For two months they kept a routine: soccer, Luhan coaching DO in Kung Fu, sodas and then Luhan headed home with the rest of EXO after they all walked Lihua to the bus stop. For two months Luhan enjoyed the luxury of belonging and companionship. All was quiet.

 

No Hunters.

 

No Pack.

 

No Kris, strangely.

 

Luhan was surprised that he hadn’t shown up yet.

 

Was he...?

 

No. He couldn’t think like that. Kris could take care of himself. Besides, Kris had given him a job to do.

 

His job... He hadn’t made any progress. He hadn’t found any of what he was looking for. He had gone out late at night numerous times, hoping to feel something. He began to wonder if what he was looking for even existed.

 

Were he and Kris merely anomalies?

 

“Luhan! Lulu-hyung! What are you thinking about?” Sehun smiled at him, walking backwards.

“Oh, nothing.”

 

“You’ve been spacing out a lot lately. Is something wrong?” Lay asked.

 

“No. Just tired I guess. What with all the tests recently.”

 

“Yeah. Mid-terms,” Chen shuddered.

 

“Maybe you should go home and get some rest,” Lihua said. She yawned. “I know I should.”

 

“We all should,” Suho seconded.

 

“Meh, I’m a night owl,” Kai shrugged.

 

“Same here,” Chanyeol nodded.

 

“Still,” Luhan sighed. “You never know what kind of people are out at night.”

 

“Exactly,” Baekhyun glanced over his shoulder. “Lihua, you should go home.”

 

“We’ll wait at the bus stop with you,” Luhan offered.

 

“Thanks, but I think I can take care of myself.”

 

“Fine.” Kai playfully shooed her off with his hand, a cocky smirk on his face. “Go on then. Go take care of yourself. Just don’t come crying to us when you start getting scared.”

 

She made a face at him then turned around when she heard the bus. “Oh, look at that. It’s here already.”

 

Some of them laughed. “Come on guys. Let’s go,” Xiumin said.

 

However, once they turned around they were met with a group of men with their lower faces  covered with masks.

 

Luhan nearly swore out loud. Hunters! The same ones from that day!

 

The leader strutted forward. He grabbed Luhan by the collar. “So you thought you could elude us forever, eh? Well, think again!”

 

“Hey! Who the hell are you?!” Kai barked.

 

“You got balls to mess with one of us!” Chanyeol bared his teeth at them.

 

DO clasped Luhan’s shoulder. “You know these punks?”

 

“More or less,” Luhan’s jaw was tight.

 

“Forget him, Hyeosung. He’s not even the one we want! He’s not worth it!” said another Hunter.

 

“You’re right,” the one named Hyeosung released Luhan’s shirt and jacket. “Let’s go.”

 

With that, they headed off, just like that.

 

Kai started after them, but Luhan stopped him. “Don’t. You don’t know what they’re capable of.”

 

“What?!” Kai exclaimed in disbelief.

 

“Hey, we’re not exactly third rate ourselves you know,” Tao reminded Luhan.

 

“Yeah, we can fight too!” Chanyeol argued.

 

“Guys, no. You can’t--”

 

Kai shoved Luhan by the shoulders. “Look, are you one of us or not?!”

 

“Yes, but--”

 

“Then you’d better believe that we got your back if some stupid punks with you!!”

 

Luhan glanced around at the ten boys who were more than ready to fight. “Alright. But follow my lead.”

 

They all agreed.

 

 

The eleven boys followed the ment to an old, run down building. They strided in, adrenaline already filling their veins. Luhan tossed his backpack to the side. The boys who had brought their bikes left them laying on their sides against a wall.

 

“Hey!”

 

They turned around to see Luhan standing with his hands in his pockets, a mean look in his eyes. And behind him stood the rest of EXO, already cracking their knuckles.

 

“Time to settle things,” Luhan said.

 

Hyeonsung grunted and lunged forward, swinging his fist at Luhan. Immediately, EXO launched their own attacks at Hyeonsung’s men.

 

All hell broke loose.

 

 

Lihua looked out the window of the bus only to spot a dozen masked men ganging up on the boys. It’s them! No! As the men left and the boys chased after them, she hopped out of her seat and exited the bus out the back door.

 

She ran after them. They’re going to get themselves killed!

 

She trailed behind the boys so they wouldn’t see her. She followed them, planning on stopping the fight she knew was coming before they did something stupid. However, she lost them briefly and by the time she approached the old building, she heard shouting and knew the fight had already started. She entered the building and followed the sounds of the brawl. When she found the room she ducked out of sight. She watched as the boys fought the masked men, worried.

 

Then, she got a good look at Luhan fighting.

 

No... he couldn’t be...!

 

 

Fists were flying. Tao, as a previous student of the ways of Kung Fu, took down his own share of the masked men, his skills reawakening. No matter how many he knocked out, it seemed that they all were moving in slow motion. They were just too slow for him. It was like beating up a little kid. He almost felt bad. Almost.

 

Kai, not really caring if his punches were ungraceful, wailed on his own attackers. No one even so much as grazed him. He’d just dart out of the way and, as if by magic, popped back behind him and counter attacked. In the blink of an eye, he took down four of the guys. He reminded himself of Nightcrawler from X-Men II.

 

He flexed his wrist, scoffing at the men laying on the ground around him. Weak. And slow.

 

Around Luhan, his friends fought for him. Even the ones he didn’t expect to have much skill or experience like Xiumin, Suho, and Sehun were fighting for him. It wasn’t like this back in the Pack. Each wolf had his own role to play. They were organized and effective. This was simply friends helping friends. For a split moment, he debated on which he preferred.

 

Luhan weaved and dodged around the Hunters’ attacks, throwing and flipping them right and left. They didn’t so much as touch him. He flipped forward after grabbing one’s arm and tossed him clear across the room. He ran up the nearest wall and backflipped off of it, kicking another in the head.

 

Luhan’s heart pulsed like crazy. His veins throbbed. He looked around at the frenzied sight. His mind flew at the speed of light. He felt himself near the border of insanity. It was as if his whole body vibrated with untamed energy.  He tried to calm himself and focus to no avail. Then he spotted Chanyeol and Sehun being over powered.

 

The beast inside him roared.

 

He involuntarily swung his hand at a Hunter coming up from behind him and, without touching him, the man flew back into a pile of boxes.

 

His ears rang. Red and black filled his vision. He staggered about, seeing but not really thinking. He wasn’t in control anymore. His feet walked him over to Chanyeol’s and Sehun’s assaulters and, just like that, their attacks were thwarted. Luhan’s mind was blank. He felt his body move, but he was too numb to feel anything. He knew he was out of control, a beast in human form, but he couldn’t do anything about it.

 

This state was his deepest fear and worst nightmare.

 

Part of him recognized Kai in front of him and the worried and confused look on his face. He thought he saw his mouth move, forming the words “Are you alright?” but he wasn’t sure.

 

His hand flashed out to grab another Hunter by the neck. His other fist flashed out to connect with his temple. When he went down, Luhan wasn’t sure if he was dead or just unconscious.

 

 

DO looked over to see his best friend in a crazed stupor, it seemed. He swung at anything that came into his field of vision. It was a wonder he didn’t hit Kai when he stopped in front of him. Luhan took down two more, almost killing another, and DO decided enough was enough before he really did kill someone.

 

“Hey! Stop, that’s enough! They got the picture! They’re done!”

 

He grabbed Luhan, attempting to restrain him. But Luhan him. Then, with no real effort, Luhan sent him flying back into a wall of rubble. Boxes and pieces of cement and dirt came down on him. The last things he saw were his friends rushing over to him, Hyeosung escaping with those of his men that were still conscious carrying the defeated, and Luhan simply standing there looking confused and disoriented.

 

I thought... we were friends...

 

Luhan came out of his power drunken state and realized that the rest of his buddies were pulling DO out of a pile of boxes and cement and who knew what else.

 

Did I do that?

 

Kai turned around and glared at him with such hostility Luhan’s heart skipped. He thought Kai was going to punch his lights out when he approached him. But he walked passed him, shoving his shoulder hard with his own. He didn’t say anything, but Luhan knew what he was thinking.

 

Traitor. Power crazy son of a ! What the hell were you thinking?!!

 

“Hey! What the hell was that?!” Chen grabbed him in much the same way Hyeonsung had. “You almost killed him you ing idiot!!”

 

Chanyeol pulled Chen off of him but shoved Luhan spitting at him some colorful string of words. Tao and Sehun staggered by with a bloody and barely conscious DO on their shoulders. DO was conscious enough to glance at Luhan with a hurt, confused and angry look in his eyes.

 

As the boys left the building, muttering insults and curses, Luhan staggered back, looking at his hands. Just a short, ten minutes ago, he was on top of the world. He had friends--brothers really--and did what all normal kids do. Hang out and laugh the day away.

 

Now what did he have?

 

Defeated, he sat on the dirty, dusty, cement floor.

 

Lihua walked in. Luhan looked up to see her shocked and scared face. Her hands trembled as did her voice. “Who are you...? What are you...?”

 

Luhan dropped his head, and Lihua started crying in short, quiet gasps. Like the others, she left, leaving him behind. He put his head down on his arms and knees.

 

In that short amount of time, he had lost everything. But it wasn’t really his to begin with. It was all just a ruse, a cover, for what he really was--what he was really there to accomplish. It was only temporary anyway.

 

So why did it hurt so much?

 

(i think I"m just going to take my own track and let inspiration come from wherever it may. enjoy!)