✏ project exo {chapter six}

[illegiblesigns]

p r o j e c t   e x o  :  chapter six
⇢ authors: illegiblesigns and mouthwash  
⇢ fandom: exo
⇢ pairings: various
⇢ 8861 words
⇢ pg-13 (possible disturbing content)



“And now it’s Key with the latest on the weather. It seems like the rain that’s been punishing Hera through the whole week is not about giving up yet. So, take your umbrellas with you, folks-”

Chanyeol sighed, finishing to clean up the bar bench, and turning off the radio. Lay and Tao were expecting clear skies for their escape, but Hera was a merciless city. I hope this doesn’t fuck up their plans, he thought, looking around the Jazz Club with a bored complexion.

I’m useless. While they’re there helping in the Prototypes’ escape, I’m sitting here cleaning glasses and dusty tables.

Not that he wasn’t thankful for getting a job at the Jazz Club, but Chanyeol still felt bitter for not being able to help in the boy's rescue. He wanted to rescue Baekhyun.

In his mind he had this whole scenario where he would enter the boy’s room, take him in his arms and dash, looking so cool using his fire power on a group of mean soldiers, while Baekhyun would look at him, amazed. And then, they would forgive each other and everything would be just as it was before.

Chanyeol filled his mind with these mini daydreams because deep down he knew none of them would happen. Baekhyun would be rescued by Tao and Lay, while he was stuck there in an empty bar in a rainy Friday night.

At that moment a long haired woman entered the bar, placing her umbrella by the door. She looked up, looking around for a few seconds before sitting by the bar bench. She was wearing a green dress under her trench coat and when Chanyeol got closer to her to get her order she gave him a wide smile.

“So, you’re the reason Baekhyun has been so grim lately?” She said and Chanyeol almost let a glass fall from his big hands.

“I--No. Baek-What?” The woman laughed, covering her face with her hands. Chanyeol recognized her. She was Baekhyun’s favorite person in the entire world, Professor Victoria. He had seen her only a few times in the Center, most of these times she was by Baekhyun’s side. “Is he that mad?”

“He made this little drawing of you where he scribbled your face, with the words “I hate him” all over it.”

“Oh,” the image of Baekhyun showing his anger in such a childish manner was too much for him to handle, “I never meant to hurt him.”

“I know,” she replied, “sometimes we ended up hurting the ones we love, even though we think we’re doing the right thing.” She looked down, shaking her head dismissively and ordering a glass of wine. Chanyeol wondered if there was a hidden meaning to what she was saying. He heard rumors in the Center about her and General Changmin’s little affair. Maybe they had a fight?

“I hope everything goes well today. I mean, in their escape,” she said, way too blunt and Chanyeol almost let the glass he was cleaning slip away from his hands, again, “you should be careful with those. Yunho bought those ages ago. They are Chinese antiques.”

“How do you know about the escape?” He whispered, looking around in an exaggerated way.

“It doesn’t matter how I know, it just matters that I do,” she shrugged, but Chanyeol could read her anxiety in the way she bit her lower lip, “I know how you feel. I wished to be there too and help them out.”

“Then why are you here and not there? You’re an important person inside the Center. You could’ve helped them out!”

“Exactly.” She lowered her glass, placing it carefully on the counter. "Everyone knows my relationship with them. If anything happened I’d be first suspect. Do you think if I was held captive the boys would still run away? If not all them, at least Baekhyun and Suho would’ve stayed. These little boys are too good for their own good.”

She is right, he thought and other three customers entered the bar. Xiumin hurried to serve them. A lightning stroke outside, its thunder made him jump a little. He felt Victoria’s hands on his own, her beautiful face lightened up with a gentle smile.

“I know you care for him. And believe me, he cares about you too. You gave him a reason to fight. He will succeed. All of them will, you don’t have to worry.”

She spilled words of reassurance but Chanyeol could see her trembling fingers and uneasiness behind her eyes. Victoria looked at the clock that hung on the wall behind the bar and then back at him.

“It’s happening now, right?” Her whisper was soft and shivery. Chanyeol squeezed her hands softly, trying his best to comfort her in his own awkward way. He understood why she was spending her night drinking wine in that dusty bar. She needed to take her mind off whatever was happening inside the center just as much as he did.

“I guess,” he turned his upper body around to look at the clock as well. It was almost 11 P.M and he recalled Tao's instructions to wait for his signal, which should come around 2 A.M, before boarding on a train to Phoebes. He felt his stomach turn and twirl.

Please, be okay, he thought, making a silent prayer to a God he didn’t even believe in.

--

There was no getting out of it now. The plan was set.

Lay looked around the lab and was glad to see that he finally was alone. A lot of the staff had been relocated to the Corinth Army base, where Phase Two was set to start in
a couple of days. An e-mail about the Prototype’s disposal was sent to all the medical staff and they responded with mere apathy, which made Lay sick to his stomach.

Krystal had come forward to join them, only to step back in the last minute. This became the reason behind Tao's many anxiety filled rants. We are going to have to rework the entire plan, he said, chain smoking and chugging down coffee like it was water. Eventually, the rants died down, and Lay did not pressure her for an explanation to why she bolted. They knew each other’s history all too well and he understood why this must be so hard for her.

He grabbed his tablet from his desk, fingers sliding quickly over the screen, opening up the messaging system and finding Suho’s contact. It didn’t take long for the Prototype to answer. A window popped up on the screen, showing Suho’s bright smile. Lay couldn’t help but beam in response.

“We’re ready,” Lay said and Suho nodded fiercely. “Gather everyone in Luhan’s room.”
Suho nodded again, letting his finger hover over the screen, ready to disconnect. He stopped, pulling his hand back and scratching his temple.

“It’s all going to be okay, right?” He said, eyes glittering with excitement but also fear.

“We’re going to be fine. Don’t worry okay? Just do everything like we planned and we’ll be out before you know it.”

Lay’s words of comfort quickly took effect on Suho’s appearance. He exhaled loudly, closing his eyes for a second before letting a hopeful smile form on his lips. He placed his finger on the screen again.

“I trust you,” he said before disconnecting.

Lay ran his fingers through his hair, a hint of panic made his heart rate climb. What if it didn’t work out? They would all be dead before sunrise.

He pushed these thoughts away, not allowing himself to be paralyzed by fear. He was doing the right thing and no one could contest that. Lay had always dreamed about making a difference in the world, that’s why he dreamed of becoming a doctor.

Finally, he was given a chance to help fight injustice.

Just like my parents.

The hallways were clear of the usual crowd of medical staff and scientists. A few guards were making their way to the first floor. Lay saw no signs of soldiers and any other member of the military staff. The building had become a lot emptier since the announcement of Phase Two.

He waited for the elevator. Tao should have gotten in touch by now, but he thought better than to call him. His part of the plan was the most crucial, also the most difficult. Lay didn’t want to disturb him.

“I want back in.”

Lay turned on his heels to find the owner of voice. Krystal stood behind him, hands tangled in front of her, and a nervous look in her eyes. She had three lab coats over her arm and a bag filled with other accessories of the lab assistants’ uniforms.

“I’m sorry, okay? I’m sorry I jumped ship. I just­-”

“It is fine,” Lay said. “Looks like you got some of your sister’s genes in you after all.”

“And you definitely have your parents.”

Lay let out a snicker. He couldn’t deny that she was right. “We don’t have time to talk now. Just follow me.”

They reached the third floor a little before twelve. The elevator doors opened, and they moved quickly towards the biggest room in the Prototypes’ dorm, the word Geller making the correct door.

Lay punched in the code and the door opened with two quick beeps. They rushed inside; all the Prototypes were already there, standing around the room, an air of tension hanging over them.

Luhan took a step closer to Sehun as soon as he saw Lay, and the youngest Prototype placed a hand on his shoulder. Lay raised an eyebrow and tried his best to bit back a cheeky smile.

Always knew those two had something.

“Are we all set?” Kris asked. His eyebrows joined together, looking edgy and impatient. “What is she doing here?” He gestured towards Krystal, who was placing the lab coats on Luhan’s bed. She turned around to face him, lips pressed together. Lay thought she must have been biting down her usual sarcastic comments.

“We need all the help we can get, that’s why she’s here,” Baekhyun hissed back.

“Can we just-” Kyungsoo jumped in, his voice shook and he swallowed hard before continuing. “Let’s go over the plan, okay?”

Lay nodded in his direction, pulling out his tablet from his bag and finding the Center’s map in the middle of his files. After a couple of quick swipes, the map was projected on the wall by Luhan’s bed, and all of them turned to face it. Eyes full of anticipation.

“We are breaking up into three different groups.” Lay started, Kris opened his mouth to protest but Lay raised a finger to stop him, “I know we said it would be two groups, but since Krystal joined in, we’ll be able to do this much quicker.”

He zoomed in on the underground level of the center, where all the machinery was located. A red line marked the path they would be taking, which led to an emergency exit.

“Group one, which will consist of Suho, Kyungsoo, and me, will take this exit, which will lead us to the tunnel under Delos Avenue. We’ll follow the tunnel until we reach the second main exit and we’ll be two blocks away from the Skytrain station in Algos Square. This is our meet up spot. From there, we’ll take the first train to Phoebes.”

Lay zoomed in on the floor above the machinery room, the kitchen; a blue line traced a path there from the third floor.

“Group two, will be Kris, Baekhyun and Tao,” his index finger followed the blue line. “You guys will be the last group out. You’ll go down to the kitchens through the emergency stairs. You’ll have to be very quick. This exit will put you just behind the Center. Be sure to cover your faces and if anybody notices you, Kris, you know what to do.”

Kris smiled, stretching out his arms and motioning his hands up and down in a flying motion. Baekhyun let out a groan.

“Finally,” Lay opened the map to the first floor, showing the main lab behind the training yard, a yellow line curved around the circular area, making its way towards an exit inside the lab. “The last group will be Luhan, Sehun, and Krystal. Since most of the military staff moved over to the Corinth base, this lab will be empty. Its emergency exit requires a special code. It changes daily and the only people that know it are the security staff.”

“Luhan will have to get it out of one of the guards,” Sehun said, approaching the projection on the wall, index finger tracing over the yellow line carefully. “Should be fairly simple.”

“It’s too risky,” Luhan whined. “I told you I don’t have a complete hold on these new abilities. If the guards are not strictly thinking about the code, I’ll have to get inside their head and squeeze it out. I’ve done it before, but-“

Sehun placed his hands on Luhan’s shoulders, looking straight into his eyes. They remained silent, but it was clear to everyone that they were sharing their thoughts. Their own little way of communicating.

“I swear, Sehun. If it weren’t for you I would have never gotten myself into this mess.” He pushes Sehun’s arms away with a pout. Sehun put his palm up and pushed the air, sending a soft breeze in his direction and rustling up Luhan’s hair. The older Prototype’s lips curved into a smile.

“Soon we’ll be free,” Suho said, turning his gaze from Sehun and Luhan towards Lay, whose legs were shaking.

Before Lay could say anything, his tabled beeped in his head, an incoming message from Tao. He let out a sigh of relief before answering.

“It’s all set,” the kronian boy said, his accent a little more prominent. Lay noticed that it always got worst when he was nervous, “the lights will go out in another 10 minutes or so. As soon as they do, the first two groups need to go. I’ll be over at the third floor soon to get group three. Is everyone ready?”

Lay looked around the room. They were all holding their breaths.

“It’s now or never,” Lay replied and Tao let out a chuckle.

“Alright. I put a hold on their response system, which will stop the generations from kicking in and override the lockdown on the third floor. All the exits will still be operational. If any of you find yourselves in the middle of the evacuation crowd, try to blend in as best as possible. Most of the security staff has never seen your faces and with the military out, there’s no way the Prototypes will be recognized. Still, better safe than sorry.”

Krystal handed the lab coats over to Luhan and Sehun, who immediately put them over their clothes. She opened up her bag, also handing them two pairs of white sneakers, and scarfs. The weather outside was horrid and the temperature had dropped severely.

“Make sure Geller gets his ID bracelet out before you leave the room,” Tao continued and Lay shot a glance in Luhan’s direction. He looked back, confused. “I just found out that thing is a tracking device.”

Sehun glanced at Luhan mockingly. By the look on everyone’s faces, they were all thinking the same thing.

Even you, the golden child of the project, the one with all the advantages, was being watched and tracked.

Luhan pushed the metal bracelet out of his wrists forcefully, throwing it in his bed.

“No more Prototype Geller,” he whispered.

“We are all leaving these identities behind. We’ll just be us, for now on,” Suho said, eyes lost somewhere in the room. “Doesn’t that make you all feel, I don’t know, lighter?”

The boys all nodded. Krystal and Lay exchanged a look. We are doing the right thing.

“I’m signing off now. Tell Lux and Wright-”

“It’s Baekhyun and Kris!” Baekhyun corrected him, glancing over to Kris who gave him thumbs up.

“Right, sorry,” Tao rolled his eyes on the screen, “tell Baekhyun and Kris that I’ll meet them at the emergency stairs, so we won’t risk them getting stuck in the third floor if my block doesn’t work. Good luck, everyone. See you on the other side.”

He signed off. Lay let out a shuddering breath and a warm touch found his right hand. To his side he found Suho, looking up at him with an encouraging expression.

This could be my last day alive.

“Except it won’t be,” Luhan murmured, his eyes were fierce. “If you die that means we are all dead. And I don’t want to die today.”

“I’m sorry I-”

“Don’t apologize just-” his eyes were softer now, Lay could tell he was afraid. He just didn’t like showing it. “Survive. And I’m saying that to all of you. If any of us don’t make it-”

“Shut up,” Baekhyun hissed. “We’ll make it. All of us. Tomorrow we’ll see the sunrise for the first time. Together.”

“Together,” Kris echoed just before all the lights went out.

-

The faint light from his flashlight showed the way. Still, Tao had to pay close attention to each step he took, making sure he was heading the right way, and that he wasn't being followed. It was almost unbelievable how everything had worked out perfectly. He checked his watch, twenty-five minutes until the block he had placed on the system would be lifted.

Regardless, he already carried the key to his success inside his backpack. The weight of the box containing six perfectly sealed glass tubes, containing a pale blue liquid, each of them labeled after the Prototypes. Zero, One, Geller, Wright, Lux, Gaia, and F-5, brought a strange sense of accomplishment. This was the reason why he had come to Athena, why he spent all this time in a country he was taught to despise.

Part of his mission was completed. The next step was to make sure these samples of the gene mutation serum got to Xiumin and Chen's hands safely.

But first, he had two Prototypes to break free.

The hallway came to an end and Tao hesitated for a second before turning left, and following the emergency lights, that surely would lead him to the stairs, where he agreed to meet Kris and Baekhyun. He had only seen the Prototypes from a blurry picture Lay had showed him two days ago. Recognizing them in the dark would be a difficult task.

"What are you two doing out of your rooms?"

Tao froze. He turned off his flashlight, pressing his back against the cool wall, reaching the corner of the corridor. There were two other voices, but he could barely hear them over the sound of his pounding heart. The weak light projected their shadows on the wall opposite to him and he could recognize the soldier by his gun’s shadow. He calculated the distance, the man should be at least ten feet away from him and he wondered if he could reach him before he noticed his presence. There was no use in spending the small fraction of time he had wondering, so he decided to take action.

He pushed himself off the wall, using the impulse to jump off the ground; he had calculated the distance perfectly. His elbow hit back of the guard's neck hard, and the man let out a muffled grunt. Tao placed one hand over his mouth, the other twisted his wrist, and the gun fell to the floor with a soft thud. He let guard go and watched as the man fell to the ground, unconscious.

Two figures stood in front of him, both of them wide-eyed and face drained of color. The shorter boy nested a glowing sphere in his hands.

"That was close," the taller one said, pushing his hair out of his face.

The blurry pictures did the Prototype Wright no justice. Even though Tao always considered himself a tall individual, Kris put him to shame, towering over him with a smirk on his face.
He eyed Tao up and down; the faint glow coming out of Baekhyun's palms illuminated their faces. The light wavered as the Prototype let out a few shuddering breaths.

"We're okay, right?" He asked, looking down at the guard sprawled over the floor.

"Yes, but we need to move," Tao's eyes still fixed on Kris, as he crouched down to the floor to pick up the gun, the cold metal against his hand brought a strange sense of comfort. "We might need this."

"It was kind of amazing what you did there," Kris spoke as Tao unlocked the safety on the revolver. A vintage automatic six-shooter, .44 Magnum cartridges, a rare find these days. He wondered how a simple guard could afford such a luxury item.

Tao broke his attention from the revolver, raising his head to meet Kris's blinding smile. He felt a lump on his throat and swallowed hard before placing the gun on the inside pocket of his coat.

"I practiced martial arts as a child," he lied, dismissing Kris's questioning gaze. Right, how could a mere kitchen boy know about guns and fighting techniques?

His watched beeped and the noise brought him back to reality.

"Come on, we have less than twenty minutes," Tao said, taking out his flashlight again. Baekhyun tugged on the sleeve of Kris's coat.

"I like him," he said, in a theatrical whisper. "I think we lucked out. I mean, I don't think either Lay or Krystal could fight like that."

Tao shook his head, chuckling. The light of his flashlight found the double doors which led to the emergency stairs.

"Stay close to me," he said, his palm resting on the door. He turned to Baekhyun. "Cut that out. If someone sees you we are dead."

The Prototype looked down to his hands, the glowing sphere quickly vanishing. "Sorry," he murmured.

"Alright," Tao pushed the door open, "let's get this over with.”

-

Sehun didn't even realize he was holding his breath. It was the very first time he would walk away from their dorm, and at that moment, it meant much more than that. It meant leaving behind all he knew, and all his sense of safety. He felt Luhan’s hands on his own, the boy giving him a soft smile while he crossed the door to the dark corridor, the only resource of light coming from the emergency lights close to the stairs.

“Don’t hold hands!” Krystal whispered with annoyance, separating them both. “You understand the plan right? All we need to do is get down these stairs, go the military's private lab and get out of this stupid place through the exit Lay talked about. Pretty simple, right?”

The girl bit her lip, looking around the aisle and Luhan let out a heavy sigh, scratching his forehead.

“You have no idea of what you’re doing, do you?”

“I’m an improviser,” she growled back giving him an steamed look, “let's move. We don’t have all the time in the world”

She led them through the hallway until they reached the emergency door, entering in the a little more illuminated stairwell with white walls and matching white stairs. A group of people passed by in a rushed pace, not even raising their heads to notice them.

“Keep moving,” Krystal whispered, patting them both on the back. they moved down the steps quickly, bumping into people on their way, arriving safely at the second floor door until a voice made the three of them freeze in their places.

“Krystal?” A short girl approached them with a huge smile and Sehun and Luhan looked down, trying their best to hide their faces without looking suspicious.

“Hey, Luna!” You’re being too obvious, Sehun thought when he heard Krystal's exaggerated friendly tone. “What you’re doing here?”

“Evacuating?” The girl laughed, “You’re catching the train to Gaza, right? We should go together-”

“Sorry, I need to take these two newbies to the lab. They forgot their keycards,” she giggled nervously, elbowing them on their ribs and both Luhan and Sehun replied with phony smiles to the girl. Just go away.

“Newbie?” Luna asked, lifting an eyebrow, “what do you mean? The higher ups have been firing people all around why would they even hire new scientists?”

Sehun felt sweat running down his temple and he could see Krystal stiffing up, her hands shaking slightly. “How am I supposed to know what go through the chiefs' heads?”

“It’s just weird,” she looked at Sehun with a suspicious look, “and why I feel like I know you-”

Luhan stepped up, holding her arm and the girl’s eyes went wide in surprise. After a couple of seconds, they went blank, staring at nothing. The shocked look on her face melted into an apathetic expression and Luhan got closer to her, whispering something in her ear. She turned around, making her way down the stairs as if their encounter had never happened. Sehun felt himself being pulled and when he looked again, they were already on the Second Floor corridor. Krystal pushed Luhan against a wall, her face pale and eyes screaming of fear.

“What the hell did you just do?” She whispered furiously, her eyes wide at him. “Did you fuck with her mind? This is so-,” she stopped herself when she felt Sehun’s hands on her shoulder.

“Let go of him. If he hadn't done that, your friend would still be pestering us.”

Krystal shoved him aside with a scared look. “Take your hands off me, you freak.”

The word hit him hard. For a moment he felt like leaving the girl behind and taking Luhan by the hand, running towards freedom by themselves, but he knew it wasn’t possible. They would never make it out on their own. Krystal left out a heavy sigh, looking at them both with a deflated expression.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to say that,” she rubbed her eyes. “I just-look, we need to get going,” she placed a gentle hand on Luhan’s shoulder and the boy have her a weak smile.

“Let’s go.”

They walked with long strides and Sehun felt the roots of anxiety growing inside him, not quite believing they already made it that far. All they needed to do was to get into the Military's private lab to open their door to the outside world, and run as fast as they could from that hell. It was kind of easy, he thought while Krystal opened the lab's main door, her keycard granting them entrance.

As soon as they entered the room Sehun damned his big mouth. It was completely dark if not for the flashlight a soldier was holding. They needed a soldier to take the security code but they never meant to confront him face to face.

“Who are you?” He shouted and his eyes went wide when the light touched the Prototype’s face, his face contorted into a frightened look and he drew his gun from the holster, “stay where you are! Don’t move!”

Sehun couldn’t help but notice that he seemed more afraid of them than the opposite. He saw Luhan step up, straightening his eyes, and keeping them fixed on the man with an intensity that made Sehun shiver. The soldier's arm twisted in the air, his gun slipping from his grip as he screeched. It only lasted a second, his voice fade inside his mouth. Krystal covered her eyes with her hand, terrified and Sehun took a step back from Luhan.

This is scary, he thought, while the boy kept his gaze fixed on the man, not even blinking. “Come on, faster,” Sehun said in a hurried tone.

“I’m trying but he’s so stubborn,” he hissed back, his face now contorted as if he was straining, “got it!”

The man's body went limp and he fell to the floor, the sound of his body hitting the floor made Sehun wince. Luhan dropped to his knees next to him, panting, his hands balled into fists on the floor. He looked completely drained.

Sehun ran to him, pulling him up by the arm, and Luhan's knees buckled before he could regain his balance. Sehun could feel his palms cold with sweat as he laced their fingers together. Worry overtook his mind, and Luhan shot him a look before snickering sickly.

"I'm fine," he wheezed.

Sehun opened his mouth to reply, but was interrupted by the sudden hiss of the doors. The three of them snapped their heads back. Hiding was useless.

They were caught.

-

It wasn't that Kyungsoo was afraid of the dark, as a matter of fact he welcomed it. After years of practice, he learned to use his unique ability to being able to see through others means beside his eyes. It was the looming tense atmosphere that messed with his senses. He had to remember how to breathe correctly. Slowly taking in deep breaths and exhaling through his nose. Still his muscles felt like they were tied into knots.

Lay's lone flashlight lit the narrow hallway of the second floor. Kyungsoo let his palm slide through the callous walls. Sometimes applying a bit of pressure and watching marveled as cracks started to form under the weight of his touch. He never really tested it before, but he could feel it every day walking through the halls. Every single wall of that building was pliable, just like the ground beneath his feet.

"Shouldn't be too far now," Lay whispered in the darkness. Suho walked close to him, their steps aligned in perfect harmony.
Suho gripped a water bottle in his left hand and Kyungsoo noticed how its contents swished around from time to time. They were all anxious and their powers were pounding in their veins, swiping through their skins like sweat, begging to be used.

A shadow appeared in the end of the hallway, growing larger with each step, and Kyungsoo's pressed his hand against the wall, the sound of it cracking was muffled by their footsteps.

"Are you escorting the Prototypes back to their rooms?" A female voice called. Kyungsoo reacted his hand, hiding it deep inside his pockets. He looked down and saw Suho unscrewing the cap of his water bottle, until Lay shot him a stern look, stepping in front of them.

"Yes, Dr. Taeyeon." Lay called out.

"Good," she replied, using her cell phone as a flashlight, shining its blue light on their faces. "Check on the others while you're there. Lux must be having a fit. You know that one hates the dark."

Kyungsoo closed his eyes, the energy taking over his entire body, from the tip of his fingers to his toes. He watched as a smirk formed on the corner of Dr. Taeyeon's lips and at the moment, the thing he wanted most in the world was to bury her under a pile of concrete and metal.

"Hey, get a hold of yourself," Suho said in his ear. Kyungsoo felt hand on his back, the warmth of his touch smoothing his ire.

"I'm okay," he muttered breathlessly.

The doctor seeming satisfied resumed her original path, turning to the left and disappearing from their sight. Lay ran his hands through his face, letting out a long sigh of relief before clicking his flashlight on again.

"What about Prototype 0?"

Finally, he managed to say it. The question had been lingering in Kyungsoo's mind since the start of the whole operation, but he couldn't bring himself to say it out loud. After Suho's mention of the Prototype's existence, he never left his mind. Dark bangs over mischievous eyes, long fingers snapping, and the ghostly form that quickly dissipated into nothingness.

Lay looked at him clueless and then back to Suho, who shook his head violently before furring his eyebrows and pursing his lips into a thin line.

"What is this about?" Lay hissed, blinking a few times.

"Tell him, Suho! Tell him what you told me! About the Prototype that they keep isolated! We can't leave without him," Kyungsoo cried. "We promised we would all get out of here together. We can't leave anybody behind!" His arms flailed as his spoke and voice went up at the end of his sentences. Lay took a step in his direction, placing a firm hand over his lips.

"Are you nuts?" He said, his face a only a couple of inches away from Kyungsoo's. He turned Suho, whose expression was of sheer panic. "What is he talking about?"

"I don't-"

Kyungsoo pushed Lay's hand away from his face, gasping for air. "You're the one that told me he was real!"

"I'm sorry," Suho whimpered, the plastic of his water bottle crackling under his grip. "We can't do this now, Kyungsoo. We have to move.”

No.

He pushed Lay aside with a strength he didn't know he had, the young intern had to fight to keep his balance. He dashed past them, running down the dark hallway. Suddenly his entire body craved for solid ground. They were still two floors up but they could almost feel it; the steadiness and serenity of the earth, and he needed it like his lungs needed air.

Lay's and Suho's footsteps were quick behind him, it didn't take too long for Suho's to get a strong hold on Kyungsoo's arms, holding him still. Kyungsoo had never been a strong runner.

Why did I even try? What could I do? Find the Prototype on my own? Impossible.

An overwhelming sense of failure took over him, before he slammed a fist on the wall in front of him, watching as the cracks rose up to the ceiling.

"Stop doing this." Suho's voice was soft and perplexed.

"Guys, we have less than fifteen minutes. Just- Please, the exit is right there. We need to go. We already made too much noise-" Lay whispered.

"Let me go, Suho," Kyungsoo said through his teeth. His eyes found the door with the bright red exit sign glowing above it. Suho dropped his grip from Kyungsoo's arm, and he turned towards it. He had to think of his own survival. Still, he couldn't help but think he was leaving a part of himself behind.

Whoever you are. Wherever you are. I'm sorry I couldn't help you.

The door creaked when he pushed it open, and Lay's flashlight illuminated the narrow staircase.

Maybe once he was out he could put all of this behind him and the dreams would stop. Maybe it was all it was in the first place, a mere vision inside his mind.

An illusion.

-

Sehun automatically did a military reverence to the man, receiving odd looks from Krystal and Luhan.

General Changmin looked at them with a shocked expression, his mouth half opened, eyes lingering on Sehun and the boy could feel his chest heavy. If there was someone in this world he didn’t want to disappoint it was the General, and there he was, witnessing his biggest act of defiance. Changmin finally looked away from him and his gaze found the unconscious man on the floor and he left out a heavy sigh. Sehun could feel Luhan getting anxious. For a moment he pondered the possibility of the boy using his power on the him.

“What are you doing here?” Changmin said in a disappointed tone, “making all this fucking noise.”

He walked away from them and Sehun couldn’t help but open his mouth in shock while Krystal had his eyes fixed on Changmin, her hands still covering her mouth. Only Luhan seemed calm, a relieved smile on his face.

“So you were right, after all,” he whispered in his ear.

Sehun watched Changmin type in the security code on the keypad by the emergency door, it opened slowly, revealing an elevator. The man stood by it awkwardly, dark hair falling over his face, and eyes down on his boots.

“What are you waiting for?” He rolled his eyes, while the three of them rushed to the exit.

Flickers of doubt crossed Sehun's mind and he felt Luhan's gaze burning through him, as he stopped in front of the General. Luhan and Krystal ran passed him, entering the elevator, Luhan's hand held the door open and Sehun could almost hear his thoughts inside his head. Come on, you dragged me into this. Don't mess this up.

"I-" Sehun's mouth opened and closed a few times, the words kept getting caught up in his throat.

The General's hand reached slowly, finding the top of Sehun's head, and gently ruffling up his hair.

"Good luck, kid." He offered the boy one last salute and Sehun responded quickly, pressing his trembling hand to his temple.

Changmin pushed him inside the elevator, Sehun felt himself instinctively stretch his arm out. Not wanting to say goodbye. Not now. Changmin was the only father figure he knew and letting go was harder than he expected.

Luhan's fingers wrapped around his forearm, pulling him back. Sehun could swear he saw the general smiling before the doors closed.

"What just happened?" Krystal grunted towards the two Prototypes’ who remained silent. Luhan was looking deep in Sehun's eyes, exchanging encouraging thoughts as the elevator kicked into motion, going down two floors before its doors opened again.

It was pitch-black, except for a thin row of emergency lights on the floor which showed the path to the exit. They were so close now. Sehun could almost feel the air outside, a cold breeze dancing around him, the taste of freedom.

Krystal clicked her flashlight on and gasped loudly when the light reflected off the hood of a luminous sports car. There were at least fifty of them, parked side by side, all vintages. Sehun could recognize them from the magazines General Changmin always gave him. Krystal walked slowly with her mouth dropped, shining the flashlight on the emblems in the hoods. She passed by a dark blue BMW, a forest green Jaguar, and a blazing red Ferrari Spider. There were name tags on the floor under them, and each name rang recognition in Sehun's mind. He looked over to Luhan, who seemed to be thinking the same.

They were all military staff, generals and lieutenants, all important figures in Project Exo's board. He saw the name of a few doctors and scientists too. A slick black Aston Martin Rapide was parked on Dr. Park's spot.

"This doesn't seem right," Luhan said, his fingers brushing against the wings of the Aston Martin's emblem.

"It sure as hell isn't," Krystal fumed. "While we work ourselves to death to earn a shitty wage, they are riding around city on million dollar cars. How fucking nice."

She slammed the flashlight on the hood of the Aston Martin, leaving behind a deep dent. Not satisfied, she scratched the paint off the driver's door, and banged the flashlight against the window. The glass cracked and she let out a scream full of anger.

Luhan walked over to her with careful steps, placing a hand on her shoulder. Angry tears streamed down the young girl's face.

"I understand everything now," she sobbed, her hair glossy black hair falling over her eyes. "I was always so mad at my sister for leaving me to fight against these corrupt idiots. After our parents died she was all I had. But now I see why she did it."

She didn't have to continue, Luhan's hand moved down from her shoulder, finding her hands in the darkness. He closed his eyes and Sehun knew that he was absorbing her memories, drinking in all her distress.

Sehun looked down to the watch wrapped around his wrist; they had a little under five minutes now before Tao's block was over. Unwillingly, he pulled on Luhan's sleeve, waking him from his trance. Luhan let out a shaky breath, and their eyes snapped open, glittering with tears.

"Let's go," Sehun crooned, his fingertips grazing lightly over Luhan's tear stained cheeks. Whatever he saw inside Krystal's mind had shaken him deeply. The older boy nodded, wiping his face abruptly and giving Krystal a small pat in the shoulder.

"Your sister would be so proud of you," he said and the girl smiled sadly before turning on her heels and shining the flashlight on the door in the other side of the room.

It was right there.

Freedom.

With each step Sehun felt the weight of shackles of forced imprisonment dissipating. The invisible chains that held him inside the walls turning into dust as Krystal kicked the door open.

For the first time in his life, he felt raindrops on his skin.

--

He saw Baekhyun let out a heavy sigh, his hands shaking. Kris never felt more nervous in his whole life. He looked up and Tao was smiling at both of them and he jokingly placed his hands on the door knob, pretending to burst it open just to see Baekhyun laugh with excitement. The black haired boy had already typed the unlocking code a few minutes ago but neither he nor Baekhyun had the guts to make the first move.

“Come on you guys,” Tao said, a sneer on his face, “you’re making me nervous.”

Baekhyun looked at Kris as if asking if it was okay and he answered him with a smile, the first genuine smile in a long time and he couldn’t help but feel warm inside when the boy smiled as well, both of them walking together towards the door. Tao smirked at them.

“Are you sure?”

“Just open the damn door,” Kris laughed, his hands shaking and he snickered when he noticed that Baekhyun had his eyes closed. “You first,” he whispered and the boy chuckled, taking his first step outside the Center.

At first, Kris felt lost and a little dizzy with the amount of foreign air that surrounded him, a cold breeze touching his whole body while he felt raindrops fall in his face. He opened his eyes and Baekhyun was already far away, his arms wide open, laughing. He wondered if it was only the rain if there were actual tears on the boy’s eyes. He looked around the dark street, it was deserted, only a few lamps lightening up the place, and the air had a different smell. Kris felt Tao’s hands on his shoulder and he looked back at him, the kronian boy giving him a sly smile.

“You’re free now,” he said and Kris felt a weird shiver run down his spine.

It all happened too fast for any of them to react.

A black van pulled in front of them, coming out of nowhere and two hooded figures jumped out of it. All Kris could see was Baekhyun being grabbed by his wast, a shadow of a smile still on his face.

“NO!” He screamed, trying to run towards the boy but strong arms held him back.

“No! We can still escape, let’s go!”

“But I promised him we’d see the sunrise together,” Kris said, looking at Tao with desperate eyes. “I can’t let them get him back. He-let go of me!”

He could hear Baekhyun screaming for help, screaming his name. The boy tried to fight until his whole body shook and he fell unconscious, shot by a tranquilizer. One of the masked men pointed towards him and Tao, who looked deep in Kris' eyes in complete in panic. The small taste of freedom he proved already intoxicating his senses. It was too good to risk it, too exhilarating to leave behind.

I’m sorry, Baekhyun. I’m so sorry.

The Prototype wrapped his arms around Tao's torso, whispering at him to hold on tight. With a quick impulse he took flight, gathering speed towards the dark sky, the screams of his friend still echoing in his ears.

--

"How much time do we have left?"

Suho's voice was a faint whisper in the darkness. They had been circling the machine room for what it seemed like hours. Lay's had his face buried in the glow of his tablet, trying desperately to open a map of the Center, but Tao's block was very efficient. He couldn't get a signal anywhere.

They were counting on the row of emergency lights on the ceiling. Kyungsoo directed the light of Lay's flashlight towards them. For some reason, they didn't work. Leaving them lost inside a labyrinth of machines and cables.

"Probably less than ten minutes," Lay's eyes never left the screen, his fingertips sliding aggressively through the glass, still trying to find an answer to their problem.

"I can help, think." Kyungsoo's palms found the cold concrete walls, before he could close his eyes to concentrate, he felt someone pull his shoulder back.

"Don't do anything," Lay said, hand gripping Kyungsoo's shoulder tightly.

He shrugged him off, returning to his original position. Of course they didn't trust him after his outburst upstairs. But Kyungsoo's head was clear now and the only thing he wanted was to walk free, on solid ground.

Kyungsoo let the world melt away around him, closing his eyes firmly, and listened for the vibrations in the earth. They couldn't be too far off. Slowly, he started to feel it. A rush of footsteps above them, probably evacuees making their way towards the main exit. Not what they were looking for.
He let his hands slide through the wall, gently letting each and every crack, pulsation, and tremor fill his ears. Analyzing the sounds and trying to put the pieces of this puzzle together. This wasn't a task Kyungsoo had prepared himself for, being so used to feeling the loud resonances in the soil. Concrete was different, the noises were feeble, like a whisper. Distinguishing the different echoes inside it was a tough task. One he was determined on accomplishing.

Soon enough, there it was. He could hear quiet noises of the outside world, and feel it underneath his feet. And when he pressed his ear to the wall, he could almost listen to the raindrops against a door.

The only thing between them and the exit was that wall.

"I got it!" He jumped. Lay and Suho looked at him, both of their faces ringing of confusion.

Having no time to explain, he simply pulled in a deep breath, his hands shaking with the energy of his power. It pulsed inside his veins as excitement took over him. He balled his hands into fists and slammed them against the concrete. The wall shook violently, but it still stood, only showing a couple of deep cracks where Kyungsoo had hit it. He didn't expect to get it on the first try.

Suho and Lay took a couple of steps back, finally realizing what was happening.

He tried again, the energy felt stronger this time. When his fists hit the wall, a series of resounding cracks echoed in their ears, followed by falling dust and pieces of debris. Something tugged at the corner of Kyungsoo's lips, as he stepped back, joining Suho and Lay as they watched the wall collapse in front of them.

The noise was definitely too loud. Someone would surely come to check on it soon. They didn't have much time.

"This was-" Suho's mouth hung open.

"Amazing?" Lay finished the sentence for him.

They braved through the cloud of dust, coughing and wheezing. Lay covered his nose and mouth with the collar of his shirt, and the two Prototypes followed his motion. Kyungsoo felt his eyes burn with hot tears as they walked through the rubble. Sure enough, the exit appeared in front of them and Suho congratulated him with a pat on the back.

Lay pushed through them to type in the security code.

Everything was a blur after the door slid open.

Two hooded individuals pulled Lay and Suho into the dark tunnel, slamming something against their necks. Their bodies jerked violently before falling limp on top of their attackers. Before Kyungsoo could even begin to process the situation, a strong arm wrapped around his neck, cutting his air supply. He banged his left foot against the floor; it shook slightly, but not enough to bring his attacker down.

"Don't struggle or it will be worst." A voice grunted in his ear behind a black mask.

He couldn't give up now. He had come too far to just let himself be dragged back. He raised his leg to thump his foot against the ground once again, gathering the last bit of energy.

Before his foot touched the ground, a needle pierced through the delicate skin of his neck and he felt his vision blur. His muscles relaxed under the effect of the sedative and it didn't take long for the world to fade into darkness.

-

When Luhan woke up he felt his head spinning, migraine making his eyes pulse. He tried to reach for his eyes, but he found his hands tied, a tingling sense of panic creeping on his mind. And that was when he remembered what happened, just when they thought they were finally free.

They caught us. Masked figures in the night, they came out of nowhere. By the time Luhan heard their thoughts it was already too late. They had Sehun in their hands. There was no reason for fighting for his freedom if Sehun wasn’t going to be part of it.

Sehun, he remembered, trying to focus on the boy’s mind. Luhan could hear him, distant, his thoughts still deep in his sleep. He sighed in relief. We’re still together.

Minds he didn’t really know mixed in with his own. He took a deep breath, listening to them, maybe he could get a hint of their location.

His only clue was that they were inside a moving vehicle. There was a soft hum of the engine under him, taking away his concentration. The sedative still numbed his senses. Still, he pressed on, concentrating on the quiet murmurs that floated around him, and trying to single out individual thoughts. He heard Krystal's voice mixed in mess of whispers. Luhan couldn't help but feel bad for the girl. She didn't deserve to be pulled into this mess. Not after what he saw inside her mind.

Pictures started coming together inside his head. It was a blur of murky colors at first. Bright lights flashed by and the atmosphere felt soggy. A shadow passed through a glass, back and forth, wiping away droplets of precipitation. Luhan realized he was seeing through the eyes of the driver.

A wide road formed in front of his eyes. Another car followed them close behind. A black van. It was hard to pick out details apart from the lights of the street signs. Luhan could tell that they were driving away from Hera's downtown area, leaving the bright lights of New Rome behind them. Maybe they were taking them to a secluded place, where they would kill them away from the public eye. It was cleaner that way, he thought.

Something broke his concentration. Luhan heard Sehun’s thoughts running wild and he knew the boy had finally woken up. He attempted to move his tied his hands in the best way he managed to, finding thin fingers in the darkness, and he knew it was Sehun when he felt the boy’s mind calming down under his touch.

“Luhan?” He whispered hoarsely, “Where are we?”

“I don’t really know.” And they stayed like that, fingers lightly touching; the only sound around them was the wheels against the wet asphalt. Luhan leaned on the vehicle’s wall, his heart beating loudly inside his chest. For a moment he wanted to yell at Sehun, tell him that if wasn’t for that stupid plan, they would be sleeping soundly in their beds, without a care in the world. Not tied up in the back of a van on their way to their slaughter. He pushed those hateful thoughts back, there was no more time for that.

The contact with Sehun's skin made Luhan's access to his mind a lot clearer. He began to swim inside the other's string of wretched thoughts, absorbing his hopelessness. Sehun knew that they wouldn't survive and he blamed himself for their demise.

"Stop this," Luhan hissed, his fingers travelled up Sehun's hand, and curled around his thin wrist. "It will be okay.”

Sehun let out a bitter snort, shying away from Luhan's touch and closing off his mind. He was right. They wouldn't be okay.

"At least we are together," Luhan said, reaching out once again, and this time Sehun welcomed his touch. "I'll be with you every step of the way."

Sehun's fingers intertwined with his own. An odd comfort spread through his mind. He let Sehun's bittersweet ease occupy his mind, as Luhan always did his. Every moment they were together, Sehun drank in his presence and filled his thoughts with him. It was Luhan's turn to let his mind become flooded with thoughts of Sehun.

Sehun's grip around Luhan's fingers became firmer and a reluctant sniffle escaped through his lips. "Promise you won't let go?"

"Never."

Until my last breath.

⇢ next: chapter seven

a/n: wow, I don't think you guys can understand how much me and fernanda were excited about this chapter. first actual action scenes we could write and ofc, finally getting out of their dorms. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter :3 and again, thanks to all the amazing people who read and like and comment on this fic (be it here or in our asks on tumblr), srsly, without you guys being so nice, writing project exo wouldn't be half as fun. thanks :) see you next sunday!