“I appreciate you taking the time for this meeting.” Professor Kim poured the coffee from the small pot he made earlier into the mug he was drinking from. He gestured towards Luhan, offering him a cup. Luhan just smiled and shook his head politely.

                “It’s my pleasure.” Luhan replied.

                “I just wanted to check on your research progress.” Professor Kim said, tapping his pen against the table. “How is it coming?”

                “It’s coming along well I suppose, considering I have my other duties to fulfil.” Luhan cleared his throat, rubbing his hands together, hoping he didn’t look suspicious. “I have made a rather important discovery.”

                “About the kiss? Yes I have read the file.”

                “I would like permission to…uh…have some volunteers that will help me with the research.”

                “You mean test buddies? Guinea pigs?”

                “If you want to put it that way then yeah.” Luhan shrugged. “I have worked with Doyoung and Jaehyun before and I think they would make good subjects.”

                “But they have their own impending debut to worry about.”

                “Just a few hours in the lab with me.” Luhan pressed his palms together, holding them before him.

                “How long do you think this research will take?”

                “My theory is that with prolonged skinship and physical contact we can actually wear off the effects of Triple X altogether. Judging from E.X.O’s current state it would be at least a few months at least. I’m also working on a serum that could potentially remove the effects of Triple X once it has been injected.”

                “An antiserum to Triple X?”

                “Yes. I’m just sort of…drafting it, but I need human subjects. I need people to work it on.”

                “And you think Jaehyun and Doyoung would be good?”

                “I did start with them so,” Luhan shrugged. “It would only make sense to continue with them.”

                “This is a bit risky because they are meant to make their debut in coming months. Recruitment and Artist Management would not like to hear this.”

                “Sir, there is no one else better for this. If I get someone else, I would have to start all over again.”

                Professor Kim merely sighed. He furrowed his brow and thought to himself for a while. “I make no promises.”

                “That’s fine sir.”

                “Why don’t you use some of the E.X.O members? Considering you spend so much time down there.”

                Luhan almost started shivering. Professor Kim did not look at him kindly when he said that, and Luhan could feel the rays on his skin as he said.

                “Sir, I don’t feel good about doing experiments on them. Triple X has been partially if not fully removed and many of them are not exactly in the best mental state for such conditions.”

                “Yet you seem to not have trouble approaching them.”

                “I’m just doing my research.”

                “Very well.” Professor Kim nodded as he scribbled down a few notes, closing his notebook and gestured for the young scientist that he may take his leave. Luhan could hardly wait to get out of there. He shut the door behind him and leaned against the wall, taking a huge breath.

                Professor Kim is questioning him. Either Luhan has to pick up the pace on his research or stop seeing Sehun so often. As Luhan walked back to the lab, a strange sensation boiled at the pit of his stomach. He couldn’t decide if it was indigestion, nervousness, or an ominous feeling that something was going to go wrong that day.

***********************

                Luhan left S.M.E around 11.30pm that night, after his routine sneaking into Sehun’s cell. They spent the night talking about old video games and favourite horror movies as a child. Sehun didn’t ask to kiss him again, and it seemed as if he just dropped the whole subject altogether. Luhan couldn’t decide whether to be relieved or worried.

                As he made his way to the bus stop, past the row of random shops outside of the S.M.E compound, the same ominous feeling boiled again in the pit of his stomach. He looked behind him but there was no one around. In fact, there was no one on the streets at all.

                Luhan arrived at the bus stop, a single fluorescent light illuminating the somewhat lonely stop. The buses no longer travel so late, so Luhan was ready to call for a cab as he always have for the past few nights.

                A cab pulled over and Luhan went in. “Driver, take me to…” he almost screamed when he saw the driver and suddenly a damp cloth was held over his mouth and nose. Within seconds, he was knocked out. The last thing he remembered was Zitao’s face in the driver’s seat.

************************

                Luhan woke up on a patched-up leather sofa, his head in total agony and his mouth felt so dry. He looked up to find himself in a dark room, probably a basement of some sort. There was a glass of water beside him, and a lady was walking just behind him, her slim figure hidden beneath her coat. She was probably no taller than she was, and the sound of her heels clicking against the cement floor could have drove him nuts.

                “Wha…where…”

                “Luhan!” a familiar voice called his name and Luhan looked up to see Zitao, wearing normal clothes and not in a lab coat for once. “I’m so glad you’re up. Are you hurt?”

                “Zitao…what…what is going on?”

                “I’ll explain everything in due time, but firstly are you okay?”

                “You knocked me out and gassed me. What do you think?” Luhan snapped.

                “Okay, fair enough.” He helped Luhan up in his seat, and he had a better view of his surroundings. There were a few chairs, sofas and a table to his right. A huge whiteboard was just behind the table, words and maps and numbers strewn all over it. Maps of South Korea were pinned on the left wall and what caught Luhan’s attention were these headshots of people. And not just any people, but E.X.O members. In fact, some of them were N.C.T members and even R.E.D.V.E.L.V.E.T.

                .

                “Where the am I?” Luhan asked for the tenth time already.

                “Luhan, there’s someone I want you to meet.” Zitao turned to the Lady in the Coat. “I want you to meet Jessica.”

                “Jessica? Jessica…oh.” The lady turned and Luhan’s jaw dropped instantly. This lady. He had most definitely seen her before.

                “Hello Luhan.”

                “You’re…you’re Jessica Jung. From S.N.S.D.”

                “Nice to see I still have a fan.” Jessica laughed, her brunette locks falling past her shoulders. She was still as beautiful as her original headshot that Luhan saw in the files, except maybe she gained a bit of weight, but still just as beautiful.

                “This is impossible. How did you…” he pointed at Zitao and then Jessica. “How did…what…”

                “Firstly there are a few more people you need to meet.” Jessica snapped her fingers and more people started coming down the stairs into the basement. They were male and females in their early to late twenties, and Luhan counted almost 16 of them.

                “What is this? Some kind of cult meeting?” Luhan was still very much in shock. He looked at Zitao who only gave him a sympathetic nod.

                “This is no cult meeting Luhan. We are survivors.” Jessica stepped closer to Luhan to pull him off the couch.

                “We are the Uprising.”

*********************

                “Let me get this straight,” Luhan breathed. “You guys are not a cult.”

                “That’s right.” Jessica nodded.

                “Instead you guys are some underground rebellion group plotting to overthrow the government? Like the Illuminati against the Holy Church?”

                “Our goal is not to overthrow the government but instead to protest against the dangerous use of technological advancements in the manipulation of nature.” Jessica walked around the room and Luhan’s eyes followed her. “We are a group of people consisting of survivors from secret experiments, failed genetic manipulation, orphans, doctors, scientists.” She looked at Zitao from across the room.  “But I suppose you are right in the rebellion part.”

                “Zitao you are in this too?!” Luhan turned to look at his senior colleague.

                “Afraid so.”

                “This is ridiculous.” Luhan muttered to himself. “I don’t understand why I am here and what do you want from me.”

                “I suppose we better discuss this sitting down.” Jessica said.

                “Damn right.”

                “And maybe with some food too.” Zitao suggested.

                “Yeah, that too.” Luhan had forgotten that his last meal was almost 6 hours ago as his stomach grumbled.

                “Jiyoon.” Jessica beckoned to one of the girls in the crowd. She had shoulder length blonde hair and was wearing leather pants with a gun holster on her right hip. She nodded at the order and bought everyone out of the basement.

                “Have a seat.” Jessica said, motioning towards the table. Zitao and Jessica both took their places while Luhan was just plain confused. Too many questions in his head, too many mysteries and a rather empty stomach.

                “I suppose you’re wondering how you got mixed into this.” Jessica said.

                “Yeah that’s a start.”

                “I was the one who recommended you.” Zitao said. “You were young, bright and fast. I knew that you were the one who hacked into Professor Kim’s computer.”

                Jesus ing Christ.

                “You stole classified files and had already known more about E.X.O than most people do in a decade. Your quick-thinking skills were what got you here.”

                “If I’m in trouble then my quick-thinking skills have betrayed me.” Luhan muttered. “How did you get mixed up into all of this? I thought you were the head of our research group!”

                “Just because I work for them doesn’t necessarily mean I support their cause.” Zitao said. “Yes it’s true. I did work on project E.X.O. When the riot happened it broke me. It devastated me. I saw first-hand the destruction that was caused due to our mindless manipulation in pursuit of perfection. My creations killed thousands that day. I was not making a gift to the world, I was making a weapon.”

                “Zitao came to us for refuge. He went to Church and counselling to atone for his sins.” Jessica explained. “We simply told him that we can’t cleanse his soul and withdraw what he has done, but if he joins us he can help change the future.”

                “You have no idea what it was like for us.” Zitao rubbed his face with both hands. “The guilt. The despair.”

                “I think I do.” Luhan reached out to touch Zitao’s hand, giving him a comforting grip. “I’m sorry.”

                Luhan wasn’t quite sure what he was apologizing for, but it seemed to be the only thing he can say.

                “There’s nothing to be sorry for.” Zitao smiled a little at Luhan, gripping back the hand that was holding him. “What’s done is done.” Luhan knew that if he was in Zitao’s place he would never survive the torture in his head. The guilt, pain and trauma after that event must have haunted him for years. It wasn’t just Zitao too. Perhaps there was a whole team of people who suffered just like him.

                “He recommended you for our mission because he felt like you were the only one who could be trusted. We need a man on the inside and someone who knows the inner workings of S.M.E well.”

                “Wait, what mission?”

                “Our mission,” a small smile crept on Jessica’s lips. “Is to blow up S.M.E.”

 

A/N: GUYS GUYS GUYS I have exciting news! It turns out this story was nominated for the 2016 EXO Fan Fiction Awards for Best Ongoing Fic!!

This is so exciting and completely overwhelming! You guys can vote here at this link below:

http://www.asianfanfics.com/story/view/1178603/2016-exo-fan-fiction-awards-exo-awards

You can check them out because there are a lot of other categories, including Best Horror, Best Angst and Best Romance as such. So many fantastic and incredibly talented writers are nominated so please do check out their stories and give support to this growing fanbase of EXO fan fiction! Also I'm not sure when voting would be open for Best Ongoing Fic but when it does, please do vote to show your support! Thank you all for your love towards this story, god bless you all!