Rocket crept on his belly, maneuvering his self with his forearms and the kick of his feet. His bazooka was in front of him and kept it ahead by pushing it. Since the vent was narrow, he had to crawl aimlessly without a plan on where to go. He based his destination on the only available route.

Cheshire followed behind, sometimes looking over his shoulder as if the threat of something tailing lingered. It was unlikely though since the narrow space could hardly accommodate him and Rocket. There was no way that the beast could trail them.

“Back there…” Cheshire trailed off, “What was that thing?”

Rocket stopped moving and looked back to Cheshire. “Beats me…” He forwarded again. “Perhaps it was the bandit-snatcher.”

“The Bandersnatch?” Cheshire said instantly after Rocket finished.

“Yeah,” Rocket pushed his bazooka. “That psychotic bunny wanted to turn me into that.”

Cheshire felt embarrassed. “His ideas could be very... experimental.”

Rocket stopped for a moment. Beneath him was an exit to a dark room. He crept forward and then removed the covering. He slipped his head outside and scanned the room. It was empty. He first got out of the vent, hanging before letting himself drop on the hard floor.

Cheshire reached in for Rocket’s bazooka and threw it gently to the waiting raccoon. When Rocket strapped the weapon on his back, Cheshire carefully estimated his own jump. He first let his feet dangle out of the exit and then he pushed forward, falling upright. He didn’t know if his strength would be enough to land him unscathed and he didn’t have to. He was caught by the raccoon who had been waiting for him.

“You weigh like you’re nothing at all,” Rocket whispered close to Cheshire’s mouth.

The cat had his arms around Rocket’s neck as the raccoon carried him like a groom to his bride. They were close to each other. So close that a mere inch was all that kept their mouths from a sensational kiss. Cheshire leaned in to erase that distance—just to once again feel Rocket’s mouth paired with his but the raccoon looked away.

Cheshire felt ashamed to have been denied and he didn’t wait for Rocket to place him on the floor. Cheshire got off himself. They stood awkwardly in silence with the cat staring on the floor and the raccoon elsewhere.

Rocket spoke first. “You lied to me about your past…”

Cheshire’s ears twitched up, recalling if he lied which he didn’t remember doing. “I don’t recall lying to you…” he trailed off.

Rocket growled, slightly startling the feline. “Do you take me for some stupid thing?”

“I never said that—”

“But you’re acting like I am,” Rocket gritted his teeth. He didn’t let Cheshire speak. “And don’t try and change what we’re talking about here. You lied,” Rocket pointed a finger to Cheshire, “Everything I know about you is a fricking lie.”

“Aye…” Cheshire’s voice was low. “I am a liar because hiding things is no different than lying, no?”

Rocket laughed as if he just heard the funniest joke ever but his expression contradicted his action. “You’re not going to defend yourself?” Rocket snarled. He flexed his hands, curling them to knuckles.

“I am guilty as charged,” Cheshire said.

The moment Cheshire finished speaking, Rocket grabbed him lightning fast, clutching his hands on Cheshire’s suit. He pulled the feline close to him. Cheshire was slightly raised up from Rocket’s grip and he didn’t act against Rocket.

“Are you messing with me right now?” Rocket clasped his teeth. He stared at Cheshire straight in the eyes and the cat never looked so solemn. All the rage he had vanished and was replaced by sorrow. He placed Cheshire down, still keeping his hands on the feline’s jumpsuit. He buried his face on the cat’s chest and breathed him in. “Don’t you trust me?”

Rocket’s question caught Cheshire off guard. Even Cheshire himself never thought about that even once. And the reason for all his confinement came into questioning. Why did he confide?

“Perhaps because I want you so much,” Cheshire swallowed, fighting the lump that formed inside his throat. “And I hate myself equally as much. And I was afraid that you wouldn’t like me if you knew who I was.”

Rocket looked up to the feline whose eyes were already closed trying to keep the tears from coming out. “That’s all the reason why you kept from me?” Rocket asked to which the cat nodded an agreeing response.

“Because who would love a murderer?” Cheshire inhaled. “There is no justice in what I’ve done in the past. I’ve killed people, Rocket—innocent people.” Cheshire paused and his sobbing turned quiet. Moments later, he whispered ominously, “And I smiled as they burned.”

Rocket tried to hush Cheshire but he didn’t know what to say. With what the cat told him, he couldn’t help but compare the cat with the suicidal Kree fanatic, Ronan.

“Along with my friends, we hunted the infinity gems—drugged by its powers. We burned villages, abducted people and tormented them and with each crime, we praised ourselves.” Cheshire drowned in guilt for all that he’s done. He couldn’t bring back the lives he had taken. He could only wish that he felt guilt much sooner so that it could have restrained him from killing all his victims. “Part of my thoughts when I had Tarrant turn me into a bomb was that I didn’t deserve freedom… but it was there for me to give. Since I never did anything good, I thought it would be the first and last thing I’d part with.”

Rocket ran his hands on Cheshire’s head. He let his touch calm the cat first before getting his words inside. “Blah, blah, blah,” Rocket’s voice was husky. He just realized that a clump of emotional feelings blocked his throat. “It’s heavy taking all of that in,” Rocket said, “But I could take it.”

Cheshire looked at Rocket in the eyes. “You’re okay with it?”

“You were a genocidal asshole, a destructive maniac—let’s just say a complete jackass.” Rocket paused to look at the reaction of the cat. He continued, “Only an idiot would justify what you did.”

“I understand if you don’t–”

“And I’m not an idiot so I won’t justify it but I do like you,” Rocket paused and said under his breath, “That or maybe I just want another of the thing we did back at the inn.”

“Aren’t you bothered?” Cheshire sniffled.

“Why would I be?” Rocket returned, “A bunch of people I don’t know died. What’s it to me? I mean, if I could save them, I would but I couldn’t so there’s no point in crying over some spilled milk. Best to just move on. Besides…” Rocket breathed, “My hands aren’t as clean as you think.”

Cheshire looked down and Rocket pinched his chin, tipping his head up to face him.

“What got you to feel remorse?” Rocket chortled.

“A series of experimentations…” Cheshire answered jokingly albeit he half-meant it. “I took it as my punishment.” He held Rocket’s hand.

“No more secrets?” Rocket’s tone rose to let Cheshire finish.

“That’s about everything in my past,” Cheshire wiped his face.

Rocket leaned in. “Then I guess you could now have this…”

Slowly, Rocket closed in the distance of their mouths as he touched his lips with Cheshire. It wasn’t only the cat who longed for the very thing they were doing. Rocket also missed the sensation. It was somewhat a completion—a satisfaction of unique category which only seemed available in the cat.

Heat rushes rose behind Rocket’s ears and he found that he no longer just want the exterior of Cheshire’s mouth. Seconds within the kiss, he started biting softly and when the cat opened his mouth to gasp, he took the opportunity in digging deeper. He ran his tongue against the bristles of Cheshire’s, chortling in the mid as he forgot how ecstatic it felt.

Cheshire moaned. And then his hands unconsciously embraced the raccoon behind the neck.

Inside the dark room, they were stopped by the sound of a parting metal door.

In an instant, Rocket turned his head away and placed his hand on the bazooka behind his back. A stumble followed the previous sound and then there were faint grunts and groans.

Rocket grabbed Cheshire’s hand and pulled him to hide by a cylindrical container ten times their size. He unstrapped his bazooka.

“Stay here,” Rocket whispered and stayed low. He went around the cylindrical blockade and followed the disturbing noise of something flopping on the floor constantly. Rocket ran to the edge of the room and traced his way to the door which, whoever was inside used to enter.

There was a messy splash of crimson by the entrance and it dragged a red trail to the direction where the intruder was. Rocket remained by the edge of the trail, avoidant of the blood that could taint his feet. He followed the sound with his bazooka at aim ahead of him.

Moments later, the lights got activated revealing rows and columns of cylindrical glass cages housing abominations. Some were active and some were expired. Rocket couldn’t help but take a moment to look at the monsters trapped inside with tubes running in and out of them.

A frightful scream echoed inside the room and Rocket acted instantly, following the noise. He arrived at a scenario where a man was belly flopped on the floor, bloodied and weak with the cat hoisting the man’s upper body with one hand and with the other, outstretched with extended adamantium claws ready for stabbing.

“Please… s-spare me,” the man’s hands were in the air as a gesture of surrender, “I-I barely escaped the Bandersnatch. Please spare me.”

Rocket was about to speak but Cheshire spoke ahead of him.

“Your arrogance seemed to have been flushed away now that you are at my mercy.” Cheshire’s tone was low and he had contempt—a lot of it for him to say such things.

“I-I was only following Alice,” the man cried, “I dare not disobey her or else…” he looked all around him.

Rocket followed the man’s gaze which pointed to the abominations. Then he looked at Cheshire. Menace was in the eyes of the feline and Rocket wouldn’t be surprised if those sharp claws would home for the man’s throat. He kind of expected it but the cat simply took a breath in and retracted his extended claws. Thereafter, he helped the man sit up against a metal wall.

“T-thank you…” the man quivered.

Cheshire sat beside the man and patted the area beside him for Rocket.

“You’re bleeding massively,” Cheshire said, “At this rate you’re going to…”

“I know…” the man swallowed. He perspired rapidly and he was shaking. The color on his lips faded having his bruises and scratches much more saturated. “I-I’m a coward… I’d rather go like this than be devoured by that creature.”

Blood pooled in the area of the man and Cheshire had to scoot away. Rocket followed. They spent the next few minutes in silence.

Cheshire was tensed all the time. Rocket knew by looking at the gaps of Cheshire’s fingers. The tip of the cat’s claws seemed to push slightly out then back in again. Rocket wondered if he was the reason why Cheshire didn’t murder the man beside him.

“T-thank you for sparing me…” the man whispered weakly.

Cheshire gritted his teeth.

The man continued, “I-if you know already what kind of prison Wonderland is… the least I could tell you is the location of the infinity gem.”

Cheshire’s ears perked up. “Infinity gem?”

Rocket now just remembered that he hasn’t told Cheshire about their current state.

“Yes…” the man gasped weakly, “It is at the heart of Time…”

Rocket got up, forwarding to the man. “Heart of time?” he asked, “That doesn’t make sense! Could you be more specific?”

The man’s eyes were narrow slits trying to widen. He lifted a finger and tapped it on his sternum. “The heart… of… Time…” his hand fell on the bloodied floor.

Cheshire was silent as he watched the man’s last seconds dwindle. Then he turned to Rocket.

“I had no idea what he was talking about.” Cheshire said.

Rocket looked to the cat. “Do you know where your friends are?” he asked.

“Probably at Marmoreal. Why?”

“We need to get there,” Rocket looked around the room for another exit but to their misfortune there was only one excluding the air vent which they could no longer reach.

“What’s happening?” Cheshire was confused. He wasn’t aware of Alice actually possessing an infinity gem.

“I’ll tell you along the way,” Rocket unstrapped his bazooka. “Just stay behind me. We’re going past the creature.”