At some point during the drive, Youngjae must have fallen asleep. He opened his eyes and he found he was leaning forward in his seat, head looking down at his lap with an awful cramp in his neck. Youngjae looked up, groaning at the way his neck protested the movement, and saw that they were driving in darkness with the headlights the only thing illuminating their winding path. There were trees all around, and they were driving on a cliff. Though, with no streetlights around, it was near impossible to see what lay beyond the scope of their headlights.
 
It scared Youngjae. He'd grown so used to the constantly glowing city that he forgot how dark the world could get. What lay lurking in wait just outside the lights? Although they had the car speeding down the road, the darkness seemed to engulf them entirely.
 
"We're on a mountain," Daehyun announced, his voice calm and quiet in Youngjae's troubled thoughts. "In case you were wondering."
 
Youngjae turned his head towards Daehyun, who had his eyesight locked on the road. "We're in District 9, then?"
 
"Almost."
 
Youngjae looked back out the window. He'd lived in District 9 before his parents decided to move to New Seoul when he was four. He didn't remember a thing about District 9 other than the vague scent of his mother's old perfume and the earthy smell that constantly emanated from the trees.
 
"We should be able to make it to the bunker by early morning," Daehyun suddenly said. He took his phone out of his pocket, glanced at the time, and added, "It's nearly three am right now. We'll get there around seven. You can go back to sleep if you'd like."
 
Youngjae found he couldn't.
 
"What's your favorite color?"
 
Blinking, Youngjae tore his gaze away from the window to stare at Daehyun. It was difficult to see his features with the low light, but his silhouette looked tense.
 
"I'm sorry?" Youngjae asked. It was so unlike Daehyun to ask such a mundane question; Youngjae didn't see the point of it.
 
Daehyun shrugged, his eyes never leaving the road. He took a sharp left that nearly threw Youngjae against the door.  "Well, I thought that since we're, uh, gonna be like this for a while... We might as well get to know each other...?"
 
Without even thinking, a small smile tugged up at Youngjae's mouth, and he bit the inside of his cheek to stop it. He ended up turning to the window again to block his face from Daehyun.
 
"It's yellow," Youngjae finally said. "And yours?"
 
Daehyun tapped his fingers on the steering wheel for a moment. "Gray."
 
//
 
The sun had just fully appeared over the horizon just before seven, but it didn't quite reach through the trees. For the three hours Youngjae had been awake, he didn't feel at all bored, and Daehyun still drove on without a hint of fatigue. They'd been talking about mindless things, all ranging from favorite foods to certain memories. Daehyun had just recenty begun talking about the mishaps he'd been through with Jongup, another rebel member.
 
Daehyun's eyes shone with nostalgia as he recalled the story. "So, we're stealing this car. It was a nice Old World model too, 2013 I think. Anyway, we drive around for a bit, and then the next minute, we're being chased by some Auxiliaries. Jongup was driving, so we managed to lose them, but Yongguk was absolutely furious when he found out. He's usually a friendly person, but he's the type that goes dead quiet when he's mad. He didn't say a word to us, and, at the time, we'd never been so scared for our lives."
 
Youngjae imagined a slightly younger Daehyun sitting in the passenger seat of a vintage 2013 car, panicking and persisting the other rebel to drive faster. Then, he imagined both young men walking past their leader, heads bowed, as he glared daggers at them. Youngjae felt himself growing nostalgic for a memory that didn't even belong to him.
 
"Daehyun?" Youngjae asked. He saw the way Daehyun's eyes flicked to him for the briefest of a moment. "When did you, uh, join the rebellion?"
 
Daehyun was quiet for a moment, and Youngjae stared at the sunrise while he waited. Eventually, Daehyun replied, "I think I was fifteen. It was Yongguk that found me."
 
"Found...you?" Youngjae asked slowly, turning to look at Daehyun again.
 
Daehyun didn't say anything after that, and Youngjae worried it was his fault for the silence. He mentally cursed himself and his curiosity for even bringing up the question. An awkward atmosphere formed around them as if they didn't just talk for three hours straight, and this time, Youngjae was certain Daehyun wasn't going to break it again.
 
So Youngjae sat and waited. He stared out the window, watched the sun rise higher in the sky, even tried to go back to sleep, but that didn't work.
 
Daehyun suddenly pulled the car to a stop along a shoulder on the road, and got out. Stunned, Youngjae stayed in his seat, not knowing what to do. Daehyun opened the door behind Youngjae to fetch his knapsack.
 
"From here, we walk. The bunker is close," Daehyun said before closing the door.
 
Youngjae got out of the car, flinching at the cold air rushing towards him. It bit at his nose and ears, and he shoved his hands into his coat pockets to protect them from the cold.
 
"It's not too far from here," Daehyun announced as he began walking.
 
Youngjae followed Daehyun down a steep hill from the road into the dense forest. He realized they had the perfect cover; if a Republic plane were to fly overhead right at that moment, the trees concealed them from view.
 
Daehyun walked quickly through the brush, and it wasn't hard to realize that he knew his way around the forest. Youngjae feared that if he took his eyes off Daehyun for even a second, he'd lose him. The forest just seemed to push Youngjae back; he stumbled over roots and bushes, hit hanging branches. There seemed to be a path that only Daehyun could follow, and no matter how hard Youngjae tried, he couldn't see the same path.
 
Daehyun glanced back, and upon realizing how far back Youngjae had gotten, slowed his pace. He held out an outstretched hand toward Youngjae. "Take my hand."
 
When Youngjae took the hand, he still couldn't locate the path and he was still stumbling, but following Daehyun had gotten easier. His duffel bag hit his side uncomfortably with each step down the hill, but Youngjae didn't want to hold Daehyun back any longer. The fact that Daehyun took the time to stop and guide Youngjae through the forest was enough.
 
Then, Daehyun stopped abruptly, his grip around Youngjae's hand tightened.
 
"Daehyun?" Youngjae asked anxiously. He pried his hand out of Daehyun's, and went to stand beside him. Youngjae couldn't find anything out of the ordinary; the thought that maybe, just maybe, Daehyun had taken Youngjae all the way out here to kill him crossed his mind. Daehyun wouldn't do that—would he?

Daehyun broke out in a sprint, temporarily forgetting Youngjae, and jumped off a ledge. He disappeared from Youngjae's view, and Youngjae panicked. He ran after Daehyun, just stopping himself centimeters from the edge. Daehyun stood in front of a door, eyes wide with fear and confusion. Youngjae jumped down the six feet to Daehyun. He followed Daehyun's gaze, and saw a steel door painted a matte dark green, but it was apparent that it'd been blown open with some sort of explosive; a black blast mark marred the door that laid against the entrance. As Youngjae's eyes traveled upward, he noticed the plants surrounding the door were blackened and burned. This must be the bunker, Youngjae thought.

"What...exactly happened here?" Youngjae asked, backing away from the door. He felt uneasy just being near it; he looked at Daehyun for an answer, but Daehyun seemed to have the same question.

"They were found," Daehyun breathed.
 
It didn't occur to Youngjae immediately; he didn't realize the weight of the words until moments later. Youngjae remembered the last time Daehyun had contact with them; the leader said they had to leave before hanging up. Was this why? Youngjae felt his knees go weak. They were in the middle of some unknown forest and Daehyun's group wasn't here to meet them.
 
"Does that mean..." Youngjae didn't want to say it, was too afraid to finish the thought.
 
"No, they can't," Daehyun replied, shaking his head. His voice was thick and barely audible. He turned away from the door, arms crossed, and looked up at the sky.
 
Youngjae looked to Daehyun. There was a look of devastation on his face. Youngjae slowly placed a hand on Daehyun's shoulder, afraid Daehyun might push him away, but he didn't flinch this time; he barely reacted.
 
"You know what to do, don't you?" Youngjae asked, rubbing small circles on Daehyun's shoulder with his thumb. "Yongguk said so himself. They believe you can find them."
 
Daehyun met Youngjae's eyes, and Youngjae saw Daehyun's hope returning little by little. "Yeah, he did, didn't he."
 
//
 
It was obvious that Youngjae wasn't the most athletic type—at least he thought so. Despite the amount of walking he did in New Seoul, he wasn't used to hiking, much less stumbling over a rock or a root or a hole every other step. Youngjae felt Daehyun's growing irritation emanating off him; Youngjae apologized each time Daehyun let out an exasperated sigh.
 
The sun was still making its way across the sky––Youngjae estimated the time to be around 7:30––and there didn't seem to be any traces that the other members had come through; if they covered their tracks, they did a good job. Youngjae had begun to think that Daehyun didn't know where they were going. Youngjae shook the thought away. What was he to do anyway? Run away? Where to? He'd probably trip over something before he'd even figure out where to go.

"Daehyun, are you absolutely sure they went this way?" Youngjae asked uncertainly.

There was silence for a while, and just as Youngjae began to repeat the question, Daehyun replied with a quiet, "No."

Youngjae stopped in his tracks, too stunned to even continue. Shortly after, Daehyun stopped and turned around, a shameful look on his face. For a moment, Youngjae truly contemplated running away, but he pushed the thought to the back of his head.

"Daehyun," Youngjae warned, his voice on the verge of enraged and scared, "why have we been walking for the past thirty minutes?"

Daehyun's eyes shifted, never resting on anything for longer than a second. He cleared his throat, an awkward sound that seemed to be absorbed by the trees surrounding them. "I'm sorry."

Letting out a sigh, Youngjae ran his hands over his face; he felt the fatigue threatening to pull him under. He located a large boulder on the ground and sat on it. "I know you're worried about your group, but we need a plan, or else we'll be walking around for who knows how long."

Daehyun walked up to Youngjae and sat on the floor in front of him, a careful look of detachment on his face. "We have another bunker somewhere on this mountain. It's larger and we store important things there, which is why we don't use it too often. Yongguk's just afraid of the Republic finding it."

"So where is it?" Youngjae asked quietly.

Daehyun brought his knapsack to his side, opened it, and pulled out a map of Korea. He laid it out in between them, and pointed to a spot near the top right corner of the map. "This is the road we were driving up earlier." He dragged his finger a few centimeters further right. "The old bunker's around here."

"Where are we right now then?"

Daehyun looked up at the sky for a moment before looking back at the map. "I'd assume somewhere around here," he replied, moving his finger south. "The other bunker is...just a couple more miles southeast."

With a huff, Youngjae got up, and brushed the dirt off his pants. "Alright. A couple miles. No big deal. We can make it there before afternoon, right?" He sounded like he was reassuring himself more than anything.

Daehyun folded up the map and stuffed it into his coat pocket. He snickered slightly as he walked past Youngjae. "With the way you're constantly tripping, I doubt we'll make it there before sundown."

With a frown, Youngjae punched Daehyun before he was out of arm's length. "I'll admit that I'm not the best hiker, but I'm trying."

In reply, Daehyun laughed; he turned around, a smile gracing his mouth. Youngjae stood in his spot, speechless and a little, quite frankly, annoyed at the display.

//

It seemed Daehyun had overestimated the distance, or Youngjae stopped stumbling a considerable amount because they reached the other bunker in less than a couple hours.

Actually, "dropped in" would have been a more appropriate phrase rather than "reached"––Youngjae literally fell down the entrance. He let out a confused yelp as he felt the ground beneath him give way, and hit something more solid. He groaned as he stared up at the circle of light he fell from.

"Youngjae?!" Daehyun exclaimed, his head appearing as a silhouette in the circle. "Are you okay?"

Youngjae raised a thumbs-up to Daehyun before weakly sitting up. He blinked, and stared at the ground he was currently sitting on. It was cold...and metallic.

"Hold on, Youngjae, I'll get you out of there," Daehyun called out.

"No, wait, Daehyun," Youngjae said, slowly getting to his feet. He knocked on the metal floor a couple times, the sound echoing slightly in the hole.

Daehyun's silhouette appeared again. "What was that noise? It sounded like––"

"Metal, right?" Youngjae said. "Do you think this is––"

"Move over. I'm jumping down," Daehyun interrupted.

Before Youngjae could even react, Daehyun was falling. Youngjae moved to press himself against the wall, but fell back when he realized that there wasn't a wall. He turned around and saw that it wasn't just a hole, but a hallway. Daehyun straightened up, and turned left and right, examining his surroundings. Shortly afterwards, the sound of footsteps began to resonate through the corridor. Daehyun pulled Youngjae up to his feet, and formed a sort of wall in front of him. The footsteps grew closer with each passing second, and Youngjae felt his anxiousness grow just as large.

Youngjae looked over Daehyun's shoulder as a man strode up to them. Despite the sizable space between them, Youngjae could already feel the predatory presence radiating off him. His stern expression, however, quickly transformed into a look of recognition the closer he got.

"That you, Daehyun?" His voice was vaguely familiar, but Youngjae wasn't sure why.

"Yongguk?" Daehyun asked, his voice trembling slightly.

Of course, Youngjae thought. The leader.  

Yongguk let out a smile that was all gums and teeth, and clapped Daehyun firmly on the shoulders. "I thought you were coming tomorrow or something."

"Something came up," Daehyun replied. "We had to get out of there."

Yongguk leaned back slightly, and it seemed that was when he finally noticed Youngjae. His eyes seemed to convey something menacing, and Youngjae nearly recoiled backward; it was easy to be intimidated by someone whose presence was like that of a vicious tiger. "Are you Yoo Youngjae?"

"Yeah...," Youngjae replied softly.

Daehyun glanced back at Youngjae, and laughed. "Yongguk, you're scaring him."

Grinning, Yongguk turned around. "Let's go meet up with everybody else, then. They were curious about what the noise you made was about." He turned around again as he walked backward, staring up at the hole Youngjae previously fell through. "I should probably also get that fixed, shouldn't I?"

"It'd be in your best interests," Daehyun agreed.

Yongguk led Daehyun and Youngjae down the corridor into a larger room. It appeared to be a dining hall, judging by the long tables and benches. Three people sat at one of tables, talking about something until Yongguk cleared his throat. They looked up, and Youngjae immediately recognized one of them as Junhong.

"Hyung!" Junhong stood up, beaming elatedly, and headed straight to Youngjae.

Without even thinking, a smile spread across Youngjae's face, tugging the corners of his mouth up. Junhong didn't hesitate to pull Youngjae into a hug, his gangly arms easily wrapping around Youngjae's shorter frame. Youngjae couldn't recall ever being hugged like this by Junhong, but it wasn't unpleasant.

Junhong pulled back, his excitement quickly turning into shame. "I'm so sorry I didn't tell you earlier. You must have been so worried. I should have told you, left you a letter, even––"

"Junhong," Youngjae said, suddenly self-conscious of all the pairs of eyes on him, "you're alive. That's literally all I needed to know."

"Right, so, now that that's settled," Yongguk announced. "Introductions. You already know Junhong and Daehyun. I'm Yongguk, but Daehyun probably told you that. The other two are Himchan and Jongup. We call ourselves Guernica."

Himchan and Jongup nodded at Youngjae in unison. Himchan was the same height as Yongguk, his features were more feminine and elongated, almost like a fox's, and had raven black hair cropped close. Jongup was a good couple inches shorter than Himchan, but had a more solid build.

After a couple long seconds of awkward silence, Youngjae said, "I'm Youngjae."

With that smile he gave Daehyun before, Yongguk declared in a proud tone, "Well, Youngjae, I formerly welcome you into Guernica."

A/N: So apparently I lied about no chapter this week. Sorry, not really. I'd really rather be writing this than studying. The next update won't be until maybe next year, but I'm always bad at making estimates, so it might be earlier, might be later. Anyway, happy early holidays!

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