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When Neo had decided to investigate the kettle that had opened after they defeated Mr. Grizz, they thought it would be a fun adventure. They had hopped in with Little Buddy trailing behind them, fully prepared to take on whatever might have been laying ahead.
What they didn’t expect was to thoroughly get their ass kicked. With their wallet now empty by well over 1,000 power eggs, their only relief was the Alternan sun on their back. Their entire body ached as they clawed their way out of the kettle. They laid next to it for what felt like years, Little Buddy anxiously poking their cheek. Exhaustion would be an understatement.
They were finally brought out of their self-wallowing when they felt someone grab their shoulder, shaking lightly. Looking up revealed none other than Captain Three– their usually emotionless face tinged with worry. They sighed in relief seeing that the octoling was still alive.
“You okay?” Three signed. Their hands were shakier than usual.
“N-not really...” Neo managed to prop themself up on their elbows, their entire body screaming at them to lay back down.
Three nodded, moving to pick them up. Of course, this caught them off guard. It’s not like they were in any state to be complaining though; if Three hadn’t noticed them, they probably would’ve been laying there for a while.
It didn’t take long for them to be set down back at camp. They ended up propped against one of the large crates as Three quickly began looking for the first-aid kit. They soon found it, pulling out a variety of medical supplies. Gauze wrap, band-aids, ointment; you name it, they had it. They started with the easy stuff, like putting band-aids on the smaller scratches. Once they got to the bigger ones, they started using hydrogen peroxide to disinfect before bandaging the wounds up. Neo, of course, did not like how much it stung. They winced each time it was doused over a cut or a scrape, eventually resorting to just looking away. Tracing the hexagonal pattern in the sky with their eyes became somewhat therapeutic.
Eventually, though, Three pulled away. Neo was practically covered in bandages by the time they were done.
“....I’m sorry for making you worry like that.” They spoke up.
Three was silent for a moment, before signing out, “It’s nothing, really. I was like you once– all carefree and reckless.” They paused, as if trying to recall something. “Being an agent hardens you. You’ve gotta be careful out there, yeah? We care about you. A lot.”
Neo stared at them, breath caught in their throat. The octoling had spent their entire life alone, just waiting for the moment they could finally do something cool. And they had– they saved the world from extinction, became a hero. Why did it feel so wrong to be cared for?
Instead of dwelling on the thought, they looked back at Three and smiled.
“Thank you, I’ll try my best.”
Three smiled back.