Note: SHINee isn't famous here. And this was written on a whim, but I like the concept of badass SHINee boys with freak abilities. y, n'est pas? ;)  

Also, this will probably become rated later on for future violence, and...other stuff.

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DAY ZER0.

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There are these people—no, these kids…

I don’t know how many, but they’re all—

They’re not normal.

None of them.

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He had never seen a stained glass window in a restroom. After all, toilets were places of practicality, not fashion. But there it was, above the potted plant, letting in slanted blue and green light. It was the prettiest thing in the room, Taemin mused, looking down at his over-sized sweater and severely bitten nails. He smirked. Perfect.

It could be said he threw together the outfit just to spite his aunt, but that was not entirely true. It had little to do with spite and more to do with the pleasure he got out of seeing Lee Saitō have a cow. With short, mussed hair and ancient loafers, he was the epitome of androgyny. And it was not as though Aunt Saitō could hate Taemin any more than she already did. Her nephews as well her four sons (his cousins) were criminals as far as she was concerned. Blemishes on the family tree. Blemishes that must be hidden far, far away.

That was what Lee Taemin was doing in reform school.

Still smiling in spite of himself, he pushed open the restroom door and came face to face with one of the most handsome boys he had ever seen.

No, really.

He was lounging in an armchair, a textbook perched haphazardly in the crook of one arm. Light brown hair fell into his fox-like face; he appeared to be sleeping. Taemin planned to sneak past him, but a sudden voice stopped her.

"You do know," the boy said, "that that's the boys' toilet, right?" He opened his eyes and looked up at Taemin.

He deadpanned, a mix of amusement and offense swirling in his chest. He knew he did not look like a boy, but he had never imagined that...

"Y... yes I know that," he stammered, but before he could argue further the boy closed his eyes and waved a careless hand in the air.

Taemin scoffed and her heel. Screw it. He would find out sooner or later. He was stuck in this place for eternity, after all.

ZERO Institute for Juvenile Reform was unlike any place Taemin had ever seen. It was a sprawling mansion, like Versailles, with crystal chandeliers and picture windows and golden sconces. He past a bust on a pedestal; a giant oil painting of a garden; a set of French doors leading to a small room lined with bookshelves. He grimaced. Why spend so much money on a home for delinquents? They were only going to mess it all up.

Saitō was waiting outside the administration office, a sour look on her face. Her black perm and intense eyebrows gave her the appearance of an upset pug.

"You've kept everyone waiting. What on earth were you doing? Go apologize to the secretary. Now." She puckered her burgundy lips. It looked as though she was about to swallow an unpleasant lozenge.

Taemin pushed open the door and entered the office. Dark red velvet seemed to line the room, and he felt slightly suffocated. The woman behind the desk looked to be in her forties, and she had a long face like a horse. She held up something small and gold.

"Here's your room key, Mister Lee!" She gave a toothy grin. Taemin half expected her to be whinny. "Just upstairs, down the main corridor, take a left at the end; another left by the big painting, and your room should be at the end of that hall."

Taemin glared at the key. 155. Much to his distaste, the secretary kept speaking.

"I'm sure you'll like your neighbours!  We’ve arranged so you are surrounded by your cousins! Also, there’s a sweet boy in 154. Why don't you give him a visit?"

Not a chance. "I'll be sure to do that. Thanks." He gave a forced smile.

Taemin trudged out of the office and bumped right into Saitō. The fur coat absorbed any impact.

"Listen to me," the woman said, taking Taemin's chin in one hand. "None of your strange stuff, do you hear? I’ve already told your cousins, who are in their respective rooms, that I don't want to hear that any of you have been up to any of that, or its overseas for all of you." Her eyes were like fire.

"I understand," Taemin murmured, not really meaning it. "You don't have to worry."

"I mean it." The tirade was not over. "One wrong move and I swear you will never see your father again. I will always regret not removing you from that hovel sooner. It would have done you a lot of good..."

There was more. A lot more. Taemin just stopped listening. His eyes wandered around the room, falling on the intricate lamps and patterns in the tile floors. A man in a tuxedo walked past and gave him a sympathetic look.

They have butlers here? What the--

"Are you listening to me?" Saitō furrowed her brow. She did not wait for an answer. "Get on upstairs and get changed out of that wretched sweater, you look like a girl. And remember what I said."

Taemin hurried. He could not get away from his aunt sooner. Dragging his oversized duffel behind him, he climbed the steps as fast as his legs could manage. Upon reaching the top he went through an archway and found himself in a long, wood-paneled hall. There were no windows; only door after door, each with a number and a name.

110 - Chung... 111 - Oshiro... 112 - Chang...

He made a right and came to a hall lined with nothing but windows on either side. There were little cushioned benches and potted plants beneath the massive windows, which overlooked the gardens and rainy landscape. It was a satisfyingly dreary day.

Finally he came to 155. It was the next to last room at the end of the long corridor, and his feet were beginning to ache when he reached it. He unlocked the door, noting the plaque already filled in with his name, and stumbled into his room.

He gaped.

The first thing he noticed was the bay window. The window seat, scattered with tasselled pillows, was at least the size of a small sofa. It overlooked the sprawling back lawn, all the way down to the lake, which was just barely visible through the trees.

There was a four-poster double bed covered in a soft, pristine comforter; a large desk made from dark, nice-smelling wood; a towering armoire with room for even his aunt's entire wardrobe; and a bathroom with a glass-walled tub, a deep ceramic wash-basin, and fluffy towels hanging on ornate fixtures. It reminded him of a five star hotel he had once visited with his aunt and cousins. He had sampled English tea and delicious scones, and made believe that he was the Prince of England.

Taemin frowned and tossed his duffle onto the bed.

What an ugly room.

He collapsed beside his bag and stared out the window. Saitō's words passed briefly through his mind: None of your strange stuff, do you hear?

"Screw you," Taemin muttered. He sat up and crossed his legs, leaning back onto the fluffy pillows. A thought passed through his mind. What if...

Taemin closed his eyes. He had done this millions of times before, but it always took the same effort, the same pointed focus. He dug his fingers into the comforter.

The bed lifted off the ground. One inch, two inches, three inches.

No more Aunt Saitō. No more snooty neighbours.

Six inches... seven inches.

It was just him and his cousins. The five of them together, that’s all he’s ever really needed.

Taemin reached up, touched the ceiling, and smirked.

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They all belong at this school,

And well, this school isn’t normal.

Neither are the students.

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He didn't realize he had fallen asleep until a knock on the door woke him up. Opening his eyes, he was startled to see that the sun had gone down, leaving the room completely dark.

The visitor knocked louder.

"I'm coming." Taemin rubbed his eyes. His hair was a wreck, standing up in all directions. He made sure it stayed that way.

The door only had one lock. No deadbolt, no bars, nothing to be expected in a reform school. Taemin turned the knob and found himself face to face with one of his cousins, Jonghyun.

“Dude,” Jonghyun said. “What the hell were you doing in there? You’re going to be late for dinner!”

Taemin shrugged. “I was sleeping.”

“Well, okay, I’ll go grab the rest of the guys, and I'll meet you back here in two minutes!” Jonghyun turned a heel and disappeared into one of the dorm rooms.

 Taemin retreated into his dorm room. He switched on a lamp and headed for the window seat. Fresh air was what he needed. He cranked the window open and stuck his head into the warm August night.

The ZERO Institute sat on innumerable acres of wild land, and Taemin was sure he could see at least half of it from this window. His room overlooked a large lawn; directly below him was a garden. There was a stone bench, a little wrought iron trellis, and a fountain in the shape of an angel. Not a piece of Korean decor in sight; the headmaster was obviously an Anglophile.

He was just about to close the window and resign himself to dinner when something small fell from above and landed on his neck. He groaned, assuming that a bird had done something gross above his head. But when he reached up hesitantly, he didn't find bird droppings. His hand came back with a cigarette .

"Hello?" Scowling, Taemin looked upward.

A girl looked back.

At first she might have been the angel from the fountain. A cloud of curly light brown hair, hung into her huge, light brown eyes. Her face was round, pretty, and dimpled. But in the yellow flood lights Taemin saw dark circles beneath her eyes. There was something almost frightening about her. Her smile was too wide to be genuine.

"Hi!" she called back in a juvenile voice. "Are you my new downstairs neighbour?"

Taemin scowled harder. She smelled like sugar, even from a distance. "Yes. And you dropped this on my head."

The kid pulled a mortified face, and for a moment Taemin felt bad for being harsh. But when she spoke, her voice was so coated with sugar that it could not have been honest. "I'm so sorry! I had no idea you were down there." She leaned farther out of his window, so that her hair hid her eyes from view. "You won't tell anyone, will you?" It almost sounded like a threat.

"Of course not." Taemin rolled his eyes, then slid back onto the cushion and closed his window behind her.

An elementary kid smoking. Can things get weirder?

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I swear to god, they aren’t.

I’ve seen some of them while I passed the place.

I’m telling you, they’re not normal. 

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They could, and they did.

Here he was face to face with the living poster child for the "Emo Girl" stereotype. The girl wore her heavy hair in long Wednesday Addams pigtails, tied with black ribbons, and her face seemed stuck in a solemn, downtrodden frown. She had black combat boots; her purple sweater was a size too large, and the sleeves hung far past her hands; her eyes, partly hidden by thick bangs, were lined excessively in deep black. There was almost something sickly about the way she held herself, ever on edge.

On the way to dinner, Onew, being the klutz he is, managed to fall, taking the girl who made the mistake of walking by him, down with him too.

“I am so sorry!” Onew exclaimed.

The girl merely stared at him.

“Um, are you mute?” Asked Jonghyun, earning a hit in the head by Key.

When the girl walked off, and a second of silence, they did the same.

What the hell is wrong with the students at this school,Taemin thought. Oh wait, it’s a reform school. Right.

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I don’t know how, but…  

They do things,  

Things people like us can only dream of doing.

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While in line for dinner, Taemin noticed something familiar about the person waiting in front of him. That hair….he’d seen it from somewhere.

Suddenly the person turned around.  

"'Ey!" The boy from the bathroom incident said. "You're that girl from earlier…the one who went in the boys' room by mistake."

The girl in front of the boy – who looked exactly like the boy – faced them. “Actually, Lee, I think it’s a boy…”

Lee's face momentarily went red, but he recovered quickly and swapped an amused look.

"Sorry," Lee said, sticking out his lower lip a little. "Your 80s sweater and tragic haircut kind of threw me off."

“Yeah, Lee here is allergic to tacky clothing, so he probably didn't look twice. I’m Meeyon. Sorry about my twin brother, forgive him?" She held out her hand and Taemin grimaced as he reached out to shake it.

"So," Lee said, "what're you in for?"

Taemin blinked. “Excuse me?"

Lee sneered. "You know – what'd you do to get sent to this hellhole?"

"Did you burn down a house?" Meeyon leaned forward, a Cheshire Cat smile on her face.

"Freak out the neighbours?"

"Steal a car?"

"I still don't think Chou did that."

"Or," Lee finished, "are you just plain dangerous?"

Taemin was taken aback. "I didn't do any of that stuff. I don't even know why I'm here." It was a lie, but it was better than explaining his screwed-up family to all of these rich kids.

Lee clutched his heart and said melodramatically,"Agh, an innocent soul! I feel almost pure just standing next to him."

"As if." Meeyon snorted.

 Lee patted her on the back. "This one's here for 'having the potential to rob a bank'." He used air quotes.

"What's that supposed to mean?"  Taemin raised one eyebrow.

"It means—" Lee leaned in close. "—that she was deemed a hazard to the general public because of—"

"Lee, the last two pages of your biology notes is nothing but doodles! You said I could borrow them but this is no help at all!"

Lee crossed his arms over his chest. "It was your mistake to ask me in the first place, Boss. Borrow Meeyon's next time."

Taemin looked up at this ‘Boss’ person, and noted two things: he was with that Emo Girl from earlier, and that he too was incredibly handsome.

In fact, his anger regarding Lee's notes made him even less so. He looked a bit like a disgruntled child, his dark brown eyes eyes buggy with emotion as he shuffled in line behind Taemin.

"You should stay angry," Lee said. "It's amusing."

Meeyon stepped out of line for a second, grabbed the notes and flipped through them. "Lee, most of this isn't even right."

"So what?" He crossed his hands over his chest. "It's not like you can flunk out of reform school. FYI, no one else wants kids like us." He motioned to Meeyon, ‘Boss’, and the Emo Girl. "Bank robbers, shape-shifters, freaky psychics -- how much do you know about this place?"

Meeyon scowled. Before Taemin could open his mouth she cut in, "I am not a bank robber, Lee. Would you please just stop that rumour? And Hei isn't 'freaky', she--"

"Wait, what?"

All four of the students, turned to look at Taemin.

"Psychic... What are you talking about? Are you serious?" Taemin gave Lee an angry, harassed look.

"You mean..." Meeyon's hand flew to . "Are you normal?" She said it incredulously; as though "normal" was the worst trait a person could be cursed with.

‘Boss’ gave a sardonic chuckle. "Way to be subtle, Mee."

Taemin could hardly speak, he was so confused. Were these people completely crazy? Had he been sent to an insane asylum by accident?

"I have no idea what you're talking about," he said honestly. "What do you mean I'm 'normal'?"

Meeyon shook her head. "It's not a bad thing, Taemin. Sometimes I wish I was like everyone else. It's horrible, people always thinking I'm going to rob their house. Not a good way to live."

“Yeah,” Lee agreed. "It's terrible. Oh, wait - no it's not. You just have y powers, Meeyon." The girl glared at her brother. 

Taemin was stunned. Powers? Powers? But that meant... She couldn't think straight - had Meeyon really meant that? Was she just joking? Was it some prank they liked to play on the new boy?

"What the hell is going on?" he demanded through clenched teeth. "What do you mean by--"

"Here," Lee said politely, "I'll show you through demonstration." And, with a pleasant smile, he reached up and grabbed the waist of Boss' pants.

Taemin averted his eyes just in time. But while he was boring a hole in the floor, wondering what in the world Lee had done that for, he heard a very, very out-of-place sound.

A dog barking.

He looked up, and was startled to see that ‘Boss’ was nowhere to be seen. Instead, there was a small yellow dog yipping at Lee, trying to get a hold on his pants leg.

"Funny," Meeyon commented. "He usually turns into a sheep when he's embarrassed."

Taemin didn't even bother asking. He just stared, his jaw gaping, as the little dog grunted, stuck its tongue out at Lee, and trotted out of the cafeteria.

"Well." Lee turned to face Taemin. "I think you get the general idea. So - what can you do?"

For a moment Taemin remained silent. He saw no point in giving away his secret to all of these strangers. But then, what if there wasn't a point? What if it was just…

"Oh," he answered, thrilled at the strength in his voice, "I'll show you through demonstration."

He snapped his fingers, and Lee rocketed five feet in the air. When he was brought back down, he stared at Taemin, surprised.

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I don’t what they are.

But God knows they aren’t human.

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Welcome to the ZER0 Institute for Juvenile Reform.

We pride ourselves in ensuring our students return home with the best behaviours possible.

If not,

Well…

They won’t return home at all.