"Led? Arlene? We're ready," Meddles walked through the door frame, and froze.

"That's great, thank you!" Arlene said with the cheerfulness that always annoyed him, but now strangely seemed like home.

"We need you two to come with me. Led, why do you keep looking at me like that?"

"I'm thinking. Sorry," Led answered, and he believed it was sort of the truth.

Well it was.

Thinking about the fact that someone'd just kissed him.

"Okay, then. Let's go start it."

Arlene and Led followed him as Meddles as if coop leader led them to the library.

"It's tested, tested! Let's go! Led, Led, say it! Say if it's good or not!"

It took Led a while to come to his senses (and adjust his tie collar out of the fear Arlene's super long nails had left a red mark on his neck) then, finally, he understood why he had to open his mouth.

"Yes, it's good." The telescopes really were. Nothing seemed off in his opinion.

"Yes, it's good?! Just that?! We spent a goddamn 30 minutes perfecting these telescopes while you and Miss Winner were chilling off in the stock room!"

"Smith, don't go off," Meddles told him. "We know you have your kids who you are far away from, but you've chosen yourself to be here."

"Mr Smith, it'll be fine," Mills tried to mill him (pun intended). "With this machine Led's built we'll define an energy source and save the world. Nothing will go wrong."

After a while, Smith decided to apologize.

"Forgive me, Led. I'm such a dumbass," he said, calmer and sadly smiling. "I guess you can understand me too, with your mother - I'm sorry."

Led, like the seasoned professional he was, didn't reply to anything. 

"Let's go. We're ready," Mills said.

"Really?" Arlene asked. "It seemed to last so long."

Led looked at her in confusion.

"What?" Mills asked.

"The time we had to prepare for the oceanwalk." Arlene looked at the asker. "Led, are you sure?"

"About what?"

"The telescope."

"Oh, yes," he realized. At the moment he felt Smith's apology described him more than Smith himself. "I think it's ready."

"Then it's ready."

And after they finally launched into the unknown.

***

After a few minutes since the oceanwalk start Mills, Arlene, Smith, Mithroan and Led were somewhat far away in the open.

"Mr Smith, I can't see anything!" Mills said in the scuba helmet speakers. "Is it supposed to be this way? How are we supposed to find the energy source?"

"Don't panic. Remember what Meddles said: we have to listen to Led's device: if it gives a ding, that means we're in the right direction."

"Besides, they're tracking from the sub," Arlene helpfully added. "If we go wrong, they'll call us out. Can someone open the voice chat? It's not working for me for some reason."

"Yeah, let's try it," Mills said, a subtle muffling heard in his speakers. After a few seconds, he said: "I can't work it." Led snorted.

"It's not working," Smith agreed, the muffling sounds also heard in his mike. "I don't know what might be the cause for this."

"Most peculiar," Mithroan said.

"And mine," Led and Arlene said in unison.

"Well then what will we do?" Asked Smith.

"We're on our own. We'll have to swim towards a big energy source, but it might not be the one we're looking for." 

"The sub?"

"The sub."

In 30 minutes they knew they weren't anywhere near the sub. And the closest energy source was about 5 minutes away.

"Guess it's the final stretch," Mills said, the nervousness evident in his voice. He had become a lot more vocal as they ventured further and further. 

"Yep. 400 meters to go."

And then, with immense struggle, they finally reached it. 

The energy source. 

"It's time," Mills said.

"It's time," Arlene and Mithroan agreed.

"Led, would you do the honors?" Smith asked.

Led silently moved towards the place of maximum matter/density value as suggested by his energy sensor, and brought it out of his pocket. Mills and Smith held the telescope. 

Arlene said:

"Go."

And Led went. 

Instantly a massive power beam shot directly towards the surface, whitening the water. The scientists were all blinded. The power blast torpedoed them into the distance. The water hit them nearly breaking their suits. Connection was cut off.

Then Led knew. It wasn't just a game of chance, of whether their energy blast could outfight the supernova. It was a lose-lose situation.

They were meant to channel the energy beam, and die trying.

As he thought of that, the water seemed to keep him a safe distance away. He could just see the beam which grew stronger every second. And then it seemed to grow tenfold momentously, reaching another energy hot-spot. A giant wave was launched across its radius, starting a chain reaction in its wake.

This was the end.

His helmet broke. 

A/N: Sooo should I end the book here? I could tbh. Would you want that? Hehe. Imagine if I continued but that would be from the Golden Union's perspective lol. 

Btw this book's gonna reach its first year in February: I wrote it for the ONCs, but decided to turn it into a standalone novel :D MAYBE I CAN COMPLETE IT THIS YEAR OMG-

Also, Lovejoy rocks.
Upd 28.02.2024: I guess for Lovejoy, not anymore:(