~The Next Day - 17:45~
"We've arrived at the Belt. Where should we stop first?" Baekhyun asks. The crew is crowded around the poor Pilot as he makes his descent. There are multiple civilizations around the Belt. Yes - the Belt. The asteroid belt. There are civilizations around an asteroid belt. Some are large enough for whole domes and cities while others have just enough room for villages and towns.
"Try the industrial district. If we set down there, I have a friend who can help us," Namjoon says. Jimin and Y/N share a look of concern, but still watch as Baekhyun does as he's told.
Jimin leaves the cockpit, heading onto the bridge and tightening his utility belt. They didn't quite agree on broadcasting their side of the story, but Namjoon had a similar plan. Get to the Belt and meet someone he used to know. Namjoon makes his acquaintance sound like a kid. An experienced kid. Jimin has learned to never judge someone based on age anymore, especially since his crew has particularly large age gaps.
Namjoon approaches him, standing on the other side of the table as Jimin makes sure his attire is ready to go. "How long has it been since you've been to the Belt?" Namjoon asks, which causes Jimin to pause and look up.
"Not long enough," Jimin replies, beginning to work on his belt again. Out of the corner of his eye, he sees his Captain smile. Jimin would be lying if he said his heart isn't filling with warmth from the sight.
"This friend is a platinum intelligence officer."
Jimin glances up. "I thought our rankings were only for core systems like Earth, Mars, and Calisto. Why does the Belt have the same ranking?"
"This man isn't from the Belt: he's from Mars. He was an Executive Officer on the Hep only a year before I boarded, so around six years ago."
This only makes Jimin more confused. "I thought he was just a kid."
"23. Younger than us, sure, but he's experienced."
Jimin stiffens, doing the math in his head. After he concludes his counting, he blinks a few times, holding back a gasp. "A 17 year old was an XO?"
Namjoon confirms it with a hand wave. "A very talented kid. Was the Executive Officer for a year and a half before deciding to leave to pursue his research."
"And how can he help us?" Jimin asks.
"He's been all around the solar system. Spent a lot of time on Ganymede three years ago, I think it was even a full two years. Then he went to Mars and Earth then ended up at the Belt doing field research on the different ships and firepower of each civilization."
"So, since he knows so much about the firepower of each civilization, he might be able to help us identify who blew up the Silver Angel."
Namjoon hums. "That, and he can ensure that if we broadcast our message, it gets everywhere. No interruptions, even to places as far as Neptune."
"We're approaching the industrial civilization. We need to activate our transponder in order to land," Baekhyun calls out from the cockpit.
"Alright Engineer, you're up," Namjoon says, and Jimin dips his head.
He treks over to the other side of the bridge, locating the panel used to hide the transponder. He forces it open, and out pours a panel consisting of one large computer screen. Jimin taps through the controls, a little confused at first, then, he sees what the problem is.
"In order to activate it, we need to give the cruiser a name," Jimin says, peeping over at his Captain.
Namjoon halts and stares at Jimin for a few moments before giving him a small smile. "What do you want to name it?" he asks.
Jimin's breath leaves his body. "Me? Name our cruiser?"
"We're all in this together. Being survivors means we all have responsibilities. Consider this your first one. Give us a good name."
Jimin chuckles, pretending his skin isn't forming goosebumps. "No pressure or anything." Namjoon returns Jimin's amused expression, but doesn't say anything more. Jimin peeks down for a moment, and after a few beats of thinking, he gets the perfect name. He types it in, then activates the transponder.
He closes the panel, stands, and looks over at Namjoon. His Captain raises a brow. "You'll see," is all Jimin says before approaching the cockpit once more. He goes inside and stands behind Baekhyun, watching as they approach the forcefield that allows them inside.
"They're not going to be too happy about a Martian ship in here," Hoseok says, which makes Baekhyun laugh.
"Wait til' they find out it's being flown by a bunch of Earthies. Both of the factions they hate in one place. We'll definitely blend right in," the Pilot replies.
Y/N approaches Jimin and halts next to him, observing the approach from out of the cockpit. "You think we'll find who we're looking for?" she asks.
Jimin smiles, loving the proximity between them even if it isn't much. "I certainly hope so. The Belt isn't exactly a place you want to be."
"What was it like the last time you were here?"
Jimin groans, resisting the urge to scowl. "Not a lot of food, cramped spaces, rundown cities and homes. The industrial district isn't as bad as the others, but it's still no Ganymede or Mars." Y/N hums in understanding, going quiet with him.
"Alright, when I last spoke with him three months ago, he said he would be hopping around the Belt, but mainly focusing on the industrial area. Particularly near the main shipyards. I say we start there," Namjoon says as they come closer to a landing platform. The comm link beeps, and a lady's voice is heard from the other side.
"Cruiser 4651-A you are cleared for landing. Welcome to the Belt, Moonchild."
Namjoon glances over at Jimin. "Moonchild?" the Captain asks.
A wave of nervousness swells inside Jimin's chest for a split second, then realizes the name is not only good, but rather catchy. "Yes sir. The Moonchild, called Moon for short." Jimin motions to Y/N. "We are carrying a Moon's child after all, figured it could be symbolic." Y/N gives him a sweet smile that tugs on his heart strings.
Namjoon gives his shoulder a pat. "Good work rookie, you officially handled your first responsibility." Jimin returns the Captain's gaze of appreciation before the ship lands, slightly shaking. "Okay, let's gear up. Artificial oxygen and gravity is on, so we shouldn't have too many problems, but I'd prefer to have gear on in case we're recognized. The Belt is a dangerous and aggressive place, we need to be on our toes at all times." Everyone salutes the Captain as he walks out of the cockpit.
The protective gear is already on everyone's assigned seat on the bridge, which makes it easier to put on. Jimin straps it around himself and is astonished to see Y/N gearing up as well. "Are you sure you're ready for this?" he asks her, what he hopes is genuine concern in his tone.
"Well, I figured I'd be safer surrounded by three tough guys and one tough girl rather than sitting in a ship with one guy. No offense Baekhyun."
The Pilot raises his hand up in defeat. "None taken. You're more likely to win in a fight in your condition against five guys than me on my own against one."
Y/N and Baekhyun tease each other for a moment, then her attention comes back to the Engineer. Jimin softly smiles. "Stay with me?" he asks.
Y/N peers right into his eyes and nods. "Always." However, Namjoon coming back interrupts any other words Jimin wants to say.
"We don't have all day, let's get moving. The main shipyard isn't too far from here. Baekhyun, as always, stay with the ship but keep it locked down. Keep your pistols holstered unless there's an emergency. I really don't feel like doing that much paperwork today, so let's move." Y/N chortles at the Captain's words. The woman falls into step behind Jimin, who follows Namjoon out of the bridge and to the main bay, where the cruiser's doors are open.
The crew decided against putting their helmets on due to how much it made them stand out, and figured looking like the scrappy bunch they are, they'll blend in more. The good news is since they didn't broadcast their side of the story yet, no one knows who they are or what they look like. Why is this so dangerous then? Well - based on their bodies alone they'll be outed as Earthmen or Martians right away.
As they stride into the main landing platform of the Belt, Jimin glances around and sees all the tall and light people working on their stations. Everyone from the Belt is frail and tall. The only one in the group that fits the description is Namjoon, even then, he isn't frail enough to pass. Quite frankly, he may even be a little short for their standards. So to put it simply: Jimin is shorter than all the women here, and it makes him deeply uncomfortable. Regardless, the Captain leads the way with the rest of the crew following, not making a peep.
They exit the landing platform and find themselves in the main town, where the streets are cramped and bustling with life. Jimin absorbs each sight. This isn't how he remembers it. There were never this many people. There's enough people crowding the area that getting through may be impossible. "Stick together, we can get through this," Namjoon says in a steady voice. Jimin believes his Captain and is about to move forward when something grabs his hand.
He jumps at the contact, but relaxes right away when he sees it's Y/N entwining her hand with his. She isn't even looking at him, she's peering at the crowd with terror in her eyes. He didn't take her for one that would be claustrophobic, but quite frankly, seeing that crowd, who wouldn't feel claustrophobic?
He gives her hand a reassuring squeeze before following Namjoon. He pushes his way through the crowd, Seulgi right behind Namjoon with Jimin trying to keep up with her and poor Hoseok trying to keep up with him and Y/N. Together, they push through the crowd with all their might. They're banged around and bumped into constantly, but no Belter makes any comments. Must be another day that ends with y for them. Constant bumping, toxic smells, and loud noises. There's not a single thing about the Belt that Jimin likes. His first thought is to get Y/N out of here. This isn't a good place for her. She may want to see the solar system, but this is one place she should never revisit.
They're about halfway through the crowd now, pushing and muttering apologies to anyone they bump into. Not like they can hear them, but it's the thought that counts. Jimin instinctively pulls Y/N closer, letting go of her hand to instead wrap a protective arm around her, keeping her form close to his body. "This is a little..."
"Much?" Jimin finishes for her. She hums in response.
"I don't think I've ever had to push through this many people in my life," she says, although it comes out as more of a yell due to the busyness of the place.
After another minute of shoving, they make it to the other side. Finally. There's signs to the shipyard visible to them now. Progress. Jimin takes a deep breath and pauses to look around. Well, they're in a dome, so Y/N must feel somewhat at home. It's really an asteroid made into a civilization - nothing crazy special. The ground is dark and hard, and the rest of the town reflects that. There's some stores, primarily selling fresh goods and meat, but other than that, it's packed with people and a horrible smell. Jimin almost wishes he brought his helmet.
"Is everyone alright?" Namjoon asks. Jimin and Y/N nod their heads, as does Seulgi. Jimin turns and sighs in relief when he sees Hoseok standing there. He's out of breath, but he's there. "Good. We're not too much farther. The shipyard should only be another three minutes away, and it doesn't look like there's nearly as much traffic. Let's get going." Everyone agrees in-sync and follows the Captain down the dirt road. It goes down, then curves to the right, then to the left. It's a narrow path, but luckily there really aren't that many people on it. Hoseok, however, seems on edge.
Jimin peeks back at the poor boy. "You alright?"
The Bronze Agent shakes his head, coming closer to Jimin. "We're being followed," Hosoek mutters. Y/N's eyes widen for a brief moment, but she does a good job of keeping calm. Jimin hopes he's doing the same.
"Relay the information to Namjoon," Jimin says, and Hoseok obliges, speed walking to catch up with the Captain who's eager to find his acquaintance. Hoseok whispers it into Namjoon and Seulgi's ears, and they give him an 'are you sure' look before nodding.
"We're almost there, keep going," Namjoon says loudly enough for the five of them to hear. They agree and continue to move. Hoseok falls back into step with Jimin and Y/N seconds after.
"How many of them are there?" Y/N asks in a whisper.
"About eight. I think they know we're not from here."
"What gave that away?" Y/N asks teasingly. "Wait, let me guess, Jimin's height?"
Jimin fakes a look of hurt, throwing a hand over his chest to make it more dramatic. "Who kept you safe in that crowd?"
Y/N shrugs. "I think I handled myself pretty well considering I'm the injured one." Jimin chuckles as they approach the main shipyard.
He almost trips at the sight. It's gigantic. There are large-class cruisers being developed - even bigger than the Moonchild and the Hep. The Moonchild is a small cruiser class, but this... this is massive. And Jimin thought the Hep was big. This makes the Hep look like a basic flying vessel. "Jesus," Hoseok says, and Jimin agrees with his words.
"Any idea where to start?" Seulgi asks, and surprisingly, Namjoon nods.
"I know his forte. He'll be near that cruiser. I know it." Everyone decides to trust the Captain as they start towards the giant cruiser. There's a lot of other ships being processed, but they don't pay any attention to them. Well - Y/N does, but even her curious eyes are still set on the main goal. They speed up, and it's at this point even Jimin notices the group of men following them. He doesn't comment on it, mostly since he can tell that Y/N saw them too, and everyone else is too focused on the cruiser to worry about being followed.
They make their way there and freeze once they're as close as they can get. There's a fence blocking them out. Namjoon curses, placing his hand on the metal cutting them off. "Who wants to bet he's working on the damn thing?" Namjoon says with a dry laugh, then he turns around. "Keep your pistols holstered. Let me talk to them." No one disagrees.
Namjoon stalks forward, and the crew steps aside as the group of men come to a halt only a few feet away from the crew. "May we help you?" Namjoon asks, which has the lead guy scoffing.
"Yeah actually, you can," he says, spitting on the ground in front of them. His tall, frail form is almost intimating from this close up. "Where ya' from, huh? Mars? Triton?"
Jimin thought it would be a genius idea to answer like a wise ass. "Space, excuse you." Namjoon glances back at Jimin with a mix of terror and amazement, but the Engineer doesn't move.
"Space?" the man says, disbelief in his tone. "Well no shit Sherlock, you had to get here somehow. What a wise ass, we should beat him first."
"You won't get the chance," Jimin replies, making sure Y/N is behind him. He lets his body stand in front of her protectively, and the men notice this and whistle.
"That ya' girl? My my, is she gorgeous. Maybe we should beat you all up and take her. She looks like she'd be fun." That's it. That's the last straw for Jimin.
He whips out his pistol and aims it right at the man's chest. "You may outnumber us, but we outgun you. So unless you want to do something really stupid, I suggest you leave. Now," Jimin says with a grunt. Namjoon is at a loss for words while the crew watches, almost panting. He can practically feel Y/N shaking behind him.
"Alright, alright, put the pistol back in its holster and we'll be on our way."
Jimin doesn't budge. He isn't going to fall for it. "Unfortunately, I don't take deals from you," he says. However, when Namjoon gives him a stern stare, Jimin sighs in defeat and holsters his pistol.
The lead man laughs. "That wasn't so hard, was it?" He begins to turn away, and as soon as the crew lets out a breath of relief, the man whips back and punches Namjoon in the face. Chaos ensues. Seulgi attacks the first man while Hoseok attacks the one that was about to tackle Jimin and Y/N. Jimin nearly pushes Y/N as far away as possible and holds up his hands in a defensive position, about to retaliate when the man gets struck by what looks like a brick - right in the head.
Jimin blinks at the now unconscious man, tilting his head. He then peers up in time to see a single man darting towards them from the left side, a pipe in both his hands. The men turn to face the newcomer, who slides on the ground unexpectedly and hits the front two men in the knees with his pipes. They scream and fall to the ground. The man rolls between the next two, stabbing one of them in the thigh with his pipe.
Jimin watches the newcomer dart around, smacking the numerous men with his pipes while dodging attacks. It's like he's too fast to even be seen. Jimin observes the man's face for a split second and is able to make out blue eyes and two single blue lines on his cheeks leading to the backs of his ears. However, he doesn't get more than a second to look since the man moves so fast it's like he's not even there.
Instead of watching the brutal fight, Jimin checks on Y/N, kneeling down and trying to get her attention, but her eyes are focused on the fight. "Y/N? Y/N are you okay?" Jimin asks in a soft tone, but to his surprise, his words don't work this time. She continues to stare, her mouth on the ground.
Jimin turns around again just in time to see the last man falling over. The new face stands triumphantly above them all. He's a decently tall man, only a little bit taller than Jimin. The blue lines on his cheeks stop glowing and return to normal, and his eyes change into the same brown Jimin's irises have. He has long, black hair covering his ears, and a sharp jawline, but Jimin has no idea who this is.
"Y/N-" Jimin starts, shifting to peek at her. To his amazement, she's standing and approaching the male figure. Jimin stares as the scene plays out. She goes to the man, and his eyes light up.
"Oh my God... Y/N?" he asks, his voice coming out smooth despite how he just fought a pack of men.
"Why are you here? What happened to you?" she asks, walking even closer.
"I had a mission to complete. It required... enhancements."
Y/N places her hands over her mouth. "Oh my gosh..." And, two seconds later, she embraces the stranger, who drops his pipes and hugs her back.
Jimin's vision cloaks with a sheet of carmine, his fists shuddering by his side. Seulgi and Hoseok seem equally confused, but Namjoon lights up in recognition. "Y/N? Who is that?" Jimin asks, but it takes her a few more seconds before she releases the man and faces Jimin and the others. The stranger has his arm around her hip, his head turned towards her, and his eyes studying her face. Jimin hates the way he stares at her - mostly because he looks at her in the same way.
Y/N sighs. "This is Jeon Jungkook."
"You two know each other?" Jimin asks, trying to hide his rage. The man - Jungkook - doesn't peek up at all, he simply continues to stare at the beautiful woman next to him. Jimin is beyond enraged. Beyond furious, even. He can't find the proper word for what he's feeling right now, but it doesn't matter. Y/N glances up at Jungkook, then back towards the crew. And what she says next sends Jimin down a spiral of fury.
"Jeon Jungkook... he was my boyfriend."