Unlock Arc II - Chapter Three
Title: Unlock Arc II
Authors:
renichifreak and
yeonah
Chapter: 3/?
Fandom: SS501, cameos by KARA
Pairings: KyuSaeng, HyunMin (may be other pairings in the future)
Rating: PG-16
Warning: Angst, AU, Fluff
Summary: Not everything is as it seems, and for those who are as far from normal as you can get, life is a bleak existence. The only ones who can truly understand what these individuals go through are those...just like them.
A/N: YoungSaeng and HyunJoong are played by
renichifreak and KyuJong and JungMin are played by me. Updates every Monday.
It was another week and a half before HaRa declared KyuJong was healed enough to start practicing as well. It helped that he'd taken to hanging out in the training room with the others when HyunJoong was busy, and RyeoWook came down often to heal injuries, the time traveler situating himself nearby so that the boy's healing aura affected him as well. The scar from the bullet was still there, and would stay with him for the rest of his life, but he was okay with that now.
Waiting in the training room for HyunJoong, he chuckled as he watched JongWoon try to practice with his energy orbs, tossing small ones up and down in the air and trying to keep them from exploding on him.
"Okay, I'm bored, you guys," Xander stated, rolling around on the floor. "Someone needs to entertain me."
KiBum snorted, watching from his position in SooHyun's lap. "And why should we do that? After all, you tend to amuse us more anyway."
Xander shot him a look. "That would be because I'm your hyung and I demand it."
SooHyun had to laugh at that as he continued playing with his boyfriend's hair. "Sorry, Hyung, but it doesn't quite work that way."
KyuJong chuckled. "Is it always like this?"
"Pretty often," DongHae replied, walking determinedly around the edge of the room and trying to keep to the floor.
"I can help," JongWoon grinned, making the orb in his hand float in Xander's direction.
Seeing the orb close in on him, Xander panicked and scrambled to get as far away as he could. "I said entertain me, not kill me!" he all but shrieked.
"It's only a tiny one, it won't kill you, just make a small hole in the floor," JongWoon grinned, concentrating hard to make the orb follow the other man. "Besides, Wookie's here so you'll heal soon enough."
"What am I being used as an excuse for again?" RyeoWook looked up from watching DongHae.
"Wookie, Stop JongWoon from using me as target practice," Xander whined before he ran and hid behind HyunJoong, who only just showed up with another young man in tow.
"Hyung, put that away. Seung just got out of the infirmary and I'd rather he not go right back in," HyunJoong sighed.
JongWoon pouted before the orb disappeared.
"Hey Seungie!" DongHae waved happily before yelping as he lost concentration and rose up off the floor, flailing. KyuJong laughed at him as he tried to swim back down before turning his attention to the person he didn't recognize.
Smiling, HyunSeung reached out and grabbed hold of DongHae, holding him as one would a balloon. "HyunJoongie told me that you were doing better and I really wanted to see you not float away," he pouted, eyes smiling as he noticed KyuJong. "You're KyuJong, right? I'm HyunSeung," he introduced with a smile.
"Nice to meet you," KyuJong bowed politely, leaning against the wall.
"Xander's bored," JongWoon announced, pointing at the other man.
HyunSeung laughed brightly. "So you decided to blow him up? Some friend you are, JongWoonie."
"He wouldn't be bored anymore?" JongWoon offered helpfully.
DongHae suddenly dropped back to the ground with a shriek and thump, narrowly avoiding landing on HyunSeung.
HyunJoong laughed and went to help DongHae to his feet as HyunSeung laughed at him. "Try not to drop yourself like that next time."
"Forgot to do it slowly," DongHae winced, wobbling a little until he got the amount of gravity right again, standing properly.
"We're here to see KyuJong ah practice!" JongWoon grinned, stretching out his arms.
Looking over at KyuJong, HyunJoong's smile faded a bit. "You sure you're okay to practice?" he asked, worry clear in his tone. "I know we're not unlocking you quite yet, but still..."
"I got HaRa's approval before coming down here," KyuJong smiled, pushing away from the wall. "She says I'm as healed as I can be. And you said we were going to do the unlocking slowly for me, right?"
"Right. It's not an easy process," HyunJoong explained with a nod. "It takes at least a few days to do it properly, and that's what I intend to do."
"Are we able to start with that today?" KyuJong asked, tilting his head to one side. "I swear I'm fine, Hyun. I can hold the entire room still in time to check if you want."
HyunJoong shook his head in amusement, waving off KyuJong's suggestion. "There's no need for that, Kyu. HaRa's been telling me how you've been doing, and yes, we can start today." Motioning him over to a seat, HyunJoong walked over and sat in the chair across from the empty spot. "I'm unlocking you a little bit today, just to see how you take to it, okay? If everything's good, we'll do more tomorrow. Deal?"
Sitting down as instructed, KyuJong nodded. "Deal," he smiled, seeing the others shuffle back to sit along the walls and out of the way. He took a slow breath to calm himself, closing his eyes for a moment before opening them to look at his friend. "Okay, I'm ready."
Taking a breath to clear his mind, HyunJoong smiled reassuringly before his eyes clouded as he carefully released a small amount to KyuJong's power. It was less than what he would normally do, but while he was recovered, KyuJong was still two years behind the others when it came to practice.
He refused to overwhelm his friend so soon after getting him back.
KyuJong drew in a slow breath, feeling something inside him shift as he closed his eyes, brow furrowing. A ripple ran through him as he flickered slightly out of sight, before his form solidified again. It was like that tight elastic band feeling again, pulled just a little thinner.
After a moment he slowly opened his eyes again, breathing slowly and steadily as he brought himself back under control.
Watching KyuJong closely, HyunJoong saw him flicker out for a moment before solidifying. He furrowed his brow, but overlooked it since most had slight reactions to the unlocking.
"You okay, Kyu?" he asked. "And no lying."
"Last person who lied to HyunJoongie had his powers locked for a month," HyunSeung chimed in with a grin.
Blinking as he got used to the feeling slowly, KyuJong nodded. "It's a little strange, but I feel fine." He smiled a little at HyunJoong, before chuckling at HyunSeung's statement, glancing over at him. "I'm not about to lie to him, I've got a clean record to keep."
"He doesn't lie, no, but he isn't always forthcoming with information either," HyungJoon chuckled, pulling a laugh from HyunJoong.
KyuJong wrinkled his nose at HyungJoon. "I said it's fine," he sighed, shaking his head. "I felt my power activate a little, but it was easy enough to get back under control, I've felt worse."
"Well, that was the point of unlocking your power; for you to feel it," Xander replied with a nod.
"I wouldn't talk, Xander. I mean, you don't have yours unlocked at all," SooHyun pointed out, KiBum nodding from his lap.
"Because I didn't want it to be, SooHyunnie, remember?"
Blinking, KyuJong looked over to SooHyun, feeling himself relaxing again as he let himself get used to the added strain to his ability. "Why is that, Xander sshi?"
"I want to gain total control by myself," Xander explained with a shrug and a smile. "HyunJoongie gives me little hints here and there of things to try, but I'd rather not have him unlock me."
KyuJong smiled at that. "I'm sure you'll be able to do it." From what he'd seen, the man had more control then when he'd first seen him two years ago, on television.
Looking at KyuJong, Xander smiled widely. "Ah, KyuJong sshi! You're so nice!" he declared before all but tackling the other boy.
The time traveler yelped, nearly falling off of his chair before hugging the other man in return, patting his back as he looked at HyunJoong a little helplessly. JongWoon started laughing at his expression.
Snorting, HyunJoong tapped Xander on the shoulder before prying him off of the startled KyuJong. "Not everyone here is as touchy-feely as you seem to think they are, Xander," he chuckled.
The fire-starter sulked. "Sorry, but the others are all bullies and that was really nice to say," he pouted.
"We are not bullies," JongWoon protested.
"Says the person who tried to blow him up," chuckled RyeoWook. "But if KyuJong sshi was able to be startled with one of Xander hyung's hug attacks and hasn't had any bad effects, that must be something good, right HyunJoong hyung?"
HyunJoong nodded with a grin. "Sounds about right, Wookie," he agreed. Turning back to KyuJong, however, he sobered a bit. "Let me know right away if you feel any adverse affects. If I don't hear from you, we'll continue tomorrow, okay?"
"Okay," KyuJong smiled and nodded, nudging HyunJoong's foot lightly. "I'll let you know, but I feel fine right now," he said, trying to reassure the older man, though he understood the concern.
"Entertainment's over, what now?" JongWoon rolled over onto his stomach, playing with a tiny orb again.
"Now, you focus before that thing blows up in your face since I doubt Wookie Hyung is willing to heal you again," KiBum spoke up, squirming as SooHyun poked him in the side. "What? You were thinking it..."
"It's not going to blow up in my face," JongWoon pouted, eyes on the small orb.
"Don't jinx yourself hyung," RyeoWook chuckled. "But practicing sounds good."
KyuJong glanced at HyunJoong. "Should I try just normal practicing like this, or wait for any effects first?"
"You can practice normally, but I suggest avoiding anything either unfamiliar, or too strenuous," HyunJoong explained. "I know I'm probably being overly cautious, but I can't help it."
"It's understandable, I'll be careful," KyuJong smiled at him reaching over and squeezing his hand lightly. "Are you staying with us for much longer, or you have somewhere to be?"
"Well actually, I'm supposed to be in a meeting right now, but those old crones can argue all day for all I care. It's not like they can actually do anything without my approval anyway," HyunJoong shrugged, mischievous grin well in place .
KyuJong laughed quietly. "Good, then you can help me pick a target. Who should I freeze first?" He glanced at the others in the room, RyeoWook blinking at them in wary confusion, but the others not paying any attention. DongHae was up in the air again.
"How about JongWoon before that thing blows up? If I know that knucklehead, he'll lose control the moment anyone else freezes."
"He does that, and boom," HyunSeung added on, using hand gestures for the boom effect.
"Okay, so JongWoon it is," KyuJong chuckled, before focusing on the man playing with the energy orb on the floor, eyes narrowing in concentration.
After a moment, JongWoon suddenly froze. DongHae, finally reaching the ground again, looked over at the older man and got distracted, bobbing back up to the ceiling with a yelp.
RyeoWook laughed. "That bomb's going to explode the second he gets unfrozen..."
"Not with his power locked, it won't," HyunJoong pointed out with a grin. "The second Kyu lets him - and by extension, that orb - go, it'll vanish," he explained.
"Good call," KyuJong chuckled, leaning back in his chair. "It isn't hurting to hold him still though...not more than it did last time I practiced, anyways."
"What happens if you poke him?" DongHae asked from the ceiling. "Do you get stuck too?"
"If you get too close, yeah," KyuJong frowned. "I have the area around him stopped...haven't figured out how to restrict it to a person or object only."
"That's just a state of mind, KyuJong sshi," SooHyun stated. "Another thing the unlocking does is open your mind to the possibilities your power possesses."
"Which you'll learn more about tomorrow," HyunJoong remarked.
"Looking forward to that," KyuJong chuckled, lips pursed as he focused on what he was doing. After a few more minutes he let JongWoon go, sitting back with a sigh of relief as the older man blinked owlishly at where there had been an orb in his hands a second ago. DongHae started laughing his head off.
Reaching over to mess up JongWoon's hair, HyunJoong shook his head in amusement. There were many who believed that his cell was more of the misfit cell than anything, but he really wouldn't have it any other way.
*****************************************
The rest of that day had been spent goofing off in the training room, the others in the cell practicing while KyuJong watched. He was still amazed at the variety of Gifts, and insisted on calling them that, no matter what the others thought. It was hard for some to see their abilities as such, as it had been hard for YoungSaeng, but KyuJong was determined that their situation would improve.
It made it easier when he went to sleep, spending an hour just staring at a picture of himself and YoungSaeng on his cell phone and holding the necklace around his neck tightly before finally falling asleep.
When the following afternoon came around, he was ready to go back to practice. While the unlocking had been uncomfortable, it had been less than he'd expected to feel, and he knew that if he was going to get YoungSaeng back he would have to put his all into practicing. Tapping his fingers against his knees, he watched RyeoWook help DongHae practice in the middle of the room, chuckling as DongHae did his best to stay on the floor.
"Hae Hyung, did you listen to anything Hyun Hyung told you?" KiBum asked, voice teasing as he curled up on the couch waiting for SooHyun to get back from wherever HyunJoong had sent him this time.
Xander laughed in agreement. "You're focusing too much on not floating away. You did better when you weren't thinking about it so much."
"It's just hard," DongHae protested, pouting a little. "I keep feeling like I'm going to float away."
RyeoWook tugged him back down before looking at the others in exasperation. "Can we just tie him down and call it a day?"
"No one's tying him to anything," HyunSeung chuckled as he walked into the room and plopped down into a chair across from KiBum. "As much as it would help sometimes, Hae's not a puppy."
"You know what would be cool to find?" DongHae asked, hands out for balance as he tried walking around, RyeoWook following beside him. "A shapeshifter!"
"Since we were just talking about puppies, I'm assuming you have something in mind the shapeshifter wouldn't like," JongWoon laughed, sprawled out on his stomach again.
"Isn't there one in another cell somewhere?" Xander asked, head tilted. "I think Hyun said something about it once."
KiBum shrugged before checking his watch. "I think I remember that, but I'm not sure."
A couple minutes later, the door to the training room opened and HyunJoong walked in. Heading for a nearby chair, he sat on the arm and dropped back, legs still hanging over the side.
"Stupid old men that think they know everything," he muttered.
KyuJong frowned, sitting up straighter. "Everything all right?"
"Don't listen to them HyunJoongie, they're just bitter," DongHae chirped, wobbling over to him. "Look, look, I'm grounded!"
Letting out a sigh, HyunJoong nodded, but remained unmoving. He had only just fallen asleep when they decided to show up for a meeting, and four hours later, it ended when he fell asleep at the table. "I think it's their sole mission to make my life a living hell, no joke," he chuckled, grinning over at KyuJong. "I'm assuming that you're ready for more unlocking, yes?" he asked as he used DongHae to pull himself into a sitting position.
"I'd like for that, yeah," KyuJong nodded, but was watching the older man worriedly. "You okay, Hyun?" When had been the last time he'd gotten a decent night's sleep?
Noticing KyuJong's look, HyunJoong struggled to get to his feet from the awkward position he had been in and stretched out. "I'm fine, Kyu yah. I plan on taking a cat nap later anyway," he assured with a smile.
The time traveler continued to look at him. "If you're sure," he said slowly, sitting up a little straighter.
"I'm fine, though I'm tempted to invite them down here while JongWoon is training," HyunJoong said with a grin as he motioned KyuJong over to the couch.
KyuJong laughed lightly at that, getting up to move to the couch as instructed. JongWoon pouted at HyunJoong from his corner.
"So it'll be the same as yesterday?" KyuJong asked, settling down.
"Not quite, but pretty much," HyunJoong told him, settling in across from him. "I'm gonna unlock the rest of your powers, so it'll take a bit more time since I'm still going slow."
Taking that in, KyuJong drew in a slow break before nodding, calming himself as he smiled at HyunJoong across from him. "All right. I'm ready then."
The others gathered around curiously, still giving HyunJoong and KyuJong space.
"Okay, tell me if you start to feel anything odd, okay?" HyunJoong asked before taking a calming breath himself. Relaxing back, HyunJoong began to unlock KyuJong's powers slowly, but with no hesitance.
KyuJong took in slow, steadying breaths as he felt that same sensation as yesterday, only steadily increasing. He bit on his lower lip, his form flickering again before solidifying as it had yesterday.
It was a strange feeling, KyuJong not entirely sure what to expect. As HyunJoong unlocked more and more, something coiled tightly inside his chest, making him a little uneasy.
A minute in, KyuJong's breath caught in his throat as a wave of dizziness suddenly caught him. "HyunJoong, wait-"
He was never given a chance to finish his sentence. His gift unlocked a little more, the elastic band snapped, and KyuJong was gone.
Watching KyuJong closely, HyunJoong noticed something wasn't right. Before he got a chance to stop, KyuJong let out a gasp and vanished, snapping the power right back at HyunJoong and sending him physically reeling.
The subsequent headache felt like he was being stabbed in the head as he dropped his head into his hands to fight back the dizziness and panic that was beginning to flood his mind, recalling the incident two years ago.
"Hyung?" RyeoWook scrambled to HyunJoong's side, healing aura encompassing the older man as he crouched beside the chair with wide eyes. "What just happened?"
"That was too much, wasn't it?" JongWoon winced, looking at the spot where KyuJong had been just a second ago.
Sighing slightly as RyeoWook's healing aura washed over him, HyunJoong shook his head. "It felt a bit different," he murmured, keeping his voice down to avoid making the headache worse. "Maybe because he hadn't had as much practice as you all."
RyeoWook rubbed HyunJoong's back slowly. "He'll be back, right?" he asked quietly. "He's a time traveler, so he'll be back as soon as he figures out where he is, that's what you said used to happen."
Listening to RyeoWook, HyunJoong felt himself calm down slightly, but he couldn't stop thinking about the possibilities.
A good ten minutes passed without any sign of the time traveler. RyeoWook was able to reduce HyunJoong's headache to a more tolerable level and was working to get rid of it completely, DongHae babbling about random things in an effort to keep their leader's mind away from thinking too much. But there was still no sign of KyuJong.
That was when HyunJoong's cell phone went off, sending DongHae up to the ceiling again.
Yelling in surprise as his phone rang, HyunJoong fumbled with the device before answering it. "H-hello?" he asked, brows furrowed.
"Hey HyunJoong ah." It was KyuJong's father. "I have a question for you. Why is my son passed out on his bedroom floor?"
Pulling the phone away from his ear, HyunJoong stared at it in confusion before returning it. "He's there?" he asked, making sure that he hadn't misheard. "I was unlocking his power and he just vanished. I thought he only returned to the place that he vanished from."
"Well he's definitely over here," the older man replied. "I'll bring him back down in a minute, maybe one of your healers can look at him, he's out cold."
HyunJoong nodded his head, forgetting for a moment that the man couldn't see him. "HaRa'll meet you at the door," he told him, motioning to KiBum to run up and get the girl, which he did immediately.
"See you in a few then," KyuJong's father said before hanging up.
DongHae blinked owlishly at the other man. "Where is he?"
Hanging up, HyunJoong blinked a few times before putting his phone away. "He's at his house. His dad found him passed out of the floor of his room," he explained, still confused.
"...Uh?" JongWoon looked just as confused. "But he's a time traveler, right? Not a teleporter, that's SooHyun. How could he have ended up over there?"
"I suppose we just wait for KyuJong to come to and ask him," HyunJoong sighed before he got to his feet. He was a bit shaky, but it only lasted for a moment.
RyeoWook stuck beside HyunJoong so he would continue to heal, one hand lightly against the older man's arm. "You okay, hyung?" he asked quietly as the group started to make their way back to the upper levels. He'd always stuck around HyunJoong like a silent shadow, making sure their leader was in the best health he could be.
Smiling, HyunJoong slowly nodded. "I'm feeling fine thanks to you," he said as he slowly walked out of the room and up the stairs toward KyuJong's room, knowing that HaRa would have him brought there
They were at KyuJong's room before HaRa was, some of the group leaving before they could crowd the room. It was a few minutes before HaRa and KyuJong's father appeared, the man carrying his unconscious son.
"Hey kids," he smiled, moving into the room to lay KyuJong down on the bed. "HaRa's already had a quick look at him."
"It's nothing dangerous, from what I can tell it's just energy loss," HaRa said quietly, brow furrowed as she sat down next to KyuJong, one hand hovering over the time traveler's forehead.
Nodding his head and sighing in relief, HyunJoong dropped into the chair by the bed. He continued to watch HaRa work, sending RyeoWook down to the training room with the others knowing that the girl had it under control.
It was another fifteen minutes before KyuJong started to stir again, brow furrowing slightly. HaRa pulled her hands back with a small smile just before the boy's eyes opened.
KyuJong blinked blearily up at the ceiling, before noticing the two beside him. "...What happened?" he murmured, trying to slowly sit up once he realized where he was.
Seeing KyuJong slowly come to, HyunJoong grinned. "You vanished during the unlock and wound up at your house passed out on your bedroom floor," he explained lightly, hopefully hiding the worry in his tone.
"...Huh?" KyuJong blinked at HyunJoong in confusion, wondering if he'd heard right. "At my house?" That didn't make sense though. "How?"
"We were kind of hoping that you would tell us that," HyunJoong remarked, eyes serious.
"I...” KyuJong shook his head, slowly sitting up. "I don't know. I've always stayed in the same spot...” He frowned at the wall. "The jump felt a little different than usual...I told you time isn't linear in the jump, right? It..." He winced, rubbing his forehead. "I don't know. I panicked in the middle of it and wanted to go back...home." He blinked, looking at HyunJoong.
Blinking back, HyunJoong paused. "It didn't feel right for me, either. The backlash was brutal and I hadn't felt it that bad since that one time I practiced on Joon." Pausing, HyunJoong thought carefully. "Have you ever wanted to do something like that before? I mean, not just disappear and reappear in the same spot."
"No," KyuJong shook his head. "It's hard enough trying to get the time right, I never really thought about trying to figure out the place too." HaRa was frowning a little at HyunJoong.
"The unlock must have let you do that, but it was so sudden that it drained you," HyunJoong explained. "I think it was so odd because I refuse to unlock those who can't control their gifts, such as DongHae and JongWoon. You have far less practice, making it harder on us both. Granted, this is just a guess."
"Makes sense," KyuJong murmured, frowning down at his hands. "But how did it go from time traveling to teleporting?"
"Did you guys ever hear of Einstein's theory?" HaRa said quietly, looking at them. "He said that time and space were connected."
KyuJong blinked at her. "...I think I'm going to have to look this up later." He looked at HyunJoong. "Does that mean I'm completely unlocked now?"
"Not quite. You disappeared before I could finish. Your power is, but not the rest of it. Maybe once that's done, you'll understand what happened," HyunJoong stated before looking over at HaRa and KyuJong. "I'm ready to finish whenever, but I need to be sure that you can continue. HaRa? Is he okay from your end?"
HaRa placed one hand lightly against KyuJong's shoulder, closing her eyes for a moment. "He looks fine from here," she said after a moment, opening her eyes. "Go slowly?"
"Only if KyuJong's okay with it," HyunJoong replied, looking at KyuJong.
Looking back at HyunJoong, KyuJong drew in a slow breath and nodded. "All right, let's finish." He shifted to sit back against the headboard, calming himself.
Nodding, HyunJoong settled back in and spoke quietly, voice calm. "Just relax. All I'm doing is unlocking your hidden potential." The most difficult part about the unlocking process was the power, but once that was done, the rest came easily.
KyuJong smiled a little, nodding. "Understood," he murmured, closing his eyes and easing the tension out of his shoulders, the slight nervousness that had come after the very sudden jump. HaRa sat back, watching them both.
Closing his eyes as well, HyunJoong ran mental stock of what had been unlocked and went about releasing the rest of his gift. Once that was done, he let out a tired exhale and opened his eyes with a grin. "All done, but don't you dare try anything until you're back to a hundred percent, got it?" he lectured teasingly, though he meant every word.
Drawing in a shaky breath, KyuJong opened his eyes again and nodded. "All right," he smiled a little. He wasn't quite sure what to make of all this, relaxing back against the headboard. He'd think about it later. "What now?"
"Now I think you should get some sleep," HaRa said, looking at them both.
HyunJoong nodded his head in agreement. "And what HaRa says goes around here."
HaRa pouted playfully. "Then why don't you ever listen to me when I tell you to rest?"
He just grinned. "Because I'm the leader."
"I'm going to set RyeoWook on you and he's going to make you rest again," she shook her head, standing with a smile. "Sleep, both of you, please?" KyuJong nodded sheepishly.
Sighing, HyunJoong nodded. "I'm just waiting on SooHyun to get back. Once he does, I'll go sleep, okay?"
She nodded, frowning slightly. "All right, but if he takes too long, sleep anyways, you know KiBum will get you when he comes back." HaRa smiled at them both before leaving the room.
KyuJong watched her go, smiling a little. "Do her or Nicole have boyfriends?" he asked HyunJoong, looking over at him. They were both different than he remembered, more mature.
"I think Nicole has a bit of a crush on Xander, but nothing's come of it," HyunJoong told him. "They're nowhere near as clueless as Joonie, but it's no less frustrating. HaRa, though, is totally single."
"Surprised about that," KyuJong smiled, shaking his head a little before leaning back against the headrest. "Am I free to practice on my own once I'm rested, or do you have to be there for that?"
"Not me, exactly, but I'd at least like one of the others with you until you get the hang of it in case something happens," HyunJoong replied, getting to his feet and stretching out. It had been one hell of a day so far.
"You are going to listen to her and sleep eventually, right?" KyuJong mused, looking at his friend knowingly. Even without being around for the past two years, he knew that HyunJoong didn't exactly listen even if it was for his own good.
Smiling at KyuJong, HyunJoong nodded his head. "I just have to wait for SooHyun to get back as I said. Once I get the documents from him and give them to Xander, I'll get some sleep," he promised.
"Holding you to that," KyuJong chuckled, slowly easing to lie down. "Guess I'll see you in a while then." He was pretty tired now, the unlocking taking it's toll.
Watching KyuJong fall asleep, HyunJoong let a bit of the mask he wore fade, showing just how tired he truly was. Getting to his feet and rubbing his eyes, he walked over to the door and walked out of the room and toward the conference room to get some more work done. After all, he had no idea when the teleporter would be getting back.
Authors:
renichifreak and
yeonah
Chapter: 3/?
Fandom: SS501, cameos by KARA
Pairings: KyuSaeng, HyunMin (may be other pairings in the future)
Rating: PG-16
Warning: Angst, AU, Fluff
Summary: Not everything is as it seems, and for those who are as far from normal as you can get, life is a bleak existence. The only ones who can truly understand what these individuals go through are those...just like them.
A/N: YoungSaeng and HyunJoong are played by
renichifreak and KyuJong and JungMin are played by me. Updates every Monday.
It was another week and a half before HaRa declared KyuJong was healed enough to start practicing as well. It helped that he'd taken to hanging out in the training room with the others when HyunJoong was busy, and RyeoWook came down often to heal injuries, the time traveler situating himself nearby so that the boy's healing aura affected him as well. The scar from the bullet was still there, and would stay with him for the rest of his life, but he was okay with that now.
Waiting in the training room for HyunJoong, he chuckled as he watched JongWoon try to practice with his energy orbs, tossing small ones up and down in the air and trying to keep them from exploding on him.
"Okay, I'm bored, you guys," Xander stated, rolling around on the floor. "Someone needs to entertain me."
KiBum snorted, watching from his position in SooHyun's lap. "And why should we do that? After all, you tend to amuse us more anyway."
Xander shot him a look. "That would be because I'm your hyung and I demand it."
SooHyun had to laugh at that as he continued playing with his boyfriend's hair. "Sorry, Hyung, but it doesn't quite work that way."
KyuJong chuckled. "Is it always like this?"
"Pretty often," DongHae replied, walking determinedly around the edge of the room and trying to keep to the floor.
"I can help," JongWoon grinned, making the orb in his hand float in Xander's direction.
Seeing the orb close in on him, Xander panicked and scrambled to get as far away as he could. "I said entertain me, not kill me!" he all but shrieked.
"It's only a tiny one, it won't kill you, just make a small hole in the floor," JongWoon grinned, concentrating hard to make the orb follow the other man. "Besides, Wookie's here so you'll heal soon enough."
"What am I being used as an excuse for again?" RyeoWook looked up from watching DongHae.
"Wookie, Stop JongWoon from using me as target practice," Xander whined before he ran and hid behind HyunJoong, who only just showed up with another young man in tow.
"Hyung, put that away. Seung just got out of the infirmary and I'd rather he not go right back in," HyunJoong sighed.
JongWoon pouted before the orb disappeared.
"Hey Seungie!" DongHae waved happily before yelping as he lost concentration and rose up off the floor, flailing. KyuJong laughed at him as he tried to swim back down before turning his attention to the person he didn't recognize.
Smiling, HyunSeung reached out and grabbed hold of DongHae, holding him as one would a balloon. "HyunJoongie told me that you were doing better and I really wanted to see you not float away," he pouted, eyes smiling as he noticed KyuJong. "You're KyuJong, right? I'm HyunSeung," he introduced with a smile.
"Nice to meet you," KyuJong bowed politely, leaning against the wall.
"Xander's bored," JongWoon announced, pointing at the other man.
HyunSeung laughed brightly. "So you decided to blow him up? Some friend you are, JongWoonie."
"He wouldn't be bored anymore?" JongWoon offered helpfully.
DongHae suddenly dropped back to the ground with a shriek and thump, narrowly avoiding landing on HyunSeung.
HyunJoong laughed and went to help DongHae to his feet as HyunSeung laughed at him. "Try not to drop yourself like that next time."
"Forgot to do it slowly," DongHae winced, wobbling a little until he got the amount of gravity right again, standing properly.
"We're here to see KyuJong ah practice!" JongWoon grinned, stretching out his arms.
Looking over at KyuJong, HyunJoong's smile faded a bit. "You sure you're okay to practice?" he asked, worry clear in his tone. "I know we're not unlocking you quite yet, but still..."
"I got HaRa's approval before coming down here," KyuJong smiled, pushing away from the wall. "She says I'm as healed as I can be. And you said we were going to do the unlocking slowly for me, right?"
"Right. It's not an easy process," HyunJoong explained with a nod. "It takes at least a few days to do it properly, and that's what I intend to do."
"Are we able to start with that today?" KyuJong asked, tilting his head to one side. "I swear I'm fine, Hyun. I can hold the entire room still in time to check if you want."
HyunJoong shook his head in amusement, waving off KyuJong's suggestion. "There's no need for that, Kyu. HaRa's been telling me how you've been doing, and yes, we can start today." Motioning him over to a seat, HyunJoong walked over and sat in the chair across from the empty spot. "I'm unlocking you a little bit today, just to see how you take to it, okay? If everything's good, we'll do more tomorrow. Deal?"
Sitting down as instructed, KyuJong nodded. "Deal," he smiled, seeing the others shuffle back to sit along the walls and out of the way. He took a slow breath to calm himself, closing his eyes for a moment before opening them to look at his friend. "Okay, I'm ready."
Taking a breath to clear his mind, HyunJoong smiled reassuringly before his eyes clouded as he carefully released a small amount to KyuJong's power. It was less than what he would normally do, but while he was recovered, KyuJong was still two years behind the others when it came to practice.
He refused to overwhelm his friend so soon after getting him back.
KyuJong drew in a slow breath, feeling something inside him shift as he closed his eyes, brow furrowing. A ripple ran through him as he flickered slightly out of sight, before his form solidified again. It was like that tight elastic band feeling again, pulled just a little thinner.
After a moment he slowly opened his eyes again, breathing slowly and steadily as he brought himself back under control.
Watching KyuJong closely, HyunJoong saw him flicker out for a moment before solidifying. He furrowed his brow, but overlooked it since most had slight reactions to the unlocking.
"You okay, Kyu?" he asked. "And no lying."
"Last person who lied to HyunJoongie had his powers locked for a month," HyunSeung chimed in with a grin.
Blinking as he got used to the feeling slowly, KyuJong nodded. "It's a little strange, but I feel fine." He smiled a little at HyunJoong, before chuckling at HyunSeung's statement, glancing over at him. "I'm not about to lie to him, I've got a clean record to keep."
"He doesn't lie, no, but he isn't always forthcoming with information either," HyungJoon chuckled, pulling a laugh from HyunJoong.
KyuJong wrinkled his nose at HyungJoon. "I said it's fine," he sighed, shaking his head. "I felt my power activate a little, but it was easy enough to get back under control, I've felt worse."
"Well, that was the point of unlocking your power; for you to feel it," Xander replied with a nod.
"I wouldn't talk, Xander. I mean, you don't have yours unlocked at all," SooHyun pointed out, KiBum nodding from his lap.
"Because I didn't want it to be, SooHyunnie, remember?"
Blinking, KyuJong looked over to SooHyun, feeling himself relaxing again as he let himself get used to the added strain to his ability. "Why is that, Xander sshi?"
"I want to gain total control by myself," Xander explained with a shrug and a smile. "HyunJoongie gives me little hints here and there of things to try, but I'd rather not have him unlock me."
KyuJong smiled at that. "I'm sure you'll be able to do it." From what he'd seen, the man had more control then when he'd first seen him two years ago, on television.
Looking at KyuJong, Xander smiled widely. "Ah, KyuJong sshi! You're so nice!" he declared before all but tackling the other boy.
The time traveler yelped, nearly falling off of his chair before hugging the other man in return, patting his back as he looked at HyunJoong a little helplessly. JongWoon started laughing at his expression.
Snorting, HyunJoong tapped Xander on the shoulder before prying him off of the startled KyuJong. "Not everyone here is as touchy-feely as you seem to think they are, Xander," he chuckled.
The fire-starter sulked. "Sorry, but the others are all bullies and that was really nice to say," he pouted.
"We are not bullies," JongWoon protested.
"Says the person who tried to blow him up," chuckled RyeoWook. "But if KyuJong sshi was able to be startled with one of Xander hyung's hug attacks and hasn't had any bad effects, that must be something good, right HyunJoong hyung?"
HyunJoong nodded with a grin. "Sounds about right, Wookie," he agreed. Turning back to KyuJong, however, he sobered a bit. "Let me know right away if you feel any adverse affects. If I don't hear from you, we'll continue tomorrow, okay?"
"Okay," KyuJong smiled and nodded, nudging HyunJoong's foot lightly. "I'll let you know, but I feel fine right now," he said, trying to reassure the older man, though he understood the concern.
"Entertainment's over, what now?" JongWoon rolled over onto his stomach, playing with a tiny orb again.
"Now, you focus before that thing blows up in your face since I doubt Wookie Hyung is willing to heal you again," KiBum spoke up, squirming as SooHyun poked him in the side. "What? You were thinking it..."
"It's not going to blow up in my face," JongWoon pouted, eyes on the small orb.
"Don't jinx yourself hyung," RyeoWook chuckled. "But practicing sounds good."
KyuJong glanced at HyunJoong. "Should I try just normal practicing like this, or wait for any effects first?"
"You can practice normally, but I suggest avoiding anything either unfamiliar, or too strenuous," HyunJoong explained. "I know I'm probably being overly cautious, but I can't help it."
"It's understandable, I'll be careful," KyuJong smiled at him reaching over and squeezing his hand lightly. "Are you staying with us for much longer, or you have somewhere to be?"
"Well actually, I'm supposed to be in a meeting right now, but those old crones can argue all day for all I care. It's not like they can actually do anything without my approval anyway," HyunJoong shrugged, mischievous grin well in place .
KyuJong laughed quietly. "Good, then you can help me pick a target. Who should I freeze first?" He glanced at the others in the room, RyeoWook blinking at them in wary confusion, but the others not paying any attention. DongHae was up in the air again.
"How about JongWoon before that thing blows up? If I know that knucklehead, he'll lose control the moment anyone else freezes."
"He does that, and boom," HyunSeung added on, using hand gestures for the boom effect.
"Okay, so JongWoon it is," KyuJong chuckled, before focusing on the man playing with the energy orb on the floor, eyes narrowing in concentration.
After a moment, JongWoon suddenly froze. DongHae, finally reaching the ground again, looked over at the older man and got distracted, bobbing back up to the ceiling with a yelp.
RyeoWook laughed. "That bomb's going to explode the second he gets unfrozen..."
"Not with his power locked, it won't," HyunJoong pointed out with a grin. "The second Kyu lets him - and by extension, that orb - go, it'll vanish," he explained.
"Good call," KyuJong chuckled, leaning back in his chair. "It isn't hurting to hold him still though...not more than it did last time I practiced, anyways."
"What happens if you poke him?" DongHae asked from the ceiling. "Do you get stuck too?"
"If you get too close, yeah," KyuJong frowned. "I have the area around him stopped...haven't figured out how to restrict it to a person or object only."
"That's just a state of mind, KyuJong sshi," SooHyun stated. "Another thing the unlocking does is open your mind to the possibilities your power possesses."
"Which you'll learn more about tomorrow," HyunJoong remarked.
"Looking forward to that," KyuJong chuckled, lips pursed as he focused on what he was doing. After a few more minutes he let JongWoon go, sitting back with a sigh of relief as the older man blinked owlishly at where there had been an orb in his hands a second ago. DongHae started laughing his head off.
Reaching over to mess up JongWoon's hair, HyunJoong shook his head in amusement. There were many who believed that his cell was more of the misfit cell than anything, but he really wouldn't have it any other way.
*****************************************
The rest of that day had been spent goofing off in the training room, the others in the cell practicing while KyuJong watched. He was still amazed at the variety of Gifts, and insisted on calling them that, no matter what the others thought. It was hard for some to see their abilities as such, as it had been hard for YoungSaeng, but KyuJong was determined that their situation would improve.
It made it easier when he went to sleep, spending an hour just staring at a picture of himself and YoungSaeng on his cell phone and holding the necklace around his neck tightly before finally falling asleep.
When the following afternoon came around, he was ready to go back to practice. While the unlocking had been uncomfortable, it had been less than he'd expected to feel, and he knew that if he was going to get YoungSaeng back he would have to put his all into practicing. Tapping his fingers against his knees, he watched RyeoWook help DongHae practice in the middle of the room, chuckling as DongHae did his best to stay on the floor.
"Hae Hyung, did you listen to anything Hyun Hyung told you?" KiBum asked, voice teasing as he curled up on the couch waiting for SooHyun to get back from wherever HyunJoong had sent him this time.
Xander laughed in agreement. "You're focusing too much on not floating away. You did better when you weren't thinking about it so much."
"It's just hard," DongHae protested, pouting a little. "I keep feeling like I'm going to float away."
RyeoWook tugged him back down before looking at the others in exasperation. "Can we just tie him down and call it a day?"
"No one's tying him to anything," HyunSeung chuckled as he walked into the room and plopped down into a chair across from KiBum. "As much as it would help sometimes, Hae's not a puppy."
"You know what would be cool to find?" DongHae asked, hands out for balance as he tried walking around, RyeoWook following beside him. "A shapeshifter!"
"Since we were just talking about puppies, I'm assuming you have something in mind the shapeshifter wouldn't like," JongWoon laughed, sprawled out on his stomach again.
"Isn't there one in another cell somewhere?" Xander asked, head tilted. "I think Hyun said something about it once."
KiBum shrugged before checking his watch. "I think I remember that, but I'm not sure."
A couple minutes later, the door to the training room opened and HyunJoong walked in. Heading for a nearby chair, he sat on the arm and dropped back, legs still hanging over the side.
"Stupid old men that think they know everything," he muttered.
KyuJong frowned, sitting up straighter. "Everything all right?"
"Don't listen to them HyunJoongie, they're just bitter," DongHae chirped, wobbling over to him. "Look, look, I'm grounded!"
Letting out a sigh, HyunJoong nodded, but remained unmoving. He had only just fallen asleep when they decided to show up for a meeting, and four hours later, it ended when he fell asleep at the table. "I think it's their sole mission to make my life a living hell, no joke," he chuckled, grinning over at KyuJong. "I'm assuming that you're ready for more unlocking, yes?" he asked as he used DongHae to pull himself into a sitting position.
"I'd like for that, yeah," KyuJong nodded, but was watching the older man worriedly. "You okay, Hyun?" When had been the last time he'd gotten a decent night's sleep?
Noticing KyuJong's look, HyunJoong struggled to get to his feet from the awkward position he had been in and stretched out. "I'm fine, Kyu yah. I plan on taking a cat nap later anyway," he assured with a smile.
The time traveler continued to look at him. "If you're sure," he said slowly, sitting up a little straighter.
"I'm fine, though I'm tempted to invite them down here while JongWoon is training," HyunJoong said with a grin as he motioned KyuJong over to the couch.
KyuJong laughed lightly at that, getting up to move to the couch as instructed. JongWoon pouted at HyunJoong from his corner.
"So it'll be the same as yesterday?" KyuJong asked, settling down.
"Not quite, but pretty much," HyunJoong told him, settling in across from him. "I'm gonna unlock the rest of your powers, so it'll take a bit more time since I'm still going slow."
Taking that in, KyuJong drew in a slow break before nodding, calming himself as he smiled at HyunJoong across from him. "All right. I'm ready then."
The others gathered around curiously, still giving HyunJoong and KyuJong space.
"Okay, tell me if you start to feel anything odd, okay?" HyunJoong asked before taking a calming breath himself. Relaxing back, HyunJoong began to unlock KyuJong's powers slowly, but with no hesitance.
KyuJong took in slow, steadying breaths as he felt that same sensation as yesterday, only steadily increasing. He bit on his lower lip, his form flickering again before solidifying as it had yesterday.
It was a strange feeling, KyuJong not entirely sure what to expect. As HyunJoong unlocked more and more, something coiled tightly inside his chest, making him a little uneasy.
A minute in, KyuJong's breath caught in his throat as a wave of dizziness suddenly caught him. "HyunJoong, wait-"
He was never given a chance to finish his sentence. His gift unlocked a little more, the elastic band snapped, and KyuJong was gone.
Watching KyuJong closely, HyunJoong noticed something wasn't right. Before he got a chance to stop, KyuJong let out a gasp and vanished, snapping the power right back at HyunJoong and sending him physically reeling.
The subsequent headache felt like he was being stabbed in the head as he dropped his head into his hands to fight back the dizziness and panic that was beginning to flood his mind, recalling the incident two years ago.
"Hyung?" RyeoWook scrambled to HyunJoong's side, healing aura encompassing the older man as he crouched beside the chair with wide eyes. "What just happened?"
"That was too much, wasn't it?" JongWoon winced, looking at the spot where KyuJong had been just a second ago.
Sighing slightly as RyeoWook's healing aura washed over him, HyunJoong shook his head. "It felt a bit different," he murmured, keeping his voice down to avoid making the headache worse. "Maybe because he hadn't had as much practice as you all."
RyeoWook rubbed HyunJoong's back slowly. "He'll be back, right?" he asked quietly. "He's a time traveler, so he'll be back as soon as he figures out where he is, that's what you said used to happen."
Listening to RyeoWook, HyunJoong felt himself calm down slightly, but he couldn't stop thinking about the possibilities.
A good ten minutes passed without any sign of the time traveler. RyeoWook was able to reduce HyunJoong's headache to a more tolerable level and was working to get rid of it completely, DongHae babbling about random things in an effort to keep their leader's mind away from thinking too much. But there was still no sign of KyuJong.
That was when HyunJoong's cell phone went off, sending DongHae up to the ceiling again.
Yelling in surprise as his phone rang, HyunJoong fumbled with the device before answering it. "H-hello?" he asked, brows furrowed.
"Hey HyunJoong ah." It was KyuJong's father. "I have a question for you. Why is my son passed out on his bedroom floor?"
Pulling the phone away from his ear, HyunJoong stared at it in confusion before returning it. "He's there?" he asked, making sure that he hadn't misheard. "I was unlocking his power and he just vanished. I thought he only returned to the place that he vanished from."
"Well he's definitely over here," the older man replied. "I'll bring him back down in a minute, maybe one of your healers can look at him, he's out cold."
HyunJoong nodded his head, forgetting for a moment that the man couldn't see him. "HaRa'll meet you at the door," he told him, motioning to KiBum to run up and get the girl, which he did immediately.
"See you in a few then," KyuJong's father said before hanging up.
DongHae blinked owlishly at the other man. "Where is he?"
Hanging up, HyunJoong blinked a few times before putting his phone away. "He's at his house. His dad found him passed out of the floor of his room," he explained, still confused.
"...Uh?" JongWoon looked just as confused. "But he's a time traveler, right? Not a teleporter, that's SooHyun. How could he have ended up over there?"
"I suppose we just wait for KyuJong to come to and ask him," HyunJoong sighed before he got to his feet. He was a bit shaky, but it only lasted for a moment.
RyeoWook stuck beside HyunJoong so he would continue to heal, one hand lightly against the older man's arm. "You okay, hyung?" he asked quietly as the group started to make their way back to the upper levels. He'd always stuck around HyunJoong like a silent shadow, making sure their leader was in the best health he could be.
Smiling, HyunJoong slowly nodded. "I'm feeling fine thanks to you," he said as he slowly walked out of the room and up the stairs toward KyuJong's room, knowing that HaRa would have him brought there
They were at KyuJong's room before HaRa was, some of the group leaving before they could crowd the room. It was a few minutes before HaRa and KyuJong's father appeared, the man carrying his unconscious son.
"Hey kids," he smiled, moving into the room to lay KyuJong down on the bed. "HaRa's already had a quick look at him."
"It's nothing dangerous, from what I can tell it's just energy loss," HaRa said quietly, brow furrowed as she sat down next to KyuJong, one hand hovering over the time traveler's forehead.
Nodding his head and sighing in relief, HyunJoong dropped into the chair by the bed. He continued to watch HaRa work, sending RyeoWook down to the training room with the others knowing that the girl had it under control.
It was another fifteen minutes before KyuJong started to stir again, brow furrowing slightly. HaRa pulled her hands back with a small smile just before the boy's eyes opened.
KyuJong blinked blearily up at the ceiling, before noticing the two beside him. "...What happened?" he murmured, trying to slowly sit up once he realized where he was.
Seeing KyuJong slowly come to, HyunJoong grinned. "You vanished during the unlock and wound up at your house passed out on your bedroom floor," he explained lightly, hopefully hiding the worry in his tone.
"...Huh?" KyuJong blinked at HyunJoong in confusion, wondering if he'd heard right. "At my house?" That didn't make sense though. "How?"
"We were kind of hoping that you would tell us that," HyunJoong remarked, eyes serious.
"I...” KyuJong shook his head, slowly sitting up. "I don't know. I've always stayed in the same spot...” He frowned at the wall. "The jump felt a little different than usual...I told you time isn't linear in the jump, right? It..." He winced, rubbing his forehead. "I don't know. I panicked in the middle of it and wanted to go back...home." He blinked, looking at HyunJoong.
Blinking back, HyunJoong paused. "It didn't feel right for me, either. The backlash was brutal and I hadn't felt it that bad since that one time I practiced on Joon." Pausing, HyunJoong thought carefully. "Have you ever wanted to do something like that before? I mean, not just disappear and reappear in the same spot."
"No," KyuJong shook his head. "It's hard enough trying to get the time right, I never really thought about trying to figure out the place too." HaRa was frowning a little at HyunJoong.
"The unlock must have let you do that, but it was so sudden that it drained you," HyunJoong explained. "I think it was so odd because I refuse to unlock those who can't control their gifts, such as DongHae and JongWoon. You have far less practice, making it harder on us both. Granted, this is just a guess."
"Makes sense," KyuJong murmured, frowning down at his hands. "But how did it go from time traveling to teleporting?"
"Did you guys ever hear of Einstein's theory?" HaRa said quietly, looking at them. "He said that time and space were connected."
KyuJong blinked at her. "...I think I'm going to have to look this up later." He looked at HyunJoong. "Does that mean I'm completely unlocked now?"
"Not quite. You disappeared before I could finish. Your power is, but not the rest of it. Maybe once that's done, you'll understand what happened," HyunJoong stated before looking over at HaRa and KyuJong. "I'm ready to finish whenever, but I need to be sure that you can continue. HaRa? Is he okay from your end?"
HaRa placed one hand lightly against KyuJong's shoulder, closing her eyes for a moment. "He looks fine from here," she said after a moment, opening her eyes. "Go slowly?"
"Only if KyuJong's okay with it," HyunJoong replied, looking at KyuJong.
Looking back at HyunJoong, KyuJong drew in a slow breath and nodded. "All right, let's finish." He shifted to sit back against the headboard, calming himself.
Nodding, HyunJoong settled back in and spoke quietly, voice calm. "Just relax. All I'm doing is unlocking your hidden potential." The most difficult part about the unlocking process was the power, but once that was done, the rest came easily.
KyuJong smiled a little, nodding. "Understood," he murmured, closing his eyes and easing the tension out of his shoulders, the slight nervousness that had come after the very sudden jump. HaRa sat back, watching them both.
Closing his eyes as well, HyunJoong ran mental stock of what had been unlocked and went about releasing the rest of his gift. Once that was done, he let out a tired exhale and opened his eyes with a grin. "All done, but don't you dare try anything until you're back to a hundred percent, got it?" he lectured teasingly, though he meant every word.
Drawing in a shaky breath, KyuJong opened his eyes again and nodded. "All right," he smiled a little. He wasn't quite sure what to make of all this, relaxing back against the headboard. He'd think about it later. "What now?"
"Now I think you should get some sleep," HaRa said, looking at them both.
HyunJoong nodded his head in agreement. "And what HaRa says goes around here."
HaRa pouted playfully. "Then why don't you ever listen to me when I tell you to rest?"
He just grinned. "Because I'm the leader."
"I'm going to set RyeoWook on you and he's going to make you rest again," she shook her head, standing with a smile. "Sleep, both of you, please?" KyuJong nodded sheepishly.
Sighing, HyunJoong nodded. "I'm just waiting on SooHyun to get back. Once he does, I'll go sleep, okay?"
She nodded, frowning slightly. "All right, but if he takes too long, sleep anyways, you know KiBum will get you when he comes back." HaRa smiled at them both before leaving the room.
KyuJong watched her go, smiling a little. "Do her or Nicole have boyfriends?" he asked HyunJoong, looking over at him. They were both different than he remembered, more mature.
"I think Nicole has a bit of a crush on Xander, but nothing's come of it," HyunJoong told him. "They're nowhere near as clueless as Joonie, but it's no less frustrating. HaRa, though, is totally single."
"Surprised about that," KyuJong smiled, shaking his head a little before leaning back against the headrest. "Am I free to practice on my own once I'm rested, or do you have to be there for that?"
"Not me, exactly, but I'd at least like one of the others with you until you get the hang of it in case something happens," HyunJoong replied, getting to his feet and stretching out. It had been one hell of a day so far.
"You are going to listen to her and sleep eventually, right?" KyuJong mused, looking at his friend knowingly. Even without being around for the past two years, he knew that HyunJoong didn't exactly listen even if it was for his own good.
Smiling at KyuJong, HyunJoong nodded his head. "I just have to wait for SooHyun to get back as I said. Once I get the documents from him and give them to Xander, I'll get some sleep," he promised.
"Holding you to that," KyuJong chuckled, slowly easing to lie down. "Guess I'll see you in a while then." He was pretty tired now, the unlocking taking it's toll.
Watching KyuJong fall asleep, HyunJoong let a bit of the mask he wore fade, showing just how tired he truly was. Getting to his feet and rubbing his eyes, he walked over to the door and walked out of the room and toward the conference room to get some more work done. After all, he had no idea when the teleporter would be getting back.