Button Eyes, Clock Hearts

Snatched Secrets

They stood, frozen at the scene. Only able to hear the fists of Grey on the floor and Julius' choked sobs. That was until Nightmare and Alice entered, the former reading each and every mind. "Vat ze hell happened?!" he asked/yelled.

Coraline handed him the buttons and recited the note. It hadn't been easy because of Alice ripping it. "Juliet mentioned something about Lorina wanting Alice and Edith trapped. I wasn't able to understand much."

"Those are my sisters" whispered Alice. "No, this can't be real! Lorina would never do such things!"

"Now there's a pair for each of them. Alice's are teal, Dee's are blue, Dum's are red, and Coraline's are black. ...We need to ask Nix about all this" said Cat from his place on the edge of the bed. Nightmare stared at them, unable to believe what he had just heard. Yet, it successfully made Alice come back from her breakdown.

Coraline threw her hands up in the air, "But how?! Nobody exactly knows how she vanished! And she seemed to know more about everything than any of us!"

"How do you know this Coraline?" asked Alice.

"Yeah, how could the Bandersnatch hide a bunch of secrets? She's only a little girl!" said the twins.

Coraline crossed her arms and turned to the incubus, "And a scaredy-cat to boot. Nightmare, when she got here, could you read her mind?"

Nightmare rubbed at his temples, " Now zat you mention it; nein. I couldn't"

"That's because she hides her secrets," Coraline said as factually as she could. "It doesn't matter now! We need to find a way to make Nix talk."

"Pierce or Boris would be able to make her talk," said Julius, worried and distracted by his sister's disappearance. His voice raspy from his breakdown.

"Whatever it was, I need to find that mother fucking bastard that took her away again! My sun...I couldn't do anything!" Gray was furious, Alice was about to comfort him when heavy steps caused them all to turn.

"Hey, guys! Guess who I found out there! Jabberwocky and Mr. Joker! And guess what else- they came with me!" Ace announced as he randomly walked into the room.

"Ace!" Exclaimed Julius getting up. Ace looked at him and immediately frowned. He let Julius hug him as he did it back. It was rare to see this kind of affection between them, much less Julius or Gray breaking down to pieces. Not even Nightmare had coughed up blood.

"What happened?" Murmured Ace uncharacteristically calm.

"She was taken" answered Gray from the floor, looking back at the intruders. His eyes were fierce, dark, Alice, and Coraline felt fear for their lives.

"Maybe that's why Onyx was so stressed and running" mused Ace a little. Playing with his lover's hair. " when I tried to catch her and ask what happened she turned feral and scratched me."

"What!? YoU tOuChEd thE Bandersnatch?!" yelled the Joker and Jabberwocky in unison.

"What's so bad about it?" asked Ace, as he let go of Julius confused.

"Show me where she scratched you!" demanded the Jester side of jabberwocky also known as Brianna.

Ace shrugged and rolled up his sleeve, showing off the thin, pale scars on his forearm. Jester frowned and touched it delicately, "Ace...she cursed you. Now that the beldam is out there, she may be able to activate Nix's true form, and then she'll go in killer mode...and then you'll be the-!" before she could finish both red-headed females coughed violently. Just like Nightmare did usually, blood seeping from the corners of their mouths. The shock consumed everyone again.