“Is this necessary?” D.O asked lazily.

Baekhyun just shrugged his shoulders in response, paying more attention to the healer than the patient.

“I just want to check,” Lay repeated himself as he stood before him. “Sit up straight. You should be thankful I’m being meticulous,” he said slightly miffed as he reached for Baekhyun’s hand. “Not too bright,” he said as he bend over so his face was at D.O’s eye level. Lay moved Baekhyun’s hand, his extended finger emitting light. “Try to not blink,” Lay sighed.

“Sorry,” D.O muttered.

“Okay,” Lay said as he was done examining his patient. “Thanks Baekhyun.”

“No problem,” the other said nonchalantly.

“So?” D.O asked.

“All fine,” Lay smiled in assurance.

“Thanks.”

Lay waved off as he went to turn the living room lights to a brighter setting.

“Baekhyun?” D.O said surprised as he observed the boy standing in front of him. The other was dumbly staring at his own hand.

“What?” Baekhyun looked around concerned. “What’s wrong?”

“Purple,” was all D.O managed to say as he stupidly pointed at the other’s head.

“Oh, that,” Baekhyun chuckled as he brushed his plum colored hair. “Wasn’t my choice, but I’m not complaining. I think it looks cool.”

“It’s oddly suiting,” the other agreed as he looked around the room.

As Luhan had described, the living room was simple. The walls were grey, concrete –as if no one ever bothered to paint them. Two light green couches faced each other with the wooden coffee table was placed between them. A big ceiling lamp illuminated the room; it was the only object that seemed to have decorative value. He could see the hallway he perceived earlier, at the back of the living room. The corridor led to a room and a bathroom. At the left of the couch he was sitting on was the main hallway that led to the staircase. Passing the staircase was the kitchen, where some of the members had gathered to talk.

“Geez, they’re not even being discreet about it,” Baekhyun huffed as he sat down next to him.

He was right. He could hear everything they said.

 

“I trust he’s told us the truth, but I don’t trust him yet,” Kris said.

“You should give the guy a break,” Xiumin commented. “He’s gone through a lot.”

“I think so too,” Lay said entering the kitchen. “I don’t believe he ever meant to do us harm.”

“I guess I just need time,” Kris said tiredly.

 

“At least they don’t hate you,” Baekhyun said softly.

“You sure about that?” D.O said unconvinced.

“Well, I don’t hate you,” Baekhyun smiled.

D.O tried to reciprocate a smile, but he didn’t feel it in his heart.

 

“Do you trust him?” Kris asked someone else.

“Oh come on. Let’s stop already,” Chanyeol said annoyed.

“No, I want to hear his opinion,” Kris said stubbornly. “He’s the most affected by this. Kai, do you trust him?”

 

D.O felt the pit of his stomach sink. He felt as if the other boy was staring at him from across the house.

 

“He’s not lying anymore,” Kai replied dryly.

 

“It’s a good start,” Baekhyun tried to encourage. But D.O wasn’t able to answer back. He stayed quiet as Kai’s voice kept running through his head. He sounded so distant; so blank.

 

“Now that he’s awake, we should leave,” Xiumin opined.

“We shouldn’t stay here too long,” Kai agreed.

“Yeah, they might find us if we stay in one place,” Chanyeol said.

“We can’t leave yet,” Tao countered. “There’s still something left to do.”

“When will it happen?” Kris asked.

“I don’t know,” Tao exasperated. “I just know it happens here, in this house,” he crossed his arms before his chest.

“Is it very important?” Chanyeol asked.

“Can’t it happen someplace else?” Xiumin asked.

“I wouldn’t take my chances,” Tao remarked. “And yes, it’s important. I’ve seen it many times. I’m sure it definitely will happen.”

“Does it have to happen? I mean, you’ve seen it many times, isn’t that enough?” Kris asked.

“It’s not,” Tao answered. “I don’t get to see all of it and I can’t ever figure out the answer on my own.”

 

“I’m going to rest,” D.O said as he stood up. Baekhyun followed suit and stayed beside him as they walked towards the stairs.

 

“I feel like something is missing, there’s something that has to happen to trigger it,” Tao commented as they were passing.

“D.O, wait,” Lay called from inside the kitchen. He was by the sink as the rest were gathered around the table, drinking tea.

D.O felt as if he couldn’t argue back against anyone. He had to make amends, and being rebellious wouldn’t help. He slowly walked to the entrance of the kitchen, eyes not daring to look up and face the others. Baekhyun stayed beside him, silently supporting him.

“Here, have some,” Lay handed him a glass of water. D.O took notice that the other’s fluffy hair was now colored dark auburn.

“Thanks,” he spoke softly and was about to leave with the glass.

“Wait, don’t move,” Tao blurted. “Lay you too. Stay still.”

“Huh?” the healer said dumbly as he stood beside him.

D.O felt nervous as he glanced up at Tao, who was staring at them with an intense gaze. The fallen bangs of his silver hair made his gaze look fiercer.

“D.O needs a haircut,” Tao declared.

D.O frowned in confusion and looked up at the other. Now he saw the differences Chanyeol mentioned before. The fire boy’s hair was now cut short and dyed red. Kris’ over grown hair was smooth and blond. Xiumin’s hair was a richer auburn and had it styled with an undercut. Kai’s hair was toned lighter, into a light chocolate color and it looked silky soft. Kai wasn’t looking at him, but rather at the white tiled floor.

“Because we all have new hairstyles, he needs one too?” Baekhyun asked incredulously.

“Yes,” Tao said.

“Because he’s missing out the fun?” Baekhyun said with a hint of sarcasm.

“No,” Tao rolled his eyes annoyed. “Because he has to stop looking like this,” he said indicating towards D.O’s general direction.

D.O’s frown turned into a glare as he felt insulted.

“Could you please explain better,” Xiumin crossed his arms.

“He doesn’t look this way in my vision,” Tao explained.

“So a haircut could make the vision happen?” Chanyeol asked dumbfounded. “That’s ridiculous.”

“Of course it’s ridiculous,” Tao sighed exasperatedly. “But it’s a start.”

“We’ll go to the salon tomorrow,” Kris stated and turned away to serve himself a new cup of tea.

“The ladies are sure going to love seeing us again,” Chanyeol commented.

“No doubt, it’s the third time we’ll be going there,” Tao smirked.

 

The sleep he managed to get was due to sheer emotional exhaustion.

After washing up the next morning, he picked out plain jeans and a black shirt from the pile of clothing settled in the second room upstairs. Baekhyun walked inside the room, towel wrapped around his waist and purple hair damp.

“That was quick,” D.O mumbled to himself as he searched for a sweater.

“I’m starved,” Baekhyun commented as he quickly picked up clothing that would fit and match.

“Where did you guys get all these clothes?” D.O asked as he settled for a black hoodie with a white print on the front –he couldn’t quite make out the design it pictured.

“Stores. You can buy many things from them with money,” the other explained as he zipped up his darker colored jeans. “Goods have value and money represents economic value,” he said as he used the towel to dry his hair. “It is a medium of exchange for a person to trade at the cost of value of whatever you want to own.”

D.O stared at him weirdly. The concept wasn’t difficult to understand, he just wondered how the hell Baekhyun knew that. Baekhyun noticed his odd face after picking up a white button up shirt from the pile.

“The lady who did my hair is studying business at some night school,” Baekhyun simply explained as he buttoned up his shirt. “And she talks a lot.”

“So we’ve got money?”

Baekhyun snorted. “Of course not.”

D.O scratched his head confused –his hair was dry since he didn’t bother washing it. He’s supposed to go the salon anyway. “Then how?”

“We stole it,” he simply said as he picked out a navy blue jacket. “Well, Kai stole it.”

D.O felt somewhat uncomfortable, a little feeling was telling him that what they’ve done wasn’t right. “Stealing is wrong,” he said, but it sounded more like a question.

“Of course it is,” Baekhyun said looking at him as he tried fixing the collar of his shirt to coincide with the jacket. “But we’ve got to manage somehow.”

D.O bit his lower lip. Baekhyun was right. They were alone in the outside. The only possessions they had were the clothes they wore and the supplies in their backpacks. They were on the run; rules didn’t matter over their survival. They had to do anything and everything to stay safe.

“The food too?” he asked softly as he reached up to fix Baekhyun’s shirt collar.

Baekhyun smiled –it was a smile that made you feel comfortable and accepted. D.O needed that smile.

“Let’s snatch some breakfast,” Baekhyun joked as he guided their way out of the room.

Before he managed to reach the door knob, Jongdae dashed inside the room. He said something but he spoke so fast that all D.O heard was ‘sec’. D.O stared dumbstruck as Jongdae’s body became a blur as he quickly dried off and change into fresh clothing.

“Okay, let’s go,” Jongdae said cheerfully as he held onto their arms to push them out of the room –he sparked them a little, earning painful retorts.

“Where are your damn gloves?” Baekhyun asked annoyed as he rubbed his sore arm.

“Oh right,” Jongdae quickly ran out and appeared in front of the top of the staircase with his hands covered. “All set,” he smiled. D.O finally noticed his new hair style. Brown colored that turned light on the top. Asymmetric cut, shorter on the sides and grew messy at the top.

 

On the kitchen table they had two pots of ramen served, with individual dishes set around them. There were many bags of junk food, like chips and sweet snacks -anything quick to serve without cooking. Thankfully they had the wits to serve fruit as well, accompanied by their habitual tea.

Suho, Kris, Chanyeol, Xiumin, Kai and Sehun were already dressed and eating. But once Kai noticed D.O’s presence, he teleported away. All eyes fell onto D.O as the mood turned silent and uncomfortably awkward.

Lay appeared behind them, fresh and dressed in dark skinny jeans and a long white t-shirt. He yawned as he walked past the trio and went towards the table –ignoring the stiff atmosphere.

“Standing there won’t fill your stomachs,” he said as he set out four bowls to serve ramen.

 

They left the crowded kitchen to eat at the living room. Luhan appeared, dressed in black skinny jeans and a grey hoodie. His hair was honey colored and fluffy. He lazily sat next to Lay, stretching his legs forward to rest. Sehun, still eating in the kitchen, whined for no apparent reason. He brushed his hand through his dark chocolate hair -long locks slithering between his fingers. He let out a sigh and stood to serve a new bowl of ramen. The dish levitated all the way to Luhan’s hands, who had a triumphant smile plastered on his lips.

“Damn,” Jongdae chuckled as he stood up. “I don’t know if I should be jealous or call you lazy.”

Luhan laughed as he blew the steam away from the noodles. “Both,” he joked.

Jongdae laughed again as he made his way to the kitchen to have his second serving.

 

“Baekhyun,” Tao whined as he came out of the first floor bathroom. He was still dressed in grey sweats.

“Wha-?” Baekhyun asked with his mouth full as he just slurped down some noodles.

“The light went out,” he explained as he walked towards them. “Help me,” he pouted.

“You want me to stand in there like a freaking lamp?” Baekhyun asked incredulously.

“Yeah.”

“Use the shower upstairs,” Baekhyun grumbled and continued eating his breakfast.

Tao stomped his feet as he loudly walked up the stairs.

 

“Why’s Tao in a bad mood?” Jongdae asked as he walked back inside the living room, sitting beside D.O. D.O noticed he had already eaten half of his portion already.

They all shrugged their shoulders –all too lazy to explain.

They heard Tao scream. Everyone jumped to their feet, scared and worried about what could’ve happened. Jongdae was the fastest of the lot, followed by Kris. They both ran up the stairs to check on Tao.

They heard some yelling and small cries of pain. Then Kris reappeared at the top of the staircase.

“Ouch, stop. I’m sorry,” they heard Jongdae complain.

“It’s all fine,” Kris assured as he made his way downstairs.

“Stupid, you could’ve warned me,” Tao said annoyed –one hand securing his towel around his body, the other smacking Jongdae on the head.

“I didn’t know you were going to use the shower,” Jongdae pouted as he rubbed his head.

“What happened?” Suho asked.

“The shower had a little static,” Kris waved off.

“A little?” Tao exasperated.

“It wasn’t much,” Jongdae mumbled.

“It freaking hurt my feet,” Tao gritted his teeth.

“I said I was sorry,” Jongdae apologized again.

Tao just glared at him before turning away to catch up to Baekhyun. He grabbed Baekhyun’s arm before he had the chance to take a seat. “No complaints,” he ordered as he dragged the other towards the bathroom of the first floor.

“Are you kidding me?” Baekhyun said loudly. “At least let me finish my breakfast,” he said annoyed.

“Here,” Luhan said as he levitated the bowl towards him.

Baekhyun quickly reacted and caught the flying dish. The last look he gave, of utter displeasure, was directed solely to Luhan.

“You’re ing kidding me,” he said in disbelief before Tao shut the door.

Luhan smirked and high fived Sehun, who was laughing like an idiot while back-hugging the blond one.

 

The time had come. He finally was able to be outside of the house and venture the city. Of course, he was not alone.

“Why you?” D.O mumbled displeased.

“The answer is obvious,” Luhan said dryly.

D.O didn’t argue back.

They had gone out as a group, but separated to different tasks. Kris, Xiumin, Sehun and Suho were in charge of finding a new car to escape with. They’ll have to wait for Kai to steal them, but it was best to prepare. Chanyeol, Lay and Tao went out to find supplies and more food they could steal. Without Kai, Tao would stop time while the rest shoved what they could into their backpacks. Baekhyun and Jongdae were in charge of guarding the house.

The guys were right, the streets were quite normal. They walked on the sidewalk as cars would pass by the main streets. People would wander off to their destinations, not minding them at all. There were many shops along the streets –there was at least one in each block. The air felt fresh, salty and humid. The sun rays felt warm as the sea breeze grazed their skin. It felt cold, but just cool enough to wear a sweater.

“So you’ve still got something to tell me,” Luhan spoke as they passed by a street salesman, offering handbags and wallets.

“What?”

“Don’t try to avoid this,” Luhan said with a serious tone. “You know what I’m talking about.”

D.O sighed and briefly stopped his tracks to look through the window of an antique shop. Inside was an old man behind the desk. His head lowered as he meticulously used the tools in his possession to mend a wooden ship. Behind him were old maps of the world; of the sea; of what has been recorded and what is yet to discover.

“You trust Kai?” he asked aloud as he felt Luhan’s presence inside his mind.

‘With my life,’ Luhan replied without a second to waste.

“Then you must understand that he’s looking out for us,” he calmly replied. “Future Kai made me promise not to tell you and I’m trying real hard in not thinking about it,” D.O said, turning to face Luhan’s inquisitive gaze. “You might catch me one day, but I’ll be able to forgive myself if it was by accident as opposed to consciously breaking my promise.”

‘You’re breaking your promise to me,’ Luhan frowned. ‘You promised you’d tell me.’

“I was desperate,” he admitted as he stored his hands into his pockets and continued walking.

“If you don’t tell me, I swear I’ll tell the rest that you’re keeping secrets from us,” Luhan threatened behind him.

D.O glared, feeling his temper rise. “I’m not the only one keeping secrets,” he spoke with a deep tone. “You haven’t been honest either,” he declared as he turned to look at Luhan straight in the eyes.

Luhan’s eyes widened briefly in surprise, then he resumed into glaring. He walked passed D.O and pulled him with his telekinesis until they were hidden in an alley, away from the busy street.

“I might have a secret,” Luhan said as he cancelled the telekinetic grip, “but it’s my to deal with. It doesn’t concern nor does it affect the group.”

“Why didn’t you kill her?” D.O asked with defiance.

“What?” Luhan asked perplexed.

“When she came out during the trial,” D.O clarified. “Why didn’t you kill her?”

Luhan scoffed bewildered. “Unbelievable,” he muttered to himself. “I wanted to, but I was knocked out cold, remember?”

“Bull,” D.O countered as he took a step forward. “You could’ve easily snapped her neck in a second, yet you tried to asphyxiate her instead, taking too damn long.”

Luhan couldn’t hide the evident shock in his expression. He remained silent as he stared dumbstruck. D.O knew he hit a nerve.

“Why didn’t you kill her?” he asked again.

Luhan opened his mouth to speak, but no sound came out.

“She did something to you. She has played with us all and made us whatever the we’re supposed to be. But she did something else to you, right?” D.O tried to make him speak. “You said you ing hated her, but you didn’t have the guts to kill her. Why?”

“I…” Luhan looked lost as he eyes began to glisten.

“She did something horrible to you,” D.O kept pressing. “I don’t know what, but I guess it’s related to her. Maybe because she made you look just like her daugh-”

“Shut up!” Luhan yelled and forcefully pushed D.O against the wall with his telekinesis.

D.O let out a groan from the pain, but mostly because of the invisible pressure against his torso. He knew he was getting close.

“She did something horrible to you.”

“Shut up,” Luhan pleaded while looking away. D.O felt the pressure diminish.

“She hurt you.”

“Stop it,” Luhan let out a sob and quickly covered his mouth.

“Why didn’t you kill her?” he dared to ask again.

Luhan didn’t answer as he wiped his tears away. He didn’t cry. He managed to keep control. He looked at D.O with teary red eyes, but didn’t speak. D.O stared back, eyes never breaking contact. He somehow felt he could read Luhan’s mind, without the other speaking into his own.

“You read her mind,” D.O presumed. “You hesitated. You could’ve ended her right then and there, but something made you hesitate. Then you got knocked out.”

Luhan nodded, ever so slowly. He didn’t speak, but his eyes told D.O everything he felt.

D.O took a step forward after finally realizing that Luhan had let go of him already. Luhan stood impossibly still as D.O shortened the distance between them, eyes never gazing away.

“What did you find in her mind?” D.O asked softly, his voice patient.

‘I… It wasn’t her,’ Luhan finally shared his thought.

What?

‘She wasn’t Mama.’

No, D.O shook his head with a sad smile. She was Mama, she just wasn’t the same one.

Luhan’s eyes widened again, as his jaw fell open in shock. He furrowed his brows as his eyes wildly searched D.O’s face. ‘You knew?’

No. I didn’t, but she left hints. He explained.

‘So this is a guess?’

I have a theory.

‘What is it?’ Luhan sounded very curious.

I don’t want to say yet, in case I’m wrong.

‘How do we find out then?’ he sounded disappointed.

D.O sighed. I’m still trying to figure that out.

Luhan took in a deep breath and brushed his hair back. “You think she’s a clone, right?”

Now it was D.O’s turn to feel shocked. “I didn’t think that,” he said as he took a step back.

“I know. I’m guessing here too,” Luhan said sincerely. “I know she had a lab with clones,” he confessed.

“How?” D.O asked alarmed. “How come you know this?”

“Lay told me.” D.O gave him a doubtful look. “Okay, I eavesdropped and made him tell me.”

“What exactly did he say?” D.O asked cautiously.

Luhan took a moment to recollect his thoughts. “He said you found a lab with clones. Lay and Kai found you destroying it. You wrecked the whole thing.”

“Did he say anything about the clones?” D.O asked warily.

Luhan gave him an odd look, like he spotted something in the dark. It’s there but you can’t quite see it, you induce it. “No. But you just did,” Luhan said, making D.O realize his mistake. “Thoughts aren’t that easy to control. They appear instantly and sometimes we don’t even register what runs through our minds,” Luhan spoke solemnly. He wasn’t lecturing nor was he bragging; he was just speaking his mind. “Lay has an incredible ability to shoo me off. He uses his emotions to manipulate me and get rid of me. His mind is tricky,” he commented. “Kai… He just disappears when I get too intrusive.”

“So I’m the one who ended up spilling the beans,” D.O muttered annoyed. But in his mind he gave in, and let Luhan hear what he remembered of that day. What he saw and what he did.

“Thank you,” Luhan said. “Thank you for getting rid of them.” D.O stared confused. “You’re right. We aren’t replaceable and I sure as hell don’t want a clone wandering about and using my identity,” Luhan opined. “I’m the only Luhan in this world,” he said with great sentiment.

D.O smiled, glad to know that the telepathic understood his grief and his reasons behind his actions. Luhan outstretched his arm, holding onto D.O’s shoulder in a friendly manner as he stared deeply into D.O’s eyes.

“I would’ve done the same,” he assured with a soft smile. He patted his shoulder and let go. “They must’ve created them with the idea of having an army of us,” he deduced. “But it doesn’t make sense since there is no war. They never needed us.”

“Maybe they wanted us to start a war,” D.O said without considering the weight of his words.

Luhan stared back with a dreadful expression. D.O bit his lower lip and looked down in regret.

“Let’s just go,” Luhan said after a silence and directed their way back to the main street.

 

They finally reached the hair salon, a simple establishment colored pink and lime, with five ladies attending the clients and one, the oldest looking madam, administrating the counter.

“You brought a new one,” a girl in her late twenties smiled brightly as she welcomed them into the salon.

“Hi,” Luhan said kindly as he greeted with a slight bow. D.O copied behind him.

“Let me see him,” she said as he walked up to D.O and cupped his face between her hands. She was slightly  shorter than him. “My, aren’t you a cutie,” she cooed, making D.O feel very embarrassed and uncomfortable. “You’re quite handsome.”

“Tha-thanks,” he felt his face heat up. He looked up at Luhan for help, but the other was just snickering in delight.

“Why are you boys so handsome?” she asked aloud as she let go of D.O. “You boys could easily be idols, you know?” she said.

“Jiho, enough with the gawking,” another lady approached them. D.O immediately noticed her fire red hair. “Raeun, right?” she greeted towards Luhan.

“Yes, it’s nice to be here again,” Luhan charmingly said.

D.O couldn’t help but stare confused at the other’s social abilities.

“This is my friend, Juhyeok,” Luhan introduced him. D.O didn’t even question the fake name. “He’s visiting town for a few days and I thought that, if your offer is still up, he could be a practice subject.”

D.O’s eyes widened in alarm.

‘Chill. It’s how we’ve gotten our free haircuts,’ Luhan quickly briefed.

“Mina could use the practice,” she said thoughtfully. “Thank you boys for being so helpful and brave,” she smiled and led the way.

Mina was arguably the youngest hairdresser in the salon. She was shorter than D.O, but stood at the right height once he sat down. D.O stayed silent as he watched her movements through the reflection on the mirror. She felt his hair and smiled as she rubbed it.

“You didn’t wash your hair,” she spoke in a soft voice.

“No,” he replied without thought.

“Then can I dye it?” she asked cheerfully. “We don’t get many clients who dye their hair, so it was quite fun when your friends let us be creative with their styles.”

Now D.O understood why they had such different colors and Baekhyun’s comment of his hair not being ‘his choice’.

“Umm, I,” D.O didn’t want purple hair. “Can I keep my hair color?”

Her brown eyes looked at him through their reflection in the mirror on the front wall –it was a big square mirror that was settled on the wall and above the cabinets, where she kept all her work materials. D.O grew nervous as she observed him with scrutiny. He felt somewhat exposed.

“I guess you’re right,” she smiled. “Black looks elegant and contrasts you fair complexion.”

D.O let out a sigh in relief.

Mina threaded her fingers through his hair again, taking in how long his strands were. D.O hadn’t even notice how much his hair had grown.

“Alright, I know what to do with you,” she said. “I have to wash this, it’s unacceptable,” she joked as she softly tugged his messy hair, causing D.O to laugh along. “I’ll massage with oil first, to enrich the follicles, bring out some shine and smoothen your hair. Then I’ll cut most of the sides, like this,” she motioned with her hands, swiping against the sides of his head with her palms. “I think and undercut will favor you. The shaved sides will show off your jawline and if I keep the top with a good length, it will make your face look smaller and harmonize the proportions. Especially if you style it upwards.”

“Why do I have the feeling you're trying to convince yourself rather than me?” D.O asked with a friendly tone.

“I’m inexperienced,” she deadpanned.

“You sound pretty experienced to me,” D.O commented.

“Just wait until I grab a pair of scissors,” Mina laughed.

This time D.O wasn’t sure if he should laugh along or worry about her remark.

 

The overall experience was quite enjoyable. Luhan sat in the back, looking through magazines while occasionally being chatted by Jiho. D.O soon figured out that Jiho was the one who had styled Baekhyun’s hair. Mina wasn’t unskilled, she just lacked confidence. She just needed to practice. And, in contrast to Jiho, Mina was silent as she focused on cutting his hair neatly, without messing up.

The quiet made his mind wander. He thought about what he spoke with Luhan in the alley. He remembered what Mama said to them that day. Unlike Luhan, D.O could only speculate his suspicions with what he observed and what she said. Luhan had the chance to see inside Mama’s mind, but D.O had to read the detail from her exterior. She definitely looked older than Lu Mei, or Mama from the underground –both were Mama and Lu Mei. As if things weren’t confusing enough.

The outside Mama looked older and had to take injections, from what possibly could be the same elixir they were given or maybe some other medication to keep her healthy. When they argued about how she survived, she said that she was buried. They buried a newer version of herself. That had to mean that the Mama from the underground dome was the fake one, the clone –the new and healthy version of Mama.

But what didn’t make sense is why the Colonel didn’t do anything to help her when Luhan tried to kill her. It was as if she didn’t matter and was disposable. But she couldn’t have been a clone, since she told them that her clone was down there, dead. Besides, she was older and needed some substance to stay healthy. Maybe Lu Mei had grown old and ill, and created a clone of herself to be in charge of the trials in the underground dome while she monitored and controlled everything from the outside.

But why would she risk dying? Why wouldn’t the Colonel care? She couldn’t have been a clone right? Didn’t she matter? Was she replaceable?

“All done,” Mina said proudly, snapping D.O from his thoughts.

He blinked a few times as he took in his new haircut. Mina was right; the style suited him handsomely, especially since she combed his hair upwards and framed it with hairspray.

“It’s… You were so right. It’s great,” he smiled grateful.

“Glad you like it,” she smiled proudly, but her smile faltered a little. “I might have… I might have cut a little too short on the back, it looks nearly shaved off,” she admitted.

She grabbed a smaller mirror and held it behind him, at an angle where he could see the back of his head by the reflection of the smaller mirror in the wall mirror. He never thought he could ever see the back of his head before.

Back of the head.

The idea struck him like cold water. When Mama threatened to replace him, she said something that he didn’t think much of because the next second he wasn’t conscious anymore. She said they were always replaceable while patting the back of her neck.

D.O looked intensely at the reflection, but saw nothing but hair. There were two uneven cuts near the baseline; they were quite visible since, as Mina said, those spots were nearly fully shaved off. He narrowed his eyes as he focused on the tiny dash of black on the high border of an uneven cut. It was as if something was hidden under his hair. He mentally thanked Lay for fixing his eyesight, otherwise he would’ve never have noticed.

“It looks bad, doesn’t it?” Mina asked, obviously worried about the result. “I’m sorry.”

“Actually, could you… The hairline on the back of my neck, can you raise it?” he asked.

“You want me to shave it higher?” she asked confused.

“Yeah.”

“Wouldn’t it look weird?” she commented as she brushed her thumb against the baseline of his hair.

“Maybe it’s better that way. Just even it out,” he insisted.

“It could make your neck look longer,” she contemplated. “Are you sure you want to raise the baseline?”

“It’s an experiment,” D.O shrugged. “Hair grows back.”

Mina put the mirror back against the shelf and she thought about it. “I can’t really argue against that,” she said and grabbed an electric shaver. “I’ll just raise it a bit and you tell me if it’s high enough.”

“Okay.”

The humming started and Mina diligently went back to work.

“What the…” she mumbled and turned off the machine. “You’ve got a tattoo?” she asked.

D.O felt his heart beat hard as his stomach twisted. He was nervous. “Uh, yeah. Long ago,” D.O lied.

“But you’re so young,” she opined.

“I have a baby face,” he quickly said.

“How old are you then? I wouldn’t have thought over sixteen,” Mina honestly said as she stared at his face through the reflection again.

“I’m nineteen,” he blurted, after quickly thinking that twenty would sound too old. Mina raised her eyebrows, brown eyes quite surprised. “I had a reckless stage,” he carried on. “Shaved my head and got a tattoo. Yeah,” he said as convincing as possible. “It’s been a long time since I’ve seen it and well…”

“I’ll shave just enough for it to be seen,” she kindly agreed. “You would’ve just told me you wanted to show off your ink,” she chuckled and turned the trimmer on again. “Such a weird teen.”

You have no idea, he thought to himself.

“What does it mean?” Mina asked after switching off the electric shaver.

“What?”

“What does your tattoo mean?” she asked as she brushed off the remnant hair. “D0.K500-2,” she read.

“It’s the code of my favorite book,” he lied. “It’s strange, I know. I just did it on impulse.”

“You are quite reckless,” she commented as she set the trimmer away and picked up the smaller mirror. “Take a look.”

D.O felt his breathing stop as he stared at his reflection’s reflection. Two fingers higher than the baseline were bold letters and numbers inked into his skin. D0.K500-2. He had no idea what it meant, but he knew who had put that code onto his skin. And if his theory were right, he wouldn’t be the only one with one.

“I think it looks fine,” D.O commented.

“Me too,” she smiled and put the mirror away. “Stay put so I can clean up first,” she said before leaving to grab a broom and dust pan. She swept the hairs that had fallen onto the floor.

D.O observed his surroundings, making sure that no one was looking towards their direction. Once Mina left to put the broom away, he quickly grabbed an electric shaver from the counter and hid his hands under the cover. When he heard her footsteps get close, he hurriedly stuffed the trimmer into the pouch of his sweater.  

“Okay so we’re done,” she said as she took the huge cover off him.

D.O heartbeat paced quickly as he was afraid to get caught. “Thank you so much,” he said kindly with a bow, one hand inside his pocket. He did his best to carry a smile on his face as he hid the storm in his mind and the pounding in his chest.

“Thank you very much, for letting me use your hair,” she said to him.

“So, this is free of charge?” D.O asked as normal as he could.

“Of course.”

“Thank you.”

 

“Lu- Raeun,” he corrected himself as he approached the other who was sitting on the couch while staring as a television screen. “Raeun I’m done. Let’s go.”

“Shh,” Luhan hushed and pointed at the screen.

D.O furrowed his brows and looked at what was so interesting. A news channel was on display, showing a site in the woods near Odaesan national park. Images of shattered glass and destroyed trees were showed. The news anchor informed about the new investigations of the factors that caused the reservoir dome to collapse. The dome settled at the northwest periphery of the park, near route 56, was constructed in mid-October of 2011 to be temporal reserve for the conservation of the endangered Amur leopard. The reservoir began to function by the beginning of December and inexplicably collapsed by midday of the first day of the month.

‘Eye witness of 58 years old, Baek Soochun, claims that an atmospheric anomaly caused the dome to shatter. Apparently he saw lightning strike on the top of the dome, though there is little to no evidence of a sudden dry thunderstorm. Special task force is still investigating the cause of its plummet.

The natural reserve was meant to be a temporary home for a mother Amur leopard and her three cubs of a year and five months of age. They were meant to learn to adapt without human intervention until the cubs were old enough to live on their own. The cubs were scheduled to relocate to the demilitarized zone north-east from Cheorwon county, by late June, while the mother would be sent back to captivity at Seoul Grand Park.

The lone mother and one of her cubs has been captured and relocated thanks to the rescue and conservation team officials. It is of great importance that civilians keep their distance from remains of the reserve, for there are still two cubs missing. The Odaesan National Park is closed as well. There are no counts of any injured at the moment and we wish for it to stay that way. So please take caution if you must drive through route 31 and most importantly 56.

The dome had diameter of 28 Km and served as a natural reserve for many bird species as well…’

The anchorman went on with information about the reservoir, but D.O knew they were all lies. His eyes scanned the lower left corner of the screen. April 4^th.  

“Let’s go,” D.O insisted as he nudged the other’s shoulder.

Luhan complied, leaving before him with graceful attitude so they wouldn’t draw suspicion from the kind and talkative hairdressers. Once outside D.O pulled the hood of his sweater up –a small attempt to hide his ‘tattoo’.

“Those were all lies, right?” D.O said as they briskly walked the way back.

“No doubt,” Luhan replied. “Who the would put a natural reserve for leopards near civilians? It’s outrageously stupid.”

“We have to inform the others.”

“We have to get the out of here,” Luhan said worriedly. “If they are doing some so called ‘investigations’, then they’re bound to find the fake town and everything in it. And that could lead them to us.”

“How?” D.O asked as he tried to keep up. His muscles felt sore already. “There is no evidence we were ever there. The underground dome is buried, there’s no way they can ever find it,” he reasoned. “All the boggers have to have disintegrated. They disappear into dust like they never even existed in the first place.”

“What if they found some dead soldier?” Luhan argued. “What about the wreckage we left after all the fighting? And there has to have been cameras placed all over the damn place.” He paused to regain his breath. “We have to leave before they find out that the missing leopard cubs are actually mutant teenagers.”

 

When they were reaching the house D.O could feel them. Once he passed the threshold he knew where everyone stood and who the steps belong to; especially his.

D.O grabbed Luhan’s arm before the other could storm into the house.

“Get Kai into the second room upstairs,” he instructed.

“The one by the bathroom?” Luhan asked.

“Yes,” he confirmed.

“What are you up to?” Luhan asked suspicious.

“We need to talk,” D.O said seriously, eyes boring into Luhan’s as the other let himself into his mind.

Luhan’s eyes widened as he stared back at him. ‘Damn you’re fast,’ he smirked and headed to the room on the first floor.

D.O made his way to the kitchen where Chanyeol was cooking with Lay and Baekhyun’s help. Tao was seated at the table, munching from a bag of chips, with Jongdae who decided to feast off leftover ramen.

“Hey you’re back,” Jongdae said cheerfully as he noticed him enter.

“Did you dye your hair?” Tao ask curiously.

“Yeah, show us,” Chanyeol said while pointing at him with long chopstick.

“Lay I don’t feel well,” D.O said instead while grabbing Lay’s wrist and dragging him out of there.

“What’s wrong?” the healer asked as he followed up the staircase. “D.O?”

He didn’t answer as they walked through the hall. D.O turned left and quickly grabbed the rubbish bin from the bathroom and then walked into the room in front. It was the same room he slept in. Inside was Kai leaning against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest, while Luhan was mindlessly pacing around.

D.O’s eyes immediately locked onto Kai’s. “Don’t move,” he warned as he set the bin aside. “We have to talk.”

“I’m not in the mood,” Kai mumbled as he pushed himself off the wall.

“Kai, this is utter important,” Luhan said in a dead serious tone. “Forget about your feelings, we’ve got a bigger situation. Two actually.”

Kai frowned, but ended up nodding as he crossed his arms again.

“Okay,” D.O said as he closed the door behind them. “You remember the lab with those incubators,” D.O started but Lay raised his hand up to silence him.

“I thought we swore to never speak of it,” his voice was passive as ever, but his eyes held a stern gaze.

“We did,” D.O assured and gulped down forcefully –his throat feeling dry from his nerves. “But... but something happened,” he said mustering his courage as he looked at them.

“What?” Lay asked.

“This,” he answered as he pulled down the hood of his sweater and turned his back towards them.

“What is that?” Lay asked surprised.

“It’s the answer,” Luhan replied instead.

D.O’s heartbeat raced as he felt Kai step towards him. He bit his lip when Kai’s thumb grazed over the ink. “D zero,” Kai read in a low voice. “K five hundred dash two.”

“It’s a code?” Lay spoke by his left side.

“It has to be,” Luhan commented.

“Do you know what it means?” Kai asked, letting D.O turn around.

He noticed that Kai didn’t look angry anymore –his features were now filled with worry and confusion.

“No,” he replied. “But I think we can figure it out,” he said while taking out the electric shaver from his pocket.

They stood quiet, all eyes staring worried at the object in his hand.

“What did you mean by it being the answer?” Kai asked, being the first to focus back on the issue.

“I think she meant for us to find out,” D.O stated his opinion. “She’s been giving us hints all along.”

“Mama?” Lay asked.

D.O nodded in response.

“We think Mama cloned herself,” Luhan stated.

“I wondered that too,” Kai admitted. “She said we buried a newer version of herself.”

“Her body was significantly older than the Mama from the underground,” Lay added.

“In her mind, when I listened to her thoughts, well, I noticed she wasn’t the same Mama. So she had to have a clone,” Luhan explained. “And we know they had us cloned as well. So this,” he said pointing at D.O’s neck, “can be the answer.”

“When she wanted to get rid of me, she said we were all replaceable while doing this,” D.O patted the back of his neck.

Lay suddenly laughed, causing the rest to stare dumbfounded at him. “Tao was right,” he said after calming down. “All we needed was D.O to get a haircut.”

Luhan rolled his eyes and turned to D.O. “Do you intend on shaving us all?”

“I think, if we all have codes, then maybe by looking at them we might figure what they could mean,” D.O said.

“Through differences and similarities,” Kai reasoned.

“Yes,” D.O confirmed.

“Alright,” Kai said and turned around so his back was facing D.O. He threaded his hands into his hair and lifted the longer strands so he could expose the hairline on his nape. “Do it,” he said without hesitation.

D.O admired his bravery. He quickly examined the device in his hands, finding the switch to animate the trimmer. It buzzed as a little red light flashed on and off Lay grabbed the garbage bin and held it up. Pushing his anxiety aside, D.O carefully reached up and carefully swiped the head of the shaver against his skin, t off his hair. A dark bold number three appeared. D.O continued meticulously until the whole code was revealed.

“3.K441-5,” he read out.

“There’s a three before it?” Kai asked.

“Yeah,” Luhan said as he stepped closer to look. “It’s a number first, then a code with an ending number separated by a dash.”

“It’s really different from mine,” D.O commented.

“Not really,” Luhan commented. “There’s a pattern.”

“How?” Lay asked.

“There’s an initial code,” he said as his index finger pointed at the bold number three on Kai’s skin. “He’s got a number while you’ve got a letter and a number,” he described. “Then the secondary part is longer,” he slid his finger underlining K441, “and then there’s an end to the code. The five,” he concluded.

“It looks like it spells Kaai,” Lay commented.

They fell silent for a second. Kai took the chance to turn around and face them. His eyes landed on the shortest one. “D zero,” he said. “D.O.”

D.O stayed silent as he remembered Suho’s comment. “D.O are just two letters, it can’t possibly be a real name,” Suho had said. He was right.

Lay handed the garbage to Kai and turned his back to them. “Let’s see what I’ve got.”

Again D.O was careful while revealing the dark set of numbers and letters inked into Lay’s porcelain skin.

“6.L34Y-4,” he read this time.

“Leay,” Kai said. “Leay, Lay.”

“This feels creepy,” D.O said twisting his lips.

“It’s more similar to Kai’s,” Luhan commented. “But all three follow the pattern.”

“His starting number is higher than mine, while the ending is lower. Maybe they represent an order,” Kai reasoned.

“Which one?” Luhan asked.

“I guess we need more codes to figure it out,” Kai said looking at Luhan.

Luhan had an uncomfortable look, knowing that he was the next to shave. He sighed as he placed his hands on his hips. “Let’s get this over with,” he said before turning around.

D.O switched the shaver back on and proceeded to trim his hair, but the machine turned off after revealing half of the code.

“What happened?” Kai asked.

“I don’t know,” D.O said confused as he inspected the device. “The red light went off. It says battery by it. Maybe it’s discharged?”

Kai handed the bin to Lay and disappeared. He came back we a coughing Jongdae.

“You could’ve warned me,” Jongdae complained with a strained voice. He took a moment to regain his breath as he looked at them. “What’s going on?”

“Can you charge this?” D.O asked as he handed the device.

“Umm,” he hummed as he inspected the shaver. He found a small outlet on the bottom of the trimmer. “Maybe through here,” he guessed and stuck the tip of his finger. The red light went on and the incessant buzzing hummed back.

“Great,” D.O said.

“What are you guys doing with that?” Jongdae asked curious.

“We should check him too,” Luhan said. “Lay, could you…” he finished his phrase telepathically.

Lay nodded and handed the trash to D.O. Then he grabbed Jongdae’s arm with one hand and placed the other on the back of his head. Jongdae was about to speak but fell sideways, into Lay’s embrace. Kai helped him lay the unconscious boy on the floor, over the folded matts, covers and pillows.

“Was that necessary?” Kai asked, looking up to Luhan.

“It would’ve been a pain to try to explain this,” Luhan shrugged.

“It might be best to not tell them until we figure what the codes mean,” Lay added. “So we avoid confusion.”

“Alright,” Kai agreed.

“Okay then, turn around,” D.O told Luhan and passed the trash to Lay. “9.LU4N-2.”

“Luan,” Lay read.

“Luan? Seriously?” Luhan asked.

“Yeah,” Kai chuckled.

“So my starting number is a 9 and ending a 2?” he asked turning around.

“Yes,” D.O confirmed. “We have the same ending number,” he noted.

“If we order the starting ones, 3, 6 and 9, then it’s like I’m first, then Lay then you,” Kai said.

“What about me?” D.O asked.

“I’m not sure,” said Kai.

“If we do it with the ending, then it’s us first, then Lay and then Kai,” Luhan reasoned. “But then there wouldn’t be an exact order, since we’re both the same number,” he said indicating towards D.O.

“What if it’s not an order?” Lay wondered. “I’m a 6-4. Luhan a 9-2. Kai a 3-5 and D.O a, a… 2?”

“Maybe it’s 0-2,” Kai proposed.

“But what would that mean?” Luhan asked. “All we’ve got is an increasing order with the first and a failed decreasing order with the second.”

“What?” D.O felt confused.

“Kai’s a 3-5, which is the lowest in the start and highest in the ending number among us,” Luhan explained. “3-5, 6-4, 9-2 and a 2 or 0-2. If we exclude D.O, we’ve got 3, 6 and 9 increasing, and 5, 4 and 2 decreasing.”

“Why do you assume it’s increasing first?” D.O asked. “Maybe the order is 9, 6 and 3.”

“That is if there is an order,” Kai commented discouraged.

“When…” Lay started as he counted his fingers. “When Chanyeol and I were taken out to the second part of the trials, there were five others already out. Kris, Sehun, Suho, Xiumin and you,” he speculated and pointed at Kai. “If you add us, then there’s seven. Then eight with Tao and then nine with Luhan,” he contemplated. “Kai, when you got out how many were there?”

“Just Kris and Suho,” he answered.

“Where are you heading with this?” D.O asked.

“Oh,” Kai exasperated as he caught on Lay’s idea. “I was the third. 3.”

“I was the sixth,” Lay said pointing at himself. “And you were the ninth,” he pointed at Luhan.”

“3, 6 and 9,” Kai repeated.

“What about D.O?” Luhan asked. “He should be the tenth. One-zero, not D-zero.”

“We should just ignore mine, since it doesn’t make sense,” he mumbled feeling a little annoyed at his uselessness.

“We should check Jongdae then,” Lay said.

“If we’re right, he should be 11 or 12,” Luhan pondered.

Kai crouched down and lifted Jongdae’s torso. He let the unconscious boy rest against him, holding him close so he wouldn’t fall over. D.O knelled down and held his head steady with one hand, while shaving his hair with the other.

“11.C73N-1,” he read.

“Well ,” Kai said amazed and looked up at him.

“Then he’s the eleventh member and Baekhyun’s the twelfth,” Lay said.

“Looks like his name really is Chen,” D.O commented as he helped Kai lay Jongdae down again.

“He’s a one,” Luhan muttered while rubbing his chin. “5, 4, 2, 2, 1. Why are there two 2’s? It doesn’t make sense.” He paused for a moment. “If we’ve got the order of the first number right, then the ending number is decreasing but it’s not in the same amount as the number of members,” Luhan contemplated.

“What do you mean?” Lay asked.

“Increasing order, Kai’s a 3. Decreasing from 12, he should be a 10,” Luhan explained.

“So the ending number doesn’t indicate an order,” D.O determined. “It has to represent something else.”

“3-5, 6-4, 9-2,” Kai repeated. “I’ve been in the second part of the trials the longest. Maybe that’s why my ending number is the highest,” he thought.

“Jongdae’s an 11-1,” Lay added.

“The ending number can be repeated,” D.O remembered, “So maybe it signifies a quantity.”

“Of what?” Luhan muttered.

“Jongdae’s an 11-1,” Lay repeated. “He didn’t even get the chance to experience the second part of the trials,” he said but his tone noted that he had an intention in mind. “Bring Baekhyun,” he ordered.

Kai didn’t question him and teleported to get hold of the other member. Once they appeared Lay knocked the light boy out before he could even asked what they were up to. They managed him like they managed Jongdae to reveal his code.

“12.8KH7-1,” D.O read out. “Is that supposed to spell out Baekhyun?”

“12-1,” Luhan remarked. “Both never took part of the second trials.”

“So their numbers didn’t rise up,” Lay concluded. “You and D.O were the last to be part of the second trials, both of you are a 2. I’m a 4 and Kai, who’s been out the longest is a 5.”

“Does this mean the number increases after some kind of achievement?” Kai wondered.

“As in experience level?” D.O questioned.

They all stayed silent as they tried to figure it out. They ended up sitting on the floor.

“It wouldn’t make sense if it’s number of trials,” Luhan suddenly commented. “Both of us are a 2, but I’ve confronted more trials against boggers than you,” he explained. “You only fought in one trial.”

“You’re right,” D.O confirmed.

“So it can’t be an experience level earned throughout the second part of the trials,” Luhan concluded.

“Maybe it’s during the first part of the trials,” D.O said. “Maybe it’s the level of training we had before taking part of the second trials.”

“The first trials were different for all of us,” Lay added. “So it could be plausible to have repeated numbers.”

“Maybe,” Luhan agreed.

“How did they even put the codes on us in the first place?” Kai questioned frustrated. “It’s not like they tattooed us during our sleep. These can’t change gradually,” he said touching his nape. “The number can’t be of gaining experience.”

“They must’ve inked us during an operation,” D.O speculated.

“I don’t remember ever having to shave my head,” Luhan mumbled.

“It must have been the first operation you’ve had. Those first experiments one can hardly remember,” D.O tried to reason.

“But how would they know our order?” Kai asked. “How would they know our order of appearance from the beginning?”

“They probably had it planned out,” Luhan reckoned.

“But then what would the ending number be about?” D.O asked. “Experience level is the only thing I can think of.”

“But they can’t have known the experience level from the start,” Lay countered.

“Maybe it’s ability strength,” Kai said,

“Are you saying your ability is stronger than mine?” Luhan argued with disbelief.

“Umm,” Kai thought about instead of answering.

“Maybe 5 is low and 2 is high,” D.O offered.

“Then those two would be stronger than us,” Luhan said pointing at the sleeping pair.

“Uhh,” D.O scratched his head. “Their abilities are quite strong,” he commented.

“If it’s like that, then Lay should have a higher number,” Kai opined. “Or in this case, low numerically but high in value.”

“This is confusing,” D.O muttered while rubbing his face with his palms.

“Oh no,” Lay suddenly said. His eyes looked stricken with despair as he looked at them. “Oh no, no, no, no, no,” he repeated while shaking his head.

“What’s wrong?” Kai asked while holding onto his arm, in a small attempt to keep him still.

Lay grabbed Kai’s right arm and pulled him closer to inspect him. “No scars,” he mumbled, sounding frightened as he rubbed his fingers against Kai’s skin.

“Lay?” Kai asked pulling his arm away to get the other’s attention.

“When you came back you didn’t have any scars,” Lay said gravely.

“I didn’t?” Kai was lost.

“Came back from where?” D.O asked.

“Lay what are you thinking?” Luhan said aggravated as he stood up. His eyes widened and he held his head with his hands.

“How do they put the codes on in the first place?” Lay asked, now looking at each of them. They all stared confused and afraid at his behavior. “They created us and they marked us,” he said. “They created us,” he emphasized while moving his hands in mad directions. “That lab, those incubators. They were us.”

“No. No they weren’t use. They were clones,” D.O argued heatedly.

“They were our replacements,” Lay explained, voice raised and hectic like they’ve never seen him before. “We are replaceable and this damn number proves it.”

“What do you mean?” Kai asked.

“No, don’t say it,” Luhan said on the verge of tears as walked backwards until he hit his back against the wall.

“That number means how many times we’ve been replaced,” Lay said severely.

D.O felt an aching jab in his chest as he finally understood what Lay was saying.

“It’s how many times we’ve died.”

 

 

---

A/N: Yeah… well, there you have it.

Who else got Exo Trials vibes when watching Lucky One teaser? I got mad inspired watching it; but too bad the boys are already out of the labs… I wanna cry.

Thanks to cclownr, VivianaExo12, ShadowRaven15, lilmcd, hahaLOLxd (xd!), georgii, Sttrongmisfit, Venus23, KamikazeLlama, Nijilein, choclolipop92, violetlight, kpopluv7 and oathkeeper2096 for subscribing to my story. So many, it's amazing. 

Anyway it’s been a year since I started this story, I never imagined it would get this far nor that I would meet so many great people. I’m really thankful of all of you guys, from the ones who are so kind in sharing their opinions and leaving comments, to the ones who are silently reading and enjoying my story.

So, in a celebratory way, I’m going to reveal a little detail: The order of the series has been displayed on the forward since the beginning. Under the tags, I ordered the characters the same way their series were meant to be. Ta-da!

Kudos to anyone who discovered this on your own. If you did, please tell me, I’ve been waiting to see if someone figured this out haha.

Thanks for being so patient and supportive. I hope you all have a great week. Annyeong!

-Blackie.