"I think that's enough about me," Levi mumbled. If he were in his physical body, he'd be as red as a firetruck.
"Aye. Leon's story is much more interesting," Lance agreed.
"Ey!" Despite their bickering, Levi found a crack that they both could fit through. They entered the mass to destroy it from the inside out. Unfortunately, that meant they lost contact with Tempest and Lance. They were on their own in Tempest's mind.
Outside, Tempest's back arched. Aquarius watched her worriedly.
"What happened?" Tempest asked curiously.
Lance's consciousness wrapped tightly around Tempest's mind in response. "They are destroying the virus. Unfortunately, it's not so simple or painless." He paused. "Did I ever tell you that Levi carries around a random bag of chips everywhere he goes? Annoys me to no end."
Tempest winced as she was reminded of the pain. She tried hard to focus on Lance's voice. "Why does he?" She asked.
"Who the hell knows. He and Leon will just pull it out and start munching away at any given time of day. I think it's just to annoy me."
Tempest snorted. "I can see why. You're fun to annoy."
He sighed. "Figures you would join in. Am I to never get any peace? The gods must be punishing me as well."
Tempest smiled. "They must have." Her grin faded as a fresh wave of pure pain shot through her.
Aquarius winced as the volume of his sister's screams were raised.
Levi and Leon were almost done, but the god's handy work was difficult to unravel. They winced inwardly whenever they felt Tempest's mind shudder in pain.
"Tempest, focus on me. Tell me about yourself. Your family or friends. What are they like?" Anything to get her mind off the pain. He was desperate and distraught that he couldn't do anything else about it.
"Well, I have a deaf dad, a queen for a mom, an idiot brother, a mute brother and an arrogant brother. Also, I have some elf friends and a certain someone that I think I'm falling for." She winced as another wave of pain hit her.
Lance would've frowned if he could. "Oh? That sounds… interesting. I smelled my sisters when we neared here. You've met they Hydra?" He didn't want to talk about that certain someone. He'd rather not approach that subject, lest he finds out something he didn't want to find out.
"The Hydras are your sisters? They creep me out," Tempest shuddered.
"They are like us, one creature split into five different entities. They are older and their soul is split up into more bodies, so they are more detached and less… alive. But they have quite the personality when they are joined together."
Leon and Levi were almost done. Just a few more maneuvers and things to destroy, and she would be free from the virus.
They still creep me out." Tempest tilted her head mentally. "So… if you weren't joined with your brothers, you'd be more-" She was cut off by an excruciating wave of pain.
Aquarius plugged his ears as Tempest screamed so loud that it shattered glass. A few birds fell out of nearby trees.
One last piece left for the brothers to destroy.
Lance frantically tried calming her, but he was running out of ways to do so. "Tempest? It's okay, they're almost done." He at least hoped. "I would be more what?" he tried prompting her, getting her to talk again. He quite liked her voice–and it wasn't because of the charm–even though now wasn't the time to dwell on that. Their minds were linked, and if she paid even the slightest attention, she would be able to read his thoughts.
"N-nicer," Tempest grunted. "I was going to say nicer." She was breathing hard, and sweat was pouring down her face.
He didn't really know how to answer that. "If I didn't have a third of a soul, I would perhaps be… nicer, as you say… Why do you ask?"
Tempest shrugged. "Just a joke." Her thoughts were a bit sad. He didn't get it, did he?
"Oh." Was he really so dense as to not recognize a joke? "Apologies. I–I'm not very good at such things. To be honest, I've been winging this entire conversation."
Tempest gave a small chuckle. "I know. Sorry, I had to. You really don't get jokes, do you? Poor you. When this is over, I'm going to be teasing you for the rest of my pitiful life." She didn't realize what she had thought-until she had already thought it.
"Your life is not pitiful." He immediately said, putting no thought into it. He paused, then plowed ahead while he could. "Far from it. You are a wonderful woman who deserves better than the gods are offering. You have a family that cares for you and people who look up to you. To me, that is the opposite of pitiful."
Levi and Leon finally cracked the last piece, and the virus dissolved into nothing. Their work was complete.
"We must go. The virus is destroyed, and you are safe." He sounded relieved as the brothers started pulling back and out of Tempest's mind.
Tempest was too startled to react to what Lance had said. Was it possible that he felt the same way she did? Her body reacted as the virus left her, and her back arched and muscles tightened before a wave of energy burst from it. She fell limp, unconscious, but alive and healed. Aquarius rushed over to her and placed a hand on her head before looking gratefully at the three, tears in his eyes. "Thank you," he whispered.
The three brothers had separated and were now in their human forms. Lance and Levi fist-bumped each other while Lance was strangely quiet as he stared at the unconscious Tempest.
Aquarius stood, lifting his sister. He started walking towards the nearby beach, calling over his shoulder as he went. "Bay, Ford, tell the others that they can come out now. I'm going to bring her to the Palace."
The Chimera brothers stood around awkwardly. "I take it we aren't needed anymore?" Leon said for his brothers. "If not, we can just go…"