What Doesn't Kill You Chapter 8
Title: What Doesn’t Kill You Makes You Stronger
Pairing: HanChul, KyuChul, EunKiHae, KangTeuk, YeWook, other may appear in the future
Rating: R
Genre: AU, Action, Superhero (is that a genre?)
Summary: When Cho Kyuhyun was infected with the GAM Virus, he’d thought he was going to die. Everyone who got it did. If you contracted the virus, you were as good as gone. There was no treatment, no cure, and nothing to aid you toward a quick death. It was slow, painful, and most people committed suicide-or had loved one’s aid them in doing so-before the disease took them willingly. Or that’s what he’d thought, anyway.
Chapter 7 < ---- > Chapter 9
Character Profiles
Side Story: Siwon
Side Story: Hangeng
Side Story: Yesung
Side Story: Henry
---
Friday came quickly. Too quickly. Kyuhyun wasn’t in the best of moods, either, because after spending that day with Heechul, nothing seemed to have changed. Heechul didn’t treat him any differently. Any time Kyuhyun tried to talk to him Heechul would smirk and tell him to go and train more.
And so Kyuhyun trained and grumbled, and wondered if he’d imagined the whole thing.
But he knew he hadn’t, after waking up every night in a cold sweat with a man’s gargled screams echoing in his mind and a stain of red across the inside of his eyelids.
Kyuhyun had thought that now he’d have a spot on the team. Instead he was still the geeky kid left at the end that no one wanted. The teams were even and there was no position left for him. In the end he found himself back in the computer room with Kibum and Kangin. Donghae was seated on the couch in the main lounge of the debriefing room, leg propped up on some cushions. The coffee table in front of him was littered with laptops and building blueprints, and the large screen that Kyuhyun had always assumed was a TV showed a security camera feed that he was watching closely.
The wall partition between the computer room and the debriefing room was gone, but Donghae and Kibum refused to look at one another. They’d spent the last few days arguing about whether or not Kibum should take Donghae’s injuries so that he could continue with the mission.
Kyuhyun had been given the job of go between and would take over for Kibum if the other man had to head to the medical rooms in the event that someone was injured. Kyuhyun hated the fact that he didn’t have a real job, but he supposed that there was nothing he could do about it. Whining to anyone here wouldn’t get him any sympathy. Kibum would just raise an eyebrow and give him one of those you’re not a five-year-old, why are you behaving like one? looks and Kangin would laugh at him about it. Donghae was the only one that would have been any comfort, but he was too busy in his silent war with Kibum to be of any help.
“Kibum, you’ve got the security feeds up, right?” Kangin grumbled, grabbing for his coffee.
Kibum typed away for a few moments before answering. “I’m ready to switch the cameras when needed.”
“Donghae, can you see anything suspicious yet?”
Donghae shook his head, eyes glued to the monitors. “No. The usual guard detail is en route as scheduled. Aside from them, only the gardener is outside on the grounds.”
“Do you think any of them are gifted?” Kyuhyun asked, leaning against the back of the couch.
Donghae glanced briefly up from his laptop and bit the inside of his cheek. His gaze rested on the security guards. “No.”
“How can you tell?”
“You just can.” Donghae replied shortly, not unkindly, but Kyuhyun knew better than to pry anymore.
A voice crackled over the intercom, and they recognized Ryeowook’s soft squeak through the static. “We’re here.”
---
“Calm down.” Yesung soothed as Shindong pulled up to the large building. “You’ll do fine. Heechul hyung and I are here. Don’t worry.”
Ryeowook nodded absently, eyes glued to the wrought iron gates that creaked open to give them entry. This was it…
Heechul was looking out the window boredly, and his demeanor made Ryeowook relax slightly. The car pulled up to the granite stairs in front of the estate and Shindong got out, opening the door to their right.
As Heechul stepped out of the car he flashed Ryeowook a wicked grin. “He’s just a chaebol, Wookie. He can’t breathe fire.” He winked. “He probably has a Gifted for that.”
Ryeowook swallowed, but followed him out, Yesung a comforting presence at his back.
The footman met them at the door. He bowed, eyeing them curiously. “You’re here for your appointment with the President?”
Heechul nodded, slipping off his sunglasses. He placed them in his jacket and watched the security guards at the door stiffen and go for their weapons with barely veiled amusement. “I don’t like to be kept waiting, and I’m sure your President doesn’t either.”
The footman bit the inside of his cheek in irritation but gave a curt nod. “Please follow me.”
Ryeowook stared in wonder at the foyer as they walked through the doorway and into the mansion. “Can you hear me, hyung?” Kibum’s voice crackled in his ears. “If so, straighten your collar.” Ryeowook began fiddling with his collar nervously, trying not to look as obvious as he felt.
“Good. I’ve established confirmation from all three of you. There are three men down the hallway to your left. Security. Donghae doesn’t seem to think they’re Gifted.”
Ryeowook could deal with those that weren’t Gifted. He felt a bit of the earlier tenseness leave his body. He knew that he could shoot fairly well and felt confident in his ability to fight off normal security. It was the Gifted that he was worried about.
“For security purposes we’ll have to ask you to submit to a full body scan.”
Ryeowook froze, and Yesung almost bumped into him. The older man sent him a reassuring smile and steered him forward with a comforting hand on his shoulder. Ryeowook swallowed. Scan? Would they check to see if they were Gifted? Did they have that kind of scanning ability? What if it was a Gifted that could scan someone’s powers?
But Heechul didn’t seem worried at all. He let out an agitated sigh, “Aish, fine, let’s get it over with. I have an appointment later today over a collection. I can’t afford to be late.”
“Then we’ll complete the scan with the utmost expedience.” The footman practically sneered, and Ryeowook met his gaze. His throat constricted and he felt his heartbeat speed up. There was something about the man’s eyes, some sinister coldness that made him realize that he was Gifted.
Did he recognize Heechul and Yesung hyung? Were they already going to have to fight?
“Your bodyguards will need to hand over their weapons.” The footman continued, motioning to the full body metal detector and the table beside it. “You’ll get them back when you leave.”
“…but…” Ryeowook began, but he was cut off by Heechul who turned with a glare, “Just give them your guns. We’re wasting time.”
Yesung sighed as he reached into his jacket and pulled out his pistol. “I don’t feel safe doing this, sir.” “We’re in a heavily secured home for a simple business transaction. What kind of danger do you think I’d be in?” Heechul asked loftily, “Just give him your weapons.”
Yesung handed over his gun with just enough uncertainty to be believable, and Ryeowook didn’t have to pretend to hesitate as he swallowed and finally held out his own weapon. What was he going to do now? He couldn’t fight Gifted without a gun!
Heechul went through the metal detector first. It beeped once and he paused, giving a snarl. “Aish.” He pulled out his pen and dropped it gracelessly into the hand of the footman. He stepped through again and the detector was silent.
Ryeowook tried to think whether he had anything metal on him. What about his ear piece? No, Kibum had said that they’d fool regular metal detectors, but would it be enough?
He stepped through and there was a terrifying moment of silence in which he waited for the alarms to go off before he was on the other side with a glowering Heechul as Yesung took his own turn.
The Footman seemed oddly disappointed as he guided them toward a parlor. “Please, wait here for the President. He will arrive shortly.”
Heechul sat down without being invited to do so, throwing himself languidly down onto a couch and looking every inch a spoiled chaebol.
The look fit him too well for Ryeowook’s comfort, but he took his spot behind the couch with Yesung.
“Ryeowook, excuse yourself to the restroom.”
Ryeowook almost jumped and swallowed, “Ah, I’m going to the restroom.”
“Do you know where it is?” Yesung asked. “You should ask the footman.”
“Ah, right. I will.” Ryeowook nodded and headed for the door.
“What are you doing?”
Ryeowook froze outside the parlor door and looking around frantically to see a security guard walking down the hall towards him. Oh no…what was he going to do? “I…I was just looking for the restroom…”
The security guard stopped in front of him and lifted up his hat with a grin.
“H-Hankyung hyung?” Ryeowook squeaked, “How did you-?”
“No time.” Hangeng reached down and pulled up his pants leg to reveal a gun stuffed into his boot. He grabbed it and handed it to Ryeowook. “We only have a thirty seconds before the Gifted returns with the President.”
Ryeowook nodded and hurriedly stuffed the gun into his jacket holster, as Hangeng turned and headed back the way he came, disappearing around a corner. Ryeowook practically ran back into the parlor.
“You’re back? Good. I’m putting the security feed back to its original settings.”
It was a good thing that Ryeowook had bolted, because the second he found himself standing behind Heechul’s couch again the door opened and President Kim Hyun Shik walked in with the footman at his heels.
Heechul stood and held out a gloved hand. “Company President Kim Hyun Shik-ssi, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“You must be Kim Kwang Su-ssi. I heard that you were looking for something that I might have?” The man was healthy-looking for an older man, sturdy with a full head of hair. The wrinkles on his face were shallow and few, but they gave him a strong appearance. Ryeowook didn’t like him at all, because when he smiled, it seemed too perfect.
Heechul smirked back. “I’m a private collector and I was told you have a piece that I want for my collection.”
“You collect antiques?” The man seemed mildly surprised. “At your age? I hadn’t expected someone this young to be interested in such a dull hobby.”
Heechul gave a smooth smile. “I’m more interested in the value of my collection than it’s historical significance.”
President Kim Hyun Shik chuckled and shook Heechul’s hand vigorously. “I like your type, Kim Kwang Su-ssi. Let’s hear what you have to say.”
---
“You’re sure they won’t recognize Heechul or Yesung?”
Sungmin rolled his eyes at Eunhyuk’s question, the most recent in a nervous onslaught. The other man seemed unable to keep his mouth shut. “No, I’m not, but Kim Hyun Shik probably doesn’t pay attention to the wanted posters at the center. I doubt he’s even been there.”
“But the Gifted-”
“Will all be dead, if the plan works.” Sungmin snapped, and hefted himself up the window ledge.
“Come on, the others are probably inside. Siwon and Leeteuk will deal with grounds security.”
Eunhyuk stood at the bottom of the wall and fidgeted back and forth. Sungmin made scaling a wall look easy, but Eunhyuk was certain that if he tried it would just end in disaster. It was a good thing that he still had the gloves that Heechul had given him. He was pretty certain that everyone would notice if the mansion suddenly became invisible because he’d touched it. He took a deep breath and began climbing. “Kangin hyung, you’re sure that no one is coming this way?”
“No one is going to notice you unless you keep this up. You have one minute to get up to the window. Hankyung is waiting!”
Eunhyuk scrambled for the first window ledge and began lifting himself up. He could already feel the strain in his arms as he reached for another ledge, finding a foothold. Sungmin was at the ledge of the second story, and was pressed against the wall as he inched toward the window where Hangeng would be waiting.
Eunhyuk struggled to follow. The knowledge that if he slipped or took too long they’d be captured was the only thing that spurned him on. He couldn’t let the mission fail just because he’d been too slow.
“Beanpole, will you climb a little faster? I’m going to work on your workout plan when we get back. Your upper body strength sucks.”
Eunhyuk bit back a retort-he was out of breath as it was-and allowed Sungmin to pull him up to the ledge, just as the window opened and Hangeng stuck his head out. “You’re both here?”
“Let’s go.” Sungmin climbed in quickly and Eunhyuk almost tripped as he followed, earning a glare from the other man.
“We have to head to the basement.” Hangeng supplied. “It’s the only floor we only have partial blueprints for, but the only entrance to the sub basement and vault will be through there.”
Sungmin nodded, “Grab your gun, and don’t shoot either of us.” He ordered Eunhyuk before moving forward. “I’ve silenced our footsteps, but we only have thirty seconds to get across the corridor.” And he flashed a grin that was Heechul worthy before breaking into a run, Hangeng only a second behind him.
“Aish!” Eunhyuk cursed as he stumbled after them. He turned the corner just in time to be grabbed by the collar and thrown against the wall. He reached for his gun automatically before he realized it was Sungmin who had done so. The other man sent him a warning look. Hangeng was on the other side of the adjacent hallway, and Sungmin waved him forward, telling him to go without them.
“…please follow me. We’ll see if anything in my collection is to your interests…”
Eunhyuk swallowed, wishing fervently he had the ability to go through walls as he heard the President speaking.
“Of course. I’m sure I won’t be disappointed.” Heechul answered, and Eunhyuk clenched his eyes shut as they passed near them, just out of sight, until he heard their voices fade. He turned to Sungmin, who was looking down the hallway with a stony expression.
Finally he pressed a hand to his earpiece. “Hyung and the president are headed to the basement. Eunhyuk and I will follow. Hankyung is securing the sub-basement escape route.”
“He was ahead of them…” Eunhyuk swallowed. “The elevator…what if they notice that the elevator isn’t coming up?”
“Kangin is sending them the message.” Sungmin was checking the knives in his sleeves-Eunhyuk didn’t know why he needed them in the first place-and continued forward. “Heechul will stall them long enough for Hankyung to get down.”
Eunhyuk wished he had as much faith in Heechul as Sungmin did.
---
Hangeng reached the elevator at a run and nearly crashed into the door. He pressed the button as quickly as he could and resisted the urge to continue doing so. It never made it go any faster, and he really needed it to get there quickly.
The President wasn’t supposed to show Heechul the goods this quickly. The door slid open and he slipped inside, scanning the buttons.
“…there’s no sub-basement.”
“Of course there is. There has to be.”
“There’s no button.” Hangeng swallowed, looking at the buttons frantically.
“Maybe it’s a button combination? Shit!” Kangin growled into the headset. Hangeng could hear him shouting at someone else on the other end. “Hankyung, they’re heading to the elevator. You have to get out NOW.”
“I know.” Hangeng pressed the basement button and the elevator shuttered before the doors closed and it began descending. “…I’m going to the basement.”
“Kibum thinks that you might not be able to get to the sub-basement through the elevator. Look for any stairwells while you’re down there. Leeteuk and Siwon are going through the sewage system now.”
Hangeng leaned against the elevator and swallowed. What happened if the sewage system didn’t lead to the sub-basement? They’d been studying it for weeks and they were almost certain but they didn’t know for sure. And what if he was trapped on the basement floor and was spotted? If they locked the place down and there was no way for them to escape then they were screwed. Utterly screwed.
The door opened and Hangeng practically threw himself out, catching himself on the wall. A moment later the door closed and it headed back up. Now to get out. He had to get to a hiding place before they arrived at the basement floor and saw him.
He needed to find a place to hide so he could wait for Sungmin and Eunhyuk when they came down after Heechul and the others.
Hangeng headed down the hallway, pausing at every door he found to try the handle. All of them were locked. He felt his pulse quicken, and he swore he could hear the elevator as he tried another door. He froze at the sound of a ding, and the elevator doors slid open.
---
Hangeng felt the strain on his heart the moment the doors opened and froze, and it took only a millisecond for him to realize it was Eunhyuk to let go of his power and fall against the wall, gasping.
Eunhyuk stared at him in confusion for a moment before he was stepping out of the elevator and ushering Hangeng forward. “Come on, Heechul hyung could only stall them for so long.”
Hangeng nodded, letting Eunhyuk lead him down the hallway until they turned a corner and were no longer visible. When he’d caught his breath he gasped out, “Where’s Sungmin?”
Eunhyuk blinked. “…he isn’t here? He came down ahead of me.”
Hangeng shook his head. “He didn’t come down.”
“That’s weird…” Eunhyuk scratched his head. “I was sure that he came down first.” He frowned. “Maybe I went first?”
Hangeng gave a slow nod. “We should try and find the sub-basement entrance quickly. He’ll catch up. He can hear our footsteps.”
Eunhyuk gave a shaky smile and the two headed down a third, barely lit corridor.
---
Sungmin had gone first. He’d entered the elevator and pressed the successive buttons that Heechul had discovered were the code to the sub-basement and waited as the elevator lurched downwards.
The doors opened a few moments later and he stepped out onto the sub-basement floor.
Now, to begin the real mission.
---
Leeteuk let out a choked cough as he placed the gas mask to his face more securely and followed behind Siwon.
Leeteuk knew that the reason he was crawling through a sewer pipe was because he was the only one that could get them out if they ended up trapped and it didn’t connect with the sub-basement, but that didn’t mean he enjoyed his task. In fact, he was rather certain he was going to vomit into his gas mask.
Siwon paused, holding out a hand that Leeteuk barely saw in the minimal visibility provided by their headlamps. “What is it?” Leeteuk asked softly.
“It’s locked.” Siwon grunted, bracing himself against the wall. Leeteuk nearly puked as he saw Siwon’s hand disappear under a layer of slime. “Hold on.” He let out a small growl and lifted his leg.
The iron gate groaned and fell backwards, as Siwon slipped on the grime and landed on his ass.
“We should come to the opening to the anti-chamber that leads to the sub-basement passageway up ahead.” Siwon pushed himself to his feet and didn’t bother to try and wipe the filth off of his jeans.
Leeteuk nodded, but a part of him wondered how Siwon knew this. They didn’t have any blueprints of the sub-basement, they’d only speculated its existence. What happened if it didn’t exist at all? But true to Siwon’s word the sewage pipe opened up into a small room and at the other end was a bolted vault door with a keypad. The air in the room was a little less stifling, and Leeteuk found himself able to breathe a little easier.
Leeteuk blinked. How would they know the password? What were they going to do next? “Kangin, we found a locked door with a password lock.”
“…at…? …asswo…rd…ock…?”
Leeteuk swallowed. “The reception down here is bad. I can’t contact Kangin.”
“It’s alright.” Siwon gave him a soft smile. "I’ll crack it.” He pulled out a spray bottle from his pack and sprayed the keypad lightly before pulling out a small blue-light. He waved it over the numbers and the 5, 7, 4, and 3 lit up.
“…four numbers. That means 24 combinations.” Siwon began pressing buttons and Leeteuk stared, taken aback.
“How do you know they only used four numbers? Couldn’t they have repeated them for a longer sequence?” Leeteuk ventured, hoping he wasn’t breaking Siwon’s concentration.
“This security system is a four digit lock code.” Siwon answered back, unfazed by the distraction. He continued entering numbers. There was a beep and Siwon stepped back with another bright, pleased smile. “My father owns the company that makes these kind of security systems.”
Leeteuk nodded dumbly, still unsure how all this had transpired without his knowledge as he followed Siwon into the hallway that ended in a staircase that led to the sub-basement. “Siwon…is there something Heechul didn’t tell the rest of us?”
Siwon blinked, looking momentarily confused before he shook his head with that same honest smile on his face. “I don’t think so, hyung. We weren’t sure if this was going to work so we didn’t say anything. Heechul hyung just sent me because he knew that I would know the security system if we found one.”
Leeteuk gave another nod and a small smile. “Ha, right. Sorry for asking.”
Siwon turned and began heading up the stairs and Leeteuk followed behind him slowly, his eyes flickering with doubt.
---
The elevator wasn’t supposed to have gone up.
Yesung stiffened beside Heechul the moment the elevator began moving. What was going on? They were supposed to head to the basement. Ryeowook looked confused, and a little frightened.
“Isn’t your basement under the first floor?” Heechul asked jokingly, watching as the numbers continued to climb to 4 on the elevator’s digital screen.
President Hyun Shik gave a smile. “The object you were speaking of isn’t in my basement. The basement is the first place someone would look, isn’t it? It’s in a more secure location.”
Heechul shot him in answering smile, but Yesung saw his fingers clench.
The doors slid open and President Hyun Shik stepped out. Heechul followed behind with Yesung and Ryeowook, and the footman brought up the rear. “Please, follow me.” He led them to a pair of double doors that led to a lavish library.
Heechul stepped inside, eyes scanning the area for any threats. There were no windows, which seemed odd, but he merely turned to the President with a smile. “You hide your valuables in a library?”
President Hyuk Shik laughed. “Oh no, but I can’t show you were my safe is, now could I? I will go and get it. Please remain here.” He headed for the door with the footman.
Yesung took a step forward but Heechul stopped him, just as the door closed. “…if he doesn’t return in five minutes we’ll contact the others. If he’s planning to run he’ll use the secret passageway through the sub-basement. Siwon and Leeteuk will be able to grab him then.”
Yesung nodded, eyes taking in the entire room.
Ryeowook didn’t know what was going on but he was more than a little frightened and confused. Secret passageway? They didn’t know if the sub-basement even existed, did they?
“H-hyung, have we been caught?”
“Sshh. Everything is fine.” Yesung’s left hand reached for his pocket.
Heechul grabbed his gloves and slipped them off. “I think we’ve been discovered. Even if not we need to take him quickly. I’ve been studying the footman. His Gift doesn’t seem to be anything physical-”
The room was plunged into darkness. Heechul immediately held his hands against his chest, fearing that in the ensuing panic someone would brush against him. Something knocked into his shoulder and he stiffened, ready to retaliate when Yesung’s voice came from his right, “What happened?”
“I don’t know.” Heechul grunted, trying to look around, but even as his eyes adjusted he found that he couldn’t see anything at all. There was no light at all.
“Hyungs?”
“We’re here Ryeowook. Follow our voices.” Yesung called out, and Heechul heard the hesitant shuffle of feet as Ryeowook inched across the floor. Heechul strained his ears. This wasn’t normal darkness. Something was wrong. They had to be alert. “Kibum.” He called into his headset, “What’s going on?”
There was no answer, not even the crackling buzz of static that meant a lost signal. Heechul swallowed. “Yesung,” he hissed. “You memorized the layout of the room, right?”
“Yes. Why?” Yesung had grabbed Ryeowook’s shoulder, and he felt the younger man trembling.
“When I say to shoot-the doorway!”
Yesung grabbed the button in his pocket and shot the moment Heechul yelled. There was a moment of silence before the bullet hit, and the lights flickered for a millisecond before the world became dark again, their headsets screeching in a jumble of voices before disappearing with the darkness.
That instant of sight was enough to tell Heechul that they were royally fucked, because there were three Gifted surrounding them and the one at the door-the footman.
“Go!” Heechul snapped, reaching blindly for the area where he’d seen the Gifted closest to him. For a moment there was nothing and then his pointer-finger touched what he hoped was skin. A startled scream a second later, and then blinding pain in his stomach as he was propelled backwards.
He hit a wall, or maybe a bookshelf before there was more pain. Excruciating pain. His vision went white and then a multitude of colors before fading back into black. In the back of his mind he heard others yelling, remembering vaguely that Ryeowook and Yesung were also in the room and they were all under attack but he couldn’t focus on that, not when his body was on fire and blood-he hoped it was just blood, god please just be blood-was leaking from between his fingers pressed against his stomach.
He didn’t know what had impaled him, or if it was still there. All he knew was that he was going to die without ever seeing his killer’s face and without completing the mission he’d set out to accomplish.
---
Eunhyuk and Hangeng hadn’t found a staircase or an unlocked room. Hangeng was certain that if there was a secret passageway to the sub-basement it was through one of the locked doors. He cursed them for being made of steel and not wood. If it had been wood he’d be able to kick it down and save them all a bunch of trouble.
“I could turn the doors invisible.” Eunhyuk pulled off a glove. “Let’s check to see if there’s anything we can see through the doorway. When Sungmin gets here we’ll be able to blast through it.”
Hangeng nodded, and they began the long and tedious process of going from door to door and turning them transparent. Most of the rooms seemed to be full of antiques-vases, paintings, and marble statues embossed with gold and jade.
“Not this one either.” Eunhyuk’s voice was laced with disappointment and a little fatigue as they walked to the next door down the hallway. Hangeng knew that it was tiring for him to use his gift so much, but it was their only way of finding the passageway.
Eunhyuk let out a soft sigh and pressed his hand to the final door down this corridor. He blinked, “Is that…?”
“It looks like a doorway.” Hangeng nodded. “But it could just lead to a different room.”
Eunhyuk nodded. “We’ll need Sungmin to check it out-” He turned as they both heard the ding of the elevator. “That must be him. I’ll go get him.”
“Eunhyuk-” Hangeng sighed as Eunhyuk sped off down the hallway and turned back to the door.
The air seemed to shift and Hangeng looked up just in time to see Eunhyuk careen into the wall and stumble towards him. “RUN!”
A wall of fire followed in his wake.
---
Yesung shot the moment the lights flickered off. Once, twice, three times. Was the man moving? Of course he was moving, he wouldn’t stand still like an idiot. Ryeowook, he needed to get Ryeowook out of here!
He didn’t have time to look for Heechul when the lights flickered on. He saw a man rolling on the ground in pain a few feet away, clutching his arm as it began to turn to ash in front of his eyes, but that was as much attention as he gave Heechul and his actions. He’d grabbed Ryeowook behind him and shoved him in Heechul’s direction with a, “Get out your gun and shoot,” before he was reaching into his pockets for his own ammo.
“What’s going on? What’s happening in there, Yesung?” Kibum’s voice echoed in his ears. Yesung could hear Kangin as well, snapping something that he didn’t register as he ducked to avoid a string of green liquid and grabbed a paper clip, shooting.
He turned just in time to see the liquid hit the wall and begin to sizzle.
Acid. Wonderful.
The paper clip had gone through the acid wielder’s kneecap and he stumbled. As his blood splattered across the ground it began to steam. Really, truly wonderful.
He heard a gunshot and the acid wielder dropped with a bullet between his eyes. Yesung dodged the blood pooling out from his head and gave it a wide berth as he grabbed into his pocket and pulled out a butterscotch candy.
It hit the next Gifted in the jugular and the man went down, clawing at his throat and gasping for breath as blood pooled out around him. He looked around quickly, blood singing in his veins as he tried to find the next enemy, only to realize that there was no one left. Yesung turned, brushing sweat matted bangs from his eyes, and froze.
“Hyung! Hyung!” Ryeowook called out desperately, holding Heechul in his lap, looking on helplessly, hands covered in blood.
Yesung dropped the second butterscotch candy from limp fingers.
“Heechul, Yesung, Ryeowook, are you there? What’s going on?” Kibum’s voice crackled over his earpiece. “What’s going on?”
“Get in here! Oh god, someone come. Hyung is bleeding…hyung is…” Yesung croaked out, stumbling, tripping over his own feet as he landed in the blood pooling out of Heechul’s wound. So much blood, so much blood…oh god, there shouldn’t be that much blood in someone’s body.
“…gloves.” Yesung fumbled in Heechul’s pocket and pulled them out, grabbing his wrist and slipping them on. His hands were slick with blood and they slid on easily. “You can’t touch him without his gloves on, Wookie.”
“Hyung.” Ryeowook replied weakly. “Hyung, what do we do?”
---
They turned down the right corridor, and Hangeng almost lost his footing. Eunhyuk was right behind him, almost tripping over him, and the fire continued.
“There was more than one.” Eunhyuk gasped out as they ran. “T-two or three of them. And the President.”
Hangeng nodded, trying to think through the haze of panic that surrounded him. If the President was here it meant something was wrong. Something had gone horribly wrong. That meant Heechul was in trouble, didn’t it? Had they been discovered?
The hallway narrowed, and Hangeng exchanged glances with Eunhyuk. He looked terrified, but he nodded as the hallway ended and the two bolted down opposite hallways.
Hangeng would just have to hope that Eunhyuk got out ok. He’d be fine…he was heading down the hallway that doubled back to the elevator, wasn’t he? Hangeng’s hallway, however…was a dead end, and he’d known that when he picked it.
He swallowed, knowing that the last turn he could make was coming up soon. He turned the corner and his footsteps slowed to a trot as he reached the end of the hall. He bit the inside of his cheek before he heard footsteps behind him.
“Got you.”
Hangeng ducked and a wall of fire flew over his head. The heat tickled his neck and he cursed as he felt the white hot pain that told him he hadn’t dodged quickly enough.
He hit the ground and rolled, grabbing the gun at his hip. He reached up and shot and then dodged again as fire seemed to fill the entire room. The bullet hit the floor as a pile of molten lead.
He took a deep breath and focused. He felt everything around him stop, and the unearthly silence of complete stillness filled his ears, even as his chest throbbed. He forced himself to his feet and charged toward the fire user, pulling a knife out of his belt and slamming it up into his ribcage.
Time began again a second later and Hangeng’s chest exploded in pain. He blinked away the sweat that was pouring down his forehead and pushed the pain aside as he dragged the knife upwards.
The fire user let out a choked scream, and flames shot out from every pore. Hangeng knew in an instant that he’d screwed up.
And that was when he was pulled through the floor and landed on the concrete below to see Leeteuk sitting on Siwon’s shoulders from where he’d reached up to pull Hangeng through the ceiling.
Hangeng lay there for a few moments, clutching his chest. “Eunhyuk,” he choked, “Eunhyuk was up there too.” Hangeng had only been subject to Leeteuk’s powers a few times, but it had been enough for him to develop a dislike for it. It never felt right, like his body was made of sludge and was being pushed through a strainer. He forced himself to sit with a groan, before Siwon reached down and hefted him to his feet.
“He’s already at the sewage pipe.” Leeteuk gave a tired smile. He’d climbed off of Siwon’s shoulders the moment Hangeng had landed on the ground. “We got him before we found you.”
Hangeng nodded weakly, and allowed Leeteuk to lead him down the darkened hallway and out of the sub-basement.
---
Sungmin smirked to himself as he pocketed the flashdrive and stepped into the elevator. Mission accomplished. All he had to do now was get back upstairs and meet with Heechul hyung in the basement.
He flipped on his headset as he leaned against the elevator wall and wasn’t prepared for the onslaught of voices that met him. It seemed like all of the frequencies and channels had flooded into one another and he could barely make any of it out over the jumble of screams and static and screeching microphones.
“Get help! Get help!”
“I can’t get in contact with Sungmin’s team!”
“Oh god! Someone help! Hyung is bleeding!”
“Shindong is coming with the car-someone get to the fourth floor and help!”
Sungmin punched in the number and hit it several times for good measure, heart pounding in his chest. What had happened while he was in the sub-basement? Who was hurt? It had been Yesung that said hyung was bleeding. He was with Heechul hyung. Did that mean…? Sungmin punched the elevator door, just as it dinged and flew open.
There were two Gifted running down the hallway in front of him and Sungmin merely lifted up a hand with a cold glare. There was the brief silence of a vacuum before a roar filled his ears and he continued running down the hallway, dodging the mutilated corpses left in his wake.
He skidded to a halt in front of a large door, and a scream rose in his throat and caught there.
Ryeowook was holding Heechul in his lap, and the other man’s stomach was a large gaping hole that oozed crimson. Yesung’s hands were covered in it as he tried to press his jacket into the wound to staunch the bleeding. He looked up as Sungmin entered. “Sungmin!”
“I’ve got him.” Sungmin stumbled forward, crouching down. “I’ll carry him to the car. You need to clear the way. Ryeowook, guard our back.”
“I don’t think he can be moved.” Ryeowook whispered.
“He’ll die if we don’t move him!” Sungmin growled back, and didn’t have the time to feel guilty about his tone as Ryeowook flinched and cowered away. He simply picked up Heechul as delicately as he could and tried not to slip on his blood as he ran toward the doorway.
Yesung led the way and Sungmin heard Ryeowook stumbled behind them.
Hyung, hyung you have to be ok. Sungmin looked down at Heechul’s pale face. It was too pale, and there was too much blood. His throat constricted painfully as he tried not to cry. I got the information we need, hyung! You have to tell me what a good job I did. You have to tell me I did well. You have to wake up.
He didn’t remember how they got out of the mansion, only that Yesung took out the security that hampered them-Sungmin walked over bodies without really seeing them-and found himself piling into the car as Shindong stared in horror.
“Oh my god…”
“DRIVE!” He screamed, and Shindong slammed on the gas.
---
Kyuhyun couldn’t make heads or tails of the intercom system as what seemed like a thousand voices blasted out of the speakers. Kangin and Kibum were trying to talk back, and Donghae was furiously scanning the security feed.
And then he’d heard Yesung’s desperate plea.
“Get in here! Oh god, someone come. Hyung is bleeding…hyung is…”
Something cold crept into his chest and stayed there, and he couldn’t breathe. He didn’t even know if his heart was beating. He was running toward the door, and he was only stopped by Donghae, who grabbed his arm as he passed the couch.
“We have to make sure everyone gets out safely.” Donghae managed to get out shakily. “Go help Kangin and Kibum.”
Kyuhyun wanted to protest, but the pleading look in Donghae’s eyes had him stepping back and toward the computer room.
Waiting was like torture. Kibum’s voice was soft, steady, and Kangin’s was fluctuating and angry. Donghae didn’t speak, only took shaky breaths as he typed away at the computer. At some point Kibum went to check the medical room to get ready for surgery, but he came back after a few moments, as impatient and worried as the others.
Kangin got the call that they were in the elevator and Kyuhyun practically ran to the door and threw it open as Sungmin stepped inside.
“Oh god…oh god.” Kyuhyun choked out, feeling sick and a million other things as Sungmin carried Heechul’s limp, bloodied body into the room.
“We need medical help!” Sungmin shouted, looking more panicked than Kyuhyun had ever seen him. Hangeng was at his side, reaching for Heechul’s hand that was always out of reach. He looked beyond anger and tears, his face almost as pale as Heechul’s. Kibum took a step forward but Eunhyuk grabbed him, jerking him back roughly. “Not without gloves.”
“H-hyung…” Kibum whispered, before he swallowed and nodded. He turned to Kyuhyun, who had a hand over his mouth as he watched the shallow rise and fall of Heechul’s chest. Yesung’s jacket was soaked in blood…there wasn’t supposed to be that much blood…
Kibum walked over to the shelf and grabbed a handful of medical books. He shoved them into Kyuhyun’s arms and the other boy looked up in shock. “If you want to save him, memorize those in the next ten minutes while I prep for surgery. Ryeowook hyung!” Ryeowook nodded, face pale as he followed Kibum to the medical room with Sungmin behind them.
Donghae sat back down on the couch with a shaky exhalation. “H-hyung…he’s going to be ok, right? Hyung will be ok, right?”
Eunhyuk gave a weak grin. “Come on Hae, Heenim won’t go down that easily. He still has to beat me up for stealing his t-shirt the other day.”
Donghae gave another soft sob and all Kyuhyun could do was stare helplessly until he remembered that he had a job to do. He grabbed the first medical book and pulled off his right glove. He was finally useful. He had to do this. He could do it.
He had to save Heechul.
---
The next ten hours were a blur. Kyuhyun didn’t remember anything that happened, only that he, Ryeowook, and Kibum spent that entire time trying to keep Heechul alive. Kyuhyun did everything mechanically, as if he were running on autopilot. He didn’t know why or how he was doing these things, just that he did them, scalpel in hand.
He had to keep himself from remembering that this was Heechul, that it was his heartbeat bleeping faintly on the monitor, his blood covering their hands.
When it was over, Kibum grabbed Kyuhyun’s arm. “Go rest. He’s stable.” It sounded like his was voice was coming through water. Kyuhyun nodded numbly, blinking and stumbling backwards. Ryeowook caught him, turning him away as Kibum finished sewing Heechul up and wrapping the wound.
He let himself be led out of the medical room, and the moment the door opened, Hangeng had stood, pale and shaking. “Is he ok?”
“He’s stable.” Kyuhyun heard Ryeowook say, and then Donghae was crying again, sobbing into Eunhyuk’s shoulder. Hangeng had already shoved past them into the surgery room. Leeteuk sagged down onto the couch, all his energy spent. Kangin placed a hand on his shoulder.
“Siwon is in his room praying.” Leeteuk explained, seeing Ryeowook look around for the others. “Yesung and Sungmin are at the shooting range. You know how those two are. Could you go tell them, Shindong?”
Shindong nodded, swallowing.
“…I’m going to get something to eat.” Ryeowook squeaked out, and Leeteuk gave a small smile, “I’ll come with you.” He led the younger boy out into the hallway.
Kyuhyun turned to the door he had just exited. He wanted to go inside but he felt as if had been barred entry. It wasn’t locked, but somehow this felt too private for him. It angered him, and he was angry that he was jealous at a time like this and that made him feel even worse. He simply swallowed and turned to the door.
He needed to eat too.
---
Hours later-it felt like days-Ryeowook entered his room to find Yesung already asleep, his clothes not changed and snoring softly. Ryeowook sighed, smiling softly as he grabbed the blankets from where they were tangled around his ankles and pulled it up to his chin, tucking him in.
“Wookie…” Yesung grunted, opening one eye to stare at him wearily.
Ryeowook slipped into his own bed, curling his toes at the coolness of the sheets. He contemplated putting on socks but he knew he would be warm soon and the socks would make him too hot. Kibum had told him some story about feet regulating body temperature at some point. “What is it hyung?”
“…you did good.” Yesung mumbled into his pillow, turning back to go to bed.
Ryeowook swallowed, throat tightening. “…did I…? If I had been faster, maybe I could have helped hyung-”
“Don’t.” Yesung warned. “…don’t think like that.” His voice softened and he let out a soft sigh that was eaten up by the darkness. “You did fine, Wookie.”
Yesung always knew just what to say to put Ryeowook at ease. The younger boy closed his eyes with a trembling smile and tried not to cry loudly. He knew Yesung heard, because he felt a comfortable warmth as the bed sagged under the extra weight and Yesung rubbed his back as he began to sob in earnest.
“It’s ok Wookie. You did your best.”
But his best never seemed good enough. If only Heechul hadn’t let him come with them. Someone else should have gone. It should have been Sungmin or Siwon. Anyone but him. Heechul had trusted him and now…
He fell asleep to Yesung’s voice and the fervent belief that he was the reason Heechul lay on a bed barely breathing.
Pairing: HanChul, KyuChul, EunKiHae, KangTeuk, YeWook, other may appear in the future
Rating: R
Genre: AU, Action, Superhero (is that a genre?)
Summary: When Cho Kyuhyun was infected with the GAM Virus, he’d thought he was going to die. Everyone who got it did. If you contracted the virus, you were as good as gone. There was no treatment, no cure, and nothing to aid you toward a quick death. It was slow, painful, and most people committed suicide-or had loved one’s aid them in doing so-before the disease took them willingly. Or that’s what he’d thought, anyway.
Chapter 7 < ---- > Chapter 9
Character Profiles
Side Story: Siwon
Side Story: Hangeng
Side Story: Yesung
Side Story: Henry
---
Friday came quickly. Too quickly. Kyuhyun wasn’t in the best of moods, either, because after spending that day with Heechul, nothing seemed to have changed. Heechul didn’t treat him any differently. Any time Kyuhyun tried to talk to him Heechul would smirk and tell him to go and train more.
And so Kyuhyun trained and grumbled, and wondered if he’d imagined the whole thing.
But he knew he hadn’t, after waking up every night in a cold sweat with a man’s gargled screams echoing in his mind and a stain of red across the inside of his eyelids.
Kyuhyun had thought that now he’d have a spot on the team. Instead he was still the geeky kid left at the end that no one wanted. The teams were even and there was no position left for him. In the end he found himself back in the computer room with Kibum and Kangin. Donghae was seated on the couch in the main lounge of the debriefing room, leg propped up on some cushions. The coffee table in front of him was littered with laptops and building blueprints, and the large screen that Kyuhyun had always assumed was a TV showed a security camera feed that he was watching closely.
The wall partition between the computer room and the debriefing room was gone, but Donghae and Kibum refused to look at one another. They’d spent the last few days arguing about whether or not Kibum should take Donghae’s injuries so that he could continue with the mission.
Kyuhyun had been given the job of go between and would take over for Kibum if the other man had to head to the medical rooms in the event that someone was injured. Kyuhyun hated the fact that he didn’t have a real job, but he supposed that there was nothing he could do about it. Whining to anyone here wouldn’t get him any sympathy. Kibum would just raise an eyebrow and give him one of those you’re not a five-year-old, why are you behaving like one? looks and Kangin would laugh at him about it. Donghae was the only one that would have been any comfort, but he was too busy in his silent war with Kibum to be of any help.
“Kibum, you’ve got the security feeds up, right?” Kangin grumbled, grabbing for his coffee.
Kibum typed away for a few moments before answering. “I’m ready to switch the cameras when needed.”
“Donghae, can you see anything suspicious yet?”
Donghae shook his head, eyes glued to the monitors. “No. The usual guard detail is en route as scheduled. Aside from them, only the gardener is outside on the grounds.”
“Do you think any of them are gifted?” Kyuhyun asked, leaning against the back of the couch.
Donghae glanced briefly up from his laptop and bit the inside of his cheek. His gaze rested on the security guards. “No.”
“How can you tell?”
“You just can.” Donghae replied shortly, not unkindly, but Kyuhyun knew better than to pry anymore.
A voice crackled over the intercom, and they recognized Ryeowook’s soft squeak through the static. “We’re here.”
---
“Calm down.” Yesung soothed as Shindong pulled up to the large building. “You’ll do fine. Heechul hyung and I are here. Don’t worry.”
Ryeowook nodded absently, eyes glued to the wrought iron gates that creaked open to give them entry. This was it…
Heechul was looking out the window boredly, and his demeanor made Ryeowook relax slightly. The car pulled up to the granite stairs in front of the estate and Shindong got out, opening the door to their right.
As Heechul stepped out of the car he flashed Ryeowook a wicked grin. “He’s just a chaebol, Wookie. He can’t breathe fire.” He winked. “He probably has a Gifted for that.”
Ryeowook swallowed, but followed him out, Yesung a comforting presence at his back.
The footman met them at the door. He bowed, eyeing them curiously. “You’re here for your appointment with the President?”
Heechul nodded, slipping off his sunglasses. He placed them in his jacket and watched the security guards at the door stiffen and go for their weapons with barely veiled amusement. “I don’t like to be kept waiting, and I’m sure your President doesn’t either.”
The footman bit the inside of his cheek in irritation but gave a curt nod. “Please follow me.”
Ryeowook stared in wonder at the foyer as they walked through the doorway and into the mansion. “Can you hear me, hyung?” Kibum’s voice crackled in his ears. “If so, straighten your collar.” Ryeowook began fiddling with his collar nervously, trying not to look as obvious as he felt.
“Good. I’ve established confirmation from all three of you. There are three men down the hallway to your left. Security. Donghae doesn’t seem to think they’re Gifted.”
Ryeowook could deal with those that weren’t Gifted. He felt a bit of the earlier tenseness leave his body. He knew that he could shoot fairly well and felt confident in his ability to fight off normal security. It was the Gifted that he was worried about.
“For security purposes we’ll have to ask you to submit to a full body scan.”
Ryeowook froze, and Yesung almost bumped into him. The older man sent him a reassuring smile and steered him forward with a comforting hand on his shoulder. Ryeowook swallowed. Scan? Would they check to see if they were Gifted? Did they have that kind of scanning ability? What if it was a Gifted that could scan someone’s powers?
But Heechul didn’t seem worried at all. He let out an agitated sigh, “Aish, fine, let’s get it over with. I have an appointment later today over a collection. I can’t afford to be late.”
“Then we’ll complete the scan with the utmost expedience.” The footman practically sneered, and Ryeowook met his gaze. His throat constricted and he felt his heartbeat speed up. There was something about the man’s eyes, some sinister coldness that made him realize that he was Gifted.
Did he recognize Heechul and Yesung hyung? Were they already going to have to fight?
“Your bodyguards will need to hand over their weapons.” The footman continued, motioning to the full body metal detector and the table beside it. “You’ll get them back when you leave.”
“…but…” Ryeowook began, but he was cut off by Heechul who turned with a glare, “Just give them your guns. We’re wasting time.”
Yesung sighed as he reached into his jacket and pulled out his pistol. “I don’t feel safe doing this, sir.” “We’re in a heavily secured home for a simple business transaction. What kind of danger do you think I’d be in?” Heechul asked loftily, “Just give him your weapons.”
Yesung handed over his gun with just enough uncertainty to be believable, and Ryeowook didn’t have to pretend to hesitate as he swallowed and finally held out his own weapon. What was he going to do now? He couldn’t fight Gifted without a gun!
Heechul went through the metal detector first. It beeped once and he paused, giving a snarl. “Aish.” He pulled out his pen and dropped it gracelessly into the hand of the footman. He stepped through again and the detector was silent.
Ryeowook tried to think whether he had anything metal on him. What about his ear piece? No, Kibum had said that they’d fool regular metal detectors, but would it be enough?
He stepped through and there was a terrifying moment of silence in which he waited for the alarms to go off before he was on the other side with a glowering Heechul as Yesung took his own turn.
The Footman seemed oddly disappointed as he guided them toward a parlor. “Please, wait here for the President. He will arrive shortly.”
Heechul sat down without being invited to do so, throwing himself languidly down onto a couch and looking every inch a spoiled chaebol.
The look fit him too well for Ryeowook’s comfort, but he took his spot behind the couch with Yesung.
“Ryeowook, excuse yourself to the restroom.”
Ryeowook almost jumped and swallowed, “Ah, I’m going to the restroom.”
“Do you know where it is?” Yesung asked. “You should ask the footman.”
“Ah, right. I will.” Ryeowook nodded and headed for the door.
“What are you doing?”
Ryeowook froze outside the parlor door and looking around frantically to see a security guard walking down the hall towards him. Oh no…what was he going to do? “I…I was just looking for the restroom…”
The security guard stopped in front of him and lifted up his hat with a grin.
“H-Hankyung hyung?” Ryeowook squeaked, “How did you-?”
“No time.” Hangeng reached down and pulled up his pants leg to reveal a gun stuffed into his boot. He grabbed it and handed it to Ryeowook. “We only have a thirty seconds before the Gifted returns with the President.”
Ryeowook nodded and hurriedly stuffed the gun into his jacket holster, as Hangeng turned and headed back the way he came, disappearing around a corner. Ryeowook practically ran back into the parlor.
“You’re back? Good. I’m putting the security feed back to its original settings.”
It was a good thing that Ryeowook had bolted, because the second he found himself standing behind Heechul’s couch again the door opened and President Kim Hyun Shik walked in with the footman at his heels.
Heechul stood and held out a gloved hand. “Company President Kim Hyun Shik-ssi, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“You must be Kim Kwang Su-ssi. I heard that you were looking for something that I might have?” The man was healthy-looking for an older man, sturdy with a full head of hair. The wrinkles on his face were shallow and few, but they gave him a strong appearance. Ryeowook didn’t like him at all, because when he smiled, it seemed too perfect.
Heechul smirked back. “I’m a private collector and I was told you have a piece that I want for my collection.”
“You collect antiques?” The man seemed mildly surprised. “At your age? I hadn’t expected someone this young to be interested in such a dull hobby.”
Heechul gave a smooth smile. “I’m more interested in the value of my collection than it’s historical significance.”
President Kim Hyun Shik chuckled and shook Heechul’s hand vigorously. “I like your type, Kim Kwang Su-ssi. Let’s hear what you have to say.”
---
“You’re sure they won’t recognize Heechul or Yesung?”
Sungmin rolled his eyes at Eunhyuk’s question, the most recent in a nervous onslaught. The other man seemed unable to keep his mouth shut. “No, I’m not, but Kim Hyun Shik probably doesn’t pay attention to the wanted posters at the center. I doubt he’s even been there.”
“But the Gifted-”
“Will all be dead, if the plan works.” Sungmin snapped, and hefted himself up the window ledge.
“Come on, the others are probably inside. Siwon and Leeteuk will deal with grounds security.”
Eunhyuk stood at the bottom of the wall and fidgeted back and forth. Sungmin made scaling a wall look easy, but Eunhyuk was certain that if he tried it would just end in disaster. It was a good thing that he still had the gloves that Heechul had given him. He was pretty certain that everyone would notice if the mansion suddenly became invisible because he’d touched it. He took a deep breath and began climbing. “Kangin hyung, you’re sure that no one is coming this way?”
“No one is going to notice you unless you keep this up. You have one minute to get up to the window. Hankyung is waiting!”
Eunhyuk scrambled for the first window ledge and began lifting himself up. He could already feel the strain in his arms as he reached for another ledge, finding a foothold. Sungmin was at the ledge of the second story, and was pressed against the wall as he inched toward the window where Hangeng would be waiting.
Eunhyuk struggled to follow. The knowledge that if he slipped or took too long they’d be captured was the only thing that spurned him on. He couldn’t let the mission fail just because he’d been too slow.
“Beanpole, will you climb a little faster? I’m going to work on your workout plan when we get back. Your upper body strength sucks.”
Eunhyuk bit back a retort-he was out of breath as it was-and allowed Sungmin to pull him up to the ledge, just as the window opened and Hangeng stuck his head out. “You’re both here?”
“Let’s go.” Sungmin climbed in quickly and Eunhyuk almost tripped as he followed, earning a glare from the other man.
“We have to head to the basement.” Hangeng supplied. “It’s the only floor we only have partial blueprints for, but the only entrance to the sub basement and vault will be through there.”
Sungmin nodded, “Grab your gun, and don’t shoot either of us.” He ordered Eunhyuk before moving forward. “I’ve silenced our footsteps, but we only have thirty seconds to get across the corridor.” And he flashed a grin that was Heechul worthy before breaking into a run, Hangeng only a second behind him.
“Aish!” Eunhyuk cursed as he stumbled after them. He turned the corner just in time to be grabbed by the collar and thrown against the wall. He reached for his gun automatically before he realized it was Sungmin who had done so. The other man sent him a warning look. Hangeng was on the other side of the adjacent hallway, and Sungmin waved him forward, telling him to go without them.
“…please follow me. We’ll see if anything in my collection is to your interests…”
Eunhyuk swallowed, wishing fervently he had the ability to go through walls as he heard the President speaking.
“Of course. I’m sure I won’t be disappointed.” Heechul answered, and Eunhyuk clenched his eyes shut as they passed near them, just out of sight, until he heard their voices fade. He turned to Sungmin, who was looking down the hallway with a stony expression.
Finally he pressed a hand to his earpiece. “Hyung and the president are headed to the basement. Eunhyuk and I will follow. Hankyung is securing the sub-basement escape route.”
“He was ahead of them…” Eunhyuk swallowed. “The elevator…what if they notice that the elevator isn’t coming up?”
“Kangin is sending them the message.” Sungmin was checking the knives in his sleeves-Eunhyuk didn’t know why he needed them in the first place-and continued forward. “Heechul will stall them long enough for Hankyung to get down.”
Eunhyuk wished he had as much faith in Heechul as Sungmin did.
---
Hangeng reached the elevator at a run and nearly crashed into the door. He pressed the button as quickly as he could and resisted the urge to continue doing so. It never made it go any faster, and he really needed it to get there quickly.
The President wasn’t supposed to show Heechul the goods this quickly. The door slid open and he slipped inside, scanning the buttons.
“…there’s no sub-basement.”
“Of course there is. There has to be.”
“There’s no button.” Hangeng swallowed, looking at the buttons frantically.
“Maybe it’s a button combination? Shit!” Kangin growled into the headset. Hangeng could hear him shouting at someone else on the other end. “Hankyung, they’re heading to the elevator. You have to get out NOW.”
“I know.” Hangeng pressed the basement button and the elevator shuttered before the doors closed and it began descending. “…I’m going to the basement.”
“Kibum thinks that you might not be able to get to the sub-basement through the elevator. Look for any stairwells while you’re down there. Leeteuk and Siwon are going through the sewage system now.”
Hangeng leaned against the elevator and swallowed. What happened if the sewage system didn’t lead to the sub-basement? They’d been studying it for weeks and they were almost certain but they didn’t know for sure. And what if he was trapped on the basement floor and was spotted? If they locked the place down and there was no way for them to escape then they were screwed. Utterly screwed.
The door opened and Hangeng practically threw himself out, catching himself on the wall. A moment later the door closed and it headed back up. Now to get out. He had to get to a hiding place before they arrived at the basement floor and saw him.
He needed to find a place to hide so he could wait for Sungmin and Eunhyuk when they came down after Heechul and the others.
Hangeng headed down the hallway, pausing at every door he found to try the handle. All of them were locked. He felt his pulse quicken, and he swore he could hear the elevator as he tried another door. He froze at the sound of a ding, and the elevator doors slid open.
---
Hangeng felt the strain on his heart the moment the doors opened and froze, and it took only a millisecond for him to realize it was Eunhyuk to let go of his power and fall against the wall, gasping.
Eunhyuk stared at him in confusion for a moment before he was stepping out of the elevator and ushering Hangeng forward. “Come on, Heechul hyung could only stall them for so long.”
Hangeng nodded, letting Eunhyuk lead him down the hallway until they turned a corner and were no longer visible. When he’d caught his breath he gasped out, “Where’s Sungmin?”
Eunhyuk blinked. “…he isn’t here? He came down ahead of me.”
Hangeng shook his head. “He didn’t come down.”
“That’s weird…” Eunhyuk scratched his head. “I was sure that he came down first.” He frowned. “Maybe I went first?”
Hangeng gave a slow nod. “We should try and find the sub-basement entrance quickly. He’ll catch up. He can hear our footsteps.”
Eunhyuk gave a shaky smile and the two headed down a third, barely lit corridor.
---
Sungmin had gone first. He’d entered the elevator and pressed the successive buttons that Heechul had discovered were the code to the sub-basement and waited as the elevator lurched downwards.
The doors opened a few moments later and he stepped out onto the sub-basement floor.
Now, to begin the real mission.
---
Leeteuk let out a choked cough as he placed the gas mask to his face more securely and followed behind Siwon.
Leeteuk knew that the reason he was crawling through a sewer pipe was because he was the only one that could get them out if they ended up trapped and it didn’t connect with the sub-basement, but that didn’t mean he enjoyed his task. In fact, he was rather certain he was going to vomit into his gas mask.
Siwon paused, holding out a hand that Leeteuk barely saw in the minimal visibility provided by their headlamps. “What is it?” Leeteuk asked softly.
“It’s locked.” Siwon grunted, bracing himself against the wall. Leeteuk nearly puked as he saw Siwon’s hand disappear under a layer of slime. “Hold on.” He let out a small growl and lifted his leg.
The iron gate groaned and fell backwards, as Siwon slipped on the grime and landed on his ass.
“We should come to the opening to the anti-chamber that leads to the sub-basement passageway up ahead.” Siwon pushed himself to his feet and didn’t bother to try and wipe the filth off of his jeans.
Leeteuk nodded, but a part of him wondered how Siwon knew this. They didn’t have any blueprints of the sub-basement, they’d only speculated its existence. What happened if it didn’t exist at all? But true to Siwon’s word the sewage pipe opened up into a small room and at the other end was a bolted vault door with a keypad. The air in the room was a little less stifling, and Leeteuk found himself able to breathe a little easier.
Leeteuk blinked. How would they know the password? What were they going to do next? “Kangin, we found a locked door with a password lock.”
“…at…? …asswo…rd…ock…?”
Leeteuk swallowed. “The reception down here is bad. I can’t contact Kangin.”
“It’s alright.” Siwon gave him a soft smile. "I’ll crack it.” He pulled out a spray bottle from his pack and sprayed the keypad lightly before pulling out a small blue-light. He waved it over the numbers and the 5, 7, 4, and 3 lit up.
“…four numbers. That means 24 combinations.” Siwon began pressing buttons and Leeteuk stared, taken aback.
“How do you know they only used four numbers? Couldn’t they have repeated them for a longer sequence?” Leeteuk ventured, hoping he wasn’t breaking Siwon’s concentration.
“This security system is a four digit lock code.” Siwon answered back, unfazed by the distraction. He continued entering numbers. There was a beep and Siwon stepped back with another bright, pleased smile. “My father owns the company that makes these kind of security systems.”
Leeteuk nodded dumbly, still unsure how all this had transpired without his knowledge as he followed Siwon into the hallway that ended in a staircase that led to the sub-basement. “Siwon…is there something Heechul didn’t tell the rest of us?”
Siwon blinked, looking momentarily confused before he shook his head with that same honest smile on his face. “I don’t think so, hyung. We weren’t sure if this was going to work so we didn’t say anything. Heechul hyung just sent me because he knew that I would know the security system if we found one.”
Leeteuk gave another nod and a small smile. “Ha, right. Sorry for asking.”
Siwon turned and began heading up the stairs and Leeteuk followed behind him slowly, his eyes flickering with doubt.
---
The elevator wasn’t supposed to have gone up.
Yesung stiffened beside Heechul the moment the elevator began moving. What was going on? They were supposed to head to the basement. Ryeowook looked confused, and a little frightened.
“Isn’t your basement under the first floor?” Heechul asked jokingly, watching as the numbers continued to climb to 4 on the elevator’s digital screen.
President Hyun Shik gave a smile. “The object you were speaking of isn’t in my basement. The basement is the first place someone would look, isn’t it? It’s in a more secure location.”
Heechul shot him in answering smile, but Yesung saw his fingers clench.
The doors slid open and President Hyun Shik stepped out. Heechul followed behind with Yesung and Ryeowook, and the footman brought up the rear. “Please, follow me.” He led them to a pair of double doors that led to a lavish library.
Heechul stepped inside, eyes scanning the area for any threats. There were no windows, which seemed odd, but he merely turned to the President with a smile. “You hide your valuables in a library?”
President Hyuk Shik laughed. “Oh no, but I can’t show you were my safe is, now could I? I will go and get it. Please remain here.” He headed for the door with the footman.
Yesung took a step forward but Heechul stopped him, just as the door closed. “…if he doesn’t return in five minutes we’ll contact the others. If he’s planning to run he’ll use the secret passageway through the sub-basement. Siwon and Leeteuk will be able to grab him then.”
Yesung nodded, eyes taking in the entire room.
Ryeowook didn’t know what was going on but he was more than a little frightened and confused. Secret passageway? They didn’t know if the sub-basement even existed, did they?
“H-hyung, have we been caught?”
“Sshh. Everything is fine.” Yesung’s left hand reached for his pocket.
Heechul grabbed his gloves and slipped them off. “I think we’ve been discovered. Even if not we need to take him quickly. I’ve been studying the footman. His Gift doesn’t seem to be anything physical-”
The room was plunged into darkness. Heechul immediately held his hands against his chest, fearing that in the ensuing panic someone would brush against him. Something knocked into his shoulder and he stiffened, ready to retaliate when Yesung’s voice came from his right, “What happened?”
“I don’t know.” Heechul grunted, trying to look around, but even as his eyes adjusted he found that he couldn’t see anything at all. There was no light at all.
“Hyungs?”
“We’re here Ryeowook. Follow our voices.” Yesung called out, and Heechul heard the hesitant shuffle of feet as Ryeowook inched across the floor. Heechul strained his ears. This wasn’t normal darkness. Something was wrong. They had to be alert. “Kibum.” He called into his headset, “What’s going on?”
There was no answer, not even the crackling buzz of static that meant a lost signal. Heechul swallowed. “Yesung,” he hissed. “You memorized the layout of the room, right?”
“Yes. Why?” Yesung had grabbed Ryeowook’s shoulder, and he felt the younger man trembling.
“When I say to shoot-the doorway!”
Yesung grabbed the button in his pocket and shot the moment Heechul yelled. There was a moment of silence before the bullet hit, and the lights flickered for a millisecond before the world became dark again, their headsets screeching in a jumble of voices before disappearing with the darkness.
That instant of sight was enough to tell Heechul that they were royally fucked, because there were three Gifted surrounding them and the one at the door-the footman.
“Go!” Heechul snapped, reaching blindly for the area where he’d seen the Gifted closest to him. For a moment there was nothing and then his pointer-finger touched what he hoped was skin. A startled scream a second later, and then blinding pain in his stomach as he was propelled backwards.
He hit a wall, or maybe a bookshelf before there was more pain. Excruciating pain. His vision went white and then a multitude of colors before fading back into black. In the back of his mind he heard others yelling, remembering vaguely that Ryeowook and Yesung were also in the room and they were all under attack but he couldn’t focus on that, not when his body was on fire and blood-he hoped it was just blood, god please just be blood-was leaking from between his fingers pressed against his stomach.
He didn’t know what had impaled him, or if it was still there. All he knew was that he was going to die without ever seeing his killer’s face and without completing the mission he’d set out to accomplish.
---
Eunhyuk and Hangeng hadn’t found a staircase or an unlocked room. Hangeng was certain that if there was a secret passageway to the sub-basement it was through one of the locked doors. He cursed them for being made of steel and not wood. If it had been wood he’d be able to kick it down and save them all a bunch of trouble.
“I could turn the doors invisible.” Eunhyuk pulled off a glove. “Let’s check to see if there’s anything we can see through the doorway. When Sungmin gets here we’ll be able to blast through it.”
Hangeng nodded, and they began the long and tedious process of going from door to door and turning them transparent. Most of the rooms seemed to be full of antiques-vases, paintings, and marble statues embossed with gold and jade.
“Not this one either.” Eunhyuk’s voice was laced with disappointment and a little fatigue as they walked to the next door down the hallway. Hangeng knew that it was tiring for him to use his gift so much, but it was their only way of finding the passageway.
Eunhyuk let out a soft sigh and pressed his hand to the final door down this corridor. He blinked, “Is that…?”
“It looks like a doorway.” Hangeng nodded. “But it could just lead to a different room.”
Eunhyuk nodded. “We’ll need Sungmin to check it out-” He turned as they both heard the ding of the elevator. “That must be him. I’ll go get him.”
“Eunhyuk-” Hangeng sighed as Eunhyuk sped off down the hallway and turned back to the door.
The air seemed to shift and Hangeng looked up just in time to see Eunhyuk careen into the wall and stumble towards him. “RUN!”
A wall of fire followed in his wake.
---
Yesung shot the moment the lights flickered off. Once, twice, three times. Was the man moving? Of course he was moving, he wouldn’t stand still like an idiot. Ryeowook, he needed to get Ryeowook out of here!
He didn’t have time to look for Heechul when the lights flickered on. He saw a man rolling on the ground in pain a few feet away, clutching his arm as it began to turn to ash in front of his eyes, but that was as much attention as he gave Heechul and his actions. He’d grabbed Ryeowook behind him and shoved him in Heechul’s direction with a, “Get out your gun and shoot,” before he was reaching into his pockets for his own ammo.
“What’s going on? What’s happening in there, Yesung?” Kibum’s voice echoed in his ears. Yesung could hear Kangin as well, snapping something that he didn’t register as he ducked to avoid a string of green liquid and grabbed a paper clip, shooting.
He turned just in time to see the liquid hit the wall and begin to sizzle.
Acid. Wonderful.
The paper clip had gone through the acid wielder’s kneecap and he stumbled. As his blood splattered across the ground it began to steam. Really, truly wonderful.
He heard a gunshot and the acid wielder dropped with a bullet between his eyes. Yesung dodged the blood pooling out from his head and gave it a wide berth as he grabbed into his pocket and pulled out a butterscotch candy.
It hit the next Gifted in the jugular and the man went down, clawing at his throat and gasping for breath as blood pooled out around him. He looked around quickly, blood singing in his veins as he tried to find the next enemy, only to realize that there was no one left. Yesung turned, brushing sweat matted bangs from his eyes, and froze.
“Hyung! Hyung!” Ryeowook called out desperately, holding Heechul in his lap, looking on helplessly, hands covered in blood.
Yesung dropped the second butterscotch candy from limp fingers.
“Heechul, Yesung, Ryeowook, are you there? What’s going on?” Kibum’s voice crackled over his earpiece. “What’s going on?”
“Get in here! Oh god, someone come. Hyung is bleeding…hyung is…” Yesung croaked out, stumbling, tripping over his own feet as he landed in the blood pooling out of Heechul’s wound. So much blood, so much blood…oh god, there shouldn’t be that much blood in someone’s body.
“…gloves.” Yesung fumbled in Heechul’s pocket and pulled them out, grabbing his wrist and slipping them on. His hands were slick with blood and they slid on easily. “You can’t touch him without his gloves on, Wookie.”
“Hyung.” Ryeowook replied weakly. “Hyung, what do we do?”
---
They turned down the right corridor, and Hangeng almost lost his footing. Eunhyuk was right behind him, almost tripping over him, and the fire continued.
“There was more than one.” Eunhyuk gasped out as they ran. “T-two or three of them. And the President.”
Hangeng nodded, trying to think through the haze of panic that surrounded him. If the President was here it meant something was wrong. Something had gone horribly wrong. That meant Heechul was in trouble, didn’t it? Had they been discovered?
The hallway narrowed, and Hangeng exchanged glances with Eunhyuk. He looked terrified, but he nodded as the hallway ended and the two bolted down opposite hallways.
Hangeng would just have to hope that Eunhyuk got out ok. He’d be fine…he was heading down the hallway that doubled back to the elevator, wasn’t he? Hangeng’s hallway, however…was a dead end, and he’d known that when he picked it.
He swallowed, knowing that the last turn he could make was coming up soon. He turned the corner and his footsteps slowed to a trot as he reached the end of the hall. He bit the inside of his cheek before he heard footsteps behind him.
“Got you.”
Hangeng ducked and a wall of fire flew over his head. The heat tickled his neck and he cursed as he felt the white hot pain that told him he hadn’t dodged quickly enough.
He hit the ground and rolled, grabbing the gun at his hip. He reached up and shot and then dodged again as fire seemed to fill the entire room. The bullet hit the floor as a pile of molten lead.
He took a deep breath and focused. He felt everything around him stop, and the unearthly silence of complete stillness filled his ears, even as his chest throbbed. He forced himself to his feet and charged toward the fire user, pulling a knife out of his belt and slamming it up into his ribcage.
Time began again a second later and Hangeng’s chest exploded in pain. He blinked away the sweat that was pouring down his forehead and pushed the pain aside as he dragged the knife upwards.
The fire user let out a choked scream, and flames shot out from every pore. Hangeng knew in an instant that he’d screwed up.
And that was when he was pulled through the floor and landed on the concrete below to see Leeteuk sitting on Siwon’s shoulders from where he’d reached up to pull Hangeng through the ceiling.
Hangeng lay there for a few moments, clutching his chest. “Eunhyuk,” he choked, “Eunhyuk was up there too.” Hangeng had only been subject to Leeteuk’s powers a few times, but it had been enough for him to develop a dislike for it. It never felt right, like his body was made of sludge and was being pushed through a strainer. He forced himself to sit with a groan, before Siwon reached down and hefted him to his feet.
“He’s already at the sewage pipe.” Leeteuk gave a tired smile. He’d climbed off of Siwon’s shoulders the moment Hangeng had landed on the ground. “We got him before we found you.”
Hangeng nodded weakly, and allowed Leeteuk to lead him down the darkened hallway and out of the sub-basement.
---
Sungmin smirked to himself as he pocketed the flashdrive and stepped into the elevator. Mission accomplished. All he had to do now was get back upstairs and meet with Heechul hyung in the basement.
He flipped on his headset as he leaned against the elevator wall and wasn’t prepared for the onslaught of voices that met him. It seemed like all of the frequencies and channels had flooded into one another and he could barely make any of it out over the jumble of screams and static and screeching microphones.
“Get help! Get help!”
“I can’t get in contact with Sungmin’s team!”
“Oh god! Someone help! Hyung is bleeding!”
“Shindong is coming with the car-someone get to the fourth floor and help!”
Sungmin punched in the number and hit it several times for good measure, heart pounding in his chest. What had happened while he was in the sub-basement? Who was hurt? It had been Yesung that said hyung was bleeding. He was with Heechul hyung. Did that mean…? Sungmin punched the elevator door, just as it dinged and flew open.
There were two Gifted running down the hallway in front of him and Sungmin merely lifted up a hand with a cold glare. There was the brief silence of a vacuum before a roar filled his ears and he continued running down the hallway, dodging the mutilated corpses left in his wake.
He skidded to a halt in front of a large door, and a scream rose in his throat and caught there.
Ryeowook was holding Heechul in his lap, and the other man’s stomach was a large gaping hole that oozed crimson. Yesung’s hands were covered in it as he tried to press his jacket into the wound to staunch the bleeding. He looked up as Sungmin entered. “Sungmin!”
“I’ve got him.” Sungmin stumbled forward, crouching down. “I’ll carry him to the car. You need to clear the way. Ryeowook, guard our back.”
“I don’t think he can be moved.” Ryeowook whispered.
“He’ll die if we don’t move him!” Sungmin growled back, and didn’t have the time to feel guilty about his tone as Ryeowook flinched and cowered away. He simply picked up Heechul as delicately as he could and tried not to slip on his blood as he ran toward the doorway.
Yesung led the way and Sungmin heard Ryeowook stumbled behind them.
Hyung, hyung you have to be ok. Sungmin looked down at Heechul’s pale face. It was too pale, and there was too much blood. His throat constricted painfully as he tried not to cry. I got the information we need, hyung! You have to tell me what a good job I did. You have to tell me I did well. You have to wake up.
He didn’t remember how they got out of the mansion, only that Yesung took out the security that hampered them-Sungmin walked over bodies without really seeing them-and found himself piling into the car as Shindong stared in horror.
“Oh my god…”
“DRIVE!” He screamed, and Shindong slammed on the gas.
---
Kyuhyun couldn’t make heads or tails of the intercom system as what seemed like a thousand voices blasted out of the speakers. Kangin and Kibum were trying to talk back, and Donghae was furiously scanning the security feed.
And then he’d heard Yesung’s desperate plea.
“Get in here! Oh god, someone come. Hyung is bleeding…hyung is…”
Something cold crept into his chest and stayed there, and he couldn’t breathe. He didn’t even know if his heart was beating. He was running toward the door, and he was only stopped by Donghae, who grabbed his arm as he passed the couch.
“We have to make sure everyone gets out safely.” Donghae managed to get out shakily. “Go help Kangin and Kibum.”
Kyuhyun wanted to protest, but the pleading look in Donghae’s eyes had him stepping back and toward the computer room.
Waiting was like torture. Kibum’s voice was soft, steady, and Kangin’s was fluctuating and angry. Donghae didn’t speak, only took shaky breaths as he typed away at the computer. At some point Kibum went to check the medical room to get ready for surgery, but he came back after a few moments, as impatient and worried as the others.
Kangin got the call that they were in the elevator and Kyuhyun practically ran to the door and threw it open as Sungmin stepped inside.
“Oh god…oh god.” Kyuhyun choked out, feeling sick and a million other things as Sungmin carried Heechul’s limp, bloodied body into the room.
“We need medical help!” Sungmin shouted, looking more panicked than Kyuhyun had ever seen him. Hangeng was at his side, reaching for Heechul’s hand that was always out of reach. He looked beyond anger and tears, his face almost as pale as Heechul’s. Kibum took a step forward but Eunhyuk grabbed him, jerking him back roughly. “Not without gloves.”
“H-hyung…” Kibum whispered, before he swallowed and nodded. He turned to Kyuhyun, who had a hand over his mouth as he watched the shallow rise and fall of Heechul’s chest. Yesung’s jacket was soaked in blood…there wasn’t supposed to be that much blood…
Kibum walked over to the shelf and grabbed a handful of medical books. He shoved them into Kyuhyun’s arms and the other boy looked up in shock. “If you want to save him, memorize those in the next ten minutes while I prep for surgery. Ryeowook hyung!” Ryeowook nodded, face pale as he followed Kibum to the medical room with Sungmin behind them.
Donghae sat back down on the couch with a shaky exhalation. “H-hyung…he’s going to be ok, right? Hyung will be ok, right?”
Eunhyuk gave a weak grin. “Come on Hae, Heenim won’t go down that easily. He still has to beat me up for stealing his t-shirt the other day.”
Donghae gave another soft sob and all Kyuhyun could do was stare helplessly until he remembered that he had a job to do. He grabbed the first medical book and pulled off his right glove. He was finally useful. He had to do this. He could do it.
He had to save Heechul.
---
The next ten hours were a blur. Kyuhyun didn’t remember anything that happened, only that he, Ryeowook, and Kibum spent that entire time trying to keep Heechul alive. Kyuhyun did everything mechanically, as if he were running on autopilot. He didn’t know why or how he was doing these things, just that he did them, scalpel in hand.
He had to keep himself from remembering that this was Heechul, that it was his heartbeat bleeping faintly on the monitor, his blood covering their hands.
When it was over, Kibum grabbed Kyuhyun’s arm. “Go rest. He’s stable.” It sounded like his was voice was coming through water. Kyuhyun nodded numbly, blinking and stumbling backwards. Ryeowook caught him, turning him away as Kibum finished sewing Heechul up and wrapping the wound.
He let himself be led out of the medical room, and the moment the door opened, Hangeng had stood, pale and shaking. “Is he ok?”
“He’s stable.” Kyuhyun heard Ryeowook say, and then Donghae was crying again, sobbing into Eunhyuk’s shoulder. Hangeng had already shoved past them into the surgery room. Leeteuk sagged down onto the couch, all his energy spent. Kangin placed a hand on his shoulder.
“Siwon is in his room praying.” Leeteuk explained, seeing Ryeowook look around for the others. “Yesung and Sungmin are at the shooting range. You know how those two are. Could you go tell them, Shindong?”
Shindong nodded, swallowing.
“…I’m going to get something to eat.” Ryeowook squeaked out, and Leeteuk gave a small smile, “I’ll come with you.” He led the younger boy out into the hallway.
Kyuhyun turned to the door he had just exited. He wanted to go inside but he felt as if had been barred entry. It wasn’t locked, but somehow this felt too private for him. It angered him, and he was angry that he was jealous at a time like this and that made him feel even worse. He simply swallowed and turned to the door.
He needed to eat too.
---
Hours later-it felt like days-Ryeowook entered his room to find Yesung already asleep, his clothes not changed and snoring softly. Ryeowook sighed, smiling softly as he grabbed the blankets from where they were tangled around his ankles and pulled it up to his chin, tucking him in.
“Wookie…” Yesung grunted, opening one eye to stare at him wearily.
Ryeowook slipped into his own bed, curling his toes at the coolness of the sheets. He contemplated putting on socks but he knew he would be warm soon and the socks would make him too hot. Kibum had told him some story about feet regulating body temperature at some point. “What is it hyung?”
“…you did good.” Yesung mumbled into his pillow, turning back to go to bed.
Ryeowook swallowed, throat tightening. “…did I…? If I had been faster, maybe I could have helped hyung-”
“Don’t.” Yesung warned. “…don’t think like that.” His voice softened and he let out a soft sigh that was eaten up by the darkness. “You did fine, Wookie.”
Yesung always knew just what to say to put Ryeowook at ease. The younger boy closed his eyes with a trembling smile and tried not to cry loudly. He knew Yesung heard, because he felt a comfortable warmth as the bed sagged under the extra weight and Yesung rubbed his back as he began to sob in earnest.
“It’s ok Wookie. You did your best.”
But his best never seemed good enough. If only Heechul hadn’t let him come with them. Someone else should have gone. It should have been Sungmin or Siwon. Anyone but him. Heechul had trusted him and now…
He fell asleep to Yesung’s voice and the fervent belief that he was the reason Heechul lay on a bed barely breathing.