Peggy growled as Helga chuckled, "Touched a nerve there, did I? Oh, you poor thing, just had to fall for a guy that clearly was lacking in so much...".
"All this time..." , Steve said as Helga smirked, "Don't beat yourselves up too bad, I had Whitmore fooled from the very start; playing the long game was miserable but will be well worth it in the end.".
"You're not worried about being easily disposed? I heard fascists tend to undercut payment to those that do their dirty work.", Peggy could only really give snide remarks as a defense as Helga motioned her gun for Peggy and Steve to get up, "Come on, you two, quickly get dressed, we've got another meeting with the King, after all.".
Steve glared at her, leaving the bed first, grabbing his trousers and shirt, and then grabbed Peggy's clothes, covering her from sight, as she got dressed on the bed, and he replied, "I may be weak, Sinclair, but I ain't letting those men see her like this.", with a hard look on his face.
"Hmm, I'll give you respect for that one, but a tiny bit of respect still, Rogers.", Helga commented airily as Peggy fell in love a bit more with Steve, as he's clearly protecting her from those stormtroopers' possible perverted thoughts, even if she was wearing her unmentionables already as she was getting dressed.
Then a sound of a radio crackling was heard, and one of the stormtroopers picked it up, listening and speaking into it in German in quiet tones, and he then replied to Helga, "Agent Loki, Rourke and the others got Dernier, his brat kid, and the younger princess. The princess said that the older one and Thatch is on the right side of the city on the edge, and they're already starting out on the way there to the spot.".
"Good, we'll round up the princesses, and the rest of the crew, then take them to the King and force him to see our way of things in terms of getting what we want.", Helga said as the radio crackled again.
"Roger that. Resistance is practically non-existent; the locals don't seem to have much of the strength left to fight.", the radio responded.
"Look around, they're practically on the edge of extinction already... how they did what they did before... well, we'll find out.", Helga replied with a chuckle. "Like hell they'd tell you anything.", Peggy growled.
Helga smirked, "Oh, you'd be wrong...After all, family or love is a weakness in hostage situations...And for you two, you might have an idea where Erskine is.".
Steve replied, "No, we don't...He went with the trio, along with another friend, and we haven't seen him all day.", as Peggy finished getting dressed, and handed him his boots, leaving the bed, "He's right. And if he wasn't with the trio when Rourke found them, he would be somewhere else in the city...After all, you heard him. The king allowed us free will of exploring, doesn't mean that sticking to someone else or a group would last all day.".
Helga raised an eyebrow, and hummed, "Maybe I was a bit wrong about you...You're smart of certain things...But not too smart to notice us coming and break up your pathetic lovey-dovey time.", as Peggy glared at her, putting her boots on. "All dressed, lovebirds? Good. Let's go and reunite with Rourke and the others.".
Meanwhile, a while back, in an area of ruins near the lake, Kida held up a pole with a lantern of dormant and friendly firebugs as Milo is carefully snatching up one.
"You know, Kida, the most we ever hoped to find was some crumbling buildings, maybe some broken pottery. Instead, we find a living, thriving society.", Milo said before he finally caught one of the firebugs. "You know, these guys are kinda cute when they're not a fiery column of death.".
Kida sighed as she motioned for Milo to bring the bug to her lantern, "We are not thriving. You've seen and heard it already; we live, but our culture dies... We've become like a stone the ocean beats against. Year by year, we're slowly whittled away.".
Milo frowns and sighs, "I wish we could stay longer, Kida...Seeing all of this, the city, all those amazing people, it's so much more for me than you'd ever know...Back on the surface, before I met Steve and Opa, which I call Erskine as he felt like another grandfather, I was looked down by others, laughed at, and I barely had friends, only Fluffy, my pet, Mr. Whitmore eventually, and then the others in the crew...I hardly had a real home since Grandpa died...".
Kida exhales, "That is not right, Milo...You deserve so much more...But you've helped me so much...I can get my warriors to understand the hovercraft...You taught me a little to read Atlantean...And now, I brought you here to ask for your help once again...There's a mural here with pictures and writing all over the pictures, and it's not up here, but underwater...".
"Underwater? Like... um... how deep? Because I'm not exactly the greatest swimmer and holding my breath is a little... well...", Milo stammered a bit as Kida chuckled.
"Well, stay close to me and you should be able to last just long enough at least. Thankfully there's a few air pockets to use.", she told him as she stepped foot into the water before starting to grab at her clothes.
Milo blushed red as he stammered, "Kida...What are you doing?", and Kida replied, "My people swims without clothes sometimes, and I prefer it as it's refreshing...Do your people swim like this or do they not? Tell me if this makes you uncomfortable.", turning around with a flirty smile as she removed her sarong, throwing it off to the edge of the steps, leaving her in the bikini, waiting for his response.
"Well... um...", Milo closed his eyes as he took a deep breath. "Normally, where I'm from, folks wear swimming suits when they go for a swim these days at least. Times before, they'd normally just strip down completely as if taking a bath.", he explained as Kida nodded.
"Am I to guess that you didn't bring any of those swimsuits?", she asked as he shook his head, "Didn't exactly think I'd be swimming in a more recreational and relaxed fashion, so, no...".
Kida replied warmly, "Well, if you are uncomfortable with me stripping down, I will not do it then.", and Milo shook his head, "If swimming naked is refreshing for you, I will not mind as I want you to be comfortable and happy to be yourself, Kida.".
"That means a lot, Milo...Thank you...", Kida smiled happily before stripping down casually while her heart skipped a beat as this is the first time her destined mate would look at her like this...That kiss on the cheek at her sacred place was wonderful...
She hopes that Milo would peek at her often during the underwater swim, though she is also determined to know what the mural with the pictures and writing meant as it looked familiar to her somehow from like a faint memory.
Milo honestly was stunned by the sight of her. Sure, her normal attire didn't leave much to the imagination to begin with, but to see her now in all her glory practically made his heart stop for a moment. She was as if the Greeks had carved her from marble; she was practically the epitome of perfection when it came to her body. Perfect breasts, perfect hips and behind, and then of course, the well fashioned patch of white hair that laid above her womanhood that she obviously had trimmed.
"Milo?", Kida asked as she gave a small smile at just how red he was in the face. "You're perfect...", Milo muttered as she chuckled.
"That must be the highest praise then since you've probably seen so many women up on the surface.", she said as he shook his head, "Well, never actually seen a woman naked before, aside from books and all...".
"So, what about you? Do you think you could be able to do the same or would you rather swim as you at least are?", Kida asked as Milo glanced back at his bag before an idea hit him. His bag was waterproof; if sealed perfectly, everything inside it would stay dry!
Milo replied, "I think I will join you as well...Do you mind if I take my bag along to keep some of our clothes dry until we need it? Just in case when we return back here if your sister is being an annoying little sister or something?", with a sheepish chuckle.
Kida hummed, "Good point as I have told her where I was planning to take you to...", as Milo nodded, taking her bra and bikini panties into his bag while he stripped down nervously, putting his shoes, socks, trousers and shirt to lay near Kida's sarong, as they would need them to get dressed again when they return, while putting his boxers into his bag, sealing the bag, along with the Journal carefully, and shouldered it across his chest.
He then looked at Kida with a nervous smile, "How do you think?", as he walked to the edge, and Kida looked him up and down, smiling warmly, "You look built to be a good swimmer, Milo, and I have to say that you are cute. Not the adorable-cute sort of way, but rather the attractive-cute sort of way.".
Milo blushed again as she smiled. "Thanks...", he said as he took a deep breath. "Okay then, why don't you lead the way?".
"With pleasure... try to keep close; the first air pocket is a bit of a distance if we don't hurry.", Kida told him before she held her breath and he did the same and dived under the waves.
Milo is amazed at how Kida is so fluid through the water, almost like a mermaid, unable to take his eyes off her as he followed her as she looks even more perfect under the water, and soon, they approached the first air pocket, and they took deep breaths as they surfaced.
Kida checked over him, "Are you all right?", and Milo nodded, "Yeah, I think so. If I do that more, I might be able to hold my breath slightly longer each time.".
"Good. And use your core to swim easier and use your legs more. I'm sorry to say this, but you are like a starfish...", Kida giggled, and Milo chuckled sheepishly, "Been awhile since I last swam. Use my core and use my legs more, gotcha.".
Kida nodded, "We still got a long way to go, but plenty of air pockets on the way. Follow me.", before taking a deep breath and dived under the water, with Milo following her, swimming a bit easier now by keeping to Kida's advice.
And so, they took about a half hour of using the air pockets and swimming a long way before they reached another air pocket, and they surfaced once more, with Kida replying, "Okay, the mural is close. You feeling good so far?".
Milo nodded, "Yeah, pretty much, and of course, I didn't drown either, thanks to your advice.", and Kida smiled, "Great. Let's go.", before taking a deep breath and went under the water, with Milo following her deep down below the air pocket, and Kida showed him with her glowing crystal's help, finding the mural almost instantly.
Milo only had a brief window of time to take a look and read before he would need to come up for air. He was really wishing that he had one of the diving suits that had been brought along but lost on the journey. Milo was amazed at the sight of it as he looked and read the symbols. Words and sentences quickly formed before he and Kida swam back to the air pocket.
"Well?", Kida asked as they tried to catch their breath. "Need another go... I almost got what you were shining!", Milo told her as she nodded, and they went back for another dive. Some moments later, the two of them once more were back in the air pocket.
"It's amazing!", Milo was practically giddy with excitement. "A complete history of Atlantis! It's just like Plato described it; off by some details but darn it all, was he pretty accurate!".
Kida replied, "And the pictures? Did they say anything about those? Like the floating light above the city from my memory?", as she now realized why her faint memories looked so familiar to the mural and Milo replied, "I really need to be up close to read. Let's go again. We will find this out, Kida, come on.", with a determined nod, wanting to help her before taking a deep breath, and then dived under the water, with Kida following him quickly, helping him.
After a few moments of canvassing further, Milo is understanding better, yet there's something familiar about the light surrounded by stone warriors...Almost like a crystal...Wait, the power source!
He looked at Kida, grabbing her crystal, pointing to it, and pointing upwards, and went back to the air pocket, panting excitedly, looking at Kida, "It's the Heart of Atlantis, Kida! The light above the city, the pictures, they're exactly the same! It's a big crystal, far bigger than this!", grabbing her crystal as it glowed into the air.
Kida whispered, "But how is that possible? Why couldn't we see it?", and Milo replied, "It's keeping this city, all of the people, you and your sister alive, that's why you've been living so long without aging much! And...and...I don't know...If it's the power source, it's hiding...It can't be far from this city...But Plato didn't say where...Wait...unless the missing page in the book...Grandpa...He must have...realized that...".
"Milo, what is it?", Kida asked in concern, and Milo looked at her, "I think...I think that's why he was protecting me...Because the giant crystal, the Heart of Atlantis, it's a tempting power for our enemies up there on the surface...", and Kida gasped softly, "Oh, by the Great Kings of the Past, that...he didn't know that our culture, us...are dying...because...he thought the crystal is here, but it isn't...".
Milo whispered, "It wasn't his fault...he didn't know that you were real, all of this, yet he knew it was true, a real place...He probably have thought that it was ruins and all, like I did...I'm sorry, Kida...I wish I knew where the Heart is...it would be anywhere in the vicinity of the city...".
"Milo...It's okay...You have done so much already for me...It isn't your fault either...But there's something you can do, even if it's disobeying my father's orders... I need you...We need you...", Kida replied softly. Milo took a deep breath, "Well... listen, Kida... I want to help...".
"Then do!", Kida practically shouted. "Please, if you leave, that's it... we'll all be gone within another century at this rate!", she argued as Milo held up his hands, "I know, I know! I'm just... It's your father, I worry about what he'd do to you if he found out...".
Kida replied, "He knows that I'm the crown heir to the throne, and if he disowns me, he has Sia as she has been taught similarly, but less than I had been taught. But he loves me too much to disown me. Best is that he would ground me from hunting. And I can hide you if I must.".
Milo sighed, "But hiding is the coward's way, and what would your people think if they found out that you've been harboring me, a surfacer? You said you had to work hard to earn their respect and all when you went out to train up for hunting, and of course, Sia followed you as well...".
Kida looked taken aback, and bit her lip, trying to think, "But I don't want him to kill you if you tried to talk with him! There has to be something...something that will have to convince him...", tears prickling at her eyes before she widened her eyes and then whispered, "Prince Consort...".
"What?", Milo asked in confusion, and Kida looked at him, "You can be alive and safe, and Father won't kill you if he knew that you are my prince consort and mate, especially if I'm carrying his grandchild...".
Milo's eyes widened when he heard that. "Wait, Prince? GRANDCHILD?!". He almost fell back underneath the water with how much that practically made him jump. "Milo... this might be the only way for us... for all of us...", Kida said as she gently placed a hand on his face.
"Kida, I'm- I'm deeply honored, but... me? A prince? To sire your child? Don't you think we might be a bit in a rush of things?", Milo asked as she closed her eyes. He needed to at least know the truth... about her dreams that involved him... as well as what happened when she had healed him.
Kida took a deep breath, and opened her eyes to look at him, "Milo...There's a reason why I haven't ordered my team to kill you and your crew upon the first sight we saw of you from our hunting trip...It was because of you...I...a few years ago, I dreamed about you, of your face...I thought you were sent by the Great Kings of the Past to come to Atlantis, to be the help I always asked for, and that you were my destined mate...".
