─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

SEASON 3 FINALE PART 1

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Location:

System: Toliman

Faction: United Colonies

Planet: Toliman II

Place: Forward Base 441 (Londinion)

But Neon first :D

☆☆☆

Jimin

Two weeks had slipped by.

In that time, Jimin had trained with the mech and worked out its kinks. No, he wouldn't be an excellent pilot, but it'd be enough to get him through the mission. Not that he needed it for anything else.

Whatever, that wasn't his concern at the moment.

Unfortunately, Jimin had one final task for Ryujin before he was "officially" sanctioned to use the mech for combat. Jimin had avoided Bayu like the plague and planned to continue doing so, but he couldn't avoid Ryujin. That led him to the executive board room, which was massive with red walls and white accents, bright lights and no shadows, and a long table with more chairs than Jimin bothered counting. It was a black table to contrast the rest of the color scheme, so there was some color other than red. Jimin loved red, but he was starting to get tired of seeing it all the time.

Masako and the other executives sat in their respective spots, and Dalton stood behind Masako with a data slate. A slate with evidence against Imogene, no doubt. Not that Imogene was present. Poor girl got the lock and key. So much for Jimin's relationship with her.

"We got word that the SSNN broadcast will start in five minutes, but before we listen, I wanted to be transparent about what we have been doing behind the scenes," Masako said, and Jimin fought the urge to yawn.

Jimin being there was a formality more than anything. Everyone else had a stake in the meeting, but all Jimin needed to do was sit there and look pretty until the mind control was finalized. As soon as it was finalized, he would get the mech. Sure, he had trained with it, but that wasn't finality. Bayu didn't want him to run off with it early.

Dalton stepped forward. "We had a mole in the company."

"A mole?" Ularu asked, and Jimin let out an internal snort. Yeah, he wondered who was to blame for the mole. "Under your nose?"

"I understand this is a failure on my part, but we have already handled it. The guilty party is Imogene Salzo. She was feeding data about our internal neuroamp to Infinity LTD."

"A high-level mole?" Camden asked, stroking his chin. The rest of the board shared his sentiments, questioning how such a high-level mole slipped under security's noses.

"I apologize for the oversight, but our new operative handled it."

Jimin waved. "Yes, I located the evidence needed to incriminate Imogene and made sure to wipe Infinity off the map."

Masako hummed. "That is why we are here to listen to the SSNN broadcast. Jimin snuck into Infinity and hijacked their computers to siphon incriminating data from them, and SSNN will report on it. Infinity will sink both in the eyes of the public and the eyes of the law. The UC won't tolerate their presence in their systems anymore, and Infinity will either sink or try to live off the Freestar alone, and that's assuming the Freestar want them either."

"And, what?" Ularu asked, tapping her gloved hand on the table. She sat next to Jimin on the left, with Veena on his right. Jimin tried to ignore the mad scientist. "If they sink, what do you plan to do?"

Ah, classic Ularu. She knew the answer already, but she wanted to make Masako say it.

"We acquire Infinity."

The board murmured to each other, and Jimin wanted to laugh at their stupidity.

"Not only will it give us a good reputation with the public, but it'll give us new engineers and scientists. Infinity's top may be evil, but that doesn't mean the employees are. We would be putting thousands out of work unless we swoop in."

"Oh, Masako," Jimin said, though he didn't know why he bothered speaking. He had no say in any of the matters. Like he said, he was just there for formality. "Okay with mind control but cries over people losing jobs. I know my opinion doesn't matter, but I don't think you should do it. I don't want all those people to lose their jobs, but what about Ryujin? You gonna take away from others' salaries to compensate the thousands of new employees? You gonna let some Ryujin staff go? What if the new employees are bitter and try to sink Ryujin? You can keep Ryujin's name out of the press all you want, but everyone will know who did it, M. Sometimes you need to put your people first."

Linden, the chief financial officer, cleared his throat. "Not to mention what a move like that will do to our finances. Like Mr. Park said, our employees are getting paid quite well. Moving in thousands more will make competitive pay a mess, and it could take years to fix it."

Genevieve, the PR and marketing head, spoke, too. "All valid points, but after Jimin's loud Infinity mission, the PR team's been working overtime trying to cover it up. We could use an easy win here."

Ularu glanced at him and smirked, and Jimin chuckled. At least one person was proud of him. Speaking of Ularu, it was her turn to throw in her two cents.

"Mr. Park raised an excellent point about more potential problems. Dalton, if you couldn't catch such a high-level mole, how can we trust you'll be able to handle thousands more employees to look in to? Besides, I have no interest babysitting another company, so I vote against it."

"As do I," Linden said, and it ended up being split, though the nays were up by one more than the ayes. That meant no Infinity acquisition.

"Fine," Masako said, her face souring. "But we must get the internal neuroamp on the market."

"It's a legal nightmare," Alexis, the head of the legal department, said. "Mind control? Are you serious? How many lawsuits do you want to have, Masako? And Linden, how many overtime hours do you want to have?"

Alexis was a grade A bitch, but if even the grade A bitch saw the problem with mind control, how come no one else did? Greedy assholes.

Linden brushed the concern off. "I'm sure our legal department can form a fantastic waiver to make Ryujin not legally liable for any misdoings the internal neuroamp might cause. While I appreciate your concern for my work hours, the internal neuroamp is projected to become the most profitable product in history. Do you know how many investors I have lined up for this?"

"And it's my life's work," Veena said, fiddling with her fingers. "All the tests went well. It's safe, you have my word."

"Safe for everyone who has one, you mean," Jimin said, unable to help himself, and Masako glared at him.

Alexis leaned forward and eyed him. "You're the only one who has one. Tell us, how is it?"

Well, shit. Part of Jimin's contract was to ensure mind control made it to the market, otherwise he'd never get the mech. He had no choice but to suck its dick. That didn't mean he had to lie, though. No, Y/n would already hate him enough for all he had done. He didn't need to add lying to the list.

"Veena's telling the truth about the safety. I've experienced no side effects or any issues with my brain, other than the obvious." Jimin paused to snicker. No one else found it amusing. "Sheesh, tough crowd. Damn, okay, look, I don't morally support mind control, and I will never use this device to take someone else's autonomy from them, but my wife is missing, and the only way I can find her is with that mech in your basement. If I don't get mind control on the market, I don't get the mech, so please vote in favor of it."

No one replied to him, not that he expected anyone to.

"All in favor?" Masako said, and a series of ayes rang out. "All against?" Only a handful of nays.

That was it. Mind control was going to the market.

"Excellent." Masako leaned back and turned on the intercom on her desk. "Now, let's see how SSNN is doing."

For a minute, SSNN reported on some event in New Atlantis. Some light festival Jimin didn't care about. Then, David changed topics and spoke about Infinity, and Jimin tuned in.

"Infinity LTD and Lucas Drexler are currently under investigation for a number of violations, including murder for hire, unauthorized human trials, and corporate theft."

David went into detail about the Carinae incident and the Clinic, and apparently, David had shared the information with the Freestar and UC. Huh. No wonder why it took a hot minute to report it. David was a busy bee, but Jimin respected it. It resulted in multiple arrests being made. Looked like the end of Infinity had happened prior to the broadcast, but the broadcast would end them for good.

"Drexler's motivation appears to be an attempt to launch a new product based off stolen information from a competitor."

Good, David kept Ryujin out of it. It wouldn't matter, but it was a sign of trust. Maybe Jimin could trust David to do similar down the line, if needed.

"The details on the project itself have yet to be confirmed, but it's believed that Masako Imada, CEO of Ryujin Industries, may be involved."

Oh. Never mind. So that was Ularu's plan, alright. Jimin also respected that.

"What?" Masako asked, her voice hitching and going two times higher than normal. The other board members shared similar reactions.

"A series of communications between Drexler and Imada were discovered, where she encouraged Drexler to ignore approval guidelines for human trials," David said, his voice filled with static due to both light-speed delay and the intercom's basic function. "This has been David Barron for SSNN."

The intercom shut off, and silence followed. Masako's eyes slowly moved to Jimin, and he couldn't help himself: he smirked. He didn't care how it made him appear, or if anyone else saw. The paleness on Masako's face was worth it, and Jimin realized Ularu was a fucking genius. Ryujin had no choice but to vote Masako out. It was the only way to save Ryujin's graces in the PR department.

"Is that... true?" Dalton asked, backing away from Masako, who ripped her gaze away from Jimin to dart her eyes between the horrified board members instead.

"No, of course not! I was set up. Jimin set me up."

"Me?" Jimin quirked a brow and licked his lower lip, tapping his finger against his cheek. "What's my motivation, Masako? I have no interest in Ryujin and plan to leave the second I get my mech, and guess what? I made sure your mind control got approved, so now there's no reason for me to stick around. All the terms of my contract were fulfilled. If I have no plans of sticking around Ryujin, and my mech is now mine, then what's my motivation?"

"You're..." Masako slammed her fist against the table. "Who else would it be? You went into Infinity and gave David that data."

"Maybe that data's the truth."

"Bullshit!"

"He's got a point, Masako," Veena said, staring at the table. "If he wanted to throw anyone under the bus, it'd be me. He hates me for the internal neuroamp."

"Yeah, but if it's any comfort, I wouldn't throw you under the bus anyway. I have no reason to care about Ryujin. Maybe Masako just thought she wouldn't get caught."

Masako ignored him. "Motivation this, motivation that, but what about my motivation? Why would I encourage Infinity?"

"You're the one who wanted to acquire them," Ularu said, taking the heat off of Jimin, which he was thankful for. "You wanted the internal neuroamp on the market fast, and you wanted to take a competitor off the market without getting your hands dirty yourself, so you made Infinity do it. It makes perfect sense. That's why I say we move to vote Masako out as CEO, and nominate me to take her place."

"Agreed. We don't want a potential criminal leading your company that's already on a tightrope PR-wise," Jimin replied, and he paused to snort. "And that's coming from a criminal, by the way."

Genevieve was quick to agree, though Jimin couldn't tell if that was because she actually believed Ularu was the better choice, or because she wanted to limit the PR team's overtime as much as possible. Either way, it secured a vote for Ularu.

"Good riddance," Linden said with a hand wave, and Masako watched as the other board members voted her out. Dalton was the only one who didn't have a say. He abstained, which meant Masako was gone.

"Security, escort Miss Imada out," Ularu said, and when Masako went to rebuttal, Ularu held up her hand to cut her off. "Save it. You have no power anymore."

"I have more power than you think, and I don't care what the evidence says. I know you're behind this, Ularu, and I'll prove it, no matter how long it takes."

Ularu simply smiled. "Good thing you're going to have plenty of time on your hands then. Security, why don't you escort Masako to her... I guess I should say former office. I'm sure law enforcement will be looking for her soon anyway."

Masako narrowed her eyes but was forced to stand when security guards came over, and she sent one last glare Jimin's way before following them out.

Ularu continued as if nothing happened. "Well, now that that's taken care of, this meeting is adjourned. Get back to work."

The board members lingered, and then, they departed, too, leaving Jimin and Ularu in the meeting room. Jimin placed his dirty boots on the table and yawned.

"Drama's over," Jimin said, and Ularu didn't disagree.

"Yes, but that means you did your job. You're proven yourself to be quite the asset, haven't you? Especially for me."

Jimin got up and brushed himself down, throwing his scarf over his shoulder. "If that's your way of saying thank you, you're welcome."

She laughed. "I suppose it is, but I mean it, Mr. Park. You were a low-level employee, and you went up against Masako. That takes guts."

"Ularu, I grew up on Neon. This is nothing I'm not used to."

"Ah, I see Imogene's instincts were right about you. Shame I had to sacrifice her."

Imogene didn't deserve it, and Jimin knew he'd feel bad about it for the rest of his life, but Masako was an obstacle. Ularu at least wore the evil on her sleeve and also did everything Jimin wanted. Masako, on the other hand, was back and forth. Ularu was predictable, Masako not so much. Unpredictability meant danger, and Jimin didn't want that.

Ularu took out a slate from her back pocket. "As promised, I have everything you asked for. A whole list of apartments for your mother, guarded by the best of the best."

Jimin took the slate and scrolled through the data. "Thank you, Ularu. I'll look through these and send you my final answer soon."

"Of course, you earned it. I have more for you, if you're interested."

"Ularu, this is the second time you've almost made me cream my pants."

Ularu snickered. "Rehab didn't take away your personality, good." She handed him a credstik, and Jimin snatched it without hesitation. "A bonus, or maybe a deposit."

"Deposit?"

"For your trust in me. Trust that no harm will come your way, even if Masako manages to find evidence against me, which she won't."

Jimin glanced at the stick and saw its worth. His eyes almost jumped out of his head.

One million credits.

Ho.

Ly.

Fuck.

"Ularu," Jimin mumbled, resisting the urge to moan. "I think I actually had an orgasm."

"I'm choosing to ignore that. You'll be promoted to senior operative. You've certainly proved yourself capable enough. That means you can work as much or as little as you want, and you get your own office in the operations center. Imogene's."

Jimin snorted. "You are so Goddamn evil."

"Maybe, but I just do what no one else is willing to do. Ryujin changes the galaxy, and I'll ensure it stays on top where it belongs." Ularu went over to the door. "And I am a woman of my word. If she's alive, I'll pay for her medical expenses."

"I appreciate it. I assume kicking Masako out won't change my status with the mech?"

"No. With me as CEO, I'll sign over the release forms and make sure you get the mech right now."

Jimin nodded and had nothing more to say, but he also didn't know if he should leave or not. Ularu opened the door for him, and she shook her head before laughing and speaking.

"Now go find your wife."

☆☆☆

Londinion. Again.

Deja vu didn't begin to describe it. Memories didn't, either. No words could capture how Londinion made him feel, and he doubted he'd ever find the right way to express it.

Snow and wind bashed against his suit. The suit Y/n's parents had gifted him. If she was down there, a recognizable sight would greet her. It was better than showing his face. The last thing he wanted to do was overwhelm her in an area she was probably already overwhelmed.

After months, almost a year, of waiting and waiting, the reality that he would reveal his wife's fate that day didn't feel genuine. Maybe he was in denial, maybe he was numb after all he had gone through, but he knew he needed closure. He needed to know if his powers had caused his wife to die, like they had so many others.

He had half a mind to give up his powers. But not until after the mission; Y/n would need them, if she was down there. Otherwise, he wanted to see how life would be without them. Isabelle had died because of them. He couldn't let more lives disappear due to his misdeeds.

Larry. Hoseok. Delgado. Isabelle.

Y/n.

How many more had to die before Jimin learned his lesson?

"You ready for this?" Jungkook asked as he stopped by Jimin's side. The mech—which was enormous, to say the least—was loaded up and ready, and they were outside the chasm. Jimin would crawl in with Jungkook latched to the side of the metal beast, and they'd tear through the undergrounds and stomp on it. Like, literally; they would tear the place apart.

"As ready as I can be." Jimin switched to his thoughts and sent a message to his favorite Starborn. Any chance you can help?

"I will. I promise."

Thank you. I owe you.

"This is really shitty, y'know," Jungkook said, bringing Jimin back to the present. Jimin motioned for Jungkook to continue. "If she's alive and sees that mech, she'll slap you and never forgive you."

"I know."

"You're an asshole."

Jimin sighed. "I know."

"I should hate you for everything you've done. Killing Isabelle, destroying the ship, falling to Aurora, daring to defend those pirates..."

"Is there a point to this incredibly positive pre-mission pep talk?" Jimin asked, and Jungkook ignored that.

"I spent my whole life looking up to the stars and hoping Mr. Unstoppable would come and save me. He's come in a few forms, over the years. Mom, Commander Min..." Jungkook met Jimin's gaze. "You."

"But?"

"But he was never me. Not once on that path did I stop to think I could be the hero, even when I was working in one of the highest UC positions." Jungkook swung his AA-99 over his shoulder and put his helmet on. A UC Vanguard helmet. "You're an amazing man, Jimin, and you were right: you can love and hate at the same time. I hate you, but I love you. And now it's time for me to love me, too."

Jungkook squeezed Jimin's shoulder before trotting away to boost pack up to the bronze-painted mech, and Jimin lingered, eyeing the way he moved with the boost pack. No staggers or missteps came to his pattern. That was something Jimin couldn't do. Maybe Jimin could learn more than one thing from Jungkook.

Jimin followed Jungkook with not as much grace, ending up on the arm instead of the cockpit and needing to walk to it. Jungkook helped him inside and tethered himself to the machine, and Jimin slid his gloved hands over the familiar yoke.

Now.

Starborn Y/n fizzled into existence, and Jungkook jumped at that and raised his weapon, but Jimin whacked his boot to get him to back the fuck off.

"Relax. She's a friend. Remember when I said I had a voice in my head?" Jimin asked, to which Jungkook nodded. "That's her. She has powers, like me. She'll help."

"That would've been useful earlier."

"No shit. I tell her that all the time."

Y/n's face was covered with the helmet, but he could almost feel her smile, and that had him rolling his eyes while he powered up the mech and saw its headlights burn bright and its wide arms buzz and hiss with activity.

For everyone's sanity, please don't talk. We need to stay focused here, and if Jungkook recognizes your voice...

"He'll get distracted," Y/n's voice replied in his mind. "Understood. I'll behave."

Jimin appreciated it but had no time to reply, seeing as he had a wife to rescue. So, he lunged forward, the mech humming as it soared through the air and down to the chasm, its boost pack activating and slowing it in time for the metal feet to clank against the ground.

"Taehyung, status?" Jimin asked, patching through to the comm back at the base. Yes, he had Taehyung on scanning duty again. Someone needed to oversee them, and Tuala had no will to live following Y/n's departure, so that left either Commander Min or Taehyung, and Commander Min wanted no part in Jimin's quest. So Taehyung it was.

"Nothing yet. I'll let you know, sir."

Jimin didn't bother using manners; Taehyung would scold him. That left Jimin with one option: investigate the cave. It was the same as before, not that he had expected any differences. Dark, cold, and full of snow. It caused the mech to sink by a few inches. They had requested Ryujin keep it on the smaller side for purpose of the mission being underground, but that didn't change how massive the mech was. It was at least ten Jungkooks tall with the strength of twenty starship lasers.

The mech's hands latched onto the tunnel opening and ripped it apart, creating a giant gash for the mech to slip into. A tight fit but a necessary one, and Jimin would make it work.

Inside was the tunnel system. It was built for robots to wander, so it was already larger than the average tunnel system, though Jimin kept banging it up to squeeze himself in.

No noises came aside from the thump thump of the mech's feet and the whirrrr of its machinery. It was old, after all; it needed an oil change and a makeover, but again, it would do. All it needed was one mission, and then it could retire. Jimin wondered if he would ever say the same thing about himself.

"Still nothing, boss," Taehyung said, his voice garbled by the distance and weather. Londinion's comms were some of the best in the Settled Systems, yet not enough to withstand Londinion's constant blizzards.

Jimin traversed the hollow tunnels and found scattered weapons with no magazines, opened cans of food, and some paper from what seemed to be notebooks all bundled up and covered in ice, as if liquid had been on the paper before. Those items lay on the floor of multiple rooms, and of the rooms, none of them were identifiable. None of them had any markings to show where they were or what the rooms had once been, so Jimin couldn't figure out why those objects were common occurrences.

Any ideas?

"None, but some of the cans look fresh. Not as dented," Y/n replied in his mind.

That was all Jimin needed to push forward. As if he himself were the mech, he crawled through the tunnels, prying them apart and scanning for life in the process. Five minutes later, he heard a beep.

A beep on his motion tracker.

"Taehyung?"

"I'm detecting a mass of lifeforms in your area, sir. Dead ahead."

Jimin activated the laser cannons and halted, and Jungkook and Starborn Y/n took the hint and raised their weapons. Y/n had a weapon Jimin didn't even fucking bothering trying to recognize. It looked like a backwards dildo with a glossy finish and a laser grid like a magshear. Whatever. Overachiever looking ass.

"I think I see twenty," Taehyung said, and Jimin grunted. Great. Twenty Terrormorphs. What a pleasant surprise.

Silence followed. A few whirs from the mech came next. Then, distant footsteps. Jimin's rushed breathing. The wind blowing behind them. And then...

Scree!

A horde of Terrormorphs pounced out from the darkness, and Jimin opened fire, mowing through them like it were just another day of the week, and within seconds, all of them were eviscerated. Goo replaced where the Terrormorphs once were, and the once-deadly foe that was almost impossible to kill alone became nothing more than a minor inconvenience.

And that was why Park Jimin needed a fucking mech.

"Shit," Jimin said with a laugh. "We might actually pull this off."

"Why's that-" Taehyung cut himself off. "What the hell? All the lifeforms disappeared from the scanner."

"That, Mr. Kim, is the power of a mech. Now focus and keep us posted on any lifeforms, got it?"

Taehyung agreed, and Jimin returned to the task at hand, scouring through the tunnels and trying to find signs of life. The dark made it hard to tell. The mech's headlights were the only sources of light in the area. Well, other than the flashlights attached to their spacesuits, but in such a ginormous area, the flashlights meant nothing.

Creaking and whirring continued to fill the void, interrupted by the mech's heavy, clunky footsteps. That was what the mission had become: walking and pausing to annihilate Terrormorphs whenever needed. It continued like that for twenty minutes. Each minute that ticked by had Jimin's heart going crazier inside him. Crazy to the point where he felt his skin clam up and his eyes water.

"Sir, there's an opening up ahead, but it's too small for the mech," Jungkook said, pointing his flashlight at a hole that was barely human-sized. It would require crawling, and as much as Jimin didn't have claustrophobia, he didn't want to climb inside to find a bunch of Terrormorphs waiting there.

"Can we get a print on it?"

"Sorry, Capt', but we don't have any probes with us."

Shit. Jimin knew he should've brought them, but he thought the mech would be enough. But that wasn't the time to fail; he had to persevere.

Jimin tried to widen the gap with the mech, but it was sealed down tight, not to mention it was a natural hole, not man made. Man made metal was easy enough to shape to his needs, but not the earth itself.

"Alright, let's take a look. We don't have much other choice, right?" Jimin asked, sliding out of the surprisingly comfortable pilot's seat and exiting on Y/n's side of the mech. Any chance I can convince you to teleport inside and check it out?

"Consider it done."

Y/n snapped her fingers and disappeared from existence, and Jimin waited and waited until she reappeared in front of him and spoke in his mind. "Clear. It's just more tunnels on the other side."

Jimin nodded and turned to Jungkook. "I had her check it out. Nothing dangerous."

"Fucking Christ, Jimin. You couldn't have made her help with any of the other thousand missions we've been on?"

"Don't blame me, blame her."

Jimin jumped down from the mech and used his boost pack to slow his fall, swinging his magshear forward and throwing it through the hole. He went prone, his stomach pressed against the snow, and shimmied through the tiny gap. He groaned but made it to the other side, and Jungkook followed. Y/n teleported, of course.

"Stay behind me. We don't know how many there are."

Jimin's mini crew agreed, and Jimin took point, taking slow, steady steps through the new area. Their flashlights were more effective in the narrower tunnels, and Jimin listened to any noise he could pick up on. Jungkook's shaky breathing, Jimin's boots crunching the snow, rocks falling from the low ceiling. That was what a cave looked like, and Jimin was used to caves. At least the Terrormorphs were on his turf.

"Jungkook, you have the flares I asked you to bring?"

"Yes, Captain."

"Good. Mark our path with them."

Jungkook obeyed and lit a flare, tossing it down to mark the entrance, and every one hundred steps they took, he lit another and left it behind to keep a mental map of where they were. Every turn looked the same, so for good measure, Jimin used his knife to carve an 'x' into the ice walls.

The vicinity was made of narrow ice and rock "hallways." They curved in countless directions, hence why Jimin had Jungkook marking their tracks and Jimin himself using his dagger for extra precaution.

"Can a Terrormorph fit in here?" Jungkook asked, and Jimin grimaced under his helmet.

"I don't want to find out. Taehyung, status?"

"One lifeform. Dead ahead."

Jimin stiffened and saw the end of the corridor was pitch black, and Starborn Y/n stepped forward and fired a solar flare in that direction, at the ceiling, and that light grew and grew until... bam! It broke against the dead end, and a Terrormorph roared from being disturbed.

"Shit, you woke it up."

Jimin wanted to curse Y/n out further, but the woman grav dashed in a series of three, speed boosting herself over to the Morph, bouncing off the wall to soar in the air, and hopping on its back. She grabbed it by the head and fired a solar flare down its throat, killing it instantly.

And it also instantly gave Jimin a boner.

Oh my God, if you were my actual wife, I'd be fucking you against the wall for that.

"You're a disgusting human being, Jimin." Starborn Y/n slid off the Morph and tossed its head at Jimin's feet. That was when he noticed her gloves were intact despite using her powers. Special ass suit, huh? "Now come on, we have work to do."

"Jimin," Jungkook said, unaware of the conversation Y/n and Jimin had in their heads. "For the millionth time: where was she for the Crimson Fleet? The first Londinion Siege? Barrett existing?"

"Probably eating chips and watching us suffer."

Starborn Y/n flipped them off and backtracked since they had met a dead end. They retreated and avoided the paths they marked, and Jimin marked the new directions they took with an 'o' while Jungkook left flares pointing straight up instead of lighting them and throwing them on the ground. They took the series of twists and turns until they found another hole that led into a different section, and Y/n teleported to the other side and flashed back a beat later.

"Clear."

Jungkook, who hadn't heard Y/n once the entire journey, grabbed Jimin's shoulder. "Can you hear her?'

"In my mind, yes."

"Can she speak?"

"Yes, but we've decided it's best if she doesn't."

"We? You chose that, too? Why? What's going on-"

"Jungkook," Jimin interrupted, moving away from Jungkook's grip. "Once we get back, we can braid each other's hair and talk all about it, but for now, can you trust me on this? Please?"

Jungkook's eyes weren't visible behind his helmet, but Jimin knew they were on him, and he shifted under the intensity of it.

"Alright, Captain. I'll trust you."

Jimin nodded and took the dive first, crawling through the hole and coming out the other side to a much wider environment. The ceiling was high enough for a mech that time, and the width was, too.

Any chance you can teleport objects?

"Only objects I'm carrying," Y/n said in his mind as she appeared beside him. "No, not your mech. It's too big."

But if we get in a sticky situation, you can teleport us out?

"I can, yes, but let's hope it doesn't come to that. Teleporting more than just myself is tricky."

Jimin didn't disagree and scanned the terrain. Snow died off in favor of rock, though ice still infected the walls and ceiling. Icicles hung down, droplets of moisture tip-tapping to the rocky surface and onto Jimin's suit. In front of them waited more paths while behind them was a dead end, so Jimin guided them forward.

"Captain, I'm detecting a mass in front of you."

"A mass? Like, a lot of Terrormorphs?"

"No, just one."

"One? But how is that-"

A deep grumble sounded off, and Jimin paused. He slowly looked up, and there, attached to the ceiling, was the queen Terrormorph. The one he had fought all those ages ago and used his gravity well on to try and kill. It had survived the fall.

It survived the fucking fall.

"How the hell did it get here?" Jimin whispered, noticing how it didn't budge. It sounded like it was... snoring? Whatever it was, it let out booming rumbles but never moved to attack. "The hole is too small."

"There could be another entrance. The Londinion tunnels are some of the largest cave systems humanity has ever created," Jungkook said, and Jimin didn't answer.

Jimin tip-toed past it and advised his crew to do the same. That was when Jimin stepped on ice and cracked it, and he slipped to the ground with a thunk!. His helmet banged off the rocks, and his magshear clattered by his side.

"Shut the fuck up," a male voice whisper-yelled from behind him, and Jimin craned his neck to see a man with too long of a beard and thick black goggles there, standing in the entrance of one of the tunnels. "You'll wake it."

A survivor.

A motherfucking survivor.

Although Jimin wanted to scream questions, he knew better, and he rose to his feet and leaned on Jungkook for support. The survivor wore no helmet but had black UC armor, and it was in that moment that Jimin realized it.

The Londinion bombings. Vae Victis. It all connected, and Jimin had to figure out how.

Jungkook held onto Jimin the entire time, and their feet almost tangled together in their panic, causing them to stumble back to the ground. The continuous stream of noise had the Terrormorph whining, and soon enough, their fate was sealed.

The creature woke up.

It slammed down from the ceiling and screamed, and Jimin got blasted back. He rolled to his feet right away and whipped his magshear forward, firing at the monster while the UC soldier joined in, and the four of them blasted it with all their might. It didn't matter; it was as if the bullets bounced off the thing's thick armor.

"Fuck! Is it possible to kill this thing?" Jimin asked over the chaos, but no one had time to answer.

More shouts came, and the force of them sent everyone to the ground, giving the Morph the time to strike. It jumped up and went to pounce down on them. For such a massive blob, it had the agility of a normal Terrormorph, and that had Jimin shaking more, even as he used his boost pack to fly to the side and narrowly dodge the incoming strike.

Jungkook boost packed up and hovered in the air to provide aerial support, and Y/n used her powers to weaken its vein-covered black armor covering its gigantic legs and torso. Its head was almost invisible, though Jimin spotted the tiny mouth with sharp teeth in the center.

Jimin burned through his glove and launched a solar flare at it to chip off the top of its leg armor, but it did nothing. The Morph jumped his way and pounded its leg against Jimin's chest. He hit the wall hard enough to leave a crack in his armor, and he dropped his weapon, his head hitting the snow with his vision wavering.

Both withdrawal and the impact shredded his bones apart. Every atom inside him pranced away and left him with heaves and muscles that wouldn't respond. The shout had him questioning his sense of self, too, and he could hear a million voices. Isabelle's was the most prominent. Her voice cried out for mercy and begged him not to kill her. He wished he could apologize, but even if he could, it wouldn't be satisfactory for him.

The Morph didn't stop there and lunged to him with its claw raised, prepared to end his life. A smile graced him as he shut his eyes and prepared to enter the void, but he heard a laugh. Y/n's laugh, and not the Starborn's. He knew the difference. His Y/n had a laugh that could cause his eye smile to appear. His Y/n's laugh crinkled her nose and cheeks, and she had learned to mimic him and have little hiccups in her laugh. He heard the hiccups, and when he opened his eyes next, he saw the metal walls of the Starbright, prior to Jimin destroying it.

"Hey, goofball, whatcha doing?" Y/n asked, and Jimin realized he stood in the doorway of their shared room. He peeked down and saw her laying in bed with one of his nerdy fantasy books in her grasp since he had begged her to read it, and her adorable eyes stayed on him.

"I..." Jimin waited and watched, and he knew it wasn't a Terrormorph vision. No, it was him. A memory. A memory he got to relive.

"Everything okay?"

Jimin peered at her alpaca pajamas. "Can you stand, honey?"

Y/n set the book down and chuckled, bouncing to her feet and doing a little twirl in those cute pajamas of hers.

"Look at you," he whispered, rubbing his lips together and feeling tears rush down his cheeks. "Oh, look at you, my beautiful girl."

Embrace us, Park Jimin.

"Hey," Y/n said, coming over and wiping his tears. "What's wrong, Mimi? What happened?"

Embrace us, Park Jimin.

"Nothing." He kissed her forehead and resisted the temptation to kiss her lips. No, he couldn't. Unless he was sure his Y/n was in his arms, he would never kiss anyone else. Anyone other than her. Never again. "I just love you, Y/n."

Embrace us, Park Jimin.

"I love you, too. Are you sure everything's okay?"

Embrace us, Park Jimin.

"Yeah," he said, his voice cracking over the single word. "I think it is."

Embrace us, Park Jimin.

He did.

The memory drifted away and mutated into Londinion, and Jimin felt a kind of power he had never experienced before. Both of his hands glowed, and he knew his eyes did, too. His hair lifted inside his helmet. His chestplate hurt from the power threatening to melt through it. And, a beat later, the heat inside him snapped.

An explosion rocketed out of his body. An explosion of high heat, high pressure, and more power than anything he knew he had inside him. The Terrormorph shrieked in agony as the matter in its leg became nothing more than a pile of mush. The queen's limb was reduced to ashes, and the blue and gold wave of energy blasting out of him had been the cause.

Jimin hovered in the air without his boost pack, his left and right hands shimmering a bright gold, and he finished the creature off on instinct. He sent more blasts the monster's way, and it disintegrated on command. Blood didn't bother spilling, only black goop that stained the otherwise gray rocks.

Jimin floated back to the ground and coughed, the power dripping away, and the adrenaline gave way to exhaustion. He keeled over on his knees and gagged.

"Oh my God," Starborn Y/n said in his mind. "You just..."

"Jimin!" Jungkook called, interrupting Y/n's mental voice. He rushed over and grabbed Jimin. "Are you okay? What the hell was that? Are you hurt?"

"I'm okay, I don't know, and I'm not hurt." Jimin peeked up at Starborn Y/n, who stood by the astonished UC survivor. "Jungkook, no offense, but shut up for a second."

Jungkook obeyed.

What? I just what?

"Supernova..."

What?

"I thought it was a myth, but you..." Somehow, Y/n managed to trail off even in mind speak. "You just went supernova."

What the hell does that mean?

"You channeled the energy of a dying star and... that. Jimin, that's the most powerful Starborn ability. No one has it. Not even the Hunter. Not even me."

So what does it do?

"It causes an explosion that destroys everything it touches. You're lucky we were too far to get harmed, but anything in close range dies instantly."

So it's an instant-kill button?

"Pretty much, but no one's ever used it before. When this is over, let's talk. I want to start training you. It's time for the next step of your Starborn journey, Park Jimin."

I don't think that's a good idea. These powers caused enough harm, and now you want me to train an instant-kill power? I'm not doing that.

Jimin ignored anything else she had to say and stumbled to his feet with Jungkook behind him, and he glanced at his bare hands. Somehow, he had used both of them. He didn't know whether to hate it or be grateful.

"We can talk about that later. We have a survivor with us," Jimin said, and he approached the man who hadn't budged since Jimin had gone supernova. "My name is Captain Park. I need to ask you some questions."

The man with an untrimmed ginger beard backed away. "I... I don't want any trouble."

"Neither do we. We're looking for survivors. Do you know where any other survivors are?"

"Of course. We have a whole group of survivors down the way. I'll lead you there."

Survivors. Plural.

Plural.

Jimin sprung after the man, and they sprinted from the gruesome scene and took a series of turns again. More rocky corridors with icicles hanging from the low ceilings. More hurried footsteps and breaths being the only sounds present. More waiting. At least Jimin had gotten used to that last one.

Five minutes later, the man slowed in front of a heavy steel door, and he knocked five times in quick succession. The door opened to reveal another man wearing UC armor but no helmet. That one had hazel eyes, a bald head, and thin lips with a mole right above the upper one.

"Someone came for us," the bearded ginger said, and the bald one observed them before stepping back and allowing them inside.

Jimin almost pushed by the baldie to get inside the arena. What awaited him was a cafeteria of sorts, surrounded by ice walls that looked shaved, as if they had been peeling ice off the walls for water.

He said cafeteria because he meant it: it had a high ceiling, plenty of lights built from what Jimin imagined were the old lights from the tunnels, and wooden cafeteria tables with more wear and tear than Jimin's old home scattered around the large, rectangular vicinity. There were a few sleeping bags near the corners, too.

But, most importantly, there were people.

Plenty of them.

Jimin feasted his eyes on well over two dozen people, most wearing UC armor, though he couldn't see all of them due to them sitting together and eating canned food and drinking from what he imagined were recycled Terrabrew cups. Where Jungkook and Starborn Y/n were didn't matter as Jimin charged forward.

"My name is Captain Park Jimin!" He couldn't stop himself from yelling. "I need to know where my wife is. Please, please tell me she's here-"

"Jimin?"

Jimin recognized that voice. He had heard it in his dreams, and maybe in his nightmares, too. The sweet voice of home, of comfort, of warmth.

The sweet voice of his fiancée.

The crowd gave way to a single woman—helmetless like the rest—wobbling forward and shoving others out of the way so she could see him. Jimin took in her familiar look; familiar down to the same armor she had worn on that fateful day. Despite all the months that had passed, she hadn't aged, and somehow, she had grown more beautiful. More beautiful than Jimin could ever imagine.

Y/n L/n.

☆☆☆

The queen is back <3