Chapter Text
"And there you have the story of everything that happened." Jimin opens his arms and then puts his hands together. "I'm sorry if I took too long and if it was a little tedious for you to listen to. Even if I tell it so that it stops affecting me, I have a hard time staying anchored to this reality." Jimin concludes, laughing softly and somewhat embarrassed; his eyes closed, his head tilted to the right. Taehyung doesn't complain, he shakes his head softly and crosses his legs again.
"It's no problem. I'm grateful that you had enough strength to say it all. Even the parts that are so hurtful." Taehyung says and Jimin smiles softly.
"My question for you is this: Do you still want to try to send a mission there at the risk of the entire crew dying? Because obviously, the Urodons won't allow us to be on their land." Jimin questions and Taehyung stands up.
"It's not my place to decide that kind of procedure. What is, is for you to come with me.”
Jimin opens his eyes slightly and accentuates his smile. Taehyung takes a gun out of his pants and points it directly at him. Two or three more soldiers enter through the door. Armed with high-caliber weapons and aiming at the young man with a still calm temperament. Taehyung approaches him, almost touching the barrel of the gun to his temple.
"A mission was already sent there, right?" Jimin asks in a low voice and Taehyung opens and closes his hand without letting go of his gun.
"Yes. It happened two years ago. We lost connection four days ago." Jimin exhales shaking his head, looking almost amused.
"For years I have warned not to send missions there, but as usual: they have not listened to me.” Jimin comments with an exhausted tone. Like someone who believes that these people should die for being so foolish.
It is a simple warning with proven facts. They examined the corpses of Urodons to exhaustion and through his anecdotes, they were able to make a small map of the species and it was marked as a high risk species. However, he also knows that wonderful resources were found in their bodies. Their bones contain a large amount of proteins that can work to strengthen humans if drunk as a protein compound in the necessary and healthy quantities.
The scales are resistant even when melted and used to coat weapons or everyday items.
The meat has nutrients.
The blood leaves no waste or toxic smoke, working to eliminate waste.
There is a gold mine in the body of the Urodons and as with everything, humans want to find out how much more they are capable of taking; conquer that species. Although Jimin also knows that it is a limited group that wants to take that foolish risk. There are many alien species with all those benefits and the more dangerous it is, the better it gives. The level of risk for the Urodons isn't worth it. They'd lose both armament and structural material, even human resources. Taehyung licks his lips, shaking. He drops his head nodding, straightens up again.
"My brother is there.”
"He must be dead by now or in a cave close to being killed. Even if you go there, there will be nothing of him" Jimin assures with reality. "He shouldn't have gone.”
"It was a false mission." Taehyung’s broken and hurt smile says for itself that he still can't stand the reality. Both of what took him there, and that Jimin is probably right. "It-was-fake. Permission was never given to go there. They recruited more than a dozen people under false permits and sent them there. They told them it was safe. That they shouldn't be scared or afraid. Hoseok thought it was a mission like any other.”
"I'm even more sorry then. However, you should be kind to him: instead of killing yourself on the very earth, you should live for him and demand that the damage done be made up for.”
“I want my brother, even if it’s his corpse, even if it’s a trail of ashes. I want him,” Taehyung insists. “And you know everything about that planet. You even know about the cave where they are; you can sense it like a tracker. You can take me to my brother– to our families.” Taehyung corrects and Jimin briefly glances back, which explains a lot.
Jimin laughs, shaking his head.
“I can’t go back there.”
“You have to.”
"I can't go back. I understand your pain and the desire to do something other than cry... but I won't let my parents die in vain by taking me out of there, so that you can take me back.”
Taehyung wanted to argue and then he notices that on Jimin's chest, it's possible to see how the glow of the core grows. Jimin brings a hand to that area, partially covering it. Taehyung can't help but smile nervously. The only reason he's so calm is because he's on medication. His heart, his strange and different heart, reveals that in reality, the idea is upsetting him.
"I wish it was as easy as going on my own and not involving anyone else" Taehyung admits, "but it's not possible. You'll go with us. Let's find the person or a simple corpse, you'll be there for us." he insists simply. "And we'll get you back from here. One ticket one way there and one ticket back. We're a big squad. We'll know how to deal with the situation. Unlike your family who didn't know anything.”
The cup explodes and where the liquid was left, plants start to sprout. Jimin looks down at that specific spot, staring with empty eyes at what he accidentally caused. He shakes his head and stands up.
"If I set foot there, I won't be able to go back. I know it.”
Taehyung can't understand something that Jimin can't explain. How it's obvious that they won't let him go, that he would have to live through those monsters touching him and calling Yeowang again. It's selfish of him to someone who wants a loved one back. A family that longs to be reunited, but it's also selfish of Taehyung to demand that he go back to the place where all his misfortunes, tragedies, and traumas happened.
In the end, it's human to not want to go back to that pain, as it's also human to do everything necessary to fulfill his wishes.
Jimin stands up, ready to go to the phone to ask for help here. However, as he also expected, he is taken by the back and a handkerchief with chloroform stuck to his face. His sensitive nose makes him fall quickly. The soldier carries him without difficulty and Taehyung approaches putting away the gun. Jimin looks as charming asleep as he is awake. Those youthful features so beautiful that The creatures on that planet long to have him in their clutches. Taehyung strokes his hair. He must bring him back no matter what.
The homeless boy who will go to the stars again. The little seven-year-old creature who still yearns for peace will be taken to his own personal hell. They quietly retreat from the small, fantasy-like house in the middle of nowhere. They carefully put the unconscious painter in and leave. Taehyung stares at him.
Considering that the way back, it must be exactly the same: leaving him at the entrance of his home safe and sound.