She wasn't even supposed to be on the dropship going down to Earth.
As the youngest zero-g mechanic on the ark (as well as an engineer but she wouldn't dare speak of it in Raven's presence), Althena Chen was tasked-along with other senior mechanics...
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"Alie...?"
Sixteen-year-old Murphy whispered into the darkness of Thena's room. She cracked open her eye to see him standing in her doorway, light bouncing off the open door.
She sat up and beckoned him closer, motioning to shut the door to which he did. The light from the ark completely gone, leaving her cold room dark. She had no windows in her room, she couldn't see clearly, only the faint outline of the teen.
"What are you doing here so late?" She asked, rubbing her tired eyes. She turned to open the lamp on her bedside table. The lamp only sent out a faded light but still, she saw the swelling of his cheekbone and eye, his split lip, and the unmistakable tears sliding down.
She quickly pulled the covers off her and moved towards Johnny. He flinched away and let out a soft whimper. She was crestfallen.
"I-I'm sorry." She said, slowly walking towards him instead. He let her grab his hand and lead him to sit on the bed.
He only looked at his lap, drops falling on his thigh forming patterns. She sighed and gently placed his head on her shoulder. He let out a sob, wrapping his hands around her tightly, "Don't leave me."
"Never."
She held him as he cried. His wails turned into sniffles and eventually silent tears. She felt his body being sluggish, heavy and so she guided him to lie down on the bed. She climbed in beside him and once again pulled him into a hug. He buried his head into her shoulder, not releasing her. They stayed like this all night until the very next morning when eventually he would have to go to school and she would train.
This would eventually become a habit for the two with Alie's place being his home instead of the moonshine-and-vomit-smelling apartment that his mother lives in.
Johnny would come in crying after another night of beating from his mother. He would stay in Alie's arms sobbing. Most nights he wouldn't even sleep due to his mind being plagued by nightmares and Alie would stay up with him, talking about her job, a new movie she watched, the most random of things while simply holding him.
But that night started the growing bitter resentment and pure rage that would train and inevitably consume Murphy's soul. The very same that would eventually lead him to burn down the apartment of a guard, effectively killing him.
