The six of them stood in an uneasy huddle, their breath puffing out before them in smoky white clouds. Besides them and the quiet rasp of their breathing, the dingy underground parking garage in which they stood was entirely empty and as silent as a grave. It was well past midnight and they had already been standing there for half an hour, their backs to each other, watching and waiting. They stood in the shadows of a broken fluorescent light, the heavy, lingering scents of gasoline and cigarettes staining the air they breathed. And then they heard it: the soft, distant, gritty patter of shoes on dirty concrete. From the left corner of the garage a figure wearing a long, dark coat emerged. Her head was down, but her long red ponytail bobbed a little with each step she took. Her sure steps led her directly towards them, though her face was glued to the ground. The collar of her dark brown trench coat was pulled up and around her face, her hands shoved deeply into her pockets. Only her thin calves were visible. She wore black tights and ballet flats of the same color. As she neared them, she slowly raised her head; she was beautiful, but her face was contorted with worry and her eyes darted back and forth fearfully. She stopped a good five feet away from them.

"Which one of you is Minsoo?" she asked, her voice firm despite the anxiety in her expression. He stepped to the front of the group wordlessly. She looked him over once and nodded. "Thought so."

There was silence once more as she began ing her coat, revealing a bulletproof vest with long, slim stainless steel canisters strapped to it. She let her coat drop to the ground before unfastening the side of the vest. Minsoo walked forward cautiously, but Bom held up a hand to stop him. He paused. She slipped the vest over her head and off her shoulders slowly before holding it out at arms length. Minsoo covered the rest of the ground between them in a few short strides and gingerly took the vest out of her grasp.

"One of you needs to wear this under your clothes on your way back to the hotel. Once you're there, bury it in one of your suitcases. Take as many towels as you can and wrap them around it. Make sure to check that bag, do not try to take it as a carry on, or security will be sure to confiscate it. You must leave here through the back exit. Try to stay as inconspicuous as possible. I have your boarding passes here," she said, her voice clipped and monotone, as she retrieved her coat from the ground and reached into one of the pockets. She pulled out six folded pieces of paper, "your flight leaves at five in the morning. I suggest you leave now. The Project has noticed your presence here in America, so be on your guard at all times. They're always suspicious of Systems who come here." Minsoo took the papers from her and shoved them into the pocket of his jacket, the vest still in his other hand. Bom gave them one last cursory look before turning on her heel and walking back the way she came, putting her coat back on and re-buttoning it as she went. As she reached the entrance, she turned. "Good luck. You're going to need it." With that, she was gone.

Ricky let out a huge sigh, as if he'd been holding his breath the entire time. Wordlessly, Changjo shrugged out of his coat and pulled his shirt off over his head, goose bumps rippling down across his shoulders and back in the cold winter air as he motioned for Minsoo to hand him the vest. The latter hesitated.

"Are you sure?" Minsoo asked, his face grave. Changjo nodded. For a moment, nobody moved. Then Minsoo slowly handed the vest to Changjo, who slipped it on cautiously. Niel wordlessly began fastening the hooks, zippers, and velcro on the sides, making sure the vest was secure. Everyone's faces were grim and pale. 

"They know we're here. They've known the whole time. They probably know where we are right now," Ricky whispered hoarsely, his eyes darting nervously about the ominously dark parking garage.

"What if that wasn't even Bom? What if that was another agent of the Project?" Chunji asked Minsoo quietly. Minsoo shook his head.

"That was definitely her. Onew showed me pictures," he answered, his eyes focused on Changjo, who was now pulling his coat back on and zipping it. He looked a little bulkier than usual, but it wasn't too noticeable. "Everybody ready?" Nobody really replied, all of them now too frightened to speak, but they began walking toward the exit behind them. Tension crackled in the air like electricity. Changjo's entire body had broken out in a cold sweat and his stomach was doing flips. The vest pressed scratchily against his skin, his heart thumping back against it as if it were trying to escape. Everything seemed to be moving in slow motion and his ears strained to hear even the slightest noise that might signal an attack.

They moved together up the steps silently. As they reached the ground level, Minsoo put out a hand. They paused. They waited. Nothing happened. He led the way out the grimy glass door to their left and they emerged out onto the dark, abandoned street, still huddled close together. Changjo was at the center of the group, Byunghun protectively walking just in front of him and Ricky shuffling close behind. The distant buzz of traffic was like a deafening roar, and even their breath seemed unnaturally loud. Minsoo put his hands in his jacket pockets and started walking nonchalantly down the street, but the muscles in his neck and jaw twitched with anticipation. Niel was the first to follow suit, with Chunji right behind him. The others followed hesitantly, everyone trying as hard as they could to look normal. They were quite far from their hotel, but none of them wanted to stop long enough to try to get taxis, or to split up. A light snow began to fall, so soft and gentle that it felt like small white kisses on their cold, reddened cheeks. It swirled lazily down from the inky, frigid sky, seeming invisible in the darkness of the alleyways and then suddenly bursting to life in the glow of the streetlights.             

It was Chunji who first noticed the three men following them. He bent down, pretending to tie his shoe, and asked the others to stop. They did so and huddled close around him, confused.

"Minsoo...I want you to look up. There should be three guys about a block behind us. Do you see them?" Chunji whispered, his cold fingers fumbling uselessly around his shoelaces. Minsoo slowly looked up, feigning a stretch, before turning his attention back to the group.

"Yeah, and they're not walking." Ricky gulped audibly. 

"So...that probably means they're following us, right?" Byunghun asked, cracking his knuckles in nervous anticipation. Minsoo nodded gravely.

"What do we do?" Ricky asked, his voice squeaking a bit at first.

"We keep walking, but as a group. Try to look as inconspicuous as possible. Chunji, you're in charge of keeping an eye on them. Now let's go." Together they began shuffling down the street, Chunji pretending to wipe off the back of his jeans in order to get a look at the men behind.

"They're moving again," he murmured. Everyone tensed at the same time, their shoulders brushing against one another's, their hands clenching into frozen fists. 

"There's only three of them," Byunghun whispered, "I could just take them myself."

"No," Minsoo said quickly, grabbing hold of Byunghun's wrist, "there might be more in the area, waiting to ambush us. We can't do anything to raise suspicion unless it's absolutely necessary. Besides, they may not even be from the Project."

"They are," Changjo cut in, his eyes closed and his head tilted to the side in intense concentration, "I can hear them talking about us. They were following Bom to the parking garage, and now they're trailing us. They don't know what it is that we have, but they know she gave us something important."

"Well ," Niel sighed, shoving his hands into his coat pockets. Ricky sniffed the air. 

"They're Systems, too," he said quietly. Everyone picked up their pace a little. Nerves and tension were once again in the air between them. Chunji surreptitiously looked over his shoulder once again and almost jumped in shock. The men were quickly closing the gap between them, and they were less than half a block away. Not wanting to risk saying anything that might be overheard, Chunji lightly elbowed Minsoo in the ribs. Minsoo nodded.

"On the count of three, we turn and fight," he said under his breath, eyeing the others. Determination and fear were mixed on their faces. "One," the men picked up their pace. "Two," they were gaining fast, their footsteps now loud and close. "Three!" With almost perfect synchronization, the six of them whipped around to face the Systems. The men were slightly taken aback and stopped quickly in their tracks.

Before anyone could move, Byunghun shot like a sprinter out of the starting blocks towards the largest of the three Systems. With an animalistic growl he tackled him to the ground and slammed his fist into the man's face, a loud snap breaking the stillness in the air as his nose broke. The other two Systems moved to grab Byunghun, but Changjo and Minsoo yanked on the backs of their coats, pulling them away from their friend. As Changjo ducked to avoid a swing from the System he held, Niel brought his knee up hard into the stomach of the man Minsoo grabbed. Ricky moved behind the other System, and with a small jump wrapped his arms around the man's neck. With a detached intensity, Changjo landed a kick square to the System's ribs, Ricky keeping him firmly in place. Chunji rushed to Byunghun's side and started to pull him off of the System he had been pummeling, pointing frantically to the alleyway on their right.

The shadows within it began to shift and move as what appeared to be at least ten more Systems rushed to join the fray.

"There's more coming!" Chunji shouted as Byunghun shoved him behind him, crouching low. Byunghun leaped towards the first System to come out of the alleyway and slammed him hard against the wall of the building to their left. Without missing a beat he landed several punches to the System's face and stomach before plowing him on the left side of the head with his elbow, knocking him unconscious. By this time three other Systems had surrounded Byunghun and threw him to the ground. Before any of them could get in a hit, Byunghun used his legs to knock two of them to their feet as he wrapped his right arm around the third's knee and twisted. Hard. He heard the ligaments tear and rip, but it was only distantly. His focus was already back on the other two Systems that were already struggling to their feet. Byunghun lunged forward, grabbing both of their throats in each of his hands. He smashed their heads together as if they were nothing more than rag dolls before slamming their skulls onto the concrete. He felt his stomach twist and bile leap into his throat, but he forced himself to look away from the dark, acrid blood that was already pooling around their heads and matting their hair into sickening clumps.

Back out on the sidewalk, Changjo and Ricky had taken care of three Systems, using an almost identical strategy for each. Minsoo and Niel were currently on their fourth, and a small stream of blood dribbled from Niel's lower lip. Minsoo was currently exchanging and blocking blows with a particularly broad-set System, his arms alternating from defending to punching so quickly they were almost blurs. Niel relied mostly on his feet, kicking and tripping any opponents that came his way. Chunji moved from fallen System to fallen System, making sure they were all unconscious and knocking out those who were coming to their senses with a swift elbow to the temple. If he hadn't been, he probably would have noticed the crowd of Systems running up the opposite side of the street, closing in on them. He probably would have noticed the mass pouring out of the alleyways behind them, or the groups of them forming on the roofs of the buildings around them. Instead it was Ricky who was the first to see them, and that was only because one kicked him in the back, sending him sprawling onto the cold concrete.

"Incoming!" Changjo screamed to the others as he vaulted towards the System who had attacked Ricky. He tackled him to the ground, but he could tell by the sea of enemies that surrounded them he wouldn't have time to knock each one unconscious. Steeling his nerves, he bent down to the System's neck. With inhuman speed and precision, he bit into the System's throat and ripped upwards, tearing the skin and arteries open, blood gushing all over the both of them. Spitting out the sour blood and skin of the System, Changjo turned to his next opponent. Ducking and weaving as the System slashed at him with overgrown claws, Changjo planned his attack. Quick as lightning, his palm connected with the underside of the System's jaw, sending him flying up and backwards. Turning around quickly, he leapt at the exposed skin of another System's throat, ripping it open with a beastly ferocity. His mouth, neck, and chest were now heavily stained with blood, but he didn't care. Changjo hastily helped Ricky to his feet, and together they began taking on Systems as a team. 

Chunji found himself surrounded by Systems with his back against the wall. "Uh, a little help over here...please?" he called, clenching and unclenching his sweaty palms as the predators moved in.

"It's a human," one of them hissed, his voice inhuman and reptilian. His eyeballs were as black as pitch and his face was a pearlescent mask of criss-crossing indigo veins. The System his swollen purple lips slowly with an unnaturally long tongue. "It's mine." Chunji shrunk helplessly against the cold bricks as the System launched itself at him, his eyes squeezing shut. One last cry ripped out of his throat before the System slammed into him, claws and fangs bared.

Byunghun tried to take on as many Systems at once as he could, knowing his superior strength would allow him to fight more than the others. He currently was handling three, his fists and feet flying, landing blows in all the right places. It was as if everything was happening in slow motion: his senses had adjusted to the combat climate and here allowing him to accurately assess each hit he threw or blocked. As he saw more Systems rushing at them from across the street, he upped the anti. Though Byunghun had only been using a portion of his strength before, he now put everything he had into each punch. With one blow he sent a System flying down the alleyway, and the loud crash that followed could only mean it had smashed into a dumpster. Byunghun quickly disposed of his other two opponents, pummeling them so forcefully into the ground the concrete beneath them cracked. It was then that he heard Chunji's voice calling from out on the sidewalk. Byunghun looked around the alleyway in which he stood. The broken and beaten bodies of the other Systems lay all around him, and an unusual quiet filled the air. Wiping the blood of one of his enemies off of his cheek he sprinted back to the main part of the fighting.

He could barely see Chunji, standing alone, in a crowd of slowly encroaching Systems. Fire pulsed through his veins as he rushed over, grabbing Systems by the backs of their jackets and tossing them to the ground like sacks of potatoes. He cleared his way into the circle, but when he looked up his heart stopped. A System was flying through the air towards Chunji, his claws and fangs ready to pierce Chunji's fragile human skin. With a snarl Byunghun leaped towards the System, knocking it sideways out of the air and slamming it into the ground. With a strength Byunghun did not know he possessed, he dug his fingernails into the System's face and ripped the flesh away from it in ribbons, tearing into the System's muscle and digging down to the bone. He then got to his feet, pulling the System with him by the collar. Without a second's hesitation, he chucked the System into the crowd, knocking over several others like some twisted type of bowling. He turned and helped Chunji to his feet. 

"Are you alright?" he asked, spinning around to make sure no other Systems were coming. Chunji coughed and nodded shakily.

"Yeah, I'm fine, but we have to get out of here. There's no way we'll be able to hold them off for much longer. We need to get back to the hotel and then to the airport!" he replied, raising his voice above the scuffling sounds around them. Byunghun didn't have time to reply, for a fresh wave of Systems rushed at him, ready to fight. 

Niel skidded backwards on his elbows, the material of his hoodie fraying as he scraped across the concrete. He shuffled to his feet, swaying a little bit. He and Minsoo had somehow gotten separated as the new Systems arrived. He dabbed at his swollen, bloody lower lip with the sleeve of his jacket and shook his head to clear it. He'd been ganged up on by several Systems and had just received a nasty blow to the temple. Blinking a little in an attempt to remove some of the black spots from his vision, Niel prepared himself for his next move. Two Systems were closing in on him, circling him slowly and throwing occasional punches. Niel dodged them, though more slowly than he would have liked. One of the System's fists brushed just by his face, ruffling his long brown hair. Niel didn't have time to aim, and instead just kicked on instinct. It worked. His foot connected with the stomach of one of the Systems, causing him to double over onto his knees. Niel braced himself and brought his heel down onto the back of the System's head with a loud crack. With that one taken care of, he turned his attention back to the other System. Too late. He was greeted by a facefull of fist, and he could feel blood gushing out of his nose. Then, his vision went black as he received a blindingly hard hit to the back of his head. He cried out, a strangled sound, as he crashed to the ground unconscious.

Minsoo tore his way through the mob of enemy Systems, his claws fully extended and his fangs dripping with the blood of his opponents. He ripped and tore at whatever piece of flesh he could find, biting and scratching his victims in addition to clobbering them with his bloody fists. He could see Changjo and Ricky out of the corner of his eye. Ricky was zipping in between Systems, making them beat each other up more than he actually hit them. Changjo, however, was a cold and precise fighter. He dodged every hit aimed at him, even ones he couldn't possibly have seen coming. His fists and feet were moving so quickly they were almost invisible. Changjo's aim was deadly: it only took one or two hits for him to bring down an opponent. His jaw and chest were also stained with blood, but he only resorted to attacking his victims with his fangs when it was absolutely necessary.       

"We have to run for it!" screamed Byunghun from somewhere in the crowd. Minsoo disposed of two Systems before looking through the sea of Systems, trying to find him. He spotted Byunghun a short way down the street, keeping several enemies at bay as he dragged Chunji towards the main group. Changjo and Ricky shoved their way towards Minsoo, elbowing several Systems in the heads and stomachs to do so.

"Where's Niel?" Ricky cried as he ducked to avoid a kick. He stood up just as the System's leg passed over his shoulders, knocking him over in one fluid movement. Minsoo whipped around, searching for Niel in the mass of Systems.

"I don't know. But we have to find him and get the hell out of here!" he yelled back, leading the way through the crowd. Together, the three of them made quick work of the Systems they came in contact with. Byunghun and Chunji followed close behind. Then, Minsoo saw it: a group of four Systems standing in a circle, each taking turns harshly kicking something laying on the ground. The sickening thuds of shoes on skin reverberated through the air, unnaturally loud. 

"Oh God, no," Ricky whimpered, shoving his way more forcefully through the mob, "get the away from him!" His voice went from a whisper to a scream as he launched himself and one of the Systems, his arms wrapping tightly around the back of the System's neck. Ricky pulled him to the ground with a grunt and rolled on top of the System. Without missing a beat he quickly stood up and stomped on the back of the System's head, it's nose breaking with a snap. By then, Changjo and Minsoo had already taken care of the other three Systems and Byunghun and Chunji had caught up. Ricky crouched by Niel's side. It wasn't a pretty sight. Niel's face was hidden under a flop of bloody hair, but his clothes were ripped and the skin that showed through was either bruised or bleeding. He didn't move.

"Niel! Niel, can you hear me?" Ricky screeched, lightly shaking his friend's shoulder. It was loose in the socket and popped and ground awfully. "Niel, no! You have to wake up!" Byunghun dropped down next to Ricky and put his fingers to Niel's throat.

"He still has a pulse, but it's weak. We have to get out of here, fast!" he cried, jerking his head back towards the Systems who were rushing towards them. Byunghun gingerly scooped up Niel's broken body and took off down the street, getting a head start. Chunji followed, then Ricky, with Changjo and Minsoo taking up the rear. They clawed and snapped at the Systems closest behind, sending them flying back with kicks to the chest when they could afford it. 

None of the six boys looked very good. Although Niel was by far the worst, nobody had escaped without injury. Chunji cradled his left wrist against his chest, where it flopped about loosely. He had a gash underneath his left eye and rips in his jeans. Byunghun had a huge yellowing bruise on the right side of his forehead and blood streamed from one of his ears. Minsoo's arms were slashed with claw marks from his shoulders to his wrists, for his jacket had been torn off sometime during the fight. Ricky's left eye was swollen almost shut and his lip was split in two places. It was difficult to tell if Changjo was injured or not, for almost his entire body from the waist up was coated in dark blood.

However, no matter how fast they ran, the other Systems kept pace. Changjo and Minsoo were now lagging behind, becoming once again locked in combat with the Systems. Byunghun, from the front of the group, skidded to a halt and turned.

"Ricky! Come here! You're going to have to hold onto Niel for a second," he called, waving the other boy over. Ricky came quickly and put his arms out. Byunghun softly transferred the still unconscious Niel into Ricky's care before taking off towards Changjo and Minsoo. "Keep running!" he shouted over his shoulder. Ricky and Chunji jogged uneasily up the street, turning around periodically to check on their friends.

Byunghun veered to the right, avoiding the fray. Instead, he ran to the bottom of a large streetlight. Mustering all of his strength, he hit it full on with the flat of his foot. The metal screeched and groaned, a large dent turning into a breaking point as the pole toppled over. Byunghun stepped lithely out of the way just before it crashed to the ground. Not wanting to waste any more time, he quickly ripped the pole away from its base and hefted it over his head. His arms shook a little under the weight. 

"Minsoo! Changjo! Look out!" he bellowed, and the two looked over at him, their eyes bulging in awe. They quickly backpedaled away from the other Systems, knowing what Byunghun intended to do. Shifting his grip on the pole, he swung it in a wide arc. The jolt of each impact sent shudders up the pole and into his arms, but Byunghun's grip did not waver. Once he had made a sweep in one direction, he quickly reversed and aimed to take out the remaining Systems. He tried to keep his arms as high as possible, so as to hit the Systems in the head, but regardless of where he hit them, it was hard and they went down all the same. As soon as there were no more enemies standing, Byunghun tossed the heavy streetlight into the middle of the crowd, the sound of snapping bones an unpleasant victory chorus to his ears. He didn't linger, and instead turned and sprinted up the street.

xxx

Changjo and Minsoo furiously shoved all of their clothes into their suitcases, striding from room to room to make sure they had everyone's things packed. Niel lay on the bed in his room, Ricky and Chunji tending cautiously to his many cuts and wounds. Almost all of his ribs had been broken or cracked, but since they had arrived at the hotel and he had been allowed to rest, the Virus began quickly knitting up his bones and lesions. Byunghun had popped Chunji's wrist and Niel's shoulder back in place, while Ricky held a cold washcloth over his own black eye. Since entering the hotel through a mostly unused side door, Minsoo and Changjo had stopped only to wash the blood from their bodies and discard of their shredded, stained clothing in their room before they started to pack everyone's bags. Time was of the essence, and they had lost much of it during their fight.

"Done!" Changjo said triumphantly as he carried the last of the suitcases into Niel's room. "Minsoo's just checking over the other two rooms, making sure we didn't forget anything and leaving tips for the maids. There should be a taxi van waiting outside for us in fifteen minutes. You guys go wash up, I'll watch over him." Chunji, Byunghun, and Ricky silently nodded and brushed past him, making their way to the small bathroom on the other side of the room. Changjo cautiously sat on the edge of Niel's bed. He watched the other boy's chest rise and fall slowly, his eyes flickering faintly behind closed lids. Changjo slid both of his hands around one of Niel's, holding it as if it were a small bird he didn't wish to frighten or crush.

"Hey...you should wake up soon," he whispered quietly, counting the bruises and cuts on Niel's body and finding them to be fewer than when he had last checked. Niel didn't respond. Changjo hadn't expected him to, but he desperately hoped that he would wake up before they had to leave. He just wanted to see Niel's smile again, so that he could finally know that things were going to be okay, that they'd made it. His eyes moved from Niel's face to the window on their left. Snow still swirled outside in the glow of the streetlight below their window, but it didn't stick to the ground. 

"Where..." asked a croaky voice, breaking the silence in the room. Changjo jumped slightly as the hand between his shifted.

"Niel!" he cried, turning back to his friend, who had one still swollen eye half-opened, "Don't move, just stay laying down. We're back at the hotel. We made it out of there alive." Niel coughed, a ragged, awful sound.

"Water," he asked, his eye slipping closed again.

"Are...are you sure? It won't make you sick?" Changjo asked, squeezing Niel's hand a little. Niel shook his head. "Hey! Ricky! Could you bring a glass of water in here please?" Ricky padded out of the bathroom, water in hand, with only jeans on and a towel dangling from his neck. The swelling in his eye had gone down considerably, and it opened wide when he saw Niel stirring on the bed.

"He's awake! Oh, thank God he's awake!" he shouted happily, shuffling quickly over to the bedside, only stopping to put the glass in Changjo's hand. Ricky dropped to his knees by Niel's face and regarded him closely. "How are you feeling?"

"Like ," Niel groaned, propping himself up on one elbow. Ricky helped him up and put two pillows behind his back so he wouldn't have to support himself. Changjo scooted closer to Niel on the bed, holding out the water at arms length.

"Do you need me to help you?" he asked quietly, but Niel just let out a raspy laugh.

"I'm not that helpless," he said, taking the glass out of Changjo's hands and bringing it to his chapped lips. He took several long gulps before setting the now empty cup on the bedside table. "So what happened?"

"You got knocked out...a bunch of Systems ganged up on you, but Ricky here took care of them," Changjo said with a chuckle, patting Ricky's shoulder, "Well, he started the attack at least. We picked you up and carried you all the way here. You were beaten up pretty badly, but thanks to the Virus, Byunghun, and all the towels in the bathroom, you're patched up for the most part." Niel nodded slowly as he stretched his limbs, cringing slightly.

"What about the other Systems?" he asked, rubbing his shoulder.

"Byunghun...enlightened them," Ricky said with a giggle.

"Come again?" Niel asked, confusion knitting his brows.

"Basically, Byunghun kicked down a streetlight and smacked them all with it," Changjo explained, shrugging.

"Uh..well then," Niel said, laughing slightly, "now what?"

"Now we go home," said Minsoo, who had just appeared in the doorway, "do you think you can get up and move?" Niel shifted around a bit before answering.

"With a little help, yeah." Minsoo nodded.

"Alright then. Let's get the cure back to Korea."