"I wouldn't joke about that!" Ghent's shrill response turned into a yelp as Elayra pulled him out of view. Believing his nemesis had been spotted, he sank down to hide, his back pressed against the dirty brick wall. "[i]What?[/i] Is she coming?"
	Impatient for an answer, Ghent stood on his tiptoes to peek over the bags of garbage. Seeing the sedan, he gasped and dropped back to his normal height, just in time to receive a much needed shake. 
	Ghent stared at the girl from underneath his hood, rain dripping down his face. The suddenness of the action shocked him back to his senses and rendered him speechless all at once. This wasn't at all like the comics.
	[i]Some hero,[/i] he chided himself, regretting his foolishness in ever agreeing to this madness. He started to protest that he had every reason to panic, only he never got the chance to explain. One shove later, Ghent was back on track.
	"Okay, okay!" Amazingly, Ghent regained his footing using nothing to stabilize himself. A dumpster lid was within reach, but he didn't want to grab onto it. There was as much filth on the outside as there was on the inside.
	Fueled by fear, Ghent fled the scene, his imagination running with him. As much as he feared the horrors of Wonderland, he feared being caught by the police even more. It didn't help that the Book Barn was several blocks away. There was plenty of time to be caught before they reached the portal.
	Inwardly cursing Miles for choosing the boutique as their distraction, Ghent lead Elayra through maze of buildings. The alleyways were pitted with dozens of potholes filled to the brim with water, none of which Ghent bothered to miss. His sneakers were soaked clean through, as was most of his clothing. There was no point in dodging what he'd already failed to avoid.
	"It's just up ahead!" Ironically, they'd arrived to the same alley William was discovered in the day before. Without a second thought, Ghent started to dash past the last dumpster when he was jerked to a rough halt. Out of nowhere, a hand had latched onto his backpack.
	"Slow down, boy!" Miles pushed Ghent backwards, extending an arm out to stop Elayra if necessary. "You want to get us caught?!" As if to prove his point, a car sped past.
	"Miles!" Gasping for breath, Ghent moved his hands to his knees. "You didn't," he panted, wishing he'd taken his former gym class a little more seriously. "You didn't shoot anyone, right?" 
	Miles lowered his arm, cocking a brow. "Unlike you, I'm not an idiot." He pat his side, the pistol concealed by his smoke infused coat. "Created a distraction. So did you two, by the sounds of it." He hacked a laugh, eyes glistening with revenge. "Old bat running that place got me a ticket for loitering."
	Ghent straightened, taking the words like a slap to the face. "Are you freaking kidding me?" He threw his hands up, pacing in a line between the two Wonderlanders. "You had us run across town and bust a window over a TICKET?!"
	Miles shrugged with one shoulder. "It's my last day here. I wanted revenge." Shoving his hands into his pockets, he looked into the street, confident that the police were scattered and nowhere near the Book Barn.
	"Alright, girl...your turn to lead." The drunkard looked behind his shoulder, reverting back the skittish behavior he'd displayed upon first meeting the blonde. "Where's the portal?"