Retribution 13
Retribution | NC-17
There’s a few seconds of silence before Suho says anything.
“No.”
Suho looks at Yunho and Changmin. His gaze as well as his answer is firm.
“No. You can’t send him alone.”
“We can’t send all of you.” Changmin explains. “It’s too risky. That place is swarming with those creatures. Sending all of you would mean risking lives and getting all of you infected. We only need to send one-”
“No.” Suho only repeats as firmly as before. “It’s either all of us or none at all.”
Luhan looks at Kyungsoo who’s just standing there and taking this in calmly. He’s not hearing this right. They can’t send him. Haven’t they agreed this was their fight? It had to be all of them.
“Doctor Kim Junmyeon,” Changmin starts slowly. “You’ve seen how infested that place was with… whatever those things are. If we send all of you, the chances of us getting everyone out of there safely would be slim.”
“I don’t care.” Suho presses. “You’re not sending him alone.”
“There has to be some other way.” Kris adds.
“Alright then,” Changmin looks at Junsu. “Doctor, you know what their abilities are. What do you think?”
Junsu looks at Suho and Kris apologetically. “I’m sorry but it’s really best if we only send one-”
“And I said no.” Subo’s answer cuts through Junsu’s words harshly that he takes a moment before replying.
“Doctor, think about this.” Junsu says. “If all of you go, it’s like sending you all up for slaughter. That place is filled with those creatures. And not everyone won’t be able to use their abilities.” Junsu motions to Tao. “The one you said that stops time can’t even use his abilities to help. It doesn’t affect those creatures just like how it doesn’t affect you.” He then looks at Baekhyun. “The one that creates light and illusion may be helpful in a strategical attack but we don’t have time for that. We need a strong offense that’s going to take them all out in one blow.”
“And we have those offensive abilities.” Suho responds. “Sending just one of us won’t help at all-”
“Suho,” Kyungsoo finally speaks up. Suho turns to him just as Kyungsoo places a hand on his shoulder. “I’ll go.”
Suho looks like he was punched in the gut as he heard this. Kai on the other hand is standing there and is as calm as Kyungsoo is.
“What? No.” Suho answers.
“Remember back then when you said I needed an outlet?” Kyungsoo asks. Luhan remembered that day Tao told them about Kyungsoo’s condition. He remembered Lay with his hands on the sides of Kyungsoo’s head, draining his energy out of him just so he doesn’t become a hazard to himself. “Remember when you said that the only way for me to get better is if I let all of my abilities out?”
Suho shakes his head, clearly in denial. So are the rest of them. But what Kyungsoo said made sense.
“This is it.” Kyungsoo holds Suho’s face in his hands so he can look at him better. “This is what’s going to finally make me get better.”
Luhan wants to step in and tell him he can’t be thinking this. He’s not sick. Well, not anymore. With Lay’s new power, he can help him. He doesn’t have to leave. He doesn’t have to go.
“I can still help you. I can still cure you.” Suho says in a rush. “Lay can heal you. Kris and I will think of something. We can suppress your abilities. We can fix whatever this is. You’ve lasted this long-”
Kyungsoo only smiles sadly at him. “You can’t cure me.”
“Don’t say that.” Suho says angrily. “I can and I will.”
Kyungsoo is the one shaking his head this time. “I don’t want you to.”
Luhan doesn’t like this at all. None of them like where this is going. Kyungsoo looks dead set on doing this mission alone.
“Suho, you know this is the only way for me. I can help everyone.” Kyungsoo reasons. “Why risk the rest of us when I can just finish this easily?”
Suho closes his eyes. “No.”
No. Kyungsoo can’t leave them. He just can’t.
Kris steps closer and rubs Suho’s shoulders. “I hate this as much as you do. But Kyungsoo is right. Right now, he’s the most powerful one out of all of us. His abilities were meant for this kind of destruction.”
Suho slaps Kris’s hands away from him as he looks at him angrily.
“This is suicide.”
“It’s not.”
“It is. You’re talking about sending one of my own-”
“Our own, Suho. Every single one of them.”
Luhan feels Sehun wrap an arm around his waist and he steps closer to his side, sharing the warmth that he badly needs at the moment. Kyungsoo’s willingness to go on this mission is scaring him, dread filling him up like a kind of chilling breeze just hit him. This isn’t how they had wanted things to go. Kyungsoo can’t risk his life just so he can get better. In what sense is that okay?
“Let me go.” Kyungsoo says to Suho. “If I’m to get better, I have to go. This is the least I can do with what you’ve done for me.”
Suho is still shaking his head.
“Hey,” Kyungsoo tips his chin up. “I’ll be back. It’s not like I’m not coming back.”
Suho still looks torn up about it. “I don’t want you to go alone.”
“We don’t want you to go alone.” Chanyeol speaks up. “You’re not leaving us.”
Luhan agrees. “This is everyone’s fight, Kyungsoo. It’s not yours alone.”
“We’ll come. We’ll stop you from leaving alone if we have to.” Chen adds.
Kyungsoo only looks at all of them. “And I’ll fight every single one of you if you’re going to come with me. I’ll do the same if all of you are going to make me stay.”
Luhan can’t believe he’s hearing this.
“Suho,” Kyungsoo turns to him. “You spoke about choices earlier. I’m making mine.”
Suho looks at him. There are tears streaming down his face. There must be something in Kyungsoo’s eyes to let him know he won't change his mind because Suho grabs him and hugs him tight. Kyungsoo gives a deep sigh, wrapping his arms around him.
“You don’t have to worry about him, doctor.” Yunho says. “If his abilities are that destructive as you all say it is, we only need to bury those creatures and they’ll be dealt with.”
Changmin agrees. “We have an aircraft that can get him there fast-”
“No need.” Kai steps forward. “I can get him there myself.”
Suho releases Kyungsoo from his hold as he stares at Kai in disbelief. Kyungsoo, however, only looks surprised.
“You can fight me on this." Kai says to Kyungsoo. "But I know you won’t. If you think I was going to let you leave on your own…” Kai smiles to which Kyungsoo responds by breaking out into a grin.
“This is better. With Kai, they can get in and out of there quick.” Kris agrees. “It will save them time.”
Suho is unable to say anything. He looks lost and weary that Chen has to hold him from behind, afraid that with Kai’s addition to this trip, Suho will break.
“When does he need to leave?” Baekhyun asks, a tinge of sadness in his voice.
“In six hours.” Changmin replies. “We can’t afford to have this go on for long. The faster we get this cleaned up, the better.”
The faster they get this done with, the sooner they’ll be free. Luhan looks around the room at the expression of forlorn in all of his brothers’ faces. Is this the price they have to pay for freedom?
Their meeting is adjourned and Yunho has them transferred to their rooms to get some rest. Rooms. Not their cells. Luhan is grateful for this new change. They’re given access to communal showers and soft beds and fresh clothes. They’re still white since there’s no other clothing. But none of them complain.
They don’t sleep. As usual, Luhan can’t sleep when the thought of Kyungsoo leaving them in a few hours is keeping him awake. He also can’t sleep alone in this place. It reminds him too much of the facility they used to live in even if they were promised safety. He feels uncomfortable around here and being by himself in a room without Sehun. Sehun has spent his time with Kai, just talking to him and keeping him company while Kyungsoo is briefed by the NSS on what to do. Luhan knows it’s hard for Sehun, watching his friend go on this mission, so he lets him spend as much time as he can with Kai.
He doesn’t eat as well even if he hasn’t eaten in days. Somehow, food doesn’t appeal to him at the moment when dread fills his stomach. They’re in a more secluded part of a facility where they’ve temporarily used it as their living quarters. Outside their rooms is a pantry and a conference room. It’s where Kyungsoo is being briefed. Kris is with them now. Suho, however, refused to hear any of it. He opted to stay in his room. Chen has been trying to talk him into going out but to no avail.
“I don’t want him to go.” Baekhyun shares. It’s the first thing he said when Luhan joined him after a few minutes of just tossing and turning in bed. They’re seated in one of the chairs in the pantry and the only thing keeping them awake is coffee. It tastes nothing in Luhan’s stomach and is probably a bad idea for he hasn’t eaten anything in days. But he needs to stay awake.
Luhan doesn’t know what to say to Baekhyun. He doesn’t want Kyungsoo and Kai to go either.
“You know he whacked me with an oven mitt once when I gave him a hard time with Lay’s birthday cake.” Baekhyun reminisces. Luhan remembers that one. It was Lay’s birthday and they wanted to surprise him, a difficult feat considering they all lived in one house and preparations had to be kept secretly. Baekhyun was never good at keeping things under wraps. But they managed to surprise him anyway.
“I told him on someone else’s next birthday, I’ll do it myself.” Baekhyun smiles, yet his tired eyes give his true emotions away. “He said he was up for it. A birthday cake making contest. Kyungsoo always likes a challenge.”
Luhan only wraps an arm around his friend’s shoulder as Baekhyun leans his head by his side.
“He’ll be back. He said he’ll be back.” Luhan doesn’t know if he’s trying to convince Baekhyun or himself.
One by one the others join them. None of them seem to be able to get some sleep. Chanyeol tried to munch on crackers but can’t even finish a small pack. Lay has turned the living room into a clinic, healing the burns and bruises they got. Some of the guards are there too. They looked apprehensive at first, but after seeing Lay heal Junsu’s face, the one where Kris punched him, they all start to line up, offering their arms where Chanyeol had burned them previously, or the bruises they managed to have gotten from their fight.
They aren’t aware that Kyungsoo’s meeting with the NSS ended, and Yunho and Changmin are watching what Lay’s doing. Luhan sees Changmin look in awe at the way Lay only hovers his palms over people’s injuries and watch them go away. Not even a single scratch can be found afterwards.
“Amazing, isn’t it?” Junsu says as he stands beside them. “It doesn’t even hurt to be healed at all. Cuts. Bruises. Gone. Just like that.”
“He’s very good at what he does.” Kris says, looking proudly at Lay. Xiumin has joined him now, the two sitting there and tending to the people’s cuts and wounds. Xiumin doesn’t do much except offer ice as relief to someone in line with a black eye.
“The vaccine will be given after all this is done.” Changmin looks at Kris. “I promise you that.”
Kris nods in gratitude.
“And I’d like to apologize,” Changmin says, his eyes sweeping the room and taking in this strange miracle happening before him. “We thought of you as weapons. A threat.” Changmin watches as Chanyeol scoops up a sleeping Baekhyun who’s dozing off beside Luhan. He brings him to the couch to sleep, making sure his head is on a pillow to keep him comfortable. “But you protect each other like family.”
“They are my family.” Kris answers. “They’re the only people I have left.”
Changmin places a hand on Kris’s shoulder. “We’ll stay true to our word. No harm will come to any of them.”
Kris thanks him for that.
Kyungsoo and Kai are left alone to talk about what needs to be done. Sehun doesn’t say anything when Kai leaves except sit by Luhan’s side. Luhan holds his hand, rubbing circles on his palm. Luhan doesn’t ask him how he’s doing. He lets him have the quiet, the peace. He lets him have his hand to hold and his ears ready to listen if he ever wants to talk.
“I want it to be me.” Sehun says under his breath. He’s staring at the ground as if he’s talking to it.
Luhan knows what he means though and it tugs at his heart to know that Sehun wants to risk his life for everyone rather than Kai. It’s his nightmares all over again, being unable to help someone close to him, being unable to do anything except watch things happen.
“I told him he should bring me.” Sehun’s words has Luhan look at him in concern. “We would fight together just like old times. Just like how we used to train.” Sehun sighs. “But he didn’t want me to go. He said it would be best if it was Kyungsoo and him alone. He’d be able to move faster that way and protect him better.”
Luhan has no words. He doesn’t know what things to say to make everyone better. He only holds Sehun and lets him engulf his hands in his.
Sehun breathes out deeply. “I hate waiting for it all to end. I just want… I just want to be able to do something.”
Luhan feels the same way too.
Luhan still can’t believe the negotiations that happened in the last few hours. The fight isn’t over. There’s still one last thing left to do. One last thing Kyungsoo will be doing for all of them. But after all this, when they’re all done, they’ll finally get to have lives to live. It’s still surreal.
Six hours feel like six minutes. The lack of sleep has made them all restless, so when Kyungsoo is finally called, they all stand immediately and follow. Changmin doesn’t stop them. He understands by now how everyone feels about one of them leaving.
Suho is there. Chen has finally managed to pry him out of his room. Kris is with him, keeping him grounded as always. “It’s going to be alright.” Luhan heard Kris say to Suho while they’re walking towards them. Kris keeps whispering in his ear and assuring him everything will go according to plan. But Suho doesn’t respond. He doesn’t nod his head. He just stares at nothing.
They all wait in some kind of booth where there are monitors everywhere. It’s the same setup as the control room, only smaller and more private. The camera feed shows all the hideous creatures in every location, prowling down halls and destroying things. One camera feed dies when a creature hurls a broken door at it. Apparently, they’ve been destroying the cameras as of late since they have nothing else to destroy.
Kyungsoo and Kai enter the room dressed in some sort of jumpsuit. It’s still white, but the material thick. They have gas masks ready to be placed on their faces when they leave. They've been there before and the air isn’t toxic. But with the recent contamination, they had to take necessary safety procedures.
Across from them is a glass booth much like the one Luhan and the rest built in Suho and Kris’s lab. A quarantine area for when they get back.
The personnel in the room start attaching small cameras on Kyungsoo and Kai’s chests. The cameras are no bigger than their thumb. It’s so the rest of them can see what they see and have their movements monitored.
“Communication devices won’t work since those creatures destroyed two of our satellite servers over there. Only one remains. We’ll have to rely on that one but it only supports live viewing. The cameras attached will automatically tap into one of our CCTVs and we’ll be able to see what you’re doing.” Yunho explains.
“The defense against teleportation has been switched off.” Changmin nods at Kai. “You’re good to go.”
They all take turns wishing Kai and Kyungsoo luck afterwards. Tao hugs them both, telling them to come back quick. Chanyeol scoops them both up in his arms effortlessly, Kyungsoo swatting him away when he comes in for a second time. “I can’t breathe, Chanyeol.” Kyungsoo had grumbled at him. But Luhan saw the way he was fighting back a smile.
Chen had teared up, Kai wiping the tears away with the back of his hand and Kyungsoo ruffling his hair. Lay tells them he’ll be here, waiting for them to get back and will heal them no matter what. That he’s already talked to Junsu and no one but Lay is allowed to touch them and heal them should anything happen to them. Xiumin on the other hand only smiles at them and tells Kai he’s willing to be picked up any time if they need help over there.
Baekhyun didn’t even try to hide his crying. Loud sobs that Kyungsoo rolled his eyes at that, but nevertheless pulled him into a long tight hug. Kai gives Sehun one last hug too even if they’ve spent much of their time together earlier.
Luhan walks up to Kyungsoo and pulls him in his arms.
“Don’t tell me you’re worried too?” Kyungsoo chuckles in his neck.
“How can I not be?” Luhan pulls back to look at him. Kyungsoo shrugs. He doesn’t look at all scared.
“I can handle it.”
“True. You’re stronger than all of us.”
“I am.” Kyungsoo’s reply has Luhan roll his eyes at him. They both laugh.
“Be careful out there.” Luhan hugs him one last time. Kyungsoo pats his back in reply. Luhan looks at Kai over Kyungsoo’s shoulder. “You bring yourselves back in one piece.”
Kai nods coming up to them and hugging both Luhan and Kyungsoo.
Suho steps forward when all of them are done. Behind him is Kris who has a hand pressed on the small of Suho’s back. Suho then starts fumbling at the collars of Kai and Kyungsoo’s jumpsuit, making sure the zippers are all zipped up, the masks and the cameras working.
“When you get there, you take everything out.” Suho says quietly. “You destroy everything. Clean it all this time. Make sure nothing is left.”
Kyungsoo nods.
“And then you come back.” Suho’s voice cracks. “You come back. You come home. To us. To me. Both of you.”
Kyungsoo hugs Suho and holds on to him tight before letting Kai hug him too.
“Stop worrying, mom.” Kai says to him, earning him a light smack. Kai chuckles but this only has Suho start crying. Luhan feels his chest constrict at the sight of them. This is his family. It reminds him of the things everyone was willing to do for this family.
Kris pulls Suho back, wrapping an arm around him. Suho buries his face in his chest, muffling his sobs.
“They’ll be alright.” Kris assures Suho, rubbing his hand up and down his arm. “We’ve trained them.”
Kris gives Kai and Kyungsoo each a half hug since his other arm is still on Suho and wishes them luck on this mission.
Kai then steps a few meters away from them, holding out his hand for Kyungsoo. Kyungsoo takes it, his fingers closing in on Kai’s large palm, no longer afraid of holding on to him tight.
“We’ll see you guys later.” Kyungsoo smiles. Luhan and the rest manage to smile back at him.
“Ready?” Kai asks Kyungsoo. Kyungsoo nods.
“Ready.”
They both attach their masks and look at each other. There’s that private moment they seem to share before they disappear, Kai’s black smoke coiling around the space where they were standing on. Gasps from the personnel in the room are heard. They’re not used to seeing a person teleport.
Changmin has his crew focus on the monitors, waiting for Kai and Kyungsoo’s feed to go live. It takes awhile. Luhan knows they have to get to that planet that’s neither here nor there, a place they once frequented. A place that used to be their bridgeway. Kai will make a short stop there before finally getting to where they are.
It takes a few minutes. But once Kai and Kyungsoo’s feed starts broadcasting, all eyes are on the monitors. The first thing they see is a creature’s back and Luhan stifles a gasp as it whips its head around at the sound of Kai and Kyungsoo’s arrival. It’s still hideous. No matter how many times they’ve seen these creatures, they’re all monstrous. They all watch as Kyungsoo places a hand on the ground causing a crack until the surface the creature is stepping on breaks, causing the creature to fall.
Everyone can hear Suho breathe a sigh of relief.
“There’s more of them.” Yunho says and they all see Kyungsoo’s feed focus on the right. The feed dies for a moment before it goes up again. Kai just teleported himself and Kyungsoo closer, making him deal with those monsters.
“His ability…” Changmin looks at the monitors in amazement. “He’s strong.”
Kris looks proud at that. Kyungsoo is strong. Years of all his energy bottled up inside him is released in an instant. They’ve seen Kyungsoo use his abilities once and it had wiped out a whole area. To see him do it again is incredible.
They all hold their breaths as Kyungsoo destroys another part of the wrecked facility. If the CCTV footages had audio, Luhan is sure they would hear those creatures’ roars of anguish.
“They just have to keep this up.” Yunho says under his breath. He looks nervous. Everyone does. Chen has Suho in his hold. Suho’s knuckles are white from holding on to Chen’s hands tight.
Kyungsoo doesn’t look tired as he destroys every inch of that facility. He has so much energy flowing through him and he lets it all out.
“He has to step out now.” Changmin focuses on a monitor where they can see Kyungsoo and Kai instead of their point of views in the cameras in their suits. “They both have to get out of there before the ground gives way.”
Kris nods in agreement. “They know that. Kai is there. He’ll get him out-”
Suddenly, a creature charges behind them. Kai, noticing it first, grabs Kyungsoo out of the way and teleports. The creature’s claws swipe at thin air. Kai and Kyungsoo appear far from it but only to land in a cluster of other creatures. Kyungsoo steps hard on the ground, leaving a crack until it splits. Kai grabs him again just before the creatures can get to them and they teleport out of there.
Suho’s breathing is jagged as he watches. “That was too close.”
Kai teleports in another area but since Kyungsoo has almost destroyed everything, the ground is starting to be unstable and he topples over. Kyungsoo pushes him out of the way so he can land safely, but this only has Kyungsoo fall on a wide gap. Luhan gasps as he sees this. But Kai is fast, disappearing and appearing with Kyungsoo in his arms before finding a stable place to stand on.
“That was insane.” Xiumin breathes. “I’ve never seen Kai move that fast before.”
Kyungsoo only has two more areas to destroy and they’re done. Most of the camera feed attached to the facility is gone having been destroyed. They only have three footages left along with Kai and Kyungsoo’s live feed. Sehun is watching intently at the screen as Kai dodges a creature’s swipe, making sure it doesn’t reach him. Kyungsoo, seeing how close a creature had gotten Kai, uses his abilities. This time, they all watch in awe as the ground doesn’t open up. Rather, the ground shoots up like a wave and Kyungsoo controls it, the dirt bending to his will and smothering the creature.
Everyone blinks at this.
“He’s good.” Junsu comments. “I can understand now what you meant about him controlling the earth. He must be doing this often to get the hang of it.”
No. Kyungsoo hasn’t been doing that often. Kyungsoo hasn’t done anything like that at all.
“A new ability.” Lay says under his breath.
They don’t know how a new ability could’ve developed seeing as Kyungsoo’s powers have been suppressed for so long. But they stand there and watch as Kyungsoo continues to use it, sprouting up cracks on the ground and pulling more of the dirt up rather than splitting it open, and using it to drown and suffocate the creatures. He seemed surprised at first too. But considering the circumstance they’re in, he couldn’t exactly spare a few minutes to take in this new ability.
“They’re almost done.” Yunho issues an order to some of the personnel to begin setting up the quarantine area for their arrival.
Kai and Kyungsoo are teleporting in and out now, dodging unstable ground and other creatures still coming after them. Kyungsoo pulls Kai to a stop in one section and says something to him. They all watch as Kyungsoo kneels, both hands on the ground now.
“What is he doing?” Chen asks.
No one has the answer to his question. Kyungsoo looks like he’s concentrating hard with Kai beside him, ready to get him out of there in case something happens. They all watch, the only footages left are Kyungsoo and Kai’s cameras. Some creatures ahead have spotted them and are making their way towards them. But Kyungsoo doesn’t budge.
Come on, get out of there. Luhan can’t breathe as he watches his two friends.
Kyungsoo’s hands are on the ground and it starts shaking. At first it’s a slow rumble. Until the whole ground is starting to move violently that the camera feed is shaking so hard and the whole thing is barely visible. The ground in front of them cracks and splits open, causing the last of the creatures to be buried. But Kyungsoo doesn’t stop. He’s still causing the ground to shake.
“What is he doing? He’s done now. They can leave.” Chanyeol says.
It doesn’t hit them what Kyungsoo is doing until Kai finally turns around and lets everyone see what’s going on. Around them, the ground is splitting all the way to the ends of the deserted planet, causing a massive quake. There’s no longer a stable ground for them to stand on apart from the ones they’re in. Everything is sinking, the whole ground collapsing.
Kyungsoo is burying the planet within itself.
Luhan watches, eyes glued to Kai’s footage. They have to get out of there now. Kyungsoo may be powerful. But he’s completely destroying a whole planet and he’s sure that his friend has his limits. Kai needs to get them out of there before Kyungsoo can’t control the ground anymore and Kai is too weak to teleport.
Suddenly, Kai’s footage jerks and he’s on the ground. Kyungsoo’s camera whirls to Kai and they all see him being dragged by his legs. The claws around him are enough to know what got him. Kyungsoo’s hand is outstretched as the ground rises behind the creature to smother it and save Kai. But Kai is dragged too until he reaches the edge, dangling. Kyungsoo rushes to him to pull him up when he leans down and sees that more creatures are holding on to Kai’s legs from below.
“He’s strong. He can pull him up.” Sehun says breathlessly beside him. “Kyungsoo, pull him up.”
Kyungsoo is tugging at Kai, pulling his pair up. But he doesn’t even get to lift him further when the ground he’s standing on gives way and the footage falls.
“No!” Baekhyun gasps.
They all watch as both footages are a blur. It doesn’t stop falling. Until finally, both cameras go dead and Suho gasps.
They all stand there unable to breathe as they wait for it to return.
But seconds go by and there’s nothing but static filling the screen.
a/n: I was asked what the creatures looked like exactly. In my head, they kind of look like something akin to Resident Evil's monsters.
Chapter 14
There’s a few seconds of silence before Suho says anything.
“No.”
Suho looks at Yunho and Changmin. His gaze as well as his answer is firm.
“No. You can’t send him alone.”
“We can’t send all of you.” Changmin explains. “It’s too risky. That place is swarming with those creatures. Sending all of you would mean risking lives and getting all of you infected. We only need to send one-”
“No.” Suho only repeats as firmly as before. “It’s either all of us or none at all.”
Luhan looks at Kyungsoo who’s just standing there and taking this in calmly. He’s not hearing this right. They can’t send him. Haven’t they agreed this was their fight? It had to be all of them.
“Doctor Kim Junmyeon,” Changmin starts slowly. “You’ve seen how infested that place was with… whatever those things are. If we send all of you, the chances of us getting everyone out of there safely would be slim.”
“I don’t care.” Suho presses. “You’re not sending him alone.”
“There has to be some other way.” Kris adds.
“Alright then,” Changmin looks at Junsu. “Doctor, you know what their abilities are. What do you think?”
Junsu looks at Suho and Kris apologetically. “I’m sorry but it’s really best if we only send one-”
“And I said no.” Subo’s answer cuts through Junsu’s words harshly that he takes a moment before replying.
“Doctor, think about this.” Junsu says. “If all of you go, it’s like sending you all up for slaughter. That place is filled with those creatures. And not everyone won’t be able to use their abilities.” Junsu motions to Tao. “The one you said that stops time can’t even use his abilities to help. It doesn’t affect those creatures just like how it doesn’t affect you.” He then looks at Baekhyun. “The one that creates light and illusion may be helpful in a strategical attack but we don’t have time for that. We need a strong offense that’s going to take them all out in one blow.”
“And we have those offensive abilities.” Suho responds. “Sending just one of us won’t help at all-”
“Suho,” Kyungsoo finally speaks up. Suho turns to him just as Kyungsoo places a hand on his shoulder. “I’ll go.”
Suho looks like he was punched in the gut as he heard this. Kai on the other hand is standing there and is as calm as Kyungsoo is.
“What? No.” Suho answers.
“Remember back then when you said I needed an outlet?” Kyungsoo asks. Luhan remembered that day Tao told them about Kyungsoo’s condition. He remembered Lay with his hands on the sides of Kyungsoo’s head, draining his energy out of him just so he doesn’t become a hazard to himself. “Remember when you said that the only way for me to get better is if I let all of my abilities out?”
Suho shakes his head, clearly in denial. So are the rest of them. But what Kyungsoo said made sense.
“This is it.” Kyungsoo holds Suho’s face in his hands so he can look at him better. “This is what’s going to finally make me get better.”
Luhan wants to step in and tell him he can’t be thinking this. He’s not sick. Well, not anymore. With Lay’s new power, he can help him. He doesn’t have to leave. He doesn’t have to go.
“I can still help you. I can still cure you.” Suho says in a rush. “Lay can heal you. Kris and I will think of something. We can suppress your abilities. We can fix whatever this is. You’ve lasted this long-”
Kyungsoo only smiles sadly at him. “You can’t cure me.”
“Don’t say that.” Suho says angrily. “I can and I will.”
Kyungsoo is the one shaking his head this time. “I don’t want you to.”
Luhan doesn’t like this at all. None of them like where this is going. Kyungsoo looks dead set on doing this mission alone.
“Suho, you know this is the only way for me. I can help everyone.” Kyungsoo reasons. “Why risk the rest of us when I can just finish this easily?”
Suho closes his eyes. “No.”
No. Kyungsoo can’t leave them. He just can’t.
Kris steps closer and rubs Suho’s shoulders. “I hate this as much as you do. But Kyungsoo is right. Right now, he’s the most powerful one out of all of us. His abilities were meant for this kind of destruction.”
Suho slaps Kris’s hands away from him as he looks at him angrily.
“This is suicide.”
“It’s not.”
“It is. You’re talking about sending one of my own-”
“Our own, Suho. Every single one of them.”
Luhan feels Sehun wrap an arm around his waist and he steps closer to his side, sharing the warmth that he badly needs at the moment. Kyungsoo’s willingness to go on this mission is scaring him, dread filling him up like a kind of chilling breeze just hit him. This isn’t how they had wanted things to go. Kyungsoo can’t risk his life just so he can get better. In what sense is that okay?
“Let me go.” Kyungsoo says to Suho. “If I’m to get better, I have to go. This is the least I can do with what you’ve done for me.”
Suho is still shaking his head.
“Hey,” Kyungsoo tips his chin up. “I’ll be back. It’s not like I’m not coming back.”
Suho still looks torn up about it. “I don’t want you to go alone.”
“We don’t want you to go alone.” Chanyeol speaks up. “You’re not leaving us.”
Luhan agrees. “This is everyone’s fight, Kyungsoo. It’s not yours alone.”
“We’ll come. We’ll stop you from leaving alone if we have to.” Chen adds.
Kyungsoo only looks at all of them. “And I’ll fight every single one of you if you’re going to come with me. I’ll do the same if all of you are going to make me stay.”
Luhan can’t believe he’s hearing this.
“Suho,” Kyungsoo turns to him. “You spoke about choices earlier. I’m making mine.”
Suho looks at him. There are tears streaming down his face. There must be something in Kyungsoo’s eyes to let him know he won't change his mind because Suho grabs him and hugs him tight. Kyungsoo gives a deep sigh, wrapping his arms around him.
“You don’t have to worry about him, doctor.” Yunho says. “If his abilities are that destructive as you all say it is, we only need to bury those creatures and they’ll be dealt with.”
Changmin agrees. “We have an aircraft that can get him there fast-”
“No need.” Kai steps forward. “I can get him there myself.”
Suho releases Kyungsoo from his hold as he stares at Kai in disbelief. Kyungsoo, however, only looks surprised.
“You can fight me on this." Kai says to Kyungsoo. "But I know you won’t. If you think I was going to let you leave on your own…” Kai smiles to which Kyungsoo responds by breaking out into a grin.
“This is better. With Kai, they can get in and out of there quick.” Kris agrees. “It will save them time.”
Suho is unable to say anything. He looks lost and weary that Chen has to hold him from behind, afraid that with Kai’s addition to this trip, Suho will break.
“When does he need to leave?” Baekhyun asks, a tinge of sadness in his voice.
“In six hours.” Changmin replies. “We can’t afford to have this go on for long. The faster we get this cleaned up, the better.”
The faster they get this done with, the sooner they’ll be free. Luhan looks around the room at the expression of forlorn in all of his brothers’ faces. Is this the price they have to pay for freedom?
Their meeting is adjourned and Yunho has them transferred to their rooms to get some rest. Rooms. Not their cells. Luhan is grateful for this new change. They’re given access to communal showers and soft beds and fresh clothes. They’re still white since there’s no other clothing. But none of them complain.
They don’t sleep. As usual, Luhan can’t sleep when the thought of Kyungsoo leaving them in a few hours is keeping him awake. He also can’t sleep alone in this place. It reminds him too much of the facility they used to live in even if they were promised safety. He feels uncomfortable around here and being by himself in a room without Sehun. Sehun has spent his time with Kai, just talking to him and keeping him company while Kyungsoo is briefed by the NSS on what to do. Luhan knows it’s hard for Sehun, watching his friend go on this mission, so he lets him spend as much time as he can with Kai.
He doesn’t eat as well even if he hasn’t eaten in days. Somehow, food doesn’t appeal to him at the moment when dread fills his stomach. They’re in a more secluded part of a facility where they’ve temporarily used it as their living quarters. Outside their rooms is a pantry and a conference room. It’s where Kyungsoo is being briefed. Kris is with them now. Suho, however, refused to hear any of it. He opted to stay in his room. Chen has been trying to talk him into going out but to no avail.
“I don’t want him to go.” Baekhyun shares. It’s the first thing he said when Luhan joined him after a few minutes of just tossing and turning in bed. They’re seated in one of the chairs in the pantry and the only thing keeping them awake is coffee. It tastes nothing in Luhan’s stomach and is probably a bad idea for he hasn’t eaten anything in days. But he needs to stay awake.
Luhan doesn’t know what to say to Baekhyun. He doesn’t want Kyungsoo and Kai to go either.
“You know he whacked me with an oven mitt once when I gave him a hard time with Lay’s birthday cake.” Baekhyun reminisces. Luhan remembers that one. It was Lay’s birthday and they wanted to surprise him, a difficult feat considering they all lived in one house and preparations had to be kept secretly. Baekhyun was never good at keeping things under wraps. But they managed to surprise him anyway.
“I told him on someone else’s next birthday, I’ll do it myself.” Baekhyun smiles, yet his tired eyes give his true emotions away. “He said he was up for it. A birthday cake making contest. Kyungsoo always likes a challenge.”
Luhan only wraps an arm around his friend’s shoulder as Baekhyun leans his head by his side.
“He’ll be back. He said he’ll be back.” Luhan doesn’t know if he’s trying to convince Baekhyun or himself.
One by one the others join them. None of them seem to be able to get some sleep. Chanyeol tried to munch on crackers but can’t even finish a small pack. Lay has turned the living room into a clinic, healing the burns and bruises they got. Some of the guards are there too. They looked apprehensive at first, but after seeing Lay heal Junsu’s face, the one where Kris punched him, they all start to line up, offering their arms where Chanyeol had burned them previously, or the bruises they managed to have gotten from their fight.
They aren’t aware that Kyungsoo’s meeting with the NSS ended, and Yunho and Changmin are watching what Lay’s doing. Luhan sees Changmin look in awe at the way Lay only hovers his palms over people’s injuries and watch them go away. Not even a single scratch can be found afterwards.
“Amazing, isn’t it?” Junsu says as he stands beside them. “It doesn’t even hurt to be healed at all. Cuts. Bruises. Gone. Just like that.”
“He’s very good at what he does.” Kris says, looking proudly at Lay. Xiumin has joined him now, the two sitting there and tending to the people’s cuts and wounds. Xiumin doesn’t do much except offer ice as relief to someone in line with a black eye.
“The vaccine will be given after all this is done.” Changmin looks at Kris. “I promise you that.”
Kris nods in gratitude.
“And I’d like to apologize,” Changmin says, his eyes sweeping the room and taking in this strange miracle happening before him. “We thought of you as weapons. A threat.” Changmin watches as Chanyeol scoops up a sleeping Baekhyun who’s dozing off beside Luhan. He brings him to the couch to sleep, making sure his head is on a pillow to keep him comfortable. “But you protect each other like family.”
“They are my family.” Kris answers. “They’re the only people I have left.”
Changmin places a hand on Kris’s shoulder. “We’ll stay true to our word. No harm will come to any of them.”
Kris thanks him for that.
Kyungsoo and Kai are left alone to talk about what needs to be done. Sehun doesn’t say anything when Kai leaves except sit by Luhan’s side. Luhan holds his hand, rubbing circles on his palm. Luhan doesn’t ask him how he’s doing. He lets him have the quiet, the peace. He lets him have his hand to hold and his ears ready to listen if he ever wants to talk.
“I want it to be me.” Sehun says under his breath. He’s staring at the ground as if he’s talking to it.
Luhan knows what he means though and it tugs at his heart to know that Sehun wants to risk his life for everyone rather than Kai. It’s his nightmares all over again, being unable to help someone close to him, being unable to do anything except watch things happen.
“I told him he should bring me.” Sehun’s words has Luhan look at him in concern. “We would fight together just like old times. Just like how we used to train.” Sehun sighs. “But he didn’t want me to go. He said it would be best if it was Kyungsoo and him alone. He’d be able to move faster that way and protect him better.”
Luhan has no words. He doesn’t know what things to say to make everyone better. He only holds Sehun and lets him engulf his hands in his.
Sehun breathes out deeply. “I hate waiting for it all to end. I just want… I just want to be able to do something.”
Luhan feels the same way too.
Luhan still can’t believe the negotiations that happened in the last few hours. The fight isn’t over. There’s still one last thing left to do. One last thing Kyungsoo will be doing for all of them. But after all this, when they’re all done, they’ll finally get to have lives to live. It’s still surreal.
Six hours feel like six minutes. The lack of sleep has made them all restless, so when Kyungsoo is finally called, they all stand immediately and follow. Changmin doesn’t stop them. He understands by now how everyone feels about one of them leaving.
Suho is there. Chen has finally managed to pry him out of his room. Kris is with him, keeping him grounded as always. “It’s going to be alright.” Luhan heard Kris say to Suho while they’re walking towards them. Kris keeps whispering in his ear and assuring him everything will go according to plan. But Suho doesn’t respond. He doesn’t nod his head. He just stares at nothing.
They all wait in some kind of booth where there are monitors everywhere. It’s the same setup as the control room, only smaller and more private. The camera feed shows all the hideous creatures in every location, prowling down halls and destroying things. One camera feed dies when a creature hurls a broken door at it. Apparently, they’ve been destroying the cameras as of late since they have nothing else to destroy.
Kyungsoo and Kai enter the room dressed in some sort of jumpsuit. It’s still white, but the material thick. They have gas masks ready to be placed on their faces when they leave. They've been there before and the air isn’t toxic. But with the recent contamination, they had to take necessary safety procedures.
Across from them is a glass booth much like the one Luhan and the rest built in Suho and Kris’s lab. A quarantine area for when they get back.
The personnel in the room start attaching small cameras on Kyungsoo and Kai’s chests. The cameras are no bigger than their thumb. It’s so the rest of them can see what they see and have their movements monitored.
“Communication devices won’t work since those creatures destroyed two of our satellite servers over there. Only one remains. We’ll have to rely on that one but it only supports live viewing. The cameras attached will automatically tap into one of our CCTVs and we’ll be able to see what you’re doing.” Yunho explains.
“The defense against teleportation has been switched off.” Changmin nods at Kai. “You’re good to go.”
They all take turns wishing Kai and Kyungsoo luck afterwards. Tao hugs them both, telling them to come back quick. Chanyeol scoops them both up in his arms effortlessly, Kyungsoo swatting him away when he comes in for a second time. “I can’t breathe, Chanyeol.” Kyungsoo had grumbled at him. But Luhan saw the way he was fighting back a smile.
Chen had teared up, Kai wiping the tears away with the back of his hand and Kyungsoo ruffling his hair. Lay tells them he’ll be here, waiting for them to get back and will heal them no matter what. That he’s already talked to Junsu and no one but Lay is allowed to touch them and heal them should anything happen to them. Xiumin on the other hand only smiles at them and tells Kai he’s willing to be picked up any time if they need help over there.
Baekhyun didn’t even try to hide his crying. Loud sobs that Kyungsoo rolled his eyes at that, but nevertheless pulled him into a long tight hug. Kai gives Sehun one last hug too even if they’ve spent much of their time together earlier.
Luhan walks up to Kyungsoo and pulls him in his arms.
“Don’t tell me you’re worried too?” Kyungsoo chuckles in his neck.
“How can I not be?” Luhan pulls back to look at him. Kyungsoo shrugs. He doesn’t look at all scared.
“I can handle it.”
“True. You’re stronger than all of us.”
“I am.” Kyungsoo’s reply has Luhan roll his eyes at him. They both laugh.
“Be careful out there.” Luhan hugs him one last time. Kyungsoo pats his back in reply. Luhan looks at Kai over Kyungsoo’s shoulder. “You bring yourselves back in one piece.”
Kai nods coming up to them and hugging both Luhan and Kyungsoo.
Suho steps forward when all of them are done. Behind him is Kris who has a hand pressed on the small of Suho’s back. Suho then starts fumbling at the collars of Kai and Kyungsoo’s jumpsuit, making sure the zippers are all zipped up, the masks and the cameras working.
“When you get there, you take everything out.” Suho says quietly. “You destroy everything. Clean it all this time. Make sure nothing is left.”
Kyungsoo nods.
“And then you come back.” Suho’s voice cracks. “You come back. You come home. To us. To me. Both of you.”
Kyungsoo hugs Suho and holds on to him tight before letting Kai hug him too.
“Stop worrying, mom.” Kai says to him, earning him a light smack. Kai chuckles but this only has Suho start crying. Luhan feels his chest constrict at the sight of them. This is his family. It reminds him of the things everyone was willing to do for this family.
Kris pulls Suho back, wrapping an arm around him. Suho buries his face in his chest, muffling his sobs.
“They’ll be alright.” Kris assures Suho, rubbing his hand up and down his arm. “We’ve trained them.”
Kris gives Kai and Kyungsoo each a half hug since his other arm is still on Suho and wishes them luck on this mission.
Kai then steps a few meters away from them, holding out his hand for Kyungsoo. Kyungsoo takes it, his fingers closing in on Kai’s large palm, no longer afraid of holding on to him tight.
“We’ll see you guys later.” Kyungsoo smiles. Luhan and the rest manage to smile back at him.
“Ready?” Kai asks Kyungsoo. Kyungsoo nods.
“Ready.”
They both attach their masks and look at each other. There’s that private moment they seem to share before they disappear, Kai’s black smoke coiling around the space where they were standing on. Gasps from the personnel in the room are heard. They’re not used to seeing a person teleport.
Changmin has his crew focus on the monitors, waiting for Kai and Kyungsoo’s feed to go live. It takes awhile. Luhan knows they have to get to that planet that’s neither here nor there, a place they once frequented. A place that used to be their bridgeway. Kai will make a short stop there before finally getting to where they are.
It takes a few minutes. But once Kai and Kyungsoo’s feed starts broadcasting, all eyes are on the monitors. The first thing they see is a creature’s back and Luhan stifles a gasp as it whips its head around at the sound of Kai and Kyungsoo’s arrival. It’s still hideous. No matter how many times they’ve seen these creatures, they’re all monstrous. They all watch as Kyungsoo places a hand on the ground causing a crack until the surface the creature is stepping on breaks, causing the creature to fall.
Everyone can hear Suho breathe a sigh of relief.
“There’s more of them.” Yunho says and they all see Kyungsoo’s feed focus on the right. The feed dies for a moment before it goes up again. Kai just teleported himself and Kyungsoo closer, making him deal with those monsters.
“His ability…” Changmin looks at the monitors in amazement. “He’s strong.”
Kris looks proud at that. Kyungsoo is strong. Years of all his energy bottled up inside him is released in an instant. They’ve seen Kyungsoo use his abilities once and it had wiped out a whole area. To see him do it again is incredible.
They all hold their breaths as Kyungsoo destroys another part of the wrecked facility. If the CCTV footages had audio, Luhan is sure they would hear those creatures’ roars of anguish.
“They just have to keep this up.” Yunho says under his breath. He looks nervous. Everyone does. Chen has Suho in his hold. Suho’s knuckles are white from holding on to Chen’s hands tight.
Kyungsoo doesn’t look tired as he destroys every inch of that facility. He has so much energy flowing through him and he lets it all out.
“He has to step out now.” Changmin focuses on a monitor where they can see Kyungsoo and Kai instead of their point of views in the cameras in their suits. “They both have to get out of there before the ground gives way.”
Kris nods in agreement. “They know that. Kai is there. He’ll get him out-”
Suddenly, a creature charges behind them. Kai, noticing it first, grabs Kyungsoo out of the way and teleports. The creature’s claws swipe at thin air. Kai and Kyungsoo appear far from it but only to land in a cluster of other creatures. Kyungsoo steps hard on the ground, leaving a crack until it splits. Kai grabs him again just before the creatures can get to them and they teleport out of there.
Suho’s breathing is jagged as he watches. “That was too close.”
Kai teleports in another area but since Kyungsoo has almost destroyed everything, the ground is starting to be unstable and he topples over. Kyungsoo pushes him out of the way so he can land safely, but this only has Kyungsoo fall on a wide gap. Luhan gasps as he sees this. But Kai is fast, disappearing and appearing with Kyungsoo in his arms before finding a stable place to stand on.
“That was insane.” Xiumin breathes. “I’ve never seen Kai move that fast before.”
Kyungsoo only has two more areas to destroy and they’re done. Most of the camera feed attached to the facility is gone having been destroyed. They only have three footages left along with Kai and Kyungsoo’s live feed. Sehun is watching intently at the screen as Kai dodges a creature’s swipe, making sure it doesn’t reach him. Kyungsoo, seeing how close a creature had gotten Kai, uses his abilities. This time, they all watch in awe as the ground doesn’t open up. Rather, the ground shoots up like a wave and Kyungsoo controls it, the dirt bending to his will and smothering the creature.
Everyone blinks at this.
“He’s good.” Junsu comments. “I can understand now what you meant about him controlling the earth. He must be doing this often to get the hang of it.”
No. Kyungsoo hasn’t been doing that often. Kyungsoo hasn’t done anything like that at all.
“A new ability.” Lay says under his breath.
They don’t know how a new ability could’ve developed seeing as Kyungsoo’s powers have been suppressed for so long. But they stand there and watch as Kyungsoo continues to use it, sprouting up cracks on the ground and pulling more of the dirt up rather than splitting it open, and using it to drown and suffocate the creatures. He seemed surprised at first too. But considering the circumstance they’re in, he couldn’t exactly spare a few minutes to take in this new ability.
“They’re almost done.” Yunho issues an order to some of the personnel to begin setting up the quarantine area for their arrival.
Kai and Kyungsoo are teleporting in and out now, dodging unstable ground and other creatures still coming after them. Kyungsoo pulls Kai to a stop in one section and says something to him. They all watch as Kyungsoo kneels, both hands on the ground now.
“What is he doing?” Chen asks.
No one has the answer to his question. Kyungsoo looks like he’s concentrating hard with Kai beside him, ready to get him out of there in case something happens. They all watch, the only footages left are Kyungsoo and Kai’s cameras. Some creatures ahead have spotted them and are making their way towards them. But Kyungsoo doesn’t budge.
Come on, get out of there. Luhan can’t breathe as he watches his two friends.
Kyungsoo’s hands are on the ground and it starts shaking. At first it’s a slow rumble. Until the whole ground is starting to move violently that the camera feed is shaking so hard and the whole thing is barely visible. The ground in front of them cracks and splits open, causing the last of the creatures to be buried. But Kyungsoo doesn’t stop. He’s still causing the ground to shake.
“What is he doing? He’s done now. They can leave.” Chanyeol says.
It doesn’t hit them what Kyungsoo is doing until Kai finally turns around and lets everyone see what’s going on. Around them, the ground is splitting all the way to the ends of the deserted planet, causing a massive quake. There’s no longer a stable ground for them to stand on apart from the ones they’re in. Everything is sinking, the whole ground collapsing.
Kyungsoo is burying the planet within itself.
Luhan watches, eyes glued to Kai’s footage. They have to get out of there now. Kyungsoo may be powerful. But he’s completely destroying a whole planet and he’s sure that his friend has his limits. Kai needs to get them out of there before Kyungsoo can’t control the ground anymore and Kai is too weak to teleport.
Suddenly, Kai’s footage jerks and he’s on the ground. Kyungsoo’s camera whirls to Kai and they all see him being dragged by his legs. The claws around him are enough to know what got him. Kyungsoo’s hand is outstretched as the ground rises behind the creature to smother it and save Kai. But Kai is dragged too until he reaches the edge, dangling. Kyungsoo rushes to him to pull him up when he leans down and sees that more creatures are holding on to Kai’s legs from below.
“He’s strong. He can pull him up.” Sehun says breathlessly beside him. “Kyungsoo, pull him up.”
Kyungsoo is tugging at Kai, pulling his pair up. But he doesn’t even get to lift him further when the ground he’s standing on gives way and the footage falls.
“No!” Baekhyun gasps.
They all watch as both footages are a blur. It doesn’t stop falling. Until finally, both cameras go dead and Suho gasps.
They all stand there unable to breathe as they wait for it to return.
But seconds go by and there’s nothing but static filling the screen.
a/n: I was asked what the creatures looked like exactly. In my head, they kind of look like something akin to Resident Evil's monsters.
Chapter 14