"Really?" Pietro looked at her, almost hopeful, "I... I would appreciate that. If it's not too much trouble."

She kissed his forehead, "You know I'd do anything for you, love. And if this helps you have some closure then it's no trouble at all. And if she is still alive, I want to make sure she's taken care of..." She trailed off before heading out to make some phone calls.

There were three possible people who could give her the answers Pietro was looking for. Horatio was the first. The obvious choice but also the hardest to get a hold of. He'd stopped showing up as often as he use to... It had her a little worried actually. But she knew he must be alright, just busy keeping the timeline in order.

The next was Magik. She had the power to manipulate time as well as a great deal of other things. She was scheduled to be shipped out next week for some Purifier raids. She was local and Colossus's sister but her magic could come with a price.

And the last was Doctor Strange. He'd be the one she'd have to pull in a few favors and IOUs for. He wouldn't be easy to get a hold of but his magic was beyond anything Ciara had heard of.

As Ciara went to work trying to get a hold of people, Pietro had work of his own to do down in his sewing room which left Ciara alone for a little while. Just as she was about to leave the room a voice called after her.

"You're just going to cause her problems" Max commented, lounging in a chair on the far side of the room.

His voice was not one she was expecting. She turned toward the chair and held her ground, taking a deep breath. " What do you mean?" She asked, not moving from her stop. Why was he here? Why did he care?

He chuckled, as though laughing as some inside joke while shaking his head, "she's safe, for the moment. If you go looking for her you'll only end up causing problems" he stood, approaching her and though Max was watching her he also seemed very distracted. "one by one the birds fly by, just waiting to be shot down, goodbye." he paused, looking confused, "that's not right." his vision blurred and suddenly he stood behind Ciara a lot more calm and collected as he placed his hands on her shoulders, "Leave the little girl be" he hissed in her ear, "it isn't her that needs your help."

Ciara tensed up. What was up with him? He didn't seem himself. She tried to remain calm and asked, "Who needs my help, Max?"

"Someone you don't like very much" he replied, "someone you might want dead-but you wouldn't be able to do it. You wouldn't be able to kill him, not like that-I know you better than that" he rambled as he began to walk around her in circles, "because he's just a child, her child but that doesn't matter because she's dead either way-what matters is the child and the first thirteen years of his life. After that it all becomes the same."

Ciara watched him. He didn't seem here to cause her harm. "Is the child you?" She asked after a moment.

"One.... of many" he replied, watching her carefully now, "this one is likely to die to, because of you-but more to the fault of the destroyer of worlds, the self-proclaimed Reaper of time." he spoke with hatred, "a boy who has caused more pain and suffering than a thousand natural disasters-He is a disaster" Max stopped, looking at Ciara evenly now, "he's killed you before. Murdered in cold blood just for being a different you."

Ciara sighed looking to the side, the look in her eyes was different, her arms behind her back,"...I wasn't his sweet little girl. I was commanding and ruthless." She took a deep breath as if remembering that moment, "I had the world in the palm of my hand... And you once again, failed to stop him from moving on..." She walked over to the window, her tone going back to normal, "What would you have me do?"

"But that was the you that that world had created, that you belonged in" it took a moment for Max to realize what had just happened, "... this isn't happening in my head, is it?" he asked uncertainly as he stared at Ciara, "you... do you remember?"

"Remember what?" She looked confused, "That Horatio left you behind and you dead a terrible death and there was nothing I could do?" She asked her gem glowing slightly and then faded. She started at him a moment, "You gonna answer my question or what?"

Max smiled, walking up to her and tapping the gem lightly, "you're in there, aren't you? All of you?"

Ciara had taken a step back as Max approach but that was as far as she got. There was a surge, a spark almost when Max tapped the gem, it grew bright as a series of images flashed through to Max's mind.

It was black and the world kept zooming in, zooming in through images of different versions of Ciara; in reverse order. Several looked the same minus some small changes here and there. Others were warriors, villains, heroes, princesses, Queens, teachers, mothers, lovers, demons... till it all stopped and all that was there was a little girl sitting alone in a spotlight. She spun around in surprise, "Max? You found me?"

Ciara slapped his hand away and stumbled back into an ottoman grabbing her head. "What did you?..." Her head was pounding and she felt like she was going to be sick, her hands won't stop shaking.

"You aren't dead?" Max asked, staring at her in amazement, "does that mean... are there others that survived? No, that can't be right" he shook his head, "I feel the worlds die, everyone dies-everyone but you? Horatio" he concluded angrily, "He did this! He must have."

"Horatio is not to blame for this. Though he has done many things this wasn't his doing." A voice not really Ciara's spoke, her gem glowing, her eyes glowing red.

Chibi Sinister arose from the ottoman in the body of Ciara, "The man with the red strings it was, you silly little boy."

"... what man?" Max questioned, "I do not know anyone like that"

"You won't... he's not from this plane of existence. But he bears the red strings of fate-" He turned suddenly, "What are you-"

There stood the man, invisible to Max. He reached out and tapped the gem. Ciara fainted into his arms. "I must say, I was not expecting YOU to figure this out before the Reaper." A whirlwind wrapped around his form revealing himself, though slightly transparent, holding Ciara in his arms.

Max startled, seeing Ciara collapse but only to be caught by someone new, "You... who are you?" he demanded, "and what have you done?"

"Hmm?" He looked up from staring at Ciara, "Oh, no need to worry, she's just resting." He set her down on a chair. It looked as though he was walking on air. "Your connection to her is a little thinner than Horatio's. Couldn't have it break now could we?" He said waving his hand in front of him and a red string lead out of Ciara's chest and up into nothingness. He pulled lightly and a red string appeared from nothingness connected to Max's.

"There it is." He walked over to Max and ran his hand over the thin string and with a small glow it healed itself. "Better..."

Max reached out, trying to touch the string, "what is this?"

It faded at his touch, "Your fate string. Everyone has one, some like Ciara have several. She would be most upset if something were to happen to your string."

"And what business is that of yours?" Max demanded, refocusing on the strange man.

The man looked at him like he had fourteen heads, "That IS my business. I weave these threads. And that little girl would be most upset if your paths no longer crossed as she has gown rather, fond of you..."

"I get it, but why the interest in her? Why bother bringing us together again and again and again and again and again and again and again" he cringed, holding his head, "it needs to stop. Break. Sever the connection" he reached out to grab the man, "break it, break Horatio away. You can make him stop, make them stop dying!"