"Hatter. We have a job that we are going to need some of your muscle for." March crouched next to the place where Hatter had made his bed. It wasn't a very pretty place, he was behind his favorite restaurant, The Cheshire. It was as good as it normally got for him, the small boy of 12 years was curled up between two dumpsters, above him he had made a roof of old cardboard boxes.
"But I'm sleeping," He whined as he opened his eyes and his friend next to him.
"I know, and I'm sorry. But we really need your help, Hatter." He extended his arm to help Hatter up. "I promise, if this goes well it won't be sleeping with trash for us anymore." Sighing Hatter took the older boy's hand.
March was three years older than Hatter but you couldn't tell by looking at him. He was tall for his age and years living on the street had caused him to gain a decent amount of lean muscle. His eyes had a cold and menacing look to them sometimes, but Hatter figured that's just what abandonment does to people. It was also why no one ever pointed out his one flaw, his bucked teeth.
"What do we need to do?" Hatter asked as he struggled to keep up with the older boy's longer strides.
"There is a run-down building a few blocks from here, rumor has it that there are meetings there about forming a resistance against the Queen."
"So what does that have to do with us?"
"Simple," March slowed down a little so they were walking side by side. "If we stop the resistance for her, she will reward us."
They walked in silence a little while. Before March suddenly came to a stop and held up his hand to tell Hatter to do the same. He pointed to a building across a small bridge of land, it didn't look like a cook secret hide out. No one was going inside or leaving, and everything was silent. But Hatter trusted March, somehow his senses were always so much keener than everyone else's, must have been another street kid thing.
"You're going to go in first," March whispered, "Just walk in and act like the cute little kid you look like, I'll come in a minute after you. You just wait for my signal for you to blow your cover. Okay?" Hatter, not being very good at whispering, just nodded in agreement and started across the bridge.
Inside was just a big, open, empty space. Not a wonderlander in sight. Not a sound to be heard. Then he noticed the door on the back wall and thought maybe he would go check that out while he was here. Besides, he didn't want to disappoint March when he came in. As he got closer to the door he heard the shuffling of feet, but still no voices. With a deep breath he opened the door and walked in.
"And who do we have here?" A rather large man with a goatee chuckled as Hatter walked in. "Joining up so early are you?" Hatter pushed his lips into a tight frown and nodded. Looking around this room was also empty, except for the ten men and woman standing around looking that gentleman welcoming Hatter.
"Come sit next to me dear, want a piece of cheese?" a slender woman smiled at Hatter and showed him the block of cheddar she was holding in her hand. Very much aware of the emptiness of his stomach he walked over to her.
"Everyone here?" the man in charge looked around as if marking off names and faces on a mental checklist. "Good, now then-" The door flew open and March stepped in with a pistol in each hand.
"Get down now!" He barked, pointing his guns all around the room.
"Oh no you don't!" the woman next to Hatter pulled a mini shotgun from her bag and pointed it at March. She was trying to act brave, but was visibly shaking with the gun in her hand. Hatter looked back and forth between the woman and March with his eyes wide. Slowly, very slowly, March started to drop his arms, pointing the pistols at the floor. That was Hatter's cue.
He spun so fast she would have never seen it coming. Hatter's right fist made solid contact with her hip bone and there was an audible crack as it gave way to his strength. The woman let out a small squeak and fell to the ground, dropping her gun and clutching her hip.
Chaos ensued. March's pistols fired off into the crowd while Hatter swung his fist at anything that came his way. The resistance tried their best to fight back, but they weren't prepared to be ambushed like they were, it only took the two boys fifteen minutes to clear the room.
"There are only 8 people here." March stated as he walked around the room. Some were dead, some were just too injured to fight anymore. "The fat one and that skinny bitch you punched. They are missing."
"But we can describe 'em to the Queen. That counts for something right?" Hatter was leaning against the far wall looking at the destruction they had caused.
"Maybe." March stood in the middle of the room and was silent. He looked around the room as if trying to decide what to do with it, and then his eyes finally rested on Hatter. "I'm going to get a few guys to help us move these bodies outside and find some suits to take care of them. While I'm gone, you might as well make yourself at home Hatter."
Hatter watched March casually stroll out of the room and thought about what he had said. Of course he meant Hatter might as well get comfortable since it might take a while for him to return, but as the small twelve year old looked around the room he couldn't help but imagine what it would be like to live there.