Dr. Seokjin Kim was practically dancing with excitement as he waited for Commander Choi’s personal helicopter to land.  It had been several hours since the unknown object had crashed into the center, but he’d been thrilled by the discovery.  He and Commander Choi had spoken briefly over the phone but the details of the conversation had to wait to be discussed in person, per both of their agreement.  Commander Choi wanted to check on his men as well as personally investigate the UFO that had crashed into the complex; they needed to come up with a believable cover story in order to assuage the public and make sure they continued to have full access and jurisdiction over the subjects and items they currently had in their possession.

                As was expected, President Cho and Assistant Kim were doing their best to handle the public and buy them time to confirm what exactly they were dealing with.  While Seokjin knew about what was happening in the research center, Commander Choi had mentioned that there were larger happenings occurring as well.  The latter didn’t concern Seokjin as much but he was curious, to say the least.

                “Commander Choi!” he greeted breathlessly as the immaculate as always man stepped out of his helicopter and hurried over, back bent with a hand holding the hat on his head.

                “Doctor Kim,” he nodded in response, coming abreast with the other man before straightening once he was out of range of the helicopter blades.  “You had something you wanted to show me?” he prompted with an expectant raise of one brow.

                Looking up at the taller man, Seokjin nodded with an enthusiastic grin.  “Of course!  Right this way,” he gestured, walking quickly and waving for the other to follow.  Keying open the research center door, he dashed inside with the excitement of a child.  They passed various containment rooms, two of which held Taekwoon and Wonshik, but their first destination was the primary research and containment center located in the heart of the complex.  It was where all major finds were initially discussed and researched before being relocated when a better understanding was reached.

                Commander Choi’s shoes clicked sharply on the metal floors as he followed the doctor with even, measured strides, but even his cool composure was subject to surprise when they stepped into the main room.  A small swarm of scientists and researchers were surrounding two things in particular: the remnants of some kind of mechanical pod that had been hastily gathered and reconstructed as best as possible, and a humanoid being floating in a tube of some kind of fluid.  He was but suspended by various wires and tubes attached to him, monitoring his vitals and such.  A breathing apparatus of some kind was attached over his nose and mouth, aiding the steady inhale and exhale of air.

                “What is that?” the Commander asked with a curious tilt to his head, pointing at the figure in the containment tube.

                “Not human,” Doctor Kim confirmed with a nod as they both moved towards the male.  “We ran scans and blood tests just to be sure, but his genetic genome is more akin to what we found in the angel and demon DNA.  He doesn’t have wings, but when you look back here,” he motioned as he made his way to the back of the tank, “you can see scarring on the shoulder blades where it’s possible he did have them once.”

                “I see,” Commander Choi hummed, his brow furrowed as something bothered him.  “I thought you also said he was found in that,” he pointed at the remnants of the pod.

                “He was.  We had to cut it open the rest of the way to get him free,” Seokjin confirmed with a step towards the personal ship.

                “So why is he completely unharmed?” the other man asked in confusion.

                “AH!” Dr. Kim gasped, snapping his fingers.  “He was badly injured when we did get him out,” he began, pulling the taller man to the computer next to the tube so he could pull up the pictures they’d taken beforehand.  “He had several broken bones, various lacerations and contusions, and we were fairly certain of internal bleeding.”  He glanced at the Commander’s face and had to suppress the smile that wanted to come at his obvious disbelief.  “Our initial concern was simply saving his life, but before we could even get him into surgery, he woke up.  We didn’t want to tranquilize him because we didn’t know if it would harm or kill him in his current state, but we didn’t need to.  He actually healed himself and then fell unconscious immediately after,” he explained, pulling up the video feed of that happening in the surgery prep room.

                “By god!” the Commander blinked in surprise, leaning closer to watch as misaligned bones moved back into place and open wounds almost magically closed.

                “I think he’s an angel,” the Doctor explained, pulling up yet more files.  “We couldn’t match his DNA to any human but there are several markers that are almost identical to those that have been observed in Wonshik after the successful genetic splicing.  See here and here?” he pointed out for the Commander’s benefit, tracing the similarities they had found between them.  “We decided to put him into a state of suspended animation when we discovered some sort of microtechnology under the skin here,” he added, zooming in with black and white skeletal scans.  “We’re not sure if he’s being monitored or able to send signals with it, but we haven’t determined any incoming or outgoing messages.  That we’re aware of anyway.”

                Commander Choi’s face became unreadable as he continued to look between the humanoid and the decimated craft.  After a long, thoughtful pause, he turned his intense eyes upon the Doctor.  “What is your theory in regards to your wingless angel suddenly appearing and falling into your hands?”

                “Oh, he didn’t just appear,” Seokjin shook his head and waved his hands.  “Well, he did in a sense, but not from space.  At least not most recently,” he added on again while waving the Commander over to another set of screens in a side room.  “Our exterior security cameras identified a foreign object flying up from the shoreline of the island around 6:04am this morning.  We’re not sure how or when it got there, but it was clearly visible as it launched towards space.”  He fast forwarded a few minutes and then stopped with an expectant look once more.  “But here, at 6:11am, we have another picture of the same vessel descending from the atmosphere with some sort of distortion chasing it.”

                That caught the Commander’s attention and he reached to pause the screen, eyes narrowing dangerously.  "It's not a distortion.  It’s another ship,” he murmured, catching the barest glimpses of outlines apparent when it fired.

                “Oh?  We haven’t had time to analyze it yet, what with the humanoid and his pod landing in our facility,” Seokjin shrugged, intrigued in a distracted way – he wouldn’t mind seeing what the other ship was about but he didn’t have one in his possession to study.  “And we lost sight of it completely when the first vessel exploded.  But we did catch the pod being jettisoned from it though.  See here?” he explained, drawing the eyes to the small vessel as it skipped towards them.

                “Hmm.  So you don’t find it strange at all that a supposed to be extinct angel just falls into your lap from a ship that is at least somewhat similar to the one that was found with the original angel and demon remains?” he questioned dryly.

                “Of course I find it strange,” Seokjin murmured crossly, clasping his arms over his chest.  “But I simply work with what I’m given.  If there’s a larger concern and threat inherent from this happening, isn’t that more your responsibility, Commander?” he asked pointedly, one brow rising in question.

                “That is part of what I wished to speak to you about,” the taller man responded, gesturing for them to leave the room.  “Show me my men first,” he explained, clasping his hands behind his back as he waited for the Doctor to comply.

                Clearly, Seokjin did not wish to leave the center yet, but he also recognized it was in his best interest to essentially play fair with the Commander.  The military were quite generous with their funding and it would be a shame to lose that.  “Certainly.  They’ve been sequestered in Containment Units 2 and 3 for the time being.  Whatever abilities they have are still unpredictable and we have been trying to ascertain the limits of them.”

                “How so?” the Commander questioned as they left the primary center and headed for Containment Unit 2.

                Seokjin scanned them into the viewing chamber and waved the Commander up to look at Taekwoon in the now empty space.  He was tensely pacing the confines of room, wings twitching and hands balled into fists.  His feet were bare and he’d made no attempt to put a shirt on after the last time they’d subdued him.  “The demon spliced subject has shown the ability to heal himself, as well as hold someone in place so long as he can see them.  We have also discovered some sort of defensive mechanism, but it’s not nearly as comprehensive as the one that Wonshik can exhibit.”

                “How is he otherwise?” the Commander asked, taking a step closer with a pensive look.

                “An absolute marvel to behold.  He’s stronger and faster than any normal human, and his hearing in particular is surprisingly good,” the doctor admitted.  “We believe it’s a side effect of the genetic splicing as well.”

                For a moment, Taekwoon continued pacing and then he paused, head tilting to the side as if he heard something.  Frowning in thought, he pivoted until he was facing the two men behind the one way mirror.  Quietly, he padded closer, wings rustling behind him as he did so.

                “Can he hear us?” Commander Choi murmured in a soft tone.

                “Not that I know of,” Seokjin shook his head.  “It’s supposed to be sound proof.”

                Despite that, both stared in curious anticipation as Taekwoon cupped his eyes against the mirror, apparently trying to look through it.  With a start, he inhaled noticeably, jerking back in surprise.  He glanced at his wings, one hand tracing over the top edge of one, and then stared at the reflective surface again.  Moving almost faster than the eyes could follow, he threw himself at the mirror and slammed his fist into it, creating a thin crack in the surface.  Both men jumped in surprise as they continued to watch, seeing his mouth move as if he was saying something, but for the moment, it was soundproof.

                “How did he see us, Doctor?” the Commander murmured in a surprisingly calm voice.

                “I’m not sure,” Seokjin swallowed, running up to the control panel as another attack lengthened the crack.  He hit the yellow button on the panel and glanced over to see a gaseous mist filling the chamber.  “Suppression team needed in Containment Unit 2.  Status urgent.”

                “Are you certain you’re able to handle this, doctor?” Commander Choi asked with a sidelong look.

                “Of course we are.  It’s just another manifestation we didn’t expect, so of course there are going to be bumps along the way,” he explained, gesturing with his hands in a frantic, nervous motion.  He jumped again when the crack in the mirror widened once more, but then sighed in relief as Taekwoon finally started to look drowsy.  His eyelids drooped and he stumbled back, hardly able to keep to his feet.  When the suppression team arrived, he was almost completely incapacitated.  “And this one continues to be a difficult subject,” he admitted after a brief pause.

                “Wonshik has been more cooperative?” the Commander prompted with a light laugh.

                “In a sense, yes,” Seokjin confirmed, though it was largely due to his inability to revolt since he was most recently injured.  “Actually, we do need to check on him.  Taekwoon will be subdued and moved to another unit where we will re-evalute the situation.”

                “I see.”

                “Come along then.”  Doctor Kim was happy enough to be leaving that room, beginning to become more uncomfortable with the unexpected manifestations that continued to arise.  When they stepped in to see Wonshik, he was at least pleasantly surprised to find the angel spliced subject poking at completely healed skin while he held his bandages in his other hand.  “Oh!  Apparently he’s capable of healing as well,” the Doctor grinned.  “Testing accident,” he explained when a sidelong glance was leveled his way.  “His defensive capabilities gave out.”

                Commander Choi seemed pensive more than anything, his finger tapping at his bottom lip.  “So that makes two confirmed abilities with Wonshik?”

                “Hmm?  Oh yes,” Doctor Kim nodded, moving to the clipboard on the wall so he could make a note of it.

                “And four with Taekwoon?” he added in a quiet tone.

                “Only three,” the Doctor shook his head.  “The last may have been a fluke.  Why?” he questioned, curious as to the significance of knowing such things.

                For a moment, the Commander delayed responding, watching Wonshik instead.  His expression was, as usual, unreadable.  But then he began speaking.  “At approximately 11:54am today, military satellites picked up more… distortions as you put it.”

                “Really?” Seokjin blinked, clutching the clipboard to his chest.  “Not just one?”

                “No,” the other man murmured with a thin press of his lips.

                “At least two sightings were confirmed entering the atmosphere,” he explained with a glance at the doctor.

                “That’s odd,” Seokjin admitted, chewing his bottom lip.  “What do you think it means?” he wondered, knowing the other man had to have a theory.

                “I cannot confirm it, but I don’t think your angels and demons are extinct.”  He held up his hand when Seokjin opened his mouth to say something in response.  “My greater concern is that we are now seeing evidence that might be pointing to their existence that corresponds with the manifestation of their abilities,” he pointed at Wonshik.

                “Now you’re jumping to conclusions based on disturbances in the air and possible coincid-”

                “Doctor!” the Commander snapped, turning the full weight of his hardened gaze upon the smaller man.  “Your bias is obvious.  I acknowledge that.  But if these sightings are connected and angels and demons are real, then they may be a threat to the human race.  In that regard, I will take no chances.”  His eyes softened a touch, buffered by what might have been regret.  “To that end, I need to know exactly what we might be up against,” he explained with a nod towards Wonshik.

                “But we’re already testing to the best of our ability,” Seokjin shrugged, feeling a kernel of unease in his belly.

                “Then find a better way,” Commander Choi instructed, glaring at him once more.  “Based on your initial tests, they have the physiological advantage.  Based on the ship and wreckage we have here, we already know they have the technological advantage as well.  We cannot actively track them, nor do we know how to defend against them.  If this becomes a global concern, I need to know how to counter it,” he explained in an icily cool tone of voice.

                “I… understand,” Seokjin admitted hesitantly as he his lips.  “What about the recovered angel?” he inquired, carefully putting the clipboard back.

                “Wake him up,” he commanded firmly.  “He may be our lucky break into finding out what’s actually going on.”  With the step towards the door and the abrupt gesture at the scanner, it was clear their conversation was over.

                “Yes sir…” Doctor Kim murmured, troubled by the newest turn of events.  He opened the door all the same and stepped out with the Commander, intent upon walking him back to the helicopter.  “What are you going to do now?” he couldn’t help but ask, feeling the weight of more pressure than he wanted settling over his shoulders.

                “Just get me the information I requested, Dr. Kim.  Your information clearance level in this situation is now ‘need to know’ only,” he explained with the barest of nods.

                Clasping his hands in front of him, Seokjin watched Commander Choi head back to his helicopter as it started up, ready to take him back.  He’d been excited to show him what they’d found, but now he discovered he wasn’t so enthused anymore.  Of course he wanted to know all the answers he could, but if the situation was closer to what the Commander feared, the stakes were much higher.

                His head was filled with thoughts as he slowly returned to the primary research center.  His staff members were still bustling about, collecting data, comparing notes, running scans and tests to their hearts’ content.  He caught a young researcher by the sleeve and paused her long enough to deliver a message.  "Tell the suppression unit in Containment Unit 2 to move the demon spliced subject as well as the angel spliced subject into Containment Unit 4.  Have them set to guard the room and maintain complete surveillance of the room.”

                “Yes, Doctor!” she squeaked in response, running off to do just that so she could return to work when she was finished.

                That message delivered, Seokjin pursed his lips and moved to stand directly in front of the angel’s containment tube.  “Alright, stranger.  Let’s see if we have anything in common,” he murmured, moving to the control panel to start the waking process.  It would take a bit of time, but it would buy him enough to figure out how to even approach the situation.  Things were simply getting more complicated than he wanted them to be.

                Wonshik wasn’t sure how long they’d been in the same room together for or how long Taekwoon had been unconscious, but despite that, he was strangely reassured just to have the other man nearby.  His head was pillowed on Wonshik’s lap with the dark strands of his hair curling around his face and over clothed legs.  Peace had settled on his visage like a soothing blanket almost as soon as the Wonshik had pulled him close and part of him realized the other man was probably as lost as he was.

                “Quite the mess we’ve gotten ourselves in, isn’t it?” he chuckled dryly, running his fingertips gently over the soft skin of a black wing.  “At least they’ve stopped running tests on us for the moment,” he sighed, grateful for that reprieve.  He didn’t ache as he expected he would, but there was no denying he felt… betrayed at having been deemed inhuman so quickly.  Surely they wouldn’t be treating them like this if they were unchanged.  Would they?

                The question unsettled him more than he cared to admit.  None of them had exactly known what to expect when volunteering for this experiment.  Not even the administrators.  But everything had certainly gone to hell since they’d started showing abilities that they most definitely hadn’t had previously.  And it worried him with how Taekwoon seemed to be affected by it.  That first day had been the worst, when all eyes had him like he was the monster…

                “No matter what they think, you’re not a monster,” he promised quietly, resting his hand assuredly on one lax wing.  Maybe others feared that part of him, but Wonshik never would.  They’d been through too much together, even before this.

                “I don’t want to do this anymore.”  Wonshik inhaled slightly at the barest whispers of sound coming from Taekwoon’s mouth.

                “You’re awake,” the angel winged man smiled, leaning over further, though the other man’s dark eyes remained closed.

                “I think I’m going insane,” he murmured, finally looking up to meet Wonshik’s gaze.

                “No more than me,” he shot back with a quick, reassuring smile.  It didn’t reach his eyes though.

                Pain burred his voice as Taekwoon answered back, “I hurt.  And I don’t understand.  And I see things I don’t want to.”

                “Like what?” Wonshik forced the barest of laughs, trying to keep things light, or else he might fall through the hole too.  “I can see myself flying circles around the next time we get in the air,” he joked, conjuring the ghost of a smile on his friend’s face.  Taekwoon was much better at flying than he was.

                “Like through that mirror,” he explained, nodding his head towards the reflective surface they both knew was one way glass.

                “Really?” Wonshik blinked, brow furrowed thoughtfully.  At Taekwoon’s nod, he hummed to himself.  “What did you see?”

                The other man shrugged first, a slight head shake preempting his words.  “Nothing at first.  I just felt like I was being watched,” he swallowed, squinting at the mirror again.  “And when I stared at it, trying to make sense of it, I just… saw them.  The Doctor and Commander Choi.  It was like I could suddenly see through a lens.  The mirror was still there, but for that small space, I could see through it.”

                “Well damn.  That’s pretty convenient.  Better than anything I’ve been able to do,” Wonshik encouraged with a pat on the bare shoulder.

                “What can you do now?” Taekwoon wondered, staring up at Wonshik with unblinking eyes.

                The white haired man shrugged and looked at his wings.  “You know about the invisible shield thing.  And apparently I can heal.  That’s about all I’ve seen though,” he admitted with a grimace.  “You?  I know you’ve got the holding thing,” he mentioned so Taekwoon wouldn’t have to.

                A minimal nod confirmed it.  “I can heal too, but it hurts.  It burns,” he frowned, moving on quickly so he wouldn’t have to dwell on it.  “But I have a sort of shield.  It’s not as good as the one you saved me with, but it can block stuff as well.  And now this seeing things crap,” he scoffed, rolling his eyes before he shut them and simply relaxed on Wonshik’s lap again.

                “Well look at you being a badass and everything,” Wonshik chuckled, petting Taekwoon’s hair soothingly.

                “I don’t want it.”  The words were quiet but firm.  “And I’m glad they’ve stopped running tests, but ever since they left us alone, I’ve been feeling… uneasy.”

                Wonshik watched as Taekwoon opened his hooded eyes to look at him again, revealing his discomfit.  He nodded his head slowly and took a shallow breath.  “I’ve been feeling something like that too,” he admitted, his lips.  “Like there’s someone or something else out there,” he explained, nodding towards the unseen outside.  His companion nodded in quiet agreement.  “I don’t know about you but something feels very familiar very close by,” Wonshik explained, chewing on his bottom lip as he looked around the room, seeing but not.

                The dark haired man shook his head with a slight frown.  “Whatever I feel seems to be further out.  Familiar too, but not exactly nearby.”  When Wonshik didn’t answer him, he looked up to see the other man staring with his eyes wide and his mouth partially open.  He wasn’t blinking and he wasn’t even breathing.  “Wonshik?!” Taekwoon gasped, sitting up immediately to lean in front of the other man, trying to figure out what was wrong.  When calling his name and shaking his shoulders didn’t work, Taekwoon slapped him hard across the face.

                With a loud inhale, Wonshik blinked and scrambled back against the wall.  “!” he gasped, eyes darting all over the place until they finally landed on Taekwoon.

                “What happened?” the demon-man asked, obviously afraid and worried as he grabbed Wonshik’s shoulders in firm hands.

                The angel-man scraped both hands over his eyes and down his face before he took another calming breath and leaned forward to rest his forehead against Taekwoon’s.  “I don’t know,” he exhaled with closed eyes.  “I saw something but I couldn’t tell you what it was.  Everything was too bright, too jumbled.  There was just too much.”  He grabbed the back of Taekwoon’s neck with both hands and took several more breaths, obviously trying to calm himself.

                “It’s alright.  I’m here,” Taekwoon promised, loosening one hand to one of Wonshik’s wings in a calming gesture, much like he’d been doing for him earlier.

                It seemed to help and in a little while, Wonshik opened his eyes to stare at his companion.  “I don’t know what I saw, but I know what I felt.  Danger,” he stated simply, swallowing once as he tried to think best how to explain it.  “I’m not sure if it’s here or if it’s coming, but I don’t think this place is safe anymore.”

                Taekwoon bit his lip and nervously glanced at the secure room they were in.  “What do we do then?”

                “Wait for now,” Wonshik answered after a moment, nodding his head as he did so.  “We wait and watch each other’s backs.  Like we always do,” he whispered with a hint of his usual, smiling self shining through.

                “I’ve always got your back,” Taekwoon promised with quiet sincerity, not moving away at all.

                “And I’ve got yours,” Wonshik smiled in return.