The Exception, The Guardian, and The Monster

Momo-
It's only been a day and a half since Levi's departure. Alise hasn't been alone for more than possibly three days since her escape, and she's determined to appreciate her alone time. It's coming close to the evening, the house is quiet except for the sounds of water coming to a rolling boil in a large pot over the fire. She decided to make herself a stew that should last for a few days while Levi was gone. She hums quietly to herself, wondering if Esredes will actually make the trip over to visit her or not, partially hoping he would so she could talk to him more freely than if Levi were around.

Astroray-

Outside, in the brush, a surprise awaited Alise. Jack was curled up in a small hole he had made for himself under a bush while scoping out the house. He had been waiting patiently for days, listening and watching, but most certainly listening. It didn't take him long to learn out to mimic a simple sound, but a voice is unique. Each voice has dips and cadences that one unconsciously hears and is accustomed to. Jack knew this was a risky extraction, but if he pulled it off, Mama would be so happy with him. And so he continued to wait.

Momo-

Alise continues with the cooking, seeming to be less on high alert as she focuses on the cooking. From what Jack has observed, it's a bit easier to get caught off guard as cooking seems to be one of the things she zones in on. The front door is always locked, but the backdoor entering the garden is usually unlocked until nightfall. Right about now, Alise will probably be on her way over to the back to lock it.

Astroray-

Jack has noticed these patterns over the days he has been observing her. He is unsure of when Levi will be returning. While he might be valuable to Mama, he is secondary to the prize waiting inside. As the dim light fades, he creeps closer to the door, easing the door open just enough for him to crawl through and close quietly. Once inside, he sticks the pads of his fingers and toes to the wall and crawls in order to avoid creaking floorboards.

Momo-

Alise starts to make her way over to the door, but her brisk step slows down a bit. Jack can hear the clacking of her metal shoes as she slows. She seems to be anticipating something, or something inside of her is telling her that something is off. However, the feeling fades as she continues towards the back.

Astroray-

He skitters into the dark, away from the clanking of the boots. Jack sticks low to the top of the ceiling, not moving a muscle, attempting to draw attention away from himself.

Momo-

Alise doesn't seem to notice him as she walks through the hall and locks the door. Something in her comes back to tell her that something is wrong, but she brushes it off as she makes her way back to the kitchen. Her stew may be done soon.

Astroray-

As she leaves, Jack considers his approach. What noise to make. What scene to paint. What strings to pluck to hit the perfect chord that'd resonate within her.

He picks a simple noise, one he's sure Alise has heard plenty in the past. Jack throws his voice to about where the workshop is. A heavy chain and cuff can be heard hitting the floor hard and absolute.

Momo-

Whatever Alise was doing at the time has left her mind completely as she turns around to the sound of the noise. Her eyes are wide, like a feral animal in confusion, and her body stiffens up. She stays silent, not even breathing, as if waiting for another sound before she makes her next move.

Astroray-

Jack cannot see her, but he can hear her stillness. He has her full attention. The chain and cuff begin to drag until they roughly reach a doorway.

Momo-

Alise reacts more this time, grabbing a knife in the kitchen and holding it close to her. She takes a few deep breaths before slowly beginning to make her way towards the noise.

Astroray-

Seeing the knife, he knows exactly what to do next. Jack's voice strains as he pushes Levi's voice out of his throat.

"A-Alise? Can you help me out?! Sorry, didn't mean to spook ya, but I'm a little stuck."

Momo-

Alise is still in fight or flight mode, despite her surprised expression. "... Levi? What... What are you carrying??"

Astroray-

"I got something really cool while I was out! I.....I don't really know what it is? But I can defintely use it for parts!"

Momo-

".... ...." She stays silent, making slow steps towards the door. "Wh...what? You haven't given it a stupid name by now?" She asks, a forced laughter following.

Astroray-

"I was hoping you could help me with that maybe? Besides my names are awesome!"

Momo-

She stands by the door, staring at it with an intense expression. Her heart beats so quickly that she can nearly feel it thumping in her chest. "... W... What is my real name? You gotta guess if you want me to let you in. New game I made."

Astroray-

Jack shifts uncomfortably on the ceiling, still behind Alise by the back door. He sifts though all the information Thiessen told him before he left on his mission.

"Wh? Kind of a weird game, but ok. Its Annalise. Can I pleeeeeease come in now?"

Momo-

Alise holds her breath. She never told Levi her real name. There's no possible way he would have known. Her grip on the weapon tightens and she takes a step back from the door, trying to be as quiet as possible.

Astroray-

"Alise? Was that the wrong answer?"

Jack is beginning to get frustrated at her lack of response. But he can be patient.

Momo-

"... Bingo!" She replies, a more cheerful tone in her voice. She drops the knife to the ground. "Heeheh, man, I can't believe you remembered. You call me Alise so much, I would think that you'd forgotten!" She starts to pull off her gauntlets and gently sets them down on the ground, trying to make little to no noise.

Astroray-

Jack can faintly hear the metal touch down to the wood as well as the slight tinge of panic in her tone. He knows he had answered wrong somehow, but he will continue with his charade.

"Were you holding a knife?! Jeez, to think you about cut me to ribbons...."

Momo-

"Y-Yeah... Sorry, Levi...." She takes a deep breath. "... I'm sorry, Levi...." Her right leg pivots back. "I guess I'm just a bit- PARANOID!" She performs a large kick against the door, breaking it off from it's hinges, prepared to tackle into anyone standing behind it or simply to run.

Astroray-

She is met with nothing behind the door. Absolutely nothing.

Momo-

Run. Her instincts scream as she starts to bolt out. She's a bit faster without the gauntlets, but with the weighted shoes on, it's not by much. However, she won't risk it until she's at least a good distance away from the house.

Astroray-

Crap

Jack crawls out of the house on all fours, keeping low to the ground, but not minding his noise level. He begins to catch up to her and while one may not be able to hear his footsteps, the brush he is disturbing is definitely audible.

Momo-

She's too terrified to look back at this point. Instead, she starts to run her hands along the brush. In the beginning, it does nothing. However, as she starts grabbing strands and foliage and holding it longer, it starts to light on fire. She drops the sparks alongside her, hoping to scare off her pursuer.

Astroray-

At first it does startle him, but he continues on and changes his plan. He runs at her side a few meters off and begins to speak in Thiessen's voice, hoping to exhaust her.

"Magnificent!"

Momo-

That throws her off. She stumbles over her footing and is thrown forward. As she rolls across the ground, she tries desperately to regain her footing and turn towards her pursuer.

Astroray-

He gets low, trying to cover himself in the brush. Jack throws his voice, changing the position every few sentences to throw her off.

"I've missed you so much Alise! Look how strong you've gotten since you got out. Fantastic! Truly my finest work."

Momo-

She looks around, starting to panic. "Shut up- SHUT UP!!! I'm not yours!!"

Astroray-

A sick smile spreads across Jack's face and he lets out a Thiessen tinged chuckle.

"It's sad that you thought you really got away honestly."

Momo-

She shakes her head, glaring at wherever the voice is being flung to. "If you think I'm going back without a fight- you're WRONG'!!" She gets herself into a defensive stance. "I've got nothing to lose!"

Astroray-

"What's the point? You're surrounded anyway...."

There's a brief delay as Jack's vocal chords struggle to create the perfect crowd around Alise. Shuffling and snorts weave between the trees, encircling Alise.

Momo-

Alise's eyes flicker around to all the different sounds. She seems like she's starting to panic again, but she keeps her defensive stance. "Breathe.... breathe.... breathe!!"

Astroray-

Inspiration flickers in Jack's eyes as he struggles to futher exhaust Alise. He stops the crowd and project's his Thiessen voice right next to Alise's ear, close enough to feel her breath.

"You're already mine."

Momo-

Alise swings her arm at wherever the voice is coming from, losing her balance and stumbling a bit. Jack can see small scales slightly forming on her arms as she panics, as well as a few around her face. They seem to grow and fade depending on her breathing. She grips her hands together and shuts her eyes. "Stop it!! STOP IT!!! I'm not yours!! You're NOT REAL!!"

Astroray-

"Is this not real enough for you?~"

Jack projects into her other ear. He notices the scales rise and fall as panic grips her.

"That's quite a cute little blush I've made for you."

Momo-

"NO!!!" She thrashes her hands on the ground, igniting whatever foliage is around her on fire. "GET OUT OF MY HEAD!"

Astroray-]

Jack sees the creeping fire and decides that he needs to get her moving again if he has any chance of them both getting out alive. Mama would be very upset if her favorite experiment was torched.

"But I'm not in your head, I'm right here."

Jack stands and tucks his ears to his back, making sure his body is concealed by the shadows, yet visible enough to appear as Thiessen's silhouette.

Momo-

Alise opens her eyes for a moment to see the figure. Her mouth opens as if she were to say something, but nothing comes out. A strain in her voice, a whimper, a sigh attempts to form. However, her eyes roll to the back of her head and she promptly passes out. Everything Jack did was simply too much for her to handle.

Astroray-

Jack's ears promptly swivel to the front. He was expecting more of a fight from her, but is pleasantly surprised to find out her own paranoia and panic did most of the work for him. He eyes the quickly creeping flames and he nimbly jumps into the clearing she trapped herself in.

He looks Alise over and dips his head down to listen to her breathing, ensuring she is in fact passed out.

Momo-

She is indeed passed out. Her breathing is weak, but it grows into more slow and even breaths the longer he listens.

Astroray-

Satisfied, he works on picking her up, but finds she is quite heavy. Jack hates the idea of leaving evidence, but feels he has a limited amount of options. He slips a boot off and finds her weight a bit more tollerable. He hoists Alise onto his back and makes his way back to the house with caution.

Once he makes it to the house, he is on high alert. Unsure of when someone may be returning, he sets Alise just inside and closes the backdoor. Jack makes his way to the kicked down entrance of the workshop and gathers a large amount of rope. He drags the rope back and begins to carefully tie her wrists and ankles, being sure to be gentle and not mark up his prize.

Momo-

Alise's breathing seems stable and slow throughout his time there, but as he finishes the wrapping, she starts to stir just a bit.

Astroray-

Jack's eyes widen and he grabs whatever rag he can find and quickly gags her.

Momo-

Alise's eyes open up and she tries to struggle in her bindings. Her hands cant reach the rope, neither can her feet. However, she figures if she struggles long enough, they'll hit something that can catch on fire.

Astroray-

Jack bends down and speaks in what one would consider his "normal" voice.

"Gotcha pretty good, didn't I?"

Momo-

She glares fiercely at him. "MMphh!!" Now that she's seen who he is, he can see that most of the fear she has is long gone and just replaced with rage.

Astroray-

"I'm sorry, I know you were expecting Mama, but don't worry, you'll see her soon enough."

Momo-

Alise shakes her head and tries to sit up and move around.

Astroray-

"Shhh sh sh sh. Don't go makin too much noise now." He then shifts his tone to Levi's "You don't want anyone else involved, do you?"

Momo-

Her eyes widen as he changes his voice. She goes from shock to enraged as he uses Levi's voice. "DHN'T!!" She attempts to call out at him.

Astroray-

"Then we should get going, huh?" He switches back to his own voice and gives her cheek a little pat with his long, clammy fingers. He walks back further into the house and grabs a gauntlet.

"These are a ton lighter than those big ol boots of yours. I think I'll take one of these instead."

With that he tosses it into the air in a cocky manner and moves to hit her upside the head.

Momo-

She starts to panic and she attempts to roll away from his strike.

Astroray-

She rolls out of the way just in time, but the glove just barely nicks her. Jack hisses softly and wraps his tail around her bound ankles. "Stay still would you!"

Momo-

She shakes her head and continues to squirm, trying to yell. Scales start to flare up along her face and arms as she continues to fight back.

Astroray-

"We don't have time for games." He raises the gauntlet again and aims to strike the back of her head.

Momo-

Alise isn't able to move out of the way in time as the back of her head is struck with the gauntlet. Her body goes limp and her struggles finally stop.

Astroray-

Jack ties a rope around the gauntlet and slings it through one of the loops in Alise's bindings. He hoists her up onto his back and he slips out of the house, closing the door behind him. And with that, he vanishes into the night air.

By this point, Jack is exhausted from carrying Alise on his back, but he knows he's getting close.

Momo-

The new base is more of a smaller one than the previous bases they're had. With such a large one destroyed, this base is the base between bases. There are no guards, it's quite simple to just stroll in. Hiding in plain sight. The regular small house has a basement, however, and the basement is more extensive than one would expect. There are two main rooms; a study, and an empty room for potential or emergency experiement containment. The study is closed, but Jack can hear the distinct sounds of his mama tapping her pen against the table while she thinks.

Astroray-

Jack swallows deeply before knocking on the door gently. "Mama...? May I come in?"

Momo-

"... come in." Her voice, cold, yet a pleasant tone rings through his ears. "You're back later than usual. Is something wrong?"

Astroray-

He opens the door just a crack and pops part of his body in, Alise isn't quite in, but something is clearly on his back. "No! Actually, I have a surprise just for you."

Momo-

"Hm...?" She spins in her chair to look over at the door. Her light blonde hair is pulled back in a ponytail, the reflection of her glasses momentarily covering her eyes, but during the swing, Jack can see the two bright blue orbs stare into him, then glance to his back. "A present? Aw sweetie...." She smiles a bit. "You know we don't have any room here right now."

Astroray-

"But! I'm sure we can make room for this one. She's special." He comes in fully and reveals his prize. One neatly wrapped Alise and a sample gauntlet.

Momo-

Thiessen's eyes widen and her whole body goes still. Jack can even hear the sound of her breathing until she finally stands up from her seat and walks over to him. "... That's... .... Jack...." Slowly, a smile crosses over her face as she gains an excited look in her eyes. "You found her.... Aw- Jack-!" Her voice starts to rise and giggle with glee.

Astroray-

"Did I do good? I made sure to get one of the gloves she's been using, too! I thought you might like that." Jack starts to giggle as well as a prideful grin spreads across his face.

Momo-

"Jack, you did more than good. You were FANTASTIC! You're simply marvelous my dear Jack~!" She kneels down beside him so that she can be eye level at him. "We'll have to celebrate. I'll need to shop for a huge feast for us."

Astroray-

He starts to jump a bit, but tries to restrain himself as the jerking could wake Alise up. "Yes!! Yes! I'm so happy you're happy! I knew you'd like it! I knew it!"

Momo-

"I'm more than happy. You brought back something very important to my work, Jack...." Her usual excited smile turns into something softer. She gently lifts her hand up and slowly runs it across the top of his head. "You were very good... I'm so proud of you."

Astroray-

He watches her hand lift and tenses up before it comes down. Jack leans into the touch as Thiessen runs her hand down. "Thank you, Mama, thank you...."

Momo-

She rubs his head a bit longer before standing up. "Now, let's get her into the other room. I'll need to sedate her longer so we can eat. Can't be making progress on empty stomachs now!"

Astroray-

"You're right!" He practically spins on his heels and makes his way to the spare room, checking back every now and again to catch a glimpse of his mother's happy smile.