Roy lay motionless on his bed in the oppressive darkness, arms thrown heavily over his face, pretending to sleep. Truthfully, rest had eluded him entirely; every time his eyes slipped shut, haunting visions of black ocean depths surged forth, jerking him awake with a gasp. Hours blurred together, marked only by rare glances at the small, ticking clock mounted quietly on the wall.
Soft footsteps echoed outside,too quiet for Warrex's heavy boots, too gentle for Eryndra's sure strides. Three careful knocks came at the door, paused, then repeated patiently.
"Not now," Roy growled weakly, voice hoarse from disuse.
An eerie shriek ripped through the quiet, piercing, unsettlingly insistent. Another followed, louder, rattling the door itself. Roy's heartbeat quickened sharply. With a reluctant groan, he swung his legs off the bed and stumbled toward the door. "Alright, alright! I'm coming."
He cracked open the door slightly. Immediately, a skeletal hand shot through the gap, gripping the frame with surprising strength and flinging it wide. Skelly Mom stood before him, jittering impatiently on her bony feet.
"Really?" Roy croaked, bracing his weight against the door frame. "What is it you—"
She let loose another triumphant shriek and surged forward, scooping Roy into her arms effortlessly. Before he could protest, she began spinning through the quarters, shrieking joyously. A few of the smaller towers of carefully stacked cardboard from microwave meals toppled in chaos around them.
"Hey, watch—!" Roy started, but her spinning quickened until his vision blurred.
Finally, Skelly Mom settled gracefully onto his bed, placing Roy gently beside her. Her frenzied movements ceased abruptly, replaced by an eerie calm. Greyish flames began spiraling outward from her ribcage, enveloping her skeletal form. Roy tensed, anticipating scorching heat, but the flames were warm, gentle, even soothing.
Before his stunned eyes, the grey flames transformed into an elegant, flowing gown draping softly over her re-forming figure. Her dull white hair brightened to shimmering gold; flawless skin stretched over bones until she stood before him, regal, beautiful, a queenly vision. Roy stared, speechless.
"Speak, my beautiful boy," her voice resonated clearly, sharply, edged with both compassion and chilling authority.
Roy stiffened, instinctively defensive. "I… I don't want to talk," he muttered, averting his gaze. "I'm fine."
"You're not fine," Skelly Mom said quietly, her voice leaving no room for denial. Her eyes shifted subtly, becoming dark, bottomless pools of certainty. Roy shuddered slightly, a sudden awareness gripping him that she was truly seeing him, not just physically, but clearly perceiving the shape and depth of his very soul, every scar, every hidden sorrow plainly revealed beneath her gaze. "I see your soul clearly, Roy Gunn," she whispered gently. "So talk to me. Tell momma what's truly troubling you."
The intensity in her gaze pierced him. Something within Roy loosened reluctantly. "Fine," he whispered. "I thought I was dead down there. Hours trapped on that ocean floor, head pounding from the barrier, knowing that if it faltered even slightly, I'd drown or be crushed." His breath shuddered as he spoke.
"I felt utterly alone," Roy continued softly, voice cracking. "Dark shapes circling, the Presidroid destroyed because of me. I used him to breathe, and even then I couldn't save him." Tears burned his eyes; words spilled forth unchecked. "I saw this giant eye, an immense titan of mana just watching me. It could've destroyed me instantly, but it didn't."
Skelly Mom listened quietly, nodding gently. "You received a great honor," she murmured solemnly. "If your description is true, that was the eye of Cang himself."
"Cang?" Roy asked, confusion creasing his brow. "Who's that?"
"Another time, my precious boy," she replied softly. Her eyes softened momentarily, a flicker of genuine compassion crossing her features. "Right now, we must talk about you leaving this cage you've created. It's truly no different from the ocean floor you're afraid of." Her gaze sharpened. "Besides, your little metal golems have been up to endless mischief without your guidance. Just yesterday, I seriously considered turning them into creatures of flesh, simply to savor their expressions as I disassembled them piece by agonizing piece."
Roy's fists clenched anxiously. "But… I don't want to face that ocean again. I can't face that fear."
"Then don't," she said gently but firmly. "You owe this world nothing. If you wish, we can dock in Otherrealm forever, safely hidden behind walls. No one demanded you be a hero, Roy Gunn. You owe nothing, and the world owes you nothing. Simply live."
Roy stared, stunned by the sincerity in her offer. Yet something twisted uncomfortably within him. Was that truly what he wanted?
Skelly Mom reached out, her hand pressing softly against Roy's cheek. An unsettling chill seeped into his skin, a subtle yet invasive drain that made his heart falter. As she withdrew, a tiny, shimmering green sprite appeared in her palm, trembling violently. It burst suddenly into a chaotic swirl of tortured, screaming faces, each face twisted in eternal agony, the sounds echoing with despair. Her eyes darkened to abyssal pits, her voice dropping to a whisper edged with malevolent certainty. "Should the world ever burden you again, Roy, I will raze every city, silence every voice, and erase every trace of humanity itself, until nothing and no one remains to disturb your peace."
Roy recoiled, hands clamped over his ears. "What did you do?"
"I borrowed the smallest fragment of your soul," Skelly Mom said calmly, extinguishing the flames with a wave. "A small sacrifice to open the gates of the Realm of Suffering Sorrow."
Her grey flames dimmed slowly, her energy visibly waning. Her regal form faded, replaced once again by the familiar skeletal frame. Roy blinked, half-expecting the vision to return.
A sudden shriek jolted him, reasserting her usual persona. She stood and strode decisively to the door, flinging it open. Half the crew: Eryndra, Lutrian, Takara, Warrex, and several Presidroids stood crowded outside, each scrambling to feign innocence.
Warrex coughed awkwardly, backing from the captain's chair. "Eavesdropping? Certainly not. Merely cleaning the seat, yes."
Roy stared, then laughed, a deep, genuine sound that startled even him. Eryndra's eyes softened in relief; Lutrian tentatively smiled.
A blur of movement shattered the moment. Skellbro shot through the doorway, cackling gleefully. "REVENGE!" he screamed, toppling Roy's carefully stacked meal-box towers.
"NO!" Roy shouted, lunging after him. "You little shit!"
Skellbro shrieked happily, darting down the corridor, Roy close behind, laughter echoing warmly. Confused Presidroids watched as the rest of the crew followed, tension dissolving in the chase.
Something intangible shifted within the ship. Consoles and lights brightened noticeably, and Father Skeleton's bones stirred gently, beginning a slow reassembly.
Laughing freely, Roy felt alive again.
He slowed near the brig when faint sobs drifted through the bulkhead. Skellbro skidded to a stop beside him, cackles fading to curious silence. The rest of the crew arrived moments later, gathering behind Roy.
Inside, Sorrowclaw hunched in one corner, clutching her wrist and shaking with pain. Kaelor sat across the aisle, arms folded in stony silence. Riven lounged against his cell bars, snacking from a pouch and rolling his eyes at Sorrowclaw's misery.
Roy frowned. "What happened to her wrist?"
Skellbro bounced excitedly. "I curse! Gave many, many eternal soul‑wound. She feel wrist cut pain times one thousand! We family, I punish those who hurt family!"
Roy's stomach twisted. "Break the curse. Now."
Skellbro pouted. "But–but…"
"No buts." Roy's tone brooked no argument.
With a sulky flourish, Skellbro snapped his fingers. A ripple of dark green energy lifted from Sorrowclaw's arm. She gasped, tears of relief mixing with confusion as the agony vanished.
Roy leaned on the bars. "Anything you want to say?"
Sorrowclaw's eyes darted to Skellbro, who glowered. "He boss," Skellbro warned. "You talk to him."
Sorrowclaw dipped her head. "Thank you, Captain Gunn. Why help me?"
Roy hesitated, trying to parse his own feelings. "I guess… I beat you. I don't see a point in punishing you further." He shrugged, sounding less confident than his words. "Truth is, I'm so mad at you that if I don't do something nice, I'd probably kill you. And that would ruin my collection."
Sorrowclaw managed a shaky smile and withdrew into the shadows of her cell.
Outside, Eryndra lingered in the corridor, eyes down. Roy stepped forward and pulled her into a fierce hug, armor ridges digging into his ribs, he didn't mind.
"I'm okay," he whispered. "Bitch mode is over."
Eryndra's arms tightened.
Takara hurried in, eyes shining and breath hitching. "You vanished on us," she whispered, relief trembling in every word.
Lutrian edged close, wiping a sleeve across his face. "Having you back in action feels like a miracle."
Warrex approached in a more measured way, arms folded, a stoic expression overshadowed by a faint grin. "We are all glad you're safe," he said, clasping the group. Then, with a single grunt, he lifted them up in a big, embarrassing group hug. Roy felt Warrex's ears brush his cheek.
Roy let out a gurgle as Warrex squeezed too hard. "Uh— air?" he croaked. Warrex released them, stepping back with an apologetic cough.
From the brig, Riven's voice rang out. "Stop this madness! Could you please take this sappy nonsense elsewhere? It's too sweet for me, I might vomit."
Skellbro kicked his bars. "Fool! Tender moment!"
Outside, the Presidroids stood in neat rows, all saluting as one. "Captain! Welcome back!" they shouted, their synthetic voices carrying an oddly human warmth. Roy's throat tightened slightly as memories of Arthur surfaced.
From the rear row, a Presidroid stepped forward, carefully holding a neatly wrapped sandwich. "Captain," it said, voice slightly wavering, almost emotional. "Arthur was the finest sandwich-maker among us. We vow to uphold his standard, I will match his glory."
Roy blinked back tears, gently taking the sandwich into his hands. With deliberate reverence, he turned to the ocean and tossed it gently into the waves. A collective gasp rose from the Presidroids, but Roy merely bowed his head, whispering quietly, "He'll be the judge of that." His fingers brushed the fragment of Arthur's plating in his pocket. "That one's for you, friend."
A solemn wave of respect settled over the ranks. Behind Roy, Warrex and Lutrian glanced at each other, eyes misting from the gesture. Serenity accessed the ship's main guns, firing a single symbolic salvo, its thunder reverberating across the ocean.
"All right, enough of that," Roy said after a moment, voice steadying itself. "Presidroids, honor your fallen brother."
"Yes, Captain!" the Presidroids responded, tilting their heads skyward and unleashing a unified howl. Warrex and Eryndra joined in; Takara rolled her eyes but couldn't suppress a smile.
Roy inhaled deeply, letting the solemnity fade naturally. "Now—"
A nearby Presidroid cut him off politely. "Captain, my sensors suggest 'now' is precisely the time for a shower. You've achieved critical levels of…'stank ass.'"
Roy froze, stunned for a heartbeat before abruptly laughing, the tension dissolving instantly. "All right, fair enough. You guys win."
Skellbro cackled, appearing suddenly and grabbing Roy's hand. With relentless enthusiasm, he dragged Roy toward the showers, laughter from the crew echoing warmly behind them.