Alyss looked around at the cityscape around her as she followed Hatter's lead. Never had she seen anything quite like this even in Wonderland she knew. The change was times was certainly reflected within her surroundings. All the new sights made her long for the kingdom in the forest that was once her safe haven and her home. Alyss hoped its walls still stood strong but her expectations were low. If another Queen of Hearts was in rule and no move had been made against her then the odds of her beloved White Kingdom was as strong as it once had been.

It was still so hard for her to be constantly reminded that while only moments passed in her memory, far more time passed in reality. What made it more challenging was the fact the man walking beside her looked so much like the man she once knew. This was something Alyss did not believe she would ever get used to. She had to constantly remind herself not to feel for the man what she had felt for Madd for they were not one in the same.

Matthew must have noticed she was stealing glances his way whenever she could because he asked her, "What was he like? This Madd of yours?"

Alyss kept her eyes locked onto the narrow path in front of her and lifted her skirt to step over some fallen debris of some sort and thought about her answer. "Madd is loyal, and kind, and so very fierce when it came to protecting those who needed it. He is also smart, cunning, a skilled tracker and assassin."

Matthew stopped in his tracks and reached out his hand to stop her, not caring that Hatter and Alice were walking on ahead. "Did you just say assassin?"

Alyss simply nodded because that fact hadn't bothered her for a long time. After all he had used his skills for good. "Would you have rather I said 'stealthy warrior' or something of the like?"

Matthew honestly didn't care about the terminology, it was the fact the person who he apparently resembled was a bloody assassin. "I take comfort knowing anyone who might wish him dead are long dead themselves."

"That is true." Her voice was quiet as it all set in that everyone from the time she knew would be long dead. While others may share their names and their similarities, those she knew where gone.

Alyss looked down to Matthew's hand upon her arm then lifted her gaze to him. "May I have my arm back? Our traveling companions are getting ahead of us."

Matthew hadn't even realized he was still holding onto Alyss' arm and released her with a clearing of his throat.

Now that Alyss was free to move as she pleased, she gathered up her skirt again and moved safely yet quickly enough to catch up with the others with Matthew following close behind.

Hatter and Alice were already at their destination when Matthew and Alyss joined them. "Took you long enough," he said to his brother before knocking onto one of the many identical doors all in a row. As soon as the eye slot slid open, Hatter said, "I'm returning a library book. It's a work of Edwin and Morcar."

"How does the little crocodile improve his shining tail?" an elder voice asked in reply.

"He pours water from the Nile on every golden scale," Alyss answered before Hatter could. It seems some of Charles' influences remained in Wonderland. But he likely wasn't known as Charles here but his penname. Alyss remembered that Charles said he would use a name no one could confuse and would always remember.

"How did you know that?" Matthew asked her as the door opened and they were allowed entrance.

"It seems some things transcend space and time." Alyss walked through the door behind Alice and Hatter and found they were not entering a room but a contraption of sorts that resembled a steam bus she was familiar with but more advanced than such. She followed Matthew's lead and sat down in one of the seats.

Just when Alyss was about to ask why such a machine was within the building, she was given her answer when the bus started to shake and its lights flicker as it lowered itself down like an elevator. This bus contraption was being used as a lift – Alyss understood now.

When they reached their destination with a bit of a thud, they were allowed to depart. Alyss went to the door with Alice only to find a glasses wearing woman aiming a firearm at them. Alyss turned back to find the gentleman who ran the lift had one aimed at the group as well. "Undignified," Alyss said to herself as she followed suit and held her hands up while departing the bus.

"Come on folks," Matthew said to the armed pair in a suave fashion. "Why don't we put these things away?"

"You know us well enough," Hatter added in as they were being urged forward.

"We have our orders," the gentleman replied and the woman added in,

"You keep that right hand were can see it, Hatter. And you, Matthew, no funny business with that hat of yours, you hear?"

Hatter flexed his right hand with a sigh. "It's just flesh and blood." It was far more than that but he was trying to keep things level.

Matthew gestured to his hat, "Nothing but fabric, m'lady." Not quite true. There were a couple tricks within that hat of his, but he only used them when absolutely necessary.

The lady knew better and kept her gun aimed at them. "We've all seen what you can do with that sledgehammer and don't think for a moment we don't know what you can do with that hat neither. There's far more there than mere fabric."

Alyss felt as if she had just stepped into a memory at that moment. A strong sense of dejavu waved over her during this conversation. Madd had a hat that was far more than met the eye and it seemed Matthew did as well. How could they not be the same person? What sort of trickery was at play? Was Matthew truly Madd but did not remember? Or was he a Doppelganger? Perhaps a reincarnation? Alyss had to stop wondering about this for it pained her so. She needed to stop questioning the madness that is Wonderland and truly move forward. Madd was lost long ago and despite those who echoed the past, he would never return again.

"Come now, why must you think about that when you can think about the comfits we brought last week? The cured meats and the cheeses? Now didn't you like those?" Matthew smiled a bit enquiringly at the pair.

"They're all gone," the man sadly replied. His tone made it clear that they hadn't had food since then.

Hatter picked up from where his brother left off without missing a beat, "Well if you don't show us a little respect you won't see another crumb."

Alyss watched as the lady and gentleman both lowered their weapons. Were they truly so hungry that their threat was enough to make them cave? Her heart reached out to the pair and wished she had something to give to them. Yes, the pair had threatened them but it was a tense time so she was willing to forgive it…this time.

"I'm sorry," the lady said to the group before turning to lead the way. "Everyone's a bit jumpy."

"Everyone's always a bit jumpy," Hatter muttered as they followed.

Alice looked around in awe. The floor was carpeted in ruby red, the railings and such were smooth stone, and down below were more books than she had ever seen in her life. "Where are we?"

"The Great Library," Hatter answered. "There's over 5,000 years' worth of history hidden here; Art, literature, law, rescued when the Queen of Hearts seized power. She's like nothing more than to see this burnt to nothing."

"I truly believed no one would take the Heart mantle and rule under it again." Alyss stopped and gripped the railing as she looked to the books below. "I was an ignorant fool to hold out such a hope that a Queen of Hearts would never rule again."

Alice felt a bit out of the loop in this knowledge and decided to rectify that. "Who's the Queen of Hearts?"

The lady in the lead turned around and charged towards them with her gun aimed at the group. "She doesn't know the Queen? Who the hell is she?"

Hatter held his hands out to her in an unthreatening manner. "Could you just relax Owl? Calm."

Matthew chimed in with some assistance. "She's just lived a sheltered life, is all." He hoped that would have been the end of it, but it unfortunately was not.

Owl waved her gun towards Alyss. "And what of the blonde one?" She thought that lady spoke oddly, referring to things long past that not many had the knowledge of. Suffice to say, she wasn't too quick to trust her.

"I supposed that would depend upon your definition of sheltered." Alyss walked towards Owl and stood right in front of her weapon. "A long time ago I could disarm you in the blink of an eye and yet for me it feels like yesterday. I've been asleep, you see, but I am awake now and I do not appreciate you threatening me or my traveling companions." Alyss took another step forward. "Lower your weapon now." She was not going to be so forgiving with the threats this time.

Owl gulped in fear and shakily lowered her gun. She still didn't trust this woman but that did not mean she wasn't now scared of her.

"As impressive as that was, let's try and not terrify them. We would like to keep them on our side." Matthew guided Alyss away from Owl to prevent anything more intense from happening.

Alyss closed her eyes and took a deep breath as yet another echo of the past sent a memory into her mind. Madd and Alyss shared the responsibility of keeping the other's hot head from getting them into too much trouble. They were either each other's anchor or fuel to add to the fire depending upon the situation.

After Hatter bribed Owl and her companion to keep their wits about them and not force them back to the elevator, Alyss walked past and looked down below to see people there. "This is more than just a Library, isn't it?"

"Indeed." Hatter leaned upon the railing as he explained who the people below were. "They are refugees, those who don't want to be a part of the Queen's world of instant gratification."

Matthew picked up from there. "We give them shelter and try to feed them as best we can, but it is dangerous. If the Queen found out, they wouldn't stand a chance."

"Why does she want to destroy all of this?" Alice didn't understand. She couldn't understand how anyone would want to destroy such a place.

Hatter turned to Alice and answered. "Wisdom is her biggest threat. She controls people with a quick fix."

Alyss took a deep breath to process this, but the end result always became the same, "Different Queens, same demons."

The Queen of Hearts was not having the best day in her throne room within the Casino. She was supposed to have been presented with the ring holding the Stone of Wonderland, but instead was given an empty box. This enraged her and in resulted demanded the head of the man who failed in the retrieval of the Ring.

If things were not already bad enough, she was also informed of Alyss' awakening. Suffice to say, this did not sit well with the Queen at all. It seemed stowing away the casket with the other junk from the Casino was not sufficient enough.

"What do you mean she is awake?!" the Queen shouted, making those near to her majesty quiver with fear. "Who awakened her?! Was it Madd Hatter before we captured him?" She demanded to know the answers to her questions and of course was no one was going to point out how they should have checked upon the status of Alyss the moment Madd Hatter awoke.

The King was cautious with his words, not wanting to enrage his wife and queen any further. Even so, the truth remained the same – Nothing could be done about that. "We are not certain, but there was no sign of him where shew as kept. Her casket was in the storage room when she awoke and escaped and that was all that remained afterwards. If she thought Madd Hatter was alive I do not believe she would have left without him." He was just as well versed as the Queen of the tale of Alyss and Madd Hatter.

"That wretched girl! I knew I should have taken her head in her slumber. But now she will meet the same fate as her beloved Madd Hatter. He should have sided with me when he awoke!" The Queen arose from her throne and started to move about the room as the gears started to turn in that wicked braid of hers. "I wonder if their awakenings are connected. If so, I may have a way to kill two birds with one stone."

With a wicked gleam in her eye, the Queen turned to one of her Suits and asked, "Tell me, is Madd Hatter revived and transferred yet? It is time to put him to work now that he has no choice but to obey."

End Part 2