Fragments of Time ( A Disney Twisted Wonderland x OC story) Book I

6.10 - The Good, The Bad and The Powerful (Team C sidestory)

Meanwhile meanwhile....

A ding resounds in the narrow elevator, doors falling open. The last team slowly walks out, feeling the brisk breeze of the cold air sweep across their skin. Moans from the dark pit echo up, making the walls tremor in turn.

"So, Tartaros is all the way down there...." Azul murmurs, looking over the edge. "This thing's so tall and deep you can't make out the bottom..."

"Flying down's out of the question...." Evelyn mused quietly. "The density of the air's tight with blot waves, and it could contradict with our wings....so we'll have to trek on foot...." The Asian girl looked off to where the stairs began and followed it for about over a minute until one flight of stairs just vanished into the dark abyss.

Rebecca breathed out of her mouth, a puff of white leaving from her lips. "I-It's so co-old...I-I can see my breath....!"

"I seem to be the only one used to it....here, you may both share my overcoat to keep your bodies warm." Azul offered with a small smile. Evelyn took it from his grasp and draped it over her and Becca with a flourish. Thankfully their bodies were small enough for them to fit into it. "Riddle, you need to worry about yourself before you catch hypothermia..........Riddle....?" Azul looked around only to see the Heartslabyul leader already two-timing it down the steps. "R-Riddle!! Don't proceed without us!!" He hurried after, whilst the last two girls followed close behind.

"And waste time telling you?" Riddle's question was directed at Azul. "I'm not one for when the clock's ticking! Now's no time for sightseeing or chit-chat!"

"Well, I'm not one for empty conversation! You need to analyze your surroundings before jumping headfirst into things you don't know!" Azul spat back.

"Forewarning is forearmed. So don't cross a bridge that you don't know." Riddle said cryptically. "Besides, taking action before anyone else may give you the upper hand, no?"

"Typical of you, Riddle." Azul rolls his eyes. "As someone with the status of a housewarden, you've the patience as thin as paper. It's still a mystery to me how you became dorm leader after one week of enrollment...."

"Don't we all wanna know that...." Rebecca breathed to herself, huddling against Evelyn.

"Look, if he's leading us or not, I'll take anything, let's just get down there as fast as we can." Evelyn spoke up.

"According to the map's layout...." Riddle brought up a hologram of the tower on the device in his gloved hand. "There's another elevator here that we can access to get to the next floor...." He followed the red arrow on the map, which was moving along side him until he saw an average-sized square before him and looks up. "Bingo!" He moved forward but Azul stopped him with an arm block.

"Wait, Riddle! This may be a trap!" But the octopus's warning went unheard as Riddle jammed the 'down' button with his thumb. They waited for a few seconds, seeing if it got a reaction of sorts.

"See? Nothing happened." Riddle said.

"Not really...." Rebecca says, focused look in her eyes and a quick tilt of her glasses. "It's like this in ALL dystopian novels: any system, be it electrical or social hierarchical is under the control of one person and one person alone. They pull the strings of the game to how they see fit. And Ortho is no exception....he'll obviously have a sort of life-sized holographic grim reaper to slice us up once the doors shut behind us...."

"....sure, let's go with that." Azul said. "And another thing: it's not like anyone is stupid enough to just walk through those doors on their own." And to neither Becca's nor Eve's surprise, Riddle did just that.