The crowds flocking from the poorest streets were teary eyed and close to mourning. The rich brought laughter and joy to their crowd and didn’t care about the lives about to be lost. Warmth was passed along by bodies being pressed up upon each other. Jaejoong was cold; the only bodies touching him were Yuri’s and Junsu’s tight hand on his gritty hair. The subjects of this gathering, two unconscious, were on a small platform looming over the crowd. The metallic path led to a gateway to hell. The allies of the to-be exiles watched from a safe distance, unsure of their fates. A pack for safe travels was attached to a clumsy robot accompanying her master. They both hoped for all the deserving to outlive their overpowering, Junsu. The rebels not on duty had fled with Yoochun, making sure to sneak out when they were alerted earlier.

Yoochun’s own hands tapped lightly on his steering wheel, enjoying the vibrations of the heartbeats flooding the exit of the building. This was the closest to music he had ever been. As the craft drew closer to the amber orbs, the drumming beat grew louder. The fear settled in him; how could he protect all these people? A sickening pit filled in his gut and he nearly turned the vehicle around to stop the destruction he was about to cause. He slowed, his conscience stopping him from being rash. He couldn’t halt; the refugee rebels were counting on him to lead them safely into his sector, 7454.

The tunnel spit him out and the thundering of life roared around him. Almost the entire clan of Yoochun’s followers was waiting at the mouth, welcoming his being. The force of their mass called to him, willing him to continue his leadership, his pride. Yoochun swallowed up his fear and digested all that held him back. “At high noon, Junsu’s power will be no more!” A melodious cheer sang from their throats, the tune carrying around the dome and even the radicals heard the cries.

Yuri’s own cries were suffocating Jaejoong’s mind. He couldn’t think straight with the throbbing in his head controlling most of his emotions, but his wife’s sadness shook every tremor and pulse signaling him to scream and made him feel heartbreak for the woman he married. Jaejoong had woken to an intense searing pain inflicting his temple. He wasn’t able to process anything other than the hurt in his brain. “Short side-effects,” Kevin had mumbled. The pain wasn’t going away.

The chorus of onlookers subjugated to watch their exile forced Jaejoong to open his eyes. Yuri’s body was shivering madly, like she was actually cold. ‘She is controlled by fear.’ Jaejoong squint his eyes, trying to finder the speaker. The only ones around him were Yuri and Junsu. The next closest beings were a bundle of security guards overlooking the process. A few were drunk on the latest banned drug, but some were actually paying careful attention to the scene in front of them.

Static crackled in the air and all the men in the area let out a soft groan. Mass communication caused a triggering pain in even the women because of the effects of the waves. The females held their children and tried to protect their bodies from the foreign energy. Not even the wealthy could stand the tremors as they hit. “In the name of God and all his loving on our damned selves, I call upon our lord to bless these two wandering souls as they are about to quest for their repentance and honor in thy name. I call to the holy spirits to guide these sinners and forgive them for all their mistakes…”

Siwon’s voice was implanted in the minds of the men and anyone they touched. Almost at once a shuffle movement was taken up as bystanders fled the contact with the males. Many of the listeners were irritated with the prayer being relayed because a good number of them did not believe in the power of anyone other than Key. While Key was their form of religion, many people still alluded back to the original sinful religions of the failing world and the catastrophes they caused by the idea that there was anyone other than the almighty Key leading their people on.

Junsu knew that Siwon was one of the traditional ministers. He followed the banned texts and often hated doing prayers based on the practice of the almighty. As much as he wanted to rid Siwon from his sector, he was the only minister that was recognized in his area. Yoochun didn’t even have a man to preach the ways of the almighty, and that itself was blasphemous. Instead of a proper teacher he had the atheistic views being plagued upon the people by the mad man Heechul.

The proclaimed angel held a content gaze on his hostages, the entire nation in front of him. His stare returned to the two next to him and his glare returned. He wasn’t filled with rage because they were so close to their deaths, but he detested the very sight of them. They held ridiculous pride for thoughts that had been outdated for ages. The world was growing, and they were stuck in the past with their simple beliefs. Junsu had many rights for banishing them. For not complying with the demands of the almighty they were automatically labeled as crazies. Not having children made them infertile. Their necessity for working to survive proved how unproductive they were.

Junsu could quietly cart them away, but the storm that was maturing needed addressing. One bad apple spoiled the bunch. This public exile would let his people know that he was not to be messed with. No matter what he would keep his control, the order that was needed to live.

**********************

“Do you know what I will actually miss about this place?” The gears in her neck rotated in a responsive nay. Yunho had his arm around the robot’s waist, holding her close like she could disappear at any second. “The intricate design for the eternal clock.” Yunho’s eyes traveled from the opening of the safety check in the tunnel connecting to the 7456th sector. Yoochun’s own sector had already been closed off and this one and the other connecting paths would be as soon as the time came.

The android’s eyes traveled to meet the gaze of her master until it found a circular glowing object slowly traveling across the circumference of the dome. The design of the mock sun was the most intriguing part of the sector. The layers of fire were a small sparkle in their bland world. He would equally miss the often waning and waxing white globe that glowed in the darkened hours. “Will master not miss his library? The supposed wealth, the one he denies? Will master not miss me and the memories I have saved to my heart?” Yunho stared blankly at the robot before laughing.

His chuckled was gentle, but bitter. “Dear, when we get out of this place you are coming with me, circuit and all. My library? Jaejoong has that now. As soon as that astrological clock points at the center of the day, he will disappear from Junsu’s radar and all my knowledge will be his.” The robot reverberated and tried to appear calm, but her programmed emotions were peaking from all the emotions swarming around her from the people in 7453.

“Master,” the C0-PAN10N crooned, her eyes dilating slightly as the solar lights grew stronger from the direct shine of the sun outside. Yunho clutched her synthetic skinned arm and pointed out the time.

“Get the packs, it’s almost show time.” He tugged her arm and led her deeper into the fortress. “Now I want to know how Yuri was taken from your protection when I had you and deliver the supplies to her.” The outlandish temperature in the arm pulsated a higher feel. She was embarrassed for her errors.

Hanging her head low and with an apologetic tone, the robot took on her cutest face. “I am sorry. As Yuri sshi and I were putting the packs in a safe place some of Junsu’s workers came to me. I was given the command to deliver you a message.”

“The one about my assigned marriage being finalized, again.” Yunho nodded.

“Yes, it was the same. I was angry and tried to kick them out. They thought we were doing a criminal activity, which we were and started to investigate. The personnel found the bags and confiscated each one. The bags were taken and shot out the dome exit, so we don’t exactly know where they are right now. Yuri sshi was then taken prisoner until the morning came and prep for death went on.”

“Ah, I see. I might as well let you know that Jaejoong was delivered back to the hospital so it wouldn’t seem like he was running away. Kiseop worked his magic on Jaejoong’s transmission, but kept it tracking until the time comes. Of course Junsu came for him in the morning and set him on the chopping block.” Yunho lay on his back so he could still see the clock on the ceiling. His eyes widened at fiery marble and pulled the C0-PAN10N with him to their escape car.

His smile lingered before the rippling effect of high noon detonated. His lasts words before he exited into the closing tunnel swayed with the sudden and foreign breeze. Yoochun’s workers clambered into the tunnels and closed off the last opening gaps. “Always keep the faith.” Hopefully the whisper was carried on.

*************************

Jaejoong’s gaze was set to the dial overhead. Mentally he had been counting down to when Siwon’s sermon would end and he and Yuri would inevitably perish. Junsu had his hand on the switch that would push them into the airtight chamber before shooting them into the untamed. Maybe it was all the eyes trained on the clock that warned him, but he ducked for cover like the little duck he was. Jaejoong and Yuri scrambled into the room anyway to avoid the high noon disaster. The crowd wasn’t so lucky, and most would suffer horrible damages.

Jaejoong held onto Yuri, one to protect her, but also because the splitting pain in his head had increased tremendously, like his brain had been thrown into overdrive at the appropriate time. The glass walls were shaking, and the cracks started to form in seconds. Black and red started to paint the clear window, and they weren’t sure if it was smoke or blood. A strange gas seeped into the room, and Yuri and Jaejoong started gagging immediately.

“Yuri. Yoochun set up a bomb in the clock. It set off right at noon. From what we smell, it is using Jolokia as its explosive content. You know the ghost chili that only grows in the sectors 12,056-12,134. We need to get into those suits on the outside and put on gas masks or risk being burned and blinded.” Yuri’s eyes bounced between the collapsing wall and the disastrous wonders of the unknown. She didn’t really know what was going on, but she stood up from her kneel and raced to the opposite wall. She pounded on it to open, seeing that there weren’t any doors to release them. Jaejoong heard the ripping of the wall and ran to help Yuri.

Their hands slammed on the thick glass and their legs made light scratches, barely scoffing its clean shine. Jaejoong’s head was still pounding, and his blood was flowing at an alarming rate. Yuri herself felt like she was going to choke on the gases seeping in. They weren’t aware of the plans laid out because of them. They were the reason Yoochun was able to terrorize the sector. It was all their unknowing contribution that had probably killed off all the citizens. Were Yuri’s tears from sadness or from the pepper?

An earsplitting cry stabbed them in the back and their bodies were pressed into the unshattering wall. The glass had broken and sent the airwaves into them. The magnitude was leaving them pinned to the barricade and keeping them immobile. More and more pressure was applied to their weak bodies. More parts of the wall seemed to break under their weight, until finally, the wall broke out completely and they had finally reached the outside world.

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So, Siwon is a Priest, I had to, and Heechul is an atheist and probably more. I

Comments are motivation~♥