The transition from the champagne-soaked decks of the Admire to the neon-lit thoroughfares of the Royal Road was jarring. The artificial sky above the central district simulated a lazy, overcast afternoon, a stark contrast to the brilliant sunrise Arthur had witnessed on the surface only hours prior.
He was navigating the pedestrian crowds, when the temperature seemed to drop ten degrees in a five-meter radius. People parted instinctively, creating a wide berth around two figures standing near a holographic directory.
One was tall, radiating an aura of imperious nobility, dressed in a heavy winter coat that defied the Ark's climate control. The other was petite, clad in a pink bodysuit and bunny-eared headset, bouncing on the balls of her feet with restless energy.
"Ludmilla? Alice?" Arthur blinked, half-convinced he was hallucinating from sleep deprivation.
The tall woman turned. Ludmilla, the Snow Queen of Unlimited, looked as regal and out of place here as a glacier in a greenhouse. Her eyes narrowed slightly before recognition softened her icy demeanor. "Commander Cousland. I did not expect to encounter you amidst this... clamor."
"Rabbity!" Alice squealed, abandoning her examination of the directory to tackle Arthur in a hug that strained the servos of his goddesium arms. "You're here! Is this the burrow? Did you dig all the way down here?"
Arthur patted the pink-haired Nikke's head, steadying her. "It's good to see you, Alice. What are you two doing in the Ark? I thought you never left the northern base."
"Supply logistics and a mandatory firmware diagnostic for Alice," Ludmilla explained with a weary sigh. "Mustang insisted. However, my presence is required at Tetra headquarters for a debriefing regarding a Rapture incident. Alice, unfortunately, finds the lobby... restricting."
Alice puffed out her cheeks. "It was boring! The chairs were too hard, and there were no rabbits, and the lady at the desk said I couldn't climb the statue."
Arthur smiled. "I can see how that would be a problem."
Ludmilla looked at Arthur, a silent calculation running behind her eyes. "I expect to be occupied for at least three hours. It is not safe for her to wander unattended, yet she is becoming agitated."
"I can watch her," Arthur offered without hesitation. "We can tour the district."
Alice gasped, her eyes sparkling. "An adventure? With Rabbity? Can we go find the Hatter?"
Ludmilla's shoulders relaxed, a rare crack in her armor. "That would be... agreeable. She trusts you, Arthur. Do not let her stray."
"I'll guard her with my life," Arthur promised.
"See that you do." Ludmilla nodded once, sharp and precise, then swept away toward the transit hub, the crowd parting for her like water before a prow.
Arthur turned to Alice, offering his human hand. "Well, Alice. Where to first?"
She took his hand, her grip surprisingly strong. "Somewhere warm! But cold! Like home, but sweet!"
Arthur chuckled. "I know just the place."
Twenty minutes later, they sat in a booth at Café Sweety. The establishment was quieter than usual; Sugar was likely still recovering from the gala, leaving the shop in the hands of her squadmates. Arthur had ordered the 'Winter Special,' and when the drone delivered it, Alice's jaw dropped.
It was less a cup of coffee and more a structural engineering marvel. A mug of hot chocolate was buried beneath a spiraling tower of whipped cream that stood nearly a foot tall, dusted with edible silver glitter and blue sugar crystals.
"It's snow!" Alice whispered, poking the cream with a spoon. She swiveled her head rapidly, scanning the corners of the café. "Is the Queen here? Did she make this?"
"Not the Snow Queen," Arthur corrected, leaning back as he sipped a black coffee. "This is the work of the Cream Queen."
Alice's eyes widened. "The Cream Queen? Is she nice?"
"She's very sleepy," Arthur said, thinking of Frima, who was currently draped over the counter in the back like a discard pile of laundry, fast asleep. "She rules over the Land of Naps and Cloudy Cream."
Alice took a massive bite of the whipped cream, getting a dollop on her nose. She giggled, the sound pure and infectious. "Elysium is amazing, Rabbity. There are so many Queens here. And the snow tastes like clouds!"
Arthur watched her, feeling the tension of the impending Sector 14 mission uncoil slightly. Alice's world was a delusion, yes—a protective layer of fairy tales wrapped around the trauma of being a weapon of war—but sitting here, watching her marvel at sugary foam, it was hard not to wish the world really was that simple.
"I'm glad you like it," he said softly.
Once the mountain of cream was conquered, leaving Alice with a sugar rush that made her vibrate, they ventured back out onto the street. Alice was fascinated by everything—the neon signs, the vending machines, the cleaning drones scuttling along the gutters.
"Look!" She pointed at a bookstore tucked between a weapon shop and a cybernetics clinic. The window display was filled with old-world hardcovers. "A library of secrets!"
Arthur checked the time. He still had two hours. "Let's take a look."
The interior of the shop smelled of old paper and dust, a scent that grounded Arthur instantly. It was a stark contrast to the sterile recycled air of the Command Center. Alice wandered the aisles as if walking through a cathedral, running her fingertips along the spines.
"So many worlds," she murmured, her voice hushed with reverence. "Do they all have happy endings, Rabbity?"
"Not all of them," Arthur admitted, pulling a book on pre-war naval history from a shelf and putting it back. "But the best ones usually do."
Alice stopped in the fiction section, looking overwhelmed. Her head swiveled back and forth, trying to process the hundreds of titles. "I don't know which one to pick. The Queen usually chooses for me. If I pick the wrong one, maybe the story will be sad."
Arthur scanned the shelf near her. His eyes landed on a familiar spine, a reprint with a blue and white cover. He pulled it out.
"How about this one?" he asked, handing it to her.
Alice took the book, reading the title slowly. "Alice's... Adventures... in Wonderland."
She froze. Her eyes locked onto the cover illustration—a girl falling down a rabbit hole. Her breathing hitched, a small, confused sound escaping her throat. She traced the letters of her name.
"Is something wrong?" Arthur asked, concern spiking. He knew Nikke memory triggers could be volatile.
"No," Alice whispered, clutching the book to her chest. A tear slid down her cheek, though she was smiling. "I... I remember this. I used to read it. Every day. Before... before the cold."
She looked up at him, her pink eyes shimmering. "It's my book, Rabbity. It's really mine."
"It is now," Arthur said firmly. He took it gently from her hands, walked to the counter, and paid the credits. When he handed it back to her, she accepted it like a holy relic.
"For me?" she asked.
"A gift," Arthur said. "To welcome you to Elysium."
Alice beamed, holding the book so tight her knuckles turned white. "It really is Elysium. You're the best, Rabbity! Better than the Hatter. Better than the Cheshire Cat!"
They left the shop as the artificial sky began to dim, simulating twilight. The streetlights flickered on, casting long, orange shadows across the pavement. They found a bench near a small synthetic park, and Arthur sat down to check his messages while Alice eagerly opened her new book.
"It was a good day," Alice declared, tracing the first illustration. "We ate clouds, and we found my story."
"It was," Arthur agreed.
Suddenly, a sharp, piercing whistle cut through the air, followed by the frantic slap of boots on concrete.
"Stop! In the name of the A.C.P.U.!" a voice shrieked.
Arthur looked up just as a blur of blue uniform sprinted past the park entrance. It was Poli, her police hat askew, chasing a hooded figure clutching a bag. The suspect vaulted a low railing with practiced ease.
Poli attempted to follow, but her foot caught on the curb. She went down hard, yelping as she skidded across the pavement, her baton clattering away.
"Ow! stupid... gravity!" Poli groaned, trying to scramble up, but the suspect was already gaining distance, heading toward a crowded market alley.
Arthur's combat instincts overrode his babysitting duty. The suspect was heading toward a civilian density zone; if he was armed or desperate, people would get hurt.
He stood up abruptly. "Alice, stay here. Do not move from this bench."
Alice looked up from her book, blinking. "Is it a game of tag?"
"Something like that," Arthur said, already moving. "Wait for me. I'll be right back."
"Okay, Rabbity! Win the game!" Alice cheered, waving her hand.
Arthur sprinted toward Poli, hauling the dazed officer to her feet with his prosthetic arm. "You okay?"
"Commander?" Poli blinked, adjusting her glasses. "He stole a box of evidentiary hard drives! He's heading for the tube station!"
"Flank left," Arthur ordered, breaking into a run. "I'll cut him off at the intersection."
He left the park behind, the sounds of the chase swallowing him.
***
Alice sat on the bench, swinging her legs. She watched Rabbity disappear into the shadows, feeling a swell of pride. Rabbity was fast. He would definitely catch the runner.
She looked down at the book in her lap. The cover felt smooth and cool. Rabbity had bought this for her. He had bought her the cloud-coffee, too. He was always giving her things.
A small frown creased her forehead. She hadn't given him anything. In the stories, friends exchanged gifts. It wasn't fair if only she was happy.
"Excuse me, little miss."
Alice looked up. A man was standing at the edge of the park path. He wore a long, drab coat and a hat pulled low, but he was smiling. He had a round, friendly face, though his eyes darted around nervously.
"Are you waiting for someone?" the man asked.
"I'm waiting for Rabbity," Alice said cheerfully. "He's playing tag with the blue girl."
"Ah, Rabbity," the man nodded, as if he knew exactly who that was. He took a step closer, keeping his hands in his pockets. "You look like a nice girl. Do you like candy?"
Alice tilted her head. "I like sweet things. Like the Cream Queen makes."
The man chuckled dryly. "Well, I'm a candyman. I have a shop just around the corner. We have chocolates, lollipops, sugar stars... all kinds of things."
Alice hesitated. Rabbity had said to stay. But the man seemed nice. He was smiling, just like the Cheshire Cat.
"I... I have to wait," Alice said, clutching her book.
The man's smile didn't waver, but his voice dropped, becoming conspiratorial. "That's a shame. I saw your friend run off. He looked like he was working very hard. Don't you think he'd like a surprise when he gets back? Maybe... a gift?"
Alice perk up. "A gift?"
"For Rabbity," the man pressed. "I have some special hero-candy. It gives energy to people who run fast. If you come with me, you could buy some for him. It would make him very happy."
Alice bit her lip. She looked in the direction Arthur had gone. He did run fast. And she wanted to see him smile, the way she smiled when she got the book.
"Is it far?" she asked.
"Just right there," the man pointed to a darkened alleyway between two warehouses. "Two minutes. We'll be back before he even catches the bad guy."
Alice looked at the book, then at the man. Her logic, twisted by innocence and the desire to be good, locked into place. If she got the candy, she would be a good friend. Rabbity would be so proud.
She stood up.
"Okay," Alice said, hugging the book to her chest. "But we have to be fast. Like a hare."
"Fast as lightning," the man promised, his eyes glinting as he extended a hand. "Come along, little miss."
She took his hand. It was clammy, not warm like Arthur's, but she ignored the feeling. She followed him away from the safety of the streetlights, stepping into the shadows of the alley, dreaming of the smile on Rabbity's face when she gave him the magic candy.
***
Ten minutes later, Arthur returned to the park, his chest heaving slightly. The chase had been short; the thief had stumbled into a dead end, and Poli had secured him with aggressive enthusiasm. Arthur had left her processing the arrest to hurry back.
"Sorry that took so long, Alice, I—"
The words died in his throat.
The bench was empty.
Arthur stopped, scanning the area. "Alice?"
No pink bodysuit. No bunny ears. The park was deserted save for a cleaning drone sweeping leaves.
A cold pit opened in Arthur's stomach, far deeper than the chill of the northern wastes. He walked to the bench. There was no sign of a struggle. But on the ground, lying open near the leg of the bench, was the book.
*Alice's Adventures in Wonderland* lay face down in the dirt, its spine cracked.
Arthur knelt and picked it up. He looked around wildly. Nothing. No heat signature matching her frame. She was gone.
"Alice!" he shouted, his voice echoing off the concrete walls.
Silence answered him.
He gripped the book, the paper crumpling under the force of his goddesium fingers. He had promised Ludmilla. He had promised *her*.
He tapped his comms. "Rapi. Emergency priority."
"Commander?" Rapi's voice was instant, sharp.
"Mobilize the squad," Arthur said, his voice dropping to a terrifying calm. "And get Exia on the line. I need access to every camera in Sector Five. Now."
"What happened?" Rapi asked.
Arthur looked at the dark alleyways stretching out like the mouths of hungry beasts.
"Someone took Alice."