Chapter Text
Jarilo-VI was as cold as Ratio expected.
He had always wanted to visit, wanting to learn more about the planet that had disappeared for many years. It almost surprised him when it appeared back in the IPC’s navigation, with a new Supreme Guardian reaching out to connect it to the rest of the universe.
Why she agreed to allow the IPC to help, he had no clue. As much as he trusted the IPC, when there is ‘help’, there will be money involved, and the IPC was heartless in regards to it.
That was why he could never touch the IPC funds he received to use for his personal projects. In fact, with the help of Screwllum, he used the salaries he earned from Veritas Prime University, and payment he earned from his appearances at lectures and talks at Paperfold University, for his and Aventurine's wedding.
Keeping it ‘IPC-free’ was a conscious choice for both of them.
“Brr, what a chilling planet,”
Ratio had to retract a snort escaping his lips as he turned to his little sister, cloak around her with a hood and her shades placed on her face. He patted her shoulder.
“No surprise. The Eternal Freeze may be over, but the planet still needs time to recover,”
“Yeah, I can feel that,” Silver Wolf shuddered. “How could Vulpine survive this icy place?”
“You know how he is,” Ratio chuckled. “He would survive sleeping in the forest for days after an argument with either us or our parents,”
“Yeah, I remember that,” Silver Wolf crossed her arms. “We had to drag him by the foot to get him back to the house,” She snorted, but her smile faltered for a while. “I hope we can drag him out of this… this mess…”
Ratio's eyes softened. He wrapped an arm around her, pulling her close to him. “I hope so too…”
They made their way through the snow, and Ratio winced at the frozen creatures in the ice around them. He tugged on his hood and pulled his sister close to him instinctively, glancing around for danger. Silver Wolf didn't object, only leaning closer to keep herself warm with his body. The boots they wore in place of their shoes were heavy, but they managed to push themselves through.
Silver Wolf stopped in her tracks. “Wait… do you hear that?”
“Yes.” Ratio glanced around, gripping his book tightly in his other arm while squeezing Silver Wolf’s shoulder. “Get ready to have us teleported from danger,”
Silver Wolf nodded and readied a stance, moving to stand behind him. The siblings looked around, focusing on the sound of footsteps coming closer. Ratio’s grip on his book tightened, and he felt his heart race, clogging his throat.
Whatever it was, it couldn't get his sister. He refused to let anything take her away from him again.
There was a step on a twig. Ratio snapped his head to the direction. “Whoever is out there, show yourself at once!”
A yelp responded to his shout. Silver Wolf peered from behind, and they watched as two figures appeared from the snow. They appear to be young women, nearly the same height as Silver Wolf. They appeared into the light, and the siblings took notice of the winter-appropriate clothing each of them bad.
Natives.
They gave each other a glance, and Silver Wolf allowed herself to vanish into her holographic form, disappearing from the snow. Ratio let out a sigh and turned to find the one with a puffy hat moving it slightly to reveal blue eyes and blonde hair underneath. Beside her was a girl with midnight indigo hair, glasses on her face over her bright blue eyes as she stood beside the other. The first girl took a step forward.
“Um, hi,” she greeted. “Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you,” She bowed her head. “My name is Lynx, Lynx Landau. And this is my best friend Pela,” She introduced.
Ratio cleared his throat. “I see. Deepest apologies, I thought you were both… some kind of threat,” He lowered his book slightly. “It is… my first time here in Jarilo-VI, you see,”
“First time?” Pela stepped forward, adjusting her glasses. “Are you an Outsider, sir?”
“Indeed, I am,” Ratio nodded. “I am Dr. Ratio of the Intelligentsia Guild,”
“Intelligentsia Guild… oh! I've read about them!” Pela’s eyes widened. “You work with the IPC!” She then swallowed, body tensing. “Oh no… are you here to report about the force field? Because even we have no idea how it got around our planet! Even ask the Supreme Guardian!”
Force field?
Ratio’s eyebrows furrowed and glanced up. His eyes grew wide as he turned around. Above the blue sky was an orange force field that seemed to have swallowed up the planet in its hold, and he watched as anything that got too close to it was immediately thrown back with twice as much power.
“ I didn't know there was a shield…” He could hear Silver Wolf hiss. Despite the cloaking, she was still beside him, tugging his shirt. “And… I feel like Vulpine had something to do with this…”
Ratio couldn't help but agree. Their sudden reunion, the sudden shield… it had their big brother’s name written all over it, and he couldn't hide the feeling of fear that twinge with curiosity.
How powerful had he gotten since their forced separation?
“It's alright, Pela,” Lynx’s voice snapped the siblings back towards the women as the blonde gently held her hands. “Its okay, I'm sure that if Dr. Ratio is here for it… maybe the IPC sent him as help,”
Ratio had to hold back a snort. The IPC sending free help to aid a planet like Jarilo-VI?
Highly unlikely.
“R-Right, apologies,” Pela coughed and bowed her head. “Pelageya Sergeyevna, Intelligence Officer of the Silvermane Guards. Though I am off-duty, Dr. Ratio, I will personally escort you to Qlipoth Fort to meet with the Supreme Guardian,”
…Well, how could he refuse?
Despite the urgency, everything needed to look professional in case the IPC came and wondered why he was there, so he simply nodded, arms crossed over his chest.
“Lead the way, Miss Pelageya,”
Pela gave a nod and turned to Lynx. “Can you message Captain Gepard that the IPC is here to have an audience with Lady Bronya, Lynxy?”
“Will do, Pela,” Lynx took out her phone.
Pela stepped forward and led Ratio through the Snow Plains. Silver Wolf followed nearby, feet as quiet as a mouse, so as to not alert the officer. The walk stretched for miles, and Ratio hummed before stopping a while. His halt was quiet, and he knelt a little with a small lean forward. Silver Wolf didn't realize he stopped until she found herself tumbling on his back.
“H-Huh?? Veritas–”
“It's a long walk,” Ratio got back on his feet, lifting his sister up. “I'll carry you,”
“I'm fine following,” Silver Wolf argued, voice lowered as she warily watched Pela move ahead of them.
“I know, but it's safer if I carry you, so you don't need to be so cautious about being caught while walking,” Despite the camouflage, Ratio still patted her head as he wrapped her limbs around his body.
“Okay, okay… fine!” Silver Wolf sighed. “We'll lose her if we don't hurry!”
Ratio snorted and straightened up slightly before running off. He managed to catch up to Pela, who didn't seem to realize he had stopped earlier as they continued to venture through the snow. Silver Wolf hummed and glanced up at the force field surrounding the planet. She subconsciously tugged on the locket around her neck before she lowered her head, eyes shutting.
Vulpine… please be alright…
They soon made it to the city. By then, Silver Wolf had fallen asleep, so Ratio didn't bother to wake her. Instead, he followed Pela without a word of complaint, looking around the area. It felt warmer in the city than the plains, and he took note of the heaters placed around the streets, impressed by how they managed to keep the citizens alive and warm through the years of the Eternal Freeze.
“I'm guessing that the heaters help the stability of the city’s warmth, Miss Pelageya?”
“Yes,” Pela nodded. “They were first created many years ago, and they’re powered by Geomarrow. It’s a type of ore that keeps the civilians of Belobog warm against the cold of the Eternal Freeze by its usage in the heaters. While the Eternal Freeze no longer traps us, the cold still beckons us to use the heaters. Geomarrow grows in the Underworld and is a resource that everything here runs on. It can be mined in the Underworld and is sent to the surface via the Furnace Core,”
“Fascinating,” Ratio caught every word, writing down the information word for word in his notes. Knowledge is power, after all, and he knew well how to multitask, so might as well find his big brother and learn about the planet his brother has been residing in.
“But of course, the Geomarrow we share with the Underworld isn't an infinite resource, so we take extra care of the heaters to make sure that the Overworld isn't demanding too much,” Pela went on. “Especially since… most of the Underworld and the Overworld are still not in good terms,”
“Of course,” Ratio hummed. “I am assuming that their history and its complication is better explained by the Supreme Guardian?”
“Yes, she can fill you in with any further information you need, Dr. Ratio,” Pela confirmed.
“Good to know.”
Ratio set his notes back in his coat. He looked around to find the children playing about, and he recognized some had different clothing compared to others. Some had tidy dresses, shirts and pants made of the finest materials with hair brushed and face washed while a few others had messy, unkempt hair with clothes that were either too big for them or they were made by cloth that looked too itchy to wear.
The difference between the Overworld and the Underworld.
It didn't surprise him that it was easy to distinguish the conditions of both parts of Jarilo-VI just by their appearances alone, but his heart ached at how the children of the Underworld simply played around as if nothing had happened. As if the adults played no part in their sufferings, and all they could do is reunite and play.
Children… so young… so innocent…
Ratio remembered just how simple things were back when they were children. He remembered how much he wanted to be so many things at once, things that his parents were most likely terrified of since, well, there so many careers he wanted to reach out for, and they didn’t have the most stable life for it. They almost didn’t have the money to send them all to school.
Almost.
“Are you sure you want to do this, Vulpine?”
He remembered overhearing the conversation. It was late at night, and he was seven years old while Viktoria was three, slumbering in her room. He found their parents with their fourteen year old brother in the dining room kitchen, sitting by the counter.
“Of course I do,” Vulpine nodded. “Dad was just fired, and we need to have enough money for Veri and Vik,”
“But what about your schooling, honey?” Their mother asked, worry laced in her voice. “If you drop out, you’ll never reached your dream,”
Drop out?
He was confused, only hearing the term from previous classmates who left their school due to personal reasons. Was Vulpine dropping out? Why? The ache in his stomach tightened, and he peered more into the other room to see Vulpine wince slightly.
“I know… but it’s just a dream. I can get a new one,” He waved off the worry. “Besides, Veri and Vik are way smarter than me. If anything, they deserve to stay in school and reach their dreams,”
…what?
“You don’t have to…” Their father’s voice pleaded with guilt, hand gently grabbing Vulpine’s own hand. “I’ll get a new job as soon as I can,”
“But until then, I can do it,” Vulpine assured. “Besides, a friend of mine already has contacts for jobs easy enough for me to do. He’s already planning to apply, and I think I should take the chance,”
“Vulpine…” Their mother hissed. “I’ll go and get us a job,”
“But, Mom, Veri and Vik need you to help and take care of them,” Vulpine shook his head and pulled her into a hug. “I’ll drop school and get a job for our sake, okay? I… I’ll be fine,”
He felt his heart tighten in his chest at the way his big brother’s voice broke. He turned away and ran back to his room, the guilt weighing heavily in his mind…
The tightened grip on her woke Silver Wolf up from her nap. She looked over to see her brother walking slower than normal, and she patted his back. “Veri?”
A flinch was his response. Ratio wiped the tears pricking his eyes before straightening slightly. “Apologies, did I wake you?”
“Are you okay?”
“...I’m alright,” Ratio cleared his throat and picked up the pace.
Silver Wolf frowned, a part of her wanted to throw herself down just to confront her brother, but she wasn’t given the chance as they came to a stop. Pela cleared her throat and crossed her arms at the guards in front of the fort.
“Is Supreme Guardian Bronya inside?”
“Yes, Officer Pela, and with her is Miss Seele of Wildfire,” One guard replied. “Captain Gepard, however, has not returned,”
“Of course he hasn’t…” Pela let out a sigh. “Please message him to come urgently. He’s the only one to witness the creation of the force field, so his word on this matter is important.”
The captain was the only one to witness the force field being created?
Ratio’s lips thinned. If the conclusion he was drawing was accurate, and he prayed to the Aeons above them that it wasn’t, for his sanity’s sake, if their brother had anything to do with the shield, and the captain was the one to witness the creation…
“He threw himself to the front lines.” Silver Wolf’s grip on his shirt tightened, finishing his thoughts through her own words. “That… argh, of course he’d do that.”
Ratio felt her slip from his hold, but he allowed her to return to her feet, dusting off the snow from her head quietly. She stayed close to him, and Ratio could only stay quiet as Pela and the guard exchanged a few more words before turning back to face him.
“Please, follow me, Dr. Ratio,”
The guards parted from their position, and Pela led the siblings forward. Silver Wolf stayed quiet, but the grip on his shirt told a different story on how loud her mind was, possibly cursing at their brother and his recklessness.
He just couldn't change, could he?
Ratio loved their brother to bits, but a part of him wished he would be selfish for once and learn to take care of himself more than making sure others were out of harm’s way.
They soon made it inside Qlipoth Fort. The place was almost empty, the scholars and officers retreating out of the place as soon as they saw him. Ratio took no offense at their cautious stares and unsure glares, knowing full well how much the IPC had forced themselves onto Jarilo-VI just to collect taxes, both towards the Overworlders and the Underworlders.
Silver Wolf was a different story, tempted to hiss at the looks the Belobogians were giving her brother, but she forced herself to stay quiet and crossed her arms, only returning the glares as she walked behind the group.. They soon made it close to the front, and she made her way to the side, blending in so neither woman could find her as they turned around from the window.
Pela took a step forward. “Lady Bronya, Miss Seele, this is Dr. Ratio of the Intelligentsia Guild,” She introduced. “Dr. Ratio, this is Lady Bronya Rand, the current Supreme Guardian of Belobog, and Miss Seele, a member of Wildfire,”
Ratio took note of the black and purple-haired woman, recalling Topaz’s mention of Wildfire and the mention of the IPC workers about a feisty woman who fought them in the Underworld and deemed them as a threat. Honestly, with the reason as to why they came, he couldn’t blame her for assuming. He would praise her for her protectiveness, though the reckless actions reminded him too much of his siblings.
“Dr. Ratio, an honor to have you here,” Bronya stepped forward with a small bow, hand on her chest. “Though… also quite a surprise. We had… yet to contact the IPC about this issue,”
“Rest assured, I had only come to study Jarilo-VI when this issue came up,” Ratio spoke. A half-lie, but one that was valid enough to have Seele’s glare lighten slightly. “But when I was told of a communication problem from many IPC members, they doubled up that mission to figure out why Jarilo-VI seems to be cut off once more,”
“I understand,” Bronya sighed. “Right now, only one of us had the chance to witness the shield’s creation, and that is Captain Gepard Landau. He has… yet to return from his rest after a battle in the front lines, so please excuse the tardiness,”
“Of… course,” Ratio nodded. “Just as long as I don’t have to wait for an hour or two,” He crossed his arms, an excuse to clench his fist without anyone looking. The longer he felt this conversation stretched, the longer it was to see their big brother, and if he was running out of patience, he knew his sister was too.
Bronya gave a smile and took out her phone, most likely to message the captain. Seele warily stared at him, and he had turned his gaze to where he remembered Silver Wolf walked towards, a small gaze unnoticed by the other women. Silver Wolf scoffed and leaned against the wall, keeping herself from fidgeting and tapping her foot.
Just… be patient.
Be… patient.
Gepard stared at the messages on the screen, lips pursed before turning his gaze to the unconscious man on the hospital bed. He had yet to move, even with his mask discarded on the table nearby while his hair seemed to only grow whiter as the hours passed. Either that, or the light was giving it an amazing color change.
Reaching out to hold his hand, the captain almost winced at the cold. Sampo didn’t look pale, far from it actually, but his skin felt chilling, even through the gloved hand. It was concerning, and it didn’t help remove the churning in his stomach that seemed to weigh down his legs.
“Captain,”
He turned to the doctor, who approached her with his sister behind him. He turned away, allowing Serval to sigh and sit beside him. “Hey… you know that this isn’t your fault, Geppie,”
“...it is,” Gepard hissed. “I… I should have been faster. Stronger, even. I could have…” His voice trailed before he shook his head and turned to the bed. “He… He shouldn’t have had to do this…”
“Sampo’s always been stubborn, almost as stubborn as you,” Serval chuckled. “He wouldn’t just let himself go down without a fight,”
“Still. I’m the captain. The one’s supposed to be the one protecting Belobog… protecting him… ” Gepard’s breath hitched. Sampo’s a Belobogian citizen, one who had lived with them for years… and he failed to protect him.
He failed .
Aeons, he failed.
He could still hear Sampo’s words to him before he launched himself to the front lines, weapon swinging towards the creatures. The genuine tone of his voice…
And the kiss…
He touched his lips, remembering the feeling of the other’s warmth against his lips. Said lips began to tremble, the memory fresh in his mind.
“Sampo!?” The kiss had distracted him quite successfully, and he didn’t notice the shield wrapping around him in a protective motion, leaving the other outside, doomed by the monsters approaching them. No matter how hard he punched the shield, it didn’t shatter at his force. “What are you doing!?”
“Protecting you,” Gepard could see how the other’s gaze on him softened, and he felt his chest ache, an expression Sampo couldn’t see as he turned away. “And all of Belobog.”
“You… You can't!” His heart hammered in his chest, ringing in his ears as he raised his fists once more to try to escape. “I… I'm Belobog’s shield! That's my duty! Not yours!” He felt his fists growing tired and aching at the pain of the ice, but his desperation was winning, and all he could feel was the numbness of his limbs. The tears were pricking his eyes, and he could feel them blurring his vision. “Koski… Sampo… please!”
Sampo let out a chuckle, one that Gepard had heard time and time again, but while it usually was filled with mischief, he heard nothing but amusement and pained laughter. He looked back at him, a hand gently placed on the ice, and his eyes held nothing but the same feeling he shared in their kiss, a light smile on his face.
“And I will be your shield; to make sure you live another day.”
…and it hurts .
The one time, the one and only time Sampo chose to drop the façade and be honest with him… and he chose to be the one to sacrifice himself.
He swore that if Sampo wakes up, he was going to give him the biggest slap in the face, he swore to Qlipoth.
…
He shook his head and crossed his arms.
When.
It’s ‘when he wakes up’ because he will wake up.
He will wake up.
He WILL.
A ping came from his phone, and Serval looked over at the message. She frowned and turned to her brother. “Geppie, it looks like Bronya needs you,”
“But… Sampo hasn’t woken up yet.” Gepard tried to reason. “I… I can’t just–”
“He’ll be safe here,” Natasha sighed. She peered over the other woman’s shoulder, eyes narrowing at the messages. “And it looks like the IPC found out about the force field. If Sampo needs you for anything, it would be explaining what he did,”
“Especially if the IPC sees it as a threat.” Serval’s lips thinned. “He could get in real trouble.”
Gepard tensed. He hated to admit it, but they were right. He was useless wallowing in guilt beside the unconscious man, especially if the IPC set their eyes on Belobog again because of the force field.
They would take him in for questioning.
He didn’t know the IPC well, the experiences with what had happened months ago wasn't exactly a judgement he'd trust, but he had heard from Luka, who had gotten it from natives of the Luofu, that their reputation isn’t quite… as glamorous as advertised. He would agree, given the fact that their droids attacked them just as they were settling in easily after the Eternal Freeze was subdued.
Would they imprison Sampo?
Hurt him?
…Kill him?
The thoughts made his blood boil. He stood up quickly and kept his phone. “Alright… I’ll deal with this. Please call me when he wakes up, Doctor Natasha,”
“Of course,” Natasha nodded.
“I’ll stay with her to make sure he’s okay. He was my friend too,” Serval waved her brother to the door. “Go! Use the Space Anchors that the Trailblazers left behind. Don’t keep that stuffy IPC waiting,”
Gepard took a breath but gave a nod. He exited the clinic and ran to the closest anchor. The feeling of teleportation ran through him, as it did when he teleported him and Sampo to the clinic as fast as he could. The chill ran through his spine, but he kept his gaze straight just as he appeared in front of Qlipoth Fort. He marched forward, the guards bowing without a word as he walked through the entrance. He walked through the hallways of the fort until he arrived at the Supreme Guardian’s office, fist on his chest as he halted.
“Lady Bronya,”
“Captain Gepard,” Bronya smiled at his presence, the man in front of her turning to look at him. “I’m glad you’ve made it,” She stepped forward. “This is Dr. Ratio of the Intelligentsia Guild, here to discuss about the force field and its creation. Dr. Ratio, this is Captain Gepard Landau, the Captain of the Silvermane Guards and the only witness to the creation of the forcefield,”
“I see,” The man, Dr. Ratio, gave a slow nod, eyeing him with an expression that Gepard couldn’t understand. “Then please, Captain, make haste with your explanation,” He held out a book with a pen. “We don’t have all day, and we’ve already waited for you for such a long time,”
“Of… Of course, my apologies, Dr. Ratio,” Gepard bowed his head.
How impatient.
Though… What exactly did he expect from someone who worked with the IPC? He had never met a patient IPC officer, it was only luck and praying to Qlipoth (and of course, the Astral Express crew) that the tax collector Topaz was able to be held off until they got the money.
“We were in the front lines, and we were battling… these strange, dangerous creatures,” He recalled. “Further research indicated that they were… creatures of the Antimatter Legion?” He turned to Pela, who nodded in confirmation. He almost missed the way the doctor’s breath hitched as he listened. “Yeah, Creatures of the Antimatter Legion came and attack me and my men. And…” He swallowed, forcing himself to finish the tale. “And one of our citizens, Sampo Koski… he jumped into battle with… with his weapons,”
Don’t tell them what you saw.
Who knows what the IPC would do when they find out the amount of power Sampo seems to be wielding?
“He jumped in and started fighting with us,” Gepard parted his gaze from the ground, glancing straight to Ratio’s eyes to keep himself from stammering. “The Antimatter Legion were outnumbering us, so I called for a retreat but he only pushed forward,” His hands began to shake, so he crossed them. “My men got to safety, but I stayed to try to get him back to the city. He… He placed me in my own shield before going forward to face the legion. When I was able to get out, I found him hovering above the legion, and then he…”
His voice trailed off, hesitance present in his tone. Should he really tell him? He didn’t know what the IPC representative was going to say or do once he was done.
He wasn’t going to let him get Sampo, that’s for sure.
He was making sure of it.
“He… what?” Ratio’s voice sounded impatient, and yet, it seemed to quiver in concern and fear.
Concern? Fear?
Was it because Sampo could be a threat?
Gepard looked past him, glancing at the three women. Pela looked away, unsure on how to answer or whether to complete the answer. Seele had her teeth clenched, but she said nothing. She might act like she hates him, but he had seen them interact, almost like siblings.
And she wasn’t going to let the IPC get him either.
“Captain…” Bronya’s voice was soft, hesitant even as she held Seele’s hand. “Please… continue,”
Gepard swallowed the lump he felt forming in his throat. He gave a nod and looked back up at the doctor. “He was glowing in bright red and silver. His weapons… they glowed amber, and when he… when he was swinging his blades around, there was a blast of power towards the legion, and from that… the force field appeared,” He closed his eyes for a moment before opening them. “And then… then he fell from the sky and hit his head hard on the snow, so he isn’t—”
Something fell to the floor, and their heads swiveled to the glass beaker that fell from the table by the window. Gepard immediately held onto the guitar case, eyes darting around while Seele held out her scythe towards the window. Bronya’s grip on her hand tightened, another hand landing by her gun to prepare while Pela moved to stand in front of Ratio.
“What was that?” Seele hissed. “Who goes there!?”
Only Ratio didn’t turn to the window. Instead, he took a shaky breath and turned to face Gepard. “Captain, I request an audience with this Sampo Koski.”
Gepard snapped his head towards him. His eyebrows furrowed, eyeing at how the doctor didn’t even flinch at the danger. Was it someone he knew? Was it a hidden IPC spy?
Ratio only stared, expecting an immediate answer. Gepard sighed and straightened up, gripping his guitar case tighter. “He's… He's in a coma, right now, Dr. Ratio–”
“I asked to see him then. I want to have a face of the person I need to report,” Ratio interrupted, dismissing his words. “After all, the IPC needs to be aware of the power that this… Sampo Koski has,”
“You–!”
Seele was ready to pounce, her eyes screaming murder, but Bronya managed to hold her back with Pela’s help. The Supreme Guardian pulled her aside, turning to Gepard with a conflicted look. Gepard's breath hitched, and the grip he had on his weapon tightened, teeth clenching through his words.
“We… We need to discuss this for a moment, Dr. Ratio.”
“…very well. I'll give you fifteen minutes.”
With that, Ratio saw himself out, heading out the door without another word. With the doctor out of the room, Bronya finally released her girlfriend, who let out a shriek loud enough to echo through the hallways.
“That ENTITLED , LITTLE–! ARGH!” Seele stomped the ground, unable to break anything nearby that she could replace. At least she still had the decency.
“I know,” Bronya sighed and patted her back.
“We can't let them get Sampo!” Seele shook her head, gritting her teeth. “Sure, he can be an asshole and can be pretty annoying, but he's still one of us, right?? He's still part of Wildfire and Belobog! He… We don't know why he made that damn force field but if he did it to protect us from those legion monster thingies then we have to do the same with him!”
“I agree.” Gepard walked forward as his grip on his guitar case loosened slightly. “Sampo risked his very life just to keep those creatures out. We can't just let the IPC take him away because of the power he has.”
“I agree,” Bronya nodded. “I've already followed up with a contact with the Astral Express about the force field. Hopefully they'd be able to help sort this out, but in case they don't…” Her lips pursed. “We have to be ready for another battlefield,”
“But what about the doctor now?” Pela questioned.
“We can't let him see Sampo! He's in a coma, for Aeon’s sake!” Seele scowled.
“It's your call, Captain,” Bronya locked eyes with the blonde.
“M-Me??” Gepard was taken back. “Wh-Why me, Lady Bronya?”
“You've placed yourself responsible for Sampo’s well-being ever since he got into a coma,” Bronya replied. She raised her hand before the other could argue. “Serval already told me how you acted for days, not even letting him out of your sight. She even messaged me how you didn’t even want to come just so you can stay by his side. I understand why, don't worry,”
Gepard clamped his mouth shut, turning away slightly. He wasn't sure if she actually knew the reason or if it was his duty as his reason, but either way, he knew she was right. He set his hands together, rubbing one of his wrists as his mind raced with thoughts.
“I… I’ll take him to Sampo,”
“What!?” Seele’s eyes widened.
“But I’ll be there, to subdue Dr. Ratio if he ever tries to take him away,” Gepard added, lips thin. “It’s safer for all of us. We don’t want the IPC to take him, but we also can’t risk having the IPC suspicious.”
Seele groaned but kept her mouth shut. She knew he was right, but it was clear that she didn’t like the idea. Bronya wrapped an arm around her before turning back to the captain.
“The Silvermane Guards will be ready in case Dr. Ratio tries anything,”
“Thank you, Lady Bronya,” Gepard gave a nod. “We’ll take the tram to the Underworld so I can keep an eye on him,”
“Good idea,” Bronya smiled. “Good luck, captain,”
Gepard bowed before turning to head out. His hands quivered by his side as he walked through the hallways. His hands landed on the door, and he paused for a moment, taking a deep breath.
He can do this.
It’ll be fine.
It’ll be okay .
Another deep breath, and he opened the door.