The screams were faint but clear. That was what could be made up from the tubular tunnel Mctwisp travelled. The floor was a crosshatch of metal wherein below projected aqua lighting that rose up like dots of laser pointers to the ceiling. From Mctwisp’s point of view while being inside an underground stronghold, the lights from the dotted spaces of the crosshatched floor seemed like tall sticks extending high above him.

More and more as he approached the stronghold of the almighty warden, the faint screams above were synchronized with a much clearer and louder version. He hated hearing it. Those were the sounds of lives being taken, souls in deep anguish—people in hopeless peril. And every sound of it that resonated inside his ears was a thorn to his heart.

But no, Mctwisp convinced himself. The lives being taken above didn’t deserve sympathy for when Alice prevails all the dead would come back to life including his dear, dear, Cheshire. That’s what he had in mind. That’s what he reinforced inside his self for the betterment of his friends. Once everything is reset, it’s a fresh beginning for everybody. Perhaps they needn’t leave the planet at all. What’s there for them in the galaxy anyway when they’re wanted criminals in death rows? They would be much safer in Alice’s care.

Mctwisp reached the tunnel’s end which was a vaulted door of thick adamantium. He knocked a few times, not to get a response but just to test the structure of the indestructible metal nonexistent within other universes. He was amazed of Alice’s wit, creating the loop in a dimension existing between two universes—where they exist yet do not exist at the same time. He began to appreciate Alice’s idea and accept the utopia she tried to create. If only the others could see how wonderful Alice’s intentions were, they would never want to leave.

Mctwisp gazed at the giant door and above its frame he saw a camera pointing a laser at him.

“Alice… I come to pledge alliance with thee…”

The camera’s head tilted slightly lower and its lens zoomed at the white rabbit, snapping close and then back open. In a few moments, the door grumbled and from the line that separated two parts, cracked open the door. A disturbing cacophony of voices in peril met Mctwisp’s face in a gust of wind that blew his ears back.

The entire lair was dark except for in the distance where holographic projections were settled midair. For each region of Wonderland there was one rectangular hologram that showed the destruction and chaos that was happening above. Sitting on a high throne was the Xandarian looney. Alice relaxed back against her throne, one leg crossed on top of the other with an amused smirk rising at the corner of her mouth as she watched the multiple projections presented in front of her.

On her left, projected the image of Salazen Grum, overrun by cards slaughtering citizens. Below that hologram was another screen showing the meadow of living flowers being mutilated by the fearsome Jubjub bird. The Clockwork town, being reduced to ashes, was dominated by the Jabberwocky. Alice gave out a playful chuckle as she watched the queens risk their lives to save other people.

A shot of worry shot Mctwisp when he saw the queens running in the mid of blazing buildings, rescuing citizens. He hid it all inside his façade of fidgeting fingers and indirect eye contact.

As he approached, Alice didn’t even bat an eye to him. It was as if he wasn’t there at all and though he tried his best to gather the attention of the Xandarian scientist, he was ignored the whole time.

Mctwisp swallowed as he came closer to the base of Alice’s high throne. He dared not turn his head behind him lest he see the tragedy that was happening all around but he had to if he wanted to get Alice’s attention.

The very first holographic screen he witnessed was the white palace in Marmoreal. The camera was placed at the courtyard where the marble floor, oh so white as its queen’s hair was now as red as the red queen. It was gruesome having to look at the pool of crimson liquid drying up within piles of bodies.

Just below the projection of the white palace was the white village—a place in Marmoreal where the white citizens resided. The small town of ivory was much worse compared to the white palace’s courtyard. Chess guards marched in squadrons, knee-down saturated with blood. The tips of their lances drooped with the crimson liquid as they continued to wipe out the residents. Bodies were everywhere—piled on top of each other, some still twitching with life and some, slowly dying.

“Isn’t it beautiful?” Alice commented.

Mctwisp gritted his teeth out of contempt but he swallowed it all for his intention. “I cannot say for sure, your majesty.”

Alice laughed wickedly. “Do not call me ‘your majesty’,” she said, “For I am no queen.”

Mctwisp was slightly startled by the echo of Alice’s laughter repeating inside the vast lair. “What would you like me to call you?”

“Call me Alice as that is who I am.” The pink-skinned looney kept on watching the chaos projected on her screens and she didn’t look at Mctwisp as they conversed. “War is beautiful…” she remarked, “I almost forgot the face of it just after one reset.”

“W-well… it’s hardly war if the other side isn’t fighting, no?” Mctwisp retorted. He hid away in a sheepish laughter and added in an instant, “D-do you plan to wipe the slate clean?”

Alice shrugged. “The slate is always wiped clean,” Alice said lamely. “And it’s all because of that stupid outsider.”

“Outsider?” Mctwisp repeated for Alice to continue.

“You’ve met him,” Alice said, “You’ve even attempted to remodify him. I’ve seen all of it. I’ve been watching all of you the whole time. Which is why I know you’ve come here to assist me in wiping the slate?”

There was a punch of breath that pushed Mctwisp to exhale as if Alice’s idea wasn’t synonymous to his intention. Before he could respond, Alice spoke again.

“I know you’re planning to help me win this war so that everything may reset and you will have the love you always yearned for.”

Mctwisp was about to ask if Alice knew but he stopped himself. Of course she does. She knew everything about them. Nothing was left private from this scientist. Besides having them memorized physically, she also had them memorized mentally.

“You are wise to come here,” Alice said. “Normally I would have just blasted you where you stood on that entrance however… I am in need of your assistance.”

Mctwisp swallowed. “A-anything… Alice…”

“I may have been watching all of you this whole time but I always play safe. Even if I know I’ll win, I would still grab any opportunity to ensure that victory. Listen to me well, my white rabbit, tell me the war strategy of your friends so that they may be countered. I may have eyes everywhere but I do not have eyes on the outsider’s ship. Perhaps you had a discussion while out of my radius that I might want to know about?”

“None… Alice,” Mctwisp said. His mannerism of fidgeting his fingers worsened, becoming much faster and rougher until he thought of discussing the plan they had in the infirmary. “We had our strategic meeting in the infirmary of the white palace.”

Alice’s brow rose up. “I’m surprised I haven’t noticed that part. Perhaps I was elsewhere then…”

“Aye…” Mctwisp paused, having doubts if he should tell Alice. At this point, he had no other choice. He turned behind him and forced himself to look at the gruesome screens. When he noticed that what he searched for wasn’t there, he turned back to Alice. “West side of Wonderland, inside your stolen lab, the Tweedles are making weapons to supply the warriors which will then head straight for the Clockwork town.”

Alice grinned widely. “I see you can be trusted,” she remarked and pressed buttons from the arm of her throne. Quickly, another projection shot up midair showing the Tweedles piling weapons inside metallic carts and loading them on a high-flying aircraft.

The Xandarian pressed more buttons and then the projection became a navigational map showing the coordinates of the Tweedles. With a few more presses on buttons, Alice sent battalions of Chess guards and card soldiers to march toward the abandoned lab.

She turned to Mctwisp thereafter. “Do not worry about them, my friend, for they will die today and be resurrected tomorrow as your love will be as well.” She pressed another button and suddenly the whole lair was lighted up. She pointed to the left side of the giant room.

Mctwisp turned.

Standing upright attached to a machine was a robot in the shape of a man. His eyes were open, displaying aqua pearls but dead of consciousness. He had a beard of thick sideburns connecting to the moustache with a peculiar, tall hat covering his top. He dressed rather quaintly with pointed shoulder plates in black attire. What was most shocking about him was his core. In place of his sternum was a ticking clock and beneath it, an emerald glow emanating from the fraction of the time gem.

Wide-eyed and awed, Mctwisp didn’t notice Alice press something behind the neck of the robot and suddenly the robot’s eyes sparked to life and he was detached from the machine.

Alice laughed. “Meet Time.”

“Time?” Mctwisp echoed.

“Time…” Alice stared hungrily at her creation. “I’ve made him countless times but I could never perfect him… now, he is perfect.”

Mctwisp had a lot of questions in mind and the Xandarian scientist knew which is why she spared the white rabbit from asking many questions.

“This utopia cannot be complete if it just resets after the Frabjous day,” Alice said. “As I’ve mentioned earlier, this loop wouldn’t have happened if it weren’t for that outsider.” She bit her lip. She clasped her teeth in contempt, obviously frustrated about the raccoon. “You are close with Tweedle Dee, are you not, Mctwisp?”

Mcctwisp nodded once. “Both Tweedles… Alice…”

Alice clicked her tongue. “How much do you know about this loop?”

Mctwisp thought for a while. “All that is it would repeat over and over again.”

“It wasn’t supposed to be that way,” Alice said the moment Mctwisp finished. “I had no intention of trapping us inside a time loop but I had no other choice because of that outsider… Rocket was his name, wasn’t it?”

Mctwisp nodded.

“Since what I possess is but the fraction of the time gem, controlling it is very difficult. Countless times I’ve made Time,” she gestured to the robot, “The loop wasn’t purely intentional. It was supposed to happen once only but I found that I couldn’t control the time gem either… now, however,” she chuckled, “I can and we will reset one last time before we rejoin the real world.”

There was something wrong, Mctwisp could feel it. “Is it still possible for us to join the real world?” he asked. He hoped that he and Alice were on the same matter—on the same point of view in talking. He continued. “When you created the time loop, we ceased to exist on the original timeline.”

Alice became solemn and she looked at the white rabbit suspiciously.

“Which means if you reset, taking us back on the very first day you put us on this planet, you cannot break the loop because where would we return? We cannot be our past selves in the present, can we?”

Alice pocketed her hands and grabbed a piece of crumpled paper. “You lack imagination, Mctwisp,” she said and then gestured to Time. “Show him.”

Alice outstretched the paper toward the robot. Time’s eyes glowed and the hands of the clock on his sternum ticked rapidly. The three hands of the clock spun with amazing speed and the paper wilted and became dust.

“Did you see my hand age, Mctwisp?” Alice displayed her hand, still young and strong.

Mctwisp nodded to disagree.

“I do not totally disagree with your thought,” Alice smiled. “It’s possible—what you said and it’s also possible—what I presented. I don’t fully understand the volatility of the time gem’s fraction. In the end, it all depends on its mood whether it permits us to join the present timeline or traps us all in this loop forever.” She paused to take in a deep breath. “What do you think?”

“The raccoon… Rocket,” Mctwisp clicked his tongue. “He exists in the present yet he is here…”

“I’m surprised Dee hasn’t told you,” Alice smirked. “The Rocket that you see here is just a phantom of the first time this all happened. He’s just something that registered here because of the time gem. He’s already long dead—hundreds or thousands of years dead. If your friends manage to break this loop, you would all return to the present which is already centuries from your original time.”

Mctwisp fell back a few steps and then dropped on the floor.

Alice returned to her throne and then shut all of the holographic projections but one and it was the screen that showed Tarrant and Cheshire inside her lab in Crims palace. “Your Cheshire cat is alive,” Alice said. “And he’s as keen as your friends in breaking this loop so that he may unite with Rocket in the present but he doesn’t know what I told you and the Tweedles kept from him so that he may participate in this war.”

Mctwisp hopped back up standing having heard Cheshire’s voice, hoarse and weak. He was inside some section, back facing Tarrant as they conversed.

“Knowing we are in a loop…” Cheshire said. His voice was filled with sorrow in the echoes of the lair. “…makes me want to defeat Alice even more so that I may be able meet him without consequences… be with him without a limit...”

Mctwisp’s breathing became irregular as his heart felt as though as it was being crushed by a fist while he listened to the Cheshire cat’s sentiments.

“I don’t care where in the galaxy the time gem would spit us,” Cheshire said.

Tarrant replied, “I don’t think it works that way.” The mad hatter carried a small sling-bag with him and some intravenous with various surgical materials. He laid it all on a table as he unzipped Cheshire’s jumpsuit from the back.

Alice couldn’t help but look bemusedly at the duo.

“Well… however it works,” Cheshire grimaced at Tarrant examined his injured back, “I want to be with him.”

“You won’t be able to…” Mctwisp found himself replying to Cheshire despite his message failing to reach the feline. Alice then shut the projection and turned to the white rabbit.

“Break the loop, you’ll have him for yourself,” Alice seduced. “If the time gem returns you to the present where Rocket is long dead, you’d have no competition.”

“Are you provoking me?” Mctwisp sobbed and wiped his nose with his forearm. “Do you wish me to side with my friends?”

“Of course not,” Alice shrugged. “I am merely showing you that you could trust me. I would never hide anything from a friend. I reckon your friends never hid a thing from you?”

Mctwisp was provoked but he was provoked to side with Alice firmly. He found that he could trust his tormentor more than his own friends who hid essential truths from him.

“Wipe your worries away, friend,” Alice chortled. “Once we prevail, you’ll have what you want and all of you could live in my perfect Wonderland.”