After seeing the new mermaid, Jacob felt unable to go on. It just seemed to confirm, at least to him, that they shouldn't be killing the creatures they're encountering. The problem was, not only was Martha's bloodlust growing as quickly as Stewart's materialism, both of which were best served by crushing anything that came their way but more than once in just the short time since seeing the spaceman join Team Siren Caroline had to kill a creature playing possum after Jacob thought he'd knocked the fight out of them. The next safe zone they rested at, it came to a head,
"...Stop pointing that thing at Caroline! She's not one of the creatures!"
"But she doesn't recover like we do in the safe zones... She's clearly one of the monsters..." Martha's monotone voice was becoming more pronounced. It'd started when she'd found an empty pair of gauntlets clutching an admittedly badass sword. She'd nearly broken Stewart's arm when he trying to grab them and had them on before Jacob could preach caution. Now she had vambraces on both arms and her tennis shoes had turned into armoured boots. She'd advanced on Caroline when Jacob had pointed that out and advised dropping the weapon and she'd taken it as Caroline having mind controlled Jacob into sabotaging her, since there was no way she'd trust a monster. Surprisingly though, the solution came from Caroline herself.
"We are slowing you down. You can not trust your back to a pair of cowards and a monster, so why are you still with us. Leave ahead of us, mark the path you take at the first junction and we will go the other way. You will be able to crush all in your path to the master."
Jacob tried twice to interrupt her, but the force she spoke with made it hard to argue, and there was something off about her speech besides. It lacked contractions, for one and two, her expression was like someone talking in their sleep, despite her eyes being open. Martha, who'd always taken a long time to consider things in the past had left without a word or pause to consider. She reached for her rationed supplies and found them gone, along with Stewart.
"THAT SPINELESS SHITHEEL!" She bellowed, before clanging her way down the path ahead of them. Jacob had expected her to demand the supplies that Caroline held for the two of them but it wasn't long before the sound of metal on stone had faded to nothingness, even the echoes ringing out before either of the two spoke. Caroline jolted from her dazed state and dropped something she'd been holding.
"Cheetah Speed? Why do you have this? Stewart kept hold of the vials." She opened her other hand and was shocked to see a note inside. Jacob saw her demure face turn a gentle pink as she read what it said, "For when he tires of the chaste act..."
The implication was clear. Let the animal loose for a bit with the vial, but dare he?