Episode One, Part 3:
Remeption of the Heart 

As though they were running against time itself, Quill took charge and left the group alongside Bas - for his protection - determined to find Wynn in time for his decision to still mean something.

Thankfully, he wasn't too hard to locate; following the distant sounds of fighting, Quill and Bas were led straight to Wynn, finding him fighting off a group of Terra Firma with the assistance of several other members of Basilisk.

Upon noticing their arrival, Wynn broke away from the fight, hurting over to them and making sure no lunged for either of them.

"What are you guys doing here?" He asked, clearly trying to suppress all of the fears that were making their way to his mind. "Quill, you're supposed to be in the hideout. You know, where it's safe? So I won't worry about you-"

"Long story," Quill muttered, taking a second to catch his breath from when he had been running. "We need your help! You have to come with us!"

Wynn immediately nodded, following his brother's lead in the direction he had just appeared from, but he couldn't hold off his questions.

"What's wrong? Is someone hurt?"

"Yeah," Quill breathed, unsure how to break the news to him.

"Don't tell me it's Elara-"

"It's not!" Quill rushed the words out, knowing how important it was to clarify that Elara was alive. "She's fine. But, she is in trouble-"

"What are you talking about? Where's Kodiak? He's supposed to be-"

"He is with her, but he needs your help, too! Everyone does. Riv and Dreea included."

"Woah, woah," Wynn mumbled, grabbing onto Quill's arm to bring him and Bas to a halt. "Wait a minute," he said. "What the hell is happening?" It didn't make sense to him what exactly Quill was trying to say, and he couldn't imagine what situation Kodiak, Sol and Dreea couldn't handle on their own, especially if all three of them were together.

"Chessca's dead..."

"...No," Wynn felt his heart drop in his chest. "No, she-"

"River and Dreea want to use the combination on her. Aeryn and Fenn are already there."

"So what's the problem? Why are they waiting?"

"They need you to tell them they can use it," Bas spoke up, seeing the pressure it was taking on Quill and having to relay all of the conflict to his brother.

"Of course they use it? If Chessca's dead, then they can't waste any time!" Wynn exclaimed, beginning to pick up his pace and head in search for the others, but Quill was the one to grab onto him this time, pulling him back by his shirt and waiting until he had his attention.

"What, Quill!?" He snapped, frustrated that everyone seemed to be acting irrationally when Chessca's life was hanging in the balance.

"Elara needs it too."

"You said she was fine..." Wynn's voice dropped, wondering if Quill was leaving out some of the truth. "You said she wasn't hurt."

"I know! She needs it for Tobias!" Quill said. "Because Ivy died, and... And if we don't use the combination to bring her back, he'll never let Elara and Kodiak see Izzy again..."

"Please tell me there's been some kind of misunderstanding," Wynn begged. "Do they know what's happened to Chess?"

"They know," Quill nodded miserably, gulping down his rising emotion. "They're all there, Tobias, too. And he..." Quill sighed, barely able to confess what he knew was happening to his sister after everything she had already been through. "He's threatening Elara. He had possession of her when Bas and I left. They couldn't figure out a way to attack Tobias without hurting Elara. Not even Dreea, but I think she's in shock from what happened to Chess...

The news of his sister's capture was all Wynn needed to jump back into action, hoping that if there was anything else his brother or Bas still needed to fill him in on, they could manage to do so in the time it took for them to reach the others.

//////////

With more time passing between Chessca's death and giving her the combination, Sol began to grow restless with unease. It would be hard enough to ever move on from the devastation she was feeling right now - even if Chessca did survive, let alone facing the rest of her life in the same agony if they had wasted their only chance at saving her...

"Aeryn," Sol whimpered, barely able to project her voice as she turned around to face her. "You can't wait any longer. You have to use the combination on her! You and Fenn-"

"If you do that, then Elara will face the consequences," Tobias interrupted, tugging on Elara to make his hold on her more prominent.

Sol screwed up her face in anguish, worn down by the threat on Elara's life. She was her family, too; she was someone she loved; someone Sol didn't want to see anything happen to... And she couldn't quite believe that after everything Elara had already endured, she could easily be killed by someone like Tobias. He wasn't really going to do anything, right?

"You're not going to hurt her," she mumbled in uncertainty, praying that she was right as she kept her focus on Aeryn and Fenn. "Use the damn combination!" She said. "This is your order! Save Chessca!"

"No! Hold off until Wynn gets here!" Kodiak yelled an opposing instruction their doctors' way, watching the conflict on Aeryn and Fenn's faces as they shared nervous looks with each other, not knowing who to listen to. "Riv, we need to work out a resolve," Kodiak lowered his voice, desperately trying to get through to her. "You're not the only one who needs it. Aeryn and Fenn are not going to do anything until we all agree on a decision."

"I'm the Nobel Sovereign!" Sol yelled out, not at anyone in particular, but hating herself all the same for having to use it against them. "My decision stands above everyone else's, yours and Dreea's included."

There had been times over the years where her and the other Sovereigns had clashed on ideas; usually small things that were figured out within a moment or two; occasionally things that were a little more important like when she wanted to negotiate an alliance with Exile Allegiance instead of Terra Firma, and it jeopardised everything they had already been working towards, but this was different. This was a heat-of-the-moment, gut-wrenching, impossible difference that they had found themselves in and even though Aeryn and Fenn knew that Basilisk's rule was to listen to the Nobel, they couldn't. It wasn't right. There was too much on the line.

"I've given you your order," Sol continued, realising that no one was acting on her command. "Why aren't you doing anything?"

Aeryn glanced over at Fenn, continuing her compressions on Chessca for as long as she needed to, hoping he would take control of the situation and tell her what to do.

Unlike him, Aeryn had been in this position before: the uncertainty of doing what her heart told her to versus standing by her Nobel Sovereign. The last time she betrayed Sol, her plans had backfired and she ended up being taken by The City of Targo in place of Wynn and for the longest time, Aeryn worried that Dreea and Kodiak were going to banish her from Basilisk after she failed to protect Sol... Would the same happen now? If they left it too late and Chessca wasn't able to be saved, would Sol and Dreea blame that on her? Would she be banished from the clan? Would Sol ever be able to forgive her? Yet, at the same time, even if obeyed Sol and used the combination on Chessca right then, she also had to face the consequences for what it would mean for Kodiak and Elara. Another life so cruelly placed in her hands...

In her desperation, she almost managed to get a word of her own instruction out to Fenn, but a sudden commotion behind Tobias shifted the responsibility from her shoulders.

"Tobias!" Wynn's voice roared above all other chaos he had stumbled into; louder than the whimpers escaping Sol and Dreea; louder than the fear of his sister which only seemed to subside upon her realising that he was there. Despite what Tobias was doing to his family, Wynn was determined to find a solution to the conflict without having to kill anyone. Whether his people cared to admit it or not, they owed their survival on the island to him and he knew that the threats Tobias was making towards them was just a desperate act to try and escape - or even reverse - the losses they had faced.

"Let my sister go," he ordered, seeing the relief wash over Elara's face, trusting that her brother would find a way to get her out of this mess.

"I need my insurance that I will get the combination," Tobias answered. "And since I know that none of you want something to happen to Elara after what you have told me she has been through, I know you will give it to me."

Kodiak stood on the other side of them and could feel his breath tightening in his chest, much like he imagined the same was happening to Elara as she was trapped in Tobias' hold.

He glanced over at Dreea momentarily, and although he didn't blame her in the slightest for not being able to, he wished she had enough strength left to be able to take out Tobias without risking Elara being hurt. If anyone could do it, he knew it was her.

"Tobias, just think about what you're doing," he pleaded, turning his attention back to their opponent. "Someone's already died today, and who knows how many others of our people. And if this doesn't work on Ivy, then it's two people we'll lose today, not just one. That death will be on your hands; not Calvin's, not Terra Firma's, not Basilisk's, yours. Is that really something you can live with?"

"I cannot live with Ivy gone," Tobias said. "That is the only thing I am sure of. I cannot live without her."

"You're already surviving without her!" He exclaimed, suddenly growing desperate as he watched Elara screw her eyes shut in terror. She was still breathing form what Kodiak could see, but her overwhelming anxiety over the situation wasn't doing her any favours.

"You're living through it right now. You're already proving to yourself that it's possible to live in a world with her gone-"

"The same can be said for Sovereign Dreea and Riverly!" Tobias argued. "Why is their grief more important than mine? Why do you get to decide that?"

"You're the only one trying to dictate people's grief, Tobias," Kodiak growled. "And what's even worse is that you're threatening to put a young girl through all of this, too. Please don't hurt her like that. Please don't take Izzy away from us."

In was in that moment that Kodiak finally felt drained of all his strength, much like Sol and Dreea. He couldn't lose Izzy. She was his family; his child, and if he couldn't find a way to protect her and Elara like he'd always promised them to, he didn't know if he could face himself ever again.

Tobias scrunched up his face in guilt, struggling to battle away the truth of Kodiak's words. As he hesitated - trying to debate whether or not to let Elara go - a voice called out in declaration.

"You're not gonna hurt Elara," Wynn interrupted, suddenly calling his bluff.

Tobias looked visibly challenged, trying to figure out why Wynn was so sure of his prediction, let alone how he was right... He knew he didn't have it in himself to hurt her.

"If it is what it takes-"

"It's not!" Wynn yelled. "And since the decision of who gets the combination comes down to me, you want to let her go. Now, Tobias... Let go of my sister."

Despite how unnerved Wynn was at the sight of Elara in danger, his voice was nothing but calm, surprising even himself at how well he was controlling the situation.

"How do I know you are not lying?" Tobias asked. "How can I be sure that you are not going to turn around and give it to your Sovereigns as soon as your sister is safe?"

Wynn shrugged, not having anything but honesty to give to him. "I can't promise anything at the moment," he said. "But, either way, the life of someone I care about is on the line, and you're all asking me to chose between three people I love; between my sister, or Sol and Dreea. Believe me, this isn't going to be easy at all..."

Reluctantly, Tobias felt compelled to listen to Wynn and it wasn't long before he loosened his grip on Elara, allowing her to stumble into the frightful arms of Kodiak who rushed to pull her out of reach from him, a vengeful glare narrowing his way.

"If you give me the combination, I will return Isobel to Kodiak and your sister," Tobias reminded him. "I will do that if you allow me to save Ivy."

Wynn felt his heart cave at his words and he could barely bring himself to look over at Elara, seeing her watered-over eyes gaze agonisingly into his - saying more than her voice ever could.

He knew how much Izzy meant to Elara and Kodiak. He knew that if it wasn't for her, he probably would have spent every minute of their time in the Bunker wondering if Elara was going to make it out alive after losing Kodiak; if she would have found any reason to try and keep her own life. But he knew the same could be said about Chessca; how she might have been the only reason Sol's time in The City of Targo played out the way it did, and how she was the only reason they managed to get her back in the end...

So how the hell was he supposed to chose? How was he supposed to look Sol and Dreea in the eyes and tell them that he couldn't save Chessca for them, or turn and face his baby sister and break her heart after everything she had already endured, and everything he had tried to protect her from?

He didn't know, nor did he know how he had the strength to speak, but he did. He found his voice, glanced over at Fenn and Aeryn - who still had the combination, and revealed who he was choosing... 

One // Part Three
So how the hell was he supposed to chose?

I...Don't know?  I hope this chapter is okay, lol. I've been under so much stress because of my host kid that I've not been in the mood to do anything I care about - I haven't been able to get in the mood for writing because I'm so emotionally drained all the time.

Remember to check out my blog and read my Cruel Summer episode reviews here!

PLEASE TELL ME IN THE COMMENTS WHO YOU THINK WYNN IS GOING TO CHOOSE!!!

PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE I'M SO DESPERATE TO KNOW WHAT YOU THINK HE IS GOING TO CHOOSE AND WHY!!! HE'S LITERALLY CHOOSING BETWEEN GIVING THE COMBINATION TO SOL (AND DREEA) OR ELARA !!! AHHHHHH!!!

Also, I love the parallel between Aeryn having to choose whether to listen to Sol or go against her now, and when she had to do it to secretly help Wynn leave at the end of Season 5 (because she knew how much that would hurt Sol, even though it would have also saved her). It didn't turn out well for her then (because she ended up being part of the reason why Basilisk lost their Nobel Sovereign), so I wonder what will happen between her and Sol if Chessca doesn't end up survivng.

That's another question you have to consider... Whether the combination goes to Chessca or Ivy, is it even going to work? Ivy's been dead for quite some time now (the difference with Elara was that she was hooked up to life support) and with all this time wasted between trying to decide who gets it, it might be too late for Chessca if Wynn gives it to her and they try to save her...

I love forcing my beloved characters through terrible scenarios (I'm so sorry)! 

04/05/21