Zeta

Chapter 17 Homecoming

     A deep yawn echoed throughout the bedroom, the sun peering through the opened window as the curtains lifted with the gentle breeze. Birds chirped away in the distance, and the tides steadily rose and fell along the beach.
     The fog veiling the Oceanic Sea had vanished, and so Ruby Andromeda awoke to a peachy horizon and a beaming sun. The young girl groaned as she stretched her arms, the blanket falling from her shoulders as she glanced to her bedside. The metals of her armor was neatly placed on a chair to her right, leaving her in her tight, black undersuit.
     "Please tell me it was Neo who put me to bed-"
     "Actually, 'twas I." Julie Sylvia seemingly appeared out of thin air on the opposite side, the poor redhead letting out a shriek and falling backwards off the bed, hitting her head on the floor! "Oh my, are you okay?" The Water Girl asked, standing to try and see over the mattress.
     ". . . I'm okay. . ." Ruby sighed, rising to her feet and shaking off dizziness. After a quick breath, a smile spread across her lips as she met the bluenette's navy blue eyes with her own maroon. "So, we won right?"
     "That we did." Julie remarked happily, her perpetually soaked hair and skin glistening with the sunlight. "If you're wondering, our friends are in the living room relaxing. And Neo is doing well, all things considered. And it seems you're alright, too." The younger girl let out a sigh of relief and a small snicker, then looked down to her gear, and wasted no time in re-equipping herself. She hopped in place just to make sure she was actually okay, and to get a feel of her armor again, and sure enough, Ruby felt good as new.
     "That's all good to hear! Let's go. . . Hey, wait a second." Ruby paused as she and Julie were about to leave the room. "What are you and Adam going to do?"
     "Oh, we plan on joining the Goddess Hestia's faction." The once member of Demeter dropped the bomb, the rookie of Hestia's jaw dropping!
     "What?! B-But the Goddess told us you two didn't wanna join?!" The maroonette exclaimed in shock, the Water Girl chuckling before smiling mischievously.
     "Adam and I are basically siblings, he the brother, I the sister. I simply had to beg and he caved." Julie couldn't stop herself from giggling, remembering just how easily her 'big brother' gave in to her whims.
     "Oh, so he's a big softie?" Ruby didn't have that hard of a time imagining it, chuckling herself as she reached for the doorknob. "Well, at least I know it'll be fun having you two around!" With a twist and pull, the door opened, and the babies of Demeter and Hestia reunited with their friends.
     The condo's living room was lively, the members of Beta seated on the couch, battling to death in a video game, and Adam vigorously polishing his katana on the coffee table.
     "You three are every kind of annoying." The masked boy commented as Ren once again dominated the competition.
     "Why don't you step into the ring then, Adam?!" Blue challenged, holding up a fourth controller. The fiery redhead glanced to his weapon and then to the device, rolling his eyes and snatching it from the older boy's hands.
     "If I win, we put on a movie." The Blaze decided.
     "IF ya win!" Barbara interjected with a feral grin.
     "You two are acting as if you've won yet." Ren mumbled dryly.
     "SHUT UP!" Blue and Barb yelled, and before long, the four teens were duking it out in game, and within the first minute, the Blue and Barbara were out of lives and passed out on the couch, souls leaving their bodies while Adam and Ren battled for first place.
     "Woah, I never pegged you for a gamer, Adam." Ruby muttered aloud as she watched in amazement as the member of Beta and the swordsman went back and forth, blocking, dodging, tying together combos, and the likes.
     "No one does. . . Wait." In his brief moment of distraction, the redhead was blitzed by Ren, losing his chance at victory. "I. . ." With an annoyed sigh, the Blaze looked over his shoulder and met the maroonette's shameless smile. "You seem to be having a great time."
     "RUBY!" Team Beta cheered as one, the K-O'ed members reinvigorated with new life!
     "Hey te-EAM!" She yelled as she was tackled onto the ground by Barbara and Blue, Ren facepalming as his teammates crushed her!
     "This is for making us worry!" The Weapons Specialist cried, tightening her grasp and pushing the air out of the young girl's lungs!
     "Please be careful, she just woke up." Julie sighed, grabbing the two delinquents and trying to pry them off.
     "No can do! After what she did against that Cain guy, she's probably stronger than my idiotic teammates!" Blue cackled!
     "HEY!" Barb and Ren shouted as their leader added a bit of HardLight to himself, further placing weight onto Ruby.
     "I'm DyInG!" She begged, gasping for air as the weight suddenly vanished! Adam held Blue and Barbara by the back of their necks and nonchalantly tossed them over the couch and onto Ren, each of them yelling out in pain as they were caught in a tangle of limbs.
     "You know they have a point. Though, I'd argue you've surpassed them all." The masked boy jabbed, smirking as Beta groaned. His 'little sister' helped the downed girl to her feet, the Andromeda rubbing her belly.
     "I mean. . . That was more you guys than me. I couldn't really hurt that guy." Ruby mumbled shyly, blushing under the praise.
     "Believe what you want, but you're wrong." Adam declared bluntly, the oddball of the group chuckling nervously.
     "Um. . . Okay." The maroonette muttered, unsure of what to think of the Blaze's words. She let out a soft yelp as the Water Girl pat her on the shoulder.
     "Enough of all this, let's get you something to eat." Julie laughed as Ruby's empty stomach growled, the redhead shrinking from embarrassment.
     "Y-Yeah, that's a good idea. . ." And it was not long before the two children of Demeter were made aware of her peculiar eating habits. . . .