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Well, this is the last chap of this arc, If you read the M-shot for Julius then you'll get this better (but its not necessary). Thanks to everyone and enjoy :)

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CHAPTER 15: THE LAST PUSH

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Julius stood up with a jolt and pushed Aria harshly and with force to the floor and away from him. His thoughts raced with the overwhelming memories that hit the front of his mind trying to break the barrier that had previously contained them while the visage and presence of the surprised Alice felt over him like bucked of ice. Who was the woman that he... Who was he betraying?

While standing from the floor, Aria looked into his eyes with quick hurt at the cold comprehension that turned into bitter anger, and the fact that she couldn't understand why she was getting angry, angered her more. This was it. The experiment had proven some of her hypotheses true. Their memories of her were gone and all they would see, focus and cared for was Alice. Even when she had been ready to do everything with him, the mere presence of the other foreigner had cut short all interest in interaction. There was no reason or point in remaining here. She stood up and walked towards the door.

Julius didn't move. He was speechless and looking away from the awestruck teenager out of shame. How could he have freely acting in such a debauched behavior when his clock still ticked for Alice? ...The outsider that belonged to that damned Hatter?!

Blushing madly, Alice stood there in the door-frame. Who was this woman who had been riding Julius's lap? She looked somewhat familiar. In any case, this scantly clad woman had eyes. Was she a role holder? The first foreigner saw Aria's olive green eyes as the woman approached her. - "Ah...errr..."- She didn't knew where to start, if by introducing herself or if apologizing for interrupting.

Aria's eyes narrowed slightly with antipathy. Without saying a word, she hit Alice in the shoulder to trow her to the floor on the corridor and to get her out of her way.

From the floor, Alice observed the clearly angered woman get away to the staircase with that long braid that came from the base of her nape swing around almost like an angry cat's tail. Then she looked at Julius. He was dizzy and looking disoriented,so she went to check on him.

The clock master had his eyes wide open and he was breathing hard and fast. His palms were pressed on his desk to support him and all his tools and clock parts were scattered around. His mind was still getting rid of the veil that had kept his memories about 'Aria Hadron Scherzi' hidden from him.

Alice came to his side and tried putting her hand on his slumped shoulder-"Are you alright, Julius? I'm sorry I..."- He hit her hand away and wondered what she had really interrupted. Had that woman done something to Julius? She could only see that Julius was far more than distressed, as if he'd seen a ghost. - "I'll bring some water"

With no consideration to what was happening around him, Julius didn't even registered Alice's words during the minutes it took him to gather himself. The memories were coming back to him in no particular order and he could only watch them pass before he could start sorting them out.

Alice ignored the pain o her shoulder and went to get a glass of water to passed it to Julius as soon as he seemed more calm. -"Who was that, Julius? Is she a new roleholder? Did someone...get replaced?

The clock master put his hands over his face and his elbows on the desk. He was still shaken and felt terrible. How could he ... how could anyone would forget all that!? The strange storm that came to Wonderland was caused by Aria's fight against the terrible frumious beast. He remembered standing with Ace on the other side of the coliseum the patio at the castle of Diamond had become, watching helplessly as the mercenary fought tooth and nail against the Jabberwocky. He and everyone else had been unable t do anything while she kept on fighting. And then, she was hit by the beast's carcass into a portal that let to Spades, where she was trapped... It was their fault. All had been because they had pushed the mercenary too far at the event in the amusement park. They...they should have been more considerate about how Aria felt. Had they not sent used her just to get Alice back!

Taking a few deep breaths and then drinking all the water in one go, he managed to speak. albeit with trouble at organizing his thoughts. –"No. She is the 2° foreigner"- He swallowed hard as the recent memories of her since her return and crashing at Alice's wedding rearranged for him along with Aria's recent stay at the his tower. Another now obvious realization came up. –"Her game is the one we've been playing for months"

"What!?"- Alice looked at him surprised. -"Another foreigner? what do you mean for months?"

He tried to gather his though and made sense of all, more for himself than for explaining to the Alice, who was a bit of a bother right now.- "After the storm came we all forgot about her. Apparently your game ended a long time ago Alice. We've been playing hers, even when she was on the other side of the mirror."

Julius seemed calmer and was breathing deeply. He had finally remembered and sorted his thoughts. Aria had been in the tower before helping him on occasions. He and Ace had shared the bed with her (nothing naughty) with often horrible results for Julius's body. Maybe even he had got a few naughty bits with her too. She had gotten hurt pretty often and had survived direly on her own. But despite the irritation he felt at seeing blood on his clean floor or annoyance at taking so long to complete a collection with Ace...he secretly enjoyed her company, and he had come to realize that he had wanted to help her. She had desperately needed affection and attention, and he...

"Are you sure Julius?"- Alice watched him dumbfounded and went to get more water. He seemed devastated by whatever revelation he had-"But then... if you didn't remember..?

Julius took his hands to cover his face, ashamed that he had forgotten. How could he face her now? How could he convince Aria that he truly cared about her well being, that he just might want her more than what he'd ever tell. More so when he had just pushed her away from that kiss? Could could he tell her that she meant more to him than just a consolation prize after losing Alice? How?! -"I remember. I just remembered everything and.."

"PINCHE WEA!"

A loud and angry scream outside his office by the corridor was heard. It was still away but it seemed to be coming down the stairs.

Julius eyes widened. He may had recovered the memories of the past, but he had lost his chance on the present. And he did not realized that he threw Aria away until from him until now that it was too late. He had no doubt that she was angry at him for continuing to yearn for a taken woman instead of seeing that there someone else who cared about the Undertaker as more than just a Role Holder. This time he couldn't just stay on the sidelines. He didn't know what to do, but he just needed to do something before he lost Aria Hadron Scherzi forever.

Alice tried putting her hand on his shoulder again, worried about the angry scream that might have come from that woman.

Julius stood up and put his hands on Alice's shoulders.- "Alice... I think it would be best if you leave".

"Julius... I..." –Alice was vexed between staying and leaving. She understood that this was a private matter to Julius, but it also involved her directly. What about her game?... however, if that woman really was another foreigner, and if the current game was not hers anymore... What did all this meant for her own game?

Julius put his hand on Alice's shoulder and accompanied the confused girl to the door to lead her down the stair and out of the tower. He needed to speak with Aria. He needed to tell her that he had remembered and that he did care about her as more than an accomplice in his duties. He wanted her to stay by his side in this dark tower. No one else would do. After all she had passed, after all they had experienced, he wanted to be her support. The love forced upon them by the game was not enough to describe what he truly felt. She had supported him and Wonderland when the moment required it, and it was time she had someone to keep her calm and not get lost for too long with that idiotic knight on simple errands. It was time he told her. It was time he did something about it.

Julius and Alice reached the staircase and stood there for a moment just when Aria came down. She was wearing all her armored gear. More noticeably, a small backpack, the one she had retrieved with Ace from that hidden safe house, could be seen on her back,and a regular hand travel bag hung from her shoulder. She was obviously ready to go away and leave the Clock Tower.

"Move aside."- The mercenary said with a dangerous calm and hissing tone that was digitally distorted and couldn't hide the hate, hurt and spite that dripped from her unnatural voice. She was in such distress that her mechanical calmness and composure had been lost.

"Where do you think you're going!?"- Julius managed to say while stepping in front of Alice to get in Aria's way to the stairs below and prevent her from leaving.

However, Aria considered his act as if he was considering her a treat towards Alice and was stepping in front of the 1° foreigner to protect her from any retaliation the mercenary may perform.

The disturbed mercenary growled and her eyes changed hue to an electronic red shade that focused on the possible treats or targets in front of her. Her left eye then changed to a yellow glow that showed her a map of the zone and pointed towards the door to Julius's office where other door presented an exit from this place.

"Aria, listen up, I..."- Julius began, quite aware of the ready and alert stance the experienced merc's body had adopted.

Without even registering Julius words, in a split second, Aria jumped sideways and headed into the mortician's office straight towards the door that connected to the tower of Clover. She was in no shape or mood to fight Julius. If she did she would kill him. She just wanted to get away and be alone.

Julius reacted a second later, and left Alice there to chase after the escaping woman. Maybe in the past he would have simply let her go. But not anymore. Not now that he had remembered everything that happened. He simply couldn't let her go. The moment he pushed Aria away when the first outsider came inside, the Clockmaker realized just how much he messed things up not for herself as the 'star' of the game but for him as a Role Holder who wanted to pursue her. He would bring the mercenary back to his side and make sure she listened to the entire story before she left him for good.

Aria crossed into Clover and surprised Gray, Nightmare and a bunch of faceless who had been in the middle of a meeting in this room at the top of the tower. She growled a curse in Spanish; they were all in her way towards the exit.

A moment later, Julius came behind her and managed to grab her hand bag to try and stop her. Rather than fighting for the bag, she let go of it, causing it to fell to the ground and disperse it's contents on the floor. She was not going to take anything more. Her eye lenses locked on her target with that perverse red glow. She twisted around her torso to get momentum; and unnoticed by everyone who were watching the dramatic scene,the shadows on her upper body crawled towards her hand's palm to solidity over it as she activated the heavy electrifying current on her gloves, to slap the mortician across the face with so much force that he fell to the floor with a dislocated jaw and twitching involuntarily, completely stunned by the electric discharge.

Alice came into the room at Clover tower where the silence was deafening and more than one person had their mouths wide open.

Aria stood over him breathing deeply with a harsh expression that almost let on anguish and fury. Her eyes were almost teary, and a second measure out of spite, she kicked him in the ribs. Before anyone could react or intervene, she looked around for a way to escape and found no unblocked doors. She cussed away and looked behind her to a large window. It was the only way out.- "He will pay for the window!" –She raged, obviously referring o the fallen clock master.

"What window?" – Nightmare, one of the ones left with the mouth open, had barely managed to conjure those words.

For all response, Aria grabbed a nearby chair and threw it towards the window to shatter it loudly before she herself jumped throw the broken window that led to a long and brutal fall to the plaza outside the tower many floors below.

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And just when Julius remembered her... out of all the moments Alice had to interrupt *_*... I don't think Ace will be happy about it, or the lullaby. Heck, I doubt Julius will be.

So... did you liked the arc? I wanna hear whatever you've have to say. And what do you think, should I continue this on a new story arc or do so here if at all?

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