Taeil was in charge of all the experiments on mutants. He was short and had a lean figure, but both Ten and Jeno knew they shouldn’t let his cute image fool them.

Taeil led the three mutants down the hall to the laboratory, an ear to ear smile perfectly constructed on his face.

“Now now guys, this is where you’ll be spending most of your time here, except...” he pointed at Ten, “You!~ I’ll just do a few test runs on you to see if you can actually control blood.” His smile turned into a smirk. His eyes scanned Ten from head to toe, and let out a huff. “Although I’m sure we can find a way for you to work extra harder. Don’t we, Tennie?” His smile came back as if he hadn’t threatened Ten. “Anyway, so the actual testing is done inside some rooms, which you’ll be inside with one of the workers here.” He turned to them. “If you need any machines like Nakamoto here then your testing will be done outside of the rooms.” The three boys just stood there silently, Ten and Jeno didn’t know what to expect. Yuta on the other hand, had slipped any trace of emotion off his face. 

“Shall we go in?” 

Taeil led Jeno to one of the 5 test rooms, saying someone was supposed to try something on him. Yuta naturally went to the center of the room, that had a big machine, and a natural source of light on the ceiling. Ten on the other hand, was led to another test room. Taeil had told him his way of testing would be different. There would be spectators, watching him and making requests for what he should do and shouldn’t do. With a smile, Ten bowed to Taeil and entered the room. 

The room was white, as most rooms here, and had a mirror wall. It had a big cylindrical tank of water. Ten just sat down in one of the corners, and began playing with a ball of water he had bended towards him.

If he was quiet enough, he could hear cries and pleas from the other rooms. Cries of pain, of guilt, of embarrassment, who knew, maybe even those three combined. Ten was just so afraid of the possibility of him joining those weak cries and pleas. 

He continued playing with the drop of water. Bending it into a ball, then to a star, then to a heart, then to a-. A loud thud made him drop the drop of water, making it splash across the floor. It was Taeyong... alongside Taeil. Taeyong looked different than before, sharper, less kind.

“Stand.” Taeyong commanded, the dominance in his voice made Ten cower as he stood. As expected, Taeyong smiled at his fear. 

Taeil still was with that obnoxious smile, patting Taeyong’s back affectionately. 

“This is the spectator I told you about!~ Now now, let’s not make this longer than it should.”

“I’ll be telling you what to do.” Taeyong said coldly.

“Ah.. yes.” Taeil remembered. “He insisted that it was him who decided how to test you, I’ll just check and note your powers.” He chuckled. “I guess I’m the spectator.” 

Taeil walked to the corner of the room, a clipboard and a pencil on his hands. Taeyong’s gaze never left Ten. Watching him, like a predator that was about to jump and attack his prey at any minute. Ten swallowed. 

“The test starts.” Taeil said from his corner.

“Come here, Tennie~” Taeyong waved his hand, urging him to come. Ten did as he was told, standing in front of him. “Get in the water.” Ten stood there, not really getting what was going on. He stood there and his mind did the thing, the thing where he imagined countless scenarios, most of them not wanted. Taeyong slapped him, the sting made Ten bring a hand to soothe his cheek

“Are you deaf? I said, get in the water.” Ten nodded. 

The tank was a little shorter than his height, so he only struggled a little when getting in. The water was pretty warm. The water reached to his shoulder, letting him breathe perfectly. 

“Can you bend something for me, Tennie?” Taeyong said softly, he sounded like another person, if Ten closed his eyes, he would’ve said this wasn’t the same man that had just slapped him. 

Ten nodded. 

“When I tell you to do something,” Taeyong said harshly, “I expect you to answer.”

Ten bowed, his nose touching the water’s surface. “I’m sorry.... hyung.”

Ten exhaled deeply. He waved his hand, and water shaped like a hand emerged. It wasn’t the size of a regular hand, but it wasn’t big either, maybe about the size of a basketball. Ten made a fist, and so did the water made hand. 

‘Ah... I missed this,’ Ten thought, ‘I missed using water.’ 

He brought his hand to his forehead. The water levitated above the tank. 

“Well done, Tennie.” Taeyong said. “Can you bend the water around you out of the tank?”

“Yes I can.” So he did. All of the water went up, and crashed down, flooding the room, and wetting Taeyong and Taeil. 

“Can you bend the water out of us?” 

“Yes I can.” He stretched his arm towards Taeyong, the other stretched towards Taeil, both of his palms opened. He then closed his palms, the water on Taeyong and Taeil went upward, leaving them completely dry. He brought the palms to his chest, the water moving towards the tank, then opened his palms again, and the water fell on him. 

“Get out of the tank.” Taeyong commanded.

“Yes, hyung.”. He struggled to get out, to which Taeyong chuckled. He finally was able to get out, and stumbled a little when he landed. 

“Good job, Tennie.” Taeyong stepped closer to Ten, the other stepped back in fear. Taeyong sighed annoyed, and ruffled Ten’s hair affectionately. 

“Now Tennie,” Taeyong whispered, “bend the blood in Taeil-hyung’s body. Make him come to us.”

Ten stared at him wide eyed. He blinked rapidly, and breathing was suddenly hard.

“I-I don’t know if I can. I-I don’t know how to.” He said in short breathes.

“Well,”, Taeyong’s hand went to Ten’s throat. Ten yelped, and tried to pry the hand away. Taeyong just held him a little tighter. His hold was soft, but breathing wasn’t as easy. 

“You won’t know if you don’t try.”

Ten turned his head to Taeil, who had taken notes of everything. Taeil smiled at him, encouraging him to try. Ten’s vision became blurry with tears. Self doubt came crashing on him like a wave.

‘It’s okay,’ he closed his eyes, ‘you can do it.’

He stretched his arm towards Taeil, Taeyong’s hand still on his neck. 

‘Think of him as just an another water body.’ 

He bent his top knuckles, trying to get the “water” closer to him.

‘Taeil is water, make the water walk.’ 

He felt overwhelmed, as if he was underwater. Breathing was suddenly a stranger to him.

‘Take control of his body.’

He couldn’t hear anything, he couldn’t hear what Taeyong was telling him. He couldn’t smell. All of his senses were down. 

He felt powerful, a kind of power he had never felt before. He couldn’t feel his body. He felt light, as a feather. Adrenaline was rushing through his veins. A strange power took over him.

‘You are in control now.’

He closed his hand, and opened his eyes.

Taeyong had released his throat, and stared at him wide eyed. His head turned to Taeil, and he gasped silently.

Taeil was on the floor, it seemed he had walked 5 steps. He was panting, he was hugging himself, and tears were streaming down his face. 

“Wha... what did I do?” Ten said in an attempt to not break down crying.

“Ten... Taeil took 5 steps, then he started crying.” Taeyong said lowly. “He started gagging, and his eyes turned bloodshot red, then fell to his knees and hugged himself desperately.”

‘What have you done?’ He thought

“Ten...”, Taeil spoke, his eyes were returning to its original state, and his voice was shaking, “your testing is done. You can in fact, control blood.” 

Taeyong smiled evilly.

“Congratulations, Ten,” Taeil spoke, “you have upgraded your ranking. You are now a met.”