“Just Baekhyun is fine.” Pushing himself up Baekhyun responded lazily as he threw on the clothes from yesterday that he had tossed to the floor. Lay had already made his way to the main room as Baekhyun tried to wake his boyfriend. “Yeol, Chanyeol-ah~! Come on before there’s no food! I know you need it.”

                In response to Baekhyun’s statement there was a loud growling from under the sheets. Chanyeol sat up with his hair sticking in all directions as he glared at his stomach. With a groan he sat up and threw on the shirt thrown carelessly onto the bedpost the previous day. Indents decorated the fire bender’s waist from where his jeans had dug in during the night. Baekhyun wondered if the group had clothes to spare but didn’t want to push his luck.

                Once clothed the pair left the room hand in hand to see that most of the boys already seated. Spoons clanked against bowls and light banter drifted through the room. Chen quickly waved the duo over and they took their places next to each other at the center of a long dinner table. It was made of dark wood and surprisingly nice for a cabin out in the middle of nowhere. “Oreo O’s?”

                Chanyeol’s ears perked at the mention of the cereal. He glanced at Luhan who was grinning widely and waved his hand towards the counter. Sitting atop the beige granite was the bright blue box with white lettering and marshmallow man. The tall man looked to Luhan with a suddenly serious face. The blonde burst into laughter, the sound ringing out through the room as the others turned. Waving his hand towards the counter he scrunched his face and the box began to move. “Hyung, don’t be lazy.”

                Luhan’s face softened into a pout as he looked at Suho. The shorter man just shook his head and motioned for him to actually get off his . With a groan of ‘no fun’ from Luhan, he pushed his chair back to get the newcomers some food. The others just chuckled and went back to their own meals.

                The second Luhan had placed the bowl in front of Chanyeol he began wolfing it down. Baekhyun was unfazed as he too began eating the sugary cereal. The taste was incredibly and the little delicacy of having chocolate was a blessing to the two. It wasn’t long before they both finished their bowls and looked up to the others who were all staring at them. “Hungry?”

                Kyungsoo smiled ruefully as he handed the two blushing men another bowl each. They nodded their thanks and began eating but with less rush than before. The other men around the table chuckled then turned to find a grumpy looking Sehun coming up the stairs. “Must you all act like a pack of rowdy elephants?”

                ‘Why? Did we disturb something Sehunnie?” Chen teased from his spot, gaining a few snickers from around the table.

                “They better not be! Tao and I still have to sleep in that room!” The group broke into howls of laughter as Sehun crossed his arms. The banter must have woken Kai who came up the stairs not long after, rubbing his eyes. He went over to his boyfriend and rested his chin on Sehun’s shoulder. “Babe are they bothering you?”

                “Aw Sehunnie are the Hyungs being mean? Kai babe you should make him feel better!” Half the group shot Chen a look and the other just grinned. In response Kai shrugged and spun Sehun around. Bracing a hand on the back of the younger’s waist he pulled Sehun into a warm kiss.

                A groan came from the group as Sehun melted into the embrace, tangling his fingers in Kai’s dark hair. “Really Chen? You just had to poke the bear didn’t you?”

                Pulling away with a smirk Kai placed a quick peck on Sehun’s cheek before sitting next to Lay at the table. Sehun took a moment to collect himself before getting him and his boyfriend’s breakfast. Once the last two of the group were settled the table fell silent as everyone continued to eat. Chanyeol glanced up from his bowl for a second and spoke before his brain could catch up with his thoughts. “How’d you get the cereal? I thought we were basically isolated here.”

                “There are perks to having a telepath and a teleporter in the house.” Suho smiled brightly at the pair then clapped his hand against the table. The others looked at him expectantly although Kris seemed to already know what was on his friends mind.

                “That reminds me! Today I was thinking Baekhyun could go with Luhan-Hyung to the store to get him and Chanyeol some clothes of their own… That is if you aren’t too tired, Kai.” The addressed boy shook his head and shot Suho a thumbs up.

                “Great! And I was thinking Xiumin-Hyung, Kris-Hyung and Tao could go with Chanyeol to check out the new facility, if that’s alright with you?” Suho looked to Chanyeol who paused. He didn’t want to leave Baekhyun alone but a nudge at his side had him nodding his head. The elder grinned brightly and returned to his meal as Chanyeol glared at Baekhyun.

                Once the meal was done the group dispersed. Those who weren’t assigned a task for the day gravitated towards the television while Suho and Sehun washed the dishes. Chanyeol quickly followed Baekhyun to their room and shut the door. “What the hell Baek!?”

                “What? I could tell you were going to say no.”

                “And what if I was?”

                “Yeol I can handle myself.”

                “Baek, you’re a giant light bulb!”

                Clenching his hands by his sides Chanyeol immediately regretted his words. Baekhyun’s face had hardened and he turned his back to rift through the closet. Lay said to take whatever he needed so he borrowed a thick sweater and tossed a navy blue vest over top. As he made his way to the door Chanyeol caught his arm. “Baek… I didn’t mean it.”

                With a sigh Baekhyun looked up and smiled stiffly. “Yeah you did but its okay. I may not have Kyungsoo strength or your fire but I’m not useless, Chanyeol.”

                A knock on the door broke the tension in the room and Chanyeol dropped the blonde’s arm. Once free Baekhyun went to the door and opened it to reveal an eager looking Luhan. “Kai is ready if you are. And Chanyeol…”

                He looked past Baekhyun to the taller man. “Don’t worry too much alright? I’ll keep him safe. Oh! And you leave an hour after we do, to give Kai time to recover. Be ready!”

                With a wave Luhan left the room and went over to Xiumin and hugged him. The couple saw him whisper something to Xiumin and the shorter man nodded before pulling Luhan into a soft kiss. Baekhyun tensed and glanced back at Chanyeol who was also watching the two. Making his way over to the taller man he hugged Chanyeol tightly. “Be safe, alright?”

                “I will.” Chanyeol pat his back then tipped his chin to give him a quick kiss. Lifting onto his toes Baekhyun chased the warm lips once they left his. He could hear the younger chuckle but he only grinned in response. Reluctantly letting go of the taller man, Baekhyun made his way to the porch where Luhan and Kai were already waiting. Kai took him into his arms and in a flash they were gone.

_*_*_*_

                Baekhyun was holding a giant pile of clothes as Luhan tossed more onto the stack. Kai had dropped them off just behind a mall and Luhan had led him through the back entrance. They were now in a popular clothing store, not overly priced but inconspicuous enough that if they wore the clothes out they wouldn’t stand out. Baekhyun always had one eye looking for anything out of place and he knew exactly where the exits were. Luhan seemed a lot more relaxed as they walked to the cashier.

                Dropping all the clothes onto the counter Baekhyun sighed in relief. The woman behind the register looked at the pile with raised brows before smiling at the two. She reached out for the shirt on the top of the pile but Luhan took her hand and smiled charmingly. “Take the tags off the clothes and put them in the bags. When done, you won’t remember we were here.”

                The clerk nodded and took out a pair of scissors to cut all the tags off. She folded the clothes neatly and placed them in the store bags. Handing the bundles over to Luhan she stared at them blankly and stood still. Baekhyun felt a hand in his and before he could protest Luhan dragged him out of the store. “Did… Did you just?”

                “Yes.”

                “I thought you were just telekinetic…”

                Luhan turned to him and smiled tightly. “There’s a lot that people can do in a year.”

                Baekhyun tensed but nodded as he was dragged around by the other blonde. They came to a stop in front of a bubble tea stand and Luhan’s face lit up. It was early September and wasn’t too cold so when the older tugged him to the shop he didn’t put up too much of a fight. The bags in his hands were also beginning to get heavy.

                Luhan pulled the same trick he had with the store clerk on the vendor and soon enough the two were sitting on a bench, a cup of bubble tea each. Baekhyun was gazing around, marking exits and stores as he sipped the sweet mango drink. Humming softly beside him, Luhan was contently the fat straw poking out from his strawberry bubble tea. His lips pursed in concentration and Baekhyun watched as a tapioca ball flew up the straw without the usual struggle. “Hyung…”

                Luhan hummed around the straw before looking at him. “C-Can… Can I ask you about… about how you were taken?”

                The tapioca ball stopped midway up the straw as Luhan froze. He stared at Baekhyun warily before nodding slowly. “You were in the 01s… right?”

                Baekhyun nodded as Luhan leaned back. Scrunching his brow he took another long sip from his drink before nodding. “I lived in China with my parents… Xiumin was a transfer student at my school from Korea… We immediately hit it off…”

                He sighed softly and ran his fingers through his hair before looking back at the younger. “It was six months… we had been together six months when we went to visit Min’s parents during summer holiday…”

                A loud crunch distracted them as Luhan loosened his grip on the cup. The plastic popped back into place as he took a deep breath. “His parents seemed so nice. I thought they had accepted me into the family and had no problem with us being together… I guess it was an act because one day they took us for a hike and that’s when we were taken.”

                Baekhyun had to take the cup from Luhan’s hands before he broke it and rubbed the elder’s back. Eventually, Luhan relaxed enough to continue. “From what I’ve heard from Suho the 01s and 02s weren’t very different. Just run by different scientists and apparently the one in charge of me found this enhancing drug that allowed her experiments to have a better chance of surviving faster than her sister did.”

                Clapping his hands Luhan stood from the bench and grabbed his drink. Now that his story was out he seemed more relaxed and held his hand out for the younger. “Come on, we still have some more stores to hit before Kai comes to get us.”

_*_*_*_

                The four men were crouched in the grass outside what looked like a rundown shack in the middle of nowhere. Kai had dropped them off and had gone home to sleep until he had to get them. Chanyeol was crouched beside Kris who was surveying the ground in front of them. “Kris-Hyung…”

                He received a grunt in response and he took it as permission to continue. “What are we going to do?”

                “Well after our last rescue, before you, they moved locations… We know that they’re underground…”

                Kris tilted his head then and seemed to ponder something before scrunching his brows. He glanced around the place again and frowned. “That doesn’t add up… Something’s off.”

                Beside Chanyeol, Tao stiffened and glanced at the tallest. Kris raised his hand for silence. His eyes shifted from side to side then widened. In a flash he jumped up and kicked Chanyeol in the arm with enough force to send him tumbling into Tao. A red light shot between the two tallest and burned a hole deep into the ground.

                Spinning around Chanyeol only just caught Kris taking off into the air as he faced a man with snow white hair and glowing red eyes. He barely had time to duck before another laser was aimed at his head. Scrambling back he slid behind Xiumin and froze.

                The man’s mouth was brought into a taut line as he shifted his gaze to the two of them. Xiumin frantically brought his hands up and produced a barricade of ice between them and the pale man. Gripping tightly to the shorter man’s shoulders, Chanyeol watched in horror as the barricade was quickly melted under the gaze. A cry rang out as Xiumin clutched his arm.

                Grabbing the shorter man, Chanyeol threw him over his shoulder and sprinted behind a hill. Lasers zoomed past him and he wasn’t as strong as Kyungsoo but he managed to get them there without further harm.

                Breathing a quick sigh of relief Chanyeol hastily pulled Xiumin’s hand away and gasped at the wound. It was a burn but more precise, cutting through layers of skin and was bleeding heavily. Whipping off his jacket he pressed it against the injury. “Hyung what do we do!? We need to get you out of here!”

                “LOOK OUT!” Spinning around Chanyeol just had time to dodge a projectile thrown his way. Shooting to his feet he swallowed hard. The man in front of him now matched him in height and his dark eyes were cold as he stared at Chanyeol. He froze, unable to move as the man came closer.

                Ice flew out beside him in sharp daggers towards the stranger. The dark eyes flicked to them and the tall man held out his hands. The ice stopped midflight and with a swift flick of his fingers their attacker sent the daggers flying back towards them. Chanyeol briefly heard Xiumin gasp before pain shot through his thigh.

                Crying out he dropped to his uninjured leg and wrapped his fingers around the spike protruding from him. Heating up his palm he quickly melted the spot sticking out but was careful not to go further in case the spike hit something vital. Xiumin was by his side in an instant, hardening the piece in his leg so it wouldn’t dislodge mid fight. The two glanced at each other then back to the man before something plummeted from the sky.

                The man’s feet flew out from under him as Kris took them out. Sending them a quick nod he flew just out of the reach of the man’s attacks. Jumping up he spun mid-air and slammed his foot into the man’s head. There was a sickening crack and he fell to the floor, unmoving. Bending to check the man’s pulse Kris frowned before he was sent tumbling across the field.

                Chanyeol and Xiumin were still well hidden behind the hill as they watched in terror. A huge figure stepped over the small slope and created a crater in the ground. The lean man was the height of an eight story building and one of the spikes on the circlet in his bleached white hair was easily the size of Chanyeol himself.

                A yell from the other side of the terrain brought the two elementals to watch as Kris flew up from the grass. He shot towards the giant and went for the eyes but before he could attack, the man shrunk back to the size of a normal human, causing Kris to fly into a small tree.

                Chanyeol went to help him when he suddenly felt all his will drain. Dropping to his knees he stared at his hands as an immeasurable rage filled him. Xiumin had rushed to his side and when he looked up, he wanted nothing more than to rip the shorter man’s head off. Shaking it off he gasped and threw Xiumin away from him. The man fell on his injured arm and Chanyeol heard him curse but his attention had gone to the man standing not two meters from them.

                A shorter man with his hair shaven on the sides and puffed up in the middle was staring at him with the same dead eyes as the other strangers. When Chanyeol’s eyes landed on the man an immense happiness flooded his being and he felt as light as air. With each slow step the man took Chanyeol just wanted him to come closer.

                Ice formed at the bottom of the man’s feet stopping his motion then moving up to cover his eyes. Xiumin held his hands out staring intensely at the frost coming from his hands. “I GOT THIS! HELP THE OTHERS!”

                Chanyeol wasn’t one to argue twice as he quickly scrambled up the remained of the little hill. Spinning in place he took in his surroundings and panicked. Kris was flying around, trying to catch the man with the circlet who kept changing in size. The first enemy they had met felt content to blast holes into everything he lays his eyes on. Xiumin was holding his own against the latest attacker and the one Kris had got was still face down in the dirt. Tao was nowhere to be found.

                Spinning in place Chanyeol searched frantically for the younger when something landed right between his feet. Raising his head swiftly he stared at the short man in front of him in shock. His hair was stark white, much like the first and his face was soft and rounded, reminding Chanyeol a bit of Luhan.

                Taking a step back he raised his hand as the man stepped towards him. Dead eyes met Chanyeol’s as he opened his mouth. A string of sapphire liquid shot from the short man’s mouth and Chanyeol just had time to dodge it before it hit a tree. A soft hiss came from the bark as it quickly rotted and fell away.

                Gawking at the man Chanyeol wasted no time to give the other the chance to melt him. Lifting his hands he faced the man and poked at the flame in his chest. It roared to life and flew through his arms and out of his palms. Bright red flames along the grass, setting it ablaze as it went towards the pale haired man. Not a single movement was made by the other as he was encircled in the blaze.

                Chanyeol was startled by the others reluctance to move and let the flames die down. Dropping to his knees the other man swayed before collapsing completely. Burns decorated his ghostly skin but it wasn’t fatal. He had just taken a breath when something whizzed by his head.

                Spinning on his heel he grimaced at the pain in his leg. Glowing red eyes met his as he scrambled away from the other man. Before he could scream a dark figure appeared in front of him. Turning around quickly Tao shot him a smile. “I got it Hyung.”

                Tao spread his hands gracefully and the next thing Chanyeol knew the younger was nowhere to be seen. Spinning around frantically he noticed the slight change of light, how it seemed to have gotten darker and the man attacking him lay on the grass a few yards away. “Tao!? TAO!”

                A thump alerted him that Kris had just landed beside him with Xiumin in his arms. The eldest groaned when Kris put him down but it seemed the tallest was about to collapse himself. Xiumin was in the best shape to walk so he quickly searched the field while the other two waited until they heard a scream. All the pain they were feeling numbed as they raced off to the source of the scream.

                They skidded to a stop at the bottom of a tree and their breath caught as they stared. Xiumin was lightly patting a barely conscious Tao on the cheek as he lay beside another man with wavy honey blonde hair. “Kris! Kris! Did you contact Luhan?”

                “Yeah, not two minutes ago. Kai should be here soon.”

                The two rushed to Tao’s side and helped Xiumin slowly bring him to a sitting position. Bruises and slashes littered his lean body but his eyes were what worried the three. They’re usual glint was gone. He was hollow. “GUYS! HYUNGS!”

                Kai’s voice rang out over the field and all three of their voices chorused together to get the teleporter to them. Kai came running and paled when he saw his friend. Without a word he went to wrap his arms around Tao. To their surprise he protested, fighting against Kai’s grip. The dark haired boy just glared and held Tao firmly before he disappeared in a puff of smoke.

_*_*_*_

                When Chanyeol landed everything swam in front of his eyes. The adrenaline was gone, replaced by a searing pain in his leg. Kai disappeared right after to retrieve the others and he was left to stumble through the brush on his own. It wasn’t far but it felt like an eternity for him.

                Pushing the last branch aside he finally reached the backyard of the cottage. Suho and Lay were crouched around Tao, beads of sweat soaking their clothes as they worked on the injured boy. Water swirled as Suho cleaned his wounds and sparks flew from Lay’s healing. The others were milling around and Chanyeol couldn’t bring himself to notice what they were doing. “YEOL!”

                That voice woke him from his daze as he stumbled. Arms quickly caught him and he was dragged to a spot next to Tao. He barely registered delicate fingers running through his hair as he fought to stay awake. “Yeol! Chanyeol! It’s me! For God’s sake stay awake! Where are you hurt? CHANYEOL!”

                His eyes were just drifting shut as water was flung over his face. Spluttering slightly he coughed out some that had fallen into his mouth. Baekhyun shot Suho a thankful smile before checking over his boyfriend. A gasp was heard and a prodding at his injured leg had Chanyeol crying out.  “Yeol, it’s okay we’ll get it out don’t worry. LAY!”

                “MIN!” Baekhyun’s cry for the healer was drowned out by the sheer panic in Luhan’s voice. A flurry of movement rushed around him and Chanyeol faintly registered Xiumin being laid out between him and Tao. Lay and Suho were beside him in an instant, soothing the burn and healing the laceration quickly. Both their brows were furrowed in concentration as they worked.

                Turning his head to the other side Chanyeol watched Kyungsoo carry the much larger Kris into the backyard and set him down carefully. His face was contorted in pain and his breathing was shallow. “Kris. Hey Kris. Can you hear me? You big log what hurts?”

                “R-Ribs… ankle.” Kris gave a quick answer as his chest stuttered. Chen nodded and as carefully as he could began to set the taller man’s ankle.

                Chanyeol watched dazedly until he felt pressure on his cheek. Glancing up at Baekhyun he frowned and tried to focus on what he was saying. “Yeol! You need to melt the ice so Lay can heal you. Chanyeol… Do you understand me?”

                A small nod was all he could manage as he reached for his leg. Heat enveloped his palm and he soon felt the cool drip of the ice down his thigh. Hands swatted his away and he watched as Lay set to work on his wound. The healer was shaking and biting his lip hard as he worked but he didn’t stop until Chanyeol was completely healed.

                Shifting to the side Lay started working on Kris as Baekhyun his hair. At his side he heard Luhan speaking softly to Xiumin. The eldest smiled thankfully and kissed his boyfriends hand as Kyungsoo lifted Tao and brought him inside. Sehun followed quickly after with an arm wrapped around Kai’s waist.

                “Lay… LAY!” Suho’s voice rang out clearly as he caught the healer. Checking the man’s temperature and pulse Suho sighed softly. Lifting Lay as carefully as he could Suho brought the healer onto his lap and started wiping the sweat from his face. “He’s done in…”

                “My ribs were probably what did it…” Kris sat up slowly and twisted his torso to make sure nothing was still broken. Nodding slowly he stood and started shuffling to the house. His movements were sluggish but he didn’t seem too damaged.

                With Baekhyun’s help, Chanyeol managed to stand just after Kyungsoo had brought Xiumin and Lay into the house. Luhan followed his boyfriend up the stairs but Suho hesitated when he reached the foot of it. He glanced towards Lay’s door, worrying his bottom lip before going up the stairs.

                Baekhyun was moving towards their bedroom when Chanyeol stopped him. Motioning towards the stairs he pouted until his boyfriend helped him up them. When they reached the top they noticed it much like their own room. It was simple; two large beds, desks, a closet and some shelves. Luhan and Xiumin were already huddled on the bed by the window as Kris sat on the other.

                Suho smiled tiredly at them, sweat matting his hair and dark circles under his eyes but he quickly waved Chanyeol and Baekhyun to sit on the bed next to Kris. Chanyeol was about to protest on the account that he was healed and Suho had been working his energy too much but Baekhyun didn’t give him time as he sat the younger down on the cushion.

                Just hidden inside the closet was a filing cabinet which Suho went to and pulled out a brown folder. Making his way back to the others he leaned against the side table as he flipped it open. “Hyung, you said something about someone changing sizes?”

                The taller man nodded as Suho flipped through the file. His hands stopped as he stared at a page in the folder. The three on the bed leaned closer and waited for him to explain. “Project Comet…”

                “What?”

                “It’s a project at the facility much like our own.”

                “That’s a weird name…” Chanyeol commented but was swatted by Baekhyun. He sent an apologising smile to Suho who just shrugged, grinning slightly.

                “Yeah it kind of is but this project was different… They didn’t just change the people physically. They changed them mentally.”

                The whole room went silent and only Xiumin’s steady breathing could be heard. Kris was the first to break the silence, clearing his throat before looking at Suho. “How do they do it?”

                Suho flipped through some more pages. “It says they implant a chip into their brains that makes them lose all sense. It blocks their memories and conscious, only implanting the information needed.”

                “That’s sick.” Smiling sadly, Suho nodded to Baekhyun’s comment.

                “So you said changes sizes… Here. B-Joo, size shifter. A part of the project for one year.”

                “What about lasers?” Luhan’s voice was cold as he asked from the spot beside his sleeping boyfriend. Suho nodded and examined the pages again.

                “Xero, Heat vision. In the project… 9 months.”

                “Anything like a toad or weird voodoo powers?” The four others looked at Chanyeol as if he had two heads. He shrugged and they all turned back to Suho. Scrunching his brow Suho mumbled something under his breath as he flipped through the pages.

                “Hansol, spit poison, 4 months. And voodoo… P-Goon empathy? He can control others emotions with just a glance… in the project for 10 months.” Chanyeol nodded excitedly and Suho let out a breath of relief before glancing at Baekhyun. Clearing his throat the blonde spoke louder.

                “Anything with um… ice?” The room fell silent as Luhan bristled. Before anyone could say a word Suho waved a paper in front of them.

                “Nakta, substance mimic. If attacked he can learn the structure of whatever it is and duplicate it… Xiumin must of have attacked him and he used it against Chanyeol.”

                “There was one more…” Kris muttered quietly. “I don’t know how but he managed to get to Tao during his time control.”

                Raising his head quickly Suho looked visibly shaken before leafing through the file. “Um… Gohn maybe? Shadow control… he’s been in the project a month. He can travel in shadows which might make him immune to the time shift. Since Tao isn’t strong enough to stop things like the sun which casts the shadows it could make sense…”

                “That makes sense… but what I don’t get are their names… I mean, we have number so what’s the difference?”

                “I’m not sure Baekhyun… Maybe they’re under different scientists? It doesn’t have their real names or even birth years here.”

                “Dongsung. Kim Dongsung. That’s Gohn’s real name…” The five of them turned to gape at Tao as he stood in the doorway. Pushing himself off the desk Suho made his way over to put a hand on the younger’s shoulder.

                “Tao you should be resting.”

                “I can’t.”

                “Wh-”