Author's Note: I had to take us back to Dr. Faust. He's fun to write. I can't wait to expose him to the rest of the Wasteland universe. I need to give Faust more to do in this story. His back story for the series has so much that I can do that. I can't wait to see what he does next. I dropped a little hint of where he's going to go next. Speaking of which, I dropped another hint of what you shall see next week. For now, enjoy this week's match.

Match Twenty-One: Good Doctor:

-Johann-

The fog isn't letting up. In fact, it's getting worse. Perfect. I am doing fine, thank you. My group is coming together nicely. But what is my motive? Why am I doing all of this? Well, I guess I can indulge you a little bit. So, here goes.

The ending is coming. But you already knew that, didn't you? Japan, England, and Russia want to be the ones to free her. But you didn't want to hear what you've already pieced together. You want to hear about me.

I cleared my throat.

Well then, I will tell you.

I want a front-row seat to what happens next. My people and I will get our hands dirty. That is to be expected. I don't mind it though. Let's see… There are about three or two more seals to break. I've lost track at this point. Still, I keep going.

We have been staying at my mansion all this time. There is a reason why I chose this place. I led Sabine to my door.

"After you," I said. I reached forward and unlocked the door.

"Thank you so much," she said. Sabine walked into the house. She bowed her head as she walked by me. I followed behind.

"Wow. This place has gotten better since the last time I saw this," Sabine said as she looked around the living room.

"Thank you," I said. She didn't sit down. I cocked my head to the side.

"Do you have long to stay?" I asked. Sabine took a moment to think.

"Sadly, no," she said. "I really visit that I could stay and visit."

"Me too," I said to myself. Sabine turned to look at me.

"Hm?" she asked. I smiled and shook my head. I walked over to her side. She looked me in the eye.

"Do you have what I came for?" she asked. "This better be worth my while."

"Ah, yes," I said. "I have it right in my study. Come with me." I walked down the hall. As expected, she followed behind.

I have been building connections. Sabine is my ticket to Mam. She's going rogue, however. This plays to my benefit. She wasn't the only one rebelling either. I walked up to my door and pulled out my key.

"Wait here," I said. I opened the door to my office and slipped inside. My office is so small. It felt like the walls were going to close in around me. Just how I like it. I pulled out another key and unlocked a bottom drawer. I reached inside and pulled out a small black box. I ran my fingers over the top of the lid. A smile came across my face.

Perfect.

I turned and walked back to the door. I found Sabine talking to Miss Qi in the hallway. The women looked up when I stood in the doorway.

"Oh, Miss Qi," I said. "You're up. How are you feeling?" My guest lowered her eyes.

"Fine," she said. "I'm fine." She bowed her head and walked back down the hall. I turned back to Sabine.

"Oh, here," I said. I handed her the box. She took it with a little smile on her face.

"Cheers," she said.

"On the house," I said. She broke into a huge grin.

"Cheers!" she said again.

"Anything else I can get you?" I asked.

"Not right now," Sabine said. She turned and walked back to the living room. She paused at the door and looked over her shoulder.

"We'll be in touch," she said. Then Sabine walked out the door. I waved at her as it closed behind her.

"Yes, we will," I said. I turned and went back to my study.

Sabine isn't the only connection that I have. England is a good place to start. I need to get out more. Hecate has gone to Japan repeatedly in the past few months. Suddenly, I feel like I too have to do there. I just want to see what's going on over there. I've been hearing some crazy stories. Yes, it seems like the perfect time to go.

I lifted my head when I heard a knock on my door.

"Yeah?" I asked.

"Doc?" I heard behind me. I turned my head. Qi stood in the doorway. I tilted my head with a curious look on my face.

"Is something wrong, darling?" I asked. "How are you feeling, really?" She looked down at her hands.

"I can't sleep," she said.

"Why? What's wrong?" I asked. She shook her head. Hm… Interesting.

"Are you hungry?" I asked.

"A little," she said in a small voice. I stood up.

"Right," I said. "Let's get you something to eat. While we're at it, I will serve you some tea."

"Tea?" she asked.

"That's right," I said. I started to wonder about her memory. How much does she remember? Would she get her memories back? What about the souls that were in her body? Would they try to come and look for her? Maybe they already knew where she was. I would have to approach this with caution.

I stood up from my desk.

"Right, I should get you something light to eat," I said. "Come with me." I walked out of my office past her. I only got a quick glance at her eyes. There was a little life in them. Honestly, I don't what I was expecting. Maybe I was trying to see if she still had a soul. Kind of ridiculous if you ask me. I shook it off and kept walking. She barely makes a sound when she walks. I had to turn around and see if she was following behind.

"Are you okay back there?" I asked over my shoulder. Miss Qi doesn't answer. I know that she understands English. That was another thing that I was going to test. The list of things to do just keeps on growing, doesn't it? It doesn't bother me. I have plenty of time before winter hits us.

"Say, Miss Qi," I said. She didn't look up. I didn't wait for an answer.

"Would you like to come to Japan with me?" I asked. "You don't have to give me an answer right away. Just think about it, okay?" She didn't answer.

"Heh," I said. That was going to have to do for now.

I will be making my way to Tokyo around the time when Americans would be celebrating Thanksgiving. I don't know. Maybe I will be running into Hecate while I'm there. If I'm lucky, I can get Sabine and Miss Qi to join me. What about my other connections? You will get to meet them real soon. For now, I will let you go see how Mr. Jones and his little baby girl are doing. Don't worry. I am not the type of man to tease. I will make my progress worth your while. I promise. After all, why would I go back on my word? What could I possibly stand to gain?

Exactly.