There was a loud splash and a lusus jumped out of the water onto the roof. Roxy didn't even have time to scream, she fell back onto her butt, staring up at the looming seahorse. It neighed at her, but then floated backwards, sitting on the edge of the roof.
"What?" Roxy asked, staring at it and wondering why it wasn't trying to kill her. Then there was a second splash and Eridan jumped gracefully next to the lusus.
"What are you doin down there?" Eridan asked, looking at her. "Well come on, get up, we need to go now." He put his hand on the harness around the lusus's snout and everything was suddenly obvious.
"That's your lusus!" Roxy said, pointing at the seahorse.
"Of course!" Eridan replied, looking at her. "He's raised me since I was just a wriggler, and now he's gonna give use a ride to the ship. We're going to have to go under water so no drones see us."
Roxy let her face fall. "Hey fish boy, in case you forgot I can't breath underwater!"
Eridan looked thoughtful. "Oh yeah." He walked up to her suddenly and gave her a kiss on the lips. Roxy recoiled in surprise, rubbing her mouth.
"What the shell are you doing?" She shouted.
"Oh don't flatter yourself land dweller." Eridan crossed his arms defiantly. "Kiss of a fish troll gives you the ability to breath underwater. It only works for a little bit, so we beta get go'in."
Roxy flushed, but nodded. She felt something strange in her throat, like it was getting harder to breath. Eridan gave her a leg up and then sat down behind her. He tugged on the reigns, and seahorse dad jumped back into the ocean.
Roxy held her breath right before they hit the water out of habit, but she quickly realized that Eridan had been telling the truth. She opened her mouth and found that the oxygen in the water was flowing through her system, and leaving through slits that had opened up in her sides. Roxy wondered if Eridan had his gills in the same place.
The water was a pleasant temperature, and didn't feel as wet as Roxy knew it should. The lusus carried them around at a fast pace, and the water rushing through her short blonde hair was a pleasant sensation. If not for their destination and the situation at hand, Roxy would be having fun.
They swam along for almost an hour before Roxy realized something was wrong. She opened her mouth, not knowing what to expect. A few bubbles escaped her lips as she tried to talk, but it seemed like Eridan could understand her just fine.
"Glub glub. Glub?" (I thought you said we were close. How much longer?)
Eridan frowned at her. "We're about halfway there, but it's only been what, A few minutes?"
Roxy felt scared all of a sudden. "Glub! Glub glub?!" (It's been an hour! Who taught you human time?!)
"Fef." Eridan replied.
Roxy put her forehead against the lusus's hard skin. Eridan had told her they'd be gone for only a few hours, but he got his times wrong. Roxy felt tears well up in her eyes. It was going to take them much longer than she originally thought. If Dirk and Dave woke up and found her missing, they'd be furious out of their minds, as well as upset. She put her hands to her temple in fright. This was all her fault.
They continued on without talking for another hour and a half before the lusus slowed down to a stop. Roxy knew without Eridan saying that they were there. They were under the condescension's ship. She looked up and could see it's shape, dark against the pale moonlight trickling underwater. Eridan wrapped his arm around Roxy and pulled her from his lusus's back.
"Dad's gonna give us a lift. Hold on tight." Eridan bubbled. Roxy nodded, and wrapped her arms around his waist.
Eridan swam up a little bit, and suddenly the seahorse swung it's tail around violently. Eridan used the force to jump up, and they broke the surface going faster than Roxy thought possible. She saw the ship as soon as they broke the surface, several hundred feet up in the air. She was suddenly glad the lusus gave them a lift.
The troll boy grabbed a hold of a platform once they were high enough, using the rest of his momentum to swing them over the railing and onto the ship. He overshot it though, and Roxy clattered out of his grip onto the unforgiving surface of the ship. A loose piece of metal cut her arm, and she had to keep herself from shouting out. It did however make her realize that she was breathing normally again.
Eridan crawled over to her, his gun in his hands. Roxy had no idea where he got it from, but decided not to ask. She checked her holsters and was glad to find her rifle and handgun were still on her. They weren't even wet, which surprised her. Eridan's spell must have done more than what he said. "The kiss wore off as soon as we broke the surface." He explained with a whisper, sitting next to her. "Don't get your guns wet." He added with a smirk.
"What now?" Roxy asked him in a whisper. They were on small platform on the side of the ship. In front of them was a door and nothing else. The whole ship was a candy red, and Roxy only hoped the inside wasn't the same. The drones were all the same red colour, so if the inside was red, they would see her coming and she wouldn't be able to see them.
"Fef is waiting for my signal to start the fight. I'll go up top, then join you, but you have to go on ahead without me." Eridan said, looking her in the eyes. Roxy gulped. "You'll be fine. Go in, stay quiet, and follow the path until you're at the center of the ship. Can't miss it." He gave her a reassuring smile, and a kiss on the forehead that had nothing to do with breathing underwater.
He stood up and took a small step back, then he launched himself upward, onto the top of the ship. Roxy waved him goodbye and pushed open the red door.
The inside of the ship was not as red as the outside was. In fact, it wasn't red at all. The inside was a dark and menacing grey colour, like a storm cloud waiting to strike. There was the occasional hiss of machinery, and a steam cloud, but otherwise the hall was empty and silent. Roxy held her gun at the ready and started down the hall at a run.
She jumped at every little noise, but not once was Roxy confronted. No drones, no trolls or lusus. She started to worry she was going the wrong way when she heard an explosion from high above her. Roxy ducked in fright, but kept running forward. She heard a shout from somewhere in front of her, and stopped short of turning the corner.
Roxy peeked around the corner and jerked her head back. There was two drones, and a two headed lusus in the room in front of her. It's ceiling was high above them, and bits of metal were raining down from the thunderous crashes above them. On either side of the room was a door with metal bars. The door closest to Roxy had a pair of hands wrapped around the bars.
"What's going on?" A woman was shouting. Roxy gripped her rifle, this was the room.
She had no time to waste. Get rid of the lusus first. She told herself, slowly leaning around the corner with her gun. She took aim at the first head and pulled the trigger. The bullet flew past the lusus and blew up the second drone. Roxy gasped and the first drone turned her way.
Before she could react the lusus slammed it's great fist into the drone, smashing it to bits. Then it looked up to where Roxy was hiding around the corner. It's red and blue eyes flashed, and she suddenly felt herself being tugged forward.
Thank you. The words weren't said out loud, but Roxy knew the monster was talking to her. It set her down gently in front of the cage and turned to walk away. She stared after it. The monster was on her side? Roxy shrugged. Something good had just happened to her, and she wasn't going to let it go to waste.
"Who's there? What's going on out there!" The old woman shouted again, making Roxy look up.
"Hold on! I'm going to save you!" Roxy shouted. She looked around the room for any thing to open the door with. Suddenly the locked flashed red and blue and clicked open. The door swung out slowly.
The woman who had been holding onto the bars stepped out first. She had white hair and round glasses, and was staring at Roxy with disbelief.
"You're a human, you can't be." She whispered. Then she stepped forward so that the next woman could get out. Roxy didn't recognize her a first, when it suddenly clicked. Long black hair, bright green eyes. It was Jade.
Jade gaped at her as well. "You're-" She started, before the third woman pushed her out of the way.
Rose looked worse than Roxy remembered. She was thinner than ever, her blonde hair was stringy and frayed. Her black dress was ripped, but her pink eyes were bright and full of love. Roxy's eyes filled with tears. "Mom!" She sobbed, throwing herself into her mother's arms.
Jade and the old woman were silent as Rose picked her daughter up and rocked her back and forth. "My brave little flower." Rose whispered.
"This is touching and all, but I want to get out of here." The old woman snapped.
"Sorry Harley." Rose wiped away the tears that were in her own eyes.
Harley's expression softened. "Oh, don't listen to an old woman's drabbles." Then she saw the rifle in Roxy's hand. "Let me use that, I'll clear us a path." She said, holding her hands out expectantly.
Roxy raised an eyebrow and looked at her mom. Rose nodded at her quickly, so Roxy handed it over. The old woman gave a malicious cackle and ran down the hall. Rose then dashed across the room to the other cell door. She tugged at it and found that the two headed monster had unlocked both doors at the same time. Roxy followed her mom into the next cell. Near the back wall was a pale man in a white suit. He was trying to stand up, but his legs were weak and he wobbled lightly. Rose took one arm and together they limped out of the room.
Roxy stared at him. He might have been good looking, but the years of imprisonment were hard on him. Same as Jade ad Rose.
"Roxy, this is Bill. Bill, Roxy." Rose said quickly.
"Hi." Roxy said blankly.
"Wow, so this is your daughter huh?" Bill smiled at her. "It's nice to finally meet you little lady."
"We need to go now." Jade interrupted in a tiny voice. As if to affirm her, there was another explosion from above, and then a second one from down the hall. Exactly where Harley had run off to. Roxy pulled out her hand gun.
"I'll lead, but she's right, we need to go now. I have a friend waiting." Roxy said, praying Eridan was still coming to help her.
Rose nodded, but with how hurt Bill was the going was slow. To pass the time Rose explained a few things. That Harley was Jade's grandma. How Jade had lost her little brother, Jake, in their first year of imprisonment. Bill had lost his daughter, Jane, as well. Rose was the last to be brought in, but she never gave up hope that Roxy would survive.
Roxy asked about the two headed monster. Jade quickly explained that the lusus were like parents to the trolls, and each one had their own troll to look after. The two headed monster, well his son was also a prisoner of the condescension, and she was holding him over the monster, blackmailing him into following her orders. The monster spoke to the humans, getting to know them, and protecting them from any further harm. He didn't want to see anymore kids hurt.
As they rounded the corner they found Harley holding her gun up, shooting down the last of a team of drones. In front her the two headed monster was laying down in the center of the floor, yellow blood gushing from several wounds.
"What happened?" Jade gasped.
"He protected me from the drones." Harley said sadly.
Roxy walked up to the lusus, who was wheezing with effort. "Thank you." She said. It smiled at her, then stopped twitching. Roxy, covered her mouth to hold back a sob. Was the killing never going to end?