:)

'NO!'

I'm on my feet before I know what I'm doing. Cub stands after me. My mind doesn't work. My legs barely keep me up.

'Doc, get Scar back to our boat.' Mutters Cub. 

'Cub don't. Cub don't do this- NO! DON'T!' One hand firm on my shoulder, Doc leads me away from Cub, calm against my struggles... I don't care if I hurt myself. I don't care if I hurt him. Cub can't do this. He can't. He just can't.

'Very well.' I block out True's voice. A moment later Martyn's got my other shoulder. Cub's not looking at me. He's terrified. Beyond terrified. But he's hiding it. 

'CUB DON'T!' I sob. 'THIS IS MY FAULT! I GOT YOU INVOLVED IN THIS! I NEVER- I NEVER SHOULD'VE...' 

'DUDES! What's going on? Where's Cub?' Ren runs over as we break into the sun. I continue screaming but no one listens. 

The door closes behind us.

Cub's trapped with True Symmetry.

'NO! NO CUB! DON'T SACRIFICE YOURSELF! PLEASE!'

'Come on. We need to get to the boat...'

'Cub knows what he's doing... come on, over the water...'

I glance into the ocean. I've always been a good swimmer. If I get to the other side... I just step onto our boat, waiting for Martyn and Doc to let me go. Waiting for my chance to...

'Oh my goodness... Come on, sit down...' Scott. Of course he's here too. He forces me to sit down. I can't see him. He's standing behind me. What's he going to do? The pain comes back. I can't see him. He's going to do something... I can't see. I can't see it. 

'Scar, it's ok. He'll come back.' I only realise I'm crying when I look up, whoever's face appearing blurred in front of me. Blonde hair. True. It's True. And Hels is behind about to-

'GET AWAY FROM ME!' I stand, stumbling, shoving True away. Not True. It's not True. It's Martyn, lying on the ground in shock. Ren's next to him. It's Scott behind me. 

'Woah, calm down!' The triton snaps. 'I'm not doing anything wrong!'

'Scott, he's just been hurt! He has every right to be scared.' Doc growls back, one hand back on my shoulder. 'It's ok, Scar. Cub will come back.'

'Where's Grian?' I finally realise who's missing.

No one replies.

'Wh- where's Grian? I want- I want to be with Grian.'

Everyone looks between each other. Why? Where's Grian? Should I know where he is?

'Scar... he's...' Martyn pauses. 'He's dead.'

'No.' Martyn's wrong. 'No. Don't joke. Where is he? He was badly hurt, but he's ok. Is he unconscious? Is he...' I look towards the cabin. I don't want to go in. 'Is he... just asleep?'

'Scar, he's dead.' 

'He's NOT!'

'He's dead! I watched him die!' Doc bursts out. I step away, aware of the trident in his hand. 'I'm sorry, Scar, but he's dead.'

'NO! WHERE IS HE?'

'Scar... dude... listen to me. He's dead.' Ren now, lying to me. 'He's not coming back...' His voice shakes as he speaks, but he keeps looking at me. A sob chokes me.

'No...'

'I'm sorry dude... are you... are you fine with me hugging you? You look like you need a...'

I hug Ren, sobbing, falling to the ground. He hugs back. Grian's... dead. The one who got me out of prison. The one who got me a chance to see Cub-

Cub's still with True. 

No. No I can't think about that. I can't think about Cub. He'll be ok. Cub'll be ok. He'll...'

But he doesn't know where the egg is.

And True won't let him go until he does.

And if he's lying then he'll... he'll be...

'CUB!'

I turn, standing. Cub's there. Cub's ALIVE, True behind him as he leaves the cabin. We meet eyes. He looks away. Why- why does he look away? No- no they're not- they're not going to...

'CUB!' I sprint over to him, dragging him towards our ship, away from True, the sword in her hands. Away from where she was going to- no. No. I'm not letting her kill him. 

'Scar... are you ok?'

'What's going on?' Doc questions.

'We can go. Come on... are you ok?' I nod back at Cub 'Scott, have you him any medical help?'

'He freaked out. I didn't want to try again.'

'Someone get the ship moving...' A glance at True. 'I'm not staying here any longer than I have to.'

'JOEY!' Scott yells. 'GET THE SHIP AWAY FROM HERE!'

'ON IT!' 

I accept Cub's help sitting me down as the boat moves away from True's constant glance. 

'Scar, are you alright with me covering your injuries?'

I nod. 

'Scott, give me the medical stuff. Go inside with the others.'

'Why can't you go inside?'

'I don't want to go inside.' I murmur back. The party accepts. 'I want to... I want to be with Cub.' We watch as they disappear into the cabin, the door closing behind...

'I'm sorry.' 

'What?' Cub frowns, looking over. I can't look at him. 'Scar?'

'I'm sorry for getting you involved. We... we should've continued to Cleo's city instead of getting you involved...' Why am I about to cry? I fight the tears, continuing on 'I'm sorry for getting caught. I could've bluffed... done anything...'

'No... no don't blame yourself, Scar.' Cub's at my side in second. 'This isn't your fault. Seriously. You didn't choose to get caught for something you didn't do. You didn't steal the egg.'

'I got you hurt.'

'They didn't hurt me.'

'I got you involved in everything... I... I forced you to speak to True.'

'Scar, I'm a good liar. It was easy to lie to True about the egg.'

'And when she finds out you lied?' 

'When she finds out, we'll be long gone. I'm not letting her hurt you again.' I watch him pour potion on a cloth, ready to help me. He's the one that's helping me. I'm the one that got into trouble, 'Ok?'

I have to nod back.

'Ok.'

'I'm sorry if this hurts. Just... hold my hand. If you can't handle it, tell me, ok?' Another nod. I remind myself it isn't Hels behind me. It's Cub. Cub's helping me. Cub's my friend, he'd never hurt me. The whole time he's dealing with my injuries I have to tell myself that, holding his hand, knowing the sting of the potion isn't bad. It'll help. Everything he's doing is to help.

I'm still fighting tears when he finishes, hiding it quickly as he packs everything away, faces me again. But he can still tell, eyes clouding with his own pain at the sight of me so stupidly helpless. I got him into this. This is my fault. This is all my fault. 

'Scar it's ok... oh gods you're shivering...' His words and his jacket he wraps around my shoulder don't help and I start sobbing, only able to accept his hug of support. 'This isn't your fault. This isn't your fault at all.'

'I... I got caught...'

'You didn't do anything wrong, Scar. You're innocent. You're completely innocent...'

And then, quieter, inaudible if we weren't still hugging. 

'I'm the one who should be sorry.'

'No, Cub this isn't your fault.' I immediately reply, pushing out the hug. 'You didn't do anything, Cub. If... if this is just because you met Xornoth at the dock then...'

Silent confirmation. He isn't looking at me.

'Cub, seriously. Don't blame yourself.'

'This is my fault.'

'It's not. This isn't your fault.' I rise as he stands, backing away. 

'I- I'm sorry. I need to...'

'Wait!' 

I grab his arm. With his jacket off, I see it. His eyes widen as he realises I have, pulling away, eyes shining with tears. One hand covers it. 

The healed scar on his arm.

The symbol of the True Vengeance.