Crewmate

3

I run from the cafeteria into the hallways heading toward the upper engine. As soon as I enter the room, I eye the vent. I check the room for crewmates before rushing over and prying it open. My paranoia makes me glance around the room once again before I jump inside, grabbing the vent cover to pull it back down over me. Then, I look out into the daunting narrow tunnels clouded by darkness.

That is the worst thing about doing this. I'm not very fond of small spaces. I know I can do it though. It's just a turn or two, and then I'll be exactly where I'd like to be. I let out a shaky breath and get to my hands and knees, slowly making my way through the small passage. I make a left on a turn then crawl another ten feet or so before I find myself being doused in the dim light that streams through the slits of the vent.

I lift the top off the floor and silently push it off to the side. I peek over the edge to see white standing there with his palm against the scanner, waiting for another crewmate to join him. I carefully pull myself out of the vent, watching the opening to the hallway. I slide the cover of the vent back into place then creep up behind white, pulling my knife from my pocket with small movements. A couple more steps and it'll be five inches deep in his back.

Then there are more footsteps coming down the hall. I panic and shove my weapon back into my pocket before darting to the other side reactor room. I put my hand on the scanner as soon as red makes his appearance in the room. He comes to the middle of the room just as the blaring horn and the red strobe lights shut off. Red had to fucking ruin it.

I look over my shoulder at him and smile, even though every fiber of my being wants to scowl at him for ruining a perfectly situated kill. I take my hand off the scanner and turn to face him completely, and he starts to walk over to me, pulling off his bright red helmet simultaneously. He shakes out his long black hair that is pulled back in a ponytail, and I have to do a double-take.

His steel-gray eyes and perfectly sculpted face go rather well with his perfectly straight teeth, wide smile, and defined jawline. He's so jaw-droppingly gorgeous that I kind of feel bad that I have to kill him. What a waste of a beautiful... everything.

"You okay?" he asks me with concern in his voice. His emotions are much more visible now that his helmet can neither muffle his voice nor hide his really fucking amazing face. Holy fuck, I'm stuck on this.

I find myself nodding as I stare off into his eyes that are permeated with care. Whatever happened to the whole "I'm-too-good-for you-noobs" energy that I got in the lobby. I didn't think anything of it in admin because he could have just been trying to help, but no, that's genuine feelings.

I decide it's only fair of me if I take off my helmet too, so I do. If he's decided to trust me, I should show him I can trust him too. That's completely the reason why, and it has absolutely nothing to do with trying to impress him with my own appearance, nothing at all. It's not like I'm trying to get with him. I'm here to kill him. Period. At least, that's what I'm going to tell myself, but fuck, he's so...

"Yeah, I'm good. I was in the cafeteria, so I got here just in time," I explain to him, and he nods in response. We stare at each other for a second before he turns his gaze away, his hair swishing through the air behind him. Then he looks back to me again. "I have to go do my tasks," red starts. "But first, I want to know your name," he hints to me with an enticing smile.

"Archer," I blurt uncontrollably, still unable to peel my stare away from him. It's like he's got some kind of power or hold on me. I just don't want to look away.

His eyes twinkle at my response then he shifts his weight towards me, making it blatantly obvious he's interested in me. My heart jumps at the thought, but I swallow down those feelings.

"My name is Ezra," he tells me in a smooth voice which does not help the butterflies infesting my stomach and chewing holes through my intestines. My abdomen feels like it's going to lurch into my throat and suffocate me. It's like a burning fire in my center, numbing my pain from the inside out.

Ezra, I repeat the name to myself. That's a wonderful name. It's very... beautiful. It's perfect for him. Shit, man, he's perfect.

He gives me a smile out the side of his mouth which makes my mind go crazy. Then he looks at me through his lashes as if he knows exactly what he's doing to me. Oh, I need to leave now before I do something I regret, whether that be killing him or initiating a violent make out session. Or both. Both are a possibility because I'm still angry he interrupted my plans.

I point to the space behind him and stumble over my words, "Uh, uhm, I've got to go. Tasks to do, and an imposter to catch." I start to slide past him, and Ezra smiles at me with amusement while crossing his arms against his chest. His fascinating eyes follow me as I attempt to slip from the room without looking away from his absolutely breathtaking face. I walk backward for a bit, but then I bump into the wall and jump at the sudden contact to my back, laughing awkwardly and taking one last glance at him before darting from the room, away from everything that makes me anxious.

First, I almost get caught killing white. Then I get caught in red's, Ezra's, beautiful eyes that just sit like pools of silver and obsidian, burrowing into my very soul and tearing me apart.

Wow, he's beautiful, and I cannot stress that enough. I feel like I'm drunk off amazement at just the experience of getting to view his marvelous appearance. Killing such a perfect person is going to be hard.

This is not good. This is not good at all.

Why does he have to be so goddamn perfect?