Chapter 132: Strike First

Paul’s finger darted across the keyboard of his laptop, his steel-blue irises framed by his reading glasses and his gaze razor sharp.

At the moment, he was currently doing a deep, much needed research into Adrian Manchester--a young man who clearly happened to have come from a wealthy background and had his fair share of connections in Hollywood.

The reason for this was simple. He intended to strike first.

Noting the media he’d been copying over to his laptop was done, Paul casually ejected and retrieved the spy pen.

Considering he’d created several burner accounts over the years, he soon pulled one up and uploaded the video across several social media platforms with all the popular captions in vogue.

Then he pulled up the emails of several media publications and simply forwarded the video to them as well.

Roughly ten minutes after, he deleted the account, picked up the pen and snapped it in half.

Standing up from the chair he was seated on, he tossed it straight into fireplace, immediately disposing of it.

Staring at the melting object, arms clasper behind his back, Paul’s steely-blue irises remained notably apathetic.

The man had always been a morally grey person and he was well-aware of it.

That said, he wasn’t doing this because he wanted to ruin Adrian’s career or because he had some form of anti-hero complex.

Much like all his previous clients, he was just being on the lookout for any trouble before it reared its ugly head.

And given how eerily Adrian reminded him of Tyler, Paul knew better than to allow the little shit some time to come up with one machination or the other to ruin his client’s image.

There was no shot that he would just sit still and look pretty after the incident at the photoshoot so why should he as Niall’s manager?

As long as the source of it couldn’t ever be tracked to him, he was more than willing to cut a problem at the root before it ever got the chance to fester or manifest.

Casually standing before the hearth, the fire reflected in his pupils, his phone buzzed in his pocket with a notification reserved for his talent.

Upon retrieving the device, Paul soon read the message.

-

Niall: Recently decided to make an EP... figured I should let you know first. Let’s have a discussion regarding it sometime this month.

-

Considering he’d intended to push the idea towards Niall as well, the manager was glad to see that the young star had come to the realization on his own.

That said, a thin smile tugged on Paul’s lips as he remarked to himself;

’Seems like I’ve got my work cut out for me again.’

Meanwhile, as the man looked forward to the coming months, the video he’d uploaded onto the internet had slowly began making its rounds.

*

With most of the major action set piece scenes filmed, save for the final face-off between Alistair and The Knave of Hearts, the crew was on track with their schedule of rounding up filming within three months.

That said, there were other scenes that were needed to be filmed on on-set locations, one of them being most of Alistair’s and Alice journey to Time’s Castle of Eternity.

The scene that led into those scenes however, was one that would be filmed in the green room first.

It was also the scene that had revealed why the Knave of Hearts had kidnapped Alice--alluding to a scene that the crew was yet to film--and equally, why she had run away from home to Alistair.

-

{A Maddened Wonderland | 18th, March 2019 | Act 3 | Scene 6 | Take 1}

The door to Chesire’s cottage slammed shut behind Alistair as he bolted out.

Without looking back, he rushed ahead and into the eerie thickets of the Outlands to meet with Alice.

Soon enough, he found her seated by a weirdly-shaped rock with her knees clutched against her chest with puffy eyes, his card having set her down on it safely.

"Come on," he said to her softly as he walked over.

"Let’s get you somewhere safe." he added, extending a hand.

Instead, Alice swallowed and said, her breath shaky;

"There’s something I need to tell you."

"What is it?" Alistair asked, his head tilted slightly in genuine concern.

"It’s about The Knave of Hearts."

Alistair’s expression immediately hardened upon hearing that as he inquired, his tone tentative;

"What about him?"

"He... he took something from me..." she touched her chest and added;

"A seal, of some sort..."

"And when he did, I remembered something." Alice rubbed her arms, visibly unsettled.

Alistair remained quiet, his ears attentive;

"It wasn’t my memory. Not exactly." Alice closed her eyes and for a moment, she could see it again.

Several memories flashing through her mind. Then it stopped on one particular one.

A woman of striking resemblance to her, standing before a single well filled to the brim and overflowing into the earth with every color imaginable.

"It was my grandmother’s. I saw Wonderland through her eyes." Alice’s voice trembled.

"I saw things I shouldn’t know. Places I’ve never been. People I’ve never met. And then I saw..." she hesitated.

"...the Well of Wonder." she managed to let out shakily.

Alistair’s face changed, his question immediate as his voice came out in a whisper;

"You know where it is?"

Alice nodded in response, then pointed toward the distant mountains;

"It’s beyond Time’s Castle of Eternity."

Alistair stared in that direction, and his expression slowly became one of realization.

"If that’s what it’s been protecting all this time, then it’s impossible to reach the well." he breathed and Alice looked at him skeptically despite herself.

"Nobody gets past the castle. Ever." Alistair tried to explain, looking back towards her as he continued;

"Time’s Castle has stood there longer than Wonderland has had Monarchs. Its entire purpose is to prevent anyone from passing."

"I know. But now he can." Alice quietly responded, and Alistair’s eyes widened even more as he pieced things quickly.

"Don’t tell me..." he stepped towards her as she nodded in affirmation;

"Yes. That’s why he took the seal."

Immediately, Alistair placed a palm over his face then dragged it down as he declared with a tightened jaw;

"I’m going. I’ll have you taken to the White Queen’s Castle on my flying card--"

"I’m coming too." Alice immediately got down from the rock and Alistair firmly rejected, his response instant;

"No."

Alice blinked. Then her expression turned angry;

"I said I’m going."

"No, you’re going back to the White Queen’s Castle where you’ll be protected and then straight to the Great Oak once time elapses enough." Alistair fought back, his fingers pointed behind her.

"Excuse me?!" Alice flared up as she began!

"I left home because I was angry!" her eyes began watering and Alistair’s words died in his throat.

"I fought with my mother. She wanted me to go away to some boarding school because she thought she knew what was best for me! And I didn’t want to hear it, so I walked away!" a tear escaped her.

"I followed a butterfly through a cave because I thought I was proving something. I thought I was showing her that she couldn’t control me." her voice became quieter as her eyes rose to meet his.

"And look where that got me..." she whispered dejectedly.

Alistair’s expression softened upon hearing that, and he tried reaching out;

"Alice..."

"I left my mother in the middle of a fight." the young girl swallowed as she continued;

"Then I came here and almost got you killed."

"You didn’t almost get me killed." Alistair tried to get her to stop the self-loathing but she refused with a shake of her head;

"Yes, I did."

"No." the young hatter gestured to himself, seemingly implying that he was alive and well.

"I did!" Alice’s voice finally broke, her voice echoing through the barren landscape as she wiped her face angrily;

"You can tell me that it wasn’t my fault. You can tell me I didn’t know. You can tell me I’m sixteen and none of this should have happened to me."

"But I was the one who walked away." she pointed at herself in genuine anger, tears continuously falling down her eyes.

Clearly not used to scenarios like this, Alistair stared at her and was at a loss for what to do.

But then Alice gathered herself and spoke, her voice steadying;

"I’m not going to walk away again. Not anymore, Alistair."

Then she held his gaze and said;

"So please, let me do something, anything, to fix it. Don’t give me the option to walk away again."

For a while, Alistair simply looked at her.

Then he looked towards the mountains, then back at her again.

"You don’t understand what we’re walking into." he finally let out after a brief while, a soft sigh escaping him.

"Neither did you when you went after me." Alice replied without missing a beat.

Alistair stared at her for a long moment.

Then he looked away and said;

"You’re stubborn."

"So, I’ve been told." Alice remarked in response, and a faint smile crept onto Alistair’s face as he began walking forwards, the young lady trailing behind him as he said;

"Well, I did say I was going to give you that tour..."

"By being kidnapped, and almost killed?" Alice caught up to him as he flicked out a card, the little thing expanding by leaps and bounds as it settled before him with a hover.

Then, casually jumping onto it, he offered a hand and said with a relaxed smile;

"Minor scheduling complication."

Chuckling a bit, Alice received his hand as he pulled her up and onto it.

Then he declared a moment after, glancing sideways to the lady;

"Next stop. Time’s Castle of Eternity..."

"...I hope." he quietly muttered.

"Cut!"

-

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/Caer07