As requested.
Diana Prince was gone now. Washed away with the swinging of the Mad Hatter’s pocket watch.
Back and forth. Back and forth.
The small card, a Queen of Hearts, that he’d placed in her golden tiara held her in place. Locked up her muscles to prevent her from snapping him in half. But a simple card and a bit of electronics was not powerful enough for what his buyer had ordered. No the Hatter’s bank account had swelled with the demands for an enslaved Wonder Woman not just one of his temporary puppets.
The watch swung. Back and forth.
This was not his Alice, but then she was so illusive. The Princess was a means to an end. Someone else’s Alice then, one he would deliver and in return be able to celebrate as many unbirthdays as he wanted to, and in such style as he’d never imagined. And when he finally found his Alice, well there’d be one less hero left to interfere with his tea party.
Wonder Woman stood listening, her strength of will spent trying to break free from the bonds that her own body held her in as her mind refused to obey. Weakening herself as she ignored the words that the Mad Hatter was speaking to her, and instead focused on breaking free and the watch that swung.
Back and forth.
She didn’t notice the suggestions he was giving her. To forget her secret identity. To forget what it was like to be free. To forget to remember and to remember to forget that she was a hero. She just watched the watch and struggled, fighting so hard she weakened and diminished.
Back and forth.
Wonder Woman didn’t notice what was happening to her mind until she tried to think of who might come to help her. Instead of a list of names of her fellow heroes she drew a blank. That part of her memory already fading as she remembered to forget and forgot to remember. That was when she decided to pay attention to the words as well as the watch. To focus on what the Mad Hatter was telling her.
He was telling her to relax. To forget. To sink. To sleep. He was telling her that she could sleep and listen, that she was so tired from fighting. Life was always fighting, always defending the weak and the innocent. It was her turn to be weak to let others fight for her. To sleep, weak and innocently. Sleep.
Back and forth.
Her eyes closed. She slept. The voice continued, but it was far away. Whispering things to her, telling her things. Making her listen as it spoke and she sunk.
Far away.
She felt a pinch on her arm, the voice telling her it was medicine. Something to help her sleep better, to learn better. The world faded and she slept.
When her eyes opened she was in an office made of glass, in the sky overlooking a city. A bald man was smiling at her, she recognized him but not quite.
“Excuse me, the Mad Hatter had a phrase I needed to use to activate your programming. He’s very theatrical,” the bald man said as he searched his desk and found a small white card, “Here we go. Wonder Woman wonder not you’re now my Alice.”
The bald man rolled his eyes, clearly not impressed by the card. His expression however turned to one of delight as the Amazon fell to her knees and purred, “Your wish is my command Master.”
Whatever life she had had was gone. Diana had forgot to remember and remembered to forget. She was a good Alice, she would serve her new master well.