Hunters in Wonderland [plot: invite only]

It had become apparent at this point Garrus was making no effort to keep his "heroic" act. His face kept the scowl he wore as he coughed up more blood into his hand. He wiped the blood off his gauntlet before he noticed Malina strolling towards him with Manticore seeming to be ready to do something. His face lost the scowl and he gave a slight smirk, although it was a different one than usual, this one seemed to be more from amusement than just something he stuck on at the end of a poorly-made speech. "I assume you are going to hit me in the face for failing right now eh? Go ahead"

"Please. I want to get out of here, not cripple our chances of getting out." Malina said as she approached the man. "Lay down on the ground. You need some help, and out glorious leader decided a girl was more important." As the man lay down on the grass Malina watched the irregular rise and fall of his chest and the blood on his hands. "Major internal bleeding I don-" Malina bite her tongue before kneeling down next to the man and resting Manticore's stinger along his right arm and in between the armor plating. "I'm going to slow down your heart rate to reduce blood loss. You might feel nauseous and need some help walking but getting there slower is better then getting there dead." She said before Manticore poked into Garrus' skin, administering the serum into his blood stream. After a good second Manticore popped itself out and retracted from between the armor plating. Malina stood up and looked down at Garrus. "Alright, Garrus, try to stand up."

With the argument about Calibur done, Emerald walks over to Malina and Garrus, asking in an emotionless tone, "What were his injuries? Is he going to be alright?" In his head he hears, Who cares! Leave him behind! The less dead weight the better! He'll be more of an asset, than a hindrance if he's alright. And we'll need as many people on our side to get out of here. Ugh! Emerald waited for an answer to his question.

Garrus nodded after a moment, although admittedly he did feel different. He managed to get onto his feet and wobbled a little bit as he tried to keep his balance. "You weren't kidding about it being difficult to walk." As the man forced himself to stand upright he spoke again "Thanks, I owe you". It had became obvious that the amount of bleeding had also affected his balance alongside what Malina had given him, even so, he was thankful that she was there to give that to him. He remained silent for the time unless anyone asked him anything or spoke to him, although the scowl he wore before was gone.

"Why so serious?"

A voice spoke to Garrus from nowhere. It was a male's voice but there was a sort of reverberating echo in its sound as if a second and third person was talking slightly slower than it at the same time. It sound whispy and tired, coming from literally nowhere.

Confused by the voice, Emerald starts looking around for the point of origin. That is odd. What the hell was that! Should we really be surprised by anything that happens here? Not really, but that won't stop us. Looking around Emerald decides he won't find the voice. Instead he asks, "Who are you? Why don't you show yourself?"

"Emerald?" Alice asked, looking at him curiously, "Who are you talking to?"

"I'm just a lost soul unrecognized by the rest of Wonderland," the disembodied voice echoed. Alice continued to stare at Emerald in confusion.

David spoke up now. "It seems Alice that a lost soul has come to us." He said to her before talking to the voice. "Pardon me but could you tell us why you have come to us?" He asked as politely as possible.

"Who?" Alice asked, tilting her head in wonder.

"Who are you all talking to?" Calibur questioned, looking around.

"They can not hear me," the voice explained. "You see, even though I am here I am not present. I am everywhere in Wonderland but at the same time I am nowhere. I am the part of Wonderland that no longer exists but at the same time can never be gone."

David began to think to himself. Is he saying he is wonderland.........brain teasers are fun. David soon sat down to think about the statement for awhile. He's everywhere...yet nowhere. He was but still is........Time?

"Oh don't treat everything like a riddle," the voice echoed out on context to everyone other than David. "I'm simply one who is unrecognized by the rest of Wonderland, but my existence is necessary. It was fairly boring up until now but ever since you guys came I've had a lot of fun. You have brought to this land what it was devoid of, being me. I thank you for that. Our adventures together have been enjoyable."

David heard the voice and was still amazed. I see you can read minds. If I might ask who did you embody in Wonderland before your physical forms demise. He thought as he just snacked on a ghost pepper.

"Oh I still have a form," the voice answered matter-of-factly, "I just can't move from where I am. My presence can reach out for miles despite, and I can take shapes to represent myself, but in the end my power is pointless here for no one recognizes my existence. It's so boring because of that. I've been asleep constantly with nothing else to do."

David heard one word. 'Asleep'. Any possibility of us finding you?....and if it can be done and we do it....would you aid us? He asked as he ate. He thought that most people here was crazy, but he figured it's best to be polite anyway.

"Oh, but you've already met me," the voice chuckled, "And I've certainly met all of you. I've been watching you since you all arrived and got to know each and every one of you personally. Most of you interested me. You possess something that this land was devoid of. I couldn't help but entice that of course. It's so wonderful being recognized again after so long. Now I have finally reached out to one of you and I was so joyful that I decided to talk to you all."

David soon thought to himself. "So tell us why not speak sooner........Dorm?" He asked politely as he continued to eat.

"Dorm? That's who this is? Well it does make sense," Emerald says. What! The guy that shot at us? Let me out! I want to fight him, right now! He isn't here. And yet he is. Gah! Screw this nonsense! I'm getting sick of it! Emerald sighs and looks up at the sky since that was the most general direction to speak to. "So are you Dorm? Or are you someone we haven't seen yet?" he asks.

"Ah~ how nice," the voice hummed pleasantly, "So you do remember me! That is right. I am none other than the one and only, the persona of Fear, Nightmare Dorm. Sorry I can't come in person, but as I've said, I can't leave the forest of insanity. But my oh my, you've all made things so much more interesting lately."

David raised an eyebrow. "Why can't you leave the forest?" David asked as he finished off his pepper. He wiped his mouth of and just waited on Dorm's response. He then looked to Alice to see if she was still confused.

"Why can't who leave the forest?" Alice asked curiously.

"That's why," Dorm's voice deadpanned. "You see, fear does not exist here for Byron knows none, and thus I can not enter the rest of Wonderland. The forest of insanity is an exception for it is the sole space where fear can exist. After all, one's insanity is created of fear and paranoia alike. Here, others can see me and recognize me. I am able to exist, even though I am a minor player who by right has no place in this world. But my nightmares are able to come out here in my place."

David looked to Alice. "Dorm." He then began to speak again. "I see. The mad man has no fear. Anyway, what happens if you ever try to leave the forest, would you just reappear there, or just cease to exist?"

"Fear is necessary so it cannot simply not exist," Dorm explained. "How should I put this. If I walked out of the forest then... Well imagine this. You know who you are and you know that you are you, but as you see others they cannot see you. They cannot touch you. You cannot be heard, you can not be felt. You are unable to interact with anything in the world. You are... an illusion. A dream. A nightmare. That is what I will become."

David nodded slowly as he understood. "I see. So you can move about freely, but cannot interact with anyone or anything. Interesting." David said as he folded his wings in a chair and took a seat. "Dorm, tell me why have you revealed your self now?" He asked as he poured himself a small cup of tea from his canister in his backpack.

"It's because I'm happy," the voice replied simply, "Happy that I have finally found fear in this world and happy that I have finally done my job. You see, the objective of fear is to make itself known. Fear is a force made to have the sole desire to do this. And now I have done what as fear I have always wanted to do. I have finally managed to break someone. Break someone to the point of acceptance, to the point where I have re-written his whole character."

The wind picked up, blasting with the force of a typhoon for only the shortest amount of time as suddenly a massive creature the size of a mini van appeared, floating in the air and staring at a certain someone with eyes sewn shut, curled up as if forever sleeping.

Spoiler:

"Isn't that right...?" Dorm's echoing voice resonated from it, "Garrus...?"

Garrus was visibly surprised when he was suddenly acknowledged by Dorm. He gave a small bemused grin as he stared up at the floating creature. "Well, you aren't completely wrong, I guess I can finally drop that "act finally" he said the word "act" with disgust as if it had tortured him for his whole life, although the heroic act he did do had tortured him infact, he was tired of the pressure of having to keep it up and honestly, it felt nice for him to be able to act how he ACTUALLY was for a change. "I suppose I should thank you, but you are still the enemy" Garrus chuckled slightly as he took a step toward the creature. "I have to admit, you are one of my favorite demons that I've met so far"