I awoke with a start when Ralph suddenly shifted next to me. With a quiet grunt, I sat up and took in the site before me. Ralph was buried under Marco, Majima and Barranco. Gladius was to my otherside, still and peaceful. I held back a chuckle, and just left the tent. I walked out onto the fake turf, stretching as my eyes adjusted to the secret lair's bright lights. But, surprisingly, it wasn't that hard, because they were thankfully dimmed as everyone slept.

I let out a quiet sigh, relaxing my muscles as I sat in one of the left out chairs. I closed my eyes, and suddenly realised something. Sticking my hand into my sweater pocket, I pulled out a pair of headphones, which were in surprisingly good condition. I put them on my head, my ears covered, and turned them on. Still had battery, nice. With that, I pulled out my phone (which surprisingly went unused thus far in the trip), and opened my music playlist.

As the gentle tune of No Matter Where You Are from The Book Of Life played directly into my head, I began to subconsciously sing along. While I wouldn't call my singing voice amazing, it was still surprising how well I could hit the higher notes. I kept my eyes closed as the song played through its entirety, Manolo and Maria's voices, beautiful and untainted, were joined with my voice.

As the song ended and Learning To Fly by Pink Floyd started up, I got into the images that played in my head as the music echoed through my mind. I weaved my body back and forth, my singing becoming more intense as it rose in volume from a whisper. As the next song started, The Cave by Mumford & Sons, I had raised from the chair and began to dance around. My eyes remained closed as I twirled like a ballerina, a calm smile on my face. I could feel tears start to trail down my cheeks as my emotions exploded.

I was in my safe place.

But I suddenly froze when the hair on the back of my neck stood on end.

I whirled around and faced the little audience that had formed. All my friends stared at me, but there weren't any smiles. Rather, they looked concerned and a bit sad. But there was that glint of curiosity in their eyes as well.

I felt my face flush with embarrassment, and I turned away from them. I hunched my shoulders, my mind hurtling into overdrive. I stopped my music and pulled my headphones off.

"You saw nothing…" I mumbled.

I heard someone approach. "Caleb?" It was Maria. "You sounded wonderful. But, what was that about?"

I was silent for a moment. "Music is usually an escape for me. I grew up listening to so many genres that I always feel at peace listening to music. Sometimes I just get sucked in, and suddenly the world ceases to exist. It's just me… and the melodies that echo through my mind."

Ralph hummed. "Well, you don't have a bad singing voice. It's really good."

My blush became fiercer. "Th-Thanks, Ralph…" I had a small embarrassed smile on my face, I could feel it, and seeing everyone's smiles made my heart warm.

Vanellope glitched in front of me, her eyes alight like the night sky. "Glasses, you've got to keep singing! That's nothing like the pop stars in DDR!"

I chuckled and rubbed the back of my head, and was about to decline, only for Hilda, Ruby, Iris, and The Powerpuffs to join in. All the kids looked up at me with massive puppy dog eyes. I folded, and as I went to turn on my music again, Jenny stepped in.

"Need a speaker?" She asked. Her chest transformed into a music player, with a spot to plug my phone in with a pair of speakers.

I smiled and plugged my phone in, and as Eyes Wide Open by Gotye began to play, I began to sing.

I twirled and spun, Hilda and Blossom mimicking my movements while the others all ran around me in explosive joy. Gladius eventually joined my side, and we danced together. The older members of the group all watched with massive smiles and these glints in their eyes I couldn't quite nail. But whatever it meant, I was happy. It was all I needed for this morning.

After an hour more of our little musical serenade, we all finally got ready for the day. The group all split apart to do their own things, and I left with Gladius, Hilda, Twig and Steve back towards where the elevator to Gru's house was. As we walked through the underground base, the lights dimmed back up. Minions began to run around, starting their work for the day, and there was one in particular that caught my eye.

Dave, with a beaming smile, dashed over to us, and began to walk with us.

"Morning guys!" He greeted us cheerily.

"Good morning, Dave", I said with a smile. "How's it going with you?"

"Eh, it's fine", he shrugged. "A couple of the others are heading up to help with the party."

I assumed Dave was referring to other Minions helping with Agnes' party. But, regardless, I nodded. "That's cool. Any reason you sought me out in particular?"

Dave winced. "I didn't want to run into Barranco…"

Steve snorted. "Yeah, after Caleb told us yesterday, I don't blame you."

"Well, he definitely wasn't entirely in the wrong, right?" Hilda added. "You said you let Barranco hit you."

"I did, yes", Dave said, voice seeping in regret. "But I didn't expect it to hurt so much."

"Rabbids can be very brutal, it seems", Gladius said with a nod. "Judging by those grey ones we fought, it seems we were lucky Barranco wasn't one."

We all cringed at the thought (sans Dave, obviously). "Yeah, we dodged a bullet with that…" I said.

Dave gave us a confused look, and I looked back. "I'll explain another time."

That made Twig whine at Hilda, and she brought up a thought. "Are we gonna tell Dave, or…"

The Minion gave her a questioning look, and I sighed. "Maybe. Depends how things turn out."

"So… was what you guys said a lie?" Dave inquired, shooting me a glare.

I shook my head. "Not really. Just that I left out the one detail that…" I passed a glance at my friends, and at their nods, I continued, "…we're all from different universes. Hence why we all look so weird standing together."

Dave's eyes shot open wide, and he faced forward. "Huh. That… was not what I was expecting…"

"Yeah, that's how I thought you'd react", I said casually with a nod. "So yeah. We're interdimensional travellers."

Dave shrugged. "Not the weirdest thing I've heard, honestly." His eyes scanned the surrounding area, and he gestured for us to follow as he led us to a door. It opened when we approached, and inside was what seemed to be a club of some kind. A bunch of Minions sung a short yet jaunty tune, the energy lively and joyful.

Many of the joyous crowd wore party hats, eating banana splits, or both, which I could see made Hilda's eyes sparkle just the tiniest bit.

Dave led us over to a table, and we all had a seat, with the deerfox curling up under the table.

"This is pretty nice, Dave", Steve said as he looked around at the lively party.

"This is our hang out spot!" He explained. "Open pretty much 24/7, unlimited ice cream, and music to help keep your spirits high!"

I nodded absentmindedly as I let my eyes wander around, taking in the full sights. With a content smile, I turned my attention back to my friends, spending the next few hours just talking. It was all I ever wanted after the constant chaos, so I welcomed it with open arms.

~X~

A few hours later, and we had all grouped back up back at our camp. Most of the day had been uneventful, aside from Dr.Nefario (Gru's old mentor and friend) leaving. But considering we just got here and never even interacted with him, I felt it was best we didn't force ourselves in. Just the thought gave me flashbacks to when I first met Jenny.

So currently I was packing a bag for myself, planning to take a simple walk with Gladius around the neighbourhood. Because they were so insistent, I let Star, Marco and Izzy tag along, despite Gladius' protests that he wanted just the two of us to share bonding time.

We walked out the front door of Gru's home just as we saw some redhead chick stuff him into her car's trunk and drive off, two Minions giving chase.

"Shouldn't we help, or…" Marco said in an unsure tone.

I shook my head. "Nah, let it play out. This is supposed to happen."

"Really?" Izzy asked doubtfully. She shot the leaving car a glare, then shrugged when her face morphed into a goofy grin. "Cool. I always wanted to see a kidnapping. Must be fun."

The rest of us all gave her a bizarre look. "You, Izzy", Star said, "Have a lot of issues."

Izzy nodded innocently, then bobbed on the balls of her feet. "Yeah, but it's nothing compared to McLean's insanity."

I rolled my eyes, and Gladius sighed. "You are in your own little world, Isabella."

At that, we began our walk within the copy-paste neighbourhood, the same white house with red roof stretching down the seemingly endless street. Of course, not Gru's. Looking back, I could still see the far taller black house with purple roof striking against the warm sunset. It was somewhat endearing, but also comical.

Turning my attention back to the road ahead, the five of us walked down till we finally reached what looked to be a small park, and that was where we decided to take a break and rest. Sitting on a bench with Marco and Gladius, Star and Izzy decided to play around in the park.

"So, how are you liking this adventure so far, Mr.Diaz?" I shot him a smirk.

He let out an airy laugh and crossed his arms. "It's been something, I'll be honest. Like, I knew there were other dimensions back home, but this? It's so… so…"

"Overwhelming?" Gladius finished.

"Yeah", Marco sighed out. He ruffled his hair a bit. "I mean, Star's magic is one thing. But living video games? Reality cartoon shows? People that completely flip everything I know about upside down. It's crazy, yet it feels right."

I hummed in agreement and nodded, turning my attention back to the two girls. "Yeah, you got that right. I still can't believe it sometimes. I've seen you all on tv, in my head when reading books, all of that. And it's just so surreal to see you all talking to me, talking with each other." I paused. "You know, stuff like this does exist."

"It does?"

"Yep. Movies like Who Framed Roger Rabbit and games like Lego Dimensions all actually have you guys talk and interact with each other. But then again, it's probably different here."

"Cool." Marco looked up towards the sky. "You know, I've always wondered this, Caleb. Before you got to the place you met Gladius and your friend Katania, did you used to have a family? They must be worried."

I stiffened, and Gladius shifted around uncomfortably. "No, I didn't…"

The teenager looked over at me. "Really? But you're only 16, right? So they have to-"

"I DIDN'T HAVE ANY", I snapped. Marco recoiled, and The two girls froze and looked at me in concern. With a shaky breath, I continued. "I'm sorry. I did have a family in the past, but… not anymore. Now can we drop this? Because it's not something I like talking about."

There was a silence for a bit, before Marco wrapped his arm around my shoulders carefully. I leaned into him, the tension that built up in my body slowly melting away.

I sighed. "I'm sorry, Marco. It's just… a sensitive topic for me. I'm not ready to talk about it, not now."

Marco nodded. "I'm guessing this is related to you snapping back at Gloomsville before that science fair?"

I nodded miserably. "It's bad. Really bad. But… if I do talk about it, I spiral. So I just want to drop it."

Diaz gave me a sad smile. "Yeah, sorry about pushing dude."

I shrugged, and for the next few hours we just sat there, eventually joined by Star and Izzy. Until the moon rose into the sky, we all chatted about how this adventure was going so far, and I told them what to expect at The Capital. It was all very peaceful, and the rush of negativity from before was all but forgotten.

But when we finally made it back to camp, ready to head to sleep, something nagged in my head.

That thought. That one though I hated so much.

It made me want to scream.

But I buried it, hugging a scabbard wearing Gladius tightly as the burning sensation of tears threatened to burst from my ears.

I knew that tomorrow I was going to be stuck listening to music for hours.

~X~

The next day started off… difficult. When I awoke, I was the last one in the tent, and instantly I could feel my dishevelled hair and the bags under my eyes. I let out a tired groan, rubbing my hands all over my face, and began to make my way towards the tent's exit.

Only to pause at the sounds of a concerned voice.

"And they just vanished last night?" I heard Ralph say.

"Yep. I don't know where Bob went, but he's gone", Dave responded.

With my adrenaline spiking, I rushed out of the tent to see the whole group standing around Dave. They all turned towards me, and winced (sans Dave).

"Uhhhh, good morning Caleb", Jenny said, looking me up and down.

"Yeah yeah, whatever", I mumbled, kneeling down to Dave's height. "You're saying that one of the Minions is missing?"

Dave, clearly not caring about my ghastly appearance, nodded rapidly. "He disappeared not long after you guys came back from your walk last night. It's really bugging me, because he's usually the most punctual."

"Where did you know he last was?"

"Cleaning the house last night", the Minion explained, "I heard a yell, and after I went to check, I saw the vacuum unattended. I checked all over last night and this morning, and he was nowhere."

I looked down at the ground in worry. "And you're positive you didn't see him."

Dave nodded frantically again, and I rose to my full height. "Alright, we'll help you find your friend. Because this doesn't sit well with me. You don't kidnap someone without purpose…" I faced the group, and pointed my finger at Jenny. "Take anyone that can fly with you and do a sweep of the city. I doubt whoever took him went far. Let's go gang!"

We'll split up at that, heading in different directions. Dave stuck with me, as did Gladius, Maple, Majima and Ruby.

"So, where should we check first?" Ruby asked after we made it to the street.

Dave frantically looked both ways. Then, his eyes lit up with an idea. "The mall!"

"The mall?" Majima answered back, unconvinced. "Sure, some jackass who runs a beauty salon would have all the reason to kidnap an annoying-as-fuck talking pill." He hissed in pain when Ruby, shockingly, kicked his shin innocently.

I glared at the two of them. "Guys, this is serious. Can we not be at each other's throats?"

My two friends shot each other a quick glare, then we continued on our way. Dave, surprisingly, led us right to the large building, the variety of differently coloured stores all under a glass dome. Taking a big step inside, it was honestly fantastic. There was a fountain in the centre, and plenty to do.

But right now we had only one goal.

"So, how do we find a Minion?" Ruby asked.

Majima sighed and face palmed. "That seems like an important fucking detail we left out." His teeth were clenched.

I pursed my lips. "Crap, you're right." I looked at the Minion with us. "Dave, do you have any ideas?"

Dave froze, and I could tell he had completely shut down. "Uhhhhhhhh… check the ice cream parlour?" He shrugged innocently and gave us a sheepish look.

We all groaned. "Well, this makes things more difficult." Gladius mumbled, burying his jewel in his wings.

Maple hummed, resting on my shoulder, while I looked around. "Honestly, this might not be a good spot." I admitted, earning the group's attention. "It's too public, so unless there's a secret underground bunker, we aren't getting anywhere here."

Dave sighed. "You're right… we need to- Gru?" He looked off to the side, and when we followed his gaze, we could see the ex-villain clear as day behind the counter of a far too pink and frilly bakery. He was with the red haired woman who kidnapped him the other day, who looked to be kicking a cupcake.

"What's Bird Beak doing in a shithole like that?" Majima snarled, a grin painted on his face. Maple whipped him in the back of the head, keeping him from making anymore insults.

"Well, I guess if he's here, we can go check out someplace else", I said nonchalantly with a shrug. Dave sighed with a nod, and we all walked out of the mall. However, I did catch sight of what I assumed was the owner of the mall's Mexican themed restaurant heading into the bakery. Even out of the corner of my eye, I fought back a chill that was wanting to run up my spine.

~X~

The whole day went by, and we all came up empty handed. It was very disheartening, and it didn't help that Dave was becoming more distressed. But regardless where we searched, there was no trace of the missing Minion or his kidnapper.

"Our perpetrator must've been wearing gloves", Zomboss ranted. We were all back at camp, watching the scientist pace back and forth. "Because there wasn't a speck of anything at the front entrance, both inside and out."

"Does Gru have a security system set up?" Jenny asked Dave.

The minion, who seemed to be more focused on his own anxiety, jumped and looked at the teenage robot. "Down here? Yes. Outside the house…?" He paused, and his face seemed stuck between pained and frustrated. "No."

We all looked at him in complete befuddlement, eyes wide in shock. "Pleeeeease tell me you're joking…" Vanellope droned out in disbelief.

"Nope, I am not." Dave shifted in worry, and the rest of us all let out a frustrated groan.

"Even when he was a supervillain, Gru has ZERO understanding of basic home security", Zomboss grumbled as he sat down in an empty chair, face twisted in a scowl and arms crossed. We all mumbled in agreement, and Dave sat down dejectedly between me and Marco.

"We'll find him eventually, Dave, don't worry", I said gently. He sighed and nodded his head.

"I'm gonna be sticking close to you guys…" He said quietly, "I don't want to risk getting kidnapped too, especially if that criminal comes back."

Blossom shrugged. "I'm cool with that."

Bubbles hovered over to him and hugged him, letting out a giddy squeal. She then looked up at me with pleading eyes. "Can we take him with us, Caleb?"

My eyes bugged out and Gladius began to stutter as everyone looked at me with varying emotions, from boredom to curiosity to confusion. As I sucked in all the reactions, I looked back to the blue clad Powerpuff Girl, and folded under her puppy dog eyes.

"Yes, he can come with us…" I sighed, ducking my head in shame. Everyone else sighed, but it seemed to be more of a collection of quiet chuckles.

Dave looked utterly confused. "What are you all talking about?"

Gladius earned all attention towards him by making a throat clearing noise. "Well Dave, that's a long story. Sit down and listen as I spin a tale of-"

"Good lord, Gladdy, if you give a full spill of your entire life I will shove you back into that rock when we get home!" I growled.

Everyone laughed as Gladius huffed indignantly, the sword beginning to tell our adventure up to present to our newest Minion companion.

~X~

The next day, it wasn't any better than yesterday. In fact, it was worse.

After waking up to complete chaos sweeping through the camp, I scrambled out of the tent, utterly confused as I saw all my friends actually look panicked.

"Guys!" I cried in a hoarse voice, forcing everyone into a stunned silence. I cleared my throat, and took a deep breath. "What the heck is going on?"

Dave pushed his way next to me, a determined Barranco next to him. "Caleb, almost every Minion is gone. Earlier today, not long after Gru left for the bakery, I saw an ice cream truck drive by the house. I was going to join the others that rushed there, but when I peeked out the window, I saw it suck all of them into a vacuum, and then drive away."

I heart skipped a beat. "What?" My voice was barely above a whisper.

Dave nodded frantically. "And when I rushed down to try and get some help, it was too quiet. I only counted, like, seven of us on the way here."

My breathing hitched, and I turned to Gladius, who was talking above us with The Powerpuff Girls. He glided down to me, and nodded at me.

"The girls were able to find the truck and where it went. There seems to be a mansion outside of the city, and that's where the truck went."

I hummed, trying to squash my growing dread. "Okay, so we have a lead. We'll need to get ready and storm that place soon."

"Well, there's a party tonight", Buttercup mentioned. She showed me the flyer, and as I looked it over, I felt everyone crowd around behind me to get a better look. My eyes didn't leave the paper as Buttercup continued. "Seems to be the big shot that owns the Mexican restaurant in the mall you guys checked out yesterday."

Blossom came up next to me. "I'm getting big supervillain vibes from him. Just hearing him reminds me of Princess."

I nodded, then spun around. I forced the flyer into Zomboss' grasp, and I could feel the determination that flared in my eyes.

"Alright, here's the plan!" I barked. "We'll need to get ready for this party, and when we get there we'll split up and search for clues. I want some of us, however, to stalk around outside of the mansion to find anything that way."

Majima grinned. "Oh, this'll be my time to shine. I fucking love parties, and I know how to be discreet. Follow my lead with this, jackasses. Time for the master to teach ya'!" He stalked off, most of the group following him.

Dave looked up at me, his eyes sparkling with adoration. "Caleb… I can't thank you enough for this. Thank you so much."

I smiled. "Anything for a friend, Dave."

"Alright, enough standing around like trees!" Barranco barked. "We got a party to get ready for!"

The Rabbid dragged the Minion away, and Gladius hovered by my side as we saw them leave elsewhere. Probably to get supplies for our plan.

"You sure bringing Dave along was a good idea, Caleb?" The sword asked me. "Those two are going to be a force to be reckoned with."

I gave Gladdy a smirk. "Exactly what I hope for." We both ran after Majima, those that were still with us following close behind.

~X~

And thus we are at the most important point of the story: the next chapter is the halfway point. I have come so far, and I want to thank all my fans. Plus, not only did we pass 3000 hits on Ao3, but it's also past the 1 year anniversary of that version of this wonderful story!

I want to not only thank all my wonderful fans, but also all my amazing friends who helped give me more motivation to keep this going. Seriously, thank you all so much.

Special shoutout to my friends in the TDIWriters Discord Server. They were the ones that got me into fanfiction fully, so thank you all.

Up next: Caleb and Co. sneak into the party and learn about El Macho, a long thought dead supervillain, and start a new plan to help all the captured Minions.