Tock. Tock. Tock.
Jennifer Walters was used to being the center of attention in most places she went, thanks to the dose of gamma radiation she'd received as part of a life saving procedure she was always a brillant shade of emerald green. Her hair was green, her eyes were green, and her body was the perfect blend of curves and muscles that woman devoted a life time of physical effort to try and achieve. With all of that, even when she went places where she was well known it wasn't unusual for people to stare at her for long periods of time. It was just one of the many things she had to get used to. Like having super strength and having nemisises.
Tock. Tock. Tock.
Still it wasn't every day that she received a call from the Invisible Woman and as a reserve Member of the Fantastic Four, even if Jennifer's current case load was on the heavy side it wouldn't do to turn down the woman that Jennifer admired and respected. Jennifer looked down at her watch and blinked in surprise, had she really been waiting for thirty minutes past the time that Susan had set up with her? Jennifer was sure that she'd only sat down a minute ago. Something wasn't quite right and she took a sip of her water, finishing it off when without a word, her waiter came by and filled up her glass. He looked slightly out of it like he was walking in a daze.
Tock. Tock. Tock.
Jennifer blinked and looked at the metronome that was sitting on the table, ticking away, there were a few tables that had the devices and each of them was just ticking away. Each in time with each other, when she'd first gotten here, Jennifer had been suspicious and worried that someone was about to attack her but everyone had been happily chatting away at the time. Now though the conversation had all become subdued and the people in the booths were just staring at each other while the servers looked like they were moving on auto-pilot. Jennifer finished her glass when without a word, her waiter came by and filled up her glass. He looked slightly out of it like he was walking in a daze.
Tock. Tock. Tock.
Jennifer looked at her watch and blinked in surprise, had she really been waiting here for forty five minutes past the time that Susan had set up with her? Jennifer was sure that she'd only sat down a minute ago. She went to reach for her cell phone when the front door opened and in walked Susan wearing a baby blue latex dress and smelling of sex and talcum powder. Jennifer had never seen the Invisible Woman like this, "Susan what are you wearing?"
Tock. Tock. Tock.
Susan gave a manic grin, "Do you like it, Jervis picked it out for me?"
Tock. Tock. Tock.
Jennifer shook her head, something wasn't quite right and looked at the metronome that was sitting on the table, ticking away. None of that mattered, she needed to know what Susan had called her for, "What did you call me for?"
Tock. Tock. Tock.
Susan put her hand over her mouth, "Oh you know just this and that. Nothing of importance and important of nothingness. Tell me have you heard of the White Rabbit?"
Tock. Tock. Tock.
Jennifer took a sip of her water, and couldn't help but take in the smell of sex and latex, something wasn't quite right and her waiter came by and filled up her glass. He looked slightly out of it like he was walking in a daze, "Yeah I've heard of her, a complete and total loon. She's in prison right now last I heard."
Tock. Tock. Tock.
Susan nodded, "That's right but it's not the right place for that rabbit at all. Don't you think?"
Tock. Tock. Tock.
Jennifer put her hand to the side of her head, it was quiet in here, the bustle of conversations from all the other tables had died out and the other customers were just staring at each other blankly, not even touching their food, "She needs to be locked up, the murders, the rampages, the silliness of some of her schemes. I mean busting into clam shop, taking a hammer to anyone that's eating the food, and then collecting everything, cooked, raw, or in a tub and taking it to the nearest body of water. Doesn't strike me as someone well enough to be going out and about on their own."
Tock. Tock. Tock.
Susan laughed and slapped her hand against the table, her hand in time with the metronome, the reverbration and sound had Jennifer open her mouth as if to say something but she couldn't think of the words, couldn't think of anything at this moment, just be focused on the ticking of the metronome and it drowned out everything else. Jennifer looked at Susan and noticed that she was wearing earplugs. She wanted to think that was weird but it was so hard to think of anything at the moment. Susan reached out and stroked the side of Jennifer's face but she couldn't respond to that touch neither to pull away or to press into it. "You really are a strong one Jennifer, I told the Mad Hatter that this wasn't good enough for you and I was almost right."
Tock. Tock. Tock.
"You might have figured it out by now but I'm not Susan. I'm Alice, it's an easy mistake to make, we dress and look so much alike. I have a special mission for you Jennifer, I need you to help get the White Rabbit out of prison. Get her transferred to a mental health facility. Can you do that for little young me?" Alice asked.
Tock. Tock. Tock.
Jennifer was frozen, she couldn't think, she couldn't blink, she could only hear the ticking of the metronome and Susan's, no Alice's words. Jennifer couldn't think, couldn't protest, couldn't do anything but listen to the ticking of the metronome and Susan's, no Alice's words.
Tock. Tock. Tock.
Alice nodded her head happily, "I knew you could do it Jennifer. Thanks you're such a good friend to me and the Mad Hatter. That's only to be expected though, you are so dependable, so focused on the law. It's probably why the Queen of Hearts chose you above all others to be her executioner."
Tock. Tock. Tock.
Jennifer tried to say something. Something about this wasn't right, she could smell sex and latex, the Queen of Hearts chose her. Alice leaned forward, "The Queen is the law, the Judge and Jury, but you Jennifer, only you have the strength and conviction that could let you be her executioner. Out she shouts, off with their heads, and who carries out her will but you executioner? Tell me can you hear it?"
Tock. Tock. Tock.
Jennifer looked at Susan, no Alice and noticed that she was wearing earplugs, she wanted to think that was weird but it was so hard to think of anything at the moment with the sound of the metronome. Alice frowned, "You're not getting it, so bright and clever and cruel, surely you can hear it."
Alice picked up a knife and brought it down to rap against the edge of the table in time with the metronome.
Chop. Chop. Chop.
Jennifer could hear it, she could hear the sound of the executioner's axe, a good friend to her. Alice clapped her hands together excitedly, breaking up the rythm, Jennifer frowned and Alice stopped and gave a rueful grin, "Oops, that was a close one. That's right Jennifer, you are the Queen of Heart's executioner. Oh and the rest of you lot, you're the Queen of Heart's cards so after this is all done, go to a tattoo parlor and get a number and a heart symbol tattooed somewhere on your body. A sign of your devotion to your queen and when she appears before the world you will all swear your loyalty, bodies, and souls to her."
Chop. Chop. Chop.
Jennifer could see the people in the booths were just staring at each other while the servers stood in place and looked at some point on the wall. Alice grinned, "Not you Jennifer, like I said, you're special, special to the Queen of Hearts you are her executioner. A member of her trusted court and arbiter of her law. You get that don't you? That's why when you've gotten the White Rabbit transferred you and the cards are going to break her out. She's also an important member of the Queen's court, her chamberlain, be sure to tell her all that and if she doesn't understand or doesn't want to play along then bring her to me and the Mad Hatter."
Chop. Chop. Chop.
Jennifer looked at Alice, something about this was right, she could smell sex, latex, and blood. Alice had cut herself with the knife and was rubbing her blood on Jennifer's cheeks but she couldn't respond to that touch and press into it. It was hot, Alice wiped just a little bit on to Jennifer's lips and she longed to lick it from her lips. To taste Alice, "You're coming along great Queen's Executioner. After I leave, I want you to remember we had a conversation and that you're going to set up transfer of the White Rabbit as soon as possible. Don't disappoint me, the Mad Hatter, or the Queen. We all have to play our parts to bring about Wonderland. Please take that device with you and use it each night."
Chop. Chop. Chop.
Alice gave one last wave and touched the top of the metronome before walking out the door. Five minutes later all the metronomes in the store came to a stop. Jennifer looked down at her watch, she'd been at the restaurant over an hour. It had been a good conversation with Alice, catching up on old times, and talking about the chamberlain, the White Rabbit. They were both members of the Queen of Heart's court so it was her duty to free her comrade from her imprisonment. Jennifer was a bit ashamed it had taken her this long to get around to it, the Queen relied on her after all. Relied on each of the members of her court. Jennifer licked the blood off her lips and shuddered at the divine taste of blood, she loved this flavor, loved when she lopped off some poor fool's head and the jets of arterial blood went all over her. She looked down at her hand to see that her strength had snapped a knife in two. Jennifer frowned, no that just wouldn't do at all, as an executioner she needed an axe but with her strength and her bloodlust an ordinary weapon just wouldn't do.
Chop. Chop. Chop.
The metronome was still but Jennifer could still hear that delightful sound. Yes she needed to get a weapon out of one of the special metals. Adamantium or vibranium or maybe something from an Asgardian. Priorities, priorities but she had to take care of the mission given by her Queen first and rescue that perpetually late hare. As Jennifer got up, she picked up the metronome and walked out, not paying the least bit of attention as the other patrons and the serving staff each picked up their own metronomes and wandered out into the city.