Tao

Kai was hard to find in the warehouse. The next few days Tao spent trying to talk to him ended with Kai saying that he would talk with him later and teleporting away. He was hardly home long enough for Kris to tell him that Suho wasn't giving a punishment, and even then he only nodded and vanished again.

As much as Tao wanted to tackle him and get an explanation, he was sleeping. Tao figured he need all the rest after all his late-night training sessions.

Absently cleaning his knives in his room, Tao thought about Suho. He had reported to Commander Lang as required, and he said the Commander seemed pleased with their results. Suho's impersonation brought him recognition from the highest ranking official, so he would excuse them this time. Tao had never heard more relieving words.

There was something he didn't quite understand though. When he had asked Suho if the information he gave was useful, their leader said that he didn't report it, explaining that Commander Lang didn't ask for any details after hearing that there was an exchange. Why wouldn't he want to know more about a deal between current enemies and possible enemies? And not even asking for what they traded? He thought a military power would want to know when one of their villages was given away to a third party.

"Tao."

He snapped out of his thoughts and looked at Lay, who had been walking back and forth between the plants on the wall and his journal and paper-ridden desk. He was looking at him now, pencil stopped in mid-write.

"You're bleeding."

He looked down and saw that he was. The cloth had slipped to the floor, and he was practically sawing the knife into his hand. He scooped up the cloth and tried catching the blood trickling down. Lay sandwiched his hand with his own and sighed. Tao could already see the skin closing back up.

"I never thought I would heal an injury for something as idiotic as this."

"Sorry, Lay ge. I was just thinking."

"But among those thoughts, not one of them was 'Ow, the knife is sharp'?" He let go of his hand and wiped the excess blood with the cloth. "What were you thinking about?"

Tao took the cloth back and wiped Lay's hands in return. "Just about the report and Suho ge."

"Because Commander Lang didn't ask for any more about the exchange?"

Tao nodded.

"I found it strange too, but there's not much we can do about it. Suho already finished reporting. If he goes back and tells the commander, he could be accused of withholding information and treason. It's better if no one knows."

Lay looked back at his papers sprawled across the desk. There were symbols and numbers and names of things Tao couldn't begin to pronounce. The only thing he could really read was 'Final Power?' written at the top of a page before Lay closed the journal.

Tao knew about what Lay had named their 'final power.' It was apparently a last manifestation of their will. At the expense of their bodies, they would be able to become the most powerful version of their abilities. Lay said it was just a theory of untested science and imagination, but Tao had a feeling that it was possible. Lay just didn't want them to ever attempt it.

"How come you're still researching things? We're already dead. What more is there to discover?" Tao asked.

Lay smiled and pointed a finger in the air. "On the contrary, dear Tao. We don't know how we died or how we got into that white room with beings that seemed to be in charge of judging us. Plus, this labyrinth and how it can conjure up such a life-like version of the military remains a mystery. There's plenty of things to discover."

"Only you can make dying and losing our memories sound like a good thing," Tao laughed.

"Memories..." He repeated. His smile faded, a small frown taking over instead. Lay was rubbing the edge of one of the papers, glaring at it like he always did when he was deep in thought.

Tao smiled and crept out of the room. There was no chance of talking with Lay when he went into think mode. Instead, Tao walked toward the shower room and rinsed the dried blood off his hands. He washed the cloth before moving back to his room. Lay was still where Tao left him, staring at his papers.

As little disturbance as could make, he took each of Lay's hands and wiped them clean. He started for the shower room again when Lay snatched his arm and looked him in the eye.

"What if these trials are our memories?"

The door flung open, and Xiumin came bursting in.

"Monju summoned us."

Tao dove toward their wardrobe, ripping his uniform off the hanger and slipping it on. They had two minutes, three at most, to get in formation and uniform before Commander Lang showed up at their warehouse. Even if he was pleased with the last report, Tao knew he wouldn't hesitate to throw one of them in the punishment room.

Jumping into his boots, Tao almost sprinted out when he saw Lay still rooted to the spot. He took down Lay's uniform and shook his shoulders.

"Lay ge, hurry and change." He glanced behind him. Xiumin had taken his place in the living room next to Baekhyun. Suho, Kris, and even Kai who had been sleeping were in place too. "We can't keep the others waiting."

He seemed to snap out of his daze at his words, and he nodded, quickly putting on the clothes. They sprinted out to their spots, Lay next to Kris and Tao at the edge. Suho stood in the middle, Xiumin, Baekhyun, and Kai to his right.

Just as Tao drew his hands behind his back in position, the door opened, and the lieutenant general stepped into their warehouse.

Lang Monju was young for his rank; his hair wasn't streaked with gray, and only a few forehead creases let on his age. He was cold, brutal, and Tao had never seen him smile. Or at least not frown or look at them without mockery. There was also something that Tao had to stop from involuntarily shuddering at. There was a certain malice in his eyes that would kill anything and anyone for his goals, and it frightened Tao knowing that Comannder Lang wouldn't hesitate to do so.

Suho stepped forward and saluted.

"Respect to the great Lieutenant General Lang Monju," Suho shouted.<