Twisted-Wonderland: Heart of the Night

Episode 3-21: Group Infiltration!

Time until Azul's contract expires:... Two Days.

After class, during lunch break, we all met and discussed our next strategy in the hallway.

"Finding a way to tear up an unbreakable contract?  Sweet!  It's def underhanded, but hey.", Ace.  "That approach does seem like it would have a far better prospect of working.  I have to agree with Ace here, though.", Deuce.

"Aw, shaddup!  If we stick to our morals, we'll be stuck with morays!", Grim retorted.

"That, and Azul's group cast the first stone.  They told us to get a photo from under the sea, fully intending to thwart us at every turn.  Leona may play dirty, but he's a brilliant playmaker.  I think his idea's worth a shot.", Jack.

Hearing Jack say this, I was surprised to see he's willing, in a way, compliment Leona's way of tactics.

"Hm?  What?", Jack.  "Ah!  It's nothing.", Kalin.  I focused my attention back to the subject

"Can we maybe not say the same thing over and over?", Deuce.

"Brrr.  Just remembering those twins chasin' us around in the water gives me the shivers!", Grim.  "Yeah...", Kalin.

*(!) It gives me shivers as well, but for a different reason...

Still thinking about their mermen appearances and them appearing in my dreams makes my head feel all fuzzy, and a little dizzy.

Since I still can't wrap my head around it, I'd prefer if I don't run into them for a bit. (!)*

"Rgh.  If only blastcycles worked underwater.  Then they would've been eating my dust!", Deuce.

Hearing Deuce caught back my attention from my thoughts.

  "Uh-huh.  Suuure, Loosey-Deucey.  So...  Mermen, huh.  The Leech brothers are morays;  I get that part.  Is Azul like them when he's under the sea?", Ace.

"I remember Leona referring to him as a "cephalo-punk," for what that's worth.", Jack.

"As in, cephalopod?  So is he, like, an octo-merman?", Deuce.  "Myah!  If he got a bunch of legs in the water, he'd be even more dangerous than the morays!", Grim.

Just hearing a vague description was enough for me to try to imagine.  All I could see was fusing a normal octopus and Azul together.  But somehow I couldn't come up with a clear image of him in that form.

"No kiddin'.  Which is why we're trying to brainstorm an approach that doesn't involve fighting them on their own turf.", Jack.

"But where does Azul keep the contract scrolls?", Kalin.

"That vault in the VIP room did stand out like a sore thumb...", Jack.

"Great!  There's our angle.  Let's sneak into Octavinelle right now!", Grim.  "Nobody should be there on lunch break before the lounge opens.  Let's go.", Deuce.

Everyone went straight to the Hall of Mirrors.

"Uhh...  Guys, don't you think we should plan--", Kalin.  I try to speak up about further planning but they already were ahead of me.

"Hey, Kalin, would you hurry it up, or we're gonna leave you behind.", Ace.

"*Sigh*  Alright, then...", Kalin.  I followed behind them.

*(!) So much for thinking ahead... (!)*

~Mostro Lounge - VIP Room~

"The coast... ...is clear.  Okay, guys, follow me!", Grim.  Grim being the smallest, scouted first through the doorway.  After swiftly dashing left to right, he gave us the all clear.

"Looks like you were right.  There's not a soul in sight.", Jack.  "The vault's double-locked.  It needs a passcode and a key.", Deuce.

!!!

"Shoot!  Someone's coming!", Jack ears twitched when hearing footsteps.  "Ah, crud.  Quick, hide!", Ace.  After hearing them notice, I was barely able to hear footsteps too.

"Ah-!", Kalin.

As everyone went to hide in the only place able to hide all of us, the main desk, I was suddenly pulled by Jack as we all scrambled to fit under the desk.  How it ended up, was... questionable.

*Scramble*

"HmmMphm...", Kalin.  I was struggling to breath a bit because a hand was covering my mouth.  "Shh...  You'll give us away.", Jack.  After hearing Jack, I went quite.  But then seeing Jack above me, made me quite for a different reason, and I almost became stiff frozen.  Jack soon let his hand off me, and I calmly stayed quiet trying my best not to freak out about the close proximity.  But then...

"MMRgggmmmHH!!", Grim.

I put my hand shut-tight on Grim to keep him quiet.  Grim was lying flat across my stomach and underneath Jack.  Given how close quarters we all were, Grim was sort of squeezed between me and Jack.

"Quiet Grim!", Deuce.  After hearing Deuce from my side, the way he was positioned made me almost freak again.  While Jack was over me, Deuce was to my right, and almost hunched over me.  Seeing both of them above me and so close to their faces, and now my chest was started to tighten.

"So... cramped...  Jack, why you gotta be so big?!", Ace.  "Wanna say that again?", Jack.  "Hey, don't move!", Ace.

Hearing Ace now, I look up as I heard him from above me, which made my predicament all the worse.  I wasn't completely on my back on the floor, part of my back was supported by something.  I assumed it was the inner wall of the desk.  But I was clearly wrong, as it turned out, I was supported by Ace's lower torso.  As I realized this, I also realized his legs were almost wrapped to my sides, and almost stretched to the other side next to Jack.  Ace was also close to Deuce, almost shoulder to shoulder.  When I barely see Ace from raising my head, and after catching me look at him, he looked away while using his free hand to cover half of his face.  Although he wasn't the only one embarrassed, since it was clear that Ace and I were the only ones realizing the positions we were in.  

But we were given no choice since we had to hide in a hurry regardless of the positioning circumstances.  Jack and Deuce were too focused on keeping quiet and hidden to notice.  And I still had a hold on Grim to make sure he doesn't peep a sound.  This gave new meaning to hunched over in a group huddle.

*Click*

"Now, then...", Azul.