#the grief of achilles i think came from his mom's side

[alibonbonn]

The Grief of Thetis (For our zine Sing, O Muse's sketches giveaway)

[ocean-in-my-rebel-soul]

“and i don’t know how i can do without”

Lance-centric post s8 fic. Canon adjacent.

Pairing: Allura x Lance, background Sheith, background Hidge

Rating: T

Tags: brief mentions of blood, burning, and injury, though not graphic; past major character death; dissociative episode.

Length: 2k+ words, complete

Read on AO3 here!

---

“There has to be another way.” 

Allura smiled wanly and took his hand. The infinite white around them shook ominously at the edges of his vision. She stepped forward and held him. 

“Lance,” Allura whispered. Her lips brushed over the curve of his ear, breath ruffling his hair. 

“I just found you.” Lance squeezed her tight and tucked his face against her neck, breathing in the light, lingering scent of her shampoo. Maybe if he held on better this time, maybe if he were stronger, she wouldn’t leave him behind. Allura could stay, and Allura could live, and they could figure it out together, the two of them. The six of them. “I can’t let you do this. I won’t.” 

“Lance,” Allura said again, more urgently.

“No, I—” A sob shook through him. He tightened his arms around her, but she was too strong; she pulled away, just as she did every time. Allura’s hands framed his face, thumbs brushing over his cheekbones. “Please don’t leave me,” he breathed. “We just found each other.” 

Her eyes shone briefly, and she dipped her head. “Close your eyes.” Allura’s hands were warm against his cheeks. “I’m sorry,” she murmured, just before sealing their mouths together.

Lance’s face tingled, then burned, and he squirmed. “Wait, what,” he tried to say, panicking. It was like she was cutting into him with every soft pass of her thumbs. Lance tried to wrench away; she only held him tighter. “Allu—”

She tore away, her hands and eyes still glowing. Fear contorted her features as Allura was pulled backward by whatever force filled this in-between realm. Her mouth moved, but he couldn’t hear. Lance broke away from the paladins only to be held back. 

“No!” he screamed. Hands scrabbled at his arms and shoulders. “Allura! Allura!”

Lance jolted awake, heart thrumming erratically in his ears. His face burned. He gingerly raised his fingertips to his cheeks, tracing the white-hot spots on the crests of his cheekbones. 

“What the…?” 

He scrambled from his bed and stumbled through his room into the small attached bathroom. The fluorescent light stung his eyes as he blinked at his reflection. Two blue crescent moons stared back at him, glowing dimly against his skin. 

“Allura,” he breathed. Lance slumped against the counter, his fingers tracing the marks that had been burnt into his face. His eyes watered. “Allura,” he whispered again. “Don’t go.” 

But she was gone--had been for two years. Allura had left him with marks that burned and glowed but didn’t give him any explanations for what they were, what they meant. 

Lance closed his eyes against the tears that fell. They stung where they crossed the hot blue marks. He slumped to the floor, uncaring of his knee catching against the cabinet doors of the small vanity sink. 

“Don’t go,” he sobbed. Lance wrapped his arms around his middle. It wasn’t enough, it would never be enough. His body shook with jerky shudders. “Don’t leave me. Don’t leave me. Don’t leave me.” 

Grief welled in his middle and spilled out through every pore. His body had been an open wound for two years, and it had never lessened, had never healed. Lance clawed his fingers into his ribs. “It’s not fair. You--you gave, and gave, and gave, and we did nothing!” 

The words ripped from his chest, and he flung his arm out to bang his fist at the solid wall beside him. Lance howled, ineffectively beating against the wall, the counter, kicking his bare feet at the wooden doors of the cabinet. “She died, and we did nothing!”

His foot cracked the wood panel and clattered through it, landing hard on the sink’s pipes hidden within. He sagged to stare numbly at the bleeding, ruined mess of his heel and ankle. There would be splinters, he knew distantly, and the way his foot bled spelled trouble, but he couldn’t care, not now. It wasn’t important now.

“Please come back,” Lance whispered. He closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the bathroom wall, thumping quietly against the tiles. “Just… come back. Come home. I won’t even be mad, I promise. Just please. Please, Allura...”

------

He came back to consciousness abruptly, as if falling from a great distance only to slam back into his body. Lance jerked, sputtering around a mouthful of hair, and he flailed his way to sitting up among a nest of blankets and limbs.

“What the…?” 

A hand thumped against his back. “Shut up. If you wake Shiro up I’m gonna kill you,” came a familiar grumbled, grumpy voice from behind him. 

He looked around, dazed. Yep, Keith glowered at him from in front of the door, curled with his back to Shiro’s chest, one sharp eye open and narrowed at him. Keith only huffed and turned to tuck his face into Shiro’s arm, waving his hand dismissively Lance’s way. 

Lance snorted in disbelief; he couldn’t help it, it was an incredulous sight, out of context. Keith’s hand shifted to flip him off. Lance laughed, high and reedy and nervous to his own ears.

A pair of yawns at his side pulled Lance’s confused gaze. On his right, Pidge scrubbed her hands across her face, and from his left Hunk patted Lance’s arm with sleepy affection. 

“Hey, buddy,” Hunk murmured. He draped his arm around Lance’s belly to give an awkward but welcome hug. “How’re you feeling?”

“I,” he started, unsure, “I, uh, fine?” 

“Liar,” Pidge groused, “and at—” she checked her watch and bared her teeth almost menacingly “—it’s not even 0600!” Pidge swore a long string of curses under her breath and turned to smother herself in her pillow.

“Katherine Matilda Holt, you kiss your mother with that mouth?” Lance asked, almost scandalized, hand splaying over his chest.

She squinted at him to the sound of Keith’s aggravated huffing. “That’s not even my name, asshole. And no, I don’t kiss my mom, just yours.”

“Oh! Oh! Very mature, yeah.” 

” Guys….” Keith warned.

“C’mon, guys,” Hunk wheedled. His hand brushed against Pidge’s shoulder and she bristled a moment before leaning into it, only to slap at Lance’s knee with a free hand. “It’s late, or early, whatever, and—”

“Mmph, sssstupid mornings.” 

Everyone stilled, and Keith all but growled, “Laaaaaance…”

Lance looked up to watch Shiro blink into the low light of the room, rising up to his elbow. He scratched his fingers along his jaw. “G’ morning,” Shiro yawned. He turned his sleepy gaze to Keith and smiled, sleep-warmed and dopey. "Mm. Hey, baby."  

Keith scrubbed his hands over his face. “You shouldn't be up for another couple hours, at least. I told him to let you sleep—” 

“‘S fine, it’s fine, I’m up, I’m up.” Shiro groaned and sat up fully to lean against the door. His eyes landed on Lance, and he smiled gently. “How’s your foot, sharpshooter?” 

“My what?” Lance turned to look at the foot in question. It lay bandaged and clean, wrapped in a professional dressing and set in a plaster cast that ran from the bridge of his sole to halfway up his calf. He wiggled his toes and almost shrieked in relief when they followed his command. “W—what happened?” Lance twisted himself until he couldn’t go any further and collapsed on his belly, limbs akimbo, into the makeshift nest that housed the sleepy Paladins. 

“Best as we know, you kicked your cabinet. We found you just about catatonic in the bathroom. Got you to the infirmary, looks like you messed up your foot pretty badly and barely missed slicing through your Achilles tendon. You’re officially on bedrest and light activity for the next month.” Pidge peeked at him from her pillow. “Man, I knew you were clumsy, but that’s bad even for you,” she tried. The joke didn’t reach her eyes. 

Lance glanced between the four of them. “How…?” 

“Yellow told me.” Hunk shrugged. “Said you needed help.” 

Pidge leaned into Lance’s shoulder. “Green woke me up.”

Keith yawned. “Black and Red both yelled at me, then Hunk and Pidge tried barging into our apartment.” 

“Atlas woke me up in a panic and said one of my kittens was hurt. What?” Shiro asked defensively when all eyes zeroed in on his blushing face. “She’s only two, she doesn’t understand ‘pilots of sentient space lion robot ships made from magical interdimensional ore’ yet!”

“That’s, like, ridiculously cute, man,” Hunk said, not bothering to keep the snorts of laughter from his words. “They’re like, cousins or something, right? Atlas and the Lions? Alfor made the Lions, and Allura kinda made Atlas, well, Atlas, with the castleship crystal.” His brow creased with consideration. “Actually, I wonder if they recognize each other? Sentient ship to sentient ship and all?”  

Lance dragged in a gasping breath. Allura.

Pidge laid her hand on Lance’s shoulder and gave a brief squeeze. “Hey,” she said quietly, “hey. Come on, what’s wrong? What’s going on?” 

He shook his head against the tears that threatened him again. “I just,” he sniffed, rubbing his face into his pillow. “I just really miss her, y’ know?”

“Aw, buddy.” Hunk pulled Lance the short distance into his arms, and Pidge shouldered up against Lance’s other side to wrap around him like a koala. Lance could hear, then feel, the warmth of Keith at his head, and heard Shiro shuffling against the hodgepodge of bedding with a groan.

“She came to me in a dream, again; it was... well, you know, the end of reality and stuff, but it was different this time.” Lance shuddered, remembering the panic on Allura’s face when she was torn away from him. He rubbed his cheeks into the pillow, the cheap polyester rough against the still-tender skin of his scars. Lance hesitated, unsure, before adding in a quiet voice, “I think she was trying to tell me something, but I couldn’t hear her.”

Someone breathed a sotto, Oh damn,  and Lance only nodded. Oh damn, for real.

Keith shifted to pat Lance’s shoulder in an attempted measure of comfort. It was… really nice, actually. “Like what you said about Shiro, or…?” 

Lance shook his head. “I don’t know,” he admitted. He took a sharp breath in and wished it could dislodge the unease from his lungs. “Was probably just a dream.” 

“We’re here for you, Lance,” Pidge said with a yawn, “but I might be more ‘here’ if we slept in a bit longer. You know me and mornings.” 

A beep of a datapad sounded above Lance’s head, followed by muted taps of fingertips on the screen. “Nothing pressing until drills this afternoon,” Keith muttered, “and those will have to be rescheduled, anyway. Get some sleep, everyone; we’ll take the day and get Lance’s paperwork from the medbay later. We’ll need to rearrange some scheduled blocks, but we’ll get to that when we get to it.” 

Shiro chuckled. “Don’t you need to clear that through the proper channels?” 

Keith sighed, audibly aggravated. “Fine. ‘Dear Admiral Shirogane,’” he simpered, saccharine in his sarcasm. Lance looked up in time to see him miming writing in the air and couldn’t help the laugh that escaped him.

“‘Please allow the Voltron Paladins a day off due to medical emergency and/or injury,’” Keith continued, “‘even though we’re not technically under your jurisdiction, being that we only have a treaty of partnership with the new United Nations and their Galaxy Garrison, and I can technically do what I want with my own crew. Sincerely, Keith Kogane-Shirogane, Black Paladin of the Voltron Coalition, Earth Ambassador to New Daibazaal, and your fucking sleep-deprived husband.’ There, better?” 

“I think I could rubber-stamp that one through, yeah,” Shiro snorted. “Alright, kittens, back to bed.” 

“Finally,”  Pidge groaned. She play-slapped at Hunk as he laughed, jostling Lance in her efforts. Her breath rustled Lance’s hair at his nape, where she huffed her sleepy displeasure. “Big heart to heart in a couple of hours. Lance, didn’t they give you enough pain killers to knock you out?” 

“That’s actually a good question. Do you need anything?” Shiro asked. “They gave you something for the pain when we took you to the infirmary two hours ago and gave me a pain management plan, but they’ll still need to call in the actual prescription when the pharmacy opens again at 0800.”

Lance burrowed into Hunk’s shoulder, careful of the dull ache now registering in his foot. “I think so?” he said. “I think I just need to sleep.” 

“We could all use it,” Hunk agreed. “Let’s take a nap and come back to it in a bit, yeah?”

Pidge yawned in Lance’s ear. “Already… there…” 

Lance smiled wanly and almost jerked at the haphazard ruffling of his hair from above--Keith, maybe, more likely Shiro if his arm was on. He didn’t look up to check; it wasn’t important, anyway.  

He let himself be warmed, inside and out, falling asleep to the steady rhythm of their slow breaths. 

=======

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[midknightmasquerade]

Chapters: 1/1 Rating: General Fandom: Radiata Stories (PS2) Characters: Jack Russell & Flora Additional Tags: Male-Female Friendship, Platonic Relationships, Bonding, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Loss of Parent(s)

Summary: Jack's lingering in the Olacion Order post-sermon leads to a connection between two orphaned protégés that neither of them had expected.

He had never been much for prayer.

Yet she can't help but wonder, when he sits there smiling at her, all shining teeth and goofy grins - why stay after a sermon if not to talk to the gods?

"Is there something on your mind, Jack?" The question poses no threat. Her eyes, however, appraise his reaction with particular interest. An answer existed somewhere beneath the surface of that wide-eyed wonder. Of that, she was certain.

The dopey grin she receives in response, however, would have made anyone wonder whether anything of substance stood behind that absent stare. "Who, me? Nah, I'm just enjoying the afterparty."

Said afterparty, of course, consisted solely of Flora, still sweeping up after Eugene spilled something suspiciously similar to liquor next to the altar, and Alvin, delivering a passionate manifesto about the importance of preparedness to the empty pews. Jack listens in on the lecture with something akin to mock agreement, grin a bit too toothy to pass for plain. Truth be told, Alvin did make for an amusing sight. All that sweat simply from flailing his limbs. He might be the first martyr to die from self-inflicted dehydration should he keep his sermon going.

Turning his attention aside from Alvin, hoping to keep out of the spit zone, Jack rocks back and forth off the edge of the pew. His boots scuff the edges of the holy texts stowed beneath them. Master Kain might have keeled over if he noticed the new dirt stains on the Psalm of Enjela. Flora makes a mental note not to mention where Jack sat in service today. "Why d'ya ask?"

"Because most people don't decide to stay and watch us sweep after service."

Wide eyes etch his shock clear as day into his face. That cheekiness of his has seemed to rub off on her. Master Fernando likely would have laughed from his gut if he heard her give such a quip. A "firebrand", he'd call her, "the spitting image of her father, that's for sure".

Attempting to lighten her tone, despite the sudden tension she felt tighten her fingers, she continues, "if someone stays, they usually speak to the gods for guidance. The confessional booths should be bursting with requests from citizens right about now. It made me worry whether you were alright, or in need of assistance."

"Don't you worry about me! I'm just fine!" One fist beats against his chest. A "macho" gesture, she supposes, or one at least supposed to resemble an act of confidence. Was that supposed to reassure her? If anything, he seemed more a child for it. A boy pretending to be a man. "Besides, you know I'm not really into all that 'prayer' stuff. The gods haven't exactly had a conversation with me. I hear from you, and that's enough for me."

Despite his claim, the silence that followed strangles them. The tension seems all too thick to speak of anything but the imminent storm, a calm before the question:

"Say, Flora?"

She knew where this was headed. It was that same tone of voice Synelia used when she'd stared out at the stars too long, imagining her romantic getaway with a dreamy man. It was the same intonation that coated Cosmo's tone when he asked her what was wrong and she assured him everything was alright. It was the same prying hope her father had used when he asked if she would survive should something to happen, right before his death. She knew what was to come, and so stays silent.

"Your dad used to be a bigwig around here, right?"

And there it is.

Then again, it isn't exactly the way she expected it to be worded. Most others laced their questions with inauthentic care and a restrained sense of nosiness. Only Jack could make it sound so...casual. She almost laughs -- almost. "I don't think Master Kain would call him a 'bigwig'..." His phrasing might not have caused her to crack, but the mental image of her father sporting a giant wig -- and Master Kain's disbelieving sigh sure to soon follow -- certainly does. A giggle slips through the grief. "...but yes."

"Godhand Rivera, they called him. The man with the miracle hands." Her own hands, those that carried the blood of that talented man, grip the broom a bit tighter now. "Priestess Anastasia says I look just like him. Achilles, too. He swears I have that same -- how did he say it? -- light in me that my father had. They all say we are -- were -- the same."

She notices a shift in Jack then, an intensity that had not existed there before. Hunched forward in the pew now, he seems all the more intent on a conversation she assumed he had started only to fill the silence. She stiffens as his eyes bore into her, and so turns herself away from his sight lest she crumble beneath it. He seems to not-so-subtly study her every move thereafter, "hmm"-ing and "huh"-ing under his breath before drawing his conclusion:

"I dunno about that...I can't see it."

She never knew she could spin so swiftly on her heel. Words had all but failed her, lips flopping open and flapping shut just as soon. "You...what?" A surprisingly intelligent response, given her shock.

Jack had closed the distance between them in the blink of an eye, now practically shoving pursed lips and narrowed eyes into her face. Spotting similarities, perhaps? Or simply invading her personal space? Then again, Jack never seemed to care for one's "bubble", nor the health of their kicked kneecaps. "Mmm, well, the hair's kinda the same, I guess. And the uniform, too. Guess that kinda goes with the territory, though."

It clicks. "You...knew my father?" Seldom few friends her age had witnessed a time when all of Radiata knew of Rivera's skill and wisdom. Yet he, an outsider, knew his face?

"Well, yeah!" Jack nods, as if she should have known. "Adele used to drag me here to pray whenever my dad had to go away on a mission for the knights. It's kinda hard to miss the guy teaching you how to pray." Before he speaks again, a somberness infects his expression, one unusual for someone so normally sanguine. "But when mom got sick, he came to the house all the time. He tried everything he knew to try and heal her. Guess he owed Dad a favor, or something. He never figured out how to help her. Dad, either, come to think of it."

Compassion clutches at Flora's heart, tearing it asunder from her self-absorbed bubble. She is not the only one here who had lost someone dear to them -- and many were the ones whom Jack had counted as lost.

"I'm...so sorry." The words seem lacking, inadequate in light of his suffering. Still, they are all she has. "I never knew yours was the family he visited out in Solieu. He was always saying what wild children Sir Cairn had. At least, one of them was, anyways." Fixing her face with a smile, she adds, "some things never change, I see."

"Hey!" He feigns offense, hands planted atop of his hips. The twitch at the tip of his lips betrays his threatening posture.

"Am I wrong?"

The challenge causes Jack's bravado to dissipate, now painfully aware of how right she is. Then again, that came as no surprise to either of them - Flora's wisdom almost always won out over Jack's impulsive insistence. He shrugs, defeated.

Flora laughs - genuinely, this time - and dares to inquire. "...do you miss him?"

Jack's eyes lighten then, startled, before fading into a dim cloud of muddied brown. No doubt he had to consider such a lofty question, even if they both already knew the answer. "Well, yeah, I guess." That's what she had assumed all this time. After all, how could someone not? "But, to be honest, I don't really think about it much."

That, more than anything else Jack had ever said, causes Flora to stop dead in her tracks.

"It's not like I don't have family. Mom took care of me until the day she died, and Adele's more than enough to make up for the both of them with how bossy she is." The wistfulness that distanced the warmth from his tone eases then, instead replaced by sincere gratitude that spread to the smile on his lips. "And besides! Now I have all sorts of friends in Radiata. I've got the Captain, and Ridley -- even if she's too stubborn to admit it. Sarge and Daniel seem cool...well, okay, that's pushing it. But I still like 'em! Clive might be useless, but he keeps me company, and, well -- I've got you, too!"

The statement overflows with such genuine joy that Flora curses the flush that rises to kiss her cheeks. How can someone say something so...so cliché and make it sound so heartfelt!? Only Jack Russell.

"Still, it doesn't mean he's still here with you now. Other people can come alongside of you, but they can't replace who was once there." Flora's hand slips into the hem of her cloak, grasping the picture that lay within; the picture that Jack, not too long ago now, hand-delivered to her. He still helped strangers, even then. Now, he helps a friend. "It's still not the same."

"Maybe you're right..." Not at all an unusual phrase exchanged between the two of them.

"...but so what?" A completely unexpected, never-before-been-said statement.

"Dad might not be with me, but I can still make him proud. You know, a legacy, and all that! If I become the strongest person in Radiata, it won't matter whether I got kicked out of those stuffy old knights or not. Everyone will know Jack Russell, son of Cairn, was worthy of wielding the Arbitrator!"

From the sheath dangling at his side, Jack flourishes a sword, one Flora could not recall ever having seen before. Where had he found such a magnificent blade? Prisms of light reflect off of every inch of the metal, cascading down from the stained glass of the temple's ceiling. Hues of amethyst and emerald mingle with the sapphire set in its hilt.

In Jack's grasp, this "Arbitrator" seems strangely at home with a new host -- if even an unseasoned one, for now. With an admittedly-clumsy flourish, Jack extends the blade out towards her. "En garde!"

He...can't be serious, can he?

No, wait. This is Jack. Of course he's serious.

When Flora's reaction amounts to stunned silence and a disbelieving stare, Jack resorts to pouting and pleading. "Aww, come on! How can I be as good a knight as Dad if I don't have a sparring partner?"

Without missing another beat, Flora twirls her broom as if it were a spear, wielding it with all the awkwardness one would expect of a pacifistic priestess.

Within moments, their sparring starts. In seconds, it stops. The broom had been discarded, Flora disarmed in mere moments. Jack slumps against the floor, laughing too hard to stand upright. Flora attempted to pout, to protest that she wasn't prepared for this, but breaks into a fit of giggles as soon as Jack insists he now understands why her father taught her to be a healer, not a fighter.

As their laughter fades, and the two find themselves alone amidst an empty -- and now messy once more -- chapel, Jack clasps his hands upon her shoulders with surprising strength. Flora finds herself too startled to resist the touch, instead staring straight into the face of the world's most overconfident, underqualified, and inexplicably but undeniably hopeful hero-in-the-making.

"We can do it, Flora. We'll be even better than our parents!" The statements escalate to exclamations, declaring their coming glory with a conviction Alvin could never imagine matching. "Just think about it! With my sword skills and your, uh, spirit fingers - we'll be unstoppable!"

She wants to deny him. She wishes she could extinguish his hope, if only to quell the inevitable crushing of her own. But something about the firmness of his grasp, the passion of his speech, and the fire burning right behind those innocent eyes makes her believe in something more. It inspires her to hope.

With all the tenderness she can muster, she lifts one of his hands off her shoulder and sets it atop of her heart, laying her own palm atop of it.

"Let's make our parents proud, Jack."

[agent-7-at-your-service]

Future Plot: Project Titanomachy - Chapter 24

(( Camille, Lee, and depiction of Callie belong to @inklingleesquidly

Nebula belongs to @myzzy and @agenttwo

Agent Blueshift belongs to @myzzy

Depiction of Agent 2 belongs to @agenttwo

Cell, Rasbel, Mercury, and Vix (mentioned) belong to @teamuntyblue

Galaxa Gems belong to @splat-tendency and @eiden-squid

The Frosted Stars belong to @askvincent / @asktheseastars and @evora-flux

Willow belongs to @alpinesquid

Agent 7, Sandra, Circe, Justinian, Kitzeh, and Telemachus belong to me.))

The Arowana Mall mission that started 7:00 PM was finally complete along with the  mission in Kelp Dome. Argus Initiative have sent military personnel to contain the meteor fortresses in the two site.

Cell, Rasbel, Mercury, and Vix were sent back to Octo Valley with Kitzeh's protection. As for Camille she was sent back to Alexandria District to recover. Arowana Mall and the Kelp Dome are now restricted areas since battles that took place there last night left massive damages. As for Celeste, Arsenic, and Hephaestus, they were still working on widening the path from Mt. Olympus to Octo Valley.

Nebula, Justinian, and the equine pack were still in the Blackbelly Skatepark, and there was no word from them since midnight. Hera and Sea Angel Splatoon, who were also at the skatepark, also didn't report back and were still there.

Ebisu First Care, Alexandria District - Inkopolis - 12:00 Midnight

Agent 7 checked on Camille who was still recovering from her exhaustion. Soon his wife, Circe, and his adopted daughter, Sandra, approached Agent 7. He didn't expect them to visit. Sandra was there to check on Camille, but Circe was there to chat with Agent 7.

Circe took Agent 7 to a hallway in the hospital to chat.

"Circe what is this all about?" Agent 7 asked.

"Jason I am worried about you... you haven't been spending time with either me or Sandra," Circe stated.

Agent 7 knew he's been away from his family that he has raised, but his executive and authoritative jobs made him really busy. Thus, his hasn't been visiting his wife and daughter than expected; the only exception were during the holidays, day-offs and vacations. And now that Circe is mentioning this to him, Agent 7 felt some guilt coming from that reminder.

"I'm sorry, but I can't just leave during these times." Agent 7 holds her hands. "If I do, I'm deserting those defending this city."

"Jason..." Circe pouted a bit. "Please... I really miss you. Sandra misses you..." Circe looks down. "What if you died in the middle of battle?"

"I won't die, "Agent 7 assured, "But I have to continue this job--"

"Jason, this can't go on," Circe interrupted, "don't you love me?"

"...I do." Agent 7 gave a nod.

"And you would do anything for me, right?" Circe questioned.

"Yes," Agent 7 answered.

"Then at least spend more time with me...even in times like these," Circe begged.

"I wish I can, but this is really important, if I don't help--" Agent 7 was making excuses.

"Jason, just leave this to other!" Circe just wanted Agent 7 to be with her and their adopted daughter. "You can just be there during desperate times and  expect an opportunity."

"What opportunity?" Agent 7 asked.

"You know what I'm talking about! You're just helping people at this times to show you're still a hero in this city!" Circe shouted.

"That's not what I'm doing," Agent 7 argued.

"Oh cut the carp, Jason! All the things you did was for being hero that you were back then!" Circe tears up. "Look at what you've done so far, and look how much you succeeded! Isn't that enough?"

Agent 7 can remember most of those time he saved Inkopolis and parts of the world. And there has been some times he's gone overboard with some of his deeds. Even though his friends and allies left, Agent 7 tried to continue the generations of heroes and agents. It was only when Marie raised a family with Blueshift where his legacy started to tarnish from grief and despair. He didn't want to remember the Achilles's Heel that drastically affected him. In the end, so many people he knew or met were still there, and they pulled him out of the darkness.

Agent 7 stared at Circe who was about to cry. He soon held her close.

"You have to understand that I can't leave all this... but for your sake... I..... I will spend time with you and Sandra... as a family," Agent 7 promised.

"You will?" Circe looks into his eyes.

"Heck, I'll invite Pammy, her daughter Daisy, my mom, your son Narses, and my other children." Agent 7 wanted to make up for lost time.

"...At least we're together as a family." Circe smiled.

Agent 7 and Circe embrace and kiss.

Ebisu First Care, Alexandria District - Inkopolis - 10:00 AM

Telemachus, Willow, Kitzeh, Agent 0, Anteros, and Hermes were in the recovery room, waiting for Camille to wake up. Suzy was somewhere in Inkopolis, gathering more agents allies. Agent 7 was managing his alliance, the Argus Initiative, to stabilize their union and monitor foreign allies outside Inkopolis and Japan.

Camille quickly gained consciousness and got up. She is in a medical patient's down. Athena's spear and the other items from her inventory were placed on a nightstand. A nurse just came in to check on her, and it since Camille is now awake, the nurse quickly left to prepare her breakfast.

"Thank goodness, we thought Typhon's influence got to you." Hermes enters her room along with the others.

"And don't worry about your parents, they visited last night," Telemachus noted, "and Agent 7 assured you'll recover until morning. And they were really worried with Callie thinking you were out there alone, starving, and close to death."

"Figures..." Camille sighed. "We killed that giant, right?"

"We sure did," Agent 0 replied, "And Cell and Mercury told me to tell you that they're thankful of you saving them in Arowana Mall."

"Well, that's good news," Camille stretches, "Anything else?"

"The meteor fortresses in the Kelp Dome and Arowana Mall are contained," Anteros reported, "The places need some repair, but at least your friend can cover the damages."

Camille then noticed Nebula and Justinian weren't around.

"Where's Nebby and Justinian?" Camille asked.

"They haven't come back from Blackbelly Skatepark since midnight. They're probably still there, and so are the splatoons they're trying to rescue," Telemachus replied, "But Blueshift and Agent 2 offered to take their agents to the site to see what happened to them. And they only manage to find Sea Angel Splatoon being the only ones there. Hera reported that Justinian's Splatoon was waiting for Nebula and their splatoon leader, Justinian, to return."

Camille wanted to help Agent 2 and Agent Blueshift and she quickly got up, sitting on one side of the bed. She reaches her hand out towards Athena's spear. The weapon turns into electricity and later materializes on her hand.

Hermes walks over and makes her put down the spear on the bed.

"You should rest," Hermes cautioned, "You've used up a lot of energy as Athena's champion--"

"Doesn't matter," Camille picks the spear back up, "I need to help Uncle Blue and Agent 2." She then looked at everyone else. "I can't stop now."

"So we're doing this?" Antero asked.

"What?" Camille raised an eyebrow.

"Are we going to help rescue your friends in Blackbelly Skatepark?" Anteros rephrased.

"Well shell yes!" Camille gets out of bed and does a few stretches,  shaping up for her next mission.

An hour later, Camille would only be taking Telemachus, Willow, and Kitzeh to Blackbelly Skatepark. Agent 0 and Suzy decided to check on all the factions part of the Argus Initiative while Anteros and Hermes returned to Mt. Olympus in Greece to check on Celeste, Arsenic, and Hephaestus.

Blackbelly Skatepark (Quarantined), Inkopolis - 11:00 AM

Agent Blueshift, Agent 2 and their band of Agents can be seen stationed at a perimeter established by Sea Angel Splatoon minus Justinian. These agents with Blueshift and Agent 2 aren't associated with the Alexandria District or with Agent 7's military branches; They're trained to form as independent splatoons.

The Agents with Blueshift and Agent 2 were preparing patrols to help quarantine the skatepark. Agents and Militia from Agent 7's branches were also there, camping near the perimeter with fortifications and battlements.

Hera is seen, talking with a worried Agent 2 who had her mask taken off. Blueshift had his arms crossed as he listened to Hera.

When Camille arrived early in Olympian form, she quickly reverted back to normal form, wearing her Agent Alpha uniform. She ended up falling from the sky; she turned into a squid and lands like any squid.

Hera turned to look at Camille. "Used up too much of Athena's powers?"

Camille returns to inkling form and gets up, dusting herself. "That's what Hermes told me."

"You should be more careful," Hera cautioned, "All powers have their limits."

"Then I'll just rely on this. "Camille takes out the Hero Splatling. "So how happened to Nebby?" She didn't care about Justinian.

Hera closed her eyes and shook her head. "Agent Omega and Justinian got captured along with the Frosted Stars and Galaxa Gems." As a telepath, she can tell most of what has happened. "The horses that were part of a stampede dissolved and were routed out of the skatepark."

Camille didn't want to hear that. Her own cousin being in danger is something Camille will not allow. Theodora and Marcus of Sea Angel Splatoon nod in agreement.

"They weren't responding our communicators last night," Marcus explained, "and this was when we heard a conflict ensue."

Telemachus and Willow arrived later in their conversation. This is because Telemachus took the Sandpiper to get there, offering Willow a ride. Camille could use some allies, but she thinks she can handle this alone with Blueshift and Agent 2.

"Uncle Blue, Tia Marie." Camille already knows Agent 2's identity. "We should get in there right now!"

Blueshift shook his head. "Camille..... I mean Agent Alpha, I know you're determined to go in and save your cousin, but think before you act."

"Oh come on! There's no time to think when you own daughter is danger!" Camille never argued before with her relatives.

"But look at the numbers," Blueshift reasoned, "look at those horrid beasts that have my daughter and Justinian. If we go in there alone without our allies, then you're asking for casualties."

"Then bring them along!" Camille wanted to go now.

"Camille!" Blueshift didn't want to argue, and cooperation with her is lacking.

"Camille, listen to your uncle with respect, I never seen you two argue like this." Agent 2 then looked at Blueshift. "Dear, we can't waste time here arguing." She puts on her mask and prepares her Hero Charger. She calls in all available Agents in the area. "All agents waiting for reassignment, rally to our location."

Soon Blueshift's trained agents, the one that are available to participate in the rescue mission, rally to Agent 2's and Agent Blueshift's location. Camille carried Agent 1's hero roller and Athena's spear in her Mermaid's Purse. Telemachus walks up to Camille as Madoka.

"Cammy-san, Mrs. Noh told me to give you this." Telemachus's Madoka personality hands Camille a wonder ring. "Just in case you want to try out the overdrive mode."

"Overdrive mode?" Camille takes the ring and puts it on. She thought these several modes and forms are too much. "Don't you think I have enough modes to try out?"

"What makes you think that, girl~ You look -- like -- fabulous~!" Telemachus's sassy personality pops out of nowhere.

".....Sorry, it's been a while, but I have to do this again." Camille hits Telemachus's head.

Agent 2 covers her mouth in surprise.

Telemachus was now under his Homura personality. "...Oww... Uhm... thanks. " He looked away. "...Let's go save your friends."

"Yeah, we should." Camille switches her Hero Splatling with Agent 1's Hero Roller. "I'll just stick with the usual ink-weapons. I don't know what's going on with the spear."

"It's probably needs to recharge, like a battery," Willow assumed.

"I wonder why the spear won't function properly right now?" Blueshift folds his arms, and he then shakes his head. "Alright! Agents! Proceed with caution!"

"Commencing Operation Theseus!" Agent 2 declared.

Blueshift's Splatoon advances into the quarantined area surrounding the skatepark. Camille and Willow follow behind them while Telemachus gets into Olympian Form and puts on Hades's helmet, turning invisible and going ahead of them.

As they made their way into the quarantine zone and towards the skatepark, they've managed to detect the horrid packs that are oozing the pitch-black violet ink. Blueshift, Agent 2, and their Splatoons would sneak past them. If it was impossible to get around them, Camille offered to take them out swiftly with Willow and Blueshift as support. And this was done without one of the horrid being wailing or howling for help.

When they reached the turf war stage, they stopped at one of the spawn points. There was pitch-black violet ink claiming the turfs, waiting to be taken away by other colors of ink.

"We're in the park, but no sign of Nebby," Camille observed.

"Hmmm..." Blueshift gestured the Agents that follows him and Agent 2 to secure the area and place unique ink mines.

Telemachus reappear next to Camille and Willow, taking off Hades's helmet. Camille and Willow were both startled.

"Stop doing that!" Camille reacted.

"Sorry, Miss Squidly." Telemachus puts the helmet away. "So I scouted for you guys. The horde here is split up, hoping to expand their turfs outside the skatepark. Thank Sea Angel Splatoon for containing the area . And if you're looking for Nebula, Justinian, The Frosted Stars, and the Galaxa Gems, they're on the other spawn points."

"Good, they're still here." Camille would just need to get to them.

"But.... there's a catch," Telemachus warned, "you know that part in most alien horror films where the captives end up placed in processors?"

".....No... You can't be serious.....," Camille denied before grabbing him, "I can't allow that!"

"I'm sorry, Camille, but that's what I saw." Telemachus looked at Willow who changed into her Olympian Form. "She's a champion of Asclepius, right?"

"What's your point?" Camille doesn't know what the god Asclepius does.

"Asclepius is a god of medicine, healing, rejuvenation, and physicians," Telemachus explained, "I'm thinking that since Willow is his Champion, she can help return them to normal if Nebula, Justinian, and the Splatoons trapped her end up dying."

"Telemachus has a point." Willow know what Telemachus is planning. "It might not be too late to save them from the processors."

"Good, then follow me!" Camille quickly runs off, using Agent 1's roller to make her own ink path for Telemachus and Willow to follow. She knew the terrain well thanks to playing turf wars with her cousin.

Blueshift and Agent 2 decided to leave the remaining splatoons the brought in reclaiming Blackbelly Skatepark. They followed Camille as well.

Camille already reached the central tower with a fair view of the other spawn point. Telemachus, Willow, Blueshift and Agent 2 caught up with her.

"See, Camille?" Telemachus folded his arms and folding his arms. "They're...right over.....there......You seem him as well, right?"

".....Chaodis....." Camille can tell it the him from his black feathers and cock-eyed smile. She didn't want to be around him or even approach him. He betrayed her.

What Telemachus said was true about Nebula, Justinian, the Frosted Stars, and the Galaxa Gems: they were trapped in webbings of pink and purple lattice, paralyzed and lifeless. Chaodis was there, juggling 16 slices of Eris's Golden apple.

Camille closes her eyes and looks away. Telemachus places a hand on her shoulder.

"Camille...No... Agent Alpha, don't avoid him," Telemachus warned, "Ignoring someone forever is worse than confronting him. Otherwise, you'll regret it."

"Neo-Agent 3 has a point, dear," Blueshift agreed, "Just face him."

Camille hated that she's being told to do this. She took a deep breath.

"Alright." Camille then jumped off the central tower and approached the other spawn point where her friends are being processed.

Chaodis stands in her way with the Key to the Underworld that her stole from Telemachus. His smile has never changed.

"Champion of Athena and Zeus," Chaodis addressed.

Camille said nothing and intimidated him with a glare.

".....What's wrong cat got your tongue?" Chaodis asked. "Or are you still bitter about all the things I did before and after your exile?"

Again, Camille didn't respond.

Blueshift, Agent 2, Willow, and Telemachus snuck around Camille and Chaodis. They went ahead to free the lifeless bodies of Nebula, Justinian, the Frosted Stars, and the Galaxa Gems. Blueshift decided to make a change in plans, using his headset to notify Camille.

"Camille, change of plans, one we free Nebula and your friends, we'll have to fall back," Blueshift notified, "Agent 7 dispatched Agent M and Agent C to our location with his Agents."

Camille sighed and gave a smile to Chaodis. "Nah, no hard feelings, Chao-Chao."

"Wait... you don't mind it???" Chaodis not seemed confused.

"We're boyfriend and girlfriend, aren't we." Camille was giving a fake smile.

She noticed Blueshift, Agent 2, Willow, and Telemachus carrying Nebula, Justinian, the Frosted Stars, and the Galaxa Gems out.

Chaodis has hesitant to let his guard down, but he had to follow Cronus's orders: Kill Camille. But at the moment he points the Key to the Underworld straight at Camille, he lowers it.

"And I guess Chao-Chao is a nickname for me?" Chaodis flirted.

"Oh stop it." Camille giggled, but in her head she hated that, especially if she's doing it towards a traitor. "Can't we stop this whole war?" She steps closer.

Chaodis didn't know what she's doings. "The war can't be stopped..."

"You do have the Omphalos Stone right?" Camille pouted with false innocence. "Do it not just for this world--" She embraces him. "Do it for me."

Chaodis was to shocked to attempt to murder her on the spot. Camille was staring at Willow and Telemachus were still there. They were shocked to see Camille do that. Camille made a look that told them to leave now. Telemachus nods and he holds Willow's hand before putting Hades's Helmet on to escape invisible.

Camille then sighed let's go to Chaodis, pulls the Key away from him and delivers a few capoeira kicks to the head, chest, and groin.

"Now we're even, Chao-Chao! You patoot!" Camille was running off.

Chaodis collapses, curling up in pain.

Camille, Blueshift, Agent 2, Telemachus, and Willow leave the Skatepark with their Splatoons following. Operation Theseus was complete. Nebula, Justinian, the Frosted Star, and the Galaxa Gems were then being rejuvenated by Willow, turning their decaying  grey ink back to their original colors before they're all rushed to Alexandria District to Recover.

Agent M and Agent C already arrived to help Sea Angel Splatoon exterminate the Typhonian Horde still roaming the area around Blackbelly Skatepark.

One day left until the final battle.