Sugar Pine 7

                                    

                                          
Ellum woke up in a place he recognized, a place he had been a thousand times. The Polus base. He squirmed for a moment, feeling the ropes cut into his wrists. Who had taken him? He was in the boiler room, he knew that for sure. The water wheels stared at him. Footsteps startled him
                          
"Hello? Who's there?" He asked, looking towards the door. It opened and a face came into view. He immediately flinched back, fear striking him. Sugar Pine 7 had taken him. He faced Alfredo.
                          
"Well, look at what we have. A member of Stevens crew," he said, laughing. Ellum had never actually faced Alfredo, but he had heard some horror stories. He flinched back as his chin was roughly grabbed. "Josh Ellum," Alfredo murmured. Ellum jerked back
                          
"Don't fucking touch me," he hissed. Alfredo frowned, unamused by Ellum. Ellum felt afraid, regretting running off. 
                          
"I would watch your language if I were you," he hissed. Ellum flinched back. "I was hoping we would catch Steve, show him what his invention could do," Alfredo purred. Ellum swallowed, shock flowing through him. 
                          
"Steve's invention?" 
                          
"The world destroyer. He created the blueprints back when he led us. All we had to do was build it," Alfredo turned and left the room, laughing. Ellum was shaken, Steve had always told them that he had never made anything dangerous
                          
DK and Steve crept through the Polus base, Steve tensing when he heard Cib and James. 
                          
"You good man?" DK asked, hearing a whimper from his partner. Steve shook his head, remaining crouched behind the storage building. 
                          
"I just never thought I'd have to face them again," he whispered, voice cracking. DK reached out and held his hand for a moment, 
                          
"Hey, dumb and dumber. We've got this," he said. Steve took a shaky breath and nodded. 
                          
"Let's find Ellum and get out of here," Steve said, wanting to leave quickly. A hand on his shoulder stopped him. 
                          
"He's in the boiler room," the most familiar voice ever said. Both men turned around and saw the pink space suit and helmet. 
                          
"5up!" DK said and hugged him. 5up hugged back and looked at them both. 
                          
"I thought you refused to come," 
                          
"Fundy came and talked to me. Said someone was in trouble. And nobody is dying on my watch," the three of them crept through the base, desperately avoiding the current crew there. 
                          
Steve threw his arm out suddenly and stopped both 5up and DK. Alfredo left the boiler room and they both watched as Steve paled. Everyone had heard horror stories about the man. 
                          
"Let's get to Ellum," DK said. Steve couldn't look away from Alfredo though. 
                          
"You two get Ellum. 5up, do you have a dropship nearby?" 
                          
"Yeah?" He replied, confused as to what Steve was suggesting. 
                          
"Get Ellum and take it. I want to see what Sugar Pine is up too," Steve said and followed after one of the most abusive people on the crew. 
                          
DK managed to fiddle with the latches on the door and 5up pulled it open. Ellum looked at them afraid for a moment, thinking it was Alfredo again. His shirt had been taken off but other than that he seemed unharmed. 
                          
"5up? DK?" He asked, watching them. 
                          
"Right here bud. We're going to get you back to base. You had all of us so scared," DK said, talking gently. 5up didn't actually speak as he undid the ropes on Ellums wrists. 
                          
"You hurt?" 5up asked as Ellum rubbed where the ropes had been. He nodded slowly and cast a confused look at 5up. "I'll explain on the dropship. DK," he said and looked at the man. DK commed Steve, telling them that they would meet back at the Skeld and alert Hafu. 
                          
Then they left Steve at the Polus base
Left alone
Steve didn't respond to his partner, more focused on following Alfredo to the office. He continued to hide as he listened to his old team meet
                          
"He doesn't believe that Steve originally designed it," Alfredos voice rang out. Steve tensed, designed what? 
                          
"Yes well, Autumn you did good there. We can finally kill Suptic ourselves," Cib said, Steve flinched. 
                          
"And destroy the corporation," James said
                          
"What does Ellum believing Steve designed it have to do with anything?" Autumn asked, confused as to why all the credit was going to someone else. 
                          
"If he does manage to escape, then it can cause problems between him and Steve. That's what we need, then to not trust each other," 
                          
"How do we activate it?" James asked. Steve held his breath, hoping to get some information out of this. 
                          
"Well, we need-" Autumn started to say. Cib held up his hand though. 
                          
"Alfredo, there's something out there. Find it," Cib ordered. Steve ducked into the admin room, hiding as Alfredo walked past. He bit back a whimper and decided now was the best time to leave before he got caught. 
                          
He ran off, away from Sugar Pine 7 and towards his dropship. He really hoped that they hadn't seen him and that he could get to the Skeld before they found Ellum missing. 
                          
Steve did in fact return to the Skeld, where he was greeted with a relieved looking Hafu. 
                          
"Steve, we thought you were going to die there. Please don't go off alone like that again," she said and hugged him. Steve bent down slightly in order to hug her back. 
                          
"I'm sorry but I had to know," he whispered. She smiled 
                          
"5up, DK and Ellum are back safe. Ellum is in the medbay, go scan," She said and walked off. 5up nodded to him as he passed, heading to his room. Steve walked into the medbay and scanned. Then he walked over to where Ellum was. 
                          
He was clearly asleep and Steve saw Koji next to him. Kojis head had fallen as he slept and was now on Ellums bare chest. Koji was hanging onto Ellums hand and Steve decided not to wake either one. 
                          
"What'd you find out?" DK asked as Steve walked into the hallway. Steve shrugged. 
                          
"Nothing special. They tried to convince Ellum that I created the death machine," he explained. DK rubbed his back. 
                          
"I doubt Ellum believes it. Go get some rest, bud. I'm here if you need me," DK said and walked off. Steve walked to his room, Dumbdog already there.
                          
"How'd it go?" He asked. Steve didn't respond and buried his face into Apollo's neck. He curled up onto the hybrids lap and got a small laugh in return. "That well huh?" 
                          
Ellum woke up in the medbay, smiling as Koji was asleep. He pulled the smaller boy into the medbay bed and looked around. The words had done their damage to him.
                          
And he blamed Steve for getting them dragged back up to space