Chapter Text
"I don"t know how to feel about... anything!"
Chloe blinked up at her.
"Okay so, apparently, this-" Red pointed at the purple haired boy, doing tricks with his hat. "is Maddox's son."
The silence erupted between them, Chloe not feeling any less confused. Red elaborated.
"Maddox didn't have a son! Just a daugther, Maddie. It's kind of like... with Pink. And why is he hanging out with VKs?"
After watching the VKs for a while, a girl Felix scared run right into Red, knocking her down. But before she could hit the ground, strong arms caught her, giving her a wide smirk. She quickly composed herself.
"I got it."
"Don"t worry, first rescuse's free."
"My boy Luis' always saves the day!"
While Max threw the Smees the bag of coins to count, he walked over to them slightly, figeting with one of the coins.
"Hey, Robbie Hood!" he provoked, tossing the coin to him. "For your Sherwood's collection box."
"Drop the act Max, no one's buying it. No matter how much you pretend not to be your father."
"What's wrong with his father?"
"You mean the number one villian in all of Auradon?"
Red and Chloe exchanged a surprised look.
"You're all Hatter on the outside..." Luis smirked. "...and all Cheshire when you think no one's looking."
That surprised Red even more, her eyes wide as saucers. Cheshire as in...
Max raised an eyebrow. "So you've been looking?"
Luis immediately realized what he'd said, his smirk disappearing.
"That's not what I meant."
"No?" A tiny grin tugged at the corner of his mouth.
As in a son of Maddox Hatter and Cheshire Cat. Red and Chloe looked at each other once again. What have they done?
"How about you keep it moving, Hatter." Robbie said, walking up to Max closer. "I'm sure the Hat Trix need help elsewhere."
"I know you're not dissing my crew." Hazel, a daughter of Capitan Hook, came up, throwing herself between them.
The HKs and VKs bicker like that until they hear glass shatter.
When Red caught the card everyone crowded around her curiously, learning that the Queen of Hearts has been captured by Maddox. Max and Hazel exchanged a look.
"What was he thinking?" Max muttered, absentmindedly making a coin float between his fingers, after he and Hazel overheard the conversation happening in the office. "Kidnapping the Queen?"
"Well, at least you're here and he's in Wonderland." Hazel pointed out, leaning against the wall. "No one can blame you."
"Except they do." Max scoffed, catching the coin without looking. "I'm tied to him. It doesn't matter where I am." his expression hardened. "I wish there was a way I could change that."
Hazel watched him for a second before rolling her eyes dramatically.
"Okay, so stop complaining and do something about it."
At that Max's eyes widened, his brain already pacing. "You're right. You're so right!"
"Of course I'm right." Hazel smirked.
"Okay." he clapped his hands. "Get Felix and the Smees. Meet me at the Rabbit Hole. Yeah?" Max said, already running away.
"Wait what? No, I didn't mean right now!" But he's far too gone to even hear her. "We haven't even had lunch yet." she complained as she followed him.
Hazel and Max walked side by side toward the Rabbit Hole, their fingers intertwined. Behind them, Felix and the Smees struggled to keep up, arguing over who had forgotten to pack supplies.
Hazel glanced sideways at Max.
"You really think it's a good idea?" she whispered to him.
He was quiet for a moment, eyes fixed on Red and Chloe already standing beside the Rabbit Hole.
"Yeah."
"That confident?" she raised her eyebrow.
"Not confident." he shook his head. "Prepared. I know Wonderland. I grew up there. Every shortcut, every hidden path… every trick it likes to play."
"Wonderland's tricks..." Hazel glanced at him. "...or yours?"
He chuckled.
"Both."
"You know..." she squeezed his hand. "Wonderland might've changed since your dad took over."
Max nodded. "Yeah." his smile faded. "But it still remembers."
"Remembers?"
"Wonderland isn't just a place." he looked over at her. "It's alive. It listens. It remembers everyone who's walked through it."
Hazel frowned. "Including you?"
"Especially me."
It didn't took a lot of convincing for Red to agree to VKs tagging along.
"I know Wonderland. And I know my father. You need me." told them Max and she knew he was right. This Wonderland was diffrent from the one she came from, so was Maddox.
And of course - Pink, Red's newfound sister, with the tripping HK boys had to tag along as well.
So now they were all gathered around the Rabbit Hole, that glowed faintly, pulsing like a heartbeat, starring down into... nothing much.
"So..." Felix peered into the endless darkness. "Who goes first?'
"I vote princess." Hazel said, pointing her hook toward Red.
"I vote Max." Luis countered. "Mr. 'I know Wonderland better than anyone'."
Hazel shot him a warning glare.
"Keep talking and you'll be the one we throw in first."
Luis smirked. "Aw, getting protective?"
"C'mon guys, it's not that bad." Max walked to the edge, dusting off his coat and adjusting the brim of his hat. "Rule number one of Wonderland..."
Everyone looked at him.
"...if something looks like a terrible idea..."
He smiled.
"...it's probably the correct one."
He gave them a lazy two-finger salute.
"Try not to scream on the way down."
It's the last thing he says before letting himself fall backwards into the Rabbit Hole.