Archive of Our Own ^beta

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Alarms blared as Jimmy trailed behind Pearl and Grian. “Where the fuck are we even going?” he shouted.

“We’re going to the ship hangar. We need to get away from here and don’t swear, you’ll get in trouble,” Grian replied.

“We're already in trouble!” He yelled back as he sprinted away. Pearl looked back and gave Jimmy a look that he thought was supposed to be reassuring. Voices shouted from every direction ordering the group to stop. Jimmy wanted to stop and prove his innocence, but Pearl and Grian thought that escape was the best option for him. The group had been accused of thievery from the Galactic Fortification Corps, GFC for short. The organization was the workplace for the trio, so it pained Jimmy to have to leave.

“We’re almost there,” Grian called out. Jimmy pushed himself to run faster for a little while longer. Grian quickly clambered into a ship with Pearl trailing behind him. Jimmy scrambled into the ship and slammed the cockpit door behind him. He forced himself to calm down and take some deep breaths.

“Why did you ever think this was a good idea? Now we seem even more guilty of a crime we didn’t even fuckin' commit!” Jimmy yelled.

“Calm down, Jim. With our low status, we probably would not have gotten a trial and we would have just been sent to jail. Escape is our best bet right now until we can prove our innocence,” Pearl explained. Jimmy grumbled, but he did not argue any more. He sat in one of the chairs. The plush leather of the seat felt comfortable to Jimmy after all of the running. He noticed Grian and Pearl staring at the consol intently. Jimmy shifted his wings into a more comfortable position. A few yellow feathers fell from them as he repositioned them.

“Is everything okay?” Jimmy inquired.

Grian glanced back at Jimmy, “Uh, Jim, any chance you know how to fly a ship?” Jimmy stared at Grian dumbfounded.

“I thought you knew!” Jim exclaimed in disbelief.

“Yeah, uh, neither of us know how to work this thing,” Pearl stated. Jimmy stood up and started to rummage around the ship for an instruction manual. After a few minutes of searching to no avail, Jimmy sat back down, defeated.

“Flying a ship can’t be any more different than flying with wings, right?” Jimmy said. Pearl and Grian seemed to consider his statement for a moment. A bang was heard on the door.

“Open up! You are under arrest for-”

The voice was cut off as Grian interrupted, “Let’s just figure this out as we go.” The two sat down at the seats closest to the consol. Jimmy carefully scanned all the buttons looking for a label. “I think this is probably the start,” Grian decided as he pointed to a giant red button.

“Grian, wait don’t-” Pearl began to say as Grian excitedly slammed down on the button. The scenery rushed past Jimmy as the ship sped off into the depths of space. Noise from the engines erupted into Jimmy’s ears. Jimmy flew out of his seat and slammed against the window. He had forgotten to fasten his seatbelt, so the acceleration of the ship caused him to be flung out of his seat.

His head throbbed as he screamed, “Grian shut this thing off!” Grian scooted his seat towards the controls once again.

He was about to press the button, but Pearl yelled, “Let me handle this!” She grabbed the steering controls with one pair of her arms and swerved the ship to the left. Jimmy was tossed into a wall again. He heard a loud crack as his wings hit the wall. He felt a throbbing pain in his upper left wing.

“Guys,” he croaked, “I think my wing broke.” Pearl and Grian could not hear Jimmy’s weak plea over the loud roaring of the engines.

“We’re getting low on fuel due to our speed, I’m going to have to land this thing somehow!” Pearl yelled. Jimmy gave her a thumbs up and turned his attention back to his broken wing. The bone had not punctured the skin, so he wasn’t bleeding at the moment. Yet, this did not negate the fact that his wing hurt like hell. Jimmy tried to take his mind off of the pain by watching out the front window of the ship. Pearl was somehow managing to steer the ship towards a desert planet nearby.

“I know this place. It’s called Ceonia. I made a friend here when I was young. My parents were here because they have a huge market area that has vendors from across the galaxy,” Grian explained.

“That’s nice, bud, but can we get there so we aren’t stranded in the depths of space?”

“Yeah, yeah, sorry,” Grian replied. He grabbed the set of controls in front of him and helped Pearl to steer the ship further to the left and towards Ceonia. The desert terrain neared the ship as they descended.

“Guys, I think we’re going down too fast, we’re going to crash!” Jimmy hollered. Pearl yanked the controls up to try to slow the ship’s acceleration. The ship spiraled downwards and tossed Jimmy around the ship in every direction. He heard another sickening crunch as all of his body weight pressed onto his already broken wing. He felt blood seeping out of a small gash near the broken bone. Jimmy tumbled onto the floor of the ship as it crashed into a dune. Sand sprayed in every direction and the front window of the ship was completely covered in sand.

“We made it,” Grian muttered happily. Jimmy looked at him with a weak smile and then promptly collapsed.

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“FUCK! We need to get some medical supplies for him, and fast,” Pearl urged. Her grey moth wings folded behind her back. Grian could tell she felt guilty about Jimmy’s injury, even though it wasn’t her fault.

“I know, I know,” Grian sputtered. He was frantically searching the ship for anything that could be used to stop the bleeding of Jim’s wing. He found an old blanket in one of the storage compartments that was in the seating along the walls. He rushed over to Jimmy and started to wrap his wing. “Tim, we’ll get you help soon,” Grian whispered to Jimmy. “I’m going to go to the market to buy bandages and possibly find a medic.” Grian shifted his wings around anxiously. He hated seeing him injured.

“Be safe, and get some fuel too.” Pearl noted before she said, “Who am I kidding, fuel won’t fix this dumpster fire.” Grian nodded as he opened the ship doors.

The sun beat down on Grian’s back as he wandered out into the desert. He kicked up sand as he walked in the direction of the sounds of the market. After quite a few more yards he saw it. The market was filled with carts, stands, and the occasional building that all advertised different wears from all around the galaxy. There were colorful pieces of coral jewelry from the ocean planet Saelia, bright fabrics from a planet unknown to Grian, and there was an assortment of foods and drinks from a multitude of places.

Many people wore long cloaks to protect their skin from the sun’s rays. There were a few people patrolling the area for thieves who appeared to be from the planet’s government. Vendors from all around shouted about having the best deals and pricing or the best assortment of goods. One voice stood out among the crowd to Grian. It was an oddly familiar tone.

“Come one, come all! Selling one-of-a-kind technologies to the first person who buys!” Grian sifted through the crowd to try to see this mysterious, yet familiar, figure. A gathering of people blocked Grian’s view from seeing the person. They shouted again, “We have a communicator that can send signals across the galaxy, a pair of nanotech embedded glasses that will help you see a greater distance, and so much more! Come to Scar’s Gadgets and Gizmos to purchase any of these lovely items!” Grian froze at hearing the name of the vendor. He moved closer to the stall and stared in shock at seeing the vendor.

He was average height, so taller than Grian. He had medium brown hair and green eyes. There were scars that started towards his right cheek and continued diagonally towards his left eye. Grian then noticed he had a pair of robotic legs. This person, Scar, looked incredibly similar to the person Grian had met here all those years ago. Albeit, the Scar he met did not have the scars, nor the robotic legs. Grian waited nervously until Scar finished talking with a customer. He watched the cat perched on the front table of the stall. It was a calico cat with blue eyes wearing a little pair of navy boots and a green band on its arm. Scar turned towards Grian happily and started to say, “Hello! How may I help-” He paused and stared at Grian for a few moments. “Grian?” he asked.

“That’s me,” Grian sheepishly replied. “I need your help.”

“I’ll help you, but I need to talk to you first,” Scar stated. He grabbed Grian’s arm and dragged him behind the stall. “Watch the stall for me, Lizzie!” he called out. The cat meowed almost as if in response.

“So is that your cat’s name?” Grian asked.

“Sort of.” Scar declared before Grian could ask what that meant, he continued, “So I see you held true to your childhood dreams and joined the GFC?” Scar smiled as he looked at the emblem on Grian’s chest. His smile looked oddly strained, like he was feigning his happiness. The symbol was three identical silver circles stacked on top of one another. It was the official emblem of the GFC.

“Oh, uh, yeah. Do you remember when I mentioned the two kids from my planet when I visited here when I was young?” Grian asked.

“A bit. What about them?” Scar questioned.

“They’re kinda the reason I need help. We were on a ship that crash landed here and my friend, Jimmy, was injured pretty badly. I also think the ship is damaged, so we have no way out of here,” Grian explained.

Scar immediately chimed, “Of course I’ll help! I have a ship of my own and a crew too. You’ll love them. But, I have to ask, why were you on a ship? You didn’t want to be a pilot when you were young and we never got an announcement a GFC crew was coming here. They normally tell the vendors so that they don’t get flagged for… uh nevermind,” Scar said.

“Oh, uh, well… me and my friends were framed for stealing important data, so we fled,” Grian mumbled.

“You really seem to be in a bit of a pickle. Lead me to your ship, I have some medical supplies on me I could use to patch up your friend,” Scar offered. Grian beamed with a smile as he led Scar to the crash sight. The ship was still embedded in the dune. Grian lifted the door open to the sight of Pearl holding an unconscious Jimmy. Her eyes were fixated on his injury.

“Hey, Pearl, this is my friend Scar. He said he had a ship we could use and he has some medical equipment for Tim,” Grian remarked. Pearl waved slightly at the newcomer. She wasn’t really the type to interact with strangers.

“Oh dear, your friend really banged himself up, huh?” Scar noted. He bent down next to Jimmy and took out a bit of gauze and a disinfectant spray. Pearl was glaring at him out of the corner of her eye. It was clear she didn’t trust Scar completely. “This will have to do for now. It will make sure the area doesn’t get infected or start bleeding again, but I’ll have to give him stitches at my ship. Do you two think you can carry him for a while?” Scar asked. Grian locked eyes with Pearl.

“Maybe,” Pearl mumbled. Even with her mistrust, she was willing to do anything to help Jimmy get better. And if that meant going to some random person’s ship in the middle of the desert, then so be it.

“Great!” Scar smiled. He started to spray the disinfectant on Jimmy’s wound and proceeded to wrap Jimmy’s wing with the gauze. “There! He should be good for a little while longer.” Scar stood up and motioned for Grian and Pearl to follow him. Pearl supported Jimmy on one side and Grian tried to do the same on the other. Pearl was only a little shorter than Jim, but Grian was around a half foot shorter than him, so carrying Jimmy was a bit of a struggle. They half dragged, half carried Jimmy to where Scar’s ship was docked. They dropped him a few times, but he didn’t sustain any more injuries from that, thankfully.

Scar’s ship was hidden in an area surrounded by dunes. Grian found it a little strange, but with the crime on the planet, he supposed it made sense. It had unpainted metal siding with some green rubber details on certain parts of it. It was a large ship compared to most others. It was clearly meant for exploration and not battle, but it still had guns on the side as precautions. The ship was a sight for sore eyes after all of the walking that Grian and Pearl had to do. “C’mon, I’ll introduce you to everyone else!”

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Scar led them to the main door of the ship. It was larger than the one that Grian, Pearl, and Jimmy had flown, so it had a door that opened up into a ramp. Scar walked over to the door and put in a code. The ramp opened and Scar motioned for the group to follow him inside. Grian walked up the ramp to the main area of the ship. There was a table in the center that appeared to be multipurpose. There were a few chairs surrounding the table that were bolted to the floor and there were a few labeled doors that led to the cockpit, the bunks, the engine room, and a storage room.

“Where should we put Timmy?” Grian asked.

“We have a lot of bunk space, so feel free to put him in one of the empty bunks,” Scar offered. “I’ll stop by in a minute to stitch him up.” Grain and Pearl carried Jimmy down the hall and heaved him into one of the bunks. Afterwards, they met back with Scar in the main room.

In the room there was Scar standing with three other people. One person was a hybrid between a human and an Iolvinian. He had slightly wavy brown hair with a dark green streak through it, he had brown eyes, and his pupils were in the shape of a four point star. He had slightly pointed ears, a patch of green skin around his left eye and left ear, claw-like nails, slightly pointed teeth, and two green antennae. His outfit was similar to the one that the pilots of the GFC wore, a full body suit, fingerless gloves, and boots. His suit had motifs resembling the four pointed star shape that appeared in his pupils and on the earrings he wore, and it was black and different shades of green. The man seemed to be scrutinizing Pearl and Grian.

The woman standing next to him appeared human. She had pink hair tied into two buns on the top of her head with the rest of her hair hanging freely down her back, and she had blue eyes. She wore a short sleeved shirt and shorts that hung slightly loosely around her. There was a long sleeved shirt under her other one and a pair of tights under her shorts. She had on a pair of sneakers that were navy and white like the rest of her outfit. She had a warm smile, but something felt unnatural about it.

The final person wasn’t a person at all. She was a humanoid robot with green LED eyes, her “hair” was made of nanotech, microscopic robots and bits of metal that interlock, that gave it the appearance of real hair, and she was wearing an actual outfit that consisted of a green t-shirt, baggy jeans, and a pair of leather boots. She seemed to be hyper-analyzing Grian and Pearl.

“These lovely people are Joel, Lizzie, and Gem,” Scar explained as he motioned to the trio. “And this is Grian and his friend Pearl. They also have an unconscious buddy back in the bunks named Jimmy.”

“Scar, we need to have a talk in a bit,” Joel scowled. He looked intently at the emblem of the GFC on Grian’s chest. Grian was confused as to why Joel seemed so upset about them being there. He seemed to especially dislike the fact that they were part of the GFC, which made no logical sense. The whole point of the organization is to protect the galaxy, so no one in their right mind would be opposed to it. That is unless you are a criminal, which Grian had a sneaking suspicion Joel was.

“Wait a minute, Scar, you told me earlier that the cat at your stand was named Lizzie, so are there two of them?” Grian wondered.

“I should probably explain that,” Lizzie stated. “I’m a shapeshifter. Being a cat is one of the forms I use most often. I make sure no one steals anything while Scar is away while everyone is under the impression I’m a cat.”

“Cool,” Pearl added with a smile. She seemed to be taking a liking to Lizzie. Her anxiety seemed to be setting in now as her antennae twitched slightly. “I’m going to go check on Jimmy.”

“I’ll come with you,” Grian urged. He was anxious about Jim, but he also wanted to get away from Scar’s friends. Joel kept staring Grian down in a way that made Grian slightly uncomfortable.

“I should probably go with you, too, so I can get your friend completely patched up,” Scar stated. He grabbed a large kit of medical supplies and walked down the hall. Grian followed closely behind Pearl and back to Jimmy. He gave her a look that told her that they needed to talk. She seemed to understand and nodded.

Scar knelt down next to Jim and began stitching his wing. It took only a few minutes for Scar to finish. He packed up his equipment and started to leave before he said, “I’ll leave you guys alone with him for a bit.” After Scar left, Pearl ang Grian quietly discussed what their plan would be for the next few weeks or so. They eventually decided to stay with Scar and his crew until they found enough evidence to prove they were innocent, or if they were contacted by the GFC saying that they were off the hook. Grian also discussed his mistrust of the group, especially Joel. Pearl agreed to keep an eye on them for anything suspicious. Surprisingly, Jimmy then woke up.

“Hey guys, um, where am I?” Jimmy asked while looking around the bunks.

“Remember the friend I told you about that lived here? Well, he let us stay on his ship,” Grian summarized.

“Is it just us and Grian’s friend?” Jimmy asked.

“Nope,” Pearl remarked. “There are a few people on Scar’s crew, oh and that’s the name of Grian’s friend. The crew member’s names are Joel, Lizzie, and Gem.” Jimmy paused for a moment and thought about this.

"Are they friendly?” he questioned.

“So far, yes, but I feel weary about them,” Grian replied. “I’m going to go tell them you’re awake.” Grian walked out of the room and started down the hallway. He stopped walking when he heard hushed conversation.

“Scar, you know my… history with the GFC. I don’t trust them,” his tone sounded like venom.

“I know, Joel, but please give them a chance. They’ve been nice to us. Plus, I know Grian, and I know that his friends will be kind like him.”

“Scar, you knew him as a kid. Not an adult. I’ve seen the things that the GFC puts people through. Sometimes it results in someone completely changing for the worse.”

“Please,” Scar pleaded. “I really believe they mean no harm.”

Joel sighed, “Fine, but the moment they start acting hostile, they’re out of here.”

Grian retreated back to the bunk room that Jimmy was staying in. This was some proof that confirmed his suspicions. No one mentally well person would be slandering an organization that wanted the betterment of the galaxy for the people that resided there.

“Back already, G?” Jimmy asked.

“Yeah, so y’know the Joel guy? Well, I heard him arguing with Scar about us. He doesn’t like us because we’re with the GFC,” Grian responded. Both Pearl and Jimmy looked as shocked and confused as Grian felt.

“But why? Does he not know that the GFC protects the galaxy?” Pearl wondered.

“I have no clue, but he said that he had a history with the GFC. Whatever that means,” Grian added.

“Let’s just keep an eye on him in case he’s doing anything illegal that he’s worried about the GFC knowing about,” Jimmy offered. “That’s all I can really think of when he says he has history with us.” Grian and Pearl nodded in agreement. Jimmy tried to stand up from the bunk, but pain shot through his wing.

“I’ll stay behind with him,” Pearl offered. “You go explore a little bit.” Grian left the room with a new mission in mind. He was going to find out what exactly Joel was up to.

Chapter Text

Etho walked down the halls with his apprentice, BDubs, as he liked to be called. Etho personally trained BDubs for the role of commander for the GFC. Etho went through the same training after he graduated from being a cadet. They stopped in front of one of the many doors they had passed. Etho opened the door to his office and stepped inside. “BDubs, give me the reports on the three members that fled after the theft allegations.”

“Yes, sir,” BDubs scrambled off to get the information on the three members. He was an interesting character to say the least. His skin was made of wood and his hair was leaves. Despite his unusual… heritage, he was more competent than half of the members of the GFC.

Etho wanted to have a word with whoever was letting all these people become full members with the little training they had. Not too long ago when he was in training, there were people with incredible talents. Etho was good friends with a wonderful pilot… he had too weak of a mind, though, and fled. He grew bitter thinking about it. His friend then started spreading lies about the GFC. Well, not exactly lies, but harmful truths. People couldn’t fear the very foundation that protected them from the unknown. Then citizens would revolt, and the galactic government would topple, which would not be good.

Etho stopped that train of thought and sat down at his desk chair and waited for BDubs to return. “Here they are!” BDubs exclaimed as he reentered the room. “According to the records, their names were Grian, Jimmy, and Pearl. They have no recorded last name because they come from a small village on Avotera. They were all soldiers, but Grian also worked part-time in the weaponry and technology field. They stole a basic traveling ship that was unarmed to flee after the theft allegations. It also says that new security footage has been discovered that may prove their innocence.”

“What is the file name of the security footage?” Etho asked.

“File 3V0, sir,” BDubs replies. Etho opened the file on his nanotech infused monitor. The security footage showed the three soldiers talking to Commander BigB during the time that the data was stolen from across the facility.

“Well, this is definitely proof of their innocence. Why did the tech department not find this earlier?” Etho asks.

“Well, sir, the data was stolen from the tech department,” BDubs replied, “so they needed to secure the sensitive data before they could get the footage up.”

“I suppose that makes sense, but now we wasted time trying to track down three innocent people. Send a message to Emperor Ren about this. I’ll try to contact the three to tell them that they have been cleared,” Etho stated. BDubs walked over to the messaging station in Etho’s office and began to write a message to the emperor with the security file attached. Etho used his own communications system to message the ship that the three had taken, but there was no response. He waited for a few minutes until he sent another message. Again, no response.

“The message is sent, sir,” BDubs reported. Etho gave a nod in response. He realized that their communications may have been shut down, so he started the tracking signal on their suits.

“I haven’t been able to reach the soldiers through the stolen ship’s communication. I started tracking their suits so we could meet up with them and take them back here,” Etho explained to BDubs.

“Great! Should I tell Emperor Ren about this too?” BDubs inquired.

“Please do,” Etho responded. He got up from his chair and slipped on his coat. He could understand why the soldiers had fled. They were likely terrified out of their minds, but now they would be punished for the stolen ship. Etho would make sure they got less harsh punishments. The soldiers reminded him of his own experience when he graduated from being a cadet.

After BDubs finished sending the message, he and Etho left to make their way to the ship hangar. Etho boarded his personal ship with only BDubs. This should be a short mission, so they wouldn’t need extra help. He sat down at the control panel and started the ship. The ship lifted off into space without trouble. Etho and his crew were now on route to find the soldiers.

Chapter Text

Grian stared down at his hand. The purplish colored mark has been there since he was born. The vague eye shape of it always made him uncomfortable. When he got older, he visited multiple magic specialists who all told him the same thing: it was the cause of his visions. When Grian fell asleep, he sometimes saw bits and pieces of people’s pasts.

He only had ever really hung around Pearl and Tim, so he had been there for most of the memories of theirs he saw. Now that he was around new people, he wondered if he would see anything about their pasts. He layed in his bunk and stared at the ceiling. Pearl and Jimmy had already fallen asleep. He couldn’t find anything about Joel for the past few days, but he’d try again tomorrow. He sat there in silence until he fell asleep.

His first dream was about Scar. He saw Scar and a woman who looked like Gem talking to one another. The dream shifted to Scar and the woman again. This time, Scar was reaching out in panic to try and stop her from doing something. Grian’s view shifted to the woman waving to Scar and not noticing that she was about to step on something. Then, the dream shifted to an explosion.

Grian’s next dream was about Lizzie. It showed her as a child on the streets of a city not familiar to Grian. She was practicing her shapeshifting powers. She appeared like she had just found out about her powers. It then cut to Lizzie as a teenager pickpocketing people to make a small amount of money. Grian knew there was something suspicious about her. Although, she could have changed her ways. After it showed her meeting a man with brown hair and a beard wearing a sandy colored cloak. She seemed to admire this person. The dream shifted once more to Lizzie seeing the dead body of that same person in one of the city’s alleyways.

Grian’s final dream was about Joel. It showed him as a young child being ridiculed for being a hybrid. Hybrids between species were uncommon throughout the galaxy, so he was a rare sight. Some species accepted hybrid children, while others did not. The Iolivinians were known to be a perfectionist species, so having a hybrid child was considered a stain of their “perfect” species. They kicked out Joel and his mother when Joel looked to be around 7. Grian saw Joel’s father being forced to stay behind. The dream shifted to Joel looking around 19 or so. He was steering a ship and he was wearing what appeared to be a pilot’s outfit for the GFC. Grian blinked, and Joel was in the outfit he normally wore.

Grian awoke to the sound of chatter outside. What depressing dreams. He groggily got out of his bed and noticed that Pearl and Jim weren’t in their beds. It was nice to know that the pain wasn’t affecting Jimmy as much, so he could walk. Grian strolled out into the main room and saw that Pearl and Jimmy were talking to Gem. “Hey, guys, where’s everyone else?” Grian asked.

Gem responded, “Joel is driving the ship, Scar is tinkering with something, and Lizzie is around here somewhere. She’s probably with Joel.” Grian nodded and looked around the main room. There was the table that he saw on his way in, but he just now noticed the kitchenette and water cooler in there. There were also some storage cabinets that Grian assumed stored food. He also saw some speakers in the corner. An announcement crackled on the speakers.

“Right now we’re low on fuel, so I’m going to make a pit stop. There also is a ship a couple miles back that’s been trailing us, so I’ll keep an eye out if they continue to follow us. Joel out.” The speakers shut off and everyone stayed silent for a few more seconds before returning to their conversations.

Ugh, I hate pit stops. You never know if a planet’s inhabitants will accept our little ragtag crew or not,” Gem grumbled. “Hey, but maybe you guys will be our good luck charm.” She flashed a small smile and Grian small Pearl looking at her with a glimmer of admiration in her eyes.

Grian peered out of one of the windows and saw a thick layer of snow blanketing the ground. He spied some evergreen trees growing in patches dotted around the snowy landscape. A small snow rabbit hopped closer to the ship before turning away. Some large rocks jutted out around a large fortress in the distance. The fortress appeared to be a city surrounded by a protective wall. The rooftops of a palace were barely visible over the edge of the wall.

The door of the ship slowly opened and a ramp planted itself from the ship into the ground. Scar finally made an appearance outside of his bunk, and Lizzie and Joel came out from the cockpit of the ship. Joel gave Grian a harsh glare before starting to walk outside the ship. The group all got outside of the ship and the ramp receded into the ship. The door closed and they were all left in the cold air. Joel wasted no time and started to walk towards the walled-in city without a word. Everyone started to follow him, so Grian had no choice but to follow him also.

“Does anyone know where we’re going?” Grian questioned.

Joel replied, “I’ve been here a few times, so I know my way around the city.” He seemed slightly upset about that fact.

“Why do you know how to get around?” Grian asked. He wanted more information on Joel because of his suspicious demeanor.

“A former friend of mine lived here.”

“Who was your friend?”

“None of your concern,” Joel snapped angrily. Grian decided not to ask anymore questions after that. It was clear he would need to get information from secondary sources.

The snow made a small crunch under everyone’s feet. They eventually reached the city gates, which were surprisingly unguarded. As they entered the city, Grian realized this must be where Commander Etho was from. All of the citizens had very lightly colored or white hair, they had multicolored crystals floating around their heads, and they all had pointy ears.

“These people all remind me of Etho,” Pearl whispered to Grian.

“I thought so too,” Jimmy agreed. His wing had healed nicely from when he first got hurt a few days ago. The group weaved around market stalls, alleyways, homes, and people trying to get to… somewhere.

“Where are we even going? We passed many shops, wouldn’t we get fuel from there?” Grian asked.

“Our ship runs on this special fuel that is magic infused, so commoners aren’t allowed to sell it. We normally stea-” Scar was cut off by Gem elbowing him, “I mean borrow it or ask nobles or royalty if we can buy it.”

“The palace is just up ahead,” Lizzie stated while motioning her arm forward to this grand building built out of marble. It had golden accents painted or engraved into the marble details of the palace and the roofing was made of a material that was light blue and that seemed to sparkle. She started studying the place like she was calculating the best place to enter undetected from. Maybe she hadn’t changed much from when Grian saw her as a teenager in his dream.

“You all need to be on your best behavior here. Don’t touch anything, don’t speak out, and bow respectfully no matter how douche-y the royals may seem,” Joel warned.

Upon walking in, Grian would have to remind himself multiple times to not pick up any of the many treasures on display. There was one of a kind ceramics, glistening gemstones of all colors, shapes, and sizes, and many more priceless artifacts. Grian tried to think that he was meeting Emperor Ren to keep himself under control. Everything he was was much more expensive than he was used to seeing from his little village in the jungle.

The group eventually stopped in front of two large mahogany doors that had golden handles and gold details. The doors were opened by two guards dressed in white and gold armor. They made a creaking sound as they slowly parted to make space for the group. Grian took a deep breath before entering behind everyone else.

Chapter Text

Jimmy was in awe at the whole castle, but the thing that caught his eyes the most was who was on the throne. He had a sharp nose and eyes that gave him a regal, yet beautiful, look. His hair was darker than most other people in The Land of the Frost, but it was still light. It was a breathtaking cyan colored that framed his features perfectly. He was wearing an all white outfit with golden accents and a gold cape. Jimmy felt his face heat up at the sight of the ruler.

His throne was framed by two larger ones on either side and there was a spot that looked like another throne could go beside him, but it was currently empty.

Jimmy was so awestruck that he hadn’t realized everyone else was bowing. He quickly dropped to one knee and his face heated up again, this time from embarrassment. He thought he saw a small smile form on the prince’s face, which just caused him to blush more.

“Tell me why you are here,” the monarch ordered with a calm but assertive voice.

Joel rose and explained, “Prince Scott, my ship has run out of fuel, and we are in need of some more. Because our ship uses Mystical Fuel, we are looking to acquire some from you. We can compensate you for the costs.”

“I suppose I could sort out something, but I have another question. Why are you all traveling together? You have a shapeshifter, an illegal hybrid, a human, a robot, and three Galactic Fortification Corps members,” Prince Scott inquired.

“The GFC members had crashed their ship, so we are taking them to the nearest base where they can get a ship to go back to the main base,” Joel explained. He seemed angry about the fact he was called an “illegal hybrid.” “The rest of us are part of an exploration group that travels around the galaxy.”

The prince seemed to think about something for a moment before a smile grew on his face. “You will be stopping at multiple planets, correct?”

“Yes, Your Highness,” Joel answered. His antennae twitched in annoyance.

“My parents are out searching for my brother at the moment so they won’t be worried about me. Instead of paying my family, take me with you on your travels as payment. The only condition is that I have to take my personal guard with me,” Scott said.

Jimmy couldn’t believe his luck. The hot prince was going to be coming on the ship. With him. His heart pounded rapidly with excitement. Then he realized he probably never was going to get a shot with the prince. It was silly to think that he could have a chance with him. He was a prince, and Jimmy was just some low-ranking soldier for the GFC. Jimmy was so awestruck with the beauty of the prince, that he hadn’t noticed the zombie woman walking in the room. When Jimmy finally snapped back to reality, he tried to catch up on the conversation that had been happening while he was daydreaming.

“...so your guard will be coming along with you?” Joel asked. Jimmy saw the zombie woman seemed to be from the planet. She had the distinct pointed ears and floating crystals of the Froster people. The only thing that was different was her green, stitched skin. Jimmy tuned out the conversation again as Pearl approached him.

“You seem out of it. Is everything okay?” she asked quietly.

“Yeah, everything’s fine,” Jimmy replied. Apparently Pearl wasn’t convinced because she crossed her arms.

“Jim, tell me what’s going on,” she ordered.

Jimmy sheepishly smiled. “I may or may not think the prince is hot.” Pearl gave him a look. It wasn’t disappointment or judgment, but something else. Surprise.

“Him? I wouldn’t have thought a stuck up rich boy would be your type.” Pearl raised her eyebrows.

“Pearl! We don’t know if he’s stuck up. He seems nice,” Jimmy mumbled.

“Just watch out. I don’t want him breaking my brother’s heart,” Pearl warned.

“Firstly, I’m not your brother, we’re just childhood friends. And secondly, you don’t need to watch out for me. I’m not a little kid anymore,” Jimmy muttered.

Pearl rolled her eyes. “Jim, I’m teasing you.”

He blinked a few times. “...Right.” Not only had he managed to make a fool of himself in front of royalty, but also made a fool of himself in front of one of his closest friends.

The group started to leave with Scott and the zombie woman, who he found out was named Cleo, so Jimmy assumed things had gone well with negotiations. He was distracted most of the way back to the ship. He couldn’t stop admiring Scott’s elegance. The crystals floating around Scott’s head gently swayed every time he moved his head. He had an expression of contentment, but he had this excitement in his eyes that was unbridled.

Jimmy began to wonder if the prince had ever been off of his own planet. Jimmy could relate to him if that was the case. On his own planet, Avotera, there wasn’t much technological development. That was until the GFC started to develop a base on his planet. His only way to get off of the planet was to join the GFC. Jimmy liked how the GFC’s goal was to protect the galaxy. They also gave opportunities to less developed planets like his own.

They soon arrived at the ship. Joel and Lizzie took the guests on a tour, while Scar retreated into his room, which was more of a workshop. Gem plugged herself into the wall and powered off, but then something happened. The ship’s interior lights had a slight orange hue to them. Then, Gem’s face appeared on a large screen above the doorway into the cockpit. “Gem, how did you do that?” Grian asked in amazement.

“Oh, whenever my body or part of it is docked into the ship, I’m able to control its functions. Scar designed my system to be able to do this. It’s quite useful whenever Joel’s sleeping or unable to drive the ship,” she explained.

The ship’s engines roared to life from Gem’s command in the systems. As it sped off into the depths of space, the snowy planet soon became a small spec in the vastness of the galaxy. Lizzie and Pearl were engaging in a conversation for a little bit before Lizzie left to go to the cockpit.

He was happy that Pearl seemed to be making a friend. Jimmy watched silently as they passed numerous places. It astounded him just how much life existed. There could be only a few hundred inhabitants on a single planet, or there could be millions just in one city. Jimmy was startled from his thoughts as a loud boom erupted.

A ship trailed behind their own. They were being attacked.

Chapter Text

Etho never took his eyes off of the ship in front of him. His eyes narrowed as he recognized the detailing on the side as the trademark of someone he thought he’d never see again. Etho was sure he was just being bitter and petty by holding three of the most promising soldiers of the GFC captive on his ship.

“Boss?” BDubs called out from behind the Froster. “Do you think they’ll surrender?”

“With who owns the ship, it’s unlikely,” Etho grumbled.

BDubs looked at Etho with curiosity. “How do you know who has the three captive? Are they well-known criminals?”

“One of them is in a way, and I think he’s trying to provoke me. The others I’m unsure about,” Etho replied. “I’ll try and get them to land and surrender. Aim for the area near the right engine, but don’t aim for the engine directly. We want to cause minimal damage to the ship, but enough to have them land.”

BDubs focused the guns on their ship towards the other. After double checking his aim, he fired. A small explosion was created, but nothing that would harm the people on the ship.

__________________________________________________________

Joel quickly scrambled out of the bunks and to the windows to see what happened. He muttered a curse under his breath as he saw the GFC ship behind them. He knew he couldn’t fire back because Jimmy, Grian, and Pearl would get upset. He noticed Jimmy standing in shock while looking out the window.

“Make sure the prince is safe. I’ll take care of this,” Joel stated.

Jimmy stared at him for a moment before asking, “Why would they fire at us?”

“Beats me,” Joel answered. He then remembered the trackers that were on the uniforms. They probably had them implemented everywhere now. Typical, not giving anyone an ounce of privacy because they want to “protect” them. Joel sighed and continued, “It’s probably the trackers. They must think we kidnapped you or somethin’ like that.”

“How do you know about the trackers?” Jimmy questioned.

“Now’s not the time for questions. Go make sure the prince is okay,” Joel grumbled. Jimmy glanced at Joel one more time before going to the bunks where Prince Scott’s tour was stopped short.

_________________________________________________________

Jimmy went to go find Scott. He was more suspicious of Joel than ever, but he couldn’t pass up the chance to spend time with Scott. Jimmy found him looking around in the bunk room he, Pearl, and Grian were sharing. Jimmy awkwardly blurbed, “Uh, Joel wanted me to check up on you because he’s doing a, uh, diagnostic check or whatever, so I’m here.”

“

Um, thanks,” Scott mumbled. Jimmy berated himself in his mind for being so stupid and messing up speaking. His cheeks flared red from embarrassment. Scott’s guard, Cleo, was looking at him with one eyebrow raised. Was she going to make Jimmy leave? She then did something unexpected, she smiled.

“You’re kinda adorable,” they smirked. Jimmy wasn’t sure how to respond.

“Uhm, thank you?” He then left them for a moment to grab Pearl. When he found her he hastily explained, “Joel asked me to go with the prince, so I did, but then I stumbled over my words, and I think I messed everything up, and..”

“Jimmy, calm down. I don’t think you messed anything up. If it makes you feel better, I can go with-” Pearl was cut off suddenly by a shout from Jimmy.

“YES! I- uh I mean please,” Jimmy mumbled. Pearl went along with Jimmy to where Cleo and Scott were. Pearl and Cleo started to talk to one another and seemed to be getting along. Jimmy noticed Scott looking around. “What are you looking for?” he asked.

“Oh, uh, I was just curious to see what was in here. You all seem like very interesting people,” Scott replied. Maybe Jimmy didn’t actually mess things up with him and it was all in his head. Scott paused for a second, looking into a drawer that Jimmy hadn’t noticed and pulled out a photo. “Do you know who the other person is in this photo with… Joel? I think that’s his name,” Scott asked. He held up a photo of a younger Joel beside a white-haired Froster wearing a black mask. He immediately recognized the cold, yet kind eyes of his commander.

Jimmy was left stunned. Why was Joel with him? What did this mean? “Pearl!” he called out. “Come over here!” Pearl stood in a stunned silence as she saw the photo.

“Is that really him?” she questioned. Cleo peered over her shoulder to take a look at the picture.

“Isn’t that one guy the captain?” Cleo asked.

Jimmy then responded, “Yeah, but this doesn’t make any sense. If he was actually in the GFC, then he should still be in it. The only way to leave is retirement or…” He then had a very obvious revelation. “Joel deserted the GFC.”

“But why?” Pearl questioned.

“I don’t think any of us know. The only way to get an answer is by asking him,” Cleo stated.

“Then let's go. This drama is getting good,” Scott replied with a smug smile.

_________________________________________________________

Joel looked at the damage assessment screens in the cockpit. It wasn’t severe, but it was annoying. “Scar! Get over here!” Joel shouted. Scar sauntered into the room, seemingly unbothered by the fact that they were attacked.

“What can I do for you, Beansie?” he asked.

“Never call me that again, but I also have a question. Don’t you have a mechanic friend on Netheria?”

“Yep! I sure do. What’cha need them for?” Scar leaned on the cane that he was holding. “Ohhh, nevermind.”

“If we want to get our three ‘friends’ to a base as quickly as we can, we need repairs on the ship done sooner rather than later. It’s not that bad, but it’s still going to be a douche to fix. I thought it would go by faster if you had some help with repairs,” Joel explained.

“Yes, yes, much faster, but why can’t we just drop off the three on the ship behind us?” Scar questioned.

“Scar, are you serious? They just attacked us! Landing for repairs then going to a large base is the best option.” Joel took a deep breath and tried not to get too mad at Scar. The guy couldn’t help that he was an optimist- or just a little too naive. “Gem, use a hyperjump to get us to Netheria.”

Gem’s little character appeared on screen and said, “Right away!” Joel walked out of the room and went to see Lizzie. He found her in the bunk they shared. She was sitting on one of the two beds in the room. He sat right next to her and put his hand on hers. The silver engagement ring she wore seemed to sparkle in the dim lighting.

“Can I talk to you about something?” Joel asked quietly.

“Of course, babe,” Lizzie said. “What do you want to talk about?”

Joel took a deep breath. “You know how you’re the only person I ever really open up to about my past? Well, someone I thought I would hopefully never see again is on the ship behind us.”

“Are you sure it’s him?” she asked after a moment of silence.

“Almost positive. I recognize the ship,” Joel responded. He then lowered his voice. “I don’t think I’m ready to revisit those memories again.” Lizzie squeezed his hand gently. He glanced at her and gave a small smile. He was still trying to figure out how to explain to everybody his past. Maybe he wouldn’t need to. Gem and Scar only knew about his childhood, and the GFC members on his ship knew next to nothing. Joel wanted to keep things that way.

Lizzie gently kissed his cheek. “You don’t have to. This whole mess will be over soon and things will get better. I’ll be by you every step of the way, no matter what.” Joel felt so much appreciation for his fiance. She always knew just what to say to him to get him out of his mindspace.

His thoughts were interrupted as he heard a knock on the door. Jimmy opened it. Standing next to him were Pearl, Scott, and Cleo. “Joel, can you explain this to us?” Jimmy asked in an accusatory tone. He held up a picture of Joel and Etho when they were cadets. Joel’s eyes widened.

“Where the hell did you get that?” he demanded as he stood.

“We’ll tell you once you explain,” Pearl retorted.

Joel glared at them before sitting down. “I’m not telling you anything.”

“That wouldn’t be the best decision for you. There’s someone right behind us that we can easily turn you into for desertion,” Jimmy glowered at him with harsh eyes. Pearl did the same, but the prince and his guard seemed more curious than accusatory.

“Fine,” Joel muttered. “I’ll tell you about it.”

Chapter Text

“I ended up joining the GFC training program at around 15. That’s where I met Etho. We became quick friends. He was charming, smart, and at the time I thought he was nice. He often provided me comfort about my past, but everything he does is all for a purpose. He’s a greedy, selfish, little son of a-”

“Joel, get back on track,” Scott remarked.

He cleared his throat and his cheeks and ears tinged pink ever so slightly. “Right, well, the point is that we were friends during training. After we eventually graduated the initial training, we went into our special training. I trained to be a pilot, and he trained to be a soldier. That’s when I first noticed him changing. His once caring demeanor became more cold and calculating. He still was kind to me, but he started pushing me away from the other friends I had made. I became reliant on him, which is one of my biggest regrets. I was isolated from everyone but him and my instructors.

Much later, I learned this is a strategy the GFC uses. They pick out the most loyal trainees to force people away to make others become less emotionally attached to people and more loyal to them,” Joel explained.

“Yeah, right. The GFC would never do anything like that,” Pearl muttered angrily.

“Are you sure? When you were in training did you ever remember anyone coming up to you to try and get you to study more when events were happening, or they tried to keep you away from your friends?” Joel questioned.

Pearl and Jimmy both sat in an annoyed silence. They didn’t trust his words, but they couldn't deny that they both experienced what Joel described.

He continued, “When I graduated and became an actual pilot, I was never put on many assignments despite hearing many teachers praise my talent for flying. That’s when I first became suspicious. During the large amount of freetime I had, I often snooped around trying to find a reason as to why I wasn’t being sent out more. During one of my searches, I accidentally overheard a conversation between two people in the data room. They had mentioned a highly classified project that they were a part of, and my curiosity was piqued.

I started looking for any clues about this project while going on my routine searches. I’m glad I did, because I would have stayed in that brainwashing facility disguised as a government agency.”

“What do you mean ‘brainwashing?’” Jimmy asked.

Joel snorted. “You poor thing. That place is basically filled with the biggest manipulators. While searching yet again for answers, I found something that I definitely shouldn’t have. I was walking down a hall when I overheard Emperor Ren, his assistant, Martyn I believe, and Etho speaking. Their conversation went something like this:

‘How is progress going with the pilot friend of yours?’

‘Not well. He’s not showing any signs of increased loyalty. He’s too curious for his own good.’

‘If he doesn’t show any progress in the next month, we might have to resort to plan B.’

‘Sir, with all do respect, Project Psyche is highly experimental. My team will need more time to make sure it works.’

‘Well, then you’ll have a test subject to see if your theory on how we can finally get control of this miserable galaxy will work.’”

“You’re lying!” Pearl shouted. “He wouldn’t- that- that can’t be true!” Jimmy just stood there silent. His eyes seemed glossy, like he was about to cry. Joel felt bad. He reacted very similarly when he first heard the news. He knew what it was like to have his world destroyed.

Joel sighed, “It sadly is. I know how hard it is to believe, I really do. My whole world and everything I had worked for had been shattered before my eyes. That’s why I left and never looked back. No one would believe me if I told them about this, so I’ve kept hidden. I would have been caught much earlier. I hope you can understand my reasoning now.”

Jimmy nodded solemnly. “I- I need to think about this.” Pearl hugged him tightly. They were like that for a while until they finally decided to sit down for a bit.

“This might be a poor time to ask, but why did you join the GFC in the first place? Not many people, especially kids, decide to leave their homes to decide to work for a government organization that might send you into danger,” Cleo inquired.

“Oh, uh, I practically grew up in GFC bases. Me and my mom hopped from planet to planet because no one wanted to take us in. Not many people accept child hybrids, especially abnormal ones like me. That’s why we were forced off of my home planet in the first place,” Joel murmured.

Cleo replied, “I’m sorry for asking. No child should grow up feeling unwanted.”

“It’s alright,” Joel answered. “I’m going to go take a breather.” He stepped out of the room and noticed that they had landed on Netheria already. Scar and Grian were nowhere to be found, so he had assumed that they left the ship already. Joel walked outside to assess the damage the ship had sustained.

Things didn’t look good. “Blummin’ heck,” Joel grumbled as he grabbed some tools. He needed to take his mind off of his past, and some repairs would do just that. He hummed a soft tune as he rolled up his sleeves and got to work.

Chapter Text

Grian needed to be alone. He was catching up with Scar, when the ship came under attack. He suspected Scar’s friends to be criminals, but he never expected them to be attacked because of it. Grian should have known better. It was in his training to pick up on any suspicious activity. He felt like he had failed.

He stepped out onto the blood red soil of the planet. The surface was rocky and spires of basalt could be seen in the distance. The air had a sulfuric haze throughout it. Strange red and blue mushrooms were growing everywhere. Grian took in the scenery, trying to clear his mind. This planet was nothing like the jungles of Avotera.

He wandered into a nearby town. There were species that Grian had never seen before. There were people who had flaming bodies with pointed ears and whip-like tails, people with large, curving horns and sharp claws and teeth, people with deep red skin sitting in pools of lava. Everything here was so unusual to Grian, but it was beautiful at the same time.

As he was walking, he wasn’t paying attention to where he was going. He was just so in awe of the scenery that he hadn’t realized he had wandered out of the town. As Grian turned to make his way back, he felt someone grab his arm. As he turned to see who it was, he came face to face with a familiar white-hair commander.

“C- Commander Etho, am I under arrest?” Grian asked nervously.

“No, not at all. We’ve found proof that you and your friends weren’t the culprits. We’ve been trying to track you down, but you left any time we got close,” the commander replied.

Grian smiled excitedly. “So we’re pardoned?” he questioned.

“Yes, you are. You might have to take on extra service for the ship you crashed and for fleeing, but I’ll see what I can do to make things less harsh for you,” Etho responded.

Grian was ecstatic. They didn’t have to run anymore! “Thank you so much!” he exclaimed as he hugged the commander. He pulled away after a moment and quickly apologized, “I’m so sorry for my unprofessionalism. I got very excited.”

“It’s fine. Now, I have something very important to tell you,” Etho stated.

“What is it?” Grian asked.

“The group you have been traveling with have been on the GFC’s radar for a while. They are a band of criminals that has been targeting our bases and destroying our equipment. I cannot make an arrest right now because it is only me and my assistant, but if you were able to get them to go to Saelia, we would be able to reprehend them. Can you try and direct them there for me?”

“Yes, sir,” Grian answered.

“Good. I’m counting on you. Now, one last thing. You cannot tell anyone about this mission, even your friends. They may have formed bonds with the criminals during your time with them, so just make sure you keep away from anyone until you reach Saelia,” Etho declared.

“Will do, and thank you so much again,” Grian replied. Etho nodded and sent Grian off. He walked back through the town with much more excitement. His life would finally be back to normal again.

When Grian arrived back at the ship, Joel and Scar were outside with two people he had never seen. One of them had a burly frame with light brown hair and horns attached to his forehead. He also had a pointed tail and claws. The man was easily over 6ft tall. He looked to be some kind of demon, like the others Grian had seen.

The other one had all red eyes and fiery hair that, on closer inspection, was made of real fire. He also had a flame on his whip-like tail. He wore a mechanic’s outfit. The two men seemed to be helping out with repairs on the ship.

For a split second, Grian thought he saw a man with shimmering, white wings, scars along his arms, and a halo above his head, but he was gone as soon as he appeared.

Scar, Joel, and the two men were talking about the repairs needed to be finished on the ship. Scar looked up and noticed Grian standing there. “Hey there, G! Let me introduce you,” he called out. Grian walked over to the group. Joel gave him his usual hostile glare, while scar smiled brightly. “This is Impulse and Tango. They’re two friends of mine and they’re really handy with mechanics.”

Grian let out a yelp of surprise as he was lifted off the ground in a hug. “It’s so nice to meet you!” Impulse declared. He placed Grian back on the ground and smiled, revealing two small tusks on the lower part of his teeth. Tango then started rapidly shaking his hand.

“Yeah, we’ve heard all about you from Scar. If you ever come back here, I’d love to take a look at your wings. I’ve been trying to design a pair of mechanical wings for forever now,” Tango chattered.

“I- I’ll have to think about it…” Grian murmured. “I’m going to go inside, it was nice to meet you, though.”

“Bye!” Impulse and Tango said in unison. The two of them seemed very close to each other, but there was a subtle sadness that surrounded them. Grian retreated to his bunk. He sighed as he thought about the order he was given. It was simple enough, but would he be able to turn in Scar. After all, the man didn’t seem to have a malicious bone anywhere in his body.

Grian closed his eyes and allowed himself to relax. He needed to sleep on this before deciding anything else. Sleep came easily enough, but so did a dream.

The dream seemed normal at first. He dreamed of Tango and Impulse as teenagers. It showed them as teens being troublemakers, but there was someone else along with them. The person looked like the shimmering figure that Grian had caught a glimpse of, yet without the halo or scars. He had two large dove wings attached to his back. His smile was kind and sweet. Just who was he and why was he in this dream? Before the scene could continue any longer, the mysterious person looked directly at him. The person’s eyes were now a blank white, and his smile had disappeared.

He spoke in a haunting, echoey voice, “You’re making a mistake.” The scene around him vanished and became a pitch black void. “They aren’t who you think they are. Do not listen.”

“Who are you talking about?” Grian questioned.

The person continued, “People will only get hurt if you don’t heed my warning. Just don’t do it.” With that, he vanished.

Grian awoke with a start. He looked around the room. He was still alone in the bunk. What did the mysterious dream man mean? Who was Grian supposed to not listen to? “It was just a dream”, he told himself. “It means nothing.” When he left the bunk, he found Scar sitting inside the main room.

“What’s up, G?” he asked in the chipper tone he usually had.

“Nothing much,” Grian answered. “Where are we going next?”

“Not sure. Do you know the closest GFC base?” Scar asked.

“Saelia has a base there, but it’s not too big, so you can probably stay hidden,” Grian replied.

He felt slightly guilty for lying to Scar, but it was his duty as a member of the GFC to keep the galaxy safe, so it was necessary to turn him in. Scar was really the only person in the group he cared about. The others were criminals he barely knew, so he left less bad about turning them in. Life would be normal for him again. He hoped that Pearl and Jim wouldn’t get too mad at him for turning the others in, but they’d understand his reasoning… right?

“Alright, G! I’ll tell Joel to go there next,” Scar answered. Grian took a deep breath as Scar walked into the cockpit. He was doing the right thing. He couldn’t let his emotions get in the way. Everything would be fine.

Chapter Text

Jimmy could tell that something was up with Grian, but he couldn't tell what. He seemed to be avoiding Jimmy everywhere. Jimmy was worried about him. Grian was never this distant before. He also seemed to be avoiding Pearl as well. Every attempt Jimmy made at approaching him ended up in Grian being very vague or just ignoring him. He just wouldn’t listen when Jimmy tried to tell him about what Joel had told them. Something clearly happened back on Netheria, but Jimmy couldn’t figure out what. He gazed longingly out at the endless sea of stars. How he would love to fly out there and explore.

He sighed as he swiveled his chair around. The group was currently arguing about something. Lizzie stood awkwardly to the side as Cleo scowled at the group. Joel was yelling about something, and Gem was yelling right back. Joel gave a sour look towards Scott. To avoid the growing tensions in the room Jimmy got up and left.

After a few minutes the shouting died down and Jimmy heard someone enter his bunk. It was Scott.

“Are you feeling alright?” the prince asked.

Jimmy felt his cheeks go pink as he stuttered, “Yeah… yes. I- I’m fine.”

Scott let out a soft chuckle and looked forward. Jimmy wondered how this man could seem so serene and perfect doing everything.

“You know, I’ve enjoyed our small chats together. You seem to be one of the only people here who isn’t afraid of me being royalty or who doesn’t trust me.”

“You… you enjoy my company?” Jimmy was stunned. He felt his cheeks heat up more.

“Of course. You’re very charming,” Scott replied. He gave Jimmy a soft kiss on the cheek before standing up and leaving. His lips felt like the petals of a rose gently brushing across Jimmy’s cheek. He was left a red mess as Scott left. Jimmy sat there for a few moments just processing what just happened. His mouth was slightly agape as he slowly and carefully touched his cheek. A huge grin formed on his face after a few moments. He had to tell Pearl!

_________________________________________________________

Saelia looked exactly as Jimmy imagined it. There were cloudless blue skies and crystalline blue seas. Jimmy vaguely remembered that Emperor Ren’s second in command was from here. Everybody was getting ready to step out. They had landed within the brush of a jungle-like area. It reminded Jimmy of home. Jimmy and Pearl didn’t want to go back to the GFC, but they weren’t sure what they would do without the organization. They had their home planet, but the GFC was prominent there. Both Jimmy and Pearl hoped they could somehow stop what was going on from the inside.

Before they left, Lizzie started to… change. Jimmy yelped in surprise. A light surrounded her as she grew taller and sleeker. Gills unfurled from where her ears were and her skin turned blue.

“You can shapeshift?” he asked, shocked.

“Yes, I can. I probably should have mentioned that to you guys before. Sorry about that, “ Lizzie answered.

Jimmy glanced over at Pearl and noticed her eyes were shining in awe. Grian was a few meters away from the group. He seemed like he was still trying to ignore them. He looked guilty about something.

The door in front of them opened and the ramp lowered onto the sandy soil. Everyone had decided to come because they didn’t know what was to come. Lizzie forged ahead from the group because she looked the most like the inhabitants from the planet. The brush cleared away to the sand covered beaches with huge dunes.

As the group crossed over the first dune, they were met with a sight no one expected. Multiple GFC ships lined the coastline of the beach. Commander Etho stepped out from one of the ship. He was with his assistant. Jimmy saw Commander Martyn back by the ships. Things were not going to go well.

Chapter Text

“Long time no see, Joel.” he stated calmly. Joel looked like he was going to tear Etho’s throat out. “I’ll be taking our soldiers back, and your crew is under arrest for various crimes throughout the galaxy.”

Jimmy noticed Cleo take a protective stance in front of Scott. Etho noticed and said, “Apologies my prince, but you will have to come with us as well for questioning. I don’t want a fuss to be made so come calmly.”

“Like hell I’ll come calmly!” Joel shouted. He had his hand on his gun in its holster.

Grian silently went and stood beside Etho. Jimmy felt some part of his heart break. How was he so cold? His friends were going to be arrested.

“G?” Jimmy called out. Grian avoided his gaze.

“Pearl, Jimmy, please just come over here,” Grian begged.

“Grian, they aren’t who you think they are. Joel was-” Pearl was cut off by Etho. He sounded hostile.

“Don’t believe a thing he says. He just wants to badmouth us because of what happened between us.”

Joel looked strangely calm, well as calm as Joel can be, but when Jimmy looked again he saw the rage contained within his eyes. “You bastard! You’re still as manipulative as I remember!”

Etho let out a disapproving tut. “No need for such harsh language, Joel. After all, that’s no way to speak to a former friend.” He paused and turned to Grian. “It seems your friends need a bit of encouragement. Go to my ship, and I’ll deal with this.”

Grian nodded and turned to leave. Jimmy could understand, but he still felt heartbroken. Pearl seemed to feel the same way, but she expressed it by being angry.

Etho spoke up again. “It is in your best interest to follow him. I am aware that the group you were with may seem friendly, but they are criminals. They also are spreading lies to you.”

Pearl seemed conflicted, but Jimmy knew what he wanted for one of the first times in his life. “No,” he said. He felt giddy to finally speak his own opinion. Most of the time he seemed to just follow others and stay quiet. Not anymore. “We’re not abandoning our friends.”

“It seems you need a little more incentive,” Etho started. “Well then, if you do not come right now, you will be considered criminals as well, and you will be arrested.”

As scary as that was, Jimmy stood his ground. Joel flashed him an approving glance. He had to suppress a small smile. In the GFC Jimmy only had Pearl and Grian, but he had been able to make new friends. And maybe even he found someone he loves. He was not going to give that up to work for a deceitful organization built on lies.

That satisfaction was short-lived as Etho pulled out his gun.

_________________________________________________________

At the sight of Etho’s gun, Joel pulled out his own. He never meant to shoot it, but the firing mechanism malfunctioned and a bullet shot out of it. Etho’s assistant, a short fellow with brown hair and a green GFC suit, launched himself in front of Etho and was hit by the bullet. Joel cringed at the sight of the light green part of the suit becoming stained with red.

“Etho, I didn’t mean-” Joel started to explain. He stopped once he saw the look in his eyes. It was a look of pure, unbridled rage.

“You call me foul things, but then you do this! You’ve become a far cry from the person I once knew,” Etho shouted. He calmed himself before muttering, “I’m disappointed in how much you’ve changed for the worse.”

Joel felt his antennae flatten against his head. Why did Etho’s stupid opinions and stupid words still affect him so much?

“Martyn, take over from here. I’ll get BDubs help,” Etho started slowly walking away. A man with red fish fins and blond hair approached the group. Joel remembered him. He graduated the year Joel had joined the GFC and he was now the Emperor’s second in command.

“Surround them! Make sure these criminals don’t escape,” Martyn yelled out. Various GFC soldiers surrounded their group. They all had their guns pointed at them. Joel scowled at Martyn, who, in return, flashed him a smug smirk.

“Scar, Gem, now would be the time to whip out some of your brilliant tech before we all die,” Joel whispered. There was a sense of urgency in his voice. Scar looked lost in thought. He was probably thinking up a few plans at the moment. Gem nodded at Joel before returning her focus to the armed soldiers around them. The prince looked to be on the verge of a panic attack. Cleo was trying to calm him down. Both Jimmy and Pearl seemed to not know what to do. Joel could understand them. Their whole world had practically turned upside down in a matter of days.

Etho returned from a ship. His hands were bloody and he had the most enraged look Joel had ever seen on that man. He had a crazed look in his eyes and, without warning, shot Lizzie.

Joel felt everything slow. He desperately went to catch Lizzie as she fell to the ground. She shifted back into her regular form as blood started to gush from her chest rapidly. Joel frantically pressed his hands to the wound in a futile attempt to save her.

“You took someone close to me, so now I get to do the same,” Etho declared. Joel ignored him and kept his focus on his fiance. She couldn’t die! He would save her… right? It took everything in him to keep his tears from spilling, yet they still came. They felt like they were burning his face.

Joel was so focused on helping Lizzie that he hadn’t realized his friends were grabbed by the soldiers. They fought back. Only Scott and Cleo were being taken away as the others were forced to run. His ears were ringing. The voices around him seemed muffled and distant, but one stood out. It was Lizzie’s.

“I love you.”

Her eyes shut as wither roses sprouted from the ground around her. The damned roses always bloomed when someone had died no matter where. But they couldn’t be real. Lizzie was right there. She was breathing moments ago. She couldn’t be dead.

She couldn’t be dead.

Joel felt numb. Everything was a blur. He felt someone trying to pull him away from her body. He struggled against them. He needed to stay with her. He had to. Joel felt someone pressing something against his face. The world spun around him as his vision blackened. The last thing he saw was a look of almost pity from Etho before he passed out.

Chapter Text

Scar felt helpless. Three of his friends were captured in the skirmish, Gem had got implanted with some kind of malware that was slowly but surely corrupting her system. And if that wasn’t bad enough, he had gotten separated from Pearl and Jimmy when they were running. He was supposed to protect everyone! How had he failed this badly?

Scar tried to focus on what he could save. That was Gem. If he got back to Ceonia in time, he would maybe fix her. Gem’s original system was there, and that didn’t have a 100% chance of fixing her. He hurried back to the ship with Gem in tow. The door seemed to lower too slowly. Scar practically threw himself inside.
The cockpit seemed to close in on Scar as he sat in the pilot’s chair. He could barely remember the flying lessons Joel had given him. Joel. How would he take what happened to Lizzie? Scar hadn’t even fully processed it yet.

Scar wasn’t very good with people. That’s why he built machines. And when he did have to be around people, he was always cheerful. He wanted to be someone that could bring joy to others. It often left him neglecting his own feelings.

The ship booted up and took off into the depths of space. Scar was alone at the moment. Gem was powered off and resting. What was the malware like to her? Did it hurt? Was it like she was sick? Was it like poison?

Scar couldn’t help but blame himself for what happened to her. Firstly, he wasn’t paying attention to her. Secondly, he’s the reason she is a robot. It wasn’t entirely his fault, but he still refused to blame anyone but himself.

Gem had once been a close friend and business partner. She helped him tinker with things so that they could be sold. Ceonia then became trapped in a civil war. It was bloody and violent, but only lasted for a few months. The remnants of the war were prominent. There were buildings reduced to rubble, families torn apart, and weapons scattered everywhere. With all that scrap, what else could he do but tinker? He made mines to surround his house so he could finally be safe. It might have been him being paranoid, but it was a necessary precaution in his mind.

Gem came to visit one day. Scar noticed too late the metallic glint of a bomb buried within in the sand. Just as he was about to warn her… Fire. And pain. And blood.

Half of her body was missing. Bone, blood, and flesh exposed to the harsh rays of the sun. The white, pristine sand was stained a deep crimson. Pain had shot through his body, pain threatening to pull him down into the land of the dead. His flesh on his legs was seared beyond help, bone peeked through the little skin that remained. In a moment of panic and sheer desperation, Scar used his barely working legs to carry Gem’s body inside his house. Blood trailed behind his every step.

Scar dragged her limp body to his workshop. Her pulse had stopped, but he had to save her. He did what he did best. He tinkered. He took some cords and attached them to her skull. Scar turned on the electricity and shocked her multiple times in a desperate hope to bring some life to her. He made her anew.

It did not give her life. Veins became wires, flesh became sheets of metal, her brain became a motherboard. Gears replaced her joints, and LED lights made an artificial replacement to the light that once shone in her eyes.

Scar’s wounds had been tended to in the meantime. Neighbors and friends came to check on him, but day after day he worked endlessly. He had to fix her, or it would all be his fault. Once Gem’s body was finally finished, he conducted the first test. He finally powered her on.

She said nothing at first. Her eyes darted around the room before finally landing on Scar. “I’m real,” was the first thing she said to him. After that, they worked on projects together like the old times. They bickered like siblings, and they practically were. The first project, only because Gem insisted, was a new pair of legs for Scar.

Life was looking uphill after that. Scar and Gem met Lizzie and Joel while on an excursion for materials. Specifically, for a digestive track for Gem because she wanted to be able to eat food again. They became fast friends because of an incident. Gem spotted Lizzie in her cat form, and started chasing after her. She ran to Joel, who thought that Gem being a robot was the coolest thing ever. They traveled all across the galaxy together ever since. They confided their deepest secrets in one another. They helped each other through their fears. They were a family. It was perfect. Until it wasn’t.

Scar was so lost in his thoughts that he hadn’t realized he was in range to activate the hyper boosters to make a straight jump to Ceonia. Joel would have noticed in time. He was always attentive like that. He hit the button and the ship sped off. It felt strange being the one in the pilot’s seat. Scar’s head poked above the seat slightly. Joel fit inside the seat perfectly. It was just another reminder to him that he was gone.

The desert planet he called home soon came into view. He was running out of time to save Gem. He needed to help her. If he wasn’t able to save another one of his friends, he wouldn’t forgive himself. Lizzie would have told him to relax and that everything was okay, but nothing was okay. Lizzie was gone, and Gem would soon be too if he didn’t act quickly. Scar was desperately trying not to panic more. He failed at calming himself down because others usually helped him through it, and he was alone. He almost crashed the ship because of it.

Scar rushed out of the ship with Gem in his arms. The soft sand beneath his feet that often comforted him provided no relief. Just like last time, when she had stepped on that landmine. His house was just in the distance. The painted clay siding appeared like a beacon of light within darkness. It had been a beacon of hope last time too. This was his last hope. The original computer would be the only thing able to restore Gem’s original code. He was able to save her last time, why would this time be any different? He stumbled through the door filled with a small spark of hope. He could fix this.

That hope was immediately crushed by the sight of a certain white haired commander standing in his house. “Oh, you came earlier than I expected. I suppose that pile of junk won’t be of much use now,” he remarked while motioning to the side. There, Scar saw a mangled pile of wires and metal that was in the place he had Gem’s computer. It was broken. Gone. He wouldn’t be able to save her now. It would be his fault that she was going to die.

“Finding your home was easy enough. Grian mentioned you living in the area. I just had to ask around to find the exact location of your home.” His voice lowered. He looked Scar right in the eyes before murmuring, “You scum aren’t winning this.”

Scar’s chest felt tight. What was he supposed to do now? He failed her. Maybe he could figure something out and save her. He had to. His eyes darted around the room looking for materials. He had parts left over. Scar just needed to replace the parts that were infected with the malware. His eyes flicked over to Etho as he started speaking again.

“Because I pity you a bit, I won’t arrest you as long as you don’t continue to interfere with us. Just know I’m being generous. Goodbye,” he said in a mockingly cheerful tone. And with that, Etho disappeared out the door. His jacket fluttered in the wind.

“Scar, listen to me,” Gem sputtered out. “I don’t have much time, but you need to keep going. You need to help the others. Okay?”

Scar looked down at her with tearful eyes. “No! I- I can save you! I just need a moment!” He raced around the room grabbing pieces to make a new motherboard. Her metallic body sputtered and sparked like blood spewing from a wound. Gem’s limbs spasmed. Scar felt tears falling from his eyes now. His vision blurred from them as he worked at an inhuman speed. Gem continued to glitch for a moment more before speaking to him.

“Scar.”

A few tears fell onto her glittering, metallic flesh.

“Scar,” she said more firmly.

Scar finally perked up at her voice. “I- I’m almost done, Gem. You’ll be okay. I fixed you once before, so I can fix you again.”

“Scar, listen to me. I’m not going to be able to be fixed. You have to let me go.”

“No! I’m not going to stand by while another one of my friends dies!” he screamed.

“You have to. I know it hurts, but the malware will continue to infect me until I’m in the GFC’s control. I consider that a fate worse than death. So, please, just destroy me,” she muttered.

Scar’s tears continuously fell onto the glistening metal that made up her body. He took the wrench he had in hand. “Are you sure about this?”

Gem answered, “Yes. I promise this is what I want.”

Scar took the wrench and smashed it into her skull again and again. Each time he tried to think of Gem as just some rusted scrap and not a person. He continued ramming the wrench into her over and over long after the lights in her body had died and her limbs went limp. He didn’t know what to do with himself, so he kept destroying and breaking her body until it was unusable.

This was not what a tinkerer was supposed to do. Scar was supposed to build, not break. But he broke something. Something even more priceless than the jewels the market vendors flaunted. Even more precious than this miserable planet. He broke his best friend.

Scar would make a memorial for her and Lizzie eventually. It could be something beautiful. Art made out of metal and scrap. He would sculpt them like how marble statues were made for rulers. He thought Joel would appreciate it too.

He stopped for a moment as he thought of the other. Was he okay? Where was he taken to? Scar made up his mind at that moment. He had lost two friends, so he had to save the ones he had left.

Chapter Text

It wasn’t ideal to be stranded on the planet that Jimmy’s friends got captured on, but it was better than being captured himself. It also wasn’t ideal to be hiding in the small amount of brush on the beach, it was the best they could do. Soldiers’ feet trample next to them multiple times in a way that is too close for comfort. Jimmy squeezed Pearl’s hand. Once the soldiers had stopped searching in the area, they crawled towards the beach, hiding in the dunes.

Finally, they made it closer to the ships. It would be a big risk, but they would need to hijack one. Etho and Martyn had already left, so only a few ships were left. They carefully climbed up the ramp of one of the ships. Slowly and silently, they tiptoed through the halls of the ship. They came across a soldier just waking up from a nap. They exchanged a glance before grabbing him and tossing him out of the ship.

The soldier’s upset shouting alerted the others in the area. They needed to act quickly if they were to leave and not get caught. They raced to the cockpit of the ship and fiddled with the controls.

“Why did we think we’d be able to do this a second time,” Pearl muttered.

Jimmy just shrugged and took a seat beside her. He flipped a few important looking switches and let Pearl steer the ship. One set of her arms pressed a few buttons, and the other kept steady on the controls. They started to lift into the air. Jimmy smiled at Pearl and they shot off into the sky. He looked down at a screen in front of him. He was familiar with the kind of technology, as they had used it in training. It was used to track specific people. All you needed was the person’s suit code.

Jimmy could remember Etho’s, so he typed it in. There was a blinking light that showed he was still on the planet, but just the other side. They sped off in his direction. Hopefully Scott and Cleo were still there.

_________________________________________________________

All Scott could see was darkness. His breathing echoed throughout the cold, damp room. Scott struggled against the ropes that bound him to a chair. “Cleo, are you alright?” he called out.

“I’m as fine as I can be, Scott,” she answered. Cleo only ever called him by his name when something was wrong. Scott tried turning his head to see her, but he wasn’t able to. His foot rapidly tapped against the concrete floor.

“We’ll be okay, Cleo. We’ll be fine,” he murmured. Scott’s words were empty, though. He knew they wouldn’t be fine. He could faintly hear people talking about him being sold. Scott just wanted to go home.

Loud, impending footsteps could be heard out in the hall. The door to the room opened, and light accosted Scott’s eyes. There was a silhouette in the doorway. The door slammed loudly, and the man from before. If he remembered correctly, his name was Etho.

“Apologies for how roughly you were treated, my prince. I hoped things wouldn’t have to come to this, but it appears it does,” he stated. Scott felt his blood start to boil. This wasn’t necessary in the slightest!

“What do you want from us?” he questioned bitterly.

Etho responded, “Just some information. Where are Jimmy and Pearl?”

“We don’t know,” Cleo replied. Scott nodded in agreement.

Etho sighed. He took out a dagger and pressed it against Cleo’s throat. “I’ll ask you this again. Where. Are. They?”

“We really don’t know!” Scott shouted. He then spoke in a slightly softer tone. “Please don’t hurt her.”

He couldn’t tell with the mask covering his mouth, but it seemed like Etho was smirking. “Don’t hurt her? You mean doing something like this?” He grabbed Cleo’s wrist and twisted it in a way that made it crack. She hissed in pain, but refrained from screaming. “Now, tell me, prince, what do you know about the crew you traveled with?” Etho roughly grabbed his hair and forced his head to jerk up.

“N- Not much. I just knew that everyone was close to one another. Joel was almost like their leader, but they all had equally important roles,” Scott stammered.

Etho pulled his head back again. “That doesn’t help. Give me something actually important about them.”

“Uh, Lizzie… she- she could shapeshift and, um-”

“She’s dead. Move on.”

“Well, uhm, Scar was a mechanic, and he uh… he could make just about anything with the right tools. And Gem! She- she…”

“She’s also dead.”

Scott was speechless for a moment. “W- What?”

“I killed her too. Quite simply, actually. It would have been preferred if she became an asset for us, but things can’t always go my way. She didn’t fuss like you’re doing now,” Etho said coldly.

Scott wanted to break down into sobs. He couldn’t do this anymore. He wanted to be home with his parents and brother. He wanted to see Jimmy again. Scott started to hyperventilate.

“Shut up for a moment! You’re bullying the prince. Your prince. Either leave him alone, or get your lungs torn out of your throat!” Cleo snapped. Etho’s gaze slowly focused in on her. He released Scott’s hair and his footsteps made a thud against the ground again and again as we walked towards Cleo.

“Alright then. Show me what you’re going to do.”

Cleo struggled against the ropes, a fiery rage burning in her soul.

“You bitch!” She screamed. The sounds of her feet slamming against the floor echoed throughout the room.

“Cleo!” His voice was hoarse, he couldn't see, he could only hear her struggle.

“Get off of me!”

“Cleo, Cleo stop!”

“Get off of me!”

“Please, stop it!”

“Don’t you-”

SNAP.

“Cleo? Cleo? Are you alright? Answer me!” Scott felt tears prick at his eyes. There was only silence in response. No reassuring words came to answer him. He imagined a monster. A creature made of shadow and malice wrapping its spindly talons around her neck. It choked the life out of her. Wither roses sprouted right through the concrete, cracking it and making way for the horrible plants to wrap around the legs of the chair.

This was his fault she died.

“You could have just cooperated and she still would be alive now,” The Monster whispered into his ear. One of his hands was gently placed onto his head. His nimble fingers brushed back and forth through it. It was a repetitive motion that should have brought him comfort, but all it brought was terror that rattled through his bones. Sobs racked through Scott’s body. Air wasn’t reaching his lungs. He was suffocating.

The Monster reached for a black, silk cloth before tenderly wrapping it around his eyes. Tears stained through the fabric, making it damp.

“Shhh now. You’ll be picked up soon. We wouldn’t want your pretty face ruined by all those tears now.” The thumping footsteps left the room. Scott was alone in the darkness now. The quiet sobs that he made was the only thing that he could hear.

_________________________________________________________

Jimmy saw the foreboding building before it came up on the radar. This was where Etho was and likely where Scott and Cleo were being held too. Jimmy felt his heart thumping at the thought of Scott. He hoped he hadn’t been hurt. Pearl let the ship pass over the building before landing a little ways away. It was nestled safely between two dunes. It reminded Jimmy of when he, Pearl, and Grian had crashed in the desert in Ceonia.

The thought of Grian made Jimmy’s heart pang. The reminder of his betrayal made Jimmy feel slightly bitter, but he could understand Grian’s choice. He just wished Grian had talked to them before he decided to leave them behind.

Jimmy and Pearl stepped out into the soft sand. The area was interesting compared to the rest of the planet because this beach was made of black sand instead of the usual white. It almost seemed like an omen that something bad was going to happen. Jimmy’s worry increased at the lack of sound. There was only the soft sound of distant waves lapping at the shore. Everything else was eerily silent.

The dull, concrete building quickly came into view. There were two windows around the whole building. They both lead to an office/breakroom. Jimmy hoisted Pearl onto his shoulders to make it so that she could reach the window. Pearl slid the window open and crawled through.

Jimmy couldn't see what happened, but he could hear a shriek and the sound of a punch hitting someone’s stomach. “You can come up now,” Pearl said in a chipper voice. She reached down one set of arms, and Jimmy grabbed on. He was dragged through the window and was greeted by the sight of a soldier lying unconscious on the couch in the room. Pearl just flashed him a smile.

The hallways were dim and silent, so walking down them felt like walking through a prison. A few guards rushed towards them. Pearl cracked her knuckles and dove at them. Jimmy just scooched past them. He was confident Pearl would be able to take them on her own. There was a singular metal door at the end of the hall. It looked heavy and sturdy, like it was keeping something safe. Jimmy assumed it was where Scott was being held.

Jimmy carefully pushed the door open. He heard sobs before he saw anything, and he could tell they were Scott’s. Jimmy turned on the light, and Scott froze up. There were small scratches and bruises scattered across his body. His lip had dried blood smeared across it.

“Leave me alone, please. I- I can’t do this any longer,” he cried out. The pain in his voice was evident. Jimmy was about to approach him, but that’s when he saw her. Cleo was slumped forward motionless. Wither roses wrapped around the legs of the chair that they were tied to. By how tall they were, Jimmy could tell that her death had happened hours ago. The roses grew larger and stronger every hour that the body remained stationary. In times of war, they could grow as large as buildings when many bodies were dumped in the same place.

Cleo’s wrist and neck were bent unnaturally. Bits of bone pierced through the skin where it was broken. There was blood pooled around the chair. Most of it had soaked into the concrete or the wood of the chair, staining them a reddish hue. Scott was blindfolded, and Jimmy was glad he was. The gore in front of him made Jimmy want to gag, but it would likely scar Scott more because Cleo was his best friend.

Jimmy carefully approached Scott and lifted his blindfold.

“Go away Beast!” Scott yelled. Jimmy was taken aback. Something horrible had clearly happened to Scott to get him to react like this.

“Scott, it’s me, Jimmy. You’re okay now,” Jimmy mumbled.

“No! Stop trying to trick me! Leave! LEAVE!” He shouted louder. “You helped kill her! I know you’re working for The Monster! I know you are!” Violent sobs wracked his body, “LEAVE! LEAVE!” Jimmy tried to calm Scott down by running his fingers through his hair. Scott stiffened and screamed louder than Jimmy had ever heard anyone scream before. Scott tried to shove Jimmy’s hands away, even though his arms were still bound. Then, an alarm suddenly blared through the facility. They needed to get out of here and fast. He rapidly untied Scott, who, when freed, tried to attack Jimmy.

Jimmy restrained Scott with a hug. Then, he picked him up bridal style and carried him out of the room. Pearl ran to Jimmy, out of breath. “Hey, we need to leave, like right now,” she sputtered.

“Already on it,” Jimmy replied. Scott was screeching and trying to kick or hit Jimmy. Pearl looked shocked and was about to speak, but Jimmy cut her off. “I’m not entirely sure what happened, but he kept calling me a Beast and mentioned something about ‘The Monster.’ I think whatever happened back there messed him up really badly.”

Pearl cocked the shotgun she picked up from a guard she knocked unconscious. “I’ll cover for us while you get your boyfriend to the ship.”

Jimmy decided not to protest and just ran with Scott. Scott continued to cry and yell and scream. Jimmy felt his heart shattering into a million pieces at Scott’s state. Jimmy would do whatever it took to get, hopefully, Scott mostly back to normal. He could distantly hear Pearl shooting at people. She could honestly be terrifying when she wanted to be, and it made Jimmy glad to be on her good side.

The ship appeared in the distance, and Jimmy started sprinting. Scott continued fighting against him and almost scratched Jimmy in the eye. Once they reached the ship, Jimmy walked to the bunks and set Scott down on one. He squirmed in protest, but Jimmy took an extra sheet and secured it around him to make sure he wouldn’t hurt himself or anyone else.

“I know you’re confused and scared right now, but I promise all we want to do is help you. I love you,” he whispered gently.

“I’ll never love a horrible Beast like you!” Scott cried. Jimmy felt his heart break even more. Would Scott be able to heal? Jimmy left him alone in the room and shut the door behind him. The sheet likely wouldn’t hold Scott forever, but Jimmy wasn’t going to lock him in there. That would be monstrous.

Pearl stumbled onto the ship, a little battered and bruised, but mostly fine. She was covered in so much blood that Jimmy couldn’t tell what amount of it was her own. She sighed and plopped herself down in the pilot’s seat. “I don’t think I’ve killed anyone, but a lot of people are injured if that’s what you’re wondering.”

Jimmy sat speechless and then said, “Pearl, we were trained to be soldiers and they were trained to be soldiers, I expected you to at least kill one person. No offence.”

“None taken.” She paused and booted up the ship. She then murmured, “That’s the second person we’ve lost… I don’t know how I could take another death,” she responded. She flipped some random switches and hoped for the best.

“Let’s just go find Scar and Gem,” Jimmy stated. “We need to rebuild our group.” His heart ached for Scott and Cleo, but they had to move on for now. That’s the only thing they could do. Pearl started the ship and they took off again. This time, they were going back to the place where this whole mess started for them. Ceonia.

Chapter Text

Scott couldn’t remember when he had fallen asleep. He hated himself for it, though, because he was surrounded by people who could hurt him at any given moment. The sheet that the winged Beast had restrained him with didn’t hold him for long. Even though The Beast seemed nicer than The Monster, Scott still had to keep his guard up. He couldn’t trust anyone here.

There was the moth Creature on the ship as well. Scott couldn’t tell anything about her because he only watched her from afar. The different beings were all the same. They were all made of shadows, yet they were unique in a way. The Monster had malice etched into his body and actions and had glowing red eyes. The Beast had a more solid form that was feathered and had glowing yellow eyes. The Creature had large wings and big, imposing, white eyes.

The new beings hadn’t hurt him yet, so they appeared nicer than The Monster. They didn’t lock him away or bind him either. The Beast tried making approaches with Scott, and there was a hint of sadness in his voice when Scott always turned him away. Scott forced himself not to feel bad because he knew the beings could harm him at any moment and were likely trying to lure him into a false sense of security and trust.

Scott could hear the beings speaking to one another in hushed voices outside of his room. He overheard only bits and pieces of their conversations, but the words he often heard the most were “healing,” “worried,” and “fear.” He was often left wondering what things they discussed about. Were they violent and gruesome? Or were they like normal conversations?

After the first few days of being alone, The Beast tried to approach him on several occasions. They were often small gestures of care like making his bed, or leaving him a plate of food. The shadows around The Beast seemed less ominous with each action, but they were still there. After Scott had some nightmares one night, The Beast came in to comfort him. Scott rejected his touch and kindness, but then The Beast asked a question.

“What do you remember?” His voice was soft and gentle. It wasn’t harsh like The Monster’s. It was like a lullaby. It didn’t force him to speak, but it offered the opportunity.

“Why should I trust you?” Scott asked in an accusatory tone.

“You don’t have to trust me or tell me anything. I just want to know what’s going on in your mind,” The Beast sighed.

Scott paused at his words. His tone was tired and lonely. Could The Beast understand how he felt? Did he also feel human emotion? That would be silly to think a being like him understood how Scott felt. Yet, Scott still decided to talk. It wasn’t like he was trusting The Beast, he was far from that. He just wanted to share the memories that constantly nagged at him.

“I remember a bird. A yellow one that sang a song full of hope and love. The bird would always rest on my shoulder and sing a sweet song just for me. The bird had two companions. One was another bird that was a striking red with some blue, green, and yellow feathers. This bird sang a crooked song, like it was trying to imitate something it wasn’t. The red bird often would squabble with the yellow bird, but it was never mean or rude. It was teasing in a way a friend would be. The yellow bird’s other companion was a moth with wings the color of moonlight. It looked delicate from a distance, but when you looked closer, you could see how it used the pattern on its wings to defend itself from anyone that wanted to harm it.”

The Beast stayed silent for a moment. He seemed to be lost in thought, like he was reminiscing about something. “I see. Is there anything else you remember?”

“I remember a cat with grey and white fur. It was always very friendly, and it had a small robot companion that was painted orange and green. They would always be together and would come up to me often. There was another cat, but this one was strange because it was all pink. This cat never interacted with me much. It just watched from afar. The last creature was something unknown to me. It was all green with large brown eyes and two little antennae. It was often very angry around me, but I didn’t understand why. Then there was Cleo. They’re dead now, The Monster killed her.”

The Beast looked a little surprised. “Okay… that’s uh, not what I was expecting.” He then quieted and said, “I’m sorry for your loss.” The way he said it made it sound like he had personally felt sad about their death too.

Scott looked up at The Beast. His wings were now less shrouded in the shadow and appeared to be a yellow color. They were beautiful, and they were like the wings of the songbird, a wonderful yellow. Scott gazed at them in awe. Something nagged at the back of his mind. Why were his wings so familiar? Why did he remind him of the songbird?

He tentatively reached out and touched the Beast’s wings to make sure he wasn’t imagining things. The wings were real. The feathers were soft, and their golden color was striking against the shadows of the rest of the Beast’s body. Scott couldn’t see The Beast’s mouth, but he could tell with his eyes that he was smiling.

“Why are you being so nice to me?” Scott questioned. “You worked with The Monster before to hurt me and my friend.”

“I didn’t, Scott. I know you don’t trust me, but I promise I did nothing to help him,” The Beast answered. He tried to grab Scott’s hands, but Scott pulled them away. The Beast had a sad look in his eyes. Scott didn’t know how to feel. The Beast had been kind to him so far, but should he trust him? Everything was so confusing, and Scott just wanted answers.

“Can you go? I need to think,” Scott murmured. The Beast nodded and left him behind. There was a look of sympathy in his eyes. As the door shut behind him with a soft thud, Scott looked up at the ceiling. The soft humming of the ship’s machinery slowly lulled him into a light sleep.

It had been a couple days since The Beast’s visit. In that time, Scott reflected a lot. The Beast’s yellow wings being the same as the songbird’s wings couldn’t have been a coincidence, right? Were they one in the same? That couldn’t be possible, though. The Beast was this shadowy being, and the songbird was a comforting memory.

“Scott, are you doing alright?” a voice called out from the corridor.

“I- I’m fine,” he replied, his voice cracking. His uncertainty was clear with his tone.

The Beast asked, “Would you like me to come in?”

“No! No… I’m fine,” Scott answered. He actually wasn’t sure if that’s what he really wanted, though. With the constant visits that The Beast gave, it had become a new comfort for him. Slowly, the shadows that had covered The Beast had started disappearing more and only his face was still covered. He looked like a regular person without the shadows, so that added onto Scott’s doubt.

He walked to the door and peeked his head out. The Beast was still there. “I’d actually like for you to come in…” Scott whispered. He could see The Beast’s smile in his eyes. Scott had gotten better at reading his expressions over the time he had spent with The Beast.

“I've been thinking for a while and I want to try and…” Void, why is this so hard? What can’t he just get over it? Why can’t he just clear the fog that's been eating away at him? “I wanna try to get to know you, and why all of this happened.”

“Scott… I would like nothing more than to get to know you, again” The Beast softly whispered.

“Would you stop saying that? I don’t get it! Why do you keep saying that we know each other?” Scott huffed out. Hurt flashed through his eyes, sadness clinging to the edge.

“We do though! We know each other. I know your name don’t I?” The Beast countered back, with no real anger though.

“That’s not fair! Just because I know your name is ‘The Beast’ doesn’t mean I know you!” Scott looked at the shadow in front of him, anger bleeding through his voice.

“That’s not even my name! Why do you keep calling me ‘The Beast’?” he asked.

“It’s not…? But you look so beastly, covered in shadows just like The Monster,” Scott said softly.

“Shadows? What are you talking about?” The Beast questioned.

“When I first saw you, you were completely covered in shadows from head to toe. Now, the shadows have been slowly dissipating, but there are still some covering your face. Do you not see them?”

“No. I have no clue what you’re talking about. I think this might be a trauma response. You were hurt so badly that you saw the person who caused the pain as a monster. Now, you’re projecting that image onto others to protect yourself,” The Beast said quietly.

Scott thought for a moment. Could The Beast really not see how he looked? How could he not know of his monstrous nature? Was he right in saying it was all in Scott’s head? “Do- do you have a name?” he asked. “I’ve been just calling you ‘The Beast’ since I saw you…”

The Beast’s gaze softened. “Jimmy. My name is Jimmy.”

As if a veil had been lifted from Scott’s eyes, he could clearly see the face of his lover. Kind, brown eyes, soft blond hair, bright, gentle smile, and the small freckles that dotted his nose. How couldn’t he have seen it before? Why was he shrouded in that shadow? Scott didn’t care to think about that now. He launched himself into Jimmy’s arms. “I’m sorry! I’m so, so sorry I couldn’t remember!” Tears rolled down his cheeks steadily. “You were covered in this shadow, and I… I…” Scott burst into sobs.

“Shhh, darling, I’m here. You’ve been through so much in such a short amount of time, it’s no wonder your mind is scarred,” Jimmy murmured. He cradled Scott in his arms, swaying him back and forth to try and soothe him. Jimmy started reaching for Scott’s head, but he paused his hand halfway. He remembered that the last time he had combed his fingers through Scott’s hair he almost had a panic attack.

Jimmy instead decided to rub small circles on his back while continuing to sway him back and forth. After a while, Scott’s sobs slowed before coming to a stop. He was shuddering still, but he was okay otherwise. His eyes were red and puffy from all of the tears he had shed.

“You need to get some sleep, alright?” Jimmy scolded. Scott nodded wearily, slowly lowering himself down on the bed. “Do you want me to stay until you fall asleep or leave?”

“Stay please…” Scott murmured. “I just got you back and I don’t want to lose you again.” Jimmy smiled gently, lying down beside Scott.

“You won’t ever lose me again, I promise,” Jimmy whispered. “Once this complete shitstorm is over, we can just relax without having to worry about anything. We could have a nice little cottage tucked away in the hills…”

Scott tiredly added, “Surrounded by flowers.”

“Yes, of course. A rainbow of dahlias, lilies, poppies, and anything else you can think of,” Jimmy said. Scott smiled slightly, picturing a tranquil future with Jimmy where they didn’t have to worry about anything except their garden and each other. He carried that image with him all the way to his dreams. Soon, he hoped, that dream would become real.

Chapter Text

The looming sight of the GFC base in front of Grian only added to the guilt that gnawed at him. Why did Pearl and Jimmy abandon him? They had been friends since they were kids, but decided to be considered criminals rather than go with him. That had to mean something, right? What did Pearl mean when she said that “they aren’t who you think they are?”

Did his friends really hate him that much, or did they know something he didn’t? Everything was so confusing and worrying to Grian, and he just wished he had answers. What would happen to his friends if they got captured? Grian didn’t think he would have the ability to lock his friends away if it came to that. Yet, he would have to, wouldn’t he? The GFC is a government organization. By not following orders or by abandoning them, he could get in serious trouble.

The ship bay was a sight that both comforted and upset Grian. This was the place that this whole mess started only weeks prior. He still couldn’t believe that he wasn’t being punished for stealing and crashing a ship, but Commander Martyn told him that Emperor Ren decided to be generous to him.

Grian never understood why, but the emperor always put him off. It felt like anytime they met, which was only twice, Ren knew everything about what Grian had recently done. Grian wouldn’t admit this, but he was envious of the emperor. Ren’s father had held the position when Ren was born, automatically making him the next emperor. Meanwhile, Grian grew up poor and never destined to be anything great.

He was just some nobody that got lucky enough to get through training and not completely fail at his job afterwards. Really, Grian shouldn’t even be in this position. Pearl and Jimmy had real skills, while Grian was just barely good enough at combat to be a field soldier.

Grian found himself staring blankly ahead as he walked the same path he had many, many times before. Straight, take two lefts, then take a right, and finally another left to get to combat workers’ bunks. Then, go 17 doors down and he was there. It felt odd for Grian to be alone in his bunk. There were two other beds in the room, one for Pearl and one for Jimmy. Without them, the dark room seemed wrong.

All of their stuff was still there, which added to the ache in Grian’s heart. Jimmy had his cheesy pop band posters up on his side of the room, Pearl’s moon night-light was still plugged in on her bedside table, and the woven basket from their home was still sitting on the table in the middle of the room.

Grian forced himself to not look at any of their keepsakes. He didn’t need them! They left him for people they had only known for a few weeks! They left behind their childhood friend for some elf guy with blue hair and his guard, some guy with antennae, a stupid hunk of metal, and… Scar. So why should he care? Why should he care? Why did he care?

It’s not like they had their whole lives’ worth of history together. It’s exactly what they had, but it did DIDN’T matter. It didn’t matter. That’s what he would keep telling himself over and over. That’s what he would keep mumbling while tears streamed down his cheeks in a steady flow. That’s what he would think while he clutched their childhood stuffed animals and sobbed into his pillow until he fell asleep.

The next morning Grian felt much better. Was he lying to himself? Yes. Would he ever admit that? Of course not! What do you take him for? An emotionally stable person? please say yes. And anyway, he had work to do! There was no time to dwell on feelings that would only end up hurting him in the end. So he smiled while he walked down the hall. He waved to the people he passed. He went through his daily routine like he always did. With Jimmy and Pearl.

NOPE! That is not a happy thought, and Grian needed happy thoughts right now. They would get him through his day. They had gotten him through the days before this one… barely. After doing his routine check in, he decided to stop by the tech department. Commander Etho said he needed Grian to grab a harddrive for him from there.

Upon entering the main computer room, he was blasted by cold air. He knew it was to stop the computers from overheating, but come on! His feathers puffed up on instinct, and his usually limp wings wrapped around his body. Grian walked down the rows of computers to get to a back room.

A man with slicked-back black hair and an impressive mustache looked up at him. He smiled gently and said, “Oh, hello! You must be the person Commander Etho told me would be here.” He stood up and offered out his hand, “I’m Mumbo.”

Grian stuck his hand out from his shield of feathers and muttered, “Grian.”

“Well, nice to meet you, Grian!” Mumbo chipperly said. Grian almost grimaced at his tone. While Mumbo rummaged through bins for the USB with the harddrive on it, Grian couldn’t help but think of how much alike he and Jimmy were. They both were clumsy in an endearing way, proven by how Mumbo burst into a fit of giggles after slipping on a pen that fell onto the ground. They also were both unfairly tall.

“Whoops,” Mumbo smiled as he picked himself up. “Took a little bit of a tumble there. Now, if you don’t mind me asking, do you know what Commander Etho might need that harddrive for?”

“No,” Grian curtly answered. Being slightly curious, he then questioned, “Why do you ask?”

“Well, I shouldn’t be telling you this,” Mumbo started, “but I have no idea what information is on that harddrive. It’s the only one that I haven’t gotten any info about. They tell me what’s on the classified ones without going into much detail, yet they told me nothing about this one here.”

“They told you nothing at all?” Grian asked. That seemed odd, considering that they told Mumbo a little bit about the classified drives.

“Not a single thing,” Mumbo confirmed. Now, Grian was getting nervous. He thought back to when he last saw Pearl and Jimmy. They seemed so sure about what they had said, and Grian wanted to believe them. So what he said next was a 50/50 shot of being the best or worst thing he’s ever decided to do.

“Do you want to check what’s on it?”

“Check what’s on it! Are you crazy? We’d be fired, or worse!” Mumbo shouted.

“Just- just think about it for a moment. If they trust you with everything else, why wouldn’t they trust you with this? After all, you’re one of the most important people here! You keep every single one of these harddrives and files safe under your watchful eye, yet they don’t let you look at them,” Grian whispered. “Doesn’t that seem suspicious to you? They’re putting all this trust in you and you alone, but you don’t actually get a title, or a raise, or anything that differentiates you between some other computer dork.”

“Yes, but I still don’t think this-”

“Come on, Mr. Mumbo! Don’t tell me you’ve never been curious to see what’s on one of these things?”

“Well… I have I- I just…”

“You just what? Never had the guts to actually look? I don’t want to pressure you, but now might be your one and only chance.”

Grian smiled sweetly. He felt a little bad about basically manipulating this guy into breaking the law, but he needed to see if his friends were right. If they were, he would find them and apologize, properly. Maybe, just maybe, his guilt would leave him with being them again.

And if they were wrong, then he had irrefutable evidence to convince them to come back. Things could go back to normal! Well, semi-normal. He could probably persuade Commander Etho to make their punishment less harsh. Probably.

Mumbo sighed, “You’re right. We should take a look.” He plugged in the USB to his nanotech laptop and the harddrive booted up. An “enter password” screen popped up. Dammit! Grian was so close to finally getting closure.

Then, Mumbo started typing. He entered twenty-two characters into the bar and entered. At first he was rejected, but then he laughed slightly and said, “I meant to capitalize that T.” Typing at an unnatural speed, he inputted what looked like the same string of numbers and letters again and hit enter once more. This time, the password screen disappeared and the harddrive was opened.

“How- how did you know that?” Grian asked, almost giddy with surprise and a bit of excitement.

“I blend into the background often, and I saw Commander Martyn inputting this into a drive. The USBs looked similar, so I assumed they were the same, and they were,” Mumbo explained.

Grian then said, “You have a crazy cool memory then. I wouldn’t remember that even if I was given a million dollars.”

Mumbo stuttered, “It… it’s nothing r-really!” Grian smiled. He was really like Jimmy. They both hated when people acknowledged how impressive they were.

Both of the men then turned their attention to the files in front of them. There were three files total. One named “e1-9.videos,” one named, “experiment.notes,” and the final one was titled “test.subjects.list.”

“What is all this?” Mumbo asked no one. He then clicked on the file with the videos and pressed play on the first one. It was horrifying. Some people, clearly scientists from the medical division, talked lowly as they injected a strange blue, viscous substance into an unconscious person strapped down onto a medical table.

After a few moments, the person shot awake. The veins in their eyes were blue instead of red. They writhed against their restraints, and their screaming was muffled by the gag in their mouth. Unable to watch anymore, they skipped to the end of the video where the scientist talked into the camera.

“Test one on a sentient subject unsuccessful. The serum caused undesired pain and shut down the subject’s nervous system. Because the subject did not survive, it is unknown if the serum caused the desired stimulation to the brain to alter thinking and dull prior thought patterns.”

Mumbo and Grian sat there, breathing heavily. Mumbo’s eyes were wide with fear, and Grian couldn’t help but spiral. They were right. Jimmy, Pearl, everyone… they were right. Joel told them, and Grian ignored them! He was such an idiot! Why couldn’t he have just listened for once?

Then, Grian started to worry more. He left before anything major happened, but he heard gunshots. It could very well be likely that the GFC captured one of his friends. Would they be put in one of these experiments?

Grian grabbed the mouse and rapidly clicked off of the video file and went onto the file with test subjects. It went in chronological order, naming if each subject was successful or not. The first eight weren’t but the ninth was. The next few subjects were all from many different species that had varying degrees of results next to their names. Finally, at the end of the page, was Joel’s picture. The label next to his name said “undetermined.” What had Grian done?

His legs collapsed, and he fell to the floor. What had he done? What had he DONE? Grian had certainly condemned Joel to the worst fate a person could have. Joel was going to be a test subject at a place he had spent the last few years escaping because of the very experiment he was now put in.

“Woah! Buddy, look at me,” Mumbo said gently. “I can assume you knew that last guy, but I need you to take deep breaths. Everything will be okay.”

“No!” Grian screamed. “Nothing’s okay! It’s- it’s all my fault he’s there. I- I…” He then started sobbing and gasping as he continued to ramble.

“Hey, hey, look at me,” Mumbo whispered. “I know you probably feel incredibly guilty, and I know I can’t stop the guilt. But, what we can do is go find your friend. There has to be some kind of clue in these files where the experiments are being held, and we can stage a jailbreak of sorts.”

“A jailbreak?” Grian managed to gasp out because of the absurdity of it all.

“Yes. I can make copies of keycards, and we can go get him before anything happens. Just, take some deep breaths, please,” Mumbo begged.

“You- you’d do that for me?” Grian asked, tears continuing to fall.

“You clearly care a lot about this person, and you opened my eyes, Grian. I would have never questioned this place or its systems until you came along, and I owe you for that,” Mumbo replied. “I know this must seem so fast and sudden, yet I truly believe that we can do something to help your friend. It might be hopeless optimism, but it’s some hopeless optimism I believe with my whole heart.”

Grian sniffled, his tears coming slower. “I- thank you…”

“You’re welcome. Now let’s get going. Your friend needs us,” Mumbo said with a soft smile. He hugged Grian gently and slowly helped him to his feet. Grian managed to smile back, finding that he might just have another friend.

Chapter Text

Joel was pissed. He just had to witness his fiance fucking die in front of him, and now he was going back to the one place he hoped he’d never have to see again. He wanted to scream, to cry, to do or say anything, but he was trapped. Bound to a metal chair on this stupid ship, and gagged so, in Martyn’s words, he wouldn’t be “making a fuss.” Well, asshole, just say it like it is and tell Joel that you want him powerless.

That’s all they ever want. Etho, Martyn, Ren, and all of the other people in power. They want those beneath them to feel powerless so no one ever gets the idea to fight back. They’re the scum of the galaxy, and Joel was right in their hands. He could do nothing to stop them because they had already taken everything. They took his communicator, his weapons, and his abilities to move and speak.

Most people would think the next step was to take his life, but Joel knew better. He knew they wanted him under their control. After all, he was the only person to have the guts to defy them. The only person who decided to question “why?” and then take action when that “why?” was found out.

even he couldn’t act like he did anything good. He ran, like a coward. He ran and sobbed at the loss of what his entire life was built around. And even if he wasn’t a coward and told people about their plans, who would believe him? Joel was a freak. A nobody. Yet he wasn’t a nobody to them.

Joel knew something, not much, but he knew something. He knew of an experiment called “Project Psyche” where the higher ups were doing… something with brainwashing. If they were possibly thinking of making him a test subject in this project before, then why wouldn’t they jump to the possibility now? It was the perfect punishment. Make the person who knew too much and left with that info to be put in the very thing he knew about.

It was oh so cleverly cruel. And it was terrifying to Joel. If he wasn’t able to escape this place, then he’d either be dead or a mindless puppet. After all, they hadn’t tested their formula on a hybrid like him before (to his knowledge), so it was quite possible it wouldn’t adapt to his DNA. At least if he died he could see Lizzie again in whatever afterlife awaited him, if any at all.

That also terrified Joel. He had just held her in his arms. They were so close to finally being able to get married, and then she was taken away. Stolen by something that couldn’t be stopped. Death. And it was his fault she was gone. If he’d just been more careful, she’d still be here.

Joel took a deep breath. He needed to stop himself from spiraling. His mom had taught him to look around the space he was in when he got angry.

“Focus on what’s around you, my dove. Count tiles, find the rainbow, or do whatever else might help.”

He missed his mom. She was kind, and patient, and made Joel feel like the most loved person in the galaxy. She always talked about her home planet with this spark in her eyes. She described to him the oceans and continents of Earth as somewhere filled to the brim with life everywhere. He wished he could have seen it before it was destroyed.

_________________________________________________________

Joel dreaded the sight of the base. It was huge, practically the size of a small planet. Countless ships were constantly being transported in and out of the ship bay, and he was on one of them. He would be in there, in those seemingly endless halls that held painful memories. He would be in the ‘courtroom’ that he had only heard rumors of. He would be in the lab that he had only caught glimpses of before. And it wasn’t a dream.

This was real. Joel was back in the one place he hoped he’d never have to see again. This wasn’t some nightmare he could wake up from. This was real. This was real. This was real. And he wanted out.

Joel tried again to struggle against his bindings, yet they were still tight to his skin. Each time he pulled and rubbed against them, they left harsh, red marks in his skin. Joel tried spitting out his gag, but it was secured around the back of his head, making it impossible.

“It’s entertaining to watch you struggle again. You already know you aren’t getting out,” a smug voice said. Joel looked up to see Martyn leaning against the wall with a smirk on his face. He slowly approached Joel and squatted down to grab his jaw.

Martyn then harshly whispered, “We’ll fix those anger issues of yours soon enough.” He stood back up and remarked, “It’s really a shame that you decided to leave. You are truly an impressive pilot, but you threw everything you had away.”

He laughed sharply. “And now look at what's happened. Your lover is dead, and so are some of your friends. The people left who could choose to save you never will because you pushed them all away, and they couldn’t care less. You caused all this hurt because you couldn’t take the truth.”

Joel started struggling more. He wanted to rip Martyn’s skull off. How dare he say that! Joel glared at him, but there was fear in his eyes. Deep down, some part of him believed Martyn’s words. And Martyn knew that.

“I can see you agree. Look on the brightside, though. After this is all done and through, you won’t remember any of them and alllll that hurt will be gone. We’ll be right there for you. We’ll be your friends, and we won't abandon you like you did and like how your ‘friends’ did.” Martyn jeered. “Doesn’t that sound nice? You’d be needed and cared for. We’d love to have you back…”

Joel felt like hatred was flowing through his veins. Martyn looked almost giddy at the sight of Joel being enraged, and it made Joel hate him more. He wanted Joel to get angry. He wanted Joel to be broken down into a state of rage because it’d make it easier to predict what he’d do. Joel was not going to give him that satisfaction.

Joel stared at the ground and took slow, deep breaths. Closing his eyes, he tried picturing the air flowing through his body. A sharp sting emanated from Joel’s neck, causing his eyes to snap open. Martyn had his hand by Joel’s neck for a moment before pulling it away, revealing he had a syringe in his hand.

“Shouldn’t have let your guard down, even for a moment. Now, have a nice nap,” Martyn murmured. Joel struggled to keep his eyes open. Trying to stop himself from getting angry got him sedated instead. How idiotic. His head slumped forward as he lost consciousness.

_________________________________________________________

Bright, blinding lights were the first things Joel saw upon waking up. He ground as he tried to sit up, but he found his limbs were bound to the table he was lying on. He looked to his right to see a large mirror covering the top half of the wall, likely one-way viewing. To his left was an assortment of machines and tools. There was also Etho but he was stupid and not worth acknowledging.

“Glad to see you awake, Joel,” Etho stated.

“Cut the crap and get to the point,” Joel grumbled while testing the strength of his bindings.

“Is that how you’re treating old friends now?” Etho asked tauntingly. “I thought you’d be more grateful since I was able to spare you from having a long, boring court hearing.”

Joel muttered to himself, “I’d rather spend the rest of my life in court than have to see your face again.” Etho squinted at him, and Joel could guess he was scowling under his mask.

“Watch your words. I can make this nice and easy for you, or I could make it torture,” Etho threatened. “I’d recommend for you to do this the easy way for both of us. You know I’d hate to see you in pain.”

Joel wanted to strangle him. Etho hated seeing him in pain? Absolute bullshit. If he really didn’t want to see him in pain, Joel wouldn’t be here. Lizzie would be alive, and everything wouldn’t have gone like this. Etho was a little liar and manipulator, and Joel wouldn’t fall for it… this time.

“I take your silence as a yes to the easy way?” Etho asked smugly.

“I’m going to tear through your throat with my teeth and make your death ten times more agonizing and slow than Lizzie’s.”

“That tells me you’d prefer the hard way,” Etho sighed. “I tried to warn you, but you’ve always been defiant. Good luck, Joel. I’ll see you when you’re… feeling better.” Etho smiled as he left the room, locking the large, heavy, metal door behind him.

Joel was left in suffocating almost silence in the white, sterile room. The slight whirr of machines made the quiet more unbearable. Then, a voice Joel didn’t recognize crackled over the speakers in the room.

“Initiating first dosage now,” the voice said. A mechanical fixture lowered from the ceiling. It looked similarly to how a person’s arm would, just with more articulation. A clear tube was intertwined with the arm, and at the end of it was a very sharp needle. The needle plunged into Joel’s neck, deeply penetrating his skin. A viscous looking blue liquid slowly swirled down the tube and into Joel’s neck.

The longer the needle stayed in place, the more it hurt. Upon entering his body, the liquid felt like it was burning his skin. The burning traveled across his body as it circulated his veins. Joel wanted to scream, but he knew Etho and Martyn were probably watching, and he was not going to break in front of them.

That mentality didn’t last long as the pain became unbearable. Joel’s throat felt sore from the screams he let out. His head felt like it was being bashed in with a sledgehammer, and Joel wanted it to end. Tears pricked at the corner of his eyes, but he refused to let them spill.

Joel’s brain filled with a fog as the effects of the substance started. He tried to fight back, to think clearly, yet things continued to be more muddled. What was happening again…? Joel’s eyes felt heavy. It wouldn’t hurt to sleep for a bit, right? Yeah, everything would be fine…

_________________________________________________________

“What’s this place, Mama?” a young boy asked.

“That’s called Antarctica. It’s the coldest place on Earth,” his mother answered.

“Do people live there?”

“No, but sometimes scientists and researchers go there for a while. Penguins also live there.”

“What’s a penguin?” He squirmed in his mother’s arms, trying to get a better view of the book she was holding. His mother flipped a few pages to show a picture of little black and white birds that looked like ovals.

“These are penguins,” his mother explained. “They’re birds, yet they can’t fly. They do swim very well, though.”

“Wow… Earth is really pretty.”

.

“It was, darling. It was.” The boy's antennae twitched happily as his mother kissed him gently on the forehead. He smiled, showing off the gap in his teeth. He loved his mom.

_________________________________________________________

“Drop the bag,” a cold voice sounded from behind the man.

“Move that knife away first,” the man responded. The knife that was pointed at the man’s throat slowly was lifted away from his neck, but it remained in the mugger’s hands. The man quickly turned to face his attacker and found himself staring at two of the most beautiful blue eyes he’d ever seen.

Mesmerized for a moment, the man dropped the bag he had no intention of giving away. The mugger snatched it up from the ground and started running. The man stood there for a moment before registering what had just happened. He started running after the mugger, wanting to get his only items back.

“Wait, I need that!” he called out after the mugger. The person didn’t slow their sprint as they expertly made their way through dark alleys. The man found himself starting to run out of breath, but he kept pushing. He had been trained for some combat, so he continued. Startled by his newfound vigor, the mugger started scaling a nearby wall. They reached the roof of the dilapidated building and started leaping across rooftops.

The man scowled as he tried to follow after, but failed at climbing the wall. He started walking back to the crummy motel he was staying at until he heard a thump behind him. There, he saw the mugger with his bag. They dropped it on the ground and said, “You looked more well-off than you are. Take it back and be more careful with all of your belongings.”

They started walking away, but the man called out to them. “Wait!” The mugger stopped and turned. The man stumbled for his words before saying, “Thank you for returning this. I- I don’t know what I’d do without it.”

“Honor among thieves,” the person replied.

The man confusedly replied, “But I’m not a thief?”

“Would you like to be one?” the person asked, trying to suppress a laugh from his comment. The man thought for a moment. Stealing was wrong, but this person didn’t seem all that bad. They pitied the man for having all his belongings in one bag, so they probably targeted mean rich people. Probably.

The man sighed, he might regret this. He then said, “Sure, where do I start?”

The person smiled and took off their hood revealing p̷̞̩̯̈́͛̓̋̀̕i̴̝͌̊̾̊n̷͉͙̾̐k̶̫͚͍̹̼̀̈́ hair. “My name is L̵̯͛̽̔͗̈́͝i̶̛̫̻̱͎̫͇͇̤͋̈͒̅̏̆̀̃̄̓͝z̷̧͚̮̬̦̘̲̓͌̎̊̓̃̐̊̓̾͘̚̚̚z̸̢̢͎̹̲͇͎͕̦͙͈̫̈̀̊̀̏̀͌̾̑͝͝ͅi̷̢̨̛͔̹̹͎͈̭̓̂̃͐̊̂̈́͌͆̚͘͜͝e̶͍̯̱̓̈́͂͋̔̈́́͜͝͝͝. What’s yours?”

“Mine is ”

_________________________________________________________

A loud ringing woke Joel up. He was somewhere in the medical wing of the base wearing a strange pilot’s outfit. His head was wrapped in bandages. As Joel tried to sit up, hands gently pushed him back down. He saw white hair out of the corner of his eye.

“Etho? What happened?” Joel asked.

“The doctors thought memory loss might happen…” Etho mumbled, looking concerned. He then said, “You were on an undercover mission and were attacked by some bandits. You ended up hitting your head really hard.”

“I did?” Joed questioned. He couldn’t remember doing any of that, but Etho wouldn’t lie to him. They were best friends, after all.

“Can you tell me the last thing you remember?” Etho asked softly.

“I was at the ship bay and…” Joel grunted as he was slammed with a headache. Trying to remember hurt so much. “I- I can’t right now.”

Etho whispered, “That’s okay. Just go back to sleep. We’ll give you more antibiotics.” Joel started to close his eyes, yet something seemed off. He didn’t remember the antibiotics being blue, but he didn’t really care. He was just so, so tired.