Hongjoong gave a surprised scream, quickly getting dragged deeper into the water. Blindly, he flailed around, not seeing much in the darkening waters. He was pawing for his knife, his desperate tries to kick off the thing not helping in the least. He could not even get a footing on it, slipping from the smooth surface several times.

He noticed PSH coming after him, diving quickly and fending another one of the creatures off at the same time. Hongjoong saw tentacles surrounding him, lots of them and his heart skipped a panicked beat. With the adrenaline rush setting in he ripped at the holster around his thigh again and finally managed to get the knife free.

Without even looking he stabbed it down to his foot, thankfully not getting himself hurt in the process. His left hand was still trying to push himself away from whatever pulled him through the water, but nothing helped. Only when he finally stabbed through the gooey mass and into soft flesh, the thing immediately retreated with an agitated hiss.

Hongjoong ripped his foot out of its grip to swim back toward the surface fast as he could, back up to PSH. The android had also managed to wrestle back the creature attacking him, kicking it off. For a moment the situation looked good, but then the thing turned, going for Hongjoong.

And it was fast, very fast.

Hongjoong yelled when he was suddenly hit by tentacles, something that felt horribly like human hands reaching for him too and trying to pull him deeper into the dark sea.

He struggled, he fought, all the time fearing his breathing mask would rip off but PSH soon came to his rescue. In a tangle of limbs, he crashed into the two creatures crowding Hongjoong, pulling at the pliable tentacles. It was a blur of green and gray and Hongjoong was quite sure to see San in the mix too. He lost all sense of orientation, literally just stabbing at everything that was close to him and cradling his breathing mask close.

When the two attackers finally fled it was only after they had managed to rip both San's and PSH's bundles from their backs. They disappeared in the depths with a light blue shimmer trailing after them from the glimmering bulbs on their many tentacles.

Hongjoong felt himself being grabbed by San and PSH respectively, both hurrying to get him out of there as fast as possible. Hongjoong still felt his heart racing, his fingers clutched around the bloody knife with fear. He was ready to stab anything and everything that got too close again.

But seriously, what the hell?

They broke the surface soon after, quickly swimming over to the island where Wooyoung already stood and waved at them with worried calls. Hongjoong finally put the knife away, roughly freeing himself from San's grip in the process. The android merely gave a confused whine before he let go, stomping back to Wooyoung.

And Hongjoong felt his shock bleed into a hot rage.

With water splashing up at his sides from his sudden movement he drove around to PSH, glaring at the man.

"Have you gone insane?! You just lost the rest of our rations! What are we supposed to do now if we happen to not find anything edible out here?!"

Why hadn't he gone after them? That food was important to them, just like the medical kits and tools in there! Hongjoong took a breath to start ranting about those too. PSH's brows furrowed as he was yelled at, his hands hanging limply at his sides with his fingertips still in the water.

He waited, patient until Hongjoong had made his anger clear, only feeling himself get all the more agitated when the man didn't respond. He had no business being so calm. Sure, the androids didn't eat, but he and Wooyoung certainly did!

"We still have fish to eat. There is plenty of material here to make a fire with," PSH responded smoothly. With a nonchalant swipe of his hand, he picked up a Peeper from next to him, dangling its wriggling form in front of Hongjoong's face.

Hongjoong slapped it away, stepping closer to hiss directly into PSH's face.

"Fish? Are you serious right now? Fucking useless protection unit, I would have managed by myself! That was so obviously a trap! Why do you think they didn't hurt me?! Your one job was to take care of our things!"

"Are you telling me that my task of protecting you just failed? Because that is exactly what I did back there." His lips had turned downwards, one brow lifted in defiance. He looked entirely too human, again.

"You're not protecting me, you're creating more problems left and right! How are you planning to protect me from starvation now?! Where did your great sense of responsibility go?" Hongjoong stepped even closer, not caring about their obvious height difference. He barely stopped himself from grabbing the android by the collar and shaking him. Gods, he was burning with anger, all his stress coming together in a wave of hate directed at the android.

"I was merely trying to save your life. You could have died if not for the oxygen tank. I just-"

"Don't talk back to me! You have to just shut up and obey! Whenever you decided on something until now, it always meant more chaos! Gods, I wish you would've just stayed in that dark closet of yours and blown up with the Aurora!"

Whack.

Hongjoong blinked, not understanding what had just happened for a moment. His anger was still burning his veins. It made him want to hit something, scream it all out but now, suddenly everything froze.

Something sticky was on his face.

Hongjoong reached up to touch it, grimacing at the slippery feel.

Was he just... hit?

He looked down, slowly, to the Peeper in PSH's hand. Its left eye had exploded at the impact, leaving an ugly stain of yellow on the now-dead fish. Its lifeless grey body was dangling from PSH's hand.

Hongjoong lifted his eyes to the android again in sheer disbelief.

"Did you just hit me with a damn fish?" He spoke quietly, his surprise blending into sheer shock and even into hurt. Why even was he hurt for being hit by a stupid android?

PSH's chest was heaving, his face contorted into an angry grimace. He looked positively murderous and Hongjoong immediately took a small step back. He did respect the wrath of the androids, especially if they were malfunctioning. He was just lifting his hands defensively, looking to order PSH to calm down, when the robot moved again.

In a weak movement, he threw the fish against Hongjoong's chest. It slapped down there wetly, sliding into the water as none of them moved to retrieve it. PSH's whisper was deathly and cold, complete ignorance having taken over.

"Fucking go die then. I don't care anymore." And with that, he turned, his face a stony mask as he walked back into the water. Hongjoong just stood there dumbly, not moving to stop him.

Wooyoung must have left too for he didn't call out to PSH either, so nobody cared as the android disappeared between the waves. It was as if he had never been there to begin with, the water swallowing him smoothly.

Hongjoong was frozen with shock for another second. He had no idea what had just happened, could not even remember what exactly he had said for the man to leave now that his anger was simmering down.

However, after the rage, spite came.

"Okay! Fuck off then! Don't come back! Useless tin can!", he screamed as loud as he could, turning on his heel then to go back to the beach. On the way he wiped the goo on his face off, spitting the bits on his lips out in disgust.

What an idiot. Playing important when he was just one of many. But what was even worse was that he was bad at his job. Hongjoong had had enough of him.

With big angry steps, he crossed the warm sand under his feet, looking around for Wooyoung. He was blind to the tall and exotic plants around him. There were foreign animals here, smells that tried to seduce him into stepping closer to the fruits hanging on the lavish trees, and little chirps and hums here and there that would have normally spiked his interest.

Right now, he didn't care. Hongjoong was busy cursing the disloyal android under his breath. He sure as hell hoped he would not return, that annoying tin can.

He eventually found the two other members of his group close to some the trees. Wooyoung had settled in the grass comfortably, smiling at San who had crouched down next to him and was currently checking the fruit.

When Wooyoung noticed Hongjoong stomping down the path down the hill with ragged breaths and blazing eyes, his own eyes flickered uncertainly, searching for PSH.

Hongjoong dropped down next to them with a huff, receiving fruit from San after he had deemed them safe.

Finally, a robot who could just shut up and do his job.

"Where is Seonghwa?", Wooyoung asked carefully, discreetly glancing around while Hongjoong angrily dug his teeth into the lantern-shaped thing. It tasted alright, a bit watery perhaps and not as sweet as he would have expected. It was good.

"Ran away. The coward ditched us in favor of playing with the fish," Hongjoong grit out, sweet juice dribbling down his chin. He didn't care enough to wipe it off. He sure bet PSH and his stupid sense of care would do it for him.

With a bitter smirk, he ate even more messily, getting fruit juice all over himself until he was practically inhaling the fruit. Wooyoung watched him with troubled eyes.

"Hongjoong... I get that you're angry at him. But please try to think rationally here. Is it really wise to send those away who help us on this foreign planet? Shouldn't you talk to him? He understands you, you know? You can work something out."

"Are you telling me to apologize to a fucking piece of metal scrap?" Maybe Hongjoong should stop growling at everyone. However, all the stress of the week here was starting to get to him. Even the little voice in the back of his head that told him he was making a mistake couldn't stop him.

He swallowed the last bite, grimacing at the way his fingers stuck to each other now.

"Stop doing that. You know that he is more than that. Why do you keep-"

Hongjoong rose brusquely, not caring about the way his sudden movement knocked his knee against San's shoulder, making the man tumble over with a yelp. He started wandering off, further up the cliffs that led away from the ocean. If he was lucky some Reaper Leviathan would have already eaten PSH by now and ended his useless rambling,

Hongjoong gave a humorless chuckle, walking off into the sunset while Wooyoung was yelling after him with his high-pitched voice.

"He saved your life, you know?! Multiple times!"

"He's build to do that!"

"So what?! Would you kick your dog for protecting your life?!"

"Dogs have hearts and feelings and such!"

"Do you think he slapped you because he is so indifferent to you?! Open your goddamn eyes, did you not see him with Yongguk?!"

Hongjoong was nearly out of earshot when San spoke up, pressingly addressing Hongjoong for the first time ever since they had met. He'd just ruined his image of being a well-behaved android.

"Leave and only come back after you've understood what I feel for Wooyoung. Or how Seonghwa kept taking care of you. Or how he and Yongguk looked at each other. I hate you so much for everything you're saying right now, Kim Hongjoong. And boy, is that emotion real. Go and pretend Seonghwa is human for once. See where it leads you."

He said it dangerously, without the usual softness and timidness he showed around Wooyoung and it made Hongjoong shiver as he walked deeper into the woods that began to glow with the night settling over them.

He needed time to cool off. And he needed that time alone before he went crazy with them.

They were on an island, after all, he could always join them later on.