Chapter Text
“Hey kid,” a voice from the shadows of the alley called.
Yeonjun stilled on the sidewalk, shifting his feet to get ready to run if he had to.
But then a familiar figure stepped out, hands deep in the pockets of his leather jacket, and Yeonjun relaxed slightly. Chan, the leader of the Strays. The man jerked his head, motioning him over, and melted back into the gloom.
Yeonjun warred with himself for a long moment, debated just ignoring the man and walking away. But the Strays hadn’t tried anything with them; in fact they'd actually supplied them with helpful information from time to time. That didn’t mean that things couldn’t change. But at the same time... Chan wouldn’t be here in person if it wasn’t important.
Besides, Yeonjun could defend himself if he had to.
He surveyed the alleyway as he entered to be sure they were alone, blinking until his eyes adjusted to the dim light, not quite trusting the man not ambush him if the chance arose.
“What is it?” he asked, angling his back towards the wall, with one foot still pointed in the direction of the alley’s entrance in case he needed to make a quick escape.
The leader didn’t seem bothered at him taking the more defensive position, instead leaning up against the grimy wall of the alley several yards away. Perhaps he was trying to make Yeonjun feel safer. The teen scoffed internally at the thought. He wasn't naive enough that such a petty display would make him drop his guard.
“EXO’s on the hunt again.” Chan said. “Thought you’d like a warning.”
Shit. Yeonjun’s mind started to spin. He had to get home, as soon as possible, warn the others to be more careful than usual. He dipped his head in thanks and turned to go.
“Kid, wait.”
Chan pushed himself off the wall, something almost... concerned? in his expression. He fiddled with the zipper of his leather jacket and finally crossed his arms over his chest.
“Are you guys doing alright?”
“We’re fine.” Yeonjun said, a bit more sharply than he meant.
There was something knowing in Chan’s eyes as he studied the younger boy. “It’s been dipping below freezing at night and business has been scarce. If you guys need any help… the offer still stands.”
“I said, we’re fine.” Yeonjun ground out, fists clenching. “We don’t need your help."
Chan held up his hands, taking a step back. “Okay, okay. I get it, I get it. Just… stay safe.”
Yeonjun shot him a long, wary look, trying to decipher his words. The man was watching him, and if Yeonjun wasn’t mistaken, the leader looked almost… sad. Not knowing what else to do, the teen gave a sharp nod and exited the alleyway without looking back.
He spent a few minutes winding through the streets to be sure Chan didn’t have someone following him, before he finally headed for the east side of the city and home.
He passed Jaehyun and Chenle of NCT on the sidewalk. He didn’t miss the way Jaehyun tugged the younger boy to the other side of the sidewalk as he approached. Yeonjun was careful not to make any expression, change in speed, sudden moments that might set something off. As they passed, he and Jaehyun shared a wary nod.
Their relationship with NCT was tense, neither quite sure what to make of the other. NCT was one of the most powerful gangs on the street, which was expected given their sheer size and high number of powered members. Yeonjun didn't know why the group didn't like them, TXT had never made any threat towards them-how could they?- but the gang didn't seem eager to be friendly all the same.
NCT was notoriously suspicious of other groups, something about being betrayed a couple of years back? Yeonjun had never heard the full story.
It could all be rumor anyway, like that absurd gossip floating around that the Strays were criminal hackers wanted by the government, which had to be the most ridiculous thing Yeonjun had ever heard. He barely even knew Chan and the man kept trying to help him. They were pacifist hippies, with their peaceful protests and petitions down at town hall every weekend. Not that the fact made Yeonjun trust them. Appearances weren't everything, after all.
As for NCT’s moral code, he wasn’t sure. They weren’t like EXO. But they took jobs, had connections in the underground. And god forbid anyone threaten their members. The wrath of Taeyong, their leader, was legendary. All the same, Yeonjun hadn’t seen NCT purposefully setting out to cause harm that was unprovoked, which gave them a least a couple of points in his book.
And Taehyun said that a couple of them had stumbled upon him dumpster-diving back before TXT had found each other, and invited him to join them for a meal, but he’d been too wary to accept.
Yeonjun pulled his hood up as he crossed the street, sinking into it's depths. He ducked through the alleyway next to a pharmacy that had been boarded up for months, dusty and dark. There was one more block and then he was clambering over the chain link fence into the east end and dropping into the cracked pavement. He skirted the edge of the main homeless settlement, giving a wide berth to a hunched man mumbling to himself next to a can fire, and keeping his eyes fixed ahead.
NCT had their base in an abandoned warehouse on the west side of the city. TXT was always careful to steer clear of even the blocks surrounding their territory, as Taeyong didn't take lightly to trespassers. Yeonjun didn't know where the Strays lived, except that it was somewhere in the south side of the city. But it wasn’t rare to see both groups' members, often in pairs, out in other parts of town. The only place they didn’t go often was east, but no one hung out there if they could help it. Too many druggies.
TXT, unfortunately, didn’t have a choice. The other districts had been too full, too much of a chance of encroaching on another groups' territory and risking a skirmish. And the north was far too active these days, what with the vigilantes patrolling, sticking their noses into everything. They couldn’t risk it.
It took a few minutes before Yeonjun reached the outskirts, shimmying over another tall chain-link fence and dropping down on the other side into a mostly deserted train yard. He wove his way through the rows of rusting train cars until he could see their faded orange boxcar dully reflecting the light of the setting sun.
Taking a last wary look around, he approached and knocked a quick rhythm into the metal before stepping back.
After a long moment, the hinges screeched as the wide door slid slowly open a few inches, just enough for Beomgyu’s face to peek out of the darkness. The suspicion melted off his face as he caught sight of Yeonjun and he grinned, relaxing.
“Hyung's back!”
Yeonjun took the offered hand, letting Beomgyu heft him up into the tall lip of the boxcar. Together they slid the heavy door back into place, wincing a bit at the noise, and Yeonjun mentally made a note to buy some oil or something so they didn’t wake the entire east district every time they opened their own door.
He turned around in time to be crowded by Taehyun and Kai.
“How did it go, hyung?" The youngest asked, bouncing on his toes. Yeonjun wished he had even half of Kai's energy this late in the day. "Did you get anything good? Did you run into any other gangs?
Yeonjun shrugged, hoping to avoid that line of questioning, and tossed his backpack to Kai. “Go ahead and unpack. It’s not much but it’s the best I could do. Is Soobin back yet?”
“Not yet.” Taehyun said. He turned nervous eyes to Yeonjun as Kai dug quickly through the bag. “Why, is something wrong?”
Yeonjun waved a hand. “Aish, stop worrying.” He forced himself to relax, dropping down into one of the old cushions they’d rescued from a curb in the south end a few months ago. “I’m sure you’ll be the first to know, anyway.”
“Hyung, is this... everything?” Kai’s voice was quiet and hesitant as he looked over the single box of granola bars and small loaf of bread.
Yeonjun sighed, slumping a little further into the cushion. “Yeah. No one’s out today because of the rain. I was there for two hours and only managed one wallet. Couldn’t swipe from the outdoor displays because everything was inside, out of the rain.”
Taehyun also looked downcast, eyeing the meager food longingly. Yeonjun felt guilt stir in his chest, like it always seemed to when he didn’t manage to provide what he wished he could for them all.
“We’ll get more tomorrow and make up for it with a big meal.” he said, with confidence he didn’t feel.
Beomgyu -bless him- smiled, wide and vibrant, and settled down to sit next to Yeonjun. “Of course, hyung. This is much better than nothing at all.”
And that of course, reminded them all of the grim reality that it could have been nothing at all today. It’d been tougher to get food since the outdoor markets closed down for the winter. Grocery stores, with their security cameras and clerks, were much more difficult to swipe from.
“Of course it is!” Kai said quickly. He shot Yeonjun a small smile as well. “Thank you, hyung. I didn’t mean to complain.”
Yeonjun waved his hand. He hadn’t taken it that way. They were growing boys and they deserved to be eating three square meals a day and snacks besides... but that just wasn’t a reality. Maybe one day.
"Kai almost electrocuted us today while we were doing the wash." Taehyun announced with a grin, ignoring the way the younger boy flushed and shoved him.
"It was an accident!" Kai protested, plopping down on a wooden crate on the other side of the table.
He knew that Taehyun was just trying to lighten the mood, but after the news Yeonjun had gotten from Chan, he couldn't help the alarm that shot through him.
"No one saw you, right?"
Kai rolled his eyes. "No, hyung. I know the rules."
He didn't understand- Someone could have seen and reported it- EXO had eyes all over the city and they were on the hunt now-
"Kai, I know it's hard to control right now, but you have to be more careful." Yeonjun was unable to keep the urgency out of his tone and turned his gaze to the rest of them. "All of you, actually. Please."
Taehyun shrunk a bit into himself at the sudden solemness that had flooded the car and Kai paled a bit. "We will be, hyung." He said quietly.
Beomgyu nodded, but he was eyeing Yeonjun carefully, likely able to tell that something was out of the ordinary. He was too damn perceptive.
"Did the washing go all right? I bet it was freezing." Yeonjun asked to distract them, and sure enough, Kai and Taehyun went off on a rant about how the river was practically ice, and their fingers had almost gone numb by the end.
It really was getting cold out; he could still feel the chill in his veins despite being inside for awhile now. Yeonjun focused for a few minutes on raising the temperature in the boxcar, berating himself for not thinking of it earlier, until the lines of Beomgyu’s shoulders finally relaxed and Kai stopped bouncing his knee up and down.
Some hot water would do them all good. He snagged the kettle off their haphazard shelf and filled it with some water from the large plastic jug, listening with half an ear as Kai recounted how someone had stolen their usual washing spot, the best spot, hyung, how could they?
"The riverbank doesn't have our name on it." Yeonjun said dryly. He placed one hand under the kettle, focusing. After a few moments, it began to steam and bubble.
There was a clanging knock on the side of the car, and he snatched his hand away. The younger boys all froze, eyes turning to the door.
“It’s Soobin.” A familiar muffled voice said, followed by the familiar taps of their password rhythm.
At that, they all relaxed. Beomgyu and Kai went to slide the heavy door open, hoisting a shivering Soobin into the car.
“You’re soaked, hyung.” Taehyun gasped.
“It’s nothing, I just got caught in the rain earlier.” Soobin assured them, dropping his backpack on the ground.
His hair was flat with the weight of the moisture, sticking to his forehead and dripping water into his eyes. He shook his head, sending droplets flying, like a dog shaking itself off after a bath.
"Soobin!" Yeonjun groaned, wiping moisture off his face.
Their leader just grinned at him. “You guys won’t believe what I got today. Kai, open my bag.”
The younger boys crowded around it, while Yeonjun rooted around their cracked plastic storage box and tossed one of their old ratty towels to Soobin. Beomgyu let out a whoop as Kai lifted out a whole bulk packet of instant noodles and several candy bars.
“I love this kind!”
Yeonjun's shoulders slumped with relief, glad they wouldn't have another night of splitting granola bars and listening to each other’s rumbling stomaches. He caught Soobin's eye for a moment and Yeonjun could see the tension behind the smile. Something had happened.
“Well, there’s no point in waiting, let’s eat!” The leader announced, breaking eye contact.
Despite Yeonjun next to him practically radiating heat, Soobin was still shivering lightly when he was situated in warm clothes around their tiny cardboard box table. He kept trying to hoist noodles into other people.
“Eat it, hyung. You need it.” Kai told him, gently pushing the forkful of noodles back.
Their leader had acquired a cough a few days ago which he insisted was seasonal allergies, but Yeonjun was pretty sure even the youngest could see right through his attempt to keep them all from worrying. Soobin was always like that, pushing away his own problems in lieu of focusing on theirs. Yeonjun had hoped the teen would get over the illness on his own… but Soobin broke out into not one, but two coughing fits during dinner.
“It’s okay, I think I just swallowed something wrong.” The leader assured them, waving off their concern.
But Yeonjun managed to brush up against him as he went to put the kettle away. The leader’s skin was warmer than usual, his face flushed in the lamplight. He resolved to make sure Soobin ate more (it escaped no one that he gave the smallest portions to himself) and maybe convince him to steal some cough drops from the corner store the next time the old man was on cash register again.
The gravel crunched beneath their feet, still slightly damp from the rain earlier in the day. The sun was going down, and the whole train yard was bathed in golden shadows. It almost made Yeonjun think the place was beautiful, if he didn't know better. Soobin ambled around the side of the car, humming to himself as he surveyed the metal.
“Where’s the leak?”
Yeonjun rolled his eyes and motioned him away from their home. “There’s no leak; I just need to talk to you.”
He waited to speak until they were several yards away, standing in the shadow of one of the rusting freight cars. He risked a glance back at their own. The door was still closed.
“Chan stopped me today.”
Soobin straightened, all amusement sliding off his face. “What did he want?”
“Just to warn us, apparently.”
Soobin didn’t look convinced, but Yeonjun knew his next words would override any concern of a threat from the Strays.
“EXO’s on the hunt again.”
Soobin stilled, wide eyes snapping to Yeonjun, who gave a grim nod. The leader muttered a low curse, scuffed a hand through his hair. He was silent for a long moment, and Yeonjun stayed quiet, knowing he was processing.
After a moment, Soobin let out a breath, turning abruptly to Yeonjun.
“Someone tried to follow me home today.” He admitted. “Couldn’t tell if it was one of the Strays or someone else. It took me awhile to lose them.”
A flush of dread swept through Yeonjun at the admission. He eyed the train yard, the long shadows growing as the sun set deeper. So many places to hide. It didn't feel quite as safe as it had before.
“EXO wouldn’t be so covert, would they?”
Soobin shrugged, his eyes dark. “Unless they know it's the only way to get all five of us.”
Shit. Of course.
Having a whole group that was powered was fairly rare, not that they'd meant for it to turn out that way. They hadn’t known Kai and Taehyun were powered until this year, and Kai’s hadn’t manifested until the last few months. They had had a little celebration, congratulated them, and were very, very careful not to reveal to the youngest two how big of a target would be painted on their backs if anyone found out.
Because groups like theirs- street kids without gang affiliation- were one of the most dangerous places for powered kids to be, second of course to being a loner on the street. It was too easy for gangs to spot a powered kid and snatch the member for their own group. After all, how was a bunch of street kids living in a train yard going to fight back against a gang? It’s not like they could go to the police about it either, they were street kids. That was why a lot of smaller groups ended up with some level of connection to underground, so they could hold their own, fight back, keep the big groups off their backs.
Five powered teens- who weren’t claimed by a big group or connected to the underground? With two whose powers were still unpredictable? The only way it could be worse was is if one of them was a telepath. Everyone wanted a telepath. Small blessings, at least.
“What are we going to do?” Yeonjun whispered.
There was a long moment of silence as Soobin thought, eyes fixed on their home.
“No one goes out alone after this." He said. "And Kai and Taehyun don’t leave the boxcar if we can help it. Things are just… too unstable with them right now.”
Soobin took a deep breath and started coughing. It was rasping and harsh, the leader wheezing for breath between each cough. It took a long minute before he managed to stop, doubled over his knees.
“Allergies.” he muttered, straightening and swiping a hand across his mouth.
“Didn’t know allergies caused fevers too.” Yeonjun said evenly, and was rewarded by a flash of surprise in Soobin’s eyes.
“Look, it’s fine.” The leader said. “I’m just fighting something. I’ll swipe some medicine tomorrow.”
“That's a risk we can't-"
“The others are going to get worried.” Soobin cut in, avoiding the eldest's eyes.
The teen was already walking back towards the boxcar, knowing Yeonjun wouldn’t pursue the topic with the younger boys in hearing range.
Yeonjun fought back the urge to shake some sense into him, forcing himself to relax before he melted something again. For someone who watched out for the younger boys, protecting them with everything he had, Soobin’s self-preservation instincts were terrible, a fact which was continually frustrating to the rest of them.
As such, it didn’t really come as a surprise to Yeonjun when he woke the next morning to the sound of the door sliding open and feet dropping into the gravel of the train yard. He was about to drift back to sleep, assuming one of them had to pee or something, when he heard the faint sounds of retching.
Blinking his exhaustion away, he sat up, looking over the lump of blankets to his right. Those were Kai’s mismatched socks poking out, and Beomgyu’s snore, and Taehyun’s shock of brown hair at the top, which left…
Yeonjun sighed. He grabbed a water bottle and slid on his shoes. The train yard was still bathed in shadows, the dusky grey-purple sky lightening in a way that signaled the sun would be rising soon.
Soobin had only made it a few paces around to the side of the boxcar, crouched there in the dirt, looking absolutely miserable. Despite the chilly morning air, the boy’s forehead was beading with sweat.
Yeonjun stepped carefully around the puddle of sick to crouch next to him, offering the water.
“Soobin… Soobinnie.”
He let in a sharp breath when the boy finally looked up at him, eyes glassy. Yeonjun pressed a hand up against the leader’s neck. He was hot, much too hot.
“Let’s get you back inside.” he murmured, heart twisting when Soobin tipped to lean his head against Yeonjun's leg, eyes fluttering shut. “Do you think you’ll throw up again?”
There was a pause and Soobin shook his head. Yeonjun had never seen him so out of it. He hoisted the teen to his feet, eliciting a groan from him. Soobin's head lolled against his shoulder. Was he… asleep?
He ended up having to wake Kai up to help him drag their mostly limp leader up into the boxcar. Together they lowered him to their makeshift sleeping mat, and Kai stepped back, biting his lip.
“What’s wrong with him?”
I wish I knew.
Yeonjun crouched to tuck the blankets tighter around Soobin, and leaned back on his heels. He snagged an old plastic grocery bag and set it next to the boy just in case he felt sick again.
“Soobin’s caught something. It’s probably just a bug.”
Kai shifted on his feet, looking anxiously at Soobin’s pale face.
Yeonjun squeezed his shoulder, fixing the most reassuring expression on his face as he could. “I’m sure he’ll be alright in a few days, don’t worry. He just needs to rest.”
Yeonjun was wrong.
* * *
“NCT.”
“Strays.”
“We have business to conduct here.”
Chan's jaw dropped and he looked around the lobby of city hall like he'd never seen it before. “What a coincidence, so do we!”
Yuta fought the urge to roll his eyes, taking in signs and banners they were holding, the flyers clutched in Jeongin's hands. In the back of the group, Chan’s second in command, Changbin, was on his phone, completely uninterested at the showdown happening in front of him.
“We’ve got some propositions for a new bill-” Chan announced, hefting up his sign.
Yuta raised his eyebrows, eying them disbelievingly. “Like they’re going to listen to you all? Please, they won’t let you get further than the lobby. Do you mind doing this another day?”
Minho shrugged. “Unfortunately, we can’t reschedule.”
“I can’t imagine this little demonstration will be any more effective than your last… ten. What happened then? Oh, I remember now! They threw you out.”
Hyunjin’s hands tightened around the stack of petitions and pens he was holding. “This bill would benefit your group, you know. Put more protections in place for powered people.”
Ah, that’s right. He’d forgotten how idealistic their little group was.
“Sorry, we don’t waste our time on hopeless causes.” Yuta checked his watch. “Besides, why don’t you let powered people fight their own battles?”
Chan’s face twisted sharply. Felix had to put out a quick hand to stop Jisung from pushing forward.
“That’s what I thought.” Yuta said, flashing a sharp smile. “Now if you’ll excuse us. We have business to do.”
Changbin put his phone away, and gave Chan a nod that had Yuta narrowing his eyes.
The Strays leader stepped back, his posture relaxing. “Well, we were just finishing up here anyway. Good luck with your business. Tell Taeyong I say hello.”
And with that, the Strays left. One of them actually had the audacity to wave.
Yuta tilted his head, watching them go. They looked far too happy for someone who had just lost an argument.
"Yangyang?" he said, lowly.
The teen tapped his fingers on his jeans, shutting his eyes briefly. "Mostly amusement. A little bit of smugness. Surface level anger, probably at something we said, nothing serious. Impatience."
"They have something up their sleeve." Yuta muttered, still watching them where they were now lingering on the sidewalk outside the building.
Next to him, Winwin cleared his throat. “The meeting is in three minutes.”
Yuta nodded. "Let me know if anything changes." He told Yangyang, putting his thoughts of the Strays aside as they headed for the large circular staircase.
This meeting was important, could cement some of their connections in the political community (always a helpful card to have up their sleeve). Taeyong had waited for a long time, loathe to get involved in the tangled system of political espionage, but as shaky as things were getting now, they needed to have some inside connections on their side.
They barely made it three steps before the fire alarms began to blare, lights blinking on and off. The sprinklers activated with a hiss, raining water down, and almost immediately people began streaming out of the rooms, briefcases and papers held over their head in an attempt to shield from the downpour. Within minutes, the lobby was a crowd of soaked politicians eager to get out of the building.
They all spilled right out into the sidewalk… straight into the hands of the Strays, who were already handing out flyers, talking to the politicians who had nowhere to go.
Ah. Of course.
“Forget it.” Yuta ground out, forcing down his irritation. “We’re not going to be able to meet today.”
It took them longer than it should have to make their way out the doors and into the sidewalk, the restless crowd bottlenecked as too many people tried to exit out of the same small doorway. But finally they were out on the street, being jostled by the mass of government employees, many spitting angry words into their phones about the alarms.
Almost immediately, Felix materialized next to them. “Can I interest you in a flyer?” he said innocently.
He shoved one into all of their hands before they could protest.
Through the crowd, Yuta caught Chan’s eyes. The Strays' leader gave a sort of helpless, innocent shrug, looking with wide eyes at the evacuated building.
Yuta didn’t stop himself from rolling his eyes this time, hand clenching around the flyer.
He had no idea how the ridiculous counter-violence, weaponless, and powerless group had managed to survive this long, but it probably had to do with their less than legal but exemplary computer skills. If their continued survival despite all the odds gave Yuta a sort of grudging respect for them, no one needed to know. It didn't mean he liked the group.
“Should we-” Lucas started, but Yuta shook his head. Taeyong wouldn’t take it kindly to them starting something with the Strays without his permission.
Besides, this little inconvenience didn’t matter in the long run. The meeting could be rescheduled easily enough, and Yuta knew enough about Chan to know this wasn’t an attack on NCT. The Strays were here for their own objectives.
Normally Yuta wouldn't care what they were planning, but if it kept affecting their affairs... No, it didn't matter. Taeyong had already classified the activist group as a non-threat to NCT a long time ago. And if they did turn their sights on NCT, well... Yuta wasn’t worried. His group had the highest number of powered members in a single group in the city. They could crush them in a moment.
He watched as the youngest, Jeongin, whooped as he got a signature, sharing a double high five with Jisung, their faces spread into beaming smiles.
But it probably wouldn’t come to that, anyway...
“Let’s go.” he said abruptly, turning away. His members fell in step behind him.
And if Chan took his next step and tripped over air, tumbling into a politician and getting scolded, his members all tacitly pretended they didn’t notice Yuta's smirk.
* * *
“You’re gonna do fine, don’t worry.” Beomgyu repeated, like he was trying to convince himself. He wasn’t even looking at the younger boy, eyes flickering around the square again and again.
Taehyun bit his lip, gaze fixed on the convenience store doors across the street from them.
“No, no. This is a bad idea.” Beomgyu said suddenly, shaking his head. “You haven’t had any practice. Never mind, I'll just-”
No, no no, they'd already been over why that wouldn't work-
Taehyun forced himself to take a deep breath, square his shoulders. Shoved his hands in his sweatshirt pockets so no one could see them shaking.
He could do this.
“Beomgyu.” He said, tugging on the older teen's arm until he looked at Taehyun. “It’ll be fine. We need the food. I won’t get caught.”
“You won’t?” Beomgyu searched his eyes, trying to read the message hidden there.
“I won’t.” Taehyun promised.
Beomgyu's shoulders slumped in relief, and he finally nodded and stepped back. The teen took a seat on the curb a few yards away, tucking earbuds into his ears, the picture of just another teen on his phone. No one needed to know that the earbuds were broken and didn’t connect to anything, or that he wasn't focused on music but the traffic around them, keeping an eye out for cops.
Taehyun fought to keep the assured look on his face as he crossed the street, tying not to show that he really had no idea at all. He hadn't gotten a warning per se, but that didn't mean something wouldn't happen anyway. Out of everybody, he knew the unpredictable nature of his powers best. He was hoping no warning meant clear skies ahead this time, because all other logic seemed to scream that this was a terrible idea- why had Taehyun volunteered for this- he didn't even know what he was doing- everyone would probably see right through him - oh god he couldn't do this, he really couldn't- he should run while he still could-
Taehyun glanced back, caught sight of his hyung sitting on the curb, curled into his sweatshirt, nodding his head along to a nonexistent beat. This was the only convenience store in the east with the cold medicine they needed. Beomgyu had shoplifted here a few days ago; they couldn't risk someone recognizing him and getting suspicious. Yeonjun and Soobin were in no shape to leave the boxcar. And there was no way Taehyun was letting the job go to Kai.
They needed that medicine.
Taehyun took in a shaky breath, and stepped inside.
It was supposed to be easy. Walk into one of their most common spots- a convenience store that had some major camera blinds spots- stuff some things in his jacket, and walk back out.
Yes, the way Beomgyu had framed it, it should have been easy. But Taehyun had turned the corner of one of the aisles too quickly, eager to get the items his hyung had suggested and get out, already feeling like some silent alarm was going off and the police would barge in any second, and ended up bumping into a man standing there perusing the chip options.
“I’m so sorry!” he stammered, stumbling back a few steps.
“It’s okay. Are you all right?” the man said, a bit gruff, but Taehyun’s eyes were fixed on the blue and black uniform, the patch on his chest.
A police officer. Taehyun’s panic overrode his ability to speak, so he ended up just staring at the man, wide eyed. The officer’s eyes narrowed at the silence and he looked him over, taking in the boy’s scuffed shoes, his fraying sleeves.
A package of instant ramen chose that moment to fall out of his jacket, clattering to the linoleum floor between them.
Oh shit-
The only thing that flashed through his mind was run, and he spun around- just in time for a hand to drop into his shoulder, halting his desperate escape before it could begin.
"Jihoo, how many times have I told you to just get a basket?” a voice said, exasperated. “You can’t carry everything.”
A man in a closely tailored and clearly expensive suit was standing there, a fond look on his face.
Was he…. talking to Taehyun?
“I swear I don’t remember being this stubborn as a teenager.” The man said, giving the officer a commiserating sort of look and rolling his eyes up to the ceiling.
He held out his basket. “Dump it all in here. We both know I’m paying anyway.”
His hand squeezed Taehyun's shoulder lightly, bringing him out of his shock. Having no idea what else to do, the teen opened his jacket and pulled out the two additional packets of ramen, one box of crackers, and three packaged rolls that he’d managed to stuff in there.
“Aish, so many carbs. I’ll never understand the teenage appetite. Is that everything? Did you get Mom’s mineral water?”
At Taehyun’s blank look, the man sighed. “Well, go grab it now.”
What the hell was going on?
Taehyun let his feet carry him over to the drinks section. He grabbed the first mineral water he came across and made his way back to the two. The stranger was chatting amicably with the officer when he returned.
“-how high the crime rates have been, I’m not sure I’ll be able to sell the property. People are buying across the river these days instead. It’s a pity, I put a lot into the renovations-”
The man held out a hand for the water and checked the brand before putting it in the basket.
“-and I’d hate to have to sell it at a lower price, but I’m not sure I want to have to deal with everything that comes with it. Just keeping it vandalism free seems to be an impossible job.”
He herded Taehyun towards the cash register, handing him a smartphone. “Text Mom and tell her we’re going to be a few minutes late to dinner.”
Taehyun took it with shaky hands, eyes drifting to the officer, his heart pounding in his chest. Was he really supposed to…? He clicked around until he found the contacts, and then the one labelled Mom, and typed out the message and sent it as the man finished paying, still idly chatting with the officer.
A message came back almost immediately.
- Jinyoung, what the hell? You know I’m not in the city right now.-
Taehyun stared down at the screen, internally panicking.
When he didn’t reply another text chimed in,
- Are you drunk right now?? You’re supposed to be working on the Anders situation. Don’t be afraid to break a kneecap or two if you have too, he’s an asshole.-
Oh. Oh shit.
Oblivious, the man- Jinyoung?- held out his hand for the phone, and Taehyun handed it back to him. He slid it in his pocket without even glancing at it and gave Taehyun half the bags. Together, they walked towards the exit.
Taehyun could barely breathe as they strode out the door, convinced that the police officer would come running after them, drag Taehyun away to jail. But no one stopped them. The officer was too busy paying for his own items to glance at them again. The clerk didn't even seem to register Taehyun's presence. Nothing happened at all.
But now Taehyun had more pressing concerns. Like what this stranger, who was probably in a gang if the kneecaps comment was anything to go by, wanted with him. He stumbled to a halt on the pavement, determined to get out of here, but a sharp tug on his elbow got him moving again.
“Not yet.” The man hummed, not glancing away from the road ahead. “There’s still cameras.”
Taehyun peeked at him out of the corner of his eye, tense, trying to decide if he was lying or not.
“Any particular reason for robbing the H-Mart, kid?” The man asked casually, as they crossed down the block and into another street.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He stammered, heart starting to pound again.
Where was Beomgyu?? He said he’d be waiting- what if- what if something had happened to him, or someone had recognized him and he'd been taken in - maybe this man was here for Taehyun too- he couldn't be with Child Protective Services, could he? The suit was far too expensive for that-
It wasn’t until they made it to a deserted side street that Taehyun, panicking, wrenched his arm away. The man's light grip disappeared and Taehyun stumbled back until he was out of reach.
The stranger came to a stop on the sidewalk, holding up one hand, still relaxed. “A few tips, kid, cause there’s not gonna be someone to bail you out next time. It’s all about attitude. You gotta act like you own the place. No one will question you if you look confident enough. But if you’re scared and suspicious, people are gonna notice.”
Taehyun gaped at him. Was this guy... giving him advice on shoplifting?
“Go for less bulky items, like protein bars, and try to find packaging that doesn’t crinkle. And always buy something small too. It’s obvious if you just walk in, wander around, and walk out.”
Taehyun finally managed to nod, and the man looked satisfied. There was a dull buzzing noise as his phone went off in his pocket, insistent. The stranger sighed and dug it out.
His brow furrowed as he looked over the messages. “Wait, did you actually... text someone?”
Taehyun froze. “I... thought you were serious. Um, sorry?”
The man just huffed a laugh, scrolling through the char. Then his eyes narrowed as he saw what was likely the original messages and he turned a calculating look to Taehyun.
Oh shit, what if that had been like… top secret information? Never mind the fact that Taehyun had no idea who Anders even was, oh no-
Taehyun's breath caught as the harmless business man seemed to melt away, replaced with something dangerous and grim.
“Who are you with, kid?” he asked, voice sharp.
“What- I’m not with anyone!" Taehyun sputtered, his eyes wide. "I mean- Tomorrow X Together- or TXT I guess- but we’re just kids not a gang-”
The man’s expression eased somewhat. He pinned Taehyun with a piercing look.
“I’m sure you know the value of discretion.”
Taehyun nodded so frantically that he got dizzy. The man studied him for a moment longer and seemed to accept it, stepping back.
“Your mom sounds like a tough lady.” Taehyun blurted out, because apparently the adrenaline rush of the past few minutes had completely eradicated his filter.
The man rolled his eyes, shoulders relaxing. “It’s not actually-” he huffed.
“Taehyun!” Beomgyu’s frantic voice shouted, and there he was, jogging down the street towards them, panicked.
Oh thank god.
"That's my cue." The man tossed the other bag to Taehyun. “Have fun robbing convenience stores.” he said, with a sharp grin, and walked away.
“Have fun breaking kneecaps!” Taehyun called after him, before his brain could stop him, and oh geez he was gonna die, but the man just laughed as he disappeared around the corner.
“What happened?" Beomgyu demanded, breathing hard as he came to a halt next to Taehyun. "Who the hell was that?”
Taehyun gave a helpless shrug, looking down at the bags filled with items he hadn’t intended to get. “I... I don't know."
* * *
"We're back."
The door slammed shut and Seungmin and Hyunjin trooped into the entryway, tossing their shoes into the haphazard pile at the door.
Chan fought urge to sigh at the sight. This was why they were late to everything, honestly. Everyone had to root through the pile for matching shoes before they could leave (and they weren't always successful). He couldn't count all the times Jeongin had ended up going out with two mismatched shoes.
"How did it go?” He called, though he could already guess the answer given their expressions.
Seungmin sighed, flopping into the worn couch next to him. "Sorry, we lost them again."
"We had to wait for a full hour in that gross record store on tenth for the rain to let up." Hyunjin groaned. He tossed his satchel into the kitchen counter and dropped to lie face down on the carpet in the middle of the living room.
Chan would have been worried, if this wasn't a daily occurrence. He tossed him a pillow just in case he wanted it, cause that couldn't be comfortable for his neck, but the teen just let it bounce off him, unmoving.
"I lost track of them on the cameras too.” Changbin slammed his laptop shut and gave a frustrated huff, letting his head tip back against the couch. “I don't understand how they're so good at losing us."
Chan tapped at his knee, pensive. "Unless they live somewhere where cameras are scarce."
"Like... the east?" Seungmin said hesitantly.
"I hope not." Changbin muttered. "Dumb kids are gonna get themselves killed."
Seungmin looked so worried that Chan forced himself to smile, ruffling the younger teen's hair. "Don’t worry, they're strong kids."
And likely powered, he didn't mention. It was just a suspicion, after all. A very strong one.
"How many signatures did we get today?" he asked, not so subtlety changing the subject.
At the table surrounded by the petitions from that day, Jeongin and Felix shuffled through the papers, whispered for a moment.
The maknae winced, circling a number on his sheet and looking up again. "Um... four? But at least five others said they would consider it."
Minho whistled, not even opening his eyes. "Damn. Four is not good."
He was stretched out nearly the length of the second couch, much to Jisung's annoyance, who was also trying to occupy said couch, and had ended up squished in the corner. Jisung batted Minho's feet away from his phone for the third in as many minutes, glaring.
"But it's better than last time, hyung!" Felix offered.
That was true, at least. Maybe it had helped that they hadn't snuck into the government building to pester the politicians in their own offices this time.
How many "spontaneous" fire alarms could they get away with? Chan wondered. Probably not more than two. Three if they wanted to risk it. Certainly not any time soon, though.
“We’ll go back down on Wednesday when everyone gets off, see if we can catch people leaving the building.” Chan said, “All we need is twenty-five percent of the city council to sign to have it taken to the next phase."
“And then we have to get thousands of citizen signatures before we can even move to phase three: to get it presented to the provincial legislature." Changbin said bitterly. "After which- provided it's actually approved considering all the red tape there- we have to find a representative to make it into an actual bill and present it before the senate committee. Where it can be rejected easily like all the others before it even getting close to being passed."
Seungmin slumped even further into the couch and Jeongin stared at the petition forms, despondent.
“Hey, we’re not giving up." Chan insisted, voice firm. "This kind of talk isn’t helping anyone. We already got a thousand citizen signatures that we needed before we could go to the city council, remember? We once thought that was impossible. We’ll handle the rest when we get there.”
Hyunjin said something muffled into the carpet that not even Chan could decipher.
"That's right, Hyunjin." Felix said, brightly. "We're not giving up."
Hyunjin dragged his head off the ground just long enough to give Felix an unimpressed look that clearly communicated that was not what he had said, before he flopped down again.
"We're giving up," Minho spoke up, pushing himself upright, and Chan gaped at him, betrayed, until he went on, "But just for tonight. The petitions will still be there tomorrow."
Chan nodded, motioning at Jeongin and Felix to come join them. "Minho's right. Enough work talk, we all need a break."
The maknae's face lit up and he bounced into the living room. "Movie night?"
He squished into the couch with Chan, Seungmin, and Changbin, despite it being far too small for four people. Minho and Jisung managed to drag Hyunjin up off the floor to sit with them, and Felix curled into the armchair, pulling a throw blanket over himself. Jeongin dragged another throw over the four on the couch, ignoring the way Seungmin complained he was too hot.
Chan fiddled with the edge of the blanket, which was a deep maroon, velvety and soft, and very very unfamiliar. He narrowed his eyes, holding the corner up his face. The blanket was oversized and warm and fuzzy and frankly far too luxurious for their budget. In fact, Chan didn't think he'd ever seen it before today. He fought off a fond sigh, exasperated. Things had a strange habit of turning up in their apartment, groceries and toiletries, along with the kind of stuff they wanted but couldn't afford, like a fancy coffee machine (that Chan was pretty sure cost more than their monthly rent), and that gaming console that Felix had been pretending he wasn't eyeing longingly every time they walked back the electronics store on 4th.
"What are we gonna watch?"
Changbin cleared his throat. "I heard they released a new horror film-"
"No!" Chan and Felix shouted simultaneously.
He was not dealing with yet another night of eight teens trying to squish into one room, insisting that they sleep with all the lights on, jumping at every creak of their old apartment building, and whispering long into the night.
Changbin made a face. "Come on, I heard it's not even that scary-"
"That's what you said the last four times."
In an act of mercy, none of them mentioned that Changbin was usually the one who ended up not sleeping the whole night after, dragging someone with him if he had to walk down the dark hall alone to the bathroom.
"What about that superhero movie?" Jeongin offered, far too casually. "The one Hyunjin kept ranting about."
"Oh, Batman vs. Superman?" Felix asked, perking up.
Jeongin just HAD to bring that one up. He could see the maknae's smirk from here. Oh, he knew exactly what he was doing.
Sure enough, Hyunjin scoffed, leaning forward. "I can't believe they even made that film, that kind of a plot is that? Batman doesn't even have powers. It's not even close to being a balanced fight."
Jisung's jaw dropped and he shoved himself upwards on the cushions, affronted.
Not this again, Chan sighed, mentally resigning himself for a long night.
"Batman would beat Superman in a fight any day." Jisung exclaimed, "He doesn't need powers to kick Clark Kent's farmer ass-"
"Language." Minho muttered halfheartedly.
Hyunjin stabbed a finger in the direction of the TV. "Are you kidding? Superman has heat vision, and super-strength, and can fly! Bruce Wayne is just a human, it wouldn't even be a fight."
"He's a genius billionaire, he could invent anything he needs to beat Superman while Kent sits in his office typing up tabloids about himself-"
"Guys, please-" Chan tried to interrupt, but he was bulldozed over by Hyunjin's loud protests.
Jeongin was actually cackling as the two shouted back and forth, and even Felix looked fascinated, watching the debate with wide eyes.
"Don't hate just because Superman is an good guy- a superhero not a vigilante law breaker."
"At least Batman's fatal flaw isn't a literal rock!"
"It's his inability to process emotions in a healthy way." Jeongin whispered to Chan.
"At least Superman can speak without sounding like he gargled gravel-"
Minho groaned, reaching behind him to grab two of the couch cushions. He chucked them at Hyunjin and Jisung and nailed them both in the face, effectively shutting them up.
"Someone just play the movie!"
Jisung sputtered, but Changbin had already pulled up the film, and the movie's intro was beginning and Seungmin was shushing them all.
As the dramatic music began, Felix popped out of the armchair, running for the kitchen. "It's not a movie night without popcorn!"
"Don't burn it this time, Lix!" Chan called, more than a little concerned, but Jeongin was flopping into his shoulder, and Chan could finally feel his constantly racing thoughts beginning to slow, and surely Felix wouldn't burn popcorn for the third time in one week, right?
"I won't hyung, I swear."
Someone remind him not to believe Felix's promises, next time. At least when it came to popcorn.
* * *
Beomgyu lifted off the washcloth, and felt Soobin’s forehead again. Still too hot. The leader's feverish skin keeping heating the cloth too quickly, making it near useless for cooling him down. He handed it to Kai anyway to wring out and replace with fresh water, and moved on to Yeonjun.
The eldest, unlike Soobin, was colder than Beomgyu had ever witnessed him. Usually he was a veritable furnace- even without his powers he seemed to run warm- but the past few days his limbs were ice cold no matter how many blankets they heaped around him. It wasn’t unusual for illness to affect powered people in unexpected ways, causing unpredictable flare ups and dampened phases for their powers, and making them much harder to control. Beomgyu had plenty of experience with that.
Maybe he should just put one of Yeonjun’s hands on Soobin’s forehead; that might do the trick. Then again, they didn’t want a repeat of a few nights ago, when Yeonjun had given a particularly violent cough and the plastic figure of a purple and blue horse that Kai had picked out of a donations box and now sat on their shelf had melted.
“The cold medicine from the corner store hasn’t done anything.” he admitted, sitting back on his heels.
“We don’t even know what they have.” Taehyun whispered.
He was sitting on the other side of the boxcar, watching, his arms wrapped tight around his legs, chin resting on his knees.
Beomgyu shrugged. “The flu, probably. Maybe a bad strain of it.”
He sighed and pushed to his feet, joining the others at the cardboard box table. “Come on, let’s eat.”
It hadn't taken the eldest long to catch whatever Soobin had, as he'd been the one trying to nurse their leader back to health. But as the days passed, Soobin didn't seem to be getting any better, didn't show any sign of fighting off the illness. And now the two were both sick, spending most of their waking hours in a feverish sort of haze. And now everything was resting on Beomgyu, the younger two looking to him to get them all through this and how was he supposed to get them all through this when he didn't know the way?
They’d gotten lucky, running into whatever good samaritan had helped Taehyun that day. Otherwise, they would have run out of food several days ago.
Beomgyu hated this whole thing, hated that Soobin and Yeonjun were sick and suffering, hated that somewhere inside he was angry at them for it, for the responsibility that was on his shoulders now. The responsibility he was failing. He hated having to leave Kai and Taehyun- two fourteen year olds- alone in the boxcar all day struggling to look after their ill hyungs, and he hated trying so hard and yet coming back at dark with meager steals that were never enough and seeing Kai and Taehyun fighting to positive when they all knew nothing was getting better.
Kai startled, almost dropping his granola bar, when Yeonjun groaned and sat up. The eldest rubbed at his eyes, stilling in confusion when he caught sight of Beomgyu, Taehyun, and Kai huddled around the small lantern, eating.
“What's going on?”
Beomgyu was at his side in a moment.
“You’re sick hyung.” He said, pressing Yeonjun's shoulder back down gently. “Go back to sleep.”
“Soobin’s sick.”
“And so are you.” Beomgyu said patiently, “Sleep will help you feel better.”
Yeonjun blinked at them for several long moments, brow furrowed. “It’s late... You all should go to bed as well.”
“We will.”
“You need sleep, too.” The eldest insisted, blinking hard.
Beomgyu sighed and nodded his head, looking at the others. “Okay, okay, we’re going to sleep now too. Why don't you lie down again?"
The elder finally complied, mumbling words Beomgyu couldn't puzzle out as the three of them hurriedly finished their meager food and joined the others beneath the blankets.
It was sometime in the middle of the night that Beomgyu woke up to cold hands on his arm, and a familiar body pressed up against his own.
“What is it?” he muttered, still half asleep.
“It’s so cold.” Kai whispered.
It took him a moment to realize the youngest was shivering. It was cold, he realized, now that he was awake enough to think about it, much colder than usual in the boxcar. His nose felt almost numb.
“'Ur cold?” A voice mumbled and Yeonjun’s head poked out of the blankets.
“Don’t worry about it, go back to sleep, Yeonjunnie.” Kai whispered quickly.
“Wait, jus' give me a second.” There was some incoherent mumbling as the eldest fought his way out of the blankets and came to stand in the center of the boxcar.
“Hyung, what are you doing?” Beomgyu hissed. He threw the blankets off, balking as the frigid air hit him. Ah, damn, it really was freezing.
Yeonjun held out his hands, muttering to himself.
“Wait, I don’t think you should-” Kai began, clambering to his feet with wide eyes.
An explosion of flames billowed up from his hands, licking against the ceiling. The two cowered away from the sudden heat, Beomgyu yelling at Yeonjun to stop.
The flames cut off.
Beomgyu fought to catch his breath in the darkness and calm his racing heart. His face felt like it had been sunburned, and it took a long moment for him to blink the spots out of his eyes. Taehyun was awake now, sitting up, his panicked gaze darting between all of them.
This was exactly why Yeonjun was so careful with his powers; they could get out of control oh so easily.
Yeonjun was staring at his hands, eyes wide. “I’m sorry- I didn’t- I didn't mean to-”
“It’s okay hyung, you’re sick, we’re all fine, don’t worry.” Beomgyu soothed quickly.
Yeonjun still looked stricken. He took a single step forward and slumped. Kai darted forward just in time, snagging his arm before his head could slam into the side of the boxcar.
“Are you okay?” The youngest asked worriedly, hefting him upwards. The eldest was muttering to himself again, eyes flickering around.
Beomgyu pressed a hand against his forehead. He was still cold.
“Let’s get you back in bed.” He murmured.
While Kai was tucking the blankets around Yeonjun, Beomgyu checked up on Soobin, who'd somehow managed to sleep through the whole debacle. The boy was eerily still, face mushed into the pillows. Despite the heat he radiated, he was shivering. He hadn’t woken up today.
Beomgyu rocked back on his heels.
Shit.
They were going to run out of food soon. He didn’t want to make Taehyun try again after the disaster that was last time, and Kai’s powers were too unpredictable for him to be out and about right now. But Beomgyu wasn’t stealing enough on his own to support them all, and no one wanted him, a skinny teen that was clearly homeless, working odd jobs for them. They...they needed a big sum of money, enough to get the two eldest the medicine they needed, and more blankets to make sure they didn’t all freeze this winter, and real food for a while.
Beomgyu looked at Kai and Taehyun, who were both watching him, unconcealed worry shining in their eyes.
He’d had done more than pickpocket and shoplift, back when he was on the streets alone. Neither were a viable long term option when your freedom depended on avoiding security cameras at all costs.
.... It wasn’t hard to scope out an empty house and jimmy a lock.
Soobin would veto the idea immediately if he was coherent enough to speak right now, claim it was too much of a risk. But he wasn't the one watching his hyungs suffer from a mystery illness while the younger kids tried to pretend they weren't getting more scared and hungry with every day that passed by.
Soobin... Soobin would never have to know.
* * *
* * *