Chapter 2

"I had hoped you would rebuild the Millinery."

"And I will, my Queen. Upon my return to active duty."

Those words hammered in Hatter's head constantly, getting louder every beat. Now was the time to return to active duty.

He had inexplicably found himself, weapons included, lying on a cold stone table shaped like a playing card. This place, it felt like Wonderland, only…not. The walls seemed to be made out of frogspawn and the air was alive with the sound of morbid giggling and massive gusts of steam.

The portrait.

He stared at a grim portrait on the wall, depicting what seemed to be a dark caricature of himself, a grey creature with eyes like pearls, surrounded by strange black vines.

Were there children walking all over the portrait?

Wait, is the portrait on the wall, or is it on the floor?

Hatter Madigan leapt off the table onto the portrait, still unable to decide whether he was on the wall or the floor, which caused the children to take notice of him. The children crawled towards Hatter and began grabbing him and pulling onto his coat, as if they worshipped him.

These children…these children…their eyes were sown open, their brains were exposed, they had nothing to wear but baggy trousers…

Hatter Madigan struck them onto the floor with a single swipe, causing them to wiggle around the floor like cats being tickled on their underbellies. Hatter ignored them, instead turning his attention towards the huge green creature standing over him.

"Hatter Madigan!"

Hatter snarled. "What do you want?"

"I have brought you here…"

Hatter unleashed a wrist-blade. "Why?"

"I have brought you here so you can destroy your doppelganger and help me overthrow Alice…"

Doppelganger? Alyss? This was one of Redd's creatures to be sure! Hatter threw his top hat, which quickly unfolded into a circle of blades, at the mechanical being, and sure enough, the blades hit it right in the face. However, this draconic creature wasn't hurt at all; it pulled out the hat, tossed it back and flew away. Not a drop of blood.

Hatter shrugged and, curious about what this place may hold, made his way down a corridor, where the walls were all mirrors…looking glasses…

"The Looking Glass Maze?"

This was ridiculous. Hatter was not a monarch. He wasn't a king. He was merely the leader of the Royal Millinery. He shouldn't have a Looking Glass Maze test…

One of the mirrors shattered instantly as a small bronze robot burst out, blowing furious steam at Hatter Madigan. Hatter whipped out a blade from his wrist, twirled around like a ballet dancer, and decapitated the robotic being. Hatter clutched his hat in his hands, with a strong feeling that the weapon will be required very soon.

Another wall shattered, this time revealing a gigantic hunchback wearing a propeller beanie.

"Hur hur. Hur hur."

Hatter clutched his hat tighter.

"You're funny lookin', you are."

Hatter slowly lifted his hat in the air.

"Dee! You idiot!"

A smaller version of the hunchback appeared, albeit with a straighter back, waving his arms frantically.

"What are ya playin' at, Dee? I think this guy's the boss!"

Hatter slowly let his hat drop to his hip.

"Dum, what makes you think this 'ere wacko is our boss?"

"Well, look at 'is 'at! Only the boss wears a 'at like that!"

"But 'e looks nothing like the boss! The boss is old and ugly!"

"This could be another one of 'is experiments! He could 'ave made 'imself younger somehow, using them robotic thingamajigs!"

Hatter gave Dee and Dum a stern look. "What are you talking about?"

The two similar creatures looked back at Hatter. "Yer the boss, aren't yer?"

Hatter narrowed his eyes. "My name is Hatter Madigan. I oversee the Millinery in Wonderland."

Dee and Dum burst into a fit of hysterical laughter.

"Listen to this guy, Dum, it's like I told yer, he's right bonkers."

"What's all this about a Millinery then?"

Hatter raised his hat in the air more rapidly then before.

"Let's bring this nut-job to the real boss, shall we, Dee?"

Both Dee and Dum split in half like Russian dolls, allowing miniature versions of themselves to escape from their stomachs.

Hatter Madigan dropped his hat.

"General Doppelganger?"

The clones grabbed him by the arms.

"Hur hur hur. Now 'e thinks we're General Doppel-whatever."

"The boss will 'ave such fun with 'im, won't 'e?"

Hatter Madigan was dragged across the floor, through labyrinthine staircases, through stone passageways, through more halls of mirrors, until he reached a room made of metal, where the decorations were gears, operating an unseen machine, as if he were iun the workings of a clock.

"Ah, good work, boys."

In the middle of the room stood what looked a robotic scarecrow, only with an elderly human head attached atop. The most noticeable feature about the monster, however, was its hat. The hat must have been at least two feet tall, with a chess-board pattern and arcane symbols littering each square.

The gangly beast pointed an artificial finger to his henchman's prisoner. "And who might you be?"

"I…I am…Hatter Madigan…"

The creature's eyes bulged. "Say that again."

"I am Hatter Madigan."

"Again!"

"I am Hatter…"

"LIES!" The beast stomped his foot and slugged Hatter in the face.

"I am the one true Hatter. I am the only one worthy of the name. I am perfect. Are you?"

Out from the sleeves of the loose-fitting strait-jacket the Hatter wore, a small spider crawled out in a way that reminded Hatter Madigan of the cannonball spiders of his world. However, this spider moved in a more…dreamlike way towards Hatter, as its legs dug deep into his skull…

"My Queen…I failed you…"

"You're a failure! You failed! I, on the other hand, am the embodiment of perfection! To compare yourself to me would be to compare a mustard seed to the universe!" The Hatter whacked Hatter in the face once more. "Dum! Dee! Take our guest to the operating room!"

The Jabberwock watched from above. He flew off the ceiling and through an open window as the Hatter, Hatter and the two henchmen made their way to the operating room. He had a strong urge to intervene, to save Hatter's life, to be a hero, but…no. Right now, he feared Hatter, even more so than his monstrous counterpart. But what about Alyss?

He flew over the Caterpillar's Plot, a favourite haunt of his, hoping to find some time to relax and recover, but then…a girl by a rock, fingering a knife?

Chocolate-brown hair, blue dress, green eyes, white apron.

Could it be?

The Jabberwock hid behind a pile of rocks and listened to her – the one who had caused him so much trouble and pain – talk to a shadowed figure. He could have just jumped out and fried his foe to a crisp right there and then, but he felt inclined to listen.

"An endgame with the Red Queen is possible only after you crush her sentinel – the vile, fiercilious and vengeful Jabberwock. Without the Staff that bears his name, destroying him is the hopeless work of a wasted life."

Alice had no qualms about killing the Jabberwock. In fact, she sounded rather excited to do it, not something Alyss would ever do.

The Jabberwock silently retreated away, with the unbearable itch of a missed opportunity. He kept telling himself though – it has to be Alyss and only Alyss who murders his most hated foe.

He returned back to his humble abode and smashed a window with his fist. It didn't bleed. HE WAS SUPPOSED TO DIE! DIE YOU MISERABLE SCUM DIE!

The Hatter…him and Alice have conspired together. Perhaps it was to torment him further or maybe Alice wanted to be immortal through the Hatter's machinery.

Alyss lay in a ditch with a knife in her heart.

If her loyal royal bodyguard can be defeated by the horrors and nightmares of this world, why not Alyss? She will die, the Queen will die and the Jabberwock will be forced to live this way forever.

No, I need Alyss here I need her she's nice and beautiful I know what it is I just dropped Hatter in willy-nilly yes yes yes I'm so smart I must encourage Alyss to fight yes the man he said so prove it beautiful kind evil fire BURN ALICE BURN I must kill Alice long live Alyss bring her here

Bring her here.