Over the coming weeks, Yifan learned several things, one: people in the small middle class district were quite blunt in denying people a job. They could pretty the words up however they liked, but Yifan knew their reasoning and it was hard to keep from getting discouraged. In the end, he’d taken to working in the same facility as Yixing as a stocker. Something his other roommate, Luhan, was thrilled about as now it meant Yixing wouldn’t be walking home alone in the early morning hours, or by himself on the way to work.

It wasn’t what Yifan had envisioned, or even hoped for, but it was something. There was that at least. Something to keep him going. At least he’d hoped so, but Yixing’s cautionary warning on the system being hard to slip from rung true as Yifan saw their bill for a single month rent. “How can it be this high? That’s practically everything!” he’d exploded.

Luhan had only laughed at that, “Welcome to the cost of “city living”. We pay per person, utilities, and for location.”

“That’s bull! Can’t we complain, or something?” this was robbery, plain and simple.

“Oh sure,” Luhan grinned, “And you’ll find yourself quickly thrown outside, or meeting an immigration officers fist, or—“

“I get it!” Yifan snapped as Luhan snickered.

“Welcome to life!” he crowed.

Yixing only sighed as he coughed, “Luhan, stop being mean.” He’d chided. Luhan only shrugged as he rolled his eyes and padded into the kitchen.

 The second thing he’d learned: Yixing and Luhan were an item. In his defense, he’d never heard of “the shoe on the door” policy before in his life, a tie on the door, yes, but who the hell actually used a shoe? So, if the neighbors didn’t know before that Yixing and Luhan were getting it on, they did when Kris came home early. The high pitched and shrill shriek that came from his mouth after that, he would forever deny.

“It’s just .” Luhan quipped.

“Love making.” Yixing corrected automatically as he sipped his tea.

“Sap.” Luhan deadpanned.

Yixing frowned, “now is not the time for your masculinity complex.”

“I think I secretly shacked up with an old person inside a young man’s body.”

“Oh, haha, you’re a riot.” Yixing snorted.

“Seriously, with all the genetic cosmetics these days, it’s possible.”

“Like I could ever afford one of those procedures.” Yixing chuckled as their conversation deviated from the initial trauma.

Yifan just buried his head in his hands, trying to will the images out from his mind. “My futon.” He whimpered, may it rest in peace, because he was never sleeping on that thing again.

The third thing he came to realize: the black vans were not as uncommon as Yixing claimed. “I thought you said they were rare?” he asked as they slowly crept back out of the alley they’d been forced to duck into when Yixing had spotted the search light on top of the van as it rumbled along, managing to keep out of its sight.

“They are-were,” he corrected as they continued along, his heart pounding madly in his chest, the pressure in it slowly abating as the tail lights vanished around a corner. He swallowed, “I don’t know why, this isn’t usual, maybe…once…twice a month at most?” he shook his head. The vans were averaging at twice a week now, and not just at night anymore. Luhan reporting one had tailed him for a good block and a half the day before, forcing him to cut through an alley to lose it. At least day grabs weren’t happening. Though this new trend had them all on edge.

Things tapered off for a little while after that, and Yifan learned to watch for the vans himself whenever he went somewhere alone. No one else in the district was going to watch out for him, it wasn’t a mentality exclusive to the projects either. No one had time to bother with someone outside their inner circles, not if they wanted to stay ahead and survive.

He hummed to himself as he moved down the cracked sidewalk, fiddling with his ipod as he went, leaving on ear bud out to remain aware of what was going on around him. Gossip gatherings weren’t anything new, especially at the convenience store by the news spreads, but today the bits he caught were enough to slow his stride as he moved up and down the isle, turning the volume down on his ipod to hear more of the hushed conversation.

“—right in broad daylight.” A middle aged woman whispered, eyes flickering to the streets outside, as if expecting some boogeyman to appear.

“No,” the second breathed, a hand touching her chest, eyes wide. “they’ve never—“

“Something’s going on, with any luck though someone’ll take notice of this.”

The one man in their throng scoffed, shaking his head, “Aint no one care about what goes on ‘n these parts. Poor girl, we won’t be seein’ her ‘gain.”

He stopped at that, tongue peeking out to wet dry lips as he turned to the gathered group. “Excuse me…what’s gone on?” he inquired.

“Damn vans took a girl, in broad daylight too. I tell you it aint safe no where.” The first woman rejoined.

“In daylight?” Well , “I thought, they only came at night?”

“Yeah, well, clearly times are changin’. Must be a shortage in the organ donations.” The man mused grimly.

Yifan nodded, ducking his head as he moved off, leaving them to their conversations, he had nothing more to add, nor say to them. A snatch? In broad daylight? Still, it sounded like she was alone…he’d just have to watch his back, that was all. Because God knew no help would come to him from anyone if he was unfortunate enough to get in the cross fires.

His paranoia clung to him like a vice as he headed back to the apartments, every rumble of a motor, he expected to see a black van coming down the street, but none appeared. Not until he was half way up the steps to his floor. He froze, heart lurching as he spotted one driving at a crawl, only to turn into the small parking lot of his complex. He swore under his breath as he tore up the steps, snapping himself from his daze as he tore towards his door. His hands were shaking so badly, he dropped the keys onto the hard concrete. “Son of a .” He hissed, turning his head to look back over his shoulder through the rungs of the railing, but the people in the van were still there, having made no move to get out.

Yifan didn’t want to tempt them as he slammed the key into the lock harshly, nearly slamming the door open in his haste before slamming it shut.

“YIfan, what the hell?” Luhan barked, head sticking out from their bedroom.

“Van-there’s a van-they’re-snatching in the day! There’s one in our parking lot!” he screeched.

Luhan went wide eye as he strode from the room, peeking out from the curtains, watching as the van pulled onto the road. “It’s leaving now.” He swallowed. Pulling back from the window slowly, letting the curtains flutter shut.

“A van was here?” Lay inquired, pale and shaky as he came out from the bedroom. Yifan gave a jerky nod, lips pulling into a small smile as he shook his head.

“What happened?” luhan demanded, rounding on Yifan as he slid to the floor, leaning back against the door.

“I went to buy some stuff, before work…overheard people gossiping, some girl was snatched in daylight. Ironic, they could report seeing it, but no one helped…I just left. When I got back, was when I saw one pulling into the lot. That’s it, it didn’t follow me.”

“It didn’t have to, now that they’ve watched where you were going….” Luhan swore. “Call in, don’t go out.” He advised.

“We can’t do that.” Yixing interjected softly, “they’ll fire us, fire me.” He corrected. He’d called in sick one time too many, it didn’t matter that he truly was sick, points were points at the store, and once you accumulated so many, you were terminated. “We need the money.” He trembled. “Besides, who’s to say they weren’t passing through? If they find someone else…” he swallowed, “They won’t be back again so soon.”

Luhan snarled, running a hand through his hair angrily. “I’m walking with you tonight.” He decided.

“Luhan, no, we’ll be fi—“

“I’m not chancing it, they don’t usually strike groups, we’ll go together, and we’ll come back together.” He declared.

“And they don’t usually strike in the day either, but we can see how much they’re sticking to that, can’t we?” Yifan spat, heart rate starting to return to normal as strength returned to his legs.

“no…we can’t,” Luhan conceded, “Which is why I think we should stick together.”

“He has a point…” yixing agreed, nibbling on his bottom lip, and Yi fan knew he was outnumbered in this choice, heart sinking.

“If they’re striking in the day, they won’t care about striking a group. You’re putting yourself in danger—“

“And what would you rather I do? Hide away and let you both face it alone? Not an option. We go together, and we come home together. All of us.” He growled eyes cold and hard in their finality.

“That isn’t it…” Yi fan muttered, it had nothing to do with questioning Luhan’s bravery, or his conviction, but if there was a chance for him to be safe, he didn’t understand-relationship with Yixing aside, why he’d risk it. “If the worst were to ever happen…” he tried, “Wouldn’t it be beneficial to have someone out there? What about your job?”

“I can afford to miss one day. As for the families of the missing; You’ve been here long enough to know they’re ignored, and most give up…rather, wouldn’t it be better, that if the worst ever came to pass, we’re all together?” Luhan countered cooly. Yi fan didn’t answer that. He couldn’t.

Getting to work wasn’t an issue, all three of them were on high alert, walking in silence as they kept a vigilant eye out for all oncoming cars, peering around every alley before moving across it, and shirking away from other people they passed on the crumbling sidewalks.

The shift passed by at a crawl for both of them, Luhan occasionally making passes by him as he restocked the shelves, killing his own time. He wasn’t sure what to think of Luhan’s watchful eye. On one hand, it was nice to know he had someone looking out for him, on the other hand, it made the shame welling in his chest threaten to bubble over. How cowardly had he acted? Even Yixing, timid though he was, had seen the logic in going together. It made him disgusted, in a way, and he resolved to rectify that perception of himself, if not to them, than to himself. He didn’t think of himself as a coward when he’d suggested it. He thought it had made sense, to have someone remaining in the area if the worst ever came to pass. But the more he thought about it in the silence of the store, the more foolish he felt. What would have been the point? If it happened to either Luhan, or Yixing, and he was left, he didn’t even know where he’d begin, what he’d do, who he could trust. He wasn’t from this dome, and aside from them, he had no real friends and allies on which to rely.

“All set?” Luhan asked as he came out of the back room once his shift was over. He nodded curtly.

“Yixing’s just putting some stuff away in his locker…about today—“

“Save it, it doesn’t matter.”

“maybe not, but I think that you—“

“Yi fan, really, it’s fine, what you said today, I never took offense to it. Neither did Yixing, you were saying what you felt was best. You don’t need to waste time on watching everything you say, or how you come across, no one really cares, so why waste the time worrying about it? You see the point of it now, right? So, let it go.” He shrugged.

Yi fan swallowed. “Thanks.”

“Don’t worry about it. Really, do yourself a favor and stop reanalyzing all the you do, because let me tell you, you screw up a lot.”

Yi fan snorted, a small grin splitting over his face. “Name one time—“

“The broken glass, tripping over our welcome mat, breaking the vacuum cleaner,  running into the door---“

“One time.” He laughed, “And that wasn’t me screwing up—“

“No, it was just you being a klutz.” Yixing interjected as he emerged from the back.

“Love you too.” Yi fan scoffed. Yixing blew him a kiss.

“Ready to go?” luhan asked, and together they headed back out.

In the darkness of the early morning, everything seemed more ominous, shadows, like tendrils, stretched out like fingers to greet them every time they left the comfort of a street light. Those street lights like beacons, urging them forward, and their gentle glow an unspoken mantra “just a little further”. Stupid, perhaps, but with every light they came upon, with every step they took, they were just that much closer to home.

In the silent, cold night air, sound traveled, but the distant echo of passing cars only put them further on edge, every flicker of a headlight before them sent them diving into the nearest alley, or behind the nearest parked car and trash can, their hearts pounding.  Minutes crept on like hours and every step felt like a mile. By the time they saw their complex looming into view they all heaved a sigh of relief. A sigh passed too soon as the rev of a motor and screech of tires grew closer. There was no time as a large van rounded the corner, it’s search light flickering around, their forms illuminated. For one small moment there was silence, and then the blare of their systems, the search light now aimed as a beacon.

“Run!” Luhan screeched, and with that one word they bolted, jolting them from their transfixed state as the van raced up alongside, passing them as it cut off their route. There was no time to think, only react as Yi fan swore, heart racing as he skid to a halt and changed course, racing after Luhan and Lay as they ducked down an alley. Behind him, he could hear the sleek door opening and several feet hitting the ground behind them.

Their adrenaline was pumping, the blood rushing in their ears as they ran, darting around trashcans and fallen debris. In the back of his mind, Yi fan was aware they were running further from safety, that now it was all a desperate gamble to shake their pursuers. They skid to a halt as a black van appeared before them at the opening of the alley, a second arriving on the scene.

That momentary pause cost them dearly as hands took hold of them. Yixing’s scream pierced the air, before it was abruptly cut off; the sound alone sounded distant and distorted to Yi fan’s own ears, too focused on pulling free of the hands upon him. Everything was moving quickly before his eyes, too quickly as he tried to take in what was happening before a hard kick to the back of his knees sent him crashing to the sidewalk, cringing as his knees struck the hard concrete through the fabric of his jeans.

One of the black uniformed men cursed, hand snapping back from Luhan, and in the blink of an eye, Luhan was gone, racing off down the street, three other black uniformed men tearing off after him.

“You ing idiot!” someone snarled.

“The little bit me!” the other roared.

“So you let him go?” The other snapped as he removed his hand from over Yixing’s mouth in order to properly cuff him.

“Piss off, Taeyang!”

“All of you shut up! Unit 160 is in pursuit, Kangin, quit complaining about your hand and do something useful!” the one pinning Yi fan down barked.

The man snarled, lips curling in a sneer as he tore open their van door, as hand cuffs clamped tightly over Yi fan’s wrists. “Get up.” The one holding him hissed, fingers like talons boring into his flesh as he was dragged up and shoved forward.

He shook his head; throat clenched tight, words failing him as he dug his heels into the ground, trying in vain to keep himself away. “got a fighter.” Someone sneered, chuckling darkly from inside the van as a fourth person appeared, gripping the front of Yi fan’s shirt once he was in range and pulling him closer as the one behind him forced him inside and shoved him onto the ground.

“How many?” someone asked from the front, a wire meshing separating those in the front from the back.

“Two, would’ve been three, but Kangin let one go.” Taeyang grunted as he dragged Yixing inside, ignoring the others whimpers and tiny cries, pushing him roughly upon the ground beside Yi fan.

Their eyes met, and Yi fan could see the horror and fear in Yixing’s eyes reflected back in his own. What comfort could he offer, when he was gripped with the same fear?

“Seriously, Kangin?” the one in the passanger seat snickered.

“ off, Heechul. I don’t see you working the field.” Kangin shot as the van doors slid shut. Heechul gave a crooked toothy grin.

“No, but you don’t see me ing up either.” He countered.

“At least they’re quiet…” the second sighed as the Taeyang slammed the van door shut and walked around to the other side, settling into the drivers seat.

“For now, but policy is policy.” Heechul snickered.

“P-policy?” Yixing whimpered, finally finding his voice. Eyes shimmering with unshed tears as the engine revved, the soft hum of the motor coming to life and sending small vibrations beneath them. Yi fan shifted, wincing as he found a boot ground into the small of his back.

“You’ll see.”  The second drawled.

“Aww, why wait? Not like they can do anything about it anymore, Daesung.” Heechul quipped from the front.

“Just wait, Heechul.” Kangin snapped.

“Well look at you, mr play by the rules.” Heechul drawled, “You’re all no fun. Tch, my old unit was better.”

“Then transfer back damn it.” Kangin shot.

Yi fan shuddered, trembling under his boot as he finally lifted his footing, the argument around them fading to a distant drone over the hammering of his own heart in his chest. It was getting hard to breathe…beside him Yixing was crying softly, body shaking with small tremors…and Yi fan could think of nothing to comfort him, not with their captors so close, not when he couldn’t even make sense of what had occurred himself…

AN: Im not entirely happy with this chapter, so let me know what you think.