Gamzee was manageable when high, but he was still a sobbing mess. Kurloz and Mr. Makara ignored him. Feferi refused to bring him to see Tavros. Instead, she waited for Cronus to find her. There was no way in hell she was seeing him alone.

Cronus was wearing a different set of clothes when he came to pick her up. He took her arm and together they walked to the Nitram household. "You know," Cronus began, "I used to have a huge crush on Rufioh."

"You used to have a crush on everyone."

Cronus grinned at her and said, "Yeah, well, everyone had a thing for Rufioh. He's fine as hell."

"You don't need to tell me that," Feferi replied. "He was my first crush."

"You know what's great? I think the school district he went to is the first in the world to have all male students be attracted to males."

"Reasonable. Ever seen him in leather pants?"

"Oh, honey. I have a hard time looking at his face when he's wearing leather pants." They laughed briefly before Feferi stopped.

"They're going to hate us," she said.

"I wouldn't blame them for it." Cronus cast a glance her way. "I thought you'd be the one bawling your eyes out, to be honest with you."

"I feel numb. I'll be crying later, trust me."

Cronus grabbed her hand. "There's the girl I know. Are you gonna be okay with Tavros and Rufioh?"

"I won't be alone. I can handle explaining everything."

"I know you can. I meant to ask whether or not you could handle those two hating you. Then you'll have to deal with your friends knowing you betrayed them in such a terrible way."

Feferi thought for a moment before answering, "I don't know."

"Well, there's only one way to find out, doll," Cronus said, gesturing to the apartment the Nitrams lived in. "You ready?"

She swallowed a particularly large lump in her throat and conceded. Together, they made their way to the Nitram place of residence. Feferi knocked on the door, and a very worried Tavros let them in. "What happened with Gamzee? Is he okay?"

Feferi and Cronus glanced at each other. Cronus started. "Yeah, Gamzee is safe at his house. Don't worry about him, kid."

"Is Rufioh here?"

"I was called?" Rufioh asked, poking his head from behind the kitchen wall. Cronus winked and waved, earning him an elbow to the side from Feferi.

"It's better that you both hear this. It's a long story." Rufioh brought them all to the couch, where Feferi launched into her mother and her involvement in the Protectors of Alternia. Her desire to do something. Her assignment. Then her words melted away as soon as they fell from her mouth. She couldn't hear them, only having a vague idea of what she said from the expressions on Tavros's and Rufioh's faces. Tavros looked disbelieving. Like he was ready to laugh at this sick, sick joke. Then Feferi kept talking, and his smile fell. His eyes glistened behind a veil of tears. Rufioh looked convinced from the start. He was fumbling with a joint and a lighter. Cronus was holding her hand, looking down at the floor. She hoped she explained Gamzee's involvement. The full plan. Everything but Sollux. But it was simply a blur.

When Tavros began crying, Rufioh jumped up and pulled Cronus and Feferi a little too roughly to the door. "I think it's best you two left," he said, his voice void of any emotion. They didn't put up a fight, and allowed him to close the door in their faces.

"He's coming back, right?" they heard Tavros sob, quietly.

"We need to leave," Feferi murmured.

"Hey, doll," Cronus began.

"No, we need to leave now," Feferi interrupted. She turned on her heel and began the trek home, hitting Cronus in the face with her hair.

"I know you're upset, Fef," Cronus said, jogging to her.

"Understatement," she retorted.

"It's what had to be done!"

"That doesn't justify this! Shit, Cronus! Killing an innocent man was not okay!"

"Hey, anyone with a prison record isn't innocent," he defended.

"Someone trying to improve the lives of thousands has more than redeemed themselves." She glared at him.

He looked at her, stunned, as she walked away. "Fef."

"Just leave me alone for a while," she said. "I need to think this over."

He didn't say anything else. He didn't follow when she left the building. She walked home alone, without the slightest sense of being followed. She would check back every so often and scan the people around her. Cronus had listened.

She now had unlimited information from the Protector's of Alternia. She could check that off the list, along with betraying a life long friend. Her mother might cry tears of joy once it was confirmed that she had killed the Summoner.

She was no more than a coward. Someone who was ready to pawn off the job onto assassins.

The bronze blood covered that apartment. Gamzee was bathed in the stuff. Cronus must've gotten filthy cleaning everything up. And she, the person assigned with the task, was left clean of any blood.

She threw up on the side of the road. Someone tried helping her, but she pushed them away and tried to run.

She was going home, right?

Home.

Home was underwater.

Pure, centuries old instincts drew her towards a beach. She dove into the foamy waters from the rocks and drifted beneath the surface, her gills quickly adjusting. Her glasses doubled as goggles, keeping the salt from her sensitive eyes. She began to breathe easy.

Hours passed as she laid in the water. Her phone buzzed ceaselessly in her pocket, reminding her that by now it was waterlogged and useless. Oh fuck it. The women deserved to do more than money could buy. Bringing back the dead would be a good start.

Someone pulled her out of the water. She didn't put up a fight. She simply couldn't. Strong arms gently pulled her back into reality, back into the landweller's world.

Then lips pressed against hers, and she opened her eyes.

"Cronus!" she cried, pushing him away.

"Doll, it's two in the fuckin mornin'!"

"So you kiss me?!"

"Your mom was flippin shit!"

"So you kiss me?!"

"Well I'll be the first to admit it wasn't my smartest choice but I thought you drowned or somethin'!"

Feferi looked at him, utterly astonished. "Cronus, you idiot! I have gills! I breathe better in water than on land! God, you're worse than Eridan!" She stood up, pushing herself out of his lap. "Get away from me!"

Feferi hurried away from him, muttering swears under her breath. She turned back, seeing him still there, utterly dejected, and felt only the smallest hint of remorse.