Was I dead? No...No, I was dreaming. Yes, I was dreaming. Felt like a dream. Felt like reality as well. Am I sitting? I think I am. I couldn't really feel anything below my shoulders. My arms tingled a little, but my legs were completely numb.
"A-xis!" I blinked, hearing a voice in the distance. Axis? What was this-science class? "L-is!" L'is? Oh! Alice. What about her? "ALEXIS!" Oh...OH! That person is talking to me. Okay, that makes more sense. Lifting my head up, as I really was sitting on the ground, I saw a figure flying towards me in the distance. It looked like a spec as it was so far away. Lowering my head, I stared at the cuts all over my arms and legs, face muscles hurting as I frowned and bit my lip. My entire face felt sore.
The letters on my leg have yet to vanish.
"Alexis!" This time, instead of frantic, the voice sounded completely horrified. "Who did this to you?" The voice then changed and deepened, sounding angered. "They will regret this..."
That voice. I know that voice. Where do I know that voice? Deep, deep, deep, deep-silver. Silver. Yeah. Silver hair and a deep voice. Night...Nightmare. Nightmare!
"Nightmare!" I exclaimed, my head hurting but finally able to fully remember who was talking to me. Ugh...ow. I flinched and resisted the urge to cry out in pain. My face hurt. Nightmare looked calm, but I could tell he was angry. His face had darkened. "H-Hi..." I had no idea what I was supposed to say. I felt like breaking down into tears and apologizing for every bad thing I did to him-for every insult, for every time I made him take his medicine and make him do his paperwork, for calling him stupid and letting him take the brunt of Gray's determination and anger-all I wanted to do was apologize. I didn't want him to hate me for being so cruel to him.
"You weren't being cruel," He said, frowning as he knelt down in front of me, no longer floating about in the air. I winced as his hand brushed my face, observing the wounds and markings. "The people who did this to you-they are cruel. They will be punished. As soon as this dream ends, Gray and I will be on our way to your current location. As long as I'm able to contact you in a dream, and your mind is still conscious, I'm able to locate you."
Uh...huh. I nodded my head slowly, brain still hurting as I tried to process his words. Nightmare ground his teeth together and narrowed his eye. He kept his face neutral, but his eye looked like he wanted to kill.
...Would Pierce have acted the same way? Why am I even thinking about him at this point? I was always so cold towards him...
Nightmare frowned and said, "Pierce would probably snap if he saw you in this state, Alexis. You saw how he acted when you were around Boris, and how he was around you constantly when you were first attacked. Please, just stop worrying about it for a while and focus on keeping yourself alive. I'm going to wake you up now, so that tracking you will be a little easier. Gray and I will be there shortly. I'm...I'm sorry for failing you earlier."
Failing me? What's he talking about?
"I failed to warn you about the assassin. I didn't think he'd be so foolish as to grab you when I was nearby, so I said nothing of it. Gray knew of him as well and was planning on going to take care of him, but he struck sooner than we both had thought. Because of my failure, this has happened..." His gaze trailed down to the word carved into my leg, and a dark aura formed around him. "The man who did this is not going see the light of day ever again when I'm done with him."
I stared at Nightmare, alarmed at his sudden changed of attitude. This...was completely different from how he normally was. It...frightened me a little, actually. But, at the same time, it seemed to comfort me. I felt safe here, in the dream with Nightmare. Like nothing could harm me. Back in the basement I felt like every nerve was on edge, wondering where I was going to get hurt next. This was...much more comforting.
I stared at my wrists, where bruises had formed hideously. The shackles weren't put on kindly. It was obviously meant to hurt the victim. I watched my hands start to fade, and looked up at Nightmare blankly. When I realized that I was waking up, fear formed on my face. I wasn't going to hide my terror. I didn't want to wake up. I wanted to stay here where I was safe. I wanted to stay with my best friend.
Nightmare looked slightly pained as he watched me fade. "I'm sorry, Alexis. I promise; we'll be there as soon as possible."
I awoke and nearly screamed, the pain I was feeling having intensified. The dream must have numbed out everything. Tears welled up in my eyes at the agonizing pain I felt, and I could only sit there in the same position for hours, crying silently to myself as I waited for Nightmare to keep his promise.
It was horrible. Every second, every minute-every single moment I sat there I waited. Waited for the brunette male to walk in and torture me, interrogating me for Nightmare's weakness and asking me repeatedly about Gray. I kept waiting for Nightmare and Gray to bust into the room and rush down the stairs, breaking the chains and saving me.
None of that happened, and the silence was killing me on the inside. It was that moment when you were watching a movie, terrified and waiting to see if the main character was going to survive this really horrible battle or if he would get killed. The only difference was that it was much, much worse. So much more intense, and a thousand times more frightening. The anticipation scared me so badly, I was actually wishing that the man would come and torture me just so I wouldn't have to put up with this terrible horror anymore.
Unfortunately I gained my wish, and the man walked in not soon after. To my surprise, it was Damien. With his black hair and light skin, and his rough facial features, I was able to recognize him through the blurriness of my tears.
He knelt down in front of me and scowled, observing my beaten form. "Well, don't you look like you've been through hell? Don't worry, you're just going to have to put up with it for just a while longer." Pain flared through my face like a wildfire as he touched a mark on my face. It wasn't gentle like when Nightmare brushed his fingers against the marks, and it was obvious Damien was hurting me for the fun of it. "The second the rotten bastard and the lizard get here, you can go, alright? Don't worry that pretty little-well, your now-not-so-pretty little face of yours. You'll be all nice and stitched up..." He grabbed my chin and lifted my head, making me stare into the spot where his eyes would be. "Isn't that a kind thought?"
I just stared at him blankly, no emotion showing on my face. He scowled at me and released me, standing up and turning away. Oddly, my face muscles hurt and it took a moment for me to realize I was smiling. Slowly, I started to chuckle, which then turned into full-blown laughter. My eyes started to water from laughing. My ribs ached. Damien froze at the bottom of the stairs and turned to look down at me, confusion on his face. He was very obviously disturbed.
"What's so funny, brat?"
I stopped laughing, leaning forward and giving him an amused and bitter grin. "You really think that I'm dumb enough to believe that? Dude, you-you are so freaking screwed. L-Like, o-oh my god, it's so funny!" I felt like a madman. I was mad as a Hatter, but not quite like Blood Dupre. "When Nightmare and-and Gray get here, you won't even have time to blink! They're going to kick. Your. Ass."
He scowled at me and growled, "Is that so?"
My smile widened. "Yup." He was going to get beat up, that much was obvious. The other guy...if Nightmare was as scary as he was earlier, and is as scary as all the townspeople say, then I doubt that man was going to live very long. That thought put a bad feeling in my stomach, and I realized that I didn't want him to die. Odd, considering all the things he's done to me, but he didn't kill me. He injured me, but didn't kill me. So, why should he die? Beating him up is fine, but killing him? "Gray's like an overprotective mother; mess with his children, you won't see the light of day. Nightmare's a whiny older brother, who doesn't like to do anything and prefers to lazy about. But if you mess with his family, you're pretty much screwed."
I flinched when Damien reached down and grabbed my hair, pulling on it harshly. "You think you're smart, huh? Well, riddle me this, bitch; when a little brat makes a grown man angry, what happens?"
"The grown man says, "Oh, you're forgiven", and lets the little brat go?" I suggested, only to cry out in pain as I got back-handed in the face. "Okay, okay, I-I get it! S-Stop it!" His pulling on my hair was causing the cuffs around my wrist to pull and press roughly against the fragile skin, adding even more bruises and cuts. I could feel warmth trickling down my hands and fingers, and it didn't take long for me to figure out I was bleeding.
"Stop being such a smart-ass and I wouldn't have to do this!"
"Gyah-!" I cried out and quickly cut myself off, slamming my mouth shut and grounding my teeth together. No more screaming. I won't scream. I refuse to scream.
Pierce... I wish he was here. He was always there when I needed him and now, when I needed him most...he was gone. I missed his hugs, I missed his smile, I missed his stupid kisses and his stupid, stupid, idiotic face... I missed his voice.
Damn it. Get out of my head.
Despite that not being what I meant, Damien released my hair and allowed me to hang my head, tears streaming down my face. "Just be a good girl and stop back-sassing me, okay?" Swallowing the lump my throat, I scowled and nodded slowly, not saying anything.
-You'll thank me one day-
I'm sorry, Aunt Tammy. I'm so sorry...
Out of all the people that I've wronged, she was probably the worst. I was worse to her than I was to Pierce. All she was doing was trying to help me, and I just dismissed everything and threw it back in her face, fighting with her constantly and saying how all those lessons were pointless.
Please, forgive me. I wish I could truly apologize...
My biggest revolt was my biggest mistake. I had always complained how mean she was to me, how she was always hurting me and acting like a jerk... She just wanted to help me, even if that "helping" ended up getting me sick from eating soap. She yelled at me for being sarcastic and back-talking, and if I had actually listened, I probably wouldn't be in this state now...
But, if I listened, then I wouldn't be me. I'd just be some doll forced to play a role. Tilting my head, ignoring the pain my neck, I stared motionlessly at the man in front of me.
What...did I do to deserve this, exactly? If only I could apologize...
The word wouldn't escape my throat. I had choked up. Stilling and breathing in deeply, I squeezed my eyes shut as Damien started to walk up the stairs. I wonder...
If I screamed, would anyone hear me? If I cried, would anyone care? If I died, would anyone even notice?
My bottom lip and shoulders trembled as another wave of tears started to fall, and opening my mouth I let out a pent-up silent scream. No sound came out. My crying stopped shortly. I ran out of tears.
Why was I still living?
I jolted at the sound of screaming, and Damien cursed loudly. He reached into his jacket and pulled out a gun, slowly opening the door. Who's here? Obviously not a guest. I watched him in silence as he shot multiple bullets outside the door, Damien yelling loudly in anger. I sighed and slumped against the wall, leaning my head against it and turning to stare at wall blankly. My hair fell into my eyes and I blinked, scowling as I closed my left eye. I didn't want to get any blood in it.
The blood and tears on my clothes vanished suddenly, signalling a time change. There was screaming, and though the sounds caused fear to strike my heart, I paid it little to no attention.
There were footsteps. Clip-Clap Clip-Clap they went, heading in my direction slowly. Clip-Clap Clip-Clap the sounds grew louder. Ba-Dump Ba-Dump my heart beat, pounding in my ears. It was racing fast.
"Well, isn't this a sight? Just what kind of trouble did you go through to get yourself taken hostage...Miss Foreigner?"
Slowly I raised my head, turning my gaze to look up at the man standing before me. His white clothing was stained in red, and he tilted his rose-covered hat in greeting. A smirk spread across his face, and his jade green eyes flashed dangerously. "...Blood." I had no idea if I was talking about the man himself, or the color on his clothes. He raised an eyebrow at me, seeing my distant gaze, before pointing his gun at me. I squeezed my eyes shut and braced myself for death, feeling my heart stop each time I heard a bullet go off.
My arms fell to my sides and my entire upper body screamed at me in pain. I blinked, feeling as though I was about to fall to my side at any moment. My brain wasn't processing anything. Slowly looking down, I saw the cuffs still around my wrists, but instead of holding my arms up, they were laying on the ground. The chains were broken.
"A certain hare heard screaming, and not long after that a little dormouse came to me crying. I then received a mental message about the newest outsider having been kidnapped, and that I was in the vicinity of her position." Hare...dormouse... Elliot and Pierce. "Interrogation took longer than I would have preferred, but at least you aren't dead. Dear Alice would cry her eyes out if a child died." There was a silence after his words, in which neither of spoke or said anything. "Can you stand?"
...Could I? "I..." Speak. Say something. Your voice was working ten minutes ago! "I can't..." I swallowed, "I can't feel my legs. Or my arms."
He sighed. "I suppose it can't be helped, then. Besides, fighting while carrying you could prove to be rather interesting." W-Wait, what? I was unable to protest as he reached down and lifted me up with one arm, carrying me in a very similar Sesshomaru/Rin position. Oddly, I'm having a moment of deja vu. I can't remember when that was, though. "This way, now. Children are so troublesome to keep track of." Hey! What's...
I felt very light-headed all of a sudden. My hands. Move my hands.
My fingers twitched. My legs were still unmoving. After a few moments of trying to get life back into my limbs, I managed to grip Blood's coat lightly in an effort to make sure I was unable to fall off unless he purposefully dropped me. "Where...are we going?"
Blood didn't answer for a moment as he shot at multiple people. He then spoke, "I'm merely the messenger. However, when you're feeling better, what do you think about coming for a tea party? I insist that you come. Alice has been wanting to see you for ages."
"I..." I furrowed my eyebrows, trying to think. Everything was happening so fast. It went so slow, and now everything was happening like lightning. I can't keep track. "I...guess?"
"Good. Now, I have a question for you." He began calmly, smirking as he switched his gun back into a cane and slammed it against a faceless' head, sending them sprawling backwards with a cracked skull, "Do you know any good baby names?"
I choked on thin air and looked up at him in alarm, startled. Wait, hold on. Baby names? Baby names? Why was he asking me for baby names?
Wait. Alice is married to Blood. I went to the mansion and arrived when they were having sex, which meant... "Alice is pregnant?" Blood looked like he didn't know whether to be happy or scared about that fact.
"So it seems." His face turned a little green, and I guessed he was thinking about the times Alice must have vomited from morning sickness and nausea. He swung his cane through the air and rammed it into a guy's stomach, knocking him onto his back. Blood calmly walked over him and up stairs. Even more fighting.
"Blood!" Elliot yelled, shooting rapidly with both guns, "Did you find her?" His ears twitched and he turned his head, his dark scary gaze brightening almost instantly. "Alexis, you're alright!" However, the seconds he saw the wounds, his face darkened and he cursed, shooting multiple faceless.
That scary face of his...oddly reminded me of Derek. Huh. Elliot does kinda look like him, with the wavy hair and almond eyes. I miss my big brother... I frowned, ignoring the tingling pain in my face as I clutched Blood's coat as tight as I could with my weak hands. I felt completely pathetic. "Yeah..." My voice was quiet. "I'm fine." I wanted to go home. I wanted to go back to Clover Tower.
"Elliot, I'm leaving this to you and the twins." Elliot grinned at that and side-stepped a bullet, his ear twitching as he pointed a gun behind him and pulled the trigger, knocking another man dead before whirling around and letting bullets rip through the air.
"Got it!"
"W-Wait, hold on, they can't-!" I started to protest, suddenly realizing the danger we were in. "There are too many!"
"Miss Foreigner," Blood began, not looking at me as he opened a door and started to go up another flight of stairs, "Are you questioning my second in command? You seem to forget that we are Mafia. Elliot and the twins are far more than capable of fighting off such fools and getting away unharmed."
I bit my lip, not wanting to argue with the Mafia Boss. The irony in this was incredible. I was kidnapped by Mafia, and was saved by Mafia.
But where was Pierce? He's Mafia, and he's the only one not here... Was he cleaning up the bodies? Probably. I really needed to stop thinking about him. Jerk.
...That's right. Why am I...degrading? Is that the word? Degrading. Why am I having so much trouble speaking? Why do I feel so bad calling my friends jerks? It's not like I actually mean it when I say it. They know that.
Being locked up for three time periods straight can really mess with one's head. Blood opened a door and I scowled, burying my face into his chest and squeezing my eyes shut as light burned my eyes and heated up my cold skin. It hurts... My entire body started to sting.
Tik-Tok
Tik-Tok
Tik-Tok
I blinked and opened my eyes, squinting at the unusual sound. Was that...Blood's clock ticking away in his chest? I never really paid that much attention to the hearts of those in Wonderland. I knew they had clocks instead of actual hearts, but... For a brief moment, I remembered listening to Pierce's clock when he hugged me, and I remembered hearing Nightmare's when he comforted me. It wasn't scary, more as it was just really weird, but it was actually a rather nice sound. The sound of ticking clocks... Instead of making one anxious, the clocks in the chests of the people in Wonderland were more comforting and relaxing that one would have thought.
I turned my head, resting it against Blood's shoulder, and could make out two blurry figures in the distance running towards us. Sliver and blue... Grey and Gold.
Grey...Gray. Gray and Nightmare. Nightmare! I jolted in Blood's hold, causing him to look down at me with a raised eyebrow.
I felt Gray take me from Blood, a dark look forming on his face. Why are people getting so angry? I swear, Blood is the only calm one here. Then again, I hardly even know the dude, so... Gray regarded Blood coolly, despite having such an obvious dislike for him. There was small grudging respect however, and I could only stare between the two in confusion. Gray nodded, not outright thanking Blood, who smirked.
"I only agreed to save her because of Alice. She'd be utterly distraught if something happened to her." Blood then looked down at me and said, "I expect an answer to my question, Alexis. The next time I see you, I want some suggestions."
"Uh...R-Right." I watched him walk off in confusion, and felt Gray shift. I blinked and looked up at him, then at Nightmare who looked like he was going to rage. Raging Nightmare...Huh. I've seen crying complaining Nightmare, but never a raging one.
"That's because you've never seen me angry," Nightmare responded, narrowing his eye. "The man who did this to you; what did he look like?"
Before I could stop myself, I blurted, "Don't kill him!"
Nightmare smiled, which actually frightened me a little. He crossed an arm over his chest and held his chin with his free hand, "Oh, I won't kill him and neither will Gray. I'll just give him some...unpleasant dreams. Isn't that right?"
Gray nodded, "Indeed. Lord Nightmare and I will handle the rest, Alexis. The Cheshire Cat should be here shortly to send you back to the tower." As if on cue, Boris jumped out of a restaurant door and ran over, twirling a gun in his hand.
"Sorry I took so long! Where's the bastard I need to shoot?"
"Boris?" I looked alarmed at the cat, who I had been avoiding. He looked at me and grinned, before scowling.
"Shabby faceless. Who did this to ya?"
"I'm fine. Gray, set me down." It was a mistake asking that. The second my feet touched the ground, my legs buckled and I feel forward. Boris reached out caught me quickly, looking up at Nightmare and Gray in confusion. I grunted, pain wracking my arms and torso.
Nightmare ordered, "Take her back to the tower. We'll be there as soon as we're done. What they did is unforgivable."
Don't kill him...
Boris nodded, frowning deeply, before lifting me up. I didn't bother to protest, knowing that it would be pointless of me to try walking anyway. I knew when to give up, though it took a big load of pride away when I did so. I hated asking for help. "Alright, then. Don't take too long." Boris walked away, looking back for a brief moment before shifting me in his arms to open a door, walking through it and arriving in my bedroom. He moved over to the couches in the far end of the room and set me down on one, causing me to flinch. He knelt down in front of me and asked, frowning, "Which wounds are the worst?"
My first thought was the letters carved into my leg, but I clamped my mouth shut. Boris noticed, his ear twitching.
"What's the matter? Which one hurts ya the most?" I didn't answer. "...Just what did they do to ya? You aren't...yelling at me." Is that how I was viewed? An angry person who doesn't stop yelling? "Hold still. I'm sorry if this hurts." He grabbed my right arm gently and licked the cuts and bruises over my wrist, and I watched blankly as they started to fade. "You're lucky Pierce is out there right now and not here. If he saw what they did to ya... He'd probably lock ya up." He chuckled lightly, as if trying to lighten the mood. He released my right hand, and I flexed my fingers, slowly starting to regain completely control and feeling in it. The pain was vanishing, but that only intensified the pain in the rest of my body.
He made quick work of all my other visible wounds, lapping at my other wrist and the cuts on both my arms. He rid the scratches on my face-which caused me to still and hold my breath as he did so-and I could only watch as the older boy moved down to my lower legs. His eye widened considerably before his face morphed into rage. "Bitch? Bitch? Who the hell did this to ya? Tell me!"
"It was just a random guy, Boris," I responded plainly. I was too tired to argue like I usually would. "You don't have to throw a fit over it."
"A random guy scarred ya! He beat ya to a pulp and left bruises on your neck and cuts all over your body!" Why are people getting so mad over it? I really doubt that they're actually worried about me... so I would think if I was how I used to be. They're my friends and I know they care, but...why are they getting so...angry when I was such a jerk to them? Why are they worried about me when I'm such a bad person? "Do you have any idea how scared we were when we found out you were taken? Ya aren't replaceable, 'Lexis! If ya died, you'd be dead. There'd be no replacement for ya."
"Yet you think that there are replacements for you?" He closed his mouth, staring at me with a frown. "I'm sorry. I didn't plan to get kidnapped. I-I didn't-I didn't want any of this to happen. But it did, and it's over now, so deal with it." My words were harsh and curt, but at the moment I didn't really care. "When one dies, they die. No one comes back from the dead. Your clock may get broken and fixed, but the person who comes back isn't you. I don't want to hear any arguments right now. I'm taking a bath, and then I'm going to bed. Thanks for helping me, and I'm sorry for not making sure you were okay after the gunfight, but I had a long few time periods."
I stumbled and limped to my wardrobe, pulling out a shirt that belonged to Nightmare and a pair of black cotton pants. I grabbed some fresh underwear and tucked all the articles of clothing against my chest, wincing. I had some bruises on my stomach from when the brunette man kicked me.
"Ya can barely even walk!" Boris protested, standing up. "Don't ya need help?"
"I'm fine." I replied, pushing my bathroom door open. I looked at him and said once again, "Thank you for everything, but I'm fine."
I read that Blood is unexpectedly fond of children, thus his reaction with Alexis-who he thinks of as a small child. He has no interesting in personally rearing children however, but I decided to be a jerk and make him have a kid with Alice anyway. Mwahahahaha! Hahahaha! I already have the name planned out and everything, and it's even funnier because we were learning about punnet squares in Biology last week and the week before. I'm actually pretty good at those. :) Black hair (Since I'm fairly certain Alice is Japanese, which makes her genes recessive, and since Blood most likely has dominant Black Hair) and teal-colored eyes. Not telling you if it's a boy or girl, or what his/her name is, however. That's a secret.
"Himitsu."