Chapter 6
The Great EscapeWhen the cure comes around, and everyone is safe and sound and healthy again, school is resumed, and the students all chatter excitedly on their first day back to classes. The hallways and classrooms are filled with joy, and it’s never been a nicer environment.
Lunch is a merry affair, and Lu Han all but screams, “Guys! You’re back!” and proceeds to rugby-tackle each and every one of them. They’ve even got a new addition to their table, a kid with time powers named Zitao, who just transferred in during the epidemic. He sticks close to Lu Han and Yixing and seems to take a fondness to Wu Fan, who literally only floats into the cafeteria a couple of times a month, and is barely seen by the other students unless it’s during class.
Jongdae doesn’t wait too long to inform the rest of the group that he also caught the illness, and what it means for him, and raucous cheers soon follow after, bringing amused stares from the rest of the cafeteria.
“Best day ever,” says Chanyeol several times throughout the morning, “best day.”
Classes settle into place again, and midterms are upon them, and even though most of them have just recovered from the illness, or The Illness, as Jongdae likes to call it, they’re bringing studying to all new heights, especially the seniors.
Baekhyun devours books left and right, and Soojung does the same, and both Chanyeol and Jongdae just attempt to keep up, but the top students of the class are in a league galaxies away from them, and the two just resign themselves to average-person-studying. Kyungsoo just reads his notes calmly.
“Okay, test me,” says Chanyeol, bouncing on his heels. “Give me a tough one, I can do it, no sweat, man.”
They’re all gathered in Kyungsoo’s house, since last week they’d spent the day at Soojung’s. The midterm tests are in a few days’ time, and Chanyeol has finally got his panic on. Jongdae’s more or less ready, having done so much work with Baekhyun tutoring him that he can pretty much recite in his sleep the twelve uses of force fields.
“A robot is destroying the city,” starts Kyungsoo, in his lecture voice, “it is composed of different alloys. How do you go about testing for which metals are in the composition of the robot, and how do you find out its weak spot during a critical situation? Essay question, ten marks.”
Chanyeol’s mouth opens and closes feebly. “I—I can’t—what…”
“Close your mouth, doofus,” says Soojung in resignation, “let’s go back to Chapter 6, shall we? Maybe we can attempt to fit something into that tiny little brain of yours.”
As Chanyeol goes into battle with his books, and Soojung starts discussing flight theory with Kyungsoo, Jongdae turns to Baekhyun, and asks, “Wanna run questions?”
Baekhyun agrees, and they trade questions back and forth easily, and Jongdae thinks, wow, dating the top student in his class really pays off.
The written tests come easy, and Jongdae is sure that with the exception of one unlucky answer on the objective portion of the Mad Science paper, he’s aced everything. And then, the practical side of the tests smack them all in the face.
“,” says Jongdae haplessly after their P.E. test, where he’d failed to retrieve the citizen hostage, and Yunho had just waved for the next person to try. “I’m going to flunk P.E., aren’t I?”
“Well, your written test should be enough to cover half your marks?” suggests Chanyeol hopefully, who only managed to hold back the villain slightly longer than Jongdae, by breathing in his face as much as possible.
Kyungsoo makes a sad sound. “It’s seventy percent, the practical.” Kyungsoo had passed, but only barely, since the earth blocks he’d unearthed accidentally blocked his way to the citizen, and he’d had to properly incapacitate his villain before getting to the dummy.
“Oh,” go the other four, dejectedly. Even Soojung didn’t manage to pass the practical, to her utmost despair.
“It’s not fair, though,” mutters Baekhyun, who also managed to hold off his villain longer than most of the other kids in the class, but still lost his citizen to the death trap. “Heroes automatically have an advantage in P.E., and we just stand there, not knowing what to do.”
“Life isn’t fair, Baekhyun,” says Kyungsoo, “like how Chanyeol will never ever stop talking.”
“Hey!”
“Still,” says Jongdae, “wish I could’ve been able to do at least something during that test. If only I’d manifested powers before midterms.”
“Soon,” murmurs Baekhyun, resting a hand on Jongdae’s shoulder. Jongdae turns to him, slightly comforted. “Don’t worry.”
It’s not all sunshine and daisies, though. They’re living in a world where danger is imminent, and the enemy is barely two steps away, and nobody is surprised when a supervillain threatens to destroy mankind—yet again, you’d think that these guys would figure out sooner or later that they’re gonna be stopped eventually—but everyone is surprised when a taskforce comprising some of the world’s top superheroes is put together, to put an end to the threat as quickly and efficiently as possible.
Jongdae and Chanyeol follow the news over at Chanyeol’s house nervously, as they recognise some of those being sent out to fight the villain as he attacks with a whole horde of giant, evil robots (it’s always giant, evil robots for some strange reason), and Chanyeol’s father is one of them, a tall man by the title of Aero, who lives up to his name with his super fast flying speeds.
Jongdae’s mother would have been on the team, but she was considerably weakened after her last battle many years ago, and has since retired from the business. Jongdae is half-glad for that, for it means that he has a lot less to worry about.
But Chanyeol’s dad is almost like a father to him, if not truly. Jongdae’s real dad up and left after Jongdae was born, and Jongdae never found out why. Mr. Park treats him just like he treats Chanyeol, and Jongdae has been eternally grateful for his kindness. And so, even now, he worries about Mr. Park, but he knows Chanyeol needs someone to be strong for him.
Chanyeol is biting his fingers, eyes wide and anxious, and Jongdae can’t help but rest a hand on his shoulder, saying, “He’ll be alright, Chanyeol.”
“Yeah,” says Chanyeol quietly, more to himself than to Jongdae, “yeah, he’ll be good. It’s not his first time in the field. He’s got thirty years under his belt. He can do this.”
The dispatch is hurried, as the robots swarm the city, and Jongdae is again thankful for the fact that they live on the outskirts of the city, where things take just slightly longer to reach them, but now, even as he watches one of the superheroes get taken out by the largest robot of the batch, he winces, knowing that’s going to be a substantial blow to the force.
“Where’s Kyungsoo when you need him,” mumbles Chanyeol, now gripping the sofa cushions with panic, eyes following the every movement of his father, who’s carrying Shang, a famous Air Manipulator from China, called in specially for this mission. And Jongdae can’t help but think the same thing; Kyungsoo’s presence can be calming in times like these. “Hope he doesn’t drop the guy, that’s Lu Han’s dad there.”
“Think Lu Han would have a fit if your dad did,” says Kyungsoo, coming into the living room, and Chanyeol nearly throws himself at Kyungsoo in a hug, because Kyungsoo’s got perfect timing and Kyungsoo is a genius, and Kyungsoo holds up a cakebox, smiling slightly. “It’s cheesecake. Your favourite,” he adds, to Chanyeol, and the boy smiles for the first time all day.
“You’re the best,” says Jongdae, nearly hugging Kyungsoo himself, “you’re the best, really, you are.”
“Yeah, well.” Kyungsoo seats himself on the other end of the sofa, beside Chanyeol, and hands Chanyeol the cake, not relaxing until Chanyeol takes a bite. “How would you both survive without me?”
“We probably wouldn’t.” Jongdae smiles. “Thanks, Kyungsoo.”
The three of them continue watching in silence, only making sound when something of note happens, like the sharp hisses that come from all three of them when one of the superheroes blasts the robots with fire till it melts into the ground, but is tossed to the ground by another, or the shaky inhale that escapes Chanyeol’s mouth when he sees his father flying faster and faster to outmaneuvre the incoming missiles.
It’s another two hours before the fight is done, but it’s not the end.
The supervillain is held back for now, but his threat to the city continues to loom, and Chanyeol is definitely in no state to stay alone, as his father is required to stay with the force for god knows how long more, and Jongdae phones his mother that he’s staying with Chanyeol for the night, just to make sure he’s fine.
He’s not surprised when Kyungsoo does the same, and together the two of them lead a numb Chanyeol up to his room, where he folds his long limbs up tightly on the bed and curls into Kyungsoo’s shoulder, not saying a word as he tucks his hand into Jongdae’s.
“Sorry,” comes a hoarse whisper, sometime past midnight, a few hours later, and Kyungsoo just hushes him comfortingly, and cards his fingers through Chanyeol’s hair, “sorry for getting all emotional and crap.”
“It’s your dad,” says Jongdae, and he gets it. He really does. “You’re his son.”
“Our dad,” says Chanyeol, and his eyes meet Jongdae’s, in full understanding. “You’re like a son to him, too.”
“Yeah,” breathes Jongdae, smiling a bit. “I guess so.”
“Brothers,” murmurs Kyungsoo, “mm?”
“All three of us,” says Chanyeol determinedly, blinking his earlier upset tears away, “no matter what.”
The other two echo their agreement, and Jongdae can’t help the good feeling that travels through his chest. They’re the best of friends, and the best of brothers. There’s really nothing that can beat that.
After a while, though, Chanyeol squirms, and says, “This feels really gay.”
“We are gay,” says Jongdae matter-of-factly, “maybe you just think you’re not.”
“Join us,” adds Kyungsoo dryly, “we have cookies. Well, I have cookies. They’re not for free, though.”
Chanyeol says, very much eloquently, “ you both.”
“Sure, when and where?” Jongdae’s voice is teasing, and Chanyeol groans in horror over the sound of Kyungsoo’s snickering. “Just kidding. We know Soojung’s practically got you wrapped around her little finger.”
“He’s going to be as whipped as you are,” says Kyungsoo.
Jongdae nods, until the words catch up to him, and he says indignantly, “I am not whipped!”
Chanyeol swats at them both, and tells them to shut up and sleep now.
(And they do, right after Chanyeol kicks them off his bed and onto the spare mattress, of course.)
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