JR was right, Aron didn't go to work. When JR's tears had finally dried and he felt the exhaustion of emotion catching up to him, Aron stood and left the room, only to come back with a soft blanket in his hands. He then draped said blanket over JR, uncaring that the younger of the two was still dressed in his jeans and sweatshirt. JR accepted the offering and curled up on the couch, pulling his feet up and letting his head fall back against the soft cushions. Maybe this was all a bad dream, he thought as he drifted off to sleep. Maybe all would be better when he woke up.

The cheerful tinkling of his cell phone awakened him some time later, and he sat up with bleary eyes to dig in his jeans pocket for the object. The sun had brightened up the room, but it still had that glow that told JR it was yet morning. A glance at the phone screen told him he was right: it was only nine in the morning and it was Minhyun calling.

JR paused for the slightest second, surprised that the other would call instead of text, then he swiped the phone to answer and lifted it to his ear. "Hello," he said, surprising himself with the flat sound in his own voice. He cleared his throat and tried again.

There was a pause on the other end, then Minhyun gave an awkward laugh. "So. You got home okay, I take it?"

"Yeah," JR said, though his thoughts turned automatically to the police officer who had been injured. Would he get home okay? he wondered. "What's up?" he asked Minhyun in an effort to avoid those thoughts.

"I- can I come over?" Minhyun asked hesitantly. He had yet to come over to JR's house, they always met at Minhyun's for their training sessions. The brief thought that Aron wouldn't like others knowing where he lived passed through JR's mind, but he brushed that aside and gave the okay. After telling Minhyun the address, he hung up the phone and pushed himself up to go in search of something to eat.

He changed course only a few steps in, deciding he ought to shower and change clothing, and headed for his room instead. Pausing by Aron's closed door, he eased it open to peek in and found his cousin fast asleep on his bed. Well, then, he would make it a quick shower so as to try to not wake him.

The pelting water on his skin was like a form hypnosis, and JR found his thoughts drifting as he lathered up with the soap. He couldn't help the guilt that he felt over the policeman's fate, knowing as he did that if he hadn't stepped in, then the Bandit would have gotten away and there would have been no confrontation. But at the same time, he did feel that he had to stop the robber; if the man were caught at any point in time, dead or alive, he would be tested on so as to find out how he did what he did. It didn't take a stretch of the imagination to believe that once they realized how he had abilities, they would come after the others too. JR may have been sick for most of his life, but he had been diligent in his studies. He knew what happened when the government decided one group of people was too risky to be left alone.

But what to do about it all? He couldn't run headfirst into anything anymore. They needed a better plan, a more concise effort to find and pin down Bandit before he could drag innocents into it, people who could be injured and not heal. JR's fingers brushed over the space where the bullet had struck him, hard enough to spin him around and knock him over. It was now simply a sore spot, a bit of tender pink skin where the bullet had entered his shoulder and likely the same on his back where it had exited. It hurt if he pressed on it, but it wasn't a hole like it should have been and he knew it would heal within the next few days. If only everyone could heal like this...

He shook the returning thoughts of the policeman from his mind and toweled dry before dressing in plain jean shorts and a loose t-shirt. He heard the house phone ringing as he dressed but he figured Aron would get it and didn't hurry himself. When he stepped out, though, Aron was just opening his door, his sleep-mussed hair darting every which way and his glasses pushed haphazardly onto his face. "Phone," he mumbled, and JR couldn't hold his laugh.

"Don't worry about it. You wanna take a shower? Minhyun will be here any minute."

The sleep fell from Aron like a dropped hot potato, his round eyes going incredulously wide as his mouth dropped open. "He's coming here? What the hell, JR! You could have asked!"

JR shrugged, though he winced immediately when the motion stretched the healing spot on his shoulder. "I didn't think you'd mind, we've seen the insides and outs of his house and it's just fair."

His words must have rang true with Aron, too, because his cousin gave an agreeing mumble and moved back into his bedroom to begin digging through his dresser. 'I'm gonna shower and whatnot, you can eat cereal," he grumbled without looking back at JR. The younger man nodded wordlessly and moved toward the kitchen, though he paused when he saw the voicemail blinking red from where it hung on the wall beside their landline phone. He reached out to press play before taking the few more steps to the fridge.

"This is Dr. Price calling for