~Many Years Ago~

Selene could tell that her love was getting antsy.

He was doing his best to remain calm, to hold himself with dignity and grace. But she could see it in the way he kept glancing about him, trying to be subtle about it so that no one would notice. It wasn't out of wonder like the rest of the party that was surrounding them. No, he wasn't marveling at the great sea that surround Asgard, home of the Norse Gods, which Thor had decided after a night of heavy drinking 'thou all must see!'

Endymion was weighing them up, much like one would examine fresh fruits at a market.

Back in Greece she hadn't taken him to meet many gods, mostly because she knew that the Olympians did not look kindly on her chose of lover. Which was moronic and stupid, in her opinion. Zeus could turn into whatever animal he wanted and take any mortal lover he desired and other than Hera, rightfully so being annoyed and angered, his faithlessness it was treated as a joke. Something to giggle over and gossip about. But she took Endymion to her bed and she was stared at and whispered about, treated like she had created some grand blasphemy.

'I can not wait for him to be like me,' she thought with a dark little smirk. 'We will return to Olympus and we will make them regret every ill thought they ever had. Endymion and I will be the greatest of the gods.'

Her lover was so very creative with his magic and he was growing stronger every day. Even now he was the mightiest mage to walk the earth; it was only because she worried that the gods themselves might interfere with their lives that they had decided to leave Greece for a while and travel, after their failed attempt to claim the power of the Pharaoh. And part of that was that he was able to weigh up potential targets, those whose magics could be added to his own. It was why he had gone after the wood witch… and been so enraged when her tales and stories turned out to be little more than embellishments.

Now, approaching Asgard… he was barely controlling his hunger.

She reached over and took his hand, giving it a squeeze. He snapped a glare at her but she merely smirked back, silently teasing him about his impatience.

Thor rambled on and Selene forced herself not to chuckle as the chickens led the wolf right into their hen house…

~Present Day~

Maximillion looked at the new guards they had been given and wondered what exactly it might mean that they were the ones chosen to lead them to their destination. They had now repeatedly seen their guards changed out and he wondered why the Big 5 were wasting their time on such things. 'We are in a virtual world… it doesn't matter who our guards are because you could literally make them be anyone. You control them, you determine all they can and can't do. This is just mindless waste.'

The ones currently guiding them along the path were lizard-like in appearance, wearing some armor but leaving their arms and legs visible. They had the same dark green scales which, in Maximillion's opinion, were horribly boring. They were strange lizard men! Make them colorful and wild! It was a complaint he'd had with the art department many times when it came to designing new Duel Monsters. They wanted to stick to the 'realistic' in terms of body types and armor and the like and he had to keep reminding them… it was a game. Full of wild and strange creatures that many times had no right to exist. Did the Slime Monsters make any sense? Or half of the fiends?

Part of what made Duel Monsters so much fun was the fantastical. The strange and the different and the seemingly impossible. He felt it was such a pity that so many forgot that simple fact. People spent so much time trying to leave their normal lives and find something amazing and strange and wonderful. And when they found it, whether it be in the real world or merely the creation of a dreamer, their first response was, almost always, to attempt to bring it "down to earth". That it needed to be more realistic. He saw it with adaptations all the time… the days of the rubber hose limbs of cartoon characters was at an end and now the characters had to have a 'logic' to them. Where did that mouse pull that mallet from? It needed to be explained so that there was a science to it. Magic couldn't be the answer… no. Magic needed to be distilled and rendered into something that all could see.

'I wonder what our stories will be, a hundred years from now?' Maximillion thought sadly. 'I suppose there will be no Millennium Items… or if there are their powers will be revealed to be nothing more than parlor tricks and the product of science.' He knew that Kaiba had come up with the belief that the Millennium Eye had passive Mind Control, or rather the hologram projectors did. That Maximillion tricked people into believing he was reading their mind when in reality he had made them reveal what cards they held and then to forget that they had done that. Amusing, to be sure, but not the truth at all. But such an answer probably would be seen as reality when their stories were retold far in the future. 'The Pharaoh will merely be Little Yugi creating a separate mental self in order to handle the stress of what happened. I kidnapped Solomon Muto rather than taking his soul. Mai portrayed herself as a god, rather than actually being one. Edwin was 'from another world' purely because he was from America…'

It made him very sad that people couldn't embrace magic anymore. That there was no wonder left in existence. That everything had to be cataloged and tucked away in little boxes to be placed on dusty shelves.

'And you need to begin focusing on other things,' he thought as the lizard guards took them through a dark cavern, the roar of a waterfall somewhere beyond them. 'Because you need to be ready to protect not just yourself but Serenity.'

It was a weighty thing, to know that he had to be her champion. Maximillion knew that he wouldn't be able to make good on his failures but ensuring that Serenity got through the Virtual World unscathed and returned to the real world completely herself? Yes… yes, that would remove plenty of dark marks from his ledger.

There was a sudden light at the end of the tunnel, appearing so quickly that it was as if someone had flipped on a light switch in the middle of a dark room. The guards continued to push them forward, Maximillion shielding his eyes and Serenity stumbling into him at the sudden brightness. And it was as if the light was heading towards them as much as they were heading towards it, for it approached far quicker than it should have and suddenly they were bursting out into the open air.

Maximillion looked about and sighed. "Well… I suppose I should be surprised that this was where you decided to hold the duel."

"I thought you would like it," Anton Leichter declared with a tight little smile, emerging from the shadows of the doorway. "A final piece of home."

Oh, Maximillion knew the place VERY well. Leichter had decided to recreate in the Virtual World the rampart of his family castle, just as it looked in Duelist Kingdom. When he had been young it had been a favorite place of his parents to bring honored guests after one of their grand banquets, so they might dine under the stars and stare out at their sweeping estate. Years later, when he had used his fortune to move the castle brick by brick to his island, he and Cecelia had eaten their breakfasts there, enjoying the fine sweet fruits and pastries as the sun slowly rose and the world awoke. More recently it had served as the an important piece of Duel Monster history, for it was where Kaiba and Yugi had engaged in their second duel, to determine if Kaiba would be able to get into the Duelist Kingdom finals.

Maximillion looked over at the right ledge and half expected to see the scuff marks form Kaiba's boots still on the stone. It was utterly impressive how much Noah had gotten right in designing the area. He certainly didn't have any complaints or notes.

"I am thinking that perhaps you could be left here… forever wandering the halls, looking for a door that doesn't exist. That would be fun, wouldn't it? Some place that looks like what you are used to, filled with happy memories, but it had become your prison and your tomb?"

"I think we have different definitions of fun," Serenity said quietly under her breath, a bit more snarky than Maximillion would have expected from the girl.

Leichter mere shrugged his shoulders at that. "I doubt one such as yourself could understand the irony of it all. Such subtly is lost on you weak minded children. Still… this is a rather fitting spot to determine your fates."

"You mean my fate," Maximillion stated. He stepped forward, not surprised at all as one of Kaiba's Duel Discs appeared on his arm. Part of him honestly wondered at how Noah had learned about the device… what would have happened had Kaiba never made the Duel Disc? Would all of the duels in the virtual world been like the ones on Duelist Kingdom? After all, it wasn't like they were honestly needed. They were in a false world where anything could happen… he should be able to throw a card out and summon a monster. Or have the cards appear before him larger than life and twist into origami creations. 'Just another sign of a lack of creativity and whimsy,' he thought before saying aloud, "Serenity isn't a duelist… and you only need one body. So you will duel me and leave her out of this."

"That is… partially true," Leichter stated with a sharp little smile, one Maximillion was rather familiar with. The man had worn it all the time when he traveled with Gozaburo, flashing it when he believed that there was no risk to himself since he had his 'dear friend' to back him up. "But you should know that when it comes to anything, be it money or stocks or property… it is always best to have a bit extra, just in case you find someone desperate to buy."

"What da fuck!?" Serenity cried out, her soft sweet voice shifting to something that far better resembled her brother's in tone and especially accent. Maximillion whipped around to see that a cage had suddenly appeared around her, connected to a great crane that had been bolted onto the castle wall. The machinery, looking as out of place on the ancient walls as a Arthurian princess with a boob job, groaned as it began to winch the cable connect it to the cage, Serenity grabbing onto the bars as she was suddenly swung off the rampart to dangle over the open air below. "Let me down, ya bastard!" she shouted.

Maximillion had wondered what would happen when Serenity cracked. He had to admit this wasn't what he expected.

"Well, I must say, love, that is a very poor choice of words." Maximillion turned towards the dark doorway and watched as the owner of the posh and cultured voice stepped out. "After all, if Mr. Leichter here took you literally I dare say you would be in for a long drop."

"Cassie," Maximillion said before narrowing his eyes. 'No… that isn't her.' It was a crude mockery of the woman that he had taken on as his apprentice; Cassie had a style that was a mix of casual grunge and stylized punk. Jeans and leather jackets and dark tees that made her stand out but didn't leave her looking like some reject from a Straight To VHS 80s coming of age movie. But the woman before him was dressed in the faux steampunk glamour aesthetic, which a long dress and suit-like top, thick combat boots, and a small hat perched on her purple mane.

As if sensing his thoughts Leichter said, in a bragging tone, "Not quite. See, we have taken your little protégée and made some improvements. Yes, it is merely a digital scan of her brain but it does show what she could have been, had you actually pushed her to excel."

Maximillion merely narrowed his eyes at that. "Why am I not surprised that you don't understand how people truly are… and that the worth of them isn't measured in how they live up to your expectations?"

"Hey!" Serenity shouted. "How 'bout we focus on gettin' me out of here!" She rattled the bars of the cage.

"That is rather simple," Leichter informed her. "Pegasus here just needs to win our duel. If he does then both of you will be freed. But, should he fail, I will claim you both… one body for myself, another for one of the other members of the Big 5… I am sure at least one of them will have failed to secure a form and will pay quite a bit for a chance to return to the real world."

Maximillion glowered at that but knew he had little choice in the matter. Leichter controlled the game at that moment and all he could do was attempt to play things out and hopefully turn the tables on him.

"Very well then," he said as Cassie moved to stand before him, holding out her arm and causing a rather elegant Duel Disc to appear. It was black in color and had filaments of amethyst running along its surface, giving it a royal quality. "Then we shall duel and I will defeat this false creation of yours, Leichter. Serenity will be freed, the two of us will be able to return to the real world, and you will be nothing more than a half-remembered dream, wispy and half formed forever in my mind."

"Perhaps," Leichter stated. "Or perhaps you will fall today and at long last I will be able to claim my destiny in both my hands. Cassandra!"

"Then let this duel begin," Cassie stated, holding out her deck and flaring it out like it was a fan she could use to cool herself off. "I believe I will start things off by selecting my deck master… a noble beast to serve me. Dragunity Remus, I select you!"

It was a small blue dragon with white armor… or perhaps it was a white dragon with softer blue scales under its harder white ones. Its nose resembled an ornate blade but also reminded Maximillion of a mosquito's mouth.

His mind raced as he pulled up everything he could remember about the monster. It was an error in judgment that many made, thinking that he knew of every Duel Monster and could recall in seconds what they could do. While he tried to have some hand in every card that was created the fact of the matter was that he was only one man and it would be impossible for him to be able to design each and every one. No… he had an entire team that did that for him, though he was careful to check in with them often to make sure what they were designing met his desires.

So it wasn't like he would be able to instantly know every card that was part o the Draunity Archtype and how Cassie, or this bastardization of her, would use them.

But… he had some ideas.

~MC~MC~MC~

"Edwin… you don't have to do this!" Yugi proclaimed as I worked to get myself situated into the VR Pod. "Maybe we can find another pod, one I could enter! Or see if we can find the others."

"Noah is going to realize that I'm not in that dome at some point, if he hasn't already. And when he does he won't be happy. We have no idea how he will react… he might just search for me but he also might begin taking it out on the others. We have no idea how many of us he put in there and how many he left out… he could have done everyone but you, Yugi, or it might have been just enough for himself and the Big 5. And… there is a chance that he took spares in case they lost… or he wanted someone to torture."

Yugi winced at that and I hated that I was worrying him. He had been very open about wanting me to stick with him and remain in the real world. Despite having told me all he had about the Pharaoh and Ebony Maw and clearly hoping that unburdening himself would help him move past his fears… it hadn't. He still found himself worrying about his partner and when one had such a worry within them it made moving past it and trusting someone again rather hard. Yugi was someone who worked best when surrounded by people he trusted; he didn't like moving through the vagueness that could come from not being sure about another. He was clinging to me like a security blanket.

'Which is part of the reason why I need to leave him,' I thought, even as I hated that thought. 'I want to stay and make sure that Yugi is okay… but he needs to work things out with the Pharaoh. Dartz will be coming soon and I've been trying to do all I can to get those two in a stronger place, so that Raphael can't worm doubts into Yugi's brain. But this has thrown him for a loop badly.' I mentally sighed. 'Maybe this will be good though… need to look at the upside. If yhey can have their mistrust blow up NOW then Raphael will be powerless against them.'

"But you'll be trapped in that Dome!" Yugi proclaimed.

"Yeah," I admitted and I was just as startled as him to find that the smile I was wearing wasn't forced. No… while I wasn't giddy at the idea of going back into the Virtual World and wasn't ignorant of all that could go wrong… I also didn't feel the terror that had been seizing my heart when it had finally crashed into me that Noah and the Virtual World Arc WAS happening. "But I'm ready this time."

"You have a way to get out?" Yugi asked.

"I do," I commented. "Or rather I always did. I just let my fear overtake me the last time… that's not the case here. And the situation is far different." I settled into the pod and Yugi, after a moment, went over to the control panel. The Key had allowed me to unlock the systems so that it could be operated rather easily by Yugi. He had tried to press me to just find the other pods and do the same, unlocking them so we could yank our friends out, but I had pointed out that we had no idea what the effects of ripping people suddenly from the Virtual World would be like. It could mental whiplash… like when one was deep in thought only for some person, without meaning to, suddenly speaking and startling them out of their thoughts.

Only times a billion.

"The mind is the only limit, Yugi." I said. "And don't worry… you have Troy." I nodded to my phone's Avatar, which popped up next to Yugi and patted him on the shoulder.

"Don't worry, kid and I will be fine. You just worry about getting everyone else out of the Virtual World."
"That's the plan," I said. Yugi pressed the button and I had the sensation of suddenly being rocketed through a tunnel before the brakes to my pod were slammed down to the floor and I didn't have a seatbelt. I went flying out of it and ripping through the air.

I forced my fear to disappear and focused on what I had felt when I'd sealed the portal above New York, denying Thanos his full army.

My mother's gift to me burst from my back and my flight ended with me hovering in the middle of the dome, crackling energy wings holding me aloft.

"Alright," I muttered, looking about the empty dome, eyes beginning to glow, "let's begin."

~MC~MC~MC~

'Syncro focused' Maximillion thought as he thought upon the Dragunity Archtype. 'Bringing out bigger and more powerful monsters, which is pretty standard for most decks. But its done fast, especially if she is able to get out-'

"And next I think it is only proper that I have the correct field for such a battle. After all, what is a lord without his manor? A duke without his estate? So I activate the field spell Dragon Ravine!"

The world beyond his castle shifted, the forests consumed by the great plateaus that rose up while the woods below dropped down even further so that he could only see them as a solid mass of green far below him. Echoing from the depths of the valley below came the deep roars of the dragons, making it clear to all that even catching sight of the Ravine meant one was FAR too close.

'-that. If she gets out that,' Maximillion thought sardonically.

"I am likin' this less and less!" Serenity shouted as she looked down at the now MUCH farther ground below her.

"Now, because this card is on the field, I can send one of my Dragon Type monsters from my deck to the graveyard." She reached for her deck and began to go through it, causing Maximillion to once more mentally scoff at the silliness of it all. They were in the virtual world! Cassie should have been able to declare what card she wanted to discard. Unless she wasn't for sure what cards were in her deck… that was a possibility. Still, it felt too… normal… of an action for her to take. "And I will now summon the field Dragunity Dux!"

A humanoid warrior, wearing a short white tunic and a purple headpiece that reminded Maximillion of the garb of the Horus priests he'd seen in Egypt at the recreations of the ancient burial rites, appeared on the field. His stance was one of quiet strength, making it clear he would defend himself and his lands if he was pressed.

"And now, thanks to my monster's effect, I can equip the Dragon Monster I just sent to my graveyard to my Dragunity Dux. So behold the united power of Dragunity Dux and his noble and majestic steed, the Dragunity Guisarme!"

The monster that appear was an emerald colored dragon with a great black blade upon its head, which Dragunity Dux leapt upon with nimble grace.

'And so it truly begins,' Maximillion thought as the equipped dragon increased Dragunity Dux's attack from 1500 to 1900. 'Every Dragunity she controls adds 200… meaning that if she is able to do that again next turn I'll be looking at a 2300 attack. And whatever abilities the second set of Dragunity monsters can bring forth.' But even as he thought that Maximillion smiled. 'It just means that I will need to go after her even harder.'

"Oh, are you nervous yet, Maximillion?" Leichter taunted. "She has already shown you that the grave does not keep her monsters down. Their home is waiting for you down below… which is where I will cast your minds when I win this duel!"

"When YOU win this duel?" Maximillion asked, bemused. "Come now… let us be honest here. It is unseemly to take credit for things that you didn't actually do, Leichter. You won't be winning this duel… it will be your little puppet that will. You can't even claim you are directing her as I know Cassie well and even with you having altered her personality I can already see her quirks and habits in this mockery." He waved at the Englishwoman before him; even her accent was wrong, as Cassie barely had an English accent thanks to years of binging American television. It only came out when she cursed… mostly when Edwin began playing 'God Save The Queen'. "She is the one that may win… not you. All you are doing is once more hiding behind others."

"Hiding… hiding behind others!" Leichter demanded fiercely.

"I don't believe I stuttered. Are you suffering from hearing loss?" he gave a helpless shrug. "I would raise my voice but I would hate to be rude."
"You know what's fucking rude?" Serenity shouted. "Bantering while I hang out in this cage! So either get dueling or move me someplace safe ya asswipes!"

Maximillion just ignored her. Sometimes the young didn't understand that there were certain things that needed to be done in their own time. "That is how its always been for you, hasn't it Leichter? Hiding behind someone else. Letting them take the blame while claiming the credit. Gozaburo knew that…"

"He was my best friend," Leichter replied. "We knew each other for years… and he knew what kind of man I was. Am."

"Yes, I do believe I just said that. Now I truly am worried about your hearing loss." He shook his head sadly. "It is a terrible thing, to begin losing your senses. That's why I am rather enjoying having my eye back."

"Then you can enjoy it forever!" Leichter declared. "you will be trapped here and that will be your only relief… assuming I don't rip out both your eyes and leave you trapped her utterly sightless."

"Yes… YOU will rip it out." His meaning was clear to all and Leichter glowered at him darkly. "But I do believe it is time for me to begin my turn. Young Serenity is right, after all." He smirked as he removed his deck, going over his cards. He was rather pleased to see that the Deck Master abilities for each monster popped up as he lifted up each card; that was handy. 'So many good choices… but I must consider not only their abilities but what they will mean for me if they aren't available for me in this duel. I can't choose a card that my entire strategy revolves around, even if its Deck Master ability is so powerful that it could help lead me to a win. Leading, after all, isn't the same as achieving. Hmmm…'

He considered the cards careful and began to put certain ones back. Honestly, he wished he could take the time to actually take his time and study every card in his deck… and then study Cassie's deck as well. The Deck Master abilities… they were such a delight. Would be difficult to program into a real duel, as the processing power to manage every single card and its potential ability would definitely cause problems for Kaiba's Duel Disc system or even his own Hologram Platforms but… oh, if it could be managed it would add a new potential layer to the game. Already he was leaning towards making Kaiba's Battle City Rules the official rules of the game; there were plenty of wonderful ideas Kaiba had come up with that Maximillion was willing to admit trumped his own. Well… not everything. Edwin had quietly suggested ideas of his own that Maximillion was leaning towards perhaps allowing those as well. The removal of 'summoning sickness' and officially adopting a 3 At Most card limit were both the strongest contenders.

But Noah's rules? Oh… they delighted Maximillion greatly.

"Yes… I think I will select this one." Maximillion lifted up a single card, holding it so Cassie and Leichter couldn't see it. "I select as my Deck Master the Dark Rabbit."

The cartoon rabbit, based on his favorite cartoon as a child, appeared behind him, leaning around with his rubber-hose body, hand pressed to his mouth as he giggled before returning to his position.

"…you are betting my life on a Bugs Bunny rip off," Serenity groused. "I'm gonna fuckin' die."
"Actually this is based on Funny Bunny, who came out 21 months before Bugs Bunny. And the two had a much different style of humor."

"That ain't givin' me any more confidence!" she complained.

Maximillion sighed. "Children nowadays… they have no interest in what came before."
"Not when I'm danglin' in a cage over a canyon!"

The creator of Duel Monsters turned back to the False Cassie. "It seems that we both have a bit of luck," he replied, holding up a card. "We both managed to draw our field spell."

"Preparing to send out your Toon World then?" Cassie asked. "You will find it doesn't quite work the way you think."

"Yes, I was under no delusions that Noah or Kaiba would seek to neuter Toon World, so that it wasn't able to bring all the whimsy it normally does. Just a faded memory, I would say… but that is fine. See, while I enjoy the old Funny Bunny cartoons I am not so stubborn that I can't enjoy a modern twist." He paused, a smirk forming on his lips. "After all… there is nothing wrong with a reboot. I banish, face down, the top three cards from my deck in order to bring forth the glorious Toon Kingdom!"

The stone before them changed at once. It lost some definition and detail, becoming more of a solid plane than a bunch of brick and stone. The grains and texture of it too disappeared and thus was left only the solid stone. The castle's edges became highlighted in thick black lines, so that the divide between them and the sky could be better seen. And the sky! The sky became impossibly blue with clouds that were utterly stereotypical and cookie-cutter shaped appearing above them. Trumpets popped out from seemingly no where and banners unfurled, all heralding the arrival of the Toon Kingdom.

"See… nothing wrong with a change of pace, so long as it honors what comes before," Maximillion said.

"Well… maybe I'll bounce?" Serenity said nervously, looking down at the ravine that was still VERY far below.

"Now dontcha worry, Miss Serenity!" the crane said, eyes and a big toothy mouth appearing on its cabin. "I'll keep a good hold of ya, so long as Mr. Leichter don't win the duel. 'fraid I'll have ta drop ya then if that happens."

"Oooo, I love being dropped!" the cage said, a face appearing on its floor.

"…fucking fuckers!" Serenity screamed.

"She is rather vulgar, isn't she?" Cassie asked Pegasus.

"I've noticed that as well," he commented before selecting his next card. "Now then, because you control a monster I am able to summon this one directly from my hand without tribute." He grew rather fond as he stared at it. "I do believe that in the future this card will be a force to be reckoned with. It is just waiting for the right trainer to teach it how to be worthy of a… well, not a king. No no no. I am thinking… a Kaiser. Yes, that feels more fitting for this monster. But for now it is still young… just a playful bully."

He set the card on the field and before him rose a long metal serpentine creature. It had huge eyes and a sneaky smirk that spoke of playful mischief. It waggled its huge eyebrows and let out a snickering laugh that sounded like a computer trying to dial up the internet back in the old days.

"Toon Cyber Dragon!" Maximillion declared. "Now, I can't attack this turn but that is fine… my Toon Cyber Dragon likes to posse and puff himself up a bit before he gets into one of his hilarious scrapes." The Toon Cyber Dragon began to inflate his chest, striking several poses that would have looked better if he had actual arms. "But before I end my turn I will use my Deck Master's Ability: Lucky Rabbit's Foot!" The Dark Rabbit pulled at his fur, making it into a pocket that he reached into with his other hand. He frowned as he began to pull out things like a seltzer bottle, a cream pie, and a rubber chicken, all of which he tossed over the edge into the ravine below, whistles following their descent. Finally he pulled out a die and gave it a dramatic shake… only for it to land on 2. "Ah well," Maximillion said with a shrug. "There is always next time."

"What was that about?" Leichter demanded.

Maximillion though waggled his finger. "Now now… you know it isn't funny to reveal a joke before its fully told. Sometimes you need to drag it out, make it truly entertaining and special. Build up to the punchline." Leichter glowered at that. 'And it will allow me to keep playing mind games with you, Leichter. You might think I am not taking this seriously but you've threatened Miss Wheeler and violated Cassie… I am going to tear you into little bits before this duel is done so you understand just how badly you've misstepped!'

~MC~MC~MC~

ChaosVerse Omake

Thank you to GarnettFox and ThePatientOne for this continuation!

Vencent liked to think of himself as a good man—someone who had his morals, stuck to them, and tried to help others.

It was why he hadn't left the table when Ceil had spoken of magic and wishes. He knew Ceil and the others were ultimately good people and that the man had what he believed to be a noble goal. He just worried about the lengths they would be willing to go to get the wish that they desired. So he stayed intending less on getting an in on the wish (although that was quite tempting) and more on ensuring he and the others could live with the lengths they were willing to go to get it, to be their moral compass and pull them back from an edge they may not even realize they were about to slip over.

As he sat in the passenger seat of the van as a screaming teenager was bundled into the back, he realized that he had his work very much cut out for him.

The driver's door opened. Cassie, as she'd introduced herself after that meeting, grunted as she got in, adjusting her fox mask. Sadly, while the fake Miraculous could grant power, they lacked the ability to enhance the user's natural abilities or create a costume with the 'Quantum Masking' Howwl had described that kept one's identity secret, meaning the masks were their main way of remaining below detection.

"Hey, Renard, could you sedate her or something?" Cassie asked, putting the van in gear. "I have to keep the illusion of her being sick in bed going, so I can't really cover her up."

Vencent winced, hearing a gagging sound and the girl going quiet. As Cassie started driving them through the Paris streets, he spoke.

"You said his name." Cassie glanced at him but kept her eyes on the road. "That exposed Renard's identity to her."

"Not like she'll be going anywhere anytime soon," Cassie shrugged. "I mean, the plan is for me to pull a cuckoo bird and take over her life. She won't be able to tell anyone anything for a loooooong time."

"So you don't care about putting her in more danger."

Cassie frowned, taking her mask off.

"Hey, now, I didn't say that. Just, it doesn't really matter what she hears since no one's gonna hear from her."

"You still made her into a liability," Vencent sighed, glancing at the back, at the man with long red hair wearing a peacock mask. He had no doubts about the man's loyalty to Ceil. Nor any doubts of just what the man could and would do to the girl if Ceil asked him.

Cassie shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "Look, it's fine. Hell, if anything, we're taking care of her since we're removing Alya from a supervillain hotspot and making sure she's safe and doesn't have to risk her life as Rena Rouge."

"I suppose," Vencent sighed again, looking out the window. After a pause, he added, "I believe that was the first time I've heard you say her name."

"…It's easier to think of her as just, the girl, or the target, or even Rena Rouge," Cassie huffed. "Not…"

"Not a child we're literally kidnapping?"

"...How about we just don't talk?"

0o0o0o

"You're sure this will work?" Ceil asked, eyeing the struggling Alya. Her legs and torso had already been secured to the chair she was sitting in, but they needed her hands free for this, requiring Renard to pin them in place.

"We have tested this whenever Cassie wasn't using the fox." Martin sighed, adjusting the rooster mask. "As long as I put a set end limit to the power, I don't have to keep using the Rooster, meaning no matter how long this takes, we'll be able to keep the ruse up. Now then, Sunrise."

The golden claw ring on Martin's thumb glowed as he started to write on a piece of paper.

"Just what are you doing?!" Alya demanded her eyes darting between the four men; Vencent stood away from Ceil and Martin, just watching.

"I am granting myself the power to compel the next person I touch to use this laptop to exhaustively detail their life, habits, relationships, all banking and personal information, personal logins, and any other information needed to perfectly replicate them. To back this information up in several formats, including harddrive and cloud, and to peacefully hand over the document once it is complete and the effect ends. Sublimation."

Martin touched his hand to the paper that glowed, then touched his own chest, the glow spreading to him. Renard let go of Alya as Martin gently grabbed her shoulder.

"I–I–you—I don't want to do this!" Alya struggled in the chair, but as the laptop was pushed in front of her, she found herself reaching for the keyboard and starting to type.

"We know you don't. I'm sorry. This is for the best." Martin pulled off the thumb ring and crushed it, the metal crumpling into dust.

"Ceil, if I may make a request," Vencent asked.

"Oh, of course. What's up, Vencent?"

"The Miraculous you 'assigned' me, for lack of a better term, is the Rabbit. Correct?"

"Yup, the time travel one. Much as I love everyone, you and possibly Martin are the only ones I'd trust with a Miraculous as powerful as that. Hence, why he got the 'I can have any power that isn't another Miraculous' and you got, well, the Rabbit." Ceil confirmed. "Why, you want to test it out?"

"And try and find a better solution for Alya. If you don't mind, that is."

Ceil hummed before shrugging.

"Howwl, Full moon." With a flash of light, he was transformed, Vencent very much feeling the other's intense stare. "Like I said, I'm trusting you with this. So I'm going to ask you to be very careful. The Rabbit works by taking you to a place outside of time and space called the Burrow accessible only to Rabbit holders. You have to keep your head down and get out of there if you see anyone else because I won't be able to come drag your ass out of the fire. And I don't want you jeopardizing the plan."

Vencent nodded. "I will take the utmost care. You have my word, Fenrir."

There was a brief pause.

"Pack Tactics." Fenrir held out his hand and carefully dropped the pocket watch into Vencent's waiting hands. "You better be back before Cassie needs a Fox replica to keep tricking that girl's family."

"To paraphrase an old saying, I'll be back in two shakes of a rabbit's tail. Clockwise, Burrow."

0o0o0o0o

"You know, even with that, there's no way you can pull this off," Alya muttered sullenly, trying not to wince as she rubbed her hands, carpal tunnel screaming from the hours of forced writing. "Marinette, Nino, and the others are going to pick up that you don't actually remember this, that you're not me."

"Oh, we know, we've got a plan in place for that," Cassie said, typing away on her phone. "You see, when I go back and take over your life, 'Alya' is going to suddenly come down with a case of meningitis for about a week. Gives me plenty of time to actually study your life story here."

She smirked, waving one of several USB backups they made. "Brain injury from meningitis will cover my poor memory, any slight change in personality, and even gives me an out to use a laptop in your class since I can say it caused my dysgraphia. It's sure as FUCK not ethical, but needs must."

"Now the question is, how Vencent plans on dealing with you," Renard mused, watching Alya with a careful eye. Even if she was unarmed and didn't have a Miraculous to help her, you never could be too careful with someone chosen to be a superhero. "He was right in the car ride here, you know too much to just be left as a loose end. We dump you in the most remote place we can with no technology, there's no guarantee that you won't find your way to some kind of civilization and ruin everything. And Ceil would be against killing you for no reason—"

The pair turned as a circular portal opened between them, Vencent stepping out.

"Have fun joyriding through time?" Cassie asked as Vencent approached Alya, undoing her restraints while keeping a firm but gentle hand on her to keep the teen from running.

"I found it…informative. I'll take care of her."

"Before you do that." Ceil interjected at once each member of the 'Pack' as they'd come to call themselves straightening up for their leader. "I have a little something. A thank you and an apology for everything you've been through."

Alya glared at him as he held out a small pouch to her. Ceil refused to move or speak, till the teen lost her patience and grabbed it from him, opening it and frowning.

"Money?"

"Twenty thousand euros. Not a lot, admittedly, but if you're smart, maybe invest it in your blog or something else. You could grow yourself a nice little nest egg to help yourself with when you're older."

Alya just glared, looking like she wanted to throw the pouch at him as Vencent led her away.

"I will be quick. Burrow."

He stepped through, his grip on Alya forcing her to come with him. Her eyes widened in shock seeing them in a vast white space with windows peeking into different time periods and timelines all around them. He released her almost immediately.

"Don't bother trying to run," he warned tonelessly. "The portal closed behind us, and the time windows only respond to the one with the Rabbit, so you couldn't dive through one to escape."

"What if I ran anyway?" Alya asked waspishly, folding her arms and glaring at the larger man, clearly figuring she could outrun him. His face was impassive as he answered.

"Then you would be lost in a place with no food or water nor mental stimulation. You won't actually get hungry or thirsty outside of time like this, but you'd be stuck staring at static images till either I or another Rabbit Miraculous user found you. And since I and the rest of the Pack are the only ones that know you're here, no one else would be looking for you. You could be trapped here all alone, going mad till the end of time. Or. You could stay with me, and I will ensure you are safe."

He started walking away, Alya staying still where she was. He didn't bother to look back as he walked between time windows, seeking out the one in particular he'd hunted for before. But he had to admit a feeling of relief when after a few minutes, he could hear her footsteps behind him, the girl clearly taking his advice.

He stopped before the time window of a particular timeline, placing one hand on its edge and turning to Alya.

"This, is a timeline where the Pack does not exist. A timeline that roughly matches your own where you can be happy."

"Happy? Happy?! How on earth could I be happy going all body snatcher on someone to live out their life?! Or are you just gonna dump me with your boss's pity money and forget about me?!"

"The Alya of this timeline is dead."

She froze at that.

"It wasn't an Akuma. It wasn't a grand strike against the heroes by Hawkmoth. She was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. An attack of opportunity by a serial killer that ended with her body dumped in the Seine."

"W-what? Why are you—?!"

"The serial killer has an accident a few hours later, rendering himself comatose. Alya is reported as missing. Time goes on. Your family and friends hurt, then they heal, then they move on, accepting they will never know what happens to you. In thirty years, the killer awakens, but his mind has degraded thanks to the coma and dementia. He's only ever able to remember half of his victims and admit them to the police. Alya is not one of them. Three hundred years later, some of Alya's bones are recovered, but they are assumed to be bones from the Catacombs. They are labeled Jane Doe and laid to rest. The Alya of this timeline effectively vanishes from history."

She's staring at him, shaking and tears in her eyes. "…Y-You…"

"This is a timeline where you can step back into your life. Everything else is the same: your family, your classmates, the heroes, the world at large. Everything. Her death and our absence are the only changes."

"So you want me…to just go in and live the life that Alya never had the chance to…?"

"Yes. Because in this timeline, you are safe. You are beyond our reach and interest. You can live a long and happy life as Alya, Rena Rouge, or whoever you want to be."

There was a long moment of silence, a few tears slipping free, as Alya reached for the time window. But she froze as Vencent touched her arm again.

"But I must warn you: it is only within this timeline that you are safe from us. If you attempt to find your way back and oppose us, that will change, and I cannot promise that I will be able to save you again. It would be best if you put today's events behind you as no more than a dream. But the choice is yours."

And choose she did.