In the garden of white roses, Mirana of Marmoreal stared wistfully into the horizon where beyond lay the kingdom of her sister. She had no news of the red queen for they were supposed to be at war and therefore have no communication. Many times, she sneaked letters carried by the white rabbit just to have an update of how her sister was handling things.

She ran her hand against the smooth marble railing that separated her from the maze of her white rose bushes. There lay a telescope just beside her but even it cannot reach the tallest tower of Salazen Grum.

The whiteness of Marmoreal symbolized peace and tranquility and Mirana was supposed to be the epitome of it. However… peace and tranquility are what Wonderland lacks. Though she wore white and acted as its beholder, she was slowly turning mad. Because of her imprisonment for so long, she started to ponder over what could have been if she and her sister were just abducted by Thanos. She was wishfully thinking that it would have been better if Thanos had taken them. And then there was the option of death. If Thanos and Alice were equals in torment, death would always be the better option.

The wind blew past Mirana’s face, shaking the bushes to an unsynchronized chorus. There was a speck of light that spat in the horizon and it seemed to have grown by the second. Striding before the telescope, she tilted her head to gape in the eyepiece of the device and glimpsed at a modern spacecraft. She was relieved when she saw her sister, Iracebeth, piloting the ship.

The gigantic spaceship hovered before the courtyard, sending waves of air that rattled the calm environment. Slowly, it landed. Mirana quickly headed out for the courtyard.

The doors of the spaceship parted open and a damaged war jeep carrying much more damaged people unloaded. Tweedle Dum drove the jeep outside the spaceship before the rickety vehicle went out of life. He kicked the door open, limping off to the white platform of the courtyard which he tainted red.

The same happened with Tweedle Dee and Mctwisp—both party weakly got out of the jeep injured and bleeding. If they were damaged this much, then they could only imagine Rocket’s state.

Iracebeth helped the twins and Mctwisp as much as her strength allowed her. She wasn’t very strong, not physically, no but she had a strong wit. Now, however, wasn’t the appropriate time for it.

Mctwisp placed his hand on the tire of the jeep, pulling his weight up as he leaned on it to keep himself standing. Tweedle Dum was crawling on the floor, endeavoring to stand up but failed time and time again. He only ended up painting the marble floor with his dripping blood.

Mirana finally arrived at the scenario and at once, she shouted to alarm her palace guards to take the injured into the infirmary.

“Sister…” Mirana looked at Iracebeth for a second before dashing to embrace her. “It’s been so long…”

“We could be free now…” Iracebeth said, “W-we have this… we could finally run away.”

Tweedle Dum interjected. “Forgive me, my queens,” he groaned, “But freedom doesn’t simply come with this ship.”

Mirana strode towards Tweedle Dum with fluid grace and helped the injured man up his feet. “We need only get out of this planet,” she said, “and after that, we wouldn’t have to worry about Alice capturing us.”

Tweedle Dum opened his mouth to explain but was cut off when Tweedle Dee had spoken. “With Alice possessing the fraction of an infinity gem, we wouldn’t be able to go anywhere.”

“Dee!” Tweedle Dum shouted and fell down on his knee after mustering great effort. “You’re not supposed to—”

“Fuck it,” Tweedle Dee cut off, “The bloody raccoon’s already broken the loop. It means we’re in for a different course and I’m going to do as much as I can to help. No more staying quiet.”

Tweedle Dum bit back his words after his brother’s explanation. He simply swallowed and looked away still unsure if his brother’s decision would be their salvation or their doom.

“Your highnesses,” Tweedle Dee addressed, “Please call in the mad trio and my brother and I shall explain everything you need to know about this prison. It’s time you all learn that this isn’t an ordinary prison we are in.”

The palace guards Mirana had called finally arrived with folded stretchers on wheels. While they put the Tweedles in different gurneys, she commanded one of her servants to summon the mad trio.

While Nivens Mctwisp remained by the side of the tire, shoulder against it to support his weight, he could only think about Cheshire’s death. He recalled how Rocket went to the extremes—shooting his very salvation just to attempt and rescue Cheshire without second thoughts while he… simply ran away. He remembered his last conversation with Cheshire. Back then, he felt so annoyed and hurt with the cat suddenly falling in love with a raccoon he’s only met for less than forty-eight hours. He loathed Cheshire for his impulsive decision—choosing someone he just met over someone he had been with for years. Mctwisp also hated Rocket because he didn’t know what the raccoon did to capture the heart of his lover in such a small time whilst he spent years and still failed.

It wasn’t anger anymore. Perhaps there was a bit of jealousy but mostly, what Mctwisp felt was shame. He was embarrassed by his own thought that he was a rival of Rocket. With Rocket’s sacrifice, Mctwisp didn’t even stand as a competitor. He was merely a watcher.

And now that he was bleeding from the very wounds he got from Cheshire’s death, he was haunted by the guilt more than the pain. He dared proclaim his love to someone he couldn’t even give up his life to. In the end, Cheshire was right as he had always been.

He was right for not loving Mctwisp.

***

Inside the infirmary, Mctwisp hollowly gazed at his bandaged arm. There was a spot of blood from over-absorption and he fiddled with it, pressing to see if it would soak the gauze. While the Tweedles were busy replenishing their energy by eating, he hadn’t the slightest appetite to consume the offered food before him.

The red queen sat silently beside Mctwisp’s bed not even looking at his direction. Only the faint arguing of the Tweedles kept the silence broken. They argued about who had more of each other’s dish as if the serving wasn’t equal. Mctwisp found himself listening to the twins as he had nothing else to do.

“Brother, I’m sure you’ve got more porridge than I have,” said Tweedle Dum.

“You’ve got a larger loaf of bread, brother,” replied Tweedle Dee.

Iracebeth gave out a long sigh and Mctwisp’s ear fervently twitched to the sound.

“Is there something bothering you, your highness?” Mctwisp asked.

Iracebeth turned to Mctwisp, the corner of her mouth rising up to a smile. “It’s funny… all of this,” she said, “Even when Alice isn’t looking, you address me as royalty.”

“I just got used to it is all,” Mctwisp fidgeted his fingers. “Is that what’s bothering you?”

The corner of Iracebeth’s mouth dropped and she smoothed the creases of Mctwisp’s blanket as she had nothing else to do. She asked a question in random, “Who were you before you became Nivens Mctwisp?”

Mctwisp swallowed and was taken aback by the question. His heart trembled underneath his ribcage as if mentioning his former name would be his doom. Even when Alice wasn’t watching, he felt afraid to call who he was before.

“Alice isn’t watching,” Iracebeth said when Mctwisp became silent. “There’s nothing to be afraid of.”

“I-I was…” Mctwisp paused and stalled to recall his former name as much as he could. “Before Alice took us here, I travelled the space with Flash, James von Hare and…” Mctwisp swallowed, “…Blue,” he continued, “I used to be Buck but I prefer Mctwisp now.”

“Do you miss who you used to be?” Iracebeth asked again and she answered before Mctwisp could even open his mouth. “Of course you don’t. Alice conditioned us to cower just by thinking of our former names.”

Mctwisp swallowed. “A little,” he adjusted his position on the bed.

“Who was that fellow that blasted the ship earlier?”

Mctwisp swallowed again and shook his head as if dismissing a thought. “It doesn’t matter. The dead must not be spoken of. Let’s just hope they ended up in a good place wherever that may be.”

Iracebeth placed a hand behind Mctwisp’s back and before she could say anything else, Mirana arrived at the infirmary with Tarrant Hightopp, Thackery Earwicket and Mallymkun—the mad trio. By that time, the Tweedles were already licking their plates, unsatisfied of their servings.

“That was fast, brother,” Tweedle Dee said, “I want to have seconds with the porridge.”

“I was thinking the same thing,” Tweedle Dum replied, “But since they’re all here, I guess we can begin devising a plan.”

The mad trio made their way past Mctwisp’s bed to retrieve chairs. The white rabbit couldn’t help but avert his gaze from the mad hatter that stared deep into his soul. Even in a different setting, he wasn’t happy to see Mctwisp. Even when Mctwisp was injured, he could tell that the hatter prayed for something more than just injury to befall him.

Palace guards marched inside the infirmary, stationing behind the Tweedles’ beds and Mctwisp’s. The obedient robots placed their beds closely beside each other and grabbed chairs for the queens. Thereafter, they silently marched out.

The Wonderland prisoners were now arranged in a circle with the three bedridden beside each other, the mad trio in front of them and the red and white queen across each other.

The Tweedles sat up and leaned against the backrest of their beds, both moving in perfect synchrony. Even as they spoke, they cut each other off, politely arguing who speaks first.

“After you, brother,” they both said in unison and then Tweedle Dee continued, “After you, brother.”

“Brother, after you,” Tweedle Dum insisted.

The group stared at them confused and it was until the impatient dormouse cut off had the twins finally decided who gets to speak first.

Tweedle Dum enumerated the past which everybody else already knew but he gave some information Alice forbade him to share.

“We are all contained in a chronosphere,” Tweedle Dum said, “and after the Frabjous day, everything will reset from the Gribling day—earlier.”

“That’s nonsense!” Mallymkun scurried on Tweedle Dum’s bed, stationing on the fat man’s bent knee. “Even with Alice’s technology, she cannot create something that could tamper with the fabric of time!”

Tweedle Dum scooped Mallymkun from his knee, “Calm yourself, little one,” he elevated Mallymkun to face him. “It’s very possible.”

Tarrant joined in the conversation, “For that to be possible then she has to possess—”

“An infinity gem!” Thackery threw his hands up in the air laughing, “Alice showed it to me once.”

The group discussion became dead quiet for a second before each and every one of them threw themselves at the March hare, asking questions about where Alice kept the infinity gem. The calm discussion they had earlier ago became amess as everybody crowded in on Thackery who cowered helplessly on his stool.

All were frantic except for the white rabbit that calmly rested on his bed. He pulled in a deep breath and shouted, “Leave him be!”

All eyes turned to look at him and then they all withdrew, though traces of anxiety remained in their faces. They all knew what an infinity gem was—its power. After all, they were seekers of the infinity gems before Alice took them all. They were fanatics—madmen of the universe that could burn down entire planets for their search of these powerful stones.

They were. They used to be. After Alice took them in, she cleansed them of their obsession by torment and they lost all their drive, all their bloodlust, their selfishness and cruelty. Because of mutual suffering, they became close with each other and the years made them friends.

When they were all quiet, Mctwisp weakly hopped out of his bed and made his way to Thackery. The poor hare trembled. For he was mad, he didn’t quite fully comprehend what was happening and thought everybody else was turning against him. With feeble steps, Mctwisp approached and knelt before Thackery.

“Oh no… there’s no more tea… I’ve no tea to give ya!” he pointed his finger at Mctwisp.

The white rabbit gently grabbed Thackery’s finger and coaxed it to drop. There could be nothing in the universe that could scale the guilt and regret he felt. If they remain Alice’s prisoners, he wants himself to go back to the time when he accused Thackery. He’ll take full retribution and be the mad one.

“Thackery—” Mctwisp swallowed, “No… James, I’m so sorry.”

Thackery’s ear twitched to the sound of his name, “J-james?” he repeated as if a memory had just came into mind but he shook it off immediately and once again acted mad. “No James ‘ere, white bunny… heh-heh-heh,” he laughed, “Y’should invite James for tea!” The impulse to throw was there but he had nothing to throw.

The rest of the group stared at them with eyes most resenting from the hatter.

“James von Hare,” Mctwisp said, “He was a fine lad—mad as a March hare even before. He liked blowing up stuff and laughing rebelliously in the mid of destruction.”

Thackery’s laugh settled and for a moment he looked at Mctwisp in the eyes. It was James von Hare looking at Buck Rabbit but he was gone in an instant. “The infinity gem, she keeps inside herself.” He laughed manically—a sign that Thackery came back. “Anyone got tea?” he yelled.

Mctwisp swallowed and embraced the March hare. “Thank you, James,” he said.

As he got back to his bed, Mallymkun followed him. “Mctwisp…” the little dormouse said, “Was it James? How was he?”

Mctwisp nodded, “Aye, Flash… he looked sad.”

There was a moment of silence in the group before they once again proceeded.

“So the infinity gem is inside Alice…” Mirana began.

“That couldn’t be,” Tarrant said, “If the infinity gem is inside Alice, then she would have lost it when Cheshire vaporized Salazen Grum.”

Mallymkun seconded, “Then it means the chronosphere is already broken. We’re already free.”

“I hate to get your hopes down,” Tweedle Dee retorted, “However as I am about to tell you, Alice is still alive.”

Iracebeth bit her fist, recalling something she was able to glimpse at inside Alice’s lab. “I once sent in one of my cards to steal any intelligence from Alice,” she confessed, “It was for a chance to assassinate her however I got Cheshire’s profile of all things.”

“Where are you going with this, sister?” Mirana asked.

Iracebeth continued, “What I’m trying to say is Alice wouldn’t survive Cheshire’s explosion. In Cheshire’s profile, she wrote that no any type of matter could withstand Cheshire’s vaporization. If Cheshire successfully detonated, then no shield could save Alice.”

“But Alice isn’t there,” Tweedle Dee said, “In the previous resets, the Cheshire cat always exploded, vaporizing Salazen Grum with him. However Alice always fled the scenario.”

“So Cheshire’s sacrifice was in vain?” Mallymkun trailed off.

“It always had been,” Tweedle Dee replied, “Only that in the previous resets, Cheshire died alone. Rocket fights the last battle with Alice in the Frabjous day and defeats her.”

“If that’s so, then how come we are still prisoners?” Mirana questioned.

“Because he always fails to retrieve the infinity gem out of Alice’s possession,” Tweedle Dum answered, “Since our champion has died with Cheshire, we will fight on the Frabjous day and retrieve the infinity gem ourselves. Only then will the chronosphere be broken.”

“Why didn’t you tell us this before?” Tarrant said monotonously, “We could have avoided a vain sacrifice. Now Cheshire is dead!”

“It’s partly my fault as well,” Iracebeth murmured, “I should have known that Alice wasn’t inside her lab anymore and I should have at least told Cheshire about that.”

“Calm down, the both of you,” Mallymkun squeaked, “Blaming ourselves won’t get us anywhere. Let us just not let their sacrifices be in vain.”

“Don’t you see, Mallymkun?” Tarrant’s voice cracked, “His sacrifice was in vain.”

“Perhaps not,” Iracebeth said, “One of my cards reported to me that Alice was creating abominations in her lab—she knew all along that we would turn against her and raised her chances of winning. Cheshire’s explosion vaporized all of those creatures.”

Tarrant sat back. “So we fight?” he covered his mouth with his hand, staring into space and then he turned to Mctwisp, “I bet you like that.” He said sarcastically.

Mctwisp said nothing.

“Alright, that’s enough,” Mirana interjected, “The fight will be between Alice and us not between you two. For now, let’s prepare for war. Mctwisp,” she called.

Mctwisp turned, looking over the white queen, “After you heal, I want you to recruit as many cyborgs as you can. We cannot trust full robots. Alice might turn them against us.”

“Aye, my queen,” Mctwisp bowed his head.

“Tweedles,” she called, “I will send you the coordinates of an abandoned lab. I lost many fine rebels in driving Alice away from it. Use the resources from it carefully.”

The Tweedles nodded.

“Tarrant and Mallymkun, you will venture with me and my sister out of the border. There might be some people willing to help us.”

“What about Thackery, sister?” Iracebeth asked.

“I’ll keep an eye on him,” Mctwisp volunteered, “I will only be recruiting. It’s no difficult task.”

“Very well then,” Mirana stood up from her chair, “If this had been happening countlessly, then now is the time that we will be free.”