"Sweet crap!... That hurts!!" -thought Hatter when two insane doctors buried a cattlle prod into his side about 20th time.
He gritted his teeth.
He has to be strong...
He can't just give up…
Not now...
By the time doctors were torturing him, Alice was trying to slip into the Casino once more.
She just couldn't stop wondering, why the hell Hatter had followed her and Jack. He could be all right… All he had to do was to keep his head down.
But no…
He and his hat-ass had to follow them and put himself into danger…
And now, Jack helped her escape from prison. He told her that he had already taken care of his mother and she doesn't have any power anymore. Those was the good news. But when she asked him about Hatter, he didn't answer. He simply ignored her question.
Selfish bastard. Yes. That's what Jack was.
Was he really thinking that she would just leave Hatter behind, and forget about him ?!
After all he had done for her?
Never!.. never…
She suppressed thoughts about him as she was passing a great statue of Queen of Wonderland and looked at it for a while with disgust. "If this woman did anything to Hatter-" Alice angrily promised to herself. Suddenly she heard footsteps from the opposite side and run around nearest corner and hid.
Few minutes later suits passed around without noticing her. When they walked away a little bit, she could see just two suits passionately talking about something. Slowly, as quiet as she could, she moved a little bit closer so she could hear them better.
"Shit" Alice cursed when she kicked into something tin on the ground. She immediately looked at suits, who were still talking.
They didn't hear her. Thank God.
When she calmed down a little bit, she took a few minutes trying to recognize what they were talking about.
But even though she was doing her best, she still couldn't hear them clearly, but words as "a mad man with ridiculous hat" and "escape of an oyster" were enough. For Alice it was sufficient proof.
Without thinking she jumped on the first man, effectively bringing him into unconsciousness, took his gun and aimed it at face of second man.
She was wondering for a second, how did she do it, but then just nodded - this situation probably brings a little bit more violence out of her.
The second scared man was staring at the gun which was aimed at his head.
"You…" Alice roared, "You're going to lead me where as you said a mad man with ridiculous hat is!"she sipped at him.
When the Suit didn't say a word Alice came closer and a barrel of gun pressed against his forehead.
"NOW!"
Suit made a uncomfortable move and said : "…As you wish Ma'am.."
"ZZZZzzzzZZZ!" - Another electric shock. He couldn't tell how long he had been tortured...
"ZZZZzzzzZZZ!" - ...couldn't even say how many shocks he had received.
"ZZZzzzzZZZZ!" - He stopped counting by number 40…
"ZZZzzzzZZZZ!" - And another one… The tremendous pain he was already accustomed to…
"ZZZzzzzZZZZ!" - Time just simply didn't matter anymore…
"Move!" Alice screamed at the suit who was walking before her.
"Yes. Yes. I'm going..." he answered and pulled his hands up again in defeat.
"Tell me.. Where are all the other suits? How is that possible that we haven't met any?"
Suit answered with an irritated tone "All of them were called to prepare for a war.."
"A War? With who?"
Suit sighted.
"Knights…"
His answer surprised Alice, she even held her gun down for a second.
"A Knights..? Weren't those guys all wiped out years ago by the Queen?" she asked in disbelief.
"As it seems, the Queen wasn't so precise.." he said coldly as they entered the Great Hall.
It was the biggest and the most beautiful room Alice had ever seen. For a minute she was looking at walls and beautiful pictures which were painted on them.
"Okay.. Where now?" she asked again touching his neck with her gun – just in case he had forgotten about situation he was in.
"Your Hatter is probably in the next room, with our doctors.."
"You're kidding right?" she asked nervously
She already had that "honor" to meet those idiots... She didn't even want to imagine what they could have done to Hatter...
"Do I look like I like jokes?"
Alice's expression faded immediately
She needed to find him.
NOW.
"Okay.. Go.. And don't even try to call others… You've seen what I've done to your friend.." Alice threatened nervously.
Suit just nodded and run away from the room.
Now it was totally up to her to find and save her best friend
"ZZZZzzzzZZZZ!" - Even breathing was incredibly painful.
"ZZZZzzzzZZZZ!" - He doubted that he could bear another minute.
"ZZZZzzzzZZZZ!" - But he has to…For Alice…
"ZZZZzzzzZZZZ!" - For HIS Alice!...She needs him..
"ZZZZzzzzZZZZ!" - And he needs her too...
"ZZZZzzzzZZZZ!" - He needs to see her once more…
"ZZZZzzzzZZZZ!" - Her beautiful eyes.
"ZZZZzzzzZZZZ!"- Her beautiful smile.
"ZZZZzzzzZZZZ!" - He needs to tell her...
"ZZZZzzzzZZZZ!" – But he can't bear it any longer.
"ZZZZzzzzZZZZ!" - "I'm so sorry, my love…"
"ZZZZzzzzZZZZ!" – "I've tried…"
"ZZZZzzzzZZZZ!" – "...I really did"
"ZZZZzzzzZZZZ!"- "Jack will surely take care of you.."
"ZZZZzzzzZZZZ!" – Everything went black…
Alice was standing before the huge doors, desperately trying to open them.
"Crap… MOVE!"
After 5 minutes of fighting with them, doors heavily opened. She opened them just a little at first, to see how bad situation was. First thing she saw was a dirty hat which was familiar as hell.
"God NO!" she thought.
The fact that Hatter wasn't wearing his hat wasn't good at all.
She opened door a little bit more to see two figures turned with their backs to her - standing by some kind of chair- each by side and were crazily laughing. Alice was horrified and stared at the scene for a second. When she came back to her senses again she quickly decided to take an advantage of situation and attacked them - they hadn't noticed her yet.
Two shots were released and both of the doctors fell dead to the ground. She held her breath for a minute.
She just killed two men…
She never thought that she would be capable of doing such a thing. She threw gun away with shaking hands and took courage to come closer to a chair where someone was supposed to sit.
"Heavenly GOD.. HATTER!" she screamed hysterically when she saw who was sitting there.
"NO.. no.. no.. no!"
Hatter had blood all over him, not even mentioning his sides,where big, ugly wounds were located which were still bleeding. His arms and hands were tied up to the chair, a small spring of blood was flowing out of his forehead was slowly running down his cheek, right next to his closed eyes which were more dead than alive...
"No! no... Hatter! Please.." she screamed as she took his motionless face into her palms – checking his barely registering pulse.
"Hatter.. Please.. Open your eyes.." this time she whispered to him and gently slapped him.
Alice felt tears buring in her but she quickly wiped them.
"Hatter… Oh, my beloved Hatter... What they have done to you?"
She tried to brace herself and accept the fact that Hatter wouldn't wake up from his unconsciousness so she gently released his hands.
"Oh... What am I going to do with you, huh?" she whispered to him softly.
She took a second to thinking.
How the hell is she going to get him out of here? He is too heavy for her to carry all the way to forest.
Then the flying flamingos came up to her mind.
They were just a floor above and if they make it, they could make it– then hide in the forest and find Charlie as soon as possible
"Okay.. We will make it!" she said to herself and as gently as she could pulled Hatter up.
When the whole weight of him was on her shoulders, she let out a huge sigh.
This will be surely the longest and hardest journey to another floor she ever had...