Gobo was led to a smallish room covered in stone tiles. At the end of the room was a dip in the floor with a curtain suspended by a rod. To the left was a wooden basin with some sort of pipe curving above it, knobs resting on each side. Also to the left was a lid. Curious, Gobo lifted it and looked. Below was a pit of some sort, it smelled rank. Coughing, Gobo closed the lid.

"Yeah, you don't wanna open that too often," Caleb said. He walked over to the shower at the back and twisted the knob. Water spilled from the showerhead above. "Let's get you clean."

Gobo looked on curiously as Caleb adjusted the water. Warm water flowed out and spattered on the floor. Caleb reached over to Gobo and grabbed him by the loincloth. "Alright in ya go, and don't come out until you're clean."

Gobo struggled, hot water meant cooking. Cooking meant Gobo was going to be eaten! He had held out hope the Caleb was keeping him as some sort of living trophy. He had thought he had accepted his death after his capture but even he was surprised by the amount of strength he had left to fight.

"It's just hot water!" Caleb cried. "See!" He held a hand in front of the water and waved it through. Gobo wasn't watching, his instincts had taken over and he was fighting with all his might. Caleb was having none of it. He pulled Gobo under the water and sat him there.

Gobo flailed, he was boiling! His head was burning! His skin… felt rather nice actually. The water was warm, not scalding.

Gobo stopped flailing. Looking closer, the water was all draining away down a grate. "See, it's fine," Caleb said.

Caleb helped Gobo with getting himself clean in the shower. "Man you were covered in filth," Caleb said.

This continued for a few minutes until all the dirt Gobo had accumulated over the years in the tribe was washed away. He stepped out of the shower sparkling clean and looking less sewer green and more forest green. Gobo looked at his skin. He didn't realize he could even be this green! He could have any mate he wanted looking like this.

As Gobo admired his new green body, Caleb left to go grab clothing that properly fit the little goblin. Hailey met him in the small hallway between their bedrooms.

"I don't mind if you leave, you know," She said.

"Yeah I know, but I couldn't live with myself if I left you," Caleb answered.

Hailey snorted. "That's a line you use on a date, not family you nerd."

"You know what they say, ince--"

"Stop. Don't hide behind your damn jokes. Seriously, if you need to leave to go 'see the world.' Then go. I'll be fine."

"Damn it, Hailey, I don't want to keep talking about this," Caleb snapped.

"Tough," She crossed her arms.

He sighed. "Fine. If I left. If. And something happened to you. I couldn't take that. We already don't know where Mom and Dad are. Or Ryan. I'm not going to be the only one who lives through this insanity, even if I want to go see all it has to offer."

"I can protect myself."

"I know that. But what if you get caught off guard, like with the Exaltor?"

"I won't make the same mistake twice."

"But there's always new mistakes, and you only have one life. It's not a video game."

"I know that! But I also know you're going to go crazy here. June already bugs you, I can tell. Nathan a bit too, I think. Both of them are too serious for you, they don't have fun. God knows why they stick to you though. You've messed with them every time you met."

"I've just got a magnetic personality."

"Because you have fun, and lord knows someone has to be positive in all this. But you can't do that if you're stuck here. Why do you think I sent you on those missions all the time. You came back with a story to tell and made everyone laugh. Now you hardly do it at all."

Caleb crossed his arms. "Okay fine, you've made your point. It still doesn't change my mind. I'm not leaving you. Now, I have a shirt to deliver."

Hailey watched, lips pursed, as Caleb started down the hallway. "What if I can guarantee my safety?" She said.

"Ha! Good luck." He kept walking.

Hailey followed. "I'm serious, I've been giving it thought. If I wore a full-body suit, like a hazmat or something, I can use my power to keep myself protected at all times. If I have to leave it I can expand the barrier to the room I'm in."

"Good luck using your power while you sleep," Caleb replied. He opened the door to the bathroom to see Gobo messing with the shower knobs.

"How do you know I can't?" Hailey questioned.

"You can?" Caleb finally turned to face his sister, surprise on his face.

"I do practice you know," She huffed.

"Alright," Caleb conceded. "But where would you even find something like a hazmat suit.

"Rover?" Hailey said to the air. The AI appeared next to her face neutral but tail wagging.

"Yes Hailey?" It asked.

"Do we have the ability to make an airtight suit? Like a hazmat or astronaut suit?"

"We do. Shall I contract someone to make blueprints?"

Hailey turned to Caleb, her smile matching his earlier in smugness.

"Fine. I'll start prepping when the city is ready to leave. You do know we’re going to need a way to contact each other right?"

"Already covered," Hailey said.

"I never could win an argument against you," Caleb said.

"Because I'm the best, obviously. And one of these days I'll make you admit it."" Hailey said.

Caleb handed Gobo the shirt. "Never," He replied.

The two helped Gobo into his new clothes and started to prep for dinner.

"You want rice and beans or beans and rice?" Caleb asked.

"Surprise me," Hailey said.

Caleb worked his way to the kitchen, Gobo at his side. He grabbed two pots from the rack above and set them on the small burners in the kitchen. He washed the rice and added the pre-soaked beans to a pot. Finishing with the rice, he then added it to the other empty pot and set both to boil. Gobo watched on with interest.

"You'll like this Gobo," Caleb said. "Full of all kinds of vitamins and minerals."

The water inside boiled and Caleb turned the heat down. "Now to let them sit for a bit and we're golden. I know, let's use the time to teach you some words!"

The next twenty minutes or so was a game of Caleb saying a word and trying to get Gobo to copy it. He didn't get very far but Gobo learned to say the most important word before the food was finished.

"Let's eat!" Caleb said.

"Fuck!" Gobo replied.

"Gobo! How dare you be so rude." Caleb said in mock horror. Hailey rolled her eyes.

The two sat down with Gobo to enjoy a hearty plate of rice and beans but Rover appeared next to Hailey. "We have a problem."

Hailey groaned. "What now?"

A rumble shook the house. Not the rumble of an explosion, but something different. "We are being hailed by the Varnoss and they have their main flagship hovering over us."