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𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟏𝟏
𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐁𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐍𝐀𝐓𝐂𝐇 𝐀𝐓𝐓𝐀𝐂𝐊

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"He's out chopping wood. He'll be back any minute now," Alice stated after seeing the Grendel disappear out the back door.

"Don't panic. I've been in worse binds than this," Will told the two women as they continued to try to break free from their ropes. When none of them had success, the Knave let out a long sigh and leaned his head against the cupboard behind him. "Well, equivalent binds."

Alice just stared at him with an unreadable look on her face while Indigo rolled her eyes at the man next to her. As the two thieves continued to struggle to break free, the blonde woman watched them with many thoughts bouncing around in her head before she decided to break the silence.

"So who's that woman? The one you had to forget?" the Kingsleigh woman asked before her eyes shifted to look at the younger girl, "and who was the boy? The one you lost?"

"Really? We're about to be eaten alive," Will responded with a hint of annoyance on his face.

"Was it Anastasia? And this Kaden that you've mentioned?"

"I mean this as a friend, Alice. Sod off!" the Knave exclaimed before he went back to attempting to break free of his ropes while Indigo just sat there waiting for something to happen, "now, if you give me a second, I'm almost-"

"Free," the blonde woman finished for the Scarlet man as she showed him and the Spade her now-free hands.

"How the bloody h*ll did you do that?" Will questioned while he stared at the woman sitting next to him.

The immediate response he received was Alice looking up at him with a huge smile on her face. "You were the one that kept telling me to use a wish."

"Oh, Alice, you didn't," Indigo groaned before banging her head against the wall behind her while Will stared at the woman with wide eyes, "what a waste! It's just rope!"

"Oh, relax, their sharp corners come in handy," the blonde woman told them then she revealed the three wishes sitting in the palm of her hand, "there's more than one way to use a wish."

Before Indigo or Will could respond, Alice forced them to turn their backs toward her then she used her wishes to cut their ropes. As soon as their arms were free, the three of them rushed to untie their legs before jumping to their feet. The two women didn't hesitate to speed toward the door but they stopped when they realized the Knave wasn't following them.

"What are you doing?" Indigo hissed at the man in front of her as she tightened her grip around the doorknob.

"I ain't leaving without that knot," Will responded while keeping his eyes glued to the magical object hanging from the ceiling across the room.

"Will-"

"I made the deal with the Caterpillar. It's my bloody head on the line!" the Knave whisper-shouted at the Spade without even trying to hide the anger in his voice.

"It'll be all our heads if we don't get out of here. Now, come on!" Indigo stated in a tone that matched the rage that was being thrown at her while Alice continued to try and get the door open.

The Ace of Spades heard the Knave of Hearts let out a long sigh before the two of them turned to help Alice. Just as Indigo reached to help the woman unlock the door, an axe flew through the air and lodged itself in the wood beside the Lark girl's head. When they turned in the direction the axe came from, they saw the Grendel glaring at them from the other side of the kitchen.

"Whenever you're ready. No hurry," Will told them in a panicked tone, earning a glare from Indigo before she turned her attention back to the lock.

Right as they managed to pull the door open, they were greeted by the growling of a pig-like creature. Indigo became a statue as she stared at the monster in front of her, who was continuing to roar at the trio in front of it. The next thing the Spade knew, someone grabbed her and pulled her back before the door was slammed shut to allow Alice to lock the door. Will kept his hands on Indigo's shoulders and pulled her along with them as they backed up a few feet while keeping their eyes glued to the door.

"What is that thing?" the Knave questioned while they continued to back away from the only entrance of the cottage.

"It's a Bandersnatch," Alice responded in a tone that made it seem like she ran into one on a daily basis.

"What's it doing here?" Indigo whispered just loud enough for her allies to hear as she continued to allow Will to guide her away from the door.

"It's here for me," the Kingsleigh woman stated before her attention landed on the Forget Me Knot, "come on. I have a plan."

Before Indigo or Will could ask about her plan, Alice forced them along with her through the Grendel's hideout. That continued until they were crouching down behind the table just below the knot. Once they were there long enough, the three of them rushed to the corner of the room to wait for the Bandersnatch.

The roaring and growling continued until they heard the door break down. It wasn't long after that when they saw the Grendel get thrown into a wall across the room. Indigo held her breath as she watched the Bandersnatch rampage through the house until it landed on the dining table. The creature then slowly approached the Forget Me Knot and looked within to see the last people that inhabited that spot.

"He bought it," Will muttered under his breath as they continued to watch the Bandersnatch look at the picture in the knot.

The creature let out another loud roar as it launched itself toward what it thought was his prey, only for him to get trapped within the Forget Me Knot. The Bandersnatch thrashed around in the air in an attempt to break free while the two women continued to hold onto their end of the rope as if their lives depended on it, which they did.

"You did it!" the Knave exclaimed as he kept his eyes glued to the giant creature in front of him.

"Not yet," Alice responded while she and Indigo struggled to keep the Bandersnatch trapped.

It lunged at them a few times but was always just out of reach before Will disappeared into the kitchen. Both women shouted after the Scarlet man while they kept their grip around the rope to keep the Bandersnatch at bay. Just as they thought things couldn't get any worse, the Grendel got back to his feet and charged at the two women. He was only a few feet away from them when the Bandersnatch tackled him to the floor.

Indigo and Alice could only watch as the pig-like monster slowly walked toward the Grendel before it roared in his face. However, before the Bandersnatch could make another move, Will came out of nowhere with a sword in his hands and plunged it into the monster's neck. The Bandersnatch let out one final groan before it turned into ash and vanished into the air.

"How did you know that thing would fall for your trap?" Will questioned Alice as he helped her and Indigo to their feet.

"It was Cyrus. That's how I did it," the blonde woman responded, earning confused looks from both the Spade and the Knave.

"What now?" the Scarlet man questioned with a hint of irritation in his voice, "I didn't see him here getting attacked."

"Bandersnatches are deadly. But they're also dumb and have terrible eyesight. He taught me that."

"Charming," Indigo sighed while trying to hide all the emotions swimming around inside her head.

"I told him how they scared me when I came to Wonderland as a child, so he taught me all about them," the Kingsleigh woman continued as a smile appeared on her face, "'know who you're up against.'"

As soon as Alice finished speaking, they heard a shuffling coming from behind them. The three of them instantly turned around to find the Grendel getting to his feet then he studied them for a long moment. "You saved me...thank you."

"Yeah. Well, bygones and all that," Will responded before they watched the Grendel slowly make his way toward the Forget Me Knot, "so that means we're square, right? Off the dinner menu?"

The man didn't respond as he lifted the knot until it was at the same level as before. They all watched as the battle that just occurred played through the magical object, which made Indigo's blood run cold.

"She's gone," the Grendel stated in a sad tone while keeping his eyes glued to the rope in his hands.

"Who was she?" the Ace of Spades asked without thinking, earning looks from Will and Alice that she chose to ignore.

"My wife. I lost her long ago."

"I'm sorry."

"I thought I would die of heartbreak. But then I heard this object owned by the Red Queen. I stole it from her and brought it here," the man explained then gestured toward the magical object in his hands, "that night, two things happened. I saw my wife alive again. But for my crime, she turned me into this."

Indigo just stared at the Grendel for a moment longer before she found herself looking up at Will. When she met his eyes, the Ace of Spades found the Knave of Hearts looking at the man in front of him with an unreadable expression on his face.

"The Red Queen destroyed your life," the Scarlet man stated, only to receive a nod in response from the Grendel before he continued speaking, "you did what you had to do to be with the woman you loved. There's no crime in that. The only crime is what she did to you."

Indigo continued to stare at the man next to her before she noticed Alice look over at him with a questioning look in her eyes. It wasn't long after that when the Grendel turned around to fully face the trio and held the Forget Me Knot out to them. "Take it. It holds no value for me now."

"Thank you," Alice told him while trying to hide the pity she was feeling for the man.

"I hope it brings you what you desire," the Grendel told them before he walked further into the cottage and out of sight.

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After leaving the Grendel behind in his cottage, Indigo took Will and Alice back through the Wonderlandian forest. Once they reached the familiar brick path, the Ace of Spades slowed her pace so that she was following her companions instead of leading them. Her thoughts swam with different memories of Kaden as well as her time spent with the Grendel. She couldn't stop thinking about how the Red Queen wronged him and hoped that wouldn't happen to her and Kaden.

The silence that surrounded them and allowed the three travelers to get lost in their thoughts was soon interrupted. Indigo let out a small sigh when she heard Alice beginning to speak before she sped up a bit to hear their conversation.

"The way you talked to that monster, you were really getting through to him," the Kingsleigh woman told Will before her eyes moved to the girl walking beside him, "both of you were."

"We're thieves. Playing parts is what we do," Will responded as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, which made Indigo force back a scoff that was threatening to escape her.

"I don't think you were playing parts," Alice stated as she adjusted her grip around the Forget Me Knot, "you both were identifying with him."

"Ah, bollocks," the Knave muttered under his breath while the Spade looked over at the blonde woman with a blank expression on her face.

"He was heartbroken, and you both saw that," Alice continued despite seeing the annoyance on her allies' faces, "and what of this mysterious Anastasia that you never talk about? You said it was a tale of heartbreak."

"It was," Will stated matter-of-factly and Indigo could tell he was getting tired of their conversation.

"Well, what happened?"

"Doesn't matter. She's gone."

"Maybe I can use the knot to get the answer," Alice sighed before turning her attention back to the path they were walking on.

"Save it for your own answer. This thing can look into the past, but it can't do anything to change it," the Scarlet man responded as he unconsciously glanced over at Indigo to find her staring straight ahead with no emotion in her eyes. He just studied her for a long moment before Will's attention returned to the Kingsleigh woman. "So let's use it for what it can do, to change the future."

"Exactly," the Ace of Spades said, drawing her companions' attention towards her while she kept her eyes glued to the stone path, "we'll get you one step closer to being with Cyrus, and then we'll hand it over and...get Will square with the Caterpillar."

When they finally arrived back at Greener Pastures, the three of them instantly walked toward the hole in the ground. They just stared at it for a long moment before Alice and Will held the Forget Me Knot above the small crater while Indigo stood between them. It wasn't long after that when the object began to shimmer and a picture appeared. The first thing they saw was the White Rabbit popping up out of the hole with the lamp in his hands. A shocked gasp escaped Alice as they followed Percy's path through the meadow. When they saw who he was handing the magical object to, Indigo's blood ran cold.

"Well done, darling," the Red Queen said to the White Rabbit as she examined the lamp with Kaden standing right beside her.

"I don't understand," Alice muttered under her breath as she turned her back to the Forget Me Knot and took a few steps away, "we were friends. How could he just betray me like that?"

Indigo just stood in silence in front of the hole, unable to look up at the man standing next to her. When he brought the knot back up into the air, they saw a smirking Anastasia once again as she stared at the lamp. They continued to watch the scene before the Red Queen pulled out a glowing red object from her pocket and whispered into it. As soon as she finished speaking, Kaden gave her a small nod and walked somewhere out of view.

"You'd be surprised what some folks are willing to do," Will stated before he finally turned around to face Indigo, who was looking everywhere but the Knave's eyes.

"Why didn't you tell me my brother's heart was ripped out by the Red Queen?" Will hissed just loud enough for only the Lark girl to hear as the anger inside him started to grow. When Indigo didn't respond, the Scarlet man moved to stand in front of her so that she had no choice but to look at him. "That's an important piece of information I should've known, Indigo."

All the emotions inside the Lark girl soon merged into pure rage as she looked up to meet the Scarlet man's eyes. The two of them just stared at each other for a long moment before Indigo took a step forward so that she was standing inches away from Will's face.

"What was I supposed to say? 'Oh, by the way, Will, your brother's heart was taken by the love of your life and now he's trying to kill me.' Well, now you know! Happy?!" the Ace of Spades whisper-shouted quietly enough so that their conversation would go unnoticed by the distressed Alice.

"I still had the right to know! He's my brother!"

"You lost that right the second you stepped through that portal without us!"

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It wasn't long after Indigo's and Will's fight when they left Greener Pastures behind. The Ace of Spades followed her traveling companions down the stone path once again while having a mental debate with herself. Now more than ever, a part of her wanted to leave them behind and go back to her old life. But as Jefferson annoyingly kept pointing out, if she did so, she'd most likely lose her only chance at saving Kaden.

"You know I'm right, too," the Mad Hatter told her in a mocking tone that made Indigo let out a long sigh.

"I know, Jay, but I'm still having second thoughts," Indigo whispered while Alice and Will continued walking as if they didn't hear a thing.

"Just trust your instincts. They haven't steered you wrong yet...except for that one time you had tea with me."

"And I regret it every day."

Jefferson's laugh greeted her ears as they turned another corner that had them one step closer to the Caterpillar. Just as Indigo was starting to enjoy the silence that rarely came with Wonderland, Alice opened her mouth and broke it.

"The Rabbit, I would've never thought him capable of betraying me," she told her companions as they continued walking down the stone path.

"It's always the betrayal of the ones closest to us that hurts the most," Will responded before glancing back at Indigo, who simply rolled her eyes at him while Alice watched the pair in confusion.

"Everything we've said, everything we've done, the Red Queen knows it all," the Kingsleigh woman continued after shaking off her uncertain feelings.

"Probably a safe bet."

"After we settle matters with the Caterpillar, it's time to pay her a visit."

"Looks like we'll just make it," the Knave of Hearts stated after looking at the sunset before he stopped in the middle of the stone path.

"What are you waiting for? Time to clear your name," Alice said as she gestured towards the direction they should be walking.

"I've been thinking."

"Oh, no," Indigo muttered under her breath, earning a playful nudge from the Scarlet man.

"Maybe you were right," Will continued after he turned his attention back to Alice, "handing this thing back to the Caterpillar might be a truly horrible idea."

"What are you talking about?" the Ace of Spades questioned in utter confusion, completely forgetting that she and Will were supposed to be mad at each other.

"Well, he's not exactly Wonderland's chief humanitarian, now, is he? Chances are he'll use it for the same way he uses everything, to hurt people."

"But if you don't hand it over to him, you'll spend your remaining days as a desk ornament," Alice stated while Indigo nodded along in agreement, only for Will to shrug it off before he continued walking down the path.

"That thing is your key to freedom," Indigo added as she and Alice raced to catch up with him, "for you to no longer be a hunted thief."

Her words caused the Knave of Hearts to stop in his tracks before he turned around to face the two women once again. "Actually, being a thief ain't up to anyone but me. If I give this to him, then I went to steal this thing for me. That makes me a thief. But if I don't give it to him, well, then I got it for you, Alice."

"And what does that make you then?" the Kingsleigh woman questioned while the Lark girl watched him with a hint of pride in her eyes.

"Hopefully, someone with a shred of humanity left," Will stated then his eyes left Alice and moved to Indigo, "and someone who can make up for the mistakes they've made in their life."

The Ace of Spades just stared at the man for a long moment before a small smile appeared on her face. "No 'hopefully' about it."

Will instantly returned Indigo's smile before the former handed the Forget Me Knot to the latter and took something out of his pocket. The two women watched as the Scarlet man lit a match and brought it to the knot, setting it aflame and making it disappear in a puff of purple smoke.

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