Act 19: Bullies, Escape Routes, and Dungeons

--- Joshua ---

As the school bell rang for the day he started making his way to the library to meet up with Anne, figuring that even if she was making a big deal over such a small project he could at least humor her since she was the closest thing he had to a friend outside of a bar or cabaret.

(Doesn’t mean I have to rush there though.) He reminded himself as he waited for the school crowds to clear a bit, because even though he was excited to be trying out the Gamer Guild’s Dungeon later he knew better than to force his way through a crowd that held half a dozen of his bullies.

“...acle you passed as… special as you are.” A high-pitched voice mocked before half dozen other voices laughed alongside it.

(Speaking of bullies.) He frowned, sneaking a bit closer to what he already knew was a confrontation between Anne and her own bullies.

Glancing around a hall corner, to one of the areas his bullies loved to drag him because of the broken(/fake) cameras charged with watching it, he found Anne on the ground with her backpack spilt all over as her bullies stomped and stepped all over her things.

Scowling as he realized this was a bit more physical than their usual verbal barbs, he stepped around the corner and told the (bitches) to, “Back off!”

The gaggle of girls turned to face him before their leader sneered at him, “Oh, it’s your freak of a boyfriend to save you. Not that you could do any better than this pasty poser.”

He rolled his eyes since he’d always been of the opinion that verbal blows did not hurt nearly as bad as the physical ones. (Even if they’re the only one’s I’ve been able to throw.)

“Well, sadly some of us just aren’t used to seeing people with actual faces instead of make-up.” He nodded with a sad sigh. “Hopefully, your boyfriend doesn’t vomit when he sees yours.”

The girl just scowled at him, “You’re not worth my time.”

“Then quit wasting it on me.” He told her with a mildly manic smile.

“We’re done here.” The girl scoffed before walking away, her friends following a few steps behind.

Keeping an eye on the (bitches) until they were out of sight, he eventually turned to Anne who was trying to go through her various pages while quietly cursing to herself as she picked up a soaked sheet of paper.

(Ah, they dumped water on her stuff.) He grimaced. “You okay?”

“No. I’m not fucking okay.” Anne spat, before shoving her soaked papers and books into her backpack.

Once she was done she stood up and gave him a look. “Since you don’t keep fucking notes on they ruined our project by the way.”

“Meh, it’s the start of the year, plenty of time to make up a single project.” He shrugged.

“Not if they keep up like last year.” Anne growled low enough that he didn’t think he was supposed to hear it.

Though sadly that thought wasn’t fast enough to keep him from asking, “What do you mean?”

“I mean, they pulled this shit all year last year, and I nearly failed.” Anne practically yelled at him. “We’re not even two months into the school year and my grades are already in the toilet, and this year is going to be the exact same shit, because, because those bitches are obsessed with ruining me and, and… Fuck!”

Swallowing, silence engulfed them as he found himself unable to think of anything to say as Anne rubbed at her eyes, fighting back tears.

“Just… just forget about it. This, this isn’t your problem.” Anne told him before shoving past and leaving him alone in the library.

---

Forcing himself to ignore the incident with Anne, he decided to take a quick detour towards the gang safehouse on his way to the Gamer Guild’s Dungeon. The idea being that he could give the nearby area a once over to try and plot out his escape. And after giving the neighborhood a few laps with his phone and the internet in hand, he was able to spot three different routes he could take each with their own pros and cons.

His original plan was the most obvious, using his acrobatics and mobility to run across the rooftops -(something I doubt those Dealers can do)- until he made it to a relatively safe place.

On paper it was the safest, but given how the safe house was in an area with actual houses rather than a bunch of cramped four story buildings, he’d have to run a fair bit to make it to the buildings that would aid his escape.

Which was a problem shared with his alternative plan of running through the streets until he hit a more crowded area and dropped his disguise to blend into the crowd. Even if the overall distance he’d have to cover was noticeably less if he ran towards the market.

Of course this still left him with the possibility of running into a Mask, depending on the time of day he made said run, but at the same time part of him was just itching at the possibility of having a bigger (audience). (And if worse comes and I run into a Mask I can always throw the Dealers at them to get away.)

Lastly was the option that he was most reluctant to give into even if it was the easiest method of escape, largely because he discovered that one of the city’s older -and therefore larger- sewer lines ran under a street a few blocks away. Meaning if he could find a manhole cover he could duck into the sewers and ditch any pursuers.

(Well, as long as those sewer monster myths are fake anyway.) It was hard to tell sometimes with the interdimensional demons and ghost-zombies running around.

Scene Consequences

-New Options available during heist planning phase.

---

Upon arriving to the handful of tents the Gamer’s Guild had set up to mark their dungeon location, he’d been tempted to try showing off a few of his powers. At least until a part of him remembered that while the majority of the people here were just tourists trying their hand at the Adventure game there were still a fair few who were Deviants themselves. (And best not to premiere our show until everything ‘s in place.)

And so restraining his inner show-off, he waited through the lines with everyone else, signed the various liability waivers and permission forms, before finally being allowed through the tent and into a small area with a stone archway set into a hill surrounded by trees that he was pretty sure weren’t here the week prior.

(Guess they set this up to give everyone that ‘adventure’ feeling. After all,) (presentation is everything.)

Standing before the Arch and feeling the faint power coming off of it, something finally clicked inside his head. (I’m about to walk into another Wonderlander’s Wonderland.)

He… didn’t actually know if that was a good or a bad thing, but given how he’d already gone through everything to get here… (The show must go on.)

Stepping through the archway the world around him spun, vertigo taking over as he stumbled barely catching himself against the stone walls and preventing a tumble down a flight of stairs as his stomach jumped into his throat.

(“Well, hello… Who are you?”) A voice asked both within and without, like the Man in the Mask and yet so very different.

Swallowing down the bile threatening to lurch up his throat, he asked “Who… who are you?”

(“Ah, ah, I asked first.”) The voice told him in a playful tone. (“So come on. What’s your name?”)

“@&#’!…” He answered, feeling something wet coming from his nose.

(“Hmm… Oh! You’re a Wonderlander!”) The voice realized excitedly. (This is your first time in someone else’s Wonderland isn’t it?”)

“Y-Yes…” He nodded, not really feeling up to lying.

(“Odd, most Wonderlanders don’t have this severe of a reaction.”) The voice told him in a way that he could just picture their concerned frown. (“Usually it’s just a quick rush, like diving into a cold pool on hot day. This is different…”)

“How do I… How do I make it shtop?” He practically begged as a jackhammer began to beat away at his skull and the taste of strawberries and copper filled his mouth.

(“Hmm… Can you make it to the bottom of the stairs?”)

“Y-yeah.” He nodded, before slowly and haphazardly doing just that.

(“Once you get to the bottom there’ll be a door. If you step through it you’ll enter this room with a bunch of weapons in it.”) The voice continued, their words keeping him steady. (“All you need to do is pick one up and it should stop whatever is going on with you… hopefully.”)

“Heh, hopefully.” He agreed, unable to stop the bit of laughter that escaped him.

(“Eh, sorry, but like I said this isn’t really normal. I mean I’ve never seen my Wonderland reject someone this badly before. Hell, you’re not even in my actual Wonderland and it’s trying to throw you out.”)

“Guess I’m just… special like that…” He smirked, finally making it to the doors before weakly pushing them open. Or trying to at least. (Damn it, where’d that… super strength of mine go?)

Only managing to get the doors half open he slipped through the crack in the door before stumbling into a circular room with sunbeams shining through the ceiling and marking a dozen waist high pedestals.

“Which… which one do I pick?” He asked the voice as his eyes drifted between a number of weapons floating above the pedestals.

(“It doesn’t honestly matter, as long as you play my Wonderland’s game it should quit rejecting you.”) The voice explained. (“But that means you have to actually use it, so no eating it for Madness, or the rejection might get worse.”)

“Wonderful…” He groaned, before giggling as he realized the joke in the word.

Shaking his head and forcing himself to focus through his headache, he gave the various weapons a second glance from the classic sword, staff, and bow trifecta of RPGs to a number of odder choices such as a pair of books, a collar, and a skull.

“Right, if it doesn’t matter which one I pick then I’ll take the…”