Avoiding Vok'Rul was easier than it should have been. The alien didn't want anything to do with him, which Viktor pretended to not notice (and definitely pretended that it didn't feel like a knife was twisting into his heart). As soon as the family was finished eating, Vok'Rul untied the leash and slapped it into Rukka's outstretched hand. They exited the restaurant swiftly, avoiding the man - if they hadn't already left - and leaving without any further problems.

Nohkka was insistent they go a certain direction, which Rukka and Kac obeyed. Vok'Rul, however, waved them off and turned around to go the opposite way. Viktor stood, a bit torn. Rukka tugged on the leash, noticeably harder than Vok'Rul did.

"Vok'Rul?" he called, wringing his hands together. He didn't really want to interact with the alien, too afraid of the guilt he was feeling about the possibility of being around someone who had caused hundreds if not thousands of people's deaths, but he had an awful feeling in his stomach. His gut was telling him he needed to stay with Vok'Rul. He was the only alien here he really knew.

But the alien didn't turn around, even though Viktor knew he heard him.

"Fine," he tried to say acidly, but it came out in a shaky whisper instead. He spun on his heel when Rukka tugged once more, following behind her at a sedated pace.

They walked by multiple enclosures, but Viktor could barely lift his eyes from the ground in front of him to see what was inside them. His mind was foggy, filled with needling little doubts. What if that had been the last straw for Vok'Rul? Of course, he would care about his reputation. Having an out-of-control pet attacking some innocent bystander's own would probably do some damage. The alien was probably already planning on getting rid of him.

The longer they walked around without Vok'Rul showing up further cemented the thought in his head. He was going to be kicked out, just like that man had said.

Viktor cursed himself. He shouldn't have lost control of his emotions, like that. He twisted strands of his cast between his fingers angrily, only half paying attention to his surroundings. That man had just been so... so irritating!

Viktor could admit to himself that he was fond of Vok'Rul. He liked the alien and letting someone insult him to his face was something he had been unable to bear. That's what he would do for his friends. No, he corrected himself, he'd do it for anyone. Vok'Rul wasn't his friend. Especially now. The alien was just someone whose company he enjoyed. It wasn't like he had had a choice in his housing placement. Still, he had reacted before he could think, and now he had pushed Vok'Rul over the edge.

Maybe they'd shove him in an exhibit, and he'd spend the rest of his life running around a square pen.

God, Viktor thought, pressing his hands to his eyes briefly. Why couldn't he have just held his tongue?

He twitched when Nohkka patted him consolingly on the head. He wondered if she even knew what had occurred, considering the pep in her step. She seemed just as excited to be walking around the zoo as she had before the restaurant fiasco.

"Kas tih, Kohgrash," she said, before speaking about Vok'Rul. He only caught a few of the words, but he heard lorka at least once. He gave her a shaky smile even as his heart twisted painfully in his chest. He'd probably never go back to the mansion again. He tried not to let it bother him.

(It bothered him. A lot.)

He morosely stared at the ground after Nohkka got distracted by the latest exhibit. He heard Kac and Rukka talking over his head, only hearing snippets. They were talking about him, he knew. His name was sprinkled into their conversation and he could feel their piteous gazes on him.

He was going to get carted off to a pet store again, or somewhere even worse. His hands clenched and unclenched, trying to ward off the sick thought that they'd put him back into the ringmaster's care once more.

"He's in jail. Alien jail," he whispered to himself, thinking of how vehemently Nikolas spoke about that bastard being put away. "And I'll never see him again."

He felt a little better saying that out loud, but it still didn't completely wipe away the anxiety in his gut.

Nohkka was particularly excited about this exhibit. She grabbed her mothers' hands, pulling both Rukka and Kac to the front of the crowd. Viktor followed with dragging feet. Unfortunately, Nohkka decided that he needed to be seeing this more closely because she wrangled the leash from Rukka and dragged him all the way up to the front.

"Nohkka, c'mon," Viktor sighed, trying to keep up with her quick steps and keeping an eye on the leash. He didn't want to trip some poor alien and further ruin Vok'Rul's reputation than he already did.

Nohkka tugged him forward, using more strength than he'd expect from someone her size, causing him to stumble and crash facefirst into the glass.

"Jesus, Nohkka!" he rubbed his nose tenderly, glaring at her out of the corner of his eye. "Be careful."

"Flakmmn, Kohgrash," she said with all the regret a kid could muster, reaching up to pat his nose. Ugh, fine. He forgave her.

"You're annoyingly adorable," he told her, dragging his gaze back to the enclosure she so badly wanted him to see.

It was like nearly any other enclosure. Surrounded by pretty glass with some trees and grass stuck in it. There were fallen logs, rocks, and other debris. Viktor scanned the enclosure with only half a mind, so distracted by his thoughts that he almost barely - barely - missed the small wooden hut slumped against one of the trees.

Interested in what kind of animal could make a hut, Viktor pressed his hands against the glass to get a closer look. The glass was cold under his hands.

The enclosure wasn't quite set into the ground as far as the one with the weird giraffes had been, but it was probably about ten-feet tall. The edges of the pit were reinforced like others hadn't been, thick and shiny with slippery metal. Interestingly enough, there were rough scratches into the metal that looked random when first glanced at, but Viktor could see some sort of pattern.

There were trodden paths into the grass, regular and straight. Small, sharpened sticks poked out of the ground in what looked like a fence, outlining some of the paths. If Viktor squinted, he could see small sticks outlining a small patch of overturned dirt next to the wooden hut.

The crowd surrounding the enclosure was large, much larger than any other exhibit they had been to, yet. The alien throng was buzzing with chatter, excited and loud. It only rose, and Viktor's shoulders jumped up to his ears in an attempt to muffle the noise.

"Keti, Kohgrash!" Nohkka excitedly cheered, pointing to someplace in the enclosure. Viktor had to crane his neck in order to see.

Humans. They stuck close to the vegetation, unwilling to be seen. They were in Earth clothing, from what Viktor could see. It made his heart thud painfully in his chest at the sight of them. He saw hoodies, jeans, his father's familiar forest green shirt, jackets, brands that he never expected to see again -

Viktor's thoughts came to a screeching halt, slowly bringing his eyes back to the green shirt. His heart was beating in his throat, squeezing his airway with the sick, fearful feeling of hope.

"Dad?" he mouthed the words, no sound managing to come out. His hand curled into a fist and he was already knocking the familiar pattern that they had decided on years ago in case they needed to determine each other's identity behind a closed door onto the glass. He repeated it, over and over, louder and louder.

"Dad!" he yelled, knuckles starting to ache with the force of his knocking.

He saw his dad - because it had to be him, it had to be - look around with confusion written on his face. Viktor could barely see past the tears in his eyes, now, but he saw the moment his dad's eyes landed on him.

"Viktor," he saw his mouth move but heard nothing, the sounds of the crowd drowning out anything. He felt as though his ears were filled with the roar of the ocean, with how loud they were. At any other point in his life, he'd be overwhelmed, easily sent spiraling into a panic attack. But now, now, he had no time for that.

The crowd's chattering reached a crescendo as his dad sprinted across the enclosure, followed closely by some of the other humans, no doubt wondering where he was going. Viktor crouched to the ground, pressing himself against the glass, willing for it to disappear so he could fall in.

"Viktor!" he heard his dad - his dad - scream. "Get me up there," he said to the others, frantic. "That's my son!" There was a quick conversation that Viktor couldn't hear, and the humans - two men, a woman, and his dad - started to hoist his dad on their shoulders, lifting him up just enough that Viktor could see his face.

"Viktor," his dad smiled at him, eyes brimming with tears. Viktor could feel his own slipping down his face. He saw his eyes flicker to his neck, to his arm, which his sleeves had been pulled up slightly, revealing the black cast.

Viktor laughed wetly, sniffling, "Hi, Dad." He had grown a beard in the time they had last seen each other. They shared most features; their dark hair, their dark eyes, the similar way their mouths curved upward into a smile. Viktor's nose took after his mother, though. There were dark circles under his dad's eyes that told him he hadn't gotten much sleep lately. Otherwise, though, he looked healthy. "Nice seeing you here."

Viktor forgot everything he had wanted to tell the man in front of him, too busy soaking up his appearance. Beside him, Nohkka spoke excitedly, pointing to his dad. It was only then that Viktor realized Rukka and Kac were behind him, speaking loudly. He glanced behind him only briefly, eyes sliding over the empty space where Vok'Rul should have been.

"What are you doing here?" his dad asked, getting his emotions under control. Now, he seemed worried. "What are those marks on your neck? Did you break your arm?"

"It's... kind of a long story," Viktor sighed. His dad arched his eyebrow as if to say I got time, and Viktor sat back a little, still pressing his knuckles against the glass. He took a deep breath.

And told him everything. How he had gotten thrown into a giant storage room on the ship. How he had searched for him for hours, only to come up with nothing. How, when they had landed on this planet, he had been taken by the ringmaster. How he wouldn't have survived had it not been for Pedro, Ezekiel, Aiko, and Nikolas. How they had gotten rescued after seven, nearly eight months. How he had gotten adopted by Vok'Rul a few weeks later. How he was learning their language. How he was going to rescue everybody.

Maybe it wasn't quite everything; he had stalled and stuttered over the arena, unable to part with all the details that came with the nightmare he had lived in for seven months. But he had managed to get enough out.

By the time he finished, nearly out of breath and his voice scratchy from talking for ten minutes straight, his dad had a dazed expression on his face. He had warred between being relieved that his son was here in front of him, angry that these aliens had hurt him, and upset that he hadn't been able to save him from such a fate. Viktor frowned slightly when he didn't say anything.

"Dad, you okay?" he asked with concern.

"Yes, yeah, I'm fine. Great, even. You're here! I can't believe it," he sighed, rubbing his hand over his face in an achingly familiar way that made Viktor believe they were home, and not in a zoo. "Knowing that these fuckers hurt you is just... a little overwhelming, I guess," his dad continued, looking warily around at the crowd that had gathered to view their interaction. They had likely never seen them so close.

"It's okay," he tried to console, voice wavering slightly. He couldn't forget about how hurt he felt when Vok'Rul ignored him, nor the tumultuous anxiety in his gut about the thought of never going back to the mansion with him. "Vok'Rul's... nice."

His dad gave him a skeptical look. "He is!" Viktor defended.

"Then why do you look like you're seconds away from crying?" his dad asked him, logically. Viktor hated it.

"I am not," he said hotly. "I'm just... happy to see you."

Viktor's dad sighed but nodded, offering him a small smile. They both knew that there wasn't anything he could do. There was little point in getting into an argument over something they couldn't change. "I've missed you. I was worried I'd never see you again," he said, a bit choked up.

Nohkka was right in his ear, chattering and cooing at his dad. Viktor couldn't even mind that she was way too close to him, too enthused about seeing his dad again. "I've missed you, too. A lot."

His dad's head shifted, and he briefly looked down apologetically. "Sorry, guys!" he shouted down to the pair holding him up. "Listen, Viktor, is there any way you could-"

A loud wailing siren pervaded the air, startling everyone around Viktor. Loud alien words were buzzing and filling the air. They started to cause panic among the aliens. He let his head fall onto the glass with a thunk. Why him?

"Oh my god," he heard his dad say with exasperation. "This always happens."

"What's happening?"

"This weird lizard creature always escapes. I don't know how this zoo is even still in business. I guess it hasn't managed to hurt anyone, to my knowledge. This is the third time it's been out," his dad explained. "Listen, just go to the exit. The aliens always manage to wrangle it pretty quickly. They go for big targets, so you should be pretty safe." His worried tone belied his words.

Viktor worked his mouth silently, blurting out, "Third time?!" before he realized exactly what kind of lizard creature his dad was talking about. "Fuck."

"Hey!" his dad said encouragingly, though he did squint at the swear. "It's alright! They'll get it back. If you see it, just hide behind some alien. They're venomous, though, so be careful." But Viktor was shaking his head.

"Not to us," he nearly whispered.

"What?" his dad asked, but he wasn't listening. "Viktor, how do you know that?!"

Vok'Rul was out there. Viktor had only been pitted against the snake creature in the arena, where he had been the only target. If what his dad said was true, then they'd go for the largest target. And Vok'Rul, with his stupid bleeding heart, would be in the thick of it.

"Kohgrash, pora!" he distantly heard Rukka say as she swiftly picked up a worried Nohkka. He felt the leash slacken. He quickly stood up.

"I gotta find Vok'Rul," he told his dad in a rush, quickly stepping back from the glass and picking up his leash before Rukka and Kac noticed.

"It's just an alien," his dad said, voice hard with worry. "Go to the exit, don't bother with it."

Viktor shook his head, brows pinching together in concern. "He's not just an alien, Dad."

"No!" his dad shouted, slamming his fist on the glass to emphasize his point. It made Viktor jump out of his skin. "No, you can't, Viktor. You go to the exit, right now!"

"No, no, I gotta- I need to find him," Viktor explained in a rush, looking around quickly. His breathing quickened as adrenaline started pumping through his veins. Rukka and Kac were already on their way, likely thinking he was right behind him. This was his chance to slip away.

"NO!" his dad was frantic, now, and Viktor couldn't blame him. "No, Viktor. Listen to me! Forget about that stupid alien, he's nothing-"

"HE'S MY FRIEND!" Viktor screamed at him. He saw Rukka and Kac turn around, startled. Kac started walking toward him, pushing through the crowds of aliens who were rushing toward the exit.

"I'm sorry," he told his dad, already moving away. He sprinted through the crowd, ignoring his dad's shouts of 'Viktor!' and Kac's calls for him to come here. He dodged tails and legs, thankful that not one alien seemed to notice him.

The crowd soon thinned, and even though he still felt like he was pushing through tar, he ran faster. Some aliens in uniforms started running in the same direction as him, and he quickly followed.

His heart was thumping unevenly in his chest, emphasizing his fear with each beat. He felt like throwing up. The fear was choking him.

Sure enough, he quickly found Vok'Rul right where he'd expected him to be. There were a couple of aliens surrounding him, placating him with words that Viktor couldn't hear. The taller alien looked concerned, and also a bit irritated, likely having been made aware this was a constant issue.

Something loosened in his chest. He was okay! Viktor slowed his dead sprint to a light jog, ribs heaving with the effort of breathing the thin air. He had a stitch in his side. "Hey, Vok'Rul!" he shouted, waving his arms.

"Neyk!" Vok'Rul yelled at him, throwing out a hand. Viktor skidded to a halt, hunching his shoulders slightly. Was Vok'Rul still mad at him?

A familiar skittering noise behind sent chills up his spine, making his blood run cold. He whirled around, already loosening his stance. His knees bent, Viktor studied the snake creature in front of him.

Like the one he had fought in the arena, it had six legs, a snake head, and a short tail. Unlike the other one, though, this one was a vivid yellow and red with splatterings of black, reminding him of a coral snake. Instead of the green slime that dripped from the arena snakes' mouths, this one had a sick, putrid yellow sludge instead. It was looking straight at him, eyes alight with a feral gleam he hadn't quite seen in the arena.

"You look pretty venomous!" he shouted to it, ensuring its attention was on him, stepping backward toward Vok'Rul. He could see some of the staff slowly inching around him out of the corner of his eye.

The snake let out a loud hiss, curling up on itself that Viktor knew to be a preparation to pounce. Its mouth was open, dripping sludge onto the ground. It fizzled when it made contact. Viktor opened his mouth in a vicious snarl, ready to bite back.

Loud protests behind him distracted Viktor. His eyes flickered off the opponent in front of him for a split second, jerking his head in reflex to Vok'Rul's voice. He heard scuffling and whipped his head back, taking a few stumbling steps backward.

The snake creature pounced, mouth wide open. The inside of its mouth was a deep purple. Its fangs caught the sun. It caught Viktor off guard. Those few precious seconds he had wasted in turning his attention to Vok'Rul had cost him his defense. He raised his cast in front of his face, ready to catch its fangs on the tough material.

And let out a strangled gasp as something hooked onto the back of his harness, yanking him backward. He watched in shock, fear filling his entire body, as Vok'Rul's arm took his place.

"NO!" he screamed, unable to get his feet under him fast enough to grab the beast before its fangs sunk into the alien's tough skin. It pierced through with startling ease, injecting its venom straight into Vok'Rul's' blood.

Vok'Rul let out a pained growl. Viktor finally, finally, got his balance back, and he lunged, tackling the creature off of Vok'Rul. He felt hot blood spray onto the side of his face with the force he used to remove the beast. He pinned it to the ground. Its six legs clawed against him, scraping against his stomach, arms, and legs.

A muffled thump and alarmed shouts started up behind him. Burning rage sliced through his skin. His vision tunneled, blurring at the sides, as he focused on nothing except the creature underneath his hands. He raised his fist, connecting it over and over with the snake's skull. It hissed wildly, biting his arm when it could. Viktor felt small pinpricks of pain racing up his arm as it bit him, but he couldn't care less.

Viktor lurched forward, feeling the creature writhe as he sunk his teeth into its throat. The citrus twang of its blood filled his mouth and immediately began sizzling. Its cries got louder, and Viktor screamed back wordlessly, punching it to make it stop.

One of its legs got out from underneath him, and it pushed its claws against his face. Viktor felt his own blood sliding down his cheek and neck as it sliced open his skin, temple to jaw. Viktor growled around its throat, biting down harder.

He put his hand on the bottom of its jaw, pushing its head upward. As he did so, he reared backward, pulling out a chunk of its throat with him. It still writhed on the ground, muscles contracting in its death. Viktor spat out the piece of meat in his mouth, trying to hold back his revulsion.

Blood dripped down his chin, burning, and onto his sweater, fizzling when it made contact with the material. He turned around quickly, eyes wild as he located Vok'Rul. Unfamiliar aliens were surrounding him, and Viktor let out a wordless snarl as he stepped up to the alien.

"Go away!" he screamed at them, waving his arms and trying to look menacing. It probably helped that he had blood everywhere on his person. They scrambled back hastily.

Viktor crouched over Vok'Rul's head, baring his teeth at anyone who tried to come near him. He didn't know these aliens. What if they had known that Vok'Rul had been coming to the zoo, and this had been some sick attempt at assassination? It had happened before, and now it was happening again.

Viktor looked down at Vok'Rul's face and then wished he hadn't. It was pale, too pale. His eyes were half-lidded and unfocused, though they did remain on Viktor's form overhead. He couldn't tell if that was just his wishful thinking.

The alien's arm where he had gotten bit was bloodied, swollen, and leaking yellow venom. There were two long tears where Viktor had ripped the creature off him. Alarmingly, it was starting to turn black.

Hysteria creeping up on him, Viktor pressed his hands to the wound, pressing down harshly. Vok'Rul growled, guttural and loud, underneath him. His limbs twitched, but he didn't move more than that. There were protests from the surrounding aliens - workers that could've easily orchestrated this, Viktor quickly reminded himself - but a loud shout quickly had them backing off. Some of them broke away, leaving the pair on the ground. But Viktor didn't care. Fewer aliens to watch over never hurt anyone.

"It'll be okay," he whispered to the nearly incoherent alien, hating the way his voice choked up. The loud sirens had shut off, which he had barely noticed. Now, though, there were new sirens from far off. "Listen, the ambulance is here." There were more footsteps coming from around them, and Viktor was distantly aware of Rukka, Kac, and Nohkka coming into view. He got distracted, however.

"Kohgrash," Vok'Rul gasped, bringing his hand up to wrap around his ankle. It was trembling so badly that Viktor held it in his hands instead, mindful of the venom on his person. "Tas prosh, Kohgrash'mrr."

"What?" he whispered, gripping his fingers tightly. "What are you-"

There was a pinprick of pain on his back, and he whirled around, teeth bared and already snarling. There was an alien behind him, equipped with what looked to be a gun. Arms heavy, he twisted behind him to grab the dart from his skin.

"You stupid mother fuckers," he snarled, gripping Vok'Rul's fingers painfully. "If you hurt him... I'll... kill... you," he promised, tongue too large in his mouth as the effects of the tranquilizer quickly superseded his will to remain alert.

He felt his eyes roll up into the back of his head. The last thing he remembered was collapsing on the ground beside Vok'Rul before unconsciousness took him.

***

Vocabulary:

flakmmn: sorry, informal

kas tih: it's okay

keti: look

lorka: home

'mrr: my/mine, usually added onto the end of someone's name

neyk: stop, no

pora: come

prosh: good

tas: you're