Panting, Thea turned around a corner of the small hotel. Mark balanced in her hand, his pulse racing in sync with hers. The lights and costumes blurred by. Several times, the tiny teen thought he'd collide with a massive chest or wall. But each turn, his holder slipped through the crowds, her stomps blazing the carpet.

Finally, the /co/lette lookalike slid into the dealers' room. Her bare shoulders slumped. She did her best to blend in, glasses scanning over the art, custom costumes, and bookshelves. Her hands tripped and fumbled through the pages. She took occasional peeks at the attendee-filled bag, clutching it nearby. She unzipped it slowly, giving them air. A whole room stood inside. "People in bag. No... no portal devices for miles, except that one..." She murmured under her breath. "...Years since I've even seen a hole open like that... Is it supposed to spark that much?"

Mark struggled to keep his own breaths steady amid her blustering inhales and exhales. The purse rumbled slowly, as its occupants chattered, making sense of their new world. "...No. It's not supposed to be fired that quickly. If she pulls the trigger a few more times..." He gulped. "We might just all become..."

When he trailed off, Thea picked up: "...gone. Reduced to atoms. And if we call anyone to help, when she's this set on it, Kat'll try to shrink them." She shoved a book back in the shelf, her teeth gritting. "People are suffering for nothing but petty drama! I always knew these devices were dangerous, after..."

When *she* trailed off, Mark lay back, staring across the rows of merchandise - trying to piece together a plan. One of the books covers was that one she'd given him in the boot - "Gundam" something-or-other. He glanced down to the floor. Her bared feet shuffled. "... Thanks. Carrying us around while you're so terrified of tiny people... that's something."

The girl shook her head. "It's not noble at all. When I last used a portal device, I was playing with a friend. I moved my feet around too roughly, and..." Her eyes shut. "...He survived. But he still can't walk. I just... don't want people to get hurt, like him."

She put a fist to her face, looking into space - away from everyone. "I keep seeing him. I keep seeing bones I could break. I keep seeing lives I could ruin. I have to walk on tiptoes and hope the tiny people leave quickly. And because I was so weak, because I didn't take charge, because I didn't want to lose another friend..." The bag's occupants quieted down, as she looked to them. "...You guys got shrunk."

Mark let that float over him. So that's what this fear was about. Full-size people nudged by, looking over the goods - Thea discretely shifted the bag away from them. "It's like living in a world of cardboard," the boy finally said. He patted her hand. "At least you actually care about shrunken people. I was so set on getting the gun, and keeping it secret, that I didn't even stop and think about the danger other people were in."

Thea stroked him back carefully. Her fingertips felt soft. "It's not your fault. We can still get it back. We can still fix this."

"All of us." Mark finished. He looked at a clock on the wall. "Kat said she'd be at a dance at the end, right?"

The/co/splayer thought. "Yeah, the masquerade. She shrunk everyone to keep a low profile and get on with the con. I don't think she'd give up any chance to dance romantically with a masked man." She grinned.

The Link lookalike looked down to the bag. He spotted the woman from the first panel - the one who wore that red uniform from the yaoi manga Kat gave him while trapped. "Hey, how did you make your costume? With the mask and all?"

She felt around her miniaturized mask. "This Char Aznable cosplay? They actually sell some parts here in the dealers' room. But is this really the time to discuss dressing up?"

With a rub of his shirt, Mark smiled. "Yes. That's exactly what we need to discuss now. I have an idea, but I'll need everyone's help."

Thea returned the smile nervously. "I see some materials for sale here... You still sure you aren't some evil mastermind?"

---

The Masquerade Dance began on time. It was emptier than they'd expected, amid the sudden disappearances. Still, a few glorious gowns and sharp dresses graced the floor, their individual twirls and steps locking into a chaotic unity. Vibrant smiles shone in the low lighting. The echoes of "Butterfly" fluttered through the same room it had for years, as if nothing had changed. As if half their lives were just strange dreams, and they'd just woken up as teenagers again. A haze of glee wafted over the dancers.

Amid the graceful flow, Thea's steps entering in were deliberate and measured. She puffed her bound chest up, a black-and-gold Zeon crest displayed to the world over scarlet. Within, the tiny attendees held tightly to her skin, letting the fabric brush over them. Mark sat in the navel - where stress sweat accumulated. The girl's newly-made mask was hard to see through, and led to some accidents; especially since she wasn't wearing glasses. Whenever she bumped into someone, the whole microcosm of flesh trembled. It looked like those hanging to her bra above would be squashed, and those dangling on her legs below would fall. But thanks to her careful poise, the party pressed onward, concealed by her costume.

The girl was once /co/lette had become Char. She blinked on each step, taking heavy breaths. "I'm in control. Tiny people on me... In control."

The first man to shrink snarked: "Better fucking hope so. We don't have a Plan B." A jostle of her hips nearly knocked him aside.

Thea almost didn't want to see it. But she was there, in the center of the room - her vines and leaves swaying to the rhythm, her pink wig still covering blue hair, her boots swinging across the floor. Animated by the tempo, Kat peeked up, wearing a mask with a leaf motif. Her shadowed eyes drooped - until they fell across the other cosplayer's form. Then, they burned with supernatural energy.

Already, the dark-haired girl doubted herself. But she coughed, and offered a gloved hand. "May I have this dance?"

Gail made sure the voice changing tech still worked while shrunken - deepening Thea's whisper to a masculine croon.

Their masks locked together. Kat's gaze had a strength to it that made her friend shiver, jostling the people tucked into her costume. A smile crept across her lips. Had she figured out? With a bow, the Great Fairy took her hand, and pulled in close - inadvertently compressing the miniature people in her friend's chest. "Don't be so shy. I'd be honored."

The techno died down. In its place rose a slow, quiet piano. They danced to "Komm, Susser Todd", the disguised woman matching steps and sways with her counterpart. The world shook in a slow rhythm.

Time for the plan to go in motion.

Through Thea's crimson sleeves, and up her gloves, the shrunken attendees climbed onto Kat's bare hand. They used the green foliage decorating her as holds, fucking themselves close to her limbs. Some stopped at the wrists; others slid all the way near her armpits. When their pillar-esque legs came close together, in a booming step, more still swung from one boot to another. They climbed up her legs, bearing the passionate swings of her hips and rhythmic twirls. Like soldiers emerging from the Trojan Horse, more and more tiny people emerged covertly from Thea's costume, occupying portions of their shrinker's soft skin.

"Do you feel something?" Kat murmured, leaning her neck in.

Thea gently hugged her waist, body heat rising. "Y-yes. It's crawling all over me..."

Kat smiled, grabbing her friend's arms. Her own body was crawling with small people now. "It's tingling."

"Please," Thea shivered, "keep looking in my eyes."

They were close enough on this move. Flinging his chain like a rope, Mark grabbed onto the edge of Kat's panties; and pulled himself in, close to her navel. He tugged himself up by the vines, admiring the view above. Her chest hung out, bouncing with every slow, deliberate step. He scaled the long fields of her midriff, hiding in the shadows; and around Thea's hand, which pressed close to her friend's skin. The spongy ground below him rumbled as Kat spoke...

"...You're so cheesy. I like that about you, Thea." She smiled happily, intertwining her fingers with her.

Thea's jaw went slack. Her dancing stopped. "You - you recognize me?"

Mark traveled over her chest, the fabric sinking into his fingers.

"Duh. You're my best friend." The pink-haired girl pulled her back into the pattern of steps, brushing her helmet. "Thanks for trying to make me happy, but you really didn't have to go out and disguise like this."

The boy climbed a stay clump of hair, holding tight as it synched with her movement.

The Char cosplayer started murmuring. "I didn't... That's not what I..."

Mark scaled higher, and higher still, passing her slender neck.

Kat went closer. "Forget about it. You're forgiven. Let's just go home and watch something dumb after this."

People were still scattering over her body as the Link cosplayer made his treacherous accent. With enough of them together, they'd be able to hold her still - and give him the time to retrieve his device. And, presently, the portal gun rested behind her ear as always. It was nearly within his grasp...

But the arm below rose up suddenly. Kat spun with the limb raised, everyone on it holding tight. The first guy she shrunk flew off, falling down - everyone stared with their mouths shut.

Mark gulped. He was so close, but any false moves could cost them. She could notice all of them.

He decided to...