So while @Nightshade-QOV and @HenchwomanTinbunny had been turned into and out of lego for restoration, @IggyStarflare had been caught watching. Here's what had happened to her.
After the tap on Iggy's shoulder..
"I wouldn't," the voice said, "if I were you."
Iggy froze. A slow, cold shiver traced its way down her spine. No one ever caught her, well except those other timed. She was a master of chaos, a living anomaly. She turned, her grin gone, replaced by a mask of cold, professional inquiry.
Maximillian Holt stood a few feet away. He wasn't a wizard in the traditional sense, but he was no less powerful. He wore an impeccably tailored navy-blue suit, his hands tucked casually in his pockets, his posture relaxed, almost languid. He had a faint, knowing smile, the kind that a cat gives a mouse.
"I wasn't born last night, either, Iggy,"
Maximillian said, his eyes, dark and intelligent, glinting. "And I'm not a shingle. You were never 'unseen.' We just wanted to see what you'd do."
Iggy's mind, a whirlwind of chaotic magical energy, began to race, her thoughts coiling around the impossible truth. "You... you were watching me?"
"Of course," Maximillian replied, his voice a smooth, conversational purr. "You broke Alistair's saw. It's a professional courtesy. We had to know the nature of the magic that could sever his perfection."
"It's a chaos field," Iggy said, her voice a little breathless, a little awed by the sheer audacity of this man. "It's not... a magic you can understand."
"All the more reason to observe it," Maximillian said, his smile widening. "Now, I'm going to let you go. But you're not going to leave. You're going to come with me. We have a new variable in play, and I want to see how your chaos reacts to her order. A new apprentice, Hannah. She's... unconventional. Her magic is a bit like a spreadsheet, precise and logical, but with a mischievous, creative edge."
He gestured with a subtle nod, and Iggy felt an invisible force, a geas, settle upon her. She was not a prisoner, but she was a piece on a board, a pawn in a game that was only just beginning.
"Hmph," Iggy grumbled, her grin returning, a little more resigned, a little more intrigued. "So I'm a test subject. What's in it for me?"
"Entertainment," Maximillian replied, his eyes twinkling. "And a chance to see two of your favorite villains get put back together by a financial analyst in a purple wig. It's a spectacle. And you, Iggy, were made for a spectacle."
He turned and strode back towards the stage, leaving Iggy to follow, a grin of professional interest on her face. The comedy was just getting started.
A Strange Night: Iggy and the Guillotine
The stage of the Blockhouse was a beautiful mess. The air hummed with aetheric residue from Hanavari's Lego reassembly—a low, buzzing echo of playful magic. Empty Lego cabinets, stark and colorful, were a testament to the night's whimsical absurdity. Amidst the magical debris, Maximillian Holt was a figure of calm, amused contemplation, his navy-blue suit a sharp contrast to the controlled chaos he so clearly relished.
He found Daniel, composed and confident, dressed in a shirt and jeans with his collar unbuttoned. Daniel's journey through the Lockup had forged him, replacing youthful nervousness with a keen, professional interest in the magical devices he created.
"Daniel," Maximillian said, his voice a smooth, conversational purr. "I believe you've met Iggy Starflare, our new variable." He gestured to the chaotic rogue who watched the stage with a gleeful grin. "We have a problem. Her chaos field is... uncontained. It needs an anchor, a circuit breaker to stabilize its energy."
Daniel's eyes lit up. "So, a circuit breaker that doesn't just contain, but celebrates the chaos."
Iggy's grin widened as she watched them. "Ooh, new toys! Can I break them?"
Maximillian, unfazed, simply smiled. "You can try. But first, we need to contain you."
Daniel then spoke, "I think I have an idea, I've been working on a guillotine idea."
10 minutes later Iggy was lying on some sort of contraption with a blade about to fall.