Deep within MACUSA headquarters, hidden behind a Bounded Field, the White Serpent Pirates gathered in the Throne Hall of the makeshift White Serpent Tower.
Black sat with his right foot over his left knee, gently tapping on the stony arm of his throne.
Down the steps, in the spacious hall, were Meg, Red Sun, Cersei, Petyr, Okabe, Orochimaru, and Mayuri, all engaged in a heated debate surrounding the recent events.
Moraine was still at Verse Fusion Bubble, while Spawn continued to train under Jin Taejin in the God of High School Bubble.
Black dared not bring Moraine to the meeting.
At least, not until the Inquisitors had left the Harry Potter Bubble.
Who knew what methods they might have to latch onto a teleportation vortex, ending up getting the location of Verse Fusion?
Also, Spawn was in a delicate situation herself.
It wasn't worth bringing her and wasting all her months-long training.
Black continued to tap on the stone, donning a veil of Calm to mask shock, anger, and… a touch of apprehension… as he conversed with Death and Timeline.
He couldn't believe it.
From the beginning to the very end, neither Ad Infinitum nor Lucky Intuitions figured out that the Inquisitors had thrown him into a time loop.
The most troubling fact was that he still didn't know what had happened during those scenarios, other than the first one, when he had thrown a Name and sowed a Doubt — the first scenario that ended up being played out in the end anyway.
As if that wasn't enough, once the Inquisitors had released Kai, the first thing Ad Infinitum had done was to synchronize with all the Echoes, including those that remained with the White Serpent Pirates.
Nothing.
Black had received absolutely no feedback from those Echoes, suggesting that the Inquisitors hadn't involved them at all.
That, in itself, was surprising because Lucky Intuitions screamed that it was impossible for the Inquisitors not to include witnesses and evidence.
Just what happened…
Black kept coming back to that question.
Just what could have happened that led to the destruction of fifteen Key timelines!
Black lifted his hand and rubbed his temples. It had been… years… decades… centuries… since he had felt like it. Like he had become a victim of some great conspiracy. He could smell it. He could feel it in his bones. It reeked of the methods he had used countless times to fool others, while conspiring against them.
"Someone has been manipulating everything from behind the curtains…" Black muttered. "Everything. And I know you wouldn't like to hear it, but… we played right into his hand. We ALL did."
Death and Timeline kept quiet.
Together, the two Bubble Entities and the Outer One recalled the same person.
[Sousuke Aizen is an Inquisitor.] Death hissed down Black's neck. [Why would he... help you, my Scion?]
"Can't you find the answer to that question?" Black asked, raising his brows.
[Humph…] Timeline scoffed. [You are a faux Bubble Entity yourself, Nyarlathotep. Do you think you will attain Omniscience once you become a true Bubble Entity? IF you become a true Outer One? And if you truly think that, then you will find only disappointment waiting for you.]
Black licked his lips.
He could still see Aizen appearing to him a week ago, telling him to prepare his defense.
By that time, Kai had already decided upon his defense — to put the blame on Selene and let the Inquisitors deal with Zelretch.
But Aizen's little visit had spooked him.
Why would an Inquisitor go out of his way to ask him to prepare a defense?
In itself, this little direction meant nothing, as Aizen hadn't said anything else to Black.
However, what made the entire matter worthy enough to be contemplated many times over was that it was Aizen who had visited Black, not Vader or Dracula.
"Is Herpo the Foul injured?" Black asked.
For once, Death hissed with amusement and glee. [Very much so,] he told the Item. [Herpo the Foul wouldn't be going anywhere near Darcie anytime soon. By then…]
Black nodded.
It wasn't that Kai didn't want Darcie to learn from Herpo the Foul.
But he wanted to limit the time the Above the Pillar could spend with her.
The less time they spent together, the more the urgency to impart his knowledge on the future Indigo Seat in that limited time, and the less the chances of the parasite within her mind being found out.
Also, with the grace period bought by Dumbledore using the Unbreakable Vow coming to an end soon, Kai would prefer Herpo the Foul's absence in his timeline.
It was especially so now, when he knew how truly insignificant he was compared to Herpo the Foul in strength.
The only reason he was still alive, Kai believed, was that he was an Outer One.
Not just an Outer One, but an Outer One with his own Verse Fusion; the only Outer One, perhaps, that the Bubble Entities could get along with.
Black's eyes narrowed.
[Aizen can't know that,] Death said, guessing the monstrous doubt bubbling in his Scion's heart. [If the Empires had known about your Outer One status, they wouldn't have set up an Inquisition…]
[… they would have come themselves,] Timeline added. [Also, nowhere during the Inquisition did we show any inclination to favor you over other Contestants. Not that we could.]
What Death and Timeline said sounded reasonable.
But, somewhere deep in Black's heart, he had a feeling…
"A War is coming…" he said, getting up from his throne. "The last thing I need is Aizen to be my enemy... or my friend."
The White Serpent Pirates halted their debate, facing the Captain.
"Meg," Black commanded. "Contact the Temple of the Yellow King. See if you can find out more about this particular Aizen."
Meg kneeled. "Yes, Your Majesty."
"Cersei, Petyr, and Orochimaru." Black looked at them. "I am sending you three to the Verse Fusion as well. I still have a feeling that all this is somehow related to it."
"Just say that you are concerned about Shinobu and your child," Cersei scoffed.
Black didn't deign to comment and finally faced the rest of them. "Red Sun, I will send you to a particular… Bleach timeline… once the threat of Darth Kars is neutralized." he said. "Take Mayuri with you. All you two have to do is find out if there's an Aizen in that timeline. NOTHING ELSE. Do you understand?"
Red Sun shrugged. "What's there to understand?"
Black instead looked at Mayuri, who nodded back, sensing the seriousness of the mission.
[If what you think is true, then…] Death voiced. [… the War you are preparing for, just became very, very interesting… Haha!]