Ryuko dropped the man when Hymn opened the door. She caught her breath and looked down at the man with an aggravated huff. "Asshole..." she spat before she looked over to Hymn. "What's going on?" she asked.

With the little light they got from the open door, she gathered up all of the rope they'd been tied up with. She tied them off before looking around for any piping or loose bars. "Shoulda looked for that before..." she grunted to herself. "Anyone see any bars or something?" She looked up, the melody only now reaching her ears. She looked up, her eyes widening at the sight of the monstrous thing. "That's...not good..." 'HOW IN THE HELL DID HYMN LET THAT THING GET THAT CLOSE WITHOUT SAYING ANYTHING?!' she screamed in her head. She shook her head, she'd have to address that...later.

"Ah, Hymn-san, I'm not sure that's a very good idea..."

Kotori trailed off in the middle of her sentence as he turned the doorknob and pushed the door open. The girl instinctively cringed, as if expecting something to happen. Like a monster to come rushing towards them, perhaps. Monsters don't exist, she firmly thought to herself.

Thinking back to what the boy said earlier, she realized he did have a point - they were going to die in here unless they tried to escape. But, to put things simply, she fully planned on being one of the ones who made it out alive. Although she wasn't going to go out of her way to hinder the group's efforts, she most definitely wasn't going to stop them from dying, either. Of course, she thought her job to be keeping the living members of the group sane and well, but stopping them from dying was something out of her comfort zone. And I hate stepping out of my comfort zone, she confirmed, I can't help them with that...

The girl froze as she heard something faint, yet distinctly moving closer to them outside the door. It was almost like it was swirling closer and closer outside in the hallway. ...And I suppose that would be our 'monster' then, she thought, her imagination already conjuring rather disturbing images of what could be... out there. Kotori admitted, however, that the music... enraptured her. She could almost describe it as beautiful, really. But considering the circumstances and what horrors probably awaited them beyond the door... The girl shot a glance at Hymn.

But as she looked at him in the doorway, she realized he hadn't been decapitated or chopped in half, so she assumed it was relatively safe. For now. Kotori cautiously peered out of the doorway, eyes darting about the hallway and taking in her surroundings. Undoubtedly, she was trying to find the source of the music, as well.

And that was when Kotori finally noticed the shadowy figure at the end of the hallway. All thoughts about the violin quickly disappeared from her mind as she struggled not to gape at the... whatever it was with rabbit ears. And what was up with with its arm? . "So... according to the crazy man... that's the Friagne?" she muttered to no one in particular. Kotori had no idea what the 'Friagne' was supposed to be, but just looking at the creature repulsed her.

Beyond the wooden door was nothing but an empty room, much to her disappointment. The room was similar to the one that she was once locked in but also not. Mairu dejectedly exited the room and followed the hallway of false hopes back to where she had taken the wrong turn in the fork. She would turn right this time. While she was walking back to the fork, the building started talking, calling out random names like Chi-chan and Ryuko (who had a cute mom with makeup or something like that), but Mairu hardly paid attention to its ramblings. What got her attention instead was the sudden realization that she and the humming lady weren't the only ones in the hallway after all. She thought the sounds she heard earlier were just the voices in her head again, but it turned out that they were actually real, really actual, this time. First time for everything, she supposed. Mairu only figured this out as strangers (definitely not the friends she was looking for) harshly pushed past her, running away as a violin played somewhere in the distance to hide in the first room they encountered.

For a moment, Mairu stayed rooted on the spot, listening intently. Aw, that was mean of those people. She thought the violin sounded pretty good, although she did like the humming lady's tune a smidge more. But either way, they didn't have to run away from it! To make up for the meanness of the other people, she decided to move toward the music instead, waltzing across the hallway until she finally found the origin. He was at the other end of the hallway, standing tall with his back turned against her. What a strange-looking man, the violinist. It was hard to properly see him in the darkness (thanks to her, in case you've forgotten~), but she could just make out the shape of a violin in his right arm. She wasn't sure what he was doing, but it almost seemed like he was talking to—

Ah! It's her friends!

Mairu hopped up and down excitedly as she noticed the small group that gathered at the opposite end of the hall, flailing her arms to get their attention. She didn't want to interrupt what looked like a make-out session between the violinist and one of her friends, but she really needed to meet with them.

"But I don't want to go among mad people," Alice remarked.
"Oh, you can't help that," said the Cat: "we're all mad here. I'm mad. You're mad."
"How do you know I'm mad?'" said Alice.
"You must be," said the Cat, "or you wouldn't have come here.'"

---

Come on little rabbit you have to wake up..
argh... leave me alone... It's too early..
You can sleep later.. You have to get moving..
Why can't you just leave me alone?
Because little rabbit the hunt is about to begin and the cat has been let out its cage... Tick Tock goes the clock..
Fine... But who are you?
That's a good question...

She awoke slowly as if she was swimming back from the bottom of a very large lake. Dreams and memories clung to her like oil and tried to drag her back into sweet unconsciousness which after the events that would occur maybe that might of been the better option to pass away unaware of the madhouse she was dragged into. But something deep within herself knew that she had to get up that if she did not wake up very soon that there would be no going back to what she once had. But it was hard everything her memories and perception felt muted and groggy as if she had been drugged or maybe gotten hit in the head. But slowly the world came back to focus somewhere far above her and she reached up with a hand to try and gasp the faint orb of light.

And then her eyes opened and she was greeted with the sounds of silence except for one thing the faint struggling breath of something far above her. Almost immediately her body reacted as she could almost feel her heart pounding against her chest at the force of a battering ram as epinephrine was released into her body and she prepared to run and when she tried to get up she found out the second surprise to her current situation. She was restrained to what felt either like a table or a slab of some sort by something or another with restraints around her ankles and wrists as well as some sort of heavy fabric covering her eyes. The only thing that was free seemed to be her ears which could pick up sounds as perfectly as before. Though the only one that she heard at the current moment was the breathing of something or someone that was watching her as she was bound like a sitting duck or if you prefer an insect caught in a spiders web. Every fiber of her bod was currently yelling at her to run away and get the hell out of where ever she was and to find a nice corner to preferably curl up into a ball and cry and she really wanted to follow that instinct but she had to get out of her current predicament first.

She tried to calm herself down counting the seconds that went by in her head trying to get a constant going something she could focus on and her body stopped shaking a little bit. She needed to find something to get her hands free but that was harder said then done when you are strapped down and waiting for the villain to murder her. She thought for a moment about how James Bond always seemed to get out of these situations but she did not have a phone shoe or a pocket laser, if she did things might be a lot less complicated . Maybe.... there is something in reach of my hands. Rei wondered to herself and experimentally reached out blindly like a leaper who's eyes had been lost long ago to disease trying to find her way. As she did this she heard more then just the heavy breathing that was getting closer and closer and was not helping her stay calm as she felt soft tremors go through her body tingling up and down her spine. The sounds she heard were hard to describe something that sounded like a voice but muffled and far away as if coming through a wall and then distorted shouts and yells..... and then nothing at all except the faint sound of... was that a violin? What kind of fucked up situation had she gotten herself into?

It was around this time that the fingers of her left hand brushed against something cold and metallic in the limited jerking movements they could do with her wrists restrained. She almost gasped out of surprise and happiness she nudged whatever it was gently towards her and she heard the distinct ting of metal instruments sliding atop of whatever it was. Was it a tray? Or maybe one of those things they have at the dentist office where they put their tools? That one kind of made sense considering guessing from the size and position she was on some sort of table maybe it was an operating table? But why would somebody abduct her then leave her on an operating table and where else did they have operating tables beside hospitals? Using very small movements as too not excite whatever creature was above her and trying best to stop her hands from shaking she pressed a finger against the tray and titled it forward something slid out of it and into her hand. Making sure the tray would not fall over and alert her guest she closed her hand against the object that fell from it. It was short and had a handle but as she ran her finger up against it she felt something much more useful a sharpened edge. Maybe a medical scalpel of some sort? Whatever it was she could use it to get the hell out of there.

It was right about then that her friend seemed to grow bored from just watching in the dark and descend upon her. She could not see it come down and for that she might of been grateful but she did feel it come down and her hair stood on end as she felt a large and heavy presence seemingly stop inches above her. Then she felt the warm breath of something extremely alive against her face it smelled of an odd combination of industrial cleaner and was that flesh? If her heart was not pounding now it surely was at that moment as it slammed against her chest with the force of a megaton bomb. Then the damn thing deiced to lick her with a tongue that could only be described as coarse as sandpaper even though it felt oily and slick as it slid across her face and down her neck. It was at this time that her body jerked upwards and she let out a muffled cry of protest at the thing. Though little did Rei know when it came to monsters they really did not care about how you felt about them eating you. In her reaction she almost lost her escape instrument as it slipped from her palms barely being able to catch it between two of her fingers before it fell to the floor below. She was shaking and her heart was beating at a mile a minute and she was on the verge of relapsing into a vegetated state of panic and that would not be good.

So she tried her best to focus to block out the tongue as it slid up and down, to block out it all and concentrate on escaping. She began to think of the biggest numbers she could those four or five digits long and began to break them down into their prime numbers. It helped a little bit and the shaking being a dull tremor as she pulled the bladed thing back up and into her palm with her two fingers, the giant creature being too preoccupied to have noticed. It was a strange thing of how the human brain surprised even itself under pressure, how it could force the body to do things it would never even think of doing for the sake of survival. Rei slowly jerked her head away from the hand that held the blade drawing the tongue and hopefully the head and eyes of the creature eye from what her other hand was doing as she just exposed the entire other half of her face and neck to the thing. Biting down on her own tongue in her mouth to muffle the screams of protest she would otherwise be yelling trying to keep calm. And very slowly she dragged the scalpel up her palm and to her right wrist her body was still shaking and was trying very hard to cut herself as she began to press the blade up and into the restraint cutting through slowly with one very small movement after another.

Now all that was left was figuring how to keep the thing above her preoccupied long enough for her to set her hand free.

The creature above Rei remained silent throughout her struggles, its child-like mind, greatly interested in the movement and, most importantly, taste of the small human. It continued swirling its coarse tongue all over the girl’s skin, leaving trails of black slime to collect and fester all over. As it delighted in this cruel form of entertainment and amusement, it began to experiment more and more. Soon, it traced its tongue over the girl’s abdomen, down to her thighs. Making no noise beyond that of its perverse slurping, it focused the majority of its intention on the girl’s lower torso, distracted from what she was doing with the knife in her right hand.

However, it became quickly apparent that another form was in the room with Rei, and the girl would barely be able to make out a humanoid form standing right next her. It was much more visible than the Bandersnatch looming directly above her, and if the creature had noticed this new presence, it didn’t immediately display it.

The shape held in its hand a gleaming knife and brought it down on the bound girl…only to carefully cut away Rei’s left wrist from the straps holding it in place. Once that was torn away, the figure began cutting away all the binds now, even assisting in Rei’s right wrists.

With that done, the figure smiled, although Rei would not see it in the darkness of the medical room.

“Shh….that’s all you’re getting for now Rabbit,” the figure said coolly.

As if a ghost from the beyond, the figure flickered away as mysteriously as it came. The voice sounded soft and feminine, and she didn’t seem like an automatic threat to Rei…but nevertheless, the girl was still trapped on the table with this monstrosity. Now she had to concentrate on removing the bonds from her lower torso…right where the Bandersnatch was spending all its time at, indulging itself like a swollen pig. Or a horny teenager.

Meanwhile, an entirely different struggle was taking place naught but two rooms down the outside hallway. Registering the presence of another human in close proximity, the Friagne turned its masked face away from Hymn’s group eerily to face Mairu further down the hallway. The deformed thing jerkily backed away from the door to stand before the Mad Hatter herself.

Defenseless prey? Perhaps…

With a low groaning sound, the noise of twisting bone and grinding metal on flesh filled the once silent area. The Friagne thrust out its long arms and rotated its wrists into an upside down position. Squelching was then heard as bright, pink strings leaked out of its wrists and extended out in a snake-like fashion.

Veins. Fresh, dripping, and stringy veins.

With a sudden lash, the veins advanced and latched themselves around Mairu’s slender throat. Testing the threat validity of this new type of prey, the Friagne began to gently apply a crushing pressure to the Mad Hatter’s neck, slowly suffocating her.

-Hymn-
Hymn could only stare in fear as the creature made its way over to him. He didn't know why he just stood there looking like a retard when he could of led the thing somewhere else, saving the rest from being slaughtered. Before the boy knew it, the Friagne was standing over the boy, staring at him with its soulless eyes. He could only register what was going to happen to him, but before he could take action the monster turned towards another source down the hallway. He saw a girl flailing her arms to get their attention, but instead got the attention of that monster.

"Wh-what? What the..." As he uttered these words he backed into the room and began grabbing some of the rope for some unknown inexplicable reason. "(Maybe that thing has some sort of semblance to being human, maybe I can suffocate it by putting this around his neck and pulling back to kill him.)" As he picked up the rope,he turned to see that the monster had descend upon the girl who was trying to get their attention. Whatever it was doing, he had to save the girl, but first...

"Guys, get the hell out of here, and if there are any rooms around, search for survivors," he uttering, barring his teeth at the scene. He stretched the rope outward with his hands as he stepped towards the door. If he wasn't quick enough the girl could soon be killed. If he could distract the monster long enough, the girl who was being strangulated could get out and flee from the monster. "Go now," he growled at the group. It was more of an order than an option at this point.

Hymn left the room, walking towards the creature. He actually got a good glimpse at what the creature was doing while it was preoccupied and noticed its arm. It was trying to break her necks from the look of it, but how to stop it. He could try to break off the things violin stick arm (not the one that's strangulating the Hatter) and use it on the thing, or he could use the rope to try and choke it, possibly changing its preoccupation. Whatever it was, he needed to make it quick.

((TheWindel, before I post doing something to the Friagne, I want to ask everyone what I should do. I want to see what others think occly, and I will act icly on their decision. After the decisions are made I'll perform the action. Also, could you not post while the decision is being made? I don't want to be standing like a moron from last time watching it.))

-Option 1 : Break the violin stick arm and use it on the monster-

-Option 2 : Choke it with the rope-

((Decide in occ please))

It took a little while since she was the only one actually TRYING to think of a way to defend herself. But, after a fee seconds, she managed to find a system of small pipes meant to carry water. On the very end, one was hanging at an angle, dripping water drops every now and then.

Ryuko hopped off of the wall and grabbed the pipe. She hung off of it in a chin-up style before she began to throw her weight downward. She managed to bend the pipe enough to touch the ground. From there, another yank broke the rusted pipe from the system. While one end was smooth, the 25 inch pipe ended in a jagged, rusted point. She was careful with the item and carried it jagged edge down. The noise of the pipe was horrible shortly before it snapped.

Hymn's hero complex was really starting to tick her off. Rather than give any pertinent information like she asked, all the little bitch could seem to say was "Go!" or "Run".

"Where are we going to run to, you fucking idiot? You're standing in the damn door and can't seem to do much but either bitch or utter baseless orders. If you aren't going to be useful, or at least give us an idea of what the hell is going on, do me a favor and throw yourself at the damn thing." she shoved past him harshly so she could get an idea of the situation herself. "When you find your balls and come up with a plan that doesn't involve suicide, let me know." She's seen the thing move and its current actions on a girl she HADN'T known was there--thanks Hymn--she only growled. "Thanks for the heads up that there was someone else out there, by the way."

Happy. Sad. Mad.

Mairu was amazed at how quickly she had gone through those three emotions, and how seamless the transition between the three was. First, she had been incredibly happy to see (in the slightest sense of the word) someone make their way toward her right as she'd finished calling for their attention. One of her friends was coming to greet her! Or so she thought. It took the disproportioned man? woman? thing? standing a few feet from her before she realized that it wasn't one of her friends at all, but the violinist instead. This was when happy became sad. She pouted, thrusting out her lower lip as far out as she could and knitting her eyebrows for extra effect (not that anyone could see). She should've known by the weird, yucky sounds he was making that he? she? it? wasn't a friend.

And now she was mad—not that kind of mad, the grrr kind.

Mairu had been caught by surprise when pink strings slithered out of the violinist's wrist, and again upon the realization that those pink strings were veins. She made a noise that sounded like a cross between an 'eww' and an 'ooh', reflecting her fascinated disgust, that would then turn into a harrumph as she felt the interesting but gross pink veins coil around her throat. How very rude!

"Hey—" she tried to yell in protest; a mistake, really, because it only made her cough as the veins began to constrict her throat. "You're super mean."

As Mairu discreetly slid her hand into her pocket, reaching for the handy pliers that weighed it down, she had instinctively retreated to her mind palace, the library within her head, to check out some books. The first one she perused was a forensic science book. She leafed through the pages until she found the page on asphyxiation. Causes: drug overdose, no; drowning, no; strangling, yes. With the current force being applied, she would slip out of consciousness within six and a half minutes. Oxygen deprivation would be about three minutes after that. Time of death was variable and very much dependent on the violinist. The next book she read was a simple biology book. She looked at the index to find the page about veins and quickly checked their structure. After that, Mairu gingerly replaced the books back on their metaphorical shelves and took a moment to gather her findings.

Verdict: move quickly, escape its gross veins (try cutting through!), run the hell away.

She was in her mind palace for all of second, and when she had exited it, both hands were already wrapped around the pliers. Mairu extended her short arms as far as they could go and began snapping away at the roots of the vein, putting her all in each snip in hopes that it would stop its suffocation.

Of course, she could just be angering the violinist, or falling right in his? her? its? trap. If the violinist just wanted her dead, she would have been dead by now. But instead it (ugh, she doesn't care what pronoun to use anymore) acted deliberately. She picked up on the certain wariness in its actions, and she hoped that meant it would tend to a wound immediately before exacting its vengeance on the causer of the wound. All she needed was one quick distracted moment, and she could slip from its grasp and run far far away.

Otherwise, her friends could always help her. Right?

Kotori squeezed past Hymn as well, her gaze sweeping methodically from one side of the hallway to the other as she pondered what to do next. The boy was right - it'd probably be in their best interest to search for survivors now, while the violinist was busy strangling Mairu. (She made a mental note to thank the other girl later - she really did make for a great diversion, if anything.) But how were they going to get past the monster, anyhow? She supposed they could just run for it, but she somehow doubted it was a good idea. Kotori supposed someone could give it a shot, but that someone was most definitely not going to be her.

The girl shot Ryuko a dirty look as she started to complain, however - was it really her business to complain about everything while swearing obnoxiously? "Could you... please complain later?" Kotori managed to say in an obviously restrained voice, "You can do whatever you want once we're out of mortal danger and away from that... thing."

What a... bitch, she thought, for lack of better words, Hymn's plan is really bad, but she's not being helpful, either. Kotori was tempted to ask her if she could think of a better plan herself, but stopped herself from doing so. No. There are going to be no arguments in this group. At all. That... girl, whatever her name is, is not. Going to. Ruin. This.

Seeing that the rest of the group just looked useless to her for the most part, she started to wonder if she should just go investigate the rest of the rooms herself. Kotori knew it would be a rather irrational move on her part, but... No, she thought to herself, There is no way I'm going. At all. ...Unless someone else went with her, of course. Then, at least, she would have someone to use as bait for the monster if it came to that. (Kotori shrugged the idea off for the most part - that was rather unlikely to happen, wasn't it?)

Kotori felt slightly nervous, but tried her best to hide the fact. "I'm going to search the other rooms," she whispered, mostly to Hymn (and ignoring Ryuko) as she tried not to attract the violinist's attention too much. "I think I need someone to go with me."

-Hymn-
Perfect... Just... Why?

Almost everyone stuck with him in the room tried to get a good glimpse of the monster. It irritated him to no end that they could get each other killed if they started clustering around the monster. That girl with the spiky hair was being a bit rude, and it annoyed him with her seemingly high and mighty attitude. She wasn't doing anything to make any of this better, only whining about it, and telling them to stay put... As Hymn eyed the arm, he looked at the other two who barged in, and noticed the spiky haired chick had a pipe with a sharp end.

"(Ok, where the fuck did she?... Nevermind... But I think I've got a better plan now.)"

Hymn threw the rope he was holding to the side, and went at the violin stick arm on the Friagne. If he could break that thing off he could avoid a situation where one of the girls became minced meat. "You wanna help, then fine! I'll explain my plan while I'm..." He held onto the violin stick for an arm, uncaring if he got any splinters lodged in for the time being. As he worked at snapping the arm off, and eyed the girl with the pipe.

"You can bitch at me later for doing some stupid shit if that's what you like to call it, but right now is not a good time... Hurry up and use that pipe to destroy the veins choking her instead of standing there!"

---

He soon snapped off the arm with ease ((if that's ok)), and began looking for where his next assault would be. If that thing somehow survived the beating, he would need to figure out a way to disable it from moving. He looked at one of the legs, and with the sharp edge of the stick jammed it into its left leg. He then stamped on the stick to try and break it again so he could use it on the other leg.

The Friagne made no immediate response or even a reaction when Mairu began to chop up its vein bonds into runny, red goop that splattered all over the floor messily. Interested in that these were not such weak prey after all, the creature released its grip slightly, and then fully when Hymn grabbed onto its left arm. The monster suddenly began to buck and whirl around, spinning in a rag doll fashion in an attempt to shake off the human.

The masked man then began to twist and contort its arm in circles at a rapid pace before a gurgling, popping sound was heard. Any other living thing would have at least registered the loss of a limb with vocalizations of great pain, but the Friagne simply stared at Hymn dumbfoundly. When Hym then began to assault its leg this time, the masked man finally understood.

These things…these humans were armed prey.

Lunging out like an enraged spider, the Friagne latched itself on to Hymn’s body; what was left of its arms and legs holding the boy dangerously close to its body. A soft tearing sound would soon fill the teen’s ears as the monster’s abdomen began to split apart, almost like seams or thread. When the great maw finally did open fully, all that was seen inside was a vast darkness, covered by glimmers and gleams of light. Metal.

Hymn would see several things moving inside the beast, but two that would haunt his mind. The first were several metal arms that almost looked more like what one would find in a sewing shop. That was because it was just that; several needles and threads and arms to sew up not cloth, but flesh, bone, and skin.

The second thing to greet Hymn’s blue eyes would be the horror-stricken and pale face of the Friange’s last victim. It took the form of a life-sized puppet, devoid and drained of all liquid in its body. The damned thing reached out with cold arms to embrace Hymn, slowly dragging him down into the abyss.

For the Friagne did not feast or consume on its prey, oh no. What it did instead was create beautiful pieces of art to its inhuman eyes. Human dolls. And this was to be Hymn’s fate if something didn’t happen soon…

Evidently, something did happen. Call it luck. Call it fate. Or simply call it the generosity of a much greater god, but at that moment, in the very clutches of death, the Friagne backed off. Leaping away, it knocked Hymn aside to brandish its lost arm once more. Cradling it like a depraved child, it held it tightly and scampered on the walls and into the darkness of the further hallways. Silence followed, and the group was finally safe for a while.

Well, mostly.

“Whoa….you almost got yourself killed there dude. Sorry, guess I should call you Raven. Fits your role after all…though “baka” is more like it.”

A girl stood right next to Hymn where a moment before, no one was present. Slinging an arm around the boy who was no doubt scared shitless, the girl turned him around and grinned at the others. Noticing Kotori try and slink away to explore the other rooms, the mysterious girl smirked.

“Don’t bother White Queen. I already freed the Rabbit…well, most of her. She’s gotta earn that other half.”

The girl had long black hair that gave the appearance of a wild nature hidden within; her eyes were a deep crimson color. Pale skin contrasted the dark clothing of stockings, boots, and a black skirt. Finally, an equally dark jacket covered her frame with fur on the ends, some even seen on the tops of her boots.

“Well? No introductions to your Duchess? Man, aren’t you guys so…pathetic? I guess that’s the right phrase.”

Her tone was carefree and humored, as if she wasn’t the least bit concerned about the hell-hole they found themselves in. The Duchess…an anomaly within Greeneburg and an extreme nuisance to both Jabberwocky and the Queen of the Hearts.

In fact, the Duchess and the Queen had a long history together…of course, none of the children could have possibly known this information.

Ryuko rolled her eyes at the two when one tried to sneak away and the other just...ran into the arms of the thing.

She really didn't care about the irritation between the both of them, survival was on the top of her list. Not friends, not heroic acts, not death. The news that this bastard had eyes on her mother still wasn't setting well. Especially since she was crying..she didn't want her to cry anymore. She'd make it back, come hell or high water.
No, she wasn't going to help the idiot destroy the thing. What good was she going to do? His arm had just gotten broken off and that only served to piss it off. Of course rather than listen and actually come up with a PLAN, her just...ran ahead. You know, 'screw plans, let's just wing it'.

She side stepped the thing when it ran away and checked on the girl that had been captured initially. "You ok?" she asked before she looked her over for any injuries. She kept the pipe in one hand, not willing to put her guard down. She didn't look at the other two, the girl had seemed willing to sacrifice another just to check out a damned room (ADHD much?) Hymn chose to sacrifice himself for the girl. Noble...but incredibly stupid.

She looked up at their new arrival and eyed her carefully. The Friange fled just before she got there, and her over all attitude was out of place in a place like this. "Thanks for saving his butt. Someone somewhere knew that I wasn't going to." She pondered over the two names she randomly gave the others and frowned. "My name is Ryuko." she introduced to The Duchess. "Do you know why we are here? Or rather...are you able to tell us?" she asked. 'Roles...a damn maze, an enemy and now The Duchess...is this like, a game?' she thought to herself.

Scarlet was walking through the corridors of the building, hatchet still with a tight grip in her hands. She had been chasing that little mad hatter, the one who caused all this trouble, however not with much success. Guess she underestimated her madness... and maybe agility. But it did not matter right now. She knew the Bandersnatches were with them at the moment. And it did not matter whether they would survive the attack of the beasts, she would come and hunt them down anyways. She only hoped that no one was meddling in this game. She knew a certain lady was still roaming around in their facility, getting pass the monitors unseen. She was such a nuisance to her. Why did she even need to exist! Scarlet's thoughts were filled with angry thoughts, and accelerated her steps. The clicking of her heels against the cold floor were more clearer to hear now. Although no one would really hear it as the roars of the beasts would be louder.

Scarlet wasn't close to the escapees anymore, and took a secret corridor to the office of her boss, her lover, her Jabbie. She slowly knocked three times on the door before opening it. "Hello Jabbie." Scarlet said, putting the hatchet next to the door's entrance. She walked towards him and sat on his lap, giving a kiss against his cheek. Her deep red lipstick leaving a mark behind. "So how are the kids doing?"

The harsh lights of several television screens and security cameras illuminated the tiny room, giving it a sickly green glow. Wires and all sorts of unpleasant other things lay strewn about on the ground; and yet through all of this chaos about him, the figure sitting in his chair in the middle of the room was not fazed at all. He was young...very much so...only nineteen in age, the same as Scarlet. Despite his youth though, there was something...off about his physical presence. Something felt....wrong just being near him. His clothing was certainly shady to any normal person, or soccer mom for that matter.

He wore a regular-styled suit with steel boots and a dark long-coat. Nothing plain and nothing complex, though it did give him the appearance of those beings who were obviously up to no good. To the Americans, he could be described as a "Smooth Criminal"...whatever that was. A black fedora completed the outfit, crowning his equally black-haired head as he smiled brightly when his Queen of Hearts displayed her obvious affections towards him.

The only indication that his smile was poisonous was the gleam in his mismatched eyes; one yellow and one green. The Jabberwocky, in the flesh. Or as Scarlet knew him, Kenji Nagato.

"Hey there Chi-chan," he said coolly, grinning faintly when she kissed his cheek. "The kids? Oh they're just doing wonderful. A little mental scar here, some heart-attacks there...no deaths yet though. Looks like Shiina's giving us a run for our money this time, eh?"

He leaned back and smirked, knowing full well that the mere mention of the name would send his lover into a deranged frenzy.

Shiina. The Duchess. The anomaly of Greeneburg.

Scarlet crossed her legs as a smile appeared on her face. She was happy that the little ones weren't dead yet. She hated when something fun blows over that quickly. She wanted to hunt them down, play with them, torture them, and then decapitate them. It was some kind of fetish of Scarlet to chop off the head of her victim, whether they were still alive or already dead. However then the smooth guy, on who's lap she was sitting, made a remark that may not have been the smartest.

Scarlet's pupils grew big and she looked Kenji straight into his face. Most people would immediately be scared, intimidated or whatever by it. However the Jabberwocky knew no fear, and he would know that his lover wouldn't hurt him. Scarlet's hands formed a fists and she breathed a few times and closed her eyes. Upon opening them again her eyes returned to how they were. She stroked the cheek of Kenji ending with his chin. "Ken-chan. Why do you still keep her around here? You can get rid of her, right? I don't know why you have to torture me so much with her presence." she sighed. "You know I won't ever be able to..." Scarlet came close to Kenji's ear and whispered. "...kill her."

The innocent grin on Kenji's face widened when he saw Scarlet have a miniature mental breakdown. The other girl understood that he craved other people's misery and despair, more so than her. Therefor, he took great delight in playing little mental games with her, whether she knew it or not. It was simply his own way of showing a sick affection.

"Why? But Chi-chan, don't you like your playmate? Now here I thought you two were the best of friends! Or, was I wrong about the whole thing? You two had a falling out or something? I hear she might even have a fancy for yours truly."

Kenji lifted his fedora slightly up to reveal his eyes, waiting for Scarlet's patience and sanity to slowly trickle away at his last sentence. However, the fun stopped when she mentioned killing off Shiina. The room immediately seemed to get that much darker, or were that just the shadows on the walls? A chill swept through as Kenji casually shrugged.

"Kill Shiina? Now that's a very fascinating idea. Yes, I know you're not be able to kill her Chi-chan."

Those last set of words stung with hidden venom that only Scarlet would recognize, indicating that the notion of killing off the Duchess was over. Kenji sat up and smiled warmly into his Queen's gaze, daring her to question him again and see where it got her. She knew from experience what it would entail if the Jabberwocky was angered.

The woman's crimson eyes sharpened when Kenji acknowledged that she never could kill Shiina. She lifted herself up from Kenji's lap and now stood in front of him, looking down on his casual posture. One that said he didn't care yet, was still intimidating. As if he were a mafia boss, but then ten times worse. Was her love just playing with her, or was this another test of her affection towards him? She looked into the distance.

"You know that the Duchess and I go way back. And she will never, ever, be my friend. And yes you are a part of it too." she said and gave a deadly glance towards her love. "I want to kill her, but am not able to, but I have to do it... for you. She will never steal you away from me." Scarlet said followed by a creepy chuckle. "But what should I do? You know what to do. Why am I not able to kill her? Tell me... please."

Scarlet would go on her knees if she wasn't wearing this dress. She wanted to know what her love was hiding from her. Why would he even be hiding something from him. She would kill everyone who stands in the way of her and her happy end. It's like she always did, eliminate everything in your path. And if the Duchess it one of them, and she is, then there must be a way to eliminate her.

The rising aura radiating off of Kenjij began to slowly ebb away as he clapped his hands together.

"Stubborn and loyal as ever! Guess that's what makes you so attractive Chi-chan."

Leaning forward, he stood up next to her, the smile never leaving his face. Reaching out, he brushed her own cheek with his fingers, rubbing the soft flesh with his thumb in small circles. This was the best way to calm her down, and he wanted the children's last sight to appear at least half-decent.

"Poor, poor Chi-chan," he whispered.

It was now his turn to close the distance between them, bringing his lips to her ear. Giving it a tiny lick, he breathed into the sensitive earlobe and spoke.

"Why? Why can't you kill Shiina? Well...hmm, how do I put this...it's because she's.....annnnnd, that's all you're getting for now!"

Pulling away, Kenji chuckled to himself as he sat back down.

"Hey, that was a pretty good trick right? Oh come, you should have seen your face Chi-chan! You were just soooo desperate to see why that girl is soooo much better than you. Ooops, did I say that? Are those tears I see Chi-chan? Hmm, tell you what. That was a mean thing to do to you...how about this: if you bring that little bitch to me, then I'll tell you for real. Ok? But you'll have to be quick; she's a slippery one."

Without warning, Kenji leapt up and gripped both of Scarlet's shoulders. Before she could so much as breathe, he placed his cold lips on hers and embraced her passionately. Finally releasing after a few long moments, he leaned in close once more.

"Do we have a deal my precious Queen of Hearts?"

Why was he always like this? Kenji kept teasing her. First he called her attractive, and tried to calm her down. But that all immediately was countered with him teasing her not to tell why she can't defeat Shiina, something she desperately wanted to know. She got mad when he didn't tell her, but her anger quickly turned into a mixture of anger and sadness when he told that the bitch was better than her. It almost made her furious, the look in her eyes showed both her lust for Shiina's blood and Kenji's heart. She turned around quickly when Kenji mentioned that she teared up. To be sure she wiped her eyes with a handkerchief that came out of a secret pocket inside of her dress. She quickly turned around after that.

"I will never cry in front of you. I will bring her here, but only so you can finish her off. Or better give me the ability to kill her off." she said with a smirk on her face, seemingly returned to her regular self. "The deal is on..." she grabbed her hatchet again. "... but only if I can take the boys with me. Just so I can have my personal bodyguards, you know. And don't worry your protector will stay alive."

Kenji chuckled at Scarlet's pathetic attempt to conceal her tears; nevertheless, he said nothing about it. He didn't want her crying and begging him at this particular moment. Later however...

"Ah, take all the supplies you need Chi-chan. I have the utmost faith in my cute little Queen," he encouraged.

Taking his fedora in hand, he gave a little bow to her departure with flashing eyes before returning to his seat. Swirling around, he directed his gaze back to the numerous screens displayed before him.

"Oh, and Chi-chan? One last thing...bring Hitsami Ryuko to me as well. I've got....some family business to discuss with her. Have a fun time!"

The smirk could be clearly heard in his voice.

"Yes, my love"

Chi said and exited the room dragging the bloodied hatchet along with her over the floor.