Minseok parked the car neatly in front of the multitude of trees that belonged to Bucheon’s forest. The trip to the place had been quite, absolutely silent if not for the radio playing. Every single person had something worrying their minds and the journey was spent mulling over it. Minseok might not be the most observant person in the world, but it wasn’t difficult to guess what everyone was thinking; the situation itself was a dangerous one, they didn’t know what was expecting them, they didn’t know in which state they were going to find Baekhyun and they certainly weren’t sure if they would get out safe and sound.

“Are you sure that this is the forest?” asked Yixing, playing with Tao’s fingers.

“I’m pretty sure it is.” confirmed Chanyeol “Signe said that it was around Bucheon’s Jung-dong Station. This is the place.”

“What now? We are here; what’s the plan?” asked Jongin in a quiet voice.

Minseok didn’t really know how to answer that question. They had parted in the middle of the night, with just the will to safe Baekhyun and not a plan. Maybe it was stupid of them but something needed to be done; they would deal with the consequences later.

“Well, first I think that the golden rule is stick together. We don’t know if they are expecting us, we don’t know how many people we are going to find. Also, we don’t know how well prepared they are for possible surprises. We have numerical advantage so let’s use it!”

“I agree with Yixing. We stick together. Also, there are no heroes in here. There is a slight chance that whoever is in there is armed, so if that is the case, we back down and we come here, to this precise spot.”

They all nodded at Minseok’s words, looking serious and a little afraid, which was a good combination, fear would make them less reckless.

“And if we find Baekhyun?”

“He’s the priority, if any of us found him; we try to leave as soon as possible. We came here to get him; everything else falls to second plan. And this is a warning for you Sehun and for you Chanyeol. If the doc is there and we find Baek, any anger that you have towards the man is secondary, are we clear?” asked Minseok in a non-nonsense tone, looking at the two men, who nodded at him.

They all pilled out of the car and Sehun went to the truck to pick a duffle bag. He opened the bag and started to give everyone a flashlight, which was really needed, since dawn was not remotely close yet.

“I could only pick two baseball bats, so that is all we have as a possible defense method.” explained Jongin looking upset.

“That’s good Jongin.” praised Chanyeol rubbing the other’s arm affectionately.

“You and Chanyeol keep the bats. I brought something else.” interjected Sehun, bringing a pocket knife from his pocket.

“Sehun!” hissed Minseok “We’re not going in there slashing at everyone’s throat!”

“I am not thinking of using it Minseok hyung, but you need to remember that we came here to rescue Baekhyun. I can guarantee you that, come hell or high water, he is returning with us, and if that means that I’ll have to become a murderer I will. No one is getting in my way!”

“Sehun, you can’t really mean that!” exclaimed Tao.

“I do!” interrupted Sehun, looking at Tao with a gleaming look in his eyes. “This is Baekhyun we are talking about; this is the man I love! I would go through hell and back for him and I’m pretty sure that if it was someone you loved, in the way that I do and as much as I do, you would do exactly the same and wouldn’t even think about the consequences.”

“I get what you are saying.” muttered Jongin “But please Sehun. Let it be your last resort okay? Promise me that!”

Sehun looked at Jongin, who was leaning against Chanyeol. Jongin gave him an understanding look. He was sure that both men would do the same, if it was them in his position. So he calmed himself a bit, breathing through his nose, and exhaled softly whispering his consent.

“Good! Now, it is show time I guess.” stated Minseok.

“Could we have just a moment before we go?” asked Jongin quietly, looking sideways at Chanyeol. “Please?”

“Sure, Jongin!”

Minseok watched as Jongin dragged Chanyeol a few meters away from them. He couldn’t hear them, nor he did want to, since he knew that it was a private conversation. He looked at Yixing and Tao, who were still near the trunk of the car, talking to each other, occasionally touching one another softly.

He decided to join Sehun, who sat on the hood of the car, gazing at the night in front of him and playing with the flashlight.

“I feel as if were are going to war or something.” he commented offhandedly, sitting beside the younger boy.

“Aren’t we though? It feels that way!”

“It does.”

And it did. It felt that way. As if they were just preparing to face a war, against someone, who they considered as their enemy, in order to conquer the freedom of their precious friend.

After a moment or two, Sehun’s voice interrupted his train of thoughts.

“How are things with Junmyeon?”

“Horrible.” laughed without humor “We either argue or he runs away from me whenever I try to talk to him.”

“Hmm. Imagine how will he be when we return home.”

“Don’t remind me.” hissed Minseok “He is going to be so pissed at us.”

“He’s going to ground us until we rot.”

Minseok let a chuckle escape his lips at the maknae’s humor. He had a dry sense of humor that Minseok appreciate it, and he appreciated even more knowing that the younger was trying to calm his nerves.

As the oldest, Minseok felt that he was responsible for every single person in this rescue group so, if anything bad happened it would be his fault, and Sehun was well aware of what was going inside the eldest mind.

They both turned around when Tao giggled, just in time to see Chanyeol cradling Jongin’s face in his hands and press a gentle kiss on the others lips. He said something to the younger man and then they both made their way, hand in hand, back to them.

“We can go now.” muttered Chanyeol with an unreadable expression.

They had been walking for a long time, checking every crook and cranny in that gigantic forest and frankly, everyone was getting frustrated.

“Why don’t we find anything? This has been going on forever!” complained Tao.

“If you don’t want be here go to the car.” snapped Sehun, clearly exasperated, especially considering the fact that Tao had said the same thing three times.

“Come on Sehun, I know you are angry but don’t snap at Tao.” pleaded Yixing, tone even.

“Sorry.” apologized the maknae, looking at Tao, who sent him a small smile.

“What’s that?”

Jongin’s voice made everyone turn and look at the place to which Jongin was pointing. It was a house, small and most of all, expertly hidden from public view, behind the dense vegetation and thick tree trunks.

“Could it be?”

“Let’s find out”

Quietly, almost without any sound, the group advanced to the house. They checked the outside thoroughly and, at first sight, there was nothing suspicious about it.

“There aren’t many windows in this house, are there?” noted Yixing.

“Should we enter?” asked Tao, hesitating a bit near the porch.

Sehun didn’t give anyone time to think about it as he climbed the porch stairs and approached the door, twisting the knob.

“It’s locked.”

“Lend me your pocket knife.” demanded Jongin to Sehun, hand raised.

The younger man, remembering Jongin’s skills in picking locks, as he had done previously at the doctor’s house, gave the other the pocket knife.

Jongin worked quickly and precisely, opening the door in the least amount of time possible. Handing the pocket knife back to Sehun, he twisted the knob and it clicked, letting the door open slowly. They all got in, closing the door after them.

“Should we separate and search?”

“No! We stay together remember? No straying around!” grumbled Minseok.

He didn’t get the chance to say much more since a hand, coming out of nowhere, glided through the air and punched him right in the temple, making him stumble and land on the floor.

Three burly men, presumably Doctor Lee’s bodyguards, fell down on them and chaos erupted. Despite his vision being blurry at the moment, probably from the impact of a fist on the head, Minseok could see Tao locked in a fight with one of the man, clearly dominating him, since the man was no match for the wushu master.

Chanyeol was hitting a man with his bat, trying to evade the blows the other delivered, being hit once or twice since there was already blood dribbling down his chin.

Sehun and Yixing were occupied with the third man and the synchronization between the two was making their opponent sweat.

He felt arms pulling him up and, for a moment, panic rose to his chest until he noticed it was Jongin.

“Are you okay hyung?”

“I’m fine Jongin.”

Jongin nodded at him before rushing to help Chanyeol, delivering a hard blow with his bat on the man’s throat, who stumbled a bit.

“These guys seem like they are made of stone!” yelled Chanyeol “Why. Won’t. You. Go. Down?”

He seemed to grow angrier when the man managed to kick Jongin on the leg, sending him to the floor with a pained sound. Chanyeol saw red and turned to the man with an angry glint in his eyes.

“You’re dead!”

He swung the bat, with all his strength, on the man’s face, watching with satisfaction as the man’s eyes rolled to the back of his head and he slumped on the ground. He rushed to help Jongin, who was clutching his leg.

“Are you okay?”

“I am. The muscle is cramping though. Hurts!” gritted Jongin between his teeth. “Help them.”

Chanyeol turned around and studied the scene before him; Tao was having no problem at all dealing with the guy he was currently fighting with, more so now that Minseok was helping him. Both of them were trained in martial arts and Chanyeol knew that, sooner or later, the other was going to slump to the ground.

Sehun and Yixing were having a little more difficulty; Yixing had been hit on the nose, which was already bruising and Sehun had a little blood lingering in his forehead; Chanyeol wasn’t sure if the blood was from the maknae or the man.

“Yixing catch!” he screamed, throwing his bat at Yixing who caught it expertly before swinging it at the base of the man’s neck, making him double over.

Sehun, seizing the opportunity, landed a kick on the man’s face, using all the strength he have and didn’t have, effectively knocking the guy out.

“Okay Minseok hyung, time to finish him.” announced Tao before kicking the man on the back of his knees, making him drop to the floor: Minseok took the opportunity, since it had been the man who punched him, to knee him on the face and Tao delivered the finishing blow with a punch to the guy’s head, with a sickening crack.

“I think that crack was actually my wrist.” stuttered Tao clutching at his wrist.

Yixing approached quickly and seeing the swollen wrist, he deemed it as most likely broken.

Minseok breathed heavily before, out of the goodness of his heart, checking each and every one of the men’s pulse, to see if they hadn’t killed one of them.

“Are they alive?” asked Sehun, clutching at his stomach and cleaning the beads of blood on his forehead.

“Yeah. You’re okay?”

“I am; it’s just a scratch. I think it was a ring or a watch or something.”

“Good. What about you two?” he asked looking at Chanyeol and Jongin.

“I’m good. I just have a bust lip. Jongin says his leg muscles are cramping, though.”

Sehun approached the two and, with careful hands, felt the back of Jongin’s legs.

“Does it hurt?”

“Not really. It’s just sore and sometimes the muscle cramps.”

“Must have been the blow then.”

“What about you Yixing?” asked Chanyeol, pulling Jongin up with a little help from Sehun.

“I’m fine, they just caught my nose. Nothing bad.”

“We need to do something about these guys!” muttered Chanyeol, kicking one of them lightly.

“I have an idea.” interjected Sehun, after opening a door to what it seemed to be a small pantry.

Sehun’s idea implied dragging the men into the pantry and block the door with heavy furniture that they had pushed from the living room.

“You have the worst ideas ever Sehun.” grumbled Chanyeol after they finished pushing a big bookshelf. “I just took a beating and now I am pushing furniture all over the place.”

“It was the only thing that I could think of!”

“Calm down! Now that this is done let’s search for Baekhyun.” stated Minseok.

They moved silently through the house, except for the whimpers of pain that Jongin and Tao let escape from time to time, and cleared the ground floor quite quickly. A door discovered by Yixing led them to the basement. They searched high and low on the basement only to find another door, leading do a floor underneath the basement.

The group climbed down the stair and actually found an opened door, leading them to a room. They got inside of the room; there was a simultaneous gasp that echoed through the room. Doctor Lee was inside the room, holding a very weak and bruised Baekhyun by the neck, while grabbing a syringe.

“I knew you were going to be here. Blondie escaped and I was sure that she was going to you. I thought my men were capable enough to deal with a bunch of kids like you but I guess I was wrong.”

“Let him go!” rasped Sehun stepping forward.

“You are going to stay you are young man. This syringe right here is full with a paralyzing agent. I have been using it on my precious Baekhyun doll for quite the time but this dose in particular is a bit too much. Move wrongly and I will inject it on his neck. It will be bye bye Baekhyun and you don’t want that. I wouldn’t want that. But it’s a sacrifice that I am willing to make.”

“Why are you doing this?”

“Don’t pretend like you don’t know. I am sure that you went through my house and found my diaries. You know about my love for dolls. I always wanted to have dolls as a child but my father always denied me the pleasure. When I grew up and started my life as an adult I also started my collection but, at one point, it was not enough anymore. Porcelain dolls didn’t work anymore for me. So I started to look for real dolls. Real people, beautiful people that I could transform into dolls. I tried and tried and most of the time, my dolls just perished before my eyes.” The man made a gesture to a wall filled with picture of dead guys, dressed up as dolls, which had the group gasp in shock, before continuing. “Baekhyun was going to be my ultimate doll. The perfect one, but you just had to come and ruin it all, didn’t you?”

Sehun was oblivious to the last part of the speech, his eyes focusing in Baekhyun’s face and the pleading eyes. His hyung was in a horrible state, bruised and battered and extremely weak, as it seemed he could even stand properly on his own two feet. His eyes found Sehun and his heart jumped on his chest, when he saw the tears forming in the other’s eyes; his hyung’s lovely eyes. It was getting too painful for him to stand so near Baekhyun and not hold him, not keeping him in his embrace forever. He faintly heard Minseok voice in the distance.

“So these are your dolls? Did you love them?”

“Of course I did! They were my most precious possession.”

“So what happens if I do this?” asked Minseok, pulling one of the photos from the wall.

“What are you doing boy? Stop!”

“No! I want to see them.” mocked Minseok.

Paying more attention, Sehun understood what his hyung was trying to do. It was very clear that the man was extremely bothered by Minseok touching his photos. And Minseok’s action might actually trigger the man to move away from Baekhyun. He reached for one photo and plucked it out of the wall.

“No! Stop it!”

The Chanyeol, who was near the wall, seemed to get what they were doing and he too started to take the photos of the wall too. They could see the man starting to lose control. Minseok decided to push it one step further, ripping the photo in his hands and throwing it to the floor.

“I don’t like dolls.” he taunted smirking at the man.

That was trigger enough has the doctor released his hold on Baekhyun who, without support, fell on the ground. As soon as the doctor approached the wall, Jongin, bless his quick thinking, swung the bat that remained hidden behind his back, straight to the doctor’s head, sending him to the floor, out cold.

Sehun immediately pulled everyone away from his path and reached Baekhyun, holding him gently to his chest.

“Baekhyunnie?”

He older man opened his eyes and turned to Sehun, smiling slightly.

“Sehunnie…” he rasped with a faint voice.

“I’m here. We’re here. We came to get you!” croaked Sehun with tears already streaming from his eyes.

“I know Sehunnie. I knew you would come for me!”

The tiny, tired smile Baekhyun sent him made Sehun sob a little and Baekhyun, using the little strength he had left, moved his arms to circle Sehun’s shoulders.

“You finally here!”

He would have said more but all of his energy was drained, so Baekhyun closed his eyes, comfortable in Sehun’s arms and, most importantly, safe and allow the darkness to lull him into a state of unconsciousness. The last words that he heard were said in a whisper, meant only for him.

“I’ll always come for you Baekhyunnie. I love you!”






A/N: Am I fast or what? Here it is: an action filled with action (as if... -_-' ) I really hope you enjoy this! And stay tuned to the next chapter, that might, or might not be the last one (ideas come to me as I write! SORRY >,<). I wanna thank you, once again, for all the love and support. YOU ARE AMAZING! I love you all and I wish you have a magnificent day (while I go to bed, since it's 4 a.m. here!!!)