[GBtR] Chapter 10
Title: Getting Back to Real
Chapter Title: (11/?) Necessity
Pairings: YooMin, HoSuJae
Rating: PG-13 for now
Genre: AU, sci-fi, drama
Summary: After the events in Dreaming Back to This, the five have fled Korea and started to rebuild a new life for themselves far away. The past still haunts them, however, perhaps even more than they first realized.
Notes: I've had this chap written for about a week now but just haven't had the time/motivation to post it. Sorry, guys... :/ Anyway, I'm really expecting the action to start escalating quickly from here. Enjoy~~ ^_^
Previous: Dreaming Back to This, Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Interlude, Chapter 7, Chapter 8, Chapter 9
Chapter 10: Necessity
Changmin stands in the middle of the room, fidgeting in place and pulling the ends of his sleeves over his hands. He's not feeling nearly brave enough for this meeting yet, but he knows it will only get worse if he continues to put it off. Shifting his weight again, he tries to figure out what kind of reception to expect.
Yoochun, on the other hand, stands in the hall and just stares into the living room at Changmin. He looks healthy enough at least, Yoochun observes, uninjured though obviously nervous. After another minute, he finally steps into the room and clears his throat. Changmin spins around to face him, and Yoochun takes a short moment to read all the emotions that pass across Changmin's face: surprise, anxiety, happiness, regret, love. Before Changmin can say a word, Yoochun crosses the room and wraps him in a tight hug.
Changmin melts into the embrace almost automatically, wrapping his arms around Yoochun's waist in return and burying his face in Yoochun's neck. "I'm sorry, Chunnie. I'm so sorry," Changmin murmurs as Yoochun leads them to the couch. He gets them seated and adjusts his hold as Changmin snuggles in.
When they're finally settled, he slides his hands up to cup Changmin's face in his palms, thumbs over his lips to quiet the apologies. "I know, Min. I won't lie and say I'm not hurt, but I can understand why you did it." Unable to resist any longer, he slides his thumbs aside to press a soft kiss to those lips. He pulls away after not nearly long enough to study the face in front of him more carefully. "You're okay, right?" he asks. "Staying as safe as possible?"
With a small smile, Changmin nods to put Yoochun's fears to rest. "I'm fine," he assures. "It's barely even been a fight so far. I just got back to Seoul, though, so I expect that will change soon."
Yoochun frowns at the reminder of just why, exactly, Changmin is away from him. Of the things Changmin has already done. "Hyunae just got here," he starts. "She says that you've killed someone. Or, well, a few someones to be more specific."
Changmin's tentative smile disappears at the implied question, and he breaks eye contact to stare at the wall. "Nine so far, six in the first group and three in the second." He looks back at Yoochun, eyes haunted and scared as he continues, "I didn't want to. I was originally just going to wipe their memories of their mission and the Centre in general. They had some kind of block up, though. I couldn't get through it without basically turning them into vegetables. And I figured at that point... I couldn't just let them go, Yoochun. I couldn't take that risk with the four of you."
Brushing the hair away from Changmin's face, Yoochun presses a soothing kiss to his forehead before pulling him back in to cuddle. "It's okay, Min. I figured when you left - or, hell, when you first decided to fight back, really - that you'd probably have to do it eventually." He rubs his hands over Changmin's shoulders and back, waiting for the tension in them to release. "Just take care of yourself, okay? For the four of us if nothing else. We need you to come back to us, baby, so be careful."
~*~~*~
Staring up at the house in front of him, Changmin replays Yoochun's words in his head and contemplates his next move. Of course he had always had the goal of going home once this was all over, but until now he'd been working with the primary focus of taking the Centre down and keeping his family safe. He'd been careful but probably not as careful as he should have been. With Yoochun's plea still ringing in his ears, Changmin knows his approach has to change now.
He shakes himself from his thoughts and refocuses on his next target, the man whose house he's currently standing in front of. Whose letters had first started this whole mess. Dr. Kwon... How much had he known? Changmin wonders. Did he know when he wrote those letters what the Centre really wanted from me? Or had he been genuine in just wanting to help others? He's determined to get the answers in any way necessary. Once he has those answers, he can decide what to do with the doctor.
He's done enough research since arriving in Korea to know the man lives alone, is unmarried with no children or other dependents. His whole life, in fact, seems to revolve around his work. Changmin pushes a wave of energy at the security pad on the gate. The pad shorts out, flickering a few times before dying completely, and Changmin forces the gate open then strides up the walkway.
With another mental push, the front door swings open. Changmin stalks in, not even bothering to hide his presence. Dr. Kwon rushes into the front hall from a room to Changmin's right, and Changmin takes a moment to appraise him: short - shorter than Junsu at least, dark hair going gray at the temples and thinning at the top, not quite fat but not thin by any definition either. "Ch- Changmin-ssi," the man stutters out, and Changmin sneers.
"Funny that you seem to know me by sight and yet I've never seen you before in my life," he observes, conversational tone edged with sharp barbs. Dr. Kwon pales and takes a step backwards. With a small reach out, Changmin freezes him in place. "I don't want to hurt you, Doctor. I don't want to hurt anyone, really, but I'm not letting you people hunt me down like an animal anymore. So now you're going to give me some answers."
~*~~*~
Dr. Kwon sits in a chair, hands on the armrests and feet flat on the floor, staring up at the young man in front of him. When he'd first come to them as a small child, everyone at the Centre had fully expected Changmin to fizzle out quickly; all research they'd collected up to that point had suggested that conclusion. People with a psychic power had a shorter life expectancy as a general rule. The only known person with two hadn't made it out of her teens. By all accounts, Changmin shouldn't have even hit puberty.
But he had, and then he'd kept going even beyond that. If anything, he seemed to just get strong rather than weaker as time went on. They'd put him through every test, both physical and mental, they could think of, and yet they still couldn't figure out why. What made his body and mind different - so much more resilient - than they'd ever seen before. The doctor can only guess that that resilience is why Changmin hadn't been completely broken during his last stay at the compound.
No one should have survived some of the things they'd put that boy through, let alone come out the other side mentally intact and ready to fight. Judging by the weight of the power holding him in place, Changmin seems very much in control of his mental facilities. It's silly, Dr. Kwon thinks as the young man stares down at him, being intimidated by an 18-year-old.
When he feels the first searching prod of another mind in his, though, he reminds himself exactly why this particular 18-year-old is so intimidating. He throws up every mental barrier he knows how to form, though he knows the sensitive stuff - as much as he's allowed to know - is safe behind the Centre's own constructed block. Not even their strongest telepaths and clairvoyants had been able to get through those walls.
Changmin pokes around a bit more, searching but not really attacking, before pulling back with a frown. "How much did you know?" he asks, hoping the man will volunteer the information. He can get through those barriers with little problem, but he knows what will happen if he has to resort to that. "How deeply were you a part of what they did to me? Who gives the orders?"
Dr. Kwon averts his eyes and presses his lips together, determined not to give any answers. Changmin rolls his eyes with a frustrated huff of air. It's so much the reaction of a teenager that Dr. Kwon forgets for just a fraction of a second to be scared, to be cautious. That fraction is all it takes. Scissors of pain rip through his head, sharp and unforgiving. He's not sure how long it lasts, though it seems to go on for a lifetime. He thinks he might be screaming.
Then it stops just as abruptly as it started, leaving only a dull residual ache behind his eyes. "Why don't we try this again?" he hears Changmin say, though he can't seem to raise his head to look. "I'm giving you the chance to be able to walk away when we're done here. Don't think it's because I have no other options, though. I can go through your head right now and take whatever I want, even whatever the Centre has stowed behind that fancy little block of theirs."
Impossible, Dr. Kwon thinks in an attempt to dismiss the claim. A splinter of doubt embeds itself directly in the center of that continuing ache in his head, though. "If you can do that," he replies, finally managing to look up at Changmin again, "then why don't you? Why do I have to tell you anything?"
A darkly conflicted look crosses Changmin's face, something almost but not quite like regret. "Because," Changmin answers, "I don't exactly savor the idea of tearing apart a person's mind like that. You'll live through it; your heart will continue to beat, your body to function otherwise normally. Physically, you'll be just fine. Mentally, though... You'd have nothing left. No memories, no thoughts, no personality. The Centre may be okay with turning people into mindless zombies, but I'm not. If you give me no other option, though, I'll do what I have to."
And, somehow, Dr. Kwon believes him. He absolutely believes that not only could Changmin do exactly what he claims but also that he really doesn't want to. Considering this, Dr. Kwon sees only one real choice in front of him. "Fine. I'll tell you everything I know. I'll even take down all the shields so you know I'm not lying about any of it. It's not much. Dr. Phillips calls all the shots, and I do more grunt work than anything. What I do know, though, I'll give you."
instrument shopping
Chapter Title: (11/?) Necessity
Pairings: YooMin, HoSuJae
Rating: PG-13 for now
Genre: AU, sci-fi, drama
Summary: After the events in Dreaming Back to This, the five have fled Korea and started to rebuild a new life for themselves far away. The past still haunts them, however, perhaps even more than they first realized.
Notes: I've had this chap written for about a week now but just haven't had the time/motivation to post it. Sorry, guys... :/ Anyway, I'm really expecting the action to start escalating quickly from here. Enjoy~~ ^_^
Previous: Dreaming Back to This, Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Interlude, Chapter 7, Chapter 8, Chapter 9
Chapter 10: Necessity
Changmin stands in the middle of the room, fidgeting in place and pulling the ends of his sleeves over his hands. He's not feeling nearly brave enough for this meeting yet, but he knows it will only get worse if he continues to put it off. Shifting his weight again, he tries to figure out what kind of reception to expect.
Yoochun, on the other hand, stands in the hall and just stares into the living room at Changmin. He looks healthy enough at least, Yoochun observes, uninjured though obviously nervous. After another minute, he finally steps into the room and clears his throat. Changmin spins around to face him, and Yoochun takes a short moment to read all the emotions that pass across Changmin's face: surprise, anxiety, happiness, regret, love. Before Changmin can say a word, Yoochun crosses the room and wraps him in a tight hug.
Changmin melts into the embrace almost automatically, wrapping his arms around Yoochun's waist in return and burying his face in Yoochun's neck. "I'm sorry, Chunnie. I'm so sorry," Changmin murmurs as Yoochun leads them to the couch. He gets them seated and adjusts his hold as Changmin snuggles in.
When they're finally settled, he slides his hands up to cup Changmin's face in his palms, thumbs over his lips to quiet the apologies. "I know, Min. I won't lie and say I'm not hurt, but I can understand why you did it." Unable to resist any longer, he slides his thumbs aside to press a soft kiss to those lips. He pulls away after not nearly long enough to study the face in front of him more carefully. "You're okay, right?" he asks. "Staying as safe as possible?"
With a small smile, Changmin nods to put Yoochun's fears to rest. "I'm fine," he assures. "It's barely even been a fight so far. I just got back to Seoul, though, so I expect that will change soon."
Yoochun frowns at the reminder of just why, exactly, Changmin is away from him. Of the things Changmin has already done. "Hyunae just got here," he starts. "She says that you've killed someone. Or, well, a few someones to be more specific."
Changmin's tentative smile disappears at the implied question, and he breaks eye contact to stare at the wall. "Nine so far, six in the first group and three in the second." He looks back at Yoochun, eyes haunted and scared as he continues, "I didn't want to. I was originally just going to wipe their memories of their mission and the Centre in general. They had some kind of block up, though. I couldn't get through it without basically turning them into vegetables. And I figured at that point... I couldn't just let them go, Yoochun. I couldn't take that risk with the four of you."
Brushing the hair away from Changmin's face, Yoochun presses a soothing kiss to his forehead before pulling him back in to cuddle. "It's okay, Min. I figured when you left - or, hell, when you first decided to fight back, really - that you'd probably have to do it eventually." He rubs his hands over Changmin's shoulders and back, waiting for the tension in them to release. "Just take care of yourself, okay? For the four of us if nothing else. We need you to come back to us, baby, so be careful."
~*~~*~
Staring up at the house in front of him, Changmin replays Yoochun's words in his head and contemplates his next move. Of course he had always had the goal of going home once this was all over, but until now he'd been working with the primary focus of taking the Centre down and keeping his family safe. He'd been careful but probably not as careful as he should have been. With Yoochun's plea still ringing in his ears, Changmin knows his approach has to change now.
He shakes himself from his thoughts and refocuses on his next target, the man whose house he's currently standing in front of. Whose letters had first started this whole mess. Dr. Kwon... How much had he known? Changmin wonders. Did he know when he wrote those letters what the Centre really wanted from me? Or had he been genuine in just wanting to help others? He's determined to get the answers in any way necessary. Once he has those answers, he can decide what to do with the doctor.
He's done enough research since arriving in Korea to know the man lives alone, is unmarried with no children or other dependents. His whole life, in fact, seems to revolve around his work. Changmin pushes a wave of energy at the security pad on the gate. The pad shorts out, flickering a few times before dying completely, and Changmin forces the gate open then strides up the walkway.
With another mental push, the front door swings open. Changmin stalks in, not even bothering to hide his presence. Dr. Kwon rushes into the front hall from a room to Changmin's right, and Changmin takes a moment to appraise him: short - shorter than Junsu at least, dark hair going gray at the temples and thinning at the top, not quite fat but not thin by any definition either. "Ch- Changmin-ssi," the man stutters out, and Changmin sneers.
"Funny that you seem to know me by sight and yet I've never seen you before in my life," he observes, conversational tone edged with sharp barbs. Dr. Kwon pales and takes a step backwards. With a small reach out, Changmin freezes him in place. "I don't want to hurt you, Doctor. I don't want to hurt anyone, really, but I'm not letting you people hunt me down like an animal anymore. So now you're going to give me some answers."
~*~~*~
Dr. Kwon sits in a chair, hands on the armrests and feet flat on the floor, staring up at the young man in front of him. When he'd first come to them as a small child, everyone at the Centre had fully expected Changmin to fizzle out quickly; all research they'd collected up to that point had suggested that conclusion. People with a psychic power had a shorter life expectancy as a general rule. The only known person with two hadn't made it out of her teens. By all accounts, Changmin shouldn't have even hit puberty.
But he had, and then he'd kept going even beyond that. If anything, he seemed to just get strong rather than weaker as time went on. They'd put him through every test, both physical and mental, they could think of, and yet they still couldn't figure out why. What made his body and mind different - so much more resilient - than they'd ever seen before. The doctor can only guess that that resilience is why Changmin hadn't been completely broken during his last stay at the compound.
No one should have survived some of the things they'd put that boy through, let alone come out the other side mentally intact and ready to fight. Judging by the weight of the power holding him in place, Changmin seems very much in control of his mental facilities. It's silly, Dr. Kwon thinks as the young man stares down at him, being intimidated by an 18-year-old.
When he feels the first searching prod of another mind in his, though, he reminds himself exactly why this particular 18-year-old is so intimidating. He throws up every mental barrier he knows how to form, though he knows the sensitive stuff - as much as he's allowed to know - is safe behind the Centre's own constructed block. Not even their strongest telepaths and clairvoyants had been able to get through those walls.
Changmin pokes around a bit more, searching but not really attacking, before pulling back with a frown. "How much did you know?" he asks, hoping the man will volunteer the information. He can get through those barriers with little problem, but he knows what will happen if he has to resort to that. "How deeply were you a part of what they did to me? Who gives the orders?"
Dr. Kwon averts his eyes and presses his lips together, determined not to give any answers. Changmin rolls his eyes with a frustrated huff of air. It's so much the reaction of a teenager that Dr. Kwon forgets for just a fraction of a second to be scared, to be cautious. That fraction is all it takes. Scissors of pain rip through his head, sharp and unforgiving. He's not sure how long it lasts, though it seems to go on for a lifetime. He thinks he might be screaming.
Then it stops just as abruptly as it started, leaving only a dull residual ache behind his eyes. "Why don't we try this again?" he hears Changmin say, though he can't seem to raise his head to look. "I'm giving you the chance to be able to walk away when we're done here. Don't think it's because I have no other options, though. I can go through your head right now and take whatever I want, even whatever the Centre has stowed behind that fancy little block of theirs."
Impossible, Dr. Kwon thinks in an attempt to dismiss the claim. A splinter of doubt embeds itself directly in the center of that continuing ache in his head, though. "If you can do that," he replies, finally managing to look up at Changmin again, "then why don't you? Why do I have to tell you anything?"
A darkly conflicted look crosses Changmin's face, something almost but not quite like regret. "Because," Changmin answers, "I don't exactly savor the idea of tearing apart a person's mind like that. You'll live through it; your heart will continue to beat, your body to function otherwise normally. Physically, you'll be just fine. Mentally, though... You'd have nothing left. No memories, no thoughts, no personality. The Centre may be okay with turning people into mindless zombies, but I'm not. If you give me no other option, though, I'll do what I have to."
And, somehow, Dr. Kwon believes him. He absolutely believes that not only could Changmin do exactly what he claims but also that he really doesn't want to. Considering this, Dr. Kwon sees only one real choice in front of him. "Fine. I'll tell you everything I know. I'll even take down all the shields so you know I'm not lying about any of it. It's not much. Dr. Phillips calls all the shots, and I do more grunt work than anything. What I do know, though, I'll give you."
instrument shopping