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

Part Twenty Three: In Which 10-24 Learns How Deeply Blood Runs

~Ten's POV~

"I-I don't understand," Yunho stammered next to me. I could see tears forming in his eyes as he tried to grasp at what was going on. "It has to be a mistake..."

The crew all had different looks of pain at the disturbing information but no one could bring themselves to look Yunho in the eyes. I tried reaching for his arm to calm him down but he pulled away, gaze never leaving the captain's. The Star King glared at the screen and took a steadying breath. "It's not a mistake Yunho—"

"Yes it is!" Yunho suddenly erupted slamming a fist on the table. He hit it so hard his knuckles split red and plates from breakfast clattered. Tears now freely streamed down his face full of hurt but he glared indignantly at the Star King. "Gunho would never do that to Jongho and you know it!"

"Yunho—" The Star King said warningly before the younger boy turned away from the table with a huff and began to pace. The tension was palpable as it settled into the air. It suffocated everyone and robbed us of our ability to speak. I could tell that no one ever anticipated Gunho to be part of Jongho's arrest so the crew was faced with a difficult decision.

"Captain..." Yeosang said quietly. He tapped on the screen and pulled up photos that were attached to Jongho's file. My stomach churned when one loaded for everyone to see.

It was a picture of a boy that couldn't have been much younger than the rest of the crew. He had dark sunken eyes under a mop of dirty auburn hair. Bruises of varying colors, new ones that were a deep purple to older ones that had faded into yellow, littered his gaunt face. If it hadn't been for the simmering hatred that he pierced the camera with in his gaze he would've looked like a corpse. The caption beneath the photo read 'prisoner 10-19 Choi Jongho'.

"Oh God..." Wooyoung gasped as he studied the screen, hands clenched into fists over the table. "What have they done to him?"

"J-Jongho..." Seonghwa said shaking his head slowly as tears came to his eyes. "It doesn't— it doesn't even look like Jongho..."

Mingi growled angrily, his eyes flaring in their brilliant amber light. "Whoever did this to him, I'm going to tear limb from limb!" He hollered and San sat quietly looking at the screen at a loss for what to say. He cast a worried glance over at Yunho, his eyes brimming with pain but whether it was for Jongho's or Yunho's sake I couldn't honestly say...

Yunho stood frozen with his eyes raking over the photo of his friend. He covered his mouth with a hand and sobbed. "No, it's not true..."

The Star King straightened up his steely eyes never leaving the screen. The hurt was there like everyone else but in place of tears there was a scowl and in place of pain there laid pure fury. "I'm going to kill every single soldier I come across," He vowed darkly. Everything in him was taunt like a cord pulled tight as he tried to control himself. His fists shook at his sides as he looked up at Yunho. "every single one..."

His declaration seemed to snap Yunho out of his daze and he shook his head. I could see him thinking desperately of anything to say that could save his brother. He quickly made his way over to the captain's side gripping the edge of the table as if it was the only thing keeping him upright. "No you can't! Please, please I'm begging you..." He sobbed. The Star King gritted his teeth and turned away from him. "Yunho they took my family, our family," He said. "I'm prepared to kill anyone, no matter who they are, if they get in the way of getting him back."

"I'm telling you it was a mistake!" Yunho shouted again now at the captain's back. "I know Gunho and he'd never do this—"

"Yunho if it isn't a mistake you have to be prepared for what we have to do," The Star King retorted his eyes ablaze. "You may have to make a choice between the two of them and I can't protect you if you side with an enemy—"