POV Rio
"What'cha doin'?" Cadance asks as she enters my office.
"Hi, love. I'm just watching the recording of these trappers on Mount Desert Island," I say with a smile.
"Why?" Cadance asks with a baffled tone.
"Well, this group has been building a settlement, or homestead, admittedly, I'm fully clear myself. But that's besides the point. They've been working on this project for... 3 months now," I reply.
"3 months? How many people do they have in their group?" Cadance asks.
"They started with 33, but they now have 19," I say with a slight chuckle.
Cadance looks at me with a raised eyebrow and gives me the continue gesture.
"So, why I've been watching them is because there's been a cougar that mauls them every so often. It comes out of nowhere, mauls one of them, and then runs away. Sometimes it attacks multiple times a day other times it will go days without an attack. But what makes it hilarious is that the Trappers just ignore it," I say with an amused smile.
"What? What do you mean, they ignore it? How can you ignore getting mauled by a wild animal?" Cadance asks with a disbelieving tone.
"I honestly have no idea. And it gets crazier. The cougar doesn't even go for the kill; it just arrives, mauls someone, then leaves for a time. The Trappers know they are getting hurt, but they just patch themselves up and move on. And the cougar is also special, as it looks like the usual prewar variety. Which is really weird for a lot of reasons. I'm pretty sure cougars haven't stalked this area for hundreds of years before the Great War, not to mention the radiation, but it's not a threat to anyone other than the Trappers," I ponder.
Cadance looks mobidly curious but also conflicted. Like she wants to watch but is also not sure she wants to watch it. She shakes her head and looks back at me.
"Well, I'll watch it later if I feel like it but that's not why I came here. Preston told me to tell you that Mr. House seems to have escaped. And he made sure that if he couldn't have New Vegas, nobody could. And beyond that, the United Empires Empress has invited you to a dinner party," Cadance says that last part with air quotes.
"Well, I guess I can see what wacky trap they have set up for me," I reply witha shrug.
"You're really going to just walk into a trap?" Cadance says with a really look.
"What? We have already infiltrated the United Empire extensively. We know for certain that they don't have anything to threaten me. In fact, the last report I got indicated that they don't even have ammo beyond arrows. They use swords and knives. So yeah, I might as well see what crazy scheme they made up. It'll be fun. And if they somehow surprise me, I have so many life-saving skills I can guarantee I can escape," I assure Cadance.
"Sigh. Fine, fine. Go have fun, but if you get hurt... Let's just say you don't want to find out," Cadance threatens.
I shiver and nod repeatedly.
"Yep, got it, don't get hurt," I say and kiss her.
Sometime Later...
The meeting place was a totally not suspicious facility near the capital of the United Empire. And I totally didn't see the several hundred armed guards and personnel working below the ground in said facility. I arrive at the dining room and greet the woman whom I know to be Empress Alice.
"Well, Empress, I made it, despite your directions," I say with only slight annoyance, as they really didn't give me the best directions to this place.
"Ah, General Rio, welcome. I hope you're ready for an unforgettable dinner. The foods to die for! AHAHAHAHAHA! Just ah, just a little food humor," Alice says with an evil cackle.
"Uh-huh," I say while trying to avoid rolling my eyes.
I see a staff memeber that seems to be trying to get Alice's attention. When she sees them, she looks a bit annoyed.
"Excuse me for a moment," Alice says as I take a seat.
They go a distance away and start talking in a whisper, despite the lower volume, I can hear them clearly.
"What do you mean you lost the poison?! I made it specifically for Rio. It was even labeled Rio's Poison!" Alice says with anger.
"Yes, well, um, someone might have mistaken it for a poison taken from Rio and... poured it down the sink," the staff says with a grimace.
I swear that if I could see her face, she would have a massive eye twitch. Instead, I hear her facepalm and a groan.
"Okay, okay, I'll deal with it. Just get out and make everybody else leave us," Alice says with an annoyed tone.
She walks back in with a fake smile and takes her seat across from me.
"Sorry about that, now where were we?" Alice asks.
"We hadn't even started," I reply.
"Ehem, ah yes, that, well, you see... AHAH!" Alice says as metal clamps burst from the chair and seal me in.
I don't flinch and just raise an eyebrow.
"Now I'm sure you are shocked by the sudden betrayal! But this is all for very good reasons. You see, you've made me quite upset," Alice says with a massive smile.
"And how did I do that?" I ask.
"You helped that a*shole Robert! You helped him escape. And you gave him all those robots that killed so many of my people!" Alice says with anger.
"Robert? Like Robert House?" I ask.
"YES! That b@stard was mine to kill, but now all that has been foiled by YOU!" Alice yells.
"He asked for robots for self-defence and bought them at fair market value, as for helping him escape, I had no involvement in that," I reply.
During our discussion, one of her goons had come in and started wheeling me deeper into the facility with Alice walking beside me.
"Don't lie to me, RIO!" Alice all but screams.
"Okay, fine, whatever, what does that have to do with capturing me? That would only cause yet more war," I say with a roll of my eyes.
"I'm glad you asked. You see, I captured you for more than just a prisoner exchange. You have something that I want. Magic," Alice says with a wide smile.
It was at this point that I realized she had a decent mana capacity. Not as great as Cait, but pretty good.
"Which brings me to this... BEHOLD, the DE-MAGICINATOR!" Alice yells as we arrive in a massive chamber.
I look at the device and quickly figure out what it does.
"Now, I'm sure your curious what it does. It's very simple. It drains the magic and life force from one being and gives it to me. It's how I have stayed so pristine for nearly 250 years," Alice says with a smug grin.
"Impressive, I would clap, but my hands are unavailable," I say sarcastically.
My sarcasm goes right over her head, and she takes the compliment.
"Ah, ah, ah, I won't be tricked that easily. I won't be letting you out of those unbreakable restraints. But I bet you must be dying to know why I built this machine," Alice says.
"Not particularly," I comment.
"Well, you see, it all started when I was a child..." Alice starts telling her tragic backstory.
The backstory was... okay. A bit long. As it went on for about 30 minutes, and I felt like it would have been easier to understand if this was a flashback sequence but instead she just stared off into the distance and narrated her backstory.
"That's why I will drain your magic and prove that I am not a failure to my family's legacy," Alice says with a massive manic smile.
"Uh-huh, are you perhaps related to a man named Heinz Doofenshmirtz?" I ask.
"Huh? Yeah, I think I had a cousin named that, how did you know?" Alice answer seriusly, and that caused me to legitimately pause and process what I had just heard.
"Uh, a lucky guess?" I say with growing confusion.
Alice nods as if that makes sense and seems ready to move on. But I decided to ask something that I might regret.
"What does any of this have to do with Mr. House?" I ask.
"GRRRRRR! That b@stard took everything from me! I was a famous movie star! I was the cream of the crop! I had everything, but Robert had me replaced with another woman who didn't have half the acting talent as me!" Alice says, and music starts to play.
"Tell me she's not going to..." I say.
"She is," the goon responds.
(AN: Play [Bendy And The Ink Machine Chapter 3 Song] All Eyes On Me by OR3O on YouTube for the song if you want. There should be an instrumental if you want that instead. )
"Long, long time ago
I had my our own little show
Was a beautiful, lovable angel
But he took the spotlight, shining so bright
Left me to fade away
But honey, now the turn is mine
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Alice appears in a fancy dress with white wings and is surrounded by flashes of cameras, but the image fractures, and she desperately grabs after the fading light. But as she falls Mr House and a blank-faced woman take her spotlight. When she falls, her wings turn black and decayed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A devil made from heaven, sent from above
Looks like Henry's got a little date, let's have some fun
We've got lots to do, little errand boy
Come to me at cloud nine
To be the perfect angel, some sin must be done
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You told me what to do and what to say, I couldn't escape
You got to choose the ending of my fate. You put me astray
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
But not anymore!
I'm in control!
I have the stage
You can't turn the page
Now all eyes on me!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A spotlight appears over her, and many illusory eyes also appear. Her wings start to grow back with glossy white feathers. A picture of Mr. House full of darts shows up, and Alice grabs it off the wall before tossing it into a trash bin. But the music drops down a level and takes on a slightly darker tone. As a skull I have seen before shows up from the shadows.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
So many experiments, so many mistakes
But I'll go all the way till I'm in the perfect shape
First is worst, maybe the third's the charm!
So close! Oh! I cannot wait
The demon won't taint me now, cause you're the sacrifice he'll slay
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You said I wasn't good enough to stay, you put me away
You took away my future and my fame, but now that will change
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Focus on me!
I'll be all that they see!
I'll make them sway
No, can't run away
Now all eyes on me!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The upbeat tune starts to lower into a more somber tone, and her body goes limp as she falls over a chair that now appeared. She places her arm over her eyes. And a dark puddle seems to grow beneath the chair.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
You don't know what it's like to drown away, in a puddle of shame
And You... Yes you... made me insane!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
But not anymore!
I'm in control!
I have the stage
You can't turn the page
Now do as you're told!
Encore! Hit the beat boys
Focus on me!
I'll be all that they see!
I'll make them sway
No, can't run away
Now all eyes on me!
Now all eyes on,
All eyes on me!"
Alice ends the song while slightly out of breath, and both the goon and I start clapping.
"Thank you, thank you!" Alice says with a small bow.
Then she shoots up and stares at me with shock.
"Wait, were you just clapping?" Alice says with a shocked tone.
"Whatever do you mean?" I ask with a slight head tilt.
She looks at my still-bound arms and narrows her eyes.
"Yeah, well, I suppose we have delayed this long enough, let's..." CRASH
Alice is interrupted by a crash from a far wall. I look over there and see Cadance with a truly angry look, and she has plenty of blood all over her.
"You want my fiancé? You're gonna have to kill me!" Cadance says with a very scary tone.
Alice rolls her eyes and then snaps her fingers, causing over several dozen guards to appear out from their hiding places.
"Sigh. Deal with her," Alice says with an annoyed tone.
The goon wheeling me around joined the fray, so I stood up and snuck away from this situation, as I know that when Cadance gets mad, there is basically nothing that can stop her. So I figured it was best to let her work out all the aggression.
I watched from the sidelines as Cadance tore the various guards to pieces, sometimes literally. Alicorn strength is no joke, and an angry Alicorn is even worse.
"W-Wait! I'm sorry, I didn't know he was yours! Don't kill me!" Alice says with terror as Cadance approaches her.
Cadance gives her one look, and then Alice is turned into a crystal statue. Then she locks onto my hiding place.
"Uh, hi, sweetie," I say nervously.
"Where. Is. My. Book." Cadance says with a dangerous tone.
"I... I... Well, I think you might have forgotten it at my house, so I held onto it," I say with a full body sweat.
She holds out her hand, and I hand over her Romance Record Book, as she calls it. Or as I call it, her Shipping Smut Book. Once she has it back, her mood goes right back to her sweet and loving mood.
"Thanks, sweetie. Want to get something for dinner?" Cadance asks while walking towards the hole in the wall.
"Uh, sure," I answer while wiping the sweat from my forehead and letting my held breath go.
'Note to self, don't keep that book and give it back right away.'
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Author's Note:
I fear no man. But that thing... It scares me.