It was a miracle how Youngjae and the nurse had managed to get back to his room safely. 

As Youngjae settled back into his bed, the nurse left, pushing the wheelchair. 

"Thank you," Youngjae called out just before the door closed. He didn't know if she heard, but he just needed to say it. 

Youngjae sat on his bed, lost in his thoughts as he stared blankly at a wall. How was he going to escape with Daehyun? Youngjae was currently incapable of walking and Daehyun was handcuffed to his bed. Neither of them were fit for an escape, and there was no way Guernica knew where they were. 

Youngjae sighed at the revelation. 

What were they going to do? How would they go through with it?

"Yoo Youngjae, you have a call. Please answer the device to your right."

Startled, Youngjae looked around, trying to find the source of the voice, then looked to his right and found a hologram of a nurse hovering above a circular receiver on the table to his right. He pressed the single button, and the hologram disappeared only to be replaced by a projection of the Empress on the wall. 

"Madame," Youngjae greeted stiffly. 

Madame Hyosung smiled. "How are you, Youngjae? Are you well?"

Youngjae shrugged. "Well, besides the killer headache and feeling of utter betrayal, I'm completely fine."

Madame Hyosung openly sneered; apparently, she'd abandoned the benevolent mask. She didn't look as pleasant with such an ugly expression on her face. "You stabbed one of my soldiers in the neck."

Youngjae didn't know whether to give her a smug smile or a frown. He didn't like the fact that he had blood on his hands, yet... He couldn't deny feeling a little proud that he managed to slip past the Empress—with a steak knife, no less. 

"An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a life for a life," Youngjae shot back instead. He couldn't let Madame Hyosung know he met up with Daehyun. "Actually, now that we're on that topic, did you clone Daehyun? Make a droid in his image?"

A proud glint twinkled in Madame Hyosung's eyes as she smiled. "That was a beta droid. He's part of an all-new line that we plan to use in defense against the United Eurasia."

Youngjae stared at the Empress in astonishment. She spoke as if she was the one who built the droid, and it wasn't surprising to hear that she was using droids as soldiers, but that wasn't what rendered Youngjae speechless; he was amazed at how...human the droid had acted around him. 

"How were you able to plant such specific memories into the droid?" Youngjae couldn't help asking, and he was actually genuinely curious. It couldn't be in the programming; that alone allowed only so much. 

"We transplanted Daehyun's brain into the droid, thus keeping his memories and personality," Madame Hyosung explained, but Youngjae knew she was lying. He saw Daehyun just barely ten minutes ago. If that wasn't how they did it, then how else? "It was a miraculous feat, actually."

"That's not exactly efficient, though, is it? Economically speaking, that is," Youngjae said. "Why would you make an entire line of droids, transplant brains into them, and then send them out into the battlefield? You already have an army at your disposal."

Madame Hyosung frowned. "Humans can't be trusted, Youngjae."

"But droids with human brains can?" Youngjae couldn't believe how counterintuitive that reasoning was. "They're bound to think they're human, thus making them no better than actual humans themselves. Mentally speaking."

Madame Hyosung glared at Youngjae. "I do believe mentioning that he was a beta droid."

"Alright, fine," Youngjae conceded with a shrug. His head gave a painful throb for a moment before he spoke again. "Why are you here then?"

The Empress straightened up slightly, her irritation seemingly melting off her shoulders. She opened to speak. 

The projection suddenly blurred, fizzling and blacking out occasionally. Madame Hyosung's image flickered like a candle, and her expression changed from shock to anger within a matter of seconds. 

And then... Madame Hyosung was gone, replaced by Yongguk standing with his arms crossed. He looked like he was in... Zico's warehouse?

"ing finally!" Yongguk exclaimed with relief. Youngjae stared in stunned silence, but Yongguk was already talking, his tone urgent. "Youngjae, we're breaking you out. Do you know where Daehyun is?"

"Wha–– I–– How did you find out where I was?" Youngjae asked, finally coming to his senses. He found himself leaning forward in his bed. He almost couldn't believe it. How did Yongguk manage to get a hold of the receiver? There was no doubt that it was a private line reserved solely for the hospital. So then.. How?

"Figured the Empress was keeping in touch with you. We got one of Zico's members to tap into one of her computers," Yongguk explained. "Back to what I was saying. Himchan and I are getting you guys out, alright? Where's Daehyun?"

"On the top floor," Youngjae answered almost automatically. 

"Okay. We'll be there in a week," Yongguk said. 

"How will I know when to go?" Youngjae asked. 

Yongguk smiled. "You'll know. See you later."

Youngjae opened his mouth to speak, but Yongguk seemed to signal to someone behind the camera. As soon as it had appeared, the projection of Yongguk disappeared and the Empress was back. 

"What was that?" Madame Hyosung asked, narrowing her eyes as she focused on Youngjae. Youngjae stayed quiet, fearing that she saw the entire exchange. "What just happened?"

So she didn't know. Youngjae shrugged, feeling relief in his mind. 

"Anyway," Madame Hyosung said, but she still sounded suspicious, "I called you because I'm here to make a deal with you."

Youngjae pursed his lips. "I remember the last time we did that. It didn't exactly end very well."

"If you come work under me, I'll overlook your crimes. You will supervise weapons development," Madame Hyosung continued as if ignoring Youngjae's last comment. "You can go back to a relatively normal life again, Youngjae."

Youngjae wouldn't deny how tempting the offer was. He missed the towering skyscrapers so characteristic of New Seoul, the masses of people living and working daily, the feeling of being part of a larger community, the safety. Despite all that, Youngjae found his mind wandering back to the bunker, the forest, the constant risk of being caught, Guernica, Daehyun. 

The moments passed. Madame Hyosung waited with surprising patience. Youngjae couldn't come to a decision. 

"Give me a couple weeks." 

"A week," Madame Hyosung said.

"Fine."

The smile that spread across Madame Hyosung's face sent chills down Youngjae's back. 

//

"We're getting out of here," Youngjae said, his voice close to a whisper. He sat on Daehyun's bed, leaning on the footboard. It'd been a couple days already, and Youngjae was fully capable of walking, but the nurse insisted for him to use a wheelchair to appear less noticeable; she had a point.

Daehyun didn't respond for a moment. "How?"

"Yongguk and Himchan will be here in several days," Youngjae replied, and Daehyun smiled. 

"Great. Just figure out of how to get me out of here and we'll be set," Daehyun said. 

Youngjae moved to leave, but he stopped himself. "I've been meaning to ask... How are you still alive?"

Daehyun stayed quiet, his eyes taking on that pensive look. "After you left, another soldier came in. I was angry, so I, uh, attacked him. He shot my shoulder, and they sent me here."

Youngjae stayed quiet. That was about the same story the droid gave. How did the Empress manage to duplicate Daehyun's memory?

"What's my favorite color?" Youngjae suddenly asked. 

"Yellow," Daehyun replied almost immediately. 

"What's my favorite type of music?"

Daehyun shrugged. "Most of the stuff from the Old World."

"Why do I hate instant ramyun so much?" 

"Why are you asking me all this?" Daehyun asked, furrowing his eyebrows.

"Just... Humor me," Youngjae replied. Even he didn't know why he was asking Daehyun these questions. 

"You ate instant ramyun your entire first year of college," Daehyun answered. "Satisfied?"

Youngjae smiled. "Yeah."

"Good," Daehyun said, then quickly added, "Weirdo."

Youngjae let out a laugh. "So, in several days, wait for Yongguk or Himchan."

"It's not like I can do much else," Daehyun said, glaring at his metal cuffs. 

Youngjae hopped off the bed, patting Daehyun's leg, and approached the nurse by the door. "Let's go?"

"Alright," the nurse replied, pulling the wheelchair. 

"I'll see you later," Youngjae called out to Daehyun as he sat down in the wheelchair.

Daehyun waved—or attempted—as the nurse pushed the door open. 

//

A week had passed since Yongguk contacted Youngjae. 

Nothing eventful had occurred. Even the nurse that visited regularly stopped coming. She'd been replaced a different nurse, slightly less polite than Youngjae was used to. He wondered what had happened to her. 

Youngjae sat by the window, staring at the blue sky. It wasn't nearly as blue as the sky in District 9, and he longed to be back at the bunker again. 

Thankfully, Madame Hyosung hadn't called yet. 

The door opened, but Youngjae didn't bother to look. It was probably the other nurse anyway. 

"And here I thought 'Oh, I'm gonna make some big entrance', and you're not even looking," somebody complained.

Youngjae blinked. He knew that voice. He turned to look, and found Himchan standing by the door with his hands defiantly on his hips. He was dressed in surgeon scrubs, and a mask covered the lower half of his face.

"Himchan?!" Youngjae exclaimed, springing up from his chair. He bounded up to Himchan, stopping just a few steps away. "How'd you get in here? Where's Yongguk?"

"Escape first, questions later," Himchan instructed, pulling a wheelchair out of a niche in the wall. "Get in the wheelchair. What's Daehyun's room number?"

"1219," Youngjae replied as he sat in the wheelchair.

"Right, let's go." 

//

"How'd you get in?" Youngjae asked once the elevator doors closed. 

"I walked right through the front doors," Himchan replied. "I was actually a carer here before, but that was a long time ago."

Youngjae nodded. He'd been studying medicine. That was why he took care of all the members' injuries. 

"I hated it," Himchan suddenly said. 

Youngjae twisted his head to look up at Himchan. "Hated what?"

"Working here," Himchan responded. 

"Oh."

//

When Himchan and Youngjae entered Daehyun's room, Daehyun would have shouted in joy if Himchan hadn't sent Daehyun a glare that ordered Shut the up.

"Alright, we're going to the morgue. That's where Yongguk is," Himchan said. 

"I can't move, though," Daehyun said, wiggling his fingers on the side of the bed. 

Himchan stared at the cuffs, then at Youngjae. "You didn't mention that."

"S-sorry," Youngjae apologized, looking down to avoid Himchan's glare. 

There was silence for a moment. Then, Himchan placed his hands on the footboard of Daehyun's bed. "No, we can work with this. Youngjae, get on the bed."

Slightly confused, Youngjae sat on the bed, but Himchan shook his head. 

"Fu––" Himchan sighed. "No, lie down on top of Daehyun. I'm going to make it look like I'm transporting a body to the morgue."

Hesitantly, Youngjae placed his legs beside Daehyun, and slowly laid down as Himchan rummaged through the cabinets for a spare blanket to drape atop Daehyun and Youngjae. 

"Well, isn't this nice," Daehyun whispered into Youngjae's ear, his breath tickling Youngjae's ear, and Youngjae felt shivers run down his spine. 

"Don't," Youngjae said, hitting Daehyun's arm.

"Youngjae, with your in the air like that, it's going to look like some ed up mutation instead of a human body," Himchan said, grabbing Youngjae ankles and pulling. 

Letting out a yelp, Youngjae laid flush against Daehyun. Himchan spread the blanket, and laid it on top of Daehyun and Youngjae. 

"This'll do. Okay, you two, shut up and don't move," Himchan instructed as he pulled the bed away from the wall. 

As the steady stream of noise flooded Youngjae's ears, he closed his eyes, feeling his chest rise and fall in time with Daehyun's. 

//

The first thing Youngjae noticed about the morgue was the smell. It was a sharp scent, a chemical that Youngjae didn't recognize. 

"Took you guys long enough," a voice called out as Himchan stopped pushing the bed. 

"Bang Yongguk, I told you it would be busy at this time of day, but no, you said 'It'll be better because you'll blend into the crowd'," Himchan retaliated defensively. 

"Alright, fine, you win. Let's just get out of here already," Yongguk said, but his tone was light, almost joking even.

The blanket was pulled back, and Youngjae almost immediately sat up on his knees. 

"That was a sight," Yongguk commented as Youngjae jumped off the bed. He stared at Daehyun, still lying on the bed. "Daehyun, what the , get up. We gotta go. Zico's outside waiting for us."

"As you can see, Yongguk, I can't," Daehyun said, looking down at his bound wrists. 

Yongguk followed Daehyun's line of sight, and finally registered what Daehyun had been talking about. 

"You gotta be ing kidding me," Yongguk muttered. He went over to a stand full of tools, and grabbed a laser. 

"You're not getting anywhere near my hands with that thing," Daehyun warned, his eyes practically bulging out of their sockets. 

Himchan took the laser out of Yongguk's hands, and approached Daehyun. "Let me do it."

As Himchan did that, Youngjae walked around, hoping to keep a lookout. He wandered around the morgue, trying to ignore the fact that he was in a room full of dead bodies. He wove through the multitude of stainless steel tables while Daehyun complained and Himchan demanded Daehyun to shut up. 

Youngjae noticed a table with a lone body lying atop it, its ashen midsection covered only by a white sheet. He didn't know if it was the chemicals or the smell or the fact that he was surrounded by cadavers, but... Youngjae couldn't help feeling something amiss. Without even thinking, he approached the table. 

When Youngjae saw the body's face, he let out a yelp, stumbling backward, and fell to the floor. 

"Youngjae?" Yongguk called out. He walked to where Youngjae had fallen, and looked at the body, his eyes widening as he took in the sight. "What the hell?"

Youngjae could barely breathe, too shocked and terrified to move. That body looked exactly like him.

––––

A/N: Yo updating using mobile is an interesting experience. 

Anyway, I don't know how to write completely serious scenes (if you haven't noticed already). But uh yeah don't stick your in the air if you wanna sneak out of a hospital. 

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