Chapter 3: confrontations
Disclaimer: I don't own American McGee's Alice or Hakuoki
Alice awoke with a thumping head and back ache early the next morning not really understanding what on earth was going on. As she tried to get up she realized that she couldn't as someone had bound and gaged her leaving her with her hands stuck uncomfortable behind her, she had contemplated using her abilities in the form of her butterfly dodge in order to escape her precarious predicament but thought against it in favor of trying to coerce her captor into freeing her from her bonds.
Suddenly her train of thought was broken as the door to the room she was currently in slid open showing a young man in traditional local attire, carrying a tray of food and drink, seeing her in the state that she was he put the tray down and undid the thin ropes that kept her hands painfully in place while cursing someone for making the knots damn near impossible to undo.
"I'm sorry for how you've been treated but we can't be too careful here" he said quickly as he undid the gag allowing Alice to remove the fabric that had been crudely shoved in her mouth.
"I should bloody hope so, if this is how you treat your guests I'd fear what happens if you capture an enemy" said Alice in a semi haughty rasp, glaring at the man in front of her, trying to intimidate him.
"I've brought you some food and drink and once you've eaten I've been instructed to bring you before the commanders" he stated calmly, ignoring her glares as he went to stand at the doorway letting Alice eat her meal in relative peace.
Once Alice had finished eating, she made an attempt at standing up only to end up staggering and falling back onto her rear, it seemed that sleeping in such an awkward position had caused her legs to fall asleep on her, upon hearing the thump she had created, her "watcher" came back into the room and helped her feet only for her to repeat her stagger and fall routine causing him to laugh and scoop her up and carry her to their destination.
"Stop laughing, my legs fell asleep on me, it's not funny!" Cried Alice her voice sounding a lot better now that she had had something to drink.
"I'm sorry but that was just so funny to watch" he said trying not to laugh as he carried her towards where she assumed the commanders were waiting to see her and probably decide the sordid way they were going to silence her. As they arrived her proverbial watcher put her down and slid another door open and placed her inside the room where she was sumarily surrounded by strangers one of which was the man she saw the night prior to arriving.
"So you're awake then" one of the men stated blandly eyeing her in a predatory manner.
"Yeah you slept so soundly that you gained tatami marks on your face" another man with chestnut brown hair said, causing Alice to subconsciously touch her face and causing a couple of the others to chuckle.
"That's enough Sougi" commanded the man with dark amethyst purple hair, he turned to look at her with a frown.
"It's alright there aren't any tatami marks in your face" he stated calmly as he surveyed her with his hawk like gaze.
"How cruel Hajime-kun you didn't have to say that" he replied in mock defeat, causing Alice to frown and narrow her eyes at him.
"You two, this is no time for foolish prattle" another man stated, Alice turned to get a better look at him only to get a surprise, it was him, the man from last night, he must have been the one to have brought her to this place.
"yeah" was the only lazy reply that came from the man that was teasing her.
"And that thing's the witness, she's all tiny and thin, probably still a kid" and increasingly younger member of the group said now making himself known.
"Excuse me but you do know that it's rude to call a lady a child especially if you don't know her age" Alice snapped angrily her cheeks already red from embarrassment.
"Anyway you're in no position to call somebody a kid, Heisuke" one of the other men said light heartedly as he messed with the younger man's hair.
"You got that right, to the world at you're pretty much in the same boat squirt" another interjected smiling at the folly of their young friend.
"Oh be quiet, you two old guys can just shut it!" The young man said his ears growing increasingly pink at their comments and slapping his associates hand away from him.
"What where you're just saying young man" the man said as he continued to mess with the boy pressing down on his head, laughing at his friends mishap with their guest.
"I don't ever recall you ever calling me an old guy, Shinpachi's a different story though" the other man in the conversation jokes.
"Bastard you selling me out Sano" the man said sounding rather irritated.
"That's enough the three of you" one of the older men barked causing the entire room to go deathly quiet.
"My apologies for all of this chattering nonsense, you needn't be afraid, come shut that door and take a seat" another man with thick black rimmed glasses said trying to keep Alice calm.
"I'm sure I would be able to comply but due to last night being bound and left in such a position made my legs go to sleep on me" stated Alice in a calm sickly sweet voice, with a false smile that spoke extreme volumes.
" I'm Isami Kondo commander of the Shinsengumi, Sannan-kun here is the deputy commander and Toshi is, rather Toshizo Hijikata is vice commander" the older man began to say, introducing the two men on either side of him.
"Kondo-San why are you telling the girl about us"the now identified vice commander demanded narrowing his eyes intense violet eyes.
"Err is that bad?" the head commander asked in confusion.
"Of course you're going to be interrogating her not asking her out to dinner" one of the men sat at the back stated lazily leaning up against the wall.
"Well now being earnest to a fault is really your style isn't it Kondo-San?"another stated causing his commander to cough into his raised fist in embarrassment.
"well yes, then let's get down to it, first will you tell me about last night's events Saito-Kun"the commander asked his cheeks still a dusty pink from the cheeky comments of his subordinates.
"last night in town a group of three failed warriors encountered some rogue samurai on the street, a sword fight ensued but we managed to settle things however there was something odd, the young lady sat in front of us managed to not only witness the whole incident, but also slay one of the failed warriors with her own hands" the man with the Amethyst hair stated, glaring at Alice as if daring her to speak against him. as heads turned to look at her Alice narrowed her eyes.
"What I do in my own defense is none of your concern, those rogue samurai as you put it where going to assault me regardless if those things had interfered"snapped Alice at her hosts.
"Is that so if you were only defending yourself what weapon did you use I mean someone weak like you could never beat them with out a weapon" the youngest said in a deadly calm voice.
"It's amazing what you can do with a simple kitchen knife these days" she stated with a small smirk and glinting eye's knowing that they would be shocked at her own capabilities. Everyone in the room stared at her wondering weather to be awed or terrified of her as they stared her down like a pack of wild animals.
"So then you managed to get a good look at those soldiers where killing those rogue samurai" the man lent up against the back wall said as if he was trying to make her slip up.
"Not that it matters, I did" stated Alice in a rather haughty voice, trying to get on to her feet so she could leave.
"Easy there, we didn't meant to upset you there, I can tell your speaking the truth" the other man at the back said trying to diffuse the situation before it escalated.
"Oh come on hand me a blade that's the best way to make sure the brat doesn't talk right" the chestnut haired man said smirking.
"What do you mean by recklessly endangering innocent civilians like that" The commander said raising his voice in anger.
"Come on it's just a joke" he tried to defend his actions.
"then try saying something that sounds funny" the vice commander said in a stern voice.
"Any way's who would believe me if I where to say anything" Alice pointed out the obvious as she opened the door to leave. As she stepped out she was grabbed by the wrist and dragged back to the room she woke up in.
"Don't leave this room, if only for your own sake if I where you I would assume the worst of my fate" said the man as he shut the door and left Alice to figure out how to get out of the horrible mess she'd inadvertently created.
Hey lovelies
I'm back again, sorry it's taken a while the internet has been truly bollocked here in the UK (cough...Bad weather...cough).
any ways leave a review and a suggestion either what happens later on in the story or even on how to improve my writing.
thank you and stay tuned
Love Snow