─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

SEASON 1 EPISODE 5

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Setting:

First half of chapter: Hoseok's ship, Pandora

Second half of chapter: Neon

System: Volii

Faction: Freestar Collective

Planet: Volii Alpha

Place: Neon

☆☆☆

Jimin

What the fuck did Jimin get himself into?

Jimin had always hated life, but he hated it more in that moment as he stared down five ships that were blasting away at his shields. His dumbass sat dead in the water for a few moments before Y/n took over. She stomped to his position and grabbed the yoke to tilt down, which caused Jimin to almost go flying out of his seat if it weren't for the belt keeping him down.

"Get on the weapons, I'll handle the flying!" Y/n shouted, and Jimin agreed without hesitation.

They switched positions. The seatbelt came off, and Jimin dashed to the co-pilot's seat, which was, as expected, next to the pilot. His mind was jumping with too many thoughts to handle.

Jimin could deal with running from Neon security. They sucked at their jobs and took bribes, so even when he did get caught, he would bribe his way out of trouble. Space was different. The endless void would consume him without mercy, and no amount of running or credits could save him.

For the first time since the Colony War, Jimin was terrified. He didn't enjoy the way the copper taste of fear flooded his tongue. He didn't enjoy the clamminess of his hands as he placed them on the joysticks controlling the lasers. There was no thrill in a space fight, and he could never understand how branches of military, like the UC Vanguard, took pride in them.

Long story short: Jimin hated flying. And no, it wasn't because he was scared of heights.

Sitting while lasers blasted in the sky made him feel as though walls were clamping down on him. It was as if he was in the UC Vigilance's elevator all over again. Tightness pressed on his chest as heaves made their way through his lungs, and he had to force himself to focus.

"Jimin, we have two behind us. I'm flipping us around, can you target lock them?" Y/n asked.

It didn't occur to him how soft her tone was while they were in the midst of combat. Her voice was smooth without a crack daring to touch the surface. Vanguard pilots had undergone rigorous combat training, but Jimin had never seen one in action.

Jimin swallowed. It felt like trying to swallow a fish; it kept coming back up and swimming around his throat. "I'll do my best."

"Got it. Activating reverse thrusters now!"

She yanked on the yoke, and the ship dipped. His stomach went with it. The Grav Drive created artificial gravity that kept him grounded on the ship, but in that moment, it felt as though it had been ripped away. Gravity and sense of self shredded into an unknown abyss while Y/n shouted orders Jimin couldn't comprehend. The flashing lights of the panel before him overstimulated him, and that was coming from someone who grew up on Neon, the overstimulation capital of the world.

Jimin closed his eyes as he slammed his thumb down on the target lock system. He could hear the clicking noise that indicated it was working. It crescendoed until it made a 'ding!' noise that signaled it locked on a target.

"Now, Y/n!" Jimin said as he snapped his eyes open. What he saw was an Ecliptic ship on the radar, lined up in their target lock. The target lock Jimin had managed to activate.

Y/n fired a missile that annihilated the enemy's shields. The Ecliptic warship wobbled as its thrusters attempted to put it back on course. Y/n used the lasers to finish it off. All without taking a scratch of damage.

"Did they put their ships together with duct tape and spit? How the fuck did one missile knock out their shields?" Jimin asked.

He didn't have much knowledge of spacecraft or how space fights went, but from the books he read, which could have been exaggerated, he knew it took several missiles to take down shields let alone an entire ship.

"They're Ecliptic, of course they did. They buy the cheapest ships possible and never do repairs."

Y/n's explanation got cut short by the remaining Ecliptic ships they had to deal with. There were four more, and another one was behind Y/n and Jimin.

Jimin's fingers danced across the controls as he locked onto the next target. Y/n did spins to avoid the lasers firing at them, and she utilized their engine's boost system to keep them safe from missiles. Apparently using the boost prevented enemy ships from target locking onto theirs. Firefights were deadly and Jimin was about to piss his pants, but at least he was learning from it.

"Missile out!" Y/n said.

On the radar, Jimin watched the dot that represented their missile grow closer to the enemy dot. The dots were the same color (cyan), but ships were giant dots while missiles were tiny ones. Missiles fired from the enemy's side, but without a target lock, they were aiming blind. Y/n ducked to avoid them. Bile kissed Jimin's throat as it rose to his tongue. He gulped it down and tasted the burn, and he gripped the armrests to remind him it would be over soon.

Their ship rumbled, and Y/n grunted. That caused Jimin to whip his head around to face her. She narrowed her eyes and mumbled what sounded like a prayer before twisting the yoke and sending them soaring forward at a far faster speed. Jimin got thrown against the seat. His neck cracked from the force of it, and Jimin felt the familiar pain of whiplash creeping up his bones. An action-packed lifestyle led to him dealing with injuries every day, but there were none he hated more than whiplash.

"Got that one!" Y/n said as she spun them around to face another. "Looks like our friends handled the other two, it's just this last one. Jimin, stay with me, I need you."

I need you.

Jimin stiffened with his hand hovering over the target lock. The beeping light begged him to press it, but he couldn't. The words I need you repeated in his mind over and over again. They reverberated around the crevices of his brain and bit every ounce of flesh they could find. Dizziness swelled in his chest until his lungs felt like balloons on the verge of popping.

I need you.

Tears soaked Jimin's cheeks before he could understand why they were there. He didn't move to press on the target lock. Instead, he raised his hand to wipe the moisture on his face. He gazed at the residue left behind on his fingertips. In the scarlet light of the cockpit, it almost looked like blood.

Your mother needs you. I need you. You can do this, Min Min. Don't be scared, I know you'll be a far better man than I am.

Jimin couldn't see the ship anymore. All he saw was Neon. Ebbside, Neon. His home. He heard his father's voice bouncing around his mind. Memories warped his vision, but Y/n's shouting kept pulling him between the past and present.

"Dad," Jimin whispered. The single word passing his lips felt like a bullet to his chest. It felt like his heart had spilled out of his ribcage and poured on the floor of a UC ship.

By the time Jimin realized he was in a fight, it was already over. Their ship stalled. On the radar, Jimin saw one other ship. It was the Pandora. Based on the small scan Jimin did, he saw their shields were at 60% and recharging. They hadn't taken hull damage, but Jimin knew it was thanks to his error the shields had taken damage. They would recharge and be normal soon. It didn't change the sinking sensation in Jimin's body.

Y/n unbuckled. "I did it manually."

Jimin got up and went to apologize, but she held up her hand. She motioned to the pilot's seat and the flickering blue light that represented they were in hailing distance of the Pandora.

"We can talk about it later. You have more important things to do."

As much as he could tell she was pissed, and she had every right to be considering he could have cost them their lives, he appreciated her reluctance to curse him out. Although, he didn't know if that was possible. Did Universals curse? Neon wasn't known for religion, so it wasn't like he had met many Universals in his life.

Questioning what Y/n would say later was pointless, so he plopped down and responded to the hail. He rubbed his stiff neck in the process and made a mental note to go to a doctor as soon as possible.

"Thanks for the help with Ecliptic, rook," the male voice Jimin presumed was Jung Hoseok said. "I could've handled it, but it sure as hell went faster with your help. Go ahead and dock. I assume you have Rake's body?"

"I do. He's my ship's newest air freshener."

"Oh, wonderful. The new rook has a sense of humor. I'm sure that'll be useful." The man paused, and in that short time, Jimin could hear the eye roll. "Just dock already."

The hail dropped, and Jimin had to enlist the help of Y/n to dock. When the latches were in place, Jimin got up, but Y/n held him in place. She gripped his shoulder. It wasn't comforting like the time she had rubbed it. That time, it was stern, but not quite harsh either.

"You grew up on Neon," she said, and starting with that clued Jimin in on what the conversation would be about. "I grew up in New Atlantis. I know our childhoods were different, and yours was much harder. I'm sorry if I said anything that triggered you."

"Is there a but coming?"

"No. It was your first firefight. You did your best, and we survived. That's what matters. I'm sorry if it seemed like I was mad at you, it was just the post-mission anger."

She was making it extremely difficult to hate her.

Y/n was a UC meat rider and a religious nut who worshipped a God that abandoned the galaxy years ago. He could respect her religion as long as it didn't impede his lifestyle, but the combination of being a Universal and a UC dog made him feel more ill than he did during the firefight.

The UC had taken everything from him, and there she was fighting for them. There she was actively defending it instead of acknowledging all the horrors the UC had brought. He couldn't comprehend how anyone could stand by the UC after all they had done during the Colony War.

The Freestar weren't innocent either. As proud as Jimin was for being a Freestar native, he knew they had fucked up in the past. They were the ones who broke the Narion Treaty, which was a peace treaty between the UC and Freestar Collective signed back in 2216. It was a truce agreeing the UC and Freestar could only own a handful of star systems, which ended up being four each.

The Freestar broke the treaty, but it was for the right reasons. They needed farmland. They had attempted to colonize another star system named Lunara. It ended with the UC bombing millions of colonists and farmers. Not military personnel, not barracks, not even government buildings. Innocent civilians who were told what they were doing would save the Freestar from the famine that had loomed over the Collective for years. A famine still present in modern times thanks to the Freestar's lack of planets with available farmland.

How could anyone help the UC after all the innocents they had slaughtered because they couldn't handle the Freestar having one more system than them? They were greedy, power-hungry assholes. Jimin wished he could tear them down with his bare hands. He had no sympathy for UC citizens, and he sure as hell didn't have sympathy for those that served the UC government.

That included Y/n.

"Whatever," Jimin said with a shrug. He moved her hand off his shoulder. "If you'll excuse me, I have to make a delivery."

Without waiting for her reaction, Jimin left with the body of Austin Rake. He entered the Pandora. It was dark and had lights that were blinking on and off. The walls were littered with graffiti. Artwork of UC SysDef getting tortured by the Crimson Fleet was common, and Jimin couldn't say he blamed the pirates for having that mentality. After all, SysDef had kidnapped and coerced Jimin into doing their bidding. If Jimin died, it was the UC's fault.

The docking bay of the Pandora was spacious but empty. There was no furniture or decorations outside of the art. If anything, it seemed like a ghost ship.

Jimin kept moving to the back of the room, where another door was. It was a thick, heavy metal sliding door. Jimin pressed his elbow against the door controls to open it. When it slid to grant him access to the other side, he spotted a convoluted room that split into three sections. Two of them had ladders.

How the hell would Jimin get up a ladder while carrying a dead body?

The room itself was split into two residential areas and one office space. Both of the rooms had two bunk beds, so eight beds overall. That meant the ship had room for at least eight crew members. If all eight were onboard, Jimin was outgunned and outnumbered. He had his pistol and his AA-99 strapped around his back, but he had no armor. He was vulnerable and carrying a dead body in his hands. What could go wrong?

His answer came when one of the two ladders squeaked. The office took up the middle of the room while the residencies took up the other two, and on the left side came the squeaks followed by a man whose wavy hair bounced as he made his way down. When he reached the bottom and turned, the first thing Jimin saw was a pale scar with blobs of pink scattered around it. The man's scar ran across the bridge of his nose and under both his eyes. There was another, smaller scar on the right side of his jaw that trailed all the way up to his lower lip.

"Oh," the man said. His nose scrunched up, and it caused the scar to deform as a result. It pulled upwards and wrinkled his otherwise sharp cheekbones. His heart-shaped mouth parted to show off his teeth. The left canine tooth was made of gold. "Maybe you weren't joking, that thing really is an air freshener."

"Are you Jung Hoseok, the one Adler told me about?" Jimin asked, and the man with long black hair approached. The hair was so long it covered his entire neck and almost hid his eyes.

The man swept the body from Jimin's arms and tossed it in the corner next to one of the bunk beds. He was chewing something, and a moment later, Jimin figured out it was gum. The man blew a bubble in Jimin's face and popped it. It smelled like watermelon.

Pirate captain gear was on the stranger's body. It was an unbuttoned black and red trench coat that had the collar pulled up. The pants were all black and had a holster strapped around the thigh. A pistol was there, but it was unlike any Jimin had seen. It had a pointed handle and a barrel that was cylinder-shaped, but not quite a silencer. It was far too thick to be one. It looked more like the tip of a chainsaw than anything else, and it made the holster appear deformed.

The stranger scanned Jimin up and down before snorting. "You're shorter than I thought."

"Excuse me?"

"The tales of the legendary Park Jimin speak of an avenging angel who hates the UC more than anyone," he said with a tongue click. He pursed his lips as if mocking Jimin's bewildered expression. "You're known for taking tasks that will specifically hurt the UC. Hacking their files, stealing their goods, planting contraband in a UC citizen's belongings... must I go on? I expected you to be more intimidating. You look like a spoiled pageant puppy."

"Whatever you have to say about my appearance, save it. I got the job done and I'm here, so back off."

He grinned. "Fair enough, glad to see you showing some backbone. Just make sure you can back that attitude up before someone comes and kicks your ass." He stopped and flicked Jimin's nose. "Relax, I meant it as a positive."

Jimin's brows crinkled together. "You... did?"

"You're clean. Pretty, even. You appeal to a wide variety of people. Perfect for our next job, and your next test." He leaned on the backs of his feet and tilted his head. "And yes, my name is Jung Hoseok. I'm the co-commander of the Crimson Fleet. A Fleet you can be part of if you prove yourself on the next two missions."

Jimin scoffed. "Killing someone wasn't enough?"

"Anyone with a gun can take a life. Trust isn't earned with a weapon, it's earned by respect and consistency. You keep doing well, you're in the Fleet. Maybe you can even meet Delgado. For now, you're stuck with me. Your next task is to meet up with a woman named Estelle Vincent. Maybe she sounds familiar?"

Jimin's eyes bulged, and he could feel drool beginning to form in his mouth. Yes, he knew Estelle; however, it wasn't her that made him so excited, but rather where she lived.

Neon.

"I get to go to Neon?" Jimin asked. He resisted the urge to bounce on the tips of his toes.

"Ebbside, yes. She hangs out at Madame Sauvage's. You meet up with her and you'll be given the perfect job for your... assets." Hoseok glanced at Jimin's lower half, and that was when Jimin realized he meant assets literally: Ass.

"Woah, hang on. What kind of job is this? Are you selling me or something?"

Hoseok laughed. "No, but it does involve using that body of yours. Now get going, Estelle doesn't like to be kept waiting." He sighed before adding, "Well, she cares more about cocktails than the Fleet. Maybe waiting is the better idea."

Not knowing if Hoseok was being sarcastic or not, Jimin stuck around, but within a minute, Hoseok pushed him out the door and whacked the back of his head.

Jimin approached his ship, but Hoseok clearing his throat caused Jimin to turn back. Hoseok had soft skin for someone so prone to combat. There were no spots of dust or grime on him. Even his attire was void of stains. His lips weren't chapped like Adler's; they were thin and smooth.

"Whatever legendary status you have on Neon, it doesn't matter anymore. You're gonna be in the Fleet. Your name, where you came from, your tragic past? It doesn't matter. You're 'Rook' now. Until you prove you're a loyal pirate, whatever real name you have buried under your history is gone. So don't get mad when we call you Rook. Got it?"

Jimin forced a smile and nodded. Then, he was dismissed. Hoseok turned away and went to laugh at Austin Rake's dead body. Jimin decided to leave before he could witness the sight any longer. When he returned to the ship, Y/n was waiting for him with raised brows and her eyes filled with a spark of concern. He shook his head.

Joining the Crimson Fleet was a terrible idea.

☆☆☆

"Neon Neon Neon Neon Neon Neon-"

"Jimin," Y/n interrupted, and Jimin pouted like a kid. "Are you really that excited to be back here? No offense, but it's a dump. Even Cydonia isn't this bad."

"Yeah, but it's my dump," Jimin said with a huff.

He crossed his arms over his chest as Y/n landed the ship. They had already made it by security. Adler and his crew had taken all the Aurora out of Jimin's cargo hold, which meant Jimin was free to fly anywhere he wanted without consequence.

If he could fly, that was. Learning was more difficult than he had anticipated.

The spaceport of Neon was as gorgeous as ever. Since it was an ocean planet, the city was indoors. The spaceport was the only part of Neon that was outdoors.

Rain clashed against the glass, thunder boomed in the distance, and lightning cracked overhead. Jimin wished he could burn it into his memory.

"Do you believe in Heaven?" Jimin asked. He got up from his seat at the same time she did, and as soon as they locked eyes, she nodded. Jimin smiled. It was genuine. "This is mine." He patted her on the shoulder and sprinted out of the cockpit. "Come on, let's go!"

Y/n seemed to do a factory reset before rushing after him. "Woah, woah, wait. I'm staying on the ship."

"I'm going to see my mom, so you're not gonna meet any pirates. Even if any pirates spot you, I doubt they'll know who you are."

"I don't know, it's dangerous."

"Oh, boooo." Jimin stopped by the door and stuck his tongue out at her. "You're a Vanguard pilot who takes down pirates, Ecliptic, and Spacers on a daily basis. Are you really telling me you're scared of Neon?"

She stared him dead in the eyes. "Yes."

"Too bad. Come on, please? I've never had a chance to show someone my home before. You showed me yours, isn't it fair that I show you mine?"

No one had ever appreciated Neon the way Jimin did. It was a piece of shit, Y/n was right about that, but it gave him a life to remember. Maybe by giving her a tour, he could change her mind.

She slumped her shoulders and picked up her Breach. "Alright."

"Y/n," he said as he opened the door. "Put down the shotgun."

She tightened her grip on it. "No."

"Y/n."

She stomped on the ground like a baby throwing a temper tantrum. "Fine."

She set it down and left the ship with him. He skipped down the ramp and dashed to the front. The ocean was tame despite how much rain there was. They were on a platform a good fifty feet above the water, and from his spot up above, he could see fish jumping in and out of the waves.

The technician's booth was on the far left and had a glowing neon (no pun intended) green sign labeling the building as "Ship Services." It was the only building on the spaceport. Otherwise, it was just a bunch of landing pads morphed together. The spaceport they landed on was for Neon natives. It was empty.

It wasn't like anyone ever left.

Ahead of them was the bridge to enter Neon, and it was as beautiful as he remembered. It was made of steel beams that creaked in the storm. A few times it had snapped and fallen into the ocean. As far as he was aware, there hadn't been an incident in five years. That was a record.

The Neon spaceport

Jimin hopped over to the bridge and giggled when his boots met the metal. It was an industrial-style bridge with an overhang to help disrupt the flow of water. It didn't stop the sound, though. No matter who was in charge of Neon, rain was always the dominating force.

Neon was known for its flashing lights, and that was because of the rain. Genius scientists stationed at Generdyne Industries created a system that took lightning and transformed it into energy. Due to the constant lightning strikes, that meant Neon never ran out of power.

Storms never stopped. In the entire history of Neon, the storms calmed once fifty years ago. When that happened, the entire galaxy thought Neon was going to explode. Luckily, it didn't.

Jimin rushed to the security checkpoint. They had passed their scans while in Volii's orbit, but they needed to pass an additional scan, mostly for Aurora. Neon was the only place in the Settled Systems that legalized Aurora, but it had to be on Neon. No smuggling in, no smuggling out. Anyone caught leaving or entering the city with it would be arrested.

The other side of the bridge led to the elevator that would bring them up to Neon. Four security guards were there. Before Jimin and Y/n was a cage with a tunnel-like opening through the center that would act as the scanning area.

"Keep moving, the scanners won't hurt you," one of the security officers said.

Jimin listened and went through. When he was cleared and got to the other side, he glanced back and saw Y/n standing at the lip of the entrance. Jimin facepalmed.

"Sweetheart, unless you're smuggling Aurora, you'll be fine," he said, and the security team nodded in agreement.

"They don't care that I have a pistol?"

"It's Neon. You'd have to be suicidal to enter without a weapon."

Her eyes almost burst free from her skull. "Then why did you tell me to leave my shotgun on the ship?!"

Jimin giggled. "I thought it'd be funny."

She mumbled God-approved curses (such as, but not limited to, "holy moly" and "great googly-moogly") and kicked at the ground before going through the scanners. She was clean.

What a shocker.

Jimin didn't care that he had to go in an enclosed space; he zipped inside the elevator and barely waited for Y/n to enter before he pressed the button that would launch him up. Claustrophobia didn't strike him in that moment. It dissipated in favor of the bliss of seeing home again. The outside was nothing special, but the inside...

Less than ten seconds later, the doors parted. He was hit in the face with the overwhelming scent of spilled beer, burned chicken, vomit, and shit. Literal shit. People often took shits on the sidewalks.

"What in the sweet lord is that smell?" Y/n asked as she pinched her nose.

Jimin grinned until it crinkled his eyes. "Neon."

He departed the elevator and sucked in the aroma he had grown accustomed to over the years. Neon was the perfect place to go to get your senses overstimulated. Alongside the mix of the worst smells known to man, there was also the obnoxious advertisements played on every store's bright ass signs, crowds of people yelling instead of talking, the taste of actual shit in the air, and the feel of steam passing by your body.

It was incredible.

Jimin went to the left, which led to Ryujin Industries, but on the way, there were vendors on both sides of the giant street. Down the middle and separating the two sidewalks were steam vents and power generators that gave Neon its iconic lights. On the side Jimin and Y/n were on, there was Mining League, a mining supply store. Then the Freestar Rangers' Neon headquarters, then Newill's Goods, then Ryujin.

On either side of Neon Core, where Y/n and Jimin were, there were the two towers: Ryujin and the Trader Tower. The Trade Tower consisted of several huge companies all residing in, well, a tower. Right outside the tower was where a statue of Benjamin Bayu was.

Bayu was considered the "leader" of Neon. He was a narcissistic piece of shit who made Aurora legal. However, no one but him could sell Aurora. If anyone else got caught selling the legal product, Bayu would sic the authorities on them. Considering he owned Neon security, no amount of "law" could save the victims.

In short: Benjamin Bayu was actually worse than the Crimson Fleet.

If anyone had a solid argument for why the Freestar Collective was worse than the UC, then Bayu would be a strong point. Everyone knew Bayu was a walking corrupt politician, but no one bothered stopping him. Even the Freestar Rangers didn't interfere much, and they were known for their ability to do their job despite how many bribes they were offered. They put justice above personal desire. The same couldn't be said for Neon security and the UC.

"Oh wow," Y/n said. She pointed to the Freestar Rangers building. It was dark red and had the gold star emblem mounted on the wall above the doors. "Sam would rather hang himself than be here."

"What?"

"Oh, I thought you two were besties. He didn't tell you? He was a Freestar Ranger."

"Was? I didn't know Rangers would ever want to quit," Jimin said with a chuckle.

"Sam dropped out after he had Cora. He didn't want to put her in unnecessary danger."

Jimin couldn't argue with that, so he dropped the topic. He went back to observing the home he hadn't seen in over two hundred days.

The sidewalks had puddles of water on them from all the rainwater dripping through the pipes above them. The enclosed city had a triangle-shaped roof that had to be a good thirty feet above them, but below that, there were pipes connecting between the different buildings. Jimin spotted the occasional drip that led to all the moisture on the ground.

Crowds bumped into him and Y/n. As much as Jimin hated being in tight spaces, he didn't mind it for once. It brought comfort to know he was home.

Speaking of home...

Jimin had went to the left for a reason: Ebbside. The closest entrance to Ebbside was on the left, sandwiched between the various vendors. Alleyways always led to the Ebbside doors. Jimin took Y/n in between the Freestar Rangers and Newill's Goods buildings and located the Ebbside entrance.

The alleyway was cramped and hissed with steam. There were random cardboard boxes thrown around and two homeless people sprawled out on the concrete sidewalk. One of them was a woman missing a top and the other was a man with a gray beard going down to his chest.

The lavender "Ebbside" sign was placed above the double doors. They were huge metal doors that took effort to open, almost as if warning tourists not to enter. Jimin knew how to open them by that point, and he twisted the handle to release the springs holding it in place. Then, the doors parted to reveal his home.

"This is where I grew up. I hope those aren't new shoes, cause no matter how careful you are, you will step in fecal matter." Jimin paused to shoot her a toothy grin. "But otherwise, it's fine."

Y/n was horrified but went along with it anyway, and he appreciated her patience. With that handled, they began their stroll through Ebbside.

The inside of Ebbside wasn't as chaotic as Neon Core. It had a ceiling but no wall separating them from the outside, which meant there was a window-like space that allowed them to see the outside. They were shielded from the rain, but it was like the budget ran out to keep all of Ebbside enclosed, so they opted to let people fall to their deaths if they wanted to. There was a railing that came up to Jimin's waist, but otherwise, there was no protection to stop anyone from jumping into the ocean.

The rest of Ebbside was made up of cramped alleyways, neon signs of varying greens and blues, and empty carboard boxes placed off to the side. Ebbside was designed to be a residential area for the less-fortunate members of Neon's society. That meant the entirety of Ebbside was designed to hold up Neon Core.

Literally.

Ebbside was a series of support beams and blocks of concrete that ended up being turned into buildings and homes. There were windy staircases that went well over a hundred feet into the air due to how high the beams went. Apartments were built into the ginormous beams and concrete blocks. Outsiders could be disgusted by Neon's crime, but the one thing they had to admit was how incredible Ebbsiders were. At the end of the day, they survived. When society brushed them aside, they created something new.

Jimin guided Y/n through the cramped spaces that made alleyways look like paradise. There were beggars lining up and down either side of the walkways. Jimin had lived there long enough to know to stomp on their fingers if they got too close. If you didn't, those fingers would end up in your pocket, right around all your credits.

Up ahead was the vendor who was selling sleepcrates to any unlucky soul. It was the most affordable housing in Ebbside. Apartments were reserved for the wealthy. Well, wealthy by Ebbside standards. A wealthy person in Ebbside was a low-class person living in New Atlantis.

Jimin waved. "Hey Monika."

"Mr. Park, you're back," she said with her eyes wide. She always overdid the mascara and paired it with an ugly gold eyeshadow that looked like it had gone through a meat grinder of the worst yellow shades in existence before being applied to her pale face.

"Has she caused any trouble?"

"None, she's been as quiet as always."

Jimin nodded. "Thanks, Mon. I kinda lost my keycard after getting arrested, so..."

"Of course."

Monika had a tiny booth she used to hold all her keycards and profits. It had a flashing "SLEEPCRATES" sign on top. All the keycards were displayed behind her, but they were props, not the real items. She reached under the makeshift desk she had and handed a flimsy black keycard to him. He thanked her and went on his way as soon as he could.

His sleepcrate was one of the first ones, and it was the tiniest room imaginable with a heavy sliding door Jimin had always complained about. His mom wasn't strong enough to open and close it. It wasn't fair.

Jimin swiped his key over the lock and entered his home. Dim lighting awaited him. It was all one room the size of the average closet in New Atlantis. One bed, a chair, and a bathroom. Shower not included. The local bathhouse was their solution, but paying for the water usage got pricey over time. That led to weeks on end where they'd have to choose between eating or showering. Or, Jimin would have to choose. They could have had the money for both, but his mom had other "needs," and he granted them every time.

His mother was curled up on the bed. She was skinnier than before—skinner than him. Her hair was far too long and it had grown brittle, almost like it was cement. Jimin flicked the light to max brightness as soon as Y/n entered and shut the door behind her. His mother didn't bother glancing up to see who had entered.

"Uh, Jimin," Y/n whispered, and Jimin hummed. He was taking in his mother's form. He hadn't seen her in far too long, and he had to admit he was taken aback by how frail she was. She had always been slim, but not to the point where he could see her bones poking against her flesh. "What are all those marks on her arms?"

Jimin ignored the question.

He went to his mother's side and knelt, brushing her hair behind her ear. "Ma, it's me. I'm back."

She mumbled a few things, and he noticed her lips were covered in powder. Purple powder. Jimin cursed and got up, which caused Y/n to place her hand on his elbow.

"What is it? What's wrong?"

"God dammit, I thought she was done with the hard shit..." Jimin trailed off and grunted. He pointed to his mother's lips. "She's not waking up anytime soon."

"Why? What did she take?"

Jimin ran a hand through his hair and sucked in a shaky breath. "Aurora. I thought she stopped, I got her to stop before I got arrested." Jimin teared up but held it back in front of Y/n. "I shouldn't have taken that stupid fucking job. I could've been here, I-I could've..."

"Jimin," Y/n said. The single word was like a lullaby, or a warm hug on the coldest day. He leaned back into her touch and found himself not hating it. "It's more than just Aurora, isn't it?"

Jimin swallowed whatever was left in his throat. "Yeah."

"How long has this been going on?" she asked, but based on the hesitancy in her voice, he wondered if she truly wanted to know. Jimin didn't want to say it, but the weight of the words he had never said overtook his mind, and they fired out before they gave Jimin a chance to think.

"Ever since my dad died."

☆☆☆

Neon Photo Gallery:

Famous nightclub, the Astral Lounge

Generdyne Industries, the company that powers Neon

Neon's Terrabrew Coffee

Ebbside, Neon

Neon Core

Neon's fish

A sleepcrate, which is where Jimin and his mom live

All photos were taken in the Starfield game by me.

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𝐅𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐅𝐚𝐜𝐭:

Aurora is the most addictive substance in the galaxy. Knowing how addictive it is, Benjamin Bayu continues to increase the price. As if the financial burden isn't enough, Aurora is known for slowly deteriorating your brain's function.

When you take Aurora, time will slow down and your senses get super sensitive. Aurora is used the most in nightclubs, typically before sexual activity. It is nicknamed the "Sex Drug," but it is also used by those who struggle with sleeping and calming themselves down as a way to escape the worries of their mind.

☆☆☆

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

SEASON 1 EPISODE 5

𝐄𝐍𝐃

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

A/N: We finally went to Neon 🥳🥳🥳