Dina... didn't know what to say.
She tried to open her mouth to question him, but Ashka had already anticipated her words and cut her off.
"Not a finger," he said.
Dina shot the boy a skeptical look, then turned back to Ashka. His answer made no sense—so she assumed it was just an excuse.
"You're getting real annoying, staring at me like that," he grumbled, visibly irritated.
Dina didn't know how to react anymore.
"Before anything else—who the hell is this kid?" she demanded.
"I'll explain, but can you do it while keeping him from dying?" Ashka dragged a chair over and sat down.
Finally remembering Orion's critical condition, Dina placed a hand on the boy's chest. She closed her eyes, focusing on his weakened body. From her fingertips, faint red sparks of energy flickered to life, and entered orion's body, traveling through his body. His nerves and blood vessels glowed faintly beneath his skin.
Slowly, Orion's breathing steadied, and his expression relaxed.
Dina turned to Ashka, waiting for an explanation.
"Uh, well... This is Orion. He's an orphan from the Backstreets," he said casually.
"...?"
"And that's it!" Ashka announced, crossing his arms—just before dodging a knife hurled straight at his head.
"'And that's it' MY ASS, YOU IDIOT! EXPLAIN PROPERLY!" Dina roared, red electricity crackling in her eyes after throwing the blade from her dresser.
"I'm serious! This is Orion. He's an orphan from Central's Backstreets!" Ashka repeated, but seeing Dina ready to throw another knife, he quickly added, "He does odd jobs for me in the Colony when we're around. Kid's stubborn, brave—or maybe just plain stupid. And that's really it!" He threw his hands up in surrender.
"So you've known him since the first sweep in Central?"
"Hm, around then," Ashka mused. Now that he thought about it, he'd known Orion for over two years. That was a long time—he really should've introduced him sooner.
Dina glanced at Orion. The boy's connection to their captain was clear now, but why was he in this state?
"Why'd you make him fight a Sparkling?"
"Aspirant," Ashka corrected with a sigh. "I was testing him. And he passed." His tone shifted—no longer the carefree middle-aged slacker, he now sounded every bit the leader of their crew.
Dina didn't like the way he said that last part. "Testing him... for what?"
"...Dina." Ashka leaned forward in his chair, locking eyes with her. "I'm taking him to the Sanctuary with us."
Dina's power flickered. The energy flowing from her hands into Orion wavered for a moment, betraying her shock. "Taking him on the expedition?! Ashka, he's just a kid!" She was seriously questioning her captain's sanity now.
"I know. That's why I tested him. If he were a Sparkling, I'd have already accepted him into the Expedition Team by now." He looked at Orion—his condition had improved drastically. New flesh was forming over his arms, and his leg was straightening. "But he's not. And yet... he still took down a Sparkling... Aspirant." Ashka almost forgot to add that last part.
"Even so! He's too young and inexperienced. Bringing him would be like sending him to his death!" she argued. "Why take him?!"
Ashka kept his gaze on Orion for a long moment before turning back to Dina. This time, his voice carried absolute authority. "Because a deal is a deal." Those words left no room for argument. Dina scowled, not understanding his last words, but she kept healing Orion.
Of course, keeping his promise to Orion wasn't the only reason. The kid's victory against the Aspirant had given Ashka something he hadn't felt in years—genuine surprise. Things hadn't gone as he'd expected. What else was the boy hiding?
******
Morning came, and Orion woke up.
He slowly opened his eyes, his memory hazy about the previous day. Out of habit, he shook himself off and ran a hand through his hair, swatting away any bugs or roaches that might've crawled on him—but there were none. Lucky. Where the hell did I crash this time?
Orion rubbed his eyes, clearing his vision as he looked around the room. He saw a picture—the kind he'd only ever seen on corporate posters plastered across Central. A bed with white linens. A wooden dresser. Concrete walls with decorative wallpaper. A window letting in sunlight, casting the whole space in a warm glow.
"Huh. Nice," he muttered groggily. "Did I pass out on a rooftop this time?" He wondered what he ate last night to black out like this?
He turned his head to see wher ehe was—there was another wall.
He looked the other way.
It didn't seem like he was on a rooftop. He scrambled to the window.
"HOLY. SHIT." Orion gaped at the view of Central's Front. It wasn't exactly pretty, but to a kid who'd spent his life crawling through trash and filth, it might as well have been a masterpiece. He'd been to the Front before—sneaking, hiding, scrambling through back alleys to avoid getting caught. But seeing it like this, from above, without fear? That was something else.
But he couldn't dwell on that. More pressing matters first—how the hell did I get here?!
Only one explanation made sense. Orion dropped to his knees, clutching his head in despair.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO I BROKE INTO A FRONT APARTMENT! I'M SO FUUUUUUUUUCKED!" Obviously. That had to be it. Nothing else made sense.
His logic was, admittedly, nonexistent. He'd latched onto the first thought that came to mind and refused to consider alternatives.
For the next ten minutes, Orion mumbled to himself, cursing his luck. This was gonna be a huge headache—he could already feel it. But wait, maybe it wasn't over yet. If he could just sneak out before anyone noticed—
He turned toward the door—and froze.
He wasn't alone.
Sitting nearby was a woman with long, curly dark hair and dark skin, with striking features. She was preparing bandages, smearing a green ointment on them before placin them on thighs—soft, full thighs hugged tight by her jeans.
She noticed his stare and turned her head curiously.
"What're you looking at, brat?" she asked, surprised.
"Your thighs," Orion answered bluntly. Not out of shock or confusion—just sheer audacity and lack of shame
The woman made a face. She did not appreciate that. Orion either didn't notice or didn't care, but his eyes widened in sudden realization.
'Not the time to be staring!'
He scrambled back until he hit the opposite wall.
'I didn't even hear her come in—what is she?!' In reality, she'd entered fifteen minutes ago while he was rolling on the floor. But after noticing the kid on the ground cursing under his breath She'd just decided to let him be while she prepped the bandages.
"Look! I'm so sorry for breaking in! I swear it was an accident! Probably! I don't even remember how I got here!" he blurted, voice dripping with regret. But his mind was already racing, scanning the room for escape routes.
"No need to worry, kid," she said, finishing the bandages and walking over. She held out a stack of ointment-covered wraps. "I'm Dina. You're Orion, right?"
Being this close to her made Orion's heart skip.
He took the bandages. They smelled medicinal—must've been the salve she'd applied.
Dina studied him for a moment.
"Does your body hurt?" she asked.
Orion blinked. Why would it?
Then, fragments of yesterday came back—and a sharp pain shot through his right arm.
"GAH! A-A little!" He immediately examined the damage. His arm was... healed!
Mostly. The gashes had closed, his fingers weren't twisted anymore, but scars remained, and his forearm bones still felt brittle—probably shattered.
Dina stared at him, baffled. What kind of person only notices pain after being reminded of their injuries?
'Better not mention the ribs, then.' She reasoned "You know how to bandage yourself?"
"Yeah, I've done it before," he said, already wrapping his arm. The ointment's medicinal properties took effect, the pain had lessened almost instantly.
Dina nodded. "Good. If you're fine, I should go." She headed for the door but paused halfway out, glancing back. "Welcome to the Crew, Orion." And with that, she left.