（ ＭＡＲＫ Ｉ ； ＴＥＸＴ ）

[revokes]

ok but I'm assuming there's a welcoming committee? I'd just like to say that I haven't been introduced to the welcoming committee and also, I'm assuming there's a brochure somewhere, something along the lines of 'welcome to wonderland here are 101 ways to get high'?

didn't get that either.

so that said, i'm going to compile a list of every question you must have heard a thousand times before.

✘ this pocket universe is inspired by carrol's wonderland. duh. any signs of a portal? anything?

✘ are the mirrors creepy in a 1984 way or in a creepy-girls-WILL-climb-out-at-night way? super important.

✘ where are the EAT ME and DRINK ME stuff? because I had cookies three hours ago and I'm reporting no change in size. Where do I file a complaint?

✘ how many people's heads have been offed? is that a thing?

✘ is there really a high caterpillar? because meeting the guy's on my bucket list.

✘ HAVE all of the mansion's horses and all of its men tried to put Humpty together again?


also fyi if you see a guy in a flying suit of armor that's just me. don't shoot, it never ends well and also it gives me a serious electromagnetic headache.

Comments

[revokes]

that's romantic.

[ dry dry dry. ]

one hour.

[ he'll be late. ]

???action???

[scoutsniper]

[ He doesn't even bother to respond--this jerk seems to take anything you say and turn it against you. So, Frank's going to give him as little ammunition as possible.

And it doesn't matter if this idiot's late, because it's a rifle range. And Frank's got a gun to zero. He'll amuse himself. Because of course, like a good Marine, he got there 15 minutes prior. ]

[revokes]

Ok but how useful will our toys be here?

[ he means the weaponry, of course. his voice is coming from somewhere above. iron man makes an easy landing, lifts a hand and blasts one of the targets. the toys aren't the problem. ]

by tomorrow, you and I might find ourselves with nothing but hand-to-hand combat skills against a mansion filled with musical zombies.

[ yes he's making it up but it's not entirely unlikely. ]

[scoutsniper]

[ Frank gives an aggravated sigh. Is this some kind of speed record for getting on Frank's nerves? Possibly! ]

If that's your idea of hand-to-hand, you're not going to last very long.

[ Show off! ]

[revokes]

[ don't let it be said tony doesn't aim for high places. ]

easier than carrying that around.

[ don't make him blast you to the ground, frank. ]

so. how are you going to save wonderland? that's the OP here.

[scoutsniper]

Yeah? And what if this 'event' kills technology?

[What then? Oh god, he's almost hoping.]

Get to the Queen. Kill her.

[It's a simple plan. In theory.]

[revokes]

Then we box. Wouldn't be the first time.

[ ish.... ]

Queen could be a decoy. She's not the one getting stronger by eating our memories. that's a thing, apparently.

[scoutsniper]

Box. [He shakes his head.] You ever fight a real goddam fight, without the 'above the belt' shit rules?

[Your pretty boy face says no.]

She's still benefitting. And she has answers, if you're right.

[Which in his mind is a big 'if' because, well, you're you. And he hates you. ]

[revokes]

A few.

[ not the big ones, not the major ones. but iron man is tony and tony is iron man, suit or not. but the major battle, the one fought in the cave, the one who birthed the suit -

that one tony remembers every time he uses it. this is where iron man was born. out of ashes and weaknesses. ]

maybe. maybe she has answers.

[scoutsniper]

A few. Right. A few.
[That sounds like bullshit math, right there. ]

She has some. Maybe not all, but a damn sight more than we do right now.

[Don't mind him, he's just going to slap in another magazine, because clearly some dick swinging via high caliber firearms is called for right now. ]

[revokes]

She commands the mirrors. That's what she cares about. Wonderland exists because of our memories. The Queen is just a native with a flashy title. What about hello kitty? bill? they'd want us here as much as her. and they're on this side.

[ he blasts a few more targets, just for kicks. ]

[scoutsniper]

All right, genius. What's your better plan?

[He's listening. Sort of. But notice that some people can hit targets without destroying the actual target frame. You gonna rebuild that shit?]

[revokes]

Science, not strength.

[ which is perhaps surprising coming from tony. or perhaps not surprising at all. ]

This place is a pocket dimension. Every dimension has a way in and a way out. physics. if they hide one door, we can still create another.

[scoutsniper]

[The eyeroll may be a little heavy handed.] Fucking science.

[Not a fan.]

And you think you can do it without killing everyone here. [Because he does not believe this.]

[revokes]

Uh, yeah.

[ obviously. ]

opening portals doesn't usually cause mass casualties. supposing you don't open a door to a planet full of hostile aliens.

[ not that tony wants to remember that part, not at all. ]

[scoutsniper]

Doesn't 'usually'. [Sounds reassuring.]

And how 'usual' is it to destabilize and destroy the place?

[revokes]

Uh, you do realize this is exactly the problem right? this way of thinking? please tell me you can see why it's a problem.

[ don't make him explain, frank. he has a serious headache. ]

[scoutsniper]

Only problem I see around here is how we're supposed to fit you and your fucking ego in the place.