─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

SEASON 2 EPISODE 2

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Location:

System: Tau Ceti

Faction: None

Planet: Tau Ceti II

Place: Tau Gourmet Production Center

A/N: I'm writing on a new laptop since my old one ctrl alt deleted itself, so if there are more typos than normal, please ignore them. I'm still adjusting to the new keyboard, I'll be going back in and re-editing later once I get more adjusted.

Long chapter alert (they're all long but y'know-)

☆☆☆

Jimin

God fucking dammit, Park Jimin was in love.

Jimin banged his head against the wall and groaned. After Y/n had made the jump to Tau Ceti, he had excused himself to use the restroom, but he didn't have to go. He had to curse himself out for already falling in love with her.

It was ridiculous how whipped he was. Perhaps it was just high adrenaline from them being in the "honeymoon phase" of their relationship. They had just begun their journey, and they were going at it full force with all the kissing and cuddling. So, maybe it was recency bias; however, Jimin had the feeling it wasn't. He had a feeling he had been in love with her the whole time.

Y/n knocked. "Whatcha doing in there, goofball? It's been a while. Should I be concerned?"

That nickname would never get old. He adored being her little goofball, and he'd do his best to live up to that title by being the goofiest ball she had ever seen. Wait. Jimin wasn't a ball, he was a person. He had balls, pretty big ones if he did say so himself, but he wasn't a ball. Still, it was the thought that'd count. He'd be her goofball. He made a mental pact to never stop being goofy around her.

Jimin exited the restroom and grinned. "Nope! Just regretting my life decisions, that's all. Don't worry about me."

"I'm always worried about you," she said, and her lips twitched into a frown.

Shit, no. Jimin hated seeing her frown more than he hated the UC.

"Don't be cute right before a mission, it'll drive me crazy," Jimin said with a chuckle before kissing her forehead and walking off.

He geared up in the back and covered his awesome outfit with a Constellation spacesuit. He'd have to get a new spacesuit soon. As much as Constellation's spacesuit worked, Jimin wanted something with better protection and style. There was that UC spacesuit he had received after infiltrating SY-920, but he'd rather die than wear green.

Y/n joined him a minute later and helped him with his pack and helmet. After he was done, she got into her Vanguard gear. Jimin leaned against the wall and observed her gearing up. She had more excitement than he had expected, and as he watched, he couldn't help but feel excitement too.

Joining the Vanguard had been in his thoughts during the whole Legacy quest. After working with the UC for an extended period, he had learned they paid well, and those credits went right back to his mother. They had also provided him with a ship he could use to visit her whenever he wanted. The credits he had received from the Legacy was a number so high, Jimin could afford to get his mother out of that shitty Neon "house." Finally, he could help her in a substantial way. He had been looking into places to move her into, and he found one that had enough space. It even had its own bathroom so she could shower more.

"You okay?" Y/n asked as she finished gearing up. All that was left was the helmet, and she handed it to Jimin so he could do the honors.

He chuckled and placed the helmet on her head, though he hated how it hid her beautiful face from him. She had the most adorable eyes that formed creases whenever she smiled.

"Thinking about my mother. I'm gonna get her a new place. The UC pulled through and gave me a shit ton-" He broke off and coughed. "Sorry, crap ton of credits."

She nudged his shoulder. "I don't care if you curse. It's kind of hot, actually."

She slapped her hand over her helmet as if that'd stop what she just said. Before he could be his typical cocky self, she jabbed her finger in his direction and shook it back and forth like a middle school teacher scolding students.

"Nuh-uh. Nope. Don't."

He snickered and smirked. "I'm doing it anyway: you think I'm hot?"

She strapped her Breach around her shoulder and groaned before departing the ship with a stomp in her step. He laughed until squeaky sounds came out, then he followed her outside to Tau Ceti II. If he weren't wearing his helmet, he'd be able to feel the fresh breeze. The atmosphere was breathable, but while on Vanguard business, he had to wear a spacesuit. If he passed his mission with Y/n, he'd get a Vanguard suit and could start wearing it. That meant he'd look even cooler than he already did.

Vanguard suits were navy blue and red, not the ugly green those poor SY-920 pilots had to endure. Red and blue were Jimin's bitches. He made any color look good, but dark colors made him pop. Part of him wondered if he should spice up his fashion and do crazier things, like dying his hair. However, he was on a mission. He could think about it later. Oh, and ask for Y/n's opinion. She was the one who'd be stroking his locks, so she had a say. Whatever she wanted, he'd do.

Jimin froze and pouted at his own thoughts. Shit. He really was in love. God dammit. Already?!

"Keep up, slowpoke," Y/n said as she trudged through the tall grass and thick mud.

Tau Ceti II was serene. There was no visible sun, just clouds filled with rainwater. In a way, it reminded him of Neon, only it rained far harder on Neon. However, he saw the impacts of rain more on Tau Ceti II than in his home city. Neon had walls to protect from the rain, while here there was no protection, leading to muddy terrain and grass that grew too tall.

They were in a valley surrounded by many mountains and hills. There was a clearing up ahead that had Tau Gourmet, a processing planet where the distress signal had came from.

Oh good lord, would Jimin ever escape green? The entire building was a seaweed green that was somehow even uglier than those stupid ass SY-920 pilot uniforms. The only difference was the Tau Gourmet building was massive enough to stretch back for over a hundred feet.

There was little light in the area, but there were fog lights propped up on spikes sticking out of the ground along with some mounted on the building itself. As Y/n and Jimin approached, Jimin winced. His brain hurt still, and it was because of how often he had used his powers during the Legacy quest. Noel had diagnosed him with a complicated word he couldn't be bothered to pronounce, but long story short, he was supposed to limit power usage for another week or two.

Did he care? No. He totally didn't use Sunless Space to freeze Sarah's coffee yesterday while she wasn't looking. Nope. Not him. Couldn't be him. Had to be Barrett. That sly bastard had a robot servant, after all.

"Up here, the communications center is in there," Y/n said, pointing to the front of the structure. There was a slab of glass that allowed them to peek in, but it was too dark and far for Jimin to see inside-

'Screech!'

Jimin grabbed Y/n's elbow and pulled her behind him, throwing his AA-99 in front of him with one hand and using his right to power up his particle beam. It went quiet. The scream echoed throughout the open air and caused his forehead to explode with clamminess. The only noise was his sparkling hand, and in his adrenaline, he didn't realize he was holding his heavy weapon with only one arm. The arm that had just healed after being shattered by Hoseok.

Y/n and Jimin's rushed breaths broke the silence, and after a beat, Y/n stepped out from behind him with her Breach in her grasp. Wordlessly, she used her head to motion to the communications center. Jimin obeyed and crouched with her, and the two began their slow trek to the Tau Gourmet building.

That scream wasn't human. It sounded distorted and wild, like a beast straight from Hell. It had pierced through Jimin's eardrums and held his mind captive. Even though it was long gone, he could still hear it ringing inside him.

They made it to the communications center in less than a minute. Jimin entered first and shut the door as soon as Y/n was inside. There was a soft humming noise from a computer, and Jimin whipped around in time to see that for a communications center, it was rather cramped with a low ceiling Jimin's head almost touched and walls that reminded him of an elevator.

And he hated elevators.

However, what stood out to him most was the presence of a man sitting behind the one and only desk in the vicinity. He had his hands up and thick-framed black glasses on his face along with smooth skin. His lips were a cherry color, and they were plump and soft like Jimin's. Despite that, the man had dirt smeared all over his neck, which was barely visible thanks to the lab coat he donned. So much for a lab coat, that thing was torn up and covered in a mixture of blood and dirt. How the fuck was his skin clean when the rest of him was in terrible shape?

"Either I got hit harder than I thought, or you have amazing timing," the man said in a voice just as smooth as his skin. He hopped to his feet and offered his hand to the two. They took turns shaking it. "Kim Seokjin, Jin for short. I'm a... well, was a UC researcher. Welcome to Tau Gourmet, but I'm afraid you're too late. The settlers are all gone."

"What? Gone?" Y/n asked, and he could hear the crack in her voice. "How?"

"That's the part you won't like. I don't know what happened, but we were just doing our jobs when a Terrormorph attacked. It's a young one, but I don't have a good feeling about it. Terrormorphs don't show up on settlements as young as Tau Ceti. We haven't even been here fifty years, yet we have a Terrormorph already? It normally takes over a hundred. It slaughtered everyone. I... I'm the only survivor, but barely."

Y/n banged the side of her helmet to get her scanner to work. "Your vitals don't look good, we should get you to New Atlantis."

"I don't think the UC will be happy to see me," Jin said with a snort. He leaned against his desk and held his stomach, and Jimin noticed he was bleeding. "But they're gonna have to be, cause this Terrormorph is showing signs of..." Jin trailed off and shook his head, and bits of his fluffy, long black hair fell in his face. "I know this is a big ask, but I need a tissue sample to confirm my suspicions."

"What suspicions?" Jimin asked.

Jin blew a raspberry. "I'd rather not get you worked up, I'm already asking a lot of you-"

"Yes, you are," Y/n interrupted, setting her shoulders and getting in front of Jimin. "So if we're going to attempt to kill a Terrormorph for a stranger, we deserve to know why."

Jin slumped back down in his chair. His trembling hands folded together and rested against his forehead. Silence followed, and Jimin basked in it. Jimin hadn't signed up to be a Vanguard to fight a Terrormorph. He hadn't even known they existed until an hour ago, and now he was expected to battle one. Due to him knowing next to nothing about them, he didn't quite grasp why they were such a terror, but he certainly didn't want to find out more. Especially not from firsthand experience.

"Londinion," Jin whispered in a broken voice. "I fear it matches the pattern of the Londinion attacks."

Jimin staggered back. "Wait, isn't that the slideshow I watched? Isn't that where the UC commanders bombed the planet just to stop all the Terrormorphs?"

"You're right," Y/n mumbled. "If this Terrormorph is a sign of another Londinion attack..."

Jin nodded. "Then we need to get a sample and involve the UC. Look, I know this is a big ask, but you won't be alone. We have defense systems all over the base, but the Terrormorph destroyed the power. If you can get the power back online, the turrets will do most of the work-"

Y/n stormed out, which cut Jin off. He fiddled with his hands, but before he could speak, Jimin shook his head to stop him. Then, he sprinted out after his girl. She marched away from the compound with her helmet on the ground behind her. Her hair flew in the wind and her hands balled into fists by her side.

Jimin sprinted after her and picked up her helmet along the way. She was heading back to the ship, but Jimin got in front of her. When he did, his heart chipped and shattered. There were tears trailing down her face. Her eyes were like a bug's; they darted around and didn't focus on any one thing in particular. Still, she ceased her motions thanks to Jimin getting in front of her.

"Honey," he whispered. He took off his helmet and placed his and hers on the ground. Both of his gloved hands made their way to her cheeks to wipe the tears. "What's going on?"

Her lower lip quivered. She didn't meet his eyes. "I can't. I'm sorry, Jimin, I can't. Terrormorphs, they're..."

"Shh, it's okay," he murmured, bringing her closer until their chests touched. She whimpered at the contact, and he ran his hand through her hair in an attempt to comfort her.

"Londinion happened in... in 2316." She broke off and hyperventilated. Her breathing picked up to the point where no words came out of her mouth, and he knew he had to sit her down.

He coaxed her to the ground, and they knelt in the mud. Soft 'shh' sounds left his tongue. However, it had the opposite effect. Sobs wrenched free from her, and he engulfed her in his arms. Tears slid down his skin, but he did his best to hide it from her. All he did was rock her back and forth and allow her to cry as much as she wanted while also staying on watch, just in case the Terrormorph came for them. He wasn't sure where it was, but he didn't want to take any risks.

"I was fourteen," she said in a choked cry. She clung onto his suit and nuzzled her head against his neck. "They sent me to Londinion to fight the Terrormorphs... everyone... they all..." Another whimper ripped itself out of her vocal chords. "I watched everyone die. I watched Tuala get his hand chewed off by one of those monsters."

"Oh, baby girl," he murmured against her ear with a shaky breath. "I'm so sorry. I had no idea."

She didn't reply. Instead, she wailed and heaved in his arms. Every rumble of her chest made his heart break more. His hands could only do so much to soothe her, and he knew from experience she had to cry it out. He had done so back when he had participated in the torture and killing of Larry Dumbrosky. Although it had been almost two months since that had happened, he could still hear Larry's screams as clearly as he heard Y/n's sobs.

Y/n whipped herself out of his arms and wiped her face. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that."

"No," he said, grabbing her hand and rubbing his thumb across the back of it. "Please don't apologize. I'm here for you, Y/n. You know I..."

Love you.

Those were the words resting on his tongue, yet he couldn't say them. It wasn't because he thought she didn't reciprocate the feelings; if anything, all signs showed she did. But in a moment where her emotions were at an all-time high, saying such an intense phrase could overwhelm her. That was the last thing he wanted to do.

"I care about you more than anyone in this galaxy," he said instead, dropping his voice to a whisper. "Show me you. Show me every side of you, even the side you think is the worst and ugliest, I'll still find you beautiful."

Her lower lip kept quivering. "I don't want to be a burden."

"Never. You could never be one to me."

She hugged him, and he hugged back as soon as she came into contact with him. His eyes shut on instinct. His brows buried themselves together as he held her close. In a way, it felt like he was holding her closer than he had ever held anyone. It was the most comfort he had felt his entire life.

"Go back to the ship, I'll handle Jin and the Terrormorph," he said, and she snapped back at that.

"What?! Are you insane?! You've never fought a Terrormorph before, you'll die!"

"I have superpowers-"

"They aren't a get out of jail free card, Jimin! They don't make you invincible!" Her sobs came back, and an overwhelming sensation of defeat flowed inside his core. "Please, I've lost enough to the Terrormorphs, I can't lose you too. Please, Minnie."

The new nickname caused his heart to dance inside him, though he knew it was the wrong time for it. He ignored the ecstasy swirling around his mind and instead kissed her forehead and brushed her hair back.

"Minnie? I thought I was your goofball," he murmured, and she laughed, but it came out more like a painful cough.

"You'll always be my goofball."

"Always," he repeated, and their eyes locked after he said that. "That means I was your goofball yesterday, I am your goofball today, and I will be your goofball tomorrow. Even after I fight the Terrormorph and win."

"Jimin, please..."

He shushed her and placed his forehead against hers. "Do you trust me?"

She didn't even hesitate. "I do."

"Then trust that I can do this. I may not know how to fight a Terrormorph, you're right, but I'll talk to Jin about it and educate myself. I'll have my powers on standby."

"But Noel said-"

"I don't care what Noel said. Noel is the same person who tells you not to sleep twelve hours a day, which is blasphemy. Why listen to her, huh?"

They both chuckled at that.

"Don't worry, I'm coming back. I have a date to take you on," he said.

She tilted her head. "You do?"

"What, you thought I wasn't gonna be all romantic and take my best girl on a date? You know who your boyfriend is, right? I'm Park Jimin. The word 'basic' isn't in my vocabulary. I'm taking you on a stupid, obnoxious date, then I'm gonna cuddle the shit out of you and make fun of Barrett. How does that sound?"

She sniffled. "I think I just fell in love with you."

His cheeks turned rosy, and he kissed her. She returned it in a flash. They kissed in the rain, but the water made it more romantic. It was short but sweet. Exactly what they needed, and by the time they parted, Jimin grinned.

"Why don't you go back to the ship and think about just how much you're in love with me, then you can tell me all about it later, okay? And I mean all the juicy details. Please, don't hold back anything, even the parts about how hot you think I am-"

She playfully shoved him back. "Goofball."

"That's my girl," he whispered, pressing one final kiss against her cheek. "Go, I'll be okay. You know I will be."

"You're right. I know."

He winked. "Please feel free to tell me I'm right more often, it's good for my ego."

She rolled her eyes, and he snickered as she snatched her helmet back and trotted up the hill to their ship. She waved. He waved back. After, she entered and shut the ramp. Looked like it was up to Jimin to stop the Terrormorph.

He was scared shitless; however, he couldn't let his girl fight that monster. After seeing what it had done to her mental state, he couldn't bear the idea of making her face it again. It went beyond that, though. There was no guarantee she wouldn't freeze up upon seeing it again. Just the mention of it caused such a visceral reaction. What was to say she wouldn't freeze in a crucial moment? As much as Jimin didn't know what he was doing, Y/n didn't either. She was as lost and confused as him, even if she wouldn't admit it.

Jimin put his helmet back on and returned to Jin. If Jin had questions about Y/n's outbursts, he didn't vocalize them, which Jimin was grateful for.

"I'm fighting this thing on my own. Any tips?" Jimin asked.

Jin's eyebrows shot up. "Tip one: don't fight it on your own."

"I'm not making my girl fight that thing. She was part of the Londinion attacks when she was... she was just a kid." Jimin cleared his throat and tightened his grip on his AA-99. "So, got any actual tips, or are you gonna let me die out there?"

"I would never let my saviors die, that'd be selfish. This is a baby Terrormorph, so it'll be easier to fight than most. The turrets should do the job as long as you keep it in their line of sight. This one shouldn't have a bad shout, you'll be fine."

"A bad... what?"

"Terrormorphs have a shouting ability where their screams can warp your mind and make you hallucinate. It's what makes them so dangerous. You'll hear voices that aren't there and see things. In extreme cases, you can even feel yourself get transported into an entirely new world that isn't real, all in your head. But don't worry, this one doesn't have a developed one, so at most you might hear voices."

Jimin gulped. "Yeah, these creatures can casually give us hallucinations to the point where we feel like we're in a different world, but no biggie. I won't worry!"

Jin came over and placed a hand on Jimin's shoulder. Although physical touch made Jimin sick unless it was Y/n, for some reason, Jimin didn't move away from it. If anything, it was comforting. Like a guiding light. Jimin hated that he leaned into it, but he couldn't resist.

"You'll be okay," Jin whispered. Somehow, Jimin believed him. "Keep your distance. Do you have a boost pack?"

"No, I'm not a full Vanguard yet, so they didn't give me the suit."

"Alright, then you'll want to stay on the high ground and be quiet, it's attracted to noise. They can jump up and get to your position, but vertical movement is harder for them. Reset the security systems from the security room near the back of the production center. Once you do that, I'll reboot the turrets. From there, climb up to the top of the building and stand by the turrets. How's that sound?"

"Absolutely terrible."

Jin grinned. "At least you're honest."

Jin sat down and click clacked away on his computer. Jimin took an extra second to stand there and pretend he wasn't about to go face a creature of unknown power. However, after a beat, Jin opened a drawer and took out some wipes to dab down his face. He even had a mirror to go with it so he could perfect every little detail. That explained the clean face.

Jin stopped once he noticed Jimin staring. "What? If I'm gonna die to a Terrormorph, I'm gonna die looking good." He paused and tugged on a few strands of his hair. "Oh who am I kidding, I always look good."

Jimin decided death to a Terrormorph was better than spending another second with Jin.

Jimin rushed out and went to the back of the facility while on his tippy toes. No signs of any Terrormorphs were present. That meant he had the freedom to continue into the security room, and what awaited him was a computer and a power generator with two dead settlers on the ground. One of them was decapitated and had both his legs missing, and the other had her guts pulled out and her head crushed to the point where her eyeballs had been squeezed out of their sockets.

Bile tickled Jimin's throat, but he ignored it to instead go to the sparkling computer and attempt to turn it on. It didn't work. The next best option was going to the power generator, and he pulled the lever three times before sparks flew and the power jumped back on. More lights flicked and illuminated the production center. Jimin could hear clicking in the distance, and he knew it was the turrets. Jin had followed through and kept his word. That was a good start.

What wasn't a good start was the bodies. If he was going to die, he wanted to make sure it wasn't like that. If not to save Y/n from getting even more traumatized by the sight of the gruesome corpse of her lover, then because he didn't want to die in that way. Preferably, he didn't want to die anytime soon, but with all the shit he did, he was sure he would die long before the average life expectancy. By average age standards, he was like an infant. He had a good hundred years left until he reached average age of death. He planned to use them well. Hopefully most of those years would be spent with Y/n.

Jimin exited and noticed the creaky metal stairs bolted to the side of the building. He climbed up them and made it to the roof, and he spotted the turrets near the middle. He went over and saw a gap between the first half of the production building and the second. The catwalk waited for him, and he rushed across it to get to the other side, where most of the turrets were.

The gap was also on the ground, and Jimin saw a wide clearing that was full of mud. Puddles of rain dented the terrain. It looked sticky. Jimin jotted down a mental note not to fall if he could avoid it.

Without wasting more time, he pointed his AA-99 to the sky and fired it. The truth was, he was nervous, but not as nervous as he could be. The plan was to use Sunless Space to kill the creature. The problem was, it was fast-moving, which meant he'd have to be as accurate as possible. He couldn't afford to exhaust his energy on missed shots. So, he'd quite literally have to be perfect.

Yippee.

The gunshots echoed in the air, and Jimin held his weapon against his chest after he was done shooting. The noise caused a tremor to ripple in the area. One second passed, and the catwalk shook. Two seconds, the turrets he stood next to beeped and piped up. Three, a long, veiny black arm broke free.

A giant mass of blackness tore itself out of the earth and into Jimin's vision. It had four main legs and two smaller ones attached to the back, likely to help with climbing and fast movement. The legs were both veiny and boney at the same time. If anything, they looked like old tree bark, and at the top they were shaped in a slant with holes in them as if they were breathing holes or something of the sort.

A Terrormorph

The Terrormorph hissed and screamed as the turrets fired at it. It had a small head, but that made it more difficult to land headshots. It had spikes on its head and a bubble-like texture on its back that looked like murky yellow and green pus was popping out of it. Other than that splash of color, the rest of the monster was black.

Jimin came to the conclusion that he didn't get paid enough to deal with aliens, and he decided to think of Sunless Space before the creature got a chance to move an inch. The turrets blasted at it, but its armor was too tough for a few bullets to penetrate. The beast roared, and a visible sound wave exited its small mouth and went up to Jimin. It pushed him back just as he was about to fire Sunless Space, and the orb ended up flying uselessly into the open sky.

A grunt passed his tongue, and he rubbed his aching head. So, that was the shout Jin had warned him about-

"Jimin!" Y/n's voice shouted.

Jimin panted and whipped around to look for her, but she wasn't there. He could hear her voice so clearly as if she were right next to him, but her body wasn't in sight. Next came the sobs. He could hear her soft whimpers and whines, and his heart skyrocketed.

"Help me! Please, help me!"

Jimin punched the side of his head, but Y/n's whines didn't cease. He knew it was just the effect of the Terrormorph, but the question what if it's really her sat in the back of his mind. He wouldn't put it past Y/n to come running to help him, so what if...

The thoughts were interrupted by a claw hitting the side of the roof. A beat later, the Terrormorph hoisted itself onto the same roof as Jimin, and he gasped at the sight. He thought it'd take the beast longer than a few seconds to climb the roof, but he had been proven wrong. That meant he had to act.

The symbol for Sunless Space came to him, and with the creature about to pounce, he fired. The orb smashed into the Terrormorph and froze it. Its claw was extended toward him, about to take his life, but Jimin had been faster.

The turrets stopped, and Jimin let out a sharp breath. He didn't know how to get a tissue sample, so he'd have to report to Jin for that part of the process. Oopsies, maybe Jimin shouldn't have frozen it, but killing a Terrormorph was near-impossible, based on what Jimin knew. If he didn't have superpowers-

'Crack'

Jimin stiffened and got to his feet. He staggered back and watched as bits of ice chipped off the Terrormorph. Piece by piece, the ice shattered, and soon enough, the Terrormorph raged and screeched at him.

His superpowers didn't work.

Jimin yelled and ran for his life as the turrets shot again. Since the Terrormorph was so close, the turrets shot it in the head. That caused it to get distracted and howl out in pain. Jimin jumped to the other side of the roof and panted at the exertion. There was distance between him and the Terrormorph, but not enough for comfort.

Trusting his aim, Jimin fired his AA-99 at it. The explosive rounds pierced through its skin and did more damage, but not enough.

"Jimin! Help!"

Y/n's voice reverberated down his flesh and left clamminess and goosebumps behind. Jimin bit the inside of his cheeks to keep himself focused, but his heart couldn't help but ache at the idea of Y/n being hurt. What if she was there? What if she was dying, and he was the one on the roof trying to convince himself it wasn't real and only an effect of the Terrormorph's abilities?

The Terrormorph launched itself in Jimin's direction. It swiped at the turrets and destroyed two of the three. Jimin heaved and thought of the particle beam symbol, then fired it. It melted through one of the Terrormorph's legs, rendering it less agile, but since it had five other legs, it wouldn't slow it down much. The beam hadn't been strong enough to destroy the torso.

Jimin got up and shot at the beast as he ran away. He thought this Terrormorph was a baby, why was it A) so massive and B) so difficult to kill? If a baby could resist both of his most dangerous powers, he didn't want to face any adults, but he had a feeling he would. Especially if Jin's suspicions about this Terrormorph and Londinion being connected were true.

The explosive rounds shredded the Terrormorph's figure, and it whined as it slowed. Jimin fired one last particle beam at the same time he shot his AA-99, and that finally caused the Terrormorph to stop. It fell to the floor of the roof and let out a huff as it died. Jimin kept shooting until his rifle clicked to show he was out of ammo. For good measure, he thought of his particle beam one last time and hurled it into the creature's head. It melted the brain, and that gave Jimin peace of mind.

Y/n's voice disappeared from his mind, but that didn't make him feel any better. In a hurry, he returned to Jin and almost doubled over once he locked the door behind him. Jin stayed put behind the desk with both his brows raised.

"So... you can shoot beams out of your hand?" Jin asked.

Jimin grunted and realized he had sparkles flying off of him to indicate he had just used his powers. Great. Wonderful. He had been caught in the act by a stranger.

Jin tapped on his computer screen. "There are cameras everywhere, I was watching. Care to explain yourself?"

"I don't trust you, I'm not telling you shit. I killed your damn Terrormorph, so you go get that sample so I can be on my way."

"Suit yourself, but if you ever need someone to talk to about your... condition, I would be willing to listen. I can't imagine it's easy to deal with."

Jimin was about to ask what he meant, but he felt the drip of blood trailing down his nose and realized Jin could see it. Jimin had an open helmet on, so his face was visible. Shit.

"Whatever, can I go now?" Jimin asked with an eye roll.

Jin got up and scanned over Jimin. "Fascinating. Your physiological readings are off the charts. What happened to you, stranger? You have powers that come from your hand, sparkles that come off of you, and different eye colors."

Jimin knitted his brows together. "Different eye colors?"

"Oh yes, your eyes were blue."

Jimin had never looked at himself in the mirror while using his powers, and he hadn't used them much around others, let alone used them in places with sunlight. Most of the people he used them around were dead. No one had told him his eyes could change colors, but he'd investigate later. For the time being, he needed to relax.

"I told you I don't want to talk about this. Go get your sample."

Jin obeyed, and Jimin stayed just in case. As much as Jimin didn't care for the scientist, he didn't want to leave him. If another Terrormorph popped up, Jin's death would be on Jimin. So, he waited.

Ten minutes later, Jin came back into the room with wide eyes and a cylinder contraption that had a black goo substance inside it. Somehow, the sample ended up in Jimin's hands.

"I need you to take this to the president."

Jimin burst out laughing. "Dude, I'm a Freestar native with a criminal record bigger than my dick. You think the UC is gonna let me talk to their president?"

The answer was yes, as confirmed by Min Yoongi himself. The president had been dying to meet Jimin. Jimin had declined every time, and he would continue to do so. There was no need for him to meet the president. Truthfully, there was nothing the president could tell Jimin that couldn't be said through a message. If they were giving him a medal, they could ship it to the Lodge and he'd receive it there. Why would he bother going all the way to the president's office? Sorry, but no. Jimin didn't trust the UC.

"Yes," Jin said in a blank tone. "Give that sample to the UC president and he'll see the tissue matches the tissue of the Terrormorphs from the Londinion attack."

"What? How the hell do you know that?"

"I... used to be the head of the UC's Xenowarfare department during the Colony War and Londinion Terror. We used to study Terrormorphs with the intention of repurposing them to release on the Freestar during the Colony War."

Hearing that made Jimin go numb. The UC had already bombed and desecrated the Freestar Collective, but they wanted to unleash Terrormorphs too? That was both physical and psychological torture. Terrormorphs were brutal beasts, and Jimin now saw firsthand how they could fuck with the mind and body. How could anyone be so cruel?

"I think I'm gonna be sick," Jimin muttered as he staggered back. He almost dropped the sample, but he clung onto it at the last second. It was evidence that Terrormorphs could become a larger threat, so as angry as he was at Jin, it wasn't worth smashing the sample over. "How could you do that to people?"

"Your Freestar launched mech assaults on New Atlantis and burned children to death. They destroyed the home we spent so long building, and even now, New Atlantis isn't fully recovered. The Well only exists because of the Freestar. Everyone in New Atlantis used to be equal and have enough property, clothes, and food to go around, then the Freestar annihilated it and caused a housing crisis. Go visit the Well, I'm sure you'll love it there. Go see what the Freestar did."

Jimin held the sample against his chest and averted his eyes. "Tomorrow. I need a day to cool off. Meet me in front of MAST at fourteen hundred Jemison time, don't be late. We'll meet with the president and you'll present your case."

"I want you to-"

"No!" Jimin interrupted in a shout. "I'm not your damn guinea pig you can make do whatever you want! I killed the fucking Terrormorph, what more do you want from me?! They'll need my eyewitness testimony, so I'll be there, but that's the best you're getting. If you don't show up, the president doesn't get this precious sample. Do I make myself clear?"

Jin nodded and didn't verbally answer. That gave Jimin the permission he needed to leave. He scampered away and went back to his ship, opening the ramp and storming onboard. He buckled the sample into one of the various seats around the bay and threw off his helmet. His suit came off, and he jumped out of it, Hoseok's scarf bouncing on his back as he did so. Tears left his eyes just as Y/n came into the room. Seeing her overwhelmed him, and he broke down and ran into her arms.

"You're okay, you're okay," Jimin whispered, cradling her and kissing all over her neck. "You're okay..."

"Terrormorph visions?"

He sobbed at that and pulled on her hair from how hard he held her. "Yeah."

"I'm sorry, I should have warned you, I just..."

"Shh, shh, all that matters is you're okay," he said through his cries. "I'm so sorry, honey. Jin was right, the tissue matches Londinion."

She didn't answer, and he couldn't blame her. They ended up going quiet, and after a minute of hugging, they went to their room and rested in bed with Y/n on top of him, her nose burrowed against his neck. He adored feeling his weight on him. It brought peace he needed more than anything.

"Hey, Minnie?" she asked in a gentle voice.

"Yes, my love?"

She climbed up and hovered over his face. He thought she was going to kiss him, but instead, she rested her hand on his cheek and brushed her fingers over the skin there. She explored every inch of him with the pads of her fingers, and it was better than any kiss could be. It was intimate in a way he couldn't comprehend, and giddiness swam in his stomach as a result.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, and he tilted his head at that.

"What are you sorry for? I handled the Terrormorph, so-"

"No, not the Terrormorph. I'm sorry for everything. You've been through so much, yet you don't talk about it. I don't know if it's because you need space or because you were taught to never show your emotions, but I want you to know that whatever you need, I'm here. After the Legacy, the superpowers, and now this... I can't imagine how you're feeling."

Jimin's lower lip quivered. "Like shit."

"I figured. Jimin, please don't be scared to talk to me. If you prefer space and want alone time, I'll give you that, but I don't want you to feel like you can't talk because you've been conditioned not to. So if you want to talk but feel you can't, please know I want to listen. I want to hear every thought going on in that beautiful brain of yours."

He sniffed and smiled. "Every thought?"

"Okay, maybe not every one," she said with a chuckle. Then, she kissed his forehead and gazed into his eyes. "You're my goofball, Park Jimin. I'll never pressure you into talking, I just want you to know it's always an option, whenever you need it."

He brought her back into his arms and kissed her. She accepted it, and it was slow and sweet. It lasted a few seconds, but each second healed him. By the time they were done, he stared at her with his smile still on his lips.

"I hope you know it's always an option for you too, honey. Listen, I... I hate the UC, and I don't think I ever won't, but I'm not delusional. Well, mostly." He paused to giggle, and she did the same. "The Freestar did fucked up things. I was so caught up with my dad that I didn't stop to think about how the UC citizens were hurt. In a way, maybe that's because I didn't view you as humans, just monsters who destroyed the Freestar for a bullshit reason. Shit, all this time and I didn't even know the Freestar won the war, let alone how they won it."

"You didn't have a chance to hear the other side of the story, it's not your fault."

"But that doesn't excuse how stupid I was. War is awful. It takes from both sides. No matter what, innocent people die. I'm sorry I didn't try to see your perspective. Vanguard from a young age, yikes. I can't imagine what you've been through."

"A lot," she murmured. She hesitated and laughed, but there was no humor in it. "It feels weird, admitting that. It's not like my priest ever cared when I talked about it, so thank you for listening."

"Your priest doesn't care?"

She shut her eyes and hid herself against his body. "I think there's a new keeper now, but when I was a teen, the Universals shut me out. They saw me as nothing more than a Vanguard who kills people."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be," she said, peeking up and placing a hand on his cheek. "I'm just glad I have you. Thank you for everything. You've sacrificed so much to make the galaxy a better place, and you even fought a Terrormorph by yourself to keep me safe. You're such an amazing man, Jimin. I just... I..."

"I know," he whispered, rubbing her back. "I feel the same way."

I love you. Those were the words he knew she would say. The words he wanted to say. He didn't say them, but he confirmed his feelings regardless, and she grinned when he did.

"I want to say it, but I don't want to go too fast."

Jimin smirked. "Then how about every time you get the urge to say it, you kiss the shit out of me instead. How does that sound?"

She whacked his chest. "You're such a dork, I swear."

"Actually, no, you don't swear cause then I'd have to report you to your Universal besties-"

"Oh my God," she interrupted before kissing the shit out of him.

It didn't last long since they laughed too much and couldn't focus on the kiss. They ended up with their legs tangled together and their breaths intertwining in the tiny gap separating them. They were quiet for a long time. It could have been five minutes, or ten, or even twenty. All they did was stare and hold each other. Maybe it was cheesy, but being in her presence brought him more peace than being anywhere else.

"We're really comfortable with each other," she said, and he hummed. "But there's a lot we don't know yet, so... is this really okay? Are you sure you're okay with me?"

"Huh? Of course I am, honey. What are you talking about?"

"I mean the thing about the devil's tango."

He threw his head back to laugh, then when he came back down, he kissed her nose and rubbed her arms.

"Did you just call sex the devil's tango?" he asked, and she nodded with a little pout on her face. "You really are the cutest little thing, princess. And to answer your question, of course I'm okay with it. Y/n, I spent my whole life fucking around and not caring about anything other than crime and getting drunk. Now I care about you, and all I want is to make you feel safe and happy."

She had the brightest smile. "You do. Thank you, Jimin. I want to wait a while, but part of me can't wait to show you my body."

He hummed and traced his hand up and down her back. "I'd be honored if you showed it to me, so don't worry, okay? As long as you're happy, I'm happy. And when we do eventually do the devil's tango," he said in an overdramatic voice that made her laugh. "Talk to me during it and tell me what you are and aren't comfortable with, yeah? I want to be able to tease and please the fuck out of you."

"Shut... shut up!"

He chuckled and kissed the side of her head. "What's wrong, princess? Having dirty thoughts? Aw, are you thinking about how I'd make love to you all night long? Maybe you're even thinking about how I'd moan your name?"

"You're such a... ugh! Men!"

He burst out into a fit of giggles as she pretended she wasn't a flustered mess. It was adorable to see her so shy, especially when she was far from shy anywhere else. In the Vanguard, she was a badass captain with incredible leadership skills. While facing down pirates, she didn't so much as flinch. Around Park Jimin? She flustered.

"You're my beautiful baby girl," he murmured as he stroked her hair. "Please tell me whenever I do anything that makes you uncomfortable, okay? I won't be offended. Your safety is my top priority. Shit, I fought a whole Terrorbitch to keep you safe. That should say enough."

She hiccupped from how much she laughed, and she snuggled up against him. Her strawberry scent flooded his nostrils and embraced his mind with joy. He cherished every ounce of it, and he only cherished it more when she opened her mouth to speak.

"Okay."

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Upcoming destination:

Neon

Forgive me I'm still transferring all my pictures from one laptop to this new one, so I don't have any pics of Neon right now :(

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SEASON 2 EPISODE 2

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─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

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A/N: I want them to say "I love you" to each other since, let's face it, they do. They've been through so much together that even though they haven't been together romantically for too long, they have the real shit: shared trauma. Still, I'm going to hold off for a little bit to give them more relationship experience. I don't wanna move too fast.

(It's chapter 21 and this story has a nine hour read time-)

It's a space opera so I want to keep the pacing up and the action going, but yes we will absolutely take the time to see Jimin and Y/n doing casual dating stuff. They deserve it, tbh. They deserve moments of peace, and I will be giving them a break.

For at least like two minutes before I do something highly traumatizing again-

Anyway!!! I hope you liked this chapter! It was fun to write. See you soon!