King of Stars Volume 1 (An interstellar ATEEZ Hongjoong fanfiction)

Part Nineteen: In Which 10-24 Finds a Place Where She Finally Belongs

Seonghwa surveyed Hala Hala from the towering shoulder of Yeosang's EXO suit. After escaping the arena he waved Yeosang down and was scooped up by his giant hand. The knight had taken severe damage and was barely operational, but they both hoped it would hold together long enough to get them to the extraction point. He held on tightly to its tattered frame as they ran through the outskirts of the city to make it on time to board the ship.

The glittering cityscape beside them was covered with a dense fog that was impossible to see through. They used this to their advantage as the traversed the lesser known roads to stay a step ahead of Yuyaga's guards. After the fight they'd given chase and Uranaan received the brunt of the gunfire, nearly destroying the suit for good. Yeosang threw himself into the fray and deflected the attacks and then crushed the retreating guards beneath his feet.

The air that whistled around them was freezing cold and Seonghwa shivered, his breath pluming out from between his chattering teeth. He looked at Uranaan who slinked over the ground in front of them, hydraulics hissing as it's ruined armor dragged along the wet pavement beneath his body.

"So who the hell is Uranaan?" Seonghwa called down to Yeosang who was still strapped in the exposed heart. His piercing azure eyes glanced up at him through the blue glow of the inner chamber. He still had dried blood covering his face beneath his hair that was damp with sweat. The navigator's body was completely drained of energy but he continued to push on. It'd been so long that he'd been in a fight that it was taking a huge toll on him physically.

"One of Monster's men," He answered flatly. "The entire fight was staged from the beginning."

Then he explained to Seonghwa that before entering the arena Yoongi had let him in on Monster's plan. He told him to convince the crowds he was fighting hard for his life but Uranaan would throw the fight and let him win. And then he said to be prepared to make an escape when Uranaan started shooting.

"So he did this to have a guaranteed payout no matter who won?" Seonghwa scoffed. He knew greed could be a powerful motivator to weaker minded men but he had a high opinion of the chop shop owner. Monster reminded Seonghwa a lot of their captain in the way he looked after his men. Once he accepted you into his family he would lay down his life to protect yours no matter the cost.

Seonghwa smiled to himself. The eight of them were brothers forged with a bond that ran far deeper than blood.

"The gold was only a small part of it," Yeosang stated as the city lights grew dimmer around them. The EXO pilots veered away from the populated area and ran over the rocky ground. Seonghwa readjusted his grip on the suit as they ran, trying to keep his boots planted firmly on the knight's armor. They followed Uranaan's green lights into the inky black as he guided them to their destination. The navigator knew they must've been getting close. "As far as I knew he had this planned long before Jongho was imprisoned. Long before any of us ever got involved..."

"What plan are you talking about?" Seonghwa asked curiously.

"Monster wanted to kill him," Yeosang replied wincing as exhaustion began taking its toll. The knight was barely keeping together as they neared the extraction point. He saw faint lights in the distance as the crew signaled to them through the fog. "He wanted revenge on Yuyaga..."

~Ten's POV~

Monster's men stood wary at the extraction point guns at the ready and eyes trained on the low lying fog that surrounded the port. San, Wooyoung, and I sat astride Cerber as she trotted into their line of sight, ears pinned to her head as she eyed the men warily. San ran his hands over her russet fur trying to calm the three headed dog down. I saw the three men relax once they recognized us and V let out a low whistle as a signal. My eyes came to rest on a smoking Motorblade lying on its side on the ground. So someone else must've made it here before us, I thought to myself, feeling relief wash over me.