Victory.

                It was a bittersweet word on their tongues.

                Minsoo, Byunghyun, and Jonghyun had accomplished what they set out to do.  But the cost had been high.  Not the ultimate price, but close enough for all of them.

                Clenching the voucher like a dying man to life, Jonghyun barely believed he would actually be given the medicine until he was pulled aside for processing and recording.  That meant he had to be separated from Daniel and everyone else again, for they did not have vouchers and the survivors were merely left alone – half-heartedly protected from the grabbers but otherwise ignored.  A frightened Jonghyun stumbled alongside a guard, one hand under his arm guiding him forward as he looked around with wide and frightened eyes.  The blimp overhead continued to circle, revealing the winning bids on the participants.

                He caught a glimpse of his picture under the ‘Win’ section and blinked, as if he still didn’t believe it himself.  Other less familiar faces flickered by and Jonghyun turned his eyes away, afraid if he kept watching, he’d see something he didn’t want to.  They hadn’t given him a chance to look for his brother before guiding him back through the security gates they’d all had to pass.  He wasn’t alone in the trek, but it felt like he was, surrounded by strangers on every side and none of the people he had been fighting with or for.

                In a fairly organized line, the ‘winners’ were led to a secure, metal room.  It was a far cry from the tents they’d passed through previously, and technology was abundant.  Security cameras lined the interior with additional sensors running around the entrance.  Well armed guards were stationed at the doors and four more perched in the corners inside, all armed with heavy weaponry.  A line wound around in a strange queue that seemed completely out of place with the madness he had just escaped from.  It was bizarrely orderly and at the end of it, a single man and woman scanned and recorded each winner and their prize.  Entrance to the queue also showed another individual removing the registration bands.

                Jonghyun pressed his right fist tight to his chest as he let the young man detach the electronic band and toss it aside into a pile with the others.  “Congratulations,” he gave a half smile, the tone slightly mocking but not malicious.  His perfectly unmarred visage was unreadable behind dark brown eyes and Jonghyun barely managed a nod before he stepped forward.

                The line wasn’t very long.  There weren’t all that many winners, despite the number of entrants.  That was due in no small part because people like the well-prepared individual at the front who was just checking in had many vouchers on their person.  “Thank you,” he spoke to the processing agents at the front, his deep voice carrying back easily enough.  Jonghyun flinched in surprise when he realized the tall individual with platinum hair was the same guy he’d somehow gotten away from.  “I’ll leave these in your care to exchange later,” he promised, giving a small bow before turning to walk away.

                The man and woman nodded in understanding, typing in the results on their handheld, electronic notebooks.  The mercenary moved along the wall and glanced over at Jonghyun with a surprised smirk tugging at his mouth; he was unfairly handsome and disgustingly pristine under the face mask.  “You’re lucky,” he gave a perfect wink that would have been breathtaking under different circumstances.

                Jonghyun wanted to say something back.  He almost needed to validate himself in front of that , but he froze.  His tongue refused to move and his jaws clenched.  So he glared at the other man as he walked by.  His previous opponent laughed once under his breath and turned away as if he hadn’t just held Jonghyun at the point of his sword only moments before.  Jonghyun gasped and jumped when the man behind him nudged him forward to move down the line, oblivious to the silent struggle.

                For the remainder of his wait, all of four people in front of him, Jonghyun couldn’t have explained what he was thinking.  His mind was a whirlwind of thoughts and hopes and fears and the one that mattered most right now was centered on the voucher gripped in his trembling fist.  When he got to the front of the line, he knew the woman spoke to him, but he had no idea what she was saying.  He knew the language, but his mind just glazed over and it wasn’t until the man held out his hand impatiently that he realized they wanted to know what his voucher was.

                “H-here,” he stuttered, prying open his fingers so they could see.  It was so crumpled, neither of them could read it so the man reached out to take it and Jonghyun reacted instantly.  He jerked his hand back, the voucher against his chest as he partially retreated; panic rose when the guards took a preemptive step his direction.  His eyes widened and his heart kicked into racing.

                “Stop,” the woman held up her hand with an expression split between annoyance (it was hard to say who it was directed at) and understanding.  “We need to see it to record it,” she assured him in a surprisingly calm and pleasant voice.

                Part of Jonghyun wanted to dislike her just for what she stood for, but she was also part of the people that could give him what he needed.  Swallowing around the lump in his throat, he tried again, grabbing the voucher himself and pulling the slip out so they could see what was on it.  “Elyixur,” he whispered as if they couldn’t read it, his hands trembling as he spoke.  The man frowned at him in annoyance, but the woman simply nodded and typed the word in.  Jonghyun craned his head to see to make sure that was what she was writing, but the guards reacting nearby had him flinching back again.  The man raised an electronic scanner up and down his body, capturing his image in the database, and nodded to himself before glancing to his companion.

                “Trade in now, store, or exchange?” she asked promptly, holding the board close to her chest while she looked up at Jonghyun from under black bangs.

                For a moment, he didn’t understand what she meant and he panicked when it looked like she was about to dismiss him entirely.  “Now!” he blurted, raising his hand to stop her as she partially turned away.  Again, the damn guards twitched and Jonghyun clammed up once more, terrified they were going to shoot him and everything would be for nothing.

                The woman managed another annoyed frown, her irritation seemingly directed at both parties, and turned her attention to her companion.  “Agent Five.  Please retrieve an Elyixur vial,” she instructed, typing in more notes on her board.

                “Yes, Processor Two,” he complied, giving a partial bow as he moved to the back wall between the rearmost guards.  Jonghyun started to watch him punch in a series of glowing buttons on the panel but then had to return his eyes to Processor Two, as she was called.  “Voucher please,” she extended her hand and Jonghyun eyed it warily.

                It was thin and covered with microfiber gloves that were practically transparent, letting him see the pale skin beneath.  She had pretty nails at the tips of her fingers; he felt himself staring before he took a shallow breath and extended both hands to place the voucher in her open palm.  His eyes remained on the voucher as she scanned it with another device in her pocket and then set it into a drawer in the table behind her.  For a minute, he thought he’d been cheated.  At least until Agent Five returned with a small, glass vial in his possession.  Then Jonghyun turned to stare at the singularly most beautiful item he’d even seen in his life.  It looked like a crystalline tear filled with a tiny dot of iridescent liquid within.

                Mesmerized, he accepted the fragile appearing vial in both hands, cradling it against his chest.  “Thank you,” he whispered, blinking up at the dark eyes of Agent Five who merely nodded at him and gestured to the side.  His attention slid from Jonghyun easily, as if he and his burden were now inconsequential.  Jonghyun didn’t care.  He had it: Elyixur.  And it felt as if every eye was on him as he carefully walked out of the processing room.

                Every part of him wanted to run, to sprint as fast as he could to find Daniel.  But a glimmer of memory from Minsoo told him he shouldn’t.  Running made you a target.  It drew peoples’ attention.  He shouldn’t run.  He mustn’t run.  So Jonghyun took a shuddering breath, pulled his shoulders back and tried to force himself to relax.  He needed to show that he wasn’t carrying one of the most valuable items in his world on his person.  His teeth chattered from nerves and the cold so he clamped his jaws shut.  Dark eyes scanned the area, searching for familiar faces and danger.

                He found them as soon as he heard the low call, his name pitched to catch his attention only.  “Jonghyun.”  And he stopped walking, frozen in place as he saw Daniel’s beautiful face staring at him.  On either side, Chanhee and Changhyun were there too, holding Daniel’s hands comfortingly.  They were all crying and Chanhee wouldn’t look at him, but Jonghyun barely noticed.  He was entranced by the way the tears sparkled on Daniel’s lashes.  Tiny puffs of misty air plumed from his nose and mouth, drifting into wispy curlicues before fading away.

                Swallowing harshly, Jonghyun sobbed once and took a heavy step towards them.  His throat threatened to close and his eyes burned with unshed tears.  Another step and they were moving towards him too.  In the blink of an eye, Jonghyun was surrounded – by Daniel’s arms, by Chanhee and Changhyun, by the warmth they provided.  Burying his face in Daniel’s shoulder, Jonghyun cried again, “We did it.”

                “I know, baby,” Daniel whispered, smoothing his dirty, clumpy hair with a shaking hand.

                “Here,” Jonghyun croaked, freeing his fist from between them so he could hold the vial just in front of Daniel.

                “Are you alright?” Daniel asked instead, glancing at the vial in acknowledgement before staring into Jonghyun’s eyes.

                “Just take it.  Please,” he begged, not wanting to try and lie to Daniel right now.  He was far from alright, but this would help.  At least a little bit.

                Daniel nodded with pursed lips.  “Okay.”  He held onto Jonghyun with one arm and then carefully plucked the vial from the open palm with gentle fingertips.  Using his teeth, he pulled the tiny stopper free and spit it out.  Rubbing his lips together nervously, he glanced at the others, seeing them all staring at him and the vial without blinking.  Without another word, he tilted his head back with the vial and the Elyixur disappeared down his throat.  Nothing happened at first, and he feared it wouldn’t work.  But then tingling warmth began to blossom from his throat and stomach, pleasantly burning from the inside out.  “Oh…” he exhaled, blinking with dazed eyes.  He inhaled and the cold air lanced through his lungs; Daniel felt slightly drunk.

                “Baby?” Jonghyun asked, cupping the slender man’s face with his palm as they stood body to body.  Daniel hummed in the back of his throat and leaned forward to bury his face in Jonghyun’s neck while his arms wrapped around the broad shoulders and hugged tight.

                “Can we go home?” he whimpered softly, leaning hard against Jonghyun’s solid frame, his entire body going lax under the effects of the drug.

                “Yeah,” he responded with a quiet sigh.  Wincing, he bent down to hook his arm under Daniel’s knees so he could heft the other man into his arms, cradling him close.

                As he shifted to turn, he felt Chanhee’s fingers brush against his side.  “Byunghyun,” the smaller man whispered, his voice tense but filled with relieved hope.

                Following his gaze, Jonghyun felt his throat close up again, but his lips parted into a partially relieved, if pained smile.  Among a handful of others, Byunghyun and Minsoo were limping from the entrance to the fenced in perimeter.  The shorter man was acting as a crutch for Minsoo since his right leg was soaked with blood and he could hardly put weight on it, but they were both standing and alive and looking at them.

                Teeth clenched but gaze set on his younger brother, Minsoo hissed, “Did you get it?”

                “Yeah,” Jonghyun sniffed, immediately moving towards them like a magnet.  “I did.”

                “Good,” Minsoo exhaled, relief flooding him so that tension drained away and he nearly made Byunghyun collapse under the surprise deadweight.

                “Dammit, Soo!” Byunghyun scowled, planting his feet to better compensate for the heavier man.  He was careful not to drop him as he glared at Jonghyun.  “Can someone give me a hand?!” he grumbled, glancing at his friend half-hanging on him.  As Chanhee and Changhyun both rushed over to assist, Byunghyun half-heartedly muttered, “Actually, you need the hand,” glancing at the wrapped stump that ended at Minsoo’s left wrist.

                Changhyun seemed to notice it at the same time and his eyes widened.  “My god!  Are you okay?!”  Minsoo and Byunghyun exchanged, weary, pained, and exhaustedly amused looks just shaking their heads.

                “Sure,” Minsoo coughed, awkwardly stumbling to Changhyun’s assistance so Chanhee could better help Byunghyun.  “Part of the risk,” he rasped, wincing so that the skin of his face pulled taught, making him appear almost alien in the shifting light.

                “You’re okay!” Chanhee gasped with a look at Byunghyun’s intact left hand.

                Byunghyun shrugged as he relaxed gratefully against the other man.  “It didn’t go off.  Probably got damaged when the ceiling fell on me.”  He took a deep breath and then scowled at the plume of white that exploded in front of him.  “Can we get the hell out of here now?  It’s cold as and I’d rather be anywhere but here.”

                “I second that,” Minsoo barked a laugh, glancing at his human crutch with a nod before looking at his younger brother.  “You ready?” he conjured a pained smile again.

                “Definitely,” Jonghyun agreed, holding Daniel closer.  He let his eyes scan over the rest of his friends, smiling at Chanhee’s intent focus on Byunghyun, and feeling warmth blossom as he looked at his brother again.  But his heart skipped a beat as the light hit Changhyun just right, and for an instant, he thought he saw the mercenary from earlier.  Then they moved and the image was gone, leaving Jonghyun unsure of what he had just seen.

                “You can lean on me harder,” Changhyun encouraged, one arm wrapped securely around Minsoo’s waist.  “I can hold you,” he promised.

                “You just don’t look like it,” Minsoo gasped, laughing once as he relinquished and allowed more of his weight to the shorter man.

                “See?” he beamed, glancing down with concern at the hastily cared for leg.  Byunghyun had managed a tourniquet but it, and the hand – not to mention the bullet wound, would all need a lot of attention soon.  “Tomorrow, I can see about getting medical supplies to help take care of this,” he promised with a pinched face, obviously sincere and worried.

                For now, that was enough for Jonghyun.  There would be time enough to figure out why the mercenary had let him go with the voucher.  Right now, his bigger concern was getting back home without anyone actually dying.  He wouldn’t put it past the gods (or the humans really) to have this all end with a knife in the back in the dark.

                that.

                Putting on his best glare, Jonghyun turned around to lead the way home.  With Daniel safely cradled in his arms, his brother at his back, and friends in his company, he had a lot to lose.  But he would be damned if they made it through Blackest Friday for it to end that way.  “Alright Universe.  I’m ready for you.”

                The next day found everyone huddled in the single bedroom the three had shared before embarking on their trial.  They’d pushed the bed frames out of the way and pulled the mattresses down so everyone could sleep in the same space.  Changhyun was on the outer edge curled towards Daniel who was being protectively spooned by Jonghyun while Minsoo was given space in the middle between his brother and Byunghyun on the other side, the last of which was being held by Chanhee on the other outermost edge.  The two blankets were spread thin over all of them and no one was eager to move when the first, trickling rays of dawn started filtering through the boarded windows.

                Not surprisingly, Chanhee was the first to stir.  When he tried to get up, Byunghyun held onto him so he couldn’t move yet.  “Where you going?” he asked quietly without opening his eyes.

                “You guys need to eat,” Chanhee reminded him gently, pulling one hand free to smooth Byunghyun’s hair down with his fingers.  “I’m not going far,” he promised with a soothing murmur, squeezing the other man’s hand lightly.  “Rest.  Keep Minsoo company.  I’ll be back in a little bit.”

                “Who said you could tell me what to do?” Byunghyun complained sleepily, but there was no actual irritation in his voice as he curled further into the floor, hiding his face from the light.

                “Guess I’m learning,” Chanhee laughed quietly, pulling the end of the blanket down over Byunghyun as he stepped away and carefully crept out of the room.

                Sleepily, Changhyun watched the other man leave in the dim light, almost embarrassed by the exchange.  They seemed so good together.  And he still didn’t know what their relationship was.  But they were cute in their own way.  When Byunghyun wasn’t being annoying anyway.  His mouth quirked into a hint of a smile and he froze when he heard a quiet laugh from the man in front of him.  “Hey,” he smiled immediately as he saw Daniel awake and looking at him.

                “What are you thinking about?” Daniel asked, keeping his hands under his chin where they held Jonghyun’s hands close.

                “Nothing,” Changhyun denied with a small shake of his head.  “How are you feeling?”

                “Good,” Daniel assured him with a reassuring smile.  “Better than I have in a long time.  But worried,” he did admit, turning his head to look over his shoulder so he could sort of see the other three behind him.  “How are they?”

                “I don’t know,” Changhyun shook his head with a shrug.  “They were okay when we crashed last night.  Minsoo’s hurt bad though,” he cringed, not sure if Daniel would have remembered that part clearly.  The silent query hung heavy in the space between them and he sighed before he answered.  “He lost a hand.  A lot of blood.  I’m gonna go by the shelter today and see what first aid stuff I can get for him.”

                “We are,” Jonghyun’s sleep-burred voice flowed over Daniel’s shoulder, to both their surprise.

                “You’re awake,” Daniel remarked, turning his head to try and see his boyfriend’s face better.

                “Mm hmm,” the other man hummed, hugging Daniel closer as he buried his nose in the soft hair at the base of his neck.

                “I can go by myself,” Changhyun insisted, propping himself on his elbow so he could better see the other man.

                “Too dangerous,” Jonghyun snorted, blurrily opening his eyes to peer at the far more awake young man.  “You’re an easy target,” he reminded flatly, stating truth and nothing more.

                Changhyun wrinkled his nose in irritation but didn’t argue.  He knew he was safe at the shelter and during his ride there, but beyond that, this world was not one he was prepared for on his own.  Much as he would like to say otherwise.  “Fine,” he conceded, sitting upright the rest of the way.  “When do you wanna go?”

                “Soon as possible,” Jonghyun sniffed, squinting around the room.  Reluctantly, he let Daniel go so he could roll over and better check on his brother.  “He’ll never admit it, but he needs all the help he can get,” he whispered, brushing the hair off his brother’s forehead before he smoothed the front of his hastily changed clothes reassuringly.  Minsoo didn’t stir but he continued to draw one slow breath after the next.

                “After breakfast then,” Daniel suggested, sitting up to wrap his arms around Jonghyun’s torso, hugging him from behind.  “He’ll be alright,” he promised, pressing a quiet kiss to his boyfriend’s shoulder before resting his mouth there.  “We both know he’s too stubborn to die here after all you went through.”

                Jonghyun didn’t say anything and silence fell over the room again as they waited in the atmosphere of tense worry and the remnants of pain.  Chanhee returned not too much later.  He nudged the door open with his hip and brought a tray of the leftovers from yesterday – more canned goods and reconstituted pasta, but it was better than nothing.  He set it down at the foot of their sleeping space and then slipped back out so he could return with a partial jug of water and warm soup broth in a chipped bowl.

                “Dig in,” he urged at the three who were awake as he shifted over to fully wake Byunghyun.  “The broth’s for Minsoo but everything else is okay,” he added, quietly badgering a resistant Byunghyun into a sitting position.

                With minimal talking, they polished off their breakfast with Changhyun and Chanhee reserving most for the other four.  Minsoo came around enough for Chanhee to take over feeding and caring for him, his gentle, tender hands used to such tasks.  Byunghyun sat close, joking halfheartedly with his best friend to keep his spirits as high as possible, and Jonghyun simply lamented how pale his brother looked.

                “Come on,” Jonghyun urged with a swipe at Changhyun when the food was finished and time pressed heavily upon him.

                “Coming!” the other man agreed quickly, pushing himself to his feet with relative ease.

                “Jong,” Minsoo called, reaching his good hand towards his brother.  Jonghyun stood up and took it, bending over to better hear his sibling.  “Take care of yourself, you hear?”

                “Of course,” he grinned, squeezing Minsoo’s wrist reassuringly.

                “You don’t have to worry.  I’m watching over him,” Byunghyun smirked until he winced when Chanhee shoved his shoulder, nearly sending him down.

                “That’s comforting,” Jonghyun laughed, grinning when he saw the scowl Chanhee earned.  The slender man was unaffected though, and he went back to checking Minsoo’s wounds.

                “Get out of here,” Byunghyun grumbled, eyeing the three standing up to leave.

                Jonghyun saluted while Daniel and Changhyun waved.  Outside the room, they all paused and Daniel held Jonghyun’s hand.  “Come back to me, alright?”

                “I will,” he promised, cupping Daniel’s face in both hands.  He pulled the tall man into a tender kiss, their lips shifting into place perfectly, and then hugged him tight.

                “We’ll be back as soon as we can,” Changhyun explained from the front door where he was pushing aside the table they’d moved into place as an additional barrier.

                Daniel nodded and looked into Jonghyun’s eyes when they stepped apart, holding each other’s gazes for only a moment.  Then Jonghyun turned, snagged a ratty coat lying over the cough nearest them, one of the weapons they’d removed and placed on the coffee table, and headed for the door.  Changhyun waved at Daniel and followed his guide out, closing the door behind them.

                The poor district looked unchanged where they stood, but everything felt different: the calm after the storm had settled over the area.  Jonghyun hunched his shoulders with his hands stuffed in his pockets and nodded his head for Changhyun to follow him.  They moved at a clipped pace, not running but not walking leisurely either.  It was the purpose-filled stride that best kept the grabbers at bay.  Not that he was actively worried about them.  They’d have plenty of bodies to work with from yesterday, but you could never be too careful.

                In the cold morning air, they were also some of the only travelers.  Jonghyun preferred it that way.  They were nearly halfway to their destination before he finally opened his mouth to break the silence.  “You know, I shouldn’t have won yesterday.”

                “Oh?” Changhyun murmured after a noticeable pause.

                “I’m not exactly complaining but there was no reason for that mercenary to let me go,” he added without looking at his companion.

                “Maybe you were just lucky and he was running out of time?” Changhyun offered, fidgeting nervously with his fingers in his pockets.  Jonghyun looked at him skeptically, one eyebrow raised.  “Lots of things can happen during the event,” he defended himself.

                “Yeah,” Jonghyun conceded with a nod, frowning thoughtfully.  “I saw him when I was turning my voucher in though.”  Changhyun remained silent.  “I almost thought…” he started to say before he trailed off as he saw the way the other man had seemed to shrink in on himself.  “I thought a lot of things,” he admitted with a nod, turning his attention back to the road.  “But I don’t think they really matter right now.  I did win after all,” he sighed with a sniff.

                “Yeah,” Changhyun agreed quietly, still looking at his feet as he followed closely.

                They were silent for a moment more before Jonghyun spoke again.  “I don’t even remember what you told him.  I know it was you speaking,” he admitted, rolling his shoulders and tensing when he noticed someone moving nearby.  Their eyes met, they slowed, and then looked away, moving in different directions.  Neither wanted to bother today.  Jonghyun gave a slight sigh of relief and added, “Whatever you said… thank you.”

                “You’re welcome,” Changhyun whispered hesitantly, not sure if he was walking into some sort of verbal trap or not.

                He flinched when Jonghyun stopped and turned to look at him.  “I don’t know who he is to you, but you helped me and Daniel with something that might have otherwise been impossible.  I won’t forget that,” he promised, extending his hand towards the shorter man.

                “I… just wish I could have done more,” he admitted, hesitantly taking the proffered hand.

                Strong fingers wrapped around his firmly and Jonghyun smiled.  “You are,” he nodded towards the shelter they were heading for.  “One thing at a time.  We have to patch Minsoo up first.  Then get better ourselves.  Then we can worry about other stuff.”

                “I guess so,” Changhyun agreed with a weak smile.

                “Damn right,” Jonghyun winked, tugging the shorter man along so they could finish their errand.  Of course there was plenty he didn’t know and more details needed to be filled in at some point, but right now, the only things that mattered were making sure his brother got what he needed and getting back to Daniel, alive and unharmed.  They could focus on surviving and changing their world after that.  First things first though.

                First aid stuff.

                Rest and recovery.

                Everything else could wait until after that.

                They’d accomplished what they’d set out to do: win the Elyixur on Blackest Friday.  If they could do that – a task that had seemed almost impossible – they could do just about damn near anything.

The End

(a/n: Admittedly, this story has taken me far too long to complete, for which I apologize.  I am both glad and relieved to be finished since I did lose some steam after the first few chapters.  This was a particularly difficult story for me to finish but I am happy with how I managed to end it.

There is plenty more that could be done with this world, and maybe one day, I'll come back and do a sequel for it that further expands on Blackest Friday and some sort of resistance you might have begun to catch the possible hints and glimpses of in this one.  Certainly, Changhyun has ties and connections I didn't have a chance or wish to explore here, but there is a great wide world of opportunity.  That is certain.

For those who have stayed with me, I just want to thank you.  This is not one of my more popular stories and I am grateful to my readers and commenters here.  I would especially like to thank kaseyslove for giving me feedback and consistently reminding me to come back and finish this piece.  I don't like leaving things unfinished anyway, but you provided a lot of the impetus to get moving again.

Thank you again and I hope you all enjoyed the story overall!  I feel like I need to do Teen Top in something other than a dystopian AU now though.  lol  Any suggestions/recommendations?  I've got a couple stories I'll be working on coming up so maybe I can work them into one of those.  ;)  Have a great day and keep on being awesome!  <3)