In the wee hours of morning, a drizzle has begun.

Amidst of all the makeshift tents that have huddled in this cramped space, scrap junk that has been converted into fences and walls, intimidating guard towers that were placed at all corners, it isn’t exactly the best place to call home. But this is the Wasteland. And in the Wasteland, you do anything to survive.

Sneaking past the patrolling guards as they lurked amongst the shadows, jumping from wall to wall, climbing up pipes, feet onto roofs, these three were sharp, agile and possessed abilities that far exceeded a normal human’s expectation.

They are the runners.

“Target spotted east. Number three, please standby.”

Number two buzzed through the radio that was connected through an implanted chip inside their heads. “Got it. Number one, this is your call.” Number three replied, taking one far leap across the other roof and halting her steps at the edge, crouching down as she now had a full look of the walking target.

“Roger that. Keep on a lookout. Will be done quick.” Number one responded, who unlike her two members, was on ground. Making use of the dark and creeping up behind, she purposely stepped hard onto a puddle to create noise. This caused the target to turn around. And in that split second, number one slit his throat apart by a sharp blade hidden beneath her sleeves. As red stains decorated the wet road, his dying cries were muffled by number one’s hands and dragged his corpse to a corner.

Searching through his coat and eventually finding a blue access card, this was it. Now, all that’s left is to break into the facility and retrieve what was originally theirs.

“Good job. See you on the other side number one.” Number two and three exchanged glances, confirming the kill.

“We will regroup at goal point. See you.”

Number three jumped from the roof and stretched her hand out, releasing an extensive metal wire underneath her gloves that attached itself to the lamp post and swung her body high up into the air.  Number two followed using the same mechanics, quietly leaving the scene without any traces. leaving number one all alone as she was busy hiding the corpse inside a garbage disposal bin.

“They left me with the dirty work again.” Number one grumbled, trying to not let her emotions take over in such an important mission. Her members abandoned her and did not even have the patience to wait. Clutching tightly onto the access card in her hand, one last step and she can finally go home.

It doesn’t take long for number one to regroup with the others at the facility. Given that she was basically flying in the air, jumping left and right, parkour was a special ability that runners had. Greeting her members with a nod, she swiped the access card across and the door beeped with a green light. Entering the facility, everything has gone dark. But at this hour, no one is around so the number one daringly turned the lights on.

“Number one. Switch that off.”

Number two ordered with a scowl on her face as number three rummaged through the messy facility. Number one rolled her eyes and pressed the light switch again, making the whole room drown into darkness. But the dark made it easier to find what they were looking for. Glowing dimly in a blue hue and stuffed neatly behind the drawers, this was it.

The entire blueprint of Solitude folded into a square.

“HQ. Asset has been acquired. Mission complete. Returning now.” Number three tapped twice behind her neck as a voice buzzed through the radio channel. “Good work. Return to HQ safely.”

After one beep, the runners were off again, jumping into the skies as they flung their wires out, avoiding any contact with the ground and climbing over walls. But number one appeared to be a little behind as she lingered around the facility for a while, finding something that appeared to be of use.

Arriving at the foot of the bridge that connected the Wasteland to the city of Solitude, the towers scanned through their eyes that matched with the verification data. With that, the vault doors rolled open with an echoing creak. Passing through the detectors and security checks, it was always the norm even when they are runners. Here in Solitude, no one was given a special privilege here no matter their status.

“Good work you three. As expected of the top runners of Solitude.”

General Lee Byung Hun nodded as he now has the blueprint returned to his hands. Proudly embroidered to his shirt is the badge of the Stallion, the emblem of a prideful white horse. “You may take the rest of the day off. Report back to work tomorrow.”

“Yes sir.” All three runners bowed as they each took their leave. However, number one stayed behind as she placed a strange tube onto his desk. “General. I found this in the facility. It appears to be a developing poison of some sort.” As she watched Byung Hun pick it up and analyze it carefully, he ordered number one to hand it over to the R&D department for further investigation.

“It should be easier for you since your mother works there.” The man smiled. “Am I not right, Hayoung?”

“General, I thought you were supposed to call us by our numbers.” The runner frowned, not used to her boss calling her by name.

“The mission is already over. There is no need to do that when we are safe here in Solitude.” Lee Byung Hun smiled softly, standing up from his seat to prepare a cup of instant coffee. “Oh, that reminds me. I should treat your mother to a meal next time. She has done so many great things for us.”

Ever since the Great War struck the country, it plagued the land with famine, disease and war. This resulted in the split of its people between two parties; the Stallion and the Renegades. To put in simply, tt was a distinctive representation of the rich and poor.

People from the Stallion lived lavishly at Solitude, a barricaded city that was filled with fresh air, plenty of food, resources and was basically paradise. And then, you had the Wastelands—the total opposite. This was where the Renegades took their territory and built their own army of rebels to fight for what was right. But even those residing in Solitude wanted to help them out.

To many, she was regarded as a hero who saved the lives of millions. A genius scientist and doctor who produced a vaccine to stop infections, invented a prototype that made the murky rivers of the Wastelands drinkable again and assisted various projects that increased the possibilities of growing soil again, she was said to have crescent moon shaped eyes, a smile as warm as the sun and the voice of a goddess.

Now, she cringed at all the flowery words that the people gave her. But once in a while, Jung Eunji likes the attention.

“Wake up baby. It’s seven.” Her wife cooed into her ears, easily making her smile so early in the morning. They’ve been married for almost 60 years now and even after so long, they are still so deeply in love with one another. “Our daughter had to wake up really early for a mission. She should be returning soon. Hope she isn’t grumpy.”

Eunji groaned, shifting her body over to cling onto her tightly as she took a quick whiff of her wife’s lavender-scented hair. “Could’ve told me earlier, Chorong. Then, we could have our own fun.” She winked, receiving a playful slap on her shoulder. “Don’t be like that. Get up. Our butler is already preparing breakfast.” The latter responded, pulling away from her embrace.

The genius scientist, Jung Eunji didn’t just marry anyone. To her, she called it fate, love at first sight and a match made in heaven. Chorong too, was a genius. One of the few female engineers that made wonders and inventions to the many developments of Solitude. If anything, Chorong was part of the team that founded the city.

They were a couple of longevity.

Together, they created the youth serum that made the two live longer and retain the looks of thirty. While it isn’t exactly an escape from death, but science brought those what if’s to life. So even though they were actually at the age of eighty, they still maintained the body and health of a thirty-year old.

When Hayoung comes home to the aromatic smell wafting through the room, a sign that breakfast is served, the runner is greeted with a warm hug from her mother, Chorong. Whenever she returned from her missions, Chorong would inspect every single part of her body, checking if she sustained any injuries while out in the Wasteland. From lifting her arms up, cupping her face, her hair, Hayoung doesn’t mind. In fact, she finds it very heartwarming.

“Thank god. Not a single scratch this time.” Chorong sighed in relief, patting her daughter’s head as her expression turned bright. “Let’s go and eat.” Holding onto Hayoung’s hand as they walked to the table, Eunji was busy scrolling through the floating hologram as she read through the news and emails from last night. But upon noticing her daughter coming into the dining room with her wife, the scientist quickly switches it off.

“Back in one piece.” Eunji nodded with a smile. “How was the mission?” She asked, taking a sip from her coffee. Hayoung shrugged and sighed, “They pushed me to do the dirty jobs again. They .” She frowned with a pout, frustrated how even though she was number one, number two and three liked to take their “age” hierarchy to another level.

Her parents laughed, understanding what their daughter meant but still finding it cute how that was what she found irritating about the mission. It was nothing about being scared of the things in the Wasteland or meeting near death experiences. Chorong and Eunji knew that they could rest easy whenever Hayoung was out with a team. As long as she was not alone, it was fine.  

That was the terms and conditions they offered to Lee Byung Hun when he proposed the idea of taking Hayoung in as a runner. And for many years, it has remained that way as part of their promise and pact.

“By the way mom, could you check this out? General Lee told me to hand this to you. I think the Renegades are working on something.” Hayoung slid the strange tube across the table to which Eunji luckily caught it. If she missed, the tube could’ve cracked.

“Hey. Don’t toss it like that. How many times did I told you to be careful?” Chorong frowned as she scolded her daughter who was very much careless in many ways. But Hayoung simply shrugged it off, becoming immune to her nags. “What was your mission about?” Eunji asked with intrigue, turning the tube around as she watched the black liquid stir up.

“We had to retrieve a stolen blueprint from the Renegades. Turns out they might be using that to break into Solitude.” Hayoung explained as Chorong gasped in response, not knowing that they caught hold of such an important asset. War could break out if the Renegades figured out all the openings and shortcuts in the city. This was coming from the engineer who designed it herself.

“I’ll look further into that. Thank you Hayoung.” Eunji hummed, putting the tube safety in a briefcase that she told the butler to bring. “Let’s not get distracted and continue eating breakfast.” She said, picking up her utensils as the family returned to eating. The scientist made it a rule to never bring up work-related topics at the table as eating at the table meant precious family bonding time.

After sharing a kiss like they always do, Eunji left for work as Chorong stayed behind to make an important video call with a client. Witnessing such mild intimacy is nothing for Hayoung. Well, she did keep a secret about accidentally seeing her parents having once as they forgot to lock the door but anyways, that’s a story to save for next time. She can’t imagine how screwed she will be if that was ever revealed.

Now that she has the rest of the day off, Hayoung isn’t quite sure what to do. Lounging around her bedroom as she stared out into the windows that showed the world clearly in her eyes. She was safe here in Solitude. But the world Hayoung was born in, was never one full of colour and happy endings.

No greens, no fresh air, no sun.

As each day passed, there was nothing but the grey skies and dust. People were wary of each other, hiding inside their clothes were weapons to protect themselves. In the midst of the disoriented streets, fights would break out and blood will be spilled. The place Hayoung called home was made of war and destruction. An ecosystem that thrived on money and power. A prison for the small and weak.

She was born before Solitude was built and had a small taste of what those living in the Wasteland suffered. She wanted to help them. But no matter how much she suggested that idea, her parents shot it down with reasons being she was too young to understand the complexity behind it. And that was the idea that sparked in her mind.

Changing her clothes into a light green parka and black sweatpants, Hayoung stared at the small mirror in her room and removed the chip in her neck. This left her zero traces that she was a resident of Solitude. Opening her cupboard and hiding a pistol underneath her shirt which was supposed to be for “emergency uses only” as stated by Chorong, Hayoung was ready to do the impossible.

“Where are you going?” Chorong asked midway through her call, seeing Hayoung go pass the corridor from the corner of her eyes. “Meeting my friends! Bye!” The runner replied with a lie, running down the stairs and heading out. Her mother didn’t really seem to suspect her and simply reminded her to come back in time for dinner.

Walking around the city, the runner was trying to find the perfect place to climb through the enormous barricades that surrounded Solitude. Unlike the Wasteland, the sun comes in perfectly here. The air is clean and the waters that run through the pipes are fresh. No one is walking around with ragged clothes or picking fights with one another for food. Everything is in such a proper, humane manner. Hayoung wished that everywhere else would be the same.

But that is just hopeful thinking.

Finding an alleyway past the street and heading to the far end, she analyzed the different rusty pipes that go all the way up to the top. She could climb from there. But chances are, the guards on patrol would catch her first. And if her parents find out, she is so screwed. But Hayoung believed that risks should be taken. So, she bended down to tie her shoelaces and stretched her body.

Inhaling one deep breath as her eyes were fixed at the top, she took one jump and held tightly onto one of the railings. Pulling her body up and onto the second pipe, it was much more difficult than she had expected. Unlike the Wasteland, the land of Solitude was a lot harder to tread.

“And what are you doing there, young lady?”

A man cleared his throat as he stared at Hayoung hanging onto the pipes like a monkey. The runner quietly cussed to herself and released her hold, jumping back down to the ground. “Oh, nothing sir…” The runner dusted her hands with a nervous laughter, turning around as she wondered the best excuse to come up with. But when she sees the man’s face, her whole body relaxed with ease. “Uncle Junmyeon!” She was all smiles now.

“If your mom saw this, she will be very upset.” He shook his head with a sigh. “I know. You want to go out to the Wasteland right?” Watching Hayoung nod with the cutest, pleading expression ever, he sighed again and motioned her hands forward. “Come with me. I’ll take you there.”

“Wow! You’re the best, Uncle Junmyeon!” The runner cheered like an excited child as she followed him behind.

Going through the same security checks when she returned from her mission. Hayoung felt the polluted, heavy air of the Wasteland caressing her face again. Although she was reminded of how toxic it was to breathe into it, but to her, this was victory.

The runner knew that she had it easy with her mother’s wide connections. She’s always grateful for being born to such amazing parents.

“Thank you Uncle Junmyeon, you are the best-“ Hayoung bowed and almost got ready to sprint out into the open until the man gripped tightly onto her shoulder, holding the runner back.

“And where do you think you are going so freely like that?” The man shook his head again and handed her a wristband. He noticed that Hayoung left hers at home. Wristbands in this age were life saviours. They were devices that could be used to connect with people, make phone calls, store information and even keep a close check of the wearer’s health status. It was essential for all residents of Solitude to have one.

“Keep me in contact if anything happens okay? I can’t let you wander in the Wastelands alone.”

“You got it, Uncle Junmyeon! You are the best!” Hayoung grinned widely, giving him a thumbs up as she excitedly dashed across the bridge and deep into the settlements of the Wasteland.

Watching her disappear quickly into the air, the man crossed his arms. Kids are easy to trick. The wristband that Hayoung wore was attached with a GPS so Junmyeon could track her every movement and make sure she wasn’t lost. But that isn’t all to ensure her safety.

Tapping onto his wristband as he made a call by swiping the contact name across, he made sure that the earpiece was connected. It picked up after four long rings.

“What’s up? I’m busy right now.”

“You’re always busy, Eunji.” Junmyeon scoffed. “Just called to tell you that your daughter Hayoung wandered off into the Wasteland.”

“What?! Why the hell did you even let her out?!”

“You should at least have the kid get a taste of what the real world is like, Eunji. You can’t be babying her forever. Don’t worry, I have her in check and I’ll make sure she returns in one piece.”

“You better! Otherwise, I am going to kill- no, I am going to blast you off into the Mars!”

“Wow, how threatening. Bye.” Junmyeon scoffed with a fake laugh, cutting the call as he got ready to work.

Entering the Wastelands was so different compared to heading there with a mission. Here, Hayoung was able to embrace the true life.

There were people begging on the streets. Thugs picking fights with one another. Merchants all trying to make a living with whatever means even if it meant setting up their stores on the ground with nothing but a mere cloth. Boys and girls gulping down yellow water. And the worst of all, dead bodies just discarded on the roads because they died from starvation and no one bothered to offer them a proper burial.

The Wastelands were nothing like the Solitude.

And it makes Hayoung frustrated that she cannot do anything to help them. She was fortunate to live a life where she did not have to worry about food, water or shelter. She was lucky to be born to a family that showered her with love. It was a lesson well learnt that she must never take things for granted.

“No, please don’t! This is all I have left!”

Hayoung heard the cry of an elderly woman from a distance and quickly pushed through the crowd, her heart hurting even more when no one bothered to help. Two thugs kicked her to the ground, snatched her bag and ran off.

“Hey, you!” The runner yelled, going to the elderly woman’s side. “Are you okay?” She nodded and pleaded Hayoung to get her bag back.

And so, she does.

Furious, she analyzed her surroundings. She could climb up the tents and onto the junk, there was plenty of room to hop around. Taking one leap as her foot found itself between the small holes of the walls, the runner managed to get onto the roofs and sprinted across, eyes scanning the two thugs.

She found them.

“Stop right there!” Hayoung shouted, jumping down from the roof and chasing after the two.

“ing hell, she’s coming!” One of the thugs exasperated, running out of breath as he ran and ran. Vaulting over crates and pushing through the crowd, he should’ve known better that an attempt to play snatch thief at the local market was a terrible idea.

“Give it to me!” His other friend yelled, motioning his hands over as he continued to dash on top of the balconies. Nodding in reply as he threw the bag high up in the air, “Go!” he screamed, watching it fly across. Just a bit more and it will reach safely in his partner’s hands. But alas, they were too slow.

Too slow for the runner.

One second was all it took for Hayoung to crash onto him, locked into a chokehold as a pistol was pointed at his head. “Don’t move or I’ll blow your head off.” She growled, sweat trickling down her forehead as she caught her breath. Tapping onto her wristband strap that lit up with a screen, “Hey, I’ve got a thief here at Dongdaemun Market. Will wrap him up nicely at the entrance.” She talked to the band, swiping her fingers across the small screen.

Staring down at the man who groaned with her whole weight on her, he tried to stretch his hands over to reach for a knife down his pocket, but he screamed in pain when the lady stepped hard onto his fingers.

“Oh, I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” She hushed the man with a playful smirk and later stared out of the balcony, watching his other friend get away. But it’s fine. She has already remembered the significant facial features, the colour of his attire and marked him on her radar. He won’t get away.

Dongdaemun Market is the only surviving place left for merchants to bargain and trade. Much of its structure has retained despite the Great War, filling up the gaps with metal scraps and leftover junk. But it is also a place where the poor reside, bustling with their kind who dream of living at Solitude.

As a large crowd gathered and whispered about, staring at an unusual sight that was put up on display, was the poor man strapped to a signboard with duct tape. He’s embarrassed for sure, especially with the large red graffiti sprayed and big arrow pointed next to him with the words “Thief!” His face is going to be everywhere on the Internet, endless pictures shared across channels and a shame forever engraved in his soul.

“Make way please!” A man shouted, pushing through the crowd as his three other men followed behind. Each of them wore a brown military uniform with a white horse badge pinned to their chest. It was a clear indication that they were members of the Stallion.

“Wow, all she does is give me more work huh?” Sighing away as he looked up at the helpless man and hands on his waist, the name strip attached to his shirt was “Kim Junmyeon”. Two silver stars were embroidered, indicating that he was a major general.

“She is a splitting image of you, Eunji. Always hungry for justice and always troubling people to clean up the dirty work. Huh. Hayoung is going to grow up just fine.”

At the Sanguine Tower, it was considered a landmark and skyscraper of Solitude. Even from the Wastelands, you could see the building standing proudly at the heart of the city. Here, this was where the R&D offices and laboratories were at. It is the place where Jung Eunji spent countless of nights at, doing experiments and making the miracles count.

Staring intently at the syringe as she injected a sample of poison inside the tube and into one of the test mice, she placed it carefully into a glass box and observed its reactions. Sure, she feels sorry for the countless of mice who had to face such sufferings, but its death would be beneficial to the lives of many.

“Excuse me, Dr. Jung? Sorry for interrupting but…”

Eunji raised her hand up as her assistant quickly shut . Her eyes opened widely as she watched the mice slowly halting its movements and collapsing. She quickly flipped through her notebooks to find a clean page and began scribbling something. After she put all of her ideas down, the scientist realized that her assistant was still standing there, patiently waiting for her.

“Yes? You may speak now.”

“Your daughter is here.”

Walking out of the air-tight doors, taking the elevator up to the highest floor and into her spacious office, the first thing that Eunji does isn’t greeting her daughter with a warm hug. She hits her hard on the shoulder and almost yells at her face.

“You brat! I told you to never step out of the gates unless it was an assigned mission! The world is a dangerous place!”

“Okay mom- but listen- ouch! I saved someone!” Hayoung retaliated, “I caught a snatch thief. Actually, just one of them. There were two. I have their information. If you could just let me borrow one of the motorcycles-“

“No! I am not letting you do that!”

Eunji snarled, staring at the wristband that her daughter was wearing. She grabbed onto it and swiped her thumb across the screen, tapping into the keycode as it automatically unwrapped itself from Hayoung’s wrist.

“Mom! What are you doing?!”

“I’m confiscating this.” The scientist sighed and glared at her daughter’s eyes. “I want you to go home. Right now.” She stressed. “I still have work to do but I will be giving you a long lecture at the dinner table tonight.”

Hayoung wanted to open and bite back, but when she sees the dark circles under Eunji’s cheek, she changed her mind. “…Fine.” She looked away with a scowl on her face, clearly upset. But her mom doesn’t care.

“Don’t be so full of yourself just because you are a runner. You are lucky. But other runners don’t. They die young. And you know that I can’t let that happen to you.” Eunji said as she held tightly onto the wristband. “Leave. Take the bus home. There should be one coming in ten minutes.”

“Whatever.”

Hayoung sighed with a shrug as she dragged her feet out of the office and closed the doors with a loud slam. At this point, she doesn’t really care about the stares and gasps that she receives from the staff outside. It’s always like this. Whenever Hayoung tries to do something good, she never gets praised for it.

Never.

Making sure that her daughter left by observing the CCTV cameras around the tower, Eunji’s phone began to buzz. She took a quick glance at the contact number, wondering if it was her colleagues, investors or the government goons wanting to pry into her research again, but its none of that. It’s a contact number that makes her free of all the worries and stress. It’s a call from her dear wife.

“Yes, baby?”

“Did something happen? Wait, don’t. It’s Hayoung again, right?”

Eunji sighed. “I’m sorry Chorong. I just- I just at all the talking stuff you know? I didn’t mean to yell at her like that but I was just really worried.”

“And you still whine why she likes me more?”

“You win.” Eunji scoffed. “Anyways, I sent her home so please do me a favour and do your magic. She’ll listen to you for sure.”

“Okay baby.”

“So, what did you call me for?”

“Right.” Chorong’s laugh suddenly disappeared as her tone stiffened. “The time machine is missing.”

---

All it took was three hours and she’s back here at her home, head down in defeat. When her butler, Sojin greeted her, she gasped upon seeing the scratches on Hayoung’s ankles. The Wasteland is a tough environment to handle and without wearing proper armor, she was bound to get hurt.

“It’s nothing, really.” Hayoung grumbled as she was ordered to sit on the couch, watching Sojin bringing along a first aid kit and tending to her injuries. She winced in pain as the ointment was spread gently on her scratches. Yeah, perhaps she took it too lightly.

“You went out to the Wasteland didn’t you?” Sojin sighed, knowing that her boss is going to yell at the poor runner for breaking such a rule in the house.

It was obvious from the dust and grime on her clothes. She reeked of a scent that was in between that belonging to the sewers and rotting flesh. “Go and take a shower. I will prepare fresh clothes for you to wear. And you should not hide these plasters. As much as I know that your parents will scold you, but you must tell them the truth.”

“They already know. It’s fine, Sojin. It’s just…so unfair that I can’t do anything that I want.” She whined quietly like a sullen kid who was called for a timeout. The butler looked at the young girl and sat down beside her, gently dusting her clothes off.

“That’s because Master Eunji and Chorong both love you so much. Even though the both of them are so busy at work, they always make time and effort to be a family. No matter how, you always have breakfast and dinners with them. You spend the weekends going out in the city, to the virtual beaches and cinemas. Most people envy to have such a time with their family.”

Hayoung remained silent at that because she is cornered by Sojin’s words. There is nothing that she can say against those facts. So, she quietly nodded and got up from the couch, doing everything that the butler told her to do: take a shower, wear a new set of clothes and proudly show her plasters.

Hearing what happened from her wife, Chorong returned from work early to comfort her child. “Is she asleep?” She whispered quietly to Sojin who nodded her head in reply.

“She woke up very early in the morning for her mission and despite all that, she still had the energy to explore the Wastelands. She collapsed after coming home.” The butler smiled, trying to reassure her Master who was showing an obvious worried expression all over her face.

“Thank you Sojin.” Chorong bowed and headed upstairs. Peeking into Hayoung’s cold room with the air conditioner blasting away, she shook her head at her daughter’s carefree attempt at wasting electricity to its fullest. But she won’t scold her for that today.

Kneeling down as she looked at her baby snoozing quietly, chest rising up and down in a steady momentum, it is every mother’s happiness to see their child in one piece. Even though she could see the obvious wounds from the plasters, Chorong knows that it is sometimes good to let her child experience pain. Even though the sight of it makes her heart hurt.

Gently brushing her fingers across Hayoung’s strands of hair, Chorong leaned in and lightly kissed her forehead. “Wake up.” She cooed, watching her daughter’s eyes flutter awake, brows frowning as she groaned, slightly upset that her nap has been disturbed.

“I heard everything from Eunji. About you going to the Wastelands.”

With that sentence, Hayoung immediately bolted awake, eyes now wide open. “I-I can explain…” Seeing the panic in her daughter’s pupils, Chorong tried to calm her down by giving her a warm smile. “It’s okay. I won’t scold you. I just want you to listen to what I have to say.”

The mother sat up on the bed, held onto her daughter’s eyes as she gazed deeply into her orbs. “Do you know why we never wanted you to go out in the Wastelands by yourself?”

Hayoung looked down. “Sojin said it’s because the both of you love me.” She mumbled shyly.

“That is true. But there is another reason. I’m sure you should know by now.”

The runner looked back at her mother. “Is it because I’m special?” Chorong nodded in reply, circling her thumbs around Hayoung’s hands as she tried to put her words together.

“You are very special to us. Even though you were created and put together as the first genetically bred human, you were born out of mine and Eunji’s love. Inside, you have our DNA, our blood. Even though you were not born naturally, you are still our lovely child, our lovely daughter.”

Chorong brushed her daughter’s hair, happy that Hayoung is listening to her quietly without interrupting in between. On other days, she would talk back and state her own arguments the same way Eunji always did. But today, she’s listening and it makes her happy.

“We can’t let the people from the Wastelands know about you and your special abilities. You have an advantage because you are a superhuman capable of so many possibilities. Of course, other runners are just like you. But because you are the first, you have something more than that.”

“Okay.” Hayoung finally spoke as she nodded. “I won’t do it again, mom.” She placed a brake onto her mother’s words before it escalated into an hour-long lecture that strayed far from the topic. “What time is it? Is it time for dinner yet?”

“Soon. Sojin is already preparing in the kitchen. I will be in my office finishing up some work.” Chorong got up, happy that her words got through. And she hoped that Hayoung will keep her promise.

“I’ll go and help Sojin out then.” Hayoung smiled, walking out of the room with her mother as they later split ways at the corridor. Chorong went into her home office while Hayoung went down the staircase and into the kitchen.

Hayoung learned something during her short time in the Wastelands and it was to appreciate the life that she had. To appreciate that she had a family who cared, cherished and loved her.

As the sun began to set, Eunji was ready to head home. All of her co-workers have left but the scientist decided to stay behind to finish up some extra work. After spending the whole day running experiments and analyzing the strange tube that her daughter found at the facility, she finally figured out the true motives of the Renegades.

Fingers typing away as she sent a long email to General Lee Byung Hun, she stated that the tube was capable of producing a poisonous gas that could kill people within seconds. She believed that the Renegades had plans to filter and tamper with the air purifying facilities at Solitude to suffocate every single citizen living there. Requesting that there should be tighter security checks, Eunji ends her email with a small note of thanks for taking good care of Hayoung whenever she’s out on dangerous missions.

With that, she tapped onto the send button and stretched her arms. Groaning away as she yawned, Eunji turned the computer off and went through final checks around the laboratory to ensure nothing was left . It is slightly dim but the scientist remembers everything by memory.

But that is until she hears the beep of the doors opening. It is faint but knowing that the laboratory can only be accessed via a card, the scientist assumed that one of her workers came back. Maybe they forgot something. Heading to the entrance however, there is no one there.

“Huh? That’s strange. Maybe I’m hearing things now. Wow, age is really getting me.” Eunji mumbled to herself as she shook her head, returning back to the desk. Collecting her belongings and getting to ready to head home however, she felt a cold air moving past her.

The scientist quickly turned around, but alas, she was too late.

As she watched a drop of red blood stain the floor, as she winced and looked at the intruder who stabbed a knife to her stomach, the scientist managed to stand upright despite the pain slowly numbing her body.

“W-Who are you?!” She gasped, taking a good look of her attacker.

She could tell that it had a built not belonging to a man. So, a female. But her identity was kept hidden under a mask. But she had a lot more questions, such as how was she able to gain access into the laboratory and why would she attack her? Eunji is confident that she hasn’t made any enemies in the past.

“Does this ring a bell, Jung Eunji?” The attacker took out a strange, old watch from her pocket. But the scientist recognizes it very well. Although it may look like nothing, but it is the missing time machine that Chorong told her about.

“So, it was you. How did you know? That time machine was supposed to be a secret. No one knows about it except me and my wife.”

The masked figure chuckled with amusement. “You don’t need to know. Either way, you will die when I kill the you, from the past.”

“What?!”

“And don’t worry. I’ll make sure to kill your lovely wife too. Goodbye, Jung Eunji.”

The attacker pressed onto the small button of the watch and suddenly evaporated into thin smoke. The scientist used all of her remaining strength to smash her hands onto the red emergency button on the wall, causing a loud siren to ring out from the laboratory. With that, Eunji finally collapsed to the floor.

“This is bad…” She gasped again, finding difficulty breathing. “I have to…tell them…quick…” Her visions began to blur as she could hear the guards running in the far distance. She knows that she’ll be safe. But that isn’t the point. She must tell them about the masked figure. She must tell them about the time machine. She must…

Her world out.

--

A/N: Welcome to another brand new Eunrong/Haji/Harong fic! There is a lot going on just from the first chapter and it probably is a lot of information to take in. Don't worry, let's go through this step-by step: 

- The world of 2077 has been split between two factions: The Stallion (who reside in the city of Solitude) and The Renegades (who take up the territories of the Wasteland). 

- 2077 Eunrong: The genius scientist, Jung Eunji and top female engineer Park Chorong who played a huge role in developing Solitude and the world around them. While they are technically supposed to be eighty years old, they used the youth serum that helped maintain their age and looks. However, there are side effects to it.

- Runners are specially developed superhumans that far exceed the abilities of the norm, making them super agile, fast and perform amazing parkour moves that assist them in missions. Hayoung is the first Runner ever made by Eunrong, using their DNA and blood. This also makes Hayoung, Eunrong's offspring. However, she was not born naturally but through a machine.

- A mysterious figure attacked Eunji and stole her time machine, going back to the past of the year 2016 to kill the past self of Eunji and Chorong, leaving our poor scientist hanging between life and death. 

This is my first time writing a fiction involving a self-constructed world of the "future" and usage of time so I hope that it doesn't confuse you at all :) Other Apink members have yet to make their apperance, where do you think Bomi, Naeun and Namjoo might be? Who is number two and number three?

I'm not sure how often I'll be update this as the story itself is quite packed and complex, but I'll do my best to not keep you waiting for too long. I understand that there isn't a lot of romance involved but we'll get to see the "sweeter parts of the story" eventually. Thank you for reading, I hope that you enjoyed reading the first chapter of "RUNNER" am looking forward to read your thoughts on this story!