10:00 PM.

Alexa has been toggling with the computers for hours. Ariel helps with moving cables and pushing buttons. As soon as Alexa gives Ariel a task, Ariel obediently carries it out, as simple as it might be.

Ashley and Amanda watch intently. “Ariel really knows a lot for a kid her age…” Amanda quips. Ashley nods her head gently.

Elsewhere in the room, Andrea, Adele, and Aisha babble away. The three have talked for hours on end and have been the three loudest in the room. They agreed that they would talk about how they all came to the station later with the rest of the folks, and instead stuck to talking about their school life.

“Ok,” Alexa announces. “I think I’ve set up our system, with many thanks to Ariel. I also taught her how to work some of the systems. She picked it up pretty quickly!”

Amanda looks over to Ariel, who is smiling. “You sure you understand what Alexa told you?” Amanda asks.

“Mmm!” Ariel pipes with a nod. Amanda then puts her fist out. Ariel bumps it lightly.

“Then it’s settled! We’ve got ourselves a hideout!” Amanda says.

“So, I guess we can now share more about ourselves now that we are free to talk,” Adele adds.

The seven girls gather on the couches, save Alexa who grabs at a rolling chair next to the monitors.

“Hmm… I guess I’ll start since I’m the oldest,” Amanda announces. “My name is Amanda Chorong Park, and…”

“Oh! We’re also giving our middle names if we have them?” Aisha blurts, before realizing that she cut off Amanda. “Sorry…”

There’s a protracted silence. “…anyhow… I’m 15. My birthday is March 3^rd. I came to the station today because I help my dad coach a Hapkido team and we were supposed to go to a tournament today.”

“Amanda-unnie is also a Light Adept,” Ariel says.

“Err… yea. That too.”

There’s then a silence before Adele stares at Andrea. Aisha notices and stares at Andrea as well. Then everyone’s doing the same thing.

“Why is everyone looking at me?”

“I think it’s because you’re the second oldest here, you clown.” Adele mutters.

“Really? I am?” Andrea says with raised eyebrows.

“You’re older than me, you dumbo!” Adele retorts.

“And me, for that matter…” Aisha says with a smirk.

“But what about Ashley?”

“She’s younger than you, Andrea,” Amanda says calmly.

“Oh… well I guess I’ll go then. I’m Andrea Bomi Yoon. I’m 12 and will turn 13 on August 13^th. I practice Taekwondo and was sending off my team to… the tournament that Amanda was going to.”

“Wow. So the two bitter rivals meet again, eh?” Adele says.

“This is the one you said you fought and got bloody noses and bruises from?” Ariel asks.

“Yea, you could say that,” Amanda says. Really hoped you wouldn’t go there, Ariel…

“Wait… you guys fought in tournaments?!” Aisha blurts.

“Many times.” Amanda and Andrea say in unison. The two realize this and quickly glance at each other.

“How could you fight so evenly if Amanda-unnie’s a Light Adept?” Alexa asks.

“I never used my powers. It would have been cheating if I did.”

“I never used mine either, Aisha,” Andrea cuts in. “Before you ask.”

“You had powers too?!” Amanda asks.

“I’m a Fire Adept. I used my powers to save Adele earlier. Speaking of which… Adele, why don’t you go? I think I’ve shared enough.”

“Umm… ok. I’m Adele Eunji Jung. I’m 12 and turning 13 on August 18^th. And yes, I’m only five days younger than Andrea. I also have powers. I’m an Air Adept.”

“Wow! I didn’t know!” Andrea says.

“Yea, I don’t really use my powers that often. No real need aside from maybe giving something a bit of power, like a battery. Still don’t know how to fly yet, though. Anyways, when that explosion happened, I ran to where my brother was because he went to get me some snacks. I noticed those hooded men cornering him and I got their attention so he could run. Then I got captured before Andrea and Aisha helped me out.”

“You weren’t hurt, right?” Aisha asks. “We heard your scream.”

“Yea, that kick did hurt quite a bit. It’s all better now, though. Thanks for asking,” Adele says with a smile.

“I think Ashley is up now,” Amanda says. “Are you okay with sharing?” she asks. Ashley nods.

“I-I’m Ashley Naeun Son. My birthday is on February 10^th and I’m 12,” Ashley says quietly.

There’s a pause and Amanda recognizes Ashley’s discomfort. She puts her hand on Ashley’s. “It’s okay if you don’t want to share.”

“What’s wrong?” Alexa asks.

“Her story… is kind of sad, to be honest. I guess I can share on her behalf. She can’t find her parents or sister. I’m guessing they’re a super close family. Ariel and I found her in the storage closet earlier all by herself.”

Adele comes over and rubs Ashley on the back. “It’s okay. We can help find them for you!”

“Also, something for you all to know, Ashley is also a Dark Adept.”

“Wow! That’s cool!” Adele says. “We have a nice Yin to Amanda-unnie’s Yang! And you two also seem pretty close already!”

Ashley smiles from seeing Amanda and Adele caring for her.

“I guess… I can share why I was here… We were going to shop at the mall earlier as part of our day trip here. My mother was going to help me look for art supplies. She knows one of the store owners here.”

“Oh, that’s cool! I like drawing too!” Aisha says.

Alexa, recognizing that she’s next, clears .

“…I guess I’m next. I’m Alexa Yookyung Hong, and I’m turning 12 on September 22^nd. You guys already know a lot about me, but I can share a little bit more. I don’t have any funky powers unlike many of you. I came to the station today by sheer coincidence. I was travelling elsewhere from Fallarbor City and had to change trains here.”

Aisha puckers up now that it’s her turn to share.

“My name is Aisha Namjoo Kim and I just celebrated my birthday four days ago on April 15^th.”

“Oh! Happy birthday! How old are you now?” Amanda says.

“Thank you, Amanda-unnie. I’m now 11. Anyway, I was also travelling through here to go see my cousins. And I am an Earth Adept, and I can really manipulate metal. Not stone, though. I don’t know why it’s so hard for me to do that.”

“Aisha helped light the lighter there earlier so we could rescue Adele,” Andrea says.

“Teamwork!” Aisha blurts as she gives Andrea a high-five. Adele rolls her eyes.

“Oh, and I also live in Fallarbor City just like Alexa, but I didn’t know her,” Aisha says. “The city is quite big.”

Last but not least, it was little Ariel’s turn.

“Hi, everyone! I’m Ariel Hayoung Oh, and I’m 9 years old. I turn 10 on July 19^th. I’m also from Fallarbor City!”

“Oh, wow! Who would have thought? Again, the city is quite big…” Aisha says.

“Anybody else from Fallarbor?” Alexa says.

Ashley raises her hand.

“I guess the three oldest live elsewhere…” Alexa muses.

“I live just outside the city and Amanda-unnie is from Isabel Port, but Adele lives here in the city,” Andrea says.

“Anyways, my mom and dad were looking to take me out for the weekend, and I went to help my mom buy a book before that big explosion. Amanda-unnie found me and got me out of the station but we’ll be looking for my parents when we can, and we’ll help Ashley-unnie find her family!”

“That we will, and we can do it together,” Amanda says.

“So… I guess that’s one thing we have to do. Find their families…” Adele says. “We have to find mine as well, but we should find theirs first, plus Aisha’s.”

“I also have an idea of how we can get rid of these Scorn cronies,” Alexa announces.

“What would that be?” Andrea asks.

“The government built this place not only to test protecting the president, but also to locate an ancient armor that was supposedly buried there. If we can find a way to reach that hangar, I can get in contact with my father so we can turn the tide of the situation here… and perhaps the war at large outside the island.”

“Your father seems to be able to pull a lot of strings…” Amanda says.

“That’s what happens when you devise the best software that can protect world leaders.”

“But did they find this hangar?” Adele asks.

“No. Which is why I plan on using this space to find it.”

“Well, we’ll also need food and drinks in order to help survive down here. I don’t think there’s any food down here.” Andrea says.

“But with Scorn out there, how do we find anything without getting caught? Plus, as I said, we’re not looters!” Adele retorts.

“Well we have water and electric kettles here, so that solves our water issue. But in terms of food, I’m not sure about that. I can, however, provide a workaround for getting caught if we need to go out. The monitors here have access to all security camera footage of the mall and station, and with the walkie-talkies we have, we should be able to communicate between the hideout and outside so we can avoid detection from Scorn.”

“But won’t Scorn also have access to the security cameras as well?” Amanda asks.

“I’ve already blocked their access with Ariel’s help. They need an access code that only I and my father know. So, as long as I stay here, we should be clear. Plus, I was only travelling with my mother, who is hiding elsewhere right now, and my father is out of the country. They won’t get their hands on it.”

“And yet you say you need access to that hangar…” Adele says.

“That’s true, which is why we need at least one person here at all times. Ariel can serve as backup if needed, because she’s the youngest and I don’t want her to get hurt.”

“Speaking of which… Ariel, you never said anything about your powers. Do you have any?” Amanda asks.

“Hmm… I don’t know if I do. I never thought about it…” Ariel says with a smile. “Also, Amanda-unnie, you don’t have to worry about me here. Alexa-unnie taught me how to use the computer. It’s very easy.”

“Wouldn’t government technology be super complicated?” Aisha asks.

“Not really. We try to keep it simple so anyone can use it, but only people we trust, hence why there’s still jargon and access codes to prevent it from falling to the wrong hands. I’ll show you.”

Adele yawns. “It’s getting a bit late, everybody… I think we should all tuck in for the night.”

“Yea… I think we can wait on some of this stuff until tomorrow, Alexa. We’ve had a lot to swallow over the last several hours,” Amanda says.

“Okay, that’s fine! I’ll show you in the morning! Blankets and pillows are over on that shelf if you need them. I’ll do the last remaining touches on the computer to make sure everything is up.”

They all begin to find a spot to sleep for the night. Andrea, Adele, and Aisha find one near each other. Amanda also takes a couch.

“Can I sleep here? I just don’t want to be… too far from you, unnie.” Ashley asks, pointing to a nearby couch.

“Oh, sure, Ashley!” Amanda says. “Don’t worry. I’ll be here,” she says, patting Ashley on the waist.

“Can I take that one, then?” Ariel says, pointing to a smaller one nearby.

“Oh, of course, Ariel!” Amanda says with a smile. She then notices Alexa still at the keyboard working hard.

“Get some sleep soon, Alexa! We might have a long day tomorrow!”

“Okay!”

Amanda stayed up to make sure that everyone else went to sleep before she did. Alexa, true to her word, took only about another minute before finding a couch and sleeping.

April 19^th… I’m going to remember this day for a while, I think, Amanda says in her head before drifting away to dreamland.

-

7:00 AM.

Amanda awakens. The others are still asleep. Rubbing her eyes, she goes to find the restroom. It doesn’t take her long before she shuts the door.

A few minutes later, she returns to the main room to find Ariel and Alexa waking up. Amanda waves to say hi before putting a finger to , gesturing to the others who are still asleep.

Alexa soon goes to find a cup to find some water while Ariel continues to rub her eyes.

“Did you sleep okay?” Amanda whispers.

“…uh-huh…” Ariel says with a drawl.

Amanda hands Ariel her glasses. “Your glasses are quite heavy Ariel. The lenses also seem pretty thick.”

“My eyesight is pretty bad, Amanda-unnie. I don’t remember the numbers but things are blurry for me outside of about 30 centimeters.”

Amanda’s eyes widen. “How did that happen?”

“I don’t know, unnie… I don’t watch a lot of TV, and I play a few video games, but no more than an hour every weekend… maybe it’s from all the books I read.”

The two hear Ashley yawn. Ashley stretches her long legs and arms before rubbing her eyes. “Good morning…” she says softly.

“Did you sleep well?”

Ashley nods as she lightly scratches her head.

“That’s good,” Amanda says. She’s glad Ashley seems okay. She surveys the room.

“I wonder when the others will be awake…”

By 7:30, all of the girls are awake except Adele.

“No one can wake her up. Believe me, I know!” Andrea says. “That’s what it was like to room with her during summer camp. Always waiting for this princess to awaken.”

The six girls calmly wait for Adele to awaken. Amanda digs through her duffel bag, which she still had, and finds her toiletry bag so she could brush her teeth. Alexa also uses the time to find hers.

“Are there toothbrushes for me to use?” Ashley asks Alexa.

“Oh, of course! Conveniently, there are five in the bathroom, so we all will have one each. Toothpaste is also in the cabinet next to the sink.”

By the time the girls have finished brushing their teeth, Adele finally wakes up. She digs through her pockets to find a small box, and inside are glasses. She dons them and finds everyone more or less staring at her.

“Morning, sleepyhead,” Andrea says.

“Did you sleep well?” Amanda asks.

“Mmff… I slept okay.”

“You have glasses too?” Ariel asks.

“Uhh… yea. My eyesight isn’t too bad, though. About 1.2. And before you ask, Andrea, yes, I did take out my contacts last night.”

Andrea and Aisha’s stomachs growl. “I’m hungry…” they say in unison. Amanda’s lips tremble while Adele rolls her eyes. “You two…” she mutters.

“I think it’s a good time to show you guys what I meant last night now that all of us are awake,” Alexa quips.

Alexa rolls over the main keyboard as everyone follows her. She brings up countless cameras on the numerous screens.

“Hmm… it looks like some food vendors are open, and some convenience stores… let’s listen in on this one. Some Scorn members are there. Maybe we can gain some intel. Ariel, mind pressing that button?”

“Sure!”

Ariel does as asked, and now, they were listening into a conversation. Ashley holds onto Amanda.

“Remember! You are to remain open for the people here! We got complaints already about not providing food!” a Scorn member barks.

“As you wish…” the clerk mutters.

“And you are to provide food for us for free!”

The clerk nods her head continuously as she turns her back, waving the man off.

“Be lucky I’m not the leader, or else I would have taken my blade to threaten you for giving me such terrible service!”

“Ariel, hit the button again.” CLICK. “Well, it seems we are in luck. We can get food, but we have to sneak back into the station.”

“I suggest we don’t all go out, as Alexa suggested. Maybe Alexa and Ariel can stay here while the rest of us go,” Amanda says. “Do you want to go, Ashley?”

Ashley shakes her head.

“I can honestly stay here and keep Ashley-unnie company with Alexa-unnie and Ariel. Andrea-unnie and Adele-unnie know what I want already,” Aisha says.

“Okay then! I think we have a plan. Could you give us a walkie-talkie, Alexa?”

Alexa hands Amanda one while she holds another.

“I’ll keep you guys posted. I can open the doors for you once you return.”

“Let’s also write down what everyone wants before we go,” Adele says.

“Let’s also do a group cheer!” Andrea says.

“Really…” Adele retorts.

“What?”

The three unnies approach the front door. They’ll be back in the danger zone. But Alexa will keep watch on them.

“Are you ready?” Aisha asks.

“Yeah.” Amanda says.

“Alright! Opening door now!” Alexa calls.

“Be safe…” Ashley says softly.

-

Will the unnies be able to safely get to the convenience store? Will they be able to obtain the food and drinks they need? Find out next chapter!

-

A/N: The seven girls are now together, and they now have had some time to share, meaning more opportunities for character moments, ship moments, and character references. Just because.
I'm also curious as to who remembered Chorong/Amanda had a duffel bag. She's had that thing the entire time, as I mentioned. This leader can do it all.
The clerk is technically the first cameo/supporting character, and it's a K-pop idol's counterpart in the AU. You'll find out who it is in the next chapter. I'm curious as to who you think it might be!
Hope y'all are enjoying reading this scrub fic!

Playlist: Get Ready 2 Rokk (Rock Band Version) by Freezepop