The Assassin's Enemy Lover

“Everyone stay close,” spoke Evan while cutting through the thick bushes so they could pass through.

Zi Han followed behind Crvena his expression slightly contorted. That’s because ever since he stepped on Dark Star he felt a slight sense of unease creeping up his body and seeping into his spine.

Don’t get him wrong he was still excited about this mission but his gut was telling him something big was on this planet. Something that could affect him greatly. It was like being excited to bungee jump on the world’s highest jump while your gut is simultaneously screaming at you.

Raising his hand he moved the tree leaves away taking a step forward. After two steps he abruptly stopped and saw a five-centimeter tall fluff ball with one eye struggling in the mud with its two antennas drooping.

His love for fluffy and plushy things ignited and he couldn’t resist bending down to pick it up.

It seemed because of their disturbance the little guy had fallen from a tree. A rarely seen soft and gentle expression appeared on his face as he stared at it.

The little cutie climbed up the mech’s arms and after much struggle, it stared at Zi Han with curiosity.

“Han Han, what is that?” asked Agial when she realized he had stopped. Everyone began to pass them as they stood there staring at that cute thing.

.....

Zi Han gently poked its little belly and replied, “It’s called a Nimsel. It’s harmless and likes to eat fruit.”

He was overpowered by cuteness that he didn’t realize that she had called him Han Han. He would much prefer that she addressed him formally so as not to create a misunderstanding.

“You two keep up,” said Evan in the team chat extricating Zi Han from his fluffy trance. He put the little one in the tree before walking away.

A reluctant expression appeared on the little Nimsel’s expression as it patted its dirty coat.

Zi Han would have loved to keep it but because he sincerely believed creatures should belong in their natural habitat he left it there. It would be nice though to keep it, it meant Mr. Twiggles wouldn’t be lonely.

“I found one haha, I found a signal,” yelled an excited voice in the team chat and everyone followed the voice rushing over in excitement. At first, they thought the task would be easy but after walking for over four hours things didn’t seem so simple after all.

The beeping sound became louder and louder as they drew closer. Their expressions were joyously excited to retrieve their first device.

They soon approached a clearing with one massive tree at the center and the beeping intensified but there was no sight of it.

One boy in a bright blue mech stepped forward towards the tree but his arm was suddenly caught.

“Don’t move,” said Evan before crouching down to observe the green grass. There was a difference in the shade of green with the darker shade forming a circle around the tree.

With his arms crossed on his chest, Zi Han looked up but couldn’t see anything. Apart from the cloudy skies and swaying trees, there was nothing. But despite his eyes’ observation he still felt something was up.

“It has to be here somewhere,” said one of the girls on the team, “how about we look around?”

Zi Han took a few steps staring at that tree with great interest. As the leaves showered down he suddenly recalled a memory.

It was the same coloring book but this time the picture was that of a white and gold faceless insect with golden wings and a long abdomen behind it.

On its head and the rest of its body were clusters of golden coloured holes that would give anyone with trypophobia shivers.

His mother explained to him that this insect-like creature was slightly similar to what old earth called hornets and bees. Their behavior was the same. They both had hive tendencies and stingers.

But the despmtor had great superiority over bees and wasps. Its queen used unique frequencies to create an invincible barrier hiding her hive. It had a high attraction to unique sounds thus his mother taught him how to whistle.

Such a sound might be regular to humans but to a despmtor, it was alluring and unique letting one temporarily gain control over their queen.

Zi Han looked at Evan and said, “It must be a

despmtor’s hive. The device must be inside.”

“I have heard a bit about them. Aren’t they the critters that almost decimated one of the exodus arks when they brought samples on board before the Federation was established?” asked Crvena.

“It’s not only that but they are highly venomous. If you get stung by one you will have hallucinations for days and without urgent care, one might commit suicide thinking they’re fighting demons and monsters,” said a girl in a bright pink mech as she tightened her grasp on her rifle.

“So what? Should we just leave this device? It took us an entire day to find this... we can’t just let it go because of some tiny insects,” said another boy with a grey mech standing at the far end.

“Let’s torch their hive. Burn them out then get the device,” suggested one of Evan’s friends as he drew his flame thrower and pulled the trigger twice unleashing extremely hot flames.

Zi Han couldn’t accept that. They weren’t provoked so why should they go on the offense? He walked over to Evan and said, “You do that and we might not have a chance to get that device. I have a better plan.”

Evan didn’t question Zi Han. In fact, he raised his finger telling his friend to stand down. The young man was very displeased but he didn’t dare go against Evan. He obediently stepped back and crossed his fingers that Zi Han would fail.

Zi Han told them to step back a little. He moistened his lips and puckered them slightly. With his mouth slightly open he placed his tongue on the roof of his mouth and soon a regular high-pitched sound came from him.

Zi Han remembered his mother whistling the theme song of his favorite cartoon back then. Being five years old he giggled happily but when he failed to do it he would sulk.

Knee deep in that memory he whistled the theme song causing mixed reactions among the team.

“Don’t tell me this is his genius plan,” whispered Evan’s friend with a look of contempt on his face.