𝐈𝐋𝐋𝐔𝐒𝐈𝐎𝐍 ★ 𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐮𝐩𝐨𝐧 𝐚 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 ⁸

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟐𝟑

After running through the forest while evading fallen trees and stones, Roland heard a loud bang in the distance. It only took one look from Robin for the Hood boy to know they were thinking the same thing. The two of them instantly turned and ran in a different direction, hoping they weren't too late. As soon as they arrived at their destination, they found the blonde stranger looking around at the Hood siblings' handmade cage for a way out.

"Who are you?" Robin questioned as she walked towards the cage before reaching for another arrow, "who sent you?"

"Nobody sent me," the blonde girl responded with confusion in her voice as she looked between the siblings, "I just...I wanted to see my papa."

"Then why are you lurking?" the Hood girl questioned while her brother continued to study the caged girl, unsure as to why she looked so familiar.

"Because..." the stranger hesitated for a moment before wrapping her hands around the bamboo bars and letting out a sigh, "his heart is poisoned. If I got any closer he'd die."

A wave of realization washed over Roland before he reached forward and forced Robin to lower her bow. The Hood boy ignored the annoyed look from his sister as he continued to study the blonde girl. "You're Alice, aren't you?"

"Nook's kid?" Robin questioned once she put her brother's clues together, only to receive another confused look from the blonde girl, "new Hook. It's a thing that my mom and...you know what? Doesn't matter. Wow, so you're the girl in the tower."

The confusion in Alice's eyes was soon replaced by annoyance as she glared at the Hood siblings. "I got out of that tower years ago."

"So we heard," Robin said, his voice sounding much softer than his sister's, which didn't go unnoticed by Alice, "I thought they left you in Wonderland looking for a cure for your father."

"Well, they did. But...I failed," the blonde girl told them after looking down at the forest floor.

Roland couldn't help but glance over at his sister, who was staring at Alice with sadness in her eyes. That continued for a moment longer before Robin broke the silence. "I'm sorry. I know he misses you."

The confused look returned to Alice's face as she looked back up at the Hood siblings. "How do the two of you know my papa?"

"We're part of the team," Robin responded with pride in her eyes, causing her brother to smirk and playfully roll his eyes at her, "you know, my mom and aunt, your dad, Everly and Felix, Sam and Katherine, Austin...and a bunch of other people I don't really know. Kinda new here. My name's Robin and this is my brother, Roland."

A smile instantly appeared on Alice's face as her eyes scanned over the girl in front of her. "New Robin. So, Nobin."

Roland couldn't hold back his laugh, earning a glare from his sister, which only made him laugh harder. "Oh, I'm definitely using that one."

"Do not call me that," Robin ordered as she glanced between her brother and Alice.

"But if Papa's Nook, it only follows that you should be Nobin, right?"

"She's got a point there," Roland said, earning a not-so-gentle elbow in the side from Robin.

After sending her brother another glare, Robin turned her attention back to Alice. "It's just different. It's not cool, okay?"

"'Cool'?" the caged girl questioned as she studied the girl standing in front of her, "why would you wanna be 'cool'?"

"You haven't gotten out much since the tower, have you?" the Hood girl responded as a smile began to form on her lips, something that didn't go unnoticed by Roland.