Sorry for the wait for this chapter, busy-busy-busy. Hope it was worth the wait however, and I'll try follow up on it next week. Here's hoping.
Please R/R and as always enjoy.
Chapter Four: Misfit Alliance,
The vampire queen awoke to a new day, she had no idea what the time was and didn't want to open the shutters to find out. Pushing herself up off the bed, she got to her feet sliding her hand over the bedside table for matches, the candles had blown out over the night, making the room almost pitch black. It wasn't a problem to her since she could see in the dark, though she preferred the candles giving off light. She picked up and struck the match, lighting the candle on the bedside table then hovered up to the chandelier, lighting three more candles.
The room was much brighter now, she hopped back down to the floor, draining some of the leftovers from last nights meal. Indulging in the tastes, there was something in the back of her head she knew she had to do today, the wine and sleep worked against her train of thought. Soon enough, leaning against the table with the leftovers, it came to her, the task at hand, (and the reason she was freed) she stopped her feeding, put on her boots and new hoodie rushing out of the room to find Bubblegum.
Marceline knew her way around the castle for the most part, in the past she would sneak around and see what she could find, or spy on Bubblegum and sometimes even toy with the guards for fun. Climbing a flight of stairs, she made her way to Bubblegums personal floor so she could be briefed on the matters at hand.
Knocking on the door to her quarters, Bubblegum called for whoever it was to come in. Marceline turned the handle, pushing the door open, only to be greeted by bright beams of sunshine coming through the open windows; Bubblegum liked to get the fresh air when she could, but forgot about her housed vampire guest.
Blinded by the light Marceline couldn't even see if anyone was inside, she retreated back into the hallways, hissing in discomfort, dragging the door back shut to shield herself further from the rays.
From inside the room, Bubblegums slightly muffled voice called out apologising. "Oh, sorry about that I didn't know it was you," After a couple of objects banging around from inside. "there now come in."
Marceline cautiously opened the door, remaining well hidden behind it, slowly exposing more and more of the room to herself through the growing gap. Once she opened it roughly halfway, she assumed it was safe to enter, and found it was, Bubblegum closed the window shutters.
Bubblegums room was similar to Marceline's guest room downstairs but it was much bigger, mostly in width and everything was pink, different shades here and there but never-the-less pink. Her room was more spacious in the centre, the walls had drapes hanging from them; the floor was stone brick unlike Marceline's but there was a single stretch of carpet making its way from the door to the princesses king sized bed. Everything else was almost the same other than the addition of a tea table in the corner and small workbench that held mainly notes, but also a few vials of coloured, bubbling liquids.
"Are you hurt?" The princess felt obligated to ask. She felt clumsy forgetting to close the shutters when she expected Marceline to visit.
"Uh, no, I'm okay... thanks. It heals pretty fast so long as I don't hang around in it." Marceline still didn't know how to act about all this, Bubblegum was the one who had her locked up and starved. Now she is feeding and cleaning her well and giving her grand quarters to rest in. The sleeping agents and anesthetic were all out of here system now, all Bubblegum had to do was tick her off even slightly and she'd be a viable choice of food. As odd as it sounded though, Marceline did want to forgive her, not for the treatment – she didn't even truly understand herself why she wanted to do so. Right now though she was on Bubblegums side either way to be brought up to speed about Finn and where he is.
"I assume you are here to talk about Finn..." The princess walked over from the windows to her tea table, with a small cup of tea already in hand, sitting down at it, inviting Marceline over with her free hand. Bubblegum felt much more safe in the vampires presence now, knowing she could have chose to escape last night if she still wanted to devour the princess. Bubblegum left her taser in its usual spot, bedside table-draw, in case Ice King decided he wanted to try kidnapping her again.
Marceline nodded walking over to take a seat with Bubblegum.
"Do you drink tea?" Bubblegum asked about to grab the teapot; although she has known the vampire for quite some time now, she still hardly knew anything of how they survived. She always wanted to perform research and test, but certainly knew not to do such things on Marceline, even when she was knocked out in hospital; although little did Marceline know that Bubblegum took a sample of the vampires blood and had it stored in one of the many vials over on the research table for future experiments.
"Um, I don't drink tea – it... doesn't really do anything for me." Marceline shrugged uncomfortably, she didn't know how to really explain it in a few short sentences and didn't want to waste time talking about herself. She wanted to move on to Finn, but tried remaining civil about it.
"Hmm, interesting... ah, I apologies I am getting distracted, this is a conversation for another time," Marceline was relieved, that she was the one who said it. "I'm not sure how to explain this so I guess I'll give you the facts: Finn attempted to kill me, twice. First time was subtle, he tried to make it look accidental; even I took it for an accident, at the time. The second time... well wasn't so subtle."
Marceline quickly asked, "How so?" before the princess continued.
"Sigh, he stormed into the castle about a week ago, sword in hand chopping his way through my guard to get to me. Jake got here just in time to distract Finn long enough for me to finish a special concussive, non-harmful explosive that shortly blinds anyone who looks at its reaction, before he reached my quarters. None of them could stop him, even Jake couldn't get through to Finn. The Lich has took his time with Finn, grew his roots deep inside his head. I'm worried if we can't get him back..." Bubblegum stopped, feeling her emotions swell up; she took a second to get back on track and gather her words. "Anyway, while he was disoriented I kicked him, through the window, by accident of course. His gone now. From what my scouts have told me he went all the way south, into the Badlands. I sent a third of my guard to watch the borders of the Badlands to see if they can spot him, I've even resorted to hiring bounty hunters to bring him back alive... I'm sorry..." Bubblegum turned her head in shame.
"Sorry?" Marceline questioned.
"I didn't believe you or give you a chance, and I know you cared for him. If I trusted you this wouldn't have happened." Marceline remained silent, though Bubblegum was right, if she believed her the first time they could have acted sooner.
After the lack of response from Marceline, Bubblegum understood how she felt, and decided to continues explaining. "Anyhow, we know he has the Lich inside him, so we are going to take it out." Bubblegum quickly finished her tea and got up from the table.
"We?" Marceline questioned again.
"Yes. Myself, you and Jake. We are going to rescue Finn!" Bubblegum spoke with a determined enthusiasm. She walked over to her make-up table and pulled open a draw with jewellery inside, grabbing two specific necklaces with the same turquoise gem Bubblegum wore on her tiara. "Here take this and wear it all times." Bubblegum instructed, handing Marceline a necklace.
"Why do I need to wear this?" She asked, inspecting the necklace in her hand.
"It will protect you from the Lich's influence, you can't fight him when his inside your head."
Marceline handed back the necklace. "Um, that stuff he does doesn't work on me, I guess it because I'm a vampire or something."
Bubblegum stopped, felt that she needed to note these things down for future reference, she found it fascinating how beings such as vampires survived and worked, but now was not the time to be thinking about science projects.
She still brought both of the necklaces with her anyway, one for Jake and a spare. Walking over to her wardrobes, Bubblegum opened one to view her outfits hanging up.
While Bubblegum was browsing what to wear for this adventure, Marceline expressed her opinions on this so-called 'rescue', "I understand you want to help Finn and all, but one, I don't work well in groups, two, and no offence, but you aren't much of a fighter Bonnie, you'll only get yourself killed going up against the Lich. Lastly Jake can't do it either on his own, I don't think you have thought this through. Are you even listening?"
Bubblegum still had her back turned to Marceline, browsing through the clothes; she was listening but didn't reply. Once she found the right outfit for the task and conditions: a comfortable pink, skin tight, spandex t-shirt and white cargo pants, along with a pink headband, she carried them over into the bathroom to get changed.
"Wait here while I get ready; please don't touch my notes." She asked before shutting the door to the bathroom.
"Sigh, so you wasn't listening." Marceline Mumbled under her breath so Bubblegum wouldn't hear.
A short wait later, couldn't have been more then four minuets, after looking around a bit inside Bubblegums room, Marceline turned attention to the bathroom door opening. Bubblegum had changed into her new outfit, she stood in the doorway stretching, getting comfortable in the new clothes and hair tied back.
"Now will you listen?" Marceline asked approaching the princess.
"Follow me please, I have something to show you." Bubblegum requested, walking past Marceline's approach, out of the room, she had a smile on her face, she seemed very pleased about something. Marceline grunted out of inpatients, but still followed out of curiosity.
The two, again traversed many hallways and stairs until they found the Bubblegums basement lab. The lab looked like it focused more on hardware and devices, rather than the other labs filled with potions and elixirs. There was scrap metal, tools, wires and circuitry laying around everywhere, large insulated wires hung across the walls and ceiling. Very few things looked completed or even operational, the only contraption that appeared working was a crystal held in place which focused light into a prism on the far side of the room, it puzzled Marceline what Bubblegum was trying to achieve with that one.
Bubblegum walked up to a sealed container and popped open the latches, from inside she pulled out a sleek, scientific rifle looking object, pressing a button on its side, the barrel extended out even further.
"I may not be much of a fighter, but I am a decent shot with projectile firing devices. Before you ask, this is what I call a 'Discomblabual-rifle'..."
"A discom-uh, what?"
"Well after my stun explosive work quite effectively, it got me thinking, the Lich isn't just an open target we can attack, his using Finn not only as his host, but also a hostage. So we can't directly harm him without hurting Finn. This device is designed to fire a electromagnetic wave, which is set to a frequency were it will ripple through his brain cells and give him a sensory overload, knocking him out. Once he is out cold so is the Lich; we can detain him and find a way to extract the Lich from Finns body. I also got something for you." Bubblegum reached back into the container, pulling out Marceline's axe bass.
Marceline, ecstatic, took the guitar from her hands."Aw sweet, you got my bass! I missed you baby." Marceline said, snuggling up with her prized bass guitar.
"Uh-yes, but I tweaked it a little..."
"You what!" She snapped at her, feeling her blood boil, she was about to go werewolf on the princess.
"I attached a similar device to mine on the back of the guitar, but your one emits amplified sound frequencies instead; it won't knock him out, but most certainly will stun him. I do recommend using earmuffs when switching on the device."
She took a second to calm, inspecting her bass, not actually finding any visual difference other than a new switch for said device; quite frankly she actually found Bubblegums 'tweak' pretty cool. "Nah, I'll be fine. Can I try it?" She asked, eager to see it's abilities.
Bubblegum frowned at Marceline's reckless thinking. "Not here. The vibrations will likely cause structural damage, also I have important prototypes in here. So no." Marceline pouted, wanting to try her instruments new setting. Bubblegum also grabbed a chest rig she designed to wear and holster the weapon comfortably on her back, along with a duffle bag flung over her shoulder. Once she strapped up she pulled out wires from the assortments of pockets and plugged it into the weapon; presumable charging it. Bubblegum was pumped up, loaded out and ready to go, like now.
"All right, I'm going to call Jake and tell him we are ready." Bubblegum picked up the phone under a pile of scraps and begun dialling the tree fort.
"Wait, hold up, we are doing this now?" Marceline hasted over snatching the phone from Bubblegum.
"Yes, you want to get Finn back don't you?" Bubblegum went to grab the phone back again, but Marceline pulled back her arm and held the phone high above her head to keep out of Bubblegums reach.
"Yeah but, no plan, no nothing... you always have a plan; we will be going in blind." She hovered up out of Bubblegums reach, waiting for her answer.
"The plan is to destroy the Lich without harming Finn, we can't do that standing around here; and besides, I want my sweet revenge on that donggus monstrosity! He took my body, terrorized my kingdom, tried killing me, and now he has my friend! When I get my hands on him, ohhohohh you just wait..."
Bubblegum was beginning to get a bit emotional, and a tad bit crazy. Marceline too couldn't shake the feeling of wanting revenge for what the Lich has done to her; Marceline, mutually wanting the same thing as the princess, lowered her hand a gave back the phone without speaking, Bubblegum continued to call Jake.
The call was made, the princess informed Jake about everything and told him to meet the herself and the vampire queen in the throne room, and they will go from there.
Marceline and Bubblegum waited for Jake in the throne room. Not much conversation bounced between them since they left the lab after the call; Marceline, always liking to rest her weight, leaned up against one of the large pillars near Bubblegum, while the princess herself stood in the centre of the room staring at the door waiting for it to open and Jake coming through. Now and again she would roam back and forth around the room to stretch her legs and stop them from falling asleep.
Marceline left to her thoughts couldn't help but think about her time in the prison. Though it only took up a small amount of time compared to her lifespan, the time she spent in that cell didn't feel like six weeks it felt like years. Knowing that it was all under Bubblegums orders, and she was now standing in the very room she was sentenced in. It was all too much to bear. She wanted to forgive her, but still failed to find any reason to do so.
The further she dwelled on every individual day she was imprisoned for, her mind slowly begun to unlock that anger she held deep for so long. She looked over at the princess with fire in her eyes, wishing she just strangled her to death in the hospital and been done with it. She tried to mask over those dark thoughts, she was just released from prison, she had no intention of going back in any time soon, but still she wanted to say something, the anger was too much to contain any longer. Marceline gapped her mouth open to talk, but stopped, thinking suddenly of the repercussions that might come if she spoke her mind, she still wished to speak, so she reconfigured what she had to say.
"Hey..." She spoke in quite a assertive and deeply serious tone that demanded attention. Marceline took Bubblegums eyes off the door. "I know you are trying to play nice, for your mistake with framing me and all, but seriously deep down, tell me, do you even trust me? I bet part of you still wants to believe that this some how its still all my fault, so you wouldn't have been wrong in the first place and then I will still be locked up, out of your life. Is that why you need me for your little group? You are just going to use me – feed me to the wolves if things go bad..."
The princess was in a state of confusion from the vampires sudden questioning. It took her a second to reply. "...What, no... Marceline. What's brought all this up?"
"You still hate me don't you, all this is just a facade. When you get the chance you are going to stab me in the back and bring me here again as one of your little experiments." She started to give herself even more excuses to not trust the princess as she continued.
"Marceline I think you are getting emotional because you are reliving your trauma inside your head, and I am so, so, SO sorry that I am the reason this is happening, but I want to fix things, I am not the enemy, I want..."
Bubblegum was cut short with the doors busting open with none other then Jake coming through, jogging his way over panting out of breath.
Marceline got up from resting on the pillar and hovered past Bubblegums ear, whispering so Jake wouldn't notice. "You just keep telling yourself that, Bonnibel. I'm doing this for Finn, nothing else." Honestly this was nothing, if Marceline wished, she could have done much worse than express herself before Jake arrived. Though Bubblegum didn't see this little exchange of words between them be the end of the case. All that kept Marcelines anger getting physical was the conflicting rational thought that still defended the princess.
Bubblegum felt slightly threatened and worried, Marceline emotional instability on this matter could escalate as they continue, the Lich now wasn't the only problem that occupied Bubblegums mind. Marceline was now unpredictable, but she was needed.
"I'm ready... w-when you are, princess... just lemmi... catch my breath." Jake puffed out, speaking after every exhale of air.
Bubblegum could see Marceline hovering behind her, in the corner of her eye. The princess would turn to stare her down, but that's probably what Marceline wants, to look her in the eyes and intimidate with nothing more. Instead Bubblegum chose to ignore her, at least for now, but she would have to deal with it at some point, the vampire queen isn't known for dropping matters so easily.
Giving Jake a second to catch his breath, she handed him the enchanted jewellery. Bubblegum then ordered to move out. Before they could even leave the kingdom, Marceline immediately flew up into the sky a shouted down at the the princess and dog, "I'm going to get some things from my place, I'll catch up with you later!" before they could question her she was already gone, Bubblegum was powerless to stop her, all she had was her word that she'd come back, and so it was just the two of them again.
Eh, not too action packed, but the plot must be driven forward!...