Monster Girl Encounter Ch. 14: Alice Pt. 02

1 week later:

I prepared my mind for the confrontation that lay ahead of me as I walked along a brick road. Alice worriedly stuck close to me, fidgeting and trying to wring out words to say but they just wouldn't come out. She was rightfully nervous. I was about to do something possibly incredibly risky. Not that the risk would've kept me from doing what I was about to do anyways.

The brick road we were walking along led to a castle up on a hill in the distance. Banners of Hearts, Spades, Diamonds and Clubs in red and black colors decorated its outer walls.

Seeing it on the horizon apparently made it much more real for Alice and she tugged on my sleeve. "You really don't have to do this. It was tough but I'm happy. Isn't that enough?"

I stopped in my tracks and took the time to face her.

"You are now, but you shouldn't have had to go through all of this in the first place."

I looked around trying to think of words to explain it to her. "Things are going to get intense Alice, but you need to trust me, okay? It might've turned out alright for you because I happened to come into this world at the right time. But think about other girls like you. The ones who didn't have someone save them. Imagine what might've happened to them. I need to make a statement."

She looked down at my stuffed pockets. Alice knew what I had stored in them. What I had been collecting over the last few days as we traveled.

She sighed as she gently held my hand and looked at me with an unsure look in her eyes.

"I just... Do we really have to do it this way?" She rubbed her shoulder, uncomfortable and scared.

I really didn't want to see her this way, but my mind was set. Nonetheless, I tried to explain it to her again.

"I know this is hard to understand, but people in power do not care for what people like you and me think unless we make them. I have lived and seen this kind of life. People don't care where you end up or what happens to you. They usually don't even know you exist most of the time. But I know that I matter, I know that YOU matter and I will make us matter to her too, even if by force."

She hung her head but nodded along in agreement as she quietly walked into my embrace. I hugged her tiny little body tightly as I let her take a few moments to steel her resolve. I knew she was a tough girl, but I would always let her show her weakness if she needed it. I guess I was doing something pretty stupid after all.

She parted with me with a slightly more relieved expression as she let out a quick breath of determination. Though some doubt was still clearly there as she looked at me. She grabbed my hands and squeezed them tightly. "If this goes wrong... what am I supposed to do then? I just found you, I don't want to lose you again." She asked with a slight crack in her voice as she brought the words out but still mustering the strength not to cry.

I sighed and looked down for a second before meeting her eyes. "Listen, if they do anything to me, then run. In case they do manage to catch me, please, leave me behind and hide. The most important thing in all of this is that you won't suffer because of me."

"But they'll put you into prison. I will never see you again if they get you!" She protested.

I responded with a smirk, trying to alleviate her worries. "Hey, the last time I got imprisoned, I got out too. And I didn't even try."

She was close to breaking down. I could tell from her moist eyes that she was almost about to cry. I cupped her cheek and smiled as she looked at me. "I'll be alright, Alice. If this goes south, I'll get out and find you. I'm your big brother, aren't I? I'll find a way." I pulled her into another hug. This time it wasn't such an innocent one though, as I pressed my lips onto hers and shared a last kiss before we got this thing going.

I parted from her and gave her one more reassuring nod, getting the same back from her.

Along the way, I kept an eye out for a certain kind of mushroom that grew in various corners of Wonderland. You could never know where it popped up because it changed locations constantly and adapts to different environments randomly. But when you find some of them and you knew what they are capable of... they packed a hell of a punch.

It was something that Alice introduced me to.

Boomcaps.

A mushroom with three times the explosive power of dynamite. Only in Wonderland.

They would serve me well if push came to shove.

I had committed a lot of minor crimes back in my world. Stealing, gambling... killing... but nothing I had done before was on such a big scale. Certainly not on par with what I guess could be considered treason.

It didn't take long before we finally reached the impressive wooden gate of the castle. It was split in the middle to swing open like a massive door and a smaller rectangular door with a closed metal slit in it was located in the lower left corner of the massive wooden structure.

I looked over my shoulder at Alice, holding tightly onto my sleeve, reluctant to let go. "Get behind me and once we're in, keep your distance and stay out of sight, got it?"

"Okay." She said and nodded determinedly as she hid behind me.

I shot her a comforting, one sided smile and petted her blonde, little head, tickling a cute smile out of her and getting her to let go.

With my gaze straight on the gate, readying my mind for what was about to go down, I said some parting words to Alice. "I love you, Alice."

"I love you too, Onii-chan." She said with a somber tone of voice and a hung head.

I stepped forward, in front of the smaller door. "Here goes nothing." I knocked on it, needing excessive force for it to even be heard on the other side.

The metal slit opened and a girl with a red beret opened it. She just looked at me without saying anything.

"Hey, I want to talk to the Queen! Let me in, it's urgent."

She looked me up and down, asking with a serious tone. "Are you invited? Or a royal guest?"

"No? Do I need to be if I want to meet the Queen?"

"Not usually, but the Queen is not receiving guests at the moment and she is not in the mood for strange people walking around the castle. So identify yourself!"

I shrugged with frustration. "Jack Cormac, professional door knocker. What does it matter? I need to see the Queen about an issue concerning her own damn people!"

"If you don't have an official title, you have no right to talk to the Queen about anything! You are out of luck! Move along!" She said sternly with a hint of a threat behind it.

"Then how am I supposed to get an audience with her? How is anyone supposed to have one with her? She needs to know what I have to say!"

"Whatever you think you have to say, you can keep it until the castle is open for visitors again."

"And when is that supposed to be?"

"When the Queen is in the mood for it again. Now move along or we're going to have a problem here!"

I semi smugly chuckled in disbelief.

"Well, you're not wrong." I said cockily as I put my hand into my right pocket and pulled out a mushroom with a wick at the end of its stalk.

"We're going to have a problem here." Quickly I pulled out a fire ant, with a hot, glowing orange thorax.

"What do you think you're doing out there!?" She barked at me through the slit.

"Making the Queen pay attention." I took a few steps back and squirted the fire ant's liquid fire onto the wick of the mushroom, making it hiss with the wick slowly burning down. I chucked it at the gate. And as soon as it hit the wood...

BAM!

An earth shattering roar of a fiery explosion blew the gate into smithereens and left a gaping, scorched hole in the side of the castle.

I jumped through the avalanche of smoke rolling over me and broke into the castle. I expected to face guards right away, seeing as there clearly was at least one who talked to me at the gate but... there weren't any. The only thing besides debris I saw in the entrance area, were a couple of over-sized playing cards scattered on the ground within the blast radius.

It was strange and I had a very bad feeling about this but even if it would bite me in the ass later to not check, I had to keep moving. I needed to find the Queen before she was alerted.

I dashed hastily through the tight corridors and confusing hallways. The layout made no sense. What you would think were the main paths, lead to dead ends and at times you had to squeeze through narrow ones to get anywhere that looked even remotely like you were making progress.

I was completely lost in this labyrinth when I suddenly heard a female voice echo through the halls. "When is the cake ready?! I was told the cake would be ready by the time I finished dinner!"

This was soon followed by someone slamming their fist on something.

I followed the angry female voice's direction as whoever it belonged to was engaged in a heated argument with one another person who was trying to calm them down. A male and more collected voice tried to reason with her.

"Your highness, you need to be patient. You ordered a 3 layer cake for dessert, our servants can't just make that in the span of 20 minutes."

"Then we need to order more ovens. I don't like waiting for cake! And you promised me I would get one if I ate all of those bitter vegetables. I am just going to stop breathing until I get it. Hmph!..." The squeaky, snobby voice hissed.

"Your highness, you're not a child. Stop sulking and just wait. We can just play..."

I came closer and closer.

I could hear the voices right around the corner.

And then finally there she was.

With a few tables put closely together, one large, throne-like chair at the head and several smaller ones around the sides, there was a dinner service going on in the middle of a small court garden. Surrounded by flowers and extravagant dishes, there sat the Queen of hearts. She seemed like just a snot-nosed little brat but just from her attitude and the respect the surrounding servants showed to her, I knew she was the one I was looking for.

I was about to head on in. My mind was already racing with the things I was going to say but... then I felt a tug on my arm which almost gave me a heart attack before I noticed that it was... Alice.

She held onto my arm and refused to let go. I kept her mouth shut and carried her behind a hidden corner to confront her.

"Alice, what the hell are you doing here? I told you to keep hidden!" I said to her in an aggressive whisper.

Without saying anything more, she hugged me and cried. "You're going to get killed if I don't stop you. I'm not going to let you do this! I need you, Jack. I need you... I can't see you die I just... can't!" She said, weeping into my chest with a quiet, broken voice. She clenched my chest and her tears stained my coat.

I struggled to think of things to say as I retain my determined composure. This was not the time to be doing this. "Alice, there is no way back for me now. I have already done bad things in my life. I can deal with it!" I tried to reassure her as I held her trembling shoulders. "I don't want you to get dragged into the same life that I have had. I have seen very few good things in my time. And I want to protect the few I did get to see."

Through the tears she tried the hardest to wipe away, she looked at me with a pure expression of fear. "Can't we just leave? If we run, they'll never find you! We can just keep going like usual."

Her words tore at my heartstrings and I wanted so hard to give her what she wanted but... I couldn't. I tried to level with her, even though I knew she might not understand. "Alice, I don't want to go to prison either, and I certainly don't want to die today. I have stepped in for those I care about before, sometimes more than I probably should have, and I would do it all over again because it's worth fighting for your right to be heard. If there are criminals in Wonderland... including me... that's a problem. It puts you and everyone here in danger. I just need to confront her about it. Just talking, that's all."

She hung her head, but nodded along as she took a deep breath. "Just talking..."

"Just talking." I restated. "With some luck, I might be back in just a bit. But now, take me seriously when I say this: Keep out of sight! Okay?"

"Okay." She said with a lot more confidence and sincerity than before.

I nodded with a small smile and petted her head before standing up and turning around.

"Hey, Onii-chan?"

"Yeah?" I asked, looking over my shoulder. She clenched her fists tightly and she finally broke into a little yet meaningful smile.

"Do your best."

I cracked a smile myself "Nothing less than that." I turned back around the corner we came from then hugged the wall as I approached the royal garden. Thankfully, the Queen and as her servants were still there. No guards. The little bratty Queen was sunk in her chair with her arms crossed and an impatient pout on her lips.

Her servants were to the left and right of her trying to cheer her up but apparently she was not in the mood to be amused. One of them was a human for sure. A man dressed in clothes so fancy and uptight they could belong to a banker in my old world. The other was a bunny girl with hot pink fur, floppy ears and a tight, red corset as her only clothing. Both of them seemed to try to amuse the Queen but apart from just not getting cake on time, she seemed to be quite moody in general.

Well, I sure as hell wasn't going to make her day any better.

I carefully stepped out of hiding, immediately drawing the eyes of the Queen and her 2 servants onto me. "How's it going your highness? Got out of bed on the wrong foot?"

While the Queen raised an eyebrow in confusion and curiosity as to who I was, her male servant immediately frowned and barked orders at me. "Show some respect in the face of royalty. Who are you and how did you get in here?"

The bunny girl on the other side gasped and clenched a silver plate she held close to her chest. "Are you an intruder? There were guards at the gate; what did you do to them?" She asked reluctantly with genuine fear in her eyes.

With my hands in my pocket I stroll over to the other side of the table across from the Queen herself and stare her down with contempt while I crack a bitter smirk. "Not feeling much like governing, huh? Yeah, I can imagine. Sure must be tough to be a royal tart and leave your own country to fend for itself. Couldn't even put someone else in charge for the time being. Really responsible I must say. But let's just pretend I did have a slight problem with that." I slam my flat hands onto the table, making the cutlery and crockery clatter.

"Why the fuck are you not doing your goddamn job?"

The Queen seems unimpressed as she reaches for the table and finishes a cup of tea that was half spilled thanks to me rocking the table. "Well since we're playing pretend, let's pretend I care for what you have to say. I happen to have a perfectly valid reason not to rule my kingdom anymore for the foreseeable future." She said with a haughty, almost prideful attitude.

I crossed my arms and listened. "I'm eager to hear it! Let it all out!"

She set her cup down, furrowed her brow and cleared her throat before meeting my eyes with a stern, serious expression. "Until that throne of mine feels the pain I did or offers me any sort of apology I won't even step into the same room as it!"

I expected a lot.

Sure as hell not that though.

"Sorry... what?"

Her male assistant bites his tongue as he ashamedly looks off to the side before he explains. Even though he clearly didn't want to. "She... stubbed her toe on the leg of her throne."

I blanked out. No emotion came to mind that would adequately describe my sheer confusion. "She stubbed her toe on her throne?"

"Do you have any idea how much that hurt!? I tried to kick it back, but that only made it worse. Attacking the Queen is treason and I'm already being merciful by allowing the throne to get away without an apology!" She spouts angrily.

"She's... she's not kidding, is she?" I asked, desperately turning to her servant for clarification.

He held the bridge of his nose and shook his head. "Afraid not."

I turn back to the Queen. "It's... it's a fucking chair! It's not going to apologize!"

"Then I'm not going to sit on it again. It's that simple. It had the privilege of having the Queen of Hearts touching it and it threw that all out the window. Not my loss."

I lost my temper and full on yelled at her. "Not your loss!? Your people are without a leader out there and you just hang around here being mad at goddamn furniture!"

Just after my outburst, an entire troop of royal guards pours from the corridors I came in through. They were all girls, wearing red and black berets and war dresses with different card patterns on them. They wielded spears, each with a black card game symbol ingrained in the tip. They were followed closely by floating playing cards that some of them were still coming out of with them being a sort of portal to who-knows where.

Immediately after they laid eyes on me, they surrounded me. The one with the 10 of Spades, the highest card amongst all of them, was apparently in charge and commanded everyone to point their spears at me. Her sharp, distinct eyes tell me that she is the one from the gate. "There he is! Trumparts, seize and restrain him!"

As they aimed their pointy, sharp silver spears at me I turned to them with the same boiling disdain I had for the Queen.

"I wouldn't move a step closer if I were you." I spoke through my teeth to drive the point home. I wasn't going to go down easy.

I constantly had Alice on my mind and images of what could've happened. Things that I've seen happen too many times in my world. Back then I either couldn't or didn't dare to do anything against it. But if not for strangers, I sure as hell would go to any lengths to protect my friends, my family... my girl.

I wordlessly pull out another boomcap with one hand and a fire ant in the other in a feigned surrender while raising my arms. The guards turn tense as they realize what I'm holding in my hands. "Stop! Don't bring those two any closer together!"

"What? My hands? But I'm surrendering like you wanted me to."

The bunny girl servant behind me calls out to me in a panicked attempt to negotiate with me. "Please! Don't do it! We'll do anything you want! Nobody has to die here! Please we don't want anyone to be harmed!"

I look over my shoulder while still having shaky spears at my throat. "Well, neither do I, long-ears, but my arms have a habit of becoming pretty tense when I'm being cornered like this."

The bunny girl turns to the Queen. "Your highness. Please call back the Trumparts."

Despite her pleas, the Queen herself though was on the edge of her seat for a different reason. "What are you talking about, Floppy? It's just getting exciting!"

With an even more desperate tone, she clung to her sleeve. "I know this seems fun to you, but things could seriously go bad if you don't. If one of those things explodes, this whole yard will be destroyed. And you wouldn't want to let your servants come to harm either, would you?" She implored, her eyes trembling and looking back and forth between the Queen and me as if checking the situation.

Her Highness disappointedly sunk back into her chair and groaned in response but clearly gave in to her begging eyes. With her eyes flicking in my direction, she gave her orders. "Fine. Guards, give our visitor some space."

As the guards cautiously took several steps back, I lowered my arms and turned back to the Queen. "Well, that's a very kind act of trust on your part, your highness."

"Don't chance your luck, stranger. You still have yet to give me your name. I might not like your name though. You're annoying me already."