Chapter 2

Wonderland

The next day, I came to Talia hotel room and knocked on the door.

"Jericho, I was wondering when you show up."

"We need to talk."

"Come in." she said as she stepped a side for me to enter.

"So, why are you here? If I know you, you're only here for me or Bruce, which one?"

"Bruce."

I let out a sigh. "You really need to talk to Bruce about this, you can't keep it a secret forever. You got to tell how you feel about him"

"I know, it's just, our father would convince him to take his place, he's done it several times." she let out a sigh "I just wish I was like you."

"Really?" I said a bit surprised

She nodded "You're capable of making your own decision without father's influence, you're not letting him to tell you how to live your life, I wish that I had your strength."

I looked sympathetic at her, underneath that tough shell; there is a shy girl, who wants to be independent, to live her life at her own free will. I sat down with her on the top of the bed.
"Why us, Talia? Why have we to be the ones that suffer the most? What have we done to deserve a life like this?" I aske about our family curse.

"The sins of our father, I guess." Talia answered

I chuckled "I just hope that God will forgive us for our sins."

Just then we heard two cars pulled out on the driveway. I went to window to see what was going on.

"Alright, go and search the hotel for the broad, Harley Quinn wants her alive." That was one of the Harley Quinn's henchmen and that could only mean trouble. They were armed too.

"We have to get out of here now, Harley Quinn's boys just showed up, she wants you alive."

"How?" Talia asked worried

"I don't know, someone tipped her off or, something. Pack your stuff, we gotta go now."

She wasted no time to do that. Once she's done that we got the hell out of there. We hid quickly when we saw one of them at the hallway. "Come out come out wherever you are." The thug called out

"Talia, you see the emergency exit door?" She nodded "we have to make a run for it, there's too many of them to take on. On the count of three, one two three, go!" we ran through the exit door and went to the rooftop. "I found her! She ran through the exit door!" the thug shouted. Once we got to the rooftop, we had to look for an escape route. We saw a fire scape on other side and went for it. We jumped for it and we made it well almost, Talia almost lost her grip but I grabbed her hand in the last minute and helped her up. We went back to the ground recuperating.

"What now?" She asked

"We better head back to my safe house, it's our best chance we got."

"Then why are we still here?" she said as we went back to the safe house but got stopped by one of the henchmen. "well, lookie here. I found her, boys she's at the alley" he shouted as they came, we tried to run the other way, but to no avail.

"Remember, beat her up but not too rough, Harley wants her saved up for her personal revenge." The thug said as they surrounded us. It looks like we have to fight. They were 6 of them.
"Ready to do this sister?"

"Remember St. Petersburg?" Talia countered

I chuckled at that. "Are you kidding? I remember. Let's do this." I said as we made our first move. Two of them tried to punch us but we caught them and twisted them, dislocated the shoulders. Another thug swung a punch blindly at Talia and she responded with a spinning kick while his friend tried to thrust kick but I caught his leg and broke it in two. The last one I punched his face and Talia finished him off with a kick between his legs. Ouch, she took a queue from my book. We saw a door that and got in to an abandoned buliding.

"We're safe for now, sister. " I reassured Talia but that was about to bite me in the ass

"I beg to differ." A new voice said and everything went black after that.

I regained my vision not long and looked around to see that we were in some sort of a tearoom. I was all tied up in a chair and Talia was sitting next to me tied up as well. There were two teacups that was right in front of us. It was sitting on a fine tablecloth and surrounded by other teacups and snacks. The guests were no better as they were clearly thugs but they were all wearing rabbit masks. A bright light blinded my vision.

"Tea, Brother and Sister?"

A high pitched voice asked as the figure before me poured tea on. The light was too bright making it hard to see who it was. But I recognize that voice. It was Mad Hatter and his sick obsession with Alice in Wonderland.

"Where are we? What have you done with us?" Talia demanded, she was pissed off and rightfully so.

"Oh you see like dear Alice you two have stumbled into a world beyond your imagination," He explained.

"You should have been more careful, then again Batman would have seen that coming a mile away."

"Go to hell Jervis." I growled

""Oh, yes, yes, yes, I know that dear boy." He chuckled. "You both are very special individuals and it will be my pleasure to show you Wonderland just like Alice."

"Too bad, we'll pass on that offer, we heard that Oz is nice this time of year." I said sarcastically to that demented freak.
"You better watch your tongue, boy." Mad Hatter snapped as he stood up on the table

I rolled my eyes at that, what a drama queen.
"Whatever."

"Let us free." Talia said.

"Oh no, you see you have no say I make all your decisions now." He said as he walked over the table to us.

"Don't. Even. Think. About. It!" I yelled at him as he approached us.

"Oh just let me put this on you two and all your questions will be forgotten." He said as he revealed a watch in his right hand and then put something over our heads and blocked my vision. "Your mine now Brother and Sister."

You two will do everything I say." His voice was so controlling.

"Don't listen to him." My inner voice said

"You will do anything I want you to do."He said again as I wanted to say yes.

"You are not his lapdog. Break out of this."

"You will obey me and me alone."

"Never!" I started to feel my arms again.

"Your eyes are heavy and they feel like lead, you want to keep them open but you just can't find the strength."

"You can do this, almost there!"

"Your eyes are heavy and they feel like lead, you want to keep them open but you just can't find the strength."

"Now!"

I broke free out of that mind control and so did Talia as we appeared apparently in some sort of dark void and standing on a clock. I gasped in horror as I saw her face, it looked a disfigured rabbit that looked like it was killed Talia had the same reaction when she saw my face.

"No no no no, that's impossible. You can't be doing this."

Hatter shrieked as his goons appeared out nowhere and started to attack us. one of them punched at me but I grabbed it and threw him at the other thugs. Talia was holding her own back as she took out three of them, man they are ruthless. Clock slowed down as Mad hatter showed up. I tried to attack him but he vanished into thin air.

"Goddamnit!" I was getting frustrated as more of his goons showed up. Everytime he'll show up, he disappears.

We don't know how much longer we can hold our own. Then I remember what my dad said recognize the pattern of a criminal. I had to do something. "Talia, do you see the air pattern?" I asked and she nodded realizing what was I thinking. As we took out some more of the thugs, we followed the air pattern and the moment Mad hatter showed up at the spot we both punched him knocking him off his feet. He waved his arms around trying to beg us to spare his life but first I wanted to add insult to injury for trying to make us his slave as I grabbed his stupid top hat and threw it on the ground before Talia stomping on it with my foot I then raised my fit and sent him off to Neverland.

And we returned to the land of reality, we looked around of what was a dining room and we took off both our masks.

"I think I have to stop drinking tea for awhile." I said

"I agree, Brother."

"Come, let's head back to the safehouse." And with that, we went to the safe house