What Doesn't Kill You Makes You Stronger Chapter 3
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.
A/N: Not all of the opinions that are mentioned in my stories are my own. Comments on religion, politics, etc, are for the plot and do not always reflect my own beliefs. Sometimes they do, most of the time they don’t, and no comments or beliefs expressed are meant to condemn or insult any particular way of thought. Thank you. :) I saw this now because in this story religion, etc, will be brought up often (mostly by Heechul) because I think that if I were thrown into such a situation I’d probably question my own faith and feel bitter. So I guess just look at it all as a different view on things and don’t take it personally please. Enjoy!
Chapter 2 < ----- > Chapter 4
Side Story 1: Siwon
---
Donghae blinked wearily, snuggling closer to the warmth around him. He could hear the car moving and knew that they were still driving home.
He was lying across the back seat of the car; his head was in Heechul’s lap, gloved fingers playing with his hair, brushing a few strands away from his forehead as he looked out the window. Sungmin was holding his legs on his own knees, having already stopped the bleeding from the bullet with a wad of his shirt.
Donghae felt a bit guilty for that.
Hangeng was in between Heechul and Sungmin, saying something to Heechul in Chinese that Donghae didn’t understand. Heechul was ignoring him, but Donghae didn’t know if that meant he didn’t understand either or he was just pouting.
It was probably a combination of the two.
Siwon was driving, and Yesung sat in the passenger’s seat, talking on the phone with someone in the other car. Donghae guessed it was Ryeowook.
“Go back to sleep.” Heechul grunted, pinching Donghae’s cheek. The leather of his glove slid on his skin and it felt weird.
But Donghae had grown accustomed to that leather, so he didn’t move away from it. He gave a nod into Heechul’s jean-covered legs. “…ok…”
“Will he be ok?” Yesung turned back from where he sat, phone still to his ear. “Ryeowook wants to know the damage so he and Kibum can get the medical room ready.”
“Sungmin was shot in the arm but it’s just grazed. We got the bullet out of Donghae’s leg and we’ve staunched the bleeding.” Heechul announced.
“And Heechul’s back is staining the back of the car.” Sungmin piped in, ignoring the glare that Heechul shot him.
---
Kyuhyun didn’t remember when everyone got home, only that he was sitting in the living room, twiddling with his fingers when it happened. Kibum hadn’t come back from the medical room, and after the operation itself had ended, Kangin had taken off his headset, told Kyuhyun to wait outside, and had gone off to talk with Kibum.
He hadn’t felt much like watching TV and he didn’t have any books to read. He hadn’t been sure if he could take books from the shelves-he knew for a fact not to touch Heechul’s-so he’d entertained himself by connecting the torn, peeling edges of wallpaper into faces.
That was what he was doing when the door to the apartment opened and Shindong and Leeteuk walked in. Shindong headed straight for the couch and slumped down beside Kyuhyun, letting out a tired groan. He grabbed a pillow and held it to his chest, curling up on the other half of the couch and for all intents and purposes, fell asleep.
Leeteuk looked tired, but less so than Shindong. He was still wearing his suit, however, and was taking off the cuff-link cameras and placed them on the coffee table. “I thought I’d check up on you before I start going over the mission details with Kangin. You did well.”
Kyuhyun nodded. “Uh, thanks. Where’s everyone else?”
“Ryeowook and Eunhyuk headed to the medical room to wait. The others haven’t come back yet. They’re on their way though.”
“So we got the documents?”
Leeteuk nodded tiredly. “Eunhyuk took them to Kangin. We’ll probably look over them tomorrow. You can go to bed.”
“Ah, I’ll wait.” Kyuhyun murmured. “Is anyone hurt?”
“A few bullet wounds.” Shindong grumbled into the arm of the couch. “…and Heechul hyung was pulled through a door.”
Kyuhyun leapt up off of the couch. “What?”
“Hyung hates you, I don’t see why you’re so worried.” Shindong continued sleepily.
Kyuhyun swallowed. “It wasn’t…” He looked over at Leeteuk, who was sitting in the chair opposite the couch, head back and eyes closed. “People were shot! How can you be so calm about it?”
“Most of us have been shot at least once.” Leeteuk didn’t open his eyes. “There weren’t any vital organs hit.” His brow furrowed a bit in confusion and he murmured softly, “It’s been a while since anyone has been injured like this…we’d gotten so good recently. I guess we haven’t really had any jobs lately so we’ve gotten lazy…” It seemed he was talking more to himself by the end of it, and he began to doze off, cheek leaning on his shoulder in an uncomfortable-looking position.
Kyuhyun looked between the two. Leeteuk was almost out of it and Shindong was already snoring. He figured he would let Leeteuk sleep for a bit and tell Kangin that Leeteuk wanted to talk to him. He stood, heading across the hall to wait with the others for Heechul’s group to return.
He found Kangin in the main meeting room, looking over what he suspected were the documents that they’d gotten. He looked up briefly as the door opened before going back to the papers, ignoring Kyuhyun’s presence.
Kyuhyun headed for the door to the right.
He’d never been in the medical room before. Like the computer room and debriefing room, it was in mint condition unlike their living quarters. He was still trying to wrap his brain around the reason for that, but he’d been too scared to ask, wondering if it was a stupid question and maybe he’d just missed something.
Eunhyuk was leaning against the counter, still wearing his suit. He’d taken off the jacket and loosened his tie but he looked a little less worn out than Shindong and Leeteuk. Ryeowook and Kibum were busy pulling supplies off of shelves.
“It hurts! Really! I was injured too!” Eunhyuk whined.
“You slammed your hand in the car door on the way back.” Kibum drawled, grabbing a bottle of disinfectant and placing it on the silver tray table beside him.
Eunhyuk pouted, but didn’t say anything more.
“I don’t know how much blood they’ve lost but Yesung hyung said that they looked alright.” Ryeowook chirped from where he was taking out gauze. “I have a few pints of their blood types out just in case.”
“Donghae transformed several times after his injury.” Kibum murmured. “We’ll set him up on an IV when he gets in.” Kibum was pulling on a pair of gloves when the door opened and Siwon came in, carrying Donghae.
Kyuhyun saw Eunhyuk’s face pale, his smile falling at the sight of his roommate’s injury. Kibum’s eyes darkened in worry but other than that Kyuhyun couldn’t tell he was troubled by the sight at all.
Donghae grinned weakly as Siwon placed him on the check-up table. “Hey,”
Sungmin scoffed from where he and Heechul stood in the doorway, Hangeng hovering behind Heechul like a mother hen. Heechul turned to him in annoyance, “Stop it. It’s bothersome.” He swatted at him with a glare. “Go get some food or go to sleep or something.”
Hangeng looked like he wanted to protest, and instead of leaving he merely took a step back.
Heechul rolled his eyes before he turned to Kyuhyun. “You too. You’re not injured and you’re not a doctor so go to sleep. You look terrible.”
Kyuhyun frowned, heading for the door, regretting the fact that he’d been worried, even just a little bit, for the older man.
---
“Why did you let hyung leave without getting looked over-ow!” Donghae flinched, and it was only Kibum’s strong grip on his ankle that kept him from jerking his leg back in reflex to the pain.
Kibum didn’t look up as he continued to dab the alcohol-drenched swab against the hole in Donghae’s leg. “Hangeng hyung took the necessary items to treat Heechul hyungs wounds. He wasn’t as badly injured as the two of you.” He looked up and turned to where Ryeowook was stitching up Sungmin’s arm.
Eunhyuk stood a safe distance from the other four, ready to grab anything that Ryeowook or Kibum might need.
“I told you not to needlessly go from one form to the other while injured.” Kibum muttered, “The wound always tears more when you do that-and stop messing with the IV or it’s going to fall out again.”
Donghae frowned, pouting a bit as he did what he was told. “You’re bossy for a dongsaeng.”
“You’re irresponsible and reckless for a hyung.”
“Why do I feel like they’ve forgotten we’re here?” Sungmin asked Ryeowook, grinning as he watched Eunhyuk join the argument, taking Kibum’s side as he flitted around the check-up table.
Ryeowook smiled, tying off the stitches and cutting the thread. “Done.” He grabbed the gauze and began wrapping it. “Do you want some pain killers?”
“I’m fine.” Sungmin shook his head. “It wasn’t that bad anyway and you numbed it for the stitches so it’ll be fine. Besides I’ve-”
“-had worse.” Ryeowook finished for him with a wry smile. “I know.” That had always been the response, ever since the others had come from the training center to live with them. Sometimes Ryeowook wondered what it was like to be one of the useful ones. He’d never asked what they went through at the training facility even though he’d wanted to. He didn’t even feel comfortable asking Yesung, even though he knew that the older man would probably give him some kind of answer.
Donghae fidgeted uncomfortably, thankful that Sungmin was still there. He knew that the moment Sungmin left, Kibum would give him the stare. That stare. He’d held off on the lecture for the most part up until this point but Donghae knew it was only a matter of time. And Eunhyuk was there so they would definitely double team him.
And he couldn’t escape because of the blood transfusion.
Donghae sighed. Life was tough.
“Well, I’m going to bed. We’re going over the documents tomorrow, right?” Sungmin asked no one in particular as he hopped off of the counter as Ryeowook finished wrapping up his arm.
Kibum shrugged, focused on stitching up Donghae’s leg. “Probably.”
“I’m going to bed too.” Ryeowook piped in. “Goodnight.”
“Goodnight,” The others chorused, Kibum tagging a “hyung” onto the end. The door closed a moment later, leaving Donghae alone with Eunhyuk and Kibum. He swallowed.
“Hyukjae hyung, can you get him some painkillers?”
“Hm? Yeah.” Eunhyuk nodded, going to the medicine cabinet. “What kind?”
“Alfentanil patch.” Kibum muttered.
“Kibum! It isn’t that bad! I don’t need it.” Donghae managed to get out, but Kibum silenced any further argument with a cold glare.
“Hyung, you were shot in the leg. I don’t even understand how you functioned through all that pain, let alone had the willpower to concentrate and shapeshift through it.” Kibum swallowed, and Donghae only then noticed that his hands were shaking. “…hyung, stop doing stupid things and getting hurt.”
Eunhyuk watched Donghae’s smile fade as he looked down at Kibum’s bowed head. He could see the pain in Donghae’s eyes, in the tightness of that slowly disappearing smile. Donghae had pretended like it didn’t hurt but it was obvious he was in pain. Even Eunhyuk, who wasn’t a doctor, could see that.
Kibum always got like this when Donghae got hurt, too. Eunhyuk hadn’t been injured this badly before. He’d been shot at but he’d never been shot and the worst injuries he’d sustained were minor cuts and abrasions. Sometimes Eunhyuk wondered if Kibum would be as worried for him if he ever got shot.
It was stupid to think about, he knew, but he couldn’t help but feel a little envious.
Not enough, he supposed, to leap amidst gunfire.
---
Heechul sat on the edge of the bathtub, eyeing Hangeng who was rummaging through the supplies he’d grabbed from the medical room on their way out. “It isn’t that bad.”
“Heechul…” Hangeng looked up at him in frustration. He pulled out a large bottle of antiseptic and a pair of tweezers. Even though Heechul was facing him, he could still remember what his back looked like, his shirt torn and stained red. Just because it wasn’t life threatening didn’t mean Heechul could take it lightly. But he would. He always did.
“I wasn’t shot. Sungmin and Donghae were. It isn’t important.”
“Of course it wasn’t. You were practically strangled and then dragged through a door. Oh, and you almost dislocated your shoulder. Definitely not important.” Hangeng muttered under his breath. “Take your shirt off.”
“You’re certainly aggressive today. I didn’t realize you were so sexually frustrated.”
Hangeng sighed, lifting up Heechul’s shirt as the other man held up his hands obediently and pulled it off. He grimaced at the sight in front of him. Heechul’s back was a mosaic of cuts and splinters. Pieces of wood from the door were still embedded in the skin. The bleeding had begun to stop in places, coagulating and crusting over.
Hangeng grabbed a pair of tweezers. “It’s going to hurt.”
“Probably not as much as it did being pulled through a wall.” Heechul replied airily, trying to lighten the mood. Hangeng didn’t pay him any attention. He held a cotton swab covered in disinfectant in one hand and the tweezers in the other.
He ignored the large, purple bruise that covered most of Heechul’s right shoulder where he’d crashed into a table. It was swelling and it looked painful, the skin around it already turning a sickening yellow. Above the shoulder bruise Hangeng could see the indentations of the wire chord that had wrapped around Heechul’s throat.
He swallowed, his own throat constricting painfully as he thought of how painful it must have been. “…Xi Che…” The Chinese slipped out unconsciously. “…be more careful.”
“What did you expect me to do? It’s not like I asked the bastard to strangle me. I would’ve dodged if I could have.” Heechul snapped back, irritated by the pain more than anything else. He winced as Hangeng pulled a sliver of wood from between his shoulder blades.
He let out a soft hiss as the disinfectant pressed against the tender, torn flesh. He looked out of the corner of his eye as Hangeng pulled the cotton swab back.
It was bright red.
“We haven’t been on a mission in a while. We were all complacent. Once Donghae and Sungmin heal up we’re going to start them on another training regimen. Siwon and Yesung can start tomorrow.”
“…what about the rest of us?” Hangeng murmured softly, cleaning the dried blood off of the pale skin of Heechul’s lower back. “What do we get to do?”
“Ask Jungsu.” Heechul muttered. “How should I know? Do whatever the hell it is that he tells you to do.”
“Just because the government thought we were useless doesn’t mean you have to treat us the same way.” Hangeng snapped, but his voice didn’t sound angry. He was used to dealing with Heechul, and his patience seemed unlimited when it came to the feminine man.
“If you were useless, we never would have saved you in the first place.” Heechul shot back, before his eyes narrowed, “Dammit Hannie didn’t I tell you to wear gloves?”
Hangeng blinked, before he gave a soft smile. “It’s fine. I don’t care.”
“I do.” Heechul grunted. “You know what happens.”
“It’s a good thing I don’t have to do anything tomorrow then, right?” Hangeng grinned. “I can sleep in.”
Heechul’s jaw tightened, and it looked like he wanted to argue more on the subject as Hangeng began wrapping his back with bandages. “Your Korean is getting better.” Heechul finally commented, as Hangeng grabbed a hot pack and wrapped it around Heechul’s neck.
“So is your Chinese.”
Heechul snorted, but otherwise remained silent.
---
Kyuhyun had been unable to sleep, knowing that everyone else was awake. He’d gone to grab something to eat and had made himself some ramen. As he waited for the noodles to cook he’d mulled over the entire situation.
Getting shot, this kind of thing hadn’t fazed any of them. They’d acted like it was nothing. They’d been bleeding. Before, while in the debriefing room and computer room everything had seemed surreal and well, cool. He’d felt like a secret agent-and everyone had had the dream of being a spy at one point in their lives-or an actor in an action movie. And while the mission itself had been going on, it had seemed distant, something he wasn’t really a part of.
But then there had been gunshots and blood and it suddenly became all too real. People could die. Had others died? Of course they had, because this wasn’t a tv show or a video game or a cartoon. He’d realized that when he’d woken up in a room full of corpses.
Somehow he’d forgotten it over the past week. The reality was crashing down on him again and it was suffocating. People he was talking to at breakfast could be dead by the end of the day. Sungmin could be dead. His best friend in this shitty apartment had been shot in the arm.
He blinked, only then realizing that his eyes were watering. He wiped away the tears angrily, taking a deep breath. “…stupid…” He gave one last sniffle before grabbing his chopsticks.
Ryeowook poked his head into the kitchen just as Kyuhyun pulled the cover off of the instant ramen. If he noticed the redness of Kyuhyun’s eyes or his small, hiccupping breaths he didn’t comment. “So you got something to eat? Good. I was worried you hadn’t been fed.”
Been fed. Like he was some kind of puppy. Kyuhyun merely shrugged. “…yeah.”
“Well, I think everyone is heading to bed now. Donghae, Eunhyuk, and Kibum are still in the medical room but everyone else is here. Get some sleep.” And he was gone, leaving Kyuhyun alone in the kitchen again.
Kyuhyun slurped down a mouthful of ramen, shoving it into his mouth with his chopsticks. It didn’t take long for him to finish eating at that pace, and he stood a few minutes later to throw the Styrofoam cup into the trash. He put his chopsticks in the sink, along with the glass he’d been drinking out of and paused.
How could this all be so normal for everyone?
Ah, he needed to stop thinking about it so much. It was late and he was tired. He’d dwell on it in the morning.
A shower before bed, yes, he’d do that. By the time he’d finished than he was certain that Heechul and Hangeng would have gone to bed. He felt awkward sleeping in there alone and even if he didn’t want to admit it, he wanted to make sure that Heechul was alright.
He passed the living room where Shindong was still curled up on the couch asleep. During the time Kyuhyun had been eating his ramen Leeteuk had either woken up or Kangin had taken him back to their bedroom.
The lights were off and it was eerily silent.
As he made his way down the hall he paused. The light in the bathroom was on and the door was open about a foot. It was just enough that he could see what was going on inside without having to peer around the door.
Heechul was sitting on the edge of the tub and Hangeng was bandaging up his back. Even though the majority of his injuries were covered, Kyuhyun could see that his entire back had been shredded to pieces. A bruise covered his right shoulder. He had a hot pack wrapped snuggly around his neck, but Kyuhyun could see the darkened, bruised skin peeking over the edges.
“…I’m almost finished. Kibum gave me some painkillers too.”
“I’m fine.” Heechul shrugged, and stiffened in pain at the movement. “Aish, I need a drink.”
“Alcohol doesn’t mix with pain medication.” Hangeng laughed softly, and he ran a finger across the bandages down Heechul’s back, his laugh getting louder when Heechul shivered and swatted at him.
“Sshh, be quiet, everyone else is sleeping.”
Kyuhyun felt like he was intruding. He’d known since his first day in the apartment that Heechul and Hangeng were together. The two weren’t very discreet while in the bedroom-Kyuhyun didn’t know why they hadn’t just shared a bed to begin with since the two seemed to enjoy spending “quality time” there so much.
But for the first time since he’d entered the apartment, Kyuhyun didn’t like it. He didn’t know why he didn’t like it, because he wasn’t gay and Heechul wasn’t exactly the nicest person so there was no reason for Kyuhyun to like him. He wondered briefly if it was Hangeng that he liked but he knew it wasn’t him.
He didn’t even know if it was Heechul or if it was just the fact that they had a relationship at all. Despite all of the shit they went through, the pain and death and loss, the two of them could be together.
Yes, that was what he was jealous of. Definitely.
Kyuhyun took a shower in the other bathroom.
---
It was amazing how the next day everything seemed normal. It didn’t matter that they’d just killed several people and stolen important documents. In the end they were still all crammed around a too-small table with not enough seats eating Ryeowook’s home cooking.
Kyuhyun wondered if he’d ever get used to this.
Today several of the others had gone out, leaving Kyuhyun alone with Hangeng, Kibum, Donghae, Shindong, and Kangin. Kangin had taken to his room and was using the opportunity to take a nap with the peace of mind that he wouldn’t have to wake up to Leeteuk falling through the floor. Hangeng, like usual, was sleeping as well. He hadn’t gotten up for breakfast that morning, but Ryeowook had put some rice away for him when he woke up.
Shindong was in the kitchen looking for something to eat without Ryeowook hovering over him. Donghae was still in the medical room with an IV, and that was where Kyuhyun expected Kibum to be as well.
So it came as a surprise that when Kyuhyun was sitting in the living room, trying to find something to watch on the TV, Kibum walked in. At first the older boy didn’t notice him because he was reading a book.
“You like reading that stuff?”
Kibum looked up at Kyuhyun’s question and blinked before nodding warily. “…yes.” He made to leave the room before he thought better of it and slowly sat down on the chair opposite the couch. “I was going to medical school before I contracted GAM.”
Kyuhyun nodded. “You were going to be a doctor?”
“My father is one.” Kibum said as a way of explanation and seemed to think that was adequate enough.
Kyuhyun began to understand why Kibum worked in the medical lab. Actually, it all rather made sense. He wouldn’t work there if he didn’t know what to do, right?
“Is Donghae ok?”
Kibum shrugged. “He’ll be alright. He didn’t lose too much blood and the bullet didn’t go too deep. He’ll be able to leave the medical room by tonight.”
Kyuhyun nodded. This was the longest he’d talked with Kibum since coming to Yumyeong apartments. He began to realize that Kibum wasn’t really cold and silent so much as he was shy and thoughtful. He’d noticed a few days before that around Eunhyuk and Donghae, Kibum was talkative and teased and joked.
It seemed like he just wasn’t as comfortable with Kyuhyun yet to act the same way. Then again, Kyuhyun hadn’t seen Kibum act so carefree with many of the others either.
“What were you going to do? I mean, before GAM?”
Kyuhyun hadn’t been expecting the question. In fact, he’d figured that Kibum would go back to his book and that they wouldn’t talk at all for the remainder of the time.
“I was…I was applying for college.” Kyuhyun managed. That time seemed so long ago.
“What university?”
“Seoul National University for Technology and Science.” Kyuhyun leaned back on the couch. “I was waiting for my acceptance letter.” He’d figured he would get in, even then. He’d been an arrogant kid, the top in his class for as long as he could remember, so getting into SNU had seemed simple.
“Mm.” Kibum murmured, finger running along the edge of his book, but he hadn’t gone back to reading it. “Your choice or your family’s?”
“Hm?” Kyuhyun was caught a bit off guard. “What do you mean?”
“Going there.” Kibum continued softly, “Did you choose it, or did you do it for your family?”
Kyuhyun had never been asked that kind of a question before. It hadn’t been something he’d ever really thought about, either. Sure, there were things he would have rather done but when he’d planned out his life-and he had, he liked planning everything out-he’d never thought of doing anything else with his life but go to SNU, graduate, get his doctorate, and become a professor like his father.
“I guess…I chose it.”
“You guess.” Kibum repeated, and gave a soft laugh before he went back to his book. “I see.”
Kyuhyun didn’t know why, but he felt as if Kibum were making fun of him. He bristled a bit in annoyance, pursing his lips. “What do you mean by that? What about you? You said your dad was a doctor and that’s why you were going to become one, right?”
“Of course.” Kibum didn’t look up from the text. “You’re only…18 right?”
“I just turned 19.” Kyuhyun defended, as if being called 18 were some kind of insult.
Kibum nodded. “I’m 21.”
“Eh? But you studied medicine so I thought maybe you were…older.” He didn’t know why, but he’d always figured that everyone else was much older than him.
“I was accepted into Sungkyunkwan University when I was 16.”
And with that, Kibum snapped his book shut and headed out of the apartment to the medical room, leaving a confused and shocked Kyuhyun in his wake.
---
By the end of the week, Kyuhyun could barely remember that there’d been a mission at all. Donghae was hobbling around just fine, grinning and acting like everything was normal. He wasn’t allowed to transform or train at the moment, though, and he’d complained loudly about it. Sungmin didn’t seem bothered by his bullet wound either and had commenced training again, occasionally dragging Kyuhyun down to the gym with him.
After these workouts, Kyuhyun often wished he’d been shot in the leg too.
Heechul’s back had begun healing as well, and he no longer slept on his stomach complaining about how tight the bandages were.
As the days passed-his power still refused to appear-Kyuhyun became accustomed to the routine of the apartment and its inhabitants. The first week he’d been given a grace period, a time to get over his grief-he still wasn’t over it, but it was easy enough to push aside, to bury and try and forget-but after sharing a mission with them it seemed like he’d been officially initiated into their “family”. Even Heechul wasn’t as cold to him, although it didn’t mean he didn’t berate him any chance he got.
And as Kyuhyun entered the proverbial “inner circle” he began to notice things.
Like the fact that Heechul read a lot. But it wasn’t that he read a lot of books, although he did pick up the occasional magazine or smutty romance novel-he read those aloud to make Ryeowook squeal like a girl and Eunhyuk gape as he listened with rapt attention.
It was always the same book that Kyuhyun caught him with. If he remembered correctly, he’d been reading it the day Kyuhyun had woken up in the apartment for the first time, in the living room. Leather-bound, with no lettering on the front to give Kyuhyun any indication as to its contents.
Any time he tried to look over Heechul’s shoulder to see what it was, Heechul always caught him and closed it, usually sending Kyuhyun a suspicious and annoyed glare. Kyuhyun didn’t even know why it was so important that he find out what book Heechul was reading, he simply knew that he had to know.
And what else was he supposed to do when they didn’t have a mission and Ryeowook and Kibum weren’t showing him around the medical room and telling him not to touch the needles and that a stethoscope wasn’t a toy? Well, that last part was directed more at Donghae and Eunhyuk-and occasionally Kangin-when they tagged along on these little instructional adventures.
“Why is he always reading that book?”
“Hm?’ Sungmin blinked before his gaze followed Kyuhyun’s to where Heechul could be seen in the other room on the couch. He was lying in Hangeng’s lap, the other man absently playing with his hair as he flipped through TV channels.
Sungmin shrugged, “He’s always had it with him. I’ve never seen him without it.”
And that began Kyuhyun’s obsession.
---
“Hyung’s book?” Siwon blinked, his eyebrows knotting together in confusion. Kyuhyun had learned that out of everyone, Siwon made the best faces. He was extremely expressive-especially with his so called “shi-brows” and it was amusing to watch his face contort into whatever emotion he was feeling. “What about it?”
“I heard that you’ve been with him the longest.” Kyuhyun broached, “Even longer than Sungmin.”
Siwon nodded. “Mmm, not as long as Yesung or Donghae though.” He grabbed the dumbbell from the rack beside him and began doing arm curls.
Kyuhyun made a mental note of this, in case he couldn’t get anything out of Siwon. “Mmm. Well, do you know anything about the book?”
Siwon pursed his lips-Kyuhyun didn’t know if this was because he was trying to remember or because he was lifting something that probably weighed as much as Kyuhyun with only one arm- “When I met hyung, he was reading it. He read it a lot when we were together.” His gaze darkened, and Kyuhyun knew not to press further. He’d asked Leeteuk before and the older man had warned him not to pry into what happened at the training facility where the “useful members” came from.
“I don’t know what happened there, but I know it’s better not to ask. That kind of place changes people. I wasn’t there long enough to truly experience it but…you weren’t here when we first met the others. They are different, and not just because their powers were considered useful. It’s a personal experience that ties them all together in a bond different than what they share with the rest of us. Don’t ask about it.”
He hadn’t, despite being tempted to. His first choice had been Sungmin, but all he’d gotten from him was a cold smile and a, “Please don’t ever ask me that again, Kyuhyunnie.” It had been the most terrifying moment of his life since waking up in a room full of dead people.
The only information he’d gotten about it at all was the superficial knowledge of which members had gone there and which hadn’t. Which members were useful and which ones had been deemed, like himself, useless and disposable.
“Last night, Leeteuk hyung had an attack again, didn’t he?” Kyuhyun finally murmured. He’d sat himself down at the weight-lifting machine beside Siwon’s. He reached down to grab a weight experimentally and ignored the twinge of pain that shot up his arms. He was still sore from the day before, when Kangin had upped his training regimen.
Siwon didn’t say anything for a while. Finally he placed his weight down and grabbed the towel from around his neck, wiping the sweat from his forehead. “GAM is a virus that mutates the genetics and molecular structures of an individual, but the body is strained to its limits during the transformation. That’s why most people infected die.” Siwon murmured. “Because of that mutation, most of our skills are either uncontrollable or limited.”
Kyuhyun nodded. He’d heard much of the same thing from Heechul his first night there.
“Leeteuk hyung’s power is like that because he isn’t supposed to have it. His body can’t handle it. Just like Hankyung hyung-” Siwon stopped himself, running a hand through his hair.
Kyuhyun grabbed Siwon’s water bottle and held it out to him. “…Hankyung hyung? What about his power?”
Siwon frowned. He shouldn’t have said anything at all. It wasn’t his place to tell Kyuhyun about other people’s powers. It just wasn’t something they talked about. But no one was giving Kyuhyun any answers at all. He was confused and alone and his own power hadn’t appeared yet. Siwon needed to be a good hyung, right?
He’d apologize to Hangeng later. “Hangeng’s power was supposed to be useful to the government. They began training him. He wasn’t sent to the gas chambers straight off.”
“Hm?” Kyuhyun blinked in surprise. “Like Leeteuk hyung? Did they give him another power?”
“No.” Siwon shook his head, “It’s just that, Hankyung hyung’s power would have been useful if it hadn’t been so limited.”
“What’s his limit?” Better yet, what is his power?
“Hangeng has the ability to stop time.” Siwon supplied.
How could that power NOT be useful to a government bent on destruction and world domination? Kyuhyun didn’t understand. If someone had the ability to stop time, they would be, well, unstoppable. That kind of power was something that the government would definitely find useful, right?
“There was a glitch when Hangeng’s body mutated. You see, when he stops time, his heart also stops.”
“But then…”
“His power can only last a few moments before it would kill him.” Siwon nodded, staring down at the floor. He refused to look Kyuhyun in the face as he took a swig of his water. “And that made him a failure in the eyes of the government.”
“But what if he used a gun? It would be fast enough if he stopped time to hit anyone he needed to shoot.”
“Our powers are suited only for ourselves, Kyuhyun. When time stops, everything else stops. The bullet wouldn’t go anywhere.” Siwon murmured. “…and that is why he is useless.”
---
Kyuhyun didn’t find out anything else from Siwon about Heechul’s mystery book. Their conversation that day ended awkwardly. He wasn’t given too much time to think about how to apologize to Siwon for prying-because Eunhyuk had decided that today he was going to teach Kyuhyun how to shoot a gun.
Hangeng had come along as well-Kyuhyun didn’t know if apologizing to Hangeng would make things better or worse, because he didn’t know if Hangeng even knew that Kyuhyun knew about his power-and since most of the others were out, Kyuhyun allowed himself to be dragged down to the all too familiar floor.
But instead of heading to the gym, they went across the hall to the shooting range.
The shooting range consisted mainly of two rooms. One, the outer room where the guns and ammunition were held and the second room with targets and soundproof walls. When they entered, Yesung was sitting at one of the tables, inspecting a sniper rifle.
Eunhyuk took one look at Yesung before letting out a loud, dramatic sigh. “Why are you here?”
“I was getting ready to practice.” Yesung looked up briefly before going back to the gun.
“No fair! No one can beat you!”
Yesung grinned, but didn’t say anything to the contrary.
Hangeng had grabbed a few guns from their cases and placed them at an empty table. Kyuhyun sat down next to Eunhyuk and stared at them all.
“We’ll start you off with something easy to hold and light.” Eunhyuk reached across the table and grabbed what looked like a pistol. “This is a .22 revolver. There isn’t much recoil, so it’s a good beginner gun.”
“A rifle is easier to learn to shoot with.” Hangeng put in. He’d begun skimming the shelves for something in particular, pulling out a long black case. It looked identical to the case resting at the edge of Yesung’s desk.
Eunhyuk scoffed. “I learned to shoot with this first.”
Hangeng shrugged, opening the case and busying himself with his own rifle.
Eunhyuk began explaining the details of the gun, how to turn on the safety, how to turn it off, how to load the bullets, and Kyuhyun tried to pay as close attention as he could. He was distracted, however, by the cooler guns on the walls and the ones that Yesung and Hangeng were messing with.
When would he learn how to shoot something like that? Would he get to be a sniper? Was Yesung a sniper? It would explain why he was on sniper duty on their mission…right, stupid. He had to be. Speaking of Yesung…he’d been with Heechul longer than anyone else except for Donghae, right? “Yesung hyung.”
“Mm?” Yesung was inspecting a case of bullets, an electronic scale sitting beside the rifle.
“You’ve been with Heechul hyung for a long time. Do you know what book he’s always reading?”
“It’s the same book he’s had since we met in the training facility.” Yesung murmured, squinting down at the numbers on the scale as he placed a bullet on it. “I’ve never asked.” He scribbled something down in a notebook.
Eunhyuk looked curious. “You know, I never noticed before but he does like to read that one a lot, doesn’t he?” He looked over at Hangeng. “Hankyung hyung! You know what it is, right?”
Hangeng was loading his gun and looked up at the two with a small smile. “Sorry. I don’t.”
Kyuhyun pouted, even as he allowed Eunhyuk to drag him to the other room to shoot.
---
It turned out that Eunhyuk was right. No one was able to beat Yesung in shooting. Hangeng was good-Eunhyuk said that Kangin and Hangeng were the second best shots in the group-but Yesung made it an artform. He had yet to miss the bull’s-eye, no matter the distance or the gun he was given.
Kyuhyun stared down at the .22 revolver in his hands and sighed.
He’d be lucky to hit within ten feet of his target.
He felt rather intimidated, standing in the room with the others, all of whom were good at this. Even Eunhyuk, who Yesung said was one of the worst out of their group (“Ryeowook is better than you are, and that’s saying something!”) always hit the target, whether he hit a vital spot or not.
This probably had something to do with being stuck in an apartment with nothing else to do all day.
But when Kyuhyun got intimidated and nervous, he rambled. He rambled a lot. About stupid things, like how he missed getting mint chocolate chip ice cream with his sister every Sunday, or how he hated how his hands got all pruny when he helped his mother wash dishes.
But mostly he talked about Heechul, and he wasn’t entirely sure why.
“…and lately I noticed that every time Siwon hyung brings up religion, Heechul hyung gets angry.” Kyuhyun continued staring down at the gun helplessly as he watched Eunhyuk fire off two more rounds, “Doesn’t it aggravate you that Heechul hyung is so rude about it?” Kyuhyun knew for a fact that aside from Hangeng and Heechul, everyone else was Christian.
“I don’t mind.” Yesung shrugged, sighting down his scope. “Heechul hyung has always been like that. They say the best way to strengthen your faith is to question it.” He paused, before turning to look at Kyuhyun. “You complain about hyung a lot.”
Eunhyuk snickered, while Kyuhyun scoffed, feeling his cheeks begun to heat up. “I don’t know what you’re talking about! He’s just annoying, is all.”
“Don’t tell me you like him…?” Eunhyuk leaned forward, before he began to laugh at the shocked, horrified expression on Kyuhyun’s face. He grinned, showing off his gums.
“I do not!” Kyuhyun shot back. “What the-how did you even come to that conclusion? That’s immature and stupid, hyung!” He glared down at the gun that Eunhyuk had given him, trying to remember what he was supposed to be doing with it anyway.
It was a good thing he was doing so, or he would have seen the searching look Hangeng sent him and a barely veiled glare.
---
By the end of the week, Kyuhyun had successfully convinced several of the others that it would be a brilliant idea to overpower Heechul in order to find out what he was reading. By “several other people” he meant Donghae and Eunhyuk, but he figured that those two would be enough. Kibum hadn’t said he wouldn’t help, but he hadn’t agreed to it either.
Kyuhyun had decided that the living room would be the best place for the plan to commence. He, Donghae, Eunhyuk, and Kibum had decided to “watch TV”. Siwon and Shindong had gone down to the gym. Leeteuk and Yesung were out on some kind of reconnaissance mission (Kyuhyun hadn’t been told the details). Ryeowook was cooking lunch, and Kangin had stumbled into the kitchen about ten minutes ago and was sitting at the table, staring at his empty coffee cup and waiting for food.
Hangeng was sleeping, and Sungmin was sitting on the chair opposite Heechul’s, feet propped up on the rickety coffee table and a chocopie stuffed into his mouth.
Heechul was, predictably, reading his book, occasionally reaching over for the bag of Barbeque potato chips that he’d snatched from the kitchen earlier that morning.
Kyuhyun looked at the TV, before looking over at Eunhyuk. Eunhyuk caught his eye and nodded, nudging Donghae in the side. Donghae grinned. Kibum merely scooted over on the couch and continued to read his health magazine.
Sungmin briefly looked up, saw them all grinning like idiots, rolled his eyes, and went back to painting his toe-nails pink.
Kyuhyun, Donghae, and Eunhyuk slowly got off of the couch. Heechul was oblivious by this point, calmly flipping a page. Donghae went to the left, Eunhyuk the right, and Kyuhyun continued going straight. Kyuhyun was two feet away when Heechul’s gaze flickered from the text to Kyuhyun. “What are you doing?”
“Lemme see!” Kyuhyun grabbed for the book.
“No.” Heechul danced out of reach, grinning at the group that had surrounded him. “Are you all prepared to suffer the consequences of going against me like this?”
“Just tells us what you’re reading, hyung!” Donghae whined, diving for his legs. Heechul leapt up off of the chair and landed beside Donghae’s prone form.
“Never!” Heechul called out, jumping onto the couch.
“I bet it’s porn!” Eunhyuk called.
“Not everyone is as obsessed with naked women as you are, monkey.” Kangin scoffed from the kitchen doorway, holding a cup of fresh coffee.
“Got it!” Kyuhyun yelled, but Heechul twisted away at the last moment and Kyuhyun’s fingers simply skimmed the cover.
Heechul smirked, “My secret remains, it seems.”
“The Art Of War.”
Everyone paused as Kyuhyun spoke. “-349 pages. If I dare ask, if the enemy is numerous, disciplined, and about to advance, how should we respond to them? I would say, first seize something that they love for then they will listen to you, page 220.” Kyuhyun grabbed his head and fell to his knees. “Ah! Get it out!”
Heechul reached him first, dropping his book on the ground as he knelt next to the younger man.
“What’s wrong with him?” Donghae asked fearfully.
“I think his power appeared. Someone contact Leeteuk and Yesung. Go!” Heechul snapped.
Donghae went for the phone, tripping over his own feet in his haste.
“Everyone step back.” Heechul ordered, “We don’t know the extent yet so everyone stay at a distance. Sungmin, if it’s something dangerous, get ready.”
Sungmin nodded, fiddling with his headphones, gaze trained on Kyuhyun, the bottle of polish forgotten beside him.
“Ya, Kyuhyun, answer me. What’s going on?”
“Advance knowledge cannot be gained from ghosts and spirits, inferred from phenomena, or projected from the measure of Heaven, but must be gained from men-page 231.”
Heechul stilled. “What?”
“One who knows the enemy and knows himself will not be endangered in a hundred engagements. One who does not know the enemy but knows himself will sometimes be victorious, sometimes meet with defeat. One who knows neither the enemy nor himself will invariably be defeated in every engagement, page 135, middle paragraph, block quote.” Kyuhyun was still clutching his head as he groaned.
“He’s quoting a book?” Ryeowook held onto the cake pan he’d been holding, “Hyung-” He took a step forward but stopped as Heechul’s warning glare.
“Kyuhyun, ya kid! Focus!” Heechul grabbed Kyuhyun’s shoulder. “Look at me and focus.”
“The unorthodox and orthodox mutually produce each other just like an endless cycle. Who can exhaust them? Page 148, last paragraph, second to last sentence.” Kyuhyun gasped out, before grabbing Heechul’s arm. Kyuhyun couldn’t feel much through the haze of pain, confusion, and information, but when his fingers brushed against the small sliver of skin that was uncovered on Heechul’s arm, he felt a rush of fatigue, and then something completely different. “Subjugating the enemy’s army without fighting is the-July 10th 1983, blood type AB, Mother Kim Ya In , father Kim Hwangchul, sister Kim Hee-” Heechul knocked him out a second later, pale as a ghost and staring in shock. As Kyuhyun dropped to the ground Heechul moved away as if burned.
“Don’t touch him.” Heechul croaked out before blinking, shaking his head. “I mean, get him to the couch.” He ran a gloved hand through his hair. “…put him on the couch and wait for Leeteuk to return.” He swallowed, reaching down and grabbing his book from where he’d dropped it.
“Hyung…” Donghae began worriedly, but Heechul simply walked into his room and shut it with a click.
---
Hangeng blinked sleepily when he felt someone sit on the edge of his bed. “Heechul?” He guessed groggily.
“Kyuhyun’s power appeared.” Heechul’s voice was hoarse.
Hangeng sat up, fully awake now. “What is it?”
“I…” Heechul was paler than Hangeng had ever seen him. “I’m not certain yet. I’ll know more after talking to Leeteuk. It’s transmitted by touch, so don’t touch him.”
Hangeng nodded at Heechul’s warning, knowing that Heechul wasn’t telling him something. “Yeah. He’ll be under Leeteuk hyung anyway, right?”
Heechul had stood by now, but he paused at the door. “…no. He may be one of mine.” Then he closed the door softly behind him, leaving Hangeng alone.