Chương 36: Ch. 33 - Submerged

We raced back into the safety of the mana bubble, except for Jeromy. Ilonar was told that a giant explosion would be the signal to drop the mana shield and let us back in. It was an explosion alright. Hernando's integrity was zero. Any shot now was potentially lethal. He flew away, to the safety of the squad of goblinoids fighters to cover his retreat. It was Jeromy who fired at the fleeing Hernando. Each shot ripped the armor plating apart. Then it stopped moving and crashed into the water.

[Quest Progress] The Participant that initiated the invasion quest has been incapacitated. However, the Goblinoid invasion continues until a certain condition is met or one side is annihilated. I yanked at him as we escaped back into the relative safety of the mana shield. I didn't say anything for a long time. We all sat in silence in the hangar.

"He had it coming," said Jeromy, his voice dark.

"He killed his teammates. He almost killed me. He had it coming." Jeromy repeated it over and over, "he had it coming." Like he was trying to convince himself. Like he needed to believe it. The Frames docked. A notification that repairs were halted during an assault popped onto my HUD. I swiped it away. The cockpit opened in a hiss and I waited for Jeromy to exit his. Luna stood next to me, her eyes heavy with a thousand yard stare. We were patient. The explosions against the shields became background noise.

"Caddie," I said.

"Yes, squad leader, Stefano Reyes," said Caddie.

"Don't. Not right now."

"How might I be of assistance, then."

"Is it a new wave of goblinoids or the same ones that turned around?"

"Probability gives it a seventy percent chance its a second wave."

"Then," I turned to Luna.

"Let's chill in the Frames. In case goblinoid rain is in the forecast."

"I've known Jeromy for five minutes," said Luna.

"And I'm getting that he's better at jokes than you are." She didn't say another word and zipped up to the cockpit, closing it. We waited in silence until the shelling ceased. Until the screams outside silenced. Until we saw an Elvian forward team check the hangar. Jeromy exited his Frame this time. His usual smile and energy replaced with something dark and foreign.

"Are you alright?" I asked. I put a hand on his shoulder that be brushed off.

"Living the dream," he said, not meeting my eye.

"Its not your fault," I said.

"No? Then whose is it? I just killed a man. A father, in cold blood. He was retreating and I couldn't help but shoot him. The anger that filled my heart in that moment was all I could see. The pain in my stomach from the betrayal. He might not have been the one to stab me. But he was just as responsible. So, if its not my fault, whose is it?"

"Its mine too," said Luna. Her voice sheepish and barely above a whisper.

"I'm the one who zero'd his integrity. I'm as culpable as you."

"Its not your fault," said Jeromy.

"You were following the plan. I killed him."

"Then its my fault too, Jeromy," I said.

"It was my plan." He rubbed his head, shaking the hair in his fingers.

"Ah, we should've left. I should've left at least. Reported him."

"And then what?" I asked.

"It would've been your word versus his. Then there's Quinton and Felicia doing Lord knows what."

"Yeah, but maybe then, at least the black suits would've investigated it!"

"You and I both know that wouldn't have happened. How would they have investigated it? We are all we have in here." His frustration had him pacing, looking for any other answer. I didn't say anything as he ran down a list of possibilities that wouldn't have worked. He was mostly talking to himself, looking up occasionally to see that we were still there. That we were present. That we cared.

"So that's it. That is how justice works here?" asked Jeromy, his voice sullen.

"I'm sorry, Jeromy," I said.

"But you're not alone. I'm here." He forced a smile.

"But you're ugly." I pushed him back and forced a smile with him.

"One foot in front of the other," I said. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

"Don't use younger me's words against me!" He straightened up before bending over again, holding the wound on his abdomen.

"Ouch."

"And how are you Luna?" Her thousand yard stare was gone, replaced with a silent conversation with Caddie.

"What's going on?"

"I'm teaching Caddie something," she said.

"He's distracting me and it worked so I'm being a good senpai."

"I'm not going to ask," I said, turning back to Jeromy.

"Like I said, you're not alone. If you want, you can be part of this rag-tag squad."

"Why not?" Jeromy shrugged.

"Makes it official. I'm sorry that everyone will think I'm team leader."

"Yeah," I said, rolling my eyes.

"I see it now. All those meetings you'll have to attend."

"There's meetings? On second thought, I'll lay low and leave the burdens of leadership to a someone righteous and half as good looking." We weren't okay. Not even remotely. But we didn't have the luxury to dwell on anything that wasn't progress. There would be time for that. At home. One of the Elvians that was waiting at the hangar paced over to us. His eyes were weary from battle.

"The Magistrate is on her way. We've repelled the second wave but she wanted to see you before you took off," he said. There was an uncanny resemblance to Strentor.

"I figured," I said.

"She probably wants to know what's next." Jeromy sat on the ground, rubbing his hands together before retreating into himself. Luna was acting normal, but I knew she wasn't. This was still her first day. Heck, it was my third. This had to be the single worst bit of luck to ever befall a new squad. My mind went to Phil and how he was before becoming an adviser. I wondered if this was normal. All of this. If it got worse before it got better? He was tired. He was a top tier Delver and even he was tired.

Ilonar made an appearance. She walked straight to me and gave a slight bow.

"I am glad you aren't one with the Nexus," she said.

"Is it done?"

"Yeah," I said.

"Hernando is taken care of."

"And as for the goblinoid horde?"

"That's the next part of the plan. We need to head back to the second floor."

"That would be a dangerous journey right now. I'm not sure how much longer we can hold out."

"Its more we need to get our hands on Sulfur first."

"Sulfur?" She looked behind her like it was obvious.

"There is more than plenty now."

"What? How?"

"The goblinoids use it in their weapons. You are free to take as much as you wish."

"Caddie," I said.

"Yee-Haw, partner." said Caddie, fleeing from Luna. I gave the flattest look my face could produce and directed it at Luna. He quickly returned.

"It is still not possible for me to loot corpses outside of a mech. An augmentation is required for that." I sighed.

"Then, my people can gather as much as possible and I can sell it you," said Ilonar.

"That's the best news I've heard today," I said.

"Thank you."

"But, it is only a short window of time that we have available." She sent a runner, who had every available hand get to work. We helped too. Anything to distract us. Ilonar had everyone convene at the entrance of her shop. Everyone threw stuff over her counter and into the inventory space of the shop. It was an opening on the floor. Like a secret compartment that allowed her to store as much as her shop was allowed. Everyone who wasn't gathering as much sulfur as possible was helping tend to their wounded and dead.

Everyone was grabbing everything the goblinoids had on them. The guns, ammo, everything. It was shoved into the storage space.

"Alright, one second," said Ilonar, swiping at the screen.

"I'm glad one of my skills is useful right now."

"Which one?" asked Luna, her face piqued in curiosity.

"I can break down materials and reform them into chunks. It was from when I was a Participant." She kept swiping at the screen before turning it towards me.

"There." [Block of Sulfur] [Super Compressed Sulfur rendered inert for storage and transport] [Shop Quantity: 6] [Cost: 0 Credits]"You're going to have to explain that to us, one day," I said. I clicked on the item and sent it straight to my inventory.

"How you know about your past." She gave a wry smile.

"Perhaps when you return." We loaded back into our Frames.

"Do you want to come with us, or go home?" I asked Jeromy. We had two ways to get back. We could submerge the mechs and leave Jeromy, appearing right at Lakaris. Or travel all the way to the second floor and then traverse further so that Jeromy could join us in descending down the viscous water.

"Or stay here." Caddie was one step ahead of me, adding Jeromy to the squad. His name was just under Luna's in the HUD. His description popped onto my screen. [lvl 15]["WhatTheF"][Gatherer][E Rank] [Attachments] [lvl 4 Ballistic Rotary Cannon][lvl 3 Grappling Hook] [lvl 2 PickAxe][lvl 2 Speed Burst][lvl 2 Visual Sensors] [lvl1 Barrage][lvl 1 Shell] [Armor Plating: White]"From everything you told me, its probably faster if I stay," he said.

"I can also keep an eye out for you guys from here when you return. You know, saying it aloud makes it very clearly the better plan."

"Alright," I said.

"Thanks."

"Don't worry about it. Being alone with your thoughts after getting blood on your hands is obviously the healthy way to deal with trauma. Right next to doing it again." Although he was joking, there was a darkness to the way he said it, buried underneath. Anyone who didn't know him as well as Stefano wouldn't have caught it.

"Are you sure you're okay?" asked Stefano.

"No, Stefo. But its the job I chose. So hurry back. I get bored easily." I clicked on the release for the dock and jumped down. Luna jumped right behind as we made a bit of distance from Et'ium.

"Stefano," said Caddie.

"May I be candid for a moment."

"Sure," I said. I was sealing my helmet and double checking the air gauge on my arm.

"When you stood up for me. I never got the chance to thank you."

"Why are you bringing this up now?" It hopefully worked the way I wanted it to.

"I was always going to stand up for you. You're a part of my team."

"Yes. Your team." I turned off the thrusters and sank to underneath the waterline. It didn't take long for us to be completely submerged. I clicked on the gem and…nothing happened. I did it again and still, nothing.

"Luna," I said.

"Yeah, I think we have to be submerged, not the mechs," she said. Crap. We left the waterline and went back into the dock. Jeromy was quick with a response.

"What took you guys so long? Its been twenty years!"

"Shut up," I said, rolling my eyes.

"It didn't work the way I wanted. So, we need your help. You still have the rope?"

"Yeah," he said.

"Oh. Dangerous."

"That's why you're staying," I said.

"Luna. You don't have to come." She didn't respond immediately.

"If you're sure. I have so many questions I need to ask Ilonar."

"Alright." We docked and I jumped out of the Aegis. Jeromy got to the edge of the dock, shot the rope towards the waves and returned to his dock, giving slack as the hooks brought him back in. The rope itself was like climbing a building pillar. But it was awkward going down. Getting back up would, hopefully, be less funny looking. My arms and legs were as wide as possible as I climbed down. I let go as soon as I was about five feet from the ground, splashing with a belly flop.

Caddie was on my ear, letting me know how funny that would've been. My chest stung from the pain.

"10 points," said Caddie. I brushed his comment aside, diving further down. The cold emptiness below reminded me of space. Of home. The silence was everywhere but it was needed. I closed my eyes and clicked the gem that hung around my neck.