"Hades, you got anything?" I asked as he ran his scanner through her. "Her brain activity is off the charts, but I don't know what it is". I sighed as the ship landed. The ramp opened and a ghost in a green and pink shell floated out. "C'mon, get your dumb face in the ship, we have to go" it said in a neutral tone, which was weird. I carried her over to the same bed she had slept last time she was hurt, and told Hades to monitor her. I took off my chestplate and threw it on the bed across the aisle. I looked at her for a moment, frown on my lips, and walked over to a small fridge, took a bottle of water and a protein bar and walked over to the cockpit. I sat in one of the chairs and watched out the window as Sam piloted the ship to orbit. I felt her watching me the whole time. "Don't say anything... not now" I said as I laid my head back and closed my eyes.

All I could so was stare at them, shaking my head and looking away. I failed them, I didn't deserve this, [i]they[/i] didn't deserve this...pahanins voice shook me from my conflicting thoughts, his tone soothing. "You've punished yourself for so long over our deaths when it was out of your control. I failed as a teacher, I failed [i]you[/i] artemis."he said reassuringly, the others gathering around. Their faces were so...clear. God I missed them... "But you did it...I'm proud of you, you can let go now."he continued and I only stared, numb to the pain now. I felt an embrace and I closed my eyes, letting out a deep breath I hadn't realized I've been holding. "You need to fight for yourself for once."I heard Aries called out, my heart pounding against my chest. I looked to him, finally, noticing the pained look on their faces as they came to the realization. It wasn't time, they knew it and so did i...but I didn't want to fight. I wanted to be selfish, to just...give up. But pain continued to ebbe at my head. Hades hovered above, keeping track of vitals and the activity that worried him. What could possibly be happening to cause such abnormality?... "Just hold on A...Wade will fix you."he said, making himself feel better with his words. The titan had watched out for her for months now, trusting he wouldn't fail now. He dematerialized her helmet, noting the slight frown on her lips.

I woke up a few hours later, Sam was still in the cockpit, probably running diagnostics. I rubbed my eyes and stood up. "Sam, come with me" I said to my ghost as I walked out of the cockpit. "No thank you, I'll stay here" she answered in a dismissive tone. "I bet your others ghost friend can help you". I chuckled, "you're not jealous, are you?" I asked and turned around. "Of what? That you've been keeping me completely in the dark while working with a gorgeous huntress and her ghost, completely ignoring me and leaving me to work at that ship bay? Wade I've been doing inventory checks for 8 months now and hearing nothing of you!" She said turning to me, that little shell spinning like it had a stroke. I knew she was right, but it had probably been better than sitting on the wall. I was about to say something to her, but a loud noise from the bed area stopped me. "Hades?"

The ghost whirrred around in alarm in the room, practically frantic at the news. "Wade, shit, uh excuse my language."he began "her vitals dropped dangerously low, everything; heart rate, respiration rate, that...strange brain activity. I...I don't know what to do."he relayed, hovering above her slowly. He had never felt so helpless, not since the last time, but this was worse...much much worse. -- I stared at them, pulling away from pahanins embrace, brows furrowed in conflict. My mentors words were what I've wanted to hear for a long time, feeling a form of relief wash over me that once weighed me down for years. It was a sense of closure that I never got. I looked up, passing a glance to each and everyone, noting the smiles that curved at each of their lips. I had...[i]we[/i] had avenged them, a form of euphoria bubbling in my chest. Wait...we? [i]wade[/i] I thought, coming to the realization. Pain returned to me and I gave them a panicked look, but they only smiled. As if in reassurance.

"Ah shit" I sighed and ran up to her, and removed her scorched chestplate and threw it on the floor and pressed my ear on her chest as I looked for a pulse on her wrist. I listened for a moment, before my eyes widened. She didn't have a pulse. "Fvck" I said as I turned to look at Hades, but he wasn't...he wasn't going to be any help. "Sam!" I yelled at the direction of the cockpit. "Sam I need you, where's the defibrillator" I yelled as I started doing the presses. The defib materialized next to me, hitting the floor with a loud thump. I finished my set of compressions and breaths and listened. [i]Still nothing[/i] I set the defib and waited for it to charge. [i]Clear[/i] I counted myself and shocked her...nothing. I tried again... nothing. I knew that trying the third time was a long shot but I wasn't going to give up. I gave her another shot of adrenaline and waited a few seconds, and shocked her... nothing. I slumped on the floor, defeated. I just watched her for a moment, laying there lifeless. A sudden surge of arc energy shot through me right arm. "Goddamnit Artemis!" I smashed her chest.

Warmth. Being in their presence no longer made me fearful, bit happy that I had eased their pain...and my own. I felt myself smile and looked up to Pahanin one last time, his mouth moving in slow motion. "Go home Artemis."he said with a smile, the blinding world around me crumbling as I felt arc energy pull me. It was like I was surfacing from water, taking in a large inhale, then smaller gasps as I tried to regain breathing regulation. I saw hades float above my head, squinting to see him clearly due to my pounding head. [i]what the?...[/i]I mused, lolling my head to the side, eyes landing on the titan. "Wade?"