Captured by the Yandere Space Pirates

The safehouse was a tomb of snores and spilled booze, its air thick with the stale scent of alcohol.

The party had burned out, leaving pirates sprawled across the floor, their ragtag clothes tangled, bottles rolling in the dim glow of a flickering bulb.

Vera stirred, her purple wavy hair splayed across her patched tunic, her purple eyes peeking open as Syn shifted beside her, his body rustling against the tangle of limbs—Pako's and Aster's—pinning him down.

She caught a glimpse of him, slightly sober now, his hazel eyes squinting at the contract paper that had slipped from his pocket, the handwritten pledge from her, Pako, and Aster glowing faintly in the light.

A grin sparked in her mind, hope flickering that he'd grasped its weight—their offer, veiled but bold, to give themselves to him, body and soul.

But as he sighed and slumped back into sleep, her grin faded, anxiety gnawing.

Vera lay still, her heart racing, the room's silence pressing against her.

She couldn't sleep, her mind churning, despite her eyes closed shut.

A soft shuffle broke her thoughts.

Syn stirred again, slipping free from Pako's arm, Aster's leg, his breath soft.

Vera's eyes flicked to the corner, catching movement—four figures, stealthy, silent.

Her pulse spiked, purple eyes narrowing: Riko, wiry, scar across his nose; Lena, broad-shouldered, grim; Tar, lean, twitchy; Milo, hulking, shaved head. No party warmth in their faces, only cold purpose—ropes binding Syn's wrists, a sack poised to engulf him, his body limp, a bruise blooming on his temple, blood trickling.

"What the fuck, Riko?" Vera roared, bolting upright, her purple hair whipping, tunic askew. "Lena, Tar, Milo—stop this!" Her voice shattered the room's quiet, a captain's command, raw with fury.

Riko spun, scar twisting, yanking a pulse pistol. "Back off, Vera!" he snarled, aiming at her chest.

"You don't get it!" Lena fired, a blue bolt searing toward Vera, who dove, rolling behind a crate, the shot scorching her tunic's edge, her purple eyes blazing, adrenaline surging.

Aster snapped awake, blonde ponytail swinging, teal eyes wide, spotting Syn bound, the traitors looming.

"Vera!" she shouted, lunging up, muscular frame a blur. Pako stirred, black bob tangled, expressive eyes flashing from confusion to rage as she saw Syn, helpless.

"What the hell?" Pako screamed, ducking a bolt from Tars pistol, her petite frame weaving, lace shorts catching the light.

The room exploded, pirates waking, groggy, grabbing knives, pipes, stolen stun rods as Riko's group fired, bolts crackling, walls scorching.

Vera vaulted the crate, tackling Lena, purple hair flying, wrenching her pistol free, firing a lethal pulse into Lena's chest.

The broad-shouldered pirate crumpled, blood pooling, eyes blank.

Aster charged Milo, teal eyes fierce, dodging his massive fist, her elbow smashing his nose, blood spraying, then a stolen knife plunging into his gut, dropping him.

Pako slid under Tar's aim, kicking his legs out, snatching his pistol, her tunic streaked with dust, firing point-blank, Tar's lean frame collapsing, a red hole in his forehead.

"Stop, they're betraying Syn!" Vera yelled, voice raw, firing at Riko, the bolt tearing through his shoulder, then his heart, his scarred face frozen as he fell.

But the other pirates—Jace, lanky tech with a limp; Sira, grizzled veteran; Bryn , wiry guard; Zoe, scout; Sax, burly mechanic—woke to chaos, seeing Vera, Pako, and Aster armed, bodies bleeding—Lena, Milo, Tar, Riko dead.

"They're killing us!" Jace screamed, pipe raised, eyes wild. "Vera's turned on Syn! Don't listen to them!"

Confusion ignited, the room a slaughterhouse.

"We're saving him!" Pako shouted, her black bob swaying, dodging Jace's pipe, her stolen pistol firing, the bolt ripping through his chest, blood splattering her lace shorts.

"They sacked Syn, get those traitors!" But the pirates, loyal or not, saw only the women's weapons, the blood, and Syn, bound, seemingly their target.

"Kingdom spies!" Sira yelled, knife slashing at Aster, who parried, her blonde ponytail loose, teal eyes desperate, countering with a lethal shot, Sira's throat torn, collapsing in a gurgle.

Syn stirred, hazel eyes fluttering open, ropes biting his wrists, sack half-over his head.

"What's… happening?" he rasped, voice thick, terror spiking as he saw the carnage—Lena's corpse, Milo's blood, bolts sizzling, pirates dying.

"Vera, Pako, Aster—stop!" he screamed, thrashing, gray shirt twisting. "Why are you killing them?"

"They're trying to kill you, Syn!" Vera shouted, dodging a bolt from Bryn, her purple hair wild, firing back, the pulse burning through his chest, blood spraying. "They betrayed you, tried to take you!" She lunged for Syn, knife cutting his ropes, but he jerked away, hazel eyes wide, horrified, blood and death driving him mad.

"No, you're wrong!" Syn cried, voice breaking, bound hands flailing, pushing Vera back.

"Hours ago, we were family—Riko, Jace, all of them, laughing, fighting with us! This can't be right!" His tears welled, his rebellion crumbling, the safehouse a graveyard, his family slaughtering each other.

"Syn, listen!" Pako screamed, her tunic blood-soaked, tackling Zoe, who'd drawn a stun rod, her petite frame pinning the scout, firing a bolt through Zoe's skull, brains splattering.

"They hit you, tied you! We're protecting you!" But Syn shook his head, tears streaming, hazel eyes lost, the chaos drowning her pleas.

He stumbled up, ropes fraying, lunging at Aster, who was grappling Sax, his pipe raised.

"Aster, don't!" Syn begged, grabbing her arm, pulling her back, Sax's pipe missing her, slamming the floor.

"Syn, stay back!" Aster growled, teal eyes flashing, shoving him aside, her blonde ponytail whipping as she fired, Sax's chest exploding, blood pooling.

Syn kept moving, frantic, grabbing Pako's wrist as she aimed at Bryn, revived, bleeding but alive.

"Pako, stop, please!" Syn sobbed, voice raw, hazel eyes pleading, the madness of blood and betrayal shattering him.

"We have to, Syn!" Pako said, wrenching free, her black bob matted, firing, Bryn's head snapping back, blood spraying her lace shorts.

"They're not your family now!" Her voice cracked, tears mixing with blood, hating Syn's pain but fighting to save him.

The fight was a brutal ballet of death, every pirate—loyal or traitor—turning on Vera, Pako, and Aster, their shouts fueling the chaos.

"Don't trust them!" Zoe's partner, Mira, screamed, knife slashing at Vera, who dodged, her tunic tearing, countering with a pulse that tore Mira's chest open, blood soaking the floor.

"They're after Syn!" Sax's friend, Vorn, roared, stun rod sparking, swinging at Aster, who rolled, her teal eyes fierce, firing, Vorn's face a red ruin.

Pako ducked a pipe from Sira's cousin, Lila, her tunic ripping, firing a bolt through Lila's heart, the veteran's body slumping.

"Enough!" Syn roared, voice cracking, stumbling between them, ropes half-cut, gray shirt blood-splattered, hazel eyes wild with horror.

"Stop killing them!" He grabbed Aster's arm, pulling her from Vorn's corpse, then lunged at Vera, shoving her as she aimed at the last pirate, Jace's brother, Tarn, his knife raised.

"Vera, no!" Syn pleaded, tears streaming, his rebellion dead, his family butchered before him.

"They're trying to kill you!" Vera shouted, purple eyes blazing, dodging Tarn's knife, firing, the bolt ripping through his throat, blood gushing, the last pirate falling.

The room was a slaughterhouse—twenty bodies, blood pooling, walls scorched, the air thick with death.

Vera panted, her purple hair matted, tunic torn, purple eyes hard but haunted, Pako and Aster beside her, bloodied, their faces grim, lace and uniform shredded.

Syn collapsed to his knees, hazel eyes glassy, ropes fraying, staring at the carnage—Riko, Lena, Jace, Sira, all dead, his family gone.

"You killed them," he whispered, voice hollow, tears soaking his cheek. "They were with us, Vera. We were one. You're wrong, you have to be."

"They betrayed you, Syn," Vera said, voice raw, kneeling, her purple eyes fierce but softening, cutting his ropes fully.

"They sacked you, hit you—maybe to sell you to the Kingdom, I don't know. We had to stop them, all of them, to save you." Her hand reached for him, but he flinched, hazel eyes lost, madness creeping.

Aster crouched, blonde ponytail loose, teal eyes pleading, blood dripping from her arm.

"Syn, we saw them take you," she said, voice trembling, her guilt heavy, the bodies her doing too. "We couldn't let them take you."

Pako knelt, black bob matted, tunic torn, expressive eyes glistening.

"We love you, Syn," she whispered, voice cracking, blood on her hands. "We fought for you, not against you. Please, believe us." Her hand hovered, but Syn recoiled, bound hands trembling, his mind a storm.

Screeches pierced the air outside—Kingdom drones, backup, their sensors homing in, the safehouse's cover blown.

"We're out of time!" Vera shouted, purple hair wild, sprinting to a hidden wall panel, slamming a switch.

A secret passage opened, a damp tunnel, their emergency exit. Aster grabbed Syn, her teal eyes hard, nodding to Pako, who tossed their food sacks over her shoulder, her black bob bouncing, lace shorts bloodied.

"Syn, we're going!" Vera said, grabbing ropes, lunging at him from behind, pinning his arms, trying to tie him, her purple eyes desperate. "You're not listening, we have to move!"

"What the fuck, Vera?" Syn yelled, fighting, hazel eyes blazing, twisting free.

"You kill everyone, now you tie me up?" His voice was raw, betrayal a knife, his body thrashing, kicking her back.

Aster and Pako exchanged a glance, teal and expressive eyes resolute.

"I'm sorry, Syn," Aster whispered, tackling his legs, her muscular frame overpowering him, Pako binding his arms, ropes tight, gagging him with a torn cloth.

Syn's muffled cries broke their hearts, his hazel eyes streaming tears as Aster hoisted him over her shoulder, his bound body struggling.

Vera hit another switch, and the safehouse erupted, a hidden explosive detonating, flames swallowing the room, the bodies, the blood, the betrayal.

Syn's muffled scream echoed, his hazel eyes wide, tears soaking the gag, the destruction of his rebellion searing his soul.

Aster ran through the tunnel, Syn's weight heavy, Vera and Pako behind, their breaths ragged, the Backdrop's sewers their only refuge.

They emerged in a rotting sewer, the stench choking, drones buzzing above.

Aster set Syn down, his bound body slumping, hazel eyes glassy, staring at the women—bloodied, torn, their faces grim, Vera's purple hair matted, Pako's tunic shredded, Aster's tunic slashed.

Vera cut his gag, her purple eyes fierce but pleading. "Syn, they turned on you, all of them, thought we were the threat. We had to kill them to save you."

Syn coughed, voice hoarse, tears streaming.

"You killed innocents, Vera, our family," he whispered, voice broken, madness in his hazel eyes. "We were one, laughing, fighting together, and you slaughtered them, blew it all up without a thought. Something's wrong with you." His words cut, his trust shattered, the blood and fire a wound too deep.

Aster's teal eyes glistened, her blonde ponytail loose, blood dripping.

"Syn, we saw them hurt you," she said, voice trembling, guilt crushing her. "We thought they'd kill you, all of them. We had no choice."

Pako's expressive eyes streamed, her black bob matted, lace shorts torn.

"We did it for you, Syn," she sobbed, voice cracking.

"Please, we love you." Her hand reached, but he flinched, ropes trembling, his mind a storm of doubt and pain.

"I don't know what's real anymore," Syn whispered, hazel eyes distant, the rebellion he'd built, the family he'd loved, ashes and blood, the women before him—saviors or monsters—a question he couldn't answer.