Kim Taehyung knocked for a third time on the door to Lilith and Jin's suite. The rapping sound resounded like thunderclaps through the empty shuttle hallway.

There was no answer.

Jin sure takes his beauty sleep seriously.

Tae popped his lips together as if he were trying to make bubbles with his spit, while his distracted gaze trailed around him.

The hallway floors had a rainbow array of folders stacked accordion style along its edges, with papers threatening to spew out at any moment. There were some boxes stacked like building blocks gone wrong, with the smaller at the bottom and the larger on top. There was even a small pile of pipes that looked like they belonged to a long lost toilet.

Not my idea of fashion-meets-functionality, but whatever chaps your calves.

Suddenly, a short boy with pink hair and beady eyes pattered his way around the circular hallway and into Tae's view. This pixie-sized boy was holding a large box full of paper files, and he looked like he was concentrating really hard.

That box looks like it weighs as much as he does.

Tae smiled down at him as he passed. "Hello! I'm Kim Taehyung. What's your name?"

"Woozi."

The boy scowled back, grunting as he hoisted the box of files tighter into his chest, continuing past Tae and around the curve of the hallway in a hurry.

He's far cuter than he is friendly. Noted.

"Tae, what are you doing?" Min Yoongi's gruff voice snapped Tae's attention, and his neck, back around again.

Yoongi was squinting through barely-open-slits-for-eyes, still in his silk pajamas and fuzzy black bathrobe. He shuffled slowly along with a mug of something hot and caffeinated in one hand and a cotton face mask strapped around his forehead that was accented with slanted, angry eyes.

"It's too early. Go back to bed, Tae."

"I gotta get everyone rounded up to go, though. I wanted to help Chiminie get ready."

"Hmph. Suit yourself. Tell Jin I said to enjoy hell." Yoongi sipped at his coffee and shuffled off towards the control room--not waiting around for an answer as to whether or not Tae would oblige his request.

The uncertain young man gave another knock on the door in front of him.

This time, a rattling sound came a minute later. The door flung open, and there stood Jin wearing absolutely nothing but a fuzzy pink robe, with ax murderer-eyes bulging from beneath the messy black hairs that were sticking to his face.

"Seokjin-nim, it's time to go...." Tae was using his most apologetic voice, but that didn't really seem to matter.

"It's too early for this shit."

Just as quickly as the door had opened, Jin slammed it shut once again. Then a stark silence echoed.

So does that mean he's getting ready... or should I knock again?

Tae pondered this earnestly to himself.

But then the mystical young man with the silvery hair started to smell the smell of meat cooking. The small kitchen down the hall was coming alive that morning, and soon Tae was far more concerned with whether or not it was indeed the heavenly smell fresh bacon basting his body, than whether or not Lilith and Jin were getting ready to go according to schedule.

Thus, Tae wandered towards the kitchens with a carefree smile on his face.

"Wakey wakey, eggs and bakey!"

"Woah."

Kim Taehyung wasn't sure what he expected whenever he walked into the kitchens to the lovely sound of sizzling meat, but it wasn't Ava with bright green eyes and a sunshine yellow apron strapped on.

Tae gave a vague pointing motion out the door from which he just walked through, then back towards Ava's happy humming. He eyed the cute curl of the short auburn hairs around her ears, while most of it was pulled back into a messy bun. She was still wearing Yoongi's green silk pajamas, paired with classy black slippers.

"Can I... may I have some?" Taehyung practically collapsed onto a stool at the kitchen bar. His hands gripped the ledge suspensefully and his mouth hung slightly open, drool threatening to drip its way out the corner.

Ava paused her happy humming to say, "Of course, Tae!"

A few seconds later, a plate overflowing with hot protein fell in front of Kim Taehyung. He looked up at Ava's beaming face, into her pleasant green eyes, and he whispered with genuine awe, "I love you."

Ava's slightly freckled face froze with mild shock.

Tae didn't even realize. He was leaning down over his hot plate, shoveling food into his mouth and grinning like a happy puppy.

Ava was enthralled by his pure enthusiasm at the taste of each morsel.

Kim Taehyung, how are you suddenly so adorable? And...why do I like it?

Tae asked between mouthfuls, "I didn't take you for a morning person, Ava."

She gave a forced-laugh. "I'm really not."

"Why up so early?"

"Oh... no reason, really." Ava turned her back to Tae, giving her full attention to the frying pan.

Tae shrugged and shoved another massive bite of bacon and eggs into his mouth.

"UGH, IT IS SO GOOD. I think being an evil Gwangju Ai made it physically impossible to actually enjoy anything properly. But now...." He lifted a single hand towards the ceiling, closed his eyes, and his greasy lips tilted into a tight, mischievous grin. "Glory."

Ava gave a far more genuine giggle at that. "I don't always cook. But when I do, I do it in style. My parents are French-Cajun—so, naturally, my cooking is sublime."

Tae had no idea what she meant, but he smiled at her anyway. "So what are some classic dishes for your people, then?"

"You really wanna know?"

"Yes."

Ava answered in a stage whisper, "Well. I'll tell yah." Then, in a loud flourish, one hand on one hip and cocked to the side, she announced, "Butter, fat, sweet tea, meat, and desserts so dense they're sure to give you diabetes and send you to an early, happy grave."

Taehyung looked quite confused. "That sounds both wonderful and terrible."

"Yes."

A third voice interrupted the scene. "Isn't it a bit early to be joking about death? Considering."

It was Jung Hoseok, and he wasn't smiling. In fact, his eyes were puffy and hardly even open yet, and he was walking around in naught but his sweatpants, and fuzzy green slippers with googly eyes. He shuffled up to the stool next to Tae, sat, and let his tired head droop into his bare arms.

A few seconds later, a mug clunked onto the counter in front of him. He looked up to see that it was a steaming cup of coffee, and that Ava was watching to see if he would take it.

His hands wrapped clumsily around it. "I thought you didn't like me." He took a sip—then cringed away from the searing heat of the taste.

"I don't."

Ava smiled, then turned back to the griddle to drop a few more eggs down to sizzle and fry.

"Especially for what you did to Tae in the arena. And Kookie. And Shae. And for your general level of obnoxiousness. Consider this your first warning."

Hoseok sighed. She sounds like me.

Hoseok had fallen onto the floor at some point during the night while he slept. When he'd woken up that morning, it was to groggy thoughts of how much his back ached for some reason, and to the reel of guilt-ridden names that started to play through his tired mind.

Petra, for her manipulation of Tae, and for her empire of murder and wickedness.

Dee-Oh, for being just another sellout to Petra's army of thugs.

Himself...for what he did to Tae in the arena pit.

But more red with sin than anyone—yes, even than Petra, in his mind—the murderous thug that was Kim Namjoon.

More footsteps padded through the kitchen doors, and a glowing tone chimed in, "Well this is a pleasant surprise."

At the sound of Shae's bright voice, Hoseok was triggered out of his brooding. His shoulders became a little less slumped and he turned in his seat with a half-smile now on his face... only to have it disappear instantly.

Speak of the devil and he appears.

Joon had an arm draped over one of Shae's shoulders as they entered the small kicthen. When everyone turned to look at them, Kim Namjoon let his hand fall away and he strode towards the cooling units at the far end of the kitchens.

Shae, instead, came and sat down at the last stool at the bar next to Hoseok.

Hoseok glanced sideways at her and couldn't help but notice the glowing look about her, from the sheen of her skin to the brightness in her eyes. He knew that look. He'd seen it on Dai Yu before.

Hoseok pretended not to notice her eyes on him as he proceeded to take a few long drafts of his too-hot coffee. He didn't even care that it burned his tongue.

Joon was back in a jiffy, standing at the end of the counter with a tub of bright green berries. He explained softly down to Shae, "They're sour but they're good."

Ava waved a spatula threateningly in Joon's direction. "If you start trying to hand feed them to her, Kim Namjoon, not only will I vomit. But I'll sprinkle you with grease hot as hellfire and throw you outta this damn kitchen. Got that?"

Shae's cheeks flushed.

Joon rolled his eyes. "I'm not that inconsiderate."

Ava sassed, "I could argue with you all day on that point, but I don't think I'd have the stamina for the sound of your voice."

"Ava! C'mon...." Shae felt a pang of betrayal at her best friend's hostility. Shae's hurt eyes stared at the back of Ava's messy bun, and she wondered achingly if her best friend would ever accept this choice she had made.

Then Jung Hoseok ruffled a hand through his bed-head mess of red hair and muttered a change of subject, "I wonder where Jungkook is. He should've popped by the kitchens already." He looked towards Ava still standing at the grill. "Was he in here with you early this morning?"

In an odd stutter, Ava answered, "Uh, no. No he... he was not. I've not seen him today yet."

Everyone noticed Ava's awkwardly formed answer, but no one had the goodwill or the guts to tease her about it so early in the morning.