WELCOME TO ACT II

Hatter ran, farther up the endless stairs, until finally running out of energy.

"Why now... Damn..." He leaned against a wall, panting.

"Aww, you're stopping now? Giving up so soon? Don't you want her back, Hatter?"

A familiar voice rang through the place.

"...You've been too scared to show your face, so you force me to run up stairs for an eternity..." Hatter didn't even look at the dark figure leaning casually against the wall beside him.

"Hm. Insulting me won't make you win."

"..."

"That girl was getting quite annoying... Thank you for getting rid of her for me. Who was she anyways...? Liddell's sister?"

Silence.

"So... You want the real Liddell, correct?"

More silence.

"... Hatter, talk to me! Geez, it's like you don't even care!"

Hatter pinned Loue against the wall by his neck with one hand gripping it tightly, while holding his arms down with the other.

"If I didn't care, I wouldn't be here. Now tell me where she is before I snap you." Hatter hissed angrily through his teeth, gripping the Vampire's neck a bit tighter, causing him to choke a bit.

"No." Loue managed to squeak through the choke-hold.

"..." Hatter sighed and let loose of the vampire's neck.

"I'll keep going up these stairs until I find her, then. I'm not going to fight you."

Loue was silent. Hatter looked back at the place where he was standing, and he was gone.

He started running, hoping Loue's urge to fight him would come soon.

He kept running, and running, until he found another door. He could feel wintry air shrouding the area.

He opened the door with a loud creak, and stepped into a dark room that had many windows, illuminated by the full moon.

"So, you finally decided to show up? It took you long enough, I was getting quite bored." Loue sat in a chair off to the far right corner of the room.

"...This isn't a game, Loue. Where is Liddell?!'" Hatter was extremely close to just charging over to Loue and beating an answer out of him. But he tried to stay calm, as he didn't want to kill one of Queen Alice's servants.

"Fight me."

"No."

"..."

"Why? 'Cause you'll lose?" Loue was suddenly behind him.

He dug his nails into the Hatter's back, ripping his clothing and making a bloody mess all over the floor.

Hatter remained silent, trying not to shake from the pain.

Before Loue could make another move, Hatter took out four silver needles, and stabbed the vampire in his stomach, in four different places.

Loue's skin started to boil in those four places, as the needles sunk into his body, and blood dripped onto the floor.

He collapsed onto his knees, and held his stomach.

"Where is she, Loue?!" Hatter stepped over to the vampire, looking down onto him, the blood still dripping from his back.

"..." He stayed there on the floor, silently shaking.

"I didn't want it to have to come to this. You could have avoided all of this pain, if you just told me where you're keeping her."

"... She's on the floor over there. You're eyesight is horrible."

Noticing the shadow on the floor next to the chair Loue was in before, Hatter ran over to Liddell.

He stroked her face, and checked her wrist for a pulse. She was unconscious, and covered in bloody bruises. Tears were in her eyes as well.

He snapped.

Just as his anger reached it's limit, Loue struck him in the head from behind with his foot.

Hatter got up, and punched the vampire's nose, though it was realized, and took out more silver syringes, and stabbed him in his arms and stomach.
He continuously pulled them out and threw them on the floor if he got the chance. Loue continued to fight and try to bite the Hatter, but Hatter was quick, so he couldn't land a single one. With another needle going in underneath his collarbone, Loue staggered on his feet, trying to regain his balance after being stabbed multiple times in the arms and mid-section.
He stood upright, his vision slurred, and threw the Hatter an outraged scowl that could crack your spine, and cause you an eternity of nightmares.. It did not effect him in the slightest. Hatter was used to it, through years of the torment from the self-centered, opinionated vampire.
Loue zipped towards the tall shadow in front of him, prepared to attack, finally realizing that this wasn't just a game anymore. Hatter did not move. As Loue collided with him, he quickly pulled out another syringe of mercury and stabbed the vampire in the back of his neck. A loud crack was heard. His eyes stayed open in shock, and his mind was still processing his current situation. Hatter turned on his feet, holding the vampire off the ground by his neck, and dropped him.
He lay there, silent, as the mercury flowed through his body causing his vampirism to slowly and painfully deteriorate.

He had indeed lost the battle.

Hatter ran over to Liddell, who had woken up, and was watching from the ground. Her frail body bruised and cut, tears welled up in her eyes and slid down her face as the Hatter fell to his knees beside her. He carefully wrapped his arms around her upper back and under her knees, so he could pick her up and carry her somewhere better than here so he could take care of her injuries.
When he got down five flights of stairs, he had to set her down because he himself was injured. Loue was certainly not powerless. He sat down for a moment, Liddell still in his arms, then continued down the stairs.