The falcon and the hourglass

Huang Zitao remembers the feeling of being carried and flying above rustling trees. He remembers the air punching his body and suffering from severe vertigo. He remembers sailing down and being placed on the damp ground covered in leaves, humidity making his feverish body sweat. When he opens his eyes he sees double for the first few seconds. Then he sees Wu Yifan's shadow on the leaves, his arms around his knees, his figure imperceivably growing, reflected by the flames of a fresh-made fire. Yifan has shape-shifted from a child to an adolescent to a man in the scope of only a few hours. The old man on their home planet must know some intense voodoo none of them have ever experienced, Tao thinks to himself. It takes only a moment for him to remember the anger he felt earlier when Yifan decided to attack his friends and the outrage he feels at being taken forcefully from them.

Swiftly, Tao leaps into the air and kicks Yifan in the back of the neck, making sure he sends him in the opposite direction of the fire. He wants to hurt him, not kill him. At least not yet.

Yifan yelps in surprise and propulses himself from the ground. That's right, Yifan can fly and he has probably regained more of his strength now, he realizes.  He gives Tao a puzzling look, it expresses annoyance, but the rage from before is gone. There is something more like guilt that gives his stare a different aura than the hateful, apathetic expression Tao is used to. But Tao is not done quite yet. As soon as Yifan's toes touch the ground again he spins through the air and kicks his arm, slicing the air with his outstretched palm and hitting vital points, tumbling down on the wet leaves, landing behind Yifan's back and pushing him away. His eyes express surprise now, reflecting Tao's determination and his frown.

"What? You're not going to fight back?" Zitao cries out. "You're not going to punch me? Call me names? Insult me and doubt me? Make me feel weak?", Tao pants, his anger making his breathing heavy, his clenched fists ready to break flesh and draw blood. "I have trained all these years and gotten better at martial arts, maybe secretely I did it so I could finally give you the beating you deserve. Even back home you loved hurting me and everyone who cared about you, and now all this time you stayed hidden from us on Earth and hated us? Hated us for what? Something that was beyond our control? What is wrong with you?" Tao screams and rushes forward, not even using his wushu techniques anymore, just charging like a wild animal, driven mad by old scars.

Yifan doesn't manage to lift high enough the ground to avoid the blow in time. He could easily under normal conditions, but he is too shocked with this new person his old friend seems to have become. Inside him, anger battles guilt. Part of him wants to fight back, part of him wants to sit there and take it, knowing he deserves some of it. He redresses himself and manages to fly to a nearby tree.

"You are about to hate me even more, Tao", Yifan finally speaks with a deep, husky voice. His transformation is complete, he looks as one should look at his age. The old man's spell is finally broken.

"Why? Because I already know you took me so you would age faster without being surrounded by the others. You used me... Wow, what a shock! Oh wait, you used to do that when we were growing up too. I was always the scapegoat because I was too kind, too naive and too scared. And yet I still cared about you, I still wanted to be around you because I thought you were so cool and I wanted to be like you. And I don't know why because you're a bully and a jerk". Tao tries to keep it together but his lips are starting to tremble, his voice choking up.

"I am a jerk. And evil. Might as well call me Damien. And I seem to attract kind souls around me. First you, then Luhan. How you put up with me, I don't know... I am starting to realize this. Maybe it's because I have been trapped in the body of a child for four years now. Maybe that put things into perspective. I was still angry though. Still wanted my revenge. Which brings me to why I said you are about to hate me even more..." Yifan does something Tao never remembers him doing. His downward-slanted eyes stare at his feet from under his large eyebrows and he seems to be ashamed. "Tao...I am sorry."

"What did you do?" Tao asks in horror, a horrible feeling washing over him.

"I betrayed all of you. Sold you off to the humans looking for you. Humans who, let's say, aren't out for a friendly chat. They came to us and I did not hesitate to strike a deal with them, giving Luhan and I safety, knowing very well they could harm you. Or worse. And right after I took you, they attacked Sehun's mansion and took them. All of them. Including Luhan. I followed them, though. I flew us close to where they took them. It seems like a research lab" Yifan says this in a monotone, hollow voice.

Throughout Yifan's confession, Tao's expression changes from shock, to horror, to bubbling rage. His nose and cheekbones twitch as he leaps at Yifan again, throwing him to the ground, screaming and crying and punching.

"Why did you do that? How could you do something like that? If they die, I swear to God... I will make sure I send you to the underworld with plenty of scars to match! You son of a ! I thought you cared about us!"

"I did until I thought you left us for dead! I thought you didn't care! Don't you see? All this time... I just had anger! But now I know the whole story and I know it wasn't like some of you didn't look for us on Earth. And you couldn't back home. The old man is to blame for everything! Don't you see?"

"No! It's not just the old man! He helped us escape! Maybe he punished you because he could foretell your despicable, disgusting crimes. And Luhan was just caught in the fire. I hate you! Where are they? Take me to them!" Tao holds Yifan by the collar, staring at his bloodied face and swollen cheeks that make him feel a bit better.

"I will. I will help them escape. I want to make things right. I was cruel and ruthless and blind. I see that now. I hated you all and this planet and only wanted to go home. Can you please forgive me?" Again, Yifan looks like he has never looked before, losing his cool and staring back at his old friend with begging eyes, looking almost at peace in his surrender.

"You want to go back home? There is no home for us there! Our so-called home wants us dead. The Emperor is no more. His brother killed him and now they are sending an army to kill us and take over this planet"

"I know, Tao. I know. But we can fight together and get Xia and get the old man and stop them. But let's go get the others. I see them in the distance, they are on the roof of the building. It has to be a good sign, it means they escaped the facility."

"Yifan...I will never forgive you for this. Once this is over, you are dead to me. You hear me?" Tao clenches his fists, standing up and reluctantly preparing himself to be flown over.

Atop The C.I.A secret research laboratory. Location unknown. March 22nd, 2015.

Sirens are blaring and echoing across the empty, demolished builings surrounding a headquarters wrapped in electrical fences, bathed in helicopter lights and lasers, every inch scanned and recorded by cameras. There are screams and gunshots followed by silence when a gun , its steel body resting on Taeyon's temple.

"I know what you aliens can do but, fortunately for us, you seem to have human emotions and don't act out of sheer animal instinct. It seems as if you care about this girl and what happens to her. So you either do what you are told or I plant a bullet in her skull faster than you can use any of your powers on me. Got it?" Mr White grins with a wide smile and luminescent teeth under helicopter beams. Taeyeon gives a subtle approving look, silently suggesting they listen.

"Get in the van!" agent Nikolai shouts. The militia aggresively grab all nine boys, pushing them inside a small, black, seemingly bullet-proof van. They form a circle around them, shields hiding them from vision. Junmyeon frowns, staring quizzicaly at Taeyeon, wondering if there really is nothing she could do or if she has foreseen something and is still continuing her plan. He can feel the anger and the sense of helplessness everyone must be experiencing. He wishes he could summon a giant flood and drown this evil building. Chanyeol's eyes turn crimson as he squeezes his fists in exasperation, wishing he could roast the most evil humans he has encountered yet. He also thinks back to the prophecy, its words singed into his memory, burning like hot coal:

                                        "...the evil minds of people... the world backfired
                               The legend has gathered....Tree of Life
                               The Time is reversed
                               The Space is Illegal
                               ...................
                               Legends of the same place but you cannot meet each other
                               ....correctly combining the power of twelve

                               Will open a new world"

The evil nature of both Earthlings and the people from their planet has shown itself. The dire times the prophecy foretold have become a bleak reality. His hands are chained up and shackles are placed around his ankles, same for the others. Before shutting the vans' doors, three of the agents proceed to er punch them for sport, making their lips bleed and bruising their foreheads and cheeks. Chanyeol tastes blood in his mouth. It tastes like metal, iron or copper. He hasn't tasted this much and it makes him sick. He knows they are all thinking of ways to escape but they are too worried to act on them until they know Taeyeon is safe. The van starts moving, its destination unknown.

"Jongin, couldn't you just teleport away right now? Sehun asks, the idea suddenly dawning on him. "They wouldn't even notice, you're the only one who could do something about this and they wouldn't realize it until we reach our destination".

"Yeah, you should go..." Kyungsoo whispers sadly, placing his hand on Jongin's knee since he can't reach his shoulder. "Go and see if you can find Tao or Yifan and get us out."

"But I don't want to leave you. I don't want something to happen to you when I could have helped protect you. We are all here to keep each other safe, we are smarter and much much stronger than they!"

"But Jongin..."

"No, I'm not leaving you!" Jongin screams mournfully, staring down, feeling the others' stares.

"Umm...guys?" Yixing interrupts the awkward silence following Jongin's outburst.

"What?" Minseok asks.

"You have noticed Baekhyun's not with us right?"

"Oh, I was wondering why it got so quiet, Jongdae replies with a smirk.

"Okay, this is no time for jokes, obviously we have noticed", Junmyeon says fatherly, "This is a good thing because he probably would have gotten us all killed with Taeyeon under threat. I doubt he would have kept his cool and followed instructions with his lover under the gun. But I am worried about him..."

"Have some faith in him, Junmyeon, he is smarter than he seems, Yixing says calmly. I am sure he is hatching some kind of plan and driving himself mad.

A light shines in the darkness

The hands of a clock beat loudly in the distance. Tick tock. Tick tock. A loud alarm echoes as shots are fired and Baekhyun leaps forward. He takes down one agent after the next at the foot of the staircase, his rage turns his moral compass off, he has no remorse hurting these humans. His eyes turn bright white as he blinds the last agent who jumps him. He drags him at the head of the stairs leading onto the roof's plateau, stripping him of his police uniform, his shield and helmet and putting them on. He sees Taeyeon dragged into a car with Luhan after the helicopters pick everyone up and drop them off at the foot of the building. There are guns pointed at their heads. He sees the others being shoved into a van and beaten up. Every fiber of his being is telling him to rush there, to kill every single human and rescue Taeyeon and the others. But he knows that would be suicidal. He knows if he wants to be the hero, he has to play it smart. He waits for the car and the van to start moving before he uses the tazer he snatched among other weapons to electrocute the driver of the next van in line, using his disguise to get close without drawing suspicion. Luckily, the helmets the militia wear hide their faces completely. He starts the engine and speeds off, following the black van his friends are held captive in.

After about thirty minutes, the vans reach another destination, a building similar to the last one, only larger and even better guarded. Access is granted to them at the gate. He panicks when the gate closes after each van but he uses the card he finds in the pocket of his uniform, scans it and manages to get inside.

"Wait for me baby! I won't let them hurt you!" he says under his breath, thinking of Taeyeon. "A promise is never broken!"

White Noise

Mr. White and Agent Nikolai step out of their bulletproof, black-tinted car, the head doctor trailing behind them, holding a syringe. The doors of the van are opened and Junmyeon, Sehun, Chanyeol, Jongin, Kyungsoo, Yixing, Jongdae and Minseok step out.

Mr White frowns immediately, his eyes widening as he counts his prisoners.

"You fools! There is one missing! Apart from the two who escaped before. What is the meaning of this? Where is he?" his anger cannot hide his terror as he grabs Luhan by the throat.

"I thought we had a deal with you and the other kid, it seems like you went back on your word and now there are three missing! How about I dispose of you, telekinesis-boy? I have enough aliens to work with, cracking one egg won't do much harm!"

"Yo, Mister White! Former chief of police in Seattle. Robert Lucas White. Did some illegal stuff. Bribed your way and killed your way to this position in the C.I.A. Fourty-two years old. Blood type A. You drive a pompous midnight-blue Lamborghini Veneno. Literally one of the most expensive cars in the world! Overcompensating much? Cheated on your wife with the nanny, straight out of cliche-city! Let's see...What else?" Minseok shouts cockily with a superior grin.

"It's you! You're the hacker who's been deleting our files! Gotta say, I am dissapointed. You look like a dumb, harmless child. And yet you bypassed everything. I guess I have to kill our IT guys"

"Leave Luhan alone and take me instead! You have a bigger personal vendetta against me, don't you? Want to give me the special treatment and all that? Come on, punish me, you sadistic worm!" Minseok shouts, knowing how to get under White's skin.

Former chief of police in Seattle, R. L. White foams at the mouth as he pushes Luhan away and grabs Minseok, sticking a syringe into his neck.

"No!" Luhan shrieks, pulling the syringe out of White's hand with his mind and slamming it onto the ground, a strange substance coming out of it.

"It's too late! All of them already have this in them! It's a little concoction we created to trigger a mutation boost in their genes in our attempt to control them. They were all injected with it when they were under anesthesia earlier. You and the girl still have to receive this medicine! Hahaha, you aliens think you're so much better than us! You're nothing but monsters and mutants!

Deep Breath

It's at this point in time that Jongin starts thinking about the barren wastelands, the evil within the humans' hearts and how he wants to bring the flood. Kyungsoo falls down shaking, coughing up blood and the others follow. He feels a wave wash over him. It's not a gentle wave. It's a hungry, crimson wave of thick blood. His eyes become red and wild and everything goes black. All he sees is Kyungsoo on his knees, suffering, bleeding, shaking. He hears his frantic heart. He hears his ego and superego fighting inside his subconscious but the evil side of him is winning.

Jongin leaps at White, grabbing his neck and lifting him above the ground. He hears him suffocating, his tongue swelling in his mouth, his eyes popping out of his head. He squeezes mercilessly until he hears a crunch. He feels the soft veins like fragile twigs under the rubbery skin and he wants to break each one. Agents attack him from all sides, first trying to tackle him. He pushes them all away as if they were balloons and weighed nothing. Then they try to shoot him. He teleports away, letting go in time for White to catch a breath, his face turning purple as he squirms on the ground. Jongin is moving faster than the speed of light appearing and disappearing as he pleases, making the agents and the militia fall down, hurting some, killing others who try to kill him. There is blood everywhere. There are bodies and fallen helmets and shields. In no time Jongin is standing atop a pyramid of bodies, staring with wild eyes and an unnerving smirk at the corner of his mouth as he wipes the blood off his lip. The others watch the whole scene in horror and shock. And yet a part of them wants to do the same. This has to be whatever they injected in them.

Kyungsoo tries to stand up, his clothes ripped and bloodied.

"Jongin, stop! Please, stop! You're scaring everybody.... You're scaring me..."

Jongin snaps into focus, a final "What have I done?" thought lighting up dimly in his mind and the image of a crying, worried Kyungsoo before he passes out.

Chaos breaks out as more agents pop up, opening fire and shooting them with tranquilizers. Before they know it, they are in the van once more, their bodies and spirits broken, whatever venom was shot in them making them go insane and wanting to rip their flesh out.

"Jongin went insane out there!" Chanyeol shouts. Are we all going to become like that? What did they do to us? Was it not enough we have to deal with our planet? Now these insane, sadistic humans who want to use us like some sort of freak soldiers in their wars?"

"Chanyeol, shh...." Junmyeon beckons.

Kyungsoo is holding Jongin's hand, feeling afraid of the one he loves the most in this world for the first time. That was not Jongin out there. Was that the effect of what was injected or did he become like that just to protect him? What scares him the most is that he has dreamt of this before. Just as he has dreamt of shadows and eclipses and the end of the world. Jongin going insane and sitting atop a pyramid of bodies has been a recurrent dream. And it usually ends badly. Kyungsoo continues to squeeze Jongin's hand, praying he can somehow send sanity and calmness to him magically. But he feels helpless. He puts his head on Jongin's chest, right under his chin and feels a soft and weak breath. His pupils are moving rapidly under his eyelids as if he is having a bad dream.

"Jongin, I'm here. Come back to us..."

Before he can finish his thought, Kyungsoo sees a bright shining light right outside the van and a loud thump. Then stillness, the sound of footsteps and the doors of the van being pushed open. It is one of the guards. He is determined to harm whoever it is if he or she is here to harm him or his friends. He squints his eyes and pure evil flashes across his face as the guard starts taking his helmet off. There is a metal clink and a familiar ear, cheek, chin, mouth, nose, eyes and wet hair. The guard is Baekhyun. Baekhyun is the guard. Kyungsoo shakes his head in confusion.

"Baekhyun?"  everyone asks at the same time, wide-eyed.

"Yours truly! I am the white knight to you damsels in distress! he smiles cheekily, taking a key out of his pocket and unlocking their hand and leg cuffs.

"See? I told you he'd come through! Yixing half-smiles exhausted. Let's save Luhan and Taeyeon and get out of here..."

"Oh, Junmyeon doubted me? Pffftt! What's wrong with Jongin?"

"Don't ask....let's go! Yixing can try to heal him on our way"

She's Dreaming

Taeyeon opens her eyes, finding herself hanging down, her wrists tied to a string descending from the ceiling in an empty room. But opening her eyes is unnecessary. She has seen everything that is going to happen in her dream, possible scenarios rising and crumbling with the progression of events. She sees Baekhyun in his disguise, a pyramid of bodies and one possessed atop it, despair, pain and tears. A sky covered in invading spaceships. Death. Mourning. Rage. Catastrophic phenomena felt all around the world. Fires, famine, floods, disease. She senses Yifan and Tao are on the way and hopes that the prophecy can still be fulfilled but the chances are starting to dwindle and the balance shifts towards tragedy, loss and nothingness. Why has she been destined to see these things? Why can she not forget everything she sees? Why can't every day start anew with forgetfullness, a fresh canvas and no memories of pain? If she could only keep one memory, why can it not be that of love? Why can she not dream solely of butterfly kisses, of feathery touches, of dewey lips, gentle breaths, the warmth of lovers tangled in love's embrace? Why can she not dream of heaven? Or her vision of heaven? Why must it be purgatory, a neverending limbo between heaven and hell, a dance of death, juggling swords atop a volcano? Since arriving on Earth, Taeyeon has felt real sunlight bathe her face, real wind caress her hair, real water soothe her body. And yet they want to destroy this world and corrupt it until it becomes as artificial as Kepler.

The Oracle's dream materializes like the smoke rings of the caterpillar.

Spaceships cover the sky, a funeral procession lead by an old, mad wiseman. The falcon and the hourglass have shown themselves as well.

"I am here, apprentice. And you will be mine!" Taeyeon hears these words in her dream right before a loud explosion and deafening ringing in her ears.