“So,” Chanyeol said breathlessly as he blinked around him owlishly, “This is a mall.” The phoenix walked the halls awed as he let his eyes wander.“Who knew that something so simple like a collection of stores can seem so,” Chanyeol began as his gaze wandered from store to store, “Grand.” He let his body lead him aimlessly as the foreign people that looked so much like him, bustle around. The flow of people, the layers of floors rising high above him, even the glow of the florescent lights all reminded him of home – of Finonia. Chanyeol had an almost primal urge to free his scarlet wings from his back and fly as he was meant to.

“You ok there big guy?”

Chanyeol jumped at the voice, flinching way from the small hand that touched his bicep. He blinked down to the see a smaller boy, around Kyungsoo's size, sporting a wide grin and mischievous eyes, along with a leather jacket and tight fitting pants. Chanyeol could tell by the spark in the boy's eyes that he was amused by his shock but he could also see the that the other wanted to genuinely help.

“Actually,” Chanyeol began, “I'm kinda lost.”

“Kinda lost,” the smaller boy teased, “From the way you were running in circles I would say that you were really lost.”

Chanyeol frowned, not liking being teased, especially after his talk with Jongdae.

The boy just gave Chanyeol a good-natured pat on the back and a softer smile.

“So where are you headed. big guy,” he continued before being cut off.

“Chanyeol.”

“What,” the boy questioned with his eyebrows folding in the middle.

Chanyeol rubbed sheepishly at the back of his neck, looking down at his feet before looking to his short companion again, “My name is Chanyeol.”

The boy gave another wide grin. “Chanyeol,” he began again, “Where are you headed?”

Chanyeol blinked this time, really thinking the question over. He had no idea. He suppose he was looking for some type of tech shop but by how the stores were labeled, Chanyeol guessed that the boy would be looking for a name of some type. Unfortunately, Chanyeol didn't have a name to give him.

“Actually,” Chanyeol began, rubbing his neck once more.

“You have no idea do you,” the other laughed lightheartedly, “It's ok. Do you know what you're looking for at least.”

Again Chanyeol was stuck for an answer. He couldn't just tell the man that he was in search for technology to help him rebuild an intergalactic space teleporter.

“Tech,” Chanyeol tried hoping that it'll be enough.

“Oh,” the boy beamed, “You're just in luck. I'm headed to the Apple store myself before my shift. Tryna see if my friend would fix my broken iPad for cheap. You can just walk with me there.”

“Ok,” Chanyeol shrugged although most of what the other said went over his head. He would just have to take the boy's word that he knew what he was asking for. Plus, honestly, Chanyeol can take all the help he could get in navigating this new world. It was a shock that he even got the mall in one piece and out of sight.

The two walked around the mall, Chanyeol trailing behind the other boy like a lost animal. Come to think of it, it was more like how his younger brother Yoogeun would stick close to him back on Finonia or even how he once ran behind his older brother Minho when he was younger.

Chanyeol didn't understand why, but being in this mall made him think of home far too often. However, the constant reminder of his home and family made sure he didn't forget about the urgency of his mission. He needed to fix his teleporter and he needed to get the princes back to EXO before their disappearance cause even further discord between the nations. They had to survive the discord between them first, Chanyeol reminded himself. After Kyungsoo's explosion last night, he didn't know if the princes even believed in the rebellion anymore.

“Hey Tae!”

Chanyeol was broken from his train of thought as the boy in front of him stopped in front of a stark white store filled to the brim with monitors. It seemed that the boy did know what he was talking about. What Chanyeol recognized to be another female walked to the front of the store with a playful frown on her face.

“How many times do I have to tell you to not yell in my store,” the girl playfully chastised.

“Don't be like that, Tae,” the boy said as he dismissed her and entered confidently into the store, leaving a confused Chanyeol at the entrance.

“If you get me fired,” 'Tae' began as she follow stiffly behind.

“Oh, please,” the boy laughed as he reached the counter, turning to speak to the girl, “Your manager loves me.”

Chanyeol continued to stand at the entrance, watching as the two fussed playfully back and forth. It reminded him of the times he watched his older brother play and joke with his friends.

“Hey big guy,” the other called from the counter, “C'mere. Don't just stand there. It's hard to introduce you to people with you standing all the way over there. It'll look like I'm talking about my imaginary friend of something.”

“I knew you had one of those,” the girl laughed.

“Shut up!”

Chanyeol shook his head but went to the counter all the same. “Well to be fair,” Chanyeol said with a huge grin of his own, “You didn't properly introduce yourself to me. Maybe you're just not that good at introducing people.”

“Hey,” the other said indignantly, “I did introduce myself to you.”

“What's his name,” the girl asked.

“Chanyeol,” the boy answered back.

“I was talking to the tall one.”

“Oh, low blow Tae,” the other pouted.

“So,” the girl said expectantly.

Chanyeol looked the girl in the eye as a cheeky grin blossoming on his face, “I have no idea. He hasn't said it once since we started talking.”

The boy looked up at Chanyeol in shock, “Are you serious? Not even once?”

“Nope,” Chanyeol shrugged. It felt good to be the one teasing this time around.

“Oh.

“Well,” the girl started as she laughed at the boy's put out face, “You could start now. By the by, I'm Taeyeon. I'm the assistance manager of this store and the repair expert.”

“Speaking of repair,” the boy began.

“Baek,” Taeyeon yelled, “Did you forget something?”

The boy looked confused before turning to Chanyeol, “Oh, right, I'm Baekhyun.”

“Nice to finally meet you Baekhyun,” Chanyeol said mockingly as Taeyeon rolled her eyes.

“Har, har,” Baekhyun sassed, “Continuing on, I'm the manager of that clothing store next door.”

He paused to point to a store filled with a variety of clothes, another leather jacket matching the one he's wearing displayed in the window.

“It's a store you should be hitting up after you're done here because what you're wearing isn't doing you any justice.”

Chanyeol looked down confused at the loose pants and combat boots that were given to him by Kris as they dressed for the battle they knew that would commence after the princes met.

“Don't worry you look fine,” Taeyeon said, “That's just 'Baekhyun speak' for 'can I take you out later'.”

“No,” Baekhyun said back, “It's 'Baekhyun speak' for 'Those long legs should be wrapped in something tight and black'. Like I said, not doing you any justice. Anyway I didn't come here to talk about the proper way to dress long legs. I came here to see if you could maybe, possibly.”

“What did you break this time Baek,” Taeyeon sighed.

“My iPad.”

“You know, I can't keep fixing things for you for free. I got to eat too, you know.”

“I know,” Baekhyun nodded seriously, “I get it, really, but I really need my iPad for my upcoming fashion showcase. It has my sketches on there.”

“Maybe I can look at it,” Chanyeol piped up with a little wave of his hand.

“You can fix my iPad?”

Chanyeol didn't know what an iPad was but as he took the square device from Baekhyun and tilted it to and fro, he knew that this was nothing compared to the things that he made on the daily bases. It seemed that everything externally was in tact and something must have fried on the inside. He could have it fixed in fifteen minutes.

“Yeah, no problem,” Chanyeol shrugged, “You want all your data in tact, right?” Baekhyun nodded.

“Wait a minute,” Taeyeon said suspiciously, “You're telling me that you can fix Baek's iPad and keep all his data in tact. C'mon now.”

Again Chanyeol shrugged, “Yeah.”

With that Chanyeol reached into his pocket to pull out a pouch filled with small tools. He pulled out a small flat carving tool, using it to scratch away at the soft metal the back of the iPad was made of. He applied a little heat the the tool so the metal would give easier. Once the metal gave he grab an replica of the first tool he used and spread the back cover away from the front. With the back now removed, he began to remove the logic board, quickly unscrewing its cover to reveal the microchips inside.

He could see the fried 'A4' chip and figured that it just needed to be replaced with a new one, but for some reason Chanyeol wanted to do more than that. Around his colleagues, and even his family, he's always had to keep his abilities in check. He was never allowed to do more than what was expected from the 'goofy son of an inventor'. However, there were no expectations here. He could be the genius he always hid away.

Replacing his previous tools with a pair a tweezers, Chanyeol began to remove each chip from the board, rearranging them.

“What are you doing,” Taeyeon questioned fascinated, “I've never seen a chip combination like that before.”

“Can you hand me that box behind you, please,” Chanyeol asked absentmindedly. He was too focused on his task to answer the girl.

“This,” Taeyeon questioned as she hand him a small box filled with used and broken computer chips, “All of this stuff is broken.”

“I know,” Chanyeol answered again distractedly.

For the next twenty minutes Chanyeol tinkered with the chips and the iPad, cracking chips in half and using the components he needed to create new and more advance chips. The two managers watched on as the fire prince worked, attaching logic boards to create more room for his creations. Finally the inventor closed the iPad and handed it back to Baekhyun.

“You're finish,” Baekhyun asked as he cautiously took the iPad back from Chanyeol, “You didn't build a bomb or something did you?”

“Huh, no,” Chanyeol declined, “Plus I don't have any chemical explosives to do that anyway.”

“Turn it on Baek,” Taeyeon urged, “I want to see what he did.”

Baekhyun pressed and held the power button, holding his iPad at arm's length just in case.

“It's not going to explode, Baekhyun.”

“Just in case, right,” Baekhyun said as he look over to Chanyeol with a nervous smile.

However Baekhyun's attention was stolen as his tablet flashed in a bright light. Pictures that looked like markers for Baekhyun's abundance of apps floated in mid-air above the screen of the tablet.

“What is this,” Baekhyun asked in awe.

“A hologram,” Taeyeon added.

Chanyeol smiled proudly at the two, “Yep, I figure that the LED screen and touchpad controls must have been frustratingly primitive. So I figured that a holographic display along with motion controls would be more preferred. Plus, you also said that you wanted to review your fashion sketches, so I thought it would be easier for you to imagine your work on actual people if you can see it in a 3D display instead of a 2D one. All your software is the same and all your data is in tact, it's only the interface that's different.”

“A hologram,” Taeyeon repeated, “You took this junk and created a hologram from it?”

“Um,” Chanyeol said, his pride slowly simmering into fear, “Yes.”

“I, uh,” Taeyeon began baffled, “Really?”

“Did I do something wrong,” Chanyeol asked very close to panicking, “I can change it back. Baekhyun, I'm so sorry. I'll change it back right now.”

Chanyeol moved in to take the newly created device back from the silent Baekhyun, but the boy snatched it back. He gave Chanyeol a mischievous smile as he tucked his iPad playfully under his leather jacket.

“No way,” Baekhyun said, “You gave this ingenious invention to me and then you're going to ask me to give it back? I don't think so, buddy.”

“What,” Chanyeol asked, Baekhyun words confusing him but cooling his panic.

“You heard what I said,” Baekhyun said as he pulled his iPad back out from his coat, “I'm keeping this. It's amazing. You're amazing for making it, and if you think that you're just going to make me trade down to that ragged piece of I had before when I now have this, you're out of your mind, Chanyeol.”

“Really,” Chanyeol said shocked, “You want to keep it?”

“Yeah,” Baekhyun smiled, “But you do have to teach me how to use it. You said that all my programs are the same right, so I can still listen to music and stuff like that?”

“Yeah,” Chanyeol sighed relieved before speaking more clearly, “Yeah, you can even turn the holographic display off if you want.”

“No,” Baekhyun smirked, “I rather keep it on. It's unique and I can brag about how I keep surrounding myself by geniuses and one of my genius friends, Chanyeol, made this for me. Man, just wait until I show Minseok!”

“You're such a showoff,” Taeyeon sighed, “And you showoff other people too.”

“Hey I show you off too. Besides if I don't do it none you will,” Baekhyun shrugged, “Well, since I did what I came to do and it's almost time for my shift, I gotta run soon. So how about Channie get's his business done, I show him out, and only be five minutes late for work.

“You're going to get fired one of these days,” Taeyeon laughed.

“Wait work,” Chanyeol yelp, scaring the two friends, “I came for work. Can I work in here?”

“You want a job,” Taeyeon asked, “Well you have to fill out an application.”

“Tae,” Baekhyun butted in, “He just invented new technology right in front of your eyes! What more do you want from the man. Hire him already, so I don't have to be late to work and I can ask him to lunch.”

Both Taeyeon and Chanyeol stared at the short guy, before Taeyeon just shrugged and pulled out an extra-large Apple work shirt from the cabinet behind her. “Fine,” she said as she tossed the prince the shirt, “Just put that on and get to work fixing things behind here.”

Chanyeol did as he was told, putting the shirt on over his tee and going behind the desk, pulling his tool pouch out.

“Now that's settled,” Baekhyun said as he headed to the front, “I'll be leaving. See you at lunch big guy, and make sure to only fix things.”

Chanyeol looked up at the broken phone that he was tinkering with, “What do you mean?”

“I want to have the only holographic iPad in existence,” Baekhyun said with a soft smile, “Makes me feel special. So don't make any more. Only fixing, no inventing, got it, big guy?”

Chanyeol smile shyly as well, Jongdae's words fading from his conscience. “Yeah, I got it.”

With a nod Baekhyun left to his shift at the clothing shop next door.

Maybe having the others find out his genius wasn't such a bad idea. If a complete stranger can accept him then why not his fellow Exoians. Then he remembers why they ran to begin with and realized that acceptance isn't one of their strong points.

“Hey stop making googly eyes at Baek and get back to work,” Taeyeon teased.

“I-I wasn't.”

“Right,” she said as she took out a screwdriver of her own, “I see if I could swing you a twenty for lunch later. I did kinda spring your first day on you and I want yours and Baek's lunch date to be nice.”

“Date? What?”

“Just get to work, big guy.”

Sehun gave a sigh, watching with pleasure as a piece of hair blew away in the wind it created. He smiled to himself as he watched the man run after his hair that has forsaken him.

“Seems that some fun can be had on this wasteland.”

Sehun played with the man a bit more, forcing the warm mid-morning breeze to follow his waving finger and keeping the hair away from it's owner. He knew it was cruel to play with a man and his looks but he was beginning to lose his patience and with it, his morality.

He's been chasing after this 'cafe' for the better part of the morning and it was driving him mad. He didn't even know what he was looking for and to make matters worst, when he swallow his pride to ask for directions others brushed him off. He was the crown prince of Areon! No one 'brushes him off'! However, he understood that he was in a new land and he didn't have the privileges that he once had. It still didn't detract from the fact that the people here were just plain rude. Even on his war ridden soil, a man could ask for directions.

Sehun gave one more sigh, finally deciding to just turn back and call it a day when his eyes fell on a white sign with red lettering that spelled 'help wanted'. He glance up and saw the... restaurant... from the tables and food that Sehun could see inside, was named 'Be:La(X) Cafe'

“So this is a cafe,” Sehun questioned as he took in the metal tables and shade umbrellas around him, “Some glorified restaurant! Why don't they just call it a restaurant? Pull yourself together Sehun, you've found the place. Now all that is left to do is to help these people, get your reward and then you're home free.”

Taking a deep breath, Sehun let the air that it created open the door to the cafe harshly, sending the notifying bell that hung from it almost flying. A young man came flying from out of the back, where Sehun assumed the food was prepared, giving the door a panicked look. He instantly calmed when he saw that it was just someone that was a little heavy handed on the door.

“Can I help you,” the young man asked as he wiped his wet hands on his apron.

Sehun gave the other an once over, taking in his small but bright eyes and his wind swept caramel hair. He gave a small frown, “Are you the owner of this 'cafe'?”

The other gave a frown of his own, not liking the demeaning way the raven in front of him said 'cafe'. “Co Owner,” he still said as gave his hand to shake, “Lu Han.”

“Sehun,” the air prince greeted back but left the hand where it was. He let his eyes rake across the tables and baked goods before looking to the hand stretched out before him once more, “Why are you reaching for me?”

“Reaching for you,” Luhan asked before quickly snatching his hand to himself, “No I was... look what do you want?”

“Look, Luhan,” Sehun began, “I've came to offer my help to you.”

“Oh,” Luhan said brightening up instantly, “You're applying for the new position?”

“Position,” Sehun frown.

And just like that Luhan's happiness was gone, “So you're not applying for the new position?”

“I didn't come here for some position,” Sehun said, “I came to help you.”

“In the cafe right,” Luhan asked completely confused.

“Where else,” Sehun deadpanned, “It is where the sign is.”

Luhan rolled his eyes, “Look just fill out the application for the new position.”

“I don't want a new position,” Sehun yelled, finally done with this back and forth and with Luhan's disrespect, “Look I came here offering my help. If you're going to be rude, then just refuse it. Don't waste my time with your silly 'applications' and 'positions'. I have a title already and don't need one from you.”

“What the hell are you talking about,” Luhan yelled in return, “If you don't want the position then why did you come in here, you !”

“You ungrateful little ,” Sehun said, the air from the ceiling fan overhead pick up speed, “I come here to offer my help to you and this is how you treat me!”

“What's going on out here?”

The two boys look up at the new voice to see a beautiful woman with jet back hair and large matching eyes.

“This little brat here want to work at the cafe but won't do any paperwork nor does he want a full-time position,” Luhan explained to the woman as he waved a hand to Sehun.

“I see,” the woman nodded before turning to Sehun, “I'm Victoria, Luhan's mother and owner of Be:La(X) cafe.”

The woman, like Luhan before her, put out her hand and Sehun shy away from it making a small noise of shock. This was the second woman that he's ever come across and the prince doesn't think that he's quite ready to start touching them.

“Sehun,” he answered and gave a sweet smile, “You birthed this boy? You seem too young.” He may not know women but he did understand mothers.

Victoria looked over to Luhan with a smirk, “And you called him a brat.”

“Maybe I just don't have the right equipment,” Luhan said with a roll of his eyes.

Victoria laughed at her disgruntled son before turning to Sehun once more, “We'll let you help out and pay you under the table for now.”

“We will,” Luhan questioned shocked.

“Yes,” Victoria answered surprisingly firm, “The school year's started back up and we don't have many employees left. Gotta take what we can.”

“Fine,” Luhan shrugged before snatching his apron from off of his chest and tossing it to Sehun, “Put this on and get to work clearing those tables. Take the dirty utensils to the back to be washed.”

Sehun gave a dirty look at the boy that was now his boss but nodded all the same, “Understood.”

He did as he was told. He took an empty serving tray and placed all of the filthy dishes in the entire cafe onto it. He used the surrounding wind as a barrier to keep it balanced, making breezes here and there to catch a tipping plate or cup. He took them to the back but thought twice about leaving them for someone else to clean. To him, leaving the plates to someone else seemed like a job half done .He might be a self-righteous prick, but he never left a job half done. He cleaned them quickly and effectively before walking up to Luhan, tossing his apron back at the man as well as the towel he used to dry his hands.

“Done,” Sehun told him.

“Fine, than do the other tables,” Luhan bit back as he continued to count a customer's change.

“Look around you, ,” Sehun said with a smug smile, “I did do all the tables.”

“What,” Luhan looked up from the customer's hand as he paid the woman and glance around his now empty tables, “How did you get done so fast?”

Sehun shrugged still smug, “I did it all at once.”

“You carried all of it at once,” Luhan exclaimed, “How?”

“Don't worry, I just did,” Sehun answered, remembering Yixing's warnings of secrecy and how the people here didn't like different.

“Fine then,” Luhan sighed, “Go in the back and wash them.”

“I did already.”

“What,” Luhan asked, “No way.”

“Way,” Victory yelled from the kitchen, “The dishes are clean back here. Good job, Sehun.”

“You got to be kidding me.”

“I'll take my funds to go now,” Sehun said with his hand out and palm faced up.

“What are you talking about,” Luhan asked confused, “You're not done yet.”

“What do you mean,” Sehun frown, “I completed you task, now pay me for my services.”

“I don't pay you by services ,” Luhan sighed, “I pay you by time.”

Sehun's frown deepened no longer just angry but now confused, “What do you mean by time?”

“You have no idea how a job works do you,” Luhan sighed, “Well, I'm not going to be the one to explain it to you. Just know that you're not anywhere near done yet.”

“How much longer do I have to be here,” Sehun questioned panic clear in his voice.

“Um,” Luhan hummed with a wicked smirk as he tossed Sehun back his dirty apron, “I'd say about six more hours.”

“Six more hours,” Sehun exclaimed so loudly that the customers stopped to stare at him, “It took me two hours to find this place! Now you're telling me that I have to stay for six more?”

“Yep,” Luhan laughed as he skipped around the counter he was standing behind and whipped Sehun's behind with the wet cloth the prince thrown at him, “So I suggest you get to working.”

Sehun jumped from the playful slap and turned panicked eyes to Luhan as he passed, “But there's nothing left to even do.”

“Trust me, I'll think of something,” Luhan smiled as he handed Sehun back his towel, “You can start by wiping off the tables you cleared. Then we go from there.”

Sehun gave a deep breath upward, ruffling his dark hair, “I better get off this planet soon or so help me.”

“Stop mumbling and get to work, brat!”

AN:  I'm sorry for the late update. The past few months have been murder, but this story has never left my mind and I'm thinking of new things for it all the time. Matter of fact, I have so many new scenes that I don't even know where they belong in the grand scheme of things sometimes. However, I have a better handle on this story's order and I shouldn't be so held up. I hope you like this chapter it was fun to write. The rest of the boy's adventures will be next chapter. I can't wait for Sulay's meet up. Their's is going to have a fight scene. oops did I say too much.....