Edited; Re-uploaded

                For a moment, time was frozen. But then it all continued in a rush, and Lay stood on the verge of collapsing as he stared at Suho's form only yards away. The sword embedded in his stomach poked out through the clothing covering his back, and even from a distance, Lay could hear his choke of surprise and pain.

                Tears burst from Lay's eyes as a man strode from the bushes, stopping just in front of Suho. He lifted a meaty hand to the sword hilt, and with a sickening sound that made Lay flinch, he slid the weapon free. Suho yelled out in response, curling in on himself as he collapsed to his knees, but the man didn't even notice as he waltzed back over to his friend.

                Fury crashed through Lay's body, but there was nothing he could do. He was powerless and his body refused to move, anyway. Thankfully, Baekhyun was there to share his rage.

                A battle cry full of pain and anger rang through the air as Baekhyun charged forward, a signal to all those nearby. In the few seconds before he reached the two men, Lay sent a silent prayer for their safety. He didn't know what Baekhyun was capable of, but going against a swordsman wasn't smart for anyone. However, Baekhyun moved to the side, going around so that the first man stood between him and the swordsman before engaging.

                Drawing upon the dying rays of sunlight, Baekhyun lifted one hand and sent a burning strike of light at the man in front of him. It travelled in the blink of an eye, and there was no time for the man to react before he had a wide scorch mark across his chest. A deep, inhuman yell escaped the man's throat, but he remained standing, and Baekhyun back-tracked as they pushed towards him.

                They were drawing closer to the edge of the clearing, which meant they were further from Suho. Lay took the time to sprint over to the injured teen, who now lay flat on the ground. As he knelt beside the boy, Lay spotted the dark red of blood covering his shirt front. He didn't dare look past the shredded material to see the wound, and instead looked up to Suho's pale face.

                "Suho?" He managed to whisper, and movement beneath the boy's eyes came as an answer. Lay swallowed down whatever threatened to come up from his stomach and gently touched the boy's face. "Suho, I need to move you. We aren't safe."

                And just as Lay spoke those words, he heard a yell from Baekhyun, followed by several curses. He only spared a small glance to see the trouble and saw a long streak of red along one of Baekhyun's arms. Lay was quick to nudge Suho again, his voice trembling with urgency.

                "Suho if you can't move then I'm going to have to drag you! Baekhyun is fighting all alone right now so that I can get you out!"

                Suho refused to give any sort of response, though it was more like he wasn't able to, so Lay had no choice but to bring his hands under the boy's arms and tug him across the ground. Suho groaned in pain, and Lay repeatedly blinked back tears as he continued to apologize over and over.

                Lay managed to get Suho a few yards away by the time a familiar voice reached his ears, and he looked up with relief when he heard Sungmin's voice. "Lay! What the hell's going on!?"

                Sungmin and Joon were together, coming from the direction of the fire pit, and Lay blubbered out an explanation as fast as he could. "There's a man with a sword and he stabbed Suho! There's another guy, too, and Baekhyun is going up against both of them all by himself! He needs help!!"

                As Lay finished, the two instructors gave each other a single glance. Then, in the span of a few seconds, Sungmin had Suho in his arms and Joon was running off in the direction of the fighting. Sungmin began to lead the way to the fire pit, and Lay trailed behind fearfully, wary of any other enemies that could be hiding in the growing shadows. 

                Soon, light spilled into the darkness from ahead. The trees parted as they trudged forward, and they were met with a few familiar faces as they reached the pit. Lay saw the blurred figures of Xiumin and Kris, the taller of the two stepping forward to assist in carrying Suho. Kris helped to bring the injured teen closer to the fire, where Sungmin lowered him down to inspect the sword wound. Lay could feel a dull stinging in his own stomach, like a bunch of constant prickles, and he strained to keep in whatever was left in it.

                After a few quick seconds, Sungmin spoke orders to Kris. Lay couldn't hear, his mind muddled with fear, but then Kris was gesturing to him, asking for him to follow. As he did so, Sungmin ran back through the trees. Lay then felt a presence at his side, and he vaguely recognized Xiumin's arm around him, helping to guide him forward.

                Lay wasn't aware of what kinds of sounds he made with his ears muted to his surroundings, but the striking sobs coming from his mouth against his will was enough to bring tears to anyone's eyes, regardless of context. Kris and Xiumin could do nothing to calm him. There was nothing they could say to make things better. Lay didn't even seem in control, with Xiumin carrying most of his weight as they stumbled to some sort of safety.

                Lay distantly noticed a wood structure. It was dark and hard to see, but he registered walking inside with the others. A dull light was , like a candle, gently illuminating Suho's pained face. They were on the floor now, with Lay kneeling at Suho's side. He begged and begged for the boy's safety, not even conscious that he was speaking, and the tears pricking Kris and Xiumin's eyes spilled over at the heartbreaking sight.

                Thuds outside broke into the moment, and both Xiumin and Kris swiveled around to see what was going on. They ran back through the doorway, and Lay could see through the crack left behind that there were more deadly visitors. His friends were leaving to fight them off, and he could only sit and watch Suho's life drain away.

                Lay's cheeks were forever wet with tears that refused to run dry. He didn't understand why this was all happening. If it turned out to be some sort of trick to serve as training, he'd surely injure someone, because it definitely wasn't funny. The only thing he'd learned so far was that they weren't safe, and even if they thought they were, they probably wouldn't be in the future.

                With the grunts and shouting of his friends serving as background noise, Lay returned his attention to Suho's face. He ignored the aching pulse inside his head and wiped the blood that splattered over the boy's handsome features. Suho didn't react to the touch, and for a split second, Lay wondered if he'd ever see the gentle brown eyes again.

                As that lone thought circled his mind, movement caught Lay's eye. He tilted his head down to check Suho's bloodied finger, making sure he wasn't imagining things, when it moved again. A second finger followed, and Lay took hold of the limb as hope filled his chest, replacing the ache he felt in his abdomen. He leaned down to Suho's face, and a moment later, the eyes he missed so much reopened.

                "Suho!" Lay immediately sobbed out, clutching the injured boy's hand. A fresh wave of tears advanced down his cheeks, and he lifted the hand to his lips in all around relief. Hope for Suho's survival bubbled in his chest, and he gently kissed the other's knuckles.

                "Yixing..."

                Lay paused to blink his eyes, urging the tears to stop. Suho's voice was so quiet, he barely heard it, but the name that came out definitely wasn't his.

                "Suho. It's me, Lay. You'll be fine, I promise."

                Despite his words, a part of him knew it was an empty lie. Lay couldn't use his supposed powers, and by the sounds of the on-going fighting outside, no one would come by to help in time. It was pointless to say it'd be okay, but then again, Lay still hoped a miracle could happen. Though, Suho seemed to realize the truth, and he managed a slight shake of his head.

                "Help me sit up..." He murmured, and though Lay usually would've protested, he did just that. Somewhere nearby, Chen screamed, and Lay flinched heavily. However, Suho lifted a hand to his cheek and he opened his eyes again. He was met with those brown eyes that he loved, now dull and drooping, and a single sentence flowed from Suho's lips.

                "I love you, Yixing."

                Pain suddenly exploded behind Lay's eyes, but at the same time, an overwhelming feeling of warmth entered through his lips. His lips, which were being kissed by Suho's. The mixture crashed through his body, and then a dam broke inside his mind, throwing him out of reality and into the depths of his own head.

                Colored pictures flowed past the darkness of Lay's closed eyelids, spilling past the wall that had blocked them for so many months. His mind was overwhelmed with words and pictures that he didn't understand. At first, they moved too quickly to make out, but then they slowed down and he caught glimpses. Glimpses of his friends and Suho, a huge house in a forest, a man and a woman who looked at him like a son, and after what felt like ages of watching and watching, Lay saw things more familiar.

                Lay saw their time at OTP; when he first met Suho, and the horror that he was met with. All the time he spent in training and lessons on their home and past. Lay saw it all, and then he realized that everything before was the same. Everything that he thought was sudden and strange and confusing was all his. All of it fit together, and as a certain painful scene that he relieved every night played out, he realized what they all were.

                His memories.

                After that realization, everything vanished in a blink. Lay kept his eyes closed for a moment more, and when he opened them, everything came back into focus. He was still kissing Suho. What had felt like hours to him only turned out to be a few seconds, and Suho broke away with the smallest of smiles.

                "I wish you could've remembered me, but I guess it doesn't matter now..." He whispered, and the pain in Lay's stomach suddenly increased. Lay gripped Suho's hand with his, and the other ran with determination over Suho's chest. He had to hurry.

                Energy coursed through Lay's veins, bubbling at the tips of his fingers. Now he had no trouble calling it to him, and he trailed his fingers lightly to Suho's wound, coating himself in blood as he did so. When Suho tensed underneath him, Lay knew he'd found the spot, and he spread his fingers in the air above the bleeding gash. Gently, he placed a kiss on Suho's forehead. The boy was on his back again, his eyes closed, and Lay whispered softly in his ear.

                "It's okay now. I've got you."

                Lay sent a trickle of energy into Suho's body, leaving himself cold, and almost instantly, an intense pain came to replace it. Lay gasped out as he ripped the pain from Suho's body, pulling it into his own as he sent more power into Suho to accelerate his healing. He fought to stand strong against the waves of pain, strengthening his hold on Suho's hand, and tears fell from his eyes once more.

                The pain Lay felt inside him was unlike any other. It wasn't physical, for he was perfectly unharmed on the outside, but his mind took Suho's pain and magnified it greatly. He could feel it all, only worse; more in depth. Lay cried out as he finally captured the last of Suho's pain and injury, closing it within himself like a lid on a jar. He gasped for breath, the sight of Suho blinking open his eyes being the only thing to keep him from passing out. He slowly leaned over to press his forehead to Suho's and that's when Suho managed to find his voice again.

                "Lay, what just happened? Did you--"

                "Yixing." Lay interrupted, forcing a small smile as Suho gaped at him, his eyes now wide. Lay rose a hand to cup his face, then he softly placed a kiss on the other's cheek. "Joonmyun..."

                And then he was out.

                One way or another, every child in existence has gone through a phase where they were scared of the dark. It was normal when it came to being human and growing up, but it became nothing once you realized that the dark can't hurt you.

Jongdae was well over his own fear of the dark, but when it actually came around to getting attacked by such darkness, he had a pretty good reason to be scared. And when his arm was nearly cut off by an enormous black spike erupting from the ground, he emitted a shocking scream of pure terror because of it.

                Jongdae clamped his mouth down tight when his scream cut off short due to pain. His left arm was on fire, a long red streak reaching along his entire bicep. Blood bubbled along the edges of the wound, running down his arm like lava from a volcano, feeling just about as painful as it did. Jongdae's eyes filled with water, but he blinked it away to focus his attention on whatever had been the cause of the attack.

                Surrounded by trees, Jongdae couldn't see much around him. Every now and then he heard the voices of his friends somewhere in the distance, probably fighting enemies of their own. Jongdae had hoped to reach Baekhyun after hearing him cry out, but he was intercepted by someone he couldn't yet see.

                The sun was just about to fall past the horizon, giving zero light to help Jongdae seek out his attacker. The trees cast long, looming shadows, the world seeming almost black. Jongdae could hardly see, and with a small flick of his right hand, a flashing bolt of lightning went spiraling into the trees, illuminating a small path until it faded, revealing nothing.

                Jongdae shivered, eyes wide and ears open. He clutched his wounded arm to his side, his heart thumping in his chest. His feet were muffled by grass as he stepped around in circles, eyes searching for movement as he tried to pinpoint his opponent. Nothing seemed to move, but then there was a sharp pain near Jongdae's ankle, and he turned just in time to see a thin line of black slither into the surrounding shadows. He didn't need to look down to see that he was bleeding, though not heavily like his arm.

                Once more, Jongdae sent out another flick of energy, then two more, hoping to find some sort of sign. Anything to show him that someone was hiding from him. There was nothing, and Jongdae blurted out the first thing on his mind with a mixture of fear, anger, and impatience.

                "Stop hiding and come fight like a man!"

                As the words left his mouth, he recalled Sungmin telling him not to provoke his opponents, and he mentally cursed himself at his impulsive words. Especially with the events playing next.

                "Well, if you're that excited to reach your end, then fine by me." A smooth voice said in response. Jongdae spun around to see a tall man cloaked in shadows, his limbs thin and his face hollow. His lips were turned in a smirk, and Jongdae gave his fiercest glare.

                "You're a ing coward for playing dirty like that!"

                "There's no such thing as dirty fighting in the real world." Came the man's calm response, and then a teasing tone entered his voice. "Though I must say, that's quite a dirty word you threw in there."

                Jongdae clenched his good fist, biting the inside of his cheek in frustration. He's messing with me!

                Throwing out his hand, Jongdae gave an angry shout as he sent a large bolt of lightning at the center of the man's chest. They were only a mere few feet apart, but the man suddenly sunk down into the ground before the attack even reached him. He merged in with a shadow by the looks of it, and a chill on the back of Jongdae's neck warned him of the man's reappearance.

                "You're no match for me. I'll punish you for even thinking about harming me!" The man's voice lifted, his arms doing the same. Darkness rose from the ground like a tarp, swallowing the world in black until it was all that Jongdae could see. Fear swept through him in a flashing moment, where the white of the moon was the last outside thing he saw before he was contained in black.

                For a split second, Jongdae was deaf. Blind and deaf. He could hear nothing, not even his own breathing, and his eyes only took in black. A suffocating, limitless darkness that instantly began to tear apart his sanity.

                In an act of pure fear, Jongdae spun out a few bursts of lightning. They only appeared as tiny flickers of light at his fingertips, swallowed completely in shadows in a matter of milliseconds, and his hearing magically decided to return to him. It was then that he realized how much he was hyperventilating, and he struggled to take in enough oxygen to get his breathing under control. His head was light, and he had to sit to stop the feeling of spinning, though it was all sorts of strange when he couldn't even tell if he was spinning or not. The only thing Jongdae could be sure about was the fact that his thoughts were performing Olympic worthy gymnastics in his head.     ‎                                                

                Jongdae wasn't aware of how much time went by, where he stood or possible sat in the confines of shadows—he wasn't really sure which. But after what felt like ages, he couldn't stand it. Opening his mouth wide, Jongdae screamed.
                It wasn't much at first. Just a feeble attempt at making noise, which rippled and echoed in his ears. It faded to silence once more, but then there was a voice.
                "Shut it! I can finish you off right now if you'd like me to!"
                The voice sounded annoyed, but the threat held complete truth. Jongdae knew that, yet he was struck by the fact that he was heard. His own voice had made it past the barrier that seemed to gradually drain his ability to remain sane, which meant that he only needed to be louder for someone to come for help.
                Jongdae took a deep breath before letting his voice out once more. He didn't form any words, but instead released a long-lasting note that just seemed to rise. It shook once the lack of oxygen became apparent, wavering further when he was met with more shouting from outside.
                "Fool! Did you not hear what I said!?"
                Jongdae planned to ignore the man, at least slightly confident that someone would reach them, but then there was a sudden weight pressing in from all sides. Jongdae's air cut off completely and he found it even harder than before to breathe. He choked on oxygen deprived air, and was met with a smug laugh in return.
                "Did you take me as some sort of joke? I'm stronger than you ever will be."
                Jongdae clawed at his throat in a desperate effort to remember how to breathe. Nothing entered his body, whether from lack of remembrance or just because there was nothing to take in. His chest ached and his head pulsed. He felt tired and weak, and all that he really wanted to do was curl up and drift off to someplace else. Someplace where he was numb to this suffocation. Where he didn't have to go through each day as if he wasn't broken. Everything that occurred recently suddenly came up, bringing a rush of emotion with it. Everything that he'd tried to hold back broke through his barrier with a crash, and Jongdae cried.

                Sobs tore through his throat, loud and obnoxious and desperate because he realized that this was it. He was going to die, suffocated to his end by pure black. It was something that only children imagined and feared, but so much worse. Jongdae couldn't stop himself when he realized this—that his passing was a clear possibility in his near future—so he just cried with no stop. Despite his need to breathe and the snot that most likely dripped down his face, he went on. Until a voice broke through. One that would've been the last one he'd like to hear if it were a different, less deadly, situation. But right then, it was the voice of an angel. (Though honestly, it was always that of an angel) 

                "Jongdae!?" The shrill voice that spoke his first name would've brought tears to Jongdae's eyes if it weren't for the fact that he was already sobbing, so he just continued to cry harder. He didn’t care that he sounded like some strange dying whale with all of the attempts he made at speaking; he just needed to give off a sign of confirmation.

                And confirm he did, because that same voice rang out moments later, seething with raw anger.

“Let him go!”

                “Oh? You must be a friend? Are you all this short?” The chilling voice was teasing again, which was something that Jongdae knew wouldn’t be taken lightly.

                “Don’t play with me and let Jongdae go! I think you know what’ll happen if you don’t.”

                “Ha! Your little friend tried that and look at him now! You’re setting yourself up for disaster by talking like that!”

                “Quit boasting and show me what you got! I won’t sit back while Jongdae is in your filthy hands!”

                There was a noise of disgust that followed, leaking into the stranger’s cold words. “You and your demeaning words. Do you think degrading me raises your chance of survival? You’re kidding yourself if you do.”

                “Let Jongdae go.” The words were repeated once more, slow and steady, with no means of being taken back. There was something in the way the words were spoken that pricked Jongdae’s heart, and it dug in painfully with the sentence that followed.

                “If you’re that persistent in dying then by all means, let me help you out!” The words rose to a gradual shout, and Jongdae held back a scream. He knew what was coming, and his imagination went on overdrive, showing image after image of what could be happening on the other side. Everything was soundless again, so he didn’t know what went on, if anything did. The world seemed still, or maybe Jongdae was just unconscious now. Again, there was no way to be sure.

                It seemed like another few ages passed when a blinding light seeped into his vision, flooding his eyes with white. Jongdae managed what he thought was a feeble whine, and tears flooded his eyes once more.

                This is the end… It’s over…

                “Oh, Jongdae…”

                Minseok. Why does it have to be you?

                “Jongdae, please…”

                Of course it’s your voice I hear. No one else rivals you, the man I love.

                “I’m so sorry… I was wrong…”  

                Hell yeah, you were. If only you had really admitted this.

                “Please come back to me… You have to…”

                I never stopped loving you, Minseok. I wonder if you knew that. Too late now, I guess.

                “Come on, Jongdae! Please! I love you! You have to wake up!”

                The voice in Jongdae’s head suddenly became desperate, and it seemed as if an earthquake was invading his mind. He no longer felt the sensation of floating, and now there was dirt beneath him and hands on his shoulders. Arms cradled his body, shaking him, and wet droplets landed on his face. The voice in his head was real, and when he opened his eyes, he was met with a puffy-faced Minseok.

                The world spun, and Jongdae felt it for real this time as he gazed up at Minseok’s face. Tears ran in rivulets down the other’s cheeks, dripping down his chin until they landed with little plops on Jongdae’s face. He didn’t seem to notice at first that Jongdae had opened his eyes, but when he did, his own went wide.

                “Jongdae! Thank God!”

                Before Jongdae could get out a word, Minseok had him crushed to his chest in a strong grip. He lay on the others kneeling legs, face pressed into the other’s shirt, breathing in the scent of blood and dirt and the underlying tinge of cologne. He felt Minseok’s breath in his ear and on his neck, a warmth that replaced the chill of the night. For some reason, he couldn’t seem to move, but Minseok didn’t seem like he’d be letting go anytime soon, anyway.

                “I’m so sorry, Jongdae.” Minseok whispered in his ear. “I was so wrong to think that I didn’t like you. I don’t want to imagine losing you again. It hurt so much, but you’re here now. You’re okay, right?”

                It took a minute for Jongdae to find his voice, and when he did, it came out bitter. “Don’t pity me… If you think I’m going to take your false feelings so that I can feel better, then you’re dead wrong.”

                Jongdae both felt and heard the halt of Minseok’s breath, though he wasn’t sure if the pounding heart he heard was his own. Long moments passed before Minseok spoke again.

                “No, Jongdae… I’m serious. I know how stupid I was before, and I can’t imagine how much I hurt you, but this here has made me realize something…” Minseok trailed off, not saying anything for a few more seconds, as if carefully gathering his words. “I thought you were dead, Jongdae… I-I thought I’d never get to see your smile again, or hear your laugh…”

                This time it was Jongdae’s heart that stopped beating in his chest, and he slowly lifted his head as Minseok went on.

                “I thought it was over—that you’d left before I could apologize and tell you the truth. I’m late, I know, but seeing someone on what appears to be the verge of death makes a man see things and I—” Minseok broke off, and Jongdae could see the truth within his teary eyes as he went on. “I love you, Jongdae… I really do… And I can’t make up for what I’ve said to you. I just thought you might want to know.”

                After that little speech, Jongdae could only stare. He hardly even breathed, but his thoughts were practicing flips again. The most logical choice would probably be to refuse the other’s affection, especially after what had previously happened. But then again, why would he pass up the chance of being loved? Sure, Minseok rejected him before, but neither of them would know what was really the right choice unless they tried. If things grew bad in the end, then it’d just be one more mistake that they could learn from. And with that thought, Jongdae made up his mind.

                Looking up into Minseok’s uncertain eyes, Jongdae spoke. “I can’t say that I’m not angry with you, but I’ve found that it can be easy to forgive…” Hope flashed visibly through Minseok’s eyes, and Jongdae felt a slight blush coming on as he opened his mouth again, his eyes darting evasively to the side. “And before we get all detailed with this… Could I just kiss you…?”

                Apparently Minseok was just as eager as Jongdae was to finally get a kiss out of the other, because not a single breath was wasted before their lips were pressed together in some strange mix of desire and anger and relief. Jongdae’s arm immediately found a place around Minseok’s neck, and the older teen held Jongdae close as he craned over to share the lip-lock. A feeling of safety came with the strength of Minseok’s arms, and Jongdae quickly found himself forgetting the sanity-draining horror that he’d just gone through in favor of this long-awaited intimacy.

                But of course, Jongdae soon came to remember the fact that he had no clue how they were both even alive, and he broke away with heavy reluctance to look at the area around them. The sounds of their breathing filled the night air, and Minseok huffed out a question. “Is something wrong?”

                Jongdae sat up to get a better look, shaking his head. “It’s just not safe here. How did you even make it?”

                Despite his vague wording, Minseok seemed to understand what Jongdae was asking, and he pointed to something a few feet away as an answer. Glancing over, Jongdae flinched back in surprise at the sight of the strange man, body now frozen as he remained partially fused into the ground. He half expected the man to break free with an attack of shadowed spikes, and Minseok went on as if he could read his mind.

                “You don’t have to worry about him. I’ve been practicing an unbreakable ice for a while now. He won’t be coming out ever again.”

                The way Minseok spoke the last sentence sent shivers down Jongdae’s spine, and he then remembered he hadn’t given the other his thanks yet. Turning to Minseok, Jongdae gave a small smile and expressed his gratitude with a smaller kiss to the cheek. The blush that rushed to Minseok’s cheeks was unmistakable, but he didn’t have the time to sit around and gush. Neither of them did.

                Jongdae rushed to his feet with the thought of his friends still facing battle, but his strength was strangely diminished and he nearly collapsed again. Thankfully, Minseok was there to catch him. The older teen balanced Jongdae on his feet, shouldering some of his weight since Jongdae couldn’t seem to function. The younger teen breathed out an apology, but Minseok brushed it off as they started walking.

                “It’s fine. I’ll take you to where Lay and Suho are. They’re both pretty out of it, so you can stay with them until it’s over.”

                “Wait. What about you?” Jongdae asked. “You aren’t going back out, are you?”

                “Don’t worry. If we’re lucky, we outnumber them.”

                “Numbers aren’t the problem. These people have insane skills from what I’ve seen.”

                “And you haven’t even seen the worst of them.” Minseok said. “That’s why I want you to stay put.”

                “I can take care of myself, Minseok.”

                “Oh really?” Minseok shot in, nearly cutting Jongdae off. They stopped in their tracks, and the elder teen filled Jongdae’s vision. “You can take care of yourself? Is that why you were almost killed back there?”

                When Jongdae said nothing, Minseok went on more gently. “I told you; I don’t want to lose you. That guy back there was strong, and your arm is still bleeding everywhere. I don’t want to risk having you go out there if you’re not one hundred percent. I’m not saying you can’t take care of yourself. I’d just rather do it myself.”

                They kept eye contact for another moment, and Jongdae was the one to break away. He let out a soft “Fine,” and then they were walking again. They passed through the trees, stumbling every now and then against hidden roots, and it wasn’t long before they made it to the usual fire pit. A short distance across the clearing sat the wood shed-like building that held equipment for certain outdoor drills. Minseok led them to over to the entrance, and they found Suho kneeling over Lay inside.

                “Suho? What’s going on? What happened to you two?”

                Jongdae was a little confused at the questions being asked, but Suho went on to answer without chiming him in. “I think Lay got his memories back…”

                Silence followed, and when no one said anything for a long while, Suho lifted his shirt to reveal his stark white skin, which was lit by a dull lamp on the wall.

                “Your wound…” Was the only thing that Minseok managed to whisper, and Suho gave a nod. Still, Jongdae was unsure of what was going on, but then a sudden look of horror crossed Suho’s face to catch his attention. He turned to look over his own shoulder to see what it was, only to see a large man wielding a sword striding out into the open, coming right towards them.

                 Jongdae didn’t understand the exact reason for the fear that made up Suho’s expression, but it wasn’t difficult to mirror it when you had a giant sword directed straight at you. Jongdae had seen enough movies to know how deadly those things could be, but he couldn’t exactly push someone in front of him and hoped to be saved. They had powers for a reason, though Jongdae wasn’t really sure how effective any of them could be against this man.

                Jongdae had only taken a single, brave step forward when something insanely fast plowed from the trees. There was a flash of light and a strong gust of air, and metal clanged together as Jongdae covered his eyes against the buffeting wind. When he looked up, he was faced with a surprisingly familiar figure that made his jaw drop.

                Going up against this tall, buff, beefy man, was none other than Jackson. And in his hand, Jackson gripped a sword of his own. There was no trace of his usual teasing exterior. Now he was completely serious, something that Jongdae probably hadn’t seen before.

                Even though it was dark, the moon gave off enough light for Jongdae to have an idea of what was going on. Looking at the two men, it would seem like their side was at a major disadvantage, but then Jackson dove in with incredible speed and lunged at his opponent. It wasn’t meant to kill, but only show a burst of his true power. Jackson nicked the man in the side with his blade, and the stranger doubled back with a look of shock.

                Watching them fight, Jongdae could find traces of Jackson’s personality in his movements. He was insanely fast, obviously because of his supernatural abilities, but even without that, he had excellent swordsmanship. Now, Jongdae was no judge, but Jackson looked flawless as he spun and dodged and attacked. For a minute or two, everything Jackson did was to tease. He had been underestimated and he knew it, and his opponent was growing visibly frustrated. It grew to the point where the stranger swiped his blade around blindly in hopes of hitting Jackson, but the speedy teen only took it as a chance to give the last blow.

                Jongdae flinched when Jackson drove his sword straight through the man’s heart, not even hesitating to do so. He even held it there for a few long seconds before pulling out the bloodied weapon. The stranger fell to the ground with a heavy thump, and Jongdae knew without checking that he was dead. He was on the verge of getting sick.

                Jackson was at their side in a millisecond, looking them over, checking for wounds. He didn’t say anything about what just happened until Suho spoke up. “Did you… Did you kill him?”

                Jackson paused in looking over Jongdae’s wounds, glancing at Suho without  expression. “Those people aren’t human. Those are ENTs, and they’ve come way too close to home base. They’re heartless and cruel, and if you think about it, they deserve to die.” Jackson returned his attention to Jongdae’s arm, his voice softening. “The fact that they aren’t human doesn’t it make it much easier, but it’s either them or us, and if we don’t finish them soon, then they’ll eventually go to the citizens. Killing them means it’s one less enemy to worry about, and this’ll all end that much sooner.”

                “Shouldn’t you be helping the other’s then?” Jongdae asked, receiving a head shake as an answer. 

                “Joon and Sungmin are out there, and more are on the way. I came straight here, but it took a while for Kris to find me, so even with my speed it took a while. The others will take longer, but I think Joon and Sungmin can handle it. They’re our best fighters.”

                “So why did they come here?” Minseok asked next.

                “You know as well as I do that we have something they want.” Jackson told them. “The only problem they have is that they don’t know how to find us. We’ve been on Earth much longer than they have, and they aren’t exactly the smartest pees in the pod. We have better technology than them, for the most part, but they’ve sent out raids like this before. The others were never this close, though. Siwon won’t like what he hears about this.”

                As the words left Jackson’s mouth, movement to Jongdae’s right attracted his attention. The small group turned at once, bodies tensed for what might be coming, when several familiar faces broke through the trees. Kyungsoo helped support Baekhyun’s weight as they trudged over, the older of the two bloodied and weak looking. Sehun arrived at their side, Luhan complaining from his position in the other’s arms. Slowly, the others all flowed into the clearing, gathering into a group next to Jongdae’s. Several of them had wounds, though none were severe. Baekhyun looked to be the worst, and he only had a few long scratches and some bruises, his face especially puffy. Joon and Sungmin were there, too, both looking rather unharmed. The sight of them all together had Jongdae sighing with relief.

                With all of EXO together, Jackson, Sungmin and Joon stepped aside to talk, their heads bent close together. The rest of the teens conversed on their own, every word they spoke either a question on safety or about the familiarity of the enemy’s abilities. Chanyeol, Sehun and Kyungsoo clustered around Baekhyun and Luhan, who had blood dripping heavily from his nose. Kai was talking with Suho, Tao and Kris, but Jongdae only caught snippets of what they said. His mind kept returning to black, and if his mind drifted enough, he could almost feel cold breath on the back of his neck.

                A hand around his waist came as a surprise, and Jongdae jumped away from the touch. Whipping his head around, he was faced with an equally shocked Minseok, his arm out halfway between them. Jongdae’s heart pounded in his chest, his breathing coming fast, and he forced himself to relax. Instead of looking hurt, Minseok looked sympathetic, and he moved in once more, this time slowly. Jongdae let the arm fall on his waist this time, welcoming Minseok’s warm embrace now that he knew it was coming. It was hard to be angry at him.

                Minseok opened his mouth as if he was going to say something, but once more, movement heading towards them served as a distraction. This time it was Mark and, surprisingly, Leo who arrived. They immediately headed for Jackson and the others, but before they even came halfway, a sudden light shot down at them from above. Jongdae had to shield his eyes, and it wasn’t until he looked up that the sound of a helicopter invaded his hearing. It was something that he definitely shouldn’t have missed, but it seemed like none of them were paying enough attention to their surroundings to notice.

                Jongdae wanted to question why there was a helicopter above them, but before he could, a ladder dropped down, and several people slid to the ground in front of them. Jongdae barely felt Minseok’s arms tighten around him, and the pounding of his heart only became harsher. What made things worse, was the fact that he noticed Jackson’s sword hand tighten, and Sungmin’s hands formed fists at his sides.

                They were destined to face one problem after another, and wave two just decided to make an appearance.