2017

Joon stormed out of the tent and lightly kicked Seungho in the shin. "You shouldn't have done that! The boy will freak when he wakes up."

 

"Yeah, I should have just let him scream and let the ing Keepers find us," Seungho retorted sarcastically. Joon rolled his eyes and sat on the log opposite Zelo. "Mind telling us what that was all about?" Joon asked harshly.

 

Zelo shrunk back into Bang. The tall boy was lanky for his age but his persona made him look like a baby. Bang comfortingly ran a hand through his curls. "We were in that warehouse with him."

 

"What warehouse?" Mir asked impatiently. Bang didn't answer and Zelo buried his head in his hands. GO nudged Junho to spill but even Oneday was reluctant to answer. 

 

Eventually Sunggyu sighed, "He was ." Junsu recoiled and Jokwon clenched his fists. They of course knew what happened to Hoya but the brand was news. 

 

Horror-struck, Joon turned to Junho. "Is this true?" Junho just stared morosely into the fire. 

 

"I don't know why and how but we were scattered all around the world. I lived in the safety of the Circle for many years after that until I joined the Korean army. Then I found Zelo here, running for his life. He's the boy from the other Hidden. He was the only boy there. I took him back to the Circle with me where they matched me up with my wife. The three of us have been living together ever since," Bang explained.

 

"What about the brand?" Nichkhun asked.

 

"All of you are branded, I'm sure? I saw the inifinity brand on his shoulder. Zelo here got branded too in Hidden. I was branded too, with the Circle's mark. But the three of us, we have another brand, somewhere on our bodies, we have a brand that marks us for who we are and what we experienced."

 

"I still don't get why you're here, in Thailand. How did you find us?" Junho asked.

 

"I've been tasked to bring you all to somewhere safe. The World is collapsing as we speak. There's talk about the Chinese nuclear plants spiraling out of control. You've heard nothing, being on the run for 5 years but a lot has changed. Australia is no more for one," Bang said.

 

"We heard about that. Something to do with the forest fires spreading from the desert," B-bomb said. 

 

"It's the ozone layer," Zelo said. "It's depleting. Pretty soon the hole is going to cover the South Pole and Southeast Asia. It's moving towards Oceania already."

 

"Ok fine, we're in danger blah blah blah like we've always been. The question is why us? Why are we so special you have to bring us back?" Jokwon questioned. Bang's face immediately stiffened. Seungho frowned, not missing his hesitance. "It's...a special favour I owe to someone," Bang said eventually.

 

Chansung snorted and stoked the fire, "How do we know you're not going to sell us out?" 

 

"Your friends. They're waiting for you."

 

There was a strained silence. "Our friends are no more," L whispered painfully. "We gave them up to keep them safe."

 

GO sighed and stood up, "Listen, you might have good intentions. We didn't just spend 5 years starving ourselves and running away for nothing. We can't live in the Circle. Life in there is not made for us. You've never lived in Hidden so you'll never understand. Secrecy and lies, deception. Simply taking orders and not questioning, we could never do that again."

 

"Our best friend was killed because we chose not to listen for once. We were thrown in the forest in the middle of winter with nothing," Junsu's voice choked haltingly. "Our Commander was killed trying to save us. We will never forgive those who ordered it and they all came from the Circle."

 

Junho's eyes suddenly smarted and he was aware of the small sniffles the boys around the fire allowed themselves to produce. 

 

"I'm sorry to hear that," Bang murmured in his low voice. "I really am. But I have a proposition for you. Go to America."

 

"W-w-what?" Ukwon stuttered in surprise. Seungho raised his eyebrow questioningly. "Go to America," Bang repeated. "There are Korean soldiers drafted in the American army as a declaration of cooperation and peace. I could get you in, fake some documents. Live there safely. The American army is about the best army around as of now. You will be well fed and clothed and you'll be safe."

 

"We don't pledge our allegiance so easily," Chansung said testily. Zelo replied defensively, "They're not like that, I can vouch for them. They're humane and reasonable. You won't be fighting a lost war, there's always a reason for everything there."

 

"And I'm sure training will be no problem for you. Zelo told me about his training in Hidden. Yours should be much worse since you're all males," Bang said.

 

There was silence again as everyone took in Bang's words. Seungho sighed heavily. As a leader, he had the right to make a choice. He was sure they would all listen to him but he himself wasn't so sure about making the decision. His pride usually clouded his judgement. He turned to Joon, whose marred face looked ghastlier in the firelight. His heart broke everytime he saw the depressions and healed nicks in his skin. He watched as GO's lips twitch, a habit when he was stressed. His stubble had grown back, something he was always very uncomfortable with. And then he saw the maknae, the one he regretted bringing along most of all. Mir had always been jovial, easy going. Seungho hated taking that away from him. He sighed heavily as his throat constructed heavily. Sanghyun, the one he thought about everyday. His death came as a blow to him and he was sadder than he led on. His cold demeanor masked his pain. It always had.

 

"GO," he said softly. "I'll let you make the decision this time."

 

"What?!"

 

"All this time I've always made the decision. This time, I'll give the chance to someone else."

 

"Commander," Junho said softly, "We always abide by your decision. It's always been fair and just."

 

"But it isn't easy for me to make and to watch us fail again and again because of me."

 

GO sighed heavily at the new weight of responsibility he now had to shoulder. "How do you intend I get us to America?" 

 

"I have a communicator," Bang said and pulled out a tiny disc. "It sends a signal to any American army vessel out there. If we head east, we'll likely hit the coast and they can pick us up from there."

 

 

"What about you? Are you staying here or going back to Korea, back to the Circle?" Jokwon asked. "I'll go with you. Zelo has no place in the Circle and my wife doesn't like it there as well. We'll start anew in America. I'm presiding Officer of the Korean troops there so it's fine."

 

Joon looked around hesitantly, "So...are we going?" Everyone turned expectantly to GO who was was looking at Bang analytically.  

 

Eventually, he said slowly, "Do I have your word, that if we follow you, you will heed no treachery and lead us to safety?"

 

Bang's expressionless face did not change. 

 

"Yes."

 

"Then we have a deal."

 

-

End of 2017

 

A beep sounded from his pocket. Dongwoo stopped running and slid the small tablet out of his pocket. 

 

On the way.

 

Something warm spread through his entire being. Euphoria. He felt like giggling and rolling around in happiness. 

 

"Yes! Yes yes yes yes, mothering yes!" He yelled, causing the other three to stop. 

 

Sungjong looked back at the elder- his Hyung seriously looked crazy. He was laughing and squealing like a little girl. Just a few years  ago he hadnt even be able to talk.

 

"Guess they're finally met up huh?" A boy standing at the side of the track grinned. Woohyun looked at him startled, "You mean..."

 

"Yup, Hyung found him," the boy with mousy brown hair said.

 

It was an explicable feeling, when he heard those words. Like sinking into a warm bed with comfy sheets after a long day of standing. He felt his body go slack and he started crying. And then Sungjong started crying. And then PO. 

 

And then Dongwoo, positively wailing and gasping came up to them and hugged them so forcefully they crashed into the ground. But even then, the euphoria stayed.

 

The boy with the mousy hair smiled slightly and walked away.