Chapter Text
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The small, slightly curly black haired nurse hit the floor hard. Losing her almost suffocating grip on the black-brown haired researcher, laying motionless by the nurse, their silver bangs covering their eyes; feigning consciousness.
But the smaller can’t stop- they pull themselves to their knees, she couldn’t- wouldn’t let another friend die. She slumps against the walls stumbling towards the window facing the ship, breathing heavily from their brief lack of oxygen.
The others on board call for her to stop, unable to leave their posts in fear of what monster is near and what could happen if they leave, but it's all tuned out as Juno leaned onto the front window, facing the Redshift Station
Juno’s curly hair falls into her face, their body shaking uncontrollably…
“Please..”
She whispered, not to anything, maybe hoping someone, anyone, would heed her call.
“Sunny-”
“Not you too-”
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Mechanical feet clang against the steel floor as the sandy haired janitor rushes out of navigation and to the engine room, braids barely keeping its shape as the monstrous parasite of tentacles and teeth hot on her trail.
“Well this wasn’t on my bucket list-” Sunny smiled as she pressed her wristwatch, initiating her helmet visor from her yellow uniform, even though she had a good distance, that jinxed parasite was unrelenting, using its tentacles to launch itself forward, even turning to use it’s teeth too.
Closer
And closer…
Until she breese past the engine room doorway, slamming the air lock button forcing the large steel door open, showing the supply ship shining like a beacon. Sunny threw herself towards the exit, seeing the ship and as the damned thing grappled her heel.
Tugging her closer to its opening toothed mouth, using more tentacles to grab her limbs, both her legs and an arm, the ill parasite pulling her closer. The steel engine doors start to slowly close and it hits her-
This is how it ends-
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Dante's eyes watered, his consciousness falling out of grasp, even though he wasn’t fully there, he knew he’d never see the sunshine of the ship again. Just like his grumpy lunch buddy too. Tears escaped his eyes and he gripped his pocket as he grimaced a smile swirling with pain, relief, regret, and sorrow with so much more.
One hand shifts to palm around, his fingers brushing Sunny’s Id card and Greg’s broken glasses. He couldn’t help but scoff now, at the comments Greg would say, criticizing his hair as he always did. And how Sunny Would make light of a situation with a joke, like a light at the end of a tunnel-
He hoped to hear them again. “Gods- they risked everything” Danta pushed what little energy he had to look To Juno, and sighed heavily, like a weight got lifted from his shoulders, gaining closure in a way- The gray banged, injured researcher hold the items tighter-
“thank you-”
Danta whispered, his voice fading as he fell fully unconscious.
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Juno eyes water seeing one of her only friends left struggle against those damned unholy tentacles, but she knows it’s no use. Even as they try to yell at her, it comes out as silence like it was making them farther away between the space that somehow seems to grow.
She leans on the window trying to get as close as possible and still fighting her body to stay up as she leans on the glass, shutting her eyes tight as he fumbles for a necklace with a single charm.
A third piece of a heart, the upper left piece just like the one Dante has. It seems like it’s meant to say Best Friends when all three unite. Her free hand goes into her pocket and grasps a small broken dog collar, broken by the door that now keep the bestest boy alone and stuck-
Hold both of them in one hand held to her heart, she can’t help them.
“I’m sorry-” her unstable cry to more than just to Bean, but to her crew, the ones who’ll never get to say goodbye.
Until she hears Sunny’s voice in her audio visor, being recorded by her wristband.
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She can feel the slimy skin of the parasite rap around her torso, It’s teeth trying to gnaw at Sunny, she taps her wristband, tears poking her vision. Initiating an audio message report, live for the “crew” of Redshift station to hear.
“Final janitorial report by Sharlet Sunny Perkins” Ruby’s robotic voice sounds her voice glitches and disappears like an old TV turning off for good, as Ruby starts to go down with the ship.
“I’m not making it out, but do something for me will ya?”She glanced at the driver Soup Soup, Who she’d communicated with, hoping for her wishes to soon become reality to her family.
“Well there is a woman in Virginia, her name is Bethany Perkins, make sure to say hi to her and that I love her and that she better raise Chuck to be a good duckling.”
While she says this, she uses her one free hand to fidget with the second piece of golden heart necklace floating around the gold chain on her neck, she look past The supply ship’s driver, scamming the inside as she continues…
“So I guess I gotta head out now-”
…Until her eyes fell on Dante, and then Juno leaning against the front window-
“It was such a nice time working with all y’all-”
Sunny’s eyes were streaming tears now- But not of fear or sadness. She made a difference. In a way she felt a bittersweet closure- while her body was panicking, stuck, and defeated, but mentally Sunny was relieved and acceptance washed over her. Her amber eyes met their jade ones as she transmitted her last words to Juno.
“Thank you..”
“I’ll say goodbye soon-”
“Though it's the end of my world- don’t blame yourself-”
Staring with care and sincerity, whole heartily okay with this ending .
“and if it’s true i’ll protect you, and give life to our world”
Juno nod yelled something stolen by space, nodding madly as she slammed her fists weakly against the glass, tears like an infinite waterfall as the metal doors had just a few more moments.
Sunny smiled- her big crooked rosy cheeked ginuwine smile. One they’d see at her book club or when she talked of Chuck and how proud she was of him or when she got excited to share something she learned-
Giving Juno something to see past her pain. A glimpse of Juno’s body reeling as she screamed of pain and guilt as the door shut completely with a loud clang. Sunny swore she heard it daily even through space.
She shut her eyes and hears the awful squish as the ill tentacles get into perfect position, to savor their reward, and with one last shift chomp.
CRUTCH
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The ship seems to scream, the loud oxygen alarm blaring, metal scraping metal as the ship collapses slowly. But the transparent wrinkled man tuned it out as he patted the friendly creature Juno deemed Bean.
When he first came to be, he lingered by his body after his death, reflecting sitting by his body, he felt he had a new reason to stay. At the very least to learn what would happen to his mates. He saw the horror on Sunny’s face as she called for Mr. Greg, and the denial and shock as that form of Dante revealed itself.
He couldn’t bring himself to move as he saw Juno and Dante eject themself into the cold star space and it hit him that Juno didn’t have their one-eyed buddy. He heard borks and whines from the friendly thing, he couldn’t stop himself. He knew Juno wouldn’t want him to be alone, especially now.
Bean couldn’t see Greg, he was sure of it, but It seemed recognize it wasn’t alone. It stopped barking and instead turned to be the bestest boi, waiting to see the familiar purple-suited caretaker. Greg just petted the creature, slowly giving it more contact, as it slowly turned from standing at the ready to laying down relaxed, breathing heavy and tired. Greg encircled the thing in a full body tackle hug as it shut its eyes. Greg shut his eyes and left hovering not far away, The ring of the comforting creature’s calm breathing heaved as the half the ship was swallowed, taking Bean with it, the goodest alien companion the wholesome nurse could’ve asked for.
The ghost turned his back, his eyes shut tight. He looked up as he saw Juno’s glassy jade eyes, finally falling unconscious, being cradled and carried to lay by the annoying researcher, Danete.
…
Just Dante…
Oh Sunny-
His eyes frankly combed the starry space around him as the realization hit him hard. His eyes finally crashed on the now transparent comedian silently sobbing, sitting on a piece of The engine room. her hand folded on her face, wiping her tears as they seemed to float away into space.
Until She felt a gentle hand on her shoulder, she looked up at an unexpected touch, her eye meeting Greg's gray understanding eyes. There is a moment where her body shakes and her eyes soften as she quickly goes for a hug.
He embraced the hug as sunny cried into his shoulder, even Greg sheds a few tears. Together mourning the loss of more than their lives but the connections with loved ones lost. No one knows how long they stayed there, holding each other. It could’ve been minutes, hours, or days but no words were said, they just cling to each other as the beginning of this new chapter of their life unfolds.
When The both of them were ready, they started after the ship, side by side,
Ready to protect the survivors of Redshift Station.
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