Hongjoong was trapped between Seungyoun and the table, with no place to flee to. Even with that knowledge, though, Surprisingly enough, his heart even told him to stay instead of running as would be fit for the obvious danger he was in.

Seungyoun had betrayed them. He had never even planned to return to his home, to leave this planet, or to accept Alterra as they were. He had merely gotten close to the team for his selfish goals.

Hongjoong still found himself not detesting the man. He wanted to hear more, wanted the whole story that had led to this mess. Thus, he stayed, with his heart still racing, to listen. If he fled, there would only be death awaiting him anyway.

"You wanna talk while the ice is melting? I won't try to change your mind, but I would like to hear your story." Hongjoong inclined his head, staring at the man calmly. This was just Seungyoun. Compared to the beast he in the ice behind him, the human seemed like a minor threat.

Seungyoun chuckled amusedly at the question. He still looked dark and dangerous, seemingly having lost all the soft and cute aspects about him. His eyes were sharp as they scrutinised Hongjoong, trying to find a hint of a trick. When he came up empty, he finally let go of him. With a dull throb, Hongjoong's wrist was released.

"Fine. I'm glad you're open to this. I would have asked you to listen to me anyway; this makes things easier. Sit down there and keep your fingers off the pannel."

Hongjoong willingly went over to the crate he was pointed at, sitting down on it. His hands were shaking, and his eyes kept flickering back to the ice that groaned and creaked under the heat it was faced with. A constant stream of water came from the edges that were melting first. It travelled down the sides to form a pool at the ground.

But it was slow. Slow enough for Hongjoong to wait and hope to come up with a plan for how he could get between Seungyoun and that pannel.

"I won't lie, right now, I'm terrified of you and this plan. However, since I get where you are coming from, I want to listen."

Seungyoun dropped down on the chair behind the console and kicked his feet up on a free corner of the table. As he leaned back, some strand of his hair also slipped to expose more of his face. He looked at peace and not hurried at all.

"That's good. I expected nothing less. I think if you were less terrified and would have had less horrible experiences on this planet, you might even have agreed with me."

Now, it was Hongjoong's turn to laugh disbelievingly. He might have, yes. If he was alone, maybe. Suppose he had fallen for Seungyoun, maybe. But not with his team out there.

Seungyoun continued speaking as he was staring against a wall. The ice behind them slowly and gradually shrunk, making Hongjoong more nervous by the minute.

"After some time here, good things start to happen. I made friends, discovered lots of new things, and learned not to fear even the most dangerous of the creatures out there. After ten years of surviving off nothing, you become part of this system. And you begin to see its beauty."

Hongjoong understood. His fascination and love for any living being went deep. Even when things tried to kill them, he still found something that amazed him about them. If he had been in Seungyoun's shoes, he might have felt the same.

"Yunho and Mingi are the same. They love it here, Hongjoong. Sure, things are a few sizes bigger than on Earth, but it's safe as soon as you know your ways. They wouldn't leave. Especially not to go back to the people who ditched them and would turn them into science experiments."

He grimaced and crossed his arms over his chest.

Hongjoong fiddled with his thumbs to keep his hands busy.

"I get it. I also wouldn't want to subject them or myself to that life..."

"We talked about it, didn't we? About how Alterra came to ruin everything. I'm not talking about you and your team. You're decent people and don't belong on the corrupt side. But others? The ones who sent you here want to colonise this planet. They will kill and destroy for their own gains. History repeats itself, Hongjoong. What we did to Earth will happen here, too. And living as part of this world for ten years, I have grown protective of it."

He wasn't wrong. Hongjoong wished he could say how much he hated seeing the other man's point, but it was entirely valid. Seungyoun wanted to protect the place he called home from getting destroyed. And it took no genius to know that the only way to do that, was by keeping Alterra away.

Alterra, who came to this organic planet with their metal and androids and new tech. Who trapped animals for research and ordered to kill leviathans as seen fit to protect the lives of their people. Alterra, who were responsible for the current situation.

It was another perspective. Not Hongjoong's need to do his job and survive, but the view of a person who lived here and got endangered by this determination.

Hongjoong squeezed his hands together.

"I know what you've said. I know you said that you would evaluate this and tell your bosses if it was worth it. Now let me help you. Here, we have something that will make sure no one will want to settle here. I don't want to endanger you, I like you, and your team that welcomed me so easily. I know you won't stay, but if you leave this to me, you can just go home and tell them it's a bad idea. They should leave this place alone already."

He was staring right at Hongjoong when the man pensively lifted his head again. Seungyoun's eyes were honest and pleading, touching another soft spot inside of Hongjoong. He spoke up gently, considering his every word.

"I see where you're coming from, but you got it all wrong. Your methods are all wrong. I think you forget who you are."

Seungyoun arched his brow at him, but he stayed silent, listening.

"You are just human, Seungyoun. Just how Yunho and Mingi are, and just how I am. We don't belong here, I agree. We also won't belong here even when we have estates since this planet is not fit for us. But you are not part of the system. And while protecting these creatures is very heroic of you, you, too, were once Alterra. And this planet will not protect you. If you free this thing, it is likely to kill you just like anybody else."

Seungyoun nodded slowly, considering his words. His head still leaned against his headrest heavily as he watched Hongjoong from lidded eyes.

"Saying you don't mind us leaving and then sending this thing out does not add up, Seungyoun."

With a wry chuckle, Seungyoung pushed his hair back one more. Tense, Hongjoong waited for his answer to see if he had said anything wrong.

"I will make sure you're safe, of course. As I said, Hongjoong, apart from us working together, I like you. And I wouldn't let you get killed just like that in case you choose to leave quietly."

The feeling of pressure upon Hongjoong's shoulders further increased. The nervousness in his stomach coiled unpleasantly as he tried to not shift his eyes at the gradually emerging leviathan to their left.

"Theoretically speaking, what if I don't? What if I refuse to leave the planet and try to stop you from all this?"

Seungyoun's eyes were dark and deep like the ocean. They were hiding secrets that could be as deadly as any leviathan, and Hongjoong wasn't too keen on getting behind those eyes.

"We don't want that. In that case, I might have to get rid of you, so I could make sure my plan works. If the scientists they sent here to gauge the safety all die, it's also an answer. But I wouldn't want to subject you to that."

With a nod, Hongjoong leaned back on his hands. He was pondering, trying to find the best way through this. He also had to hurry. The less ice would melt, the better.

"I see. Well, I wouldn't want to test those limits. I understand very well where you are coming from, even if I don't like your strategies."

The echos in the cave made Seungyoun's chuckle sound even eerier after it had escaped his lips.

"Oh, I don't doubt that. I am willing to pull every register to ensure this planet's safety. Especially if it saves another living creature."

"What do you want me to do, Seungyoun?"

A short silence enveloped them. Seungyoun was frowning, and his lips had set in a thin line. He looked older like this, more serious and threatening.

"I want you to go home. I want you to leave and tell your bosses that this planet is no good. And this-" he pointed a finger at the Frozen Leviathan "will be our living proof."

Hongjoong hummed as he leant back once more.

"I assume you are giving us a time limit."

"I am. I want you gone within a week. The comms are probably back online by now, so I want you to leave, and make sure no one ever returns. If you do that, I will stop this for the time being. However, if you stay or others come, I will not hesitate to set it free. And then, there's no going back."

Another moment was spent with only the drip drop of the water on the ice interrupting the silence. Hongjoong felt cold again. He had to make his decision.

"Fine. I won't endanger my team, then. I think we can all vouch against building a settlement here. Even if Altera are our employers, we still have common sense."

"Make sure no one else comes back."

"It's not my business to tell them what to do, but I can at least try to stop them. And if I fail, you are still here."

They stared at each other for a second, quiet and intense. Then, just when Seungyoun moved to push the button that disabled the melting function, steps got loud at the entrance of the dark cave. Hongjoong couldn't see who it was since they were outside of his little light, but it made Seungyoun hiss and recoil anyway.

Hongjoong sprung to his feet, panic washing over him. He had been so close to stopping the danger, but his efforts went down the drain.

"I see you've found us."

"Hand Hongjoong over, traitor!" It was Wooyoung's offended screech, which could mean only one thing.

Seonghwa was here, too.

"I'm afraid your little one-man-army won't do much in pressuring me into that. Is the tower back online?"

"It sure is! After you have managed to get Yohan to destroy it! Now, what did you do to Hongjoong while your beast fucking mauled by boyfriend?!"

Hongjoong's soft gasp made Seungyoun turn towards him again. The man was quicker than he, stepping up and grabbing his shoulders once more. Hongjoong wisely didn't fight him, and just put his hands down on the man's fingers to be ready to defend himself. His mind was screaming at him to fend his attacker off.

"Another lie, Seungyoun? You said you didn't want to hurt my team."

"It was because of Eden! Him, and those darn androids that kept trying to solve the mysteries around me! I didn't lie, I want you safe, but your team sure made that hard for me! They are connected to Alterra; they are the ones breathing down my neck!"

Weakly, Hongjoong tried to push him off. The atmosphere had spiked, fear had converted into anger, and Wooyoung was closing in on them. The time to talk had ended, and the time to act had come.

"Seungyoun, I-"

"No, Hongjoong! Listen to me!" He grabbed onto him tighter, to the point of making Hongjoong flinch and cringe away from his grip. His face contorted in pain, and that was the exact moment Seonghwa decided to step in.

Hongjoong knew that he had been around and expected his intervention, but Seungyoun clearly did not. When an arm shot out of the dark to push him back and wrap protectively around Hongjoong's waist, he stumbled further back than initially planned.

Safe in Seonghwa's arms, Hongjoong watched the man turn to look around between Wooyoung and them, finding himself trapped.

In the end, his eyes settled on Hongjoong again.

"Make the right decision. Your lives, or mine."