Basil felt someone shaking his shoulder. There was a voice it sounded far away and muffled like he was sinking the bottom of the ocean with someone shouting to him from the surface. He slowly opened his eyes to see Cooper leaning over him. Basil put a hand to his head feeling his brain throb. Cooper offered him a hand up and he gladly took it. Basil looking around hoping to see the others. But there wasn't much to see, just rock and magma. Wes was running up to them.
"Did you find anyone?" Cooper asked. Wes shook his head.
"What happened? The last thing I remember is we were about to crushed by the magma wave." Basil asked.
"That's just it. We all blacked out." Wes explained. "We must've gotten separated when we all blacked out." Wes crossed his arms. Basil nodded getting it.
"And right when we found everyone we get separated again!" Wes raised his voice sounding mad.
"All we can do is go look for them." Basil said.
"Alright let's go." Cooper said heading in a random direction. It's not like he had a better idea in mind. They walked for what felt like hours not talking, keeping their ears open to hear one of their lost friends. Basil wasn't just searching but he was in deep thought as well. How is it that we're all alive after that? No one can survive drowned in magma. And no one was a scratch or burn. Nothing at all. What is the point in us finding each other just to be split up again? It's me, Cooper and Wes. Why do I feel like that is supposed to mean something? He looked at Matt's back at the covered sword then at Wes. For some reason he couldn't stop thinking about how he and Wes met. He had a dream just like he did but he was in a boxing match against a mysterious figure on fire.
"Hey Wes when we first met you said you had a dream about a boxing match. You actually box?" Basil asked. Wes looked back at him confused and nodded.
"Boxing is the most extreme sport! I love it!" He said getting pumped up.
"Why do you ask?" Cooper questioned.
"It just that, the more I think about it strange. Each of us was a weapon. You Cooper it's your katana and Wes is his fist, while I use my Metal Edge but none of the other have a weapon. I don't know. It just feels like an important observation." Basil rubbed the back of his head.
"Hadley tell me you're lying!" Brook demanded.
"Brook I swear I would never joke nor less lie about this!" Hadley put his hands up defense.
"You're the Time Agency! How do you lose someone?" Brook said loudly.
"With time still being repaired anything is possible. Brook, I promise we're using all our resources to find him. And now Matt and Basil too. Trust me we want to find them just as much as you do." He tried to calm her down. Brook sighed and shook her head, her anger leaving.
"Nothing personal against you Hadley but I have a feeling they want to find them for a different reason." She looked at him then at the floor. Hadley grabbed her shoulders making her look at him.
"Brook I promise when we have any connection with Jesse or the kids. But for now go back to work to keep your mind busy." He prompted.
"How can I focus on work when I know there's a chance I may lose my boys forever?!" She began tearing up. Hadley gave her a sad look and pulled her in for a hug.
"We'll find them Brook and they'll be fine." He said soothingly as Brook spilt the first tears.
For what they were supposed to do now was a mystery. Matt thumbed his keychain as the others bickered on what to do next. The sun was being to go down and they would have to start making shelter and finding food soon.
"Johan we can't do that because the Elucidator is broken. We wouldn't be here if it worked." Katherine said annoyed.
"I say we make camp for the night and then deiced. We don't want night to catch us unprepared because we stood here bickering." Chip said slipping into his medieval voice.
"I agree with Chip. Who knows how long we'll be here, so we should at least prep for the night." Jesse said ending the debate. "Matt, Katherine you guys will get the firewood. Chip you find the food. Johan and I will start on the shelter."
"Come on Matt, I know where we can get a pile of firewood." Katherine said taking charge. After everyone ate from the fish Chip caught. Everyone but Jesse and Matt went to sleep under the shelter. Matt tossed a stick into the fire watching sparks fly off the burned pile.
"How you holding up?" Jesse asked moving over next to him on the log they moved over.
"Fine I suppose. Just worried about…everything." Matt shrugged. Jesse wrapped his arm around his shoulder pulling him in.
"I know exactly what you mean!" He whispered before kissing the top of his head.
"I'm ready for all of us to go home! I miss mom…how do you handle it?" Matt asked getting choked up thinking about home. Jesse rubbed his shoulder for a minute before replying,
"I keep reminding myself that the sooner I fix time the sooner I get to go home." Matt leaned his head into his side just feeling him.
"The night sky is so clear tonight." Jesse whispered looking up. Matt looked up to. Seeing all the glowing stars and constellations got him thinking about the promise he made with Basil.
"It reminds me of the night when we went out to test out Basil's new telescope." Jesse said.
"Yea. That was a lot of fun! It was the night after Basil and I made a promise to explore it together." Matt cracked a smile. Then his smile faded.
"Dad, you've seen, you've experienced incredible things. Time splitting, time freezing in a time hallow, you actually being our dad! But you still don't believe Basil's alive. Why?" He glanced up at his father's face. It was solemn.
"Matt…I want to believe more than anything that Basil's alive. It's just after seeing him die in my hands…I feel like it would being riding on high hopes just to be broken all over again." Jesse whispered not looking at him but still at the sky.
"What will it take for you to believe?" Matt asked. Jesse finally looked down at him,
"I guess seeing him again and holding him."