Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Eleven years had passed since Keiko Swanhilda Warden was born. Though it still didn't feel completely real to her parents or the rest of her family, this was the reality they were living in. Indeed, her father Edward (Eddie for short) could’ve never guessed that he’d already have children by the time he was in his late twenties, but life didn’t always go as planned. In fact, in the intervening years, he and his wife Suki had two more children: six-year-old Mariko Angelina and one-year-old Alphonse Daisuke (Alfie for short). Unfortunately for them and the children, their marriage would eventually end in divorce due to several factors that worked against them.

As sad as it had been for both parties to dissolve their marriage, it had also simultaneously been a relief since the marriage had turned out to be toxic in nature. Still, Eddie and Suki were determined to co-parent their children as amicably as possible, even if they butted heads from time to time.

And what better time to do so than at a funeral for Eddie’s father, the world dictator Warden? His death had come as a huge shock to the Mistress, their children, their grandchildren, and their allies. How he’d died also left a lot to be desired. A few days prior, the Warden had been taking a shower as part of his morning routine when he suddenly collapsed during a heart attack and hit the back of his head on the edge of the tub, which killed him instantly. According to Mistress, she was the one who discovered his body. Needless to say, she didn’t take his death well.

Now there she was, paying a visit to his casket up close while it was lying in state inside the White House. She was never ready for him to go, especially not like this. The thought of outliving him was too much to bear, so much so that all she could do was let out a good cry as she held on to the casket.

Her father Dorian approached her from behind and put his arm around her shoulder. “I’m sorry for your loss. Words alone can’t describe how much pain I feel to see you this way, but you’re a strong woman. You’ll get through this.”

Mistress couldn’t bring herself to say anything in response. Dorian headed back into the crowd, knowing full well that any attempt to talk to her further would be futile. Meanwhile, Eddie and his older siblings Maddie and Ethan took turns comforting their mother and getting a good look at their father’s casket. Eddie was especially affected by the sight of his father's body, and he broke down into tears. Ethan and Maddie were able to hug him and comfort him, and Mistress was able to quickly draw him away from the scene.

“It’s not fair, dammit!” Eddie yelled out. “It’s just not fair!”

“I know it’s not fair, sweetie,” Mistress replied. “But at least he’s in a better place now.”

Eddie simply took her word for it and continued weeping. Mistress then took him by the hand and led him away. Ethan and Maddie followed behind, comforting him the whole way. Once they all reached the living room, Ethan and Maddie gave Eddie a big hug and told him it was going to be okay. As this was going on, Keiko and her siblings were nearby entertaining themselves by playing games with their cousins Europa, Ephraim, and Maxima and Minima (or Max and Minnie, as people liked to call them).

“Anybody else think it’s weird that when we die, that’s it?” Keiko asked. “What do you think the afterlife’s like?”

Europa just shrugged. “I don’t know. I don’t really think about that kind of stuff.”

“Really? No opinion at all?” Keiko then pointed at two of the cousins. “Well, what about Max and Minnie? They gotta have an opinion.”

Max and Minnie just stared at each other, confused. What opinion did their cousin expect them to have on something they hadn’t fully grasped yet? It didn’t make sense. 

Keiko became frustrated. “What’s wrong with you guys? I don’t get it.”

Europa finally spoke up. “It's not that we don't believe in the afterlife, it's just that we don't know what it's like. None of us have ever gone there, you know?” 

Keiko nodded in understanding. “Yeah, I guess so.” Keiko thought for a moment. “But do you think it exists?”

“Like I said, I don’t know. I don’t really think about things like the afterlife or stuff like that.”

“Okay.”

Meanwhile, people from around the world were extending their condolences to the widow of the hour. Chief among them was Bruce’s long-time girlfriend Kahele.

"Hey, Mistress," Kahele said to her. "Mariah told me what happened, and I’d just like to say I’m sorry."

Mistress was silent, the signs of weariness obvious on her face. The showers she had taken were merely out of necessity rather than want. Her uniform was also somewhat unkempt. She’d been too distressed by her husband’s death to concern herself with her overall appearance.

"That's fine. You're still in the shock phase. You don't have to say anything…" Kahele sighed heavily. "I know what it's like to lose the love of your life."

Despite the temptation to do so, Mistress didn’t cry anymore. She couldn’t do it, not now, not when the world and her family needed her more than ever. Instead, she just thanked Kahele for giving her condolences and moved on to the next person. As daunting as it was to rule the world alone, she knew that she had no other choice. She’d thrived before she met Warden, and she’d thrive without him here. She wanted to set a good example for Eddie when it would come time for him to take her place.

“Hey!” Victory called out to her.

Mistress turned around to look at her soon-to-be daughter-in-law. “Yes?”

“The service is about to start."

Mistress sighed. “Thank you, Victory. I’ll be right there. I just need to take care of something first.”

Victory gave a small nod. “Okay.”

It only took a minute at most for Mistress to finish up on a draft for a bill she intended to pass as law at some point. Much as she'd wanted to iron out the details, she knew she had neither the time nor the patience to do it right then and there. She decided to head straight to the service instead. Once she'd made it there, she decided that she was going to take a seat at the very front in the hopes that she would get a full view of Warden in his casket after it had been transferred from its original spot. She proceeded to sit there in her seat while looking somber and forlorn about what the future may hold for her. She felt a knot in her throat as she tried to hold herself back. She missed him so much, his childlike wonder and yet ruthless never-ending bloodthirst that he tried to sate with the deaths of hundreds, if not thousands, of people on a daily basis; and she knew that she would never be able to fill the void he'd left behind in her life. How was she supposed to cope with the pain and move on with her life? Even now, as she stared at her husband's lifeless body in the casket, she couldn't answer that question.

Everything about the service could have sucked the attendants’ emotions right out of them. Mistress herself had only attended two funerals during her life prior to this one: the first for the man who'd raised her for the first twelve years of her life; and the second for the woman who'd given her life as well as physically, sexually, verbally, and emotionally abused her. Neither funeral had exactly been sad for her, especially in the latter case. If anything, that second funeral was more cathartic for her because she knew that that woman who'd had the audacity to call herself her mother would never torment her again. This funeral, though... this one was different. For all of Warden's faults (and there were plenty she could attest to), he did serve something of an important role in her adult life. Namely, he helped her realize that there was more to life than just being a stickler for order and structure, and his very presence reminded her of the balance between order and chaos repeatedly. Would she have learned this important lesson about life without him? Probably, but it wouldn't have had the same effect.

Mistress looked down at her husband's corpse in the casket. He looked about the same here as he had when she last saw him alive, only he'd been dressed in his regular dictator outfit and equipped with the spiked olive green helmet emblazoned with the Superjail emblem. She couldn't help but feel bad while looking down at him like this. She could barely even bring herself to say anything right then. Despite her efforts to mask her emotions, this was clearly a lot for her to handle. All she could do now was try to hold back tears in this vulnerable state.

Soon, as if in the blink of an eye, someone came to the stand and began to speak. It didn't take long for Mistress to recognize the figure as Absalom, who by this point was no longer a youth punk. Instead, he was a full-grown punk who'd since settled down with Sally and had children with her.

"It is unfortunate, indeed, that our Supreme Leader Warden had to leave us before his time," Absalom began. "Even so, it is imperative that we not dwell on this and cry for him as he ascends home to the great beyond to be with his father, our creator. He would not want it so. Instead, he would want us to do everything in our power to keep his memory alive, and I mean everything. Yes, he would want us to kill our prisoners and our undesirables when necessary."

Most of the attendants murmured in agreement at this.

"I think we all want to believe that this was all part of our creator's plans for us," Absalom continued. "After all, this is what we were taught when the Wardens conquered our world. And since our creator knows everything about us, right down to when we will die and how, I think it would be fair not to question him on that front. I'm getting way ahead of myself, though. Today is all about our Supreme Leader's life and how we should best honor it."

Many more attendants murmured in agreement. Indeed, this day was about Warden's life and making sure his death wasn't in vain.

"With that said, I'd like to ask that our Supreme Leader Mistress come up here and say a few words about our late leader," Absalom concluded.

The attendants cheered as Absalom stepped aside and let Mistress make her way to the stand. 

She cleared her throat and began to speak, her voice full of emotion. "The Warden was a great husband, a great father, a great grandfather, and above all else a great leader. I still remember my first meeting with him like it was yesterday. He hadn't given me a good first impression that day, what with his talk of dreams and then me being affected by Spanish Fly and having no memory of what happened next. Our second meeting went over better than I had expected, though not by too much. I didn't know it at the time, as I'd expected it to be a quick stop to refuel Ultraprison, but that second meeting would change our lives forever. In fact, if not for that second meeting, we wouldn't have been married for thirty years with three beautiful children and seven beautiful grandchildren. As such, he will be dearly missed. Let us remember the accomplishments he made during his lifetime and strive to honor his memory to the best of our abilities."

After she'd finished her eulogy, Mistress was met with more cheers from the attendants, each cheer progressively louder than the last. With that out of the way, Mistress stepped away from the stand and sat back at her seat, waiting patiently for someone else to get a chance to speak. 

Despite being surrounded by hundreds of people in their seats, she couldn't help but feel alone. How could she not when the love of her life was gone? All she wanted more than anything was to be with him again, but she dared not to do the unthinkable or even consider it. After all, there were people who still needed her in their lives. In fact, they needed her now more than ever. How would they have gone on without her if she was gone tomorrow? She had no way of knowing that, and she wasn't sure she wanted to know. She had an entire planet to run, dammit! Any thoughts of self-doubt and despair would have to be squashed before they had time to blossom out. She just couldn't afford to think that way.

Chapter Text

A few days had passed since the Warden's funeral. Slowly but surely, the rest of the family were starting to adjust to his death and the absence that had followed. It hadn't been easy, of course; but then again, nothing in life was easy. The Mistress, for the most part, still couldn't fully grasp that just days before her husband had died, she'd reflected with him at length on just how far they'd gotten in life and what their plans for the future were. They'd been halfway through their ultimate goal to open Superjails, Ultraprisons, and Suprapenitentiaries on every continent. She could still recall Warden being so excited to put most of the world population to work through the prison labor system once they'd accomplished the goal to end all goals. Now he was gone forever. It didn't make sense for him to die like he did, to go out in such an ignoble fashion; especially not when he'd taken such pride in slaughtering and spilling the blood of hundreds, if not thousands, of people like livestock (regardless of whether or not they deserved it).

Mistress resorted to burying herself in her work in order to keep her grief at bay. It was the only way she could get through her emotions without losing control. It was the only thing that made sense to her during these trying times. Even when things seemed insurmountable, she was determined to keep going. No matter how difficult it was, she was determined to finish what they'd started all those years ago, as well as make sure that the Warden family and their legacy would flourish for generations to come. She didn't want to let her husband down.

Thirty-three years ago, if someone had told Mistress that this was where her life was headed, she would've just laughed them off. After all, she had more important things to tend to than swooning over an overgrown murderous manchild who seemed to care for no one but himself... or so she'd assumed. She may not have wanted to admit it at the time, but either despite his obvious flaws or perhaps because of them, she felt something of an attraction towards him that she'd never felt in any of her previous relationships nor would she ever feel again.

Now, at sixty years old, Mistress was at an impasse on how she was supposed to spend the remainder of her time. She knew secondhand that death was inevitable, and she knew that she had the whole world on her shoulders. She also knew that she wasn't getting any younger and that she needed to spend whatever time she had left carefully. So how was she supposed to live out the rest of her life without being burdened by all the heavy thoughts weighing on her?

As if out of nowhere, someone knocked on her office door. Finally, a much needed reprieve from her ruminations! A momentary one, granted, but she welcomed it all the same.

"Who is it?" Mistress called out to the person behind the door.

"It's me, Grandma," Keiko's unmistakable voice responded from the other side. "I need to ask you something."

Mistress paused for a few seconds. "Come on in, Keiko."

Keiko quickly scampered into the room and took a seat across from Mistress' desk.

"So..." Mistress exhaled silently through her nose. "What was it you wanted to ask me?"

"You ever think about death?" Keiko asked.

Mistress thought about it for a microsecond. "I'd be lying if I said I'd never thought about it."

"What do you think the afterlife's like?"

Mistress pursed her lips. "I don't know. I haven't been there."

"Oh come on, not this again!" Keiko was practically whining. "Don't you have an opinion or something? I need to know what you think!"

"Keiko, I already told you that I don't know. In any case, I've never exactly been a firm believer in an afterlife. I believe that once we die, that's it. We just cease to be."

"That's not comforting! What about Grandpa? How do you think he'd feel to hear you say that?"

Mistress sighed, an onslaught of emotions about to overcome her. "If he were still here, he'd be very disappointed that I said that. After all, he told me once that he'd visited the afterlife."

Keiko's ears perked up. "Really? What did he say it was like?"

"As far as I'm concerned, he said it was mostly a place where the souls of the dead hung out." Suddenly, Mistress felt tears begin to prick at the corners of her eyes. "Oh God, I miss your grandfather so much. Why did he have to leave us now?"

"I don't know."

"I know I promised myself that I wouldn't cry for him when he was gone, but I'm coming so close to breaking that promise." In an instant, Mistress's stoic facade fully broke, and she broke down in tears. "God, I don't know why I didn't do something that day. Maybe if I'd noticed the warning signs and taken him to the hospital, he'd still be here."

Keiko didn't say anything. She had no idea what she could've said in this situation other than "I'm sorry." Instead, she just sat there and watched as her beloved grandma cried some more and vocally expressed her regret that she couldn't save him from his ultimate fate. She wished that there was some way she could comfort her right then and there, but given that she hadn't had that kind of life experience, she had to wonder if her efforts would come up short.

"Leave me alone," Mistress said after a while, still crying. "I need time to think about all this."

"Uh, okay..." Keiko then briefly glanced at the door behind her. "I think Dad needs me anyway."

"Atta girl, Keiko. Go to him."

"Okay."

Keiko got up out of her seat and headed out the door, leaving Mistress alone with her thoughts. Mistress couldn't help but feel a little relieved. The last thing she wanted was to bring her oldest granddaughter down to her level of sadness and burden her with the amount of emotional stress she was currently experiencing.

Shortly after leaving her grandmother's office, Keiko zoomed out and searched around for her father, desperate to spend some family time with him. Eventually, she found him standing alone in a room, staring out the window. She rushed over to him and gave him a big hug.

"Huh?" Eddie could only utter. It took a moment before he could properly articulate himself. "What's this about?"

"It's okay," Keiko could only respond. "I know you're sad about Grandpa."

"What? Of course I am. Why wouldn't I be?"

"Well, I think Grandpa's death is affecting Grandma more than she's letting on. I know they had their ups and downs, but I'm worried about her."

"She'll be fine. She's dealt with more harrowing situations before."

"Well, yeah, but—"

Eddie cut her off, his voice gentle but firm. "She's a strong woman. She's always been a strong woman. She'll get through this. It's just that all she needs right now is our love and support, got it?"

"Of course, Dad. I understand."

Eddie nodded. "Good. I just wanted to make sure you did."

After Eddie gave his oldest child a hug and a kiss on the forehead, they proceeded to go their separate ways. Keiko knew that when her time came to rule the planet, a lot would be riding on her shoulders. Much as she preferred not to think too deeply about it and just enjoy her childhood while she could, she also knew that she would have to be prepared for anything the future brought her way. It was, after all, her destiny.

Chapter Text

As the days progressed, the Mistress found herself thinking back to when the Warden was still alive. She often escaped into these memories when the confines of her work as world dictator would threaten to become too cumbersome to bear. She knew that such a coping mechanism was counter-productive to her day-to-day life, but then she supposed that old habits died hard. She would have dreams about him, dreams where she would revisit her extended stay at Superjail and how they fell in love during that period of time, dreams where they built a life together, dreams that fed off of her nostalgia and cycled through her head in an infinite loop. Almost every time, she would wake up, an aching sense of regret and wistfulness nagging at her from within. She knew she had to do something about these dreams, but what? What exactly was she meant to do? Double down on the work asked of her? That was just begging for her to go onto the self-destructive path of circular reasoning.

No matter. As long as she had family and friends she could count on to support her, she knew that she had no reason to dwell too much on the past or the future. What mattered now was the present.

It was almost exactly one month to the day that Warden had unexpectedly died. She'd already reflected on how ironic his death was for someone like him. Now came the question of how she was meant to spend this day. She had plenty of work to do in managing cosmopolitan affairs, but which tasks took up the most priority right now? First up was something she'd wanted to do for the longest time, but kept putting off due to her perfectionism: talk to the new Japanese empress on how she was adjusting to her political position after the previous empress's assassination. There was a lot more to it than that. She was also hoping to use her connections to fast-track the adoption process so Dorian and Junko could formally adopt her as their own.

So Mistress decided to get up during morning twilight and prepare to head out to what was once called the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in order to take a plane from Washington D.C. to Paris. She made her way inside right near the entrance of Terminal 1 and just walked right in. She didn't see many people around her, but then that was just typical of business for the airport these days. Aside from people with a high status (that is to say, people like the Mistress and her family), not many people had the chance to use it and the airlines that were available; whether they be people with a medium status (average citizens) or people with a low status (anybody who was considered an “undesirable”). Not many people meant that she had little to no reason to stress over whether she would make it to a flight on time. Not many people also meant she could hear herself process her thoughts as she navigated through the terminal. She looked around, scanning the area for any signs or information booths that could guide her to her destination before eventually spotting an information desk a few meters away.

"Perfect," she murmured to herself.

She quickly made her way towards the information desk, her spinner wheel luggage trailing right behind her. As she did so, a friendly airport ticketing agent greeted her with a warm smile.

"Hello, Respected Comrade Mistress, how may I assist you today?" the ticketing agent asked politely.

"Hello," Mistress replied. "I was hoping to get tickets for a flight to Paris. Are there any available right now?"

"Well, I'll have to check, but there might not be any available right now."

"Are you sure about that?"

"Yes, Respected Comrade."

"How do I know you're not lying?"

"Like I said, I'll have to check." The ticketing agent stopped himself short of back-talking to their superior and started sweating instead when he saw she was giving him the death glare. "I'll have those tickets coming right up for you, Respected Comrade."

Mistress smiled at having gotten her way. "That's more like it."

After a moment of searching up tickets for his superior, the ticketing agent turned back to her with a smile. "I've found a flight departing in two hours. It's a direct flight to Paris and there's one seat that's available. Would that work for you?"

"That sounds great," Mistress replied. "I'll take it."

The ticketing agent swiftly processed her tickets and handed them over. "Here you go. The gate number will be displayed on the departure board when it's time for boarding. Enjoy your flight."

With her tickets in hand, Mistress thanked the ticketing agent and made her way towards the departure area.

It didn't take long for Mistress to board the plane and take her seat in first class. She was grateful for the upgrade and settled into her seat with a sigh. She closed her eyes and awaited the flight. She was still exhausted from forcing herself awake so early in the morning and decided to just try to sleep through the rest of the flight. At least then, she could perhaps prepare herself for a red-eye flight home. Just as well, she could also escape into her dreams as she was wont to do every day. They hadn't steered her wrong yet, so why start now?

It didn't exactly feel like it, but it took over seven and a half hours to fly from Washington D.C. all the way to Paris. Of course, Mistress had opted to sleep through it, not even waking up for breakfast. She supposed she'd have to take care of that and her other needs once she got off the plane. Eventually, when the plane had landed at the Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport, she woke up and started to lift herself out of her seat.

"Did you enjoy the flight, Respected Comrade Mistress?" asked a flight attendant.

Mistress nodded. "Very much so."

"Good. Well, we've arrived in Paris. Enjoy your visit."

"Thank you. Good to see you're doing your job well."

With that, Mistress got off the plane and started heading inside the airport. She made her way to the baggage claim area and collected her luggage. She then made her way to a taxi stand and was soon on her way into the city of Paris. She couldn't wait to meet up with Dorian and Junko and get this adoption underway. But first, she needed to eat. She was famished.

So her first stop was at the ramen restaurant known as Menkicchi, which was located on 41 rue Sainte-Anne. This was extremely fortunate for her, given that Japanese cuisine was one of her all-time favorites. She decided to order the Miso Tonkotsu and some Castalie gaseous water for a total of fifteen euros while she was here. While she waited for her food, she decided to use that time to think about the future that lied ahead once Dorian and Junko had adopted her. She'd waited so long for someone, anyone, to come along and give her the kind of filial bond she deserved. She couldn't help but feel simultaneously anxious and excited about all of this. What if it fell through? Much as she felt compelled to, though, she didn't want to think about that possibility. She wanted to think about being adopted by two parents she felt had truly cared for her this late in her life. Her life was about to change forever, and she was ready to take that leap of faith. She was ready to start feeling like she truly belonged in a family.

Eventually, the waiter arrived with her food. Mistress was so eager to just eat already that she decided to dig in before the waiter had even gotten the chance to move on to another table. As she dug into her meal, she spotted someone out of her corner of her eye, someone who had managed to stand out amongst the other restaurant patrons.

She vaguely remembered hearing about him years and years ago, years before the Superjail War even. From what she'd understood, he went by the name of Lord Stingray, and he was one of the most fearsome supervillains the world had ever seen. Just by looking at him, she could kind of see why. He wore pointed armor that appeared to be black and gold with a blood-red cape that billowed all the way down to his feet. From what little she could see of him in the back, he was wearing a mask shaped in the silhouette of his namesake animal with the "tail" sticking up from his face. He appeared to be talking to a woman with ghostly pale skin, dark eyes, and dark hair shaped into a bob with bangs. She was wearing a black faux fur coat on top of a black jumpsuit with flared pants. Apparently, this woman's name was Mistress Killda, and she was Lord Stingray's wife.

Much as she wanted to eavesdrop on their apparent conversation, Mistress decided that her time would be better spent working on her meal instead. Besides that, she couldn't hear what they were talking about. Still, she couldn't help but get this strange gut feeling that it must've had to do with her (or perhaps her family). She hoped for her own sake that she was wrong.

Chapter Text

After finishing up her meal at Menkicchi, the Mistress paid for her meal and then promptly headed out for the taxi. Once she climbed inside, she tried to take her mind off Lord Stingray and Mistress Killda but couldn't. She knew she shouldn't be fixating on them, not when she was going to ask Dorian and Junko to adopt her. She had no idea what the villainous lovers had even been talking about back there, but at the same time, she wanted to know. Would it be worth it if she found out, though?

That was a question that she would have to put aside for now. She was trying to get adopted, dammit! Such budding paranoia and curiosity had no business clouding her thoughts, not on what was supposed to be one of the best days of her life.

It took some time for the taxi to follow the directions from Menkicchi to Dorian and Junko's address on Boulevard Beaumarchais, but Mistress eventually made it to her intended destination: a luxurious home standing tall and elegant in all its grandeur. This was somewhat evident in its intricate architectural details and the well-manicured gardens that surrounded it. Before stepping inside, Mistress decided to knock on the door. After all, it was only polite that she did so.

"Who is it?" Junko could be heard asking.

"It's me, Angelina," Mistress replied. "I wanted to talk to you about this whole adoption thing."

"Oh, of course. Well, come on in. I hope you don't mind the place. Dorian and I have been cleaning house lately."

"Oh, did I come at a bad time?"

"No, not at all. It's pretty messy right now, but nothing too egregious or anything."

Mistress nodded. "Okay, good to know."

With that, Mistress stepped inside and looked around. Indeed, she could tell that the house wasn't exactly the epitome of cleanliness, though not for lack of trying. Junko then proceeded to give her a brief tour of the house and then had her sit with her and Dorian in the dining room.

"I'm actually really glad you could come visit us, Mistress," Dorian said. "We really missed having someone to talk to."

Mistress scrunched her eyebrows. "What do you mean? Don't you talk with Arisu and Daisuke every other day? What about the other children?"

"Oh, we still talk to them, don't get me wrong. It's just not as often as we like."

"Why not?"

Dorian shrugged. "I don't know. Life gets in the way, maybe?"

"Oh, that's... that's too bad."

Now it was Junko's turn to speak. "So you said you wanted to talk about us adopting you."

"Yes," Mistress simply replied. "Better late than never, am I right?"

"Well, that's the thing. Given our respective ages, you being sixty and us being seventy-seven and eighty-four, well..." Junko trailed off and hesitated for some time before speaking again. "I fear we may be too old to adopt you."

"Are you sure? It can and has happened before."

"I know, but---"

However, before Junko could say anything, Dorian gingerly placed his hand on her shoulder and cut her off. "Junko, think about all the things she had to go through to get here. The horrific abuse Ambrosia put her through, the isolation from the rest of her family, the stigma around how she was conceived... Honestly, I would be flattered that she wanted us to adopt her this late in our lives."

Junko's eyes shot up to meet his gaze. "Really?"

"Yes. She's yearned to feel like she's been part of something, anything, practically her whole life; even when she actually was part of something. Even when she became the second Mistress of Ultraprison or started her own family, she still never felt like she quite belonged anywhere. This could help fill the void in her life."

Junko pursed her lips. "Maybe so, but we'll have to give this more thought before we cross that bridge."

"But you will cross that bridge eventually, right?" Mistress asked eagerly.

"Yes, of course," Junko assured her. "Anyway, let's change the subject. How have you been handling things since Warden died?"

"I like to think I'm handling them pretty well. I'm still a little bit overwhelmed by the fact that he's gone and that I'll have to spend the rest of my life without him. Though I suppose it takes time to adjust to this kind of reality."

"Yes, it most certainly does. Trust me, I would know."

"How do you keep living after that? How can you stand to go on when the love of your life is gone?"

"I don't know, and to this day, I still haven't figured it out. I've somehow managed, though. Honestly, I don't know how anyone can find the strength to go on after being dealt the worst tragedies in life. But you're a strong woman, stronger than any other I've known. If I could survive without my husband or my sweet Satsuki, you can survive without Warden. He would want it so anyway."

Mistress could've sworn she felt tears begin to prick the corners of her eyes. "Thank you so much. I knew I could count on you."

Junko was about to respond to that when she heard the doorbell ring.

"Oh, I'll get it." Junko walked over to the front door and opened it up to see who it was: a UPS delivery guy with what looked like a package for her. "Dorian, I think there's a package here for us. Have we been ordering anything lately?"

Dorian rubbed his chin with his hand. "Not that I can recall. Why do you ask?"

"Okay, I just don't recognize this one. I don't recognize the name on the label, either." Junko then looked up at the UPS delivery guy. "Sir, can you tell me who sent this?"

"I believe that would be a Mistress Killda, mademoiselle," the UPS delivery guy replied.

Suddenly, Mistress felt herself physically tense up upon hearing the name "Mistress Killda." Without even thinking, she rushed right over to where Junko was and shoved the package out of her hands and onto the street.

"Mistress!" Junko exclaimed. "What the hell has gotten into you?"

"Trust me," Mistress replied. "You'll thank me later."

Just as Mistress said this, the package exploded, setting off a few car alarms and horns as it did so.

"Oh my God, that was so close!" Junko exclaimed. "It's a good thing you acted fast or else we might be dead right now."

Mistress nodded, knowing full well that Junko was right. She also couldn't doubt that Mistress Killda (possibly in conjunction with Lord Stingray) had sent that package out of malice. The only question was why. What possible reason could they have had for wanting Junko and Dorian dead? Mistress would have to work that out later. Right now, it was abundantly clear that they were facing a dangerous enemy who was willing to go to extreme lengths to harm them. Despite the shock of the situation, however, Mistress knew that she had to stay calm and strategize their next move.

"So what now?" Dorian asked Mistress.

"I can't in good conscience let you stay where you are," Mistress replied. "You're just not safe here."

"I think that goes without saying. Still, where are we supposed to go if we can't stay here?"

Mistress had to think on it for a moment. It was only a matter of time before Dorian and Junko were targeted again. She dared not to to think about what would happen if that came to pass. Soon, she hit upon an idea.

"Why don't I take you back to Superjail City and move you to my home?" Mistress suggested. "There will be plenty of protection for you over there."

"That would be nice," Dorian replied. "But are you sure we'll be safe at the White House?"

"If I wasn't, I wouldn't have offered it up in the first place."

"Okay, you got me there. Still, I really hope what you're saying is true. I'd hate to think you'd let us down in any way."

Mistress nodded. "I understand. I really do. Still, I'm only offering my home because I don't want you going anywhere else."

Dorian sighed. "Thank you, Mistress. You are the best leader we could rely upon."

Chapter Text

The Mistress didn't know how much longer it would be until Lord Stingray struck again, but she wasn't about to find out. If she had any chance of getting Dorian and Junko out of harm's way, she had to act on it now.

She made sure to hail a taxi for herself and her soon-to-be adoptive parents en route to the Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport. The quicker they left the scene, the better. It beat taking a red-eye flight home at the very least. Once they had made it to the airport, they went inside the building, made their way near Terminal 2B, and then just walked in. The terminal was awfully busy during this time of day, bustling full of people with a high status roaming around and interacting with one another before they were set to take their flights.

"Alright, we're here," Dorian said. "You still have your tickets, Mistress?"

"Of course I do," Mistress replied. "Why wouldn't I?"

"Well, what about me and Dorian?" Junko asked. "We don't have any tickets with us."

"That shouldn't be necessary," Mistress assured her. "After all, this is a relocation emergency."

With that, Dorian and Junko followed Mistress as she checked her tickets with the ticketing agent. They then followed her through the terminal gate and the jet bridge before eventually making it onto an Airbus A321.

Once they were on board, Mistress made sure that Dorian and Junko were settled in and comfortable. She personally attended to their every need, ensuring they had everything they could possibly want during the flight. As the elderly couple marveled at the luxury surrounding them, Mistress couldn't help but feel a warm sense of joy at seeing them so happy. This was perhaps the first time in a while that they'd ventured outside of France. While not exactly under ideal circumstances, it was nevertheless nice that they could rediscover a sense of wonder that came with international air travel.

During the flight, Mistress took the opportunity to reminisce with Dorian and Junko about her life, starting with that fateful refueling stop at Superjail. She recalled the early days of her romance with the Warden, the struggles and triumphs they had faced throughout their relationship, and the unwavering support they had always provided for each other until the very end. She couldn't help but tear up a little just thinking about him again. She couldn't help but wonder how he might have reacted to all this if he were still here. How would he have felt upon seeing Mistress being adopted by Dorian and Junko, the two people she felt had earned the privilege of being her parents? Much as she would've loved to see his reaction for herself, she couldn't. Any possibilities, any reactions, any sort of future he could've had with them; they'd all died with him. Such a shame.

"Are you alright?" Junko asked upon seeing Mistress' teary face.

"I'm fine," Mistress lied. "Just allergies."

Junko managed to see through that lie right away, but she decided it would be better not to bring it up. It was easy enough to discern the emotional pain she was in anyway. The rest of the flight to the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport was spent in silence aside from the occasional comments one of the three would make as they flew through the air.

Mistress decided to spend most of that time looking out the window. She couldn't help but reflect on everything that had happened within the past several days. She considered herself extremely fortunate that her youngest son had been helping her heal and grieve through the whole ordeal. Otherwise, she didn't know how she could go on. As she gazed down at the passing scenery hundreds of feet below her, even more memories flooded her mind. As if it had only happened yesterday, she recalled her first meeting with the Warden. She recalled that day when Ultraprison had crashed down onto Superjail, how she and the rest of the Ultraprison crew had to stay put until the ship had been fixed, and how she and the Ultraprison inmates had fallen under the trance of Spanish fly during the first Lockdown of Love. It had happened such a long time ago, and yet it was hard to forget everything that had happened during that moment in time (though that didn't stop her from forming a few gaps in her memory).

Eventually, as if in the blink of an eye, everyone had finally arrived at the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. Once the plane had landed on the runway, Mistress guided Dorian and Junko through the currently bustling airport and into a waiting limousine. While they were riding along to their destination, they spared a glance out the windows. The road was clear and dry; and there hardly seemed to be any cars on it at all, not even near the limo, it seemed.

"Does Eddie know we're coming back to the White House?" Junko asked.

Mistress shook her head. "No idea."

"None at all? You could've at least given him a heads up, you know."

"Yes, I know. I just didn't think it was necessary at that time."

Junko still didn't seem convinced by Mistress' reasoning. "I still think you should've told him. I don't know how well he'll react to us just showing up unannounced."

Mistress crossed her arms, seemingly sure of herself. "I'm sure he'll manage."

The conversation fizzled out from there. Afterwards, everyone managed to ride the rest of the way to the White House through Washington D.C. in silence. It made more sense to stay silent than to try to talk. So much had happened over the last several days that it was hard to process it all, let alone talk about it. They didn't have much more time to think about any of that, though. The limo had finally arrived at the White House, where they were expected to stay until it was safe for the elderly couple to go back to Paris (whenever that was).

Neither of the three were still willing to talk as they climbed out of the limo. They didn't really know what they could say next. All they could do was think about where things could go from here.

Finally, after what felt like a lifetime, Dorian was the one to break the silence. "Are you sure no one else will mind us staying here, Mistress?"

"Of course," Mistress replied. "You're family, after all. And you know how Eddie feels about family."

"Of course I know how he feels! I've been there for him for practically his whole life."

"You've only been there for him since he was 16."

"So? I'd still say I've been there for him for a long time."

Mistress sighed. "Look, why don't we just go ahead and head inside? I'm sure you two have a lot of catching up that you need to get out of the way first."

"Fine."

With that, everyone headed inside, hoping that whatever catching up needed to be done would be over and done as soon as possible.

Chapter Text

It had been six years since Dorian and Junko had to take up asylum at the White House. It still wasn't clear when they would get to go back home to Paris, and they were growing tired of waiting. Despite the grandeur of their surroundings, the familiarity and comfort of their own home seemed to grow more and more like a distant memory. They were already living on borrowed time as is. How much longer would they have to wait until Lord Stingray and his cronies stopped attacking their hometown? Until they could get a definitive answer, Dorian and Junko would have to make do with their temporary home. 

In the interim, they'd officially adopted the Mistress as their daughter, much to the widowed dictator's delight. At least now, she could be certain that she'd gotten closure on that part of her life. She would rather spend the remainder of her time preparing Eddie for when it was inevitably time for him to become dictator of the world. She knew full well that it was the hardest and most stressful position she and the Warden had ever taken upon, even more so than when they'd been running Superjail and Ultraprison, and she wanted to make sure that Eddie knew what he was getting into when that day came.

There was also the matter of the legacy Eddie himself was planning to leave behind, namely Keiko. He was determined to prime her to take his place as world dictator when it came time for him to die. He couldn't help but worry about her lately. As if it hadn't been hard enough trying to carry on without her beloved grandfather, she also had to deal with constant assassination attempts made against her and the rest of her family. In addition, she had also had a growth spurt, wherein she had become just as tall as her father and grandmother (if not more so). Eddie and the Mistress had been doing their best to shield Keiko and her siblings from the dangers that constantly lurked around them, but this was easier said and done (as Mistress knew firsthand). They knew that grooming her to take over as world dictator would not be an easy task, especially with the ongoing threats to their lives. However, they were determined to prepare her for the responsibilities that lay ahead. 

Keiko, for her part, was showing immense resilience and determination in the face of adversity despite her young age. She also understood the gravity of her future role and was willing to learn everything necessary to succeed Eddie when the time came, especially with her 17th birthday two months away. This was on top of navigating a perpetually confusing world of emotions and relationships and everything that came with growing up... including exploring her feelings for other girls. She knew that there were others like her who felt this way as well, but she still didn't know how accepting the people in her life would be if they knew about it nor was she entirely ready to fully admit her attraction to girls. However, that was a discussion for another time.

Right now, the family was going through what could only be described as a typical day in the Warden family's collective lives. By now, they'd settled into a monotonous but steady status quo. Keiko was busy helping her father and stepmother Vicki with her siblings and half-siblings. Keiko wasn't as close with her young half-siblings as she was with Mariko and Alfie, but she made an effort to spend time with them when possible. Likewise, Shannon and Jethro adored her as much as they did their own parents. Indeed, Keiko couldn't believe how much solace she found in the moments she spent with her family. It certainly helped to momentarily take her mind off the big stressors of the world.

"Keiko!" she suddenly heard Junko call out to her.

Keiko whipped her head around to where the disembodied voice seemed to be coming from. "Yeah, Hiibaba? What is it?"

"There's someone here to see us."

"Really? Who is it?"

"Well, that's what he wants to talk about."

Keiko's curiosity was piqued upon hearing that. Who exactly was he, and what did he want to talk about? She decided to step away and find out. As Keiko made her way down the hallway and towards her destination, she couldn't help but daydream a little bit about her 17th birthday party and how much of the Halloween spirit would be intact like last year and the year before. If there was one thing she loved more than any other day of the year, it was her birthday. At the last minute, she had to restrain herself from fantasizing further and join the real world. Eventually, she made it to the living room, where Junko and Dorian were standing with a man she'd never seen before.

"Who is that, Hiibaba?" Keiko asked Junko while pointing at the unfamiliar man.

"This is Arkady," Junko replied. "He's here to take over for Jillian after she quit."

Keiko was taken aback by this. "Wait, Jillian's gone?"

Junko nodded. "She sure is. Didn't Delilah and Genie tell you that she was leaving us behind to find work at the Thousand Islands?"

"Not really."

"Hmph, that's weird. Anyway, I want you to meet Arkady. He told me how he came all this way from Las Vegas just to become a bodyguard for us, and by motorcycle no less."

Keiko couldn't help but find that last bit intriguing. That must've been a pretty long drive. It probably took him at least thirty-eight hours just to make it here, which would've undoubtedly been an impressive feat. Moreover, she'd never been to Las Vegas, having only ever heard about it from her grandparents or their associates. She was curious to know more about what Arkady had seen and what stories he might want to share. She decided that she'd ask him all about it when she got a chance. For now, introductions were in order.

As for Arkady himself, she could tell from the get-go that he was somewhere around her father's age, give or take a couple years. He was also slightly taller than her, being 5'11" to her 5'8", and he had a toned physique to him. His pale skin also stood out against his dark brown eyes and his dark hair.

"Hello," was all Arkady could muster out, albeit in what sounded like a slight Russian accent.

The greeting only intrigued Keiko more. Who exactly was this guy, and why was he like this? She waited for him to extend his hand out to her before taking it upon herself to do it.

"Well, hello, Arkady," Keiko greeted. "Welcome to the White House! I'm Keiko, and you're a new bodyguard." She left in a pause as she let him shake her hand. "That's why you're here, right?"

"Da," Arkady replied.

"Great. My family and I can't wait to show you the ropes around here."

"Oh, I bet."

Keiko scrunched up her face a little. He didn't seem like much of a talker.

"Well, don't worry, I'm sure you'll get the hang of things soon," Keiko said. "Just follow me and I'll show you where everything is." 

She turned around and started to walk away, expecting him to follow closely behind. Arkady just stood there, his eyes following Keiko, but he didn't move. Keiko stopped and turned around, a puzzled look on her face.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" Keiko asked. "Come on!"

Arkady looked confused for a moment, still having not moved, then quickly caught up and followed Keiko. Keiko smiled to herself, relieved that Arkady was following her.

After Keiko had given Arkady the tour, she decided to take him to meet Genie and Delilah. She figured that there'd be no harm in them meeting. After all, since Jillian had just left, surely the mother-and-daughter duo wouldn't mind that someone had traveled all this way to replace her. In fact, she was confident that the three would hit it off. What was the worst that could happen?

"Genie, Delilah!" Keiko called out to him. "There's someone here I want you to meet!"

As if in the blink of an eye, Genie and Delilah swiftly rushed over to where Keiko was, achingly curious to learn the identity of the person she wished to introduce them to.

"Thank God you're here!" Keiko exclaimed as she swept her arm over in Arkady's direction. "This is Arkady. He rode his motorcycle all the way here so he could take Jillian's place as a bodyguard."

Instantly, Delilah's face went pale, and she stiffened like a board. This prompted Genie to look over to her mother with concern.

"Uh, Delilah?" Keiko asked, equally concerned. "Are you okay?"

Delilah couldn't bring herself to respond.

"Yeah, uh, Mom and I already know Arkady," Genie nervously responded on her mother's behalf. "I grew up with him, actually."

"Really?" Keiko asked with intrigue. "Interesting."

"Yeah, it sure is. Listen, maybe we should just move on to something else. I really don't want to talk about this anymore."

"Oh..." Keiko paused for a moment. "Okay."

Delilah's face was still pale, and she was still trembling. Keiko and Arkady exchanged glances at each other, but neither said anything. They quickly moved on someplace else. Keiko had no idea why either Delilah or Genie had acted like that around Arkady, but she hoped that this would at least give the two women the space they needed. She wanted to learn more about their history with him, but she figured it'd be better to leave well enough alone and just focus on the here and now.

Chapter Text

It took some time, but eventually, Keiko had managed to introduce Arkady to just about all of the punk bodyguards besides Delilah and Genie. Thankfully for Keiko, none of the punk bodyguards seemed familiar with him, so their reactions were somewhat neutral. Still, she had to wonder how long Arkady would last in this job. After all, Delilah and Genie were acting pretty nervous around him. 

So Keiko decided that she would need to keep a close eye on him, just in case. She didn't know why nor did she want to believe it, but she already had a gut feeling he was going to cause some trouble. For now, however, she would have to ignore that gut feeling and continue to act friendly with him. After all, that kind of instinct wasn't always accurate.

For the rest of the day, Keiko and Arkady spent the day talking and getting to know each other. Keiko was careful to keep the conversation light and casual, avoiding any personal topics that might otherwise come up organically. She felt that if she kept her guard up, she could find out more about Arkady without letting him get too comfortable.

"So now that you're here, is there anything you'd like to do before you start your new job?" Keiko asked.

"Weehawken," Arkady replied.

"Come again?"

"I'd like to visit Weehawken."

Keiko raised her eyebrows. "Weehawken? Are you sure? It's at least a three-hour drive."

Arkady nodded. "Da."

"Besides that, you only just got here. Wouldn't you rather visit someplace else near us?"

"Nyet."

"Are you absolutely sure you want to go to Weehawken right now?"

"Never been more sure in my life."

Keiko was taken aback by Arkady's stubbornness before making a quick recovery. "Well, I guess if that's what you want to do, then let's do it. We can head out as soon as you're ready."

"Okay."

With that, Keiko and Arkady headed out to where Arkady had parked his motorcycle and climbed on. Keiko was genuinely surprised by how comfortable she felt riding on the back of the motorbike, but at the same time, she didn't seem to care too much. She instead decided to enjoy the moment while she could. As they sped away, Keiko felt a sense of adventure and excitement wash over her. Keiko had never been on a motorcycle before, but as she climbed onto the back of Arkady's bike, she felt a surprising sense of comfort and ease. The roar of the engine and the crisp wind whipping past them as they sped down the road filled her with a thrilling sense of adventure.

As Keiko and Arkady wove through the city traffic, she marveled at how naturally she seemed to move along with the bike and lean into the turns and curves. From what she could see of Arkady, he seemed to be an experienced rider, with his confident handling of the machine putting her at ease as he drove along. Rather than feeling scared or uncertain about the ride, Keiko couldn't help but find herself enjoying it immensely, even as time seemed to slow down around her.

The urban landscapes blurred by as the duo picked up speed, and Keiko felt a childlike giddiness wash over her. Despite her short life thus far, it felt as if it had been an eternity since she'd felt this free, this alive. The weight of her daily routine and responsibilities, her past, and her future momentarily fell away and were replaced by pure, unfiltered excitement. She felt like she was in a dream, a blissful escape from reality. She felt like she was flying, like she could do anything and be anything. She felt as if she was reborn.

When Arkady finally pulled the bike to a stop at their destination, Keiko couldn't help but feel almost disappointed. She'd wanted the journey to continue, and she'd wanted to keep experiencing that invigorating sense of motion and liberation. As she climbed off the bike, her legs a bit wobbly from the adrenaline, Keiko knew that this unexpected motorcycle ride had awakened something within her—a hunger for new experiences and a willingness to step outside her comfort zone.

"Alright, Arkady, we're here," Keiko said once her feet had touched the ground. "Now what?"

Arkady smirked and leaned in close to her ear. "Now we keep going. There's plenty to see here."

Keiko and Arkady spent most of their time in Weehawken just sight-seeing. Keiko figured that it would be nice to take her mind off things, at least for a little while. Keiko couldn't help but find it surprising how happy she felt, just being out and about like this. Maybe she should do this more often, just to get away and clear her head. She felt some semblance of peace as she and Arkady walked around the town. She admired the quaint architecture and the stunning views of the Hudson River. Was this really what the world felt like after her grandparents gained dominion over it? Maybe. Even though she hadn't been there to witness the Superjail War or the aftermath, she figured that her grandparents must have made everything better by imposing the world with rigid structure. After all, why take it over if it didn't need order? Regardless, she had a great time exploring the area with Arkady, adjusting to how huge everything felt outside her own home. She wasn't even sure she wanted to go home.

At the same time, she knew that they'd have to eventually. They couldn't just stay here indefinitely. They had jobs they needed to do. She had to practically force herself to remember how the real world worked. She had to go home and face her responsibilities. It was the only way to keep living the life she wanted—the life that this world depended on. From what little expression she could read on Arkady's face, he seemed to feel the same way.

"Is there anything else you want to do before we head back?" Keiko asked. 

Arkady didn't say anything, which Keiko took to mean "no". With that in mind, after the sightseeing was wrapped up, the duo slowly began to make their way back.

After the ride home, Keiko hopped off the motorcycle and started sprinting towards the White House. Arkady just gave a small shrug and followed her in. Finally, it was good to be back home where she belonged. It was good to be back in her comfort zone. Even so, it was hard not to think about what kind of person Arkady could be. Much as she had liked exploring Weehawken with him, she was never quite able to shake the gut feeling she got from him... that feeling that Arkady was not to be trusted. Why was he so secretive? Why did Genie and Delilah react so badly to him? Most importantly of all, why did he come to Washington D.C. in the first place? She needed to find out, hopefully soon or else she'd be thinking about those burning questions all day and night.

"Keiko!" Eddie exclaimed upon spotting her. "Where have you been?"

"Nowhere special," Keiko replied. "Arkady and I just took a quick trip to Weehawken on his motorcycle."

"Really? And you didn't tell anyone beforehand?"

"It wasn't anything important. Arkady and I just needed to get away for a bit, that's all." 

Eddie couldn't help but see through that lie immediately. "You can't just go off on an impromptu motorcycle trip with someone you barely know. I know he's supposed to be one of the new bodyguards here, but he's an adult man and you're seventeen. I don't even want to think about what he could do to you if you were left alone with him."

"I think you're overreacting. It was just one trip."

"Keiko---"

"It was one trip, Dad. Don't be such a prude."

Flustered by this whole conversation, Keiko walked away, her mind still racing with questions. Eddie, on the other hand, found her reasoning to be flawed but decided not to press the matter further.

Chapter Text

Days and days had passed since Keiko and Arkady's impromptu motorcycle trip to Weehawken. And yet still, Keiko couldn't shake off the unease that lingered within her mind regarding Arkady. She found herself constantly analyzing his every move and word, trying to decipher the enigma that he seemed to be. Despite her best efforts to focus on other matters, such as school and spending time with friends, that mysterious aura surrounding Arkady continued to gnaw away at her thoughts. She kept asking herself the same questions about him, but she never seemed to get any closer to learning the truth.

As Keiko grappled with her growing suspicions about Arkady, she decided to take matters into her own hands and do some investigating. She started by discreetly observing his interactions with others in the household, noting any peculiar behavior or conversations. She also confided in the Mistress about all this, hoping that the latter would give her seal of approval for continuing on with this risky investigation. Surprisingly, Mistress agreed, though she advised her granddaughter to be careful. After all, there was a good chance that Arkady would eventually realize she was onto him and ruin everything.

Speaking of ruining everything, Keiko worried that her father would find out what she was up to and try to stop her. So she had Mistress promise not to tell anyone else about this. Mistress knew better than to agree to something like that, but against her better judgment, she did. Keiko felt that it was her duty to keep this investigation secret, no matter what the cost may be.

Keiko kept going along with the "impromptu" motorcycle trips Arkady insisted that she join him on. She had a feeling that there were more to these trips than he was willing to admit, but to what extent? She knew better than to trust him when he assured her nothing sinister was going on, but she also couldn't just walk away. She was determined to find out what was really happening, no matter what the consequences were.

Eventually, three weeks before she was going to turn seventeen, she'd finally found her answer, albeit unwillingly. One day, she accepted an offer to go on yet another motorcycle trip. By now, she had caught on that these trips had been gradually getting longer. She still had yet to figure out why they'd gotten longer, but she had a feeling there were more to these trips than they seemed. She knew that accepting that offer was a crazy idea, but she knew that it would also give her an opportunity to get to the bottom of the mystery. Little did she know, this trip would be her worst nightmare come true.

As Keiko rode along on Arkady's motorcycle farther and farther away from Washington D.C., she felt the urge to ask him a question, one that she needed answers to right now.

"Where exactly are we going?" Keiko asked him.

"Home," Arkady simply replied in his usual monosyllabic manner.

"Home?" Keiko raised an eyebrow. "You mean, like your home in Las Vegas?"

She already knew that the trip from Washington D.C. to Las Vegas was 35 hours long, so she thought it odd that he would make a spontaneous trip that was that long and expect to make it there in one sitting. In fact, it seemed odd for anyone to do that.

"Yeah, exactly," Arkady replied. "My dad's been asking so many questions about you that I've lost count. I think he'll really like you."

Keiko didn't really know what Arkady had meant by that. "What kind of questions?"

Arkady's expression barely changed, if at all. "You'll see when we get there."

Keiko didn't like the answer to that question or at least how he said it.

Back at the White House, panic arose when Eddie realized that his oldest child was nowhere to be found. Instantly, he was overcome with worry and anxiety. What could have happened to her? Where did she go? Was she even still alive? He sought out Mistress in the hopes that she could give him the answers he needed.

"Where's Keiko?" Eddie asked Mistress. "I can't find her anywhere."

"I wish I could tell you," Mistress replied. "But I'm sure she'll be back later."

"Don't play games with me, Mom. Where is she?"

"Sorry, son. I really don't know where she is." 

Eddie clenched his fists. "I don't believe you. Where is she?"

"I already told you I don't know. You need to calm down."

Eddie took a deep breath before speaking again. "Mom, please, you have to tell me where Keiko is. She might be in serious trouble."

Eventually, Mistress caved in and told her youngest child everything he needed to know, including that Keiko had gone off on a motorcycle trip with Arkady somewhere.

"Are you crazy?" Eddie asked incredulously. "How could you let her do that?"

"I felt like I didn't have much choice in the matter," Mistress replied quietly. "You know how persuasive and stubborn Keiko can be." 

Eddie shook his head in disbelief. "I can't believe you would do this. We're going to have to follow along the motorcycle trail before it's too late. Where could she and Arkady have gone off to?"

Mistress sighed. "I don't know, but we can't stay here. We need to keep moving and find her." She got to her feet and led the way. "Come on, let's go!"

It was a long 35 hours, possibly the longest 35 hours in her life, but eventually Keiko and Arkady had managed to arrive in Las Vegas. They had traveled through what felt like hundreds and hundreds of miles of changing landscapes and wilderness, and the sun was just starting to set; but they did it. They finally reached their destination. Both of them were exhausted, Arkady especially, but relieved to finally be safe and sound. Moreover, they'd traveled all this way to the MGM Grand hotel and casino.

"Whoa!" Keiko exclaimed. "I think this is one of the fanciest places I've ever seen!"

"It sure is," Arkady replied. "It's where my family lives. Why don't you follow me inside?"

Keiko was once again gripped with that gut feeling. This time, it told her not to follow him inside the MGM. Just like before, Keiko ignored that gut feeling in the hopes that she'd sooner or later get to see Arkady for what he really was. However, it wasn't long before the MGM had managed to distract her. Her face was practically frozen in awe as she and Arkady entered the grand lobby of the MGM. The opulent decor, bustling atmosphere, and the sound of slot machines filled the air around them. Keiko couldn't even contain her excitement as she took in the sights and sounds of the famous Las Vegas resort.

Keiko and Arkady wandered through the lavish corridors of the MGM Grand, soaking in the glitz and glamour of Las Vegas surrounding them. The lights, the sounds of laughter and chatter, and the thrill of being in such a renowned place filled Keiko with a sense of exhilaration. As they strolled through the bustling casino floor, Keiko couldn't help but feel like she was in a dream. Perhaps her grandparents' assumptions about this place had been right all along.

"How much longer until I can meet your parents?" Keiko asked Arkady.

"Soon," Arkady replied. "Just be patient."

"I certainly hope so. I'm hungry. I've hardly eaten anything during this whole trip."

Arkady could feel a laugh coming on, but he resisted the urge at the last moment. "Don't worry. You'll get food soon."

Keiko had no idea what would happen once she finally met Arkady's parents, but she knew that it was hardly anything good.

Chapter Text

As Keiko and Arkady made their way through the bustling crowds of the MGM Grand, Keiko couldn't shake off that sense of unease that lingered in the back of her mind. Despite being captivated by the opulence and excitement surrounding her, she just couldn't ignore the nagging feeling that something wasn't right. The lavishness of the casino floor seemed to mask an underlying tension in the air, making Keiko's anticipation for meeting Arkady's parents even more fraught with uncertainty.

Honestly, she just wanted this whole meeting with Arkady's parents over with as soon as possible. The sooner, the better. At least then, she'd know what exactly they had in store for her.

As Keiko and Arkady boarded an elevator and made their way towards what Arkady had told her was his parents' hotel room, Keiko couldn't help but notice the glances they were receiving from some of the other guests. It seemed as though their presence was causing a stir among the crowd, much to Keiko's growing unease. Despite Arkady's insistent reassurances, she couldn't shake off the feeling that something ominous loomed ahead. Still, she figured that it was best to steel herself now before she came face-to-face with whatever was setting off the gut feeling.

Eventually, they had managed to arrive at the door displaying the hotel room number, Keiko having already stepped ahead of Arkady by that point.

Keiko looked back at Arkady, uncertain. "You want me to go up here and knock on the door?"

"Sure," Arkady replied. "What's the worst that could happen?"

Keiko audibly gulped before knocking on the door. She then waited just a few seconds before someone opened the door. Keiko briefly looked up and stared into the stingray-shaped mask of one of the most fearsome supervillains the world had ever seen.

Keiko let out a nervous laugh. "You're Arkady's father, right?"

"Yes, I am him," he replied.

"Okay, good to know, I guess. You look like someone I should know. What exactly do you call yourself again?"

"Lord Stingray."

"Okay, gotcha." Keiko looked around for a moment, trying to let it fully sink in where she was and what was happening at this moment. "So what exactly do you... do around here?"

"This is where we do business."

"Uh-huh, can you be more specific?"

Lord Stingray just repeated himself as if out of habit. Keiko decided not to press on further. She figured that that was just the answer she needed anyway. She warily stepped into the hotel room and spotted whom she could only presume to be Arkady's mother sitting on the edge of the queen-sized bed.

"And who are you?" Keiko asked the mysterious woman sitting there.

"Mistress Killda," the woman simply replied.

"You're Arkady's mom, right?"

"Da."

Keiko nodded. "Yeah, I can definitely see the resemblance here."

Mistress Killda nodded back. "Da. Anyway, why don't you and Arkady stay here a while? We have wine if you want some."

Keiko had never had wine before (or any sort of alcohol, for that matter), so she wasn't sure how to feel about Mistress Killda suggesting wine. Keiko tried to keep her composure, but the woman's offer made her heart race slightly. As such, she decided to keep her expression slightly blank, hoping that Mistress Killda couldn't tell she was too scared to say yes, let alone even take a sip of the alcoholic drink.

Mistress Killda chuckled. "Sorry. I didn't sound too ominous there, did I? That wasn't my intention."

"I-I guess not," Keiko replied. "I'm just a bit jumpy, that's all."

"You want a drink to calm your nerves?" As if out of hammerspace, Mistress Killda produced a glass of Sovetskoye Shampanskoye. "One sip won't kill you."

"Nah, I'm okay."

"I insist."

"No, really. I'm okay."

"I insist."

Keiko had the feeling that Mistress Killda was trying to wear her down until she caved in and drank from the glass. So feeling as if she had no other choice, she gingerly took the flask and then drank the entire liquid with trembling hands. Immediately, perhaps too much so, she felt a wave of calmness wash over her. Her fear subsided as she looked up, meeting the woman's gaze.

"I don't know what was in that drink," Keiko said as she began to slur her words. "But I think I liked it."

With that, Keiko's vision started blurring, and her body grew limp as if she were a ragdoll. She then tipped sideways and fell to the ground, having already lost consciousness at this point.

Miles and miles away, miles and miles up into the air, the Mistress and Eddie were aboard a private jet piloted by Mayumi. They'd both taken up the two front seats, with Mistress sitting right beside him as a precaution. Behind them were Genie, Delilah, Iggy, and Aurelia and Flavia.

"Something's wrong," Eddie said. "I can feel it."

"You can say that again," Delilah replied. "I don't know what Arkady or the rest of the Stingray organization have got planned for Keiko, but I know that it's going to end in disaster if we don't stop them."

Eddie solemnly nodded. "Yeah. I can't believe we didn't do a background check on him first. I thought we were smarter than that."

"Apparently not," Iggy deadpanned.

"Yeah, pretty stupid of us," Aurelia chimed in. "So what's the deal with this Lord Stingray guy anyway? I know he's a bad guy running a terrorist organization and all that, but why is he going after us?"

"I think he sees us as competition," Mistress replied. "He wants to rule the world like we are, and he won't stop until he's wiped us off the face of the earth."

Aurelia pursed her lips. "Okay, but what's Keiko got to do with all this? Why did he need Arkady to lure her to Las Vegas?"

"That, I'm still trying to figure out. I suspect that human trafficking might be involved, but that's just speculation on my part. We won't know what's going on until we actually get there."

Aurelia gulped. She wasn't sure she liked that answer.

When Keiko woke up, she noticed almost immediately that someone had changed her into a white bathrobe. Once she'd become more aware of her surroundings, she noticed that her hands were bound behind her back with what felt like and she could only presume was a plastic shopping bag. She then looked up to see Arkady staring right at her.

"What happened?" Keiko asked slowly. "What did you do to me?"

"Don't worry about it," Arkady replied.

"I'm serious, Arkady! Why did you bind my hands behind my back?! Why did you change my clothes?! What was in that wine your mom gave me?!"

"I said 'Don't worry about it,' Keiko. Now shut up and don't say another word. You've got a busy day ahead of you today."

"Doing what?! What are you talking about?!"

Almost as quickly as the words left Keiko's mouth, Arkady gave her a backhanded slap across the face, leaving a red mark on her cheek. The shock alone was enough to make her start crying.

"I already told you not to say another word, bitch," Arkady said. "Now get dressed. We're supposed to be having breakfast in a few minutes."

"How am I supposed to get dressed when my hands are tied behind my back?" Keiko asked, still crying.

"Good point. Let me take care of that real quick." Arkady proceeded to unbind Keiko's hands and set them free. "Alright, now you can get dressed."

Keiko proceeded to subtly roll her eyes at him. She couldn't believe the situation she was in right now. She could only hope that her family would realize that something had happened to her and head out to save her.

Chapter Text

Keiko had to resist the urge to talk back to Arkady as she followed him down to the MGM Grand Buffet. She didn't want to risk getting slapped across the face again or worse. There had to be a way she could get out of this, but how? She couldn't just wait around for her family to come save her, right? Much as she wanted to believe she could get herself out of this, she knew that it would likely end in disaster if she tried. Still, she could at least keep her options open if and when the opportunity presented itself.

As Keiko sat down at the breakfast table with Arkady and his parents, she scanned the room for any possible escape routes or help nearby. The bustling buffet area was filled with people enjoying their morning meals, but she couldn't spot anyone who seemed approachable or willing to assist her. She knew she had to stay alert and bide her time for an opportunity to break free from Arkady's control, but at the same time, she didn't know when that opportunity would come. In the meantime, she decided to keep to herself, not acting on her plans until she felt it was time to do so.

"How do you like everything?" Mistress Killda asked her.

"Fine," Keiko simply replied.

Keiko looked up at the ceiling and tried to distract herself for as long as possible while she fantasized about a death machine she'd witnessed in action at Superjail when she was a little girl. Just thinking about it mowing down the inmates in its path, all while screams of terror filled the air and blood and viscera and other body parts flew everywhere, was enough to bring her nostalgia. Suddenly, she heard someone call out to her, and it brought her back to reality.

"Huh?" Keiko sounded. "What did you say?"

"I asked you what you wanted to eat for breakfast," Lord Stingray replied.

"Well, that depends." Keiko looked up at the ceiling again. "What do they serve here?"

Lord Stingray proceeded to list off all the options available at the MGM Grand Buffet. Keiko sat there in her seat the whole time, eyes locked on the ceiling, not saying or doing much as he rattled everything off.

"In that case, I'll have the French toast and some chocolate chip pancakes," Keiko replied.

"Well, go get it then," Arkady demanded, albeit more stern than aggressive.

The demand was enough to make Keiko flinch as if in anticipation, but she tried to shake it off as she got up out of her seat and got the breakfast items she desired. Keiko quickly made her way back to the table and sat down, avoiding Arkady's gaze. He watched her with a blank expression on his face, and Keiko felt a chill run down her spine. She quickly scarfed down her food, wanting to get away from his and his family's intimidating presence as quickly as possible. Once she had finished her food, she pushed herself out of her seat and started heading out for the hotel room she'd woken up in.

"Keiko, wait!" Arkady called out to her.

By then, however, she was too far away to actually hear him. She didn't want anything to do with him right now anyway. He'd done... something to her. She wasn't sure what exactly he did, and she wasn't sure she wanted to find out. Eventually, she reached the door leading into the hotel room. She fidgeted with the knob slightly, hoping that the door would open without a key card. It didn't. Damn. She wasn't about to ask for one lest she get caught, so she decided to go for the only other option available to her: phasing through the door and entering the room that way. Thank God for being a Warden, and thank God for inheriting her grandfather's powers. Once inside, she decided to stay quiet, not wanting to give away her location in the meantime.

"Keiko, where are you?" she could hear Arkady calling out again.

She still didn't say anything. She just heard his footsteps (or at least what she presumed to be them) gradually fade out as he walked away. She decided to hole herself up in the bathroom for the time being and contemplate her next move.

For reasons not immediately clear, Mayumi was forced to land the private jet containing the Mistress, Eddie, Genie, Delilah, Iggy, and Aurelia and Flavia at an unexpected stop in Colorado Springs. Neither one of the passengers was exactly thrilled about this sudden development, but for now, it would have to do. After all, it wasn't like they had much of a choice in the matter anyway.

"'Kay, everybody!" Mayumi cheerfully spoke up. "We've just arrived. Normally, I'd advise everyone to stay inside since I hadn't exactly planned to stop here, but I'm sure we could use this time to try to get answers for Keiko's whereabouts. Besides, I know for a fact that someone will need to take care of his motion sickness." She was clearly referring to Eddie, who appeared to be green in the face. "Alright, everyone. Off the plane. I'll see you all when you get back on board."

The thirty-two-year-old future dictator of the world unbuckled himself and got out of the plane in order to puke his contents out. Everyone else filed out and proceeded to take a good look at their surroundings. They couldn't help but notice how astounding the skyline looked from where they were. The sun shone brightly in the sky, and the city was bustling with activity. Just about everyone was in awe of the sight. They couldn't wait to explore this new place.

Mistress momentarily broke out of the apparent trance. "We can't linger here for too long. We're here to find anyone who can tell us where Keiko could have gone."

"She's right, guys," Delilah chimed in. "Time is of the essence."

Iggy nodded. "Alright, we gotcha."

With that, everyone made their way into the city, hoping to find answers and find them soon.

Things have been going extremely well over at the original Superjail. The reality show Ethan had launched all those years ago was still going and didn't seem to be slowing down anytime soon. Who knew that copious amounts of gore, violence, and utter depravity would be a huge hit with audiences everywhere? Still, it was hard to not feel the pressure to keep upping the ante to appease the investors. How was one supposed to top that kind of violence day after day, week after week, month after month, or even year after year? However, it was hard to argue that it wasn't beneficial in some way. In fact, everyone seemed financially well off because of it.

However, Ethan would have to put all of that on the back burner because there were bigger priorities at hand. As it so happened, Ethan was daydreaming about the reality show's future when he suddenly got an emergency notification on his phone, which forced him back into reality. His eyes widened as he read through the text as quickly as possible.

"Oh God..." Ethan could only mutter. "It can't be..."

He couldn't believe what he was reading. Keiko was missing? And worse, Arkady might have kidnapped her? What was he supposed to do? How was he supposed to help find her? There had to be a way. He was sure of it.

"Europa?" Ethan called out to his oldest child. "Can you come in here please?"

"Why?" Europa asked in response. "What's going on?"

"I'll tell you as soon as you come in here."

"Uh... okay."

Without further hesitation, Europa opened the door to her father's office and took a seat across from his desk.

"Europa, I'm afraid I've got some bad news," Ethan said.

Europa could practically feel her heart dropping from her chest. "What is it, Dad?"

"It seems Keiko has gone missing."

"Really? What happened?"

"According to the emergency notification, Arkady must have kidnapped her."

"Well, where could they have gone?"

Ethan shook his head. "I have no idea."

Europa didn't like that answer, but she ventured on. "So what can we do?"

"Unless we know for sure where she was taken to, nothing. We'll have to stand by just in case."

Europa sharply exhaled through her nose. "Well, thanks for letting me know, I guess."

"No problem. You can go now. I just wanted to make sure you knew what was happening."

"Okay." Europa promptly rose from her seat. "I was kinda in the middle of something anyway. See ya."

With that, Europa walked out of Ethan's office, leaving him all alone to mull over what to do next. He wasn't sure how much time was left, but he wanted to find Keiko as soon as possible and bring her home.

Chapter Text

Keiko had no idea how much time had passed since she’d arrived with Arkady at the MGM Grand, but she figured that it had to have been a few days at most. As if being here hadn’t been stressful enough already, she soon learned that she would be forced to marry the man in front of hundreds, if not thousands, of members of Lord Stingray’s organization.

No matter how much she tried to convince herself that this wasn’t real, that this wasn’t actually happening, it didn’t work. All she wanted more than anything was to be back home with her family, but that was starting to seem more and more like a pipe dream with each passing day. In fact, it seemed that her spirits were being crushed by the whole thing. Desperation clawed at her heart as she tried to piece together the fragmented memories of days past and cling to the mundane moments— family dinners, bedtime stories, her favorite cartoons. They were so ordinary, yet they felt like sacred treasures now. Each day spent here was like a relentless tide pulling her further from the safety of familiarity. The walls felt like they were closing in on her, suffocating the hope she was desperately trying to hold on to. She even had to force herself not to spiral by distracting herself with television, but it only seemed to remind her of her current situation. Was this her life now? It couldn't be, right?

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. Keiko craned her head at the source of the sound, curious yet somewhat irritated.

"Who is it?" Keiko asked.

"It's me, Yevgeny," replied a disembodied masculine voice with a slight Russian accent.

Keiko just sat there at the foot of one of the queen-sized beds, confused. "Who?"

"Yevgeny? You know... Arkady's brother?"

"Oh. Come on in, I guess."

Yevgeny opened the door and stepped inside. Keiko felt herself slowly go into a nervous sweat as he approached her, but she quickly regained her composure. 

"What are you doing here?" she asked coolly.

"I just wanted to talk to you," Yevgeny replied. 

Keiko raised an eyebrow. "What about?"

"I just wanted to see how you were."

Keiko kept her composure. "I'm fine. Why the hell should you care anyway? If anything, you're just as much involved in this whole arranged marriage thing as your family is."

Her voice had a bite, one that was layered with frustration and an undercurrent of something more vulnerable. She glanced away, trying to mask the flicker of hurt in her eyes. Across from her, Yevgeny stood there unperturbed.

"Look, I know you don't want this," Yevgeny said. "You don't want to enter an arranged marriage with Arkady, I get it, but trust me. It's for the better."

Indeed, Yevgeny knew as much as Arkady and the rest of the family did that arranged marriages weren’t just a matter of love or partnership. They were business transactions, so to speak; intricate familial alliances designed to solidify status and security. That was their family tradition.

“Keiko, I—” he was about to speak.

“Save it,” she interrupted, raising a hand. "I don't need a lecture. Let's just get it over with."

Yevgeny just nodded. "Okay then. No need to tell me twice."

Yevgeny then gestured at Keiko to rise off the bed and follow him out of the room. Keiko did so. She didn't dare drag this out any more than necessary.

No one in the Mistress and Eddie's group had gathered any luck finding out about Keiko's whereabouts in Colorado Springs. If there was one good thing they could take away from this, however, it was that it was a rather pleasant place to visit. Still, time was of the essence. They had no idea how much time was left, but they knew that they had to save Keiko soon or it would be too late.

"So where to next, Mistress?" Aurelia asked.

"Las Vegas, finally," Mistress replied. "The sooner we get there, the better."

"Man, I hope so. I can't wait for us to find her."

"Me neither."

"Alright, everyone, we're about to take off for Las Vegas!" Mayumi announced. "Anything you want to do before we go?"

Everyone else responded with a "no" or an equivalent of it.

"Good," Mayumi said. "I don't want to waste any more time here anyway. Here we go. Three...two...one... and we're off!"

The plane proceeded to run along the ground before finally ascending into the sky. Eddie sighed with relief as the plane finally gained altitude, for once not seeming to care about the incoming motion sickness. He watched out the window as the beautiful landscape passed by below and the buildings shrank away. He knew that soon they would be in Las Vegas and one step closer to finding his missing daughter. In the meantime, he and everyone else decided to chat and sing along to music to pass the time, eager to find Keiko as soon as possible. Eventually, the plane had managed to reach its destination at the Harry Reid International Airport. The flight itself had only lasted for two hours, and yet it didn't feel that long.

"And... we're here!" Mayumi cheerfully announced. "Thank God, too! Now we can put our whole plan into action."

Everyone cheered and clapped as the plane finally landed. None of them could wait to start their adventure, and they were all thankful for the smooth journey. Now that they'd reached solid ground, they could finally start their rescue mission. All they had to do now was figure out where exactly Arkady had taken Keiko. They gathered their gear and set off, determined to find Keiko and bring her home. They had a lot of ground to cover, but they were determined to succeed. Upon walking into the airport, the passengers couldn't help but observe people as they were just going about their daily lives; talking, walking, sitting down, ordering some snacks to eat before their flight, and overall just existing.

"Alright, now what?" Aurelia asked. "Is there anybody around here we can ask for help?"

"I hope so," Eddie replied, still reeling from motion sickness. "Why don't we give it a shot? It'd be better than nothing, at least."

"Sure, I don't see why not." Aurelia then craned her neck towards her sister. "Flavia, see if you can ask anyone where Keiko and Arkady may have gone, okay?"

Flavia nodded in agreement and quickly moved away. Aurelia and Eddie watched as she approached a nearby group of people. They waited patiently for her to return. After a few moments, Flavia returned with an elderly woman who pointed the group in the right direction.

"Oh, wow, thanks!" Genie exclaimed. "You're a real lifesaver."

The elderly woman just shrugged. "It's the least I could do for my glorious leader and her comrades."

Flavia just smiled and waved goodbye as the elderly woman ambled away, her frail figure slowly disappearing from view as she moved towards the opposite end of the airport. There was something undeniably heartwarming about that simple farewell, a moment that seemed to encapsulate the kindness and warmth Flavia always exuded. Aurelia and Eddie exchanged glances, their expressions a mix of admiration and disbelief. It was hard to fathom how Flavia had managed to find someone in practically little time at all. Now that they had an idea of where exactly Keiko and Arkady were, the group could head out to the MGM Grand and hopefully rescue her from her plight.

Chapter Text

By the time everyone had reached the MGM Grand hotel, they were borderline exhausted from the bus ride over. In fact, it had taken them about thirty-five minutes to get there. As they entered the grand lobby of the MGM Grand, Aurelia scanned the bustling surroundings, searching for any sign of Keiko or Arkady. The group split up to cover more ground, each member determined to locate their missing friend. Eddie approached the front desk and inquired about any guests matching Keiko's description, while Genie and Flavia discreetly asked around the hotel lounge area. Aurelia decided to check out the gaming floors, knowing that Arkady and his brother Yevgeny had a penchant for blackjack. No sign of the brothers or Keiko there.

As Aurelia made her way through the vibrant floors of the MGM Grand, she couldn't help but marvel at the dazzling array of lights and sounds surrounding her. The slot machines chimed merrily, and the roulette wheels spun with anticipation. Despite the lively atmosphere, there was still no sign of the brothers or Keiko. She continued her search, weaving through crowds of enthusiastic gamblers and curious onlookers.

"Dammit," Aurelia muttered to herself. "Where could Keiko be? She has to be around here somewhere."

She stopped a passing attendant and asked for help. 

"Have you seen two adult men and a young woman come through here?" she asked. 

"No, I'm sorry," the attendant replied. "But I'll keep an eye out and let you know if I see anything."

"Oh..." Aurelia's face deflated a little. "Well, thanks anyway."

"No problem. It's the least I can do."

With that, the attendant just walked away, leaving a disappointed Aurelia in his wake. She decided to move on to another area and scan it for any sign of the brothers and/or Keiko. As her eyes moved across the casino floor, a small figure suddenly emerged from behind a nearby pillar. To Aurelia's surprise, Keiko was standing there, looking lost and confused. Aurelia's heart leaped with relief at the sight of Keiko. She rushed over to her, enveloping her in a tight hug.

"Keiko, what happened to you?" Aurelia asked once she'd broken away from the hug.

Keiko shook her head, unable to speak. Aurelia noticed tears streaming down her face and led her to a quiet corner of the casino, where they talked until Keiko was finally able to explain what had happened, from being offered a drink to waking up with hands bound behind her with a plastic bag to being forced into a marriage with Arkady for presumed religious reasons. All Aurelia could do was listen as Keiko recounted feeling as if she'd been robbed of her autonomy, trapped in a life she had never chosen and being forced to share her life with someone who had become her captor.

Aurelia knew all too well that Keiko’s story was not just an isolated incident; it was a reflection of the darker sides of human experiences that often lurk just beneath the surface. Aurelia remembered when she and Flavia had first encountered the Warden and the Mistress, how they'd told the sisters about how the inmates usually ended up at Superjail and Ultraprison respectively. It made her a little queasy just thinking about in retrospect, how human beings could be capable of so much good in the world and be capable of the most depraved behavior imaginable. It was why, as Warden put it, the world deserved to be conquered.

"Okay, well, we came all this way down here just to find you and save you," Aurelia said. "We're gonna get you out of this."

Keiko stared at her hopefully. "You will?"

Aurelia nodded. "Absolutely. Just follow me. I've got a plan."

Keiko nodded and followed Aurelia as they continued down the passageway. She could feel her heart racing with anticipation in her chest. She trusted Aurelia and hoped beyond hope that her plan would work. She'd been so broken down being here that she was desperate for anything to happen at this point. As they made their way through the dimly lit passageways of the casino, Aurelia outlined her plan to Keiko in hushed tones. The key was to act quickly and decisively, using their wits and whatever resources they could gather along the way. They had to be stealthy and avoid drawing attention to themselves as they navigated through the maze-like corridors. Keiko followed along as best as she could, and yet there was a voice nagging at the back of her mind to keep an eye out for Arkady. He could spot them at any point and undo all their progress.

The two women moved through the shadows, their footsteps muffled, their eyes darting from one corner to the next. Aurelia's plan was intricate, with several contingencies in place, and Keiko did her best to commit every detail to memory. They had to be flawless in their execution if they were to have any chance of escaping this gilded prison. As they drew closer to finding the group and rejoining them, there was palpable tension in the air. Keiko could feel the adrenaline coursing through her veins, her senses heightened, ready to react at a moment's notice. This was their chance, their only chance, and they couldn't afford to make a single mistake.

Eventually, they managed to reunite with the group.

"Aurelia!" Flavia exclaimed. "You did it!"

"Yep," Aurelia replied. "And not a moment too soon."

"Right. Now we just need to leave this place and we'll be home free. Let's go!"

"No need to tell me twice!"

And so, with Aurelia's leadership and Keiko's determination, they pressed on towards the exit of the casino. Every step was taken with caution, knowing that one wrong move could jeopardize their escape. The sense of urgency hung in the air as they navigated through the maze-like corridors, staying alert for any sign of danger. They almost made it out before they were surrounded by hundreds of Lord Stingray's henchmen.

"Going somewhere?" one of them asked.

Uh-oh. They were good as screwed.

Chapter Text

Keiko sighed, having been confined to this same hotel room for some time now. She'd been so broken by all that had happened that she hadn't even noticed her 17th birthday passing by.

The once vibrant and ambitious girl now felt like a shadow of her former self. When she wasn't distracting herself with television, she was spending her days confined to the cramped hotel room, staring at the blank walls and wondering if things were ever going to get better. As Keiko sat in the well lit but vacant hotel room, her mind wandered back to happier times when she was free to roam and dream without fear; when she didn't have to worry about catering to the whims of an abusive husband who lorded himself whenever he wanted, whether she wanted it or not. She wondered how her father, her grandmother, and their allies must have felt being in the same situation as hers. How were they handling everything? Were they still all there mentally?

Perhaps the only upside Keiko could possibly have besides the television was the bodyguard Arkady had assigned to her in case she tried to escape again. That bodyguard's name? Daiana Perreira. Keiko couldn't deny the flutter she felt in her chest whenever Daiana made her presence known. The way her eyes sparkled with determination, the strength in her every move— it all captivated Keiko in ways she couldn't quite understand. She found herself longing for their conversations, cherishing every moment and every connection they shared. But deep down, hidden beneath layers of fear and uncertainty, there bloomed a feeling Keiko harbored for the physically toned seventeen-year-old Japanese-Brazilian girl. It was a warmth spread through her whenever Daiana's gaze lingered a little too long, or their hands brushed accidentally. As Keiko stole glances at Daiana standing guard by the door, a part of Keiko yearned for something more— a love that whispered promises of solace and understanding in the midst of chaos.

"Hey, Daiana," Keiko called out to her.

Daiana turned to look back at her. "Yeah, what's up?"

"Do you think I'll ever get out of here?"

Daiana shrugged. "I don't know, but you're always welcome to try."

"I already did, though. That's the thing."

Keiko sighed and looked away, her heart heavy with disappointment. Daiana said nothing. She just watched Keiko with a knowing expression on her face. Keiko knew that Daiana understood, but she couldn't bring herself to say it out loud. She wanted to sustain the hope that she'd get out of here, but it was pretty much impossible now. After all, having her family and friends in more or less the same situation as her didn't exactly inspire confidence.

"So how did you end up here?" Keiko asked.

"What do you mean?" Daiana asked back.

"How did you end up in Las Vegas working for Lord Stingray?"

"Uh, let's just say my family and I had no choice in the matter."

"Oh." Keiko paused. "I'm... sorry to hear that."

"It's alright. It is what it is."

Ethan was looking through his sketches, trying to find inspiration that would prove to be useful for the reality show. He didn't know why, but he'd been struggling with coming up with new ideas lately. This wasn't unique to him, of course. He knew that everyone with minds like him experienced creative droughts from time to time. Even his father would attest to experiencing them. However, this was different somehow. This wasn't like the other creative breaks he'd experienced before. He didn't know how exactly to describe it, but it was like the recent circumstances from his life were draining away at his creativity. It was like he was too burdened by what had happened to Keiko to focus on creating. He sighed and put aside his sketches, unsure of where to go from there.

Suddenly, he heard a knock at the door.

"Who is it?" Ethan called out to the person knocking.

"It's me, Dad," replied Europa's disembodied voice. "I've got something I need to tell you."

Ethan just went silent. He wasn't sure he wanted to know what Europa wanted to tell him, and yet he understood how important it was for her to tell him.

"Come on in, dear," Ethan implored.

Without further hesitation, Europa opened the door to her father's office and took a seat across from his desk.

"So what was it you wanted to tell me, Europa?" Ethan asked, curious as ever before.

"It's about Grandma and Uncle Eddie," Europa replied. "I think Lord Stingray is holding them hostage like he is with Keiko."

All the color drained from Ethan's face. "...what? How did he get ahold of them in the first place?"

"I don't know, but I think they might be in serious trouble if we don't save them."

"Oh God..." Ethan took a deep breath and tried to calm himself down. "Well, thanks for letting me know. Does everyone else know?"

Europa nodded. "Yeah, I told them. Don't worry, I got it under control."

"Alright, thank you, Europa. What would I ever do without you?"

"Die, maybe?"

Ethan let out a small chuckle. "Okay, thanks again, Europa. I appreciate you telling me. Now I'd like to be alone so I can try to figure out how to save everyone."

Europa chose that moment to rise up out of her seat and head for the door. "I understand. Bye bye!"

With that, Europa left her father's office and sought out her mother's company. As if out of nowhere, Ethan was hit with inspiration, and he slid his sketches back into the center of his desk. He knew what needed to be done...

Aurelia moped about in a small, cramped hotel room she was forced to share with Flavia, Iggy, Genie, Delilah, Eddie, and the Mistress. She just couldn't believe their failure to get Keiko out of this place without getting caught. It didn't seem to make any sense whatsoever. What on Earth went wrong?  She felt like she had let everyone down, not just herself. She was too frustrated and angry with herself to talk to the rest of the team, however, and so she retreated into her thoughts. Even so, she knew she had to do something to make things right. If only they could get another chance to rescue Keiko... but when would that chance come? No matter. She was determined to get them out of this mess and then find a way to rescue Keiko, even if it meant sacrificing herself to do it.

"I'm kinda worried about Aurelia, Delilah," Flavia said. "She hasn't said a single word since we got captured."

Delilah nodded. "Yeah, I know what you mean. I know she's just worried about Keiko." She took a deep breath. "But we have to focus on getting out of here first. We'll worry about Keiko later."

Flavia nodded. "You're right. How do we get out of here, though?"

"I have an idea," Genie chimed in.

Delilah leaned forward. "Really? What is it, Genie?"

"Let's try to trick the guards into thinking one of us has been injured and that we need medical assistance." 

"Alright, sounds like a good plan. One thing, though."

"What's that?"

"The guards might realize at some point that the injury is fake. It needs to be a real injury."

Genie pursed her lips. "Okay, good point, but who are we going to have to injure for this plan to work?"

"Oh, that's easy. Eddie will have to be the unlucky guy for this plan."

Eddie perked his head up upon hearing that. "Excuse me?"

"Yeah, you heard us right, sir," Delilah replied. "We're gonna have to injure you as part of our escape plan."

"But why me? Why do I have to be the one to get hurt?"

"Because you're the weakest one of us all, that's why."

It was Mistress's turn to chime in. "No, absolutely not! Are you insane?"

"Look, it's either this or be stuck here forever," Delilah pointed out. "And I think we know which one you'd prefer..."

"Well, you can forget it! I'm not letting you lay a finger on him!"

"Fine. Then I guess we'll use you for this plan instead."

Eddie gasped and quickly stood up. "No, I'm not letting you drag Mom into this plan! You can use me instead!"

"Eddie, calm down," Delilah commanded. "We would never do anything like that to your mother. We just wanted you to help us, that's all."

"You really mean that?" Eddie asked as he simmered down.

"Of course. You ready to get injured?"

"Ready as I'll ever be, I guess." He took a deep breath. “Let’s do it.”

“Alright, but first, we need to find a weapon around here that we can use on you.” Delilah craned her head in Iggy’s direction. “Where’s a weapon we can use in here?”

Instantly, Iggy managed to spot a ballpoint pen lying on a desk that was tucked into a corner of the room.

"How about this one?" Iggy suggested as she picked up the pen and held it up for everyone to see.

"Huh," Delilah responded. "Guess that could work."

"Cool. Guess it's true what they say about the pen being mightier than the sword."

Delilah couldn't help but laugh out loud at what Iggy had just said. "Okay, good one, Iggy. Now come on, let's not draw this out even further and get on with it already."

Iggy nodded and, seemingly without any warning whatsoever, stabbed Eddie in his right shoulder six or seven times; causing him to shriek out in pain as blood began flowing out of his shoulder wounds.

"Oh, shit!" Flavia exclaimed. "Sounds like you actually really hurt him, Iggy!"

"Yep, that was the plan," Iggy replied. "Now it's time to get the guards' attention."

Iggy handed the bloodied pen off to Flavia and then headed out to the hotel room door and banged on it several times, yelling out for help every single time she did so.

"Guards!" Iggy screamed out. "Guards! We need help. One of my friends has been injured! We need medical assistance!"

Iggy immediately stopped when the door swung open and two of the guards came in to assess the situation.

"What's going on?" one of the guards asked. "What happened here?"

"Flavia just stabbed our future glorious leader in the shoulder with a ballpoint pen!" Iggy yelled. "You gotta do something! You can't let him die on your watch!"

The two guards just exchanged skeptical glances at each other. They had doubts about what they'd just been told. Then again, it had been their job to make sure nothing bad actually happened to the prisoners they were supposed to be watching; and they'd clearly failed on that front.

The other guard just sighed. "Alright, follow us. The sooner we get this all fixed, the better."

"Of course," Iggy replied. "Where are we going?"

The first guard turned and started heading out the door. "We're going to Elite Medical Center. We have to make sure this gets taken care of as soon as possible, got it?"

Iggy nodded. "Oh yeah, I understand."

The two guards quickly led the way out of the hotel room, down a corridor, and towards an elevator shaft. Once there, the guards pushed a button to go down and waited for the doors to slide open before stepping inside. Iggy and the others proceeded to follow close behind. From there, the elevator ride down was filled with nothing more than silence. In fact, not much seemed to happen during that time aside from Eddie bleeding out of his stab wounds. Iggy considered attacking the guards at several points during the elevator ride down, but she decided to hold off for now and wait until they'd reached their destination before doing so. Eventually, the elevator stopped, and everyone proceeded to file out. The guards then led them out of the MGM Grand and towards Elite Medical Center, where Eddie would get treatment for his stab wounds.

Iggy breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh thank God! I thought that elevator ride would never end."

She and the others followed the guards closely, keeping their eyes peeled for any opportunity to escape that could come their way. Delilah in particular quickly scanned her surroundings, looking for any potential escape routes they could use. She pulled out her knife and made sure it was ready when it was time to use it. Once they'd arrived at Elite Medical Center, Iggy and the rest of the group decided that now was the opportunity to act.

"Alright, let's go!" Iggy shouted as she prepared to strike first.

With that, Iggy lunged forward and jabbed both of her thumbs into the first guard's eyes, not only blinding him but also drawing blood that leaked from his eye sockets. She then popped the eyeballs out with her thumbs, leaving his eye sockets bloodied and empty. The first guard screamed out in pain as he brought his hands to his eye sockets and realized that his eyes were gone. Aurelia and Flavia then ganged up on him and the second guard and sent their fists flying down upon the pair. Once they were certain they'd landed enough hits upon the two guards, the two sisters ran out of the medical center, with Genie and Delilah following close behind. As for Mistress and Eddie, they stayed behind so she could keep an eye out on him.

"Wow, good work, girls," Delilah said. "I was not expecting you to gang up on them like that."

"Me neither, but it was fun," Iggy replied with a grin. "But let's head back to the hotel before anyone else sees us."

"Yeah, I don't want all of this to have been for nothing," Flavia chimed in.

The five women then quickly hightailed their way back into the MGM Grand, hoping that their plan to save Keiko would go off without a hitch.

Chapter Text

Keiko found herself engrossed in another conversation with Daiana while holed up in her hotel room. She liked talking with Daiana. It was a great way to pass time around here. She could tell that Daiana enjoyed talking to her as well. It was hard not to. Keiko was grateful for the distraction. She was bored and lonely and stressed from being trapped in an arranged loveless marriage to a supervillain's son, and Daiana's company was a welcome change. In fact, Keiko was thankful to have found someone like Daiana in her life. Keiko was thankful for Daiana's understanding and support. She felt safe talking to her, and Daiana was always willing to listen to her and give her advice. Keiko hoped to someday spend the rest of her life with her.

For now, Keiko cherished these conversations as a rare bright spot, an oasis of human connection in an otherwise bleak situation. She was definitely going to need it when she wasn't going to be saved any time soon.

"What's life like in Sao Paulo?" Keiko asked Daiana at one point.

Daiana laughed and replied, "It's amazing! We have beautiful beaches, great shopping, and an amazing nightlife." 

Keiko smiled, knowing that she had something to look forward to when she got out of here.

"Are there a lot of pretty girls like you down in Sao Paulo?" Keiko ventured further.

Daiana blushed and replied, "Yes, there are definitely a lot of beautiful girls in Sao Paulo. It's a great place to live if you want to meet people."

Keiko instantly blushed back. "Oh my God, I can't believe I just asked that!"

"What? What do you mean? What was wrong with it?"

"...never mind."

Daiana was still confused by Keiko's outburst, but she wasn't sure if she wanted to ask any further questions about it, so she kept quiet instead. Keiko then quickly changed the subject, and the conversation moved on to something else. Daiana was relieved, but she also felt a bit disappointed by the move. She hoped that Keiko would open up more soon. For now, she just wanted to make sure Keiko was feeling as comfortable as possible.

Suddenly, they heard loud knocking at the door.

Daiana was caught off-guard by the sound. "Who is it?"

"It's me, Iggy!" replied a disembodied feminine voice. "I'm here to save you!"

Daiana was momentarily confused by what Iggy could've meant until she realized that she must've been referring to Keiko.

"Uh..." Daiana hesitated for a moment. "Come on in... Iggy."

Iggy barged in, startling both Daiana and Keiko. Keiko's face lit up upon seeing the tan golden-blonde woman and rushed over to her. Iggy proceeded to embrace Keiko in her arms and comfort her.

"Iggy, I can't believe you came!" Keiko exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"

"Your dad and grandma recruited me, Aurelia, Flavia, Genie, and Delilah to come with and save you," Iggy explained.

"Cool." Keiko paused. "So where's the rest of you?"

Iggy thought for a moment before explaining everything that had happened up to this point; including how she had to separate from Aurelia, Flavia, Genie, and Delilah in order to cast less suspicion on herself.

"Oh meu Deus!" Daiana exclaimed. "Did you actually kill those guys?"

"I'm pretty sure we did with the first one," Iggy replied. "The second guy, I think, will be fine. He's just knocked out, that's all."

"I see. I want to come with you."

Iggy's face lit up. "Wait, really?"

"Yeah, I wanna help you guys out. My family and I are only working for Lord Stingray because he threatened us."

"Alright. Well, the more, the merrier. Let's go!"

The first thing Keiko, Daiana, and Iggy did as soon as they escaped was try to find Aurelia, Flavia, Genie, and Delilah again. They knew they had to act quickly and cautiously if they wanted to find their friends and get out of here in one piece.

"Alright, guys, now what?" Daiana asked. "Where do we go from here?"

"We're going to have to stick together and head downstairs," Iggy replied. "We'll have a better chance of finding them that way."

Daiana nodded in agreement, understanding the urgency of the situation they were in. And so, without further hesitation, the trio headed off towards an elevator shaft. Once they'd made it to their destination, Iggy pushed a button to go down and waited for the doors to slide open before stepping inside. Keiko and Daiana proceeded to follow close behind, not wanting to waste any more time. As the trio stepped into the elevator, a sense of anticipation filled the air. Daiana glanced around, taking note of their surroundings. The space was dimly lit, but she could make out the control panel on the side of the wall. Iggy reached out and pressed the button, setting the elevator in motion.

Keiko shifted her weight from one foot to the other, her eyes darting around nervously. "Do you think we'll make it in time?"

Iggy gave a curt nod. "We have to. There's too much at stake to fail now." Her expression was resolute, her determination palpable.

Daiana placed a reassuring hand on Keiko's arm. "We've come this far. We can't turn back now." Her tone was calm and steady, an anchor in the midst of the uncertainty they faced.

Eventually, the elevator stopped, and the trio proceeded to file out.

"Alright, now what?" Keiko asked. "Where do you think they could be around here?"

"No idea," Iggy replied. "But let's keep looking."

Determined to find their friends again, the trio pressed on with the search. Nothing was more important now than finding them. That's what they told themselves anyway. Even so, it was hard to stay focused. As they navigated through the ground floor of the hotel, Keiko caught a glimpse of movement out of the corner of her eye. She signaled Daiana and Iggy, and they cautiously approached the source of the movement. To their relief, it was Aurelia, Flavia, Genie, and Delilah sitting together at a table at the MGM Grand Buffet.

"Holy shit, finally!" Keiko exclaimed upon seeing them. "I didn't think we'd ever find you."

The group rushed over to their friends, relieved to have finally located them. Aurelia, Flavia, Genie, and Delilah looked up in surprise as the trio approached them.

"Neither did we," Delilah replied. She then pointed at Daiana. "By the way, who's that?"

"Huh?" Keiko's face suddenly lit up. "Oh, this is Daiana! Arkady assigned her to me so I couldn't just escape, but she and I get along great. She even offered to join us."

Delilah squinted her eyes at the newcomer. "How do I know she's not planning to betray us later?"

Daiana met Delilah's skeptical gaze with a steady look. "I understand your concern, but I assure you that my loyalty lies with you guys now. I'm here to help, not to cause harm."

As the group settled down at the table, they quickly caught up on what had transpired since their separation. Aurelia shared details of their encounter with security guards and how they narrowly escaped being caught. Flavia, on the other hand, discussed how she and the others had managed to come up with a plan to deal a severe blow to Lord Stingray and his cult.

"And what is this plan, pray tell?" Keiko asked curiously.

"Well, I don't wanna tell you just yet," Flavia replied.

"What? Why not?"

"Well, it's a secret. Plus, I'd rather we implement it once we reunite with Mistress and your dad."

Keiko's confidence deflated a little. "Uh, okay?"

"Look, it's gonna work. You gotta trust me on this. We've come too far to risk losing everything now."

"Alright, I trust you. I just wish you didn't have to be so cagey about the plan."

Flavia gave a confident smirk. "Don't worry. You'll see soon why we wanted to keep it a secret."

Ethan called Europa, Ephraim, Jonah, Kendra, Clint, and Xenobia into his office to discuss something important between them. He'd just gotten off the phone with Flavia regarding a plan she wanted him and the rest of Superjail to be involved in.

"Okay, so what is this plan anyway?" Jonah asked. "What's so important about it that you felt the need to share it with us?"

"I'm glad you asked, Jonah," Ethan replied. "You remember those kamikaze Jailbots Dad rushed out to help win the Superjail War all those years ago?"

"No."

"Oh. Well, anyway, I was hoping that we could bring them back this one time and weaponize them against Lord Stingray and his cult."

"I still can't believe your father would think to build suicide-bombing robots in the first place."

Ethan shrugged. "Well, that was Dad for you."

"Are you sure this plan will work?" Kendra chimed in. "I mean, this is Lord Stingray we're talking about here. This guy has operated a terrorist organization for years. He could easily overpower us if need be."

Ethan shook his head. "Nope, no idea. I'd do anything to save my family, though."

"Okay, but let's keep in mind that a lot could go wrong."

"Of course a lot could go wrong! You don't think I know that?" Ethan sighed. "Even so, I really want us to help fight these people. We can't let them get away with what they did to Keiko. What they did to her was absolutely deplorable and unforgivable. They need to be punished, Arkady especially. I want that son of a bitch to pay for what he's done."

Xenobia nodded. "Well said, Ethan. These people should never see the light of day again."

"Alright, it's settled, then." Ethan quickly got up out of his chair and climbed up onto his desk. "Now let's take down Lord Stingray, hopefully once and for all!"

Everyone else started cheering despite their uncertainty that the plan would even work.

In the casino section of the MGM Grand, Arkady was currently deep into a conversation he was having with his father and his younger brother Yevgeny. Arkady was concerned that Keiko still wasn't accepting their marriage, even after he'd tried everything to convince her how much of a good thing this was for them. Yevgeny could understand where he was coming from. He reminded Arkady that Keiko was stubborn and bull-headed and that he needed to give her time and space to come to her own decision. 

Arkady rolled his eyes. "That's just it, Yevgeny. She's too stubborn to accept all this. We could give her all the time and space she needs, but she's never going to come around to it."

"Well, have you thought about why that might be?" Yevgeny asked. "There might be something about her that you've been missing."

Arkady paused, considering Yevgeny's words. He furrowed his brow, then shrugged. "I don't know. I guess I'm not her type."

Yevgeny smirked. "Well, just because you're not her type doesn't mean---"

Before Yevgeny could finish his sentence, an explosion could be heard from above them.

"W-What was that?" Yevgeny asked, startled by the noise.

Lord Stingray shrugged. "I don't know. Must be someone hitting the jackpot or something."

Arkady's face grew pale. "Uh, Dad, I don't think that was a jackpot..."

As if on cue, they heard another explosion going off above them. It couldn't be, could it? Could it? Soon after, yet another explosion went off. This time, it blew off a chunk of the ceiling, which landed on several people and reduced them to nothing but blood splatters across the ground.

"Oh my God!" Yevgeny yelled out. "We're being attacked!"

"Yeah, no shit, Sherlock," Arkady replied. "We gotta get out of here or we'll die."

Yet another explosion went off and blew off more chunks from the ceiling. Not wanting to become a new pair of corpses, Arkady and Yevgeny started to bolt out of the building before realizing that their father wasn't following them. In fact, he seemed to be running in the opposite direction.

"Dad!" Arkady gasped. "Where are you going?!"

"Anywhere that's not here!" Lord Stingray replied. "Go find your mother and get out of here!"

As tempted as he was to stop where he was and just watch his father run away, Arkady forced himself to keep going instead and trail behind Yevgeny, who by now was leaps and bounds ahead of him. For seemingly miles and miles, they ran and ran as the ceiling collapsed and crushed people around them. Neither of them had any idea who was attacking them or why. That wasn't important right now, however. All they needed to focus on right now was escaping. Arkady and Yevgeny eventually made it to the exit and out into the fresh air. Arkady stopped and looked back, knowing that it was only a matter of time before the building crumbled behind them.

"Alright, we're outside," Yevgeny said. "Now what? Where could Mama have gone?"

Arkady shook his head. "I don't know, but we need to find her soon. I hope we're not too late."

"Why don't we check Elite Medical Center? It's possible someone took her there."

"Okay, sounds good to me. Let's go."

They began to sprint off towards Elite Medical Center as a first resort. They didn't know for sure if that was where she was, but they weren't sure where else they could go to find her. Upon walking into the building, they were shocked to find Daiana, Iggy, Aurelia, Flavia, Genie, Delilah, Eddie, and Mistress standing there and horizontally lined up in defensive poses.

"Daiana?" Yevgeny asked, confused by her presence. "What are you doing here? You're supposed to be guarding Keiko."

Daiana crossed her arms, her face unwavering. "I am. Keiko's safer with me than she is with you."

Arkady cocked his head to the side. "Oh yeah, why's that?"

"I know what you're gonna do to her if I leave you alone with her," Daiana replied. "In fact, if I were you, I'd leave right now before somebody got hurt."

Arkady gave Daiana a sinister smirk. "Oh yeah, and how would you know, Daiana? Can you see into the future or something? I can do it, too. In fact, I predict that something bad will happen if you don't let us see Keiko right now."

Daiana still didn't budge. "I'd like to see you try."

Instantly, Arkady threw the first punch, but Daiana quickly caught it and pushed him onto the floor. Arkady just as quickly got up and prepared to throw another punch, only to get blocked again. As he got up again, however, he headbutted her in the pelvis and she reeled back in pain.

"That's a real underhanded move, Arkady," Daiana growled under her breath. "Real underhanded."

"Yeah, but you knew that when we hired you and your family," Arkady replied.

As if in the blink of an eye, the rest of the eight-person group rushed forward and started pouncing on the two brothers, barely letting them get a punch or kick in. However, for every punch or kick they could land, Arkady and Yevgeny were able to connect them to their opponents and send waves of pain rippling through them. However, the eight-person group was undeterred and kept fighting regardless. Indeed, nothing seemed to slow the eight down even as they kept fighting and fighting. It wasn't until several minutes had passed that Keiko had emerged from wherever she'd gone and noticed the fight in progress. Upon catching a glimpse of her, Arkady and Yevgeny stopped fighting.

"Keiko..." Arkady practically breathed out. "I was wondering what had happened to you."

He started inching towards her. With every step forward he took, she took a step back.

"No," Keiko could only say. "Please, get away from me. Get away from me!"

"Keiko, please," Arkady begged. "Come back to me. We can work this out."

"No, don't touch me!"

"Keiko, I only want to do what's right by you."

"No, you want to do what's right by you."

Arkady stopped in his tracks, tears welling up in his eyes. "I only want what's best for you, Keiko. Please, don't leave me."

Keiko scoffed. "Nice try. Those crocodile tears aren't going to move me."

Mistress took this as an opportunity to step forward and intervene. "Arkady, you better leave her alone. She's made it clear that she wants nothing to do with you."

Suddenly, Arkady pulled out a gun and pointed right in Mistress's direction. "I'm sure this will convince her otherwise."

Keiko widened her eyes. "Arkady, no. Don't do this."

"Oh yeah, and why not?" Arkady asked tauntingly.

"You know damn well why not."

"Show me then, bitch."

Keiko lunged forward and tackled him to the ground. Unfortunately, while she did so, the gun went off and shot Mistress in the throat. Almost immediately, Mistress doubled over and started coughing up blood and gasping for air. She then collapsed to the floor, still gasping for air and bleeding out. Keiko looked over her shoulder and, to her horror, saw that her grandmother spewing blood from the bullet wound in the throat and from her mouth.

"Oh no, Grandma," Keiko muttered, her voice having grown hoarse. "Grandma, no. No, you can't do this to me right now. Not now, not now!"

Keiko quickly crawled over to where Mistress was and cradled her in her arms.

"Grandma, please, you can't die on me now," Keiko begged her. "You can't die on me, not after everything you've been through..."

Mistress wanted to say something, but couldn't. The bullet wound had not only left her slowly suffocating to death, but unable to speak or even articulate herself.

"Grandma, please, you can't die," Keiko repeated. "I won't allow it! We can still make it! We can fix this!"

Aurelia, Flavia, Iggy, Eddie, Genie, and Delilah couldn't do anything but watch in horror and shock as Keiko kept pleading with her grandmother not to die on her. After what felt like hours on end, Mistress's body eventually gave out and she died.

"Grandma, please!" Keiko was now yelling out to her. "You can't die right now! We still need you! We still need you to lead us!"

Delilah gingerly placed a hand on Keiko's shoulder. "Keiko, please, stop. It's over. She's gone."

No one had been prepared to bring Mistress back home in a body bag, nor were they prepared to face the reality of Eddie being the new world dictator. Eddie, for his part, was still in shock over this whole thing. He was so sure that his mother would still be here to guide him and help Keiko towards their futures in leadership, but with her gone, he now had to face that task by himself. Of course, he wasn't entirely alone on that front. He still had Jared, Charise, Alice, Bruce, Daiana, and just about everyone else to help him; but it just didn't feel the same without his parents there. This wasn't fair! He shouldn't have to groom Keiko for world dictatorship without them! Why couldn't they still be here to help him? It didn't seem right.

Despite being taught from a young age that death came for everyone and that no one could fight it, it still threw him for a loop from time to time. This, of course, was one of those times. He felt lost, confused, and angry. He wanted to lash out and do something, but he knew that it was futile. All he could do was accept that he was an orphan now and move on with his life. He knew that his parents would be proud of him no matter what, and that he'd be able to handle his new role as world dictator. He only wished that they could have been here to see him take on his responsibility.

As for Keiko herself, she was still in shock that her grandmother was gone. She couldn't help but blame herself for how it all went down. Perhaps the only silver lining to come out of it was that Arkady and Yevgeny had been apprehended and were being transferred to Superjail, where Ethan would surely make an example out of them. Keiko knew that she had to be strong for her father and the rest of her family, and that she'd somehow find a way to cope with her grief. She was determined to make sure that her family's legacy would continue through her and her father and that her grandparents could rest in peace. She was determined to make sure that Mistress's death was not in vain and she could be proud of her from the afterlife. However, only time could tell how she could do this without sacrificing her dignity or her childlike innocence. It wouldn't be easy, though.

Chapter Text

Months had passed since the Mistress's tragic and untimely death in December from a bullet wound to the throat. It wasn't easy adjusting to life without her, but everyone was adjusting in the best way they knew how... well, almost everyone. Out of all the people Mistress's death had affected, it had affected Keiko the hardest. This was somewhat expected given that she'd been Keiko's favorite grandparent, but it still left her feeling not like herself, especially given that she was still blaming herself for what had happened. It especially didn't help that Keiko had to grieve for her grandmother while also dealing with another predicament in her life.

It all started when her period was late. It hadn't raised any red flags in her then. She figured that it must have been just undue stress over Mistress's death that had thrown her off-kilter. Next came the nausea and vomiting spells. Again, it didn't raise any red flags in her, and she chalked it up to stress. Then her fatigue went through the roof. Yet again, it didn't raise any red flags. She instead assumed that it must've been because she was in mourning and couldn't concentrate on much else. Then she started gaining weight and overeating, sometimes indulging in some weird cravings while she was at it. Just like before, she assumed that it was all stemming from stress and grief, but she wasn't sure where exactly the weird cravings came in. Weeks later, she noticed that her belly was growing. It freaked her out, enough so that she decided to conceal it with her reality-warping powers. This couldn't be happening, could it? Finally, she started to feel tiny but strong kicks inside her, mostly against her internal organs, something that only seemed to happen more and more often as time went on. This couldn't be happening. This just couldn't be happening. She didn't need to deal with this right now.

No worries, though. All she'd have to do was wait this out and then it would all be over. To some extent, this was true, but it'd only be a matter of time before she was forced to face the truth. For now, she'd carry on with her life like nothing had changed, like there wasn't anything different about her. She'd even partake in the same activities she'd done before.

And what better way to do that than to head out to Hurricane Harbor at Six Flags in Baltimore and have some fun? After all, it was July now, and she was desperate to do something to take her mind off things. She decided to head out solo, not wanting to tip her family off to where she was going, and decided to seek out Jailbot X for a ride.

"Hey, Jailbot X!" Keiko called out to the black X-shaped robot.

Jailbot X came flying in her direction and made sure to stop in front of her before they could collide.

"I'd like for you to fly me down to Six Flags Hurricane Harbor in Baltimore, Maryland," Keiko commanded as she climbed upon him. "And I'd like for you to do it as quickly as possible."

Jailbot X did so, and just like that, off she went. She was determined to have a good time, at least for today. It didn't matter what the immediate future had in store for her. All that mattered was the here and now.

Eddie could feel a panic attack coming on. Neither he nor anyone else had seen Keiko since breakfast, and she hadn't told anyone where she was going either. What if she'd been kidnapped again or worse? For that matter, no one had been able to find Jailbot X anyway. Could he have gone rogue and kidnapped Keiko? Could he have been stolen or worse?

"Oh no..." Eddie kept muttering. "No, no, no, no, no. This can't be happening! Not again!"

Victory shook her head in disbelief. "I know, dear, but we're going to find her."

"Well, where could she have gone?" Mariko asked.

"I don't know, Mariko," Victory replied. "But we're going to send out the search and rescue teams soon."

Eddie sighed and nodded. "Let's just hope that we find her in time. Otherwise, I don't know what we'll do."

And so they sent out the search and rescue teams, who proceeded to cover the entirety of Washington D.C., as well as the surrounding states of Maryland and Virginia. They scoured the city and surrounding areas, looking for any sign of the girl, but it seemed that their efforts were to no avail. Nevertheless, they weren't about to give up hope. They continued the search, determined to find the girl before it was too late. Finally, after what felt like an eternity of searching, they were tipped off to her being held at MedStar Harbor Hospital, safe and sound.

Eddie couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief upon hearing the news. "Thank God. Now I can rest easy knowing she's safe."

"What's Keiko doing over at MedStar Harbor, though?" Mariko asked curiously.

"I don't know, and frankly I don't even care why she's there. All that matters is that she's safe."

"Should we go over and see her?"

"Yes, I think that we should. After everything she went through, I think she'd appreciate it if we at least dropped by for a visit."

It took almost three hours for Eddie, Mariko, and Alfie to ride the bus from the White House all the way to MedStar Harbor. While they rode along to their destination, they spared a glance out the windows. While Eddie was busy being grateful that Keiko was alive and well, Mariko and Alfie were too busy wondering what could've possibly happened to their older sister to land her in the hospital. The long bus ride gave the trio time to process the shock of receiving the news about Keiko. Not that long ago, they and everyone else had been bundled with worry and fear that something serious may have happened to her after she'd been missing for hours and hours. Now that they knew for sure that she was still alive, they couldn't wait to show their gratitude and glee over her safety. Eventually, they made it to MedStar Harbor in practically no time at all. Eddie led Mariko and Alfie through the doors of the hospital and right up to the front desk to sign them all in as visitors.

"You're here to visit Keiko Warden, you say?" the clerk asked just to be sure.

"Yes, that's correct," Eddie confirmed.

"Alright, then. She's being held in Room SN212 at the Women & Infants' Center on the second floor."

"Okay, and how do I get there?"

"Just take the elevator behind me."

"Okay, thank you."

Immediately afterwards, Eddie and two of his children headed for the elevator shaft. Once there, Eddie pushed a button to go up and waited for the doors to slide open before he, Mariko, and Alfie stepped inside. He then pushed the button with the number "2" printed on it and then stood by while the elevator started rising up to his destination.

"I can't wait to see Keiko again, can you?" Eddie asked Mariko and Alfie.

Mariko shook her head. "Not really. This has been such a crazy day, you know?"

"Yes, Mariko, I know. It's just..." Eddie sighed. "With all this time we've spent this year mourning over your grandmother and adjusting to the fact that I now have control over the whole world, it's a miracle that I'm still here in one piece. In fact, it's a miracle that any of us are alive at all."

"Uh... okay."

"Sorry, I guess I got a little carried away there at the end. Point is, I'm glad Keiko's still alive."

"Yeah, me too."

The rest of the elevator ride up was filled with nothing but awkward silence. In fact, not much at all seemed to happen during that time. Eventually, the elevator stopped at its destination, and everyone proceeded to file out.

"Oh thank God!" Mariko exclaimed. "I thought that elevator ride would never end. It was so boring."

"Mariko, please," Eddie scolded. "Let's just go find Keiko's room real quick, alright?"

Mariko shrank a bit. "Okay."

Mariko and Alfie followed their father closely as they rounded a corner into the right wing of the floor and walked until they found the room they were looking for. Upon entering the room, the trio saw that Keiko was sound asleep in her hospital bed, which was enough to bring smiles to their faces. However, it didn't take long for Eddie to notice that there was a group of ten people wearing what appeared to be red-and-white lifeguard outfits standing by.

"I have several questions," Eddie began. "Mainly, who are you people? And what are you all doing in Keiko's hospital room?"

"We're lifeguards over at Hurricane Harbor at Six Flags," one of them, a woman, replied. "We were actually the ones who helped her give birth over there."

Eddie scrunched his face in confusion. "What?"

"Yep, we delivered her baby over at the wave pool."

"Sorry, did you just say you delivered her baby at the wave pool? At Hurricane Harbor?"

The same woman nodded. "Yeah, that's what I said."

"I see..." Pause. "Where's the baby?"

The lifeguards just looked at each other for a moment before one of them decided to speak up.

"He's in the NICU right now," another lifeguard, this time a man, replied.

Eddie raised his eyebrows. "He?"

"Yep, that's what I said."

"How did this happen? Why is he in the NICU?"

The lifeguards went on to explain that when they'd delivered the baby, he wasn't breathing and they had to perform CPR on him. They also recounted how, when the baby finally took his first breath and started wailing, Keiko tried to run away despite what she just went through. Thankfully, Keiko would later calm down just in time to be hauled into an ambulance and take a ride to the hospital.

"Thanks so much for taking good care of Keiko during her time of need," Eddie said. "I will appreciate you forever."

The first lifeguard nodded. "No problem. It's the least we could do."

"So... can I see the baby now?"

"Of course you can. You're the grandfather, after all. All we ask is that Mariko and Alfie stay here. They're not old enough to visit the NICU."

Eddie nodded and headed off for the NICU with two of the lifeguards in tow. Once inside, the lifeguards guarded Eddie towards the baby's incubator. He took a deep breath as he entered the room and saw his grandson lying peacefully in her incubator, his breathing steady and regular. Eddie smiled and stroked his forehead, feeling a sense of relief wash over him. He was grateful to find that he was doing well.

"Well, I'll be..." Eddie continued to look into the incubator. "I'm a grandpa now."

"Hard to believe, huh?" one of the lifeguards asked.

"Yeah, pretty much. Does he have a name yet?"

The lifeguard said nothing in response.

Eddie pursed his lips. "I'm going to take that as a 'no.'"

"Yeah, here's the thing. Keiko struggled to bond with him. In fact, she didn't act like she wanted anything to do with him, let alone even hold him. From what I understand, she didn't even know she was pregnant until she went into labor. That, or she was in denial the whole time."

Eddie shook his head. "Poor Keiko. She's been through so much. I don't necessarily blame her for any of this, but I don't know why she didn't tell me or anyone else she was pregnant, either."

"Well, at least you have the baby. That's gotta count for something, right?"

Eddie shook his head again and felt a wave of sadness wash over him. He couldn't help but worry if Keiko would ever come around to raising her baby. Even so, he silently vowed to be there for his grandson, no matter what.

Chapter Text

It had been two weeks since Keiko's son was born. Slowly but surely, everyone had been adjusting to this new reality as best as they possibly could... almost everyone, anyhow. While Eddie, his family, his friends, and their allies had been busy scrambling to get some last-minute preparations done, Keiko was still keeping her distance from the baby; both physically and emotionally. No one seemed to know what to do to fix this or how to broach the presumed elephant in the room with her. Instead, all they could do was focus on getting the baby's needs met while also dealing with their own responsibilities at hand.

Speaking of which, Raphael thankfully wasn't aware that the woman who gave birth to him was practically a stranger in his life. Better yet, he'd taken to the bottle rather quickly as well. That was probably for the best anyway. If Keiko wasn't in a good place to take care of him, why not his grandfather? Though the circumstances were far from ideal, the grandfather took solace in the fact that Raphael seemed to be at least adapting well to his new home life. Besides that, he'd be getting a new aunt in two months, so Raphael would get to grow up alongside a potential new friend.

"How's Keiko doing?" Eddie asked Charise while he was feeding Raphael.

Charise's expression told him everything he needed to know. "She's... about the same."

"So not much different than yesterday, then?"

Charise shook her head. "I'm afraid not. How's Raphael, our little man? Is he still doing well?"

"Oh yeah, very much so." Eddie waited until he was sure that the last bit of formula was gone before carefully removing the bottle's nipple from Raphael's mouth. Then he got out a soft purple blanket and laid it across his shoulder. "Alright, Raph, you know what time it is." He lifted Raphael up and laid him on top of the purple blanket. "That's right, it's burping time." He patted his grandson on the back a few times and shifted him from side to side. It took less than ten seconds for Raphael to burp after that. "There you go..."

Raphael proceeded to doze off after that, having exerted himself a bit earlier.

"I still don't get it," Eddie said. "Why didn't she tell anyone? Was she afraid we'd blame her for what happened somehow?"

"Hell if I know," Alice replied. "It's impossible trying to get her to open up anymore."

"Not for lack of trying, though." Eddie sighed. "She still needs time to grieve, that much is obvious. In fact, we all do, but I want to get to the bottom of why she hid Raph's existence from us in the first place."

"Well, we're not going to get any answers just sitting around and talking," Jared chimed in. "Is Keiko awake right now?"

"She was when I left," Charise replied. "Don't expect to get any answers out of her, though. I tried getting her to talk, but she wouldn't say much of anything."

"Okay, so talking's out of the question, then. Maybe if we get her to at least hold him, we'll get somewhere with this."

"It's worth a shot, at least."

Eddie nodded and stood up, being careful not to disturb the sleeping baby. "Alright, what are we waiting for? Let's go."

And so Eddie had Jared, Charise, Alice, Bruce, and Victory follow him out of his office and right outside Keiko's bedroom door. Once there, Eddie listened closely, noting to himself that Keiko was listening to "PPAP" on loop for what he could've sworn was the five-hundredth time. He knew that "PPAP" was one of Keiko's all-time favorite songs (one that she liked to put on to lift her mood, no less), but this was ridiculous. Still, he really wanted to help his daughter in any way he could.

Eddie lightly knocked on the door. "Keiko?" No response. "Keiko?" Still no response. "Keiko, we want to see you about something."

"PPAP" abruptly stopped playing, and the sound of footsteps could be heard. It only took a moment for Keiko to open the door and see her dad, stepmom, step-grandparents, and their friends standing there. It was enough to catch her off guard, and she blinked in surprise, momentarily unsure of how to react.

"Dad?" Keiko asked, still genuinely surprised. "What are you guys doing---?"

Keiko suddenly noticed the baby resting his head on Eddie's shoulder and slammed the door shut.

"Keiko!" Eddie gasped. "Don't you want to hold your son, even for a little bit?"

Keiko didn't respond.

"Keiko, please," Eddie begged. "Don't do this! Don't shut him out of your life, not like this."

"Leave me alone," Keiko barked, irritation starting to set in.

"Keiko, I know you're hurting, but---"

"Leave me alone."

"Keiko---"

"What part of 'leave me alone' don't you understand?!"

Eddie gave out a defeated sigh. "Well, we'll always be there for you if you need us."

"Great plan, Jared," Eddie sarcastically praised the former accountant.

"Well, how was I supposed to know she'd slam the door on us like that?!" Jared replied.

"I don't know! All I want is for Keiko to not avoid Raph every chance she gets. Is that too much to ask for?"

"Look, sir, I get it. I really do, but at this rate, we might end up pushing her away."

Eddie buried his face into his hands. "Oh God, I don't even want to think about that. I know Keiko hasn't been herself in months, but there's got to be a way to get through to her and help her realize how much Raph needs her."

"I don't think so," Bruce chimed in. "Nothing's going to change. Keiko's made up her mind, and there's nothing we can do about that." 

Eddie shook his head and sighed. "No, I won't accept that. We have to keep trying."

"Well, what else are we supposed to do?" Victory asked.

Eddie shook his head again. "I don't know, but we'll figure something out. We always have."

Soon, everyone was overcome with awkward silence. No one knew what to say next. Instead, they resigned themselves to their inner thoughts for a moment. As the group sat at the table in silence, each lost in their own thoughts, a cloud of uncertainty hung in the air. Keiko's resistance to reconnecting with her son weighed heavily on everyone present. Eddie couldn't shake off that feeling of helplessness that engulfed him, knowing that Keiko was drifting further away with each passing day. Jared, meanwhile, felt a pang of guilt for inadvertently contributing to Keiko's distress by orchestrating this ill-fated surprise visit.

Eventually, Charise was the one to break the silence. "So, Eddie... when are you going to tell Ethan and Maddie that they have a great-nephew now?"

"Damn, I didn't even think about that," Eddie replied. "I don't know, but I know I can't keep it from them forever."

"Alright, just wondering."

Eddie nodded. "I know. We'll get through this. We always have."

Chapter Text

Months passed. Eddie, Jared, Charise, Alice, Bruce, and Victory tried again and again to get Keiko to open up or at the absolute least hold Raphael, but to no avail. Indeed, it seemed that Keiko doubled down on distancing herself every time they made an attempt to reach out. Wherever Raphael happened to be, Keiko would go out of her way to make sure she was as far away from him as possible. Eddie's determination never wavered, but a sense of frustration began to settle among him and the others as they struggled with how best to navigate this delicate situation. With each month that passed by, it became increasingly clear that breaking through Keiko's barriers would require more than just persistence— it would demand a deeper understanding of her inner turmoil and a willingness to confront uncomfortable truths that lay beneath the surface.

Their golden opportunity arose six days after they and the rest of the world rang in the new year. Eddie hoped that 2051 would be a better year for him and his family than 2050 had been, but at the same time, he didn't want to be overconfident. They'd now found themselves facing a pivotal moment in their efforts to bridge the gap with Keiko. New years meant new beginnings, and this was an opportunity to start things off on the right foot and start healing personal wounds. It was at that moment that they finally decided to act on their Hail Mary: corner her in her room when they least expected it. However, once they'd managed to barge themselves inside, they found that it was strangely empty.

"Huh?" Eddie scratched his head in confusion and looked around as he tried to find any sign of her. "Where's Keiko?"

Stranger still, everything in the room looked about the same as if Keiko was here, but Keiko herself was apparently nowhere to be found.

"Huh, that's weird," Alice remarked. "Where could she have gone?"

Eddie shook his head. "I don't know. Wait, you don't think she took Jailbot X with her again, do you?"

"Maybe. Why don't you check first?"

Eddie did so, and sure enough, Jailbot X was missing as well.

"Dammit," Eddie swore under his breath. "Where could she have gone?"

Before he could consider all the places Keiko might have gone to with Jailbot X in tow, he heard Charise calling out to him.

"What is it, Charise?" Eddie asked, slightly annoyed.

Charise fidgeted nervously. "Um, there's something you need to read. I-It's important."

Eddie's face paled. "Uh, okay... what is it?"

Charise wordlessly handed Eddie a note that had been written on notebook paper. Eddie tried his best not to shake as he read through the note, hoping that it wasn't going to read what he thought it would read. He kept himself steady and calm as he read, trying his best to rein in his emotions and analyze the meaning behind the note. Finally, when he was certain that he'd read through every word and every paragraph, he placed the note back on Keiko's desk where Charise had found it.

"Oh..." Eddie tried to maintain a stoic facade. "Keiko just flew off to Superjail to pay respects to Mom and Dad. No doubt she'd been planning to do that for a while."

The world dictator breathed a sigh of relief, thankful that his initial assumption had been wrong. Then an idea came to him. Surely, Keiko didn't want to have to visit Warden and Mistress's final resting place by herself, right? (Technically, she wasn't because Jailbot X was also there, but Eddie still didn't like imagining Keiko doing it alone.) So why not head off to Superjail and confront her there? Then perhaps she and Raphael could finally start acting like a family.

"Do you know where we could find some spare Jailbots around here?" Eddie asked.

"Oh, I think we might have some in storage," Victory replied.

"Cool. Alright, gang, let's go. Keiko needs us."

And so Eddie, Jared, Charise, Alice, and Bruce set off upon five original-generation Jailbots to Superjail to confront Keiko. Eddie wasn't sure how Keiko was going to react once she saw them, nor was he sure that she would even want them to join her, but he was so desperate to help her at this point that he had no idea what else could be done.He just had to hope that they weren't too late.

Upon arriving at Superjail, the group came across Kendra and explained the whole situation to her.

"Well, if there's anybody who could help her, I guess who better than you guys?" Kendra asked with a shrug. "Just keep in mind that she might not want to see you."

"Yeah, yeah, I know," Eddie replied. "It's a risk we're willing to take, though."

"Well, good luck. You're going to need it."

"We certainly will."

As if in no time at all, Eddie and the group traversed their way into Superjail's cemetery (specifically, the section that was designated for Warden and Mistress). There, they found Keiko staring aimlessly at the mausoleum where her grandparents were being stored. None of them could blame her for doing this or for even coming here in the first place, but at the same time, they were worried that the grief was becoming too cumbersome for her to handle alone.

Eddie decided that he would be the one to approach her from behind. "Keiko?"

Keiko jumped and turned around, her father's voice having broken her out of her dissociative trance. "Dad?"

"Keiko! Keiko, please, we need you to talk to us!"

Keiko froze up, unable to say much of anything. Eddie gripped her chin with his right hand to keep her from turning back to the mausoleum.

"Keiko, it's been six months, and you haven't even held your son once," Eddie continued. "I still need answers! We all do! Why didn't you tell anyone you were pregnant? Why did you keep it from us?"

Keiko still couldn't bring herself to speak. She tried turning her head away from him and back at the mausoleum, but her father's grip was too strong.

"Sweetie, you can't keep doing this," Eddie begged. "You can't keep avoiding Raphael like the plague. He's your son. He needs you."

"No, he doesn't," Keiko squeaked out. "He's better off without me."

It was enough to catch Eddie off-guard. "What did you say?"

"I said he's better off without me."

Eddie wasn't exactly thrilled with the answer, but at least now, he finally had something that he could work with. "What do you mean?"

Keiko struggled to say more as the words kept sticking in her throat and in her brain. Struggled as she did, though, she eventually found the strength within her to articulate her thoughts.

"I can't be the mother he needs me to be," Keiko choked out. "I just can't. If I even try, I'll just hurt him like Arkady hurt me or worse, I'll get him killed like what happened with Grandma. I'm broken, Dad. I'm broken. When Arkady forced me to marry him, he shattered me into pieces that I'm afraid will probably never be whole again. I have no business raising Raphael like you do. I know it's not his fault that his father's a monster, but..." She paused as she tried to keep herself from tearing up. "I just don't know if I'm strong enough to do it. I don't want to hurt him. I don't want to hurt him like Arkady hurt me. I just don't know if I'm strong enough or can give him what he needs."

Eddie just let go. He didn't know what to say. He couldn't help but feel as if his heart was going to break hearing her unload like this. Still, this was what he'd set out to do, and that was all that mattered. Rather than say anything, Eddie decided to do the next best thing and hug her tightly.

At this point, Keiko gave up trying to fight the tears. "Daddy..."

He could feel her sobbing into his shoulder, and his heart broke a little more. 

"It's okay," he whispered, his voice thick with emotion. "Everything will be alright. You know we'll always be here for you every step of the way."

"Thanks..." Keiko sniffled as she slowly started regaining her composure. "I don't even know the first thing about being a parent."

Eddie chuckled. "Honestly, who does? When your grandma and grandpa found out that Ethan and Maddie were on their way, they had to learn everything as they went. Same with me and your mother when we found out about you."

Keiko chuckled back. "Yeah, I guess that's true."

"Ready to come home now?"

"Ready as I'll ever be, I guess."

Eddie nodded. "Sounds good to me."

And so Eddie, Jared, Charise, Alice, and Bruce returned home with Keiko in tow. Eddie couldn't help but take pride in the fact that he'd finally managed to break through to Keiko. Now all that was left was getting her to hold Raphael. Would the six-month-old actually recognize her, though? Considering that he rarely saw her if ever, that was doubtful.

"Did you find Keiko?" Victory asked hopefully.

"We sure did," Eddie replied with a smile. "And we finally got her to open up. Well, I got her to open up. Everyone else just stood by."

Victory's eyes widened. "Really? That's amazing! How'd you do it?"

"Never mind how. Let's just be glad that it finally happened and hope she starts healing soon."

"Alright. Well, where is she?"

"She's back in her room. Why? You want to come with when she sees Raph?"

Victory quickly nodded her head. "Oh, very much."

Eddie slipped his hand into hers. "Well, come on then. Let's go."

They made their way into Keiko's room and opened the door. Keiko was sitting on the edge of her bed, having apparently been waiting for them this whole time.

"Hey, Dad," Keiko greeted. "Hey, Vicki."

"Hey, Keiko," Eddie greeted back. "Ready to see your son?"

"Sort of. I'm not sure, to be honest."

"That's okay. We'll see what happens when we get there."

"Okay."

Keiko got up and followed her father and stepmother out of her room and into the nursery. Keiko's whole body seemed to tense up as she spotted a long dark rectangular-shaped crib adorned with blue-and-white hexagonal-patterned bedding in front of her. She could only presume that that crib was designated for Raphael. Beside it was a similarly-shaped crib but lighter in color and with pink-and-white octagonal-patterned bedding, which was clearly designated with her half-sister Fergie in mind. As it happened, Jared, Charise, Alice, and Bruce were standing by and watching Keiko as she took a moment to observe the dark crib on her left.

"Daddy, I'm scared," Keiko could only say.

"It's okay," Eddie assured her. "Just go up there and you'll be fine."

Keiko swallowed down her nerves and took a deep breath, bracing herself for whatever would happen next as she took a few steps towards Raphael's crib. As she looked down, her eyes locked with her son's. As it so happened, he was sitting up with a curious expression on his face, wondering who this paradoxically familiar stranger was. Keiko herself couldn't help but realize at that moment that she'd never actually seen his face, but it was nonetheless like looking into a mirror.

"Do you think he'll actually like me?" Keiko asked uncertainly.

Eddie shrugged. "Who knows? He's pretty friendly with everyone he interacts with so far. Only way to find out if you're the exception is to pick him up."

Keiko let out an involuntary sigh and then forced herself to pick up the child and bring his face level to hers. To her surprise, he wasn't trying to fight it or even screaming out of fear. So far, so good. Now all she had to do was let him touch his palm to her face. She did, and to her surprise, nothing happened. She breathed a sigh of relief. Thank God. Raphael actually seemed to like her. The fear and nerves soon left her body and were replaced with what she could only describe was a sense of pride and jubilation.

Satisfied with the outcome, Eddie crossed his eyes. "See? Everything worked out."

"Well, I gotta hand it to you, Eddie," Bruce chimed in. "You were right all along."

"Of course I was right. I'm her father, after all."

"I mean... can't really argue with that."

Without even having to think about it, Keiko held Raphael close to her. "Hey, buddy. I'm your mommy."

Chapter Text

Even a year after Raphael had been born, Keiko still couldn't believe that she was his mother. It was hard to believe most things anymore, especially how many events she'd had to bear witness to over the years, but being a mother was the most unbelievable. She hadn't even been there for him for the first six months of his life, but she was more than determined to make up for all that lost time. And what better way to do that than to help plan for his first birthday?

Raphael Amadeus Warden. If anyone could've been more fortunate to be born in a world that would one day belong to him, it was Raphael. He looked almost exactly like his mother did when she was younger. Keiko herself felt that this was a good thing given who his father was. She still had nightmares about Arkady sometimes, nightmares where she was forced to relive a horrible, painful time in her life. When she looked at Raphael, she saw the spitting image of her younger self. In him, she saw herself as she was before: innocent and childlike. She couldn't help but feel a bittersweet sense of pride, jubilation, and now trepidation when she looked at her son's face. She never wanted him to be anything like his father. She knew that Raphael's fate was inextricably linked to his father's, and she feared what that would mean for her son's future. If there was one thing she knew about Lord Stingray, it was that his ambitions knew no bounds and he'd stop at nothing to achieve his goals, even if it meant using his own grandson as a pawn in his twisted game.

At least she had her family and friends to help her with Raphael. At the absolute least, she had Daiana she could turn to. Daiana and her family, the Perreiras, were an absolute godsend to have at their service since they ditched Lord Stingray's cult over a year ago. They were loyal to her father, almost to a fault, and they could easily demonstrate their aptitude when it came to weapons of warfare and military strategies. Keiko could sense that most of all in Daiana. Her feelings for her never went away, even when she'd fallen into a depression she thought she'd never climb out of. She'd do anything for Daiana. In fact, dare she say it, she'd perhaps even die for her.

"Keiko?" she heard Mariko call out to her.

Keiko quickly snapped back to reality. "Yeah, Mariko, what is it?"

"Where do you want to have Raph's birthday?"

"Oh, um... I'm not sure, actually." Keiko tried to think about it. "Nothing seems to really stand out to me."

"Well, I'm sure we can figure it out. After all, he's only one once."

Keiko nodded. "Yeah, that's true."

Keiko knew that she and the rest of the family had to do something special for Raphael's birthday. She just hoped that they would be able to come up with something unique and memorable... well, unique and memorable to them. Raphael wouldn't be able to remember anything about it. Still, it would probably make for a great story one day. As Keiko gathered with family and friends to plan Raphael's birthday, they tossed around all sorts of ideas. Should they have a big party with all of the cousins? Or maybe a small, intimate gathering with just the immediate family? Decorations, cake, presents - the possibilities were endless.

"You know what I did for Genie's first birthday?" Delilah asked.

"What?" Keiko asked back.

"I took her down to Miami Beach in Florida and celebrated her birthday down by the water. It'd be fun for him to explore the beach and the ocean like Genie did all those years ago."

Keiko smiled. "That sounds like a great idea! Let's do it!"

"Wait, Keiko," Eddie interjected. "I don't want to sound off on this idea yet."

"Why not, Dad?" Keiko asked him.

"Well, Florida is one of the most crime-ridden states in this country right now. I don't know if you know this already, but around the time that your grandpa died, he'd been trying to convert every single detention center down there into a Superjail. That's how overrun with crime it is. I'd be careful if I were you. You never know what might happen down there."

Keiko rolled her eyes. "Dad, I already know about the Florida situation. Alice told me about it a long time ago."

"Oh. Um, good. I'm glad you already know about it."

"So can we go down to Miami Beach for Raph's birthday?"

Eddie thought on it for a moment, then replied, "I don't see why not, as long as we're careful."

Keiko rolled her eyes again, this time amusingly. "Yes, Dad."

After everyone had settled on Miami Beach as their destination for Raphael's first birthday, they decided to board Mayumi's private jet from Washington D.C. to Miami. Given that Miami Beach was a mere twenty-two-minute drive from Miami, this seemed like the best option. As for the flight itself, it lasted two hours and eleven minutes, so there was relatively little time to be spent before everyone made it to their final destination.

As the aircraft soared over the vast expanse of the Atlantic Ocean, Keiko gazed out the window, watching the landscape below her as it metamorphosed from the lush greenery of the East Coast into the shimmering azure waters that surrounded Miami and the rest of the Florida panhandle. It often astounded her how beautiful the Earth was, how it was capable of hosting as many diverse terrains and lifeforms as could be seen. It made her feel small and insignificant, yet it gave her a sense of purpose. It reinforced in her that she was part of something much larger than herself, and that she and her family had a responsibility to protect it.

Speaking of her family, Keiko couldn't help but be grateful for them these days. She had no idea how she would've gotten through her postpartum depression without them. They'd helped her confront her fears about being a good mother to Raphael and misdirecting her anger and resentment towards him. She couldn't discount everyone else, however. They were nothing but supportive of her and her feelings over her hellish ordeal in Las Vegas. She'd have to find a way to pay them back one day. Until then, she was going to relish in her freedom.

Eventually, as if in the blink of an eye, everyone had finally arrived at their destination. Mayumi landed the plane at Miami International Airport, which was located thirteen miles from Miami.

"And... we're here!" Mayumi cheerfully announced. "And not a moment too soon! You better hurry if you want to make Raphael's first birthday great."

"We will, Mayumi," Keiko assured the pilot. "Don't worry."

While everyone else filed out of the plane, Eddie took a moment to vomit after having been overcome with motion sickness for the whole flight. After he'd done so, he rejoined the group and headed with them into the airport. Upon walking in, the passengers couldn't help but observe people as they were just going about their daily lives; talking, walking, sitting down, ordering some snacks to eat before or after their flight, and overall just existing.

"Alright, now what?" Aurelia asked. "How do we get to our hotel?"

"Oh, don't worry about that," Eddie assured her. "I already looked up the directions to get there. Do you want me to show you?"

"Uh-huh."

"Great, let me show you." Eddie pulled out his iPhone, brought up the directions for the Sheraton Miami Airport Hotel & Executive Meeting Center, and then handed the phone to Aurelia. "There you go."

"Wow, that's great. Thank you so much!"

Eddie proceeded to explain the directions to her and the rest of the group as they all left the airport and took rental cars: they needed to head west on NW 21st St toward Miad Circ, use the 2nd from the left lane to continue on Central Blvd, then use the left two lanes to turn slightly left onto Arrivals, then keep left to stay on Arrivals, then slightly left toward NW 21st St, then use the left lane to stay on NW 21st St, and then take a sharp right turn before finally turning left twice. Eventually, they made it towards their destination.

"Well, looks like we're here," Keiko said. "I gotta say, it looks way more impressive up close."

"I think that goes without saying," Eddie replied. "Then again, this is the first time you've visited Florida, so I'll give you that one."

"Isn't this where Grandma went to college?"

Eddie nodded. "Yep. Your grandma moved all that way from California to attend the University of Miami for a law degree."

"Wow. I can't imagine moving far away from home to go to school."

"I think that's pretty much how she felt when she first started attending. Dorian told me once that he thinks she did that so she could get away from her mother. I told you about your grandma's relationship with her mother, didn't I?"

Keiko nodded. "Yeah, you did. You told me all about how much of a bad person Ambrosia was when she was alive."

"Alright, good to know."

The father-daughter duo and everyone else in the group felt a little uneasy as they stepped off the bus and made their way inside the hotel. Even so, it was hard not to be overcome with awe at everything. They soon found themselves standing in the lobby, looking out at the view from the windows.

"You can really see the beaches from here, huh?" Keiko asked.

"Oh yeah," Eddie responded. "They're all really beautiful. Honestly, I can see why you'd want to have Raph's first birthday here."

Suddenly, they heard someone call out to them from behind.

"Who's there?" Aurelia asked, thrown off by the disembodied voice.

A twenty-something bronze-skinned silvery blonde woman working at the lobby desk raised her hand. "Uh, I am."

Aurelia whirled around to look at her. "Who are you?"

"I'm Pearlisle. I'm the hotel clerk here. You're checking in for a birthday party tomorrow, aren't you?"

Aurelia nodded. "Yep, that's why we're here."

Pearlisle grinned in response. "Great. The hotel and I are delighted to have you here. Enjoy your stay."

"Thank you."

Later that night, Keiko decided to get ready for bed in the hopes that she and the rest of the group would have the birthday party as scheduled tomorrow. She wanted that day to be absolutely perfect, not just for Raphael but for herself. She thought that if everything went as planned, that it would make up for how he'd come into the world just a year earlier and she'd earn her family's forgiveness for what she'd put them through. If it could do that, perhaps she'd even be able to forgive herself. She was determined to make sure that Raphael's first birthday was the best day of his life even if he wouldn't be able to remember it. She wanted it to be a day that would be remembered and cherished for years to come.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the bathroom door.

"Who is it?" Keiko called out to the person on the other side.

"Are you done yet?" Mariko's disembodied voice asked impatiently. "You've been in there for fifteen minutes."

"Not yet, Mariko. Just need to finish up on a few things first."

"Okay, but hurry up! I need to use the bathroom."

Keiko sighed and finished getting ready. She then opened the door and saw Mariko standing there in the doorway, a look of frustration etched on her face. 

"Sorry, Mariko," she said sheepishly. "I lost track of time."

Mariko just rolled her eyes. "Whatever. Can I use the bathroom now? I don't know how much longer I can hold it in."

"Fine, use it." Keiko quickly stormed out of the bathroom and headed for her designated bed. "Ugh, so bossy."

"I heard that!"

Keiko clammed up after that and climbed underneath the covers. The sooner she went to sleep, the better. She closed her eyes and waited for sleep to come. She hoped that tomorrow wouldn't just be a better day, but the best day. All that mattered to her at this moment was her son's happiness.

Chapter Text

The next morning, Keiko woke up, feeling energized and ready to put on the best birthday party that a one-year-old had ever seen. As aware as she was that this party was mostly for the adults in his life, Keiko knew that she wanted this one to count. The first thing she did was get ready for the day, not even bothering trying to wake up her father or stepmother first. She figured that they might need to catch up on a few Z's after they'd spent most of the night before tending to Raphael and Fergie like clockwork. She quickly showered and then made sure that her hair was done and her clothes were neat. She was determined to make a good impression and to make sure this party was special, especially for Raphael.

Once she'd gotten dressed, Keiko then decided to kill some time by watching TV until the rest of the family woke up. As she flipped through some of the channels, her mind gravitated over and over to Raphael's birthday party. It had to be perfect. It had to be perfect. It had to be absolutely perfect. In her mind, this party was the only way to truly make up for what she'd put her family through when she hid her pregnancy from them. Nothing else would do. Eventually, she settled on the weather channel and used that as a backdrop to distract herself from the ruminations.

However, it was just at that moment that Daiana decided to come in.

"Hey, Keiko," Daiana greeted.

Keiko quickly noticed her presence and instantly blushed. "Oh, Daiana! What are you doing here?"

"I just wanted to check on you. How are you feeling?"

"Fine, I guess, just nervous."

Daiana chuckled. "I bet. Planning Raph's birthday party must have put you on edge."

Keiko nodded. "Yeah, it's just a lot of preparations and I don't want to make any mistakes." She paused for a moment before continuing, "I'm so glad you're here. I could use your help."

"Oh? What do you have in mind?"

"Well, I need you to do what you do best and keep guard. You know, make sure no one tries to crash the party?"

"You've got my word." Daiana smiled and squeezed her hand. "Oh, by the way, you'll do great. I'm sure it'll be perfect."

Keiko smiled back. "Thanks, Daiana. I needed to hear that."

"No problem. Hey, are you hungry at all?"

"Oh yeah, I'm starving."

"Well, there's a restaurant here called The Rickenbacker. Wanna come?"

"Sure, sounds good."

Keiko and Daiana made their way over to the restaurant. They ordered and waited for their food to arrive. While they waited, they chatted about everything that had been going on in their day-to-day lives. Daiana, in particular, talked extensively about her family and her hometown of Sao Paulo. Keiko had already been made privy to Daiana's past, but she didn't mind hearing her talk about it again and again.  Keiko listened intently, interjecting with the occasional question or comment. Daiana was truly passionate about her family and her hometown, and Keiko was more than happy to listen to her talk about them. She felt a warmth and understanding she had never felt before. She couldn't wait to see what the future held for the two of them. When the food arrived, they both dug in.

"How are you liking the food, Keiko?" Daiana asked her.

"Pretty good," Keiko replied. "Almost as good as the food back home."

"Glad to hear that." Pause. "So how's your relationship been with Raphael?"

"It's... better than it was before, let's put it that way. I'm trying my best to be more involved in his life."

"I know your dad said you were." Daiana reached out to grasp Keiko's hand. "He also told me that you were struggling for a while when Raphael was born."

"Yeah, but it's all in the past now. I can't wait to be there for him when he needs me most."

"Isn't that what you're already doing?"

"Yeah, yeah, but this is different. This is just me getting ready to throw a first birthday party. I'm talking about being there for him in the future."

At that moment, the waitress stopped by to check in on them.

"How are you liking your food, ladies?" the waitress asked.

"It's good," Daiana replied.

The waitress smiled. "I'm glad to hear it. Would you like to order dessert while you're here?"

"No, we're good," Keiko chimed in.

The waitress just nodded. "Okay, just let me know if you change your mind."

Keiko gave the waitress a salute. "Will do."

After the meal, Keiko and Daiana proceeded to go their separate ways, both women heading back to their own rooms. By this time, Eddie and Victory had already woken up, eager to start the day anew.

"Oh, good morning, dear," Eddie greeted his oldest child. "Did you already eat?"

"Sure did," Keiko replied. "Daiana took me out to eat."

"Ah, that was nice of her," Victory chimed in.

Keiko nodded. "Yeah, pretty nice of her. We also talked about each other and everything."

"I'm glad," Eddie said with a smile. "I'm glad you get along with Daiana so well. Now, let's get going!"

Keiko had already dashed off to pick up Raphael. "Way ahead of you, Dad."

When Keiko, Eddie, Victory, and the rest of the family left their respective hotel rooms, they decided to take a little detour before arriving at their party destination. This was a good opportunity to take in the scenery and perhaps form some new memories. The streets were alive with the sound of laughter, the rhythmic beats of Latin music, and the chatter of people from all walks of life. Hardly anyone in the family could wait to dive into the heart of that captivating city and uncover its hidden gems. Their first stop was the iconic South Beach, where the pristine white sand and crystal-clear waters beckoned them to shed their shoes and feel the warm grains between their toes.

As they strolled along the bustling boardwalk, they marveled at the vibrant art deco architecture that lined the streets, each building a testament to the city's rich cultural heritage. Hungry for a taste of the local cuisine, they then wandered into a charming Cuban café, where the aroma of freshly brewed café cubano and sizzling plantains enveloped them. Mariko, in particular, savored every bite of the flavorful ropa vieja and the perfectly crisp empanadas, her taste buds dancing with delight at the explosion of flavors.

After exploring for a bit, it was finally time to head out for Rooftop Cinema Club South Beach, where Raphael's birthday party was to take place.

"Okay, that was fun, wasn't it?" Keiko asked. "Now it's time to celebrate Raph's first birthday."

"Yep," Eddie replied. "Hard to believe my grandson is already a year old."

Raphael could hardly understand what either his mother or his grandfather was talking about, but he didn't care. All that mattered to him was that there would be cake for him to smash. As for Keiko, she had been anticipating this very day for months. It may not have been his actual birthday (it took place the day before), but it would have to do. She wasn't taking any chances of it being derailed. She'd strived too hard to get to this point. After all, Raphael could only be a year old once.

Eventually, Keiko and the rest of the family arrived at their intended destination. Everyone important was there, including some loved ones that Keiko rarely if ever saw anymore, ready to celebrate the occasion at hand.

"Happy birthday, Raphael!" Suki exclaimed. "It's hard to believe you're a year old!"

"Thanks so much for coming, Mama," Keiko said. "It means a lot to me that you'd show up."

Suki chuckled. "If it meant spending time with my favorite grandson, I wouldn't miss it for the world."

Suki's husband Joji smiled. "If Suki's happy, then I'm happy as well."

Keiko kept smiling despite her discomfort with her mother's new family. As happy as she was for Suki and Joji and her half-brother and stepsiblings, it still hurt sometimes. Keiko quietly exhaled through her nose, trying to ignore the pain that came with her parents divorcing. She remembered how happy she had been years ago, when her parents were still together. She wished things could've been different between her parents, but she knew more than anything that she couldn't change the past. What happened between her parents was over and done. Eddie had even taken the time to explain it to her.

"Alright, it's almost time to celebrate," Eddie announced. "Anything you want to do before we bring out the cake?"

Before anyone could answer him, a loud rumbling could be heard in the distance. At first, no one knew where exactly the sound was coming from until Keiko noticed that it was coming from the shoreline east of them.

"Oh no..." Keiko muttered.

"What?" Eddie asked.

"It can't be..."

"Wait, you don't think...?"

Before Keiko could answer her father's question, the familiar yellow-and-black stingray-themed goons started storming the lot and opening fire on the guests, who'd been caught off-guard by their sudden presence. Soon after, the father-daughter duo heard footsteps coming up to them. It didn't take long for them to realize who it was that had been behind this ambush.

"Lord Stingray!" Keiko exclaimed.

"Yes, hello, it's me," Lord Stingray confirmed.

Chapter Text

"Lord Stingray, what are you doing here?" Keiko asked, still in shock from the ambush.

"I'm just here to reclaim what's mine," he replied.

Keiko's pupils shrank. "Oh God, you don't mean me, do you?"

Lord Stingray rolled his eyes. "Bitch, please, what did you think I meant?"

"How did you even know where to find us?"

"Let's just say I have my ways."

Eddie could feel the blood in his body start to boil. "I dare you to lay a finger on you, you sick son of a bitch. I dare you. I fucking dare you."

Lord Stingray gave Eddie a wicked smirk. "Oh, I'll lay a finger on her, alright. But first, I'd like to demonstrate to you all that I'm not bluffing." He nodded to two of his mooks. "Boys, I believe Suki Yokoi would like to volunteer for us."

Barely enough time had passed for anyone, much less Suki's family and loved ones, to respond with a protest or otherwise before one of the mooks shot a harpoon cannon directly into Suki's heart and violently ripped it out of her chest cavity. With no time to register what had just happened, Suki dropped dead to the ground and bled out.

"Mama, no!!!" Keiko cried out. "Mama!"

"You won't be needing her where you're going, dear," Lord Stingray replied.

Eddie was too wracked with shock to say or do anything, much less try to throw a punch against the fiend who had his ex-wife killed. Instead, he just stood by as Lord Stingray tightly gripped Keiko's wrist and began dragging her off with him. Keiko wasn't about to submit to this so easily, however, and started trying to fight back.

"I can't believe you!" Keiko yelled as she started to kick and slap the man who'd just captured her. "How could you do this on my son's birthday?! How could you just storm in here and act like some hot-shot asshole from I don't even know where?!"

"Because I'm the rightful ruler of Atlantis! I'm the one who should be in charge, not him!"

Keiko raised an eyebrow at this. "Him? Who's... 'him?'"

Lord Stingray hesitated for a moment, feeling as though he'd already said too much. "Never mind who 'he' is right now. You're coming with me, whether you like it or not."

Keiko was about to protest to that; but then she felt a harpoon cannon, the same one used to kill her mother, pressed against the nape of her neck and clammed up. She was too afraid to say much of anything lest she end up like her mother. She instead decided to stop fighting back and go along with him. She didn't want anything to happen to her family, not even her son.

"Keiko, no!" Daiana called out to her. "You can't do this! You can't let him take you!"

Keiko pretended not to hear. She didn't want Daiana to get hurt in all this, either. Keiko had to protect her family, no matter the cost. She knew that if she stood up for herself, it would put her loved ones in danger. So she remained silent and allowed the abuser to walk away with her dragging behind him, her heart heavy with the burden of her choice. Daiana started running after them, only for Alice and Bruce to hold her back.

"Daiana, no!" Bruce yelled. "It's too risky!"

Daiana struggled and struggled until she couldn't anymore and cried while Lord Stingray and his mooks disappeared off into the shoreline with Keiko in tow.

"Dammit, guys, why'd you let him take her?!" Daiana yelled. "I can't believe you'd do this after everything he put you guys through!"

"It wasn't the right time, Daiana," Eddie calmly replied. "We weren't about to do anything that could put Keiko in further danger."

"So what are we supposed to do now?"

"We'll reconvene back at the hotel and figure out where to go from there. The important thing is that Raphael is safe and sound with us."

Daiana's only response was to stare at the baby in Eddie's arms, now crying after everything he'd just witnessed. She couldn't help but sympathize with him. He shouldn't have had to watch his grandmother get killed and his mother get kidnapped on the same day. She'd do anything to help ease him and his mind, almost as if he was her own flesh and blood.

There was nothing left to do now except to head back for the hotel. They needed to figure out how they were going to save Keiko and put an end to Lord Stingray once and for all. They already had Arkady and Yevgeny in Superjail custody. All that was left to do now was deal a hopefully devastating blow to the Stingray organization and its cult and punish them for what they'd put the Wardens through. Once inside, Eddie gave Raphael to Daiana, who quickly picked him up and cradled him close. She vowed to do whatever she could to make sure he never felt as scared as he had just experienced.

"Hello," Pearlisle greeted Eddie. "Did you all enjoy your party?"

Eddie shook his head. "We didn't get to really enjoy the party before we were ambushed by some supervillain dressed up as a stingray and his minions. He also just kidnapped my daughter."

Pearlisle pretended to look shocked. "I can't believe he'd do something like that. Okay, I can, but I can't believe he'd do something like that out in the open."

Eddie raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean you 'can't believe he'd do something like that out in the open'? Do you know something about Lord Stingray that we don't?"

Pearlisle froze up with regret that hit her almost immediately, but it was too late. She'd already revealed her connection to him.

"Well, I'm all ears," Eddie said when Pearlisle had said nothing for almost a full minute.

Pearlisle sighed. "Lord Stingray isn't just anybody, you know. He used to be the chancellor for my father, King Piscynex."

"Piscynex..." Eddie's hand was resting on his chin as if he was deep in thought. "That must be who Lord Stingray was referring to when he was ranting about how he should be ruling Atlantis."

Pearlisle nodded. "Yep, you got it. Do you mind if I explain Lord Stingray's entire history to you?"

"Uh..." Eddie pursed his lips for a moment. "As much as I'd like for you to do that, we don't have much time right now. Just give me the abridged version for now, and maybe later you can give me the full story."

Pearlisle eagerly clasped her hands together like she'd waited forever to tell someone. "Alright, well, all you really need to know is that Lord Stingray tried to have my father assassinated and was exiled for it. He decided to start his own kingdom after that, but so far, he's only got the Stingray organization and a cult to show for it."

"Good to know. Just one more thing: are you and Piscynex merfolk?"

Pearlisle nodded again. "Uh-huh, and so's Lord Stingray."

"Okay, that's what I thought."

Within just a few hours, everyone in the group met up in the Pan Am Ballroom to discuss how they were going to save Keiko from Lord Stingray's clutches and hopefully put a permanent stop to him. Pearlisle and her sister Piscynia decided to join them for the meeting in the hopes that they could contribute to the plan. After all, no one knew Lord Stingray better than the two mermaids did. They agreed to share any information they had that might help Eddie and the rest of the group in their endeavor.

"Alright, so now what?" Eddie asked the two mermaid princesses. "Is there anything we might need to use when we go down to Atlantis?"

"Absolutely," Pearlisle replied. "As you already know, Atlantis is underwater. Now Piscynia and I are merfolk, so we can breathe down there just fine, but you're just human beings. You need to breathe air or you'll die."

"So then I guess we'll need some special equipment so we can breathe down there, right?"

Piscynia nodded. "Yes, you'll definitely need special equipment. But don't worry, we'll make sure you get everything you need."

Eddie nodded back. "Okay, great. Is there anybody around here we can go to to get this equipment?"

"Yeah, that would be our aunt Opalene on our mother's side. She used to be one of the top Atlantean engineers, but now she lives right here in Miami Beach. She's got everything we'll need for this endeavor."

Eddie grinned. "Everything?"

"Everything. Trust us, you will not be disappointed."

The meeting continued on as everyone brainstormed and pitched ideas for what the best course of action could be. Eventually, it was wrapped up with everyone confident that with their collective effort, they could defeat Lord Stingray and save Keiko.

Next up, it was time to pay Opalene a visit. Eddie had no idea whether she was actually up to snuff, but at this point, he was desperate and willing to try anything. He and the others set off, eager to meet Opalene and see what she could do.

"So... what's Opalene actually like?" Eddie asked the two mermaid princesses.

"She's a powerful and generous spirit," Pearlisle answered. 

"Yeah, she'll help us," Piscynia added. "We're sure of it."

"So... where are we going?" Joji asked. "What's Opalene's address?"

"It's 5621 Alton Rd," Pearlisle replied. "It's only a four-hour walk from the hotel."

"Four hours?! Couldn't we just take the bus or something?"

"We could, but Piscynia and I find that we prefer to walk everywhere. It's better for us than driving or riding over there."

Joji sighed. "That's nice and all, but can we save the preaching for when we're not racing against the clock to save someone?"

"You're right. Let's just go."

As the group inched closer to Opalene's home, their minds couldn't help but race with thoughts about what Lord Stingray and his cronies might do next. If they were going to get Keiko back alive, they couldn't screw around. After four hours on foot, they'd finally made it to Opalene's house. Pearlisle was the first one to knock the door.

"Who is it?" a feminine disembodied voice called out from the other side.

"It's us, Pearlisle and Piscynia," the older of the two mermaid princesses replied. "We need your help with something."

There was a brief pause. "What kind of help do you need?"

"Uh, we need you to give us your gadgets, Auntie."

"Okay, but who's with you?"

"We've got Supreme Leader Edward and his friends and family with us."

"Did you say that our glorious leader is with you?" Opalene opened the door at that moment to reveal herself. "Oh my goodness, he is with you! Oh, I never thought I'd live to see the day when he came to ask me for his help!"

Just like her two nieces, Opalene was a bronze-skinned woman with wavy pearl-blonde hair. She always had a pair of engineer goggles hanging around her neck just in case she got the urge to work on another gadget. Unlike her nieces, however, her body wasn't quite as muscular; which was perhaps appropriate for someone who was dedicated to the craft of engineering like she was. Rather appropriately as well, she had her long hair pulled back as much as possible.

"Oh, well, thank you," Eddie said. "I appreciate it."

"So why is it you need my help exactly?" Opalene asked curiously.

"Well, if you must know, Lord Stingray kidnapped my daughter at my grandson's birthday party. We need to rescue her before it's too late."

"Really? Oh goodness! But where do I factor into this?"

"We'll need your gadgets so we can actually go down to Atlantis. We won't be able to survive without them."

"Sure, anything for our glorious leader." She gestured at him and the rest of the group to follow her inside. "I happened to be working on a few things when you stopped by. I'd love to hear what you think."

Eddie couldn't help but be amazed when he and the rest of the group followed Opalene into her work station. Several gadgets were strewn about through the whole room, some of which weren't functioning anymore or had been inactive for quite some time now. Nevertheless, Opalene took pride in every single device she put out, even if it could ever only be useful for the most perilous situations.

You might be wondering how someone from the mythical city of Atlantis, an in-law to royalty even, ended up in a sun-soaked city like Miami Beach, Florida. Well, as the story goes, after years of innovation and invention, Opalene sought a change— an escape from the shadows of grand underwater temples and the hustle of technologically advanced societies. She found solace in the beauty of Miami Beach, where the sun never stopped shining, and creativity bloomed and flourished like the vibrant bougainvillea lining the streets.

Her home was a treasure trove of knowledge and inspiration. With a workshop brimming with tools that seemed to blend modern technology with ancient Atlantean design, she had everything one could ever need for a trip to Atlantis. From intricate blueprints of advanced propulsion systems to rare crystals said to harness energy from the ocean's depths, every corner of her space told a story of innovation, nostalgia, and ambition.

"So what exactly is it you want us to see, Opalene?" Eddie asked curiously.

"Like I said, I was working on a few things when you came by," Opalene replied. "One of them will probably come in handy on this expedition, but I'll let you decide. The rest are just gadgets I've been working on extensively every day for the past two weeks."

"Well... can you tell us what they are?"

"Sure. Just let me get them out first." Opalene eagerly walked over to her storage cabinet and pulled out, among many things, artificial gills to be attached at the sides of the neck and crystal-powered weaponry (which included the likes of arm cannons and rollerblades). "Well, there you have it. I need you to tell me what you think of them."

Eddie squinted at the gadgets Opalene held out before him. "Hmm... I suppose they could come in handy along the way, but they seem a little, eh, lackluster."

"Ah, I was not expecting to hear that. Still, beggars can't be choosers now, can they?"

"No."

"And in any case, these are just prototypes. They still have some issues I'll need to iron out, but these will do for now."

"Okay, well, thanks. I'm sure they'll come in handy."

Opalene crossed her arms confidently. "They better. I've worked way too hard on them to have them fail on you at the worst possible moment." For a moment, she paused. "Anyway, now that that's settled, would any of you like some seaweed chai?"

"Oh boy, would I!" Mariko replied.

Opalene chuckled. "Gosh, I've never had anyone get that excited for seaweed chai before. Stay there while I get the drinks. This could take a while."

And just like that, Opalene disappeared into the kitchen to prepare the drinks for her guests. Soon, they were all left to discuss amongst themselves how useful Opalene's gadgets could be, not just for them but perhaps for Superjail and Ultraprison. Eddie reasoned out loud that if they had permanent access to this kind of technology, especially from merfolk like Opalene, perhaps it could help them expand into the oceans wherever necessary. For now, however, they would have to focus their attention on getting Keiko back. After all, she was more important to them right now.

Eventually, just as quickly as she'd left, Opalene came back with a smile on her face as she carried out the seaweed chai for everyone.

"Wow, that was quick," Delilah said.

"I know," Opalene replied. "I couldn't believe it myself, either. Anyway, I need to know what you think of my seaweed chai."

Mariko was the first one to take a drink. Surprisingly, she loved it. Everyone else followed suit, but they weren't quite as impressed.

Opalene laughed nervously. "Well, I suppose that it's an acquired taste. At least Mariko is a fan."

"You should make these more often," Mariko piped up. "I bet more people out there would give them a chance."

“What exactly is it you do as an engineer?” Alice asked. "Just build structures and devise machines?"

"Engineering isn't just about building structures or devising machines," Opalene replied. "It's about understanding the needs of the environment and the community."

"Okay. You sure these doo-hickeys of yours will work?"

"Absolutely. If I wasn't, I wouldn't be an engineer." Opalene then proceeded to hand out her prototype gadgets to the group, especially Eddie. "Alright, here's everything you will need to save Keiko and stop Lord Stingray. Good luck! You're going to need it."

"Thank you," Eddie replied.

With that, the group bid Opalene farewell as they left her house. Regardless of how they felt about the gadgets, they were determined to get Keiko back no matter what.

Chapter Text

Just after leaving Opalene's house, Eddie and the rest of the group decided to spend some time training and getting a feel for her gadgets. As they trained with Opalene's gadgets, the group found themselves more and more impressed by the ingenuity and functionality of each device. Eddie, in particular, marveled at how seamlessly the gadgets had integrated into their training exercises. Mariko's precision was enhanced by a wrist-mounted laser cutter, while Delilah found her agility improved with a pair of gravity-defying boots. Meanwhile, Alice experimented with a holographic interface that displayed tactical information in real-time, providing valuable insights that allowed her to make split-second decisions during combat simulations.

"Damn," Iggy uttered out loud. "It's only been, what, a few minutes? But these gadgets Opalene made are so fucking awesome!"

Delilah nodded. "Indeed, for prototypes, they sure do hold up well."

As the group continued to train and familiarize themselves with Opalene's gadgets, they discovered new ways to combine their individual strengths with the capabilities of the devices. Eddie found that by utilizing Mariko's precision and Delilah's agility alongside his strategic thinking, they could create formidable strategies for different scenarios. After about three hours of training, they decided to stop for now, hoping that that was enough time to adjust to their arsenal.

"Do you think we're ready to save Keiko, Dad?" Mariko asked Eddie.

"God, I hope so," Eddie replied. "I really want this to work."

"Me too, Dad. Me too."

"Alright, the sooner we get on this, the better."

After their training session, the group gathered around a map of Lord Stingray's Atlantean compound to strategize their mission for saving Keiko. Each member contributed insights on possible entry points, guard patrols, and potential obstacles they might encounter. Genie and Delilah both suggested that Mariko use her laser cutter to disable security cameras, while Iggy and Sally proposed using Alice's holographic interface to create distractions and confusion among the guards.

"Okay, now that we've pretty much covered everything, let's go down to Atlantis," Pearlisle said.

"Yeah, it might be a matter of life and death," Piscynia added.

Once everyone had finalized their plan, they geared up for the mission to save Keiko. Eddie, Mariko, Delilah, Alice, Iggy, Sally, Aurelia, Flavia, and Genie all felt a mix of nerves and determination as they prepared to face Lord Stingray's forces. Like a broken record, they kept expressing hope that they could find Keiko alive and save her before it was all too late. However, it felt as if they were stalling for whatever reason. Perhaps they weren't exactly confident that they could pull this off, but that's why Eddie was with them. He could bring that spark of confidence back into them every time they expressed doubt. Opalene's gadgets were securely fastened to each member as they set out towards Atlantis under the cover of night. To do that, however, they had to take a submarine ride that Pearlisle and Piscynia had to seek out for them at the last minute. The journey was tense, with each member lost in their own thoughts about the upcoming mission. As they approached the glowing underwater city of Atlantis, Eddie gathered everyone around for one final pep talk.

"Alright, gang," Eddie began. "Think of all those hours we put into training, think of all the skills we gained, and then think about how those gadgets are going to help us succeed. Now remember that no matter what happens, we've got each other."

"Don't worry, Dad," Mariko assured him. "We'll remember."

"Good. Because these are the best gadgets that Opalene could give us. Pearlisle and Piscynia even assured us of much. Now let's go. We've got a young woman to save."

"We sure do, Dad!"

Everyone cheered as the submarine inched ever closer to Atlantis. As the submarine approached Atlantis, the team could see the glowing underwater city shimmering in the distance.

The city of Atlantis stood proud beneath the depths, a mesmerizing metropolis where merfolk with legs roamed alongside shimmering seahorses and bioluminescent jellyfish. Towers of coral intertwined with swaying kelp forests, creating a breathtaking underwater landscape. Schools of iridescent fish darted through the crystal-clear waters, while graceful manta rays glided effortlessly above majestic sea turtles. The inhabitants of Atlantis, a diverse array of aquatic beings, moved with an otherworldly elegance through the city's intricate network of glowing tunnels and grandiose chambers. Every structure seemed to pulse with an ethereal light, casting colorful reflections on the inhabitants' scales and skin. As the team's submarine approached, they were greeted by the harmonious hum of underwater life and the sight of fantastical creatures coexisting in perfect harmony within this submerged paradise.

"Whoa," Mariko muttered as she looked out the window. "I feel like I could maybe live down here."

"Mariko, focus," Eddie scolded. "We're on a mission here!"

"Sorry, Dad. It just looks so cool down here."

"Well, you were always fascinated by the ocean and all that jazz, but there's no time for dilly-dallying right now."

The excitement and tension among the rest of the group was palpable as they prepared to execute their plan to save Keiko. Each member held onto a sense of hope and determination, fueled by Eddie's words of encouragement and confidence in their abilities. They had only one chance to succeed, and they were determined to do everything in their power to make it happen. They had to stay focused and keep their eyes on the task at hand. They had to save Keiko.

Keiko couldn't believe her luck. It hadn't even been two years since she'd been held hostage at the MGM Grand hotel in Las Vegas, and yet here she was in this situation again: confined to a room just big enough to live in, but not big enough to fully explore. Unlike last time, however, there was no bodyguard for her to talk to. This was more of a disadvantage on her captor's part than it was an advantage, but it still sucked not having someone to talk to around here. Nevertheless, she was determined to survive and escape this time. She had a feeling that if she worked hard enough, she could make it out alive. She had to stay positive and stay hopeful.

Determined as she was, she couldn't help but notice just how hungry she was around here. Lord Stingray hadn't given her much food since they got here. It seemed that he'd resorted to depriving her of basic needs just to make her suffer. What a bastard. She had to wonder what his endgame was here. He'd already had his children force themselves onto her back in Las Vegas, he'd already trafficked her to whom she could only describe as scum of the Earth, and he'd already left bruises and marks that still found themselves in her imagination even after they'd mostly healed. Was none of that enough for him anymore? She had to find a way to escape, but Lord Stingray was too smart. She needed a plan, something subtle that would give her the upper hand. She was running out of time.

She decided to look around for a secret passageway (perhaps more specifically, a vent) she could use to escape. It had to be somewhere that no one could ever expect to look, somewhere that was least conspicuous. Hopefully, it would lead into the kitchen or the dining room. Escaping this place was hard enough. Escaping on an empty stomach was harder. She searched in every corner and every other possible place for someplace a secret passageway. It took some time, but she was eventually able to find a hidden vent behind a portrait of the Atlantean royal family.

"Bingo," Keiko murmured to herself.

It was awfully risky, but if it meant that she would be back with her family sooner than later, then it would be worth it. Conveniently enough, the vent had just enough crawl space for someone of her size. Sure, she might have gained some weight from when she was pregnant with Raphael and then never lost it, but she could still fit inside and move around in the crawl space.

"Alright, here goes nothing," Keiko again murmured to herself.

With that, she managed to climb into the vent and start crawling her way to freedom.

"Can you run that plan by me one more time?" Mariko asked her father. "I wasn't paying attention for a second there."

"Very well," Eddie began. "We'll infiltrate the compound disguised as Lord Stingray's guards. Once we make our way inside, we will then try to search in every corner to find Keiko and attack anyone who might stand in our way. While we're at it, we'll also try to find any weaknesses we can exploit."

"So... like the Death Star from those 'Star Wars' movies?"

Eddie nodded. "Exactly. Design flaws."

"Cool. How long will it take us to get inside?" 

Eddie shrugged. "A couple of hours at most, I reckon. Depends on how many guards there actually are. We need to hurry, though. We don't have much time."

"Okay."

"Good. Just follow my lead."

With about an hour to spare, Eddie and the rest of the group made it inside Lord Stingray's compound while assuming disguises as guards. Eddie, for his part, couldn't believe how well they had managed to pull it off. He hoped they could keep up the good luck streak while they were searching the place. They'd managed to come so far in this mission. It would be a waste if it all fell apart now. They continued through the compound, carefully avoiding any signs of suspicion.

"How much longer until we find Keiko, sir?" Aurelia asked Eddie.

Eddie shook his head. "No idea. Let's keep looking. She must be around here somewhere."

Nearby, a guard squinted at the two people in front of him. Being hard-of-hearing, he couldn't really hear what they were saying, but then he didn't really need to. That was what lip-reading was for. He read the lip movements that Aurelia and Eddie were making closely before then quickly faking a cough.

Aurelia quickly stopped talking and turned to see who had coughed. "Is there somebody over there?"

However, the guard had quickly slinked back into the shadows before she could spot him.

"Huh," Aurelia said. "That was weird."

"Focus, Aurelia," Eddie scolded. "We need to be dedicating our time to finding Keiko."

"Yeah, uh, right. Sorry. Okay, where are we going now?"

Eddie pointed towards his right. "Uh, this way."

Eddie and the rest of the group rounded a corner as they made their way through the spacious compound. While everyone had some idea of how and where they were going to find Keiko, their real concern was what would happen to them if they were caught. They all knew they would probably be tortured or worse. However, despite their concerns, they decided to continue with their trek towards the right wing of the building.

"We're going to have to be careful," Delilah told the rest of the group. "I hear that there's extra security in the right wing."

"Yeah," Genie added. "It'll probably be just like in the movies."

"Let's just stay together and keep moving. We can do this."

"Yeah, we can find her."

Suddenly, as they were briskly sprinting through a hallway, they came across another guard. Aurelia couldn't quite tell just by looking at them, but she didn't think this was the same guard she saw from before.

"Hello there!" the guard greeted them. "Thank God you're here! Listen, there's something I need to---"

Before the guard could say anything else, Alice punched them in the face with all her might, and they fell to the floor unconscious. Aurelia, Flavia, Genie, and Delilah all froze and stared at her.

"Alice?" Aurelia asked nervously. "What did you just do?"

"Don't worry about it," Alice assured her. "I've got this."

"Are you sure about that? We might need them for directions."

"Nah, we're fine. Let's keep moving."

They did so, now more determined than ever to race against the clock and find Keiko. Neither of them knew how much time was left, but they weren't going to waste any of it while they were here.

Chapter Text

Keiko knew that she'd been crawling through the vent space in a short amount of time, and yet it felt as if she'd been going at it forever. She hoped that she would have to stop someplace soon. Her muscles were aching and felt like they'd been set on fire. She just wanted to get out of here and be reunited with her family already. She missed them. She missed them badly. She'd do anything to get back to them. She took a deep breath and kept pushing on. She couldn't stop. She knew that if she gave up now, she would never make it out of here alive. She had to keep going.

"Jesus, how much longer will I have to crawl before I find a place to stop?" Keiko asked herself. "The sooner I get out of this place, the better."

As if on cue, she noticed a light at the end of the literal tunnel. Her eyes widened, and she forced herself to keep crawling, hoping that this was what she thought it was.

"Thank God," Keiko whispered to herself. "Now I can hopefully get out of here."

However, when she reached the end of the tunnel, she noticed that it led into the kitchen. Just her luck, she figured, and good luck at that. Keiko sighed, knowing that her ordeal wasn't over yet. Even so, she couldn't resist the temptation of food, especially if it was real food. She carefully made her way into the kitchen, determined to find her way out of there as soon as possible. There were lots of chefs and sous-chefs just trying to do their jobs around her. She trudged carefully, not wanting to disturb them while they worked. All around her, they were yelling out orders to send this and that out to the hungry patrons.

"Give me a break!" one chef yelled to the head chef. "I just sent out a stuffed lobster tail! You really want me to make more?!"

"Of course I do, dumbass!" the head chef yelled back. "You want me to call you an idiot sandwich again?! Because I'm this close to calling you an idiot sandwich."

The other chefs laughed, with the first chef rolling his eyes. Keiko wanted to step away and not be a part of the drama, but she soon noticed another chef slipping on an oil puddle and spilling boiling water all over themself. She just stood there and watched as that chef screamed out in excruciating pain, but was soon brought to attention by the smell the chef gave off as they were dying from their injuries.

"Oh my God, that smells so good right now," Keiko muttered quietly. "It smells like... like sardines."

Seconds later, she decided to run over there and start munching down on the chef as they took their last breath. Blood spilled out from the chef's corpse as Keiko bit down and ripped chunks of their flesh off their body. She didn't even seem to notice the circle of other chefs that had formed around her while she chowed down.

"Uh, excuse me," one of the chefs tried to call out to her. "What do you think you're doing?"

But Keiko didn't respond. She just kept eating and eating, ripping off more and more chunks of flesh and even digging into their organs. It wasn't until another person called out to her that she finally stopped eating and stood up. She was covered in blood and gore, and her eyes widened in shock. She quickly ran away, leaving a trail of blood behind her.

"Holy shit!" yet another chef yelled out. "Is that who I think it is?"

"Yeah, I think so," replied another head chef. "It's Keiko!"

The chef gasped. "You're right! Someone stop her!"

Everyone in the kitchen scrambled to chase Keiko, but she was too fast. She managed to escape the kitchen and run off to what she could only hope was freedom.

Eddie and the group were still searching for Keiko after having parsed through half of the right wing of the compound. Where could she possibly be? Was she even in this part of the compound? Eddie wasn't going to give up, though. He knew that his oldest daughter had to be somewhere in this compound.

"Are you sure Keiko's in this part of the compound?" Iggy asked. "For all we know, she might have escaped already and we don't even know it!"

The others just laughed and shook their heads. Eddie rolled his eyes and sighed, knowing that Iggy was right.

"Help me keep looking, guys," Eddie said. "She's got to be somewhere around here."

They began searching again, this time with more intensity and dedication. Eddie was determined to find his daughter, no matter the cost. Suddenly, he noticed a trail of blood leading from what appeared to be the kitchen.

"Oh no..." Eddie muttered to himself.

"You don't think...?" Iggy started to ask, only to trail off.

"Oh God, I hope not. Let's go in and see if she's in there. Just watch your step."

"Alright, but I got a bad feeling about that trail of blood."

So Eddie and the rest of the group made sure to follow the trail of blood down into the kitchen. Once inside, Eddie noticed that there was a lot more blood spread out across the floor than on the trail. He stepped in to get a closer look.

"What the hell happened here?" he asked out loud.

A chef covered in merfolk blood blurted out, "She did! She ate one of us!"

"Who ate one of you?"

"It was Keiko! Keiko ate one of us!"

"...what?"

Eddie was left speechless, unable to further articulate himself. He couldn't believe what he'd just heard. Keiko eating someone? She wouldn't be that desperate to eat someone, right? He shook away the shock and horror of it all and got back to focusing on the mission.

"Jeez, guys!" Iggy exclaimed. "You look like fragile-ass bitches around here!"

“Hey, we’re not fragile!" one of the chefs protested. "You just caught us off-guard.”

"Oh yeah?" Iggy pointed to Eddie. "Well, maybe if you'd been as focused as this motherfucker is, you'd be better off by now!"

"Screw off, lady! One of our chefs just got eaten. Go back to... whatever it was you were doing before!"

"Okay, no need to ask us twice!"

Eddie and the rest of the group ran out of there and followed the trail of blood out to wherever Keiko's ultimate destination was. Eddie could feel his heart pounding with excitement. They were so close to finding her, so close. Even if it didn't seem likely, they were going to find her alive. It didn't matter what the odds were. They were probably wrong, all things considered. They kept following the trail of blood until it led to what looked to be a broom closet with Keiko inside. To Eddie's initial shock, Keiko was covered in the blood and guts and viscera of the chef she'd eaten earlier. However, it quickly wore off as the reality sank in for him.

"Keiko!" Eddie cried out in relief. "Thank God we found you!"

Keiko likewise sighed as if a huge weight had been lifted off of her shoulders. "Dad! I can't believe you're here! How'd you get all the way down here?"

"No time for that right now. We need to get out of here. The sooner, the better."

"Right. Let's hurry before Lord Stingray gets back. I don't know what he'll do when he finds out I ate one of his chefs."

With that, Keiko left the closet and followed her father and the rest of the group out of there. They rounded a corner and then another one and then another one as they tried to find their way out of the compound. Looking back, it should've been obvious from the get-go that the place was so huge and labyrinthine that it could be hard for anyone save the people living here to know where they were or where they could go. Still, Pearlisle and Piscynia were able to help Eddie and the others correct course on more than one occasion.

"So we'll go back the way we came, right?" Eddie asked the two mermaid princesses.

"Yeah, you got it," Pearlisle answered. "All we have to do now is try to find it again."

They proceeded to do so, following along more or less the same path they made when they first entered the compound. Halfway through the path, however, a couple guards stepped forward and blocked their path.

"Um, what are you doing?" Keiko asked the guards.

"Blocking your path?" one of the guards asked back. "What the hell does it look like we're doing?"

Without even thinking, Keiko kicked that guard in the crotch and started running, her father and the rest of his group following closely behind.

"Hey, get back here!" the other guard yelled out as he started chasing after them.

Keiko and her father managed to stay ahead of him and other guards that gradually joined him one step at a time. They pushed themselves to keep going, keep running. They had to keep going, keep on the path out of here. Eventually, they made it out of the compound. Keiko was relieved that they'd made it, but she was worried about what would happen next. After all, Lord Stingray was strangely nowhere to be found. For all she knew, he was actually hiding somewhere.

"Oh God, I hope we won't have to fight him," Keiko said. "I'd hate to go through all that again."

"Maybe you won't have to," Eddie assured her. "Even though our friends and I trained with some weapons for such an occasion, I doubt we might have to actually do it."

Keiko nodded, but was still worried. No sane person would ever underestimate what Lord Stingray was capable of. After all, she'd seen it first-hand. Suddenly, an alarm went off, and it let out a deafening shriek as it alerted the guards and Lord Stingray what was happening.

"Shit!" Keiko practically hissed out. "The chairman knows we're trying to escape! What do we do now?"

Eddie's heart sank for a moment, but he quickly composed himself for the sake of his companions. "We do what we did the last time we were in this kind of situation: we fight our way out of this!"

His voice brimming with determination, Eddie rallied his daughter and his party behind him. They had faced countless challenges before, and this was no different. While the odds may have seemed insurmountable to them right now, Eddie refused to let doubt creep into their minds. He had to think about his family. They wouldn't have wanted him to back down, and he was certainly not going to let his companions back down either. They all immediately jumped into action and got to work taking out the mooks that were quickly arriving and closing in on them. With their weapons and their precise and coordinated movements, Eddie and his party swiftly disposed of the approaching wave of enemies.

"Alright!" Aurelia exclaimed. "This is awesome!"

"Yeah, tell me about it," Flavia rejoined. "I can't even remember the last time we had to fight off this many people!"

As the battle raged on, Eddie's leadership shone through. He effortlessly strategized and directed his comrades, ensuring that each member of the party played to their strengths. They fought as one unit, seamlessly synchronizing their attacks and defenses. Despite the chaotic surroundings, Eddie remained composed and focused. With every strike, he inspired his team to push harder, fueling their determination to emerge victorious. Then, almost as if out of nowhere, Lord Stingray came onto the scene, having earlier heard the alarm going off.

"Oh shit!" Keiko exclaimed upon seeing him. "He's here!"

"Don't worry, Keiko," Eddie assured her. "I've got your back."

With that, he started landing blows along Lord Stingray's face and neck.

"You won't get away with this, you bastard!" Eddie yelled at his opponent.

"Oh yeah?" Lord Stingray asked smugly. "How would you know?"

"Because we've stopped you before, and we're prepared to stop you now!"

Lord Stingray just chuckled menacingly, seeming unfazed by what Eddie had said. "Oh yeah? I'd like to see you try."

Eddie proceeded to throw an uppercut into his opponent, sending his head reeling backwards. Lord Stingray then proceeded to shake off the attack a few seconds later, almost like it was nothing.

"You're going to have to do way better than that, kid," Lord Stingray said.

Eddie gave his opponent a smirk. "My pleasure."

Eddie swiftly shifted his stance, his eyes locked on his opponent. He prepared to throw another uppercut at him, only for Lord Stingray to knock him out cold with an uppercut of his own.

"What?!" Keiko yelled. "Oh, that is such bullshit, even for you!"

"Life is bullshit, sweetheart," Lord Stingray replied. "Deal with it."

With a lightning-fast movement and invigorated anger, Keiko lunged forward, aiming a series of quick jabs at Lord Stingray's midsection. She weaved and bobbed, dodging the retaliatory strikes that came her way. Each punch she threw carried the weight of determination, fueled by her desire to prove herself.

"Alright!" Mariko called out to her older sister. "Go, Keiko!"

Invigorated by Mariko's encouragement, Keiko kept fighting. Surprisingly, though, Lord Stingray proved to be a formidable adversary. He blocked Keiko's punches with ease, countering with a powerful hook that grazed her cheek.

"Is that the best you can do?" Lord Stingray tauntingly asked.

"Nah, I'm only getting started, motherfucker," Keiko replied.

Ignoring the sting from the punch, Keiko then focused all her energy into maintaining her focus. She knew she had to keep Lord Stingray off balance if she stood a chance against him. Leaping backward, she executed a graceful backflip, using all the momentum she had to deliver a swift kick towards his chest. The impact sent him stumbling backward, momentarily disoriented as he tried to gather his bearings from here. Seizing the opportunity, Keiko charged forward and launched a barrage of fierce kicks and punches against him, each strike hitting its mark with precision. She could feel the sweat trickling down her forehead as she poured all her energy into the fight. However, decent of a fighter as she was, she knew that Lord Stingray could overpower her at any moment and knock the wind out of her. As such, she tried as hard as she could to rob him of that opportunity at every moment.

"Starting to give up yet?" Lord Stingray tauntingly asked again.

Keiko shook her head. "Never."

Delilah just looked on in awe at the fight unfolding before her. "Look at her go. Magnificent."

The longer the fight went on, however, the more Keiko's confidence began to waver as Lord Stingray gained a second wind. Soon, his relentless assault on her pushed her to her absolute limits. Her movements soon became sluggish, and her attacks started losing their initial vigor. Sensing her growing weakness, Lord Stingray prepared to gather up all the strength he could muster for one final blow.

Mariko's eyes widened. "Oh my God, no!"

Mariko rushed forward into the path of Lord Stingray's fist and absorbed the blow that had been intended for her older sister, which sent her to the ground.

Keiko gasped. "Mariko!"

However, Mariko soon got up and positioned herself into a fighting stance.

"Hey, asshole!" Mariko called out to him. "How about you fight me instead?"

"Mariko, no," Keiko said. "You don't need to do this."

"I gotta, Keiko!" Mariko yelled at her. "I gotta do this for you!"

"Look, Mariko, I get it. I really do, but you don't need to do this."

"No, you don't understand! I---"

Before Mariko could finish her sentence, Lord Stingray landed a hook across her cheek and sent her back down to the ground.

"How cute," Lord Stingray remarked. "You thought you could take me on by yourself."

"No!" Keiko cried out. "Don't hurt her. You can do anything else. Hell, you can even go scorched earth on Miami Beach if that's what you want, but please don't hurt Mariko."

"Hmm... I'd rather do both." Lord Stingray picked Mariko up by the tip-top of her neck and quickly squeezed down on her throat until a sickening crunch could be heard and blood spilled from her mouth. He then dropped her body to the ground. "This will teach you not to fuck with me now!"

"Mariko!" Keiko couldn't believe this was happening. First he'd killed her mother, and now he'd killed her sister. "You bastard! You're gonna pay for that!"

"Oh yeah? What are you gonna do about it now?"

Keiko just screamed out loud as she shapeshifted into a swan and started hissing and honking and biting the hell out of him.

"I have no idea what's happening right now," Pearlisle could only say. "But go, Keiko, go!"

Keiko just kept hissing and pecking at her tormentor and abuser, making sure that every peck and bite hurt at every opportunity she took. Nothing mattered to her at that moment except rage and pain. She then started chasing after him when he tried to run away, biting and pecking at him the whole time while rapidly flapping her wings at him.

"Ow, stop!" Lord Stingray yelled. "What the fuck? Stop biting me!"

Keiko didn't care to listen. She kept at it, wearing him with every bite and peck until he started crying and begging for mercy.

"I don't believe it," Pearlisle began. "But Keiko just made Lord Stingray beg for mercy while in the shape of a swan."

"Wow," Piscynia added. "Now that is a first!"

Just then, Keiko reverted back to her default form and stood over her opponent while he lied on the floor, still crying and begging for mercy.

"That'll teach you not to fuck with me anymore," Keiko coldly told Lord Stingray. "Also, don't ever mess with swans."

Eddie just looked on, stunned. "Keiko, I don't know how else to say this, but I'm proud of you."

Keiko let out a sigh of relief. "Thanks, Dad. That means a lot to me."

"So what do you suggest we do with him now? Remember, it's all up to you."

"Send him off to Superjail so he can be made an example of. But first, I want to know what we're going to do about Mariko. Is there a way we can bring her back?"

"I don't know if there is." Eddie started tearing up. "Oh, my poor baby! I can't believe someone could kill her so cruelly."

"Actually, I have an idea," Pearlisle interjected.

Eddie wiped away whatever tears had begun to form to look at the younger Atlantean princess. "You do?"

"Yeah, but I don't know if you'll want to hear it."

"What is it?"

"I could use my powers to resurrect Mariko, but..." Pearlisle paused for a moment. "...in doing so, I would be transferring my life essence to her and making her a mermaid like me."

Eddie's eyes widened. "You mean...?"

"Yes, I would have to die in the process. I still want to do it, though."

"Pearlisle, no!" Piscynia cried out. "I can't lose you, not after everything we've been through!"

"I know you don't, but this is what I want. I can't stand by and watch while our Supreme Leader mourns a death just a year after he lost his mother. Hasn't he been through enough?"

"Yeah, but---"

Pearlisle cut her older sister off. "Please, Piscynia. Think about our father. Think about what he might do if he were in this situation."

Piscynia sighed and wrapped her arms around her sister. "Alright, but just remember: I love you and I'm also proud of the mermaid you've become."

Pearlisle sniffled. "I love you too, Piscy."

"So you'll do it?" Eddie asked Pearlisle eagerly.

Pearlisle solemnly nodded her head. "It's for the good of everyone involved... including myself."

Pearlisle then knelt down to where Mariko's corpse was lying and began to exert all the powers she had to resurrect the fourteen-year-old girl. Piscynia and Eddie watched in awe as Pearlisle's efforts worked and Mariko's body slowly began to regenerate, part by part. Mariko's eyes then slowly started to open, and with a gasp of shock, she sat up, alive and well. Simultaneously, Pearlisle collapsed after having worked her magic and died. Everyone was relieved and overjoyed that Mariko had been brought back to life.

"Oh my God, what happened?" Mariko asked, still in shock from being resurrected.

Piscynia had a satisfied smile plastered on her face. "You were dead, but my sister used her magic to bring you back to life." 

"Really? How?"

"She used all of her life essence to do it. Unfortunately for her, it killed her."

Mariko couldn't help but tear up. "Oh no..."

"It's okay, though. If not for her, you wouldn't still be here. It's the least she could've done for anyone, least of all you."

Mariko embraced the living Atlantean princess, tears forming in her eyes. "Thank you so much. You have no idea how much that means to me."

Everyone including Keiko prepared to board the submarine back to the surface, utterly exhausted from the whole mission to save her. With him was an injured and unconscious Lord Stingray, whom they were currently bringing back with them to prepare transport to Superjail. While everyone else felt mostly satisfied by how everything had turned out, Keiko just sat there quietly and gave the whole ordeal room for thought... perhaps a little too much. Everything had gone wrong, so wrong. This was supposed to have been a great birthday party for Raphael, but now it was going to be tainted forever by utter horror and death. She tried to push those thoughts into the back-burner and be grateful that everything had worked out, but it was easier said than done and she blurted out the first thought that popped up in the forefront of her mind.

"I'm sorry," Keiko said.

Eddie raised an eyebrow. "What? What for?"

Keiko froze. She couldn't believe she just said that. She carried on anyway, knowing that her father would press on if she just clammed up. "It was supposed to have been a better experience this time, not just for Raph but for me. Instead, I hurt everyone and got my mother and my sister killed. Maybe if..."

Eddie widened his eyes and cut her off. "Keiko, stop! None of that was your fault. Nothing about this was your fault. It's not like we could've known beforehand that Lord Stingray would crash Raph's birthday party."

"But Dad---"

"No buts. The only one truly at fault here is Lord Stingray. He was the one who caused most of your pain and strife."

Keiko sighed. "I still failed you all, though. I put through so many unnecessary pain and stress when I had Raph. I figured that if I decided to throw a first birthday party for him down at Miami Beach, then maybe it would help me atone for what I did."

"Is that why you wanted to do it in the first place?"

Keiko nodded. "How else was I supposed to make it up to you? I know you're always telling me that Raph doesn't even remember what happened, but I do. I'm always going to remember that, and I know you will too. All I wanted was your forgiveness."

"You never needed to atone for anything, sweetheart. What happened with Raph when he was born is all in the past. You're doing such a great job with him now, and I know that you'll continue to be great with him when he grows up."

Keiko responded by embracing her father, tears flowing freely down her face. "Thanks, Dad. You have no idea how badly I needed to hear that."

Eddie hugged back. "It's the least I could've done for you."

Chapter Text

Months had passed since Keiko had been rescued from Lord Stingray's compound down in Atlantis. Any scars and wounds that she still had from that ordeal were purely psychological, and yet she carried on with her life as best as she could. It hadn't been easy, of course, but then nothing in life was ever easy. That was a lesson she'd learned well from her parents and grandparents. She knew that if she was going to be world dictator someday, she would have to work on herself and focus her energy on being around her loved ones.

Out of everyone in her life, besides her family, Daiana had been the biggest support for her possible. Dear Daiana. She had been a great friend and mentor to Keiko, pushing her to be her best and guiding her in the right direction. She was her biggest fan, and it was her that Keiko had to thank for a lot of her successes. She loved her so much, but Keiko had no idea if Daiana felt the same way. She was too scared to ask Daiana if she was in love with her. She felt like it would be too risky, and she didn't want to ruin their friendship. She decided to just stay silent and hope Daiana would feel the same way. She had no idea how long she could wait around, however.

For now, she would just appreciate the friendship she and Daiana already had. It was hard not to anyhow. She was grateful for Daiana's kindness and support, and she was determined to keep the friendship strong and to wait for the right moment to ask Daiana how she truly felt.

It was currently October 31st, Halloween and Keiko's 19th birthday. Keiko was looking forward to celebrating her birthday with her family, friends, and Daiana. After spending days and weeks thinking about it, she decided that tonight would be the perfect opportunity to talk to Daiana about her feelings. She was nervous, but also excited for the future. After all, when was she going to get this chance again?

As she dressed up in a long white silk dress covered in swan feathers and rainbow tulle, she couldn't help but feel a sense of anticipation building up inside her. The dress was extravagant, fitting for the occasion and her own vibrant personality. Keiko knew that tonight's celebration would be memorable, not just because of her birthday but also because of what she thought the future had in store for her once she'd told Daiana how she truly felt. Keiko's heart raced as she put the finishing touches on her outfit, a delicate silver tiara perched atop her head. She took a deep breath and tried to calm the butterflies in her stomach. The clock struck seven, signaling that it was time for her guests to arrive. As she made her way downstairs, Keiko heard the chatter and laughter of her loved ones filling the air.

"Hey, Keiko!" she could hear Europa calling out to her.

Keiko whipped her head around to see her cousin standing there in a stunning black and gold sequined dress, a mischievous glint in her eye.

"Europa!" Keiko ran up to Europa and gave her a tight hug. "It's so good to see you!"

"You too!" Europa exclaimed. "You look so pretty!"

Keiko smiled and thanked her. As more guests started to arrive, the White House filled with laughter and chatter, creating a joyful atmosphere that lifted Keiko's spirits even higher. Keiko was overwhelmed with emotion. She had never seen so many familiar faces in one place before. Usually, her birthdays were a small but still eventful affair, but this was the first time just about everyone had shown up. She felt a sense of pride and accomplishment that she had worked hard for to get to this moment.

"Man, this is one hell of a party you've got going on in here," Europa said.

"Thanks," Keiko replied. "If everything goes to plan, this will be a night to remember in more ways than one."

Europa raised an eyebrow. "Do tell."

"Okay, you remember Daiana? That girl who was my bodyguard in Las Vegas almost two years ago?"

"Yeah, what about her?"

"I'm in love with her."

"Get out! For real?"

Keiko nodded. "Yep, it's serious."

"Does she know you're in love with her?"

Keiko shook her head. "No idea."

"Well, you gotta tell her before it's too late."

"Of course I'm gonna tell her. What did you think I was going to do? Clam up about it?"

Europa shrugged her shoulders. "I guess? Sometimes, you're like an enigma wrapped in a riddle, I swear."

"Well, don't worry. I plan to tell her soon. But first, I gotta have cake."

"Oh, um, okay."

Then, as if in a hurry, Keiko rushed off to get a slice of cake, leaving Europa behind in the process. Keiko made her way through the crowded room, weaving between groups of chatting guests and avoiding a near collision with a waiter carrying a tray of champagne flutes. She finally reached the dessert table, where an array of decadent cakes and pastries awaited. Keiko's eyes lit up at the sight of her favorite red velvet cake, adorned with fresh berries and delicate frosting.

"Oh, there you are, Keiko," Mariko said. "I was wondering what took you so long."

"Just talking with Europa, that's all," Keiko replied.

"Really? About what?"

Keiko hesitated for a moment, unsure of how much to reveal about her feelings for Daiana to her younger sister. "I was telling Europa about Daiana."

Mariko's eyes widened in surprise. "Daiana? Your former bodyguard?"

Keiko nodded. "I'm in love with her, Mariko."

Mariko gasped softly, placing a hand over her mouth. "Oh my goodness, that's huge! Have you told her yet?"

Keiko shook her head, a hint of uncertainty crossing her features. "Not yet... I'm planning on it tonight."

"Okay, why don't you do that after eating some cake? You know Alice and Bruce worked all day to make that."

"Sure, I'll get on that."

After grabbing a generous slice of the red velvet cake, Keiko made her way back to Europa, who happened to be engaged in a lively conversation with one of her friends from the military academy.

"Hey, Europa!" Keiko called out to her.

Europa stopped her conversation to look at Keiko. "Oh, hey, Keiko! How are you liking the party so far?"

"Great. Cake's really good."

"I'm glad to hear it. You deserve this after everything you've been through."

Keiko smiled and gave Europa a hug. "Thanks, Europa. I really appreciate it." 

Europa smiled and nodded, motioning for Keiko to join her conversation. Keiko happily obliged, chatting away at whatever came to mind for quite some time. Keiko and Europa continued talking for a while, sharing stories and laughing together. Keiko felt a sense of joy and belonging as she shared a special day with her cousin. Eventually, Keiko broke away to try to find Daiana.

As the night progressed and the guests mingled, Keiko couldn't shake off the nervous excitement that had been bubbling within her. She had rehearsed this moment countless times in her mind, but now the time had come to finally express her true feelings to Daiana. She knew it was a risk, but she also felt it was a chance she couldn't let slip away. Keiko found herself stealing glances at Daiana across the room, admiring how effortlessly she interacted with others and how her presence seemed to light up the space. With each passing moment, Keiko's determination grew stronger. Soon, she felt a surge of nervous energy coursing through her veins. This was it; it was now or never.

“Hey, can we talk for a minute?” Keiko called out to her.

Keiko’s voice barely registered above the chatter, but Daiana’s eyes widened, and she nodded, her smile reassuring.

Keiko smiled back as she silently beckoned Daiana to follow her. They stepped away to a quieter corner, the ambiance shifting, as if the universe had conspired to give them this moment in time. Keiko could feel the ground beneath her shift, the nerves swirling in her stomach all coming to a crescendo. She couldn't believe it. She was here. She was really here with Daiana.

“Keiko, what’s up?” Daiana asked, her voice softening as she tilted her head, the genuine concern in her eyes only heightening Keiko’s resolve.

Now, with her opportunity laid before her, Keiko felt all the words she'd rehearsed in her head beforehand scatter like leaves in the wind. 

She took a breath, gathering herself, and began to speak. “I’ve been wanting to tell you something for a long time now."

"What is it?" Daiana asked.

"It’s a little scary, I'll admit, but I think it’s important…" Keiko took another deep breath. "I really like you, Daiana. I mean, really like you. More than just as a friend, in fact.”

The words hung in the air, heavy with expectation. The potential shift in their relationship loomed, but at that moment, it felt like everything was finally in alignment. Daiana’s expression transformed from surprise to contemplative, her brows furrowing slightly as she took a moment to process Keiko’s confession.

Keiko held her breath, her heart thumping wildly within her chest. However, before she could second-guess herself or take back those powerful words, Daiana stepped closer. 

“I’m so glad you told me,” Daiana said, a smile breaking across her face like the dawn.

"Really?" Keiko asked. "Why's that?" 

“I’ve been feeling the same way…”

"Really?"

"Yeah, you have no idea how long I've been keeping it bottled up inside."

"Holy shit! I'm so happier just hearing you say that!"

Keiko felt a rush of relief wash over her as she watched Daiana lean in and kiss her softly on the lips. She felt Daiana's hand on her cheek and closed her eyes, savoring the moment. They stayed like that for a few moments before pulling apart, their eyes still locked. As the two of them stood there under the soft twinkle of the lights, Keiko's nerves began to fade away, and a new chapter of their relationship started to unfold. Keiko felt lighter, like the weight of uncertainty had been lifted off her shoulders. They both took a step forward and rejoined the party, hand in hand, ready to embrace whatever the future held together.

Chapter Text

It had been over a month since Keiko had confessed her feelings to Daiana and vice versa. As such, Christmas was just around the corner. Ah, Christmas. It was such a sentimental holiday to the Warden family. For one thing, the Warden had claimed it as his own birthday as a way of trying to get as much away from his awful past as possible. It was also an excuse to throw the biggest parties imaginable. It was a tradition since before Maddie and Ethan or Eddie had been born; or before Warden had even met the Mistress. As such, all three of their children were determined to keep that tradition alive, even when they couldn't attend each other's parties.

It was a tradition that Keiko looked forward to every year, more so than even her own birthday. It was especially one she was keen to celebrate after everything that had happened over the past year. Much as she wanted to forget all that had happened, she knew she couldn't, not if she wanted to move on with her life anyway. However, none of those issues she faced throughout the year were currently plaguing her.

Right now, the issue plaguing Keiko was what she should get her girlfriend for Christmas. She wanted to make sure to get something that would show her how much she cared and how happy she was to have her in her life. Keiko was determined to find the perfect present for her partner, but there was nowhere specific she could look nor was she sure how she could get her hands on such a gift. Keiko was feeling lost and overwhelmed, so she decided to seek help from her friends. They suggested a variety of ideas, but none of them seemed quite right. Keiko was nevertheless determined to find the perfect present for her girlfriend, so she decided to take matters into her own hands.

She decided to give her family a heads up on where she was going before heading out to her destination (wherever it might have been) solo and seeking out Jailbot X for a ride.

"Hey, Jailbot X!" Keiko called out to the black X-shaped robot.

Jailbot X came flying in her direction and made sure to stop in front of her before they could collide.

"I'd like for you to fly me somewhere where I can find the perfect gift for Daiana," Keiko commanded as she climbed upon him. "And no, it doesn't matter where you take me. Just do it. Also, if you can, do it as quickly as possible."

Jailbot X did so, and just like that, off she went. She was determined to find the perfect gift for Daiana, no matter what it took.

After flying for some time, Jailbot X eventually landed down in Lusaka, Zambia. Upon dismounting, Keiko took a moment to gather her bearings and take in her surroundings. It was hard to believe the kind of city Lusaka was or even the kind of country she was in. Keiko had only known about Zambia through books and teachers, so getting to see it for herself (and especially the capital city) was a treat.

As she saw the sun rise over the bustling city, Keiko could hardly contain her excitement. Surely, there was bound to be someplace where she could find a gift for Daiana. Surely, there was someplace special that housed that perfect gift. Her first stop was the Arcades Shopping Mall, which was like every other shopping mall in existence offering up everything that anyone could buy and even a few restaurants shoppers could eat at. Unfortunately for her, it wouldn't be open for another three and a half hours, so she decided to do some exploring to kill time.

The air was filled with the sounds of bargaining and laughter, as vendors called out to passersby, enticing them with their wares. Keiko was immediately drawn to a stall selling intricately woven baskets, each one a work of art in its own right. She struck up a conversation with an elderly woman who was crafting them, learning about her technique and the significance of each design.

"Wow, this is all so amazing," Keiko said. "You must be very talented."

"Oh, thank you, dear," the elderly woman replied. "I hear that from a lot of people."

"I'm sure you do. What's your name anyway?"

"Oh, my name's Syntyche. What's yours?"

"Keiko."

Syntyche's face lit up. "Oh, that's right! You're the Supreme Leader's daughter, aren't you?"

Keiko nodded. "Yep, that's me."

"Forgive me, dear. My memory can be quite flighty sometimes." Syntyche then squinted her eyes at Jailbot X. "That's Jailbot X, right?"

"Yep, my grandfather built him several years ago. He's my uncle, basically."

"I see. Well, I was so sad when your grandfather died. He was the best Supreme Leader we could've asked for. Long live the Warden."

"Indeed." Keiko paused momentarily. "So... is there anything I can buy from you while I'm here?"

"You can buy a basket from me if you want."

Keiko looked over the collection of baskets Syntyche had on sale. "I don't know. I'm not sure which of these I'd want to buy."

"Whatever catches your eye, dear. It's all up to you."

Keiko browsed through the beautiful baskets on display again. This time, she noticed that each one told a unique story through its intricate design. After much contemplation, she selected a vibrant basket with a pattern that caught her eye.

"Good choice," Syntyche said. "Do you have any money on you so I can pay?"

"What kind of money do you want?" Keiko asked.

"30 kwacha."

"30 kwacha? Well, I don't have that kind of cash on me. Let's see..." Keiko turned to face Jailbot X. "Jailbot X, I need you to cough up 30 kwacha, please."

Jailbot X did just that right into Keiko's hands. As she handed over the payment, Keiko thanked Syntyche for sharing her kindness and wisdom with her.

"Alright, come back soon," Syntyche called out to Keiko as the latter was walking away. "I know you'll be a great Supreme Leader one day."

From there, Keiko wandered through the bustling streets, taking in the sights and sounds of what she could only assume was daily life in Lusaka. She hoped to kill time until the Arcades Mall opened its doors and she could come inside and browse. The city was a melting pot of cultures, with people from all walks of life going about their day. She stopped to chat with a group of young children playing out in the streets, their smiles infectious as they showed off their homemade toys to her. She could tell that those toys were modeled after people from the original Superjail and Ultraprison, respectively. It delighted her to see just how much her family had rubbed off on the world over the last three decades. In fact, Keiko felt a sense of warmth and hospitality from the locals, who welcomed her with open arms and eager curiosity. 

Next up, Keiko decided to make her way to the Lusaka National Museum, eager to learn more about the history and heritage of Zambia. As she wandered through the museum's halls, she marveled at the fascinating exhibits on display, which ranged from traditional tribal art to modern Zambian sculptures. She was particularly struck by the collection of traditional artifacts, which offered a glimpse into Zambia's rich cultural heritage. The museum's knowledgeable staff were eager to share their insights with her and make her visit truly unforgettable. She'd have to remember to bring Daiana here the next time she came to Lusaka. Until then, however, she would get to enjoy this visit.

Keiko soon made her way to Lusaka's beautiful Munda Wanga Environmental Park. This lush green oasis was home to a variety of African wildlife, including giraffes, zebras, and monkeys. She meandered along the park's winding paths, taking in the sights and sounds of nature all around her. While here, she felt a deep sense of peace and connection with the natural world. For her, it was a moment of pure serenity clutched firmly within the heart of bustling Lusaka.

It was finally 9:30, opening time for the Arcades Mall. Without hesitation, Keiko rushed into the building, with Jailbot X following behind her. Once the two stepped inside, Keiko took the time to look around and take in her surroundings. She then noticed just how many stores there were, ready for people to shop through them and buy whatever they wanted. She froze up, unable to decide at that moment where to go first. There were so many stores here that it was almost overwhelming to choose from.

"Wow," Keiko muttered. "I don't even know where to start, Jailbot X. How do we decide where to go?"

Jailbot X wordlessly suggested a coin toss.

Keiko was hesitant at first, but she eventually agreed. What harm would there be in a simple coin toss? "Alright, heads, we head into the store on my left. Tails, we head into the store on your right."

Keiko took out a quarter and flipped it. It landed on heads, and she declared herself the winner. Without hesitating, she then quickly ran to the nearest store and started browsing, with Jailbot X trailing right behind her. While they were still browsing, the first people they encountered were none other than Dorian and Junko.

Keiko gasped out loud. "Hiibaba, arrière grand père, what are you doing here?"

"Shopping, same as you," Dorian replied. "How have you been? We haven't seen you in a long time."

"Me neither. Anyway, I've been fine. Doing my best to raise little Raph and reach out to my family for help when I need it."

Dorian nodded. "I figured. It still confuses me how Junko and I are great-great-grandparents at just eighty-four and ninety-one years old."

Keiko laughed. "You and everyone else. Hey, listen, I'm looking for something to give Daiana for Christmas. You wanna help me?"

Dorian nodded again. "Sure, anything for you, mon coeur. Just let us show you and your robot friend where to go."

After Dorian and Junko helped Keiko pick out a gift for Daiana, she thanked them and paid for the gift before leaving the Arcades Mall with Jailbot X. Keiko breathed out a sigh of relief, knowing that her dilemma was over and she could now start to plan out her departure for home. First, though, she had to pay a visit to Syntyche again. She figured that it was the least she could do. Navigating through the streets of Lusaka, she started to reminisce about the vibrant energy that had enveloped her during this visit. The blend of sights, sounds, and the delightful aroma of street food had made every moment special.

Eventually, she made it to Syntyche's stall. She saw that Syntyche was just finishing up making a basket to sell, and she gave a soft smile.

“Ah, Keiko!" Syntyche exclaimed. "It’s good to see you again. I was hoping you’d come back.” 

Syntyche's warm smile instantly lifted Keiko's spirits.

"Thanks for your help, Syntyche," Keiko replied. "I’ve learned so much not just about this city, but this country."

"My pleasure, dear," Syntyche said. "You're the Supreme Leader's daughter, after all. How could I not help you?"

Keiko laughed. "You're too kind. Anyway, I might come back for a visit someday. I'll be sure to visit you first."

"Thank you. Oh, by the way, there's something I want you to have."

"Yeah, what is it?"

Syntyche handed her a small, intricately carved charm— a token of the friendship they formed and the experiences they had shared in such a short time. "Take this charm with you. It used to be my mother's."

"Oh, cool. Thanks. I'll cherish this forever." Keiko started to walk off. "Thanks again!"

Syntyche started waving as Keiko left. "No problem."

As Keiko walked away from Syntyche's stall, she felt renewed. Not only did she manage to find a gift for Daiana with days to spare, but she also managed to find beauty in the world during a time in her life when such a thing seemed rare and out-of-reach. She reminded herself to find that beauty wherever possible and make sure to try to inspire hope within herself while she was at it.

Chapter Text

It was finally Christmas time, and Keiko couldn't be any more excited. She still had the gift she bought for Daiana from Zambia in her possession, and she hoped to give it to her as soon as possible. How would it measure up to the gift Daiana would be giving her, though? That was a question she just didn't have the answer to.

No matter. That answer would surely come to her at the annual White House Christmas party. Just about everyone was expected to give each other presents at these things, as people were wont to do; so she figured it wouldn't be a problem for her. After all, she was going to be dictator of the world one day. She was supposed to have confidence in herself, even during the smallest of occasions. That's how it was supposed to work, right?

No matter. It was time to get ready for the Christmas party. She took a good look at herself in the mirror as she went over her outfit and how it was fitting her. Her outfit consisted of a long sleeved baby blue dress with snowflakes printed on them, cream-colored tights, and baby blue flats. She applied a light layer of makeup on her face and brushed her hair. She then smiled, satisfied with her look and ready for the party.

As if on cue, there was a knock at the door.

"Who is it?" Keiko called out to the person on the other side.

"It's me, Vicki," her stepmother replied from behind the door. "Are you almost ready?"

"Yeah, I'm ready."

"Well, what are you waiting for? Let's go."

Just before Keiko left the room, she made sure to take Daiana's gift, which was wrapped in red and gold wrapping paper, with her before she could forget. She quickly sprinted out, making sure to keep the gift on her at all times. When Keiko arrived at the party, she was greeted with warm hugs and cheerful laughter.

"Hey, Keiko!" Mariko greeted her older sister. "So glad you could join us!"

"Yeah," Alfie chimed in. "We were wondering what took you so long."

Keiko gave an innocuous smile. "Oh, it was nothing. I was just getting ready, that's all."

"Well, don't lose track of time next time," Mariko replied. "You took about thirty minutes to get ready."

Keiko quickly changed the subject, asking Mariko how her day had been. Mariko and Alfie both gave Keiko a warm hug and expressed how happy they were that she was there. Soon, the whole family was together, including the children, and enjoying the festivities. The best part about it all was that everyone was together, and they could share their joy as a family. There was no better way to celebrate Christmas than that, and Keiko wouldn't have it any other way.

The smell of roasting turkey and mulled wine filled the air, adding to the festive atmosphere. As she mingled with the other guests, Keiko felt a sense of joy and gratitude for the friendships she had made throughout her life and the ones she'd managed to maintain. When it came time to exchange gifts, Keiko's heart raced with anticipation. She was hoping that she had gotten the right gift for Daiana, but she was too nervous to know for sure. After a few hours of fun, food, and merriment, Keiko finally spotted Daiana across the room. Her heart skipped a beat as she made her way toward her, eager to give her the gift. As she approached, she could see that Daiana was carrying a gift of her own.

She watched as her friends unwrapped their presents, each one revealing a thoughtful gesture or heartfelt sentiment. When it was her turn to give her gift, she handed the wrapped package to Daiana with a smile. Daiana eagerly tore open the wrapping paper, her eyes gradually widening with surprise and delight as she saw the intricately carved elephant figurine nestled inside. 

"Oh, Keiko, this is beautiful!" she exclaimed, holding the wooden sculpture up to the light. "Thank you so much! It's such a thoughtful and unique gift."

"It's the least I could have done," Keiko replied.

"Where'd you get this?"

"Zambia, remember?"

Daiana gave herself a mental facepalm. "Oh yeah, I totally forgot about that. Really, thanks so much for finding this. I love it!" She then handed over the gift she'd wrapped for Keiko. "Now it's your turn."

Keiko was more than excited. She carefully removed the wrapping paper, her hands shaking as she revealed the present underneath. Inside the box was a beautiful gold necklace with a delicate pendant engraved with a rose.

"Oh, Daiana, this is gorgeous!" Keiko gasped, lifting the necklace from its velvet bed. "Thank you so much!"

"You're welcome," Daiana replied. "Anything for the most beautiful woman in the world."

Keiko's face lit up with joy and she hugged Daiana tightly. "I love it! And I love you!"

Daiana kissed Keiko on the cheek. "I love you too, Keiko."

Keiko put the necklace around her neck and fastened it. Daiana admired the pendant, her smile still bright. Keiko turned to Daiana and gave her a passionate kiss.

"Ugh, get a room, you guys!" Alfie exclaimed.

Keiko and Daiana were quick to sarcastically apologize for their public display of affection.

"It's fine, we're just kidding," Alfie said.

"But seriously, though, get a room," Mariko added, playfully.

"Sorry," Keiko replied, once again sarcastically. "We won't bother you again."

As the evening wore on, the partygoers gathered around the Christmas tree, sipping on eggnog and sharing stories of their own holiday traditions. Keiko couldn't help but feel a sense of warmth and contentment, grateful for the opportunity to connect with her loved ones in such a meaningful way. The rest of the night went by quickly. They were all having a lot of fun celebrating Christmas in ways that were meaningful to them. Keiko looked around at her family and friends and knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that she was the luckiest girl in the world. She couldn't have asked for a more perfect Christmas, and she knew that her life was only going to get better from here.

Chapter Text

It had been five years since Keiko and Daiana had confessed their love for each other. Keiko could hardly believe that half a decade had already passed by. In fact, it seemed to have happened as if in the blink of an eye. Keiko was filled with joy and pride as she thought about how far their relationship had come. She was thankful for the memories they had made and the moments they had shared. She couldn't wait to see what the future held for them.

And speaking of the future, she had decided that enough time had passed and it was now time to propose to Daiana and cement their commitment for life. Keiko couldn't wait to get down on one knee and ask the woman she loved to spend forever with her. She knew that it would be an honor to call Daiana her wife and have her help raise Raphael alongside her.

Keiko took a deep breath and calmed her nerves as she went over her plan one more time. She had arranged to take Daiana out for a picnic in the park, just like the very first date they had gone on together. It wasn't exactly a Lockdown of Love like the ones her grandparents and her uncle had thrown all those years ago, but it was still a date that neither of the two women could ever forget. As Keiko walked towards their spot in the park, she hoped that everything would go according to plan and that Daiana would say yes. The rest of her life practically depended on it.

Keiko arrived at the park and laid out the blanket and picnic basket. She looked around at all the trees and flowers in her vicinity, which were bathed in the golden light of the setting sun. The sky was filled with a myriad of colors, from soft pinks and purples to vibrant oranges and reds. It was truly a beautiful sight to behold.

As Keiko waited for Daiana to arrive, she couldn't help but feel anxious. She tried to calm herself down by taking deep breaths and telling herself that everything would be okay. Finally, she spotted her girlfriend walking towards her and waved her over.

"Hey, Keiko," Daiana said as she approached the picnic blanket. "What's all this about?"

Keiko smiled and said, "I just wanted to take you somewhere special. I thought this would be the perfect place to celebrate your birthday."

"Uh, Keiko, my birthday's in June. Isn't it a little early to be celebrating it right now?"

"Yeah, it is. I figured that we could celebrate it two months early just because. After all, every day might be your last."

Daiana raised an eyebrow. "Okay... that's a little weird."

Keiko smiled. "I know, but let's just sit down and enjoy the sunset. It's beautiful, isn't it?" 

Daiana nodded in agreement and sat down beside her, and they shared a kiss. As they enjoyed the sunset, Keiko took the opportunity to reach into her pocket and pull out the ring box. Her hand shook slightly as she opened the lid to reveal the sparkling diamond ring inside.

Keiko took a deep breath before speaking. "Daiana, I have loved you since the day I met you. You are the most beautiful woman I have ever known, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you."

Daiana gasped. "Is that the real reason why you asked me here?"

Keiko nodded and smiled. "Yes. So, will you marry me?"

"Yes, Keiko, yes!"

Keiko slid the ring onto Daiana's finger and the two of them shared another kiss. It was the happiest moment of their lives. They could hardly believe that they were engaged to be married, and they were eager to start planning their wedding.

Keiko and Daiana headed back home, eager to share the news with their loved ones. Raphael was the first person they saw, and he was ecstatic when he found out.

"I can't believe my mommies are getting married!" Raphael exclaimed. "This is awesome!"

"Well, we technically have you to thank for bringing us together," Keiko said. "If it wasn't for you, we never would've met."

"Thanks."

"No problem."

After that, Keiko and Daiana made their way through the White House, telling their friends and family members the good news. Their parents, siblings, and cousins were all thrilled and excited for them. There was no doubt in anyone's mind that the couple would have a happy and long-lasting marriage.

"I'm so happy for you," Eddie said. "You deserve this."

"Thanks, Dad," Keiko replied.

"Of course, anything for my daughter."

Eddie wrapped his arms around her, and Keiko returned the gesture. They were both happy for the other, and they couldn't wait to see what the future held.

"Oh, by the way, there's something else I need to tell you," Eddie said.

"Really?" Keiko asked. "What's that?"

"Your brothers Henry, Thomas, and Percy are finally coming home from the NICU this week."

"Oh my gosh, really? That's great!"

"Yep. All three of them are doing well and are ready to come home. Zelda and I couldn't be any more excited."

Keiko herself couldn't have been happier for her father and second stepmother. She was so glad to hear that her baby brothers were healthy and strong, and she was looking forward to seeing them come home. This was going to be the best week ever.

After she and Daiana had welcomed her baby brothers home from the NICU, Keiko got to work planning out their wedding. There was so much to do, and she was eager to get started. She had so many ideas, and she couldn't wait to make her vision a reality. After all, it wasn't every day that a world dictator was getting married (though, in Eddie's case, time could only tell if that was the case with him).

The first thing that she did was create a Pinterest board for her wedding ideas. She poured over hundreds and hundreds of pictures of floral arrangements, cake designs, and bridal gowns. She also spent hours upon hours browsing through venues and reading reviews from other brides who had been married there. Keiko was determined to have the best wedding possible, and she was going to make sure that every detail was perfect no matter what it took.

After she had done her research, Keiko went shopping with her stepmother, two of her aunts Arisu and Fubuki, and two of her cousins Europa and Yui for their dresses at Tysons Corner Center. She wanted each of them to feel as beautiful and special as she was going to be on her big day, and she knew that they would all look amazing in their chosen gowns. They were all different shapes, sizes, and colors, but they were going to complement each other perfectly.

"You know, I have never seen someone as excited as you about their wedding," Europa said. "You're a real trooper."

"Thanks, Europa," Keiko replied. "That means a lot."

"So, what are you looking forward to the most?"

"Everything, I guess?"

"Can you be more specific?"

"Hmm." Keiko pretended to think long and hard about it. "Well, I can't wait to see Daiana walk down the aisle in her beautiful dress. I can't wait to exchange our vows and declare our love for each other in front of everyone. And I can't wait to start the rest of our lives together as wives."

"Aww, that's so sweet," Yui cooed. "You know something? I think you guys are gonna make the cutest couple."

"Thanks, Yui," Keiko replied. "That means a lot coming from you."

They spent the rest of the afternoon trying on all sorts of different dresses. By the time they left, they had managed to find the perfect ones for each of them. They couldn't wait to see Keiko and Daiana get married and start their lives together as a married couple.

Chapter Text

The day was finally here. It was finally time for Keiko and Daiana to get married. Keiko couldn't help but think back on how she'd met Daiana and the circumstances under which she'd entered her life. Everything about that first meeting had been less than ideal, that much she was willing to admit. After all, being kidnapped by a stingray-themed supervillain and then forced into a loveless marriage with his son for the sake of his cult will do that to you, but it was one of only two good things to come out of it. That, and her son Raphael; albeit only in hindsight.

"You ready, Keiko?"

Keiko looked up and saw the love of her life standing before her. Daiana had changed into her wedding dress and had her long dark hair tied back into a ponytail. Keiko couldn't help but feel like the luckiest girl alive at this very moment.

"I am, my darling," Keiko replied. "You look amazing."

"Thanks, I'm just happy we finally get to have our wedding after everything we've been through," Daiana said. "Are you ready for your big moment?"

Keiko nodded. "As I'll ever be. Just a few minutes and we can officially call ourselves a family."

"I know. I'm so excited! Now let's get going. Our guests are waiting for us."

Keiko couldn't help but smile and follow Daiana's lead. This was going to be a day she would remember forever.

After the two women had walked down the aisle and reached the end, they were greeted by the priest. 

The priest smiled at them both and began speaking. "Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to witness the joining of these two young women in holy matrimony. Their decision to marry has not been entered into lightly, and it is on this very special day that they've decided to publicly declare their private devotion to each other. The essence of this commitment is the acceptance of each other in entirety, as lover, companion, and friend. A good and balanced relationship is one in which neither person is overpowered nor absorbed by the other, one in which neither person is possessive of the other, one in which both give their love freely and without jealousy. Marriage, ideally, is a sharing of responsibilities, hopes, and dreams. It takes a special effort to grow together, survive hard times, and be loving and unselfish." He then looked to Daiana and continued. "Do you, Daiana, take Keiko to be your lawfully wedded wife? Do you promise to love, cherish, and honor her, forsaking all others, and hold on to her forevermore?"

Daiana smiled. "I do."

The priest turned to Keiko. "And do you, Keiko, take Daiana to be your lawfully wedded wife?"

Keiko smiled as well. "I do."

"Do you promise to love, cherish, and honor her, forsaking all others, and hold on to her forever more?"

Keiko nodded. "I do."

"May I have the rings please?"

Keiko and Daiana's maid of honor, Mariko, walked over to the priest and handed him the rings. 

The priest then held the rings up in the air and began praying. "These rings, like their circle shape, represent the unbroken circle of love. Love is the key. Love holds them together. With love and patience, with faith and trust, they will live long and happily. Please take each other's hands."

Keiko and Daiana did so.

"Repeat after me." The priest handed Daiana Keiko's ring. "'I, Daiana, promise to love and support you, Keiko, and live each day with kindness, understanding, truth, humor, and passion. With this ring, I thee wed.'"

Daiana took Keiko's hand, repeated the vow, gifted the ring that was designated for her, and then placed that ring onto her finger.

The priest then turned to focus on Keiko. "Keiko, please repeat after me... 'I, Keiko, promise to love and support you, Daiana, and live each day with kindness, understanding, truth, humor, and passion. With this ring, I thee wed.'"

Keiko took Daiana's hand, repeated the vow, gifted the ring that was designated for her, and then placed that ring onto her finger.

The priest then continued with the ceremony. "You have expressed your love and commitment to one another through the exchanging of vows and the giving and receiving of rings. It gives me great pleasure to now pronounce you married. You may kiss."

The two women embraced and kissed each other, signaling the start of their new lives as a married couple.

A week after they'd married, Keiko and Daiana decided that it was time for them to go on their honeymoon. Although the two were briefly at an impasse on where exactly they should go (Zambia or Daiana's native Brazil), they ultimately decided at Keiko's behest that they should pay a visit to Zambia first. After all, according to Keiko, Brazil's attractions could wait until another time. And so, without wasting any time, they quickly began packing their bags, said their goodbyes to their loved ones, got onto a plane, and headed off to Zambia. While on the flight, Daiana couldn't help but ask Keiko some burning questions.

As the airplane soared through the skies, Daiana leaned closer to Keiko, her curiosity bubbling over. "You know, I’ve always wanted to explore Zambia, but what exactly made you choose it for our honeymoon?"

"Well, given that I already gave you something from there, I figured why not show you the whole place?"

"What's Zambia like? I really need to know."

Keiko smiled, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "Well, for one, Zambia is home to some of the most breathtaking national parks in Africa. I can't wait to go on a safari and see elephants and lions in their natural habitat! Plus, the Victoria Falls are supposed to be absolutely stunning. They are one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World! Can you imagine standing there, feeling the power of nature?”

Daiana shook her head. "I don't think I could even begin to."

Keiko chuckled. "No, neither could I! I bet they're going to be better than anything either of us have seen before!"

Eventually, the plane made it towards its destination at Kenneth Kaunda International Airport. Once the doors opened, the people inside were instructed to grab their things and get off. Keiko and Daiana did just that. After they left the building, they were greeted by one of Zambia's official tour guides, a thirty-year-old woman named Tamar, along with a small truck big enough to accommodate the two and their luggage.

"Hey, you two," Tamar greeted as she got out of her truck. "I'm here to pick you up."

Daiana waved at her. "Hi, Tamar! Glad to see you. Sorry for being tardy."

"It's fine," Tamar said. "Believe me, it's not a big deal."

"So, are you going to drive us to our hotel, or are we gonna be on the road for a long time?"

"I am. The nearest place to rest up is maybe a couple hours away from here, but it's not like anyone's forcing you to stay there. You're free to tour the rest of Zambia if you'd prefer that instead."

Keiko held a glimmer of hope in her eyes. "Wait, are you serious, Tamar?"

Tamar gave her a look of concern. "Yeah? Is there a problem with what I said?"

"Yes! I mean, no! I mean, oh my gosh, this is unbelievable! I've never heard of anyone offering their visitors this kind of freedom before!"

"Well, what are you waiting for? Climb into my truck and come with me."

With no time to lose, the two women climbed into the backseat of the truck and pulled their luggage in with them.

Soon enough, the journey began. Over the course of the next few hours, as Tamar drove the two around, the tour guide frequently asked them a slew of important questions. What were their names? What did they do for a living? What was their story and how did they meet? But perhaps most importantly...

"Are you going to spend your honeymoon around here or go somewhere else? Like maybe staying in Zambia and not leaving as long as you're here or-"

Before Tamar could continue, a wave of realization dawned over Keiko. "Actually, before any of that, before anything else, there's someone else I'd love to see while we're here."

"Really?" Tamar asked curiously. "Who is it?"

"Syntyche."

"Who?"

"Syntyche? She's the old lady I met at Lusaka who was running a basket stall out there?"

Tamar laughed. "I'm just messing with you. Of course I know who she is. She's my grandmother."

"Well, can you take us to her?"

"She doesn't live too far from here. In fact, we're almost there. Let's stop at her house and I'll bring you right over to her."

Just as promised, it wasn't long before the truck came to a stop. Soon afterwards, Tamar led Keiko and Daiana towards a house in Rhodes Park, where Syntyche happened to be resting against an exterior wall on the front porch. Although it seemed like the best time for a casual visit, Syntyche barely budged as she noticed the group's presence and merely shot them a disgruntled look.

"Hey, Syntyche!" Keiko called out.

"Oh. Hello." Syntyche stood up, dusted herself off, and waved at the group. "Didn't expect to see you again, Keiko."

"Neither did I, believe me. But how have you been?"

"Okay, I suppose."

Keiko raised an eyebrow in concern. "You sure about that? You look tired and stressed out."

Syntyche let out a sigh. "Not really, but why am I even telling you this? This isn't what you're here for. At least, it better not be."

"It isn't. Believe me, I wouldn't have made a special trip over here if it wasn't worth the trouble."

"Well, make it quick. If you need anything from me, hand it over now and don't waste any of my precious time. Today's not a good day for me."

"Um, are you okay? You weren't like this when we last saw each other."

"No. Like I said, today's not a good day for me. And it's all because of Euodia and that idiotic fiancé of hers."

Keiko raised an eyebrow. "Who's Euodia?"

Tamar took it as an opportunity to chime in. "Euodia is my grandma's neighbor. She always claims that her life's a living hell, but the truth is, she's an egotistical hag who's always bragging to everyone, especially my grandma, about how grand it is to get to live a luxurious life. With the way she's been flaunting her new fiancé non-stop, I guess even my grandma has hit her limit. She needs to be taught a lesson once and for all."

"I'll say," Keiko said with a smile. "I think we can fix that."

Syntyche glanced over to her granddaughter. "Don't you have anything better to do, Tamar? Go home."

"I can't, Grandma. I need to convince that egotistical hag, not to mention her blind-as-a-bat fiancé, that she deserves to be taken down a peg. I know it sounds bold coming from me, but in reality, she and her fiancé won't even see what's going to hit them until it's already happening."

Keiko sighed. "Really?"

"Absolutely. You don't think it'll work?"

"I don't know. I think that they'd both laugh in our faces if we confronted them, though."

"Don't be absurd, Keiko," Syntyche chided. "Here's what's going to happen. We're going to track them down and confront them, not in my home and certainly not in front of Tamar; but off in the distance, where they'll be far away from their homes and the rest of civilization. Nothing ruins a day, or a life for that matter, like getting caught in some sort of petty feud. You understand what I mean, don't you?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I suppose so."

"Anyway, that's the plan for tomorrow. Bring it to their attention and let the dice fall as they may, and make sure that you and Tamar aren't spotted near the neighborhood. Shouldn't be difficult, given that there won't be any random tours or strolls around. After that, call me over and I'll take it from there. Now leave. I need to do something."

With that, Syntyche entered her home and shut the door behind her. All Keiko and Daiana could do now was leave and head back towards Tamar's truck, letting the afternoon breeze hit them as they did.

"Okay, now what?" Daiana asked. "Are we supposed to kidnap Syntyche's neighbor and her fiancé or something? Because that's what it sounded like she wanted us to do."

"That's what I think, too," Keiko rejoined. "This is crazy. I just wanted to have a nice honeymoon here, that's all."

"You don't want to go through with this, do you? If this makes you uncomfortable, you know-"

Keiko held her hands up defensively. "No! No, that's not what it is at all. Believe me, Daiana, this is going to be great! And besides, have I ever let you down before?"

"Of course not. Not a day goes by when I'm not happy to spend time with you."

"Then that's it! We'll just stick together, have some fun, and help Syntyche get her revenge on her neighbor."

"And how do you expect we get this show on the road without messing it all up?"

"We could hide somewhere within the vicinity of Euodia's workplace and call Syntyche when we see her neighbor going to work. Once Syntyche's done showing her neighbor what's what, we can have the grand finale and deal the finishing blow."

"Okay, you've convinced me, but what do we do once everything's sorted out and we've reached that last part?"

Keiko gave a loving smirk. "You know what you have to do, my dearest. Just stay out of trouble."

"But Keiko-"

"C'mon, just trust me. I'd do anything to help Syntyche out."

Daiana felt herself becoming aroused. "Let's do this, then."

Keiko and Daiana placed a kiss on each other's cheeks.

Having finalized the plan with each other, the two wives rode the rest of the way towards the Raddison Blu Hotel, where they would be staying until their honeymoon was over. Not long afterward, the pair arrived at their destination, got their luggage and paid Tamar a tip for the ride over. Once she left, the two women got a room and just lay down on their king-sized bed.

"So what did you think?" Keiko asked her wife, feeling warm and snug against her shoulder.

"What, of Tamar?" Daiana asked back.

"Yeah."

"Well, we certainly can count on her for whatever Syntyche needs. The only issue will be finding that blasted neighbor of hers and how we're gonna trick her into that trap."

"I can't wait. Should we go?"

"Yeah, but in the morning." Daiana let out a yawn. "It's getting late and we should get some shut-eye."

"Yeah, you're right. Don't wanna be too tired for that plan." Keiko started drifting off to sleep, exhausted from the day they'd just had. "Good night."

Keiko didn't have to say much more than that before she could hear Daiana start snoring softly. They'd have plenty of time to set everything into motion the following day. After all, this honeymoon was to mark a new chapter for both Keiko and Daiana. It was supposed to be a true testament to show that these two would stop at nothing to ensure their happiness, even if it meant possibly murdering an old woman's neighbor. The time was nigh. All they had to do now was lay low until it was time.

Chapter Text

The next morning, Keiko and Daiana woke up in their king-sized bed and decided to go over their plans for Syntyche's neighbor Euodia one more time. It was still hard for either of them, especially Keiko, to believe that they'd gotten themselves roped into this in the first place. Despite this, they were determined to carry it out for the sake of Keiko's friendship with Syntyche. After all, Keiko thought of her friendship with the old woman as invaluable, on par with the mother-son relationship she had with Raphael.

"Alright, are we ready to get this show on the road?" Daiana asked Keiko.

"You bet I am!" Keiko replied excitedly. "I can't wait to give Euodia what for!"

Daiana chuckled. "I know you can't, but you need to calm down a little first. It might cost us everything."

"I'll do my best, but it's going to be hard, especially when you're about to be the one doing the work."

"It's not my fault, you know. Syntyche was the one who decided to rope us into this, not me. And besides, it's not like I want to do it. I'm only getting involved because she's your friend and I know how much she means to you."

"I understand, and I appreciate that very much."

"I know you do. Now enough talking. We should probably head on over to Syntyche's house right now."

The two left the bedroom, both getting fully dressed for the job at hand. Keiko was quite surprised to see Daiana get up this early, as she wasn't an early riser by any stretch of the imagination. As it turned out, though, Daiana wasn't a slouch in the realm of getting things done when the situation required it. That was just one of the many things Keiko loved about her, especially given how useful Daiana was in that respect.

After leaving the hotel, Keiko produced a magical bubble and flew herself and Daiana across the city to Syntyche's neighborhood. Once they got to the old woman's house, Syntyche informed Keiko and Daiana on where Euodia worked and what kind of job she had over there. She then gave them directions on how to find Euodia's workplace. Just as the morning was switching over to noon, Keiko stopped her car near an office building in downtown Lusaka. Since this was downtown, the traffic wasn't nearly as bad as the traffic Keiko and Daiana had seen near their hotel or from the roads leading up to it. After Keiko and Daiana landed in a nearby lot, they walked over to the building and went inside.

The building had that new construction smell inside, showing just how recent of a building project it was. Yet that couldn't hide how bland the whole structure was inside. A security guard approached Keiko and Daiana, putting his body between them and the next room. 

"Excuse me, ladies," he said. "May I see some identification?"

"Here you go," Daiana replied, holding her wallet and identification to the guard. "I think you'll find that I brought everything I needed for this."

The security guard squinted at the picture printed on Daiana's identification. "You sure that picture is 100% you?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Because you look nothing like that picture. Care to explain yourself?"

"You don't have eyes, do you?" Keiko was quick to pipe up.

The security guard raised an eyebrow at Keiko's outburst. "Of course I have eyes! Why would you ask me a question like that?"

"It's obviously because you have shit taste if you think my wife doesn't look like that picture."

"With all due respect, I-"

Keiko cut him off. "I'd advise you against speaking unless you have something actually worth saying. Otherwise, you will make a fool of yourself. After all, it wouldn't do if the one charged with protecting this place turned out to be not right in the head, now would it?"

"So, is this what I have to deal with on a daily basis from a future world dictator?"

"Yeah, and it's your own fucking fault that you can't tell how beautiful my wife is."

The security guard sighed. "I really don't want to have to deal with this right now. Just go into the next room so I won't have to get an earful from your dad, goddamn."

Keiko nodded at them as she and Daiana entered the next room. "Thank you. I'm glad to see you came around."

"Whatever," the security guard replied. "Now please just move along and let me do my job."

"Fine."

When Keiko and Daiana set foot into the next room, they saw rows upon rows of desks in front of them with workers in black and white business outfits filling all the seats. Most of the workers here were pale-skinned, with few of the employees being dark-skinned. That observation made Keiko think that it would have been less than ideal for Euodia to work in, considering that she probably had to deal with all sorts of racism on a daily basis. After taking a look around, Keiko took notice of a dark-skinned woman who was roughly Syntyche's age. Keiko's gut was telling her that the woman in front of her was Euodia, and her gut instincts were usually right.

"There she is," Keiko told Daiana. "Let's hope we get this done in time."

"Me too," Daiana replied. "Good luck."

Keiko nodded, walking over to Euodia with her gaze fixed squarely upon her target. Yet even when she did so, the rest of the office space was still full of dark, oppressive boredom.

"Hey, Euodia!" Keiko called out to the older woman.

Euodia turned around and spotted Keiko right in front of her. "Huh? Who are you and what are you doing here?"

"Simple; I am Keiko Swanhilda Warden, future Supreme Leader and daughter of Supreme Leader Edward Warden. The woman beside me is my wife, Daiana Yoshihime Perreira. Oh, and the reason we're here is that your neighbor wants us to teach you a lesson for bragging about being rich."

Euodia raised an eyebrow. "Wait, really? Of all the people she had to send to do that, she had to send you two?"

Keiko nodded confidently. "Yep, and we're going to rule over you one day, so you better take this seriously or else."

"Wow, I... honestly don't know what to say. I mean, I knew Syntyche could be petty sometimes, but this is ridiculous."

Daiana leaned over to Euodia and whispered, "Please play along. Syntyche asked for us to do this, and I'm pretty sure she'd be pissed off if we came back empty-handed. Now c'mon, follow us outside so we can kidnap you and bring you back to her house."

"Okay," Euodia replied, a bit confused by Daiana's hushed tones and demands.

Daiana shrugged at Keiko, and the two wives led Euodia out of the building. As they walked, Keiko could hear a couple of snide remarks directed at them, assuming those remarks were directed at her and Daiana. She had no doubt in her mind that those remarks were from bigots who objected to her marriage to Daiana. Once they were out of the building, Keiko then formed a giant bubble around herself and Euodia and floated off all the way to Syntyche's house, only popping it once they'd made it to their destination.

"Alright, we're here now," Euodia said, still a little confused by what had just happened. "Now what?"

"Now I'll just knock on the door and see if Syntyche is home." Keiko did so. "And now we wait."

About a minute passed before Syntyche came to the front door. When Syntyche saw Euodia, a big grin appeared on her face.

"Looks like you two got the job done," Syntyche told Keiko and Daiana. "Excellent."

"We sure did, Syntyche," Keiko confirmed.

Syntyche embraced Keiko in a hug. "I knew I could count on you, Keiko."

Keiko blushed. "Aww, thank you. I did my very best, like I always do."

"You certainly did."

"Uh, excuse me?" Euodia asked Syntyche. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"What does it look like we're doing?" Syntyche asked back. "We're about to beat some sense into you about bragging about your wealth."

"Wait, really? Is that what this is about?"

"Yes, why? Why did you think this was about?"

"Well, I'm sure those two told you I had a good reason to brag about my wealth, didn't I?"

"I'm gonna stop you right there before you can continue speaking." Syntyche just scowled as she said this. "From what I remember growing up, bragging about your wealth is a form of haughtiness. So, you're going to get the caning of a lifetime until you've learned your lesson."

Euodia's jaw dropped, with surprise filling her face. She hadn't expected that response, and she was about to complain about it when...

Syntyche cracked her cane and then slapped it across Euodia's face. "Be humble. It would do you some good."

Euodia squeaked as Syntyche slammed the cane's thick base into her face again and again. The strikes shook her with the same sickening force as if they were punches, but they hurt less. Still, the fact that her neighbor was hitting her with a cane made it somehow more humiliating. After several firm swings, Syntyche grabbed her cane with both hands and smashed it hard and low, right on Euodia's back.

"Yeah, that'll show you," Keiko said.

Euodia smirked. "So, you expect me to believe that being our future leader somehow justifies your friend attacking me for bragging about being better than her, don't you? Sorry, sweetie, but that's not how the world works. All that time you've spent halfway across the world has made you more foolish than what I'd expected."

Keiko felt herself get red in the face. "I'm not a fool, Euodia, and you know it!"

"Sure you are, and it's going to come back and bite you in the ass if you're not careful."

Syntyche slapped Euodia with her cane again. "Don't speak to Keiko like that. She's not a fool and she never has been."

"I was making an observation, and what kind of person is Keiko supposed to be if you're willing to stoop this low?"

Keiko smirked. "If what Syntyche is doing is an example of 'stooping low', I'll gladly keep stooping low if it means I get a taste of more of that."

"You'd best listen to her and stop being a dick," Daiana interjected. "Otherwise, she'll stick her head up your ass and do her future world ruler shit on you."

Euodia scoffed. "Fine. I'm too old for this shit anyway."

The rest of Keiko and Daiana's honeymoon was uneventful. To say that it was absolutely wonderful would have been an understatement. Both women had a blast, enjoying all the tourist attractions that Lusaka had to offer. Among those was the Robert Mugabe Petroleum Park, the National Monument, and the Crocodile Farm. Keiko took so many pictures that it nearly maxed out the camera memory. When Keiko and Daiana finally arrived at the airport, they said their goodbyes to Syntyche. Syntyche assured Keiko that they'd find a way to keep in touch and see each other again. She promised Keiko that if she was able to make more than one visit to her homeland in a lifetime, she'd cook her whatever dish she felt like eating.

"Thank you so much, Syntyche," Keiko said. "You have been nothing but kind to us."

"No problem," Syntyche replied. "I know that I can count on you anytime, anywhere."

"It was really great to meet you, Syntyche," Daiana interjected.

Syntyche nodded. "Likewise. Oh, and congratulations on your recent nuptials."

"Thank you."

"No problem."

Then, seemingly without warning, Keiko embraced Syntyche warmly, with Daiana joining in on the gesture. Once they'd broken apart, Keiko and Daiana headed inside the airport, ready to start their flight home.

Chapter Text

It had been at least three years since Keiko and Daiana had gotten married. By this point, Raphael was nine years old and still learning everything there was to know about the world around him. Keiko couldn't have been any prouder of him even if she wanted to. The way he had come up in this world, the way he'd taken after her... It made her reflect on how far she'd come in her parenting journey. It was frankly a miracle that she was able to find the strength she needed to take care of her son after the rocky start she had with him. Still, if there was anything she was most grateful for in this life, it was having him and Daiana in it.

She couldn't forget everyone else, though. Eddie might not have been perfect, but Keiko was glad to have him as a father nonetheless. Sure, it was weird that he'd married her aunt Arisu and had a daughter with her (especially given that he'd managed to move on just a year after Zelda had died), but Keiko couldn't deny how much he tried to be the best father possible. It couldn't have been easy, after all, even after everything he had experienced. Keiko admired his resilience and dedication, and she loved him for it. She knew he would never be forgotten when he died, and she would always be grateful for everything he had done for her. She'd always find a way to carry on his legacy, even during times when it seemed she couldn't. For now, she enjoyed having him here in the here and now.

Plenty of other changes had been going on during the intervening years. Alice, for example, recently passed away from leukemia. For all her faults, she was as loyal as they came, having worked with the Warden family since before the Warden and the Mistress had even met. It was for that reason that everyone within her circle of friends and allies mourned her so dearly. Bruce, on the other hand, was still alive; but it was becoming clear that he was getting up there in age. So, as a way of helping him, Keiko hired two of Daiana's cousins to step in as bodyguards for the White House. So what if it was technically nepotism? She didn't care. All that mattered was getting to see them work hard at their new jobs and work together as a team.

Keiko couldn't help but admire the sibling dynamic between Bartoloméia and her brother Deiveson as they settled into their bodyguard roles. It reminded her not only of the same kind of relationship Daiana had with her twin brother Maicon; but also that kind of dynamic Keiko had with her own siblings, as well as the one between their aunt Maddie and uncle Ethan. Despite her adamance in the past about not wanting another child, seeing the two cousins working together made Keiko want to reconsider that stance. Perhaps Raphael could benefit a little from looking after a younger sibling. Keiko knew that it would mean a lot of extra work for her, especially given what the future had in store for her, but she had a feeling that it would be worth it in the end. She decided that she would be open to the idea of having another child after all.

After talking this change of heart over with Daiana, Keiko decided that she would tell her father about this. She wasn't sure how he was going to react to such news, but at the same time, she didn't care. She knew full well she couldn't keep it to herself.

One day, a week after her 27th birthday, Keiko decided to approach her father while he was working in his office and talk to him about it there. Without hesitation, she softly knocked on the door and waited for him to answer.

"Who is it?" Eddie called out from the other side of the door.

"It's me, Dad," Keiko responded. "There's something I need to tell you."

Eddie paused for a moment. "Come on in, Keiko."

Keiko quickly scampered into the room and took a seat across from her father's desk.

"So..." Eddie paused for what felt like an eternity but was really an instant. "What was it you wanted to ask me?"

"I want another baby."

Eddie almost fell over backward, shocked by what he'd just heard. "What?"

"You heard me. I want another baby."

"I see. And you've discussed this with Daiana?"

"I sure have."

"Great. Have you decided which of you will carry the baby?"

"Sure have. We decided that I would be the one to carry it."

"Oh. Um... okay." He paused again, trying carefully to articulate the next words to come out of his mouth. "Well, um, at least you two talked it over."

It didn't take long for Keiko to pick up on her father's awkward hesitation. "What's wrong, Dad? You don't seem to be taking this very well."

"What?" Eddie held up his hands as if to defend himself. "No, no, no, you're taking it the wrong way! It's just..." He trailed off as he tried again to articulate the next words to come out of his mouth. "You didn't exactly have the best experience when you were pregnant with Raphael. I'm just worried for you because I'm afraid history might repeat itself, that's all."

"Thanks, I guess, but this really is what I want. I want another baby. Trust me, Dad, I'm in a much better place now than I was nine years ago."

"I know that, sweetie, but..."

"No buts. I want another baby, and I'm going to get it. Please, you have to let me do this. It'll be so much better this time around."

Eddie sighed and let that all sink in. "Alright, I trust you. No matter what you want to do, I'm going to try to support it."

Keiko locked him into a tight embrace. "Thank you, Dad! I'm so glad you're my father!"

Keiko and Daiana started trying for a child a week later, though not without some help from Daiana's twin brother Maicon. It wasn't without some difficulty, however. Eddie had to explain to the two women just how much effort was required for trying to conceive. In fact, he had to explain that it took months at a time before he and Suki were eventually able to conceive Mariko and Alfie.

Despite the struggles (or perhaps because of them), the two wives kept at it for two months. Soon, as if in the blink of an eye, it was Valentine's Day. By this point, Keiko's period had been late for nearly two weeks. Part of her was hoping that this meant she was pregnant again, but she didn't want to be too optimistic. It could've been anything. Then again, she was also dealing with some of the worst nausea she'd ever experienced. Nausea had been one of the first symptoms she experienced while pregnant with Raphael, so maybe she was expecting another child after all. She planned to go with Daiana to the doctor soon to find out.

For now, she had to focus on celebrating Valentine's Day as best as she currently could: staying nearby her bathroom door in case she needed to puke and having Daiana and Raphael dote on her whenever they could. Not even Valentine's Day was immune to the toll that morning sickness was taking on her. There was also something else bothering her. Having another child nearly a decade after her son would come with its own risks, and Eddie, naturally, knew all about it. Having someone who'd been there and experienced it brought both comfort and terror for Keiko. Sure, her father wasn't the best person to talk to on many matters; but he knew more than she did just how scary it could be preparing for another child sometimes. After all, he had to live through it at least once.

As Valentine's Day winded down, Keiko spent the remainder of the day trying not to eat much without it coming right back up. As funny as she found it that she spent this year feeling physically sick, she was still in absolute agony. However, this didn't stop Raphael from bringing her one final gift for that day.

Raphael approached his mother, carrying a container. From the look on her face, Keiko was dying to know what it was. 

"What's this?" she asked curiously.

"I don't want to say," Raphael replied with a smirk. "You'll have to open it to find out."

Keiko smirked right back and got up. She then took the gift from her son's hands and laid back down on the bed. Once her stomach stopped doing somersaults, she worked open the top of the container. Peeking inside, she saw a single white rose.

Her eyes grew wide. She sat there, confused, trying to come up with a way to respond. "What's this about, Raph?"

"It's a rose," Raphael replied flatly as he pointed at the flower in the container. "A white rose. It's from that garden Grandpa planted when Grandma died. Remember how I told you about it? How he wanted to have roses in the garden, but white roses in particular, as a way of honoring Grandma? Well, I've been helping Grandpa plant flowers in the garden for a long time. Last week, I saw that the white roses were fully in bloom, so I picked one. For you."

Keiko lowered her head, suppressing a sob. When she lifted her head again, she saw that Raphael had smiled lovingly at her and wrapped his arms around her.

"Thank you, son," Keiko said, still trying not to sob. "It's beautiful."

"Anything for the number one lady in my life," Raphael replied.

The decision to visit the doctor with Daiana was not made lightly. They had established a routine of supporting each other through their respective health concerns, often mirroring the mutual care that they often offered each other in other facets of life. The prospect of revealing another pregnancy seemed monumental enough that they couldn’t face it alone. It was a shared journey, and they both had a stake in what was to come.

“Whatever happens, we’ll face it together,” Daiana said, her hand reaching for Keiko’s. 

It was a simple statement, and yet it held the weight of their commitment to one another. The warmth from her partner’s touch felt grounding amidst the turmoil of emotions that churned within. She had no idea what she'd do without the woman in her life nor did she want to think about it. All she could be at this moment was grateful.

A week after Valentine's Day, the two women went to see Keiko's OB-GYN, Dr. Giese. When she looked through the pair to figure out why they had asked to meet with her, her eyes grew wide.

"Well," Dr. Giese began as the two women took their seats, "I know why you two are here."

Keiko nodded. "Yep, we're here to see if we're having a baby together."

"I figured as much. Anyway, let's get started."

Dr. Giese opened her drawer and rifled through the mess before pulling out a pregnancy test. "If you'll please follow me, Keiko."

Just like last time, Keiko and her doctor followed the pregnancy test into the bathroom. After that, Keiko peed on the test and waited anxiously for the result.

Dr. Giese reached a hand out towards Keiko. "You have nothing to worry about. This will be easy and fast."

Keiko nodded, albeit still anxiously. "Okay."

Eventually, after waiting for what felt like forever, she saw two pink lines staring right back at her.

"Two pink lines means it's positive, right?" Keiko asked as she handed the test back to Dr. Giese.

Dr. Giese nodded. "Yes. Alright, now I just have to run another test."

"What kind of test, Doctor?" Keiko asked. "Is the pregnancy test not enough?"

"Well, sometimes, they can be inaccurate. What I'm going to do now is a simple blood test. It's the easiest way to tell whether you're pregnant or not. If I take a blood sample right now, I'll be able to figure out whether or not you're pregnant in two days."

"I can't wait two days, Doctor. Don't you have another way to tell whether or not I'm pregnant?"

"Not at the moment. In order to find out, I'll have to take a blood sample and test it. That'll take a couple of days. So I hope you're able to be patient."

Keiko sighed in frustration. "Alright, just get it over with then."

"Excellent."

Dr. Giese gently picked up Keiko's hand and wiped an alcohol pad on the crook of her elbow before putting in an IV. She quickly took a blood sample before carefully withdrawing the needle. As the doctor proceeded to tape the wound closed, Keiko gently massaged her arm.

"How are you feeling?" Dr. Giese asked.

"My arm hurts and my stomach is still doing flips," Keiko grumbled. "Otherwise, I'm fine. I've been dealing with the worst morning sickness possible all week, and I doubt it could possibly get worse than that."

"I promise you the nausea won't last. Anything else I should know?"

"Raphael gave me a white rose from my father's garden for Valentine's Day, just a little while ago."

"Was that his only gift?"

Keiko simply shook her head. "No. He also gave me clothes I could wear around the house."

"Oh, okay." Dr. Giese paused for a moment to regain her composure before she stood up. "We're all done. I need you to sit tight here for a while. I'll be back soon."

Dr. Giese went over to the other side of the counter and reached for the phone. As she returned, she noticed Daiana, who had been patiently waiting by Keiko's side the whole time.

"My wife's pregnant, right?" Daiana asked nervously.

"We'll need to see," Dr. Giese explained before walking over to Keiko. "For the record, have you experienced anything else besides nausea and vomiting, Mrs. Warden? Sensitivity to smell, frequent urination, abdominal pain, backache, fatigue, breast swelling, soreness, or an increased sense of smell and taste?"

"Now that you mention it all, yes," Keiko replied. "Yes to them all."

Dr. Giese pursed her lips. "It definitely sounds like you're pregnant, then. However, I'll still have to wait for the blood sample before I can confirm anything, so be patient."

Keiko nodded. "Okay."

The wait for the blood sample results felt like the longest 48 hours in either of the two wives' lives. Keiko had no idea how anyone could stand to wait that long, especially for results that could change someone's life forever. Daiana was calm, as if she had already accepted whatever the outcome might be. Keiko, on the other hand, was a bundle of nerves and anticipation. She knew that no matter what the outcome, their lives would never be the same.

"Even if the results come back negative, it'll be okay," Daiana assured her. "We can always try again."

"I know that!" Keiko snipped. "I just wish they'd hurry up and give us the results already!"

Daiana sighed. "I know, but just be patient."

"Okay, I will."

Finally, the long-awaited results came in. Daiana quickly retrieved them and skimmed through the contents to get to the part they'd waited so badly for.

"Well, what's it say?" Keiko asked nervously.

"They're positive," Daiana simply replied. "You're pregnant!"

Keiko gasped. They did it. They'd conceived their first child together. The first thing Keiko did after that was lock Daiana into a tight embrace. In that moment, the world around them faded away into a warm blur— a sanctuary of love and hope. The weight of anticipation melted away, replaced by an overwhelming sense of joy and unity.

As they held each other tightly, the enormity of what lay ahead began to sink in. This wasn’t just about them anymore or even about Raphael; it was about building a life together, nurturing a new soul, and embracing the beautiful chaos of parenthood. Keiko could feel Daiana’s heartbeat against her own, a rhythmic reminder of the bond they shared— not just as partners but soon as parents.

“Can you believe it?” Keiko whispered, breaking the silence that felt sacred at that moment. “We’re going to be mothers.”

Daiana pulled back slightly, her eyes glistening with tears of happiness. “It feels so surreal, doesn’t it? A little person— a part of us —growing inside you.” Her voice wavered with emotion, and Keiko knew that she could hardly contain the swell of love that surged through them both. "I can't wait."

Chapter Text

As days turned into weeks, the reality of Keiko's pregnancy started to slowly sink in. Keiko still couldn't believe that she and Daiana had managed to successfully conceive within two months. Eddie was likewise shocked, but was nonetheless happy for her. He wanted nothing more than to support his daughter during this pivotal time in her life, even if it made him worry for her at times. He'd nearly lost her before. He didn't even want to risk almost losing her again. He had no idea what he'd do if he lost her. The thought of any parent losing a child before their time was unbearable, especially for him.

Keiko, for her part, was euphoric about this whole thing. She was excited to be starting a family with her wife and couldn't wait to meet her baby. She was confident that everything would turn out well and that they'd have a healthy baby. She had wanted this so badly, and she was not going to let anything take that away from her. She deserved this second chance after what she'd gone through with Raphael. She still had regrets about how she'd handled her pregnancy with him, and she wished she could've gone back and done things differently; and yet, she knew that such a thing was not possible. She was determined to do the next best thing and make sure that this pregnancy was different from her first. She was determined to be better prepared and more confident this time. She was going to do whatever it takes to make sure that, this time, she'd put in more of an effort to bond with her baby. Of course, she knew that nothing about how she'd handled her pregnancy with Raphael was her fault. She hadn't been in her right mind when he was born, so it had been difficult for her to bond with him when he needed her most. It especially didn't help that it'd been forced upon her. And yet, she still felt pangs of guilt about the whole thing.

Even with all of that in mind, she wasn't about to play favorites with her children. How Raphael had been conceived was every bit as awful and violent as his sperm donor of a father was, but she always tried her best to be a good mother to him despite that. She wanted to make sure that both he and the baby knew that they were loved all the same. She was determined to make sure that Raphael never felt unwanted or unloved. She wanted to show him that he was still her son and that he was still loved no matter what. She was determined to make sure that both her children felt loved and accepted.

Before anybody in the family knew it, Keiko's pregnancy began to shape their lives in profound ways. Daiana started doting on her and hovering over her at every opportunity. Keiko didn't always like it, but at the same time, she understood where she was coming from. The only thing she was guilty of was being nervous about getting ready to welcome a child into the world.

Keiko settled into the couch with a sigh, rubbing her growing belly absentmindedly. 

"You know, Daiana," Keiko began. "Sometimes, I can't help but feel overwhelmed by all these changes that are coming our way. It just feels like a lot."

Daiana, sitting beside her with a cup of herbal tea, nodded understandingly. "I know it does, but you need to remember that we're in this together. You'll be an amazing mom, Keiko. Just look at how much love you already have for the baby and Raphael."

Keiko smiled softly, reaching for Daiana's hand. "Thank you for being here. It means so much to me to have your support through this journey. I just want to make sure I get it right this time."

Daiana gently placed her hand on Keiko's growing belly, feeling a sense of wonder at the new life forming inside. 

"I wonder if we’re having a boy or a girl," she mused softly, her eyes filled with excitement and curiosity. 

Keiko smiled, feeling grateful for these moments of connection and anticipation as they embarked on this journey together. "Well, we could find out at the doctor's next week. You wanna do that?"

Daiana nodded. "Yeah, I do."

"Great. I'll be sure to let Dr. Giese know."

"Cool." Daiana wrapped her arms around Keiko while still holding on to her growing belly. "God, I can't wait to find out."

Keiko and Daiana's excitement grew as they headed to Dr. Giese's office for the ultrasound appointment. They'd been hyping themselves up about solving the mystery of their baby's gender for a week now, Keiko especially. Truth be told, it didn't matter in the grand scheme of things what their child's gender would be, but Keiko had hopes that it would be a girl. It'd be a nice balance to her son, and she liked the idea of Raphael having a younger sister to protect if need be.

"I have a feeling it's a girl," Keiko said.

"Really?" Daiana asked curiously. "What makes you think that?" 

"I don't know. I can't explain it, but I can just sense it."

"That so? 'Cause I've been thinking it might be a boy. I don't know, it's just this intuition I have."

"Well, either way, as long as the baby is healthy, that's all that matters. But imagine if it's a girl! Raphael would be such a protective big brother."

"I'm sure the same would be true if it's a boy."

"Yeah, you're probably right."

"Besides, a little boy would bring so much joy and energy into our lives. I can picture him already."

"It's exciting not knowing for sure. Let's see what Dr. Giese reveals today."

"Absolutely. No matter what, we're in for a wonderful journey ahead."

As they settled into the examination room, they held each other's hands tightly, anticipation buzzing in the air. Daiana squeezed her hand reassuringly, offering a warm smile as they checked in with the receptionist. The familiar scent of disinfectant and soft hum of medical equipment surrounded them, creating an atmosphere charged with excitement. Keiko settled onto the examination table, her heart racing with excitement. Daiana stood by her side, holding her hand tightly as they waited for Dr. Giese to arrive. After what must've felt like an eternity, the door swung open, and Dr. Giese entered with a warm smile, clipboard in hand. 

"Alright, ladies, are you ready to find out what awaits you?" Dr. Giese asked.

"Ready when you are, doc," Daiana replied.

"Alright, let's do this." Dr. Giese then turned on the scanning device and let it start up. "I hope you haven't been too nervous to find out what you're having."

"Don't worry," Daiana assured her. "We haven't."

Dr. Giese just smiled. "Good. Now let's get started."

Without further hesitation, the doctor began the ultrasound, moving the wand over Keiko's abdomen with precision. The room was filled with the sound of a faint heartbeat, a rhythmic reminder of the life growing inside Keiko. As Dr. Giese maneuvered the wand expertly, a small screen displayed fuzzy black-and-white images that held the key to their baby's gender. The images on the screen slowly began to take shape, revealing a tiny profile of their precious little one. Keiko and Daiana held their breath, their eyes fixed on the screen as Dr. Giese continued the ultrasound. Suddenly, Dr. Giese's smile widened.

"Hey..." Daiana's eyebrows perked up. "I see that smile!"

"What smile?" Dr. Giese asked, feigning ignorance.

"That smile! The one you had just now!"

Dr. Giese chuckled. "I'm just kidding. I can see what you're having."

"You do?"

"Yes. Are you ready?"

Keiko took a deep breath. "Yeah, we're ready."

"Okay, good. So from what I just saw, you're going to have a little girl." 

Keiko and Daiana instantly felt their hearts soar into the air. They couldn't even contain their joy as they started processing the news - a little girl! Tears welled up in their eyes as they looked at each other, overwhelmed with happiness.

"Well, congratulations, you two," Dr. Giese said. "I hope everything goes well for you and your family!" 

The room seemed to glow with warmth and love as the two wives took in the reality of their impending parenthood. After thanking Dr. Giese profusely, Keiko and Daiana left the clinic hand in hand, already dreaming about their future with their daughter.

Chapter Text

Shortly after Keiko and Daiana found out they were having a girl, they started painting the nursery in soft, calming colors, each brushstroke representing their hopes for an environment that would be filled with love and warmth. They scoured local shops and online stores for the perfect crib, diapers, and soft plush toys for their daughter; all while basking in the anticipation of those first tiny kicks and punches against Keiko's belly.

"Do you think she'll have your eyes, Keiko?" Daiana asked, her voice filled with excitement.

"I hope so," Keiko replied, a smile playing on her lips. "But who knows? Maybe she'll inherit yours, Daia."

"That would be adorable." Daiana chuckled for a bit as she let her imagination roam. "And maybe she'll get my smile. But what about personality-wise? Who do you think she'll take after: you or me?"

"I think she might have your kindness and my determination," Keiko mused as she ran a hand over her growing bump. "The world could use more people like us, especially someone like her, out there."

Daiana nodded thoughtfully. "That sounds like the perfect mix for our little girl."

Keiko nodded as well. "Sure does."

Daiana's eyes trailed down towards Keiko's growing belly, watching as it rose and fell with every breath her wife took. "Que lindo, meu amor... nossa menininha está crescendo tão rápido, não é mesmo? Ela será uma mistura perfeita de nós duas, com certeza. Mal posso esperar para segurar ela nos meus braços e encher ela de beijos e carinho. Nossa pequena flor do jardim da vida..."

Keiko smiled sweetly while she felt a comforting warmth spread out through her chest. "Ela terá toda a nossa ternura, Daia. E também toda a força que carregamos dentro de nós. Será uma guerreira, assim como nós somos."

Daiana nodded in response. "Sim, uma guerreira corajosa e gentil, pronta para conquistar o mundo com seu sorriso doce e seus olhos cheios de luz."

"Oh, she'll be conquering the world, alright; but not just with a smile."

"I know."

As they continued to discuss their daughter's potential traits, their love and anticipation for her only grew stronger. They couldn't wait to meet the tiny being who would embody the best parts of both of them and change their lives forever.

As Keiko progressed through the fourth month of her pregnancy, she couldn't help but be overcome with joy at the thought that she was drawing closer to having her daughter. They spent hours discussing potential names, imagining what she would look like, and dreaming about all the adventures they would share with her and Raphael as a family. The nursery slowly took shape, with the two soon-to-be-mothers leaving tiny clothes and toys as waiting gifts for their new arrival. Keiko often found herself lost in thoughts of holding her daughter close, feeling her warmth and hearing her laughter fill their home. The love between Daiana and Keiko only deepened as they eagerly awaited the moment when they would finally get to hold their precious baby girl in their arms.

For all the joys they'd felt throughout this pregnancy so far, however, there were also moments of trepidation. They wondered about the challenges that lay ahead: the sleepless nights, the diaper changes, and the delicate balancing act of being both partners and parents. There was also a growing health concern for Keiko, who had just recently developed high blood pressure. Despite Keiko's protests to the contrary, Daiana and Eddie both knew that things would end badly if they didn't keep a close eye on her. Neither could bear to imagine what could happen to her if they went down that route. It was just too painful and upsetting to think about.

Even so, the health worries only served to bring the two wives closer together. Even if Keiko didn't seem to notice anything wrong, she still appreciated that Daiana was going out of her way to take care of her. Some things just never changed.

On quiet moments, often at dusk when the world slowed down, Keiko and Daiana would sit together and talk about their hopes and dreams for their daughter.

"If there's one thing you want her to know more than anything in the world, what do you want it to be?" Daiana asked one evening. 

“I want her to know that she's loved beyond measure.” Keiko's gaze focused on the horizon where the sun dipped low, casting a golden glow across the sky. “I want her to grow up knowing she can be anything she wants to be.”

Daiana smiled and nodded. “I want her to be brave and kind, to understand the beauty of our differences and the strength that lies in unity. I want her to know love in every way possible.”

Suddenly, Keiko gasped, and her hand instinctively went to her belly as a fluttering sensation rippled through her. "Daiana, quick! Come feel this!"

Daiana quickly scooted over to her side, placing her hand gently on Keiko's stomach and feeling the tiny kicks beneath her palm. "Wow, that's amazing."

"You felt that, right?" Keiko's eyes were wide with wonder.

Daiana's face lit up as Keiko placed her hand on top of hers. "Yes, I felt it! Our little one is saying hello!"

Tears welled up in Keiko's eyes as she gazed at Daiana. "Our baby... she's letting us know she's here." 

Daiana nodded, a smile tugging at her lips. "She's already bringing us so much joy." She leaned in closer, speaking softly to their unborn daughter. "You're going to be so loved, little one. We can't wait to meet you."

Keiko smiled, feeling a surge of joy and love fill her heart. In that moment, everything else faded away— the worries, the fears —leaving only the promise of new life and endless possibilities they could achieve together; not just as partners in life, but as co-creators of a future.

As Keiko stood in front of the mirror one morning, tracing her growing belly with gentle fingers, she felt a rush of emotions throughout her body. As happy and excited as she was to be having this baby, she also couldn't help but worry that perhaps her wife and her father were right: both she and the baby might, in fact, be in danger. Valid a worry as it was though, it wasn't something she liked to think about. As if what she'd gone through when she was pregnant with Raphael wasn't bad enough, the thought that this pregnancy might be fraught with complications was too much to bear. For now, she decided to push her worries about the pregnancy far enough in the back of her mind that they could resurface at any given moment. She didn't want to have to burden herself with them all the time. She wanted to focus on bonding with her unborn daughter when possible.

Speaking of, Keiko felt a flutter as it rippled through her abdomen and smiled.

"I felt that, little one," Keiko could only say as she placed her hand firmly on the exact spot where the baby fluttered. "You like being the center of attention?"

Another fluttering motion rippled out as if in response.

"I see how it is," Keiko continued. "You're a diva in the making, aren't you?"

This time, she felt something jab at her palm, prompting her to amusingly shake her head. "Guess that means 'yes.' You're quite the active one, aren't you? I hope you save some of that energy for when you're out here with us." 

As if in response, the baby gave a playful kick, causing Keiko to gasp in surprise. "Oh, I see how it is! You're going to keep me on my toes, huh?" She rubbed her belly gently, feeling a sense of connection stronger with each movement. "I can't wait to hold you in my arms, little one. We're going to have so many adventures together." Another kick, another wave of emotions washing over her. "God, it's hard to believe you've already changed our lives. I promise we're going to protect you and love you with all that we are. We are, after all, Wardens." 

Keiko smiled, knowing that the bond she was forming with her daughter was already unbreakable, even before they officially met face-to-face. What she was going through at this very moment was more than a journey. It was an adventure, one that would challenge and redefine her and her wife through every joy and challenge. The journey ahead may have been uncertain, but one thing was crystal clear: the two wives were prepared to tackle everything laid out before them, no matter what it might be.

Chapter Text

As if in the blink of an eye, it was soon Raphael's 10th birthday. Keiko had just reached the sixth-month mark in her pregnancy. This would've been reason to celebrate herself if she wasn't still dealing with complications. For one, her blood pressure had barely gone down much, if at all. There was also the matter of dealing with kidney problems and her eyes being more sensitive to light than usual. These challenges increasingly shattered her façade of normalcy, compelling her to confront the reality that this pregnancy was riddled with complications.

This also led to her worrying that she might lose her daughter as a result. She wasn't sure how she would go on if she ended up losing the baby as a result of all this. It didn't help that at one point, her father told her that if it came down to it, he'd choose to save her over the baby.

That scenario threatened to come to pass when, as Raphael was blowing out the candles on his cake, Keiko suddenly collapsed on the floor and started seizing uncontrollably. Panic erupted among the guests as they all rushed over to her side, their cheerful celebrations overshadowed by the urgent need for help. Raphael's heart raced, his birthday forgotten in the scramble to assist his mother, a mix of fear and confusion flooding the room. Keiko had already lost consciousness, so she was utterly helpless as everyone present screamed out her name and pleaded with her to stay with them. Amidst the chaos and panic, her wife sprang into action, swiftly calling for emergency medical assistance. The paramedics arrived promptly, skillfully stabilizing Keiko before rushing her to the hospital for further evaluation and treatment.

The next few hours zoomed by like a blur. Keiko was quickly whisked off for an emergency Cesarean section to save both her and the baby from certain death. Meanwhile, her family members could do nothing but wait for any updates on the situation at hand. Unfortunately for them, it was easier said than done. The longer they had to wait, the more and more time seemed to slow down. No one could bear to wait that long. It was torturous.

“Mamãe?” Raphael asked after not speaking for a good while.

“Yes, dear?” Daiana asked back.

“Is Mom going to be okay?”

“I have no idea. The doctors are doing their very best for her and the baby.”

Raphael sighed. “Okay, just thought I’d ask.” He crossed his arms and darted his eyes towards the ground. "Man, this sucks. Can't believe this had to happen on my birthday of all days."

Eddie forced himself to take a deep breath. "This would've sucked no matter what day it took place on, Raphael. Besides that, let's not worry about your birthday right now. Keiko and the baby are more important to us." Eddie thought for a moment before continuing. "In fact, we can celebrate your birthday once everything is back to normal, and we've found out for sure if they're okay."

Raphael nodded. "Okay."

They ended up waiting more than they already had. Somehow, it was worse the second time around. Just when they thought they'd never get an update on Keiko or the baby, a doctor stepped out and made a beeline for Eddie and the rest of the family.

"What is it, Doctor?" Eddie asked, anxious for any kind of news. "Are Keiko and the baby okay?"

"Well, yes and no," the doctor replied. "We were able to deliver the baby before it was too late, but she's currently in the NICU. It's not looking great for her, but we can't predict how things will go from there. As for Keiko... she's in a coma."

In a heartbeat, the reality of life and death collided with hope and despair. Keiko had found herself in a situation that no one, not even her father, wanted to live through. The birth of her child, a moment she and Daiana had anticipated for so long, was now clouded by the uncertainty of their futures.

"How long until she wakes up?" Eddie asked as hopefully as possible.

The doctor sighed. "We can't predict that, either. We don't even know if she will wake up. I know it's not what you wanted to hear, but that's all we can report on for now."

"I see." Eddie had to fight the urge to cry right then and there. "Thank you, Doctor."

"No problem." With that, the doctor prepared to turn around and leave the family he'd just sought out behind. "We'll keep you updated when possible."

Eddie and the rest of the family proceeded to watch the doctor as he walked out of the waiting room to tend to whichever patient was next. Once Eddie was certain that the doctor had disappeared from his line of sight, he proceeded to sigh and bury his face into his hands.

"Oh, my poor baby..." he moaned. "Why did I let her go through this again?"

Daiana rested her hand on her father-in-law's shoulder. "It's not your fault. All you did was try to be supportive of her."

"I know, but..." Eddie briefly glanced over to Raphael sitting beside him. "What she went through the first time was already awful enough, and now... no, I don't even want to think about it."

"Me neither. I hope Keiko wakes up soon."

"Me too, Daia. Me too."

As soon as they could, Eddie and the rest of the family decided to pay Keiko a visit in her room. Sure enough, Keiko was lying there in her hospital bed; hooked up to things like an IV line, an oxygen mask, a nasogastric tube, EKG lead wires, and anti-embolism stockings. No one could help but feel a deep sadness as they looked upon their family member's comatose body. Eddie in particular felt a wave of emotion come over him. He felt as if his heart was going to break in thousands of pieces as he looked at his daughter lying there, motionless and unresponsive to everything around her. He couldn't help but let an immense sense of helplessness wash over him, something he hated experiencing throughout his life.

"It should've been you, Daiana," Eddie choked out. "I should've convinced Keiko to let you carry the baby instead. Maybe then the baby wouldn't have come so early and Keiko wouldn't be fighting for her life right now."

"Maybe," Daiana replied. "But you know Keiko. When she wants something, she fights to get it."

Eddie quickly whirled around and looked as if he was ready to attack her. "Of course I know that! You thought I didn't?!" Realizing what he'd just done, he took a deep breath and composed himself. "I just... I hate this, Daiana. I hate everything about this."

"I know. Believe me, I do too."

As Keiko lay unconscious, surrounded by the beeping of machines and the sterile smell of antiseptic, her family and friends waited anxiously by her side for hours, their hearts heavy with unanswered questions. Would she ever awaken? Would she ever get to cradle her newborn daughter? Nobody knew. The best they could do right now was wait for something, anything to happen. Even then, however, they weren't really sure what exactly would happen; and they weren't sure they wanted to know, either.

Eventually, a doctor had to step in and ask the family to leave. When asked why, the doctor explained that Keiko needed a calm and quiet environment to aid in her recovery. Too many visitors could be overwhelming, and the constant presence of people might hinder the progress they were hoping for. Additionally, the medical team needed space to monitor her condition closely and provide the necessary care without any distractions.

"We understand, Doctor," Daiana said. "Thanks."

The doctor nodded. "No problem. I know you had good intentions, but Keiko's going to need all the space she can get if she's ever going to recover from this."

Daiana nodded back. "Okay."

With that, Daiana gave Keiko's arm a gentle squeeze before leaving the room, with the rest of the family following behind her. She then closed the door behind her and took a deep breath. She knew that she and the rest of the family had to stay strong and hope for the best.

Chapter Text

It didn't take long for the NICU, a place teeming with the fragility of life, to become a focal point for fears felt by Keiko's loved ones; fears that encompassed them and their thoughts. It also wasn't long before they got to see their newest family member for the first time. It wasn't as much of a shock as they'd expected, but it still managed to catch them off-guard.

"Holy shit..." Alfie practically whispered to himself.

"Yeah, she looks so tiny," Shannon rejoined. "She doesn't even look like a baby."

Alfie looked over to see his half-sister standing there and cringed. "Oh, did I say that out loud?"

"Nah, I could hear you. I'm not the only one who thinks she looks like one of those, uh..." She paused. "Damn, I forgot where I was going with this. Anyway, I'm not the only one who thinks she looks weird, right?"

"No, but you shouldn't really say that."

"Why not? I'm just saying."

"You just shouldn't." 

There that baby, the person of the hour, lay inside the incubator labeled with the "Warden" surname. Her reddish-purple skin was wrinkled and thin enough that one could see the blood vessels underneath. She was also covered in soft hair and practically skeletally thin. Her tiny breaths fluctuated back and forth between glimpses of despair and hope. The machines that were monitoring her and helping her breathe beeped rhythmically. They seemed to be keeping her alive just like the machines that were helping her mother fight for her own life.

"You'll have to forgive me when I tell you that you can only look at her," a nurse explained. "She's too weak to be held or even touched right now."

Eddie's expression hardly seemed to change. "I see. Any progress?"

"Not that I can see, no. We have no idea how things will go from here."

"Alright. I was just..." The world dictator took a deep breath. "...wondering, that's all. Thanks for letting us know."

"No problem, sir."

With that, the nurse just walked off to tend to another family elsewhere. Once alone, Eddie and his family resumed staring at the baby inside the incubator. Eddie took a moment to recall his parents telling him he'd been in this same position when he'd been born 43 years ago at 29 weeks; except he'd apparently been born dead, and he had to be resuscitated within four minutes. Thankfully, that wasn't the case with his granddaughter, but he couldn't help but wonder what that could've been like.

"Grandpa?" Raphael asked.

"Yes, Raph?" Eddie asked back.

"Do you think my sister is going to make it?"

Eddie huffed. "What kind of question is that? Of course she is! She's a Warden. Wardens always overcome the obstacles set before them, no matter how impossible they may seem."

"But what if she doesn't?"

"Don't say that, Raph. You know as well as I do that we can't deal with that kind of talk right now. It's demoralizing."

Raphael sighed. "You're right. I'm sorry."

"Good. Now we just need to make sure that she can make it out of the NICU alive."

And Eddie was determined to keep his word. After all, as Eddie knew all too well, the NICU was worlds away from the dreamlike nursery with pastel colors and dreams of laughter. It was a place filled with the beeping of monitors, the scent of antiseptic, babies struggling to thrive, and scared and anxious families. It was where nurses worked tirelessly to nurture even the smallest of miracles. Keiko’s daughter, born at just 26 weeks and swathed in tubes and wires, was no exception. She was part of a team’s efforts to ensure that she had a fighting chance to survive and someday leave a mark in the world.

"Swannilda," Daiana suddenly said.

Eddie swiftly turned his head to look at her. "Excuse me?"

"Swannilda. I want her name to be Swannilda, like her mother."

Eddie raised an eyebrow at this. "Really? Are you sure? Maybe we should wait until Keiko is awake before you can name your daughter."

"That's just it. Keiko might never wake up. It's just something we have to consider. So I want to name our baby Swannilda. That way, if Keiko doesn't make it, I'll have someone to remember her by."

As much as Eddie had wanted to object to this due to holding out hope for Keiko to wake up, he had to admit that it was a rather sweet idea. "Alright, Swannilda it is."

In the days that followed since Swannilda was born, the waiting game took its toll on Keiko’s family. Each visit to the NICU felt like stepping into a new reality, where time somehow seemed both suspended and painfully quick. They quickly learned the delicate language of the NICU: the significance of each score on the monitors, the hourly updates from nurses, and the emotional gravity that came with every ounce of growth. Despite the fact that there didn't seem to be any outward changes in Swannilda's health, her family still held onto hope that she would eventually become strong enough to leave this place behind and come home. And out of everyone in the family, Eddie was the most determined to see her get better. After all, he'd been in her position once.

Meanwhile, Keiko’s condition weighed heavily on their hearts. Friends and family alike took to praying to statues of the Warden for a miracle, any sort of miracle, that could be sent his granddaughter's way. It had only nearly been twenty years since he'd died, and yet he'd managed to gain a reputation as a god in such a short amount of time. People were turning to him more than anything else, and they were pleading for him and the Mistress for a miracle that would help Keiko get out of the coma. Their desperation knew no bounds.

As people prayed to Warden and Mistress for a miracle, the paradox of hope and fear persisted. There were days when Keiko showed signs of improvement— a flicker of movement, a response to someone's voice —but those gleams of light were often overshadowed by setbacks. Conversations with the doctors about her prognosis shifted like tides. There were some days that brought optimism, and there were other days that felt like an ice-cold splash of reality. As much as Keiko's family had wanted to help speed it along, they couldn't. All they could simply do was wait. Unfortunately, this was easier said than done.

As weeks turned into a blur of emotion, Swannilda began to show signs of improvement. The NICU team’s care made miracles happen daily, and Keiko's family clung to the news, no matter how small it was. With every gram gained, that tiny baby became a symbol of resilience, a reason to fight for her mother’s awakening. Slowly but surely, she was proving her grandfather right about what it meant to be a Warden.

At last, in a moment that felt both surreal and monumental, Keiko’s eyelids started to flutter open. Her family held their breaths, which were suspended in the hope that she'd fully come back to them. They waited anxiously to see if she could hear them or finally start to connect with her daughter, her pride and joy whose fragile heartbeat echoed the love that surrounded them.

Slowly but surely, Keiko's vision came into focus, and she was able to get a good look at the visitors by her side.

"D-Dad?" Keiko called out to Eddie. "Is that you?"

Too overcome with joy to speak, Eddie just nodded instead.

"What happened to me?" Keiko asked again.

"You fell into a coma for two weeks, Keiko," Daiana replied. "Before that, you were having seizures at Raphael's birthday party."

Keiko's face dropped upon hearing that. She couldn't believe what she'd just heard. Her son's birthday had ended in disaster... again. She felt a wave of guilt and sadness wash over her as she thought about how her father and her wife's worst fear had ended up becoming reality. Not only that; it crushed her to think how what was supposed to have been a joyous occasion for her son, his 10th birthday, was now going to be etched into his mind as a traumatic event for the rest of his life. She knew that she was going to have to deal with all this eventually, but first she needed to see her baby. She wanted more than anything to see her after what she'd been through.

"Daia?" Keiko asked her wife.

"Yes, Keiko?" Daiana asked back.

"Where's our baby? Where's Swannilda?"

Daiana placed her calloused hand on Keiko's shoulder. "She's still in the NICU."

"She is? How long is she going to stay there?"

"Until she's strong enough to survive on her own."

"How long will that be?"

Daiana shrugged. "We don't know. Could be weeks or months before she's ready to come home. The nurses didn't really give us a clear timeline."

"I need to see her."

"Keiko, you just woke up from a two-week coma. Maybe we should try easing you in on everything you've missed first."

Keiko just repeated herself, this time with a much more firm tone of voice.

Daiana sighed. "Alright, I'll see what I can do."

Many arguments with medical staff and several waiver signings later, Keiko was finally granted permission to go down to the NICU with her family and see Swannilda. Nothing was going to keep her from her daughter, especially not today. As she was being wheeled down to see the baby, she couldn’t help but be taken aback by her appearance.

“Oh my God…” Keiko muttered. “She’s so tiny…”

Eddie nodded. “Indeed, but she’s been getting better.”

“Any chance I can hold her?”

“I’ll see what I can do. Let me just track down a nurse and ask her about it.”

While Eddie ran off to do just that, Keiko continued to stare at her daughter inside her incubator. It still boggled her mind just how tiny little Swannilda was. When she'd imagined that moment when she would hold her daughter for the first time, this wasn't what she'd had in mind. Instead, she had imagined a moment straight out of a fairy tale where, within just a few pushes, her daughter would be out in the world and almost instantly in her arms. Nevertheless, in this real-life moment, Keiko felt a profound mix of fear and hope, the weight of her journey now suddenly palpable as she gazed at her fragile daughter. This was a pivotal point in her life, a reminder of the strength and resilience she would need now for both the baby and her son. Despite the uncertainties that lay ahead, the sight of Swannilda's tiny form filled her with an overwhelming sense of love and determination.

Eventually, after a few minutes, Eddie came back with a nurse trailing behind him. After Keiko had slightly pulled down the front of her hospital gown, she proceeded to watch as the nurse gingerly removed the impossibly tiny baby from her incubator and placed her against the bare skin on her chest. Thank God. Now Keiko could finally hold her daughter in her arms. It didn't matter that Swannilda was still hooked up to several tubes and wires that were helping her survive. She was right where she was supposed to be all along.

Chapter Text

"The only people that you really have, that I learned, are your family, because they love you no matter what." -Miley Cyrus

Even after all this time, it was still a miracle that Swannilda Kiyomi Warden had survived her premature birth. It was even more of a miracle that she'd managed to grow up from it virtually unscathed; "virtually" being the key word here. Indeed, she'd been definitely diagnosed with ataxic cerebral palsy when she was five years old; by which she'd already become an older sister to twins, Deistyni Eriko and Óxilo Abraham. Swannilda faced numerous physical challenges growing up, including difficulty with coordination and balance. Despite these obstacles, however, she remained determined and resilient throughout her childhood. She often had to work twice as hard to keep up with her siblings, including Raphael. Her family always tried to provide as much unwavering support as possible, encouraging her to pursue physical therapy and other activities in order to help her develop strength and confidence.

Even after all this time, even now at the age of eleven, Swannilda couldn't believe how far she'd come as a person, as a scion of two prison wardens who had embodied order and chaos in life. She'd managed to accomplish so much, both despite and because of the obstacles in her life; and for that, she had to be proud. She liked to think that if her great-grandparents were still here, they would've been proud as well. It didn't matter to her that she'd never gotten the chance to meet them. All that mattered was that she was going to continue her legacy the way she saw fit and honor the ones who'd come before her.

Today wasn't going to be all that different, except for one thing: Eddie was dying. To be more precise, he was dying from metastatic stomach cancer that had spread to his lungs and bones. He'd first been diagnosed with stomach cancer right after he'd married Daniel Arroyo, his fifth and current spouse. He'd initially mistaken the symptoms for a persistent stomach bug. It wasn't until the persistent pain became unbearable and he began losing weight rapidly that Eddie finally decided to see a doctor. The diagnosis of stomach cancer hit him like a ton of bricks, but he tackled the battle with determination, undergoing surgery and rounds of chemotherapy so he could see his youngest children, Januaria and Rogelio, being born. After months of grueling treatment, he was declared to have gone into remission, only to face devastation once more when a routine check-up two years later revealed the cancer had returned, this time with a vengeance. To say that things weren't looking good for him would be an understatement. Nevertheless, he was determined to beat it just like he'd done last time. After all, he'd managed to overcome health challenges time and time again. He figured that surely, this time around, it would be no different. As it would soon turn out, he couldn't be more wrong.

Now here he was, having just entered two years of hospice care. He could only endure so much treatment before it became obvious that he wasn't going to beat the cancer. As such, he decided that he needed to get his affairs in order before he shed his mortal coil, starting by stepping down as world dictator so Keiko could assume the position early. He entrusted his oldest child with the task of running the world in his absence and promised to remain by her side and support her in any way possible. He also set up a trust fund for Keiko to ensure financial security for her and her family.

After Swannilda had been briefed on everything, she decided to come with Keiko and the rest of her immediate family. That way, she could say her proper goodbyes to her grandfather before he was to pass away. She knew that this would be her only chance to do so, so she had to make it count. She couldn't shake that feeling of helplessness that lingered with her as she watched her grandfather's health decline over the years. Despite the miraculous circumstances of her own survival, she knew that some battles, like his with cancer, were beyond anyone's control. She decided that she was going to cherish every moment she had left with him; knowing that soon, he would cease to exist in the here and now, and he would live on as a cherished memory.

First things first, though, Keiko had to knock on the door to Eddie and Daniel's bedroom.

"Who is it?" Eddie called out from behind the door.

"It's us, Dad," Keiko responded. "The family and I are here to see you."

Eddie paused for a few seconds. "Come on in, Keiko."

Without hesitation, Keiko made her way inside, with Daiana and three of their children following right behind them. Swannilda couldn't help herself, but at her moment, she could feel her heart break as she saw him lying there on his deathbed. Despite only being fifty-four years old, Eddie looked much older, undoubtedly due to how much the cancer had taken a toll on his body. She couldn't help but reflect on the strength and resilience he had instilled in her during her life thus far. She remembered all the stories he had shared about overcoming his own hardships, and how they had inspired her to persevere through her own challenges.

Swannilda just shook her head. "God, I can't be...lieve any...one would die this way."

Eddie gave a soft chuckle. "Me neither, but such is life."

"I don't want you to go."

"I wish I didn't have to go, either, but look at it this way. When this is all over, I won't have to suffer anymore. Plus, I'll finally be reunited with Mom and Dad. It's been so long since I've seen them."

Swannilda didn't say anything else after that, not knowing what else she could say at this moment. She didn't like to talk much anyway, not least because it took more effort for her to speak than it did for the rest of her family. It wasn't like there was much the family could actually say in this moment that hadn't already been said, though... at least, she didn't think there was. Eddie's terminal cancer had cast a heavy shadow over the whole family, affecting everyone in different ways. Despite how young she still was, Swannilda could feel the weight of the situation deeply and it often led to wondering about her mortality. Everyone else struggled to maintain a semblance of normalcy for their sake while also supporting Daniel through this difficult time in his life. This was all just so much to take in, even for them.

Keiko lowered herself so that her face was level with Eddie's, her voice trembling. "I still can't believe you stepped down for me, Dad. I mean, I never imagined taking over from you so soon, not like this anyway." 

Eddie smiled weakly, reaching for her hand. "I know it's a lot, Keiko, but you're ready. You've got the strength and the wisdom to lead us into brighter futures ahead. My time is ending, and I need you to carry on and finish what I started." 

Tears welled up in Keiko's eyes. "I just wish I could do something to save you, Dad." 

Eddie squeezed her hand gently. "I know, but you've already done more than enough just by being here. Remember, you'll always have me with you, guiding you in spirit."

Keiko proceeded to just sigh and let the tears that had been building up cascade down her face. "How am I supposed to do it without you, though? How am I supposed to handle everything when you're no longer with us?"

"I don't know, but you'll figure it out. You always have. If I could do that after your grandparents died, you can too."

"Thanks, Dad. I love you."

"I love you too."

Keiko wrapped her arms tightly around Eddie, her tears soaking into his white T-shirt as his breathing began to slow. Her wife knelt beside her, gently rubbing her back, while Swannilda and the twins huddled close, offering up their hands as comfort. As Eddie took his final breath, Keiko felt an overwhelming wave of grief but also a profound sense of love, knowing that her father's legacy would live on through her and their family. No matter what happened next, one thing was for certain: she wasn't going to let him down.

As if in the blink of an eye, it was soon time to hold a funeral for Eddie, the world dictator who abdicated so Keiko could get a headstart on her duties. None of this still felt real, not even as she was paying a visit to her father's casket up close while it was lying in state inside the White House. No matter how many times she'd tried to convince herself otherwise, she'd never been ready for him to go, especially not like this. She knew that the rest of the family felt the same way, as did Daniel. Speaking of which, she couldn't help but feel bad for him. As if his new husband being diagnosed with stomach cancer right after they married wasn't bad enough, Daniel also had to bear the burden of being pregnant with twins while sticking with their father through months of grueling treatment.

Meanwhile, Maddie and Ethan took turns comforting each other and getting a good look at their younger brother’s casket. They also leaned on their families for support, with their respective spouses providing the most of it. Ethan was especially affected by the sight of Eddie's body, and he broke down into tears right into Xenobia's shoulder. It didn't seem right that he and Maddie had to outlive their brother, especially like this. How could fate be so cruel, so nasty towards someone so young? How could fate do this to someone who was about to reach the best years of his rule? How could fate just... do this?

Much as Ethan wanted to wax poetic about this new reality, both internally and out loud, he knew that it was no use. Better time could be spent reflecting on the impact Eddie left on the world instead of bemoaning what could've been. Sensing his pain, Xenobia took him by the hand and led him away. Maddie and Ziggy followed behind, comforting him the whole way.

"Jesus, this hurts so much," Ethan moaned as he fought to hold back the tears.

Xenobia wrapped her arms tightly around Ethan, offering a steady presence amidst his turmoil. "I know, but it'll be okay. At least he’s in a better place now."

Her gentle whispers of reassurance and the warmth of her embrace helped to soothe his aching heart. She stroked his back softly, reminding him that he wasn't alone in his grief and that they would face this heartbreak together.

As this was all going on, Keiko was currently in the midst of a conversation she was having with Mariko and her husband Piscynex II regarding where they currently were in their lives. While Keiko was discussing how she was slowly adjusting to her new reality as world dictator, Mariko and Piscynex II were keeping her up to date on what their numerous children were up to, as well as how things were progressing aboard their Ultraprison-designated cruise ship.

Keiko shook her head in amusing disbelief. "My goodness, it sounds like you two have got it made."

"We sure do," Mariko replied with a small laugh.

"Balancing our responsibilities has been quite the adventure," Piscynex II admitted. "We've found that clear communication and setting aside dedicated family time are key to maintaining harmony." 

Mariko nodded in agreement, adding, "Having a structured routine helps us stay organized and ensures that each of our children feels supported and loved."

Keiko just nodded. As envious as she felt about her sister at times, she ultimately had to admit that she was happy for her and her husband. How could she not be? After what had happened to Mariko all those years ago, things seemed to have gone exceptionally well in her favor. For one, Mariko had found love in an Atlantean prince, who also happened to be the brother of the Atlantean princess who sacrificed her life to save hers. Second, Mariko got an Ultraprison that was all unique and all hers, one that she and her brood could manage for years to come as they traversed through every sea and every ocean the planet had to offer. And third... well, there was absolutely no shortage of children Mariko could pass the cruise ship off to if and when it was time for them to assume responsibility of it. Keiko could sort of relate herself, except she and Daiana had already decided that Raphael would assume the position of world dictator when they were gone. He was already old enough to do so, so it wasn't exactly rocket science.

Speaking of Raphael, Keiko had been so busy talking with Mariko and Piscynex II that she didn't even notice that her oldest child and his wife were right behind her until she felt him place his hand on her shoulder.

Keiko slightly jumped at his touch. "Raphael! Don't do that!"

Raphael sheepishly chuckled. "Sorry! I just wanted to make sure you knew Cecyleah and I were here."

Keiko placed a hand over her heart and sighed. "It's alright, son. Just don't do that ever again, okay?"

"Okay."

"Good. So..." Keiko quickly turned around to face him and Cecyleah. "Where are my grandbabies? Did you leave them with Jailbot X or one of the other robots around here?"

"Nah, we left them with Bartoloméia and Deiveson," Cecyleah replied. "They're actually pretty good with kids."

"Yeah, that sounds about right."

"So you want us to bring the babies to you?"

Keiko nodded. "Yeah, I'd like that very much."

Cecyleah nodded back. "Alright, we'll be right back. Stay there."

With that, Raphael and Cecyleah disappeared to retrieve their newborn twins, leaving Keiko alone with her thoughts. She had no idea how anyone could sustain their will to live after losing even one of their parents; and yet, here she was, still standing after having just lost her father. The grief was still fresh, a dull ache in her chest that seemed to intensify in quiet moments like this one. She had a feeling that that sort of pain would never go away. She'd just have to find a way to deal with it instead. Yet, amidst all the sorrow and bittersweet regrets, there was a sense of resilience that surprised her, a reminder of the strength that her father had instilled in her growing up. As she waited for Raphael and Cecyleah to come back with her grandchildren, Keiko found solace in knowing that life continued, and with it, the legacy of her family.

Eventually, Raphael and Cecyleah came back with the tiny infants nestled in their arms. Keiko couldn't help but tear up a little when she saw them. Memories of when Daiana was pregnant with Deistyni and Óxilo seven years ago soon came flooding back to her, as she saw just how tiny her grandchildren were and just how much they resembled their parents. The boy, Rudolph, seemed to take more after his father so far; with wisps of dark hair sprouting off his head and equally dark eyes. Same with the girl, Mary, actually; but she also seemed to have inherited her mother's features. It was hard to tell. In any case, it seemed as though that the Warden genes had won out over the Jones genes. 

It seemed like just yesterday that Mary and Rudolph were still inside Cecyleah's womb, jostling for space and kicking each other like they were engaging in a football match. Keiko could even recall how, just before Raphael and Cecyleah had labor induced so Eddie could meet them before dying, she'd felt the babies wiggling around beneath her palm while Cecyleah joked about how they were trying to claw their way out of her.

"Mom!" Raphael called out to Keiko.

It was enough to snap Keiko back to reality. "Oh! Uh, what is it, son?"

"Do you want to hold them?"

Keiko nervously stuttered for a moment, unsure how to respond.

"Here." Raphael gingerly placed Rudolph into Keiko's arms. "Maybe this will help."

After watching Raphael adjust Keiko's arms to hold their son more securely, Cecyleah took this as a cue to slide Mary in alongside her brother. Soon, Keiko found herself overwhelmed as she held both babies in her arms, and she started crying.

"Mom!" Raphael gasped out of concern. "Mom, what's wrong?"

Keiko couldn't respond even if she wanted to. She just cried.

"Keiko, don't cry," Cecyleah chimed in. "She'll be right. I know heaps have been happening around here, but you're gonna be okay."

After a few more seconds of crying, Keiko calmed down long enough to articulate herself, mostly for Mary and Rudolph's sakes. "This is just... so much for me to handle. Just taking over as the dictator of the world, my oldest baby having babies, losing Daddy to cancer, and now..." She took a deep breath and composed herself once more. "Well, I guess there's nothing I can do now except stay focused and keep going."

"I know this year hasn't been easy, Mom," Raphael said. "But think of it this way. You're already ushering in a new era, not just for us but for our whole planet. Grandpa's reign may be over now, but yours is just starting."

"Thanks, son. You have no idea how much I needed to hear that."

"No problem. Life can knock us down sometimes, but we always have to pick ourselves up. And if we can't, that's okay, too. We'll always be there for each other, right, Cecyleah?"

Cecyleah nodded. "Exactly. If there's absolutely one thing Raph and I can be certain of in this world, it's that we can always count on our loved ones to have our backs."

Keiko had to choke back some tears before she could say something again. "T-Thanks so much. I needed this more than you'll ever know."

"No problem, mate. I know you'll be a great leader."

Keiko just smiled after that, still choking back tears and basking in the assurances of confidence her son and daughter-in-law had just showered upon her. The world was hers now. Just as she'd been certain about it when her father died, she was certain about it now: she wasn't going to let him down.