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A/N: it's a double update so if you haven't read 'infiltrated' click back to read it first! [3/23/2017]

“That's the funny thing about trying to escape. You never really can. Maybe temporarily, but not completely.”
― Jennifer L. Armentrout, Onyx

After knocking Soohyuk unconscious, Nari fought through his last remaining soldiers to escape back into the sewers. She set Baekhyun down and her eyes teared up, seeing his sickly state. He was barely breathing, and all her supplies were on the Surface.

“Please, stay with me, okay?” she whispered, bending down to kiss his forehead. She lifted him up once again, and draped his body onto her back before she slowly made her way to the ladder.

She arrived at the opening and she looked up at the sunshine streaming down into the sewer. She racked her brain for a way that she could hoist Baekhyun up. After standing there for a while thinking, she decided to put him down against the wall. She climbed up the ladder herself and headed towards the tree where she had hid her backpack.

Nari gathered up the rope and descended back down into the sewer to tie it around his waist, using her jacket to cushion his body so the rope would not wound him any further. She then climbed back up and stared down at the sewer below.

Slowly, she began pulling on the rope, feeling Baekhyun’s body weight tug against her fingers.

It took her a while, seeing how she tried to avoid hitting him against the rungs or the sides. Once she pulled him up, she let his body collapse against her body and she let out a sigh of relief.

She closed up the opening and moved her backpack to the front of her body before putting him onto her back again. She had to get as far away from the Cover as possible before Soohyuk woke up again and sent his soldiers looking for them.

She looked back to see Baekhyun, with his cheek against her back, and she softened.

“I’m so sorry.”

Nari looked up at the blazing sun and wiped the sweat off her forehead before reposition Baekhyun on her back. She tried walking under the shade as much as possible within the city, but now that the sun was in the sky at its highest point, and she was on the open field of the highway, it was hard to stay out of the sun.

She spotted a trailer in the distance, and decided to rest in there for a while. She walked up to the back and looked through the circular mirror. Making sure nothing was inside, she pulled the door open and lifted Baekhyun on before getting on herself.

She placed Baekhyun onto the bed and looked around the trailer for any supplies. She found some extra clothes inside one of the compartments and took them out. She looked down at Baekhyun who was sweating profusely, both from the heat and the drugs in his body.

She took off his shirt, but frowned when she saw all the bruises lining his abdomen. Her eyes darkened, realizing Soohyuk must have done this to him and she grew angry. She had just begun cleaning out his wounds when she felt him shift.

His eyes opened, and her jaw dropped, seeing that his eyes were tinted yellow.

“Baek?” she whispered. He shifted his eyes to stare at her face when he heard her voice. “Nari?”

She let out a sigh of relief and reached out to grip onto his hand. He gave her a smile, and reached out his other hand. She climbed into the bed with him and they lay there.

“You got us out,” he said, searching her eyes. She nodded. He was about to say something else when he saw the tears forming in her eyes and he grew concerned.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, touching his palm to her cheek. She brought her hand up to hold his and bit her lip.

“I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry he did this to you.”

He frowned, not understanding what she was saying. “I mean, I can take a few hits. Why are you crying?”

She shook her head, reaching out to touch his neck. He reached up, and his eyes widened when he felt the needle wound.

“What is this?”

“He injected you with the drug. He’s been working on it all this time and he put it into your body,” she told him. Baekhyun looked at her, unmoving. He stared into her eyes.

“Am I going to turn into one of those things?”

She shook her head. “I don’t know. The virus only fuses with cancerous cells but he’s changed the chemical contents so I don’t know what it will do to you.”

He let out a laugh of disbelief and pushed himself up. “This is so messed up.”

She got up and hung her head down. “I’m so sorry. I should’ve gotten to you sooner.” He turned to her, pulling her back into his arms. “It’s not your fault.”

He pulled back to wipe her tears. “How far are we from the Cover?” Nari looked out the window of the trailer. “I went the other way this time but if we don’t get the microchip out of your body, he’s going to find our location.”

“I don’t know where it is,” he said. She looked down at his legs. “I do. I looked through the files while he was out cold and it’s in your leg above your ankle.”

“So I just have to cut it out?” he asked. She nodded. “It’s going to hurt, Baek.”

He shot her a smile. “I don’t think I’d feel much when my whole body is already numb.” She frowned, not finding the humour very funny. He looked at her backpack and reached out his hand.

“Pass me the knife. I’ll get it out myself.”

She did as told and watched him roll up his pants and feel around. He wiped the blade of the knife clean with the towel and looked up at her.

“Do you want to look away?”

She nodded, and turned around. He bit his lip before digging the blade into his own skin. She heard him stifle his cry and was about to turn around when he told her to stay where she was.

He brought his knuckle up to his mouth and bit onto it, feeling the pain grow. He took a deep breath and once he was ready, he reached his fingers in and picked out the electronic device between his thumb and index finger. He threw it onto the ground before falling back against the wall of the trailer. She turned around, taking the knife from his hands.

“Take the painkillers and lots of water,” she instructed, handing him the pill and a flask. After doing so, he settled his head back onto the pillow and let out a sigh.

“I’m exhausted. I’m just going to rest for a bit,” he said quietly. She smiled, brushing his wet bangs from his face.

“Sleep well.”

“She escaped. She actually escaped,” Soohyuk laughed, running his fingers through his hair. He turned around, knocking everything off his desk in anger and he whipped his head around to the giant monitor hanging in the corner.

“Where the did they go?” he growled. He turned towards the two men standing by the door. “Where are the three?”

“We sent them into the labs because they seemed to regain their memories about Baekhyun when they conversed in his holding cell,” one of them reported. Soohyuk shook his head. “No, no, that won’t do.” He walked back to his desk and sat down, breathing heavily.

“Kill them. I have no use for them.”

One of them nodded, leaving the room to follow the orders.

Soohyuk pointed to the other man standing there. “How are my soldiers? Has any news of this spread to the Cover?”

He ducked his head. “The Ordinarians have not heard about this. As for the soldiers, They are recuperating within their sleeping chambers. They need at least a day for the drugs to heal their wounds.”

Soohyuk sighed. “Then how about BTS? Do they still remember?”

The man shook his head. “They don’t remember a thing.”

He gripped onto the handle of the chair while he tried to calm down his breathing. He closed his eyes.

“Then send them out airborne. Give them the order to kill on sight.”

“Aren’t you tired?” Baekhyun asked.

They had begun travelling again after a night’s rest. She was supporting his weight with his one arm draped over her shoulder. He was in no condition to be walking on his own but he insisted he at least try so that she did not tire herself out.

“I’m fine,” she replied. She looked at him. “How about you?” Baekhyun chuckled. “As good as I can be right now. Do you know where we’re going?”

She nodded. “We’re going South, towards a smaller city to find a vehicle. Then we’ll drive towards the docks and see where that gets us.”

“And how do you know they won’t find us?” he asked. She shrugged. “I don’t, but don’t worry. I won’t let them take you back.”

He blinked. “Wait, now that I think about it, how were you able to fight through to him?” He thought about it for a second before he turned to her in shock. “You didn’t inject yourself, did you?”

She gave him a weary smile. “I had no choice.” She stopped when she realized he had stopped moving and was staring at her with wide eyes. He looked down at the ring on her finger and took her hand. He pulled the ring up to see the small wound under her middle finger and he knew she pricked herself.

“You told me you weren’t tired! Bull, you and I both know how tired your body gets when you use this,” he seethed. He shook his head. “I don’t know why I didn’t notice the redness in your eyes before and how your veins are more prominent.”

“It’s fine, Baek. I’m alright. It’ll go away,” she whispered. He frowned. “The last time this happened, you were out for a week. You’re pushing yourself right now.”

She nudged him forward. “I’m fine. We have to keep moving.”

Baekhyun sighed. “We’re taking a break when we reach the outskirts of the city. I don’t care what you have to say.”

She chuckled. “Alright.”

“We’re looking for two traitors?” Jimin asked, peering out the window of the helicopter. He stared down at the passing cars on the highway.

“And how are we supposed to find them when they have no locater?” Hoseok asked. Namjoon turned to the side from his pilot seat. “Well, if his tracker was found on the highway heading South, that’s probably where they’re going.”

Jin leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes. “I’m feeling a bit dizzy.” Jungkook looked at him. “Is it because we’re on an airborne vehicle?” Jin shrugged. “My head just feels uncomfortable.”

“Drink some water,” Taehyung said, handing him a bottle. Jin thanked him before taking a few sips.

“I don’t remember many instances where we were given an air vehicle,” Yoongi said. He looked down at the controls in front of him. “It’s been so long I almost forgot how to fly this.”

“This must be a serious mission then.” Hoseok concluded. He looked out the window and flinched in disgust. “There’s so many of them swarming down there.”

Jungkook raised an eyebrow and leaned forward to take a look. “They’re chasing after something in the forest but I can’t see what it is because of the canopy of trees.”

Jimin gasped. “Do you think it’s our guys?” Namjoon and Yoongi pulled on the handles, stopping the helicopter from moving forward. However, by stopping, the noise of the rotors alerted the Erratics below and they stopped to look up at their vehicle.

“I see them!” Hoseok shouted, pointing towards the two figures that appeared for a brief second in the opening of the forest.

“Weren’t we given orders to retrieve a ring from one of them? And to take whatever possessions they had back with us?” Jin asked. Taehyung frowned. “That means we have to get down there.”

“The helicopter is attracting too much of them right now. We’re going to get swarmed.” Namjoon looked down.

“Unless one of us gets on the ladder, and we lower them down to grab the stuff and we pull him back up,” Yoongi pointed out. Namjoon turned to him. “That’s too risky.”

“We have no other choice. The Forerunner made it very clear we could not fail,” Taehyung reminded.

a u t h o r 's    n o t e 

             Oh boy, oh boy. Who's going to be the one to go down? What if he doesn't make it back up?