Alice turned back around to see the girl from before standing in the road about 20 feet from them. Oz gave a smile and took a few steps forward offering a wave.
"Oh hello! Did you decide to maybe come talk to us after all? I would love….." Oz stopped short when Break's sword shot into his peripheral view.
"Get back Oz," Break said as he stepped forward. "She's the chain."
"What?!" Said everyone in unison. The girl couldn't be but 13 or so years old, with a sweet face and attractive air about her, excluding that one seemingly cursed eye. Alice sniffed again.
"It is her!" She exclaimed before giving a growl.
"But she killed those illegal contractors, that's good right?" said Oz as he reasoned. "Why would she do that?"
"Because," said Break carefully, "It's how she sees them. Even her words say it. She referred to them as 'Dirty twisted contractor waste' I believe, isn't that right?" He asked the girl, who grinned.
"Oh you caught that did you? I never could keep my mouth shut," she said.
Oz stepped forward to give a reply when Gil clamped his hand over his mouth. He put a finger to his lips and leaned close to Oz's ear and motioned Alice to come close too.
"Break was quoting her words and got you behind him for a reason. You two need to keep quiet." Gil whispered. Oz gave a muffled "Why?" and Gil shushed him sternly.
"Because Oz," he said through gritted teeth. "You're technically an illegal contractor."
Alice rolled her eyes and backed a few steps away from the close contact they just had from whispering.
"So? She's just a chain! Nothing we haven't seen before! I can beat her down easily. Just release my power, will ya kelp head?"
The girl gave an interested tilt of her head, obviously overhearing Alice's words.
"How odd," She said curiously, "You're just like me. A fellow chain who can look so human, so unthreatening. That is, until we don't want to. You can smell that I am the chain you're looking for, but I can smell that the blonde boy there is your contractor. And he's been rather naughty!"
"Naughty? Oz isn't bad at all! You're the one that goes around killing people you freakish hag!" yelled Alice.
"Ah, I'm not sure you would call it killing people per say, but I do definitely kill," Said the girl with a smirk.
Gil released his grip on Oz's mouth before he said in anger, "But we just saw you kill those two men!" To which the girl looked him over thoughtfully,
"Yes but they weren't really human, you really don't understand and its something I find quite funny. They were contractors…."
"THEY WERE STILL HUMAN," Oz said finally, cutting off the girl's argument and excuses.
"So?" said the girl blankly, "So what they're human? Do you want to know why I hate contractors so much? It's because they look down on their chains. To contractors, chains are vile beasts who's lives are easily replaceable and material items. I fix that."
Everyone looked thoughtfully at the girl for a moment. Even Break seemed a bit confused by this statement.
"And how do you fix that?" Break asked.
The girl took a breath as a gust of eastern wind wafted and blew her hair back. Break saw her inhale deeply as his scent flew in her direstion.
"So YOU'RE where that ungodly chain smell is coming from!" Yelled the girl as her expression changed deadly angry. "You also reek of contractor, illegal and Pandora. How in the world is that possible?!"
"I get around," was Break's only reply. He was twirling his cane-sword in boredom. "Now can you please answer my question? How exactly does killing contractors change their outlook on chains? I'd love to hear your idiotic reasoning."
The girl tried to keep her calm look but anger was creeping into her voice even more now.
"Oh I'll show you, no need for words here as it's quite simple really. You're an agent of Pandora nowadays is that it? You use your chain's powers for human gain. You destroy chains who harm though they don't know what they're doing. You kill innocents and believe you're doing good. You make me sick!" She yelled before vanishing into thin air.
Break turned around towards the others in confusion from the girl's disappearance when Gil suddenly yelled "BREAK BEHIND YOU!"
With one swift movement Break's sword was unsheathed and ready to fight. He turned around in a flash which blocked the girl from Gil, Alice, and Oz's eyesight. Gil touched Oz's head to unleash Alice's powers, but just as she turned to help Break, she stopped.
The time period in which the girl vanished and B-rabbit was unleashed had been about 2 seconds. Gil's quick thinking and Break's practiced movements were almost unbeatable and yet, something was…..off.
"Alice what are you doing?!" Oz yelled, and followed her gaze to where Break and the girl were standing. Break was rigid still. They both turned slightly and Oz gasped.
Her hand….her hand is….is…..INSIDE of him. He thought with his jaw dropped.
Break's eye was wide and staring into the girl's where she happily looked out at them all. No blood gushed from where her hand entered Break, it had just passed right through, as if she were a ghost.
"Drop your sword and call off your chain or I swear I'll stop his heart," she said coldly, with a huge grin on her face that made Alice shrink back.
"What….I….how are you…" stuttered Gil.
"It's just a power of mine, there's not much to it," she paused, "Now, I can pull my hand out and leave no damage, not even a scar. But I think we both know I'm not going to do that, Mr. Hatter."