Fragments (Entrapdak)

[Waking]

Mermista surfaced slowly. Her head was heavy, and the taste of sand was in her mouth. She felt beat up and hung over, as if she'd been in a bar fight. She struggled to remember what happened. Ugh, where am I? What's with all that noise?

The steady buzz in her ears was getting louder, loud enough for her to realize it was the sound of voices. "Quiet down, will you?" she mumbled.

"Ah, dearest, you're awake!"

There was no mistaking that voice. Mermista raised her hands to rub her face. She was leaning over something, and as she shifted, she realized that something was alive. She opened her eyes and was greeted with a view of a metal floor, with Sea Hawk's boots standing beside her.

"What the...?"

"I knew you would come back to me, my sweetest Mermista," Sea Hawk gushed. "Horde Prime could never keep hold of you. The fire of your spirit is too strong!"

A flash of green light. Stabbing pain in the back of her neck. Mermista groaned, both at the volume of Sea Hawk's voice and the echo of overwhelming thought-destroying pain. She closed her eyes. "Youuuuu can knock me back out now."

"Nonsense! I've only just got you back."

"How are you feeling?" Spinny asked, leaning down beside her. "Can I get you anything?"

"Not right now," Mermista replied. "I feel like I got rolled down a hill. What happened?"

"After you were chipped, Sea Hawk, Netossa, and Swift Wind tracked you down. I don't know how they did it, but they were able to knock you out and bring you back to us. Then Hordak removed your chip."

"Hordak?" Mermista struggled to push herself up. She craned her neck and saw Hordak was indeed standing there behind the others, regarding her cooly.

Mermista stared right back. There was no way Hordak would choose to help her. "Is this some kind of joke?"

"It is no joke, dearest," Sea Hawk assured her. "I witnessed it with my own two eyes."

Mermista glanced around at everyone, just in case this really was an elaborate trick after all. Nope, they're all serious... ho-ly shit. As much as Mermista was angered by the mere sight of Hordak, she couldn't shrug this aside. It felt strange, being indebted to a former tyrant. Not indebted, she argued with herself. After all the damage he caused, he owes us.

"Thanks, uh... for getting the chip off."

Hordak inclined his head.

"Just so you know, I still haven't forgotten about Salineas, or all the other times your army attacked us."

"I am well aware."

Mermista squinted at him carefully, trying to shift herself to a more dignified position. "Ugh, can someone get me off this horse?"

"Excuse me," Swift Wind remarked. "I think what you meant to say was 'thank you, Swift Wind, for risking your life for me and carrying me to safety.'"

"Thank you, Swift Wind, for risking your life," she drawled. "But your back is digging into my stomach."

"Allow me!" Sea Hawk came around behind her and half lifted half slid Mermista from Swift Wind's back. She stood shakily on her own two feet, Sea Hawk's arm around her shoulders, torn between embarrassment and relief. The last thing she wanted right now was to collapse to the floor, but she would not admit how comforting it was to lean against Sea Hawk. Why am I still shaking? A part of her wanted to turn and put her arms around him for comfort. Shit, what's wrong with me?