Dominic, of course, had planned everything.
Phong looked down at his outfit and shook his head.
"I still think this is ridiculous."
"You literally call yourself farmboy," Dominic said. "Clark Kent is perfect."
Phong wore a simple suit, glasses, and a loosened tie. Mild-mannered reporter on the outside. Superman underneath.
Alex stood beside him dressed as Lois Lane.
Red jacket.
Pencil skirt.
Confident posture.
She crossed her arms smugly.
"Honestly, this fits too well."
Phong shrugged.
"You look like someone who'd interview Superman and bully him at the same time."
Alex smirked.
"Accurate."
Dominic himself had committed fully.
Black Panther armor.
Full costume.
He had even practiced the Wakandan salute back in the dungeon.
Janet stood beside him dressed as Storm.
White wig.
Cape.
Elegant and deadly.
Dominic pointed proudly between them.
"King and Queen."
Janet rolled her eyes.
"You just wanted to shout 'Wakanda Forever' at strangers."
"…I regret nothing."
Jake and Jack had gone more theatrical.
Aziraphale and Crowley from Good Omens.
Jake wore the white coat and soft expression of the angel.
Jack leaned all the way into Crowley's chaos with dark glasses, a sharp grin, and a black suit that screamed I make problems for fun.
They walked side by side perfectly in character.
Jack whispered dramatically,
"If anyone asks, we're just ineffable."
Jake nodded solemnly.
"Very ineffable."
The women handled their own costumes.
Séline, Camille, and Joanne disappeared into a nearby costume shop.
Twenty minutes later they came back with a theme.
The Lyoko Warriors from Code: Lyoko.
Joanne wore Yumi's sleek dark outfit.
Camille took Aelita's pink aesthetic.
Séline proudly wore Ulrich's black-and-orange look.
Dominic blinked.
"…I feel old."
Phong nodded.
"Same."
Rico popped his head out of Séline's jacket.
"Kids these days."
Nyx smacked him with her tail.
Once the costumes were settled, Séline and Camille took charge.
"Alright," Camille announced.
"You are now tourists."
"And we are your guides."
Dominic looked suspicious.
"Are we going somewhere expensive?"
Séline waved him off.
"We use our euros."
"You pay us back later."
Phong nodded at once.
"That actually helps."
They all understood why.
With media still obsessed with Alex and Olen, using the French girls' money avoided card trails and curious reporters.
Sometimes the smartest move was just being hard to track.
Lyon in autumn was beautiful.
Old stone streets wound through the city like veins.
Cafés spilled warm light onto the sidewalks.
Market stalls sold roasted chestnuts, pastries, and cider.
The group wandered through the old districts while Séline and Camille explained everything with the energy of overqualified tour guides.
"That street leads to the traboules," Camille said.
"Secret passages used by silk workers."
Dominic perked up at once.
"Hidden tunnels?"
"Yes."
"Excellent."
Janet sighed.
"We are not starting a dungeon expedition in France."
Eventually they stopped for lunch.
A small restaurant with outdoor seating.
Fresh bread.
Wine.
Hot soup.
Dominic ate like a man who hadn't seen civilization in months.
Joanne judged the coffee with the cold focus of a professional inspector.
Then Alex glanced around the restaurant and grinned.
"You know," she said casually, "German bakery culture is superior."
Séline froze.
Camille blinked slowly.
"You… did not just say that."
Alex leaned back smugly.
"I absolutely did."
Camille set down her fork.
"This is Lyon."
"The capital of French gastronomy."
"And you say German bakeries are better?"
Dominic leaned toward Phong.
"…We should leave."
Phong raised both hands.
"I said nothing."
Alex smiled sweetly.
"Prove me wrong."
Ten minutes later they were marching through the city in a full food-war duel between German and French bakery culture.
Meanwhile, Phong drifted slightly off route.
Then suddenly stopped in front of a small shop window.
His eyes lit up.
"…Bánh mì."
Authentic.
Vietnamese bread.
In Lyon.
He walked in.
A few minutes later he came out with a sandwich and the most peaceful expression anyone had seen on his face in weeks.
"Found happiness," he announced.
Dominic stared.
"You abandoned the French food war for that?"
Phong nodded calmly.
"Happiness."
Elsewhere, chaos had already begun.
Rico had slipped away.
The raccoon walked up to a couple sitting by a park bench.
Then he activated his strongest skill.
Puppy eyes.
The couple melted instantly.
"Oh my god, he's adorable."
One of them handed him an energy drink without even thinking.
Rico grabbed it in triumph and sprinted away.
Moments later he was bouncing through the park like a caffeinated missile.
Then he saw them.
Ducks.
Dozens of them in the pond.
Rico froze.
A deep vendetta lit up in his tiny raccoon heart.
He launched himself forward with the fury of someone avenging ancient raccoon honor.
The ducks scattered in complete confusion.
Children screamed with laughter.
Tourists pulled out phones.
Dominic arrived moments later.
"RICO!"
The raccoon tried to dodge.
Too late.
Dominic grabbed him mid-leap.
"You are not declaring war on French wildlife."
Rico clutched his energy drink with dignity.
"I regret nothing."
The ducks quacked furiously from the pond.
Phong sighed.
"Our vacation lasted… two hours."
Alex laughed and leaned against him.
"Still better than the dungeon."
For the moment, Camp Stymphalian was just a group of friends enjoying Halloween in Lyon.