People huddled around the platform Kenneth stood on, watching him with narrowed eyes and quiet mutters.

Kenneth tapped his earpiece to be sure it was working and turned on the screen. Manfred raised a brow when he saw words appear on the screen in multiple languages. He does understand that many of these people don't read, doesn't he?

He caught Kenneth's eye and raised a brow. Kenneth motioned him over and crouched down on the platform to meet his eye. "Manfred, you've been observing the other exhibits for a long while now. How many speak English or can read?"

Manfred shrugged. "Not many. But they can understand some English. Most of them don't read."

Kenneth exhaled sharply, his shoulders slumping. "Well, for those who can read their language, the screen will display the common ones amongst the group. For those who can't, it'll be your job to take this..." Kenneth took Manfred's hand and pressed one of the translation devices into his hand. "And use it to explain to those who can't speak the languages here. I can't use the translation devices to translate into more than one language at a time, and they won't want to speak with me anyway. So, speak to them one at a time after I've explained this. You're in charge of splitting everyone into teams too."

Manfred narrowed his eyes. "Why me?"

"You're used to forming teams, and I don't know the others' abilities to do that as well as I know yours." Kenneth curled Manfred's fingers over the device. "Listen closely to what I'm about to say."

Shrugging, Manfred went back to his spot where In-Sook still stood. The Korean girl had become his constant shadow. He didn't know what made her like spending time with him; he was worn and not a good companion for anyone, much less a child. But, after what she'd likely been through, maybe that was exactly why she liked him. She too was too serious and withdrawn to provide good company to anyone else.

She tugged on his sleeve. "What Ken-neth want?" She stumbled over the words, but she was getting better at making herself understood.

"I'll explain later."

Her brow furrowed, but she didn't ask again.

Manfred's fingers toyed with the device he'd stuck into his pocket. The cool metal acted as a grounding point for him as he shifted, uncomfortable with the crowd and the odd situation. He wasn't sure he liked Kenneth's demand. Should I really be the one in charge of creating teams?

"Those of you who can understand English or who can read one of the languages on the screen, listen up!" Kenneth clapped his hands together, the sound echoing through the large empty space where another exhibit was being constructed. The building had halted a few days back.

Manfred shoved both hands into his pockets and stared up at the platform where Kenneth stood.

"You already know the timeline is fraying, and you've already gone on one mission to fix several time periods. I know not all of you were able to go, but even if you were left here, you know what the teams were doing." Kenneth took a deep breath. "The situation has worsened. The people outside this museum are forgetting even key aspects of history. Even myself and my agents have forgotten things that we have seen in our time machines' databases. That information, which is still in the databases, has disappeared from this time."

"What..." In-Sook bit her lip, her nose scrunching. "What he mean?"

Manfred sighed and slipped the translation device into his ear. He could feel the wires in it slither out to connect into his brain through his eardrum. That can't possibly be good for my ear. But it was the only way to communicate. The device would translate his brain waves into comprehensible words in whichever language he was using. Then, it would translate those words into the language of whichever individual he needed to speak to. Assuming he knew their language.

"History is being destroyed." The device spoke to In-Sook in Korean. "Kenneth and the people from this time are forgetting things from history. Essential things they need to remember. Those things, they're stored in the time machine, but we're the only ones who don't seem to be forgetting."

Manfred paused to listen to what Kenneth was saying and then relayed it to In-Sook through the device. "We have to fix the time line. Since we're the only ones who remember some of these important events, we have to pool our knowledge together to fix what has gone wrong in all the time periods the time machine's hub has marked as deviant. If we don't fix it, none of us will exist and neither will our times."

In-Sook stared at him with wide eyes. "Really?"

The translation device translated her question into German for him. He nodded when her question was translated.

She looked to Kenneth, shaking her head. "He did this?"

Again, Manfred nodded.

In-Sook's features twisted. "I don't care if I don't exist or even if everyone in my country were put out of their misery. But this... Others do not deserve this." Her jaw clenched, and she turned away. "I cannot stomach such a selfish man."

Manfred watched her stalk away. His shoulders slumped, and he sighed. I don't blame her.

***

It had taken him the rest of the day to explain the situation each of the individuals who hadn't understood Kenneth. Once he'd finished, he'd stumbled to bed, dreading the next day when he'd have to separate everyone into teams.

Now that he was doing it, it didn't seem so bad. He looked at the first time periods on the hub's holo. It showed mostly ancient times. Many different empires appeared on the holos, a flashing red light overlaying the images representing each time period. He only had two teams left to assemble and send out. He looked at the remaining individuals.

Egypt and Rome still needed assignments, and he wasn't sure who to send where. He knew Nefertiti and Akhenaten would be good choices for Egypt. Aetius would be a good option for Rome. But from there, he wasn't positive what to do with the people he had left. I suppose I'll assign them based on who knows more about what.

"Arnold?" Manfred's fingers flew over the holo, pulling up the time periods that needed to be fixed in Egypt and Rome.

"Yes?" Arnold stepped up beside him, looking over the time line and the information Manfred was reviewing.

"We need to send people to Rome during the time of Romulus. I don't know what's gone wrong, obviously, but that's a monumental moment in history. Who knows most about that? Aetius, obviously. But who else?"

Arnold stroked his chin, examining the crowd. "No one in our group from the pre-historic man era would know much about that. I say our group sticks mostly together. I'll go with Aetius to Rome along with the others from previous groups. You know much about Rome?"

"More than I know about Egypt." Manfred chuckled. "But be that as it may, someone has to stay here to bring the groups back when they're ready. You'll all be able to communicate using the comms in your machines. They're clear glass with metal backing and some kind of crystal powering system. Kenneth said there's two per travel machine. You can use it to communicate with me or with any of the other groups if need be. We don't know how linked the problems with the time line are, but I suspect if something goes wrong with a major event in history, then other things also went wrong in other time periods."

Arnold shrugged. "Makes sense to me, I suppose."

Manfred squinted at him, a headache forming. Based on the glazed look in Arnold's eyes, he doubted the man understood any of it. Not that it mattered. As long as they fixed the time line, it didn't matter if he knew what had happened to mess it up. "Well, you go with Aetius then. Take the others. I'll send Esther, In-Sook, and Medekhgui with Nefertiti and Akhenaten. Choose one other from the others to go with them, would you?"

Arnold perused the extras and pointed to a woman who looked Native American to Manfred.

"Any particular reason?" Manfred scratched his head. "She seems like a random choice."

Arnold shrugged. "She was."

Manfred sighed. "Well, she's Nefertiti's problem now. Do you know anything about her?"

"Not much. I can ask if anyone knows her language. That way Nefertiti and Akhenaten can communicate. But I don't know anything else." Arnold walked toward the group.

"Well, those of you going to Rome, get in the left machine. Those going to Egypt need to get in the right machine." Manfred got a lot of blank looks.

He sighed. "Okay... Let's try this." He turned to Nefertiti. "Nefertiti, you're in charge of the group to Rome. As I point to your teammates, please go get them."

He pointed her teammates out and then shooed the remaining group to the left. "Alright, everyone in the machines."

That at least seemed to be understood as one or two people filtered into the machines from each group and the rest followed.

Manfred's fingers flew around the terminal, and the machines lit up, beginning to shake and waver. Moments later, the machines flickered in and out of view before disappearing completely. He slumped back in his seat, letting out a ragged breath. He knew his work wasn't over because he'd be responsible for helping the teams return safely and transferring information to them as requested. They hadn't been able to hook all of their comms up to the central hub, so while they could communicate back and forth with everyone else, most of the comms couldn't access the hub's information yet. We'll have to fix that for the next trip. I hope Kenneth doesn't forget how to do that too. If things went wrong with any of the inventions that led to these gadgets, we're going to be in trouble because he could forget how to use these things.

***

Nefertiti and Akhenaten led the group of the time machine. Esther held one comm device while Medekhgui had the other. Neither were entirely sure how to turn them on, but when a message from Manfred flashed across the screen in their languages, the two of them realized the screens were already on and just didn't come to life without some action.

Esther looked at the message with a frown. "I don't know what to do." She looked up at Nefertiti and Akhenaten as her translator set to work.

"Simple." Nefertiti took it from her and tapped a few buttons. "Manfred showed me this before he told me I'd be a leader."

Esther watched closely as Nefertiti worked.

"What is your language?"

Esther looked at a list of strange looking symbols and characters as Nefertiti scrolled through. When she saw her language, she pointed to it. "There."

Nefertiti tapped on the name of her language. A few moments later, the entire interface shifted from the strange text Manfred had originally sent the message in to her language. She read out the message for Nefertiti. "Did you make it safely?"

Nefertiti tapped something else on the screen and brought up a strange looking block with letters and numbers on it. Confused, she tapped a few of the icons. To her surprise, the device typed out the letters. She sucked in a breath and nodded, tapping on more icons to create a message. "We made it." She read the message out for Nefertiti.

The queen nodded and waved a hand at her. "Send it to Manfred."

Esther hit the button that said send underneath it.

Nefertiti motioned for her, In-Sook, and Medekhgui to follow her. Akhenaten fell into step beside his wife with a smile. The Native American woman trailed along behind them, seeming somewhat lost. Esther dropped back to where the woman followed and walked beside her. Thankfully, both woman wore earpieces. Since they didn't know what language the other spoke, it was a good thing Kenneth had given them upgraded earpieces after the first mission. The new ones would translate whatever was said automatically. The only time it had to be told a language was when the other individual didn't have an earpiece and needed to hear the message in their language.

Esther silently thanked Kenneth for making communication possible for them. "I'm Esther. What's your name?"

The woman smiled. "I am Star."

Esther smiled back. "It's nice to meet you."

"What are we trying to fix?" The woman waved a hand at the desert city they were traveling towards.

"No one knows just yet." Esther stared toward the city. "But I'm sure Akhenaten and Nefertiti will know when we get there. Their times were only shortly after Hatshepsut's. Or so they've told me."

"I do not know who that is, but I assume you are right. Unless these are a people who do not know their history."

"Well..." Esther wiped the sweat from her brow. "Most of their people didn't like Hatshepsut. She was a female pharaoh, the first one to assume the full pharaohic power. Those two—" She waved at the Pharaoh and his queen. "Had no problem with it. After all, Nefertiti assumed power as co-regent alongside Akhenaten. But before they came to power, the priests tried to remove all trace of the woman. They hated the idea of a woman having that much power."

The other woman frowned and scratched her head. "What is the matter with a woman being powerful?"

"It is..." Esther searched for a good way to explain it. "It is wrong for a woman to be in authority over men like that. In this culture and in mine, women could have a great deal of power, but it was always to be underneath the leadership of their husbands."

"We have no such system for my tribe. The women have power and position in my culture."

"Surely not in every position?" Esther sucked in a breath, wheezing at the oppressive heat.

Her clothing was becoming too heavy, and she felt as if the sun was baking her alive. Though the clothing her companion wore was nothing short of immodest in her opinion, she found herself envying the freedom of movement and the practicality the clothing must have in this environment.

"No, not in every position. But they can be medicine women or shamans. And everyone listens to them. We have no discrimination on who can do those things because the spirits choose whom they will for their spokesperson. Our virgins are highly valued as well; they have great spiritual power and can handle spiritual objects that many others cannot."

Esther bit her lip. "I see. Well, I suppose these people haven't considered that. Either way, they hated Hatshepsut for her forceful assumption of the Pharaoh's crown."

Star grunted, and the two of them continued on in silence under the blinding sun.

***

Aetius looked at his motley group as they stood on the banks of the Tiber River as it flowed past Palatine Hill where Rome would first be founded. The group looked out of place in the wide, rolling countryside. He shook his head. He knew Arnold from their last trip, but everyone else's skill sets were unknown to him. Not only that, but he didn't know if any of them could be relied upon in a battle if it came to it. Even Arnold was so far untried.

He let out a long, low breath and ran his fingers through his hair. Nothing for it. These will be my tiny army for the time being. "Pay attention, everyone!" He faced the hills and pointed. "Manfred dropped us in 754 BC. We know that the city of Rome is supposed to be founded on this spot by now, but it isn't. Not much time to get history back on track, the way I understand it. So, we have to find Romulus and Remus, and get the two of them to start the process."

Arnold coughed and raised his hand.

"Yes, Arnold?" Aetius turned back to them.

"Doesn't that mean we have to instigate the kidnapping of all the women in Sabine?"

Aetius rubbed the bank of his neck with a grimace. "Yes, well. It's already supposed to happen. So, yes. Technically, it isn't our fault. We're just encouraging things to go the way they already had before Kenneth messed the time line up."

The group stared at him with various expressions of disbelief.

I get the idea that they don't agree with my rationalization. He spread his hands. "Listen, all of you. If we don't do this, we're in deep trouble. We won't even exist, and the rest of history will be so different that none of us could recognize it. Which would you prefer? Causing this to happen like it was supposed to or letting history fall apart?"

The group muttered amongst themselves, considering the concept. In the end, they all looked back at him with slumped shoulders and frowns.

"You already know we can't leave history to fall apart." Cassius, the only other Roman in the group, glowered at him. "All of us know that, Aetius."

"Well, let's start on this then. We'd better begin looking around for the founder of illustrious city, hadn't we?"

***

Nefertiti and Akhenaten strode through the city, looking for stalls that would sell clothing at cheap prices. They had silver and gold artifacts from the museum jingling in their pockets for trade, and Nefertiti smiled as she breathed in the heavy, thick air of the market. The scent of cow dung mingled with the faint, heady odor of human refuse. The stench of unwashed bodies clung to the two as they strode through the market place.

"There. That shop looks like a good place." Nefertiti tapped Akhenaten on the shoulder. "Besides, we need to hurry up before they die of heat exhaustion on the city outskirts."

Akhenaten shifted the stack of water skins he had hanging from a pole over his shoulders and smirked at his wife. "You know, you're terribly bossy."

Nefertiti raised a brow, adjusting the wig she wore in place of her crown. "You know you like it." She shot him a smile of her own and sashayed ahead. "Besides," she threw over her shoulder. "You're used to it even if you don't like it."

He hurried to catch up as she stopped at the vendor's stall.

"I need a schenti please. And then I need three kalasiris." Nefertiti pulled a few earrings and a tiny carving from her pocket. She dropped them onto the counter while the vendor rummaged about for the garments she'd asked for. "Also, do you sell kohl and rouge here?"

Akhenaten observed his wife as she continued to haggle with the vendor over the clothes and makeup. The man looked ready to burst by the time she was done, but they came away with all of the things they'd needed plus a few additional items.

He eyed the things in her arms with a shake of his head. "Woman, you never cease to amaze."

"In a good way, I'm sure," she retorted.

***

"How long are we going to traipse across the countryside like this?" Arnold caught up to Aetius, who was leading the small group.

"Until we find Remus and Romulus." Aetius huffed. "The answer is the same as it was two hours ago."

"Shouldn't we rummage through the time machine for camping supplies?"

Aetius shot him a hard look. "Arnold, by all means, feel free to go back to the time machine with Felipe and Mary if you like. Otherwise, stopper your mouth if you must, but quit complaining. We have to set things back on track as soon as possible."

Cassius interjected from behind them. "Aetius, he's right. It's nearly dark. We should return to Palatine Hill and the Tiber."

"We have communication devices, and we brought things to camp." Aetius slung his rucksack off his shoulder to the ground. "I agree we should camp, but we can't waste time trekking to and from a central location all the time. The whole reason the others were left at the machine was to keep an eye on Palatine Hill just in case Romulus and Remus go there."

Cassius blew a long breath through pursed lips and ran his fingers through his hair. "Fine. We'll make camp then and keep looking in the morning. I hope you know what you're doing though because we're going to run out of food supplies if you don't. Beyond that, Arnold here looks very out of place in his current state of dress and with that ridiculous hairstyle." He jerked his thumb at Arnold.

"Yes, well... That's why I said he should remain at the time machine." Aetius knelt and rummaged through his pack for a bed roll and the tent. "Cassius, can you please unpack the rods I had you bring for this contraption?"

"Why would we need that thing? Isn't sleeping out under the stars good enough?"

Aetius snickered. "Not for Sir Frilly Wig Man, here."

Arnold glared at him. "I'll have you know that this a cravat and this—" He pointed to his hair. "Is not a wig."

"I don't care what it is. You're the one who insisted we bring this thing, so you can help set it up because I don't know how."

Arnold snatched the bundle of rods off the top of Cassius's pack with a huff. "Well, Mr. Too-Sarcastic-For-Your-Own-Good, I'm sorry if I'd rather not sleep in the open with a bunch mosquitoes. I didn't think it was that unreasonable, but thank you for informing of how mistaken I was. I'm glad I was corrected before I—"

"Arnold." Cassius flung his pack onto the ground. "Cease your yapping."

Arnold stopped mid-sentence, still gesturing toward Aetius, and gaped at Cassius. "But, you heard what he said to me!"

"And?" Cassius scrubbed a hand over his eyes. "I'm tired, and I don't feel like listening to you two go at each other's throats verbally."

Arnold's lips pressed together tightly, but he heeded Cassius's words and set to work helping Aetius with the tent without another word.

***

"So, what do you figure went wrong with the time line here? We've been wandering around gathering information for two days now." Medekhgui scooted over to sit beside Akhenaten as the pharaoh stirred the fire.

The group was still camping in the desert outside the city near a group of travelers who had chosen this spot to stay for a day or two. They stayed far enough from the city wall that the guards wouldn't be suspicious or alarmed but close enough to walk in to find further information. The city itself was a small one near Thebes, so Nefertiti and Akhenaten had been traveling there to find out what was happening while the rest fished for information in the town where they were camping.

"We think we have. It seems that we've arrived just after the Queen Hatshepsut is supposed to assume the full powers of pharaoh, but for some reason, the only things we're hearing are about how people think Thutmose the third should be given his rightful place as pharaoh. The city of Thebes should be in an uproar, but it isn't." Akhenaten shook his head. "I don't know what's going on, but it appears that in this version of history, Hatshepsut never took her place as the first female Pharaoh to assume the full powers of the position."

Medekhgui grunted. "Well, we'd better fix that soon then."

Nefertiti sauntered up to the two of them. "I think I've figured out a way into the palace, husband dear."

"Oh?" Akhenaten raised a brow.

"Esther, myself, and Star will go in as dancers to entertain." Nefertiti grinned at him.

Medekhgui pursed his lips. "First of all, none of you are that entertaining. Second of all, what happens to me, Akhenaten, and In-Sook?"

"Well, clearly, you're going to blend in with the slaves at the next feast. We'll get close and convince the queen to become pharaoh." Nefertiti flopped onto the sandy ground beside Akhenaten.

"Brilliant," Medekhgui muttered. "So, we just have to convince the queen to stage a huge political coup to become pharaoh. Great."

Nefertiti shot him a hard stare. "She'll do it when I tell her that the heir's life is in danger if she doesn't. I'm going to play the oldest trick in the book. I'll tell her I heard that other branches of the house are plotting to take the throne."

"That's actually a wonderful idea," Akhenaten said. "Given what history says about her, the woman would likely take the throne to preserve it for her son. Perhaps that's why she hasn't made her move—nothing has galvanized her into acting that way."

Nefertiti smirked. "Precisely. So, I'll give her that reason."

"Excuse me, but what is our part, precisely? Why do you need to act as entertainers in the first place?" Medekhgui tapped his bare foot against the cold sand.

The queen wrapped her blanket closer around her shoulders. "You're back up in case they decide it's a better idea to execute us. I'll do my best to slip the queen a message. Entertainers are offered more leeway and are not noticed in most situations. Still, you should appreciate my suggestion more, you arrogant lout! Only commoners and women from the harem houses are supposed to dance in public when not dancing for rituals." Nefertiti's upper lip curled. "It's their privilege. One of the few they relish. To do the same as they do is a high insult to both myself and to them."

Medekhgui stood and shook his head. "Fine. Whatever fixes the time line in this place and gets us back to the museum in one piece." He turned away from her. "When do we head for Thebes?"

"Tomorrow morning. Spread the news to the others to meet here by the fire when they get up. I'll explain each of your parts better tomorrow after we've all had a good night's sleep." She flapped her hand at him and leaned into her husband's side.

Clenching his teeth, Medekhgui stalked toward his tent, hollering to the rest of the group that they were to meet by the fire in the morning. Then he stormed into his tent and laid down. Moments later, worn from days of wandering about the nearby town and asking question upon question, he let sleep drag him down into the realm of dreams.

***

There was a muffled shout from outside the tent. Aetius bolted upright, his hand flying to his short sword. Through the crack in the tent flaps, he could see two people struggling with Arnold. He shook Cassius awake and motioned to the silhouettes showing through the tent fabric in the bright moonlight. He turned to the back of the tent, pulled his dagger from his belt, and slit the fabric in one sharp slash. The fabric made tearing sounds as it gave way to the knife, but the struggle outside had become loud enough that no one noticed.

Stepping out of the new slit, Aetius crouched behind the tent with Cassius beside him, the two of them observing the situation.

The newcomers looked like ancestors of the Romans. The two men couldn't determine why they'd attacked Arnold, but the poor man was starting to struggle. The strangers' backs were turned to Aetius and Cassius now as they skillfully battered down Arnold's defense.

Aetius motioned Cassius closer. "We'll sneak up behind them and knock them out, alright?"

Cassius gripped the hilt of his own short sword and nodded.

Soundless as wraiths, the two of them glided across the expanse between them and the unknown assailants. Their opponents stared down at Arnold, whispering to each other. Just as they turned to face the tent, Aetius and Cassius struck in unison.

Aetius's pommel struck one of them in the temple as he turned toward the tent. Cassius struck his opponent in the base of his skull. Both crumpled to the ground with the blows.

Satisfied that the two unknown soldiers were no longer a threat, Aetius and Cassius rushed over to Arnold, who was staring up at them with wide eyes.

After a moment, he seemed to regain his senses. "What were you two blithering fools thinking? You took ages to show up!"

Aetius nudged one of the men with his booted toe. "Who are they?"

"No idea." Arnold clambered to his feet and retrieved his rapier. "They attacked me while I was in the middle of asking that."

Cassius shrugged. "I say we tie them up and ask them when they come to." He peered at the two on the ground. "Say, you don't think these are the ones we're looking for, do you? They look an awful lot alike."

Aetius lifted his hands, palms up. "I have no idea. Let's just get them tied so they can't run or kill us when they come to."

***

Romulus opened his eyes with a moan. His jaw and temple throbbed, and his arms hurt. He squinted up at the sky, noting that the sun was far into its journey across the wide expanse of blue. It was night when we attacked that oddly dressed man. They must've knocked us out and tied us up. He looked down at his body. But, looks like we're otherwise uninjured.

Two booted feet crunched across the frost-covered grass and stopped directly in front of his line of sight. Raising his gaze, he laid eyes on his first captor. The man was tall and lean, with cords of muscle lining his arms and legs. His brown eyes seemed to bore into Romulus's very soul.

Remus chose that moment to come to. "Rom..."

Romulus shot a glance at his brother.

"Rom..." Remus let out a whine, trying to raise his hands to the back of his head only to find them tied. "What...What happened?"

"You tell me." The man who carried himself with the bearing of a general crossed his arms. "Who are you two?"

Remus and Romulus shared a glance then looked back to the stranger who held them captive. Neither man spoke a word.

"Should I torture it out of you?" The man rubbed his chin. "Or maybe I could just guess and you can answer yes or no."

Romulus gritted his teeth. The man clearly likes to play games.

But when the stranger's gaze met Romulus's again, Romulus realized the man was in truth serious. It seemed on the surface as if the man was toying with them, but something akin to desperation lurked in those dark depths.

"I'm going to try this the easy way first. You two are Romulus and Remus, are you not?"

The twins exchanged another glance.

Romulus narrowed his eyes at the man. "I hardly think it's fair for you to know us but leave us in dark about yourself."

"I'm Aetius. And I'm from the future. We're both destined to be Roman soldiers. I'm the last Roman centurion alive from the Fall of Rome." The hawk-eyed man nodded at them. "And I'm here to fix something someone else screwed up."

***

Remus scooped some of the strange grub into a bowl Aetius had provided. He sniffed at it before shoving a small bite into his mouth with the strange contraption Aetius had called a spoon.

"So, let me get this straight..." Romulus jerked a thumb toward Remus. "He and I are supposed to found a giant city on top of Palatine Hill by the Tiber River? And it will grow into an empire?"

Aetius and his companions nodded.

"Rem, I told you we should choose Palatine Hill. It's the most defensible position we could choose with all those hills around it and the river." Romulus smirked at his twin.

Remus glared at his brother. "And I'm telling you it's too far away from everything. The only people nearby are the Sabines. And they might not welcome us with open arms."

"Of course they will. Two handsome men with their own city, lots of money thanks to Uncle Amulius's..." Romulus coughed with a smile playing on his lips. "Untimely death. And not to mention that, we're more than happy to take a wife or two from their daughters to prove our friendly intentions."

Remus chewed on his lower lip, twirling the spoon through his gruel. "Look, Rom, it doesn't matter how attractive their women are, we won't be viewed as friendly."

"I hate to interrupt your riveting conversation, boys." Aetius stood with a snicker. "But you founded the city on Palatine Hill in the time line before the museum curator messed it all up. We've already shown you our weapons, and you know we aren't lying about not being from around here."

"Look, I don't know if they come from the future, Rem, but I'm pretty sure they're messengers of the gods. Maybe Mars sent them."

Remus scratched his head. "Maybe. I doubt it though. Our good-for-nothing father hasn't had anything to do with us since he raped Mother. Where was he when Uncle Amulius threw us in the Tiber as babies and left us for dead? If Faustulus and Acca hadn't found us, we would've died of exposure if we hadn't died of water inhalation."

"Maybe Father is the reason we didn't drown or die of exposure," Romulus argued. "Either way, we already discussed founding that city. I say we go with what they've suggested."

Remus snorted. "You only say that because they agree with you about the location."

"Not true. You saw their weapons."

Remus pursed his lips, but he didn't say anything.

"Are you two done bickering now?" Aetius tapped a foot against the ground with a raised brow.

Romulus exhaled, puffing his cheeks out and widening his stance. "Don't treat us like children. You're not much older than us."

"And I've seen more sorrow and death in my lifetime than you have to this point. So, to me, you are children." Aetius spun on his heel and picked up the packed tent and his rucksack. "Let's go, boys. No time to waste. You're already a year behind schedule."

Romulus caught up to him with a cough. "How, exactly, are we going to build a city with no man power? You can't honestly expect me and Remus to build it alone."

Aetius muttered something under his breath that Romulus didn't catch. He straightened and shook his head. "I don't. Myself and my team will assist you in building it. And it needn't be anything gigantic yet. It just needs to be defensible and sturdy. It'll grow into more later on, I promise."

Romulus shrugged. "If you say so."

***

Nefertiti slipped down the hallway, following the queen as she left the festivities. It seemed the woman had also given the guards the slip because no one stood between her and the queen. She quickened her pace and reached out to touch the queen's arm.

Her cold fingers brushed the back of Hatshepsut's arm.

The queen spun, her dark eyes narrowing. Her arm flew out, striking at Nefertiti.

Nefertiti ducked it, crouching on the cobblestone path. "Wait! I'm not here to hurt you."

The queen crossed her arms, widening her stance. "No? Then you'd better start talking fast, woman."

"I came to warn you, God's Wife of Amun." Nefertiti bowed her head.

"Warn me of what?"

"There are factions in the royal household scheming to take the throne. I don't know who, but I overheard some people discussing how they would assassinate you and co-regent Thutmose the Third. I beg of you, God's Wife. Do something to save yourself and the young co-regent." Nefertiti glanced up with a wobbling lower lip. "The lives of our people depend upon it."

Hatshepsut threw her head back and laughed. "You speak lies. Who would dare conspire against me?"

"I swear it to be true, God's Wife Hatshepsut." Nefertiti groveled on the ground, gritting her teeth. Gods above, this woman is stubborn.

"And where is the proof?"

Nefertiti wracked her brain for any history she knew that would indicate which royal family members might've conspired against Hatshepsut. "I cannot prove it, but I know what I heard. I'm telling the truth!" Or, at least, one of the things scholars suggest is the truth.

Hatshepsut tapped a toe against the cobbled street. "You say people are conspiring against me? What are their motives?"

"They said you're becoming too powerful. Too forward for a queen. They don't like your ambition or how much control you have over the young heir." Nefertiti held her breath, waiting for the queen to respond.

The young ruler heaved a sigh. "I never thought—" Her feet shifted back toward the festivities.

Nefertiti dared a glance upward to find the young queen shaking her head and pacing.

The queen kept mumbling to herself. "I never thought they'd make a move. Thutmose is still too young... I have to do something." She whirled to face Nefertiti. "You! Obviously, you had a reason to tell me this. Why come to me? Why not tell the guards?"

"Because I believed you would listen to a poor dancer such as myself more closely than a guard. They'd be more likely to bed me than heed me." Nefertiti looked up at Hatshepsut with a smile.

Hatshepsut snorted. "You're right there." She squatted in front of Nefertiti, eyes narrowing. "You look like you're holding something back. Do you have something else to tell me?"

"I would never wish to interfere with my queen's decision." Nefertiti bit back a smirk.

"But?" The queen raised a brow.

"But I do have an idea of what you might do to fix this."

The queen cocked her head to the side. "And what is that?"

Nefertiti smiled. "May I have your permission to move into a more comfortable position, God's Wife Hatshepsut? My limbs are cramping up."

"Yes. In fact, you can come with me. I will hear what you have to say from the comfort of my own home." The queen straightened and sauntered off in the same direction as she'd been heading before Nefertiti waylaid her.

A grin slipped over Nefertiti's face. Perfect. This couldn't go much better.

***

Aetius stood atop Palatine Hill with Arnold, the two of them surrounded by roughly hewn boards and building supplies the twins had acquisitioned. Moonlight poured over everything, drenching the world in cold light. "You know the plan?"

"Yes, yes. I know..." Arnold huffed. "Remind me again why we're doing this?"

"Have you seen the way those two idolize each other? I don't know what happened to the original time line and its Romulus and Remus, but this one's set of twins would never follow history's dictate and fight each other to the death." Aetius shook his head. "Just one more evil act to fix this broken time."

Arnold bit his lip. "Maybe we should just try to set things back on their general track. I don't know about this, Aetius."

"Too late to back out now. Look, he's already coming up to talk to us." Aetius pointed to the lone figure struggling up the hill.

"But assassination is just so..." Arnold sucked in a breath and let it hiss out between his teeth.

"Dishonorable?" Aetius raised a brow. "Nothing about what we've been doing is honorable, so we may as well finish what we came to do."

Arnold's shoulders slumped, and he turned his torso away from Aetius by a fraction. "I guess."

The rest of the conversation was cut off as Remus reached them. "What did you two want me for?"

Arnold and Aetius exchanged a glance.

"We had something on the other side of the hill to show you," Aetius supplied.

Remus narrowed his eyes. "And you wanted to show me first, because?"

"Because you're going to be the king of this city, obviously." Arnold's lips stretched into a smile, but Aetius saw the sweat on his brow in the moonlight and the slight tremor in his fingers.

Remus's chest puffed out, and he smiled back at Arnold. "You'd better not let Romulus hear you. He thinks he's going to be king, after all."

"Yes, well... We all know you're meant to be the king, so he'll just have to fall in line with it." Aetius turned and strode down the hill. "Are you coming now? We need the moonlight to be able to see it properly. That's why we missed it during the day."

Remus hurried to catch up and fell in stride with him. Just as they made it to the crest of the hill, Arnold whacked Remus in the back of the head with the hilt of his rapier. Aetius caught the young man as he crumpled. "Quickly," he hissed to Arnold. "You go back to the camp. Tell them I saw him walking off and followed him to make sure he wasn't left alone in the middle of the night. I'll take care of the rest."

Arnold nodded and ran back toward the camp.

***

When Romulus showed up with the rest of the group and the men who had come to assist in building and settling the new city, Aetius had arranged everything. He knelt beside Remus, his gaze distant. Doesn't matter how many times I take a life, it never really gets easier. Not to mention the fact that this young man didn't actually deserve to die.

Romulus made a strangled, mewling noise when he saw his brother lying there, bloodied and pale. "No! R-Remus..." His gaze flew to Aetius's slack expression. "What happened, Aetius?"

"I..." Aetius shook his head and stood. "I'm not sure, Romulus. I found him like this. After I took off to follow him when he left camp, I lost him for a few minutes. When I picked his trail back up, he was already like this."

"Who would've done this?" Romulus dropped to his knees beside his brother, brushing the blood-soaked hair away from Remus's battered face. "And why were you wandering on the land of the Sabines?"

Aetius looked away, biting his lip.

"Perhaps the Sabines killed him?" One of the villagers came closer to inspect the body. "Looks like something they'd do."

Does it? Aetius grimaced. Good. Makes it more convincing.

"I'm going to kill them all," Romulus whispered.

Aetius's gaze flicked to the grieving founder. Wait, no! He can't do that... "Rom, may I suggest something better?"

Romulus's focus shifted from the corpse of his twin to Aetius. His jaw was clenched, and his eyes burned with murderous intent. "I'm listening."

Aetius resisted the temptation to shudder in response to the look. If he knew I'd done this, he'd kill me in a heartbeat. "They took Remus away from you in the worst way possible, right?"

Romulus stood, nodding.

"So, take from them what they love in the worst way possible."

Romulus crossed his arms and cocked his head to the side. His voice was cold and hard when he spoke. "I don't understand what you're suggesting."

"I'm suggesting that you kidnap their women. Think about it... You've been telling us you don't know where your men will get wives from so you can populate your city. So, just take what you need from the Sabines while punishing them for what they did to Remus." Aetius shifted from one foot to the other. "Just solve both problems in one go."

His group looked at him with sickened glances, but no one spoke up to suggest otherwise.

"It could work, but how will we get them without a fight?"

Aetius let his lips curve into a tight smile. "Simple. Invite them to a celebration of your city's founding. We've got enough houses up now to say we've founded something. Do they need any sort of good excuse to get drunk?"

"Well, no..." Romulus stroked his chin. "Continue..."

"So, you use some of the gold you took from your uncle's coffers when you killed him, and you throw a celebration. Invite the Sabines, the whole lot, as a show of good faith since you're all neighbors now. Then, when the men are all drunk, take the women. We all know how women are viewed." Aetius forced a dry laugh. "Bed them, and they're yours. The men won't be able to do anything about it without shaming their families and their daughters. It'll be the ultimate punishment for what they took from you."

Romulus grinned. "I like it. Good thing you and your team will be able to stick around and help us with this."

Aetius cleared his throat. Uh... No... Just, I can't do that. "That..." He coughed. "That's a generous offer, Your Highness. I—"

"It's settled then. And, for your trouble, I'll even let you pick your woman." Romulus's eyes glittered with mischief. "Unless you object, captain?"

Captain? What is he trying to do here? "Certainly not, my Liege."

"Good. You and your band are in charge of organizing the feast. My men are at your command. Whatever you need, they'll get it done." Romulus turned to stare back down at his twin's mutilated body. "Men, help me carry him back to Palatine Hill. We'll bury him there under the city he was so invested in. Captain, you and your group are free to turn in for the night."

"Thank you, my Liege." Aetius turned and strode through his group.

They all shot him dirty looks, understanding exactly what he'd gotten them into. I already know I messed up. You don't need to ostracize me. But this is necessary to fix history, so we must do what we must do. He clenched his jaw and continued the long, lonesome walk back to their camp.

***

"Well? Out with it." Hatshepsut turned to face Nefertiti, pulling the palm-wood door shut.

"My suggestion is..." Nefertiti played with the broad sleeves of her cloak, which left next to nothing to the imagination. "It is a bit bold, but I fear it may be the only way."

"You're stalling. What is your suggestion, dancer?" Hatshepsut's foot tapped against the rush-covered floor of her chamber.

"Declare yourself pharaoh. With your lineage, you can easily explain why you should have the position, God's Wife Hatshepsut. Then, when you are gone, your stepson can step into power, and the throne will have been preserved. The power that comes with that roll would give you the ability to stave off any attacks made against you." Nefertiti bowed her head, waiting for the response.

Hatshepsut eased herself into a couch, narrowing her eyes. She didn't speak for a long while, and Nefertiti held her breath, praying to Amun that the woman would buy the story and the suggestion.

"Perhaps that could work. Other women in my near line have wielded considerable power. If I claim I came directly from Amun's line and that my father had intended to declare me his heir before he died, I could take control in the open. There would be some dissent, and the commoners would rumble about it." Her hand went to her collarbone where her beaded collar hung. "But it could work."

Nefertiti remained quiet for a long while, waiting for the woman to continue.

Hatshepsut shoved herself off the couch and began pacing the airy chamber. "It might be the only way. I've thought about it before. Thought that maybe it would someday be the only thing I could do. But the position I was in... It was so precarious." She spun on her heel, facing Nefertiti. "But now... Now, it seems this may be the only choice."

Silence still seemed to be the best option, so Nefertiti allowed the queen to continue her monologue. It looked as if Hatshepsut had forgotten about her presence. She continued to hash the concept out, weighing the pros and cons.

The minutes passed. Nefertiti could hear the revelry in the distance dying down. The stars were beginning to fade as the night came to a close and the day began to dawn. Finally, the queen slumped into her chair with a sigh. "It appears this is the only way." She regarded Nefertiti for a moment and then closed her eyes. "Thank you for bringing this to my attention. I will make the declaration among my private officials tomorrow."

Nefertiti cleared her throat. "I live to please, God's Wife of Amun."

"Of course you do..." Hatshepsut snickered. "You'll keep your mouth shut. If I hear one word about this before I announce it, you will be dead."

Nefertiti smiled. "You have nothing to fear. I know better than to reveal my secrets to the wrong people, God's Wife Hatshepsut."

Hatshepsut chuckled at that. "Dancers... You all have more than your fair share of secrets." She waved a languid hand at Nefertiti. "Leave. I no longer require your services."

Nefertiti stood and bowed. Without another word or glance back, she exited the chambers. A smile flitted across her lips as she flitted down the palace halls, ignored by the various passing officials thanks to her attire. Finally, she was back out in the night air. Taking a deep breath, she disappeared into the darkness, satisfied that the mission was a success.

***

Arnold shot another glare his way.

Aetius exhaled, threading his fingers through his hair and then placing them behind his back. "Arnold, glowering at me will not change the situation we're now in."

"You did this, you piece of filth. The only thing we agreed to was to set them on the right path! Not to help them kidnap and rape the Sabine women." Arnold's fists clenched, and he widened his stance.

Aetius faced him, his chest puffing out. "Arnold, stand down. I can't change what has been asked of us now! You will either go back to camp or help with the celebration. I don't care which, but don't you dare get in the way."

Arnold spat on the ground and turned to stalk off. He threw a few last words over his shoulder as he strode off. "You're a cold piece of work, Aetius Caelius."

Aetius heaved a sigh and turned back to the city. Tonight was the night of truth. Things had to go exactly as planned if any of them wanted to go home knowing they'd fixed the problem with the time line here. His stomach twisted as he realized what that meant for him. The others... They can escape attention if they don't participate in taking the women. Some of them won't even be at the party because they're women. But I can't do that. Curses on Romulus and his desire to "reward" me.

"You look glum, Aetius." Cassius strode up, crossing his arms and standing beside Aetius as he observed the preparations going on to ready the small city-in-the-making for the preparations.

"Who wouldn't? You mark my words. Someone's going to get hurt with this, Cassius." Aetius shook his head with a growl.

"Yes. Those women you sicced Romulus and his men on to keep the suspicion off you and Arnold. Don't think the rest of us don't know what you did." Cassius's tone stayed conversational, but his voice lowered to a murmur.

"There wasn't another choice, Cassius. Don't you think I wish there was?" Aetius rounded on his companion. "I don't look forward to tonight, knowing I'll have to participate to the fullest degree in what they're going to do. At least you won't have that on your conscience, eh? I watched my men die, and I nearly died in the attempt to get them out of that gods-forsaken city when it fell. How do you think it feels to know I'm fixing the time line so all of that will happen just like it did when I was in that time line?" His throat tightened. "Don't you dare act high and mighty! Not when you don't have to do the things I'm being required to do just to get all of your sorry carcasses out of this mess alive."

Cassius's lips pressed together in a tight, white line.

Aetius turned away from him. "Don't even try to add to my guilt. It's already so heavy it has broken me. There is nothing you can add to break me more, Cassius. Just thank the gods it isn't you."

Cassius grunted and ambled off, leaving him alone with the crushing weight of his guilt.

***

Aetius watched the crowds of men and women dancing and drinking around the blazing fires. Flames shot high into the air with crackling and spitting. Sparks flew off the popping wood as it burned. The groups of dancers reveled in a way he wished he could. But he knew too much about what was coming to be truly happy in this moment.

He turned his attention to the brawl Cassius had started with one of the soon-to-be Romans. He shook his head, not caring what happened to the man. After what he'd said, he could have the responsibility for his own life. Given the way the man was wobbling and staggering about, he was too drunk to be in a fight and would most likely get himself stabbed through the chest if he kept up the fight. But he wasn't one of Aetius's men. He refused to accept responsibility for the man.

His blood heating, he turned and strode to the tents where the ale and mead was flowing. Snatching a tankard off the roughly hewn tables where his men were acting as hired help for the makeshift bar, he went to find a place near the fire to sit. On his way, he was taken aside by Romulus.

"The men are sufficiently drunk. How much longer?" Romulus's gaze kept darting to a raven-haired, tanned wench nearby.

"Girl caught your eye, Rom?" Aetius took a swig of his mead.

"Don't mock me. Just answer the question." Romulus took a sip of his own drink.

Aetius glared at the alcohol swirling in his cup, already feeling the buzz in his veins. Darn, I know better than this. Drinking... Always such an awful idea. "Have whichever ones are willing now. Take the rest when the men pass out."

Romulus clapped him on the shoulder. "That sounds like the best decision. Now, why don't we find you a willing woman to warm your bed tonight, my friend?"

"Why not?" Aetius drained his tankard to the dregs, wiping the back of his mouth on his sleeve when he finished. I'm going to need a lot more alcohol in my system to be okay with what I'm assisting in.

Grabbing his arm, Romulus dragged him toward the crowd, causing him to drop the wooden tankard in surprise. But he finally got his footing and kept pace with Romulus.

They approached the young woman he'd been eyeing earlier. She sized Romulus up, a devilish grin creeping onto her rosy lips. Aetius squinted at the girl accompanying the one looking at Romulus like he was dinner. Romulus abandoned him the moment the girl he'd been watching moved to continue her dance next to him. She gyrated her hips, coming so close to touching him but refusing to do so.

Aetius abandoned the man to deal with the unabashed flirt and focused his attention on the young woman who'd accompanied her. Wide blue eyes met his, and honey-gold hair flowed over her shoulders to her waist in waves and curls. She took a single step back, her feet poised to run, but she stayed despite the obvious shyness in her demeanor.

Her lips moved, and he realized she was trying to say something, but she had to shout over the crowd's raucous revelries, which still drowned her out.

Aetius sized her up, staring at her slender figure and supple limbs, which were outlined by the firelight as it shone through the linen of her skirt. "Would you like a moment away from the noise?" He raised his voice, ensuring she would hear him.

Her eyes widened, but she nodded, accepting his hand when he offered it.

He led her to the tent Romulus had insisted he set up on the outskirts of the camp. You'll thank me when you've got one of those Sabine wenches in your bed, Captain. He shook his head to clear Romulus's voice from his thoughts. As soon as this night is over, he swore. I am leaving the minute I've satisfied Romulus's demands.

The girl pulled her hand from his when she saw the tent. "Don't you think you should at least come to know me before you take me, sir?" Her voice shook, but she was surprisingly bold in her words.

"Who said I would take you?" Aetius turned to her with a faint smile playing on his lips.

"Why else would you bring me to your tent?" She held her head high as she took another step back.

"I want to talk. Away from the noise and my friends." Aetius dropped to the ground and sat cross-legged. "If you are uncomfortable doing that in the luxury of my tent, then outside will suffice as well."

She narrowed her eyes, crossing her arms over her slender torso. "So long as we are clear that I'll be the one deciding if you have me or not."

"Very clear, lady." Aetius chuckled, already liking the wench more for her spirit.

"Good. Now, as I was saying earlier, I do apologize for Medea's behavior."

He shrugged. "It's my friend's issue if he allows her to trap him like that. At least I know a seductress when I see one."

She smirked. "Oh, do you?"

"Yes, my lady. Just as I know you're interested but don't know how to stake your claim." Aetius laughed, but it wasn't to mock her. "I've seen your behavior many times before."

Her eyes rounded, and her lips formed a pretty 'o'. "Have I picked a ladies' man, then?"

"No. Unless by ladies' man you mean that ladies very much liked me even if I didn't much like most of them." Aetius's lips curved into a wicked smile. "Because if you mean that, then I suppose I am very much a ladies' man."

She clicked her tongue in mock disapproval even as a smile flitted on her lips. "Well, since you're so experienced, what would you suggest I do?"

"First of all, I suggest you go home and don't do this." Aetius raised a finger. "But, if you absolutely refuse and you don't expect me to marry you for this, then..." He cleared his throat, swallowing. "You could help me out with a small problem."

"A small problem?" She echoed his words with a frown.

"Yes. The one that involves my friend hounding me to bed someone tonight. He, err... Well, it wouldn't be for polite company such as yours to hear why he is doing such a dreadful thing." Aetius's shoulders hunched, and his gaze flicked up to her face. "So, what do you say?"

"I say that if you're willing to take me with you wherever you end up going, I'll help your fix your problem."

He almost choked on his own spit. "Take you—" He shook his head. "I... What part of no commitment—"

She leaned forward, placing a finger against his lips with a brazen smile. "No one said anything about marriage, now did they? I want to go home, you idiot. You think I didn't see that machine you brought with you?"

Aetius narrowed his eyes but remained silent.

"You don't seriously believe your museum curator is the only one who went traipsing about in space and time, do you?" She laughed, the sound melodic. "No, no, no, my boy. Others did too. And one of them was such a gentleman that he ditched me in this time period when he got tired of me." Her lips twisted bitterly. "Care to help me with my problem?"

Aetius coughed as she straddled him, waiting for a response. "W-well, I must say... This is unexpected. I don't quite understand how you ended up still being here in this messed up time period, but..." He chewed on his lower lip. "Also, I'm not sure I fully understand your problem."

"It's two-fold. First, I need to go home to the time where you and your group have established your base for fixing this mess. Second, I would really, really like a gentleman to show me what it feels like to be loved the right way, if you catch my drift."

He did. Gulping, Aetius nodded. "It seems we could solve each other's problems then."

She got off him and offered him a hand up. "That tent of yours looks rather inviting after all."

He let her lead him into the tent and strip his shirt off him as she stole kisses from him. The whole while, he wondered what had become of the world. One thing is for certain, he thought. I really don't know how to spot a seductress as well as I thought I did. Well, at least I fixed the time line here.

***

When the team from Rome returned, Manfred was sitting at the time machine's hub, waiting for them. He eyed the newcomer without interest, recalling what Aetius had messaged about an addition to the team. He noted Cassius's absent and felt a twinge of regret as he recalled what else had been in that message. Cassius was killed in a drunken brawl. We had to leave his body there in the escape.

He shook his head and dismissed the team with a wave. What a sad state of affairs we've found ourselves in. He slumped into the chair and continued to wait for the remaining teams to send a message asking to be brought home.