Edited; Re-uploaded

                The end of March marked a sixth month point. It marked the day that EXO began; the day that they were whole. It was on this day, half a year earlier, that they were brought to OTP for a new life. They began their training for something none of them could imagine, and now, it was time for them to catch the tiniest of glimpses of what was to come.

                For just over two months, Lay had experienced the same reoccurring dreams. At first, they were the same as the first night. He'd be in the sunny forest with the strange boy he still couldn't recognize, and then there'd be the running and the pain. So much pain he would go through each night, that he'd wake up exhausted.

                But this night was different. This night was so much worse.

                Unlike his other dreams, this one was short and more painful than before. It all happened in a flash, starting with a sudden piercing pain in his arm that was all too vivid. Lay felt as though acid was poured into his skin, and it was a surprise he didn't awake from the nightmare when several other parts of his body were fixed with the same effect. His entire body was on fire, and he could hear his own screams destroying his vocal cords.

                Though it only probably lasted for a minute, it felt like forever before Lay's vision drifted to black, but then he was forced awake in just the same way, only to relive the same thing. This happened multiple times, and Lay wondered how he wasn't dead. The pain seemed like enough to kill him in his sleep. 

                It was the shortest of Lay's recent nightmares, but he woke screaming. It took him a long moment to even realize he'd woken, since he could still feel the after effects of his nightmare, and he couldn't shake the pain away as he clawed at his hair. Suho jumped up at his side due to his screaming, sitting up to grasp at his shoulder's despite having just been woken.

                "Yixing, what's wrong!?" The boy exclaimed, and the words struck Lay, causing him to stop for a brief moment as his head swam with thought.

                "Yixing?" He echoed, the name somewhat familiar, though he couldn't place it. Suho's eyes visibly widened.

                "Lay!" He corrected quickly. "I meant Lay. What's wrong?"

                Lay was then reminded of the striking pain that he experienced, though it was already beginning to recede, leaving only a headache and a dull stinging behind. He felt along his body with his hands, still not believing that he was alright, but there were no outer wounds that he could make out. It was all in his head, and now exhaustion was pulling at him, though he feared going through such pain again.

                After a few minutes, he realized he still hadn't answered Suho, but when he opened his mouth to speak, his voice was hoarse and painful, like he'd swallowed splinters. Suho waved a hand for him, gathering a small bubble of water, which Lay gladly accepted with an open mouth. Suho let it trickle down his throat, cool and soothing, so that he could finally speak.

                "I'm fine..." Lay murmured, clearing his throat softly so that his voice would come louder. "I'm sorry for waking you. I'm alright."

                However, Suho didn't seem assured by his words, and he reached forward to gently take Lay's hand. Their eyes met, and Lay could see a sort of understanding within the older boy's eyes. "Are you having nightmares?" Suho asked, and the question reminded Lay of the night they began, when Suho seemed to be in the same situation. Eventually, he gave a small nod, his eyes lowering.

                "I am..."

                The hand on his gave a small squeeze. "Would talking about it help?" He was asked next, to which he shrugged.

                "I'm not sure... They feel familiar, like memories or something." Lay started, his hands forming pained fists as he ran through everything he'd seen. "Usually it's not so bad, but I don't understand them. I can't hear any words and I can't see any faces, like my mind refuses to remember." Lay's throat tightened and he lifted his free hand to swipe his hair back over his head, pulling at the edges of his forehead. "But tonight's was horrible... It was so painful, and it happened over and over again..." He couldn't bring himself to go on, and that's when Suho's arms wrapped around him comfortingly.

                "It's okay now." Suho said, and something in his voice soothed Lay. It was like a trickling stream, gentle and calming, and he closed his eyes as he tipped his head onto Suho's shoulder.

                "Can you sing?" He mumbled out of nowhere, and Suho seemed surprised at the question.

                "Well, I used to be in choir..." He replied, his neck vibrating against Lay's forehead as he spoke. Lay mentally urged him to go on when he paused, feeling too drained to speak, his headache still present. It was a few seconds later when he heard the soft beginning of a song.

                Suho's voice was beautiful, though, being from China, Lay didn't recognize the song. Either way, he listened well, overcome with a calming sensation. His voice was like magic, and Lay would've laughed at how not-so-impossible it was now, but he was tired. He felt like a baby in a mother's arms, getting lulled to sleep by a loving voice, and it didn't take him long to return to sleep.

                Joonmyun stayed awake after Lay drifted off, not having the ability to close his eyes after having woken. He was still a bit tired, but he wouldn't be able to fall back asleep, and now his thoughts were tumbling around in his head nonstop.

                First off, he made the mistake of calling Lay by his real name. He only hoped the boy would drop it, thinking he simply slipped up after waking up so suddenly, which is really kind of what happened.

                Other than that, Joonmyun was caught up with thoughts of Lay's nightmares. He didn't give any details other than pain, but that was enough to give Joonmyun an idea of what he meant. There was so much that he'd gone through before his memory loss, and it once again made him wonder just what he went through while he and Luhan were gone.

                Luhan once spoke of the blood they took from Yixing, though Joonmyun didn't think it could cause a lot of harm. He'd never been on the brink of death due to blood loss, though, but he still didn't know how much they even took. Lay could've been perfectly fine after his blood was taken, unless they did something else to him.

                Joonmyun clenched his fists as he looked down at Lay's sleeping form. He looked peaceful, and Suho hoped he wasn't going through another nightmare. It still made his blood boil to think that someone harmed the boy, and the fact that he had nightmares even after his memory loss was even worse. But then Suho had another thought.

                What if Yixing is getting his memory back?

                The thought made him stop and think. He couldn't say he didn't care if he got it back or not. It'd be wonderful if Lay could remember the fun times they had. From their first encounter to the day he was taken. Joonmyun didn't want him to remember the horrible things that were done to him, but it already seemed like that was happening. And even if he only recalled the bad things, there were still the times they were together afterwards, where he only knew himself as Lay. Joonmyun never stopped loving him. With or without his memory, it would stay the same.

                Later that morning, after Joonmyun allowed Lay to sleep comfortably for a few hours, he woke the younger boy up so that they could get breakfast. They didn't speak anything of the nightmares that Lay had, other than Lay mentioning how pretty Suho's voice was, which he would admit made him blush.

                While they ate, the others joined them. After living there for so long, they'd joined the sort of flow that was made each day. They claimed a few tables for themselves, as others did, and they'd meet there for each meal. Sometimes outside friends like Youngjae and the Markson duo would join them, or they'd go to them.

                And it seemed like Siwon noticed this usual occurrence, for he would always send a messenger to them just as they were eating their meals. This morning was no exception, and after so long, they weren't surprised to see Jackson coming up to them.

                "What's up, guys?" He drawled, his words coming out in English rather than the usual Korean. Joonmyun had learned long ago that Jackson was fluent in many languages, and he'd always get frustrated when Jackson and Mark spoke teasing English sentences, knowing full well that he wouldn't understand. He was used to it by then, after many years of going to school together, and he smiled as he returned the greeting, the others at the table following suit.

                "So, good news." Jackson stated after receiving all of the greetings, drawing any last bits of attention. "Siwon has a mission for a few of you."

                "Mission as in taking out the trash?" Sehun asked sarcastically. "Yeah, great."

                "No, mission as in, you're going outside." Jackson said, and every one of their movements stopped.

                "Like... We're returning to civilization?" Chanyeol was the first to ask, and Jackson smiled.

                "Only a few of you, but yes, and only for a short time period. You'll have to meet with Siwon for the details."

                "But who's going?" Baekhyun then asked, and Jackson took out a small paper from his pocket.

                "Let's see... It's Luhan, Suho, Kai and Lay." His eyes scanned the paper again, and then he nodded. "That's it, I think. I don't know anything else, but Siwon wants to see the four of you in his office at eleven."

                Joonmyun glanced over at the large clock that occupied one wall. It was already ten thirty, and looking at the others, he saw that they noticed the same thing. Jackson said his goodbyes so that they could finish what was left of their food, which left the unchosen members to question why they couldn't go. For a while now, it seemed like they practically jumped up at any chance to leave this place, even if none of them knew what they were to do. Joonmyun just didn't know whether he should be excited or scared.

‎

                When they arrived at Siwon's office, one of the large wood doors was already propped open. Joonmyun led the three others into the room, where Siwon was waiting behind his desk, like usual. They were expected, as Jackson had stated, but Joonmyun honestly wasn't sure if he was prepared to speak about the matter at hand.

                As they walked into the room, Siwon leaned forward in his seat. His elbows rested on his neatly organized desk, where a single manila folder sat waiting to be opened, and the four teens formed a line a decent distance in front of him.

                They didn't say anything, waiting for Siwon to speak, as he had been the one to request this meeting. Each teen was given equal attention by the older male, as if he was analyzing each of them in turn. Siwon eventually gave a nod to himself, then he got on to speaking.

                "I'm sure Jackson mentioned the subject of reason for why I called you here, yes?"

                Four nods came as an answer.

                "Well then, I guess I can bring you in on some details." Siwon shifted positions once more, this time allowing a hand to flip open the folder in front of him. He gave it a single quick glance, then he closed it and raised it before him, where Joonmyun was then able to reach for it.

                Siwon didn't say anything for a minute as Joonmyun flipped open the cover to look at the pages inside. He felt the gazes of the others over his shoulder, but he focused most of his attention on Siwon when the man went on.

                "This is a relatively easy task that I have for you four, so it shouldn't be very difficult." Siwon said. "All you have to do is go to the location provided and retrieve a collection of documents from a friend of mine."

                "So we're messengers." Kai summed up, though his head tilted in confusion. "That doesn't seem too hard. Why so many of us?"

                A small smile formed across Siwon's face, looking to be the result of some sort of amusement. "Four is a small number. You never know what may happen out in the field, so it's best to be prepared with at least three others, just in case."

                "Okay, that makes sense and all." Luhan said next. "But why do we need to do this?"

                "The documents you bring back will give me information on our enemies." Siwon answered with ease, as if he'd already seen the question coming. "Plus, it's time you all received some experience outside of training. It's the perfect opportunity, if you ask me."

                Siwon looked pleased with his own response, and Joonmyun found nothing much to argue about, other than one small detail. Although, he wasn't able to bring it up just yet as Siwon went on.

                "That folder contains more details on the mission, and I advise you to bring your membership accessories with you. You'll be heading out at six, which should give you time for a meal before you leave."

                "Will we be going alone?" Joonmyun spoke up, nearly scared at the idea of not having a guide, but Siwon gave a soft chuckle.

                "Of course not. Today there will be someone to assist you. You can meet them at the front entrance, and I'm sure they'll answer any questions you may have."

                Siwon's words brought an end to the meeting, and Luhan was the first to lead them out of the room. Kai and Lay followed, but Joonmyun stayed behind. Siwon didn't seem very surprised when their eyes met, even leaning back with his arms crossed, his eyes revealing everything.

                "Why is Lay coming with us?"

                A soft sigh escaped Siwon's mouth, almost as if he was annoyed for a split second. "It won't do him any harm if he leaves. This might even help him in calling upon his powers."

                "Is that what you're hoping for?" Joonmyun couldn't stop anger from dripping into his words, and he clenched his fists lightly. "What if something happens while we're out and he gets hurt? He did last time even when he had his powers!"

                "You were inexperienced at that time." Siwon said calmly. "You were caught off guard, which is why things turned out as they did. However, you have training now. You've been preparing all this time, so you should have no trouble. If anything happens, you should be perfectly capable of protecting Lay."

                Joonmyun knew there was truth to Siwon's words, which is why he found nothing else to go on about. His main thoughts while training were of Lay, and with nothing else to say, he left the office.

                Lay was waiting outside the door, and he looked up when Joonmyun came out. His expression said nothing about whether or not he heard the conversation that'd just ended, and he gave a small smile when their eyes met. Automatically, Joonmyun felt a bit better. Even though he feared the night to come, Lay still managed to make him feel at ease.

                Sehun wouldn't let go of his hand, and as much as Luhan wanted to stay safely in the boy's arms, he knew he had to go. When Luhan had returned to tell Sehun what was going to happen, the younger teen practically begged him not to go, and Luhan understood why. He was scared, too, though the constant feel of Sehun's hand in his didn't feel much better.

                Luhan wasn't one to whine about not seeing someone for a few hours, but he knew that as soon as he let go of Sehun's hand, he'd be full of those thoughts. He didn't want to think that this was their last time seeing each other, but after the last time, he knew Sehun would find him again if that came to happen. Still, the idea scared him.

                Sehun refused to leave Luhan's side until the last minute, following him with connected hands to the front entrance. His grip was relentless, and even though Luhan's palms were gross with sweat, Sehun didn't back off.

                The others came to see them off, most of them already waiting when they arrived. Suho and Minseok spoke quietly together, while Lay conversed with Tao and Baekhyun. Kai and Kris were talking about something, too, while D.O stood off to the side, looking impatiently as if he had something he wanted to say. Chanyeol and Chen were the only two missing.

                Luhan and Sehun were greeted with supportive smiles and words of good luck, though they were meant solely for Luhan since Sehun would be staying back. Luhan gave them his thanks and was about to dive into conversation, when a screech from Tao caught all of their attention. It wasn't an unusual occurrence, and to see that a bug crawled at his feet was no surprise.

                "Kris! Kris! Get it away!" The tall boy screeched, clinging to the even taller male's shoulder, who gave a roll of his eyes instead.

                "Calm down, Tao. It's just a cockroach."

                However, Tao didn't seem to hear the older teen's words with the way he kept hitting him. Kris' skin would probably be red under his shirt from where Tao was clawing at him, and with another piercing yell, Tao slammed his foot into the ground, smashing the bug. He looked relieved for a split moment, until the bug popped back up again, perfectly intact. Now Tao looked like he was on the verge of fainting, and Luhan had the urge to laugh at the drama the boy put himself through.

                What came next was a surprise to them all.

                In a disturbing flash, the tiny little bug morphed into the form of a human being. A very handsome one, at that. The sides of his brown hair were relatively short, the rest forming a stylish Mohawk. He was just about the same height as Luhan, but the air he gave off was more cool. He looked like a natural model just by his stance, and for a moment, Luhan was awed.

                However, the moment was ruined by a familiar annoyed voice coming from behind the group, and Luhan turned to see Ren trudging up to them. He dragged a large suitcase behind him, and he threw it down at the feet of the shifter, his blonde hair flying around with the movement.

                "Carry your own next time!"

                The shifter gave a small head shake, tsking softly. "That's not the proper way to treat your superiors."

                Ren looked like he couldn't care less, and he made a noise of anger before stalking off once more. That left the shifter to be the center of attention, and he gave a small smile, not seeming to mind Ren's actions as he moved on with another subject.

                "I'm not sure I've formally introduced myself before. My name is G-Dragon." He said, giving the slightest of bows. "We've seen each other plenty of times before, but I believe this may be the first time you've seen the real me."

                After the little display, Luhan realized who the man was. First a dragon, then a horse, and now a little bug. This was the shifter that he'd seen so much of, and in his true human form. He'd heard rumors about how close the man was to Siwon, and that he was a considerably strong ally of theirs. It almost felt like an honor to see G-Dragon like this, though Tao seemed to think otherwise with the way he was practically hyperventilating.

                G-Dragon glanced around at the group, as if looking for someone, though Luhan realized that he was looking for many someones when the gaze landed on him for a few seconds. GD's words fueled the realization.

                "Siwon has assigned me to work with you again on this mission. He says it’s your first time out, so I've agreed to give you a few pointers. And I have to say, I've been looking forward to it."

                "Are we leaving now?" Kai asked. His eyes darted down to the watch on his wrist before he returned his attention. "Siwon said it'd be about now."

                G-Dragon nodded in confirmation, then he reached down to the suitcase Ren had thrown down. "We will leave in a moment, but first I have a few things for you."

                In the moment, it felt like some sort of spy movie, right at the point where the protagonist is about to get his first set of weapons. The thought made Luhan smile, but when the suitcase was zipped open, there was only black clothing. There were no weapons or cool gadgets. Only clothing.

                G-Dragon wasn't surprised to see the black material, and he pulled out one of the four piles, handing it over to Suho. Once the four members had their individual piles, G-Dragon instructed them to take a look.

                Turning to Sehun, Luhan used the boy's help with holding the clothing he'd acquired as he looked at the first article. On top was a fitting black shirt, long sleeved and soft to the touch. Next to that was a pair of form fitting pants. The material wasn't quite like regular skinny jeans, but they looked similar, and that left a jacket as a finale. It was a lot of black to wear at once, and Luhan was once again struck with the thought of being spies.

                G-Dragon ordered them to change before they left, and with Youngjae's workshop being the closest to them, they chose to borrow the room for a minute. It was faster than returning to their own rooms, and it was only a few minutes before they were gathered once more. Luhan felt comfy in the clothes; able to move freely. There was nothing constricting him, and GD gave him a once over, nodding in approval. Luhan didn't miss Sehun's same reaction. 

                Now that they were dressed, Luhan knew what came next. And Sehun did, too, because it was only a second longer before the younger teen had his arms around him. Luhan barely stopped from stumbling at the force of Sehun's near-tackle hug, and then his arms found purchase over the other's shoulders. Sehun squeezed his biceps with incredible force, so Luhan was almost unable to even snake his hands across Sehun's back. He gripped strongly onto the younger boy's shoulders, his face pressing against Sehun's neck, where his nose was flooded with the youngest teen's strong, familiar scent.

                "I don't want you to go." Sehun whispered for the billionth time that night. It made Luhan smile, though his lips were hauled back down just as fast as it appeared.

                "I'll be fine." He assured, the words forming a silent promise to himself. Luhan gently pressed forward to place his lips against Sehun's neck, and he felt the boy shiver underneath him before he began to pull away. Luhan looked up as Sehun's arms loosened around him, and then large hands were placed at his face. Moments later, Luhan felt the familiar presence of Sehun’s lips, and he gladly returned the pressure that formed their kiss.

                All sorts of thoughts swarmed through Luhan's head at that moment. Ranging from happiness to fear and then to love. He pushed away any what-if sentences to replace them with eagerness to complete the mission and return home to Sehun's arms. He refused to drag himself down with fears of not coming back, and with one final taste of Sehun's lips, he reluctantly pulled away.

                Want and fear and love were clear in Sehun's dark eyes, in the upward curve of his eyebrows, and in the way his fingers caught in Luhan's shirt as he reached out for just one more second. Luhan couldn't help but give an unusually sad smile, not able to help himself. All of his own and Sehun's signals were blaring, telling him he wasn't going to come back. He wanted to say he knew better, but he wasn't able to after what he and Lay went through, so he could only turn his back and hope with all of his heart that everything would turn out okay.

                They were in the wagon again. The night was chilly, wind pulling at Luhan's honey hair as he looked over past G-Dragon's running horse figure. It was a lot like the night he was saved, but that wasn't the direction he wanted his thoughts to stray in. He tried to focus on other things, like the crisp smell of spring, and even the conversation the others were having, but it was hard.

                Luhan always feared the people who took him. Now he knew that they were ENTs, but that didn't make him any less fearful. In fact, it only increased, since he had no way to reason with them. Not like he did with his fellow humans. No, Luhan wasn't human... But he had a mind like one. That was enough.

                G-Dragon spoke to them as they travelled. His voice reached them without an ounce of exhaustion present. They'd gone for miles, yet G-Dragon didn't seem burdened in the least, so he took the time to talk about the mission. Where they'd go, who they'd meet, when and why they were doing this. GD went over the details to make sure they understood, and it made Luhan nervous to have to remember the seriousness of reality. Siwon was counting on them.            

                They were given plenty of tips and pieces of advice as a way to keep a conversation going. It brought along a feeling that you'd experience when watching a movie. The protagonist getting a rundown of how to fight, where weak spots are, and how to fully complete a mission. Luhan found that he could completely relate, and it was something he would definitely be able to think back on if he ever became an actor or something of the sort. If he was able to get his future back, that is.

                Being an alien was still seen as wrong. The majority of people were scared, even though that was unnecessary, though there were still those few people that Luhan had stumbled upon online who thought aliens were an amazing discovery. They didn't have access to computers back at the base, and minds are constantly changing, so there could be more people on their side that he didn't know about. However, none of them knew what was to come. The entire world would be sharing their inevitable fate, and that would become their biggest moment to impress.

                Sometime later, Luhan was jerked awake. He seemed to have dozed off without realizing it, and the cart beneath him lurched to bring him to consciousness. When he opened his eyes, the sky was dark. The sun had still been bright when they'd set out, but now the moon shown above their heads as a replacement. The wind had picked up, chilling Luhan to the bone as he sat up, out of the cover of the unmoving wagon. He gazed around without a word in time to see G-Dragon transform back into his human form. Like Tao, a single earring occupied his left ear, and Luhan reactively brought his fingers to curve around the bracelet at his own wrist.

                Not wasting a single second, G-Dragon ordered the four members of EXO to follow him. They piled onto the grass where the wagon was parked, and then they did as they were told and let themselves be guided by GD. The area around them was relatively empty of anything other than trees, grass, and a single road, but up ahead, Luhan could see the twinkling lights of a town. GD led them down this street, his pace somewhat quick, though not enough to be considered hurried. He seemed to want this to be done as much as Luhan did, but GD probably just suffered from boredom in having to come all the way out with them.

                On the other hand, Luhan's stomach was churning with fear. His senses were on full alert, and any small background noise drew his attention. He'd been attacked before, the first time on an empty street at night, only a day before the second one, which also happened to be at night surrounded by trees. With all three together at once, Luhan was just a tad closer to freaking out. It seemed GD could see this.

                "If you keep looking around like that, someone will think you're suspicious." The older man said, sparing him a glance over his shoulder. Luhan swallowed thickly, giving a barely-there nod as GD went on. "It's always best to act natural so you don't attract attention. That way, any lurking enemies will look past you. Do you understand?"

                Again, Luhan nodded. "Yes, Sir."

                G-Dragon gave a small smile from the corner of his mouth, then he returned his gaze to the road in front of them. Luhan fought the urge to look back, his fingers trembling as they grasped at each other. His fingertips were soon throbbing from the force he put on them by pinching and twisting them—the result of his attempts to distract himself. Thankfully, they finally made it to the town that he'd seen from a distance.

                Luhan looked around as they passed the first set of buildings, glancing at those new and old, all mixed together. Some had signs over the entryways to show the small stores and shops that each was turned into. Cars parked in driveways and along the edges of the roads, and there were very few people out and about. Only a few stragglers wandered the streets, and Luhan wondered how late it really was as they strode across an empty parking lot.

                The night was quiet and still around them, other than the shifting of leaves and litter due to the wind. GD led Luhan and his friends down sidewalks and along short alleyways as shortcuts, anticipating the twists and turns as if he'd done this plenty of times before. Luhan kept his eyes open to their surroundings, and it wasn't long before they to a street whose name he recognized from the manila folder Siwon had told them to look through. They were almost there.

                Only minutes later, G-Dragon led them up the steps to a tiny little house that was squished between two others. There were barely a few feet of distance between the three houses altogether, and the place seemed extremely ordinary for what they were tasked to do.

                Under cover. A voice in Luhan's head whispered, and he nodded slowly at his own realization. Of course they'd be under cover. If this person that they were to meet had information on their enemies, then it'd be a key point to stay hidden. Especially with their own citizens after them, too.

                Luhan and his friends hung back as GD rapped on the chipping front door of the house. It looked old and on the verge of breaking, but within moments, it opened with ease, revealing a young man. Like Siwon and GD, he seemed to be only a few years older than them, and his blond hair shown almost silver in the moonlight that filtered through the doorway. He smiled at them in a way that revealed his gums, and then he moved forward to put his arms around GD in a friendly hug.

                "Long time no see!" He greeted, his voice loud in the night. He stepped back once more, pushing open the door behind him as he made room for them to come in. Darkness shrouded the interior so Luhan couldn't see a thing, and when he looked up at the strange man, their eyes met. Luhan was quick to look away, his hand lifting to ruffle his hair self-consciously. As he did so, the man's eyes strayed to his wrist, where the bracelet dangled, caught on the cuff of his sleeve. Something flashed in the man's eyes, and his smile grew just a tad bit larger. "You're always welcome here, friends."

                Now, those words just screamed suspicious, not to mention creepy, but Luhan chose to ignore them in favor of following GD into the shadowed house. He shuffled his feet so that he wouldn't trip on anything he couldn't see, but moments later the door clicked shut and the lights flipped on at the same time.                     

                Turning around, Luhan looked at the blond fellow to see that his face was now shrouded with seriousness. The previously friendly exterior was gone, though it wasn't a rude replacement, and he strode down the first short hall into what seemed to be the living room. Luhan and the others followed while the man led them all into a separate room. Luhan honestly didn't see the opening at first, as if it blended together at just the right angle, and inside was an enormous load of technology.

                Tons of wires wound from the walls in a jumbled mess, connecting to a collection of computer screens sitting on a large desk. One wall had an enormous white board, and next to it was a cork board in just the same size. Papers, pictures and writing covered the wall, some strewn across the floor, and cabinets of folders sat along the wall next to the door. The sight made Luhan's jaw drop.

                The blond man stopped inside to face them. His gaze followed Luhan and his friends once more, and he lifted a hand before him. "My name is Heechul. I'm guessing Siwon sent you?"

                As Luhan shook hands with this Heechul person, he noticed a ring around one of his fingers. A familiar maze symbol ran across a small hexagon shape, and he looked up into the man's eyes. "You're in OTP, too?"

                Heechul laughed as he moved on to shaking hands with the others. "Of course I am! I wouldn't have let you in otherwise. I'm a great friend of Siwon's."

                "And we only work with people in our own organization." G-Dragon added. "That way our information will be properly kept secret and within reach. I'm not sure if anyone has told you, but that is the reason we have such subtle proof of membership."

                Well that made Luhan feel a bit dumb, since it should've been obvious. It definitely explained the way Heechul looked at his bracelet. He had been checking to see if they were trustworthy or not.

                Now that Heechul had introduced himself, GD went on to ask him about the documents that they were supposed to get. His gaze serious once more, Heechul went over to his desk of computers and picked up a thick manila envelope. He looked at the contents inside for a quick moment, then he continued over to a separate table. He opened a set of long drawers from underneath, and to Luhan's surprise, he brought out a roll of wrapping paper and started to cover the envelope like a present.

                Luhan stared as Heechul's hands moved quickly, expertly taping down the paper and applying a finishing bow on top. It looked like any average birthday present, and when finished, he held it out for G-Dragon.

                "There you go." Heechul said. "Everything to keep Siwon up to date."

                GD took the wrapped 'present' from Heechul's hands, giving a smile. "Thank you for your hard work. The time is almost upon us, I've heard. I'm sure it won't be long before Siwon calls you to the base."

                Heechul sighed and nodded knowingly. "Yeah. I don't know what good he thinks I'll do over there, but I can't argue. I guess that means I'll see you soon?"

                "Of course." The five males bid their goodbyes to Heechul, and then they left the house to return to their ride home. As they walked down the same path that they'd come through, Luhan felt his uneasiness dwindling. They'd received the documents as ordered without any trouble. Heechul was nice, too, so now they only had to return home.

                "This was a pretty successful night." Kai said aloud, mirroring Luhan's thoughts, but G-Dragon didn't seem to agree as he shook his head.

                "We're only done when this is in Siwon's hands. You can't let your guard down just yet."

                And as soon as GD spoke those words, a figure up ahead caught Luhan's attention. It seemed to be that of a man, and he blocked the exit of the alleyway that they were passing through. A cold feeling spread over the back of Luhan's neck, and as he looked back, he saw a second person, completely blocking any route of escape.

                Fear washed through his body, and he turned to look at G-Dragon, only to see that he was completely calm. His mouth opened, and the words that came out were quiet and smooth.

                "There are only two of them so far, and there are five of us. We'll have no problems dealing with them. I'll distract the one up front, then you guys slip past and run to where we left the cart, understand?"

                Luhan nodded, not daring to look back to see if the others did the same. He was shaking, memories of hands taking him flashing through his mind. He fought the urge to yell out, squeezing his eyes shut to make the pain go away, and when he opened his eyes, GD was looking down at him.

                "You can do this. Only engage if necessary. As leader, Suho is in charge until I reach you again. I shouldn't be long."

                With those final words, G-Dragon tossed the disguised documents to Lay, then he turned and shifted into a giant bear within the blink of an eye. He ran on four leg towards the man at the front end of the alley, and Luhan followed with Suho and at his side. Lay and Kai were right behind them, forming a small block as they closed in on GD and the enemy. GD had reached the man, not hesitating to swipe a clawed hand in his direction. The man swung back to avoid getting hit, then the alleyway was suddenly lit up as a ball of fire appeared in his hand. He rose his hand as if he was going to throw it, but Suho was faster, and the EXO leader sprayed water over the open flame as they passed.

                Luhan heaved for breath as he ran, his chest pulsing painfully with each breath. The wind still blew as they ran, and a burnt stench reached his nose. He made it out as burnt fur, and only hoped that GD was okay by himself. It was only then that he could worry, because a moment later, their course was cut off again.

                The second man was between them and their destination. Luhan wasn't sure how he'd managed to catch up to them so fast, but he couldn't find the time to care when the man shed his coat, revealing insane muscles along his arms and chest. The man reached down to the ground, his hands finding purchase on a stray car. They were in a parking lot now, abandoned by the looks of it. Weeds poked through cracks in the pavement, and the car was beat up and full of dents. It creaked as the man effortlessly lifted the vehicle in the air, and Luhan's fear increased ten-fold as it started crashing down over them.

                Instinctively, Luhan bent his knees and threw his arms above him. There was a crashing noise, but Luhan couldn't see with how hard his eyes were squeezed shut. Tears threatened to spill over his closed eyes, and the continued creaking made him open them.

                Just above his head, he could make out the pipes and metal pieces that make up the underside of a car. The vehicle was in a suspended state in the air, being crushed from pressure on both sides. It took all of Luhan's effort to keep the car from crashing down on them, for the man was incredibly strong. Something trickled down his face, and for a moment he thought it was tears, until it fell past his lips and he tasted something metallic. Luhan didn't dare bring a hand down to his face, but he knew that his nose was bleeding. His head was pounding, the pressure proving to be too much, even after all of his training.

                Thankfully, Luhan wasn't alone, and moments later, he caught sight of Suho in his peripheral vision. The younger teen threw out his hand, and water was produced from thin air once more, landing with a splash on the man's bare skin. In response, the man let out a vicious yell that rang through the silent sky. The pressure against Luhan was released, the car flying back under all of the power Luhan was pushing it with. It crashed loudly against the ground, but he barely heard it as he stumbled.

                In a daze, Luhan blinked to try to clear his head. That's when a hand grabbed his wrist, and moments later, he was leaning against something wooden, his balance thrown off. Blinking away the spots that covered his vision, Luhan struggled to figure out what just happened. Yixing was at his side, seeming to be a little less confused as he checked the wrapped documents for damage, and then Kai appeared from nothing, Suho at his side.

                Luhan understood then that Kai had teleported them, and now the young teen was slumped against Suho's side, his power obviously drained from the split-second decision to transport them. Yixing help to pull Kai onto the cart, and Luhan managed to get himself next to him, but he didn't let his guard down. He was thankful for the advice G-Dragon had given them, for it was definitely coming in handy now.

                And as he thought of the older male, he caught sight of GD exiting the town. Well, he was pretty sure it was GD, because it wasn't every day you saw a cheetah at full sprint in the middle of Korea.

                GD made it to their side in only a few seconds, and he morphed into a human in just the same amount of time. He looked over them, his eyes betraying the calm look on his face, revealing the worry he felt.

                "Are you okay? You didn't have any trouble, did you?"

                Luhan shook his head despite his bloody nose, resulting in a wave of dizzy pain. Suho was the one to speak. "We managed to get away without any injuries. Kai and Luhan just spent their powers, is all. I apologize for not doing more to help."

                Luhan wanted to protest. Suho had done a lot for them in just the past few minutes. His powers had given both G-Dragon and Luhan a break, but he couldn't manage the words, so his thoughts just tumbled around without escape. However, GD seemed to think the same.

                "Nonsense. You guys did great. Now let's get back home."

                Luhan closed his eyes as he shifted down to his back. He couldn't see what GD did next, but he could feel the pull of the wagon beneath him, and he knew they were on their way. G-Dragon didn't seem bothered in the least. His fight was probably far more brutal than Luhan's was, and he didn't even seem to break a sweat. Luhan, on the other hand, was on the verge of passing out and he wasn't part of anything more than a tussle.

                It was then, that he truly realized that they weren't playing some game. If they weren't careful, someone could get killed, and he refused to have that burden on his shoulders.