Three weeks after the attack

  Quincey stood behind his sister, who was holding the bow and aiming for a target that was moving back and forth. She takes a deep breath, then releases the bow, hitting the target dead center. “That was amazing Echo! You're a much better archer than me.” He smiles and ruffles her hair while swimming past her. Echo smiles “Now, try and do t-” before he could get two out of his mouth, she takes out three arrows. “Alright, let's do a challenge.” He smirks “If you hit all three targets, we end practice here and now” he smiles mischievously. “Fine! I’ll take that deal.” she smirks and aims.

  The arrows slice through the water, leaving bubble trails behind them as they go straight through the targets. “I did it!” Echo smiles proudly as she looks up at her older brother, who sat there looking astonished. Quincey snaps back to reality and picks her up, spinning her around and hugging her tightly “That was amazing little dewdrop!” he chuckles and holds her close. Echo giggles and smiles as she hugs him tightly.

  Queen Nexus walks over with Annette and another maid following behind “how's her training?” Quincey slowly puts Echo down and points to the three cored targets “She did that with three arrows” Queen Nexus scowls “Not good enough. Do five next, if she fails, punish her.” Echo hides behind Quincey, who looks visibly annoyed. Annette keeps her head down, not wanting to look up at what was going on. “Mom, it's been three weeks, this is amazing progress! Let her take a break!”

  “Are you talking back to me son…?” She slowly swims closer as Quincey shakes a bit and moves back. “S-she needs rest, can’t you see your daughter is exhausted?” he says as his back hits the wall. Queen Nexus slaps him hard “You don't tell me what to do boy.” Quincey clenches his fists as he stares at the ground. Annette takes Echo's hand and leads her out, leaving Queen Nexus with Quincey. “W-Will big brother be ok…?” Echo asks and Annette shakes a bit “C-come Echo, you need to study.”

   Annette leads Echo to what looks like a hospital under water “Queen Nexus ordered me to show you the body so you may study it…” She places a strange looking suit on Echo and herself “So that you don't get sick by the contaminated water.” She swims with Echo to a closed off district in the hospital. Once inside she is met with the man from the crash lying lifeless on the table. Thick, black oil like blood still poured from him, the scientists there were gathering it in jars to clean and study.

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   Echo looked horrified but Annette pushed her forward. She looked into the now cut open body, inside there was wires and pipes, as well as organs that were enhanced by technology. His gear eyes seemed fixated on her, she shivers and covers her mouth. When she looked at his skin some was soft and squishy but other patches were hard and metal like, as if he had gotten hurt and had the spot replaced. She looks at a small wallet that was in his pocket and slowly takes it, his name was Xavier Copper, age 22. She tears up and starts to feel sick as Annette pulls her out of the room.

   “Do you have an idea of how to kill them?” Annette asks as she gets out of the suit, then helps Echo. “Why do we have to kill them…?” Echo looks up at her, fear filling her eyes. “They want to hurt us. Don't you want to protect your people?” Annette asks sternly “Yes b-” Echo gets cut off “Then do what you need to protect us. Kill them. It's the only way Echo.” Echo slowly nods while looking at the floor.

  Queen Nexus walks down the opposite way from them, Annette freezes up when she sees Quincey. He had a black eye and what looked like whip marks all on his back, he was bloodied and bruised. Echo gasps and swims to him “W-What happened?!” She holds onto him tightly and pecks his cheek, the kiss glows and the cuts stop bleeding, some minor bruises disappear, and he stands “Mother, happened…” He looks away as he tries to heal himself the rest of the way.

  Echo shakes as she looks back at Annette “You knew…. Didnt you….” Annette slowly nods as she looks at the ground. Echos' eyes filled with rage as she summoned her bow. Annette looks at her with terror, Echo aims five arrows at her, then releases them at the targets, hitting the bullseye on each. Annette collapses to the ground in fear as Quincey looks shocked at the exchange that just occurred. “Y…You did it” he said as he looked at the targets.

   “I refuse to allow mother to continue on like this.” Echo says as she goes to her room with her bow in hand. She turns on the filter and oxygen filled the room. She packs a bag with jeans, a black t-shirt, combat boots, and a loose navy-blue jacket. She also puts in a family picture and a dagger she was given by her father. When she returns to Quincey, he was fully healed and Annette was gone, though Queen Nexus was there now yelling at him.

  “Mother!” Echo shouts and Queen Nexus looks at her “Stop scolding big brother already! I did what you asked, he did what you asked, you're being unreasonable and quite frankly a bad mother and queen!” The symbol the goddess placed on Echo's forehead was now glowing. She winces a bit as a third eye starts to grow and form where it was. Quincey swims to her and holds her tightly “what's going on?!” He asks his mother who stood still “I-I'm not sure, but I feel like it means something is happening.”

A loud crash sounded from outside, screams filled the ocean and air, the scent of blood filled the water as chaos spread through the current.