#Samantha time warp trio

[deimosbreakfrost]

Something i love about Canadian cartoons is that the VAs always repeat for some reason

Like:

-Fred from Time Warp Trio shares VA with Owen, Trent, Jacques and Brody from Total Drama

-Jodie from Time Warp Trio shares VA with Beth and Izzy from Total Drama

-Samantha from Time Warp Trio shares VA with Jo from Total Drama

-Freddi from Time Warp Trio shares VA with Ella from Total Drama

-Anna from Time Warp Trio shares VA with Sierra from Total Drama

Is there a VA shortage in Canada or what-

Btw, I love Owen's voice sm

[orkowhereheshouldntbe]

[ALT available, ID: cover art for the show Time Warp Trio, based on the book series of the same name. Nine colorful rectangles make up the image, six of them housing the six main characters (boys Fred, Joe, and Sam, and their great-granddaughters Freddi, Jodie, and Samantha), two of them housing the logo, and one of them housing Orko. /end ID]

Orko in Time Warp Trio. Where will he go next?

[benetnvsch]

Time Warp Trio but Sam and Samantha are legally allowed to say Fuck. I think this would be good because they’d use it for entirely different purposes

[elastica1995]

there’s a post that is always in my head but. i can never ever find it again

[cbraxs]

Warped [Time Warp Trio Fanfiction] - Chapter 14

The seven warpers held hands in the underground prison. “We have to gather our magical reserves to do this right,” Izzy explained. “You two are new to magic, and I’ve never been the best at using my energy wisely.”

“And how do we do that?” Jodie asked.

“Um, well... good question.”

Jodie looked at her, deadpan. “You mean you don’t know?”

“Yes!” Izzy squeaked. “No. I-it’s hard to explain. Meditation in this case is kinda like sleeping on fast forward. Concentrate on the feeling of magic inside you–”

Joe snapped his fingers. “The tiggly-wiggly”!

Fred furrowed his brow. “The wiggly what now?”

Izzy nodded. “Draw the tiggly-wiggly energy into the center of your being like a deep inhale, then let it out in a controlled breath. Think of what you want to happen, then force the tiggly-wiggly to make it possible.”

Joe squared his shoulders. “Okay.”

“Hold on,” Samantha said. “You two understood… any of that?”

“I think so, actually,” Jodie said, and Izzy couldn’t help but grin. “Alright. I’m ready.”

The three of them closed their eyes. Izzy let her mind go blank. The buzzing cicadas, smell of damp earth, and warmth of her friends’ hands bled away until the only sensation left was the warmth of magic blooming in her gut. The soft drumming of pins and needles crept up her spine and spread throughout her body, humming to be unleased.

“I think I feel something,” Jodie murmured.

“Good,” Izzy said. “Now say, ‘Iseray’.”

The three of them repeated the command in unison. For a moment, nothing happened.

“I don’t feel very floaty,” Fred muttered. The others shushed him.

Izzy didn’t feel floaty, either. Then, the ground drifted from her feet. Slowly but surely, the seven of them rose into the air, like bubbles in water approaching the surface. Izzy opened her eyes to see a green glow surrounding them, lighting the dark cavern.

Sam yelped. Fred started to cheer but a look from Samantha cut it short. Freddi screwed her eyes so tight it looked painful.

The vibrations in Izzy’s gut gathered into a painful tug, but she bit the inside of her mouth and ignored the pain. They were ten feet away from the surface. Five. They were almost out, almost free–

“What is going on down there?!” A voice yelled from above.

Izzy’s stomach hit the ground. A guard peered at them floating mid-air. He yelled and stumbled back.

Jodie screamed and the light dimmed around her. Their smooth ascension halted, and the seven of them wobbled in the air like a prop on a fishing line.

Before Izzy and Joe could right the group, Freddi opened her eyes and looked down. She shrieked and let go of Jodie and Sam’s hands in a panic. The two managed to catch her before she fell, but the move made them dip. They hovered unsteadily as they bumped against the wall.

They were too close to fail now. Izzy gripped Samantha and Fred’s hands tighter and pulled all her friends up the last few feet, pushing through the pain threatening to tear her gut.

Once they were all a few feet out of the hole, the magic sputtered out. They fell to the dusty ground in a heap on top of each other.

Izzy groaned in pain, but not from hitting the ground. The pins and needles were digging into her bones. Her magic was spent. She struggled to stand with the others.

“We made it?” Sam laughed in disbelief. “We made it! I can’t believe we made it!”

“Freddi.” Samantha helped her friend stand. “You can open your eyes now.”

Freddi vehemently shook her head, her fingers covering her eyes. “N-no thank you. Never again!”

“N-not so fast!” The guard from earlier– apparently having recovered from his initial shock– brandished a spear at them. “I don’t know what manner of magicians you are, but I will not allow you to escape!”

He charged, the tip of his spear aimed right at them.

They all yelled and jumped out the way, but Izzy was too slow. In an instant, the spear tip pointed right in her face.

Izzy held her hands in surrender. The guard, unimpressed, pushed into her until she was teetering on the edge of the hole. Her friends called her name in panic, but she barely heard them over her heart pounding in her ears. She caught herself from falling and stared at the spear tip, unable to think clearly.

The guard’s spear lit up green and jerked violently to the side, dragging the man along with it. Izzy scrambled from the hole and noticed it was Joe controlling the spear. He zigzag his hands in all directions and flopped the guard around like a rag doll.

The guard let go of the spear at the wrong time and tumbled into the hole, landing with a thud.

Izzy stared at Joe in awe as the others went to check on the guard.

“He’s okay!” Freddi called.

“But we won’t be when he calls for backup,” Fred said. “Let’s run.”

Samantha rubbed her chin in thought. “If I remember correctly, there’s a temple dedicated to Isis near the palace where we can hide.”

“Are you nuts?” Sam asked. “The palace is swarming with soldiers!”

“But the Ptolemies haven't used that temple in years. It’ll be the last place they’ll suspect us.”

The group nodded in agreement, albeit some less enthusiastic than the others. They followed Samantha to the temple.

~*~

Sneaking back onto palace grounds was no easy task, but fortune was on their side. Samantha got turned around a few times and they would’ve been caught three times over if not for some convenient pillars and foliage to hide behind.

They finally came across the temple of Isis and ducked pasted the twin sphinxes guarding the entrance. Despite the warm night and the torches casting dim light along the walls, the inside was cold and somber– lack of use turning the air stagnant. In the center of the temple stood a statue of Isis, the once vibrant paint faded and cracked. The statue, Izzy thought, was a blend of Greek and Egyptian styles.

Izzy tore her attention from the statue, chastising herself for getting distracted during their prison break.

“Is it really safe to be here,” Freddi asked, eyeing the statue as if it were spying on them.

“The Ptolemies tried to synchronize the culture and religion of Greece and Egypt,” Sam explained, “but they still thought of themselves as Greek. So they should overlook this place. Right, Samantha?”

”Hmm? Oh, yeah, yeah. Of course.”

“That’s reassuring.”

Samantha telling Sam to relax and his retort faded to the background. Izzy placed a tentative hand over her stomach. The pain from overexerting herself was still there, but not as prominent– as if the tear was healing itself. “Are you two feeling alright?” She asked Joe and Jodie.

Jodie nodded. “I'm fine.”

“Me too,” Joe groaned.

Izzy raised a brow at him.

“Okay. I'm a bit sore but it's no big deal. I think I pulled a magic muscle.”

“Don't push yourself,” Izzy said.

Joe waved away her concern. “I’ll be fine. Besides, you're the one who pulled us out at the end. I should be saying that to you. You’re the reason we escaped at all.”

They smiled at each other, and Izzy's cheeks warmed from the compliment. “Well, it's not like I didn't have help. And you saved me back there, too.”

“Yeah, but we still–”

“Alright!” Jodie said, grabbing everyone’s attention. “Everyone's caught their breath. We need a plan.”

There was a pregnant pause before Joe said, “We can’t keep sneaking around with all seven of us. Eventually, we’re gonna get caught and thrown into a worse hole.”

“I shudder to imagine a worse hole,” Samantha muttered.

“Let’s split up,” Fred suggested.

Sam clasped his hands together. “Great idea! That way, it’ll take them twice as long to kill us!”

“Do you have a better idea?”

“... not really.”

“They’ll find out we escaped sooner or later.” Jodie motioned to Freddi and Samantha. “We’re more familiar with the palace. We’ll make our way back to the guy’s room and grab The Book. It should still be there.”

“You all can’t go,” Sam said. “If you’re caught, the group will be cut in half and we’ll have no way to find you.”

“And they’ll would all be sitting ducks out here,” Freddi said.

“I’ll go with Jodie,” Izzy said. The six of them stared at her, with Jodie the most concerned.

Izzy cleared her throat. “I-I mean, Jodie knows exactly where she left The Book. I could be back up. It would be the quickest way, right?”

There was another reason Izzy wanted to go. Of course she wanted to get The Book, save Cleopatra, and go home, but she also wanted to show Jodie that she was trustworthy. Izzy didn’t go out of her way to befriend or impress people who didn’t like her. She was used to people not liking her, but Jodie was Joe’s cousin and something about that stung Izzy in a way she didn’t recognize or like.

“Hold on,” Joe said. “Are you sure you’re alright to go? Getting us free seemed to take a lot out of you.”

“I feel better now,” Izzy said. It was mostly true. “As long as it’s okay with you, Jodie.”

After a while, Jodie nodded. “I guess that’s fine.”

Fred slung an arm over Izzy’s shoulder. “You got nothing to worry about, princess. Izzy here knows all kinds of sick moves. She’ll have your back.”

Jodie rolled her eyes. “Fine. If Isadora and I aren’t back in ten minutes—”

“Panic?” Freddi suggested.

“Preferably not, but panic if you must.” Jodie motioned for Izzy to follow her. “Come on.”

~*~

The two of them easily made their way to the boys sleeping chamber with Jodie leading the way. They stuck to the shadows as they snuck through gardens, hiding behind columns and statues. They circled the palace, crouching when it looked like someone was close to spotting them through a window.

Eventually, the Mediterranean came into view. “I remember the boys’ room overlooked the bay,” Jodie muttered. They came across the large circular window and Izzy stayed back as Jodie carefully peered in. “Aha!”

Right on Joe’s bed was Jodie’s satchel with The Book peaking out of it.

Jodie told Izzy to cover for her, then climbed into the window to retrieve her satchel. Izzy scanned the area around her. All was going smoothly until a figure came into view, a palace guard on patrol duty. He hadn’t noticed Izzy, but she didn’t want to stick around until he did.

Quickly, Izzy shimmied through the window and crashed on the floor.

Jodie whirled and glared at her, her satchel hung across her shoulder. “What are you doing?”

Two sets of approaching footsteps cut Izzy off before she could explain. The chamber had no doors. They couldn’t sneak out before getting caught, so the two pushed themselves against the corner between the wall and Joe’s bed to hide.

The footstep drew closer, and the voices more audible. “–sure about this dream, Your Majesty?”

It was Ahmose, Cleopatra’s guard, addressing the Pharaoh. Izzy tried not to gulp loudly and get them caught.

“It was clear as day!” the Pharaoh insisted. “The serpent spoke to me. It confirmed my fears about the foreigners. They worked with Berenice to steal my Cleopatra away. The serpent said to save her I would have to sacrifice King Fred’s priestess.”

Izzy’s heart sunk in terror. Jodie frowned and glanced at Izzy but didn’t say anything.

“Get the priestess out of the pit and remove all her jewelry. The exchange will take place on the Pharos of Alexandria.”

Their steps faded down the hall as quickly as they came, carrying their voices with them. Izzy spun her earrings with shaky fingers. “H-he’s gonna trade me for Cleo based off a dream with a talking snake?” A look of dread washed over Jodie’s face. “Let’s get back to the others. At least we have a clue where Cleopatra might be.” Jodie didn’t seem doubtful of the Pharaoh’s dream, which made Izzy more fearful. Not only did Berenice want her, but she (or whoever she was working with) wanted her earrings taken away. They were rose gold, but it sounded like the snake from the Pharaoh’s dream didn’t want her jewelry for itself. It gave more credence to Izzy’s theory, but she really, really didn’t like it.

The two girls made their escape out the window– Jodie followed by Izzy. On their way down, Jodie’s footing slipped. She rolled her ankle fell on her rear. Her hand flew to cover her mouth, but not before she yelped in pain.

Izzy helped her up. “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine.” Jodie tried to stand on her own but winced when she put weight on her feet. “No! Not fine.”

“Here.” Izzy put an arm around her for support. “Lean on me. I got you.”

Jodie shifted her weight to lean against Izzy and they made their way back to the temple.

They were about halfway to there before things went south.

The two rounded a corner and came face-to-face with a spear-carrying soldier. Izzy placed herself between him and Jodie. They were about ten feet apart but that didn’t make the spear pointed at her chest any less intimidating.

“Priestess of Isis! By decree of the Pharaoh, I order you to come with me.”

“You need to tell the Pharaoh he’s being set up!” Izzy said.

He ignored her– of course– and charged.

What happened next was so impulsive, Izzy’s dad would’ve had a heart attack on the spot.

Instead of dodging or begging for mercy or anything that would’ve been smart, she stepped out of the spear’s way and grabbed the shaft mid-thrust. Izzy twisted the spear up and kicked him in the gut, wrenching the weapon from his hands.

The soldier stumbled back, but regained his ground and glared at her. He lunged at her. Izzy jumped out of his way and whapped him on his head hard with the shaft of the spear. He crumbled to the ground, face first.

Izzy rolled him over and made sure he was still breathing. He was. Izzy sighed in relief then turned to Jodie. She looked at Izzy equal parts amazed and shocked.

“Isadora, that was–”

“Don’t tell the guys I did that,” Izzy pleaded. “They still haven’t let go of what I did to the guy holding the gun to my head.”

Jodie shook her head, her stunned look replaced with a serious one. “We’ll discuss that later. Right now we need to leave before he wakes up looking for us and his spear.”

Izzy nodded and broke the spearhead off against the side of the palace, leaving her with an improper bo staff. She had no clue how to use one. There were bo staffs in her Tae Kwon Do classes she hadn’t really used one before, but she’d seen the more advanced students do it. That would have to be enough practice for now. “Get on my back.”

“It’ll slow us down,” Jodie protested.

Izzy shook her head. “I’ve carried Sam across a football field when he sprained his ankle before. This is nothing.”

“But–”

“You can trust me. I promise.”

Jodie frowned, like what Izzy said hurt her. Izzy was about to apologize– even though she wasn’t sure what for– when Jodie sighed. “Alright. Let’s go.”

Izzy helped Jodie on her back and they made their way back to the temple.

~*~

Jodie and Izzy made it back to the temple of Isis unscathed. Their friend immediately greeted them.

“We were so worried!” Freddi cried. “We thought you two had been captured with how long you took.”

“Nice staff.” Joe said. “Good idea.”

Sam pinched the bridge of his nose. “Do I even want to know how you got that thing?”

Fred laughed at Jodie on Izzy’s back. “She got you pulling slave duty on a retrieval mission?”

“For your information,” Jodie said as Izzy eased her to the floor. “Isadora offered to carry me. I hurt my ankle.”

Fred kept chuckling as he knelt in front of Jodie.

Jodie’s eyes widened. “W-what are you doing?”

“I know how to wrap a busted ankle.” Fred tore off a piece of his tunic with his teeth. “Just ask Sam. Which one did you hurt?”

Jodie folded her arms turns away. “The left one. Just... hurry up and fix it!”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Izzy explained what happened on their “retrieval mission”, with Jodie chiming in now and then to add in something Izzy forgot to mention.

“Wow,” Freddi said. “Sounds like some dream.”

“The ancient Greeks and Egyptians both believed dreams held messages from the gods about the future,” Samantha explained. “If the Pharaoh believes his dream then nothing’s going to stop him from turning Izzy over.”

Izzy shrunk in on herself and rubbed her arms. Jodie hissed at Samantha, “Not helping.”

Fred stood, done with Jodie’s ankle, and turned to Joe. “Didn’t the same thing happen to you back when we were stuck in Antarctica? But instead of a snake, your mom was a penguin or something?”

“Yes, but that was because–” Joe’s draw dropped. “You don’t think–”

“It’s Mad Jack,” Izzy finished.

An awful beat of deafening silence passed when she said his name.

“We can’t be sure,” Joe said.

“Yeah,” Fred said. “For all we know, the Pharaoh made his dream up or something.”

“Berenice tried to kidnap me, not Cleo,” Izzy said. “There’s no reason she should even know who I am. Besides, Mad Jack already knows about my earrings and what they do. It’s gotta be him.”

There was a long moment of silence where they all exchanged worried looks.

“And you’re sure the Pharaoh didn’t mention The Book at all?” Samantha asked Jodie.

“I’m positive.”

“You don’t think he’s trying... that again,” Freddi asked.

“He can’t be. We would’ve known.”

“Are you sure? We had no idea about her.”

Fred interrupted, “Something you want to clue us on?”

Suddenly, Freddi gasped, and they all turn to see what scared her.

A burly guard marched up the steps, holding his curved sword, a khopesh, in his hands.

Despite her friends’ protest, Izzy stepped in front of them, staff in hand, trying not to look like a terrified rabbit caught in a trap.

The man let out a dry laugh like he was amusedly caught off guard. "No need for that. I’m not here for a fight.”

“Yeah, right,” Fred said. “And the sword is just for show.”

“Maybe don’t antagonize the man with the sword?” Sam said.

The man moved closer, his features becoming clearer in the light of the fire.

Izzy lowered her weapon. “Ahmose?”

“How can we trust you?” Joe asked. “Your boss kinda wants us dead.”

“I serve my Pharaoh.” Ahmose knelt in front of Izzy and placed his sword on the ground. “But I also protect the princess. And I believe the villainous scum that took her has nothing to do with any of you.”

Izzy frowned. “Even after you heard about his dream?”

“How did you–”

“Priestess magic!” Samantha said. “Don’t question it.”

He nodded, accepting the answer. “If you did have something to do with the princess’ disappearance, then you would have escaped. I tried to reason with the Pharaoh but he is...incensed.”

“Yeah, no kidding,” Fred muttered.

“He can’t be reasoned with. So I’ve decided to escort you to the Pharos of Alexandria to help me save her.”

Izzy lowered her staff completely and looked at him. He looked back with unwavering honesty. “Okay.”

“’Okay?’ Sam asked. “Shouldn’t we discuss this as a group?”

“I know, but I trust him.”

“This could all be a trap,” Joe said.

“Do we even have a choice?” Samantha asked. “If we say no, he could take us in. If we say yes he could turn us in, too, but he could also help us!”

Freddi wrung her hands. “That’s a lot of ifs.”

“Freddi, it’s two.”

“Two too many!”

“He’s already found us,” Fred said. “He hasn’t attacked. I say we join him and hope for best-case scenario.”

“Fred,” Joe said. “Best case scenario, we end up fighting my uncle where we could get vaporized into desert glass.”

“Better than staying here where we will get executed.”

“Funny,” Sam interjected. “They both sound pretty bad.”

“You can’t be–”

“We’re wasting time!”

Everyone flinched at Izzy like a door slammed in their face. Izzy shrunk back and held the staff in front of her like a shield.

“I’m sorry, but if Mad Jack has Cleopatra, then...”

Izzy didn’t even know how to finish that sentence. If the others could, they didn’t say it for her.

“No, you’re right.” Joe turned to the rest of the group. “I think we know what we have to do.

[thatfreak03]

(Sorry for any spelling or grammar)

I'm still thinking of things to draw. So I drew my childhood show. Time Warp Trio.

It came 5 years before little me heard of it. That didn't stop tiny me from loving it. I actually liked it so much I asked my parents to buy a DVD of it. It's still in my house somewhere. I drew my favorite characters from it. It's a little boring now though.

[satelliteduster]

“it was the craziest thing! i was cutting the pizza…

and then all of a sudden, there’s like, a knife in your book! don’t even ask me how it happened!

yknow, i am so late for.. something. see ya!”

[doubleattitude]

JUMP Dance Convention, Orlando, FL: RESULTS

High Scores by Age:

JUMPstart Solo

1st: Amanda Carpenter-’Hey Daddy’

2nd: Sophia Novo-’Red Hope’

3rd: Mila Simunic-’Never Enough’

4th: Amaya Rodriguez-’Fly’

5th: Mikaela Florez-’Stop Go’

5th: Macey Strickland-’Wind It Up’

6th: Lainey Hess-’Clockwork’

7th: Ella Venerio-’Signals’

7th: Ava Piedrahita-’Somewhere’

8th: Reese Braga-’Rule The World’

9th: Rylan Reynolds-’Hallelujah’

10th: Aislyn Frazier-’Paint It Black’

Mini Solo

1st: Michael Savio-’To The Stars’

2nd: Kya Massimino-’System Activated’

3rd: Bella Rey D’Armas-’Extraction’

3rd: Sophia Gil-’Film Credits’

3rd: Denise Torres-’Swan’

3rd: Camila Giraldo-’Welcome To Miami’

4th: Santiago Sosa-’Becoming’

5th: Ella Dobler-’Home’

5th: Abella Dorta-’In The Meantime’

5th: Adrianna Farris-’Will He’

6th: Jasmine Pando-’Amelia’

7th: Ashley Otano-’Dark Matter’

7th: Ava Rodriguez-’Survivor’

8th: Georgia Beth Peters-’Come Together’

8th: Raegan Hess-’Intertwined’

9th: Xiomara Aticune-’Discovery’

9th: Blake Metcalf-’New World’

10th: Layla Alvarez-’Fairy Tale’

10th: Jazmin Covos-’The Air’

10th: Lily Hackney-’Vanishing Point’

Junior Solo

1st: Daniela SanGiacomo-’Infinite’

2nd: Jazlyn Quintero-’Deep End’

3rd: Sophia Ortiz-’Turning The Dial’

4th: Gisele Gandarilla-’All Human Beings’

5th: Kylee Casares-’Underground’

6th: Zoe Hollborn-’How Will I Know’

6th: Zachary Roy-’The Evolution Revolution’

7th: Jazmine Raine Werner-’Zoilus’

8th: Samantha Hernandez-’The Descent’

9th: Manuela Riquezes-’The Walk’

10th: Haven Greene-’Diva’

Teen Solo

1st: Sam Fine-’Epilogue’

1st: Brady Farrar-’Once More’

2nd: Kaitlyn Santos-’Ave Maria’

3rd: Xander Perone-’Dawn’

3rd: Carmen Beiner-’Juxtaposition’

4th: Isabella Tagle-’Silence’

5th: Natalya Toirac-’See How They Run’

5th: Brooklyn Law-’Shadow’

6th: Brianna Tejeda-’Its a rainy day on a cosmic shore’

7th: Antonia Gonzalez-’Like The Wind’

8th: Rachel Leon-’Independent Woman’

8th: Destanye Diaz-’Pins and Needles’

9th: Mayra Santos-’Internal Defeat’

9th: Catherine Clayton-’No Choir’

10th: Georgia Greene-’Moonlight’

Senior Solo

1st: Jackson Roloff-Hafenbreadl-’Four’

2nd: Cameron Stedman-’An Evening I Will Not Forget’

3rd: Thiago Pacheco-’Strange’

4th: Daisy Armagost-’Midnight Express’

5th: Sarah Sutterfield-’Sun King’

5th: Kimora Miller-’Unchain’

6th: Ally Pereira-’Daring to Love’

6th: Kelly Sawyer-’Dreamer’

7th: Yareliz Rodriguez-’Held’

7th: Kelsey Ragin-’Photo Gravity’

8th: Maria Shaheen-’Together In Seperation’

9th: Kylee Gaitan-’Butterfly’

10th: Demi Ulatowski-’Hey Ma’

JUMPstart Duo/Trio

1st: New Level Dance Company-’I’ll Be There’

2nd: Dance Unlimited-’Fabulous’

3rd: Etudes de Ballet-’Hold Your Hand’

Mini Duo/Trio

1st: New Level Dance Company-’The Crumbling’

2nd: Xplosive Dance Academy-’Race to Erase’

3rd: Rolann’s School of Dance-’I Can’t Do It Alone’

Junior Duo/Trio

1st: Dance Unlimited-’The Mighty Two’

2nd: Stars Dance Studio-’Elephants’

3rd: Duvall Dance Academy-’Cosmic Love’

Teen Duo/Trio

1st: Stars Dance Studio-’Wake Me’

2nd: Studio A-’Bulletproof’

3rd: Performer’s Edge Dance Center-’Sounds of Sunshine’

Senior Duo/Trio

1st: Stars Dance Studio-’To The Moon’

2nd: Stars Dance Studio-’The Dark Matter of Love’

3rd: West Florida Dance Company-’Dream Team’

JUMPstart Group

1st: New Level Dance Company-’I Need A Hero’

1st: Dance Unlimited-’London’

2nd: Dance Unlimited-’In Bloom’

3rd: Xplosive Dance Academy-’Little Red’

Mini Group

1st: Dance Unlimited-’Not The End’

2nd: Dance Unlimited-’Ashes’

3rd: Stars Dance Studio-’Descent Has Begun’

Junior Group

1st: Stars Dance Studio-’Spa’

2nd: Dance Unlimited-’Fever’

3rd: Stars Dance Studio-’Day Dreamer’

3rd: Dance Unlimited-’Purple Rain’

Teen Group

1st: West Florida Dance Company-’Glass’

2nd: Studio 61 Dance Company-’Anything I Do’

2nd: Dance Unlimited-’For My Help’

3rd: Dance Unlimited-’New Constellations’

Senior Group

1st: Studio 61 Dance Company-’Lonely Too’

2nd: Dance Unlimited-’Round 3′

3rd: Dance Unlimited-’Pith’

Mini Line

1st: Studio 61 Dance Company-’C-Breezy’

1st: Stars Dance Studio-’Scrapers’

2nd: Dance Unlimited-’Day-O’

2nd: Studio 61 Dance Company-’I Don’t Speak French’

3rd: Dance Unlimited-’Human Touch’

Junior Line

1st: Stars Dance Studio-’Anymore’

2nd: Stars Dance Studio-’For All We Know’

3rd: Studio 61 Dance Company-’Replicas’

Teen Line

1st: Stars Dance Studio-’Begins’

1st: Stars Dance Studio-’Minus 61′

2nd: Stars Dance Studio-’Carbon Cycle’

2nd: West Florida Dance Company-’War It’

3rd: Stars Dance Studio-’One More Night’

Senior Line

1st: Dance Unlimited-’Volcanic’

Mini Extended Line

1st: Dance Unlimited-’Watch The Throne’

2nd: Stars Dance Studio-’Dawn of Love’

3rd: Stars Dance Studio-’Drumming’

Junior Extended Line

1st: Xplosive Dance Academy-’Reminiscent’

Teen Extended Line

1st: Stars Dance Studio-’Papa Was A Rollingstone’

2nd: West Florida Dance Company-’YonceXTravis’

3rd: West Florida Dance Company-’Time Warp’

Senior Extended Line

1st: Dance Unlimited-’POP’

Teen Production

1st: West Florida Dance Company-’Money’

2nd: Stars Dance Studio-’Weightless’

3rd: Stars Dance Studio-’After Hour’

High Scores by Performance Division:

JUMPstart Jazz

1st: Dance Unlimited-’London’

JUMPstart Tap

1st: Dance Unlimited-’Girls Just Want to have Fun’

JUMPstart Lyrical

1st: New Level Dance Company-’I Need A Hero’ 2nd: Dance Unlimited-’In Bloom’ 3rd: Esprit Dance Academy-’True Colors’

JUMPstart Specialty

1st: Xplosive Dance Academy-’Little Red’

Mini Jazz

1st: Studio 61 Dance Company-’I Don’t Speak French’ 1st: Dance Unlimited-’Day-O’ 2nd: Studio 61 Dance Company-’Kiss Kiss’ 3rd: Xplosive Dance Academy-’Now I’m Back’

Mini Contemporary

1st: Dance Unlimited-’Not The End’ 2nd: Stars Dance Studio-’Dawn of Love’ 3rd: Stars Dance Studio-’Descent Has Begun’

Mini Lyrical

1st: Stars Dance Studio-’Drumming’ 2nd: West Florida Dance Company-’I Believe’ 3rd: Xplosive Dance Academy-’Humanity’

Mini Hip-Hop

1st: Dance Unlimited-’Watch The Throne’ 2nd: Studio 61 Dance Company-’C-Breezy’ 3rd: Duvall Dance Academy-’Ice Cream’

Mini Tap

1st: West Florida Dance Company-’Do Your Thing’ 2nd: Xplosive Dance Academy-’Stand By Me’ 3rd: Xplosive Dance Academy-’This Will Be’

Mini Musical Theatre

1st: Studio 61 Dance Company-’Don’t Rain On My Parade’ 2nd: Xplosive Dance Academy-’Be Prepared’ 3rd: Duvall Dance Academy-’Bonjour, Paris’

Mini Acro

1st: Dance Unlimited-’Ashes’

Mini Specialty

1st: Stars Dance Studio-’Scrapers’

Junior Jazz

1st: Dance Unlimited-’Fever’ 2nd: Studio 61 Dance Company-’Replicas’ 3rd: West Florida Dance Company-’Dance Like Your Daddy’

Junior Hip-Hop

1st: West Florida Dance Company-’Mr. Brown’

Junior Tap

1st: West Florida Dance Company-’Five Guys Named Moe’

Junior Contemporary

1st: Stars Dance Studio-’Anymore’ 2nd: Stars Dance Studio-’Day Dreamer’ 3rd: Studio 61 Dance Company-’Frustrated’

Junior Lyrical

1st: Stars Dance Studio-’For All We Know’ 2nd: Dance Unlimited-’Special Two’ 3rd: Dance Unlimited-’Shipwrecked’

Junior Acro

1st: Xplosive Dance Academy-’Nocturnus’

Junior Specialty

1st: Stars Dance Studio-’Spa’ 2nd: Dance Unlimited-’Purple Rain’ 3rd: West Florida Dance Company-’Rama’

Teen Jazz

1st: Stars Dance Studio-’One More Night’ 2nd: West Florida Dance Company-’Glass’ 3rd: Studio 61 Dance Company-’Anything I Do’

Teen Hip-Hop

1st: West Florida Dance Company-’YonceXTravis’ 2nd: Studio 61 Dance Company-’Get Up’ 3rd: Xplosive Dance Academy-’Action’

Teen Tap

1st: West Florida Dance Company-’Sir Duke’ 2nd: Esprit Dance Academy-’March March’ 3rd: West Florida Dance Company-’Lovestoned’

Teen Contemporary

1st: Stars Dance Studio-’Papa Was A Rollingstone’ 2nd: Stars Dance Studio-’Begins’ 2nd: Stars Dance Studio-’Minus 61′ 3rd: West Florida Dance Company-’War It’ 3rd: Stars Dance Studio-’Weightless’

Teen Lyrical

1st: Dance Unlimited-’Beyond The Image’ 2nd: Dance Unlimited-’New Constellations’ 3rd: The Dance Collective-’I’ll Stand By You’

Teen Musical Theatre

1st: Studio 61 Dance Company-’One’ 2nd: West Florida Dance Company-’Time Warp’ 3rd: On The Edge At Frank Rey Dance-’Mein Herr’

Teen Ballroom

1st: Stars Dance Studio-’After Hour’

Teen Specialty

1st: West Florida Dance Company-’Money’ 2nd: Stars Dance Studio-’Carbon Cycle’ 3rd: West Florida Dance Company-’Pieces’

Senior Jazz

1st: Dance Unlimited-’POP’ 2nd: Dance Unlimited-’Round 3′ 3rd: West Florida Dance Company-’Goodbye’

Senior Tap

1st: West Florida Dance Company-’Come Together’

Senior Contemporary

1st: Studio 61 Dance Company-’Lonely Too’ 2nd: Dance Unlimited-’Pith’ 3rd: Dance Unlimited-’Volcanic’

Senior Lyrical

1st: Duvall Dance Academy-’Vincent’

Best of JUMP:

JUMPstart

New Level Dance Company-’I Need A Hero’

Dance Unlimited-’London’

Mini

West Florida Dance Company-’I Believe’

Studio 61 Dance Company-’C-Breezy’

Stars Dance Studio-’Dawn of Love’

Xplosive Dance Academy-’Now I’m Back’

Dance Unlimited-’Not The End’

Junior

Duvall Dance Academy-’Short Skirt Long Jacket’

Stars Dance Studio-’Anymore’

Dance Unlimited-’Fever’

Xplosive Dance Academy-’Nocturnus’

West Florida Dance Company-’Dance Like Your Daddy’

Studio 61 Dance Company-’Replicas’

Teen

Dance By Holly Rock-’Crazy’

West Florida Dance Company-’Money’

Dance Unlimited-’Beyond The Image’

Stars Dance Studio-’Papa Was A Rollingstone’

Studio 61 Dance Company-’Get Up’

Senior

West Florida Dance Company-’Come Together’

Studio 61 Dance Company-’Lonely Too’

Dance Unlimited-’Pop’

Best In Studio:

West Florida Dance Company-’Money’

Studio 61 Dance Company-’Lonely Too’

On The Edge At Frank Rey Dance-’Missy’

Xplosive Dance Academy-’Action’

Stars Dance Studio-’Anymore’

Duvall Dance Academy-’Short Skirt Long Jacket’

Dance Unlimited-’Pop’

[dumbkiri]

Buried Secrets Two

Parts: [ 1, Here, 3 ]

Summary: [Name], knowing she and John are in danger, runs to the babysitter’s house to get John back to safety. She also gives the nice babysitter money to go out of the country. Then [Name] is in a stolen car wondering where and who to go for help. She reluctantly goes to the Titans. Although plans don’t go as planned. Dick tells the truth to the Titans and they figure out a plan to stop Deathstroke once and for all. Deathstroke has unfortunate news for [Name]. 

Pairing: Dick Grayson x Female! Reader

Genre: Slight Angst

Word Count: 3k

WARNINGS: Blood

“Wait, Ms. [L.Name], why are you suddenly leaving? Also you’re bleeding,” Samantha, John’s babysitter, had ran behind [Name]. The young teen was not understanding why she was given two grand for only taking care of John for a night. 

[Name] held John closer to her body and noticed that he was going to cry soon. She set John down in a carrier then grabbed Samantha by her shoulders, “Look, sweetie, use the money to finally go to South Korea. Didn’t you say you always wanted to go there?”

“Y-yeah, but I can’t leave without notifying my parents. I’m just a sophomore in high school,” Samantha gave [Name] a weird look. 

[Name] cursed under her breath and grabbed four grand from a duffel bag, “Here use this to bring your parents with you. Just get out of town, no, the country.”

“Why? What’s going on?” Samantha didn’t know when to stop asking questions and it was annoying the older female to no end. [Name] zipped up the duffel bag and grabbed the handle of John’s carrier. She walked over to the front door and zoomed over to her car that she stole. She opened the backseat car door and strapped John into a car seat. 

John began crying now and [Name] closed the door after she stuffed her bags next to John. “Listen carefully, Samantha. Bad people are after me and they might use you to find me which is why you need to leave. Because they’ll only bring harm to you and your family for no reason.”

Samantha’s blue eyes widened, “Bad people like murderers?”

“Worst. Now call your parents and I’ll tell them what to do.”

…… 

[Name] looked at her phone and typed the address to the Titan’s Tower. Her fingers froze and she let her thumb hover over the start button. Deathstroke said that Dick brought the Titans back together. But she couldn’t bring herself to believe him. Deathstroke isn’t known to be a liar, manipulative, yes. If Dick really did bring the Titans back even their old friends, why didn’t he contact her?

“Ma...ma,” John whined in the back seat, his little feet kicking the air, 

[Name] should feel grateful that Dick didn’t call her. It would be awkward to see him. It would be awkward to see them all and John, what would they think? Did Dick tell them about John? Her [e.color] eyes looked at the rearview mirror. She watched as John babbled in his spot. Drool dripping down his chin. 

She worried for her son. [Name] promised herself she wouldn’t go back to being a hero. That was in the past and it was going to stay there because she didn’t want her son getting hurt or worse. He was too young to die. He’s just a baby. 

“Starting route to Titan’s Tower,” 

This was her only chance to keep him safe. They were her family once and John could be a part of it. 

……

“Dick, come on, man, wake up” 

“What happened to the three of them?”

“Do you think they all just passed out here like idiots cause I do.”

“Hank, no.”

Dick groaned and opened his eyes to see Rachel and Gar waking up as well. His brown eyes observing the two teens that laid on each other. 

“Ugh, what happened?” Gar asked rubbing his head with his eyes adjusting to the bright light from Jason’s phone. 

“They seem fine. Maybe they had a sleepover without us” Jason said and Hank chuckled at his remark. Jason turned his phone light off and backed away to give the trio space.

 Rachel removed herself off of Gar’s body with a slight blush apparent. She sat on her knees and rubbed her hands on her thighs. [Name] was on her way. “Did you guys see what I saw?” Rachel asked the two males who were affected by her power. 

Gar nodded his head, “Yeah it was strange. It was like I was next to her when she was fighting Deathstroke and Dr. Light. It was so weird, I couldn’t do anything for her.” 

“Shit,” Dick cursed under his breath and jumped to his feet. He needed to go to the computer. He needed to see how far she was away from the tower. Dick ran out of the kitchen with everyone following him with questioning gazes. 

Donna was the first to reach him, “Whoa, Dick, slow down. Wanna tell us what’s going on?” The Wonder Girl looking at her friends for some help to get Dick to spill. They stayed quiet and watched him type on the keyboard. His fingers going at a crazy rate. 

“Searching for [Name] [L.Name]...” 

Hank stepped up to Dick with his hand placed on his head, “Hold up, why are you looking for [Name]? Is everything okay with her?”

“No,” Rachel spoke up, “My power, it allowed me to see that she was in danger. She was fighting Deathstroke and Dr. Light all by herself.”

“She blew her own home up, it was crazy and she has telekinesis!” Gar exclaimed pulling at his hair. He never saw such a powerful person with a cool ability. Dick tapped his foot impatiently waiting for the computer to give him results and it was painfully slow. His family was in danger. Can he call them his family? He hasn’t seen them in three years. Every time he wanted to contact [Name], he got cold feet. 

“Dick, you got to tell us what is going on,” Dawn set her hand onto his shoulder. He looked behind him and they were all staring at him. Their eyes boring into him to tell them the truth. He took a deep breath in and pushed away from the computer. 

“I haven’t been honest with you guys,” Dick crossed his arms over his chest, “the only ones that know this secret is Bruce and Alfred. Even if I told you a long time ago what had happened between [Name] and I, I don’t think it’s your business in the first place.”

Hank glared at him, “Now it is.”

“Yes,” Dick nodded his head, “Because they’re in danger.”

Dawn tilted her head in confusion and Donna spoke up, “They’re? Someone else is with [Name]?” The two women had no idea what was going on and neither did the rest. Dick was being hesitant and he took a long time to explain what was going on. He bit his lip and chewed on it. Rachel and Gar looked at each other wondering if they should help Dick with telling the truth. 

“It’s not easy to say this,” Dick admitted with his head low in defeat. He had to tell them anyways because [Name] was going to show up to Titan’s Tower eventually. “[Name] and I...we have a son. He’s two years old and-”

“No fucking way,” An unexpected voice cut through and it was Rose Wilson, Deathstroke’s daughter. “You had a secret child and you didn’t bother to tell your teammates. What other secrets are you keeping?”

“None,” Dick said with a sharp tone. 

Dawn removed her hand off of Dick’s shoulder, “Why didn’t you tell us? We’re your friends.”

“It’s because it was none of our business,” Hank bellowed, “obviously we weren't good enough friends for him to confide in us.” Dawn looked over her shoulder at Hank. Their eyes connected. 

Bzzt. Bzzt. Bzzt. 

It was the front entrance. Someone was there and it was definitely [Name]. It had to be. Although when the camera footage popped up on the computer screen, no one was visible. Suddenly, they all heard the elevator dinging. Dick was the first one to investigate. They all waited in the main room to see the elevator doors opening. 

What they saw made their hearts churn especially Dick’s. His eyes couldn’t believe what they were seeing. In the middle of the elevator was a bassinet with a crying baby in it and a woman bloodied and beaten holding tightly onto the bassinet. Dick reacted quicker than the others and immediately ran inside the elevator. His hands flying to the woman’s face. 

Her nose was bleeding and her eyes were barely open. It was like she was trying to stay awake, but her body was forcing herself to sleep. Her breaths were shallow and her hands gripped tightly around the bassinet. She opened her mouth, blood coating her teeth, “Take care of him, okay?” Her head felt lighter in his hands and he understood. 

“[Name],” Dick called softly tears brimming, “you’re not here, are you?” 

She gave him a smile and her body disappeared right in front of him in red waves. The old titans rushed into the elevator and looked down at Dick kneeling in a fetal position. Then he looked up from the spot where [Name] had once laid in. Letting his anger out, Dick punched the elevator wall in front of him, “Goddammit!” 

“W-wait, I don’t understand,“ Gar spoke up trying to see in the elevator, “[Name] was just here. What happened to her body?” The green haired thought of the worst. He thought she had died. Donna looked at the teens and pushed them away from the elevator telling them that the adults would handle this. 

Dawn knelt down beside Dick, “Come on, Dick. We’re going to find her, but right now your son needs you.” Dick wiped his tears away and picked up the bassinet with shaky hands. Hank stopped Dick from exiting the elevator, “I can hold him...if you want.” 

Dick shook his head, “Thank you, but I got him.” For the first time in a long time, Dick was with his son again. Yet he wished the circumstances were better.

……

“Alright an hour later, John is finally sleeping,” Dawn and Donna walked back into the main room where everybody sat in or around the kitchen. Dick gave them a grateful nod and focused his attention back on the wall. 

“So is anyone going to explain what happened to [Name],” Gar asked very curious why the woman disappeared in the elevator. 

Jason tossed a piece of popcorn into his mouth, “It’s because of her ability.” 

The old titans gave him questioning glares. 

“What? Bruce had me study potential allies and [Name] was one of them. According to what she knows, she has the ability to warp reality and teleport. Well that’s not all she can do, but it’s what she used in this situation. My guess is she used teleportation and put little John in the elevator before Deathstroke could get to him.”

“So her body was just her warping reality?” Rachel asked. 

Rose shrugged her shoulders, “If she could teleport, why didn’t she do the same for herself?”

“Because she hasn’t used her powers in a long time ever since John was born. She didn’t want to risk him getting injured.” Dick answered. His brown eyes were directed to the floor in thought. [Name] was in danger and in the hands of Deathstroke. His second worst enemy. 

Rachel slid off the kitchen counter, "Well, aren't we going to save her? Isn't that what the Titans do?" 

Dick looked at Rachel and shook his head. He wasn't going to allow his new recruits, his friends, get involved with Deathstroke. He won't allow another young soul die at his hands. "No, you guys will stay here and keep watch on John." 

"Great," Jason groaned, "you're putting us on babysitting duty while you guys fight a known villain. He's your son, how about you spend time with him for once?"

Dick growled, "Don't go there." 

"Or what?" Jason challenged stepping up to Dick. The teen with black hair was beginning to push Dick's buttons. And they weren't supposed to be bothered with. "I say you sit this one out, Dick. Let us handle the bad guys for once." 

"No," Dick said firmly. He was standing his ground. The presence of the new Robin didn't scare him nor did he tremble. "Deathstroke is mine. Now stand down or I'll put you on probationary timeout." 

Jason scoffed and turned his back on Dick muttering a few curses. The old Titans walked up to Dick and they formed a tiny circle ready to discuss their plans on how to get [Name] back to safety. 

……

“A caring mother, you are,” Deathstroke talked to [Name], sitting directly across from her. Their knees almost touching each other. “I could have promised not to lay a finger on your son, but you made things more difficult for you.” 

[Name] swallowed down the blood from her mouth. The taste of iron bothering her taste buds. “I won’t allow my son to get hurt because you have a personal vendetta for his father.”

“You speak as if Grayson holds no meaning to your heart, is it true you two had a falling out?” Deathstroke asked with a tilt of his head. 

“You can say that,” [Name] responded looking away from him. She wasn’t going to speak about her relationship problems with a psycho like Deathstroke. Her business was her business. This wasn’t a therapy session among a hero and villain. 

“Huh, always thought you two were good for each other.”

“Ah, good one. An attempt of sarcasm by the one and only Deathstroke.” [Name] replied to his remark. Her right eye closed upon feeling the warm liquid that was blood drip down it. She forgot that she was hurting while chained to the chair in special handcuffs. Deathstroke’s presence didn’t allow her to relax. He forced her to be on the edge. 

“Why don’t you use your powers, [Name]?” Deathstroke looked at her crossing his arms over his chest. She got him thinking. She needed him to think of the consequences he’ll reap. 

The blood dripped onto her clothing in a slow rhythm. “I don’t know maybe because you got a hold of Cadmus’ tech. Did you steal them or actually request for them, I’m really curious.” She wiped her chin with her shoulder and sighed. [Name] didn’t like waiting and she hoped the Titans could find her. But it was nearly impossible especially if Deathstroke is good at covering steps and going off grid. It was his specialty. 

“I made a bargain with them,” Deathstroke began ominously, “I give them you in exchange for the Titans.”

[Name] was puzzled. “Cadmus doesn’t have the Titans, you only put yourself in a situation which can’t happen because-”

“I hand you over to them now and they could experiment on you. Then they’ll send out their people and get the Titans for me. It’s an easy trade off.”

“I thought you wanted Dick for yourself. Why not get revenge by you doing what you do best. You’re a killer, Deathstroke. Blinded by your rage toward Dick and vice versa, you two killed an innocent boy. A boy I was beginning to love in my own way. A boy Dick took advantage of. A boy who was your dearest son. Why continue this vengeance and for what reason?”

“You are to blame for my son’s death. You allowed Grayson to let Jericho into the Titan life knowing who his father was. Who I was.” [Name] could feel the anger radiating off of his body with each sentence. “Yet you and the Titans didn’t stop Dick from coercing Jericho. You killed him.”

[Name] shook her head, “No, I left the Titans before Jericho died. I only heard about his passing from Dawn, Dick didn’t tell me the truth until I came back and threatened to search his memories.” She paused and softened her glare, “Slade, I’m really sorry about Jericho. He was a wonderful boy and he could have made a great man.”

Deathstroke uncrossed his arms and leaned closely to [Name]. He placed his right knee in between her legs and let his right hand hold the chair. His left hand wiped the blood away from her eye so she could look up at him with both of her [e.color] eyes. “You will be when I make you feel the pain my wife and I went through.”

[Name] knew exactly what he meant. His words struck her heart and her blood ran cold. "No, please, he's just a baby," Her voice was soft and fragile. Her eyes pooling with unshed tears of sadness. 

Deathstroke gripped her chin tightly with his fingers. 

"I'm begging you, Slade," [Name] was crying now. Her eyes closed as she cried for what Deathstroke was planning. She opened them up and begged again, "Please, don't go after my boy. He's innocent and he would never hurt anyone. Slade, please." 

He removed himself from her and began walking away from her in silence. 

[Name] struggled in her bonds. Her feet pushing against the floor and her chair tilted sideways. The weight of her body made herself and the chair fall on their left side. Her body ached, but that didn't stop her from calling out to him, "Leave him alone! Please!"

Dr. Light popped into the room and watched as the mother cried out to Deathstroke. Feeling a little remorse for her, he questioned the man who wiped his sword with a white rag. "You aren't really going after the baby, are you?" 

"Does it matter to you?" Deathstroke placed his sword back into its sheath. He turned his body to Dr. Light waiting patiently for an answer. 

Dr. Light nodded his head, "You said that she and the baby would only be bait for the Titans. All I want is the Titans, not for us to kill some kid." 

"And all I want is revenge." Deathstroke finished and walked out of the room. 

"Don't do this!" Dr. Light cringed at the hoarse yells coming out of [Name]'s mouth and he turned his attention back on the woman. She was lying helplessly on the floor with tears sliding down her face. 

He wasn't supposed to do this.

“Alright, calm down, will ya?” Dr. Light ran over to [Name] and lifted her chair upright. She sniffled and brought her red eyes onto the villain. “Don’t look at me like that. I cross lines, sure. But killing a kid, that’s not for me...yet.” 

That didn’t make [Name] feel any better. 

“I mean a kid that hasn’t done any wrong to me. Fuck the Titans though, am I right?” Dr. Light chuckled and looked at the special handcuffs on her hands. He didn’t know how to take these off. “This is gonna sound awkward, lady. But I can’t take these handcuffs off you, only that bastard can.” 

“That’s fine,” [Name] finally spoke up and her eyes were a bright red along with her hands, “all I need is you.” 

[welfin]

if u watched time warp trio on discovery kids when u were 7 and u stanned samantha ur a lesbian now

[actualsideofrice]

Does anyone remember the show Time Warp Trio because I’ve never met someone who has seen it. It aired on discovery kids, the show was based off the book series and took place in 2005 Brooklyn with Joe and his friends Sam and Fred. Also his younger sister Anna sometimes. On his birthday Joe’s uncle (the magician, the not evil one) gives him The Book which is a family heirloom that takes him and his friends to any point in time. The episodes usually followed the formula that the book gets lost and they have to find it while learning about the time period and trying not to get killed. There were also three girls Jodie Freddie and Samantha from the year 2105 that were the great granddaughters of the boys. The girls were a lot better at using The Book and were much more interesting characters but this show had a good plot building up and I miss it. It ended up getting canceled when discovery kids changed to The Hub. If you want to watch it. All 26 episodes are on YouTube for free. Anyway that’s my bit of nostalgia for today enjoy

[hellman55]

Time Warp Trio - Lewis and Clark... and Jodie, Freddi, and Samantha

[autisticheadcanons]

Joe, Fred, and Sam from Time Warp Trio are all autistic, and so are their (great?)granddaughters Jodie, Freddie, and Samantha!

[cbraxs]

Warped [Time Warp Trio Fanfiction] - Chapter 12

A chill slithered through the warm night air. All color drained from Cleopatra’s face. The Pharaoh’s stony expression turned dour. He commanded Ahmose in a stern whisper, “Have soldiers out searching for her and guarding all entrances to the palace. We are going to handle this swiftly and silently. Alert no one.”

Ahmose bowed, and the two hurried away. Cleo stood still, fisting the fabric of her chiton, eyes tense in terror as she shook.

She exhaled and fixed stoic eyes on Izzy. “Priestess. Come with me.” And without another word, she left, not even looking behind to see if Izzy was following her or not.

What did she want with Izzy, Joe wondered. Maybe protection? But she didn’t know Izzy’s capabilities. Besides, Cleo had ancient Egyptian Dolph Lundgren as a personal bodyguard. Maybe she wanted company while getting some fresh air, but why not bring one of the girls? She’d known them longer.

Izzy stood, her gaze on Cleopatra’s retreating form. “I should go after her.”

“Is that really the safest idea?” Sam asked.

“It’s not like I can refuse an order. She outranks me.”

Sam pinched his nose in disbelief. “She’s… You’re not a real… you’ve been around Fred too long!”

Freddi pitched in, “I think she means is it’s better to go and not upset Cleopatra.”

“Go ahead,” Joe assured Izzy. “We’ll catch up with you two soon.”

Izzy nodded and jogged after Cleopatra. Once both girls disappeared into the crowd, Fred stood and brushed crumbs off his robes. “Well, this has been great, but it’s time for us to leave.”

“I’d love to, really,” Jodie said. “There’s just one thing. The Book is still broken!”

“You guys were the ones who insisted we stay despite The Book being out of order!” Sam said. “Now we’re stuck in the past with a crazed killer on the loose! Where’s that grape juice?”

Samantha snorted, but there was a twinge of nervousness. “Berenice wasn’t exactly Elizabeth Báthory.”

Joe stood. “We should trail them to be safe.”

The others agreed, and with that, they headed out to find Izzy and the princess.

~*~

Berenice was no fool.

She’d been quick to eliminate the obstacles in the way of her coveted position as ruler. She’d dealt with those who posed a threat to her throne Berenice had won this war and nothing was to get in the way of her luxurious station in life.

And yet… something had. That “something” being a Roman invasion, lead by her pestiferous father. In rapid succession, Berenice lost everything: her power, her throne, her affluence, her dignity. All but her life, which was due to be taken from her as well if not for the mysterious strange man escorting her through the night.

She trudged behind the man past the countryside. The glow of his cane lit a green path for them to follow. Her feet ached more than they ever had, her bones throbbed in the cold, and her throat burned from thirst. Despite this, Berenice hadn’t complained, not once, even though she had every right to. She’d learned quickly to not irritate the stranger.

He was… off. Off and choleric. The smallest thing could fly him into a fit of rage, going into diatribes about things she didn’t understand. It was clear that this man was mad, and Berenice wasn’t about to upset him. She didn’t know if she could trust him, but she understood he was powerful.

So she followed. Through clouds of dust, confusion, and mosquitos, she followed.

After what felt like hours, they settled in an empty hovel in the middle of nowhere. Not only was it devoid of residents, but of furnishing. Sand and beetles acted as their company.

“Sit,” the man commanded.

“On the dirt?” Berenice asked.

This innocent question did not please the man. He glared, and the glow on his cane flared, and he shot green lightning at her. She flinched and shut her eyes, expecting to be destroyed instantly, but no harm befell her.

“Is that better, you spoilt Ptolemaic wench?”

She opened her eyes and looked where the spot the man motioned towards. At the place where his magic struck, there was now a simple table with two chairs.

Berenice stared. She knew he had magic. Powerful magic. The kind she'd only ever heard about in stories and drunken retellings. That’s how he was able to bypass the soldiers guarding her and set her free. Still, it was incredible to behold.

The man stomped his foot like an impatient child. “Go ahead and sit! We don’t have all night.”

She did as she was told. He sat across from her, and stuck his cane into the ground, the unusual adornment acting as their candlelight.

The green glow illuminated every crease and frown line across his face. He had dark, unruly hair atop his head, above his mouth, and on his chin. A crystal disc hovered in front of one eye. His skin— and attitude— reminded her of the sands of Deshret: golden red and hostile.

Berenice fidgeted with the golden Wadjet amulet around her neck, the one thing those savages didn’t take from her. Perhaps they thought there was no need to take it when it would fall from her neck soon enough. Or maybe her father thought it would be funny to let her keep her jewelry while she was due for execution, a horrible reminder of what she’d lost in his victory.

After an eternity, the man spoke. “I bet you’re wondering why I freed you.”

“The question had crossed my mind,” Berenice admitted.

“You have something I want, and I possess the abilities to give you what you want.”

“You presume to know what I want?”

“Of course, you imbecile. You want the throne. Revenge. Complete impunity. Blah, blah, blah! I will destroy the Pharaoh and all others who stand in your way. And in return, I want your amulet, the Eye of Horus.”

“My amulet?” she asked. That’s all? “You could’ve taken it without struggle. Why go through the trouble of freeing me?”

“The Eye of Horus is a symbol of protection. For my purposes, it can’t be simply stolen, it must be given willfully.”

“But why my amulet? Surely you could get it elsewhere or even make your own—”

“My motives are none of your beeswax!” he said with a sniff. “Anyway, it won’t impact your mission.”

“My mission?”

“Of course! Do you expect to get your throne back with no work you lazy Prinzessin? No, I need for you to do this one thing for me.”

She nodded hesitantly. He was hiding something from her, that much was obvious. But it didn’t matter. All that mattered was the throne, and disposing of her bastard of a father. The thought of revenge was pure honey cake to her.

“In the palace, there is a group of kids with your sister, seven in total: three boys. four girls. I need you to capture a girl for me and bring her here.”

“Why can’t you—”

“Because I can’t! I didn’t free you from your pathetic fate to ask me idiotic questions. I freed you to kidnap a teenage girl for me!”

“All right! All right! My apologies. Which girl do you want me to bring to you?”

“The one with the silly pigtails.”

“Pigs’ tails? You need her to make you a healing potion?”

A beleaguered sigh from the man. “It’s her hair! Her name is Isadora. She has brown skin, brown hair, green eyes! Get the picture? Should I have prepared an elaborate trifold poster? Brought a projector to show you a PowerPoint presentation? Just bring me the girl.”

Another snap of his fingers and a cup full of clear liquid appeared.

“Hurry up and drink!” the man demanded. “You’re useless to me dehydrated. We need to iron out the details.”

Berenice sipped her water as he explained the plan. Once he finished, he snapped his fingers once more. In a flash of green, two wooden trinkets appeared in his hands: One shaped like a crocodile and the other shaped like a smaller version of the ornament on his cane.

“This,” he handed her the crocodile, “will help you out of any trouble you run into. And this,” he gave her the other item. “Will transport you back to me once you have the girl.”

Berenice looked over the items. They felt as real and smooth as they looked.

“You... truly have this power?” she asked, mostly to herself.

His creeping smile was as dry as the desert and his eyes just as unforgiving. “You haven’t the faintest idea.”

~*~

Izzy hadn’t seen her day going like this at all. She planned on seeing a movie and hanging out with friends. Maybe she’d even get a little risque and drain ten dollars at the crane game to win a cute plush she didn’t need.

Now she was pretending to be a priestess comforting a princess. Not just any run-of-the-mill princess, but Cleopatra. The Cleopatra. The beautiful, smart, charming last Pharaoh of Egypt.

Izzy’s parents would read her stories about Cleopatra, and she was as captivating as described. She had an aura of zeal around her that drew you to her and made her fascinating. She was genuinely excited to meet new people and show them the country she loved. Her energy was contagious and Izzy couldn’t help but feel what she felt.

And then there were her looks. There was a lot of speculation about whether or not Cleopatra was the drop-dead gorgeous beauty of legend, and Izzy always found that super boring. Cleopatra accomplished so much in her lifetime, it was annoying when people downgraded her to a mindless, evil sex-ductress.

Still, Izzy appreciated Cleopatra’s offbeat beauty. Her tall proud nose, which looked a bit like Joe’s, reminded her of a Greek statue. Her smile was always confident, her eyes sparkled, never wavering.

All this to say it was no wonder Izzy felt as nervous as she did as she silently followed the princess through echoing palace and looming pillars into a garden of flowers and trees.

The night buzzed with fireflies, the din of the party as soft as white noise. A light breeze rustled through the palm fronds and carried air that smelled faintly of flowers and smoke.

Cleopatra sat at a pond, her eyes cast down at the catfish darting about. Izzy followed suit, unsure of how to break the silence. She didn’t know if Cleopatra wanted to talk, but Izzy would be here if she decided to do so.

After a moment, Cleo said in a shaky voice, “I am… afraid, priestess. Irrationally, I admit, but I fear for my life. I fear for my father. If there’s a chance to regain her position, I know Berenice will jump at it. She is ruthless.”

“It’s okay to be afraid. Don’t be too hard on yourself for feeling your feelings.”

Cleopatra looked at her in… surprise? Confusion? Izzy didn’t know how to place her reaction, but she continued. “You have your father, his soldiers, and us. We won’t let anything bad happen to you. So don’t worry.”

A sigh from Cleo. “Thank you for the reassurance, priestess. I pray that my father’s men find her soon, and we can move forward with the execution.”

Izzy winced. “I know she’s awful and all, but she’s still your sister. Don’t you feel bad about… y’know?”

“My sister a threat,” Cleopatra said. “To allow a threat to linger is to allow your downfall.”

“But execution...” Izzy shook her head. “It just doesn’t feel right—”

“You clearly have no idea what Berenice is capable of!”

Izzy jumped at her sudden outburst, mouth agape, unable to respond. Not that Cleopatra gave her much of a chance to anyway.

“You have no idea what she’s done to her family, my family. To Egypt! Berenice is foolish and lazy and... selfish! She was a horrendous queen and cared nothing for the responsibility of ruling a nation.”

Tears brimmed in her eyes and threatened to spill down her reddening cheeks as she ranted. Her fist balled as if she was ready to clock the next person who questioned her.

“Egypt is weakened. We need allies. That is why I’ve been especially kind to your King Fred. After my father hands the crown over to me, I will have the weight of Egypt on my shoulders. I will have to undo all the centuries of damage that my ancestors caused neglecting my country. If Berenice must be executed to save my Egypt, then so be it!”

Cleopatra panted as she finished her speech. A shiver ran through her.

Izzy averted her eyes back to the pond. She hadn’t meant to upset her, but she couldn’t help but speak her mind.

She couldn’t blame Cleopatra for reacting this way. Berenice killed her own mother and had her husband murdered. If she were to overthrow the Pharaoh again, she’d no doubt have Cleopatra and her father killed. That’s a lot to put on any fourteen-year-old.

Izzy wasn’t ignorant of who Cleopatra would become. She did many amazing things during her rule, but there was also a lot of ugly stuff. Cleopatra would do to her siblings what Berenice did before her. It was easy to overlook that stuff when she was just a historical figure, a character in a book, a role in a film. But now, having gotten to know Cleopatra today, it was harder to reconcile the actions with the person.

Joe and Anna’s spat was so much easier to deal with compared to this. The Ptolemy dynasty was full of corruption and betrayal. They valued power over family. Cleopatra grew up seeing all this familial betrayal, so it’s normal to her. It was what she had to do. It was harsh and difficult, but necessary for her. Izzy didn’t agree, but this was above what she could handle.

Cleopatra sighed and wiped away tears. “My apologies, priestess. I should not have lost my temper at you like that—”

“Spiders and flies!”

Cleopatra looked at her liked she grew a third eye on her chin.

Oh. She should probably explain what the heck she was talking about so she didn’t look like a loon. “Spiders and flies. A spider’s life appears crazy to a fly. They stay in one spot instead of hunting for food, devouring every fly that falls into their web. But that’s just the spider’s way. It seems monstrous and disgusting, but that’s just the spider surviving.”

Cleo gave her a strange look, like the third eye had sprouted wings.

Izzy rubbed the back of her head. “What I mean is, we’re from different worlds. I can’t convince you to see things the way I do.”

The princess grimaced. “And you say this by likening me a spider, priestess? Perhaps you have confused me with Arachne instead of Aphrodite?”

“I-I— That’s now what I meant!” In hindsight, that wasn’t the most flattering comparison. Maybe she should have thought of cuter animals, like bunnies and foxes. No, wait… that’s way more gruesome...

But to Izzy’s shock, Cleopatra giggled. “You are most unusual, priestess. I appreciate you letting voice my discontent. I feel a bit better now.”

Her smile made Izzy’s cheeks warm. “T-to be honest I’m not sure I did much, but I’m glad you feel better.”

Cleo eyed Izzy with a curious look. “Are you perhaps the fly in this scenario? Buzzing around aimlessly until trapped in your demise by your own thoughtlessness?”

Izzy frowned and thought about it. “I… really really hope not.”

Cleopatra laughed again and Izzy couldn’t help but grin.

A rustling behind them made Izzy whirl around. Her friends stumbled upon the garden, frozen like statues that got caught moving. Izzy waved them over to join them at the pond. “How’d you guys find us so fast?”

“We weren’t stalking you!” Freddi squeaked in a way that made Izzy think they might have been stalking them.

Joe looked from Izzy to the laughing Cleopatra in confusion. “What did you do? Arrest Berenice yourself already?”

“Ah! My guest!” Cleo stood and clasped her hands. “My apologies for keeping you waiting. Let’s return to the party shall we?”

~*~

After the party wound down, the eight of them decided to retire back in the rooms. Cleopatra insisted on spending the night with them. The Pharaoh wasn’t too thrilled with this, but eventually, he gave in with the caveat that Ahmose and another soldier stand guard outside the rooms. As if Joe and the others planned on kidnapping her or something.

A small hallway separated the bedrooms by gender. Joe expected Izzy to be nervous to bunk with strangers, but she didn’t seem too bothered, which was a relief. In fact, she and Cleopatra were pretty attached to each other. Cleo hooked arms with Izzy and practically dragged her around everywhere, not that Izzy seemed to mind.

The boys’ room was more extravagant than their usual time warp related accommodations. A great window overlooked the dark glittering waters of the great bay, allowing the moon as well as candlelight to illuminate their sleeping quarters. A tray of plums, grapes, palm nuts, and figs, and a pitcher of water sat in the center of the room. Brightly painted geometric shapes and pictures of Greek heroes and gods decorated the walls. And good luck getting out of bed once you got in. The fluffy, chaise lounge chair like beds were heaven, especially compared to the jail cells and barns they were used to. Their beds were placed equal parts away against the walls with Joe’s bed the closest to the door.

Fred flopped on the bed. “These digs are awesome!”

“Yeah,” Sam said, “except for the murderer running around.”

“Would you relax, Royal Geek? Unless you’re gonna marry Cleopatra, you have no reason to worry.”

“No, but you might, Fred,” Joe teased.” Cleopatra’s real flirty with you.”

Despite Joe’s tone, Fred puffed up his chest. “What can I say? The Queen of the Nile has excellent taste.”

Sam laughed at that. Fred glared at him and asked what was so funny, which made Sam laugh harder.

“You might not have to worry, Fred,” Sam said. “Cleopatra looks more into Izzy now than you.”

Fred tossed a pillow at him, and all three of them laughed.

A knock on the door interrupted their laughter. Joe turned to see Jodie stood at the entrance, Book in hand. “May I come in?”

Fred rolled his eyes. “Why bother asking? You’re gonna come in anyway.”

Jodie waved away his comment. She marched in (pretty much proving Fred’s point) and sat at the foot of Joe’s bed.

Joe motioned towards The Book. “Any luck fixing it?”

Jodie shook her head as she flipped through the pages. “I’ve never had to fix a problem like this before. It’s happened plenty of times, but never while I owned it.”

She looked helplessly through the glitched, buggy pages. Joe couldn’t help but feel for her. To say Jodie was prideful would be an understatement. She prided herself on her appearance, her accomplishments, but most importantly she prided herself on her handling of The Book.

She’d gotten The Book at ten, the same age he did, but had been warping since she was little. At the age of five, she was appointed to Time Page by her uncle Sid, the uncle who passed The Book on to her. Her warp record wasn’t flawless but she’d never once lost The Book on a warp (excluding any Fred-based excursions). She was a stickler when it came to interfering with history, even more so than Sam. Joe knew how important time traveling was to her.

“Would it help if I tell you what happened?” Joe asked.

Her brows scrunched in thought but didn’t look at him. “Possibly.”

He explained what happened with Izzy in ancient Egypt. Joe told her it was an accident, which was true, but didn’t mention that they were trying to find her dad. He’d tell her eventually, once they were home, but for now, fixing The Book was priority number one. He didn’t want to distract Jodie with that can of worms.

When Joe got to the part when Mad Jack shot at The Book, Jodie’s jaw hit the floor. “He shot The Book?! I know he’s crazy but even he’s not crazy enough to do that.”

“I don’t think he did it on purpose. From how Izzy described it, she shielded herself instinctually.”

“Of course she would,” Jodie muttered. “Thanks for telling me, but I don’t think it’ll help us. Not unless you can shoot magic beams at it.”

He couldn’t, but not for lack of trying. He’d practiced shooting lasers from his fingers many times in his room just to see if he could. Of course, he wasn’t about to bring that up in front of Jodie. Or anyone for that matter.

“So what now?” Joe asked.

“It’s not an exact science, but whenever The Book gets damaged, similar damage usually does the trick. Remember when warrior king Fred oh so expertly stabbed The Book with a spear. Twice.”

“Saved your butt,” Fred piped in.

Jodie rolled her eyes but struggled to hide a small smile. “Anyway, in lieu of magical energy bolts, we’ll have to find another way.” She closed The Book and held it reverently in front of her. “I-I hope this works.”

She closed her eyes and inhaled. Her fingers glowed where they touched The Book. She muttered words under her breath over and over until The Book rumbled in her hands like a mini thunderstorm was going on between the pages. The glow died and Jodie flipped through the pages to find that it was… still jumbled. “Shoot!” Jodie slammed The Book shut. “Well, it was worth a shot.”

“What was that?” Joe asked.

“It’s hard to explain... but it’s sort of a soft reboot.”

Joe waited to see if she was kidding, but Jodie didn’t exactly inherit his sense of humor. “Riiiiight. I get it, but maybe you should explain, so Fred and Sam get it.”

Another roll of her eyes. “The Book is like an ancient supercomputer made by people who didn’t quite understand how to make a computer. It’s a patchwork of pieces and features added over time, which is why it’s powerful but volatile. Right now, it's like an iced computer with a single living aperture.”

“Come again?”

“I think she means,” Sam said, “that it’s like a frozen computer with a working window.”

“Oooooh.” It was times like this that reminded Joe that Jodie was from a future with wildly different technologies than his own time.

But what she said made sense. The Book did sort of function like a computer. It had search features and keyboards on some pages. He wondered if it's always worked like this or if adapted to their modern way of doing things. “So do we need to turn it off and on, or is it there some type of control, alt, delete ritual?”

“It's not as easy as pushing a switch.”

“Not how computers work—”

“However they work, this requires real magic. More than the two of us have.” Jodie’s lip curled, her golden-brown eyes narrowed in thought. “I hate to say it, but I think we need Isadora's help.”

Joe wanted to ask why she hated to say it, and what her deal was with Izzy anyway. But something she said didn’t sit right.

“How… how did you know Izzy could use magic?”

Jodie bit her lip. “I-I just assumed she was the one who taught you that annoying levitation trick. I mean, how else would you have learned that?”

“Oh. Right.” He almost forgot about showing off his new tricked. It made sense she’d assume Izzy taught him.

Jodie groaned. “I guess we have to go get her.”

There it was again, her annoyed attitude towards Izzy. “How come you don't like her?”

Jodie looked at him like he just spoke backwards. “Don’t like who?”

Was she for real? It was obvious who he was talking about. He fixed her with a look and she faltered under the glare. “It's not that I don't like her. It's just... I think you should stop hanging out with Isadora. She’s not—”

Suddenly, Jodie shoved The Book back in her satchel. Her face paled and she stared at the floor as if she was afraid if she looked away it would vanish. Joe was about the ask what was wrong when heard a shuffle behind him.

Izzy stood in the doorway. “Uh, h-hey guys. Cleopatra was going to teach us how to play Senet. I wanted to ask if you’d like to join us, but now I realize that might be really boring so forget I was here.”

“Are you kidding?” Sam jumped out of his bed. “The rules of Senet are lost. No way I’m missing that!”

“Count me in.” Fred stood and stretched. “Beats lying around here with no wifi.”

“Did you really expect to have wifi here?”

“No, but it would’ve been nice.”

“We’ll join you guys in a bit,” Joe said. “Jodie and I are finishing up here.”

Fred and Sam nodded and headed off to the girls’ room. Izzy glanced back at them. Concern flashed across her face before disappearing into the hall.

Jodie groaned and faced palmed. “She heard me, didn’t she? Darn it! This is the worst.”

Joe was beyond confused. Jodie wasn’t one to hide how she felt about anything or anyone. If she hated Izzy, why would she care if she knew?

“I don’t know what your deal is with her,” Joe said, “but you should give her a chance. Yeah, she can be a little weird at first but she’s pretty cool and fun. I think you two would get along if you apologize. She’s actually surprisingly forgiving—”

“I don’t hate her!” Jodie snapped. “It’s just…” A heavy sigh. “She shouldn’t be here. Not now. It doesn’t make any sense.”

Okay, that didn’t make any sense. Before he could ask her to elaborate, a shriek followed by a crash echoed through the hall from the girls’ room. Joe and Jodie jumped and rushed to the room, not knowing what was to come when they got there.

[cbraxs]

Warped [Time Warp Trio Fanfiction] - Chapter 11

Joe would’ve appreciated the chance to admire the glittering deep blue surface of the water before he and his friends got dumped in like a sack of bricks.

Jolts shot through Joe’s veins; his heart went into hyperdrive. He surfaced, hacking up water and probably a lung. The roar of blood in his ears was louder than the waves. He pushed back the hair stuck to his forehead. “Fred! Izzy! Sam!”

Joe looked around for his friends, his heart sinking to the ocean floor when he didn’t see them. “No...”

He was ready to dive and find them when the surface of the river rippled, and his friends all resurfaced, gasping for breath.

Joe let out a relieved sigh. “Thank goodness you guys are alright!”

“Alright.” Fred combed his fingers through soaked curls and righted the skewed crown on his head (seriously, how did that stupid thing manage to stay on his head through the warp?). “Yup, that’s us.”

Sam coughed up a small fish; the look on his face as salty as the sea. “Where are we? Did we warp to the middle of the ocean again?”

Izzy wiped away the hair plastered to her face, green eyes scanning their surroundings in a confused haze. “We’re near Egypt.”

“Egypt?!” Sam looked around like a hyperactive squirrel searching for nuts. “Are we back in ancient Egypt?” He grabbed Joe by the collar. “Tell me this isn’t ancient Egypt!”

Joe surveyed their location, expecting to see pyramids, lush foliage, or some shirtless dudes in white skirts milling around. Instead, there was a muddy shore walled off from the sea, with sparse palm trees wedged between terracotta-roofed buildings. About a half-mile away, ships of various sizes of sailed in and out of a harbor; beside the docks was a rectangular palace atop a crescent-shaped isle.

But the most notable thing was the massive lighthouse sitting on an island, a beacon to the sea the size of the Statue of Liberty. It reminded Joe of the Chrysler building, except blockier.

“The lighthouse at Alexandria,” Sam breathed.

“Sorry, Sam,” Joe said. “Looks like Izzy’s right.”

“What’s so bad about Egypt anyway?” Fred asked.

“You can't be serious?”

Fred couldn’t look more oblivious unless he tried.

Sam’s eye twitched. “‘What’s so bad about Egypt?’ Oh, I don’t know. Maybe because the last time we warped to ancient Egypt we got framed for theft, almost executed, eaten by crocodiles, and our brains nearly sucked out our noses by the high priest Booger!”

Izzy crinkled her nose. “Ew.”

“Oh yeeeaaah,” Fred said. “Forgot about that.”

“How the heck do you forget about that?” Joe asked.

“I have a lot on my mind.”

“Clearly.” Sam slammed his fist in the water in frustration. “This is perfect!”

“Relax, Sam,” Joe said, then immediately regretted it.

Sam turned his glare on him. “Relax?! We wouldn’t even be in this mess if it weren’t for your Book. Why did you even have it with you?”

“I didn’t, I swear! I left it in the box at home. Something or someone must have brought us here.”

“You think it was Anna again?” Fred asked.

Joe shook his head. “She’s on a date with Matthew.”

Izzy rubbed the goosebumps on her arms, but Joe didn’t think it was from the chilly water. “You think it was Mad Jack?”

“No. I’ve been warped by Mad Jack before and it’s a lot… rougher. We were definitely brought here by The Book.”

“Maybe it was the girls,” Sam mused.

“What girls?” Izzy asked.

Something in the distance caught Joe’s eye and saved him from having to explain what Sam meant. A boat sailed towards them, fancier and larger than the others farther back, with a crisp white sail and red hull. Its gold accents glinted blindingly in the sun.

“Later,” Joe said. “Right now, we should get out of the water before any crocodiles and hippos get hungry.”

“Good call,” Fred said.

They shouted and waved to get the attention of whoever was on the boat. Joe was afraid even if the boat noticed them it’d be too late for it to stop, but luckily, well, luck was on their side.

A dark-haired girl spotted them and shouted something he couldn’t make out. A moment later, the bow of the ship steered closer in their direction.

The girl leaned over the boat and cupped her mouth to her hands. “Hold on! The current is too strong for us to stop, but we’re dropping down a ladder for you all!”

The boat slowed as it approached them, and the four of them bobbed in the water like buoys in the aftermath of the wave the ship created. A moment later a reed ladder tumbled down and the four of them scrambled up one by one, the girl helping each of them aboard.

“Are you four alright?” She asked as she assisted Sam over the side of the ship.

The four of them were sopping wet. Their clothes clung to them as they shivered, puddles collecting under their feet. Joe was sure they looked like strays caught in the rain.

“Yeah. Totally,” Fred said. “You got any towels on this thing?”

She knitted her brows. “Tau...oles? No. I am afraid not.”

“It’s fine,” Joe said. “Thanks for saving us back there.”

“Think nothing of it,” the girl said. “How did you all end up in the middle of the Great Green?”

“Great Green?” Fred asked.

Sam leaned to him and whispered, “What ancient Egyptians called the Mediterranean.”

Joe scratched the back of his head. “Um, it’s… a long story.”

She covered her mouth and chuckled. “I do not doubt it.”

A seriously jacked man in a white linen kilt approached the five of them. He eyed Joe and his friends suspiciously then said to the girl, “Your Highness. If I may have a moment of your time...”

The two of them walked away, speaking with each other in hushed tones where Joe couldn’t hear. He was able to take in how strange the girl was. For starters, her clothes didn’t scream “ancient Egypt”. Her robe stopped at her ankles, accessorized with a violet shawl and thin gold belt. More gold was in her curly chocolate hair, fitted in a hairband. She reminded him of a Roman statue.

“Did you hear that?” Sam asked Joe as he tried, to no avail, to dry his glasses with his damp shirt.

“I can’t hear a thing they’re saying.”

“No, I meant earlier. He called her ‘Your Highness.’ Do you think she might be–”

“Green Fish!” the girl called as she strolled her way back over to them. “If you all could do me a favor and face us. I have something I need to convince Ahmose of.”

They looked at each other in confusion. Joe shrugged and turned, the others following suit. “Uh, yeah. Sure.”

Ahmose scrutinized them one at a time as if he was trying to place something in their faces. When he seemed satisfied he moved on to the next.

But he stopped at Izzy, eyes narrowed as he looked her over. She averted her eyes and let out a nervous chuckle.

After a moment, he turned back to the girl, apparently satisfied. “I apologize, Your Highness. It seems you are correct. The Green Fish do bear an… uncanny resemblance.”

The girls! Joe thought. He had to be talking about them.

“That’s alright, Ahmose.” the girl said. “Please tell the Helmsman to head back to Antirhodos.”

Ahmose bowed and headed off.

When he was out of sight, Joe turned to the girl. “Green Fish?”

She smiled shyly and rubbed her cheek. “I apologize. I should not make fun.” A soft chuckle. “My guests warned you’d arrive in the most, uh, ‘boneheaded fashion’ were their words.”

“Yup,” Joe muttered. “That sounds like our girls.”

The girl clasped her hand as the boat made its way around the lighthouse. “It is a good thing you arrived when you did. You’re just in time for the celebration.”

Fred’s eyes lit up. “A party? You know I’m there.”

“Excellent. However, I will need to provide you all with more appropriate garments since the four of you are... thoroughly drenched.”

Joe was about to decline until he saw Izzy wring a cup of water from her pigtails. “Thank you.”

“So I know it was a ‘no’ on towels,” Fred said, shaking water off his stupid crown. “But what about napkins? I’ll even take tissues.”

Sam pinched the bridge of his nose. “You’re still wearing that thing?”

“I spent six bucks in quarters to get enough tickets to win this thing. Of course I’m still wearing it.”

Sam shook his head, pinching the bridge of his nose.

“Is there a mirror on board so I can show King Fred how ridiculous he looks?” Joe asked the girl, half-jokingly.

She gasped. He didn’t think his joke was that bad.

“King Fred?” she said. “I know that name. Are you, by chance, a descendant of King Fred of Flatbush?”

Sam facepalmed. “You cannot be serious...”

“Please don’t...” Joe begged, but Fred’s ego was already inflated. He placed the crown back on his head and smirked. “As a matter of fact, I am.”

The girl bowed. “Forgive me. I had no idea I was in the presence of someone so important.”

Joe didn’t know who snorted louder, him or Sam.

“Nearly a millennium and a half country of Fred dynastic rule,” she said, clearly impressed. “Truly incredible.”

Sam turned to Joe. “Do me a favor? Go ahead and toss me back in the ocean.”

“I’ve always wanted to know more about the nation of Flatbush.” The girl hugged his arm, which Fred was enjoying. “The library carried very little information on your country. Tell me, what language do you speak?”

“Uh, we speak English.”

She furrowed her brow trying to sound out the word. “Aang-glitch? I haven’t heard of Aang-glitch before and I speak multiple languages. I’ll have to study it.”

Izzy frowned. Sam leaned over and whispered. “Auto translator,” and she nodded. “Ooooooooh.”

“She might want to wait a couple hundred years,” Joe muttered, eliciting laughs from the other two.

“I am very sorry!” The girl exclaimed and faced Joe, Sam, and Izzy. “I never did ask for your names.”

Before Joe could introduce himself, Fred said, “This is Sam, our resident Geek and that,” he waved his hand at Joe, “is our After-Dinner-Entertainment, Joe. And Izzy here is our, uh, erm...”

“She’s a priestess!” Joe blurted. He wasn’t sure where he got that idea from but it sounded good. “Isadora is here to keep King Fred out of trouble.”

Joe ignored the look Fred shot him as the girl nodded. “I see. A priestess of Isis.”

Joe shifted on his feet.“Um, why Isis specifically?”

“My name means ‘gift of Isis,’" Izzy whispered.

Huh. Made more sense than what Joe first thought...

“I’m impressed,” Sam said. “Thutmose ruled over a thousand years ago, and I can’t imagine King Fred would be more than a footnote of a footnote–”

“Hey!” Fred protested.

“–of a footnote. You really must’ve done your research.”

She stood taller, pride in her smile. “Why, thank you, Geek. If I am to rule Egypt alongside my father, I should know her language, her customs, her history.”

“You’re a princess?” Joe asked.

“Of course. I am Cleopatra the Seventh, daughter of Ptolemy the Twelfth Auletes, Pharaoh of Egypt.”

~*~

Cleopatra…

Whenever Joe thought of her, he envisioned a powerful, drop-dead gorgeous woman effortlessly wrapping powerful men around her finger. A woman so unarguably beautiful and charismatic it caused war between nations. He never pictured her as a girl no older than fourteen or fifteen. A girl who looked so normal.

The ship docked at the harbor of the crescent-shaped island next to some smaller similar vessels. Most were vacant, but a few had workers loading and unloading cargo.

They followed Cleopatra off the boat and into a palace lined with columns, reminding him of the fancy banks he’s seen on Wall Street. The sparse amounts of red and blue paint contrasted well with the stark white of the rest of the palace.

The inside was even more stunning. The marble floors were so smooth and gleamy they reflected the colors of the vibrant mosaics that lined every inch of the walls and ceiling.  The air was fresh and scented like roses.

Joe expected there to be more servants in a big palace. The few he did see shot daggers their way when they noticed the four damp teens tracking water on the clean floors.

Cleopatra instructed a servant to gather some new clothes for them as she led them through a maze of halls to a guest room.

“Room” was an understatement. It was the size of four of Joe’s room put together. A bed sat in every corner of the room with a large window overlooking the sparkling bay and the rest of Alexandria.

Fred whistled. “Nice digs you got here.”

“No kidding,” Sam mumbled, eyes drinking in every detail.

Cleopatra beamed. “I’m glad the room is to your liking.”

The servant from before returned and handed them each a fresh set of clothes.

“I’ll let my company know you’ve all arrived.” She grabbed Izzy by the hand and led her out of the room. “Follow me, priestess. I’ll escort you to a more private chamber to change.”

Izzy’s cheeks turned pink. “Yeah, I’d appreciate that…”

Once they left, the boys each picked a corner to change in; the room was spacious enough for each of them to get enough privacy. Joe inspected his new clothes. He got a light red tunic with a brown shawl and sandals. He tried to remember how to wear a chiton. In eighth grade English, their class had an entire unit where they got to study ancient Greek myths and had a dress-up day where their teacher, Mrs. Brown, taught them how to put one on. After fumbling around for a moment he was able to get it right.

“Not that I’m complaining,” Joe said, “but what’s with all the Greek stuff?”

He faced his friends. Sam wore an outfit similar to him, except it was pale and orange instead of red and brown. Fred’s was more elaborate. His chiton was purple striped with gold designs along the hem.

“The Ptolemaic dynasty was Macedonian Greek,” Sam explained. “They ruled Egypt but didn’t really adopt many of their customs. In fact, Cleopatra was the only one in her family who learn to speak Egyptian.”

“Greek, eh?” Fred said, placing his dumb crown over his hat. “Explains why Cleo’s so… pale?”

“Someone should’ve told the Greeks about pants,” Joe said adjusting his clothes.

“I kind of like the extra breathing room,” Sam said.

Joe and Fred just looked at him.

Sam frowned. “What?”

Before they could retort there was a barrage of footsteps in the hall, heading towards their room. Jodie, Samantha, and Freddi barged in. Like them, the girls wore chitons, maroon, yellow, and blue respectively.

“Finally!” Freddi cried. “You guys made it.”

Samantha chuckled and covered her mouth. “We heard you almost drowned in the Great Harbor.”

“What took you so long?” Jodie put her hands on her hip and looked at them like she was impatiently waiting for an explanation.

Joe’s eyes twitched. “Took us so– finally– so it was you guys that brought us here! Wanna explain why?”

“We wouldn’t have needed to warp you guys here if you three didn’t do something stupid with The Book!”

Fred rolled eyes. “How come every time The Book messes up you assume it’s us?”

“I don’t know. Maybe it’s because every time The Book messes up it’s your fault?”

“Also,” Freddi said, pulling The Book from the satchel at Jodie’s side. “It glitches out in your timeline.”

She flipped it open to a flickering green page. The words and letters glitched and flipping all over the page making it completely unreadable. Images bugged and morphed together, creating bizarro collages of people and places. “We haven’t been able to get it to work for a few days.”

Fred shrunk back. “Oh.”

“Whatever happened made it impossible for us to warp back home,” Samantha explained. “I was able to bring you guys here so we could ask you what you did so we can try and fix it, but that’s all we’ve been able to do.”

“Ancient Egypt…” Sam muttered, fingers running through his already unruly hair. “Why does it always break in ancient Egypt?”

“Two times isn’t exactly a trend,” Joe said. “But I think I know what went wrong. Our friend–”

Izzy walked in and Joe lost his train of thought. Her long chiton was the color of her eyes, with a white hem and a golden broach that completed her get up. He’d never seen her hair out of her trademark pigtails before. Instead it was in a messy braid draped over her shoulder.

Izzy froze when she noticed the girls in the room, then smiled shyly. “Hello.”

“Girls, this is Izzy,” Joe said, motioning between them. “Izzy, these are–”

“Can you excuse us a moment?” Jodie said, her mouth forming a tight smile. Before Izzy could respond, the girls pushed them out of the room and down the hall.

“What on earth is she doing here?!” Jodie demanded through gritted teeth.

Joe held his hands up defensively. “Relax, Jodie. Izzy is a friend of ours. This isn't even the first time she's warped with us–”

“Hold on. You two are hanging out now? And she’s warped before? Where did you guys even meet?”

“At school during history class.” Joe shook his head. “What does that matter? Look, Iz is trustworthy. She hasn’t told anyone about time travel or The Book. You can trust her.”

The girls looked at each other and a silent conversation passed between them Joe couldn’t catch.

Jodie sighed dramatically. “Maybe you’re right. We’re overreacting.”

“Pfft, yeah,” Samantha said, forcing the fakest laugh. “It's no big deal.”

“Uh, guys?” Freddi whispered. “This is kinda a huge d–”

Jodie shot her a look and Freddi swallowed the rest of her sentence. “Right. Sorry. No big deal. Not at all!”

Joe looked at his friends and they had their own silent conversation. Something was definitely up.

“Just don’t go bringing anyone else on a warp, okay?” Jodie said.

“We’re not that dumb,” Fred said.

“That’s debatable.” She put the book back in her bag and ushered them to follow. “Come on, let’s get back to the room. We don't want to be rude to your… friend.”

“What about The Book?” Sam asked. “You said it was broken? How are we supposed to get back home?!”

“Relax, Gramps.” Samantha slung an arm around Sam’s shoulder and steered him back to the room. “We’ll deal with The Book later. Cleopatra wanted us to meet up before the party tonight!”

Eventually, with enough convincing, Sam conceded. Joe was cool with staying, and he knew Fred was more than cool with it. So often on warps, something or someone was trying to kill them; being treated like honored guests, getting new clothes, and being invited to a royal party was a nice change of pace. Jodie had The Book on her and as long as she didn’t lose it they could find a way to fix it and get home no problem.

Back in the room, Izzy leaned against the wall, a dark cloud across her face. She noticed them enter the room and perked up. “Hello again. Is everything okay?”

“It’s fine,” Joe said. “Girls, this is Izzy. Izzy, girls.”

“Nice to meet you, girls.”

Jodie scoffed. “We have actual names.”

“Sorry. I know. I mean I know you have names but I don’t know your names, I didn’t mean to… can you go outside and walk through the door again?”

“Ignore her,” Samantha brush past Jodie to shake Izzy’s hand. “Jodie’s just cranky. I’m Samantha, and she’s Freddi.”

Izzy’s eyes lit up. “Oooh. So you’re Jodie! Nice to finally meet you.”

“You’ve heard of me?” Jodie looked surprised but quickly recovered her standoffish demeanor and crossed her arms. “Were they talking about me behind my back.”

“No. Well, yes. But not in a bad way!”

Joe laughed. “Anyway, the girls are our–”

“Cousins!” Jodie blurted, “We're their cousins.”

Before Joe could correct her, Cleopatra walked in the room and fixed them all with a bright smile. “You are all together. Wonderful. Are you ready to leave?”

Fred winked. “You know it, Cleo.”

“Excellent!” She laced her arm around Fred’s. “This way, King Fred.”

The girls looked confused at the exchanged, with Jodie being the most disgusted. “What just happened?”

“It’s better if you ignore it,” Joe said, following Cleopatra and the crowned Duke of Dorks. “C’mon.”

~*~

Usually on a warp, they didn’t get to travel in style. When they weren’t walking (mostly running, they did a lot of running) they got plenty of rides on warships, livestock wagons, and even a tumbrel during a rough trip in revolutionary France. A ride on a horse-drawn carriage as civilians cheers you on was a rarity, to say the least.

They all climbed in, the guys plus Ahmos on one side, and Izzy the girls with Cleopatra on the other. Ahmos had his arms crossed and his eyes on all of them like they were going to snap and kidnap her any second now. Cleopatra and the girls talked as the rest of them gawked through the window at the people and buildings they passed.

“This is so cool!” Izzy beamed like a kid at the top of a Ferris wheel. “How come we don’t do this more often?”

Because more often than not, someone wants us dead, Joe thought, though he didn’t have the heart to kill her buzz.

Cleopatra smiled. “I’m glad you are enjoying the city.”

“Way nicer than the last two times.”

Jodie shot a dubious look Izzy’s way. “What happened the last two times?”

Izzy blushed. “I ran into some unpleasantness with someone… unpleasant. It was nothing big.”

Jodie didn’t look satisfied with that answer.

Cleopatra put a hand over her heart. “I’m sorry to hear that. I promise you nothing like that will happen on this trip.”

Sam knocked on the wooden side of the carriage.

“So where’s your Needle?” Fred asked Cleopatra.

She frowned. “Pardon?”

“You know, that big pointy thing, looks like the Washington Monument.”

Sam leaned over to Fred as Izzy distracted Cleopatra from his hair-brained question. “Actually Fred–”

Fred facepalmed. “Please don’t–”

“Cleopatra’s Needle is three different obelisks; one in Paris, one in London, and–”

“There one in New York,” Joe said. “You know? Where we live.”

“I know that,” Fred snapped. “I’ve been to Central Park. But it was here originally, right?”

“The original Obelisks were in Heliopolis,” Samantha explained. “Well, the London and New York ones were, the one in Paris used to be at the entrance of Luxor’s Temple.”

“It’s funny,” Freddi said. “I almost forgot there used to be a needle in New York.”

“Freddi!” Jodie hissed, a nervous glance shot Izzy’s way.

Freddi slapped her hands over her mouth. “Sorry! I meant... York! In England. There’s no needle there, no siree. Nope”

Jodie sighed and palmed her face.

Okay, Joe needed to ask what the heck happened to the needle in New York in the future, but he didn’t want to draw Izzy’s attention to Freddi’s slip up. Jodie wanted Izzy to believe they were cousins for a reason. He trusted her judgment, even though he didn’t see the big deal in Izzy knowing the girls are their great-granddaughters. Izzy’s seen enough weird stuff to take any news in stride.

“I wish I could show you all more of Egypt today,” Cleopatra lamented. “I recently returned, and I wanted to show you all one of my favorite places: the Library of Alexandria.”

“You wanted to take us to some library?” Fred asked in disbelief.

“Not just any library, King Fred. The Library of Alexandria: the largest collection of knowledge in the entire world. Anything you could possibly want to know is there.”

“Oh, wow. Bummer.” Fred noticed Cleopatra’s sullen look and cleared his throat. “I mean, there’s always next time. It’s not like the Library is going anywhere.”

Cleopatra smiled at him. The girls and Sam exchanged looks.

“Who wants to be the one to tell him?” Samantha asked.

~*~

The Ptolemies knew how to throw a party. People in greek robes and Ancient Egyptian clothes filled the room, mingling and laughing and eating delicious smelling food. The alluring scent of meats, veggies, and fruit drifted through the air as soft music soundtracked the evening.

Like the rest of the party, Joe and the others laid on personal beds with tables in front of them. Cleopatra set the seven of them up in their own section, making sure to sit Izzy next to Fred. “It’s proper for a priestess to sit by her king.” Afterwards, Cleopatra had to join her family but promised to check in on them later in the evening.

Servants came by, making sure to serve Fred and Izzy first. Their plates were filled with bread, cheese, fish, roasted duck, dried fruits, and boiled vegetables. Joe, Sam, and Fred wasted no time chowing down. The girls (namely Jodie) shot them disgusted looks, but it wasn’t their fault the last meal they had was two thousand years ago.

“Sooo, you’re the priestess?” Freddi asked Izzy.

“The same way Fred’s a king,” Jodie muttered under her breath.

Izzy scratched her cheek, embarrassed. “That’s the story. But I honestly doubt I’m actually worthy to be a priestess.”

“Yeah, right,” Fred flashed a grin at Izzy. And nudged her shoulder. “I don’t know anyone more priestess-y than this one.”

“There’s a list of forty-two sins you have to swear you’ve never done in order to be a priest and I feel like I’ve done at least six of them…”

Joe smirked. “Is one ‘Thou shalt not swipe candy bars from vending machines’?’”

Izzy’s cheeks flushed as she mumbled for him to hush. Everyone chuckled and they spent dinner talking and laughing. It’s been too long since they’ve seen each other and it was nice to catch up. The girls got along well with Izzy; she was shy and a little awkward like Freddi and liked nerding out with Samantha over historical facts.

Well, all but one of them got along with her. Jodie didn’t engage with her and jumped to another conversation went Izzy joined in. Joe tried not to read into it, Jodie and Fred used to argue all the time and Joe thought they hated each other, but that was just their version of friendly banter. Their Ice Queen just has to warm up to her.

Freddi was finishing the story of the last time the girls had been to Ancient Egypt when Izzy asked, “So how do you guys time travel?”

“We use this beauty.” Samantha pulled out her golden pocket watch and dangled it from the chain.

Izzy ooohed and ahhed. “How does it work?”

“Occasionally. I modified this one from a normal pocket watch without the use of magic. But most time machines work via magic or a combination of magic and technology–”

“Samantha,” Jodie chastised. “Don’t bore Isadora.”

“She’s not,” Izzy said.

“Trust me. You’re bored.”

Izzy twisted an earring, suddenly very interested in her plate.

“What’s your problem?” Fred asked.

Jodie blinked innocently. “What makes you think I have a problem?”

Fred was about to retort when his attention was pulled away by Cleopatra, who smiled and winked at him from across the room. He waved back like a lovestruck dope.

Jodie rolled her eyes. “Could you not drool all over Cleopatra at the dinner table. We’re trying to eat.”

Fred waggled his eyebrows and put his cup to his lips. “Why? You jealous?”

“Uh, Fred,” Sam said. “I wouldn’t–”

But he was too late. Fred’s face contorted in disgust and he gagged, coughing so loud he drew in looks from people at other tables.

“Ug!” Fred wiped his mouth with the back of his fist. “It’s wine? I thought it was grape juice.”

Freddi laughed and handed him a cloth napkin. “You’re not entirely wrong.”

“Not that this party isn’t great,” Joe said, “but what are we supposed to be celebrating?”

“We’re commemorating Ptolemy’s return to Egypt and overthrowing of Berenice, Cleopatra’s older sister.”

Izzy’s knife splattered on the floor with a loud KLAK! Her lip curled, like she had a stomach ache. “Oh...”

“You okay, Iz?” Joe asked.

“Y-yeah. Sorry… I should’ve figured it out. After the Pharaoh returned from Rome, he had his daughter… executed.”

The warm and lively atmosphere was suddenly cold and stale. Sam pushed his plate away as if he’d suddenly lost his appetite. “She’s right. When Berenice took over, Ptolemy took Cleopatra and fled to Rome to get help retaking the throne. Remember how she said she missed Egypt earlier? I don’t know how I didn’t realize earlier.”

“Why are you guys hanging around this?” Fred asked.

Jodie huffed. “We would’ve left by now if you dorkbots didn’t wreck–” A nervous glance at Izzy. “I mean, we were supposed to be gone already.”

“That’s how the Ptolemies were,” Samantha explained. “They got rid of whoever was in the way of the throne. Berenice herself had her mother poisoned and her husband strangled.”

“That’s… messed up,” Joe said. “But at least Cleopatra was better, right?”

The look on his friends’ faces told him otherwise.

“We can’t judge too harshly,” Freddi said, breaking the solemn silence. “We’re in the first century, B.C. The people here have a whole different set of morals than us. And if you grow up in a family like that, well...”

“Enjoying the party?”

Cleopatra approached them and looked them over, gracing them with that charming smile of hers.

“Great party Cleo,” Fred said. “Even if the reason behind it was horribly gruesome.”

She giggled. “I’m glad all is to your liking, my Majesty.”

Fred’s ego grew three times its size. Samantha leaned over to Jodie and asked, “Why is she still hitting on him?”

A glance Izzy’s way. “Better than the alternative.”

Izzy spun her earring. “Not to challenge the Pharaoh's decisions, but is… you know, really the way to deal with this? Can’t Berenice get probation or house arrest?”

Cleopatra frowned at Izzy, her bright eyes now dark and unreadable. “Thank you for your concern, priestess, but we must do what is befitting of her crimes. When I rule with my father, we’ll have to undo all the damage Berenice did. And what my family has done to Egypt for years...”

She shook her head and clasped her hands. “But enough of that! I am very interested in seeing the After-Dinner-Entertainment.”

Joe jumped at being suddenly called out. Everyone was staring at him expectantly. He momentarily felt nervous under their gazes but them he steeled his nerves. Joe was never one to disappoint (despite what his friends said about his tricks). An important rule of show business: never let them see you sweat.  

He stood tall and cleared his throat. “Certainly, your Highness. Ladies! Gentlemen! False Kings. I, Joe the Magnificent, am proud to present to you this display of my incredible powers! For this trick, I will need a piece of paper.”

The others patted themselves down and came up empty, except for Sam, who pulled something from his robe and hands it to Joe. “I have a dollar.”

“That’ll do.” Joe smoothed out the dollar and ripped it in half.

“Hey!” Sam protested.

Izzy frowned. “Wait, that’s illegal.”

Joe winked at her and ripped the dollar in half again. “Just watch.”

He grabbed the nearest candle and paused for a dramatic flair– really though, he was trying to remember how to do this without singeing his fingers. Again. He would swipe his mom’s candles and practice this in his room at night, getting it right only once. So many sacrificed dollars… His stomached churned at the thought of failing in front of expectant royalty and his skeptical friends.

Joe caught Izzy eyes for a second, alight with excitement. Her smile made him forget his previous doubts, and he took a deep breath.

He burned the corners of the destroyed dollar, the edges turning a sooty black. He ignored Sam’s whines as he flicked the flames and ashes away and rubbed the burned pieces with his fingers. Once the smoke was gone, Joe pinched the corner of the dollar and shook it open, the bill intact once more. He brushed off the soot and pulled it taut as proof of his trick, a big grin spreading across his face.

“Ta-da!”

Jaws dropped and eyes bulged. Izzy was the first to clap and the others followed suit. Even people from other tables (who Joe didn’t notice) applauded him. He couldn’t help but puff his chest in pride.

“Thank you, thank you,” Joe said. “I’ll be here all night, make sure to tip your waitresses.”

There were some snorts and eye rolls mixed in with the laughter.

“Astounding,” Cleopatra breathed. She took the dollar from him and stared at it in wonder. “I wish to study this further.”

Sam stared wistfully at his dollar. “But that’s my…”

Joe put his hand on his shoulder. “We’ll get you another one when we get back.”

A grumbled, “If we get back...”

A deep voice cut through the atmosphere. “A mighty fine show, After-Dinner-Entertainment.”

A tall man wearing a golden headdress with robes to match stalked over to them. Gold rings and necklace fitted with red and blue stones adorned his hands and neck. He exuded an aura, not necessarily powerful and commanding, but something like, “I’m the one in charge here. Don’t like it? Tough.”

The Pharaoh’s smile didn’t tough his eyes. “A truly impressive act from our foreign friends.”

“Uh, thanks,” Joe said.

The Pharaoh nodded and turned his attention back to his daughter, his stone-cold look softening greatly. “Are you enjoying your time with your guests, louloúdi mou?”

“Very much, father.”

“Thank you once again, Pharaoh, for inviting us and our friends to this party,” Jodie said in that saccharine tone when she was trying to impress others.

Another nod. Joe got the impression the Pharaoh wasn’t all that thrilled to have them there. They’d (read: Fred) have to be extra careful to be on their best behavior.

Just then, one of the guards hurried over to them, sweating like he’d lost something deadly important. It was Ahmose, Cleopatra’s guard from earlier.

“My Pharaoh,” he huffed. “I have some terrible news–”

“Can’t it wait until after the celebration,” the Pharaoh said with a barely held back sigh.

“I’m afraid not. It’s about Berenice. She escaped captivity.”

[cbraxs]

Rewatching TWT, and I think the reason Samantha had a robo-cat was because Jodie was allergic to normal cats.