Title: Illusions & Destinies
Rating: R for the most part, M for select chapters
Author's Note: You know that office sickness that always seems to go around when you really don't need it? Yeah, happened to me. Delayed everything. I have a sizable hand cramp from writing everything by hand because I couldn't stand looking at my computer, but now I get to type everything out.
On the bonus side, being sick meant that I get sympathy the beta about being late. But not much...
Chapter Twenty-Five: Storm in a Bottle
Hatter kept Alice close to his side as they slid from alley to alley, and wondered if he was making the right decision in keeping them moving. Despite the familiarity of the streets, the sense of forbidding was so rampant just in the feel of the city that Hatter felt like he had someone breathing down the back of his neck. Above them, he heard a clang of metal on metal and he tensed instinctively, until he caught sight of a long tail disappearing up a fire escape.
"Stupid cat," Hatter muttered. He'd forgotten that Chesh had converted back to his cat form and pouncing along. Despite his earlier snide words, the Cheshire was keeping close to them and staying strangely quiet at the same time. Something that both of Alice and Hatter were thankful for. It already felt like the tension was running exceptionally high without Chesh's added input about how dismal it all was.
Hatter didn't need a cat to tell him that the City seemed almost depressing with its lack of people and usual vitality.
The Cheshire was prowling along one of the upper escarpments, his tabby body weaving through the rails, and he picked his way with so much care that he almost seemed like a regular cat. Hatter watched him from the corner of his eye but Chesh seemed content to have retreated to silence and not offer any input about the strange mood of Wonderland City.
Alice clung to his hand, gripping tightly, and she was looking around them with hurried glances. Every now and then, when her nerves overcame her usual calm, she'd squeeze his hand tightly in hers and the ring she wore would bite into his fingers. Hatter almost started to ask to her to let go since her own fingers were clamped fiercely around his, but one look at her face had kept him quiet. It was an odd compliment, Hatter guessed, when he knew it was comforting her to hold his hand like this.
"It's so quiet, Hatter," Alice whispered, leaning in close behind him as they slowly walked through the alley. It was one of the longer ones and twisted in different directions of up and down, following the way the buildings had been stacked on-top of one another. Hatter had been leading them with so much care about where they went that Alice wondered if he was as nervous as she was. It didn't show in the calm way he looked in all directions but there was a slight edginess whenever he looked at her that made her nervous.
Hatter nodded at her question and adjusted the satchel at his side to keep the bottles from jingling too loudly in it. In case they had to hide, he didn't want their position to be given away because of that noise.
"Weird, eh?" he murmured back. The streets were almost completely bare, save for the few people in the distance who were going to and from various buildings. No one seemed to want to linger out in the open. With the wind icy and biting even through his clothing, Hatter himself didn't want to be outside for that long either. He was leading them towards the only place he knew might be safe and it was taking much longer than he'd expected. Every time they turned a corner or tried a different set of stairs, there would be the signs of a Scarab flying at one of the street levels or the sounds of group of Suits patrolling. He wasn't sure if Alice had noticed it at all, but he wisely kept silent so not to make her even more nervous. Their time in the Tunnel had clearly shaken her up more than she was letting on.
Glancing down at her dark head, Hatter wondered if she was seeing that horrific sight of the flooded Tunnel and the bodies in it as clearly as he still could.
"I remember coming here, before we met, and it seemed quiet. But this... this is worse somehow," Alice explained, pushing her hair out of her eyes when the wind made it snap around them.
"I know," he agreed.
Hatter hadn't seen the City in a state like this since he'd been a teenager and even then there would have been people around. People who had fought back against the turmoil of the War in their struggle to regain their normal lives.
Now... there was nothing. Not even shadows or hints of day-today Wonderlander life.
The only things moving without any concern about being caught were the small wild animals that could be seen wandering around. That was another odd thing; Hatter could only remember seeing the odd bird or cat in Wonderland City. Not actual wildlife like they may have seen in the wilds. Hatter had kept them away from the packs of odd creatures that seemed to be clustering around the patches of wild grasses and empty buildings. It was unusual enough to see bandersnatches and mome-raths even in the Wabe, but here it was unheard of.
"Get down!" Chesh hissed the warning from his place on the railing and Hatter pushed Alice behind himself. They both pressed back in to the shadows of the tall building and watched as a troupe of Suits went by. The pins on them signified they were of the White Rabbit Group and, suddenly even more cautious, Alice pulled Hatter down into a crouch beside her to keep from being seen easily. The men were marching in precise order, their focus entirely on what was in front of them, and they didn't turn to check the alleyway. When Hatter was able to get a good look at them, he could see that they were not regular Suits; most had the rough, fresh out of Lake Prison look.
They were more of a mercenary type of Suit and not a type he'd ever seen before.
Alice breathed a sigh of relief when the group kept walking down the street, their footsteps fading. Hatter touched his hat and then looked at her, giving her a grin.
"Good to be home, eh?" he whispered to her and Alice smiled wryly.
"Why can't we ever come back to peace and quiet?" she asked and he shrugged.
"My guess? That would be too easy." Hatter rose half-way and clicked his tongue. "Wonder where they were headed. Not like regular Suits to ignore good hiding places if they're lookin' for rebels."
The relative quiet of the street was broken up by the sound of gunshots and men shouting nearby to one another. Cautiously, Hatter ducked his head out again and squinted his eyes to get a better look. He watched as the Suits that had passed them went running for one of the opposite streets and began to cross one of the turn-tile bridges that spanned across the streets to get to whatever they were chasing.
It was a bit of good luck, he thought to himself and he reached for Alice's hand. With the Suits distracted, they could get moving down the streets.
"You ready?" he asked Alice and she gave him a look.
"Always am. Let's go."
With Chesh still running along the fire-escapes and fences, they ran along the sidewalks. Hatter remembered to keep to the outside while Alice almost clung to the walls. Even after all this time, she was still afraid of the impressive heights that the streets had been built up to. Hatter kept one eye on the streets for any ascending Scarabs but everything seemed to have been focussed on whatever mess the Suits were dealing with.
Glancing over his shoulder, he looked at Alice's pale face. "Won't take too long, you know, I...ooof!"
When a larger man slammed into him, Hatter went tumbling back against Alice. She yelped, going to her knees and ducking his flailing hands. Automatically, he righted himself and pivoted, ready to fight if he had to. His hand was in a fist and he pulled it back.
The only thing that saved Pidge from being knocked out was Chesh's loud groan above them. "Him again?"
"I never thought I'd be glad to see you two!" Pidge exclaimed as he pushed himself up against the wall. They both stared at him stupidly and he smiled. "What? Did I interrupt something?"
The loud noise of Suits running nearby made him curse under his breath before he grabbed Alice and Hatter by their arms and pulled them into the closest alley. They all pressed against the walls as the men ran by, shouting orders and insults at one another. On his side of the alley, Pidge gulped for breath and pressed his hand to his side to try to ease the cramp he could feel growing. He was in reasonable shape but the last half-hour he'd spent running had nearly worn him out.
On the other side, Alice and Hatter watched the Suits continue on until their voices and footsteps grew faint in the distance. Hatter breathed deeply to calm his own frayed nerves but Alice looked at the dark haired man still panting across from them. Pidge looked worn out and his usually pristine clothing was badly soiled, his shirt bloody at the edges and slashed at the stomach. When he regained his wind, he looked at her and grinned.
"Hello. Fancy meeting you two crazy lovers here," he joked
Without a thought, she crossed the aisle and hugged him tightly. "Pidge! You're okay?" she asked in a motherly voice, which made him grin though his wounded side ached at the squeezing.
Pidge gave her a squeeze back before letting go, patting her shoulder gently. Though Hatter seemed unconcerned by their embrace, Pidge wasn't about to risk it. "Just fine and dandy. My usual charming, immensely good-looking self," he answered and then frowned. "Why? Don't I look it?"
Hatter looked at him and shrugged. "You always look pretty hideous to me, so ask Alice."
"Nice, very nice," Pidge muttered at the insult. He smiled at Alice and the smile faded when he saw her solemn expression. She could clearly see that he wasn't feeling as care-free as he was putting across.
Tearing his eyes away from her, he cleared his throat and looked at Hatter. "Where'd you two come from?
"You didn't get my message then?" Hatter asked and at Pidge's shake of the head, he sighed and looked around. "Wonderful."
"Mind filling me in? Why didn't you two come with Abel?"
"Big explosion, divided up land, no way of crossing from our way over," Hatter rambled absently as he analysed their surroundings. "You know, the usual."
"Eh, sounds about right to have things not go to plan," Pidge agreed and he frowned at Alice. "You okay? You seem... paler than normal."
"Just a lot of things going on," she said simply.
"Yes, well, 'many things' would be putting it lightly." Chesh's voice echoed as he bounced down from the railing and mid-bounce he transfigured back into his more human form. Pidge jumped back with a yelp and stared wide-eyed at him.
"Wha...Ok, I'm not going crazy, that just happened?" he demanded, pointing at Chesh. Hatter squinted his eyes and took on an innocently mad grin.
"By Wonderland, it must be that since I saw it. I know I'm crazy and you must be going mad too. Looks like it's contagious, this madness business."
Pidge looked so incredibly worried that Alice took pity on him. "Hatter, knock it off." She gestured at Chesh. "Pidge, meet Chesh in regular Cheshire form. I transformed him back when we were separated from your grandfather."
"Oh." Pidge knew that single word was almost too insignificant for telling just how he actually felt but he couldn't think of anything better to say. He eyed Chesh like he might a gun to his own face and then looked at Hatter. "You let that happen?"
Despite Alice's annoyed huff, Hatter glanced at Chesh and made a so-so gesture with his hand. "Can't say I was thrilled about it."
Chesh came beside Alice and cracked his neck loudly to irritate her. His cat eyes stared at the two younger men and he sneered. "If you two are finished sharing your rapier wit and wisdom, can we get a move on?"
"Glad to," Hatter answered. He made a face. "There's just one big problem."
"Isn't there always?" Alice sniped and Hatter glared at him.
"You're sounding like him, knock it off." He pointed out the alley. "Those Suits who ran through here 'bout thirty seconds ago? The ones I figured were hunting you?"
He looked expectantly at Pidge and the taller man shrugged.
"Why were they hunting you?" Alice asked curiously.
"Probably because of a woman," Hatter commented.
"Isn't it always about a woman?" Pidge countered sharply and Chesh cleared his throat.
"Really! Can we get back to the problem at hand?" he snapped.
Hatter tipped his hat back a bit so he could see the streets better. "As I was sayin', the Suits that are wanderin' around like Jabberwocks on a mating-season bender are blocking our way."
"Where are we going anyway?" Alice questioned as she peered out the alley and saw what Hatter meant. In the open road that lead up a slant to the upper streets were a group of Suits, who, by the look of them, were not about to move very soon either. She exhaled sharply and looked around, recognizing the vague layout of these streets. She looked over her shoulder at Hatter and arched a brow.
"Figured there's no place like home. Since they all decided I'm dead, hiding in the heart of them won't be difficult. Would be the last place they looked," Hatter said, knowing she'd guessed his intention.
Chesh and Pidge looked at each other before the Cheshire shrugged.
"Won't do us any good to try to avoid them out and out," Hatter continued and he pointed along the streets. "Would take us half a day to go around them. Best way is to go right through."
"I can see how cat-boy here could do it with his animal impression. But I'm thinking that the rest of us would get spotted easy." Pidge nodded at Alice. "Especially since she's still glowing and not just in the maternal "carrying a bundle of joy" sense."
"Helpful," Alice mumbled under her breath.
In response, Hatter pulled his satchel up and began to rummage through it. "Pidge, go and... distract them or something," he ordered though he didn't lift his eyes from his search. Pidge shot his bent head an offended look.
"Me? I just ran over ten blocks to get away from them! Now you want me to go back and run around like a sitting duck?" he almost whined.
"Sounds about right. Go do it," Hatter answered. Pidge looked ready to complain more as he kept gesturing uselessly around them.
Standing beside Hatter, Alice rolled her eyes.
"Really, you two. It's like dealing with two little kids," she scolded and then caught Chesh grinning at them. "And you're no better either!"
He frowned, not have expected to be caught up in her sweeping opinion. But he didn't move to do what Hatter wanted Pidge to do. Muttering to herself about cowardly males, Alice left the alley before anyone could stop her. Hatter scrounged hurriedly through his pack while whispering her name and insisting she come back.
But Alice had made up her mind to do what Pidge clearly didn't want to and she stood half-way out in the sidewalk. The Suits nearby didn't notice her, since she was just a thin slip of a woman dressed in dark clothing, and she looked up and around herself. Deciding on a course of action, she remembered about how strangely beautiful the City looked when it was lit up at night and she reached up to one of the streetlights that were turned off. It shimmered dully and she flexed her fingers around the iron pole.
Immediately, the streetlight crackled and the globe at its top began to shine so brightly that there was a white glow all around the sidewalks and streets. The Suits a little ways down the street turned around in comical unison, their mouths hung open as all the street lamps suddenly flickered on brilliantly. The power seemed to hum from light to light and the glow was incredibly bright. Alice let her hand drop to her side and she backed away slowly as the Suits all came out into the open.
Behind her, Hatter was muttered under his breath about her being stubborn, while Pidge came out beside her.
"There's no need to show me up," he grumbled and she eyed him.
"No need to be ashamed of being too old to be much good," she teased and he frowned.
"Oh, you are just..." He looked around. "I can't think of a word to describe you when you're being insulting but I'm sure there's a few choice ones."
"Take your time thinking them up," she answered before turning away to look at the dumbfounded Suits. Still needing them to move and to get their attention off the dazzling light show, Alice whistled loudly. The sound echoed off the surrounding buildings and the Suits seemed to finally see Alice and Pidge through the bright lights of the lamps.
"Come on, Pidge," Alice answered as she backed away with him. "Where's your sense of adventure?"
"Right up there with my thoughts that if I let something happen to you, Hatter is going to kill me," he snapped as he took her arm and pulled her after him. They ran down the sidewalk, followed by the Suits, and Pidge looked over his shoulder at where Hatter and Chesh were hiding. "Just hope he had a plan and wasn't just rummaging for nothing."
They ran for cover when Hatter shouted a warning, his own hand lifted high in the air. Bracing themselves in the shelter of a doorway, Alice and Pidge watched the Suits came running towards their hiding spot and Pidge swallowed audibly when it seemed like nothing was going to happen to save them from being caught. Alice instead looked at Hatter, who was holding a glass bottle up without its cork. He saw her and winked before throwing the bottle down to the water far below the streets.
"Wonderland, I'm startin' to worry about him," Pidge muttered from nearby as he leaned past Alice and watched Hatter. The Suits were getting even closer now and he put a hand on his mallet handle in preparation.
There was a loud sucking sound that reminded Alice of the flooding of the Tunnels and the horrible memory made her stomach turn. Unmindful of the danger the Suits presented, she stepped out onto the sidewalk to look at the waterways below them. The Suits had all clustered together, stopping mid-run to stare at the rapidly darkening sky above them. There was already lightning crackling across the sky and the first droplets of rain were fat and cold.
Far below, the waterways were churning madly and the water actually seemed to be lifting up.
Alice had only seen something like this once before and she looked at where Hatter and Chesh were still in their alley. Hatter was gesturing for her to make a run for it, right through the Suits headed her way. Looking over her shoulder at Pidge, who was staring up at the sky, she ignored the rain that was starting to fall in sheets around them and grabbed him by the elbow.
"Got your stick handy?" she shouted over the thunder roaring through the air.
"You going to explain about the change in the weather?" he demanded and she shook her head.
"No."
"Right then, that would be too much to ask for right now," Pidge whispered more to himself than to her. He yanked his mallet out. "And it's a mallet, not a stick."
"Whatever." Alice gestured for him to go out before her. "On three?"
They counted off together and then raced out into the group of Suits. The rain was gathering strength, beating down and making the walkways slippery. Pidge and Alice skittered around, and in the confusion one of the Suits went to grab Alice by the arm. Pidge snapped warning before slamming the butt of his mallet into the man's chest, sending him flying off the sidewalk. He propelled Alice forward just as the rumbling became worse and, in a large wave, the water rose above them.
Hatter raced out to meet them, grabbing Alice and turning with her.
"Storm in a bottle?" she demanded. "That was your great plan?"
"It worked."
"A bit too well," Chesh shouted as a large water spout suddenly formed up from the water below. Heavy white foam and icy cold water sprayed outward as the spout began to spiral in fast revolutions. The wind that spun it around roared loudly and made the streets almost shake with its force. The spout was travelling around the street level like a tornado on a destructive path, sucking the Suits in with its heavy winds that followed and sending the men flying down to the water below. Alice gulped when she saw that it was headed right toward them.
"Time to go," Hatter said and he pulled Alice after him. They sprinted for the street ramp and Pidge and Chesh followed close on their heels. The storm continued to grow in intensity and unleashed its fury on the surrounding buildings, bursting windows and toppling streetlights. The wind was howling fiercely as they ran up the ramp, the sheets of rain making it hard to see where they were going. Hatter was travelling by memory only, leading them up the twisted ramps and stairs as the storm's heavy rains and turbulent winds caught at them.
There was no way to outrun the storm, Hatter realized, and he winced as the rain began to turn to icy pellets. They pounded down around them and he felt Alice cringe when the pellets struck her on the shoulder. Swinging her around his body, he turned to look at where they'd come from. The Suits and the water spout were gone but the rain was falling so hard that it was a blanket of falling water.
Not wanting to admit that with the storm in his eyes he had lost his way, Hatter tried to re-orientate himself through the rain and hail.
He checked his right and left, trying to guess where to go when a hand grabbed his shoulder and yanked him into a doorway. Both Alice and Hatter fell through the door, Chesh and Pidge not far behind. The rain passed them, sounding like a train now with the force of its falling, and a fresh spurt of water blasted through the door to soak them all.
Sputtering through a mouthful of water, Hatter rolled onto his back and stared up incredulously at the craggy, familiar face of North Abel. The Drawling Master wore a crooked grin, though his own clothes were soaked to the skin, and beside him Abigail was shaking her own wet coat out.
"You never were too good at subtleties, eh boy?" Abel asked curiously. Hatter groaned and picked himself before helping Alice get to her feet.
"What's the point of that? Being subtle takes too long." Hatter snapped, wincing as he tried to peel his soaked jacket away from his chest. Pidge and Chesh both got to their feet as well, equally as soaked as the others, and Pidge shut the door on the storm.
"How did you get here so quickly?" Alice asked Abigail and the older woman gestured to her father.
"Scavenged Scarabs. This one thought it would be funny to fly in like a maniac and crash it."
"We got here, didn't we? And most of our men are now scattered through the City, gathering intelligence," Abel countered smugly. He looked at Pidge. "So, you've rejoined the fold eh?"
Pidge grinned. "Nice to see you too, sir."
"Did you find her?" Hatter asked, finally able to ask the question he wanted to know.
"Yep." He didn't expound on that and Abigail sighed.
"I think finding safe shelter is more pressing than sharing who did what and to whom. This place will only be safe for a little while." She pursed her lips and looked out one of the iron barred windows. "Who started the storm exactly?"
They all pointed at Hatter and he looked sheepish.
"Not bad," she allowed, ignoring his surprised look that she was addressing him so easily after weeks of tension. "The streets are being watched though. Guaranteed it is going back to the Queen that someone is here to cause trouble."
"How long have you been in the City?" Alice asked and Abel made a face.
"Few hours... Who is that?" He gently pushed Alice out of the way and stared at Chesh, who looked miserable with the way he'd been soaked. He shook his head and when he realized Abel was staring at him, he raised his cat-like eyes and blinked widely at them. The Drawling Master actually laughed but the sound was cold. "Oh you have to be joking."
There was enough censure in Abel's voice that Alice saw Chesh recoil a bit.
"This is the Cheshire?" Abigail asked, her eyes narrow as she stared at Chesh. The man stared back at her, meeting her speculation with his own snide look. Abigail eventually looked away and Alice frowned, wondering at Chesh's look.
It was almost as if these two made him even more nervous. He was afraid of Hatter, she knew that, but Chesh actually seemed squeamish about being near Hatter's relatives.
"You sure that doing this was a good idea?" Abel asked Hatter and Alice glared at him.
"If someone asks him that one more time as if I'm not here, I'm going to scream," she threatened and the older man put his hands in the air.
"Never-mind that then. Where were you headed?" Abel gestured to Abigail. "We had a few men with us but I've sent them on to check out the Hospital."
"Tea Shop," Hatter said and his eyes were on his mother now. She didn't flinch, only stared back him with remarkable self-control.
"There?" Pidge frowned. "Won't they look for us there?"
"They think I'm dead, and if I'm right - and as Alice will tell you, I usually am," Hatter boasted, ignoring her incredulous snort, "They'll have ran-sacked the first level and left it alone, because not many people know the way to get into the inner parts of the Tea Shop where I keep my supplies. Without any new wares to be served, Dormie will have shut it down but not completely."
"Could be risky," Abel warned and Alice shrugged.
"When hasn't this been? If we go now, we can get there before the Queen's men hit the streets looking for whoever started the storm."
Hatter slung his arm around her waist. "I love the way you think."
"Really? Are you sure that's the only thing you love?" she teased huskily and there was a collective groan from the others.
"Sickening, it is, the way you two carry on," Abel grumbled and Hatter grinned, though Alice blushed a bit. The storm had lessened a bit and Hatter opened the door again to peer outside. Without another word, he and Alice started out down the street back to their home. Though she should feel more cautious, Alice actually felt a bit excited to be close to the place she'd called home for over a year. She just hoped that the Suits hadn't destroyed the place. When she looked at Hatter, she could tell he was feeling the same way though he grinned at her as if he didn't have a care in the world.
Author's Notes: Thanks for the reviews for this story and the other deleted scene section. I'm sorting through the pile to see if there is anything worth publishing now from either WCG or ID...I'll see what I find. Must be some smut in there somewhere. Must be...
Sorry for the delay. I'll chain myself to my desk for a bit longer this week to see if I can't get this out a bit quicker. I'm so easily distracted it seems and being on meds for the week didn't help it :P