Into the World of Twisted Wonderland

🐙The Merchant from the Depths🐙 Chapter 11

"W-what are your terms for granting my wish...?" Angel says defeatedly and quietly, making the three look at her with a smirk and Jack looking at her with surprise.

"Hey!" He exclaims in surprise, trying to talk her out of it, but he looked at her expression. He sees that tears were pooling her eyes, knowing that this was the only thing she could think of that could solve this situation. Her hands only clenched her skirt as she tries to hold back her tears, trying not to let them fall as she made her decision, knowing that the choice was final. There was nothing he could do to change her mind, and he could only look at her defeated look, anger fueling his mind as he looks at the girl who stood up to Leona have the saddest expression of defeat he's ever seen before. He only growls at the three, who are just watching the freshmen.

"You make me seem like the bad guy here, you know," Azul states to the freshmen, in which Jack only glares at Azul and Angel could only look at him sadly, but still paying attention. "Here's the deal. I bid you pilfer a certain photograph from the Atlantica Memorial Museum in the Coral Sea before the sun sets on the third day from now."

"You want us to steal a piece of art?!" Jack asks angrily. Jade listened to Azul's request and grunts in surprise, as if knowing what Azul is talking about.

"No, not a piece of art. A photo. One commemorating a visit to the museum from Prince Rielé, taken ten years ago," Azul explains.

Jack crosses his arms while Angel starts to perk up a little at the request. "Gonna need more details than that," Jack says.

"It's a photo panel placed right near the museum entrance. It has no historic value whatsoever. Borrowing it would not cause any particular fuss," Azul shrugs.

"Then why do you want it at all?" Grim asks.

Azul scoffs. "Heh. What's the point of a challenge is it's not challenging? If I were to concoct a trifling errand, I would simply be giving away my end of it, wouldn't I? I'm not running a charity here."

"The Atlantica Memorial Museum is a renowned tourist attraction that houses a good twenty different cultural artifacts. That includes the Silver Hair Comb, a Coral Sea national treasure, and the Mermaid Princess's Prized Cork Openers, among others. We're not asking you to find a speck of gold dust on the seabed here," Jade explains. They sure have some weird exhibits...

"Oh, hey, didn't we go there on an elementary school field trip once?" Floyd asks Jade and Azul, in which Jade only gives him a slight smile.

"Hold on," Jack speaks up. "The nation of the Coral Sea is at the bottom of the ocean, right? It's not exactly hospitable to land mammals like us with no fins or gills. I think you're askin' too much here."

"What he said! I can't breathe underwater, y'know!" Grim exclaims.

"That sounds like a 'you' problem...is what I would normally say, but fear not," Azul states to the freshmen, pulling out a briefcase of sorts. "I will provide you with our very own magic potions. They'll enable you to breathe underwater." He opens the suitcase and inside are seashell designed bottles with bright green liquid inside. "Once, when a poor little mermaid princess fell in love with a human, the Sea Witch was kind enough to grant her legs to walk upon the earth, and really, what are any of us without a sense of charity? Heh heh heh," he chuckles and close the suitcase, eyes on Angel. "So, what do you say? Do we have a deal? Will you agree to a contract with me? I'm afraid I don't have all day, so if you could make your decision now, I'd appreciate it. Chop, chop!"

Angle only look at the suitcase and think about the situation. Can it really be that easy...? Angel looked at Grim who only gives her a glare saying that she should do it, then looked at Jack, who was thinking about the situation as well. There's not many choices...She thinks. Her home is on the line along with everyone else's' school lives. She sighs. She didn't have a choice. She could only try, that's how its been so far. She only looked at the trio in front of her with a hesitant face, then just sighs. "It's a deal!"