[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/72bEcUi.png[/img][/center]
[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/K2ssvzh.png[/img][/center]

Lily giggled at Pentius-04’s words.
[color=fff200]”That’s fine, if Kannis wants me to wait even more I’ll do it. Oh, and Kannis was, um, Doctor Nykannis, Queen of the Mad…something something…I forgot. Well, I think Kannis is a cuter name for her anyway~”[/color]
She kept listening to the meeting with an absentminded look. She looked surprised by Ronin’s foul language, and gave a her a sad look, as if Ronin broke her image of being a wholesome little samurai girl by cussing like a sailor, though she didn’t voice such sentiments.

Justine nodded as Kayli brought up her ability to counter Wonderland’s enchanting effect.
[color=bc8dbf]”That’s good to hear. Maybe we could combine our magic and develop a method to duplicate or spread that effect to all groups. From my experience, I can tell that when different magical girls combine spells, the results are usually much more powerful than the sum of their parts."[/color] She giggled a bit awkwardly at that, having remembered how such results were often aimed at her in particular. But eh, that was in the past. And now she wasn’t too proud to combine forces with others.

Suddenly, the peace of the meeting was shattered, and Lily was startled by Binky’s freakout, followed by Penny’s sudden cursing and revelation.
[color=fff200]”Huh? Brittany was abducted?”[/color] Though she didn’t really understand most of the Cradle-related issues, she did remember the cute little shopkeeper, and was worried. 
[color=fff200]”Me and Alex haven’t seen her…”[/color]
Her mind went back to the park, and the girl that Alexander went to meet. As she realized how unusually late Alex was with returning from there, a dark speck of unease began building up in her.
[color=fff200]”Yeah, that’s fine. I-I’ll just quickly go grab Alex outside and catch him up to speed.”[/color]
She then left the Interdimensional Home. Justine, however, landed back on the floor with a shaken expression upon hearing the news through her magicoms, and followed after the other Cradle agents.
[color=bc8dbf]”Mistress Maura…What happened?"[/color] She quietly spoke as she left through the door as well.

As if tagging in, Lily promptly returned back to the meeting, looking pale with her entire body shaking.
[color=fff200]”ALEX HAS DISAPPEARED!”[/color] She screamed.

[hr]
Alex could hear Brittany sigh in relief as she heard Alex respond back to her. However, she soon turned silent as the footsteps in the distance became louder.

“Well now, I believe in impossible things for half an hour every day, but this is something else.”

Beyond his prison cell, Alex could see [url=https://i.imgur.com/xB5UMBV.png]a regal if strange girl holding a book[/url]. She smiled and opened her book with one hand, quickly checking the contents. “Let’s see what the Lilliputians have reported…Brittany Todd, merchant affiliated with Penrose Sanctuary. I see, I see. Nothing special.” Then she looked over at Alex with an uncanny smile.
“But you are the more interesting one, Alexander Shields.” She quickly glanced at the passage she came from, and then nodded. “Yes…You might be just what I have waited for.” She pulled out a thin scroll case made from white wood. “Let’s play a little game. The Queen of Hearts will arrive at any moment now.” She handed the scroll case to him through the bars. “If you can keep this scroll case concealed from her and her guards, I will give you a chance to escape. But in return, you must deliver it to the Guardian. When you do, tell her that I can read the words of one letter.”

Before Alex could speak or ask questions, a booming voice could be heard:
“Duchess, where are the prisoners!?”
The Duchess turned, and gave one last glance back at Alex. “Good luck, Prince Charming,” she whispered, and stepped aside as the Queen of Hearts herself appeared, escorted by spade soldiers.

“So these are the prisoners captured from Penrose?” She asked the Duchess, and she nodded.
“That’s right. Is he to your standards, your Majesty?” The Duchess asked, and the Queen furrowed her eyebrows, and then gave a deranged smile.
“Hmm…Yes, he is acceptable. He will make for an excellent unbirthday present for my dear Alice.”

[hr]
Al sighed heavily as Chloe asked confirmation on the conditions, and tapped his fingers on the desk. “Chloe, look…If this were any other broad, I would have crumpled and thrown this paper straight to the basket. Any other broker would have called it quits now, but not me! I picked this up and kept the business rolling. You know how? You gotta see the big picture. Whatever this Queen wants is peanuts compared to the cash we’re raking in from-”

At that moment, the vintage phone on his desk rang, and he held a quick hand to silence the two as he picked it up.
“Al here…Yes…Yes…Wukong-WHAT!” His eyes widened, and his expression turned into a snarl.
“Dammit, so she did set it up as a smokescreen after all…I’m coming in there. You better prepare all the intel beforehand, or I’ll start chopping fingers!” He slammed the phone down, and stood up from his desk.
“Change of plans, Chloe,” he said as he conjured a suitcase and frantically dragged stuff from the office with shadowy hands into it. As he did, Warren noticed that he dropped a golden scroll to the floor that he didn’t pick up.
“I gotta go take care of something. Might be gone for a while. You’re running Penrose for now.”
He shut the suitcase, and tipped his hat to the two of them.
“For now, work on a compromise, but make sure that our deal with Covington goes through, and that Covington Tower survives the invasion. Get the gacha hustle running. But most importantly, keep the lights on while I’m gone. Goodbye.”
And with that, he melted into the shadows, and disappeared.