AN: Chapter title is not in error, these chapters are happening simultaneously.

628 raced along the ceiling of the hallway. One of his six limbs clutched a glowing paper mache rocket to his stomach. The other five battled gravity to keep him moving forward. His claws clicked against the ceiling lightly, tapping at the metal with every step. Most people assumed he used his claws to climb everywhere, but he only really utilized them for softer materials. For hard surfaces, like the metal walls and ceiling, he relied on the microscopic hairs on the pads of his feet.

Varian had studied him briefly before determining he could not sit still long enough to be a useful source of information.

He'd also ended up belching flowery bubbles for a while.

Maybe he'd go wave his feet under Varian's nose again and see if he couldn't get any more of that delicious liquid. He'd been completely banned from the alchemist's room after that particular incident.

It wasn't his fault that so many things in that room smelled like they should taste good.

Aladdin sighed heavily. "I wish I had Carpet with me. It would be so much easier, and faster, to find them while flying."

"Fly?" 628 tipped his head to the side curiously.

Aladdin smiled. "Carpet is, well, a magic flying carpet. He's great. I used to ride around on him practically everywhere back in Agrabah. I could easily cover the entirety of the outside grounds in just a matter of minutes if he were here."

628 nodded slowly. He would have to remember about flying carpets. Maybe later he could take the rug from one of the common areas up to one of the roofs and jump off. See if they would start flying. No better way to force a shy magic carpet to start working than to put it into a situation where it had to work!

"How's that rocket looking?" Aladdin paused at the bottom of their stairs. "No point in exiting the stairs if it's looking darker, yeah?"

628 nodded. He held out the rocket for them both to study.

It didn't take an expert to determine that the glow around the small paper mache ship was a darker shade of blue.

Aladdin sighed. "Back up we go, I suppose. Come on, 628. I'll message Braxton on our way."

"Goobaja." Folding the rocket against his stomach, 628 took the lead. He could make it up the stairs much faster than his two legged companion, so he had to stop and wait several times. He didn't mind much, though. Every couple of flights of stairs he stopped and pulled out the rocket, swooshing it through the air as he waited for Aladdin to catch up.

"Alright, 628." Aladdin turned the corner and joined him on the landing for the third time. "That rocket's getting dark again. I don't think it's worth going up any higher than this. I'll message the others, let them know that Sy seems to be somewhere on the third or fourth floor."

628 swooshed the rocket over his head one last time before folding it into his chest again. "Okie-taka."

Aladdin took a seat on the stairs and pulled out his tablet. He scanned his hand quickly, the device springing to life with their group chat already pulled up.

Aladdin Sahar Alsultan 08:56

He's not at ground level. The glow is getting darker the lower we go.

Braxton Rudforest 08:57

Copy that.

James Hawkins 09:00

Not by the western classrooms. We aren't even across the bridge and it's getting darker. We'll head back and assist whomever seems to be on the right track.

Braxton Rudforest 09:00

Copy

Aladdin Sahar Alsultan 09:05

He seems to be on the 3rd or 4th floor. Light gets darker if you change floors in either direction.

Braxton Rudforest 09:05

Copy that. Jim and Mel are going to check the 4th floor of the dorms. You sweep the 3rd. Proceed towards the eastern classrooms once you've confirmed he's not here.

James Hawkins 09:05

Has anyone heard from Varian or Hogarth?

Braxton Rudforest 09:05

Negative

Aladdin Sahar Alsultan 09:06

Not yet, sorry.

Aladdin stood up and tucked his tablet under his arm. "Come on, little man. Let's go sweep the third floor. If Sy's in one of the dorms, we'll find him."

AN: So sorry about the long delay. I owe the treasure planet discord server a big thank you for always giving me motivation to move through writer's block. I have another chapter almost complete, and the groundwork for a lot more done, so hopefully I'll get another chapter up before Christmas!

Happy Hanukkah to those who celebrated last week, and Merry Christmas to those who celebrate next week! Love you all, can't wait to see what the new year has in store for us!