Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

In hindsight, Kevin should’ve realised that joining Fire Moth meant that he’d never see his best friend ever again. But what’s a man to do when he’s in love? (Granted, he and Mei went back to just being friends a few years ago. Their relationship did not progress from there.) Kevin still lost sleep regretting how he left Su behind without even telling him where he was going to go, what he was going to do.

Part of him wanted to go back and get in touch with Su again. He didn’t have to know anything about the Honkai or Fire Moth, Kevin just wanted to hear Su’s voice again.

But he knew that it was for the best that Su didn’t know. He chose to join Fire Moth despite the non-disclosure agreement and the way he had to cut off all contact with people he used to know, because it would protect the people around him.

And protecting people was something a hero was supposed to do, no matter the sacrifice he had to make.

Still, all that was a bit futile now. Seeing the friend he hadn’t seen in years right before him, lying on the ground, infection patterns from the Honkai sickness running along his arms, Kevin felt a bit dumb to ever think that he’d be able to keep Su away from the Honkai forever, especially since the Honkai sickness outbreak got worse.

(Kevin also felt lucky. He couldn’t imagine how he would live the rest of his life without Su.)

He knelt on the ground, instinctively reaching out for Su’s hand. Though he was unconscious, Su’s fingers twitched and he frowned a little. (Kevin also took note of Su’s eyebags — notably worse than when they were in high school.)

“I don’t think you should do that.” Professor Spiers reminded him. Kevin stood up and turned to face the man, who was still drinking from his wine canteen.

“...Will he be alright?”

“Oh, he’ll be fine.” Professor Spiers chuckled. “I’ll give him the cure for the Honkai sickness, and after that, it’ll only be a few days until he recovers. You’re more than welcome to visit him.”

~~~

Kevin stayed at the Fifth Science Department for the next few days. He didn’t have to return to Fire Moth headquarters so soon, and he wanted to stay with Su a bit longer anyway. 

Still, every second he spent in Su’s hospital ward, he felt even more and more guilty for some odd reason. He’d failed to protect one of the people he cared for the most in the world from the Honkai. He was supposed to be a hero, he was supposed to protect people, and he couldn’t even do just that, god damn it.

A certain pink elf lady was there too, and noticed that Kevin had been visiting the Honkai sickness wards whenever he had free time during those few days (which was almost every second of the day). It struck her as pretty odd, Kevin had never shown much interest in the Honkai sickness ever. Elysia was intrigued, and followed Kevin into the wards one day.

“Kevin! Keviiiin! You always walk so fast, slow down a bit!” Elysia panted, trying to catch up with Kevin.

“Why are you following me, Elysia?” Kevin stopped and glared at her.

“You’re as blunt as usual, Kevin.” She sighed. “Why are you always at the hospital wards these days? Anything interesting happen?”

“It’s none of your business.”

“Well, hope you don’t mind me tagging along, then!”

Kevin sighed, but didn’t force Elysia to go away. After a bit of walking, Kevin finally stopped outside a ward with a grey-haired man lying on the bed.

Who is he? Someone important to Kevin? Elysia couldn’t help but wonder. She looked up at Kevin, whose expression visibly softened upon seeing the man. They stood in silence for a while, until Kevin sighed and walked away.

Elysia was very curious now. Who was this man? Why did Kevin care so much about him? Was he infected with the Honkai sickness? Was this why Kevin came here to visit him every day?

She had an idea. If she could get a hold of the patient’s chart, she could search the Fire Moth database for who this man was. Elysia tried to open the door, and was surprised to find out that it was unlocked. Most wards were kept under lock and key, so that the patients wouldn’t infect others.

She silently crept into the hospital ward, suddenly aware of how she was basically intruding in  on someone’s privacy. “Sorry for being here.” She whispered, picking up the clipboard on the side table.

Miss Pink Spy flipped through the patient records until she saw a name. “Su.” She said out loud. It sounded pretty nice. Other than that and finding out that he’d received the cure for the Honkai sickness, Elysia couldn't find out anything else about Su. Seems that she had to do some more investigation. She whispered another apology and retreated outside of the hospital room.

Chapter Text

Elysia walked into one of the labs. “Hi, could I please use one of the computers for a bit?” She asked one of the scientists.

“Sure, of course.” The scientist smiled and gestured to a computer.

Elysia sat in front of it and cracked her knuckles. “Miss Pink Spy’s investigation is about to begin!”

~~~

It was the easiest investigation of Elysia’s life. One read-through of his file was enough.

“Hmm…23 years old, mentor: Professor Spiers…Best friends with Kevin and Dr Mei in high school?” Elysia recalled how Kevin once told her about a friend he had that he left behind when he joined Fire Moth, then giggled. “Ooh, Kevin, didn’t know that you got guys in school too!” She scrolled down further. “Oh, a doctor, too? Treated more than 50 Honkai sickness patients? How admirable.” 

After reading through Su’s file, Elysia yawned and closed the computer. “That’s enough snooping for today.” She walked out of the labs, only to find Kevin walking towards the hospital wards again, with his usual quick pace. All the researchers and scientists in the corridor were whispering to each other, wondering where the strongest MANTIS of Fire Moth was headed to in such a hurry. 

~~~

When Elysia reached Su’s room (not even by running after Kevin this time, she knew very well where he’d be by now), Kevin was sitting inside the ward, just very far away from Su.

Elysia couldn’t help but feel a bit sad. Kevin hasn’t seen him in years. I wonder how that must feel.

Kevin let out a quiet sigh, and stood up and moved closer to Su. “...Su, I know you probably can’t hear me, but…I’m so glad that you’re okay.”

And then, in a soft whisper, “I love you.”

Elysia almost screamed. She had to clamp a hand over her mouth to shut herself up. KEVIN HAS A CRUSH ON HIM??? (I KNEW HE WAS A FRUITCAKE!)

Wait, don’t get ahead of yourself, Elysia. Maybe he just means it platonically. Calm down.

Even so, Elysia made a mental note to keep an eye on Kevin and Su. She’d even set up a date for them if Kevin wanted.

~~~

“Hiya, Kevin!” Elysia sat next to Kevin in the cafeteria.

“What do you want, Elysia?” Kevin sighed.

“Su is really important to you, isn’t he?” She smiled.

“Yeah, he— wait a second.” Kevin narrowed his eyes. “Did you do something, Elysia?”

“Um, well! That’s to show my sincerity! Su is your best friend, isn’t he? It’s my duty to know the names and faces of all my friends’ friends!”

Kevin sighed. “Forget it.”

“You’re sighing so much these days. I don’t think Su would like that.”

Kevin said nothing.

“Come on, what’s troubling you? You can always talk to me, you know.”

“None of your business, Elysia.”

“Come on, Kevin. You don’t have to bury all your feelings deep down inside.”

“...”

Elysia sighed. “Okay, I won’t force you. Just…take care of yourself, Kevin.”

~~~

The entire base was panicking.

The leader of Fire Moth, Dr Mei, was arriving for an impromptu visit in a few hours and everyone was scrambling to get everything in order.

Elysia walked up to the helipad, where Dr Mei was supposed to arrive. Numerous soldiers were already there, standing at attention, including Kevin. He looked a bit more tired today.

(She later found out that Kevin stayed up all night visiting Su. She couldn’t wait to tell Eden about this when she got back to headquarters.)

~~~

Not too long after, Dr Mei finally arrived at the base.

“Dr Mei. Here for a routine inspection?” Professor Spiers asked.

“Yes. And also…to see a friend.” Mei said and pushed up her glasses. Professor Spiers seemed to understand, and nodded to her. “You’re all dismissed.” The soldiers at the rooftop saluted her, and then left, until only Kevin, Mei and Elysia were left.

“Mei.” Kevin greeted her as she walked over.

“Hi, Mei!” Elysia said too.

“Kevin, Elysia.” Mei nodded. “How is Su?”

“He’s fine. He’s gotten the cure for the Honkai sickness, and he’s recovering well.” 

“Good, that’s good.” Mei breathed a sigh of relief. 

“You alright, Kevin?” Elysia asked.

“I’m fine.” Kevin looked away. “I’ll head off on a mission soon. See you.”

Mei raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. After Kevin left, she turned to Elysia. “Is he okay?”

Elysia thought for a bit before answering. “I mean…he’s concerned about Su. He visits Su all the time. Like, all the time! He stayed up the whole night in Su’s room.”

Mei sighed. “That boy. You know, even after he joined Fire Moth, he never stopped worrying about Su.” She adjusted her glasses. “I mean, Su has gotten the cure, so he should be alright…I don’t really get why Kevin’s so upset.”

“Well, he hasn’t seen Su in 5 years, right? And he tried to keep Su from ever finding out about the Honkai. Plus, it’s extra heartwrenching seeing your best friend in pain…”

“Yes, I suppose you’re right.” Mei sighed. “I missed Su too.”

Elysia nodded comfortingly. “Well, if you or Kevin ever need anything, I’ll be there for you guys, okay?”

“Thank you, Elysia. I know he’ll appreciate it.”

~~~

No one from Fire Moth would ever expect their wise, rational, independent leader, Dr Mei, to sit in a hospital ward for a few hours visiting a random, seemingly unimportant patient. Despite the seemingly unending mountain of things she had to do, she still dropped everything to visit Su.

Elysia counted herself lucky to see this side of Dr Mei. Underneath her “cold, rational genius” exterior, Mei really cherished her friendships, even from a long time ago. (Elysia honestly found it endearing.)

Even as Mei sat in silence next to Su, examining his patient records and occasionally telling Elysia about how Kevin and Su were in high school, Elysia could see a subtle difference between her usual expression and the slight fondness in her eyes whenever she recounted something funny that Kevin would do and the way Su would react.

Chapter Text

That night, after Mei left the base, Elysia called Eden.

“Eden! Eden! I have so much gossip to share!” Elysia burst out excitedly.

“Mm, tell me all about it, Ellie.” Eden said.

“Okay, so, there’s this guy that got the cure for the Honkai sickness at the facility I’m at right now, right? Because he’s being mentored by Professor Spiers and he’s gonna become a researcher. So, his name is Su. He used to be Kevin’s best friend!” She rambled excitedly. “And, like, Kevin visits him everyday! Oh, and he told Su that he loves him too! It’s so sweet, isn’t it? Right, Eden?”

“That’s very nice. Kevin’s reunited with an old friend. I’m happy for him.”

“Oh, and did you know? Su used to be best friends with Mei too! She came by to visit him. And she told me about what it was like when they were in high school! Did you know Kevin used to play basketball?” Elysia started listing out things Mei told her, all while Eden listened patiently.

“I’m glad that you’re enjoying your time there, Ellie.” Eden chuckled.

“I’m enjoying it a lot!” Elysia giggled. “But seriously, though. Kevin is…pretty upset right now. He’s being extra cold and distant. He doesn’t wanna talk to me at all. Seriously, I ran into him earlier, and he wouldn’t even say hi to me.” She sat down at her desk and rested her chin on her hand. “Why do you think that’s so, Eden?”

“...Perhaps that’s because he feels like he’s failed Su. Kevin’s always been a hero. A hero that protects people, especially those he loves the most. Having an old friend be involved with something you’ve tried to protect them from…I think Kevin feels bad for not being able to protect Su, if you know what I mean.” Eden explained. “But, then again, I don’t really know Su, or Kevin, that much, so it’s just a guess. It might be hard for Kevin to talk about now. I remember you told me that he barely talks to you or anyone about his problems anymore.”

“Hm…that makes sense.” Elysia said. “Thank you, Eden. You’ve given me a lot to think about.”

“No problem, Ellie. I love talking to you.”

“Aww, Eden~ You’re the sweetest!” Elysia giggled.

“How do you feel now? When you get back, I’ll treat you to some ice cream, okay?”

“Thank you Eden! You really know how to make me feel better.”

Chapter Text

“Hi, Mobius~ How’s everything going?” Elysia skipped into Mobius’ lab, a few days after she returned to headquarters. “Any new surgeries to perform?”

“Su is getting a MANTIS surgery in 3 days, there’s preparations that need to be done. More importantly, I have work to do. You’re disturbing me. Get out, Elysia.”

Su? MANTIS surgery? “Why’s there a surgery happening so soon? Don’t they have to inform you a few weeks in advance?”

“Because of it . You know? The thing ?” Mobius looked up from the holographic screens and glared at Elysia, gesturing with her hand.

“...Oh, the thing .” Elysia fell silent.

“Spiers wanted me to do the surgery as soon as possible. But Su’s a pretty good researcher, to be honest.” Mobius continued. “A bit dumb though. He saw the success rate and still chose to take it. But whatever. I don’t care. Kevin probably does though. He probably has something to say about it. Go bother him instead.” Mobius stood up and tried to push Elysia out of the room.

“Alright, alright, I’ll get out now. Take care, Mobius~”

~~~

The walls of Fire Moth headquarters were pretty thick. Still, Elysia could hear the argument coming from inside the lab. Researchers and soldiers walking around the corridor could not only hear the strongest soldier of Fire Moth arguing with his best friend, while a pink-haired elf lady pressed her ear against the door, listening intently. It was…an interesting sight, to say the least.

Not long after, the door opened and Kevin walked out, as stone-faced as usual, only slightly angrier. Elysia tried to pretend that she hadn’t been eavesdropping. “Hi, Kevin! How’s your day been going—” He shot her an icy glare, making her shut up.

After Kevin was out of sight, Elysia peeked into the lab. A grey-haired man was staring at the holographic screens, numbers and words she was too lazy to read all over it. She wasn’t sure what Su looked like from the back, but she was fairly sure it was him. She walked inside and took a seat. “Hi~ You’re Su, aren’t you?”

The man turned his head to stare at her. “Yeah. Who are you?”

“My name is Elysia, the symbol of paradise! I’m one of Kevin’s friends. Nice to meet you, Su!” She held her hand out for a handshake. Su looked a bit confused, but shook her hand anyway.

“Do you need anything, Elysia?” Su asked her, once he’d loosened up a bit. “Sorry. I’m a bit on edge right now.”

“Oh, I just heard that you volunteered to take the MANTIS surgery.”

“Yeah, and you probably heard what Kevin had to say about that.” He sighed, rubbing his temples. “I don’t get it. He’s mad at me because I’m taking a risk…but didn’t he take that exact same risk when he became a MANTIS? The success rate was 0%, wasn’t it? And I just don’t get why he insists on shouldering everything himself. I don’t care that he’s supposed to be a hero, I don’t care that he’s supposed to make sacrifices, I just…I just want him to be happy, you know?”

“Hm…I understand.” Elysia smiled comfortingly. “And Kevin really cares about you, you know? While you were unconscious that time, he visited you every day.”

Su seemed stunned. “He…did? I thought…after 5 years, he must’ve forgotten about me.”

Elysia laughed. “Oh, he did not forget you at all, I can assure you of that.”

Su’s face turned slightly red. “Well, that’s…really nice. I’m sorry for dumping this all on you when it’s the first time we’ve met.”

“No, it’s perfectly alright. Can I ask you another question, Su?” Elysia smiled. 

“Yeah. Go ahead.” 

“Are you scared? You know, you might not make it out of the surgery alive.”

Su looked down. “I know that.” He put his head in his hands. “But I still want to try anyway. It’s worth the risk, right? Especially because of…that thing . I want to be useful. I don’t want to become a failure.”

Elysia nodded. “I understand. Well, I hope you know that I’ll always be here for you, not matter what. Even if we’ve just met.”

Su nodded. “Thank you.” 

Elysia got up to leave, but just before she left, she said, “Kevin really loves you, so don’t die, because you’ll break his heart, okay?”

Su stood up, face completely red now. “Wait, what does that mean?!”

“Oh, I’m just concerned about Kevin. Don’t pay any attention to that. Take care, Su~”

~~~

“How did it go, Ellie?” Eden took a sip from her wine glass. 

“Oh, Su is nothing if not a homosexual disaster.” Elysia giggled. “Of course, so am I, hence I won’t judge him for that. But he’s a really polite guy, Eden. Ooh, I’ll feel so bad if he dies. Do you think I can ask Mobius to be more careful during the surgery?” Elysia moved closer to Eden, looking into her eyes. 

“I trust that the universe won’t be so cruel, Ellie. And this is also because you’re concerned about Kevin, isn’t it?” Eden wrapped an arm around Elysia, who nodded. “Everything will work out fine. Worrying isn’t good for your health. Would you like to have a drink? I’ll find some nice wine and we can taste it together, okay?”

“Oh, but how can we relax when that thing is trying to kill us all?” Elysia sighed. 

“I suppose you’re right.” Eden put her goblet down. “Let’s go get some fresh air, then. We haven’t watched the moon in a while, have we? We can talk more on the way.”

Elysia pulled Eden to her feet. “Of course! Let’s go right now.”

Chapter Text

“Mobius.”

“Hi, Kevin. What do you want?” Mobius grinned menacingly. “Here to plead for your boyfriend?”

Kevin drew in a sharp breath. “Su isn’t my boyfriend.”

“Aw, what a shame. From the way you look at him, you might as well be married already.”

“…Forget it. What’s the success rate for the surgery?”

“Kevin, you asked me this yesterday.” Mobius said, irritated. “Percentages don’t just change overnight. 13.2% won’t suddenly become 90%, especially not for MANTIS surgeries with ICHORs from entirely new Honkai beasts.”

Kevin didn’t say anything. 

“If you must know, the success rate is still 13.2%. It won’t change anytime soon, much less exponentially, especially since Su’s surgery is in 2 hours.”

“Very well. Thank you, Mobius.”

~~~

“Hiya, Kevin!” Elysia greeted the man standing outside Mobius’ surgery room. “Waiting for Su, I presume?”

“What I’m doing here is none of your business.” Kevin looked away. Elysia noted that he did that a lot when he didn’t want to answer a question. 

“You say that a lot these days! Sometimes, it makes me think you’re engaging in some shady business.” Elysia smiled and stood next to him. “And even Pardo, the queen of shady business, doesn’t hide things from me like you do.”

Kevin said nothing and just folded his arms. 

Elysia sighed. “You’re always like this, Kevin. Come on, I can see right through you. What else would you be doing here if not waiting for someone? It’s pretty obvious.”

Silence.

“…You’re scared, aren’t you?”

“…”

“You’re afraid Su’s going to die in that surgery, right? Is that why you keep going back to ask Mobius and Mei about the success rate of the MANTIS surgery?”

“…How do you know that?”

“Mobius told me yesterday, after I convinced her to get lunch with me.” She crossed her arms too. “Didn’t you say you trust Mei more than the numbers?”

“But this time, it isn’t Mei doing the surgery, it’s Mobius. And you know perfectly well what I think of her.”

“Well, would you be okay with Mei giving Su the surgery instead?”

“…She’s probably busy. I won’t trouble her.”

“Fair point.”

They stood in silence for a while more. Elysia stole a glance at Kevin’s face — troubled and visibly frowning. Well, that was expected. 

Elysia broke the silence again. “So…did Mei say anything?”

“She told me to keep her updated.”

“That’s nice.”

Silence. 

“Do you wanna have a seat? Standing outside here is very tiring. They should have seats or something, you know?”

“…Elysia, I know you’re here to keep me company, but I really don’t need it.”

“…Ah. I see.”

“I will be fine. You probably have more important stuff to do anyway.”

Elysia sighed. “Aiya, you really shouldn’t push people away from you, Kevin. But if that’s what you want, then I’ll go now. See you soon!”

Chapter Text

6 hours later, the surgery was still not done. Granted, it was a very long surgery, but no one expected it to drag out this long. 

Eden was walking outside of Mobius’ operating room, only to see Kevin sitting on the ground, barely able to keep his eyes open. 

“Kevin, it’s 12am, what on earth are you still doing here?” She asked. 

Upon hearing Eden’s voice, he stood up immediately. “Just waiting for someone.”

“And that someone is…? Not Mobius, right?”

Kevin shook his head. “Not Mobius. Um…my friend.”

Eden nodded. “Su, right?”

“Yeah. I suppose Elysia told you that.”

“They should be done soon. I can wait here with you, if you want.”

“Doesn’t matter.” Kevin looked away. 

Soon enough, Mobius emerged from the operating room, sighing. “It’s done. Your dear best friend is alive.”

“Really?” Kevin’s eyes lit up. (It was the first time Eden ever saw any sort of excitement from this man.)

“Mm. Great success, considering the circumstances and how pressed for time we were. Anyway, you can go in now if you want.” Mobius undid her ponytail and removed her glasses as Kevin rushed inside.

“Hello, Mobius.” Eden smiled. 

“Hey, Eden.” Mobius greeted her. 

“How was the surgery?”

“Tiring, as always. Mei told me to be extra careful, so it took longer. But what use is being careful if the boy just wasn’t capable of handling it?” She cleaned her glasses with her lab coat. “Anyway, all that matters is that it was a success and that he’s alive. Now Mr. Ice Block can finally be reunited with his bestest friend and not bother me every 12 hours with ‘what’s the success rate of the surgery’. A shame Su clings on to his morals for dear life. He would’ve made an excellent researcher if he turned off his sense of humanity.”

“That’s precisely what made him such a good doctor, though. Or so I heard.”

“Yeah, how tragic.” Mobius hummed. “Goodbye. I have more work to do.”

~~~

“Su. How was it?” Kevin rushed into the room. 

“I think it went fine.” Su hummed. 

“No abnormal side effects?”

“Not that I know of. Why?” Su turned his head in Kevin’s direction. It was then Kevin realised. Ah. Su’s eyes are closed. 

“Can you see me, Su?” Kevin waved a hand in front of Su’s face. 

“Uh, yeah, pretty much.” He looked puzzled. “Why do you ask?”

Because your eyes are so obviously closed, Kevin thought. “You know that your eyes are completely closed right now, right?”

“They are?” Su tried opening his eyes. It seemed that Kevin was right. But it was uncomfortable and Su shut his eyes again. “It’s more comfortable this way.” 

(A shame, really, Kevin thought that Su’s eyes were beautiful. He could stare into them all day.)

“Good.” Kevin sat next to Su. What do we talk about, then? How’s everything been since high school? Sorry about yelling at you yesterday when we barely even talked before that?

“Oh, it’s alright.” Su responded absentmindedly. 

“What?”

“Hm? Didn't you say something?”

“…No?” Kevin raised an eyebrow. Are you okay?

“I am perfectly fine, Kevin.” Su replied again.

Kevin thought for a bit, then came to a conclusion, “Su, can you hear my thoughts?”

“Yeah, I figured that much.” Su turned away. “Sorry. This feels like such an invasion of privacy. How do I shut it off?” He put his face in his hands. “Maybe if I just cover my ears.” He tried that. “Nope, doesn’t work.”

“We’ll fix that another day. Let’s get out of here first. You must be tired.” Kevin stood up. 

“No, actually, considering I was on anaesthetic for a good 9 hours.” Su followed Kevin out of the door. “But I could go for a snack. You should too.”

“I’m not hungry.”

“You waited for me for 9 hours. You should take a nap or get some food. Either way, I’m starving and I want food, so you’re coming with me. We can catch up on everything we missed in the past 5 years along the way.” Su grabbed Kevin by the wrist and dragged him out of the operating room. 

“Su, wait, you can’t—” Kevin panicked. Please get your hand off me, I can’t hurt you too. 

“Kevin…?” Su turned around and looked into his eyes. 

“Su, please let go of me. I’ll hurt you too, this is for your own good.”

Su laughed. “You’re paranoid, Kevin. See? I’m okay.” He held up his hand. Perfectly fine, no sign of frostbite. “Though, if you’re really worried, then I guess I can stay away from you for now. We’re still gonna get some food, though.”

~~~

Eden took another sip from her wine glass. She knew she shouldn’t be drinking every spare moment she had, but she could indulge herself for just a few moments, right?

Moments later, Kevin stepped out of the room, closely followed by a man she presumed to be Su. 

“Kevin.” She nodded to him. 

“Eden.” He greeted her back. 

“Wait a second.” Su’s eyes flew open in shock. “Eden? As in, like, Eden the world famous superstar?!”

“You’re Su, aren’t you? Nice to meet you.” Eden gave a warm smile. 

“Kevin, you were friends with Eden and you didn’t tell me?” 

Kevin shrugged “I wouldn’t say we’re friends, but more of…”

“Casual acquaintances with some shared trauma.” Eden said. 

“That still counts! Hi, Miss Eden.”

“Please, just call me Eden. There’s no need for formalities.”

“Right. Uh, my name is Su, and I’m a huge fan, you’re iconic and me and Kevin went to one of your concerts once when we were in high school, remember Kevin? And I just can’t believe that you’re, like, here? And—” Su rambled on and on until Kevin put a hand on his shoulder. 

“That’s enough fanboying for now. Didn’t you say you wanted to get some food?” 

“Right! Yes, of course. Once again, I am, like such a huge fan, Miss Eden. We’ll get going now, so…”

“Take care, Su.” Eden smiled and waved. 

~~~

“Oh my god, everything’s moving so fast.” Su said, stopping in his tracks. “I haven’t had time to catch a break or actually have a proper conversation with you.”

“Well, things move fast when you’re faced with the threat of extinction.” Kevin remarked. 

“Yeah, I get that.” Su turned to look at Kevin. “So, hi Kevin. Long time no see. How have you been recently?”

“…I’m fine.”

Su raised an eyebrow. It was something he used to do very often in high school when he was unimpressed with Kevin. “Are you sure?”

“…Yes.”

“Really?” Su looked even more concerned now.

“As long as you’re okay.” Kevin nodded. 

Su’s face lit up. “Aw, thanks, Kevin. It means a lot to me. Now, I want to hear everything about Fire Moth.”

“A lot of things happened in 5 years. Do you really want to know everything?”

“Yep! Every single thing. Take your time.” Su listened intently as Kevin recounted everything that happened after he joined Fire Moth, from Mei’s quick promotion to his MANTIS surgery, to that time he found Su again for the first time in 5 years. 

“You looked so shocked. And then you passed out 5 seconds after.” 

“I’m sorry about that. It must’ve been very worrying.” Su laughed sheepishly. “But, wow, Kevin…that’s a lot. Really. You…don’t have to shoulder everything yourself. And you can always talk to me. Or Elysia. She seems…nice.”

“You know Elysia? Already?”

“She was outside the lab that day, remember?” Su smiled. “When you came in and started scolding me.”

Elysia, you… Kevin sighed heavily. “Yes, I remember.”

“She’s well-intentioned. She told me something really weird, though.”

“Like…what?”

“She told me…actually, it’s a bit cheesy to say out loud. Never mind.” Su shrugged it off. 

Kevin looked puzzled, but continued walking with Su. “What do you wanna do after this?”

“Have a nice, long nap. Staying up late is not good for your health.”

“Oh, right. You became a doctor, didn’t you? How was medical school?”

“Awful. My sleep schedule is fucked.” Su sighed. “Ever since I started staying up late to study the Honkai sickness, I’ve just been so tired all day. I just want to have a nap without worrying about work or someone dying or both.”

“I understand.” Kevin nodded, recalling the way he’d stayed up all night thinking about the comrades he’d lost when the 6th Herrscher struck, the way the world was going to end inevitably, and how much he missed Su.

“Aww, you missed me?” Su laughed, blushing slightly. “You know, you might seem like a huge ice block now, but you’ve really never changed.”

“You think so?” Kevin let a small smile creep onto his face. 

“Mm. I like that about you.”

Chapter Text

Su declined the invitation to join Fire Moth’s obligatory “We Defeated The 8th Herrscher” celebration. Sure, he played a key part in the counterattack, but Su did not feel like partying, not when the thoughts of everyone around him were constantly drilling holes into his skull. 

He went to see Mei about it, to see if there was anything she could do, but she didn’t have any solutions to offer. 

“Sorry, psychic MANTISes are still few and far between, and we haven’t done much research into them. But Aponia might be able to help you.”

That was how Su found himself standing in what was essentially a prison cell, with the psychic known as Aponia, while almost everyone from Fire Moth was partying somewhere. He quickly realised that he could not read Aponia’s thoughts, which provided him the most silence he’d gotten in weeks — yet the silence was not comforting, but more ominous. 

“Dr Mei told me you needed my help with something, yes?” Aponia greeted him. 

“Um, yeah. How do I…stop hearing peoples’ thoughts?” Su asked. 

“Well, I find that meditation helps whenever my powers overwhelm me.” Aponia stated calmly. 

Su almost scoffed at the word “meditation”. Aponia noticed this, and sighed. 

“Many psychic MANTISes had this reaction when I told them that meditation works. Please trust me and give it a try.”

As if compelled by a mysterious force, Su sat down in a cross-legged position. He couldn’t help but feel suspicious of her. 

“Don’t be scared, Su. I am only here to help. Now, please close your eyes.”

“…Aponia, my eyes are already closed.”

“Right. Well, please calm yourself. Take slow, deep breaths, and focus on what your mind is telling you.”

My mind is telling me that this is stupid. It’s also telling me that I’m childish for thinking that this is stupid. 

“Now, shift your attention to yourself. Be mindful of how you feel, how your chest rises and falls, where you are.”

This is really dumb. Su let out an impatient huff. 

“ Please focus, Su.”

Again, Su obeyed. So this is the extent of Aponia’s power. 

“Feel your connection to this world. Be present. Do not worry about worldly things like finances or possessions.”

Su actually tried this time. Sure enough, he felt a sense of tranquillity wash over him. Maybe meditation wasn’t so dumb after all. 

“You can open your eyes now. Or what the equivalent of that is for you.” Aponia concluded. “How do you feel now?”

“Fine. Is that all?” 

“I’d recommend doing this regularly so that it gets easier. But other than that, you’re free to go.” The brown-haired lady nodded. 

Su got up and left the prison cell. Aponia was not that scary after all, but her methods were still…questionable. He made a mental note to be cautious around her. 

~~~

Su started doing meditation every night when he had free time, and he was surprised by how effective it was. Sitting by yourself in your room at night was bound to get boring, though, so Su was pleasantly surprised when Eden showed up for a surprise visit. 

“Elysia has entrusted a very important task to me.” Eden announced as soon as Su let her in. 

“And what might that be?”

Eden took out some measuring tape and a notepad. “I’m going to make you a new uniform. To do that, I hope you don’t mind standing still for a few minutes so I can take your measurements.”

“No problem.” Su said. “Do you design clothes often?”

“Mm, only as a hobby.” Eden replied, scribbling down something on her notepad. “I used to design costumes for the plays I starred in.”

“I see. Did you design uniforms for anyone else?”

“Elysia, Aponia, and Kevin.”

“Kevin? Really? I can’t say I’m surprised.”

“It looks good on him, doesn’t it?”

“It looks fantastic on him.” Su smiled fondly.

“That’s high praise. Thank you.” Eden nodded. “You two are pretty close, aren’t you?”

“Yeah, we were best friends. But we were separated when the 3rd eruption happened.”

“Really? And then it was…about 5 years later, when you saw him again?”

“Yeah, around 5 years. I had a photo of him on my desk for those 5 years.”

“A photo.” Eden said, realising how interesting that sounded.

“Mhm. It sounds a bit weird, but I said goodbye to the picture before work every day. It helped me stay a bit more sane, I guess.” Su chuckled.

“Well, that’s…” Eden didn’t know how to tell Su. That’s very gay, Su. Are you sure you don’t like Kevin? “Well, did you have a partner in high school? I know Kevin used to date Mei.”

“Did they break up?”

“I think so. They’re still good friends, though.”

“That’s a shame. But I always thought they’d be better as friends, anyway. And I didn’t have a girlfriend in high school. I like guys.”

“Oh, I could tell.” Eden nodded. (Su almost choked. Was it THAT obvious?) “There’s nothing wrong with that, by the way. I’m a lesbian.”

“Ah. That…makes a lot of sense now.”

“Anyway, I’m done.” Eden checked her notepad once again, and then kept it. “I’ll be finished with your uniform in about…2 weeks? Maybe a month, if something unexpected happens. But I hope nothing bad will happen.”

“I’ll get the door for you. I’m going out with Kevin anyway.” Su walked towards the door.

Eden shot him a Look.

“...I don’t like him like that, by the way.”

“Sure…” Eden nodded.

~~~

Su never thought he’d use the word “mundane” to describe his life in Fire Moth, but after the 8th Herrscher, things seemed a bit more relaxed than usual. Aside from research and having dinner with Kevin and Elysia sometimes, there weren't a lot of things that he had to do. It was a rare moment of calm before the storm, he guessed. 

The highlight of his week was finding a girl in his lab, rummaging through the cupboards mumbling things like “no way I lost it…where could it have gone?” What was even stranger was that this girl had cat ears and a tail — a side effect of a MANTIS surgery, he presumed. 

“What are you looking for?” He finally asked, after the girl went through all the cupboards under his desk for the third time. 

“Waaaah!” The girl jumped. “H— Hi! Um, nothing to see here!” She smiled sheepishly, making no attempt to cover the mess she’d made. (She probably thought he couldn’t see.)

“You’re turning my lab upside down. Did you lose something?” Su asked her as calmly as she could. 

“You can see?” The girl asked curiously. “Oh, yeah, you’re Su! Eden told me about you! Hiya, I’m Pardofelis! You can either call me Pardo or Felis, both are okay!” Pardofelis stuck her hand out for Su to shake it. 

“Nice to meet you. Can I help you with anything?” Su returned the handshake. 

“Well, you see…” Pardofelis laughed awkwardly as her tail curled. “Um, I lost something really important to me. A dented silver coin. It sounds really stupid, but I need to get it back.”

“I don’t think it’s in here though.” Su said. “Or did you come here without permission and then lose it?”

“Um…” She looked away and fiddled with her fingers. “Uh…I went into Sis Snake’s lab too, but she yelled at me the last time, and I don’t wanna go back there again…”

Su sighed. “Anyway, please help me clean up this mess. Once we’re done, we can look for your coin together, okay?”

“Hehe, okay!” Pardofelis nodded vigorously. 

~~~

“Found it.” Su picked up a silver coin in the corner of the lab. It really was dented, as if it had stopped a bullet. Pardofelis ran over and snatched the coin from his hands. A look of glee washed over her face as she confirmed that it was, indeed, hers. 

“Thanks, Su!” Pardofelis giggled, flipping her coin.

“No problem, Pardo. But could you please not hide your things in other peoples’ labs anymore?” Su said. 

Pardo laughed, embarrassed. “Okay, okay. Thanks again!” With that, she dashed out of the lab.

~~~

“Are you done yet, Su?” Elysia called.

“In a moment.” Su called from inside his room. 

“Elysia, there’s no rush.” Eden placed a hand on her shoulder. 

“Ooh, I know, I know, but I just can’t wait to see your work! Your designs are always amazing, I love them so much!” Elysia hugged Eden’s arm. Kevin shot an unimpressed glance at them. 

“Get a room, how about.” He mumbled. 

“What was that, Kevin?” Elysia smiled sweetly. 

“None of your business.” He turned away and folded his arms. 

“I’m done.” Su opened the door. “I don’t know if this is how you put it on, but—”

“Wow, it looks amazing!” Elysia exclaimed. “Eden, this might be one of your best works yet!”

“It looks good on you, Su.” Eden nodded approvingly. “Do you have anything to say about it, Kevin?”

“…You’re beautiful, Su.” Kevin’s face was slightly red. 

“Oooooooooh…” Elysia tossed a glance at Eden.

“You…think so?” Su laughed, face red too. “Thanks. You look great too.”

“They should get a room.” Elysia remarked in a low voice, making Eden laugh. 

“Um, anyway.” Su broke eye contact between him and Kevin after a few minutes. “Should we…get some dinner? Elysia and Eden can come too.”

“Sure.” Kevin replied, still red-faced. “Let’s go.” He took Su by the hand and they walked off to the cafeteria. 

“Wait, what about us? Guys!” Elysia called after them. “Aiya, Kevin’s hurting my feelings again! Ditching his dear sister for his very best friend…” She sighed dramatically. “It all happened too soon!”

“Let him have a moment, Ellie.” Eden said warmly. “It’s not very often to see the strongest soldier of Fire Moth have a bisexual panic moment.”

“I’ll never let him live it down.” Elysia giggled childishly. “Well, let’s go, Eden~ The cafeteria has some amazing spaghetti you simply must try!”

~~~

Su got acquainted with some other MANTISes, like the temperamental soldier Kalpas, the assassin Sakura, but most importantly, the girl named Hua. 

He could tell from the way her name was pronounced that they were from the same hometown. She seemed to notice that too, and they started an animated conversation about what it was like when they were children. 

“Yes, I remember how my dad used to make dumplings for me and his disciples every Spring Festival.” Hua sighed. “That was before he had to sell his dojo, anyway.”

“He had to sell his dojo? Well, that’s…tragic. I’m sorry, Hua.”

“It’s okay. Honkai wiped everything out anyway.” She mumbled. “It always destroys everything.”

“Mm. The city I worked in had a terrible outbreak of the Honkai sickness. I…treated a lot of patients, and none of them survived.” Su said. Even till now, he could still remember every one of their names. 

“I hate it so much. I hate the Honkai. It ruined my life. It ruined everyone’s lives. It tore people apart. Whenever I think of the people that died in all the Honkai eruptions, I want to tear a Honkai beast apart.” Hua’s voice was full of emotion and subtle rage. 

“I’m sorry such things happened to you at such a young age.”

Hua shrugged. “You’re 23, aren’t you? That’s still pretty young. None of us deserve any of this.”

“I suppose.”

Both of them fell silent. Still, to Hua, it felt comforting to know that not everyone from her hometown was gone. That someone from there was still alive and well, and shared experiences similar to her own.