A/N: A word from the wise. Never ever ever ever ever brag that your baby sleeps through the night. ...totally jinxed it. He hasn't been sleeping well at all of late, and now he's got croup. Needless to say, I haven't had much time or energy to write. I was getting hopeful I'd get back into my weekly update routine, too!

So I mentioned to some of you in private responses that I didn't expect this story to get much darker than what had happened to Kuina. Then I read this chapter to my husband and he told me it was a little too dark for him. So I guess it's going to be a bit darker overall, especially as I explain what happened to Ilium. After all, it has to be pretty bad if it means the annihilation of a whole country. It's all very...Greek Tragedy, which is fitting, I feel. Anyway, have you read that stuff? I mean, gouging one's eyes out, murdering one's children and feeding them to one's partner out of vengeance, self-immolation, wearing a cloak that pulls your guts out. Guys. The Ancient Greeks were as dark as it gets! (None of that stuff will be happening in this story, PS.)

Essentially this story was born because I asked myself a question: what would it take for Helena to join the Straw Hats? - a reviewer of Iliad pointed out that it would mean the fall of Ilium, and I realized that was 100% accurate. As it fit with the story of The Aeneid, I entertained the notion, and started asking what it would take for Ilium to fall.

Well, my friends. This is what it would take. -and we're just getting started.

I apologize that there aren't any of our favorite characters in this. The focus of this chapter is answering Zoro's question: what exactly are we up against?

Sociopaths, Zoro. Friggin' Sociopaths. But do you expect any different from Cipher Pol? ...also, how long were you guys going to let me keep misspelling Cipher Pol, eh? I just barely caught that this chapter...

Ch. 6 – Don't Look Back

The night before Queen Helena de Zoro arrived home from her journey, the dressmaker Diddy de Daedalus had her work cut out for her. Not only did she have a new dress to make, she had a family to assassinate.

Oh, not that Calypso had given the order yet. She just knew it was coming, could see the writing on the wall. Finally, after decades, the work she had given her life for would come into fruition.

Yes, Ilium was without a doubt a dangerous country; she had witnessed enough of the god powers in her lifetime to confirm that. Anyway, people who thought that bedsheets could serve as actual clothing clearly lacked the common sense to use such powers safely or effectively. They needed to be brought down, and said powers put into the hands of the more capable (and fashion savvy) government.

She held no love for the queen or her predecessors. Helena had always been especially troublesome to the designer, what with her constant whining. It was a supreme pleasure that of all the sovereign rulers Diddy had outlived, Helena would be the last.

To the surprise of even her comrades, she held no real love for her own family either. All had been tools in her toolbelt; a fashionable accessory to her façade, the ultimate disguise. Her late husband had been a man with business connections, and through him she bore children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren with both creative talent and the wealth to pursue it. They had been an amusing pastime, but they had now gone out of style.

In order for her to best serve her part in the plan, she needed to distract Queen Helena enough not to notice that the dress she'd been sewn into was a veritable death trap. What better distraction than a death in Diddy's own family? She could then use the Queen's empathy against her. She would kill off one tonight, and take care of the rest whenever Calypso gave the go ahead.

She couldn't wait to get started.

When Agamemnon opened his door to her, she greeted him jovially with a kiss on the cheek. She felt no guilt breaking bread with him for supper that night. He showed her to the guest room, inviting her to stay rather than drag her old bones all the way back to the palace. Ha! As if anyone looking at her doubted she could handle such a journey! – A healthy body was always in fashion!

But it was as she had planned. When he had fallen asleep, she crept into his room, retrieved a long, sturdy sewing needle from her belt, and shoved it into his ear without the least hesitation. He died without a sound.

On her way back to her room, she unfortunately ran into Agamemnon's daughter, Raqueline. The talented sea prism artisan wore her work apron over her nightgown.

"Mama Diddy?" Raqueline called. "I didn't know you were staying over tonight! What are you doing up so la…Mama Diddy, why is there blood on your hand? Are you hurt?"

Diddy sighed inwardly. Of all the family members to find her red-handed, it had to be the one she wasn't planning on killing.

"Fine, dear. Just a little wound caused by a needle," she said. "Are you off to bed?"

"No, I couldn't sleep, so I thought I'd go down to my workshop and get some stuff done," she said.

"Would you mind if I join you?" Diddy asked, the very picture of innocent curiosity. "It's always a pleasure to see what you're working on."

"Sure, come on down," Raqueline replied with a genuine smile. The girl was generally pretty twitchy and nervous, but not around her great grandmother. No, Mama Diddy had always been a welcome source of constructive feedback with her jewelry making. Not that she needed Diddy's help anymore; the girl had a well-trained eye now. She was without a doubt the best sea prism craftsman of her time.

Diddy again sighed inwardly as she followed Raqueline down a flight of stairs within Agamemnon's newly repaired mansion. One thing was for certain; after today, Raqueline wouldn't be asking for Diddy's help with anything ever again.

Bright and early the following morning, Monte Bags sat at the bar in Virgil's, taking stock of his troops like it was his job. As the official handler for Cipher Pol 4, tonight was a big night for him. He'd been strategizing Ilium's takedown for over three decades now, and with his understanding of the country and its culture, he was confident that his would be the group to finally succeed.

Calypso Blue's experience and cruelty made him the ideal Head Agent for a group as splintered as Cipher Pol 4. Bags was dealing with long time sleeper agents of various ages and skills, but Blue knew just how to weed out the weak. He had Bags' backing 100%, and even had permission to give orders under the guise that they had come from up top.

Annihilation of the agents' families had been one such order.

At first Bags had had his reservations about it as it seemed unnecessarily cruel, but ultimately he had to admit it was rather effective. For instance, he now knew that they undoubtedly had Diddy's loyalty based on her actions last night. Calypso had accused her of jumping the gun, but she had assured them all that Agamemnon's death would prove useful to her in her assignment to immobilize the queen. At least Bags had convinced her to immobilize, not assassinate Helena. They weren't going to make Regent's mistake. - they needed to take down the royal family simultaneously.

Bags wasn't particularly worried about Nysa either. The party planner, though assigned to Ilium just a little longer than he had, had very wisely chosen not to form a family. She had planned the Queen's homecoming slaughter to perfection. Her organizational skills had proven invaluable, as had her hidden Hammer Hammer power. Through her they'd be able to hide one of their more interesting agents until the last possible moment.

Regrettably, Bags had lost a couple of agents in recent years. The old Head of Palace Security had made getting agents appointed under the royal family's nose relatively painless. Unfortunately, he had been killed by that fool Troy, and eventually replaced with Paris du Priam, a man unquestioningly loyal to the Queen, and terrifyingly good at snooping. They had managed to avoid his detection but barely.

The other agent he had lost had gone quite recently. Homer had been helpful collecting intel on the royal family, particularly Helena, and had also made it possible for them to get agents close to the her outside of the palace. – unfortunately, Homer had also formed a family, and grown attached to the Princess he'd watched grow into a Queen. He'd realized that he would have to mobilize when Ilium started winning its battle against Regent. Rather than betray Ilium or the World Government, to whom he still felt a sense of loyalty, he'd walked into the line of fire.

Bags didn't mourn him too much. – he'd aged far worse than Diddy had, had even lost his eyesight completely in the past year or so. Anyway, he had served his purpose.

Then there was that idiot musician, Orpheus. He'd only come to Ilium within the last 5 years, but he had as good as admitted to Calypso that he'd chosen a post in Ilium thinking he would never have to mobilize. He might prove problematic, but their numbers were low; Bags hated to admit it, but they needed him.

Just as he had finished his mental checklist, an agent who had gone AWOL suddenly, dramatically threw open the door to Virgil's. Striking a flamenco pose, the cerulean-haired agent wore a dazzling grin and a lavender chiton, tied to look like a latin dancing dress.

"You see, Amor!" she called to someone behind her, "I told you Virgil's was just as nice as Homer's!"

Then she clapped eyes on Bags, and her smile vanished.

"You," she breathed, eyes narrowed.

Bags quickly regained his composure. "Oh. You came back just in time, like it's your job. I'd heard you and your little family had skipped town."

"Not skipped. I was working," Gloriadne de Robertus muttered peevishly, then seemed to realize she should pretend she didn't know him as anything other than the World Government Liaison. "I mean, what are you talking about? Why are you even here? I thought I'd heard that the Queen banished all world government officials from Ilium!"

"Who are you talking to, Amorcita?"

Gloriadne's clueless husband came into view, eyeing Bags with confusion.

"We should probably report him," he put in.

"Tonight's the night, Gloriadne," Bags said, ignoring him and getting to his feet. "You are to eliminate any and all liabilities," his eyes flickered to her husband, "like it's your job. Do you understand?"

She took a step back, an arm sneaking back protectively over her husband.

At that moment, Gloriadne's son, probably around two years old, toddled into view, giggling. He was a perfect blend of Gloriadne and her husband – round face, laughing eyes, fine, violet hair that stuck up like a coxcomb.

"Oh dear," Bags said, eyeing him, then noticing an infant carrier on Robertus' back. A chubby baby burbled, just out of sight. Bags turned his gaze back to Gloriadne. "I am so sorry," he said.

The toddler looked at Bags with big blue eyes. A moment later he was patting Bags' tummy.

"Baby?" he asked innocently.

Bags chuckled. "No, there's no baby in there," he replied. Such a shame. He was a sweet child.

Gloriadne grabbed her son by the hand and pulled him forcibly away. "Stay away from him, Janus!" she reproached.

Bags looked at her with real sympathy. "Will you need help?" he asked quietly as she dragged the child behind her. "We can enlist someone else to do it."

Gloriadne's face turned white. She straightened up, still clutching her son's little hand as he struggled to get away. "No," she replied as staidly as she could manage. "I…I can take care of it."

"Good," he went on, though he eyed her dubiously. "Come find me once you're done. I'll fill you in on the plan."

The moment Bags closed the door, Gloriadne turned sharply to her husband, her entire frame trembling.

"What was that all about?" Robertus asked nervously as their son broke free from them and started stumbling around the empty pub in hyperactive circles. "Amorcita, are you alright?"

"You need to go, now," she insisted in a harsh whisper. "Take Janus and Lachoneus and leave the country. Don't look back."

"Why would I…?"

"Just listen to me. You need to leave!"

"What about you?" Robertus demanded.

"I need to stay and warn the Queen…!"

A laugh reverberated from a nearby staircase. "Oh ho ho! Gloriadne, Gloriadne, Gloriadne," a voice tutted, "I had a feeling you'd go turncoat, mon. But what can one expect from a young mother?"

Calypso Blue swaggered into view, one hand resting casually on the sheaths of his machetes. He smiled his all too charming smile at her, pristine white teeth all the whiter against his swarthy skin.

"I'll take care of it, Blue," Bags put in, coming in from the front door.

Gloriadne bowed her head, and cursed under her breath. Of course he hadn't really left! They were cornered now. "Bags," she seethed through gritted teeth. "This is your fault."

"I didn't come up with the extermination order," he replied, shrugging his fat shoulders. "I only gave it my stamp of approval like it's my job."

"Extermination?" Robertus demanded.

"That's not what I meant," Gloriadne insisted. She backed her family into the pub itself, putting herself between them and the two Cipher Pol agents. "You're the one who told me to pursue Robertus in the first place."

She could feel Robertus' staring at the back of her head. "What…?" he gasped.

"A man, a dancer no less, holding on to the Alpha Omega Fruit to share with his future bride," Gloriadne went on. "A perfect cover, and a perfect chance to gain a powerful devil fruit. You didn't take into account one thing though."

"Oh?" Bags asked, eyebrows raised.

"That I would actually fall in love with him," she turned and gave her husband a soft look, but only for a split second. She couldn't afford to take her eyes off of the enemy for longer than that.

"You mistake me, my dear," Bags replied, puffing on his bubble pipe. "While, yes, there were strategic reasons for me to play matchmaker, it doesn't follow that I didn't have your happiness in mind. If one must be undercover for this long, she may as well enjoy herself like it's her job."

"That's sick," Gloriadne growled.

Bags shrugged. "I don't see it that way."

"Don't blame him for your inability to separate work and pleasure, mon," Calypso put in.

"You mean, I shouldn't blame him for the fact that I'm not a sociopath like you."

"That IS what all your training was meant to do," Calypso grumbled, rolling his eyes for good measure. "Just like many of our agents, you thought this day would never come. You let yourself go soft, mon. I expect you haven't been keeping up on your training either."

"Oh no, you're wrong there," Gloriadne said softly. "You see, my husband and I didn't just leave to pick up new dance moves."

After Troy's attack, Gloriadne had realized that she needed to be stronger, but by then her loyalty to Cipher Pol had already slipped. She had honestly hoped she would never have to tell anyone what she was. Not her husband, or her sons – not even her friend the Queen. No, she had convinced her husband to train with her on the premise of better serving the crown. In reality it was in case something like this happened.

She let off a sudden glow, blinding Bags and Calypso as though she had the Glimmer Glimmer fruit. Knowing she still wasn't strong enough to fight either of them, she smashed through the nearest exit; a window. She did so just as her husband grabbed their son, and the light and color suddenly drained from the man, the boy, and the baby strapped to the man's back, turning them into dark, inky silhouettes. They disappeared into a shadow.

"So they've awakened a new power within their devil fruits," Bags chortled. "Such a useful thing, to be able to use any of the past powers they've encountered. It's a real pity Gloriadne won't be helping us tonight."

"But we can't let them get away, mon," Calypso pointed out, though he said it calmly. He must have realized that Bags' own lack of panic meant he had things under control.

"Don't worry, they won't get far," Bags replied. "I did extensive research on their devil fruits back when I suggest Gloriadne vie for one. A power like that has a limit. - Let me take care of them, Blue. We still have one more agent to contact; I suggest you get on it, like it's your job. Considering he doesn't have children, I hope he won't give you as much trouble."

Calypso grinned. "Oh, Orpheus isn't quite as brave as Gloriadne, mon," he pointed out. "I don't think he'll be as difficult to convince."

"Very good," Bag said, blowing bubbles from his pipe. He waddled to the door, pushing it open with a wide grin on his face.

"You looking forward to getting back into the field, mon?"

"Oh yes," Bags replied emphatically, shooting him a grin. "Like it's my job!"

Calypso had a hard time tracking Orpheus down at first. The lazy musician had always had a knack for hiding from work, whether spy work or otherwise. Having also seen the writing on the wall, he had absconded himself easily enough, but he hadn't thought to hide his wife.

"Sirena," Calypso said as she opened their front door. The unfortunate couple lived in Mycanae, and had only recently finished rebuilding enough of their home to live in it. They had talked of moving into Ilium proper, like most of their former neighbors had done, but had yet to finalize any plans. "I have been looking everywhere for your husband, mon. Have you seen him?"

"He said he was going in to work today," she replied in that musical accent of hers. "What, was he not at Virgil's?"

Calypso shook his head.

"Playing hooky again! It's a wonder he hasn't been fired in all these years!" she huffed.

In truth, the layabout hadn't been fired because Homer had been one of their undercover agents. Virgil, however, was not. Orpheus probably wouldn't be able to maintain his job at the new pub for long given the chance.

He wouldn't be given the chance.

"Don't worry about it, mon, I'm sure I'll run into him eventually," Calypso replied with a casual shrug.

"When you do, try to knock some sense into him, will you?" she replied, shaking her tight curls.

"I'll do my best, mon," Calypso grinned. "Don't worry. He can't be far."

He bid Sirena adieu, but didn't turn to leave when she shut the door behind her. Closing his eyes, the swordsman tuned himself to the world around him. Sure enough, he could sense Orpheus nearby in the abandoned neighborhood.

It would be a simple thing to go to the lout, but why go through the effort when Calypso could draw him out without moving from this very spot?

Drawing one of his machetes, he pointed it toward the woebegone house, focused his energy, and drew his arm back. Just when he was about to slice the house through horizontally, most assuredly killing Sirena in the process, a certain lazy agent appeared straight in front of him.

Calypso hadn't been using haki, something Orpheus must have realized, or he wouldn't have put himself between the agent and his home using nothing stronger than Iron Body. As it was, Calypso's blade stopped short on the side of Orpheus' head.

"Not nice, Blue," he yawned, pushing the blade aside.

"Well, it's good to see you haven't lost your mastery of Rokushiki at least, mon," Calypso replied. "I take it you know why I'm here?"

"I'm lazy, not stupid," Orpheus replied. "I've just been…uh…"

"Putting off the inevitable?"

"Yeah, that, I guess," Orpheus said, scratching the back of his head nonchalantly.

Calypso smiled at him almost fondly, as though Orpheus' antics amused him. But then, quite out of nowhere, the smile disappeared and he backhanded him. It came as such a shock that Orpheus hadn't put up any of his defenses. The belitting strike left a red mark on his cheek.

"Don't lie to me, you useless coward," Calypso spat. "You've just spent all day waffling over whether you can do it or not, haven't you? At least Gloriadne was decisive, mon."

Orpheus blinked at him, holding the side of his face. "Huh? Gloriadne is back in town?"

"Yeah, mon. Not only did she choose her family, she tried to warn the Queen," Calypso went on. "Unfortunately, Bags had to end her."

Orpheus shuddered visibly. "Come on, Blue. You know I'm loyal to Cipher Pol over Ilium. It's only Sirena I care about. Can't we leave her be?"

Calypso eyed him disdainfully.

"She doesn't deserve to be caught up in this," Orpheus pleaded, "You said so once yourself."

The swordsman seemed to ponder his comrade's plea for a moment. "I suppose I could help you out, on one condition mon."

Orpheus face lit up with hope. He looked more awake than he had all morning.

"Anything!"

"You have to burn your bridges completely, mon," he said. "You have to be able to make her believe you are leaving her and that you are never coming back."

Orpheus face filled with sorrow at this. What was wrong with these agents? Bags had certainly handed him the worst of the worst. Neither Orpheus or Gloriadne had control of their emotions!

"What'll it be, mon?" Calypso asked impatiently. "Can you walk away from her and not look back?"

Orpheus ran a hand nervously through his untamed hair, then wiped a few tears from his eyes. "Yeah…" he said, tenor voice cracking, but then strengthened as he found some resolve somewhere in that spineless soul of his. "Yeah, give me a second."

Taking a deep breath to steel himself, he made his way slowly to his front door. It only took a knock, and the quarrel was already on:

"Where on earth have you been, Orpheus?" Sirena demanded, brow turned. "You told me you were heading to work, but Blue just told me you weren't there! Orpheus, we don't have the means for you to treat your job like this right now. Not with our house in pieces like this! Not when…"

Orpheus looked her square in the eye, and cut her off. "I never deserved a woman like you," he told her, then kissed her, long and deep. Calypso watched from the shadows, unimpressed, waiting for Orpheus to lose his resolve so he could kill them both and be done.

Orpheus pulled away, and his wife chuckled, red in the cheeks. "What's this all about, then?" she asked.

"I'm…"

Orpheus could say any number of things here. The easiest would be to claim he was cheating or something. Calypso waited, mildly amused, mostly impatient.

"I'm done," Orpheus said.

"Done?" Sirena asked, brows furrowed.

"Done. This marriage thing. It's not for me."

Calypso rolled his eyes. The idiot clearly knew nothing of women. He had opened himself up for a long-winded argument.

"What are you talking about?" Sirena demanded. "You can't just up and say that out of the blue. Is this about work? Why would you…?!"

Then Orpheus yawned.

Oh, the audacity! Sirena usually put up with his narcolepsy without much of a thought, but in that moment it stabbed her where it counted. Calypso had to hand it to him, Orpheus was giving him a good show.

"Wait, don't you care what I think?"

Orpheus quipped back with something that must have taken everything in him to say:

"Not really," he drawled, and he yawned again for good measure. "I never really did."

Sirena's usually sunny expression darkened completely. She lifted a hand to slap him across the face, he winced in anticipation, but Sirena had never been the violent sort. Her arm fell lamely to her side, and she burst into angry tears.

"Well fine then, you great layabout," she bawled. "You think you can just kiss me like that and then call it quits? Just go then! And don't even think about the ring. I'll pawn it to fix this house up for myself on my own, got it? Just go!" she pushed him off of their front porch.

He stumbled, wide-eyed as she slammed the door, closing him out for good.

Calypso awarded the performance with a well-deserved slow clap, emerging from his place in the shadows. Orpheus turned his pathetic, tear-stained face to him as he approached, but then he almost turned back to the house.

Calypso drew a machete, blocking Orpheus' view of his former home with the blade:

"Well, go on, mon," Calypso said, grinning sadistically.

"I actually love her, Calypso," Orpheus pleaded, though he kept his gaze forward. "Can't you try to imagine what that feels like?"

"Not even a little bit," Calypso replied without ire. Then he reiterated. "Now walk away and don't look back."

Orpheus dissolved into a fresh wave of tears, but did as he was bid like a good little government slave. Calypso watched him go, his head cocked to one side as he contemplated what was, to him, a completely irrational attachment. No woman was worth the tears.

Before the distraught man had walked completely out of sight, Calypso sauntered up to Sirena's door and knocked.

"Are you all right in there, mon?" he called, just to let her know he wasn't Orpheus.

Sirena opened the door a crack. "Blue?" she asked, sniffling.

"I'm here to help," he told her, then promptly shoved his machete into her ribs.

Her labored gasp alerted Orpheus to her death. Though lazy as all get out, the man reappeared at the door using shave, but he wasn't fast enough. The light had already left her eyes.

"Calypso, you bastard!" Orpheus wailed, clutching her lifeless body. "You said…!"

"I said I'd help you, mon," Calypso replied coolly, swiping his sword aside to clear it of blood. "I told you not to look back."