Sakura and Iason must escape the shark.

Even though the wail of the creature should've been muffled underwater, the two heard it as clear as a bell. Except this was less of a jingle, and more of a blood-curdling scream.

The two didn't move, given that Gon stated the creature only moved when it felt motion within the water. Plus, moving now without knowing where it was could be dangerous, given that they could be moving towards its location… then again given how far the sound reverberated underwater, it could be quite far away.

Then again…

It could be much closer than any of them could anticipate.

"I'm sorry. This is my fault we-"

"Hush…" They were close enough to hear each other, but if the creature separates them, it could become impossible to communicate with each other.

Iason quickly scanned the water, checking to see if anything was being disturbed in their vicinity. A tree swaying, ripples in the water… even the leaves moving could be an indicator that the creature was too close for comfort. They can't afford to stay in the water. They needed to move, "Apologies later, we need to get out of danger first."

Nothing was moving… but the question was, were they safe for the moment?

"We're moving. Stay close… Hold my hand and don't let go for any reason." The two, headed closer towards the beach both feet moving in tandem with one another, pushing through the underwater forest.

They needed to remain on high alert…

The last thing they needed was to be caught in the jaws of a creature that oozed a toxin that could paralyse them.

The water shifted so slightly, the eerie silence keeping them on edge. Iason's eyes flicked to a tree shifting ever so slightly, the young teen squeezing his partner's hand, alerting him to the situation. The two refused to move, the tree continuing to shift ever so slightly.

When it stopped moving the boy let out a breath of relief.

He was about to move until he caught a shadow flicking through the tree line. It was circling them, already upon them without them realising it "We need to get out of here, NOW!"

The roar was much louder now.

Iason started swimming; the two of them were trying to get as far as possible from the area. The last thing they needed was for the creature to notice them.

Having sensed the new movement, the creature headed for the two, moving close enough to clench them in their jaw.

Iason pushed his partner away, the teeth narrowly missing the two of them. The eyes darted around, two of the four eyes now looking directly at him.

The shark moved deeper into the forest, circling back for Iason.

"Sakura, move towards the beach; it's got its eyes on you!"

"I can't leave you!"

"I'll be fine… I'll be right behind you. I promise." Sakura hesitated from his words, the boy now reinforcing the situation "GO!"

With the shark now coming back for him, Iason started swimming, aura now circling his body. He doesn't know if he can defend himself from such a creature, but he must protect Sakura, no matter the cost.

He's not going to die… he's going to keep struggling no matter what because he can't afford to have Gon cry from his loss. If the creature went after Sakura, he doesn't know how he could draw its attention. The creature coming after him and only him meant they'd have a better chance of survival…

It's not that Sakura was weak… because he wasn't. It was due to the fact when it comes to experience, he was the savvier one, not in terms of fighting. Sakura was inexperienced with on the fly Nen use, it wasn't his forte as he was still barely learning to use aura to his maximum capacity.

But Iason has experience… he knows his maximum reach and strength. Sure, he was trying to improve that every day… but if it came to the toss of a coin, he could argue he'd have a better survival chance with this thing, as long as he doesn't get cornered.

If he gets caught, he has a chance to escape…

Sakura may panic in that situation…

"Come after me, you trash can!" Iason waved his arms, using his movements as a distraction for the creature. If it moves by sensation, he'll make sure the creature never loses track of his whereabouts.

The creature at this point was rapidly moving towards Iason.

He nimbly avoided the attack, although it was too close for comfort. Even though it moves around, constantly creating distance before coming back in for an attack, its speed more than makes up for its constant need to circle its prey.

Did the creature do the same thing to Gon and the guy he was with? Is that why it lost track of them… or couldn't grab either one of them?

He might be able to extend the fight, but he wasn't sure for how long he could keep alive under this stressful pressure. So, he kept moving, using its boomerang attack pattern to his advantage.

When he nimbly avoided the creature's attack, he'd start swimming towards the surface. But the moment he reached close to the surface, he felt weary. Where was Sakura? Had he made it out in one piece? He had been so focused on trying to escape in one piece, he failed to make sure his partner was safe.

Looking around he spotted Sakura… going in the wrong direction.

Or…

Was he going in the wrong direction…?

He had been so focused on trying to breach the surface, that he failed to realise the monster was leading him further away from the Island. He wasn't out in the deep blue sea, far away from the island… but he was pretty, far away from any nearby part of the beach.

Shifting his attention, he looked for the closest thing he could find to escape to. He saw rocky formations extending deep into the water, far in the distance, ones that lead out of the water. He was near the outskirts of the island. If he's quick enough, he might be able to use the rocks, jumping from one rock to another to try to reach as close to the Island. At that point, he could try plummeting back into the water and swimming back to safety.

It was his only, safe bet for the moment.

He couldn't afford to be caught out in the water and exhausted amongst this enemy. He'll be easy pickings to a creature on their main hunting grounds. But the moment he grasped the rock, looking back to see how close it was, it was already too late to dodge.

"~"

Sakura got out of the water, rummaging through his clothes in a desperate attempt to call Gon. His hands were shaking, unable to control his body to stop shaking out of fear Iason was still down there, unable to be seen breaking the surface.

As his cold, wet hands fumbled to hold the phone he searched through his contacts, cursing as his hands shook. Eventually, he finally he found Gon's name under Sunshine. It's times like these he wished he used favourites or left it as Gon. Gon was closer to 'A' than Sunshine was. Then again… scrolling the side through the letters to 'S' would've been quicker than cycling through all the names, a somewhat large list of people Gon suggested he should save.

But throughout his questioning about whether he'd call any of those names one day and constant panicking, he ignored it all to press call on Gon's contact details.

The phone slipped out of his hand, falling into the sand below "No, no, no…" Picking up the phone he heard his partner's voice, the tone soothing to his ears. Had this been any other time, he'd be happy to hear Gon's voice…

But the desperation, the constant sobbing and his voice breaking made it so difficult to voice their current issue. That Iason was in serious, danger…

"Sakura, what's wrong?"

"Gon… I made a mistake."

"~"

Gon's body froze. What kind of mistake did Sakura make? Was he hurt? Did someone try to hurt him? His fist clenched tight, eyes as dark as endless pits… reminiscent of the first time he saw Kite get hurt, Pitou drawing blood from the man he looked up to… who he envisioned as a kind, but stern father figure "What's happening?"

"Iason's in danger…"

"Where are you?!"

"The West Underwater Forest."

If he were younger and inexperienced… this would've been the moment he froze or questioned why either of them was there. But he predicted this situation, the possibility of them getting distracted off course to the other part of the island. If this was in the afternoon, neither of them would've made the mistake.

But it was now the evening when very few people were still swimming. It wouldn't have questioned the situation…

But s his thoughts went to those conclusions, he needed to focus on the more important fact. Iason was in danger. There was no time to question the what-ifs. He needed to go. There wasn't even time to think about the consequences of going without a plan "I'm coming!"

"Where the hell are you going?!"

"To the west, the underwater forest! My partners are there."

"Are they crazy?!"

"It doesn't matter about the mistake they made, one of them is in danger!"

"Didn't they-" Geoffrey stood still when Gon looked back at him, eyes as dark as the night sky.

The boy's eyes were filled with indescribable rage. He was ready to kill… to make a fatal mistake "I don't care!"

The teen left without another word, grabbing one of the many scuba diving gears hanging off the wall, before heading straight for Sakura. He didn't realise the buzz flowing through his body, the rage being directed at the creature fuelling his hatred. Even with that knowledge, that frustration of knowing something threatened his partners.

His rage and hatred, ultimately, didn't matter…

Protecting Sakura and Iason was all that mattered to him.

"~"

Sakura saw his boyfriend running towards him at an unnatural speed, being swept into his arms like he hadn't seen him in days. Being pulled into a hug while being emotionally distressed is one of the most comforting things. Here he was panicking and Gon was making sure he was okay when they both knew somebody else was in serious, danger.

The young boy hushed his sobbing partner, trying to coax him into calming down. Yes, he needed to know where Iason was… but at the same time, Sakura's distress was equally important. If he left Sakura alone while he was freaking out and something happened to either himself or Iason, Sakura would never be able to forgive himself.

Plus, looking throughout the whole west side would not be a good idea. It was not only dangerous, but it'll also continue to put their other partner at risk.

Neither of them could continue to waste any time. So even though Sakura hadn't completely calmed down, Gon posed the question "Where's Iason?"

"I- I- I- don't know! The last I saw him; he was heading further out to sea."

"Why further out?!"

"I don't know…" Sakura sobbed uncontrollably.

Sensing his reaction caused his partner to break, the teen hugged his partner tighter, a hand now sweeping through his boyfriend's hair "I'm not angry at you…"

"I… I'm the one that made a mistake. I led us here…"

"It was an accident… it's not your fault."

"It is…"

"It doesn't matter!" Gon's voice was stern, "We'll rescue Iason and all three of us are going to be walking out of here in one piece."

"You… You're right." Sakura took a deep breath, trying to remember which direction Iason was moving, "I think the shark was leading him further out, towards the rocks."

"Stay here! I'll-" Gon started running, slowing down only once Sakura grasped him by his arms.

"No, we're doing this together! I know I'm scared, that I could potentially be putting us at a heavier disadvantage… but Iason needs the two of us. If he's hurt, I might be able to temporarily reduce the toxin levels so he can reach proper help."

The boy hugged his partner, "I know… but if it comes after you, I wouldn't be able to forgive myself if I can't stop it in time. It's strong… it's fast… and it can paralyse you."

"I know…" Sakura pressed a hand to Gon's chest, "I won't be able to cure him, should the worse come… but if he's hurt, I'm the best chance he has to reach someone who CAN."

Having heard his partner's resolution and his commitment to trying to save their partner if the worst was to come… he relented. If Iason was injured, he doesn't know if he could fend off the shark and protect Iason at the same time.

But with Sakura… if he could keep the shark distracted for just long enough, he should be able to give his partners enough time to escape before making off on his own. He's done it once before… he can do it again.

"Alright, but if the situation gets dangerous, I want you to escape with Iason… no matter what."

The two jumped into the water, heading straight for the rocks. It was the last direction Sakura said he saw Iason headed. Gon hoped the two of them could make it in time. He doesn't want a repeat of Kite… to see his lover being attacked… ripped apart, by the monster.

Iason wasn't a fighter. He was strong, certainly… The boy would even go as far as to say from his experience alone, Iason is skilled with Nen… but like Steffelor, his ability isn't designed for fights, more to act as support… well, for assisting in rapid health recovery.

It's not something that could help kill a toxic creature. Unless… healing it would technically kill it, as though it were an undead creature being harmed, rather than healed.

Although, none of that mattered right now. It was saving his boyfriend. Regardless of whether Iason's Nen capabilities could kill the creature or not, he's not going to lose his partner to chance…

He doesn't want to be back in that position… to watching his lover get hurt, much less die before his eyes.

"~"

The creature's teeth clasped around the metal tank, rupturing what remained of his oxygen tank. His eyes widened, drawing his last breath before what remained in his tank filled with water.

Its tight grip allowed it to pull the boy off the rock, the shark pulling him away from the rock.

His eyes widened in fear as he was ripped away from his only latch of safety. Teeth digging in tight, he shook him like a rag doll, wanting to tire him out.

He couldn't succumb to fear. What he needed was to remain calm, to think the situation through. There was only one way to escape right now… and that was to hit the shark hard enough to the point it'll leave him alone.

Although, he needed to do it without getting any of the creature's toxin on his skin. Although the more it shook him, the harder it was to remain relaxed in the situation. In a desperate attempt, he flooded his body with aura, prepared to turn fast enough to push against the creature's nose in an attempt, to force it back.

But he needed to do this without any of those incredibly sharp teeth or the toxin landing on him; at that point, it'll be over for him. None of them knows exactly how fast the toxin works.

He just needed to punch it hard enough to get it to free him.

The moment his aura was released, so was its grip. The boy was about to move, getting ready to leave the area. This was possibly the only chance he's gonna get to escape; he was not about to waste it. However, the moment he was about to move, a surge of aura stopped him in his tracks.

"~"

Gon could smell the creature, it was close. He didn't know if Sakura could smell it. However, since his boyfriend wasn't saying anything on the matter… it was up to him to pick apart the scent, to hone in on its location.

Hopefully… it wasn't roaming and Iason was still alive.

Using its scent, the two were guided to the creature's location. When he saw it, the creature was latched onto Iason, rapidly swinging their partner from side to side like a toddler trying to devour spaghetti for the first time without any cutlery.

Gon thought he had improved… but he never thought he'd land back in that position, watching history repeat itself before his eyes.

Aura surged throughout his body, matching the creature's speed due to his aura eclipsing his body without warning. He felt it… he would've been happy within that moment, to feel Nen throughout his body. But he didn't care. All he was focused on, was killing the creature.

The impact barely dug into the creature's skin, but there was enough force to propel the boy and the creature forward, detaching them from his partner. The monster was briefly stunned, more shocked by the impact than the strength behind the punch.

Gon was practically screaming into his mask, letting out his anger on the creature, knuckle digging into the creature's body. The force was strong enough to cause some sort of damage. The monster's mouth opened and a cloud of yellow pushed puffing out covering the area ahead.

The creature was barely stunned from the action, once more moving, rounding back with its jaws open, ready to bite down on Gon.

The teen readied his stance prepared to take on the creature.

"~"

Iason was stunned, not only by Gon being there but by the fact he could use Nen. When and how did this happen? Why was Gon able to use Nen so efficiently even though he hadn't had access to it for months?

He was about to question it but then he saw Sakura was heading towards him. He felt a sense of relief and fear, to see his other partner here, even though he had told him to get out of the water, meant the moment Sakura escaped he called for Gon's assistance and then somehow managed to convince their partner, he needed to come to.

Why Sakura convinced Gon he needed to come back, he wasn't too sure. But seeing him here and still in one piece was relieving to him.

Yet, now that he was here… it meant Gon wasn't the only one in danger… Sakura was too. His partner tapped him on the shoulder, offering a unique smile due to the snorkel in his mouth.

The whole situation made him want to gasp in surprise, but the lack of an oxygen tank would've made that action ridiculous. He'll be sucking in water due to his damaged oxygen tanks.

As Sakura hugged him, the teen melted into the touch. It's as if nothing mattered, just the love and concern from his partner through a simple act, a touch could melt away all his concerns.

Then panic settled into the pit of his stomach. He smacked his partner's shoulder, needing to gesture to his boyfriend that he needed to surface right now.

When Sakura received the smack, he looked into his partner's eye. He saw his partner was in distress. The boy was gesturing to him that they needed to surface right now. He didn't bother notifying alerting his partner that he understood the situation, because he didn't. Instead, he swam with his partner up to the surface.

Once the two had resurfaced, Iason removed his mask, taking in a deep breath of air. He gasped with relief.

He had survived…

He hadn't drowned…

He was safe…

Sakura was safe…

But now Gon was in danger, even if he could use Nen…

He needed to voice his opinion and concern. Regardless of whether Gon could take the creature down with his new-found revived strength, that shark still posed a threat. All it would take is one wrong move, a chomp from its teeth and it'll all be over for him. Turning to his partner, the anxiety bubbled forth "Gon is in danger!"

"I know! We need to save him…" Sakura's body trembled, hugging himself out of fear and a hint of comfort, "But what can we do against the creature? It's too strong for us… When I saw it swing you, I froze up… I didn't know how to react. But he… He went in swinging without hesitation, punching the shark hard enough to detach it from you?"

"That's the thing… it let go of me the moment my aura burst forth. I think it sees Nen as a form of light! It must fear light or something. We can escape without Gon needing to fight it. Please, Sakura…" The boy pleaded, tears in his eyes. He hoped it wasn't too late. That he could make it in time to release his aura with a big enough radius to stop the creature in its tracks "Give me your scuba gear. I'll chase Gon down and bring him back without him needing to fight the creature!"

Sakura gave a nod of understanding. As much as he didn't want Iason to get closer to danger, he didn't want to lose Gon as well. Since Iason may have figured out a plan to save their partner, he'll place his complete and utter trust in his partner.

The boy removed his scuba gear.

Iason removed his gear quickly, allowing it to sink to the bottom of the ocean. While the gear could damage the ocean's creatures and wildlife, Gon's safety was the main priority… the only thing on his mind right now.

Once his gear was connected correctly, sitting comfortably on his body, he was pulled into a hug by Sakura "Bring him back…" The two held this position for as long as Iason could allow. He wanted it to last forever, to feel Sakura depend on him to be the one to save Gon.

Now that Gon had his Nen unlocked, there was a chance of Gon beating the creature… the one possible chance of them not only getting the reward but the paid vacation and all, also.

Though, even if that chance was quite high, neither he nor Sakura wanted the reward if Gon lost his life in the process. They'll never be able to forgive themselves…

If the creature has a vendetta, it might ignore Gon's aura and continue to attack him. That's provided if it's sane enough to even think about the light surrounding their boyfriend.

Pushing his partner away carefully, he offered a small smile at his partner "I will…"

Drawing a deep breath, he dunked his head back into the water, swimming deep into the depths of the creature's playground. Hopefully, Gon hadn't gone too deep or far from their location. The boy couldn't afford to be swimming all over the place trying to find his boyfriend, let alone the creature.

He needed to reach Gon in time…

Gon needed to survive until he gets there.

Seeing a small orange glow in the depths of the water, Iason swam towards it, hoping that it was, in fact, Gon and not a colourful fish off in the distance.