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Impulse ran as fast as he could across the submarine. His footsteps echoing off of the metal walls, and it felt like they were mocking him. Really the only problem he’d ever had when working down in the depths of the ocean was how it got him sick sometimes.
He was an engineer. He wasn’t on the retrieving teams, he didn’t even know what they were retrieving. Tango wasn’t either, and in this moment that was the only good thing Impulse had going for him.
The company was shady, he knew that, had long known that. Almost everyone knew that. He just didn’t think that they were shady enough to send his boyfriend out into the waters, while knowing the monsters were out there.
That was what he was running for. Zedaph.
He basically threw himself to the door interface, quickly throwing in his credentials, mistyping it twice, before the door finally opened, and he prepared himself for the worst.
The room was bustling with people, from every sector of The Serpent, but Impulse’s eyes narrowed into the medics bustling about. He still couldn’t believe that they’d been sent out on a suicide mission. Everyone knew it wasn’t safe, and the company had done it anyway.
The victims were spread out evenly, so that the people they were close to onboard would all have equal room to crowd in and mourn. Impulse made his way over to each group, attempting to peak over the masses to find Zedaph, but there were too many people.
Eventually he caught a glimpse of one of the casualties with blonde hair, and his heart stopped.
He didn’t want to see, he couldn’t see. Arms wrapped around him from behind, and he glanced up towards Tango, dragging him away from the masses. The sight didn’t stay for long with all of the tears in his eyes, but it left it’s mark on him either way. He couldn’t think anymore, not with the chance that Zed was gone. They had been looking forward to their next expedition, had told Impulse and Tango about it, and while neither of them understood, they understood how much he liked the job. Their pretty boyfriend, their significant other.
He was only drawn from his thoughts by another pair of arms wrapping around him, and he blinked his eyes open to see Zedaph.
He stopped thinking all over again.
—
As it turned out, Zedaph had been one of the lucky few to not be eaten by whatever monsters lurked out there, and also not run into the acid vats on the ocean floor.
The unfortunate few who had done that were the ones Impulse had seen, but he didn’t pretend to care about them. He wished he did, but he was more focused on Zedaph, even now, on the surface.
While Zed hadn’t been a casualty, he did still have cuts on his arms from the razor like leaves of the plants down there. Zed made it clear to them that they did not like being stuck in a hospital bed, but Tango and Impulse just smiled.
They’d talked about retiring. Despite how much fun he’d been having in the deep dark below, he didn’t exactly like how the company had just been willing to throw his life away, and Impulse didn’t think he’d ever agreed with anything more. So instead of returning back to the submarine when all was said and done, the three of them turned in their notices.
Zed had looked apprehensive when Impulse had agreed.
Impulse knew what it was about before they had even spoken.
“Are you sure you want to go back to Helm’s Rest? We can move somewhere else if you-”
Impulse cut him off. “I’ll be fine, Zed. Even if my ex,” He growled a little on the word, “does try something, it’d not like I’m going to-” He trailed off. He didn’t know where he was going with the sentiment. He wasn’t weak like before? He wasn’t going to just give in like that? If how long he’d spent with the asshole meant anything, it meant that Impulse could crumble like a leaf.
“If they try something then we’re going to beat their ass.” Tango chimed in, and both Impulse and Zedaph looked at him. “What? I know that’s what you were thinking, Zed.”
Zedaph shrugged, but Impulse could see him smirking. It didn’t matter, he had Zedaph and Tango now, and while finding a new job might end up being hell, they’d make it through it together. Like they had made it through this together. He would trust the two of them with his life. He already did.