The coordinates Litvir had been given had led the Missing to what looked like a scrap metal dump. Or maybe a waste disposal site. No one was really sure. But Letalis had requested that only Litvir and Retvik enter the area proper, and that Arkay remain on the ship, so he could fly them away to safety should anything happen. On the plus side, Letalis was waiting for Litvir and Retvik in a visible spot, and as soon as they disembarked, Letalis started leading them through a mess of tattered scrap and hidden tunnels, until they finally reached something that was vaguely habitable.
“Home sweet home…” Letalis muttered to himself as he used three keys and some sort of telepathic bolt to open up his house. “I apologise for the mess, but you are at least 99% safe here.”
Litvir and Retvik glanced around. Letalis’s home was a mess. Dusty, grimy and with rubbish scattered around, assorted items left in piles. It was also only a handful of rooms. The bathroom was hidden away, the kitchen needed wiping down and Letalis’s desk area was dusty and unorganised. A bedroom could only just be seen and while there was a bed with a sheet on it, it was also covered in blankets and stuffed animals.
“Uh, Letalis, are you… are you alright?” Retvik asked as he did his best to not look around too much.
“I… admittedly have never brought anyone here…” Letalis sighed. “I only come here to sleep or when I get sick of Ralian and Veeyel being too perfect.”
Retvik and Litvir glanced at each other. Litvir immediately understood the assignment, approached Letalis and held his hand.
“Do you need to talk?”
Letalis looked away, anywhere but at Retvik and Litvir, then whispered a very small yes.
“Come on then. Let us sit in your room and talk things through.”
Letalis frowned, glancing at Retvik. “I… I don’t want… Retvik hearing…”
“I can remain in here and you can close the door, if you want?” Retvik suggested.
“I would appreciate that…”
Letalis let Litvir lead him into his bedroom, and Litvir gently closed the door, before moving some things around and sitting Letalis on the bed.
“You are not doing well.”
Letalis hesitated, then rubbed his eyes. “I am not doing well right now. While I am normally quite accepting of my imperfections, well… the Arisen Telian Government are… putting out new rules as to… well… how to judge one’s level of perfection and… well, if I was not partnered with literally a god worshipped by millions, I would be… put away, because of these new rules. Maybe even put down. For… no real fault of my own…”
Litvir swallowed awkwardly, then put an arm around Letalis. “I will be… blunt, the Teliavok seem… horrible.”
“We are. We all tear each other apart to be perfect. If you are not perfect, you are enslaved, exiled or killed. So those who are not perfect will go to extremes to make themselves perfect. I… I was perfect, once.”
“What happened?”
“I was not born a Psion. I am too… white and pure. I was an… some other elemental. I think I was born as what we called an Angel inside my home universe. A mixture of light and air powers. I… I looked like one, before I was attacked…” Letalis sniffed. “They drugged me, beat me, experimented on me. Turned me into a freak, then stripped me for parts. And when I escaped, I lost control of my new powers and… I killed. I killed a lot. They made me kill. They turned me into a weapon. Ralian and his team of super soldiers stopped me. It is… pure chance that I am now somehow considered Ralian’s partner, and that is only because I saved him from certain death and accidentally got us both thrown out of our dying universe.”
“And let me guess, you are now bound to someone who you believe to be way, way better than you, you are trapped beneath their shadow.”
Letalis sighed. “Basically… I guess you feel the same way with Retvik and Arkay.”
“Well, actually, just with Retvik. Arkay has a long list of other problems…” Litvir sighed as well. “I think though, the difference between you and me, Retvik and I were basically the last of our kind for a while. We have found a few other Rethans, but as far as we are concerned, in the Periuniversal Void, Rethans are essentially extinct, and we have set aside our differences, regardless of social norms. You though…” Litvir hesitated. “Well… you call yourselves Teliavok, the Perfect Beast, but… your kind were uplifted and became monstrous.”
“That is definitely true. We are horrible beings!” Letalis exclaimed. “I hate that I belong to a monstrous race! I… I… I do not want to be a Teliavok. May I be a Rethavok?”
Litvir thought for a moment, then shrugged. “I would have to ask the other Rethans, starting with Retvik, but I am certain they will all say yes. That being said, I am pretty certain we have more biological differences than you can see.”
“I do not care! I… Can we ask Retvik now?”
Litvir smiled, then helped Letalis to his feet. “Of course! Let us go ask him!”
Letalis rushed to the bedroom door and shoved it open, but found himself frozen. While he and Litvir had been talking, Retvik had found some disposable bin bags and had been tidying up the living room.
“You… you…” Letalis found himself stuttering. “You were cleaning for me?”
Retvik grunted. “I assumed you needed a little help and decided to get started while you chatted. I have not done much yet, admittedly.”
“But… you… this should be beneath you…”
“Why… why would helping someone clean be beneath me?” Retvik asked. “You are in need, so I decided to help out physically while Litvir helped out mentally. That is what allies do for each other, yes?”
Letalis was about to burst into tears, but a beep from his communicator distracted him. He took a deep breath and settled down. “Oh. Veeyel says he and Ralian will be ready in three hours.”
Litvir and Retvik both looked at each other, then shrugged.
“Should be enough time for us to get started here!” Retvik smiled. “So, Letalis, what do you want us to work on?”
The tears started again, but Letalis was smiling, just a little. “Thank you.”
“No worries, friend!” Litvir smiled back. “We have all been here. You are not alone.”
“I… I appreciate this…”