This chapter contains quite a lot of violence and considerably graphic depictions of morally questionable fighting techniques! Please tread carefully!

‘Are you all right?’

His friend seemed troubled ever since the day they saw that unidentified ship. It hadn’t appeared again and they didn’t detect anything out of the ordinary on their radars either. Their core-ship that was orbiting the planet detected nothing either- though both might be due to the heavy and thick layer of storm clouds that shrouds the planet. Their timing was a little unfortunate, what with the season and all. It seemed to cast a heavy air of wariness, tiredness, and paranoia around the team. Even short-radio signals occasionally messed up, causing them to frown, their thoughts turning grim and the desire to head back out building up each second.

‘Yeah I’m good,’ he replies with a nod. ‘This is getting old pretty quickly though.’

He gestures around them; it’s damp, muddy, dim, and cold. Though he had originally appreciated finally being in-planet after so long, he can’t help but agree with his friend.

‘You can say that again,’ someone in the back mumbles. ‘My feet have been wet for 2 days straight. Two. This is some unhealthy .’

There are murmurs of agreement.

‘Also- when is this forest going to end? I swear to all that is holy I might start a fire and ing burn this place down.’

‘Please keep all arsenic tendencies under control,’ their leader barks from the front though she sounds 2 seconds away with agreeing.

‘Yeah- might not want to bring back our little ghost now would you?’

‘, don’t say that- ing creepy.’

That voice they had heard singing had definitely been real. The scanning team had managed to record the last 2 seconds of the voice and had processed and filtered it as best they could. There were words in there, but none they could recognize or identify; even with the GLA Database.

But they hadn’t heard it since that one time, but the memory of it lingered in everyone’s minds. While it might have spooked the others, it felt almost serene to him. And to his friend too.

‘It sounded sad,’ was what he had said. ‘Sad, pained- full of longing.’

‘Cap,- let’s take a short break? Please? I need to drain my boots,’ one of them calls out.

‘We’re approaching a ridge in 10 minutes- higher ground,’ she calls back. ‘We’ll take 1.’

‘One minute?’

‘One hour.’

They groan gratefully in response; spurred on a little by the idea of higher ground and a break. They had been on their feet with little to no breaks for over 15 hours now. A break was long overdue.

The forest seems to cut off rather abruptly, giving way to hard dark stone from muddy clay in a span of a few steps.

‘Well…okay?’ their leader looks confused but relieved. ‘All clear?’

‘We’re good!’ the scanning team calls back.

The ridge is a wide cliff that gently breaks off to an easy slope downwards into a strangely autumn-hued forest below. His friend takes a deep breath of the cool air and exhales out long and exaggerated. The team laughs, relief obvious in their body language as they dump their heavy wet bags on the hard ground, stretching cramped and tired limbs. But now that he was here, out in the open, he suddenly feels restive.

‘We should scan for a water source,’ their team leader announces.

‘There’s a waterfall 15 minutes south-east from here, up there,’ one of the scanners replies, mouth filled with dried (partially) fruits.

‘I’ll go,’ he volunteers at once, before anyone else can. Not that they would, seeing how tired they were. They’d probably settle it by drawing lots like they did before.

‘You sure?’ she asks, giving him a once over.

‘I’m sure Cap,’ he replies, already unpacking the frame for the collapsible tank and gravity-lift.

‘I’ll come with you,’ his friend says at once, standing up with a groan.

They walk quietly- his friend seems to sense whatever weird burst of energy that suddenly possessed him and asks no questions.

The air around them lightens the higher they climb. The ground is craggy and dark grey, fresh moss growing in spirals over the wet surface. He hears the waterfall before he sees it. It’s not big, just a steady stream that pools into a dark clear pond. Starting the filtration process, they set up the pipes and inflate the tank.

‘I’ll look after this,’ his friend says. He smiles in thanks before making his way higher. He could still see their team below, not moving too far off if he needed help or vice-versa. The forest they trudged through is below him to one side, dark and gloomy- but on the other side, the autumnal forest sways gently in an early morning breeze. Taking a deep breath, he takes a seat on one of the many flat rocks.

Sitting seems to sap him of his strength and he closes his eyes. If he emptied his mind, then this felt exactly like how it did during the monsoon season back on Earth. He didn’t go in-planet on Earth too often- only a few times for academic purposes and the occasional family vacation. But he loved the rainy season- even more so when the sun would shine through the clouds. There was something entirely different- something entirely wholesome about the way the sunlight felt on his skin when he was on a planet.

He’s stirred from his thoughts as his friend approaches, sitting on another rock heavily.

‘Don’t you want to rest?’ he asks.

He is tired- incredibly so. But something told him he had to be here.

‘It’s fine,’ he replies with an easy shrug. ‘I’ll rest later.’

‘You should rest now,’ he insists, ‘Or well- when we get back.’

He stares out into the cloudy sky for a while- unsure why or how he was feeling this way. Maybe it was homesickness- or maybe it was just his fatigue getting to him.

‘I feel like I’ve spent…spent all my life resting,’ he huffs out a short laugh, his head spinning a little from the exertion- he’s not sure why, but he’s feeling an incredible pull to all of this. ‘And now I can finally…’

He pauses- he doesn’t know how to explain this to him. Maybe it was all just plain old quarter-life crisis.

‘And now I can finally be.’

And then suddenly, quite out of nowhere, he hears a soft and light humming tune. It’s a surprise, but somehow- he’d been anticipating it ever since he broke free from the damp forest. Scrambling, he turns, rather desperately, to locate that sound. He finds nothing-

‘What is it?’ his friend asks, alarmed.

The clouds above them break, and through the heavy grey and purple clouds, soft rosy skies peak through, and a golden light falls upon the moss covered rocks nearby.

This was why he came here. As though he knew that he would see this. He isn’t even aware that he’s holding up a hand, as though to reach forward and grab at the light- to hold it close and never let go.

‘Sunshine.’

*

Yoongi understands fighting.

He understands missions.

He understands objectives and goals.

He understands that in order to function, he needs to eat, drink, sleep.

He understands that in order to maintain stability in a group dynamic, he needs to contribute equally and keep up an equal level of tolerance, space to adjust, and acceptance.

He understands that right now, with this situation, he needs to win, for more than just one reason.

He understands that there are aspects to this situation that he does not understand. That he may never come to understand.

He understands that if he is injured right now, it would diminish his chances of winning.

‘Are you hurt? Got any injuries?’ Hoseok asks immediately.

Yoongi shakes his head. He’s had to fight off K’hlaks before. More than 2 at a time, on more than one occasion. So it had been relatively simple- especially after he received the axes.

Yoongi understands that in order to win, he must remain unharmed. Which was why Hoseok was making this inquiry.

‘Only a scratch,’ Yoongi shows the side of his arm- he had grazed the side of his arm on the K’hlak’s armoured flank.

Hoseok takes a quick look at it, passing a small hand-held scanner over the scratch.

‘Okay- there’s no poison or toxin,’ he says in a low voice, as though speaking to himself. ‘Just clean it up later. Tired? You should stock up on ionized-water the moment we get back. That was a heavy blow,’ Hoseok presses. There’s a permanent furrow between his brows. One that hasn’t gone away since all of this started.

Yoongi understands that Hoseok is under heavy stress. He doesn’t, however, understand why he did not like the strained frown on the Ngfy’widan’s eyebrows. Unsure but somehow feeling like it was the right thing to do, Yoongi reaches over and with his pointer finger presses on the crease between Hoseok’s eyebrows and replies, ‘I’m fine.’

Hoseok is momentarily cross-eyed as he stares at Yoongi’s hand, expression shocked.

‘Let’s go.’ He says. He wants to take a shower, he had blood splattered on one side of his body. Sk’jin was going to get mad that he dirtied his robes.

‘…right.’

Hoseok leads the way, rummaging in his pockets momentarily before asking, ‘Where are you guys?’

He pulls out Yoongi’s Comm-Device from inside his pocket and hands it to him.

‘How’s Yoongi?’ Namjoon asks.

‘He’s all right. He got a scratch but it’s not deep- no poison, no toxin.’ Hoseok replies for him.

Yoongi understands that his health is priority.

‘All right- we have things to go over- we’re going to have to create our own database on the next fights- we’re at a great disadvantage not knowing the opponents in the Pageant and not knowing their skill sets,’ Namjoon says, his voice heavy with fatigue. ‘Not that I don’t trust in Yoongi’s abilities. But we need to start studying his possible opponents outside of the rogue-rounds.’

‘Agreed- I think we can ask Taeh’yung about some of the opponents- he was watching them before,’ Hoseok replies, glancing over at him every few seconds as though to make sure he was all right.

Yoongi doesn’t understand why he was doing this.

Database has no explanation.

‘Okay then- Yoongi how are you feelin- Sk’jin?’ Namjoon’s tone changes to one of worry.

‘They smell like that ship.’ Taeh’yung’s voice says softly.

Yoongi stops mid-step.

‘Sk’jin?’

‘Yoongi- you okay?’ Hoseok asks immediately, giving him a quick once over, health-scanner already at hand despite having scanned him not even a minute ago.

The ship?

‘What’s wrong,’ Namjoon sounds vaguely wary.

‘I think-‘ Sk’jin stutters. ‘I think we have to report back to the special-jury.’

*

Namjoon and Sk’jin both look worse for wear. It didn’t help that they were both wearing ill-fitted maintenance uniforms- it pulled comically at Namjoon’s long legs. Yoongi wants to maybe point them out and make a joke; but the “How to be Funny! An easy guide for the socially awkward!” book had nothing to do with short pant-legs so Yoongi remains quiet.

Sk’jin doesn’t even blink at the state of Yoongi’s (well, his) robes and is instead pacing rather restlessly. Yoongi can see the confusion on both Hoseok and Namjoon’s faces. Taeh’yung is uncharacteristically quiet- his eyes a little glazed as though he wasn’t quite there with them.

Yoongi can understand why they were confused. Yoongi would explain, but no one has asked the questions he knows he can answer.

‘What do you mean we should report back?’ Hoseok asks, clearly trying to establish a common ground of information in this discussion. ‘We’ve spent weeks avoiding the GLA and any other possible way in which they could possibly find us, and now we report back?’

‘This- this is something else,’ Sk’jin gnaws at his lower lip.

‘Sk’jin- please, just sit down for a moment, and tell us what you mean. And you too Taeh’yung.’

Taeh’yung doesn’t appear to have heard his name. Sk’jin pauses a moment, struggling, it would appear, with what to say.

‘4 sols ago, when the Gaia Case was created and the special jury founded- it was all a result of the discovery of the mysterious species of Beings simply known as the Akramanese,’ Yoongi finds himself speaking up instead. ‘The Akramanese were created as a result of the Yisheng’s involvement in their attempt to create a Universe without freewill- a Universe they could control. Out of the many experiments they conducted, this one in particular would go awry. Not only did the Akramanese inherit their creator’s objectives, they took it a step further and wanted to overtake this dimension of existence. They were defeated of course- their ship, technology, and existence obliterated from history. During this crucial war for the freewill of the Universe, Taeh’yung, Sk’jin, and I were closely situated to the occurrence surrounding the defeat of the Akramanese.’

‘…we get that part,’ Namjoon says slowly. ‘But why do we have to report back to the special-jury?’

‘Because Taeh’yung could smell it.’ Sk’jin blurts out. ‘That damn in’ ship!’

‘Smell what exactly?’ Hoseok asks, exasperation lacing into his voice.

‘The Akramanese mothership,’ Yoongi explains.

Hoseok still looks lost whereas Namjoon looks like he’s thinking extremely hard.

‘But if they were destroyed- why would any semblance of them still exist?’ Hoseok questions.

‘The same reason why we’re being sent to Bhumi,’ Sk’jin replies, gripping at his hair. ‘Every single thing, every single Being, every embryo, every tech, pulled from that Akramanese ship was completely destroyed in the explosion that demolished it and Earth. So why should it still exist here if it didn’t mean that they could still be out there?!’

Hoseok actually backs away as Sk’jin leans down to hiss at him.

‘Sk’jin- sit down,’ Namjoon says tersely, leaning over to push the Khol’isa away from Hoseok. ‘Taeh’yung, are you sure?’ he adds, looking over at the Zhak’gri.

‘I am,’ Taeh’yung replies. ‘I won’t ever forget the way it smelt. The way it felt.’

‘So what does this mean and why should we be effected by it?’ Hoseok asks, clearly trying to lay out some form of equal footing on information.

‘It means,’ Sk’jin takes a deep breath. ‘That we’re ed.’

Yoongi understands that this response makes no sense and only serves to irritate the former Venture Unit agent more.

‘Sk’jin,’ Hoseok begins with a heavy scowl. ‘You’re not making sense- could you please just explain to me why this is bothering you so much-‘

‘YOU WEREN’T THERE!’ Sk’jin screams in frustration, causing Hoseok to take a step back. ‘YOU DIDN’T HEAR THEM! YOU DIDN’T SEE THEM- IT’S-‘

He stops, taking a deep breath. Hoseok is understandably baffled.

‘I agree with Sk’jin.’ Namjoon cuts in firmly. ‘We should report back to the special-jury.’

‘-I don’t know how I can explain this to you…’ Sk’jin actually loses track, gaping at Namjoon. ‘What did you say?’

‘I said I agree. We will call the special-jury.’ Namjoon repeats.

Sk’jin seems too stunned to speak, mouth still agape, eyes wide.

‘But-‘ Hoseok begins, standing up as well, a deep frown etched on his face.

‘Okay- we need to first get into the order of things here,’ Namjoon steps a little away in order to face the entire room and all of them. ‘First of all, we’re not going to be able to leave this planet,’ Namjoon says bluntly. ‘Van Seulgaan is not going to let us go- we’re too valuable, and we have too many possible variables he can exploit to his advantage. It’s not just the OrTank- it’s us. Each and every single one of us. There’s no possible way he’ll stick to his word- He’d be stupid to. We’re too valuable and vulnerable at this stage- and we do not have the means to overturn this situation around for our benefit.’

‘But he knows we’re on a specialized mission- he wouldn’t dare stop us-‘ Hoseok counters.

‘But he also suspects we’re on the run- I mean we do have a bounty on our heads now, according to him,’ Namjoon replies with a sigh. ‘The further he studies Sk’jin’s statement from the ship, he’s going to realize that it doesn’t add up- he probably already did.’ Namjoon glances over at Sk’jin who is still gawking at him in surprise. ‘Not that you did a bad job- it’s just with someone like Van, we can’t possibly take any chances.’

Sk’jin snaps out of whatever stunned stupor he’d been caught in and nods.

‘Not to mention those Beings- the House of Jtāharū,’ Sk’jin continues his point. ‘I don’t know how they’re connected to that ship- and I’d rather not find out- and knowing that they want our OrTank, we can’t afford to get caught up in this.’

Hoseok’s eyes narrow, studying them both before looking across, over at Yoongi.

‘What do you say?’ Hoseok addresses him.

‘We should call the special-jury,’ Yoongi says in agreement. ‘But we should get away before they arrive.’

‘How do we do that?’ Hoseok asks emphatically.

‘We could just stay until they get here,’ Sk’jin begins to say hesitantly, but Namjoon shakes his head.

‘No- if they come here, and we’re here, I can guarantee you that we will be pulled out of the mission,’ the Kutsoglerin states.

There’s sudden pause- as though everyone just took a step back to analyze their situation, minds calculating and theorizing. Sk’jin breaks the silence first.

‘Not that I don’t appreciate your support here Namjoon but,’ Sk’jin states flatly, ‘You were never for this mission- why do you want to leave before the jury get here? That is if we are going to call them here.’

Namjoon remains motionless for a moment before positioning himself to look around at all of them.

‘Up there- in Van’s ship,’ he begins. ‘OrTanks, just like the one we have, were lined up, empty. Meaning he had access to them- to what extent I’m not sure, it’s all just theory at the moment but that also means that he is involved deeper and further into whatever this is.’

‘Empty?’ Hoseok repeats in a hollow voice.

‘Empty,’ Namjoon confirms. ‘We can’t tell if he got them empty, or if there were Beings in there- like ours. He even referred to them as “eggs”- something I haven’t heard of or read in any of my research. We don’t know the full details but we have to assume the worst.’

‘And the worst here being?’ Hoseok asks, listening intently.

‘That Van Seulgaan is not only a part of the Alliance but directly involved with the connection between the Alliance, the rest of the GLA and the Yisheng Directory, and the Akramanese,’ Namjoon says bluntly. ‘And if someone like Van is involved this deep with this situation- then that doesn’t stop the others from the jury from being involved as well.’ He stops, looking over at each of them carefully before asking, ‘What was it that they said- when they first each came to us all.’

No one replies.

‘They selected each one of us to represent them and act on their behalf because they didn’t trust the other members within the jury,’ Yoongi replies.

‘Exactly,’ Namjoon nods. ‘We were sent here, to find out, through each other, who would want to use the Akramanese technology to further their agenda. This is the same thing they all said to us; our reason for division.’

‘Are you suggesting that we find out who out of the jury is actually involved?’ Hoseok asks incredulously.

‘That’s exactly what I’m saying,’ Namjoon nods. ‘We were sent out on this mission, deliberately blinded and crippled- if we are able to find out who it is, then by extension, we are also completing our mission; which is to entirely rid the Universe of any remnants of the Gaia Case.’

Sk’jin and Hoseok glance at each other, checking each other’s reactions.

‘You’re talking about luring out the very Beings who put this entire thing together- those Beings are singlehandedly some of the most powerful Beings in the Universe, and setting them up to find out, which is of course all conjecture, if they’re involved with the Akramanese?’

‘Yes.’

‘So we call the special-jury,’ Sk’jin begins, ‘Then what? We escape before they come? Like Hoseok mentioned- how do we do that? And out of the jury who do we call? Because I’m not sure about you guys, but I’m not keen on calling any of them.’

‘No- we call all of them.’ Namjoon says. ‘We call each of them separately- I don’t care if they figure it out- I don’t care if they’re all gathered in the same place when we call- they can’t back out. Especially K’mara and Lal Haenoon- if we draw them all here, they have no choice but to purge this organization.’

‘They can still effectively cover it up-‘ Sk’jin begins to say but Hoseok speaks up as though thoroughly amused.

‘You want to make this live don’t you? The broadcasting channel? From Van’s ship?’

Namjoon nods.

‘They have no choice.’ Namjoon actually grins. ‘They have to come. Either to cover up their own involvement or to claim the victory over Pompa’s highly illegal and anti-GLA activity. They will come.’

Sk’jin looks thoroughly shaken but at the same time entirely enthusiastic.

‘Not bad Joonie,’ he grins. ‘How are we doing this then?’

‘Well first,’ Namjoon looks over to address him. ‘Yoongi-‘

‘I won’t lose,’ Yoongi replies at once.

Namjoon just blinks in response- clearly taken aback. Yoongi wonders if he’s said something wrong.

Of course he would win. There was no other option.

Regardless of whether or not Van Seulgaan was planning on overtaking them; regardless of whatever and whoever were after them- he was going to win. Regardless of how any of this was connected or not. Because he had to.

Yoongi understands this perfectly.

The OrTank was kept under their protection- it was their duty, and if what Taeh’yung said was to be trusted, then the Being inside the OrTank was depending on them to take him back. They had more than just the stated objective in this mission, and Yoongi would make sure that he would see through to it.

‘That’s not what I was trying to say,’ Namjoon huffs out. ‘I just…- I just want to say that I am sorry.’

Yoongi does not understand. He’s thoroughly confused; what did the Kutsoglerin mean by that?

Database has no explanation.

‘I am sorry that I’m asking you to do this- that we’re asking you to do this.’ Namjoon clarifies.

‘You didn’t ask me,’ Yoongi states bluntly. It was as though Namjoon didn’t understand that. ‘I volunteered. It was my intention to do so- and I will carry it out until I win and I can bring him back and take him home.’

‘Him-?’ Namjoon is saying before his eyes widen a little with understanding.

‘It is within my capability,’ Yoongi further clarifies. ‘Out of all of us, I am the only one qualified and skilled to undertake these fights.’

Yoongi is briefly worried that the others would take offence to his words. Because all of them were skilled beyond average- whether it was in hand-to-hand combat or weapons skill. But no one looked offended- in fact Sk’jin is shaking his head and smiling to himself while Hoseok shrugs as though to say, ‘he’s right’.

Namjoon looks at him for a moment longer and then he too smiles. Yoongi wonders if he’s missed something here. Some minor detail of sorts.

‘All right then- Yoongi’s next fight is in 45 minutes right?’ Namjoon addresses Taeh’yung who seems to have recovered a little.

The Zhak’gri nods.

‘Right- based on my calculations, the GLA patrol unit are probably still in the Grezma area, along with the Yisheng ship. If we send out an emergency broadcast for help- they will arrive here within 6 hours.’ Namjoon says as he retrieves his screen. ‘However we cannot allow any communication to make it through here – and the only one we can send out is the broadcasting channel from Van’s ship.’

‘You’ve already taken care of most of the power-lines here- could you completely fry their communication signals?’ Hoseok asks, also pulling out his screen.

‘I can put Pompa under complete radio-silence in and off-planet,’ Namjoon states without a hint of pride or arrogance in his voice. ‘We’ll have to go back up to Van’s ship-‘

‘I’ll do that,’ Hoseok volunteers at once. ‘Just run me through what needs to be done.’

Namjoon nods at that before questioning Taeh’yung again, ‘How many rounds do you think Yoongi will have to fight in the Arena upstairs?’

‘They’re in the semi-finals!’ Taeh’yung looks excited again. ‘He’ll have to beat an opponent in the semi-finals before entering the Final Round.’

‘So all together you’ll be fighting 3 fights,’ Namjoon glances over at him as though to make sure he understood. Yoongi nods, a tad bit slow, in reply.

‘The fights are pretty back to back,’ Taeh’yung supplies. ‘It depends on how fast the other fights take place- it’s all high-paced entertainment value here!’

‘If-…when Yoongi wins the rogue-rounds,’ Sk’jin corrects himself. ‘We get the OrTank back right? Immediately?’

‘Yeah! I watched some of the older rogue-rounds,’ Taeh’yung confirms. ‘They’ll bring out the prize during the Final Round and if you win, the champion can take it back!’

‘All right then,’ Namjoon claps his hands together once. ‘The moment Yoongi wins, he’ll bring over the OrTank, and we safely deposit him back to our ship. He’s our priority here, so we make sure he’s always safe.’

Everyone nods in unison.

‘After that, we go up to the Arena. And then Sk’jin will take over the Užkulisai and keep her on standby near the Arena,’ Namjoon nods at the Khol’isa who winks in response, pushing back his hair in a flirtatious manner. ‘There’s no guarantee what conditions we’ll be facing and when we can leave- how we’re going to leave.’

‘I’m the emergency getaway transporter,’ Sk’jin quips.

‘What about me?’ Taeh’yung asks eagerly.

‘I need you to stay with our OrTank,’ Namjoon says seriously. ‘He’s a target right now- and we can’t afford to lose him. Stick close to him- no matter what, protect him at all cost.’

Taeh’yung nods enthusiastically at that.

‘If things get bad- then Taeh’yung, I don’t care what you do-  either of you. Just get out of the planet at once.’ Namjoon continues, ‘Yoongi and I will be fine here and we’ll be able to get out-‘

‘Are you sure?’ Sk’jin asks skeptically.

‘Positive- it’s the most logical thing to do,’ Namjoon affirms quickly. ‘After I’m done with my stuff, I’ll go to the Arena to wait for Yoongi; see what needs to be done in case of injuries, stuff like that. But if things go sour- just leave.’

‘But what about Hobi?’ Taeh’yung rushes to Hoseok, rubbing his face against the Ngfy’widan’s. 

‘Hoseok will head up to Van’s ship and restart the broadcasting- at this point, Van will find out, I’m sure, but he won’t be able to do anything because I will cut Pompa off from any form of communication coming in and out of the planet.’ Namjoon explains. ‘And like I said, if things go bad, then you and Taeh’yung will leave, pick up Hoseok, and just…I guess just continue on. Yoongi and I will come and meet you.’

‘We should make a rendezvous point – just to be safe,’ Hoseok adds.

‘How about back to Ch’dra? No one will expect us to go backwards,’ Taeh’yung suggest, clapping his hands together.

‘Yeah- let’s do that,’ Namjoon nods in agreement.

‘Van is going to suspect something, you know that, don’t you?’ Sk’jin says this more like a fact than a question.

‘Of course he does,’ Namjoon snorts. ‘But he’s never going to suspect us calling all of the jury.’

‘When do we do that?’ Hoseok asks.

‘Right after Yoongi’s win, the moment we get our hands on the OrTank,’ Namjoon checks over at him as though to make sure he was all right with it. It amuses Yoongi a little. Nonetheless he nods.

‘You’ll be alone for the first match in the Arena,’ Namjoon continues, ‘I’ll try to make it there- you’ll be all right?’

Yoongi doesn’t know how to respond to that. So he just nods.

Database has no explanation.

‘We have some time before the match starts- Yoongi do you want something to eat?’ Sk’jin asks, his eyes studying Yoongi’s robes with a look of disdain.

‘He needs ionized-water,’ Hoseok says at once. ‘And I’m taking a look at your cut.’

Sk’jin nods, already stepping out to retrieve the required items followed by Taeh’yung who latches onto the Khol’isa, clearly intent on conversing. Yoongi notes how Namjoon watches after them for a moment before shaking his head slowly to himself.

‘I’ll be right back- need more tissue-plast,’ Hoseok states after he rummages for a while inside the medical kit. Namjoon nods in reply before making his way over to Yoongi and sitting down.

‘Do you think this is a good idea?’ he asks suddenly.

‘I don’t know,’ Yoongi replies honestly. ‘No amount of planning can ever predict what will or will not happen. There are too many unseen factors involved with our situation for us to properly plan and foresee the future.’

Namjoon huffs out a laugh before wiping at his face.

‘Yeah you’re right.’ He nods in agreement before he turns his head a little to look at him. ‘I wanted to talk to you about something,’ Namjoon says quietly. He pauses, as though waiting for Yoongi to tell him to continue. Before Yoongi can nod or do something, Namjoon continues.

‘Van said he had seen the GI fight before- is there any way, any possibility in which you might have come across him before?’

Yoongi doesn’t even have to think back for this as he replies, ‘No. I do not remember him.’

‘Is it possible if you could find out, how he’s connected to the GI? If I’m not mistaken, only the deep inner circles of the Yisheng Directory had access to the GI,’ Namjoon presses.

‘When we were given our missions, we were never told who issued them or who commissioned them,’ Yoongi states honestly. ‘I had an officer who distributed my missions to me. But beyond that, I knew nothing of the other agents, what they did, and who they worked for.’

Namjoon nods in understanding, looking disappointed.

‘I am sorry.’

‘No- I get it,’ Namjoon shakes his head.

What did Namjoon get?

Database has no explanation.

‘I was wondering if maybe we should ask Taeh’yung to go to Van’s ship- to understand what he’s carrying,’ Namjoon says out of nowhere. ‘But I think it’s better to assign him to the OrTank.’

Yoongi nods. He understands this decision. Taeh’yung was the only one out of them who could sense the OrTank. More accurately the Being inside of it. And while the idea that there might be others out there like this OrTank, not under the joint care of the Venture Unit and the Yisheng Directory as they were meant to be, what mattered most now was the one under their protection.

‘I have another question Yoongi- if you don’t mind my asking,’ Namjoon says carefully.

Yoongi is a bit more prepared for this and so he nods in reply.

‘Why are you doing this?’ Namjoon asks carefully.

In all honesty, Yoongi doesn’t understand why he’s doing this.

Database has no explanation.

Yoongi thinks back to the Yisheng Headquarters, to the rows and rows of OrTanks, to all the Beings placed inside there. He thinks of his own situation- of his placement in all of this. He thinks about the young face, asleep and drifting inside the OrTank- of how he feels each time he looks at him.

Yoongi doesn’t understand and neither can he  explain it- but if he were to put it into simple words, provided by what he’s understood of the emotional spectrum, he would say he feels a sense of kinship with the Being inside the OrTank- a sense of belonging that connects further and deeper than just this strange connection they shared through the OrTank as their basis for birth. He felt a sense of need- each time the Being drifted in the Tank to face him- like he needed Yoongi to hear him. To hear him speak. He felt it even more when he raised his hand to the surface- as though reaching out for Yoongi with something. Something Yoongi knew he needed.

Something he knew he missed.

It made no logical sense. There was no explanation to his thoughts- just a feeling. He doesn’t know how to put these into words, but he does say what he understands. So he just says: ‘Because I want answers.’

Database has no explanation.

*

It had been an invasion.

A raid.

.

A grand purge- a cruel and great plague spread across the entirety of their land- their country, their planet.

He knows now. He knows too much. Sometimes he can’t handle it- and he’ll be taken to another place- another lab and there he’s knocked unconscious again. When he wakes up he’s “improved”.

They tell him that they’re giving him a great opportunity- a wonderful chance. That he was helping them gain so much.

Was their gain bought with his depravity and loss?

He had once managed to run away. Escape, using his sudden new found knowledge. But he’d been caught.

But not before he caught a glimpse of his land. Of his home. Of his everything.

Great mountainous structures of ugly metal stretched over the land and towards the sky- its erseness left no area unscathed.

They had come with the intention to - to humiliate, degrade, and destroy all sense of self, all memory of self. The only thing they would leave behind would be self-loathing, madness, and broken remains of what was.

‘We’re here to improve the savages.’ He heard them say.

How was he a savage when they were mercilessly slaughtering his people for their entertainment and gain?

Was this what lay beyond the great Stretch above?

‘We know better- this is what you need. You will thank us.’

Were they telling him this, or were they just reassuring themselves? Because surely, no living being alive could ever possibly believe themselves capable of such entitlement.

When he is rescued it is already too late.

It was already too late the moment those “mountains” had appeared in their skies.

It was already too late when he had run down the hilly slopes looking for his father.

It was already too late when the eclipse had formed.

The others are surprised when they see him. He spoke calmly- he had no fear when he saw them coming. He didn’t move, didn’t question, didn’t react. Not even when one of them burst out into tears. He doesn’t understand why. Because he had cried for years- but it had done nothing but bring him more pain.

‘You’re going to be all right.’ They had said.

But nothing right in him remained anymore. Everything inside of him was wrong.

‘We’re here to help you,’ they had said, their faces stricken and sad.

‘You’ll be all right,’ they keep repeating. ‘We’re taking you somewhere safe. You’ll be safe.’

Safe?

‘Is it what I need?’

His question tastes red on his tongue.

They don’t understand his question.

And it remains unanswered.

*

Stepping out into an arena to fight feels like routine. There was a set of objectives he had to complete. A mark he had to reach. An end-result he had to achieve. Fighting in the rogue-rounds feels a lot like setting out on a mission.

[RECEIVING DATA]

COORDINATES: POMPA

CONTENDER – FINAL ROUND. ROGUE-ROUNDS.

TERMINATION

MISSION ACCEPTED

And Yoongi understands missions.

The moment he walks into the arena, Hoseok would leave for Van’s ship to begin the process of broadcasting the Pageant. Namjoon will also leave for the closest circuit-systems utility station to take over all of Pompa’s communication networks. Sk’jin and Taeh’yung will wait for Yoongi’s match to be over, take back the OrTank to the Užkulisai, and wait for the Pageant to be over. At the same time, each of them will call or message the special-jury member responsible for putting them there while Hoseok makes sure that Van’s broadcasting channel is directly in line to target Raksane Tayi- in particular: Šerdesas. By that time, Namjoon would have finished his work quick enough and will be in time to join and wait for him inside the Pageant arena. 

‘You’ll be all right,’ Hoseok says, his lips thin and pressed down hard against each other. The Ngfy’widan’s eyes gleam a little in this little alcove created for the contenders to wait before being set out in the arena.

Yoongi knows he’ll be all right. No matter what awaited him outside these doors, he was going to win. Hoseok doesn’t look at him while he’s saying this, confusing Yoongi. Was he speaking to himself? Was he reaffirming to himself that Yoongi would win?

Database has no explanation.

Unsure what to do, Yoongi hesitates, wondering if he should maybe extend a comforting hand. He awkwardly raises a hand, which draws Hoseok’s attention and a quizzical eyebrow.

‘Are you all right? Is something wrong?’ Hoseok asks instead.

Yoongi can hear the Pompen’s voice as they announce the final match, riling up the crowds. The roars will be deafening once he exits this small room instead of the constant buzz that surrounds him.

Yoongi stretches his hand out and places it on top of Hoseok’s head, which is higher than his own head. Hoseok looks down at him with some confusion before he bursts out into laughter.

‘A bit more like this,’ he says, holding up his own hand and smoothly patting over Yoongi’s blue hair. Yoongi had seen his own reflection and wasn’t sure what to think of it. It was the first time he’d seen his hair in that colour, or cut into that style. But Sk’jin and Taeh’yung were immensely pleased so he guesses it’s not an appalling sight. At least not by their own standards.

‘A bit more relaxed,’ Hoseok grins.

Yoongi bends his arm at the elbow, attempting to mirror Hoseok’s arm.

‘Whatever this is, I want no part in it,’ Sk’jin’s voice floats in.

Sk’jin looks tired despite his exposure to the sun and having consumed nearly his weight in food at the speed of light. Yoongi extends his arm over to reach the top of Sk’jin’s head- a difficult feat as the Khol’isa is much taller than Hoseok. Sk’jin just takes it in by stride and hastily pats Yoongi’s head too.

‘Here- change of clothes,’ he says.

‘Where’s Taeh’yung?’ Hoseok asks, looking around for the lanky Zhak’gri.

‘He’s tracking the OrTank- they’re bringing it up,’ Sk’jin explains as he unfurls the robes and holds it up for Yoongi to slip into. It’s one of his other robes, a silky pale rose coloured one with intricate silver patterns around the hem and collar. Yoongi already feels vaguely guilty, knowing that it would be covered in blood at some point in the next 10 minutes.

He removes the red and gold robes and exchanges it for the rose and silver ones. Sk’jin is quick to “fix” his hair just as the telltale signs of the countdown for the arena begins.    

‘Everything is still in order,’ Sk’jin tells him, expression easy though his tone is a little tight. ‘Everything is going according to plan. You go do the best you can do.’

Yoongi nods, wondering why they kept speaking to themselves while addressing him.

‘It will be all right,’ he tells Sk’jin.

The Khol’isa smiles at that, a pained look in his eyes.

‘He’s been taken over!’ Taeh’yung announces loudly as he scrambles into the alcove. ‘He’s outside now!’

Yoongi is somehow filled with anticipation at this news.

‘How is he?’ Yoongi asks Taeh’yung quietly.

‘Asleep- he’s dreaming a lot right now. I think it’s the sudden rush of consciousness around him- it’s effecting him.’

‘Surely not in a bad way right?’ Sk’jin asks tersely, looking over Taeh’yung and Yoongi with a strained expression.

‘No! Not at all! He’s very curious!’ Taeh’yung says. ‘Or nervous? Scared? They’re a little confusing when-‘

‘-and okay let’s go Yoongi,’ Sk’jin turns him around to face the large double-doors.

‘He’ll be all right- he’s fine.’ Sk’jin’s grip on his shoulders is starting to become painful. ‘We’ve got this. Everything will be all right.’

‘Go get my baby Yoongi!’ Taeh’yung cheers excitedly from the back.

Before Yoongi can give him a thumb’s up in response, the doors open and the roars of the crowd quite literally pushes Sk’jin off of his shoulders. Without looking back, Yoongi steps out into the arena for the third time that night.

He was tired. But not to the point where he couldn’t function. The tiredness in his limbs was a familiar one. A sensation he lived with for a long time without fully registering what it was. And now it was back, and it was as though his body was triggered into motion- one that it never really quit.

His eyes find the OrTank at once, stood up on the dais that’s been pushed up to the side of the arena.

It calms him down, seeing that OrTank still safe and unharmed. Except now it was wholly exposed for everyone to see. To Yoongi’s immense disquiet, the Being inside is not relaxed as he normally was when floating inside the OrTank. His form is somehow tense, legs curled up to his chest even more, shoulders bunched up, head tucked in. It was as though he knew that he had to remain hidden.

It fills him with a strange sensation- one that feel burning hot in the lining on his stomach- something akin to anger, but not quite.

His eyes focus next on his opponent and Yoongi knows at once that this final stage is different.

His first fight had been against another ransom-contender. Yoongi ended it quickly to spare the Being, and it had been decidedly “un-fun” for the audience, according to Taeh’yung. Which was why his second fight consisted of the K’hlak. But this time he’s sure that Van Seulgaan must have selected, or at least, nudged this fighter into the arena for this final round.

The Being is tall and elegant, her features are bold and strong- her aura and stage presence was no joke. She was beautiful in a surreal way. Her skin sparkled as though gold dust was embedded into her very cells. Her hair was fine and long, sweeping the ground elegantly in a silky coil of jet black. She looked unassuming- simply beautiful, and nothing more. But these types- the most unassuming types- were often times the most dangerous.

She regards him quietly, no expression on her rather delicate features. Her cheeks are dusted with a rosy hue similar to Yoongi’s robes and her eyelashes were transparent and sparkled as though each single strand was dipped in diamonds. She was breathtaking and clearly had the favor of the crowd. Based on what Yoongi can summarize, she was a Vel’leno- heavily altered and operated on though. Because their skin did not look like that naturally- but her hair was a big clue.

It was appalling to think that the Alliance had spread all the way to this species who were known only for the beauty of their hair. What could they want from them? Illegal hair? That made no sense.

Yoongi doesn’t hear the countdown end, or the screams of the crowd. Instead he zeroes in on his opponent.

Who has disappeared.

Yoongi instantly lowers himself, nearly flat onto the ground, narrowly escaping a powerful leg that comes swinging out nowhere for his head.

She was fast.

And armed.

She clearly had sponsors lined up, battling it out to hand her weapons. She’s wielding a long barb-ended spear that winks in the flashing lights of the arena. Yoongi instantly calibrates himself to adjust to the reach of the spear- putting it at 2.3 meters- the shaft of the spear was very smooth- the only area with texture was the area for gripping at the end, meaning she wouldn’t be able to shorten the spear at close combat.

Yoongi slides on his knees, his robes following his movements in a swirl of rose and silver as he quickly takes over their distance. She was fast. But he was faster.

She lands the first blow- her almost fragile and delicate fist meets the side of his body with a resounding crack. The force is strong- but not enough to crack a rib. He would bruise but that was of no consequence. Deflecting her other arm, Yoongi uses her spear as a shield- causing her other fist to hit and slip across the smooth shaft of the spear. This causes her grip to loosen and Yoongi is quick to disengage himself from her recovering arm, stealing the spear in turn. Taking advantage of the smoothness of the handle, he lets it slide down the length of his arm before gripping on the textured handle and burying the barbed head into the ground, vaulting his way over her head, to land behind her.

Yoongi doesn’t understand why the Vel’leno wasn’t fighting her full strength. Yoongi can tell the difference when Beings fought with their all, or with those who were holding back. Despite her beauty, obvious strength and ability- there was something strangely odd about her.

His leg sweeps back- catching her ankles and causing her to fall back. Yoongi acts fast, lifting the spear and bringing it down lengthwise. She raises her arms into a cross to defend herself- grappling with it, and pulling Yoongi forward, forcing his own momentum to work against him. But it was all right- because Yoongi was expecting that. At this close range, he’s quick to bring down his elbow to - enough to crush her windpipe. But she’s seen his intention and deflects his move easily with a quick jab- bringing her foot upwards to throw Yoongi aside.

Yoongi isn’t even fighting with a lot of complicated action or plan- at this level of fighting, even Namjoon or Sk’jin could easily defeat her in hand-to-hand combat.

Yoongi lands on his feet but is quick to leap forward. His plan was to tackle her- which she would deflect by shifting to the right. Then Yoongi would use this to lunge at her leg, and fracture her bone at the thigh, disabling her movement.

However, the Vel’leno doesn’t move away. Instead she too lunges forward in a move that was simply suicidal. He was better posed for this- their velocity would mean landing on her back, with him on top, potentially cracking a rib and causing a concussion which would  most definitely lead to disorientation and vertigo.

At this close range, Yoongi is able to observe his opponent better. Though undoubtedly beautiful, there was a strange haze to the glow of her skin- Yoongi sees the make-up, the cracking skin under the layer of cover-up- he sees the strange smokiness in her eyes, as though glazed over. The Vel’leno’s hair was glossy and full but at the roots they were pulling in bunches- attached by some form of silicone gel to a heavily discoloured scalp. At this close range, Yoongi can smell her too. A nauseatingly sweet smell- one of decay and rot.

She was dying.

Yoongi realizes his mistake- she had intended for him to do this very move. From the beginning- from the choice is weapon she was wielding- it had all been done so that he would gradually move closer. She chose to flaunt her speed because she knew it meant that Yoongi would have to get closer to fight her. Yoongi realizes his mistake too late.

Because the moment they’re falling back, she leans down to bite down on his neck.

Yoongi has never been bitten before- in any of his fights. Attempts were made but his uniform was like an exoskeleton. These attempts were normally desperate ones, made while struggling. But this was intentional. Her teeth are thin and sharp, and pierces through his skin easily. And even though Yoongi has never been bitten before- he knows that it’s not supposed to feel like this.

He rolls off of her the moment they land and a pair of daggers drop by her side- sponsored. Yoongi winces at the surging burning pain on his shoulders but he doesn’t have the time to look or check on it. She’s already picking up the daggers- just a little disoriented, and she’s glaring him down. is stained with his blood and Yoongi gives them a wide berth. He needed to rethink- that bite had been intended. Surely. Was that bite the entire purpose of this fight?

It hits him at once.

She hadn’t been set out into this arena to defeat him.

The lights overhead flicker, bathing them in darkness for a moment and Yoongi, not expecting it, readies himself for an attack from the Vel’leno but instead she screams as though frightened.

The lights come back on and she’s frantically shifting around, as though terrified.

She was afraid of the dark. Yoongi thinks of the way her eyes were smoky- she was dying, her eyes couldn’t function well.

Yoongi darts forward, only to nearly lose his jaw as she blindly swipes backwards. Her movements are crazed now- uncontained and wild. Her speed is still tremendous but she trips easily. She’s careless now- moving in havoc. She throws one of the daggers at Yoongi but he catches it mid-air and meets her halfway.

Their daggers clash, sparks flying. She isn’t even defending herself as much- the only reason why she was even moving was out of habit- out of conditioning. The lights flicker again and Yoongi wonders if this is Namjoon fiddling with the power-system grid. He did say he would get this done quickly.

She screams again, jumping an extraordinary distance to back off. The burning feeling on Yoongi’s shoulder is spreading all over his body.

She needs light.

Yoongi blinks the sweat out of his eyes, and to his horror his vision swims before him. Struggling for a moment, Yoongi focuses again and on the Vel’leno .

Their eyes meet and the smokiness to her eyes doesn’t mask the panic and pain she was feeling. It was as though he was begging her to end it now.

Yoongi was essentially made to exist in the darkness- both metaphorically and literally. The entirety of his missions were conducted while his senses were obstructed by the tight confinements of his suit and helmet- not to mention the weight of it.

But here.

Where he was wearing simple light robes and his head was free from any encasement, Yoongi is all too ready to end this. Not to end this for the sake of winning- but because of the Vel’leno.

The lights flicker again and Yoongi aims and throws the dagger in his hands. The arena turns pitch black and she screams.

Yoongi only has a 3 second window.

But it’s more than enough.

When the lights turn back on, the crowd witnesses Yoongi on the ground, the Vel’leno underneath him, and her dagger upright and buried deep into her chest, her blood spraying high and upward.

The arena is dead silent for a total of 5 seconds and the roar of voices is enough to physically jolt Yoongi. His entire body feels like it’s on fire. And he’s not sure if he heard it or imagined it. But there’s a faint whisper- one that sounds of apology just before the Vel’leno’s eyes dim and close. He gets up with difficulty, nausea hitting him hard. His dagger was still shuddering where it was stuck embedded on the wall of the arena, stuck there when the Vel’leno defended herself from its path, but exposing herself to Yoongi’s direct attack.

But Yoongi ignores the dagger and his feet take him to the other side- towards the dais. The sharp pain right under his ribs is burning now- he sustained no real injury- because that hadn’t been her intention. Or more accurately, that hadn’t been Van Seulgaan’s intention.

He sees a flash of ruddy hair and the Pompen host is back. Yoongi pants, his chest heaving in a way he knew wasn’t right. He painfully make his way to the dais, struggling to reach for the OrTank. He’s not sure but he thinks he blacks out for a few seconds because he’s leaning on the OrTank heavily. The Pompen is shrilly exclaiming congratulations, but Yoongi pays no mind.

The screams of the battle fade away rather blissfully, his ears filled with a muffled sort of sound. Despite feeling like he on fire, his skin feels cold but the touch of the OrTank is soothing in a strange way. The Being inside jerks as though waking up- but his eyes remain closed. He moves faster than Yoongi has ever seen- not that it was at all fast. His movements are still delayed but they were definitely faster than normal. He’s facing Yoongi now, hair fanning around his face in a network of silver gold.

‘I got you,’ Yoongi manages to mumble out. He hears familiar footsteps hurrying towards him. ‘We’re taking you home.’

There are hands on him- Sk’jin’s- and another presence he identifies as Taeh’yung’s. Yoongi is incredibly disoriented but he manages to focus on the Zhak’gri.

‘That was one of the champions from the past Pageants!’ Taeh’yung exclaims, his voice muffled, looking awed before he glances down at Yoongi and promptly blurts out, ‘Poison.’

That made sense now.

The next few minutes are blurred and when he’s lucid enough to scope his surroundings, Yoongi finds himself back in the dressing-room.

Sk’jin and Taeh’yung are arguing loudly over him.

‘I’m not a Yisheng!’ Taeh’yung repeats, looking upset. ‘This is not within my ability to heal! I don’t even heal- you were different-!’

‘The more he moves, the faster the poison will spread-‘ Sk’jin is going through every medical product they had. ‘Namjoon I’m going to need you to hurry and get us supplies here-‘

‘What did you say-‘ Taeh’yung seemingly asks no one but then looks down at Yoongi.

‘You’re awake! Good okay, drink this-‘ Taeh’yung holds up a cup to Yoongi’s lips and he just drinks, unsure of anything.

The moment he’s able to swallow the strangely thick liquid he gasps out, ‘Is he- is he safe-‘

‘He’s right here,’ Taeh’yung immediately reassures him. ‘He’s all right- he’s worried- so don’t move okay? Just drink this we’ll get you a cure-‘

Sk’jin is on his neck and Yoongi can smell cleaning agents. He can’t feel his neck- or any part of his body actually at this point.

The door suddenly burst open, making Sk’jin and Taeh’yung jump. Sk’jin’s eyes flash red but Taeh’yung is already smiling in greeting.

‘Sehr! You guys! This is amazing! You’re the real MVP!’

The Obere flock around him and Yoongi would find Sk’jin’s expression humorous if he had the energy to react. The N’nukwu bounds in, sniffing at Yoongi worriedly. The N’nukwu sneezes, as though offended by what he smelt. Some of the Obere observe the OrTank with unmasked awe and surprise while a bunch of them are talking loudly to Taeh’yung who is nodding vehemently, his hands held out as they place items into his palms. Sk’jin is talking on the Comm-Device in a low and fast tone- most probably arguing with Namjoon.

‘-I don’t care about that at this moment Hoseok, you and Namjoon can just send the messages for us, I don’t have the time-‘

Despite being unable to feel his limbs- Yoongi forces himself to focus. Yoongi struggles to sit up but manages with the help of the N’nukwu. The nausea that hits him is disorienting. The very singular strands of muscles within his body feel like they’re frozen up and disconnected from each other- like he had no control over his limbs. He’s never felt like this before.

The Being inside the OrTank is facing him- body turned all the way, hands reaching up as though to reach for Yoongi.

‘I’m-…I’m all right,’ Yoongi wants to say this a little louder, but his voice is strained and weakened. Taeh’yung, however seems to understand. He takes Yoongi’s hand in his and with his other touches the surface of the OrTank.

‘I’m all right. I’m all right,’ Yoongi mumbles, not registering the slight sting of the compressor-syringe snapping on his forearm and neck at the same time.

‘You’re not all right- so stop ing moving he’s not going anywhere!’ Sk’jin pulls him back and makes him lie down. ‘That was sent to ing poison you- what the is this I can’t identify it-‘ Sk’jin is seething, holding up a small basic scanner over his neck.

‘Here use this-‘ Taeh’yung cut in, long arms extending past Yoongi’s head.

His vision gives out for a while and he’s suddenly back- his ears ringing, vision cleared, and his skin clammy.

‘-his heartbeat is somewhat stabilizing but his temperature is still really high- I already administered everything I feel is safe enough-‘ Sk’jin was clearly talking to Namjoon and Hoseok, giving them live updates.

Yoongi definitely feels much more awake and stronger, but he can tell that his strength has greatly diminished. The N’nukwu is snuffling him, as though trying to off whatever poison was now coursing through his veins.

One of the Obere- the one who Taeh’yung said was called Sehr, is by his side, an empty compressor syringe in his/her hands. They say something, which Yoongi doesn’t understand.

‘It’s really fast working- it’s eating up his cells, Namjoon I could really use some help here-‘ Sk’jin is saying when he stops suddenly.

The door to the dressing room slides open and Van Seulgaan stands there, hands clasped behind his back.

Before Yoongi was even aware, he’s moved and stands in front of the OrTank, Taeh’yung only a step behind him. The N’nukwu growls, standing in front of Yoongi protectively.

‘Please relax,’ Van Seulgaan smiles. ‘I simply came here to offer my congratulations. You have won me a lot of units.’

The Obere hiss at him, though they don’t raise their voices.

‘My friends, I would advise you to leave,’ Van Seulgaan addresses them genially. ‘It won’t be safe if you stay any longer.’

‘You can’t just threaten third party members like this you slime ball-‘ Sk’jin bursts out.

Yoongi reaches over to tap Sehr on their shoulder. The Obere looks up at him expectantly.

‘Thank you for all your help,’ Yoongi says quietly, his words come out slow, as though he was lagging. ‘You have repaid your debt twice over- please secure your safety.’

The Obere’s 3 opal-like eyes are wide and unblinking, processing Yoongi’s words.

‘We are in honor together, Human Yoongi,’ they squeak, twig like hair shifting a little. ‘Our bond is at peace.’

Database has no explanation.

The Obere gather themselves and line up to leave. The N’nukwu Yoongi’s face before allowing Taeh’yung to pet him and they leave the dressing room.

‘Adorable,’ Van comments, still standing at the doorway though his eyes now lingered on the OrTank. ‘Well. It is unfortunate to see you so Yoongi. If you wish to pull out of the Pageant, I can have that arranged of course. All you have to do is hand the egg over to me, and I will consider your debt paid. As the Obere said it: our bond will be at peace.’

‘No,’ Sk’jin, Taeh’yung, and Yoongi say at the same time.

Van Seulgaan’s eyes twinkle at that.

‘You understand that in your condition, you will not be able to win the Pageant- let alone a single round.’ Van states.

‘We will see about that,’ Sk’jin replies, complete and utter cool confidence in his voice.

‘You understand that you cannot escape, don’t you?’ Van comments. ‘I can take down your ship before it even takes off. You cannot leave this planet without my consent.’

‘We have no plans on running away,’ Sk’jin replies coldly, stepping forward, blocking Van’s view of the OrTank.

‘Oh I have complete faith in you, Khol’isa,’ Van smiles benignly. ‘So I hope you understand when I say, that according to Pageant protocol, that Pageants guards will now be following you throughout your House involvement in the Pageant? It’s just to make sure that no rules are broken of course.’

Tall, strongly built, non-Pompen appear behind him in the hallway. They appeared humanoid in form, though Yoongi cannot see their faces. They were most likely the Pageant’s security- except knowing the fact that Van was so deeply involved with the Pageant, they were most likely his own personal security unit.

‘We wouldn’t want to break any rules,’ Sk’jin replies with a sweet smile though his voice is dripping with anger.

‘Indeed- so, my contestant will be taken over to the Pageant in 15 minutes,’ Van gestures to Yoongi. ‘Will you be accompanying him?’

Sk’jin pauses for a moment and Yoongi wishes he had the Comm-Device in his ear.

‘No,’ Yoongi speaks. ‘They will return to the ship and bring it to the Pageant arena.’

Van looks down at him with some amusement while Sk’jin nods in agreement though he looks like he wants to argue.

‘Very well then, your guards will take you to-‘

The power in the room suddenly surges and then flickers and completely dies before coming back on again. And the moment it does, there’s a buzzing sound from Van Seulgaan’s pocket. He doesn’t even check to see what it was. Instead Van narrows his eyes at them, cursing under his breath.

‘This is you, isn’t it?’

‘I don’t know what you mean,’ Sk’jin replies coolly.

Van regards them with mild temperance before turning heel and walking out. The guards, however, remain. Sk’jin walks over and slams the door shut on their faces.

‘Good timing Joonie,’ Sk’jin says as he rushes over to Yoongi and asking, ‘Hoseok- are you in place? Yoongi-how are you now?’

Yoongi slumps back, leaning back on the OrTank that has shifted again to face Yoongi.

‘Better,’ Yoongi replies.

Sk’jin looks like he wants to argue this point but he stops, clearly listening to something. Yoongi nudges Taeh’yung, tapping at his ear. The Zhak’gri removes his own Comm-Device and carefully attaches it on Yoongi’s ear.

‘-the special-jury have all received the messages,’ Hoseok is saying, ‘And I’ve already started the broadcast. It’s live on every channel in Raksane Tayi. Unless Van blows up his own ship with all of his “goods” in here, nothing will stop this broadcast. I’m making my way to the top of the Dock now to hide.’

‘All right- no signal is leaving or entering the planet as well,’ Namjoon is saying. ‘I’ll be there in 15 minutes I just need to make sure it remains like this for at least 3-4 more hours.’

‘But we can’t do this anymore,’ Sk’jin argues. ‘Yoongi is not capable of fighting anymore- we can just-‘

‘Do what? There’s no option here!’ Namjoon argues back. ‘We continue with the plan- we have to- or at least until Yoongi is inside the Pageant arena- then you and Taeh’yung do whatever needs to be done, and escape!’

Sk’jin exclaims out loud in a few languages- none of them good words- before he spits out, ‘This was a dumb idea from the beginning- why don’t we just use Taeh’yung’s abilities and just ing get out of here- we’ve already cut the communication lines- you can, I don’t know, completely overtake the planet and make it so that only we can go-‘

‘I am not doing that- to make that happen would mean to completely overwrite the power grid structure which would not only effect just simply electricity and communication signals but power for hospitals, highways, living units, Docks, and other ports- our action could cause countless of accidents and deaths-‘

‘Then Taeh’yung can just go-‘ Sk’jin argues again but Yoongi stops him.

‘No- we stick to the plan. I can still fight. I will win this. So you and Taeh’yung should also stick to your original plan and head back to the ship now,’ Yoongi states firmly. ‘The medicine is working. I can do this-‘

‘This is  not good- we have to re-evaluate our plan-‘ Sk’jin argues.

‘The next match is in 20 minutes we can’t do anything- there are no Yishengs around and we’ve already sent the messages. This isn’t going to end well either way- the only factor here that we didn’t count was Yoongi getting poisoned- other than that, the plan is still executable-‘ Sk’jin snorts derisively at that but Namjoon doesn’t stop. ‘-

‘Namjoon is right,’ Taeh’yung declares suddenly, ‘We should stick to our plan.’

Sk’jin is close to fuming but after a moment he nods stiffly.

‘Fine then. If any of us dies in this stupid plan then I’m going to ing leave this planet and all of you. I don’t ing care anymore!’ he declares as he holds up a towel to Yoongi’s face. ‘Now hold still I need to make you beautiful.’

*

He doesn’t tell him his name. It wasn’t important. And he doesn’t ask either.

He’s not sure if it was because of the fact that he could now possess a form, to move as he wished- to feel and touch as he once did so long ago- that he feels awake. As though he was emerging from a deep sleep- but his nightmares still follow him.

But now it was their nightmare. And sometimes when his nightmares got too strong- he would take over. He once took over for nearly a month. And during this time he finds them a cave to live in. He was Long-Huon- still very young, but undoubtedly talented, skilled, and intelligent. But what had happened- this place- what he’d seen, had taken a lot out of him. The same way it did with the others. He was not quite broken- he was cracked- and that was where he would take over. Filling in the cracks, completing them both.

They relied on each other- depended on each other. Together they grew stronger, putting together a strange semblance of normalcy and dependency.

And as though sensing him- sensing them- the others start to appear.

White and pale and wispy- almost invisible under sunlight. Translucent, yet strangely solid at times. They were echoes, rings of their former vibrance.

At first he’s afraid- were these sent by it? But they just hover close, appearing away from the shadow of his memories- leaking out into this pane- shifting through the space his possession creates.

They speak to him. To them. Soft voices- this is new as well.

‘You promised.’ They whispered to him.

‘I know I did. And I will do everything I can,’ he tells them quietly.

‘You promised.’

‘I know.’

He still can’t tell if the look in his eyes were of condemnation or forgiveness.

‘I won’t stop- I will never stop.’

It used to spook the Long-Huon a bit- but then he started speaking to them by his own volition. On days where his lucidness was clearer and stronger he would speak to him too. Telling him information, new data, sometimes an anecdote of his past. He mentioned a few Beings many times over. He can hear the love he has for them in his voice.

He also hears the guilt.

They sometimes share dreams- sometimes nightmares.

‘Who was he?’ he asks one day, eyes locked on a wispy form that lingers by the trees. And the Long-Huon knows- he can see his dreams, his nightmares- see the hand that had reached out for him. The hand he couldn’t take in his own.

‘You know.’

It’s after over a year when something happens. When a miracle takes place.

A familiar sound thunders through the air-  and a bright streak of light. They step out, peering into the sky to spot the ship because that was what it was.

It’s a small ship this time around- private, probably involved in trade. When he spots it, tearing through the thin clouds into full visibility, a sensation builds up in him- one that they shared. Because he knew that ship- he knew.

He saw it in their dreams.

‘How-‘

He chokes on his words.

‘I promised you that we’d get out of here,’ he grits through his teeth as he raises one hand, finger pointing and tracing the path of the unsteady ship. ‘And that’s how.’

It vanishes behind a hill and they hear crushing sounds.

‘If they’re still ‘live kid- ‘s go check on ‘em.’

*

Yoongi isn’t entirely aware or properly awake during his journey to the Pageant arena above ground. All he knows is he’s guided out of the dressing room, leaving behind an extremely agitated Sk’jin, an almost crying Taeh’yung, and the OrTank behind. His robes were different too; Sk’jin forcibly changing him into white robes with little to no decoration. It was just a simple white robe with sleeves that were perhaps just a little too long but the span of it seemed to make him look like he had wings. The material was thin and soft- comfortable against his skin that felt feverish and pained.

The poison was really taking a toll on his appearance as well. And Yoongi wonders if that was the reason why the Vel’leno looked so odd. Their biology was clearly different, which was why the poison would affect them differently. His skin was paler than usual and though his eyes weren’t smoky, his vision was definitely giving out. He’s not sure how much of his strength was compromised- but his muscles still felt disconnected and frozen. Though he told Sk’jin that the medication he had received had helped him somewhat, it had only cleared his disorientation and somewhat reduced the amount of pain he was feeling.

Yoongi could deal with pain- it wasn’t an issue- but he was compromised, and he didn’t know to what or which extent.

‘We’re back at the ship Yoongi- he’s in here safe, next to me,’ Taeh’yung tells him quietly. ‘He’s- uh…he’s speaking a lot right now- or dreaming- I’m not sure, but I can hear him a lot right now. I think he’s worried.’

‘We’re on the ship- we’re headed out to the arena grounds- we found a place to park, it’s on Section 41-0062- about 5 minutes away from the stadium.’ Sk’jin reports tersely. ‘Namjoon?’

‘I’m already there- found a Transporter and got here,’ Namjoon replies. ‘I have some medicine that might help Yoongi.’

‘Tayi is going nuts,’ Hoseok reports shortly. ‘I don’t know about Pompa- I don’t think they’ve really noticed, but all the channels going out are going crazy- the Underverse is pretty much going insane. The GLA should be here soon- give it an hour at the most.’

‘Have they responded?’

‘No- but I don’t think that matters at this point,’ Hoseok replies. ‘I’m moving again- Van’s set out a massive search for me.’

‘Please stay safe Hobi!’

‘Don’t worry- I’m just hiding in plain sight, the guards have walked past me like, 4 times already.’ Hoseok sounds a little amused.

‘At least some of us are enjoying themselves,’ Sk’jin grits out. ‘We’re up- we’ll be at the Arena in a bit.’

The Transporter he’s in stops and his “guards” stand, gesturing to the doorway. Yoongi suspects that the guards are some form of Android, built specially for this event. He hasn’t seen their chests rise to indicate breathing, and neither has he seen them adjust themselves.

With pained difficulty, Yoongi stands up. He catches sight of his own reflection and is only just a little surprised.

Sk’jin hadn’t done much- only added colour to his cheeks and lips, and added a layer of some form of luminance on his skin. He looked incredibly young.

‘Yoongi will be fighting up against a semi-finalist from Lum called Tl’mei- and…well. Her last opponent was literally broken in half-‘

‘Namjoon I don’t think we need to hear this at this very moment-‘ Sk’jin interrupts.

‘OH! I saw her fight! She was so cool! She’s like, tiny! But like, so powerful! Not fast though- but incredibly strong, like once you get in her grip it’s kinda-‘

‘SO we maintain distance in the fight,’ Sk’jin interrupts angrily.

‘It will be all right,’ Yoongi repeats himself as he steps out of the Transporter and finds himself inside another facility of sorts. It smelt like sweat, antiseptic cleaners, and blood in here. Namjoon is waiting for him by one of the doorways. He’s carrying a medical kit of sorts and Yoongi vaguely wonders where he might have gotten it from.

There are guards standing next to him as well but the Kutsoglerin disregards them easily.

‘Hey,’ he nods in greeting. ‘They took my screen- apparently someone messed up something massive here.’

‘Oh,’ Yoongi says lamely. He wishes he could say more.

‘Let’s go get you scanned and shot,’ Namjoon smiles tightly.

They walk together in silence into a small hallway. Yoongi briefly entertains the idea of overtaking the guards around them- numbered only at 15 (easy enough for him and Namjoon to overtake) and getting out of there. However Van Seulgaan waits for them at the end of the hallway, an irritated expression on his face.

The moment they’re close enough the Tayian lashes out a fist across Namjoon’s jaw. Namjoon barely even moves, his head turning a little. Instead Van Seulgaan wrings his hand in pain.

‘What have you done?’ he demands. ‘I cannot make contact with my ship, or anything outside of the planet- what have you done?’

‘I don’t know what you’re talking about,’ Namjoon states coolly.

‘Give me his items! Have you kept the ship on lockdown?’ he demands, facing one of the guards.

‘Yes sir,’ an automated voice replies and Yoongi is now certain they were Androids of sorts. ‘The ship Užkulisai-02 is under rift-lock. All passengers have been detained inside.’

Van Seulgaan searches through Namjoon’s screen but judging from his mounting frustration, he couldn’t find anything condemning. He throws the screen down on the ground and stomps on it.

‘What exactly are you doing? We have a match to get to,’ Namjoon asks with a  frown.

‘I could have all of you killed right now!’ he seethes.

‘Namjoon- be careful-‘ Sk’jin’s warning tone is seeped with worry and panic.

‘You will have to wait until after we win the Pageant,’ Namjoon says in a patronizing tone glancing down at a non-existent watch on his wrist. ‘I need to treat my friend here before the fight- so if you will excuse us.’

Database has no explanation.

‘Namjoon he could literally kill you right now-‘

Namjoon pushes past Van and walks away. Yoongi follows suit.

‘You think you’re doing the right thing,’ Van calls after them, ‘You know nothing! You don’t know what you have done!’

Namjoon turns his head briefly, eyes cold as he addresses the Tayian: ‘Do you?’

They walk a few more steps and Namjoon calls back, ‘I would leave, if I were you.’

Yoongi looks back to find Van gaping at the back of Namjoon’s head.

‘But he can’t, can he? No communication signals means no way of flying out.’ Yoongi asks.

Namjoon chuckles for a moment, ‘Yeah, he can’t leave until the signal-block is lifted.’

‘Yeah- about that. He just broke your screen, how are you getting that lifted?’ Hoseok asks.

Namjoon smiles mysteriously, ‘Don’t worry about it.’

‘Nice. I’m almost attracted to you right now Namjoon,’ Sk’jin quips in with a fake laugh. ‘But what the was that about? He could have killed you!’

Namjoon rolls his eyes.

‘No- he wouldn’t have,’ Namjoon replies as they enter the elevator. ‘He’s obviously working for someone- or at least answering to someone. Van’s already messed up twice now- he can’t afford to mess up again. He’s going to want to keep us alive so that we take all the blame- he needs a scape-goat.’

‘Did you just ing throw us under a Transporter to save us from another Transporter?’ Sk’jin demands.

‘Double usage of the same metaphor; nice.’

‘Don’t ing start-‘

‘Am I your friend?’ Yoongi asks as they exit the elevator to an excessively grand hallway that would have been quite luxurious if it weren’t for the random pools of blood on the rich carpet and the stench of rot.

Namjoon looks taken aback, pausing a moment before saying, ‘I’d like to believe we are friends Yoongi- as much as it is possible given our situation.’

Database has no explanation.

‘Contestant- this is your room.’

The guards stop them, pointing them to a room.

It’s a clean but still excessively opulent room with gold ornaments everywhere and a large gilded circular bed at the very center. A few chandeliers hang from the ceiling, all bright neon colours and it hurts Yoongi’s eyes.

‘Are you in pain?’ Namjoon asks worriedly, noticing the fact that his eyes were watering.

‘No.’ Yoongi replies despite the burning in his eyes.

‘Just sit for a moment- we have 5 minutes left, this should help,’ Namjoon says, guiding him to sit down.

The compressor-syringe hurts this time, and Yoongi instantly notices that his pain tolerance has gone down as well. However, whatever Namjoon has shot him with does make him feel better. In fact, a bit too well.

‘What is it?’ Yoongi asks, opening his eyes and finding that his vision was clearing. The lights didn’t hurt as much and he was starting to feel stronger as well.

‘In Kutsoglera,’ Namjoon says lightly. ‘When they experimented on us- on the others, our bodies were failing to remain stable, so they would use a combination of medication to give us a “boost”. It was the only thing that worked for us- and it’s part of the medication I need to take regularly as well.’

‘Is this your medication?’ Yoongi asks, looking down at the compressor-syringe in Namjoon’s hands.

‘Some bits, yes,’ Namjoon replies, looking over him carefully. ‘I added a few other things from a nearby hospital while I was making my way here- you should be all right for-…for a few hours. But after that, we will need to get you completely treated.’

Yoongi nods, feeling a surge of energy flow through him. He stands up, feeling no pain from his neck, his side. He felt incredibly strung up.

‘Yoongi- just because you feel better doesn’t mean the poison isn’t working anymore- it’s still in your system and works even faster and stronger when you move. So try and end it as quickly as you can.’ Sk’jin says sharply. ‘I’m checking your blood sample in our Medical Bay and by the time you get back I should have some form of reasonable cure for you.’

‘Thank you- I will remember that,’ Yoongi replies.

‘Contestant, it is time for your match.’ One of the guard announces.

Yoongi nods, making his way to the door.

‘Yoongi wait.’

Yoongi looks around to face the Kutsoglerin.

‘I know you said you volunteered to do this- that you want to do this- but I am sorry.’ Namjoon says, his tone sincere.

Yoongi doesn’t know what to say- mostly because he’s not sure what Namjoon actually means by all of this.

Database has no explanation.

‘Yoongi! You can do it! I believe in you!’

‘We believe in you- and we’ll get you out of there. Don’t worry.’

‘Don’t’ up my robes, those were ing expensive.’

He removes his Comm-Device and hands it over to Namjoon.

‘You consume very powerful drugs,’ Yoongi says.

Namjoon snorts at that before letting out a truly amused laugh.

‘Yeah- yeah I do,’ he nods, taking the Comm-Device. ‘I’ll be here waiting.’

Yoongi nods and turns.

The door closes behind him as he walks out of the room and into the hallway.

It’s quiet but Yoongi is not fooled. They exit the hallway and into a larger atrium-like hallway where other contestants were gathered. They all stare at him, silence filling the large room. There’s an elevator waiting for him towards the end where a small petite female stood. She was obviously his opponent for this fight.

Her features are porcelain like, her lavender hair soft and tied away in a simple braid. She appeared to look like a child but Yoongi can tell immediately that she was nothing of the sort. Her arms are longer than normal, but almost vine like. Yoongi remembers Taeh’yung ramble, about her grip being strong. Nothing out of the ordinary was discernible about her and when he is feet from her, she finally looks up at him.

Her eyes are bright blue, the skin around her skin silver giving way to a pearlescent white.

It was as though an artist had been given free rein to create the most ethereal Being he could create and as a result, this Tl’mei was born. Yoongi doesn’t know anything about their species- and even if he did, he wouldn’t be able to determine her abilities. All he knew was that she was immensely strong.

They both step into the elevator and Yoongi can feel the way the booth tilts the moment she takes a step inside. Her weight was clearly disproportionate to her size. 10 guards step in with them, surrounding and dividing them. No one says a single word.

Until-

‘Human.’

‘Yes.’

The elevator comes to a stop and the doors open to deafening applause and blinding lights.

The guards step out first, forming a rank on either side.

The Tl’mei steps out and Yoongi follows suit.

The Pageant arena is at least 10 times the size of the underground arena. It’s also open to the sky overhead and Yoongi can see the floating holographic advertisements in neon. Right now it was his face and the Tl’mei face on display. Yoongi vaguely wonders when they got that picture of his face.

The arena ground is large and Yoongi walks a complete minute before stepping towards the middle, indicated by a golden mat that’s very new, covering the blood and gore that’s splattered all over the dark floors around it.

It smelt like excitement, carnage, and death.

They arrive at the center and face each other.

Yoongi looks around, the crowds blurring to haphazard shapes and forms of colour and screams. He looks up, hoping to catch some stars in the sky above but he’s a little disappointed. There are a few neon coloured clouds though, but Yoongi doesn’t care much for those. Fighting out here in the open felt better somehow, in a strange way.

Above him the holographs all transform to a countdown, starting at 10.

He watches until the numbers shift to 5 before looking away.

The Tl’mei is simply watching him, form petite and elegant. They were both somehow disadvantaged here. They had never seen each other fight, and they knew nothing of each other. They were both tired from their previous fights, but they both had something to fight for.

The colours change to red around him as the countdown ends and the Tl’mei attacks first.

Yoongi maintains his distance, finding that his speed was only just a little compromised. The Tl’mei was expecting him to move away, judging by the fact that she slams her slender arms down on the ground, causing the floors to erupt upwards, blowing dust and bits of flooring up at Yoongi’s face. The ground shakes and cracks at a huge radius and the crowd screams in favor.

Yoongi backs up even more- here, they would be offered no weapons, no “gifts”. This was all just raw hand-to-hand combat. Or anything they could use to their advantage. So as Yoongi rolls away, his hands catch onto the loose surface of the floor and he peels off a chunk of it and throws it with all his force at the Tl’mei. She punches it away without even blinking but Yoongi doesn’t let up.

His hands dig into the cracked floors, hurling slab after slab at her, approaching her closer and closer. She too shifts closer and closer.

All Yoongi had to do was not get caught in her grip. He estimates her reach, calculating the length of her arms and estimates it at 3.7 feet-

Her arms extend forward in a bizarre rope like manner, looping around him as quick as lightning.

Startled, Yoongi manages to slip free though the side of his robes tear off and he finds himself apologizing to Sk’jin.

Her arms could extend.

He doesn’t have the time to experiment or figure out the extent of how far her arms could extend so Yoongi does what no one in this situation should do and dives forward towards the Tl’mei. She’s clearly not expecting it but she’s quick to recover. But it’s not fast enough because she can’t match up to Yoongi’s speed. He’s ducked under her arms, crouching incredibly low onto the ground, picking up a bit of the cracked slabs on the floor, Yoongi slams his laden hand upwards.

The slab cracks under her chin and Yoongi almost instantly regrets it.

Most Beings would fly off, or at least tether backwards. But she barely even lifts her head at the force. Instead Yoongi’s arm hurts from the density of her body.

Her knee comes flying out of nowhere and Yoongi crosses his arms over his torso, absorbing the force of her delivery. Yoongi’s bones were reinforced- possibly not to the degree as it was with Namjoon’s, but it’s the only reason why his arms weren’t broken immediately. His left shoulder, however, does disconnect briefly. But by the time he lands lightly on his feet, squatting down to balance himself, he pushes it back into place, not registering the stinging pain.

She was beyond strong. And Yoongi calmly realizes that he was not going to win this through strength. He was going to have to be very careful. And fast.

She jumps forward, her legs clearly a lot more powerful than they appeared, and she’s vaulting in the air, arms held up to slam downwards at him.

Yoongi realizes at this moment that though he should be careful and fast- meaning he had to duck out of the way quickly before she smashed him with her twig-like arms- he could do something incredibly dumb by (Sk’jin’s standard) but effective.

He chooses the latter and also makes a running jump upwards- meeting her head on. From the way her eyes widen, it’s clear she was not expecting him to do that. And she’s already too high up, her velocity carrying her too fast, to change her arms or truly defend herself as Yoongi twists midair, his knee coming into sharp contact with her abdomen.

They fall together, but Yoongi manages to land on top and uses the few seconds he has to pummel hard and speedy punches. Her head is as hard as rock, and though Yoongi understands the sentiment of a fair and justified fight, he has never, in his many years of being a GI agent or even now, fought by what was considered honourable. So it’s without hesitation that he blinds her, fingers hooking into sockets as quick as lightning and he’s rolling away as quickly as possible.

She screams, arms reaching up to grab at him but Yoongi is already a few meters away. He’s quick to move though, picking more slabs and charging down at her where she was partially encased into the flooring as a result of their fall. She screams louder and pushes herself up despite the steady flow of debris Yoongi throws at her. Blinded, she is disadvantaged as she wildly spins around, trying to locate Yoongi. Thinking quickly, Yoongi picks up more of the floor slabs and throws them towards her left; she lurches in that direction blindly and Yoongi moves quickly, making a leaping run and lands on her back. They don’t fall, as Yoongi had hoped, but she remains standing. Quickly, Yoongi grapples around her neck, choking her backwards. Most Beings would have had their necks snapped backwards but not her. She struggles for a moment before she tilts backwards. Yoongi jumps off but she catches the end of his robes, causing him to fall backwards.

Her arm comes landing down, just inches from his outstretched arm, the ground cracking with contact. Rolling over Yoongi is back on his feet but is suddenly overcome with nausea, his vision swimming violently.

It’s only for 2 seconds but it’s enough for the Tl’mei to swing her arm just so and Yoongi is flying backwards, pain erupting on the side of his body. He lands painfully on his back, his head cracking something beneath it. His vision is jarred and blurred but he can just about make out the form flying down at him. Yoongi moves as quickly as he can, and is just in time to avoid being crushed to death. She does however, grab him and Yoongi is forced into some very quick hand-to-hand defensive stances as he blocks what feels like tons of rocks thrown at him.

His breath is knocked out of his body, his ears ringing dangerously, but not loud enough to hear his ribs cracking, as her fist makes contact with his chest.

Yoongi’s body is numb- he feels like he’s breaking at every possible surface. Namjoon’s medication had clearly worn off now.

He looks up just in time to see her running towards him, though the direction is a little off, considering she can’t see him. Yoongi quickly throws a slab to her left and she pauses. Clearly listening hard. Yoongi is barely moving, not even allowing himself to breathe. She listens intently. Yoongi’s vision swims, his body on fire, and his head pulsing. But he could do this. He has to.

He crouches down, low and quiet.

On all fours he crawls forward- he was doing something incredible un-careful and un-fast but he knows he has to do this. The crowd is screaming even more and she’s losing concentration. Her arms are moving around carefully as though to feel for Yoongi nearby.

Just as she is 3 feet in front of him, Yoongi leaps.

She’s hears him just as he leaps, crossing her arms over and it’s exactly what Yoongi wants. Grabbing at a single arm, Yoongi uses his momentum to swing it back and as he lands, bringing her falling down onto her back, rolls forward with the long limb, and hears the resonating crack of breaking bones.

She screams but it’s not exactly enough to completely incapacitate her because that very broken arm grabs and pulls at him. But it’s not as strong and she’s still too slow.

Noting where the bone was sticking out from her pale skin, Yoongi uses these points to swing his own arms own, breaking the arm off cleanly, moving forward towards her form and dodging the arm that comes up to defend herself, lands an uppercut to her jaw.

But Yoongi is losing strength- and he’s losing speed. She only jolts backwards and her good arm is already swinging forward and catches him around the middle again and this time he can’t slip out.

A pained groan escapes him as she squeezes and he jerks him forward. His ribs crack and his back  strains- she was trying to literally break him in half.

Yoongi brings down his elbow on her head 5 times in a row but she doesn’t let off. He notices the bone of her arm sticking out on her now useless arm and he leans to the side, definitely feeling something in him break, he grabs at the bone and tears it off, bringing it to the side, slicing at .

She drops him with a garble shriek.

‘HUMAN!!’

Yoongi can do no more than crawl backwards, his body shaking against his own will. She grabs him and with astounding strength hurls him across the floor. He skids across the ground but his momentum forces him to stand up, lurching into place- he coughs and he knows there’s blood. But there’s nothing he can do. She’s facing him now- running purely off of instinct, running up to him- ready to strike. But Yoongi can still dodge- he’s still able-

He’s too slow and she catches him across his shoulder and he falls. But he refuses to stay down and gets up at once. The Tl’mei smiles a bloody smile at him and bounds up to him- legs still graceful coiling and launching her up and forward and-

He was losing. He lost.

His hearing must be the first of his senses to fail him because no sound hits him. His vision was also now fully fading away as everything started to fade out, oddly into white rather than black- he can’t move away- he can’t dodge this fall anymore, he can’t-

There’s a ripple of light- pure gold and soft. A quite humming settles around him- Yoongi doesn’t understand.

The Tl’mei falls mid-jump, a strange ripple in the air blocking her leap and she crumples to the ground. Overwhelmed by what was happening, Yoongi manages to turn around and witnesses a bright but soft light, and a great rush of wind that envelopes him from above.

‘Yoongi?’

Database has no explanation.

He doesn’t know this voice. But why did it sound so familiar? He doesn’t know this voice but somehow the only thing that comes to his mind is safe.

His legs give out on him and Yoongi falls.

*

He doesn’t go back.

They don’t seem surprised.

Disappointed perhaps. But not surprised.

‘I am sorry,’ they tell him.

He shrugs it off. It made no difference in the end. Whether or not they were sorry. What did it matter?

They weren’t the ones who pulled the knife out.

They weren’t the ones who could still feel the heat of the blade searing into his palm to this very day.

He doesn’t go back to her either.

He can’t and he doesn’t expect her to wait for him either. There is no return. And there is no moving forward either.

He just stays.

His mind strays back to the sacrifice he had witnessed.

The fire has ebbed away now, and only charcoal, dust, and ash remains. This was the finale- the end of his participation. The fire claimed him and now all that was left was this.

‘What will you do?’ he had asked. The body disintegrates- cracked and broken bones, charred flesh and liquidized fat.

It just stays.

‘Nothing,’ the high-priest replied. ‘The birds and rats will come to eat it.’

Looking down at his hands, he no longer feels the flames or the heat of the knife.

But he can taste ashes in his mouth.

*

The pain that shoots through him as he lands on his knees jolts him to some degree of lucidness. But it still doesn’t help him. Yoongi doesn’t understand what it is that he’s seeing.

Database has no explanation.

Opening his eyes, he finds a strange shield of light hides him from the audience. It’s opaque- much like fleeting glimpses of sunlight filtering through the trees- creating cascading ribbons of light that exist only for a fraction of a second. But it surrounds him now and Yoongi is alone in this strangely peaceful light.

No- not alone.

It wasn’t the Tl’mei- she was stunned- crazed, flaying against whatever this shield of light was  -at this light. This was…- he was the source of light.

There’s a rift in the light before him- and a form appears, clearer and outlined a bit more.

Database has no explanation.

Was this another contestant he had to fight? Was this part of the Pageant? But Yoongi hadn’t heard of this before. And he had heard his name being spoken. His name in the rogue-rounds had been Suga- his real name wasn’t used. How could his opponent know? Or did Van send this Being out to finish him?

Database has no explanation.

Yoongi tries to stand; the screams of the crowd around him feels physical. Their voices crushing him, digging deep into his injuries and tearing him open. He’s exhausted. What was happening? Was this part of the Pageant?

He’s so exhausted.

The lights are concentrated over him- waiting for him to fall; waiting for him to succumb.

He’s only mildly aware of spitting something out- or was it just pouring out of his mouth without his control? Yoongi closes his eyes, relief flooding him. Like this, he could stand. A cool breeze runs over him, over bare and bruised and bleeding skin. It’s nothing short of bliss.

It was obvious he wouldn’t be able to fight after this- that meant Sk’jin and Taeh’yung would fly out now. If Namjoon is smart, he would leave with them seeing as they were only 5 minutes away from the arena- they would then go pick up Hoseok, and leave. Taeh’yung could easily destroy the rift-lock, and provide the ship with a strong shield. Pompen forces wouldn’t be able to follow them with the communications signals messed up, and the Užkulisai was outfitted with its own system that made it independent, it would be able to fly out of Pompa safely.

Golden light like a halo radiates from this Being, too blurred and far away for Yoongi to really see.

But Yoongi doesn’t need to see.

Because he can feel.

And Yoongi knows exactly who he is.

The Being from the OrTank steps up right in front of Yoongi, expression worried, and oh- his eyes.

Database has no explanation.

Eyes as dark as the night sky empty of stars, yet ringed with a bright ring of white, the Being from the OrTank stands before him. He’s clad in a tunic like shirt that looks strangely familiar, his hair is soft and dry- no trace of dampness. Save for the tears that are welled up in his eyes.

‘Yoongi?’

He hears sorrow in his voice. Sorrow, and pain.

Memories flood Yoongi’s mind. None of which makes sense. Were these memories, or were they dreams?

‘No I meant-‘ she stops for a while, still not looking away. ‘What if time froze? And all we ever saw was this- like, what would that be like?’

Database has no explanation.

Hands, cool and soft, cradle his face. It should hurt. It probably did. But Yoongi can’t tear his eyes away from the twin eclipses in his eyes. He can’t look away from the silvery-gold hair, the warm tan skin, the light freckles dusting the high points of his face.

Database has no explanation.

Yoongi tries to speak, but his body is numb and his vision is blurring in the way he was all too familiar with.

‘What is your name?’ he wants to ask. But his tongue is numb, and all of his senses are fading away.

A flare erupts through the sky and the brightness of it all ingrains itself into his mind. The ring of white fire glows and every time he blinked it beamed at him.

The Being smiles softly, eyes turning into crescents as he kneels down with Yoongi carefully, arms looping around his form and holding him close. The tears in his eyes fall, creating tiny streaks of light down his cheeks. His hair is longer now that it’s not suspended in whatever fluid that encased him.

Database has no explanation.

Yoongi feels his exhaustion overwhelm him and he keels.

But he’s there to keep him upright- he’s there to catch him.

The world is transformed under this light- under this sky- and the entirety of time seems to pause.

Sun-warmed leaves, a summer breeze carrying the promise of rain, and a vivid memory of a blue planet, curved perfectly against the starry expanse of the Universe behind it.

And Yoongi wants this moment to last longer. To allow him to witness this cosmic beauty for just a few seconds longer- just a few heartbeats longer. Just long enough for him to feel as though he was breathing at the same pace with everyone gathered around them. To feel as though he were looking at the same sky with everyone- to feel the planet sigh at the sight of the eclipse.

This is what it felt like.

Database has no explanation.

Bright lights erupt above him- above them. Familiar symmetrical lights and the burning blue energy flames of engine turbines. Yoongi is vaguely aware that he’s being moved but the eclipse appears again. Rosy lips move, forming the syllables of his name.

‘Yoongi?’

‘It would be just like this.’

*

(Author’s Note)

So that’s happening.

Ehe

Please scream at me.

DID YOU SEE MY BAG?

DID YOU SEE MY ING BAG?????????

IT’S THICK

I CAN’T LOL OMG

There’s so much that has happened since I updated the last chapter I can’t think of anything to write except congratulations to all of my sons and daughters on winning their awards and for giving epic performances.

AND HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO KIM SEOKJIN I WISH I HAD HALF THE LEVEL OF CONFIDENCE THAT YOU DO- no but legit I have mad respect and love for Jin. I admire his effort, his tenacity, and his determination to prove himself, not just because of others, but for himself. His self-discipline, the lack of s he has to give, and the obvious care he has for his band members. Kim Seokjin is the best eldest hyung they could ever have and I love him so much. Mr World Wide Handsome I pray that you will only ever receive love and happiness for the rest of your life you ridiculously funny and beautiful man. I can’t even with you.

I was listening to the Thor original sound score while writing this chapter. Some epic right there people.

All right- time for some serious business

Net neutrality

I am going to leave some links here that you can all sign up for. TLDR guys if this passes, people in the US, and let's admit it, soon, around the world, we're going to have to pay for using sites like tumblr, ao3,aff,twitter, even youtube- not to mention pay even MORE for amazon, netflix, and any other thing that requires the internet. imagine having to study for a paper and having to pay to use wikipedia.
the internet needs to remain free. this can't happen and we need to stop this at once. 

For more information you can go here:

http://unclassifiedsenpai.tumblr.com/post/168070458167/sketchinthoughts-blairvoyant-imagine-paying

or if you just want to sign up, it won’t take more than 5 minutes for each of these links, go to these websites and sign the petition. It won’t require anything more than your name, country, and email address

https://www.savetheinternet.com/sti-home

https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/do-not-repeal-net-neutrality

this doesn’t just effect the US- but the rest of the world, because we know that this will spread. The sites have their signatures already but we need to do more- need to show HOW ING STUPID THIS IS

please do this

it is SO important

imagine having to PAY to read fanfiction- or having to pay to WRITE fanfiction. Or worse yet, having to pay to use twitter or tumblr, OR YOUTUBE- HOW WILL WE WATCH BTS????

HOW WILL WE ING STUDY? I PASSED ALL OF MY EXAMS BECAUSE OF WIKIPEDIA

so please. Let’s do this. the internet is the only place where we can actually be free- even the ty side of it, let’s do this guys

on a much lighter and happier note

UNIVERSITY IS OVER for a month AND I AM FREE for a month SO YOU CAN EXPECT WEEKLY UPDATES AGAIN for a month

AND ALSO THAT YOONMIN AU I WAS TALKING ABOUT SOME TIME AGO

AYO

SEE YOU ALL NEXT SUNDAY