Voice:

I tighten my grip on the blade, driving it deep into his back. My heart slams against my ribcage, adrenaline pumping hard through my veins. I didn’t even have time to think—only act, a primal instinct. Just minutes ago, I was somewhere else—trapped, helpless, fighting to wake up.

Consciousness had hit me. My mind was swirling in darkness, eyes locked shut. I couldn’t see, couldn’t even move. What the hell is this? I started to panic. Where was I? Why couldn't I remember? It was like being buried alive.

Then, I heard her voice. “Voice... protect your brother.”

Mother?

That voice. I could never forget it. Everything rushed back in a flood. It wasn’t a dream. This was real—too real. I remember the pain, sharp and raw. That thing grabbing me by the head, squeezing so hard I thought my skull would crack. I remember my mom, dragging herself across the floor, her body broken, blood soaking her clothes. Her voice shook through me again. “Get up, Voice. Protect your brother!”

Was she dying? Tears welled up in my eyes but the fear burned away, replaced by something stronger—desperation. I fought through the haze, forcing my body to respond.

I snapped my eyes open. The first thing I saw was Barrako. He was in the middle of a brutal fight with this kid—white hair, cold eyes, and he was fast. Too fast. Barrako needed me. I tried to get up, but my limbs felt like dead weight. I gritted my teeth and concentrated, willing my body to move. A surge of energy pulsed through me. Come on, come on… I managed to lift my arm, then my legs followed. Two seconds later, I had control again.

I looked around, realizing I was trapped in some kind of clear orb, like a damn cage. No exits, no buttons. I was stuck. I looked back at the fight, my brother on the edge of being overwhelmed.

I have to get out—NOW!

I started pounding my fists against the glass. Wham! Wham! Wham! But nothing. It was solid as hell. My heart raced faster. Then, I saw Barrako unleash a Soul Propulsion, sending the white-haired kid flying across the room.

That’s it. I reeled back and kicked the glass with all my strength. Crack. I kicked again, harder, my anger fueling me. Nothing.

Focus.

I let every bit of fear, frustration, and rage fuel my next strike, my muscles tensing like coiled springs. My third kick shattered the orb, glass exploding around me. I scrambled out, shards hitting my skin, but I didn’t care.

I raced up the stairs, my mind zeroed in on one thing: help Barrako. That’s when I saw it—on the counter. It looked a little different but I knew it was either a knife or a short blade.

I hesitated for half a second. Will I kill again?

The answer was immediate. If it means saving my brother... yes. Without another thought, I grabbed the blade and sprinted.

When I reached the top, the scene hit me like a brick. Three green-skinned people were holding blasters, aiming right at Barrako. And the white-haired guy had him pinned down.

My body moved before my mind could process. No hesitation. I bolted straight for the white-haired guy, staying low, quiet, unnoticed in the chaos. As soon as I closed the distance, I aimed for one of the most vulnerable spots—the lower back.

The blade sank in deep, cutting through muscle and flesh with ease. Blood splattered, hot and sticky against my hand. The guy’s body stiffened instantly. He gasped, his eyes wide in shock. He turned his head, trying to look at me, but he was too slow. I twisted the blade, feeling it grind against bone.

His pristine white clothes started turning crimson.

“Where the fuck did he come from?” he says. His face contorted in pain, and a vicious stare spread across mine. I knew I got him.

A sharp, unexpected crack of a backhand slams into my face, snapping my head to the side. My grip on the blade slips, and I hit the ground hard, face-first. It hurt. He packs a punch, stronger than I thought. I push myself up, tasting blood, just in time to see the guy yank the knife from his back. Blood spurts out, painting the ground. For a split second, I almost hope he doesn’t die from that wound. Almost. He probably deserves worse.

“Nice one, Voice,” Barrako mutters through labored breaths, his voice shaky as he struggles to get up.

I’m on my feet first, rushing to help him. “Why are they attacking us?” I ask, glancing back at the bleeding bastard who’s somehow still standing.

“They?” Barrako winces, straightening up with my help. “It’s just him. The green girl over there... She saved us. They’re on our side.”

That’s a relief.

“So, where the hell are we?” I ask, my head still spinning from everything that’s happened.

Clap. Clap. Clap.

Barrako stops mid-sentence as the white-haired psycho interrupts with slow, mocking applause, blood dripping down his back like it’s nothing.

“Oh, that’s fucking sweet. A family reunion,” he sneers, grinning like a demon. “So, are we gonna finish or what?”

I stare in disbelief. He’s still standing there like I didn’t just shove a knife deep into his back. Barrako’s expression mirrors mine—what the hell is going on? Did it not hurt him? How is he just walking?

Barrako’s face hardens as he sizes him up. “Yup, this guy’s tough as hell. Voice, I’m gonna need you for this one.”

I nod, falling into position beside him. We’re shoulder to shoulder, bracing ourselves, our eyes locked on the guy across from us. The tension’s thick, and every muscle in my body tightens, ready to explode.

The white-haired bastard meets our gaze, his eyes filled with murderous intent, nothing but cold-blooded rage. He takes one slow step forward, and Barrako and I mirror him, stepping in sync, ready to strike at any moment.

But before anyone can make a move, a glowing net appears out of nowhere, wrapping around him in a blur of light. He’s trapped. His body convulses as he’s yanked to the ground, rolling and thrashing, the net tightening around him, crackling with energy.

“What the—?”

He snarls, but there’s no breaking free. The net holds him tight, glowing bright as it immobilizes him, forcing him to the dirt.

I glance at Barrako, both of us still on edge, adrenaline surging through us.

"YES! Great shot, Finn!" the little girl cheered.

Finn? I glance up at the top of the dome I just ran out of and see another green-skinned kid. He's perched there, wearing this oversized, ridiculous leafy helmet and some hunting gear, like he just crawled out of the jungle. In his hand is some kind of weapon, and judging by the smug look on his face, he’s the one who shot the net at the guy I stabbed.

"Thanks! It's been a while, Salia. I never would've guessed you'd bring aliens to our hideout. This is wild!" the boy says, grinning ear to ear.

Salia scratches her head with a small smile. "The reason I brought them is even crazier," she says, half-laughing like this is just another day for her.

"Uh, are you sure that net will hold?" the other girl, Grella, asks, glancing nervously at the guy squirming in the glowing trap.

Finn, with all the confidence in the world, waves her off. "Definitely! Look at him—he’s struggling. No way he’s got the strength to get up after a stab like that."

I look back at the boy, watching as he clutches his wound. He was trying to play tough earlier, but now the pain’s catching up with him. His cocky demeanor is slipping.

"W-wait ‘till I get out of this net! I'll assassinate all of you!" the boy spits through gritted teeth, still trying to sound menacing.

Is this guy for real? We clearly have him beat, yet he still acts like he's some unstoppable force.

"Ignore him," Finn says casually, walking toward Barrako and me. "I can tell he’s bluffing."

As Finn approaches, my brother straightens up, bowing slightly. "Nice to meet you, Finn. I’m Barrako."

I follow his lead and bow too. "I’m Voice, nice to meet you."

Finn chuckles. "No need to be so formal with me, guys. I’m chill." He seems harmless enough. At first, I was skeptical about these green people, but they seem peaceful, relaxed even. Maybe they’re not as bad as I thought.

Suddenly, the younger girl, Salia, steps up right in front of my face. She stares at me intently, getting uncomfortably close. "So, you're Barrako's brother?" She tilts her head, examining me like I’m some kind of rare animal. Her wide eyes scan every inch of my face.

Okay, this is getting weird. I lean back slightly, wishing she’d get out of my personal space.

"And your name is Voice. Hmm, you guys are so similar," she mutters, still looking at me like I'm an alien exhibit.

Finally, she snaps out of it. "Oh, sorry, where are my manners?" she says with a sheepish grin, stepping back. "I’m Salia, by the way. The tall one over there is Grella, and the fat idiot is Lakkel." She points to her companions, Grella rolling her eyes at the introduction while Lakkel’s too busy munching on something to care.

What an odd bunch... but at least they’re on our side.

Finn interrupts our awkward introductions with a raised brow. "Hey, not to ruin the moment, but are we just gonna let the kid bleed out over there?"

I glance at the boy on the ground, still tangled in the net and dragging himself pathetically across the dirt. He’s leaving a trail of blood, making little progress. Lakkel suddenly steps up, casually dusting off his hands after finishing a bag of chips. When did he even pull that out?

"You’re right," Lakkel says, stretching his arms like he’s about to start a workout. "Grella, bandage him up before he kicks the bucket."

Grella looks disgusted, her face scrunching up as if the very thought of helping him repulses her. "You’re crazy if you think I’m touching that thing," she says flatly, crossing her arms and staring at the kid like he’s a rotting corpse.

The boy, still trying to crawl away despite the glowing net restraining him, looks back with a sneer. "If you touch me... I kill you," he snarls, his voice weak but full of venom.

Grella doesn’t even blink. "Yeah, no.”

Lakkel, surprisingly, approaches the kid with a soft expression. "Hey, listen. We’re not here to hurt you, alright? But I don’t know where you think you’re going. There’s no civilization for fifty miles in any direction. And even if you did manage to stumble upon someone, they’d probably take you in and get you killed. The whole planet is after you guys."

If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it's taken without permission from the author. Report it.

Wait, what? The whole planet’s after us?

The boy on the floor scoffs, his movements growing weaker. "I don’t care who’s after me. I can never die," he mutters through gritted teeth, dragging himself pathetically while his blood paints the ground.

He’s literally dying as we speak, yet he’s still mouthing off like he’s invincible.

Finn leans over to us, whispering, "I think I know what’ll work on him."

Before I can ask, Finn smirks and says aloud, "Hey, kid, we’ve got food."

There’s no way that’ll— "Take me in," the boy says immediately, his voice desperate.

I blink in disbelief. How pathetic.

Finn just grins. "Told ya."

As we make our way back to the hideout, Lakkel hoists the injured boy over his shoulder. His limp body hangs like dead weight, dripping blood onto the ground with each step.

“Ugh, I can’t believe you’re actually carrying it,” Grella mutters, wrinkling her nose in disgust.

The boy, despite being half-conscious, lets out a low growl, his voice barely above a whisper. “If this bitch calls me “it” or “thing” one more time, I’ll snap her neck.”

Grella scoffs. “Such a little psycho. I really hope the next two we find aren’t as rabid as this one. What's your name by the way”

“Shadow, now leave me alone”

Hmm The next two. I can’t help but think about the pods. Last I saw, the other two didn’t seem like much trouble. The blue one with the tail was small, almost frail-looking, and the other one… well, he was in pretty bad shape. He only had one arm, and from the bruises, it was clear he’d been through hell.

“Salia, what race was the injured one again?” Lakkel asks as he leads the way down the dark tunnel.

“I’m pretty sure he’s human,” Salia responds, pulling a small metal cube from her pocket. With a click, it unfolds into a sleek tablet in her hands.

Barrako and I exchange a look. The tech here is leagues beyond what we’re used to. Seeing something like that, it’s like a reminder that we’ve been thrown into a world we barely understand.

“Yup, human,” she confirms, scrolling through the tablet’s display. “But the blue one? I couldn’t find any info on him. Nothing in the database.”

Lakkel rubs his chin, thinking. “I’ve seen a human before. They’re a lot like us physically. Decent with tech nature too.”

Every word out of their mouths is like a slap in the face. Human? Tech nature? None of this makes sense. It's frustrating beyond belief, but I stay quiet, hoping Barrako will explain it all to me later. He’s got to know more than I do… right?

Lakkel gives a warning as we approach the entrance to the hideout. “I’m sure they’ve woken up by now, considering all the noise we made. Stay sharp. If they’re hostile, we’ll put them down quickly.”

As we descend into the hideout, the air thickens with tension. The room is dimly lit, casting long shadows across the floor.

And then, we see him.

The one-armed boy. The human.

He's awake, sitting upright inside the dome, but something’s wrong—really wrong. His eyes are open, but there's no life in them, just a hollow, vacant stare. It's like he’s not even here, like a doll whose strings have been cut, left propped up and lifeless.

Ace:

I sit up and blink my eyes open, but everything feels distorted, like I’m peering through a fogged-up glass. I try to lift my head—it's heavy, as if filled with lead—but I manage it. As my surroundings come into focus, I realize I’m trapped in some sort of pod. The walls are slick and transparent, encasing me like an animal in a lab, and I can’t shake the feeling of being completely helpless.

Where am I? Panic bubbles up, but it’s quickly drowned by an overwhelming wave of melancholy. My mind feels clouded, my thoughts swirling in an incoherent mess. I don’t remember how I got here, but an oppressive weight settles in my chest. I feel... sad? Angry? Scared? Is this what depression feels like? What happened to me to make me feel this way?

Suddenly, a jumble of words breaks through the fog—“Ruh... Ash... thuh Vuh...lox...iansh...uh...cummin..” I’m confused. Was that in my head? I shake it off, but then I hear footsteps. I turn my head, heart racing, and see them: four aliens, their green skin contrasting sharply with the darkened room. One of them, larger than the rest, carries another alien on his shoulder like a ragdoll.

My breath catches as I zero in on the two in the back. They have spiky black hair and vibrant purple eyes, looking just like... Wait. Who am I talking about? The moment I think about it, a flood of memories surges through my mind: screams, chaos, and the brutal weight of my brother’s lifeless body lying on top of me.

They’re the ones who invaded us, I realize, bile rising in my throat. They killed my family. They slaughtered everyone around me.

The urge to lash out swells within me, but I can’t move."Instead, I feel paralyzed, as if every ounce of fury and despair has drained the strength from my limbs. My heart races, each beat a painful reminder of what I’ve lost. My breathing becomes shallow as the memories play on repeat, suffocating me.

I stare at them, my eyes narrowing, trying to stoke the flames of my anger, but the heaviness returns. I want to scream, to fight, but all I can do is sit here, trapped in this glass cage, staring at the faces of the monsters that have taken everything from me.

My face is a mask, a hollow, lifeless expression staring back at the world. I feel like a broken doll, hollowed out from the inside. No emotion touches my face, just a dull, vacant gaze, especially as I focus on the two boys with spiky black hair and those damned purple eyes. Everything else around me is a blur of noise I barely register.

The smaller green girl walks up to my pod, tapping the glass. “Hello? Are you awake in there?” Her voice is soft, almost concerned, but I don’t bother acknowledging her. My eyes stay locked on the boys. My mind keeps replaying the horrors, the blood, and the screams.

“I think we should let the human out,” she says, glancing back at the others. “He looks like he’s been through hell.”

“No fucking way,” the taller green girl snaps, stepping in front of her. “I’m not trusting anything that looks as wild as that.”

“He’s just a human,” the big green one shrugs, casually shifting the limp body of the boy over his shoulder. “Besides, his injuries wouldn’t let him do much even if he tried. Grella, patch up Shadow. Now.”

“Shit, why do I have to do everything?” the taller girl groans, rolling her eyes as she grabs some medical supplies from a nearby table.

As they argue, their voices start to melt together, distant and unimportant. The rage inside me flickers, but it’s buried deep beneath layers of something darker—something I can’t even define anymore. All I can feel is this cold void, and the weight of memories crashing down on me like a tidal wave. Those boys… those purple-eyed bastards… They look just like them.

"Alright, I’m opening the pod." The girl—Salia, I think—clicks a few buttons outside, and with a soft hiss, the pod cracks open. The cold air rushes in, and I feel the collective attention of the room zero in on me. The tension is thick enough to choke on.

“Hey, the Salia girl, tell me how I ended up on this planet and why there's people after me and Finn boy give me some food!” a voice snaps—Shadow, the one with silver eyes and an attitude to match.

"Are you always this disrespectful? Be quiet" Barrako fires back, rolling his eyes.

“I wasn’t talking to you, weakling. Unless you want to die,” Shadow sneers, his sharp teeth flashing like daggers.

"Weakling?" Barrako takes a step toward him, fists clenched. "You're lucky I wasn’t aware of your nasty ability, dumbass."

"Oh, I’m the dumbass?" Shadow bites back. "You’re just pissed 'cause I whooped your ass."

Their voices blend into noise, arguing over nothing. But that voice—Barrako’s voice—cuts through me like a jagged blade, dragging my rage to the surface. Every word he spits reminds me of them. The invaders. The Veloxians. The purple-eyed demons who ripped my world apart.

I don’t hear the rest of what they're saying. All I see is Barrako’s mouth moving, his sharp canines bared in anger. It’s the same smile, the same grin those invaders wore when they slaughtered my people. When they killed my family and left me with nothing but this empty pit of hatred.

My fists clench, shaking with barely-contained fury. The fog in my mind clears, replaced with one burning thought: I will kill him.

I find the will to move, forcing my broken body out of the pod. My legs feel like they could give out at any second, but I push forward. One limp step at a time, I stagger toward Barrako. Salia steps in front of me, concern in her voice.

“Hold on, hold on—you’re in bad shape, let us—”

I shove her aside, hard. She stumbles backward and falls flat on her ass, but I don’t care. She’s irrelevant. All I can focus on is Barrako. Every step closer sends another surge of rage through me, like fuel on a fire.

He doesn’t see it coming. I raise my arm and swing. My fist connects with his face, but it’s like punching a wall. No effect. Barrako’s purple eyes widen in confusion, like he can’t understand why I’m doing this. But that look—that innocent, confused look—just makes me angrier.

With the only arm I have left I punched him again. And again. Everyone in the room watches my desperate attempts as my bruised knuckles ache in pain, but I keep going. Each strike is fueled by the memories I’ve been trying to bury. The screams, the death, the destruction. I want to hurt him, to make him feel even a fraction of what I felt.

Barrako catches my fist mid-swing, holding it effortlessly. “Are you okay?” he asks, his voice calm, gentle. It only makes me want to scream.

His kindness is like salt in the wound. He doesn’t get it. He’ll never understand. My throat feels tight as the words tear out of me, broken and raw. “I... I will never forgive you people.”

That’s the last thing I manage to say before my body gives up, collapsing under the weight of it all.

Grella’s voice cuts through the haze. “Yup, another rabid one,” she says, unimpressed.

As Ace’s body crumpled to the floor, Barrako stood there, frozen in shock, still processing the fury behind the boy's punches. He rubbed his jaw, barely feeling the impact. It didn’t hurt him, but there was something unsettling about the sheer desperation in each blow.

Lakkel, ever the pragmatist, wasted no time. "Great. Another one bites the dust," he muttered, stepping forward to check Ace's pulse. His fingers pressed against Ace’s neck with the kind of precision that showed he had done this far too many times. He glanced back at the group. "He’s alive, but barely. We need to get him stable. Grella, patch him up too."

Grella, cursing under her breath, crouched down next to Ace, pulling out her medical supplies with an exasperated sigh. "Why the hell am I always the one dealing with these assholes? First, it’s the guy trying to rip us apart, now it’s this human who went rabid."

Salia hovered beside them, her face softening with concern as she stared down at Ace’s gaunt form. "He looks malnourished. This poor guy’s been through hell. Barrako, what did you do to him?" She shot him a sharp look, puffing out her cheeks in frustration.

Barrako threw his hands up in defense. "I’ve never seen this kid in my life!" He glanced at Voice, who simply shrugged, clueless.

Finn stepped forward, crouching to get a better look at Ace’s arm. "Well, it seems like this kid thinks he knows you, Barrako. And from the looks of it, he really doesn’t like you or your brother."

Shadow, now patched up, chimed in, his voice thick with sarcasm as he noisily crunched on a bag of snacks. "If I had to look at someone as ugly as Barrako every day, I’d be pissed off too." He bit into another chip loudly, flashing a smug grin.

"close your mouth," Barrako snapped, glaring at Shadow.

Voice, Grella, and Finn all shook their heads in collective disappointment as Lakkel burst into laughter, spitting crumbs from his mouth as he did. "You two are like a couple of kids! Grow up, for fuck’s sake!"

In their defense they were kids. Salia, exasperated, tried to regain control of the situation. "Can you both please calm down for two minutes?" Her voice was firm but tinged with nervousness. Barrako and Shadow both turned their sharp glares on her, making her falter. "I... I said please." She took a shaky step back, visibly rattled, but then cleared her throat, regaining her composure.

"I’ll explain everything and the plan once they both wake up. I’d rather not repeat myself, okay?" She says as she scrolls through her tablet.

But Finn’s curiosity had already gotten the better of him. His gaze fixated on the blue-skinned alien still asleep in the pod. Without saying a word, he walked over to it.

Grella noticed first. "Finn, what the hell are you doing? Close the damn pod! We don’t even know what that thing is!"

Ignoring her, Finn silently aimed his weapon at the sleeping alien, his expression cold, calculating.

Salia’s voice cut through the air, panic rising in her tone. "Finn, stop! What are you doing?"

Everyone froze, eyes locked on Finn, watching as he pulled the trigger. There was a tense silence, and then—fwip—a net shot out, wrapping tightly around the alien just like the one they had used on Shadow. He slammed the pod shut.

Salia let out a heavy breath, clutching her chest. "God, Finn, I thought you were going rogue on us."

Finn turned to her with a deadpan expression. "Just a precaution. I don’t know what this guy’s capable of, and I’m not taking chances. Let’s hope this net holds him."

"Especially with the X inside of them," Lakkel muttered, brushing the crumbs off his hands.

Finn's Head snapped around at that, his eyes narrowing in surprise. "Wait—what? The X? Inside of these guys?" He pointed at Ace and the blue alien, his disbelief palpable. "Salia, who the hell did you bring into our hideout?"

The room went silent, tension thickening. Even the sound of Shadow’s obnoxious chewing had stopped.

“H-H-H-Hello? C-Can y’all hear me?”

A soft, stammering voice broke the uneasy silence in the room. Everyone turned toward the last pod, their attention snapping to the source of the sound. The voice was high-pitched, almost childlike, and painfully out of place given everything that had just happened.

“I-I-I’m stuck in the n-n-net. Help.”

Inside the pod, wrapped awkwardly in the net Finn had fired, was a small, smooth-skinned alien boy. His light blue skin shimmered under the dim lights, and his wide, innocent black eyes blinked rapidly, as if processing his surroundings. Thick, long ears twitched at the noise in the room, and a tail wagged wildly behind him, betraying an almost dog-like enthusiasm.

He sat up, grinning from ear to ear, his smile wide and serene, completely contrasting the chaotic, violent introductions they’d had with Ace and Shadow. His expression was all warmth—pure, radiant innocence in the face of the hardened, wary crowd staring back at him.

“I’m St-S-Stwar!” he stammered with a grin that grew impossibly wider. “I’m hungry.”

Then, without warning, he sat upright and scratched his ear with his foot like a dog, tail wagging furiously behind him, adding to the absurdity of the situation.

Lakkel scratched the back of his head, chuckling awkwardly. "Well, shit… Straight to the point, huh?"

Grella, who had been ready to stab something, now looked less on edge, her expression softening as she took in Stwar’s strange, innocent demeanor. “Oh my god, he’s so cute!” she blurted out, clearly taken by the boy’s puppy-like antics.

The rest of the group stood frozen, their faces a mix of disbelief and mild confusion. Compared to the blood-soaked rage of Ace and the violent chaos Shadow had caused, this cheerful, stuttering alien child was almost…adorable.

Salia’s mouth hung open slightly, as if trying to reconcile what she was seeing. "Uh... so... this is the last one?"