"I've got to do-" Petra coughed, covering her mouth, "everything I can to make this right."
Ivor shifted uncomfortably.
"Petra, I know... this might be hard to hear," Olivia said softly, kneeling next to Petra, "but... you're too sick to do anything."
"I'm not THAT sick," Petra argued.
A hand rested on her shoulder, and she turned to see Gabriel tug his hand back and stare at it, bemused that frost was covering it, before he looked up at Petra. "I... I don't know you. I feel like I should. There's a bit of warmth, if I think about it. But... I still can't... I still don't know. But... I might not remember anything... but I do know that you can't keep going. These people... they care about you." Gabriel's brow creased. "I think I care about you."
Petra stared at the warrior, who looked back at her. "And if you keep going, we will all lose someone we care about."
"Petra, if you keep going... well, you might not be ABLE to keep going," Axel said, looking down at the floor.
"No!" Petra insisted, "I'm not a quitter!"
"We're not saying you are."
"I want to be there for you!"
Jesse put her arms around Petra, ignoring the frost as best as she could. "Petra... if you keep pushing yourself, you're not going to be there for us."
Petra looked at Jesse, her eyes lacking the energy they used to have, before she slumped a bit. "Maybe you're right."
"Besides, you should probably stay behind with Ellegaard," Soren picked up, "she can make sure you stay at least relatively warm, and you can check on her ankle. It's a win-win."
Petra gave Soren a piercing look, one that made him start fidgeting, before she looked at Jesse to see if she wanted to tell her to come with them.
"You need the most rest out of us. And if you keep pushing yourself... you're not going to get it," Jesse said, gently.
Petra lowered her eyes to the floor, frowning. "If you say so..." and then she raised her eyes. "But you'd better kick the Witherstorm in the eye for me."
Jesse laughed, covering her mouth with one hand as her face lit up a bit from giggling. Everyone else tittered gently, before Gabriel tilted his head at Jesse. "Jesse... tell me, who is this person?" He pointed at Magnus, "he keeps insulting me."
Magnus laughed and sheepishly rubbed the back of his head while Ellegaard rolled her eyes.
"One moment, I feel as if I'm talking to a friend... the next I'm being made fun of."
Ivor rolled his eyes a bit. "That's Magnus for you," he sighed. Soren sighed and put a hand over his eyes. "You're telling me."
"This is Magnus!" Jesse said, waving her arms at him, "King of Boom Town."
"Didn't you defeat him and become Queen of Boom Town?" Ellegaard asked. So Axel must've told Olivia, who then told Ellegaard.
"I was Queen for like, twenty seconds," Jesse responded, before waving her hands. "A-anyway, that's- that's not my point! He's your friend. He's been your friend for a very long time."
"Really?" Gabriel blinked at Jesse.
"Really."
Magnus shook his head. "It's not working."
"Well, tell him something about your past," Jesse suggested, "something only you or the others would know."
"What about the time you set his bed on fire?" Ivor suddenly suggested.
Ellegaard arched her eyebrow at the potionologist. "Which one?"
"That was an accident!" Magnus complained.
"You did have a penchant for setting his bed on fire, though," Soren pointed out, crossing his arms. "He must've gone through... what, twenty? Twenty six?"
"I only set fire to six!"
"Yes, that makes it SO much better," sighed Olivia, rubbing her temples.
"Ah, yes, I remember now. You blew up about fifteen and the other five were donated as test subjects to the Bureau of Amalgamology as things to test out their attacks on," Ivor said, raising a finger into the air.
"Oh yeah, I remember that," Olivia nodded. "That would explain why the five beds were more like pieces of charcoal than actual beds."
"Now I wonder how many of those were accidents," Petra joked weakly, making them all chuckle a bit. Gabriel blinked, before shaking his head.
"I'm sorry... but I can't remember."
Petra smiled at him weakly. "It's okay. You'll get your memory back sooner or later. We were all pretty close."
Jesse nodded agreeably, before looking over and making her way to the blonde ocelot hybrid, who was looking through a chest, leaving the others behind to converse quietly. Lukas looked up at her as she looked at him with worried green and red eyes. "What are you doing?"
"I told you, I'm going after my friends. I thought the other Ocelots were dead... but if they're not, I have to go find them."
"Lukas, you- you can't up and leave," Jesse protested, " you're a part of our team now!"
"Thanks, Jesse... but you saying that just reminds me that I left my team." Lukas turned to the spider hybrid, their faces inches from the other's.
"Look, Jesse, you and me... we've made a really good team. We were good friends back then, and I'd go so far as to call us friends now. So... I know you'd understand why I have to go help my OLD friends. Just like you'd go back for any of them."
"Lukas, we were friends ten years ago. We ARE old friends. And I'm asking you, as a friend-" Jesse felt her throat catch, "please stay. We need you, Lukas."
Lukas paused, looking at her uncertainly. "With three of those things... we need all the help we can get. The best way to help them, is to make sure the Witherstorm dies, and stays dead this time around."
Lukas watched her for a long moment, before sighing. "Okay. I'll stay. I just... I hope they'll be alright."
"I promise I will do everything I can to help you find them after this whole mess is over," Jesse said, crossing her heart and covering her eye. Lukas nodded, a small, grateful smile crossing his face. "... thanks, Jesse."
Jesse wrapped her arms around her friend, burying her head in his shoulder. "No problem."
A/N: Implied Lukesse fluff :3 And we have OFFICIALLY hit TWO HUNDRED REVIEWS.
I just... wow. Thanks, guys.
RapidSammiBackup: Eh, I'll try (shrugs) I'll do it when I have the opportunity. And thanks!
x.X. A.L. X.x
