Out in the warm city's air, wandered a girl in a sparkling gold dress and white tights. Her long hair was swept back from her face and there was a malevolent grin spread across her plush lips. Natalia was out, free to roam the city, heading down an alleyway in the night by herself. She gazed down towards the ground, where the city had been built above as she walked across another plank of land, heading into the streetlights of the darkened city.
To her left there was the loud blaring of music and glitter that caught her eye and she turned look at the entrance to a large nightclub, the neon sign sparkling in her watery eyes. She smiled to herself and pushed aside the doors, entering the building with a grin that a Cheshire cat couldn't even mirror.
Meanwhile, Hatter and March were panicking, heading down the street in the opposite direction that she had turned so many moments before. Hatter twisted his hat in his hands as he glanced around, looking for any sign that Natalia had been there.
"How'd you say we know if she was there?" he asked March, watching the more handsome man shift his eyes about.
"Easy, "he replied, "She likes destroying things for no reason, look for anything that could be considered destroyed."
"Why does she do that?" Hatter asked, looking down yet another dark alley.
"I don't know," sighed March, "She's the Joker's daughter, what did you expect?"
Hatter rolled his eyes and sighed, sinking down the wall of a building.
"This is ridiculous, we'll never find her this way. We need help."
"And who do you suggest we call Hat? Hmm? My mother?"
"No," Hatter said defensively, "How about Jack?"
"Seriously?" March said, looking at Hatter, "That idiot?"
"I don't think he's an idiot," Hatter said.
"He's an idiot," March said, looking up to the dark sky.
"All right, what about Ace?"
"Ace?" March stopped, looking at him with fire in his eyes, "Ace couldn't track her even if she was standing right in front of him. No, I've got this."
"I doubt that," muttered Hatter, standing up to follow March.
"Just shut up and look," he hissed.
In the opposite corner of the city, Natalia was in the club she had wandered upon, shooting down shot after shot of emotion tea. Her eyes were huge as she poured another down her throat, the wonderlanders around her watching with impressed looks as she down another.
"Passion," she answered, licking her lips. The bartender nodded and smiled.
"Really? Is that the best you all can give me?" she said, "I'm already bored."
"Here," the bartender said, sliding her a shot of a blue liquid, "What's this?"
She looked at the swirling blue liquid before tipping her head back and drinking it down. Just then her eyes darkened mysteriously and she looked around the club. With one quick, speeding movement she tossed the shot glass across the room and it shattered against the wall. She laughed gleefully.
"You know," she said, grabbing the bartender's chin suddenly, "I've never really had emotion tea before. I'm not even sure I'm a wonderlander, to be honest. Oops, I guess that's the honesty coming out. Sill March, he actually thought I didn't know he slipped it in my drink back at the casino."
"Who are you?" the bartender asked, glaring at her. She smiled wickedly.
"Me? I'm chaos. I'm the feeling that your stomach can't settle, the butterflies in your heart, the feeling of being alone, the feeling of being together. I'm madness, I'm lonliness, I'm angst, I'm joy, I'm, well, I'm me."
With a gleeful laugh she released his chin and he stumbled backwards as she overturned the barstools in the club, creating a path of destruction as she headed for the door. One patron helped the bartender up to his feet.
"What did you give her?" he asked, looking at the bartender nervously. He shook his head.
"Madness."
March had enough. He had wandered all the way out to the city limits, and he could see the glittering lights of his home from this distance. Hatter had followed him, and now they sat on the edge of sidewalk, feet dangling over the side. Hatter's hat was next to him and his hands were in his hair.
"You're an idiot," he muttered to March.
"Shut it," he snapped, "I think I hear something."
"Probably your own mind trying to think," muttered Hatter, but sure enough he heard it too. It was a soft ringing, a soft ringing of-
"You're phone," Hatter muttered, and March pulled it out.
"Oh boy," he muttered, looking at the name on the screen. Queenie was calling.
"March," he answered, then winced.
"HOW DARE YOU SNEAK NATALIA OUT OF MY HOME! I SWEAR I'LL HAVE YOU HEAD IF ANYTHING ELSE HAPPENS TO HER!"
"Else?" March gulped.
"SHE'S COMPLETELY DRUNK OFF EMOTION TEA AND IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT! YOU GET HER BACK HERE THIS INSTANT, DO YOU HEAR ME?"
"Yes, Ma'am,' he answered. He snapped shut the phone and his face went pale.
"So?" Hatter asked, looking at him. March just spoke ahead.
"Someone's made her drunk off the tea."
Somewhere in the back of Natalia's mind, she knew she had to find them. Hatter and March, that is, because she knew it probably wasn't safe for her to wander around like this in the city. But most of her was enjoying the feeling of running madly through the streets, knocking down people, tearing off signs and laughing merrily as she went. But what she really wanted was a chase. She wanted that adrenaile to course through her veins like fire. She wanted a competition she knew she could win.
And there, in that window was a perfect way to get that chase. In the window sat a beautiful ring, with green and blue stones in the gold band. It glittered up at her from the window, and the sudden feeling that she could have it came over her. With a carefully thrown punch, the glass shattered and she snatched the ring into her hand, placing it on her finger. The ring suddenly grew hot on her finger and the middle stone, which was black, glowed a red color. It captivated her for a few moments before loud angry shouts of patrolmen pulled her into reality. She smiled and closed her fist, taking off into the night with a laugh and a smile on her lips.
March heard the shouts much before he saw the chase. Hatter had heard them too, followed by the eerie laugh that only Natalia could have. Just as they ran around the corner, Natalia flew over their heads, jumping from building to building. Hatter was shocked, and March stopped his movements.
"How did she-"
"Go, go go!" March shouted, following Natalia as she leapt from building to building. March chased her around the corner with Hatter hot on his heels. March was quick at the run, and Hatter struggled to catch him. Natalia was only a few buildings ahead, and she was running out of ones to jump on.
And as they rounded the next corner, she was no longer above them, but barely three steps ahead of them. March ran swiftly and closed the distance between them nearly, as she ran just a step ahead of him. With a swift and perfectly place leap, he wrapped his arms around her waist and both went down. Natalia spun in his arms and looked him in the eyes, just as they went down. March rolled, making sure that he landed beneath her so she wouldn't get hurt. The dust rose up around them and then settled.
"Natalia," he breathed, his breath hitting her face. She smiled.
"Hello March," she said, smiling, "Thanks for taking the fall."
"You're in deep trouble you know," he growled, still clutching her to his body. By now the patrolmen had caught up to them and stood with Hatter, a few feet back.
"I know," she said, "But if I recall, so are you."
"Natalia," he growled angrily at her. She smiled and brushed back his hair.
"Did I tell you that you are incredibly handsome?" she said, her eyes glazing over. Puzzled by her actions, but not denying them, he smirked at her.
"Really now? Are you sure?"
She nodded and her eyes sparkled. She was, very, very drunk in his opinion, but who was he to stop her from speaking whatever she was feeling.
"I've always thought that," she murmured, smiling at him. Hatter wrung his fingers on his hat.
"Well then," March murmured. He bent up to he ear and whispered, "Prove it."
And that she did, placing a passionate kiss on his lips, on that was filled with all the emotions she had drunk that night. March could taste them all on her tongue, but didn't care then.
And Hatter was standing right there, watching the whole thing.