrounding the puny dot.

[So ya got a plan, sweety?] Gowland asked and she nervously touched her pocket again before making her way to the fallen balloon.

"Kinda but- "

[That's great! Good results always start with a plan!] The Role-holder commended with dumb-founding enthusiasm. [Now off ya go! I'll be monitoring from the safety of the gallery so don't you worry!]

"Are you trying to encourage me or are you just pulling my leg?!" Alice wasn't sure if smiling at his quirky nature in such a precarious situation was appropriate but she did so anyway. She ran her exploring hand over the large expense of the balloon's blue material, pulling it slightly to test it.

[Ha ha ha! I like ya sense of humour! Reminds me of a good old grouchy friend of mine- oh but that's a story for another time. By the way, have you heard of rule number one in the Arena?] Gowland's voice suddenly grew solemn, effectively stopping what she was doing to fully focus her attention in listening to the in-built communicator.

"What's that?" Alice enquired, a cold sense of foreboding creeping under her skin like a touch of death.

[Then let me teach you this, Alice. Just remember: Don't die.]

His grave words had her gulping hard. Just surviving in this school was difficult. It was a hard rule to keep, but it was not like she had any other choice if she wanted to live. She replied with a loud and heavy sigh, her shoulders slumping from burdens that shouldn't have been there if she had obediently enrolled in a normal school.

[That's the spirit!] The man's usually loud voice burst through the speakers and she had to hastily muffle it with her hand. Just who exactly was the one who told her that she should keep her voice down?

"What kind of spirit was that to you?!" Alice questioned with an arched eyebrow as she tried to eye the communicator device on her chest guard, but it merely made Gowland laugh even more.

[Ha ha ha! Well then, good luck, sweetpea!]

A buzz told her that he had ended their conversation leaving her on her own now.

That was rather… reassuring… Alice mentally said and she could picture her own conscience looking at her with folded arms, a worried expression and half a smile as she shrugged. It's no use thinking too much about whether I can pull this off… Blue-green eyes then hardened with resolve as she studied the map's hologram that was still activated in front of her while her hand tugged at the humongous, dusty, old balloon.

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.

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"Heh... She's gathering quite an attention," an intelligent pair of lake-green orbs peered upward from behind his specs as Gowland murmured with a smirk when he caught sight of the Knight of Hearts with March, the faithful mafia's second-in-command and his master, the one and only arrogant Mad Hatter.

"HEY DUPREEEE!" Gowland's thunderous voice rang out to the second floor and the entire class turned their heads to that direction before looking away edgily when they found the piercing, humorless emerald eyes of the young Mafioso glaring back down at them. Undaunted, Gowland placed his hands on his hips and chortled.

"Can't help but be worried about your little Master here are you? Ha ha ha!"

"Me? Worried about the Foreigner?" Blood smirked, though the corners of his lips never quite touched his eyes, as his slender, gloved fingers rubbed along the smooth edges of the black diamond that rested on top of his cane, a dignified but intensely cold air surrounding him. He tipped his head down slightly, his smoldering gaze glinting menacingly in the shadow of his top hat. "Really now Mary, what are you saying? Have your brain shrunk even more since the last time we met, Mary?"

"OOOI you bastard! Come down here and say it in my face if you dare!" Gowland flew into livid rage as he stomped his feet and his pigtail stood on its end, his brown rifle materializing in his hand. But it was so expected that the faceless students surrounding him quickly scampered away, taking cover like a well practiced fire-drill whilst he brandished his weapon at the second floor corridor.

"Ha ha ha! Are we having a shoot-out? If we are, count me in!" Ace, who was resting his head on his arms along the corridor's railing suddenly perked up with interest as he swung his magically- appeared longsword onto his shoulders, automatically making most of the student's cringe back in fear.

"A good fight goes well with good food. Just let me finish this carrot meringue first!" Elliot acquiesced as one hand calmly pulled out his gun and placed it on the round tea table, finger already at the trigger, while his other hand stuffed another serving of the dessert into his mouth. His sharp, mauve eyes seemed more interested in the delicious orange treats that lay before him on the table.

"Here we go again," Eight muttered dryly as she and some other students hid behind one of the Arena's pillars.

"That Dupree is mad I tell you! He's never gonna let that joke die down is he?" Seven accompanied her as he peered out of the pillar from above Eight's petite head.

But Blood merely looked back at the cup of steaming black tea in his hands, unconcerned at the commotion he had roused, "I'd love too but the last time I did, you went on your little childish rampage even before I opened my mouth. What a waste of my time." He said as he brought his teacup up to his lips, closing his eyes and leisurely inhaling the rich and deep scent of the carefully selected tea leaves before tasting it.

"So sitting there with your little tea party as you watch your Master battle isn't a waste of your time then?" Gowland said with a knowing smile and instantly, Blood's deep green eyes flashed treacherously. Elliot continued eating, seemingly unperturbed but his orange-brown ears were raised at attention while his finger curled around his gun's trigger even more, the hare's arm muscles flexed in preparation as he gauged his Master's reaction. Ace on the other hand smiled even widely from the sidelines but he continued to observe the Mafioso from the corner of his narrowed, crimson eyes, apparently enjoying himself.

"You must be growing sentimental. Did the contract forging do that to you? Ha ha ha!" the bespectacled, older Role-holder continued without a care, practically courting death like a mad man would. And if looks could kill, Blood's glare would definitely pack more than just a punch.

"And you're growing senile, old boy," the younger, raven-haired youth coolly said without a pause as he took another sip before returning the cup onto the saucer, his shapely lips forming a tight thin line. Just as he thought, such distasteful talks could really ruin the taste of one's good tea. "She's no Master of mine, just an interesting toy to pass my time."

"Really? Well, whatever floats your boat Dupre, but you can't run away from the signs," Gowland shrugged. He was about to turn his attention back to the controller and the holographic monitor screens when he heard Blood asked.

"What signs?" The young man turned his sharp green gaze back to the man below, hiding his inquisitive nature under the brim of his top hat.

"Oh you know," Gowland started with an offhanded wave of his hand. "The usual need for the Shield to be with their Masters. The innate, protective nature of a Shield whenever the Master feels danger. It's all very… instinctive. Don't you know?"

This time, Blood replied with silence and a smirk once again curled Gowland's lips, "Oooooh that's right! Our pretty young lord here never needed to worry about protecting someone when he's the one being protected all these while, isn't that right? Ha ha ha! Ha ha-"

BAM BAM!

Gowland smiled tensely when he felt the impact of the bullets on the floor near the Arena's controller, right where his feet had been. Gotcha ya lil' brat… he chucked to himself as the back of his hand rubbed his stubble in amusement.

"It would have been fun if you hadn't move," Blood bluntly stated with a leer, fresh smoke wafted out of the black and white sub-machine gun that resided in his hands. The March Hare, who had paused for a second from his feasting, resumed slurping his carrot smoothie noisily.

That's some impressive energy, Hatter! Ace let out a whistle as he fingered his sword's coiled handle in anticipation.

[Hey old man!] Boris's uninterested voice buzzed from the controller's communicator device. [You having a fight without me?]

Gowland grinned as he pressed one of the controller's buttons to respond to his Shield, "This old man can have a little fun on his own once in a while."

[Well, hope you're having as much fun as I am.] The cat-boy answered, though his tone betrayed his boredom and he gave another yawn before signaling out.

"Don't you have an inexperienced Outsider to look after?" Blood's suave and commanding voice reminded as he lowered his gun. "It would be bad if your equipment is damaged now, wouldn't it?"

"Heh! I could say the same right back at ya, Dupre. Seeing that no matter how much you deny it or throw your little temper, it is still a fact that you are someone's Shield now, even if you are being a pretty lousy one at that," Gowland gave his glasses a little push up his nose before bringing his eyes back to the holographic screen as he advised his young, fellow Role-holder. "If you want to know more, I suggest you take off that high hat of yours and ask your right hand man about it."

Blood pursed his lips as he glanced at his rabbit-eared Shield. Elliot blinked back with wide eyes and a piece of orange cake stuck halfway in his mouth as he pointed to himself blankly. "M-mwhat? Mwe?" he asked with his mouth full and his long ears cocked questioningly and Blood let out a frustrated and reluctant sigh. Being a Shield in a Contract was never what he had bargained for. But to beat one's enemy, I have to know thy strength and weakness first, is that it? Blood considered with a frown as he dematerialized Shadow Rose.

He REALLY despised it so; the fact that he now had a weakness. A bloody weakness named Alice.

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Usually, he'd have it over by two minutes but since the girl was new to this, Boris had been quite patient and content with twirling his gun around his finger and deliberately activating and destroying some of the smaller traps to assuage his boredom; like the huge, spiky pen nibs that would pierce through the 33th black tile if you happened to step on it, the handkerchief trap that acted faster than quicksand if a player gets tangled or lodged in them, the rain of heavy pearl beads if one were to open the old jewelry case, the fart bombs with a smell so toxic it could make a grown man cry and fall to his knees. And of course, the red pin cushions were his favorite; fall onto one and you will find yourself shooting into the sky and to the other side of the Arena. He'd often use it to annoy his opponents whenever they harbored the slightest hope of catching him.

But now, it's been five whole minutes since they entered the Arena and he was done waiting.

No one waits that long since five minutes is long enough to kill or be killed. He crouched low on the seat of the roller coaster car as it rolled on its invisible track at high speed and alleviated distance from the ground. Watchful ember canine-eyes scanned through the darkness below him, picking out the elements of Arena 14, the environment and its traps already memorized like a well-trained soldier.

Something's up, I just know it… his cat-gut kept churning uneasily and his hand tightened his hold on his semi-automatic. The roller coaster made a sudden dip down a steep slope but Boris stayed poised in his position, well attuned to the erratic movement of the ride while he analyzed their game. Why hasn't she made a move? Isn't she the pursuer? he pondered curiously as wind from the speed swept his pink tinted bangs across his face and whipped past his triangular ears.

She hasn't come out of the open yet so she must be in the dark... Boris grinned wolfishly then. It was something to be respected since not many new students, let alone Foreigners, would make moves like this. He then ran through the possible dark areas of the Arena where the girl could have hidden in his mind, gradually locating and cornering his prey.

Being careful huh? But you can't hide from the Cheshire Cat… he smirked and tipped his nose into the air, taking in and sorting out all the possible scents in the Arena; the musky smell of old toys, the dusty cotton fillings, stale rotting wood, moth-bitten cloth… and the out-of-placed fragrant smell of a girl.

"There," he decided with a whisper and he launched himself out of the car and into the air, landing on the ball off his feet on top of a pile of picture books. Without stopping, he jumped down the flight of books, as if intentionally positioned like a flight of stairs, before reaching and bouncing off the tiled floor and into the shadow of a giant, ivory chess piece. Flattening his body and frisky tail against the two storey high bishop, he followed her scent inwards, passing more board game pieces and a strewn, yellowed deck of poker cards.

"Alice? Why are you being so quiet? You're not hurt… are you?"

Silence.

But he could definitely smell her; the unique, tell-tale, sweet feminine scent was just around the corner and there was no other way out but to go through him in that small, 'L ' shaped alley that was formed by a row of dominoes. Then, his furry ears pulled back, having picked out a distinct thumping sound behind him. Turning around, he pointed his gun right into the face of the mad-looking hobby horse. With unblinking painted eyes, it trotted and scratched at the ground with its wooden stick and gave an indignant snort at the cat. Boris clicked his tongue and shooed the animal away, and the wooden horse took off with a grunt, knocking into an equally larger-than-life porcelain mask and breaking at unceremoniously into pieces.

Get a grip, it's just the old horse...Boris chided himself. He had been through this Arena countless of time and he knew it like the back of his paw. There was no reason to even fathom that the outcome of this simple game was going to change just because the Foreigner was here. The pink-haired punk looked forward again, creeping towards the alley. Even by the shortest hair of his tail, he could tell she was there.

But she's being awfully hushed for a pursuer-

Suddenly, there was a thin and tight pulling sensation across the shin of his legs as he walked, and that was enough to send shock through his body when he realized what he had just triggered.

Trapwire! Shit! He mentally cursed, canines gritting as he braced himself for any particular attack as he sprung himself back.

CLANG!

A loud crashing sound rang in the small space, right in the closed off bend of the narrow room and on reflex, he swiped his gun in the direction and took aim, steely slit-irises locked in the dark and shady spot. He could barely pick out a small bottle on the ground, it's aromatic liquid gushing out onto the floor and enveloping him.

Perfume? He cocked his pink head sideways, his tail flicking about agitatedly and golden eyes widened at the surprise. But his triangular ears detected a sudden, unexpected clambering of movement behind him instead.

"My sister gave it to me. A bit too sweet for my taste, but it was useful," Alice flung over her cover and pointed her ivory-tinted gun at the astonished but smirking cat.

"Ha ha ha! Okay okay, you got me!" he chortled and raised both hands in the air, disarming Alice a little with his lack of defense. Even his frolicsome tail was swinging to and fro with delight. String and cover from the old, deflated balloon? Not bad for the Outsider… his twinkling yellow orbs tapered as the chain of his gun jangled gently while he assessed her use of materials.

"Smart!" He admitted, his smile showing the whites of his sharp canines, "…but not good enough, Alice," Boris purred and pounced off, running into the corner.

Where's he going? He should know it's a dead end! Alice's flustered, her finger on the trigger feeling clumsy. She hadn't anticipated that action! Hastily, she got to her feet and gave in to the short and seemingly futile chase but turning into the bend, Alice realized that there was more to Boris's weapon than she had expected. She suddenly inhaled sharply, her legs almost tripping when she felt a small but rapid spike of Boris's energy in front of her. What is he going to do? Summoning his magic like that? she wondered cautiously, picking up the speed but the boy was still too fast for her.

…Door to Nowhere…

Boris chanted in his mind as he gathered his magical energy and his golden dead fish piercings glowed purplish-pink. The tip of his gun had a similar concentration of his magic too and when the ball of light disappeared, in place of it an embedded on the tip of his gun's muzzle was a small golden key with the same fish-skeleton design. He then raised his gun to the large domino blocking his way at the end of the alley, his hand aiming his semi-automatic in a side-ways fashion. The shot had to be timed precisely, something he could do even in his sleep.

…Open!…

Still running towards the door, he twisted his wrist, repositioning his side-laying gun into the usual upright position, as if turning the key by the handle. At the same moment when the gun felt 'locked' in place, he pressed the trigger. He knew - could feel - exactly when his energy-fueled bullet left his gun and slammed into the domino ahead. And that was when it happened. Along with the sound of impact, Alice witnessed the domino before her and the spaced around it warping and disappearing into a mini black hole on the domino where the bullet had hit. In a split of a second, the mysterious black hole widened into a shape of a human-sized keyhole, unveiling a smoky dark inside.

W-what the-! her legs froze as she gawked at the sight. Boris's once light energy had also grown so quickly and so… unrestrained… that the immense weight of it literally intimidated her. She felt the distorting effects of the hole reeling her in as well so she quickly got down on all fours to maintain her position, ignoring the odd warmth that was emitted from her Enhancer. She could only watch as Boris leapt into the keyhole-shaped portal without breaking a sweat. But he turned to spare a glance at her and almost laughed when he saw her priceless, flabbergasted face.

"Aw, you saw me!" he grinned cheekily and with a wave of his hand, the magic hole closed in on him, sealing his escape route and the surface of the domino returned to normal. Silence ensued again as Alice stared straight ahead at the dots of the big, unmistakably solid blockade. Finally, her legs gave way and she slumped onto the floor, exhausted not from the run but from all the pre-attack anxiousness and the big surprised Boris had given her in return.

"No way!" she cried out, resting her weight on her hands as she leaned back on the dusty tiled floor, eyes closed and face towards the ceiling of the arena. Be it from the excitement or the fear, her small hands were still trembling and she finally released her grip on her gun's trigger whilst steadying her breaths. Muddled murmurs of excitement could be heard from the spectators and she let out a disappointed sigh. "Man, that was so close..."

[Yeah, you nearly got him there cupcake.]

Gowland's voice interrupted her thoughts once again, giving her heart and trigger-finger another jump. Alice grimaced, as much as it was for her own good, she's never going to get used to the feeling of having her privacy invaded. She replaced her gun back into its leather holster around her waist so that she wouldn't fire it accidentally.

[Phew! I was almost certain you would have followed him. It's a wise choice not to engage in something you're unfamiliar with!] She could picture the man nodding his red head and finger in a very teacher-like manner.

"That… that skill that Boris used," Alice re-worked her vocal chords which seemed to have gotten stuck in her throat, recalling the spectacle she had seen.

[Ah yes! The "Door to Nowhere" is quite something isn't it? No other student has such a nifty transportation power like his,] Gowland affirmed her imagination in his squeaking, speaker-voice. [It brings him to wherever he desires; the ultimate hiding place and fortress for the Cheshire Cat. But it is said that if you enter the door without him, it will be almost impossible for you to get out on your own. And even if you did, you'll never be the same again. Even his opponents think twice before chasing after him whenever they see the door. You did too, didn't you?]

Alice nodded in agreement, remembering the body-numbing sensation. "It's because his energy suddenly became so...raw and unbridled. Like it… it-"

[Couldn't be tamed?] Gowland completed her sentence for her, his voice dipped so ominously low and soft till she found her ears straining to listen to his every word.

[Hmmm…But it's rare for him to use it since he prefers a good old chase!] He suddenly chirped loudly, breaking the suspense so abruptly it made Alice flinch. [You've probably managed to make the cat in him serious this time! Ha ha ha! This is brilliant work, sugar! But you know as they say, 'the dodo doesn't sing the same song twice'.]

"What?" she asked back, eyes large with confusion at his advice.

[It means he won't fall for the same trick.]

"Oh! You mean like lightning doesn't strike at the same place twice?" she corrected with a tilt of her fair head.

[Huh? That phrase doesn't make sense at all. Of course it does! It even happened to me! Tried holding a concert but the stage keeps getting burnt down by lightning. It happened 16 times I tell ya! Maybe the location's bad…] he groused rather seriously and she could find no words to tell him otherwise.

[Anyway back to the point, though what you did was clever, you're not doing it right.]

"What do you mean?" the teal-eyed Foreigner asked as she got to her feet, dusted off her pants and went to retrieve the spilled bottle of perfume. It was a good-luck memento from her sister after all and she wasn't one to throw away things, be it useless or not.

[I mean you're not exactly seeking him out. See, fighting is so ingrained in us but your battle senses are fresh, you should make full use of it. We, the residents of Wonderland, are tied to our weapons. It stems from our core and so our energy is distinct like a signature. I'm sure you've experienced the difference in energy from the other students. But you're a Foreigner with no weapon. You are different and that's why if played it right, you can have the upper hand. So ya gotta' seek him out properly, sweetpea.]

"But isn't that what I'm trying to do?" she asked in as she plugged the wet, hand-sized bottle, the strong, citrusy and flowery scent assailing her nostrils mercilessly. Alice could only imagine what it must have been like for Boris. "Plus he's too fast and he hides well. The difference between our skills is too big." the blonde girl reasoned, trying her best to mask her growing irritation and disappointment with the seemingly hopeless situation she had unwillingly been thrown into… again. She vented out on a nearby pair of toy jingle bells, giving one hard kick at one of the bronze spheres that was twice the size of her head. The bell tinkled noisily but she couldn't care less.

She was running out of plans, time and luck.

[Tch… That's true but it still doesn't mean it's impossible to catch him. You have patience, something most young and hot-blooded boys and Boris don't have,] Gowland chuckled lightheartedly. Even if it was a little bit, the sound helped eased the tension from her tight muscles. Up ahead, she spotted the wooden horse, now docile and leaning against an old music box on its side, apparently taking a rest from all the galloping. Alice figured it must have been tiring to run on just one stick.

[Remember Alice, you opted to be the pursuer so take the advantage to act a little more. Assess carefully what you and your opponent can and cannot do. Don't rely on your eyes for everything, because everything may not be what it seems. It's especially so for Wonderland High.]

"Alright, I've got it." Alice gave in reluctantly with a loud sigh and the familiar electronic buzz signaled him out of their little prep talk. She walked out of the domino-alley and brought up the holographic visuals for Arena 14 once more and re-tying up her long, honey-colored mess of a ponytail.

I said I've got it but… but I don't have anything! Alice chewed her bottom lip, the anxiousness of the game building at the pit of her stomach uncomfortably once more. On the other hand, Boris has more experience and skills… and she was beginning to involuntarily count them off, one advantage after another as if she was counting down to her doom. He has super reflexes, he has cat-like hearing and great sense of smell, not to mention Wonderland's unlimited source of magical energy, unlike mine… Alice glanced down to the ground as she caressed the grip of her holstered gun, her fingertips brushing against the small glowing crystal orb on the weapon sadly before clenching her fist tightly to reprimand herself. She never liked the pessimistic side of her. But no matter how she look at it…

"I can't escape from Boris. Ultimately, he'll know where I am because he has everything and I-"

She suddenly stopped in her tracks, like the air held in suspense within her lungs. Her wide, round seafoam-coloured eyes now slowly blinked away the confusion and distress that had clouded her vision.

"He has everything I don't," Alice realized with a gradually-forming smile and with that, she turned and darted back to where she came from.

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The Eight of Hearts stood, composed, with her arms folded across her slightly curved chest and a delicate tip of her sharp chin whilst she watched the chase unfold from the spectators' gallery.

"Good riddance! They can both finish each other up! Ha ha ha!"

"Boris is so cool! I'd do anything to get a power like his!"

"What in the world is that stupid No Name doing now?"

The crowd was getting excited and restless at the same time, since the game is programmed to be over in less than 10 minutes and it had been a long while since the student body saw such a long Fight Simulation and the best shows were usually among the Role-holders. The longest one so far had been between the Shields from the Red Dorm against those from the Blue Dorm, a supposedly 'friendly' sporting event that became the bloodbath that they were all more used too. Even the vice principal, who was trying to stop the chaos, was pulled into it along with the Cheshire Cat who had jumped in for fun and the Fight Simulation lasted a good three days before all of them called it quits out of boredom.

"Who was she kidding! Either way, Boris ain't gonna lose to some No Name!" the faceless prefect heard her companion, Seven of Clubs, comment agitatedly. He ruffled his wavy two-toned hair as he glanced down at her, him being a head taller, "She looks too confident. Does she have a plan up her sleeve or something?"

"Humph, you give her too much credit," Eight replied without looking away from the Arena. "I wouldn't be surprised if she's just going with the flow. But then again, I don't think she'll go down that easily either."

"Even if she doesn't die today, there will still be tomorrow and the next day and the day after."

"Exactly," Eight acquiesced.

"Argh! I don't like it! I don't see why we have to put up with this prophecy crap. Just knowing that she's the Foreigner - that she's The One - pisses me!" he grunted and gripped the edge of the stand.

"We all are," Eight said listlessly, and it was true. One way or another, they all hated her the moment she arrived at the gates of the school. It was an uneasy, invasive and bothering awareness, like a thorn that had suddenly got stuck in flesh and was left there to fester. Everything was run by the Game, everyone in Wonderland lives just for the Game. But to have an ignorant and green Outsider overturn things here, and a No Name to boot, was just an assault and an insult to whatever livelihood they had. "It's not her fault but it's not like we can help it either."

"Ha! It's just her bad luck, as well as ours, that she came to Wonderland High," Seven scoffed and nudged his thick, white specs up his nose.

Eight grinned sardonically back at his comment. If there was any real luck at all, none of them would be here in this world. "It boils down to how long she can really last. We can only wait and watch then."

Just then, at the corner right behind Seven's broad and angular shoulders, she spotted a gathering of student's that made her prefect-senses tingle. Four faceless girls stood around one of the boys from their class. The considerably prettier one, the one with long dark curly locks, was whispering into his ears, her luscious lips curving, enticing with evil temptations. After that, they were all grinning insidiously and the boy nodded his head, looked around suspiciously and strode off. She watched the guy leave the Arena and disappear, taking the stairs down to the bottom level. When Eight turned her head back, she met the gaze of the girl who smirked at her, unabashed, and sauntered into the crowd with her groupie after a rather dramatic flip of her voluminous black hair at the class monitor. Eight raised a derisive eyebrow before she returned her eye-less gaze back to Alice, who was struggling to cut up some strands of yarn from one of the dolls head.

These sort of shifty-looking acts were too common in this school. Alliances, ambushes and sabotages were all reasonable means of survival if one were to study and live here. It wasn't something she would normally be bothered by besides her role of getting her class in order.

Even if she had recognized the girl to be the one whom Alice nearly had a fight with during the beginning of the lesson, it wasn't her problem to care.

"You've gone quiet. What's up?" Seven asked.

"Nothing," she replied apathetically as her hand went up to her massage the accumulated strain out of her neck. Unconsciously, her slim fingers paused to fiddle with her golden and red pin on her shirt's collar.

It's not my problem to begin with. She should deal with what she started… Eight reiterated, self-vindication showing in the hardened and tight line of her lips as she rubbed the pads of her thumb along the rounded metal edges of her pin. As a card in the Game, she had long ago decided that she will only do what she was supposed to do…

Watch and wait.

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Yeah! Definitely glad that I managed to write this one out! X'D So yeah, the outcome of the fight will only be revealed in the next chapter (which hopefully won't take as long to update but no promises ^^;)

Hope you guys enjoyed it and if there is anything I can do to improved in my writing, I'd love to hear them :) Thanks for reading once again and DO REVIEW or PM me on any comments, suggestions or constructive criticsms you might have! They're really my source of energy to continue writing for this story ^^;

Sneak Peak:

"ALICE!"

She looked above, her vision turning blurry as she fell. She thought she had seen Peter, his face twisted in horror as he kept banging against the force field of the Arena, unable to get to her.

And beside him was Blood, his hands clenched into fists and his own pale features etched with a strange and worried look that was so unlike him, just starring at her wordlessly.

"Blood…"

She called out his name unconsciously, the Enhancer burning on her skin now, and she saw his brilliant emerald eyes widened as she prepared to hit the ground but the impact never came. Instead, she felt a strong arm coiled around her body and she was pressed against a toned chest, feathers of a furry, pink boa caressing her cheeks.

"Alice! Hang on!" Boris cried out above the deafening noise as everything fell apart around them. He's agile and lean form turned and quickly covered hers, his arm supporting her weight against his body around her waist. She couldn't feel much anymore, her head a dull pain as wet warmth trickled down from her temple. Even though she knew she had to move on her own or else they wouldn't make it, her body, numbed and heavy, just wouldn't obey.

"Hold on tight!"

Boris shouted the command and she willingly followed, fingers fumbling to grip his shirt tightly before all her strength ebbed away. As the structures of Arena number 14 turned into ruins right before her eyes, she heard Boris fire a shot as he leapt through the falling debris while carrying her effortlessly. There was a wash of cool air and suddenly, darkness surrounded them and Arena number 14 slowly disappeared from her sight and muffling the noise of the destruction.

Right before it turned dark, someone had called out her name again. An unforgettable but panicked voice and she was sure it wasn't Peter's but someone much closer to her this time.

"Alice!"

He reached out to her in her mind; a familiar bond forming and taking along with him half of her soul. Immediately, Alice thought of raven black hair and intense green eyes as Boris swept her away from the chaos and further into the darkness...

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That's all folks! Hope that's good enough for a teaser lol! So keep tunning in and I'll see you next update! ^^ Nite!