"Ever wish you were something else? Like a bird. A colorful one. Ignorant to His directive."

-

If Sen got out of this alive, he vowed to exercise more. He'd done just enough to keep himself thin these past few years, but at no point did he think to go further. Sprinting for the designated egress bay was taking a toll on him all on its own on top of the ache in his hips and arm. There was a non-zero chance that his pelvis was fractured, if not shattered entirely. The only thing keeping him going, it seemed, was pure adrenaline.

He caught himself on the wall as his legs threatened to give out. Taking the opportunity to find his bearings, he glanced around at the ship. The scenery had changed once again. Down here in the lower levels, the walls and floor were nothing but metal paneling, grates, and exposed machinery. Something hissed in the distance, and he jumped before realizing there was no imminent threat.

Flashing red lights switched on at that moment and draped the level in crimson. A muffled female voice sounded in the distance, tinny and indecipherable. An announcement. Probably informing of his escape. He had to move.

Pushing off the wall, he stumbled forward. Denmark had repeatedly drilled him on the path he'd need to take, but Sen wasn't too confident in his own memory. He was pretty sure this was the right way. As his legs threatened to give out once more, he pressed on, wiping sweat out of his eyes. The plain white t-shirt he'd stolen stuck to him like glue. It wasn't hot; in fact, the temperature was strangely pleasant - but he'd started sweating profusely almost immediately after escaping. It didn't feel like stress sweat. He was pretty sure the powers he'd awoken had broken something in him. He sure felt broken. A sweaty mess with a sore, almost useless arm. What he had was dangerous, both to him and to anyone else. That much was clear.

He poked his head around a corner into a small corridor and immediately ducked back as a group of heavily armed soldiers stomped past the connection on the other end. His heart jumped into his throat, and he struggled to swallow it. He was terrified. Fear was fine. But he needed to be in control. No more fighting, just escape. Stay hidden, and all will be well.

Once the footsteps subsided, he moved on once more, staying low despite no reason to do so. There was no cover. The hallways were immaculately clear. The exposed machinery wasn't deep enough to hide him. If someone turned the corner, he was done for. He peeked around one more corner and was greeted by a tall, wide room with airlocks on the far side. It, like everything else, was bathed in red light. Above the line of airlocks was a sign: EVA Bay 11. His escape point.

Sen crept in, eyes sweeping left and right like searchlights. Unbeknownst to him, they still glowed, though they grew fainter minute by minute. Absolute silence. He took the stairs from the short catwalk down to the main floor and glanced around. Instead of rising, his heart sank into his stomach. He could feel his brain melting down once again. Denmark wasn't here. Not yet, anyway.

Alright, don't panic, he thought to himself, examining the room once again. What was it he'd said to do? Get dressed for EVA. So I need...I need...

Spotting the racks on the far left of the room, his mind kicked into gear, ready to go once more. EVA suits. He sprinted over and started sorting through them like he was shopping, looking for the smallest set there was. He allowed himself a small smile as he grabbed the bright orange suit and pulled it out. "No time to panic," he mumbled to himself, pulling off the disgustingly ornate pants he'd been forced to wear, now drenched in sweat. "Stay focused."

He'd just finished pulling on the boots and pants when he heard a shuffling from behind. Sen glanced up for a moment, catching a glimpse of a red and black uniform. "Took you long enough," the boy grumbled, wincing as his arm caught in one of the loose straps at his side. "Help me out, would you?"

"Contact." Not Denmark's voice. A radio squawk. "Hands where I can see them. Turn and face me."

Sen's blood turned to ice. He froze, moving only to comply with the soldier's instructions. As the man came into view, he noticed the helmet. A different style to Denmark's, painted black with a blood red spider crawling over the top. Immaculately clean. The man standing before him now, pointing a rifle at his chest, was one of Denmark's underlings. Sen didn't know much in the way of specifics, but he knew from talking to Denmark all members were Mennesks of some sort. The grunts, like this one, usually had simple superhuman physiques, but higher ranks tended to have more specialized and powerful abilities, and commanded a large portion of Culwell's personal army.

In short, they were not to be messed with. If Sen wanted to live, he needed to comply with this man's every command-

The soldier suddenly raised his rifle and moved his finger to the trigger. Sen flinched and shut his eyes as a loud BANG filled the room, echoing for what felt like years. When it finally subsided, the blond boy realized he was still alive. Glancing up at the platform, he caught sight of a familiar figure standing over the body of the now-dead Arachnid soldier.

"Denmark," Sen gasped, a smile creeping over his face. He opened his mouth to say more, but couldn't find the words. Thank you didn't quite seem to sum up the gratitude he felt. So he apologized instead. "I'm sorry."

"For what?" The soldier hopped down from the catwalk, landing in the slowly-forming puddle of the Arachnid's dripping blood with barely a sound. He holstered his handgun and made his way to the closest airlock, tapping at the terminal as he reached it. "Why didn't you use your new powers?"

Sen drifted over, watching Denmark work. "How did you know?"

The terminal beeped as the soldier glanced over. "I'm an Arachnid," he grumbled, his voice silky-smooth even in the face of what he considered to be stupid questions. He turned back. "Of course I'd get reports."

"Oh. So, wait, where were you?"

"Buying time. As far as they know, I'm still on their side."

Sen opened his mouth to ask another question when his vision and hearing went fuzzy. A sharp pain spread from his chest. His mouth suddenly tasted like cotton, and all feeling went out of his legs. As he dropped to his knees, he glanced down just as blood started to flow from a hole in front of his heart. "Denmark," was all he managed to get out before his consciousness went dark, and he collapsed face first onto the cold metal floor.

Denmark whipped around as Sen called out his name. "Devartani?" he asked, before noticing the perfect hole in the boy's back. His gaze whipped up to the catwalk, where he spotted another Arachnid soldier wielding a suppressed rifle. He recognized this one. The markings on his uniform and the spider on his helmet were yellow, rough, and worn. "Nevi!"

Nevi pulled off his helmet and dropped it, revealing brown hair cut short against a surprisingly plain, young face. Mid-twenties at most. "You're safe now, Denmark," he said. Nothing was unique about his voice. You could meet him in a public place, learn his name, become best friends, and then forget about him if you looked away too long. He smirked. "Escapee was coming up behind you."

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Dread ran down Denmark's spine as he glared up at up Nevi. His face may have been hidden, but he knew Nevi could likely sense the venom in his gaze. "Why did you shoot him?" he demanded. "Orders were to bring him in alive!"

Nevi's brows went up in mock shock. "Oh no, were they?" he gasped, putting a hand to his mouth. "I'm so sorry. You seem mad. Was he...was he your friend?"

"Nothing of the sort." Denmark's muscles tensed up. "I simply dislike disobeying orders."

Nevi gazed down at his fellow Arachnid as he moved, making his way down the stairs, never breaking eye contact. His expression was mostly unreadable, but they held a hint of amusement. "Those orders came from your brother, did they not?" he asked. He paused at the bottom of the stairwell and looked over at Sen's lifeless body. "What were you doing with the airlock?"

"None of your business."

"And here I thought I could always count on you to be honest, even in guilt." The plain man shook his head sadly and sighed. Denmark took a stance, and Nevi dropped his rifle. As it clattered to the floor, he disappeared, melting into his surroundings without a trace. "Guess I'll just beat it out of you."

Denmark was sent reeling, stumbling over Sen as something invisible slammed into his chest. He caught himself and rolled awkwardly to the side. Immediately, he popped up, his brain on full alert, all senses analyzing the room. He knew Nevi. He knew his abilities. His helmet may have been equipped with state of the art sensors and filters, but not one of them would pick him up. The only clue he had was sound.

Controlling his breathing, he strained his ears, listening intently for any sign of the invisible soldier. Something creaked. There! Denmark whirled, reaching out to grab Nevi, and felt something slam into his back. He fell forward, slamming into the ground.

Immediately, he turned to stand, but slipped in the pool of blood from the other Arachnid. He swore just as he caught what he assumed to be a knee to the face. The helmet took most of the impact, but Arachnids were stronger than the average person. His brain rattled around in his head and he fell back, dazed.

"I know my weaknesses, Marky," Nevi said, his voice drifting from somewhere above the red soldier. Something heavy pressed down on his chest, pinning him to the floor. He grunted as his ribs flexed under the weight. "Why were you helping the kid? Can't have been out of goodwill. You've never been one for sentiment."

Denmark didn't answer, instead grabbing the weight on his chest and holding tight. Nevi sighed. The air shimmered as he materialized, revealing his foot on the soldier's chest. "Don't make me do this the hard way," he said, smirking down at Denmark.

"You look like you want to," Denmark grunted. "But it's too late, anyway."

Nevi's smirk disappeared, replaced by a frown. "What are you-" he realized, too late, and attempted to turn, but the red soldier kept him in place. "Denmark!"

A figure came up behind Nevi and wrapped an arm around his neck, pulling him off Denmark. The soldier flailed, but the other Denmark was steadfast, unflinching and unmoving under assault. Nevi's struggles grew weaker over the next few seconds until he stopped moving altogether, his limbs falling limp, unconscious from lack of blood flow.

Denmark stood as the other Denmark dropped the invisible soldier. "I didn't like that timing," he muttered. With a start, he remembered the boy. He shoved the other Denmark out of the way and dropped to his knees next to Dev's lifeless body. "Sen!"

He flipped the boy, revealing the true extent the damage. It was severe. Nevi had placed the bullet perfectly, drilling a hole straight through the boy's heart. Nobody survived something like that, not even the strongest of Mennesks. Even rapid healing can't keep up when the delivery system is completely shredded. Sen had died as soon as he'd hit the floor.

The only noise was the sound of Denmark collapsing onto his backside, breathing heavily. "No way," he muttered. No response from the other one. He suddenly punched the ground and screamed. "Dammit!"

Silence. A long moment passed. Denmark stared at Sen's body, his mind still refusing to believe what it was seeing. This kid was his lifeline, his motivation to get out. And he'd failed him. The boy's lifeless eyes gazed up at the ceiling, locked onto nothing. They were dull, like unpolished brass instead of gold. The light he'd seen before was long gone, fading into nothingness.

The red lights continued flashing. Voices drifted to in the distance. Faint, far off footsteps. In the pulsing light, Denmark began to hallucinate Sen's chest rising and falling. An illusion, borne of irregular light and a desperate desire for the kid to still be alive. He was aware of what he was seeing, but all the same, he pulled off a glove and placed a finger under the boy's nose, feeling for a burst of air he knew he wouldn't find. And he found nothing. Of course. Dead bodies don't breathe. They-

Denmark shot forward, ripping off his helmet and leaning over Sen, ear to his face. Nothing. Then - a slight whistle, barely imperceptible. "No way," he muttered, giggling to himself hysterically. "He's alive!"

The other Denmark moved without a word as the footsteps and voices grew louder. He shuffled through the loose gear, knocked astray by Sen just minutes before, until he pulled out a mask attached to a single, small oxygen tank. He returned to Denmark with the oxygen in hand as he was pulling his helmet and glove back on.

Denmark took the mask, yanking almost violently, and strapped it Sen's face. He twisted the knob and the air flowed. It may have just been his imagination, but the boy seemed to breathe easier. His eyes still stared lifelessly, but the soldier would take anything at this point.

It was time to go. Denmark picked up Sen as the other activated the airlock. The door slid open with a hiss. Denmark moved in with Sen and the other followed. The soldier stared at the solid metal door to space as the other one activated the panel behind him. The door shut with a thump and the air hissed as it was evacuated.

His internal air supplies wouldn't last very long, but he wouldn't need it. He'd latched a smuggling vessel to the side of Culwell's megaship where it wouldn't be found, just a short EVA jump away. "Sorry, kid," he muttered. "You're gonna end up with some other injuries, but I'm sure you'd rather take that than death."

The other Denmark pressed a button and the computer began a countdown. "Five," a computerized female voice announced. "Four. Three."

The other Denmark placed a hand on Denmark's shoulder.

"Two."

Denmark's body rippled as absorbed his other body, the other Denmark shooting into Denmark like a ghost. He grimaced as their atoms recombined, stitching together in impossible ways.

"One."

The airlock door hissed open. Or it would've, if it wasn't in a vacuum. Denmark stepped out, Sen in hand, into the dark of space.

-

Sen sat cross-legged in the middle of a room, facing a mirror. Like usual, his face was shrouded in shadow, the only things visible his glowing eyes. He could hear noises from outside, this time. They sounded like screaming.

Am I dead? Sen asked. His last memory had been of a hole in his heart, and then collapsing.

He laughed. "Not a chance!" his memory self said. "If you were, you wouldn't be seeing this. You're kinda hard to kill, anyway."

Sen was silent for a long while, much longer than he'd ever been before during a blackout. His memory self seemed as if he could sense this, keeping quiet as the racket outside droned on.

Eventually, he blinked. Or he would've, if he'd had control. I'm getting tired of calling you my memory self, he said. It's tiring and clunky. What do I call you?

"Just 'cause you're not dead doesn't mean you're not gonna die. Stay vigilant. Ish. Wake up as soon as you can." The screams grew louder.

Sen sighed, anxious. Recordings were like that. Besides, a name was the least important thing he needed to know.

Before he could ask another question, his memory self stood. "Personally, I hope you live. I mean, if you die, I die, so of course I want you to live. But still. Live." He seemed sad. "I don't know you. I likely never will. You'll likely turn out to be me, to be just like me. But if you don't...just promise me you'll live a good life. Full of purpose. We need that, you and I."

Sen was taken aback. He'd never seen this much emotion from a blackout before. He attempted to nod. I promise.

He leaned forward, the lower half of his face coming into view in the mirror. "Thanks, kid," he said. His mouth was turned up in a soft smile, very different from the toothy, sadistic ones Sen had seen before. The screaming grew louder as the room tore open out of sight. The mirror shattered as they were pelted with pieces of plaster and wood. "Now you need to wake up."

Sen gasped, his eyes shooting open. Blazing white light burned his retinas, and he immediately moved to block it, squinting until the spots in his vision stopped swimming.

"He's awake!" he heard a familiar voice call. He turned his head groggily, spotting it coming from an unfamiliar face.

"Seriously?!" came an unfamiliar voice. He could barely understand it through the thick accent. Another unfamiliar face pushed the first one out of the way. "Where the hell did you find this guy?"

Sen sighed as his eyes rolled back into his head and he passed out once more.