"This is incredible." Tubbo scrolled through the list of blueprints on the PDA, all of which weren't on their own device they had been using. After the discovery, the group had moved back outside to reconnect and show Tubbo what they had found, leaving behind the lockers that were still all unexplored. Those materials won't go anywhere, they can come back later. This? This was far more important. On top of that, they wouldn't want to risk getting so absorbed in looking through the PDA that they forget to check their oxygen levels frequently.

The teen was safely nestled between Techno and Fit, trying to chase away the cold he was still complaining about, constant shivers wrecking his body. Quackity looked over his shoulder while the two Brazilians viewed the screen flipped upside down from the front. "I didn't even know some of these were in the system, and I had access to a lot of things." His eyes roamed the detailed schematics of weapons, gliders, reactors, even stupid things such as vending machines or coffee makers. "We won't have to actively scavenge for blueprints anymore. This has everything we could possibly need."

Without a doubt, as gruesome as the scenario was, this little PDA was going to make their job a whole lot easier. They didn't just have access to the blueprints, but also to smaller creation procedures like larger batteries, proper bandages, wiring kits, reinforced glass or full steel ingots or pipes. "I don't see a submarine blueprint here though, so we are still short on that." While that was true, the weapons and gliders alone should make heading to the main wreck a lot easier, now able to actively help defend against aggressive leviathans.

Speaking of leviathans, Roier was lazily curled around them, almost looking a little bored as he watched the humans play with the little glowing screen. Foolish was swimming around the partial wreck in slow circles, his rumble having changed from the usual purr to something more protective. "You think something spooked him? He isn't usually this active unless there is something dangerous nearby." Techno looked up when the leviathan's shadow passed over them again. For a moment he tried to focus on a possible connection, even if just to feel some kind of emotion, but he got nothing. No fuzziness, no zoning out.

"I don't think Roier would be this calm if something was actually nearby. Maybe Foolish is just restless because we are away from the nest." He seriously doubts it, Foolish had never shown this kind of unease during any of their trips, unless there had been a danger like Stalkers or the leviathan from the ship. What could possibly be wrong...? "Have you found anything else useful? Aside from your new friend?" Techno looked back down to Tubbo, spotting the fish wiggle it's way between Cellbit and Pac, peering down at the screen as well. It had followed them outside as soon as they left the wreck and stuck close to Techno's side, especially after Foolish and Roier greeted the group.

He wasn't quite sure if it will be a constant companion now or just be around the wreck. Having them protected around the base might be more difficult, unless they can actively convey to the leviathans that the little guy wasn't food. "No, sadly not. There were lockers there but we skipped past those once we had the PDA. Figured it made more sense to get that to safety first." And get as far away as possible from the dead body. Not that they were able to see it much once the locker dropped down again.

"We should probably go back to that room and check for materials to make these weapons. The stasis gun sounds the most useful, it should hold even the leviathans still for a few moments. A heated knife blade would also be useful, both for defence and as a tool. I'm not sure about the propulsion cannon, it depends how the weight transfers to the holder when it comes to moving objects. All useful when we go back to the main wreck to get those vehicles, maybe even blueprints for a rocket or small ship. Who knows if we might manage to make our own escape, once that gun is disabled."

If it can even be disabled. Which only a healthy person can do, so before even that they need to find some sort of cure. Techno mentally sighed, the list of things they needed to do growing larger the longer he thought. Go to the main wreck and retrieve a vehicle to go deeper into the cave systems. Help with whatever the dream leviathan wants them for. Find a cure to a virus that keeps them trapped here, possibly doing it from scratch. With a cure, disable the gun that keeps the planet under quarantine. Once that is off, either get in contact with The Federation or build their own rescue ship to go home. Piece of cake, shouldn't be difficult at all. But it gave them purpose. Something to do other than slowly wither away while waiting for a miraculous rescue.

"Tubbo is right, we should fully scavenge everything that is here before moving to the main wreck. And if we are still missing some things for those weapons by the end of it, we should hunt around for the materials more. Going near that aggressive leviathan is out of the question unless we can actively help Foolish fight it off. It's not fair to make him fight it again." There were agreeing murmurs from the others, although he could already see a certain fatigue on some of their faces. He checked his oxygen level, seeing it at halfway. So they had already been out here for more than two hours at least. He still hadn't quite memorised just how long a large tank lasts them.

"I'm going to make another trip inside and take a look at those lockers, see if there is anything useful. Not everyone has to go with me, if you are tired or need a break you can stay here. It should be safe enough with Roier and Foolish. I'll come back out when I have too much to carry or the oxygen is at 25% and we need to start heading back. Everyone okay with that?" Fit immediately got up and grabbed his spear, most likely to show he was coming along. Techno might have protested against it, since he and Quackity had been the ones forced to lift the locker, but he knew arguing was pointless.

Quackity took Fit's place by Tubbo's side, the teen surprisingly not arguing about it. They did have that talk about making peace, so hopefully that holds. Fit also made a motion for Pac to sit down as well and take a rest, but the Brazilian absolutely refused, crossing his arms with a little grin. Looks like all of them will go except these two. "You can keep the PDA here and look through what else is on there. Cellbit said it had a bunch of reports on it as well, maybe there is some confidential stuff you can have fun with until we are back." Tubbo gave him a mock salute, his smile absolutely forced. Maybe he was feeling worse than they thought...

As soon as the fish realized that they were going back into the wreck, the fish darted ahead and disappeared into the darkness. They already knew the way to the lockers (roughly at least), so they moved quicker than the first time they entered. "We should really name that thing if it will stay around." The fish changed between swimming between them and darting ahead, always giving little chirps into their direction. "Name it then, I have no idea and Cellbit got to name Roier." Fit hummed, seeming like he genuinely started thinking about possible names.

"How about Vazio? Does that sound good?" Pac giggled a little as the fish darted between him and Fit, reaching out to poke it's fin as it disappeared back into the darkness. The name sounded easy enough to remember, even if their accent will probably ruin it compared to Cellbit and Pac. "Does it mean something? Or is it just a common pet name for you guys?" Pac hummed, thinking for a moment. "It's a bit difficult to translate. It kind of means like... darkness or void? Something like that. It can also mean empty or hollow. I thought it was pretty fitting, since you can't see him unless he is directly in the light." So they are assuming it's a male then, not that it mattered much. It was an easy word and wasn't a hidden insult. "I like that. Vazio."

The moment they entered the large room again, they all split off to cover as much ground as possible. Unsurprisingly, a lot of the lockers were either empty or their stored resources had been destroyed by the crash. Quite a bit of it was food, sadly in such conditions that they couldn't take any of it with them. There were a handful of intact bottles though, which were bundled together to be taken back outside. More water storage was always good. "I don't get it. This wasn't even close to the cafeteria or storage system. Why is there so much food stored here?"

Techno shrugged, although he had an idea, considering who exactly they had found down here. "I think there is something bigger going on. This room wasn't marked by anything. There were no crew quarters in the corridors despite this being in the middle of that section. Even the lockers don't seem to be organized with specific items or categories. The guy we found had his PDA with him, which usually is only the case when they either need to take inventory or send a message. Neither of which were his job, we had specific people for that." All of that combined could lead to some very... disturbing conclusions.

"This was a hidden stash. An emergency supply should something happen", Cellbit breathed, barely above a whisper from where he had opened the next locker. This one, even from across the room, Techno could see was filled with guns. Not stasis guns or energy based pistols he had seen used for tasing and knocking out people. Bullet filled guns meant for killing. And he doubts there were meant for alien creatures when they weren't even meant to land on any planet. "A safe room for our lovely superiors. In case we ever decided to rebel or for some reason resources run out too quickly."

They were going to shoot them all just to protect themselves. They'd rather kill their employees than to share shrinking resources and help find a solution. The thought was scary, how much of their safety had relied on the satisfied greed of others. "What had they expected to happen that would warrant this kind of preparation? A phasegate construction shouldn't be dangerous enough for a crew to turn against their captain. Right?" Fit looked visibly upset by the revelation, holding a hand to Pac's back, who was pressed against his side, looking a little pale in the dim light of their flashlights.

There were many things that could go wrong, realistically. Engine failure, getting hit by a meteorite, crash landing because of an unforeseen gravitational pull, sickness breaking out, rival companies straight up sending someone after them. All of which, sadly, not that unrealistic. On top of that they were in unknown territory, which is why they were sent to build a phasegate in the first place. So the new area can become accessible for exploration and resource gathering. But voicing all that seemed like a bad idea, since it would only add to Pac's current emotional state.

"You think we could use any of those? Might not be effective for a leviathan, but the Stalkers?" Techno hummed, eying the different weapons. He is by no means a weapon expert, despite the joking stereotypes for Americans. He'd never even held a proper gun before, not that he remembered at least. "I don't think they are very useful. Bullets don't travel well in water. Close range maybe, like really close, but by that point we also have our other weapons." He also wasn't sure how functional a fully submerged gun was after spending over a month in water.

Cellbit started to mess with the locker next to the weapons, now more curious than ever to find more dirty secrets. "I knew the Federation was corrupt, but this is worse than I thought." It shouldn't have surprised anyone, really. Not with what most of them already knew. Hell, Techno himself has experience that the Federation doesn't fear losing lives in the name of progress and success. Or that they weren't above sabotaging competitors.

The next two lockers held more weapons, most of them bullet filled like before, but two of them stood out. They were white instead of the muted grey and black of the regular guns, holding blue accents across the whole thing. The Federation specific colour scheme... "I think these are stasis rifles. They look fully functional too." Cellbit handed one to Fit, the other to Techno, before turning to open more lockers. Techno fiddled with the gun for a moment, checking the battery charge and seeing it empty. Otherwise though, the gun seemed intact. "These will definitely be useful."

Cellbit had just pried the last locker open when the entire wreck gave a low, metallic groan that rippled through the plating all around them. Everyone froze, even holding their breath as they waited for the echoes of metallic groans to stop. The sound itself didn't sound like it came from inside, but more like the entire hull was shifting, like something massive had brushed against it and caused the movement. The leviathan kind of massive... had Foolish done something? Moving a wreck this size would be a huge effort, even for him.

"Pressure change maybe?" Pac whispered, pressed close to Fit's side. There was a thin stream of air bubbles rising from the floor, the slight shift of the wreck freeing some trapped air somewhere else. There must have been rooms who hadn't been flooded yet. Techno glanced at the bulkhead that laid half cut on the floor and to the dark hallway beyond. Their only way out of here. And it wasn't a very fast way. "No... something's moving out there, pushing against the wreck. And I don't know why Foolish would do something like this."

Their flashlights flickered as small pieces of metal and ceiling plating rained down from the ceiling. Fit reached out automatically, steadying Pac before the younger man could drift into the floating debris and get injured. Another deep vibration followed, closer this time, rattling the scattered weapons in their racks. Foolish's rumbling, although now all signs of peace had faded from it. Now it sounded aggressive. Threatening. He's trying to scare something off. Something is right outside.

Tubbo and Quackity are out there, exposed to everything...

A metallic clang cracked through the chamber as the leviathan's body, maybe a tail or a fin, scraped against the structure again. The whole thing trembled, panels creaked. One of the overhead beams shifted with a moan that made everyone look up at once, panic settling in each chest with an icy spark. They had to get out of here or they'll be crushed.

And then they heard it. The deep, screeching roar they all had heard once before, near the wreck of the Q.S.M.P. Immediately it was overshadowed by the much louder, much closer roar Foolish gave in answer. Foolish had tried to warn them. The pushing against the wreck was supposed to get them outside so they could flee. Now it was too late though, now they would need to fight. They had to get out of here. Or the leviathan's fight will get them all crushed. And they had the stasis guns now! They can help!

"Move!," Fit snapped sharply, already working the battery of his flashlight free to instead slot it into the rifle. Techno struggled to do the same, hands shaking slightly with the combination of nerves and fear. "Back to the corridor, now! If they hit us again—" Another impact cut him off. The floor bucked beneath them; more air bubbles hissed in through a new crack in the floor by the door.

They began racing for the exit, pulling themselves along fallen debris and cracked walls, now only guided by the light of Cellbit and Pac's flashlights. Vazio swam ahead, zipping between the obstacles to lead them back outside. His chirps had turned high pitched and erratic, most likely just as scared as the humans. "Careful!" A section of ceiling panel came loose and crashed down to the ground despite the water slowing it's fall, nearly taking Techno with it if Cellbit hadn't pulled him to the side. He let out a string of curses in Portuguese as the structure gave another sudden shift, not waiting to hear Techno's thank you before continuing towards the exit.

The situation was far too similar to when they first arrived to the planet, although now instead of fire it was the threat of drowning that accompanied the possibility to be crushed to death. Techno banished the mental image of fire and heat and screams, pulling himself around the next corner and finally seeing light stream in through the hole they had cut into the wreck. And sitting right by the exit, crouched low behind the wall, were Tubbo and Quackity.

"Tubbo!" The teen's head snapped towards them, a grin spreading across his face despite the violent tremors shaking his body. "You guys are okay! We tried reaching you but the signal was blocked!" Techno checked him over for any injuries while Cellbit tended to Quackity, but found nothing. They got to safety in time. "I don't know what happened, one moment everything was fine, the next Foolish was growling and hit the wreck! Then we heard the screeches and Roier made us go inside to hide!" That means both Roier and Foolish are fighting the other leviathan. Better odds than last time, but they might still need help. Foolish had come so close to getting his head bit off last time.

"You guys stay here, keep an eye out for any falling debris. If the ceiling looks like it will collapse, go outside." Fit turned on the rifle, satisfied with the immediate glow and whirring hum it gave. "We're going to help Foolish fight that thing off, stasis rifles should be able to hold it still for a little while. You should be fine as long as it doesn't see you." The smile he gave was obviously fake, but it was at least an attempt to comfort especially the youngest two of the group. "You with me Techno?" He gave a hard swallow and flinched when another roar sounded from outside. But one look at the rest of the group, at Tubbo, and his decision was made. He turned on his own rifle, watching it come to live with a similar whirr. "Right behind you."

Tubbo reached out to grab him by the arm, mouth already dropping open to voice a complaint, but another aggressive screech and a tilt to the wreck made him freeze. Still, Techno reached out to squeeze his hand, giving him a weak smile. "We'll be fine. Just stay here, where it's more safe. Please. I can't let any of you get hurt." Tubbo's lips pressed into a thin line, clearly unhappy. But he nodded and let go, drifting between the close huddled bodies of the rest of the group. "Be careful." He just nodded, then turned to follow Fit outside.

At first, they didn't see anything. There were clouds of sand drifting about, clearly disturbed by the fight, but they couldn't actually see any of the leviathans. Fit gestured for him to follow as they made their way up the wreck, staying close to the wall so they could propel themselves forward, should the need arise. The sound of fighting grew louder the closer they got to the top, shrieks and growls and the sound of colliding bodies and shredded skin. There was a yellow tint to the water now, showing excessive loss of blood. The leviathans all seemed to have yellow blood, not just the aggressive one.

The moment both humans could peek above the wreck, they could witness the full carnage of what had happened.

The familiar pale blue and crimson red of the aggressive leviathan was tangled with Foolish's golden scales.

But to their horror, there were more than one.

A second one was engaged with Roier, who had himself wrapped around their neck like a snake and all four of his claws buried in their flesh, clouds of yellow blood colouring the water around them. And despite the violent thrashing of the leviathan, Roier refused to budge and held his position, tearing away chunks of flesh. Seems like he had himself handled.

Foolish on the other hand seemed to struggle more. Due to his size, it was more difficult to keep his own body twisted out of the way of the fangs and mandibles of the leviathan. He snarled and screeched as he dug his claws into the leviathan's eye, all while trying to not have his head bitten off again. It was easy enough deciding who needed more help right now.

"Aim for the tail, get it stuck! Maybe Foolish can get free!" Fit raised the rifle and aimed, the twin prongs at the front starting to rapidly spin and glow with crackling blue energy. Techno followed suit and aimed at the thrashing tail of the leviathan. Please let this not injure Foolish... The first shot missed the tail by a few feet, trailing for a good distance before the energy dissipated due to not hitting a target. The second shot did manage to make contact, the ball of energy expanding to ten times its size as the long tail of the leviathan got frozen mid swing.

It roared and twisted in confusion, trying to swim after Foolish when he managed to pull away, but its tail remained stuck. Their friend blinked, confused on what was going on, before catching sight of the humans waving frantically. "Get further back! It won't hold long!" Obviously he didn't understand their shouts, but still backed away further when Techno pointed his gun at the leviathan's head, letting it charge again. This time the head froze mid roar, mouth wide open to show off each row of sharp teeth.

Foolish seemed to finally understand the effect of the blue light and that the humans were causing it. With a snarl, the leviathan circled around the blue orb trapping his aggressive opponent and went for the nearest exposed body part, sinking claws and teeth into its flesh. The leviathan screeched, despite its frozen head, the now slowly unfreezing tail starting to violently swing around in an attempt to escape. Foolish didn't let go though, going for the upper back and spine with each tear and bite. Fit aimed for the tail again in an attempt to refreeze it, but the rifle gave only a faint hiss before fully shutting down. "Battery empty. Flashlight ones were too weak."

Techno immediately raised his rifle instead, satisfied when it charged without a problem, ready to aid Foolish in finishing this thing off. A sudden, sharp screech to his right cut straight through the water, enough to freeze Techno's finger on the trigger. Roier was clutching his side with two hands and trying to gain a bit of distance, one of the mandibles of his opponent still trailing yellow blood. It didn't allow him to escape, immediately trying to go for a killing bite. Roier's blood drifted in twisting ribbons, his pupils were blown wide with panic, pain, or both, as he tried to fend off the snapping jaws. The decision was made without hesitation.

A glowing sphere exploded around the leviathan's head, allowing Roier to catch his breath as his opponent's tail thrashed violently, but its head remained frozen. Seconds later, a wall of gold and grey zipped past them both, Foolish roaring with a fury he rarely ever heard from his friend, unless his son was directly threatened. He dug his claws into exposed flesh and began to tear, ripping chunk after chunk out of the jerking body. A quick glance to the side revealed the other leviathan dead, it's twitching body slowly sinking to the ground and trailing a cloud of yellow blood from the sizable hole in its back. White bone gleamed through the torn flesh, the severed spine and ribs stark against the cloud of yellow.

Finally, Techno lowered the rifle, his whole body shaking with the aftershock of adrenaline and fear. And perhaps just a bit of repulsion for the blatant display of gore. His fingers trembled where they were gripping the rifle, ready to drop it if the rest of his body hadn't been fully frozen. They did it... they helped defend their friends, even if just for a little bit until the batteries ran out. The aren't completely useless. "Techno?" Fit took him by the shoulders, turning his head away from the gory display in front of them. "Are you okay? Oxygen alright? You're shaking a lot." He just nodded, worried that should he open his mouth, he might just vomit into the mask. Fit glanced back to where Foolish was still ripping apart the other leviathan, then began guiding Techno back down towards where the others were waiting.

The moment Fit and Techno came into view of the hiding spot, Tubbo darted out towards them and began to check them both over. "Everything okay? It got so loud in between, I was worried Foolish's screech meant you got hurt." Fit gently ushered them both back into the relative safety of the wreck, helping Techno settle against the wall. "No, we're fine. Roier got hurt though, he probably needs to be patched up back home. Grab anything valuable we gathered, the water bottles and PDA, so we can leave as soon as Foolish is done killing the last leviathan." Pac already gathered up the bundle of bottles in his arms and Quackity had hold of the PDA. "Shouldn't we at least scan one of the corpses? Just so we have some extra information? Weaknesses, identification, anything?"

Techno remained quiet while they argued... His hands were still trembling, the oxygen mask fogging slightly with every uneven breath. Instead of giving his own opinion on the matter, he focused on controlling his breathing and pushing away the need to throw up. Come on Techno... you have seen Foolish kill things before. It's not like this is anything new. But it was so close... they all could have died... No, stop it. Get it together. You'll see much worse here eventually. You can't keep backing down and hiding, not when other people depend on you. Not when that leviathan wants you to find her. He took a deep breath and turned back to the group, still discussing if it's okay to scan the leviathan corpse or not. Oxygen was running low and arguing will get them nowhere.

"Let's check if Foolish is done. It's gone quiet out there... While he takes care of Roier, we will get a few seconds to scan and then go home. Sound good?" The group nodded, tools and weapons raised, ready to finally get this over with and return to the safety of their base. No one wanted to linger here longer than necessary, not after what just happened. Techno led the way out of the wreck, pushing aside the dark thought that if two leviathans had found them here, so close to the main ship... how many more were lurking nearby? How many of these things are actually out there?

The water outside had finally stilled when they pushed out of the wreck again, the handful of flashlights they still had cutting through drifting clouds of yellow. The blood was taking an awful long time in dissolving, creating much the same foggy effect that surrounded the main ship wreck. Techno and Fit guided the group to where they had last seen Foolish, slowly climbing over the ledge of the wreck. Almost instantly, they could see the mangled bodies of their attackers through the thinning clouds around them. The two dead leviathans sagged in the water like a sinking island, movements reduced to soft, lifeless sways.

Foolish was in the process of peeling himself away from one of the corpses, sides rising and falling in deep, ragged motions. His gills were flared and even quivering slightly, most likely in a similar fashion as to how a human's chest would be heaving for breath. His fins twitched sharply when he spotted the humans approaching. Not aggressive, not warning... just tired. Exhausted. Maybe even a bit relieved to see them in one piece. He drifted toward them, rolling one shoulder to show he wasn't injured and giving a low chirr in greeting. When he reached Techno, he simply leaned in close and bumped his forehead lightly against Techno's arm, lingering there for a heartbeat. Despite their massive size difference, the leviathan was still trying to show him gratitude for helping him and Roier fight. And it was a gesture so soft and vulnerable that Techno felt his breath hitch inside the mask.

Techno pressed both of his hands against Foolish's scales, warm beneath the chill of the water, tremoring faintly with leftover adrenaline, and rested his own forehead and mask against the other's. He takes a shuddering breath, closing his eyes for a second. "I'm just glad you two are okay. You scared me." Foolish gave a low coo, the rumbling in his chest starting up again. Fit's eyes softened as well when he reached out to touch a hand to smooth golden scales. "It's alright big guy. We're a team after all. Gotta look out for each other." The leviathan gave no sign of understanding anything they said, but the gestures alone must have been more than enough to communicate their equal gratitude and care for each other.

After another moment, Foolish pulled back and turned towards where Roier had settled down.

Roier was curled on a flat stone shelf nearby, chest rising with each shallow drag of water through his gills, one hand pressed tight to the gash in his side. Even from here, Techno could see the slow bleed of yellow drifting out from under his palm. Foolish crowded him immediately, coaxing his hand away so he could take a good look at the wound. Roier didn't fight him, only flicked his tail weakly every time the wound started to sting as his father examined it.

Techno forced himself to steady his breathing. Seeing Roier like that, after how fiercely he'd fought to not just keep himself safe, but them as well... it unsettled something deep in him. And it made the spark of guilt in his chest flare up once more. Next time they'll help faster, get fully charged batteries. Next time, no one will get hurt, especially not their leviathan friends. For now though, they need to keep moving. Get Roier home so Foolish can patch him up with the vines from the kelp forest. They also need to refill their oxygen, already down to 10%, which is far lower than Techno would have liked.

They were losing time.

"Scan it fast," Techno said quietly, more to keep himself steady than anything. Everyone was already aware of the plan. Fit's answering nod was grim, still looking towards Roier, not making an effort to move. Quackity was already raising his scanner, getting as close to the corpse as he dared before turning it on and letting the device do its thing. It took several long seconds of tense silence before the scanner finally gave a ping, all information transferred to the PDA. "We got it. Let's go home."

They swam over to where the others had gathered, Tubbo and Pac trying their best to comfort Roier as he whined in pain. Foolish too was curled around his son, threading claws through his short hair. "We can leave now, got everything." The teen immediately nodded and shifted from his spot by Roier's head, looking up at Foolish. "Foolish?" A low coo was the only answer, one glowing green eye turned towards him. Tubbo gave a sad smile, still one hand against Roier's scales. "Home."

The leviathan rose from his spot immediately, the only human word he had learned so far allowing them to convey the thought of 'getting the fuck out of here'. All humans decided to ride on his back on the way back, not wanting to cause any extra strain on their wounded friend. Not that they make much of a difference for a creature the size of a whale, but it's the thought that counts. Foolish kept Roier pressed against his side, shielding him as they slowly made their way back to their nest. Blood still leaked from the wound and trailed along in a thin, wispy thread, but it seemed like the worst of the bleeding was contained for now.

It took far too long to get back, travelling slower than usual so Roier wouldn't have to exhaust his strength. Still, it made Techno anxiously keep track of the diminishing oxygen within his tank. 8%... 6%... They were really cutting it close here. By the time they reached the base, his level had ticked down to 3%. As much as he would have loved to help Foolish gather and apply the kelp vines to the wound, their current predicament didn't allow it. So instead, Techno had to herd the rest of his team through the airlock and into the base. Tubbo protested by far the most, wanting to help take care of Roier first, but right now Techno's duty to keep them all safe was outweighing Tubbo by a lot.

"You can't help him if you suffocate halfway there." Tubbo ignored him, sitting by the window and keeping a close eye on both leviathans while Techno took his oxygen tank to get it refilled. Outside, Foolish was already busy chewing up the vines into the familiar healing paste that had saved their lives before. Roier laid on his side, exposing the injury to his father so he could work. His scales seem a little... paler. Not as vibrant. Could blood loss even affect that? He wasn't sure.

Techno sighed and settled down beside the teen, joining him in watching the leviathans. Behind them, Fit and Pac were busy connecting the oxygen tanks up to the refill system, while Quackity was looking through the PDA again. Cellbit leaned against the wall beside the window, watching Foolish patch up Roier as well. "Listen. I want to help them as badly as you do. I really do. You have no idea how scared I was for their lives as well when Fit and I saw what was happening. But you can't help if you get injured in the process. Recklessness helps no one."

Tubbo's shoulders slumped, but he didn't look away from the window. He was still shaking a little from what Techno assumed was the possible sickness, but it was weaker now. Only slight shivers. "I know," he murmured. "I just... hate seeing him like that." Techno exhaled softly and rested his arms on his knees. His past self from a few months ago would be horrified by how attached he had grown to the leviathans. By how hurt he was to see them injured and in distress. "We all do. They're our friends."

Silence filled the base soon after. No conversation, no rummaging through tools. Techno let out a slow breath, watching Foolish press the last of the kelp paste into Roier's injury before curling around him protectively. It will take a few days for the young leviathan to feel better, but hopefully he'll keep no lasting damages. Now that they were taken care of, it was time to think about his team. His responsibility.

The base hummed softly behind him, oxygen tanks filling, generators pulsing, the quiet murmur of his shaken team trying to settle their nerves. They all know there will be nothing productive done in the next few hours. Calming down takes time.

"Rest," Techno said softly, more calmly than he felt. His fingers were still trembling slightly. "All of you. We regroup in the morning." No one argued. They were too exhausted, too scared, too grateful to still be alive. Instead, everyone slowly filtered to their rooms, some taking a bite to eat or drink, others just wanting to lay down and sleep.

Tomorrow they'd need new batteries, more powerful ones. Better weapons. A plan. And he'd make sure they had all of it, humans and leviathans both. No more close calls. Now they can fight back. Now they can help.

Techno took one last look out the window, at Foolish curled protectively around his son.

Today, they'd survived.
Tomorrow, he'd make damn sure they survived again.