The Mad Hatter

Chapter 2: Names

The Mad Hatter.

703 chuckles every time that name is mentioned. A un-amused chuckle. She never particularly liked that given nickname. She never had an interest in hats, nor would she ever try one.

Yet the name clings to her like a parasite. It's actually quite troublesome for the young stitchpunk.

She remembers clearly how she got the name too.

It was about a few months after she left and she was traveling in a desolate town far from the Sanctuary. She then heard howls not far off. Howls of Wolfbane. More than one of them, she assumed. Not long after that, she heard screams of other stitchpunks. Presumably, under attack by the said Wolfbane. 703 let out a mad chuckle and dashed towards the pack of machines.

To this day, she's still not sure how the Hell she manage to do it, but the four-or-so Wolfbane fell under her with just her makeshift ax she fashioned out of two razorblades, a wire, and a strong stick. But she did it. Laughing the entire time. In the corner of her eye, she spotted a necklace I the shape of an ax, hanging off the neck of the Alpha of the pack. She smiled as she took the pendant and fastened it around her neck, smiling and chuckling.

When the stitchpunks came to her, offering their thanks, she only smiled and chuckled, "I didn't do this for you," She said, laughing, "I did this 'cause this mad world asked me to!" She roared. Looking at their terrified expression, she smiled and walked off. Not before hearing the silent murmurs of 'she's crazy' and 'madder than a Hatter…'

And from that day forward she was known as The Mad Hatter.

She still doesn't know how the name spread across the Emptiness like a plague. Her only fear is that it somehow gotten to the Sanctuary. It would probably give Two a heart attack if he heard the stories. But if she wanted to get rid of the name, she would of already done so. Just swing her ax in a certain direction it'll most likely stop. So far she had only worn it with a smile.

A crazy smile, but nonetheless.

"703!"

"Ah," 703 chuckled in the back of the caravan she traveled with, "The morning ritual begins."

Then in comes Kaheel, a stitchpunk trader. He and his wife, Alyssa, travel the Emptiness trading whatever that's in their caravan. Anything from metal scrap, burlap, fabric, and thread. Essentially, anything valuable to stitchpunks. 703's only been in the caravan three months, and the only reason she's traveling with them is that they have no intention of going to the Sanctuary. At least for now. When that's decided, she'll leave. No questions asked.

"Okay, you," Kaheel panted as he rampaged though her personal cart. He looked at703 with raging anger enough to put even One to shame.

One of the very reasons 703 hated him. She chuckled, "Hello, Kaheel." She looked up from the ax she was polishing and placed it on the wall behind her. "Where's your wife? Or did you just come here to yell at me?" She smiled.

"Don't play nice with me," He snarled. 703 raised a stitched-up brow, but was not intimidated. She's seen better. "Did you leave the caravan last night?" He forcefully asked. 703 gave him her too-frequent chuckle that was already getting on Kaheel's last nerve. "Answer me, damn it!"

"No." She said simply. Her grin was enough to drive him over the edge. "I have not."

"You're lying, you pile of mad rags." He scoffed.

"I am not lying, nor do I have a reason to." 703 chuckled as she stood up. She smiled at him, "Besides, wasn't it our deal that you would not ask questions even if I did leave?" She stated. Chuckling, of course.

Kaheel grunted and punched the wall, defeated. She was right. He wouldn't ask. 703 tilted her head, grinning. "What did I allegedly do to earn your distrust this time?" She asked, not that she cared.

He turned his head and told her to sit. Normally, she wouldn't do it but this time she allowed herself, along with Kaheel. He placed his gold-plated hands together, as if praying. "Do you know of the next town we were going to?"

703 shrugged, "Of course," she said, chuckling, "Haven. The second most successful stitchpunk settlement in the Emptiness." Next to the Sanctuary, but she didn't mention it.

"Yes…" He sighed, letting his head down. "When… when I sent my scouts over there, they felt… eerie… So they walked in…"

"Okay. And?" She said, with an impatient cackle.

"And… They said that… they found the residents of the settlement…" His voice started to break into a whisper.

"They found them what? Speak up."

He was silent for a bit before finally speaking, "…Massacred." he said his head eye to eye with the floor.

They grew silent and 703 gave a low cackle. Kaheel grunted but said noting, he was used to 703's frequent cackles, chuckles and laughs. "Was there any evidence of foul play?" 703 asked.

Kaheel shook his head, "…The scouts left the minute they saw the bodies."

"So you pretty much just assumed that I had done it? Killed an entire colony?" Kaheel said nothing. 703 chuckled, "Next time, don't assume. It makes an ass out of you and me."

Kaheel stood in rage, "That's all you can say?!" He yelled, "I tell you that an entire colony has been killed and that's all you can say?!"

"Well what do you want me to say?" 703 said with a grin, "The dead don't need words. I knew none of these people and they need no sympathy from me, just because they are dead."

Kaheel grunted again as he stood up and headed to the door way, "Well then you can stay in the cart tomorrow."

"We're still going? To a ghost town?" 703 chuckled as she watching him at the doorway, "You can't do much business with the dead."

Kaheel only sighed as he turned around to face the mad stitchpunk, "…We'll just be cleaning up."

703 chuckled, "Of course." She nodded as Kaheel finally stepped out, "Someone has too."