2

MALFUNCTION. The word is red and angry. As it repeatedly flashes on the screen, Oikawa can feel a fresh wave of panic wash over him. Why is there a malfunction? How could he possibly fix a malfunction if he doesn't know what it wrong? "Why?" Oikawa cries in frustration. "Why is there a malfunction? Why did we leave them? Why, why, why?" As tears blur his vision, he almost misses it... The new word, no, the new sentences that flashes on the screen.

YOU ARE THEIR ONLY HOPE.

"I'm their only hope?" Oikawa responds, his cries growing louder as he grows increasingly upset. "I'm only 12. What I'm supposed to do?" As soon as he utters his response, he realizes that he made a mistake. Terushima is only 12. Terushima is only 12 and capable of many, horrible things.

YOU ARE STRONGER THAN YOU THINK.

With a sniffle and a shaky breath, Oikawa is able to calm himself. Or, get himself as close to calm as possible. After reading the words on the screen, he can't help but smile. "You're right. Even if you weren't, I would just have to grow to be strong. I can't let them down after they did so much to save me."

A loud bang echoes within Oikawa's ears and makes the ship accelerate. As they spin uncontrollably downward, Oikawa catches a glimpse of a planet. Its blue and white surface looks calming and welcoming. "What is that planet?" Oikawa asks, all the while desperately trying to control the descent of the ship.

EARTH

"Earth," Oikawa repeats, the name easily rolling off his tongue. " That's where the humans live." Just as he finished speaking, his world goes dark. His world goes silent.

He doesn't wake up until after the crash. To his relief, even though she was steaming, Lesya isn't on fire. HE isn't on fire. After fumbling to undo his harness, Oikawa stumbles over to the nearest door and practically falls out of the spaceship. He coughs when he takes in his first breath of oxygen - the air on Earth is terribly heavier than that in Jupiter - and through the black puffs of smoke, Oikawa finds himself in front of a standing figure. Whoever or whatever it was is likely frozen in fear. Oikawa had always been told that spaceships are not commonly found on Earth. He refused to believe such a strange fact until now... Until he landed on Earth, a planet that is just as strange as the facts and rumors lead him to originally believe.

Clearing Lesya's exhaust with a wave of his hand, Oikawa looks up to see a human boy around his age. The boy stands stiffly, a ball clutched tightly in his hands. Oikawa hastily puts a finger over his lips, "Do. Not. Scream. A. Word."

Oikawa was taught well, with the frightening stories he was told about humans leading him to be cautious. He knows that he must do something fast- If this boy were to say anything, call anyone or tell his mother, it would be the end of him. Suddenly, the ground starts to shake and Tooru falls backwards, looking up to find Lesya launch off the ground beside him. The craft hovers over him and the human boy dangerously, before taking off into the night. Oikawa manages to see the spaceship raise itself higher and higher until it instantaneously disappears - using some kind of invisible shield Oikawa barely remembers learning about.

"What are you thinking about?" A voice snaps Oikawa out of his memory and he turns to face the human boy he met all those years ago, Iwaizumi Hajime. They became great friends during the span of those years - Oikawa wouldn't still been alive if it wasn't for Iwa-chan's (hidden) caring demeanor. But there was also the fact that Oikawa lied about all those memories he had shared with him.

"L-Lesya! Wait!" Oikawa stumbles as he tries to get back up on his feet, soon running after the invisible aircraft. He's an alien on a Earth, with a spaceship. He is vulnerable now...The humans will take him away and he'll experimented on. Unless he can miraculously befriend the human boy.

Oikawa turns to face that boy, who is somehow still frozen in place. His eyes are wide and his mouth is hanging open slightly. He seems at a loss for words. Something had came in contact with young Iwaizumi's lips then, and if his eyes could widen any bigger, the strange boy that had crashed in his backyard was kissing him. Unbeknownst to him, the mouth-to-mouth contact was one of the easiest ways for Oikawa to channel a certain skill he was taught - one where he could manipulate another being's mind; learn their skills, and change their memories. Oikawa quickly breaks down Iwaizumi's timeline, adding false memories of them being together. It take up a lot of his energy but it was worth it in the end. He learned a lot from the human boy. Now exhausted, Oikawa pulls away but ends up collapsing on Iwaizumi, falling into a deep sleep.

"I was just thinking about the first time we met," Oikawa answers with a smile, looking back up to the sky. With the sky being exceptionally clear, they decided to stargaze. The morning after he crash-landed on Earth, Oikawa found himself under the care of the Iwaizumis. They were astonished to find the big hole in their backyard but they were a family who never really questioned when Tooru first appeared. After all, Iwaizumi's parents were pretty easy-going and trusting of Iwaizumi's words. After all, Iwaizumi had never (knowingly) lied to them before.

"We shared a kiss," Iwaizumi smiles but it only makes Oikawa tremble. He didn't think Iwaizumi would remember such a thing, he learned that the contact he gave Iwaizumi years ago was something only shared out of affection on Earth. "A kiss with victory. We won that mini volleyball match against the high schoolers when we met at the park that day. Now we're playing for that high school," Iwaizumi explains and Oikawa lets out a breath he didn't realize he was holding. Oikawa manages to hum in agreement, turning sideways to adore Iwaizumi who was admiring the stars.

"Have you ever wondered how many stars there are?" Iwaizumi asks, making Oikawa sigh. It was at times like this where he normally starts to babble and reminisce about his time as an alien prince, since it was safe to mutter things to someone like Iwaizumi. Iwaizumi never really believes the truths that he attempts to reveal. Instead the labels them as "nonsense". Silly Oikawa, aliens aren't real.

"I've counted before, but I might have missed some. The stars were always more visible up in Jupiter," Oikawa remarks, only to make Iwaizumi roll his eyes. If only he knew.

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CHAPTER CREDITS

Character design & development (for Oikawa): Nika Ravenscraft & Kira ()

Character design & development (for Iwaizumi): Kira (@nvillera)

Character design & development (for Iwaizumi's family): Kira (@nvillera)

Scenario development: Nika Ravenscraft & Kira (@nvillera)

Writing: Nika Ravenscraft & Kira (@nvillera)

Editing: Nika Ravenscraft & Kira (@nvillera)