Chapter 01 | WELL GROUNDED

"An interesting display of powers"

~20 years later..…

Darkness filled the Sanctuary’s Northern section, the moon no longer providing the light it once had. The absence of light was noticeably amplified by the absence of sound - as if all senses had been numbed entirely.

The mewling of a cat broke the silence, soft laughter following not long after. Two boys sat in an alley, a narrow beam of light the only proof of their presence. The kitten mewled once more, pouncing on the light as its source chuckled.

"Quit playing with the cat, Baek. It's just gonna get even more attached to you," the other boy's baritone voice echoed off the alley's walls.

"The kitten needs friends in this dark and dreary world," Baekhyun replied, his voice mock-poetic.

"This dark and dreary world can barely support us. We can't afford another mouth to feed."

"We can't afford anything, Chen. That's why we're doing this raid."

"We won't be raiding anything if you don't keep your voice down and your light out!" Hissed his twin. Thunder rumbled in the distance.

Baekhyun frowned and clenched his fist, the beam of light disappearing. "Alright, alright. Let's get this over with. I'm beyond starving."

The twins made their way through the alley soundlessly, lithely jumping between dumpsters and under escape ladders. It was a path well-known to the pair, having been on stakeout in the area several times before. Their target was the 4th northern warehouse, where the Sanctuary's bread supply was stored.

After coming of age and avoiding registration in the Sanctuary's census, the pair had resorted to raiding warehouses for their necessities. Only registered citizens were given rations by the government, but they couldn't risk getting themselves registered - not when their powers were too obvious.

A flash of lightning, freely controlled by the younger twin, illuminated the vacant carpark outside their goal. There was no sign of guards on patrol. Two blinking lights towards the left became the signal; the two were in-sync as they slinked toward the building's western wing, their movements well practiced. Another flash of lightning showed their entrance: a large chute meant for transporting goods to the waiting trucks.

The twins stood with their backs to the wall, both controlling their breathing, as they listened for any sound. Reassured by the silence, Chen took the lead and jumped onto the mouth of the chute. Baekhyun followed, holding out his hand and filling the tunnel with light. A quick sweep of the tunnel showed that it was empty, and the light bearer extinguished his light.

With practiced ease, the pair made their way into the main room, ducking quickly behind a crate. The smell of freshly baked bread wafted through the air and made their mouths water. Their footsteps, guided by their sense of smell, led them towards the area of the latest batch of bread. But the dark night was too still and far too silent for the twins’ sensitive ears. Something was off, but they couldn’t put a finger to it. Seeing no sign of life, though, the brothers shrugged it off and went to grab a couple of metallic boxes each, tucking them under their arms. That would be enough to last them and their young charges at least a month. The metal box was specially designed to preserve food so it would not spoil after a few weeks.

Excited over the night’s results, the twins relaxed and fell into a playful banter as they walked back to their point of entry. Neither could wait to share their favorite bread with their friends back home, though they were both saddened by the fact that this could be their last chance to get their hands on the delicious pastries. They had raided the same warehouse too often - it wouldn’t be long til the government took notice of their actions. They needed to find another warehouse in a new location to gather their next random haul.

“Elders first,” Chen chuckled as he half-whispered and half-mumbled, inclining his head towards the chute.

“We share the same birth date Chen,” Baekhyun retorted, though he still took the lead down the chute, extinguishing his beam of light in the process.

Chen crept closer to the chute, eyes peeled for his twin’s signal before going down the small passage himself. Time dragged on and no signal came. Chen glanced around the dark warehouse nervously. Something was wrong. Baekhyun wouldn’t have forgotten to send the signal. His instinct told him that something had happened, but his eyesight proved nothing. Patrol guards? The boy doubted it. This warehouse didn’t have much security, the Sanctuary not being able to generate enough energy to support a system.

There was a rumbling in the distance, filling Chen with panic. He wasn’t responsible for that rumbling. Abandoning a box to free his hand, the younger twin slid down the chute.

The parking lot was just as dark, the moonlight hidden behind dark clouds that threatened to bring about a heavy downpour. A flash of lightning, governed by Chen himself, illuminated the area, allowing him to see the events unfold before him. What the boy saw briefly in the darkness did not ease his panic.

The ground had risen up at odd places outside the warehouse, the parking area no longer the flat area it was when they entered the warehouse. A beam of light towards his right showed Chen where his missing brother was. His brows furrowed as he studied the movement the light made. Baekhyun seemed to be jumping around so much – like he was being chased and attacked.

Four men were chasing his brother, who looked panicked at first, but Chen noted the change into a smirk once his own flash of light appeared in the dark sky.

The heavy footsteps behind him warned Baekhyun that the soldiers were drawing closer, but the knowledge of his twin being nearby reassured him. These soldiers would be no match for them both. It was silly of them to even think they could catch him – but they didn’t know who he was or what he could do. No one did. No one lived long enough to tell the tale. He glanced around himself, waving a hand to see what else had changed in the once familiar ground. In front of him, the ground shook violently and cracked into huge boulders that randomly formed walls around him, confusing his sense of direction.

“Whoa! What the-?!” Baekhyun cursed as the ground he was standing on suddenly rose. He would’ve fallen several feet to the ground if not for his quick reflexes.

“Baek! Behind you!” Chen shouted as he ran towards his twin, striking down two of his brother’s pursuers with a bolt of lightning. The thunder that followed countered the earth’s shaking, balancing everything out. Baekhyun grabbed the opportunity to take down the remaining men with his martial arts.

“Huh. Didn’t think the government would set a trap as lame as this,” Chen said, dusting off his clothes. He allowed another flash of lightning in order to locate the boxes of rations they’d dropped during the fight.

“Hold on. There’s only one person I know who can manipulate these boulders.” Baekhyun said, gesturing to the mess in front of them. The previously flat garage was now a jumble of boulders and damaged walls. “He’s here somewhere.”

The twins fell silent for a moment, taking it all in, when the sound of slow clapping caught their attention.

“Well, well. I didn’t expect to become a spectator of such a nice show of powers. I wonder how the government would react if they knew there were others with such abilities?” A voice said, coming from behind one of the broken walls nearby.

“Who are you? Show yourself!” Baekhyun demanded.

“And who do you think YOU are? Speaking with such insolence to someone of high authority?!” the voice said.

“The slums recognize no authority,” Chen growled, only to be responded to by a hiss. The ground shook once more and the floor under Chen began to move. The quick boy jumped and grabbed hold of a railing by the garage’s door, now easily reachable after the shifting the ground had gone through. “Hey! Don’t spoil our food!”

Baekhyun concentrated particles of light on the tips of his finger, and with a flick of his wrist, the wall beside them was sliced apart by rays of light. The identity of the man behind the now broken wall was unmistakable, proving Baekhyun’s hunch.

Very few elites wore the prestigious white and gold uniform he donned. The pin on his left chest gleamed, confirming his rank and power; it was the sigil of the Trio. Baekhyun felt his brother tense up from behind. The government and its people believed that only the Trio possessed superhuman abilities -- the living product of their continuous quest for the answer to evolution. The people worshipped and feared them at the same time.

“D.O,” Chen muttered, cursing under his breath. No criminal in the Sanctuary had ever gotten away from one of the Trio. Few survived long enough to go to prison. Chen glanced at his twin, and they nodded at the same time. The one in front of them was powerful, but so were they. With the two of them working together, defeating a single member of the Trio would be a cinch.

“You know, there were hushed rumours about you two for quite a while now. We might’ve killed a few dozen just to shut them up. Couldn’t have them going around spreading baseless rumours that will threaten our authority as the power-wielding Trio now, can we?” D.O cocked his head to the side and the rubble between himself and the pair moved, clearing a path as he stepped closer to the twins. “Suho believed them though. He said we weren’t alone - that we weren’t the only ones with abilities. I didn’t really believe him then. But actually seeing the two of you up close and personal proves how wrong I was to doubt my brother.”

Baekhyun fixed his stance, ready to move away from the opponent as necessary. D.O was known for his tactical skills in battle; going head-on without a plan would be foolish against the man. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the static flowing from his twin’s fingers.  Don’t be rash, Chen! the older twin thought desperately, knowing that the other would think this a challenge and face it head on.

D.O inclined his head,. “That was an interesting display of powers. I wonder what else you can do?”

Chen could not read the plea in his brother’s eyes, though. His own eyes were irrevocably fixed on the enemy in front of them. The Trio were rumored to be extremely powerful, and Chen wanted to test that himself. He smirked as he let a bolt of lightning flash towards the other, striking the ground by the other’s feet.

D.O didn’t even flinch. A smile was visible on his face. “Impressive. I really do hope you weren’t aiming for me. It would be too bad if you just missed.” He smirked as he held one hand out. The ground shook violently once more and the next thing they knew, a huge block of broken cement flew right into Chen, sending him sprawling. Chen swore under his breath as he felt his ribs crack from the force.

“Chen!” Baekhyun cried, watching as his twin struggled to stand. He caught a glimpse of another boulder, this time aimed at him. Baekhyun expertly dodged the flying projectile as he rushed to his twin. He concentrated a ball of light on his palm before throwing it towards D.O.’s general direction, momentarily blinding him. “Get up! Chen!” he pleaded.

Another bolt of lightning struck, this time hitting the target with perfect accuracy and precision. Chen’s fingers dug into the ground where he lay, his eyes scrunched together in concentration to control the huge amount of electricity he had to direct. Such a large voltage was meant to fry its target. Baekhyun took Chen’s arms and slung it across his shoulder to help his brother stand.

“Ugh, I think I cracked a rib or two,” Chen muttered as he winced in pain, clutching the side of his torso. There were no signs of broken skin from the previous impact but with the pain he felt, an internal hemorrhage was his top guess. His focus was starting to dwindle and he knew that wasn’t a good sign either.

“Let’s get out of here quick!” his twin suggested, wrapping an arm around the other’s waist to help him walk. The pair turned to walk away, but the ground rose in front of them, creating another wall. “What the-?”

“Where do you think you’re going?! No one escapes the Trio,” D.O’s voice rang throughout the open area, his anger almost tangible.

The twins turned to face him once more, eyes wide. “How’d he survive that hit?” Chen whispered. The blast he had delivered was strong - much stronger than what the human body could handle. Anyone hit by that should have been dead or even at least unconscious. But their opponent stood before them, his singed uniform the only sign of being struck by lightning.

D.O chuckled, amused at the boys’ surprise. “I’m well grounded. No amount of electricity can affect me.”

“Stop it! Let’s escape!!” Baekhyun furiously whispered to his brother but the look in Chen’s eyes could not be mistaken. The boy felt challenged, and he was determined to finish what he started. His twin knew that he couldn’t last for much longer, though. His injuries were bad, and the voltage he’d already used up would’ve drained the boy’s energy already. The lightbearer looked left and right for a better escape route; he had a feeling this wouldn’t end well.

Chen’s eyes narrowed as he sent another blast at D.O, who seemed to just absorb the bolt that hit him. Chen pulled himself away from his twin and dropped to a knee. He felt his twin vanish from his side, but ignored his absence. I got this.

Eyes closed and fingertips hovering millimeters from the ground, the lightning master conjured as many volts as he could and directed it into one strike. D.O raised a hand just as the bolt was about to strike him, blocking it with a mound of earth, which shattered to pieces.

“Tsk, tsk, tsk. Now you’re just draining your energy.” Another boulder flew towards Chen. Weak from his attack, Chen could do nothing as the counterattack struck him. This time he was thrown against a wall and crushed under the giant rock.

His vision dimmed further. Chen only registered the bright rays of light and his twin’s shouting before the world turned blurry and silent as his senses numbed completely.