The robots grew closer, echoing through the hallways of Zephyrus’ ship. Mika took Ava’s hand and pulled her into his fast pace. They ran back towards the atrium and continued on into the maze of hallways created on this ship.

Ava had no idea where they were going, but she blindly trusted him. Every turn they made, the hallway looked exactly the same. From the white, faux wooden doors to the ship’s ventilation to no numbers or maps for any directional guidance. There was no way you could teleport around this ship without getting lost. It felt like they’d be stuck here forever.

They turned down another hallway and then another. Marching boots echoed further away, sometimes popping up in random places, others vanished without a trace. Ava still couldn’t sense them. Being robots, they didn’t run on the same energy everyone else did. They had their own special fuel, making it impossible for her to locate them.

The longer they ran, the more her confidence faded. This time Mika opened a random white door, which turned out to be not so random. There were metal stairs leading up and down. They went up, when personally, Ava would’ve gone down.

When they reached the top, Mika pressed his ear to the door and waited. Hundreds of boots tapped by, but it sounded like they were getting further away. Another quake burst through the ship. They collided into the wall. The door locked automatically as small trembles shook their bodies.

Ava tried catching her breath. “How do you know your way around this ship? Have you been on here before?”

Mika typed in a code. The door miraculously unlocked. “No, I haven’t and I don’t plan on ever coming back.”

But then how did he know the code to get out? How did he know this ship’s layout? And why couldn’t he have done this earlier?

She squeezed his hand as they ran out into the hallway and found the same identical doors and interior even on this upper level. She couldn’t be suspicious right now. She needed to concentrate on getting off this ship, but the question came out of her mouth, anyway. “How did you escape the beach?”

His steps faltered, but he didn’t stop running. “I set up a scope in the bathroom using koto. It’s like a camera where only my eyes could see what is happening.” They turned down another hallway. “When I saw you step through the wall, I knew exactly where to go.”

They came to a laboratory with large opaque doors, the only thing different on this floor so far. And no monitor. They couldn’t use a code to get in this time.

“The pod came automatically after I pried the door open.” He let her go.

“But apparently the living room wall didn’t,” Ava remarked.

A smirk crossed his face as he flexed his fingers.

With tight fists, Mika rammed into the glass door. It cracked from his knuckles out, huge spider web lines spread to the threshold. Ava stepped back in time for the second hit. Large chunks of glass shattered on the floor, small pieces cut his cheeks and hand. It should’ve taken one hit with his super strength. He’d used too much energy already.

Mika carefully stepped through and held out his hand for Ava to follow. She took it without hesitation and tiptoed over the jagged shards. The place was empty with experiments left unattended in the middle of their tests, and the sterile stench reminded her of the hospital. It gave her the shivers.

“You said he stole your blood. How many vials did he take?”

“Three. And he used a pair of blue gloves to collect my fingerprints and tears.”

Separately, they each took a side of the laboratory and searched. Ava opened drawers and cabinets, shuffled through the workstations left haphazardly in their states. There were beakers, open jars of specimens about ready to fall off the tables, a few already did. Their alien parts mixed with the paperwork scattered on the ground.

A hidden door sat ajar by the wall. She hurried over and found a tall filing cabinet. One by one, Ava opened the drawers, then stopped in her tracks. Zephyrus had been collecting information on the other gods.

With the folders marked by their titles and colored to fit them, she easily sifted through, counting ten files in total. Ava picked up the god of death’s folder and found her registered UFE picture with personal details on her life, ranging from when she woke up in the morning to her fighting style to even her least favorite foods. No way an average soldier knew this information. The idea had her shaking.

Not wanting to think about it, Ava searched through the other folders. The god of desire had a whopping size that almost needed its own cabinet. Raz reawakened more than a hundred times. The god of war’s folder was tiny in comparison.

Her name was Christine Jackeline, C.J. for short. Lived on Mars and had a high position in their government. Ava would never forget that name.

As she placed the crimson file back, a white file caught her eyes. She quickly snatched it out of the cabinet, yet hesitated to open it. God of life, the label read. When Ava opened it, everything came together as a missing puzzle piece was finally placed.

I fucking knew it.

“Hey! I think I found them,” Mika said. Three vials were shoved in front of her face, but even then, she stared at the picture staring back at her.

“Did you know that Darious is the god of life?” Ava asked.

Mika took it from her fingers and glanced over the matted print, over the white hair and golden mask on Darious’ face. “Yes. I’ve known for a long time.”

Her mouth fell open. “You just told me Amaranthine doesn’t trust the gods. Then how is it okay for Darious to live with you? To be your planet's ambassador!”

“Amaranthine doesn’t trust them, but I never said my grandparents don’t,” he said and tossed the picture back on the pile of papers. “It doesn’t matter what the planet thinks. If they decree Darious will live with us, then he will live with us, and the planet will obey their wishes. That’s how we operate.”

Ava should have listened to her instincts and exposed him for the god he was. For all she knew Darious leaked information to Zephyrus these past few weeks.

She finally looked at the vials in Mika’s hand. Sure enough, these were the ones, they even stuck a label on the side with her name. Ava threw them on the ground and smashed them under her heel. The glass crunched under each fierce stomp and spread blood across the white marble floor. It helped ease her anger, knowing Zephyrus wouldn’t get his way.

Her eyes scanned the laboratory. There were three pairs of blue gloves lying around on different tables. She dumped them all in separate canister's containing liquid from abandoned experiments. That should get rid of my DNA altogether.

Satisfied, Ava turned around and caught Mika putting Darious’ file back with the other gods. “We should take those. We might need all that information.”

“There’s no need. We have all their data back at home.”

“You mean, Amaranthine has the data. Do you really think your grandfather will actually give up this information?”

No way in hell would the UFE ever relinquish it.

“You won’t have to worry about him. I’ll personally retrieve it for you. I promise,” Mika said, but she didn’t believe him.

Ava started pulling out the files, clumps at a time. This information was important. It could change everything for Earth. When she reached for Raz’s enormous file, Mika snorted. “Come on. There’s no way we can carry all of this and escape from this ship.”

He’s right. Even if she stuffed them in a backpack, the weight would weigh her down. But still… Ava snatched Zephyrus’ file and slipped it into the blazer. “Fine. You better keep your promise, but I’m still taking this one. At least then my kidnapping wasn’t a waste in the eyes of the Council.”

The files thin, but had plenty of papers in them to know he exposed himself to testing more than enough times. It didn’t surprise her either. Earth scientists wanted to be part of their own experimentation, too. For Zephyrus, it was no different.

Multiple footsteps echoed from the hall. The guards' boots were so loud they couldn’t be but a few feet away. Their figures popped up one after the other, as more robot soldiers in blue uniforms arrived, sword in hand. They planned to kill us this time.

Mika drew out the character for light and soon a ball of bright pure energy appeared in his palm. It was mesmerizing, nearly blinding. She wanted to touch it. As if it were alive, the ball wiggled, growing brighter and bigger.

He threw it on the ground. The energy exploded into millions of sparklers as bright as an emergency flair. Spots blinded her vision. Helpless, Ava let Mika pull her away, into a dark room, into a random hallway. They ran straight into another unlocked room and arrived back on the stairwell. It was disorienting, teleporting multiple times so suddenly. The walls and stairs moved like waves. I might be sea sick. Ava grasped the railing before she fell over.

“We only have one more level to go and we’ll be near the pods,” Mika said through uneven breaths.

A loud metal crash vibrated from above. The assault hurt worse with each ongoing attack, ringing through her brain. Her stomach turned. She covered her ears, but the sound wouldn’t stop. Mika slid his arm around her waist, and his warmth calmed her.

I’m not alone. We’ll get out of this. We both will.

They took off down the stairs and to the next door. Mika inputted the code and waited for any movement outside the door. The hallway was too quiet. The lights flickered along the edges of the ceiling, and the still air gave her goosebumps. Ava subconsciously leaned into him just to feel that reassurance again.

This was stupid. She shouldn’t be placing her trust in him. He kept secrets and was still keeping them. And Ava was no saint. She put a knife to his throat just yesterday. But just as she stupidly continued to trust him, he stupidly continued to protect her. I just hope I’m not making a mistake.

Her foot caught on a hard object, tripping her. Mika pulled Ava closer to him before she fell over onto the floor, and thank god he did. Just like a ghost ship, this scene was straight out of a horror movie.

Severed robotic limbs covered every inch of the hallway. Open circuits and live wires sparked like a swarm of eels blocking their path. And with the pods metal main door being closed, they couldn't teleport with ease.

“Mmm. Just when I was getting bored, you finally showed up, Earth’s General. You sure know how to keep a man waiting.”

Her hands clenched into a fist at the disgusting sultry voice. Raz. This meant the god of war wasn’t far behind. Letting go of Mika, Ava reluctantly faced Raz head on. The corner of his mouth perked as he played with the two black loops on his lip. His hands rested on a hot pink Bō, perfectly matching his hot pink and brown ombre hair.

His angelic, radiating blue eyes shifted between Mika and Ava. “C.J. never told me an Ama prince was here. That’s fine.” He popped his neck. “I love a good fight.”

Tsk. Mika had been using his energy left and right. Who knew how much longer he could last before he passed out from overexertion. And she only had a steak knife on hand. Not to mention, she still felt dizzy. Their odds of winning were pretty slim. Against a god, they might as well be zero. I need to somehow disarm him.

He stalked towards them, forcing Ava back into the robot graveyard, getting shocked in the process. She had to think quickly. I can’t let him catch me or it’s game over.

As Mika drew lines in the air, Ava threw a robot arm at Raz’s face. He dodged it. She threw a foot at him this time. He dodged that one, too. A severed head left her fingers as she aimed for his skull. This time, he used the Bō to knock it down.

“Are you going to be throwing body parts at me all day? Come up with something more original, sweetheart, or else this will be a boring ass fight.” He eyed her for a moment, then scoffed. “I see what you’re doing. You’re making a path to escape. Clever girl, but not clever enough.”

Raz twirled the Bō until his hand stopped it dead center. The weapon shifted into an archer's bow. A finger dug into the metal and drew out a slither of pink metal and an arrow created from pure energy. The edges sharpened, and detailed carvings flowed across the spine and into a winding C-clef—exactly like Ava’s weapon.

Ava froze at the threat as he aimed the arrow at the wall behind them. “If you shoot that arrow you’ll blow a hole in the ship. And we will all die,” she cautiously said. “Do you really want that? To die a painful death?”

He drew the arrow out further. “I’ve been reborn over fifty times. What’s another new life for us? Although that won’t be the case for the prince here. Too bad, really. He’s cute.”

Mika chuckled, dark and eerie, he was armed with blue glowing blades. “Thanks for the compliment, but that won’t save your neck.”

In a flash, he disappeared from his spot and appeared behind Raz. The blade sliced by his neck, missing. Raz crouched and swung his bow up like a sword. Their blades clashed. Shock waves shook the floor and up Ava’s legs.

“Nice try, but after the first time that trick doesn’t work anymore.” Raz stepped to the side and swung his whole body with the bow as his weapon. The tip sliced by Mika’s nose, he barely avoided it. “You could say I learned a new trick every time I died.”

He spun the bow effortlessly around his shoulders and torso as if the weapon were in its primal stage. Tiny slices cut in his skin as drops of blood seeped out like pearls where the blade met his body. He neither reacted nor acknowledged the wounds. They healed just as quickly as their cut. The advantage of a real immortal body, and Ava was envious.

Mika attacked first. When their blades clashed, the entire corridor shook. Ava pressed against the wall for support as they stared each other down, waiting for the other to move first. She blinked. Raz was already mid-strike, but once again, Mika dodged.

Raz clenched his teeth. If he wasn’t pissed before, he was now.

They both picked up speed, slicing at the other’s vital points. Their blades clashed, and took chunks from the wall and floor. Raz maneuvered, both careless and precise. One would think he didn’t know what he was doing, but every move proved otherwise.

As the fight progressed, Mika gained the upper hand. Every strike was aimed with a fierce precision. He countered Raz so quickly, he was leading Raz on instead of following. During training, Ava discovered he could fight well, but the guy fighting now was different, he had amazing skills.

A blue fire blazed in Raz’s eyes, his annoyance echoed through deep throaty growls. His anger snapped Ava out of her trance and forced her to hurry along. She picked up robot limbs and tossed them aside. Sparks flew from exposed wires and burned the hairs on her arms, but she trucked on. There was no time to waste. She needed to open those doors before Mika ran out of energy completely.

A robot foot zapped her left leg. An agonizing moan howled through the ship. Mika and Raz were frozen in the middle, blades holding each other back with tired arms.

They were jerked forward, shaking with Earthquake trembles, the lights flickered and the ship slowly leaned sideways. The robot graveyard buried the wall, looking deadlier under this new incoming darkness.

Ava took a deep breath and made her way through the carnage, each step resulting in an electrical shock to the skin, sending them to her brain. Spasms ruptured through her body the longer she ignored the pain. And just when she thought her feet would give out, she made it to the monitor.

Her fingers swiftly worked across the screen, remembering each step Mika took to bring up the place where he entered the access code. Prim language displayed on the monitor with numerical dashes listed above. She blinked. “Mika! What’s the code!”

He didn’t respond. They were both back at it, Raz smiled with each strike as if he thought this new situation would help him win the fight. Mika was so focused on staying upright, one foot anchored the wall to keep him steady. No way he’d break concentration now and she didn’t blame him.

Ava searched all over the door, hoping to find an emergency button or lever. Nothing. Zephyrus created this ship with the intention of everyone going down with it. That was one way to keep a secret. Surprised the monitor was still working.

She stared at the screen, hoping she could open it with her mind. No such luck. So she typed in some random codes, but an error sign popped up each time. The trembles grew worse with fresh stings circulating her ankles, rising to her thighs. Soon she’d be buried under the robots.

Breathe in… Breathe out—

Her right hand stung for a split second, then went cold. Goosebumps chilled her arm—her shoulder. She looked over, ready to knock the robot off but there was nothing there. She was alone. And yet, she felt a dark present right behind her.

A fog left her lips, and a stillness overcame her. Her hand moved from the wall over to the monitor, each finger strained to tap a character and dash in. Fear boiled in her mind at the thought of who could be possibly moving her hand. But she tried not to think of it, because only one man came to mind.

Once it opened, Ava fled through the threshold and braced against a pod’s door. The ship turned further, deeper. The scenery outside through one of the view windows was unimaginable.

They were heading straight for Earth.

Ava slammed on the button for the nearest pod. The door opened and relief instantly flooded her. They’d make it out of here. “Mika! Mika, I got the door open!”

She caught both their attention. Mika’s glowing blades flickered, sparking with patches of energy disappearing altogether. He instantly left Raz’s side and met hers, leaned on her to stay upright, the blades vanished soon after. He exhausted his energy.

Ava helped Mika climb in. The ship moaned and rumbled. He slipped through her grip from all the sweat and collided into one of the two navigator chairs. Groaning in pain, he looked up at her. “Behind you.”

She caught the blade before she realized what she was doing. The sharp edge of the bow cut small slices into her skin. Raz pushed on the weapon towards her head. Using the wall to anchor her back, Ava kept her palms flat and steady on either side, but he was stronger than expected.

A sick satisfaction gleamed in his eyes. He loved having Ava vulnerable. The strength overwhelmed her. She let the blade stab the wall beside her and dig into her shoulder. A shot of pain exploded through her right leg as blood formed on Mika’s jacket.

“I was hoping to fight you more one on one, but it looks like that won’t happen in this lifetime,” Raz said.

How the hell could she get out of this mess? Fighting a god barehanded didn’t sound like a bright idea, but she had no choice. She was out of options, had no weapon. If only she brought her weapon. If only she kept that knife. If only she could control his Bō.

If only… if only… IF ONLY!

Strange, cool mist rushed over her arms and fingers. The weapon’s own heartbeat pulsed in Ava’s grip. The energy was grand and powerful but easily manipulated. With a slight mental tug, the weapon shifted back into its Bō form right before their eyes.

Wide-eyed, Raz glanced from the Bō to Ava, back and forth, until he leaned away. “You just… but how did you…,” he stuttered, trembling. “How did you change my weapon!”

An Earth shattering quake broke through the ship. Ava rolled off to the side and fell into the pod with Mika. She collided with the other chair; it knocked the breath right out of her lungs. She gagged on a mixture of saliva and blood, and immediately spit out onto the steel floor, while Mika sealed them shut inside.

Raz kicked the door with the heel of his boot, and glared through the circular window. He cocked his arrow at the window with utter contempt. Has he gone insane!

Ava met Mika’s gaze. She stretched out her hand and he took it. He was warmer than usual, a reminder that he used too much energy. They might not make it out this time.

As Raz drew the arrow back further, a loud boom erupted from somewhere inside the ship. Ava lifted off the seat. Mika grabbed hold of the headrest and tightened his grip on her hand. Hair floated with disarray, blocking parts of her view. The gravity’s been shut off.

She kicked off the wall and landed with a thud on Mika. His arm held her by the waist, and she securely gripped the chair on either side of him. They looked back at Raz. He struggled with trying to stay upright, the arrow no longer a threat.

“We need to go while he’s distracted,” Mika said, his voice closer than ever before.

She accidentally knocked into his nose. They both tensed. His hot breath touched her lips. Thoughts she’d forced down all day surfaced, and even though she glanced at his lips, they somehow kept their feelings at bay.

Ava quickly climbed into the plush, white leather chair. Her body ached from the fall, shoulder hurt as the wound healed, but she ignored it and buckled in.

They were stuck staring at the hieroglyphics covering the entire control panel. Her hands hovered over the glass, over the Prim Language. She hesitated, trying to order her thoughts from Caterina’s teachings, but she couldn’t. The stress caught up.

“I’ve got the control panel if you can drive,” Mika said while preparing himself to do exactly that. He looked like hell. No way he could steer this pod, too.

She surveyed the path. The debris was worse than before; broken pieces of ships and pods turned into a graveyard. It’d be hard to maneuver, but again, what choice did they have? It was either stay on here and go down with the ship, or take their chances on the high road.

I got this. I can do this.

Ava gripped the steering wheel. “Okay, let’s go home.”