Cheshire: The Exile

Chapter Eight

To say that the Red Queen is mad would be an understatement.

Her face distorts in fury and she rises from her throne her glare sharp as she walks toward me.

She stops close enough that I can see her brown murky eyes shift to a fiery red that can even rival her own name.

My rebellious nature surfaces more and I grin, true to my Cheshire self.

Then I say loudly,

"Down with the Bloody Red Queen!"

In the blink of an eye, said Queen has her hand around my throat, effectively cutting off my air, and hisses,

"Down with Wonderland."

Before I can stop her the Red Queen throws me harshly across the room.

Instead of slamming into a wall as I expected to...No the rippling sensation of a gateway wraps itself around my body.

And before the cold crushing weight settles onto my chest, cutting off my hearing, I hear the Red Queen shout, "Find her!"

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I was falling.

Just like entering Wonderland, you have to fall back to wherever the portal spits you out.

The air rushing around my face hurt immensely. Resisting the urge to scream, the pocket Watch that I had hung around my neck is now floating in front of me, with the cover open and the hands ticking down the time.

And in the middle of the clock face is a single number.

...Seven.

I have no chance to ponder what the number means, because I am thrust out of the gateway and dumped onto a hard surface, to the shocked and surprised face of the Avengers.

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Leave it up to the Rabbit Hole to have a sense of humor.

I think as I am dragged forwards, my red and black hair falling in my face so that I can't see where it is exactly I am going.

"Have fun with the pretend God."
Is the only thing I hear before I land face first and a door closes trapping me inside.

"Oh fantastic." I mumble my face still against the floor. 

I look up when I hear a dark chuckle.

A man with slicked black hair and deep green eyes is peering back at me, most likely assessing me as well.

I push my body up off the floor and crawl over to the closest wall leaning my back against the cool surface.

I study the man closely as he does look familiar to me.

A voice nags me in the back of my mind, soundly strangely like my Cheshire self.

Loki. His name is Loki.

"You're...Loki, right?"

Surprise passes over his face and I cross my arms over my chest.

Loki: 0. Katrine: 1.

"What did a mortal like you do to end up in here?" he sounded curious, but he could be faking it.

He is the God of mischief and Lies after all.

I decide to answer him as plainly as I can, "I pissed off Fury."

Loki scowls at my answer, "Pissed?"

I have to hold back a laugh at that. I have only been on Earth for barely a year now and even I got the term.

"It means he got angry." I explain.

"Oh. How did you make him angry then?"

I throw my eyes to the ceiling and sigh.

"I refuse to tell him who I am."

Loki smiles darkly, but I don't read too much into it.

"And who are you?"

I scoff, "Like I'd tell you."

Before Loki can reply, Thor comes waltzing in, Hammer in hand, and I snicker at the ridiculous image he makes.

"Brother." Thor greets Loki.

I raise an eyebrow at the sudden tension in the room.

Thor looks at me, as if silently asking if I could leave.

I throw my hands up in the air.

"If you wanted some privacy then you probably should have stopped them from throwing me in here."

Thor scoffs, Loki rolls his eyes before saying, "I like her."

I ball my hands into fists, "I'm still here you know, jerk."

"I come bearing news."

Angel comes into the room and throws a cold look toward Loki and steps towards the glass cell.

"Katrine, I have a terrible headache. Can you help?"

I understand what she means. She knows I have a ability to read thoughts through touch. She must want me to know something. 

"Of course, Natasha."

She-Natasha-flinches as if I struck her.

She places her hands on the glass of the cell and I do the same on the opposite side.

Her thoughts flow into my head and I close my eyes trying to filter in what she wants me to see.

Random flashes of Natasha dressed similar to the Alice I know coming barreling through my barrier that I had set up.

Alice? Natasha? What did these two have in common with each other?

Pushing those flashes out I focus even more, my hair falling in my face as I push more forcefully against the glass.

Then  I am in Natasha's mind.

It is a strange sensation, being literally 'out of your right mind' and into someone's deepest subconscious.

Images of her life speed by my sight and I choose to ignore them, deciding to ask about the horrific scenes depicted in her most darkest thoughts.

Katrine, if you're truly listening to what I am thinking right now, we need you to help us.

I flinch. Help them?
Why would I want to do that?

I reply back to Natasha's mind with snarkiness, Now let me think about it. NO.

Please Katrine.

Fine.

I need to escape here anyways.

Pulling back from each other I ask with fake cheerfulness, "Is your headache gone?"

She opens the door to the cell and I step out waving goodbye to Loki over my shoulder.

"Yes it is. Thanks."