Reconciliations were a mixed bag for the Noon Mool crew as they all unloaded from that tiny fighter jet.

There was a relief in the clarity. In knowing exactly where each of them stood in reference to the person next to them, on the invisible game board that they'd all been shuffling around--whether they'd been aware of it or not.

Even in a collaborative game, players can get burned.

____

Ava wasn't sure she would ever overcome her annoyance at the mess of it all. Especially at Shae and Joon.

This is what I get for pushing her head first into her first real... well, whatever she and Joon are. I mean, I've been into some shady dudes. But mass-murdering lying monsters? Honey, that takes the freakin' cake.

Ava's eyes critically scanned the much smaller aircraft hanger that they'd landed their fighter jet inside of. It was barely lit, and smelled like rust. She surmised that there were only two other small crafts inside of the hangar, both of them even smaller than the one the'd all made their Ganche Games getaway inside of.

____

Hoseok leaned down and gave a grunt and a yank at something where the wall met the floor--and a metal grate rattled up and open, like a garage door.

I can't believe Joon is getting off so easily for this shit. Who does Chimin think that he is, that he can just order us around? First of all, I'm older than he is. And this isn't a fortress. He's not our leader. He doesn't have the authority to just decide.

Hoseok led the way way through that open grate and into the central hallway of the ship. It made one giant ring around the ship, small enough that you could shout on one side and hear it from the other but large enough that it also made a decently sized track for him to do his morning jogs around. He veered left and started his way towards the living quarters.

____

Jin's face was fixed into a perpetual frown. He sped his way past Joon, avoiding making eye contact with the ex-leader of Noon Mool completely. Jin clucked his tongue at the cobwebs that clung to the ceilings of that curved hallway, and at the random open boxes or half-open shelves that clustered along the hallways as if someone had run out of proper office space.

I'm not sure what's more of a mess: our crew, or this ship.

Lilith slipped her fingers between Jin's as they walked and held his hand firmly. His fingers loosely curled around her knuckles in response but he didn't look at her.

He has every right to be mad at me. He does. I'll just need to give him some time.

____

Tae latched an arm through one of Jungkook's, letting Kookie lead him along as Tae's gaze wandered absentmindedly around the hallway. He spotted a golden square frame propped up against one wall that looked like a clock, but it had no numbers or tick marks on it. Next to it, a box of old-fashioned paper files sat, with a few folders thrown along the floor next to it with papers scattering out of them. He flashed his starlight smile at his own hopeful, free thoughts rattling around so comfortably in his head.

Somebody needs to implement a color coded filing system. Good thing they have me!

Jungkook could sense Shae walking just behind him--beyond merely the nearness of her echoing footsteps. He was having trouble taking in the room around them, the fact of Tae clinging to his arm, or even registering the hum of an older engine at work.

Why is it that I still have this weird Shae-radar, if my 'service has ended to the House of Card?' Or whatever it was that was said.... Maybe it has something to do with what Lilith said. She said exactly what I heard in that place. She called me loyal. And the voices, they said that those who continue to serve the House of Card--which I gather is her family's house--that they'd be 'blessed.' Is that what this is? A 'blessing?'

Jungkook gave his head a shake, trying to scatter his thoughts. He looked over at the blissful expression on Kim Taheyung's perfectly delicate face. Tae nuzzled his temple into Kookie's shoulder and grinned happily up at Jungkook. Despite the frustration and confusion that still quaked around inside of Kookie, the sight of Tae's perfect bliss made him smile.

____

Shae and Joon's fingers kept dusting into each other as they walked side-by-side, but neither of them would reach out to clasp the other's hand with exact firmness. There was a melancholy longing that hung between the two of them now, and neither of them knew what to do about it. Shae glanced sideways at Joon, but she couldn't read anything from the blank expression on his face.

Joon did something evil. I cannot lie to him, to myself, or to anyone else about that. The truth is indisputable. It was written all over Ava's face when she realized what he's done. God, she's going to hate him forever, isn't she? And the fact that it was LILITH's people! Somehow that makes it feel that much more real, doesn't it? What he did. Thousands of lives on his hands. Innocent people's blood on his hands. Lilith's friends. Joon's friends. And he killed them. But not for control or power, right? Not out of malice? Out of fear. He was afraid for the people that he loves. And he did something unforgivable because of it.

Shae slipped her fingers decidedly into Joon's then.

There's no way I can make anyone else understand. His eyes are thoughtful, searching and seeing. His voice is warmth spreading into my skin. His hands are comfort I didn't even know I ached for. When he is near, darkness feels so far away.

He didn't clasp her fingers back.

Joon just wanted this nightmare he'd created for himself to be over.

____

Yoongi lingered in the very back of the procession. He yanked the grate between the small aircraft hangar and the main hallway back down towards the floor, the metal rattling and echoing around them all. When he turned to follow the procession, Chimin was standing there with his arms folded, watching him.

"What?"

Chimin's voice was a blend of pleasant and pointed when he said, "You're gonna need to help me convince Hoseok. About me taking Joon with me. He won't say yes to this unless you do too."

Yoongi grunted. "I'd rather Joon burn in hell to be honest. Or at the hands of Hobi. I'm not really picky either way."

Chim sighed slowly and folded his arms across the bloodstained chest of his flowing white tunic. "I need his help."

"Do you?" Yoongi took a few steps closer to Park Chimin, then a few more. Yoongi leaned in. The ends of his windswept black hairs were fraying into Chim's forehead as the tech specialist leaned in close. Yoongi's gaze, presence and voice were sharp and threatening.

Chimin didn't even flinch.

Yoongi growled, "You'd better not be tryna play a fast one on us all, Park Chimin. I may not be the tactician, but I'm not some ignorant little shit you can tell what to do or to think so that you get what the fuck you want out of all of this."

Chimin answered back in a steely whisper, "Just what is it that you think I'm trying to do here, Suga-nim?

Yoongi pressed his forehead hard against Chimin's, then gave a treating push. Chimin took a step backwards.

"To be honest, I don't know. But I'm not blind dumb or deaf. And I know you, Chim. I know that look in your eyes and that tone in your voice that you get when you're mood is some combination of pleasant as fucking rainbows, and lying through your perfect teeth."

Chimin laughed, and it sounded like wind chimes breaking. The glow of Chim's smile made Yoongi's frown deepen.

Then Chimin answered brightly, "It's a nice feeling, being so well understood."

"It wasn't a compliment." Yoongi started after the tail end of the procession, heading on towards the living quarters. Chimin fell in line beside him, still smiling.

"Alright, alright. Could I just go through the manuscripts I find by myself? It'd take longer, but sure. But I need Joon for another reason. A scheming kind of reason, you caught me. I just didn't want to announce it to everyone."

"I'm all ears, you evil genius." Yoongi couldn't help but smirk a little bit, despite feeling annoyed.

"I'd rather this stayed between the two of us."

"I make no promises."

Chim leaned in and whispered into Yoongi's ear as they walked. Yoongi stopped in his tracks. He looked Chimin up and down like he was seeing the golden haired man clearly for the very first time.

"No shit?"

Chimin nodded. "I may be good at lies, but this. This is an absolute truth."

____

Once everyone stood uncertainly around the open doors that led to a string of separate living quarters, Hoseok clapped his hands loudly with a bright smile for attention. "Alright then. This time tomorrow, Chimin's research team is setting off for the Library of Mirth."

Jin and Lilith sent sharp looks in Namjoon's direction.

Chimin kept his eyes on Hoseok, his expression unchanging.

Yoongi walked over to stand next to Hoseok. He glanced at Chim a moment, but said nothing.

Hoseok's bright voice went on, "For the rest of us, we'll be heading to our base camp after that."

Ava sassed, "What the heck are we supposed to do there?"

Yoongi smirked, "I can think of a few uses for you."

Hoseok sent a backwards smack of his hand into Yoongi's chest. The pale tech specialist cleared his throat. "I meant, for all of you."

Hoseok rolled his eyes. Then he addressed everyone again. "Sit tight until morning. If you have questions about sleeping quarters, ask me, Yoongi, Lil or Chim. We can help you find what you need. You'll have to make do with borrowing our extra clothes for the moment, too."

Before anyone started shuffling away, Joon asked in a quiet voice, "What about Petra? What do you plan to do with her exactly?"

At this question, everyone paused.

Yoongi's hand seemed to instinctively drop to the blaster that was now attached to his hip. He answered, "I built her the perfect prison, and that's exactly where she's gonna stay. For now."

"And then what?" Joon wanted to know for sure.

One of Hoseok's hands shuffled through his messy red hair, and his face wore a bright and apologetic look. "Whenever we've used her up as an experiment, and made a point to our allies and foes about having her captive, well...eventually we're gonna kill her. But tactically it gives us the advantage to keep her alive for now. So that's what we're gonna do."

Joon nodded. "Alright then."

With that final question among them resolved, everyone began to scatter in their own direction. Each of them was feeling the weight of all the culminated blood and sweat and exhaustion from their day, and they wanted to take some time to wash it away.

Joon was the first to disappear. He pulled his hand out of Shae's without looking at her, and disappeared through the nearest door.

Lilith and Jin walked hand-in-hand into a room across the hall.

Chimin turned. In a few steps, he lifted is bloodied dress shirt over his head in one smooth motion. A single long scar stretched across his chiseled back, from his bulging right shoulder blade, down and across the moon-crescent of his spine, then ending around his left hip. The shirtless Chimin quietly slipped into what had already become his room, during his stay with Hoseok and Yoongi.

Jungkook gave a satisfied sigh as he watched everyone disperse. Despite all of the uncertainty and the tension that still remained, it still felt right to be all together again. It would be even nicer to be clean.

Taehyung stood still, awkward and unsure with his eyes shifting rapidly beneath his crimped grey hair.

Kookie drapped an arm over Tae's shoulder and it was like magic. The two of them broke into a smile at each other, and then started to prance playfully along the hallway towards one of the free suites.

Everyone who remained in the hallway watched them go and couldn't help but marvel at the sight of them both--so joyful and light, so far from how they seemed to have been for some time. So far from lifeless. Bounding and alive.

Shae had a bout of recognition as she saw the look that passed between Kookie and Tae as the laughed their way through one of the open doors. They understand each other in a way that no one else ever will. And they're both so thankful for it.

Then Shae turned and looked at her best friend square in the face. Ava had her arms crossed, her hip cocked to one side, and she wore an expression that said, This better be good.

"What?" Shae asked.

"You know exactly what."

One of Shae's hands clasped nervously around the wrist of the other. "It didn't seem like my secret to tell."

Hoseok started to whistle faintly, his eyes wandering anywhere but on Shae and Ava.

Meanwhile Min Yoongi stared blankly at Shae's face. Searching.

Ava pointed her finger at the door through which Kim Namjoon had escaped to. "That man is sick. And you already freakin' knew it, didn't you?"

Shae's mouth became a thin line. "I understand that it's awful, what he did. Unfathomably awful. But he regrets it more than anything, I know he does! He's never gonna do that kind of thing again! I mean. Just because someone does something wrong, does that innately make them evil? Forever?"

"Yes. In this case it does." Ava was not buying what Shae was selling on this one.

Hoseok couldn't help it. He stepped forward and put a comforting hand on Shae's shoulder, bending his face down to look up into her downcast eyes. He had a bright, reassuring smile on his face.

"It's probably not what you want to hear, but Ava's right. She knows you, Shae. She just wants what's best for you."

Yoongi growled, "And that sure as hell ain't Kim Namjoon. Especially not for someone as important as a Satoor Ai."

"I don't care about all that! I know he was wrong. I KNOW. But I still...."

"Don't say it," Ava threatened. "Don't."

Hobi pressed on in his bright and accommodating voice, "I think we've a bit of red wine we're hiding away somewhere. Would you ladies like some to help you unwind this evening? It might help you sleep better."

Ava sighed, her arms still crossed. Ava was surprised to realize that for the first time, when she looked at Jung Hoseok, it wasn't just with pure loathing in her chest. "That'd be grand. Thanks."