La Belle Dame sans Merci
Author's Note: Yay! I managed to get the long awaited chapter done this week! Go, me! Thank you all for following this story so far, and I'm glad to see the alerts being put on this so late in the game. I hope you enjoy! And a big thanks as always to those who continue to read and review every chapter. Your words keep me going!
Chapter Twenty
She found me roots of relish sweet,
And honey wild and manna dew,
And sure in language strange she said-
'I love thee true.'
She took me to her elfin grot,
And there she wept, and sighed full sore
And there I shut her wild wild eyes
With kisses four
And there she lulled me asleep
And there I dreamed -ah! woe betide!-
The latest dream I ever dreamt
On the cold hillside.
I saw pale kings, and princes too,
Pale warriors, death pale were they all;
They cried- La Belle Dame sans Merci
Thee hath in thrall!'
I saw their starved lips in the gloam,
With horrid warning gaped wide,
And I awoke and found me here,
On the cold hill's side
- excerpt from "La Belle Dame sans Merci" by John Keats
The only light they could see was from the flashing screens that ran alongside the buildings. Evredee's face was larger than life as she laughed and smiled.
Alice stared. Her eyes were unmoving as she watched the woman that she knew as her mother, wax poetic about a new Wonderland.
"Are you sure you're okay?" Ditty whispered in her ear.
"Are you sure you're okay?" Alice replied.
"I'm not as bad off as you. My mother isn't playing on all the screens."
Robert nodded. "Ditty is right. Are you sure you're okay?"
Alice stiffened. "We're going in. You see any Suits, we shoot 'em."
"All of them?" Charlie asked.
"They're working for her. We need to get them out of the way. I don't care about how many we have to go through." Alice turned to look at them. "We're here to rescue Hatter, and Jack. The Suits don't matter."
"What about your mother?" Robert asked quietly.
"We'll get Mom back." Alice nodded. "Guns out."
"I'm going to lead," Ditty said. She shot a look at Charlie. "And don't you dare suggest that you lead."
"I'm a knight, I-"
"And, I'm the Queen. Your Queen, actually." She grinned. "Don't you think that you should listen to me?"
She held her gun up, and began to run over to the entrance of the city. Evredee's voice sounded muffled; eerie, as the rest of the center was silent. "Where is everybody?" Alice whispered.
"I don't know…asleep?" Ditty replied.
"It's the effects from too much Tea," Robert said.
"What do you mean?" Alice asked.
"Think about it. These poor people in the city have been inundated with the Tea. It's not like before when they would take it to achieve a certain purpose, or for a fix," Robert explained. "It's in their drinking water, their baths, when they make food. It's going to overrun their system."
"And, what? They shut down?"
"Exactly."
Alice exhaled. "We need to get the screens off. Do you know where we have to go to do that?"
Robert nodded. "Yes."
"What about the Tea?" Ditty asked. "Can you get that shut off from the same place?"
"Yes, of course. If I can get into the main computer, I should be able to access almost everything."
Alice nodded. "We go there first, and remember…any Suits, we shoot on sight." She faced the castle. "Like those." Alice raised her gun at the small collection of Suits that were making their way from the castle doors. "No mercy," she murmured, and steadied herself as she fired off a couple of shots.
They watched as the men fell down, some of them twitching on the ground before they stilled. "Good one," Ditty remarked. "Let's go."
The heels of her boots clicked against the stone floor as they ran through the main entrance. Ditty jumped in front of Charlie, and quickly shot off a round. Alice startled as screams filled the hall for a second before they were promptly silenced.
"Your father taught you well," Alice commented.
"Robert, lead us to the computer room," Ditty instructed, panting. "I'm going to take the back, Alice can handle the sides."
"And, what about me?" Charlie asked.
"Just…try to stay alive," Ditty muttered.
"Right! You got it!" Charlie patted his sword. "This has managed to keep me alive more times than I can count. You know, there was one-"
"Not now, Charlie!" Alice exclaimed.
"Oh. Right."
Robert pushed open one of the doors, and started to head down the stairs. He froze in his step by the large metal door as a couple of Suits turned away from the computer, and raised their guns. Robert lifted his; his hand shaking. "Alice…" he murmured.
"Dad!" Alice shouted. She jumped in front of him, and shot. "Ditty!"
"Get down, Robert!" Ditty ordered. She turned around, not giving the rest of the Suit's a chance. Blood splattered against the walls as the men slumped dead onto the floor.
"I'm sorry." Robert looked at Alice, his eyes wild. "I don't know what happened there. I couldn't-"
"Dad, it's fine. I just need you to turn the computer off."
"I failed."
"No…Dad!" Alice grabbed his arms. "You didn't. Please…"
He glanced at the computer. "Right."
"What do we do with the dead bodies?" Charlie wondered.
Ditty looked around. "I'm trying not to think about that right now." She shook her head, and walked over to one of the three keyboards on the table. "I feel so stupid. I should know how to do everything in this room, but, I didn't pay any attention."
"Did you and Jack even use this room in the first place?" Alice asked.
"Jack must've employed some Suits in here, at least to keep some things in the castle running."
The screen filled up with blue and green charts as Robert frantically typed on the keys. "She has kept it at a steady rate, except for one running down to the dungeon," he muttered. "What was she doing down there?"
"What do you mean?" Alice asked.
Robert pointed at one of the long blue lines. "She had them set up a route for the Tea to be pumped down to the dungeon. It's higher than the others. It even looks like for a time she had it running at full power."
"She had to have been doing something to Jack and Hatter," Ditty said, breathlessly. "Why else would she send it down there?"
Alice stared at the unmoving lines. "Turn it off."
Robert quickly obeyed, and there was a whirling sound as they watched the colors on the screen dissolve. "There. One thing is done," he whispered.
"So, that's it? There's no more Tea?" Alice asked him.
"No more Tea being pumped through the city. It may still take a couple of hours for it to get completely drained out, but it's been shut down."
"So, what happens next?" Ditty asked.
"We bring up the controls for the screens outside." Robert's eyes darted through the different files. "She should have it set up on a loop…yes." He eagerly tapped the keys. "And…" He peeked out through the window. Everything was black. "Yes."
"What just happened?" Charlie asked.
"All of the screens in the city have been shut off." Robert clicked on the folder. "And…deleting it. All the records of Evredee's videos…gone."
"Now what?" Charlie asked, not even bothering to keep the excitement out of his voice.
Ditty shook her head. "We find Jack, and Hatter." She turned to Charlie. "Aren't you supposed to be good at sensing these kind of things?"
"Oh, um, yes of course! But, alas…my connection has been severely disjointed lately. The spirits-"
"Can you find them, Robert? Can you bring up the feed from around the castle?" Ditty asked.
"The feed runs through some of the screens upstairs, but there has to be some way that I can bring them up down here."
"These screens don't run the video feed?" Alice asked.
"No. They have the capabilities though."
"Try, Dad. It'll save us the time of running through the castle."
"Right." Robert pales, and sweat ran down his cheeks as his fingers flew over the keyboard. "Okay. I believe that I can ping off this file. It won't be very clear, but, I can bring up a few shots at a time."
"Do it."
The four of them leaned forward as various video shots played on the computer. "All empty, or just a few Suits," Alice muttered.
Ditty gasped. "No, wait. Can you go back one?"
"Did you see something?" Alice pressed.
"I don't know. I think…" Ditty inhaled. "Yes."
"What?" Alice glanced at the screen. "Oh, my god."
The image was still pixilated in spots, but Alice could make out Evredee and Hatter standing close together as Jack was seated in a crouching position on the floor.
"That's my room," Ditty said evenly. "That bitch is in my room, and…she's wearing my clothes."
"Are you sure?" Robert asked.
"I know what my room looks like. Oh, my god."
Charlie peered over Alice's shoulder. "The harbinger…is he naked?"
"Naked?" Alice looked at Hatter. "Why is he naked? What is going on up there?"
Ditty shook her head. "I don't know, but we're going to find out."
"Could they be having an orgy?" Charlie wondered.
"Oh, my god!" Alice groaned.
"When I was younger, I used to dream of being in an orgy with Evredee," Charlie sighed.
"Charlie!" Alice exclaimed.
"I'm leading the way," Ditty announced. "She's sure to have Suits guarding the area by the room, especially with Jack and Hatter in there with her."
"So, what do we do?" Alice asked.
"Same as before. We get them before they have a chance to get us."
"Right." Alice nodded at Robert. "Shut all this down, okay?"
He nodded wordlessly, and the screens went dark. "Are you ready?"
"No." She attempted to give him a small smile. "But, I don't really have much of a choice…do I?"
Evredee's eyes flashed as the gun shot echoed in the room. "What was that? What was that?"
Jack panted. "Someone's here."
She glared at the Suits in the room. "What are you waiting for? Go out there!"
The door was kicked open, and Ditty and Alice walked in; their guns raised. "I don't think so," Ditty muttered. She shot the three Suits who were making their way towards her.
"Well, aren't you a fast one?" Evredee snickered. "So, I assume that you're the girl who's married to my dear nephew."
"I'm not your 'dear' anything," Jack spat out.
Ditty kept the gun trained on Evredee. "Let them go."
"Or…what?" Evredee stared at Alice. "You wouldn't dare kill me in front of my daughter…now, would you?"
"Evredee, please…stop this," Robert pleaded.
"No." She shook her head, and walked over to him. "This is all your doing…darling."
"I know. Believe me, I know. I did the wrong thing all those years ago, but, that's between you and me. Let Jack and Hatter go," Robert whispered.
"Oh, no. I mean, I have no need for Jack, but Hatter…" Evredee touched Hatter's bare arm.
"Mom?" Alice whimpered.
"Yes…honey?" she purred. She let her hand trail down to Hatter's twitching cock.
"What are you doing? Mom….?"
Evredee stiffened. "Don't call me that," she hissed. "I am not your mother."
"Yes…" Alice took a step towards her. "You are. Please." Tears rolled down her cheeks. "What are you doing to Hatter?"
"What haven't I done to Hatter?" Evredee giggled.
"Evredee…stop this," Robert murmured.
"No. In fact, I think that Alice should see all the fun that Hatter and I have had."
"Hatter! Hatter! I don't know what she did to you, but please! I need you to wake up!" Alice shouted. She lunged at him, only to have Evredee push her away. "Stop! Please! I want my mother back!"
"She's gone," Evredee snarled.
"I don't believe that!"
"Hatter, why don't you take Alice into the viewing room? Play her the tapes from today…I think she'll be pleasantly surprised," Evredee suggested, smiling.
Charlie stood in front of Hatter. "Stay away from her."
"I always do what Evredee tells me to, old man," Hatter said, pushing Charlie away to the side. He grabbed Alice by the arm, and yanked her towards the door.
"No, Alice!" Jack grunted.
"Hatter!" Ditty attempted to reach for Alice, only to have Alice stop her. "Alice…"
"I'm going to go with him," Alice said quietly. Hatter was staring at her, his breath coming out in short ragged bursts. "I'm going to try to get him to snap out of whatever she has him under. You should be trying to get Jack loose."
"What about your mother?" Ditty whispered. "What if she-"
"Don't do anything…please. Hold her off."
"But, what if-"
"Please!" Alice followed Hatter down the stairs, carefully stepping over the bodies of the dead Suits that littered the doorway. "Why are you naked?" she asked him.
"Evredee prefers me that way." Hatter gave her a cocky grin. "As I recall…you preferred me that way."
"Hatter, please. What has she done to you?"
"Nothing…and everything." He shoved her into a small room where television screens lined the walls. "I can show you part of it."
"Hatter! Please!"
"Sit down!" he barked.
"No!" she yelled. She let out a scream as Hatter forced her into one of the chairs. "Hatter!"
"Everything is being recorded. She's watching us now," he murmured, giving a slight nod towards the camera in the room. "So, if I were you…I would sit down, and shut the fuck up!"
"Wha…?"
"Evredee has a better body than you…I think." Hatter flipped on one of the switches for the screens, and began to rewind the tape. "See? Have I ever paid that much attention to you…your breasts?"
Alice stood up, and slapped him across the face. She dropped the gun in the floor as Hatter picked her up, and threw her against the wall. "Stop it!" she yelled.
Hatter glanced down towards her chest. "They're a bit small, yeah?" He yelped out in pain as Alice kneed him directly in the balls. "Bitch!"
"Hatter, I want you to look at me! You know me!" She waved her ring in his face. "Hatter! You gave this to me!"
He snarled, and pinned her down to the floor. Alice screamed, and wrapped her legs around his back; flipping him over. He tumbled, and muttered her name before he stumbled, and hit his head on the cement wall.
"Oh, god. Hatter! Hatter!" Alice turned him over, and pressed her fingers to his throat. He was still breathing, and his heartbeat was racing. "Hatter! I-" She jerked her head up as she heard a gunshot peal out. "Oh, god! No. Hatter!" She slapped his cheek a couple of times before she leaned down to lay a kiss on his lips. "Okay, that didn't work. That always works in the movies. Stay here," she whispered. "Don't move."
She scrambled to get out of the room, and headed back upstairs. Alice skidded to a stop when she saw Ditty crouched next to Jack. Evredee had Ditty's gun in her hands.
"What did you do?" Alice asked.
"Your friend Ditty is no match for me. Luckily, I just hit dear Jack in the shoulder," Evredee said. "Some of your friends are cowards, Alice," she continued, nodding at Charlie who was off in the corner. "He is no knight." Robert was standing in front of Evredee with his arms raised.
"Please. Leave them alone. I know you. You're my mom." Alice swallowed, and walked over. "My mom would never hurt anybody. You always listened to me, even when I wasn't worth listening to."
Evredee laughed. "You were so pathetic. Weak and pathetic. Crying for your daddy all the time."
"Carol…" Robert whispered.
"I am NOT Carol!" she yelled. "You made me be someone-"
"I know!" he shouted. "I did it! Not Alice! Me!"
"Mom, please…please look at me. Don't you remember all the things we did together? And, you would read to me every night when I was a kid," Alice continued.
"I am not your mother, got it? I never wanted to be a mother. I couldn't stand children, and I especially couldn't stand you." Evredee raised the gun at Alice. "You get it? I was always trapped inside. Inside Carol's head, just begging to get out. Do you know what that's like? To watch your body do something, say something that's not you?"
"Mom…"
"I was supposed to be Queen. Get that, Alice? QUEEN!" Evredee growled. "I don't love you. I have never loved you!"
"Evredee, stop!" Robert shouted.
"No. Alice deserves to know the truth, doesn't she?" Evredee grinned, as Alice's tears fell. "You had me set up to be the perfect doting wife and mother, didn't you Robert? Perfect, perfect, perfect." She cocked her head. "Like what I did to Hatter, darling? He has been ever so much fun!"
"You forced him under the Tea," Jack gritted out. "But, it didn't work."
"Yes…it did."
"No…" Jack yelped as he stood up. "It didn't."
"Evredee, put the gun down," Robert begged.
"Where's Hatter?" she asked Alice.
"He's alive," Alice replied.
"Well, I hope that you haven't destroyed him too much. I still want to take him completely."
"Mommy," Alice choked out. "Mommy, please stop. Please, please…I need you."
Evredee chuckled. "Really? That's where you make mistakes, Alice. The real trick is to not need anyone." She released the trigger.
Alice's eyes widened, and she started to scream. Jack and Ditty ran towards her to yank her out of the way as Robert once more stepped in front of her. He whimpered as he collapsed down to the ground.
"Alice…"
"Daddy! Daddy! No!" Alice shouted.
Another shot rang out, and Evredee's eyes and mouth opened in shock as blood poured out from a bullet hole in her forehead. "Mom? Mom?" Alice whispered. She crawled over to the bodies of her parents lying side by side. "Mom? Dad? Mom? Mom! MOM!"
She felt someone grab her, and pull her into an embrace. "Alice."
"Wha…"
"Alice."
She looked up. Hatter was breathing heavily; the gun next to his foot. "No…"
"Alice…"
"Get them back! Get them back!" Alice jumped up, and ran back to her father. "Wake him up! You can do it! Wake him up!"
"Alice!"
She fought as Hatter scooped her up. "You can do it! Wake him up! Mom! Mom! Mo-" Alice sighed, as everything went black.
A/N- so how was the rescue scene? Did everybody figure out the truth about Hatter now? Let me know what you thought!