Joel and Neville had kept Leo and Calypso occupied, claiming they were explaining but not actually answering any of their questions. Leo began creating miniature automatons, letting them free to wreak havoc on the Keepers' shoes. Some even managed to sneak inside. Neville kicked at one trying to tie his shoelaces together, three more clambering up the back of his leg.

"Awww!" Joel gushed. "They're so cute! Ow, ow, it's biting me, it's biting me!" He squealed, flapping his hand around in a desperate bid to fling the automaton off. "It's not cute anymore, get off get off get off!"

"Give us answers and I'll call them back!"

"We're doing our best!" Neville plucked one from the back of Joel's shirt, throwing it as far as he could. "Boss said-"

"What is going on here?"

"Oh no!" Neville squeaked. He hurriedly stood to attention, but Leo's inventions were crawling over his arms and front now. Boss towered over them, annoyance blazing behind his eyes. "Sorry, Boss, we were trying to- ack, no!" Little automatons had clasped onto the bands of his glasses. He grasped them in panic, more banding together to around his ankles, linking their tiny arms to trip him over. He yelped, crashing into Joel. They fell in a heap, a tangle of limbs, headbutting each other by accident.

"Darling, this is best done outside of our employer's presence!"

"Not now, Joel!" Neville reprimanded, pink-faced and struggling. The automatons were re-enacting Gulliver's Travels, tying the two boys down. Leo dropped another one, that eagerly joined its brethren of menaces. Boss's head snapped round, rage colouring his cheeks. Leo met him glare for glare, already piecing together another.

"Stop. It." Boss growled.

"No."

"You're doing yourself no favours, boy."

"Neither are you. Where's Lou?"

"Recall the robots." Boss took a step forward, head and shoulders taller than Leo, twice as wide.

"No." The doors burst open, Keepers swarming out in disarray. Tiny automatons clung to their clothes, their hair, their shoes, wiggling over their faces, up their sleeves.

"Recall. The robots." Leo dropped the new one, setting his shoulders as he had seen Louisa do thousands of times.

"You're a bit on the small side to be intimidating us, sir. Try being a fire-breathing giant or Mother Earth or demigod-hungry Cyclopes that can mimic your friends' voices or-"

"Lou?" Calypso gasped.

"Yeah, or Lou! Wait, what?" Leo stared at her. Calypso laughed in relief, pushing past Boss. She barged her way through the Keepers, not a single automaton targeted her, sobbing with joy. Louisa smiled at her, waiting on the top step, leaning on Lucy-Jo. She was pale and unsteady, but gathered the strength to stand upright in time for Calypso to crash into her.

"Ow, ow."

"I'm not sorry!" Calypso cried, hugging her fiercely. "Don't you ever do anything like that again!" She sniffed. Her eyes fell on Lucy-Jo, blurry through her tears. "What did you say to her?"

"Just a little reminder." Lucy-Jo assured. "We've come to an agreement, haven't we, Louisa?" Louisa nodded, her hug slowly turning into a lean.

"Thank you." Calypso breathed. The lieutenant inclined her head. She moved past them, greeting her boss with the salute. Leo whistled and the mini automatons fell in line, clambering around his feet like a swell of baby ducklings. They scuttled after him as he raced forward, joining the hug.

"Bitch." He chided.

"Dickwad."

"Asshole."

"We had a deal." Leo reminded her, squeezing his eyes shut as they burned. "My second in command of the Argo II, regardless of the fact that the Argo is now Festus, we had a deal!"

"'N' I told you I make no such guarantees."

"Oh, now your memory works." Leo huffed. "I hate you."

"Square up."

"Ah!" Lucy-Jo reprimanded. "No fighting, Lou; July will mount my head on her wall!"

"July's lovely!"

"Until you piss her off!"

"Who's July?" Calypso puzzled, scanning Louisa's face carefully. Leo snorted, pulling back and squishing Louisa's cheeks between his hands.

"Aww, Lou's bagged herself a nurse." He smirked. "That's adorable."

"I'll put your head on my wall." Louisa said, voice muffled slightly in the squish.

"You don't have a wall."

"I will build one specifically for ya head." She warned, scrunching her nose. Leo laughed and hugged her again.

"I knew you cared."

"'N' July's a doctor. Get ya head out ya ass."