"Hyung?"  Jongdae's quiet voice asked.  "What's going on?"

His face was full of innocence.  That thought made Xiumin laugh.  None of them were innocent.  They'd seen too much, felt too much, cried to much.  His innocence was a lie, just like everything about him.  

The ice user shook himself out of his thoughts.  He put on a convincing smile.  "Nothing, Dae.  Just an experiment they want me to do."  He guessed that that would be enough to satisfy the younger.  He realized that he'd underestimated him.

A knowing look appeared deep in Jongdae's eyes.  "An experiment to perform on us?  I know they got through to you, Minseokkie.  You know how our powers work and you've told them everything.  You can't pretend you didn't anymore.  You were there.  I saw you- we all saw you."

Minseok felt a small feeling well up in his stomach.  Was it guilt?  He'd forgotten what that felt like.  He quickly pushed it away.  He had to focus on the mission.  "Get out, Jongdae.  I don't want them to make me hurt you."  They might have taken away most of his memories and feelings, but he could never forget Jongdae.  But Jongdae was part of his mission and the mission took priority over everything and everybody.  Even the man he loved.

Subject XIU99 turned back to his experiments.

"Minseok!"  Jongdae grabbed his shoulder and forced him to turn around and face him.  "Don't ignore me.  Have you really forgotten about all the other members?"  His eyes filled with tears.  "Yifan died, Hyung!  He died!  And it's all because of your stupid tests."  Tears streamed freely down his cheeks.  

"Enough."

"You were there, Minseok!  You stood there and watched.  He was in so much pain and what did you do?  Nothing!  You did nothing except write on your stupid clipboard and wear the same jacket as them!"

A sharp sound filled the room. 

Jongdae held his cheek where Minseok slapped him.

Never in the eighteen years that Jongdae knew him had he ever intentionally hurt him.

"Take him back to his cell."  The ice user waved his hand at one of the guards.

"No!  We are not done talking!"  He struggled as his arms were grabbed.  He kicked at one of the armed men in the stomach and punched the other in the face.  "Minnie, please, listen to me."  

He kept his back turned.  Not even when the guards began to mercilessly beat Jongdae did he turn around.  

He had to focus on his mission.

That was all that mattered.

And, for some reason, he felt as if those thoughts weren't his own.