**Note, the oc/fankid I made for this au (Astra, Henry's adopted daughter) is in this oneshot. Hope that doesn't cause too much confusion. People who follow my tumblr, deviantart, and Wattpad will probably have more context than those on Ao3. Also: I might write an alternate ending to this, but let's consider this the main timeline.***
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Dread weighed down on Henry like an anchor. Blood dripped from his lips and claws, and Charles saw him.
Charles saw him.
Now he knows.
The two stared at each other tensely. Unsure who would act first.
Charles' face.. Henry had never seen a more betrayed and horrified look.
Charles took a step back, Henry could see the cafeteria at the end of the hall behind Charles.
The emergency button.
Charles bolted, and Henry gave chase. He couldn't let Charles out him to the rest of the crew! He didn't want to hurt the man, but he couldn't let him reach the button!
Henry was normally faster than earthlings, but Charles' military training made him a much harder target, not to mention he had a head start. Charles reached the cafeteria, luckily no one else was around to see, but he managed to reach the table, so Henry's luck was short.
They stared each other down, Charles hovered his hand above the red button. Henry looked at him pleadingly. Henry held his hands up, "Charles, please!" Henry took a step closer. Charles glared back at him. "Don't come any closer!" He ordered, his voice both authoritative and fearful. Henry halted. Charles began to well up a bit, his hands shaking. "How could you? I thought you were better! You told me you weren't like other imposters!"
Henry said nothing. He wasn't sure if there was anything he could say to make this better. Charles continued. "I defended you. I told everyone you were a crewmate. I lied to everyone for you!"
Henry looked at the floor shamefully. "You killed Winston too, didn't you?" Henry nodded.
Charles had tears running down his face. "First Winston... now Calvin.."
Charles took a shaky breath. He seemed a bit conflicted, still hesitating to press the button. The button that could end Henry here and now.
"I thought you were better.."
The alarm rang, and the crew came running. This was it. Henry couldn't get out this time. Dripping with blood, and Charles against him, there's no way out.
...
It wasn't surprising when the crew turned on him, but it still stung. They forced him into the airlock. A thick paine of glass separating them. The majority of the crew stared at him with anger and horror. Charles avoided eye contact. Henry's eyes darted around, briefly meeting his co-worker, Right's gaze. Reginald clung to Right's side.
Captain Galeforce stepped ahead of the group, looking directly at Henry. "Stickmin." His stern voice, combined with the already vulnerable position Henry was in, struck fear into him. All it took for Henry to be launched into space was the press of the button, his fate lies with Hubert Galeforce.
That wasn't the worst part, though. Henry still had a secret from the crew, a secret that only Charles and Right knew.
His daughter. He hid Astra in the vent in his room. What'll happen to her if he dies? Henry couldn't help but well up a bit. His mind raced. What should he do? He had to do something right? Could he? What should he do!?
His claws dragged down the glass, scratching it. Usually he could rip through metal if he put in enough effort, the fact that he did so little damage unnerved him more. What kind of glass was this?
"Pay attention Henry. I'm talking to you."
His attention snapped back to Galeforce. Dammit, he had to keep his cool. He still has a chance. They haven't thrown him out yet, they might want him alive.
"Good, you're listening. I have questions, Stickmin, answer them, and you might save your hide. So you might want to cooperate."
Henry resisted the urge to growl at him. He nodded, not having much of a choice.
"I'm glad we can come to an agreement. First question should be easy. Are there any other imposters here?"
Henry flinched. He couldn't rat out Right. But if he hesitates, then Galeforce will be suspicious. Henry went with the middle ground. He shrugged. "I don't know. I work alone." Galeforce squinted his eyes at him, suspicious.
"Captain..." Charles began hesitantly. "You'll have your turn soon enough Charlie. I have plenty of questions to ask you." His tone changed when he addressed Charles, it went from authoritative to stern and disappointed. Charles wasn't off the hook either, it seemed. "That's not what I-! I just.. Captain, I need to show you something." He stammered. Galeforce raised a brow, genuinely intrigued, but still serious. "And what would that be, Charlie?"
Charles made eye contact with Henry, his expression a mix of multiple kinds of distress Henry couldn't quite recognize. And one he did.
Guilt.
"I'll grab it for you, be right back." Galeforce eyed him with suspicion. "Miss Rose?" She stood at attention. "Please accompany him to wherever he's going."
"Uh, sure. I can do that." She replied a bit unsure, probably just surprised.
It took a few minutes, but when they returned, Henry felt his heart drop to his stomach.
They brought Astra. Out for the whole crew to see.
Henry quickly pressed his hands to the glass, almost slamming them. The leftover blood on his fingers stained the clear glass. No no no! This couldn't be happening, Charles can't do this! Who knows what Galeforce would do to her!?
The whole crew was stunned into silence when they saw little Astra in Charles' arms. Right shot a concerned glance to Henry. Charles broke the silence, "This is Astra, Henry's daughter. He brought her with him onto the ship.." As Charles gently handed Astra to Galeforce, Henry's panic only grew.
He started banging on the glass. "Charles please! Don't give her to him! CHARLES! Don't let him hurt her!" Henry's assault on the glass continued.
Galeforce shot him an unreadable look, his eyes darting between the panicked Henry, and the baby wrapped in purple blankets he held in his arms.
The captain's sternness returned. He decided to hold Astra with one hand, by her onesie. She started whimpering, uncomfortable by the mask of support as well as the sudden pressure on her neck and chest. She began kicking her feet, helpless to do anything as the action made her swing slightly.
Seeing his daughter distressed made Henry's fear transform into primal rage, fuelled by parental instincts. He went from just hitting the glass with his hands to clawing at it, shouldering it, even running back and charging at it full-force. It did very little.
"Oi, Captain! He's losing his shit! Do something!" Rupert yelled over the commotion Henry was causing.
Galeforce approached the glass, Henry snarled at him with an inhuman noise. Suddenly, Astra was pushed against the glass. Her cheek squished into the surface. This only made her cry louder. "Captain, I don't know if that's a good idea.." Dave said nervously. "I gotta agree, he's already pretty pissed off." Rupert added. Other crewmates began to voice their concerns. Captain Galeforce raised his free hand, gesturing for them to quiet their worries.
"Stickmin. If you want your offspring safe, I suggest you calm down." Henry stopped attacking his surroundings, breathing heavily, barely containing his rage. "That's better. Now I'll reiterate a previous question. Are there other imposters here?"
Henry had to gather his wits. He wiped tears off his face, and took deep breaths. He had to keep his cool. He took a second to think of a response. "You already found her." He choked out, distressed but still keeping Right a secret. Not even Charles knew he was an imposter, so no one should suspect him. "I see.. Alright, next question. Why are you here?" Henry glared at him. "I had a job to do." Galeforce's brows raised in intrigue. "So you were sent."
The interrogation continued. Henry gave mostly vague answers, only cooperating for Astra. After some time, the crew turned in for the night, Galeforce would decide Henry's fate in the ship's time-simulated equivalent of morning.
With all the lights off, Henry was left in the airlock, his daughter still in the hands of Captain Galeforce. He couldn't sleep. He stayed curled up on the floor, the cold metal pressing into his cheek. He exhausted his energy trying to escape, now he was just tired.
He was startled by a light tapping on the glass, he rolled over to look at who the culprit was. He was greeted by a familiar face. Right looked at him with a serious expression.
" 'Ello Henry, care to chat?" Right asked, he sat down and leaned against the glass.
"I'm sorry this happened. How're you holding up?" Right knew the question was dumb, obviously Henry wasn't doing well. Henry shrugged, "It's my fault, I got careless and Charles caught me. I doubt Galeforce will let me out of here." Henry's tone was dry, hopeless, even. "And I don't know what he'll do to Astra when I'm gone. I've doomed her, Right... I've doomed her.." Henry got choked up. The realization horrified him. His shoulders bobbed as he cried. He buried his face in his arms to muffle his sobs.
Right's expression softened. He may not have been that close to his coworker, but he could see that Henry was a broken man.
"Henry.." He began, "I won't let Galeforce hurt her. I'll look after you when you're... not able to." Right hesitated, though he and Henry were both killers, the word 'dead' hung in the air. They both have spilled innocent blood, but this was more personal to them. Too real. Henry looked at him with tearful eyes. "You.. You'd really do that?" Henry questioned in awe. Right nodded. "You have my word. Imposter or not, your kid deserves to live." Right's earnesty gave Henry a sliver of hope. Henry rested his head on the glass. "... Thank you.." He mumbled. Right nodded.
"I should go, if anyone sees us talkin' we'll both be goners." They both bid each other farewell, and parted ways.
All Henry could do now was wait.
...
The crew eventually woke up eagerly awaiting the captain's arrival, and his final decision. The crew chatted amongst themselves. Henry kept his back to them. He couldn't look. He didn't want to see their disdain for him. He had his space helmet at the ready. If there was a chance he could survive out there in space, he'd take it.
"Attention, everyone." The crew all silenced to look at their captain. "After some careful consideration, I have come to a decision." Galeforce placed Astra on the table, she curled up into a little ball.
"Henry will be ejected."
Henry flinched. He knew it was coming, but hearing it made it all the more real. "As for his offspring.. I have determined that she's harmless. If someone is willing to take the task of looking after her, speak now."
Right raised his hand. "I'll do it." Henry let out a breath of relief. At least she had a chance. Another voice piped up. "I'll do it too." Charles's voice surprised Henry. "I know some stuff about what she needs. I can help." Henry muttered a very quiet "thank you" under his breath.
"Well, if we're at a consensus, then we should all attend to our duties." Galeforce approached the airlock. Henry slammed on the helmet, and turned to face Galeforce. Bakery glared at him behind the lense of his helmet. "It's a shame things turned out this way, Stickmin. You brought this on yourself."
With a press of a button, the external doors opened. Henry hardly had time to blink as he was violently pulled back, the floor beneath him disappearing. He spun out wildly, the environment around him blurred into a mess of pitch blackness and white lines. A dizzying mess.
He couldn't tell how long he was spinning, but thankfully he was able to stop spinning when he bumped into a large rock. He used his slowed down drifting to regain his bearings. It took a while to rid himself of the nauseating dizzy feeling that plagued him. He was glad that he didn't throw up in his helmet.
He looked around, he already lost sight of the space station. The crew... Charles... Astra... Gone. Just like that.
There was empty space all around him. He was drifting endlessly. Nowhere to go. No one to help him.
He was alive, but what could he do now? His oxygen tank could only last so long. Once again, he was stuck waiting.
...
All the waiting with no end in sight, it only made his loneliness all the more suffocating. All his regrets more present. He shut his eyes, deciding that getting some sleep was all he could do now.
...
Cold. Everything was cold. Henry was tired.
...
Henry slipped in and out of consciousness. Tired, cold, hungry, lost. The same feelings over and over.
...
Henry stirred, rolling over. Wait.. Henry startled, suddenly fully awake. There was a floor beneath him, bright lights above him, and blankets tucked around him. It looked like someone made a nest out of blankets for him.
"Oh. Hey. You're up." A monotone voice caught his attention. Henry looked towards the stranger. The man had a black top hat and orange-ish brown headphones poking through it. He was carrying a cooler.
"I was starting to wonder if you were even alive." Henry only stared in shock. He had no idea what to say.
With closer inspection, Henry noted that the man had a name tag. Apparently his name was Burt.
"Look man, I get it. You're confused, you got launched into space and now you're on a new ship with strangers. But you can chill, it's safe here," Burt paused for a moment, seeming to remember something. "Oh. And I got this for you." Burt took the cooler and placed it in front of Henry. He cautiously opened the cooler Burt gave him.
Meat. It was full of raw meat. And the ice that kept it fresh, but more importantly, meat.
Henry was practically drooling. He quickly snapped out of it and looked at Burt. How did he know? Apparently his expression was pretty readable, because Burt's response felt like he was a mind reader. "You're an imposter, right? A carnivorous alien one?"
Henry's eyes widened. "W.. Why would you bring me here if you knew I was an imposter?" Henry asked, his voice weak from not being used in a while. "Almost everyone on this ship is an imposter. Some are technically crewmates that were ejected and accused of being imposters, but whatever, it doesn't really matter anymore. Welcome to the ship of ejection survivors. You can meet everyone else when you're ready." Burt's tone indicated that he's said that speech many times before, his tone still monotone.
Burt left the room, it was then Henry realized that this room didn't have an actual door. They trusted him enough to leave him in a completely open room? No locks?
Henry pulled a steak out of the box, wrapped his long alien tongue around it, and ate it whole. Astra would have loved a snack like this. She was so tiny and only a few of her teeth grew in, still she loved gnawing on things...
And he was never going to see her again..
"Hey man, I just realized I don't know your name and Sven is chewing me out over it. What's your name?"
"It's... Henry."
"Cool. Welcome to your new home Henry."