10

"UGH!" Baby rolled forward, tripping over his own ankle. He heaved, still trying to crawl away despite his injury.

Zoey stepped closer slowly from behind, swinging her blade around her finger as she tried to regain her breath. It had been 2 hours since she started hunting Baby down. But he still hadn't given up, even after several bruises and cuts all over his body. 'Didn't bloodied the face' he would say before taking off again, but Zoey knew it would be hard to run and dodge daggers for hours.

And hadn't he twisted the ankle he just fell over? That means he would push himself to his limits, even if it could harm. Zoey had to stop trying to convince herself that Baby would change his mind about telling her the story without drawing blood from his face.

"Baby, please," She desperately pleaded for the last time, too tired to shoot another dagger. The guilt of hurting him was slowly creeping up on her (Baby probably didn't have it in him to dodge it anyway,) "I don't want to keep hurting you."

Baby choked, "Still.. face..!" He tried to get up but his hand slips and he falls down again.

Zoey grimaced in pain; Her legs felt like jelly, but she still dragged herself forward to where Baby was scrambling to get up. She fell on top of him and he shouted out in pain. She grabbed his face, and Baby tried to resist. But his arms were covered in bruises, making it hard to push without feeling whiplash.

With a shaky hand, one of Zoey's blades drew closer to his face. Baby's eyes widened, reality setting in as Zoey dug the dagger just under his eye.

Swish.

The sharpness leaves a cut, small but big enough to bleed.

Baby rests his head on the ground, having been defeated. "Fuck."

"Fuck." Zoey repeated, still on top of him. Her face slowly shifted from tired and empty to letting out a small smile she couldn't help at how ridiculous they looked right now.They were covered in dirt, sweaty and tired.

Zoey's hands were shaking and she was dripping from her scalp to toes.

Baby's clothes were torn from all the flying blades, revealing cuts they left, and bruises that he acquired himself while running off. His face was decorated with a slash that complimented his pathetic face. Zoey just had a thing for cutting men on the face, huh? Baby couldn't blame her though, he had put her up to it.

"Let me help you up," Zoey said, climbing off him. Baby nodded, taking her hand to let her pull him up. She puts his arm around her shoulder, guiding him to hop to the nearest bench.

She helps Baby sit down, placing him carefully. "Be right back," she said, running off to find the nearest pharmacy. Baby would have followed her but he was tired of running.

Zoey returned a couple minutes later with bandages and a bottle of water. Baby downed it all in one gulp as Zoey tended to the cut she had inflicted on his face just a moment ago. 

"So?" Zoey prodded.

Baby massaged his aching shoulder, "Oh right, the story." 

Zoey nodded, a little too excited to know what happened.

"Well, uh," Baby started awkwardly,

-

Shit, Baby thought as he ran. Hopefully, none of the huntresses saw him running. Mystery just fucking died!

Jinu was gone, and so was Abby. He was all alone, until the girls found him and killed him, of course. And there was this blue glow in his chest. Was this what a soul felt like? Misery and fear?

He jumped off the stage, running to blend in with the crowd and escape. What was he going to do now?

"..ghh.." 

Baby stopped. That voice.. it was Romance's. Baby abandoned his plans to run to his aid. Romance was lying on the floor, struggling to breathe. 

Baby drops to his knees, holding his band mate in his arms. "Romance, can you stand?" 

Romance shook his head. Baby clicked his tongue, looking around to see the huntresses had taken to the center of the stage. The song that they were singing was making a new Honmoon..?

Never mind that, Baby dragged Romance off to the side to hide under the stage, covering Romance's mouth whenever he coughed. The song concluded and everyone left. 

Baby drags Romance out with him and leans him on a seat before Baby decides to go for a walk around the stadium. What the hell was he supposed to do now? Staying on Earth was too risky, but going back to the Underworld would be worse. 

Could he even go back with the new Honmoon? 

Baby banged on the floor. Nothing. He.. he was trapped. Crap.

The day turned into night before Baby could get his thoughts straight. He knew that the plan would have never worked even though they came so far, but he didn't expect it to be so tragic. Why did he even care so much?

He snapped put of his trance for a second when he heard Romance cough; he was clutching his chest again. Baby ran to him again, pulling him into his arms again. 

"Romance, what's wrong?" He panicked. The coughing had gotten worse, and he didn't want to lose the last Saja Boy. 

Romance points to his chest, "Mira, she hit.. here.. Baby, it hurts.." He violently coughed again. "I don't know if I'll.."

Baby held back tears, holding Romance tightly. "No, you're going to be okay!" But his voice trembled as he said it. 

Romance suddenly felt lighter, almost turning translucent. There was a pink-rimmed hole in his chest, slowly consuming him like a flame. Like the way the others had...

No. 

NO. 

Baby's vision was blurred for the next few moments, Romance stroking his hair as he faded away into oblivion. Baby would be alone from now. 

A teardrop of Baby's fell on Romance's face. Then, he was gone. 

-

Baby sniffed, subtly rubbing his eyes. It hurt to even think about it. 

Zoey frowned, nearly crying herself. "I'm so sorry.." She brought a hand up to wipe Baby's forming tears. "We.. we could have spared you, or something." 

Baby shook his head, unable to say anything. "..I.. I missed Romance a lot." The tears fell as he continued to explain. "And I couldn't take it, so I prayed on my knees for the nearest spirit guide. I heard voices, not Gwi-ma's, they led me to a part of Seoul that the new Honmoon hadn't formed yet, and there I briefly talked to him."

"I struck up the deal first. I.. asked him to bring my— the members back, and let them find their souls on the way... In exchange for my own... I convinced him that their would be useless and he finally agreed. He's weak now, he can't do anything to us. If he breaks the deal, I get my soul back."

Zoey let out a breath. It made sense now. Baby had sacrificed his soul to save the others. "Why.. just why? Couldn't you just lived without them?"  

"I don't need a soul," Baby sniffled, "Seeing everyone alive, breathing again, makes me.. happy. I suppose. But yeah, I do wonder what it would be like to have a soul again. Be young," He thinks back to playing with paper boats in a puddle before Jinu caught him, "But it's stupid. Or not."

Zoey sighed, connecting the dots to all that's happened recently. "Let's go back. I'm pretty sure everyone is panicking, wondering where we are. And we have to figure out your demon abilities now."

Baby nodded, interrupting the demon ability parts, "I still have some powers, and Romance too. I think the others have it in them too, but they have to get used to it again. Having a soul feels like a rebirth."

"Oh, alright. I guess we could discuss that later.." 

Zoey stands up, holding a hand out for Baby to take. Baby takes it, stumbling again on his ankle as he walked. Zoey giggled, the tension she had with him suddenly dissolved. 

Back home, Baby and Zoey stumble in through the door. Everyone turns to look at them, reactions varying from concerned to terrified. Jinu, Rumi, Romance, and Mira bombarded them with questions.

"Alright, alright, calm down! Take Baby, and I'll explain everything." Romance obeys, tending to Baby carefully as he picks him up. 

Everyone settles down on the couch after Romance runs Baby a bath. They look up with eager eyes, wanting to know what the hell they did to come back like that. 

Zoey takes a deep breath and exhales, "Alright, I'm gonna explain. But don't panic, please..."