Survivability 03 [DBSK / Super Junior / Big Bang / Bleach universe] Part 2
Title: Survivability 03: Stages of Healing [part 2]
Author: Verocity
Fandom: Super Junior / Dong Bang Shin Ki / Big Bang / Bleach
Featuring: EunHyuk, RyeoWook, JunSu, DaeSung. (DongHae makes a cameo)
Pairings: None. Friendship and camaraderie all around.
Rating: G
Warnings: -none-
Genre: Action and Adventure, ahoy!
A/N: Constructive input would be most welcome. I proofread this several times, but there may still be typographical errors here and there. Please bear with it.
Summary: EunHyuk and RyeoWook are a couple of 4th Division trainees when they get roped into something way beyond their depth.
Word Count: Around 15,500 words total
Link to Part 1
They found the inn without much trouble. DaeSung and RyeoWook went together so they could talk about food, music, and funny tales about being a lieutenant. (The butterfly went with them even though it couldn't possibly contribute to the conversation.) JunSu and EunHyuk, like their childhood days, slept in the same room.
"JunSu?" EunHyuk called from the bathroom as he rinsed RyeoWook's lunchboxes in the sink.
JunSu was doing his nightly stretches. "Yeah?"
"I still don't get it. How are we helping out by being here?" He tapped the loose water off the boxes and wrapped them again in his blanket. He opened the door and ducked instinctively. One of JunSu's slippers sailed by harmlessly above him. He put the wrapped boxes on the desk beside his bed.
JunSu finished his bends before lying down on his back. He pressed a palm against the wall beside him and chanted something under his breath. Soon, the walls, floor and ceiling vibrated with spirit energy. Even the window turned black. The only source of light was the lit oil lamp on the desk. "You understand that you can't repeat anything I'll say to anyone, right? Not even to RyeoWook?"
"Of course. But if he figures it out by himself, that's not my responsibility." EunHyuk climbed on his own bed and started his own flexibility stretches.
"He's a smart kid. He'll go far in your Division." JunSu took a deep breath. "We're here to reassure the civilians that Soul Society no longer sees their situation as critical."
"Critical?" EunHyuk asked
"This village was attacked without warning a couple of months ago. Very powerful hollow. Nobody knew where it came from. It took three units from the 3rd Division to chase it away. ChangMin came back heavily injured from their fight in the forest, but it was nothing that your lieutenant couldn't take care of."
EunHyuk started patting his muscles loose. "I think I remember that. I was stationed in the emergency ward when they brought in lieutenant ChangMin with a huge wound on his chest. He was really weak, but still conscious. But at least he won the battle, right?"
JunSu shook his head. "He didn't. What people don't know is that ChangMin almost died. Captain JaeJoong arrived just in time to kill the hollow before it could finish ChangMin."
EunHyuk shivered visibly. "A hollow that can defeat a lieutenant? Right here in our world?"
"Exactly. Granted, ChangMin isn't exactly one of the best lieutenants around. He's a prodigy when it comes to the demon arts, fine, but outside of that he's still at the level of any other seated officer. So we don't know exactly how strong the hollow is." JunSu regarded EunHyuk with an unfathomable expression that the latter didn't bother to read.
EunHyuk hazarded a few guesses at what came after. "So Soul Society searched the forest around the district."
"Yeah. Even some of the captains were called in."
"And they didn't find anything."
"None whatsoever."
"What happened next?" Finished with his quick nightly rituals, EunHyuk lay flat on his back.
JunSu shifted to face him. "We pushed for the mass production of hollow repellant wards. Drove the 12th division crazy, I can tell you, but even they agreed it was the practical course of action."
"If we have hollow repellants, why don't we station them all over Rukongai?"
JunSu nodded encouragingly. "Exactly. That was our aim. But effective hollow repellants aren't easy to make. I read the 12th Division's report. I didn't understand everything; too many theories, too much jargon, not enough diagrams. But from what I did understand, the materials needed are almost exotic to our reality. At the heart of each ward is a small sphere of exotic matter that carries impossible amounts of spirit energy to power the layers and layers of spells needed to ward away hollows. The stronger the battery you put, the more powerful the hollows it can push away. We could have made more wards, but each one would be weaker."
EunHyuk was pleased that he could follow the train of developments. "So you focused on strength instead of quantity."
"Yeah. Since this is the first area attacked, the Captains decided to install the wards here and the nearby districts. Hopefully it's a localized thing, or that it was just a freak occurrence."
"At least I know we're in the safest place to be, outside of Soul Society."
"That's one way of looking at it. We've ringed this town with wards. No hollow, even those at the level of a lieutenant, can enter from the forest."
EunHyuk bit his lip thoughtfully. "What have I got to do with this? And RyeoWook?"
"You were part of the diplomatic mission. See, we thought the best way to assure the civilians that everything's fine is to bring trainees here. The local officials agreed." JunSu grinned at him, proud of his machinations. "I brought you because you're not a real trainee, but very few people know that. RyeoWook... he wasn't part of the plan. But I figured between you, me, and DaeSung, we could handle any threat that came our way, if there came a threat at all, and it might be a good idea to bring someone who's getting somewhere with his healing training."
EunHyuk considered throwing his pillow at JunSu's face, but he'd have to get it back himself and he was already comfortable. "And why were you and lieutenant DaeSung sent on this?"
JunSu's grin turned sardonic. "DaeSung's a great tracker. He can count and identify spirit signatures from significant distances. While I'm an all-around fighter. But that's not important. What matters is that the two of us are the loudest and most charming lieutenants around. Our smiles can melt the world!"
EunHyuk ended up throwing his pillow after all. JunSu caught it and refused to give it back, as expected. There was a brief struggle to assert ownership over the pillow, but JunSu soon relented and EunHyuk tumbled back to his bed.
"So RyeoWook and I are just here to lounge around? Sweet!"
"Exactly. While DaeSung and I check on the wards to ensure they're working." JunSu sounded almost jealous. "But hey, that doesn't mean we can't have fun as well."
Sensing that the delicate part of the conversation was over, JunSu undid the spell that afforded them temporary privacy. The first sound that greeted them was a long, drawn-out moan of pleasure from the other side of the wall, followed by a series of ragged gasps. JunSu and EunHyuk stared unbelieving at each other, rushed to their feet and out the door. They barged into the other room to find RyeoWook standing on DaeSung's back and massaging the lieutenant's muscles with his feet.
"JunSu, you should try this..." DaeSung called out lazily. His eyes drooped closed and he let out another sound of pure relaxation.
RyeoWook grinned sheepishly at them. "My father always said I give excellent massages." He sat on DaeSung's back and pulled on the lieutenant's legs.
~*~
RyeoWook also gave JunSu a massage in their room. EunHyuk egged him on to go more and more brutal and cheered whenever RyeoWook twisted JunSu into a seemingly painful position, except that JunSu's sighs were too soft to be anything but relaxed. EunHyuk turned down the offer of getting his own massage, and insisted that RyeoWook needed to get some sleep.
Soon, JunSu was knocked out cold and RyeoWook went back to his room. EunHyuk blew out the fire in the oil lamp and lay on his bed. He waited until the vibrations from RyeoWook's room suggested that both occupants were asleep. Only then did he bring out the letter JunSu handed him earlier.
He read DongHae's untidy scrawl by the moonlight.
Dear Hyu Assface. (They said I shouldn't call you by your old name, but I don't want to call you by your new name either. It doesn't sound like you at all. So from now on, you're 'Assface'.)
How are you? You haven't written to me in forever! I wanted to visit you after you left, but the lieutenant said we should leave you alone. Give you time or something. So I didn't write anything to you. What's your excuse for not writing?
Lieutenant JunSu said you were going out on a mission diplomatic visit to Rukongai tomorrow. Sounds like fun. I asked if I could come along, but he said the personnel requirements were really specific. Hey, buy a couple of things that remind you of me, will you? Then give one to JunSu to give to me. Or you can give it to me by yourself if you're okay now.
By the way, I don't know if you've heard. I'm 3rd seat now! Feels weird to take your place in the division. I wanted to leave the third seat empty. I told them we should wait for you to come back and I'll be perfectly happy with being 4th (and at least my position number matches your division!) but Captain said he can demote me if you chose to come back. So for now, I'm the third seat and you're just a trainee. You should show me respect when we see each other again! Or else I'm going to request that you be assigned to do my laundry. Hahaha
Have you made any new friends? You should introduce us! I'm sure we'll get along fine. Don't worry. I won't be jealous if you grow closer to anyone else. I know you love me~
I hope you enjoy your mi trip. Be safe, okay?
And write back!
Yours forever and ever and ever and ever and ever (Aww, don't you just love me?)
DongHae
EunHyuk couldn't stop chuckling for a minute. Typical DongHae, nothing's changed over the three years they haven't seen each other. EunHyuk went to the desk, arranged his writing implements before him, and stared at the sheet of paper at a loss for what to say. On one level, he felt that if he started he wouldn't stop until he gave a detailed, minute by minute recollection of everything that happened to him in the past three years. But on a deeper level he realized that he'd completely forgotten how to talk to DongHae, even through ink and paper.
And with a pang of guilt he realized that before JunSu mentioned his name on the road, he hadn't thought of DongHae at all after about a year since his transfer. What a good friend he was.
Well, he was very busy, EunHyuk thought desperately to defend himself. It was hard to keep afloat in his training. All his classmates got in the 4th Division based on their abilities, while he got in based on recommendations from his former superiors. He had to study healing, and he was as suited to it as a balloon in a firing range. The lessons got hard really quickly so he had to expend every mental resource just to pass his classes. And even then, there were classes that seemed beyond him.
But was that the real reason? Did he really push DongHae to the back of his mind just because he needed all his focus on his classes?
No. EunHyuk could feel it. It's just a cover.
Like JunSu, DongHae was a comfort zone that turned into a chokehold. Even more, actually, since JunSu was less around since he became lieutenant, and he's seen EunHyuk deal with difficulties before. Whereas he and DongHae practically became each other's shadow. And the fact that DongHae was the only one left after that fight, and he saw EunHyuk...
No. Some memories had to remain sealed.
Sometime during that first year of transfer EunHyuk must have realized that if he kept DongHae active in his mind, the conflicting emotions of the comfort his newer best friend offered and the guilt he reminded EunHyuk of would tear his mind apart. He left the 2nd Division for the sake of his sanity, and that included leaving everything that deepened the cracks in his mind. That included DongHae. He left the memories of his friend behind until he felt he was healed enough to face him again.
Now... was he?
EunHyuk stared at DongHae's letter before him. And shook his head.
He wasn't ready to see him. The wounds had scabbed over, but they could open again. Maybe he was healed enough to write back.
EunHyuk took the brush in his hand and dipped it into the ink bottle...
And instinctively held on to the desk as a huge explosion rocked the very ground.
~*~
EunHyuk quickly jumped out the window, followed by a dazed JunSu carrying a sword in each hand. From the window beside theirs leaped out an armed DaeSung who was thankfully fully awake despite his prior state of deep relaxation. RyeoWook gingerly climbed out the window after him with the hell butterfly flapping like mad soon after.
Around them, civilians poured out of their houses in their sleeping attire, each carrying bundles of pre-packed property. There was screaming and panicked yelling, mostly from the children, but the civilians swarmed in one direction. The able-bodied men scooped the young, the old and the weak into their arms so they could move faster. They ran with deceptive calm, great purpose, and presence of mind. They didn't dissolve into chaos.
Whatever caused the explosion, it was beyond EunHyuk's range of sensing. There weren't any brighter spots in the horizon to indicate fire. JunSu glanced at DaeSung.
"There's only one," DaeSung said, eyes serious for the first time. EunHyuk realized how scary DaeSung looked if there was no smile on his face. "To the southeast."
Three of them immediately jumped to the nearest rooftop in the direction DaeSung pointed. Another explosion rocked the night. JunSu and DaeSung headed off, but EunHyuk paused to go back for RyeoWook, who was slower to get on a roof.
"Go!" RyeoWook yelled at him. "You might be needed in the fight! I'll see to the civilians!" RyeoWook leapt to another rooftop following the townspeople.
There was another explosion.
EunHyuk went after the lieutenants. For the first time in three years, he reawakened his flash step techniques. He'd gotten rusty, but he retained enough skill to keep his footing even, his focus heightened, his body coiled like a spring always ready to leap. He caught up to them in no time at all, and he spun in three dimensions to avoid JunSu hurtling backwards through the air. EunHyuk landed nimbly on the ground and took in the battlefield before entering the fight.
He heard JunSu crash through a wall behind him.
There were no fires, which meant the hollow (he could feel the dense spiritual pressure now) doesn't use combustible attacks. The three completely wrecked houses weren't aflame so the inhabitants were asleep and hand turned off their gas lamps when the attack started. Which meant... yes. EunHyuk could smell the iron-tinged scent of blood. There were a few more houses nearby, but if the families who lived there acted with the same presence of mind as the earlier ones they saw, the hollow and the death gods probably had the ground to their selves. No more casualties.
DaeSung was standing atop a roof, waving a long chain whip to deflect a series of energy attacks from a hollow that was thrice his size. He seized a small break to send a weak fireball from his other hand, which exploded harmlessly on the hollow's face. In the small instant the hollow was blinded, DaeSung flash-stepped elsewhere.
The hollow itself seemed built like two towers connected by a head in the middle. The telltale hole was located a few inches beneath its face. There were large claws that threw blasts of raw energy, and the feet beneath the entire body were vestigial. Of the entire creature, only the arms could move with speed and agility. It wasn't built for mobility. Which meant it was built to endure.
EunHyuk was 4th Division. When there were other death gods covering the threat, he had different priorities.
EunHyuk ran to the nearest wreckage and poured nets of spiritual energy through the cracks. He became one with the rubble... and the corpses it buried. EunHyuk detached himself and jumped to the next ruined dwelling. He heard weak jingling approach the fight that meant JunSu finally rallied back.
EunHyuk poured a wave of spiritual energy into the second rubble pile. He felt the loose rocks, the sand, the dust, the bodies- a heartbeat. Slow, but strong. EunHyuk poured energy into his arms and started digging, throwing rocks carelessly behind him. He unearthed the body of a young man, clearly dead, and beneath it was a girl half EunHyuk's age. She was bleeding from a head wound, her arm was twisted at an unnatural angle, and there were bruises all over. But she was breathing. EunHyuk flash-stepped behind a house several blocks away and chanted for the first healing spell that came to mind.
He saw RyeoWook turn a corner. Saw RyeoWook notice him and run to him, and push his hands aside to take over for the little girl.
"I have this," RyeoWook panted. "Bring the survivors to the tavern." He started chanting for spells that can weave the pathways of blood and overlapped them with the words that can mend bones.
EunHyuk nodded and flash-stepped away. He returned to the moonlit battlefield and saw streams of lightning traveling in circles - a sign the JunSu finally released Hoshiko. The surging electricity struck the hollow, which was bound in DaeSung's chains, and blew the creature off its feet to crash against the house beside it. It's still alive - a testament to its defense that it survived a blast from JunSu's shikai.
EunHyuk went to the last pile of rubble, used his spirit energy to extend his senses... and found breathing. Weak. Very weak. And a slow rhythm of beating beneath it. EunHyuk dug into the mess even as the hollow roared behind him. He found the source of the breathing beneath the remains of a collapsed table. An old man, possibly already awaiting second death even if the hollow didn't attack.
He knew his duties. He lifted the man on his shoulders and vanished from the battlefield, leaving behind the crackles of lightning, the clinks of chain links flying through the air, the roars and explosions.
It took three steps to reach the tavern with the old man on his shoulders. RyeoWook was just arriving with the girl awake and crying in his arms. He let the girl on her feet when they reached the tavern door, and she immediately ran for the kitchens.
RyeoWook kneeled over the man and once more chanted for spells to sew tears in muscles and fix broken bones. His hands glowed green and pressed them against the man's chest. The fractures along his ribs were refilled with calcium, and the bones could once again support the muscles relying on them.
"Carry him inside," RyeoWook instructed as he lead the way.
EunHyuk carefully lifted the old man into his arms and ran after RyeoWook. They entered the kitchen and went down a stairwell. They found a torch-lit chamber beneath the surface where the huddled forms of hundreds of civilians greeted them.
EunHyuk laid the man down beside a young woman who seemed to be in charge. "Thank you," she said and immediately busied herself with the old man's vital signs. EunHyuk noticed that the walls and ceilings were heavily reinforced, with evenly-spaced holes along the sides through which fresh air was piped in. At the other side of the room were piles of boxes that smelled strongly of food.
He gave the hiding civilians one last passing glance before he and RyeoWook climbed back up. "Refuge centers," RyeoWook explained, panting. "Said they built quickly it after the first hollow attack. Enough supplies to last a week. Every tavern in the district has one beneath it."
"This is dangerous," EunHyuk said. "What if the hollow attacks the taverns?"
"They can't. There are wards in each one, and the protective field reaches out about thirty yards radius." When EunHyuk stopped at the door, RyeoWook pushed him forward. "You go ahead! The fight is more important now!"
"We're fourth division!" EunHyuk insisted. "The civilians and the wounded are our priority."
"I know you can fight, you idiot! And the lieutenants are also our responsibility. Go!"
EunHyuk hesitated.
RyeoWook pushed him again, frustration apparent in every inch of him. "I'll check on the other taverns. Leave now!"
By the time RyeoWook finished speaking, EunHyuk was already back at the battlefield.
Things had not progressed well. There were no more buildings standing when he arrived. The hollow was heavily injured but still putting up quite a fight, throwing energy blasts wherever it sensed a death god. DaeSung was jumping from spot to spot to avoid the attacks, and his left arm was hanging limply by his side. His face was fixed between a smile and a grimace but his eyes burned with determination. With his good hand he wove complicated patterns in the air, commanding his sentient chain to strike and bind and trip and block from four directions at once. The whip had stretched to impossible lengths, which moonlight showed to be forming a complicated structure in the air in addition to DaeSung's commands, with some points glowing with menacing light.
JunSu, fortunately, was still intact. He stood his ground with stone-like fierceness as he drew the hollow's attention to him. He used his extra sword to deflect the energy blasts directed at him while he used Hoshiko to strike from a distance. Bolt after bolt of unfettered lightning struck the hollow but rebounded and hit DaeSung's chains instead, and left only minimal damages on the enemy. A futile fight...
Except that lieutenants never rose to their position by maintaining futile fights.
Only then did EunHyuk see the coordination in JunSu's and DaeSung's attacks. And he saw where he could fit in.
EunHyuk fell into step with DaeSung and called for a bone-mending spell. He didn't worry about the other injuries then; there would be time for that later. Beneath his hands EunHyuk felt his spiritual energy seep into DaeSung's arm and into his bones, which righted itself with a painful, audible snap. The lieutenant bore it with a grunt. The bone began to heal, but before the injury was fully gone DaeSung raised his healed arm. "Good enough," he panted. EunHyuk peeled away from him.
He jumped in front of JunSu and put his famed close-combat skills to good use: he coated his arms and legs with barely-controlled spirit energy and used them to block the oncoming energy blasts. This freed JunSu to charge up for a high-level lightning strike.
"HyukJae!" JunSu shouted from behind him.
EunHyuk saw a sword fly past him, one with a wind chime attached to the hilt. He saw that the sword wasn't thrown at the hollow itself, but at a point just above its right shoulder. And when the sword was above and behind the hollow, EunHyuk flashed stepped to it, grabbed the handle in mid-air, and yelled the words he hadn't spoken in three years, "Scorn the world, Ryouichi!"
The weapon changed from a katana to a pair of thin, wooden staves, each as long as an arm. Their basic power was simple but reliable: whenever they struck something, they exploded with a force determined by the strength with which they were swung. Combined with EunHyuk's sheer speed and the power he could attain when he reinforced his muscles, both weapon and warrior became a demon of destruction.
EunHyuk swung both staves at the pillars that served as the hollow's shoulders and kept pressing down to guide the fiery force downwards. The explosion left visible cracks down the hollow's arms and disrupted its next volley of attacks. EunHyuk absorbed the concussion through his arms.
The two lieutenants needed no cue. As one, JunSu let his fully-charged giant lightning dragon snake from his rapier while DaeSung released the hundred bolts of lightning stored in his chain. All the attacks, from a hundred different directions, converged at the same instant towards the same target. The hollow disintegrated in a glorious flash... but in the bright light both lieutenants saw the silhouette of a woman before it, too, turned to ash and scattered.
EunHyuk wasn't spared from the force of the great explosion, but none of the attacks were aimed at him and thus he was left alive. He flew through the air at great velocity, hit the ground, and tumbled a distance before rolling to a stop. He was greatly injured, but he was always much tougher than he appeared. Beside him, his weapons returned to its sealed state.
He took a few moments to breathe, blind once more in the sudden darkness after the light. And tried really hard to endure the pain.
DaeSung appeared beside him, his chain wrapped around his arm with the bladed end swinging like a pendulum. "You okay? Obviously not." He vanished then returned a few seconds later with RyeoWook clinging to him.
RyeoWook gasped and fought tears when he saw EunHyuk. Burned skin. Bleeding from several points. Bones broken in several places. Definitely more injuries that can't be seen. RyeoWook put his hands together for another mix-and-match spell, but even he didn't know what to heal first.
"Don't," EunHyuk managed to croak. He concentrated on the creases of his palms despite the screams from every cell of his body. From where his spiritual energy gathered, cells began to heal. The reconstruction streamed up through his arms in thin, climbing fingers. Dead cells were shed quickly and replaced with healthy ones. The healing energy traveled beneath his skin and arranged his bones with audible grinding. It bound together ruptured blood vessels and removed impurities from the stream.
JunSu arrived with light footsteps. "Hell. He's using that technique again."
"What is it, lieutenant?" RyeoWook asked. He wiped tears from his eyes before they could fall. DaeSung grabbed him in a one-armed hug as they watched EunHyuk's body heal itself.
"Customized healing spell," JunSu said flatly. "He learned it from his Ryouichi-"
"He learned a spell from a sword?!" DaeSung exclaimed, incredulous.
"Yeah. His sword's power is highly destructive and even EunHyuk isn't exempt from the damage. So the sword taught him a healing technique to compensate." The disapproval in JunSu's voice could not possibly have been any thicker.
"Huh," DaeSung said. "Seems useful, though."
"At times," JunSu admitted. "But carries one hell of a price."
"Which is?" RyeoWook asked, sniffing.
The last of EunHyuk's burned skin peeled off. His breathing deepened and found regularity, a welcome development compared to the short, painful gasps he was using prior. "Oooouch," he said eloquently. But the worst was over. He could feel his body was whole again. He closed his eyes and let their conversation distract him from the lingering pain.
JunSu shrugged. "You'll see in the morning. Where are the civilians?"
DaeSung concentrated. "Underground. Beneath the taverns."
"Any other dangers in range?"
"None that I can sense. Go get them. I'll make contact with the base and let them know what happened. Where the hell is that damn butterfly?"
RyeoWook could feel the exhaustion radiating from EunHyuk. He sniffed once more and poked the taller boy's arm.
EunHyuk opened his eyes weakly and afforded a small smile. It wasn't as bright as his usual one, but it was still a smile. "I'm okay. Massage when I wake up?" he mumbled.
RyeoWook nodded and wiped his nose. EunHyuk closed his eyes and drifted asleep.
~*~
EunHyuk doesn't know how long he was out. Judging by how brightly the sun was shining outside the window he guessed it must be midday. He took bearings of his surroundings: he was on a bed; there was a ceiling above him; there were walls all around; a window showing a familiar sight; and lieutenant DaeSung was hunched over a desk, writing.
So he was back at the inn.
"Sir," EunHyuk said, trying to sit up. His muscles screamed bloody murder at him.
"I don't think you should move," DaeSung said without taking his eyes from the report he was writing with EunHyuk's brush. "JunSu told me about your little healing spell. Forcible rapid cellular regeneration?" He shook his head in disapproval and tsk'd in dismay, then looked blank as the thought he was holding dislodged.
EunHyuk collapsed back on the bed, breathing heavily. "Don't think I can sit up anyway." He tried to rub his eyes, but even that proved too challenging. "Where's RyeoWook?"
"He's assisting the district official in the census. We need to know if anyone's unaccounted for." DaeSung remembered what he wanted to write.
EunHyuk listened to the noises outside and realized it was different from the hustle and bustle they encountered the day before. The footsteps were slow and deliberate. As if everyone carried something heavy. Above confused mutters and the eventual sob he heard JunSu's voice giving out unintelligible commands. EunHyuk waited for DaeSung to put the brush down and place the report under direct sunlight before he spoke up. "What's happening now?"
DaeSung regarded him with calculating eyes. "The 3rd Division's here. We're evacuating the district."
"Eh? Was the damage that bad?"
"It's not just about the damage. Think about it."
EunHyuk tried his best, but with a better part of his mind keeping conscious control of his breathing he couldn't devote much mental resource to the task. "Did you figure it out for yourself as well?"
DaeSung looked sheepish, which made his eyes even less visible than smiling. "Well... No. JunSu and RyeoWook were the ones who figured it out. I just listened very attentively."
"So what is it?"
DaeSung sighed. He turned his chair to face EunHyuk with his chin resting on crossed fingers. "The wards work, no question. There are technicians from the 12th Division who checked each one this morning. They're all in perfect condition."
EunHyuk blinked and tried to lift his hand once more. He found more success than his earlier attempt, but only by a narrow margin. "A hollow got in."
"Right. See, the protective wards don't cover the entire district area; they just form an unbroken ring to stop hollows from getting in from outside."
"And all the wards are in place?"
"Yes."
EunHyuk thought about what DaeSung was getting at. "You mean the hollow was inside all along?"
DaeSung nodded. "That's what RyeoWook thinks. JunSu has another idea: the hollow was able to sneak in by possessing a civilian. Both of them have valid points with very disturbing implications."
"Because...?"
DaeSung looked out the window, but he was relying more on his very sensitive spiritual field. No one was near enough to hear. "When we killed the hollow last night, JunSu and I thought we saw a body before it got destroyed. Which meant JunSu's right."
"And RyeoWook thinks there could be more hollows possessing the villagers?"
DaeSung nodded. "Before they go to the relocation district, which is quickly being constructed right now, everyone will pass by the 12th Division for extensive testing."
EunHyuk stared at the ceiling. "And none of this is classified?"
DaeSung sat back and crossed his legs. His eyes turned amused and piercing at the same time. "Oh, it's classified for lieutenants and seated officers. And certified special agents."
EunHyuk groaned. "Lieutenant, why'd you tell me? I don't want to be incarcerated. I'm just a trainee!"
"Right," DaeSung said, drawing out the word. "So tell me, the Academy teaches flash steps now?"
EunHyuk snorted. It was a vain attempt, anyway. "Special agents?" he asked, pursuing another topic. He tried twitching his toes and was glad that they complied without complaint.
"Oh, I know who you are. HyukJae, ex-3rd officer of the 2nd Division. Hero of the Covert Ops Mission: Harrowing."
EunHyuk turned away from him to face the wall despite the pain of moving. He kept his expression carefully blank.
DaeSung went on, fully capable of speaking enough for two people. "JunSu filed for a special position to be opened for you. You're now a special agent from the Covert Ops. In equal standing with seated officers to those in the know. You and JunSu can finalize it when we go back to Soul Society."
EunHyuk said nothing.
"You don't like it, do you?"
EunHyuk shook his head.
"I'm not surprised. And for the record, I approve of what you're doing. So you have the endorsement of the 7th Division lieutenant to decline the new position."
EunHyuk faced him again, taken aback. "Why?"
DaeSung winked at him. "Let's just say we 7th Division members believe in remorse and atonement."
The door opened and RyeoWook walked in. "You're awake!" He clapped his hands and bobbed up and down on the balls of his feet.
EunHyuk grinned at his ebullience. "My brain is. My body's still hibernating."
RyeoWook cracked his knuckles. "I can fix that."
"Go easy on him, okay?" DaeSung cautioned. "His body's still very new. Now excuse me while I send my report." He rolled the dry sheet of paper and jumped out the window.
With much grunting, EunHyuk maneuvered himself to lie on his stomach. RyeoWook climbed on top of him and began kneading his back muscles. The twinges of pain soon turned to actual sensation as his new skin and muscles got used to stimulation.
"RyeoWook?"
"Hmm?"
"Do you think we can be friends even if you don't really know who I am?"
RyeoWook hummed as he thought. He changed the focus of his massage to EunHyuk's neck. "Are you comfortable hiding who you are from someone you want to be friends with?"
EunHyuk laughed. "Why are you throwing the issue back to me?"
RyeoWook smiled even though EunHyuk couldn't see. "Because it's your issue. Not mine."
They lapsed into silence. RyeoWook shifted his seat to stretch EunHyuk's arms while EunHyuk winced at being forced into contorted positions that wouldn't have bothered him before.
EunHyuk spoke first. "Tell me what you know about me. I'll fill in the gaps."
RyeoWook paused. He gave EunHyuk's left arm an exaggerated pull the elicited a yelp from beneath him. "I don't really know much. I just made assumptions from how you acted last night."
"So tell me your assumptions."
RyeoWook ministered to EunHyuk's right arm. "Are you sure about this?"
EunHyuk breathed deeply. "... Yes. I'm sure."
"Where do I start?" RyeoWook wondered, but he didn't wait for any response before continuing. "I know you're a full death god with advanced skills but you transferred to our Division so you're pushed back to trainee status. You must have had a high rank before because our teachers are willing to bend some rules for you like extending your test deadline. From what I saw of your injuries last night, I guess you're a close-combat fighter. And... I think you left your old Division because of trauma. That's all."
"Huh. Wow. All that from just two days of knowing me?" EunHyuk asked, face pressed against his pillow.
RyeoWook grabbed EunHyuk's calves and pulled them upwards. "I like to watch how people act."
With awakened yet unfamiliar muscles, EunHyuk turned over and moved to one side of the bed. He draped an arm across the pillow and gestured for RyeoWook to lie down beside him. The smaller boy obliged. EunHyuk began the tale he skipped the night that he and RyeoWook first met.
"My... My real name is HyukJae. I'm the former 3rd officer of the 2nd Division."
RyeoWook's eyes went wide with genuine surprise. "You were part of the Special Operations Squad?"
"Yeah. JunSu and I rose among the ranks there along with a third friend. JunSu and I always fought back to back, always in the same team and he was always the leader. When he was promoted to lieutenant, I assumed his former position. My other best friend DongHae and I handled missions that... I can't tell you about. Classified."
"I understand. Please go on."
"One night, we were sent to the far edges of Rukongai to investigate reports about a death god peddling scientific research reports to outsiders. We found him. But he was protected by his contacts. More than two dozen body guards. And the guy we were tailing was also a skilled combat fighter. Six of us against their force, and there was no time to send for back-up."
RyeoWook didn't realize he was holding his breath. "So you attacked?"
"Very carefully. But we were still outnumbered. It was a fierce battle." EunHyuk suppressed the upsurge of images that came with retelling the story. He looked at RyeoWook's face so that he'd have something real to focus on instead of the pictures inside his head. "Everything went to hell in less than a minute. That's how we fight in Special Ops, see? One minute we were launching an attack, the next instant half of the enemy and half of ours was dead, and our target was still alive. We continued to fight.
"My sword, Ryouichi - our powers are very destructive. I only use my shikai if a fight's desperate. I had to that night." EunHyuk fought back the chokes, but he couldn't do anything about the tears. He felt them run down to the pillow. He felt RyeoWook's hands gently wipe them away. His eyes were open but all he could see was a blur.
"I released Ryouichi and went on a rampage. Kill them all, I thought, kill them before they can kill the rest of us. I never fought like that before. DongHae said later on that he thought I was possessed. I was desperate so I went berserk. The death god we were targeting tried to fight back but Ryouichi and I took him down. I didn't notice when the body guards took hostages from the civilians. I killed them all. The hostages were just in the way." EunHyuk turned away, afraid of seeing RyeoWook's expression. "I didn't even realize that my teammates were trying to subdue me. DongHae and I were the only ones who survived. The other guy from my squad..."
But he didn't have to say it. RyeoWook put a hand against his mouth to stop the words, and he hugged EunHyuk as tightly as he could, giving reassurance that no words can express.
One shed tears of pain for his friend. The other cried of overwhelming emotions as the last of his wounds finally began to heal.
No more words stood between them.
~*~
DaeSung and JunSu stood on the rooftop nearest the gate to the district. They watched the civilians leave in batches, escorted by units from the 3rd Division. One particularly large group, comprised mostly of females, just left with much squealing and swooning as Captain JaeJoong escorted them personally, leaving a sour-faced ChangMin with the older ladies.
"Shouldn't we go fetch them?" DaeSung asked.
JunSu shook his head. "The district's going to be deserted in the next hour, anyway. There's no need to rush. Let them take their time."
"At this rate we'll be the last group to leave. Not that I'm complaining. A little peace and quiet, you know?" DaeSung cupped his arms behind his head.
"The peace and quiet won't last long," JunSu said darkly. "Hollows don't possess civilians for the fun of it. They were after something, and I'm willing to bet it's hidden here somewhere."
"Yeah." DaeSung let out a heavy sigh. "There's someone behind all this. And we'll hunt him down and kill him so very dead."
"You got that right."
~*~
It took four days for EunHyuk to break in his regenerated body. Four days of stretching and training and nightly massages from RyeoWook before going to bed. And because RyeoWook appointed himself to be his classmate's healer, he moved into EunHyuk's apartment temporarily. They spent nights teaching each other healing theories and melee fighting techniques. One night they laughed in disbelief when they discovered that they both passed their tests. They celebrated RyeoWook's top marks by feasting on breaded pork and sweet bean dumplings.
There was a new presence in EunHyuk's apartment: a sheathed katana lying against the corner beside his futon. A wind chime dangled from its hilt.
On the morning of the fifth day, EunHyuk went to JunSu's office in the 2nd Division compound and asked RyeoWook to come with him. JunSu received the two graciously despite the many reports he had to read and asked one of his trainees to go fetch tea and snacks.
"We won't stay long, actually," EunHyuk said, sitting on the chair in front of JunSu's desk. RyeoWook was waiting on the couch by the door. "I just came to mention something."
JunSu raised his eyebrows at him from behind his reading glasses. "Which is?"
EunHyuk looked at his knees. "Lieutenant DaeSung mentioned something back at the inn. Something about me being a special agent."
JunSu nodded. "Yes. And?"
"Thanks for that, JunSu. But I'm 4th Division now. And I'm just a humble trainee."
JunSu leaned back and regarded him thoughtfully. "I see. Okay, I respect that. But you know the 2nd Division is always open to you, right?"
EunHyuk smiled wistfully at him. "I know. Come by for dinner sometime? RyeoWook's an excellent cook."
"How about this weekend? I'll be done with these reports by then. See you at your apartment?"
"Of course." EunHyuk stood up, saluted him, and left with RyeoWook.
JunSu looked out the window and decided that the day was too nice to spend cooped up in the office. The sunlight reminded him of HyukJae's smile.
Outside, RyeoWook headed for the compound gates but EunHyuk stopped him. "There's someone I'd like you to meet. Is that okay?"
RyeoWook nodded. EunHyuk led him to the training fields where a solitary figure was practicing unarmed fighting stances with his eyes closed. EunHyuk signaled for RyeoWook to wait, and he approached the man as silently as possible.
DongHae was in the middle of a spin when he felt something soft and brittle hit the back of his head. He opened his eyes and caught the projectile before it fell to the ground, and saw HyukJae standing a few meters from him. There was a smirk on his face.
DongHae smiled at the surreal sight and unfolded the crumpled sheet of paper.
Dear DongHae.
I'm writing back to let you know that your sensing skills aren't worth shit.
Lots of love,
EunHyukJae
DongHae approached him slowly, afraid that EunHyuk would disappear if he made any sudden moves. Of course, that was only until he was close enough to grab EunHyuk in a headlock and shout at the top of his lungs. "Welcome back, Assface!"
"Yah, DongHae!"
They both heard RyeoWook laugh at them from a distance. DongHae turned to him and let EunHyuk go.
EunHyuk rubbed his neck. He'll never get used to DongHae's greetings and he lost a lot of chance to prepare for his attacks over the years. But there were other times to worry about that. "DongHae, I'd like you to meet my friend."
DongHae snickered at him. "Yeah, I guessed." He left EunHyuk and ran over to RyeoWook. "Hi! I'm DongHae! You're Assface's friend?"
"Assface?" RyeoWook asked, amused.
"That's his new name!"
"Ah. Yes, I'm his friend, RyeoWook. It's a pleasure to meet you."
"Same here! Come on, let's have lunch. I have plenty to tell you about Assface that I'm sure you'd love to hear..." DongHae hung his arm across RyeoWook's shoulders and steered him towards the Division cafeteria.
EunHyuk could hear their peals of laughter as he walked several paces behind. He smiled when the two waited for him at the door and waved at him to hurry up.
He walked just a bit faster. DongHae threw up his hands in frustration, and RyeoWook opened his arms for a hug.
[Continue to Chapter 4.]
Author: Verocity
Fandom: Super Junior / Dong Bang Shin Ki / Big Bang / Bleach
Featuring: EunHyuk, RyeoWook, JunSu, DaeSung. (DongHae makes a cameo)
Pairings: None. Friendship and camaraderie all around.
Rating: G
Warnings: -none-
Genre: Action and Adventure, ahoy!
A/N: Constructive input would be most welcome. I proofread this several times, but there may still be typographical errors here and there. Please bear with it.
Summary: EunHyuk and RyeoWook are a couple of 4th Division trainees when they get roped into something way beyond their depth.
Word Count: Around 15,500 words total
Link to Part 1
They found the inn without much trouble. DaeSung and RyeoWook went together so they could talk about food, music, and funny tales about being a lieutenant. (The butterfly went with them even though it couldn't possibly contribute to the conversation.) JunSu and EunHyuk, like their childhood days, slept in the same room.
"JunSu?" EunHyuk called from the bathroom as he rinsed RyeoWook's lunchboxes in the sink.
JunSu was doing his nightly stretches. "Yeah?"
"I still don't get it. How are we helping out by being here?" He tapped the loose water off the boxes and wrapped them again in his blanket. He opened the door and ducked instinctively. One of JunSu's slippers sailed by harmlessly above him. He put the wrapped boxes on the desk beside his bed.
JunSu finished his bends before lying down on his back. He pressed a palm against the wall beside him and chanted something under his breath. Soon, the walls, floor and ceiling vibrated with spirit energy. Even the window turned black. The only source of light was the lit oil lamp on the desk. "You understand that you can't repeat anything I'll say to anyone, right? Not even to RyeoWook?"
"Of course. But if he figures it out by himself, that's not my responsibility." EunHyuk climbed on his own bed and started his own flexibility stretches.
"He's a smart kid. He'll go far in your Division." JunSu took a deep breath. "We're here to reassure the civilians that Soul Society no longer sees their situation as critical."
"Critical?" EunHyuk asked
"This village was attacked without warning a couple of months ago. Very powerful hollow. Nobody knew where it came from. It took three units from the 3rd Division to chase it away. ChangMin came back heavily injured from their fight in the forest, but it was nothing that your lieutenant couldn't take care of."
EunHyuk started patting his muscles loose. "I think I remember that. I was stationed in the emergency ward when they brought in lieutenant ChangMin with a huge wound on his chest. He was really weak, but still conscious. But at least he won the battle, right?"
JunSu shook his head. "He didn't. What people don't know is that ChangMin almost died. Captain JaeJoong arrived just in time to kill the hollow before it could finish ChangMin."
EunHyuk shivered visibly. "A hollow that can defeat a lieutenant? Right here in our world?"
"Exactly. Granted, ChangMin isn't exactly one of the best lieutenants around. He's a prodigy when it comes to the demon arts, fine, but outside of that he's still at the level of any other seated officer. So we don't know exactly how strong the hollow is." JunSu regarded EunHyuk with an unfathomable expression that the latter didn't bother to read.
EunHyuk hazarded a few guesses at what came after. "So Soul Society searched the forest around the district."
"Yeah. Even some of the captains were called in."
"And they didn't find anything."
"None whatsoever."
"What happened next?" Finished with his quick nightly rituals, EunHyuk lay flat on his back.
JunSu shifted to face him. "We pushed for the mass production of hollow repellant wards. Drove the 12th division crazy, I can tell you, but even they agreed it was the practical course of action."
"If we have hollow repellants, why don't we station them all over Rukongai?"
JunSu nodded encouragingly. "Exactly. That was our aim. But effective hollow repellants aren't easy to make. I read the 12th Division's report. I didn't understand everything; too many theories, too much jargon, not enough diagrams. But from what I did understand, the materials needed are almost exotic to our reality. At the heart of each ward is a small sphere of exotic matter that carries impossible amounts of spirit energy to power the layers and layers of spells needed to ward away hollows. The stronger the battery you put, the more powerful the hollows it can push away. We could have made more wards, but each one would be weaker."
EunHyuk was pleased that he could follow the train of developments. "So you focused on strength instead of quantity."
"Yeah. Since this is the first area attacked, the Captains decided to install the wards here and the nearby districts. Hopefully it's a localized thing, or that it was just a freak occurrence."
"At least I know we're in the safest place to be, outside of Soul Society."
"That's one way of looking at it. We've ringed this town with wards. No hollow, even those at the level of a lieutenant, can enter from the forest."
EunHyuk bit his lip thoughtfully. "What have I got to do with this? And RyeoWook?"
"You were part of the diplomatic mission. See, we thought the best way to assure the civilians that everything's fine is to bring trainees here. The local officials agreed." JunSu grinned at him, proud of his machinations. "I brought you because you're not a real trainee, but very few people know that. RyeoWook... he wasn't part of the plan. But I figured between you, me, and DaeSung, we could handle any threat that came our way, if there came a threat at all, and it might be a good idea to bring someone who's getting somewhere with his healing training."
EunHyuk considered throwing his pillow at JunSu's face, but he'd have to get it back himself and he was already comfortable. "And why were you and lieutenant DaeSung sent on this?"
JunSu's grin turned sardonic. "DaeSung's a great tracker. He can count and identify spirit signatures from significant distances. While I'm an all-around fighter. But that's not important. What matters is that the two of us are the loudest and most charming lieutenants around. Our smiles can melt the world!"
EunHyuk ended up throwing his pillow after all. JunSu caught it and refused to give it back, as expected. There was a brief struggle to assert ownership over the pillow, but JunSu soon relented and EunHyuk tumbled back to his bed.
"So RyeoWook and I are just here to lounge around? Sweet!"
"Exactly. While DaeSung and I check on the wards to ensure they're working." JunSu sounded almost jealous. "But hey, that doesn't mean we can't have fun as well."
Sensing that the delicate part of the conversation was over, JunSu undid the spell that afforded them temporary privacy. The first sound that greeted them was a long, drawn-out moan of pleasure from the other side of the wall, followed by a series of ragged gasps. JunSu and EunHyuk stared unbelieving at each other, rushed to their feet and out the door. They barged into the other room to find RyeoWook standing on DaeSung's back and massaging the lieutenant's muscles with his feet.
"JunSu, you should try this..." DaeSung called out lazily. His eyes drooped closed and he let out another sound of pure relaxation.
RyeoWook grinned sheepishly at them. "My father always said I give excellent massages." He sat on DaeSung's back and pulled on the lieutenant's legs.
~*~
RyeoWook also gave JunSu a massage in their room. EunHyuk egged him on to go more and more brutal and cheered whenever RyeoWook twisted JunSu into a seemingly painful position, except that JunSu's sighs were too soft to be anything but relaxed. EunHyuk turned down the offer of getting his own massage, and insisted that RyeoWook needed to get some sleep.
Soon, JunSu was knocked out cold and RyeoWook went back to his room. EunHyuk blew out the fire in the oil lamp and lay on his bed. He waited until the vibrations from RyeoWook's room suggested that both occupants were asleep. Only then did he bring out the letter JunSu handed him earlier.
He read DongHae's untidy scrawl by the moonlight.
Dear Hyu Assface. (They said I shouldn't call you by your old name, but I don't want to call you by your new name either. It doesn't sound like you at all. So from now on, you're 'Assface'.)
How are you? You haven't written to me in forever! I wanted to visit you after you left, but the lieutenant said we should leave you alone. Give you time or something. So I didn't write anything to you. What's your excuse for not writing?
Lieutenant JunSu said you were going out on a mission diplomatic visit to Rukongai tomorrow. Sounds like fun. I asked if I could come along, but he said the personnel requirements were really specific. Hey, buy a couple of things that remind you of me, will you? Then give one to JunSu to give to me. Or you can give it to me by yourself if you're okay now.
By the way, I don't know if you've heard. I'm 3rd seat now! Feels weird to take your place in the division. I wanted to leave the third seat empty. I told them we should wait for you to come back and I'll be perfectly happy with being 4th (and at least my position number matches your division!) but Captain said he can demote me if you chose to come back. So for now, I'm the third seat and you're just a trainee. You should show me respect when we see each other again! Or else I'm going to request that you be assigned to do my laundry. Hahaha
Have you made any new friends? You should introduce us! I'm sure we'll get along fine. Don't worry. I won't be jealous if you grow closer to anyone else. I know you love me~
I hope you enjoy your mi trip. Be safe, okay?
And write back!
Yours forever and ever and ever and ever and ever (Aww, don't you just love me?)
DongHae
EunHyuk couldn't stop chuckling for a minute. Typical DongHae, nothing's changed over the three years they haven't seen each other. EunHyuk went to the desk, arranged his writing implements before him, and stared at the sheet of paper at a loss for what to say. On one level, he felt that if he started he wouldn't stop until he gave a detailed, minute by minute recollection of everything that happened to him in the past three years. But on a deeper level he realized that he'd completely forgotten how to talk to DongHae, even through ink and paper.
And with a pang of guilt he realized that before JunSu mentioned his name on the road, he hadn't thought of DongHae at all after about a year since his transfer. What a good friend he was.
Well, he was very busy, EunHyuk thought desperately to defend himself. It was hard to keep afloat in his training. All his classmates got in the 4th Division based on their abilities, while he got in based on recommendations from his former superiors. He had to study healing, and he was as suited to it as a balloon in a firing range. The lessons got hard really quickly so he had to expend every mental resource just to pass his classes. And even then, there were classes that seemed beyond him.
But was that the real reason? Did he really push DongHae to the back of his mind just because he needed all his focus on his classes?
No. EunHyuk could feel it. It's just a cover.
Like JunSu, DongHae was a comfort zone that turned into a chokehold. Even more, actually, since JunSu was less around since he became lieutenant, and he's seen EunHyuk deal with difficulties before. Whereas he and DongHae practically became each other's shadow. And the fact that DongHae was the only one left after that fight, and he saw EunHyuk...
No. Some memories had to remain sealed.
Sometime during that first year of transfer EunHyuk must have realized that if he kept DongHae active in his mind, the conflicting emotions of the comfort his newer best friend offered and the guilt he reminded EunHyuk of would tear his mind apart. He left the 2nd Division for the sake of his sanity, and that included leaving everything that deepened the cracks in his mind. That included DongHae. He left the memories of his friend behind until he felt he was healed enough to face him again.
Now... was he?
EunHyuk stared at DongHae's letter before him. And shook his head.
He wasn't ready to see him. The wounds had scabbed over, but they could open again. Maybe he was healed enough to write back.
EunHyuk took the brush in his hand and dipped it into the ink bottle...
And instinctively held on to the desk as a huge explosion rocked the very ground.
~*~
EunHyuk quickly jumped out the window, followed by a dazed JunSu carrying a sword in each hand. From the window beside theirs leaped out an armed DaeSung who was thankfully fully awake despite his prior state of deep relaxation. RyeoWook gingerly climbed out the window after him with the hell butterfly flapping like mad soon after.
Around them, civilians poured out of their houses in their sleeping attire, each carrying bundles of pre-packed property. There was screaming and panicked yelling, mostly from the children, but the civilians swarmed in one direction. The able-bodied men scooped the young, the old and the weak into their arms so they could move faster. They ran with deceptive calm, great purpose, and presence of mind. They didn't dissolve into chaos.
Whatever caused the explosion, it was beyond EunHyuk's range of sensing. There weren't any brighter spots in the horizon to indicate fire. JunSu glanced at DaeSung.
"There's only one," DaeSung said, eyes serious for the first time. EunHyuk realized how scary DaeSung looked if there was no smile on his face. "To the southeast."
Three of them immediately jumped to the nearest rooftop in the direction DaeSung pointed. Another explosion rocked the night. JunSu and DaeSung headed off, but EunHyuk paused to go back for RyeoWook, who was slower to get on a roof.
"Go!" RyeoWook yelled at him. "You might be needed in the fight! I'll see to the civilians!" RyeoWook leapt to another rooftop following the townspeople.
There was another explosion.
EunHyuk went after the lieutenants. For the first time in three years, he reawakened his flash step techniques. He'd gotten rusty, but he retained enough skill to keep his footing even, his focus heightened, his body coiled like a spring always ready to leap. He caught up to them in no time at all, and he spun in three dimensions to avoid JunSu hurtling backwards through the air. EunHyuk landed nimbly on the ground and took in the battlefield before entering the fight.
He heard JunSu crash through a wall behind him.
There were no fires, which meant the hollow (he could feel the dense spiritual pressure now) doesn't use combustible attacks. The three completely wrecked houses weren't aflame so the inhabitants were asleep and hand turned off their gas lamps when the attack started. Which meant... yes. EunHyuk could smell the iron-tinged scent of blood. There were a few more houses nearby, but if the families who lived there acted with the same presence of mind as the earlier ones they saw, the hollow and the death gods probably had the ground to their selves. No more casualties.
DaeSung was standing atop a roof, waving a long chain whip to deflect a series of energy attacks from a hollow that was thrice his size. He seized a small break to send a weak fireball from his other hand, which exploded harmlessly on the hollow's face. In the small instant the hollow was blinded, DaeSung flash-stepped elsewhere.
The hollow itself seemed built like two towers connected by a head in the middle. The telltale hole was located a few inches beneath its face. There were large claws that threw blasts of raw energy, and the feet beneath the entire body were vestigial. Of the entire creature, only the arms could move with speed and agility. It wasn't built for mobility. Which meant it was built to endure.
EunHyuk was 4th Division. When there were other death gods covering the threat, he had different priorities.
EunHyuk ran to the nearest wreckage and poured nets of spiritual energy through the cracks. He became one with the rubble... and the corpses it buried. EunHyuk detached himself and jumped to the next ruined dwelling. He heard weak jingling approach the fight that meant JunSu finally rallied back.
EunHyuk poured a wave of spiritual energy into the second rubble pile. He felt the loose rocks, the sand, the dust, the bodies- a heartbeat. Slow, but strong. EunHyuk poured energy into his arms and started digging, throwing rocks carelessly behind him. He unearthed the body of a young man, clearly dead, and beneath it was a girl half EunHyuk's age. She was bleeding from a head wound, her arm was twisted at an unnatural angle, and there were bruises all over. But she was breathing. EunHyuk flash-stepped behind a house several blocks away and chanted for the first healing spell that came to mind.
He saw RyeoWook turn a corner. Saw RyeoWook notice him and run to him, and push his hands aside to take over for the little girl.
"I have this," RyeoWook panted. "Bring the survivors to the tavern." He started chanting for spells that can weave the pathways of blood and overlapped them with the words that can mend bones.
EunHyuk nodded and flash-stepped away. He returned to the moonlit battlefield and saw streams of lightning traveling in circles - a sign the JunSu finally released Hoshiko. The surging electricity struck the hollow, which was bound in DaeSung's chains, and blew the creature off its feet to crash against the house beside it. It's still alive - a testament to its defense that it survived a blast from JunSu's shikai.
EunHyuk went to the last pile of rubble, used his spirit energy to extend his senses... and found breathing. Weak. Very weak. And a slow rhythm of beating beneath it. EunHyuk dug into the mess even as the hollow roared behind him. He found the source of the breathing beneath the remains of a collapsed table. An old man, possibly already awaiting second death even if the hollow didn't attack.
He knew his duties. He lifted the man on his shoulders and vanished from the battlefield, leaving behind the crackles of lightning, the clinks of chain links flying through the air, the roars and explosions.
It took three steps to reach the tavern with the old man on his shoulders. RyeoWook was just arriving with the girl awake and crying in his arms. He let the girl on her feet when they reached the tavern door, and she immediately ran for the kitchens.
RyeoWook kneeled over the man and once more chanted for spells to sew tears in muscles and fix broken bones. His hands glowed green and pressed them against the man's chest. The fractures along his ribs were refilled with calcium, and the bones could once again support the muscles relying on them.
"Carry him inside," RyeoWook instructed as he lead the way.
EunHyuk carefully lifted the old man into his arms and ran after RyeoWook. They entered the kitchen and went down a stairwell. They found a torch-lit chamber beneath the surface where the huddled forms of hundreds of civilians greeted them.
EunHyuk laid the man down beside a young woman who seemed to be in charge. "Thank you," she said and immediately busied herself with the old man's vital signs. EunHyuk noticed that the walls and ceilings were heavily reinforced, with evenly-spaced holes along the sides through which fresh air was piped in. At the other side of the room were piles of boxes that smelled strongly of food.
He gave the hiding civilians one last passing glance before he and RyeoWook climbed back up. "Refuge centers," RyeoWook explained, panting. "Said they built quickly it after the first hollow attack. Enough supplies to last a week. Every tavern in the district has one beneath it."
"This is dangerous," EunHyuk said. "What if the hollow attacks the taverns?"
"They can't. There are wards in each one, and the protective field reaches out about thirty yards radius." When EunHyuk stopped at the door, RyeoWook pushed him forward. "You go ahead! The fight is more important now!"
"We're fourth division!" EunHyuk insisted. "The civilians and the wounded are our priority."
"I know you can fight, you idiot! And the lieutenants are also our responsibility. Go!"
EunHyuk hesitated.
RyeoWook pushed him again, frustration apparent in every inch of him. "I'll check on the other taverns. Leave now!"
By the time RyeoWook finished speaking, EunHyuk was already back at the battlefield.
Things had not progressed well. There were no more buildings standing when he arrived. The hollow was heavily injured but still putting up quite a fight, throwing energy blasts wherever it sensed a death god. DaeSung was jumping from spot to spot to avoid the attacks, and his left arm was hanging limply by his side. His face was fixed between a smile and a grimace but his eyes burned with determination. With his good hand he wove complicated patterns in the air, commanding his sentient chain to strike and bind and trip and block from four directions at once. The whip had stretched to impossible lengths, which moonlight showed to be forming a complicated structure in the air in addition to DaeSung's commands, with some points glowing with menacing light.
JunSu, fortunately, was still intact. He stood his ground with stone-like fierceness as he drew the hollow's attention to him. He used his extra sword to deflect the energy blasts directed at him while he used Hoshiko to strike from a distance. Bolt after bolt of unfettered lightning struck the hollow but rebounded and hit DaeSung's chains instead, and left only minimal damages on the enemy. A futile fight...
Except that lieutenants never rose to their position by maintaining futile fights.
Only then did EunHyuk see the coordination in JunSu's and DaeSung's attacks. And he saw where he could fit in.
EunHyuk fell into step with DaeSung and called for a bone-mending spell. He didn't worry about the other injuries then; there would be time for that later. Beneath his hands EunHyuk felt his spiritual energy seep into DaeSung's arm and into his bones, which righted itself with a painful, audible snap. The lieutenant bore it with a grunt. The bone began to heal, but before the injury was fully gone DaeSung raised his healed arm. "Good enough," he panted. EunHyuk peeled away from him.
He jumped in front of JunSu and put his famed close-combat skills to good use: he coated his arms and legs with barely-controlled spirit energy and used them to block the oncoming energy blasts. This freed JunSu to charge up for a high-level lightning strike.
"HyukJae!" JunSu shouted from behind him.
EunHyuk saw a sword fly past him, one with a wind chime attached to the hilt. He saw that the sword wasn't thrown at the hollow itself, but at a point just above its right shoulder. And when the sword was above and behind the hollow, EunHyuk flashed stepped to it, grabbed the handle in mid-air, and yelled the words he hadn't spoken in three years, "Scorn the world, Ryouichi!"
The weapon changed from a katana to a pair of thin, wooden staves, each as long as an arm. Their basic power was simple but reliable: whenever they struck something, they exploded with a force determined by the strength with which they were swung. Combined with EunHyuk's sheer speed and the power he could attain when he reinforced his muscles, both weapon and warrior became a demon of destruction.
EunHyuk swung both staves at the pillars that served as the hollow's shoulders and kept pressing down to guide the fiery force downwards. The explosion left visible cracks down the hollow's arms and disrupted its next volley of attacks. EunHyuk absorbed the concussion through his arms.
The two lieutenants needed no cue. As one, JunSu let his fully-charged giant lightning dragon snake from his rapier while DaeSung released the hundred bolts of lightning stored in his chain. All the attacks, from a hundred different directions, converged at the same instant towards the same target. The hollow disintegrated in a glorious flash... but in the bright light both lieutenants saw the silhouette of a woman before it, too, turned to ash and scattered.
EunHyuk wasn't spared from the force of the great explosion, but none of the attacks were aimed at him and thus he was left alive. He flew through the air at great velocity, hit the ground, and tumbled a distance before rolling to a stop. He was greatly injured, but he was always much tougher than he appeared. Beside him, his weapons returned to its sealed state.
He took a few moments to breathe, blind once more in the sudden darkness after the light. And tried really hard to endure the pain.
DaeSung appeared beside him, his chain wrapped around his arm with the bladed end swinging like a pendulum. "You okay? Obviously not." He vanished then returned a few seconds later with RyeoWook clinging to him.
RyeoWook gasped and fought tears when he saw EunHyuk. Burned skin. Bleeding from several points. Bones broken in several places. Definitely more injuries that can't be seen. RyeoWook put his hands together for another mix-and-match spell, but even he didn't know what to heal first.
"Don't," EunHyuk managed to croak. He concentrated on the creases of his palms despite the screams from every cell of his body. From where his spiritual energy gathered, cells began to heal. The reconstruction streamed up through his arms in thin, climbing fingers. Dead cells were shed quickly and replaced with healthy ones. The healing energy traveled beneath his skin and arranged his bones with audible grinding. It bound together ruptured blood vessels and removed impurities from the stream.
JunSu arrived with light footsteps. "Hell. He's using that technique again."
"What is it, lieutenant?" RyeoWook asked. He wiped tears from his eyes before they could fall. DaeSung grabbed him in a one-armed hug as they watched EunHyuk's body heal itself.
"Customized healing spell," JunSu said flatly. "He learned it from his Ryouichi-"
"He learned a spell from a sword?!" DaeSung exclaimed, incredulous.
"Yeah. His sword's power is highly destructive and even EunHyuk isn't exempt from the damage. So the sword taught him a healing technique to compensate." The disapproval in JunSu's voice could not possibly have been any thicker.
"Huh," DaeSung said. "Seems useful, though."
"At times," JunSu admitted. "But carries one hell of a price."
"Which is?" RyeoWook asked, sniffing.
The last of EunHyuk's burned skin peeled off. His breathing deepened and found regularity, a welcome development compared to the short, painful gasps he was using prior. "Oooouch," he said eloquently. But the worst was over. He could feel his body was whole again. He closed his eyes and let their conversation distract him from the lingering pain.
JunSu shrugged. "You'll see in the morning. Where are the civilians?"
DaeSung concentrated. "Underground. Beneath the taverns."
"Any other dangers in range?"
"None that I can sense. Go get them. I'll make contact with the base and let them know what happened. Where the hell is that damn butterfly?"
RyeoWook could feel the exhaustion radiating from EunHyuk. He sniffed once more and poked the taller boy's arm.
EunHyuk opened his eyes weakly and afforded a small smile. It wasn't as bright as his usual one, but it was still a smile. "I'm okay. Massage when I wake up?" he mumbled.
RyeoWook nodded and wiped his nose. EunHyuk closed his eyes and drifted asleep.
~*~
EunHyuk doesn't know how long he was out. Judging by how brightly the sun was shining outside the window he guessed it must be midday. He took bearings of his surroundings: he was on a bed; there was a ceiling above him; there were walls all around; a window showing a familiar sight; and lieutenant DaeSung was hunched over a desk, writing.
So he was back at the inn.
"Sir," EunHyuk said, trying to sit up. His muscles screamed bloody murder at him.
"I don't think you should move," DaeSung said without taking his eyes from the report he was writing with EunHyuk's brush. "JunSu told me about your little healing spell. Forcible rapid cellular regeneration?" He shook his head in disapproval and tsk'd in dismay, then looked blank as the thought he was holding dislodged.
EunHyuk collapsed back on the bed, breathing heavily. "Don't think I can sit up anyway." He tried to rub his eyes, but even that proved too challenging. "Where's RyeoWook?"
"He's assisting the district official in the census. We need to know if anyone's unaccounted for." DaeSung remembered what he wanted to write.
EunHyuk listened to the noises outside and realized it was different from the hustle and bustle they encountered the day before. The footsteps were slow and deliberate. As if everyone carried something heavy. Above confused mutters and the eventual sob he heard JunSu's voice giving out unintelligible commands. EunHyuk waited for DaeSung to put the brush down and place the report under direct sunlight before he spoke up. "What's happening now?"
DaeSung regarded him with calculating eyes. "The 3rd Division's here. We're evacuating the district."
"Eh? Was the damage that bad?"
"It's not just about the damage. Think about it."
EunHyuk tried his best, but with a better part of his mind keeping conscious control of his breathing he couldn't devote much mental resource to the task. "Did you figure it out for yourself as well?"
DaeSung looked sheepish, which made his eyes even less visible than smiling. "Well... No. JunSu and RyeoWook were the ones who figured it out. I just listened very attentively."
"So what is it?"
DaeSung sighed. He turned his chair to face EunHyuk with his chin resting on crossed fingers. "The wards work, no question. There are technicians from the 12th Division who checked each one this morning. They're all in perfect condition."
EunHyuk blinked and tried to lift his hand once more. He found more success than his earlier attempt, but only by a narrow margin. "A hollow got in."
"Right. See, the protective wards don't cover the entire district area; they just form an unbroken ring to stop hollows from getting in from outside."
"And all the wards are in place?"
"Yes."
EunHyuk thought about what DaeSung was getting at. "You mean the hollow was inside all along?"
DaeSung nodded. "That's what RyeoWook thinks. JunSu has another idea: the hollow was able to sneak in by possessing a civilian. Both of them have valid points with very disturbing implications."
"Because...?"
DaeSung looked out the window, but he was relying more on his very sensitive spiritual field. No one was near enough to hear. "When we killed the hollow last night, JunSu and I thought we saw a body before it got destroyed. Which meant JunSu's right."
"And RyeoWook thinks there could be more hollows possessing the villagers?"
DaeSung nodded. "Before they go to the relocation district, which is quickly being constructed right now, everyone will pass by the 12th Division for extensive testing."
EunHyuk stared at the ceiling. "And none of this is classified?"
DaeSung sat back and crossed his legs. His eyes turned amused and piercing at the same time. "Oh, it's classified for lieutenants and seated officers. And certified special agents."
EunHyuk groaned. "Lieutenant, why'd you tell me? I don't want to be incarcerated. I'm just a trainee!"
"Right," DaeSung said, drawing out the word. "So tell me, the Academy teaches flash steps now?"
EunHyuk snorted. It was a vain attempt, anyway. "Special agents?" he asked, pursuing another topic. He tried twitching his toes and was glad that they complied without complaint.
"Oh, I know who you are. HyukJae, ex-3rd officer of the 2nd Division. Hero of the Covert Ops Mission: Harrowing."
EunHyuk turned away from him to face the wall despite the pain of moving. He kept his expression carefully blank.
DaeSung went on, fully capable of speaking enough for two people. "JunSu filed for a special position to be opened for you. You're now a special agent from the Covert Ops. In equal standing with seated officers to those in the know. You and JunSu can finalize it when we go back to Soul Society."
EunHyuk said nothing.
"You don't like it, do you?"
EunHyuk shook his head.
"I'm not surprised. And for the record, I approve of what you're doing. So you have the endorsement of the 7th Division lieutenant to decline the new position."
EunHyuk faced him again, taken aback. "Why?"
DaeSung winked at him. "Let's just say we 7th Division members believe in remorse and atonement."
The door opened and RyeoWook walked in. "You're awake!" He clapped his hands and bobbed up and down on the balls of his feet.
EunHyuk grinned at his ebullience. "My brain is. My body's still hibernating."
RyeoWook cracked his knuckles. "I can fix that."
"Go easy on him, okay?" DaeSung cautioned. "His body's still very new. Now excuse me while I send my report." He rolled the dry sheet of paper and jumped out the window.
With much grunting, EunHyuk maneuvered himself to lie on his stomach. RyeoWook climbed on top of him and began kneading his back muscles. The twinges of pain soon turned to actual sensation as his new skin and muscles got used to stimulation.
"RyeoWook?"
"Hmm?"
"Do you think we can be friends even if you don't really know who I am?"
RyeoWook hummed as he thought. He changed the focus of his massage to EunHyuk's neck. "Are you comfortable hiding who you are from someone you want to be friends with?"
EunHyuk laughed. "Why are you throwing the issue back to me?"
RyeoWook smiled even though EunHyuk couldn't see. "Because it's your issue. Not mine."
They lapsed into silence. RyeoWook shifted his seat to stretch EunHyuk's arms while EunHyuk winced at being forced into contorted positions that wouldn't have bothered him before.
EunHyuk spoke first. "Tell me what you know about me. I'll fill in the gaps."
RyeoWook paused. He gave EunHyuk's left arm an exaggerated pull the elicited a yelp from beneath him. "I don't really know much. I just made assumptions from how you acted last night."
"So tell me your assumptions."
RyeoWook ministered to EunHyuk's right arm. "Are you sure about this?"
EunHyuk breathed deeply. "... Yes. I'm sure."
"Where do I start?" RyeoWook wondered, but he didn't wait for any response before continuing. "I know you're a full death god with advanced skills but you transferred to our Division so you're pushed back to trainee status. You must have had a high rank before because our teachers are willing to bend some rules for you like extending your test deadline. From what I saw of your injuries last night, I guess you're a close-combat fighter. And... I think you left your old Division because of trauma. That's all."
"Huh. Wow. All that from just two days of knowing me?" EunHyuk asked, face pressed against his pillow.
RyeoWook grabbed EunHyuk's calves and pulled them upwards. "I like to watch how people act."
With awakened yet unfamiliar muscles, EunHyuk turned over and moved to one side of the bed. He draped an arm across the pillow and gestured for RyeoWook to lie down beside him. The smaller boy obliged. EunHyuk began the tale he skipped the night that he and RyeoWook first met.
"My... My real name is HyukJae. I'm the former 3rd officer of the 2nd Division."
RyeoWook's eyes went wide with genuine surprise. "You were part of the Special Operations Squad?"
"Yeah. JunSu and I rose among the ranks there along with a third friend. JunSu and I always fought back to back, always in the same team and he was always the leader. When he was promoted to lieutenant, I assumed his former position. My other best friend DongHae and I handled missions that... I can't tell you about. Classified."
"I understand. Please go on."
"One night, we were sent to the far edges of Rukongai to investigate reports about a death god peddling scientific research reports to outsiders. We found him. But he was protected by his contacts. More than two dozen body guards. And the guy we were tailing was also a skilled combat fighter. Six of us against their force, and there was no time to send for back-up."
RyeoWook didn't realize he was holding his breath. "So you attacked?"
"Very carefully. But we were still outnumbered. It was a fierce battle." EunHyuk suppressed the upsurge of images that came with retelling the story. He looked at RyeoWook's face so that he'd have something real to focus on instead of the pictures inside his head. "Everything went to hell in less than a minute. That's how we fight in Special Ops, see? One minute we were launching an attack, the next instant half of the enemy and half of ours was dead, and our target was still alive. We continued to fight.
"My sword, Ryouichi - our powers are very destructive. I only use my shikai if a fight's desperate. I had to that night." EunHyuk fought back the chokes, but he couldn't do anything about the tears. He felt them run down to the pillow. He felt RyeoWook's hands gently wipe them away. His eyes were open but all he could see was a blur.
"I released Ryouichi and went on a rampage. Kill them all, I thought, kill them before they can kill the rest of us. I never fought like that before. DongHae said later on that he thought I was possessed. I was desperate so I went berserk. The death god we were targeting tried to fight back but Ryouichi and I took him down. I didn't notice when the body guards took hostages from the civilians. I killed them all. The hostages were just in the way." EunHyuk turned away, afraid of seeing RyeoWook's expression. "I didn't even realize that my teammates were trying to subdue me. DongHae and I were the only ones who survived. The other guy from my squad..."
But he didn't have to say it. RyeoWook put a hand against his mouth to stop the words, and he hugged EunHyuk as tightly as he could, giving reassurance that no words can express.
One shed tears of pain for his friend. The other cried of overwhelming emotions as the last of his wounds finally began to heal.
No more words stood between them.
~*~
DaeSung and JunSu stood on the rooftop nearest the gate to the district. They watched the civilians leave in batches, escorted by units from the 3rd Division. One particularly large group, comprised mostly of females, just left with much squealing and swooning as Captain JaeJoong escorted them personally, leaving a sour-faced ChangMin with the older ladies.
"Shouldn't we go fetch them?" DaeSung asked.
JunSu shook his head. "The district's going to be deserted in the next hour, anyway. There's no need to rush. Let them take their time."
"At this rate we'll be the last group to leave. Not that I'm complaining. A little peace and quiet, you know?" DaeSung cupped his arms behind his head.
"The peace and quiet won't last long," JunSu said darkly. "Hollows don't possess civilians for the fun of it. They were after something, and I'm willing to bet it's hidden here somewhere."
"Yeah." DaeSung let out a heavy sigh. "There's someone behind all this. And we'll hunt him down and kill him so very dead."
"You got that right."
~*~
It took four days for EunHyuk to break in his regenerated body. Four days of stretching and training and nightly massages from RyeoWook before going to bed. And because RyeoWook appointed himself to be his classmate's healer, he moved into EunHyuk's apartment temporarily. They spent nights teaching each other healing theories and melee fighting techniques. One night they laughed in disbelief when they discovered that they both passed their tests. They celebrated RyeoWook's top marks by feasting on breaded pork and sweet bean dumplings.
There was a new presence in EunHyuk's apartment: a sheathed katana lying against the corner beside his futon. A wind chime dangled from its hilt.
On the morning of the fifth day, EunHyuk went to JunSu's office in the 2nd Division compound and asked RyeoWook to come with him. JunSu received the two graciously despite the many reports he had to read and asked one of his trainees to go fetch tea and snacks.
"We won't stay long, actually," EunHyuk said, sitting on the chair in front of JunSu's desk. RyeoWook was waiting on the couch by the door. "I just came to mention something."
JunSu raised his eyebrows at him from behind his reading glasses. "Which is?"
EunHyuk looked at his knees. "Lieutenant DaeSung mentioned something back at the inn. Something about me being a special agent."
JunSu nodded. "Yes. And?"
"Thanks for that, JunSu. But I'm 4th Division now. And I'm just a humble trainee."
JunSu leaned back and regarded him thoughtfully. "I see. Okay, I respect that. But you know the 2nd Division is always open to you, right?"
EunHyuk smiled wistfully at him. "I know. Come by for dinner sometime? RyeoWook's an excellent cook."
"How about this weekend? I'll be done with these reports by then. See you at your apartment?"
"Of course." EunHyuk stood up, saluted him, and left with RyeoWook.
JunSu looked out the window and decided that the day was too nice to spend cooped up in the office. The sunlight reminded him of HyukJae's smile.
Outside, RyeoWook headed for the compound gates but EunHyuk stopped him. "There's someone I'd like you to meet. Is that okay?"
RyeoWook nodded. EunHyuk led him to the training fields where a solitary figure was practicing unarmed fighting stances with his eyes closed. EunHyuk signaled for RyeoWook to wait, and he approached the man as silently as possible.
DongHae was in the middle of a spin when he felt something soft and brittle hit the back of his head. He opened his eyes and caught the projectile before it fell to the ground, and saw HyukJae standing a few meters from him. There was a smirk on his face.
DongHae smiled at the surreal sight and unfolded the crumpled sheet of paper.
Dear DongHae.
I'm writing back to let you know that your sensing skills aren't worth shit.
Lots of love,
EunHyukJae
DongHae approached him slowly, afraid that EunHyuk would disappear if he made any sudden moves. Of course, that was only until he was close enough to grab EunHyuk in a headlock and shout at the top of his lungs. "Welcome back, Assface!"
"Yah, DongHae!"
They both heard RyeoWook laugh at them from a distance. DongHae turned to him and let EunHyuk go.
EunHyuk rubbed his neck. He'll never get used to DongHae's greetings and he lost a lot of chance to prepare for his attacks over the years. But there were other times to worry about that. "DongHae, I'd like you to meet my friend."
DongHae snickered at him. "Yeah, I guessed." He left EunHyuk and ran over to RyeoWook. "Hi! I'm DongHae! You're Assface's friend?"
"Assface?" RyeoWook asked, amused.
"That's his new name!"
"Ah. Yes, I'm his friend, RyeoWook. It's a pleasure to meet you."
"Same here! Come on, let's have lunch. I have plenty to tell you about Assface that I'm sure you'd love to hear..." DongHae hung his arm across RyeoWook's shoulders and steered him towards the Division cafeteria.
EunHyuk could hear their peals of laughter as he walked several paces behind. He smiled when the two waited for him at the door and waved at him to hurry up.
He walked just a bit faster. DongHae threw up his hands in frustration, and RyeoWook opened his arms for a hug.
[Continue to Chapter 4.]