"Raz?"

All that anger. All that pain.

"Raz? You okay?"

Feels so familiar.

"Raz!" I snapped my eyes up toward Lili, who was pulling me toward the sand with her. I knew my eyes were still glowing by how they reflected in her hazel eyes.

Is that was Nona felt all those years ago? That pain and regret?

"You look like a deer in headlights." I let her push me over so I landed on my back in the sand. "Just breath easy for now, okay?" I nodded my head silently as I stared up toward the bright blue sky.

If the creature in the lake feels like that, then we have an issue. They're on par with what Lucrecia felt before she was turned. If that's so and it's tied to Dogen's sudden brain disappearance-

"We've got a problem." My voice was shaken as I looked over toward Lili, who had my jacket and shirt dangling around her neck. "That being-." I hesitated as I went to push myself up on my elbows to look out toward the lake. Its calm waters hiding such a dark presence in life's ironic beauty. "Is so much like my aunt."

"Like Lucrecia or Maligula?"

"Both." I got myself to sit up straight as I looked toward Lili. "It's in pain." I put emphasis on the word as it seemed to not even completely fit the creature's feelings. "It's frustrated. It's filled with rage."

"So we got a water being that's having more emotions than a human on hormone treatments possibly stealing people's brains?" Lili sighed as she placed my boots and socks before me. "Great."

"I-." I fiddled with the sock part that was poking out from inside my boots. "I don't think it knows what it's doing. I felt betrayed. Like it's being forced and controlled, too."

"Could it be mind controlled?"

"I've read that there have been cases of mind-controlled animals showcasing their master's emotions." I reached up and scratched at my damp head. "Like in True Psychic Tales issue 267."

"Where Frontal Lobe realized that he could control more than just an army of brains, but the creatures that had said brains." I nodded along as Lili flopped onto the sand beside me. "But who around here would have that much anger? Who is that desperate to cause pain to something?"

"Other than Zilch? I have no clue."

"Zilch doesn't even have enough brain cells to understand his left hand from his right." Lili hissed out his name before sitting up beside me. "But this is a big step in the right direction. We can tell something, whatever it is, is possibly pulling kids into the water for someone. Trying to see who it is will be the main objective."

"What's the next step though? Watching and waiting to see if something appears?"

"No, I doubt anything would come out of the water at the moment. Especially since you made a strong enough connection with the water to cause yourself to go into a shock there." I nodded as I decided to slip my socks and boots on.

"Do-." I swallowed dryly as I looked over toward Lili once more. "Do you think we could help it? Like break whatever connection is causing it those feelings?"

"It's possible." Lili shrugged as she got up to her feet. "At this point, anything is possible." I nodded as I went back to putting my boots on. "But hey, if you want to try and save it, I wouldn't mind adding that to the plan." I looked up toward her as she gave me a soft smile. "My original idea there was burning it to a crisp, but I have a feeling you have a soft spot for it already." I gave her a sheepish grin before standing up beside her.

"I just-." I glanced toward the water for a moment before looking back toward her. "I think we can help it. It might be a long shot, but it's worth a chance, right?" Lili's smile grew for a moment before she shook her head just a little.

"To think people claim that Aquatos are heartless."

"But a Zanotto was the one wanting to burn a creature like some kind of fish dish." I smirked at her before getting my shirt and jacket flung into my face.

"Get dressed, Water Boy." I couldn't help but smile as I pulled the clothing off of my head.

"Whatever you say, Flower Girl."


I adjusted my jacket just a little as it was obvious I put it on a little too soon after getting out of the water and the walk back toward camp did not aid in it sticking to my shirt and skin.

"So where exactly would Ford be at this point?" I watched Lili as she walked nonchalantly up toward a tree stump.

"In his Crueller Cave, or as I call it, his loony bin." She knocked at the top of the stump, which caused some latch to open on the top. "After all, the majority of the people here are nuts." I walked over to peak into the stump to see that some kind of cart was straight down from us. It appeared to be on tracks that led to wherever the hell the old man's lair would be.

"Did the old man seriously set up some kind of fast travel mechanism for himself?"

"How do you think he's everywhere at once? The forest, the mess hall, the canoe storage."

"There's one at the canoe spot?"

"Yeah, I would have used it, but I haven't found that one yet. Old man can be a sneaky one, that's for sure."

"Tell me something I didn't know." My voice grew dark as Lili leaned over the trunk's side.

"Ready to go?" Lili shot me a smile as if it was obvious I wanted to speak about anything other than the agent.

"Ladies first?" I gave her a smirk as she just rolled her eyes.

"Just jump down, Aquato." I chuckled just a bit at the idea before swinging myself over the stump's side and letting myself slip through the hatch opening. The fall was quick, and I landed on the cart's seat with a small thud.

"Huh, not the softest landing, but it works," I muttered to myself as I looked over the small cart. "Coming down Lil-?" I spoke too soon as the smaller girl dropped right into my lap with a small thud of her own. It came with a bit of force, but it didn't hurt me any, though the wide-eyed look on her face would probably make any pain I did feel fade within seconds. The setup caused a deep blush to take over my face as her hazel eyes were locked with my green ones. I swallowed hard as my brain screamed at me.

Say something Aquato! Anything! Anything at all!

"H-Had a nice fall?" I mentally face palmed as Lili's eyes shot me a glare before scrambling out of my lap to take the small spot in the cart beside me.

Not that, dumbass!

"We don't speak of this ever again." My blush deepened as I glanced at the girl from the corner of my eye. It was obvious she was flustered about it all too but in her own unique way.

"Agreed."

"Talksprite!" The front of the cart lit up bright green on its screen as Lili seemed to have activated it. "To Ford's Sanctuary."

"Miss Zanotto, nice to see you again. To admiral we go!"

"This thing recognizes you?" I gave Lili a confused look as she shrugged. "What the-?" Before I could finish my sentence, the cart launched into motion. Rolling down the tracks with speed, but not enough to make your head spin.

"It's an AI that Ford installed ages ago. I just call it Talksprite. I recognize me from all the times I used it growing up I guess. There's something similar to it at the Motherlobe."

"The Motherlobe has something like this too?!"

"Not exactly. It's called the Otto B.O.N. It's used to transport bodiless brain agents around. Or a little thing like myself whenever I feel like I don't have enough time to get somewhere. I'll show you in the future." I gave her a curious look as she just quirked an eyebrow at me. "What? You want to be a Psychonaut, right? Psychonauts live there."

"I doubt by the time I do, I'll be small enough to use it." Lili gave me a smile before looking out toward where the cart was taking us.

"You never know, Aquato. Stranger things have happened." She looked back toward me as her arms crossed themselves over her chest. "Besides that, I demand you visit in the future." I chuckled at that as I gestured toward my tattered shirt.

"Circus performer, remember?"

"So? I'll still want to see my best friend." I smirked wide at the comment, which caused her to roll her eyes instantly. "Shut it, Raz."

"Do I get a bracelet now?"

"I said shut it."

"My favorite colors are red and green, just in case."

"I said shush!"


"Children! Yes! Wonderful! Come on over." I looked around Ford's lair as Lili led the way further into the heart of it.

Wide screens, big mechanical shit, and dark.

I looked over toward Ford, who was now gesturing to the biggest screen before him. A large amount of scribbled words danced across the screen as he turned toward us.

Fits.

"Your happy I'm waltz around uninvited for once." Lili crossed her arms over her chest as I stood proudly beside her. "What gives, Cruller?"

"What gives is that Sasha and Milla are gone on 'emergency official agent business'," The old man used air quotes before continuing. "Business I did not receive a notice of before they left."

"Could be true, dad doesn't like keeping you too up to date with things knowing how you get." I gave Lili a confused look as she gestured toward Ford. "My dad followed after him becoming Grand Head. But he never stopped wanting to know everything and anything. So my dad tells him what he needs to so other things go smoothly."

"It is my organization still." The old man crossed his arms over his chest before looking back toward the computer. "Luckily I still have access to the files and services attached to the Motherlobe's main archives."

"Much to dad's disliking."

"Well, you'll be happy with that when you see this." Ford clicked a single button, which caused a picture to appear on the widescreen. "Looks familiar?" I swallowed hard as a particular laugh and drill chorus rang within my mind.

Blue skin, shower cap, claw hand. Yep. That's him.

"Dr. Caligosto Loboto." Ford said his name with little to no emotion as he showed the crazed man's mug shots. "Born a psychic and driven made after a botched lobotomy his parents put him through, this freelance dentist is one hell of a nutjob, but also one hell of a scientist. He's known for his mutation work as well as psychic weapons. He's now a freelance contractor for the other madmen of the world." Ford glanced over toward us before bringing up a new page. "One of the most dangerous weapons he has is sneezing powder. Something he uses to extract his victim's brains."

"That's it." A light bulb lit up in my head as I snapped my attention toward Lili. "The betrayal, the pain, the mental plan! It's all connected to him! He's behind everything!"

"Mutation work." Lili rubbed her chin for a moment before lighting up like a Christmas tree. "Wait! Maybe that large fish thing that Elton claims he saw last year was real! Maybe he has a mutated fish or something capturing swimmers!"

"You two are quick thinkers." I looked over toward Ford, who was smiling proudly at us. "Make me think of a specific duo that would be proud of this moment."

"He's broken though." I felt my heart ache as my face fell. The memory of his emotions rattled my mind still as I looked down toward the cold metal floor. "I doubt he's working alone. Especially since he's a freelance worker and all. He must be contracted. Even then, he's definitely not stable enough to work on his own."

"Exactly what I was thinking." I looked over toward Lili, who had a determined look in her eyes. "Someone else is a part of this. Someone closer to camp than the dentist guy. Our next step is to try and find out more evidence for the other suspect."

"Well, I want to present an idea before you two go." I gave Ford my attention as he kneeled down just enough to look at Lili and me directly. "I want to dub you two official agents. At least for now. That way, I can give you two more aid without legal issues." I looked at the man with wide eyes as I soaked up the moment.

Temporary agent. A bigger step than I thought I would ever get at camp.

I smiled wide as I glanced over toward Lili, who gave me the same look.

"It's official then. Lili Zanotto, Razputin Aquato," Ford stood up straight as he put his hands behind his back with a small smile. His mustache was lopsided as he looked between us. "With the power in me as founder and past Grand Head of the Psychonauts, I give you two the titles of temporary agents. Congratulations." I felt a hand place itself on my shoulder, and I couldn't help but swell with pride at that moment.

Alright, Agent Aquato.

I looked over toward Lili as we shared a swelling feeling of determination.

Now to get to work.