March 31, 2264

AHA Headquarters, South Korea

4:46 AM
   







Turns out the air duct idea didn’t work again. Instead, it had set off an alarm, and startled Ji Ae so much she nearly fell and split her head open. On Soojung’s urgent last second plans, they boarded the jet before the Hunter reinforcements arrived, fleeing to the air. Tae Joong had then pointed out Dongwoo was still out there, and while the others may have gotten the signal, it didn’t mean they had gotten free. While Soojung and Tae Joong kept the jet airborne and hidden from attack, Ji Ae and Mei joined the Nature Infinite in battle.



They were losing, and they knew it. The Hunters were just playing with them; even now, one of them, a man named Kyuhyun, was lazily shooting at their feet, causing them to dodge backwards. Mei would then have to turn and defend their back against one of the other fighters, Sungmin, who was armed with a large blade and the fixed goal of bringing them down. Even she was struggling against the man as he hacked against a blade she had stolen from a fallen Hunter. 



Ji Ae suddenly tumbled against her as she held her stomach, throwing the half Chinese girl off balance and giving Sungmin an opening. He lashed out, only to be blocked by a thick root. Giving the panting Nature Infinite an annoyed look, he cut through it and stabbed at Mei as she attempted to regain the ground she had lost. Dongwoo was forced to turn away when Kyuhyun and other Hunter double teamed him, knocking him backwards into the dirt. 



He tried in vain to summon the earth to help him back he was too tired, and no response was given. No animals were near them for miles and if what Mei had told him was correct, Soojung and Tae Joong weren’t going to be able to help them without crashing the jet and destroying their only escape plan. 


“Kyu, if you’d like the honor?” The shorter man said softly, gesturing at the fallen Infinite with his gun.


“Thanks, Tae, don’t mind if I do,” Without flinching, the Hunter sent a bullet through Dongwoo’s thigh with a meaty splat. Choking back the scream that tore at his throat, Dongwoo felt tears sting his eyes as he clenched his hands into the grass against the pain. The Hunter casually raised his weapon to point at the Infinite’s shoulder. He couldn’t die here, not like this! He was getting sick of his life being in danger; this was the second time in the past 24 hours!


Before he could even lash out with the last of his strength, Kyuhyun was sent flying to the side. A massive beast stood over the Hunter as he tried to get up, a horrific mixture of too many creatures. Without hesitation, it swiped at his side, tearing deep into the flesh and sending blood splattering. Taemin cried out as if he had been injured himself and raised his own gun to kill the thing. But it disappeared with a crack, like a nightmare. 



Panting, he looked around, but the battlefield was empty of the Infinites, leaving only confused and wounded Hunters.  




-v-v-v-




March 31, 2264

Katong, Malay Peninsula
3:55 AM


Cool early morning mist s its way through the trees from the Singapore Strait waterfront. The buildings closest to the waterline had chipped and curling paint, their wood aged and their prime having long since been something of the past. The stench of rotting timber and salty water filled the air, and the occasional screech of a seagull wormed its way through the fog to echo through the air.

Shivering, Sungjong hugged himself as he followed his hyung closely. The area they were walking through was too eerie for him with its muffling silence, and it was times like these he was glad of Hoya’s presence. The older boy was strong and warm and he just seemed to emit comfort and protection to those closest to him.

Sanghee seemed to notice that as well, as she walked very close to boy and just ahead of Sunjong. The Healer didn’t mind, and he couldn’t help but feel a bit of smug satisfaction as he watched the two interact, however quietly.

The sound of soft footsteps against gravel made him glance behind himself warily. He could just make out Max’s form through the haze, before the figure disappeared. Yunho and him had been taking turns switching from front to back, constantly circling the group like sharks. Despite Hoya’s reassurance that the duo meant no harm, Sungjong couldn’t help feel a slight inkling of uneasiness every time he saw one of them.  

He nearly jumped out of his skin when Yunho appeared a moment later in front of them. Even Hoya was surprised, if his shoulders becoming rigid was any hint.

“The Beast member is just ahead. He said he was looking for the Infinites that came to Singapore.” The metal user narrowed his eyes suspiciously at the fire Infinite. “Do you two know each other?”

Hoya shrugged half-heartedly. “Yeah, just a bit. But that’s really none of your business.” Ignoring the indignant look that flashed across Yunho’s expression, Hoya walked past him confidently with Sanghee into the mist, Sungjong tagging along closely.

For a second they were surrounded by a thick white cloud, and then suddenly they were facing an old tan shop with crimson window frames. Thick pieces of plywood crookedly covered its windows with shards of glass sticking out stubbornly from the frames, while graffiti and marks covered its once beautiful walls, a clear sign of the building’s abuse.

“Infinite? Sunggyu?”

“No, it’s me Hoya. Hyunseung?”

The Beast member suddenly appeared, his face creased with worry. “Oh, Hoya. Sorry, I had been hoping for Sunggyu, though that would be impossible with him and AHA and all that.”

Hoya shuffled his feet. “Yeah, we know; we sent him there with Woohyun, Sungyeol and Jinri on purpose. Anyways, Sofia said you had information about the cure? She didn’t have any.”



-v-v-v-

March 31, 2264

AHA Headquarters, South Korea

5:00 AM
   



“Are you insane?!” Woohyun yelled, trying hard to not have a meltdown in the middle of the jet. “You could have all gotten killed?! You know how dead I would be if I came back with you and you were missing a limb? Sunggyu would find some way to reverse time and make sure I was never born!” His gaze switched sharply between Mei and Dongwoo, who both looked away sheepishly. 



Ji Ae was sleeping on the bed behind them, her eyes closed and her breath coming out evenly. She had taken a shallow cut to the stomach while she had been fighting a pair of younger Hunters named U-Kwon and Minhyuk. Though she had taken down the latter, the former still had managed to lash out with his knife and score her in the gut before Sungyeol appeared and taken her away. 



Mei looked around, a mixture of curiosity and hope flickering across her face. “Where’s Sunggyu? Is he resting? Did something happen to him?”

Woohyun visibly stiffened, glancing away, his eyes downcast. The girl frowned, moving closer and crossing her arms over her chest.

“What the happened, Woohyun? Where is he?!”

Dongwoo reached out and brushed his fingers against the shapeshifter’s arm, “Namstar…where is hyung?”

Woohyun let out a sigh. “I’m sorry…but we couldn’t find him. BoA separated us; we went to the cells, and he went to the labs. She said something about experimenting, but we honestly had no chance of getting down there without being massacred. We had to leave him behind.”


-v-v-v-


March 31, 2264

Katong, Malay Peninsula
4:11 AM



Hyunseung’s eyes lit up, “You met Sofia?!” He stopped, shaking his head, “Sorry, off topic. Yeah, I got some news about it. But it’s nothing unusual. In fact, you probably guessed it on the way here. And in that case you know it’s impossible. I asked everyone, traded in favors, bribed, threatened; I did whatever I could to try and get information or even just rumors about the cure. I only found one lead. And it’s a guarantee; she has the cure, 100%.” Sungjong raised a brow as he listened to the Beast member, growing increasingly uneasy as he went on; it was obvious he was avoiding saying the actual information outloud. How bad could it be?

Hoya’s patience was much thinner than his, and he cut off the other man before he could continue. “Who is it, Hyunseung? Just tell us already; we’ll got to whatever lengths necessary to get this damn cure.”

Taking a deep breath, the red head replied as he exhaled, the words almost jumbling together. “Only BoA knows the cure.”

Sungjong’s jaw dropped and he stared at the boy in shock, “What?!” He shrieked, moving forward. “Are you serious?! BoA?!”

“Shhh! Keep your voice down!” Hyunseung hissed, his eyes darting about. “Yes, BoA, head of AHA. Apparently she’s known the cure for quite some time, according to my sources, who, trust me, are very reliable. She keeps it under lock and key and all hush-hush because, well, think about it. If all the Infinites were cured and the war ended, she’d have no job; AHA would collapse. AHA’s research team found the cure and keep it hidden, only using it for experiments. Do you guys know about Zhoumi?”

“Wasn’t he the head of the Chinese Resistance, or something?” Sungjong asked with confusion.

“Well, yes, one of them. But he was taken, quite some time ago.” The Beast member hesitated before moving closer to the trio. “Doojoon told you guys about me, right?” They nodded wearily. “Right. So, um. When they had taken me, well, that was around the time Zhoumi had been captured. I remember seeing him when I had been in the labs one time. He had been fighting against them, and using his Powers, and they subdued him and dragged him away. Next time I saw him, a few days later, he was like a zombie. I remember one of the scientists left out their boards near me…guys,” He moved even closer, his voice dropping to a whisper, “They…they used the cure and took away his Powers. Then, um, they brainwashed him.”

Hoya recoiled in horror, stumbling back a few feet, while Sanghee appeared ashen. “Wha-what?! Is he a soldier for them now?!”

“Yeah, he’s a Hunter now. The-they’ve been doing this for quite some time…they capture a strong Infinite, basically leech their Power out of them, and then mess with their mind until they become the perfect Hunters. Henry and Alexander, the heads of North America, had the same thing happen to them.”

“B-but, what about you?” Sanghee asked nervously. “Didn’t they put a Power into you?”

Hyunseung warily looked around again as he answered, “Yeah; they wanted to see if they could create Infinites if they had a suitable subject and a Power to transfuse into them. I-I use to be on a Hunter squad, and a really strong one at that, so they used that strength I had gained to their advantage and used me as their first test subject. I th-think the Infinite with the original Power of Knowledge was killed; he or she was probably one of their first experiments. Bu-but evidently, since Zhoumi, Henry and Alexander are still alive, they’re getting better.”

Furrowing his brow, Hoya slowly spoke, his eyes closed. “Let me get this straight. Zhoumi and the others had their Powers taken from them. You had a Power put into you. And…and wasn’t G-Dragon a normal person until they experimented with brainwashing and stuff?”

“Yes, but G Dragon wasn’t just brainwashed; he’s an Infinite now as well.”

“What?!” Sunjong yelped, his voice cracking. “Are you serio-?!” Sanghee clamped her hand over his mouth, shushing him quiet. Hyunseung didn’t seem to notice the distraction, now deeply in thought.

“I’m pretty sure BoA is trying to make the perfect weapon. Zhoumi and the others were experiments to see if she could access any Power she could get her hands on if it was in an Infinite. I was the experiment to see if she could put it in a person. And G Dragon was the end result of combining the two things together. However…I think he was a failed one. Remember? He snaps between Jiyong and G Dragon, and GD’s personality isn’t dominant most of the time.  So he’s a failed one.” His eyes opened and he looked ages older. “I guess that would explain why she took Sunggyu out of the four of them.”

Suddenly his back was against the wall of the filthy building, Hoya pinning him with a snarl. “What?! What happened to Sunggyu?!”

“I-I thought you kn-knew; you said you knew about him being at AHA!” Hyunseung yelled defensively, shoving the younger boy off of him.

“What are you talking about?!” Hoya barked, steam beginning to rise off his clothing as his body temperature heated up. Sungjong had seen this too many times before.

“BoA took him from the others! You said you knew! It’s freakin’ common sense here!” The Beast snapped, gesturing wildly, “He’s a potent Infinite-one of Tablo’s finest. His abilities are unique and powerful and unlike any others. Obviously she’s probably going to use him in an experiment; probably the same one as G Dragon’s!” Hoya began to curse loudly, lashing out to punch the building while Hyunseung continued on, understanding dawning on his face and annoyance quickly joining it, “Honestly?! You didn’t know?! Did you guys even think before you sent him off like a birthday present to BoA?! Did you throw a ing bow on top of his head just for extra measure as well?!”

Before Hoya could punch him, which Sungjong would not have been surprised to see, screeching metal interrupted them, and the sounds of yelling and explosions shattered the silence. Max abruptly appeared, his eyes wild and his hair ruffled. “We’re under attack!”



-v-v-v-


March 31, 2264

near Singapore, Malay Peninsula
7:13 AM


They had been driving for hours without rest. Every time a car appeared on the road, Myungsoo would pull over and they would duck for cover. When the tail lights of the passing vehicle were no longer visible, they would start out again. At the moment, they were taking one of the old back roads, which were nearly abandoned and were partially overgrown. The city was in the distance, and the waterfront to their right. They had begun to debate about pulling over and ditching the car, but Myungsoo insisted on taking it to the very edge of the city and then hiding it, and there for lessening their walking distance.

Heaving a sigh, Francesca watched the skyline; it was warming up to a yellow, and every once in a while a cloud would shift, revealing a pearly blue sky.

“Tired?” Myungsoo asked, shooting her a look as he gripped the steering wheel. The engine hummed through the dashboard and the radio gave a soft buzz of background music. The girl leaned back into her seat and sighed again, sinking lower against the leather.

“Yeah…and just thinking…”

 The boy looked over again, and softly laughed, “Stopping wrinkling your brow, that’s how you begin to look old at an early age. Anyways, what were you thinking about?”

Fran bit her lip and paused, before replying quietly. “Well…whats going to happen when this is all over? If it ends, that is. Like, are you guys going to go back to Korea?”

Myungsoo blinked and then nodded slowly.

“Think I could go with you?”

His head whipped around to look at her in shock. “Seriously? You actually want to go back with a bunch of strangers that you barely know to their country?!”

She shrugged, making eye contact, “Yeah, so? I know I can trust you guys. Plus, I can handle myself,” She wrinkled her nose teasingly. Something out of the corner of her eye pulled at her, and she glanced at it curiously. fell open with astonishment at the sight.


“Wait…Myungsoo…isn’t that…”


He followed her gaze to a figure in the distance, just down the road and to the side.


“Isn’t that Sunggyu?” He wondered out loud, surprise evident in his voice.


“Yeah…what is he doing out here?” Fran frowned, leaning forward. “No one ever comes out here. We’re still miles from the city…”


Myungsoo smiled at the girl beside him as he stepped on the gas lightly, “Well, let’s go ask.”






A_A_A_A_A


A/N Sorry guys XD I planned to leave Chapter 31 just like that for a while, but I was too excited to introduce Sunggyu later, so I finished this up today…hehe

Hope you all liked it! Please comment and subscribe! Thanks!

-WhosThere13

P.S The ‘comment reply’ things are handy…Now the Author’s note doesn’t have to be like 3 pages long and I can reply to you all sooner haha

P.S.S. OH MY GOD GUYS I’M SO STUPID. Seriously. I’m really dumb. I maaaay have accidently thought Singapore was a country….*smacks myself in the face* I’m soooorrrry!!! I don’t know Asia that well and when I was doing research on Singapore a while ago, I must have misread the information! And the chapters since are based off that misunderstood information…sorry! I’ll fix all the mistakes soon! (I’ve gotten a few in the last couple of chapters) Thanks for putting up with my derpinesss -_-“ and I hope you all like the new chapter!