(scene from sea hex)((book3))(City. Sea.Forest.Sky.Desert.Glacier.) Steve was sitting on top of the deck, listening to Travis snore from downstairs. He planned to stay up all night, on watch. He knew Travis was tired because he already had his turn on lookout. He also suspected Peter was tired because he kept waking up during Travis' watch. And he didn't intend to wake Khloe. She got really bad sea sickness. She'd felt ill for this whole trip. If only the sea was still. That way, she wouldn't feel so ill, and they would find the way to stop the Hex sooner. This sea, however, was very choppy. The boat was enchanted to not capsize, but if one of them fell off, they were sea monster food. The boat rocked back and forth massively. Not wildly, not at night anyway, but just a lot. The waves were huge. Steve put his hands on the railing of the boat and looked over, into the stormy, cruel waves. The boat went up on a huge wave, so Steve was looking into the wave. Then when it went back down, Steve almost fell off, but somebody's arms wrapped around his waist. Saving him from falling off. He turned around, and Khloe was standing there. She unwrapped her arms from around him and said: "Couldn't sleep." "Did you try?" Steve asked as he sat back down on the bench. "Kind of." She said. She frowned and almost fell, but maintained her balance. As she was a little smaller than everyone else (about the height up to Steve's nose) she was 14 and so was he. Or he thought. "Maybe if you try, you will. It'll help." Steve said. "Appreciate your thought. But I can't. I can't get comfortable in this place." She said. "We'll be out soon. Promise." Steve told her. "You keep promising things. It's like a habit." She said as the boat rocked again. "Have I ever broken a promise?" Steve asked, smiling. "Well... no. But I hope we do get out of this place, I hate it." The boat rocked again, and Khloe went pale and fell forward. Steve caught her. "Thanks." She said. Steve let her go. "Can't even stand properly." Khloe complained. "Doesn't matter. We won't be here for long." He assured her. She sat down next to him. "Sure you're not better down there? You won't get as seasick." Steve suggested. "Well... maybe, but you're up here." She told him. "So? I would help if I could, but I can't." Steve said. "Kind of can." She said. "I like it better when you're there." She said quietly, as if afraid somebody would hear. "Why? I can't do anything to help you. I told you." Steve said. "Yeah but... Erm... what if I feel better with you?" Khloe asked. "Then I'd ask, do you?" Steve replied. "Then I'd say, yes. Yes I do." She said. "Why? We're here because of me. You should hate me now." He said grimly. Then, Khloe did something he was NOT expecting. She gently tilted his head to face her. She looked into his eyes deeply. Then, she leant forward and kissed him. Reaper could have destroyed everyone he knew and loved, but he would of had no idea. Steve could of stayed in that moment forever. Then she pulled back and said: "I'll never hate you. Never. I... I love you Steve." He had no idea what to say. He opened his mouth to speak, but closed it again. "And happy birthday! It just went midnight!" She showed him her watch. He was completely in shock that she had remembered his birthday when he hadn't himself. "A-I-" Steve couldn't pronounce his words. "Shh. Just think. Then say. Or don't say." Khloe said softly. But Steve didn't need to think. "I love you Khloe." He said. He never thought he'd get to say that. "Y-you do?" Khloe asked, her voice cracking slightly. "Yeah. I do." He replied. "I-I-... Thank you." She said, a tear of happiness rolled down her nose. Steve kissed her on the cheek. "You think you can sleep now?" Steve said gently. "Y-yeah. Forever." She replied. "Well don't sleep forever. I won't let you." Steve told her. He wondered if Khloe knew what he meant. What he was really saying, was: I won't let you die. Ever. "Okay. Thank you." She said, and Steve assumed she got the message. He put one arm around her and she rested against his shoulder. Now, Steve couldn't let her down. Not EVER. It was early morning, when Steve heard Peter get up, and wake Travis by shouting about a monster attack. He came up the stairs laughing, as Travis had prepared his weapon to fight. He saw Steve, who was gently playing with curls in Khloe's hair. "Hey Steve." Peter whispered. Steve looked up and said: "Yeah?" But Peter just smiled and winked. He had his own little ways of speaking. The problem was, they always changed. Steve wondered whether to wake Khloe, but thought that it would be better if she got enough sleep to maybe get a LITTLE less sick. Of course, he jinxed it by just thinking about it. She opened her eyes slowly and said: "Still here?" Quietly. "Yep. Always will be." Steve replied quietly. At this point, Travis stormed up the stairs looking grumpy, as usual when Peter had... joked, with him. "Seriously Peter? Every night?" Travis asked. "Why do you believe him then Travis?" Steve asked. "Ahem, I am quite persuasive you know. And who's side are you on?" Peter asked. Steve shrugged, not really caring. "Anyway, are we just gonna, like, float here for the rest of our lives?" Peter asked. "No Peter. WE'RE gonna float here, your gonna sink." Travis said. "Yeah, sink YOU." Peter added. "Guys really? I don't like talking about sinking. It makes me sick." Khloe said, still curled up next to Steve. "Okay, yeah we'll stop, WON'T we Peter." Travis said, glaring at Peter. "Wasn't planning on it, but okay... what about dunking? Dunking make you sick?" Peter asked innocently. Khloe lowered and buried he face in Steve's shoulder as much as she could. "Peter?" Steve asked. "Okay... caps-" "No, Peter." Steve said. The boat rocked, and Peter stumbled a little. Travis snickered. "Hey, brain boy. I didn't chose to be small." Peter said. "Yeah but you chose to be an idiot." He said, and ran back down the stairs. Peter shrugged and sat on the opposite bench to Steve. "So. Like we said, last time, some big monster had the key. And there was a big metal door nearby. If our best bet is that, we should find a big metal door either floating in the air, or bobbing around at sea." Peter said. Khloe sat up, but Steve didn't let go of his arm, which was still around her. Khloe didn't seem to mind. "How are we supposed to fight the monster? We don't have like, sea weapons." She pointed out. "Yeah, good point. Unless we can find some mechanic boat, like that one that gave us directions." Peter said. "We'd need stuff like, torpedo's though. Or maybe if we found a way to... well, get ONTO the monster, if it's big enough." Steve suggested. The thought must of made Khloe's stomach churn, because she groaned, and leant against Steve again. "Maybe we could use some giant fishing rod?" Peter suggested. "This badge." Steve said, as he took the little naval badge out of his pocket. Must have been some kind of award? "What about it?" Khloe asked. "Surely it's got some kind of... magic in it." He replied. "Yeah, or else why would we have found it on this ship? It's a magic ship, after all." Peter agreed. Steve fiddled with it between his fingers. It did have a little glow on it. But then Travis came charging up the stairs. "Guys, monster, things, in the water!" He panted, and ran to the back railing of the S.S.Mytho. Steve got up and ran to the rail, so did Peter. He looked over, and there were bubbling trails, speeding towards the ship, Khloe didn't get up, she just clenched her eyes and faced down, clearly trying hard not to freak. Steve squinted, and could see two, very thin squids, and they were extremely streamlined. Squidpedo's? He guessed he'd find out, if they blew up or not, because there was no stopping them. "MOVE THIS THING!" Travis yelled, and stared at Peter, as he was the one who steered this boat. "THAT WON'T HELP!" Peter screamed. Steve had an idea, but didn't want to do it. He ran back to Khloe, and dropped to one knee. "Khloe? Khloe, we need you, you can shoot, we can't." Steve said it calmly and gently, which surprised him. Khloe managed to open her eyes and look at him, but shook her head and covered her ears. Steve realised he could hear the Squidpedo's bubbling. He gently put his hands on Khloe's, and slowly removed them. "Khloe they won't go away unless you shoot them. Please. We need you." He said. She waited a second, opened her eyes and nodded. She stuck out her hand and Steve took it, and stood up. They ran to the front. She clicked her fingers and unslung a Mystic bow from her back. She took an arrow out of her quiver, got down to one knee. She aimed the bow just resting under the rail, like she was in a trench in war, and shot a golden arrow at the head of Squidpedo one. It stuck through its head and it sunk down. She instantly loaded another one, but before she could aim, the other one thrashed into the boat, making a loud THUMP. The boat shook and Khloe was clearly breathing very heavily now. The boys all peered over the edge, except Steve, who knelt down next to Khloe and looked through the bottom of the railing. She fired, but it hit in its back, and it stayed up. It splurted ink from its tentacles, and boosted forward and BOOM, it his the boat again. Khloe's hands were quivering, and her eyes were clenched shut again. Steve put his arm around her, and whispered: "Come on, just one more. The ship can't sink, remember?" "Mm-hm." She mumbled, her voice quivering. She managed to lift her eyes again, and aimed. One more hit from the squidpedo, and the ship WOULD, probably sink. It actually couldn't capsize. It could still sink. The squid went back a little, and coiled up. It zoomed forward, but before it hit the boat, about a centimetre away, it stopped. And sunk down. "YES!" Travis yelled. Khloe stood and got a massive hug from Peter. "Thank you! We're not dead!" He shouted at the waves. "Take that Doomface!" Peter yelled, likely aimed at Reaper. She tried to steady her breathing, but Steve kissed her. "Well done Khloe. We're safe now." He told her gently. "I-I need to go down. I think I might be sick." She said, her voice frail and quiet. "Yeah, go on down." Steve told her. "Your coming." She said, and dragged him down. They stepped down, and Khloe slumped on the back bench. Steve sat next to her. "Are you okay?" He asked, concerned. "No." She said. "I heard something. In my head. A voice. It told me I was... I can't say it." Her voice cracked and she put her face in her hands. "Just tell me. It's okay" he said SA- I-" Steve was speechless. There was