A dark-green-haired woman, wearing black buttoned-up vest and white-collared Oxford shirt, with a dark blue tie in a Windsor knot, groaned, placing her hand on her head, like she did every morning. Sitting in a chair tilted toward a window with closed blinds, she looked down in her black-rimmed glasses, and cried out for her office assistant.

“Mimi, mizu? (“Mimi, some water?) ‘Tōrai! (‘Coming!)

Mimi, a lavender-haired woman, wearing a white-collared Oxford shirt over top an orange midriff, and sporting blue short shorts, fastened with a brown belt, entered the room. She hadn’t worn this outfit in a long time, not since the early 1990s, often wearing her laced pink shirt, white shirt, and tan shorts, instead. Today, she felt like bringing the style back.

She set down a metal tray with a clang on the table, complete with a few shot glasses and half-bottle of vodka, pouring herself a drink and beginning to swallow. Suddenly, she pulled in the woman by her tie, intensely kissing her, causing the alcohol to traverse down her throat. The woman coughed into her hand as she ingested the liquor.

“Ā, sā, u~okka wa Roshiago de ‘mizu' o imi suru, Rin (“Oh, come on, vodka means “water” in Russian you know, Rin.) ‘Purasu, tonikaku kore ga hoshī to omotta. (‘Plus, I figured you’d like this anyway.) ‘Anata ga tadashī to omoimasu. (‘I guess you are right.)

Mimi came in closer, gazing at Rin adoringly, who was flustered. Placing her hand in front of her mouth, she seemed alarmed by her partner’s forwardness.

“Nē, anshin shite kudasai, Rin, dō… (“Hey, take it easy, Rin, what about…) ‘Rirakkusu, shinpaishinaide… (‘Relax, don’t worry…)

As she poured another shot of vodka for her, they smooched and moaned in ecstasy. The phone ringing off the hook interrupted their tender moment. Mimi tried to stop Rin from grabbing the cordless phone, holding back her arm, but she failed.

“Kon'nichiwa. Asou konsarutingu. Dōsureba otetsudai dekimasu ka? (“Hello. Asogi Consulting. How may I help you?) ‘Anata ga dono yō ni tasukeru koto ga dekiru ka o setsumei suru mae ni, watashi no nihongo wa sukoshi sabite irunode, watashi wa eigo de hanasu koto o konomudeshou. (‘Before I describe how you can help, I’d prefer to talk in English, as my Japanese is a little rusty.) ‘Of course. What seems to be the problem? ‘I’m Julia Argent, the curator of the V.I.L.E. Museum and Archives. It’s terrible, they wrecked the place…who would do such a thing? ‘Who is ‘they’? ‘I’m not sure…I think I know who it is…I hope you can assist me in finding the culprit. ‘Sure, come by our office and we’d love to chat with you. ‘It’d probably be better if you come here and observe…for yourself…the damage done. It’s 18000 Ākaibu Hyōka Abenyū. ‘Alright. I’ll be right there.

Hanging up, Mimi questioned her. Rin recounted what the woman had told her.

“Senshū ōpun shita bakari no Tōkyō no kono atarashī hakubutsukan de no gōtō. Kiita koto ga arimasendeshita kyurētā wa, nani ga okotta ka ni tsuite torimidashita yō ni kikoeta. Osoraku karera ni eigo o hanasanakereba naranaideshou. (“Some robbery in this new museum in Tokyo that just opened last week. I hadn’t even heard of it. The curator sounded distraught about what happened. We’ll probably have to speak English to them.) ‘Ryōhō ikimashou. (‘Let’s both go.) ‘Shikashi…Anata wa kono hakkā no namihazureta hakkādeari, IT bumondeari, IT bumon no zaimu kanrishadesu. Genta to issho ni koko ni imasen ka? (‘But…you are the hacker extraordinaire, the IT, financial management person of this office…shouldn’t you stay here with Genta?) ‘Īe. Koki ga 8-nen mae ni desuairando chikaku no sono tankā de nakunatta nochi, watashi wa tada koko ni suwatte oyayubi o ijiru koto ga dekimasen. (‘No. After Koki died eight years ago on that tanker near Death Island, I can’t just sit around here and twiddle my thumbs.) ‘Fain… anata ga issho ni kuru koto ga dekimasu. (‘Fine…you can come along.) ‘Wa ̄ i! Arigatō, Rin, anata wa saikōdesu! (‘Yay! Thanks so much, Rin, you’re the best!)

30 or so minutes later, they reached their destination: the V.I.L.E. Museum and Archives. The whole place was cordoned off by police tape and protected by a line of people, wearing black suits, ties, and dark sunglasses. These people held guns in their hands which were unlike anything Rin or Mimi had ever seen, emblazoned with A.C.M.E. logos. Stepping forward to the police barricade, one of the agents demanded answers.

“Please state your business. What do you want with the V.I.L.E. Museum and Archives? ‘The curator called us. We are from Asogi Consulting. ‘Go right ahead. She is expecting you.

The agent opened the door and directed them toward her office. Climbing the spiral stairs, they arrived at a hallway. After passing a door marked “MAINTENANCE” and others engraved with names of employees but not mentioning the title of Curator, one stood out to them apart from the others. It was inscribed “JULIA ARGENT. CURATOR.” Rin matter-of-factly stated, “this is the one,” and opened the door.

A smiling face stared at them and the woman politely asked them to sit. She introduced herself and shook their hands.

“Hi, I’m Julia Argent, the curator of this museum. You can call me Jules or Ms. Argent. ‘Ms. Argent, a pleasure to meet you. I’m Rin Asogi and this is my assistant, Mimi. 'Sorry to bring you in at such short notice. I never expected anything like this. ‘Tell us what transpired. ‘Surely. Yesterday, I was locking up my office and departing the building. As I walked down the stairs, I heard a large crash and some quickly pacing feet. When I queried one of the security officers, he told me they were in pursuit of an unidentified assailant. While that shook me, he assured me that I should go home and come back the next day. ‘When I came in this morning, the building had been cordoned off, allowing for an assessment for the damaged artifacts and property. Nothing had been taken, not even any of the weapons. However, one of our most precious items, a red overcoat and hat belonging to Carmen Sandiego couldn’t be found. She donated them to the museum last week, as a keepsake, although she preferred to keep her gadgets. ‘Can we meet this Ms. Sandiego? ‘You surely can. She is flying here right now. ‘Flying? ‘Yup. She has an awesome hang glider backpack she showed me back in France, where we finally got to understand each other in a deeper way…

Suddenly, they heard a knock. Mimi and Rin apprehensively prepared themselves, while Jules knew who it was. As the door swung open with a slam, in stepped a five foot-seven-inch woman wearing red high heels, a red trench coat, and red fedora.

"Hi, Jules! So happy to see you…again. Glad this worked out. How’s the museum going? ‘Great, Carm…That’s why you are here, actually. ‘Oh. ‘Someone stole that red fedora and red trench coat you donated to us.

‘That scoundrel! ‘I am eager for your help in finding the perpetrator. ‘If that’s the case, then who are these two women? ‘They are private detectives from Asogi Consulting, Mimi and Rin. ‘Ok. Let me introduce myself. I am Carmen Sandiego as you might presume. Happy to make your acquaintance. ‘As it is ours, Ms. Sandiego.

Walking out of the room, and grabbing a clipboard, Jules slammed the door behind her and locked it with a key. As they proceeded down the hallway, Carmen teased her while she laughed nervously. Two conversations happened simultaneously, one between Jules and Rin, and another between Mimi and Carmen.

"Ms. Argent, what’s with these ‘A.C.M.E.’ symbols I keep seeing…and what is V.I.L.E.? ‘As for the first question, Rin, I used to be part of the Agency to Classify and Monitor Evildoers, otherwise identified as A.C.M.E. It’s a police force and a detective agency. After the defeat of V.I.L.E., I resolved to leave the organization and head this museum. I am still on good terms with them and their leadership. ‘Answering your second question requires a bit more explanation. Sometime late in the 20th century, several villainous individuals came together and formed a secretive organization to do their bidding. They called it the Villains International League of Evil, or V.I.L.E. for short, engaging in crime as a profitable business, rigging stock markets, stealing important objects, and so on. Ms. Sandiego is a former member of the organization, but she left from their grasp and vowed to be a thief who stole from them. ... ‘So, Carmen, how’d you meet someone like Jules? ‘Mimi, she used to chase me for A.C.M.E in hopes of putting me behind bars…after the loss of my friends, Ivy and Zack, I worked with these detectives and my new friends to bring down V.I.L.E…I talked with her a bit afterwards…but I saw other people, like this blonde-haired woman in the Floridian Archipelago…about a month ago…as time went on, I reached out to her more…last Friday, we had a delicious dinner at a fancy French restaurant…one thing led to another and we were atop the Eiffel Tower…the wind blowing in our hair…and we made out under the moonlight. I can remember that night like it was yesterday ‘That’s sweet. So…Jules is your girlfriend? ‘Why, of course. What else would she be?

Jules’s cheeks turned as red as a ripe tomato. She hadn’t expected Carmen to mention their relationship, but she wasn’t angry at her for doing so.

"Sorry, I forgot to mention that…ever since we met in Lyons, France, after her date with that blonde-haired woman…we hit it off…we have only been steadily dating since last week, since understanding each other is an important first step to a strong friendship or relationship. ‘Don’t be ashamed about it, Jules! Me and Rin have been together since 1990, at the earliest, running a detective agency together…I look out for her…and she looks out for me. ‘Mimi is right…I am so delighted to have her as a friend…and a confidante.

Continuing to chat, everyone stepped into an elevator. Jules punched in a code into the keypad and they descended. A recorded voice softly stated: “going down.” An electronic ding signaled arrival on the first floor, also announced by the same voice.

The elevator opening, Carmen, Jules, Rin, and Mimi stepped onto the hard linoleum floor. Pulling out her clipboard, she stared down at the paper titled ‘Inventory of V.I.L.E. Museum and Archives’ with the words ‘after theft on June 6th” scrawled in pen. The accession numbers of every item in their collection were coupled with other pages giving short archival descriptions. Everything had been checked off as present except the red fedora and red trench coat, given the number of 2019.112, indicating its year and that it was the 112th item the museum had acquired. The entry had been circled multiple times, overlaid with the word “MISSING” in big block letters. As Rin examined the broken glass on the ground, Jules brought them to the empty glass case where Carmen’s outfit had hung.

“It seems like the assailant was pretty clumsy, as the glass cases are barely damaged…like this person had desperately tried to escape. There might be some fingerprints on the glass. Do you have security cameras? I don’t see any around. ‘The cameras are hidden so we can watch our visitors to ensure none of the items are damaged and to prevent theft. I’ll take you to the surveillance room.

Jules and Carmen’s high heels echoed down the corridor with a clack-clack-clack. In no time at all, they reached a doorway marked ‘SURVEILLANCE. SECURITY PERSONNEL ONLY.’ Jules knocked on the door, announcing herself.

"Ms. Argent, please come on in. We’ve been expecting you. ‘Carl, you don’t have to say it like that… ‘…I’m only messing with you, Ms. Argent. ‘Oh, stop. I thought I’d bring in my girlfriend and my acquaintances from a private detective agency, Mimi and Rin. ‘A pleasure to meet you both…and Ms. Sandiego. Ms. Argent talks about you often. ‘She does…really? ‘Okay…moving on from that…let’s view the surveillance footage from last night. ‘Certainly, Ms. Argent, pulling it up now.

Mimi, Rin, Jules, and Carmen watched the video recording from 5:00 P.M. the previous day. The assailant, almost six feet fall, wore a medium brown jacket, and had dark brown hair. His boisterous French accent could be heard loud and clear.

“Ms. Argent will get it now! I can teach her a lesson! Nyeh. ‘Let me just get into this overcoat and hat. Everyone will think I am…whoa…le femme rouge! This floor is so slippery…ah! Glass…is everywhere!

Jules turned off the recording. She sighed. She knew the name of the perpetrator

“I didn’t want to think so, but it’s my old partner when we were detectives…Chase Devineaux…he was overconfident, foolhardy, and clumsy…he destroyed a few A.C.M.E. cars ‘by accident’…and I had to act like tech support to help him…he really humiliated me…but now he wants to come back into my life…what a jerk! ‘Jules, its ok. We can catch him together, using the combined strengths of us, Mimi, and Rin. ‘He didn’t even say the phrase right, it’s not ‘le femme rouge,’ its ‘la femme rouge,’ French for ‘the red woman.’ Man, this guy is losing his touch! ‘Mimi! You aren’t even acquainted with him… ‘I’m fluent in many languages, whether English, Japanese, French, Spanish, and so many more...I couldn’t be such an excellent hacker if I didn’t learn different languages! This is so much fun! Why didn’t you bring me on more cases? ‘Well…the thing is… ‘No matter! Let’s go find this robber! ‘Shouldn’t you be back in the office, helping us by uh…hacking into stuff? ‘I would…but this is so much better…I get to spend quality time with you! ‘Mimi…come on…not in front of our client...

Her lips puckered up, Rin pulled away at the last second, causing Mimi to get a little discombobulated. Angrily, she scolded Rin, shouting in Japanese:

“Anta wa saiteida! Nande son'na ko to shita no!” (“You are the worst! Why’d you do that!”)

Continuing to argue back in forth, insults flying, Mimi calling Rin kuso (shitty) and babaa (bastard), while Rin defended herself, Carmen butted in. She knew how to defuse the situation.

“On'nanoko! Jibun no jikan ni giron suru koto ga dekimasu. Dorobō o tsukamaeru hitsuyō ga arimasu. Watashi wa anata to anata no ryōhō no tame no kaiketsusaku o motte imasu. (“Girls! You can argue on your own time. We need to catch the thief. I have the solution for you both.) ‘My friend is a hacker. He can tap into the surveillance network for the whole city of Tokyo. That means, Mimi, you can stay with us. ‘Thanks, so much Carmen. In your face, Rin! ‘You two, knock it off. We’ll need to stay together as a stable unit if we want to get this Chase Devineaux. Sure, he’s an arrogant fool, but he’s still a former detective who likely has a few tricks he can pull. He might even have some friends in INTERPOL. ‘Carm, I doubt he has any friends there. Just about everyone I talked to when I worked at INTERPOL hated him. They found him annoying and full-of-himself. ‘In any case, let’s get going. ‘How are we going to search this entire city? He could be anywhere. ‘Ah, but that’s where you’re wrong. There are some people…I know…who can help. ‘You do? ‘Come outside and you’ll meet them.

Stepping outside, the light shining in their eyes, two figures stood before them, both with their hoods up. One wore a blue hoodie with two vertical holes running down the back, with orange drawstrings, blue short shorts, and tan sandals. The other had on a dark green hoodie emblazoned with a lighter green alien symbol and the word “believe” in yellow letters on the pocket. Without warning, both began rapping and no one could stop them.

“Yo, we are Lapis and Peri/ ‘I can manipulate water like a pro/ ‘I can levitate metallic objects on the contrary/ ‘It’s a lot better than an ice show/ ‘Today, we got Carm’s call/ ‘Came to the hood/ ‘To visit Utena and Anthy at nightfall/ ‘But now it’s all good/ ‘We come from Beach City/ ‘That thief is a real jerk/ ‘We’ll show him with a little ditty/ ‘This case will be a real piece of work/ ‘We have an online talk show/ ‘Carmen is our friend/ ‘We see more than you’d know/ ‘Even if she has a new girlfriend/ ‘That’s all we have to say/ ‘Hope you liked our song/ ‘Just came up with it today/ ‘Can we come along?/

Carmen clapped and shouted “bravo!” while Julia wasn’t sure what to think. She whispered into the ears of Lapis and Peri about the identities of their two other associates, to bring them up to speed. The rap fascinated Mimi, even as Rin grumbled, agreeing that Lapis and Peri could join them. They replied, singing the word “Hooray!” in unison, putting their hoods down. A still-skeptical Rin was surprised when she heard a fluttering and whooshing sound, observing blue, transparent wings come out of Lapis’s back. She now understood how Lapis could help, with the ability to control water, although Peri seemed, despite her ability to control the movement of metallic objects, less useful to their mission. That is, until she learned that Peri had a knack for technology, like Mimi and Carmen’s unnamed hacker friend, something which would give them an upper hand in searching for the elusive Chase Devineaux.

“Lapis and Peri, since you are joining us, we’ll have to make sure we don’t run into any ‘angels’…the same goes for Carmen and Juli…Jules ‘Angels…what do you mean? ‘The Yggdrasil tree distributes small orbs across this world, a small percentage of which are time fruits…if they enter a female, like me and Mimi, they become immortal…but if it enters a male, the person becomes a fanatical winged being called an ‘Angel’…Apos is the worst of all the ‘angels,’ trying to hunt down immortals…he even hired an assassin, Laura, well-skilled with weapons, like firearms, to kill me. ‘Yikes! With any luck Chase is the only one we’ll need to deal with. ‘I sure hope so, Carmen. ‘Now that you bring that up, two other beings might be able to assist…Adora and Pearl!

Jules shook her head, thinking she might mess up and embarrass herself. Determined, she dedicated herself to seeing this through.

“Sorry for such an abrupt entrance, but as the jacket squad we had to come in style. ‘Pearl might have her cyan blazer and ballet flats, but I have a sweet jean jacket, a rad tie-dye t-shirt colored by Lapis and Peri, made from their hemp crops, and some jean shorts. ‘What…did you say about ‘Angels’?…I didn’t catch your name ‘It’s Rin. Aren’t you human? Those beasts will devour you. ‘Ah, but that won’t happen. Me, Lapis, and Peri are light-composed beings, our bodies a manifestation of light generated through our gemstones. Those beasts can’t hurt us…so we’ll do what we can to protect you. ‘Thanks…because as immortals we are irresistibly attracted to the ‘Angels’…whom pull us in and have sex with us while ripping us apart. ‘Oh my! How horrifying! ‘But aren’t Adora, Carmen, and Jules still vulnerable? ‘Not necessarily. I can fuse with Adora, as we have a strong emotional bond, and…Carmen or Jules can fuse with Lapis or Peri for protection, right? ‘I guess, Pearl, but I’ve only fused with Stevonnie, Peri, and Jasper before…no one else ‘And…I’ve fused with Lapis and not another being…so this may be tough ‘We’ll only fuse if we have to, so that Rin and Mimi can be shielded.

Jules’ tablet made a loud beeping noise. Opening it, she grinned with glee. The RFID chip had worked, allowing her to track Chase’s exact location.

‘I can tell you where Chase is…it’s all on my tablet. ‘What…and how? ‘Oh, we place RFID chips on every one of our items to ensure that if someone steals them, we can track their location. ‘You are just remembering this…now? ‘If we can move past the bickering, Carmen...not only does this chip make our search easier…but perhaps your hacker friend can help us… ‘Sure, it would be a pleasure. Ugh, he isn’t picking up… ‘Peri, maybe you could give it a try. ‘Why, I’d love to. We were just playing one of those online games together.

Snickering with delight, she began dialing the number Carmen gave her for Player. Before that, she had only communicated with him online, apart from their video chat in the Peri-Shack. So, it would come as quite a shock.

"Hello…Player! We need your skills to solve this case. ‘Peridot…is that you? I didn’t think you’d ever call…who gave you this number? ‘Carmen gave it to me. Someone stole the trench coat and fedora she gave to that museum in Japan…run by her girlfriend…she tried to get in contact with you…but you didn’t answer. ‘I’m sorry…about that…The microwave heating up one of those great frozen meals, some tasty spaghetti with cheese sauce, part of the Trim Culinary Delight brand…probably muffled the sound. She has a girlfriend now?...I wasn’t aware… ‘I’ll let her speak to you about that, alone…moving onto more pressing measures, can you get access to all the surveillance footage in Tokyo? ‘I sure can, in the blink of an eye! Who are you searching for? ‘Chase Devineaux, that former detective and partner of Jules. ‘Got it, thanks! ‘Now, let’s get...

Adora and Pearl stood in front of them, enraged. They envisioned the search spiraling out of control and stated neither would participate until everyone had done the proper planning. Before Rin could say anything, Mimi jumped in to respond.

“What a splendid idea! Let’s regroup at the Asogi Consulting office. ‘Mimi…watashitachiha kaisha ni iku junbi ga dekite imasen. Konran shite imasu. (‘Mimi…we aren’t ready for company, it’s a mess there.) ‘Īe, mondai arimasen. Shinpai suru hitsuyō wa arimasen. (‘No, its fine, don’t worry about a thing.) ‘We’ll show you the way. Lapis, you can fly some of the others there, following our car. ‘Definitely! See you there.

Mimi’s small car could only fit five people, with Rin driving, Mimi in the passenger seat, Carmen and Jules in the backseat. Adora decided to join them, with Pearl riding with Peri on Lapis’s back. As they drove away, Carmen whispered to Adora about the news she had learned from Player: the probe watching them in the Tampa Lagoon wasn’t from V.I.L.E. and matched no records of Earth machines. Hearing this, she exclaimed.

“Not from Earth?...there’s only one person… who could possibly construct such a thing…Entrapta…on Etheria. That’s impossible…how would something like that get here? ‘Perhaps through a portal of some kind. ‘Could be through a quantum fluctuation...an expression of improbability on the quantum level…the outcome would vary, as there is inevitable quantum entanglement…this means that when a particle goes through time and space from an interaction to another interaction, that particle could fluctuate through previous interactions… ‘Um…could you explain that more simply? ‘I’ll try. It is posited, as a part of quantum mechanics, that the vacuum of space isn’t empty but is filled with particles and quantum energy, each come into and out of existence for a moment, giving off signals known as quantum fluctuations. ‘How…does that relate to an inter-dimensional portal? ‘Quantum mechanics could explain how the probe you saw could travel from a far-away world to Earth, I think… ‘Sorry to interrupt but that’s wrong…I came here from Etheria through an inter-dimensional gateway of some kind, traveling through a wormhole and then came to Earth through a portal created by a magical pink lion. ‘Ok…then…Well, if the probes are from Etheria, this ‘Entrapta’ person you speak of could have sent them through the wormhole…or tapped into the wormhole’s energy…sending them to Earth. If we could only get a hand on one of those… ‘Mimi, science lesson is over. We’re here.

The car stopped, parking in front of a tall office building. Lapis came down to the sidewalk, sluffing Peri and Pearl off her back. Everyone climbed the stairs and walked into the office.

They were greeted by a barking Genta, an immortal dog who could survive being shot without having any injury. Lapis and Peri giggled, thinking of how Pumpkin would interact.

The main office could usually only seat one person. As such, having five more people in the room made it a bit cramped. Even so, it proved manageable as they gathered around the room’s desk. Rin sat in a swivel chair behind it and Pearl took out a chalkboard from her Gem, complete with pieces of chalk, to draw up plans. Chatting about how to get Chase, with Player noting what he had found from surveillance footage, Mimi queried if anyone would like “water.” Most people turned down her offer. One person accepted: Adora. Since she was so deep into strategizing with Lapis, Peri, Pearl, Carmen, and Jules, she didn’t hear Mimi’s request, and couldn’t warn Adora about the “water.”

Coming in with a tray, complete with two shot glasses and a bottle of vodka, she poured herself one and another for Adora. Seeing the bottle, Pearl immediately recognized it and then warned her to not drink the substance. This failed. She put the shot glass to her mouth and gulped down the substance, her eyes opening wide, feeling alive unlike any time before.

“What…is that stuff? Its real strong but…I like it. ‘It’s vodka, you could say it means “water” in Russian. ‘I think I could get used to this… ‘Adora…vodka should be savored…it’s something to wake you up, keep you alert…nothing more, nothing less…you don’t need to gulp it down all at once. ‘I understand, Mimi.

Mimi moved closer and softly whispered into her ear. She spoke so quiet that no one could hear, not even Pearl.

“You wanna play a practical joke on everyone? It would be really…really fun!"

Adora felt apprehensive, not wanting to abandon Pearl, even for a second. She had come this far, through an inter-dimensional portal, and to another world. She barely knew Mimi and wasn’t sure it was worth the risk. Mimi took her hand and dragged her out of the room, like Carmen and Pearl had done in the past. Adora hoped this wouldn’t be a repeat of those circumstances, announcing to everyone she’d return soon, to which they nodded.

Going into another room, Mimi began taking her clothes off, exposing her naked body, while Adora stared in shock. She had no idea what was happening.

“Uh, what are you doing? ‘Oh, I thought it would be fun if we switched outfits. You could wear my orange midriff, white oxford shirt, and blue shorts, and I could wear your jean jacket, jean shorts, and t-shirt. ‘I’ll give it a try…since it will give a rise out of Pearl. ‘And out of Rin, hehe…What brought you and her together? ‘…that’s a long story I’ll have to tell you another day. ‘Fair. I’ll tell you about Rin someday too…let’s go out there.

Stepping back into the room, Mimi announced their presence with the word “surprise.” Carmen, Jules, Lapis, and Peri chuckled, Rin didn’t mind, but Pearl appeared flabbergasted. She didn’t think Adora would wear the clothes of another woman. Such a rash action scared her a bit, but she breathed deeply and accepted it. Later, as they walked out of the room, beginning the mission, Adora rushed to Pearl, eager to hear what she thought.

“Pearl, you appeared astonished…do you not like this getup? I can change it back. ‘No, no, there isn’t a need for that…keep exploring and you’ll find your true calling on Earth. I had that expression on my face because I didn’t expect it…that’s all. ‘I’m a person of audacious actions. Are you forgetting how I necked Carmen on that date we had in the Floridian Archipelago…Or how I wanted to be closer to you on Etheria than you desired then…even trying to get a kiss? ‘Fine…yes, I remember. Now, let’s catch Chase!

Carmen flew in her hang glider, while Lapis and Peri fused into Amazonite, carrying Jules, Adora, Rin, Mimi, and Pearl. She could carry more weight thanks to her expanded capabilities as a fused being. Somehow, Chase had gotten out of Tokyo and all the way to Shiroi, an area recognized for its fruit-growing, including fruits like kiwi, grapes, and nashi pears. This area also served as a commercial center for nearby cities like Chiba and Tokyo, and as a commuter town of sorts. As they walked toward the signal, the location seemed strange: a small abandoned shack. Jules stepped inside alone and announced herself.

“Hello! It’s Ms. Argent. Chase, are you there? I just want to talk.”

Trembling, Chase slunk out from behind a column and revealed himself, haggard and fatigued. He beamed when seeing her face.

“Thank you, Ms. Argent for coming. I’m sorry for stealing that coat and hat from your museum…I felt jealous you had such a position when A.C.M.E. left me behind…I slunk into depression, drinking, and it led me to commit the crime. You can take it back. ‘Thanks, Mr. Devineaux. Why are you here in this shack, all the way out here? ‘It’s these…winged creatures…they roam the streets and snatch up people…I had to get away from them…luckily none ever caught me…you might be in danger just by coming. ‘Don’t worry, I brought some friends with me.

Pearl, Adora, Carmen, Mimi, Rin, and Amazonite waved hello. It astounded him that “la femme rouge” stood before him as friend rather than a foe. Even so, he graciously accepted her aid. When Rin asked him to describe these winged beasts, she knew exactly what he had seen: the ‘angels.’ She directed Amazonite to take Carmen, Jules, and Chase back to Tokyo, while everyone else would prepare for a possible attack. Even though both Carmen and Jules wanted to fight alongside their friends, they obeyed Rin’s order, preparing to go back to the museum. Only Rin, Mimi, Adora, and Pearl remained. To protect Rin, Adora and Pearl fused into Peadora, a form they had only taken one time in the past. This battle would be the first test of the fusion’s powers. From her Gem, she took out some possible items that could be turned into weapons: a controller, a stapler, a suitcase, and a portable phone. Not needing the suitcase or stapler, Mimi quickly fashioned the other two items into an electric zapper. Suddenly, the walls of the shack smashed in, two ‘angels’ standing defiantly. Everyone prepared themselves for the fight.

As Rin and Mimi were drawn to the angels, with an overwhelming urge, Mimi prepared to electrocute one while Rin kept shooting at the other with her pistol and hurting it with her throwing stars. Peadora held four spears, one in each hand, firing upon the ‘angel’ in front of Mimi. Although it faltered, the being charged at her in an utmost rage. Pinning the fusion up against a wall, Mimi came from behind, electrocuting it, leading it to decompose into ash. Rin, who had run out of bullets and throwing stars, felt trapped by the other ‘angel’ which came in for the kill. Peadora and Mimi worked together to save her, making the ‘angel’ turn to dust. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. They vowed to leave as soon as possible. Pearl and Adora un-fused, so all four of them could plan together. Immediately, Pearl called Amazonite for help. She answered, telling them she hadn’t arrived at Tokyo yet.

“Can you get here sooner? Those ‘angels’ attacked us and almost killed Mimi and Rin. We need a way out now! I’m not sure how much longer we can hold them off. ‘I’ll come as fast as I can. Do what you can to hold yourselves together! ‘We’ll try. Please hurry.

Stepping out of the shack and into the light, they walked down the city streets on their way back to Tokyo. Two ‘angels’ approached them, with Laura, the assassin hired by Apos to kill Rin, at the head. She had turned into a half-human, half-cyborg being.

" Oh, Rin. It’s so nice to see you again. Prepare to die!"

She fired her pistols into Rin’s body, with exploding rounds, causing blood to spurt out everywhere like a water glass with thousands of holes. She fell in agony and felt helpless. Laura grabbed her neck and forced her to the ground, sneering at her. While Pearl wanted to help Rin, she needed to defend Mimi, since her device to electrocute ‘angels’ had begun to malfunction. Making various hologram clones of herself, she held the ‘angel’ back, stabbing it, leading it to disintegrate…into nothing. Realizing that being apart wasn’t a workable tactic, Adora and Pearl fused once more into Peadora, using the combined energy of four spears to fire one huge energy blast, annihilating the other angel.

Rin, who had been mangled by Laura, had nothing to defend herself with, accepted her fate, although she could regenerate. About to strike the final blow, she felt electricity coursing through her, causing her new body to overload. Peadora moved Mimi and Rin out of the way fast enough so that Laura’s detonation wouldn’t hurt them. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief and continued walking toward Tokyo. On the way, Pearl and Adora unfused. The first thing both could see was…Rin’s naked and bloodied body…from the back…making Pearl uneasy.

"Take this shirt…you can wear it until you put on some proper clothes. ‘Thank you Pearl…and Adora…and Mimi…without you, Laura would have beaten me…again. She always manages to kill me…but luckily, thanks to the time fruits, I am immortal.

Amazonite came down to the macadam street at the right time, landing in front of these weary women. Seeing their distress, she immediately ordered them to get on her back. Rin, Adora, Mimi, and Pearl complied, not a question in their minds.

“Are you all ok? I’m worried…especially about Rin and Mimi. ‘Me and Mimi are immortal, so we’ll rejuvenate…Adora, Pearl, and Mimi saved me from being killed again by an assassin. ‘How can she kill you, if… ‘We are immortal, but we can be shot and stabbed…the wounds can heal… ‘I see…in any event let’s get you back to Tokyo. And, Rin, what happened to your clothes? ‘They were ripped up in my fight with the assassin, so I’m wearing this red T-shirt with a yellow star on it instead. ‘Sure…Where would you like to go? ‘Back to my place…I can get dressed there and make you all something for your troubles.

Directing them to her apartment building, Amazonite landed in the foray and un-fused, much of their energy expended. Peadora did the same. After that, everyone hopped into the elevator, riding it up to the fifth floor. Rin opened the door, welcoming them into her lush abode.

"I don’t have company here often, so it might be a bit messy. Make yourself comfortable. I’ll get dressed and out of this t-shirt."

Sitting on the couches, putting their feet up, everyone relaxed. Lapis and Peri fell asleep almost instantly, with Pearl doing so not long after. Adora stayed awake, as did Mimi. Rin came out from her bedroom, dressed in a soft orange two-part dress, and into the living room, holding the red t-shirt Pearl had given her. About to offer it to Pearl, when she saw her slumbering, she handed it to Adora, who accepted it.

Moving to the kitchen, she poured herself a glass of wine, offering Mimi and Adora glasses to drink for themselves, both of which acceded to her offer. Curious to know how Adora, a human, had ended up with the Gems, she posed a question comparable to what Mimi had asked earlier, making her a bit annoyed.

“Adora, how’d you end up with a bunch of beings like them?...you’re human. ‘Good question. The Gems came onto my home planet one day…warping there through some sort of inter-dimensional gateway…I didn’t like them at first, but they grew on me…Pearl especially. She shares a love of organization, tidiness, and order which I appreciate… ‘So, you’re not from Earth?...fascinating…what planet are you from? ‘It’s a place called Etheria. You’ve probably never heard of it before. ‘You’re right…but being immortal is almost like being from another planet. ‘In some ways that is true…still, I’d love to visit another planet someday. ‘I can bring you there if you’d like… ‘That would be nice. When we finally defeat Apos, it might be the right time. ‘That’s all the conversation I can muster right now…I’d say we turn in and go to sleep. Its late and I have work tomorrow, like every day. ‘Good night, Rin.

Mimi turned to Adora and bowed. She remained thankful for her actions during the day.

“Thanks so much for coming here…I really appreciate it. Oh, before I forget, I’d like to give you back the clothes you were wearing. Let me change quickly.”

A few minutes later she came out in a night gown, holding Adora’s clothes in her hand, folded in a nice and neat pile. She bowed once more.

“Mimi, would you like back your clothes? I can easily change… ‘No, it’s okay, you can keep them. I have other pairs in the office. ‘Are you sure? ‘Positive. You look nice in that outfit anyway. ‘Thanks. Goodnight.

As she drifted off to sleep, lying in Pearl’s lap, she dreamed about the past, the present, and the future. Nothing like what she had experienced that day in Japan would have ever happened on Etheria. It made her glad to be on Earth and having these experiences. Unknowingly, a time fruit entered her body, making her immortal like Rin and Mimi. Meanwhile, Carmen and Jules slept together in her small apartment in central Tokyo, drained as much as Pearl, Adora, Lapis, Peri, Mimi, and Rin. Time fruits flowed into their bodies as well. Chase had been checked into a hospital, with A.C.M.E. agents watching over him to ensure he didn’t become self-destructive again. Hopefully, he could enter a rehab facility or clinic in the future.

Meanwhile, in Beach City, Steven and Greg sat on the beach, in front of his house, around a campfire. As they observed the stars of outer space above, Greg posed something that had been bugging him for a while now.

“Schtu-ball, why were you gone for so long on that other planet…Etheria? ‘What do you mean, dad? It was only like a week or something, I think. I wasn’t keeping the best track of the time we spent there, though. ‘A week? Ha…it was four years. ‘WHAAAT?! How? I didn’t age at all. This boggles my mind. ‘I don’t know, it’s probably some funky math and science stuff I don’t completely understand…I did read somewhere about how space-time is always moving and not static, often fluctuating wildly and violently with different forms of energy. ‘We did go through a portal on the way back…but we went through one on the way there. ‘I don’t know, but it was Spring 2015 when you left, and you came back in Spring of this year…I have records if you don’t believe me…and since it’s in the early summer now…I’m surprised the Gems didn’t tell you about this… ‘Maybe they didn’t want me to worry. I trust you, Dad, you don’t need to show me evidence. I’m glad you told me and am happy to be back here with you, even if I wasn’t here for four years. ‘I’m relieved you’re here too, Schtu-ball.

They proceeded to jam together on guitars to their heart’s content as the moonlight lighted their faces. Little did they know but Mimi’s thoughts about quantum fluctuation had been correct. Although, the reason it had been four years couldn’t be ascertained completely, the culprit was obvious. Unknowingly, Entrapta, through the activation of the portal, had tapped into the energies of the Panama Wormhole, creating a quantum time skip, which only affected the Gems and Adora when they traveled back to Earth.

In the days ahead, challenges awaited them, ones that would disrupt their peace and quiet in ways no one would expect…