Neil continued to wander the fairgrounds. Once again Galant didn't answer his phone. Maybe Harly was right, he probably just decided to reride the rollercoaster or something.

One of Neil's head feathers fell out of place, over his eyes. He pushed it back in annoyance and it fell out again. He sighed. Where can he find a mirror?

A man with dice earings aproached him. He wore an exaggeratedly large smile. "Morning my good sir!"

Neil blinked. "It's night..."

"Evening my good sir!" He amended. "Would you like to try out the maze of mirrors."

He gestured to a nearby tent. The tent had a large sign, covered in lights that said Mirror maze.

"I'm good." Neil tried to walk away but the man walked with him. He gave Neil the strangest feeling, like a cold vice grip on the back of his neck.

"So you would come?"

"I just said no."

"I knew you would love to!" He took Neil's hand and pulled him toward the tent.

Neil attempted to pull his hand free. "Aren't you listening? I said no!"

"By the looks of that feather out of place you desperately need to see a mirror."

He stammered. Does it really look that bad?

"Or do you avoid mirrors because they remind you of your maimed wing?"

Neil pulled his hand free then hurried the other direction. Self-consciously shifting his stump and wing.

The man quickly caught up. "Come on. Don't feel so bad. Just try it."

Neil increased his pace, the man easily kept up. "I don't have time, I'm looking for my friend."

"Maybe I can help find him?"

Neil rolled his eyes. "He is a ghost with chains around his waist and legs and long hair that reach to his shoulders, which he never combs by the way. Also he's pretty tall."

"I did see a ghost with a dull blue glow enter the mirror maze..."

"Oh my soul! If I buy a ticket will you leave me alone!" Neil snapped.

"Of course."

Neil then realized that they had somehow circled back to the maze. Neil didn't care enough to question this, he felt tired and sick.

He exchanged money and entered the maze. He took some time to fix his head feathers before continuing his exploration.

A couple of twists and turns and he was already lost. How would he find the exit?

He was inexplicably drawn to one mirror. He touched the surface, wondering why this one out of hundreds seemed so aluring.

Then it flashed a bright light.

.....

Dancers danced on the stage between some wooden bleachers. Their red and orange scarves flew around as they twirled. They wore white leotards and complex masks with sparkly fire designs.

They would sometimes pull spectators from the lower bleachers and have them dance too. Keira and Jane sat a bit higher up. As fun as it looked, Keira didn't trust her own dancing ability.

"...and see that jiang shi with the long braided hair? That move she's doing is called the Flighty Phoenix. Oh and the sylph over there is doing the Aerial Corkscrew. And over there..."

Keira couldn't really follow Jane. The dancers were moving too fast.

"...that one is pretty difficult, the Wyvern Twirl. You need to have like 4 tails to pull it off."

"How do you know so much about dancing?" Keira asked Jane, who was demonstrating a move with her arms.

Jane smiled sheepishly. "I watch way too many videos on In-famy. It's actually a lot similar to fighting."

Keira watched the dancers more carefully. The Spinning Pinwheel did resemble a technique Trixie showed her.

The dancers invited some spectators on the stage.

"You can go down there if you want."

"Come with me?"

"I can not dance. I never learned how," Keira explained.

"It's not hard. Like I said it's a lot like fighting."

"I am not good at fighting either. My powers tend to be more effective if I sneak up on opponents and knock them out." Keira made a striking motion with her hand to emphasize her point.

Jane looked impatiently at the dancers. "You sure you'll be good here alone? I don't want you to get bored."

Keira gave a small smile and nodded. "I do not mind. I would get lost if I went somewhere without you."

Jane's face lit up. "How about this? If you get lost meet me at the ferris wheel." She pointed toward it in the distance. "You can see it from everywhere in the part so you can just go directly into that direction."

Keira licked her lips. "Well not directly. I am not intangible..."

Jane chuckled. "Into that general direction. Will that work?"

Keira blushed. "I think it will."

....

Ivory took the hand of one of the dancers, noticing a die shaped ring on his fingers. He swung her around smoothly.

They pulled each other in close. Ivory threw her arms around his shoulders. He hugged her waist.

"Aren't you a pretty kitty?" he said softly.

"Oh please." She dipped him, then leaned in close. "I'm a queen."

She pulled him up again and they continued dancing.

"Of course, you shouldn't be treated like anything less." He reached behind her ear and pulled out an orange rose.

"Aren't you smooth?" Ivory grabbed the rose between her teeth.

They danced around. Ivory was throw into the air. While airborne she searched the bleachers for Noir and Blanc. She couldn't find them.

She was back on her feet. "I have to go."

The man hugged her tighter. The view around her was blocked by other dancers.

Then a white light flashed.

.....

Keira had trouble finding Jane in the crowd below. Everytime she thought she saw her friend's green tipped horns or her long brown and purple hair, it turned out to be someone else.

She then saw her dancing with a human girl. They moved gracefully as two birds in a mating dance. Not a step out of sync.

It was too far away to hear, but she could've sworn she saw Jane laugh at something her partner said, she even flicked her tail slightly.

Keira felt annoyed at that, for some reason.

So instead she looked around the bleachers. She could have sworn there were tigers somewhere before. She wanted to ask Jane if they were the same ones from the circus. The ones that gave her a heart attack when one of them lept on her seat.

That is weird. I am sure I saw that their trainer is still dancing...

There they are. They were being dragged by chains somewhere away from the bleachers, just out of sight. They were muzzled and looked ready to pounce. The handlers kept them at bay with whips.

Keira gasped and sprang up.

She was about to run but looked back at Jane, still dancing. She didn't want to abandon her without warning.

In the corner of her eye, the tigers were getting whipped and poked with cattle prods.

"How about this? If you get lost meet me at the ferris wheel."

Keira took a deep breath and ran after the handlers. I will be back quickly, Jane. I promise.

.....

Keira followed the handlers to an out-of-the-way tent on the outskirts of the park. She hid behind some crates and watched as they whipped the tigers into the tent. One already had bruises on their flank.

Keira took a deep breath. Her choker glew, the glow spreaded across her body and faded. Leaving Chemigirl in her Powerine clothes.

She walked around the tent. Listening to the handlers' shouts.

"Get in the damn cage!" The sound of the whip and the locking of a cage followed.

"How long do we have to keep them here?"

"Till that psycho comes by. We really have to stop accepting jobs from weirdos like him."

"He may be insane but he pays well."

"He better. That tiger almost bit me when we took them. I am a bounty hunter, not a zookeeper."

Chemigirl readied some sleep serum. She sneaked through the back entrance, staying behind the crates.

"We had more dangerous jobs. Remember that sandworm in Wahah?"

Chemigirl would only be able to inject one before giving away her position. She looked at the men and decided to take on the tall, skinny one.

"Don't remind me. I lost three fingers and now I can't flip people off properly." He held up his hand, where only a thumb and middel finger remained.

"Just use you other hand."

"My other hand? That's a du-"

He fell unconscious. Chemigirl stood behind him in what she hoped was a threatening combat stance.

The man looked suprised, then drew his whip. "This isn't a place for a little girl."

She flinched internally. Why is that whip so scary looking?

Chemigirl forced herself to look brave. She levitated some more serum around her hand. Coating her fist in the liquid.

She jumped back from the whip. She tried to get closer but it kept her out of the attacker's guard.

She levitated some instafreeze and threw it just below the man's feet. It froze the ground. He swung his whip around, the momentum caused him to slip onto his back.

Chemigirl skated closer and punched the man in the abdomen with her serum cloaked hand. His skin absorbed the serum and he became unconscious.

Chemigirl breathed in relief. At least she was getting better at this. She just has to free the tigers then she can get back to Jane.

She walked over to the cage, careful not to slip on the ice. The white tiger looked at her carefully, standing uneasily. The black tiger layed behind them, trying to look as small as possible.

Chemigirl studied the lock. She could probably rust it away but the tigers might attack her and she couldn't be sure they know the way back to their trainer.

She looked over the potions on her, maybe she could inject them with sleep serum then open the cage. It would be easier to just look for the trainer. She's most likely still back with the dancers.

Chemigirl heard a noise behind her. She jumped and tumbled over one of the crates.

One of the dancers stood over her, looking at her confused. He was tanned human with purple hair. He was fit, which makes sense for a dancer.

He gave a flirtish smile. "Hey cutie pie."

Chemigirl got to her feet. It was her turn to be confused. "Hello?"

He leaned forward, looking into her eyes. "You shouldn't be here." He reached out to touch her arm but Chemigirl pulled away.

The man looked suprised then annoyed. "It's not going to work on you."

What is not going to work on me?

He reached behind his back then threw that arm forward. Before she could realise what was happening, a bolas bound around her upper arms.

He pulled another one from behind his back and ensnared her legs, knocking Chemigirl over.

He easily picked her up and carried her to the cage.

"Let go of me!" Chemigirl said, helplessly wiggling in his arms.

The dancer placed her by the cage and checked the bolas to make sure they were tied securely.

Chemigirl focused her power, trying to levitate the sleep serun. It was almost impossible without her hands free.

"What are you going to do with me?" She demanded, trying not to cry.

The dancer considered her. Chemigirl tried to control her breathing. He stepped forward, reached behind his back and pulled out a gag.

.....

"We got them, sir."

"Excellent, now my ultimate revenge can finally be completed!"

"...I thought this is just about making money," Blackjack asked. Her black hair was tied back in a tail. She had bright red eyes and brown skin.

"Well that too, but if I can get revenge on my archrival while doing that, then why not?" He moved toward the exit of his office. "Where did you put them?"

"In the dressing room." She hesitated, "You should know something else..."

He stopped in his tracks. "What now?!" he complained.

"The puppetmaster didn't come."

"But he's like the most important part," he said, annoyed.

He sighed and leaned against the wall. He pinched the bridge of his nose. "Can't you just go kidnap him? Just to save us some time?"

"You've seen how powerful he is. We won't stand a chance and if Entropy is with him then we'll be dead before we can lift a finger."

He groaned, "Stupid overpowered reality warpers."

The woman played with her dice pendants, swinging them around from the cord, then tied the cord into a bow.

She got an idea.

.....

He entered the dressing room. He smiled at the sight of the Infinite Fun Circus performers tied up and unconscious.

"Good work." He turned to the dancer. "Do you have the potion?"

He took it out. "He was hesitant but Abscond eventually sold it to me. I just needed to make sure he can get on one of Vanish's ships to Sunrise cliffs."

"Seems like a cheap price..." he said carefully.

"Well... he made me take a vow not to use it to overthrow the government."

The man smiled and took the vial. "Luckily we're not going to do that."

"And..." the dancer smiled. "I got you a gift."

"Ah! I love gifts!" He waved his hands excitedly. "What did you get me?"

The dancer strolled to the closet and opened it. Chemigirl, bound and gagged, tumbled out. She looked at the man with wide, fearful eyes.

"Oh!" He said amused. "This is going to be interesting."