- fifty seven -

As soon as Chenle calmed down, they had started their trek back to Neo City.

Although nothing like an actual city, Chenle took comfort into their new found home, and was anxious to return.

Neo City was home to them now, and after what had just happened, he really wanted to go home.

He clung to Jisung's side, as the younger reciprocated the action, the two shaken up from the new experience.

Ten had kept to himself, his mind full of thoughts that would leave to tangents, and then return once again.

Dejun and YangYang had only talked amongst themselves, shocked at what they had witnessed, and the only debate they could procure.

Where the two seemingly human boys Defects?

. . .

Ten made no mistake as to head straight to Taeyong with the news of the past events.

He had found him to be in the basement, looking through, what seemed like, files.

The older knew that he was coming by the onslaught of mixed thoughts that seemed to protrude his mind as the younger was getting closer to him.

"Yes?" he asked as Ten made it to his office, not looking at the younger yet.

"Do you know what happened?" Ten asked, almost breathless from his searchings of the older man.

"I have bits and pieces, but I assume I'm going to be learning all the details from you right now," Taeyong answered, pausing his scanning of papers, and looking at Ten.

"I might need to sit down. I've been standing for far too long," Ten said as he took a seat in a chair near the older.

As he made himself comfortable, the older stopped his file searching, stacking them up neatly and correctly putting them away.

When he finished, he looked at Ten, his full attention now on the younger.

"The men are all dead," were the only words that Ten offered Taeyong.

He was almost set-aback, leaning in his chair in thought.

"Dead? Did you make sure?"

Ten only nodded.

"How?"

"Chenle."

"Do you want to further explain?" Taeyong now leaned forward, resting his elbows onto his knees, clasping his hands together.

"When we were fighting them, I'm assuming Jisung didn't have his guard up fully, and one of the men snatched him," Ten explained, and Taeyong could see the memory flash in Ten's mind.

Nodding his head, he encouraged Ten to continue.

"The Chenle freaked out when said guy grabbed a gun, threatening Jisung. He started, clutching? His chest, and breathing heavy. I thought he was having a panic attack for a second, because of how close the two were," he paused to take a deep breath, "but then he let out the most ear-piercing scream."

Taeyong almost smiled, glad that the younger was able to reach his Defect power, but that didn't mean he liked the situation the younger boy had to be in.

"And then, all of the men fell, and Jisung escaped, but when Dejun, YangYang and I checked the men, they were bleeding everywhere," Taeyong could still see the memory of the men up close, "they were bleeding from their eyes, their noses, and their ears."

Taeyong nodded, again urging Ten to ask the reoccurring question that he was almost scared to say aloud.

"Are they also Defects?"

"Yes, and no," Taeyong answered truthfully.

"What do you mean?"

They were interrupted by a loud siren blaring through the building.

"What the-"

"We need to get to the others," was all that Taeyong said, immediately getting up and walking towards the stairs.

. . .

Everyone was in the living room, waiting for Taeyong to arrive.

So when he did arrive, he was instantly bombarded with questions, both internally and externally.

"Guys, guys, guys," Johnny's voice rang out, "let him explain."

"The siren?" Taeyong asked, before turning to the screen he had accessed before going into the living room.

"We had a message. From someone rather unpleasant."

"Who?" Doyoung asked.

"Abigail Carthwright."

Taeyong walked over to the computer connected to the screen, clicking on the email he had just received from the Capitol.

Clicking onto the link sent to him, he played the video for all of them.

Immediately Abigail's face showed up, making those who knew her almost flinch.

"Hello. I am Abigail Carthwright, if we hadn't had the pleasure to meet yet."

Renjun couldn't help but scoff.

"I hadn't received word from the men sent Outside, for," she paused, "Research purposes. Only to find them dead on the Cliffs. I was hoping you would tell me that you all weren't the culprits, although you are the only ones capable of doing the, interesting I may say, damage," Renjun saw Chenle shrink into himself on the couch, as Jisung wrapped an arm around him in comfort.

"But I must say, killing those from the Inside is an act of war," the word caused shivers to run down Renjun's spine.

"And war is what I shall bring," the message ended with her sinister smile at the end of the video, which dramatically faded at the end.

The room stayed silent, an eerie dark purple light shining from the screen illuminating their faces.

Renjun only pushed himself into the couch behind him, dreading the information he had just found out about Abigail.

When Chenle and Jisung had went out with the rest of their Rank, he had set himself to decoding and translating the codes he had received.

It was a cruel three hours, but he had managed to crack the code.

What he was left with was even more vague than the machine he had gotten it from.

It didn't say much, just coded messages that meant nothing if one weren't to know of them.

Luckily, Renjun had that insight from being in their labs and research.

What he had learned was nothing that he was prepared for. Something so, so blasphemous that Renjun couldn't quite understand why a person would do such a thing.

For power?

For ultimate hierarchy above everyone else?

Was it so important?

Still sunk into himself on the couch, Renjun's light voice broke the silence.

"Guys, I've got something to tell you."

Taeyong looked towards the younger boy, eyebrows furrowed.

"What is it?" Johnny asked, feeling the anxiety roll off of the smaller boy.

"Abigail's been up to something. It was in the codes I translated," he played with his fingers slightly, trying to find the right words to explain their situation.

"The Inside isn't as vulnerable as it seems, us Dream members being proof that Abigail isn't afraid to try anything."

Renjun swallowed thickly.

"And she doesn't always use test subjects."

He felt like trembling at what she actually did, the reality of it all crashing down onto him.

Everyone else was confused.

"What do you mean by that?" This time It's asked, resting his elbows in his knees as he leaned forward to look at the smaller boy.

"She's been trying, things, on herself."