[ takes place after what sort of damage ends ]

The night was quiet when Siegfried materialized back on the rooftop he’d left some hours earlier for his Wonder. He wasn’t much for taking care of an abandoned island with crabs and sunbleached wood, but something sparked in him when Cybele unfurled her wings and gained Princesshood. He couldn’t explain it, not really. It was kind of like a sense of duty had settled around his shoulders, even more so than when he stepped into the light years ago. Cybele might not have been his princess specifically… but he was her knight. Just as much as he was Albireo’s knight.

Part of that meant he spent more time on the Isle, cleaning and just sort of exploring. There wasn’t a whole lot of space, mind you, but he kept finding new little things to investigate or catalog. It kept him busy, and it did seem to have some slow improvement to the isle itself. Less dust, more insects and beach creatures. Part of his next ideas were to build and/or fix up a ‘Captain’s Quarters’ for himself, his girls and a few guests. Maybe not make it inhabitable for very long, but at least for a short trip or more regular visits.

Going weekly was a slow process in getting things more comfortable and livable, especially if he only had a few hours to work. It would get finished eventually, just… would take awhile. Unfortunately.

The only other downside was that he was just about out of contact while he was on Neptune. If they were powered at the time, he’d get it via his signet ring, but otherwise? He wasn’t reachable if something happened. Given how both of his girlfriends seemed to get into messes when he wasn’t around, it really didn’t sit well with him if he wasn’t reachable for very long. It worried him probably more than it worried the girls to be honest.

He’d been in this fight too long now to assume either of them were entirely safe.

He dropped off the roof and landed, dropping his powered form as he stood back up.

His phone erupted in several notification sounds as it reconnected to the network. He chuckled, wondering what giant amount of gifs the girls had sent him this time.

Octavian pulled it from his pocket, unlocking it and checking the notifications.

His vision narrowed until he could only read the message staring up at him.

Brielle. Hospital. Critical care.

His heart dropped into his stomach and his legs moved.

Bri was hurt. Bri was hurt bad.

Panic roiled in his chest and he sprinted down the alleys, powering back up with a flash of sea salt in the air and the crash of a wave echoing against the buildings.

No no no no Cybele baby no no no BRIELLE!

Siegfried ran.

He ran and didn’t stop until the hospital Brielle was in came into view. Even then, he barely had the presence of mind to drop his powered glamour and run in as his regular Octavian self.

He didn’t stop moving until he fell to his knees next to her bed, silver eyes wide in terror and grief.


[ WC: 526 ]