The voice, shrill and high-pitched, rang down the hallway behind him, almost drowned out by the crackling of the fire that surrounded Kai. It creeped low, curious yet mighty in a circular fashion, imprisoning him in a fiery trap. Eyes wide and alert, he scanned the area for any possible exits from the hot cage.

 

“Who are you?” Came the voice once more, this time much louder, raw and frustrated. The flames set ablaze, growing taller as its diameter lessened. Kai could feel the heat dangerously close.

 

“W-wait-- I don’t mean any harm. Please.” Kai answered, his voice shaking, wary about the fire now less than a meter away from him. He could feel sweat trickling down his temple, and his forehead was framed by damp hair.

 

“Lies. Where is Hanhae?” the voice demanded. The fire danced around him, a glaring warning for him to think before he speaks.

 

“Who’s Hanhae?” Kai wondered out loud, his mind becoming fuzzy from the lack of oxygen. Stretching his legs out, he tried to maintain his balance, but only regretted it a moment later as his only pair of shoes wept to be saved as they drew closer to the fire.

 

“Where are all the scientists?” The voice was even louder this time, and the circle of fire burned even closer to Kai.

 

Not wanting to suffer the heat any longer, Kai jumped, but not too far. He reappeared beside the door that had been left ajar. He took a deep breath and filled his aching lungs with relatively fresher air. It was all he needed to gather his senses, albeit the dust that came along with it. Surveying his surroundings, he found the figure that stood between him and the wall of flames that had surrounded him only moments before.

 

“There was no one here when I arrived,” he answered as he poised himself behind the figure.

 

He heard the person gasp as she turned to face him, long hair whipping to the side as the flames fizzled out. With just one glance, he knew right away that this was the girl he had woken from his slumber. He stepped closer, hands held up in front of him to show her he meant no harm.

 

She stepped back as a another flickering wall of fire formed between them. “H-how? Stay away!”

 

“I’m not going to hurt you,” Kai said softly.

 

“Where is Hanhae?!” The girl repeated, her voice becoming shrill once more. Her fire, responding to the burst of emotions their master exuded, higher towards the ceiling.

 

“I have no idea who Hanhae is, but I don’t think he’s here. No one’s here.” He stepped closer. Kai tried to keep his voice as calm as possible, not wanting to scare the girl any more than he had. She looked apprehensive and wary of everything around her, as if the place was familiar and at the same time so foreign.

 

“My sister. Where is my sister?” She cried, frantic, and her eyes glazed over as if unwanted memories flashed before them. Her breathing became heavy as if she was having a mild panic attack, not unlike those that his brother, Sehun, was afflicted by. The flames became hotter as the seconds ticked by, changing from a golden yellow to a fiery orange then electric blue, and Kai felt even more sweat dripping down the side of his face.

 

“I need you to relax. I’m not going to hurt you,” Kai cooed, but the fire only burned hotter. “Again, I have no idea because I just got here. Please, relax. I’ll help you find her. I promise.”

 

Kai waited as silence filled the hall once more, with only the sound of the burning fire filling the void. What happened next went by so quickly that he barely had the time to react. The girl screamed, throwing the agitated flames in every direction, burning hot as the sun. Kai jumped just in time, getting only part of his shirt got singed, and he reappeared behind the girl. He firmly placed his hands on her shoulders and spun her to face him.

 

“Relax. I won’t hurt you. I’ll help you find who you’re looking for,” he repeated, his eyes pleading. Slowly, he loosened his grip on her shoulders, but his mind remained on the defensive.

 

The girl looked back at him, her eyes wide and b with tears. The strong facade was now gone, along with the fire, leaving nothing but a trembling girl in its wake. “I want Hanhae,” she sobbed, finally dropping to her knees, the back of her forearm covering her eyes like a child. Her cries echoed through the empty halls.

 

Kai relaxed and put his hands on her shoulders. "It's gonna be okay," he whispered, picturing the room he had woken up in.

 

The pair appeared in the room, and Kai helped her sit onto the bed before jumping out, then back, into the room, the small bag of food he had brought from home in his hands. He handed the sobbing girl a bottle of juice, and she stopped crying long enough to see what he was offering. Turning away, she realized where they were and her tears stopped flowing completely, her eyes becoming wide once more.

 

"How-" she hiccuped. "How did we get here?"

 

"We jumped," Kai answered, offering her the bottle once more. She ignored the drink and turned to him, confused. He smiled gently at her and explained. "I guess it's normally called teleportation, although I don't think it's actually very normal."

 

"Tele- what? What is that?"

 

Kai raised an eyebrow. "Teleportation. It means I can travel from one place to another without physically moving. Like this," he demonstrated, jumping to the other side of the room. The girl gasped.

 

"You have special abilities like me!"

 

"Uh, well... Not really. I think your ability is different. That was some crazy stuff you did with the fire back there."

 

The girl shook her head. "Hanhae said that not a lot of people had abilities like me, and if they did have special abilities, they would be different from mine... Just like my sister!"

 

"Yeah, my brother's ability is very different from mine, too," the teleporter mumbled. "But who is Hanhae? And where is your sister?"

 

The girl shook her head, her teary eyes still focused on Kai, the awe obvious in them. "I don't know what's going on."

 

"That makes two of us," Kai mumbled. Noticing that he still had the girl’s attention, he decided to investigate her identity further. “What’s your name?”

 

“Wol Saebyuk,” came the answer. She seemed calmer now.

 

“Okay, Wol Saebyuk. Do you know how you ended up in the cryogenic chamber?”

 

“Oh! You mean that place where I woke up?” The girl perked up, the tears notably gone from her eyes. Kai noted the way she scrunched up her eyebrows as she thought. It really was almost… childlike.

 

“Hmm.. I just remember a man wearing a long black coat with a hood telling me to follow him. All the scientists were really busy in the other room, and I think my sister was doing something bad again, because Hanhae wasn’t there. I told the man I wanted to see my sister first but he said no. Then he grabbed me. I remember burning his hand because he won’t let go.”

 

“So what happened next?” Kai urged the girl to continue. The thought of someone burning another person’s hand made him shiver but he shrugged it off. He knew firsthand that panic could make anyone lose control.

 

“Well, I remember getting injected by something… there was that feeling like an ant bit me. I’m not sure. But it made me feel really sleepy and my legs were all wobbly. He carried me to that chamber then left. Hmmm... after that, the alarms sounded off, I don’t know why though? Maybe he was an intruder? I haven’t seen him before. But I don’t get to see a lot of people coz I'm cooped up in this building,” she added as a side thought.

 

“Did he come back?” Kai probed. Whoever had done this to the girl had given her some form of anesthesia before putting her inside the berth. After his past two experiences with her abilities, he understood why.

 

“He did. He even said something. But I can’t remember what.” The girl hummed, her head tilting to the side as she recalled the memory. “All I remember after that is the sound of that chamber being , and the glass sealing me inside. And then… I woke up. And saw you. And I look like this.”

 

“Like this?” Kai asked. Wol Saebyuk raised her eyebrows at him.

 

“Yes. Like this," she gestured her hands from her head down to her feet.

 

“I don’t get what you're saying,” he said, mimicking her gestures.

 

“I look old,” she said simply, as if that would explain everything.

 

“You don’t look that much older than me.”

 

“But you’re tall. Your head is higher than the panel that opens doors. Which means you’re old.”

 

Kai frowned. “I’m only 20 years old.”

 

“You’re 20?! That means I look like I’m 20!” Wol Saebyuk sighed, throwing her arms into the air to emphasize whatever point she was trying to make.

 

“I don’t really understand. Twenty isn’t really that old.” Kai stated, still completely baffled by the girl’s words and actions.

 

“But I’m only five years old!”

 

 

 

---

 

 

 

 

“Say that again,” Suho demanded, the frightened Uniform shrinking away from his glowering expression. He and Xiumin had spent the night in the North, taking care of the orphaned children the Uniforms had managed to capture as the kids loitered in the slums. The Trio’s leader wanted no part in the business that had robbed him of his sleep and morals, and to only be greeted by such news as what the cowering Uniform delivered so early in the morning only made his blood boil.

 

“What do you mean he is in IR68? Is he some sort of high ranking criminal to be put in an isolation room past 60? IR SIXTY EIGHT?!” The eldest shouted, fuming. The quickly dropping temperature in the room proved that the leader wasn’t the only one angry. "He's gonna go insane!"

 

The sound of a slap echoed the across the room, followed by whimpering. The two turned to see a girl, probably around their age, lying on the ground, a seemingly angry Uniform standing over her. Xiumin hissed, and a cool breeze pushed the Uniform to the wall behind him, a block of ice encasing him to the spot.

 

"I don't know when all of you started to think lowly of us, but when I said do NOT hurt the civilians, I meant, do NOT hurt them!" Xiumin roared. He turned, his eyes scanning each of the men that had stopped to look at him. "Do we need to have another demonstration or am I making myself clear?"

 

The troop leader's eyes widened, fear evident in his eyes.

 

"Answer me!" Xiumin shouted. In his hands, ice particles as sharp and as thin as needles began to form, ready to strike.

 

"Y-yes... S-sir," The troop leader stuttered, struggling to maintain his composure as he saluted the boy in front of him. The older man had served the Council even before the Trio came into power, but time did not mark a person’s seniority here. It was only his loyalty to the Council that left him unwavering, defying orders nowhere near his subconscious. His orders were to dispose of the rebels in the North, and yet the Trio were a hindrance. Suho had never allowed such disposals to happen on his watch, and as confused as the troop leader was with the conflicting orders, he opted to yield to the immediate threat before him. Angering the Trio could mean immediate death, despite their insistence on protecting life.

 

"Easy now Xiumin. We need to leave. D.O needs us," Suho leaned in towards Xiumin, his right hand grasping the other’s left shoulder. At the rate the temperature in the room was dropping, it would soon hit zero. Getting no reponse from the elder, the leader strengthened his hold. The other seemed to get the point and he took a deep breath, the temperature in the room rising once more.

 

"What about the civilians.... S-sir?"

 

"We'll deal with them after we get our brother back. Now move your asses and pack up! We're going back now." Xiumin growled.

 

"Now? S-sir?"

 

"You're starting to get on my nerves," Suho said, his voice low as his eyes made contact with the troop leader’s.

 

The troop leader said no more as he scurried away, barking orders at his subordinates.

 

 

 

---

 

 

 

 

“The roads toward the alley where you came from are all blocked. There are checkpoints two blocks away from here as well as on the main road and in some of the alleys. Evade those at all costs. You can take the old route we used as children. No one uses that anymore.” Kris told the younger pair before him as he held each of their gazes steadily. “You two be careful. Stay off the radar for now, okay?”

 

“We will. I promise. Especially now that we’ll be able to lay off the raids for a while, all thanks to you both. The kids will surely be happy with all this food,” Chen replied as they stepped out in the lawn, making sure to avoid the remaining splinters on the porch, yet to be thrown out.

 

“Yeah. Though we’ll have to hide most of it lest they eat everything in one go,” Baekhyun chuckled.

 

“Just make sure that none of you get caught, alright? The Trio are still on the lookout for the both of you, so please don’t get into any trouble.”

 

“We promise. Thanks again, hyung. I owe you my life,” Chen said as he stepped towards the taller man and gave him a quick and awkward hug. Though he gave Baekhyun a lot of hugs, it was only because his brother lived on that feeling of wantedness. Chen, however, was never the touchy-feely type. He tended to simply cling onto arms or gave awkward but definitely not forced side hugs.

 

“Don’t go wasting that life, then. Take care, okay?” Kris responded just as awkwardly, tapping the younger man’s back before he let go. He knew the younger twin was awkward with displaying affection, unlike Baekhyun, who was being twirled around by Chanyeol, arms across the taller man's neck as they spun around in circles.

 

“We got it the first time, hyung,” Chen laughed, his mischievous smile coming back as he waved goodbye at Chanyeol, who set Baekhyun down. The light bearer gave Chanyeol a tap on the shoulder as a thank you and made his way toward the eldest. Dizzy from all the spinning, Baekhyun’s feet wobbled unsteadily and he landed in the arms of Kris, his laughter practically shining brighter than the light he controlled.

 

“You too. Be careful.” Kris eyed Baekhyun as the younger one wrapped his arms around his torso. Baekhyun laid his head on Kris’ chest and sighed deeply. The gravity of the previous day’s  events had only begun to sink in, but he was glad that he had his hyungs to rely on. With Kris and Chanyeol, he felt safe; he knew he was protected. Next to Chen, he trusted them the most.

 

“You know I always am. Except for the fact that I have a stupid brother who's a little too adventurous for his own good,” Baekhyun sighed. “I’ll protect him with my life, though,” he continued, tightening his hold around Kris, and taking in a deep breath. He knew Chen thought out his actions, but his twin had made one dangerous mistake: he underestimated the power of the Trio. But they knew better now. What was important was that they survived and they had seen for themselves the might of one of the Trio. Pulling away from Kris, he punched the other on the arm, making him stumble. “By the way, you are such a tattle tale! You owe me for that!”

 

Kris chuckled at the younger ones’ outburst. He looked towards the rising sun and ruffled the light bearer’s hair, gesturing for them to go. “Alright, now off you go before it gets too late.”

 

“Let’s go Baek! Bye hyungs!” Chen called, turning and walking out the gate. Baekhyun followed not soon after, waving both of his hands as he carried the bag of rations on his back.

 

Chanyeol and Kris watched the younger pair as they turned the corner, leaving their line of sight. As much as they wanted to help them, all they could do was worry and pray for their safety. In the meantime, they had their own problems to sort out.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The two were silent as they made their way to the alley. Chen was still pissed after finding out about Baekhyun's latest illusion, while the other didn't want to push his brother any further. He wanted to make it back to the slums in one piece - and hopefully not fried.

 

Chen trudged ahead of the light bearer, carrying one of the packs Kris had given him on his back. The older twins had produced two bagfuls of food and supplies for him and Baekhyun to carry back. They had been reluctant to accept them at first, but the remainder of the bread that they had taken from the warehouse that night had been reduced to nothing but a soggy mess, leaving them with nothing to bring back to their hideout. Chen was grateful for the help. He didn’t want to see the disappointed look in the kids’ eyes if they came back empty handed. He sighed and picked up his pace. With the supplies the hyungs had provided, the lightning manipulator couldn’t wait to see his friends.

 

Baekhyun followed his brother cautiously, not wanting the other to suddenly focus on him. He knew what he’d done wasn’t exactly wrong - it was necessary for them to survive, after all - but he had barely heard the end of it back at the house when Kris and Chanyeol were there. Now that it was just the two of them, there would never be an end. Why is he so touchy about it anyways? Not like I actually did anything. That’s why it’s an illusion, for goodness’ sake!

 

The older twin shook his head and ducked into an alley after his brother. They were walking around the border of the Eastern Section in broad daylight, only protected from the scrutiny of the security cameras on the streets by the large hoods on the jackets their friends had provided. The tall twins were practically giants compared to Baekhyun and Chen, but the clothes they had lent served the younger twins’ purpose well enough.

 

Though confident that they would remain hidden, the twins made their way to the North through the various alleys they knew weren't being monitored in their years of surveillance and raids, with the help of the input from Kris. The sun had set completely and the night sky filled with innumerable stars by the time they arrived at their destination.

 

"Home sweet home," Chen sighed dramatically, breaking the silence that had accompanied them throughout the whole trip back.

 

Baekhyun chuckled softly as he looked up at the abandoned warehouse, relieved that his brother was able to crack a joke. It meant that all was behind them at last. He led the way through a break in the warehouse's large door.

 

The warehouse they were in was on the other side of the Northern Section, opposite the one they had raided a few nights back. While the pastry warehouse was located near the border to the Eastern Section, this warehouse was towards the woods of the West, where not many people lived after the government began cutting down on the power supply in the Sanctuary. It was only thanks to the twins’ abilities that the place had become habitable.

 

Baekhyun formed a ball of light in his palm and pushed it out to float towards the end of the open space inside the warehouse, allowing the two to check the area for anything out of place. Reassured of the warehouse’s safety, they proceeded to a pile of crates and moved them around methodically, forming the pattern they had devised years ago. Once done, a panel in the floor in the middle of the crates promptly slid open.

 

A faint light glowed through the hole in the door, accompanied by a hushed silence. Baekhyun and Chen grinned at each other, both excited to finally be able to climb down that ladder. Taking one last look around the empty warehouse, Chen stepped forward and made his way down, followed by Baekhyun, who waved the ball of light away, allowing it to illuminate their path down instead.

 

“Baek oppa? Chen oppa? Is that you?” A voice called up to the two.

 

“Yeah, it’s us, Jinnie,” Chen answered, jumping down the last couple of steps and turning to face the young girl that waited at the bottom, her long auburn hair messily framing her small face. Her eyes glistened with excitement in the light from Baekhyun’s palm.

 

“Yejin! You do realize that you could have given us away?” A second voice reprimanded, and another girl with eyes similar to the first stepped into the light.

 

“But I knew it would be them, unnie! I saw it!” The girl pouted.

 

Baekhyun chuckled as he stepped off the ladder and turned to face them, opening his arms towards the pouting girl. “Of course you did, Jinnie. Come here.”

 

Yejin’s pout was immediately replaced by a wide grin as she rushed into the older boy’s arms, flinging her own around his neck. “Welcome back, Baek oppa. I’m so glad you’re safe.”

 

Baekhyun laughed once more and pulled back from the girl, examining her face. “You look like you need a decent meal. Come on, let’s get this food rationed and distributed to the kids,” he turned to Chen and the older girl, who still stood with arms folded across her chest and eyebrows scrunched up. “Aw, come on, noona. I know we took long, but we’re back, right?”

 

“You coming back wasn’t the only thing Yejin saw,” the older girl began, her voice low with obvious restraint.

 

Baekhyun gulped and looked over at Chen. “Uh, yeah. We kind of had a bit of a - hiccup - on the trip…” He grabbed Yejin’s hand and sped off down the dark hallway, leaving Chen with the older girl in the dim light. “Chen’ll explain!”

 

“Hey!” Chen called after the two, but he knew that the two wouldn’t come back. He rolled his eyes. “And to think that guy keeps rubbing in his supposed three minutes’ seniority.”

 

“Chen…”

 

“Yes, Yemin noona,” Chen began, a sheepish smile replacing the glare he had been sending down the hallway after his brother. “I’ll talk while we head to the main hall.”

 

Chen led the way, the older girl following behind him as they tread down the dark hall, their steps guided only by their memory. The four had discovered this place several years ago, back when the twins were fourteen, Yemin fifteen and Yejin thirteen years old. They had all come together, orphans with nowhere to go but away from the government’s radar, and made do with all that they could find. They knew that their lives would be at stake, what with Baekhyun, Chen and Yejin’s abilities, and they had learned to depend on one another in order to survive.

 

They had found this abandoned warehouse with its hidden rooms a while later, and they had turned it into a dorm of sorts, housing the various orphans they had encountered. With Chen and Baekhyun’s abilities, they were able to upgrade the technology in the building and make it more secure, although they believed that most of their luck was due to the fact that this area was taken for granted - who would want to live in the slums when the Council provided everything for everyone? Everyone who submitted to them, that is.

 

Yemin listened quietly as the lightning bearer related their story. Yejin had told her of the vision the young girl had while the two were away - she only remembered glimpses of the dream, but she had walked off to prepare a meal only to end up screaming of Chen dying, and Yemin thought her heart had been ripped out. It was all she could do to swallow her fears and convince herself that her sister’s visions were not always accurate, and quite often messed up due to her emotions. She then had to convince both her sister and the children old enough to understand what was happening yet too young to process the possibilities on their own. That was nights ago, and the vision of the boys’ return arrived only this afternoon. Watching Chen’s back as he led the way, listening to him tell of how he had been unconscious for two nights - the restraint she had used to hold her heart together was now being used to hold herself back from hugging the boy and bursting into tears of relief.

 

“So, basically, now another person knows about our abilities, but we’re pretty sure he’s cool, since he has the hyungs’ approval, and he kept me alive,” Chen was saying. They had arrived at the main hall, where they saw around ten children gathered in a large circle around Baekhyun and Yejin. They were almost finished with the sandwiches the older pair had prepared for them.

 

“Wait. Who did you say knows of your abilities?” Yemin asked, the details of Chen’s story only just sinking in, replacing the wave of relief at seeing the younger boy alive.

 

“Lay hyung. He’s the Head Medic - and an actual healer, if I’m to believe Baek’s accounts. He apparently has a secret ability of his own - which is how he was able to bring me back from the near-dead,” Chen answered, plopping down onto a seat and rummaging through his pack.

 

“Head Medic?” Yemin parroted. Chen glanced up at her, sending her a look as if to say are you okay? before turning back to his rummaging with a shrug of his shoulders. Yemin wasn’t the kind to blankly repeat words, but Chen assumed that the idea of a government official helping rebels would be quite difficult to swallow, after all.

 

“Yes. Like, literally the Council’s Head Medic. I think Kris hyung mentioned that no one in the government knows of his abilities, though. Anyways, enough of that. I have something here for you,” Chen paused as he pulled out a chocolate bar from the bottom of the pack and handing it to her. “Tada! I was sure I saw Yeol hyung throw this into the bag. Here,” he said, putting the bar directly into the girl’s hand when she made no move to take it. “Come on, it’s your favorite. It has almonds.”

 

Yemin looked down at the chocolate, though her mind was nowhere near the fact that Chen had just handed her an exceptionally rare treat. The wheels in her brain were turning, analyzing every track this train of possibility could lead. Someone in the government knew of Chen and Baekhyun’s abilities - are they truly friend? Or a foe waiting for the best moment to attack? She knew she ought to be grateful to this Lay person for healing Chen, but having the label, Government Official, was enough to make her wary.

 

“This Lay person, how sure are you that he’s going to keep your secret?”

 

“He has Kris and Yeol hyungs’ seal of approval. I trust those two with my life, and so does Baekhyun, and therefore we trust their decisions,” Chen answered absently. He had grabbed the chocolate and was peeling off its wrapping as Yemin made no sign of wanting to do so herself.

 

“And how sure are you that Kris and Chanyeol will continue to protect you? You have put them in danger, too.” Yemin’s voice was becoming dangerously low as Chen held out the chocolate bar to her.

 

“I’m very sure, noona. Kris and Yeol hyungs have our backs.” He was starting to get annoyed at how she kept questioning his hyungs’ loyalty. Nonetheless, he still offered the chocolate to her with both hands, despite his grin beginning to fade with every second the offer was ignored.

 

“That’s not very reassuring, Chen!” Yemin yelled as her restraint was stretched to its limit, standing up and knocking the chocolate to the floor as she threw her arms out in exasperation.

 

Chen looked down at the fallen treat, his eyebrows knitting together. “Noona,” he began, his breath coming out ragged, his energy dropping as his temper snapped. “I have known those two ever since I could begin to create memories of my own. In all that time they’ve watched over me and Baek, and when you guys came along, they looked out for you two, too. I think that counts for quite a lot.”

 

“Chen, people change.”

 

“I know, noona. Can you stop thinking of me as a kid who doesn’t get this stuff? Because I do get these things!” Chen answered, wincing as he rose from his seat. Baekhyun told him he would still feel the after effects of his injuries since some were not fully healed despite the sped-up healing process. “I understand the possible dangers, but you have to understand that with Kris and Yeol hyungs, everything runs deep, okay?”

 

Yemin noted Chen’s sharp intake of breath and the way his arm crossed over his abdomen as his eyes narrowed in pain, and decided to yield for the meantime. “Go to bed, Chen. You’re still recovering.”

 

Chen scoffed, picking up the chocolate and slamming it down onto the table. “You’re only a year older, for goodness’ sake! I AM NOT A CHILD!”

 

I know. It doesn’t mean I worry for you less. Yemin grumbled in her mind, but her pride bit onto her tongue.

 

“Hey!” Yejin hissed as she rushed across the hall to them. “You two are scaring the kids!”

 

The two snapped out of their heated states and turned to the direction where the younger girl had come from. The last pair of kids were being herded down a corridor by Baekhyun, who then turned and strided towards them. “Mom and Dad shouldn’t be at each other’s throats in front of the kids, you know.”

 

Chen scoffed. “Whatever, Baekhyun. I’m heading to bed now.” He winced, clutching his side. He moved to follow the kids that Baekhyun had led out of the hall.

 

“You should all turn in for the night. I’ll take care of setting up the security.” Yemin turned to the opposite direction, leaving Baekhyun and Yejin to clear the contents of Chen’s pack and adding them to Baekhyun’s in their makeshift kitchen.

 

“Those two have a LOT of pent up frustrations, don’t they?” Yejin asked casually, making Baekhyun drop the can of beans he was putting away.

 

“What?”

 

“I mean, anyone could tell that they really, seriously care about each other, but they always end up fighting like this,” the girl explained, not looking up from the cans she was sorting. “It’s coz they won’t talk about their feelings for each other.”

 

“Oh,” Baekhyun responded, his ears turning pink as his face heated up. “I thought you meant something else,” he chuckled.

 

“Oh my gosh, oppa! What did you think I meant?” Yejin gasped, throwing cans of corn soup and spaghetti at the older boy, who caught them easily.

 

Baekhyun laughed. “Nothing, nothing… Go on, so they won’t talk about their feelings for each other…?”

 

“Don’t think I didn’t get what you meant, Baek oppa. And for the record, you’re the only one thinking of that stuff,” Yejin pouted, then sighed. “Min unnie’s just too focused on keeping us all alive and together. I don’t think she’ll let anything take her mind off of protecting all of us since she’s the eldest. Meanwhile, Chen oppa’s way too proud and stubborn. Plus, he runs on a very short fuse.”

 

Baekhyun chuckled as they put away the last of the cans, quickly making a rough estimate of how long everything would last. “If only he were more like his twin, huh?”

 

Yejin scoffed. “Nah. His twin’s also pretty thick most of the time.”

 

“Hey!” Baekhyun exclaimed as he faced the young girl, noticing the slight smirk on her face.

 

“What? It’s true!”

 

“Take that back, Jinnie! How dare you say that about your oppa!”

 

“Oh look, I’m done! I’m going to unnie! Go to bed, oppa! You need rest, too!” Yejin laughed and ran off, sticking her tongue out at the light bearer.

 

“I’ll get you in the morning, Jinnie! Don’t think I’ll forget!”

 

“Good night!” Yejin called back, then fell serious as she approached their security room, where her sister sat watching the monitors. She knocked on the glass door, unsure of whether her sister was in the right mood to talk about the last vision she had had that day. “Unnie?”

 

“Hey, come on in,” Yemin smiled slightly as she watched the younger girl step gingerly into the room. “Did those troublemakers go to bed already?”

 

“Yep. They should be asleep soon. They must have had a really long few days.”

 

Yemin nodded, then fell silent as she turned back to the monitors set up on a table. There had been several CCTV cameras outside the warehouse, and Chen had rewired them all to work even with minimal energy from a car battery, which he would charge himself. The younger boy was a whiz at these electronics and Yemin guessed that if they hadn’t gone into hiding because of his powers, he would have been picked up by the government for their technological experiments, anyway.

 

“Unnie, about that last vision.” Yejin started, pulling Yemin away from her thoughts of what could be. “Do you think the Uniforms will find us for real?”

 

“Maybe,” the older admitted. She was afraid of what that occurrence would entail, but she knew she had to be strong for her sister. Yejin had the tendency to believe she was at fault for things she saw coming but were out of her control. “But the security system is still functioning perfectly well, plus Chen and Baekhyun are back, so I’m betting we’re all pretty good here.”

 

“Okay,” Yejin mumbled, not knowing what else to say when her sister had already dismissed the worries. What bothered her wasn’t something that she had told her sister, though. “Anyway, I’ll head off to bed then. You should, too, unnie. You said that the system’s working fine anyway.”

 

“Yeah, you go ahead,” Yemin answered absently. She was switching through the monitors, making sure that the outside of the warehouse was completely secure.

 

Yejin left the room in silence, still immersed in the images from her vision. So many of her visions came back to haunt her - from the very first when she saw her parents get killed by government officials to the one from the other day when she had seen Baekhyun and Chen get attacked and almost killed by that wide-eyed Trio guy. But the image that had bothered her was the one where she saw Uniforms hurting their charges… and what came after.

 

The girl was so deep in her thoughts that she didn’t realize where she was headed until her feet stopped in front of Chen’s room. She took a deep breath and knocked. “Oppa, are you still awake?”

 

There was a rustling inside the room before the door opened, revealing Chen, hair still wet and shirt damp. “What’s up, Jin?”

 

“Oppa, can I tell you something?” Yejin asked slowly, her mind still carefully wording her next sentence, wanting to make sure that the message would be clearly delivered, while remaining vague enough to prevent the older boy from intervening with fate.

 

“Go on,” Chen replied, pulling the girl into the room and closing the door behind her.

 

“Oppa, when the time comes… Don’t hesitate. Save as many lives as you can. No matter what, okay?”

 

“Uh, okay?” Chen answered, squinting at the girl who wouldn’t meet his eyes. “That’s our game plan, right?”

 

Yejin’s head snapped up, her eyes meeting Chen’s, imploring him to see the gravity of what she was telling him. “Promise me, oppa. Save as many lives as you can. Don’t hesitate, coz if you’re a second too late, no one will be saved. Promise me!”

 

“Okay, Yejin. I promise. Whatever it is you’re trying to say, I promise I will do my best to save as many as I can.”

 

“Good. And oppa,” Yejin looked at Chen, her eyes sincere. Chen raised his eyebrows, encouraging her to continue what she was saying. “Yemin unnie, she’s tough on the outside, but you know she-” Yejin stopped as Chen held his palm up to prevent her from saying more.

 

“I know, Yejin,” he said as he lowered his hand. “I know. I’ll look out for her. For all of you.”

 

“Oh, okay. Well, I guess that’s it, oppa. Thank you.” Yejin nodded towards the older boy and exited his room. Once she turned down the hallway, she let out a breath she didn’t even know she was holding. With both hands clasped near her heart, she willed herself to calm down. The life of one should be enough to save the lot… right?

 

 

 

---

 

 

 

 

Suho made sure to glare at every Uniform blocking his path as he and Xiumin stormed their way towards the isolation rooms. Two guards were stationed outside IR68, their guns held out in an X formation to block their entry. The guards were big men with muscular physiques, but an angry Suho carried an aura much larger than he was.

 

“Move.”

 

Both guards had no idea what to do. If Suho’s power was activated through his glare, they would’ve been gone seconds ago. The two glanced at one another, beads of sweat forming on their foreheads. Fear latched onto the pits of their stomachs, and they lowered their weapons, stepping aside to make way for the officers. No one wanted to be on the Trio’s bad side. Ever.

 

The two wasted no time with panels and passwords. Once the guards were out of the way, Xiumin held out a hand, effectively freezing the door with lightning speed. Then, with a clenched fist, he slammed on the door, shattering it to pieces. They waved their hands at the mist that formed and stepped in. Inside was a white room with a single column at the center. The room would have been pristine, if not for the trail of blood that led to the pillar.

 

The two rushed forward, the anger on their faces replaced immediately by worry as they saw the youngest sprawled on the floor with his back propped up on the pillar. His legs stretched out in front of him, and his head slumped to the side as his eyes stared blankly ahead. Suho brushed the boy’s hair aside, revealing tear-stained cheeks. Xiumin assessed the boy’s condition and found that he had cuts above his eyebrow, from which blood flowed down the side of his face. His sleeves were bloody, and one of his shoes missing.

 

The sight of their youngest brother in such a state was more than they could take. The two momentarily forgot their anger as all attention poured onto the lifeless boy.

 

“D.O,” Suho started, his eyes searching the other’s.

 

“Yah. D.O!” Xiumin called, his hand finding the boy’s.

 

No response came, and Suho sighed. “Let’s get you out of here, hmm?” He murmured, gently patting D.O’s cheeks.

 

“I’ll take him to our quarters. He needs to see the Head Medic.” Xiumin grasped D.O’s wrists and positioned himself in front of the boy, pulling the other’s arms over his shoulders. He counted softly and Suho lifted D.O onto his back, making sure he was comfortable as Xiumin moved his hold onto his thighs. He turned to leave the room, but the guards had moved into the room and resumed their previous position with their weapons held out as a barrier.

 

“We cannot allow you to take him out of this room. Sir,” one of them declared, the title only being added to the statement as an afterthought.

 

“We are taking him to our chambers.” Suho replied, his voice hinting no sign of heeding the guards that towered over him.

 

“Sol-”

 

“Sol Haenim,” Suho paused, “is not the leader of the Special Forces Unit. I am your commanding officer and you follow my orders.”

 

The guard that spoke up hesitated only for a second before nodding curtly. “Y-yes S-Sir!”

 

“Go get the Head Medic.”

 

“Yes Sir!”

 

 

 

 

 

It took Lay approximately three minutes to get to the Trio’s quarters from his own, hurriedly wearing his white coat. But by the time he got there, only Xiumin remained with his patient. The third member of the Trio had only dropped off the two before hurrying off to find someone accountable for D.O’s condition.

 

They all knew the Council did not tolerate failure, and they were definitely not pleased with D.O’s, especially after finding about why he had failed to capture the seemingly harmless thieves in the North, but no one thought they would go this far in dealing their punishment. Lay shuddered at the thought of seeing the usually calm leader burst like a dormant volcano with pent up frustrations and grudges.

 

"D.O, can you hear me?" Lay asked, quickly assessing the boy’s physical wounds as Xiumin looked on helplessly. D.O didn't respond. Lay pressed the web in between D.O’s right thumb and index finger but the earth manipulator’s eyes remained blank and unmoving, staring lifelessly into nothing. The Head Medic one of his penlights and flashed them on the earth manipulator’s pupils. Pupillary reaction intact but his vital signs are in disarray. He’s not even responding to pain.

 

"We shouldn't have left him here. I knew something was wrong when we received that letter." Xiumin grumbled, clenching his fist. He willed himself to calm down, but it wasn’t until he noticed a hole in the wall did he realize that his frustration had formed a ball of ice in his hand, which he had hurled at the opposite wall, his muscles automatically relieving him of his tension.

 

Lay glanced between the wall and the ice master and sighed. The first rule to treating injuries was to ensure safety, and having the eldest member of the Trio around while he was tense and violent made the area far from safe.

 

"If I may,” Lay began, and Xiumin’s head snapped towards him in an instant. “I think it would be best for him to have some rest tonight." As an afterthought, he added, “Peaceful rest.”

 

"Are you kicking me out?" Xiumin blinked at the Head Medic, incredulous. "You don’t expect me to just leave my brother now, do you? How would I know if you’re conspiring with the Council against us?"

 

"I’m sorry, sir. I will need some time to work on D.O’s injuries, and I will need to do so without having to worry about him getting another injury just as I finish tending to one,” he paused, making sure he still had the other’s attention. “I understand that you are very frustrated right now, especially given the circumstances, but if you would like to vent, please do so at the training grounds instead.”

 

Xiumin held his ground though, and it was only to Lay’s relief that a Uniform walked in then, calling Xiumin’s attention to a report regarding the detection of unusual phenomena in the West. Xiumin’s piqued interest in capturing the kids he held responsible for his comrade’s current condition led him to leave the said man in the Head Medic’s capable hands, albeit not without a moment of hesitation.

 

“Go,” Lay said softly, understanding the other’s hesitation. “I’ll take care of D.O. You go take care of that business. You can trust me.” The Trio had always been cautious with other government officials, for what reason Lay did not know, but they seemed to trust him well enough when it came to him doing his job. Sighing loudly, that was what Xiumin did.

 

“I’ll be back soon,” he said, making a move to follow the Uniform out of the room. “Take care of him.”

 

 

 

---

 

 

 

 

The Council meeting room was situated at the top of the metropolis' central tower. It was a large round room with a circular table that could seat up to twenty people. It was in the middle of this that Suho chose to stand, his aura  betraying no hint of the exhaustion he had earlier felt.

 

"We are the Trio," he began, his eyes fixed on the Council member directly in front of him.

 

"Yes, Suho. I believe that we have established that fact, considering as we were the ones who gave you that title," the council member replied, his tone controlled.

 

"Get to whatever your point is, boy," another council member stated.

 

"I do hope that you are not implying that the Trio is somehow above the rule of this Council," a short lady with a blonde bob piped up, eyebrows raised above her horn-rimmed glasses.

 

"And do not even think that your powers make you increasingly valuable to the Sanctuary,” came a voice from behind Suho. “You should see that your failure is not being taken lightly.”

 

Suho’s eyes narrowed and he clenched his fists, doing his best to keep his ability under control. He could feel the moisture in the air, and it would be all too easy for him to pull it together and flood the room.

 

“We are fully aware that our pristine record has been marked temporarily," he said carefully, through gritted teeth. "But I believe that the mission is yet to be over, and already you are implementing a punishment far beyond what is deserved."

 

"Are you telling us how to do our jobs, boy?" The short lady demanded in her shrill voice.

 

"That boy deserved his punishment. He should be reminded of the things that he did wrong."

 

"The Trio was created to not make mistakes."

 

“Enough,” the Council member Suho was eyeing said, his voice reverberating across the room, his eyes never leaving the water master's. “Let us hear what else Suho has to say, shall we?”

 

“As we were taught in the Academy, Isolation rooms were created as an alternative to the prison cells of the Old World. Each room has been patterned to create a punishment that would match the gravity of the crime committed,” Suho began, looking around the room at each of the members of the Council seated. “From the years of experience as one of your Elite leaders, I know that all the rooms above 60 are used only for high profile criminals. Mental torture is not exactly a punishment given for a mere mistake on the job!”

 

“This was no mere mistake, Suho,” the man replied. His voice remained calm, but his eyes challenged the leader of the Trio, as if daring him to contradict his words. “On his mission, D.O encountered not only simple thieves, but men with abilities not unlike your own. Having failed to capture them was a sign of incompetence. This must be engraved in his mind in order to avoid its recurrence.”

 

“After just one encounter, are you calling a mission over? We are still searching for the two-”

 

“Exactly, Suho,” the man interjected. “You are still searching. You and Xiumin. In the meantime, your brother is learning his lessons.”

 

“We are the TRIO, Dohyun,” Suho said, his jaw tensing as he tried harder to contain the need to flip something over. “You will leave us ineffective if you kill one of us off - or render us mentally incapacitated. This exercise is extremely unreasonable unless this was your intention in the first place, no?”

 

“Are you questioning the motives of this Council, Suho?” the woman with the shrill voice asked, appalled.

 

“You all know that I am loyal to the Council. This is, after all, the organization that raised my brothers and taught us all that we know despite us being orphans. I understand that D.O must receive punishment, as do all who who fail their mission. It is in the law, do as you must. But I do hope that as you follow the law, you also keep within it. The aberration was minor, and can still be amended.”

 

“What are you proposing then?” one of the council members interjected.

 

“Punish my brother, but do not go beyond IR60. Put him in one of the lower isolation rooms for a week, that would be understandable. But do NOT DARE put him in one of these mental isolation rooms. Know that I, for one, shall not tolerate the abuse of power.”

 

“Is that a threat, Suho?” A deep voice asked, and Suho glanced to his left to see an older man staring intently at him. He turned to face the man.

 

“Only if I have to make good with my words, sir.”

 

A murmur filled the room, followed by outbursts from several of the members of the Council. Suho returned his gaze to Dohyun, who still had his eyes fixed on the leader of the Trio. Suho wasn’t sure, but he could swear he saw the hints of a smirk on the edge of the man’s lips. The man may not have been pleased by Suho’s boldness, but he was certainly entertained by the display.

 

“Very well, then,” Dohyun spoke, and the room fell silent once more. “The boy speaks truth. D.O has received enough of a punishment for a night in IR68. The rest of his sentence shall henceforth be carried out in IR20. Keep him in there until further notice.”

 

Once again, voices were raised in disagreement, but Dohyun held up his hand, silencing them once more. “As for you, Suho. Do not think that we will forget this display of yours. What you have done today is insubordination, and you will do well to remember your place in the future. Your abilities do not make you above us, do you understand?”

 

Suho held the man’s gaze for a few more seconds. He knew he had challenged the Council in that morning. The Council that he had remained loyal to for years despite the many questions that rang in his mind. He knew that his actions would have consequences, but that did not matter now. What mattered in that moment was that his brother would not be subjected to the psychiatric torture of the night before. And that was all he needed. With a curt nod, Suho his heel and left the room.

 

 

 

---

 

 

 

 

"Coordinates?"

 

"N-012 W-134"

 

Suho entered the coordinates into his GPS and a holographic map showed the various mountains and valleys that could only be seen in the West. Zooming in, they were shown what looked like a small village hidden in between two mountains - perfect for runaways to hide in.

 

"There was a report of strong winds in the village approximately 6 hours prior. The weather station said they had no hand in such a phenomenon, seeing as it was also localized to the area,” Xiumin reported. He had read the reports while waiting for Suho to return from the meeting with the Council. “Which means someone else had a hand in the creation of those gusts. That makes it our best lead to find those culprits D.O was after.”

 

"Hmm, that's odd," Suho commented, re-reading the report handed to him.

 

"What is?"

 

"The report came from our men in the metropolis and no one from the village seem to have been bothered by it. There is no report from them." Suho scrunched his eyebrows, trying to work out the details. “Could it be that they’re used to such an occurrence and did not see the need to make a report?”

 

"We’d never know unless we take a look ourselves."

 

The sworn brothers sighed deeply. Both were worried at having to leave the youngest in isolation as they went on yet another mission. The Head Medic had agreed to keep an eye on the boy - and the Council’s actions, but being hours away in the West did not sit well with either of the two.

 

“Gather the troops. We’ll leave in ten,” Suho instructed to the troop leader standing by.

 

“How many, Sir?”

 

“Two will do.” The troop leader froze. “Is there a problem, soldier?”

 

“I’m sorry, Sir. But just two? Would that be enough? What if we need to engage?”

 

“It will be enough. Xiumin and I will take the front line.” Suho sounded confident, but something felt off to him. The report they had found felt like it would lead to something greater. Something they weren’t exactly prepared for. But then again, they were the Trio.

 

Nothing could be greater than them.

 

 

 

 

~end of Chapter six~

 

---

 

 

 

AUTHOR’S NOTES

seldi: So… umm, hi? This update was supposed to say, “Happy 2nd Anniversary, EXO!” but I guess we’ll stick with, Happy Birthday, Sehun! ...even though he didn’t really appear in this chapter.

maiesta: Happy Birthday maknae~!!! Congratulations on pushing Kris onstage so he could do Gwiyomi with Suho!!! Arigatou gozaimasu~ <3 #galaxy_fanfan

seldi: I would like to give a special shoutout to eine08, whose comment was the trigger that got me and maiesta rushing to edit this chapter. We realized that this chapter was written months ago... it just lacked edits, which life kept tearing us away from.

maiesta: I’m so happy you subscribed dear~ <3 *free hugs to all our subscribers*   >(^_^)<

seldi: Also, can we take a moment? Pause. For like, 3 seconds. Just stop. Now… SOMEONE CALL A DOCTOR! (maiesta: I VOLUNTEER~!) WOOOOOOOOT~! Come on guys, the teasers. The leaked dance practice (yes we watched it! Bite me! Lol. Kidding. Please don’t bite O_O) Can I just say, umph hip s! And Yixing! That guy, seriously. I am gonna die coz of him! Then BaekChen making love to the camera I just - *cries and melts into a puddle of goo*

maiesta: HAHAHAHAHA!!!! and the starting position~~ how’d Suho and Xiumin climb up there though? cheerleader!au anyone??? XDD

seldi: but seriously, the song is goooood. Not Growl levels good, because that is THE song for EXO, i think? But this will leave us all with an OVERDOSE! mwahahaha~

maiesta: Heol~ OVERDOSE is my jam~~~ too much, your love~~~ anyway!!!!!!! THIS CHAPTER IS 26 pages long in MS Word (~9k words) O_O

seldi: Consider this our undoing for being gone for months..? Haha! We are hoping to update more frequently in the next few weeks. That is, as long as we don’t die from OVERDOSE. hahaha! for once the English in an SM song sounds decent. (although I don’t wanna judge it without seeing the official lyrics)

maiesta: I will be on vacation for the Holy Week though @_@ but I will try to write as much as I can while I have internet. I promise birthday boy will be in the next chapter!! Btw, we have 2 new characters!!! And they’re girls~ *wink*

seldi: What do you think of the girls, eh? haha! (so many characters to balance O_O how did it get to this? hahaha~) also, to those who have been reading this before this chapter was added, we made some name changes, so… yeah. The Original Twins are now Wol Saebyuk and Sol Haenim. Jisung and Sungji were confusing us too much… and other reasons.
BTW… this A/N looks like it’ll end up looking like a chapter all on its own >.<

maiesta: currently editing the previous chapters~ woot~! anyway, I’m OUT! it’s 3am in our timezone hahaha~ and seldi has an early appointment tomorrow (later) so she needs rest hahahahahaha!! I LOVE YOU ALL!! <3

seldi: yes. so once again, please comment and/or subscribe. It seriously motivates us (actually it makes us panic… in a good way). So yeah. See you in Chapter Seven!