Edited; Re-uploaded

           "Chen, do you want to come and look around with me when you're done?"

Jongdae looked up from his breakfast in surprise when Minseok spoke to him from across the table. They were sitting in the mess hall with Baekhyun and Chanyeol, the three of them having been chattering along for a while now, and he simply wasn’t expecting the invitation that came from out of nowhere.

           "Me?"

           The older boy smiled in amusement. "Yes, you. You did decide to be called Chen, didn't you?"

           Jongdae nodded, mirroring the other’s handsome grin. His insides turned with anticipation as he responded. "Yeah, you're right. I'll come along."

           "Can we join, too?" Chanyeol asked from Jongdae's left, glancing across the table at Baekhyun. "We explored a bit yesterday, but this place is just too big to remember in one day."

           "Sure. I don't mind." Minseok said, his tone just as bright.

           "It's fine with me, too." Jongdae added, standing with his tray of now empty dishes. "I'm done, so we can leave when you guys are ready."

           "Off we go, then." Chanyeol said, grinning as he led the way to the long metal counter to drop off their trays. They skirted around the line of people waiting to get their own morning meals, and then they circled the room to reach the large exit.

           "Which way are we going?" Baekhyun asked once they left the mess hall. "I'm pretty sure all of the rooms up here are bedrooms."

           "Downstairs it is, then." Minseok decided. "We can use the staircase we passed on the way here."

           Chanyeol nudged Chen in the side with his elbow, a mischievous glint to his eyes. "Race you down?"

           "Only if you're prepared to lose." He replied with a smirk. Without sparing another second, Jongdae bolted off in a sprint, not even glancing back to gauge Chanyeol’s immediate reaction. Minseok called after them, his voice already softened by the distance.

           "Don't kill yourselves!"

           "Don't worry about us, but thanks for caring!" Jongdae shouted back, laughing as he swerved to avoid people in the walkway. He earned a few angry glares and shouts on the way, but most of them didn't mind. in fact, two others even began their own chase in the opposite direction.

           An exhilarated grin was plastered on Jongdae's face as he let out some of the energy that he'd held in over the past day. He was needing a relaxing run, so much so that he nearly forgot the reason he was running so fast in the first place. With the aforementioned staircase coming into sight, he put on an extra burst of speed to reach it before Chanyeol, but then he realized that he couldn't hear the taller teen’s footsteps behind him. Jongdae slid to a halt at the top of the stairs and turned around to see that the others were still a few meters away. Chanyeol walked between Minseok and Baekhyun, and Jongdae felt his body grow warm with embarrassment as he waited for them to come within speaking distance.

           When they were only a couple feet away, he spoke. "I thought it was a race? I probably looked like an idiot, running all the way here."

           He aimed the words at Chanyeol, whose face was beet red, and Baekhyun decided to speak up on his behalf. "He didn't mean it. The big lug tripped over his own feet before he could even start."

           "Oh, come on Baekhyun. Don't put it like that." Chanyeol whined, covering his face with a large hand. "It's bad enough that everyone saw me."

           "Yeah, yeah. Everyone gets embarrassed at some point." Baekhyun told him, patting his chest lightly. "Just man up already."

           "Says the one who freaks out over a single piece of misplaced hair."

           "I do not!"

           "Oh really?"

           "Yes, really!"

           "Now, now, ladies." Minseok broke in. "Are we going to stand here all day, or what?" He gave Baekhyun and Chanyeol a stern look, and the two immediately stopped their bickering and began walking down the stairs.

           "Wow." Jongdae said in awe, following after them with Minseok at his side. "I didn't know you could make them stop so quickly like that."

           "And I didn't know you were one to get embarrassed easily."

           "Wait, what? No... That's not it." Jongdae denied, halting mid-step, but Minseok only laughed and hit him lightly on the back.

           "I'm just messing with you." He paused and looked Jongdae straight in the eye. "But Baekhyun's right. It's okay to feel embarrassed."

           Minseok's expression shifted from playful into something more serious, the change throwing Jongdae off guard. He was caught completely in the older teen's deep brown gaze, stuck on how to respond. He was then glad that they weren't alone, because it was Chanyeol's voice that pulled his attention away.

           "Hey, Chen! I just heard that there's a game room! We should check it out!"

Jongdae's words remained stuck in his throat and his mouth hung open as he tried to remember how to properly speak.

           "That sounds fun!" Minseok called down, gaining Jongdae's attention again. His playfully cute personality was back as he smiled, his then voice lowering again until only Jongdae could hear. "I do remember a certain someone once said that I should loosen up. I think the same goes for you in this instance."

           The fact that Minseok decided to bring up how stupid he acted on Kris' birthday didn't help Jongdae at all, and to top it all off, he felt that it was okay to take his hand and pull him down the rest of the stairs. Jongdae was shocked by his strong grip and was hardly able to move his own feet properly as he stumbled down to the foot of the staircase. Baekhyun and Chanyeol gave him weird looks, but they didn't question him about it, instead reverting back to what they had been saying.

           "Someone just walked out of this hall," Chanyeol continued explaining, pointing to an opening on the wall behind the stairs. "And they were saying something about a game room. I'm guessing it's down there."

           "Cool! I've been looking forward to something entertaining for a change." Minseok said, grinning as he headed off by himself down the hall. Jongdae looked over to see Baekhyun and Chanyeol eyeing each other suspiciously, and he shared their confusion. Minseok was acting a tad weird, though he couldn't exactly say it was the bad kind.

           Seeing that they were standing still while Minseok went on ahead, Jongdae hurried to catch up with him. He found the older teen sticking his head into one of the rooms and stood on his toes to peek into the room above his head.

           Inside was huge. Jongdae originally thought that Jongin's foyer was big, but this single room topped it off. It was as big as a soccer field. Literally. Three feet into the room, the floor turned from wood into turf. A large soccer net sat on either end of the field, with a large scoreboard against the farthest wall. A game was already going on, and others lined up on the sidelines to watch.

           Jongdae could actually see Minseok's eyes shining when he closed the door, looking as though he were in heaven. Chanyeol and Baekhyun finally arrived and took a single, quick glance inside, then they continued on with their search, with a few minor difficulties from Minseok. They could hardly pull the boy away from what Jongdae guessed was one of Minseok’s greater interests.

           After splitting up, wandering down different halls, getting lost, and somehow finding each other again, the group of four eventually made it to a door labeled 'Game Room' in square pixelated lettering. Jongdae did the honor of opening said door, and they were instantly bombarded with an assortment of loud sounds and music. Chanyeol shoved Jongdae aside so he could go in, and he gazed around in amazement. "This is awesome!"

           Directly inside, two long rows of traditional arcade games sat facing each other, each one releasing its own set of sound effects and music. Multiple songs filled the air at once, originating from the speakers of different dancing games. Gun shots and car motors could also be heard, along with the clashing sounds of air hockey and pool. It was so loud that Jongdae was surprised the walls could keep it contained, and he barely heard Minseok's gasp.

           "Guys! Come on!"

           Once again, Jongdae was pulled by the hand as Minseok guided him through the room. Chanyeol and Baekhyun followed closely, and they all came to a stop in front of a small table.

           "Let's play foosball!" Minseok gushed, looking like an adorable little kid as he ran to one side of the table. "Chen, be on my team!"

           Yes, Minseok was acting very weird.

           Jongdae hurried to stand next to his older friend while Baekhyun and Chanyeol took spots across from them. Minseok took out the small white ball and held it over the table, but Chanyeol stopped him.

           "Wait. We need to decide who goes first."

           "I do, because I'm the oldest." Minseok said, the beginning of a smirk crossing his face. "Prepare to lose."

           Jongdae was momentarily distracted by the fact that he had said basically the same thing to Chanyeol earlier, but his attention quickly returned to the game when he heard the ball drop. With the first knock, Minseok almost scored a goal, but Baekhyun reacted quickly and blocked the shot. Chanyeol clumsily spun his players in an attempt to go on the offensive, but Minseok was able to expertly hit the ball back and into their goal box.

           "Gooooooaaaaal!" He yelled, his hands reaching up into the air. Jongdae watched him with a smile as he moved one of their score pieces, while Baekhyun glared at Chanyeol.

           "What was that!? I can't do all the work!"

           "I tried, but we still have the rest of the game."

           "It'll only last five minutes if we keep going like this... We need a plan!"

           Jongdae was highly amused as the two called for a time out and huddled together a few feet away, though given the volume of the room it was hard to hear them even from across the table. Chanyeol looked like he was just nodding at whatever Baekhyun said, his words going in one ear and out the other. Who knew if Baekhyun was even saying anything important? Jongdae didn't really care either way. He had Minseok on his side, so they'd be sure to win.

           By the time Baekhyun and Chanyeol returned to the foosball table, Minseok had calmed down and stood waiting in his own little zone. He held up the ball and let go when the others showed that they were ready. Jongdae kept his eye on the ball and waited to strike, but the ball flew past his defenses and straight into the goal in the blink of an eye.

           Baekhyun practically squealed as he shook Chanyeol hard, making the giant stumble when he let go, then he pointed his finger right up to Jongdae's nose. "In your face! You aren't the only ones good at foosball!"

In response, Jongdae jerked forward to bite his finger, but Baekhyun drew the limb away at lightning speed. He was clearly disgusted, his mouth wide open as Minseok scoffed and Jongdae smirked.

           "That was merely a fluke."

           "Yeah? Well we'll see about that."

           Minseok and Baekhyun grasped their handles and leaned over the table until their noses were only inches apart. Jongdae honestly wouldn't have been surprised if they started growling at each other at this point. They were playing a dangerous game.

           "Haha! We won!"

           Minseok hopped around Baekhyun and Chanyeol as the four teens headed back to their rooms. While Jongdae decided to keep quiet about their victory, Minseok continued to boast and dampen the moods of their two other friends. The foosball game didn't end well for them, and since they were all tired after wandering around all morning, they planned to take a break for a while.

           As they walked out into the main open room, Jongdae spotted a now familiar face going down the escalator in front of them.

           "Good morning, Youngjae!" He called out, waving. Youngjae smiled and dipped his head as a greeting, since he carried a tray in each of his hands. They all met at the bottom of the stairs, and Jongdae glanced at the food Youngjae held. "What's this?"

           "I'm bringing Luhan and Sehun an early lunch." He explained. "They woke up a while ago, but I don't want them moving just yet. It's not as bad as they may say it feels, but I still want to give them time to heal properly."

           "Is it okay if we see them?" Minseok asked him.

           Youngjae nodded. "I don't see why not. Just come with me."

           "You guys can go without us." Baekhyun spoke up. "Chanyeol said his stomach hurts."

           "When did I—Ow!" Chanyeol yelped as Baekhyun elbowed him, and the shorter male then rubbed his back as he hunched over in minor pain.

           "Oh, my... Poor baby..." He cooed, earning a slight glare from Chanyeol, then he continued speaking in his normal voice to the rest of them. "We'll see you guys later."

           Jongdae watched them go up the stairs for a moment, questioning their little performance, then he turned and began walking off with Minseok and Youngjae. They crossed to Youngjae's workshop in silence and passed through his messy work room into the next smaller room. Luhan and Sehun sat on two separate beds to the left, talking to someone who sat on a third bed, and all three boys looked at them as they entered.

           "Youngjae! You brought food!" The teen unknown to Jongdae exclaimed. He held out his hands expectantly, but Youngjae walked right past him and gave the two trays to Luhan and Sehun.

           "Sorry, Daehyun. They need it more." Youngjae told him. "They passed out before they could eat anything last night, unlike you."

           Daehyun pouted and flopped back on his bed. "Meanie..."

           Youngjae rolled his eyes and smiled, pushing Daehyun's feet aside so that he could sit on the bed. Minseok immediately bolted off to Luhan's side, pulling him into a hug just as he was going to drink some water. "Luhan, I missed you so much!"

           "I missed you, too." Luhan replied, smiling as he returned the hug. "I'm glad to be back with everyone."

           "Did anyone else visit?" Jongdae asked, moving to stand at the foot of his bed.

           "Not yet." Luhan answered. "But Youngjae and Sehun have been filling me in on what I missed."

           Jongdae looked at Sehun to see that he was giving Minseok the evil eye over his drink. Bandages and patches covered his arms and face, to which he asked about out of curiosity. "Did you get injured?"

           "Just some burns that hurt like hell, but I'm more worried about Luhan."

           "Oh, jeez. I told you I'm fine." Luhan said exasperatedly, which showed that this wasn’t the first time they’ve had this conversation. "Worry about yourself for once."

           "But that bruise on your face is the size of Russia!" Sehun exclaimed, looking as though he immediately regretted his choice of wording. Jongdae didn't miss the look of hurt on Luhan's face as he tried to cover the dark spot.

           "I look that bad?"

           "No! You look fine!" Sehun quickly told him. "I meant to say that it just looks like it hurts!"

           "Well it's definitely starting to hurt now." Luhan muttered, causing Sehun's mouth to drop open.

           "Lu!" Jongdae noticed his hair shifting into a strange mix of colors, which freaked him out despite the fact that it wasn't the first time he'd seen it happen. Even then, he had to hold in a laugh at the look of horror on Sehun's face in response to Luhan’s tone. Jongdae had learned about their little relationship from a conversation he overheard between Minseok and Joonmyun, and he had to say that they were a little childish.

           The Sehun before him was a completely different person from the one he’d first come into contact with. Luhan’s shocking capture had really taken a toll on him, it seemed. Jongdae first thought that he was grumpy and cold, but Luhan brought out this immature, protective side that they never would have seen otherwise.

           And Jongdae was jealous.

           He hadn't really been in a relationship before, but he's always wanted to have someone that could bring out a part of him that he didn't know existed. He tried to crush on girls for a long while, but they didn't have what was looking for. Jongdae wanted someone who was handsome but cute, and strong but squishy. Someone kind, caring, and protective. But most of all, he wanted someone that would be there for him and never leave his side, even when he only proved to be a useless idiot.

           Jongdae heaved a deep sigh. But I don't deserve anyone like that...

           "Chen? You alright?"

           Jongdae looked at Luhan as his name was spoken. He had stopped talking with Minseok and now waited expectantly for an answer, but Jongdae was still a little out of it as his gaze landed on the oldest of them all.

           Minseok was almost exactly the kind of person he was looking for, and the thought of being together with him actually made Jongdae blush. He was incredibly handsome and cute, and Jongdae knew he was strong by the way he was pulled around all morning. Minseok was perfect.

           "Hey, Chen. Are you feeling okay?" Luhan asked again. "Your face is all red."

           Jongdae blinked a few times to bring himself together and touched his burning cheeks with a hand. He thought about answering with a 'yes', but was he really okay? Probably not.

           "I think I'm gonna go upstairs." He finally said. "I don't feel too well."

           "Okay. I'll see you soon. Youngjae can't keep me here forever." Luhan joked, a smile on his face. "Rest up."

           "You, too." Jongdae replied. And then he left.

           The bed dipping underneath Kyungsoo was what woke him that night. He eyes opened to darkness, but he could feel another person climbing into bed next to him. Cool air hit his curled body as the covers were lifted, but warmth soon returned when they dropped back down. After a while, Kyungsoo began to drift off to sleep again, but then an arm made its way around his waist and he in a breath of air in utter surprise.

           "Jongin?"

           In response, the person moved closer until Kyungsoo's back met his chest and their heads touched. Kyungsoo could feel a heartbeat thumping wildly, and his was doing the same as he tried to figure out what was happening.

           "Jongin? Is that you?"

           The room remained silent, but Kyungsoo felt a hand find his, and he was relieved to find that it was indeed Kai's. He let out a shaky breath and relaxed into his body. Then he turned his head and tried to peer at his face through the darkness, but he only saw black and rested his head back on the pillow.

           "Jongin. What's wrong? You're acting strange."

           A few moments passed, and he finally got a response. "It's all my fault..."

           "What are you talking about?" Kyungsoo asked, suddenly scared. "You did find Luhan and Lay, right?"

           Kai nodded, his forehead rubbing into Kyungsoo's hair. "But Sehun got hurt. All because I'm weak..."

           The arm around Kyungsoo's waist tightened, and he lightly squeezed Jongin's hand. "Don't say that. You aren't weak."

           "Sehun's hurt because I'm weak." Jongin said again, voice deep and rough compared to the silence around them. "I'm not strong enough to teleport with more than one other person, and I wasn't fast enough to save him... He's suffering because I'm weak..."

           "Stop." Kyungsoo turned to face Kai, though he still couldn't see him. He just hoped his voice was enough to get through to him. "You aren't weak, and whatever happened isn't your fault. Sehun knew what he was getting into. He won't blame you, I'm sure of it."

           "But what about in the future?" Kai asked. "What if I'm needed, but I'm too weak and people get hurt? What if people die?"

           Horrifying memories suddenly flashed through Kyungsoo's mind and he quickly forced them away, pushing down the fear, hate, and sadness that came with them. It took him a few moments before he could respond, and even then, his mind wasn't completely clear.

           "Have you ever thought that a person could become too strong?"

           "What do you mean?" Kai’s voice was wary, as if sensing his change.

           "There has to be some point where we become too strong." He continued. "Our bodies will fail to keep up with our strength and then our powers will go out of control. We'll go rampaging without being able to stop ourselves, destroying every dear thing we grew up with. Our rooms, cars, furniture. You'd watch yourself tear everything to shreds bit by bit until the only thing left standing is your family. Oh, but you won't have control, so your parents just beg and beg while your powers consume you, and the next thing you know, you're all alone. Surrounded by the crumpled bodies of your loved ones, you replay everything in your head. And it doesn't go away. I wish it did but it'll never happen. I'm stuck with it forever and let me tell you, it is not fun."

           Kyungsoo heaved in a long breath, and by the time he realized what he said, it was too late. Jongin had caught everything and now Kyungsoo lay on the verge of tears, wishing he could go back in time. Jongin wasn't ever supposed to hear, but Kyungsoo spilled it all with his big mouth.

           He held in his breath, waiting for Kai to say something, but he couldn't even hear the other's breathing. It seemed like forever passed by, and the room was still completely silent.

           Does he think I'm... a monster?

           And with that thought, Kyungsoo burst into tears. He only hoped that the walls were soundproof, since it was still probably the middle of the night. Otherwise his sobs could most likely be heard all the way down the hall.

           Kyungsoo honestly didn't know what to do. He would only ever cry by himself, so he'd usually just let it all out, but now Jongin was there with him. They'd grown close after living in the same house for a few weeks, but that was all going to be ruined. Now Kyungsoo was glad that the room was dark. Jongin couldn't see him in this ugly state, and he couldn't see how terrified Jongin might've looked in return.

           And for once, Kyungsoo didn't have the strength to move.

           He wanted to leave. He couldn't be near Kai after what he described. He wanted to crawl out of bed to find the farthest, darkest corner to curl up in a fade, but his body wouldn't budge. Except for little ragged jerks from crying, he couldn't come up with any of his usual strength. And it angered him that this was the only time he lost his strengthening abilities.

           Seconds, minutes, or maybe hours passed before Kyungsoo finally heard Kai's voice again. "Oh, Soo..." He had expected a totally different reaction, so he was shocked when that's all that was said. He had thought he'd be pushed away, yelled at, and stomped upon, but instead, two arms pulled him closer.

           Jongin crushed a crying Kyungsoo into his chest and rubbed his back with a soothing hand. He didn't say anything more, which confused Kyungsoo. He wanted to know what Jongin was thinking, and why he wasn't making any distance between them. Was he scared or not? Did he hear it the way Kyungsoo thought he did, or no? He wasn't making any sense, but the soothing hand on D.O's back was distracting, so he didn't have much time to think about it before he finally returned to sleep.

           Joonmyun hadn't been awake for long. The clock on the wall told him that it was nearly lunchtime, but he couldn't eat just yet. He remained in bed for a while, just watching Yixing as he slept beside him. The teen lay on his back, unmoving except for the gentle rise and fall of his chest.

           Joonmyun was worried. Luhan had told him that Lay was unconscious most of the time that they were away, and he still wasn't awake after over twenty-four hours, so Joonmyun could only think that something was wrong. He looked better than when they first found him, though.

           When Joonmyun first saw Yixing sprawled on the floor, surrounded by broken chunks of ice, he thought his heart would stop. It probably did for a brief second, and he almost broke down at the sight of how pale Yixing was. And he knew it was the same for Sehun.

           At least now Yixing's coloring was back to normal, but something about him still bothered Joonmyun, and he was about to find out why.

           For the first time since Joonmyun woke, Yixing stirred. His eyes slowly blinked open, and Joonmyun watched with hopeful eyes as he started to sit up. He then glanced around the room, his eyes going wide when he spotted Joonmyun.

           "Are you feeling okay?"

           To Joonmyun’s surprise, Yixing jerked back when he spoke. He shuffled back until he nearly fell off the bed, his body visibly shaking as he, too, spoke.

           "W-Who are you?"