A/N: Mikhail's speech will be italicized when he's not in the mirrored world; it'll get confusing but just…bear with me? Oh, and excuse the…randomness. Man, I should've done this limited third person, or first person. Yeah…that would have been easier (=_=);;
Chapter Eight
KatHouse Kafé
Mikhail struggled to open the eyes of his borrowed body, a faint ripple of pain shooting through his nerves once he completed the task at hand. He struggled to control the rest of the body but that took more strength than he possessed, considering he was currently not in Wonderland. It was simple to take over his vassal's body, but only if he did so in the same world. Mikhail was struggling to do something that had never been done before; he was trying to cross over to the mirrored world of Speculum Mirage without a looking glass.
Which he succeeded in doing, somewhat.
He was in the last position Teito was in, standing at Frau's side. The boy had been so desperate for his aid but Mikhail could hardly do anything to save a body without a soul. And Hatter's soul was there, standing at his empty body's feet. Only, Mikhail couldn't very well talk to someone not there. He had to meet Hatter's soul in his dimension, which could only be the Speculum Mirage. Where else would something like Hatter be but in a dimension where the extra and the nothing can exist?
Giving up on moving his limbs, Mikhail kept his undivided attention onto the cloaked figure just inches away. His ruby eyes glistened, glaring at the figure that his young master did not remember seeing.
"Black Knight," he hissed once he overtook his vassal's muscles of speech. "Where's your coffin?"
But the figure remained still, its cloak billowing in the still wind.
Mikhail's face contorted, displaying clear disgust.
"Hatter! That is the name you have taken now, isn't it? Do not ignore me, you disrespectful urchin. You have caused more than enough pain for my Master, whether he knows it or not; fix it."
Everything remained still, quiet but for the deep breathing coming from the ex-god. Mikhail forcefully shut his eyes, a pressure in his chest mounting to something near unbearable. He choked, coughed, unsure of why he was finding it difficult to breath. He couldn't even find the strength to lift his hand over his aching chest. All he could do was screw his eyes shut and hope the pain would go away.
With a hiss escaping his clenched teeth, Mikhail forced an eye open, his vision blurring between Wonderland and the Speculum Mirage. In one world, everything was crystal clear, the colors and detail vivid. In the other, everything was dull, unappealing, and dark. The figure stood there for a moment before it distorted and disappeared, replaced by Frau's mangled body thrown on the ground. Mikhail's vision continued to distort as, ever slowly, the figure began moving, its hooded head turning. Its face was still shrouded in black, hidden from view. The temperature plummeted, a stray wind picked up, carrying a bone-chilling shrill.
The strength was sucked out of Mikhail, forcing the once-god to his hands and knees. He continued forcing in deep breaths, the icy wind biting and burning his human lungs.
"You are not Teito Klein."
Mikhail shivered at the voice. His assumptions had just been proven correct when the figure had finally spoken. This thing, it was Frau – the man who had gone through so many names, titles and roles had landed the worst role one could be forced to do. Mikhail had watched, since the beginning, when this unknown name began disrupting the already unstable nation of Wonderland. Now, for the blond to be placed in such a position, it could only mean one of two things.
"Ghost," Mikhail hissed, the act burning his already irritated lungs. "I'm far from done with you. Do not think you have won just yet."
"…" The cloaked figure held out a gloved hand as a large sickle began forming from the shadows at its feet. Once the scythe took form, a giant demonic weapon that rumbled and growled as if alive, it was raised and ready to strike.
"Frau."
The scythe remained high in the air, stilled. A soft rumbling echoed through the scenery, blurring the edges of both worlds. The cloaked figure remained silent, motionless like a statue carved from dark onyx. The boy at its feet shivered, emerald eyes watering at the corners.
Slowly, Teito stood on his trembling legs, eyes staring at what would be nothing but air. Teito could not see what Mikhail saw but he sensed it, a sharp vision that Hatter was around, and not just the unmoving body at his feet.
"Frau, you're here, right?" Teito called, his temple throbbing painfully.
He had blacked out for all but a moment before the pain he had come to associate as Mikhail taking over his body had surfaced. The god sharing his body did something but Teito wasn't sure of what that could possibly be.
Keeping his sights on that single spot of nothingness, an empty space in a densely packed forest, Teito hesitantly reached out to what he believed to be more than empty space. He was quickly greeted with pain, an intense chill that burned deep under his skin and grabbed the nerve ends embedded in his bone in a tight vice. Teito quickly withdrew his hand, surprised to see it burning painfully red, the tips of his fingers a faint purple. His breathing turned erratic, skipping exhales as he tried to control the pain enough to speak.
"Frau?"
A hand clamped over his ankle, startling him. Teito was ready to throw a kick towards whatever had trapped him but halted once he saw those bruised blue eyes looking up to him.
With a groan, Frau forced himself to sit up, leaning against the tree for support. He slumped heavily against it, a gloveless hand poking and testing the flesh around his jabberwocky-inflicted wound. The wound was far from closing on its own.
"How long was I out?" He frowned down to his wound, not wanting to make eye contact in case the boy saw something he wasn't suppose to. He already had to erase the poor boy's memory twice; he didn't want to do it again. The first time was necessary, the second wasn't. Frau himself was not even responsible for the second memory cleaning. Teito was never deemed able to find his way through the looking glass, and even less to find the place where his other half slept, where he was being kept until he was allowed leave. Who would have thought the boy could find someone powerful enough to travel between Wonderland and the mirrored version of it? And that only left Frau with another question, who did give Teito that ability?
"Oh, um," Teito looked down to his hand, surprised to find it perfectly fine. He clenched and unclenched his fist; everything seemed to be in proper order. It didn't sting, burn, or anything of the sort. Did he imagine the frost burn? "You've been," Teito shook his head, focusing his mind on a single thought "out for, um, I-I'm not sure. The sun really hasn't…moved in the sky."
"Oh yeah," Frau ran his gloved hand through his hair, using his other hand to hold onto his top hat, "Outsiders count their time by the position of the sun."
"N-not always," Teito frowned. By the way Hatter said it, it almost sounded comedic.
"You don't have a clock with you?"
"No, I left it at home. But that doesn't matter," he shook his head, "are you alright?"
"I'll be fine," Frau inspected his wounds once more, three jagged lines running from his navel to just below his shoulder blade. "Jabberwocky had a long swing though. At least it didn't bite me. Either way, we need to move." With an easy flick of the wrist, his hat was back in place.
Teito helped the blond stand to his feet, though the tree beside Hatter did most of the work in supporting his thick build. They walked awkwardly for a few moments before Frau peeled away from the teen, trying to force himself to walk on his own. Teito took the lead, following the direction in which Frau had pointed. They were making their way to a place called 'Cat House Café', apparently spelled with K's instead of C's, which made no sense but there it was.
"Kid," Frau called out to Teito, who didn't stop but just looked over his shoulder, an eyebrow raised in question. The blond didn't know an easy way to bring up the topic so he was blunt about it. "Did you make a pact with a Warsphile?"
"A what?"
Frau reached out and grasped the teen's wrist with his gloveless hand, forcing a growl from the teen. Teito pinched his eyes closed, struggling against the man's grasp. With a sharp tug, he freed himself and turned ruby eyes onto the blond.
"Never touch me with your cursed mark, Ghost," Mikhail hissed.
"No, you're not a Warsphile…" Frau narrowed his eyes, an arm wrapped around his abdomen.
"Oh, really? Thank you for that delightful piece of information!" A sparkling smile pulled his lips as far as they could go, flashing perfect white teeth as if he couldn't be happier. "What would I have done if my life continued without knowing I am not a stupid Card Soldier? Oh golly gee, happy me!" Instantly, his lips dipped into a frown as if the smile before was nothing more than an illusion, eyes narrowed and dangerous. "State your purpose for this rather rude summons or I'll blow your head into the stratosphere, Ha-tter."
Frau had never seen the boy's expression alter so much, and his smiling face was rather surprising to see, to say the least. So it took a few moments before the blond was able to compose himself enough to say: "What are you?"
"Dear Chief of Heaven, I have had this discussion before and have no wish to repeat it. You are rather fortunate, Hatter, that I don't have my body, otherwise I would smite you," he glared. "My human name is Mikhail, that information alone should be enough."
It was certainly a surprise to hear that name. Mikhail was a name that had long disappeared since the fall of Raggs. He was notorious for his wild temper and rash actions. Everyone assumed that he had died when Raggs was raided. But, there he was, or part of him anyway.
"The archangel Mikhail has stolen the body of a twelve year old boy…" It was amazing, truly, truly amazing.
"I am a God, Black Knight! Drill that into your thick skull," Mikhail growled, offended by the way he was being so casually addressed. "And I did not steal my sixteen-year-old Master's body. I was granted permission to share it with him, until I regain my powers and create a new body for myself. And no I do not plan on harming my vassal. Better yet, I will protect him, from things like you."
"So all this time, you didn't really die. What a shame," Frau narrowed his eyes, unafraid of this so called "God". There was little a dethroned god could do to him. "How do you know so much about me?"
A fox-like grin overtook the brunet's childish features, his ruby eyes filled with malevolent delight. "You're still just a child…Frau. And as a child, you need to learn your place. Erase my Master's memory again without my permission, draw blood from him or expose him to that dark world of yours and you will regret it for the rest of your perverted life."
"Tough talk coming from a dethroned god. I recall forcing you to your hands and knees just minutes ago."
"…touché. Now, is that all you wanted to know or can I give my Master control of his body again?"
"Did you…tell him, about me?"
Mikhail almost looked piteous of the blond before he stifled a laugh, turning his amused gaze elsewhere. "Of course not, Hatter. Rather none of my business, wouldn't you agree?"
A sharp pain flared along Teito's temple, forcing him to his knees as his hand cradled his head. His eyes blinked wearily, the world about him blurred for a moment before returning to normal. He shook his head, tired of Mikhail overpowering him without warning. With a sigh, he stood back to his feet, hand still cradling his head.
"Did I do something weird?"
The corner of Frau's lips pulled upward, a sigh of relief escaping him. "Nothin' weird, just mumbling to yourself. Happens sometimes with virgins in Wonderland."
Blood rushed throughout Teito's face as a growl rumbled in his throat. Frau passed the boy but not before patting his head with a gloved hand. Like an angry cat, Teito lashed out but missed as the blond used whatever strength he had left to make a quick sprint forward.
Grumbling, Teito fell behind the blond, eyes kept to the ground. Guilt walked along side him, pestering him at every turn they made. Even though he was injured, Frau kept Teito his priority and the teen very much didn't like that. Though they really had just met, Teito knew he wouldn't forgive himself if something happened to Frau. Especially if the man dropped dead because of him.
It would have made him feel a bit better if they worried first about getting medical attention to the blond. Teito was the (adopted) son of a doctor; he knew how quickly a wound could get infected and how lethal it could be if not treated properly. But as the (adopted) son of a doctor, he began to wonder how the blond was moving at all. He certainly lost enough blood that could have easily killed anyone. And those gruesome wounds would have left anyone on the ground, unable to move because of shock or some other medical issue. He wanted to ask but kept quiet. Somehow Teito knew that Frau would dodge the question or ignore it all together.
They walked in relative silence, the soft buzz of insects hovering around the air. But something other than insects caught Teito's attention: a soft meuw of a cat. He lifted his head and looked about, seeing nothing but an endless sea of trees.
"Frau, do you hear that?"
The blond looked over his shoulder to the teen lagging behind then diverted his attention to the treetops.
"Hear what?" he asked when the answer didn't become obvious.
"A cat or something."
"Shit."
Frau retreated and took hold of Teito's arm, pulling him under the shade of a large tree. He pressed Teito against the trunk and stood in front. With a quick shrug of his shoulders, his coat came off. He rolled it up into a messy ball of fabric before taking off his top hat, and stuffing the garment into the headwear.
"How did you hear them before me?" Hatter grunted as he struggled to fit his oversized coat into such a small compartment. But as he continued to push down, it soon disappeared under the brim, much against all logic.
"I've been hearing them since I came out of that white room," Teito looked around, wondering why they were hiding from a bunch of cats.
"White room? Oh, the time rip thing," Frau spoke gave his hat a shake before reaching into it again until the brim was up to his elbow. "Dammit, that good-for-nothing angel. He could have at least hid you."
Teito winced briefly, a pinch of pain in his temple before his fisted hand rose on its own, and struck Hatter in the back. Frau looked over his shoulder, and glared at the teen. Teito returned his glare.
"That wasn't me."
Narrowing his eyes briefly, Frau returned his attention to the task he was trying to perform. He had the feeling that those two would end up abusing that excuse.
"Is something after me?" Teito finally asked, somehow already knowing the answer.
"Yup, and this should…" biting his tongue, Frau began pulling something out of his top hat. With a quick flick of the wrist, the coat he had stuffed into the hat had shrunk in size and no longer sported gruesome gashes. He presented it to Teito. "Put this on and give me yours."
"What? Why?"
"Just do it! Or I'll rip it off of you."
Feeling a bit hurried, Teito quickly stripped off his coat and exchanged it for Hatter's. He tried it on for size, surprised at the perfect fit. He didn't very much like the style of it but he had the feeling that if he complained, Frau would yell so he kept his mouth shut.
Repeating the process, Frau pulled out his new coat. It was a deep brown leather coat, looking very worn-out with the elbows scarred black. He draped the garment over his arm before pushing in the top of his hat down until it emerged through the other end looking like a fedora hat. He gave his wrist a quick flick in which his hat promptly flattened and separated into four curved blades, all attached at the center. He gave it another flick and the blades turned back into the harmless fedora it was before. He slipped the hat into place and began fitting himself with the coat. It was smaller than his other one, reaching just above his waist. He frowned down at his appearance. The clothing he put together didn't exactly match but there was little he could to about it at the moment.
Zipping up his coat, the blond pulled off his deep red cravat, and fitted it around Teito's neck, obscuring the metal collar.
"Alright, let's go." As was his habit, Frau ran his fingers over the brim of his hat before stepping out of the shade of the tree.
Teito followed behind, frowning down to the clothing he was forced to wear. Once he began wondering what it meant, he remembered what the elder Hatter had told him. To obscure his true origin, he had to wear the clothing items and accessories of a Wonderlander. It must have been working because the meowing and purring had stopped, but the feeling of eyes watching replaced it.
Emerald eyes turned to the canopy of trees, eyes scanning for any strange movement or the flicker of a feline tail.
"You seriously can't tell me that cats are chasing me," Teito whispered harshly to the blond, giving up on his search.
"Well, not cats but humanoid cats. Neko-mimi, I think they're called." Frau continued to pivot his attention to every little noise, taking up where Teito had given up. Cats were known for their stealth. Well, most. And with so many trees above, they could easily be using them to get ahead, ready to pounce once he and the brunet passed under.
"This is stupid," Teito gave an aspirated sigh. "Why are cats chasing after me?"
"Because they don't like you."
"Don't listen to the brute, Master." Teito shivered, clamping a hand over his throat.
"Oh great," Frau rolled his eyes "we got a party-crasher."
"The nekomimi fear the Clock Keeper, therefore, they wish to make him happy."
Teito shivered again, desperately trying to calm himself down before he suffered from a heart attack. "So to make him happy, they want to capture me and take me to him?" His head nodded. "Great."
"We'll be fine once we get to the café."
"To the cathouse café. Somehow, that doesn't make me feel better."
"KatHouse was named after a guy named Kat. We'll be fine in a public setting."
"Besides, Hatter, you're going the wrong way."
"I know how to get there, stupid angel."
"It would be quicker if we go through the thicket."
"The stupid ivy vines are trying to capture the brat too; we'd spent more time getting through it than going around."
"You carried him once, so do it again."
"I'm not really in the condition to be carrying anyone."
"Lazy-."
"Stop using me to talk, Mikhail!" Teito clamped a hand over his mouth, completely disturbed with the whole ordeal. He wished the ex-god would just overpower him completely or not at all. He couldn't handle the stranger's voice coming out of his mouth.
A flush of warm heat ran through Teito, calming him and even making him a bit drowsy. He guessed that was Mikhail at work.
"Heh, the so called god is being bossed around by a teenager," Frau chuckled before a small fist rammed into his lower back. He turned and glared at Teito, who returned his glare but looked more like he was on the verge of having a mental break down.
"Stop making fun of him, Frau, or next time I'll be the one hitting you, got it?"
"You don't need to cry about it," he mumbled, stifling a laugh.
"How much longer until we get there?" Teito quickly interjected.
"Roughly half an hour, and that's if we rush."
"Great, perfect."
x-x-x
It took them well over two hours to reach the outskirts of the city where the café was located but Frau was just content that they weren't ambushed along the way. He began hurrying the teen over the last hill they needed to cross before reaching the city. Being on high ground was never a good idea; it meant they were easier to spot. But once they reached the top of the hill, Teito stopped, eyebrow raised as he pointed towards a building far off to a side. It was the building even Mikhail didn't know about.
"What's that?"
"Heart Casino, I think. Not sure, haven't been to the First District in some time," came Frau's quick reply. He took the teen's wrist and dragged him the rest of the way down. He would play tour guide later.
After descending the hill, a grey brick wall greeted them. Frau looked right and left. They couldn't go to the border cross, the only option left was to climb it.
"Alright, I'll go over first and then you'll follow only after I say so."
Removing his hat, Frau threw his filthy left glove into it. Giving it a small shake, he pulled a new right glove out and slipped it easily over his hand.
"God, this looks so stupid," he frowned down to his single gloved hand. "Anyway, take care of this." He dropped his fedora onto Teito's head before jumping and taking hold of a nearby tree branch.
Easily, he pushed down it and lifted himself up. He threw his leg over the branch, and, once stabilizing himself, took hold of the branch above. As he pulled himself up again, he used the higher branch as a handrail and walked along the branch below. Once he ran out of his makeshift handrail, Frau held out his hands at either side for balance and walked the rest before jumping and grabbing hold of the wall. His boots scraped against the rough surface, struggling slightly to pull himself up. Once being able to throw an arm over the wall, pulling himself up the rest of the way was simple enough. With a small sigh, he looked over his shoulder to the street below. It was empty.
"Alright, come up," he called over his shoulder, eyes scanning the streets. The city was large and industrial, skyscrapers reaching high into the dark sky. A thin blanket of smog surrounded it, making it seemed blurred to the world outside.
After moments of silence, Frau frowned. He turned his attention to the teen below, frowning further when he caught twin ruby eyes glaring up at him. The brunet had his arms folded across his chest, looking irritated as his eyebrow twitched with suppressed rage.
"He is half your height and you expect him to do that? He wasn't born a monkey, unlike like you."
"Ha, ha. How original. Now hurry up and get up here." he turned his attention back to the city streets, keeping an eye out for anyone, or anything, moving about.
Mikhail frowned up at Frau, wondering why he didn't have his powers so he could seriously injure the stupid man. With a scoff, he turned his attention to the tree Hatter had used to climb. It was simple to tell it would be impossible to reach with Teito's height. Mikhail knew he couldn't reach it. And he couldn't very well give his master more physical brawn unless he wanted the boy's muscles to rip. But something compelled him to jump anyway, to just try. His arms flailed uselessly as he stretched to reach it, coming no where near to grabbing the branch.
"A god should not be relegated to such an embarrassing position," he mumbled bitterly, itching to blow up the stupid tree.
"Good thing you're not a god, right?"
With a snap of a finger, Mikhail smirked as Frau was tipped backwards by some unseen force. A grin overpowered his features as the blond's hefty bulk landed on the other side of the wall with an audible thump, followed by a very rude curse word. With a more confident stride, he walked towards the brick wall, tapping on it mockingly as if knocking on a door.
"Hatter, are you still alive?"
"Fuck off, stupid cherub," Frau groaned from the other side.
"Ugh. Do not compare me to those insignificant things," he rolled his eyes. "Anyway, I am going to separate the bricks from the wall, I'll place them back but I will certainly use much of my power doing so. The child, in turn, will be prone to fatigue. Will you make sure he will not be thrown into unnecessary danger?"
"Do you really need to ask?"
"Then move."
Placing both hands on the stone wall, Mikhail's eyes shined bright red as a smirk curled his lip. The stones before him trembled quietly at first, then gained force quickly. They rattled and shifted, crumbling to the ground as nothing but dust. Once the hole was big enough, Mikhail stepped through and immediately closed it, crunching the ash together until it formed brick again.
With a sigh, the archangel slumped, his entire body leaning off to one side until his shoulder landed on the recently made wall. He threatened to continue falling but Frau was quick to wrap an arm around the brunet's small waist. Small hands reached and took hold of the blond's coat, eyes wearily opening to reveal dull green.
"…I feel…so ti-tired," Teito slurred, eyes closing again as he leaned his weight onto Frau.
"Come on, big guy."
Slipping his arm under the teen's knees, Frau easily picked him up and proceeded down the cobblestone street. He kept close to the outer wall, slightly obscured by its shadow. Sapphire eyes darted down every street and alleyway, memorizing the streets he passed. It was always a good idea to find ones' bearings within the split of a second if bad turned to worse. And in a city he had not visited since its change from Koi Pond Fields to City of Incarceration, it was always a good idea to scout the place and rememorize every street. He only wished he didn't have a hundred pound teen to carry.
The streets remained quiet and unfamiliar as he continued around the wall's circumference. Every street appeared identical: from the grayish brick used for the uprising buildings to the stone-studded streets. The only way they seemed to differentiate were by the different types and styles of doors at each residence.
Frau began to rack his mind for the door to the KatHouse Kafé. He was once a frequent attendee. He used to go in and out of that stupid building so many times that people had thought he used to live there. It seemed like such an insignificant thing to remember then – and it still probably is – but it seemed circumstances had shifted.
He remembered the streets used to have names. They used to be overcrowded with people, animals, horse-drawn carriages and festive decorations. The city used to be known for its rich culture and tourism. Its popularity and wealth almost rivaled that of the Basburg Kingdom and Raggs Country. It seemed like the shift of condition happened overnight.
"Frau," a meek voice called "where are we?"
Turning his attention to the boy in his arms, he struggled to hide the smile tugging on his lips.
The teen rubbed his sleepy eyes, still not all there as he tried to compose himself, and find his bearings. He was not enjoying how easily Mikhail overpowered him, and left him not understanding what he might have done or where he could be. The gaps in his memory were certainly something of an annoyance; he would need to set some rules between the god and himself.
As his mind slowly came into focus from its dazed state, Teito began wondering why he was so high off the ground. Then he began wondering why he was moving without walking. He looked about confused, noticed how closely pressed he was to the blond, and immediately turned red.
"Why am I being carried?" He grasped Frau's coat, certain that he would be dropped.
"You were about to pass out," he glared at the struggling teen. "I couldn't very well leave you back there. Especially after all the trouble I had to go through to get you here in the first place."
"Pass out… oh, Mikhail, right?" with a sigh, Teito allowed his head to hang over Frau's arm, too tired to keep himself upright.
"How did you meet him, anyway?"
"Um…I didn't tell you?" Teito cracked open an eye.
Frau frowned down at the teen, the answer to that question clearly responded to by his facial expression.
With a sigh, Teito tried to explain the circus tent where Mikhail was bound to a mirror, about the ex-god's circumstances, and their deal. The blond had a frown on his face the entire time the story was being told, making Teito troubled about the whole ordeal. Mikhail seemed to be of good character; sure, his manner did seem a bit psychotic but it only seemed due to the fact that he had suffered so much: the loss of his home, his King, his powers and body.
"What's wrong?" he asked but received only a shake of Frau's head as a reply. Teito frowned. He had gotten more answers from Mikhail without bothering to ask for them than from the man who was suppose to be "helping" him.
"I met someone else when we got separated," Teito mumbled, eyes turned away from the blond. He wasn't sure if his encounter with the elder Hatter should even be brought up. It seemed like such a sore spot to poke. The way Bastien seemed certain of Frau's refusal to meet and the fact that they weren't even related. Perhaps Frau didn't even see the man as his father the way Teito saw Kruez as his father.
The blond Hatter was ready to feign interest when a small crack of noise echoed through the empty streets. He wasn't certain of what he heard but it sounded oddly like creaking metal – sharp and slurred. He was forced to halt, eyes scanning the bare streets.
The noise continued to sound, faint at first but slowly gained volume. The source of the sound continued to elude him; it seemed to have no real point of origin, almost as if it was carried in the wind.
"What's going on?" Teito whispered.
Frau's reply came instant, "I don't know."
Taking a cautious walk forward, Frau kept most of his back to the wall, eyes darting around as the noise seemed near enough to see visibly, but everything remained quiet and still. Teito joined in the search, anxious at what the sound might be. Instinct told him it was an enemy, and his mind wasn't far behind with the same conclusion.
They didn't get a yard forward before the mechanical noises died away, practically nonexistent except for a lingering ring in the air. This caused Frau to halt, paranoia at an all time high. He could hear his breathing: the hitch in his exhausted inhales. Sweat began to line his forehead, and trickle irritable down his face and neck. He shivered at an imaginary wind, throwing his body forward into a strenuous sprint.
At the sudden lunge, Teito grasped Hatter's coat tightly, fearful that he would really be thrown. He was thrown side to side inside the blond's hold, his back pulsing irritably. Wincing, he kept an open eye upwards, reading Frau's troubled face.
Something was wrong.
Very, very wrong.
Teito's suspicions were answered when they were flooded in a pool of red light that followed them in whichever direction Frau ran. He would turn into streets leading deeper into the city, into alleyways and walkways. No matter where he went, no matter where he tried to hide, the spotlight seemed to find them, shining its crimson light on them.
While Frau ran, Teito frantically searched for the light's origin. But with Frau turning often, swerving and keeping close to whatever building that could provide some sort of mediocre protection, the brunet continued to loose sight of the light until it caught them by surprise. He wished that the source could be spotted but for the time it took for the two travelers to stop and spot it, it just might be enough time for that light to do whatever it so wished to do of them. And that just left the question: what exactly was the lights purpose? To give them away to whatever type of law enforcement inhabited the city? Or something else?
Turning a quick corner, Frau pressed his back onto the brick building, his chest rising and falling in quick intervals. He watched as the glaring red beam continued forward, searching for them down the street instead of around the corner he had just taken. Once reaching the next corner, it stuttered and blinked into nonexistence, vanishing without a trace as it had appeared.
Breathing a sigh of relief, the blond slouched down until he found himself sitting on the ground, holding onto the boy as if reminding himself of the reality he was in.
Reality had shifted in definition since his transition from Wonderland's main city to the forest. Now Hatter was uncertain if he even liked this reality. Monsters were chasing them left and right. Kor, he could handle. He had battled Kor before, and knew their weak points and what to do if they needed to be put down. The forest's foliage, on the other hand, he had no idea of how to defeat, or hold off for that matter. Now they had cats tracking them, and who knew what kind of information they had given up to the Clock Keeper.
"I really hate cats," he sighed, loosening his embrace on the teen. His arms fell onto the ground at either side of him like dead weight.
Teito took that opportunity to slip out of Hatter's lap, and sat beside him instead. He stole a quick glance towards the blond from the corner of his eye, regarding the man carefully. The man looked extremely pale, almost ashen as if ill. His golden hair was sticking to his forehead and cheeks, completely soaked through with sweat. His breathing was slow and forcefully controlled. The man was not well.
"Frau, I'll go on ahead and look for the place," Teito spoke, determined to see this much through. Even if he couldn't find this fabled Cathouse Café, one thing the former stray could do was find a safe place to hide.
But as he used the wall to push himself up, a hand clamped over his wrist, catching him tightly and securely. Reluctantly, Teito looked down to the blond, returning Frau's frowning face. How did he know he wouldn't be given permission to do as much? The teen had to suppress the urge to sigh loudly.
"No," was all Frau said before he forcefully pulled the boy back down, causing a small spark of pain to run up the teen's back.
"We can't just sit here and wait for that thing to find us again!" Teito retaliated, keeping his voice a harsh whisper in case someone, or something, overheard them.
"I'll find the place; just give me a minute to find my bearings." Frau suppressed the urge to growl and to crush the boy's fragile wrist in hand. He didn't like being rushed into things.
"Why do you always have to do things by yourself? I can help too, you know…" his bravado slowly dissolved into a meek plead as it reminded the teen of something someone had once said to him. Now he knew how that person must have felt when they had asked Teito that same question: the feeling of uselessness, of being unable to help, and the feeling of being completely unwanted. "Let me help you." Teito repeated with a yearning that terrified him. He didn't know where it came from, or why he wanted Frau to grant him that one wish.
"The only way you can help me," Frau's voice dropped, sounding somber and almost piteous of the teen, "is by staying safe."
"But what about you?"
Frau removed the hat he had placed on Teito and roughly patted that mess of hair with his free hand. The teen gave a small growl of protest though did nothing to stop the blond from continuing. Once satisfied, Frau placed that hat back in place and forced himself to his feet, wincing at the pain in his ribs.
"Come on, before those things-."
The sharp noise of metal scraping against each other, a grinding sound that seemed to rattle the mind and cause terrible shivers to run down the spine, interrupted Frau mid-speech. Without giving a second glance to the world around, Frau took the boy by the wrist, and hauled his small body upwards. Soon the duo were rushing through the streets once more, Frau intent on looking for the right door while he entrusted Teito with the job of keeping eye for that red spotlight or anything else unusual.
The door, from what he could piece together, had a sign over it. It was blank, just a plank of wood that swung feebly on two small link chains. But that was all he could remember of it. There had to be more though. He tried forcing his memory bank open; pillaging it like a thief would in search for that rare red diamond. The door was…metal, yes, metal. He had once thrown a drunken idiot that had tried to cheat him out of some money against it. It had cracked the man's skull open and Frau was scolded for causing such a mess outside of the Kafé doors. He had to do a month's free labor in reimbursement. And, he remembered, the man had left a small dent in the steel door, and, since his time there, had never been replaced.
And just like that, with just a small crack in the dam, everything began to spill out. The door was small, smaller than Frau anyways. He had always hit his head when entering because he would forget that some idiot couldn't build a doorway for the average sized Wonderlander. Then there was that weird sticker someone had placed on the top left corner: it looked like a dog trying to lick itself but everyone seemed to think different things of it.
Taking a sharp turn, Frau dashed down the vacant street, eyes searching for that small metal door. But all sorts of doors lined the stone buildings, and none of them seemed to spark his suspicion. There were wooden doors, stone doors, glass doors and metal doors coming in an array of sizes, colors and styles but none that matched his mental description. The precise location of the Kafé was hopelessly lost in his clutter of memory; the buildings around it seemed too identical and undistinguishable.
He tried desperately to scavenge his mind for more information. There had to be some sort of landmark for the place. Frau was finding it difficult to believe that he was able to memorize its location. Especially when he was usually drunk by the time he go there.
Then the dim chime of bells echoed through the empty streets.
"Bell tower," was all Frau said before his body seemed to remember the direction of the café. His feet had grown a mind of their own, going down streets and alleyways that Frau would have never thought of taking. It almost seemed as if he was running around in circles, but, soon, the tall ivory bell tower stood before them, towering over everything else.
And just a street away was the hanging sign of the KatHouse Kafé.
"Told ya I'll find it!" Frau smirked, his anxiety dwindling into nothing.
Once reaching the place, he abandoned the boy's hand and regarded the door in front. Metal, check. Smaller than average, check. Dent where Frau had roughly threw a man, check. Weird sticker of a dog licking himself, check. Without bothering to knock first, Frau attempted to open the door but found it locked. He rattled the knob, wondering when they decided to keep the stupid place closed. He could not recall the door even having a lock. It was always open. Twenty-four seven. Thinking that the door might be stuck, Frau tried to force it open but the metal knob held fast, his gloved hand slipping from its grip. He pounded on the door, a frown shadowing his former calm. Something wasn't right… Frau's anxiety was coming back.
Throwing a kick to the steel door, Hatter's eyes darted up and down the street, worried that something might hear the ruckus he was creating. The flare of the red spotlight was nowhere to be seen, but with the labyrinth of streets connecting and curving all around the city, the light could emerge at any moment. It was obvious that Frau and Teito weren't suppose to be roaming the deserted streets, and he really didn't want to find out first hand what they did to people that broke their strict rules.
Teito kept lookout while Frau continued to bang on the door when there was no sign of anyone coming to open it. The teen felt oddly on edge, nervous as he shifted from leaning his weight on one leg to the other.
"Are you sure this is the place?" He asked over his shoulder, eyes kept open for that pool of light.
"Shit, it has to be. It has to be here. Fuck," he threw his fists onto the door, wincing at the pain.
A growl slowly turned into an exhausted groan, forehead slamming onto the metal. He continued with the act until the teen behind him whispered his name in a worried, questioning tone.
The boy had too much trust riding on him. Frau didn't know everything about everything. Instinct had gotten him this far. But up to this point, he was depending on others for information. Information that could help him keep on path.
He wasn't an all-knowing being like the stupid blue caterpillar. All he had was connections: people who knew other people. And he had spent his recent years hidden away in the Everlasting Forest with Castor; who knew if his contacts were even alive. He did not keep in touch with anyone outside the forest, outside his white picket-fence. There was no need to. Those people weren't very well friends but passing acquaintances. People he used when he needed something.
Frau had everything he wanted on that small plot of land. Unlimited supply of food, pleasant weather conditions, and complete isolation from the rest of Wonderland. There was no talk of the downward spiral of Wonderland's economy, no talk of governmental conspiracy or organized crime, no talk of who they used to be – because both males had pasts that were better left forgotten – it was all pleasantries and arguments done in good humor.
Frau wanted to go back to that. To ditch the boy and go back to his quiet life in the forest. He didn't need to protect anyone in that forest – well maybe Capella but there was hardly any serious threat in their forest the boy couldn't handle on his own. He didn't need to keep appearances because the stupid wild rabbit, the teacup mermaid and the boy didn't care to begin with. Frau didn't need to prove his worth, he didn't need to do anything.
But one stupid human boy stumbles upon their Tea Party and all hell needed to break loose. He still didn't even understand what Castor or Labrador had meant when it was "his role" to help the brunet. Last time he checked, a Hatter's role did not involve aiding an Outsider. He only played along because he thought it would be fun.
No, that was a lie. Because he really wanted to help. The boy had looked so desperate and afraid. His "maternal" instincts had turned on. And all because he had seen the stupid teen's smiling face when he was eating that stupid éclair. He was an innocent child dragged into unreasonable circumstances. And all Teito wanted was to go home.
How difficult could that one wish be to grant?
Too difficult, in Frau's mind.
He wanted to give up.
But as the door he was leaning against swung inward, catching him completely by surprise, Frau was not given that alternative.
Staring up at him with eyes a violent shade of wine was a teen in his late years. His long, sleek blond hair was pulled together by a metal band though stray strands still found a way to cascade over his forehead and slightly over his eyes. Half-hidden animal ears protruded from his blond hair, the fur being of the same pale color though the tips were inked black. Three silver rings pierced his left animal ear, while on the other only a single ring. His frame was hidden slightly by the baggy, sleeveless turtleneck he wore, his upper arms exposed to show his medium built while his lower arms were covered with fingerless gloves that stretched up to his elbows. Ash-grey slacks fit loosely on his hips, held in place by iron chains. He sported knee-high deep gray boots and an equal color collar over his loose fitting turtleneck.
With a tilt of the head, the stranger regarded both males before pinning his sights on the brunet. A smirk curled his lip, and exposed his animalistic fangs.
"Will you lookie here, how cute," he spoke with a purr, his pupils stretching into fine diamonds, "I've always wanted a fun-sized Hatter."
A/N: …why does that sound like the beginning of a dirty joke? Anyway~ so, this isn't a "dramatic" cliffhanger but, I mean, COME ON! Hakuren has animal ears! :D Am I the only one excited about that? I kinda want to make him a fox, rather than a cat, since he seems more of a foxy character. What do you guys think?