"AHH!"

Hatter's yell echoed through the chamber despite being through clenched teeth. The Tweedles had already had their fun throwing punches. His eye was busted, bruises already forming on his skin as they danced around him with cattle prods. He clamped his eyes shut as they stabbed him again, letting it linger for a moment longer causing him to scream aloud, his voice sounding foreign to himself when it echoed back. He glared at the rabbit standing in front of him, his hands crossed in front of his body as he stared, unchanging as the events proceeded.

"Leave us." Mad March said in his atomic voice.

"But…"

"I said leave!" he snapped.

Sulking away, one Tweedle made sure to jab Hatter once more in the ribs with his cattle prod, giggling manically at the pain in the man's face before skipping away with his brother.

"Why is a Raven like a writing desk?" Hatter began muttering. "The clocks not ticking properly. Could be crumbs in the butter."

He began rambling nonsensical nonsense under his breath, random things he had hear, riddles with no answer, keeping his mind from what was happening around him as the Mad March came forward.

"Tell me where the Great Library is."

Hatter's muttering stopped as he looked into the porcelain face of the rabbit he assumed was staring at him.

"Yeah, I didn't think you'd crack." He said discouraged. Well, Hatter assumed that was the emotion. "Well, if you're not going to talk, then I guess I can just go ahead and kill you."

Hatter watched as the man pulled a knife from its hidden place in his sleeve. Hatter was shaking though he wasn't sure if it was more of fear or anger. At the moment he was assuming anger. His mind swam with what he would be able to do. Determination surged through him. He couldn't think about himself. He had Alice and Callisto to worry about. The eerie sound of Mad March's computerized laughter began to ring in his ears, his head darting to the man with the knife.

"Twinkle, twinkle little bat. How I wonder what you're at?" he began.

Hatter looked frantically around for something, anything that could help him, his breathing becoming deep. He felt a pain stab him in the side. He fought back a twinge of pain, knowing a few ribs were bruised if not broken. He steadied himself as Mad March approached, his arm reaching back and coming forward with his knife aimed at Hatter.

The man shot back, hitting the ground behind him and kicking Mad March with his unsecured legs. The man shot back, giving Hatter enough time to wiggle himself behind the chair, holding it in front of him and swing it at his attacker. March did his best, swinging his knife in almost blind attempts to slice some part of Hatter. Thinking quickly, Hatter brought the chair up, letting March's knife swing to glide down the chair's arm, cutting his restraint free.

Swinging back, Hatter released all of his anger with one blow, shattering the robotic head of the Mad March, sending him flying back and to the ground. He breathed heavily, the anger beginning to flow from him as he calmed himself. Moving quickly, Hatter grabbed the knife on the ground and cut himself free. Grabbing his effects, he ran from the room, determined to find the women he had come to the palace with.

He ran through the compound, not knowing exactly where to start but figuring one or both of them would be in the Casino. He rounded a corner, skidding to a stop before he could find his footing and keep going. When he ran into the Casino, he saw two suits holding Alice at gun point. He ran up behind them as silently as he could, whistling to get their attention. The first turned, Hatter swinging and knocking him to the ground easily as the second drew his gun. Alice knocked the weapon down giving Hatter more than enough time to knock him out as well.

"Oh my god." Alice mumbled, seeing Hatter's face.

"Oh this? Nothing but a few cuts and bruises."

Before he could finish, Alice ran forward and hugged him tightly. Hatter couldn't help himself, wrapping his arms around her and letting himself be sucked into her embrace.

"I thought you were dead." She sighed, feeling relief wash over her.

"Oh that feels good." He muttered. "Come on, we should save that for when we're safe." He said, pulling her away and holding her shoulders. "Now where's Callisto?"

"I haven't seen her. I don't know."

"Come on. We gotta find her."

He turned, grabbing her hand to pull her with him but felt resistance. He turned to her, his face confused.

"What ya doing? We gotta find 'er 'fore they kill 'er."

"I have to find my father Hatter." She answered simply. "I have to get all of these people out of here."

"Well your dad's probably in the lab and that's most likely where they got 'er. So, let's go."

He moved his body in an attempt to get her to follow but she wouldn't.

"You go get her and I'll stay here."

"You serious?"

"I know what to do. Charlie said the Queen doesn't want to feel the bad, only the good. Right?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm going to wake everyone up, get them to realize what she's doing. They'll get scared and when you get to the lab you can let them go."

"You gotta be jokin'."

"It'll work. Just go."

He could see there was no arguing but he had no choice. He had to find Callisto, praying she was still alive. He sighed his frustration, leaving through the way he had come in, leaving Alice behind to fulfill her plan.

He didn't know exactly where he was going and he was fairly certain he stood out. He ran down halls, stopping at the corners to peek around before running once more. He only had a vague idea of where he was going, not knowing at all where the lab was, but having a strange sensation that he was going in the right direction.

Hatter came through another hallway, one that seemed just the same as the others but felt a warmth stir in his gut. He slowed, a large door in the center of the far wall seemingly calling to him. His eyes darted around, trying to see if there was anyone coming. He was safe, safer at least, than before. But as he neared the door, feeling the electricity surge through him from the other side, his hand came out to touch the knob. A moment later, the door knob turned.

Feeling shock fire through him, Hatter dodged behind the door the moment it opened. His heart beat in his chest, praying the people walking out wouldn't hear it. He slammed his eyes shut, steadying his breathing as the footsteps began to walk off, the door swinging shut once more. He opened his eyes in time to see the back of an old man with red hair being followed by a large, round bellied man. He had heard about those two. The Carpenter and the Walrus. Moving quickly, Hatter slipped inside the door and let it close with a 'swoosh' behind him. Immediately, he felt his stomach turn.

He was standing in a room, tubes leading down a hall, people chattering and talking about the amount of fear Alice was causing. He was in the lab. Swallowing his courage along with the lump in his throat, he headed down the way, following the tubes as he did.

Brightly colored tubes led his way, ones he felt certain were filled with the Oyster's 'pearls'. He wondered how many of them had died after their use was fulfilled. Shuddering and forcing the thought away, he found the room at the end of the hall, the one with the scientists. He crept up silently, standing just in the doorway before cocking his gun. The people in the room froze, turning to the man brandishing the weapon he had stolen from the suit.

"Everybody out!" he yelled, ushering them away save one. "You stay."

The young woman froze, terror in her face as the gun stayed aimed.

"I'm not gonna hurt you, but ya need ta let those people go."

"Who?"

"The Oysters." He snapped.

Shaking, she did as he asked, throwing a switch behind him. Immediately the hold on the Oyster's feet was released, the monitor on the desk showing him everything in the Casino.

"The Mystic," he said quickly, pointing his gun at her once more as the building began to tremble slightly. "Where is she?"

"The what?"

"The woman brought in here today! The Mystic!" he yelled forcing her to shake again.

"She's through there." She answered in a small voice.

"Take me to 'er."

The young woman did as she was asked, the building shaking once more, more violent than before, as they made their way towards Callisto. He followed her, seeing the vats begin to shake as they were filled and mixing with bad emotions. A moment later, he was brought into a large open room a half dozen cylinders surrounding the walls, all empty save one. In the second tube from the left was Callisto.

Hatter ran to her side. She was floating, chained to the tube, in a clear fluid, tubes for breathing in her nose and others connected to her arms. They had put her in the same clothing the Queen used for all of her victims, a whit spandex suit that ended halfway down her arms and just below her knees, a strange type of 'smock' covering her body and coming to rest a few inches above the hem of the spandex leggings. Her long hair floated around her body in an eerie motion, her eyes closed and the light in the tube casting a sickly glow on her skin.

His brow furrowed, anger lapping at his insides at seeing her like this. He backed up, his brow furrowed as he turned to the young woman that had led him here.