Hatter stormed out of the small apartment he and Alice had been sharing for the better part of a year. He pulled a black fedora over his head roughly and muttered angrily to himself as he set out with a purpose. The first few months after he had followed her back through the looking glass were bliss. Alice's so-called commitment problems were non-existent as their relationship went from new love to moving in together within a week. They spent at least three weeks on a kind of honeymoon. Alice showed him the sights during the day and at night you couldn't get a toothpick between them. After a while though, Alice had to go back to working at the martial arts studio and Hatter found himself working at a small dry-cleaning place (as he had experience with many fine things, including coats and hats of course).

About six months into the relationship things started to get strangely awkward. They shared many interests but the aspects of every one of their interests differed in slight ways that built up and caused tension. Alice's job as a martial arts teacher made her as interested in fighting as Hatter was; only she was tactile, smooth, and calm. Hatter would lose his top if pushed in the right direction and he was all fists going into a fight. They both loved to laugh but Hatter was easily amused while Alice seemed to only cave to the wittiest of company. They both preferred nights out adventuring to nights in, but could not for the life of them agree on where to go. He found all of these differences charming while she found them downright enraging at times.

But to tell the truth, the straw that broke the camel's back was the constant fight for the dominant role in the relationship. He was in her world and she seemed awfully smug about it. There wasn't anything she couldn't control, so she went ahead and took full control of everything. He could vaguely remember when she was in Wonderland needing him to help her walk along the edges of the city, saving her from their enemies numerous time…he missed being able to feel like a man to her. Every choice made and every conversation; bets on her being a better fighter than him, and then the sex—always had to be on top! Okay, so that might have just sounded whiney, but it had gotten old.

Hatter stuck around for about six months of that hell before Alice insulted him outright one day. He decided right then that he would take his hat and head back home to Wonderland. He was tired of being looked down on, being a stranger in a foreign world that was not as accepting as he had hoped; he was tired of being David.

So he walked, headed for the looking glass so he could go back to where he really belonged. It would be easy enough, he had acquired plenty over the past year but the only things he took with him now was his hat, the clothes on his back, and a ring he was thumbing in his jacket pocket. No, it wasn't the "Ring of Wonderland," it was the quaint little diamond that he had bought Alice before everything went to shit. He never even got to ask her…

It wasn't long before Hatter was turning into the alley toward the giant mirror. He leaned against the wall across from it and only had to wait ten minutes until someone was tripping their way out of it, trying to catch their breath. The man who came out had the body-type of an older teenager and had a weasel-like look to him. Hatter figured he was up to no good which was only reaffirmed with the hand in the cookie jar look on his face when their eyes met. Hatter merely shook his head and stepped around him. "Excuse me," he said and stepped confidently through the mirror.

Oysters always hated this journey, whether they were coming or going, they always described it as a nasty, disorienting experience. Hatter loved it. It was like a shock of cold water all over, only without the wetness. It was like falling, only it felt as if he was falling down and up at the same time. There was a pressure like a strong wind, only it was breathtaking instead of getting the breath knocked out of you. All of that lasted only about ten seconds and then he was home…or was he?

Hatter stepped slowly from the portal behind him and removed his hat as he glanced around apprehensively. There was no one guarding the looking glass, nor was there anyone else around for that matter. Everything was silent and even though he treaded as softly as he could, his steps seemed as loud as if he had been stomping. The décor in the room was significantly darker than he had remembered, but that only set the stage for what came next.

Hatter looked down the hallways to his left and right before reaching the double doors ahead of him, perpendicular to the looking glass. He looked out of the small windows and frowned deeply. When the Red Queen was running the show, Wonderland looked pretty desolate and despairing. This was worse. It was day but the clouds above him were black as night. There were flashes of lightning as far as he could see and when a loud roll of thunder shook the floor beneath him, he jumped a bit in surprise. The vegetation that had grown back looked more the worse for wear and also…angry?

What had happened to his home? When he had left everyone was so full of hope and rebirth. He had a very bad feeling that Jack's reign had gone very, very wrong.