Firstly, if you're good enough, you never need a contingency plan.
Second, always have a contingency plan.
Hatter sighed. The rules he had always adhered to seemed to no longer apply because here they were, marching forward with no plan at all. Just he, brave, brilliant Alice and a destiny he didn't want nor fully understand.
Just being told that he was destined to die, the sheer weight of it, had been staggering. His own building anxiety coupled with Gryphon's concern had been dizzying. But when Gryphon touched him, it amplified tenfold. He felt the fear flooding him, stealing his breath and filling his mind with the impulse to flee or fight. In his panic, he had managed to shove Gryphon away and regain his control. It had been an accident.
As he focused on Alice, his anchor, digging through emotions until he found his own again and feeling as though something was clinging to his mind, Alice mouthed the words "It's okay". But he had clearly heard a different voice in his mind, a voice which was older than all the ages saying "You are my Vessel."
Then it was gone, whatever had been holding him down had left, leaving Hater with nothing but his own emotions and the terrifying certainty that the prophecy was about him. He was the Vessel and he very well might die if he let the prophecy come to pass.
Alice had given him an even more terrifying possibility: that it might be her to die. That was something his mind and heart agreed that he would not, could not, allow to happen under any circumstances.
So, wonder of all wonders, brilliant and beautiful Alice had given him another option: neither of them would die. They'd defied death before in situations thought impossible and together there was no reason that they couldn't do so again.
If they were going to succeed, though, they needed allies. They needed someone who could fight, someone with heart who was clever and just a touch mad. It was clear: They would rescue Tiger Lily.
The two of them rode back the way they had come, abandoning the horses as they cautiously left the boundaries of the Red Kingdom.
"Do you hear that?" Alice asked.
Hatter nodded, the dull thud of drums off in the distance was clear. They were calling back the troops. "Either the battle for the city has finally ended or a new battle is just starting."
"Impossible to tell which without seeing…" Alice added.
Just on the edge of the forest was a clearing, an open field filled with soldiers standing between them and the city.
Alice marched forward, Hatter rushing to stop her and pull her to the ground with him before should could be spotted.
"You can't just march up to the gates, Alice." Hatter whispered urgently, his eyes darting about to see if anyone had noticed their presence. "At least wait until it's darker and we have some cover."
"Tiger Lily could be in trouble. We need to get to her as soon as possible." Alice argued, but adjusted her position so she could sit comfortably. Hatter breathed a sigh of relief now that she wasn't rushing headfirst into danger.
"I know. But we have to trust that there's a chance the Lion still thinks she's you. That will buy her some time."
Dusk began to settle around them, the orange-tainted sky casting it's hue over the landscape. They waited, watching the soldiers from the edge of the clearing.
"How many do you think there are?" Alice asked.
"No way of knowing," Hatter replied, "several thousand, I should think."
"Four thousand, two hundred and seven, that's the exact number of the unicorn's men" came a soft voice behind them.
Still seated, Hatter turned to face the speaker, only to find the tip of a sword aimed at his throat. He let his gaze travel up its length at the weapon's wielder. His eyes widened in surprise at the familiar face.
The red knight, devoid of his usual armor, stood disheveled and battle-worn but far from vulnerable before them. The look on his face promised violence as it had back in the cell and Hatter's matched it.
"Red…" Alice's shocked gasp broke the tense silence. He smiled at the sound of her voice but his amber eyed glare remained on Hatter. The two men seemed to be weighing each other. Alice used Red's distraction to her advantage and, a moment later, the sword whizzed past Hatter's face as Alice quickly disarmed the knight.
Alice jumped to her feet as the knight turned to face her in retaliation. "I don't want to hurt you, milady."
"You won't," Alice smirked as she retreated a step just outside his reach. His leg swung out and, with practiced skill and natural dexterity, she sidestepped a move that would have tripped her.
Hatter turned his back to the fight as he scrambled to retrieve the abandoned weapon. Hearing a grunt of pain from Red, he turned around again to see that Alice had trapped the boys arm behind his back and forced him to his knees.
"Well, what brings you here, traitor?" Hatter asked, stepping forward.
Red scoffed, the boy's cocksure grin was bordering on a sneer. "That's rich coming from you. How was prison, by the way?"
Hatter schooled his expression into one of cold detachment as he pointed the sword at Red's heart, the boy's eyes widening as a flash of cold dread and hot anger passed from him through Hatter's empathy. He pushed the feelings down, even as he pointedly avoided the questioning look in Alice's eyes.
"That's one. Now why are you here?"
"Scouting for the unicorn," Red grudgingly answered, "Lion's taken the city and I need to get inside to find out what he has planned."
"What he has planned is a war, if you haven't noticed, one that you've dragged innocent people into."
The boy's eyes narrowed as he raised his chin in defiance. "Like you?"
"Like the lady behind you, you mimsy git." Hatter pressed the tip of the blade against Red's chest. The boy swallowed thickly, eyes closing as he braced himself. Regret and despair, rolled off him before being swallowed up by acceptance. Becoming disgusted with himself that this boy could so easily believe that Hatter would kill him, he kept his mask in place and prepared to continue his questioning. "And that's two… No more warnings."
"Do it then, if you're so keen to." The boy's eyes opened sharply, his tone flat but his eyes daring. "Not every day a man gets to mark two generations in his scabbard. And you're one to be calling me mimsy. You didn't even tell her why you came back here. Did you, addict?"
Alice jerked his arm and his hiss of pain cut of his taunting tirade. "That's enough, both of you! Hatter, put down the sword. Look, we want the same thing so we should work together to get inside."
Hatter lowered the weapon but shook his head. "Alice…"
"We don't have time to argue this. Tiger Lily's time is running out and he knows this city better than we do. Not to mention, those soldiers know him and if he were with us, they wouldn't attack us on sight when we try to get to the gates," Alice released his arm and stepped back. "We need him."
Author's Note: According to Humpty Dumpty in "Through the Looking Glass", "Mimsy is flimsy and miserable" and it seemed a fun insult to use. Sorry about the long wait, everyone. I hope it was worth it.