Blood littered the wooden floor, almost as if it had fallen from the sky like rain. Rain didn’t fall though; it hadn’t fallen ever since the creatures fell towards Earth. 

Along with their arrival came the pollution and bloodbath of the planet mankind occupied. 

At the present time, two years after their appearance, the world’s death count had reached one hundred million people. The numbers didn’t seem to stop as the unnatural beings continued to wreak havoc, destroying not only the environment but also the cities surrounding them. They were able to change into the forms of wolves and their sudden changes together with their abilities to control the elements of nature in human form made them impossible to stop, nevertheless eliminate. Time didn’t hinder their growth; instead it fueled it, making them grow stronger with each passing day. Their powers rose to levels that rendered the government useless.

The faith of humanity’s survival was slim.

“The status report is clear, no survivors present.”

A static noise crackled in the lone man’s ear as he ended his statement. He stared with a solemn expression at the destroyed household, eyes roaming across bits and pieces of former toys lying in jumbled heaps with the remains of limbs belonging to the family that had at one time lived.

The sound of static noise embraced his ear again, although the answer was muffled. “Verified, we will await your return.”

He spun on his heel, walking out of the demolished house without glancing back. The building was a former shell of its original structure, claw marks cracking the walls open and blood staining light colored rooms. His expression was still blank, no signs of emotions present as he stepped out on the desolated road.

No vegetation was existing in the vicinity, the only indications life had existed was the rotten smell of death lingering in the air along with the decaying forms of flowers and trees. A wine-red car was parked a couple meters away from the house, the soft music heard from an open window at the driver’s seat. The man quickened his pace, his steps sounding loud in the barren wasteland that had once been a peaceful setting fitted for a country house.

“How did it go?” A too cheerful voice asked him as he sat down on the passenger seat.

He shot him a glare, causing the hopeful smile to slip off of the other’s lips. “What did you expect? It’s the third time you’ve gotten these results since you were recruited, you have to adapt.”

His answer was cold and the reaction was inevitable. The driver winced, eyes downcast as he fiddled with the ripped leather on the steering wheel. A tense silence enveloped the confined space surrounding the two. It was broken by an awkward cough coming from the man, his grip on the wheel tightening.

“I know, but I…” He swallowed audibly, glancing at the house with a mixture of sadness and guilt. “I can’t get over the fact that people died in there, people with dreams, ambitions, with a future. How do you do this Sunggyu?”

Sunggyu scoffed, turning his focus to look out the window. “If you’ve been in this business as long as I’ve been, you’d get used to it too.”

The man stared at him, sadness in his eyes as he sighed. Out of all the six members, Sunggyu was the coldest person. He had at one time or another caught the members’ off-guard, seeing them with various expressions of sorrow or anger. But Sunggyu, he was like the personification of ice in a blizzard. He wouldn’t melt, wouldn’t waver, wouldn’t do anything but have an air of indifference circling him wherever he went.

“Are you planning on driving?” Sunggyu commented dryly, startling the man. “Or do we have to wait here until the limbs have decomposed themselves?”

It stung. A simple statement, but filled with uncaring words used for deceased people. He would never understand how Sunggyu thought, or what he’d been through. He started the car, the engine roaring to life as he began to drive away.

They hit the highway sooner than later, the windows up. The air had thickened, filled with smog and different chemicals brought on by their powers. He tried to focus on the road ahead of him, but his mind constantly drifted to the bloodied house. He didn’t understand the act of taking another’s life, how easy it seemed for murders and now them.

Weren’t they all equals?

Weren’t they all born with a mind and heart?

His thoughts were smashed out of his brain along with the car. The vehicle was roughly pushed to the side, swerving around in a circle as he tried to regain his control over it. It was no use though, as another impact to the car’s side sent it tumbling over. The force had hit the driver’s side, causing him to slam his head against the wheel. His vision grew hazy, his grip on the wheel loosened and he felt himself being lifted in the air by gravity. The car had begun to tumble, rolling against the asphalt.

The lights crashed onto the hard surface, the metal became dented. Each crash sent a shock throughout the car, shaking it as it continued to roll over. Despite this, Sunggyu sat still. His eyes narrowed, scanning the environment from the window shield in front of him.

There was the slightest hint of motion far in the distant. It was barely noticeable, but he saw it.

He also saw something closing up on them. It looked like air, air that was being bent, swiveling in a circle and growing large with every meter. The distance between them was far, but with each passing second the force of it could be felt from where he sat.

It was a tornado, and it was on its way towards them.

“Damn it,” Sunggyu muttered, gritting his teeth. “They weren’t supposed to be here.”

He glanced over to the man. He was knocked out, head resting on the steering wheel as a trickle of blood covered his temple. Gravity lifted them up and down, making it near impossible for Sunggyu to reach for the handle of the door nevertheless get the driver out of his seatbelt as well as seat. He let out a long breath, inhaling before exhaling again.

There was nothing they could do but wait, wait for the impact.

It came, faster than he’d anticipated.

But the collision and the pain was exactly what he’d anticipated.

Sunggyu quickly removed his leather jacket, throwing it over the other man’s shoulders and covering his head with the hood. The window shield burst open right after the action, glass splinters hitting his bare face. Fortunately none of them came into his eyes or onto the man besides him. The tornado spun the car inside its belly, toying with it as the wind ripped metal away from its original place along with the inside of the vehicle. Sunggyu’s gripped the edge of his seat, one hand holding the leather while the other held onto the man.

Minutes felt like hours before the tornado decided it had had enough. The car was lurched out of the never-ending maze of wind, flung back. It connected with the asphalt, spreading out what was left of its metallic bearings. The car had been reduced to nothing but broken pieces of its former self.

The two men lay on the ground, covered by the now dented roof.  As the storm came to an end, footsteps were heard, loud crunches on the cracked asphalt that came nearer and nearer towards the unmoving men. The noise halted, the footsteps belonging to black boots stopping in front of the people.

“I’ve taken care of the hindrance, Luhan,” The person spoke, his voice monotone. “What shall I do with the bodies?”

He looked up at the sky, as if it had all the answers printed on its ash colored hue. A brief minute passed before he nodded. He flicked his fingers once, a strong gust of wind effortlessly sending the roof flying back to the wrecked body of the car. He bent down, hand towering over the man closest to him. There was a jacket covering his face and he grabbed it, lightly clutching the material as he lifted his hand.

His wrist was gripped by another hand, bruised and dirtied.

“Listen up, Oh Sehun.” Sunggyu whispered menacingly, locking eyes with the young man.

Sehun blinked a couple times, a signal of surprise. Sunggyu frowned at him, grip intensifying. A bruise began to form on the white skin belonging to the young man as he tried to pull away, one hand raised in defense.

“Don’t even think about using another one of your fancy party tricks,” he interrupted, pulling the younger man to his knees. “If you do, I won’t hesitate to rip off your arm, and we wouldn’t want that, now would we?”

A glint akin to fear lit up in Sehun’s eyes and Sunggyu glared at him. He began to stand up, legs showing no signs of damage as he towered above the younger man. His grip had tightened to the point where Sehun could feel his bone screeching in protest, but all he could do was remain frozen on the ground.

“You will leave and you will show us your symbol. I’d love to have you as our guest, but I can’t fight in this state with my partner knocked out beside me and the possibility of your boyfriend listening in at the moment, so I’m letting you go.”

Sunggyu ended his demand by yanking Sehun upwards, averting his eyes to the backside of his hand. Sehun struggled in his grip but it only ended with a small moan of pain escaping his lips as he felt the faintest crack of his bone as it was being held tighter. Reluctantly, he cast his eyes downwards. Within seconds, the back of his captured hand began to glow as a symbol resembling a typhoon shone on the skin. Sunggyu stared at it, memorizing its outlines before promptly letting go of the other’s hand.

Sehun flew back, the wind carrying him as he distanced himself from Sunggyu. He held onto his wounded wrist with a pained look before running off in the opposite way. It didn’t take long until Sehun’s body had transformed into a wolf, the grey fur shining even though the sun wasn’t able to reach it. Sunggyu scoffed, returning his attention to the man lying unconscious on the ground.

He reached for his earpiece, waiting for a signal. The blows he’d received from the whole tumbling and crashing had done some damage to his ears, not that it mattered. He had been in more life-threatening situations. What mattered was he’d managed to achieve one symbol to add to their database and also ensure the safety of his partner.

The static voice crackled with its usual familiarity. “This is HQ responding, what is your status report?”

“Status report is alive; we were attacked by one of the beasts. I believe it was a man named Oh Sehun.”

“Notified, anything more do add?”

“I have the latest and last recruit, Kim Myungsoo, injured. The injuries aren’t fatal, I prevented that, but he is in need of medical attention. The risk of a severe concussion and an inevitable coma is high.”

“Roger that, we will send Dongwoo and Hoya to your location. Stay put and don’t do anything, over and out.”

A clicking sound was heard before the line went dead. Sunggyu sat down next to Myungsoo. He carefully removed the jacket from the other’s head and shook of the splinters of glass stuck to the smooth material. Myungsoo’s hair was tousled, but apart from the amount of blood covering his forehead and the light bruises on his hands and face, the rest of his body had managed without any fatal damage. Sunggyu grabbed the man by the collar, slowly placing his head on top of his lap as he waited for reinforcement.

“Rookies…” He grumbled, staring out in the distance.

The faith of humanity’s survival was slim.

But with the use of the Chasers, there was hope of surviving.