"Where is she?" the Heart asked.

"Who?" said Mad blankly. The guard cracked a palm across Mad's face.

"Mm," Mad hummed, running his tongue over his teeth. "I think you might have loosened one up. You know, I'd really appreciate you not knocking my teeth out. Between you and me, they're one of my better features. I've been told I have very nice teeth."

The guard punched him this time, and Mad tasted blood. "Now what did I just say?" he asked exasperatedly.

The guard's eyes bulged in anger and Mad couldn't help it, a laugh bubbled up. "Just out of curiosity," he snickered. "Who are you looking for?"

The guard leaned closer, his face right next to Mad's, making him shy away. He wasn't crazy about close contact. Especially by big, smelly, stupid Hearts who were trying to knock his teeth out. 

"You know exactly who I'm talking about," the guard hissed in his ear, making Mad's skin crawl.

Mad just blinked and, in that vapid way he knew made people question his intelligence, said, "I do? I didn't know that! Well, I'm sure I'd be happy to tell you as soon as you tell me what it is I know, so that I'll know it."

The guard pulled back slightly, confused. He was still very close, and Mad was about to jump out of his skin. 

"I know it's confusing. It's a gift," Mad said, then lunged forward. The ropes binding him didn't allow for much movement, but the guard was so close it didn't matter. He slammed his forehead into the guard's nose, feeling the bones crunch against his skin.

Blood burst from the guard, showering Mad with sticky red. He felt it drip off of his eyebrow onto his cheekbone and hoped it looked like warpaint.

The guard stumbled back, hand cupping his nose. "You'll pay for that!" he fumed.

Mad just tilted his head back, a caw of insane sounding laughter coming from the back of his throat. "Maybe. But you'll never find her." Mad's face twisted into a snarl. "Never!" 

He laughed again, a cultivated sound made to scare the hell out of people. It worked and the guard scrambled backward, fear flashing over his face as he slammed the door shut.

Mad Hatter stopped laughing, lost in the darkness.