Minseok followed Kang Joon.

“I can tell where Papa is.” Kang Joon announced proudly.

The base had been in an industrial area of the city. Minseok knew they were likely being hunted. After escaping the base Minseok knew time was of the absolute essence. They didn’t have any money, but that didn’t stop them from hailing a passing cab. Unfortunately for the poor cab driver he was at the mercy of Kang Joon’s directions.

“Turn here.”

“Here.”

“Straight. The heroes need to go straight!” Kang Joon barked the orders, periodically bouncing up and down in the front seat. The taxi driver looked at him like he was on drugs, probably wondering if he should stop the car and call the police.

Minseok felt even worse knowing the cab driver wasn’t going to get paid. Still, not dying in a nuclear blast via taking on two unpaying customers was probably a good deal in the end. Well, it was a great deal actually. It was too bad Minseok couldn’t explain that to the cab driver.

“STOP!” Kang Joon shouted. The car came to a hard stop, Minseok lurching forward in his seat as the driver hit the brakes hard. They were in front of a rather nondescript house, the kind of two story structures built many decades past, offering small rooms and cheap housing.

Minseok got out first, Kang Joon nearly crawling out the window until Minseok scolded him, telling him to open the door and alight like a normal person.

“It will be seventy five dollars.” The cab driver announced, waiting for his payment.

“Sorry. But you did a good deed, okay!” Minseok rushed toward the front door of the building, Kang Joon doing the same. The cab driver started to swear, Minseok could hear the curse words as he tried the doorknob. Of course it was locked.

“Papa!” Kang Joon shouted at the top of his lungs.

The door opened, beckoning them inside.

***

Earlier that day

“You can steal other’s powers, right?” Minseok’s plan had centered on Kang Joon’s power.

Kang Joon nodded vigorously.

“If we can find your papa you can take his power.” Minseok paused. When Kang Joon didn’t disagree Minseok continued. “Your papa can change memories. If you have his power you could change those around you so they don’t remember what happened, the attack on the base, you could convince them there is nothing wrong. You could change what happened.” It was the only way he could think of to take the pressure off his friends, to stop the madness and save them at the same time. He needed the memory of the attack to go away. Once Kang Joon had the power to change memories it would be easy enough (with the help of the other eleven men) to change the minds of those who held the key to war. It wasn’t a perfect plan but it was the best idea he could think of with the little time they had left before the world descended into unprecedented violence.

Yet there was a piece Minseok was not willing to explain to Kang Joon; Doctor Park was going to have to die. There was no way for the plan to succeed otherwise. Doctor Park would need to die and somehow they would need to insure that the others from the planet did not attempt the same thing. He would be buying momentary time with his plan only, but hopefully enough to stop a war. The rest of the solution would need to be reasoned out after they took care of the most immediate danger.

“I can take his powers! I like it!” Kang Joon was excited.

Minseok prayed his plan would go smoothly. “After you take your father’s powers you will need to avoid being injured.”

“Yes!”

Minseok considered if Kang Joon was understanding what he was saying. He hoped so. Minseok knew that once he reached Luhan and the others he could tell them what he found, he could convince them that Doctor Park was not their friend. He thought they would be reasonable enough when they heard the truth, would probably help him detain Doctor Park and ultimately kill him.

First Kang Joon needed to steal his power. Kang Joon was the key.

“I am counting on you, friend.”

“You can count on Kang Joon! Kang Joon will be a hero!”

***

Luhan opened the door quickly, he wasn’t quite sure why. The other men had stilled at the commotion coming from outside. Luhan had immediately stood and walked to the door.

“What are you doing?!” Chanyeol had shouted, Luhan ignored him.

There were two people at the door, two people that promptly pushed past Luhan. One of the men pushed Luhan aside and slammed the door.

“Kang Joon?” Luhan couldn’t believe his eyes. What was Kang Joon doing there?

“Papa, where is papa?” Kang Joon craned his neck, peering into the living room.

“Luhan, are you alright?”

Luhan stared at the other man. He didn’t know him but yet…was he….Minseok?

“Look who we have here.” Doctor Park emerged from the room he was calling his office, Ryohei walking out of the small room a moment later. Minseok flinched at the sight of Ryohei. This was bad, very bad.

“Papa.” Kang Joon frowned, jutting out his hand he pointed at his father. “I am going to be a hero.”

“Are you?” Joon Hyung smirked. “Is that what this person told you?”

“Luhan, we have to get out of here.” Minseok grabbed at Luhan’s arm. Luhan moved away, confused. “Luhan, what is wrong?”

“I don’t know you.” Luhan stepped backwards, retreating to the living room, unwilling to believe this man was that person.

“Boys, do you want to know who the worst person of all is?” Doctor Park turned to the eleven men, making a point of looking at Luhan a bit longer than the others. “He is right there. He is here to stop you.”

Heads turned in unison, looks of absolute hatred, all turned towards Minseok.

“He is lying!” Minseok protested. The situation was even worse than he had thought. Doctor Park must have changed their memories. He recognized something was off, very wrong with the way they were looking at him. They were devoid of emotions, devoid of a spark of humanity. Doctor Park must have been successful in turning them into nothing more than his pawns.

“Kang Joon, it is time for you to return.” Ryohei held out his hand, beckoning Kang Joon. “I won’t hurt you.”

“Don’t do it!” Minseok tried to grab a hold of Kang Joon’s arm, to stop him. Kang Joon managed to move out of his grasp, walking forward slowly.

“Kang Joon!” Minseok fell to his knees, all of the adrenaline leaving him, utter fatigue finally overtaking his body. Minseok crumpled to the floor, watching Kang Joon walk towards Ryohei. It was all over now.

“Papa, I am sorry.” Kang Joon skipped to Ryohei. “Papa, I am going to be good now.”

Minseok was crying though he barely had energy to cry. No, not when he realized it was all lost. Kang Joon had never planned on helping him it seemed. Now he was facing his eleven friend, all of them convinced he was the enemy.

“Should we kill him?” Kris asked, glaring at the pathetic man curled up on the floor.

“Yes.” Doctor Park answered simply.

Minseok braced himself for his last breath. For the pain that should soon come to him. Braced himself.

“Sorry Papa. I had to.” Kang Joon shouted. Minseok looked up in time to see Kang Joon grab ahold of Ryohei. The older man looked pained as Kang Joon grasp his shoulders, his face contorting. Ryohei flailed, his motions awkward and inhuman as Kang Joon tightened his grip.

“No!” Doctor Park tried to knock Kang Joon over, tried to pull him from where he had ahold of Ryohei. Kang Joon didn’t let go, not entirely. He disengaged one hand and reached for Doctor Park as well. Doctor Park tried to struggle out of his grasp to no avail.

The other men watched, not sure what to do, how to free the Doctor without hurting him, their powers not focused enough to hit Kang Joon and leave Doctor Park spared.

Minseok watched, waiting. He was probably still going to die. Kang Joon was too unstable, Minseok realized, too unstable to help. Even if he was stealing their powers. Even if...

“See you on the other side, friend.” Kang Joon shouted.

Minseok didn’t have time to try and decipher Kang Joon’s words. Suddenly everything had changed. He was no longer lying on the floor, watching the bizarre scene play out in front of him. No. Suddenly….

Everything was different. Or was it the same…

***

“Don’t you think it is a little bit weird? I mean, think about it. Have you ever met anyone else his age like that?”

Jong Ok stared the man down, but in the sweetest way possible. Her face always seemed to hold an innocent, wide eyed expression, no matter her mood. As she had aged her girlish features had gained a wrinkle here and there, but they did little to mitigate her expressive eyes and slightly upturned mouth. She had a difficult time looking angry, which made her anger that much more unexpected when it was unleashed.

“If you are here to call my son weird, I suggest you get the hell out.” Her voice really didn’t help. It was perpetually soft, calming even. Even with spite it sounded like a mild scolding from a lovable grandmother.

Dong Wook grew a bit pale at her words, even if they had been delivered with a sweet candy coating. He hadn’t expected his Aunt to be so defensive “I was just showing my concern.”

“Then show your concern somewhere else.” Jong Ok smiled, then took a small sip of her tea. She placed the teacup gingerly in its saucer, folded her hands and tilted her head “How is your Mother doing? I heard that she was having some financial trouble.”

Dong Wook bit his bottom lip. He should have known better than to provoke his Aunt.

A knock sounded on the front door. Jong Ok was happy for the diversion. She left her nephew to stew over his brash comments while she answered the door.

“Are Luhan and Minseok in?”

Jong Ok was startled by the man’s appearance. His hair was a mess, a bit wild. His clothing was wrinkled. He looked a fright. She couldn’t recall ever having seen him before. It wasn’t like Luhan had a lot of friends. And he had asked for Minseok.

“May I have your name please?” Jong Ok attempted to feign sweetness.

“Tell them Kang Joon is here.”

“Just a moment.” Jong Ok closed the door.

“Who is at the door?” Dong Wook walked in from the living room, noting his aunt’s concerned expression.

“I don’t know. Some strange man, he says he is here for Luhan.” Jong Ok wasn’t about to explain that he had asked for Minseok as well, that news would only refocus Dong Wook on the subject of how strange her son supposedly was and she was not exactly keen to continue the conversation.

Dong Wook was placated by the explanation, returning to the living room. Jong Ok started up the stairs, curious to see if her son recognized the name. When she reached Luhan’s bedroom door she stilled. She could hear talking from within, not abnormal considering Luhan’s propensity for holding conversations with Minseok. What shocked her was that another voice was there, not just Luhan’s.

Jong Ok opened the door quickly, wondering if her son was now answering his own words, making Minseok speak through himself.

Dong Wook rushed up the stairs when he heard his Aunt scream. “What is it?! What is wrong?”

“Minseok.” Jong Ok’s voice wavered. Dong Wook peeked in the room, taken aback when he saw that someone was with Luhan.

“Who are you?” Dong Wook demanded.

Luhan smiled, staring at his mother and cousin he answered. “Geez. Don’t act like you don’t know him. His name is Minseok and he has been my best friend forever.” Luhan rolled his eyes, standing up he gestured for Minseok to follow. “Mom, who is at the door?”

“He..oh. Kang Joon.” Jong Ok clutched her forehead. Had she dreamed the whole thing up? Had she imagined things? How…”Dong Wook, you can see him too, right?”

“Yes.” Dong Wook sounded as shocked as his Aunt. He watched as Minseok walked past him, almost daring to reach out and touch him, to make sure he was real. Dong Wook didn’t reach out, too afraid of what had happened to his mental state to confirm what seemed impossible; too afraid that if Minseok was real it meant he was…not normal.