“Any idea how we’re going to find Sehun and Kai?” Xiumin asked. The boys and King had scoured the area of the warehouse for clues. They found none.

The container that had encased Sehun was gone as well. No robots were left behind, only parts of those that had perished during the fight.

“This building has given us no leads. I’m out of ideas.” Kris said.

“Guys, we can’t give up!” Luhan said, continuing his search around the area. King barked.

Kris looked at the dog and found that he was sniffing along the floor.

“I think he’s found something!” Lay said.

Everyone rushed towards King and followed him across the room, sniffing as he went. He led them out of the warehouse.

“What is it, King?” Kris asked, unsure where the dog was leading them.

King stopped sniffing the ground for a while and started sniffing the air. He then replied with barks and woofs.

“He says he can smell the trail the robots made. We can follow them. It’ll lead us somewhere. At least we won’t be blindly searching.”

“Well, that’s definitely a start. King, lead the way!” Suho said.

The dog ran forward and the boys followed close behind. King led them across the base, mainly following the main roads of the base. They saw the countless structures around them as they whizzed past them. Most looked like manufacturing warehouses. The lights were off inside the buildings, signs that they were unused.

After a few minutes of running, King had led them so far into the base. They were now facing a huge iron wall with a gate so tall, climbing it would not be an option someone would make. There was no gap in between the gate, it would open by sliding sideways.

“So this is the wall I saw. It really is huge.” D.O said, leaning back to behold the height of the iron wall.

King barked at the wall, sniffing the ground near it.

“This is where the robots went.” Kris said.

“Let’s go.” Luhan went to D.O and patted him on the shoulder. “You know what to do.” Luhan gave D.O images of how Luhan thought they would get past the wall and the gate.

“Gotcha. Everyone stand close to me.”

They huddled near the master of earth. D.O closed his eyes and imagined what he wanted to do. Cracks started appearing around them, forming a circle. The ground shook as D.O worked his magic. They were floating now, on a piece of levitating earth.

“I don’t know... if I can keep this up…” D.O was grunting and his hands were shaking. Sweat started forming on his forehead.

“I’ll help.” Kris jumped off the platform of earth and flew underneath it. His strength increasing, he helped push upwards.

“That’s.. a bit better…” D.O huffed. He concentrated on keeping them levitated, sharing the weight with Kris.

Slowly, they gained altitude. They could see for miles now. The entrance to the base, the wrecked warehouses, the snowy fields, and the base Suho and the others were supposed to destroy. It was nothing but a mere dot in the distance.

“Chanyeol and Baekhyun are out there somewhere.” Suho whispered. Luhan heard.

“They’ll be safe.” He put a reassuring hand on Suho’s shoulder. “We’ll be reunited soon.”

They reached the top of the wall and beheld what was behind the gate. There was a vast empty ground, save for a keep-like structure in the far end. There were robot sentries on the ground and they all noticed as the group floated up and over the wall.

“We’ve got company.” Chen said, tapping Suho and Luhan. “We best get ready.”

“I’m bringing us down!” D.O strained to say. Their descent was a little bit more ungraceful as they started dropping faster and faster.

“Ugh…” Kris strained as he tried to reduce the speed they were dropping.

Chen inched his way over to the edge and started shooting bolts of lightning at the sentries.

“What are you doing!?” Lay shouted, as Chen took out two of the robots in the distance.

“Reducing the amount of enemies we’ll have to face once we’re on the ground!” He let go of another lightning strike, hitting two more robots.

“I’ll help!” Xiumin walked towards another edge, opposite of Chen, and started flinging ice spikes.

“Ugh… my head…” Lay heard D.O groan. The strain to maintain them was probably too much to handle now.

“Let me try and help.” Lay put his hands on D.O’s head, releasing energy into the boy.

“Ah, that feels nice. I should get headaches more often and have you ease them. This feels great!”

The instant Lay healed D.O, their descent was stabilized. Luhan held on to Tao for balance as they slowed considerably, almost reaching the ground. Columns of black smoke rose from destroyed robots throughout the empty grounds. More sentries were after them now. Kris ducked out of the way as soon as he saw the ground approaching nearer and nearer.

D.O managed to make their landing less shaky thanks to Lay’s help.

“Everyone down!” D.O shouted. The boys and King hopped off of the earthen platform while D.O remained.

“Chen, Luhan, Kris. Handle our right side. Xiumin, Tao and I will cover the left. D.O will handle the front supported by Lay.” Suho began issuing orders. No one complained and they immediately complied. Chen, Luhan and Kris darted to the right and started attacking sentries.

Suho grabbed Xiumin and Tao and headed to their left.

D.O started breaking down the earthen platform into small, solid pieces then proceeded to shoot these at oncoming robots.

“Dee, are you okay?” Lay shouted up at D.O who was releasing rocks like a machine gun.

“Never better! You know, those Lay Pills might actually be a good idea! Millionaires, I tell you!” He let loose a crazed laugh and continued shooting with vigor.

Luhan and Chen were also shooting down their own share of robots. Luhan taught Chen a neat trick about lightning bouncing off of targets and striking other possible targets nearby. Chen abused this and they mowed down their opponents fairly quickly, with Luhan giving a bit of support and defense and Kris doing absolutely nothing.

Suho was harnessing the water from the snow all around them, slicing robots by manipulating the water to turn into razor sharp blades and discs. Xiumin also used the snowy landscape to his advantage by having huge icicles jut out of the ground, piercing robots one by one. Tao, sword at the ready, stayed back.

D.O was having a bit of trouble as his earthen platform was getting smaller and smaller and his arms were feeling fatigued.

“Lay, a little help? My arms!” D.O slowed significantly. Sentries from left and right were heading for him now, ignoring the other teams. Lay scrambled up the platform but before he could reach D.O, a missile had found its way through D.O’s defenses, exploding a few meters in front of the earth master. He was thrown back, as was Lay, and they both hit the wall, their breaths knocked out of them.

“Lay!” Luhan ran towards his friend while Suho ran towards D.O.

“I’m fine.” Lay said, pushing himself off the ground. “I guess I auto-heal.”

“D.O doesn't. Can you please fix him?” Suho said, propping D.O up. Lay held a hand on D.O’s shoulder and immediately his eyes opened.

“Two Lay Pill moments in one night!” D.O said enthusiastically.

“Cut the jokes! We’re in serious trouble!” Suho returned to Xiumin’s side but Xiumin and Tao were already being pushed back. Xiumin opted to created a wall of thick ice between them and the robots. Chen was also being pushed back. Kris grabbed him and flew away just in time to evade another missile. D.O sprang to action, creating a wall of earth between them and the explosion.

They were trapped.

“Stop.”

A woman’s voice echoed throughout the area. The relentless assault of the machines on the ice and earth walls stopped.

They heard the army of mechanical sentries retreating. Looking at each other, they all silently agreed to lower the walls.

What they saw before them was unlike any machine they have encountered.

In the middle of the empty grounds, surrounded by machines, stood a robotic woman. She was the size of an average human. She looked human, except that she was made of some sort of metal and that her hair looked like they were made of wires. The side of was angled up, as if she was smiling.

“Now, now. We don’t want to harm our… visitors.” She said, addressing the robots around her. They immediately deactivated but the boys were still wary.

moved fluidly, as if it were a human’s. Her voice was soft and gentle, but it could be heard clearly from where the boys were standing, as if there were speakers everywhere.

“Who are you?” Luhan was the first to speak. He stood up and strode in front of the group. “Where have you taken our friends?”

“Don’t you think introductions are in order, first?” The robot woman smiled again.

“I’m not playing games!” Luhan shouted. His hair was slowly standing on end and the snow around him began to float upwards. He was releasing energy and the objects around him were reacting.

“Luhan…” Lay whispered.

“Calm down, boy. They are safe. Well, for now.” The tone of her voice changed, from soft and gentle to a more taunting one.

“Give them back or we’ll tear this place apart!” Suho was the one to reply now, moving forward so that he was in line with Luhan.

“Tsk. Boys will be boys, huh?” The robot raised a finger and waved it. “The four boys are ours now. Soon, we will have all of you as well.”

“Four…?” Suho whispered.

“They’ve got Chanyeol and Baekhyun!” D.O thought out loud.

“Smart boy. Now, why don’t we start with introductions? I’m very curious as to what your names are!”

“I said we’re not playing games!” Luhan rushed forward, the snow drifting away from him as his energy enveloped him. The robot didn’t move but smiled instead.

“Luhan, no!” Kris flew off in pursuit of the other boy but Luhan reached the robot first before Kris could get to him.

The robot seemed like he only stepped forward and suddenly, she was beside Luhan.

Luhan could only open his eyes wider when he felt a searing pain on his side. He dropped to the ground immediately, curling up and clutching his ribs.

“No need to be rude.” The robot said, standing beside the crumpled Luhan. Kris stopped midway, still in flight, unable to get to Luhan, afraid he might end up incapacitated before the fight even began.

“What do you want?” Kris said, his voice coming out almost like a growl.

“I’ve told you. I want introductions.”

Kris eyed the robot. Her smile was still plastered on her face. Kris thought it through. They needed to know who their opponent was. She had the upper hand, having four of their friends as hostage. So he decided he’d comply with the robot’s request.

“My name is Kris.” He said, once again more like a growl.

“Kris.” The robot dipped her head down a little, bowing as she said his name. “My name is Seohyun.”

[A/N]

HAHA! I guess this chapter answers the question, "Who are the three girls?"

All of you who guessed TaeTiSeo got it right! LOL.

I don't know how you guys came to this conclusion but I made it obvious that the ones captured are the boys who made a cameo in their MV, Twinkle! Did you guys notice that, too? :D

Anyways, I hope you like chapter! It's a bit long. ^__^v

'Til the next one!! <3 Much love! <3