Alice walked back into the main room of the Resistance, spotting Walter, Jade and Sadie, Page, and Ben. She'd gone to the Riverter's Rest to eat and wash up. Not dressing up just yet. She had made sure to untangle the years of knots and grime from being in Mourningwood without any proper baths. Alice spent over an hour on her hair, making sure it was clean and as untangled as possible. Once ready she went back to the sewers, wondering why on Albion she spent all that time cleaning up, only to have to come back to a sewer.
"Ah Alice, I was beginning to wonder when you'd be back," Walter smiled.
"Sorry I'm late, did I miss much?" Alice asked, standing besides him.
"We just started," he said, looking to the rest of the group. "Reaver hosts some sort of, fancy secret society gathering every week. We don't know what goes on, but we do know what the guests look like. It's the perfect chance to sneak in."
"Here," Page began, "You'll have to wear this." She handed Jade an outfit, with a masquerade mask on top.
"Great, where's my costume?" Ben asked, and everyone gave Ben a look. "What I still can't come? Even after the three Hollow Men story? Honestly, this is as bad as the army."
"Don't worry Benny, I'll bring you back some souvenirs," Alice joked.
"Souvenirs my ass, why can't I go?" he complained.
Alice just shook her head.
"Now everybody out, I have a party to dress for," Page said, and everyone left the room.
The three girls walked to the door of Reaver's mansion in Millfields, each dressed in masquerade dresses and masks. Alice was wearing a dark blue gown with a black nightingale mask. She couldn't remember the last time she'd dressed up completely, and she didn't exactly hate it.
"So, why are we here?" Alice asked, seeing as she'd missed the first part of the meeting.
"Some of Page's men came here and haven't returned. We're here to bring them back," Jade explained.
The door was open so they entered, seeing a right mess, peoples unconscious bodies laying everywhere. Suddenly, a short, ginger man walked over. The butler.
"Bit late aren't cha?" the man began, "You missed 'alf the wituals and all the drinking." The man had a lisp, where he use 'w' instead if 'r'. "All we've got left is fizzy pop."
"Erm," Page began, choosing her words. "We apologize."
"Oh yeah? Just give me the password and we'll forget all about it. Alright?"
"Ah, the password?"
"No, just pulling your leg, come on in." He began to lead us up the stairs, of the dark mansion, decorated with reds and golds. "Master Weaver will be pleased to have some conscious guests for the final ceremony. I wasn't kidding about the fizzy pop though, these lightweights drank the lot. There's probably something else in the kitchen is you're desperate. I can sort you out a nice orgy later on if you feel like it. Eh? What do you say?"
"Just keep walking, you strange little man," Alice grumbled.
"Of course, of course, you'll have to pardon me miss, I do have a habit of a spot of the odd vulgarity. Master Weaver has often brought out his whip to rectify that, and fix up my character." They stopped in front of a large set of doors. "It's just this way. Oh you'll have such fun. Not that drinks and orgies are fun but it'll be a real laugh I'm sure. Now there are some ground rules, Master Weaver insists no one carries any large weapons into the ballroom, there have been some accidents."
"I'm afraid I need to keep mine," Page said angrily. "I'm here to find some friends."
"Oh, you're the brave noble rebels, why didn't you say so. I'm an oppressed politician too you know, we're practically comrades. If you just go through these doors, you can sneak past the party and rescue your fellow revolutionaries." Without another word, the girls entered through the doors. And immediately saw one of Page's men in a cage, running straight over to him.
"Kidd, are you alright?" Page asked.
"Get out, now," Kidd said.
"Where are the others?"
"All dead, Reaver knew you'd come, he's been waiting for you." At those words, the cage was pulled up by a chain.
"My my," the voice made Alice freeze. "More busy little bee's here to steal Reaver's honey. So industrialist, so committed, so bloody annoying." The women turned around to look up at him on a balcony, surrounded by some guests. "When will you people learn to enjoy life?"
"I'll enjoy killing you does that count?" Page snapped angrily.
"Oh you're just full of spunk aren't you? A true heroine, you must be lightning under the bed sheets. Now as promised, the evening piece de la resistance, another piece of the resistance." He pulled a lever. "Voila. Do try to put on a good show for my guests, won't you?"
"Show?! You expect us to entertain you?" Page asked exasperatedly.
"But of course, It's just a game I like to play, little sweet. 'The Wheel of Misfortune', it's rather simple. I spin, you die, we watch. Really, it's a riot." The wheel spun, and landed on a glowing image.
A set of gates opened, and the girls walked through them, going down a hallway to an arena. Reaver entered the balcony above them, commenting.
"You will laugh, you will cry, you will have your sinus gnawed upon. Bring out…The Hobbes!"
Soon enough they were surrounded by Hobbes, and all hell broke loose.
Quite some time later, the three began growing tired. Challenge after challenge after challenge. Beads of sweat were clinging to Alice's form. Panting a little at how much death they had to bring in one night. Hobbes, Hollow Men. Mercenaries and Sand Furies. It was the trio's first encounter with the Sand Furies from Aurora. The fast, ninja like creatures were by far the hardest to defeat, and took what felt like hours. The Wheel spun once more landing on….Balverine. Alice gasped when Reaver's guests turned into Balverines, his own butler ripped to shreds.
"Oh dear, do you lot have any idea how hard it is to find good staff?" Reaver questioned in amusement, and Alice snapped, pulling her mask off in anger.
"Is that all you can say?" she questioned, and he turned to look at her, his eyes widening in surprise when the woman pulled off her mask.
"Well well, what do we have here? It has been a long time hasn't it," Reaver smirked. "I don't believe I got to mention just how much of a woman you have grown up to be the last time I saw you. Well, we can certainly make the most of this couldn't we. Perhaps, if you live, you'd be so kind as to join me for a little fun in the bedroom? I'd certainly enjoy your company."
Alice glared at him, clenching her fists, only to have a Balverine jump in front of her. She briefly looked up to where Reaver was, but he was gone. All that was left now was a bunch of Balverines to be rid of.