The clinks of their chains echoed throughout the dungeon that they were thrown in. Suho’s head began falling forward as he started dozing off while Youngmin leaned against the wall silently. Abu snoozed silently as he hung on the wall by the chains. 

 

“I still can’t believe it,” Youngmin said, breaking the thick silence in the air. 

 

Suho jumped at the sudden sound of his voice and looked at him with half-asleep eyes. “Huh? What do you mean?” 

 

“I mean, that girl! I can’t believe that SHE’S the princess of Agrabah.” Youngmin shook his head disappointedly. Suho was going to comfort him, but Youngmin said, “She probably thinks I’m a jerk! I said all that horrible stuff about her! God, I’m an idiot!” He ran his hands through his hair in frustration.

 

Suho just gave Youngman a blank face. “Wow, I would’ve thought you’d say something about the fact that we just got arrested BECAUSE of her.” Youngmin didn’t seem to hear what Suho said and continued wallowing in the corner. Suho sighed. “Well, I’m surprised you didn’t suspect anything. I mean, she WAS a bit, actually a lot, cleaner than you,” Youngmin slowly nodded in consideration, “and she did have an arrogant air around her.” 

 

“Yah!” Youngmin snapped at him. “Don’t you talk about her that way! She may be a little arrogant, and she may have gotten us arrested, but she’s perfect, okay?!” 

 

Suho merely stared at him before sighing and shaking his head. *This boy has fallen deep for her.*

 

They stopped talking, and the silence slowly crept up on them again. Suho had no idea how long they’ve been in there for. He was thinking around a week or so, but it had only been two days. 

 

He leaned against the wall, wrapped his arms around his legs, and rested his head on his knees. Suho could feel homesickness gradually creep up on him, and his stomach dropped. *I wonder how the members are. Are they surviving without me? Is Chanyeol eating all the food? He better not, Sehun needs to eat. Is D.O molesting Kai? Ugh! I need to get home soon.* He lifted his head and took in his surroundings.

 

Concrete walls and floors. Chains hanging off the wall, some connected to the two boys. A small bar “window” letting in as little light as possible but still enough light to see. Suho shook his head. *But I guess I’m not going anytime soon.*

 

Suho looked over at Youngmin, who looked was drawing patterns in the dust on the ground. “Hey, Youngmin.” 

 

Youngmin lifted his head. “Hmm?”

 

“What’s the punishment for kidnap?” 

 

Youngmin cocked his head to the side while he tried to think. “Huh. Well, the punishment would usually be to cut the kidnapper’s hand off,” Suho shot Youngmin an incredulous look, “but since we’re being charged with kidnapping the PRINCESS, they’re probably going to execute us.” 

 

Suho could only gape at Youngmin’s casual tone about the topic. “Uh, wow. Okay. That’s a bit harsh. That’s not how we deal with it back where I’m from.” 

 

Youngmin looked at him curiously. “Really? How is it punished over there?” He crossed his legs and looked at Suho expectedly like a little boy listening to a story. 

 

“Well, you’d usually get put away for 5 to 25 years.” 

 

Youngmin crinkled his nose in distaste. “Ew. Locked in prison for that long? I’d rather get executed.” 

 

“But then you wouldn’t be able to see Ara again,” Suho pointed out.

 

Youngmin immediately straightened up. “You know what, I like this method a lot better now.” 

 

Suho chuckled at the younger’s silliness, and the both started laughing. The walls of the dungeon echoed everything back towards them, so the room seemed lively. 

 

Suddenly there was a slight crunching sound. “What was that?” Youngmin whispered. Then the room started to shake a little as a little door on the side of the wall opened up slowly. Abu, who had waken up, started screeching in excitement. Youngmin peered into the door and saw that there were stairs leading down somewhere. 

 

An elderly man popped out from the passageway while steadying himself on a raggedy cane. “Hello, boys.” He smiled a semi-toothless grin. 

 

“Uhm, hi.” Youngmin and Suho exchanged glances towards each other. 

 

“How are you boys?” 

 

“Uh, we’re good, I guess?” Suho shifted uncomfortably under the man’s scrutinizing stare. *There’s something off about this man.* The man gave him another grin, and Suho could feel the chills running down his spine. 

 

“Where did you come from?” Youngmin kept stealing glances at the passageway with wide eyes. 

 

“From the outside. I’m here to release you boys.” The old man reached his hand into his pocket and pulled out a ring of keys. 

 

Suho looked at the man skeptically. “Where did you get that?”

 

“Never you mind,” he replied rather briskly. He wobbled over to Youngmin and Abu and unlocked their chains before wobbling towards Suho. 

 

Youngmin rubbed his wrists in satisfaction and stood up eagerly. “Suho! Isn’t this great! We’re not going to get executed anymore!”

 

“Yeah...” Suho cheered unenthusiastically. He had a bad feeling about this man. 

 

“In exchange for helping you three, I need you boys to help me get this object for me. You see, I am an old man, and I can’t do what young men can do nowadays. So I need some young, brave, strong men to help me with this task. Do you think you can do it?” 

 

“Yes!” Youngmin chirped. 

 

“Good, good. Now follow me through the passageway.” 

 

“Youngmin...” Suho whispered urgently.

 

He turned around and went over to Suho. “What?”

 

“You’re not REALLY going to follow him, are you?”

 

Youngmin gave him a “Are-You-Kidding-Me?” look. “Of course.” 

 

“But doesn’t he seem, I don’t know, a bit sketchy?”

 

Youngmin glanced over at the old man, who still had a grin on his face, but he had impatience in his eyes. “Look, it’s a chance to escape. We gotta take it.” 

 

“Okay, okay. Enough chit-chat! We must leave soon before the guards come!” 

 

And on cue, footsteps could be heard echoing towards their dungeon. They all froze as they could hear the footsteps getting closer and closer. 

 

“Suho, we need to hurry!” Youngmin tried to grab Suho’s arm, but the old man quickly dragged Youngmin into the passageway with Abu following along. "Suho!" The passageway closed shut just as the door into the dungeon burst open. 

 

One of the guards from before glowered down at Suho menacingly. “You!” Suho jumped at the loudness of his voice. The guard’s eyes swept across the dungeon before hardening back onto Suho. “Where are the other two prisoners?” 

 

“I-I d-I don’t know,” Suho stuttered out. How was he supposed to explain Youngmin’s absence to him? He wouldn’t believe him!

 

The guard stomped over to Suho and grabbed the collar of his shirt. “Don’t you lie to me, you-” 

 

“At ease!” a voice from behind called out. They both turned their heads to see the leader of the guards looking at them both with a stern face. The guard reluctantly let go of Suho’s shirt, and Suho started breathing again, surprised at the fact that he held his breath during that incident. 

 

The leader looked at Suho with the same menacing look as the other guard. “Come. It’s time for your trial.”