There's so much that we don't understand about this world. I never thought that I'd learn that my own family history was muddled in mystery and the biggest conspiracy the galaxy had ever seen.

———

Xylion held onto the gun as tightly as he could. Mucus was coating his tentacles under his gloves. He shuddered, trying to calm his nerves. The sound of gunshots rang out around them, sending terror through his entire being. Human Jenny stood next to him, her gun pointed towards the door. Her body was pressed against his as they huddled together.

Human Jenny was shaking, so Xylion wrapped an arm around her. He gently squeezed her before looking back up at the door. They had to be prepared. Whatever— or whoever— came through that door could be a villain.

Xylion looked down at the cracked communicator on the floor. Human Mason has called them, and then he went unresponsive. They didn't know if he simply was suffering an attack from his PTSD or if he was wounded. Neither were good.

Human Jenny began to move forward. They had to get to Human Mason as soon as possible. Xylion had tried to reach the other humans, but so far there had been no response. Xylion hoped they were alright.

The door slowly pushed open. Human Jenny peeled outside, her emerald green eyes sparkling as they took in the out outside world. Xylion held back a smile.

Now wasn't the time to admire her.

They carefully walked out. The street was deserted. Chaos was evident all around them— there had been a mad scramble. Doors were bolted shut around them all, showing that everyone should've found shelter. Xylion tightened his grip on his gun as he looked around.

Human Jenny carefully moved forward, doing her best to stay pressed against the walls. Xylion followed suit, keeping a watchful eye out in case he saw any of his friends.

He wasn't exactly sure how many people were out and about when this had hit, as he had been with Human Jenny and they were the first off. Xylion held back a whimper as he continued to move along the wall. He did not like to shoot. But, since he was a certified member of the USL, he had to be trained with a gun and willing to fire it if worse came to worse. So, he had to shoot someone.

Most likely.

Xylion eyed Human Jenny's flame red hair as it swayed back in forth, her movements as little as possible. A small smile grew on his face. He had found himself doing it more often around her. He had t smiled until he met the humans, but he only ever really smiled when Human Jenny was around. She had taught him how to do it, and told him it was perfect.

The mucus began to secrete even more as he thought about it.

Shaking the thoughts away, Xylion focused on the task ahead instead. He scanned the area, looking for anyone who looked like a threat.

Suddenly, Human Jenny bolted forward. Xylion was startled at first but then followed her. She came to a stop in front of a bundle on the floor, which Xylion then recognized as Human Mason. His speed picked up and he came to a stop behind Human Jenny as she gently rolled him into his back.

"Mason? Are you okay?"

Human Mason didn't respond to her. His eyes were glazed over and he was staring blankly into the sky. Human Jenny cursed. "He's having an episode. The gunshot triggered his PTSD."

Xylion looked to the redhead. "Will he be alright?"

Human Jenny faltered, her eyes swimming with unshed tears. "I—I'm not sure."

Xylion put a reassuring tentacle on her shoulder and gently squeezed it. Human Jenny took in deep breaths as she tried to calm herself. He remembered when she'd had a panic attack in her room that one time. If she didn't stay calm, she could have one now. Then, there'd be no way for Xylion to try to help Human Mason. He had no idea what to do to shake him out of this episode. Only his therapist would know.

"Jenny..." Xylion whispered, pulling her closer to him.

Human Jenny shivered. "Sorry, I just—let me help him. I'm okay now."

Xylion let go of her, and she quickly went over to him. She began to comfort him, rubbing his head and whispering about various different things. She mentioned chocolate and bunnies. Puppies and clouds. Color and warmth. It was soothing. Xylion didn't know what some of the things she talked about were, but even he felt his body relaxing. She had that affect on people.

Xylion took the time to scan the area. It was littered in debris from everyone's mad scramble for safety. A soft breeze blew through the docks, sending lighter object fluttering in the wind. It was deserted. It felt...off. Xylion frowned as he looked around. Something wasn't right.

"I will be right back. I'm going to do some recon, make sure the area is safe." Xylion said, grabbing his gun.

Human Jenny nodded. "Be safe. I'll be here."

Xylion carefully walked towards one of the alleyways. He scanned it before moving to the next one.

He had just scanned the tenth one. It was the farthest from his comrades. Xylion began to walk away when something clattered. He stopped. Xylion looked back into the alley, and saw a can rolling down the middle of it. Xylion frowned before walking into it.

Xylion raised his gun, prepared to fire. He was halfway through it when he heard movement behind him. Xylion barely had time to turn around before a sharp pain flared in his head. He heard a sickening crack, and then everything went black.

———

A dull ache made Xylion awaken from his slumber. He groaned. His arm attempted to check the pained area, but he found he could not move it. Xylion opened his eyes, blinking through the blurriness. He looked down, only to see restraints. He attempted to fight hem, but realized he was physically unable to move. What...?

Footsteps sounded. Xylion attempted to look up, but his neck was not responding either. He cursed in his mind.

The footsteps stopped in front of him. He then felt something touch the top of his head. It was flesh. A hand.

Xylion closed his eyes and reopened them, attempting to see clearly. It was still not working.

"He's really hurt. Why the hell did you hit him so hard?" The voice, while muddled, was thankfully clear enough for Xylion to understand. They spoke with a slight accent, one he could not place.

A loud sigh came from somewhere above him. "I didn't hit him that hard. Could've been way worse, you know."

"Well, if you killed him, we wouldn't have an informant, now would we?"

Someone muttered incoherently. Xylion kept his gaze glued to his legs. They hadn't realized he was awake yet. The person examining him then moved their hand to his jaw and carefully pulled his head up. Xylion groaned, the pain shooting down his spine. When he was looking up, he did his best to see who was examining him. They were too blurry.

"He's awake." The second voice said, almost incredulously.

"Barely. I doubt he can even see straight. Thankfully for us, he seems to be the same species as Captain, so I can help him." A bright light shone in his eye. He winced, trying to pry his head out of the being's grip. No go. He couldn't move his head.

"You sure? He's only got two eyes. The captain had three."

"He did say it was a rare birth defect." The first voice argued, his grip momentarily tightening in his anger.

Xylion felt his eyelids growing heavy. He was about to pass out again. Any attempt at fighting back proved futile, and he faded once more.

———

"...pilot better! You're shaking everything up!"

Xylion jumped at the voice. He opened his eyes, finally able to see better. The pain was barely noticeable. Xylion took in a few breaths as he took in his surroundings.

He was in a prison cell. It looked almost identical to the ones aboard the Freelorn ship, which was shocking. Why would an enemy have a ship that belonged in the USL?

Xylion attempted to move, and found he could. His arms shot up, the chains binding him rattling in the silence. He hissed at the abrupt action. It hurt to move his arms so quickly only for them to not go anywhere.

The sound must have alerted the guard. Footsteps echoed around him. Xylion quickly looked up as the dark figure approached the cell. He looked up and took in their appearance. His eyes widened.

They were human.

Their dark hair was tied up in a loose bun. It spread to their jaw, creating a thick beard. Fredrick often complained about them. Their dark eyes examined Xylion, taking in his appearance. Their skin was similar in tone to Human Isaac's, though a bit lighter. Ink was covering their skin, forming strange markings. They wore a black jacket with the sleeves rolled up to their biceps, which looked deadly. Black, fingerless gloves adorned their hands. They wore distressed pants with a black tank top and black combat boots. Their whole appearance screamed deadly.

"You're awake then." They said, their expression remaining calm and collected.

Xylion was too shocked to say anything. A human attacking a whole city? Why?

He briefly remembered the others speaking before. They kidnapped him to provide information. What kind, though? And why him? Was it perhaps his species or something else? He wasn't sure what was going on at his home planet, making him a horrible informant. He looked back up at the human, trying to figure out their aim. "Who are you?" He croaked.

The human raised their dark eyebrow. He then chuckled softly before walking away. Xylion's eyes widened. "Wait!"

No response. Xylion sat there, fear clenching his body. Mucus secreted all over him. He squirmed, trying to get comfortable. His tentacles slipped out of the cuffs. Xylion's eyes widened as he looked at his now free appendage. A smile lit his face, and he quickly began to Free the rest of him. Once he was out of the chains, he stood up. His four legs shook, but he managed to steady himself.

Xylion was about to check the room when a voice spoke. "Got out of your restraints, huh?"

His head snapped towards the voice. Another human stood there. This one was female. They had a similar form to Human Jenny's, though were not nearly as beautiful. Their hair was brown, and curled down their back. It was frayed and moved in all directions. Human Jenny's hair looked like that after a fight. Their flesh was similar in color to Human Jenny's as well, but was not covered in the little brown dots. Their eyes were a crystal clear blue, though not as light as Fredrick's. They wore a black long sleeves shirt tucked into gray pants. Black lace up boots went up to their knees. Xylion frowned at the human. "Who are you?" He hissed.

The human with the bun laughed. "We ask the questions here." They then turned towards the other human. "When will the others arrive?"

"Soon." They answered, their blue eyes burning into Xylion.

Xylion looked around, and then eyed the cot that was attached to the wall. He went and sat down on it. Xylion looked down at his tentacles, the mucus on them showing his true feelings. He may be keeping a calm exterior, by his entire being was screaming in fear.

"The prisoners awake?"

Xylion looked up to see a small woman. She resembled Human Quinn in appearances. The same eye shapes. Her thin eyes were a almost black in color. Dark hair fell around her, with straight bangs cut just above her eyebrows. Her skin was pale, almost like moonlight. She wore something Human Jenny called 'overalls' with a white shirt underneath it and black shoes covering her feet. She frowned at Xylion.

Another human walked in. He was skinny and lanky, and moved almost uncertainly. His hair was the color of fire. It was curly and messy, sprawling around his gun face. His eyes were a pale brown, and the same brown flecks that adorned Human Jenny's face were present on his. Round spectacles reared stop his long nose, and he blinked nervously behind them. He wore a white lab coat with a blue button down beneath it. Black pants and black shoes covered the bottom of him. The human gulped. "This is the prisoner? He looks like—"

Another human suddenly pushed through. His hair was similar in color to Fredrick's, but even lighter. Almost white. His eyes were just as blue, and his flesh as light. He stared at Xylion, his eyes wide. He wore a white button down tucked into black pants. Dress shoes adorned his feet. He looked far too fancy to be here. The man brushed strand of hair behind his ears. His hair was long, but not long like the first man. "Woah."

"Where is everyone else?" The first female asked.

The nervous and long human adjusted his glasses. "Delgato is cleaning herself up, O'Connor is cataloging the prisoner's wounds, and Mestra is attempting to fly the ship. Without Malloy here—"

"Alright, whatever. Let's get to questioning."

Xylion straightened his back and looked at them. He was prepared for anything.

The woman walked towards the bars of the cell. She looked at him, her gaze filled with a coldness Xylion couldn't hope to warm from. She scowled, sowing off her white teeth.

"What do you know about Captain Tylerion Knonanes?"