The docks of Otherrealm sat oddly quiet for midday. A lazy breeze rustled through drying nets as waves lapped gently against the pilings, mingling with distant sounds of construction echoing from the growing city. Roy stood at the edge of the pier, wearing plain clothes, no armor or weapons. He stared into the shallow water below, trying, and mostly failing, to calm his nerves.
He inhaled slowly, forcing himself forward until the tips of his shoes touched damp wood. His pulse quickened at the briny smell. Images flashed unbidden through his mind: the crushing darkness, chains wrapped tightly around his ankle, the endless, airless depths.
Enough, he thought bitterly. Get a damn grip, Roy.
He knelt, looking at his reflection distorted in the ripples. Memories churned again, but he steadied himself, breathing deeply, trying to recall the strength he'd felt when Eryndra had stood beside him, when Lutrian and Warrex silently shielded him from embarrassment. He could face this himself, had to face it.
Suddenly, a sharp cry shattered the calm. Roy jerked his head toward the sound, squinting into the sunlight. Another scream, higher and more desperate, followed by splashing. His heart slammed hard against his ribs.
"Hello?" Roy called, moving along the dock quickly. He shaded his eyes, finally spotting a small figure struggling in the waves about twenty yards out. A child, thrashing weakly.
"Kid!" Roy shouted, voice sharp with urgency. "Hold on!"
He pressed the communicator at his ear. "Eryndra, Lutrian, someone's drowning near Dock 3!"
Static crackled before Serenity's smooth voice replied calmly. "Eryndra is away at the forest boundary. Presidroids dispatched, arrival in approximately one minute. Calling Lutrian and Warrex as well."
"One minute's too long," Roy muttered, heart racing. He saw the small form vanish briefly beneath the surface and reappear, weaker this time. No one else was nearby; hesitation meant death.
He didn't let himself think again. Roy yanked off shoes and shirt, sprinted forward, and dove.
The frigid water wrapped around him instantly, panic flaring through his muscles. For a sickening moment, his limbs seized up, memories clawing at him. But then he saw the small girl sinking deeper, limbs limp and drifting downward.
No. Not today, he thought fiercely.
He pushed downward, every instinct screaming against the cold pressure of the ocean. He reached out, fingers grasping her wrist, and turned to swim upward. Lungs burning, he broke the surface with a gasp, pulling the girl's tiny body with him. She hung limp and silent against him.
Struggling toward the pier, Roy saw distant shapes sprinting across the shoreline. Warrex's hulking form and Lutrian's golden aura blazing bright, but still too far away. Alone for the moment, he forced his limbs to propel him forward, gripping a dock post with shaking hands. With effort, he hoisted the girl onto the concrete, then dragged himself up beside her, coughing and trembling.
She lay motionless. Roy's gut twisted. "Come on," he urged, pressing on her chest urgently. "Breathe, dammit!"
He forced air into her lungs, desperate and awkward. Again, again, until at last she convulsed, sputtering seawater.
"Agh, ugh, gross, kid, you got seawater in my mouth," Roy complained, spitting to the side. Relief surged, mingling with exhausted amusement. "You little shit, you just had to drown, didn't you? Now my clothes are soaked, and I gotta shower again."
The girl blinked weakly, eyes filling with tears. Roy gently propped her on her side, rubbing her back soothingly. Warrex and Lutrian finally skidded to a stop nearby, breathing heavily.
Warrex moved forward instinctively, but Lutrian's firm hand halted him. "Wait," Lutrian murmured quietly. "He did it alone. Let him finish alone."
Warrex growled quietly, nodding stiffly. "Damn it, Serenity! Why didn't you call us sooner? Made me run halfway across the city."
Roy shot them a grateful smirk, still coughing lightly. The girl trembled, clinging to Roy's arm.
"You're… that girl we freed from the slaver's ship, aren't you?" he asked softly, scanning the shoreline. "Your dad usually works around here, right?"
She shuddered violently, tears overflowing. "I...have no daddy," she whispered, voice breaking. "He went into the water… he didn't come back. Daddy's gone."
Roy's chest tightened painfully. He vividly remembered the girl's father, a quiet, withdrawn man who had never recovered from the betrayal by his own wife, who sold both him and their daughter into slavery. Roy had seen him lingering near the docks recently, staring blankly out at the sea, empty eyes haunted by memories Roy couldn't fully imagine.
"Oh," Roy said quietly, dread pooling in his stomach. He forced a gentle smile for the girl's sake, hiding the uncertainty he felt. "We'll... figure something out, okay? There's someone aboard the Nightshatter who's an expert at finding lost things. If anyone can help, it's him."
She sniffled, clinging tightly to Roy's arm, desperate and trembling. Roy ruffled her damp hair gently. "Hey, Lutrian, escort this fine young lady aboard the Nightshatter, alright? First-class treatment, hot food, dry clothes, the works. Got it?"
Lutrian knelt beside her, his voice gentle and calm. "Of course, Captain."
As they walked away, Roy felt exhaustion seep into his bones. Yet beneath the fatigue was a newfound sense of quiet triumph. He had faced it alone, and won.
The days following that incident felt strangely lighter. Roy walked freely around the ship, instructing Presidroids, helping freed slaves build. Otherrealm slowly returned to normalcy, farms flourishing and trade bustling. Life felt good again.
Until five days later, when Serenity's distant drones delivered grim news. Caliban was approaching, leading a massive airborne force atop a giant dragon.
On the Nightshatter's bridge, Roy stood beside Warrex and Lutrian, watching the drones' projected footage. "Caliban's here for me," Roy said firmly. "He wouldn't risk harming his sister or the civilians. We'll take the fight offshore, away from innocents."
Warrex nodded approvingly. "Agreed. The less collateral, the better."
"Serenity, Harmony, prepare the ship," Roy commanded decisively. "Set course immediately. We're forcing a meeting at sea."
Dawn broke cold and clear. The Nightshatter left Otherrealm's shores behind, sailing into open waters. Crew members bustled nervously across the deck, readying weapons and watching skies anxiously.
Late afternoon arrived, tension crackling in the air. Harmony's voice crackled timidly over the loudspeakers. "Captain, Caliban's formation is approaching rapidly… estimated arrival within minutes."
Roy gripped the helm, knuckles white, but stood tall and calm. "Ready weapons."
The sea around them stretched calm and vast, a deceptive serenity broken by a distant shadow on the horizon, massive wings flapping steadily, a dragon's silhouette growing clearer with every moment.
Roy stared defiantly forward. "Caliban… just what new tricks have you learned since last we met?"
He felt fear, undeniably, but beneath it surged something stronger: a quiet certainty. He'd survived worse. He'd faced his nightmares and emerged intact. And now, whatever power Caliban wielded, Roy Gunn knew he was ready.
He steadied himself, eyes narrowed at the looming shape in the sky.
"Alright, Caliban," Roy muttered softly, a faint smirk curving his lips. "Let's see who's grown more."