.

DREAM TRAP

.

"Hey wake up."

Aria felt a tug at her hair and slapped whatever was bothering her away with a flick of the wrist.

"Seriously. You need to wake up."

Once again she waved her hand before turning on her side to give her back to the noise. Then she felt a tug on her braid that pulled on the sensible cable in it. She finally opened her eyes, only to come face to face with a fairy sized version of Nightmare Gottschalk floating in front of her. On instinct she swatted at him.

"HEY!" - The little dream demon rolled on the air and staggered at the attack.

The mercenary incorporated, somewhat dizzy but not drunk. Feeling some breeze on her legs she noticed she was wearing some black armored clothes that seemed to have come straight out of a RPG video game, and made her look like a mix between a valkyrie and a gothic vampire hunter. -"What the hell!?"- Her flowy skirt had various lacy layers rimmed with silver edges and was mini-skirt-length at the front but mid-calf-length at the back, and it fell over the long low heeled boots; her blouse was very open but the armor plaques above her hips, chest and shoulders seemed to at least be able to withstand a couple hits. Over the light armor there was a jacket with side seams held together by square brooches that ran down vertically and crossing her hip at her side was an utility belt. And above all was a long cape that gave some aristocratic style to the garb.

"You finally woke up, although you didn't need to hit me." Nightmare, floated back in front of her and looked her at the eyes with a slightly annoyed but very curious expression.

"Nightmare!? "- Immediately looking around she found herself inside a gothic style chamber with a lot of stained glass windows that depicted different territories of Wonderland, and at the end of the room, a huge portal seemed to lead to an outside balcony. She stood up and shook her head to dispel the remaining dizziness. - "By the unique visual output of this place and sensorial inputs I do or don't receive, I conclude that we are in the dream realm, aren't we?"

Nightmare opened his mouth to say something; her speech was strange, but then he suddenly looked between worried and horrified at another detail about her. - "I… I really can't read your mind!"- He looked her up and down and then flew in front her face. - "What happened? Why can't I read your mind? You aren't trying to hide anything, it's as if there's nothing to read! Are you alrigh…!?"

Since the incubus was fairy size, She easily grabbed Nightmare in her hand's grip and held him at an arm's length- "Negative. You can't read my 'mind' because rather than slow cognitive mental wording, I merely process data inputs into a neural pattern of impulses rather than 'think'. I don't abstract words but process information. And if you try it again, I'll make you regret it."

"Ok, ok!"- Nightmare squirmed and gulped - "So rude and scary..." -The incubus paled and then regained some composure. This matter made him concerned and this foreigner was weird and on edge to say the least. This was a huge issue. For starters, his power was limited, which shouldn't happen, and then this foreigner was also a bit unnerving for the fact that he could not read her mind, and for what he'd learned through the clock master's memories, she was someone to reckon. Not just another cute foreigner. She and Alice were as different as day and night. - "So well… Aria Hadron Scherzi, right?"

She rose an eyebrow but otherwise remained stoic- "Yes. We've met before."- She closed her eyes and opened her hand to let him go. -"Not that you remember and not that it matters in any important context. What matters at the moment is the current of my self virtual projection upon this virtual environment."-She opened her eyes and focused her gazze on him- "Now tell me what's happening. Be direct. I'm not good processing figurative grammar structures. So don't even try cryptic shit."- She was clearly not in the mood for any small chat and was paranoidly ready for any trick he might have. Despise his size, he was a dream demon and the lord of the dream realm, so caution was necessary. Even he looked like a doll. - "And I must inquire about you fairy' size. Why are you so small?"- Thinking upon the word 'fairy' she decided to avoid one very bothersome line - "Please avoid saying 'Hey Listen!' or I'll be forced to dismember you"

Nightmare gulped at the seriousness of her threat and questions and then sighted. This meeting with the second foreigner was turning out to be way more different from what he'd liked. He tried adopting a more regal pose and took a deep breath, trying to make his voice sound a bit more deep. -"Look. I may not remember you but I do know about you, foreign white neck mercenary Ari..." -He started but was interrupted.

"Our previous status as acquaintances was overridden and now is irrelevant. I don't care and neither do you. Get to the point and answer the queries or get lost."- She growled before turning around and heading for the balcony. -" I've have it enough with Role Holder's treacheries. If you aren't going to say anything useful then you're only in the way. You probably are either ways"- She needed information, but she really didn't want to deal with any role holder, their lies regarding the game, or their antics about it.

"Then let me continue…Jeez." - Nightmare could believe that this girl was the strange foreigner from the mortician's thoughts, but he could hardly believe someone like that really existed. Up to certain point, he could understand her apprehension and hostility, in fact, it impressed him how she could have dealt with all that happened to her, all alone and without support, a true gem hard as a diamond, but also probably about to crash like fragile glass. Her game was an issue that should be addressed immediately. He cleared his throat and continued while flying in front of her again.- "Alright. Outside in the real world there is a gunfight. One of the cards got knocked out and I gathered that there's a faction that wants to get their hands on the new foreigner, and somehow managed to set a gas trap that sent you straight into an illusion; inside the dream realm to keep your mind trapped here, while they get a hold off your body."- He float around her to examine her ready but calm and monolithic posture. She wasn't afraid. - "However, it seems you simply disappeared from the room where you should have been laying. How, if I may ask?"

Nightmare thought about reading her mind and finding out, but somehow that seemed like a pretty bad idea. So he decided against it and gave her the chance to answer herself. After a couple of seconds she did.

"I activated a relic that cuts a room from space and imprints it into a locked quantum state for the duration of one time change."- Telling him this was not an issue. Perhaps he would sent Gray and then if a ruckus happened she might get a chance to escape.

"A relic!" - Nightmare hadn't counted on that. When did a foreigner learned about those or how to use them!?

Aria ignored Nightmare and came out of the room through the balcony, from where she saw that the dream place looked like a video game castle of the kind where the objective was to kill some vampire count of absolute evil. However, she worried more about her real body. If her mind was actually partly in the dream real and not in her default pseudo dream rest state of liminality, then the gas must have included some hallucinogen. She rose her index finger and poked Nightmare on the chest- "And what about your current size status? Given how grand you like to think of yourself, your visage in this virtual environment would at least mimic that of the real world."

Oh yes, the reason why he couldn't manifest all his power. Nightmare crossed his arms and looked away. He could ask her later about more stuff,including how weirdly she spoke, but time was already running and she'd better get on the way- " Hey li... ehemmm... Because your mind is weird and because the nightmare realm is trying to engulf this place, my influence here is limited. That's why the only thing I can do is manifest like this."

"The nightmare realm!?"- Aria stopped and turned fast to look at him, and this time she was the one who gulped down.

The change in her demeanor was obvious. It was more than apprehension, it was almost fear. Through Julius memories, Nightmare had seen her remain cold and calm even under the worst, but if she reacted like this at the mere mention of the nightmare realm then it was because she knew about that realm deep and personally. Not a good thing but it perhaps explained her curernt disposition or lack of it. - "Yes. And I don't know how long this place will hold. So you need to get out of here fast."

Already looking around the castle through the balcony, she started to look out navigation routes -"Where's the exit?"

"I dont know. But I know that this is set up like a story. To get out you must complete this like a story's sequence and reach the end; and for doing that, you must also get the other person who was trapped here as well or you can't get out. also if that you die here then it's brain dead in the real world."- Now came the obnoxious and troublesome part.

"Wait."- Aria stopped short and grabbed him in her hand once again. - "What other person?"

As if on cue, from another tower in front of the one she was in, but away and across the whole castle, a scream was heard and Nightmare and Aria could see how a vaguely humanoid corpse was thrown out a window to reveal the troubled and troublesome brunnette knave of Hearts, who saw her at the distance and happily waved at her.

"Hi! Ari!"

Aria released nightmare and facepalmed.- "Why me!?"- She growled in deep frustration. -"Shit! Seriously? You must be fucking kidding me. Him!? Out of all damn people in wonderland? And I need to get him?"

Nightmare didn't know if the change in her wording was a good or bad thing. At least this time he understood what she had said- "Yes. You need to reach him."- Nightmare shrugged his shoulders but he could understand it. Ace of Hearts was not always the best possible company.

"Why?" - She whined quite pitifully.- "Can't I just leave him trapped here and leave myself?"

"That's quite cold" - Nightmare could attest how little progress had been made with this foreigner in her game if she was so ready to sacrifice anyone. Foreigners were supposed to be caring. Or perhaps someone needed to care for her? In any case he could sympathize with her given that the demented knave was the other person. He sighted and patted her shoulder- "Because you were the first to fall unconscious your mind is partially creating this place and since he was also trapped here with you at more or less the same time, his mind is also partly responsible for this place. If you two don't complete this together then you won't get out"

While feeling a vein pop on her forehead she grumbled a resigned string of curses in spanish and then pointed to Ace, who had kept happily waving – "ACE! STAY WHERE YOU ARE! DON'T MOVE FROM THAT ROOM OR WE WON'T GET OUT OF HERE EVER! ! I'LL GO AND GET YOU , JUST WAIT FOR ME THERE!"

In the distance Ace clapped his hands together and squirmed like a teen girl. - "YAY, THE BRAVE DAME IS COMING TO SAME ME! THAT'S VERY KNIGHTLY ARI!"

Aria could feel an imaginary headache coming up- "JUST STAY THERE, YOU DAMN, DISTRESSING KNIGHT!"

Without wasting time, Aria turned around and headed for the staircase. She sighted and grumbled under her breath as she made her way down, followed by Nightmare who observed her expression turn back to cold stone.

"This is a 'pocket' dreamscape, so It shouldn't be 'that' big. Getting to where the knave is shouldn't be that hard'- The incubus said in a poor attempt to cheer her a bit or rather to cut in the heavy atmosphere. Her calm stoicism regarding the situation was unnerving. She wasn't freaking out, or asking for his help as the mighty Lord of the dream realm.

"The hard part will be to get out." She growled, then facepalmed. Then after releasing a small sigh, she kept a callous yet annoyed expression on her pale face. "Shit. Perhaps I should just kill myself now. I have no chance against Ace. Maybe I can convince him to wait till we're out of here, but once we're out I'll be done for!... unless I wake up first…But then I'll probably still be drunk! Dammit!"

Nightmare saw her little monologue slightly a bit more worried than before. It was awkward for the incubus's to not be able to know because he couldn't read her mind. And the way she spoke. He didn't know if it was pessimistic, accepting, challenging or merely factual. "Mmhhh...What do you mean?"

"Ace. Of all the people, he is the one who wants to kill me most at the moment. I need to get right up to him to even have a chance to get out., but he is remarkably unstable and unpredictable, and far better fighter than I am." - She checked the contents of her pouch and her outfit once more.- "Without my whole gear I have no advantage, and the 'order' towards a role might not work here due to the difference in brain processing given that he might be upon a REM phase, which would get me immediately neutralized just for even trying. "

"Why do you think he wants to kill you?" It was wise for her to distrust the knight, but to outright state that the holder that had come looking for her wanted to kill her, and plan for it was a bit too much. It was funny, or would be if the situation was slightly different.- "You really think that?"

"I don't 'think'.- The analysis of factual occurrences presents that as the most logical conclusion. Because I beat the crap out of Julius, Ace came out specially searching for me." -She made a small size signal with her fingers to exemplify her next words. -"He probably plans to hack me into tiny little pieces this size."

"Maybe you are over exaggerating a bit."- Nightmare understood she was a paranoid, that was fine in general. The problem was that she was mostly right except regarding Ace's intentions at the moment. There were really people out to get her.

She ignored him and then stopped to set her hand over her chin. - "Unless situational factors aren't necessarily what they seem…" - She turned to look at Nightmare and pointed her index finger at him- "There are various things that don't match in what you said."

"Excuse me?" - Nightmare seemed offended, even hurt. "You think I might lie?"

"Of course you would. But I wasnt talking about that." She stopped in her tracks, crossed her arms and closed her eyes for a few seconds to concentrate. "You said that there's a faction that wants to get their hands on the new foreigner, and somehow they set a gas trap that sent me straight into an illusion inside the dream realm to keep my mind trapped here while they get a hold of my body."

"Yes. And that's why you should hurry up"- He tried pushing her forward but obviously failed given his tiny size.

She rolled her eyes as if it was obvious -"Exactly. Because I'm in a hurry I must consider all information and factors to procure a good model to analyze the data and get the most successful plans for obtaining positive outcomes."- She activated her optic lenses filters. They worked. Maybe she was half unconscious and sleep, but she was also half awake and her body was in contact with her suit. If she could contact Aegis, her A.I. , then things would get easier. This was a dream, so maybe she could make her suit manifest somehow?

"What are you trying to say?" - Nightmare wasn't sure where this was going or what she was implying. But he knew that when her eyes shone, bad things normally were about to happen. Specially to her.

She raised her hand and waved motions in the air- "For starters there were MANY foes in the ambush out in the real world. They were completely circling the hatters at different levels. Given how they were approaching from all flanks and even through buildings, it was obvious that they were well prepared and organized."

"From The card that got knocked out, they knew there was a drunk foreigner in a bar." -Nightmare had tortured the mind of that card to extract all info, which sadly hadn't been much, but he was aware that the nameless deck had decided to sacrifice most of their peons for this.

"Their first shots were directed at the mafia, so I assumed they were trying to get rid of a bunch of holders at the same time. " -She eyed Nightmare for a second and then saw how the long staircase would lead her to the gardens outside the castle of this dreamstage. -"However you said they were after the foreigner and I doubt every single one of them was carrying that blue smoke grenade. Although I don't know the process, I know that special weaponry like that are not easy or cheap to make and I doubt they could set up many of this dream spaces without you noticing."

Nightmare narrowed his eye just slightly- "That's true. And even if they had many grenades, they wouldn't have been able to connect all of them to this space. That's not something easy to do without the aid of a creature from the dream realm, and I have no idea how they managed it." - He was already in that direction but he wanted to hear her conclusion. "But what are you getting at?"

"They put a lot of efforts on this. The fog would have worked only in closed places or if the intended victim was in no possibility to get away before inhaling it." -She resumed her pace and continued down the long stairs. "This means that their forces were out to halt and distract the holders while others went to set this unique trap. The plan is too complicated, has too many gaps and requirements, and the possibilities for failure at each phase are high."

"It was a one shot chance, so they sent all they could to make it work." Nightmare added to the obvious conclusion.

"But why would they try so hard to get a hold of the 'new' foreigner? And why would a trap be set to get me into this dream?" - She growled the next part. "No one remembers me, so they probably think I'm as dependent on role holders as an average foreigner"- Taking a deep breath and passing her hand over her hair she calmed down and regained all her calmness. -"It would have been easier for them to merely grab me and run. Why set up the dream and bring me here then?"

"Because they wanted the foreigner here."- Nightmare pondered her words. She was completely right. The trap was set to specifically bring her here. "I'll go search. Maybe I can find something"

Aria nodded, convinced that the small incubus would be useless in any case. And as Nightmare flew back and disappeared into air, the mercenary continued on her way down the stairs, suddenly very aware that maybe Ace wasn't the most immediate or worse of her problems.

.

.

.

.

Ain't she quite cold and ruthless to poor Nightmare? . Point up for anyone who knows where the 'Hey, listen!' comes from XD

Oh, and the adventure of the knightly merc begins! Will she save the knight in distress? Will Julius be able to reach her here? What can this trap has in store for them? and more importantly... Will Ace stay put long enough for his mercenary knight in sour armor to come and save him? XD

.

.