Neville watched Grayson walk away and tried very hard not to show his panic on his face again.
'Deep one!'
'Where's that alpha?'
'No, wait— is it really him?'
'The big one that smells like water but also covered in fire and metal?'
'That's him!'
Not about the explosion, not from the fact that Grayson had just materialized an SSS-class mecha from out of nowhere that was something out of a fever dream. Not even about the fishes who curiously began to cluster around him again.
'No, no— don't all rush him at once!'
'I knew it!' another chimed in. 'I told you I wasn't wrong about that alpha!'
'He's going to panic!'
No, he was panicking about something far more terrifying.
'Are you alright?'
'He's already panicking, look at him!'
'That's not panic, that's shock.'
'Same thing!'
His scales were showing.
'Why are you panicking?'
'Did someone chase you out of the water?'
'We won't let those two legs near you.'
'What can you even do inside the water?'
'I can swim!'
