Cheshire: The Exile

Chapter Eleven

I am not ashamed to say that I might have a crush on Steve Rogers.

It is the funniest thing, I don't care about him being Captain America, or the fact that he was frozen in ice for who knows how long. All I truly know that I care about is the fact that he is funny, smart and handsome as hell.

But his heart is still broken from all those years ago of his love dying.

So what chance in Wonderland do I have with him?

All these thoughts burn in my mind as I lift weights in the training room within the Shield station.

Breathing hard, I can feel the burning sensation in my arms as I don't stop.
I want-no I need to get these thoughts out of my mind, otherwise I won't be able to concentrate on well i don't know- Saving Wonderland perhaps?

Wonderland is the only home I've ever known, after all it is where I was created.

Steve is across the room from me repeatedly hitting a punching bag as if he too has some issues to burn out.

Growling out in frustration, I set the weight back on the bar above me and sit up.

Sweat drips down my forehead and I wipe it away feeling more exhausted then I should be. What's up with that?

Standing up on shaky legs, I gulp down some cold water and wipe away the rest of the sweat from my body.

Looking over my shoulder at Steve I couldn't help myself. I walk over to him, catching his fist right as it's about to hit the bag.

"You need to work more on hand to hand rather than strength." I comment.

Steve frowns, "I would, but no one wants to risk training with me."

The corner of my lips tilt up in a half smile, and I reply, "What am I? Chopped liver?"

Steve is shocked, "But I could seriously hurt you."

I shake my head, "Where I am from, I have taken on bigger." It's true though.

Steve shrugs before cracking his knuckles, making me wince from the sound. Natasha used to do it to, and still does, mostly to annoy me.

"Ready?" Steve asks, and I roll my shoulders nodding.

"Ready." 

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After a few minutes of training, Steve fakes left clearly trying to get this fight over with. Apparently he has never had an equally skilled opponent before.

I expect the fake and when I go to dodge it Steve tackles me and we fall to the ground together...with him on top of me.

Oh dear Alice. I have never blushed so hard in my life. Could he hear my heart racing? I hope not.

Steve also looks embarrassed, so I am sort of happy I am not the only one here.  

"Your eyes are so beautiful..." He mumbles swallowing hard.

I smile slightly.

I shyly lift my hand and touch his cheek watching as his eyes turn slightly darker then their usual brown.

I place my hand flat on the ground, trying to resist the urge to touch him further to know what it is that he's thinking.

He quickly gathers his thoughts, per say, and gets off from on top of me.

Scratching the back of his neck awkwardly, I quickly get to my feet and shoot out the room, my mind going a mile a minute.

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After a relaxing shower and some clean clothes, I head out to the main floor only to see the Avengers -minus Steve- passed out on the floors reeking of...poison? That can't be good.

Well no duh it can't be good! It's poison!

I grimace as Cheshire rushes to the front of my brain yelling and throwing curses my way. Wow, I didn't know that I knew so many curse words.

Sarcasm is so not your thing Katrine.

Stepping over Tony's disgruntled body, I rush to Natasha's body shaking her roughly.

"It won't work."

Snapping my head up, I narrow my eyes once they land on the one person I should have known was behind this.

"Joker."

She chuckles dryly. "Who else are you expecting, Cheshire?"

I grimace, and she snaps her fingers, "Oh my bad. Katrine, right?"

I sigh, "Not now, Joker. I have bigger problems than your lack of a conscious."

She huffs and vanishes.

And as soon as I don't feel her presence anymore Natasha's eyes snap open and she gasps for air along with the other Avengers.

"Geez, don't scare me like that."

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I click the cover of my watch shut. The number had changed from seven to five and I was growing extremely worried. I haven't heard from either Hatter or Alice.
I just hope that my forced departure didn't put any more of a price on their heads.

The Avengers are sleeping soundly, yet I am restless. 

Loki is growing stronger, I could feel the change in the air that practically every non-human with experience can feel.

I rest my hand on the glass of the window, and close my eyes listening to Cheshire in the back of my mind pacing mumbling things I couldn't quite make out.
The point is, Cheshire and I are waiting for the other shoe to fall.

Since Joker has broken the boundary that separates the mortal realm from Wonderland, what is stopping anyone else from leaving and coming here? What's stopping....the Red Queen?

My eyes widen. Wait a freaking second. She said before she threw me into the portal,

"Down with Wonderland."  

I cavort to Natasha's room and jump onto her bed.

She shrieks and throws herself onto me, probably still half asleep, pushing us onto the floor.

"Natasha!"

She stops trying to choke me and instead stares sleepily at me.

"Okay you better have a very good reason for waking me up at-" she looks at her bedside clock and groans, "An ungodly hour."

I smile at her making her glare at me, "Get ready to go."

I push her off of me and stand up.

"Where exactly are we going?"

I had my hand on her doorknob when she asks this and I turn my head to look at her with a Cheshire grin,

"To Wonderland."