[DBtT] Chapter 28
Title: Dreaming Back to This
Rating: R
Genre: AU, sci-fi, suspense
Chapter: A Desperate Way Out (28/?)
Pairings: YooMin, HoSuJae
Summary: Changmin's running from a past he can't forget. Yoochun's running towards a future he can't see. Two people, seemingly on separate paths, collide. What starts in dreams…
Warnings: Graphic torture, character death
Notes: So, this chap basically sets up a lot of pieces that will come into play in the next chapter or two. Maybe three. And, as such, it's nearly 500 words longer than my normal 1500. Not that y'all are gonna protest that, right? XD
Previous: Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7, Chapter 8, Chapter 9, Chapter 10, Chapter 11, Chapter 12, Chapter 13, Chapter 14, Chapter 15, Chapter 16, Chapter 17, Chapter 18, Chapter 19, Chapter 20, Chapter 21, Chapter 22, Chapter 23, Chapter 24 , Chapter 25, Chapter 26, Chapter 27
Chapter 28: A Desperate Way Out
Changmin sits straight up in the bed, screaming and crying. His eyes are open, but Jaejoong doesn't think he's actually awake. When Jaejoong wraps him in a hug to calm him, Changmin instead yells louder and attempts to fight him off. "Min, it's just me. It's just Jae. Calm down, Minnie; it's okay." But the younger boy doesn't even seem to hear him.
Taking a deep breath, Jaejoong runs through his other options. Only one thought sticks: Min's abilities seem to work both ways, so mine should, too. Right? He focuses, turns his thoughts in to find the little thread of feeling that had always kept him so in-tune with others. And once he taps into that, he pushes out - sending every calm and soothing emotion in Changmin's direction.
When Changmin is still crying a few moments later, Jaejoong starts trying to think of something else. But then, slowly Changmin calms down then completely relaxes into Jaejoong's hold. Jaejoong sighs, resting his own head against Changmin's and smoothing the sweat-soaked hair from the boy's face.
Changmin whimpers once, but he quiets again with another wave of soft feelings from Jaejoong. Jaejoong waits a while longer, wanting to be absolutely certain Changmin is sleeping peacefully, before he lets himself drift off again.
~*~~*~
Yoochun finishes off his last piece of sushi with a satisfied grin as Yunho pulls out his wallet to cover the bill. Junsu slurps up the last of his ramen, decidedly more confused than content. "Okay, just a few questions about this," he finally says. "Number one, why in the world do we have the sudden urge to pay for your food? And number two, why did we not practice last night?"
Yoochun chuckles. "Number two, we did. And number one, because I told you to last night then told you not to remember anything about the dream." His eyebrows furrow for a second. "Of course, I said the new place instead of this one, but at least you guys got the Japanese part right. Close enough for our purposes right now, I guess."
Yunho and Junsu both stare at him. "So, wait." Yunho finds his voice first. "You can tell us what to do, down to specific details, and we'll just do it? And not remember you telling us this?"
A little-kid-grin on his lips, Yoochun nods. "Apparently. I mean, it'll take a few more experiments to figure out exactly how detailed I can get with it. But I wasn't even sure it would work, so I just started with something kind of simple last night."
"That's- that's huge, Yoochunnie," Junsu stutters out. "I mean, that can do some major things for us." Before he can say anymore, though, Yunho's cell phone ringer cuts him off.
Yunho answers then listens to the voice on the other end, his face slowly changing from confusion to pure shock. He hangs up then sits silent for long moment while Junsu and Yoochun just look at him. Finally, he looks back at them. "That was the hospital. Tessa's awake."
~*~~*~
Yoochun's scared before Changmin even starts speaking. The younger boy had become more withdrawn over the past couple weeks, but he'd still maintained that certain spark that made him so… Changmin. Now, though, his eyes are dull and dim. Almost completely lifeless. Yoochun wraps his arms around Changmin, holding tight. "Min? What happened, baby?"
Nuzzling into Yoochun's chest, Changmin shakes his head but offers no further response. Yoochun almost lets it go there until he feels the warm tears soaking through the front of his shirt. He leads them over to the plush, over-stuffed couch and settles them into one corner. "You're safe now, baby. I'm right here. Just talk to me, okay?"
Changmin's silent tears turn into full sobs. "I- I had to. I didn't want to, but… but they were hurting Jae! And I couldn't just sit there and let them, so I had to. I didn't have a choice, Yoochunnie! I didn't!"
Yoochun sifts Changmin's thick hair through his fingers, pulling the boy just that much closer. "Shh, just calm down, Minnie. I've got you. Whatever happened, it wasn't your fault. I know you, baby. And you wouldn't hurt anyone if you had any other choice. Everyone who has ever met you would know that." Changmin's cries soften into quiet gasps. "Can you tell me what happened, Min?"
After a long silence, Changmin slowly nods. "Kangdae was there. He said they threatened his sister, and that's the only reason he did what he did. And then they started hurting Jae. So… I killed him. I killed Kangdae. He was only trying to protect his sister, but I had to kill him. To save Jae."
Yoochun doesn't respond, can't imagine there's anything he could possibly say to make something like that better in any way. Can't imagine having to make a decision like that, how Changmin must be feeling. So, instead, he rests his head on top of Changmin's and cries along with the younger boy.
When they eventually stop crying, Yoochun's lost track of how much time may have passed. It feels like a while, maybe a little over an hour, but time moves in weird ways in this strange in-between world they have. Changmin lays quietly in his arms, stroking the back of Yoochun's hands with his fingertips. "Yoochun…"
"What's up, Min?"
Changmin hesitates, and Yoochun knows he isn't going to like the next words from Changmin. "I've met people with… similar powers to yours. Not exactly the same, but close. And they told me that they could actually take someone else's consciousness with them, remove that person from his body. Can… can you try that, Chunnie? Just take me back with you? I don't think I can do this for much longer."
Heart stuttering, Yoochun attempts to draw in a breath. He knew things had been getting bad, but he can't quite comprehend how desperate Changmin must be to make a suggestion like that. "But… Min… What would happen to you? If I did that, what would something like that do to your body? And where would your- your 'consciousness' go?"
Changmin shrugs. "Away. With you. And my body… Would it really matter at that point?"
Yoochun pushes Changmin away just enough that he can turn the other boy and lock eyes. "It would matter, Min. Of course it would matter. I love you with everything I've got; you know that. But you can't ask me to do that to you. These dreams are great, and I'm so happy we have them until we see each other again." He takes a deep breath, attempting to calm his mounting rant. "Those are the key words, though, Minnie: until we see each other. You can't live forever as just a voice in my head. And what about Jae? What will he think when you just don't wake up, baby?"
As he starts to tear up again, Changmin pulls his gaze away from Yoochun's. "You're right. Sorry. I just… I'm so tired. And everything just hurts so much, all the time now. So I thought of that. I… hadn't even thought about Jae, really. I'm sorry, Yoochun."
With a couple fingers under Changmin's chin, Yoochun tilts Changmin's face up to look into those gorgeous, dark eyes he'd fallen so in love with. He lays feather-soft kisses over Changmin's forehead, his cheekbones, his nose, his chin, his eyelids. When the light blush creeps its way down under the boy's shirt collar, Yoochun lingers on Changmin's lips and presses deeper. Changmin relaxes into the kiss, draping his arms around Yoochun's neck as Yoochun's hands frame his face.
Yoochun pulls away a few moments later. With one look at Min's closed eyes and slightly pouty lips, though, he leans back in for a couple more quick pecks. He draws back once more, and Changmin lets his eyes drift open. "I love you, Min. More than I think I could ever even begin to explain to you," Yoochun says, brushing his fingertips over Changmin's cheeks. "We're working on a plan that should be ready really soon. Maybe within the week. So you just have to remember that, no matter what happens, I love you. Okay?"
Changmin nods, cuddling back into Yoochun's chest. "I will. Love you, too, Chunnie."
~*~~*~
"There are tunnels," Tessa rasps out, pushing herself into a sitting position. She's barely been awake a day, but she refuses to let them put off the planning any longer. "Most people, beyond the people who actually built the place and the highest-ranking doctors, don't have any idea they're even there. All the kids are drugged, unconscious, before they're actually brought in. But that's how they all get into the building without anyone ever spotting them. I mean, didn't you ever wonder why there were never any reports about grown men collecting unconscious kids in a building?
"Sedatives don't work as well on me as on most people. Dr. Phillips wasn't actually with me when I was brought in and the ones who were didn't know, so I actually woke up maybe around halfway through the city. We drove into a parking garage in… Ilsan? Yeah, Ilsan. Near some big mall, a lot of it outdoors, called… God, what was it called?"
"La Festa?" Junsu supplies, and Tessa's eyes widen.
"Yeah, that was it. A parking garage near there. You drive down into the basement level, around to the back corner where the exit ramp is. If you're driving forward like you're actually gonna go through the exit, look to your left. There's a row of parking spaces along the same wall as the exit. Go the very last parking spot on that wall; park your car there. Roll down the driver's side window, and you'll see some… bumps on the wall. Four of them will form a kind of diamond shape; trust me, you won't be able to miss them if you're looking for them. As you're looking at them, touch the left then top then bottom then right.
"That sequence will activate the elevator, and it'll lower your car into the tunnels. There aren't any turns or anything like that. Just follow it through, and it'll take you straight into the Centre. They keep one guard at the entrance from the tunnels, so you'll have to figure out some way to take care of him. Once he's gone, though, you've got a pretty clear path into the building.
"The lower floors are mostly dorm rooms, a couple of entry-level doctors' offices. They don't really have any cameras there, except in the main entrance hall. They'll probably be holding Jaejoong and Minnie-pie in the upper levels, most likely one of the maximum security rooms on the top floor. If you can get into the emergency stairwells, you can get up there with no problem, but… they've got those floors wired top to bottom. Cameras in every hallway and room. Changmin should be able to help you fight your way out once you get to him; you'll just have to figure out some way to get to him before they get to you."
She collapses back against her bed, fighting to keep her eyes open. "I wish I could give you more information, help you more. But that's all I've got. It's the best way to get in that I can see."
Yunho pats her hand while Yoochun lowers the overhead lights. "It's okay. That's great information, Tessa. It's a much better plan than anything we could've come up with on our own. We'll figure something out and bring them home, promise."
//Chapter 29//
Rating: R
Genre: AU, sci-fi, suspense
Chapter: A Desperate Way Out (28/?)
Pairings: YooMin, HoSuJae
Summary: Changmin's running from a past he can't forget. Yoochun's running towards a future he can't see. Two people, seemingly on separate paths, collide. What starts in dreams…
Warnings: Graphic torture, character death
Notes: So, this chap basically sets up a lot of pieces that will come into play in the next chapter or two. Maybe three. And, as such, it's nearly 500 words longer than my normal 1500. Not that y'all are gonna protest that, right? XD
Previous: Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7, Chapter 8, Chapter 9, Chapter 10, Chapter 11, Chapter 12, Chapter 13, Chapter 14, Chapter 15, Chapter 16, Chapter 17, Chapter 18, Chapter 19, Chapter 20, Chapter 21, Chapter 22, Chapter 23, Chapter 24 , Chapter 25, Chapter 26, Chapter 27
Chapter 28: A Desperate Way Out
Changmin sits straight up in the bed, screaming and crying. His eyes are open, but Jaejoong doesn't think he's actually awake. When Jaejoong wraps him in a hug to calm him, Changmin instead yells louder and attempts to fight him off. "Min, it's just me. It's just Jae. Calm down, Minnie; it's okay." But the younger boy doesn't even seem to hear him.
Taking a deep breath, Jaejoong runs through his other options. Only one thought sticks: Min's abilities seem to work both ways, so mine should, too. Right? He focuses, turns his thoughts in to find the little thread of feeling that had always kept him so in-tune with others. And once he taps into that, he pushes out - sending every calm and soothing emotion in Changmin's direction.
When Changmin is still crying a few moments later, Jaejoong starts trying to think of something else. But then, slowly Changmin calms down then completely relaxes into Jaejoong's hold. Jaejoong sighs, resting his own head against Changmin's and smoothing the sweat-soaked hair from the boy's face.
Changmin whimpers once, but he quiets again with another wave of soft feelings from Jaejoong. Jaejoong waits a while longer, wanting to be absolutely certain Changmin is sleeping peacefully, before he lets himself drift off again.
~*~~*~
Yoochun finishes off his last piece of sushi with a satisfied grin as Yunho pulls out his wallet to cover the bill. Junsu slurps up the last of his ramen, decidedly more confused than content. "Okay, just a few questions about this," he finally says. "Number one, why in the world do we have the sudden urge to pay for your food? And number two, why did we not practice last night?"
Yoochun chuckles. "Number two, we did. And number one, because I told you to last night then told you not to remember anything about the dream." His eyebrows furrow for a second. "Of course, I said the new place instead of this one, but at least you guys got the Japanese part right. Close enough for our purposes right now, I guess."
Yunho and Junsu both stare at him. "So, wait." Yunho finds his voice first. "You can tell us what to do, down to specific details, and we'll just do it? And not remember you telling us this?"
A little-kid-grin on his lips, Yoochun nods. "Apparently. I mean, it'll take a few more experiments to figure out exactly how detailed I can get with it. But I wasn't even sure it would work, so I just started with something kind of simple last night."
"That's- that's huge, Yoochunnie," Junsu stutters out. "I mean, that can do some major things for us." Before he can say anymore, though, Yunho's cell phone ringer cuts him off.
Yunho answers then listens to the voice on the other end, his face slowly changing from confusion to pure shock. He hangs up then sits silent for long moment while Junsu and Yoochun just look at him. Finally, he looks back at them. "That was the hospital. Tessa's awake."
~*~~*~
Yoochun's scared before Changmin even starts speaking. The younger boy had become more withdrawn over the past couple weeks, but he'd still maintained that certain spark that made him so… Changmin. Now, though, his eyes are dull and dim. Almost completely lifeless. Yoochun wraps his arms around Changmin, holding tight. "Min? What happened, baby?"
Nuzzling into Yoochun's chest, Changmin shakes his head but offers no further response. Yoochun almost lets it go there until he feels the warm tears soaking through the front of his shirt. He leads them over to the plush, over-stuffed couch and settles them into one corner. "You're safe now, baby. I'm right here. Just talk to me, okay?"
Changmin's silent tears turn into full sobs. "I- I had to. I didn't want to, but… but they were hurting Jae! And I couldn't just sit there and let them, so I had to. I didn't have a choice, Yoochunnie! I didn't!"
Yoochun sifts Changmin's thick hair through his fingers, pulling the boy just that much closer. "Shh, just calm down, Minnie. I've got you. Whatever happened, it wasn't your fault. I know you, baby. And you wouldn't hurt anyone if you had any other choice. Everyone who has ever met you would know that." Changmin's cries soften into quiet gasps. "Can you tell me what happened, Min?"
After a long silence, Changmin slowly nods. "Kangdae was there. He said they threatened his sister, and that's the only reason he did what he did. And then they started hurting Jae. So… I killed him. I killed Kangdae. He was only trying to protect his sister, but I had to kill him. To save Jae."
Yoochun doesn't respond, can't imagine there's anything he could possibly say to make something like that better in any way. Can't imagine having to make a decision like that, how Changmin must be feeling. So, instead, he rests his head on top of Changmin's and cries along with the younger boy.
When they eventually stop crying, Yoochun's lost track of how much time may have passed. It feels like a while, maybe a little over an hour, but time moves in weird ways in this strange in-between world they have. Changmin lays quietly in his arms, stroking the back of Yoochun's hands with his fingertips. "Yoochun…"
"What's up, Min?"
Changmin hesitates, and Yoochun knows he isn't going to like the next words from Changmin. "I've met people with… similar powers to yours. Not exactly the same, but close. And they told me that they could actually take someone else's consciousness with them, remove that person from his body. Can… can you try that, Chunnie? Just take me back with you? I don't think I can do this for much longer."
Heart stuttering, Yoochun attempts to draw in a breath. He knew things had been getting bad, but he can't quite comprehend how desperate Changmin must be to make a suggestion like that. "But… Min… What would happen to you? If I did that, what would something like that do to your body? And where would your- your 'consciousness' go?"
Changmin shrugs. "Away. With you. And my body… Would it really matter at that point?"
Yoochun pushes Changmin away just enough that he can turn the other boy and lock eyes. "It would matter, Min. Of course it would matter. I love you with everything I've got; you know that. But you can't ask me to do that to you. These dreams are great, and I'm so happy we have them until we see each other again." He takes a deep breath, attempting to calm his mounting rant. "Those are the key words, though, Minnie: until we see each other. You can't live forever as just a voice in my head. And what about Jae? What will he think when you just don't wake up, baby?"
As he starts to tear up again, Changmin pulls his gaze away from Yoochun's. "You're right. Sorry. I just… I'm so tired. And everything just hurts so much, all the time now. So I thought of that. I… hadn't even thought about Jae, really. I'm sorry, Yoochun."
With a couple fingers under Changmin's chin, Yoochun tilts Changmin's face up to look into those gorgeous, dark eyes he'd fallen so in love with. He lays feather-soft kisses over Changmin's forehead, his cheekbones, his nose, his chin, his eyelids. When the light blush creeps its way down under the boy's shirt collar, Yoochun lingers on Changmin's lips and presses deeper. Changmin relaxes into the kiss, draping his arms around Yoochun's neck as Yoochun's hands frame his face.
Yoochun pulls away a few moments later. With one look at Min's closed eyes and slightly pouty lips, though, he leans back in for a couple more quick pecks. He draws back once more, and Changmin lets his eyes drift open. "I love you, Min. More than I think I could ever even begin to explain to you," Yoochun says, brushing his fingertips over Changmin's cheeks. "We're working on a plan that should be ready really soon. Maybe within the week. So you just have to remember that, no matter what happens, I love you. Okay?"
Changmin nods, cuddling back into Yoochun's chest. "I will. Love you, too, Chunnie."
~*~~*~
"There are tunnels," Tessa rasps out, pushing herself into a sitting position. She's barely been awake a day, but she refuses to let them put off the planning any longer. "Most people, beyond the people who actually built the place and the highest-ranking doctors, don't have any idea they're even there. All the kids are drugged, unconscious, before they're actually brought in. But that's how they all get into the building without anyone ever spotting them. I mean, didn't you ever wonder why there were never any reports about grown men collecting unconscious kids in a building?
"Sedatives don't work as well on me as on most people. Dr. Phillips wasn't actually with me when I was brought in and the ones who were didn't know, so I actually woke up maybe around halfway through the city. We drove into a parking garage in… Ilsan? Yeah, Ilsan. Near some big mall, a lot of it outdoors, called… God, what was it called?"
"La Festa?" Junsu supplies, and Tessa's eyes widen.
"Yeah, that was it. A parking garage near there. You drive down into the basement level, around to the back corner where the exit ramp is. If you're driving forward like you're actually gonna go through the exit, look to your left. There's a row of parking spaces along the same wall as the exit. Go the very last parking spot on that wall; park your car there. Roll down the driver's side window, and you'll see some… bumps on the wall. Four of them will form a kind of diamond shape; trust me, you won't be able to miss them if you're looking for them. As you're looking at them, touch the left then top then bottom then right.
"That sequence will activate the elevator, and it'll lower your car into the tunnels. There aren't any turns or anything like that. Just follow it through, and it'll take you straight into the Centre. They keep one guard at the entrance from the tunnels, so you'll have to figure out some way to take care of him. Once he's gone, though, you've got a pretty clear path into the building.
"The lower floors are mostly dorm rooms, a couple of entry-level doctors' offices. They don't really have any cameras there, except in the main entrance hall. They'll probably be holding Jaejoong and Minnie-pie in the upper levels, most likely one of the maximum security rooms on the top floor. If you can get into the emergency stairwells, you can get up there with no problem, but… they've got those floors wired top to bottom. Cameras in every hallway and room. Changmin should be able to help you fight your way out once you get to him; you'll just have to figure out some way to get to him before they get to you."
She collapses back against her bed, fighting to keep her eyes open. "I wish I could give you more information, help you more. But that's all I've got. It's the best way to get in that I can see."
Yunho pats her hand while Yoochun lowers the overhead lights. "It's okay. That's great information, Tessa. It's a much better plan than anything we could've come up with on our own. We'll figure something out and bring them home, promise."
//Chapter 29//