A/N: Thank you for your reviews! (: They keep me updating! Much love to Niphuria for her lovely reviews for my first few chapters! -hugs-
Right! On the the next installment!
His green eyes reflected madness and nothing more. His red messy hair was tucked under his huge top hat. The Mad Hatter smirked coldly and tapped his skeleton-headed cane patiently against his thigh.
Alice felt her legs go numb in fear.
"Let them go!" She hissed, her voice quavering.
"Why would I do that?" was icy question. The Hatter lifted his chin up and eyed Alice.
"I'll kill you." Alice growled her voice dropping dangerous low, "I'll become a murderer, but it's worth it." Her heart thudded wildly in her chest.
The Hatter let out an eerie menacing laugh that echoed around the hollow room.
"I'd like to see you try, but unfortunately I do not want to waste any more time." He tipped his hat, and raised his cane.
Alice spotted the sharp tip and imagined it plunging down into her skin. She wasn't going to die. Not now. Not because of him.
She ducked as the Hatter swiftly swung his cane at her.
"You're dead!" She snarled at him, stooping down as the Hatter swayed his cane once again.
"Run Alice!" The March Hare hollered, suddenly looking not so defeated, glaring at the Hatter, and struggling under the chains.
"Alice?" The Hatter's face fell flat and his arms dropped limply to his sides. He looked coldly at Alice contemplating before an awkward grim grin appeared on his face.
"Oh my, the red queen would reward me, how delighted she will be!" His voice went an octave higher, his eyes clouded with a strange look.
Alice narrowed her eyes. "She will die before me, as will you, you backstabbing Hatter!" She growled.
The Hatter wasn't listening.
"She won't kill me, oh no, she won't, she'll be so happy she will forget about killing me…"
She glanced about the room, looking for maybe a weapon or a shield of some sort. She was furious and fearful at the same time. As much as she hated the new Hatter, she knew, somewhere inside, the old happy Mad Hatter was still present.
Alice forced herself to calm down and analyze the situation. She was weaponless and not to mention trapped in a room. What could she do? Physically, nothing. She glanced at the Hatter, who looked slightly off balance, his face confused. But mentally…
"Hatter, before you kill me, mind if I ask a question?"
"Humor me." The Hatter mumbled his reply, raising his cane and pointing it at Alice.
"Why is a raven like a writing desk?"
The Hatter's face paled. He glared coldly at Alice. "There's no answer to that!" he growled. "What is this? Some kind of tricky?"
Alice compelled herself to stay composed. "There is an answer. I'm insulted that you don't know." She grinned coolly. "Why, Hatter, I thought you, you of all people would know!"
The Mad Hatter let out a huff. "What is the answer?"
Alice smiled smugly.
"Now, now. I wouldn't tell you." She taunted teasingly wagging her finger, walking towards the Hatter and tapping her finger on his cane.
The Hatter drew back, looking furious. "Don't touch that!" He hissed.
Alice moved closer, a grin on her face. She knew the Hatter's weakness. She had got him where she wanted.
"The red queen," She began, and the Hatter cringed at once, his face going pallid. "Would be very disappointed if she knew that you, you, Hatter, can't even answer your own riddle."
Alice tutted, shaking her head. She smiled up at the Hatter. "Now what would she do to you? I imagine killing, considering what she has done to most of the creatures here."
The Hatter looked miserable. "Keep quiet you!" He mumbled incoherently.
"I do believe you are not doing this by the red queen's orders are you? Little Hatter, so afraid that the Red queen might kill him so that he's being a house maid for her and being controlled of his own free will." Alice was so close to the Hatter, her hand on his shoulder.
The Hatter looked positively bewildered.
"Well, fine then." Alice lifted her hand off the Hatter, who shuddered. "Go ahead. Take me to the queen. Just bear in mind," She whispered in the Mad Hatter's ear.
"She might kill you."
That did it. The Mad Hatter looked terrified. He backed away slowly. A horrified expression on his pallid face.
"You know, Hatter, you could help me defeat the queen." Alice began, smiling, and breathing a sigh of relief, dusting her dress.
"In that way, she'll be dead and nobody will be there to kill you."
The Hatter looked coldly at her, his eyes narrowed. He moved to his right quickly and flicked a switch.
Fear tugged on Alice's heart.
She prepared for a bunch of monster rushing for her, and she stood ramrod straight, eyeing her surroundings.
A happy squeal caught her attention. The chains and belt that secured the Dormouse and Hare were cut loose. The March Hare bounded over to Alice and gave her a big hug. She obliged and hugged the brown Hare back, grinning from ear to ear. Alice looked up happily at the Mad Hatter.
"Thank you!" she smiled.
"Promise you wont get me killed." Was the despondent response.
Alice nodded and glanced over to the Dormouse, who did not stir.
"Mallymkun!" The March Hare called out to the mouse.
He did not move.
"He's dead." The Hatter sounded tired. "He's not breathing." He pointed out, standing awkwardly beside Alice. He stowed away his cane and peeked meekly at Alice.
"I guess this means I can take his place in joining your conquest in defeating the red queen."
"You must be mad. First you tried killing me and now you're joining me." Alice joked.
The Mad Hatter looked seriously at her.
"Number one. Yes, I am mad. Number two, joining you would be safety for me. Considering that I am now travelling with the greatest enemy of the red queen's and I have shown at weakness, being unable to kill you, she wouldn't hesitate to kill me."
"Coward." Alice snorted under her breath, but she grinned anyway.
"Let's go." She beckoned to the two.
Somehow she felt happy being reunited with two of her mad tea-partying friends.
Chessur was fully aware of the Hatter when they emerged out of the gates, the hare and Alice leading, while a miserable looking Hatter trailed behind.
"I say, I wasn't counting on seeing you, Tarrant Hightopp." Chessur commented darkly, teeth bared.
"He's on our side calm down Chessur." The March Hare muttered, but he didn't sound so certain of his old friend.
"We don't trust him, Alice." Chessur spoke to Alice, frowning. "He's a wanted criminal, in both sides, the white queen's and the red queen's."
The Hatter snorted from behind.
"He didn't kill me, Chessur. Look, im here and alive." Alice smiled "I don't exactly trust him either, but at least now we can keep a watchful eye out for him."
Another snort could be heard.
"I'm not deaf you know," The Hatter scowled. "After everything is over, I'll use all of you as experiments."
"Provided the queen doesn't kill you first." Alice added slyly.
The Hatter went pale and silent.
"Is Nivens back?" Alice asked the cat.
"No, I'll go and find him if you like." Chessur answered his gaze still on the Hatter.
"Lead us back first, I don't want to get lost around here." Alice murmured, feeling Tarrant's glare penetrating on her back. Especially not with him.
"Where's Mallymkun?" Chessur asked, his gaze finally tearing away from the Hatter.
"He died." Alice sighed, shaking her head, as a pang of regret shook Alice and she had to refrain herself from turning around to strangle the Hatter.
"What? How?" Chessur seemed curious.
"The Hatter did it." Alice spat rather venomously, trying hard not to look back.
There was silence.
Even as they crossed the bridge again, Alice did not open her mouth to speak. She knew the Hatter was one whole lot of mad trouble, why did she bring him?
It was back at the Hare's house when they started talking again. The Mad Hatter sat rather gloomily at one corner, looking defeated and dejected. The Hare, however, looked positively happy.
"Fancy seeing Chessur finally helping out!" he pranced up and down, jabbering nonsense.
Alice smiled up at the joyous Hare from time to time; sipping on the tea he had made for her and nodded at his silly comments.
Chessur had perched himself near the Hatter, keeping an eye on his nemesis, a wistful look on his face.
"How brave and noble of you to come help restore Underland!" Was the Hare's last remark before he fell flat asleep on the couch.
The Cheshire cat let out a meow of amusement, his gaze now on the sleeping figure of the March Hare.
"Poor Thackeray, he must be exhausted from dealing so much with Tarrant." He commented coldly, turning back to the Hatter, who smiled back icily.
"I will go and check on Nivens." He announced after a while, nodding at Alice. "In the meantime…"He turned to glare at the Hatter, who looked absolutely depressed, "Do take care, Alice."
He vanished.
"Protective, isn't he?" Tarrant gestured feebly at where Chessur had perched a second ago and watched Alice coolly. She did not respond.
"Now, why would you come back to Underland? Everything was fine till you came along." He grunted sarcastically.
"Yeah, for you, Mr Hatter. However, the tables are now turned." Alice grinned, placing her small glass teacup on the wooden table on her right before moving towards the window, eyes fixed on the view outside.
"How very sad." The Hatter spat bitterly.
There was a long pause.
"Are you cold, Alice?" The Hatter asked gently.
Alice whipped around to stare at the Mad Hatter. What? She pondered, disbelief in her eyes at the sudden change of behavior. Did he really ask if she was cold?
"No." She lied, glancing rather stiffly at Tarrant, who was beginning to remove his black jacket.
"'No?' Are you sure? Because you're shivering." He pointed out, smirking mischievously.
"I don't see why you should care, Mr Hatter." Alice turned away, pouting slightly, half-bemused.
She felt the Hatter's presence loom darkly behind her. A jacket was placed over her shoulders before Tarrant joined to stand beside her. She was aware of the Hatter's gaze over her now and shuddered considerably.
"Before you say anything," The Hatter leaned forward, his lips on Alice's ears and she reddened.
"I'm doing this because I think Chessur's watching."