Zeus had not read about the Wight Initiative at all in his many mission briefings but the look of abject terror on Phil's features made him feel as if they should have been.

"How bad are we talking, Phil? Do we have time to evacuate the station?"

Phil shook her head. "If you were warned about them, they're already here. Warning the station would accelerate the timeline. They think like a computer, Zeus. Anything that prevents their normal timetable is either dealt with or they accelerate the timeline. They cannot be stopped."

"But-"

Phil grabbed the front of Zeus's armour. As she spoke, her fingers dug into the ablative ceramic of the armour and he could hear the collar splinter from the force. Her eyes changed in colour from her normal green to a sickly lime with black vein-line lines pouring from it.

"They cannot be stopped."

Zeus gently placed his hands on Phil's shoulders.

"Okay," he whispered. "I believe you. So what do we do? We can't abandon everyone on the station to them. Can we warn our team?"

"No," came Junior's voice. Zeus peered over Phil's shoulder and looked at the young man. "They listen to radio signals and can hack into any line except one, which we don't have."

This was a true dilemma to Zeus. He couldn't warn his team, he couldn't warn the station and he couldn't prepare openly. So he would do the only other thing left to him.

Hope.

"Alright, new plan," Zeus said, keeping his voice low. "I need the two of you to help as well, to keep it looking like we're unsuspecting. Forget the list right now, focus on buying the weapons and armour. Do we get them handed to us?"

"You can request it as an Agent of the Alliance." Junior offered.

"Okay," Zeus said. "We won't be alone at the shopping district either. Remember what Belle said? Marcella and Minnie are there, too. We find them and loop them in. That will make a team of five."

"What about the others?" Phil asked, her eyes slowly returning to their normal green.

"Like Junior said, they can hack our communications. Unless we can get our hands on a method they can't do that with, the rest of Olympus and the crew... are on their own."

This admission was the biggest thing Zeus could admit right now. Moving forward, his team would comprise of a pilot, a teenager, a terrorist and a marine, none of which were part of Olympus. The team he had come to trust and care for these last three months had to rely on whoever was with them and not each other.

In many ways, this would be the true test of the abilities of Olympus Squad.

"Phil?" Zeus asked, looking down at her. "I need you to help me out here. I can rely on Junior to get the guns, armour and upgrades we need but I need you to keep it together. Okay?"

Phil nodded and pushed off of Zeus lightly. She breathed in deeply, keeping her emotions under control.

"Junior, go ahead. We'll be right behind you."

Junior nodded and began to make his way towards the shopping district. Zeus led Phil along with him. They were moving along slowly but Zeus was silently adamant he would keep Phil safe.

"Phil," Zeus said quietly. "Your eyes changed when you started to panic... You healed me when we crashed on Bjarni... Your reaction time is three times higher than most humans, even pilots like me. I need you to be honest when I ask you this question but understand that whatever the answer is that I trust you. Okay?"

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Whatever scared Phil before, she was terrified now. She closed her eyes, stopping in her tracks. Zeus stopped with her.

"Okay, Zeus. Ask..."

"Phil, are you human?"

Phil grimaced at the question, tears forming in her eyes. She shook her head, unable to form the words that shamed her. Her breath trembled and shakily escaped her lips.

"Phil, forgive me for being blunt... What are you?"

Phil opened her eyes, looking up at Zeus.

"There's a bioscanner before the shopping district," Phil said quietly. "It'll tell you the truth but you need to stop them from killing me. I'm on your side, Zeus. I will tell you everything after this if we survive, I promise. Right now I need to... focus on keeping it together. I can't say the word."

Zeus nodded and took Phil's hand. She was a little taken aback by the gesture.

"I promised to protect you and I will. In this new universe, Phil, you're ore than my pilot. You're probably my best friend. Okay?"

Phil smiled and brushed the tears from her eyes with her free hand. She nodded and pulled her hand away from Zeus's.

"Alright, lead on... boss man."

Zeus and Phil made their way to the shopping district which was packed with people of various races. Zeus was aware of some of them, like Elves and Dwarves, but there were some in the line he did not recognise. He chose to not question, instead making mental notes for later.

They did not have to wait long. Zeus walked through the scanner, which verified his identity. It blinked with a neon green above him and he stopped on the other side, waiting for Phil.

She visibly breathed in and stepped through. Immediately, it blared red and an alarm sounded. Seven rifles trained onto Phil's person. Zeus hurried forward, raising his hands.

"Stand down!" Zeus ordered. One of the soldiers, the commanding officer of the checkpoint, didn't take his eyes off Phil.

"Sir, with respect, her biology is registered as Klisk."

Zeus understood immediately. The hiding on Titan, the healing on the frozen wasteland planet, Phil's almost superhuman reflexes despite no Agency training or serums.

She was a Klisk and he had a decision to make.

"I understand," Zeus said, keeping his voice level. "Philicia's bio sigs register as such for different reasons, however."

Phil and the soldiers were all paying attention, so he continued. "She is a volunteer, using genetic re-sequencing in order to find a way to combat the Klisk. I would consider it a personal favour if you didn't kill my most important asset"

The commander thought about the words. Zeus had come up as Alliance, way higher than him. If he made a move on Phil, and she truly was as important as he said, his career was over. If he let a Klisk into the retail sector, and it killed people, his career was over.

"How about I take personal responsibility, commander?" Zeus offered. "you're doing your job and I understand. Let me take the blame if it arises. You have my credentials, after all."

This seemed to appease the commander and he gestured for his men to lower their weapons.

"Apologies, sir. I hope this experiment works if I'm honest. Fuck the Klisk."

Phil flinched but no one noticed. As the soldiers returned to work, Zeus wrapped his arm around Phil's waist and directed her further in.

"That was a hell of a lie, Zeus," Phil said quietly.

"Thank God I listened to Kailey," Zeus said, breathing out hard. "We need to talk about this later, on the ship. But I trust you, Phil. Always have. Take it from someone who fought against Nazis... Just because most of your people are evil, doesn't mean you have to be."

"It's more complicated than that, but... thank you, Zeus."

Phil knew from that moment that whatever Zeus needed, she would give it. Only Melissa had shown her this kindness before. Everyone else had left, tried to enslave her, or kill her.

She trusted him. He was a true friend.

Ahead, Junior was waiting by the fountain in the middle of the area. He was looking at the digital recreations of fish with a happy smile. Marcella and Minnie were with him, as well. Marcella was standing, watching Minnie intently, as Minnie traced her fingers along the water in the fountain.

"Hey, guys," Zeus said. "Ready to go shopping?"

Junior and Minnie were eager, ecstatic to be surrounded by so much technology. Marcella nodded quietly and Phil was still looking at her feet.

"Sir, you and I can go look for weapons if the others wish to explore for upgrades?" Marcella offered.

Junior and Minnie were already walking off towards a store. Phil quickly followed, leaving a chuckling Zeus with Marcella.

"Alright, Marcella. I have a list of weaponry Junior thinks we should have. I wonder if they come in white."

Marcella furrowed her brow at the emphasis on the word, but understood Zeus wanted her to not react. It came to her quickly, so her eyes began looking for suspicious activity as she walked to a weapons store with Zeus.

Epione and Dionysus entered the holo-bay in athletic gear, Dionysus in a sports bra and track pants, Epione in a less revealing track suit. The deck had been changed to match a track oval, with Riley already running on the track with Gunn watching.

"Ah, you decided to join us, ladies!" Gunn said loudly. "Five laps, now!"

Dionysus began running immediately, followed by a reluctant Epione. This was going to suck...