• • •

Barry is fortunate that the set of Travel Time is in Pelagica. With that, he finds himself sprinting across the vast plaza in the stillness of the night, his puffs of breathing and feet slapping the concrete floor echoing as the only sounds.

He reaches a large, above-ground pool towering over him among the other identical pools lining the plaza, and climbs up the ladder before halting at the top and peering down. Facing him is black, seemingly endless water reflecting moonlight.

With panic and guilt building up within him, Barry works up the courage to hiss at the waters: "Barbero!"

The waters continue waving.

"Mr. Barbero!"

And a pair of teal eyes pierce from underneath the surface. They increasingly radiate as they grow bigger before Marcos emerges from the surface, revealing the glow coming from his eyes.

Barry catches a gasp in his throat at the supernatural addition to his features. He can't do anything else as Marcos aims an austere look at him.

"Will you return me to the ocean?" Marcos asks as the excess water drips from his hair and shoulders.

Barry scrambles to draw in soothing breaths, clutching onto the ladder's railings. "I-I want to get you out—"

"To the ocean?"

"No! To the show. The people need you; I can't host it knowing what I've done to you."

"Just take me to the ocean, and you won't have to worry about me ever again."

"But everyone will think that I kidnapped you, that I murdered you—"

Instantly, Barry's eyes fly wide as a rope made out of water wraps around his throat, lifting him off the ladder and closer to the moon. He attempts to hold onto the restraint, but it's no use as his fingers slip through it, becoming wet.

Marcos now has a hand out in front of him, controlling the restraint. "See? Look at me: I don't care what's happening on land because it's not my home. And if you're not returning me to the ocean, I'll return myself."

And with a flick of his wrist, Marcos allows the restraint to hurl Barry into the inky skies, expanding the restraint to gain momentum to send him farther past the theme park. Marcos then gathers all his strength—mimicked by a teal light glowing between his hands and chest—and throws his arms out from his sides.

Instantly, the pool around him bursts into splinters, followed by the waters surrounding him to drop and splatter across the entire plaza. Marcos rolls onto the concrete ground, groaning and fluttering his eyes as they revert to their normal color.

"What?" A realization grows on Marcos's face as he snaps his head around, processing what has just occurred. "No! No, Leno, no!"

Marcos...

Marcos freezes at the all-too-familiar whisper. He gazes at the moon, an indirect viewing of the ocean since the buildings from his perspective block the view of the ocean. He tenses, gritting his teeth.

"I'll go," he musters out, "but not to let you take me over again."

He then reaches his hand out, and the nearest waters gather under his palm, morphing into the shape of a trident. And gripping onto his newly-formed, yet well-acquainted weapon, Marcos allows it to guide him through the air like a flying fish, before soaring over the black surface of the ocean.

Marcos lifts his eyes to find himself rushing up to a tidal wave, in which he aims his trident to connect, emitting a spark of teal energy.

And Marcos free falls into the ocean, being hit with its frigid waters and clanking bubbles. He rises above the surface, spotting the tidal wave still standing, this time with a pair of glowing, teal orbs behind its rushing wall. Marcos blasts clear water with his trident, only to provoke it further and have it charge at him.

With a gasp, Marcos holds his trident perpendicularly to serve as a shield, pulsing teal sparks against the wave's underbelly on contact. And instantly, Marcos pulls his trident away to stab it through the wave, just as the wave crashes over him.

The waters from the wave pour out from all sides of Marcos, drifting upon the surface in a circular motion around Marcos with a tingle of teal energy. Armed with his trident, Marcos spins in place, calculating the endpoint of the evil force.

He shakes his head, eyes filled with fear, breathing becoming thick. He knows exactly where the endpoint is located.

With a deep breath, Marcos dives under the surface, his tail following him, and exerts all of his strength to push through the waters. His tail propels him from behind, creating a growing distance from the stripes of moonlight as he swims head-on into the darkness. His motions continue, even when his vision becomes completely obscured with pure darkness. His trident is still in his grip as his arms move, his eyes are still sharp, aimed ahead—and he spots what he is searching for: Those two orbs of glowing teal reappear.

The heart of the evil force, housed in the heart of the ocean. The whisperer of his name, the one tugging at his soul to drag him into the waves wild and free, without a care about his well-being, his future, and especially others.

The one who is so hungry for more to fall into its trap, using what once brought joy to cause misery and pain under its control. Its control goes out even as far as being effective indirectly as its power brings about the fear of exploration and truly knowing one's self.

It is the fear that held Marcos back, causing him to stumble and fall into its trap due to a lack of preparation and hope. But little did the evil force of nature know that the stormy waters will make Marcos swim harder and drown his monsters.

With a slightly muffled scream full of resolve, Marcos lifts his trident above his head and hurls it in between the two orbs. And what follows are cracks of teal light forming from his trident along with rumbling before a force laced with teal light sends Marcos back up to the surface.

Marcos blasts back in the cool, salty breeze, panting into the serene night. The waters peacefully ripple around him, mimicking the peace he now finds within him—peace not due to a contrast of an active fear, which is compromised peace—but the ultimate peace of defeating fear: a satisfying peace, a balanced peace between land and sea.

Marcos turns to face the dim shore, feeling comfortable rather than fearful of it and its dangers. Yet, the emotions are replaced by shock when he spots Barry lying still on the sands.

"Barry!" He then dips under the surface and swims to the shore toward his unconscious assistant.