─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

SEASON 2 FINALE

PART 1

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Location:

System: Toliman

Faction: United Colonies

Planet: Toliman-II

Place: Forward Base 441, Londinion

A/N: Good luck... remember to vote if you want part 2 faster.

I decided to split it into two parts so I had more time to flesh out the events as needed. I already began work on part 2 and will finish it before May ends since A Demon's Sin is coming out June 1st. If you want it to be posted as soon as it's done, let's get 25-30 votes on this chapter!

Thanks for reading, and enjoy part 1 of the s2 finale.

☆☆☆

Jimin

Jimin was about to piss himself.

The stars glittered in the night sky of New Atlantis as he sat on a wooden bench on top of the waterfall monument. In New Atlantis was a giant waterfall larger than the legendary Niagara Falls back on Old Earth. The rushing water didn't make as much noise as he had expected. Poles holding lights on the tops of them lined the narrow walkway few people strolled down. It was midnight by New Atlantis standards, and the moon was out in its full glory, casting a white glow on the concrete.

Heights made Jimin tremble, and being so high up and overlooking a mass of water caused him to huddle his arms closer to his chest. However, with Londinion around the corner, he had no choice. If he didn't act then, he'd regret it. The last thing he needed was more regrets.

He stood and went to the ledge, which had nets underneath it to prevent any jumpers. The ledge itself was a slab that came up to his knees. He pressed them against the rough surface and peered at the river below. The river the waterfall conjoined with. A enormous drop awaited him, but if he could handle flying, he'd handle the heights. Either way, they weren't what mattered. What mattered was...

"Hey goofball."

That melodic voice came from behind him, and he turned to see his woman there with her Vanguard jacket thrown over a turtleneck. New Atlantis nights had cold drafts floating through the air, so both him and her wore the appropriate attire. Jimin tugged on his scarf and beckoned her closer.

She approached with a raised brow. "Why'd you ask to meet me here? We could've walked here together, y'know."

That was true, but Jimin needed alone time to prepare himself, purchase what he needed, and to ask UC security to keep the left side of the walkway clear so they could have more privacy. The right side had more people, but that time of night, most retired to their beds. Not to mention that ever since the Terrormorph attack, less and less citizens left their homes.

"Come here," he said instead of answering the question.

She did, and she kept her mouth shut when she got in front of him. He took her hand and kissed the back of it before releasing it and meeting her eyes.

"Londinion's tomorrow."

She tilted her head. "Yeah. What about it?"

"We're fighting Terrormorphs. Not all of us will survive. I might not... you might not."

She traced her hand down his arm and shushed him. "We're experienced fighters, and we've killed Terrormorphs before. We'll be fin-"

"Don't," he interrupted with a sigh. "You don't know that, so don't lie to me. That's against your religion. Please, let me think about this for a few minutes. We need to. Our lives can change tomorrow, but I don't want that. So... I'm gonna change them tonight."

"Jimin..."

She trailed off when he sucked in a deep breath that expanded his lungs. The breath hurt as it went in, but he swirled it around his body anyway. Then, when he finished, he smiled. It crinkled his eyes.

"I love you," he whispered, and she froze at that. "We've been through hell and back, and maybe I'm going too fast or doing too much all at once, but I don't care. All I want is you, and I won't let those fucking Terrormorphs change that. I won't let them stop me from getting the woman I love."

His hands trembled by his side as he dug into his pocket with his bare one, then lowered himself to one knee. She squeaked and threw one hand over her mouth while her left stayed still by her side. His heartbeat exploded in his ears to the point where it overtook the waterfall. If Y/n said anything, he couldn't hear her thanks to the pounding throughout his figure.

"I've never been so sure about anything in my life," he said as he brought the box out of his pocket and into the moonlight. "I want to wake up next to you every day for the rest of my life. I want to see little versions of you and me running around in the Lodge. I want your stupid alpaca jokes and all your silly knowledge about spaceships."

She sniffled. "It's not silly."

"It's kinda silly," he said, and she laughed. The harmonious sound caused his smile to widen. "But I love it. Y/n, honey, I don't know what the fuck I'd do if I lost you. I love you more than anything in this universe. Being in your life is a privilege." He paused to open the box and reveal the diamond ring waiting inside. "But being your husband has an even better ring to it, don't you think? Y/n, Commander L/n, my beautiful baby girl... will you marry me?"

She didn't even hesitate.

"Yes, of course!"

She collapsed into his arms, and he didn't care how embarrassing it was: he sobbed. He sobbed and sobbed, wailing into her arms from the relief her three words brought. The ring box fell to the ground in favor of both his hands grabbing at her back. Maybe even clawing at her.

He buried his nose against his neck and inhaled the sweet strawberry scent. Her hair danced by him as he moved himself all over her face to leave gentle kisses wherever he could. They ended up laying on the ground due to the force of their bodies pressing together. The physical contact should have made him sick, but it didn't. He welcomed it and tangled his legs with hers. If bystanders saw them, he didn't care. For once, something had gone right. In a sea of confusing powers, a mother who hated him, and Terrormorphs waiting to rip him apart, there was Y/n, his ship in the night who threw a rescue raft to him. He clung to it like it'd deflate if he didn't.

"I love you so much," he whispered, and she hummed and shushed him. She stroked his hair the way she knew he liked it, and he almost purred like a cat as he leaned into it. "I'm so bragging to Barrett that my spouse is alive."

She whacked his shoulder. "A-hole."

"Oooh, was the Universal about to curse-"

"So much for a sweet moment," she interrupted with a chuckle, pulling back and helping him up. He located the ring box and slipped the jewelry on her left finger, watching the metal attach itself to her skin.

"Now you're gonna be legally mine." He kissed the side of her head. "My possession kink can't handle that-"

"Jimin," she interrupted again, and he snickered, bringing her into a kiss full of snot and tears. Somehow, through all the messiness, all he could taste was her sweet strawberry.

He pulled back and placed his hand on her cheek. "Remember when we went to Serpentis and you told me about the gardens your father went to? We should get married at one of them. Whatever one was his favorite."

She giggled. "You haven't even met my parents."

"Let's change that. After Londinion, I'll meet them and make them fall in love with me."

"You're such a goofball."

She hugged him, and right away, he returned it. Londinion held horrors Jimin didn't want to know, but at least his wife would be with him. His official wife. Well, they had yet to go through the marriage process, but he didn't care. They were married, with or without the piece of paper saying it. In his arms was his one. Although they had a battle to win, afterwards, maybe Jimin's story would finish. Maybe he could settle down and live a peaceful life with his woman. Bonus points if they got four dogs and two kids.

"A garden wedding sounds amazing," she whispered, and her breath tickled his neck as she snuggled her head against him.

He agreed and peered at the night sky. It twinkled with stars. If he peeled enough of them back, he swore he could see the system that held Londinion: Toliman.

He kissed her forehead. "Let's do it, honey. And, hey, why don't we go back to the Lodge and relax for a little bit longer? How does that sound?"

She nuzzled her head on his shoulder for a moment before pulling away and meeting his gaze. Her ringed hand placed itself on his cheek, and he burrowed himself on it, cherishing every ounce of coolness that came from the metal band. Then, she grinned.

"That sounds amazing."

☆☆☆

"Landing clearance permitted. Welcome to Londinion."

Jimin fiddled with his fingers as Y/n flew them past the border patrol hovering outside Toliman-II, home of Londinion. Londinion was an ice city, meaning it was located in the arctic, or north, side of the planet while the rest of it was green and covered in forests. Of course their mission would be in a freezing cold, Terrormorph-filled city instead of the tropical forests. Of course it would.

They burst through the atmosphere and located the base, landing right next to it. As soon as the docking gear hit the surface, Y/n unbuckled, as did Jimin. Before she could move, he took her hand, the one with the ring, and kissed the back of it.

"I love you."

She didn't hesitate to engulf him in a passionate kiss that ended with his back against the wall. All the pent up emotions from the past few days of worrying about Londinion exhausted themselves in the kiss, and Jimin didn't complain. He held her close and cherished her strawberry taste, even nibbling on her lower lip to get more of it. When they parted, he almost went back in and crashed his lips on hers again. He opted against it.

They had a mission to complete.

"I love you too," she said. She squeezed his arm as she walked by and went to the back of the ship, where the armor and Jungkook waited. The Cabinet hadn't gifted him his advanced UC armor yet, so he was stuck with his Vanguard gear.

Londinion had a breathable atmosphere, but the freezing temperatures meant suits were required to keep them warm. Unless they wanted to freeze to death. As Jimin had once said, his ultimate goal in life was to go out drowning in pussy, and that was what he'd do. Drowning in Y/n's, of course.

However, it was a double-edged sword. Sex was a giant part of Jimin's life. Having it with Y/n had been therapeutic and gave him agency over his body. With his powers taking more and more dominance by the day, he wondered if sex would be the only thing he had left that made him feel in command. Even then, his childhood had changed that. Back then, control hadn't existed for him.

"Jin should be in the armory," Y/n said, and her voice coaxed him out of his thoughts.

The trio departed the vehicle and explored the UC base. Despite wearing a heated suit, the cold nibbled on his skin. Harsh winds swept by and pounded against the side of his helmet, making the comm go all fuzzy. A gentle bzzz sound echoed around his ears as they traversed to the barricade separating the base from the tundra of Londinion.

The base was outside the city to monitor it. Several cameras captured every moment from their positions on top of lamp posts and buildings. The "buildings" were made of shipping crates, and there were five structures total. One was the armory, and it was the smallest and also the tallest with it going up about two stories. The others had one. In the center was a statue of an Aceles, and on its left was a firing range a single UC soldier stood in front of. The rest of the soldiers dedicated their lives to guarding the barricade in their advanced armor.

Snow got smooshed beneath their boots as they marched to the gray structure ahead with open double doors. Inside, Jimin spotted Commander Min, Commander Tuala, Kaiser, and Jin. All of them wore suits while holding their helmets by their side instead of on their heads. The armory itself had gray walls and floors along with bright lights shining down from the high ceiling. Weapons hung from displays, and several sets of mannequins wearing UC armor cluttered the space.

Jimin entered first with Y/n and Jungkook behind him, which also meant he spoke first. "Commander Min? Not that I'm not happy to see you again, but what are you doing here?"

"Captain, good to see you too. I'm here to help direct you through the city. Your team is spearheaded by Major Kim with assistance from Commander Tuala. Kaiser is equipped with the access codes needed to get you through any locked door you may encounter. In the meantime, I'll be in the control tower overlooking Londinion so I can guide you. If you need any help, comm me. Tuala will help you set the frequency to include me in your comms."

Jimin turned so Tuala could get better access to the frequency adjuster knob on the side of Jimin's helmet, but Tuala shook him off with his metal hand and pointed to the corner of the armory, where a bright green crate sat.

"The Cabinet sent it."

Jimin went over and kicked it. "They made it green on purpose, didn't they?"

Commander Min and Tuala nodded in sync, and Jimin grunted before kneeling so he could open the container. Inside was a handwritten note, and upon picking it up, he noticed it read 'You're lucky I didn't make the suit green just to spite you.' It wasn't signed, but he knew it came from President Logan.

Tossing the note away, he dug through the box and located advanced UC military armor, and it had been customized to be black with red stripes all over it, almost like tiger claw marks running up and down the metal plates. Not only was it stronger and had a superior boost pack, but it wasn't ugly.

Yay!

"Get changed. I already modified the frequency," Tuala said before addressing Jungkook and Y/n. "Turn around, I'll do yours now."

Within two minutes, the entire team geared up. Y/n carried an arsenal with more bullets than there were planets in the Milky Way galaxy. Jungkook, like Jimin, had an AA-99, but his didn't have explosive rounds. They were anti-xeno rounds that could shred through Terrormorph armor. Whatever got them through the day.

Speaking of, day shifted closer to night as they suited up. The sun set, coating the icy landscape with darkness. Great, it'd be colder. However, Terrormorphs slept at night. That meant they could avoid more. Only issue: Terrormorphs were black, so they could blend in. But that was what the built-in thermal readers were for.

"I'll get to the control tower and guide you through the city. Try not to die," Commander Min said. Then, he nudged Jungkook. "Especially you."

Jungkook kicked at the ground, giggled, then agreed. For a bunny boy with a backstory as tragic as Jimin's, he had the charm of a young boy. Considering he had glasses he liked to wear around the ship (but contacts for combat), he looked more and more like a child every day. Yet he had more wisdom than the adults surrounding him. Jimin wanted to unlock those secrets, but that was a conversation for another day. They had Terrormorphs to hunt.

Commander Tuala put on his helmet and strapped his Breach shotgun around his shoulder. "The first sample is in the heart of the city, and it's the Aceles sample. I'll lead the way there. Kaiser, make sure you're scanning for it. Yoongi, if you see us going in the wrong direction, scream at the top of your lungs."

Jin grunted and mimicked Tuala by throwing his helmet on. His otherwise honey-like voice turned garbled. "Or just tell us which way to go."

"Don't worry, my voice is more monotone than Kaiser's. I'll let you know if anything goes wrong."

With that, Yoongi departed, leaving the squad alone in the armory. The UC armor squeezed around all of Jimin's curves and muscles. The extra padding protected him from the cold and allowed him to breathe easier. The mag boots took a minute to adjust to, but once he did, he felt like he could dance better than he had at the Astral Lounge during the Crimson Fleet era of his life.

Hoseok's scarf wrapped around his neck. Jimin wished he could hold it and maybe mumble a prayer like Y/n did here and there. However, he had no time, nor did he feel like taking his helmet off to touch it. It'd have to wait for after the mission.

"Enough stalling, let's get out there," Jin said, his voice bouncing around Jimin's head due to it blasting through their open comm channel.

Combat got loud, so it was important to have the comm open at all times since they wouldn't hear each other over the shotguns and roaring Terrormorphs. He told his brain to avoid the effects of the shout, and as soon as the pep talk ended, he found himself talking off toward the entrance of Londinion with his team surrounding him.

"We all know I have superpowers, right?" Jimin asked, and Tuala made a sound that seemed like he blew a raspberry.

"Still don't believe it, but yes. Kaiser got debriefed."

"Good. I'm not going to hold back, even if it hurts."

Y/n grabbed his arm at that. "We're all trained to fight Terrormorphs, and we don't know what we'll find out there. Please, save your strength. I don't want to carry you out of there, okay?"

Jimin smirked behind his helmet. "Honey, I think you're forgetting I'm me. I'd love it if you carried me out."

Kaiser whacked Jimin, and the metal hand caused him to grunt and rub his poor arm. It was his right one, too. How was he supposed to use his powers if the sassy robot insisted on injuring their best asset?

"Rude," he mumbled, but Kaiser ignored him as they stomped through the snow.

Snow drizzled down and morphed with the red stripes on his suit. The pieces of whiteness camouflaged him with the environment of snow, dirt, and more snow. Hills poked up around him, as did mountains in the distance. Ahead of him sat the giant metal door that hissed out steam as soon as Jin slammed his hand on the access panel in front of it. The door beeped and flashed a crimson light while it peeled itself open, revealing a tunnel leading to the city.

Buttons to control his boost pack rested on his arm band on his left side. For sake of not drawing attention to them, he didn't fiddle with it. He'd need boost pack training before he could use it well. Y/n could teach him, like she taught him flying. Yeah, after all that time, he didn't know how to fly well. Not once had she allowed him to fly during combat, not that he had asked anyway. That would be suicide. Yes, Jimin was suicidal, but not that suicidal.

Jin went first, followed by Kaiser and Jimin, then the rest of their little squad. The inside had heating and steam vents that reminded him of Neon. The golden tint inside came from the lights dangling off the wires near the top of the circular wall. The other side of the tunnel opened upon Kaiser's request, which meant Londinion awaited them.

Commander Tuala took the lead that time and exited the tunnel with his shotgun on the ready. Everyone stayed silent as they kept their weapons up and their eyes scanning every inch of the vicinity. In front of them was a wide open space with the top floor covered in snow and catwalks. Shipping crates drifted back and forth from the thick strings holding them up, originating from the cranes stretching overhead. The part underneath was the surface, and dirt was visible. Frozen dirt, anyway.

Kaiser beeped and pointed to the shipping crate hanging over the closest catwalk. "Inside is the Aceles sample."

"Jimin, now's a good time to practice your boost pack," Y/n said, and he agreed. "There are controls on your arms and legs, so you can either fly with your hands down or up. What would you prefer?"

He opted for his legs and spotted the buttons on his thigh plates. Arrows creased over his black plating, and he pressed on one. The boost pack sprung to life and ascended him. He didn't make it too far in the air, but high enough to see the entire terrain. No Terrormorphs hid in the shadows. At least, none that he could see.

With his body weight, he shifted himself forward and flew to the container, landing on top of it. He pried the door open with his knife, placing it back in his thigh holster once the task was complete. From there, he swung inside and collected the data inside the chest there. Other than the singular chest, the interior was empty. He ran his gloved hand over the ridges of the wall and felt nothing out of the ordinary. No damage from Terrormorphs, bombs, guns, etc.

The data was a tiny chip that could get squashed by a strong gust of wind. Whatever, Jimin had seen the Armistice Archives. Data concealed itself in small cylinders, data chips, and slates. He'd think they'd get stored in heftier packaging, but it wasn't like he went to school, so what did he know?

With his sloppy boost pack skills, Jimin left the container and returned to his friends, handing the chip off to Kaiser. The robot protected it in his chest cavity and strutted down the stairs to make it to the next tunnel. No sounds entered the atmosphere except for the creaking metal of the catwalks and their rushed breathing causing static over the comms.

Upon reaching the next tunnel, Kaiser attempted to open it. That time, it didn't work. A loud, automated voice replied to Kaiser by saying denied.

"Analyzing... The tunnel is blocked," Kaiser said. "We must find another way."

Jin kicked the door. "Is there another way? Yoongi?"

More static came, followed by Yoongi's voice. "A valid Terrormorph sample is in the Londinion spaceport, but, well, after the bombing, not much is left. The quick route there got blasted."

Kaiser beeped a few times. "There are steam tunnels under the city which will allow us to access the spaceport."

Silence followed. Then, Yoongi cleared his throat.

"That's... that's right. Kaiser, how did you know that?"

Kaiser, a robot, hesitated. He spun the rounds of his minigun as if attempting to deflect the question, then, he tilted his circular head toward Jin and lowered his tone.

"I... am not sure."

"We don't have time to play a guessing game," Jin said, and Tuala agreed. "Let's get moving to the spaceport, we can figure out where Kaiser got that data later. Come on, follow me."

The squad agreed, and Jimin held up the rear with Jungkook as they trekked to the entrance to the steam tunnels Kaiser had mentioned. They were by the entrance to the city, and once they entered, they found concrete, leaking pipes, and flicking lights. Rubble crowded the cramped space, and mold infected the gray, cracked walls. Dust floated down from the ceiling and landed on Jimin's armor to mix with the white puffs staining his suit thanks to the weather outside. However, there was some life inside the tunnel.

Heatleeches and giant plants.

Surrounding them were squealing heatleaches that vacated as soon as the humans came near. The plants had stems the width of Jimin's thighs, and the tips of them glowed cyan, similar to his eyes during his particle beam power. They appeared frozen and had coats of ice over their stems, but the light showed they had some life left in them.

"No way," Jin whispered, placing his hand on the plants. "Kaiser, this flora, it's Lazarus Plant, isn't it?"

Y/n held her shotgun closer to her chest. "Lazarus? Like, come back from the dead Lazarus?"

Kaiser beeped. "Correct. No one believed it was a living organism until they looked at it under a microscope and found cells. Originated on Londinion and cannot be cultivated anywhere else. It will die and fade to dust within twenty-four hours of leaving the planet."

Jin didn't reply to that. Neither did the rest of the squad. Instead, they continued to the back, where a set of stairs appeared. They went up and noticed a new room, and that one was more like a control area with dead panels that likely controlled the lights. Cabinets with enough canned food to last two years lingered in the corners, and emergency power flowed through the tunnels for the time being. Above the control panel hung a window peering into another area. A blooming, glistening Lazarus Plant stayed inside, and a locked door leading to it lingered in the back corner. Bedding of chestnut pines and dirt sprinkled in between the first stem of the Lazarus Plant and the second. Jin rushed to the glass and gasped, the soft sound tickling Jimin's ears.

"My God, look. A Lazarus in bloom. You know, we might be some of the only-"

Jin never finished the sentence.

The drip drip of the leaking water coming from the pipes got replaced by a buzzing sound from inside the Lazarus side of the arena. Jimin approached and watched as a heatleech squirmed to the bedding, right in the center of the Lazarus Plant. All at once, cyan and neon green sparkles jumped off the tips of the plant, and the sprinkles accumulated around the slug. The slimy creature roared, and with each passing second, the roars grew fiercer. Its tiny body exploded into a mass of pus-covered, boney legs and a hunched back with oozing pores covering its dark skin. A head popped up with sharp teeth and a shout that could be heard for miles. The heatleech disappeared, and what replaced it was a creature of mass destruction.

A Terrormorph.

All at once, the newborn Terrormorph latched itself onto the panes and screeched at the humans; however, the Terrormorph noticed no cracks formed on the surface, so it retreated and rushed away. It vanished, sprinting behind the plant and zipping into the next chamber, the one closest to the spaceport.

"Holy fuck!" Tuala shouted, banging on the glass once the creature departed. "Are the fucking heatleeches Terrormorphs?!"

Jin staggered back, threw off his helmet, and steadied himself on the cabinets. "I... I think so."

All of them stayed quiet and hyperventilated at the thought. Jimin had never gone to school, but he knew what that meant. Terrormorphs showed up on colonies a good hundred years after humans settled in. So heatleeches evolved to Terrormorphs, and the Lazarus sped the process up. That was why Londinion was the home of Terrormorphs. Tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of Terrormorphs could be in that tunnel.

"If Lazarus dies after being transported off Londinion, and there's a UC base here..." Jimin trailed off and glanced at Jin. "Is it possible the Terrormorph attacks on New Atlantis were planned, and the plants dying would hide the evidence that it was purposeful?"

"Oh God," Jungkook said in a scratchy voice. "Oh fuck. Shit, he's right! Didn't the timing seem too convenient? Jimin, you were just about to go convince the Freestar and House Va'ruun to give you access to the Archives, weren't you?"

Jimin didn't answer for longer than he should have. "Yeah."

"Whoever did this must have known. They did it to convince the Freestar and House Va'ruun the Terrormorphs were a serious threat. But who would do this? And why?"

Jimin, behind his helmet, made eye contact with Y/n and lowered his voice. "I have an idea or two."

"Forget it," Jin said, getting in the middle of the squad and putting his helmet back on. "As much as I want to think of theories and study this plant, none of it will matter if we don't get a sample from that new Terrormorph. We need to move. Kaiser, unlock the door."

Kaiser did, and without another word, the team picked up their pace, sprinted through the Lazarus' residence, and located the entrance to the spaceport. A giant chamber with a ceiling higher than ten Jungkooks stacked on top of one another came into their view. The length of the corridor could fit twenty people inside. Darkness flooded them, and flashlights flicked on as a result. No roars or footsteps sounded off. Other than the dripping water from the leaking pipes, silence remained.

Kaiser, Jungkook, and Jin carried on with Tuala, Y/n, and Jimin staying on guard in the back. They watched the door they came from. No Terrormorphs jumped out.

Or, at least, not until Jimin glanced to his left and saw a massive black blob glaring at him.

Before he could so much as utter a single syllable, the Terrormorph shouted and dazed him, followed by an attack. The AA-99 flew out of Jimin's grasp, and when he went to dive out of the way, a claw ripped through his hip. Blood gushed out. A boney leg hit his stomach, and he soared into one of the metal beams behind him. His back cracked as he hit it, and agony erupted inside him. Screams sputtered out of his parched lips in a series of coughs, and his right hand scratched at the cracked concrete making up the floor.

His boost pack fizzled out and broke from the impact. If it weren't for the boost pack protecting his back, his spine would be fractured and he'd be unable to move. Still, even with the pack, his legs went numb. He whimpered and watched as another Terrormorph launched out from the shadows and engaged in combat with the others. Two Terrormorphs versus their small squad, and Jimin didn't have the strength to use his powers. Except for one.

Life Force.

The symbol came to him as soon as he saw Y/n get knocked down by the baby Terrormorph. Tuala got in front of her and saved her from death, though Tuala got hit as a consequence. Tuala joined Y/n on the floor. Gunfire spewed out. Flashlights broke and brought more blackness, and all that remained was the flash of muzzles and Kaiser's glowing head. The first Terrormorph zoned in on Y/n, about to take a chomp out of her body, but Jimin didn't allow that.

With the remaining bravery in his veins, he fired out a dark stream of light. It slammed into the Terrormorph's body, and he expected to feel healing and relief, but nothing came. The Terrormorph stiffened and slowly turned to stare at Jimin, and it was in that moment he realized it.

Life Force didn't work on Terrormorphs.

Adrenaline rocketed through him, and he managed to get to his knees in time for the Terrormorph to charge him. No weapon and not enough time to think of Sunless Space. As soon as he'd try, the Terrormorph would get too close, and it'd result in him freezing himself. Instead, he rolled out of the way, and the monster banged its head off the beam. The damage didn't do enough.

He narrowed his eyes and calculated his next move. The Terrormorph was a baby and didn't have control over its movements. If he stalled long enough and dodged its attacks, he could gain distance and freeze it. At least for long enough to grab his weapon and think of a new plan while it broke free of his ice. The Morph remained close enough to guarantee Sunless Space wouldn't work, so he had to duck and dive until he got in a comfortable position.

He made up his mind. The Morph lunged forward with its mouth open and drool pouring out. However, right as Jimin went to dodge, a voice cried out for him.

"Jimin!" Y/n yelled, and the voice was so bloodshot he thought it was her death screech.

On instinct, he whipped his head around, preparing to help his wife, but he saw she was still groaning on the ground. It was a trick. It was the shout. Jimin fell for it.

And that led to teeth sinking into his left arm and pulling it clean off.

The edges of his vision turned bright red. At first, he felt freedom, almost as if the detachment of his arm granted him serenity he had never had before. Then, as he observed the monster spitting his own limb out on the ground with blood squirting from his stump of a shoulder, the reality settled in.

Jimin fell on his aching back with tears cloaking his face. He didn't realize he was screaming until the Terrormorph went for his head, munching on the helmet and ripping it off like it had done with his arm. Drool landed on his chin as more pants and bawls wrenched themselves out of his shattering lungs.

Jin, Jungkook, and Kaiser fought the other Morph. Y/n and Tuala had been almost killed by the Terrormorph on the verge of ending Jimin, and his right hand, his only hand left, got pinned down by the Terrormorph claw. His powers couldn't save him. Y/n couldn't. Tuala couldn't. No one could. Death stared back at him, and he sobbed at the thought. He whined and fired out the wails eight-year-old Jimin had wanted to release when his dad had died in the War. He allowed his body to tremble and writhe under the weight of the newborn Terrormorph awaiting its first kill.

The Terrormorph opened its mouth again to take the final bite, which would decapitate Jimin and leave Y/n without a husband. Shrieks yanked through his tongue as if they were a superpower of their own trying to convince the Terrormorph to leave him alone. When that didn't work, one final plea forced itself out of his bleeding lips.

"Mom, help me! I want my mom!"

He didn't know where it came from, and he realized how pathetic it was the second the cracked voice shuddered its way by his clattering teeth. In his mind, he saw his mother's beautiful smile. The full effects of the Morph's shouts settled in. Jimin shut his eyes and embraced his fate. When he opened them again, no dark room returned. Instead, he stood in his childhood home, the same crate his mother had in the present year.

In front of him was little Jimin, giggling and kicking his feet. His mother was there, too. She kneeled by little Jimin's side while holding a beat-up copy of a book Jimin couldn't see; his vision was too hazy. However, when she opened it and cleared her throat, he remembered. It wasn't a book, no, it was two pieces of cardboard Jimin had taped together containing a few pages of cursive handwriting. Cursive letters spilling out Jimin's work-in-progress novel. When he had been a kid, he had wanted to write a book for his mom about their adventures on Neon. Every night, he had stayed up working on it, and every morning, she'd read it. That was what was happening before him.

"I loved this volume, Min Min," she said, echoing what his father had called him whenever he had been home. "But there's one problem."

Young Jimin perked his head up, and tufts of his shaggy black hair covered his wide puppy eyes and prominent freckles. More prominent than they were in his adulthood. They danced across his button nose and chubby cheeks.

"What is it, mama?"

She grinned and revealed her straight, white teeth. No wrinkles sagged her skin, and her hair was as dark as Jimin's, only brushed and stronger than any armor could ever be.

"The main character," she said, giving her son a playful pout. "I don't like him."

Young Jimin covered his mouth with his tiny hand. "What? I like him!"

She held the book against her chest and traced her thumb over the cover. No purple powder stained her skin. In fact, she had her nails painted a glimmering coat of pink.

"He does too much," she said with a chuckle. "He always puts the weight of the galaxy on his shoulders, but he doesn't need to."

Young Jimin mimicked her pout. "What if he wants to?"

"Oh, Min Min, he doesn't have to. He's more than enough just as he is. He could save the entire galaxy or no one at all, but that doesn't change that his mother should love him no matter what."

"You think so, mama?" he asked with pursed lips and his hands grabbing at her blouse.

"I know so. He's everything he needed to be, and I think that's what matters most. Not saving the galaxy. That can wait. He has to save himself first. What do you think, Min Min? Can you tell him he's enough?"

Young Jimin took the booklet and gazed at it. Then, he smiled and laughed until squeaky sounds came out. Jimin observed the scene in silence while tears soaked his face. Young Jimin didn't have a single droplet of water on him. All that was there was crinkling eyes and cheeks followed by a scrunched up nose. Then, he jumped into his mother's arms to embrace her.

Jimin went over and listened to the two laughing. Although he couldn't interact with them as he knew it was nothing more than an illusion, he wrapped his arms around them, too. He joined the embrace and felt the cool air of their imaginary bodies swirling around him. His lower lip quivered as he parted it to speak.

"He's enough." Jimin broke off to whimper, shutting his eyes and feeling the emptiness that replaced where their persons had once been. "He's enough..."

After the words hung in the abandoned vastness of his delusion, his ears rang. A warm, sticky liquid rubbed around his mouth as he shot his dry tongue out to find the source of the substance. He could feel his right side, but not his left. Although his lungs shook every time he sucked in a breath, he tried to see what was in front of him.

Y/n.

"Wake up!" she shouted, her hands on his shoulders and thrashing him. "Don't fucking do this to me! Please wake up! Please!" She buried her head against his chest while his squinted eyes attempted to comprehend what had happened. "I love you... I love you... Please don't leave me."

He let out a soft whine. "I... love you too."

She hopped back. Her helmet was off in a second. "Jimin!"

"Don't worry, I'm here."

Y/n helped him into a sitting position, and just then, Jimin noticed Jin wrapping gauze around where his left arm had once been. No pain stumbled its way into him. Instead, he felt as though the limb was still there. He moved his shoulder as if it were, but his left fingers didn't respond. He could see his detached body part hanging out of the mouth of the dead Terrormorph a few feet away.

"Kaiser saved you," she whispered, and she pressed her hands against his bleeding hip. "I thought I lost you."

He cracked a bloody smile. "Clearly. Since when do Universals curse?"

"I am so slapping the shit out of you when we get back."

He snickered but winced as he did. "I'm holding you to that."

Jin backed away from Jimin, but when he hung his head, Jimin figured out what it meant. Y/n, on the other hand, laughed and kissed his cheek. When he didn't return the gesture, her smile faded.

"No," she said, whipping her attention to Jin. "You have trauma kits, don't you? It'll stabilize him-"

"Not enough," Jin interrupted with a shake in his tone. "I'm sorry, Y/n. He's not gonna make it, he's lost too much blood."

Jungkook stormed forward. "Bullshit. Base isn't far, we can get him back and patch him up."

"It's too late. We took too long to kill the Terrormorphs. Jimin, I-"

"Don't," Jimin said. "It's okay. It's my fault, I got distracted. Logan was right." He paused to cough. "I'm not invincible."

Bliss swarmed his mind. For some reason, no aches infested him even though they had every right to. A blood pool formed underneath him and coated his new armor. His lack of an arm took up most of his vision. Never once did he think he'd stare at himself without one of his limbs, yet it didn't surprise him at the same time.

Y/n cried without making much noise, and he wanted nothing more than to wipe her tears and reassure her, but it wouldn't work. His breathing got more erratic, and he knew that meant it was time.

"Honey," he whispered, using his strength to place his usable hand on her cheek. "Tell Barrett he's an asshole on my behalf, okay?"

Her laughter descended into a series of chokes and sobs, and she ended up burrowed on his chest.

"Fuck you for making me laugh right now."

Jimin snorted. "You're just a wildcard of curses today, huh?"

She pulled back and pressed her forehead on his. "You're such an asshole. Shut up."

"That's impossible, honey. You should know that by now."

She didn't answer. Instead, she grabbed his hand and placed it over her heartbeat. Every beat was as jumpy as his breaths, and with each one, his eyelids got heavier. His lungs didn't get the same air they had before.

"Use it," she said, and when he went to question her, she shushed him. "Life Force. If you use it, you'll live. Tuala can take me back to base and fix me. It'll be like a fresh wound, so we'll have time to get me to safety before the blood loss is too much."

"I'm not doing that to you. It's too risky-"

"Well it's either that or you die!"

Her shout reverberated in the darkness. Kaiser kept watch while the others lowered their heads and let their tears fall. Jimin turned his attention to Y/n and disagreed to the plan again, but she didn't take no for an answer.

"I'm not living without you," she said through her stutters and whines. "You'd do it for me, wouldn't you?"

He stayed silent.

"Y/n," a helmetless Jungkook said, stepping forward. "Let me do it. You've sacrificed so much for the UC, and I've done next to nothing. Jimin deserves to live. I know I can handle it. Tuala can get me back and heal me, but you guys will be down two men."

Jimin huffed. "I'm not doing this to either of you-"

"Yes the fuck you are." Jungkook threw down his rifle, pulled Y/n back, and kneeled in front of Jimin. Jimin's hand ended up over Jungkook's heart. "I worked with UC SysDef and was more prideful about the UC than Neon is for its Aurora. I'm a UC dog, right? I bet you'd get a kick out of seeing me bleed."

Jimin frowned. "But..."

"What? Now's not the time to hesitate-"

"You're my friend."

Jungkook stalled at that. More tears spilled from Jimin's eyes. The worst part: Jimin considered it. He scolded himself for daring to think such a thought, but with his clock ticking down and his breaths more like heaves, he knew he had a minute remaining at most. The solution stood in front of him, and he was offering, too.

"You're my friend too," Jungkook said after a long moment. "And as your friend, I want to do this for you. Jimin, please. I can handle it, but we can't lose you. I can't lose you."

Jimin peeked at Jungkook's sunken eyes. Bags tugged at the skin underneath, and his fluffy black hair shot up in twelve directions. Dirt stained his cheeks, as did moisture. Everyone's helmets were off by that point, like the event needed to be watched with their raw eyes.

Jimin thought of the symbol, and he sparked with light. "Are you sure?"

Jungkook squeezed Jimin's hand. "Always."

The beam shot through Jungkook's chest, and his eyes sparkled with darkness as he screamed and fell back. His arm decayed and snapped off, and what replaced it was a fountain of crimson liquid. Jimin's arm returned, and his hip gash shut. Jungkook took both of the near-fatal injuries, and right as he did, Tuala scooped him up and raced off in the direction they had came from.

All at once, relief struck Jimin. His eyelids became weightless again, and he opened and closed his left fist to ensure it was real. Y/n embraced him before he had the chance to do a full wellness check. The next thing he wanted to do was speak to Jungkook, but the man's echoing shouts told him all he needed to know.

"You did the right thing. It's okay, Jungkook will be okay," she said, and coming from her, he believed her.

Jin offered the two his support, and they got to their feet. Jimin wobbled a few times, then regained his footing. He leaned on his wife for help.

"I'm glad you're alright. I hate to spoil the moment, but we don't know how many Morphs are here, so let's move and get the last Terrormorph sample. I already had Kaiser collect one from your best friend."

Jimin agreed, and together, they continued their journey. Their helmets returned to their proper places, flashlights flicked on, and they made it to the door that would reveal the spaceport. The problem: Kaiser couldn't open it.

"There is a security office over there," the robot said, shining his light near the door in the back.

"Jimin, come with me." Jin urged Jimin forward, and he side-hugged his wife before following the scientist up the stairs and into the security office. Jin pressed on his comm. "Yoongi, I'm sorry you had to hear all that."

"It's okay, I'm glad everyone's okay. We're ready for Jungkook when Tuala gets here. Forgive me, I won't be able to stay on the comms. Jungkook, he's... I need to know if he'll be alright."

"I get it." Jin turned his head toward Jimin and sighed. "More than you know, I understand. Go check on him, we'll be good on our own."

"Sure, but I'll be back soon, just in case."

The line went dead, and Jin grabbed the lever on the side of the wall and pushed it down. Lights came to life and illuminated the tiny office. There was a desk with a few switches on it. Jimin flicked a few, and that seemed to do the trick. Simple fix.

"Power reactivated," the automated voice said.

Jimin hummed and kept fiddling with his left arm to ensure it didn't fall off again. "Nice, let's go-"

Jin cut him off. As soon as the power generator buzzed to life, Jin stormed forward faster than Tuala had carried Jungkook out of there. In a flash, warmth flooded Jimin, and it was all because of the scientist.

Jin hugged him.

Silence enveloped them as Jin held him. Jimin didn't hesitate to return it. For the millionth time, Jimin's face got damp, and he nodded on Jin's shoulder.

"I know," Jimin said in a stammer.

Jin whacked the back of his head. "Y/n's right: you're an asshole. Don't you dare do that to me again."

"Awh, what's wrong? Getting soft on me now, old man?"

"I..." Jin pulled away and went to speak again, but the automated voice answered on his behalf.

"Emergency message detected. Transcription process engaged."

The automated voice became a recording between two people. One was, at least Jimin assumed was, a UC soldier with a light voice. Almost like a rookie. The other was a voice Jimin knew too well. It was Jin's father.

"Admiral Kim," the UC soldier said. "We need to make the evacuation request."

Jin moved back and ended up with his back pressed against the wall. "Admiral Kim? Dad..."

"It just... transformed. An invisible weapon. No planet would be safe. Colonel, the troops that closed off the sewers after my evaluation, they're all in the facility?" Vae Victis asked over the recording.

"Other than our casualties, yes, sir."

"Good. Get them into defensive positions around the spaceport. No one leaves. I'll send ships as soon as possible."

"Thank God. None of us wanted to go down swarmed by those things," the UC soldier said with a slight, cracking chuckle in his voice.

"That won't be your fate, Colonel. You have my word."

The automated voice came back. "Transcription complete. Physical copy available."

The physical copy popped out of the socket under the computer on the desk. Without a word, Jin snatched it and tucked it in his armor's chest cavity. From there, he faced Jimin.

"You've had a long day," he said, his words slow and drawn out. "I don't want to make it worse, but you know I have the right to know: why didn't the UC execute my father?"

Jimin froze. "What are you talking about-"

"Jimin." Jin stopped and shook his head. "What UC textbook did you read?"

"I..."

"Is it like you to forget the books you read? Even if you did, I find it very hard to believe the biggest UC hater I know not only picked up a UC textbook to read in his free time, but also one that happened to have a picture of my father in it." Jin circled Jimin and swung his rifle over his shoulder. "Teachings of Vae Victis were outlawed years ago, so where did you find a book with his picture in it, Park Jimin?"

Shit. He couldn't lie anymore.

"They're using him to track down criminals. He wanted me to find one by the name of Reginald Orlasse, but when I found him, he took his own life. I haven't met with your father since."

Jin nodded once. Twice. "Thank you for your honesty. I understand why you didn't tell me, but I hope you know we need to suspect him now. You heard him: 'an invisible weapon.' He knew about the Lazarus Planet. I'm willing to bet he bombed the spaceport not to stop the Terrormorphs but to stop the secret from getting out."

"I think you're right."

"Glad we're in agreement. Let's get moving, the others are waiting for us." Jin went to leave, but he halted last second, then swiveled on his heel to face Jimin once more. "Are you... are you okay?"

No, he wasn't. Somehow, Jimin had to act like what had just happened was fine and dandy. He had almost been mauled to death by a Terrormorph, lost his arm, and saw a memory of his childhood self with his mother before dad had died. He had used his superpowers on his best friend, and anything that happened to Jungkook was on him. Whether he survived or not, Jimin would add his name to the list. Austin. Larry. Delgado. Hoseok. Jungkook. Yet another victim to Jimin's attacks, and it didn't matter if it was voluntary or not.

He wanted to cower away and deflect, but Jimin could sense Jin's calming gaze from behind the helmet. For that reason, Jimin teared up yet again. That time, he held them back and resorted to sniffling instead. He smiled despite how Jin couldn't see it. The grin hurt as it stretched across his face.

"No. No, I'm not."

☆☆☆

A/N: Jimin got another boo boo.

Part 2 will be out soon! Remember to vote if you want to see it faster!

Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed part 1 of the s2 finale.

Remember s3 will be much darker and we will be going into more intense topics surrounding grief and self-destruction. It'll be a lot of fun to write, so I hope you enjoy it.