Society of Superheroes | Chapter One | Initiation
Title: Society of Superheroes Series
Characters: Kris, Lay, Chanyeol, C.A.P
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 10k
Warning: Language and violent themes.
Author Notes: Comments and critiques are welcome and encouraged. Please watch over me and thank you for taking the time to read!
Hidden away in the shadows of the alleyway a young man paced back and forth, his mind lost in his own thoughts. Dressed in the hand-me-downs his handlers had given him, Kris kept his hands tucked away in the worn out pockets of his pants, his clothes giving him hardly any protection from the cold afternoon. They were nothing more than an open black sweater that exposed his collarbones, and a pair of dirty jeans. Kris stood tall for his age, reaching six feet in height from blessed genes. His shoulders were broad but his body was slender. Walking out in public, Kris would be described as a walking tree by any random passerby.
Not that they would ever tell him it to his face. His presence was intimidating, helped by his piercing eyes and thick eyebrows that seemed to be permanently angry. His only other feature that kept his face grounded was his small lips that pursed when at rest. It wasn't like him to be thinking about anything other than his job, but earlier events still lingered deep in his head. It was out of the blue that he was given a visitor in his lonely apartment. Recalling the events in his mind, Kris remembered the young man dressed in black knocking on his door, a smile on the stranger's face.
Figuring that the man would simply leave if no one answered, Kris sat firmly on the dusty blanket he called his bed. His apartment was far from anything one would call home, his home being a cheap place his boss stashed him in just so he could have a roof over his head. There was nothing in the two-roomed apartment save a tattered blanket thrown away months before and a lone toothbrush in the bathroom. Kris wasn't exactly a respected member of his community, but they kept him well fed, and that was all he believed mattered. It wasn't his place to question the people that were keeping him alive.
He never had any visitors other than his handlers, so this stranger's arrival was definitely an oddity. He kept his gaze on the door, not once looking away. Kris could feel the man still standing in the hallway, his persistence admirable Kris admitted. After what seemed like an hour of waiting, Kris watched as a small red envelope slid beneath the door. Hearing the relaxing sound of footsteps growing faint Kris stood up from his bed slowly and eyed the letter with caution. Except for the job he had to do later on, he hadn't received any sort of information from his partners concerning other activities.
Picking up the envelope Kris examined the front and back for any sort of name or address. Nothing was written on the envelope, but there was a strange seal keeping it shut. It was a silver emblem that looked unfamiliar to him. Not a hard task considering the enormous amounts of knowledge Kris was not in possession of. His "job" here in the city kept him busy and he had no choice but to obey his handlers. Kris wasn't proud of the work he was doing for a living, but what kept him going was the fact that all of his personal ties were no longer a reality.
In his former life, Kris was a normal student like the other kids, his only care being the grades he got at the end of the year. He wasn't popular, and he was most certainly not a contender in the love department. His parents seemed like your average middle-class adults, working by the hour to put food on the table. That all changed the day Kris' inner abilities began to surface. It didn't happen often, but sometimes people were born with strange powers that no one was able to understand. For Kris, it was his ability to fly without the aid of wings or machines.
The sharp sound of glass smashing jumbled his thoughts back to reality. It seemed like his partner was already starting the job and it was time for him to do his part. Reaching into his pocket for his mask, his fingers brushed against the letter he was given earlier. Not knowing what to do with it, he had tucked it away into his pockets after he received the call for work. Kris couldn't bother with it now; he had a job to do. Pulling the mask over his mouth, Kris dashed out from the shadows of the alleyway and headed for the convenience store down the street.
The agenda for the evening was a simple robbery. Since tonight was the beginning day for the new clerks, it seemed like an easy job for Kris and his partner to grab some cash. A turn to the left and Kris jumped through the shattered window of the store. His eyes quickly surveyed the damage done. Aside from a broken window, there wasn't anything really damaged in his mind. Even though he was helping to rob the store for some money, Kris didn't want anyone to actually get hurt in the process. Hurting someone was going a bit too far for just some money.
"The hell you standin' around for?" a voice shouted from across the aisle. "Get the cash or the boss will have our asses for fuckin' up!"
Noticing a slight grumble in the other man's voice, Kris snapped back to action and quickly went to work on the cash register. While his hands messed with the machine Kris' eyes met with a scared girl staring back at him, her eyes white with fright. For a moment, Kris didn't know what to do; apparently his partner hadn't noticed that there was someone in the store with them. She looked as if she was going to have a panic attack right then and there. Kris quickly crouched down to talk to her, the girl jerking backwards to distance herself from him.
"I'm not going to hurt you miss," he whispered through his mask. "Just, just try not to make any noises and it'll be over quick." Kris narrowed his eyes on the girl and he went back to the cashier to try and finish before his partner found her.
"Anytime now!"
Kris started to worry a bit. It usually didn't take so long to do his job. A few seconds would have been more than enough for him to open the cashier and get the cash. He bit his lips in frustration. What was wrong with him today?
"You still don't have that shit open? Move outta the way!" Kris' partner came running, shoving Kris over to the side so that he could get a crack at the money. Kris took this motion to help hide the girl with his body since it seemed like his partner was more focused on the dough than the dame. "I gotta do all the shit by myself don't I?"
Kris stared at his feet, his mind unable to come up with an excuse for his inability to work today.
"Shit the cops!" Sirens wailing in the distance started to grow louder. Kris' partner started to shake, his hands fumbling with the machine before lifting the entire box out of anger. With a forced shout he threw the register into the nearby gumball machine, shattering the candy glass but doing nothing to solve their money problem. "Fuck this I'm out!"
Leaving the failed job behind, the other man dashed out of the convenience store. Kris looked back at the girl and tried to give an expression that he was sorry. She made no emotion other than fear and Kris nodded sadly before heading for the window himself. As soon as he stepped on the pavement outside, the click of a gun stopped his movement. Out of the corner of his eyes, Kris could make out the familiar red and blue lights of a police car. His partner had ditched him after their attempted robbery and left him to deal with the police on his own.
"Freeze! Put your hands in the air!" shouted the nearby officer. A gun was raised to Kris' face, leaving him with barely any options on how this situation was going to turn out. "I said put 'em up!"
The officer was standing quite a distance from Kris, but he was still the one holding the gun between the two of them. It looked like the officer had the upper hand in this situation. Or so he thought. Kris turned slowly so that his body was facing the officer directly, his tall body outlined by the headlights of the police car. Kris raised both of his hands so that they were in level with his head. Grinning behind his mask, Kris' body shot up high into the red sky.
"What the--!" the officer sputtered, his hands fumbling with the gun from his surprise. Lining up his shots to the sky to try and shoot down the unknown criminal, the officer's luck had already run out. Kris was long gone.
___________________
"What the hell is wrong with you!?"
A mask was thrown onto the wooden floor of the apartment, the owner clearly in a mixture of defeat and anger. His eyes focused on Kris as the older man stood next to the window, staring down at the street below.
"Wufan you better listen when I--"
"Look, Lay," Kris cut off the rant, his mind already working it's last nerve trying to sort out everything that went down earlier. "What happened today was just a minor setback okay? We'll get it next time."
"Did you hit your head on that cashier or somethin'? There is no next time. What don't you understand about that?"
"Relax--"
"This is no time for relack--'!"
Lay's voice cracked in his yell, his body now noticeably shaken up. Kris could see that Lay's body was starting to tremble, as if he was scared of something. From what little Kris knew about the him, Lay seemed to come from an abusive family. Lay never spoke of what became of his family and his connection to them, but Kris figured it was something similar to what happened to himself. If Lay wanted to speak about it, he would've done so already, so Kris never really tried to pry for anything more from him .
Lay was a somewhat average person in stature, coming up to Kris' neck in height. He had a very soft face compared to Kris'. If no one had been told of his current age, they would've assumed he was nothing more than a teenager. His eyes were round and bright while his lips were a bit fuller than Kris'. Lay was short but toned. Compared to Kris he had a bit more muscle on him, but a lot of it most likely came from the difference in their heights. His skin was bright in the light, but lately, his features have been rough from the work he's been put through.
In the work the both of them were in, Lay seemed to have it rougher than Kris with the older handlers. They treated him as if he was poorer than dirt, the abuse clearly having an effect on his mind and body. Lay was shorter in comparison to Kris, so the seniors in the job took advantage of this to try and manipulate him into doing what they wanted. Maybe it was pitiful in some people's eyes, but it was his reality. Lay didn't have the courage to try and rebel against the people taking care of him, a similarity Kris had in himself that he noticed for the first time.
"Alright, I'm not takin' the heat for this. Not anymore. This is your screw up Kris." Lay clenched his fist, his arms fidgeting sharply in his desperation.
"What are you--"
"I'm goin' to the boss. I'm not goin' to get the blame for this. Not again," Lay's voice was airy, almost cracked. There were rumors in the job that people who didn't get their work done were dealt with. Permanently. Obviously Lay didn't want to be the one to go down, and this irrational fear was controlling his actions. Kris could see the unstable look in Lay's eyes, the sight of a person who was uncertain of his own future. Lay ran for the door, Kris' eyes widening as he took off as well.
"Wait Lay," Kris reached for Lay, holding tight onto his arm. Lay made no move, his head facing the floor as if in shame. "Be reasonable about this. Don't do something you're going to regret."
Lay jerked his arm away from Kris. He didn't turn to face him. His thoughts were clearly not thinking straight.
"I just. Look. Maybe we--"
"Will you shut up?" Lay shouted between clenched teeth. "I'm tired of puttin' up with this shit. I can't live like this anymore."
"What if, what if we don't have to?" Kris suddenly remembered the envelope from before. Reaching into his pockets, he pulled out the slightly crumpled letter and held it out to Lay. "This here. This could be our way--"
Kris stopped as the door flung open, pushing Lay backwards to topple onto the floor. Looking up he found a familiar figure standing in the hallway. A menacing man in his own right, this figure was one of the handlers that Kris hoped he wouldn't have to see today. Addressed as Chanyeol by the other workers, this man was notorious for dealing with the boss' dirty work. His height rivaled that of Kris', a giant when standing upright. His face was youthful, but it concealed a twisted soul behind it. He was a high ranking figure and spoke directly in the boss' ear, so the other members knew that if he was present, it was never positive.
"Wh- Chanyeol?" Kris spoke softly, trying not to set off any buttons in the handler. "Wh- what- what are you doing here?"
"Kris," Chanyeol started, his voice low and heavy. "The master is not pleased with your actions today."
Chanyeol's face started to break as a smile formed little by little, his head cocking to the side. Kris was unnerved.
"It seems you're out of a job."
A single bead of sweat started to roll down Kris' cheek. He didn't think that this day would ever come. Not even in his nightmares. For a moment, all Kris could hear was the pounding sound of his heartbeat growing faster. The beats followed his breaths as he tried to think of a way that would get him out of this situation with his life. His eyes kept a lock on Chanyeol's own slasher smile. What sort of treatment did the boss give to Chanyeol to break him like this? It was unnatural.
"What, do you mean?" Kris tucked the envelope back into his pockets, keeping his eyes stuck on Chanyeol.
Lay scrunched his face from the damage the door did to him. He cursed under his breath before picking himself up to stand. Rubbing his head Lay saw that Kris was staring at someone on the other side of the door. When Lay went to see who it was, his face turned white as he stumbled backwards. He didn't have a good history with Chanyeol and went far out of his way to stay clear of him. Putting two and two together, Lay knew this wasn't going to turn out well.
"Oh it's very simple. I just have to get rid of you one way or the other. It's nothing personal. Really."
"But, why?"
"Didn't you here me? It's because the master doesn't tolerate your failure."
"But we just messed up a simple job--"
"We?" Lay cut in with a high-pitched shrill. "Don't drag me into your mess Kris."
"No it was we. You didn't get it open did you Lay?"
"Wha- I--"
"He can't just cut us off just because we couldn't get a register opened. There will be other. We can do bet--"
"Are you finished yet?" Chanyeol spoke in a cold tone over Kris' words, refusing to listen to anymore of his excuses. "The master doesn't care whether or not the job was difficult or simple. A failure is a failure in his eyes."
It all happened in a flash. As soon as his words ended, Chanyeol lunged forward, his arm stretched out to reach Kris. His target responded quickly by lifting his own arm quickly to try and block the incoming body. Chanyeol's hand gripped Kris' wrist tightly, not once flinching in his move. Kris pulled backwards sharply, but Chanyeol's hold was tighter than he expected. As soon as he tried to swing his other arm over to hit Chanyeol in the chest, he felt a sharp pain surge through his arm. Chanyeol's grip started to burn, his touch becoming searing hot.
"You see Kris. You're not the only one here with a curse." Chanyeol voice rumbled through his grip, the sheer bass in his voice striking fear into Kris' body. "Let's see how long you can last Kris."
Kris fell onto his knee, screaming as the pain crippled his movement. His reactions made him attempt to escape Chanyeol's grasp, but to no avail as the handler had an iron grip on his wrist. It was like trying to fight against a robot. Kris could hear Chanyeol's psychotic laughter cutting through his own screams, an insane mixture of joy and pleasure filling the room. He could feel his arm starting to lose sensation, and inside he started to face reality. This might really be the end for him, all because he couldn't get a few dollars. His sight started to blur, his will to fight back starting to disappear.
Not a moment later did Kris feel the grip on his wrist loosen and with a mighty swing he pulled his arm free from Chanyeol's grip, his body falling onto the floor. From the corner of his eye he was shocked to what he saw.
Lay made a move against Chanyeol, saving Kris from his fate. With two hands stretched against Chanyeol's side, Lay had managed to push the taller man away from Kris. But for some reason, it didn't stop there. A wild shriek erupted from Lay's mouth and drawing on all the anger in his body, he pushed Chanyeol into the apartment window. It happened in slow motion. Chanyeol's eyes, wide with shock and hints of sadness stared back at Lay who had nothing but pure rage filling his gaze. Chanyeol tried one last effort to hold onto the edge of the window, but his luck failed him as he missed it by mere moments.
As his body began to fall out of the window, Chanyeol closed his eyes as he began to fall towards the street below.
___________________
"I, I did it."
Lay's breathing became ragged, his heart pumping harder than it had ever did before in his life.
"I actually did it!"
Lay's breathing started to become laughter. It was little at first, but it started to become alarming very quickly. It wasn't right. Lay started to cheer loudly, like he had accomplished something he was proud of.
"I actually did it! I--I feel great," Lay was smiling something disturbing. His laughs became hysteric, his motions dramatic. "Look Kris! Look! I saved your ass! I pushed Chan--"
He looked out the window, and his laughs began to gradually disappear. "I pushed-- I pushed. I pushed him. Out the window."
His laughter stopped completely.
"I pushed him out the window. Oh god."
Lay's face broke as he stared out the window, the body on the street below not moving an inch. Chanyeol laid on the street below almost peacefully, no sign of life present.
"I killed him. What have I done? Oh god. Oh god. Oh god. I killed Chanyeol Kris! I killed him!" Lay shouted out towards his struggling partner. Rushing over to help him up, Lay started to become hysteric in a completely different way. He was starting to realize the severity of what he had just done. With the elimination of Chanyeol from the equation, Lay had managed to secure a death mark over his head. Chanyeol was the boss' right-hand man, and now he was gone. There was no way Lay could report back to his handlers and live. He had no idea what he was going to do now.
Kris' arm was still stinging from the earlier attack, his limb simply swinging slightly as he was helped up by Lay. He tried to listen in on what Lay was saying, but all he could think about at the moment was the pain searing through his arm. Through his hysterics, Lay saw that Kris was still experiencing pain from the burn and decided that he was going to have to help him out. Kris was the only person he could trust now. This was his reality, so he was going to have to help Kris as much as he could if he wanted to survive. Taking Kris' wrist carefully into his hands, Lay breathed in slowly as he concentrated his powers. Kris flinched at first but watched as Lay's hands started to glow a faint white, the pain gradually disappearing.
Within a few seconds, the burn was completely gone and Kris felt no pain when moving his arm around. He was happy. Thankful even. Kris smiled and started to thank him before he saw that Lay's expression was downcast.
"I, I didn't know you had powers too."
"Too?"
"Yeah I, well this isn't really a good place to talk. It'll be a while, but they're going to get suspicious if Chanyeol doesn't report back. It's not safe here."
"But where...?"
Lay's question was sound. Where would they go now? Their former families didn't want them back, and their current 'family' was going to be trying to kill them. They had no place to go.
And then it hit him. He still had that letter from before. Pulling it out of his pocket again, he lifted it so that Lay could see.
"This is what I was trying to show you. This, this letter here. This could be our way out," Kris scratched at the seal on the envelope. "Well, this'll have to be our way out now because we can't go back. Not after this."
"Who gave it to you?" Lay spoke quietly, trying to connect in the conversation despite his inner turmoils. "I mean, did someone give it to you or did you get it from one of the, our handlers."
"It was a man and-- We can talk about this later. Really now. We have to start moving." Kris started to head for his bathroom, until a realization sank. He didn't have any real personal belongings. Not even the raggedy clothes on his back were his. With a sad smile, he turned to Lay and motioned for the door. "Do you have anything you want to pick up?"
Sad eyes looked up at Kris before they went back to stare at the floor. After a few seconds of sighing, he searched in his mind if there was anything of value back at his own apartment. Anything that had any sentimental value. Anything important.
"Oh! There is somethin' I need. It's... Well you'll see. Let's go." Lay quickly exited the door after nodding to Kris.
Kris stood still in his apartment, taking this moment to take everything in now that he had a few moments to himself.
This was the next chapter of his life. He was going to have to ditch the life that had been keeping him alive for the past few weeks. It wasn't perfect, but it was all he had, and he was going to have to give it up. All because he messed up one little job. All because he didn't want to die. All because Lay didn't want him to die.
Kris walked back to the window, staring down at the pavement below. Chanyeol still laid on the street, his body still in the same position as it had been a few minutes ago. With the setting sun casting his body in a deep orange, it looked like a scene out of a late night drama. Kris stared hard at Chanyeol's face. Below shut crescent eyes was a frown stretched across.
If this was another life, maybe Chanyeol could have been something more. He was the boss' man, that was a fact. He did try to kill Kris, that was also a fact. But before all of that, he was probably someone just like Kris and Lay. Someone who needed a place to call home. Maybe he was abandoned just like they were because of his powers. Maybe this job was all he had. They probably had much more in common. But they'll never know now. Kris nodded before giving his apartment one last goodbye, knowing he was never going to see it again. With that, he took off after Lay.
___________________
"So you're sayin' some man just slid it under your door without any warnin'? What does the letter say?"
Lay pushed dusty papers onto the floor, clearing out aged documents that piled up since who knows when. They managed to make it to Lay's apartment in only a few minutes despite Kris' earlier delay. Stepping back Kris surveyed the apartment. It was homely but compared to Kris old residence, it was a castle. Lay had what seemed to be a functioning bed for starters. Despite the fact that Lay had it rougher with the handlers, he had a much better apartment then Kris. Eyes narrowed as Kris shrugged it off, wasting no more time as he tore open the red letter.
"Let's see." Kris opened the folded parchment, holding it's contents out in the moonlight to get a better view to read it. "Well it, it doesn't really say anything on it? It's got no words on it."
"What? Let me see that?" Lay snatched the paper out of Kris' hands, an action that was met with a noticeable eyebrow raise. "This ain't a letter. It's a map."
Kris' eyebrows raised an inch higher. Why would the man give him a map? Why would the man go out of his way to give him a map? Lay passed the map back to Kris and continued his raid on his desk. Shoving folders onto the ground, a particular collection of photos spilled out into the light. Lay stopped his searching and slowly knelt in front of them. His fingers delicately sorted through the pictures, as if he was looking for one specifically. Kris tried to look over Lay's shoulder as he hunched over, his search cut short as he felt a blow to his knees.
"Ah!" Lay shouted as he knocked Kris over by accident. "I found it!"
Kris rubbed his legs as he looked up at a photo held to his face. It was an incredibly old photo, the corners having started to yellow from age. What he saw on the photo made his eyes open slightly. Standing in front of a small group of chickens was what Kris assumed to be a much younger Lay. He seemed maybe three or four years old in the photo dressed in his baby overalls. His face was bright and happy with a wide smile. Standing next to him was an equally happy woman. Lay's mother.
"Is that..?" Kris watched Lay's face grow bright when he asked.
"Yeah. It's my momma." Lay spoke in a quiet tone. Placing the photo into his pocket, Lay stood up and started to stack the stray papers on his desk in a pile. "She was, well she was a caring mom. To me anyways. She was a good mom. It's why I keep her picture around."
"Look you don't have to talk about if you don't want--"
"It's fine. Besides, we're goin' to be 'real' partners now right? Might as well open up about stuff."
Lay pushed the stack of papers a few inches to the side as he hopped onto the desk. Facing Kris, he sat comfortably with his legs swinging to and fro.
"I won't talk about much since we don't have much time. I don't think they'll think to look for my apartment first though so." Lay intertwined fingers as his arms laid in front of his legs, his back hunched over. "My family, we weren't rich. We were country folk. Livin' out in the land outta the city. It was a comfortable life. For a while anyways."
Lay sighed heavily and Kris noticed his expression darken.
"You see, my abilities, my healin', they sort of appeared one day. My mother cut herself one night. With a knife. She was a bit clumsy actually. She was bleeding." Lay's eyes closed slightly. "I was young. And I wanted to help her. She told me to get some bandages, but I was stubborn. I didn't want to leave her side. I kept my hands on her hand and all of a sudden, there was this big bright light. A big white light. Her cut healed. My father saw the whole thing. He didn't like it. Not one bit. He was so angry that day.."
Kris made no comment, choosing to stay quiet. He placed a hand over Lay's lithe shoulder and gripped gently. It was comforting for Lay. This was the first time he ever spoke about his past to anybody, and the person he was telling it to was actually understanding. Kris' warmth was comforting. Lay wiped away at his nose and raised his eyes to Kris before sitting up.
"Anyways." Lay continued while lifting Kris' hand off of his shoulder slowly. "It's not important anymore. It's just all in the past now. All I have left is this photo and I'm goin' to keep it with me."
Outside the apartment, the skies started to fill with clouds of grey. A storm was heading their way. Kris' eyes stared into Lay's as thunder rumbled lightly.
"My life hasn't been fun either. I lived a normal life." Kris scoffed at the word as he took a seat next to Lay. "Not that any of this could be considered normal. It's been nothing but misery. People shouldn't have to live like this. It's a curse."
He turned to Lay as his face grew solemn. "He was right. Chanyeol I mean. Our powers, they've been nothing but a curse to us. Our lives would've been better if we weren't born with them"
"Maybe."
"I've yet to see anything positive about them. I can fly, but what good is that? Running away from the cops? This job. They took us in. They fed us. But they treated us like dirt. I don't know why I stayed with them. I should never have agreed to work for him."
Thunder roared outside as the storm grew.
Lay took his turn to place a hand on Kris' shoulder, trying to show comfort for his partner. Kris placed his own hand over Lay's and held it tightly.
"I guess, I never really questioned our job. Even after all the crimes we were told to do. I just accepted it as something life wanted me to do. Maybe it was because this was the first place that didn't turn me away for my powers. They wanted to use me as a tool, but I didn't mind."
He tapped Lay's hand twice before standing up. Tucking his hands into his pocket, he started for the door.
"Anyways, let's try and find this place okay? Who knows. Maybe this is life's way of showing us that it'll get better."
___________________
Heartbeats started to thump, slowly at first but a gradual cadence formed against the cold concrete. His lips twitched as his conscious started to come back to him. Chanyeol's eyes opened into slits as he stared up at the grey skies. He was mesmerized, seeing the skies for the first time with a clear mind. He never noticed how gentle the clouds looked under the city lights. His lips opened slowly to the cold air, feeling the gentle sting for what seemed like the first time in a long time. It was a feeling he enjoyed.
"How.." He tried to speak, his voice barely carrying against the rumbles of the clouds.
His mouth refused to move to form words. Chanyeol remained silent, instead focusing on staring into the sky. His chest rose gently as he took a long, cold breath in. His mind was still groggy from whatever happened to him earlier. Chanyeol tried to remember why he was where he was. Turning his head to the left slightly, he sees that his arm is stretched across the sidewalk. Turning his head slowly to the other side, he finds his other arm the same way. He was laying on the sidewalk.
Still keeping his eyes on his right arm, he tried to move his fingers around. To his relief, his fingers started to move slightly. He tried to move his arm close to him, but after a few seconds of mental grunts, he saw that his arm only managed to twitch a few centimeters. Chanyeol didn't react. He didn't really know how he was supposed to react. He didn't know where to begin. Closing his eyes again, Chanyeol started to breathe heavily as the cloudy pieces in his mind began to become clear.
It was only weeks before that Chanyeol remembered being offered to the boss by his parents. Because of his strange abilities, there was a big number on his head. He was nothing more than a tool to everyone around him. His parents used him for money, and his new handlers used him for crime. Chanyeol tried to escape many times before, but all of it ended with nothing more than pain. Eventually, his handlers wore him down until he was nothing more than a shell of his former life.
Inside Chanyeol knew what he was doing wasn't right, but he too scared to do anything about it. He was afraid of the boss. He was afraid of his handlers. So he obeyed orders. He obeyed the others his boss gave him, and slowly he began to have power in the organization. Chanyeol soon began to intimidate others. When he spoke, people listened. When the boss spoke, people were eliminated by Chanyeol's hands. On the outside he enjoyed the power he held over people. But inside, he was hurting.
But one day, the boy appeared. The boy that fascinated him. He didn't seem that much older than Chanyeol was; they were close in age and were close in height as well. This was the first time that there was someone that was similar to him in the organization. He wanted to get close to him. Chanyeol began to follow him around, learning that the boy's name was Kris, among other things. His efforts soon became pointless however, as there was never a moment that ever gave Chanyeol the opportunity to actually try and connect with Kris.
Later on, there were times that Chanyeol actually saw Kris' face staring back at him. Unfortunately, every single moment was one out of fear. Kris was afraid of him. It didn't help that Chanyeol was always by the boss' side during these meetings. Kris was staring at Chanyeol, but Chanyeol wasn't staring back. Not the one that wanted to speak to him. Not the real him. It was crushing Chanyeol inside, but his face kept the same emotionless stare that was beaten into him. And then the day came. The day that the boss ordered Chanyeol to eliminate Kris. For good.
The order appeared quickly, as soon as he walked into the boss' office. Chanyeol didn't know what to say to the boss, but he was shouting internally. He couldn't process what he was being told to do. Standing in defiance, Chanyeol stood rigid in the office, staring emptily into the back of the boss' chair. He didn't want to do it. He didn't want to kill Kris. Chanyeol tried to stall as long as he could, hoping that maybe the boss would call off the order and he could forget about it all together. His hope was shattered when the boss made a wave with his hand and Chanyeol soon felt his body moving on it's own.
His screams went unheard behind a smiling mask.
Chanyeol whimpered as his mind began to give him pain. It was hurting him, the rush of emotions that his body was feeling without warning. Sadness, happiness, confusion. He couldn't remember the last time he experienced such raw emotions, but he was hating it now. His mind ignored his pleas and continued to weave the pieces in his mind back into place. When he arrived at Kris' apartment, his mind tried as hard as it could to stop his body from continuing. His hand inched towards the doorknob, sweat trailing down his forehead from the war raging in his mind. Ultimately he lost and his hand pushed the door open, unveiling a sight that he would never forget.
Standing in the apartment was his Kris, his face full of fear as it always was. But now it was fear because it was coming from Chanyeol directly. What broke him most was when his body started to attack Kris, using the abilities that caused this whole mess in the first place to try to kill him. Chanyeol wanted to cry, but he couldn't because his body was no longer his. Chanyeol wanted to run away, but he couldn't because there was nowhere to hide. Chanyeol wanted to pretend it wasn't happening, but he couldn't because he had to watch the whole thing.
"It's, raining...?" Chanyeol's voice spoke low and gently. He felt the wet sensation on his eyes, and he tried to take it in. He had never felt the rain before in his life. His body may have experienced it, but he never once truly felt it. Opening his eyes slowly, he saw the clouds resting high in the sky. They were drifting slowly across and it was then Chanyeol realized where the rain was coming from. He closed his eyes as he took in the feeling of water slide slowly down his temples. A smile gradually stretched across his face.
"Its raining."
___________________
The sky rumbled overhead as Kris and Lay weaved out of the apartment building, their sights set firmly on their destination. Checking the map early on, Kris noticed that the route was going to take them back to his apartment, and he wondered if there was going to be anybody searching for them there. They could take another route to the destination, perhaps going around the apartment instead. But it would take much longer, and time was something they did not have plenty of.
"Kris this is--"
"Yeah, I know." Kris tugged on Lay's shoulder as they neared his apartment. Keeping Lay hidden behind him Kris peered out from the corner of the alleyway to see if there was anyone suspicious around. As he slowly moved his face into the light, Kris caught the sight of Chanyeol's body on the ground. He was uneasy with the sight of the dead body on the street, but walking past it would be the quickest way to get to their destination. Swallowing as much air as he could he started for the street, but not before his attention was caught by something that he couldn't believe.
Chanyeol's fingers were moving, as if there was still life in his body. With a closer inspection, Kris saw that Chanyeol was breathing, He was perplexed. Chanyeol managed to survive the high fall from earlier. That was no small feat considering the height of the fifth floor Chanyeol fell from.
"Lay-- Lay he's still breathing."
"What?"
"Chanyeol! He's still breathing!" Kris dashed out of the alleyway.
"Kris wait--!" Lay tried to grab Kris' hand when he started to run. Kris was already standing next to the body.
Breathing rougher as he stood over Chanyeol's body, Kris examined Chanyeol closely. He noticed every little detail about his body, every little sign that showed that he was still breathing. Chanyeol's chest was rising in long drawn out breaths and Kris could hear the air blow from his lips. It was incredible. As his eyes lifted to examine Chanyeol's face, Kris couldn't believe what he saw. Running from Chanyeol's eyes were trails of tears. They were small but unmistakable. He was crying. Kris was shocked. The one guy that gave him uneasy feelings throughout his whole time in the organization was crying in front of him.
"Ch... Chanyeol?" Kris whispered.
"...Kris...?"
Chanyeol's sight was blurry as he couldn't make out anything he was trying to see through watery eyes. However, his ears did not deceive him. He knew that voice well. It was Kris' voice. The one voice that he wanted to finally hear with clearly with his mind. Kris was here. The tears started to grow as they fell down his face. Chanyeol began to whimper quietly through his crying. Taken aback, Kris looked back at Lay who merely narrowed his own eyes as a response. A silent nod, Kris knelt beside Chanyeol and wiped away the tears away with his fingers.
Chanyeol's face lit up when he saw his vision becoming clearer, and Kris' face staring back at him. It wasn't fear in his eyes this time. It was happiness.
"Are you okay Chanyeol?" Kris asked in a calm tone. Kris pointed back at his apartment window, or rather, what was left of it after the accident. "You took a... Yeah. You took a pretty big fall earlier. If we didn't know any better, it'd seem like you were defenestrated"
Chanyeol tried to stop his weeping, but the tears just continued.
"I'm sorry." Chanyeol closed his eyes shut. "I didn't mean for any of that to happen. I swear. It wasn't me. I wouldn't have done any of those things if I was myself. I didn't want to hurt anyone. Really."
The sky finally broke. Thunder roared across the clouds as the rain started to fall onto the city below. As the raindrops fell onto his face, Chanyeol's control finally broke and his crying became pitiful. This was what rain really felt like. It was like the clouds were crying along with him. He began to sob loudly against the rain, his sadness finally becoming open for Kris to see. It was a depressing sight for Kris to witness. Chanyeol's cries were similar to a child's own tears, as if it was the first time he had ever cried like this. From what Chanyeol said, it probably was his first time.
Reaching back to hold Chanyeol's warm hand in his, Kris sat silently next to him as he watched Chanyeol cry his soul out.
"Kris, we have to go." Lay reminded him, his voice dark. "We have to go, now."
Kris didn't answer. He was trying to battle conflicted feelings within his body. On one hand, he had to listen to Lay. They needed to get out of there as quickly as possible. But on the other hand, they couldn't just leave Chanyeol here. It was clear that whatever they did to him before no longer had any effect on him. They couldn't just leave him to be fed back to the sharks. They needed to take him with them. Cupping Chanyeol's hand in between his own hands, Kris gripped him tightly to try and reel him back to reality.
"Chanyeol. We have to go. Can you walk?"
"Wait what--!?" Lay shouted quickly.
"We have to take him with--"
"We don't have to do shit for this guy Kris! In case you forgot he tried to kill you!"
"That was before Lay. He's better now. He's changed--"
"You're just too soft Kris! He could be lyin' through his teeth right now just to get some sympathy points with you!"
"I believe him."
"What!?"
"I said, I believe him. Can't you see? He's hurting right now!" Kris retaliated back at Lay with a hint of anger in his voice. Lightning flashed across Kris' eyes as they raced through the clouds. "He's crying now!"
"That, that doesn't mean--"
"Weren't you the one freaking out about killing him? anyways He's alive now isn't he?"
"That--that's--"
"I don't think he'll hurt us. Not anymore. As long as we keep him away from the boss." Kris turned back to Chanyeol. "Can you walk Chanyeol? We need you to come with us."
His expression became somber.
"I... I can't."
"You can't? What do you mean?"
"I can't feel them moving. I don't think I can walk." Chanyeol dropped his head back against the wet sidewalk with a slick sound. From the moment he saw Kris' face come into his sight, Chanyeol tried to move up from the ground to actually touch him. But his body wouldn't move with him. Chanyeol could no longer feel his legs move. He couldn't get up to greet Kris. After all this time, he finally meets Kris and he can't do anything he desired. Kris patted Chanyeol's hands and slowly stood up away from Chanyeol's body. "I really c-an't. I can barely move my arms..."
"It must've been the fall. Must have... Yeah, okay. Lay! You have to heal him!"
Slicking his wet hair back from his forehead, Kris motioned for Lay to help their friend. Lay stood for a few seconds before moving to meet Chanyeol on the ground. Passing Kris, Lay gave him one glare that clearly showed how he felt about what Kris was doing. He felt betrayed. Rolling his wet sleeves back Lay held onto Chanyeol's forearm and began to concentrate on his abilities. Within a few seconds a bright light engulfed Chanyeol's body, the healing process beginning to fix his injuries.
Back against the apartment wall Kris watched the healing from behind Lay. Kris didn't know what to think of Lay. He knew in his heart that this was the right thing to do, but Lay didn't seem to agree from his reactions. Why couldn't Lay see that Chanyeol was different from before? If he wanted to, Chanyeol probably could've burned him badly when Kris made contact with him earlier. But he didn't. He reacted more like a newborn baby with the way he seemed to light up from Kris' touch. It was almost as if Chanyeol--
"Gah--!" Lay shrieked as he jumped up from Chanyeol, his hands now steaming in the rain.
"What happened?" Kris asked Lay as he moved from his rest to take a look at his friend.
"I got burnt!" Looking at his palms, Kris saw that they were a distinct red from what was clearly two painful burns. Lay started to wave his hands violently in the rain to try and alleviate the pain. It wasn't helping as the pain was still surging through his arms. A bit of tossing and his hands started to glow white as he focused on healing them manually.
"Chanyeol what?" Kris turned to look at Chanyeol who was now incredibly frightened. Steam was rising from his body, as if the rain was evaporating quickly before they reached him. He was literally steaming in the rain.
"It-it was an accident! Really! I just-I don't know. My powers they just came back all of a sudden. I'm sorry I didn't mean to burn him! I didn't think they would just pop up." Chanyeol couldn't look up at Kris anymore. Sitting upright, he kept his head low in shame.
"Yeah right." Lay grumbled as he walked back his palms still a deep red. "This is shit. I can't heal my hands now. I don't know-I guess I used it up healin' you and him today. My hands hurt like shit."
"I'm sorry--"
"Save it." Lay held his palms up at the rain again as if the thought of it helping was actually helping him.
"Chanyeol can you walk now?"
"Hmm?" Chanyeol lit up at Kris' question and immediately began to wiggle his body around. His upper body was clearly working well from the youthful gestures he made, but for some reason he still remained seated on the sidewalk. "I don't think it helped."
"Figures." Lay mumbled.
"I'm sorry Kris--"
"It's not your fault Chanyeol--"
"Hey--"
"It's not your fault either Lay. Let's just leave it like that." Kris rubbed his head before coming to a solution. "If your arms are working, then I'll just carry you on my back."
"What." Lay watched as Kris began to help Chanyeol up onto his feet.
Chanyeol's legs wobbled as he tried to stand before giving up all together. Rubbing his chin, Kris moved in front of Chanyeol and knelt to give him easier room to hold onto his back. Placing his arms over Kris' shoulders, Chanyeol gripped tightly so that he was hugging him. As soon as the two arms came into contact with his skin, Kris' eyes shot open as he winced at the pain that came with it. He immediately threw Chanyeol's arms off of his shoulders and gripped his collar bones to try and stop the burning sensation.
"Wh-Chanyeol shut off your powers!" Lay spat. "He's tryin' to help you!"
"I don't know why they aren't going away! They aren't 'shutting off'. I don't know what's wrong!" Chanyeol stared at Kris with sad eyes. "I'm sorr--"
"It's fine... I'll manage." Kris grunted between breaths.
"Kris you sur--"
"I'll-- manage."
Kris scooted back in front of Chanyeol and motioned for him to throw his arms onto him. Chanyeol was hesitant. He didn't want to put Kris through anymore pain than he already give him. Shaking hands hovered over Kris' neck before they just dropped to Chanyeol's sides. He just couldn't do it. Suddenly Chanyeol felt two large hands grab his forearms and he was quickly hoisted onto Kris' back, his body now feeling the warmth Kris emanated. It was a nice feeling, exactly what he pictured in his mind. Chanyeol gave a guilty smile. Kris was expressive in his discomfort, gritting his teeth as hard as he could to withstand the pain. Wrapping his arms under Chanyeol's legs, Kris' lifted him up so that he was secure on his back.
"Let's-- Go." With his passenger holding tightly onto him, Kris started towards their destination. Watching Kris struggle down the street with Chanyeol, Lay shook his head to himself before following.
___________________
"So that's why you were actin' the way you were?"
Chanyeol nodded into Kris' back. He was ashamed of his past. It wasn't something he was proud of and having to recount it was, depressing. Holding his wrist tighter, Chanyeol leaned his forehead against Kris.
"I didn't want to do it, but the mast--boss has some odd way of controlling me. I couldn't move my body."
"I wonder why he didn't do anythin' to us then..." Lay paused. "How you holdin' up Kris?"
"I'm fine." A few minutes earlier Kris had been having difficulty coping with Chanyeol's problem. He had to frequently take breaks just to get the heat off of his body, scorch marks starting to take hold on his bare clavicles. Whenever he put Chanyeol down onto the ground Kris would struggle to stand as steam rose out from his body. His breathing was becoming ragged and it was clear that it was not doing well for his health. For some reason Lay could not
understand, Kris continued to push through the pain. "It's starting to wear down. I'm fine."
"If you say you're fine. Just know you're an idiot Kris." Lay stepped ahead of Kris and Chanyeol.
The storm in the clouds was starting to give out slowly, the rain falling less and less. Street lights started to illuminate through the leftover mist as night began to fall. With the rain no longer helping cool down the heat Chanyeol was emitting, Kris was starting to feel the full brunt of the pain. His steps started to slow as he tried to keep his hold on Chanyeol. It was beginning to have a deep effect on Kris. Chanyeol lowered his head onto Kris.
"I'm sorry." He repeated. Kris didn't respond.
"I think we're here Kris."
Swishing the map to try and get the water off of it Lay pulled it open to look at their destination. Sure enough, the mark on the map was the same address of the building they were now standing in front of. It was a large warehouse, an abandoned one at that from the lack of signs of anyone working there for months. Pulling the metal gate open the trio entered into the building.
"Hello? Anyone here?" Lay called out into the darkness. There was only silence answering back.
Kris carried Lay a few steps in before his head started to throb. His headache was starting to get worse as the pain clawed it's way into his mind, each pounding second bringing him down further. His vision blurred with his steps and his body started to feel dizzy. Feeling his arms losing strength, Kris dropped Chanyeol onto the ground before he finally caved into the battle in his body. His body fell forward as he succumbed to the exhaustion in his system.
"Kris I think we should--" Lay started.
A loud falling sound came from behind Lay and hos eyes widened when saw that Kris was collapsed on the floor. Immediately Lay went to help his friend up, holding him up with Kris' arm over his neck. Kris was breathing roughly as his face started to become ill. Placing another hand on Kris' forehead, Lay felt the heat starting to climb. He knew this would happen but he still did nothing to stop him. Laying him back on the ground Lay pushed Chanyeol back to give him room. It had been a few minutes from his earlier attempt, so his abilities must have recharged since then. Placing his hand back on Kris' forehead, he tried to bring his faith back into his healing. He needed to trust it that it would help him could heal his friend. Closing his eyes he soon felt the familiar warmth of his healing.
"He should be fine after a few minutes, he just need some rest right now." Lay wiped his sweat away after a few minutes of concentration. Lay stood up before motioning for Chanyeol to move away from his friend. "This idiot. He shouldn't push himself like this."
Chanyeol merely frowned in guilt. Even when he tried his best not to, he was still hurting Kris. Kris was just trying to help him and all Chanyeol did in return was bring him more pain. As his gaze traveled over, Chanyeol watched Kris' chest rise in slow breaths as he was resting. He looked at peace laying there, Kris' face no longer showing signs of being ill. Chanyeol slammed his fist into the ground. What was wrong with him? Why couldn't he just be normal friends with Kris from the beginning? Pulling his legs closer to his chest with his hands Chanyeol tucked his chin in between. The tears started to well up once more.
Lay rolled his eyes.
"Hey! We're here now! Why don't you show yourself!"
"--Oh fine." an unknown voice shot out from the darkness.
Lay swiveled his sight around to focus on the figure stepping out from the shadows. It was a man dressed in a black overcoat, his face partially exposed in the street light creeping in through the windows. He didn't look much older than they were, but he did have much more chiseled features on his face compared to their's. He did not look amused one bit.
"And you are...?" Lay questioned the strange man while he slowly backed up closer to Kris and Chanyeol.
"I don't give out my real name to random people. My associates call me C.A.P." He spoke in a pompous tone that quickly irritated Lay.
"What do you want with us. With Kris?"
"I hear you're out a job now?"
"How did you--"
"Well you're here right?"
Lay closed his mouth and nodded to himself.
"Well you're in luck! It just so happens that my boss-- his name is T.O.P by the way and is a totally awesome guy-- is looking for people to work for him."
"...What?"
"Oh it's nothing you won't be able to handle. It's just a job that only special people are fit for. It's even better you and flame boy over there came too. You three are perfect for this job. With your powers I mean."
"Wait, what exactly does he want us to do?"
"Oh just a couple of things. You know, maybe bodyguard work, or stealing, or even just random things that T.O.P wants. Trust me, whenever he wants you to do something, it's a good thing."
Lay clenched his fist tightly. They went out of the only job they had just to get into a job that was exactly the same? Lay knew Kris wanted to start over and he decided it was something he wanted as well. They couldn't return to the same life they had before. Chanyeol looked up at CAP and immediately his expression started to change from dark, to a light shade of annoyance.
"Sorry, but that sounds way too similar to our old work. We ain't gonna steal for anybody anymore." Lay answered firmly.
"What? But--but you guys are perfect for this. You guys already have that poor thief thing going anyways. "
Chanyeol's eyebrow furrowed as his anger started to build. This guy didn't want to help Kris. He just thought of him as something disposable. Just like their old boss. Everyone only wanted them for their powers. They were nothing more than mere tools to be used for wealth and power. They weren't human in people's eyes.
"We're not goin' to join you or your boss T.O.P. Come on Chanyeol." Lay started to head back to Kris before his walking ceased. His legs stopped moving for some reason. Looking down he saw that his legs were being restricted by what appeared to be a long metal chain coiling itself around him. The chain had an unnatural lifeness to it, as if the chain was a living snake. Lay let out a loud yelp as he was immediately hoisted into the air. Lay panicked as he was suspended in the air by the metal links. "Wh-what the hell is this!?"
"Sorry, I can't exactly let you go like this."
Mouth agape, Chanyeol looked back at CAP as he saw the man standing with overcoat now open. From the inside of his coat, Chanyeol noticed that the chains were flowing out from it, the individual links circling CAP's body like a distorted shell. It was like watching a snake charmer in action, but instead of deadly snakes at his command, they were metal chains. This guy wasn't some random recruiter. This guy was dangerous.
"I can control chains with my mind. It's sort of fitting I think. I can tell them to do whatever I want." CAP flicked his fingers and the links holding Lay up loosened. He fell screaming, but his screams were cut short as the links tightened again before he reached the floor.
"So, I'm going to ask you again. Are you going to join us?"
Chanyeol looked up at Lay for a sort of cue of how to respond. Lay couldn't find an answer to give as he hung in the air, his face turning white with fear for his life. Sweat evaporated as it crawled down Chanyeol's cheek. If Lay wasn't going to answer him, then who would? It couldn't be himself; all he did was bring trouble for Kris and Lay. What if he gave the answer CAP didn't want to hear and everything went horribly wrong? Suddenly Lay started to yell and shake frantically as he was hoisted higher into the air by the chains.
"I'm going to need an answer soon. I mean, I really could care less about you all, but if I could get you three back to T.O.P, he might finally notice me!" CAP rubbed his hands together as he laughed gleefully. "Come on now, I need an answer! My chains are going to get tired soon and I'm sure we don't want a mess on the floor-- If you keep struggling like that, I can't be held responsible with what happens to you."
Lay stopped his wild swingings and tried to calm down. His mind was racing, his breaths become rough and rapid. He was starting to hyperventilate. Lay wanted to shout at Chanyeol so he could try and help Kris, but his mind wouldn't form any words for his mouth to say. Shaking his head Chanyeol tried to wake Kris up by moving his arm around. Kris would know what to do. He always did.
"Well, I guess I'll take your silence as a no." CAP sighed to himself. "A pity. Well, I guess I can bring back dead bodies to T.O.P. I'm sure he'll love that. I mean his assistant brought back one dead body and he was pretty pleased with that. Imagine how he'll react if I bring him three."
A finger snap later and the chains holding Lay's legs up gave out. Chanyeol's heart sank. Lay's face was drained in an instant. He fell screaming.
"No!"
Suddenly a caped person busted through the window, shattered glass flying throughout the warehouse. The figure continued their dash through the window to jump and catch Lay in midair, his life saved. They rolled with Lay's body in their arms as they landed on the ground, years of training clearly evident in their movements. Lay was unconscious in their arms, but he was alive and that was what mattered at the moment. With Lay in one arm, the figure turned around to face CAP. With a gloved hand, they opened their cape to reveal a suit that had no problems expressing what they were.
This person was a superhero.
Characters: Kris, Lay, Chanyeol, C.A.P
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 10k
Warning: Language and violent themes.
Author Notes: Comments and critiques are welcome and encouraged. Please watch over me and thank you for taking the time to read!
Hidden away in the shadows of the alleyway a young man paced back and forth, his mind lost in his own thoughts. Dressed in the hand-me-downs his handlers had given him, Kris kept his hands tucked away in the worn out pockets of his pants, his clothes giving him hardly any protection from the cold afternoon. They were nothing more than an open black sweater that exposed his collarbones, and a pair of dirty jeans. Kris stood tall for his age, reaching six feet in height from blessed genes. His shoulders were broad but his body was slender. Walking out in public, Kris would be described as a walking tree by any random passerby.
Not that they would ever tell him it to his face. His presence was intimidating, helped by his piercing eyes and thick eyebrows that seemed to be permanently angry. His only other feature that kept his face grounded was his small lips that pursed when at rest. It wasn't like him to be thinking about anything other than his job, but earlier events still lingered deep in his head. It was out of the blue that he was given a visitor in his lonely apartment. Recalling the events in his mind, Kris remembered the young man dressed in black knocking on his door, a smile on the stranger's face.
Figuring that the man would simply leave if no one answered, Kris sat firmly on the dusty blanket he called his bed. His apartment was far from anything one would call home, his home being a cheap place his boss stashed him in just so he could have a roof over his head. There was nothing in the two-roomed apartment save a tattered blanket thrown away months before and a lone toothbrush in the bathroom. Kris wasn't exactly a respected member of his community, but they kept him well fed, and that was all he believed mattered. It wasn't his place to question the people that were keeping him alive.
He never had any visitors other than his handlers, so this stranger's arrival was definitely an oddity. He kept his gaze on the door, not once looking away. Kris could feel the man still standing in the hallway, his persistence admirable Kris admitted. After what seemed like an hour of waiting, Kris watched as a small red envelope slid beneath the door. Hearing the relaxing sound of footsteps growing faint Kris stood up from his bed slowly and eyed the letter with caution. Except for the job he had to do later on, he hadn't received any sort of information from his partners concerning other activities.
Picking up the envelope Kris examined the front and back for any sort of name or address. Nothing was written on the envelope, but there was a strange seal keeping it shut. It was a silver emblem that looked unfamiliar to him. Not a hard task considering the enormous amounts of knowledge Kris was not in possession of. His "job" here in the city kept him busy and he had no choice but to obey his handlers. Kris wasn't proud of the work he was doing for a living, but what kept him going was the fact that all of his personal ties were no longer a reality.
In his former life, Kris was a normal student like the other kids, his only care being the grades he got at the end of the year. He wasn't popular, and he was most certainly not a contender in the love department. His parents seemed like your average middle-class adults, working by the hour to put food on the table. That all changed the day Kris' inner abilities began to surface. It didn't happen often, but sometimes people were born with strange powers that no one was able to understand. For Kris, it was his ability to fly without the aid of wings or machines.
The sharp sound of glass smashing jumbled his thoughts back to reality. It seemed like his partner was already starting the job and it was time for him to do his part. Reaching into his pocket for his mask, his fingers brushed against the letter he was given earlier. Not knowing what to do with it, he had tucked it away into his pockets after he received the call for work. Kris couldn't bother with it now; he had a job to do. Pulling the mask over his mouth, Kris dashed out from the shadows of the alleyway and headed for the convenience store down the street.
The agenda for the evening was a simple robbery. Since tonight was the beginning day for the new clerks, it seemed like an easy job for Kris and his partner to grab some cash. A turn to the left and Kris jumped through the shattered window of the store. His eyes quickly surveyed the damage done. Aside from a broken window, there wasn't anything really damaged in his mind. Even though he was helping to rob the store for some money, Kris didn't want anyone to actually get hurt in the process. Hurting someone was going a bit too far for just some money.
"The hell you standin' around for?" a voice shouted from across the aisle. "Get the cash or the boss will have our asses for fuckin' up!"
Noticing a slight grumble in the other man's voice, Kris snapped back to action and quickly went to work on the cash register. While his hands messed with the machine Kris' eyes met with a scared girl staring back at him, her eyes white with fright. For a moment, Kris didn't know what to do; apparently his partner hadn't noticed that there was someone in the store with them. She looked as if she was going to have a panic attack right then and there. Kris quickly crouched down to talk to her, the girl jerking backwards to distance herself from him.
"I'm not going to hurt you miss," he whispered through his mask. "Just, just try not to make any noises and it'll be over quick." Kris narrowed his eyes on the girl and he went back to the cashier to try and finish before his partner found her.
"Anytime now!"
Kris started to worry a bit. It usually didn't take so long to do his job. A few seconds would have been more than enough for him to open the cashier and get the cash. He bit his lips in frustration. What was wrong with him today?
"You still don't have that shit open? Move outta the way!" Kris' partner came running, shoving Kris over to the side so that he could get a crack at the money. Kris took this motion to help hide the girl with his body since it seemed like his partner was more focused on the dough than the dame. "I gotta do all the shit by myself don't I?"
Kris stared at his feet, his mind unable to come up with an excuse for his inability to work today.
"Shit the cops!" Sirens wailing in the distance started to grow louder. Kris' partner started to shake, his hands fumbling with the machine before lifting the entire box out of anger. With a forced shout he threw the register into the nearby gumball machine, shattering the candy glass but doing nothing to solve their money problem. "Fuck this I'm out!"
Leaving the failed job behind, the other man dashed out of the convenience store. Kris looked back at the girl and tried to give an expression that he was sorry. She made no emotion other than fear and Kris nodded sadly before heading for the window himself. As soon as he stepped on the pavement outside, the click of a gun stopped his movement. Out of the corner of his eyes, Kris could make out the familiar red and blue lights of a police car. His partner had ditched him after their attempted robbery and left him to deal with the police on his own.
"Freeze! Put your hands in the air!" shouted the nearby officer. A gun was raised to Kris' face, leaving him with barely any options on how this situation was going to turn out. "I said put 'em up!"
The officer was standing quite a distance from Kris, but he was still the one holding the gun between the two of them. It looked like the officer had the upper hand in this situation. Or so he thought. Kris turned slowly so that his body was facing the officer directly, his tall body outlined by the headlights of the police car. Kris raised both of his hands so that they were in level with his head. Grinning behind his mask, Kris' body shot up high into the red sky.
"What the--!" the officer sputtered, his hands fumbling with the gun from his surprise. Lining up his shots to the sky to try and shoot down the unknown criminal, the officer's luck had already run out. Kris was long gone.
___________________
"What the hell is wrong with you!?"
A mask was thrown onto the wooden floor of the apartment, the owner clearly in a mixture of defeat and anger. His eyes focused on Kris as the older man stood next to the window, staring down at the street below.
"Wufan you better listen when I--"
"Look, Lay," Kris cut off the rant, his mind already working it's last nerve trying to sort out everything that went down earlier. "What happened today was just a minor setback okay? We'll get it next time."
"Did you hit your head on that cashier or somethin'? There is no next time. What don't you understand about that?"
"Relax--"
"This is no time for relack--'!"
Lay's voice cracked in his yell, his body now noticeably shaken up. Kris could see that Lay's body was starting to tremble, as if he was scared of something. From what little Kris knew about the him, Lay seemed to come from an abusive family. Lay never spoke of what became of his family and his connection to them, but Kris figured it was something similar to what happened to himself. If Lay wanted to speak about it, he would've done so already, so Kris never really tried to pry for anything more from him .
Lay was a somewhat average person in stature, coming up to Kris' neck in height. He had a very soft face compared to Kris'. If no one had been told of his current age, they would've assumed he was nothing more than a teenager. His eyes were round and bright while his lips were a bit fuller than Kris'. Lay was short but toned. Compared to Kris he had a bit more muscle on him, but a lot of it most likely came from the difference in their heights. His skin was bright in the light, but lately, his features have been rough from the work he's been put through.
In the work the both of them were in, Lay seemed to have it rougher than Kris with the older handlers. They treated him as if he was poorer than dirt, the abuse clearly having an effect on his mind and body. Lay was shorter in comparison to Kris, so the seniors in the job took advantage of this to try and manipulate him into doing what they wanted. Maybe it was pitiful in some people's eyes, but it was his reality. Lay didn't have the courage to try and rebel against the people taking care of him, a similarity Kris had in himself that he noticed for the first time.
"Alright, I'm not takin' the heat for this. Not anymore. This is your screw up Kris." Lay clenched his fist, his arms fidgeting sharply in his desperation.
"What are you--"
"I'm goin' to the boss. I'm not goin' to get the blame for this. Not again," Lay's voice was airy, almost cracked. There were rumors in the job that people who didn't get their work done were dealt with. Permanently. Obviously Lay didn't want to be the one to go down, and this irrational fear was controlling his actions. Kris could see the unstable look in Lay's eyes, the sight of a person who was uncertain of his own future. Lay ran for the door, Kris' eyes widening as he took off as well.
"Wait Lay," Kris reached for Lay, holding tight onto his arm. Lay made no move, his head facing the floor as if in shame. "Be reasonable about this. Don't do something you're going to regret."
Lay jerked his arm away from Kris. He didn't turn to face him. His thoughts were clearly not thinking straight.
"I just. Look. Maybe we--"
"Will you shut up?" Lay shouted between clenched teeth. "I'm tired of puttin' up with this shit. I can't live like this anymore."
"What if, what if we don't have to?" Kris suddenly remembered the envelope from before. Reaching into his pockets, he pulled out the slightly crumpled letter and held it out to Lay. "This here. This could be our way--"
Kris stopped as the door flung open, pushing Lay backwards to topple onto the floor. Looking up he found a familiar figure standing in the hallway. A menacing man in his own right, this figure was one of the handlers that Kris hoped he wouldn't have to see today. Addressed as Chanyeol by the other workers, this man was notorious for dealing with the boss' dirty work. His height rivaled that of Kris', a giant when standing upright. His face was youthful, but it concealed a twisted soul behind it. He was a high ranking figure and spoke directly in the boss' ear, so the other members knew that if he was present, it was never positive.
"Wh- Chanyeol?" Kris spoke softly, trying not to set off any buttons in the handler. "Wh- what- what are you doing here?"
"Kris," Chanyeol started, his voice low and heavy. "The master is not pleased with your actions today."
Chanyeol's face started to break as a smile formed little by little, his head cocking to the side. Kris was unnerved.
"It seems you're out of a job."
A single bead of sweat started to roll down Kris' cheek. He didn't think that this day would ever come. Not even in his nightmares. For a moment, all Kris could hear was the pounding sound of his heartbeat growing faster. The beats followed his breaths as he tried to think of a way that would get him out of this situation with his life. His eyes kept a lock on Chanyeol's own slasher smile. What sort of treatment did the boss give to Chanyeol to break him like this? It was unnatural.
"What, do you mean?" Kris tucked the envelope back into his pockets, keeping his eyes stuck on Chanyeol.
Lay scrunched his face from the damage the door did to him. He cursed under his breath before picking himself up to stand. Rubbing his head Lay saw that Kris was staring at someone on the other side of the door. When Lay went to see who it was, his face turned white as he stumbled backwards. He didn't have a good history with Chanyeol and went far out of his way to stay clear of him. Putting two and two together, Lay knew this wasn't going to turn out well.
"Oh it's very simple. I just have to get rid of you one way or the other. It's nothing personal. Really."
"But, why?"
"Didn't you here me? It's because the master doesn't tolerate your failure."
"But we just messed up a simple job--"
"We?" Lay cut in with a high-pitched shrill. "Don't drag me into your mess Kris."
"No it was we. You didn't get it open did you Lay?"
"Wha- I--"
"He can't just cut us off just because we couldn't get a register opened. There will be other. We can do bet--"
"Are you finished yet?" Chanyeol spoke in a cold tone over Kris' words, refusing to listen to anymore of his excuses. "The master doesn't care whether or not the job was difficult or simple. A failure is a failure in his eyes."
It all happened in a flash. As soon as his words ended, Chanyeol lunged forward, his arm stretched out to reach Kris. His target responded quickly by lifting his own arm quickly to try and block the incoming body. Chanyeol's hand gripped Kris' wrist tightly, not once flinching in his move. Kris pulled backwards sharply, but Chanyeol's hold was tighter than he expected. As soon as he tried to swing his other arm over to hit Chanyeol in the chest, he felt a sharp pain surge through his arm. Chanyeol's grip started to burn, his touch becoming searing hot.
"You see Kris. You're not the only one here with a curse." Chanyeol voice rumbled through his grip, the sheer bass in his voice striking fear into Kris' body. "Let's see how long you can last Kris."
Kris fell onto his knee, screaming as the pain crippled his movement. His reactions made him attempt to escape Chanyeol's grasp, but to no avail as the handler had an iron grip on his wrist. It was like trying to fight against a robot. Kris could hear Chanyeol's psychotic laughter cutting through his own screams, an insane mixture of joy and pleasure filling the room. He could feel his arm starting to lose sensation, and inside he started to face reality. This might really be the end for him, all because he couldn't get a few dollars. His sight started to blur, his will to fight back starting to disappear.
Not a moment later did Kris feel the grip on his wrist loosen and with a mighty swing he pulled his arm free from Chanyeol's grip, his body falling onto the floor. From the corner of his eye he was shocked to what he saw.
Lay made a move against Chanyeol, saving Kris from his fate. With two hands stretched against Chanyeol's side, Lay had managed to push the taller man away from Kris. But for some reason, it didn't stop there. A wild shriek erupted from Lay's mouth and drawing on all the anger in his body, he pushed Chanyeol into the apartment window. It happened in slow motion. Chanyeol's eyes, wide with shock and hints of sadness stared back at Lay who had nothing but pure rage filling his gaze. Chanyeol tried one last effort to hold onto the edge of the window, but his luck failed him as he missed it by mere moments.
As his body began to fall out of the window, Chanyeol closed his eyes as he began to fall towards the street below.
___________________
"I, I did it."
Lay's breathing became ragged, his heart pumping harder than it had ever did before in his life.
"I actually did it!"
Lay's breathing started to become laughter. It was little at first, but it started to become alarming very quickly. It wasn't right. Lay started to cheer loudly, like he had accomplished something he was proud of.
"I actually did it! I--I feel great," Lay was smiling something disturbing. His laughs became hysteric, his motions dramatic. "Look Kris! Look! I saved your ass! I pushed Chan--"
He looked out the window, and his laughs began to gradually disappear. "I pushed-- I pushed. I pushed him. Out the window."
His laughter stopped completely.
"I pushed him out the window. Oh god."
Lay's face broke as he stared out the window, the body on the street below not moving an inch. Chanyeol laid on the street below almost peacefully, no sign of life present.
"I killed him. What have I done? Oh god. Oh god. Oh god. I killed Chanyeol Kris! I killed him!" Lay shouted out towards his struggling partner. Rushing over to help him up, Lay started to become hysteric in a completely different way. He was starting to realize the severity of what he had just done. With the elimination of Chanyeol from the equation, Lay had managed to secure a death mark over his head. Chanyeol was the boss' right-hand man, and now he was gone. There was no way Lay could report back to his handlers and live. He had no idea what he was going to do now.
Kris' arm was still stinging from the earlier attack, his limb simply swinging slightly as he was helped up by Lay. He tried to listen in on what Lay was saying, but all he could think about at the moment was the pain searing through his arm. Through his hysterics, Lay saw that Kris was still experiencing pain from the burn and decided that he was going to have to help him out. Kris was the only person he could trust now. This was his reality, so he was going to have to help Kris as much as he could if he wanted to survive. Taking Kris' wrist carefully into his hands, Lay breathed in slowly as he concentrated his powers. Kris flinched at first but watched as Lay's hands started to glow a faint white, the pain gradually disappearing.
Within a few seconds, the burn was completely gone and Kris felt no pain when moving his arm around. He was happy. Thankful even. Kris smiled and started to thank him before he saw that Lay's expression was downcast.
"I, I didn't know you had powers too."
"Too?"
"Yeah I, well this isn't really a good place to talk. It'll be a while, but they're going to get suspicious if Chanyeol doesn't report back. It's not safe here."
"But where...?"
Lay's question was sound. Where would they go now? Their former families didn't want them back, and their current 'family' was going to be trying to kill them. They had no place to go.
And then it hit him. He still had that letter from before. Pulling it out of his pocket again, he lifted it so that Lay could see.
"This is what I was trying to show you. This, this letter here. This could be our way out," Kris scratched at the seal on the envelope. "Well, this'll have to be our way out now because we can't go back. Not after this."
"Who gave it to you?" Lay spoke quietly, trying to connect in the conversation despite his inner turmoils. "I mean, did someone give it to you or did you get it from one of the, our handlers."
"It was a man and-- We can talk about this later. Really now. We have to start moving." Kris started to head for his bathroom, until a realization sank. He didn't have any real personal belongings. Not even the raggedy clothes on his back were his. With a sad smile, he turned to Lay and motioned for the door. "Do you have anything you want to pick up?"
Sad eyes looked up at Kris before they went back to stare at the floor. After a few seconds of sighing, he searched in his mind if there was anything of value back at his own apartment. Anything that had any sentimental value. Anything important.
"Oh! There is somethin' I need. It's... Well you'll see. Let's go." Lay quickly exited the door after nodding to Kris.
Kris stood still in his apartment, taking this moment to take everything in now that he had a few moments to himself.
This was the next chapter of his life. He was going to have to ditch the life that had been keeping him alive for the past few weeks. It wasn't perfect, but it was all he had, and he was going to have to give it up. All because he messed up one little job. All because he didn't want to die. All because Lay didn't want him to die.
Kris walked back to the window, staring down at the pavement below. Chanyeol still laid on the street, his body still in the same position as it had been a few minutes ago. With the setting sun casting his body in a deep orange, it looked like a scene out of a late night drama. Kris stared hard at Chanyeol's face. Below shut crescent eyes was a frown stretched across.
If this was another life, maybe Chanyeol could have been something more. He was the boss' man, that was a fact. He did try to kill Kris, that was also a fact. But before all of that, he was probably someone just like Kris and Lay. Someone who needed a place to call home. Maybe he was abandoned just like they were because of his powers. Maybe this job was all he had. They probably had much more in common. But they'll never know now. Kris nodded before giving his apartment one last goodbye, knowing he was never going to see it again. With that, he took off after Lay.
___________________
"So you're sayin' some man just slid it under your door without any warnin'? What does the letter say?"
Lay pushed dusty papers onto the floor, clearing out aged documents that piled up since who knows when. They managed to make it to Lay's apartment in only a few minutes despite Kris' earlier delay. Stepping back Kris surveyed the apartment. It was homely but compared to Kris old residence, it was a castle. Lay had what seemed to be a functioning bed for starters. Despite the fact that Lay had it rougher with the handlers, he had a much better apartment then Kris. Eyes narrowed as Kris shrugged it off, wasting no more time as he tore open the red letter.
"Let's see." Kris opened the folded parchment, holding it's contents out in the moonlight to get a better view to read it. "Well it, it doesn't really say anything on it? It's got no words on it."
"What? Let me see that?" Lay snatched the paper out of Kris' hands, an action that was met with a noticeable eyebrow raise. "This ain't a letter. It's a map."
Kris' eyebrows raised an inch higher. Why would the man give him a map? Why would the man go out of his way to give him a map? Lay passed the map back to Kris and continued his raid on his desk. Shoving folders onto the ground, a particular collection of photos spilled out into the light. Lay stopped his searching and slowly knelt in front of them. His fingers delicately sorted through the pictures, as if he was looking for one specifically. Kris tried to look over Lay's shoulder as he hunched over, his search cut short as he felt a blow to his knees.
"Ah!" Lay shouted as he knocked Kris over by accident. "I found it!"
Kris rubbed his legs as he looked up at a photo held to his face. It was an incredibly old photo, the corners having started to yellow from age. What he saw on the photo made his eyes open slightly. Standing in front of a small group of chickens was what Kris assumed to be a much younger Lay. He seemed maybe three or four years old in the photo dressed in his baby overalls. His face was bright and happy with a wide smile. Standing next to him was an equally happy woman. Lay's mother.
"Is that..?" Kris watched Lay's face grow bright when he asked.
"Yeah. It's my momma." Lay spoke in a quiet tone. Placing the photo into his pocket, Lay stood up and started to stack the stray papers on his desk in a pile. "She was, well she was a caring mom. To me anyways. She was a good mom. It's why I keep her picture around."
"Look you don't have to talk about if you don't want--"
"It's fine. Besides, we're goin' to be 'real' partners now right? Might as well open up about stuff."
Lay pushed the stack of papers a few inches to the side as he hopped onto the desk. Facing Kris, he sat comfortably with his legs swinging to and fro.
"I won't talk about much since we don't have much time. I don't think they'll think to look for my apartment first though so." Lay intertwined fingers as his arms laid in front of his legs, his back hunched over. "My family, we weren't rich. We were country folk. Livin' out in the land outta the city. It was a comfortable life. For a while anyways."
Lay sighed heavily and Kris noticed his expression darken.
"You see, my abilities, my healin', they sort of appeared one day. My mother cut herself one night. With a knife. She was a bit clumsy actually. She was bleeding." Lay's eyes closed slightly. "I was young. And I wanted to help her. She told me to get some bandages, but I was stubborn. I didn't want to leave her side. I kept my hands on her hand and all of a sudden, there was this big bright light. A big white light. Her cut healed. My father saw the whole thing. He didn't like it. Not one bit. He was so angry that day.."
Kris made no comment, choosing to stay quiet. He placed a hand over Lay's lithe shoulder and gripped gently. It was comforting for Lay. This was the first time he ever spoke about his past to anybody, and the person he was telling it to was actually understanding. Kris' warmth was comforting. Lay wiped away at his nose and raised his eyes to Kris before sitting up.
"Anyways." Lay continued while lifting Kris' hand off of his shoulder slowly. "It's not important anymore. It's just all in the past now. All I have left is this photo and I'm goin' to keep it with me."
Outside the apartment, the skies started to fill with clouds of grey. A storm was heading their way. Kris' eyes stared into Lay's as thunder rumbled lightly.
"My life hasn't been fun either. I lived a normal life." Kris scoffed at the word as he took a seat next to Lay. "Not that any of this could be considered normal. It's been nothing but misery. People shouldn't have to live like this. It's a curse."
He turned to Lay as his face grew solemn. "He was right. Chanyeol I mean. Our powers, they've been nothing but a curse to us. Our lives would've been better if we weren't born with them"
"Maybe."
"I've yet to see anything positive about them. I can fly, but what good is that? Running away from the cops? This job. They took us in. They fed us. But they treated us like dirt. I don't know why I stayed with them. I should never have agreed to work for him."
Thunder roared outside as the storm grew.
Lay took his turn to place a hand on Kris' shoulder, trying to show comfort for his partner. Kris placed his own hand over Lay's and held it tightly.
"I guess, I never really questioned our job. Even after all the crimes we were told to do. I just accepted it as something life wanted me to do. Maybe it was because this was the first place that didn't turn me away for my powers. They wanted to use me as a tool, but I didn't mind."
He tapped Lay's hand twice before standing up. Tucking his hands into his pocket, he started for the door.
"Anyways, let's try and find this place okay? Who knows. Maybe this is life's way of showing us that it'll get better."
___________________
Heartbeats started to thump, slowly at first but a gradual cadence formed against the cold concrete. His lips twitched as his conscious started to come back to him. Chanyeol's eyes opened into slits as he stared up at the grey skies. He was mesmerized, seeing the skies for the first time with a clear mind. He never noticed how gentle the clouds looked under the city lights. His lips opened slowly to the cold air, feeling the gentle sting for what seemed like the first time in a long time. It was a feeling he enjoyed.
"How.." He tried to speak, his voice barely carrying against the rumbles of the clouds.
His mouth refused to move to form words. Chanyeol remained silent, instead focusing on staring into the sky. His chest rose gently as he took a long, cold breath in. His mind was still groggy from whatever happened to him earlier. Chanyeol tried to remember why he was where he was. Turning his head to the left slightly, he sees that his arm is stretched across the sidewalk. Turning his head slowly to the other side, he finds his other arm the same way. He was laying on the sidewalk.
Still keeping his eyes on his right arm, he tried to move his fingers around. To his relief, his fingers started to move slightly. He tried to move his arm close to him, but after a few seconds of mental grunts, he saw that his arm only managed to twitch a few centimeters. Chanyeol didn't react. He didn't really know how he was supposed to react. He didn't know where to begin. Closing his eyes again, Chanyeol started to breathe heavily as the cloudy pieces in his mind began to become clear.
It was only weeks before that Chanyeol remembered being offered to the boss by his parents. Because of his strange abilities, there was a big number on his head. He was nothing more than a tool to everyone around him. His parents used him for money, and his new handlers used him for crime. Chanyeol tried to escape many times before, but all of it ended with nothing more than pain. Eventually, his handlers wore him down until he was nothing more than a shell of his former life.
Inside Chanyeol knew what he was doing wasn't right, but he too scared to do anything about it. He was afraid of the boss. He was afraid of his handlers. So he obeyed orders. He obeyed the others his boss gave him, and slowly he began to have power in the organization. Chanyeol soon began to intimidate others. When he spoke, people listened. When the boss spoke, people were eliminated by Chanyeol's hands. On the outside he enjoyed the power he held over people. But inside, he was hurting.
But one day, the boy appeared. The boy that fascinated him. He didn't seem that much older than Chanyeol was; they were close in age and were close in height as well. This was the first time that there was someone that was similar to him in the organization. He wanted to get close to him. Chanyeol began to follow him around, learning that the boy's name was Kris, among other things. His efforts soon became pointless however, as there was never a moment that ever gave Chanyeol the opportunity to actually try and connect with Kris.
Later on, there were times that Chanyeol actually saw Kris' face staring back at him. Unfortunately, every single moment was one out of fear. Kris was afraid of him. It didn't help that Chanyeol was always by the boss' side during these meetings. Kris was staring at Chanyeol, but Chanyeol wasn't staring back. Not the one that wanted to speak to him. Not the real him. It was crushing Chanyeol inside, but his face kept the same emotionless stare that was beaten into him. And then the day came. The day that the boss ordered Chanyeol to eliminate Kris. For good.
The order appeared quickly, as soon as he walked into the boss' office. Chanyeol didn't know what to say to the boss, but he was shouting internally. He couldn't process what he was being told to do. Standing in defiance, Chanyeol stood rigid in the office, staring emptily into the back of the boss' chair. He didn't want to do it. He didn't want to kill Kris. Chanyeol tried to stall as long as he could, hoping that maybe the boss would call off the order and he could forget about it all together. His hope was shattered when the boss made a wave with his hand and Chanyeol soon felt his body moving on it's own.
His screams went unheard behind a smiling mask.
Chanyeol whimpered as his mind began to give him pain. It was hurting him, the rush of emotions that his body was feeling without warning. Sadness, happiness, confusion. He couldn't remember the last time he experienced such raw emotions, but he was hating it now. His mind ignored his pleas and continued to weave the pieces in his mind back into place. When he arrived at Kris' apartment, his mind tried as hard as it could to stop his body from continuing. His hand inched towards the doorknob, sweat trailing down his forehead from the war raging in his mind. Ultimately he lost and his hand pushed the door open, unveiling a sight that he would never forget.
Standing in the apartment was his Kris, his face full of fear as it always was. But now it was fear because it was coming from Chanyeol directly. What broke him most was when his body started to attack Kris, using the abilities that caused this whole mess in the first place to try to kill him. Chanyeol wanted to cry, but he couldn't because his body was no longer his. Chanyeol wanted to run away, but he couldn't because there was nowhere to hide. Chanyeol wanted to pretend it wasn't happening, but he couldn't because he had to watch the whole thing.
"It's, raining...?" Chanyeol's voice spoke low and gently. He felt the wet sensation on his eyes, and he tried to take it in. He had never felt the rain before in his life. His body may have experienced it, but he never once truly felt it. Opening his eyes slowly, he saw the clouds resting high in the sky. They were drifting slowly across and it was then Chanyeol realized where the rain was coming from. He closed his eyes as he took in the feeling of water slide slowly down his temples. A smile gradually stretched across his face.
"Its raining."
___________________
The sky rumbled overhead as Kris and Lay weaved out of the apartment building, their sights set firmly on their destination. Checking the map early on, Kris noticed that the route was going to take them back to his apartment, and he wondered if there was going to be anybody searching for them there. They could take another route to the destination, perhaps going around the apartment instead. But it would take much longer, and time was something they did not have plenty of.
"Kris this is--"
"Yeah, I know." Kris tugged on Lay's shoulder as they neared his apartment. Keeping Lay hidden behind him Kris peered out from the corner of the alleyway to see if there was anyone suspicious around. As he slowly moved his face into the light, Kris caught the sight of Chanyeol's body on the ground. He was uneasy with the sight of the dead body on the street, but walking past it would be the quickest way to get to their destination. Swallowing as much air as he could he started for the street, but not before his attention was caught by something that he couldn't believe.
Chanyeol's fingers were moving, as if there was still life in his body. With a closer inspection, Kris saw that Chanyeol was breathing, He was perplexed. Chanyeol managed to survive the high fall from earlier. That was no small feat considering the height of the fifth floor Chanyeol fell from.
"Lay-- Lay he's still breathing."
"What?"
"Chanyeol! He's still breathing!" Kris dashed out of the alleyway.
"Kris wait--!" Lay tried to grab Kris' hand when he started to run. Kris was already standing next to the body.
Breathing rougher as he stood over Chanyeol's body, Kris examined Chanyeol closely. He noticed every little detail about his body, every little sign that showed that he was still breathing. Chanyeol's chest was rising in long drawn out breaths and Kris could hear the air blow from his lips. It was incredible. As his eyes lifted to examine Chanyeol's face, Kris couldn't believe what he saw. Running from Chanyeol's eyes were trails of tears. They were small but unmistakable. He was crying. Kris was shocked. The one guy that gave him uneasy feelings throughout his whole time in the organization was crying in front of him.
"Ch... Chanyeol?" Kris whispered.
"...Kris...?"
Chanyeol's sight was blurry as he couldn't make out anything he was trying to see through watery eyes. However, his ears did not deceive him. He knew that voice well. It was Kris' voice. The one voice that he wanted to finally hear with clearly with his mind. Kris was here. The tears started to grow as they fell down his face. Chanyeol began to whimper quietly through his crying. Taken aback, Kris looked back at Lay who merely narrowed his own eyes as a response. A silent nod, Kris knelt beside Chanyeol and wiped away the tears away with his fingers.
Chanyeol's face lit up when he saw his vision becoming clearer, and Kris' face staring back at him. It wasn't fear in his eyes this time. It was happiness.
"Are you okay Chanyeol?" Kris asked in a calm tone. Kris pointed back at his apartment window, or rather, what was left of it after the accident. "You took a... Yeah. You took a pretty big fall earlier. If we didn't know any better, it'd seem like you were defenestrated"
Chanyeol tried to stop his weeping, but the tears just continued.
"I'm sorry." Chanyeol closed his eyes shut. "I didn't mean for any of that to happen. I swear. It wasn't me. I wouldn't have done any of those things if I was myself. I didn't want to hurt anyone. Really."
The sky finally broke. Thunder roared across the clouds as the rain started to fall onto the city below. As the raindrops fell onto his face, Chanyeol's control finally broke and his crying became pitiful. This was what rain really felt like. It was like the clouds were crying along with him. He began to sob loudly against the rain, his sadness finally becoming open for Kris to see. It was a depressing sight for Kris to witness. Chanyeol's cries were similar to a child's own tears, as if it was the first time he had ever cried like this. From what Chanyeol said, it probably was his first time.
Reaching back to hold Chanyeol's warm hand in his, Kris sat silently next to him as he watched Chanyeol cry his soul out.
"Kris, we have to go." Lay reminded him, his voice dark. "We have to go, now."
Kris didn't answer. He was trying to battle conflicted feelings within his body. On one hand, he had to listen to Lay. They needed to get out of there as quickly as possible. But on the other hand, they couldn't just leave Chanyeol here. It was clear that whatever they did to him before no longer had any effect on him. They couldn't just leave him to be fed back to the sharks. They needed to take him with them. Cupping Chanyeol's hand in between his own hands, Kris gripped him tightly to try and reel him back to reality.
"Chanyeol. We have to go. Can you walk?"
"Wait what--!?" Lay shouted quickly.
"We have to take him with--"
"We don't have to do shit for this guy Kris! In case you forgot he tried to kill you!"
"That was before Lay. He's better now. He's changed--"
"You're just too soft Kris! He could be lyin' through his teeth right now just to get some sympathy points with you!"
"I believe him."
"What!?"
"I said, I believe him. Can't you see? He's hurting right now!" Kris retaliated back at Lay with a hint of anger in his voice. Lightning flashed across Kris' eyes as they raced through the clouds. "He's crying now!"
"That, that doesn't mean--"
"Weren't you the one freaking out about killing him? anyways He's alive now isn't he?"
"That--that's--"
"I don't think he'll hurt us. Not anymore. As long as we keep him away from the boss." Kris turned back to Chanyeol. "Can you walk Chanyeol? We need you to come with us."
His expression became somber.
"I... I can't."
"You can't? What do you mean?"
"I can't feel them moving. I don't think I can walk." Chanyeol dropped his head back against the wet sidewalk with a slick sound. From the moment he saw Kris' face come into his sight, Chanyeol tried to move up from the ground to actually touch him. But his body wouldn't move with him. Chanyeol could no longer feel his legs move. He couldn't get up to greet Kris. After all this time, he finally meets Kris and he can't do anything he desired. Kris patted Chanyeol's hands and slowly stood up away from Chanyeol's body. "I really c-an't. I can barely move my arms..."
"It must've been the fall. Must have... Yeah, okay. Lay! You have to heal him!"
Slicking his wet hair back from his forehead, Kris motioned for Lay to help their friend. Lay stood for a few seconds before moving to meet Chanyeol on the ground. Passing Kris, Lay gave him one glare that clearly showed how he felt about what Kris was doing. He felt betrayed. Rolling his wet sleeves back Lay held onto Chanyeol's forearm and began to concentrate on his abilities. Within a few seconds a bright light engulfed Chanyeol's body, the healing process beginning to fix his injuries.
Back against the apartment wall Kris watched the healing from behind Lay. Kris didn't know what to think of Lay. He knew in his heart that this was the right thing to do, but Lay didn't seem to agree from his reactions. Why couldn't Lay see that Chanyeol was different from before? If he wanted to, Chanyeol probably could've burned him badly when Kris made contact with him earlier. But he didn't. He reacted more like a newborn baby with the way he seemed to light up from Kris' touch. It was almost as if Chanyeol--
"Gah--!" Lay shrieked as he jumped up from Chanyeol, his hands now steaming in the rain.
"What happened?" Kris asked Lay as he moved from his rest to take a look at his friend.
"I got burnt!" Looking at his palms, Kris saw that they were a distinct red from what was clearly two painful burns. Lay started to wave his hands violently in the rain to try and alleviate the pain. It wasn't helping as the pain was still surging through his arms. A bit of tossing and his hands started to glow white as he focused on healing them manually.
"Chanyeol what?" Kris turned to look at Chanyeol who was now incredibly frightened. Steam was rising from his body, as if the rain was evaporating quickly before they reached him. He was literally steaming in the rain.
"It-it was an accident! Really! I just-I don't know. My powers they just came back all of a sudden. I'm sorry I didn't mean to burn him! I didn't think they would just pop up." Chanyeol couldn't look up at Kris anymore. Sitting upright, he kept his head low in shame.
"Yeah right." Lay grumbled as he walked back his palms still a deep red. "This is shit. I can't heal my hands now. I don't know-I guess I used it up healin' you and him today. My hands hurt like shit."
"I'm sorry--"
"Save it." Lay held his palms up at the rain again as if the thought of it helping was actually helping him.
"Chanyeol can you walk now?"
"Hmm?" Chanyeol lit up at Kris' question and immediately began to wiggle his body around. His upper body was clearly working well from the youthful gestures he made, but for some reason he still remained seated on the sidewalk. "I don't think it helped."
"Figures." Lay mumbled.
"I'm sorry Kris--"
"It's not your fault Chanyeol--"
"Hey--"
"It's not your fault either Lay. Let's just leave it like that." Kris rubbed his head before coming to a solution. "If your arms are working, then I'll just carry you on my back."
"What." Lay watched as Kris began to help Chanyeol up onto his feet.
Chanyeol's legs wobbled as he tried to stand before giving up all together. Rubbing his chin, Kris moved in front of Chanyeol and knelt to give him easier room to hold onto his back. Placing his arms over Kris' shoulders, Chanyeol gripped tightly so that he was hugging him. As soon as the two arms came into contact with his skin, Kris' eyes shot open as he winced at the pain that came with it. He immediately threw Chanyeol's arms off of his shoulders and gripped his collar bones to try and stop the burning sensation.
"Wh-Chanyeol shut off your powers!" Lay spat. "He's tryin' to help you!"
"I don't know why they aren't going away! They aren't 'shutting off'. I don't know what's wrong!" Chanyeol stared at Kris with sad eyes. "I'm sorr--"
"It's fine... I'll manage." Kris grunted between breaths.
"Kris you sur--"
"I'll-- manage."
Kris scooted back in front of Chanyeol and motioned for him to throw his arms onto him. Chanyeol was hesitant. He didn't want to put Kris through anymore pain than he already give him. Shaking hands hovered over Kris' neck before they just dropped to Chanyeol's sides. He just couldn't do it. Suddenly Chanyeol felt two large hands grab his forearms and he was quickly hoisted onto Kris' back, his body now feeling the warmth Kris emanated. It was a nice feeling, exactly what he pictured in his mind. Chanyeol gave a guilty smile. Kris was expressive in his discomfort, gritting his teeth as hard as he could to withstand the pain. Wrapping his arms under Chanyeol's legs, Kris' lifted him up so that he was secure on his back.
"Let's-- Go." With his passenger holding tightly onto him, Kris started towards their destination. Watching Kris struggle down the street with Chanyeol, Lay shook his head to himself before following.
___________________
"So that's why you were actin' the way you were?"
Chanyeol nodded into Kris' back. He was ashamed of his past. It wasn't something he was proud of and having to recount it was, depressing. Holding his wrist tighter, Chanyeol leaned his forehead against Kris.
"I didn't want to do it, but the mast--boss has some odd way of controlling me. I couldn't move my body."
"I wonder why he didn't do anythin' to us then..." Lay paused. "How you holdin' up Kris?"
"I'm fine." A few minutes earlier Kris had been having difficulty coping with Chanyeol's problem. He had to frequently take breaks just to get the heat off of his body, scorch marks starting to take hold on his bare clavicles. Whenever he put Chanyeol down onto the ground Kris would struggle to stand as steam rose out from his body. His breathing was becoming ragged and it was clear that it was not doing well for his health. For some reason Lay could not
understand, Kris continued to push through the pain. "It's starting to wear down. I'm fine."
"If you say you're fine. Just know you're an idiot Kris." Lay stepped ahead of Kris and Chanyeol.
The storm in the clouds was starting to give out slowly, the rain falling less and less. Street lights started to illuminate through the leftover mist as night began to fall. With the rain no longer helping cool down the heat Chanyeol was emitting, Kris was starting to feel the full brunt of the pain. His steps started to slow as he tried to keep his hold on Chanyeol. It was beginning to have a deep effect on Kris. Chanyeol lowered his head onto Kris.
"I'm sorry." He repeated. Kris didn't respond.
"I think we're here Kris."
Swishing the map to try and get the water off of it Lay pulled it open to look at their destination. Sure enough, the mark on the map was the same address of the building they were now standing in front of. It was a large warehouse, an abandoned one at that from the lack of signs of anyone working there for months. Pulling the metal gate open the trio entered into the building.
"Hello? Anyone here?" Lay called out into the darkness. There was only silence answering back.
Kris carried Lay a few steps in before his head started to throb. His headache was starting to get worse as the pain clawed it's way into his mind, each pounding second bringing him down further. His vision blurred with his steps and his body started to feel dizzy. Feeling his arms losing strength, Kris dropped Chanyeol onto the ground before he finally caved into the battle in his body. His body fell forward as he succumbed to the exhaustion in his system.
"Kris I think we should--" Lay started.
A loud falling sound came from behind Lay and hos eyes widened when saw that Kris was collapsed on the floor. Immediately Lay went to help his friend up, holding him up with Kris' arm over his neck. Kris was breathing roughly as his face started to become ill. Placing another hand on Kris' forehead, Lay felt the heat starting to climb. He knew this would happen but he still did nothing to stop him. Laying him back on the ground Lay pushed Chanyeol back to give him room. It had been a few minutes from his earlier attempt, so his abilities must have recharged since then. Placing his hand back on Kris' forehead, he tried to bring his faith back into his healing. He needed to trust it that it would help him could heal his friend. Closing his eyes he soon felt the familiar warmth of his healing.
"He should be fine after a few minutes, he just need some rest right now." Lay wiped his sweat away after a few minutes of concentration. Lay stood up before motioning for Chanyeol to move away from his friend. "This idiot. He shouldn't push himself like this."
Chanyeol merely frowned in guilt. Even when he tried his best not to, he was still hurting Kris. Kris was just trying to help him and all Chanyeol did in return was bring him more pain. As his gaze traveled over, Chanyeol watched Kris' chest rise in slow breaths as he was resting. He looked at peace laying there, Kris' face no longer showing signs of being ill. Chanyeol slammed his fist into the ground. What was wrong with him? Why couldn't he just be normal friends with Kris from the beginning? Pulling his legs closer to his chest with his hands Chanyeol tucked his chin in between. The tears started to well up once more.
Lay rolled his eyes.
"Hey! We're here now! Why don't you show yourself!"
"--Oh fine." an unknown voice shot out from the darkness.
Lay swiveled his sight around to focus on the figure stepping out from the shadows. It was a man dressed in a black overcoat, his face partially exposed in the street light creeping in through the windows. He didn't look much older than they were, but he did have much more chiseled features on his face compared to their's. He did not look amused one bit.
"And you are...?" Lay questioned the strange man while he slowly backed up closer to Kris and Chanyeol.
"I don't give out my real name to random people. My associates call me C.A.P." He spoke in a pompous tone that quickly irritated Lay.
"What do you want with us. With Kris?"
"I hear you're out a job now?"
"How did you--"
"Well you're here right?"
Lay closed his mouth and nodded to himself.
"Well you're in luck! It just so happens that my boss-- his name is T.O.P by the way and is a totally awesome guy-- is looking for people to work for him."
"...What?"
"Oh it's nothing you won't be able to handle. It's just a job that only special people are fit for. It's even better you and flame boy over there came too. You three are perfect for this job. With your powers I mean."
"Wait, what exactly does he want us to do?"
"Oh just a couple of things. You know, maybe bodyguard work, or stealing, or even just random things that T.O.P wants. Trust me, whenever he wants you to do something, it's a good thing."
Lay clenched his fist tightly. They went out of the only job they had just to get into a job that was exactly the same? Lay knew Kris wanted to start over and he decided it was something he wanted as well. They couldn't return to the same life they had before. Chanyeol looked up at CAP and immediately his expression started to change from dark, to a light shade of annoyance.
"Sorry, but that sounds way too similar to our old work. We ain't gonna steal for anybody anymore." Lay answered firmly.
"What? But--but you guys are perfect for this. You guys already have that poor thief thing going anyways. "
Chanyeol's eyebrow furrowed as his anger started to build. This guy didn't want to help Kris. He just thought of him as something disposable. Just like their old boss. Everyone only wanted them for their powers. They were nothing more than mere tools to be used for wealth and power. They weren't human in people's eyes.
"We're not goin' to join you or your boss T.O.P. Come on Chanyeol." Lay started to head back to Kris before his walking ceased. His legs stopped moving for some reason. Looking down he saw that his legs were being restricted by what appeared to be a long metal chain coiling itself around him. The chain had an unnatural lifeness to it, as if the chain was a living snake. Lay let out a loud yelp as he was immediately hoisted into the air. Lay panicked as he was suspended in the air by the metal links. "Wh-what the hell is this!?"
"Sorry, I can't exactly let you go like this."
Mouth agape, Chanyeol looked back at CAP as he saw the man standing with overcoat now open. From the inside of his coat, Chanyeol noticed that the chains were flowing out from it, the individual links circling CAP's body like a distorted shell. It was like watching a snake charmer in action, but instead of deadly snakes at his command, they were metal chains. This guy wasn't some random recruiter. This guy was dangerous.
"I can control chains with my mind. It's sort of fitting I think. I can tell them to do whatever I want." CAP flicked his fingers and the links holding Lay up loosened. He fell screaming, but his screams were cut short as the links tightened again before he reached the floor.
"So, I'm going to ask you again. Are you going to join us?"
Chanyeol looked up at Lay for a sort of cue of how to respond. Lay couldn't find an answer to give as he hung in the air, his face turning white with fear for his life. Sweat evaporated as it crawled down Chanyeol's cheek. If Lay wasn't going to answer him, then who would? It couldn't be himself; all he did was bring trouble for Kris and Lay. What if he gave the answer CAP didn't want to hear and everything went horribly wrong? Suddenly Lay started to yell and shake frantically as he was hoisted higher into the air by the chains.
"I'm going to need an answer soon. I mean, I really could care less about you all, but if I could get you three back to T.O.P, he might finally notice me!" CAP rubbed his hands together as he laughed gleefully. "Come on now, I need an answer! My chains are going to get tired soon and I'm sure we don't want a mess on the floor-- If you keep struggling like that, I can't be held responsible with what happens to you."
Lay stopped his wild swingings and tried to calm down. His mind was racing, his breaths become rough and rapid. He was starting to hyperventilate. Lay wanted to shout at Chanyeol so he could try and help Kris, but his mind wouldn't form any words for his mouth to say. Shaking his head Chanyeol tried to wake Kris up by moving his arm around. Kris would know what to do. He always did.
"Well, I guess I'll take your silence as a no." CAP sighed to himself. "A pity. Well, I guess I can bring back dead bodies to T.O.P. I'm sure he'll love that. I mean his assistant brought back one dead body and he was pretty pleased with that. Imagine how he'll react if I bring him three."
A finger snap later and the chains holding Lay's legs up gave out. Chanyeol's heart sank. Lay's face was drained in an instant. He fell screaming.
"No!"
Suddenly a caped person busted through the window, shattered glass flying throughout the warehouse. The figure continued their dash through the window to jump and catch Lay in midair, his life saved. They rolled with Lay's body in their arms as they landed on the ground, years of training clearly evident in their movements. Lay was unconscious in their arms, but he was alive and that was what mattered at the moment. With Lay in one arm, the figure turned around to face CAP. With a gloved hand, they opened their cape to reveal a suit that had no problems expressing what they were.
This person was a superhero.