I liiive! I got busy with work, a trip, and school, so I didn't get a lot of time to write this month. However, we pick up right where we stopped in Chapter 6! There is mention of suicide and some language, so beware.

Zip remained in his spot, wondering if it was his time. He had done some good in his life, but he did lots of misdeeds as well. Would he pass on peacefully, or get condemned to eternal suffering? There was no way in telling in what the large tug would do, but Zip wasn't taking chances. After a minute, he heard the tug coming to a stop.

"Zip, what are you doing so far out here?" Hercules asked in a calm voice, compared to what Zip heard earlier. "Now open your eyes, there's nothing to be afraid of."

Zip refused to open his eyes, and only whimpered in response. He was convinced that what he was hearing was simply a part of his own imagination, as there was no way in telling if Hercules was going to report him. Or worse. "I'm a good tug! Please don't sink me!" He pleaded, now inching back.

Hercules sighed and gently steamed up to the switcher in response, still wanting to show he meant no harm. "I'll help you find Zug, then we can go back to the Star Dock." He offered, showing a frown. "All I need you to do is relax. That will make the search for Zug a lot easier for the both of us."

With hesitation, Zip opened his eyes and was surprised to see Hercules standing before him. Whatever Zug said must have been made up then, because Hercules looked like he had no intention of killing him. "Y-you're not going to hurt me aren't you?" He asked between tears. "Zug said you had demon powers!"

"Whatever Zug said was, pardon my language, bullshit." Hercules replied, ignoring whatever social norms he had set for himself. "It must have been a pirate that you two heard. Or some vandals. Either way, I'm impressed you two didn't get hurt from the encounter."

Zip wanted to ask how Hercules knew of the mysterious beings, but he slowly nodded and began to relax. Hercules was scary yes, but that was because of how he behaved around the other Zero tugs. However, he looked like he was nice too. "I know Zug made a left turn when we were spotted." He answered, wanting to help. "But, the fog was so thick that he shouldn't have made it very far. I think."

"I believe I know where exactly he went. Come along m'dear." Hercules hummed, trying to scan the area. He quietly sailed past the Z Stack and towards a dock adjacent to the fishing plant. He spotted a shape and flashed his light at it, and was relieved to see that it was only Zug. "Zug, is that you over there? Now come over, Zip is worried for you."

"Zug, it's me!" Zip called towards Zug, and tried blasting his hooter to draw the other's attention. "No one's trying to kill us, it was just Hercules! He's scary, but he's nice. Now let's get back before-"

"No!" Zug called through his spot at the dock. He was still very nervous, and so he refused to even budge. "Why are you talking to a monster? He'll eat you, or worse, kill you!"

"Eat me? I don't see any sharp teeth on 'im Zug!" Zip replied, taking a glance at Hercules. "At least I think he doesn't."

Zug muttered something and asked, "Really? Has he cornered-"

"That's enough Zug." Hercules interrupted, not wanting Zug to become more apprehensive at this point. "We have to get home before sunrise. Surely the other Zeros will be worried about you two getting lost."

"Only Zebedee gets worried for us you moron! Zak doesn't even care if we make it back or not." Zug replied, becoming apprehensive. "I won't move, especially with you around."

Hercules frowned, disappointed that Zug wasn't listening despite his efforts. Without saying anything, he threw lines at Zug's bollards. Leaving Zug behind would be unwise, as no one knew what he was capable of doing when left unattended. He felt a few of his lines brush against Zug's aft bollards, and he went to work making sure they were secure.

"What're you going to do Hercules? Just throw-" Zug was interrupted as he felt himself start to get dragged out of his spot. He immediately realized that he was being towed and panicked, struggling to break free of Hercules's lines. "Lemme go! Get offa me!"

Zip looked on, noticing how Zug looked like a minnow on a fishing line. Zug wasn't even strong enough to shake off Hercules's tow lines, and so any attempt he made at breaking free was pointless. "Hercules, don't you think this is going to make him go crazy?" He asked, watching as Zug let out a call for help. "I don't want to see him get hurt!"

"Perhaps I might be going a little too far." Hercules mused, looking at Zip. He then turned to Zug and said, "Now stop the banshee act darling, you might wake up all of Bigg City."

"Ha, they'll be waking up to the fact you're a murderer!" Zug retorted, still struggling to break free. Before he could scream again, he felt sailcloth brush up against his face. Then, he could only watch as ropes and cloth covered his mouth. He could still breathe, but he couldn't speak.

"What are you doing?!" Zip asked, looking at how the smaller switcher was frozen stiff. "Is Zug gonna keep screaming his stack off?"

"Gagging him to keep him quiet. Don't ask who or where I learned it from." Hercules answered, watching Zug struggle. Once Zug went quiet, he said, "Let's head back before he pulls any more shenanigans."

Zip nodded, and quietly trailed behind Hercules. He stuck close to Zug the whole journey, making sure he wouldn't break free and run off. However, he couldn't help but observe a change in the switcher. The switcher was cowardly yes, but he was more willing to save his own hull than assist someone else. Zip pushed those thoughts aside, and only sailed on.

At the Star Dock, Zebedee was dozing off when he spotted Hercules at the entrance. He would normally dismiss it, but he became wide awake upon sensing that something was not right. "Hercules, what's going on?" He asked, steaming up to the ocean tug with a look of concern.

"Zug and Zip got lost in the fog on their way back from their fishing contract." Hercules replied, his tone becoming serious. "During that time, they got separated. I found them both, but Zug… Zug left Zip behind and became a screaming lunatic."

"Separated?" Zebedee asked, raising an eyebrow. He looked down and noticed Zug trying to wiggle out of Hercules's lines, and got furious. "Let Zug go at once. You probably did something that scared him."

Hercules stood his ground, and was about to refuse Zebedee's command. However, Zug's whimpering snapped him back to reality. It would be pointless to start a fight, and he quietly undid his lines and gag. He watched as the two switchers raced up to Zebedee, relieved to see him. Zebedee glared at Hercules before he sailed back to his spot at the dock, not saying a word.

The next morning, Ten Cents and Sunshine were delivering fuel to Sally Seaplane. Along their way, Ten Cents noticed Zug in the distance and was intrigued. "What's Zug hangin' over there for?" Ten Cents asked Sunshine.

"He's probably gotten lost." The smaller switcher mused. "Should we go and help him out?"

"Maybe." Ten Cents replied with with a shrug.

"We need to get to Sally first, so we can check on him later. Come on." Sunshine said, not wanting to be late. After all, it had been a while since he had spoken to Sally.

Ten Cents was a little disappointed, but he nodded. After all, Sunshine did admire the seaplane. "And Sally does enjoy our company. But that's because we're Star tugs." He said, letting out a chuckle.

Deep down in his mind, Charon started to make himself known again. "The kid's really desperate for some of that seaplane eh? Ignore him! Zug needs your help, he's gonna need it real soon." He hissed, showing annoyance. As he spoke, he started giving off nagging feelings.

"Help him how exactly?" Ten Cents retorted, feeling something sinister swell inside him. For whatever reason, he wanted to kill. And the method was not pleasant either. Ten Cents quickly became alarmed, as he did not even want to smash his bow into something. "Zug's a little bastard, but I am not going to kill him!"

The duo reached Sally's dock, and she was unusually impatient. "Where have you two been? My next flight leaves in an hour!" She asked. After realizing what she did, she apologized and said, "I'm sorry. I have a celebrity coming and my owners want me to be punctual."

"Sorry Sal, we got a little hung up." Sunshine replied. "Zug's not been himselfever since Zorran died. He tried insulting Hercules, but Zebedee told him to shut it."

"I did hear that the two ran into some vandals last evening. One was named Charon, but I didn't know who the other was." Sally replied. "Those two sounded like bad news too."

The mention of Charon caused Ten Cents to panic. What was he doing last night that Sally was mentioning this? "How do you know that Sally? It might have been Bob gossiping about someone again." He asked, wanting to offer his own opinion.

"I heard it from some passing boats. A fishing vessel was found faceless this morning." Sally said in a grim voice. "It might have been some harbour gossip, but the whole situation is very confusing."

Okay, so something strange did happen. Ten Cents was going to have to confront Hercules. Or even Charon himself. "Whoever Charon is, we can take him on no problem. Isn't that right Sun?" He said.

"Yeah!" Sunshine grinned. "It should be a piece of cake really." Once Sally was finished getting refuelled, he tried to change it to other topics. "So what celebrity is coming?"

While Sunshine and Sally were talking, Ten Cents was trying to keep calm. He was now infuriated, wondering if his innocence was violated. He knew exactly what Charon did with killing, but why couldn't he remember any of it? A sudden shout drew him back to reality, and he turned to see a few Coast Guard vessels.

"Zug is stuck in some rocks after narrowly avoiding a collision with a tramper!" One vessel said, looking serious. "Go and grab a crane at once!"

"We gotta go Sally! See ya!" Ten Cents said, motioning Sunshine to come over and grab Scuttlebutt Pete and his crane. He should be able to do the job. Meanwhile, his mind was wandering to various places.

"See what happens when ya don't listen to me? Zug either got real stupid and almost hit someone. Or he tried to end it all." Charon's voice came back, taunting Ten Cents.

"Shut it Charon. You're trying to play games with me, and I don't do mind games." Ten Cents snapped, spotting Pete in the distance. "Now if you excuse me, we gotta stop a tug from sinking."

"Let him sink then. The big guy would be pleased if that were to happen." Charon snapped. "Besides, he's broken and cannot be fixed."

Ten Cents ignored Charon again and explained everything that happened to Pete. Within minutes, Ten Cents, Sunshine, and Scuttlebutt Pete were on their way to the scene. "I sure hope Zug is alright." Ten Cents said, showing concern.

"I ran myself aground." Sunshine frowned. "It was really scary being put back together." Then, he muttered, "I hope Zug feels what I felt on that day."

Ten Cents heard what Sunshine said and gasped, alarmed to see his friend behave this way. It was understandable, as Sunshine almost sank due to the humiliation he felt. Although he was told to show respect to his competitors, Sunshine was still bitter. "Now now, we can keep it for later. There he is over there!" He exclaimed, spotting Zug.

Zug was resting against some rocks, and he looked defeated. Izzy Gomez was nearby, and he was shocked. "You guys better hurry, Zug looks like he wants to sink." He whispered, hoping Zug wouldn't hear him.

Ten Cents and Sunshine got to work securing the Z Stack, taking care that he wouldn't go under. "He's got some scrapes on 'im." Pete frowned, looking at Zug's hull. "Now best be gentle lads. We don't want him to sink."

"I was right Tenny." Charon said, now trying to become Ten Cents' main focus. "If you help Zug out of this mess, he's gonna become a wrench to the big guy's plans. Kill him while he's still weak."

"Why is Hades so concerned about Zug anyway?" Ten Cents asked, trying to concentrate on assisting Sunshine prepare Zug for salvaging. "Based on what I'm seeing, Zug needs help. And you aren't helping."

"That's because Zug saw us last night! Zip too!" Charon replied, trying to draw Ten Cents's attention towards him. "Now, Zip is safe and sound. But Zug on the other hand…"

"What were you guys doing that made Zug a lunatic?" Ten Cents angrily asked, watching as Scuttlebutt Pete hooked some cranes onto Zug. "Were we reaping Charon?" A feeling of despair confirmed that yes, Hades and Charon were reaping. Those rumors of the faceless fishing vessel were true after all. "I am not killing him, especially after what you and Hades did to me and Hercules. I'd like see you go and try to kill me."

"Feisty aren't ya?" Charon chuckled, and started to fade. Fighting during a salvage was not good in his book anyway. "Suit yourself then if you wish. Hades is not going to be pleased when he hears of this."

"He can't kill me because Herc is his host." Ten Cents retorted, feeling confident. "I got plenty of ammo in case you try playing games again." Once Charon left, Ten Cents assisted in righting Zug. "Feeling alright Zuggy?" He asked, wanting to be helpful.

Zug quietly nodded, as he was in no mood to speak. He was indifferent at seeing the two switchers there, and hissed in pain as he felt himself bob. "Are… are you not going to believe me?" He asked, his voice hoarse.

"About what?" The switchers asked with suspicion. "We'll get you to Lucky's. We helped out Boomer, but we aren't made for this sort of thing." Zug nodded, and the switchers took him to Lucky's Yard.

By early evening, word of Zug's attempted sinking had reached Captain Starr. However, there was one detail that was nagging at him. "How exactly does Hercules equate into this?" He asked his secretary, looking at his hastily scribbled notes.

"Zug said Herc dragged him back to the Star Dock." She replied. "Knowing Zug, perhaps that was for the best."

"I know Hercules does things in an… unorthodox manner. However, Zug is blasting it out of proportion." Captain Starr added. "I'll have to ask someone to keep an eye on Zug if he does attempt to do this again. It seems Zorran's death affected him more than what I thought."

At the same time, Ten Cents was dozing off. The events of the day left him cathartic, and he wanted nothing more than to sleep. He started dreaming, and quickly fell asleep. He woke up and found himself Up River. Oh great.

Zorran steamed up to him, and he was not impressed. The dents in his hull were less obvious than what they were, and the hole was now just a mere speck. However, his stack was cracked. "Heard what happened to Zug today." He muttered. "I swear I'm gonna end Hades for that alone. Hercules's damned pride makes it more difficult to do that though."

"Zorran, get out!" Ten Cents snapped before turning away from the harbor tug. "I am in no mood to talk about it. Charon tried to get me to kill Zug, but I backed out."

"Charon? That git who threw me out?" Zorran was puzzled. "Heh, it's great to see a Star that still has a spine." Then, an idea came into his head. Since Ten Cents was unfortunately tied into this mess, perhaps the Z Stack could use Ten Cents to his advantage. Maybe that would get Hades to release him. "Say, I figure Hades has you wrapped around like this, maybe I can help out. Show him you still have yourself."

"You know Zorran, I kinda respect you for your perseverance. Despite all the shit you put us through though." Ten Cents replied, turning to face Zorran. "Zug's still a little twit though. Why is he so intent on trying to respect your memory anyway?"

"Hey hey, the Zero Fleet is the only family he ever has." Zorran huffed and answered. "Ya probably already know that he came here from Germany before the war on a trial run, but you might not know that he was impounded. He was essentially separated from his original fleet to where he can't remember their names. Zero saw him hanging out one day and bought him dirt cheap."

Ten Cents gasped. So that was how Zug joined Zero and Marine. Then, it dawned on him. Since Zug had no idea who his old fleetmates were, he turned to the Z Stacks for support and family. The reason why he fawned over Zorran was because he was the closest thing to a father figure. "I think Zug dodged a bullet by meeting ya. I can't even imagine what happened to his old fleet." He sighed, looking at Zorran.

"It's best to not talk about it. It's a subject Zero would have died keeping a secret anyway." Zorran said, relaxing himself. "Anyways, I gotta get back before Hades wakes up. See ya later Tenny."

Ten Cents was puzzled and wanted to ask more, but Zorran quickly vanished from view. He awoke and found all was quiet in the Star Dock, as the other tugs were fast asleep. With a hum of contentment amongst the symphony of snores, he went back to sleep.

Notes:

I decided that Zug would be German on a whim, and after seeing a story of German ships left behind in the US thanks to WW1, decided to incorporate that. It does help explain his odd accent.

The wounds Zorran sustained from Hades's attacks are not permanent. They take weeks if not months to heal entirely.