Destiny Among the Stars - Scifi - LitRPG - Adventure

"Maybe a little sparring will kickstart it?" Danny asked.

"You want us to beat each other up?" Emily asked, sounding skeptical. "Seriously?"

"It's just a thought," Danny mumbled, shrugging. "We're stuck, aren't we?"

Joey raised an eyebrow. "I've got space in the infirmary, we've barely used it."

Luca's stomach twisted into a knot. This was escalating quickly. Part of him wanted to shut it down, to tell everyone to calm down. But another part, a more primal, frustrated part, was starting to see the twisted logic in it. They were fighters. Maybe that was the key. Or maybe they were all just losing it.

"So who's fighting who?" Chris asked, breaking the silence. His voice was surprisingly neutral, but Luca could see the glint of something in his eyes. Excitement? Apprehension? A mix of both, maybe.

All eyes turned to Luca. Right. Captain. Decision time. He looked at each of them, trying to gauge their expressions. Zoe was watching him intently, her arms crossed. Ryan looked eager, a little too eager. Emily seemed concerned, and Danny... well, it was his idea.

"Fine," Luca said, the word escaping his lips before he could fully process it. "Let's go to the gym. But nothing serious. We're just testing this, got it?"

The gym was spacious, equipped with everything from weights to sparring mats. The air smelled faintly of ozone and sweat. Not exactly the ideal place for a friendly spar. More like a place where things got real. This was a bad idea.

"So, who's up first?" Ryan asked, bouncing on the balls of his feet like he was ready to jump into a ring. He was practically vibrating with pent-up energy.

Everyone looked at Luca. Again. Because, you know, captain. "I'll do it," he said, stepping forward before anyone else could volunteer, or worse, volunteer him. "Ryan, you're up."

Ryan grinned, cracking his knuckles. "You got it, Captain."

"Just remember," Luca said, trying to inject some authority into his voice. "We're testing a theory. No killing each other."

Zoe snorted. "Where's the fun in that?" she teased.

Ryan and Luca faced each other in the center of the mat. He bounced lightly on his feet, his blue eyes glinting with challenge. Was this a mistake? Probably. But there was no turning back now. They were doing this.

"Ready?" Ryan asked, raising his fists. His hair fell across his forehead, and for a second, Luca just stared, his mind blank. Then, with a jolt, he mirrored his stance, his heart pounding in his chest like a war drum. Time to see if a bit of pain was the key to unlocking their potential. Or if they were all just a bunch of idiots, desperate for a fix.

Ryan and Luca circled each other. The gym lights reflected off the sweat beading on his forehead, and Luca could see the focused intensity in his eyes. This was ridiculous. They were supposed to be a team, and here they were, about to beat the shit out of each other on the off chance that it might magically fix their level cap problem.

Ryan threw the first punch, a tentative left hook that Luca easily blocked. It was soft, almost playful. Testing the waters. Luca responded with a right jab, equally light, aiming for his shoulder. They were feeling each other out, trying to figure out the fight.

"Come on, Luca," Emily called from the sidelines. "Is that all you've got?" Her voice was teasing, but Luca could hear the underlying tension. They were all watching them, their faces a blend of anticipation and apprehension.

Luca feinted to the left, then threw a right hook towards Ryan's ribs. He grunted as it connected, but he took it well. And yeah, his abs were tighter than Luca expected. Like hitting a wall of muscle. Where the hell had that come from?

The next few exchanges were more of the same. Feints, blocks, and light punches. Luca walloped him across the head. That was weak, more like a bitch-slap. They were both holding back, testing each other, testing the theory. But it was starting to feel… real. The air crackled with a strange energy, adrenaline, and testosterone.

"Still no XP," Ryan said, his voice a little breathless. He ducked under Luca's left jab and landed a solid punch to his gut. Luca grunted, more from surprise than pain.

"How are you even looking at that right now?" Luca asked, circling him, trying to catch his breath.

Ryan smiled, a flash of white teeth in the dim light. "Multitasking," he said, shrugging. "Gotta stay informed." Then he lunged, a flurry of punches aimed at his head and chest. Luca blocked most of them, but one connected with his jaw, sending a jolt of pain through him. That one hurt. A lot.

"Take it seriously, you two!" Danny's voice cut through the air, laced with a hint of anxiety. "The system might not recognize it if you're just playing around."

"Oh, we're taking it seriously," Ryan said, his voice low and dangerous. He feinted left, then right, then landed another hard punch to Luca's ribs. He stumbled back, gasping for air. That hurt. And the look in Ryan's eyes? He was having fun.

"Come on, hit him back!" Zoe shouted. She sounded excited, maybe a little too much. "Give us a show!"

"Yeah," Emily whooped. "Make it count!" But even as she shouted, Luca saw her hands clench into tight fists, a flicker of genuine worry in her eyes as Ryan's punch connected with his jaw. She was enjoying the show, but not the consequences

The pain in his ribs flared, a sharp reminder that he was in a fight, not a dance. Maybe Danny was right. They needed to take this seriously. A surge of adrenaline, hot and fierce, coursed through him. His vision narrowed, focusing on Ryan, on the way his muscles bunched under his skin, the sweat dripping down his temples.

He wanted to hurt Ryan. Not just to test the system, but because he'd hurt him. Because he was standing there, looking at him like he was about to tear him apart, his legs moving like a wanna-be boxer.

Luca launched himself at him, a set of punches aimed at his head and body. He felt a savage grin stretch his lips as his fists connected with his flesh, bone, and muscle. This was it. This was what they needed. Pain. Exertion. A real fight. A way to finally break through this fucking level cap.

Ryan's fist connected with his jaw, quickly followed by a sharp pain in his knuckles. He grunted, staggering back a step, but he didn't go down. Instead, he shook his head, his eyes clearing, and then he was on him, a whirlwind of fists and elbows.

Luca tried to block, to counter, but he was too fast, too strong. A punch caught him in the temple, and the world spun. Another connected with his stomach, driving the air from his lungs. He stumbled, his legs turning to jelly. And then, with a final, brutal uppercut, Ryan sent him crashing to the mat.

The world went black.

"Maybe you were right," he heard Joey's voice, muffled and distant, as if from the end of a long tunnel. "Maybe we are missing something."

Luca tried to open his eyes, to speak, but everything was dark and heavy. His head throbbed, his body ached, and his thoughts were a jumbled mess. Had it worked? Was the level cap gone? Or had they just brutalized each other for nothing?

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Then, strong arms were lifting him, pulling him to his feet. He blinked, his vision slowly clearing. Ryan was standing over him, his face etched with concern, and maybe a little bit of guilt. He looked like he wanted to say something, but he just held out a hand, helping him to his feet.

"You alright?" he asked, his voice surprisingly gentle.

Luca nodded, his head still spinning. "Yeah," he mumbled, his voice hoarse. "Just peachy."

Joey appeared beside him, holding a small spray bottle. "Here," he said, "this will help with the swelling." He sprayed something cool and soothing on his face, and the throbbing in his head eased slightly.

"So," Luca said, turning to look at Ryan, "Did it work?"

Ryan shook his head, glancing down at his hands. "Nothing."

A wave of exhaustion washed over him. They'd pushed themselves, pushed each other, and for what? Nothing. They were still stuck. Still capped. And now, on top of everything else, he had a throbbing head and a bruised ego.

"Well, shit," Luca said, slumping against the wall. "Now what?"

Then a thought struck him, a very obvious, very stupid thought. "Hey, Ryan..." Luca said, his voice a little dazed. "Do you even have a hand-to-hand combat skill?"

Ryan blinked, his smile faltering for a second. "Uh... no," he admitted, scratching the back of his head. "Do you?"

Luca stared at him, then at the others, who were now looking at each other with dawning realization. "No," he said, his voice flat. "None of us do. We have weapons skills. Guns, mostly. You know, for shooting things. Not for... this." He gestured vaguely at his own face, then at the gym around them.

He wanted to facepalm, but his face hurt too much. Of all the dumb, impulsive, illogical things they'd done, this had to be near the top of the list. They were idiots. Well-meaning, desperate idiots, but idiots nonetheless.

Ryan, of course, chose to grin again at that moment, which made him want to punch him all over again. "Well," he said, clapping him on the shoulder, "at least we got a good workout in."

Luca glared at him, but even he had to admit, it was kind of funny. In a messed-up, we're-all-going-crazy-in-space kind of way. Though, he thought, maybe he should invest in a hand-to-hand combat skill if he ever came across a skill shard. Emily would probably kill him, though. They had spent hours working on his skill plan. Eh, what was one more skill?

Luca lingered by the viewport a second longer, watching the stars. For a moment, it was just silence, weightless and still. They hadn't broken the cap. But they hadn't broken each other either.

They were a sorry sight as they stumbled into the lounge. Luca could feel every single bruise throbbing, a technicolor map of pain blossoming across his body. His face felt like one giant bruise, and he was pretty sure his ribs were cracked.

But, at least Ryan was sporting a nasty shiner, so he wasn't the only one who'd paid the price for their little experiment. They were laughing, though, a slightly hysterical edge to it, fueled by adrenaline, relief, and the sheer absurdity of what they'd just done.

"Idiots," Luca muttered, shaking his head. "We're fucking idiots."

"Speak for yourself," Ryan said, wincing as he touched his swollen eye. "But hey, at least we tried."

Luca dimmed the lights in the lounge, letting the starlight spilling in through the wide windows take over. It was so goddamned romantic, he thought, glancing around for Emily. The soft glow from the small lamps bathed the leather couches and armchairs in a warm light. He had to admit, the setup looked good.

Like, better-than-usual good. He grabbed two bottles of wine from the stash his dad had handed him before they left, and carefully opened one, trying not to spill like an idiot. This was a milestone, and they deserved to celebrate even if they were sporting fresh bruises.

Pouring the wine into glasses, Luca raised his in an easy toast, the grin on his face more crooked than he'd planned, thanks to his swollen lip. "To surviving the Oort Cloud Passage and finally coasting into Alpha Centauri," he said, his arm wrapped around Emily's waist as she stood beside him. She looked amazing tonight, and so did the rest of the crew. There was something about making it through a mess like the Oort Cloud that made everyone shine a little brighter.

They all raised glasses, the soft clink of glassware blending with murmured agreements. It had been a rough couple of days, constant course adjustments, tension so thick it could've clogged the FTL drive, and no room for error. But now? They'd earned this. A breath, a slice of calm after all the chaos.

Emily passed out slices of pizza, the smell of melted cheese and pepperoni filling the room, and damn, it hit just right. "Courtesy of Luca's oregano," she teased, sprinkling some over Zoe's slice with a flourish before handing it over. She paused as she passed him, her eyes tracing the colorful bruises blooming on his chest, visible beneath his sheer white shirt.

She moved around the room like she owned it, making everything feel better and easier; she had that magic about her. And then, before he could even process it, she was on his lap, settling in like it was the most natural thing in the world. His heart skipped a beat. Every slight shift of her weight sent a jolt through his aching muscles, but he wasn't about to complain.

The warmth of her pressed against him felt different tonight. More intentional. Like she was done waiting for him to figure his shit out. Three weeks of careful distance, of him thinking she had someone back on Earth, of both of them dancing around whatever this was between them. But now, with her settled on his lap like she belonged there, the weight of all those unspoken conversations pressed down on him.

Zoe leaned into Ryan, biting into her slice with her eyes closed, practically humming with satisfaction. "God bless the hydroponic garden. Who knew oregano could taste this good?"

"Me," Luca shot back, adjusting Emily on his lap and trying and failing to not focus on how good she felt pressed against him. Or how every slight movement made him acutely aware of just how badly Ryan had pummeled him. How was he supposed to be normal like this?

Across the room, Joey scrolled through the movie catalog like it owed him something, a deep frown etched on his face. "Man, is it just me, or do we have, like, no good movies left?" he griped, scrolling past the same tired titles they'd already seen twice. What a clown.

Danny laughed, leaning over the pool table as he lined up a shot. "That's because you burned through anything decent weeks ago. Don't blame the catalog, blame your garbage taste." Always the smug bastard.

Chris swirled his wine like he was in some fancy parlor, his tone dripping with mock sophistication. "A man who devours Deathstalker four times in a row has no leg to stand on," he said, smirking.

Joey shot him a glare, sticking his tongue out like a five-year-old before going back to his pointless search.

Luca leaned back, letting the sound of laughter and friendly jabs wash over him. This was nice. They'd made it. Everyone was here, and for once, everything felt right. For now, at least. The bruises from their earlier stupidity throbbed as a reminder of how desperate they'd all gotten, but sitting here with Emily's weight settled against him, her fingers absently tracing patterns on his arm, he felt something shift.

He leaned close to her ear, his voice low enough that the others wouldn't hear over their banter. "Hey... I've been meaning to talk to you. About us."

Emily turned slightly in his lap, her eyes meeting his with something unreadable. "Three weeks too late," she murmured. "But I haven't decided if I want to hear it yet."

Luca blinked. That wasn't what he'd expected. "Emily, I..."

"Just because I'm sitting here doesn't mean you're off the hook," she said quietly, her fingers still tracing patterns on his arm, but now it felt deliberate, almost teasing. Her voice was gentle, but there was steel underneath it. "You made assumptions. About me. About us."

He swallowed hard, suddenly very aware of how she was positioned on his lap, how her weight shifted against his bruises in ways that were both soothing and distracting. "I know, I—"

"Do you?" Emily asked, tilting her head. Her hand moved to rest on his chest, right over one of the darker bruises Ryan had left. She pressed lightly, not enough to hurt, but enough to make him very aware of her touch. "Because I've been right here, Luca. For three weeks. Right here."

The others were still laughing and arguing about movies, completely oblivious to the tension crackling between them. Luca felt like he was drowning in the space of a few inches, caught between her closeness and the sudden realization that he'd completely misread the situation. He thought he was finally ready to have the conversation, but Emily? Emily was in control now.

"So," she said, settling back against him with a small smile that was equal parts sweet and dangerous, "I think I'll take my time deciding what I want to hear. And when."

Her hand slid down to his thigh, fingers finding the slight bruise there and giving it a light squeeze. But instead of letting her stand up and claim all the control, Luca's arms tightened around her waist, pulling her closer against him.

"Sure, Em," he murmured, his voice low and rough. "We'll talk when you're ready." His hand found the small of her back, thumb tracing small circles there as he leaned in, nuzzling against her neck just below her ear. "But since you're sitting here..."

He felt her breath hitch slightly, her fingers stilling on his thigh. When he pulled back just enough to meet her eyes, he could see the teasing smile had faltered for just a moment, replaced by something warmer, more genuine. She hadn't expected him to turn the tables.

"Luca..." she started, but her voice was softer now, less commanding.

"Mmm?" He kept his hand warm on her back, keeping her close. He felt different now, sure of himself. Like he'd finally figured out the game she was playing.

The others were still laughing and arguing about movies, completely oblivious to the silent conversation happening between them. But Luca could feel the shift, the way something had changed in the space of a heartbeat.

He caught Zoe glancing over at them, and heard her nudge Ryan. "Well, that's one way to handle it."

Ryan raised his glass in a small salute. "About damn time somebody made a move."

Even Joey looked up from the movie catalog.