"Aurora, we're approaching the planet now, and we have a landing site for you that's... well, it's better than the alternatives. We've sent you the coordinates. It'll take us a couple of days to align our orbit, we should be able to establish direct contact with you during that time, then we're coming in to get you. Cross your fingers the weather holds, and don't leave us waiting. Sunbeam out."

Hongjoong pushed his goggles off with a sigh, turning to watch Seonghwa. His eyes had zoned out and were lost in an unknown distance. While Hongjoong was filled with glee about finally being able to go home, seeing Seonghwa sad like this also made his heart constrict.

With quick movements, he snapped his gloves off, laying them down to where he had just been examining Yunho's blood. They were getting data, collecting, and broadening their knowledge rapidly. However, they neither had the time nor the understanding to search for an antidote. If the Sunbeam was this close already, then they'd have to research at home further.

It had only been three weeks and still, it felt as if an eternity had passed on this planet. Hongjoong was more than ready to leave this hellish place behind and forget about it as soon as possible.

He rounded the table to close any containers with important substances they had accumulated from the fishes and plants around here. Some of them were also infected with the bacterium and it had different effects on them than on humans. They hadn't been able to make any prognoses yet but seeing as Yunho and Mingi still had some human parts on them, it took a long time to take over a whole organism.

Hongjoong struck up a conversation while he was cleaning up.

"We can retrieve Yongguk if you want. There should be enough time." He cleared his throat, the words getting stuck inside. He still had trouble getting behind the relationship of the captain and Seonghwa and feared to jump to conclusions. It didn't seem to him like it was romantic feelings that Seonghwa harbored for the man. He wouldn't have kissed Hongjoong if it was.

The memory of their kiss in the rain made a blush dust Hongjoong's cheeks. He had barely slept the night after, a big grin breaking out on his face at the most random of times. Maybe he was crushing a little.

"There is not. I also do not wish to endanger the group again by returning to that place." Seonghwa's velvety voice had a dissatisfied tint. He didn't like those words himself.

"I get it. But obviously he meant a lot to you, so... I don't know, it seems fair."

"Yongguk was for many years the only person I knew."

Hongjoong lifted his head at the sudden revelation. He met Seonghwa's bright eyes with curiosity.

"I figured that he was the person you were focused on because he was the captain." Hongjoong leaned back against the table behind his body. His arms came up to cross calmly in front of his spotted and greenish chest as he listened to Seonghwa. The android was leaning against the wall with his left shoulder, opposite of him in their tiny base.

"Of course, he was my superior in that sense. But, as you should know, Yongguk was also a very admirable person by himself. He checked up on the locked androids regularly. Not out of duty but because he wanted to spend time with them. I have to confess that I looked forward to his visits very much."

Hongjoong wasn't jealous. Sad, rather. He constantly underestimated how lonely Seonghwa had been until the ship had crashed. Locked up in a closet all day. Anybody would fall for the one person looking out for them.

"It's normal. I can't say I'd have done anything else." Hongjoong at least had a life to live. While he had always been constricted to his job and limited working surroundings, he at least made the conscious decision to do so. He submitted himself to a life without friends and family by himself, because he wanted to discover the hidden secrets of the universe.

Being an android was hard. They were build to serve a purpose but their conscience made it hard to do so.

"I guess he felt like family. Like a person that would listen to me. I never grew tired of him." Seonghwa averted his gaze with furrowed brows. Hongjoong couldn't blame him.

Hongjoong pushed off the desk and stepped over to Seonghwa. He gently rubbed the android's tensed arms, his touch warm. Seonghwa gave a little relieved hum, looking back to Hongjoong.

"Your memories of him will serve as a nice base for creating either holograms or maybe other androids. He'll appreciate it."

"Negative. It is the reason I do not want to retrieve him. He told me once that he doesn't want to be re-created after his death. He made sure they will leave his mind to rest."

Hongjoong frowned.

"But why? Why would anybody like to die completely?" More than his death, this news upset Hongjoong even more. Yongguk didn't plan to return at all. So Seonghwa wouldn't ever get to talk to him again. That seemed plain cruel to Hongjoong.

"Do not be mad. It was his decision. I fear we do not understand his mindset in that area." Seonghwa reached up to ruffle Hongjoong's hair affectionally. His sad eyes looked down at the human fondly, making Hongjoong swallow harshly.

"That's rude of him... He made you know all the time." Hongjoong's grumble was accompanied by his hands forming into tiny fists of fury at his sides. He was mad not because of Yongguk's decision but of the cruelty of the world that made him and Seonghwa part like that.

Seonghwa received his anger with a chuckle before reaching out to cup Hongjoong's chin with his slender hand. He angled his head upwards, dipping down to press a sweet kiss against Hongjoong's lips then.

Hongjoong blushed a deep shape of red, not yet used to the affection of the android. It was also day now, the bright sun outside making them seem all the more exposed. Hongjoong let himself fall into it anyway, too stubborn to back down now. He finally cleared things up with Seonghwa, showed him his emotions, so he wouldn't stop it now.

"It is alright. I will miss him but I am perfectly able to move on. Do not worry your pretty head about it." Another kiss touched Hongjoong's mouth. "Let us prepare our departure now. It is time to go home."

-

They had been swimming for ages.

Hongjoong was taking a break right now, hanging on to Seonghwa's shoulders with weak and trembling arms. He had clearly overexerted himself and as it looked Wooyoung and Jongho were none the better. All of them were growing impatient and tired.

The coordinates the Sunbeam had sent them were on the other island, a good 2 miles away from them. Hongjoong's swimming had improved considerably in the time they had spent on Planet 4546B but he was still no expert by any means. Long distances tired him still and paired with his constant wariness of the waters around him, he was also more tense than usual.

Their androids did a great job at dragging them along, though. Yunho and Mingi were also constantly flanking the group and leading them to the other island through the safest route. Before they had taken off, Yunho had already explained to them that the Mountain Island was surrounded by all kinds of dangers. Choosing it as the place for their rendezvous with the Sunbeam might cost even more lives of the few survivors. 

They were careful when approaching the island. According to the Sunbeam, it would be another half an hour before they would arrive so they expected to meet some other survivors on the island. They also wanted to utilize their time wisely and say goodbye to Yunho and Mingi first. Of course, they wouldn't be able to take them but those two were also fine with that. They were used to this planet after all this time.

Hongjoong had asked Yunho about it earlier. Whether they should come back with the means to get them or if they wanted to contact them sometimes. But Yunho had merely shown him a fanged smile, his eyes glowing eerily.

"Hongjoong, my friend, by the time you get home there is nothing human anymore about the two of us. We didn't eat you because of the androids when we first met and we'd rather die than get subjected to research. You go home and get cured. It's much too late for us."

And it was. Mingi had again looked at Hongjoong as if he was a piece of meat he wanted to devour. With an icy shiver running down his back, Hongjoong had agreed. Maybe it would be best for the two of them if they just stayed here. They were powerful enough to survive against many predators by now.

The island had been close for a while now and they would probably take another ten minutes of swimming until they could climb the shore when they heard it.

The unmistakable roar of a Reaper Leviathan.

Hongjoong would so go into therapy after all these shenanigans.

"Come on, final spurt." Seonghwa threw an uplifting smile over his shoulder, making Hongjoong sigh. Stupid, pretty android, and his ways of making Hongjoong's heart flutter.

They were right at the water surface, usually much higher than where Hongjoong would expect an attack from such a large animal. Yunho and Mingi were pulling them along, having grabbed onto Jongho and Wooyoung on their free sides so it was only Seonghwa and Hongjoong backing them up.

They were so close. So fucking close to the island, to being safe, to going home.

And then the leviathan broke the water surface.

The moment passed much too fast for Hongjoong to register. Everything happened in a blur of color and shocked screams. He saw a flash of red and white, four black eyes, and a gigantic mouth.

And in the next moment, his blood was seeping into the water, making Mingi turn to him with a hiss.

They had been so close when suddenly, everything fell apart.

Mingi lunged at him much faster than anybody could account for, enveloping Hongjoong's body with his arms and tentacles all the same. Hongjoong gave a surprised yelp, his shoulder flaming with pain where he had been hit and the shock slowing his defense mechanism down.

Mingi was so much bigger and stronger than him. He wrestled Hongjoong's futile tries to free himself down much too easily, pressing him against his scaly body in a crushing hold. Hongjoong could barely move, his senses all over the place and his body restricted by the man's suctioning tentacles.

Mingi didn't even look at him. There was nothing human left in his eyes. The blood frenzy had taken him over and Hongjoong couldn't even be mad when the man dug his vicious teeth in his throat.

Hongjoong was probably crying out. It hurt, his equipment was close to slipping off, he still heard that leviathan.

But there was a much more pressing matter filling his mind. Seonghwa had disappeared from his side and he had yet to come to save him.

In the end, it was Yunho, who came to his rescue. He ripped Mingi away from him roughly and pushed him off. The two of them were wrapped into what looked like a deathly hug as they tumbled down into the ocean, leaving a weakened and disoriented Hongjoong behind.

He wanted to swim but his arm would not respond to him. There was a Reaper somewhere here and Seonghwa was gone and Hongjoong had lost all sense of direction. His head was a jumbled mess until Yeosang and San finally approached him, dragging him out of the water with them. His two fellow humans sat at the beach already, reaching out to hoist him up panicked, but there was no Seonghwa.

Where the hell was Seonghwa?

Hongjoong wanted to speak but there was blood choking him up. First, they had to take care of his injuries. He still looked over the still waters constantly, searching, needing. The worry made his insides sick, making him feel like vomiting but there was no Seonghwa.

He had disappeared with the monster.