Jongdae continued on the the next cup to dry while looking out the window, reminiscing like he always did. There was a sadness that came with the snow that he didn't notice before. Of course, there were a lot of things that he didn't notice before.

It had taken them days, maybe a week or two, to find shelter after they had all woken up, lying on the ground, drenched by the rain. The dark, angry clouds stretched over the whole expanse of the sky when the boys woke. Rain had them sodden, all of their clothes (save for those in the cars) had been drenched. When they had all come to, none of their electronics would work, taking their only way of transportation out of the equation. After a series of raised voices and broken cries, they had all become aware of the situation they had found themselves in- together with each other in the middle of an unpopular camping ground, with supplies that would barely last them a few days.

Jongdae couldn't forget the scene. Sehun was sitting against a tree, arms hugging his knees to his chest with a scowl on his face. He remembered Tao cradling a weary Candy in his arms, hunched over and sobbing quietly. Yixing was trying to soothe a shivering Kyungsoo, arm over him while they both watched Joonmyun lose his composure over a bickering Chanyeol and Baekhyun apart. Jongin stood with his arm against a tree, head hung low in despair. Jongdae only watched in hopelessness, until Minseok finally raised his voice and quieted the two arguing. The rain continued to fall, the forest surrounding them barely making any effort to shield them from the downpour.

Eventually, they composed themselves (with a lot of coaxing from Yixing and Joonmyun) and came to understand that staying there wouldn't do them any good. They wouldn't last there. After gathering all they could carry with them(with a few complaints from Sehun about what they did and didn't need), they set off down the road they had followed on their arrival. The rain had petered down to a drizzle, and even the wind calmed to give them some sort of relief. The first few nights, they camped on the road with trees on either side of them with barely any words leaving their mouths. Their only hope was tofollow the road they were on, hoping to encounter adequate shelter to rest. 

Fate smiled on them when, by chance,(chance meaning Yixing straying into the trees to relieve his bladder) they had stumbled upon a furniture warehouse. They had only planned to stay a few nights before setting off again in search of other people, but the reluctancy to leave was evident in everyone's fatigued faces. 

The ten young men had managed to make what some people would call a 'house' out of what used to be a furniture warehouse after the... incident. It was a long and gruelling process, but at the time, it had seemed like they had all the time in the world. They decided to make do with everything that was available to them. Couches were made beds, tables made dividers, light bulbs made glasses. They had exercised their strengths, and their newly acquired abilities. It was their own, their new home.

A sharp clanging of dense metal andsnapped him out of his memories. It came from what they had taken to calling the gym, one of the biggest 'rooms' they had made by closing off areas of the large warehouse with tables on their sides. The legs were cut off, of course. 

Placing the glass cup down on a shelf above the sink, Jongdae dried his hands and decided to investigate what had caused such a loud noise. It wasn't only him, but even Sehun was roused from his position on the couch by the metal fire pit. Exchanging a questioning glance, they headed towards the sound.

They could hear their leader's raised voice from down the hallway. Despite the calm tone, it echoed through the warehouse, and the two could hear shuffling noises from the floor above. The maknae shuddered, needing warmth. He wrapped his arm around his shoulders, Jongdae himself needing heat to stop himself from freezing.

Yixing and Minseok were already standing at the doorway, hesitating to walk in. When Jongdae reached them and looked inside, he could finally see why.

Joonmyun and Jongin stood oppositeeach other, with a large amount of black cases of varying sizes between them. Kyungsoo stood to the side, closer to the wall. He still had weights in both hands. The cases were all stacked, likea little pyramid, with most of the cases on top left open. When Jongdae recognised what they were, he understood the situation immediately.

"This is going a little too far, Jongin," the older said. There was more worry in his voice than anger. It might have been fear.  "You should put them back."

They were guns. Rifles, machine guns, revolvers. Jongdae couldn't even put a name to some of them. 

"We might need them," Jongin continued to persuade. "Those things might not be far off."

"We have other means of defending ourselves, and you know that."

Jongdae cringed as he was remindedof the crackling current in his bones. Even more so when he remembered Jongin's description of what was walking the streets of seemingly deserted cities.

Bringing back a large amount of what he called 'loot' was not uncommon for Jongin. He'd disappear halfway through the night when most of them were asleep, leaving behind wisps of his presence, then return sometime late afternoon during the day with a heap of whatever he had found. Moreoften than not, it would be some sort of foodstuff, sometimes clothes that were more suitable for the weather.

By now, all of the warehouse's remaining residents were gathered by the opening to the room, peering in and observing how the situation progressed. Jongdae already knew that Joonmyun wold cave in eventually, and soon, judging by the look on his face. Before he could make a bet with Baekhyun, Jongin spoke again.

"I know we can defend outselves, but we can only do so much on our own. If they all come at once, there's no way we can hold out for long. We're not strong enough."

Their leader's brows furrowed together in a look of concern and conflict. When he touched the shotgun in front of him, Jongdae knew he was won over. 

"We don't even know how to use them..."

"I can teach you guys."

Tao stepped forward into the room. He had obviously been roused from his sleep with his hair all tousled. He approached Joonmyun and took a sniper rifle from one of the open cases nearby. He aimed experimentally at the wall, looking very professional with his stance.

"Just like I taught you how to fight." He placed the gun back in it's case gently. "It's okay, hyung. It's not like we'll be bothering anyone with them but ourselves."

"Cheer up, leader!" Baekhyun entered the room as well. Picking up a shotgun and aiming experimentally like Tao did, he look more like a boy playing with imaginary laser guns than a hunter poised for the kill. "At least we have a use for the spare room now!"

Chanyeol's curious fire was obvious in his eyes when he approached the stack, and soon all of them were picking up and examining Jongin's loot. Even Candy had padded into the room, sniffing at the curious new objects. Sehun looked at all of them, guns in hand, then looked at the pistol he held. It felt heavy in his hands, so he put it back in the case he had got it from and closed the lid. The latches clicked loudly. Across him, Joonmyun took the flare gun from Baekhyun's hands and placed it back in it's case. He hauled a small stack into his arms and made to exit the room.

"Well, let's get them all over there now then, so Kyungsoo can finish his lifts and make us some dinner."