Chapter 3-

Alice sighed as she walked out of the mansion. She couldn't believe what she had agreed to, the thought itself sent shivers up her spine. However, the fact was she had to do this, to make sure her and Julius were safe. She kept thinking of what she was doing, and if she should go against Leo's price now that she knew who was stalking her. Yet she still didn't know the new Hatter too well and didn't know what he was capable of.

"TEA!"

Alice rolled her eyes. She did know that Leo was capable of always surprising her. She turned around to face the sloppy man. "Why are you coming with me?"

Leo crossed his eyes then looked at the sky. His face instantly went blank of all emotion. That was when he pointed to a cloud and said, "It looks like a top-hat with bunny ears!"

The girl tapped her foot in irritation. "I asked you a question."

The Hatter looked at her. "And I just answered it."

Alice grunted and turned around. "Just show me the way to this so called Joker Prison," she sighed.

Leo marched out in front of her, leading her into a forest with a bunch of messed up, colorful signs. "Two Jokers in the deck of cards. One as colorful as the night, one as plain as the day. Two sides of the same coin yet both have secrets of their own. Both are to be feared for they could be in your hand of cards," Leo sang.

"What are you talking about? Are you sure we're going the right way?" Alice asked. She pointed to one of the many signs. "This says the prison is the other way."

"Jokes of the Jester. Wrong doings of the Warden."

"Stop being so cryptic! You're starting to sound like Nightmare!" Alice shouted.

Leo's eyes went wide. He turned around sharply and covered the girl's mouth. "Be quiet or the temperamental fuzzy thing might hear you," he whispered.

Alice pulled Leo's hand away. "I won't be quiet and you better stop being so annoying!" she shrieked.

That was when Alice realized that Leo wasn't just being Leo. "Oh no," she whimpered as she looked around. Surrounding them were a bunch of workers that she knew well, and that she knew were not going to be friendly anymore.

The last thing that Alice said was, "Help me!"

At the Clock Tower

Julius paced around his office. Alice had been gone for far too long. Five time periods had passed and she still was not back.

The clockmaker was just about to grab his coat and go out looking for her when the door crashed open. There stood a man he hadn't met but heard about from a few faceless that had come by to deliver him clocks. "What do you want, Hatter?" Julius snarled.

"Alice!" the Hatter panted. "She's… with the… Jokers!"

Julius snapped then. "What happened!"

"We were going to the prison when we were ambushed by a bunch of people who hate you. Though, they didn't attack us because of you, but because they were ordered to!" Leo shouted.

"You better explain now, Hatter."

Leo took a deep breath and prepared to say everything.

At the Prison

"I am so sorry for this, Alice," a familiar voice snarled from the shadows in the cell that Alice was locked in.

"Why are you doing this?" the foreigner asked.

"Why? You already know why."

There was silence and then the voice spoke again.

"I had my loyal servant keep tabs on you and report them to me. He told me that you had found out from that new Hatter who I was, and I had him send my lower class workers out to bring you to me."

"I still don't know why you are doing this!" Alice screamed.

"That's because the clockmaker deserves to suffer for what he did. I will deliver the best pain straight into that wounded clock of his, and cause it to shatter into a million pieces. All right before your eyes, my beloved foreigner."

Then there were footsteps fading down the hall along with laughter that almost made Alice's heart stop with fear.

Who could it be that was talking to Alice? Will Julius save her? What exactly does Leo want? All will be revealed next chapter! Haha~