Where am I…?

Maxwell wasn't sure where he was. All he knew was how sore and tired he felt.

Wherever he was, it was soft and someone had covered him with some type of blanket. He could faintly hear voices.

What's going on..? Come on, open your eyes…

It took him a minute or so before he could finally force his eyes open, seeing he was in a room filled with alchemic equipment along with a fairly extensive lab set up. He could see an open door leading to a living room that was lit with glowing crystals.

"Where…?"

"Maxwell?"

He looked up, seeing Wilson standing over him, worry in his eyes.

"With us?"

Maxwell nodded slowly.

"Mostly… Where are we? What happened?"

"You fell unconscious when we left the Forge. Laika lead us down to some people she knew who said they could let me treat you in their home. You had some rather severe damage, Maxwell."

"How bad…?" Maxwell coughed a bit. "Ugh… How do you humans deal with pain?"

Wilson shrugged.

"A lot of means. Some worse than others." He grabbed a glass of water, handing it to him. "You had internal bleeding, your arms were full of cuts and you had some good slashes across the chest as well. Honestly, I was surprised nothing was broken."

That sounds familiar..

"I am stunned he didn't manage to break your arm during that scuffle, My King."

A little TOO familiar.

Maxwell took the glass, sitting up, downing the water quickly.

"Well… I'm alive… Thanks to you, I'm assuming."

… NOW I OWE HIM TWICE! DANGIT!

"Yes." Wilson grinned a bit. "I have learned quite a few things. Especially from someone you're familiar with."

"I'm mildly afraid to ask."

"Robert Wagstaff ring a bell?"

"Oh." Maxwell visibly relaxed. "Ah, he's a good one… So, what else?"

Wilson shrugged.

"Well, you're alive and now that you're awake… I've got quite a few questions and as do my companions but I get to go first."

Maxwell sighed.

"Seeing as I owe you for saving my life I shall answer whatever questions you have for me just keep them short. 20 words or less."

Wilson smirked.

"Very well." His expression turned serious. "Why did you get drafted into The Forge and how did we get involved? I haven't seen YOU in over nine months!"

Maxwell rubbed one of his temples.

"And I was doing so well with a keeping a low profile." Maxwell sighed. "I was brought to The Forge by an old enemy of mine who is bent on me being dead by any means necessary and as for why he brought you and the others, I'm assuming he's just having his fun when it comes to the other four but you, he probably wants you out of his way."

"Because now I'm the Prince and not you. Though Pugna either doesn't care or he didn't know that there was a new Queen in power."

"Oh, he didn't know. And to be frank, did you WANT him to know? Because I was under the impression you were a reluctant royal."

"I would rather he didn't but what confuses me is why he called YOU "Prince". You've never held that title in your life… Right?"

Maxwell groaned.

"Technically I have but not for very long and he honestly was calling me that as a means of insulting me rather than just addressing me by a title."

"Ah." Wilson narrowed his eyes. "One final question… Well two. Though…" He eyed Maxwell's hands. "You have to promise to not strangle me."

"I'm too sore to do any attacking. You could say I look like something that came out of a tomb AFTER a flood and I wouldn't be able to."

Even with that, Wilson still took a few steps back.

"... Magnus Umbra?"

Maxwell tensed up at this.

" … You have no idea how much I resent that name." He gripped at the blanket, glaring at Wilson, a bit of a white glow to his eyes. "You so much as call me that again I will guarantee to strangle you later when I'm not weak, Scientist."

Wilson narrowed his eyes.

"If you try, I'll give you another incision like I did last year. I will respect your choice - but I will defend myself."

Maxwell snorted, the glow from his eyes fading.

"Fair enough… What about the name are you curious about though since you dared to bring it up?"

"Because of the other name you had a meltdown over and gained or at least worsened your injuries by hearing mocked."

"Spit it out Higgsbury."

"Lux."

Maxwell froze up, lowering his head, his hands for a moment taking on their shadow look again.

"Brother… Help me!"

Maxwell took a deep breath, pushing that memory from his mind, getting his hands to change back to normal.

"... Magnus Lux was a being who existed long before any of you came along. A friendly spirit of light. Very child like yet mature. Knew how to be serious but always loved making others laugh. He was smart but also naive… He was innocent." Maxwell closed his eyes. "He did nothing wrong…. Nothing."

"Lux, just hang in there! I… I can fix this!"

A tear left one of Maxwell's eyes.

"Yet those monsters that were supposed to be loyal to me attacked him when we fought with Pugna." He gave a bitter laugh. "We were defending Them yet They turned on us because They hated the light…"

Wilson frowned, sympathy coming to his eyes. He laid a hand on Maxwell's shoulder.

"I am so sorry for your loss Maxwell. I'm sorry I pried."

"Wasn't your fault They tried to kill him." Maxwell's shoulders shook a bit. "I did what I could but in the end I couldn't get his body to stabilize… He's still here but I can't talk to him. He just provides power to those he possesses." He let out another bitter laugh. "I forgot how much it hurt losing him… I guess I do know how William felt when I took Jack from him… Haha… I was no better than the monsters that took Lux for me…" He held his head. "They made me think I was king but I never was… I could never be king. I was… and will always be the one to clean up Tenebrae's mess."

Wilson frowned, going quiet, there was still questions he had… but he didn't feel right asking.

It would be like kicking someone when they were down.

"I'm sorry."

Maxwell sighed, bringing his hands away from his head.

"It's just the life I was given… Do you have any other questions, Scientist?"

"None. Well… One. Do you want anything to eat?"

Maxwell thought about it for a moment before answering.

"... Soup. Just something warm, please."

Wilson nodded.

"Right away."

There was some noise outside as both looked to each other confused.

"I KILLED IT, FINALLY!" Laika was heard yelling.

"... I'm going to go find out what that was about."

"Probably whatever's for dinner then."

Wilson nodded before leaving the man by himself. Outside, Wilson saw Laika standing over a plant that looked like it had legs and arms that was lying on the ground with x's for eyes.

"Haha! The annoying thing has been slain!"

Wilson got a bewildered look, grabbing a stick and poking the plant.

"What… was it?"

"Mandrake." Walter answered, picking it up by the leaves. "Great plant for healing properties but heavens above are they annoying when they're still alive."

"Quite." Robert had his hands over his ears, moving them away. "I can finally hear myself think. Looks like Mandrake soup tonight. Andrea will be quite pleased she didn't have to hunt it this time."

"And Maxwell did ask for some soup. If it has healing properties it should help his recovery as well."

"And when you're as beaten up as he is sometimes that's all you can handle."

"So, he's awake huh?" Winona cracked her knuckles. "I wouldn't mind having a word with good ol' Needle Nose about what he did to Charlie."

"As would I." Jenny said, crossing her arms.

Wilson crossed his arms.

"Alright, what are your blood types then?"

They gave him a confused look.

"Because if you insist on causing him harm, I'm going to ask a pint of blood from both of you to put back into him then." He gave a look that read DOOM. "Try me."

Robert narrowed his own eyes.

"And if you wake Ciel up from his nap with violence, I will gladly throw you both to the cave spiders."

Both sisters found themselves stepping back, cowering a bit.

"Geeze, you remind me of Jack!"

Wilson grinned.

"Good."

"Fine, fine, we'll leave him alone." Winona gave a frustrated sigh. "But I still want answers for some stuff. For now, I'll help make dinner."

"Same."

"Then right this way ladies!" Walter called as he headed inside to the kitchen.

The sisters headed over, Laika joining them as well. Robert kept off to the side, chuckling.

"What an energetic group."

Wilson chuckled nodding in agreement.

"They'll be quite the addition." He looked to Robert. "So… you know you could join us up there."

"I appreciate the offer, but this place has become my home. Not the ideal place to start a family, but my wife and I are happy here. Ciel's thriving. Everything we have here, from the garden where my wife performs her spells, to our humble little home is all we need." He explained. "Leaving… would be leaving a piece of us behind too."

"I understand." Wilson smiled. "I just thought I'd offer."

"Thank you." Robert chuckled, getting a better look at Wilson, shaking his head. "It's unbelievable."

"What?"

"Sorry just can't get over how much you look like Percival."

He grinned sheepishly.

"All good honestly… I didn't realize he still had people he knew around… Especially so… young?"

Robert laughed.

"I'm actually in my 50's. I was 18 when I was under his teachings. I just look young thanks to Maxwell rejuvenating me a little after he saved me from a factory fire about two years ago by this world's standards."

Wilson gave a curious look.

"He's… more than meets the eye isn't he?"

"How much did Percival tell you about when he met Melinda?"

"He couldn't tell me much since he left out the fact Grandmother was from another world."

"Understandable, especially with what happened to Ed." Robert sighed. "Tried to cut ties as much as they could yet it all came back anyway." Robert shook his head. "Maxwell is an interesting fellow. He has a kind side but the smugness does cause problems… but he isn't without mercy, however. He gave me a chance to live and saved others. But I know he's also done awful things. I was not blind to this. It seems it's changed however."

"He had a bit of a fall from grace as it were." Wilson rubbed the back of his neck. "I don't know if you know this but Grandmother is queen the now."

Robert choked a bit, looking to Wilson.

"You're joking."

"I'm not."

Robert was silent for a moment before he started laughing.

"Well I'll be darned! Maxwell's old archivist succeeded him!"

Wilson laughed.

"And she has the Codex! It only responds to me or her now!"

"BAHAHAHA!" Robert wiped one of his eyes. "Well, what a twist of events. I'm sure she'll do a great job as queen."

"She has so far but now we just have another situation on our hands." Wilson brought a hand to his head as he realized something. "Doh! I forgot! I didn't even bother to ask Maxwell who brought me and the others to The Forge! He mentioned an enemy of his drafted us but I didn't get a name!"

"Well, better late than never. Go ask him."

Wilson nodded, hurrying back inside, hearing laughter coming from Maxwell's resting area. Sitting on the bed, as Maxwell created and played with shadow images, was Robert's young son. Maxwell had a gentle look in his eyes as he created his illusions. Ciel's elongated ears twitched as he squealed, clapping.

"More! More!"

"As the young man wishes."

"Maxwell?" Wilson asked, trying to hide his surprise at the interaction. He supposed it shouldn't have shocked him as much since Sabra mentioned to him many times by now how gentle Maxwell had been with him as a young child… It was still bizarre.

"Is soup ready yet?" he asked, not even looking up from his creations. "Because if not, I have a performance to finish."

"Yeah!" Ciel giggled.

"Not yet. I have a question."

Maxwell gave him a look that reminded him a bit too much of when the children at the camp were scolded. Ciel's ears folded down as the illusions vanished, a similar look appearing on his face, making Wilson wince.

"Another one?"

"I meant to ask earlier but I got caught up in my other questions. Who was the person who sent us to The Forge? What do they want from us?"

Maxwell sighed, setting Ciel on the floor.

"Go see if your mother's returned from foraging yet, hm?"

"Okay…" Ciel sighed, heading out of the room. Once they were sure the child was out of sight, Maxwell looked back to WIlson.

"Okay, I can answer that." His eyes narrowed. "His name is Cato and what he wants is this world to bow down before his feet whether he has to force it do so or not."