Sink or Swim

A Brief Respite

Waves wash up against and recede from the shore. Seagulls fly overhead, crying out in their repetitive squeaking. The water shimmers beautifully as the sun hangs low over the horizon, casting long shadows on the ground. She breathes in, relishing the smells and sounds of the ocean on this early morning.

"I thought I'd find you here."

Dim yellow eyes open but do not turn from the water as the speaker sits beside her in the sand.

"How are you today?"

She sighs, pulling her knees to her chest and holding them there with her arms, "As good as I can be."

"Just give it time, Purity."

"I told you to not call me that, Sigma," Purifier says, quietly, "I no longer deserve that name... nor your comfort."

"And yet, here I am," Sigma replies, wrapping an arm around the other Transhuman, "It wasn't your fault."

"Was it?" Purifier asks, "I remember all of it, Sigma. I remember how much I enjoyed causing destruction, chaos, death. I... I don't think we can go back to the way things were."

"Then we'll make something new," Sigma insists, pulling her closer to rest against him with her head on his shoulder, "Together."

Purifier closes her eyes, giving in to Sigma's affections, "What did I do to deserve you?"

"You came back," Sigma answers, "In spite of the Empress' influences, you still are Purity. I like to think that was the reason you revealed yourself to me."

"Yeah, by almost killing your kid," Purifier huffs.

Sigma looks at her so quickly that he might've broken his neck if not for his inhuman nature, "Ashford is not my child."

Purifier laughs, a beautiful sound to Sigma, "Well, you sure act like his dad. It's the same for the other two, Frank and Katherine. You've made yourself a new family, Sig. It's one that I don't have a place in."

"Would you stop with the self-pity?" Sigma sighs, "Everything that has happened to you, to me, to all of us, is because of the Empress. If you want to blame anyone, blame her."

"Then why are we sitting here, talking about all this mushy stuff when we should be out there killing her?" Purifier asks, angrily.

"Because it is far too early to go Siren hunting and I haven't held you in almost a century," Sigma answers, holding Purifier tighter.

"You are so sappy."

"And you love me for it."

"Yeah... I do."

____

"So, how long until they bang?"

"Frank!"

"Wha - hey! Hey hey hey! Watch it - OW!" Frank yelps as Katherine smacks him upside the head, "The fuck was that for?"

"For ruining the moment!" Katherine fumes.

"How is it ruining the moment if they can't even hear us?" Frank asks, looking further down the beach where the two Transhumans are laying.

"It's still rude to say things like that!" Katherine insists.

"It's also rude to spy on people, but you have no reservations about that?" Frank retorts.

"That's enough," Ashford cuts in, "Let's head back before either of them notice us. I don't really feel like getting in trouble because you two decided to drag me along."

"We didn't drag you along. Kat gave you doe eyes and you caved in faster than a railgun shot through a corvette," Frank points out, "Speaking of..."

"Frank," Ashford growls, glaring at the blonde man.

"Alright! Alright!" Frank says, holding his hands up placatingly, "Who knew you were so touchy."

"How 'bout you three just leave before they catch you?" Irwin suggests.

"Yes. Thank you, Irwin...," Ashford says before pausing, "Wait..."

"Let's go lads," Irwin says.

"OW! Let go of me, spacedog!"

"Is this - hrk - really -gah - necessary?"

"Come along, Katherine," Irwin calls over his shoulder as he drags the two younger men by the ear.

"Yes, sir," Katherine laughs, winking at Ashford as she skips past.

____

"Should we... help them?" Helena asks as she watches four of the Captains walk further into the base, two of the men being pulled along by the third while the sole female laughs.

The Kansen USS Helena is a young woman, with long blue hair and blue eyes. Today, she is not dressed in her white and blue uniform. Instead, she's dressed in a more casual outfit consisting of a pair of shorts and a t-shirt, with a picnic basket held in the crook of her arm.

"Nah, they'll be fine after Irwin finishes chewing them out," Cleveland, also in casual attire, assures their girlfriend before grabbing Helena's free hand, "Come on, we can find another spot to have a picnic. Maybe somewhere AWAY FROM PRYING EYES!?"

Cleveland directs their last sentence over their shoulder, grinning when the sounds of alarmed whispers and the frantic scrambling of feet reaches their ears.

Helena glances towards the source of the noises - somewhere behind the corner of a nearby building - and then at her girlfriend, "Was that..."

"Our sisters? Yeah," Cleveland answers before tugging on Helena's hand impatiently, "Now, come on. Let's get going before they come back!"

Helena laughs, letting Cleveland pull her along.