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-"Dialogue"-
("Inner thinking")
This is a time skip: MWMWMWMWMWWMWMWMWMWMMWMWMW
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OMEGA AND ALPHA
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At the sudden contact Aria let out a yelp and Ace, Julius and Aegis turned to look at her, watching closely as the connectors molded over her skin like a slick, fast moving glowing goo that formed bracelets over either wrist, one a thin and shining navy blue and the other a bright ruby red band. Both connectors stayed on, puzzling both holders. A moment later, all sensations in them burned while the next instant it felt like ecstasy and fulfilment. The role holder's clocks felt as though they had suddenly stopped in time. Their precise ticking stuttered, syncing with one another's in perfect harmony while a strong flow of mana entered their bodies and energized them with strength that melted into their existences. The feeling of power, fulfillment and transcendence was so staggering that Julius nearly fainted while Ace stared at his hands with a warm yet maniacal smile, all while Aria merely breathed hard in apparent shock.
"Huh?"- Ace tilted his head as he felt his connection to Aria tighten for surety, his red eyes focusing on the elegant bracelets.- "My connection is there … how about you, Julius?"- He asked, looking back to Julius who was gripping his chest right over his clock. Ace, perfectly at ease, stretched himself out and took the power upgrade with much greater grace as he clenched his fists and grinned, wanting to fight someone to test out his strength. This was different than what he had expected, not that he really expected anything, but this was… it was like not being lost, like being exactly where he needed to be and having the unquestionable power to protect his precious people like he never felt before. -"Yours is connected too, I can feel it … so we both are?"- He said, slowly grinning, baffled yet joyful, almost wanting to pant out. The feelings and sensations from the previous stage in the game were nothing compared to this, and he could barely wait until Aria did accept this and them wholly, embracing their beautiful trio in all ways, then the connectors on their ends might reshape too. Who knew? But hadnt she done that already when she used her own potion on them before? Who cared?!.- "I didnt though it would be this powerful, ha,ha,ha!"
At the same time, Julius continued to tremble, overwhelmed by the powerful connection he felt towards not only Aria, but towards Ace as well. -"It actually worked?" -He breathed fast, still shocked and almost unwilling to believe it. To him, the emotional connection was a sensation beyond even the power increase he could feel settling in every fiber of his being. Not only did his clock felt free from the death sentence upon Julius Monrey; he felt.. Alive. Loved. Appreciated, needed and wanted more than never before; not even when he got his role had he felt anything similar. His time was worth for someone else. This was like having a purpose beyond fixing clocks, it was a true sense of reward, and if the game was manipulating him, he didnt care. Now he understood why Aria had always referred to the game's effects on them. She had known it all along and now he truly comprehended why their desire to win the game was so instinctually intense. And it was worth it. It was worth everything and anything they have gone through. However, one thing baffled him. 2 connectors were on her.-"Was it really so simple?"
"That was rather...anticlimactic."- Aegis's eyes shone with a purple glow while he examined the mana output through his sensors. - "I'll have to analyze the recordings, but …Aria!?" -Aegis mewled suddenly. His owner looked at the shiny bracelets with eyes full of digital static before she fainted.
Julius's eyes widened as Ace, laughing, caught the young woman.- "Ah ha! Looks like she's all tuckered out." - The knave grinned as he subtly checked her pulse to make sure she was alright before hugging her tightly and kissed her.
The ocelots eyes shifted color again just like Aria's eyes normally did, and he let out a new sigh of relief. -"It worked. Her mana is stable."
Ace's strong arms picked her up bridal style, and winking back at Julius, he walked towards the stairs.- "Lets take her to bed"
"Ace!" -Julius facepalmed, letting out something between a groan and a growl.- "Its NOT the time to get randy"
"Naughty, naughty, Julius."- The knight chuckled, looking slyly at the time master, sporting a big and bright lecherous smile.- "Im only going to tuck her in bed. You are so devious. If you want to get randy you can use me while Ari rests."
Julius was left with his mouth open and a red face while Ace, followed by Aegis, climbed up the stairs back to the bedroom.
Ace placed Aria on their king-sized bed and laid down besides her, nuzzling her and noticing how his instincts had too been enhanced. -"I wonder…"- He removed the bright collar from his neck, and in the blink of an eye, he felt his fuzzy ears flickering on top of his head and his tail wagging behind him like a mad tornado of happiness; at the same time that his senses sharpened, sound, sight, smell.... He could barely wait to try taste. - "ha, ha. The connector didn't changed this." - He said while pinching his own foxy ears.
"It seems It'll take longer to complete the change." -Aegis came into the room and jumped over the small table nearby.- "After all, even when Aria used half of her own potion and compensated the rest with raw mana, it wasn't enough; And the other potion was meant for allowing more than one connector"- The sentient mass of darkness and technology watched the red fox knave hum and sniff the unconscious foreigner before Ace promptly began nuzzling, kissing, licking and even rolling around on the bed in a big display of happiness. Aegis spoke, although he was pretty sure the knight wasn't listening.- " It was good that you used Alice's potion. Although I suspect that the idea that only 1 connector can be placed on a foreigner is a false premise altogether."
"It worked, that's what matters."- Julius came in to see Ace nibbling on Aria's shoulder, more a playful fox trying to get it's mate to play than a man caressing his loved one. Julius didn't need to take off his own collar to know his tail would be wagging too, and quite frankly, he didn't care for his human form to settle back permanently. -"The game is over and we're connected."-Without ado, he climbed on the bed at the other side of Aria and kissed her neck, inhaling her scent and getting almost as drunk on it as Ace was.
Aegis jumped over the bed and sat over Aria's still form, hissing and using a serious tone that made his Russian accent more obvious while addressing both holders - "With The connectors in place, you merely gained some time, but the Omega protocol is already active." – The A.I. focused his gaze on Julius. - "Don't you know her time is set? Remember when I told you Aria lied to you about something?"
The time master frowned, ready to rub his temples, getting back the sensation of mild had fixed her time to the time of her territory. It was stopped. Her time in this world was not ending, anything else he couldn't detect.- "What is it then?" - He crossed his arms.- "Is that protocol the thing that she lied about?"
"Just say it already, Mr Ari's pet."- Ace rolled over Aria, forcing Aegis to jump off her while the knight landed over Julius, trying to remove the collar of the mortician's neck and getting his ear got pinched by Julius.- Ouchi."- Ace's settled down somewhat to look at Aegis. -"You made sure a connector would be on her before telling us this."- He pointed his finger at the A.I. - "And you normally say things as bluntly as Aria. So what can be so bad that you'd need to ensure the connector and our cooperation first?"
Julius agreed, not bothering to remove Ace of himself. Sometimes the knave could be as sharp as his sword and there was nothing to add to those words except for the suspicion Julius had.- "Is it related to her behavior?"
Aegis remained static for a moment, curling over Aria again and nodding. -"Recapitulating, Aria completely fragmented her mind. At the moment, she has only basic impulses and some residual memory associations. Her behavior now is just unconnected pieces of knowledge, triggered by physical needs."- He kneaded over her sleeping form, receiving no reaction. -"As you know, she doesn't store memories but interconnected knowledge; but those neural connections were destroyed and knowledge can't be accessed." - The dark feline looked at the holders.- "Same reason why she trusts you unconditionally at the moment. She can't remember you but her disposition remains as a residual after effect. "
"As flattering as that is, that does not help thecurrent situation." -Julius said, sounding annoyed. - "What is this protocol and what does it has to do with anything?"
Aegis imitated a deep breath.-"Let me remind you that Aria has never been a combat operative. She's an information expert, applying knowledge to achieve goals. Her most valuable resource is her mind, and she held many secrets that would have been very dangerous if she was captured, thus, she took extreme measures to prevent that leak of information. Get the drift." -The A.I.'s eyes glowed. -"If her mind can't go on processing, the Omega protocol automatically activates. And she isn't processing."
"Awe ... Ary without her mind isn't fun. But at least we can still have her heart." - Ace cheerfully smiled, pulling her over Julius to hug her but Julius tried to prevent him from moving Aria.
"A heart is merely an organ that pumps blood through the system. It's her mind what makes her be herself." -The ocelot made a dramatic pause, then it spoke with a digital voice that lacked any inflexion, tone or accent. - "ThE OMeGa PROtOcoL... wHEn ARia deCLARED ThaT THe OnlY meRcY iN hER WaS In ThE word MeRcENAry, sHE liED TO you. Her Last Secret Component Is The Last Card She Can Play If It Came To That. "
"Be clear!" - Julius snapped with a bitter frown, tightly gripping his arms. Ace noticed it and hugged him. Both of them looked at Aria, already understanding where this was heading.
"Always keep the last bullet for yourself."- Quite fast, Aegis finally said it.-"She has a 'mercy' charge installed, and the protocol to kill herself is active.The charge will explode in her cerebellum and all her neural connections will be electrically overcharged. "
Cobalt eyes widened as Julius freaked out, standing on the bed and tossing Ace aside.- "Of all the suicidal tendencies she has! H-How long has she had something like that in place?!"- Julius demanded and looked down at her sleeping form, startled and frightened for her. - "Is Aria going to be lost to us forever after all?"
"What can we do?" - Ace too stood up, his hand gripping the hilt of the sword that wasn't there a second ago. -"How do we fix her?
Aegis shifted on it's feet while looking at Aria's face.- "She's had it years before she came into this world, and this protocol auto-activated given certain conditions"- He curled over her neck and nuzzled her cheek, it's voice shaking in tone-".. All her devices will self-destruct; including her connective suit, which will destroy itself and the user's body. Even DNA will be destroyed when my inner layer releases its acid." - The A.I. looked down at his owner and then at the knave. -" You can't do anything. Her mind is so fragmented that not even Joker can place it back together."
Ace's sword was pointed at Aria.- "That's not fair Aria; you shouldn't just kill yourself whenever it pleases you. That's selfish and unsightly." - He pouted his grip on the weapon tightening as a small growl protruded from his throat. -". Deciding to blow yourself up without asking us first. Awe ... Ary, that's not nice. Its not knightley at all." - With a quick flick of his wrist, Ace's sword swiftly traversed the air to cut through the dark creature bearer of the terrible news.- "Dammit!"
Cold steel sliced past the shadows, leaving an open rift in the ocelot's figure before the blade flickered again and was tossed forward towards the wall with all the strength of the knave's impotent anger, striking the stone and remaining stuck on the wall while Aegis reformed as if nothing had happened.
"After all this and Aria is not going to make it..." - The knight heavily slumped over onto a nearby chair, placing the collar back on his neck. Gripping his forehead with his hands, his heavy expression was hid. -"Why is it so hard to keep our sweet Ary around?"
"Perhaps the trials of the game won't be over until its continuation is assured" - Aegis finished reforming, his components intact albeit the shadows seemed thinner.
"The games are never easy and always different."-Julius closed his eyes and exhaled.-" ... I admit I should feel more so surprised or disappointed, but I expected her to have some sort of for anything. I just didn't think she'd lie to us in that way."
Aegis didn't bother moving up. - "If it makes you feel better, I can tell you that she has also been hiding information about using your samples for experiments, adding modifications to the clock tower to hide stuff around in here, developed a failsafe plan to have me devour you up to your clocks to enhance my existence and power if you dared try anything against her, secretly experimented with you….. "
"No, it doesn't make me feel better." -Julius crossed his arms, trying to forget all those horrible things he was being told. He heavily sighed, loathing the game with all his clock. He simply wanted to love Aria and have Aria let him love her. Was that too much to ask? Yes, it was. However, he had fought this hard so far and had no intentions on giving up. He could care less about the game at this point. -"But you are getting off topic. Please, tell us how do we negate that protocol. You do have some idea, don't you?"
Suddenly standing up,Ace stood up and then walked back towards the bed to grab Aria by the wrist and pull her towards him, making Aegis jump off again while she half woke up.- "Hey, metal creature. Where in her is that bomb? I'll cut it out."- Like an anxious puppy, he began poking at Aria and looking for anything that resembled a bomb; then his gaze illuminated and he squished her boobs.-"Mmmhhh… is this why these are so big?"- He squished some more. - "They feel normal"- His hands continued examining her breasts and he gained some moans of discontent from the sleepy foreigner.
Julius blinked and blushed.-"Ace, I highly doubt it is a bomb that can be removed." -The clock master stated in a hard voice before pausing, turning to Aegis with vague hope.-"Can it?"
The A.I. looked at Ace with it's equivalent of a dead pan. -"Those are normal mammary glands."- He sighed and looked at Julius.- "The 'mercy' charge is situated along her neural implant at the base of her nape where her antenna starts, and connects directly to her cerebellum. Trying to remove it will lead to self-termination. So please refrain from it."- Aegis jumped to Julius feet to paw at the mortician.- "The real problem is that unless her mind is fully functional again and soon, the protocol will be implemented. So there's no time to goof around."
"But this will kill her anyways if we don't do anything." - Ace said with a frown, gently touching the wire that came out from the base of Aria's nape and lightly pressed around, there was a hard spot under her skin about the size of a big coin. She shuddered under his touch and Ace smiled tersely. He of course had teased that spot before for other more pleasurable reasons, knowing that she was very sensible there, and once this had a happy ending, he'd teased her more again.
Julius took Aria away from Ace and sat on the bed with her on his lap; she immediately cuddled up to him. Julius hands trembled with unease as he hugged her. In response, she grabbed his hand into hers and went back to sleep. Julius nuzzled her and then looked at Aegis. - "Can't you stop it? You are part of her machines, aren't you? At the very least you are programed with Aria's wellbeing in mind, don't you?"- He wanted her safe and he wanted to love her deeply. He'd do anything to spare her life.
"It's not possible for me to do something beyond my own programming. The Omega Protocol overrides even my own desires to aid my user."- Aegis went towards the window to transmit a signal before melting into his other components to become a bigger, and sat on his hunches, looking down.-"You can't remove that device or negate the protocol. The countdown already started, and unless her mind returns to a usable state, self-termination is inevitable."- Aegis changed his form to that of a mini wyvern and laid on the floor right under the sunlight with a deep huff, extending his solar paneled wings. Raising his head up, he looked sharply towards both holders.- "But I can try something. Well, I could if my programming allowed it. "
"What use are you if you can't even help your owner?" - Ace walked to retrieve his sword from the wall, giving it a few pulls before he managed to get it back.- "The problem is in your existence, right? If I destroy you would that end it?"
A digital glow shone on Aegis eyes as the creature let out a small growl.-" My programming is even stronger than your rules. You can break them albeit with serious consequences, but my programming is the base of my existence. I can't act outside of my programming" - Aegis sighed but then stood in a prideful posture, the wyvern's gaze crossed the knave's. -"And in our programming the death of the user is preferable than the discomposure of her mind and possible capture, therefore, that is a priority in execution."
"What are our other options then? Aria never told us anything about all this. " -Julius asked, looking to Aegis desperately.- "You would not tell us about this unless there was a way around it. So say it already!"
The mini wyvern exhaled a shadow and looked at Julius's eyes directly and without blinking.- "As the knave said, it comes to me." - Glassy eyes brightened with a digital glow. - "I can't stop the Omega Protocol as I am. But there's a way for me to gain sufficient autonomy in order to re-enable her mind before the protocol kills her."
"Ooh~ cool." - Ace grinned, crossing his arms.- "Although it's probably something that we would not accept under any other circumstance, right?"- The knave winked at Julius before stepping in front of the A.I. -"Is it something that will kill us? " - He grinned and then poked the wyvern's head.- "That's why you wanted us to use our connectors first, hhmm~? What are you gaining, metal thing?"
Aegis crossed gazes with Ace again and then The A.I. took a form he had never showed before. Shadows and components gathered, raising from the floor into the human shape of a handsome teenagerwith slick jet black hair and dressed in a very fine gray suit that resembled his own armor form. Though rather lean and not too muscular, there was not a portion of his body lacking in strength, not bragging physical strength but rather the strength of his knowledge and his confidence. With a charismatic glint in his olive green eyes, he kept his gaze looked with the red orbs of the knave of hearts, flashing a white grin overflowing with the confidence to put anyone else to shame. -"I exists, but I'm not alive. Yet I am more than merely the A.I. integrated in Aria's devices. Technically speaking, I'm also the shadow of the Jabberwocky that was supposed to exist in this side of the mirror." - He briefly looked down at himself. -" I genuinely didn't expect to come with colors in this form."
"… How?" -Julius managed to say, eyeing the newest form of Aegis and noticing the similitudes with Aria. At the very least, anyone could assume they were related.
"Hmmmm I don't really get it, but alright, Mr 'Aria's 'pet'. Tell us why this is important."" - Ace shrugged, going with the flow. -"In any case, I don't think Ari would like it if we kill you, even if you are rubbing against her body constantly."
Aegis directed his gaze at Aria. -"The real Jabberwock, the one from Spades, didn't want other versions of himself, so he used his own connector to merge that proto-afterimage, into Aria's shadow. And when she was trapped inside the Nightmare realm, I, in order to find an alternative source power absorbed that, which merged me into her shadow and give me a higher level of sentiency."- He took his hand up in front of his face to examined it.- "Then, we discovered that by 'devouring' more matter I could improve my own form, like with that horse and then the war unicorn form"
"So that is how you were formed."- Julius softly spoke, finally knowing how this monster of a creature was created and unable to count how many rules that alone broke in their world. -" ... At this point, nothing in Wonderland should surprise me anymore." - The clock master admitted, clearly uncomfortable.- " ... Do you also have a clock? How else would you be able to maintain yourself here in Wonderland since you are neither a card, a player or a foreigner?"
Before Aegis could answer, Ace butted in, his becoming small dots at a realization. -"Now it just sounds weird if I say that I was riding you."- Ace then faked a cough before he poked Aegis chest.- "But how do you suppose this will help in the given situation?"
"Aria and I have a practically symbiotic relationship. Her mana and orders sustains me and I'm still her shadow and her suit. Together we are a singularity." - The teen removed Ace's hand and looked at Julius. -"I don't have a clock as you do. But the clock maker can potentially give me one so I can fix Aria's mind. Which I can do at her territory given that time there is stopped or moves in a weird manner. The countdown for the Omega protocol would be paused in there."
"Giving you a clock?" - Julius crossed his arms, eyeing the teenager whose appearance and antics resembled Aria's. -"Now I see why you decided to make us use our connectors first. That would break the rules."
"Hmmm~ but Julius, if you break the rules, I'll have to kill you." -Ace, sounding almost bored and focusing on the Aegis, kept stealing glances at Julius.
"It is only a possibility." - Julius bit his lip, looking at Ace, then at Aria, and finally at Aegis. - " ... If I did that, would you really be able to spare Aria's life?"- Giving a clock to this mass of darkness and technology that could devour matter in an instant and absorb it, was certainly something unspeakable. However ... if giving this creature a clock would spare Aria's life, he would do so. The consequences didn't matter.
"I expect so"- Aegis stood sure. -"In any case, out of all my prognostics, that's the one with better chance of success"
"So you get a clock and get to keep Aria away in a secluded place while we break the rules and face the consequences" - Ace's grinned sideways and held out his sword once again.-"How do we know you wont try to keep her for yourself… or kill her. Would that free you from her shadow?" - He pointed his sword towards Aria - "Because if thats the case I'll kill her before anyone else does"
Aegis took a step forward to stand up to the knave; although his head barely made it to Ace's chest, the clockless being seemed like a good match.- "Understand this, knight. I too exist for her, even before this world enhanced me. Im coded for her genetical firm." -He then smirked with a smug and malicious grin that could have come from Aria herself. -"But part of me is from this world now, and as you said, there's a chance that I would gain the capacity to refuse to give her back to you. "
Before the situation escalated in any way, Julius stepped in between, pushing them away and holding his hands up while looking at the A.I. -"Then promise us to keep Aria safe."
Both Ace and Aegis stared, Ace blinking and Aegis tilting his head.
Sounding a bit insecure for the first time, Aegis blinked. -"You'd really renounce to my user so easily?"
Ace walked around Julius to poke Aegis's cheek. -"You wouldn't do that, you fake metal thing. You won't because Aria loves us and you want her to be happy. If you are a tiny bit part of this world then you want that too."
Aegis deadpanned and then scratched his head while sighing. -"I assume that we reached an understanding then." - His confident smile wasn't all that nice.- "I have no idea how long it will take me to fix her mind. We could be in her territory for years. Time would be stopped for her and she's remain the same, but you could be dead by the time she is functional again"
Unwilling to waste any more time, Julius raised his hand to settle the issue and answered with a hard voice.- "I do not care. Will you accept the clock or not?"
Before Julius could begin summoning a clock, Ace caught his hand, making Julius pause.
" ... You should wait for me to leave first." - Ace said with a deadened gaze and odd smile.
Aegis took a respectful step back, giving the men some space.
"Perhaps so. " -Julius tightening his lips, his eyes focused on Ace's. - "Ace... you are right. I'll need time to bunker off until I'm taken to the Jail … and before your Role requires you to kill me." - Julius crossed gazes with Ace, standing with firm determination in his eyes before finally breaking the eye contact to look at Aegis. -"'ll give you the clock after Ace leaves."
Ace bit his lip and released Julius's hand, then the knave approached the bed to kiss the maiden on the lips before grabbing up his things and walking towards the door, briefly looking back to flash a goofy smile.- "I suppose I can go to the castle and read all those reports no one has ever read"
Julius walked up to Ace and awkwardly extended his hand for a shake. -"Until we meet again, Knight of Hearts."
Ace looked at Julius's hand, and without warning he jumped forward, pulling the mortician's head towards his own, connecting their lips into a strong kiss. Julius flapped his arms, but he didn't pushed Ace away during the couple seconds the kiss lasted before the knight slapped Julius's ass before running away like a maniac while Julius was left standing in shock with a deep blush on his face.
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Wasn't that cute?
Aria would be proud of Aegis, he is sneaky.
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