The Mushroom Valley was a serene place, small butterflies slowly flapped through the air, moving about through the mass of giant mushrooms across the valley floor. A waterfall cascaded down from the cliffs above, pouring into a small, crystal clear pond. Two small, blue-furred squirrel like creatures sat on a rock under the shade of a green mushroom top, their elongated ears perked up, suddenly picking up a sound over the rush of the waterfall. Looking up, they watched as a large, red-skinned skinned man flew through the air, caught in the waterfall. They cocked their heads and watched as he fell, yelling all the way down.
"Craaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa-----"
Hellboy was cut off as he smashed into the water, sending an upsurge of water high into the air. The creatures stared watching as the water splashed back down, suddenly growing calm again, ripples in the water slowly circling around within the pond. They both jumped in fright suddenly as Hellboy pushed himself out of the water, walking to the bank and falling to his hands and knees on the grass.
"Ah, man……that freakin' hurt…"
Hellboy shook his head, trying to clear it. Laughter suddenly caught his attention. Looking up, Hellboy saw the two blue animals laughing.
"Oh, shut up."
Standing up, Hellboy stretched his back out, cracking it. Looking around, he saw that he had made it down to the valley floor, large, multi-colored mushrooms the size of red wood trees stretching high into the sky. Off to the side, a small path was worn down in the grass, slowly snaking through the forest of mushrooms. Starting along the path, Hellboy paused momentarily, hearing something moving. Looking around, Hellboy thought he caught a glimpse of something, but it was almost a blur, disappearing before he could clearly see it. Hellboy sighed, and then slowly continued down the path.
"I hate it when I can't see them."
Hellboy was suddenly nailed from behind, the force of the blow sending him tumbling forward. Spinning around, he caught a glimpse of something as it leapt up and away.
"What the fu--"
Hellboy was cut off as the creature suddenly shot out form beside him, punching him across the face. Hellboy started to turn, back around, but was suddenly assaulted with numerous blows, the hits coming in a rapid succession to his head and chest. Hellboy shoved his hands out, pushing the creature back.
"I swear to God, you purple son of a…."
Hellboy looked forward expecting to see the Cat, but instead a gray-skinned man looked at him. The eyes staring back at him were completely black, his ears were elongated, pulled back around his head into what would have been a ponytail if it were made of hair. The man slowly bounced up and down on his feet, circling around Hellboy with ease.
"Okay…not quite what I was expecting, but somehow unsurprising around here."
The man spoke to Hellboy as he continued to circle him.
"You won't get to the Caterpillar."
"Listen, buddy, all I want to do is---"
Hellboy was cut off as the man suddenly leapt up, nailing a kick across his face. Hellboy stumbled, but was immediately dropped down to the ground as the man swept Hellboy's legs out from under him. As Hellboy's back landed on the ground, the man had already leapt up into the air, driving both of his feet into Hellboy's stomach. Staring down at Hellboy, the man smiled.
"Name's Hare, creature…"
Leaping off Hellboy, Hare leapt up into the air, bring he knee straight down at Hellboy's face. Hellboy rolled out from underneath just in time. Coming back up to his knees, Hellboy looked towards Hare, but he was gone, suddenly landing behind Hellboy and grabbing him around the neck in a rear choke.
"…and I will not let you harm the Caterpillar!"
Hellboy stood up, lifting Hare up off the ground. Reaching backwards, he grabbed Hare, dropped forward, throwing Hare through the air. Rolling as he landed, Hare jumped back up to his feet and charged at Hellboy. Hellboy stood ready.
"I'm not here to harm anybody, but if you keep hitting me, I'm gonna get mad!"
Hellboy jumped forward, reaching out to grab Hare, the Hare suddenly leapt up, wrapping his legs around Hellboy's head and pounding down into is with a blur of punches, before leaping up, kicking Hellboy in the back of the head before landing behind him. Hellboy stumbled forward stunned, but spun, swinging at Hare. Hare easily ducked the punch, rolling underneath Hellboy's legs back behind him, then leapt up, kicking Hellboy in the back and sending him face first into the stalk of a large mushroom.
"Too slow, red man!"
Hare ran forward leaping at Hellboy, but Hellboy suddenly spun around grabbing Hare and planting him into the ground.
"Name's Hellboy."
Hellboy grabbed Hare lifting him up into the air and punching him hard enough to send him flying into the air and landing in a heap on the grass. Hare quickly leapt to his feet, but Hellboy already was running, barreling into Hare and sending them both tumbling down a steep hill. Landing at the bottom of the hill, both men stood up, facing each other. Hare quickly leapt up, trying to jump away from Hellboy, but Hellboy's hand shot out, grabbing Hare by the ankle and spinning him around before throwing him into the stalk of a mushroom.
"You're not going to hippidy hop away that easy."
Hellboy moved forward, driving his fist at Hare, but Hare suddenly moved, Hellboy's fist driving deep into the soft stalk of the mushroom. Hare leapt up beside Hellboy, nailing a hard knee into his head, then jumped up again, kicking Hellboy in the back of the head and sending him face first into the stalk. Hare leapt back up, but Hellboy suddenly spun, wrenching his hand out from the stalk and knocking Hare out of the air.
Both men were so involved in the fight, that neither saw the air ripple slightly above a rock sitting a distance away from them. The Cat squatted camouflaged on the rock, his eyes fixed on what he was seeing. His hair stood on end as he suddenly saw who Hellboy was fighting.
"Hare!!!"
Hissing, the Cat quickly leapt up, climbing onto the top of a mushroom, leaping from one to the next as he moved towards the fight.
Hare leapt up, kicking Hellboy again, sending him back. Stepping forward, he kicked at Hellboy again, but Hellboy caught the kick.
"Will you stop kicking me for five minutes!"
Hare suddenly jumped up, nailing Hellboy with a kick under the jaw with his other foot, flipping and landing on his feet as Hellboy dropped down to the ground. Leaping on top of Hellboy, Hare started to pummel him with punches. Hellboy tried to cover up, blocking as many of the hits as he could, but Hare was suddenly knocked off Hellboy, something colliding into him from the side. Rolling along the ground, Hare was suddenly pinned to the ground, fighting an invisible enemy. Sitting up, Hellboy looked over and saw the air shimmer as the Cat suddenly revealed himself, driving his claws down at Hare. Hare gripped the Cat's wrists trying to hold off the strike.
"You!!!"
The Cat roared as it pushed harder down at Hare.
"Me, traitor!!!"
The Cat tried to push down harder, but felt a tap on his shoulder.
"Excuse me…"
The Cat turned, but Hellboy grabbed him around the neck, pulling him off Hare and throwing him through the air. The Cat sailed through the air, cart wheeling before landing back on his feet. Staring at Hellboy, the Cat roared.
"This is not your fight, red one! You will die soon enough!"
Charging, the Cat leapt up, slicing down at Hellboy. Hellboy sidestepped the strike and moved around, dodging the Cat as it continuously sliced its claws through the air at him. Hare sat up on the ground and watched as the Cat attacked Hellboy, reaching into a small bag hanging from his belt. Cat swung again at Hellboy, but Hellboy dodged the shot again and suddenly stepped forward, punching the Cat. The Cat stumbled back and roared, charging at Hellboy again. Hellboy stood ready, but Hare suddenly leapt in front of Hellboy, popping open a bottle and throwing the liquid out, splashing it across the Cat. The Cat stumbled back staring at his wet fur in shock. Hare grinned, dropping the empty bottle.
"Water."
The Cat stared in horror, then suddenly turned, running off into the forest of mushrooms. Hellboy and Hare looked after him, watching as the Cat shimmered trying to camouflage, but was unable to, his fur matted and wet. Hare smiled.
"He really hates water."
Hellboy looked over at Hare.
"So what's his problem with you?"
"I used to be apart of the Red Queen's master guard. Her best assassins. But my eyes were opened to her evil when she sent me to kill the Caterpillar. He showed me what is true in the world and now I protect the Caterpillar from my former comrades."
Hare looked back over at Hellboy.
"What have you done that has sent Red Queen's assassins after you?"
Hellboy shrugged.
"I dunno…apparently a lot of people just don't like me."
Hare grinned as he held out his hand to Hellboy.
"Well, my apologies. I mistook you for a follower of the Red Queen."
Hellboy took the hand, shaking it.
"It's the skin, isn't it? People always say it's the skin."
Hare chuckled.
"Well, it doesn't help. But now that you have proven your intentions, I shall take you to the Caterpillar."
"Okay."
Hare turned and started to walk through the forest, Hellboy walking behind him as he checked his nose to see if it was broken.
"Man…you kick hard."
Hare chuckled as he continued to walk.
--------------------------------------------
The Red Queen's fist shook with anger as she watched Hare lead Hellboy through the Mushroom Valley. Turning away from the image, she lifted her hand and waved her fingers. A bright flash immediately lit up her throne room, the light fading away to reveal the Cat standing, in the center, his fur still wet with water.
"My Queen!"
"Your incompetence has angered me for the last time, Cat!"
A clatter suddenly filled the throne room as a number of robotic card guards flipped up from the floor, their swords and spears aimed at the Cat. The Cat quickly dropped to his knees, clasping his hands together.
"Please, my Queen!!!"
"Enough!!!"
The Cat dropped his head, begging for mercy as the Queen stared at him in anger.
"It has become clear that I must send another to do this simply task!"
A throat suddenly cleared at the end of the throne room. The Queen looked up to see a man leaning against one of the many pillars of the large room, a teacup held in one hand as the other slowly twirled a small throwing knife. Looking up from under the brim of his green top hat, the man grinned.
"If the Queen wishes for a pleasant ending…there is only one she should be sending…"
The Cat hissed at the trench-coated man as he smiled back.
"No! I will not send you either, Hatter. The time has come to show this Hellboy what happens when the Red Queen is angered."
Hatter looked up at the Queen, removing his top hat and bowing his head.
"As you wish, my Queen."
The Cat stood up, moving towards the Red Queen.
"I can finish them both, my Queen! Just allow me one more chan---"
The Queen held up her hand, pointing her finger at the Cat.
"No…no more chances for you…"
The Cat opened his mouth to say something, but was cut off as he was immediately consumed in a bright red fire. The Queen laughed as she dropped her hand, the now blackened skeleton of the Cat falling to the ground in a pile. The man leaning against the pillar smiled as he lifted his teacup sipping from it. Turning away from the pile of bones on the red carpet of her throne room, the Queen looked at a card guard.
"Release the Jabberwock."
The guard quickly walked from the throne room, the other guards quickly standing at attention and then folding back into place along the throne room floor as the Queen sat back on her throne.