─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

SEASON 3 EPISODE 19

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Location:

System: Alpha Centauri

Faction: United Colonies

Planet: Jemison

Place: New Atlantis

A/N: God that picture UGGGGGGGH PARK JIMIN-

Sorry.

☆☆☆

Jimin

Five days until he could leave.

Jimin had been in the insane asylum the UC called their "reform" center for two weeks. It took around two and a half weeks for Aurora withdrawal to become manageable—a month for it to become almost unnoticeable—and Jin had convinced the UC to let Jimin out early for the sake of finishing the Ryujin mission.

Bayu had sent a formal request to tell the UC it was unacceptable treatment to throw Jimin in against his will when he wasn't even a UC citizen, and Bayu threatened the UC with public opinion. Yeah, Bayu was going to make a news article about it through SSNN, the largest network in the galaxy, to tattle on the UC and cause more outrage. With the constant riots and protests still taking place in New Atlantis following the Terrormorph landing pad assault all that time ago, the UC didn't want any further public backlash, so they agreed to let Jimin out early. He would be released at the "manageable" stage when the original plan was for him to be let out after a month. Yay.

But "manageable" didn't mean good.

Whimpers and whines left Jimin as he held his knees against his chest and rocked back and forth on the bed. Yet another instance of Aurora clouding him. It led to him needing a change of pants with vomit curling up in his throat until it spewed out of his chapped lips. His lungs felt like they had been bashed in by a metal pipe. Maybe that was what having asthma felt like.

Ten minutes of whimpers and agony passed. Twenty. Thirty. He got a small sense of relief when the forty minute mark hit, and the pain subsided for numbness. It gave him the strength needed to take off his clothes and shower, but the water went back and forth between feeling like ice and feeling like fire, no matter what he had it set to.

He changed using the spare clothes the guards always left with him, and within ten minutes, he pissed himself again. On accident, of course. Bladder control was a thing of the past.

Hallucinations began not long after, starting with the hands screaming as they tore through the ceiling and reached for him. He had had the hallucinations for enough time that he wasn't impacted anymore. Oh, but the worst part? He couldn't use his powers. Withdrawal made it so using them took every fiber of his being. So, he didn't.

He didn't want the guards to find out how weak he was. If everyone acted like he was the most dangerous entity known to man, he'd be safe. No one would ever hurt him. As it turned out, Neon had something going for it: it had taught Jimin that being the most dangerous meant being the safest. And that-

Buzz.

"Get up, Park," a male voice said, and Jimin stiffened.

"It's..." Jimin glanced at the digital clock in the wall. Yes, in it. "Midnight. What's the problem?'

"You got a visitor."

"It's long past visiting hours. Tell Jungkook to come back tomorrow."

"It's not Jungkook."

Jimin grunted. "Oh, silly me, then tell Jin to come back tomorrow."

"It's not Jin either. Just get out here."

Jimin tried to stand but failed, groaning and holding his aching stomach. He collapsed and hyperventilated, sweat dripping off him, his messy hair glued to his scalp. That resulted in the door opening, the guard entering and swinging his rifle over his shoulder while he knelt and helped Jimin up.

"Let me get you new pants," the guard said, noticing the dark stains.

Jimin wanted to scream and sob at the embarrassment, averting his eyes and curling up in the corner. The guard got gray sweatpants out from under the bed.

"You wanna do it yourself, or do you need help?"

Jimin tucked himself against the corner more, if that was possible. "Myself."

"Can you do it yourself?"

"Yes." It was a lie, but Jimin couldn't risk someone seeing his body. Someone who wasn't Y/n. The last time that happened, an innocent person had died. And maybe Jimin had, too. "Please close the door."

"Okay, no problem." The guard closed the door without leaving, and Jimin stiffened.

"What are you..."

"You know you need help."

"No, no, I can do it myself." Jimin clawed at his hair as if that'd help. "Please leave."

"I'm here to help, Park."

"But..." Since when did the UC care? The guards seemed more apathetic than anyone else on the planet, but the one before him didn't have so much as a hint of judgment in his tone. "I don't want anyone to see..."

"I'm pretty good at not looking." The guard helped Jimin stand and lean on the wall. His legs shook, and the guard glanced at the movement. "Deep breaths. Hold onto me."

Somehow, Jimin managed to rid himself of the soaked pants, and the guard gave Jimin a damp towel to clean himself of the sticky substance staining him. When he finished, the guard aided him into the new pants, and Jimin stayed silent the entire time, unsure what words could explain what he felt. The disgust, the hatred, the fury. He wanted to burn himself, to fry every layer of his flesh until only bone remained, and then he'd burn that, too.

The pants covered him, and he slumped to the floor after it ended. His eyes remained on the wall, and the guard didn't speak for a while. Neither did Jimin.

Eventually, Jimin dragged his gaze up to the guard and analyzed the man's face. It was tough to see behind the helmet with the green visor hanging in front and making the skin appear like a mesh between dark and green. But Jimin saw the wide eyes and thick nose, the bushy brows he had shot up to his wrinkled forehead, and the two moles, one for each saggy cheek. Jimin broke the silence first, making sure to drape his arms around his knees and tuck them against his chest again first.

"Did you see?"

"I wasn't looking," the guard said, and Jimin lowered his stare to the dirty ground. There were random substances everywhere. Some piss, others water he had spilled by accident, some saliva, some vomit. An amalgamation of everything. Just like him.

"Did I make you feel sick?" Jimin whispered, spitting out the words.

The guard didn't hesitate. "No, Mr. Park. My job is to help, not to judge."

Jimin didn't believe it. Since when did anyone from the UC care? Except Y/n. Beautiful Y/n; his Mrs. Park. Her kindness wasn't from being a Universal—it was her. It was all her. Such a kind soul, and Jimin had taken her away. Jimin took away quite a few things, huh?

"Your visitor is waiting," the guard said, and Jimin had adrenaline coursing through him from the guard helping him with the pants, so he fought off the withdrawal symptoms and wobbled his way out of the room.

They went down the corridor with Jimin leaning on the guard the entire time, and before they made it to the double doors that would lead to the empty lobby, Jimin paused to turn to the man.

"I don't know your name."

"Zahir."

Jimin nodded and squeezed the man's shoulder. "Thank you, Zahir."

Manners. Jimin didn't use them often, but it was better to start somewhere than nowhere.

"It's my job, Mr. Park. We're always here," Zahir said before motioning to the doors.

Jimin knitted his brows and tried to process that information. The UC cared? It made no sense, but Jimin had no time to think, for he had a visitor who wasn't either of the J's, and based on Zahir's tone, he doubted they were Sam or Cora either. Sam kept Cora away, for good reason. Jimin didn't want to scare her more than he had.

Jimin pushed through the doors and heard them creaking. Air conditioning bumped and hissed, too. Otherwise, it was quiet. The lobby had little life to it, except for one person sitting at the center table all alone. One person Jimin hadn't expected to see anytime soon, and it had him stalling.

Ma.

The older woman had her wrinkled hands folded together on the table, and her hair was pulled into a low bun. It had less dandruff than Jimin remembered, not to mention he couldn't smell her. Yet, anyway. Her stench had been so bad he used to smell it through the door of their crate.

"Ma?" Jimin asked, though there was no use asking. She wasn't a hallucination. Never once had he hallucinated her during his withdrawals.

"Son," she replied, her voice as silent as the rest of the room.

Jimin went over and lingered for a beat before sitting across from her, trying to pry her eyes apart to see why she had come, and how she had known he was-

"Your friend told me you were in here. Jungkook, I think his name was."

Well, that explained it. Jungkook going to Neon of all places wasn't what Jimin expected, but Jungkook was full of surprises.

"Oh," Jimin said, clearing his throat. "I'm surprised you came."

"Me too."

Jimin fiddled with his fingers. "Are you high?"

"No."

"Withdrawal?"

"No."

Jimin snapped his eyes up at that. "How are you not..."

"I'm clean. Ever since that day you brought that girl to me, I knew I needed to get clean," Ma said, and she showed her hands. Not a single purple stain rested there. "I'm done with Aurora."

"You've said that before. Sarah helped you get clean, and then you went right back to it. How can I trust this is real?"

"How can I trust your rehab is?"

"Don't pull that bullshit with me," Jimin said with a laugh. "You left me to raise myself. You owe me the benefit of the doubt. Actually, you owe me a lot more than that, but we'll save that for another day."

"Agreed." Ma eyed him and shook her head. "I hoped you'd never go down this path."

"And who's fault is that?"

"Don't blame me for this. I was a shitty mother, I know, but you made the choice to do Aurora even after watching what it did to me."

"Yeah, that was my choice, but what about the rest of it?" Jimin became hyperaware of the padauk tattoo on his back, same with the Universal tattoo on his shoulder. Both invisible, yet he saw them anyway. "What about my childhood, Ma? You think I would be half as fucked up as I am if it weren't for having a deadbeat mother?"

Ma didn't deny it. "I know, and I also know no apology can make up for it."

"So you're not even going to try?"

"No. This isn't about me. It's about you. You've been suffering, and I want to know the extent of it."

Better late than never, Jimin supposed. Only took over three decades. Well, okay, over two. He'd give her the first eight years of his life. Prior to the Colony War. Prior to dad's death.

"What would my dear mother like to know?" Jimin asked, and Ma peered at him without speaking for a moment.

"Isabelle. She was the girl you brought to me, right?"

Oh, great. Jungkook had talked about her.

That had Jimin leaning back and nibbling on his nails. His powers didn't activate, but not because the universe granted him mercy, no, it was because the withdrawal that ate his heart alive prevented him from using any of them.

"Right." Jimin paused for a moment. "It was an accident."

"Not that, son. Before that. Jungkook said you were... with her?"

Jimin chewed a bit harder. "Yeah."

"What about your wife?"

"She's been dead for almost a year. I'm a widower, Ma. I have every right to be with other women if I want to."

"But did you?" she asked, her voice softer than before, yet it had the same rasp Ma always had.

"What?"

"Want to."

Jimin stopped biting his nails. Gum would be a better replacement, but he had none. Another risk, they had said. Jimin didn't care about risks at the moment. All he wanted was some gum and his scarf.

"No," he whispered, and he nibbled on his index finger and didn't care about the pain. "But, at the same time, I did."

"What do you mean?"

Jimin lowered his shaking hand and looked at the table. Tears came. He blinked them back. That didn't stop one from trickling down and joining the list of substances that coated him without his consent.

"I deserved it," he said, the lump in his throat tightening the longer he spoke. "I enjoyed it, I'm just telling myself I didn't for attention."

Ma reached across the table and held his hand. "Don't say the answer you rehearsed for your crew. Say the answer you'd tell your mom."

Jimin heaved and did his best to hold himself together. No screams or sobs came, only slow tears, burning nostrils, and a throat that wouldn't open. His heart thudded against his aching ribs, and his ears rang as if he were in a concert, or back at the Astral Lounge, listening to the booming EDM.

"I'm so scared, mom." Jimin cut himself off and wheezed, unsure where it came from. "I wanna go home."

"I know."

"I miss dad so much," Jimin said, and Ma gripped his hand tighter to keep him grounded.

"I know."

Jimin's lower lip quivered as he met her steady gaze. "I miss my mom."

She placed a prolonged kiss on the back of his hand, sighing as she held it in front of her. "I know."

A thousand other words could come, but he didn't voice them. Quiet consumed them, and Jimin didn't fight it. Fight was a foreign word to him. His whole life, he had done it to survive to the point where he didn't know what life was without it.

"I didn't want it," he said, his voice hitching as he said it, and that was when the sob came. "I didn't want it, mom."

"Oh, my baby boy."

Ma rushed over to him, and he slumped out of his seat and into her arms, crying into her shoulder and clinging onto every ounce of her he could get his grabby hands on. Little Jimin returned as if he had never left. Little Jimin bawled into his mom's fuzzy purple sweater. It smelled like mint, not Aurora.

"I want my wife," he whispered, but he ended up breaking off to whimper. "I... I want my..."

"I'm so sorry, Min Min."

Jimin buried his head against her shoulder, rubbing mucus on her neck and wailing like a toddler throwing a tantrum. Shouts and weeps followed, and he had no idea how long he continued his onslaught against her. But, for a moment, a single moment, he felt like a kid again. Eight-year-old Jimin, before the war. Back when Ma had read him bedtime stories and wished him goodnight.

"Why did she die?" Jimin asked to no one in particular, his face numb from all the tears he had released. "I just want my wife. Why can't I be happy, mom?"

"My sweet boy." Ma stroked his hair and kissed the top of his head. "I wish I knew. God, how I wish I knew."

Jimin thought the same. Of all the souls in the universe, Y/n's deserved death the least. But that was his fate, wasn't it? Starborn Y/n had lost her Jimin but survived. Was that how it was in every universe? One had to die in order for the other to live? Jimin didn't want that; he wanted Y/n to be the one who lived. The one who took on the powers and saved the universe from whatever bullshit it threw at her.

Those thoughts faded away in favor of feeling his mother's warmth for the first time. It had been longer than Jimin could remember since the last time his mother held him.

"I love you, mom," he murmured, clinging to her until his hands felt nonexistent. He wondered if that was how Jungkook felt.

"I love you, too."

Jimin stopped crying after he heard that. Those few words bandaged all his wounds, and he managed to peel himself away from her for long enough to meet her patient eyes. The last time he had seen those was when he had been a kid, begging her to read another bedtime story. Kind of like Cora with Jimin. He missed Cora more than anything. Other than Y/n, of course. Any maybe his scarf, too.

"I don't know what to do, Ma. The entire galaxy needs me, but I... I can't do that. I can't be their hero."

"You're always trying to put the weight of the galaxy on your shoulders," she said, her voice as gentle as before. Her hand went to his soaked cheek to wipe the tears away. "You're everything you need to be, and I think that's what matters most. Not saving the galaxy. That can wait. You have to save yourself first. You're enough, Min Min. You've always been enough."

Jimin didn't cry that time, but he wanted to. He wanted to sob to make up for all the years he couldn't. But Jimin needed himself. He needed to get through rehab and find his wife, and on top of that, even if she was gone, he needed to put his crew back together and give them a home.

"I really love you, mom," he repeated in a scratchy whisper, and she chuckled.

"I know, but I don't deserve that. I hope one day I can atone and earn your trust back, but until then, I promise to stay by your side whenever you need me. Okay?"

Never once in his adult life did he think his mother would say those words. Upon hearing them, Jimin didn't know how to react. Not a single cell in his body trusted that. The previous time she had gone clean, it hadn't lasted. Nothing could guarantee that she would stay sober. Yet, Jimin's lips moved on their own, and for the first time in almost a year, he felt a sense of hope.

"Okay."

☆☆☆

Londinion awaited him.

After getting discharged from the reform center and staying with Jin on Mars (as his crew weren't ready to see him yet) for two days, Jimin insisted on returning to Londinion to see how the search had developed. If nothing had changed in eight months, he doubted anything new would have developed over the past three weeks.

It was strange; Y/n had been missing for almost nine months. Jimin didn't know how to process that revelation. Almost a year without his wife. Or, maybe that wasn't true. Isabelle... she had morphed into Y/n whenever Jimin had done Aurora. But, no. He couldn't do that again. Isabelle's death couldn't be in vain. No one deserved to go out like that.

Except Bayu.

"You ready, kid?" Jin asked from Jimin's side, and Jimin shrugged, gazing out the window of the base and spotting all the ice outside. Snow pounded against the glass and refused to slow down. Not a blizzard, but one would come soon. They happened at least twice a month.

"Give me five minutes. I have to think."

Jin agreed, and Jimin departed the office space to instead climb to the snowy roof. Cold air blasted him, but he didn't bother wearing protective gear. He'd put on his suit in a minute, but for the time being, he needed a quiet place to consult his wife.

"You there?" he asked the wind, standing on the metal roof and leaning against the railing. No one else was up there. Who was suicidal enough to stand on a small roof in the middle of a storm? Jimin, apparently.

"Always," Y/n replied, and Jimin turned in time to see her materializing before his eyes. The familiar face and body appeared there, and Jimin didn't know whether or not to be grateful. "How can I help?"

"I don't need help this time. Just some questions."

"I will do my best to answer."

Jimin's gaze lingered on her pretty face for a beat longer than needed. "How many universes exist where both Jimin and Y/n survive?"

"As a couple?"

Jimin nodded.

"One," she said, and Jimin tried his best not to sob at that, but he had sobbed enough. Y/n motioned to Londinion. "Perhaps none now."

"Wait... we..." Jimin coughed. "We were the only ones?"

"The only ones who lasted this long, yes," Y/n said with a sigh, and then, she placed a hand on his shoulder. "But keep in mind there are infinite universes out there. I have seen but a fraction of them."

"But still too many to count."

Y/n tilted her head back and forth as if pondering what he said. "Yes, that is true, but you have managed to break all the odds so far, Park Jimin. What's stopping you from breaking one more?"

That was what Jimin wanted to find out. Instead of relying on scans and data, Jimin was about to go with Tuala, Jin, Taehyung, and Commander Min into the undergrounds. Well, Taehyung wasn't going in, he was keeping watch; he didn't have enough training for a full combat mission of that scale. Spacers were about as much as he could handle. Maybe Ecliptic like he had on Carinae, but that had been a shitshow.

"I guess we'll see," Jimin said, stepping closer to her and observing every feature. Starborn Y/n wasn't his Y/n, but she did love another version of him. It was inspiring to know that their love existed elsewhere. That other Jimins and other Y/ns got happiness, no matter how temporary.

"I'm not her."

"I know," Jimin whispered. He placed his hands on her waist anyway. "But you loved a version of me. You gave him happiness. Thank you, Y/n. For everything."

Jimin kissed her forehead. It wasn't romantic, or even platonic, but rather a reminder that she did make someone happy. A Jimin. And Jimin, as much as he didn't know any of the other Jimins out there, felt a sense of responsibility to protect them. To make them happy, too. For all the little Jimins who never got those smiles, and to all the big Jimins who disappeared before they could. Whatever Jimin could do to protect them, he would do it.

He pulled back and stroked her cheek with a soft smile. "See you on the other side, Starborn."

"And to you, future Starborn."

Jimin watched Y/n fizzle away. Sparkles of her slipped through his fingers until she was gone. Cold and wind were all that remained, and he basked in it. Shooting ice from his hand meant he didn't care about the freezing temperatures of Londinion. It'd give him the strength needed to keep moving forward.

"Kid?"

Jimin turned and saw Jin climbing the ladder to reach the top, his long hair blowing. No goggles decorated his head that time, though he did have a thick black scarf tugged over his mouth and a parka on.

"I'm ready, yeah," Jimin said with a hand wave, approaching the ladder and watching Jin's gloved hands move down. Jimin followed, and together, they made it back to base and geared up. Jin traded his parka for a UC suit, and Jimin put his unmarked UC suit on as well. Tuala and Commander Min joined soon after, and Taehyung stayed in his standard "artist" gear.

Yes, the "artist" gear was him wearing loose gray sweatpants and a white long-sleeved shirt with the sleeves around the wrists covered in ink from Taehyung's pen obsession.

"All geared up?" Jimin asked his group once they turned to him with their weapons ready. All of them aside from Jimin had AA-99s. Jimin had a magshear. The usual.

With his crew ready to depart, Jimin sat Taehyung down to read the scanner. It was a simple task anyone could do. All Taehyung had to do was see if any lifeforms were approaching Jimin and co. They had trackers in their suits that pinged them as a special navy blue color on the radar, and any other lifeforms were crimson like Jimin's eyes.

Taehyung sat at the desk with no dust in sight. Londinion officers took their jobs more seriously than most, which made sense. They could get eaten by Terrormorphs at any moment, so keeping a tidy office was probably high on the list of priorities. The last thing they needed was their equipment malfunctioning.

Jimin went outside and guided his band of misfits to the crater Y/n had fallen in to. Manned missions ended... not well, to say the least. Men had trouble returning to the surface following the attacks. It wasn't a pit they could use boost packs for. They had built a lift down to the bottom, but thanks to the Terrormorph activity down there, the lift was incomplete. Oh, and by "lift," Jimin meant scaffolding, not an elevator. That meant climbing.

Yay. Because Jimin was definitely a fan of heights.

"The things I do for this woman," Jimin mumbled with a grunt as he swung himself onto the thick and ugly yellow scaffolding that went down halfway into the crater. Maybe three fourths. It was high enough for anyone with a boost pack to jump up to it from the bottom, so the UC had left it at that. If anyone down there had a boost pack and survived, they could make it back up as long as they got to the scaffolding. Assuming they knew it was there.

Y/n had a boost pack, but if it was still functional or not was a different story. She had fallen all the way to the bottom, after all. Plus, back on that fateful day, Jimin had noticed her boost pack sputtering. That could have been because of the anti-gravity well he had created, though. Too many unknowns to draw a true conclusion.

Jimin had no hope that mission would find her and bring her home, but it was to get an approximate about the Terrormorph situation. The microbe would take time to sweep through Londinion, but maybe it was more effective than they had planned, and that was the purpose of going down to hell: to check its progress.

"You're okay with mind control, murder, and torture in the name of finding Y/n, but not climbing?" Jin asked from above him.

Jimin grinned behind his helmet. "Yep!"

"Why do we bother with him?" Commander Min asked, and Tuala had no answer. Tuala had fallen silent ever since Y/n had disappeared, so that wasn't a surprise.

"Come on, keep climbing. Question my mental state later."

Once Jimin said that, everyone shut up and descended. Jimin reached the end two minutes later and scanned the bottom. No Terrormorphs.

Jimin tapped the side of his helmet and held on for dear life with his other hand. "Taehyung, you read me?"

"Loud and clear, Captain."

Jimin didn't know why Taehyung called him that. He didn't know why anyone called him that. But for the time being, he had to stay in "Captain" mode, whether he felt he deserved it or not.

"What are the scans looking like?"

"Nothing on the radar yet."

"Alright, thanks, bud. Keep us in the loop."

Jimin kept the comm on despite his final words. Taehyung needed to hear everything to know Jimin's position and situation.

The bottom of the abyss wasn't far, but it was dark. They were far enough under the surface to escape light, so Jimin kept his helmet lights on and encouraged his teammates to do the same. All of them already had them on, except Tuala, who fumbled with his for a moment. Yeah, right, they were experienced warriors. Except Tuala. Well, he was, but ever since Y/n...

Jimin pushed off and used his boost pack to parachute his fall into the darkness. Boots connected with snow at the same time. Three pairs of boots, to be exact. Jimin was half-surprised Tuala made it down.

"No signs of life around you, Captain," Taehyung said, and Jimin nodded despite how Taehyung couldn't see it. All four of them were patched into Taehyung's comm frequency, so they got to hear Taehyung's harmonious deep voice telling them the updates.

"Spread out with your boost packs ready," Jimin said to his team, and they obeyed. Terrormorphs couldn't fly, so...

Jimin patrolled the chasm. Nothing of note waited there aside from broken UC armor that could belong to anyone. There were four chestplates and two knee pads, and none of them appeared to be Y/n's. Her gear was far darker.

Snow consumed the pit. Then again, the crater was so massive that much of the snow ended up becoming icicles on the jagged rock walls instead of buried on the floor. But either way, Jimin could feel how deep it went. He wondered how many bodies were buried beneath the-

Jimin's thoughts got cut off by him groaning, his vision blurring. He fell to his knees, dropping his magshear and rubbing his helmet as if that'd do anything.

"Hey, kid." Jin was by his side in a blink. "What's going on?"

"Withdrawal..." Jimin banged the side of his helmet to snap his vision back into focus. "I'll be fine, just grumpy."

"Is that any different than normal?"

If Jimin didn't view Jin as a father figure, he would have blasted him with a particle beam.

"Let's move," Jimin said instead of answering. Jin helped him to his feet, and they continued into the hole in the wall near the left corner. It led to the tunnels the UC soldiers used for storage. Oh, and as a bomb shelter. No biggie.

Withdrawal clung to him like he had clung to his mother two days prior. The aches and soreness would never cease. But he had to push through; for Y/n.

Jimin went in first, and as soon as his boot made contact with the metal floors that had bits of snow, Taehyung's voice reverberated inside his helmet.

"Movement! On your right!"

To the right was the entrance to the depth of the tunnels. The entrance to where Y/n could be. That entrance was the only one any UC soldier could go in and out of, so if they couldn't go in through that direction, there were no other ways.

"Turning my safety off." Jimin clicked the button on his magshear, illuminating the hallway with the green laser sight shaped in a grid cube. "Everyone else do the same, but try not to blow my head off."

No one answered, though he heard the clicks. They were answer enough.

"How many, Tae?"

"I... I don't know, Captain. It's like one massive blob."

"Shit," Jimin mumbled, holding the magshear with one hand and his other raised to hold up his group. No sounds came aside from little bumps and hisses. But the hisses turned into growls, and that had Jimin wishing he could shoot himself. "Terrormorphs! Run!"

The dark creatures lunged from the shadows and shot spit out at the fleeing crew. There had to be at least a dozen of them there, and Jimin understood why no one could do the mission without heavy firepower.

Like a mech.

"Move, kid!"

Jin grabbed Jimin and moved him back to fire at the Terrormorphs. Jin threw a grenade to stumble the creatures, and it worked. Black goo hit the walls, and Jimin staggered but led Tuala and Commander Min out. Taehyung yelled something about more incoming, but it didn't matter. A dozen meant they were screwed unless they returned to the surface.

Jimin retreated to the scaffolding and knelt in the snow, swiping his magshear forward and firing at the Terrormorphs rushing in behind Jin.

"Everyone out!" Jimin shouted, and Tuala and Commander Min used their boost packs to jump up together. "Jin, that means you!"

"You first!" Jin sprinted toward him, but Jimin blew off Jin's words.

"I'm the damn captain."

Jin hesitated, but Jimin wasn't budging, and Jin knew better than to argue with Jimin. Rehab hadn't knock the stubbornness out of him either. So, Jin flew away.

Jimin fought and killed one of the Terrormorphs. If Y/n wasn't down in the tunnels somewhere like Jimin believed, he wouldn't worry much about killing Terrormorphs, but one less Terrormorph meant one less for her to deal with.

Terrormorphs piled on top of one another to get to Jimin, and they shouted at him. Almost a second later, Y/n's screams echoed in his mind, and he had to fight everything within him to not give in. Instead, he swung his rifle over his shoulders. No, he couldn't die there.

Jimin turned and started his boost pack, though the lack of training he had with it created a rocky start where the pack sputtered and had him bumping into the wall. He used a grav dash to keep him going up, and a Terrormorph howled and leapt for him. Jimin hadn't gotten high enough.

The Terrormorph slammed him back to the ground.

All at once, Jimin received flashbacks of the Londinion siege, and how his arm had been wrenched from his body. As the Terrormorph pinned him down and closed in, he thought that would happen again. But it didn't. Instead, a beam of light tore through the blackness, and the Terrormorph melted into goo.

On his left was Starborn Y/n, her eyes glowing, sparkles bouncing off of her, and her hand lit up with a solar flare.

"Go!" she shouted, and Jimin didn't waste time. He wobbled to his feet as Starborn Y/n continued to annihilate the Terrormorphs with her solar flare. Jimin flew up and soared to the scaffolding, holding it and glancing down to see Y/n holding her own. Like it was second nature.

Y/n flipped around like a dancer, utilizing her grav dash to weave between the claws. She even laughed while doing it. With enough training, Jimin wondered if he could get to that stage, too. But he did notice one difference: her hair never lifted, and her eye glow was a fraction of Jimin's.

Maybe Starborn Y/n was right; maybe he was the chosen one after all.

Jimin watched Y/n enjoy herself with the Terrormorphs before more came. That seemed to convince her to back off, and she saluted to Jimin. A beat later, she sparkled out of existence, leaving the chasm in darkness again. He climbed the scaffolding and scoffed while reaching out to her.

Well, that would've been really fucking useful earlier, asshole.

"I am powerful, Jimin," her voice replied, bouncing around his skull. "But I am not invincible. No Starborn is. Except you, perhaps. I'm sure you noticed the differences between us."

I did. Does that mean I'm more powerful than you?

"More powerful than all of us. Potentially. Right now, you are an average Starborn, but with training, you could become more powerful than the Hunter."

Who the hell is the Hunter?

"You'll see. I believe you'll find he's very... familiar."

Ah, great, so the Hunter was hiding in plain sight.

He's the most powerful Starborn?

"Yes. He and the Emissary are the two most powerful beings in existence. You, however, could take their throne. Would you like to?"

Become the most powerful being in existence? Fuck yeah. Once I kick this Aurora addiction, I'll go right for their throats.

"Never lose that spark, Jimin. Or that attitude."

Oh please. Not even God Himself could take that from me. Jimin paused for a moment, hoisting himself up another level of the scaffolding. How did you get here?

"I am here in your universe, floating in the outer rim, in a system humanity does not like to touch. The most powerful are able to teleport across the stars. The Emissary, the Hunter, and me. Maybe you, one day."

Have you been here the whole time?

"Yes, I have. Ever since you first touched the artifact. When a Starborn enters a new universe, they always start there, with you touching the artifact. Sometimes another member, but normally you."

And I die every time?

"From what I've seen, yes."

Jimin went up another level, nearing the surface and watching Jin depart the scaffolding, and then, he sighed. Is it hard for you?

"To watch the face of my lover die over and over?"

Okay, bad question. Sorry.

"Don't be. I've grown numb to the pain long ago, but I would be quite upset if you died, Park Jimin. So don't."

Gee, thanks. Great advice. Jimin chuckled and hoped she could hear it. I won't.

"You've been actively trying to kill yourself for nine months."

Has it been that long? Shit, you keep better track than me. Yes, I have. But not anymore. Y/n needs me, and even if she's gone, my crew needs me.

Y/n didn't answer for a long moment. "Thank you."

Jimin slowed his movements as he neared the exit, and he shook his head. Thank Jungkook. Without him, I probably would have found a way to kill myself in rehab.

Jimin made it to the top and halted his conversation with Y/n. Tuala and Commander Min were already walking back to base while Jin waited for Jimin and helped him up. As soon as Jimin went to thank him, Jin gripped his shoulder.

"What the hell was that?"

"Uh... flying? I do it sometimes-"

"No, the other person. Don't think I didn't see that. Was that..."

Jimin turned off his comm so Taehyung wouldn't hear, patching through to Jin and Jin alone. Jin seemed to take the hint, seeing as Jimin heard him switch his comm frequency to tune out the others.

"Y/n," Jimin said, keeping his voice down despite changing the comms. "Look, we can talk about it later, but that was a Y/n, not my Y/n. They're called Starborn, and they're what I'm going to be one day, once I complete my journey."

Jin's voice almost went to a squeak. "A different Y/n?"

"I know, I know, it's a lot to take in. I'll explain everything, but not here. Let's get back to base and cool off, and then we can talk about it on the ship, okay?"

Jin loosened his hold on Jimin, and then, he let go and stepped back, clearing his throat. The shock of finding so many Terrormorphs down there didn't have time to settle in thanks to the constant chaos. What Jimin did know, however, was that he wasn't going to find Y/n without that mech. But he had no time to dwell on that, since Jin had an answer. The one Jimin was hoping to hear.

"Okay."

☆☆☆

Ryujin was next on his list, meaning he had to save his conversation with Jin for another time.

Jimin stood in Ularu's office for the first time since he had been forced into rehab. He felt stronger. Both mentally and physically. Ularu, though, didn't ask him about it. Jimin could respect that. Ryujin came first to her... and maybe it came second and third, too.

"Your friends Jungkook and Taehyung handled the Clinic," Ularu said, motioning for Jimin to sit. Jimin did as he was told, plopping down in the cozy chair and noticing how chilly it was thanks to the air conditioning. Londinion didn't bother him, but air conditioning did. "They found out that Doctor Lane was hired by Infinity to conduct unauthorized human trials with their underdeveloped version of our internal neuroamp."

"I assume that didn't go well?"

"Correct. Every test subject was killed."

"Jesus. And this 'Doctor Lane' doesn't care that he killed all those people?"

"He does, that's why he told Jungkook and Taehyung the truth when they went to pay him a visit. Doctor Lane showed us communications between him and Infinity, and Infinity lied and said the product was human-safe and passed a first round of testing, they just wanted a second round with a different, trustworthy party for extra precaution."

"They tricked him so he could do their dirty work?"

"That's right. They faked official documents and everything. Looks like they're getting desperate, and desperate means sloppy." Ularu turned to her computer and shifted it so Jimin could see the screen. It showed a blueprint of Infinity's compound on New Atlantis. "We've been busy while you were gone. We've sent spies in to get these blueprints and formulate two plans for how you're getting into Infinity, and we've just about finalized it. You'll have two choices: a fake meeting, or sneaking in from the roof."

"Both sound terrible."

"Well, the odds are you're going to have to sneak in from the roof, considering your reputation. Unless you want to go to Enhance and change your face for a day."

"Fuck no. I'd rather get my dick cut off."

Ularu sighed. "At least rehab didn't get rid of your personality."

Jimin grinned. "I know."

Ularu moved the computer back toward her and typed a few things before turning it off, glancing up at the closed door before she refocused herself on Jimin.

"I spoke with Masako," she said, and Jimin quirked a brow at that. "She agreed to letting you start mech training early. Her only condition is you can't start the training until you get the internal neuroamp."

"Ah, so I really need the mind control, huh?"

"It's vital to this mission's success." Ularu paused to roll her eyes. "If you ask me, I think you should go in there and blast every one of those Infinity bastards, but it'd be bad for PR." She said it in a mocking tone. "You need the neuroamp to manipulate any guards into leaving you alone."

"And what exactly am I going to do once I infiltrate Infinity?"

"Well, that's the hard part. Infinity has three core layers to it, and we'll be sending you to the bottom layer where the lab is to upload a decryption program on the computers of the most important figures. It'll capture all the evidence we need to publicly humiliate them for their crimes. Once their public reputation is at an all-time low, Ryujin will sweep in and offer to buy out Infinity. I think that's stupid, but I'm not CEO yet, so I can't stop it."

"Yet?"

Ularu didn't answer for a long beat. "We had a high-level mole right under Masako's nose. If that doesn't prove she's unfit for leadership, I don't know what will."

A mole planted by Ularu. Oh, okay. Ularu's plan made some sense: Ularu framed Imogene as a mole to make Masako look bad, and Jimin had a feeling the Infinity mission was going to lead into yet another plan to tarnish Masako.

"That's why I need you to go to Dalton's office and give me the evidence Imogene gave him."

Wait, what?

Jimin rubbed his eyes as if that'd help his hearing. "Huh?"

"You agreed to help me frame Imogene as the mole," she said, making a hand wave motion like it were no big deal. "Imogene was apprehended recently."

"It took them this long to find her?"

"She took refuge with the Seokguh Syndicate. It took our operatives ages to break in and arrest her, but she's in Ryujin's holding center for the next few days while Dalton processes the evidence Imogene gave him. I need you to get it and bring it to me so I can alter it."

Ah, Seokguh. One of the largest gangs on Neon, and also the deadliest. Not just anyone could slip by them. Jimin had a feeling him being in rehab had made their quest to find Imogene ten times harder. With a superhero, they could have waltzed in and destroyed the Syndicate. Without, though...

"What evidence does she have, Ularu?"

"Evidence that I gave her the orders to feed Ryujin data to Infinity. That's the last piece stopping me from becoming CEO, so you better get it for me."

"I'm not on Aurora anymore, sweetheart." Jimin lit up with a solar flare and let out a low whistle, crossing one leg over the other. "Care to tell me why I should do this?"

"I gave you early access to the mech. I upheld my end of the bargain."

"Hm, true," Jimin said, shrugging. And then, he leaned forward and smirked. "But you're also a backstabbing bitch who proved you're willing to throw high-level, competent employees under the bus for an advantage. I'm one of those employees, so I think you should give me something else as a sign of good faith. Y'know, for assurance that I won't have any harm coming my way because of you."

"You're not as dumb as you look."

"I'm a starship captain, Ularu. You need at least some smarts for that."

Ularu didn't disagree. "Fine. What do you want?"

"A luxury apartment under Ryujin's protection."

"Under Ryujin's-" Ularu cut herself off and tilted her head at him. "For your mother?"

Jimin didn't answer, but he didn't need to.

"Very well," she said, and he appreciated that she showed no signs of judging him. "I'll make a list of the best of the best and have you review them."

"Good. And when I say protection..."

"It's for her addiction. I understand."

Jimin didn't want to cry, seeing as he spent ninety percent of his rehab period crying, but that didn't stop the dampness from sinking into his eyes. He managed to hold it back, though. Ularu was the last person who should see him weak.

"You're a pretty terrible person," Jimin said, and Ularu didn't interject. "So am I, so I'm in no position to judge, but you really are terrible. You created this whole mess with Infinity, and you're the reason I'm doing these missions." Jimin stopped and chuckled. "But I'm going to say thank you anyway. Without your scheming, Bayu never would've hired me and given me the mech. Oh, and early training is a nice bonus. So, thank you, Ularu."

"Manners." Ularu returned his chuckle. "You're still full of surprises, Park Jimin."

Jimin stood and laughed. "Let's hope I can pull one last one off."

"I know you can."

It was weird to see someone have such faith in him. Someone other than Jungkook, anyway. Ularu was the last person he'd expect to care, and she probably didn't, but at least she gave him a smile that felt real.

Imogene was innocent and had tried to help Jimin settle into his Ryujin life. Throwing her under the bus and ruining her career was far from what he wanted to do. But Y/n. Y/n needed him, and the training period would save two weeks that he had lost thanks to rehab, so it'd keep the timeline somewhat stable. Every second counted, and the longer his wife stayed in that hellhole, the more the odds of her being alive decreased. If there were any odds left, that was.

No, he couldn't think that way. She was alive. The last time he had told himself she was dead, he had fallen to Aurora. That couldn't happen again. Even his damn mother was clean, so he had to stay clean, too.

"I'll see you soon, Ularu. Anything else I should know?"

"Nothing of note. Just get me that evidence."

Jimin dipped his head in agreement, and Ularu opened the door for him. Getting the evidence would be a cakewalk. All he had to do was cloak and steal whatever the fuck it was he needed, which he assumed was a slate. Data was on slates in the modern era. Dalton would be inside his office, so Jimin either had to move fast or cause a distraction to get him away from his office.

Jimin chose to reach out to his bestie.

I need something again.

"I figured that was coming. I'll strengthen your cloak."

Thanks, babe.

"Never call me that again."

Jimin smiled, hoping Starborn Y/n could see it, and went into one of the bathrooms nearby. He propped the door open with a trash can and lingered in the corner, ensuring no one was inside and hiding in one of the stalls before Starborn Y/n granted him more power than before. That led to him sneaking in and out of Dalton's office without difficulty, finding the slate in a flash due to it being a priority to investigate, so it was out on his desk

Within less than ten minutes, Jimin received the slate, had Ularu alter it, and returned it to Dalton's desk in the same position Jimin had found it in while the man was occupied with a comm call. A comm call with Masako to discuss the mole situation. Jimin overheard how Dalton wasn't sure how to feel about the case, and that the evidence he had scoured through thus far hadn't given him confidence that Imogene did or didn't do it. Looked like Ularu didn't need to alter much anyway, seeing as Dalton was unconvinced.

What remained was getting the internal neuroamp. Jimin waited until Dalton finished his comm call (by eavesdropping) before making his way to Masako's office. From there, he scheduled the surgery for two days later, and she promised to finalize the Infinity sabotage mission plan by then.

It was strange; for the first time since beginning his quest with Ryujin over two months ago, he felt hope. Hope that he would rescue his wife. Londinion had been a blow to his confidence, but a mech would change everything. He knew it would. Mechs battled with more fierceness than any other warrior in the galaxy.

Jimin stepped out into the puddles of Neon, far from Ryujin and its disgusting business practices. He tightened his scarf—which he had gotten back once he had finished rehab—and gazed at the Bayu statue in the distance, waiting outside of the Astral Lounge on the other side of Neon Core.

Aurora. That was what was inside the Astral Lounge. Bayu had all his bartender goons ready to give Jimin Aurora for free, and he had no idea why Bayu insisted on testing Jimin that way. To torment him, perhaps. To punish him for killing Ron and some of Bayu's esteemed guards. Drug addiction as a punishment, huh? Jimin had to give it to Bayu: he was creative.

Jimin decided to take the trek to the other side of the Core, approaching the exterior of the Trade Tower, which included the Astral Lounge. Withdrawal nibbled on his veins. Sweat dripped down the side of his head, and headaches wrecked havoc inside his skull. Everything ached, and while it was more manageable than before, it didn't stop how much it hurt. In one minute, he could charge into the Lounge and demand more Aurora. All the symptoms would be gone, replaced by bliss.

The face of Isabelle flashed in his mind. Next came the sight of her burst chest with blood soaking the alleyway. An innocent life had died because of his actions. Like Larry, and all the others who had come before him. He could never make it up to Isabelle, but he could try, and that led him to making his final decision.

Jimin walked away.

☆☆☆

A/N: Jimin and Starborn Y/n could probably blow up the galaxy together tbh. And probably each other in the process cause a Jimin and Y/n duo is certainly... interesting, but still.

Season 3 is almost over! So close to finding out if Y/n survived or not.