Hello everyone! As I promised, this chapter comes sooner than the past one. I hope I won't miss the publication's day again. Welp, as for this chapter, we'll be back with Asterix and how is it everything going to him. I hope you'll like the chapter, and if you're enjoying this story, please, can you leave a review? Just if you want. I love to hear your thoughts about this.

Well, I'd like to give a special thanks to Drummergirl for helping me editing this story. I'm really, really, really grateful to her, she's awesome!

Okay after say all this, here you have the next chapter of this story, I hope you all will like it!

Chapter 28. Preparations

Asterix sat on a wooden bench in the cell they had put him in. There was an iron ring around his ankle attached to a chain, and this chain was attached to the wall, which allowed him some freedom of movement inside the cell… but not enough to reach the door. Not that that was very significant, because the door was locked and he couldn't get out even if he wanted to.

After the door had been closed and locked, the little Gaul had sat on the bench and pulled his knees close to his chest and wrapped his arms around them, trying to make himself as small as possible. Normally, the boy wouldn't do that. Asterix didn't consider himself an extremely brave boy, but if he thought there was something worth fighting for, he would fight for it to the end. The problem was, he had never been in a situation where only he was the center of attention. The boy couldn't figure out what made him so special. He was just a boy. What danger could a three-year-old boy pose to a great empire? He wasn't one of the biggest or strongest Gauls living in the village, and he had the impression when he grew up, he would be as big as his father – which wasn't very big. In short, there were others who were much bigger and stronger than him… Gauls who could pose a threat. So, why were they after him and only him? It didn't make sense. Asterix didn't feel that valuable. He was nothing more than a child… he was completely useless, a nuisance, a… dwarf.

Asterix felt lost… bewildered. He couldn't make sense of what was going on. Meanwhile, Jules finally seemed to believe he was Asterix, although the truth was that the boy didn't know if that was a good thing or bad thing. He didn't remember anything about the man, though Jules did seem to know him well. Had they met in the past? Surely they had, or else he wouldn't be in a situation such as this to begin with. Asterix put his hands on his head. Thinking about how complex his situation was made his head hurt again. Besides, he still hadn't fully recovered from the illness he suffered during his journey, and he doubted Jules would give him the medicine Overanxius had gotten him. The boy supposed that resting as much as he could would be the best way to fully recover, as his mother had always forced him to rest whenever he was sick, even if he wasn't tired at all.

While he was thinking about all this, little by little and without even realizing it, Asterix's eyes began to close, giving way to the tiredness that had suddenly taken hold of his body. And so, the blond boy fell into an uneasy sleep.

Asterix was running through a Roman camp. What was he doing there? He didn't know. The only thing he knew for sure was that he was running away. The blond Gaul looked at the person running beside him. It was none other than Getafix. Why was he there, too? That was another unanswered question in the blond Gaul's mind. Druid and Gaul both ran together towards the exit. Asterix stepped forward and punched the guard at the entrance, sending him flying through the air… something that surprised him greatly. Since when could he punch with such force? He had only seen his father and the rest of the villagers punch like that when they were under the effects of the druid's magic potion. Was this the case? Had he taken magic potion?

The blond Gaul decided to think about something else, and his attention was focused on the Roman he had just struck. The strangest thing was that this Roman had a long beard. In fact, all the soldiers he had seen so far had long beards… something certainly unheard of, for as far as Asterix knew. It was the norm for Roman soldiers to be clean-shaven.

Ignoring that fact, the two Gauls ran out of the camp, but they both stopped abruptly. In front of them there were Romans – a lot of Romans – everywhere. There were so many Romans that they had surrounded the camp, and they were all clean-shaven.

The bearded Romans stopped at the entrance to the camp with who appeared to be the leader at the center. That leader was a rather obtuse man, dressed in a white tunic and red cloak. Like the soldiers in that camp, his hair and beard were much longer than they should be.

The camp leader looked at the two Gauls mockingly as he said:

"Ah, good… reinforcements have arrived," and he laughed gleefully, anticipating victory.

It didn't take a genius to know both he and Getafix were trapped again. How were they going to escape this time? The man continued to boast in front of the two Gauls when suddenly an exhausted-looking beardless soldier approached, saying:

"Oh, Crismus Bonus, you are urgently required in the tent."

"Urgently?" asked the one who was apparently named Crismus Bonus.

The soldier nodded his head as he replied, "Urgently."

Having said this, Crismus Bonus hurried towards the tent, escorted by the other Roman. Asterix saw him disappear inside the tent. He never knew what happened inside… only that shortly after Crismus Bonus entered, a haughty, black-haired, blue-cloaked, laurel-crowned man came out proudly and walked straight towards them. Who was this guy? And why did he look so familiar?

The man stopped in front of the two and said in a jovial voice:

"Oh look, here we have the indomitable Gauls!" He then demanded, "Explain to me what's going on!"

Asterix had a frown on his face and his arms crossed. He looked at his druid, who nodded at him. Looking again at the man in front of him, he replied:

"Crismus Bonus was anxious to have the recipe of the magic potion that would have made him invincible and opened the way to the imperial throne." How did he know all that? It must have been true, for Crismus Bonus looked nervous, as if he had been caught doing something wrong. The haughty man looked at him contemptuously and muttered something like:

"Look at you…"

Crismus Bonus tried to excuse himself, but the haughty man wouldn't let him, and sent the man to shave and said that after that he would go with his men to deal with the Mongolian barbarians.

Asterix saw the bearded-man bow his head and leave in defeat. He almost felt sorry for that Roman.

Then the man with the laurel wreath turned again to the two Gauls and said:

"And to you two… in return for the good service you've rendered me, I grant you your freedom. But the game isn't yet over Gauls… we shall meet again."

Asterix stepped forward and replied:

"I hope so Jules." This was Julius Caesar? Now that he took a good look at him, Asterix recognized in that young face the man to whom he had been offered as a present.

Jules straightened up and suddenly began to shout:

"Wake up, Gaul!" only his voice didn't sound like Jules' voice; it was a different voice. Asterix looked at him perplexed, while Jules looked at him furiously, and repeated even louder than before:

"I said, wake up!"

Asterix woke up suddenly, looking around in a daze. He soon realized there was someone else with him… a soldier who was shaking him violently to wake him and staring at him furiously. Asterix sat up suddenly, surprised by the close proximity of the other man in the cell.

The soldier smiled in satisfaction seeing the boy had finally awoken. He then straightened up, and in an authoritative voice, said:

"Caesar wants to see you at once, Gaul."

Asterix frowned when he heard that. That man had ordered him to be locked up in this dark, cold, damp place. Why would he want to see him now? For his part, the blond boy wasn't about to facilitate a meeting with Jules… no way. If this man wanted to see him, he would have to do more than simply send one of his men to fetch him, and so he told the soldier who had come for him:

"Oh, really? Then tell Jules that I don't want to see him."

The soldier was momentarily taken aback by the bravery and nerve of the boy who didn't even come up to his waist, but he soon recovered. He scowled as he stood upright before saying with little patience:

"I don't think you understand, boy… you are in no position to refuse."

The Roman's words didn't seem to impress the shrunken warrior. Indeed, far from looking frightened, the boy folded his arms and replied without hesitation:

"I don't care! I don't want to see him and I won't go."

After these words, the blond boy looked to his right, as if thereby emphasizing the fact he wasn't willing to meet with the leader of the empire.

The soldier was furious. How dare that boy disrespect his emperor like that? Snorting with annoyance, the armored man put his hands on his hips and bent over the Gaul boy before saying:

"Oh, you're going to go, even if I have to drag you there."

Asterix shuddered slightly, though he tried to avoid being noticed, for he knew this man could easily pick him up and carry him wherever he wanted without him being able to do anything about it. But in spite of that, the boy remained firm in his resolve, and stubbornly answered:

"No!"

That simple word was the straw that broke the camel's back for the Roman. Without allowing Asterix any time to react, the soldier grabbed him by the shoulder with one hand. With the other, he used a key to open the lock on the ring around the boy's ankle. Asterix struggled feebly, though he couldn't do much, for the Roman had an iron grip.

Next, the soldier grabbed Asterix and put him under his arm. Asterix struggled as much as he could, trying in vain to get the soldier to let go.

Realizing that using physical force was completely useless, the boy proceeded to do the next thing that came to mind:

"No! Let me go! Let me go!"

The soldier tightened his grip on Asterix, causing the boy to gasp in surprise. The Roman took that moment to speak, telling the Gaul boy:

"You brought this on yourself, kid… and if you don't shut up, I'll shut your mouth, too."

Asterix had recovered slightly, but far from remaining silent, the boy looked at the soldier with a frown and bravely said:

"I'm not going to shut up –"

He couldn't finish because a large hand hovered over his mouth immediately blocking any noise the boy might make. The soldier looked at Asterix, who was trying desperately, yet unsuccessfully, to remove the hand covering the lower half of his face. The man smiled and said jovially:

"Don't say I didn't warn you."

With Asterix strongly secured, and above all, silenced, the Roman soldier left the dungeons.

The Gaul boy had to blink several times to get used to the sudden change of light. By Tutatis, he hadn't realized the place where he'd been locked up until that moment was so dark and gloomy.

The journey to where Caesar was was of short duration, and soon Asterix found himself facing the leader of the empire once again… only this time, Julius wasn't alone. By his side were a couple of women holding white clothes and what looked like Roman sandals in their hands.

Seeing this, Asterix swallowed. For some reason, he thought he knew what the laurel-crowned man was planning.

"In the name of Jupiter, tell me Angerus… why do you bring my guest here like that?"

Guest? Asterix thought, since when was he a guest of Jules? He had been kidnapped and taken to Rome against his will, for the love of Belenos!

"Well… you see Caesar, the boy… the boy refused to come, so I had to… you know, I had to grab him… and in doing so, he started screaming… so I covered his mouth to shut him up."

Caesar smiled in amusement as he looked at the boy, who scowled back at him. Caesar let out a brief chuckle before saying:

"Wow… I see that despite your size, you still retain that stubbornness of yours, don't you, Asterix?"

The blond boy snorted through his makeshift gag. The Roman emperor then turned his attention to the soldier who had brought Asterix.

"Angerus, leave the boy here and withdraw."

Angerus nodded quickly, fearful that if he didn't obey, Caesar's wrath might fall upon him. He left the boy on the ground, and rising again, took his leave, saying:

"Ave Caesar."

After those words, he turned and withdrew. Caesar remained silent until the soldier disappeared from his sight. Then he turned his attention to Asterix and said cheerfully:

"Well Gaul –"

But he couldn't continue because Asterix suddenly interrupted:

"What do you want now, Jules? You ordered me to be locked in a dark cell and it hasn't even been half a day, and now you've taken me out. Why did you do it?"

Cesar was surprised at the boy's sudden words, but quickly recovering from his surprise, he cleared his throat and said:

"That… that's not the reason you're here. Don't forget you're a prisoner."

Asterix let out an amused snort, and crossing his arms, he then said to the leader of the empire:

"A prisoner? A moment ago, you said I was your guest and now you tell me I'm a prisoner. Get your facts straight at once, Jules."

"I – you – it – is – c –… arg" Caesar took a deep breath to calm his growing irritation. "I had almost forgotten that no one had ever treated me with such condescension as this… savage," he said to himself, and turning to the shrunken Gaul he spoke again:

"I can see that despite your size, you still retain your insolence, don't you, Asterix?"

Without looking away from the laurel-crowned man, the blond boy replied:

"Well, that's how I am, by Tutatis."

Caesar turned his head away as he muttered to himself:

"Yes, unfortunately I know…"

But he quickly shook his head. He couldn't waste time like this. Who knew how much longer it would take for the fat Gaul to show up there to rescue his friend if he didn't hurry?

Hurrying was a necessity.

Clearing his throat and looking haughty again, as his status as emperor demanded, the laurel-crowned man explained:

"Well, never mind all that. The reason you're here is because you and I are going on a journey."

Asterix lowered his arms, looking at the emperor in disbelief. Were his ears betraying him? Honestly, the boy hoped so.

"Another trip? You're kidding, right?" he complained. No. No way was he going to move again. The blond boy didn't know why, but something inside him told him that Obelix was close, and if he was going to be taken elsewhere now, how was his best friend going to be able to find him?

Caesar frowned at the boy's words. How dare a barbarian – a prisoner – talk to him like that? The more he thought about it, the more the emperor's blood boiled, reflected in his increasingly red face.

"This is no joke!" he shouted angrily, which caused the boy to jump slightly in fright. Seeing Asterix's reaction cheered Julius up again, and smiling complacently, he continued his explanation:

"Just as you've heard, you and I are going on a little trip… and to make it more interesting, we're going to do something called: disguising ourselves."

Asterix's eyes widened like saucers when he heard those words. Had Jules just said he was going to disguise him? No way, by Tutatis! He was a Gaul, and proud to be one! Disguising himself as who-knows-what other person wasn't something Asterix wanted to do. Clenching his hands into fists, the Gaul boy looked the emperor in the eyes and doggedly said:

"What? NO! No way! You can't do this to me!"

Now it was Julius' turn to laugh lightly, and he confidently replied:

"Yes I can, and I will!"

Then Caesar waved his hand, and the women who had remained silent until that moment began to approach Asterix. Upon seeing them, he began to back away slightly as he said:

"No, no… No!"

But his pleas were futile as the women quickly grabbed him, and in less than five minutes, they'd stripped him of his clothes and replaced them with the tunic, sandals, and a headband (just like Mischiefus').

As the women moved away, Caesar stared at the boy with an amused smile. Asterix, in turn, looked at the clothes they had put on him and felt as if he were looking at a stranger instead of himself.

Oh Tutatis, why? he thought bitterly. If he had listened and stayed in the village, he wouldn't be going through something so humiliating now.

Caesar let out a slight chuckle before saying:

"You look good in Roman clothes. Maybe you should leave them on permanently."

At those words, Asterix looked up… and if looks could kill, the emperor surely would have fallen. To divert his attention from the child, Julius then turned to the women and said:

"You women keep an eye on the child while Caesar goes to get ready."

Having said this, Caesar readjusted his cloak over his shoulders and left the room. After a while, he returned dressed as a common lower-class citizen with a wig on his head and a mask in his hand. Asterix couldn't help but laugh at how ridiculous the emperor looked. Caesar arched an eyebrow as he watched the boy practically roll on the ground, unable to maintain a serious attitude at the moment.

"May I ask what's so funny?" he asked angrily.

When Asterix managed to control his laughter, he replied:

"It's just that when you said you were going to get ready, I didn't imagine you were going to dress like a hick!"

No sooner had the words left his mouth than he laughed again, louder than before. Caesar didn't know whether to be angry, or marvel at the boy's eloquence. On the other hand, if Caesar looked like a redneck according to Asterix, that meant his disguise would do the job. Inhaling and exhaling very slowly, the formerly laurel-crowned man looked again at his prisoner and said:

"Okay. If you're done, it's time to go."

Those words instantly cut off Asterix's laughter, and his panic returned. That moment of humor had almost made him completely forget his precarious situation. Unfortunately, before he could react, Caesar grabbed the boy and was dragging him through the palace corridors, towards the stables. It wasn't long before Roman and Gaul were traveling through the streets of Rome. Caesar was pleased to see that no one recognized them, while Asterix felt a mixture of panic and uncertainty. He didn't know where they were going. Caesar's smile grew bigger and bigger as he saw they were already arriving at the gate of the city.

Then his joy fell into a pit when he encountered a traffic jam caused by all of the merchants trying to leave at the same time and through the same gate. The sight made him let out an exasperated snort.

"By all the gods… how many more things could go wrong?"

The streets were full of people, all traveling at a fast pace, as if they believed if they didn't hurry, the day wouldn't give them enough time to do everything they wanted to do. In this bustling and hectic atmosphere, no one seemed to notice the crestfallen boy. His expression showed deep sadness mixed with a hint of bitterness, and perhaps a hint of resentment.

Mischiefus didn't understand why his parents didn't trust him. It was thanks to him that both his parents and Asterix had managed to discover the architect and the soldiers were holding him and Getafix prisoner in that building. It wasn't fair! He could help look for Asterix, too. He was convinced of it. And besides, by Jupiter, Asterix was his friend, too!

Mischiefus was so lost in his thoughts, he didn't see what was in front of him, and collided with a woman who was carrying a number of baskets. The force of the impact made him fall to the ground, but the boy quickly got up again and apologized for his inattention by lowering his eyes to the ground. The woman assured the boy it didn't matter, as no one had been hurt.

When the woman left, Mischiefus looked up again, and as he did so, he saw a bunch of carts stopped in the road not far from him… but what really caught his attention was that in one of those carts was a blond boy sitting on the floor. The boy was dressed in Roman clothes and was accompanied by a masked man who, by his posture leaning against the cart, looked bored… or perhaps frustrated by the traffic jam he was in.

Mischiefus was very struck by that boy… for in all the years he had lived in Rome, he had never seen Romans as blond as that boy… no, Mischiefus knew that Roman people tended to be brunette or black-haired. That thought kept the Roman boy focused on this other boy. Now that he looked closely, his facial features vaguely reminded him of someone, but… he couldn't place him…

Suddenly Mischiefus felt his heart racing, for he already knew who the boy reminded him of. He looked just like Asterix! And his blond, tousled hair… his hazel eyes… yes, his features did nothing but confirm this boy was most likely Asterix.

But… if this boy was really Asterix, why was he dressed as a Roman? And who was the man accompanying him? Where were they going?

Mischiefus shook his head. His questions wouldn't be answered if he stood stock still. No, if he wanted answers, he had to confirm his suspicions first, but… he couldn't shout the name of his friend in the middle of the street. If that boy was really Asterix, the Roman boy's shout would alert the man who was with him, and then there would be nothing he could do to help him.

The Roman boy was well aware if he really wanted to help Asterix, he had to act cautiously, without rushing.

Looking around, as if he feared someone might be spying on him, Mischiefus began to approach the cart containing the boy who might be Asterix. In truth, it wasn't difficult to get there. With all the carts stopped, and given his small size, the Roman boy could easily pass through spaces an adult couldn't. When he was practically next to the cart, he made noises trying to get the attention of the boy inside.

The boy first seemed confused to hear a new noise. Looking around, he soon became aware of the other boy's presence. The look on his face when he saw him seemed to say, "What are you doing here?"

Mischiefus moved a little closer, and in a low voice, asked directly and bluntly:

"Are you Asterix?"

The blond boy's eyes widened like saucers. He seemed genuinely surprised that anyone knew him, so in a hesitant voice replied:

"Yes, but who are you?"

Mischiefus couldn't help but smile. Not only had he found Asterix, but he would also be the one to help him get back to Obelix. Knowing the other boy was waiting for an answer, he explained:

"I'm a friend of Obelix. He's here in Rome. If you come with me, I'll take you to him."

Asterix's face lit up with a deep joy at hearing those words. Obelix was here! He had come for him! With his emotions barely contained, he asked:

"Really?"

Mischiefus was delighted to see how happy Asterix looked, and while holding out his hand to the Gaul boy, he replied:

"Yes, but you have to come with me now."

Asterix nodded and advanced to the edge of the cart, but his actions were halted when a hand came to rest on his shoulder and a new voice joined the conversation.

"I'm sorry, but he's not going anywhere, and neither are you."

Mischiefus could see a radical change in the Gaul boy's face from jubilation to pure horror. His face turned whiter than falling snow in winter.

Mischiefus looked up at the masked man. Where had he heard that voice before? Why did it sound so familiar? Unfortunately, he didn't have much time to think about it, for the masked man grabbed him by the arm and made him get into the wagon. Then he said in a low voice:

"Don't shout, and don't do anything stupid, or I won't be able to guarantee his safety," he pointed at Asterix, "nor yours."

Mischiefus was so surprised by the speed of the man's actions and words that he could only nod slowly.

Satisfied, the masked man stood up again and urged his horses to move, for apparently the traffic jam had been dissipating during the conversation.

Already out of the city, Caesar smiled behind his mask, though his smile wasn't entirely one of happiness. On the one hand, he had left before the chubby Gaul could find them. But on the other hand, he was now carrying a traveler he hadn't planned on. Who was this boy? And how could it be that he knew Asterix?!

Wait… now that he was looking at him, Julius thought the boy looked vaguely familiar… of course! The failed plan of the residence of the gods! Yes, now he remembered. He saw that child and his parents, fighting alongside the Gauls against their soldiers. Who would have ever imagined a family from his own empire doing that? But as always… the gods had… mysterious ways.

In short, the appearance of that child was one more problem added to his growing list, it seemed… but that wasn't going to stop his plans. No, he would conquer all of Gaul, and thanks to Asterix, he could do it, no matter how many potholes appeared along the way. At that instant, as if that thought were jinxed, the chariot gave a jump and almost threw the occupants into the air. The state of the Empire's roads was deplorable. He would have to talk to Senator Lactus Bifidus about it. This couldn't be tolerated, by Jupiter!

Well, leaving aside the whole pothole issue, Caesar felt at last nothing could delay him again. He was on his way to meet Cleopatra and leave his hostage there… and the extra burden.

I don't know why, but I love Asterix and Caesar's interactions, they're really funny to write. Oh, and what do you think of Mischiefus and how he almost rescued Asterix on his own but ended up being caught too? Did you expect that? Let me know with your comments. Oh, and how do you think everyone of those who are going to see Cleopatra will react? And Cleopatra herself? If you want to do your guesses, don't doubt on write them

Okay, after say that, I really hope you all enjoyed this chapter, I also would like to thank you all those who've read this story, those who follow it or have it among their favorites: MyCelestialFury and Vlcek222.

See you in the next chapter