For awhile everyone just stared up at it. Rodney cautiously stepped forward and pushed open the white marble door. It opened and the group could see a ballroom, with two sets of staircases on either side of the room leading up to a second floor, which was a sort of balcony to look out on the dance-floor at, or cascade down the steps.
Rodney turned to look at Julia. "How?" was all she could ask. Julia shook her head. "I…don't…know…" Julia replied. There was a sound of a horse screeching. "Its about time you all showed up…" came a strange, yet familiar voice. Julia and Rodney slowly turned to see a bunch of Longcoats on horses, followed by a few others on foot.
The one on the black horse in the center smiled. Cain looked up. "Zero," he stated simply. Julia squared her jaw, and she felt her muscles tighten. "Very good, Cain. Looks like you've met the princess's…" Zero said, swinging his leg over the horse. He jumped off and slowly approached the group. A few of his men joined him. Rodney pushed Aiden behind her.
Cain and Glitch stepped infront. "Leave them alone…" Glitch said. Zero chuckled. "Who is going to make me…you? Zipperhead? Cain?" Zero asked, looking at the two. "Speaking of you Cain, we brought a present for you…" Zero said with a smile. "Yea? Well, sorry to disappoint you but…I don't want it…" Cain said with a glare.
"I wasn't asking you if you did want it. I'm telling you because you're getting it…" Zero said. He turned to see a few longcoats set down one of the tin suits. Cain shifted uncomfortably. "You're not touching my dad…" Jeb said, stepping forward. One of the long coats pulled a gun on him, and Jeb stopped. Four more Longcoats came and seized Cain and Glitch. They pulled them to the side, and Zero looked at Julia and Rodney.
"Well, if it isn't the lovely two princess's…" he said, circling them. He looked down at Aiden. "And…this…" he said. Aiden whimpered slightly. "What do you want, Zero?" Rodney asked. "Well, obviously I want you both dead. But you see, its not quite that simple…" Zero said. He nodded to a few longcoats. Two seized Rodney and one grabbed Aiden.
Julia looked around, in panic. "This familiar to you, Julia?" Zero asked. Julia turned to face him. "You're sister and…whatever he is…" Zero said, nodding towards Aiden. Julia simply glared at him. "Held back, and all of your friends? You know why I didn't kill you that night?" Zero asked, stepping closer so he was a few inches away.
"Do I care?" Julia retorted. "You know, your fiancé was a coward. I pretty much sliced him up right on the-"
"Zero, what do you want? You gonna talk about how you 'almost' did things or are you going to get to the point?" Julia asked. Zero drew his gun. "I want you to drop your bow first…" Zero said. Julia looked over at Rodney, who was struggling. "Julia don't…" Cain spoke up. Zero turned to face him. "I think we've had enough from you Cain…into the suit you go…" Zero said.
"Wait!" Julia yelled. Zero turned to face her. She dropped her bow and quiver onto the ground, and then stood up. She held up her hands. "Now what?" she asked. Zero smiled. "See those woods?" Zero asked. Julia nodded, resisting the urge to make a snappy comment. "I want you to run through them…" he said. Julia raised an eyebrow. "You want me to…run through the woods?" she asked.
"Yes," Zero replied, pointing his gun at her. "Um, no…" Julia replied. Zero shrugged and walked over towards Rodney and Aiden. He cocked the gun. "Maybe this will give you alittle…push…" he said. He placed the gun against Rodney's head. "Don't…" Julia said, backing away. "Run…" Zero said, with a smile. Julia continued to back away. "Run…" he repeated.
Julia turned to look at Cain, before she began to sprint through the woods and out of sight. Zero put his gun back in his holster. "Now that that's settled…" he said. He looked at Rodney, before heading over towards Cain. Cain was struggling. Zero smiled. "Now, its really time for you to get back in there…" Zero said. The two longcoats began to drag Cain towards the tin suit.
Cain was struggling even more now. Zero began to laugh. Cain felt the longcoats lift him slightly. Cain turned to the side, and head butted one of them. They grunted slightly. Zero sighed in annoyance. "Honestly, how long does it take for you to get a man in a suit?" he asked, walking towards them. Cain began to struggle more. He refused to go back in the suit, and lose everything once again. Zero pushed hard on Cain's chest as the other two lifted him up. Zero grabbed the door, and slammed it shut. He took two screws and set them in place.
He peered inside the suit to look at Cain's face. He laughed before turning to the rest of the group. He walked towards Glitch. He drew his gun. Glitch shifted slightly. "You're the reason that darkness didn't cover the OZ the last time. It's your fault our plans failed…" Zero said. He cocked the gun. "Now, you're going to pay…" he said.
Rodney broke into a quick sprint, and jumped onto Zero's back. She reached forward and pulled the gun back, so it fired at one of the longcoats. Zero began to turn rapidly, before reaching over his shoulder and throwing Rodney forward. She landed on her back. "Tie her up…" Zero said, breathing heavily. He looked at Glitch. "Him too…" he said. He turned to look at Aiden, and he smiled wickedly.
"Hello there…" he said. Aiden shifted slightly. He grabbed Aiden by his arm and shoved him towards one of the longcoats. "Give him to the baguns…" he said. Zero mounted his horse. "I don't care what you do with the rest of them, I've got a catch to catch…" Zero said. He snapped the reins and he disappeared into the woods….
Julia continued to run. She couldn't help but stumble along the way. She was resisting the urge to cry. She could hear screams in the distance, but did not look back. She feared if she went back they would all be dead, and she would be too late. She could hardly see now. The woods were too dense. She was lost. She began to spin around in different directions.
The voices were fading away now. She leaned against a tree. It was happening all over again, but this time she was alone. She was cold, wet, and alone. She began to shiver slightly. There was a crunch and a hand covered her mouth, and the other came around her waist and across her stomach.
She felt someone's lips press against her ear. "Hello princess…" came the voice of Zero.