CHAPTER FIVE: Side effects

"How much of Project Chimera are we going to tell the reporter?" Taeyeon asked Sooyoung.

"Basically, what we're able to do. But nothing about how they did it. Nothing about there being serums. It's not like we understand how Dr. Seo did it, so we're mostly good to go. Don't mention the name Seo Juhyun either," Sooyoung said.

"Does this mean we can let Soojung go?"

"I asked Major Lee, but he said no. I'm sorry. They want to wait until The New York Times publishes Tiffany's article."

"But all the American doctors are gonna know about us..."

"I told Major Lee that, but he wants to be careful."

Taeyeon heaved a sigh.

"I'm starving," Yoona said.

"You guys go ahead," Sooyoung said. "I have another meeting. See you guys at the dorm later."

Taeyeon trudged to the canteen with Yoona. Yoona passed her a tray, and they joined the line of hungry soldiers waiting for dinner. The line was moving quickly. Each dish along the long kitchen station was manned by one server. One scoop of rice, next. One ladle of minced pork, next. One serving of cabbage, next. Next. Next. Next.

"What's up with you?" Yoona asked.

"What?" Taeyeon asked back.

"You were out of it the whole interview."

"It was boring. Plucking out my eyeballs would've been a better use of time."

"No truer words."

Taeyeon reached the start of the serving station. She received a scoop of rice and the soldier on serving duty waved with his paddle for her to move on. Taeyeon waited. "I'm from gaettong."

Usually, that was explanation enough, but not this time. "So?"

"This isn't enough."

He looked at her up and down. "Even colonels get this amount. Move along, missy."

Missy? If Taeyeon were ranked higher she could have him drop twenty for disrespect in front of the entire mess hall.

"Is this er new here?" Yoona said, snatching the words from Taeyeon's mouth.

The minced pork server nudged his neighbor and told him, "Team Firefly gets however much food they want. You serve until they tell you to stop."

The rice-serving soldier gave Taeyeon another scoop. She raised an eyebrow at him, and with another nudge from Minced Pork, the staring contest was shortlived. Taeyeon waited until a steaming white mound was belligerently heaped onto her plate. She jerked her head at Yoona and said to him, "Thanks. She's from gaettong too."

After getting their food, they found an empty table to sit on. Taeyeon picked up her chopsticks and began scarfing down the food piled on her tray. They ate a lot now, as much as a full platoon. It was a side effect. They carried an extra three kilograms of food rations in their assualt packs now. Now their stomachs were used to their new meal time workloads.

"Did the American reply?" Yoona asked. Taeyeon had sent a message to Cheonan Prison for Soojung.

"She didn't want to talk to me," Taeyeon said. "The warden said she's being treated well though, so it should be fine."

"She should be grateful to you."

"I wouldn't go that far."

"No matter how stupid the Northerners are, they're not gonna attack a prison. Cheonan's the safest place north of Daejeon right now, so yeah, she should be."

"Okay, fine. She should kowtow to me," Taeyeon said, "She signed up for a war but doesn't have to do , even gets free protection from the Northerners too."

" the Northerners," Yoona said. "Why can't they all just roll over and die?"

"They're too retarded to know how to do that. We gotta show them the way."

Yoona laughed.

Taeyeon drained her cup of water. "I'm going to get some more. Want a refill?"

"Thanks."

On her way to the water station, Taeyeon saw Tiffany and Jessica sitting at a wall-side table near the entrance. Their long, colorful hair stood out. If they were going to eat dinner anyway, why did they reject her invitation? Taeyeon saw a few guys eyeballing the two women. Sorry, boys, but the brown-haired one is mine.

Jessica looked up from her food and she caught Taeyeon staring. Taeyeon gave another unreturned smile, although Jessica gave a small, noncommittal wave.

When Taeyeon returned to the table, there were two men sitting opposite Yoona. Taeyeon didn't recognize them.

"Taeng, they were my drill sergeants in basic camp," Yoona said. "Hodong-oppa, Seunggi-oppa, this is Taeyeon-unnie."

They exchanged greetings. Seunggi reminded her of a puppy even though he was a full head taller than her. Next to him, Hodong was shorter but as large as a sumo wrestler. The buzz cut on his large, flat head was like a grass field on a crater. One could plant a few trees and build a whole house on it. That was how big Hodong was.

"Ah, the infamous Kim Taeyeon from the Dog Squad," Hodong said. "I thought it was hilarious hearing all these legends about the Im Yoona I used t make run laps. This is funnier! You could fit in the palm of my hand. I can't believe it."

"Oppa, you better believe it," Yoona said. "She singlehandedly took down fifty Northerners. I saw it."

"And what were you doing watching the fight instead of focusing on your own situation?"

"I was uh... compromised. But I took out a ton of people before I went down."

"What happened?" Seunggi asked. "Are you okay now?"

"Sure I am," Yoona said. "A building just collapsed on me. No biggie."

"A building?!"

"Geez, oppa. I'm fine now."

Taeyeon didn't appreciate Seunggi's warm, googly eyes staring at Yoona, so she said to both men, "Tell me stories about Yoona. It sounds like she was either a really good recruit or a really bad one if you two seem to know her so well."

Hodong started going on, confirming Taeyeon's assessment of Yoona as a strongwilled, gungho person. Yoona wasn't rash, but she was extremely aggressive and competitive. The kind of recruit that was hard to control but easy to motivate, that drill sergeants would keep in touch with after training.

"It was nice meeting you, Hodong-oppa, Seunggi-oppa." Taeyeon stood up. "Yoona and I have to go. We're leaving base early tomorrow morning."

"Continue doing our country proud, and take care of Yoona," Hodong said, giving Taeyeon a casual, two- salute.

"Yes, please watch out for Yoona," Seunggi said.

Yoona rolled her eyes and followed Taeyeon to the tray disposal area.

"Please look after our little Yoona," Taeyeon said. "Our star-studded, doe-eyed Yoona."

"Oh, shut up."

Since there were twelve of them, they split into a convoy of one light-armored vehicle and a commercial, seven-seater family car. Sooyoung was driving the Humvee, with Yoona standing at the gun turret, and three doctors. Taeyeon drove behind them in the Hyundai Sante Fe. They could make it out of Seongnam easily because as the military base, the North Koreans usually avoided the city to concentrate on other easier targets. Outside of Seongnam, it would be safer to travel on foot through forests and fields to Anyang.

The sun was already up. They had assembled at dawn but waited for the end of sunrise so that they wouldn't need car lights, which might attract unwanted attention. Somewhere far away, they could hear the sound of war.

Taeyeon disliked sitting in the Hyundai. Unlike the Humvee, it wasn't armored. The only thing calming her down was the fact that Jessica sitting beside her was even more nerve-wracking. Behind them, Tiffany and the doctors were chatting in English. Jessica mostly kept her eyes on the road, a walkie talkie clutched loosely in hand to communicate with the Humvee.

It wasn't like Taeyeon was asking yes-no questions. The conversations still died. 

"How come your Korean's so good?"

"My parents."

"Me too," Taeyeon said. Jessica didn't even smile.

Minutes later, "When did you come here?"

"Three weeks ago."

At the rate that Taeyeon was boring Jessica, her aching loins would come and go from Anyang unappeased. Taeyeon didn't even know why she was so hung up on this apathetic foreigner she didn't know, but she knew that her body was crushing hard on Jessica Jung.

They reached the small town of Geumto-dong. They would have to cross Cheonggye Mountain and enter urban Anyang through Poil-dong. The streets were mostly deserted except for a few civilians. Taeyeon parked the Hyundai at an open carpark near a supermarket. She took note of the location in a notepad, because they would need to return it on the way back from Anyang. The Humvee was going to be hidden in tall grass fields.

Taeyeon turned to Jessica. "You lead the way. I'll take the tail. Tell them to keep together and walk quickly. We're going to regroup with the others."

Jessica translated Taeyeon's orders into English. Taeyeon loaded her assualt rifle, the M4 carbine, and checked its ammo. She scanned the streets. The rooftops were good ambush waiting points because the houses were low and close together. There were too many alleyways. 

Taeyeon radioed Sooyoung. "Taeng here. We'll be at the meeting point in five minutes. I could do with more support here."

"Syoung here. We've hidden the Humvee and are waiting. Everything looks clear here. Sending Yoong over."

"Thanks."

Taeyeon tucked her walkie talkie back into its holster. There was a loud crack, and then the doctor in front of her crumpled to the ground. 

"Everybody, get down!" Taeyeon shouted. She swung around and shot at where she thought the sniper was. She backpedaled and glanced down at the fallen doctor. The bullet had entered through his ear and exited through his left cheek. She could see his fractured teeth as he gurgled. Taeyeon backpedaled more to the other Americans, keeping her M4 up. "Jessica, tell them to get the fallen man. Go into the building over there. I'll provide cover."

Taeyeon ran up to the house she had indicated and kicked down the door. Three men popped up over the rooftop opposite and started shooting. Taeyeon threw a smoke bomb to obstruct their view as the Americans ran. She took cover behind a waste container and pumped bullets. She shot one of the men, but the other two evaded her. Before the smoke cleared, she ran into the house after the Americans.

They went to the second-storey. Taeyeon said, "Stay low to the ground. Do what you can for the doc."

Jessica translated, and Taeyeon radioed Yoona her location. "There are two guys on the roof of the blue door shop, and a sniper somewhere two o'clock of our location. There could be more hostiles."

Taeyeon went up to the rooftop. She saw seven other men. Two across the street where she had last seen them. Three on the roof of the building next to hers. One was standing at an alleyway. One was further back behind a truck. The men on the rooftops started shooting at her. Taeyeon ducked back down the stairs. She ripped the pin out of a grenade and popped up again. She slung the grenade sideways to the adjacent building, which was just a few paces away, at the three men there. 

She didn't stop as she continued running, pumping her legs as hard as she could, and then she took a running leap off towards the blue door shop across the street. The two North Koreans standing over their fallen comrade dropped their jaws as she sailed across the width of two road lanes. Taeyeon landed on one of them, and he collapsed under her momentum as she smashed his head back into the ground. She rolled over, using the now dead man as a shield while the remaining soldier started shooting at her. Taeyeon flung the man at him with one hand while she pulled out her Beretta with the other. One shot between the eyes and he was down too.

On the street below, Yoona was exchanging fire with more North Koreans. There was a whole enemy platoon here. Taeyeon didn't know how the North Koreans could have been waiting here. There's a rat in Seongnam.

Taeyeon glanced over the neighborhood and determined that there weren't anymore North Koreans on the rooftops. She saw the sniper's location. The window was open and she could see the barrel pointed at Yoona. Taeyeon shot at him, and the sniper's bullet cracked the wall beside Yoona's head. Taeyeon jumped across the street again, tumbling through the window. Her elbow cracked against the frame on her way in. The sniper grabbed her, and Taeyeon twisted away. She spun again, clipping the sniper on the jaw with the heel of her boot. Taeyeon cocked her Beretta and shot him. 

With her shattered elbow, Taeyeon couldn't reload her Beretta. There were four bullets left. The handgun was the only weapon she could use at the moment. Taeyeon descended the stairs of the building she was now in and ran out into the street. Yoona was holding her own, but she had been forced away from the house Taeyeon had left the Americans in. Enemy soldiers were entering the house. Taeyeon dashed in after them. She shot two in the back, using up her bullets, but saw boots whipping out of view up the stairs. Taeyeon scrambled after them.

They were waiting for her on the second floor. As soon as she rounded the landing, they shot at her. Taeyeon ducked back behind the corner. She threw another smoke bomb at them. They screamed as the heat flash seared their arms. Taeyeon only had time to slam the of the Beretta into one of their heads before she made it to the room where she had left the Americans. 

The Americans were plastered against the wall. Them being unarmed and waiting for death looked stupid to Taeyeon. Quickly taking stock of them, the shot doctor was already dead. The others were shaken but fine. Jessica was standing closest to the door, in the corner. Tiffany was next to the window. Currently, the journalist's life was the most important, because she could free Soojung. Taeyeon crossed the room to Tiffany, standing in front of her. 

As soon as the remaining soldier entered the room, Taeyeon chucked her empty handgun at him. He squeezed a shot, which Taeyeon caught square in the chest with her body armor, and she pushed through it as she took out her combat knife and plunged it into his throat. She dragged the blade sideways before ripping it out. He dropped in a spray of blood. 

Taeyeon picked up the fallen man's handgun, a Glock. It was a nasty, loud bugger that used to be too heavy for her. Taeyeon wasn't familiar with it. With a pang, the pain in her elbow spiked through her dropping adrenaline. She glanced at her elbow and gagged. The bone was poking through her skin. It was hurting so bad she couldn't the large Glock, but she had to. Yoona was alone outside.

"Jessica," Taeyeon said, as calmly as she could. She walked out of the room. Jessica joined her. Taeyeon lifted the Glock, pointing it away from the both of them. "Help me pull the barrel slide back."

Jessica did so.

"Stay close to me. I need you to help me the gun," Taeyeon said. Her vision was saturated in red and yellow, and she could barely focus on the woman in front of her, but she wasn't passing out.

Jessica peered at Taeyeon's useless arm. "Oh, ."

Taeyeon hurried down the stairs. She peeked out. Yoona had taken care of almost everyone, but was now being flanked by two men. Taeyeon fired and missed. Her target spun around, and Jessica yanked Taeyeon back into the house. Bullets rained through the open door into the wall. Jessica pulled the Glock's barrel slide back, and hauled Taeyeon to her feet. Jessica looked through the door crack. Snapped her fingers in front of Taeyeon's face. "He's standing eleven o'clock, twenty paces away. He's this much taller than me."

Taeyeon nodded, gritting her teeth. Jessica watched the door crack, and then pushed Taeyeon out. Taeyeon swung her good arm up in the direction Jessica had said and pumped a shot. The soldier got hit in the leg and he went down. Yoona killed her last target, and then shot the crippled enemy. She darted out from her hiding spot to Taeyeon and Jessica.

"I'll get the others," Jessica said. "We should hurry in case the enemy has back up."

When Jessica left, Taeyeon showed Yoona her screwed up elbow.

" looks nasty."

"Push ing thing in," Taeyeon said, spitting.

Yoona gripped her arm and shoved the elbow back into place. Taeyeon bit into Yoona's vest and screamed. Yoona continued holding her arm together until the blood clotted. By the time the American's were gathered, Taeyeon was mobile again. Two doctors carried her assualt pack between them. The group jogged back to Sooyoung and the others. They wasted no time making their way through the forest up Cheonggye Mountain, and didn't stop until they were deep.

A/N: Sorry for the late update:( The CMIYC MV is so boss with the dancing. Was going "Yuri is awesome", "Hyoyeon is awesome", etc, like some crazy person=X Anyway, thanks so much for the comments/subscriptions/upvotes last chapter! How was this one?