“Absolutely not,” Apollo’s eruption even had his chair flail to the ground.

“Look we may have had a spat when we were talking about how you could clean your arse. But this is pushing the line,”

“He can provide us with help to ease the mission,”

“Tomobi’s a child,”

“A VitaNav child. He was made to travel and fight, not cook and clean. He is meant to be a soldier, not a housemaid,”

Tomobi stood outside during their ethical strife, unsure of what to feel. Their bickering clashed over him, leaving him to shield them from their choice of weapons. Rookie came down to see him clenched against himself.

“Hey,” her hand soothed his wounds, lowering his guard.

“Don’t listen to this, how about you go upstairs? I’ll deal with these two,” Obediently Tomobi dragged himself away from the battle, with Rookie ready to take his place.

“It is programmed into him,”

“Tomobi could die,”

“OI!” Rookie’s howl seized the fire between them.

“At least you both have chivalry. Now that I have both of your attention I think we should talk about the bigger problem. The fact that the two of you are bickering like you are going through a divorce right now,” Rookie took her own seat and was now ready with her artillery.

“In case you haven’t noticed you two are really picking at Tomobi. Yeah he is meant to be a genetic soldier that could supposedly kill us, but that was decades ago, now we have VitaNavs that cook and clean and act like goddamn children. So-” Her rant left her unaware that she truly did have their undivided attention, even Kiorif had shown her more observation than he had ever done before.

“So. uh. Yeah. You shouldn’t, awe shit,” a splatter of red painted on her cheeks showed that her performance was over. For a moment waiting for a sequel to her act Kiorif finally continued.

“Apollo, you have to understand. I’ve been told that we will not be provided with constant supplies, will have to go into unknown territories, and will have to do additional chores. So I’m going to make this clear, the VitaNav will be protected from Rookie and myself. All I’m asking from him is that he works for us,”

“But why Tomobi? I think he is too young for this,”

“I think you are worrying too much. You aren’t his father,” a sharp response caused a new wound, those words drowned and tore through Apollo’s mind.

“Kiorif,” Rookie now had a new battle to deal with, but Kiorif’s hand objectified her position.

You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

“I’m not finished. You may have baby-sitted him, but he can now take care of himself. So I’ll be asking him tomorrow and we will see what he wants then,” He looked over to Rookie for his closing statement before leaving once again, this time progressing in his warfront.

Leaving the two to sit in his damage.

“Apollo, don't listen to him. He’s just annoyed about the whole mission plan,”

“Rookie I would like to be left alone,” for a moment she wanted to object, but this was a moment to listen. Leaving Apollo to his devices.

‘What if Tomobi says yes?’ this thought mocked and celebrated in his head, which only increased in burden by the darkened sky, even with a meal prepared. Tomobi once again danced through the kitchen, with the strong scent of bacon and eggs attempting to start the night.

“Tomobi you are the first VitaNav I’ve met here and you already cook better than any of my brothers,” Rookie tried to set the mood, with Tomobi showing a chip of a smile. Apollo and Kiorif sat opposite each other, showing a colder interaction compared to Tomobi and Rookie.

“Tomobi, remember what I asked you yesterday?” Kiorif made the first move.

“Y-yes,”

“Well, I’m going to push further. I want you to come with us to work as a serving boy, you will cook and clean for us. Don’t worry we won’t throw you into things if they get tough, but your help would make things easier for us,” Though the demand was high Kiorif made no notice of it, Apollo controlled his flames by facing away from the fuel. Leaving Tomobi to ponder, while the risks of the moon were high and life outside of what he had known would be unstable.

But the temptation of freedom was what truly dragged him. A drug he was itching to have, for any price.

“On one condition,” this comment changed the rules of the game, this comment got everyone’s attention, this comment would change things.

“Tell me what you plan on doing?” Rookie caught a smile and Apollo fixed his stature, whilst Kiorif remained unfazed.

“Is that all?”

“That is all,” it seemed that the confidence that Tomobi built was flammable to Kiorif’s humor, whose faint chuckle blew a cold breeze towards Tomobi.

“Your words are in my favor, I’ll tell you what we are doing,” Standing up to face Tomobi, who despite supporting himself on a stool could never meet Kiorif’s eyes, which pierced into his own.

“Rookie and I will be traveling this rock by foot, we will be looking at the mutated jokes on this rock by foot, and we will be having you join us on this rock by foot. Do I make myself clear?”

“U-understood,” Tomobi limped back into his shell.

“Good, we have a week to prepare. But I recommend that you start now,” instead of leaving the room again like his previous battles, there was no need to. The war was won, and he enjoyed the spoils given to him.

Nothing could be done.

Apollo couldn’t object.

Rookie couldn’t comfort.

Tomobi couldn’t hide.

Though Kiorif could relish seconds.

***

Tomobi wrapped his cloak around him, still clinging onto his human clothing. He was doing one more last inspection of the list ingrained in his mind, making sure that nothing was missing.

Although his bag was nothing but a sac compared to the burden that he would bear as he looked over to the fused monster of Kiorif’s and Rookie’s belongings.

A faint buckling of knees was all that was needed for him to posture himself, though his composer could not be kept when he caught a glimpse of the emotion in Apollo’s eyes.

“Have you packed everything?”

“Yes, Apollo,”

“Tomobi I know you have to go, but if you ever want to come back just call me. I don’t care if it’s the next town over or even some barren outpost, just tell me if you want to,” to add to this bittersweet moment Apollo lowered himself in an attempt to wrap his arms around him, though was entangled within the straps and zips.

“Probably should’ve let you take off the bag,” Apollo pulled himself back ineptly. Tomobi wanted to rip off the bags but a hammering knock by the door stopped him.

"Tomobi gets out now," Kiorif's tone definitely stomped the heartfelt mood.

Only able to give Apollo a smile as his last gift, Tomobi left to the door.