80 The Wrong Choice
Present Day
Superman breached the Earth's atmosphere. His trajectory brought him straight over Gotham. Right over the Lockhart Estate. Once he reached the clouds, he paused.
'How will I get inside?' He thought.
As many ideas came to mind, his sclera turned fully black. Every calm and civil thought in his consciousness disappeared. Only violence was left. He didn't waste anymore time and burst into motion, a smug grin on his face. The blue in his iris had already returned to normal.
The maids and servants hurried back and forth around the manor. Five star chefs and assistant cooks were busy in the kitchen. Festivities were being set up all around. Many things were happening at once.
Throughout all of this, Alice was closed off in the study. A huge stack of papers had become only a small packet. She was almost done. The glass container sat in her lap, illuminating the room due to the divine flower's radiance. The beautiful doll kicked her feet and pouted.
"Mmmmm! I hate it!" She complained.
She hugged the container and curled up in her seat. Her forehead rested on the glass, allowing her to gaze at the flower within. Alice would remain like this until her stamina bar refilled.
The mistress knew that once she completed this packet, Sora would be returning. Damn it! She wished she could just go with him whenever he left. It wasn't fair.
'I'm going to lock him in my room.' She thought darkly. It took a few seconds for her to remember that it wasn't possible anymore.
Still, she couldn't help but think about when she first met the golden eyed angel. Alice didn't realize how lonely she'd been until her benefactors reached out. The previous figureheads of the Lockhart Estate. They helped her live on in many ways.
They were all gone now. All she had left was Sora. He meant everything to her. With a new determination rising up, the mistress tore into the rest of her papers.
And…done! She'd finally completed the cursed stack of papers. Just looking at one made her feel sick. The mental exhaustion forced her to close her eyes. Before she knew it…she'd fallen asleep. But not for long.
A whistling sound could be heard in the sky. Alice woke up to the noise, and her empty eyes grew bright. Was he finally back? Finally! She'd been waiting forever!
"Sora?" She called out. The noise grew louder and louder until-
BOOOM
Something crashed through the ceiling and landed in front of her. Debris fell, causing dust clouds to rise up…but Alice had caught a glimpse of the figure before her sight was obstructed. She saw blue and red.
Once the dust cleared, her eyes widened. The kryptonian stood before her with a dark look. It didn't seem as if he was here to save anyone.
'Superman?! Why is he here?' She thought.
The danger hadn't registered yet. Alice didn't know what danger truly was anymore. Not with Sora at her side. Superman stopped at the desk and slammed his hands on the table, causing the doll to jump in fright.
"Do you know who I am?" He asked with a stern face.
She nodded several times while hugging the divine flower. The delicate fairy was still curled up in her seat. Her bare feet were on the chair as well. Superman nodded with satisfaction.
"Then you know that you should come quietly."
As he spoke, he reached for her arm. Alice was pulled out of the chair with force. Her body was dragged over the desk, causing the glass container to drop to the floor.
"No! Let me go! I don't wanna go! Sora!" She cried out.
The force of his grip reminded her of the card soldiers. The beautiful doll was reliving her worst moments. Primal fear had been evoked. Alice struggled as best she could.
"Are you resisting me?" His voice turned dangerous.
The glass container rolled to his feet during the scuffle. Superman looked at it with a frown. It seems his suspicions were correct.
'I knew it. Looks like I was right about him.' He thought.
Superman picked up the container which caused Alice to grow violent. Her expression had turned into a psychotic snarl as she reached for the flower. The kryptonian was growing annoyed as he held it with his bioelectric aura.
"Nooo! That's MINE! Give it BACK! GIVE IT BACK, GIVE IT BACK, GIVE IT BACK!!" She screamed.
"Tch."
The kryptonian straightened his hand and threw a karate chop at the back of her neck. Before it could connect, a translucent barrier repelled his hand. Kal looked down to see her ankle bracelet shining.
"The champion's lover has protection…kekeke." The voice came out of Superman's lips…but it wasn't his voice.
His hand touched the barrier again, this time covered in a disgusting aura. It barely took a second for the light to be corrupted. The barrier poofed away like smoke. The aura disappeared and Superman was once again in control. As if his brain had rewinded back a few seconds, he clicked his tongue.
"Tch."
His hand chopped the back of her neck, immediately knocking the doll unconscious. Her body slumped to the ground. His grip on her arm was the only thing keeping her from completely falling. As he flew out of the ceiling hole with Alice, he observed the flower.
'This must be controlling her. I'll have Batman run some tests on it.'
…
…
…
Sora woke up on a dust covered ground. A wet appendage kept rubbing against him. It felt like sandpaper. As his mind grew clear, he realized that it was the jabberwock. This beast was licking him with its massive tongue. Its tail was wagging.
Once it realized the young Lockhart was awake, it barked. Sora rose to his feet in disgust. His body turned completely into light, vaporizing any dust and saliva on him.
'Gross.' He thought. His body was now spotless.
As he stood beside the jabberwock, he slowly remembered everything he'd seen in the vision. His expression grew dark. The castle had disappeared. It was just a heap of dust now. Both of the glowing stones were lying in front of him. Sora immediately picked up the red one.
"The philosopher's stone. To think it would end up here." He muttered.
The philosopher's stone had the ability to manipulate the material world as long as it had the required energy to do so. It could be a weapon of mass destruction. It could also be a tool of creation. As Sora rubbed his finger over the mesmerizing stone, it suddenly melted into his hand.
"Pffft!"
The young Lockhart fell to the floor as molten lava coursed through his veins. It converged at his navel. Damn. It fucking hurt! Sora pummeled his head against the ground as he held his stomach. This pain originated from the soul.
After a few more minutes, the pain left. His skin was clammy with sweat. He quickly scanned his navel to see something incredible. There was a world…casually floating in his navel! Sora only had to focus on it and he found himself standing inside.
There was an endless blue sky. The ground was just a reflection of the sky, resembling clear water. Every step caused the water to ripple. Each cloud had different shapes and sizes, and they were infinite. Everything about this place symbolized peace and tranquility.
"Can I store things here? Maybe people?" He wondered out loud.
This place was created by the philosopher's stone and so was Alice's current body. It wouldn't be too out of place to think there was some synergy. Sora thought about leaving and instantly appeared in Wonderland again.
The jabberwock was running around in the distance, as if looking for him. This told Sora that his body disappeared from the real world when he entered the skyrealm. He then picked up the orange stone.
It pulsed with energy. Even now, Sora could see the aura shooting into the distance. He held it to his eye and scanned the engravings.
"This should be the manitou stone. You're the one keeping Alice from turning into dust, right? A very important gemstone you've become." He muttered.
The stone shined as if responding to his words. It was asking to be reunited with the lovely doll. Sora would oblige…but it would be best if she didn't lay eyes on it. The stone would probably trigger a relapse.
As if it understood his worries, it vibrated. Sora tried to store it in his skyrealm and succeeded. It only took a thought. This solidified his theory. He now had an incredible tool at his disposal. There would be time to truly explore the realm later. For now…it was time to return. He'd been away for enough time.
"I want to hold her." He muttered.
DING
He appeared beside the jabberwock. As soon as it saw him, it stopped running in circles and rolled onto its back. Sora popped a smile. What a happy guy.
"Alright buddy. Here you go." The young Lockhart finally rubbed the animal's belly.
"Arf!"
Its tail wagged back and forth, sending up dust. The jabberwock was a good boy. After petting it for a while, Sora began to shine with energy. Whines could be heard from the animal as if it knew the sleepy man was leaving.
"Unfortunately, I'll be leaving you here. If I find somewhere suitable for you…then I'll return."
He wasn't going to store this beast in the skyrealm. No. Alice would have PTSD if she saw it. In an instant, Sora was gone. It barely took half a second to find the hole in the sky.
The light human was back in Amsterdam. Without wasting any time, he beamed into the clouds. A decision had been made. He would treat Alice like the princess she was. Even better than he already treated her. Such a horrible past…she didn't deserve that.
…
…
…
Now…Imagine his surprise upon seeing a massive hole in the roof of the study. This was where Alice spent the most of her time. The desk was knocked over. Papers were strewn about, and the divine flower was gone.
"LUCIELLE!" Sora roared. His voice resounded through the estate.
After a minute and a half, rushing steps could be heard.The serious maid with glasses came running into the room. She immediately bowed her head in shame. Without even waiting for him to speak, she explained.
"Milord, there was an extremely loud whistle from the sky. T-Then the ceiling exploded, a-and everyone turned toward the source. Several of our workers laid eyes on S-Superman leaving with the mistress."
"........................"
"M-Milord?"
"...Leave."
"Right away." She scurried out of the room.
Sora's face was calm. Nothing was given away by his expression. He only stared at the hole, eyes narrowed. His head slowly tilted to the side.
"The Justice League…do they take me for a fool?"
VRMMMM
The entire planet quaked for only a second. Cracks appeared on bridges and freeways. That single rumble was powerful, and it threw the civilians off their feet.
"They just…took her. They just took her. They waltzed in…and took her? Do they truly think so little of me?!"
Sora hadn't realized it yet, but his entire body was shining. His features were slowly disappearing. Only his white hair and eyes could be seen. His hair was glowing with so much energy that it seemed like molten flames. A large ring of light appeared behind his back.
Time had frozen for the celestial being. His fury was cold and calculated. Much different than his previous outrage. Like a puppet…he gazed through the hole, through the clouds, and spotted the Watchtower. He could feel her presence. The ankle bracelet hadn't left her.
"They must not understand. Let me educate them."
Sora had yet to appear, but his titanic pressure was already crashing down on the hero headquarters. He slowly floated out of the hole and into the air. All of Gotham looked up to see a radiant figure in the sky.
Rubble and debris were levitating in the air. It was as if the planet was moving with him. Without realizing it, they found themselves on their knees. The entire city had unconsciously prostrated themselves. Criminals and innocent humans alike…all bowed to the holy being above them.
Lucius Fox gazed out the window from his office. He was sipping on a mug of coffee and savoring the taste. With a slight smile, he strolled out of the room.
"And so he wakes from his slumber."
