"This is awful. Absolutely awful."

Karen shoved her son's-no, Quigley's latest letter into her pocket. "Duncan?" The door swung open, and Duncan trudged inside, ignoring the stares from his parents and friends. He pulled his hood over his head even more, and pushed his mask up. "What, mother?" Karen thrust the letter into his hands. "I'm afraid that Violet is in even more trouble now." He aggressively tore the letter open and began to read.

Hello baby brother.

I heard you're coping with depression. It's great that your condition hasn't gotten any better. Suicidal thoughts? Do proceed. Now, subject matters. As Esme's publicity guy, I am very pleased to inform you of three terrible things:

1. I have Isadora Quagmire. My baby sister.

2. Watch your back. You never know when one of our agents might just slip poison into your drink.

3. Cassie's in charge of your precious Violet.

Alright! Now, my ex-parents and the Baudelaire parents have something to hand over, according to Esme. If they ever want to see Isadora and Violet again, they must hand over the Quagmire sapphires and Baudelaire fortune.

Love, Quigley.

PS. Do tell my former parents that I have a girlfriend. They should know.

Duncan shuddered and ripped up the letter. "What is it, Duncan?" Beatrice asked gently. Hot tears leaked out of his eyes. "C-Ca-Cassie...she's back. She has Isadora. Esme wants our fortunes handed over if we ever want to see Iz and Vi again." Karen and Quinten exchanged worried looks. They knew Cassie. They knew her secret. They knew everything. How she had adoringly loved Duncan and then had her heart broken. Such forces could do damaging things to a person's heart.

"Cassie? Who's Cassie?" Bertrand asked Karen. "Cassie Bronson? She's...well, Duncan childhood crush and ex-girlfriend. She's a assassin for the government, and a yandere." Now it was Bertrand and Beatrice's turn to exchange looks. "Oh." Duncan put his tea down. "I'm going out." Klaus, still a reader inside and had heard that Isadora had been kidnapped. He was willing to change for her. All for her. Quietly, he slipped out of the room, following Duncan.

Duncan walked to the inventing studio. What was the point of living if Violet was already dead? Not that she was. Yet. But he was absolutely sure she wouldn't live to see her eighteenth birthday. He pulled the doors open and rushed to the drawer and rummaged through it. Klaus had hidden in a closet full of protective gear. Peeking out through the case, he witnessed Duncan pulling out a sharp knife normally used to severe things that scissors couldn't. He raised a trembling hand towards his wrist. Klaus couldn't wait any longer. "NO!" Duncan, shocked, had unknowingly slashed himself deeply. Isadora, he remembered, used to do the same after Quigley went rogue. Blood pooled at his side, staining the emerald green carpet. Just then, the doors burst open. "Dunc-! What have you done, Duncan?" Quinten rushed to his side. "Call the ambulance. Stay with me, son."

Lights and colours flickered in Duncan's vision. Voices sounded as if he were underwater. "Duncan! Stay with me. Please." He found a colour. Violet. Memories of her flashed through his mind. Defending her at Prufrock Prep. Disguising themselves at the library. Finding her at 667 Dark Avenue. Breaking out of Fowl Fountain. Leaving her. Reuniting with her. Kissing her.

"Violet..."

He woke up in a clean, colourless place. "Am I in Heaven?"

"No, you're not, Duncan. We're meeting each other in our dreams."

He searched for the sound of the lilting voice, and then he saw...

"Violet!"

She ran over and kissed him. Then she rolled up the newspaper she was holding and smacked him on the head. "Duncan Quagmire! Tell me why the hell you tried to commit suicide? I'm perfectly fine and alive, just scarred and bruised. Don't jump to such extremes yet! Anyway, I'm giving you useful information. Me and Isadora are being held at 667 Vindicated Street. Remember that, okay? I have to go. I love you." She smiled and faded away.

"Violet!"

He woke up, feeling a pair of arms wrap around him tightly. "I know where the girls are." And he told them everything. They looked grim. "We are helping you." Quinten gestured to the adults. "It'll be fine, don't worry. But we have to go in a couple of months, you need to be highly trained. I trained a lot of the VFD agents in combat fighting, and all the members of the Fire-Starting side, including Quigley, Esme and Cassie know our techniques. So we need something new." Duncan nodded nervously. "But you're not really going to hand over our fortunes, are you?"

"I don't know, son. But you need to rest first."

"What's wrong, Violet?" Isadora asked. Violet groaned. "Duncan just tried to commit suicide." Isadora gasped. "Oh? Well, I've been slashing myself recently, but I stopped." Violet gaped at her, disgusted and shocked. "Why?" Isadora shook her head. "it doesn't matter. Now, how are we going to get out of this hellhole of a prison?" Quigley advanced toward them. "Violet, sweetie, don't ever try and contact Duncan again through dreams. Twin-tuition, remember?" Violet spat at Quigley, her spit landing on the front of his leather shoe. "I'll do whatever I please, and I'm not your sweetie. What would Carmel-,ahem, Carmen say?"

"Have you been cheating?"

Carmen stood in the doorway holding a rifle in her hands. "Oh, no, Carmen! You're still the queen of my heart." Quigley answered, flustered. He turned to Violet and Isadora. "I regret asking her to be my girlfriend, those cheesy pick-up lines are crude and she's practically forcing me to tell her she's a smart ass when she's really just an ass." Violet smirked. "You deserve it, dickhead. Your family disown you yet?" Isadora was shocked. She'd never seen Violet act this way before. Quigley growled. "Violet, you're coming with me." He dragged her out of the door.

Esme smiled wickedly. Soon, the Baudelaires and Quagmires would be eliminated when they handed over their rich and prosperous fortunes. The thought of owning the sapphires made her drool. Ah, just imagine! I'm told that sapphires are going to be sooo in for the next decade. And that Baudelaire fortune, I could buy everything in! Her door opened. Quigley marched in, dragging Violet behind him. A petite, shy, girl, who reminded him so very much of Duncan walked in as well. Esme waved her hand. "Quigley, you can torture Violet however you want, what do you need, shy girl?"

She sucked in a breath. "I'm Val. Val Quagmire." Quigley turned to look at her questioningly. "What do you mean, Quagmire?"

"Well, my mother got pregnant when she was seven and she didn't know, so then her parents contacted the hospital. Then doctors raised me in special conditions so that I could still develop without my mother experiencing life-threatening pain and worry from her ex. Her ex is my dad, who, I believe is sixteen now." Quigley raised an eyebrow. "Do continue. Who's your mother?"

"Cassie Bronson."

He looked at Esme, who puffed her cigarette. "Cassie knows. Her dad doesn't."

He continued. "And who's her father?"

"Duncan Quagmire."