Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Cheers streamed from above. Large, thick walls surrounded the arena as words were spoken through the large speakers. There was no understanding of the scratchy language. Sweat picked up on his brow as the two (golden) green suns shone from above.

The walls were made out of this thick plastic, he was certain it was some other material he had no idea about. Caked on where colors of all sorts that he tried to pretend it was paint. It was clearly other disgusting body fluids.

The bug-like monster screeched as he punched its skull in. He had stopped trying to talk things out anymore. His blond hair is long and hay-like, poured in front of his face. He could almost taste the green that splattered on his face.

He had stopped questioning whether or not these creatures, if these aliens he was fighting were sentient or not after a few weeks. (if he was counting the days correctly) He knew deep down that they weren't. They had no coronation and had a habit of eating their own once they saw the first hint of blood.

Soon his now yellow and dull teeth tarred into the endoskeleton of the now dead alien. All he could hear was the sickening crunch and chewing of their meat.

After all, he didn't want to starve since they never provided food for him. Just another way to entertain these sick fucks.

_.+*+._

“In, ||𝙹⚍ ↸╎ᓭ ⊣⚍ ᓭℸ ̣╎リ ⊣ ℸ ̣⍑╎リ ⊣”

The alien said as Phil stumbled into the white walled room. He had come to recognize two words of this strange alien language, ‘in’ and ‘out.’

The floor held stains of all different colors. He was a bit grateful that he had a room instead of a cage that the other non-sentient aliens had. Phil still was treated like a dog though, which sucked. His long hair stuck to his sweat and sticky face. His mouth had a lingering sweet but salty chicken taste that used to make him gag.

Looking back at the clear wall like door, that sealed with a hiss, the guard still watched him. With a strained mix of a hiss and a growl he slammed into the glass with a crazed look on his face. Teeth on full display.

The guard jumped back with a hiss as he hit the glass back with the taser stick in his hand. Once the guard left he limped his way into the back of the room. Grabbing the only thing left from his shirt from the corner of the room, he wiped the blood and dust off of his fingers and face. Picking at the blood in his overgrown nails to try and help his sanity.

He always tried to make sure that he looked less saintly than he actually was. It helped with manipulating the sick aliens out there into thinking he wasn't smart enough to learn how to escape. His face now held a tired look. Phil couldn't see himself in a mirror but he knew he had large eyebags that were almost hidden by the grime.

Pulling his hair back in a low ponytail, he tied it up with a thin piece of fabric left from his tattered shirt, it looked like rags now. His pants looked a bit better though. There were no injuries to be looking at today so the blond man sat down and leaned against the wall.

The guards never bothered to watch him (because he looked brainless to them) so he felt somewhat comfortable expressing that he wasn't just some monster. He knew all of it was just an act.

“I beat 20 different bugs today. A new record for no injuries,” he needed an out so he spoke to the wall. He did this a lot.

“It's a good meal right?” silence. Phil could almost hear the crickets, if he can remember what they sound like correctly.

“Oh who am I kidding? They taste disgusting,” he wheezed a laugh that turned into a cough.

Footsteps…and a dragging sound.

He could recognize a guard coming but he was dragging something. There were a couple other guards there too. After a while of being here he knew that they didn't allow other ‘contestants’ to live down his hallway. He also already ate his fill today so it wasnt food. (He wished that food was that big normally. Not that the food is good though) Yelling came from the one being dragged as the guard hissed. Quickly Phil pulled his hair down and ruffled it around his face.

Breath in.

He quickly stood as the guard and the new ‘guest’ came into view. The ‘guest’ being dragged on the ground spotted his feral expression and had a hit of fear in their eyes. The guest was different from the spider like alien guards. He was a pig-like man with two sets of arms tied up with round white restraints. He had two sets of ears. Low floppy pig ears and tall pink rabbit ears that matched his pink hair? Fur? That was loose and pooling over there muzzle.

The group of guards hissed again. He recognized the word ‘in’ as the clear door hissed. Phil would have lunged at them but he wasn't ready yet to show he is sentient. The glass door hissed open The rabbit-pig hybrid was tossed into the cell, the pink alien rolled and hit the back. The clear door closed quickly as he rushed to bang against it and growled, screaming profanities. He never acknowledged his new roommate as the guards walked away.

After a while of Phil’s fake nonsense there was a shuffling sound. A sound of hoofs standing echoed through the room. He snapped his head behind him to look at the pink alien. He would be lying if he said that the pig-rabbit hybrid didn't squeak in shock.

With a sigh his expression changed from deranged to a sort of calm and calculating type look. (old man look you mean hehehehehehe) with slow movements he brushed his fingers through the top of his own head to pull his overly long, disgusting hair back into a low ponytail with the scrap fabric on his wrist. The alien across from him watched him, wearily with a hint of curiosity.

Soon Phil fully turned toward the pink alien and their standoff soon turned into a ‘I have no idea what to do now,’ type of standoff.

The pig-rabbit alien soon started to speak to him with grunts and growls. “I can't understand you, mate,” Phil said as the pink alien stopped.

The alien, surprisingly changed languages. It was the one that the commentator in the stadium (the pit) spoke with but still not the one that the guards spoke.

“Still don’t understand bud,” Phil said with a shake of his head. The pink alien definitely didn't understand what his gesture was in the slightest and sighed in defeat.

The alien was taller than he expected. He had a hint of knowing in his eyes as he watched Phil’s overly calculated movements to try and seem less threatening. He knew that the pink alien knew that he was sentient…At least he hoped.

After a second he inched toward the wall next to the glass door and slid down it to sit down. He groaned quietly in pain as he finally let his aching body sit down. His muscles, sore from today's brawl in the stadium.

He had a feeling that his new, restrained roommate wouldn’t bother to attack him if he didn’t make a move to attack first.

After a while of silence he heard the pink alien move to the other side of the room to sit across from him. There was barely any room to completely relax without accidentally tapping each other. So the alien practically curled up because of how big he was compared to the human in the room.

Now they both just stared at each other.

“So,” the alien jumped at the sound of Phil’s voice. “How do I ask for your name?”

He more so said to himself as the alien had a questioning look in his eyes. Phil used his calloused palms to push against his stressed eyes as he hit his head against the wall behind him. After a second he lifted his head and faced his new roommate. The pink alien jumped at the blond's quick movement.

Phil sat up on his knees, his bones ached at the movement. He put his right hand on his chest and lifted his left one so the palm was facing the pinkett.

“Phil,” he pointed with his right hand to himself as he stated his name.

“And you?” Phil said, as his right hand pointed to the alien. The pinkett’s rabbit ears flicked towards him as his pig ears flicked, Intrigued.

Phil studying wild animal body language on earth really paid off in space. As a kid he lived on a somewhat private property with lots of wildlife and he was naturally interested. Though it was the worst idea to sell the house once his mother passed. His father was never present so he had no reason to keep such a large cabin. That was his first mistake.

The alien snapped him out of his thoughts as he grunted some words as well. Ok, this isn't working.

“Ph-il,” the blond said slowly as he pointed to himself again with both of his hands this time. The alien must have picked up on what he was doing because he tried to mimic his name with his vocal cords.

“F-il-z”

“Ph-i-l”

“Fil-za”

“Phil”

“Phil-za”

“Close enough,” Phil finished with a sigh as he smiled softly with a chuckle. The alien flicked his pig ear at the sound.

The alien shifted uncomfortably with the restraints, hoofs echoed softly through the small cell. The alien soon sat up and almost had a kneeling position though Phil just thinks that he couldn't sit on his knees the same way a human can. Through the same gestures as Phil he pointed to himself with two of his tied up arms, resting his other pair on his lap.

The pig-rabbit hybrid said something in the language he first spoke with. It was a bit easter on Phil’s vocal cords than the other one so he was grateful.

“Tech?”

Phil tried as the alien said the name again.

“Tekno?”

Another repeat but slower.

“Techno”

The last term of his name was a bit too difficult for Phil but the alien, Techno, was satisfied anyway. Phil caught on with the name a bit quicker than the alien did with his, which made sense. He found that out of the languages he had heard while in space, English was the strangest and unique compared to the others.

Some might even say that in any of the other languages English was the only one that he knew that wouldn't hurt his vocal cords in any way.

Silence was what the cell had for a while. They both settled down in more comfortable positions. The pinkett had his legs off to his side as he mostly sat on his thighs. Honestly to Phil, if he ever tried to move in that position he would probably be in pain. Phil sat a bit more comfortably with his legs crossed. His back leaned against the wall.

He heard his ‘name’ being called by the pink alien across from him. Phil hummed as he turned his eyes to Techno. Techno said a few things with grunts and growls before gesturing to his cuffs surrounding his arms.

“Mate, I may be human but I don't know if I'm that strong,” Phil snorted before reaching over to Technos outstretched set of arms. “Those cuffs do look uncomfortable though.”
Techno had an unreadable look on his face. Wide eyes looked at Phil as he fiddled with the cuffs on the aliens arms. Phil was just about to just yank at the cuffs before he heard Techno snort something at him. It sounded similar to how he snorted a laugh earlier.

Phil’s mouth turned into an ‘O’ as he looked back up to the surprised alien. Techno’s eyes slightly dilated as the pinkett snorted again.

Phil chuckled, a bit strained. “Sorry bud, didn't mean to do that..” Techno snorted and cuffed again a bit frustrated.

Phil sighed as he let go of Technos cuffed wrists. Techno looked a bit disappointed as Phil leaned back again. He grabbed a piece of fabric from the corner of the room.

“Techno,” he said as the alien snorted in reply.

Phil held his hand out to the rabbit-pig hybrid as the alien placed his wrists in his palms again. Phil gently as he could he filled the spaces between the first set of cuffs and Techno’s skin. Techno watched as he did so.

“Techno,” Phil said again before trying to hiss in the same way the guards were doing earlier. “Out,”

He said as a bit of a scuffed warning before he used all of his strength to pry the white cuffs open with his nails and fingers. A loud pop and a clank, the cuffs fell off to the dirty ground. Phil huffed as he shook his hands. Most of his nails were broken now. There were hinds of blood as he took back the piece of fabric to do the other set of arms.

Techno rubbing two of his free wrists with his hands he cuffed. A weary expression crossed his face. Phil held out his hand expectantly as Techno didn't give his other set.

“Come on, what's wrong?” Phil said, emphasizing the questioning tone in his voice.

Techno snorted and cuffed in his language as he gestured to Phil’s bloody broken nails. Phil blinked. He had an unworried look on his face, using his hand to wave away the worry of the alien.

“I’m fine, it's just a broken nail. No biggie.” Phil said as he chuckled. Techno even though had no clue what he was saying. The alien probably guessed as he snorted unconvinced.

Phil sighed as he grabbed technos other set of arms anyway. Techno growled a bit as Phil stuffed the free spaces again. A tight grip of the cuffs he pried away at them. A bit quicker than before they fell to the ground. Phil sighed as she shook his hands again to get rid of the lingering uncomfortable feeling.

Techno growled at him as he studied his bloody fingernails. Phil sighed before leaning back against the wall again.

“I'm surprised you even trusted me to do that in the first place, Techno,” the alien perked up at the use of his name.

Techno growled as Phil grabbed the fabric that was discarded on the ground to try and clean off the excess blood off his nails.

“Techno, Im fine,”

Another cuff and growl as Techno..scolded? Phil. Phil just sighed and continued to wrap his fingers. Listening to Technos scolding tone as the cell started to feel a bit less lonely than before.