Rei’s computer vision swirled with different colors like a computer hypnotizing her. Without reading her data, how could she tell the correct side of the mushroom?

I guess taking a risky bite is the only thing I can do. Rei grabbed a piece off the right mushroom side. It felt like play dough in her hand and smelled like bacon. No garlic or any strange scent alerted her.

Without hesitation, Rei bit the fungus and chewed it slowly. It has a marshmallow bacon taste. Nothing bitter with a toxic nasty flavor.

When she swallowed, she closed her tearing eyes, waiting for the inevitable to happen.

The Cheshire Cat’s laughter echoed around her. “Well done! Well done! You ate the right side on the mushroom!”

Rei opened her eyes, seeing the words and numbers clearly in her cyber vision. The mushroom side she ate did have the cure, and her head stopped spinning in rainbow reality. She sighed, letting her heart slow down from exhaustion.

“Would you like to hear the good news?” the voice asked coldly.

Rei glanced at the dark ceiling. “Is this the last room?”

“No! Hehehehehehehehe! You are the only one who made it this far. The other Alices couldn’t even eat the correct side of the mushroom without falling off their feet. But you are getting close to half of the story.”

Rei stared at the mushroom, at the missing white chunk she grabbed. “Why are there no other marks on this shroom?”

“That is a real mushroom, generically engineered to recover after someone eats it. Mr.Dreams provided me the good stuff for my Wonderland.”

“I still want to know what he did to make you blackmail him.”

“Complete the next puzzle, and your answer will be awarded….. If you survive. Hehehe.”

Rei glared. “You’re mad!”

The Chesire Cat laughed again. “We’re all mad, my Alice. We’re all mad.”

*****

“You better not be checking out my ass back there!” Luna crawled through the dark ventilation tunnel, using her night vision to see. To crawl over the sleeping gas traps, Luna disconnected them from their sensors on the vent shaft cautiously. It might not be long before their capturer realized she and Rally were gone from their prison. All she could do was keep moving to find Rei.

“How can I resist?” Rally chuckled.

Luna held back the urge to kick his face hard. If she left him unconscious in the vent, he could sue her for assaulting him. Plus, she might need all the help she could get to make sure her partner doesn’t lose her life. “Tell me why you are trying to bang my partner. She’s too young for you, pervert!”

“Hey, I didn’t ask her out. She wanted to date me and I only accepted her offer. A gentleman never refuses a lady’s invitation.”

Gentleman my ass! Luna would have beaten Rally to the ground if he didn’t respect Rei’s consent.

She grimaced. “I still don’t get it.”

“Then you should respect Rei’s decision. If she said no, I wouldn’t chase her tail.”

“Rei is a kid, dog. She entered a pool full of sharks here. If she is going to survive, she needs me.”

“Why do you care about her now? From what I heard, you preferred to work alone.”

“That’s none of your business,” said Luna.

“Why?” Rally asked. “Do you have a crush on her? Is this going to be a love triangle?”

“No, dumbass! I…..” Luna stopped, staring at the metal floor. “I was once like her….. A little. I took a job, it fucked me up, and now I have to live with it. But I’ll be damned if I will let another kid do the same shit as me. If Rei dies, it will be my fault.”

Rally clicked his tongue. “Listen… I understand, but I want to protect Rei too. We all need to stick together because we live in a world that doesn’t accept us.”

Luna frowned.

All Humanimals need each other to survive in a world that hates them. Their city was only a prison, full of predators who preyed on the weak. If a girl was going to survive, she needed a pack to support her.

At the end of the tunnel, Luna stopped in front of a ventilation shaft. She peeked through the bars, spotting an empty office room below. It has one computer desk near a chair and a sofa near the corner.

"What do you see?" Rally asked.

"Some office room. I think we are inside the office building at the park," said Luna.

"Maybe that chamber is the basement."

"Um-hum, which means whoever captured us is working here. Time to smack somebody's ass for intel." Luna pushed the shaft out and watched it fall to the carpet floor.

When she landed in the office, the door opened as a fat ginger human stepped through. She immediately scanned the man, identifying him as Mr.Dreams.

The theme park owner!?

"Who are you?" Mr.Dreams shouted. "I'm calling security-"

Luna grabbed his collar and slammed him against the wall. Her claws squeezed his neck. "Where's Rei!?"

Mr.Dreams coughed. "Who?"

"My partner!" Luna held up her wrist and projected her holographic bounty hunter I.D to the owner. "Tell me or I will drag your ass to the police station for interrogation!"

"No! Please! I don't know anyone named Rei!"

Rally landed from the vent and approached the owner. "Remember me?"

Mr.Dreams widened his eyes at the German shepherd. "You are not supposed to be here!"

Rally pointed his claw at Mr.Dream's face. "You told me and Rei to test your crappy funhouse! I will arrest you if you don't tell us now!"

Luna glared at Rally. "Aren't you supposed to arrest him anyway after we suspected him for kidnapping?"

"How? I don't have my gun and my handcuffs!"

Luna rolled her eyes.

"Please don't arrest me!" Mr.Dreams cried. "I will tell you everything!"

Luna snarled at the man's sweating face. "Why in the hell did you kidnap us!?"

"I didn't! He did!"

"Who?" Rally shouted.

Mr.Dreams cleared his throat. "He called himself the Cheshire Cat! He forced me to build him a secret trap gauntlet beneath my park!"

A chill ran up Luna’s spine. Holy shit! He’s here? About goddamn time!

"Why?" she shouted.

"I don't know! He is crazy! If I don't help him, he will ruin my life!"

"What does he have against you?" Rally asked, narrowing his eyes.

"I can't tell you!"

Luna squeezed the human's chubby throat harder. "Your fat ass isn't in the authority to refuse our questioning! I'll turn you into my personal scratching post!"

"Please, I'm innocent!"

"Nobody is innocent until proven innocent in count here!" Rally exclaimed. "Where is Rei!?”

“In the Cheshire Cat’s lair! You have to enter through the closed funhouse!”

Luna smirked.“Thank you for your cooperation, asshole.”

She punched the owner and dropped his body to the floor. Rally glanced at the unconscious human. “The Cheshire Cat? Here?”

“I gotta get Rei!” Luna pointed her finger at Rally. “After we get our guns, you call back-up. But I’m still getting the bounty. Rei and I have been hunting the creep for months.”

“No problem, and I’ll bring this man in for more questioning.” Rally tapped his foot against Mr.Dreams’s leg. “Innocent my ass.”

Luna nodded and left the office. Hold on, kitty! I’m coming for you!