Aegis [iv/vi]
Kyungsoo’s dreams are immersed in a pearly white, as if he’s swimming in a pool made of equal parts water and milk. He’s submerged in a ghostly calm until a burst of red suddenly disperses from the edge of his vision, tainting the water a vivid crimson. And he feels as if he’s drowning now, his lungs constricting painfully as it consumes him--
His eyelids fly open in the world of reality, heart racing and breathing fast from his nightmare. Immediately, he realizes that he’s in an unfamiliar bed and he turns his head sharply to look at the hand that’s holding his.
Kai’s sitting on the corner of the bed, gazing tenderly down at his sire as he brings their joined hands to brush at the rivulets of sweat that had formed on Kyungsoo’s forehead. “Are you alright?” he asks, aware of Kyungsoo’s nightmare.
“Yeah,” he breathes, bringing their hands closer to his face and closing his eyes. When he’s collected himself, he finally notices the gauze around his aegis’ forearms and knows the wounds are from their match. “Does it hurt?” he inquires, worried.
Kai shakes his head and rubs his thumb over Kyungsoo’s knuckles. “It will scar though.”
And Kyungsoo doesn’t understand the true meaning behind his statement until they’ve returned to their room and he’s seen what’s really underneath the bandages. They’re standing in the bathroom and Kyungsoo’s just about to hop into the jacuzzi tub when he sees Kai undo his bindings. His eyes widen. Angry red marks streak along Kai’s forearms as if a feathery, fern-like plant had imprinted itself under his skin. Kyungsoo realizes that it’s the sign of someone who was struck by lightning, the electrical charges rupturing his capillaries.
As Kai’s showering and he’s soaking, Kyungsoo holds out his arms and imagines how they would look with Kai’s scars snaking over them. It’s weird to think that, just hours ago, he could’ve died from contact with water and now he’s peacefully sitting here. Kai turns off the shower faucet and comes to join him, nudging him on the shoulder to tell him to move. So, Kyungsoo floats into the middle of the tub and Kai occupies his previous spot.
Then, he holds open his arms.
“We are not going to cuddle!” Kyungsoo screeches without thinking, the shrill noise echoing along the tiles and granite. He flounders over to the far end of the tub and folds himself into a ball, glaring at his aegis. And maybe it’s the steamy water, but his cheeks are flooded with pink.
Kai gives him the same disinterested look he always puts on whenever Kyungsoo tries to dodge his advances, continues holding out his arms. Frustrated, Kyungsoo stands up. “I’m leaving!” he announces. But, before he can even move, Kai’s dragging him back into the tub. And there’s a flurry of splashing water as Kyungsoo struggles against his aegis’ grip, shouting in protest.
He breaks out into laughter when Kai tickles him, brings him close to his body and scatters sloppy kisses on his face. “Stop!” Kyungsoo giggles, adjusting his position in his aegis’ lap so that he’s facing him. Kai realizes that this is the first time he’s seen his sire laugh and smile so joyously since they’ve met, grins back as their foreheads and noses meet.
Kyungsoo kisses him first, lips wet and tasting the sweet droplets dripping down his skin. He’s able to forget about their tragic circumstances for a moment as he’s encircled in Kai’s arms, feels as if they’re back in their apartment again.
//
Kyungsoo sweeps the curtains open the next morning and is thoroughly displeased when he sees the blanket of fog eclipsing their view. It’s clinging to their windows in hazy fluffs, making the light appear gloomy and stuffy. He may as well have closed the curtains and turned on the lamps but, out of habit, he leaves them the way they are. He sighs, turning on the television like he does every morning.
Kai’s dozing on the couch, as he’s reluctant to sleep without Kyungsoo around, body strewn across the entire length of it. Kyungsoo pushes his shoulder. “You’re in the way!” he whines, wanting to sit down. So, Kai shoots up into a sitting position long enough for his sire to settle into the far cushion. Then, he lays back down so that his head is in Kyungsoo’s lap.
His sire ruffles his hair with both hands in mock-anger as the newscasters go over the weather report for the day. “You’re so annoying!” he huffs when he’s done. After a moment of staring at his aegis’ messy hair, he smooths it back down for him. Stupid Kai.
A recap of yesterday’s events play with commentary from the newscasters, enthusiasts analyzing each moment of combat. Kyungsoo watches as Kai’s form runs in slow motion on the television, his gaze distant as his stomach becomes knotted with disgust. He doesn’t want to remember that they have another match that evening against the couple they had met at the dinner party. He doesn’t want to remember how disposable he is to the people around him. He doesn’t want to remember those lifeless eyes--
He flinches when the television is turned off, Kai putting the remote back on the end table and settling into his sire’s lap again. There’s a hard silence afterwards wherein Kyungsoo continues to absentmindedly stroke his aegis’ hair as he tries to calm himself. Finally, Kai speaks.
“Do you want to see my secret weapon?” he asks softly, hoping it’ll improve his sire’s mood as he sits up. He’s been sneaking out of their room late at night--when he’s sure Kyungsoo’s asleep-- to practice this technique in the training rooms. He thinks he has it completely mastered by now, so he smiles gently at him.
The edges of Kyungsoo’s lips curve upwards a bit as his eyes betray a wisp of amusement. “What is it?” he prompts, watching as his aegis’ eyes obtain a hint of playfulness.
Kai motions towards the carpet in front of the couch, moving his bandaged fingers as if he’s playing a harp. And Kyungsoo’s shocked when he sees arms and legs forming, a face afterwards. He abruptly breaks out into laughter and whacks his aegis’ arm when he realizes what his creation is.
“You narcissist!” he accuses, laughing at the life-size rock figure that looks exactly like a sculpture of Kai.
Kai laughs too, glad his sire’s response is positive--glad his mind is off of the tournament even temporarily. “For when you’re lonely.”
For when I’m lonely, Kyungsoo ponders. I have you though.
And Kai sees the heartfelt statement ripple through his sire’s pupils when they make eye contact, wonders if he can promise him a happily-ever-after too.
//
Happily-ever-after, Baekhyun muses, his back going cold from being pressed against the glass shower wall. I want that, he decides as hands grip the back of his knees to hold him in place. He cries out when Chanyeol enters him, setting an especially slow and deep pace. He focuses solely on the water dripping down his aegis’ hair, laps them up as they run down the curve of his neck.
And Baekhyun likes making love in the shower the best as it hides his broken emotions like camouflage. He buries his face in his aegis’ shoulder as he cries quietly, lets out the terror from their cut-throat matches. He’s so tired of acting strong, trying to intimidate their opponents in an effort to gain an edge when he’s frightened inside.
Chanyeol feels the fear as he touches him, the skin going hot under his caress. He knows his sire wakes up before the advent of dawn, runs his hands along his body as he checks to see if he’s still alive. He knows Baekhyun believes in happily-ever-afters and stares out their window--with a hint of a smile on his lips--as he imagines sitting in their living room watching vintage movies together like they did every Thursday night before the tournament. He knows Baekhyun cries whenever they have sex, thinks Chanyeol can’t feel the difference between his hot tears and the shower water that’s long run cold.
Because Chanyeol knows everything about Baekhyun and thinks that a happily-ever-after is a given.
He’s worried about Baekhyun’s mental state though as they’re getting dressed in the locker rooms later in preparation for their battle. He watches solemnly from the bench as his sire zips up the skin-tight suit, clips on his helmet. Chanyeol gets up and tightly embraces him, holds him close like he does before every match. “I love you,” he reminds him, lips in his hair.
“I love you too,” Baekhyun grins cheek-to-cheek, confidence welling up inside of him from the support.
Despite the foreboding heaviness settling into his chest, Chanyeol leans on the side of optimism, believes with all of his heart that they’ll win today.
In the locker room down the hall, Kai’s giving Kyungsoo a goodbye hug as if it’ll be their last.
//
The backdrop of the stadium is a frenzy of anticipation as the nation’s favorite participants arrive in their pods, jittery enthusiasts wondering who’ll be the first to die. And Kyungsoo’s skin prickles with sweat, nervous that--despite going over their battle plan with Kai earlier-- he’ll mess up somewhere. After all, Baekhyun is undoubtedly more skilled in combat than he is, definitely has the courage to maim his opponents.
As if to meet Kyungsoo’s expectations, the second the pods open, Baekhyun grins wickedly. “Look at this, Chanyeol. It’s our friends from the dinner party. What a pleasant surprise to see them with their limbs intact,” he jeers.
Chanyeol smiles, knows it’s all an act but plays along anyway. “That can be fixed.”
Start.
Immediately, three things happen at once: everything goes pitch black, Chanyeol shoves Baekhyun away from himself, and Kai teleports to where Baekhyun once was in an attempt to grab him. So, Chanyeol mentally applauds himself for his accurate prediction and takes this opportunity to land a flaming punch right into Kai’s skull. He smirks when he hears the satisfyingly loud thud when his opponent’s body hits the ground.
Kyungsoo cries out in the distance, head spinning as excruciating pain shudders through him and brings him to his knees. It’s so crippling that he has trouble thinking, tries to remember what Kai had instructed him to do before the match. Barrier. Barriers!
Right when he erects one around himself, a ball of flames flies out of the darkness and dispels itself against the rock. Panicking, Kyungsoo teleports across the stadium and creates barriers there, hopes he can buy a bit of time for himself by doing so. He’s breathing hard, his heart resounding through his bones and sweat dripping down his temples as he feels like a trapped animal. His head is throbbing, but he can’t let that bring him down.
Far from him, Kai and Chanyeol are engaged in a duel that sends light towards him with every fiery punch thrown. Kyungsoo can feel his skin grow hot whenever his aegis barely dodges the attacks, parrying with a rock sword and shield. He suddenly remembers that he’s in a risky situation too when a wave of fire slams against his barrier.
“Is someone afraid of the dark?” Baekhyun sneers somewhere in the thick layers of black. He’s completely comfortable in his element as he can see perfectly despite the lack of light, stalks towards his trembling victim with all the time in the world.
Kyungsoo’s mind flies through the different techniques Kai had advised him to use: spears and daggers; armors; creating structures-- Suddenly, a hard jab of pain pulses through his ribs and he doubles over, on the verge of tears as he clutches his side. He bites his bottom lip and a few teardrops escape as he tries to breathe. And he knows that the pain must be worse for his aegis right now, afraid that Kai’s ribs are broken from the hit.
And all Kyungsoo wants right now is to be with Kai; all he wants is to see him because he’s sure that this is the end as he hears the footsteps draw closer. Baekhyun will kill him and it’ll all be over.
It’s over.
“Peek-a-boo,” Baekhyun singsongs, his head poking around the side of the barrier to gaze at his paralyzed prey. Kyungsoo groans loudly when Chanyeol lands a powerful kick on Kai’s leg, causes a surge of agony to shoot through him. And the predator likes what he sees, knows they’ll win at this point. “Shall I put you out of your misery?” he drawls, igniting his fist to deal the finishing blow.
No, then Kai will die too, Kyungsoo sobs internally, but he can’t will his body to move as the pain is too much. His fingers are trembling as he tries to summon all of his remaining energy into clenching his fist to form something--anything.
Anything!
--And he hears Baekhyun scream as he falls backwards onto the ground, hands clasped against his eye. Surprised, Kyungsoo turns his head and sees the Kai sculpture standing there, his arm morphed into a sharp point as he just swung at their opponent. Kyungsoo breaks out into laughter and relieved tears because it’s so stupid and ridiculous that such a thing had saved him.
From the other side of the stadium, Kai sees Chanyeol wince. In that split-second where there’s a stutter in his rhythm, Kai lunges at him and stabs him in the shoulder with his sword, both of them falling to the floor.
But, Chanyeol’s not going to take this beating, counters with a flaming fist which makes his opponent teleport out of range, leaving his sword impaled in his shoulder. He rips it out and knows that, in his moment of weakness, Kai’s definitely going for his sire.
Frustrated by the rather challenging match, Chanyeol unleashes his last resort.
Kai’s hears the skirmish going on between the sculpture and Baekhyun, senses their presence closeby as he can’t see them. He creeps towards them slowly and, when he’s sure that he’s right next to Baekhyun, he gears up to slice into his body. But, just before he does so, the entire stadium is illuminated in a fiery light and he can vaguely hear the newscaster’s excitement in the background. With wide eyes, he turns around to see a massive phoenix roaring to life against the ceiling of the dome.
Shit.
He’s running on his sheer instincts when he teleports to Kyungsoo, covers his mouth with his hand as he allows them to sink into the floor-- all the while watching as the blanket of flames comes to engulf them.
The newscaster goes wild when the phoenix dissipates through the dome’s floor, charring it and crushing everything in sight. Kai and Kyungsoo are nowhere to be found though. So, with an irritated wrinkle in his brow, Chanyeol strides over to Baekhyun when their surroundings have cleared. He lifts the darkness throughout the stadium and he has a bad feeling in his chest because the signals haven’t chimed to alert them of any deaths, knows it’s not over yet.
Before he can get to him, a hand shoots out of the ground and grabs Baekhyun’s ankle.
“Baekhyun!” Chanyeol shouts as he sprints towards him. He hears his sire’s shriek as he reaches for his aegis, but it’s too late.
Underground, Baekhyun tries to ignite a fire in defense but, it only ends up burning the oxygen in the small air pocket he’s situated in. He desperately tries to gulp as his fingers claw at the walls, dirt crumbling around him as he tries to get out. With his last lungful of air, Baekhyun screams for him. “Chanyeol!”
On the surface, it’s painful for Chanyeol because he knows it’s over now and yet he’s hysterically trying to dig up the floor of the stadium, tears streaming down his face. “Baekhyun!” he shouts when he hears the muffled sound. And he’s so sorry, so sorry that he couldn’t promise him a happily-ever-after, sorry they’ll never be able to return to watching vintage movies on Thursdays.
The finishing signals ring and Chanyeol continues digging, denies he ever heard it; he doesn’t want to believe that a part of his soul has ceased to exist. Moments later, Baekhyun’s limp body emerges from the ground and he cradles him in his arms, caresses his lifeless face.
Meanwhile, Kyungsoo listens to Kai’s breathlessness as he’s laying on top of him in a shallow ditch across the stadium from where Chanyeol is, Kai’s hand still over his nose and mouth to prevent him from making any noises. They’re both exhausted and there’s a terrible ache in their ribs, a throbbing in their leg and skull.
The armored androids appear next to them and they’re assisted out of the hole. Once they’re out, Kyungsoo looks over to see the androids surrounding the losing pair too. Chanyeol’s still gripping Baekhyun’s corpse as a ring of guns align themselves around him, aiming at his head.
Kyungsoo sees the same, tragic red again when they shoot.
//
Kyungsoo tries to rub at his eyes as they’re forced back into the pod, the red never escaping the rims of his vision. Kai coughs as they’re being transported downstairs, the sound wet as if he had inhaled a lungful of water. And Kyungsoo can feel the jolts of pain in his side from the suit as he does so, worries that something’s wrong.
He cups his hand against his aegis’ sweaty face and unzips his suit just before they arrive. He gasps when he sees the huge mottling of red and purple over his aegis’ ribcage. Kai continues to cough, the pain worsening as he does so until he’s on his knees. The pod opens when Kyungsoo realizes that he’s coughing up blood, the androids all rushing to his aid.
Everything moves so fast as they put Kai on a stretcher and shuttle him to the hospital wing. And Kyungsoo wants to stay with him, scared of what may happen if they’re separated. But, the androids are holding him in place, unzipping his suit in case he passes out from the intense pain.
“Let me go!” he screams as he watches his aegis leave. He fights against the arms holding him and stumbles to the floor, his upper body exposed with the suit tangled around his waist.
“Do Kyungsoo, you will have access to your aegis at a later time. If you continue to struggle, we will be forced to tranquilize you,” the android states calmly.
He doesn’t hear her though as he can only focus on Kai’s state of being, fears for the worst. What if he dies? What if Kai dies after all they’ve been through?
There’s a sharp prick in his arm before he loses consciousness.
//
The Supreme Leader’s estate is covered in blossoming flowers, the only location on the planet that has authentic ones instead of the artificial ones grown in labs. The sky is a vibrant blue to suit his mood as he wanders through the garden, stopping every so often to sniff a particularly pretty bloom. His afternoon walk is interrupted when his attendant wanders to his side, awaits permission to speak.
“What is it?” he prompts with a smile as he comes upon a wilting rose.
“It seems that the winning sire from yesterday’s match has passed away during care in the infirmary. What would you like us to do about this?” the android asks.
The Supreme Leader turns back time for the rose and watches as it regains its lovely pink hue, pleased by its transformation. Then, he continues walking as if he had never heard the question, humming to himself the tune he had heard the teleportation aegis hum to his sire.
There is still one round in the tournament left and surely the citizens would be disappointed if a pair were to win by default. We wouldn’t want that now, would we? The Supreme Leader certainly doesn’t. He smiles cunningly as he formulates a plan, wonders if it’d be too much for his favorite contenders in the tournament.
He sends his aegis.
[v/vi]
His eyelids fly open in the world of reality, heart racing and breathing fast from his nightmare. Immediately, he realizes that he’s in an unfamiliar bed and he turns his head sharply to look at the hand that’s holding his.
Kai’s sitting on the corner of the bed, gazing tenderly down at his sire as he brings their joined hands to brush at the rivulets of sweat that had formed on Kyungsoo’s forehead. “Are you alright?” he asks, aware of Kyungsoo’s nightmare.
“Yeah,” he breathes, bringing their hands closer to his face and closing his eyes. When he’s collected himself, he finally notices the gauze around his aegis’ forearms and knows the wounds are from their match. “Does it hurt?” he inquires, worried.
Kai shakes his head and rubs his thumb over Kyungsoo’s knuckles. “It will scar though.”
And Kyungsoo doesn’t understand the true meaning behind his statement until they’ve returned to their room and he’s seen what’s really underneath the bandages. They’re standing in the bathroom and Kyungsoo’s just about to hop into the jacuzzi tub when he sees Kai undo his bindings. His eyes widen. Angry red marks streak along Kai’s forearms as if a feathery, fern-like plant had imprinted itself under his skin. Kyungsoo realizes that it’s the sign of someone who was struck by lightning, the electrical charges rupturing his capillaries.
As Kai’s showering and he’s soaking, Kyungsoo holds out his arms and imagines how they would look with Kai’s scars snaking over them. It’s weird to think that, just hours ago, he could’ve died from contact with water and now he’s peacefully sitting here. Kai turns off the shower faucet and comes to join him, nudging him on the shoulder to tell him to move. So, Kyungsoo floats into the middle of the tub and Kai occupies his previous spot.
Then, he holds open his arms.
“We are not going to cuddle!” Kyungsoo screeches without thinking, the shrill noise echoing along the tiles and granite. He flounders over to the far end of the tub and folds himself into a ball, glaring at his aegis. And maybe it’s the steamy water, but his cheeks are flooded with pink.
Kai gives him the same disinterested look he always puts on whenever Kyungsoo tries to dodge his advances, continues holding out his arms. Frustrated, Kyungsoo stands up. “I’m leaving!” he announces. But, before he can even move, Kai’s dragging him back into the tub. And there’s a flurry of splashing water as Kyungsoo struggles against his aegis’ grip, shouting in protest.
He breaks out into laughter when Kai tickles him, brings him close to his body and scatters sloppy kisses on his face. “Stop!” Kyungsoo giggles, adjusting his position in his aegis’ lap so that he’s facing him. Kai realizes that this is the first time he’s seen his sire laugh and smile so joyously since they’ve met, grins back as their foreheads and noses meet.
Kyungsoo kisses him first, lips wet and tasting the sweet droplets dripping down his skin. He’s able to forget about their tragic circumstances for a moment as he’s encircled in Kai’s arms, feels as if they’re back in their apartment again.
//
Kyungsoo sweeps the curtains open the next morning and is thoroughly displeased when he sees the blanket of fog eclipsing their view. It’s clinging to their windows in hazy fluffs, making the light appear gloomy and stuffy. He may as well have closed the curtains and turned on the lamps but, out of habit, he leaves them the way they are. He sighs, turning on the television like he does every morning.
Kai’s dozing on the couch, as he’s reluctant to sleep without Kyungsoo around, body strewn across the entire length of it. Kyungsoo pushes his shoulder. “You’re in the way!” he whines, wanting to sit down. So, Kai shoots up into a sitting position long enough for his sire to settle into the far cushion. Then, he lays back down so that his head is in Kyungsoo’s lap.
His sire ruffles his hair with both hands in mock-anger as the newscasters go over the weather report for the day. “You’re so annoying!” he huffs when he’s done. After a moment of staring at his aegis’ messy hair, he smooths it back down for him. Stupid Kai.
A recap of yesterday’s events play with commentary from the newscasters, enthusiasts analyzing each moment of combat. Kyungsoo watches as Kai’s form runs in slow motion on the television, his gaze distant as his stomach becomes knotted with disgust. He doesn’t want to remember that they have another match that evening against the couple they had met at the dinner party. He doesn’t want to remember how disposable he is to the people around him. He doesn’t want to remember those lifeless eyes--
He flinches when the television is turned off, Kai putting the remote back on the end table and settling into his sire’s lap again. There’s a hard silence afterwards wherein Kyungsoo continues to absentmindedly stroke his aegis’ hair as he tries to calm himself. Finally, Kai speaks.
“Do you want to see my secret weapon?” he asks softly, hoping it’ll improve his sire’s mood as he sits up. He’s been sneaking out of their room late at night--when he’s sure Kyungsoo’s asleep-- to practice this technique in the training rooms. He thinks he has it completely mastered by now, so he smiles gently at him.
The edges of Kyungsoo’s lips curve upwards a bit as his eyes betray a wisp of amusement. “What is it?” he prompts, watching as his aegis’ eyes obtain a hint of playfulness.
Kai motions towards the carpet in front of the couch, moving his bandaged fingers as if he’s playing a harp. And Kyungsoo’s shocked when he sees arms and legs forming, a face afterwards. He abruptly breaks out into laughter and whacks his aegis’ arm when he realizes what his creation is.
“You narcissist!” he accuses, laughing at the life-size rock figure that looks exactly like a sculpture of Kai.
Kai laughs too, glad his sire’s response is positive--glad his mind is off of the tournament even temporarily. “For when you’re lonely.”
For when I’m lonely, Kyungsoo ponders. I have you though.
And Kai sees the heartfelt statement ripple through his sire’s pupils when they make eye contact, wonders if he can promise him a happily-ever-after too.
//
Happily-ever-after, Baekhyun muses, his back going cold from being pressed against the glass shower wall. I want that, he decides as hands grip the back of his knees to hold him in place. He cries out when Chanyeol enters him, setting an especially slow and deep pace. He focuses solely on the water dripping down his aegis’ hair, laps them up as they run down the curve of his neck.
And Baekhyun likes making love in the shower the best as it hides his broken emotions like camouflage. He buries his face in his aegis’ shoulder as he cries quietly, lets out the terror from their cut-throat matches. He’s so tired of acting strong, trying to intimidate their opponents in an effort to gain an edge when he’s frightened inside.
Chanyeol feels the fear as he touches him, the skin going hot under his caress. He knows his sire wakes up before the advent of dawn, runs his hands along his body as he checks to see if he’s still alive. He knows Baekhyun believes in happily-ever-afters and stares out their window--with a hint of a smile on his lips--as he imagines sitting in their living room watching vintage movies together like they did every Thursday night before the tournament. He knows Baekhyun cries whenever they have sex, thinks Chanyeol can’t feel the difference between his hot tears and the shower water that’s long run cold.
Because Chanyeol knows everything about Baekhyun and thinks that a happily-ever-after is a given.
He’s worried about Baekhyun’s mental state though as they’re getting dressed in the locker rooms later in preparation for their battle. He watches solemnly from the bench as his sire zips up the skin-tight suit, clips on his helmet. Chanyeol gets up and tightly embraces him, holds him close like he does before every match. “I love you,” he reminds him, lips in his hair.
“I love you too,” Baekhyun grins cheek-to-cheek, confidence welling up inside of him from the support.
Despite the foreboding heaviness settling into his chest, Chanyeol leans on the side of optimism, believes with all of his heart that they’ll win today.
In the locker room down the hall, Kai’s giving Kyungsoo a goodbye hug as if it’ll be their last.
//
The backdrop of the stadium is a frenzy of anticipation as the nation’s favorite participants arrive in their pods, jittery enthusiasts wondering who’ll be the first to die. And Kyungsoo’s skin prickles with sweat, nervous that--despite going over their battle plan with Kai earlier-- he’ll mess up somewhere. After all, Baekhyun is undoubtedly more skilled in combat than he is, definitely has the courage to maim his opponents.
As if to meet Kyungsoo’s expectations, the second the pods open, Baekhyun grins wickedly. “Look at this, Chanyeol. It’s our friends from the dinner party. What a pleasant surprise to see them with their limbs intact,” he jeers.
Chanyeol smiles, knows it’s all an act but plays along anyway. “That can be fixed.”
Start.
Immediately, three things happen at once: everything goes pitch black, Chanyeol shoves Baekhyun away from himself, and Kai teleports to where Baekhyun once was in an attempt to grab him. So, Chanyeol mentally applauds himself for his accurate prediction and takes this opportunity to land a flaming punch right into Kai’s skull. He smirks when he hears the satisfyingly loud thud when his opponent’s body hits the ground.
Kyungsoo cries out in the distance, head spinning as excruciating pain shudders through him and brings him to his knees. It’s so crippling that he has trouble thinking, tries to remember what Kai had instructed him to do before the match. Barrier. Barriers!
Right when he erects one around himself, a ball of flames flies out of the darkness and dispels itself against the rock. Panicking, Kyungsoo teleports across the stadium and creates barriers there, hopes he can buy a bit of time for himself by doing so. He’s breathing hard, his heart resounding through his bones and sweat dripping down his temples as he feels like a trapped animal. His head is throbbing, but he can’t let that bring him down.
Far from him, Kai and Chanyeol are engaged in a duel that sends light towards him with every fiery punch thrown. Kyungsoo can feel his skin grow hot whenever his aegis barely dodges the attacks, parrying with a rock sword and shield. He suddenly remembers that he’s in a risky situation too when a wave of fire slams against his barrier.
“Is someone afraid of the dark?” Baekhyun sneers somewhere in the thick layers of black. He’s completely comfortable in his element as he can see perfectly despite the lack of light, stalks towards his trembling victim with all the time in the world.
Kyungsoo’s mind flies through the different techniques Kai had advised him to use: spears and daggers; armors; creating structures-- Suddenly, a hard jab of pain pulses through his ribs and he doubles over, on the verge of tears as he clutches his side. He bites his bottom lip and a few teardrops escape as he tries to breathe. And he knows that the pain must be worse for his aegis right now, afraid that Kai’s ribs are broken from the hit.
And all Kyungsoo wants right now is to be with Kai; all he wants is to see him because he’s sure that this is the end as he hears the footsteps draw closer. Baekhyun will kill him and it’ll all be over.
It’s over.
“Peek-a-boo,” Baekhyun singsongs, his head poking around the side of the barrier to gaze at his paralyzed prey. Kyungsoo groans loudly when Chanyeol lands a powerful kick on Kai’s leg, causes a surge of agony to shoot through him. And the predator likes what he sees, knows they’ll win at this point. “Shall I put you out of your misery?” he drawls, igniting his fist to deal the finishing blow.
No, then Kai will die too, Kyungsoo sobs internally, but he can’t will his body to move as the pain is too much. His fingers are trembling as he tries to summon all of his remaining energy into clenching his fist to form something--anything.
Anything!
--And he hears Baekhyun scream as he falls backwards onto the ground, hands clasped against his eye. Surprised, Kyungsoo turns his head and sees the Kai sculpture standing there, his arm morphed into a sharp point as he just swung at their opponent. Kyungsoo breaks out into laughter and relieved tears because it’s so stupid and ridiculous that such a thing had saved him.
From the other side of the stadium, Kai sees Chanyeol wince. In that split-second where there’s a stutter in his rhythm, Kai lunges at him and stabs him in the shoulder with his sword, both of them falling to the floor.
But, Chanyeol’s not going to take this beating, counters with a flaming fist which makes his opponent teleport out of range, leaving his sword impaled in his shoulder. He rips it out and knows that, in his moment of weakness, Kai’s definitely going for his sire.
Frustrated by the rather challenging match, Chanyeol unleashes his last resort.
Kai’s hears the skirmish going on between the sculpture and Baekhyun, senses their presence closeby as he can’t see them. He creeps towards them slowly and, when he’s sure that he’s right next to Baekhyun, he gears up to slice into his body. But, just before he does so, the entire stadium is illuminated in a fiery light and he can vaguely hear the newscaster’s excitement in the background. With wide eyes, he turns around to see a massive phoenix roaring to life against the ceiling of the dome.
Shit.
He’s running on his sheer instincts when he teleports to Kyungsoo, covers his mouth with his hand as he allows them to sink into the floor-- all the while watching as the blanket of flames comes to engulf them.
The newscaster goes wild when the phoenix dissipates through the dome’s floor, charring it and crushing everything in sight. Kai and Kyungsoo are nowhere to be found though. So, with an irritated wrinkle in his brow, Chanyeol strides over to Baekhyun when their surroundings have cleared. He lifts the darkness throughout the stadium and he has a bad feeling in his chest because the signals haven’t chimed to alert them of any deaths, knows it’s not over yet.
Before he can get to him, a hand shoots out of the ground and grabs Baekhyun’s ankle.
“Baekhyun!” Chanyeol shouts as he sprints towards him. He hears his sire’s shriek as he reaches for his aegis, but it’s too late.
Underground, Baekhyun tries to ignite a fire in defense but, it only ends up burning the oxygen in the small air pocket he’s situated in. He desperately tries to gulp as his fingers claw at the walls, dirt crumbling around him as he tries to get out. With his last lungful of air, Baekhyun screams for him. “Chanyeol!”
On the surface, it’s painful for Chanyeol because he knows it’s over now and yet he’s hysterically trying to dig up the floor of the stadium, tears streaming down his face. “Baekhyun!” he shouts when he hears the muffled sound. And he’s so sorry, so sorry that he couldn’t promise him a happily-ever-after, sorry they’ll never be able to return to watching vintage movies on Thursdays.
The finishing signals ring and Chanyeol continues digging, denies he ever heard it; he doesn’t want to believe that a part of his soul has ceased to exist. Moments later, Baekhyun’s limp body emerges from the ground and he cradles him in his arms, caresses his lifeless face.
Meanwhile, Kyungsoo listens to Kai’s breathlessness as he’s laying on top of him in a shallow ditch across the stadium from where Chanyeol is, Kai’s hand still over his nose and mouth to prevent him from making any noises. They’re both exhausted and there’s a terrible ache in their ribs, a throbbing in their leg and skull.
The armored androids appear next to them and they’re assisted out of the hole. Once they’re out, Kyungsoo looks over to see the androids surrounding the losing pair too. Chanyeol’s still gripping Baekhyun’s corpse as a ring of guns align themselves around him, aiming at his head.
Kyungsoo sees the same, tragic red again when they shoot.
//
Kyungsoo tries to rub at his eyes as they’re forced back into the pod, the red never escaping the rims of his vision. Kai coughs as they’re being transported downstairs, the sound wet as if he had inhaled a lungful of water. And Kyungsoo can feel the jolts of pain in his side from the suit as he does so, worries that something’s wrong.
He cups his hand against his aegis’ sweaty face and unzips his suit just before they arrive. He gasps when he sees the huge mottling of red and purple over his aegis’ ribcage. Kai continues to cough, the pain worsening as he does so until he’s on his knees. The pod opens when Kyungsoo realizes that he’s coughing up blood, the androids all rushing to his aid.
Everything moves so fast as they put Kai on a stretcher and shuttle him to the hospital wing. And Kyungsoo wants to stay with him, scared of what may happen if they’re separated. But, the androids are holding him in place, unzipping his suit in case he passes out from the intense pain.
“Let me go!” he screams as he watches his aegis leave. He fights against the arms holding him and stumbles to the floor, his upper body exposed with the suit tangled around his waist.
“Do Kyungsoo, you will have access to your aegis at a later time. If you continue to struggle, we will be forced to tranquilize you,” the android states calmly.
He doesn’t hear her though as he can only focus on Kai’s state of being, fears for the worst. What if he dies? What if Kai dies after all they’ve been through?
There’s a sharp prick in his arm before he loses consciousness.
//
The Supreme Leader’s estate is covered in blossoming flowers, the only location on the planet that has authentic ones instead of the artificial ones grown in labs. The sky is a vibrant blue to suit his mood as he wanders through the garden, stopping every so often to sniff a particularly pretty bloom. His afternoon walk is interrupted when his attendant wanders to his side, awaits permission to speak.
“What is it?” he prompts with a smile as he comes upon a wilting rose.
“It seems that the winning sire from yesterday’s match has passed away during care in the infirmary. What would you like us to do about this?” the android asks.
The Supreme Leader turns back time for the rose and watches as it regains its lovely pink hue, pleased by its transformation. Then, he continues walking as if he had never heard the question, humming to himself the tune he had heard the teleportation aegis hum to his sire.
There is still one round in the tournament left and surely the citizens would be disappointed if a pair were to win by default. We wouldn’t want that now, would we? The Supreme Leader certainly doesn’t. He smiles cunningly as he formulates a plan, wonders if it’d be too much for his favorite contenders in the tournament.
He sends his aegis.
[v/vi]