Part Five

True to his word, Kyungsoo picked him up from Ailee’s house at six o’clock sharp. Junmyeon’s head was spinning with symbols and charts, and he was quiet as Kyungsoo drove through the city.

“Well?” Kyungsoo prompted him. “How was it?”

Junmyeon startled out of his reverie. “She’s insane,” he said at last. “I don’t know how she manages to keep so much information inside of her head. And we barely started.”

“So she took you on?” Kyungsoo glanced over at Junmyeon, and then turned back to the road.

“Yeah.” Junmyeon’s fingers tightened around the notebook Ailee had given him. “She said some…interesting things.”

“What do you mean?”

“She said that I wouldn’t have much time with her. Two weeks at most.” Junmyeon frowned and stared out the window. “I don't know what to make of it."

“How did she know that you’d be leaving soon?”

Junmyeon shrugged. “She didn’t say. But somehow…I trust her. She knows things.”

“You just met her today,” Kyungsoo said disbelievingly. “And you trust her?”

“Master Kim vouched for her.” Junmyeon yawned. “I don’t know what to think. Also, where are we going?”

“Dinner at my place,” Kyungsoo said after a slight pause. “Apparently Yixing got off work early, so they’ve all cooked up a storm.”

“Do you know if the others figured out a housing situation?”

“Baekhyun said they found a place near me.” Kyungsoo parked on the street. “Seems like they took care of things today. You guys should be all set.”

They walked out of the car and into the house. Junmyeon felt a small wave of relief wash over him when he saw the four others seated comfortably in the kitchen, surrounded by bowls of steaming food. He’d been afraid to let the others out of his sight, given everything that had happened to them before.

Junmyeon went to Yixing first, having had the least time to talk with him today. They happily ate dinner, and Junmyeon couldn’t help the overwhelming fondness when he saw a glimmer of the old friendship they’d had back at the Academy.

Junmyeon told the others about his situation with Ailee. “I don’t know why she seemed so urgent,” Junmyeon said at the end. “What do you all think?”

Minseok frowned and tapped his fingers against the table. “She’s not a seer or something like that, right?” he asked hesitantly.

Baekhyun scoffed and poked at Minseok’s elbow. “We’ve been over this, Minseok. Seers aren’t real!”

“The closest things to seers are telepaths,” Yixing chimed in. “If there were seers, wouldn’t the governments and really, everyone have their hands all over them?”

Minseok rolled his eyes and didn’t respond.

“No, I don’t think she was a seer.” Junmyeon gave Minseok an apologetic look. “I think she’s just well informed.”

“She said it wasn’t sinister, right?” Yixing frowned. “But what could something unsinister be?”

There was a heavy silence.

Junmyeon coughed. “Maybe she was just messing with me and she’s going on vacation in two weeks,” he said with a weak smile.

The five of them shook their heads at him, but the atmosphere was significantly lightened.

“We’ll just have to wait and see what happens,” Baekhyun mumbled. “That’s all we can do I guess.”

Junmyeon hummed thoughtfully and looked around the room. “Well, we should go,” Junmyeon said at last.

“Yeah.” They got up and started cleaning off the table. Baekhyun, Minseok, Jongin and Junmyeon left Kyungsoo’s house with promises to return tomorrow.

“Ailee’s place is pretty close to my work. I can come by and take Junmyeon back there tomorrow morning,” Kyungsoo offered.

“That would be great. Thanks,” Junmyeon said, smiling. His heart sank a little at the thought—they’d be paying for a place to stay, but the others had all already managed to pick up temporary jobs. His payments were going to have to come out of his savings.

“If you have time, I could teach you how to drive for real,” Baekhyun offered on their way home. “You wouldn’t be able to drive yourself to Ailee’s place anyways because I need the car to take all of us to work, but still.”

“Thanks. Maybe I’ll take you up on that,” Junmyeon said, genuinely grateful that Baekhyun wasn’t judging him. “Where did you all find work?”

“Baekhyun and I are working at an ice skating rink.” Minseok smiled. “We’ve both been brushing up on using our powers on the sly. It’s a fun game, seeing how much we can get away with before anyone notices.”

Junmyeon smiled at that. He knew that all six of them had been keeping up the use of their powers—him with his training, Kyungsoo and Yixing with their jobs, and Baekhyun, Jongin and Minseok out of sheer discipline. It was good to hear that they were practicing. “What about Jongin?”

“Food delivery,” Jongin said, smirking. “It’s already clear that I’m the fastest one.”

Junmyeon snickered. “Just make sure to keep a low profile, you three. And take care of your bodies! There’s a lot of heavy lifting in those jobs.”

“We will,” Baekhyun said reassuringly. “But even if we do get injured, we’re back with Yixing,” Baekhyun pointed out. “You know, I didn’t appreciate how good we had it until we were all separated.”

Junmyeon smiled. “I agree.”

“Those were good days,” Minseok agreed. “I’m glad we’re back together. Even if things are different now, I really…I really missed everyone.”

Baekhyun cooed at him from the driver seat, and Junmyeon smiled when Minseok just flushed bright red and refused to look at anyone.

Junmyeon shared a fond look with Jongin and turned his head back to the neighborhoods they drove past. Hopefully, whatever Ailee thought was coming wouldn’t rip the six of them apart again.

Two weeks later, Junmyeon felt a strange sense of déjà vu. He was sitting cross-legged on Ailee’s parlor room floor with a brush in his hand a pot of ink the other hand. He’d certainly never done this before, but something about this situation felt oddly familiar.

“This is a non-water based ink.” Ailee pointed at three large jars in the corner of the parlor. “Those are for you when you leave this place.”

“Thank you.” Junmyeon took a tent peg into his lap and began to form a seal of protection on its base. “So you’re sure that I won’t be able to take lessons from you anymore?”

“I’m positive.” Ailee leaned into his lap and peered at the peg. “Don’t write the rune so big—someone could see that from a mile away, drive a crack into the peg, and your rune would be worthless.” She leaned away and handed him a bottle of clear, sour-smelling liquid. “This will remove the ink from any surface. I wrote down the method for making it in your journal already.”

“Thanks.” Junmyeon rubbed some of the clear liquid onto the peg, and watched as the black ink dissolved into a faint smudge.

“Try again,” Ailee instructed.

Junmyeon frowned and started the seal over again in the tiniest characters possible.

“Better,” Ailee said approvingly. “This is a tent peg so no one is really going to see that anyways. This is all you’re going to do today, so don’t worry.”

Junmyeon groaned internally, but finished off the seal. He picked up the next peg and began making a new set of runes.

Ailee had taught him a lot. He could make his own seals now, and they were very specific. In his patterns, he detailed the radius of the spell he wanted, the strength of the wards he wanted to alert him, the ways they showed that they’d been triggered. Junmyeon hadn’t known how complicated and specific that seals could be—he thought back to that day in the Red Fortress, and shivered softly. They were incredibly lucky that he’d seen that flaw in the seal—but what was luck anyways? Maybe it had been a test, a stall for time for the General to make her appearance.

“Stay focused,” Ailee chided him gently, bringing him back into the presence. “You’ve made a mess out of your radius specifications on this one.”

“Whoops.” Junmyeon rubbed some of the ink remover into the edge of the tent he was writing on. “Thanks.”

“If we’d had more time, I would actually have you sew the seals and runes into the hems of your gear,” Ailee sighed. “As I suspected, we didn’t have enough time.”  

“What’s going to happen?” Junmyeon bit his lip as he concentrated on forming neat lines with his tiny brush. “You said it wasn’t anything bad, but…”

“Well, not bad for you,” Ailee said wryly. Junmyeon looked at up at her.

“What do you mean?”

“Well, as a seals master my arts and services are in high demand. I don’t like to serve certain types of people,” Ailee sniffed.

“Is someone following you?” Junmyeon’s hands tightened on the tent subconsciously. “Are you in danger?”

“I wouldn’t quite say danger,” Ailee said thoughtfully. “But don’t worry about me, Junmyeon. I’m used to running and hiding.”

“Are they someone I should be concerned about? For my own safety, and my friends’?” Junmyeon finished the seal and folded up the tent canvas, next going to one of his daggers. He began writing a seal of ownership over it—this one was particularly tricky. He wanted to be warned when someone he didn’t trust was holding his dagger, but seals were easier to write when you knew who should be handling something.

“No,” Ailee said firmly. “I wouldn’t have taken you on if you were in any danger. Don’t worry about that.”

“Why can’t you tell me who they are?” Junmyeon persisted.

“They can’t know you’re expecting them,” Ailee sighed. “It’s very complicated. If we meet again in the future, I’ll explain it to you then.”

“Do you think we’ll meet again?” Junmyeon asked, genuinely curious. It was hard to imagine how they’d cross paths again.

“I believe we will,” Ailee said softly.

“Hm.” Junmyeon moved on to his next weapon, carefully marking small, discrete places on the weapons. His seals were all based around hexagons and six-pointed stars.

“A hexagon?” Ailee looked down at the seal he’d created for her on the seventh day of their sessions together. “A most interesting choice. Most seals are based around fives, or simpler yet, threes.”

“You told me to pick a number bearing significance to me,” Junmyeon said steadily, standing by his design. “Sixes have tended to crop up in my life.”

Ailee hummed thoughtfully. “Very well,” she said at last. “That will only make the design more complicated for you, but if it is as you say, a six-point design will be stronger for you than any other.”

“The greatest seals masters were blacksmiths,” Ailee said after a time. “They would create weapons with seals and patterns incorporated into their very design.”

“Would you have taught me to forge a weapon if we had the time?” Junmyeon asked teasingly.

“I have only taken one colleague of mine to that final step as a seal creator,” Ailee said solemnly.

Junmyeon stared at her. “You actually forged a weapon with a seal inside of it?” he asked incredulously.

“Yes,” Ailee said serenely. “I think, if we had the time, I might have helped you to create one as well.”

Junmyeon looked at her curiously. “It would have been an honor,” he said at last.

“Hm.” Ailee nudged him affectionately and let him finish his work in silence.

At last, it was all done. As per Ailee’s request, Junmyeon had brought all of his weapons with him to place seals upon. Ailee had provided him with the tent poles (of which she’d provided him for four tents’ worth) and other gear. He’d scratched runes for strength and dryness on the bottom of his boots, had carved small runes to reveal poison on various cooking utensils and pots. He’d then had to put a protective layer of varnish over these, to make sure that the runes wouldn’t be scratched away and rendered ineffective.

She’d given him recipes and instructions for the ink, ink remover and the varnish. “You might have to play around with them a little bit. It depends on what you have around you—but the jars I’ve given you should last you a long time.”

“How can I thank you enough?” Junmyeon felt an overwhelming surge of fondness for his mentor. She had taught him so much, and on their last day together, had taken steps to ensure Junmyeon’s application of his skills along with his safety. “This is too much.”

“There is no such thing as too much from a mentor,” Ailee sniffed. “I actually have one last thing for you.” She pulled out a small, glimmering ring.

Junmyeon took it from her, and then tilted it, looking at the inside. Inscribed along the inner band was a series of seals for protection from the elements, all based around…

“A hexagon.” Junmyeon looked up at her in surprise.

“I was inspired by your designs.” Ailee beamed at him proudly. “The seals on this ring will hopefully be of use to you in the future.”

Junmyeon had already packed up his weapons and the gear Ailee had gifted him. He slipped the ring onto his finger, and Kyungsoo honked from outside.

“Ask Kyungsoo to help you carry these things to the car,” Ailee said gently.

“Okay.” Junmyeon went out and brought Kyungsoo in, handing him the large bag full of outdoor gear. Ailee had vanished into a different part of her house, and Junmyeon sent Kyungsoo out the door. He paused on the threshold—somehow, he knew that once he stepped out of the door, he wouldn’t see Ailee again for a long time.

“Ailee?” he asked softly.

She emerged from the shadows, her eyes wide and beautiful. She stared at him for a moment, her hands propped up on her hips.

“Goodbye, Junmyeon.” She stepped closer, standing on her toes to press a soft kiss on his cheek. “Use what you learned here well.”

“Goodbye.” Junmyeon hugged her tightly, and then stepped over the threshold. He went to the car without looking back, and he didn’t say anything to Kyungsoo as they drove away.

“You seem upset,” Kyungsoo said carefully. “Is everything okay?”

“I don’t know,” Junmyeon said honestly. “I don’t think I’ll see Ailee again for a long time.”

“Did you two become very close?”

“Yeah.” Junmyeon sighed and huddled down in his seat. At times like these, when his heart ached from emotion and he didn’t how to express it, he longed for Yifan. Yifan would understand him, and what he needed.

But he hadn’t seen Yifan for more than two years at this point. Junmyeon touched his cheek and thought of Ailee’s kiss. He wasn’t sure why he suddenly felt guilty. Ailee hadn’t kissed him on the mouth—in fact, that was the most bodily contact they’d ever had. And who knew if Yifan even thought of him anymore?

“Junmyeon?”

“Hm?”

“We’re back at my place.” Kyungsoo was standing outside the car, his hand resting on the door. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“I’m fine.” Junmyeon quickly got out of the car and slammed the door shut, feeling a little upset with himself. Normally, thoughts of Yifan didn’t distract him like this.

Kyungsoo helped him drag the bag full of gear and his weapons back into the house. The others had, again, prepared dinner, and Junmyeon settled down with his brothers at the table, eager to hear about their work.

Yixing had was halfway through explaining the results of a new experimental treatment he was trying when the doorbell rang.

All six of them froze, staring at each other. The doorbell rang again, and Kyungsoo got to his feet.

Junmyeon automatically settled his hand on his hip, where a small dagger was hidden beneath his belt. The five of them watched as Kyungsoo went to the door, peering through the peephole.

A moment later, his shoulders relaxed and he opened the door. Junmyeon didn’t relax yet, unsure of who was on the other side.

“Taeyeon!” Baekhyun blurted out, rising to his feet.

Junmyeon blinked in surprise. General Taeyeon was indeed, standing on Kyungsoo’s doorstep. She was dressed her in dark blue military uniform, and her hair was pulled back into a tight bun.

“That’s General Taeyeon to you,” she said with a wink. “Hello boys. I wasn’t expecting all six of you to be here!”

“It’s good to see you again.” Junmyeon got to his feet and saluted her, the others following suit. “Who are you here for?”

Taeyeon’s voice darkened apologetically. “I’m here for all six of you,” she said softly, reaching into her bag and pulling out six envelopes. “The Emperor has revoked his orders, and the military is calling you to report for duty again.”

Junmyeon stared at her, shocked. He’d resigned himself to the idea of never working for the military ever again—their orders to never be used, in fear that they were targets of the Red Forces, had come from the highest level. The Emperor rarely changed his mind on anything, and for this…

“Why did the Emperor change his mind?” Minseok asked sharply. “Has something happened?”

“I’m not at liberty to discuss with you now.” Taeyeon handed the six envelopes to Kyungsoo. “I will you back to the border to recommence your service myself. Be ready to leave by tomorrow night.”

“Understood, ma’am.” Junmyeon saluted her again, and Kyungsoo shut the door, his face still slack with disbelief.

“They want us back,” Yixing said faintly, sitting down hard. “Who would’ve thought?”

“I thought we’d never have to go back there,” Kyungsoo said slowly, walking back to the dining table and putting the envelopes down. “They said we’d be too large of a target.”

“And yet, they’re calling us back again. All six of us, no less,” Junmyeon said softly. “Will they want us to reform Exo again?”

“With only six people?” Minseok said faintly. “Exo was possible when there were ten of us. But with only six…”

Junmyeon looked at Baekhyun, who had yet to say anything. Baekhyun had grit his teeth, and was staring at the table.

Junmyeon still felt shocked, but he knew that he had to rally his friends. “Guys, listen to me,” he said firmly. “Everything is going to be fine. Even if there are only six of us, we’ve had each other’s backs since the Academy.”

“That’s right,” Minseok said softly. “We’ve been working as a team for years.”

Junmyeon relaxed a little when he saw that Baekhyun was no longer gritting his teeth, and that Kyungsoo seemed to have composed his expression. Yixing still looked a little dazed, but Junmyeon knew that they would all need a little time to really understand what was happening to them.

The next night, they were ready when Taeyeon knocked on Kyungsoo’s door again. Yixing had gone to the hospital to put his experiments on hold, everyone had informed their respective employers of their military orders, and Baekhyun had even had time to take his car to a family friends’ place in the city.

Junmyeon had told the others to bring their gear to the house in the morning. He spent the whole day putting seals on everything as he had with Ailee. He explained what he’d done to the others as they waited for Ailee.

“You really learned a lot from her.” Baekhyun was inspecting the small seal on Junmyeon’s dagger, as all of their gear had already been packed up into neat boxes. There was little else, besides a change of clothes and their old uniforms (which Junmyeon was unsurprised to see that everyone had kept. It was also surprising to realize that everyone still fit into their uniforms, although it might be fair to say that Minseok and Kyungsoo’s uniforms were looking a little tighter than usual). “This seal is tiny, but so complex. I can barely understand any of it.”

“She was a good teacher.” Junmyeon thought of the three small notebooks bursting with Ailee’s instructions resting in his bag.

There was a knock at the door, and Kyungsoo opened it to reveal Taeyeon. A large, black van was sitting out on the curb behind her, engine still running.

“Are you boys ready?”

They got to their feet, each person taking their things to the van and climbing in. They sat in huddled silence for the first hour of their trip, Taeyeon also staying quiet.

At last, Junmyeon brought his head up, having had enough of silent brooding. “Where are we going?” he asked her.

“We’re going to make a stop at the Academy,” Taeyeon said evenly. “You’ll be evaluated for your return to duty there. Then I’ll take you out to the base to start carrying out missions.”

“Will we be reforming a team?” Junmyeon sat back in his seat and turned his head to lean onto Minseok’s shoulder. Minseok took his hand and squeezed it reassuringly.

“That will be decided after your evaluations.” Taeyeon’s voice took on a teasing tone. “I hope the lot of you have been staying in shape for the past couple of years.”

“Hm.” Junmyeon hummed softly. “Taeyeon?”

“Yes?”

“I’ve always wondered, but Master Kim never explained. How is it that he’s taught so many students with different magic types? He’s taught us, and we both have mastery over water, but he was set to take on Luhan at one point and Luhan was…” Junmyeon trailed off. He couldn’t see any of the other’s faces in the dark, but he felt Baekhyun tensing up on his other side. Maybe it was still too soon to speak of their losses.

“He wouldn’t have been able to take Luhan as far as us,” Taeyeon said after a few moments. “Master Kim is one of the few rare people born with multiple abilities. He never told you?”

“No.” Junmyeon closed his eyes and thought of his teacher. “What are his abilities?”

“Water, some telepathy and telekinesis, air, and fire. He always told me water was his strongest element, though.”

“Amazing.” Junmyeon snuggled deeper into Minseok’s side as the motion of the van started lulling him to sleep. “He was always full of secrets.”

“Yes,” Taeyeon agreed softly.

“The Academy is closer to the warzone than the capitol,” Baekhyun piped up. “How long are we going to be driving for?”

“All night long,” Taeyeon said cheerfully. “So get yourselves settled in.”

Baekhyun and Yixing groaned, having boxed themselves furthest into the back. Taeyeon laughed at them, and Junmyeon drifted into his dreams with a small smile on his face. They’d always gotten along well with Taeyeon, and he wouldn’t have wanted anyone else to bring them back into service.

Junmyeon woke up to the car still moving. The deep even breathing surrounding him on all sides told him that the other five boys were all asleep. Junmyeon peered at Taeyeon’s windshield, and saw that the sun had started rising in the east.

Taeyeon brought the van to a stop, and twisted around in her seat. “We’re here,” she said loudly, bringing the others out of their dreams. “Hop on out, everyone.”

They climbed out of the van, and Junmyeon gazed up at the Academy. It was a tall, multi-floored building. The outsides were painted forest green and tan, true to the colors of their nations’ flag. Within, Junmyeon knew that the halls were grimy, ancient concrete where footsteps echoed but whispers were dampened.

Beside him, Jongin had pulled a cigarette and his lighter out of his jacket. The acrid smell of the smoke drifted through the air, and Junmyeon wondered if Taeyeon would say something.

“I feel like I’ve seen the outside of the Academy so few times,” Kyungsoo said quietly.

“We were rarely let back out once we were in,” Yixing agreed. “I wonder…”

Jongin stamped his cigarette out on the ground. “What?”

“Never mind,” Yixing said, shaking his head.

“Are you done reminiscing?” Taeyeon was tapping her foot impatiently. “Let’s go in. You’ll undergo your mental evaluations first.”

“What about our gear?” Junmyeon looked at the van, which was parked in a parking space in front. Sure, it was within the school gates, but he still didn’t feel safe.

“I’ll have them brought up to your quarters. We’ll be here for a few days,” Taeyeon said. “It’s all very safe. Now come.”

They followed her back into the Academy. Junmyeon looked around the dreary halls, and they passed a few groups of students.

The students burst into excited whispers at the six of them—and they must have looked strange, six men dressed in civilian clothes following an army general. They went through the familiar route to the psychology department.

“Doctor Luna?” Taeyeon marched up to the front desk. “Six returning soldiers need evaluation.”

Junmyeon recognized Luna when he saw her. She’d been eliminated from the class above them many years ago, but had reentered the Academy under the psychology department. Apparently, she was much better suited for this if she’d lasted this long here.

“I got your message,” Luna responded. “I’ll take Kyungsoo first.”

Kyungsoo stepped forward readily, and they settled into chairs to wait their turns.

“I’m going to go move your things to your quarters,” Taeyeon said. “I’ll be back soon.”

Junmyeon knew that she would be searching through their belongings. It was standard procedure, to check for any signs that they might be spies, traitors, or if they had any contraband items on them. 

Junmyeon didn’t think she’d notice the seals. She would be thorough in her check, but the seals were well concealed. They were sewn in beneath a concealing patch of fabric on his tent, covered over by an extra layer of opaque, darkened lacquer on the tent poles, cooking utensils and weapons. She would have to have a sharp eye to think them anything other than scratch marks.

Junmyeon didn’t think it would be a problem if she did discover how everything they’d brought was covered in protective seals, but his instincts were telling him to keep his lessons from Ailee a secret for the time being. Besides, the more people that knew he was now knowledgeable in seals would just grow, and maybe even spread over to the Red Forces if he let it out now. It would be best to keep it as a trick up their sleeve for the time being.

Junmyeon leaned back in his chair, his eyes half-lidded as he looked around their surroundings. The office was trying to exude a false sense of security with its warm color palette and calming atmosphere, but Junmyeon started arming himself mentally as he waited for his turn for evaluation.

The evaluations were exhausting both mentally and physically, and Junmyeon felt relieved when they were finally cleared for duty a few days later. They packed their boxes of gear back into the van and Taeyeon started driving them out towards the military encampment they’d been deployed for.

Junmyeon hesitated before getting into the van. He gazed at the academy building, and silently wondered if Master Kim was residing somewhere within the concrete walls. They were so close—and yet, so far all at once. He didn’t feel disheartened though—Master Kim had promised him that they would meet again, and if that wasn’t today, that was alright. Junmyeon believed that someday, it really would happen.

“You know, I’m impressed you brought all of your old gear with you,” Taeyeon said conversationally as she started driving. “We can reissue you brand new gear if you want. You all brought your old tents and everything.”

Junmyeon smiled thinly. “I’m more impressed that we kept our things in good condition.”

Taeyeon shrugged. “Have it your way,” was all she said. “You know, I’m truly honored to be your general again.”

“We’re honored to be under you command again,” Baekhyun spoke out.

Kyungsoo nudged him in the side and winked, and Baekhyun rolled his eyes in retaliation. They’d had a brief discussion about how Baekhyun had been meeting up with Taeyeon when she was off duty—it was no secret that Baekhyun had admired her ever since she’d been assigned as their commanding officer.

“You’ll be heading off on a small mission the moment we get back to the base,” Taeyeon said calmly. “A group of soldiers were scouting an area, and one of them says he saw traces recent human activity. They had taken photos of the scene, but were ambushed on their way back to the base. They told me the ambush seemed unrelated to what they’d been doing. I want you to find that camera.”

Junmyeon snorted. It shouldn’t be a problem for them—Kyungsoo’s affinity for the earth made it easy for their team to track down people and objects. “Will Yixing be joining us for this mission?” Normally, Yixing's abilities were such a huge target that he rarely followed them directly to the mission site.

“Us?” Taeyeon echoed. “Oh, no. This is a solo mission for you.”

Junmyeon blinked. “What?”

“What?” Minseok echoed, his hands balling into fists. “We’re back and the first thing you want is to send Junmyeon to risk his neck, alone?”

Taeyeon paused. “Would you like me to call you Junmyeon or Suho?” she asked hesitantly.

“Commander Junmyeon will do,” Junmyeon said coolly.

“And yes, Minseok, your first mission is a solo. It’s orders from the Emperor himself again.”

“Orders from the Emperor?” Junmyeon echoed, baffled. “Why would he care about what I do?”

“Exo only receives their orders from the top chain of command.” Taeyeon didn’t take her eyes off the road. “That’s how it always has been.”

“No,” Jongin spoke up. “No, it hasn’t. We always had our orders from you. I’m pretty sure the Emperor didn’t give a rat’s about us before.”

“Times are changing.” Taeyeon’s tone turned steely. “And before, I received my orders from higher up and I followed them. As will you.”

The six of them settled down at that. It was true—they were soldiers, and they were supposed to follow their orders.

“You never told us why the army wanted to reinstate us,” Junmyeon said eventually. “We thought we were done with the army for good.”

“I will explain that to you when you return from your mission.”

“I thought you would explain it after our evaluations were done.” Jongin started fidgeting in his seat. “Is this another test? Hasn’t Junmyeon proven himself already?”

“Jongin,” Junmyeon said warningly.

“It wouldn’t have been my first choice to send Junmyeon on a solo mission,” Taeyeon said calmly. “But I guess the higher-ups feel otherwise.”

Junmyeon blinked. There was some truth to Jongin’s complaint—Junmyeon had already passed one of the military's tests. He'd long suspected that the encounter he’d had with the “Red Forces” right before he’d reunited with Baekhyun was actually a test from the military. They’d been far too soft on him—the Red Forces would probably want to eliminate him completely if he posed a threat to their victory in the war. They had probably just been members of the military dressed in red cloaks. They’d just wanted to see what he’d learned from Master Kim, and had no real intention of killing him.

“It’s fine, everyone.” He sat back in his seat. “I’ll go, I’ll come back. If this is a test, it’s not a big deal.”

Taeyeon snorted in the front, but Junmyeon ignored her. What was most important was to keep his team calm, and he could only hope that his reassurances would actually work.

A few hours later, Junmyeon found himself on the edge of camp with a pack of gear on his back and his brothers watching him anxiously.

“I’ll be fine,” Junmyeon said soothingly. “It’s just a retrieval mission. There won’t be any problems. I’m as good as sensing people around me as Kyungsoo is now.”

The five of them didn’t look very reassured as Junmyeon turned around and took off into the tall grass around them.

Taeyeon really was quite a piece of work, Junmyeon mused. This mission would be over and done with in an hour if he’d been allowed to take Jongin and Kyungsoo with him, but Taeyeon had insisted that he go alone. Jongin would’ve gotten them to the location in two seconds and Kyungsoo would have been able to detect the camera within a few minutes at most. Junmyeon was going to have to dig through the dirt to try and find the damn thing.

Taeyeon had also tried to reissue him new gear, but Junmyeon had flat-out refused. He was taking his rune-inscribed things and nothing else. He didn’t know who, or what, to trust anymore, and he didn’t plan on trusting anyone until things became clearer.

Junmyeon traveled under cover of night, and he arrived at the site of the ambush just as dawn was creeping into the sky. Junmyeon quietly slunk through the trees in the glade, testing out the area. He didn’t feel any other human presences yet, but he stuck to the shadows. He could never be sure how long an enemy would linger around the area.

The sky grew brighter and brighter, and Junmyeon slumped down in the shade of a tree. He’d been cleared to return to the army, but he wasn’t in top form. He should’ve rested at some point during the night—weariness was starting to close over his limbs.

Junmyeon looked around. He was well-shielded by brambles and the tree trunks. He pulled four small stones out of his bags inscribed with runes for alertness and protection and put them around himself. He curled up and closed his eyes. A few minutes of rest wouldn’t hurt.

Junmyeon woke up with a start. He sat bolt upright, his hand on his long knife, his eyes darting around. He’d heard something move.

The sun hadn’t moved along much higher into the sky, so he hadn’t been sleeping long. Junmyeon slowly sat up.

There was a rustling to the right, and Junmyeon quietly pulled his knife out of its sheath and held it up by his shoulder. The runes would protect him from anyone wanting to harm him.

There was more rustling, and Junmyeon’s breath caught in his chest when a tall, red-cloaked figure came into view.

They stared at each other for a moment before Junmyeon sprang to his feet and hurled his knife. The red figure ducked out of the way and pushed their hood back.

Junmyeon’s heart skipped a beat.

“Yifan?” he asked softly.

“Junmyeon,” Yifan breathed. He took a step forward, and Junmyeon raised his hand.

“Don’t come any closer,” he commanded.

Yifan didn’t stop.

“Stop!” Junmyeon cried out, but Yifan stretched out his arm past the first stone.

Yifan cried out and snatched his hand back. A red burn had formed on his fingertips. He rubbed his hand, and looked at Junmyeon with a hurt expression. “What was that?”

“Wards,” Junmyeon said evenly. “I told you to stop.”

Yifan sighed and let his arms drop to his sides. “I won’t hurt you,” Yifan said gently. “Junmyeon…it’s been two and a half years now.”

“I don't believe it.” Junmyeon clenched his fists. “What were you going to do?”

“I wanted to hug you,” Yifan said patiently. “Junmyeon…Junmyeon, I’ve missed you so much. You told me not to come after you, and I listened to you.”

Junmyeon his lips nervously. “I know,” he said softly. “I thought…I thought you might not care for me anymore.”

“I could never stop loving you,” Yifan said earnestly. He lifted his arms as if he were going to reach out, but then stopped when he remembered the wards.

Junmyeon blinked. “Even after all this time?”

“Always,” Yifan said firmly. “Didn’t I tell you? I can’t seem to stop myself when it comes to you.”

Junmyeon looked at him. Could he really still trust Yifan? Yifan had been under the Red Forces influence this whole time. How could he know that Yifan wasn’t lying?

“Did you know I would be here?” Junmyeon asked slowly.

“No.” Yifan shook his head. “I had no idea you were here.”

“What are you doing around here?” Junmyeon folded his arms.

“I was passing through the area.”

Junmyeon felt suspicion start to coil in his stomach. “Are you here on a mission?”

Yifan looked surprised, and then slightly guilty.

“To retrieve something?” Junmyeon continued. “Possibly related to a previous attack?"

“I am on a mission,” Yifan said slowly. “But not to retrieve something. And definitely not related to an attack of any kind.”

“Hm.” Junmyeon gave him a long look. “Okay.”

“Are you here on a mission?” Yifan asked.

Junmyeon hesitated. They were on opposite sides of the war now—was it really okay to divulge that information?

But, Yifan had been open with him. It would only be fair to respond in kind. “Yes,” Junmyeon said softly.

“You’ve finished your training then?” Yifan raised an eyebrow. “That was…quick.”

“People seem to be feeling a sense of urgency these days,” Junmyeon said vaguely. “Or maybe, I’m a fast learner.” He flashed a cheeky smile at Yifan, and suddenly, all of the tension between them was gone.

“I’ve missed you,” Yifan said sincerely.

Junmyeon softened. “I’ve missed you too,” he said quietly.

“Come out of your wards,” Yifan begged him. “Please.”

Junmyeon shook his head. “How can I trust you?” he challenged him. “And furthermore, how can you trust me?”

Yifan sighed. “What would you have me do?” he asked. “How can I prove that I still love you?”

Junmyeon couldn’t help blushing. “I don’t know,” he said softly. “But…it’s too soon. Maybe I can trust you with time.”

Yifan sighed and nodded his head in resignation. “This isn’t really how I thought our reunion would go,” he said quietly. “I understand though.”

They stood in awkward silence for a few moments.

“I should get back to my mission,” Yifan said quietly. “I’ll see you again.”

“Yes.” Junmyeon smiled softly. “I’ll see you again.”

Yifan’s eyes lit up, and he smiled slightly. He drew his hood back over his head and flew past Junmyeon. Junmyeon turned around and watched him vanish through the thicket.

Junmyeon didn’t feel anyone else’s presence in the area, and he waited until Yifan was far enough away that he couldn’t sense him. Yifan had headed east—away from the military base.

Junmyeon wondered if he should report his encounter with Yifan. The military soldier in his brain was telling him that yes, he should report any incidents with the enemy—but the part of him that still loved Yifan told him that he should stay quiet.

Junmyeon shook his head and picked up his ward stones. He put them in his pocket and slunk out towards the clearing where the ambush had taken place. He looked around and resisted the urge to groan—the area was fairly large. It would take a while to thoroughly check it all.

Junmyeon crouched down in the dirt and began looking.

Finally, around sunset, Junmyeon found the camera. It seemed relatively undamaged, and Junmyeon put it in his bag. He scanned the area, and it seemed safe to start traveling back for the camp.

When he arrived, he was surprised to see that Minseok, Kyungsoo, Yixing, Baekhyun and Jongin were all anxiously pacing at the edge of the campsite.

“Have you been waiting for me all day?” Junmyeon called out teasingly.

The five of them flinched, and then looked relieved.

“We were worried,” Minseok admitted, coming forward to pull Junmyeon into a hug. “Anything could’ve happened.”

“The place was pretty abandoned. It just took a while to find the camera in the dirt,” Junmyeon said gently. “Let me go report to General Taeyeon, and we can eat together after.”

Minseok nodded, and the five of them drifted back off towards their tent while Junmyeon headed off for Taeyeon.

Taeyeon received the camera with a pleased smile. “Well done, Junmyeon. Well done.” She handed the camera to one of her lieutenants who left the tent. “You didn’t have any problems during the retrieval?”

“None,” Junmyeon answered, his palms suddenly becoming sweaty. “Nothing happened.”

“The area was abandoned?”

“Yes,” Junmyeon said quietly.

Taeyeon nodded. “Very good,” she said again. “Very good.”

“Will you finally explain why you’ve brought us back together?” Junmyeon asked her.

“Yes.” Taeyeon sat back in her seat. “Sit down, Commander Junmyeon.” She gave the other attending soldiers a look and they filed out, leaving them alone.

Junmyeon sat down and folded his hands.

“You’ve been gone for a while now,” Taeyeon said at last. “We wanted to be sure that you were fit to return. You really outdid yourself on these tasks. You’re an excellent soldier, Junmyeon, even outside of the military.”

“The attack in Green Meadows. Was that you?” Junmyeon asked.

“Not me specifically, but some special-ops from the capitol,” Taeyeon replied. “They wanted to see what you’d learned from Master Kim. You passed the test with flying colors.”

Junmyeon snorted.

“We’d guessed that you would want to reunite with your old classmates. We allowed it to happen, even though that would draw all kinds of attention to you six—the attention that the Emperor feared would make you targets. But something has happened.”

“What?” Junmyeon sat forward in his seat. “What is it?”

“The Red Forces have developed a specialized team, consisting of six members,” Taeyeon said softly. “These six do all kinds of specialized missions for them. Their identities are unconfirmed, but…we have our guesses.”

Junmyeon sat back in his seat. “No,” he whispered. “This…this is what you wanted us for?”

“Their team is too good,” Taeyeon said gently. “You six are the only magic users we could hope to counter them with.”

Junmyeon sighed deeply. “I cannot disobey orders,” he said at last. “But…”

“I know it will be difficult.” Taeyeon’s eyes were warm and pitying. “You will have access to our best therapists, and our best resources for all of your missions.”

Junmyeon closed his eyes and counted to ten silently. He wanted to scream, he wanted to lash out, he wanted to tear all of the water out of the plants around them and flood the entire camp.

Junmyeon opened his eyes. “The others won’t like it,” he said at last.

“If you accept it, then they will follow you.” Taeyeon began shuffling her papers around her desk. “Your missions against those six will be rare and infrequent. But they will happen.”

“I see.” Junmyeon got to his feet. “Thank you for warning me.”

Taeyeon nodded. “Dismissed, Commander Junmyeon.”

Junmyeon left her tent, and went back to his own. His five teammates were gathered around a small fire in front of it, cooking.

Junmyeon didn’t feel like eating.

“Did everything go okay?” Kyungsoo looked at him expectantly.

Junmyeon settled down between Jongin and Minseok. “Yeah,” he said quietly.

“Is something wrong?” Minseok asked.

Junmyeon hesitated. Should he tell them about Yifan? He could tell his brothers about anything, right? But again, his heart whispered that he should stay quiet. Besides, there was the larger issue at hand.

“Taeyeon told me why we were called back,” Junmyeon said at last.

The others stilled around him.

“What was it?” Baekhyun asked quietly.

Junmyeon looked around, and saw that the six of them were quite alone around the fire. There was no one nearby, and their tent was a little ways away from the rest. “She said that the Red Forces have their own six-man team,” Junmyeon said heavily. “And we’re the only team good enough to stop them.”

Jongin dropped the bowl of soup he’d been filling for Junmyeon into the fire. The smell of burning food filled the air and they all watched as the metal bowl turned red, and then started to melt into the fire.

“Sorry,” Jongin said at last.

“It’s okay,” Junmyeon said quietly, still staring at the fire. Even though he was surrounded by people, somehow, the night seemed very lonely.

“Will we…” Kyungsoo hesitated. “Will we have to face them often?”

“She said that these kinds of missions will be scarce, but they’ll happen.” Junmyeon’s eyes were starting burn, and he looked away from the fire. “Do we have any spare bowls?”

Jongin slowly got to his feet and walked towards the tent. “I’ll be back in a minute.”

Junmyeon nodded and stayed quiet, avoiding everyone else’s gaze. They hadn’t talked much about the loss of their friends to the Red Forces. There had been the parting words of forgiveness, but Junmyeon hadn’t really taken them to heart, and he didn’t know if the others had truly meant them at the time. Did they still blame him for this? Would they blame him for this conflict? After all, if he could have pulled them together and saved Jongdae and Tao back then, or if he could have stopped Chanyeol and Yifan from ever leaving, they wouldn't be faced with this situation.

Could all six of them really be trusted to keep a level head when they faced their old friends on the battlefield?

“Junmyeon,” Minseok said quietly. Junmyeon turned his head to look at him.

“We’re going to be fine,” Minseok said gently. “We can do this. I know we can.”

Suddenly, Junmyeon’s eyes began welling up with tears. His shoulders shook with silent sobs, and he let Minseok pull him into a hug. He cried into Minseok’s shirt, feeling his snot and tears stain the uniform as he tried to get a hold of himself.

Minseok rubbed a hand up and down his back soothingly, and Junmyeon felt Kyungsoo come over and put a hand on his shoulder. There was a rustling as Jongin came back from the tent, and then Junmyeon saw Yixing get up out of the corner of his seat. Junmyeon wiped at his eyes furiously and drew back from Minseok as Yixing came over and put a hand on his forehead.

“Thanks guys,” he mumbled, finally looking up at the others. He was heartened by what he saw—none of the others had burst into tears like he had. He saw sadness and fear in their faces, but he also saw determination and hope.

Jongin silently filled a new bowl with soup and handed it to him. Junmyeon took the bowl, and felt a little of his appetite returning and lifted the bowl to his lips.

He resisted the urge to spit the soup out and bravely swallowed it, setting his bowl down. He stared at the soup pot, and then around the circle. “Who cooked tonight?” he asked at last.

Baekhyun sheepishly raised his hand. Junmyeon shook his head, but picked up the bowl again. If the others had eaten it, then he should eat it too. He drained the bowl down to the last drop.

He didn’t know what to say. He knew he should try and bring them together, try and console them on the scars of their past, but he didn’t know how he could do it. He was barely coping as it was. It didn’t feel right to try and pull them together.

“I’m going to bed first.” He got to his feet. “Call me if anything happens.”

The others nodded, and Junmyeon’s eyes settled onto Minseok who looked slightly apprehensive. “What?”

“What?” Minseok echoed back to him, his expression sharpening.

Junmyeon gave him a look and then turned away. “Good night.”

Junmyeon lay quietly on his bunk, his mind whirling with thoughts of the friends he’d lost to the Red Forces.

He thought about his encounter with Yifan, and couldn’t help the small smile that formed on his face. Yifan had grown handsomer over the past couple of years. Junmyeon he shouldn’t trust him so willingly, but he couldn’t help it. He’d loved Yifan for so long, even after he’d been betrayed in the past, he still loved him now.

Somehow, he managed to fall asleep before the others returned to the tent.

a/n: So...we found out the real reason Exo got called back into service! They'll have to face their old friends on the battlefield eventually. On the bright side, Junmyeon and Yifan got a reunion! It probably didn't go as well as anyone hoped (your author nim included ;~;) but they'll have more chances in the future to salvage their relationship. Thanks for reading, and comments are always appreciated!