Unlock Arc II - Chapter Two
Title: Unlock Arc II
Authors:
renichifreak and
yeonah
Chapter: 2/?
Fandom: SS501, cameos by KARA
Pairings: KyuSaeng, HyunMin (may be other pairings in the future)
Rating: PG-16
Warning: Angst, AU, Fluff
Summary: Not everything is as it seems, and for those who are as far from normal as you can get, life is a bleak existence. The only ones who can truly understand what these individuals go through are those...just like them.
A/N: YoungSaeng and HyunJoong are played by
renichifreak and KyuJong and JungMin are played by me. Updates every Monday.
It was another full day in bed before HaRa would let KyuJong stand on his own. And even then, she and Nicole hovered until his mother shooed them both out so he could change out of the pajamas he'd been in since reappearing. His old clothes were gone, past saving with the amount of blood that had been spilt on them.
For a long time he just stood in front of the mirror, looking at the puckered scar left by the bullet just beside his heart. It had really been a close call. Drawing in a shaky breath and holding on to his necklace to ground himself, KyuJong shook his head and finished getting dressed, pulling on a shirt and adjusting the collar before walking to the door. Sudden movements still made him dizzy since HaRa couldn't completely restore the amount of blood he'd lost, but he was much better than when he'd first woken up.
Opening the door, he stepped out into the hallway for the first time, looking around with wide eyes. This was all under the clearing? How long had it taken to make the network of rooms and hallways?
"Where did he go this time...?" SooHyun muttered to himself as he searched the complex for the second time. Feeling much too lazy to move through it normally, he began popping in and out of rooms rather than walking from one to the other.
Seeing nothing, he sighed and teleported himself back into the hallway, only to cry out when he ended up right in front of a stranger. Pinwheeling his arms, he ended up losing his balance, falling on his rear with a yelp.
KyuJong shouted in alarm and backed up into the closed door behind him, eyes wide at the young man who'd just appeared out of thin air. It took a moment for him to recover; the idea of there being more people like them around was one thing, but seeing it right in front of him the second after stepping out of the room was another.
"Uh...are you okay?" he asked hesitantly after a moment, offering a hand.
"I think my ego got more of a beating than anything," SooHyun chuckled before reaching out to take the offered hand. "I didn't mean to scare you or anything. I'm actually looking for someone." Pausing, he grinned. "Have you maybe seen a guy about twenty floating around here?" he asked.
The time traveler shook his head. "No, I...floating?" He blinked owlishly at that. He had no idea who this man was, or who he was looking for (floating?), or even where HyunJoong was. "I'm sorry, I haven't seen anyone like that...would you happen to know where HyunJoong is?"
"Yeah, his power has to do with gravity, but he's a bit spacey on a good day, and he tends to float away occasionally," SooHyun explained. "And Hyung's in a meeting, I think," he added. "I'm SooHyun, by the way."
"I'm KyuJong, nice to meet you," KyuJong smiled politely, letting go of SooHyun's hand once the other man was up. "So, you must be...a teleporter?" It seemed like a good guess, based off how suddenly the man had appeared.
"Yup," SooHyun stated with a smile. "And did you say your name was KyuJong? I remember hearing a lot about a KyuJong that disappeared a couple years ago. It's actually why this shelter is here."
KyuJong blinked, then looked down, nodding slightly. "Y-yeah...” He wasn't sure how to explain that. "I can help you find this friend of yours if you want," he offered. He had nothing he was supposed to be doing at the moment, he was supposed to meet with HyunJoong but if he was busy...
SooHyun perked up at the offer. "Really?! Oh my God, you're a lifesaver! All I know is that he's probably in the hallway somewhere. I checked the majority of the rooms here already."
"Then we better start looking," KyuJong smiled. It would also give him a chance to figure out his way around. "He wouldn't have gone outside?"
"Can't. He's still somewhat unstable, so he's not allowed outside unless it's with HyunJoong Hyung or one of the others who are able to nullify his power," SooHyun explained. "It's safer that way."
Sobering, KyuJong nodded in understanding. "Okay...where haven't you looked yet?" He looked up and down the hallway.
Looking around, SooHyun pointed straight ahead. "That way," he said before he began walking. "So when did you get here, if I can ask?" he asked conversationally.
"Just a few days ago," KyuJong said quietly, wondering just how much this SooHyun knew about his situation. "I haven't been able to look around yet, HyunJoong was supposed to meet me but I guess he'll be running a little late." Walking along beside the other man, KyuJong slipped his hands into his pockets and looked around for any sign of a floating person.
"Hyung's been really busy lately," SooHyun said as they searched. "There's been Hunter activity in the area, so he's been making sure that everyone's okay and that if he sees any other abnormals, he can get them to safety," he explained with a smile.
Brow furrowing in concern, KyuJong nodded slowly in understanding. He would have to talk to HyunJoong about that... "Abnormals...is that what we're calling ourselves now?" he asked quietly.
SooHyun shrugged his shoulders. "Better than what they call us, I suppose. Better to be an abnormal than a mutant or freak, right?"
They walked a bit further when SooHyun stopped, a chuckle leaving him as he crossed his arms. "Need a bit of help there?" he asked, looking up.
Stopping, KyuJong looked up in confusion, eyes widening.
A young man sat on the ceiling upside-down, arms folded over his chest and looking put out. "I am perfectly fine," he huffed, trying to push himself down off the ceiling. He dipped a few feet in the air before bobbing back up like a helium balloon, hitting the ceiling again with a yelp.
Chuckling at the adorable picture the elder made, SooHyun began looking around for a way to get him down without having to teleport up there himself. "I swear, Hae. Once of these days, I'm buying you a leash."
Not seeing anything, he looked at KyuJong. "Um, if I boosted you up and he pushed down, do you think you could grab him? He's light as a feather right now, promise. Otherwise, I can call HyunJoong to do it, but this way, DongHae'll get laughed at way less."
"Uh, sure?" KyuJong blinked, going to stand next to the wall to stabilize himself. His injury should be healed enough for this, though HaRa had said to avoid extensive activities for another week.
"Who's he?" DongHae pointed at KyuJong as he shuffled himself over on the ceiling to above where KyuJong was.
"He's the guy that's hopefully gonna help to get you down from there," SooHyun chuckled before turning back. He frowned, though, when he saw KyuJong against the wall. "Hey, you okay?" he asked. "If not, I can just teleport up there quickly."
"I'm fine," KyuJong nodded with a small smile. "I just don't have the best of balance, so holding on to the wall might help."
DongHae tried to stand on the ceiling, and flopped back over onto his face, the collision with the ceiling making him bounce a little.
SooHyun considered for a moment before nodding. "Sitting on my shoulders should be good enough," he decided before turning to DongHae. "Think when we're set up that you can push yourself down to reach him?" he asked. He was just glad that the ceilings weren't extremely high on the lower levels.
"That I can do," DongHae replied, sitting back up and wincing as he rubbed his face. "You know, you could always leave me up here until I run out of energy and crash, it'll happen eventually."
"Last time I did that, you ran to HyunJoong Hyung and told him that I ignored you and then he shut my power off for three hours," SooHyun pointed out with a pout.
"Okay, so don't then," DongHae grinned. "Are you gonna get me down or what?"
SooHyun sighed loudly and overdramatically. "I suppose so." Turning to KyuJong, he crouched down and dropped his head. "Don't worry. I'm a lot stronger than I look," he assured.
"If you say so," KyuJong chuckled, shifting away from the wall a little to carefully climb on to SooHyun's shoulders, wobbling a little unsteadily. "You sure about this?" He had to contract his abdominal muscles to stay steady, something that wasn't exactly pain-free.
Once he was sure that KyuJong was okay, and making sure to move over to the wall so he could lean against it if he had to, SooHyun slowly stood up, bringing KyuJong up high enough for DongHae to reach when he pushed off the ceiling.
Wobbling a little, KyuJong winced before drawing in a breath and reaching up. At the same time, DongHae pushed himself off the ceiling and KyuJong was able to grab his hand. It was like holding on to a balloon. "Okay, I've got him."
Nodding his head, SooHyun eased himself to the ground, letting KyuJong climb off before taking DongHae's hand. "Thanks, KyuJong sshi."
"No problem," KyuJong chuckled a little, one hand against his chest as he straightened. DongHae floated upside-down happily, holding on to SooHyun's wrist. "Doesn't that make you dizzy?"
"Very," DongHae grinned at him. "Do I have to go back to my room? I don't want to stay in there all day."
Thinking it over, SooHyun grinned before holding DongHae out to KyuJong. "Would you mind holding him for a second while I pop out? I'll be back in like, two minutes tops."
KyuJong blinked owlishly at the other man. "Uh...okay?" He reached out and took DongHae's hand, stepping back to avoid being smacked as DongHae's body drifted in the direction he was pulled. "Where are you going?"
"The gym. I'll be right back." With a grin, SooHyun vanished.
As he promised, not two minutes later, he returned with four bands. "Put these on, Hae. They're weighted wrist and ankle bands. I'm sure you remember these," he chuckled teasingly.
“.... Oh no," DongHae whined, staring at them upside-down. "They're not the super heavy ones, right? You stuck me to the floor and left me there!"
KyuJong covered his mouth with one hand to hide a laugh.
Grinning, SooHyun shook his head. "I was tempted, though," he replied as he pulled DongHae down, strapping the weights onto his ankles first before moving to his wrists.
"Sorry I'm late!" HyunJoong yelled as he ran down the hall. "But people wouldn't stop asking me ridiculous questions and-” He looked over at DongHae and upon seeing the weights, began to laugh.
SooHyun grinned and turned toward KyuJong. "Don't even bother hiding your laugh. Not when our own leader can't even do it."
DongHae stared at HyunJoong with a pout. "I look ridiculous like this," he protested, trying to move and having to take exaggerated footsteps like he was walking through quicksand to get anywhere. KyuJong refrained from saying he looked worse when he was bouncing on the ceiling, smiling widely at HyunJoong as he lowered his hand from his chest.
Still snickering, HyunJoong caught the action from KyuJong and raised a brow. "You doing okay, Kyu?" he asked. "We should probably have HaRa give you a quick once over, just to make sure everything's still in working order and all that."
"I'm fine," KyuJong replied with a small smile, shaking his head. "How was the meeting?"
HyunJoong rolled his eyes. "A bunch of adults who are convinced that a kid like me has no place running a cell, yet I put them in their place every time," he explained. "You'd think they would learn by now, but no."
"They're still giving you a hard time?" DongHae asked, stomping around before he could turn to face them properly. "They're just butthurt you do a better job than they could."
KyuJong frowned slightly; he'd missed a lot.
"Each cell has a leader, and besides me, the next youngest is a good fifteen or so years older than I am," HyunJoong explained to KyuJong. "Doesn't help that they're convinced that I'm gonna shut down all their powers whenever I want."
"You wouldn't do that without a good reason though," KyuJong frowned. He knew HyunJoong, and that wouldn't have changed in 2 years. "Anything I can do?" Though he was technically younger than HyunJoong now, so he wasn't sure how much he'd be able to help.
"Well for one, you can heal up. Getting shot isn't something you can bounce back from, even with HaRa playing nurse," HyunJoong remarked. He smiled, appreciating the offer.
"You were shot?" DongHae's eyes widened.
"Yeah...” KyuJong smiled a little shakily, looking to HyunJoong. "Are you certain there's nothing I can do? I might not be able to practice yet, but there must be something...” Sitting around his room left to his own thoughts was going to drive him insane if he didn't start doing something to help.
Thinking about it, HyunJoong's gaze fell on DongHae. "How about playing babysitter?" he asked with a grin. "We have a few unstables here, but none dangerous. I'm sure DongHae would be happy to introduce you to a few of them."
KyuJong blinked at that. "Uh, okay?"
"I would consider a guy who can blow a hole in the wall dangerous," DongHae pouted at HyunJoong. "Especially considering he's done it before, several times."
"And that's why I'm going to lock him down for a bit," HyunJoong replied with a smile. "Not completely, though, because he still needs to practice a bit more today."
"He'll love that, not," DongHae snickered. "Can I watch? I don't want to go back to my room." He floundered a little to move.
Watching them, KyuJong smiled. Despite all that was going on, he was glad they were no longer alone.
"Yes, Hae, you can go, but I actually need SooHyun for a bit," HyunJoong replied before turning back to KyuJong with an apologetic look. "Sorry, Kyu, but everything kinda just popped up all at once. If it helps, Joonie should be there with a couple of them, so you'll probably see him there."
SooHyun sighed in understanding. "Where to now?"
"China this time. Same place as before."
With a nod, he looked at KyuJong. "Nice meeting you, KyuJong sshi. I'll be back soon."
With that, he vanished.
KyuJong looked at the spot where SooHyun had been, startled. Could he really teleport all the way over to China? After a moment he looked at HyunJoong with a worried frown. "What's going on, Hyun?"
"Soo yah is a pro at gathering info," HyunJoong explained as he motioned for KyuJong to follow, knowing DongHae would do so as well. "His ability makes it safer to pass along info than anything, since there's such a low risk of interference. He brings it here and then we pass it to another guy who's more or less a linguist, who then brings it to me."
Nodding in understanding, KyuJong followed along beside HyunJoong. "SooHyun sshi said there were Hunters in the area?" he asked quietly, not sure what to make of this but it was definitely not good news.
"Yeah," HyunJoong nodded with a roll of his eyes. "They show up around here a lot, but they never stay for long. I just have to make sure that everyone is present and accounted for and doesn't sneak out like a certain someone here likes to do." He cast a glance back at DongHae, more amused than anything.
"I can't help it, I wanna see the sky," DongHae sulked, dragging himself along and clearly having trouble with the weights attached to his ankles and wrists.
KyuJong smiled sadly. The idea that they couldn't go around as they wished would take some getting used to. "They know there's Gifted hidden here?" He didn't like calling them abnormals, he'd decided that already.
HyunJoong smiled slightly at the use of the word Gifted. It was something he hadn't heard in a long time. "They know that I'm around here somewhere," he amended before pausing. "After you vanished and Saeng and Min were taken, I snuck out and tried to get them back. Nearly got myself caught, too, but I was lucky and managed to get away."
Surprised at that, KyuJong looked at him worriedly. "Be careful, Hyun..." He said quietly. "We'll get them back, but we can't lose you in the meantime." He touched the older man's arm lightly.
Smiling back, HyunJoong reached out and mussed KyuJong's hair. "Trust me, these guys won't let me do it again, as much as I want to," he chuckled.
"Got that right!" DongHae called.
KyuJong yelped as his hair was messed up, before smiling a little. "How did you find them all, anyways?" He asked.
Smiling, HyunJoong tapped his head. "I sense them all usually. Sometimes they would find me somehow, or your parents, and they would bring them here," he replied. "Hunters have no jurisdiction with humans, so they can't do a thing without proof of them helping us, which we make sure we leave none of."
The time traveler nodded, then hesitated. "What about your family? Everyone else's?" He asked quietly. They surely had to know by now what their children were, especially if everyone was hiding out here.
"Most people who are here are runaways," HyunJoong said quietly. "The girls left to protect their families, and so did HyungJoon and I, until we found out that our brothers were gifted, too." He paused. This was something that he hated remembering. "Joonie got his brother out in time, but their parents didn't make it, and neither did mine," he shrugged, hands in his pockets.
KyuJong's eyes widened in shock, looking up at the older man. After a moment, he swallowed thickly and looked back down at the floor. "I'm sorry...” He didn't know what to say.
Not knowing how to reply, HyunJoong just shrugged his shoulders again, but smiled at KyuJong. "Your parents all but took us all in, so they made it a lot easier to deal with. Besides, you're back now, and we'll get the others, so at least one family will be back together."
Looking up, KyuJong nodded with a small smile. "Right." After a moment, he turned his attention back to the hallways. "This place is huge...where are we going exactly?"
"There's a lower level for training with a few rec rooms. The trainees spend most of their time down there and so does Joonie and SooHyun since KiBum is down there," HyunJoong explained with a smile.
"And all this was made in two years?" KyuJong looked as they approached a set of stairs heading down, making his way down carefully. DongHae stopped at the top of the stairs and looked down awkwardly before gripping the railing and going one step at a time.
"I don't even know how it was done to be honest with you," HyunJoong laughed before turning to DongHae. With a grin, he locked his powers up and removed the weights. "Better, Hae?"
"Much!" DongHae chirped before all but running down the stairs, jumping the last few with a whoop. KyuJong couldn't help but smile; the action reminded him of JungMin constantly jumping off the back porch.
"You're such a dork," HyunJoong laughed before following him downstairs. "Yah, Joonie! Are you down here?"
"He can't talk right now," came a very oddly accented voice. "Bummie has him in a headlock again."
HyunJoong sighed. "Seriously, it's hard to remember which one of them is older sometimes."
KyuJong blinked in confusion as he followed HyunJoong the rest of the way down the stairs, looking around for both the owner of the voice and HyungJoon. "Joon?" he called, blinking as he looked into the large room behind.
"Kyu!" came the choked voice of HyungJoon, who was waving an arm frantically to draw attention.
HyunJoong laughed loudly and leaned against the wall before tugging KyuJong toward where HyungJoon was struggling to get away from a younger boy that looked like an almost carbon copy. "KiBum ah, please let your brother breath, will you?"
The young boy pouted before letting go of the hold. "You're no fun..."
Laughing, KyuJong walked over to where HyungJoon was on the ground and held out both hands to help him up. "You okay?"
"Why did it have to stop, it was fun to watch!" Called a dark-haired young man sitting on the other side of the room. DongHae ran over to him.
The accented voice spoke up again before an energetic boy with a thousand watt smile bounced into the room. "Because big HJ would never let anyone hurt little HJ. Duh!" he stated.
HyunJoong rolled his eyes. "KyuJong, this is Xander and the one beating up HyungJoon is KiBum, Joonie's little brother."
Chuckling, KyuJong bowed politely after hugging HyungJoon. "Nice to meet you both."
"I don't get an introduction?" asked the boy DongHae had gone over to. His brows furrowed as he stared at his fingertips, a small globe of white light slowly forming.
"This is JongWoon," DongHae grinned, scooting away from the named boy when he saw the globe.
Keeping his eyes on the globe forming, HyunJoong began tugging KyuJong away. "JongWoon here is the reason I stay so busy while around here," HyunJoong replied, affection in the tone.
"Why?" KyuJong asked, confused.
His answer came in the form of a small boom as the globe in JongWoon's hands suddenly exploded, knocking him back into the wall and making everyone in the room cough at the sudden billow of smoke.
Fanning the air around him and coughing, HyunJoong glared at JongWoon before looking back at KyuJong, who he had kept back from the explosion. "That would be why."
"Look up 'unstable' in the dictionary, you'll see JongWoon there," KiBum gasped.
"I'm sorry!" JongWoon whined before groaning, curled up against the wall where he'd been thrown.
"I'll get a healer," DongHae chirped, racing back to the stairs and up to the level above.
Sighing, HyunJoong walked over and helped JongWoon to his feet, bringing him over to lie down on the couch a few feet away. "Just relax, hyung," HyunJoong said as he looked over to Xander. "SooHyun's running an errand in China, so he'll be popping in to see you whenever he gets back."
Xander nodded his head with a grin. "Gotchya boss."
KyuJong chuckled quietly, eyes on JongWoon for a moment before looking around the room. "So this is where you practice?"
"Yeah, the walls are fortified and everything so we don't bring the place down on our heads," HyungJoon grinned. "Which is needed in some of our cases."
The time traveler nodded, before getting a good look at Xander and blinking. "I...I recognize you from somewhere." Something nagged at his memory.
Smiling nervously, Xander looked at HyunJoong before the elder nodded. "Perhaps this'll help." Backing away from everyone, Xander looked at KyuJong before he was encased in flames a moment later. "If it also helps, I used to live in the US," he added before deactivating his power.
Jumping in surprise at the sudden wave of heat, KyuJong's eyes widened in understanding at Xander's words. "You were the first to be found," he murmured, remembering seeing the news report on TV of a boy bursting into flames in the middle of New York. How had Xander ended up here though?
"Yup," Xander replied. "I managed to get away and found myself here since I had friends here. HyunJoongie Hyung managed to find me wandering around as I was looking for them and brought me with him."
Nodding slowly in understanding, KyuJong smiled at the other boy, relieved that the first to be found had made it out.
Footsteps came back down the stairs, and DongHae reappeared, all but towing a smaller, skinny boy around by the wrist. "I brought him!"
"What happened?" asked the new arrival, tugging uselessly at the grip DongHae had on him.
"JongWoon," everyone in the room chorused.
Giving a long-suffering sigh, the healer managed to pull himself away from DongHae before padding over to sit down on the couch next to JongWoon.
"That's RyeoWook," HyungJoon said, pointing.
KyuJong blinked at the small boy, wondering what he was doing. He couldn't see any glow like with HaRa. "Is he healing JongWoon sshi?"
"Yeah, he can heal anyone close by without doing anything," DongHae grinned.
Sure enough, KyuJong could feel the slight ache in his chest from the moving around slowly easing. "Who else is there I haven't met?" He chuckled, looking to HyunJoong.
Pausing, HyunJoong blinked. "Good question." Thinking hard, he ran through names in his head. "I think its just HyunSeung..." he murmured.
"Ah, right, where is he?" DongHae asked, hands behind his head. "Haven't seen him around for a while."
KyuJong tried to memorize all the new names, watching JongWoon slowly sit up on the couch with a sigh of relief.
"I think he passed out again," HyungJoon answered before looking at KyuJong. "Seung's power is a bit dangerous, but mostly to himself. He can turn his blood into weapons, but he has to be careful of how much he uses."
Eyes widening, KyuJong felt concern. "Is he okay?"
"Yeah, I checked on him an hour or so ago," RyeoWook said quietly, knees drawn up to his chest as he waited for his aura to heal JongWoon completely. "He's passed out, but nothing dangerous. He'll probably be up again in a few hours."
"HyunSeung is very hard to keep down and has gotten a lot better," KiBum replied with a grin. "When we're in a serious fight, though, we have to make sure there's a healer nearby so he doesn't bleed to death."
"Are there many healers?" KyuJong asked.
"Just me and HaRa sshi for this cell," RyeoWook said quietly. "There's a few others in the other cells."
DongHae was bouncing. "HyunJoong ah, can I practice? I think I can get it today!"
Winking at KyuJong, HyunJoong made a show of thinking over DongHae's request before nodding with a sigh. "I suppose so, but the second you start flying away, those weights go right back on, understand?"
"Yes sir! I'll stay grounded!" DongHae folded his arms across his chest in determination, as if that would keep him on the floor rather than on the ceiling.
"He wants to get better so HyunJoong can unlock his powers too, but he keeps having moments where he'll space out...mentally and physically," HyungJoon told KyuJong with a chuckle.
"Sound a bit familiar?" HyunJoong chuckled, thinking about two years ago when half of them were unable to focus while practicing. Turning back to DongHae, he grinned. "You're getting better, Hae. You just need to find something to keep yourself focused," he advised.
DongHae nodded, bouncing a little. "I can do that, I'm working on it," he replied with a wide smile. "Unlock me now?" He took a breath to stabilize himself, KyuJong leaning against the wall as he watched.
With a nod, HyunJoong leaned up against the wall and did as DongHae requested, watching him curiously to see how well he did. "Why do you want to master this, Hae?" he asked suddenly.
The older man squeaked a little as he started to float, before grounding himself back to the floor. "So that I can go back home one day," he grinned, tongue peeping out of the corner of his mouth as he tried walking around. KyuJong noticed he had trouble, like he was using too much gravity to keep himself down and had more trouble lifting his feet than he should.
"And why do you want to go home?" HyunJoong asked. "What's there?"
"My family," DongHae smiled widely. "Or, my mom anyways. I left her alone." He wobbled a little, pinwheeling his arms to keep his balance.
"Tell me about her," HyunJoong said with a smile. If this could work with a spazzy and energy-sucking redhead, then it would probably work for DongHae as well.
As DongHae started to talk about his mother, KyuJong sat down to sit on the floor next to HyungJoon, noticing the others listening as well. HyungJoon's head was bowed and he had one arm around KiBum's shoulders, keeping his little brother close. KyuJong smiled sadly, watching them for a moment before returning his gaze to the others.
Taking a deep breath to force back the dull ache in his chest, HyunJoong smiled. "She sounds like a great woman. Now come over here for a sec."
Turning around to face HyunJoong, DongHae's smile was a little wistful as he held out his hands for balance slightly before walking right up to him, stopping in front of the younger man and looking up at him expectantly. Watching him walk, KyuJong grinned to himself, not saying anything.
"So Hae, how'd it feel to walk over here?" HyunJoong asked with a grin. Kibum, Xander, and HyungJoon were all watching them as well when they noticed what HyunJoong had been trying to do.
"It felt like walking?" DongHae blinked at him, not comprehending. It was only when he looked down at his feet and realized that he wasn't floating, nor pinning himself down with too much gravity, that his eyes widened in surprise.
"Exactly," HyunJoong remarked. "You were focusing on answering my questions, and then focusing on your mom, so you weren't overthinking holding yourself down. Now things aren't going to change overnight, and I know that I'm gonna find you sitting on the ceiling again, but you're doing well." Reaching out, he ruffled DongHae's hair with a proud grin. "Keep it up."
Yelping at the hand in his hair, DongHae looked back up at HyunJoong with a wide grin and bright eyes. "I will! Then do you think I will be able to go home, one day?"
"I hope so, Hae," HyunJoong replied, smile turning sad. With the way the world was, it was impossible to say, and HyunJoong refused to give anyone false hope. "I will say that you have a very good chance of being able to go out on your own in the near future, though."
Nodding, DongHae smiled before continuing to try walking around, humming a tune under his breath.
KyuJong looked around at everyone in the room, those with control and those without, and smiled a little to himself. Maybe one day things would be all right again. They were people too...the world needed to see that.
Authors:
renichifreak and
yeonah
Chapter: 2/?
Fandom: SS501, cameos by KARA
Pairings: KyuSaeng, HyunMin (may be other pairings in the future)
Rating: PG-16
Warning: Angst, AU, Fluff
Summary: Not everything is as it seems, and for those who are as far from normal as you can get, life is a bleak existence. The only ones who can truly understand what these individuals go through are those...just like them.
A/N: YoungSaeng and HyunJoong are played by
renichifreak and KyuJong and JungMin are played by me. Updates every Monday.
It was another full day in bed before HaRa would let KyuJong stand on his own. And even then, she and Nicole hovered until his mother shooed them both out so he could change out of the pajamas he'd been in since reappearing. His old clothes were gone, past saving with the amount of blood that had been spilt on them.
For a long time he just stood in front of the mirror, looking at the puckered scar left by the bullet just beside his heart. It had really been a close call. Drawing in a shaky breath and holding on to his necklace to ground himself, KyuJong shook his head and finished getting dressed, pulling on a shirt and adjusting the collar before walking to the door. Sudden movements still made him dizzy since HaRa couldn't completely restore the amount of blood he'd lost, but he was much better than when he'd first woken up.
Opening the door, he stepped out into the hallway for the first time, looking around with wide eyes. This was all under the clearing? How long had it taken to make the network of rooms and hallways?
"Where did he go this time...?" SooHyun muttered to himself as he searched the complex for the second time. Feeling much too lazy to move through it normally, he began popping in and out of rooms rather than walking from one to the other.
Seeing nothing, he sighed and teleported himself back into the hallway, only to cry out when he ended up right in front of a stranger. Pinwheeling his arms, he ended up losing his balance, falling on his rear with a yelp.
KyuJong shouted in alarm and backed up into the closed door behind him, eyes wide at the young man who'd just appeared out of thin air. It took a moment for him to recover; the idea of there being more people like them around was one thing, but seeing it right in front of him the second after stepping out of the room was another.
"Uh...are you okay?" he asked hesitantly after a moment, offering a hand.
"I think my ego got more of a beating than anything," SooHyun chuckled before reaching out to take the offered hand. "I didn't mean to scare you or anything. I'm actually looking for someone." Pausing, he grinned. "Have you maybe seen a guy about twenty floating around here?" he asked.
The time traveler shook his head. "No, I...floating?" He blinked owlishly at that. He had no idea who this man was, or who he was looking for (floating?), or even where HyunJoong was. "I'm sorry, I haven't seen anyone like that...would you happen to know where HyunJoong is?"
"Yeah, his power has to do with gravity, but he's a bit spacey on a good day, and he tends to float away occasionally," SooHyun explained. "And Hyung's in a meeting, I think," he added. "I'm SooHyun, by the way."
"I'm KyuJong, nice to meet you," KyuJong smiled politely, letting go of SooHyun's hand once the other man was up. "So, you must be...a teleporter?" It seemed like a good guess, based off how suddenly the man had appeared.
"Yup," SooHyun stated with a smile. "And did you say your name was KyuJong? I remember hearing a lot about a KyuJong that disappeared a couple years ago. It's actually why this shelter is here."
KyuJong blinked, then looked down, nodding slightly. "Y-yeah...” He wasn't sure how to explain that. "I can help you find this friend of yours if you want," he offered. He had nothing he was supposed to be doing at the moment, he was supposed to meet with HyunJoong but if he was busy...
SooHyun perked up at the offer. "Really?! Oh my God, you're a lifesaver! All I know is that he's probably in the hallway somewhere. I checked the majority of the rooms here already."
"Then we better start looking," KyuJong smiled. It would also give him a chance to figure out his way around. "He wouldn't have gone outside?"
"Can't. He's still somewhat unstable, so he's not allowed outside unless it's with HyunJoong Hyung or one of the others who are able to nullify his power," SooHyun explained. "It's safer that way."
Sobering, KyuJong nodded in understanding. "Okay...where haven't you looked yet?" He looked up and down the hallway.
Looking around, SooHyun pointed straight ahead. "That way," he said before he began walking. "So when did you get here, if I can ask?" he asked conversationally.
"Just a few days ago," KyuJong said quietly, wondering just how much this SooHyun knew about his situation. "I haven't been able to look around yet, HyunJoong was supposed to meet me but I guess he'll be running a little late." Walking along beside the other man, KyuJong slipped his hands into his pockets and looked around for any sign of a floating person.
"Hyung's been really busy lately," SooHyun said as they searched. "There's been Hunter activity in the area, so he's been making sure that everyone's okay and that if he sees any other abnormals, he can get them to safety," he explained with a smile.
Brow furrowing in concern, KyuJong nodded slowly in understanding. He would have to talk to HyunJoong about that... "Abnormals...is that what we're calling ourselves now?" he asked quietly.
SooHyun shrugged his shoulders. "Better than what they call us, I suppose. Better to be an abnormal than a mutant or freak, right?"
They walked a bit further when SooHyun stopped, a chuckle leaving him as he crossed his arms. "Need a bit of help there?" he asked, looking up.
Stopping, KyuJong looked up in confusion, eyes widening.
A young man sat on the ceiling upside-down, arms folded over his chest and looking put out. "I am perfectly fine," he huffed, trying to push himself down off the ceiling. He dipped a few feet in the air before bobbing back up like a helium balloon, hitting the ceiling again with a yelp.
Chuckling at the adorable picture the elder made, SooHyun began looking around for a way to get him down without having to teleport up there himself. "I swear, Hae. Once of these days, I'm buying you a leash."
Not seeing anything, he looked at KyuJong. "Um, if I boosted you up and he pushed down, do you think you could grab him? He's light as a feather right now, promise. Otherwise, I can call HyunJoong to do it, but this way, DongHae'll get laughed at way less."
"Uh, sure?" KyuJong blinked, going to stand next to the wall to stabilize himself. His injury should be healed enough for this, though HaRa had said to avoid extensive activities for another week.
"Who's he?" DongHae pointed at KyuJong as he shuffled himself over on the ceiling to above where KyuJong was.
"He's the guy that's hopefully gonna help to get you down from there," SooHyun chuckled before turning back. He frowned, though, when he saw KyuJong against the wall. "Hey, you okay?" he asked. "If not, I can just teleport up there quickly."
"I'm fine," KyuJong nodded with a small smile. "I just don't have the best of balance, so holding on to the wall might help."
DongHae tried to stand on the ceiling, and flopped back over onto his face, the collision with the ceiling making him bounce a little.
SooHyun considered for a moment before nodding. "Sitting on my shoulders should be good enough," he decided before turning to DongHae. "Think when we're set up that you can push yourself down to reach him?" he asked. He was just glad that the ceilings weren't extremely high on the lower levels.
"That I can do," DongHae replied, sitting back up and wincing as he rubbed his face. "You know, you could always leave me up here until I run out of energy and crash, it'll happen eventually."
"Last time I did that, you ran to HyunJoong Hyung and told him that I ignored you and then he shut my power off for three hours," SooHyun pointed out with a pout.
"Okay, so don't then," DongHae grinned. "Are you gonna get me down or what?"
SooHyun sighed loudly and overdramatically. "I suppose so." Turning to KyuJong, he crouched down and dropped his head. "Don't worry. I'm a lot stronger than I look," he assured.
"If you say so," KyuJong chuckled, shifting away from the wall a little to carefully climb on to SooHyun's shoulders, wobbling a little unsteadily. "You sure about this?" He had to contract his abdominal muscles to stay steady, something that wasn't exactly pain-free.
Once he was sure that KyuJong was okay, and making sure to move over to the wall so he could lean against it if he had to, SooHyun slowly stood up, bringing KyuJong up high enough for DongHae to reach when he pushed off the ceiling.
Wobbling a little, KyuJong winced before drawing in a breath and reaching up. At the same time, DongHae pushed himself off the ceiling and KyuJong was able to grab his hand. It was like holding on to a balloon. "Okay, I've got him."
Nodding his head, SooHyun eased himself to the ground, letting KyuJong climb off before taking DongHae's hand. "Thanks, KyuJong sshi."
"No problem," KyuJong chuckled a little, one hand against his chest as he straightened. DongHae floated upside-down happily, holding on to SooHyun's wrist. "Doesn't that make you dizzy?"
"Very," DongHae grinned at him. "Do I have to go back to my room? I don't want to stay in there all day."
Thinking it over, SooHyun grinned before holding DongHae out to KyuJong. "Would you mind holding him for a second while I pop out? I'll be back in like, two minutes tops."
KyuJong blinked owlishly at the other man. "Uh...okay?" He reached out and took DongHae's hand, stepping back to avoid being smacked as DongHae's body drifted in the direction he was pulled. "Where are you going?"
"The gym. I'll be right back." With a grin, SooHyun vanished.
As he promised, not two minutes later, he returned with four bands. "Put these on, Hae. They're weighted wrist and ankle bands. I'm sure you remember these," he chuckled teasingly.
“.... Oh no," DongHae whined, staring at them upside-down. "They're not the super heavy ones, right? You stuck me to the floor and left me there!"
KyuJong covered his mouth with one hand to hide a laugh.
Grinning, SooHyun shook his head. "I was tempted, though," he replied as he pulled DongHae down, strapping the weights onto his ankles first before moving to his wrists.
"Sorry I'm late!" HyunJoong yelled as he ran down the hall. "But people wouldn't stop asking me ridiculous questions and-” He looked over at DongHae and upon seeing the weights, began to laugh.
SooHyun grinned and turned toward KyuJong. "Don't even bother hiding your laugh. Not when our own leader can't even do it."
DongHae stared at HyunJoong with a pout. "I look ridiculous like this," he protested, trying to move and having to take exaggerated footsteps like he was walking through quicksand to get anywhere. KyuJong refrained from saying he looked worse when he was bouncing on the ceiling, smiling widely at HyunJoong as he lowered his hand from his chest.
Still snickering, HyunJoong caught the action from KyuJong and raised a brow. "You doing okay, Kyu?" he asked. "We should probably have HaRa give you a quick once over, just to make sure everything's still in working order and all that."
"I'm fine," KyuJong replied with a small smile, shaking his head. "How was the meeting?"
HyunJoong rolled his eyes. "A bunch of adults who are convinced that a kid like me has no place running a cell, yet I put them in their place every time," he explained. "You'd think they would learn by now, but no."
"They're still giving you a hard time?" DongHae asked, stomping around before he could turn to face them properly. "They're just butthurt you do a better job than they could."
KyuJong frowned slightly; he'd missed a lot.
"Each cell has a leader, and besides me, the next youngest is a good fifteen or so years older than I am," HyunJoong explained to KyuJong. "Doesn't help that they're convinced that I'm gonna shut down all their powers whenever I want."
"You wouldn't do that without a good reason though," KyuJong frowned. He knew HyunJoong, and that wouldn't have changed in 2 years. "Anything I can do?" Though he was technically younger than HyunJoong now, so he wasn't sure how much he'd be able to help.
"Well for one, you can heal up. Getting shot isn't something you can bounce back from, even with HaRa playing nurse," HyunJoong remarked. He smiled, appreciating the offer.
"You were shot?" DongHae's eyes widened.
"Yeah...” KyuJong smiled a little shakily, looking to HyunJoong. "Are you certain there's nothing I can do? I might not be able to practice yet, but there must be something...” Sitting around his room left to his own thoughts was going to drive him insane if he didn't start doing something to help.
Thinking about it, HyunJoong's gaze fell on DongHae. "How about playing babysitter?" he asked with a grin. "We have a few unstables here, but none dangerous. I'm sure DongHae would be happy to introduce you to a few of them."
KyuJong blinked at that. "Uh, okay?"
"I would consider a guy who can blow a hole in the wall dangerous," DongHae pouted at HyunJoong. "Especially considering he's done it before, several times."
"And that's why I'm going to lock him down for a bit," HyunJoong replied with a smile. "Not completely, though, because he still needs to practice a bit more today."
"He'll love that, not," DongHae snickered. "Can I watch? I don't want to go back to my room." He floundered a little to move.
Watching them, KyuJong smiled. Despite all that was going on, he was glad they were no longer alone.
"Yes, Hae, you can go, but I actually need SooHyun for a bit," HyunJoong replied before turning back to KyuJong with an apologetic look. "Sorry, Kyu, but everything kinda just popped up all at once. If it helps, Joonie should be there with a couple of them, so you'll probably see him there."
SooHyun sighed in understanding. "Where to now?"
"China this time. Same place as before."
With a nod, he looked at KyuJong. "Nice meeting you, KyuJong sshi. I'll be back soon."
With that, he vanished.
KyuJong looked at the spot where SooHyun had been, startled. Could he really teleport all the way over to China? After a moment he looked at HyunJoong with a worried frown. "What's going on, Hyun?"
"Soo yah is a pro at gathering info," HyunJoong explained as he motioned for KyuJong to follow, knowing DongHae would do so as well. "His ability makes it safer to pass along info than anything, since there's such a low risk of interference. He brings it here and then we pass it to another guy who's more or less a linguist, who then brings it to me."
Nodding in understanding, KyuJong followed along beside HyunJoong. "SooHyun sshi said there were Hunters in the area?" he asked quietly, not sure what to make of this but it was definitely not good news.
"Yeah," HyunJoong nodded with a roll of his eyes. "They show up around here a lot, but they never stay for long. I just have to make sure that everyone is present and accounted for and doesn't sneak out like a certain someone here likes to do." He cast a glance back at DongHae, more amused than anything.
"I can't help it, I wanna see the sky," DongHae sulked, dragging himself along and clearly having trouble with the weights attached to his ankles and wrists.
KyuJong smiled sadly. The idea that they couldn't go around as they wished would take some getting used to. "They know there's Gifted hidden here?" He didn't like calling them abnormals, he'd decided that already.
HyunJoong smiled slightly at the use of the word Gifted. It was something he hadn't heard in a long time. "They know that I'm around here somewhere," he amended before pausing. "After you vanished and Saeng and Min were taken, I snuck out and tried to get them back. Nearly got myself caught, too, but I was lucky and managed to get away."
Surprised at that, KyuJong looked at him worriedly. "Be careful, Hyun..." He said quietly. "We'll get them back, but we can't lose you in the meantime." He touched the older man's arm lightly.
Smiling back, HyunJoong reached out and mussed KyuJong's hair. "Trust me, these guys won't let me do it again, as much as I want to," he chuckled.
"Got that right!" DongHae called.
KyuJong yelped as his hair was messed up, before smiling a little. "How did you find them all, anyways?" He asked.
Smiling, HyunJoong tapped his head. "I sense them all usually. Sometimes they would find me somehow, or your parents, and they would bring them here," he replied. "Hunters have no jurisdiction with humans, so they can't do a thing without proof of them helping us, which we make sure we leave none of."
The time traveler nodded, then hesitated. "What about your family? Everyone else's?" He asked quietly. They surely had to know by now what their children were, especially if everyone was hiding out here.
"Most people who are here are runaways," HyunJoong said quietly. "The girls left to protect their families, and so did HyungJoon and I, until we found out that our brothers were gifted, too." He paused. This was something that he hated remembering. "Joonie got his brother out in time, but their parents didn't make it, and neither did mine," he shrugged, hands in his pockets.
KyuJong's eyes widened in shock, looking up at the older man. After a moment, he swallowed thickly and looked back down at the floor. "I'm sorry...” He didn't know what to say.
Not knowing how to reply, HyunJoong just shrugged his shoulders again, but smiled at KyuJong. "Your parents all but took us all in, so they made it a lot easier to deal with. Besides, you're back now, and we'll get the others, so at least one family will be back together."
Looking up, KyuJong nodded with a small smile. "Right." After a moment, he turned his attention back to the hallways. "This place is huge...where are we going exactly?"
"There's a lower level for training with a few rec rooms. The trainees spend most of their time down there and so does Joonie and SooHyun since KiBum is down there," HyunJoong explained with a smile.
"And all this was made in two years?" KyuJong looked as they approached a set of stairs heading down, making his way down carefully. DongHae stopped at the top of the stairs and looked down awkwardly before gripping the railing and going one step at a time.
"I don't even know how it was done to be honest with you," HyunJoong laughed before turning to DongHae. With a grin, he locked his powers up and removed the weights. "Better, Hae?"
"Much!" DongHae chirped before all but running down the stairs, jumping the last few with a whoop. KyuJong couldn't help but smile; the action reminded him of JungMin constantly jumping off the back porch.
"You're such a dork," HyunJoong laughed before following him downstairs. "Yah, Joonie! Are you down here?"
"He can't talk right now," came a very oddly accented voice. "Bummie has him in a headlock again."
HyunJoong sighed. "Seriously, it's hard to remember which one of them is older sometimes."
KyuJong blinked in confusion as he followed HyunJoong the rest of the way down the stairs, looking around for both the owner of the voice and HyungJoon. "Joon?" he called, blinking as he looked into the large room behind.
"Kyu!" came the choked voice of HyungJoon, who was waving an arm frantically to draw attention.
HyunJoong laughed loudly and leaned against the wall before tugging KyuJong toward where HyungJoon was struggling to get away from a younger boy that looked like an almost carbon copy. "KiBum ah, please let your brother breath, will you?"
The young boy pouted before letting go of the hold. "You're no fun..."
Laughing, KyuJong walked over to where HyungJoon was on the ground and held out both hands to help him up. "You okay?"
"Why did it have to stop, it was fun to watch!" Called a dark-haired young man sitting on the other side of the room. DongHae ran over to him.
The accented voice spoke up again before an energetic boy with a thousand watt smile bounced into the room. "Because big HJ would never let anyone hurt little HJ. Duh!" he stated.
HyunJoong rolled his eyes. "KyuJong, this is Xander and the one beating up HyungJoon is KiBum, Joonie's little brother."
Chuckling, KyuJong bowed politely after hugging HyungJoon. "Nice to meet you both."
"I don't get an introduction?" asked the boy DongHae had gone over to. His brows furrowed as he stared at his fingertips, a small globe of white light slowly forming.
"This is JongWoon," DongHae grinned, scooting away from the named boy when he saw the globe.
Keeping his eyes on the globe forming, HyunJoong began tugging KyuJong away. "JongWoon here is the reason I stay so busy while around here," HyunJoong replied, affection in the tone.
"Why?" KyuJong asked, confused.
His answer came in the form of a small boom as the globe in JongWoon's hands suddenly exploded, knocking him back into the wall and making everyone in the room cough at the sudden billow of smoke.
Fanning the air around him and coughing, HyunJoong glared at JongWoon before looking back at KyuJong, who he had kept back from the explosion. "That would be why."
"Look up 'unstable' in the dictionary, you'll see JongWoon there," KiBum gasped.
"I'm sorry!" JongWoon whined before groaning, curled up against the wall where he'd been thrown.
"I'll get a healer," DongHae chirped, racing back to the stairs and up to the level above.
Sighing, HyunJoong walked over and helped JongWoon to his feet, bringing him over to lie down on the couch a few feet away. "Just relax, hyung," HyunJoong said as he looked over to Xander. "SooHyun's running an errand in China, so he'll be popping in to see you whenever he gets back."
Xander nodded his head with a grin. "Gotchya boss."
KyuJong chuckled quietly, eyes on JongWoon for a moment before looking around the room. "So this is where you practice?"
"Yeah, the walls are fortified and everything so we don't bring the place down on our heads," HyungJoon grinned. "Which is needed in some of our cases."
The time traveler nodded, before getting a good look at Xander and blinking. "I...I recognize you from somewhere." Something nagged at his memory.
Smiling nervously, Xander looked at HyunJoong before the elder nodded. "Perhaps this'll help." Backing away from everyone, Xander looked at KyuJong before he was encased in flames a moment later. "If it also helps, I used to live in the US," he added before deactivating his power.
Jumping in surprise at the sudden wave of heat, KyuJong's eyes widened in understanding at Xander's words. "You were the first to be found," he murmured, remembering seeing the news report on TV of a boy bursting into flames in the middle of New York. How had Xander ended up here though?
"Yup," Xander replied. "I managed to get away and found myself here since I had friends here. HyunJoongie Hyung managed to find me wandering around as I was looking for them and brought me with him."
Nodding slowly in understanding, KyuJong smiled at the other boy, relieved that the first to be found had made it out.
Footsteps came back down the stairs, and DongHae reappeared, all but towing a smaller, skinny boy around by the wrist. "I brought him!"
"What happened?" asked the new arrival, tugging uselessly at the grip DongHae had on him.
"JongWoon," everyone in the room chorused.
Giving a long-suffering sigh, the healer managed to pull himself away from DongHae before padding over to sit down on the couch next to JongWoon.
"That's RyeoWook," HyungJoon said, pointing.
KyuJong blinked at the small boy, wondering what he was doing. He couldn't see any glow like with HaRa. "Is he healing JongWoon sshi?"
"Yeah, he can heal anyone close by without doing anything," DongHae grinned.
Sure enough, KyuJong could feel the slight ache in his chest from the moving around slowly easing. "Who else is there I haven't met?" He chuckled, looking to HyunJoong.
Pausing, HyunJoong blinked. "Good question." Thinking hard, he ran through names in his head. "I think its just HyunSeung..." he murmured.
"Ah, right, where is he?" DongHae asked, hands behind his head. "Haven't seen him around for a while."
KyuJong tried to memorize all the new names, watching JongWoon slowly sit up on the couch with a sigh of relief.
"I think he passed out again," HyungJoon answered before looking at KyuJong. "Seung's power is a bit dangerous, but mostly to himself. He can turn his blood into weapons, but he has to be careful of how much he uses."
Eyes widening, KyuJong felt concern. "Is he okay?"
"Yeah, I checked on him an hour or so ago," RyeoWook said quietly, knees drawn up to his chest as he waited for his aura to heal JongWoon completely. "He's passed out, but nothing dangerous. He'll probably be up again in a few hours."
"HyunSeung is very hard to keep down and has gotten a lot better," KiBum replied with a grin. "When we're in a serious fight, though, we have to make sure there's a healer nearby so he doesn't bleed to death."
"Are there many healers?" KyuJong asked.
"Just me and HaRa sshi for this cell," RyeoWook said quietly. "There's a few others in the other cells."
DongHae was bouncing. "HyunJoong ah, can I practice? I think I can get it today!"
Winking at KyuJong, HyunJoong made a show of thinking over DongHae's request before nodding with a sigh. "I suppose so, but the second you start flying away, those weights go right back on, understand?"
"Yes sir! I'll stay grounded!" DongHae folded his arms across his chest in determination, as if that would keep him on the floor rather than on the ceiling.
"He wants to get better so HyunJoong can unlock his powers too, but he keeps having moments where he'll space out...mentally and physically," HyungJoon told KyuJong with a chuckle.
"Sound a bit familiar?" HyunJoong chuckled, thinking about two years ago when half of them were unable to focus while practicing. Turning back to DongHae, he grinned. "You're getting better, Hae. You just need to find something to keep yourself focused," he advised.
DongHae nodded, bouncing a little. "I can do that, I'm working on it," he replied with a wide smile. "Unlock me now?" He took a breath to stabilize himself, KyuJong leaning against the wall as he watched.
With a nod, HyunJoong leaned up against the wall and did as DongHae requested, watching him curiously to see how well he did. "Why do you want to master this, Hae?" he asked suddenly.
The older man squeaked a little as he started to float, before grounding himself back to the floor. "So that I can go back home one day," he grinned, tongue peeping out of the corner of his mouth as he tried walking around. KyuJong noticed he had trouble, like he was using too much gravity to keep himself down and had more trouble lifting his feet than he should.
"And why do you want to go home?" HyunJoong asked. "What's there?"
"My family," DongHae smiled widely. "Or, my mom anyways. I left her alone." He wobbled a little, pinwheeling his arms to keep his balance.
"Tell me about her," HyunJoong said with a smile. If this could work with a spazzy and energy-sucking redhead, then it would probably work for DongHae as well.
As DongHae started to talk about his mother, KyuJong sat down to sit on the floor next to HyungJoon, noticing the others listening as well. HyungJoon's head was bowed and he had one arm around KiBum's shoulders, keeping his little brother close. KyuJong smiled sadly, watching them for a moment before returning his gaze to the others.
Taking a deep breath to force back the dull ache in his chest, HyunJoong smiled. "She sounds like a great woman. Now come over here for a sec."
Turning around to face HyunJoong, DongHae's smile was a little wistful as he held out his hands for balance slightly before walking right up to him, stopping in front of the younger man and looking up at him expectantly. Watching him walk, KyuJong grinned to himself, not saying anything.
"So Hae, how'd it feel to walk over here?" HyunJoong asked with a grin. Kibum, Xander, and HyungJoon were all watching them as well when they noticed what HyunJoong had been trying to do.
"It felt like walking?" DongHae blinked at him, not comprehending. It was only when he looked down at his feet and realized that he wasn't floating, nor pinning himself down with too much gravity, that his eyes widened in surprise.
"Exactly," HyunJoong remarked. "You were focusing on answering my questions, and then focusing on your mom, so you weren't overthinking holding yourself down. Now things aren't going to change overnight, and I know that I'm gonna find you sitting on the ceiling again, but you're doing well." Reaching out, he ruffled DongHae's hair with a proud grin. "Keep it up."
Yelping at the hand in his hair, DongHae looked back up at HyunJoong with a wide grin and bright eyes. "I will! Then do you think I will be able to go home, one day?"
"I hope so, Hae," HyunJoong replied, smile turning sad. With the way the world was, it was impossible to say, and HyunJoong refused to give anyone false hope. "I will say that you have a very good chance of being able to go out on your own in the near future, though."
Nodding, DongHae smiled before continuing to try walking around, humming a tune under his breath.
KyuJong looked around at everyone in the room, those with control and those without, and smiled a little to himself. Maybe one day things would be all right again. They were people too...the world needed to see that.