The door closed quickly behind them and they were left in the rubbled remains of their enemy. Tyra looked at the key reverently and audibly purred with approval.

Kitsune smiled a little sadly to herself as she considered the key in her hand. "It doesn't look like all that much to have had people die for it, does it?"

She shook her head at the thought, then refocused back on the business at hand. She was starting to get hungry, for instance, and the thought of a bathroom was definitely becoming an attraction to her. "All right, then. It's time to return to our friends the Fex, and then... we have to get some planning done. Jean-Louis awaits as well."

"No, it doesn't," Dylan replied. He started to feel the beginnings of exhaustion creep into his body. He had flown long and hard to get to Denver, only to get yanked to God-knows-where and away from Anna. He wasn't looking forward to what the night would hold for him. The first nights were always the worst. The most vivid. In the past, however, she had always been there. In the past, he had never encountered emotions like he had with the creature. He was not looking towards tonight at all.

"So few things are," agreed Aodh, surveying the wreckage and picking up interesting bits of salvage to study in greater detail.

"There are a number of incongruities from that encounter that will require me to re-evaluate my current working theory, and address refinements. And we still have to face at least three other prospects before we can go home," the scientist pointed out, seemingly more energized than before the combat.

"At the very least," Kitsune replied. "That only takes the keys into account. We've also got the other Ambers to deal with, perhaps, and the various warnings. We'll have a chance to review those when we get back with the Fex, I think. They might have a bit more information, or at least I hope so. But it's too bad that Jean-Louis isn't going to be able to deal for the hat."

Kitsune walked along with the rest of the group as they headed back toward the Fex and their 'bridge'. In many ways, their work had just begun, and considering how badly everyone was reacting to things, this did not bode well for any of them. She sighed and looked at the men with her, and tried to measure them and to figure out just what their next step would be, and what place they would find for themselves.

The Black Cat walked easily along next to the Tyra of the Fex, and their gates matched, in spite of the difference in the species' anatomy. "Tyra," he drawled out in his own lazy French, "I must confer briefly with my own crew back in the lobby that was our entry to this madhouse. We look forward to joining you in the area that appears to be your ship, with your kind permission, afterwards. I assure you we have no intention of progressing any further through this house or the mysteries it contains without your counsel. Ca va bien?"

Tyra's face creased with concern at his request, "Do be careful." She purred. "Please bring the key with you, it will be a reason for our people to celebrate."

Kitsune watched the translation float in her field of vision, and frowned faintly at that. This bothered her for reasons she would have a hard time explaining, even to herself, but it was something she thought she would have to keep an eye on.

Dylan drifted in the air as he followed the others out of the chamber and back to the Hall of Mirrors. He felt drained. Exhausted. He looked at those that survived the battle and wondered more about them than he had before. He felt alone, more alone than he had in a long time. He drifted out ahead of the rest and landed in front of them. He then lifted his hand to his mask and pulled it back over his head to reveal the attractive face of a 17 year-old young man.

"Dylan," he told them. "My name is Dylan Hayes."

They could all see the haunted look in his eyes that would appear at the same time they felt the presence of something alien through the mindlink they all shared.

"I...I just thought you should know who I am."

"A pleasure to meet you, Dylan-san." Kitsune smiled in her voice at some hidden joke. "My given name is Hayase Misa, or just Misa in America."

"You don't look well, Dylan. Did that .. thing.. " referring to the Brain Collector, "do something to you?" asked Aodh. He looked the boy up and down, checking his gait and visually inspecting the rest of those about him, appraislingly.

"Actually, it was I who did something. It's an unfortunate side-effect of my connection with the alien. It will pass...in time." In about a week depending on how time actually works in this place..

"And it seems we will have some of that, although I have no idea how time works here." Kitsune considered the notion, frowning to herself. "Does anyone know how much time has elapsed?"

"We're apparently within a causal chronal paradox, and it is experiencing infarct due no doubt to the fact that it's crashing through a non-M-brane approaching the limit of a Platonic Dual. The passage of time here can best be described in layman's terms as Murphy's Law meets a broken alarm clock, if any of my theories prove even approximately accurate," opined the Bostonian.

"Though I suspect you'd subjectively call it late evening," Aodh added, as an afterthought.

"Thank you, Hugh-sensei," Kitsune replied drily. She did recognize it as a coping mechanism on the part of the big scientist, and she forgave him the tendency toward sesquipedalian loquaciousness. But, she reflected, it would be nice to have a conversation with him that didn't have me wanting to give him either the Vulcan hand sign or the Vulcan neck pinch.

Kitsune glanced worriedly at Black Cat and Nimbus, both seemingly lost in their own thoughts. I should count my blessings, though. At least Hugh-sensei is willing to talk. I wonder what's going through Neko-san's mind here? He's been awfully quiet since... well, before the Brain Controller surrendered. Could he be bothered by the fact that I took charge of things, and that the Brain Controller apparently surrendered to me? Could his ego have been bruised by that?

The young woman sighed, I hope not, and I pray those concerns are unjust. He seemed so nice, earlier, so mannerly and... powerful. I had my hopes, and I still do, but I wish.... I just wish that he'd talk to me. Kitsune flushed a little as her thoughts turned toward the powerful Italian. All right... and maybe more than just... talked. But I don't think this is yet the time and place for that. Still, I wonder if he would be a good kisser...

Kitsune shook her head at that, trying to dispell the image, while they made their way to the "Bridge" of their Fex friends.

Dylan looked out across the group. "I am going to drop the link, for now, unless any of you have need for it to remain for the time being. "

Kitsune shook her head, "No, I think this is a good time to relax a little bit, Dylan-san."

Dylan then severed the link and allowed his mind to drift until it settled on Anna. She was his focus, which was ironic considering how they met and how he had come to take care of her. But just like any other seventeen year old, his mind quickly shifted to more pressing matters.

"Holy shit could I go for a burger and fries about now," he said as the first pangs of hunger creeped on him. "Do we have anything to eat around here?"

Kitsune laughed softly, "I think that's something we'll talk over with the Fex here. They have to have some place to get food, themselves. But we were warned about the dining room across from Richard-dono's rooms, and we were also warned not to accept food from ghosts. So... we're going to have to be cautious here, I think."

"I am sure they do, but eating a can of Friskies just doesn't seem so appetizing." Dylan laughed himself, and it actually felt good to let go of the darkness and tension he had held within him since his arrival.

"And roger-that on the food-warning, Misa" he replied to Kitsune. "Burger Ghost is definitely off the menu today."

Kitsune smiled, not at all bothered by the insult that Dylan offered her. But then again, she had lived in America all of her life, so she understood that he wouldn't recognize that his casual familiarity could be seen that way. "Somehow, I can't see any of the Fex digging into a bowl of Meow Mix or Tender Vittles. They'd be able to read the label, if nothing else. Who'd willing eat meat by-products, well, aside from hot dogs."

"Unfortunately, I have no way to determine the safety of anything you may ingest here," said Aodh. "It would be consistent with the theory for the most part that anything that looks like food ought to provide nourishment. I believe the Fex are provided for, and that since our arrival, arrangements by the Ambers are likely to have been made for your needs. Richard's warnings, however, are no doubt accurate, as has been said by Kitsu.. uhm, what do you prefer to be called? Ms. or Miss or Mrs. or whatnot?"

Kitsune inhaled as if to speak, but then stopped as she noticed Black Cat opening his mouth.

"I have been wondering all of the same things," the Black Cat added soberly, ignoring for once in his life the details of how to address the delicious well armored girl. "How do we know what the Fex have been eating, and how do you intend to find out?" He directed this question at no one in particular. "We can ask, but not everything is ever what it seems, and cats are not candid creatures. Can we trust what they might say? Sweet Mary, what about Grinning Shadow? If they intended him to be done in, that will surely have happened already. We cannot eat what ghosts serve us, and we cannot eat from the feast in the other room - what does that leave? Who here is not a ghost? Isobel floats, if you had not seen, and by rights every Amber has been dead for centuries. Who is not a ghost? We must find some Amber light to stay in for the night. I am open to dining suggestions." He was clearly bothered, and greatly. The experience of the past hours drove home to him the alien nature of this house, and the coming trio of challenges of starvation, exhaustion, and madness weighed on him. This would take more than luck, and there was little investigating to do that might not lead to a literal dead end.

"Our floating benefactress," observed the scientist from Boston, "uses a levitation platform of some sort. I hope to examine it, since it might give clues about the technology. Of the Ambers, she is likely to be one of the most nearly original, I think... though that is purely speculative. I wish I could offer you my means of sustenance, but I'm afraid that would be terribly risky and rather irreversible, if it did work."

"There is no use wishing for the impossible, or else we would just wish ourselves back home, yes?" Kitsune exhaled, then nodded her head. "And the Fex appear to be cat-like in appearance, but just because they resemble anthropomorphic house cats doesn't mean we should treat them like either cats or humans. They are people, and so far they have been trustworthy people. It is best to continue that relationship, I think."

That, and I do have this translator, at least at the moment, but I haven't mentioned it aloud. The Fex do not seem to be untrustworthy, I think. The captain seems to be very kind, in fact. Kitsune set aside those thoughts, then continued.

"Hugh-sensei, my first preference would be to be addressed as either Kitsune-san, or Misa-san, depending if I were in costume or in civilian attire. But I've lived in California for almost my entire life, so I'm used to gaikokujin calling me either 'Misa' or 'Kitsune'. So I won't be insulted if you address me that way. I'm very used to how Americans and others communicate."

Kitsune smiled easily, "If you wished to use Western honorifics, then either Miss or Ms. would apply. I'm not married, but you don't need to go that far, as I said."

Dylan was too confused by something to try and decipher the ramblings of High or Kitsune. He couldn't put his finger on it until he started to retrace the events. Burger?!?!?! BURGER?!?!?!, he thought to himself. I don't eat meat. What the hell? Dylan's mind recoiled at the strength of the brain-collector's will. The emotional link was so alien, so foreign, that it had triggered some responses that Dylan was strugling to cope with at the moment.

"We're lucky, then, that you're here, Misa-san," replied the scientist. "Between you and Black Cat, we've got manners covered. Which I imagine, given the formulaic-gestaltic paradigm postulate, will make a great deal of difference. We've also got to face the Philosopher's Axe. No matter how repaired it becomes, will this vehicle still be capable of safe navigation, with so much of its original structure replaced?"

Black Cat took the lead as they walked, stopping as they arrived at the door to the Fex's domain. Vincenzo looked at Tyra, looked her over, even, with eyes that were just the slightest bit hungry, eyes practiced in the art of devouring a woman with a glance. Behind them, he was concerned. He had matters to discuss with his new friends if they were to survive the night. He ushered them gently toward the foyer where they had awoken an unknowable time earlier.

Tyra watched as they departed but made no move to follow them.

Kitsune frowned behind her mask, but none of that came through her armored exterior. She glanced at Tyra and shrugged, not pleased by this, but at this point she didn't really see much of an option. "We will be back soon, and we have cause to celebrate, although there is also cause to mourn as well." Kitsune held up the key, not having relinquished it to anyone, and honestly considering whether she should ever let it out of her sight.

After Black Cat translated Kitsune's words, the Fex bowed her head in apology. "Of course, that was insensitive of me." Misa's visor translated the words as they were spoken.

The look that Black Cat exchanged with the felinoid officer bothered her as well. Could she have misjudged Black Cat, perhaps, or perhaps let her hopes toward an end to loneliness tinge her thinking? Just who is the real man here? She sighed quietly to herself while she followed the rest. Dear God, I wish I knew. Am I listening to my heart here, or is my motivation somewhat... lower? And are any of them laughing at me? The small warrior held her peace until they were at the foyer, and waited for Black Cat to speak his mind.

But instead of the Italian's smooth voice, a low moan and unsteady footfalls were the next sounds to penetrate the Castle's eerie stillness as a man in blue stumbled out of the foyer. The confusion on his face escalated to momentary panic as he spied the group of heroes. He took a step backwards and used the threshold to steady himself. "Kise ne ek neelaa sash dekha?" he said weakly. Trying to get a hold of himself, he tugged on his long, ornately embroidered coat and ran a caramel colored hand through his dark, tousled hair. Brown eyes focused on the group as he asked , "Tum conse shoot ke saath ho?" He sounded a bit more confident this time, but he sagged against the wall as his eyes fell on Blitz.

"kzzzztzVhat?"Blitz shook his head as he spoke, sending a small shower of harmless electricity falling to the ground.

Turning toward the new arrival, the big Bostonian with the bag of robot bits observed, "It looks like my jacket will have to wait a moment to be recovered," as he moved closer to the man with the embroidered coat.

The barrel-chested scientist asked the late arrival, "I don't suppose you speak English? And if not, reassuring you that Blitz there is a famous superhero won't go far, nor that far more curious sights await," as he put one beefy hand out, palm open, as to shake the man's hand in greeting. "Call me Aodh."

Kitsune sighed quietly, then shook her head. "It appears that the Author's found a replacement for Tapestry. Wonderful."

"Uh, hi," came the tentative reply. Choosing a language is easier than choosing the words when you don't know where you are or how you got there. "I'm Ashutosh," he continued, surrendering his hand to the taller man. "I speak English rather well," he added after an expectant pause, exaggerating his English accent for the benefit of the stroppy, American-sounding girl. Tsk, be nice, he thought to himself, and smiled in her direction. Always be nice to the crew, someone had once told him. It doesn't cost you anything, and you never know how it might pay off. He'd wanted to reply that you could just be nice for the sake of being nice, but...

But his thoughts were skittering away from the alarming fact that he'd had some kind of blackout or episode. Neil babu, you were right, I'll stop drinking. His stomach lurched again. Stay cool, stay cool. They're staring at you. Never let anyone think you don't belong. Just make a graceful exit

"Is there a bathroom in this Roshan-meets-Bhansali monstrosity?"

The small woman in the full plate armor performed a graceful bow to the new arrival. "Domo arigato, Ashutosh-san" Her accent placed her as primarily Californian, but there were elements of Tokyo as well. "And that is a very good question that I do not yet have an answer to. I would welcome you to the Chateau d'Amberville, but I suspect you are just as much a prisoner here as we are." The sense of a sad smile seemed to radiate from the armored figure.

"We have banded together in order to find a way out of here, and we believe we are making progress. I am known as Kitsune, and these are Aodh, Black Cat, Nocturne, and Blitz. May I ask what you recall before your arrival here?"

Ashutosh turned to the woman and, noting her formality, murmured, "Shukriyaa, Kitsuneji." He nodded and managed a smile for each of the strangers as she introduced them. Another stab of panic shot through him as he realized how vague his recent memories were.

"You are welcome, Ashutosh-san." Kitsune nodded her head and regarded him for a moment, while the others spoke their piece.

Dylan looked at the newcomer and nodded. "It might seem odd to bid welcome to someone in this venue, but welcome just the same. I am Dylan Hayes, but I go by the name Nocturne."

"And," said Aodh, relaxing his grip after a practical, firm handshake, "if you feel the urge to run away due to what must be our woeful appearance," as he looked himself over, bits of smashed droideka festooning him like tinsel, no less so most of the others, too, "we've been warned not to accept food from ghosts, nor to eat in the dining room," which he pointed at the door of with his thumb over one large shoulder, "nor to sleep except under amber colored light. You'll want to avoid the room at the far end of the hall on the right, we've just come from it, it's a death trap, and I'm told we wouldn't want to be in the forest on our own. The Fex," he gestured toward the felinoid Tyra, "mostly speak French, and are from space. Stop me if I'm going too fast."

"Welcome to Bedlam," the Black Cat said, smiling wanly at the unbelievable travel guide Aodh was providing. "If you are mostly human and not yet dead you are in good company. If you thought to bring food and perhaps a water closet, you will be a true godsend. We could all use full stomachs and a little privacy to wash up, but alas our hostess has not been too accommodating. It has been an ... interesting night."

Ashutosh shook his head, as if he could physically brush away the mental cobwebs. "I'm not sure how I got here," he admitted. "The last thing I remember is this weird letch asking me my sign." He frowned. "No, that's not right. I was walking to my trailer and a strange man was waiting for me. He called himself Capricorn and said, 'I have found you at last, Aquarius!' Very filmi, very dramatic. Then...he was a superhuman. He just made a gesture and I couldn't move."

Ashutosh swallowed. This situation was far too intricate and bizarre to be a prank. He seemed to have wandered into a surreal videogame. None of this could be really happening, but the memories were vivid, crystal clear. Could you be nauseous in a dream? "He waved his hands, like...like a wizard casting a spell or something. Everything got spinny and dim. Then this, ah, Capricorn, got a surprised look on his face and it felt like I was being torn apart. And I woke up in there."

"So, this happened to all of you as well?"

"Trailer? Actor?" asked Aodh deductively, pointing at Ashutosh's garb. "The same thing did not exactly happen in our case, but your evidence is consistent with the theory. We're in a Platonic Projection space, it's been seriously damaged and apparently is trying to repair itself by summoning replacement parts from alternate dimensions. It's been like this probably for hundreds or thousands of subjective years, and there's some serious mental instability among the long-lived occupants due either to their engineered roles in the machinery that maintains this vessel or to the isolation of the vessel." he indicated the castle about them with a gesture. "We're cut off, the environment outside the doors and windows is toxic. Most of the replacement parts," he indicated by a similar wave of his hand the small group collected as samples of that category, "do not integrate successfully, and are either killed in conflict or succumb to the food. Did this Capricorn arrive with you? Is there anyone else in the foyer?"

Ashu's eyebrows twitched at another info dump, and his eyes flickered towards the others. Am I the only one, he wondered, who doesn't understand any of this? He latched on to the few things in the big man's recitation that made any sense.

"I don't know what happened to Capricorn, but there's no one in there," he replied, jerking his head towards the foyer. "And yes, I'm an actor, but I don't know why anyone would want to kidnap me. I'm not very famous." Looking across their fair faces (the ones he could see, anyway) he added with forced joviality, "Unless you're unfamiliar with Hindi cinema. In that case, you can assume I'm Bollywood Superstar Number One."

Ashu punctuated the last four words with a few repetitions of a dance move that had once been famously described as "patting a dog with one hand while changing a lightbulb with the other." He knew he was acting like an idiot, but it was better than screaming. This whole situation is crazy. Might as well go with it and hope I wake up soon.

Kitsune sighed and shook her head, "Hugh-sensei, I think you've managed to confuse the poor man even further. Although... I must admit to being a little disturbed by the coincidence."

Kitsune regarded the man carefully, then continued, "So, Ashutosh-san, I need to ask. From what you've implied, you're not 'superhuman', or at least you don't believe that you are? Do you have trouble associating with superhumans?"

"What coincidence?" Ashutosh asked nervously.

"There was another actor here, until very recently. I believe he was an actor, in any event. An actor and a hero." The Black Cat's voice was somber enough that the ingenue could guess the other actor's means of egress. "Please, tell us that you are more than a song and dance man."

"Though superhumanity is a relative thing," Aodh said. "Your entire dimension may be superhuman, relative to ours. Or what the castle needs may have nothing to do with superhuman abilities at all."

"His 'dimension' is Earth, Hugh-sensei, or at least a Earth." Kitsune said softly. "I'm no expert of Indian cinema, but I've heard of 'Bollywood' at least." The sense of a gentle smile again seemed to hover over the woman. "Scream wasn't the only film my girlfriends and I would watch, after all, when we'd get together for a girl's night in."

Kitsune returned her attention to the new arrival, "I agree with Neko-san, though. I hope you have skills and talents geared to survival, since this is a very dangerous place. We were seven, when we arrived, but one of our number is recovering from his wounds, while the other... Neko-san alluded to. He no longer has any worries at all."

Worries? What an odd way to phrase that someone died. "Please don't let any of us confuse you," Dylan said to the newcomer. Dylan looked about seventeen years old, definitely younger than any others in the group. "It might take you a little getting used to, but we are from 21st Century Earth as well. Ashu might have detected a slight New York accent to Dylan's voice as the kid spoke to him.

Ashutosh tried to smile at Dylan, who seemed the closest to normal among this bunch. But under the overwhelming flood of information, he was struggling to maintain the line between fear and hysteria.

"Dead?" he squeaked. "Dead?! You're telling me you've been held prisoner here, and one of you died, and I'm the replacement? But I'm not - I can't - I'm not a superhero, okay?" His heart was pounding and the room was spinning. "If you're superheroes or whatever, shouldn't you be getting us out of here? I'm in the wrong movie and I want out." He slid down the wall until his butt hit the floor, burying his face in his hands. Is this what if feels like to hyperventilate? I don't care, just bring out someone to say I've been punked and reveal the hidden cameras.

"Yes. One of us has died already. We're not doing as well, it appears, as some of the previous guests of the castle, but better than others at this rate. At least, so far," Aodh told.

"Actually, Hugh-sensei, I would have to disagree. We are doing much better than everyone else who has arrived so far. Just... not as well as we would like." Kitsune shook her head at that, and smiled sadly within her helm. "After all, we did successfully negotiate with the droideka, and we have their Key now."

The bulky Bostonian approached Ashutosh, plunked down beside him, and explained, "You see, although we all appear to be from the same, or similar, dimensions -- which is not in itself remarkable, the Fex all came together and there had originally been many of them -- this place, in specific this structure, seems to have been built to manipulate dimensions, time, space and more, or so I surmise. The inventors ecclectically collect more and more ideal versions of some reality of its creators' choosing, apparently to try to drive the whole engine to more and more perfect dimensions. A sort of Tower of Babel, really, it's a doomed enterprise, mathematically. Which may be why when pirates infiltrated, they set this space whirling out of control and crashing. The engine is damaged, and is calling out to people to replace the ones destroyed or marooned in the original event. See? Simple, really."

In spite of himself, Ashutosh smiled at the Bostonian's clumsy attempt at giving comfort. He patted the big man's shoulder awkwardly and tried to compose himself.

"Simple in theory, perhaps, but it's the application that tends to be so worrying, and so dangerous." Kitsune placed her hands on her hips, and considered matters. "But we have struck you with quite a bit of information, Ashutosh-san, and you are also here." She shrugged and shook her head again. "So, what skills and talents do you bring with you?"

Ashu gazed up at Kitsune wearily. "I doubt I have any skills that will be useful. But I'm...how did Mr. Cat put it? I'm mostly human." He sighed. The wooziness from whatever Capricorn had done to him lingered. Sitting felt nice. He'd like to just keep sitting. You're supposed to be able to make a good impression on anyone, he chided himself. He awkardly drew himself to his feet. Align the spine, shoulders relaxed, deep breath, eye contact, secret smile.

"I'm not a superhero, but I have a sort of superpower," Ashutosh continued. "It's weedy, and it doesn't always work, but maybe that's why I am here." He raised his right arm and pointed to the side. His hand seemed to distort, as if seen from underwater, and a gout of water burst from nowhere to splash onto the floor. Ashu blinked and shook his head. Either adrenaline or nausea was good for superpowers; it usually took a lot more concentration to make something happen.

"I told you it wasn't up to much," he sighed.

Aodh's eyebrows shoot up at the demonstration. "Intriguing. Hence the appelative, 'Aquarius', obviously. Seeming spontaneous creation of what appears to be water. Quite intriging."

Standing up, the scientist is reminded, "And speaking of making water, several of you were seeking facilities for biological necessities? What is that in French?"

"Neko-san would know, Hugh-sensei, although it's not quite pressing at the moment." Kitsune smiled and shrugged, "At least for me, at the moment. Well, we have an answer, then. I'm not sure what your abilities will do for this place, Ashutosh-san, but this is going to be interesting. And not in a good way."

Ashu watched the conversation with a sense of disappointment. The secret of almost ten years had been revealed to a distinct anti-climax, and now he felt like a hanger-on at an A-list party.

"I'll do what I can to help, " he said, "even if it's just not get in your way. Shouldn't we be looking for an exit? I'm probably due back on the set by now."

Kitsune spoke gently, attempting to soothe the new arrival. "I'm certain you will find ways to help, definitely. Not all of our encounters will involve smashing up refugee robots from The Phantom Menace, I'm certain. I am not skilled in things like diplomacy, or, honestly, much of anything aside from a few gifts from the Four Gods and innate abilities." Kitsune shrugged as if it were no real matter to be able to dish out and take powerful hits as she did earlier.

"We are working on the problem of getting out of here, of course. We have an alliance with the Fex, as was mentioned, and they appear as anthropomorphic house cats. They were the crew of a starship, and they are much diminished in number, from attrition over what we estimate was about sixty years of time to them. But they do not look aged, as far as I can tell. Hugh-sensei has his theories on that as well, but I didn't even graduate high school properly, so they are well and beyond me."

"At the moment, Neko-san planned for us to have a strategy session, when you arrived. We've obtained one of our objectives to leaving this place," Kitsune held up the key claimed from the Brain Collector. "So now we need to work out things like logistics, having mentioned the troubles with food and sleep."

Kitsune turned to their 'captain', "Neko-san?"

"Perhaps what is needed is an actor, and this nightmare simply has a preference for picking poor unfortunate souls who are also super powered," the Black Cat remarked dryly. "The word for bathroom is Vay-say," he added, inflecting the French lightly, "but it is a modern word, an abbreviation of an abbreviation of an English word that post-dates indoor plumbing. We could ask for an Oubliette, but we this whole castle serves that function."He gestured to the walls as he spoke, pausing to frown at the tapestries.

"As for planning, I'm open to ideas," the Black Cat continued. "A room by room search of this place will not be survived. We need to be smart about this. We are outmatched in terms of brute force, I think. After we speak with Jean Louis, we may need to find some way to bring this to a head with all due haste."

Vincenzo turned to Nocturne. "I know you are frightened, and need to feel some connection to the rest of us. The only reason we may need to know your true identity is so that we may notify your next of kin, and I think you know that. Don't plan on dying, I don't intend to allow it. Later, you will be grateful for whatever anonymity you hold. Your family still depends on your secrets, even here."

"Frightened? I am no more frightened than anyone else. I did want to feel some connection other than we are meat for the grinder. I don't plan on dying. Thanks for your concern, but discount me.

The mention of family had Misa pause a moment to assess. With her appearance and her name, she would be very traceable, but she hadn't spoken with her family nor even seen then in about three years. Not since the day she transformed into her current appearance. "A lot of planning will have to wait until we speak with Jean-Louis, and have some idea of what is going on here. We're still only guessing, after all. What will be important will be food, water, waste, and rest."

Kitsune turned to take in the rest of the group. "For that, the Fex will be a resource. I believe that they are trustworthy, albeit a bit alien in their mindset. That's only natural, after all, but I am willing to trust them, at least until we find some conflicting evidence. They have managed to live her for a long time, and their 'ship' is not a disaster area. It seemed rather pleasant, I thought. So, solutions exist, and we merely have to ask what they are."

"The logical outcome is that our first business is to introduce our Aquarius, with your permission," Aodh said, turning toward Ashutosh, "to the Fex, with every due courtesy. From there, our path to the more ancient occupants of this abode is clear. And the troll."

"Troll?" Kitsune's posture shows her puzzlement. "Did I miss something or forget?"

"kkkkkze scroll from the Fexxxxzt" Blitz reminded her as helpfully as he could.

As the conversations wound down and the combined weariness of the Heroes was evident in the dim light of their eyes they made their way to the Fex. Hoping that their hospitality would be as welcoming as Tyra made them believe. They were not disappointed.

The Fex, it seemed, had been celebrating since Tyra returned with news of the key. While most of the group couldn't understand their spoken words, they could decipher the affections of their catlike inclinations. Ashutosh was a big hit as they gathered around and welcomed the newcomer, or maybe more appropriately the new recruit. Many of the Fex women showered their attention on the men, but Aorran made it clear that she didn't need any help making Black Cat feel welcome.

That night they feasted like royalty and rested peacefully under the watchful protection of their new friends, the Fex.

Aodh, after the celebration and social exchanges with the Fex begin to wear down, retreats to the ceiling, in one leap clearing the height of the room and planting his feet, nonchalantly. He has tools, alien technology to examine, intense curiousity, and no need of sleep. During the celebration, he snuck every opportunity he could get to observe the key, taking its measure as best his limited means allow.

Dylan retreated to a place where he could relax as the weariness of the day wore him down. His eyes eventually closed as sleep took hold. It was several hours before the dream began.

Blue-gray spheroids floated in globules of amorphous matter, and the young psychic was adrift in this cosmic sea of alien topography. Arcs of power surged from one sphere to another as he passed and would occasionally jolt him with their touch.

Dylan spasmed as his body reacted to the reality of the dream.

One large sphere changed direction and hurtled through the void of space towards him. Dylan tried to maneuver himself away but was unable to get clear of the sphere's path. He turned. It turned to follow. He rose. It shifted and inched closer. Dylan looked and saw the maw begin to open as tentacles shout out and grabbed him by his ankles, then his wrists.

Dylan started to shake as the dream took hold and neared the point of merger.

Held fast, Dylan was helpless as two more tentacles shot out and gripped his head. They tore his head open as another shot forth and began to suck out his mind. The slurping sounds echoed even in the void of space as if his brain was sucked through a straw in a near empty glass of a gray-matter milkshake .

Dylan awoke screaming. "ANNA!!!!!!!" he shouted as the sweat ran down his face. His body was wracked and dripped with sweat. His eyes darted back and forth as he tried to gain understanding of where he was.

When Dylan awoke, Aodh was there, watching. It was, in subjective time, the small hours of the morning, and Dylan's scream was more than enough scientific evidence of a disturbance for the researcher. "Is it the castle? Have your psychic senses detected an attempt to alter us? Is Anna one of the Ambers?" was the Bostonian's first question. Not the most comforting bedside manner.

Dylan's expressions shifted as he sought recognition in the face of Hugh. The kid scrambled backwards, slightly, as he looked for her in the room. The room. It started to come back to him as his conscious mind regained control. Hugh saw his body relax as realization returned to Dylan.

"I...it was just a nightmare," he answered Hugh, "just a nightmare."

"Yes," agreed the scientist, turning away, striding across the ceiling after explaining, "the castle shouldn't try to alter us unless we invite it to specifically by some particular action. It wouldn't be proper etiquette. But _which_ actions are invitations.. that is a puzzle." He trails off, muttering to himself, dismantled droid parts in his hands like a Rubik's Cube, twisting and turning as he examines them. He's already forgotten Dylan. Perhaps he thinks this is some form of moral support.