ALiCE in WoNDeRLaND
-6-
"Excuse us a minute, ALiCE," the blue-haired guy spoke up, rising to his feet and pulling
me to mine. "Why don't you run to the kitchen and get us some more tea?"
"But I..."
It was no use protesting. I was locked in the kitchen moments later. I immediately
wandered over to the tiny opening over the bar and began to eavesdrop and spy on the
conversation.
"'Surrender?'" the redhead asked, nearly exploding with rage. "'Surrender?'"
"Zale, don't you think you're overreacting just a bit?" Namdhari said quietly, trying his best
to calm Zale down.
"Overreacting? She called you 'Surrender!' She hasn't called you 'Surrender' or even 'Surrend' since you guys were like..." Zale paused to think about it. "Like..."
"Seven or eight," Namdhari volunteered softly.
"Exactly," Zale replied.
"What's your point?" Namdhari demanded, embarrassed all of a sudden.
Zale opened his mouth to reply, but must've thought better of it. He sat back down,
obviously defeated. The blue-haired one immediately rose to his aid.
"What Zale's trying to say is..." He broke off, seeing the dagger eyes Zale gave him, then started again. "What he's trying to say is that we've seen her like this before, and it
always ends badly."
"So what are we supposed to do?" the black-haired one spoke up, surprising the others.
"Give up on her?"
"We can't give up on her," Zale told him. "We need her."
"Do we?" the green-haired male asked rudely. "What good is she if all she's going to do
is go wacko and forget who she is?"
"Hey, we have no proof that's the amnesia's back," the blue-haired one protested. "She
called him 'Surrender,' remember?"
"Just like she did last time," Namdhari mentioned.
They all stopped and stared at him.
"What?" Zale asked.
"Nam, you never said anything about..." the blue-haired kid began.
"I didn't think it was important," he admitted. "But now she's having those flashbacks,
and I just... I don't know what to think now. Is this good, is this bad? Or is she just
crazy?"
"We already know she's crazy," the green one said with a snort. "That's the only reason
she's here."
Zale jumped to his feet. "You take that back, Miyka'el!"
Miyka'el smiled. "What if I don't?"
The blue-haired one put himself between them. "Guys, come on. This didn't work last
time either, remember?"
Zale plopped back into his chair and the blue-haired one continued. "We have to do
something about this. The Queen's getting more powerful day by day, Project DINAH is
almost near completion, and we don't have time to sit here and nurse our supposed Savior
back to health every time she gets a little homesick."
"WoNDeRLaND's not her home," Zale muttered.
Namdhari sighed. "We've been through this, guys. All of this." He turned to Zale. "I'd
hate to say this, but I'm with Miyka'el. If she doesn't shape up soon... then we're just
wasting our time."
Zale didn't reply.
"We're going to have to kill her."
***
-6-
"Excuse us a minute, ALiCE," the blue-haired guy spoke up, rising to his feet and pulling
me to mine. "Why don't you run to the kitchen and get us some more tea?"
"But I..."
It was no use protesting. I was locked in the kitchen moments later. I immediately
wandered over to the tiny opening over the bar and began to eavesdrop and spy on the
conversation.
"'Surrender?'" the redhead asked, nearly exploding with rage. "'Surrender?'"
"Zale, don't you think you're overreacting just a bit?" Namdhari said quietly, trying his best
to calm Zale down.
"Overreacting? She called you 'Surrender!' She hasn't called you 'Surrender' or even 'Surrend' since you guys were like..." Zale paused to think about it. "Like..."
"Seven or eight," Namdhari volunteered softly.
"Exactly," Zale replied.
"What's your point?" Namdhari demanded, embarrassed all of a sudden.
Zale opened his mouth to reply, but must've thought better of it. He sat back down,
obviously defeated. The blue-haired one immediately rose to his aid.
"What Zale's trying to say is..." He broke off, seeing the dagger eyes Zale gave him, then started again. "What he's trying to say is that we've seen her like this before, and it
always ends badly."
"So what are we supposed to do?" the black-haired one spoke up, surprising the others.
"Give up on her?"
"We can't give up on her," Zale told him. "We need her."
"Do we?" the green-haired male asked rudely. "What good is she if all she's going to do
is go wacko and forget who she is?"
"Hey, we have no proof that's the amnesia's back," the blue-haired one protested. "She
called him 'Surrender,' remember?"
"Just like she did last time," Namdhari mentioned.
They all stopped and stared at him.
"What?" Zale asked.
"Nam, you never said anything about..." the blue-haired kid began.
"I didn't think it was important," he admitted. "But now she's having those flashbacks,
and I just... I don't know what to think now. Is this good, is this bad? Or is she just
crazy?"
"We already know she's crazy," the green one said with a snort. "That's the only reason
she's here."
Zale jumped to his feet. "You take that back, Miyka'el!"
Miyka'el smiled. "What if I don't?"
The blue-haired one put himself between them. "Guys, come on. This didn't work last
time either, remember?"
Zale plopped back into his chair and the blue-haired one continued. "We have to do
something about this. The Queen's getting more powerful day by day, Project DINAH is
almost near completion, and we don't have time to sit here and nurse our supposed Savior
back to health every time she gets a little homesick."
"WoNDeRLaND's not her home," Zale muttered.
Namdhari sighed. "We've been through this, guys. All of this." He turned to Zale. "I'd
hate to say this, but I'm with Miyka'el. If she doesn't shape up soon... then we're just
wasting our time."
Zale didn't reply.
"We're going to have to kill her."
***