WE'RE BACK FOLKS! ๐ŸŽ‰๐ŸŽ‰๐ŸŽ‰

Notice how I changed the title of the episode it was based on๐Ÿ˜‰

"Clever." Maverick remarked. "And as a reminder. No. I'm never going to betray Rapunzel. So don't expect me to go Dark Side in the chapter after this one."

That's right folks. Maverick will always be himself in spite of what happened earlier. And he'll have his friends and family to pull him back whenever he's about to drift too far.

Also there is a surprise Marvel character that shows up for one fight scene in this chapter. ๐Ÿ˜

"Enjoy your treat. You'll get more after dinner." Maverick quipped at the readers.

Also if all of you are wondering what happened to Ruddiger. Quirin's pet Racoon (Formally as Varian's pet Racoon from the Tangled series). Well. If you caught the 'Halfworld' hint and reference. Than I don't have tell you do I? He woll be back in the story after this one. As 'you know who?' ๐Ÿ˜‰

"Again. Clever." Maverick remarked.

And now to answer some comments.

SPYRO 101: Thank you! I'm so sorry if I went a little too far in the last chapter. I had to express how cruel Orion was treated as he gained his new ability. Making what happens in this chapter later more genuine. But still, thank you for helping me write this chapter Pal! ๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿ˜

superkoola: Don't worry Pal. His friends won't let him fall to darkness. You'll see it in this chapter. ๐Ÿ˜‰

RustyPete12: All good points and observations. I'm glad to caught tbe hint about Ruddiger. And yes. Things feel like their picking up. But their is a loght at the end of the dark cloud. You'll see. ๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿ˜

olehbilenko93: Thank you! I appreciate your support.

Also one more thing. For those of you that saw the Tangled series. Orion and Rapunzel doesn't reunite until the chapter after this one. but Rapunzel will become aware of what's going on with Orion in this one. But their is another reunion that's needed for Orion in this chapter. A sweet one. ๐Ÿ˜‰ .

Alright. Now that we're all here.

LET'S GET DANGEROUS!๐Ÿ˜Ž


The Quest For Orion.

Morning at Corona Castleโ€ฆ..

It's another beautiful day in Corona. At the castle, a party was being prepared for. The courtyard was already decorated in purple tapestry, eleven tables with purple cloths already set up with flowers in the center. Preparations were well underway.

Rapunzel was helping with the preparations, Frederic too. Rapunzel threw a thing of purple streamers to Frederic without warning. He caught it, but ended up wrapped and tangled in it.

"Oh, confound these infernal streamers!" Frederic groaned while Rapunzel giggled in response

"Aww, is the mighty king having a hard time?" Rapunzel mocked kindly with her hands on her hips.

"It's not funny." Frederic whined while still wrapped in the streamers. "Have you any idea how hard it is to-"

Achem." Rapunzel cleared her throat with a smirk before twirling a strand of her finger, showing that she did know, more than anyone, how difficult it was. Rapunzel giggled.

"Oh." Frederic said in realization before he let out his own chuckle. And the two laughed together.

Suddenly. Up high in the sky, a paper lantern was flying about with a scroll tied to it. Rapunzel looked up and smiled brightly at the lanturn. But the lantern was passing under dark storm clouds that began appearing from nowhere.

Rapunzel turned around and gasped as her surroundings changed, now a rocky barren land. And her hair was all over the place and started to glow. She grabbed her hair in panic.

"Rapunzel!"

Hearing her name called, she turned around to see Frederic still wrapped in streamers and the castle now in the background, a darkness cast over it.

"Stay here, with me, where you belong." Frederic called out to her, gripping the purple streamer.

"I'll kill you, Lash!" Rapunzel heard Orion shout behind her, making her fear for her friend, turning to where she heard the voice, looking for Orion.

"Darling, don't!" Frederic called out, holding his hand out to her. Black rocks then began sprouting out around the king.

Rapunzel turned around and saw this making her gasp.

"Dad!" Rapunzel cried out to him, only for more of the black rocks to appear.

"Dad!" Rapunzel cried out again, now running to try and reach her father.

As she ran, more and more black rocks sprouted out, several of them sprouting in her path, making her have to swerve to avoid being struck.

When she finally reached her father, she looked up and gasped in horror. He was now encased in a giant black rock frozen.

Rapunzel's hair stopped glowing. She was about to touch the rock but pulled back.

"Dad?" Rapunzel whispered, not understanding what just happened.

Then Rapunzel heard a familiar voice say. "You've stepped over a lot of boundaries, Lash. You've taken everything from me. I'm about to put some dirt in your eye!"

She turned to see the Maverick himself and Lash clash at each other with swipes of their weapons creating a fog of dirt. When the fog cleared, Lash was seen holding Maverick by the leg and slamming him into the ground. Then Lash glared looking up at Rapunzel. As the Black rocks surrounded Lash under his command.

Before he charged after Rapunzel's as the rocks grew rapidly around her.

"No...No don't!" Rapunzel cried out as she collapsed on the ground and a flash of a blue shock wave burst like an explosion out of the rocks when Lash stepped close.


Then Rapunzel gasped as she awoke wearing her blue nightgown. Hanging above the wall of her balcony. With her long blonde hair strands surrounding the outside of the tower like a spider web. and the Princess hung in the middle.

"Hey Blondie, you wouldn't-" Eugene came in the room looking witty and optimistic as ever before he was alerted to see Rapunzel hanging from outside by her hair and was about to fall.

"RAPUNZEL!" Eugene yelled as he sprinted over.

Then he caught Rapunzel before she hit the hard floor and held her in his arms as she embraced him. Eugene was fast enough to even make sure her bare feet never touched the ground.

"What happened? Are you okay?" Eugene asked as he sat her on the floor to sit and recover.

"I...I-I don't know." Rapunzel breathed as she gazed out at the sunrise over the Horizon of Corona. And the Kingdom.

Before she hugged Eugene tight, clinging to him as the nightmare frightened her. Eugene hugged her back being concerned for whatever his girlfriend is going through. Whatever it is, two things are on Rapunzel's mind. The safety of Corona.

And Orion.


Later on...

Rapunzel placed pieces of papers all over her wall to connect and form the images she saw in her dream. images that she drew herself thanks to the Princess' painting skills.

Eugene and Cassandra who were there as well to listen as she described the dream. While showing a large image of her staring in terror at the black rocks as they engulfed her father.

"It was like the dream I had after my coronation, only more intense." Rapunzel explained the pressure of trying to ponder and process what happened as she picked up another image to connect to the wall. "This one- This one was trying to tell me something."

Cassandra and Eugene looked at each other as they wondered what she meant by that. Especially when Rapunzel placed an image of Lash on the wall.

"Tell you what?" Cassandra asked as Rapunzel connected another image to the wall. While Pascal hung on one of the papers looking curious.

"I'm not sure. But the rocks, my hair, Orion, and Lash. They're all connected." Rapunzel stated as she looked at the images. "I have to find out how."

"Uh, hey guys. Sorry to interrupt 'dream chat' here. But is no one else even a little bit concerned that Rapunzel woke up suspended in mid-air?!" Eugene gawked condescendingly.

Pascal dropped out of camouflage and squeaked as he pointed his tail at the images. Urging that they are important. The little reptile always takes Rapunzel's side.

"Eugene, what I saw...meant something." Rapunzel insisted.

"Okay. Let's say it did. But what if it was a warning telling you to stay here, where you're safe." Eugene pointed out as he walked up to her.

Rapunzel was listening as she stared sadly at a painted image of Orion in her hands. Before Eugene took it while talking.

"I mean, we got it pretty good here, right? Maybe you should leave the mystery behind these rocks alone." Eugene stated as he folded the image.

"No. I can't." Rapunzel protested with a brief scowl before looking down. "I need answers. And I think I know just where to start looking."

Rapunzel glanced at the painted images on her wall behind the papers, looking at an image of herself reunited with her parents. Specifically. Her father.


Down in the woods of Kenya...

The Recruiter was at a Kenyan medical outpost in the middle of the jungle, speaking to some patients who were amputees and promising them a new process to a bright future. While an interpreter was translating everything he was saying.

"We can make you, better than better." The Recruiter promised a middle aged patient with a missing arm wrapped in gauze and bandages.

The patient spoke gratefully in his language. And the Recruiter's interpreter translated. "I will think about it. Give me time to recover from my accident."

"Of course." The Recruiter smiled and nodded.

After that the Recruiter went around the corner of the jungle to make a list on his notebook. While five guards were with him. Unknown to both of them is that they were being stalked around the grounds.

"Nice to see you Jared!" Maverick's voice was heard.

The Recruiter gasped as he looked up to see Maverick slouching on a tree branch like a couch.

"I'll take a foot-long. Fully loaded." Maverick quipped as he pointed, making a gun gesture with his hand.

Then the Recruiter panicked as he took off running while his guards started shooting at Maverick. But their guns burned into ashes before they were knocked aside by stun blasts of neon.

The Recruiter ran out of breath as he stumbled and tripped a bit several times as he rannsome distance away from Maverick. Before the Recruiter thought it got away. And finally tripped.

"Woaaaah!" The Recruiter yelled as he fell over a ditch but was caught by the ankle.

As he was hanging upside-down in Maverick's grip, as Maverick raised him up and held him by the ankle in his hand, like a slab of meat.

"What's the notebook for? Your online dating profile? Maybe appointments to find more more test monkeys to torture and abuse?" Maverick inquired in a low tone.

"Mr Forge?" The Recruiter swallowed.

"Ding ding." Maverick mused.

"You...You're looking very alive." The Recruiter nervously complemented.

"Ha! Only on the outside." Maverick remarked.

The Recruiter gulped as he muttered. "This is not going to end well for me."

"This is not going to end well for you, no." Maverick repeated in agreement before he tossed him. over the ditch.

"Woa-WOAAA!" The Recruiter screamed as he almost fell in before his legs were caught at the end of some vines that held him hanging up. The Recruiter sighed in relief that he didn't fall in. Before he looked down and screamed in startling fear. "AH!"

The Recruiter saw a bunch of crocodiles down below in a river stream just five feet below him Hissing as they snapped their jaws looking up at the Recruiter. Hungry.

"Don't make me ask twice. Where's Francis?" Maverick demanded looking serious.

"Alright alright! I'll talk! Just promise me you won't kill me!" The Recruiter begged.

"Done deal." Maverick promised. "Where's your boss?"

"He's gone to this world's Brooklyn to look into Roxxon! In hopes of keeping taps of a second job that came in last week!" The Recruiter confessed.

"What job?!" Maverick's interrogated.

"Trapping a hero from the Marvel world! In hopes to lure him into a trap! He didn't tell me who! But he said his blood would make a new serum for himself and his men!" The Recruiter answered as he whimpered and panicked.

Maverick wasn't surprised. But he was disgusted. To find out Francis wasn't done with baiting more people into his sick and twisted sadist experiments. And if Maverick doesn't go now. Another hero will pay for it.

"How is a hero from the Marvel world going to end up here? It's not like Black Panther is next door here." Maverick inquired.

"Ajax has his ways with dark portals! The amount of darkness at his disposal, using cosmic pathways to travel in between worlds! There's no world he can't go to! No one he can't pull in!" The Recruiter confessed.

"Until I confiscate the keys." Maverick gestured his keyblade. "Time to book a flight to Brooklyn. Hope they have Pizza early in this world."

Then Maverick started walking away. Leaving the Recruiter hanging above the river full of gators.

"Wait! Wait! Forge! You can't leave me like this! Cut me down!" The Recruiter called out and begged.

Not part of the deal Agent Smith! Also I'd flap less in the air. They get hungrier when you do!" Maverick sang back.

Before he took off flying in the air and left the Recruiter hanging as he panicked but still kept secure to the ropes.

"MAVERICK! PLEASE I TOLD YOU WHAT YOU WANTED! I'M JUST AN INNOCENT RECRUITER!" The Recruiter screamed.

He still hung up there. Hopefully some monkey will come, rescue and adopt the asshole before he falls in as crocodile chow.


Later down in Brooklyn...

While he left Sideshow Bob to sit back and watch from a rooftop in the distance across the river. Maverick flew down to the Roxxon factory where they manufacture all kinds of progress for the industrial age of this world's current age and early to mid 19th century tech.

The factory was a large structure, with large green doors for people and containers at the front, several chimneys, scaffolds to the left with giant dome towered structures containing fuel and oil. Towards the back was a tall watchtower, allowing anyone to see the surroundings of the factory from on high.

Maverick flew down and landed on the roof as he looked around. Searching for Ajax or any signs of his men and a portal through the windows.

"Alright. If I were a thousand pound sack of assholes named Francis. Where would I be working?" Maverick wondered as he looked around.

Then Maverick looked over, seeing a flashing light out of the skylight just a few meters to the left side of the roof.

"Oh." Maverick deadpanned as he tilted his head.

Maverick teleported over and peered his head through the window of the skylight.

Then Maverick peered into the window. And slipped through by teleporting through the glass. Then he stuck to the walls ripping off Spider-Man's moves.

"Copyright your moves, Spidey." Maverick whispered as he crawled the walls and looked down as his eyes widened. "Woah shizz dip."

Maverick was inside of a large empty oil facility meant to manufacture oil for the purpose of construction or other means. After all, the 19th century hasn't thought of hydrogenated oils yet. Or at least that's what the internet says.

Inside this large empty room were twenty heavy Dark Monger mechs that were about as large as a Transformer. As if you could ever fit one in the living room. And they were surrounding and facing a large 12 feet portal in width and flat in depth. It looked like it was made of liquid darkness. But something was wrong, Francis wasn't around here.

"Did that Mattress selling stool-pigeon lie to me?...Actually no, I read his heart beat." Maverick whispered to himself.

The Dark Mongers turned looking up at Maverick's direction. As if they heard him talk.

"Sorry, was I too loud?" Maverick meekly asked.

Then they aimed their mini guns and started firing.

***MULTIPLE BULLET SHOTS!***

as Maverick teleported behind a walking platform bridged above them, laying flat to avoid the bullets. Then he formed a white flag, more like a red flag on a pole while holding it out using his hand to wave it over the platform. Signaling surrender.

"WAIT! WAIT!" Maverick screamed as he waved the red flag. As if it was a white flag.

Then the Dark Mongers stopped firing. To hear him out. How did that work? They're only machines. Or does a red flag really stop them? Someone's been lazy with their programing, but it sure worked for Maverick.

"Fellas! Hey! you only work for Francis! AKA, that shit spackled muffin fart! So, I'mma give y'all a chance to lay down your firearms, in exchange for preferential, borderline gentle, possibly! Even lover-like treatment." Maverick offered the robots.

***GUNSHOTS RESUME!***

Maverick quickly ducked under the platform as he groaned and shifted his keyblades into fireball cannons.

"FINE! BUT I ONLY HAVE TWELVE BULLETS! SO YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO SHARE!" Maverick's yelled out. Before he cocked his weapons. "Let's count them down."

Then Maverick teleported, flipped in the air on the opposite end of the platform and shot two fireballs out of the cannons in his hands. Bringing down two Dark Mongers instantly.

Which were the first two bullets. Bullet twelve and eleven.

*Bang!* *Shield bash!*

Maverick landed in time for the Dark Mongers to turn around, and then a shield painted in the American flag spun and bashed three Mongers in the head. Then a soldier dressed as the same flag jumped in and caught the shield in time to slash and bash another Monger down before the soldier landed.

That soldier was none other than Captain America. Using his vibranium shield to fight.

"Habababababababababa!" Maverick panted in excitement like Curly from the Three Stooges.

Maverick watched as Captain America himself run and slash his shield and spun around pulling off his signature moves to slice off the heads of three more Dark Mongers before he bashed another one in the leg to trip it down and slam his shield on it.

"Alright. Two can dance in the canteen." Maverick quipped as he aimed his guns and took shots at a stumbling Monger that got bashed. But he kept missing. "Ten. Shit. Nine. ***k. Eight. Shit ***k!" He spat.

Then Maverick flipped in the air and landed to avoid an arm as the Monger he didn't shoot didn't collapse. And he sulked looking down.

"Bad Maverick." Maverick sighed before he looked up at another Monger that looked down at him.

***BANG!***

"Seven." Maverick quipped as he shot the Monger down, before it collapsed Making him shrug. "Good Maverick."

Then Maverick ran off to join up with Captain America who has yet to notice him. But then three more Dark Mongers stood in front of Maverick who slid under them as he formed a red fire barrel with his fire powers and shot his sixth bullet into it to blow them up. Into a million pieces. Making Maverick do a celebrity dance as he thought that was awesome. But then he got shot in the butt. "Ah!" And collapsed.

A Dark Mongers sentry was the one that snuck behind Maverick and shot him in the ass. But just as the Dsrk Monger shifted it's arm into a cannon and aimed at Maverick.

"Four..." Maverick moaned before he aimed while not looking with his hand on the floor. Andโ€ฆ.

***BANG!***

The fireball bullet knocked the Monger down and destroyed it.

"Gotcha." Maverick quipped and he struggled to stand up. "Grrh...Ugh! Right up Main Street!"

Then Maverick stood and limped a bit before he farted out the bullet which came out like a spark before his ass healed as he walked up and shot the destroyed Monger twice.

"Three two! STUPID! Worth it." Maverick quipped.

Then Maverick looked over to see Captain America cornered by the remaining Heavy Dark Mongers as he was backed up while holding his shield on his guard pose. Ready to strike first.

Then Maverick dashed in the form of spoke. More like a spoke dash as he planted four fire barrels around the remaining five Heavy Dark Mongers. And then Maverick formed back as himself to spin in the air and fire his last Fireball bullet and landed in front of Captain America to form a neon shield barrier to block the explosion.

***BOOM!***

All of the Dark Mongers fell into pieces as Maverick stood back up with Captain America, who was surprised to see a new hero standing with him to take these guys down.

Then Maverick stiffed the smoke from his cannons and exhaled. "Aaaahhhh. My inner fanboy is very turned on right now."

Cap was impressed by Maverick's skill and abilities.

"Thanks for the assist. I didn't expect to see another hero here, but I appreciate it." Captain America thanked Maverick while offering him a hand shake.

"My utmost pleasure Cap'n U.S.A. The name's Maverick." Maverick introduced himself while shaking Captain America's hand. "I'm here searching to bring in a psycho doctor who ran this operation for a demented cyborg. You?"

"I'm looking for some shield agents that have been captured and brought here somehow." Captain America stated as he looked around. "Where exactly is 'here'?"

"Another dimension. Across in the Multiverse, set in the 19th century of an old Fairy Tale. Or rather they got it from this place without knowing. But I digress." Maverick answered and explained. "Anyhow this crappy chicken oil factory is pretty big, there might be some agents held up around here somewhere. Let's look around."

"Right." Captain America nodded in agreement before something clicked. "I'm sorry. Did you say 19th century, in another dimension?"

"Didn't miss a beat." Maverick confirmed as they walked looking around the factory, he explained. "Whatever brought you here is in league with an illegal private division of nutty tools who want to kidnap anyone sick or injured they can get their hands on and refurbish them into mindless super slaves. And yeah, you're in another world, but I think you're already used to that by now."

"I'll say this isn't the first time." Captain America commented. This was definitely not the most bizarre situation he's been in. "But what exactly would these people want with me?"

"Well given that you're the Superman of your Earth. I'd figure taking you would mean they have the Golden Goose, as in the means to make more serums to mutate more slaves." Maverick figured as he checked a room but it was empty.

"Wait. They're trying to replicate the experiment that made me, and testing it on innocent victims?" Captain America inquired as he clenched his fists. He was calm, but definitely angry at what these people were trying to do. He then turned to Maverick. "And where do you fit in all of this?"

"Well. I was one of their defected test rats, tortured and mutated into this freak. And also..." Maverick added as he briefly shifted into Orion looking a little upset to bring it up. "I'm not even old enough to drive yet."

Then he shifted back into Maverick.

What Captain America saw shocked him to his core. For that brief moment, Orion stood before him, showing his red skin and blood orange hair. But what really got his attention was that this warrior was only fourteen years old.

"You're just a kid?" Captain America asked in a calm voice.

"Not anymore." Maverick sighed and shrugged. "Besides, I'm sure Spider-Man or the New Warriors. Maybe the Runaways started off a lot younger."

Maverick was hiding the fact that he started off way younger than any of those heroes did. Except maybe the Power Pack.

Captain America clenched his fists in barely controlled anger.

"So these people are not only kidnapping and experimenting on innocent people, but on children as well?" Captain America seethed out before his anger reached its boiling point.

*POW!*

Captain America punched a nearby steel wall, leaving a fist shaped dent in it. Captain America took a few breaths to calm down.

"Sorry, Son." Captain America apologized. "People being tortured like this doesn't sit well with me. Less so with children."

Maverick was surprised by Captain America's sudden rage. But he did remember how he was almost experimented on by Hydra. The Skrull. The Kree. AIM. Even his best friend the Winter Soldier was a victim of an evil experiment.

"Um...Noted. And believe me I'm looking to collect the head of the prick thistle who turned me into this. I use to be just the suit and light powers. But now I have a in-door oven, and the skin of Chipotle." Maverick responded and added.

Captain America caught on to something that Maverick said.

"By 'collecting his head', You mean killing him, right?" Captain America asked in a calm and collected voice.

"What else?" Maverick shrugged like it was no problem. And admitted. "I may not have done it before, trying to be squeaky clean during my first years, by letting my enemies just sit in jail instead of a morgue. But I might as well start with him."

By 'him' Captain America could tell Maverick means the man that did this to him. He could tell it in how serious Maverick was speaking..

But he also knew that Maverick was staring down a dark path that there is no turning back from once he starts.

Captain America stepped up and placed a hand on his shoulder, getting his attention.

"Listen, Son. I get it. What that man did to you... No man should ever have to endure half of what you went through, much less a child." Captain America spoke calmly. "And I get you wanting him to answer for what he's done. But taking his life is not going to undo what he's done. You'll just be giving him another victory."

"Meaning what?" Maverick asked with his eyes narrowed.

"When you kill someone, you're not just killing the person in front of you, but also yourself." Captain America stated, slightly confusing the Maverick. "When you take a life, a part of you dies alongside that life. And you can never get that back. This man wanted to do just that to you, to change you into a weapon for killing. Don't go down that path. Because once you start, there's no turning back. Take it from a soldier who knows."

"Meaning that Super Soldier who shot and kill Natzis and terrorist?" Maverick inquired, finally turning to him.

"It's only easy for men like me, when you're under the jurisdiction of a government, or wearing a badge, because that would be your job. Otherwise, if you're going to take someone's life on your own terms. To get back at them..." Captain paused for a moment before he continued. "The pain won't stop there. Revenge will drive you to do it again and again. Until you're nothing but revenge."

Captain America witnessed this being done by heroes and other soldiers who were victims. He knows that if Maverick goes down that same road. It will end the same.

Maverick was about to respond when he looked behind cap, at the wall he punched. And scanned it before his eyebrows furrowed curiously.

"Wait a minute..." Maverick muttered as he walked over. The wall kinda bent slightly on both ends, like a door. So Maverick took hold and pulled off a camouflaged barrier hidden behind the bented door.

"Hidden in plain sight." Maverick remarked.

Captain America was impressed.

"Good eye, son." Captain America complemented as he walked up to examine the revealed door.

Then he opened the door to reveal an office area with a window facing their side of the factory. Inside the office was just a simple desk with file cabinets with a chair. But over in the corner were three shield agents in their blue Helicarrier uniforms. Tied up and gagged while muffling. The first guy was Asian, while he had a black agent and a Hispanic one with him.

"Agent Lee?" Captain America recognized the Asian one as he took off his gag.

Maverick helped with burning the ropes off Agent Lee and the other two agents.

"I'm sorry Captain. Apparently we were sent here to be used as bait. We thought it was a distress signal." Agent Lee expressed his remorse, feeling like he put the Captain in danger.

Apparently Ajax lured them in the Factory and locked them in the room so they wouldn't interrupt the trap. A trap Maverick managed to ruin, thus saving Captain America.

"No need for an apology Agent. You thought you were here to save lives." Captain America said, putting a comforting hand on his shoulder and giving him and the other agents an encouraging smile. "I'm just glad you're all okay."

While Cap was checking up and talking with the Shield agents. Maverick looked over at the desk with a file that had Ajax's name on it. He took it and opened it up to find a list of associates and contacts from the Marvel world. And a list of serum reports. Perhaps this would give an answer to find the cure for his skin. If Ajax has one, it will be in this file.

"Found anything?" Captain America came over and asked.

Maverick quickly took and hid the serum listing but gave Captain America the file.

"Definitely. It's all the information you'll need on these assholes, a list of all the contacts from your world. Folks that are in league with them." Maverick stated. "This will help you find them all."

"So with this, we can shut down all their operations on our world." Captain America said, giving Maverick a proud smile. "Good work, Son."

"Yeah. You're welcome." Maverick smiled back before he added. "Sorry I can't come and help mop them up though. The people in this world need the Maverick for now. That and other convoluted shit is involved here."

"Hey Cap, you brought a cane? He said a bad word." Agent Phillips the black one teased.

"You tell Romanoff about this, it's going on your report." Captain America gave him an amusing warning look which made them laugh a little.

Maverick knew about that old 'language' running gag. It's kinda nice to see it in person.

"Anyhow. You folks can get back the same way you got in. Once you're on the other side, I'll blow the portal on my end while you bust up whatever is keeping it open on yours." Maverick turned and gestured to the portal Captain America came through and promised. "And no, this won't be the last we meet, I have other ways to travel in between worlds."

"Then I wish you luck on your end, and look forward to meeting again." Captain America said walking up to the portal before stopping and turning back to Maverick. "Oh, and what we discussed earlier, about revenge... I hope you keep what I said in mind."

Maverick nodded as he was already deep in those thoughts.

"See you around, Cap." Maverick bids him farewell.

Captain America gave him a two finger salute before he turned and ran through the portal with the other Shield agents. Maverick planted a neon grenade right by the portal once they were gone and teleported out of there.

Just in time for the portal to blow.

***BOOM!***

Once Maverick was on the roof. He began to contemplate and reflect on what Captain America told him. For the past three months he had been searching for Ajax and Angel Dust. For the hope of fixing his skin and getting back his right to have a normal life, outside of just being the Maverick.

But was he really doing it to correct a wrong that was done to him? Or was it for vengeance?

Maverick wasn't sure what to think right now. But one thing is for sure. He's been away from home for too long. And he needs to look into the clues he found. After all he left the matter of the black rocks behind just to chase Ajax.

Make no mistake, Maverick will kill him if he gets the chance. But for now. It doesn't matter to him. He needs to get back home. To Corona.

But first Maverick has to drop off somebody.

"Bob? Have you been to a bar named after a bath toy?" Maverick called Sideshow Bob from his communicator.


Back over at Corona Castle...

Rapunzel, Frederic, and Nigel were walking down one of the hallways in the castle. Frederic listened to Rapunzel's questions and concerns about the Black Rocks. But needless to say, the King didn't happy to be hearing Rapunzel talking about those rocks again.

"I made it clear that we were not to discuss magic or glowing rocks." Frederic said sternly to Rapunzel as he walked beside her on her right with Nigel on her left.

"Has anyone been to Old Corona recently?" Rapunzel asked as they stopped walking, Frederic and Nigel sharing a glance before looking at Rapunzel who stared up at her father. "I'm worried that Orion is in trouble."

"Princess, Orion is dangerous." Nigel said with a firm voice before looking Rapunzel straight in the eye. "Have you forgotten the demon that was with him attacked you during the storm?!"

"Nigel!" Frederic said firmly, stopping him from speaking further. Nigel looked at the king guiltily as Frederic sighed.

"Come with me." Frederic told Rapunzel, leading her to his office as Nigel looked on with concern

The King led Rapunzel into the meeting room and over to a table with a 3D model of Old Corona set up on it.

"I've been aware of these rocks for quite some time." Frederic informed Rapunzel, as he pointed at certain areas that had flags on them. "They posed a real problem. Um- Displacing people from their homes, damaging roads..."

"Oh no..." Rapunzel breathed in worry.

"But, but fortunately, we've taken care of them, one by one. The rocks have been removed and the people of Old Corona are all well and good." The King assured as he removed the flags off the model of Old Corona village.

Rapunzel almost wasn't convinced. But she didn't think she had a reason to doubt her father's words.

"But why all the secrecy?" Rapunzel asked curiously.

"Rapunzel, I apologize for not being more candid at first. I can only hope that when you're queen, you'll understand the value of not drawing attention and causing a panic over problems that...have been handled." Frederic spoke softly as Rapunzel eyed the flags in his hand while he added. "You see? And now you know what the situation is. Or rather was."

Rapunzel decided to go with that with her father for now. And smiled up at her father.

"That's a relief. And thanks for being honest with me, Dad." Rapunzel gave her father a hug.

"Yes, of course." Frederic replied softly while returning the hug before she was walking off. "Now run along. We've got more pressing issues before us. Like planning your birthday party."

Rapunzel smiled from the door mentioning that great day. The day not only she was born. But also the day she climbed out of her tower and was reunited with her family.

Once Rapunzel left. The King's warm look dropped into a sad one as he looked at the flags. Thinking not only about his own honesty. But also about his friend Quirin. He still felt awful about his old friend's death. And The King was uncertain about how he had been handling everything.

Still if Frederic's daughter is safe and sound still. Then he must be. Right?


Later back in the Kenyan Jungle...

The news is that The Recruiter into the crocodile lake below and died. Because some of Ajax men found him and rescued him while giving him some important info to report.

The bad news is... karma's a bitch.

"Gah!" The Recruiter grunted as he was knocked down on the dirt.

And Shift was approaching him with a look that didn't read anything good. As his men were on the ground shaking and jolting from the shocks they received.

"Where's Maverick?" Shift asked in a dangerous tone as she grabbed the Recruiter by the throat and pinned him against a tree. "And please don't lie to me. I just had the last informant's blood washed off my face."

"Oh God...He...He went down to the Roxxon factory looking for info! But now our men have sighted him in Old Corona!" The Recruiter blurted out looking afraid.

"Why would he be there now?" Shift pressed.

"I don't know, they said he was speaking with a black lady that speaks French!" The Recruiter answered. "We didn't touch her though! They said she wasn't Ajax's target!"

"Then who is?!" Shift demanded as she struck lightning near the tree to make him scream like a girl.

"THAT'S ALL I KNOW! I SWEAR!" The Recruiter exclaimed in fear as he was still held up in Shift's grip.

"Well then..." Shift smirked mischievously.

Moments laterโ€ฆ...

"ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!" the Recruiter screamed in fear, as he was now tied up above the crocodiles once again.

"Relax. The authorities will be here any minute. Just try to be calm. And don't flap around, it makes them hungry." Shift mocked as she walked away.

"You're just as bad as he is!" The Recruiter called out in frustration before looking down and became terrified again. "Wait! Come back! Please don't leave me up here! You can't!"

"Can and will!" Shift sang back before she flew off in the sky. Heading back towards Corona for some answers.

Shift didn't bother heading towards Old Corona. Because she knew if her boyfriend was already there. Then there's one place he will obviously head towards next.

The Mansion.


Back in Corona...

Rapunzel, Eugene and Cassandra were walking down a path in a park, with a statue of Rapunzel up ahead, with presents from all the people of Corona stacked at the base of it. As they walked, Rapunzel had a worried expression on her face.

"Happy birthday, Rapunzel!" A young girl running by called out to her.

"Thank you!" She called back in turn with a polite wave.

Rapunzel, Eugene, and Cassandra stopped in front of her statue.

"We still don't know anything about where Orion is-" Rapunzel stopped and gasped and saw a kite with a scroll tied to it.

"The Kite! Wait-" Rapunzel paused as she ran up to it as realization kicked in. "It's the same one from my vision!"

She grabbed the kite and examined it before noticing the scroll. She grabbed the scroll.

"There's a note!" Rapunzel exclaimed and unrolled it, grabbing at what was attached to it. "And a key!"

Cassandra and Eugene walked up to her as she looked at the note, her eyes widening in surprise.

"It's from Orion" Rapunzel stated, surprising her friends.

Then Rapunzel read the letter out loud. 'Dear Princess Zelda. Joan Of Arc and her punching bag with the comb'

"Hey!" Eugene exclaimed, hearing that sense he knew he's the punching bag. But Cassandra was fighting the need to smirk.

'I may have found the key to understanding the rocks. Go to Quirin's house in Old Corona. Find the bronze graptyc. And hurry before they find it. Francis and his men will do anything to stop you or worse, capture you. And whatever you do. Please do not come to the Mansion. They will follow you once you step out of the Kingdom. And I don't want them to find out where I live.' Rapunzel read the letter to the others.

"Francis? Who's Francis?" Cassandra asked, never hearing that name before until now.

"It's always something with that Kid." Eugene said, crossing his arms.

"I knew it!" Rapunzel stated, turning around to face her friends. "I knew it, he still needs our help."

"What do you wanna do?" Cassandra asked Rapunzel.

Rapunzel looked down at the note and key in thought. She clenched the key in her hand and looked towards the castle. She sighed.

"Sorry Dad." she said before looking at Eugene and Cassandra with pure determination. "We gotta go to Old Corona."

Cassandra and Eugene nodded and the three walked off to get ready for their trip to Old Corona.


Just outside Old Coronaโ€ฆ...

Rapunzel, Eugene, and Cassandra are on their way to Old Corona in a coach being pulled by Maximus, Rapunzel and Cassandra sitting next to each other facing forward with Eugene across from them facing the back. Rapunzel is wearing a black coat over her dress, and Cassandra is now in her battle attire with her sword sheathed behind her back. Pascal was on Rapunzel's left shoulder with Owl on Cassandra's right shoulder.

"Old Corona is just over this hill." Rapunzel told her friends as they continued on.

Pascal looked towards Owl with a squeak, to which Owl replied back with a hoot, glaring back at the lizard.

"Sorry Pascal, but he's not a big fan of reptiles." Cassandra said with a smirk, petting Owl's wing. "Unless he can eat them."

Owl licked his lips, scaring poor Pascal, who moved to Rapunzel's right shoulder.

"I can't tell you what a treat it is to be spending so much time with a cold-blooded dead-eyed bird of prey." Eugene sarcastically said with a smirk and his arms crossed.

"Owls are warm-blooded, genius." Cassandra replied back with a condescending tone, gesturing to Owl.

"Ha ha ha, I wasn't talking about the Owl." Eugene responded with a chuckle.

"Oh-hoo-hoo, I guess I walked right into that one." Cassandra said with a smirk while Rapunzel looked out and gasped at something.

"Yeah, you really did!" Eugene chuckled.

"Stop the cart!" Rapunzel exclaimed, to which Maximus heard and stopped moving.

As soon as they stopped, Rapunzel jumped off and ran towards what caught her attention. A black rock sticking out of the ground.

Eugene and Cassandra shared a look before jumping out of the cart to join the princess.

"What is it?" Cassandra asked as they made their way to Rapunzel, now seeing exactly what it was.

"My Dad told me that all the black rocks had been removed." Rapunzel claimed as she looked to her approaching friends with concern.

"Okay! So he missed one!" Eugene said nonchalantly, standing next to her.

"Um... Guys?" Cassandra called to them, getting their attention, as she gestured towards a nearby home, which was uprooted by the rocks, and a well that had a bunch of them sprouting out, with many more all around the property.

"Or one hundred. They missed a hun-" Eugene stuttered out before collecting himself and putting his fists on his waist. "They- they did not do a very thorough job counting these rocks."

"Do you think your father lied?" Cassandra asked, walking up to them.

"No, of course not. I trust my father, but clearly he has no idea how bad things have gotten out here." Rapunzel stated with a hand to her chest. "Come on. Let's move on."

With that, she and her friends returned to the cart to continue on their journey, with Owl flying by.


Soon as they passed by the fields of Old Corona. Most of the homes are now abandoned due to the Black Rocks spreading all through the valley. None of the field workers and villagers were seen. Rapunzel figured maybe her father had them relocated for their safety. Maybe the King also relocated to remove the rocks only for new sprouts of them to take their place, without the King knowing?

Either way the Princess wanted to give her father the benefit of the doubt.

Once the carriage came up to a familiar house. Genevieve's house. Where she was out sweeping some dust off her front porch with a broom as she was still wearing black. With a somber look on her face.

"Max. Stop here please." Rapunzel requested the horse.

Maximus complied as Rapunzel got out of the carriage to speak with Orion's psychiatrist.

"This will take a moment." Rapunzel said to Eugene and Cassandra.

"Alright. We'll be right here when you're ready to go." Cassandra assured her best friend.

Rapunzel then walked across the front path to Genevieve who had finished sweeping. The Psychiatrist looked up and was surprised to see the Princess back and smiled as she came over, Rapunzel beamed and hugged her.

"Bonjour princesse. Comment se passent vos prรฉparatifs d'anniversaire?" Genevieve greeted her while returning the hug.

"Oh. Um, sorry Ma'am." Rapunzel said meekly with a twirl of a strand of hair. "I'm still not fluent in French yet."

Genevieve gave a tender look and scoffed a little.

"That's alright my Dear. French isn't for everyone." Genevieve said softly with a shrug. "How are you and your friends? Would you like to come in?"

"Oh thanks for the offer. But we're actually on our way to Quirin's house." Rapunzel replied, making Genevieve nod in understanding. "But I was wondering where my father moved the other villagers and why you didn't go with them."

"Moved? Your Highness, there was no relocation or evacuation. The King's men haven't been seen around here since the attack." Genevieve stated looking a little confused.

This shocked Rapunzel greatly, shaking her quite a bit.

"But... But that's impossible!" Rapunzel stuttered out. "My father told me that he sent his men to help the people of Old Corona after everything with the rocks and the attacks by Lash and his Dark Mongers."

The Psychiatrist sighed as she sat on the chair of her porch and looked up at Rapunzel.

"Your Highness...Your Father hasn't done such a thing. Ever since the attack. We all had to fend for ourselves. We can barely support ourselves and feed what's left of our children." Genevieve stated in a somber voice. "Most of the villagers have gone out hunting. Maybe even fishing. We're not even allowed back into the Kingdom to buy or trade for food, the King's guardsmen won't even allow us across the bridge. Or dock our boats."

Rapunzel looked sick to her stomach. She couldn't believe that her father would do this.

"How can Father do this? To turn his back on his people when they need him the most?" Rapunzel muttered, looking down at the ground, feeling very disappointed in her father's actions. She looked at Genevieve with tears in her eyes and bowed her head to her. "I am so sorry for what has happened to you, and the lack of actions taken to help you all. If I'd have known about this..."

And she was disappointed in herself for not having the power to help them.

"I doubt that anything you would've done could've prevented all of this. But...I appreciate your concerns for us." Genevieve said with a small smile as she thought about him where her life has gone through all these three months, she only had one understanding. "The King may be many things right now. But above all else. If the past nineteen years has taught me anything. He is a father above all else."

Even in her times of stress and struggle. Genevieve has a good heart towards others. And a skill in mental and moral understanding.

Rapunzel was still unsure though.

"That may be. But that does not excuse his inaction in giving the help you and the rest of the people of Old Corona need." Rapunzel stated with certainty in her voice.

"And that right there. Is the side of your father that faded the day you were taken." Genevieve stated out with a grin as she pointed at Rapunzel.

"Does that make this right?" Rapunzel protested on everyone's behalf.

"Parents don't need an excuse. It's one thing to carry a keyblade or to wear a crown. But despite his faults. Your father's responsibility over you is bigger than the Kingdom. Because to him, you carry something more valuable than the rarest jewel you could ever hope to find. Being his daughter, someone that was stolen from him, making him probably lose nights of sleep hoping for your return. Made his responsibility over you, like a big rock that weighs a ton. It bends and twists until it finally buries him underground." Genevieve stated her wisdom in being a father. "And nobody tells him he has to do this for you. He does, because he loves you and wants to. Needs to even. If he had to choose between us and you. A father will always choose his children first. And it's even a value that Orion never felt from anyone, except from his sister."

Rapunzel was still unsure about all this. She was grateful that her father felt such love for her, but his actions just did not sit well with her. Sure The Princess was grateful that his actions did not come from a bad place. But to Rapunzel, that's still no doesn't excuse them.

"I will be having words with him about this very soon." Rapunzel said, conviction in her voice. "I won't let you or these people continue suffering just to make my Father's 'weight' feel lighter. You are all my people too. And I have a responsibility to see that my people no longer suffer."

Genevieve felt touched to hear that as she fought tears. The Princess truly has a heart for everyone.

"Well...It's not just us that's suffering. Orion has truly suffered for the past three months. More than any of us ever have. I'm grateful to hear that you're on our side. But if there is anyone who needs you more. It's him." Genevieve said sternly. As she took Rapunzel's hand and spoke as if she were pleading. "Above all things. Don't abandon him to the dark. When you see him. Tell him. He won't turn you away. It may seem like it at first, but deep down. He needs his sister."

Rapunzel took a moment to process those words before showing even more conviction. Even Genevieve knew how close Orion was to the Princess.

"I promise you. I will never turn my back on him." Rapunzel stated firmly, her beliefs strong and true.

Genevieve smiled before they both heard a baby crying in the house. Which alerted Genevieve.

"Oh. My apologies. I have to go." Genevieve dismissed herself.

The Princess gasped in awe as she realized. "You've had a baby?" Rapunzel breathed.

"How do you think I know how a parent feels?" Genevieve remarked as she chuckled a bit before she added. "Besides. She has my Arthur's eyes."

Genevieve wiped a tear mentioning Arthur which broke Rapunzel's heart a little to be reminded about her losing her husband.

Pascal squeaked and beamed at the sound of the baby.

"Good luck Princess. And thank you for stopping by." Genevieve bid the Princess farewell with a small bow in respect.

Rapunzel smiled even though she felt a little sad at the reminder of what this kind woman lost.

"You're welcome. Genevieve. And good luck to you too." Rapunzel said with a slight bow before turning around and made her way back to the coach.


A little while later...

The carriage had to stop at a certain point because the black rocks litter the road like weeds. So everyone had to park it and continue on foot as Rapunzel and her friends made their way around the rocks towards Quirin's house. Which wasn't farther now.

But everyone felt unsteady about the rocks.

And then they reached a huge cluster of the rocks, almost as tall as towers.

"I've never seen anything like this." Cassandra said, as they looked upon the giant rocks.

"So far, everything in my dream has come true. There's no question." Rapunzel claimed, thinking back to when she first came in contact with the rocks, causing her hair to grow back. "Now, These rocks. They hold a secret. And somehow, I- I am connected to it. And... Maybe even responsible for it."

"What do you wanna do?" Eugene asked.

Just then, someone moved between the rocks. Cassandra turned her head to see if someone was there. But I could not find anyone. But she was now on high alert.

"I'm sorry Eugene. But I already let Orion down once." Rapunzel said, remembering what happened with Friday at the castle and the implications of Orion's plight. "He wants us to get that graphtic. And that's what we're gonna do."

Eugene responded by taking Rapunzel's hand in his and smiling in understanding, which she returned.

"Well, let's go." Eugene said, which earned nods from everyone.

"Quirin's home is on the far side of town." Rapunzel said, leading the way.

"You heard the lady." Eugene commented as they followed Rapunzel.

But as Rapunzel passed under a trail of rocks. to the point where it felt like passing a tunnel of those rocks, blocking the view of the house up ahead. The rocks began to flash bright as Rapunzel's hair glowed near them. Making her gasped in fright as Eugene clinged to her protectively.

"Uh, Blondie? Hair?" Eugene nudged her away to protect her.

"Fancy Pants is right. Remember what happens when you touch those." Cassandra agreed, reminding Rapunzel.

Even Pascal squeaked an agreement as he rode on Rapunzel's shoulder.

"Well, then I'll just have to be careful." Rapunzel stated as she was determined to get past them.

But the black rocks were blocking their path like a brick spiky wall. With only two pathways in front. And they weren't sure which one to pass by.

"How do we know if any one of these openings will take us to the other side?" Rapunzel cautioned.

"We need a bird's eye view." Cassandra stated Then she whistled for her owl.

Owl came flying down hooting as he flew through one of the passages and hooted for the others to follow. Which was a relief for all of them.

"I think he found the way." Rapunzel beamed before she looked back at the horse. "Okay, Max? You keep watch."

"Pff!" Maximus huffed and nodded a response that he will guard this entry way while the others go through.

As Rapunzel and her friends were walking through the pathway. Eugene couldn't help but point out what Cassandra said just now.

"So, you think I'm fancy?" Eugene amused smugly.

"Ugh..." Cassandra groaned in annoyance.

"That's not a retraction!" Eugene echoed in the passage under the rocks.

Rapunzel was walking ahead as she held her hair close while walking carefully through the tunnel. Made of the black rocks. But that wasn't a horrible thing.

"Ah!" Rapunzel gasped in horror.

It was horrible to see a dead man's body. dressed in a modern mercenary uniform. impaled by the rocks. Blood dripped from the tip as his eyes were open and bloodshot and his mouth was hanging open.

Rapunzel covered her mouth to surpass a scream While Pascal looked disgusted. As if he could turn greener if that were possible.

Then Eugene came over.

"Hey Blondie? Are we almost the- OH MY GOD! MY EYES ARE RUINED FOR ETERNITY!" Eugene exclaimed seeing the body.

Then Cassandra came over.

"What is with all the yelling you- HOLY!" Cassandra said, stopping her rant when she saw the body in shock. "Well, this doesn't look good."

Cassandra then came over and examined the body.

"Hey, try to be careful over there. Who knows what diseases he might be carrying?" Eugene said humorously, trying to lighten the mood for Rapunzel's sake, but it was not succeeding this time.

"Yeah, yeah, like I don't already know that." Cassandra replied sarcastically as she looked at the wound.

"Be sure to check his pockets." Eugene commented.

"What do you think I'm doing right now?!" Cassandra snapped back now looking through his pockets.

"I meant to look for loot." Eugene whispered humorously, before regretting it as Cassandra shot him a glare that could kill. "Okay! Okay, I'm done now!"

Cassandra then returned to finishing her examination.

"Have you found anything?" Rapunzel asked hesitantly, still shaken by the sight. Cassandra stood up straight after she was done.

"Nothing. But the body is still fresh. Probably dead for maybe a few hours. And take a look at his uniform." Cassandra gestured to the dead man's attire.

"Wait...That's a modern mercenary outfit! He looks like those extras from the action films me and Lance watched back at the kid's place." Eugene stated.

"Meaning?" Rapunzel inquired.

"He's not from around here. And probably with that Francis guy Orion mentioned in the letter." Cassandra concluded.

"He must've tried coming through here to Quirin's place before...Uh...This happened." Rapunzel figured as she swallowed a bit.

"Damn. I knew I shouldn't have eaten before I left." Eugene resisted the urge to puke.

"I think we better be careful, Guys." Cassandra stated seriously. "There's a good chance that there are more of these mercenaries around here. Probably got around these rocks before we did.

"Except him" Eugene muttered, gesturing to the corpse.

Once they walked passed that point. They didn't see any more bodies thankfully. Rapunzel was a little traumatized seeing that. But she was also glad that body wasn't anyone she knew or cared for. Not that she was proud to see a man suffered such a death.

Once they got through. Rapunzel sae the end of the path and Quirin's house just up ahead.

"We're here." Rapunzel sighed in relief.

Eugene grunted as he tripped a few times on the rocks and groaned a bit.

"Well! What a convenient easy-to-navigate path your bird just found, Cass. That's some how you got there, he knew I liked corpses for a theme." Eugene sarcastically quipped.

"Thanks. Oh, and by the way. He is also an attack owl. I taught him to go for the eyes first." Cassandra smirked as she spoke for her owl.

Owl was perched on her shoulder as she looked at Eugene and used his claws to gesture that he's got his eye on him, while pointing as his eyes and and Eugene's while narrowing his own at the former thief.

"Huh...Mmmm..." Eugene chuckled nervously and cleared his throat. "Or course by 'some owl' I meant some very noble, some very majestic, non-eye-scratchy, did I mention majestic. Owl."

But they weren't noticing that they were also being watched. By a figure with a red cloak and a metal mask as this figured watched them walk in.

Once Rapunzel and the others walked in. Everything was dusty and seemed abandoned. All of Quirin's furniture was still here. But Because of the black rocks blocking the house. No one was able to do anything or take anything from the house.

"No one got in." Cassandra noticed.

"How can you tell? Can you sense fear in a pin drop?" Eugene whispered.

"No, Genius. Mercenaries don't have to try to be polite." Cassandra snorted back and explained. "They would've ram sacked this place if they got in. All the furniture is still standing well organized."

"If you don't count the dust." Eugene coughed a bit as some got in his mouth as he wheezed. "I think some got in my mouth. Does that belong to you, Frog?"

Pascal rolled his eyes in response being compared to a spider.

While Rapunzel was looking around she didn't find anything that was obvious for a hiding place. If Quirin had some graptyc to hide it wouldn't be out in the open or obvious for people to find it. That's why it's called a hiding place.

So Rapunzel was curious as she looked at Orion's note and turned the letter over. Pascal pointed at some unfinished letters at the bottom of the note.

Rapunzel noticed and tilted her head before she folded the letter and found a clew. A hidden sentence.

"Clever." Rapunzel complemented Orion's means of hiding it. And smiled at her little friend. "Thanks Pascal."

Pascal beamed in a squeak.

"Found anything?" Cassandra came over.

"I think so. There's some words hidden on Orion's note that could help." Rapunzel pointed.

The letters were written in between the ends of the paper. When folded, they spelled 'Pellentesque a blandit lacus. Arbores numeret.'

Eugene came over and pondered looking at the letters.

"I'm guessing that's either Greek or Portuguese...Maybe Old English letters for an old address." Eugene wondered. "It better not be an asylum or a haunted house. Otherwise I'm out."

"It's Latin, actually." Cassandra rolled her eyes.

"Oh...I knew that, and I even know what it translates to. But just to make sure you do. Why don't you translate for us so we can tell if you're right too." Eugene humorously suggested.

"Ugh. It means. 'Come sit by the lake. Count the trees.' Cassandra translated.

"Wow. Don't poems usually have a rhythm?" Eugene remarked.

"I don't think it's a poem. It sounds like a clue." Rapunzel figured.

"So is the kid asking us to go fishing? Or do a math test using trees while fishing? If so, this kid-" Eugene was about to remark on how bad that sounds until Rapunzel spoke up.

"No no. It's gotta be something in this house. Look around." Rapunzel suggested.

Everyone agreed and started searching. Eugene was checking the drawers and cabinets while Cassandra was checking under the furniture and chairs. Pascal and Owl were perched together on a desk looking around while Rapunzel walked around. Tapping her bare foot as she wondered what could fit the description of a lake with trees.

And then she saw it.

It was a painting of a relatively large landscape with a lake, along with a small rock wall going from the land and partially sinking into the lake, with a large tree right next to it. There was a space between the two pieces of rock wall which was connected to a dirt path running alongside the lake. In the background were two mountains and forests. And blue skies with a few clouds. And the background was reflected within the water.

"Guys, I found something!" Rapunzel called out to her friends, who came over to see her discovery.

Cassandra and Eugene came over to look at the painting, while Pascal crawled across it and camouflaged in the background.

"Hmmmm..." Eugene wondered tapping his chin before he reached for the painting.

"Careful!" Cassandra grabbed his wrist before he could break the painting."That's our only clue."

"Wha- I'm not going to eat it! Just watch." Eugene protested before he used on hand to move the painting to the side as the left end was attached to the wall like a cabinet door. "Jackpot."

"Huh. Alright, I'll give you pointers." Cassandra was actually impressed.

"I found a lot of these back in my cunning youth." Eugene mused, sounding baggy about his days as a thief.

Behind the painting was a metal safe with a turning lock. The safe looked black a bit rustic while built into the wall. If Quirin had a graptyc. It would be in this safe. The problem was. There's a lock dial with numbers and no one has the combination.

"Of course. What would a safe be if it didn't make us miserable by having a functional lock?" Eugene exhaled and asked. "Please tell me at least the kid left the combination on the letter."

"Let me look at the note again." Rapunzel said, taking another look at the note, and sighing while slumping her shoulders. "Nothing."

"Oh great. We have a safe, and no way of getting in it." Eugene ranted, throwing his arms up into the air. "What, did he think just because I was a master thief that I'm also a master safe cracker?"

"Yeah, if you were a Master thief, then I was a ballerina." Cassandra teased back. "The only thing you were a master of is getting caught."

Before Eugene could snap, he thought of something. "Wait...You were a ballerina?" He teased back.

"Instead of a tutu, I dance with swords. Wanna see some signature moves?" Cassandra threatened.

While they were talking and teasing. Pascal, who was perched on the top end of the painting, looked back and saw some letters and numbers formed on the trees in the image. He squeaked as his eyes lit up and he squeaked loudly getting Rapunzel's attention.

"What is it, Pascal?" Rapunzel turned wondering if her little friend found something.

Pascal than pointed his tail at the painting. And they all saw the numbers and letters formed on the painting. painted as the trees.

'L-R-L-R-L-R-L'

'6-2-7-5-8-0-1'

Letters on which direction to turn the nob and numbers to land on. Definitely a combination to a safe!

"The combination is in the painting?" Cassandra said in realization.

Eugene chuckled with his arms crossed.

"Damn, that Kid is clever." Eugene complimented.

"You found it. Way to go, Pascal." Rapunzel congratulated the chameleon with a pat on the head, earning a happy squeak.

Then Eugene worked on putting in the combination for them. Turning the knobs and making sure they end in the right order. Before he unlocked it and opened the safe. Inside they found the graphtic. Which was a wooden cylinder with two metal ends, a large crystal at one end and a small flat end on the other side.

"This is it!" Rapunzel beamed taking it

"Great! Now let's get out of here before we start seeing ghosts." Eugene urged humorously to leave.

Everyone agreed as they made for the exit. But as Rapunzel was walking. Her left bare foot stepped on something. which was the back of a picture frame. Rapunzel looked curiously and picked it up. The Princess looked to see it was a picture of Quirin. Holding a newborn baby. Sitting next to a beautiful red haired woman in bed. Looking like she had just given birth.

This must be Quirin and his dead wife, and Varian as a new born. Rapunzel sighed sadly before she placed it back on the desk and whispered. "I'm sorry."

Just as she was about to leave. Everyone stopped to hear loud noises outside. Which sounded like fighting. Men screaming and the sounds of stabbing and blocking.

"Kay I was joking. Please tell me those aren't ghosts with swords and rotted faces? I should've never watched that kid play Resident Evil while I was in the room." Eugene gulped as he protectively held Rapunzel, while she gripped the graptyc in her hands. Pascal hid under her hair while standing on her shoulder.

And Cassandra drew her sword glaring at the door, prepared for a fight. While her owl was perched on her shoulder.

Then the door opened. Showing the guy that was following them. A man in a dark cape and a red leather attire and a metal blank face mask.

"Hand over the graphtic." the man ordered with a distorted voice, his hand outstretched.

"Who is that?" Eugene asked, getting in front of Rapunzel protectively.

"Must be a friend of Francis." Cassandra said before charging at the man in the mask with her sword, and attempted to strike him down with it.

But the masked man dodged three of her strikes and blocked her fourth strike with a wooden lance.

Using one end of the lance, he raised Cassandra into the air and threw her back a bit. He then threw a grappling-like weapon at her, tieing her ankles together as she landed on the ground with a fud, groaning.

"Cass!" Eugene called out as Rapunzel stood by him with her hands in front of her mouth in fear and worry.

Eugene looked at the Masked man, not too happy with what just happened.

"Oh, you just crossed a line, Bub!" Eugene snapped, rolling up his sleeves before charging at the man.

The masked man tried to hit Eugene with the lance, but he dodged by dropping down and sliding on the ground and underneath his legs.

Eugene grabbed the masked man's weapon from behind to use against him. But the man used this to throw Eugene over him, making him crash into Owl and land on the floor himself.

"Hand it over. Now." The masked man ordered as he was approaching Rapunzel.

Pascal glared and jumped onto the man's mask and snapped his tongue against his mask. Causing the man to stumble a bit before he grabbed him by the tail and tossed Pascal on the table.

Rapunzel couldn't use her hair due to the fact she had to keep it braided to avoid touching the black rocks outside. But then she remembered something. A little fun gift Orion gave her when she last visited the Mav Club.

Orion gave her a bag of different potions made from his neon in different combinations. It was like owning a firecracker set, only less dangerous in a lethal way and more of a plan B need. Orion gave it to her and told her only to use it in case of an emergency.

Some were cool fogs and other potions were potions that made gel or ice.

Rapunzel looked into her travel sack and found the potions in it. She grabbed one and tossed it at the mysterious man who blocked it with his cape. The potion broke in front of him causing a flair of yellow neon.

"Stay back! I've got an entire set of potions! And I am not afraid to use it!" Rapunzel threatened.

Rapunzel then threw a green potion, which the man dodged. She then grabbed a purple potion and threw it at the masked man, making him raise his cape again to protect himself from a flair of purple neon.

But Rapunzel shuddered and covered her nose as she smelled what she just threw.

"Ugh- Stink bomb? Come on!" Rapunzel exclaimed, not believing that Orion actually gave her a stink bomb.

Pascal then reached into the bag himself, and threw out another purple potion, which the Masked man jumped to the side to dodge.

Rapunzel followed that up by throwing a blue potion, followed by a green potion, both of which he dodged. Then Rapunzel threw another purple potion. But this time he used his wooden staff to bat it back at Rapunzel, knocking the Graphtic out of her hand.

She gasped as it bounced and rolled away from her before coming to a stop.

The masked man made a run for it. But Pascal handed Rapunzel two pink potions.

"Ha, thanks!" Rapunzel said before throwing the two pink potions at the masked man, trapping both his arms in some form of sticking agent to the floor when he tried to grab the graphtic.

"Yeah! That oughta hold you!" Rapunzel cheered before running up to pick up the graphtic.

She ran up to Eugene who was helping to untie Cassandra's ankles.

"Alright, come on! Let's get outta here!" Rapunzel exclaimed, helping Cassandra stand as the three made their way towards the door.

Once they were outside. Rapunzel, Cassandra and Eugene ran through the path under the black rocks they took. Rapunzel was running ahead as she was anxious to get away from that masked guy. Her hair was glowing the entire time and the rocks she passed by would flash.

But at least she was careful not to touch the rocks.

"Slow down Rapunzel! If your hair touches these things and we're goners!" Cassandra warned as they were running to catch up with her.

"Yeah! What she said!" Eugene echoed as they leapt over a loose rock spike.

"We don't have much time before he gets free!" Rapunzel stressed as she was running.

"Who was that?!" Cassandra asked as they were running.

"Aahh, I don't know, but it must've been who Orion was trying to warn us-" Rapunzel almost finished until. "Woah!"

They jumped seeing the mask man suddenly appear behind a crevice behind the rocks, reaching his hand for Rapunzel.

Cassandra pulled her away to protect her friend as they all ran into another direction. Only for the masked man to pop up at another narrow opening which scared them.

"Ah! How fast is this guy?!" Eugene exclaimed as they ran past the guy.

They managed to make it out of the black rocky tunnel out on the other side, opposite of the house and where they came from. But they were shocked to see it was more than one of those guys in masks. All wearing the same outfit.

And surrounded by dead mercenaries, these mercs wore the same outfit as the corpse they found in the tunnel.

They sall one of the mask guys stab the last mercenary on the ground with a sword making him grunt in pain before dying.

"Eeh. I guess that explains why he can move so fast." Eugene muttered as he winced at the sight.

Then all seven of the masked men stood and faced Rapunzel and her friends. Surrounding them to make sure they don't escape.

Eugene stepped forward with his fists raised.

"Cassandra, you take the ones in black, we'll handle the rest." Eugene said to her, making her roll her eyes. Even now, he still finds time for his humor.

The masked men began to advance on the trio, forcing them to take a couple steps back. The rocks began to glow as Rapunzel got closer to them. Rapunzel looked on with fear, as it seemed all hope was lost.

*Clang*

One of the masked men fell to the ground with a groan after being hit on the head with a frying pan.

Everyone turned to see Maximus, holding a frying pan by the handle with his teeth.

"Reigh! " Maximus neighed before jumping between the masked men. He used his back legs to kick one man away. Then he head-butted another away. He then threw the pan in the air and caught it by the handle, the bottom of the pan now facing to the left. He then spun around, the pan in his teeth and hit all seven masked men in the face at once, making them all fall to the ground unconscious.

With a smug look, Maximus spit the pan out, launching it at the only remaining masked man still conscious, knocking him out easily.

"Max!" Rapunzel exclaimed happily, running up to him with Cassandra following right behind. Eugene paused for a moment and saw a tablet laying right next to one of the dead mercenaries.

"What's this?" Eugene whispered before deciding to just grab the tablet to look over later. After which he joined the girls by Maximus.

"Oh, you couldn't have come a second sooner!" Rapunzel exclaimed as she got on Maximus, with Cassandra right behind her and Eugene all the way in the back.

"Take us home, big guy!" Cassandra said as Rapunzel grabbed and flicked the reins.

"Whoaa!" Eugene cried out as they sped off, the seven men now getting to their feet as their leader made his way out of the black rock labyrinth after getting free. They all watched them speed off on Maximus.

"These guys want whatever this is pretty badly!" Rapunzel said, holding up the graphtic. "Something tells me we won't make it to the castle."

"And whoever those mercenaries were, it's become clear that they weren't with the masked men." Cassandra said in thought. "They probably are the ones working with this Francis Orion mentioned. But that just leaves more questions than answers."

"Well, whatever the case, maybe this could give us some answers." Eugene said, holding up the tablet. "But first, we need somewhere to hide and come up with a plan."

"I know just the place." Rapunzel said with a smirk before flicking the reins to a new course. "Yah!"

And Maximus sped off to where Rapunzel believed they could regroup one place they would never find them.


Later at the Mav Club...

Maverick had gotten back to the Mav Club without anyone noticing. Not even Groot. After sending the letter to Rapunzel and setting up all means for her to find the graptyc in the safe. With the info provided by journal diary, the same journal that Genevieve gave him.

Genevieve had a friend who had managed to recover the journal after the attack in Old Corona. Unfortunately most of the pages were missing. Mostly the ones he wrote before coming to Corona.

But Orion managed to use the info on the journal to provide instructions for Rapunzel on how to find the graptyc.

Which worked!

Now Maverick was sitting in his chair typing on the computer, looking for the means of a cure for his red skin. He was for sure that Friday would be gone for a while and Groot was still upstairs unaware that his pal was back. While taking care of a baby.

Maverick has been at this for a good long while and he can't find a solution with the advanced science and magic at his disposal.

"So there's no way to make me normal again?" Maverick inquired.

'Not without getting rid of your abilities and your keyblade. Which in itself is an impossibility. Your new mutated abilities are now fused with your magic.' IRIS pointed out the facts.

"So Francis...He could be pulling my leg about all of this. I mean a lot about drafting me and curing me. Only they spun the last part." Maverick muttered to himself. "This is the price I pay for getting in a white van with gay Agent K."

Referring to the Recruiter.

"Orion?" He heard a gasp behind him.

Maverick turned around slowly and saw Friday in her shift form. Standing there in utter shock with tears building up.

Maverick turned back around and muttered. "Fudge-sicle pot brownies."

Then he turned back around as Shift was marching up to him. With an angry look.

"Heeeey Friday!" Maverick greeted her with a weak wave, but he now knew that he was utterly screwed, big time.

Very much so. Because after three months of being absent. Why wouldn't she be angry?

"I can't even tell you-" he was cut off when Shift lightning punched him across the face . "I deserve that." Shift then punched him on the nose. "That too."

Then Shift hissed and was about to punch his crotch making Maverick flinch and cover that area.

"No no no no no! Maybe, maybe not the nethers." Maverick quipped a plea.

"START TALKING!" Shift bellowed.

Maverick looked at her with his helmet, eyes reading sadness and guilt.

"I'm sorry. I'm so...sorry. For... for everything. I'm sorry for leaving, I'm sorry for not cowboying up sooner. It's been a rough appointment at Dexter's office." Maverick spoke Sincerely.

Shift tried to stay mad at him, but she saw the sadness and pain in his eyes. And in his voice. She had never seen Orion look so... Broken. Her anger extinguished and she shifted back to Friday, looking at him with eyes full of concern.

"Orion, what happened?" Friday said, putting a hand on Maverick's cheek. "Please, just talk to me, and don't close me out. Let me in."

Maverick sighed. "I was dying." He finally revealed.

Friday's eyes widened in horror. She was not expecting to hear that at all.

"Dying?" Friday strangled out. "What...?"

"The cure. The one my father made for me. To get rid of my Leukemia at five. It didn't match the Neo-Particles in my generic structure. On top of that magic was it's kryptonite. So...It only worked...Temporarily. I didn't discover this until I turned twelve." Maverick revealed.

Which was very recent. Friday even set up a birthday party for him that day at Uncle Monty's Sweet Shop.

"Soโ€ฆ.Back at your twelfth birthday party, when you were acting off. That was your illness coming back?" Friday muttered before realization kicked in and she looked at him with sadness and a hint of anger. "You've been dealing with this for two years without telling one? Why the hell didn't you at least tell me?! Didn't you trust me?!"

"Would you have handled knowing? In the past few years that I was on a dead row virus? Wondering if I was going to fall at any moment?" Maverick spoke of his own fears. "I didn't want to burden you with that life. My family had to live and die with that...Maybe...Damn...Maybe that's why Dad didn't want to be around me. He couldn't bear to lose me." He wondered.

Then he realized that his mom was avoiding him as well, so she couldn't bear the pain of losing her son. But his sister Trish was strong for him. She was the only family he ever had in that life.

"You gotta understand. You were the only one free of that life. You and Groot. You are the most important person in my life." Maverick spoke out of love. "And didn't want to drag you into hell with me."

"But that wasn't your choice to make. It was mine. And I choose to be dragged down with you, so I can pull you back up." Friday said, looking at him with sadness and a small smile, still rubbing his cheek, surprising him with her conviction. "When we became a couple, we promised each other we would stick together no matter what. No matter how dark things got. You were there for me during my darkest days. And now it's my turn. I'm not going anywhere, no matter what."

Maverick looked at her with sadness and conviction as he felt lucky...No. Blessed to have someone that loves him like this. And he was afraid to lose that now.

"Friday? Babe?... the boy under this mask, he ain't the same one you remember." Maverick warned her.

"You mean this mask?" Friday inquired with a soft look.

Then she made Maverick's form shift back into Orion. Only he was wearing his hood on and gloves to hide the skin. And his face had an image of Nick Jonas taped to his face like a paper mask.

"And this one. It was in case I needed a back up." Orion stated.

Friday rolled her eyes playfully feeling relieved and as she reached to take it off. Orion placed his gloved hand on hers.

"Wait...Are you sure?" Orion asked, sounding very afraid in a quiet voice.

He wasn't prepared for Friday to see his face.

"Of course I'm sure. I don't know what happened, which you will tell me. No holding out." Friday said sternly before softening. "But no matter what I see, I know it's you. The wacky hero who stole my heart."

Orion nodded before he lowered his eyes and let Friday slowly take the mask off and brought his hood down.

Revealing his red face. And Orange hair as Orion looked very scared.

Friday wasgreatly shocked by this, she was not expecting this at all.

"Oh my God..." Friday breathed as hershock faded immediately as she put both her hands on his face. "It doesn't hurt, does it?"

She was worried he was in physical pain because of the change.

Orion looked at her with his sad green colored eyes.

"No, no. But...That place...Was a place of darkness. Not only did hours in that place were mystically stretched into days. Maybe weeks. But...They put me through a lot of torture. Painful ordeals to raise my stress level. In order to make me mutate." Orion explained as he was thinking back at all the torture that felt like an eternity of suffering as a neon tear fell down his face. "They did a lot. vicious beatings. Being hosed down while naked. Waterboarded. Locked in an ice box for several hours. Not to mention shock therapy...But what made me this. Was when they strapped and locked me in a hyperbaric chamber. And suffocate me for what felt like a weekend. And I came out...Looking like this."

Orion explain very detail of the torture he had gone through.

"Noโ€ฆ.Oh ***k!" Friday whispered in horror and pure anger, tears rolling down her face at what her love had endured. "Those mother ***kers. I'll tear their throats out! I'll rip off their junk and force them down what's left of their throats!"

She shouted that last part out, pure hatred for those monsters. That anger was quickly replaced by grief at seeing the pain in Orion's eyes, and what he endured in that hell, and pulled him into a hug.

"I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry." Friday cried into his shoulder. "I should have been there. I could have saved you from those bastards."

Orion was silently crying as well. As he held her and hugged her tightly. He grimaced as he couldn't bare to see her crying while he was also remembering everything he went through.

"You still got the receipt, right? Cause the package is damaged." Orion gestured himself with a broken voice while crying as well. And his face was littered with neon tears.

Friday pulled away slightly, still holding onto Orion with her own tears, and changed to show her blue skin and white hair.

"Orion, you are not damaged! You're hurting, yes. But you are not damaged." Friday said firmly before gesturing to herself. "So what if you look different? I mean look at me. I look like the impossible love child of White Fox and Mystique."

"Orion bit his bottom lip realizing Friday had a point. She's blue after all. And his form shouldn't change how she feels about him.

It didn't when he first saw her blue.

"Well. At least you're not naked. With the skin of a blue reptilian crossword puzzle." Orion said in a remark of a still broken voice. And the tears still on his face.

As he referenced the movie version of Mystique. Which Friday took absolutely no offense to.

Friday rolled her eyes at that, exasperated but grateful that some things never change.

"Orion. Let me tell you something that I never told you before." Friday said, catching his attention. "When we first met as kids, on that island, I was afraid.

This caught Orion by surprise, not knowing that at the time.

"I was afraid when you saw my skin and hair, you would be terrified of me, that you would run away screaming, that you would only see me as a monster. But you didn't." Friday continued, with tears falling from her eyes as she gave a small smile. "You didn't look at me with hate, or fear, or disgust. You looked at me with kindness, understanding, and love. You looked past my appearance and saw me for who I am. You gave me happiness and love. And I want to do that for you too." Friday put her hands on his cheeks and wiped the tears from his face. "You never ran away from me. And I will never run away from you. Because when I look at you, I see Orion, the wacky keyblade wielding nutcase with a big heart, who I fell in love with all those years ago, and will always love for all of eternity."

Orion could help but smile at her pure adorableness. Beautiful and loving alien girlfriend. As she took his hand and he held it He looked down at their hands touching. Their different color skins.

"I...If the Trolli sour candy has taught me anything. Is that...Red and blue do go well together." Orion quietly remarked while referencing Friday's favorite red and blue candy.

Friday giggled slightly at his joke and gave him a kiss full of love, which he returned with just as much love. Then she wrapped her arms around his left arm and tugged Orion towards the elevator.

"Come on." Friday said, guiding him to the elevator. "Let's get something in our stomachs. Then we can talk further. I'm making my specialty."

"Mmmm...TGI Friday's with a side of fries?" Orion smirked, feeling hungry for those big awesome homemade burgers Friday knows how to cook.

"And extra bacon and onions." Friday mused with a smirk, knowing that will rope him in for sure.

"Crap. Now I'm your hostage." Orion snickered as they stepped onto the Elevator and he held her close While she was leaning on the side of his shoulder.

"I'm glad to have you back." Friday said, looking at him misty eyed. "I missed you so much."

"Ditto." Orion replied back as they shared a passionate kiss as the elevator closed.

Don't worry. They won't do anything inappropriate.

If anything, This was true young love. And now they're about to have a meal and a movie together. And Orion has time to take his mind off of everything that's happened.

God knows he needs it.


Meanwhile deep in the forest of Corona...

The trio continued riding on Maximus. Hoping to get as far away from those creepy masked men as possible. So far as they rode the white horse, they didn't see those men following them. So they pressed on until Rapunzel had him come to a stop at the edge of a cliff.

"We're here." Rapunzel said to Eugene and Cassandra, smiling.

"Here?" Eugene asked before gesturing around them. "Where's here?"

"You said we need a place to hide." Rapunzel said, dismounting Maximus. "Here we are?"

"And once again, where is 'here'?" Eugene asked while Cassandra dismounted herself. He was greatly confused about why they were at the edge of a cliff.

Eugene turned his head to the sound of Owl hooting as he got off Maximus. Cassandra understood Owl's signals and hoots.

"They're following us." Cassandra stated with narrowed eyes.

"Guys come on!" They heard Rapunzel call out. But when they turned to her, she was not there.

Eugene and Cassandra shared a glance before they ran to the edge, and saw Rapunzel using a vine to climb down the cliff.

"What are you slow pokes waiting for?" Rapunzel asked with a smirk.

Eugene bent down to pick up a vine to use to climb down.

"Okay, Eugene, today we are repelling down the side of a cliff with a horse, princess, and a frog." Eugene muttered to himself with a fake frustrated look while Cassandra started after Rapunzel, before he perked up. "Man, I love Corona! Ha-ha!"

With that he leaped off the cliff holding onto the vine as he made his way down.

Rapunzel was the first to make it down, then Cassandra with Owl landing on her arm. The two walked away from the bottom of the cliff as Eugene landed on the ground on his two feet, smirking.

He frowned when he heard Maximus whine, and turned to see him quickly sliding down the cliff by the vine. Eugene leaped out of the way and landed on his stomach as Maximus slid by. Eugene looked up just as Maximus spat out a ball of grass in his face. The horse just smirked.

Rapunzel giggled as she walked over to a giant veil of leaves Eugene stood up.

"Eugene, I'm surprised you didn't recognize where we are." Rapunzel said as Eugene removed the ball of grass from his face as Maximus, and Cassandra looked to her in anticipation. She then turned and pulled back the leaf veil and gasped. She then turned to her friends with a look of concern.

"Actually, now I'm not sure I recognize it." Rapunzel said, gesturing to where they were. It was the tower she grew up in. But now it was surrounded by several black rocks, sprouting around the base of the tower and the surrounding area.

"This is bad." Eugene muttered.

"These rocks are an even bigger problem than we thought." Cassandra said with a grim sigh.

"Huh? Oh, no, actually, I was talking about my vest. It got dirty during but, uh-" Eugene gestured to his vest but stopped seeing the glares from Maximus and Cassandra, while Rapunzel still looked concerned with everything.

Eugene cleared his throat.

"Yeah- No, those rocks are bad, super bad." Eugene tried to cover, making Maximus and Cassandra roll their eyes.

Rapunzel turned back to look at her old tower, now desecrated by the very rocks threatening her kingdom.


Later that night...

As the sun set over the tower and the sky was black with the stars out.

Everyone was inside the tower. Even Maximus was up with them. Cassandra was looking around the sight where Rapunzel was saved from Gothel with an uneasy feeling as she looked at the broken glass of a mirror. And strands of Rapunzel's old hair all over the floor.

But what really concerned her was that she was seeing old footprints in the pattern of boots that looked old. But not as old as everything else.

Probably a few months back. Meaning someone has been here before. But whoever it was, probably is gone by now. Even if Cassandra will stay cautious for the sake of her friends.

"Oh! And this is where she hit me with a frying pan for the very first time. Little known fact, but the blow actually improved my hairline. Yeah, pre-pan, cowlick, post-pan perfection." Eugene spoke with Maximus in the background naming the spots of old memories. "Oh uh, watch your step, Pal. That's where I died. See?"

Rapunzel sat down on the sofa with her bare feet crossed as she observed the graptyc wondering what it was and why Orion needed it.

"What is so important about this thing?" Rapunzel whispered as she wondered.

Cassandra was checking the window and saw no one was outside. Before she remembered what Eugene found and went to his travel sack which was on a table. Cassandra retrieved it and walked over to sit with Rapunzel and show her. Which got the Princess' attention as she placed the graptyc aside.

"Eugene found this on one of the dead mercenaries before we got away." Cassandra said as she handed it to Rapunzel.

"I think it's a digital tablet. I've seen Orion use one like these before." Rapunzel stated as she tried to turn it on.

The same way Orion taught her how to turn a Gummi Pad on a while back.

"This is the armoire where Rapunzel hid my unconscious body. Eugene remarked as he chuckled and called his girlfriend. "You remember that Honey?! Ha ha! What a romantic first date."

But everyone ignored him while Maximus was listening to him. Giving Eugene weird looks every now and then. Rapunzel was too focused on trying to get the tablet on.

Pascal was sitting on Rapunzel's shoulder when the chamaeleon noticed a fingerprint switch at the back of the tablet. And snapped his tongue against it to turn it on.

"It's on! Nice! Thanks Pascal." Rapunzel beamed and stroked her Chamaeleon friend's chin making him smile and squeal a bit.

"Huh? Oh hey! You got that do-hickey working? I found it by the way, you're welcome." Eugene came over and remarked

"Thanks Eugene." Rapunzel playfully rolled her eyes before the tablet displayed it's main menu. "Now, let's see what's on this thing."

"I hope it's no one's dating diary." Eugene silently remarked.

Then Rapunzel opened up a digital library thanks to Orion showing her how. And then she sees a file with a list of videos titled 'Subject-M'.

"Wait a sec." Rapunzel looked curious.

'M' as in 'Maverick'. Everyone found that too convenient.

Rapunzel opened the folder and clicked on the first one. When the video opened up. The video was in black and white. But it was easy to see as it was a security camera in a room. With Ajax and Angel in the background with...

"It's Orion!" Rapunzel's eyes widened. "This must be the hospital he went to!"

"I don't know Blondie. They don't look like chiropractors." Eugene was nervous about what the kid went through.

"What are they doing to him?" Cassandra wondered.

'I'm injecting you with a special serum acquired by the data 'Bzzzzz.'" Ajax stated. 'With the DNA of your Princess playmate. It will activate any mutant genes lurking about in your DNA. For it to work we need you to subject you to extreme stress 'Bzzzzzz' ." Ajax on the video stated

"The good news is 'BZZZZZZ' this will halt your incoming disease for a longer amount of time. The bad news...Well. You've heard the saying 'Make an omelet, break some eggs' bit, right?" Ajax smirked. "I'm about to hurt you boy."

All their hearts stopped at hearing those words. Everyone looked pale, even the animals. Pascal actually turned white.

"No... They can't mean..." Rapunzel whispered hoarsely.

"Oh come on. Maybe he just means the medicine might make him feel worse for a bit." Eugene nervously laughed, honestly trying to convince himself more than anything else.

"I really doubt that's what he meant." Cassandra said, her usual sass absent in her voice.

Then the video jumped to Orion talking about Ajax's teeth.

"You have something in your teeth. Right in the middle there, I don't know. A little nugget of romaine lettuce or something. It's been bothering me the entire time you spoke." Orion stated.

They saw Ajax look amused. Even under this kind of treatment. Orion can't take threats or any promises of pain seriously. Then they saw Ajax look over in the mirror to check his teeth to see if he had anything on it. Which made the boy chuckle.

"Ha! Made you look." Orion teased.

Eugene stiffed a chuckle at this.

"Hey is Ajax your actual name? Cause it's sounds suspiciously made up. What is it really? Kevin? Bruce? Scott? Mitch? The Rickster?" Orion asked while quipping. Then he asked in a British accent while smirking. "Is it Basil Fawlty?"

They are saying in the video that even when he was at their mercy. Orion still is a witty rebel that doesn't take pain or the threat of it seriously.

"Well, at least he still has his humor going for him." Eugene said, trying to sound humorous to relieve the obvious tension.

"Yeah, that's what you should do when held captive, antagonize your captors." Cassandra said with some of her sarcasm back.

"Orion..." Rapunzel watched on, terrified for what may be coming next.

"One thing that never survives this place is a sense of humor." Ajax declared in the video.

"We'll see about that Posh Spice." Orion challenged.

"I suppose we will." Ajax accepted the challenge and nodded to Angel. "He's all yours. Give him the kitty meal."

Then they see Ajax walk out of the room to leave Orion with Angel. For the procedure of a painful experience.

"Oh come on! You're gonna leave me all alone here with less angry Rosie O'Donnell?" Orion called after Ajax.

Then they saw Orion get punched in the face to knock him out.

*Punch!*

"ORION!" they all shouted, seeing the end of the video.

"Did that- holy...That bitch just punched the Kid!" Eugene snapped, outraged.

"My God... What did they do to him?" Rapunzel whispered in horror and fear.

"I think we're about to find out. They're more videos on this thing." Cassandra pointed out, growling out what she saw.

The three, plus the animals, were wary of continuing, but knew they had to, in order to learn the truth.

Once Rapunzel clicked the video. This one was titled. 'Pain Montage.' As if some security guard was making a joke out of the experience while editing Ajax's prognosis.

And playing a soundtrack in the background.

(Mr Sandman - The Chordettes)

Mr. Sandman, bring me a dream (bung, bung, bung, bung)

Make him the cutest that I've ever seen (bung, bung, bung, bung)

Give him two lips like roses and clover (bung, bung, bung, bung)

Then tell him that his lonesome nights are over

Sandman, I'm so alone (bung, bung, bung, bung)

Don't have nobody to call my own (bung, bung, bung, bung)

Please turn on your magic beam

Mr. Sandman, bring me a dream

This song played while the video was going.

"This is how's going to work." Ajax told Orion. "Adrenaline acts as a catalyst to the serum, soโ€ฆ we're gonna have to make you suffer. If you're lucky. Your mutant genes will manifest in a spectacular fashion. If notโ€ฆ then we'll have to keep on hurting you. In new and different ways each more painful than the last. Until you finally mutate. Or die."

As Ajax was speaking in the video. They saw clips of Orion going through everything. Being strung up by his arms tied to the ceiling, while wearing only a towel. And suffering punches to the face and stomach. Getting bruises and a bit up blood and spit sipping from his mouth, and grunting in the background from each punch.

Then a clip wad even showing Orion being sprayed with a water hose while naked in a cage.

Then the clip showed Orion being water boarded in a tub full of mucky water. Repeatedly.

And a clip of Orion locked in a box full of ice. They showed an image of him shivering as they locked him in.

And Orion cuffed to an electric wall with a bag over his head as they charged it multiple times.

On Ajax's last note. They pulled the back off showing Orion in a daze from the extreme pain while drooling.

This showed how inhuman these people were.

All of them now looked sick to their stomachs.

"Oh my... Orion...This... This can't be hap-" Rapunzel said, holding a hand to her mouth to prevent herself from throwing up, tears streaming from her eyes. She had never seen such evil committed by mankind in her life. "How can humanity be capable of such low acts of cruelty?!"

"There are all kinds of monsters in this world I'm afraid." Eugene growled out. "But to do this to a child, is a whole different kind of evil."

"If I ever see any of these bastards in my sights, I won't even give them a chance to surrender." Cassandra stated, looking ready to explode. "they're deadโ€ฆ.. They're all dead!"

Pascal was looking greener than usual as Max was flaring through his nose.

Rapunzel pulled up another video after that last one ended. This video showed where Orion was being strapped into the hyperbolic chamber. The part that triggered his mutation.

"If this doesn't unlock your mutation, well... Nothing will. Now, what we're going to do is lower the oxygen concentration in there to the exact point you feel like you're suffocating. If your brain waves slow, meaning you're about to pass out, then we'll turn up the O2. If your heart rate slows, meaning you're able to catch your breath, we'll turn it back down. And that's where we'll leave you. Right there." Francis pointed out sinisterly.

"Ugh, I thought you guys were dicks before." Orion looked weirded out and slightly nervous by the details.

"okay. These guys are sickโ€ฆ..Lower than sick!" Eugene gritted out.

"The more they do him, the longer I'm going to take killing these monsters." Cassandra growled out.

"Orion... Please no. Please stop hurting him! Hasn't he suffered enough?!" Rapunzel gasped out, her tears falling down more.

Then they arrived at the main clip of the archives.

"You know the funniest part of all this? You still think we're making you some kind of superhero. You, a dishonorable discharge hook deep in fairy-tale hookers? You're nothing." They heard Ajax mocked Orion's intelligence while revealing his true intentions of the Workshop and it's dirty secrets. "Our secret, Boy, is that this workshop doesn't make super heroes. We make super slaves. We're gonna fit you with a control collar and auction you off to the highest bidder. And doing this business across other worlds is really booming. Even more than that Pleasure Island act we tried. Until a keyblade wielder took csre of them sadly. But...Who knows what they'll have you do. Maybe they'll have you kill him. Or...Have you go out...Terrorizing citizens across the Multiverse, putting down freedom fighters. Blowing up a world for an alien tyrant. Maybe Thanos...Or. Maybe just mow the occasional lawn."

"The ***k wrong with you?" Orion inquired.

"No... They can't!" Rapunzel strangled out.

"Is there really no end to how creatively sadistic they are?!" Eugene shouted.

"I knew he shouldn't have gone there. It sounded like a trap from the start. What was he thinking?" Cassandra growled out, angry to see a friend suffer so, to be used like a tool.

"He was afraid." Rapunzel whispered, getting their attention. "He didn't want to die. He was so... So scared."

Then the video staticed and skipped to the crucial worst part.

"Enjoy your weekend Forge." Ajax mused.

"Weekend? Back up, weekend?!" Orion asked, looking flabbergasted.

Then the seal shut in the chamber.

They see the chamber begin to empty and lower the level of oxygen to a certain point. And Orion's veins began to show as he choked and couldn't breathe. He gasped and echoed in the chamber trying hard to breathe. "Ack...haaa!...ulgh..."

They see Ajax walking out while eating his salad enjoying the sound. This doctor was a real sadist.

They saw Orion was left alone in the room. The sounds that were made were just him suffering and the sounds of a heart beat monitor raising up. Showing that he was reaching a high level stress point.

Eugene was breathing through an empty bag while everyone watched in horror as Orion went through the change. The problem is they couldn't see his skin tone because the video was black and white. But they could tell he was changing. Because he didn't die from suffocating. But they could tell he was in agony with little breathe to scream.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH! AAAAAAAAHHHH!" Orion exhaled a blood bubbling scream of pain like thickless air with the little breathe he had. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!"

"NOOO!" Rapunzel screamed in horror, seeing and hearing Orion in such agony, breaking her heart. She fell to her knees, the tears coming out full force now.

"What the hell did those bastards do to him?!" Eugene wheezed out.

"I don't know. But to hell with killing them. If I had my way, they'd all live long lives feeling nothing but pain." Cassandra gritted out, wanting nothing more than to punch something right now.

Then the video skipped to when Ajax and Angel returned into the room seeing that they're experiment was a success. And they opened the hatch to the chamber. Causing steam noises as it opened.

"GAHH!" Orion gasped and breathed hard to gain a breath back after being at that point for what felt like hours. Maybe days.

"***kin hell. Looks like someone lost his shot at homecoming queen." Ajax remarked about Orion's new look.

They couldn't see what they did to his skin due to the video being black and white.

"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO ME?!" Orion bellowed in pure rage.

"I've merely raised your stress levels high enough to trigger a mutation." Ajax mused.

"YOU SADISTIC ***K!" Orion spat in nothing but hatred.

"Man... I've never seen him so angry before." Eugene wheezed out.

"After what they just did to him, are you really surprised?" Cassandra gritted out in anger.

"Orion..." Rapunzel choked out in a sob.

"I've cured you, Boy. Now your mutated cells can heal practically anything." Francis pointed out. "Not only are your viruses gone. No longer there as if they weren't. But you wield the sun's power like a nursery rhythm."

This let them know Orion was no longer sick and couldn't die from anything. But they still were watching with different uneasy expressions.

"You know, I've seen some of the side effects before. I could cure them." Ajax pointed out like an offer before he smirked. "But where's the fun in that?"

Normally Orion could've detected his lie. But due to the Workshop's dark aurora blocking his magic that time. He couldn't at first.

They doubted that info about fixing whatever was wrong with Orion as they saw the boy looked angry still, as he was backing down a little bit more.

"Now I'm gonna shut you in again Boy. Not because I need to." Francis mused as he leaned forward and added. "But because I want to."

Then the video skipped to the next part.

"Quick question. Just a little pop quiz before I go. What's my name?" Ajax teased for that earlier remark Orion made.

Then they saw Orion smirked as the room began to smoke and steam.

"Sorry Francis. My lips are sealed." Orion mused as he sounded confident again.

*KA-BOOM!*

The entire facility blew up like a bomb in front of them. Ajd the camera shifted to another video feed.

Showing guards shooting at someone with assault rifles as Orion was walking down the hall unaffected by the bullets, it showed them shooting at Orion who was laughing like a maniac causing their bullets to Incinerate before they could touch his skin.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAA!" Orion laughed loudly. As he ran up to them and caused a heat wave to knock the guards down.

But not killing them.

Then he dashed through the room in the form of ashes before the whole place collapsed.

Letting Rapunzel and her friends know he's alive. And then the video ended there.

"Damn. He looked like he went mad there, laughing like that towards the end." Eugene commented shakily. "But all things considered, I can't exactly blame him."

"At least he was able to get out of there." Cassandra commented to herself. "And he got a few hits in while doing it."

"Blondie? Are you okay?" Eugene asked a Rapunzel who was in tears.

"No...Maybe you were right...Maybe my dreams were trying to tell me to stay in the castle...Where I belong." Rapunzel whimpered, hugging herself. Trying to get those images out of her head.

Pascal squeaked in concern for Rapunzel as they all knew this was hard for her to see. Even Maximus huffed sadly.

"This is all my fault. I touched those rocks...And now this." Rapunzel sobbed silently. "I should have tried harder to convince him not to go, we could have..."

Rapunzel wondered if she had stopped Orion from leaving. Maybe they could've found a solution together. She knew it sounded shady, but for her and how she's feeling, that doesn't begin to cover it.

"Hey come on now. We don't know that any of this is your fault." Eugene soothed as he was the first to bend down to Rapunzel's height and held her close as she cried in his arms.

"We don't know that it's not." Rapunzel whimpered against Eugene's chest.

Then Eugene broke the hug slightly to look at her while he held her shoulders.

"Okay, Princess? Listen to me. I know what I said before about forgetting all of this. Yes, this is way way worse than I or anyone else imagined. But Orion was in a tight spot with little time. And they took advantage of him, in the worst way possible. This is on them. No one else." Eugene said firmly to deflect Rapunzel's guilt as he touched her cheek. "We'll find him. And we'll correct this. And if not. Chances are he'll find us."

"And when that time comes, we'll be there for him" Cassandra said, determination in her eyes. "No matter what."

Rapunzel looked at them with tear filled eyes before trying to wipe them.

"Also. I don't know what else they did to the Kid. But one thing has become clear. fault or not. People are in danger, a lot of danger. And the Rapunzel I know was never one to run from a fight." Eugene stated to convince Rapunzel that she was right to come down here.

Because Rapunzel needed to know all of this. Corona is in trouble. And Orion was suffering. They both need the Princess.

Rapunzel finished wiping her tears and climbed back onto the couch, looking at her friends with a new determination.

"You're right. There are people counting on us to help them." Rapunzel said firmly, conviction in her eyes. "And that's what we're going to do."

"Atta girl." Eugene replied with a smirk.

"We're with you, Rapunzel." Cassandra said, smiling at her.

"Thanks guys." Rapunzel said smiling before looking at the graphtic she set down minutes ago. "Now, let's see what's the deal with this thing."

Rapunzel tried to open it again. Even Cassandra started trying. But as her friend was struggling to open it. Rapunzel noticed a hole at the other end that resembled a keyhole.

"Wait a minute..." Rapunzel realized as she took the key out of her bag. "The key."

The same key that was in Orion's letter. The same key that he found in Quirin's diary. Written with the details.

Rapunzel slipped the key into the hole and they heard a click on it. As Cassandra took off the top and down a small scroll attached to it.

"It's some kind of scroll." Rapunzel tilted her head looking at it.

"Reeeeigh!" Maximus neighed loud to alert the others as he was standing by the window.

"Max? What's wrong?" Rapunzel called over ad they noticed.

Maximus was huffed and urging them to come to the window.

Eugene ran over and looked out to see what was below. And his eyes widened.

"Guy's? I think we have a problem?" Eugene called the others.

Rapunzel and Cassandra ran to the window to see what was wrong. Two masked men were quickly scaling the side of the tower, while the rest of the masked men waited on the ground, surrounding the tower. You've gotta be kidding!" Rapunzel exclaimed, her voice starting to lace with frustration as she stepped back inside the tower.

"What do you wanna do, Blondie?" Eugene asked Rapunzel as she walked away from the window with the graphtic in her hands, looking at it, her eyes ablaze with frustration and determination.

"No more running, no more hiding!" Rapunzel said with slight anger in her voice. "They've picked the wrong time to tick off the wrong Princess."

After everything Rapunzel saw in those videos and learned about what happened to her friend, her brother. She wasn't ***king around this time.

Cassandra, Eugene, and Maximus smirked, glad to see Rapunzel ready to put up a fight.

"That's my girl!" Eugene said, brandishing a frying pan, ready to knock some heads around.

Rapunzel gripped the graptyc as she realized that strategy with frying pans and holding back her full potential won't work this time.

"Sorry, Eugene. Frying pans are great and all. But..." Rapunzel turned around and stood looking serious. "It's time for an upgrade."

Rapunzel then placed the graptyc in the sack on Maximus' saddle before she began walking towards the window looking ready to hurt somebody. Then the Princess started unhooking the beeded binds around her hair strands. Slowly letting it loose.

"Rapunzel, what are you doing?!" Cassandra widened her eyes.

"Letting down my hair." Rapunzel grit her teeth as her hair was now loose.

Just as those masked men were getting close up to the windows. Rapunzel tossed her long blonde hair out for the tip of her hair to touch one of those black those rocks below.

And then...

***BOOM!***

The rocks flashed as it burst a dark shock wave that knocked all of those men off the wall and onto the ground.

When the wave passed over them and the smoke cleared. The tower was still standing. And all the masked men were down. But the black rocks were still there. And they began to sprout below the tower. And at the base.

Rapunzel looked out and gasped to see the black rocks were sprouting fast and were heading their way.

So she quickly pulled her hair up and ran for the bottom exit hatch to get out of there fast. Everyone else followed her even though Maximus had trouble getting through at first.

As they were all running down the spiral staircase which led outside. The ground shook as they stopped to see the rocks coming up from below the stairs.

"Um, I did not expect the rocks to follow me all the way up here!" Rapunzel said as she looked alarmed.

"What did you expect them to do?!" Eugene responded as he gulped seeing the rocks sprouting their way.

"Come on!" Rapunzel urged them to rub back all the way up stairs.

They all turned back around and ran back up as the rocks continued chasing them.

Rapunzel ran out of the hatch, followed by Eugene, who was helping carry Rapunzel's hair. Maximus leapt up. And Cassandra made it out just as the rocks began sprouting, knocking her off her feet and land in a bundle of Rapunzel's hair.

Rapunzel ran for the window, only for a giant rock sprouted out, blocking yet another way out of the tower. Rapunzel looked around in desperation at this point, trying to find an escape.

Owl flew about dodging the sprouting rocks, spinning in the air, until he landed on a hook shaped lever, opening a sun window on the roof.

"That's the only way out!" Rapunzel exclaimed as she ran for the stairs, the others following. "Let's go! Come on!"

Rapunzel's and fiends ran up the stairs as fast as they could, the rocks gaining on them.

Once at the top of the stairs, Rapunzel threw her hair up and over one of the wooden beams high up.

As the rocks continued to get closer, Cassandra started climbing up Rapunzel's hair, followed quickly by Eugene, who only paused for a moment when he saw Maximus climb up the other end of the hair. Using his horse legs to grip and climb her hair expertly. Even using his jaw to grip her hair as he ascended.

"So, horses can climb now. That's a thing." Eugene deadpanned with a grin before he resumed his climb.

Rapunzel soon began climbing up her own hair, just as the rocks reached where she was a moment ago.

Maximus was backing away quickly on the roof as the rocks were spreading fast. The horse ran to join the others. As they stood trapped on the roof. The Black rocks kept sprouting as the roof was tearing itself apart.

And Rapunzel's hair kept flowing in the wind.

The rocks were sprouting towards the group and they were trapped with no way to get away or to get down from the tower. Rapunzel looked back over the edge of the tower . And concluded her only option.

"There's only one way down!" Rapunzel declared and she looked at her glowing hair and felt as strand before she made her move.

"Guys, I think I have a way out! But it's a little crazy, so you're just gonna have to trust me!" Rapunzel stated as she took hold of Eugene's hand.

Suddenly they all tripped as Eugene held Rapunzel and Cassandra stuck close.

"Uh, sure! Let's go for it! I'm up for anything at this point." Eugene agreed to follow her lead.

"Follow me!" Rapunzel urged as they all took hands.

"Oooh. Even your hands are cold." Eugene shivered, taking Cassandra's hand.

"***k you." Cassandra muttered to Eugene in response.

Pascal offered his little lizard hand to Owl, who rolled his eyes and responded as he accepted and gave him his wing. Maximus briefly raised an eyebrow before he took off running with the others.

"LET'S GO!" Rapunzel yelled as they ran together.

They ran for a opening towards the edge of the roof as the rocks were closing in. It was now or never for them.

"I CANNOT BELIEVE WE'RE DOING THIIIIIS!" Eugene screamed as they all jumped.

And in that split second as gravity took them.

But halfway through their descent, Rapunzel's glowing hair wrapped around them and increased them in a protective cocoon made of her hair. Moments later, it hit the ground and bounced away from the tower. It then bounced one more time before finally landing on the ground with a fud.

Rapunzel's hair stopped glowing and unwrapped itself from Rapunzel and her friends.

"Oh, did everyone see that?" Cassandra asked with excitement. "Is-is that still a real thing?!"

Cassandra remembered seeing her do that during the time they first met Orion when Rapunzel survived a burning farm with Eugene.

"Uh... Let's just say it's complicated?" Eugene answered while Rapunzel ran a few steps away to look up at her tower.

The tower started to collapse from the damage caused by the rocks. She watched with wide, sad eyes as tears fell from her eye at the sight of her childhood home falling 's tower finally collapsed, kicking up a large cloud of dust that spread over the whole area. When the dust cleared, the tower was completely gone, leaving nothing but the giant rocks that destroyed it.

Thus was the end of Rapunzel's old life. There's nothing left of it. Rapunzel knows she's beyond what Gothel did to her. But it still hurts to see a place that held the first eighteen years of her life.

Now gone.

"Can we avoid going up in towers from now on?" Eugene awkwardly asked as he rubbed the back of his neck.

Rapunzel looked down and got on her knees to pick up a piece of ruble, which was something she painted. An image of her looking out at the floating lanterns on her birthday. The same lanterns that lead her home.

Rapunzel looked at it with distraught as she touched the image. Before placing it down to close her eyes.

"Are you okay?" Eugene asked out of concern as he got down to hold her shoulders.

Rapunzel's only response was turning around to hug her boyfriend, seeking comfort.

"Guys. You may have to look at this." Cassandra got their attention.

They look and see one of the masked men digging his way out of the rubble, his helmet off, but his head down, other masked men still out of it.

"Time, for answers." Rapunzel said firmly as she walked up to the man who was on the ground, who tried to reach for his helmet. But Rapunzel stepped forward and used her bare foot to slide it out of his reach. Forcing him to look up, and reveal who he is.

Rapunzel gasped when she saw, it was the Captain of Corona's guards.

"Dad?" Cassandra gasped, recognizing her father. He looked at them all before sighing, knowing the jig was up. He stood up and faced them.

"Princess, we had orders, to recover the scroll, and keep it from you." The Captain admitted to them, surprising them as other unmasked guards stepped forward. "But when we saw and heard those mysterious mercenaries make mention of kidnapping you, we knew it was our responsibility to fend them off by any means necessary, and bring you to safety."

Rapunzel and her friends looked at each other before Rapunzel stepped forward.

"Who? Who ordered you?" Rapunzel demanded to know. The Captain and guards shared hesitant looks.

"Answer her." Cassandra told her father as she stepped forward.

Knowing that he can no longer hide it, he sighed and admitted who sent them.

"Your father." Captain admitted to Rapunzel, making her gasp and step back with wide eyes. The others were just as shocked.

Rapunzel ran to Maximus' side and grabbed the graphtic from her bag and opened it. She took out the scroll and unrolled it, she and her friends looking at the ancient writing from top to bottom, part of the scroll missing.

"Why would your father want to keep this from you?" Eugene asked.

"I don't know." Rapunzel said, rolling up the scroll again, and glaring ahead at the rocks that destroyed the tower. "But I'm going to find out."

The guards turned to look towards the giant rocks as well, as the sun began to rise in the distance.


Earlier at the mansion...

Groot was sitting at his sectional lounge chair eating a large burger as he felt satisfied to be eating it again.

But even more satisfied to have his best buddy back. He didn't care that Orion was red. The tree was happy to even see those two kids reunited at the sofa.

Orion was now wearing a white Captain America themed t-shirt and a pair of Avengers pajamas while barefoot.

Friday was wearing a comfortable loose purple butterfly t-shirt with the title 'prest-o change-o' And a pair of short red PJs while barefoot as well.

They were in their real red and blue skin tones while having lunch together. Friday was sitting up on the couch enjoying her meal while Orion was reclining his head against her lap. Enjoying her company as he would raise up every now and then to take another bite of his meal.

Varian was in his crib a little bit across from them. Looking at the TV as Charlie Brown was playing.

He would giggle whenever something funny would happen with Snoopy.

"What are the odds that Charlie Brown could be another world too?" Orion wondered as he ate a fry dipped in spicy ketchup.

"It might just be possible." Friday said, after taking a sip of her soda. "But also as likely as Mr. Crocker catching Timmy Turner's fairies."

Due to that 'crazy guy enemy of a ten year old boy' reference, Orion almost remembered telling Friday something important. But he had completely forgotten. He even forgot the comical convicted killer from another world that he left at the Snuggly Duckling.

But he figured it wasn't important and decided to save it for a better moment. And he focused on something else he noticed.

"Is those violet or deep turquoise?" Orion noticed Friday's toenails were a new polished color. Which blended well with her blue toes.

Friday smiled at her boyfriend for noticing that.

"It's violet actually. I decided to try something new." Friday said while holding her foot out for a moment to wiggle her toes. "What do you think?"

"It blends like a dream." Orion complimented her while he tickled her toes a little, making her giggle sweetly. He even saw her display her fingernails. "I think you should share beauty salon toe nail tips with Zel. She the one who thinks shoes are Satan, so she would definitely go for him."

Friday's smile faltered as she thought about what happened back at the castle a while back. Before searching for Orion and...When she threatened Rapunzel. And was exposed in front of everyone seeing her blue skin.

Orion doesn't know yet. And he deserves to know. Friday already told him about Old Corona. Quirin's death and Genevieve losing her husband. And since he was open and honest earlier about what he went through.

Orion deserves to know what happened at the castle.

"Orion?" Friday said, timidly, getting his attention. "I have to tell you something."

"Yeah?" Orion asked sitting up to give her his full attention.

"After the attack on Old Corona, I went to the castle to let Rapunzel know what happened and see if she knew where you were." Friday told Orion, who had a sinking feeling that he knew where this was going. "Between what happened to the town and my injuries, I didn't have much patience when Rapunzel said she couldn't tell me where you went. So, I pinned her to the wall... And pretty much threatened her to tell me what she knew."

"Woah. That's...Jesus. What did the guards do?" Orion inquired, looking worried about that detail.

"Well, Rapunzel and I were talking alone when this happened. But then someone shot me with this strange dart, and it temporarily disabled my shapeshifting abilities." Friday responded, shocking Orion. "The guards saw me with my blue skin."

"Damn it." Orion whispered, shaking his head.

"They freaked out thinking Rapunzel was being attacked by a blue demon. I got shot by a crossbow arrow in the leg and ran off. I managed to get away but...Ryan they know what I am now. They know I'm affiliated with you. They still don't know that Maverick and Shift are us. But..." Friday explained shamefully about her reckless behavior at the castle. "***k. I was so stupid."

"No Friday..." Orion sighed wanting to tell her it's not her fault So he went in a different angle explaining Rapunzel's part. "Zel didn't know where I was. I just collapsed on her balcony and told her about my conditions and that I was going away to have them treated. She couldn't have known where I was. If anything the blame is on me."

"But I'm still at fault. I let my frustration get the better of me and I took it out on Rapunzel. And now our secret's out to the Kingdom. I just..." Friday said, her eyes misty. "I just feel so guilty about what I did to her. And I don't feel confident enough to face her right now. Besides, even if I apologized, it wouldn't be enough to atone for my actions."

Orion understood how hard it would be to face Rapunzel after a moment like that. Friday hated being seen as weak. And she was always seen as the sensible power in control type girl.

Friday is thinking that she ruined that image completely.

No. You don't have to. Not yet." Orion stroked her hair to comfort her. And he sighed. "Listen. When I went to visit Gen. She gave me an old journal that belonged to Quirin. Apparently he had some pretty cryptic history with those rocks."

This shocked Friday greatly, and right out of her self-loading for the moment.

"Are you saying Quirin knew something about the rocks that have been popping up everywhere?" Friday asked, greatly surprised.

"More than we know. He was involved with some kinda a secret society. A real Order of the Golden Dawn type of group. All working for a kingdom that was brought down decades ago by the same black rocks." Orion explained. "Apparently Quirin didn't want the King involved because he didn't want the same history to repeat in Corona."

"But wouldn't warning the king of the danger instead of letting it grow have made more sense?" Friday questioned. "I mean, wouldn't this allow them to take necessary measures to prevent tragedy?"

"Quirin was trying to handle the whole situation by himself. Uncanny On the details, I know." Orion gestured himself before continuing. "Apparently Quirin told Rapunzel's father about that magic Sunflower a long time ago. And when the King's wife was sick and pregnant. And Quirin warned the King of the consequences that taking the flower would awaken an ancient darkness. And thus...The rocks."

Friday's eyes widened in realization.

"That's what Lash was spouting on about." Friday said. "He mentioned the King bringing darkness upon the kingdom years ago. This is what he meant. When King Frederic took the flower, it caused the rocks to start sprouting. The great darkness that would spread over Corona."

"And Quirin knew getting the King involved would Kickstart Lash's big plans. And lied to keep the King out of the incoming a-bomb." Orion was realizing. "He knew he was gonna get attacked by the Mongers. Which is why he left Varian with us. Quirin took the fall."

"and why he asked for more land. He knew the attack was coming and would destroy their homes" Friday concluded. "His last act was to ensure his people had a safe place to go."

"You crafty old bastard." Orion remarked silently, complementing Quirin's final act of bravery. And he looked over at Varian who was asleep in the crib. "You're old man deserved more credit than we realized."

Varian was snoring cutely, the baby couldn't understand him even if he was awake.

"There is a little more. I sent Rapunzel a letter using a lantern and got her on a scavenger hunt to find some info I needed. Wellโ€ฆ. Info she needed more. By now she probably already found it." Orion stated and added. "I'm going to meet with her tomorrow evening. I need to find the flower."

"Do you want me to come with you?" Friday asked nervously.

"No...I'll talk with her. And once we find the flower. I'll bring her over so we can clear this whole mess out." Orion assured and held her shoulders looking at her softly. "Would that be better?"

Friday smiled slightly.

"That would be. Thank you Ryan." Friday said, giving him a kiss before frowning. "Are you... Are you going to tell her about... What happened to you?"

Orion hesitated at first. But realized that he took brave steps in revealing himself to Friday even if the intro was by accident. And he's asking Friday to do the same later.

So Orion needs to keep going.

"I will...Work my way up to it slowly. But yeah. I'll tell her. She deserves to know." Orion said with sincerity.

"Well, when you do decide to tell her, I'll be here waiting for you when you get back." Friday said smiling encouragingly to her boyfriend.

"I know you will. But..." Orion bit his lip as he knew he needed a lead in for 'breaking the news' to Rapunzel slowly. "Remember that skin cloak tech we worked on four months ago?"

The tech that can holographically change the skin tone of any person that wears it.

"Let me guess, you want to use it when you meet up with Rapunzel so you don't reveal anything to her right off the bat." Friday summarized knowing what her man was thinking.

"You know me too well." Orion snickered nervously. "I promise I won't tell her at the last second. But I have to break all of this to her slowly. So she can focus on finding the flower with me."

"I understand, Ryan." Friday smiled understandingly. "But I have to warn you it's still experimental. I don't know if it'll stop working at any point. So just be ready for anything."

"Yeah. I know it's flawed. You made it." Orion playfully teased her.

"Excuse me?!" Friday snarked playfully. "Like you can talk. Or do I have to remind you of your Antimatter bathroom buddy, glow stick?"

"Blame Ratchet & Clank! They gave me the idea!" Orion protested pointing at his video game collection.

"Oh sure." Friday said sarcastically. "And I suppose they're to blame for your candy pencil maker, huh?"

"It was supposed to be an after school special!" Orion whined, hanging his head back sulking. "I didn't know they were going to taste real wood and lead!"

"I am Groot." Groot snorted. Translated: "I'm still offended about the wood part."

"Oh, and let's not forget your famous Easter Egg Cannon." Friday dramatically mocked him for that one.

"I still don't get the big deal about that one. They were caged-free eggs! Besides I didn't know the guests at the market were Jewish that day!" Orion protested.

"Yeah, just be glad those poor guests later weren't around to have to survive your Automatic Pumpkin Carver." Friday mentioned with a smirk.

"Ugh...I should've been specific in the programming's image profiler. Carve a face, not anything below it." Orion groaned as he face palmed himself.

The parents had to explain to those kids why the pumpkins had carved images of 'closed scissors' around the market.

"I am Groot?" Groot amusingly reminded Orion of another invention that failed.

'The Sunday Schooler'.

"You're taking her side now?!" Orion gawked at the tree.

"I am Groot?" Groot also added amugly. translated: "Do I have to bring up the self-lighting candle holder?"

"You know what? Maybe you two should become your own team. Called 'My Permanent Records'." Orion snorted and pouted on the couch.

"I am Groot?" Groot asked. Translated: "Do we get our own t-shirts?"

"Make sure they're not flammable. Cause..." Orion mused as he held his hand up and lit it on fire. Showing off his new powers.

"I am Groot?!" Groot exclaimed in surprise. Translated: "Whoa man! When did you become the human torch?!"

"Since I became Organic Hot Sauce." Orion gestured his red skin with a wink.

"I am Groot." Groot muttered looking at Friday. Translated: "Friday, please make sure he doesn't turn me into firewood."

Friday just giggled at all the fun they've been having.

"I'll do my best, but it'll be hard to do, with such a spicy hot boyfriend." Friday will say and kiss Orion on the lips.

Orion held her and kissed her back. "You'll have to put the extra lip wrestling on my tab. Cause I'm coming for seconds." Orion quipped as they were kissing.

Friday kissed back with a giggle before separating to smirk at her boyfriend.

"Go ahead. We're open twenty four seven." Friday said with a wink before leaning in to kiss him again.

"I am Groot." Groot grumbled out good-naturedly rubbing his forehead. Translated: "If these two keep this up, I'll have to go to the Snuggly Duckling to drink this lovey-dovey stuff from my mind."

While Orion was enjoying the warm lips of the girl he loved. The same girl he deprived himself from seeing for three months.

It dawned on him from Groot mentioning that Thug Pub place.

"Mmmmmm...Snuggly...Duck..." Orion's muttered into the kiss, then his eyes widened. "Oh shit."


Down at the Snuggly Duckling...

"You've got to be kidding me." Friday deadpanned with her arms crossed.

Orion was wearing his usual attire and didn't bother to hide his red skin while Friday was in her usual attire as well. Not bothering to hide her blue skin.

They were at the front door of the Snuggly Duckling. Everyone at the bar was drunk with beer as Sideshow Bob himself was standing and dancing on the table while Ulf the Mime was playing the piano.

Orion told Friday that they had to go to the Snuggly Duckling quickly to check on someone. He didn't say who, but she could tell it was important.

But she knows who now

"Friday. I can explain." Orion nervously started.

"Is that Sideshow Bob dancing on a table?" Friday asked calmly in a condescending tone, eyebrow raised and arms crossed while tapping a foot on the floor.

"No. Well I mean yes butโ€ฆ" Orion bit his lip as he wasn't sure how to explain.

Suddenly as Sideshow Bob was dancing on the table doing river dances and steps with claps. He got in the zone as he began to sing a parody of the HMS Pinafore.

"I'm am the killer of the royal pain Bart~" Sideshow Bob.

"And a very good kill is was!~" Everyone sang along.

"Though I haven't done it yet~ Twenty dollars you can bet~ That I will do it very soon~" Sideshow sang.

"Though he hasn't done it yet!~ Twenty dollars we can bet!~ That he will do it very soon!~" Everyone sang in response.

"What's a dollar?" Hook foot asked Attila.

Attila shrugged in response.

Then Friday pulled Orion to step outside and closed the door to talk alone for a moment.

"He's still going, huh?" Orion commented sheepishly.

"Okay. First of all, can we take a moment to acknowledge how under control I've been?" Friday asked calmly.

"Amazingly." Orion complimented.

"Didn't freak out." Friday commented.

"No." Orion shook his head.

"Totally calm." Friday said, moving hands in a relaxed manner.

The two smirk and fist bump.

"Thank you, Babe. " Orion said to Friday, who smugly wiped her knuckles on her shirt.

"Second of all..." Friday said as her smile dropped, with astronomical speed, grabbed Orion by his shirt, and pulled him in close, sparking here and there.

Oh boy.

"What the hell is going on?! I thought the Simpsons were fictional!" Friday exclaimed quietly, her eyes shaking slightly as they were opened wide, the girl demanding a much needed explanation.

"I thought they were too! But that was until we met in my hospital room which was also a cell! Now we've been cell mates for the last three months after my escape!" Orion winced and whispered loudly as he looked afraid in his girlfriend's grip.

While Orion was praying silently for Friday to not be this violent on their honeymoon

Friday still glared at him sparking, before something clicked.

"Wait, Francis kidnapped him from Springfield?" Friday asked before realization of something bigger took place. "Springfield is another world?"

"Yes. And yes. If the Rapunzel book can be a real world then why not the Simpsons?" Orion pointed out.

"Point taken." Friday answered while she still held him in her grip.

"Also after we escaped I had him stick around my side to save his life and I promised him he could kill Bart if he provided all the info he had on the folks associated with Francis." Orion admitted.

Friday narrowed her eyes at that.

"You didn't." Friday said in a dangerously low tone, letting Orion know that he better choose his next words carefully.

Orion gulped as he thought of the one thing Friday couldn't deny.

"In my defense. Promising this guy that he'll kill the one character you couldn't stand, is like promising Plankton the secret Krabby Patty formula. Besides, I said he could, but he won't." Orion explained using the right words.

"And what makes you so sure that Sideshow Bob won't try to kill Bart Simpson after all this?" Friday asked after her glare lessened slightly.

"Friday. The Simpsons have lasted for more than thirty seasons. More Than the latest Doctor Who. Do you really think if he could kill Bart by now, he would've done it by now?" Orion raised and eyebrow and stated. "And let's not forget season 14 episode 6 'The Great Louse Detective' and how it ended."

Can't argue with that.

"Fine." Friday sighed as she let him go before she looked at him and spoke in a firm voice. "But we have to take him back to Springfield, right now."

"Woah wait a sec. Normally I'd agree with you. But Bob is still an 'Ajax target'." Orion hissed while pointing inside.

"Bob? To both on first name bases now?" Friday inquired with a raised eyebrow and her arms crossed.

"Wha? No! Listen. If Francis kidnapped him before, he'll do it again. Probably even take other Simpsons characters with him. So Kelsey Grammer's nomination has to stay here until Francis is dealt with." Orion suggested. "Than we send him home."

Friday thought it before sighing. This all makes sense. Besides, the only person Sideshow Bob wants to kill these days is just Bart. So what's the worst that could happen? He's surrounded by psychopaths right now so this is up Sideshow Bob's alley.

"I really hate it when you make good points. Alright, he can stay. But only until Francis is dealt with." Friday relented before asking another question. "But where are we gonna keep him until then?"

Orion answered by opening the door and showing Sideshow Bob dancing on the bigger table walking like a senior officer with a walking stick in his hand.

"I am not allowed a beer~ I must keep mentally clear~ Though I love a drink or three I've seen what beer can do~ And I might end up like you~ So I never touch the big, big B~" Sideshow Bob sang.

"What never?!~" Everyone sang.

"No never~" Sideshow Bob sang as he shook his head with his eyes closed and his arms crossed.

Then Shorty came up looking drunk while holding a beer mug up to Sideshow Bob.

"What never?~" Shorty slurred.

Sideshow Bob sweat a bit tapping his finger on his forearm feeling tempted as he looked around with his lips rolled. Then He sighed and shrugged before he snatched the beer mug and gulped it down before he slammed the mug down.

"Well hardly EVEEEEER!~" Sideshow Bob sang in deceleration.

"Hiccup!" Shorty hiccupped before passing out and falling backwards.

"He hardly touched the big big B~" All the patrons. Pub Thugs and Ruffians stood up and began to surround and clap for Sideshow Bob who danced before them. "SOOOOOO~ Let's drink three beers and one beer more~ For the eccentric killer named Sideshow Bob!~ Let's drink three beers and one beer more FOOOOOOR!~ The eccentric killer named Sideshow Bob!~"

As the music went on. Orion and Friday looked awkwardly at all of this.

"Yeah I think he's good." Friday deadpanned.

"Agreed. Let's go before they start singing Little Buttercup." Orion suggested as they both closed the door.

After that Orion and Friday went back home to get some rest. Tomorrow. Orion plans to show himself to Rapunzel and tell her everything.

And Lord knows what a day Rapunzel has had. So much wrong has been done around her. And now the Princess has lost fate in her father. But Orion still has her fate.

Will Orion is going to pay that faith back ten fold. Because tomorrow, he'll return. And Orion vows that they will face whatever happens next. Together.

"Plus I stopped Sideshow Bob from getting his hands on Captain America. We both fought robots together." Orion added quickly.

"WHAT?!" Friday shrieked in excitement.


THAT'S ALL FOR NOW FOLKS! ๐ŸŽ‰ ๐ŸŽ‰

Love the appearance of Stave Roger's folks? Don't worry. There's more Cap where that came from later. And with interest in the final battle.

Also didn't expect Sideshow Bob to sing at the Snuggly Duckling did you? If those of you who are wondering why the ruffians and thugs aren't freaking out from seeing a yellow man or Orion's red skin. I'll answer your question with a question.

Do you think they care?

"Point taken." Maverick said.

And I hope the added PG-13 T/For Teen violence between dead mercs and mask men wasn't a turn off. I mean I did stuff like that in my other stories to up the thrill. So hopefully I did that for everyone.

Thank you all so much for reading! Don't forget to add this story to your Faves and Follows if you like what you see. And be sure to leave comments and reviews to let me know your thoughts on this chapter!

And as always Disney/Square Enix fans!

FISTBUMP! ๐Ÿ‘Š๐Ÿ‘Š๐Ÿ‘Š๐Ÿ‘Š๐Ÿ‘Š๐Ÿ‘Š๐Ÿ‘Š๐Ÿ‘Š๐Ÿ‘Š๐Ÿ‘Š