AN: OKAY IM SO SO SORRY FOR NOT UPDATING. School's been a hell shit load of assignments, i never thought a design student's life could be so busy. So right now i have a one week holiday... thus i'll try to do my best to finish this up
Righto! Keep'em reviews coming, and yes this chapter was relatively painful to write, especially for poor Tarrant. So, i hope you guys enjoy !
Tarrant eyed Alice with deepest loathing. He had almost lost his life because of her. And now, also thanks to her, the red queen would be no doubt after his beautiful head. An imagery of a poster of his face and words written, "Wanted: Dead," appeared in his mind. He scowled ever so darkly. He had guessed the Cheshire cat would have taken the easier road. They were taking the west building, the one with five floors, while the East building had six.
Bloody cat, he told himself dully, gritting his teeth. However, on a side note, he was surprised that scrape fur allowed him to travel alongside Alice without a fight and even more surprised when Alice had picked him instead of old Mr. Tubby Cat.
He couldn't resist a smirk.
Maybe he was winning her trust after all. How delightful.
He beckoned to Alice with a long thin gloved finger as they climbed up the staircase to the first floor. It was cold and dark, but of course, it was a prison. Unlike the courtyard, the prison was free of bloodstains, although the smell of blood hung around in the air menacingly.
"Tarrant," Alice whispered all of a sudden, scaring him lightly, "Will there be any guards around here?" She twiddled her fingers nervously.
Her baby blue eyes shone in fear as she locked her gaze on the Hatter.
He shrugged indifferently, "I'd say no, but I wouldn't want to take any risks." He glanced at Alice, who looked terrified.
Even in the dark he could see the apprehension and unconfident look in her brilliant eyes. His chest tightened considerably.
"Don't worry; I'll keep you safe, just stay close." He blurted out, patting her arm lightly.
There was a slight pause.
What wait? He blinked.
Alice looked at him, puzzled, a strange look in her eyes.
He cleared his throat loudly. "What I meant to say was, if you go wandering about, I'm not coming to rescue you."
Anger flashed past those blue eyes. Alice frowned, folding her arms. "Yeah, like you would enjoy wandering around these walls all by yourself, with the queen on hot pursuit, coward." She let out a little 'humph' in disgust and rolled her eyes.
Tarrant couldn't resist a snort of his own. "At least I have a weapon to protect myself. What do you have- nothing." He glared coldly at her.
Alice let out a hiss of resentment, glaring back. "Ugh. I can't believe you!" She stomped her foot, shaking her head, and her blonde curls bouncing.
The Hatter stuck his tongue out. "What can I do? I was born this way." He smirked icily.
"Born to be a coward, oh yes, definitely." Alice retorted back coolly.
Tarrant bristled. How he hated her. Just wait. Once she kills the red queen, I will destroy her. I will pry her tiny little pretty head open and dig all her insides… He stopped walking and Alice bumped roughly onto him.
"WHAT NO-"
"SHH." He covered her mouth, and peeked cautiously at a small hole near the doorway to the prison ward number one where they kept all the prisoners – those who were against the red queen. It was empty – no guards.
He turned to Alice, his face inches away from hers. "Okay, listen… Rule number one-"he began, but Alice pushed him aside harshly and charged through the door.
Stupid girl. The Hatter roared to himself and entered the ward, trailing behind her slowly. Alice was rooted to the spot when he waltzed over to her.
"What did I tell you?" He snarled, rolling his eyes and examining the entire. "Well, I don't see Mc Twisp here." He announced coldly, oblivious to his surroundings.
Animals were chained to the poles, some lying dead and motionless, others covered in scars and blood. At the far end was the Gryphon, his bright golden eyes clouded and bloodshot, a tight metal chain tight on his feathery neck. He looked terrified when the Hatter shot a playful smirk at him. Not like the old courageous Gryphon, huh? Nearby, a white wolf snarled as blood seeped through its green eyes, snapping its jaws at the metal pole, trying to break free. A thick chain was cuffed around its blood matted fur – it was probably going to die trying to escape its imprisonment.
A few more animals had begun to snarl and growl, spitting at the sight of the Hatter, and he couldn't help but feel rather insulted. If he had the chance, he would kill them all. How dare those lowly creatures spit at the clockwork? He turned to Alice, who looked paralyzed with fear, her eyes wide and face pale.
"Oy. Alice." The Hatter snapped his fingers in front of her face.
"Alice?" A raspy voice escaped the Gryphon. "Help me." He beseeched, looking strained. Alice seemed to return back from her daze and stumbled forward towards his cell. The growling all stopped, and the Hatter snorted loudly.
"Gryphon," Alice sounded shakened, as she grabbed the metal poles of the cell, trying to open it.
"You'll… have to… cut this… off…" The Gryphon flicked his tail at the chain around his neck. He looked pleadingly at Alice. "Use… Clockwork's… cane…" He whispered, but loud enough for the Hatter to hear.
Ah yes. His awesome cane. Which apparently was about to pierce through anything.
Alice turned to glance at Tarrant, her eyes filled with tears, "Please, Tarrant, free him!" She begged.
The Hatter frowned but pulled out his cane. (To which the animals began growling again)
"Move aside then." He warned, walking forward, making the animals either whimper in distress or snarl in anger.
He faced the Gryphon, eyes cold and unfeeling. "If you move, I might accidently stab you to death." He remarked bluntly.
The Gryphon watched him warily, but nodded.
With a quick swish of his cane, the chain was sliced into half and the Gryphon shook his great furry head.
"Stand back." He commanded, voice sounding stronger.
Alice and the Hatter took a few steps back, the girl grabbing onto the Hatter's arm gratefully.
With a mighty charge forward, the cell door burst out and fell out with a clang.
"Oh Gryphon –" Alice began, but was interrupted when the creature made a dash towards the Hatter, pushing Alice aside and pouncing, claws unsheathed at Tarrant, who let out a squeal of terror, his cane knocked away.
"OH DEAR GOD. IS THIS HOW YOU TREAT YOUR SAVIOURS? NO WONDER YOU WERE LOCKED UP." Tarrant yelped, feeling the weight of the Gryphon on top of him, the sharp claws digging into his broad shoulders.
The Gryphon let out a hiss, spitting onto the Hatter's face. "Savior or not, you are no friend of mine, traitor." The animals around roared and hissed loudly, seemingly in agreement.
"No! Gryphon, wait! He's not a traitor, he's our friend!" Alice's voice echoed the prison ward, and she got over to the Gryphon, grabbing his tail and trying to pull him off the Hatter. "Let him go, he's not bad!"
The Gryphon turned to stare at Alice, his gaze hard and calculating. "No girl, you've got it all wrong. I know Clockwork, he'll do anything to survive, and he is a coward through and through. He's going to backstab you in the end; he's no ally of yours." He flicked his tail, and Alice stumbled back slightly.
Tarrant let out a weak cough. "I'm not, I've changed! Get off of me, you great lump!"
Alice grabbed onto the Gryphon's tail again stubbornly, "I trust him, Gryphon, and he's on our side now!" She tugged on it roughly. "Please, he's no traitor!" She implored, "He couldn't kill me, and he wouldn't." (The Hatter managed to roll his eyes, god not again with that.)
The Gryphon blinked slowly, contemplating, before shaking his head. "What makes you so sure he's not just trying to earn your trust to break it after you defeat the queen? What makes you think he's not just keeping you alive so that you can kill the queen?" He turned back to glare at the Hatter, who shuddered under the gaze.
Alice remained undeterred. "Let him go, Mister Gryphon, he's no threat to us." She pleaded.
The Gryphon glanced back at her, his eyes narrowed. "I know him much longer than you do, Alice, he's not your old friend anymore. Pray tell me this then, old clockwork," he turned back to the Hatter, "What's your motive? Don't tell me you changed for the better good, because you've said that before and that's nothing but a lie."
Tarrant let out a strained groan. "Get off me first will you? You're crushing me. I can't talk."
The Gryphon hesitated before stepping aside, but kept one giant paw pinned against the Hatter's arm. "Talk." He growled.
Alice rushed over to Tarrant's side, grabbing his free hand, and eyeing his bloodied shoulder, glaring at the Gryphon, "He means no harm, mister Gryphon, look you've hurt him."
The creature let out a hollow laugh. "Hurt him? My dear Alice, have you not known by now? The Hatter made himself into a walking mechanic robot. He cannot feel anything, no pain, no guilt, no regret. He killed so many without batting an eyelid, he's backstabbed all his old friends, and he is the one who helped the red queen rise back up to the top."
"I've seen the error in my ways, and who says I can't feel? I still have a heart that is organic okay?" The Hatter snarled, glaring at the Gryphon with venom, "I've changed, I swear, I've helped Alice, right?" He turned to Alice, who looked skeptically back at him.
"I trust him because Chessur entrusted him to me." She told the Gryphon, her voice soft. "And I trust Chessur with all my life." She let go of the Hatter's hand, and placed it on the Gryphon's paw.
A sudden surge of envy rose like bile at the back of the Hatter's throat.
At that the Gryphon looked slightly taken aback. "Chessur?" He looked back down at the pinned Tarrant, and narrowed his golden eyes, before moving his paw away.
"Oh, right, sure. Chessur this and Chessur that. That cat never gets boring huh?" The Hatter spat coldly, sitting up, and winced lightly. Who said about not feeling pain? "Thanks for breaking my shoulder."
The Gryphon ignored him. "I assume you're here to find the White Rabbit?" He asked Alice, facing her now, his face softened and kind.
Alice nodded.
"He's not here I'm afraid. This building is where they keep the beasts, like me." He lashed his lion-like tail.
Alice let go a worried sigh.
"That means we'll have to wait for Chessur and the Hare back at the house." She murmured, standing up.
"I'll bring you back there." The Gryphon bowed, his wings stretched out, eagle-like with brown and yellow feathers. "It is the least I can assist you with."
Alice nodded and bounded towards him. She turned warily to the Hatter. "Well, come on." She sounded tired.
Tarrant scrunched up his nose, grabbed his cane as he moved over to them, wincing with each step.
"You won't drop me off in mid-flight now will you?" He asked the Gryphon.
"If you shut up and not move, than perhaps I will think about it." The creature replied coolly, bending down to allow them to be seated on his back.
Alice got up first, clutching on the Gryphon's feathery neck. "I have to warn you though; I have a thing about heights." She giggled nervously.
The Hatter followed suit, sitting behind Alice, looking unhappy and sulky. "Don't puke. That's just nasty." He grabbed onto the Gryphon's feathers a little too harshly.
"Watch it Hatter." Came the growl, "I don't mind to see you fall a hundred feet off the ground, trust me."
The Gryphon spread out his wings and made a jump out an open window. The wind was cold against Tarrant's pale face and he found his arms snaking around Alice's waist as they soared up in the air. To his utter horror, Alice flinched rather obviously to his touch.
"Please don't touch me." She mumbled quietly.
There was a rather painful tug on the Hatter's heart.
"It wasn't on purpose; I have nothing else to hold on to in case the Gryphon decides to drop me off for no reason." He grunted.
Alice shrugged, but allowed his arms to remain where it was.
"It's quite beautiful up here in the air," She told the Gryphon, "I love the feeling of the wind against my face."
There was a happy grunt from the Gryphon. "Ah, such beauty is rarely appreciated."
The Hatter found himself staring at Alice's back.
Yeah. Such beauty is rarely appreciated.
It took a while before they reached back to the Hare's humble abode.
The Gryphon set them down before bowing to Alice again, his furry head brushing against her arm. "We will meet again, when the battle of the red queen begins. The prophecy shall speak for itself."
Alice gave the Gryphon a hug. "Thank you." She grinned.
The Hatter rolled his eyes. Really? Was that hug seriously necessary?
The Gryphon pressed his beak against her head affectionately.
"A word of advice though." He glanced at the Hatter coldly. "Not all are your allies. Not all you can trust."
Tarrant sneered back. "I didn't try to kill you on the way here. I'm not your enemy."
He was ignored. Of course. Typical.
"Till we meet again, Alice. Farewell and take care." Gryphon bore out his wings and flew off into the dark sky. Tarrant stuck out his tongue.
Alice waved before turning to the Hatter. "Let's go wait inside." She told him coldly, her eyes glittering oddly. He blinked, confused at her sudden aloofness but nonetheless followed her in.
He made a dash for the sofa and plopped heavily on it, sighing happily. "Well that went rather well, don't you think?" He grinned at Alice, who was staring at the window, looking very distant.
"I thought he would've killed me, that beast." He continued.
Alice seemed to pay no heed of him at all, her gaze still stuck on the window pane, while she was seated on the dining room chair.
Tarrant narrowed his green eyes. "Alice?" He inquired.
She turned to him, eyes gleaming coldly. "What?" She shot back.
The Hatter felt a sudden surge of annoyance. "What's wrong with you?" He sniffed irritably.
"Nothing." Came the quick reply as she turned away, staring back at the window.
"Are you angry with me? Did I do something wrong?" The Hatter asked sardonically. "Oh let me guess, the Gryphon's words have made you mistrust me again?"
Alice let out a sigh. "I just… "She turned to Tarrant, "No I'm not angry at you Hatter,"
She looked sadly at him, "But you wouldn't lie to me, would you?"
There was a pause.
"No Alice, I wouldn't even dream of it."