He was floating… Weightlessly drifting through nothingness for what felt like an eternity. He saw nothing, heard nothing, and couldn't seem to find anything to grasp onto. He tried to move, or open his eyes, but nothing worked.

What was happening? Was this what death felt like? But he never had a chance to answer these questions, as he was pulled back into unconsciousness a second later.

The next time he woke he wasn't floating, he was falling. His body hit the ground, and he couldn't get back up. He still saw nothing, but he heard cracking and crumbling, and felt something painful stabbing him in multiple places. It was so hot, what was going on now? He tried again to move, to open his eyes, but once again he failed.

Suddenly, he wasn't alone, he felt hands grabbing him, jostling him. A voice, it was speaking to him, but he could barely make out what they were saying. He opened his mouth, he tried to respond, but once again he faded away.

The third time, he was grounded. There was something soft wrapped around him, and something plush beneath him. He heard a gentle beeping nearby, and the sound of footsteps. Everything is different… He thought, and decided to try one last time.

He took a deep breath, and flexed his fingers. To his shock, they responded. He pushed further, and felt his hand squeeze the fabric beneath him. It's working… Then does that mean… He took one more inhale, and then slowly opened his eyes.

The room was a pale blue color, with fluorescent lights above him. He turned to the left, and found a window, but all he could see outside was a purple coloured sky. Purple? How odd… He turned to the right, and noticed a beeping monitor, and a mechanical-looking nightstand with a plethora of buttons on its front.

"A hospital…" He whispered, and winced. His throat felt dry, it hurt to speak. Water… He pushed his hands onto the bed, and forced himself up. As he turned to look at the nightstand, hoping for water, only to make a disappointed sigh at the sight of none.

He turned back to the window, and froze at the sight of his reflection. In the shiny glass, he could just make out what he looked like. Silky black hair, pale skin, and red eyes that seemed to glow… No, they were glowing. Was that… Normal?

Then, he suddenly realized that he didn't know. He wasn't sure if the glowing was normal, because he wasn't sure of anything. His name? His age? His home? It was gone, all gone. What happened to me?! Where am I?! Who am I?!

As soon as the beeping on the heart monitor picked up, the monitor suddenly spun around to face him. "Please remain calm, your vital signs are reaching dangerous levels. A doctor will be here to speak to you shortly!" A cheerful voice declared.

"Ah!" The young man jumped backwards, his back hitting the window. "You… You talk?!"

"Certainly!" The monitor chirped. "It is my objective to calm down panicked patients!"

"Well you're not doing that, you're freaking me out!" The man snapped at the robot.

"Understood! Deactivating voice module temporarily!" The monitor declared, turning away, and returning to a simple beeping noise.

At the same time, the door at the edge of the room slid open, and two people walked in. One of them was a tall, blue skinned person with green eyes while another was purple skinned with bright yellow eyes. Both wore white clothes, which reminded him of a doctor, and the purple one held a transparent looking screen and was tapping on it.

Somehow, despite not recalling anything about himself, he could tell their appearances weren't what he was used to. He felt overwhelmed with questions, to the point he couldn't speak, unsure of which one he could ask first.

Thankfully, the purple skinned one noticed his confusion. "Ah, hello. Tell me, can you understand me?"

"Y-yes…" He whispered, still pressed against the window.

The stranger looked down at the screen, and tapped a few times. "Good, it seems the translator is working both ways. That should make this easier." He handed the screen to the blue skinned alien, and looked back at his patient. "My name is Eter, and this is my assistant Garce. What's your name?"

The red eyed man shuddered and shook his head. "I… Don't know..." He forced out of his sore throat, feeling ashamed at his own lack of knowledge.

"So the scans were correct…" Garce muttered, suddenly looking irritated. "They are getting more careful."

"I'm afraid so…" Eter replied, his own expression one of sadness as he knit his green eyebrows together.

The amnesiac looked between them, and a frown graced his thin lips. "What…" He coughed, and rubbed his throat. "What are you talking about?"

"You will find out soon, but first we need to give you a check up." Eter set the tablet on the metal nightstand. "You have been asleep for a long time, I want to make sure you are healthy before you learn what happened to you.

Knowing he didn't have much of a choice, and eager to understand what was going on, the red eyed young man slowly scooted to the edge of the bed and gave a nod. "Alright…"

Several pokes, prods, vital checks, and chugs of water later, the young man was led out of the room by the two healers and led down a hall and elevator.

Along the way, he allowed his eyes to wander. He noticed that there were many types of people in this hospital. Whether patients or doctors, they were a variety of colors, shapes, and sizes. Some had fur, some had scales, others had smooth skin. Out of all of that, one thing stuck out to him the most… None of them looked like him.

Eventually they made it to a room that seemed to be an office, but he was once again put off by the unfamiliarity of it. The technology was all highly advanced, the potted plants were strange, and the purple sky through the windows made sure to be the cherry on top of the weirdness.

Standing and waiting in the room was a pale, blue skinned stranger with white hair and pointed ears. As he caught sight of the red eyed man, he moved to approach him and dipped his head "It is good to see you awake."

That voice… It was familiar. "You…" He squinted and tilted his head. "You held me, you were talking to me…"

"Yes, that was me. I was one of the men who rescued you."

The amnesiac tilted his head to the other side. "Rescued?"

The newest stranger looked past him, to the doctor. Eter let out a soft sigh. "I'm afraid his memories have been wiped. Just like the ones from before."

"Before?" The red eyed man made a frustrated noise. "Can someone please explain to me what is going on?!"

The doctor and officer seemed to remember they were not alone, and that the person they were talking about was standing between them. After an awkward silence, they quickly moved behind the desk. "Er, yes. Here, have a seat. We will explain the best we can."

He allowed himself to sit in the plush chair, and leaned forward curiously. "Please, tell me everything you can." He began for them, not wanting to waste any time.

"Of course." The white haired man sat down as well, and cleared his throat. "My name is Pezal, I am a Galactic Officer. We do our best to maintain peace throughout all corners of space, no matter the planet they may be from. During a sting of an illegal science group, we found several different outposts they were using. One of these outposts had been nearly destroyed, and this is where we found you."

The red eyed man suddenly felt a pain in his head. He reached up and groaned as flashes ran through him. He remembered floating, pain, needles, something within him building up and then fire. "I was… I was an experiment?"

Pezal took the tablet from Eter and tapped on it. "Not at first. They didn't create you, you were abducted. These labs know they can easily be caught if they are not careful, so they take new test subjects from planets that they believe won't notice their presence or miss who they took."

He reached over the desk to hand the tablet to the young man, who took it from him and held it close. There was an image on the screen of a planet with green pieces of land and blue water. He scanned the name, and looked back at the alien. "Earth? They took me from Earth?"

Pezal nodded grimly. "You are a human from Earth. I am afraid Earth tends to be a prime target for these labs. It is a primitive planet, and its species tend to adapt well to new environments with time. They don't pick people on purpose, unfortunately you were just in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"Earth…" He whispered again, but the name felt unfamiliar on his tongue.

"You must forgive us for not reacting much to your loss of memories." Garce said from behind him. "These men do their best to not get caught, and one of the ways they ensure that is by wiping memories of their test subjects. We have treated many of their victims, and unfortunately have seen this before."

"Too many times…" Eter agreed as he lowered his head.

The red eyed man frowned, as he stared at the tablet. The information was making his head spin, he felt sick. "So… You have no idea who I am…"

"I am afraid not." Pezal admitted as he folded his thin hands together. "But do not worry, we will assign you a new identity, and take you to the shelter here on this planet. They will help you assimilate."

The young man frowned. "Assimilate?" He looked at the planet on the screen, and then back at Pezal and Eter. "What do you mean? Why can't you just take me back to Earth?"

Garce made a sigh from behind him. "It's impossible. Earth is a no-contact planet. All the planets in that solar system are. It's illegal to go there, even if you are from there."

"Why?!" He demanded as he began to grow frustrated.

"Primitive planets are dangerous. You can never know how they will react to the fact there is other life in the universe." Pezal opened his sharp eyes. "So, the Galactic System set up a law. Contact of any kind with these planets is forbidden until they peacefully contact us."

Eter nodded. "Unfortunately, that means that if you are taken off one of those planets, you are forbidden to go back. I'm sorry, young man, but that's just the way it works."

Pezel held out a hand for the tablet. "Despite that rule, do not think we will discriminate against you. You will be safe, and free to go to the permitted planets in the galaxy if you want. We will help you get settled, okay?"

No! No, that can't be true! That's a stupid rule! I want to go back! Earth is my home! I want to know who I am! He wanted to throw the tablet, cry, scream, demand to go back, but the splash of hopelessness washed away those feelings before he could.

With a defeated sigh, he looked down mournfully at his planet, gave the tablet back, and nodded. "Okay…"

It was a couple days before he was released, with his new documents and other items they thought he'd need, such as books about technology and how primitive and advanced planets differ. They probably had handed out these books plenty of times, to other victims of these abductors.

The shelter was a tall skyscraper of a building, shaped like a corkscrew and with several people coming in and out. Pezel brought him inside, and explained the situation to the scaly young man at the front desk.

Once they finished talking, Pezel approached him, and handed him a card. "I can't stay longer than this. But if you ever remember anything about your abductors, or need help, feel free to contact me." He gave a small, sad frown. "And… I'm sorry."

The red eyed young man watched the officer walk away, and looked down at the card. He stuffed it in his baggy pants just as the scaly alien walked up. "Follow me, I'll lead you to your assigned room! You can stay as long as you need, this is a haven to all those displaced."

Displaced… I wasn't displaced… He thought with a frown, hating the word the man had used. I was abducted, I was stolen.

The bedroom was a simple room, with a dresser, closet, and bed in an indent in the wall. The farthest wall had a window that showed off the sky, and ships taking off from various parts of the city. According to the worker, there was also a communal area on each floor where everyone could gather and eat food, or talk.

"If you need help, there is a button in the communal area, and a phone in every room." The scaly alien placed his hand diagonally across his chest, and dipped his head. "I hope you enjoy your stay at the shelter."

As soon as the door shut, he found himself haphazardly throwing his small suitcase on the bed and shaking his head. "Enjoy my stay? What else am I supposed to do? It's not like I have anywhere else to go…"

He stood in the room for several minutes, staring down at the blank identification he had been given. He was told, once he had chosen a name, he could turn it in and officially become a citizen of the Galactic System. They make it sound so simple… What am I supposed to choose? I can't even remember my own name, let alone what other Earth names sound like.

With a frustrated sigh, he shoved the card back in his pocket, and decided to leave the room. Being alone with his own thoughts didn't seem like a good idea.

As he walked down the hall, he poked his head into the communal area and noticed a group of other aliens sitting on the circular couch, watching something colorful on the floating screen. He frowned, they all seemed so at ease. Had they grown to enjoy this strange place, or had they just become resigned to their fate?

Eventually, one of the ones that was facing sideways noticed him lurking in the entrance. He turned and made a surprised noise. "Oh, it's an Earthling! The newbie is an Earthling!"

They all turned to face him, with one of them looking particularly happy. With a start, he realized that the man looked like him. He was older, with a scruffy beard and head of hair, but he was human.

"Oh! Well look at that!" He hopped up, and limped over to the frozen young man. "Good to see another one of my kind, it's been ages, and these guys aren't the best company!"

"Oi!" One of the aliens teasingly yelled, only to be ignored.

The old human smiled. "My name is Franklin Smith. Not the best name, but it's the only one I got. What about you?" He held out a hand. When he turned his red eyes downward, he noticed it was made of metal. As his eyes moved further downward, he saw both of his legs were as well. It seems I'm not the only human to go through something.

He slowly took the hand, and shook it. "I don't have one yet…" He admitted, still feeling ashamed, especially when the man's brown eyes gained a look of pity.

"Ah, I see. You're one of the lab kids, huh?" He sighed and shook his head. "Damn them. I wish someone could stop them. I miss Earth, but at least I remember it. You got nothin, and I think that's even worse, you know?"

The red eyed man frowned. "How would I know if it's worse? I didn't even know I was from Earth until someone else told me…"

The metal arm clasped his shoulder and squeezed. "Hey, it's okay to be upset, kid. Don't worry, most of us here know what you're going through."

When the young man looked back at the couch, he realized Franklin was right. Most of the others in the room had similar looks of sadness- no, that wasn't right -similar looks of understanding.

"How long have you been… Off planet?"

Hours had gone by, with the red eyed man and Franklin the only ones left in the living room. They sat on the floor, talking to one another even as the sky grew dark and the others retired to bed, with the only light coming from the small lamp, and his own glowing red eyes.

The old man hummed thoughtfully, and rubbed his beard. "Well… If I had to guess, I'd say over thirty Earth years? Time works differently on each planet, so it's hard to keep track. I was abducted, but a ship accident stopped me from ending up like you- no offense."

He shrugged. "None taken."

"But what about you? I know they wiped your brain, but do you remember anything at all? Maybe what kind of experiments they did?" Franklin asked as he leaned forward.

The raven haired man shuddered. "I don't remember much, all I remember about that is pain…" He closed his eyes and shook away the memories. "W-why do you ask?"

"It's your eyes."

Involuntarily, he opened them. "My eyes?"

Franklin stared into his red gaze curiously. "Yes. I've never seen anything like them. They're glowing, they're always glowing. It's almost enchanting, it reminds me of Mars… One of the planets near Earth."

The man suddenly made an excited noise. "I know! Your name should be Deimos! It's a Mars moon! It's perfect for you!"

"Deimos... Deimos…" He said it a few times, and then hummed. "I think that sounds nice."

Franklin looked a little perturbed by his odd reaction. "Aww, can't you be a little more excited? I did just name you, after all."

The newly named Deimos chuckled and gave a smirk. "My bad, thank you for the magnificent name~" He dramatically bowed his head. "I shall cherish it always!"

"Pfft, well now you're just being an asshole."

They chuckled again, and then turned their gaze back to the window. It was completely dark outside, except for the endless stars in the sky. They fell into a silence as they both admired the scenery. Eventually, his human companion let out a sad sigh.

"Hey… Do you think that someone on Earth misses us?"

Deimos shrugged his shoulders. "I wouldn't know. I can't remember…"

The old man sighed. "I know… And honestly, it's been so long, I don't either… But…" He looked back at Deimos. "It's a nice thought, isn't it?"

The raven haired young man looked back towards the stars. Somewhere out there, his home planet continued to spin without him. He wondered, if his memories came back, would there really be anyone waiting for him? He wasn't sure, and knew it was likely he never would, so…

"Yeah. It is a nice thought…"

Far away on planet Earth, in the interesting city of Ikebukuro, a young man stopped walking, and stared off in the distance. For a long moment, he said nothing, his gaze fixated on the nothing in particular as he took deep breaths,

"Shizuo!"

He jolted, and turned back around to see his senpai. "We have one last debt to collect today, remember?" The older man gave him a concerned look, and followed his gaze. "You spaced out for a bit. What are you thinking about?"

"Nothing…" He quickly said, only to frown at his own words. He had a weird feeling, one that he wasn't sure how to articulate. "Well… It's just… Does the air seem cleaner recently?"

Tom made a thoughtful noise, and took a deep inhale of his own. "I'm not sure? It is spring after all, maybe all the plants are helping with the pollution?"

"Yeah… Maybe…"

The debt collector raised an eyebrow. "Well, whatever the case, we can't worry about that now. Let's collect this last debt, and then we can head home, and you can come up with air related theories all night. Sounds good?"

Shizuo made a noise of agreement, and turned to follow after his senpai again. He pulled his cigarette out of his mouth, and blew a puff of smoke into the air. That weird feeling was still there, so he tried to focus on something else, and found his gaze being pulled upwards.

The stars sure are beautiful tonight.