After their briefing session with Minho, Changmin, and Kyuhyun, it was Luhan who felt newfound resolve for the mission. Minho's lengthy explanation filled Luhan with a myriad of emotions - fear and braveness among them. He could already tell just how dangerous of a mission they were embarking on, but at this point, he's about had it with putting his life at risk. More than that, he's no longer willing to tolerate risking Sehun's (although, he never tolerated it really.) Soaking in all the information, Luhan's heart felt heavy as if it weighed him down, and he felt all twisted up and tense inside. He figured some driving could help him blow off some steam, so as they exited the hospital, he'd stolen the keys from Sehun and took the wheel, driving the twenty minutes to the Kim house.

Tires crunch little shards of gravel as Luhan pulls up by the curb silently, a few blocks away from their target. Killing the engine, Luhan tosses the keys to Sehun who sits solemnly in the passenger seat. The slack features of Sehun's flat face acquire some emotion at the sudden clump of metal flying at it, leaving Luhan's hands effortlessly and hopefully finding their way to Sehun's just as easily. The surprise in Sehun's face ignites his reflexes, allowing him to grab the key ring before it makes its crash landing on his nose. Kris snickers from the back, lazily leaning against the seat from the floor, one leg outstretched straight, the other bent at the knee, allowing him to rest his arm upon it. Sehun glares at him through the corner of his eye, still harboring some skepticism about bringing him along. 

After a few moments, Luhan's tired and grumbly voice breaks the silence, drawing Sehun's attention. He looks at Luhan through the fringe of his hair that still hangs over his eyes. Luhan smiles at him slightly affectionately, reaching out to brush the offending hair away so he can say what he needs to say, and read Sehun's emotions in his eyes when he says it. Kris has already scooted up to the space between the two chairs, ears ready to receive Luhan's words. Although he only just met the duo, Kris has already picked up on the fact that Luhan calls most of the shots, so he listens intently. Sehun scoffs at his closeness, but focuses again on Luhan, pushing Kris away from him mentally.

"Okay," Luhan starts, hoping to shave off a bit of the tension in the air before he explains his plans. He knows Sehun will protest, but he won't waiver in his decision. Luhan takes a gander outside the RV windshield before continuing, noticing the warm orange of the sun-setting sky. Despite its beauty, streaks of yellow and darker shades of orange set the sky on fire, mirroring Luhan's current inner state, what with his fear mixing with the uncertainty of return. He takes a deep breath.

"Okay," Luhan repeats. "This mission is pretty dangerous," he explains, stating the obvious however. "Which is why I have to do it alone."

"WHAT?" Sehun protests right on cue. Kris blinks a few times, unsure what to make of the situation.

"I have to," Luhan emphasizes to his lover, taking his cheek in one hand. It seems as though the both of them have shirked Kris' existence at this point, Luhan disregarding the extra pair of eyes settling on his shows of affection. Sehun places his hand on top of Luhan's, the warmth transferring into his bone cold fingers.

"I won't let you," Sehun cries, almost pleading.

"Please, Sehun," Luhan replies, willing away Sehun's worry. He's already aware of the danger he's putting himself into; he doesn't need Sehun's concern cutting into his heart. But he can't blame the poor boy, either. Luhan tries not to think about it too much. "I have to do this. It'll be too dangerous if more than one of us are in there. Plus, I need you to be the get away driver."

Sehun shifts uncomfortably in his seat, unable to argue Luhan's point. It's right about now that Sehun curses Kris' driving incompetence. The guy can perform CPR but he can't drive? Ugh. Although he wishes he could keep his boyfriend from endangering himself, he also knows how necessary this pacemaker is to Yixing, especially if they want to have any chance of forming a cure. Chanyeol may not be stable for much longer, and Sehun knows Yixing is right on the brink of success. Sehun's gaze flicks to the ceiling momentarily, a sad smile curving at his lips. He finds it hard to believe that the current state of chaos forced Yixing into an underground practice, lacking of all the things sufficient for a functioning hospital. Their only option really is to steal them from the three most threatening brothers - the only ones successful enough to turn their suburbian home into a safe house, holding down a fortress of solitude and protection.

"Okay..." Sehun finally utters, defeated. Kris remains silent throughout the whole ordeal, taking in the situation at hand, pinpointing opportunities he may have to help. Unfortunately, his pushpins lay idle in his hand, having nowhere to land on the map of opportunity. He keeps his mouth shut instead, staying on his toes in case something arises.

"Stay here with Kris," Luhan instructs, Sehun trying his hardest not to express his displeasure at the order. He nods reluctantly to which Luhan coos, "Good boy," ruffling his hair playfully before exiting the vehicle. He smiles at Sehun warmly. "I promise I'll come back."

"You better," Sehun replies. Luhan nods and hops out the driver's side, carefully approaching the house of the Kim brothers.

Luhan pads up the lawn quietly, choosing precaution despite the general emptiness of the neighborhood. Most of the houses were already vacant, some deteriorating after a short period of time. Only the Kim brothers ran a working house, having set up subtle defenses which Luhan easily avoids. While circling the house, Luhan assesses his soon-to-be enemies, deciding that the moment they learn of his existence - that is, IF they learn of his existence - they would immediately rush to kill him, any intruder unwelcome, just like Changmin said. It makes sense, Luhan validates. At the point where the infection spreads in a matter of minutes and just about anyone could carry it, a shoot-on-sight policy really is the only way to go. Although, Luhan would prefer it not to be his way to go. Mentally preparing himself, the red-haired boy quickly observes the house and maps out a plan.

An open window calls out to Luhan, as if it was already waiting for him to enter through it. Luhan considers it a trap, but after a careful inspection, he concludes it safe enough and jumps up to reach the ledge, pulling himself up with ease.

From the RV, Sehun watches Luhan intently, ready to pounce at a moment's notice. He clutches the arm rest tightly, finger nails digging into the fabric with tension. His posture reflects his mood, and it doesn't take much for Kris to read his thoughts.

"You know," Kris says matter-of-factly. "He'll be fine."

"What do you know," Sehun retorts tersely, his eyes never leaving Luhan's limber body.

"You can't leave," Kris responds with a calm voice, disregarding Sehun's general hate towards his existence. Although not much of a fan of Sehun himself, Kris doesn't want to get anymore on his bad side than he already is. Kris was never one for conflict as it is, which is probably why he lets Yixing boss him around so easily.

"I'll do whatever it takes if Luhan needs me," Sehun replies adamantly. "Just stop talking to me, Kris, okay?"

"Alright, as you wish," Kris says, leaning back leisurely again to separate himself from the strained atmosphere Sehun exudes. "But," Kris adds in. "If Luhan needs help, you have to stay here. He needs you to stay here," Kris explains.

"But-"

"I'll rush to his aid," Kris offers. "I'll be the one to help. He needs you here, Sehun. So... Just give me a chance okay? He promised he would be back, and I'll make sure nothing stands in his way of keeping that promise."

Sehun growls quietly, baring his canine tooth at Kris' words, but he softens quickly once he understands the validity of what Kris is saying. He can't deny the points made against him, and so he tries to settle into some gratitude, thankful that there is another able body around to help out. Though Sehun can't help but be bothered by the fact that it'd be Kris rushing to Luhan's aid again. If his jealousy could be characterized, it'd be the sleazy guy at the bar, hitting on the obviously disinterested girl. Despite his inability to take a rather blatant hint, his stubbornness overpowers, rooting him in his clearly unwanted spot. Sehun growls again from frustration; he knows just how inappropriate jealousy is in a situation like this, but it so terribly consumes him that he feels torn between gratefully accepting Kris' help and wanting to do everything himself. For Luhan thinks. 

From inside the house, Luhan notices it glows similarly to the evening sky, the warm orange lighting of scattered lamps illuminating the hallway. With the garage closed, Luhan couldn't be sure if anyone was home but the general silence of the house confirms that he's alone, making his job loads easier. He immediately heads for the kitchen, hoping that the Kim family kept all medical related things stored somewhere in that area like his family used to do. Luhan doesn't seem to have any luck finding what he's looking for, rummaging through drawers and cabinets but producing no results. He finds a few practical things, including a match book and some twine, pocketing them before moving on to the next location.

Luhan saunters over to a sitting room, decorated with antiquated furniture and tacky arm chairs. He thinks it must have belonged to the Kim grandparents or even great grandparents, guessing that the current generation of Kim brothers probably don't share the same taste. Luhan shakes interior design thoughts from his head, focusing on the mission at hand instead. He opens the cupboard of the side table in the room, scavenging for the pacemaker he knows they have. Why they would keep it here is beyond him, but Luhan knows better than to blatantly ignore potential storage spaces.

The silence had become comfortable in Luhan's ears, punctuated only by the disruption of the objects in the house, caused by none other than Luhan himself. However, when a creaky door hinge interrupts the quiet melody that Luhan had created for himself, his heart stops, the realization creeping under his skin.

"Minseok," a small voice whines from another room. Luhan had never heard any of them speak before, but he had no trouble identifying the voice as Jongdae's, it's high squeakiness belonging to none other than a child. "I'm thirsty," he complains further, the sound of his voice becoming stronger, footsteps accompanying. Luhan quickly squeezes into a small space between the armoir and a chair, pressing himself into the space for dear life.

"Okay, Jongdae, I'll get you some milk okay?" Minseok, Luhan presumes, replies. He could hear the footsteps pass him in the hallway, making their way toward the kitchen. the air into his lungs, Luhan holds his breath with anticipation. The hardness building up in his chest turns him into a statue, still and silent for dear life.

"Minseok, why do we have to sleep so early?" Jongdae asks. "I'm not a little kid anymore, I can stay up late!" he pouts to Minseok, who sighs and smiles at his little brother. Luhan's face twists unpleasantly at Jongdae's words, berating himself for not considering the fact that the brothers could have been sleeping. That definitely explained the silence he so wrongfully took for granted.

"I know that, Jongdae. That's why we need you to sleep now. It's easier for us to guard the house and watch over you if we rest now, instead of during the night. Dangerous things can happen at night time, Jongdae." Luhan gazes out the window now, hoping that Minseok and Jongdae will return to their room shortly. The sky is now colored a deep blue, holding hues like the ocean. Purple starts to seep its way in at the seams, blending into the night sky like water color. Luhan allows himself to be enraptured by its beauty for a moment, his breath faltering at the sight. It's not like Luhan has never enjoyed the twilight sky before, but he finds it calming, distracting him from the stressful danger at hand.

"What was that?" Minseok asks warily, placing a hand in front of Jongdae to stop him in his tracks. Jongdae looks up at just the right time to see the obstacle in his path, stopping immediately. The milk in his full cup sloshes around, and Jongdae steadies the cup to avoid spilling any on the carpet which Junmyeon tries so hard to keep clean. Minseok carefully creeps into the room which Luhan hides, tiptoeing as he inspects. , , , could he really hear me? Luhan curses himself internally for letting his guard down, ultimately revealing himself. Anxiety fills his heart, making it beat faster and harder like a sledge hammer pounding against his concrete chest. How could he be so stupid to assume he was alone?

Pulling his foot in closer, Luhan hugs his knees to his chest, praying that Minseok won't see him. Minseok doesn't. In fact, Minseok concludes himself delusional and overly cautious, deeming the room empty, save for his brother and himself of course. Luhan sighs in relief at Minseok's retreat, though a moment too soon, his head hitting the back of the wall he leans against in his neglect. Luhan couldn't even so much as dream that such a noise would escape Minseok's sensitive ears, the sounds of Minseok's shrill voice haunting Luhan's ears.

"Show yourself!" Minseok yells, Luhan even more unprepared than before. He still hasn't acquired his target and now he was going to have a much harder time achieving it. Minseok stands in the hallway, taking a protective stance with Jongdae behind him. He reaches for the nearest weapon - a standing lamp about six feet tall. Although it was significantly taller than him, it wasn't terribly heavy, making a good makeshift staff that could be used to bash the intruder's head in. Jongdae grips the milk cup in his hands tightly, watching his brother intently. Minseok's hostile expression strikes fear into the small kid, and Jongdae can't remember if he's ever seen his older brother look so angry.

Running out of options, Luhan decides it would be better to reveal himself before being found, in this position no less, by Minseok. Thinking fast, Luhan rises and immediately dashes away from his hiding spot, grabbing the first thing he could get his hands on - a crystal dish sitting atop a shelf of the armoir. He weighs the thing in his hand for a split second of evaluation and deems it heavy enough, throwing it at Minseok's head, missing by a few inches and hitting the wall instead, glass shattering everywhere. The sharp shards rain upon Jongdae, glittering as they fall. Unfortunately for him, the force of the pieces ricocheting off the wall was enough to scratch Jongdae's cheek, leaving clear cut slices on his pale and perfect skin. The blood oozes out neatly, hot red dripping down his face.

"Ahh!" Jongdae screams, clutching his face with both hands. The milk falls, splattering all over the floor as blood stains his hands.

"Jongdae!" Minseok screeches. The once pretty red streaks now smear his younger brother's cheek like face paint. Minseok's ears redden with rage and his blood boils - if there's anyone he's the most protective over, it's Jongdae. "Jongdae!" Minseok says again, this time with force and calmness. "Go to Junmyeon NOW!" he orders. With a sniffle, Jongdae stares up at Minseok with glassy eyes, frozen in place. One more command from Minseok, breaks Jongdae from his daze, the smaller darting back to the room, mindful of the broken glass on the floor.

Luhan utilizes his short moment of distraction to continue searching for the pacemaker he came for, no longer being careful to keep things as preserved as possible. He throws drawers and their contents left and right, desperately searaching for the thing he needs.

"Stop!" Minseok yells in vain, the words nothing but white noise to Luhan. Knowing he won't be able to escape so easily on account of the dead bolts the brothers installed on the doors, Luhan is forced to think fast. His thoughts are stopped short by the aggressive swinging of a lamp head at his face, courtesy of an enraged Minseok. Luhan ducks instinctively, losing balance as he hits the ground. He scurries away behind the counter, Minseok close on his tail. Looking around hastily, Luhan pulls himself up on the stool before him, jumping to his feet and grappling the stool as his only defense. Minseok falters in response but hurriedly plants his feet again to regain his ground, showing Luhan he won't easily be defeated.

"I just need one small little thing, and no one has to get hurt," Luhan tries to offer, hoping Minseok will cooperate.

"'No one'? What about my little brother?!" Minseok snarls, coming at Luhan with the lamp once again. Luhan dodges, finding himself in front of the sink. With swift and calculated movements, Luhan s the lever on, running water gushing from the tap. Before Minseok can get close enough for another swing, Luhan grabs the hose from the side of the sink, aiming the nozzle at Minseok and pulling the trigger, spraying him. Minseok staggers from the shock of hot water in his eyes.

With a few seconds of freedom, Luhan grabs the stool and runs to the window he entered from, having been pushed shut by the wind without him noticing. Luhan knows that window can be seen from the RV so with all his might, he picks up the stool and hurls it through the glass, the shattering loud and piercing. His time is already up though, Minseok charging at him yet again. Luhan quickly collects himself, running at the speed of light and now disarmed after having thrown his only weapon out the window. Without so much as a thought, Luhan escapes up the stairs, bounding up two or three at a time, being cautious not to trip. He can't afford to falter, a split second of time a precious measure of whether he will live or die at the hands of Minseok.

Sehun, having never taken his eyes off of the house, is the first to see a wooden stool fly out onto the lawn. "Kris! Did you see that?!" Sehun asks incredulously, pointing at the stool precariously lying there.

"What happened?!" Kris asks, having missed the action.

"That stool just came through the window! I think that's a cue from Luhan... It's time to make good on your promise," Sehun proclaims.

"Okay, I'll be right back," Kris assures. "Keep the car running," he says, descending from the RV with haste and making his way to the broken window.

There's a small closet already open at the side of the room Luhan enters. Quickly but carefully, Luhan situates himself inside. It's funny how much it reminds him of a coffin, his body surrounded by clothes and other trivial things to make him feel cramped inside. Luhan hopes it only to be irony and that it won't become reality anytime soon. He can hear Minseok making it up the stairs, his heavy breathing both erratic and daunting. Luhan does everything in his power to control his own, feeling around for anything he can use to defend himself.

"Junmyeon!!" Minseok calls down the stairs. "Junmyeon!!" he yells again, until he can get an answer from his younger brother. "JUN!"

"What?! I'm here, I'm here!" a voice floats from downstairs. The sound of another voice stresses Luhan out even more. He already thought Minseok was a lot to deal with, but now two of them? Luhan prays that help is coming soon. He hears Minseok briefing Junmyeon, informing him of Luhan's existence and overhearing the conversation as Junmyeon is now upstairs too. 

Luhan's hand discovers nothing substantial as a means of defense, anxiously jittering at his vulnerability. The knitted fabrics of the shirts and sweaters surrounding him stifle him, making it harder for him to maintain a steady breath. He finally feels some discarded metal hangers, void of any articles of clothing. With nothing else to help him, he desperately grabs one, placing all his trust into the flimsy metal of the hanger he wields.

Light floods the small space, causing Luhan to squint his eyes, tears forming at the waterline from the both brightness and fear. A rough hand grabs his collar, ing him from the safety of his closet sanctuary. Beads of sweat roll down Luhan's forehead, and he grips the hanger for dear life, too scared to actually do anything with it. Luhan imagines he'd be lucky if he managed stay alive for just five more minutes.

But those hopes dwindle quickly, Junmyeon's tight grip constricting Luhan. He may look like a dork, but he's much stronger than Luhan could have ever expected. His pathetic hanger drops to the ground, bouncing at his feet, not even so much as capturing the attention of the two brothers for a moment. Luhan gasps as Junmyeon pulls his arm, hardly allowing him any movement at all. As one last hope, Luhan propels his leg back, aiming for Junmyeon's knee. Unfornately for Luhan, his attack fails, giving Junmyeon the leverage to twist his arm further, and causing Luhan to scream and wince in pain.

Minseok approaches him with an intimidating grin on his face, effectively scaring Luhan out of his skin. Though he maintains face, refusing to die a coward. "You think you can come in here and walk out with whatever you like?" Minseok taunts, wanting to elicit some sort of fear from the boy. Luhan bites his lip. "Think again." Minseok says with a deep voice, sending shivers down Luhan's spine. Minseok raises the lamp up, staying true to his original choice of weapon. Though Minseok is deadly enough to make anything a weapon, so it's really of no concern to him. His muscle twitches, fully intending to bring it straight down on Luhan's head if not for the interrupting voice from behind Junmyeon.

"Stop," the low voice orders, enough to halt Minseok from his conquest. Junmyeon turns around at the shocked expression on Minseok's face, swinging Luhan around with him. His eyes meet those of Kris', cold and hard, staring the two of them down. "Let him go, and your precious brother lives."

Simultaneously, all six eyes fall on Jongdae, besieged by Kris and a chef's knife, stolen from none other than the kitchen downstairs. Jongdae's face is still stained with blood since Junmyeon was interrupted by Minseok's shrill cry while he was trying to clean him up. Tear streaks cut through the layer of blood caking his face, leaving pinkish trails from his eyelashes to his jaw. His eyes are almost as red as his cheek, and he pleads for Minseok and Junmyeon to let Luhan go, if only to save his own life. Jongdae doesn't understand what's happening but the fear overtaking him right now occupies his thoughts, his brothers his only heroes in the world who can save him.

"Minseok, I'm scared," Jongdae cries. Kris doesn't think he has it in him to kill a child, but Junmyeon and Minseok don't need to know that.

"Luhan first," Kris orders. He hopes the strength of his voice is enough to carry the weight of his bluff, but the way Minseok and Junmyeon exchange glances with uncertainty makes him think he should try a little harder. "I said," Kris commands again. "Luhan. First." He brings the knife against Jongdae's throat, the smaller boy shrieking with fear. He thinks he feels the cold metal make contact with his skin, but he can't be sure. The coldness of metal and the wetness of blood feel all too alike and he starts screaming regardless, unable to handle the lingering of the blade on his neck.

Jongdae's hysterics are enough to break Junmyeon's resolve, pushing Luhan forward and releasing him, for Jongdae's sake. "Let him go!" he dictates through broken words and a shaky voice. Once Luhan is safely on Kris' side, he complies, ing Jongdae forward with equal force, causing him to crash into Junmyeon's chest, who holds him tightly while he sobs into his shirt. Junmyeon hushes his little brother nervously as means of calming both himself and Jongdae down now that he is safely in his arms.

Under his voice, Minseok deadpans, "You have one minute before I come after you both. And I. Will. Kill you," he promises, his eyes remaining fixated on his two younger brothers.

Kris and Luhan decide not to take any chances, running from the brothers as fast as they can.

"The pacemaker!" Luhan cries, realizing they still don't have what they need.

"Don't worry about it," Kris assures. "I got it covered."

As they reach the broken window, Kris picks up a metal box, about the size of a lunchbox, and shakes it, the rattling of the device inside indicating it's exactly what Luhan hoped for. "You found it!" Luhan shrieks.

"Yep. Now hurry up and let's get the out of here," Kris offers, allowing Luhan to jump through the makeshift exit first. Following close behind, Kris jolts himself out with ease, years of hurdles in track aiding his escape. They clumsily pile into the RV, Luhan yelling at Sehun to "Go, go go!" Sehun, who already had the engine running as per Kris's suggestion, slams his foot on the accelerator, speeding off into the horizon.

"Where are we going?!" Sehun asks.

"Anywhere!" Luhan replies. "Just drive!"

//Fun fact! This was actually the first chapter I ever wrote for this story. This is the main scene from my dream that i had like.. a year ago... I still really love this part of the story and I hope you like it too!