Screaming. There was screaming. Seungcheol couldn't tell people apart in the dust accumulated from the attack. Everyone shared the same face; terror. Parents desperately called out for their children, people, trapped under rubble, screamed out for help, their bones broken under the weight. It felt as though needles were being pressed into his brain, making every inch of his body itch. Through the dust, Seungcheol saw a group of children, aged around five or six, huddled in a corner. Before he could register anything, his feet were running towards them. There were no words exchanged between them. The children clung to Seungcheol as he knelt down, protecting them from small pieces of rubble as they fell. A sudden, terrified scream pierced the thick air and Seungcheol followed the terrified gaze of the children. 

Above them, falling at a dangerously fast speed was a large chunk of rubble. Seungcheol skin felt as though it was on fire. His body itched. With no second thought, Seungcheol lifted his arms, as if to protect the children. At that moment, he didn't care about what pain he would experience. He only cared about the children; he only cared about saving them.

He braced himself for it. However, he didn't feel anything. Cautiously, he opened his eyes, scared that he would be dead. Or worse - the children. In front of him, four children stared at him, eyes mixed with amazement and fear. Seungcheol lifted his head slowly, his eyes widening at the image above him. The rubble was there, frozen in time. At first, Seungcheol thought that there was a PBM. 

That was, until, Seungcheol realised that he was holding the rubble.

------

"Seungcheol?" A familiar hand was waved across Seungcheol's line of sight, snapping him out of his daydream. Seungcheol blinked a few times to adjust his eyes, taking in the room they were sitting in. It wasn't the best room; the wallpaper was peeling off, unidentified stains plagued each step you took; the rugs they put down were old and cheap, most of it was sewn together with patches from pre-existing carpets. Seungcheol remembered how it was worse when they first moved into the abandoned underground station; rats, cockroaches and only God knows what else lived in the walls, sometimes coming out to scuttle across the floor. Seungcheol was, from the bottom of his heart, glad that they were able to clean it up. 

"Seungcheol! Are you listening?" The same voice called, sounding annoyed. Seungcheol snapped his head around to look at the person in front of him, a smile dancing on his lips. He leaned forward and placed a hand on their knee, rubbing it gently. 

"Sorry, babe. I'm a little tired, and I think that's why I keep spacing out," he stated, his voice caring. "Can you forgive me?"

"Hm..." they hummed, moving in closer to their boyfriend. "Well, since I'm such a good girlfriend, I suppose I have no other choice." She grinned and placed a small kiss on Seungcheol's lips.

"Suji," Seungcheol began, sighing dramatically before continuing, "you're too good to me." Seungcheol kissed Suji back, placing his hands on his girlfriend's hips as she lowered herself onto his lap. Her shoulder length black hair fell onto Seungcheol's face, her long eyelashes leaving shadows on her cheeks, just under her large brown eyes.

A sudden knock at the door disrupted them. "If you're making out, I'm gonna be pissed," Jihoon said in a calm tone as he entered the room, a judgemental expression on his face. Suji laughed gently, climbing off of Seungcheol. "You would have known if we were doing before you reached our door," she commented, her smile pulling up her cheeks. 

Jihoon glared at Suji, lifting up one hand; his arm was invisible, but Seungcheol knew that the gesture he was giving Suji wasn't a nice one. Seungcheol had met Jihoon the same night the bombing that caused Seungcheol to discover his powers happened. Seungcheol was lifting people out from under the rubble when he saw Jihoon standing, his hands over his head. At first, Seungcheol thought rubble had harmed him but when he got closer Jihoon began flitting in and out of view, pleading for the voices to stop. 

Seungcheol later found out that Jihoon was a PBM, and that he could turn invisible. Just like Seungcheol, a new power manifested at the attack and Jihoon heard terrified screams in his head from the other victims. He was not only able to become invisible, but he was also telepathic. Together, Seungcheol and Jihoon built the underground group up from the ground and were responsible for every action that the group took.

However, as of late, Seungcheol noticed that Jihoon was being cold towards him. He would only speak with him when he was forced to, and he, almost always, ignored him.

"What is it?" Seungcheol asked, standing up. He gave Suji a wave as she left, his cheeks tinted pink. Jihoon rolled his eyes at the sight, crossing his arms over his chest. Seungcheol turned towards his shorter friend, smiling. "Did something happen?"

"Tyler woke up," Jihoon stated blandly, staring up at Seungcheol. "She said she needs to go back to America, but she's still injured. She won't listen to us." Jihoon opened his mouth to say something else but hesitated, glancing away. Seungcheol sighed, knowing that the next piece of information wasn't going to be good. "And she punched Chan." 

------

Seungcheol couldn't help but laugh when he saw two eighteen-year-olds sulking on hospital beds. Chan had his back to the door, holding an icepack to his swollen cheek, and Tyler, a tall girl with unkempt, short, dirty blonde hair, was sitting on the edge of the bed, her face and arms patched up. The mini infirmary they had in the base was the second place, after the cafeteria, that they kept sparkling white at all times. The doctors who worked there moaned that if it was even a little bit dirty people could get seriously ill. 

Tyler jumped up as she saw Seungcheol, large blue eyes full of urgency. "Seungcheol!" Her voice, despite being from America, had a British accent and was a little deeper than most girls' voices. "I'm really sorry about all of this, but I need to go back to America. I-"

Seungcheol lifted his hand, stopping her. "Can you summon a portal?" 

"Well, no, but!" Tyler cut off her words when she saw Seungcheol's eyes and sighed, crossing her arms. "Great. My only ability is teleportation, and I can't even do that." She muttered a few words in English, which Seungcheol presumed were profanity, and fell back on to the bed, glaring at her feet.

Chan looked up from where he sat at hearing the commotion and smiled when seeing Seungcheol and Jihoon. "Morning, hyungs!" He greeted happily, standing on his feet. He walked up to them, the ice pack still on his cheek. "Have you eaten yet?" Chan asked, his young eyes shining. Seungcheol nodded, a grin on his face, and reached out, musing Chan's hair.

The year before, when Chan joined, the group was still small. He was young and bright; a total contrast to the gloomy atmosphere that the base held. Unlike most of the other members, Chan had a good childhood that was empty of negativity. His parents were born without mutations, however, they were still very accepting of him. When they discovered their child flying around his bedroom, they decided it would be best to have Seungcheol take him under his wing. Seungcheol saw him as a younger brother. He was a good kid.

Flight, however, wasn't Chan's only ability. Chan had enhanced reflexes, which is why Seungcheol couldn't wrap his head around how Tyler managed to punch him in the face. "How did Tyler even manage to do that?" Seungcheol asked in a gentle voice, pointing at Chan's cheek.

As Seungcheol pointed at it, Chan's skin became red and he glanced at Tyler, who was still glaring at her feet. Seungcheol raised an eyebrow, amusement filling his eyes. "No way, seriously?" His voice was lowered so Tyler couldn't hear him. "You, you know, Tyler?"

Chan's blush became darker and he quickly shook his head, denying the assumption. "N-no!" Tyler laughed at Chan's voice crack, which made his blush grow darker.

Seungcheol giggled at the sight, gently hitting Jihoon. The smaller male hummed, his arms still crossed over his chest. "Tyler, why do you need to go?" Jihoon's voice was serious, cutting through the cheerful atmosphere like a knife. "What's going on in America?"

Tyler cleared , moving hair from her blue eyes. "Well, Namjoon's base is under constant attacks. The government is just-" she glanced away, trying to find the right words in Korean - "going insane! Hoseok was almost arrested walking to the store. Someone inside the group is leaking info." Seungcheol glanced over at Jihoon. The atmosphere became tense. "Yoongi told me to teleport here to tell you guys. If there is someone in America leaking info, then there might be one here."

"What happened to your ability? Why can't you make portals?" Chan inquired, sitting down next to Tyler. The blonde shrugged her shoulder, leaning back onto her hands.

"I was teleporting to the usual place - you know, the warehouse uptown - but when I got there I was shot by a sudden blast of energy and I got sent back into the portal. When I get pushed in a portal and I don't know where I'm going, horrible things can happen. I should just be glad that I'm not dead right now," Tyler stated with a sigh.

"But Jeonghan found you outside. You knew where you were going; you came here," Jihoon voiced, gesturing towards Tyler. She shrugged once more, dumbfounded. Holding out her hand, a small orb of purple mixed with black appeared, flickering. 

"This is what happens. It's weak. I wouldn't even be able to get a mouse through that." 

"Have you tried putting a mouse into your portals before?" Chan teased, staring at the orb in her hand. Tyler's shoulders shook with silent laughter, her eyes squeezed shut. She brought a finger to Chan's lips, hushing him. 

"Jisoo said that if I tried to make it larger, I might end up killing myself."

"'Might'? You'll definitely kill yourself," Jisoo declared as he entered the room, dressed in a nurse's outfit, holding a clipboard. "Chan, how is your cheek?" He asked with a smile, straightening his cross necklace that decorated his neck.

"It's good," Chan responded, smiling back.

Seungcheol turned to Jisoo, a concerned look in his eyes. "Will Tyler be okay? All of this seems a little... concerning."

Jisoo hummed, agreeing. Jisoo hadn't changed since the day Seungcheol met him, two years before. Jisoo's family were active in the anti-PBM community, but when Jisoo healed his mother after she cut her finger while making dinner, their opinions changed. They discovered that their son could not only heal but could also create force fields that resisted any type of danger. Jisoo's parents were scared at first, just like any other parent would be, so they contacted Seungcheol. He was a good man; he supported everyone. Everyone in the base looked up to him, including Seungcheol.

"I looked, but I don't exactly understand it. I would have someone else look at it, but the only person who would know anything is Yoongi." Seungcheol sighed at the reply he received, itching his neck.

"And we can't contact Yoongi because Tyler can't summon portals," Jihoon muttered, shaking his head. "I'm going back to my studio. I can't be bothered for this. Seungcheol," Seungcheol raised his eyebrows, moving his gaze to Jihoon, "Seungkwan was looking for you. He's in the lounge with Hansol."

------

"Seungkwan?" Seungcheol entered the lounge to see a lovely sight. Hansol and Seungkwan were laying on the sofa together, their hands shyly brushing over each other as they spoke. The older male leaned against the door frame as he watched, happy to see the young boys interact. Seungkwan was one of the latest members to join, and he was still scared by the change. Seungkwan's father was a powerful man in the government and was one of the reasons PBMs experienced so much hatred. One day, when he and his son were being featured on live television, Seungkwan complained about having a headache when suddenly a burst of electricity came from his hands. In front of millions of people, he was revealed to be a PBM. Seungcheol was glad that they found him before the government could get their hands on him.

Hansol, however, came from a very laid back house. His mother was a PBM, and his father was normal. Hansol saved Seungcheol one day when he was attacked and Seungcheol, first hand, saw the younger man freeze a man with a simple touch. At first, he had no reason to join the group; he wasn't running away from anything so he saw no point in it. But, after a while, he decided to join the cause, wanting to help other PBMs. They both had two very different views on their powers; Seungkwan was terrified of using them and Jihoon had come to Seungcheol multiple times saying that Seungkwan had thought that his powers were disgusting and wrong. However, Hansol didn't care much about his powers; he often used it to make his water colder. They sometimes fought. Hansol would tell Seungkwan to accept his powers, while Seungkwan would tell him that it wasn't that easy and that he couldn't just accept it like that.

It was nice to see them get along. Especially since their feelings for one another were so obvious.

"Seungkwan?" This time Seungcheol's voice was louder. Seungkwan looked up from the sofa and grinned, waving. 

"Morning, Seungcheol hyung," Seungkwan greeted, moving his hand away from Hansol.

"Mornin'," Hansol said, glancing down at Seungkwan's hand.

Seungcheol walked closer to the two, placing his hands into his jean pockets. "Jihoon told me you wanted me, Seungkwan."

"Do I?" Seungkwan furrowed his eyebrows, pouting as he thought. Suddenly he gasped, clapping his hands together as he remembered. "Yeah! I was wondering if I could set up a little talent show for the kids. I was talking to a couple and they said that they were bored. So, I thought that a talent show would be fun."

"A talent show?" Seungcheol thought, humming. "That's not a bad idea, actually. Some of the younger kids wanted to show off their singing skills in class the other day, so I think they would like a talent show. We could get some prizes in and everything. We'll have to talk to Jihoon about it. Though, if you ask him, he'd do anything."

Hansol breathed out a laugh, stretching his arm out over Seungkwan's shoulder. "I swear everyone in this base has a soft spot for Seungkwan." 

"You say that like you don't," Seungcheol said with a laugh. Hansol shrugged a shoulder, turning his head to stare at Seungkwan when he cleared his throat. Seungkwan raised an eyebrow, confused when the two men in began looking at him. "What?" He asked, looking at the two.

They both shrugged, shaking their heads. "I thought you were going to say something," Seungcheol said with a chuckle. His attention was taken elsewhere when he heard laughter at the door. He turned around to see Mingyu dragging someone into the lounge. Seungcheol followed his arm and smiled as he saw a familiar face.

"Suyung, let's just try it out! It'll be funny~" Mingyu said with a grin, giggling as the smaller girl attempted to pull away. Seungcheol noted that Suyung was wearing one of Mingyu's hoodies; it almost fell down to her knees. Suyung was the same age as Mingyu, but, due to her height (she stood at around 5'4) and her innocent looks, she looked a lot younger. "I don't wanna~" She protested, attempting to pull her arm from Mingyu's grip, despite knowing that she couldn't match his strength. "I don't want to get in trouble from Seungcheol hyung-" Suyung let out a squeak of surprise as she made eye contact with the aforementioned man. "Hyung!" She pulled her arm from Mingyu's grip, shoving them behind her. Mingyu did the same, standing up straight in front of Seungcheol.

"Morning, hyung," Mingyu said nervously, itching his neck. "We weren't expecting to see you here, haha..." Seungcheol raised an eyebrow, and Mingyu swallowed, looking away. "Suyung and I were gonna... play a," he bit his lip, thinking, "game?" Suyung was about to agree when Wonwoo walked in behind them, his arms filled with cables.

"Mingyu and his girlfriend were going to write 'Seungcheol is a fool' on the chalkboard," Wonwoo confessed, placing the cables onto the ground and glancing over at the television. "Hansol, does that tv work?" Hansol nodded his head, staring at Seungkwan from the corner of his eyes. Wonwoo sighed, and clicked his fingers; the television lit up, a news program playing. Wonwoo moved his fingers in the air and the channel changed. 

Mingyu made a sound of protest and punched his friend's back, gaining a glare from Wonwoo. "Why would you tell him that~ Hyung, we weren't, I swear!" Mingyu turned to Seungcheol, a puppy look in his eyes.

Seungcheol laughed, shaking his head. "Mingyu, it doesn't matter. You're fine. Also, Suyung, why are you wearing Mingyu's hoodie?" Seungcheol inquired with a laugh, an eyebrow raised. Suyung giggled, clinging to her boyfriend's arm, her dyed blonde hair brushing against his bare, tanned arm. The leader smiled at the display, enjoying it. It was nice to see people be in love. Mingyu came from a horrible background; his mother and father would abuse him and force him to take any injury that they gained. His father would get into fights, come home and make Mingyu transfer the cuts and bruises to his own body. That was his ability. He could transfer injuries onto himself and others. His father was a violent man and would often beat his mother. She would then force Mingyu to take them. When Mingyu came to Seungcheol, his body was plagued with cuts and bruises. His body was not what a nineteen-year old's body should have looked like. It was grotesque.

Mingyu was scared of everything and everyone when he first came. Seungcheol didn't know the details of how he escaped his family but he knew that they weren't good. He became close to Wonwoo first and whenever Wonwoo lifted his hand to grab something or raise his voice only slightly, Mingyu would flinch back, scared. That was why Seungcheol was glad to see Mingyu be happy with Suyung; they seemed so in love. Even, Wonwoo, the notorious hacker that hated everything to do with love, agreed with him.

------

The rest of the day went fairly smoothly. While everyone was eating dinner, a group of children came up to Seungcheol to show him their new powers that had manifested and the leader couldn't help but feel like a proud father. One child showed him how he could smash things or lift heavy objects - he demonstrated this by lifting Seungkwan in his arms - and Seungcheol told him that, if he was lucky, he could grow up to be as powerful as himself, which made the boy jump excitedly before running off to his parents. 

Seungcheol attempted to speak with Jihoon, but the shorter male insisted on ignoring him. It was beginning to annoy him. Sometimes Seungcheol wished that he was telepathic because it was impossible to read Jihoon. He would speak brightly to Jeonghan and Seungkwan but then act as though Seungcheol didn't exist. The others noticed but refused to say anything, in fear that Jihoon would tell them off.

Later that day, Seungcheol found himself in bed with Suji. It was around ten o'clock and there were five minutes left before all lights got turned off. Seungcheol was laying on his back, staring at the ceiling, while the other was reading a book, laying on her side, her back to Seungcheol.

"Have you ever wondered what being human would be like?" 

The sudden question surprised Seungcheol. He rolled over on the bed, propping his head up with his elbow. "Yeah, why?" 

Suji shrugged, rolling over as well so they were facing each other. "I don't know. It's just... Because we're PBMs, we'll never be normal. I mean, we can live normal lives but they're not technically normal. They're just lives we deem normal."

Seungcheol lifted his free hand up to Suji's cheek, brushing her dark hair out of her eyes behind her ears. "Well, we can still do all the things a normal human can. We can fall in love, have children, hate people, you name it. I mean, look at Soonyoung and Seokmin. Soonyoung is faster than the speed of light and Seokmin can heal being blown up. They're not normal, but they're in love. Soonyoung found Seokmin in the middle of an alleyway with a huge hole in his chest; does that sound normal to you?" Suji shook her head. "See? They're still in love, and they together. Mingyu and Suyung obviously have feelings for each other, and they're both PBMs. Hell, look at us. I can lift buses, and you can emit poison from your skin. But we're in love. Aren't we?"

Suji grinned, kissing Seungcheol's nose, as she whispered, "of course we're in love, silly. I love you more than stars in the sky. More than angels love heaven." Seungcheol laughed as he was showered with kisses, his eyes closed. Every touch made his heart race. Suji smelt like coconuts; she always did. It was a smell that Seungcheol grew to adore over the two years he knew her. When he smelt coconut, he associated it with his girlfriend. His beautiful, amazing girlfriend.

"More than angels love heaven?" Suji nodded. Seungcheol smiled, chuckling gently. "How beautiful heaven must be," he said in a gentle voice, wrapping Suji up in his arms. "I love you," Seungcheol whispered into her hair.

"Me too," she replied, her voice quieter than his. There were a couple seconds of silence. Then the lights went out, leaving them in darkness.