Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

*****

These are ideas, thoughts and questions that I wanted to share with y'all. 

So this idea has been percolating since, I dunno, like March of this year, I think? But since I had just become an SKZ fan back then, it wasn't something I wanted to run with, yet. Then I got started with Where I Belong and Trouble in Paradise and it got moved to the back burner. Actually, I totally forgot about it, if I'm being honest.

But the other day I was talking with my niece - who's a pretty big SKZ fan - and we started joking about superhero powers and our boys, and it all came flooding back. 😂📝❣️

With that said, I know there are some superhero kpop fics and I'm sure there's superhero SKZ fics out there…but if I attempted, and I *really* mean attempt. because to be honest, as much as I love a good superhero movie, I'm not sure what my skill set is to write/create an AU for such a theory, would y'all be interested/intrigued? I absolutely cannot guarantee that it will be good. 

I can build a world and create backstories and hand out super powers like Oprah can hand out super cool prizes…. But actually coming up with, detailing and designing and making a superhero/villain's type story come together and work? I'm not entirely sure. But I'm intrigued. 

And I may or may not have the beginnings of such an AU written in a separate doc that I could potentially be wheedled into sharing, to see what everyone else thinks of my backstories and ideas. 

And I may also have the beginnings of a story started. And maybe I'll work on it more once I get Trouble in Paradise squared away, if there's any interest. 

Mosaic _vine? Sraza? Anyone? Thoughts? Ideas? Yay? Nay? Suggestions? 😅📝🥰

I mean, the real question is, am I the only one who thinks Jisung would be Chan's biggest fan? Forget Innie's obsession with Trouble in Paradise, this kid thought Chan was the *bees' knees* and he took his adoration to some wild levels. Think Incredi-Boy from The Incredibles…

C'mon, am I right? 😂 

(And unlike Incredi-Boy, Jisung *obviously* does not turn to a life of crime) 

“I didn't let the Hanzaki Bandit get away! It was an accident! I didn't know Chan-hyung didn't need my help!” - Jisung, sometime last year.

Chapter Text

*****

“Stay back!”

“But I can help!”

“ No ! Stay back!” Chan glared across the alleyway at the earnest little face, mentally face palming when the kid took another step towards him.

“But sunbaenim, I promise I can-”

“Aish! Kid, move back !” Chan wrestled the scrawny thief in his arms back into submission. The police would be there soon and-

Something hit his shoulder. 

He lost his grip, the beady eyed bandit sliding to the ground. Chan tripped the greasy haired man before he could get too far-

“I didn't mean for that to happen!” The teenager was suddenly at his shoulder, and he missed his chance to grab the bandit.

He glared at the kid. “That's why I told you to stay back!” Guilt coursed through him as the words left his mouth and he gently clapped the kid on the shoulder. “Sorry, but this is dangerous. I need to-”

“He won't get far, hyung-nim! I bet I can catch up to him!”

Hyung-nim?!

“No, I never said-” Reaching out, Chan snagged the kid by the arm and pulled him in close. He pushed him down onto the curb and leaned down to be eye to eye. “Stay! Do you hear me? Don't. Move.”

The kid nodded, just as a rush of anxiety flooded Chan's chest. He pushed it away, now was not the time, and gave the kid one more look before taking off after the Hanzaki Bandit. 

**********

“That sounds an awful lot like you let the bandit get away,” Hyunjin scoffed.

“I did not!” 

“You threw a water bottle that hit Channie-hyung and made him lose his grip on the bad guy. I'd call that your fault. What do you think, Binnie-hyung? I mean, it sounds like-” Innie was cut off by Jisung's yelp.

“Hyyyunnng!! Tell them it's not true!”

“Sungie, I just told them the story-”

“And it sounds like you let the bandit get away. Sorry, Sung,” Changbin said with a shrug. 

“I didn't let the Hanzaki Bandit get away! I didn't know Chan-hyung didn't need my help! ”

Chapter Text

***

BRRRAAAPPPP!!

Chan startled, the alarm exploding by his ear. He ducked low and moved quietly across the room, heading for the showroom. A flash of motion caught his eye, seconds before something small and solid slammed into him. 

The form yelped and stumbled back, a shaky litany of apologies tumbling from the shadowy figure. The voice came from much lower to the ground than Chan expected, moments before a teenager materialized in the faint moonlight.

“Whoa, mate. Take a breather, yeah?” Chan whispered. 

Because despite the information that had brought him here, it was obvious, this was no thief.

“Can't. I-I can't. The alarm, and they're gonna find out and it's all my fault and everyone's always mad.” The boy was sucking in gulps of air around his teary explanation and Chan instinctively wrapped an arm around the kid. 

“Stay low. Let's get you out of here, yeah?” 

He led the way out of the jewelry store,  back through the dark alley, and to the van he had parked a few streets over. He kept the boy tucked safely under his arm until they were inside the vehicle, where he wrapped him up in one of Minho's cat blankets. 

“Hey,” he said after starting the van, “what's a nice kid like you doing in a place like that, huh?” He grinned softly, sitting across from the blonde and offering him water from the stockpile Minho insisted they have. 

Big brown eyes blinked up at him, fear and worry staring from deep inside. The boy didn't take the water; he hadn't moved since Chan had set him in the seat minutes before. 

About to try another tactic, where was Minho when he needed him anyway, when the kid pulled the blanket tighter around him, took a deep breath and fairly exploded.

“They told me to steal the diamonds and I tried, I really did, but I'm no good at it! I don't know how to properly steal and they're always mad at me and I don't want to be a thief but that's what the family does and they're gonna be so angry . I got in and I got real close and I don't know how I set the alarm off, but I did and they won't care that I almost did the job, and you aren't going to tell the police are you?”

Chan blinked a few times in both surprise and confusion, it taking a minute for the words to fully register. Once they did, a rush of emotion he was about seven months familiar with, flooded his chest and squeezed his heart. 

“I'm not calling the police,” he said softly, “my name’s Chan. What's yours?”

It took a few minutes, Chan figuring the kid had simply run out of words. The boy just stared at him, pulling the blanket impossibly tighter for another long moment before finally answering. “Felix.”

“Alright, Felix. You hungry, mate?”

The teenager nodded. Slowly, cautiously. 

“Alright, then. I know a place.” 

Chan moved to the driver's seat, glancing back at the kid a few times. Once buckled, lights on and ready to go, he again looked at the boy, this time in the rearview. He blamed that on Jisung, the excessive checking in, he never knew what that kid was gonna do. 

And he started in surprise. Blinking rapidly, absolutely confused, he turned to look fully at the boy. Felix was looking back at him, big eyes still wide and sad. 

He forced himself to smile. “Ready?”

The kid nodded and Chan turned back around, putting the van in gear. 

Maybe he was more tired than he realized. He could've sworn he'd seen a cat where Felix was sitting. 

************

“You didn't realize? Hyung, it was so obvious!”

“It's not like I was expecting to run into another super skilled teenager, Sung.” Chan said with a sigh. 

“You didn't know either, Sungie, don't pick on hyung,” Changbin said, rolling his eyes as he stuffed an entire piece of baklava in his mouth. 

“Don't eat it all, Binnie-hyung! I haven't had any yet!” Innie cried, shoveling the last of his tteokbokki in his mouth.

“Yah! Slow down, maknae! There's enough to go around!” Minho scolded half-heartedly, pulling the plate of baklava away from Changbin.

“I still don't understand why you didn't tell Chan-hyung about your superpower. You knew they were superheroes, why keep it a secret?” Hyunjin asked, forehead wrinkled in confusion. 

“You should've kept it a secret forever, hyung. You could so use it to your advantage.” Seungmin observed from where he sat on Chan-hyung's lap.

“It wasn't that easy-” Felix started, glancing at Chan.

“He was scared. He liked us right away, especially me, but his family wasn't nice. He even cried that first day, when Binnie-hyung hugged him. Didn't he?”

Felix squawked, reaching over to smack Jisung. “I didn’t cry , Han Jisung! I was really, really happy. And my eyes watered a little.” Jisung snorted and Felix smacked him again. “It can so happen! Hyunnnng!!!”

Chapter Text

***

Chan never had a problem being backup. Never had a problem helping to restore order in any way he was needed. That was his whole purpose as a superhero. 

So when he arrived at the house of the beom-in, Hyun Yuja, he was prepared to work with the Bam-Ihada Clan to bring the man to justice.

He'd been standing in the semi dark, just inside the window, ready for Lee Hana, leader of the clan to make his move. 

He was not, however, ready for someone to tumble down from the rafters.

The small figure shrieked as it fell, landing on Yuja’s bed, just inches from the man himself. 

Hyun Yuja rolled to the side, shouting out orders, and the bedroom door was flung open. Chan recognized at least two of the four men that came rushing in as members of Yuja's personal security.

Lee Hana’s members materialized then, descending from the shadows and dark corners of the room, immediately engaging Yuja's thugs, and Chan moved silently, ready to assist where needed.

The small form on the bed - a teenager, Chan was guessing, struggled to stand in the pile of thick blankets, as the beom-in pulled a rather large knife from under his pillow and pointed it at him.

The kid tried to move away from Yuja as the man advanced on him, but he stumbled over a pillow. Chan shot across the floor, jumping up and over the footboard, his custom bo staff in hand. He drew Yuja's attention away from the younger with an off handed comment about the inability of his thugs to protect him, and tried to ignore the thud from behind him. 

“Ninja, indeed.” Yuja scoffed, advancing towards Chan. 

*************

“Wow, Innie-ah, you really were a horrible ninja!” Seungmin said incredulously, grinning a bit evilly.

“Shut up, Seungmin, hyung said we were all still learning when he found us!” Innie snapped, crawling across the couch and into Chan's lap.

“You fell off the bed, Innie, after falling from the rafters. It's a good thing Channie-hyung was there to save you,” Jisung stated from where he was curled up next to Minho on the opposite couch.

“Be nice to our maknae,” Minho ordered, poking the teenager’s arm, “you weren't exactly peaches and cream when you first got here.”

Jisung pouted up at him. “You weren't even here when I first got here,” their resident Energizer bunny muttered against his hyung's shoulder.

“I've heard the stories, Sung-ah,” Minho said, ruffling the boy’s hair.

“I don't understand how you just walked out of there with Innie, without the Bam-Ihada Clan having an issue,” Hyunjin said from where he lay on the floor, his head in Changbin's lap. He looked over at Chan, then up at Changbin. “Do you, hyung?”

Changbin shrugged, leaning back on his hands and studying their leader. “I think Chan-hyung is persuasive…and if that didn't work, I'd guess he just told them he was taking him.”

Felix snorted softly from the other side of Chan. “So you're a kidnapper, hyung?”  

Chan gently cuffed Felix across the head. “I didn't kidnap any of you, you little brat. Aish.”

“Then how?” Hyunjin asked again, “Lee Hana is so not someone I'd mess with.”

Chan sighed, looking fondly at the maknae in his arms. “I just suggested that they didn't deserve our Innie-ah and said he could come home with me. No one argued.”

Seungmin moved from the recliner, to join Minho and Jisung on the couch. “No one argues with you, hyung. Except Sungie.”

“Hey! You argue too! A lot! And I'm not that bad…not anymore!” Jisung cried, shifting to sit upright, “and this isn't about me! It's about Innie and his klutziness!!”

“Hyuuunnngs! I could've taken that guy, really I could've. But then my foot got stuck in the blanket, and I fell off the bed…and, well it's not my fault I hit my head on the dresser…”

Chapter Text

****

Chan ran into the rundown factory building, jumping over broken glass and debris. He was glad he'd worn his thick old combat boots to this call, even though Jisung insisted they were ugly and so not in fashion, hyung, Chan loved them for moments such as these.

The sound of yelling had him detouring through the back and to the right. He had just ducked under a large piece of falling plaster, when an ungodly yowl echoed through the empty building, followed by an angry shout.

“ I did not yowl , hyung. If you insist on telling this story, please tell it correctly .”

“ I never said you yowled, Min,” Chan said with a sigh, “just that I heard a yowl .”

“Continue.”

Following the direction the sound had come from, Chan pushed the half open door to his right and charged in, only to stop short. 

There were three officers, most of whom he knew - and one well known, self proclaimed, rubber limbed vigilante. 

Known as Lee Know, Lee Minho, and once even, Lino Ring , by Jisung when they were watching a news bit, the young man had a few less complimentary monikers among the local law enforcement.

Detective Kamora, a rather large beast of a man, whom Chan liked fairly well, despite the man's overall gruffness, held tightly to the young man’s upper arms.

“What's going on, Detective?” Chan asked, stepping further into the room and nodding at the other officers.

“We lost another one. You know as well as I do, Chan-ah, that this kid's always interfering with our takedowns. And today is the last straw.” 

Chan understood. He'd had a few run-ins with the younger and had recently taken a firmer stance. Jisung had taught him that was sometimes necessary too, and just last week, after a mission that had almost gone south, he'd lectured the younger as he'd led the way to the corner deli. ‘Laws and rules pertain to everyone, Minho-ssi. Even pink haired vigilantes with a habit of getting in the way.’

“I did not get in the way , hyung! Please stop embellishing the story. I did quite well. Most of the time.”

“I literally saved you from being deposited -indefinitely!- in jail , Minho-yah.”

“Go on.”

Chan stepped closer to the duo. “What are you planning to do, Detective?”

Minho wriggled in Detective Kamora’s hold and the man gave the younger a little shake. “Obstruction and interfering, in this case, is going to carry jail time. Maybe that'll teach him to mind the law.”

Struggling again, and sliding - rather comically - from the detective’s hold, Minho winced when the man gripped him tighter, demanding that he ‘pull himself together’.

“I was not in pain. I was annoyed that the man wouldn't let go. He smelled very much like tobacco and chicken, it was terribly offensive.”

“Detective Kamora outweighs the both of us, by a good 120 pounds, Minho-yah. I'm quite certain his grip on your arms was painful. Are you done?”

“I suppose. You may finish.”

Looking from Minho to the Detective, and trying to ignore the annoyed stares of the others, Chan let out a soft sigh. “What if I take him with me, keep him on….house arrest?”

“Why would you want to do that, Chan-ah? There's no guarantee you can make him stay.”

Stepping even closer, Chan reached out to set a hand on Minho's shoulder. “I think the two of us can come to an agreement.” 

Detective Kamora's face didn't change, didn't soften, but after a moment, he nodded. He reluctantly let go of the younger’s shoulders and pushed him fully into Chan's arms. “Good luck, Chan-ah. I wish you the best, but I think he just might bounce on you.”

**************

“Did Minho-hyung stay?” Hyunjin asked, flopping down on the bottom bunk and landing on Jisung, who promptly shoved him off.

“He's here , hyung, obviously he stayed.” Seungmin scoffed. He rolled his eyes as he spun himself around in his desk chair.

“I know that ,” Hyunjin said, from where he was half on, half off the bed.

“Why haven't we met Detective Kamora, hyung?” Innie asked from the top bunk, where he was laying across Changbin's legs, “he seems nice.”

“He was not nice, maknae-yah. You really don't want to meet him.” Minho said from Innie's actual bed, across the room.

“I dunno, hyung. He let Channie-hyung bring you here after you messed up their takedown. That seems pretty nice.” Changbin observed, as he tickled the maknae.

Huffing, Minho glared at Chan who was sitting in the middle of the floor, Felix stretched out next to him. The teenager’s head was in his lap and Chan was running his fingers through the shapeshifter's hair.

“Glare at me all you want, Min. Binnie’s right. The Detective didn't have to say yes.”

“No one answered my question!” Hyunjin whined, “did Minho-hyung stay ?”

“Mostly,” Chan answered, winking at his tallest dongsaeng. 

“Ugh, hyung . Why must you torment me? I stayed. I only went on a few... unsanctioned missions.”

“You nearly fell off the Sunset Tower when you tried to take out Dr. Telerhk without backup.” Chan half growled, one eyebrow raised.

“But he had me with him!!” Jisung gleefully exclaimed, from where he hung upside down off the bed next to Hyunjin. 

“Without permission!” Chan yelped, “absolutely not the takeaway you were supposed to have from that situation!” 

“You didn't kill them, hyung?” Felix asked from his lap, eyes wide in surprise. 

“He did,” Jisung answered ruefully, but there was a glint in his eyes, “and Minho-hyung only sulked for a few days.”

‘I did not,” Minho argued, flopping sideways onto the bed, “I was simply…resting.”

Chan sighed softly, still threading his fingers through Felix's hair. He looked around the room at his dongsaengs, smiling softly at both Innie and Seungmin when their slightly worried gazes met his. 

He glanced back at Minho and beckoned him close. His oldest’s eyes lit up and the young man slid off the bed and crossed the floor, where he curled up in the available space in Chan's lap. 

Grinning softly down at Minho, he ran his free hand over the once-a-vigilante’s fringe, the younger giving a slightly annoyed huff back at him.

“Don't read anything into this, hyung. I told you I'm part cat.”

Chapter Text

*****

Chan hated everything about this part of town. And he especially hated this building. He preferred to stay clear of anything to do with the Green Viper Dojo. 

But Jisung had been so sure that this was where Baek Yong was going to be finalizing his latest deal, and then Minho had added his intel - that he'd heard the deal was being made with a minor.

And maybe that made Chan's blood boil even more now than it would've four months and two dongsaengs ago. The very same dongsaengs he'd had to threaten with consequences if they tried to follow him. Because there was absolutely no way he was bringing his kids with him to deal with one of the city’s darkest criminal minds. 

††

The hallway leading downstairs to the ‘workout rooms’ was just as dimly lit as it was every time he'd had the unfortunate need to be here. He crept quietly along the wall once he'd reached the bottom, following the muffled sounds of people talking.

Baek Yong’s voice was unmistakable and as he got closer, Chan was able to tell which room the man's voice was coming from. He stopped in front of the closed door, stealing himself for the confrontation to come. He took a deep breath and put his hand on the doorknob- only to freeze as another voice he recognized came from inside. 

What in the world was Seo Jae ’s kid doing here? The famous prize fighter had met an untimely end the year before, trying to stop a mugging, but Chan had run into his son a few times in town, and once while on a mission. Chan had been a bit concerned then, but the young man had assured him during lunch that he was doing alright, and Chan had believed him. 

Jisung had been bouncing off the walls that day, from the Expresso Chan hadn't realized the kid had ordered, and he may've been a little distracted. But none of that explained why the young fighter was here . 

‘Hyung, he's making that deal with a minor.’ Minho's voice echoed back to him.  

A minor . 

That foolish kid was here to make a deal with Baek Yong?!

The door slammed off the wall as Chan shoved it open, and he stormed into the room, startling both occupants. 

“ Sunbaenim ?!” the younger of the two yelped, stepping away in surprise. He bumped into the desk beside him and it slid across the floor with a screech.

Baek Yong snorted softly, arms crossing his chest as he leaned back in his chair. 

Ignoring the man for the time being, Chan had dealt with him enough to know he wasn't a threat at the moment, he turned to glare fiercely at the younger. “Seo Changbin, what the hell are you doing here!?”

The younger didn't have a chance to respond before Yong was speaking, nonchalantly waving one hand in the air.  “You young men, barging in, rattling the walls. So unprofessional. What is it you want this time? I'm fairly certain I haven't broken any laws recently.”

Resisting the urge to snarl at the man, it wouldn't do any good, he was right after all. Conversing with someone, in his own business, wasn't illegal. Chan turned just slightly to look at Yong, and pointed at Changbin, who was pushing the desk back where it belonged. “I want him . You cannot have the city's youth any time you want.”

A glint ran through the older man's eyes and Chan fought off the shiver it sent through him. Despite his blase attitude, the man was absolutely the most dangerous criminal Chan had ever met. 

“Seo Changbin is not a child , Chan. And he came to me .”

“I saw an advertisement!” Changbin interjected, wincing when Chan shot him an unimpressed look, “I needed the money, sunbaenim!” he added, voice just this side of a whine.

“The city has plenty of other available employment opportunities, Changbin and this is not one of them.”

“You hurt my feelings, Chan-ah. We run a good dojo here,” Yong said, leaning forward and interlacing his fingers on the desk in front of him. 

The shiver ran down Chan’s spine again and he pointed at the younger once more. “Out. Now . Let's go.”

††

“You can't make me!” Changbin pulled away from Chan, his elbow connecting with the wall behind him. No one acknowledged the hole the motion caused, Chan simply staring at the kid in frustration.

“I think I can,” he stated a moment later, moving to take the young fighter’s elbow, grip unrelenting. He looked over his shoulder at the criminal lord as he moved them both towards the door. “There is no deal to be had here, Baek Yong. My dongsaeng and I are leaving .” 

Chan tugged the younger out of the workout room, down the hall, and away from the most rotten man Chan had ever had the displeasure of knowing.

“Whaaat? I'm not yours , sunbaenim! Baek Yong and I had a deal! You can't-”

Chan gently shook the young man, then pulled him closer to his side. “I certainly can stop you from making an absolutely terrible mistake, Seo Changbin,” Chan whispered firmly, looking the fighter in the eye, “that man is a criminal of the worst caliber, and this is not what your father would've wanted for you and you know it.”

Chan's newly acquired dongsaeng frowned at him, very nearly stomping his foot. Chan almost snorted as he watched the abortive motion. “ Sunbaenim ! He was going to pay me handsomely! I need that!”

Chan just shook his head in response. He led them up the stairs, out the front door and down the concrete steps. 

Pausing in front of the van, Chan turned to again look the young man in the eye.  “Not anymore you don't. Don't you ever come back here again, Seo Changbin. That man is dangerous. ”

********

“How did you not know who Baek Yong was?” Innie asked in awe, leaning over the back of the seat, to glomp onto Changbin in the middle seat. 

They were in the van, waiting for the pizza Jungeun had ordered for them.

“I'd heard of him, Innie-ah,” Changbin shrugged, reaching back to ruffle the maknae's hair, “but I really didn't know how bad the man was.”

Chan turned in the front seat, one eyebrow raised as he pinned his second oldest with a look. 

“I didn't , hyung! How many times do I have to tell you?!” the fighter asked, pouting back at Chan.

“Did that look work any better on him back then?” Minho snorted from Changbin's right.

Changbin elbowed Minho and the older pinched him back. 

Jisung giggled from where he was leaning against Changbin's other side. “The entire city knows who Baek Yong is, Binnie-hyung.”

Changbin jostled his shoulder, Jisung's head bouncing a bit. “I didn't know , Sung.”

“I think hyung would've killed me if I'd been doing something like that when he found me,” Hyunjin said, leaning against the window, eyes closed. Some missions tired the lanky teenager more than others. 

“I didn't kill him,” Chan sighed from up front, “I was concerned about him. But we're family now, yeah? Don't any of you get any ideas!”

Seungmin smirked from the front passenger seat. “Aww, hyung! We just made a deal and everything!” he joked, only to yelp when Chan half-heartedly smacked his knee.

“Not funny, kid. Baek Yong is not a joke . Do you hear me?” Chan eyed the boys, one by one. 

They nodded, Felix glancing from Changbin to Chan and back again. “Binnie-hyung, you said you needed the money. Were you doing ok back then?”

Changbin turned to look back at the shapeshifter, a grin playing on his lips. “I did really well, Lixie. The money was sooo worth it.”

Chan cleared his throat pointedly.

“Most of the time,” Changbin amended, winking at the blonde. 

“Seo Changbin!”

“ But hyung! Don't you understand? It's not like I went looking for the unlawful jobs, they found me! It's totally different !”

Chapter Text

***

Chan made his way through the small, crowded cafe. It was a popular place, their inexpensive lunch choices and slightly off beat decor making them a hit with both the older and younger crowds.

He headed for the back, near the kitchen. The staff always kept to themselves and never bothered him, and the angle gave him a good vantage point of the entire building. 

He'd gotten an email from Wang Do-yun just yesterday. The man was a bottom feeder informant, dabbling in all sorts of minor criminal activities. He loved to tell anyone who'd pay a few won all about whatever he knew. 

A coffee, donut and a couple hundred won later, he'd told Chan about a deal that made the superhero’s skin crawl. 

Do-yun’s intel that Park Bitgaram, an underground crime boss Chan hadn't heard from in years, was surfacing to make a deal with a local inventor seemed unlikely and yet, concerning. Do-yun was slimy, but he was very rarely wrong. 

The whole plan, as it were, reminded him a bit too much of Bin’s almost deal with Baek Yong and that was something he never wanted to see happening again. But something itched at his chest, something telling him to be careful, more aware, and more alert than he already was.

“Can I have a glass of water, please?”

Chan's gaze snapped to the left. He recognized that voice. He'd run into the teenager a few times now, always in the middle of trying out some invention.

The kid was an inventor…

No. 

The boy was super smart and his inventions - the ones he managed to get off paper, were whacky, but harmless - the pink trees were one of the kid's more memorable creations. So maybe he wasn't here for a meeting with a crime boss whose history involved concrete shoes and crow bars. 

But what if he was? 

Chan pushed himself off the wall he'd been leaning against and headed back across the diner to a table near the window. He slid onto the bench across from the gangly teenager and gave the startled younger a quick grin. “Hey, kid.” 

Blinking in surprise, the kid shoved a pile of papers to the side and dropped an arm on top. “Sunbaenim!” he exclaimed, “w-what are you doing here?”

“Funny, I was gonna ask you the same thing. What's all this?” Chan asked, waving a hand in the direction of the half hidden papers.

Hyunjin shook his head, trying to push the papers closer to the window and further under his arm. “Nothing, sunbaenim. It really isn't.”

Something shimmered over the young inventor’s arm, obscuring the papers for a split second. It was gone in an instant, and Chan wasn't sure he'd actually seen anything at all, other than an odd bit of sunlight. He raised an eyebrow then, he'd found it helpful with stubborn dongsaengs, and he waited for just a moment before asking, “are you sure about that Hyunjin-ah?”

The younger looked down at the table, tracing the lines on the tabletop. He shrugged, glancing out the window, before bringing his gaze up to meet Chan’s. 

“I'm not doing anything wrong. I just…my inventions work, sunbaenim. But only when I'm not the one to build them.” The boy sounded more desperate than anyone his age should and Chan felt a familiar pang in his chest. “And there's people that will buy them. And they will pay. And sunbaenim, I've been…well, I'm hungry.”

The pang tightened. Chan had been watching the kid for some time, but he had parents and a home, and he'd felt it wasn't his place. But this, this changed things. 

“Where are your parents, Hyunjin?” Chan infused some authority into his tone. He'd asked him this before, but the boy always evaded answering. 

Wide eyes stared up at him, but the teen didn't answer. 

“Hwang Hyunjin,” Chan ordered softly, “where are they?”

He was quiet for a bit of time, a waitress delivering Hyunjin’s water while Chan waited. “They left,” the boy finally muttered, “and they gave me the cottage, but I don't have a job! I have to eat, sunbaenim, and Mr. Park said he’d pay-” the teenager snapped his mouth closed at the dark look Chan leveled on him. 

 Oh hell no. Not on Chan's watch. 

*******

“Park Bitgaram?!” Innie's eyes were wide as saucers as he swung back and forth on the swing in front of Jungeun's house, “Jinnie-hyung, that man is dangerous.”

Hyunjin darted a glance at Chan before answering. The elder gave a soft grin from where he sat in a large rocker on the porch, Felix curled up next to him. 

“I know that now, Innie. Unlike Binnie-hyung though, I really didn't know back then,” Hyunjin scoffed, “I just knew he was going to pay me, and I was hungry.” 

“I didn’t know Baek Yong was that bad!” Changbin whined, pulling up a handful of grass and tossing it in Hyunjin's direction, “and I was hungry too!” he added, flopping over and almost landing in Jungeun's sunflower patch.

“But you said you made lots of money back then, hyung,”  Jisung snorted, dangling off a large branch in the tree above Changbin, “so were you lying to us, or were you lying to Channie-hyung?”

“Pick your poison,” Minho taunted over the top of his glass of lemonade, “but I wouldn't want to be you right now.”

“This isn't supposed to be about me!” Changbin grumbled, eyeing Chan warily, “Jinnie almost made a deal with a known mafia boss!”

“Unintentionally,” Seungmin snarked, dropping to the ground and almost landing on Bin's legs. His hands were full of homemade cookies Jungeun had bought from the bakery down the street. “You did it on purpose.”

“Boys,” Jungeun called. He sat with Minho at the small patio table on the other side of his garden. “I'm curious to know when your hyung discovered our Jin-ah’s power?”

Laughter bubbled from within the tree and Jisung swung down, landing just shy of Seungmin's fingers. He jumped over Changbin and bounced into Jungeun’s lap. “He didn't,” Jisung giggled, “Lixie did!”

‘The pink makes the trees just that much prettier, don't you think? I think lots of things should be pink and maybe yellow. What do you think, sunbaenim?’

Chapter Text

***

It had been one of those missions that wore him out and made him feel old and tired. More tired than anyone in their mid twenties was supposed to feel, he was sure. 

The ride home had been rough. Their maknae was beyond tired, and he'd been grumpy as anything. No one was safe from his snappy-ness, and while Jisung and Hyunjin had both managed to ignore the cranky teen, Felix had burst into tears.  Minho had jumped to Felix's defense, scolding their youngest with gusto, who then also started crying. 

Jisung had climbed over the middle seat to soothe Felix, making Chan’s heart jump to his throat. He'd scolded Jisung while Hyunjin giggled, his third oldest so tired that nearly anything anyone said was making him laugh. Anything.

By the time he pulled the van into the apartment complex's parking lot - Changbin whining about how hungry he was about to push Chan over the edge - Felix and Innie were both nearly asleep. The older boys tumbled out of the van, Changbin grabbing Innie and tossing him over his shoulder, Minho half supporting Felix as they headed upstairs. 

Jungeun met them at the door, taking Innie from Changbin and carrying him off to the living room, calling over his shoulder for Minho to bring Felix and for Changbin to get some tea going. Chan brought up the rear, his arms around Sungie and Jinnie, softly suggesting that they hit the shower while he checked on the youngers.

The two had nodded, and Chan had headed for the living room, only to change direction when Jungeun-hyung called out- “Chan-ah! Make sure Bin doesn't burn down the kitchen!”

And when he entered the kitchen, he found his second oldest sitting on the counter, watching his phone and eating apple crisps, the teapot overflowing in the sink and the burner on, unoccupied. 

He sighed. Kids.

He was definitely ordering out tonight.

§

Later that evening, Chan stepped into the boy's favorite pizza shop, the one down on the corner of Sonamu and Kkul, where he was expecting nothing more than to pay for his order and take his bounty home to his overtired family. 

But the scene that met him, almost had him turning around and walking away.

Almost. 

He was a superhero after all, yeah? 

But he'd really just wanted to get his 2 large pepperoni, 2 Hawaiians and one vegetable (Jungeun-hyung’s choice, the man was more than a little determined to get extra vegetables in the kids any which way he could), and go home. 

But that was unlikely since the shop worker was hiding behind the counter, and a teenager Chan had never seen before was standing in the middle of the room. The kid's hands were wrapped tightly around the wrists of what Chan assumed was a would-be thief, if the knife that lay on the ground a few feet away was any indication. 

“Sunbaenim!” the teenager called and Chan looked behind him, hoping against all hope that the kid wasn't talking to him. He didn't even know the boy. Sunbaenim, his foot!

But there was no one there. 

Sighing, he looked across the shop. “Do you need help?” he asked, moving closer, while keeping an eye out for any more trouble. 

The dark blond teenager shook his head. “Not really. But do you have a phone? Can you call the authorities?”

Blinking in confusion, Chan just stared for a moment. 

“Sunbaenim? I'd appreciate it if you could call. I don't usually need help, but I lost my phone in the struggle.” 

Nodding, Chan took his phone from his pocket and then looked at the teenager and the would-be thief. “Are you sure you don't want help? I'm sure we could find some rope-”

“No, thank you. I've got him,” the young hero said, readjusting his grip. The thief struggled then and the teenager moved with him, a fluid motion that was rather impressive, Chan had to admit. 

“Alright, hubaenim. I'll call.” Chan agreed, hitting one of the most used numbers in his phone. 

The kid smiled. “Thank you.”

§

“So you've just been running around Seoul, freelancing your services?” Chan asked, sipping at his cup of tea. 

The boy nodded, munching on the pizza Chan had offered after the authorities had taken the thief away. He'd had to wait for his remaining two pizzas anyway, so why not? 

“You're awfully young-”

“I'm good at what I do. I don't need any help,” the young hero said, throwing a dark look at Chan.

Chan's eyebrow rose at the tone. “I never said you weren't good at what you do. I made a statement-”

“I registered two weeks ago.” the blond countered as he finished his slice of pizza.

“You've got a super power?” Chan couldn't help but sound surprised. 

He was surprised.

The young man nodded, but didn't elaborate, simply swiping a cookie from the box on the table. (Chan had seen them on the counter, what was he supposed to do, not bring them home for the boys?)

He looked at the teen for another moment and then sighed. “What's your name, kid?”

“Seungmin.”

**†**

“Wait. So when Seungmo took out a bad guy by himself, he got pizza and cookies, but when I did it, Channie-hyung about killed me. How is that fair?!” Jisung pouted, taking the bowl of ice cream Jungeun handed him. He sat down at the kitchen table next to Hyunjin, half glaring at Chan.

“But you didn't take out the bad guy, Sung, you let them get away.” Changbin stated, sitting across from Jisung and shoveling a spoonful of ice cream in his mouth.

Jisung let out an absolutely offended noise. “Well, me and Minho-hyung got Dr. Telerhk and Chan-hyung-”

Minho threw a dark look Jisung's way - eight months later and Chan's oldest still hated talking about what happened that night - and Jisung shoved another bite in his mouth. 

“But hyung, Sungie's not really wrong,” Hyunjin said, quirking an eyebrow in Chan's direction, “you didn't get mad at Seungmin and he totally took the bad guy out by himself.”

Sighing, Chan ignored Hyunjin, taking the bowl Jungeun handed him and sliding it across the table to Felix, who had just sat down. “I didn't even know him! All I wanted to do was get pizza. Seungmo had taken the thief down and-” Chan handed Minho the next bowl, “I just called the police. Quit glaring at me Han Jisung, or I'll take that ice cream and eat it all myself,” Chan snapped, leveling a dark look on his first and most spoiled child.

Jisung gasped, grabbing his bowl and pulling it possessively closer. “It's just not fair, hyung,” he muttered, elbowing Hyunjin when the older boy poked him in the cheek, “he's younger than me.”

“I'm well aware of both your ages, Han Jisung, and if you don't quit whining-” Chan's threat was cut off.

“What does fair have to do with anything? Or age? I can handle myself. I wasn't even in any trouble,” Seungmin scoffed, stirring his chocolate ice cream into just cream, while looking at Jisung, knowing full well he was poking the bear, “not all of us struggle to-

“Kim Seungmin, don't you dare finish that sentence.” It was Jungeun-hyung, and when he sounded like that, the boys knew better than to push him.

“You didn't need my help when we first met, kiddo. But there have been a few close calls since, yeah?” Chan asked, turning when Innie stumbled into the kitchen, rubbing sleep from his eyes. Chan pulled the boy into his lap, kissing the side of his head.

“The Juridym Research Facility ring any bells?” Changbin piped up, yelping when Jungeun-hyung smacked his shoulder. 

‘But I really didn't need anyone. There's been some less than ideal situations and sometimes I have to work my way through them. But, I suppose..well. Thank you.’

Chapter Text

***

It was dark and creepy and honestly, rather disgusting in the dark alley behind the Park-Dong Warehouse district, the rundown and abandoned sweatshops looming eerily in the moonlight. 

And maybe, if Chan was being honest with himself, he shouldn't have brought any of the boys with him. But the call that the Hanzaki Bandit had robbed a small bank at the corner of the district was fairly low key, as missions went. 

He certainly hadn't felt the need to have backup, but it was a good training opportunity for the boys, with a criminal he'd had numerous run-ins with and knew he could handle. 

After a quick debate, he'd decided to take Jisung, for the simple reason that he couldn't trust the boy to stay, if Minho wasn't there to wrangle him, and he was taking Minho. His oldest needed to learn how to follow the law in cases such as these. 

And if he'd left Changbin home with the rest, he was absolutely certain the fighter would have left for some reason, taking an over eager maknae with him and then given Chan some outrageous excuse. ‘I had to take him, hyung, how else could I keep an eye on him!?’

And Chan had no time or patience for the possibility of one mission turning into two when something went wrong with Changbin's inevitable unsanctioned leave.

Now they were moving as quickly as he dared, while staying alert to any indication their attacker was on its way back, and trying to keep his boys safe at the same time.

Jungeun-hyung was likely going to scold him once they got home, for bringing the boys (and himself) into unnecessary danger. But it wasn't supposed to be dangerous at all. Sheldon Mudd -aka, the Hanzaki Bandit, was annoying, like a fly that wouldn't go away, but he was far from threatening.  

Of course, he had to get them back home for Jungeun-hyung to scold him. 

“Hyung?” Jisung had Chan's arm in a death grip as they crept along the brick wall of the crumbling buildings. “I wanna go home.”

“I know, bud. We're going as soon as we get out of here.” Chan comforted in a soft whisper, hugging the boy tight to his side.

He looked behind him, Minho and Changbin were just a foot or so back, trailing him. He blinked rapidly in a moment of panic when he thought he saw something clinging to Minho's back. He blinked again, his vision clearing, and saw nothing. Unsettled, he encouraged Jisung to move a bit faster.

“But what about that…thing. Hyung, I've never seen anything like that!” Jisung's terrified whisper had Chan’s chest tightening with anxiety and he squeezed the boy again. 

“Hyung's here, kiddo. I won't let you-”

“Ouch!” The tiny cry had Chan turning quickly, looking worriedly at Minho and Changbin again. He was nearly 100% certain the noise had not come from either dongsaeng, but all he could see were two teenagers blinking back at him in the shadowed lighting of Minho's cell phone screen. 

And with the lack of proper lighting, and the very real danger lurking somewhere in the alley, he couldn't dwell on it.

“Hyung?” Minho whispered then, “that thing could come back at any moment….” his eldest trailed off, but Chan understood. 

He motioned them forward again, keeping Jisung close.

“Too bad Jinnie isn't here to help, huh hyung? A force field would be pretty helpful right about now.” Changbin's whispered words held a bit of snark and Chan couldn't help but let out a frustrated sigh. 

“Hyunjin is safer at home, Bin-ah,” he said, running a hand up and down Jisung's arm, “c'mon kids, let's get out of here, yeah?” 

They moved slowly along the back of the building, Chan sighing in relief when they reached the end of the old brick structures. The van was only another block or so away. He turned quickly, about to give the boys instructions-

“Oof!” and slammed into something. Something soft, but hard…something that wasn't there. 

“Hyung,” Jisung whimpered, grabbing Chan’s hand so tightly it hurt.

He squeezed the boy's hand back, whispering soft comfort in the boy's ear, then looked up and snapped out, “Kim Seungmin, show yourself right this minute.”

§

Jisung's gasp as Seungmin materialized in front of them would have been funny in any other circumstance. His second youngest gave a sheepish wave, stepping back a tiny bit at the glare Chan leveled on him.

Trying very hard not to yell, they did have an unknown and dangerous entity to be aware of, Chan pointed at Seungmin. “Don't you move.”

He turned just enough to glare at his oldest dongsaengs. “Assuming the two of you knew about this, we'll chat later. Lee Felix, Yang Jeongin, step out.” Chan whisper-growled.

A tuft of Felix’s blonde hair appeared over Minho's shoulder, the smaller teen clinging to the elder like a monkey. Innie came out of the shadows behind Changbin, dressed entirely in black. “Hi, Channie-hyung,” the maknae whispered. 

Still frowning, Chan gave a quick look at Seungmin, then swept his gaze back to the others. “Hwang Hyunjin? Where are you?” he demanded softly. 

The teen didn't answer and when Chan looked at Minho, his oldest shook his head slightly. Sighing as the realization hit him, Chan nodded. He tightened his hold on Jisung and reached out to pull Seungmin close. “Innie, stick close to hyungs. Keep it up, Jin-ah. Get us to the van.”

Chapter Text

***

Chapter Text

***

He crashed into the beast, claws scrambling for purchase on the slimy skin. His teeth sank into its shoulder, and Chan held tight as it tried to dislodge him, flinging its head back and forth. The beast let out another high-pitched screech, while it swiped at Chan with one deformed arm. 

The sound rang in his ears, and he couldn't help the whine that left him. He dug his claws deeper into the greasy hide, bit down and gave a mighty twist. The monster screamed again, and Chan let go, the piercing noise too much to handle a second time.

He started to slide, unable to stay atop the creature’s shoulder as it whipped around, three of its four arms grabbing and snatching for him. He slipped further down the monster's back, towards the ground, clawing desperately at the scaly surface. 

He heard a yell, a terrified hyung ! and Jungeun's, ‘when it's life or death, Chan-ah, go for the throat’ rang in his head. He opened his mouth and dug into the grimy skin again, the smell of blood filling his nose. He let go moments later, driving his claws into the brute as he charged up its back. 

Fueled by the need to protect his boys, he dove off the giant’s shoulder and slammed against its neck with such force, the beast nearly toppled. He struck hard, teeth flashing white against the dark as they sank into the soft flesh. A garbled shriek left the behemoth as it twisted and flung its arms in panic, trying and failing to knock Chan loose.

It didn't take long for the creature's frantic movements to turn to sluggish, desperate jerks for air, Chan's hold on its windpipe solid and sure. The monster began to sway, stumbling back and forth, before it finally ran out of air and collided heavily with the ground. 

Chan wasted no time. He let go of the monstrosity and hit the pavement at a run. The beast was merely unconscious, and he had no intentions of being around when it came to. He shifted back as he raced across the tar, fully human before he reached the van. 

“Seungmin! Jisung!” He dropped to his knees and peered under the vehicle. “Let's go! Hurry now!”

*†*

Chan gripped the steering wheel, his knuckles tight on the hard rubber. He drove just this side of legally safe as he left the Park-Dong District, and its terrifying secrets behind. Sweat dripped down his back, his arms and legs shaking from the sheer amount of adrenaline still coursing through his veins. His heart raced at a beat that couldn't have been even close to normal. 

The absolute quiet in the van was alarming, the boys having not yet said a thing. A weird, hushed silence had filled the air from the moment they'd pulled away from the curb. He didn't expect it to last long, not if the look Seungmin had given him when he'd rolled out from under the van was any indication. But the absence of their usual chaos was unnerving, and Chan debated whether or not he should be the one to bring it up. 

He didn't have a chance.

“Did you see that?!” Changbin's voice broke the silence, “how come you've never done that before?!”

“I bet he has,” Seungmin's voice was cross and dripping with indignation, “he just didn't tell us.”

“Channie-hyung?” Felix whispered, his voice soft and still a bit scared, “did you…are you a-”

“He's a wolf, Lixie-hyung, didn't you see him?!” Innie asked excitedly, eyes all big with wonder, “I saw him and Minho-hyung was trying to block me from seeing anything!”

“You want to have nightmares, Yang Jeongin? There are some things babies shouldn't see.” Minho snapped quietly.

“I'm not a baby-”

“How come you never told us?” Hyunjin asked worriedly, cutting off Innie's tirade before it began, “is it dangerous? Does it hurt you?”

“Hyung!” Jisung's voice was greatly offended, “I couldn't see anything with Minnie on top of me! You're a wolf?” Jisung sucked in a startled breath that Chan could hear all the way up front. “Wait… hyung? That was you?”

Chan sighed and glanced in the rearview.  His kid's faces were lit up by the van's soft interior wall lights. “Sungie, we can talk about that at home.”

“It was you!” his first dongsaeng cried, “how come you've never…you think I couldn't handle it? I'm not a baby, hyung!”

The others have quieted with Jisung's upset, and in the rearview, Chan could see that Minho had unbuckled and moved to sit next to Felix. The kid was shaking and looked on the verge of tears, and Chan wished with everything in him that he could rewind time. This was not how he'd planned for the boys to find out. 

“Sung, that's not it. Let's get home and I can explain everything-”

“Did you think I was too young to know? That I wouldn't be able to keep a secret? I've been with you the longest, Channie-hyung, it's not fair! And I still didn't get to see you-”

“That's not it at all, Han Jisung!” Chan couldn't help it. He's still running on high alert and Jisung's legendary whining was not helping his nerves. “You were terrified, Sungie. I've never seen….I didn't intend to…I never wanted to see that look on your face again. Ever. On any of you.” 

It's quiet for a moment. 

“I wasn't,” Jisung muttered darkly, "I wasn't too young, and I wasn't scared!” 

In the rearview, Chan saw Minho send a quelling look at Jisung over Felix's head. 

Sighing again, Chan cleared his throat. “I'll explain everything when we get home. But please understand that the only reason I didn't tell you all was because I didn't want to scare you.”

Chapter Text

***

“It's late, Min,” Chan whispered against his oldest's hair, “why don't you go get ready for bed?”

The younger hero shook his head against Chan's shoulder. 

“No?” Chan chuckled softly, running a hand through the teen's hair, “why, no honey? You're exhausted.”

The mission had been a long one, and had required the assistance of both Hongjoong's crew and Gunil's. Chan didn't usually call in his younger siblings - at least not the entire lot of them, kids and all, but the mission had required extra hands. 

Lots of extra hands. 

And Jin-hyung was away on vacation with his boys, Jungeun-hyung warning all of them not to dare call them in on anything. 

No matter what. 

Normally, in that situation, Chan would call in Yeon-hyung. But that hyung had his hands absolutely full with a couple of slightly unruly dongsaengs.

So, younger siblings it was. 

They'd nearly lost Jongho, Jooyeon had broken two fingers and Seungmin had tried to handle a thug three times his size. 

Chan had been beside himself trying to keep tabs on everyone and despite defeating the absolute horde of mutant ants lead by a handful of alien bug people, he'd so badly wanted to smack Hongjoong when they were packing up, that he had called Jungeun-hyung to stop himself from doing exactly that. 

He loved his brother, but the kid irked him like no one else. 

Minho shifted against his side. “You're exhausted too,” the younger said, his voice heavy with sleep, “that was the craziest mission we've ever been on.”

Chan put an arm around the teen's shoulders and squeezed him tight. “Yeah it was, baby.”

“Sungie won't like it if he hears you calling me the baby.” Minho inched closer to Chan's side, about to be fully in the man's lap if he moved any more.

Chan wouldn't stop him. 

He snorted softly. “Sungie's asleep. Like you should be.”

“I can sleep here,” Minho said, his voice almost sulky now, “I can sleep anywhere. I keep telling you, I'm part cat.”

Grinning, Chan ran a hand down the elastic-y boy's back. “So you keep saying, kiddo.”

“Hyung, I am.” 

“Alright, sweetheart. Get some sleep. Hyung will rest here with you.”

Minho hummed happily, and Chan had to chuckle. He'd give the kid that. If nothing else, he kind of sounded like a very content kitten. 

Cat, indeed. 

He'd known the younger hero for nearly a year now. If the kid was part anything, he should know. 

Takes one to know one after all, right?

Chapter Text

*****

Changbin glanced at the clock. Chan-hyung was going to be home soon and then he could tell him. He could tell him what the others did.

Any minute now. Any minute-

The front door lock beeped and he jumped from the couch. “Hyung! Channie-hyung! You won't believe-”  

“Changbin.” And he froze in his tracks at the soft call from behind him.

Turning, he pouted at Jungeun-hyung, eyes all big and wide, and not-as-innocent as the boy wished his hyung would believe. 

“Awww, hyung! It's not fair! They didn't even ask! I should be able to-” Changbin stopped short at the look on Jungeun-hyung's face. 

“Easy, maknae,” the elder said as Chan came in and leaned against the door frame, one eyebrow raised curiously.

Changbin crossed his arms and looked petulantly at the older of his hyungs. “I'm not the maknae, hyung.”

“You're all my maknaes, Bin-ah,” Jungeun-hyung returned, patting the couch next to him, “come sit. I'll tell your hyung what's happened.”

Changbin kicked at the floor, but moved across the room, throwing himself down next to his hyung with a huff when he reached the couch. Despite his annoyed upset, the teenage fighter leaned against the elder when Jungeun-hyung patted his knee.

“What is it? What's wrong?” Chan asked, stepping into the living room. He moved to sit on the edge of the recliner. “What's happened?”

“We're not entirely sure, Chan-ah. We just discovered that the boys are missing.”

***†***

“Hyung?” Jisung's voice was wobbly and scared and Minho pushed the younger further behind him. 

The  tall, thin, wild eyed man circled them and Minho mimicked the movement, keeping the strange doctor-turned-criminal in front of them. The man held a funny looking contraption in one hand, waving it wildly as he spouted off his plans for the next however-many-years. 

Minho had lost track numerous rants ago.

He'd found out very quickly that the man was crazy. Crazier than anyone Minho had ever met, and it was rather startling if he was being honest. How the man had ever been considered a sane, law abiding doctor of medicine, Minho didn't know.

Because the man in front of him was about to shoot the both of them right off the top of this building and he wasn't sure there was anything he could do about it.

“Hyung,” Jisung whispered again, “he's creepy. Where's Chan-hyung?!”

Minho sucked in a breath. Chan-hyung didn't know where they were, or what they were doing. Neither did Jungeun-hyung. Minho may have made his silent escape through the window of his room after watching the news report on Dr. Telerhk.

Someone needed to stop him. And Chan-hyung had gone to help Hongjoong-hyung with a mission, and Jungeun-hyung…well Jungeun-hyung was the best really, but the man didn't really understand what was required of a superhero. 

Sometimes you just had to go. 

Rules be damned.

Of course, when troublesome dongsaengs followed you, and you wound up at the mercy of a dangerous and deranged man, it was conceivable that waiting for your older, wiser and more skilled superhero hyung would possibly have been a better idea. 

Maybe.

**†**

“Missing?” Chan asked, trying to keep the rising panic at bay. He'd only been gone for six hours. His boys had to hold some kind of record for their ability to find trouble faster than a dingo found prey. 

“They're not here,” Jungeun-hyung confirmed, “and they're not answering their phones. I did try calling you and Joong-ah, but I know your phones were likely silenced for the mission.”

Chan nodded. Yeah. In his hurry to get home, he hadn't bothered to turn his ringer back on. Joong-ah probably hadn't either. 

Changbin opened his mouth. “I know!!” He crowed, about to burst with the news. Jungeun-hyung's hand firmly tapped the boy's knee in warning and Changbin crossed his arms and flopped back on the couch with another huff. 

“Bin is much more sure than I am, Chan-ah. But the TV in the boy’s room was left on a news report about Dr. Telerhk. And I think, as much as I hate to admit it,” Jungeun-hyung gave Bin a look Chan almost wanted to laugh at, “it's an idea to consider.” 

“Minho-hyung totally went after that mad doctor!” Changbin nearly yelled, bouncing a little in his hurry to get the news out before being shut down again, “he's been watching him for days! But I don't think he'd take Sungie with him. Not on purpose anyway.”

“And you knew your Minho-hyung's been watching Dr. Telerhk for days and didn't think it may be a good idea to say something?” Chan asked, half frustrated, half expecting whatever answer Changbin had for that. He dug his phone from his pocket, tapping on Joong-ah’s name. He raised an eyebrow in Changbin's direction when the boy hadn't answered after a moment.

“Well, I'm not supposed to tattle!!” 

***†***

“Your kids are crazy, hyung!” Joong-ah panted out as he raced with Chan up the endless stairs of Sunset Towers, a rather tall apartment complex turned office building. 

Why there wasn't a working elevator, Chan would never know. 

“You do remember how I met Yeosang, don't you?!” Chan snapped back when he paused on the landing of the 21st floor, “he was wrangling a criminal from an airplane - in the sky?!”

Hongjoong jerked as if he'd been slapped. “I remember,” he said, giving Chan a rather impressive sulky look for someone who was supposed to be an adult, “but Yeosang hasn't done something like that since! We were just grabbing Changbin from that train last week!”

“And Young-ah? You want me to go there, maknae?” Chan asked, quirking an eyebrow nearly as effectively as Jungeun-hyung. 

Hongjoong didn't whine. “No,” he muttered, brushing past Chan with a dark look, “let's go get your kids before Telerhk does something stupid.”

Huffing in annoyance, Chan followed the younger up the last few flights of stairs. 

Jungeun-hyung had remembered shortly after Chan got home that he could ping the boy's phones and that had given them a location at least, but there was no other indication as to why the boys were on the rooftop, except for Changbin's continual insistence that they were up against the crazy doctor. 

Chan hoped his second oldest was wrong. 

Dr. Telerhk had gone absolutely mad a few years prior, and spent most of his time holed up in his rooms near the Tower, concocting ridiculous theories. He'd made an appearance occasionally-

“Hyung!” Hongjoong hissed. He'd halted at the half open door to the rooftop and waved Chan back from the opening. “He's out there with the boys!”

Chan froze, only to have Hongjoong grab his arm and tug him back against the wall. 

“He's got a weapon…or a machine hyung, and I don't know what it does. How do you-”

Chan blinked hard, trying to focus on what Hongjoong was saying. His breath was coming in short, heavy bursts and he had to fight back the intense desire to storm the rooftop and rip the man's throat out.

“-should we come at him from either side?” Hongjoong’s voice came crashing back as Chan fought off the age-old instincts. He swallowed hard, taking a few deep breaths before responding. 

“Sorry, maknae,” he whispered, setting a gentle hand on his brother's shoulder, “yeah, let's do that. You go left and I'll go right. Stay away from the edge and we'll try to get the boys over to this door, yeah?”

Hongjoong nodded once and headed out onto the rooftop, Chan right behind him. 

***†***

Jisung was whimpering at a fairly steady pace and Minho wasn't sure what was more stressful, the constant circling to keep the Doctor in front of them, the Doctor's incessant nonsense ranting or Jisung's whines and whimpers that were literally in his ear.

“Hush, Sungie, I can't think.” Minho muttered softly, “I'm trying to figure out how to get you to the door and then maybe I can jump-”

“No!” Jisung nearly screeched, “you can't stay up here with-”

*Click*

Dr. Telerhk hit something on the machine and began to advance on them, no longer talking, or walking in the giant circle that had made Minho nearly sick with dizziness. It was somehow relieving and terrifying at the same time. 

Minho froze for a brief moment when the doctor waved the machine around, then began moving away, keeping Jisung behind him. This wasn't what he'd expected at all from the news reports and he was definitely not prepared. He glanced behind him, the edge coming closer and closer, Jisung's whimpers turning to sobs. 

If they went much further, his brother was going to fall off the roof, and God help him he wasn't letting that happen, but if he moved the younger in front of him, it put him closer to the machine-weapon the doctor held and and he couldn't risk that either-

“Telerhk!”

Both boys jerked at the harsh call of the doctor's name. The Doctor himself whirled around and aimed the machine away from them. Jisung whimpered again, and relief flooded Minho's chest when he recognized the voice as that of his hyung.

He spun away, opposite the doctor and grabbed Jisung. Then, like a slingshot, sent him in the direction of the door. His arms stretched almost the entire way and he let go of Jisung once there, pulling his arms back and shaking them a little.

Chan-hyung had the doctor's attention now, the two engaged in some kind of close range combat, the machine no longer in the doctor's hands. A glance towards the door showed Hongjoong-hyung quietly coming around to the other side, likely in an attempt to get behind the doctor. 

Jisung was hovering inside the doorway, not getting away from the danger like Minho would like him to do, but at least he wasn't trying to get in the way either. 

Hongjoong-hyung caught his eye and waved him towards the door and Minho couldn't help but hesitate. They could probably use whatever help he could offer, and he was Chan's oldest and he didn't actually have to listen to Hongjoong-hyung. 

Well, that wasn't true at all. Chan-hyung had told him he expected him to listen to Hongjoong-hyung, because he was his brother and therefore he was Minho's hyung and sort-of-in-a-weird-way, uncle. And that he especially needed to listen when it came to missions, because Hongjoong-hyung had much more extensive training. 

Huffing lightly, he ducked low and headed towards the door, a quick glance over his shoulder showing that Chan-hyung was still engaged with Dr. Telerhk. As he passed Hongjoong-hyung, the man nodded towards Jisung. “Get your brother out of here. Call Yeon-hyung and ask him to pick you up. Then call Jungeun-hyung. He's worried about you.”

Ouch. That stung. 

He nodded when Hongjoong-hyung quirked an eyebrow at him, and maybe, possibly, he slunk towards the doorway more than walked. 

Hyungs were going to kill him. 

He gathered up a softly crying Jisung, and headed to his doom. 

***†***

Yeon-hyung didn't kill him. Or Jisung, despite the younger being absolutely incapable of keeping his mouth shut. And the scolding wasn't as bad as he'd expected either. It wasn't good. But Yeon-hyung was…different and while Minho's ears felt properly heated from the lecture, at least he hadn't cried. And he did understand why hyungs were upset. 

He wasn't ready for Jungeun-hyung though. 

His hyung had crushed him in a hug as soon as he set foot in the dorm, so tight that Minho swore he felt it all the way to his toes. When his hyung had finally released him, it was to spin him around and land such a heavy swat to his rear, he couldn't help the gasp that escaped. 

Who knew Geun-hyung could swat so hard!

The elder had turned him back around, gripped his shoulders, and looked him in the eye. “Don't you ever do something so foolish again, Lee Minho, do you hear me?” 

Jungeun-hyung spoke softly, but with such quiet authority that Minho couldn't do anything more than stand there, wide eyed. He wanted to nod or agree or something, but his brain couldn't work its way past the tone of Geun-hyung’s words. 

The sting in his rear wasn't helping much either.

“Answer me properly, Minho-yah,” Geun-hyung said, tone unchanged. 

Minho nodded hard, managing to squeak out a very small, “Yes, hyung.”

And then his hyung's face relaxed, and the man pulled him in for another fierce hug, Minho burying his face in the taller man's shoulder. 

“Aish, baby. Are you trying to send me to an early grave?” 

The elder's words, softer than the previous ones, had somehow been Minho's undoing. Tears flooded his eyes, and his breath caught in his throat. He shook his head against Geun-hyung's shoulder and sobbed.

***

Chan-hyung hadn't come home for hours and whatever Jungeun-hyung knew about why that was, he didn't share it with the boys. He'd simply made dinner and settled all of them down to watch a movie. 

Halfway through the movie, the front door lock beeped. Jisung jumped from Jungeun-hyung's lap -where he'd been since the elder had scolded him for his part in the day's escapade- and dove over the back of the couch, hitting the floor at a run. 

The teen slammed into Chan, wrapping his arms around the elder superhero and fisting his hands in the man's sweatshirt. “Hyung! Channie-hyung! Are you ok?! What took so long? Is Hongjoong-hyung ok?!” 

Chan returned the hug, squeezing the younger tight enough that the boy squeaked. “I'm alright, honey. Your Joong-Hyung is ok too. Are you ok? Geun-hyung didn't kill you?” Chan asked with a soft chuckle.

“I'm- I'm ok, hyung. Yeon-hyung scolded and Geun-hyung did too, and he said you were going to…..were going to…And I'm sorry!” Tears welled in the teenager's eyes and he rubbed his face on Chan's sweatshirt with bit of a sob. “I didn't know it was going to be like that! I didn't mean-”

Shushing the boy, Chan toed off his shoes, then led them down the hall to the living room. His gaze landed on Minho and for a moment, the two just looked at each other, Minho blinking hard to keep the tears at bay.

“Aish,” Chan said, breaking the silence, “c'mere, brat.” 

Minho hesitated for only a moment before he fairly flew across the room, colliding with Chan's free side. He buried his face in Chan's shoulder, apologizing over and over.  

Chapter Text

******

“But…but you can't!” The defiant words were accompanied by a very soft sniffle.

“Oh? And why can't I?” Chan quirked an eyebrow and leaned against the living room wall.

“You're not…you're not my dad!” The words were thrown at him, and the barb stung. 

Chan knew it was meant to. Knew that's why the teen said it. Didn't mean it didn't sting. 

“I'm not,” he agreed quietly, “but am I your hyung?”

The boy's look changed from defiant to sulky. 

“Am I your hyung?” Chan asked again.

Petulantly kicking a foot at the floor, the kid shrugged. “I guess,” he muttered. 

“Answer me properly,” Chan said, his tone changing to meet the boy's attitude.

The younger superhero frowned. “Yes, hyung.”

Chan sighed at the snarky response. He'd grown up with Kim Hongjoong. His boys didn't hold a candle to the maknae-ity and absolute brattiness of his brother. 

No one could. 

Didn't mean he liked hearing it from his dongsaengs.

“Am I your leader?” he asked, tone still holding the undercurrent of sternness.

The boy jerked his head in a nod, refusing to look at Chan. 

Chan sighed. This kid. He should really press for a verbal answer, but they hadn't even gotten to the really hard part yet, so Chan figured he could let it slide.

“And were you aware of the rules before you walked out of here this morning?” he asked next, one eyebrow raising when the teen's head shot up to glare at him.

Chan waited. He was patient. Unlike some people he knew. 

His dongsaeng's gaze flicked to the left and he crossed his arms, giving Chan a sullen look. “Yes.”

Chan hmm'd. “It seems that you had trouble remembering them, since you left anyway. Are you allowed to go on solo missions?” he asked, looking his second youngest in the eye.

“No.” The boy was holding his gaze, but he wasn't happy about it.

“How about doing dangerous or unnecessary stunts? Or risking life and limb for no reason? Are you allowed to do that?” Chan asked next.

“No,” the teen growled in annoyance, glaring for all he was worth.

And that was a bit too much. “You'd better wipe that look off your face, and watch your tone. You are the one in the wrong here.” Chan used his best hyung voice, the one he'd perfected with Jisung those first few months. 

The teenager looked startled and Chan wasn't surprised. He hadn't had to be this level of stern with the boy before. It was a first in many ways, though there had been a lot of testing the waters going on the last few weeks. 

Seungmin's arms moved to hug his waist. “Sorry, hyung.” 

“Thank you. I understand you're nervous, but there's a way to talk to me and that wasn't it.”

He watched tears pool in his dongsaeng's eyes and had to fight back the urge to hug the kid senseless. First things first.

“Are you allowed to lie?” Chan held up a hand when the boy opened his mouth, ready to dispute Chan's question. “Are you allowed to lie, or skirt the truth or give half truths in order to get or do what you want?”

It took a moment for the younger to answer, and Chan let him work it out. 

“No, hyung.” The quiet reply came a few moments later, his dongsaeng looking rather subdued.

Chan had expected the response. The boy could be stubborn, but he was generally honest. “Did you do any of those things this morning?”

His second youngest looked up at him, eyes wide, and Chan could see his lower lip trembling. 

“Did you break any of those rules this morning, Kim Seungmin?” Chan asked again, softening his tone, but looking at the teen expectantly.

Seungmin took a deep breath, then nodded. “Yes, hyung. I…I did.”

“And what were they, Seungmin?” Chan asked softly. 

“I…I lied to Minho-hyung a-and went on a mission by myself.” The boy sucked in a breath, blinking rapidly and Chan had to fight off another wave of emotion that would've sent him across the room to hug the absolute stuffing out of the kid. 

They had to get through a few more things first. So Chan nodded instead. “You did, kiddo. And what happened then?” he asked, softening his tone even more.

“I…Chan-hyung, I don't want to-” Seungmin trailed off, giving Chan puppy dog eyes that could rival Innie's on any given day. 

But Chan had grown up with the king of puppy dog eyes. “What happened?”

The boy shifted where he stood. “I…there was a problem....it got a little-.”

“You ended up in serious danger because you didn't follow the rules.” Chan couldn't help sounding a little bit upset. He was still upset. He'd been terrified when Seungmin had screamed for him, and the alien-villain hadn't exactly been a picnic to dispatch of. “Thank the heavens you didn't get injured. I was scared, Seungmin. We have rules for a reason.”

The boy just stared at him for a moment, searching, Chan thought. Though exactly what his kid was looking for, Chan wasn't entirely sure. And apparently whatever he saw in Chan's face didn't reassure him. 

“But you're not-” Seungmin shut his mouth at the look Chan leveled on him. 

“Am I Sungie's father?” Chan asked softly. 

The teenager shook his head slowly. 

“Felix's? Innie's?”

Another head shake. 

“No. But it's not the same,” Seungmin whined, shifting his feet, “I'm…my…I have-”

“Have what, Seungmo?” Chan asked, pushing himself off the wall now and moving towards the younger. He wasn't sure they were talking about what happened that morning anymore.

The younger huffed out a breath. “Nothing,” he muttered.

“Kiddo, you know you can tell me anything, yeah?” Chan asked, reaching out a hand and running it through the boy's hair. 

His dongsaeng leaned into his hand, taking a few deep breaths before answering. “Yes, hyung. But there's nothing to tell. Not really.”

“Are you sure?” Chan asked, tugging the boy close and wrapping him in a hug, “there's nothing you can tell me that'll change how I feel about you. Absolutely nothing.”

Seungmin leaned into Chan's chest. After a few moments of just breathing, the teen nodded. “I'm sure, Hyung. There's nothing I need to tell you.”

Chan wasn't sure about that. But, there were other things they needed to take care of, and he could wait. For now. “Alright, buddy. But I'm always here. Any time.” 

Seungmin nodded against Chan's chest. “Hyung…do you…are you going to … do you have to?”

Chan sighed, running his hands up and down the teen's arms. “Minnie-yah. You broke a bunch of rules, on purpose, so you could do exactly what you've been told not to. And were nearly blown to bits by a bat sized, fire wielding alien because of it. What do you think?”

Seungmin thunked his forehead against Chan's chest. “I think you're going to kick my-”

Chan pointedly cleared his throat.

“Ugghhh. Hyung.”

“Ugghh. Minnie,” Chan countered, gently tugging the teen towards the hallway, “c'mon kiddo. Let's get it over with, yeah?”

***

Chan laid down the last swat, Seungmin giving a muffled cry into the comforter in response, and then Chan was rubbing one hand up and down his dongsaeng’s back and scratching at the boy's head with the other. 

Seungmin let out a stuttering breath after a moment, his face still buried in the blankets. 

“Easy, honey. You're all right,” Chan whispered, “do you want to sit up?”

The younger shook his head, then nodded, then shrugged. Chan smiled softly at the kid's indecision. He moved his hand to knead gently at Seungmin's shoulders, patiently waiting for whatever his second youngest wanted to do next. 

It didn't take much longer for Seungmin to slowly get to his feet. He began to rub his tear filled eyes, and Chan couldn't help the coo that left him. He opened his arms in invitation and Seungmin stared at him for just a moment before nearly falling into Chan's embrace. 

He hugged the boy tight. Tighter than was probably necessary, but he did it anyway. He pulled him into his lap and hugged him hard and fierce and long enough the teenager gave a grunt of disgust. Then he hugged him again, kissing the side of his head.

“Hyung,” Seungmin protested, though it was rather ineffective given the state of the teenager's face when he peeked up at Chan. 

Reaching for the box of tissues on his nightstand, he offered it to his dongsaeng. “Here kiddo, clean your face.” 

Chan huffed a soft laugh when that earned him a pouty glare. The younger snatched some tissues and then shoved his face back in Chan's chest. “You're mean.”

“If being mean is what keeps you safe honey, I'll be the meanest hyung you've ever met.” Chan retorted, squeezing the teen once more.

And he would. 

Chapter Text

***

Jungeun frowned at his phone, watching the blinking marker travel away from where he was. Where was the boy going? They were supposed to meet back here, in front of Heros ‘R Us, after Chan grabbed his wallet from where he'd accidentally left it at the theater.

The movie had been worth watching, and spending time with his dongsaeng was always at the top of his list. But it was late and sleep was calling him.

Teenagers belonged at home, in bed, at midnight. 

So did exhausted hyungs.

He headed up the street, where the marker told him Chan was, only to slow to a stop when the marker began to head back towards him.

“Chan-ah?” Jungeun called when he heard footsteps storming his way. 

“Hyung!” Chan sounded out of breath and Jungeun moved forward until his wolf child came into view of the streetlights. 

“What happened?” Jungeun asked, reaching out to grab hold of the teen's shoulder, “are you alright?”

Chan nodded. “I'm alright, hyung, but I found someone who isn't!” the boy panted out, letting Jungeun give him a hug, “can you come with me so I can show you?!”

Jungeun nodded as he let Chan go. “Show me, baby.”

***~~***

Jin was miserable. He shifted slightly, cursing his banged up ankle. He sat on a crate outside Dhak’s Grocery Outlet, the empty, mostly dark street feeling even emptier…lonelier than normal.

He couldn't move. He'd tried but it hurt so much to stand, that he'd practically fallen over. He'd quickly sat on the crate and put his ankle up on another. He hadn't tried to move again, not even to attempt one of his super jumps. 

He was effectively stuck. 

It wasn't like he had any place to go, but sitting on a sidewalk in the heart of the city, late at night, wasn't exactly his idea of fun. He couldn't get away from any potential danger and he couldn't help anyone in danger either. 

Superhero, he was not.

He was a kid from the country, trying to fill a role that wasn't his. He wasn't even going to be a kid for much longer. And even with a superpower, he was doing a terrible job of surviving. He cursed his ankle again, slamming a fist against the crate in his frustration. 

He was a sitting duck.

Well, maybe not entirely. There had been that kid. A dark haired, lanky teenager with big eyes had come barreling down the sidewalk earlier, skidding to a halt when he saw Jin. He'd looked around, then asked Jin if he was alright.

Jin had shrugged. But when the teen had just stared at him for another moment, he figured he should say something. Anything. 

“I'm alright. What're you doing out on the streets at,” Jin looked at his watch, “past midnight?”

Grinning, the kid pointed up the sidewalk. “Went to the night showing of Wolverine - Origins with my hyung. Are you sure you're ok?” the teen asked again, bouncing a bit on the balls of his feet, “is your foot up for a reason?”

Well now. He was a sitting duck and the kid had figured at least part of it out, and Jin needed to get out of here and any help was better than no help, right? 

Sound logic, at least in the moment.

The kid had promised he'd be back, but Jin was starting to feel like maybe he should get out of here. What if the kid wasn't coming back? Or maybe he wasn't really planning to help? He needed to at least get himself off the Dhak's property. They definitely wouldn't like it if he was still sitting there in the morning. 

If he could just get to the bakery down on Kingston. It was always a safe place to wait, the workers were forever kind to street kids, orphans and runaways. 

He would know. 

He slid forward on the crate, trying to be careful of his ankle. It didn't work, his ankle screaming as unwanted tears filled his eyes. He continued moving anyway, inching forward until he was at the very edge. He paused, taking in a few deep breaths, preparing himself to just do it and drop to the ground. 

“Don't!” The soft order came from down the sidewalk, and Jin blinked in surprise. There were heavy, and fast footsteps, making their way closer and then the kid from earlier was at his side. 

“Don't move, just wait for my hyung,” the teenager said, gently pushing on Jin's shoulders, trying to keep him seated, “he can help, yeah?”

Jin nodded. “Didn't really expect you to come back, kid,” Jin said, blinking in surprise when despite the lack of daylight, the younger's eyes seemed to glint a bit. 

Not weird at all. 

And there really wasn't anything else he could do at the moment. He couldn't defend himself, couldn't walk, couldn't even use his super power.

Dead duck, really. 

“I said I would,” the teenager insisted, looking slightly confused, “my hyung says to always be a man of your word.”

“Yeah,” Jin agreed, “you did say that.”

“I'm Chan,” the kid offered, holding out his hand as an older man came to a stop beside him, “and this is Chae Jungeun, my hyung. He can help.”

**†**

Jungeun handed the older teen some pain meds and a glass of water, then sat across from the super powered younger, and studied him for a moment. 

“Thanks…thanks for helping,” the teen said, looking Jungeun in the eye, “I sure wasn't going to get far on my own.”

Jungeun grinned softly as he pulled an ace bandage from the first aid kit. He gently picked up the teen's ice wrapped ankle and set it on his knee. 

“You are welcome, Jin-ah. It's not broken, but you've sprained it quite badly,” Jungeun stated, carefully wrapping Jin's ankle, “and you won't be able to walk on it for a few days. Why don't you stay here for a bit? Just until it heals?”

The younger blinked fiercely, not saying a word. Jungeun was aware that he'd surprised the young man, and he let the younger think while he finished wrapping the injured appendage.

Or he tried to let him think.

Chan appeared near Jungeun's side, freshly showered, and bouncing lightly on his heels as he waited for the older boy's answer. His dongsaeng normally had the patience of a saint, but for some reason, not tonight. The boy bounced over to the couch, sitting next to Jin and peering at him intently. “You can't walk, hyung. You've got to stay here with us, yeah?”

“Hyung?” Jin asked in surprise, his gaze flicking to Jungeun and back to Chan. 

“Sure,” Chan said easily, “say yes, please?” The younger teen’s eyes were wide in a way that Jungeun hadn't really seen before, and then the elder had to bite back a laugh as Chan flopped over and laid his head in Jin's lap. “I want to see your super jumps when you're all healed, and I can't if you're not here!” 

His boy was pouting and Jungeun didn't even know what to make of that. He sucked back a snort at the look on Jin's face though, the elder teenager surprised and a bit confused.

But Jungeun's little beggar had their newcomer right where he wanted him.

Jin took a deep breath, glancing at Jungeun once more. Then he looked back at Chan, and ran a hand through the younger's hair. “I'll stay,” he said, looking up at Jungeun again, “just until my ankle’s better.”

**†**

Yoongi looked at Jungeun, wide eyed. “And that's it?”

Jungeun chuckled softly, pulling his first grand-dongsaeng onto his lap and hugging him tight. “Yeah, sweetheart. That's it. Your Jin-hyung never left.”

“Like me?” Yoongi whispered, resting his head back against Jungeun's shoulder. 

“Yeah, baby. Just like you."

Chapter Text

~~There are no secrets that time doesn't reveal~~

***

“Yeah, I love you too. Bye.” 

“You know you won't be able to keep this a secret forever, right?” Juhaknyeon leaned against the doorway to his bedroom, one eyebrow raised. 

The teen sitting at his desk jerked in surprise. “Hyung! Don't do that!” 

Chuckling, Juhaknyeon crossed the floor and sat on his bed. He flopped over sideways and looked upside down at his friend. “It's true, though, you know? You really need to tell hyungs.”

The younger shook his head hard. “I can't. You know why I can't.”

Jahaknyeon rolled his eyes. “I keep telling you it's a dumb reason and they're gonna be more upset that you didn't tell them, than they are that you have-”

“No! They can't know. You aren't supposed to know. Hyung, please,” the teen pleaded, getting up and pushing the chair under the desk, “you promised.”

Juhaknyeon nodded, still looking at his cousin upside down. “I'm not telling anyone, maknae-yah. I'm just saying you should.”

The younger glared. “I'm so not the maknae, Hakny-hyung.”

Juhaknyeon sat up, reaching out to gently flick the other boy on the forehead. “Here at our house you are.”

Huffing, the younger grabbed his phone and stuck it in his pocket. “That's dumb, hyung.”

“Maybe,” Juhaknyeon shrugged, “but I'm right. C'mon. Younghoon-hyung said he'd show us how to use the dart guns today.”

“Really?!”

Juhaknyeon nodded, grabbing his friend's hand. “Yup! Let's go!” the elder said, dragging the younger towards the door. 

“You really aren't going to tell anyone, right?” the teen worried as he was pulled out the door and down the hall. 

“Of course not,” Juhaknyeon laughed, “now let's go! Race you to the roof, Seungmin!"

Chapter Text

***

“Why is there so much mail today, Chan-ah?” Jungeun asked as he set a stack of envelopes on the table, along with a giant bag of takeout, “we never got this much.”

Chan was at the stove, a steaming kettle of tea in front of him. He glanced over his shoulder and shrugged. “ Most of it's not mine, hyung.”

Jungeun looked at him in surprise. “Since when do teenagers get this much mail? What is all of this?” Jungeun rifled through the stack. “Who’s it even from?”

Chan turned off the stove, moving the kettle to the opposite burner. “The boys have fans, hyung. It's different now than it used to be.”

“No one needs this much mail, or attention Channie,” Jungeun said as he sat down, “do they even open all of it?”

Chan took some cups from the cupboard and set them on the counter. He poured two cups of tea, and handed one to Jungeun. “I don't know. They might. I think a lot of it ends up in the trash.” 

Jungeun gave a wry chuckle. “ Seems fitting.”

Chan grinned as he sat down, pulling the stack close and looking through it. He started sorting, a small pile growing for each dongsaeng, and Jungeun shook his head again. 

“Be careful, Chan-ah, yeah?” The elder spoke softly as he sipped at his tea. “Don't let them get too caught up in all this?” He pointed to the piles of fan mail, looking concerned. 

Chan nodded. “I won't, hyung. The boys and I have talked about it. The minute any of them gets their head stuck in the clouds, I'll knock them back to Earth.” He grinned again, wishing his hyung wouldn't look so worried. 

The front door to the apartment opened and closed then, Minho appearing in the kitchen doorway a moment later. “Oh, is there more fan mail?” he asked as he entered. He headed straight for the kettle and poured himself some tea. 

“Yeah, Min. You've got a good stack today.” Chan pushed one of the piles towards the empty seat that Minho was setting his cup in front of. “Where are the others?”

Sitting at the table, a quiet ‘Hello, hyung,” for Jungeun as he did, Minho pulled the letters close and started to go through them. “They're still upstairs, training on the roof with some of Joon-hyung’s kids.”

“That's good,” Chan said, sliding the sugar bowl closer to his oldest, “did you have a good time?”

The teenager nodded, dumping two rather large spoonfuls of sugar into his tea. “Younghoon-hyung just left. His skills are out of this world, hyungs. He ought to get fan mail!”

Jungeun smiled at the younger. “Younghoon-ah is very skilled, sweetheart. But I'm not sure anyone needs fan mail to prove that.” 

Minho frowned. “That's not what I meant, hyung. He's just a really good marksman and people should recognize it.”

Jungeun patted the stacks of mail on the table. “I think you boys have all the recognition you need.” 

Minho half glared at the elder. “We're superheros, hyung. Recognition is part of the deal. And this,” Minho flung his hand towards the letters on the table, “is not for Younghoon-hyung.”

“I didn't say you shouldn't get recognition, Minho-yah. I just want you to be careful.” Jungeun reached out a hand to gently pat the younger's arm. “I don't want you to ever let your power define who you are, yeah?”

Minho slouched in his chair with a huff. “Powers,” he argued softly, pulling his cup of tea close and looking over the edge at Chan, “I told you. I'm part cat.” 

“Yeah, kiddo,” Chan soothed, “we know.”

Jungeun nodded in agreement. “Of course you are, baby. Hyung didn't mean anything bad,” he said, “you're perfect just how you are.”

Minho sat up quick, his sulky look turning to something else. He picked up one of his letters, leaned forward on his elbows, and looked first at Jungeun, then Chan. 

He shook his hand, quick and hard. Small, white, sharp claws shot up from his fingertips, and he sliced the envelope open with ease. 

“Do you believe me now?”

Chapter Text

***

The wind whistled softly and Sangyeon zipped his sweatshirt up, thankful that Jungeun-hyung had insisted he take it with him. He was on his way to grab dinner from the food carts at the park, and it was slightly cooler down by the water, as his hyung had said it would be. 

He'd been patiently waiting his turn, there'd been a line like usual, and he grinned at Lee Jae, owner of Kimbap 2 Go, when the man finally called his number. 

“Thank you, sunbaenim,” Sangyeon said, taking the bag from the older man, “have a nice evening.”

“You too, kid. Tell Jungeun I said hello,” the man replied with a wave. 

Sangyeon nodded, giving a little bow as he moved away. It was still weird that everyone knew his hyung. Even though it'd been nearly five months that he'd been with his new family, he still wondered-

A blast of cold air whipped down the sidewalk, nearly ripping the takeout bag from his hands. He had barely recovered from the first gust when he was bracing himself for another, so close on the heels of the first, that a handful of food vendors rushed to collect their umbrellas, signs and flags before they were stolen away. 

It felt different than the earlier wind, though Sangyeon wasn't sure why.

A third gale blew down the same path as the first two, so fierce that it toppled a few carts and sent most of the goods flying across the lot. The wind came to a screeching halt then, nothing left but a gentle rustle in the trees across the way. 

Sangyeon hesitated, shifting the bag in his arms, fairly certain the minute he took a step forward, the wind would rage again. He waited a bit more, then cautiously headed towards the carts that had been knocked over to see if he could help. 

He didn't make it that far. 

“Just wait till I get my hands on you!”

He jerked his head towards the angry bellow and watched in a bit of concerned awe as an older ahjussi chased a scrawny brown haired kid across the lawn. The boy had his hands full of what Sangyeon assumed were the hotteok and other snacks that had been flung across the pavement moments before. Despite the kid running, the upset cart owner was gaining on him rather quickly.

“I know you knocked my cart over, you little agdang!”

The young teen didn't slow down, but he looked over his shoulder, and the next thing Sangyeon knew, the tiny bandit had tripped, landing hard on his knees. The snacks went flying out of his hands, littering the ground around him. The would-be thief let out a string of curses that had Sangyeon almost blushing. Jungeun-hyung would have a fit if he heard those words coming from him or his brothers. He was unable to think too long about it though, the younger jumped to his feet, whirling towards the ahjussi who was storming up behind him. 

The kid lifted his hands, and Sangyeon couldn't just stand there. 

It only took a tiny burst of super speed to be at the younger's side. Sangyeon grabbed him around the middle with the arm that wasn't holding his dinner, and disappeared down the main street, no more than a blur to anyone watching. 

***

“Let me go! You have no right! What the hell!” the teenager hollered as Sangyeon ran, “you can't just kidnap someone! Who do you think you are! Put me down!” 

Nice to know the kid was grateful, Sangyeon snorted to himself. It wasn't like he'd saved him from getting a nasty scolding or worse, from a rightfully annoyed business owner.

“Hush,” he said when the snarling stopped for a moment, “you were about to get in serious trouble.”

Twisting around like a worm on a hook, the little brat let out a screech so loud, Sangyeon was suddenly extra glad Channie was at home. His poor ears.

“Settle down you little monster,” he said as he slowed down near the old control tower, “where do you live? I'll bring you home.”

The kid stiffened for about half a second before renewing his efforts to get loose. “No!!” he shouted, kicking madly at Sangyeon's knees, “let me go! I don't have- There's no place to….I don't need your help!” 

And Sangyeon understood that, more than the kid could possibly know. “Hey,” he said, letting the takeout bag fall to the ground and hoping the kimbap survived, “hey! Listen to me-”

Another shriek from the squirming, terribly skinny menace in his arms, and then Sangyeon was the one yelping as the boy sunk his teeth into his forearm. 

“Yah!” he snapped, his frustration giving an edge to his words that wasn't normally there, “knock it off!” 

And the startled teenager did. 

***

He was more or less dragging the younger now, which he supposed was better than the literal kicking and screaming the holy terror had been doing up until a few moments ago. He sighed as the house came into view, more than happy to finally be back home. 

Hyung would know what to do with this hissing half rabid squirrel child. 

Except, he must've relaxed his grip on the kid in his relief, because the boy in question yanked his hand free from Yeon's, turned on his heel and took off running, back the way they'd come. Huffing in annoyance, Yeon dropped the bag of kimbap once more and raced after him. The little brat was bloody fast, but Yeon only had to use one burst of super speed to catch up to him. 

He snagged the wiry body around the waist, tucking the boy against his chest as he turned. He wasn't taking any more chances and he held the thrashing, biting, shrieking obscenities little hellion close as he ran back towards home and Jungeun-hyung. 

***

He didn't slow down until he reached the walkway to the front door, still holding tightly to the flailing bundle of arms and legs. He set the takeout bag on the front steps and hoped beyond hope that the front door was unlocked, or this was about to get even more complicated. Keeping the wild child between himself and the door, he reached out to turn the knob. It turned easily and he let go, using his foot to push it open, without losing his feisty cargo. 

He stepped inside, not even making it off the Holy Rusted Metal, Batman! welcome mat when he heard a throat being cleared. He looked up to see Jungeun-hyung standing just outside the kitchen, one eyebrow cocked. “Aish, Yeonnie. What is this?”

The tiny beast in his arms scowled up at his hyung through tangled hair, letting out a noise akin to a growl as he twisted fiercely in Yeon's hold. “I'm Kim Hongjoong, who are you?!”

Chapter Text

**†**†**

“Hyung says you can stay for another hour at the most, Channie,” Jin said as he leaned against the table, “just be home in time for dinner, alright?”

Nodding, Chan pulled the books in front of him even closer. “ Thanks, hyung! I just want to read a little bit more about the outer planets. Did you know some people think they may be able to sustain life?”

Grinning, Jin reached out and ruffled Chan's hair. “Sure, Chan-ah. That seems logical.”

“Liar,” Chan said with a roll of his eyes, “you think it's crazy.”

“Maybe,” Jin agreed with a fond chuckle, “but I also think you're smart. And if you think there's something out there, I think you should look for it.” 

“I don't know for sure, but it's worth researching, don't you think?” Chan asked, pointing to a section of the book to his left, “this says scientists have traced energy bursts from a few planets.” Chan pointed to another book. “And this one says that Xinate, Thopsis and Cyrgil are the most likely to have people.”

Jin looked over Chan's shoulder, dutifully reading what Chan was pointing at. “Huh. I suppose anything's possible, right maknae?”

Chan nodded. “Yes, hyung! I mean, we just don't know for sure. It's really intriguing!”

**†**

Chan dropped the books on the table, and grinned at Jungeun-hyung. “I asked Mrs. Shin if she had any books, like you said to, and look!” 

His hyung set the groceries on the counter and looked over Chan's shoulder, one hand running through the teen's hair. “That's great, Channie. Find anything interesting?”

Nodding, Chan flipped through the biggest book, until he reached the page he wanted. 

“There's so much information! Hyung, did you know that Cyrgil has no moon? Or that Thopsis is more water than land?” Chan was pointing at the pages, turning them almost faster than Jungeun could read them. “And on Xinate, they've observed flying animals they're calling Thybreks, that the Space Biological Association thinks are related to, what are those creatures, hyung? The ones I never remember their names?”

Jungeun-Hyung chuckled softly and kissed Chan's head. “Jevckas, baby.”

“Yes, hyung! Those things!” Chan shut the book he had, pushing it away and pulling another close. “And in here, it says that SHINE has made some of their own observations- did you know that, hyung?” Chan paused, looking back at Jungeun. 

The elder nodded. “I've heard the stories, sweetheart.” 

Chan grinned, his eyes flashing excitedly. “This says it's possible that they may try to do more exploratory landings! They haven't done one in a few years because of the influx of visitors from the inner planets.” Chan thumped back in his seat and looked up at Jungeun, face flushed. “It's so neat, hyung! Don't you think so?”

**†**

“You're really excited about this movie, aren't you, maknae-yah?” Jin asked as they pulled into the parking lot of the local theater. 

Unbuckling his seatbelt, Chan turned to fully look at his brother. “I am! Hyung, if it's anything like the series, I'll have to watch it more than once to take it all in!”

Chuckling, Jin reached out to gently swipe at Chan's head. “Well, for today, just one time, yeah? Hyung expects you home for a late lunch.”

Bouncing in his seat, Chan opened the van door, nearly falling out in his hurry. “I'll be home on time,” he agreed as he righted himself, “are you making lunch? Isn't Hyung going to the meeting?”

Jin nodded. “Yeah, kiddo, I am. I'm thinking about sticky chicken, what do you say?” 

Chan's eyes lit up and he nodded hard. “Yes, please! Don't tell Hyung, but you make it so much better than he does!” 

Jin shook his head. “You're ridiculous and that's a straight up lie. Hyung's the one who taught me.”

“Sure,” Chan agreed, glancing over at the theater and back to his brother “but yours is still better.”

Rolling his eyes fondly, Jin made a shooing motion with his hand. “Go on. Don't do anything I wouldn't do Channie,” the elder chuckled, “and come home right after the movie.”

“Of course, hyung. Where would I go?” Chan said cheekily, grabbing his phone from the van’s seat and pocketing it, “can you make hotteok for dessert?”

“Maybe. Get out of here, brat. See you at home. Be smart-”

“And be safe,” Chan finished, “bye, hyung!”

Chan closed the van door with a wave, headed into the movie theater, and rushed up to the counter, bouncing in his excitement. 

“One ticket to The Last Airbender please!”

**†**

Chan blinked, watching the credits roll by in confusion. That was…not what he'd expected. That was awful. No, it was worse than awful. It was terrible. Who decided that Aang-

“Are you as horrified by what we just watched as I am?” 

Chan startled, his elbow bumping his drink, little droplets of Dash splashing on his pants. He idly wiped at them, as he looked over his shoulder.

“Ah, sorry. I didn't mean to scare you.” The owner of the voice, a tall, lanky teenager, smiled back at him and pointed to the screen as the dimmed lights got brighter. “Horrible, right?”

Chan nodded “On so many levels,” he commiserated, “I think it's the most horrible thing I've ever watched.”

The other teenager laughed. “Possibly. The series is so much better.” 

“I need to go home and rewatch it. Maybe it'll get that,” Chan pointed to the screen and the last of the credits, “out of my brain. I can't believe I spent money on that.” 

“I'm so glad that I didn't,” the elder teen whispered with a wink, “Lee Sangyeon.” The teen grinned and held out his hand.

Chan stared at the older boy, gaping. “I'm Bang…um, I'm Bang Chan,” he stuttered out after a moment, shaking the teen's hand, “you didn't pay?!”

*****

Chan ducked into the small convenience store that Geun-hyung had sent him to, glad to get out of the rain. They'd run out of milk, and that was something of a necessity in their house. 

“Hey, Chan-ah,” Mr. Chei greeted him, “what'd your hyung run out of this time?”

Chan grinned at the elderly man. “Milk! He and Jin-hyung won't drink tea without it.”

Mr. Chei chuckled. “You know where it is, Channie.”

Chan nodded and headed down the aisle. He rounded the end cap, towards the cooler at the back, and nearly slammed into someone. 

“Oh! I'm sorry, I didn't mean-” Chan stopped, blinking in surprise when he saw who he'd bumped into. 

“Channie! I haven't seen you since the movie!” Sangyeon said, the easy grin Chan remembered on his face, “what're you up to?”

Grinning back, Chan pointed at the cooler. “I have to get milk…I mean,” he fumbled, blushing a bit, “I've been in school, of course, and I've been studying a lot about the outer planets-”

“Outer planets, huh?” Sangyeon interrupted, something flashing across his face so quickly, Chan wasn't sure he'd actually seen anything, “why the outer?”

“I don't know,” Chan said with a little shrug, opening the cooler, “they're mysterious, you know? No one knows much about them, even after a bunch of observational video recordings.” Chan grabbed a jug of milk and closed the glass door gently. “What about you? Where do you go to school?”

“Oh, I'm not…I'm not in school.” Sangyeon gave another grin, then reached out to ruffle Chan's hair. “I should be going, Channie. See you around town, yeah?”

Chan didn't even have a chance to nod before the elder was gone. So quickly he could've sworn the other teen had just vanished.

*****

“Sunbaenim?!” Chan skidded to a stop next to the bench. “Are you alright?”

Sangyeon was curled up on his side, hoodie pulled over his face. Chan hadn't seen the elder in nearly a week, but he recognized the lanky teenager from his clothing alone.

Chan gently shook the boy's shoulder. “Sunbaenim?” he asked again, “what're you doing here?”

“I was sleeping,” the snarky response from inside the ratty sweatshirt made Chan grin, “what're you doing here?”

Chan dropped his backpack next to the bench and sat down near Sangyeon's feet. “I play basketball after school on Thursdays. Your turn.”

“I'm tired, kid. And this is as good a place as any, yeah?” The words were muffled, but they sounded kind of sad and Chan tilted his head, frowning.

He tapped the elder's shin. “But, it's not really? You can't sleep here, hyung. It's not- well, it's the park.”

A dry chuckle came from within the sweatshirt. “I'm not your hyung, kid.”

“Maybe you should be,” Chan quietly retorted, “why don't you have a place to sleep?” 

The other teen sat up so quick, Chan almost fell off the bench. Sangyeon ripped his hoodie off and glared. “Not that it's your business, but not everyone has a family and a home, kid. Some of us aren't even from here!”

Chan blinked in surprise. “I'm sorry, sunbaenim,” he murmured softly, “I didn't mean anything by it. Are you alright? Are you hungry?”

The older teen's face softened and he let out another dry chuckle. “Kid, you can't fix the world's problems.” Sangyeon leaned back against the bench, eyeing Chan a bit critically. “Something tells me you'd try though, huh? Stand up in front of the crowd and tell’m you'd protect them all?”

Huffing, Chan kicked at the other boy's boots. “I mean, maybe? That's not a bad thing really, is it? Do you want to come to my house? My hyung would let you sleep over, I know he would.” 

Sangyeon snorted. “Taking in strays too, huh?” The elder reached forward, gently cuffing Chan's head. “That kind of suits you, actually.”

Chan shrugged. “Maybe. But you can't sleep here, hyung. And my hyung will know what to do.”

“Oh yeah? He's knowledgeable about the rise and fall of Xinate, huh?”

*****

“Are you sure about this, kid? Your hyung doesn't know me from anyone.”

Chan nodded, tugging the older teen up the walk to the house. “Jungeun-Hyung is the best, and he'd never let anyone sleep on the streets, especially a kid.” Chan paused on the front steps and grinned, eyes glinting a bit in the late afternoon light. 

“Jin-hyung says that hyung just can't say no to me,” Chan continued, turning the doorknob, “but that's nonsense. Hyung says no to me all the time.” Chan pushed open the door, pulling the elder inside. He kicked off his shoes, waiting impatiently for the other to do the same. 

As soon as Sangyeon had toed off his boots, Chan tugged him down the front hall towards the kitchen. “Jin-hyung?! Geun-hyung?!”

Jungeun-hyung's voice came from the living room. “In here, Channie. Jin-ah ran to the store.”

Veering away from the kitchen, Chan pulled Sangyeon across the hall and into the living room. “Hyung! This is Sangyeon! He can stay tonight, right?”

Chapter Text

***†Chapter 1 - Applause†***

“Innie-yah, have you seen my phone?” Seungmin asked, digging around the cushions of the overstuffed green couch, and grumbling when he didn't find what he was looking for.

He moved across the living room to Channie-hyung’s armchair and pulled the cushion off, only to shove it back on with a groan.

Rolling over from where he was laying on the living room floor watching his phone, Innie shook his head. “Nope. Where'd you last see it?”

“I don't remember,” Seungmin grumbled. He pushed the blanket off the opposite couch, the shabby brown one that Jisung insisted they should get rid of, climbed up on the back and looked behind it. “I went up on the roof with Binnie-hyung to practice. But it's not up there. I looked everywhere.”

“Minho-hyung sees you doing that and you're gonna get it,” Innie said, rolling back onto his stomach and unpausing his video, “he just told you yesterday to cut that out.” 

“That was different. I'm looking for something now,” Seungmin scoffed, laying on the floor and looking under the couch, “call my phone, maknae.”

Huffing, Innie swiped out of his video and hit the contacts. He rolled across the floor towards the green couch, and peered under it. “It's ringing, hyung. Is it over there? It's not under here.”

“Argh. It's not under here either. Keep trying, I'll check under Channie-hyung's chair.” Seungmin jumped up and crossed the living room. Kneeling, he looked under the chair, then smacked the floor. “It's not here.” 

Innie sat up and leaned back against the couch. “Where else were you? Did you go into the kitchen? Did you check your room?”

Rolling his eyes, Seungmin nodded as he got up. “I checked my room first. I'll check the kitchen. Call it again.”

“Good thing Chan-hyung isn't here. He'd tell you to use your manners and say please,” Innie said, getting up to stretch out on the couch, “it's ringing.”

Seungmin darted into the kitchen, not bothering to respond to Innie's snark about manners. 

Turning from his side to his back, Innie scooted up the couch a bit and put his head on the pillows near the arm. Seungmin's phone had gone to voicemail and he ended the call. “Did you find it?!” 

“No! Try again, I'm going to check the bathroom!” Seungmin called back, and Innie heard him jogging down the hall. 

“Minho-hyung’s in there!” Innie yelled back, hitting the call button again. 

He dropped the phone on his chest and stared at the ceiling, wanting nothing more than to go back to watching Monster Rancher. Chan-hyung had suggested he'd like it and- 

Bzzzz.

What the?! He shot upright, his phone dropping to the floor, and shoved his hand under the pillows. 

Bzzzz. 

Digging around in the pile of pillows, Innie found the buzzing phone and pulled it from the depths. It was Seungmin's alright, dark blue with the Ben Ten decal on the back. He reached down to grab his phone off the floor, ending the call.

He stood up, about to yell for his brother, when Seungmin's phone started buzzing again. Innie flipped it over, and stared.

The screen was lit up, the word *Eomma*, flashing across it.

That wasn't…

How could that…?

Seungmin didn't have an Eomma.

Did he? 

Chapter Text

**Chapter 2 - Ovation**

He must've stood there staring at the screen longer than he realized, Seungmin snatching the phone from his hand and snarling at him. 

“Hyung, I thought you didn't have….I thought-” Innie stuttered a bit, pointing at the phone that Seungmin was rapidly shoving in his pocket, “does Chan-hyung know?”

He had to know, right? It didn't make sense for him not to. Maybe Seungmin had only not told his brothers? But Seungmin jerked as if he'd been slapped. “No! And he's never going to!”

Blinking at the harsh reply, Innie took a step back, bumping into the couch. “But why, hyung? Why wouldn't you tell him you have a family? Sanie-hyung’s got an Eomma,” Innie said, sitting on the couch, “and Jinnie-hyung has parents, technically anyway. I've got family too, even if they don't want me around, they're still my family. I don't know why you wouldn't just tell-”

“You don't understand,” Seungmin huffed, “I can't, I'm not…no one needs to know!”

“But why not? I thought….hyungs thought you were like Sungie? If you have…..we've never….” Innie froze, his eyes going wide. “wait, you lied to Channie-hyung?”

Seungmin darted a glance towards the front door, then glared at Innie again. “I didn't lie!”

“You told hyung there was no one for him to contact!” Innie said, one hand rubbing his opposite arm, “how is that not lying?!”

Seungmin shook his head. “I did not tell him that! I told him there wasn't anyone he needed to contact.”

Innie's mouth dropped open. He closed it, then opened it again. He flopped back against the couch and looked up at Seungmin, confused. “But isn't that still lying?” he asked, scratching at his knee, “you know what he thought you meant.”

Seungmin shrugged. “It's not my fault he didn't bother to ask more questions.”

“I don't understand why you can't just tell him? It's not going to change anything. Chan-hyung loves all of us-”

Groaning, Seungmin started pacing the length of floor between the two couches. “It's not that simple, Innie. Not everyone can get away with anything just by being cute and clutzy!”

Innie gasped. “I don't get away with everything!”

Seungmin scoffed. “Sure you do. You're the baby.”

Innie rolled his eyes. He didn't get away with everything, he just didn't get in as much trouble in the first place. “Well, if you'd just tell Chan-hyung-”

His brother stopped pacing and crossed his arms. “What part of ‘I can't’ don't you get, maknae?” 

Seungmin didn't have to be so rude. “Well, I guess you better say goodbye to your life then! Because as soon as hyung finds out, he'll probably ground you forever!”

Seungmin smirked, the look on his face the one he wore when he and Minho-hyung got into it. “No, he won't. Because he isn't going to find out.”

Innie looked at him in surprise. Was Seungmin actually crazy? “You’re still not going to tell him? But I know now!” Innie smacked the couch in frustration. “I can't not tell him!”

“Sure you can. If you tell Chan-hyung, he's somehow going to find out that you and Jongho didn't go to the movies last week.” Seungmin threatened, pulling his phone from his pocket as it started ringing again, “then I guess we can test the ‘get away with everything’ theory, huh?”

“But that's not fair! I’ll get in trouble either way!” Innie cried, crossing his arms, “you’re so mean!”

Shrugging, Seungmin glanced at his phone, then looked expectantly back at Innie.

“Fine!! I won't tell hyungs. But you can't keep it a secret forever!” 

“Watch me,” Seungmin retorted, putting the phone to his ear and walking towards the balcony, “sorry, I couldn't find my phone-”

Innie watched him go. He sat there, trying to keep the frustrated tears at bay, until a voice from behind startled him. 

“Why the long face, maknae-yah?”

Chan-hyung. 

Chapter Text

**†**

A throat cleared and the dark hallway suddenly seemed more dangerous than the alleys he'd just come racing out of. The plan to slip his shoes off and creep down the hall to his room vanished, and he stood there, just inside the front door, wondering what he could say that wouldn't land him in the most trouble he'd ever been in. 

Well, the most he'd ever been in here.

Heavy footsteps moved closer to him before he'd come to a decision on what to say, and then light flooded the small space. Blinking as his eyes adjusted to the brightness, he stepped out of his shoes, looked up at his hyung, and gave a nervous smile.

“Hi, hyung! What're you doing up?”

***

“I'm going to ask you the same thing,” Jungeun-hyung said, arms crossing his chest, “and I expect you to answer me truthfully.”

Shifting on his feet, he couldn't hold his hyung's gaze and he ducked his head. He shrugged out of his coat, hanging it on one of the hooks above the shoe rack. His hands made their way to the pockets of his jeans and he sucked in a deep breath. 

“I was careful, hyung,” he muttered when it was obvious Jungeun-hyung wasn't going to say anything more until he did. 

“Mmm,” his hyung murmured, “is leaving in the middle of the night, with no one knowing where you are, safe?”

He shrugged. It wasn't a big deal, not really. He knew that wasn't the answer his hyung expected though. And he could feel Jungeun-hyung looking at him. Just looking. And he knew. Knew, even in the short time he'd been here, that his hyung would keep looking until he explained himself.

Damnit.

“No, hyung,” he said, rather hotly despite knowing where having an attitude was likely to lead, “it wasn't,” and then “but nothing happened! I'm alright!” 

He was.

Jungeun-hyung hmm'd again. “And what if something had? What if you weren't alright?”

He huffed lightly. Jungeun-hyung was being difficult on purpose. 

“Think carefully about your answer, sweetheart,” Jungeun-hyung said softly.

And then his hyung had to go and say that. 

So, he did as he was told, and he thought.  

He'd disappeared in the middle of the night. If something had gone wrong, no one would have known until the morning. It may have been too late by then, and even if it hadn't, they wouldn't have known where to even start looking. 

Things were so different here. And he didn't fully understand everything. But he had a hyung and brothers who cared about him. And maybe that was enough. 

Even now.

His shoulders dropped from the defensive hunch they'd been in and he took a step closer to his hyung. “I'm sorry,” he whispered, “I wasn't thinking about that.”

Jungeun-hyung nodded. “I know you weren't. But that's what the rules are for, sweetheart. To keep you safe, yeah?” 

Nodding, he took another few steps closer to the elder. “I…hyung, I didn't mean-” But, he had meant to. He'd snuck out. On purpose. And he couldn't lie. Not now. 

“I'm sorry. I shouldn't have. I thought- Hyung, I wanted to find those thugs that hurt Channie. And I did. But there were too many of them,” he paused, then at the look on Jungeun-hyung's face, he rushed to add, “I'm ok! They didn't touch me! I used super speed to get away…. But, hyung-”

His hyung's face changed a few more times, from upset to concerned, then settled on something Jin-hyung called exasperation. 

“Aish, Yeonnie. What am I going to do with you?”

**†**

Chapter Text

**†Chapter 3 - Encore†**

It took an awful lot of effort to remain on the couch and not flee the room at a dead run. How had he not heard his hyung entering the apartment? “H-hyung!”

Chan-hyung leaned over the couch to give him a back hug. “Hey, kiddo. What's up?”

“N-nothing!” Innie jerked forward as soon as his hyung let him go, jumping up and backing away. ”I'm….I've got to…there's something. I, uh, I'm just gonna go-”

Chan-hyung quirked an eyebrow at him and Innie's feet moved before he could tell them not to. “I'm taking a shower, hyung! Bye!” 

He ran down the hall and threw the bathroom door open, startling Minho-hyung, who was brushing his teeth. “Sorry, hyung! I, uh, need to take a shower, right now!” 

Innie pushed past his hyung, shoving the door closed behind him, and Minho-hyung, finished with his teeth, turned to look at him with the same look Chan-hyung had just moments before. 

“Where's the fire, Innie-yah?”

Innie glanced at the door and then back at Minho-hyung. He took a deep breath and tried to smile. “I just need to shower, hyung.”

Minho-hyung studied him for entirely too long and Chan-hyung was going to come barging in any minute and Innie was sure-  

“You're a terrible liar, maknae. But go ahead, take your shower,” Minho-hyung finally said. He opened the door and stepped into the hall. “But whatever you're running from will still be here when you get out.”

Minho-hyung closed the door, and Innie blew out a shuddery breath. Minho-hyung was right of course, and there was no way he was going to be able to keep Seungmin's secret. 

But he didn't have a choice.

Not really.

*†*

It had only been three days. 

Three days of avoiding his hyungs, pretending everything was fine, of stone cold silence from the brother he had thought he was closest to. Three days of strange and concerned looks and nearly failed school exams. Three days of eating just enough food to keep his hyungs off his back, but not enough to make him any more sick to his stomach than he already was.

He was miserable. And he was absolutely certain that if he didn't tell someone, soon, he was going to explode and spill every single secret he'd ever kept since the moment he could talk. Or maybe he'd just disappear for a little bit, until Seungmin decided to tell Chan-hyung himself. 

It could happen.

“Innie-yah!” Yunho-hyung’s voice broke through his mental tirade. “Where's your head at, Yennie? Are you trying to get injured?”

Startled, Innie looked across the rooftop at Yunho-hyung, who was looking back at him with a frown. “I, I don't…it's not…um, no?”

The elder cocked an eyebrow at him, somehow looking scarily similar to Hongjoong-hyung. “You don't sound very sure about that, maknae. I thought you wanted to practice?”

“I did! I mean, I do!” Innie said fervently, looking from Yunho-hyung to the target and back, “I just didn't know you were ready-” he trailed off at the incredulous look the elder gave him. 

“I called your name twice to make sure you were ready. Twice, I.N-ah. You answered me and then when I was about to take my shot, you stepped right into my line of fire.” 

Innie's eyes widened. He had? 

“Innie-yah, come here.” Yunho-hyung set down the dart gun he'd been holding and crooked a finger in his direction. 

Innie wanted to shake his head, argue the silent order, but he also actually really liked Yunho-hyung, and didn't want his cousin to get properly mad at him. He trudged across the rooftop, glanced at the dart guns on the table and hoped he hadn't lost his chance to practice. 

When he reached Yunho-hyung, the elder put an arm around his shoulders and tugged him close. Not what he'd been expecting, at all. “Alright, baby. Spill. What's going on?”

“Hyung?” he asked. How did his hyung know there was something going on? 

The elder gently flicked his forehead, ignoring Innie's little meep of surprise. He steered them towards the patio table and chairs that Geun-hyung had brought up a few weeks back. “Don't hyung me, I.N-ah. This isn't my first maknae meltdown. Why don't you just tell hyung what's got you all worked up?”

Sniffling, Innie ran his sleeve across his nose. He huffed and let out an annoyed breath.“But hyung, I can't!”

**†**

He should've told Yunho-hyung. He should've just told him what the problem was and let his hyung-cousin help him figure out a solution. But should-a, could-a, would-a’s were of no help now. He'd lied to Yunho-hyung. Told him he was struggling in maths. Which he was, but it wasn't because he didn't understand the work.

Yunho-hyung had practiced with him, showed him how the dart guns worked and how to aim properly. And then because his cousin was the best, they went to the library and Yunho-hyung helped him finish his math homework. 

And if he'd just told him, told him the real problem and not some made up nonsense, Yunho-hyung could've talked to other hyungs for him - days ago. And Innie wouldn't be stuck here, staring blankly at Minho-hyung, who'd cornered him in the kitchen, softly demanding that Innie explain himself. 

But Innie didn't know how. 

And maybe…maybe he'd used some serious ninja skills to escape the kitchen and his hyung's crazy long arms, and maybe he'd run out the front door without a word. 

And maybe that's why he was standing on Jungeun-hyung's front porch. 

Maybe.

Chapter Text

***Chapter 1 - The Past is Never Dead***

~~

“Haven't seen you in awhile,” a voice from above him mocked, “figured they'd eventually throw you out, just like the Home did.”

The teenager on the ground whimpered, his arms curled around his head defensively. He'd gone a long time without hearing the nasally voice of Yu Daejung and he would've been perfectly fine going the rest of his life not hearing it again. 

“Haven't changed much, have you? What's it been, ten months? A year? And you're still a whiny brat who can't handle a little teasing.” Another voice, and this one caused a shiver to run down his back. Park Chai. 

He could handle a little teasing. His brothers teased him all the time. But this wasn't that. Chai had made his life a living hell and he had hoped to never, ever, ever see him again. Ever. 

He sniffled, trying to make himself even smaller against the wall of the old factory building, not that it would stop the teasing, or the inevitable fists once the two tired of their verbal assault. It felt safer though, and that's all he had at the moment.  

If he could dig his phone from his pocket without it being snatched, he'd call his hyungs faster than Chai could land a kick on his shaking form. 

But for now, he was stuck in the trashed alley, frozen, scared and trying to keep as much of his body protected from the impending doom as possible.

It wouldn't be enough. It never was.

**†**

Younghoon whistled softly as he walked the dimly lit path to Gunil-hyung's. It wasn't exactly on the main street, but it was familiar and he used it fairly regularly. Despite the hyungs not approving of the shortcut, it took a good ten minutes off the walk from their apartment to Gunil-hyung's little house and it was generally worth the risk of being scolded. 

It was a little later than he normally traveled through the abandoned factory district. It was also one of many in the metro area that was more often in the news. Definitely not the shining star of the city by any means, so he could understand his hyungs insistence on the need to be cautious. 

The dingy streetlights kicked on, carving weird shadows along the already darkened sidewalk. He picked up his pace a bit, there was no need to tempt fate after all. His phone chirped, and he swiped the screen. It was a message from Chan-hyung. Frowning, he texted back that no, he hadn't seen Jisung. Not since just after lunch, when they'd practiced on the roof.

Chan-hyung texted back that no one had heard from him in a few hours, and asked Younghoon to keep an eye out. Younghoon agreed, of course, and asked if Felix was going to ping Jisung's phone. Chan-hyung's response that they'd been trying and hadn't gotten a ping back, had Younghoon hurrying even more down the grungy sidewalk. 

That was not good.

He needed to get to Gunil-hyung's. 

They needed to find Sungie. Sooner rather than later.

**†**

The kick landed against his thigh and he let out a strangled yelp. He shoved back against the wall, trying to keep his back protected, and wrapped one hand over his head, the other across his chest. The harsh chuckle from above him made his stomach drop and he tensed, waiting for the next blow to hit. 

It didn't take long. An open handed slap to the side of his head made his ears ring. It rocked his head back so hard that he felt the brick of the wall. That was Daejung. The kick had been Chai. They  were predictable.

Unavoidable, but predictable. 

“Got yourself a place to sleep and eat, and still can't stand up for yourself,” Chai snarled, the burly teenager bending down in front of him, “and they're nowhere to be found now, are they?” he asked, face twisting in a sneer.

Chai fisted his hands in the front of Jisung's shirt and hauled him to his feet. “No use trying to hide your face. Never worked before." The younger of the two bullies jerked his head towards Daejung and the wiry teen moved forward with a vicious looking leer. 

He closed his eyes, another whimper leaving him. He started to tremble. Chai growled, roughly shaking him back and forth, and he felt Daejung step up next to Chai. The slightly older teenager reached out and flicked Jisung's forehead, hard, the two bullies busting with harsh laughter at Jisung's soft cry. 

Chai let go of him and Jisung slid to the ground, arms instinctively wrapping around his body once more. He buried his face in his arms and used every last bit of willpower he had not to burst into tears. 

“Cry, baby,” Chai hissed, “you know you always do.”

**†**

Younghoon skirted around the garbage that lined the sidewalk, jumped broken chunks of concrete and detoured around a passed out drunk, in his hurry to get out of the incoming dark. His phone chimed again, one of many incoming texts. 

Yeon-hyung. No, he hadn't seen Jisung, and yes, he was looking for him. He told his hyung exactly where he was and dutifully answered that if he heard from or found Jisung he'd let hyungs know immediately. He texted Gunil-hyung next, letting him know he was almost there. 

It was just a few steps after Gunil-hyung responded that he heard a thud down an eerie looking path tucked between two old brick buildings. He paused. Another thud, followed by a rather terrified sounding squeak. Younghoon shoved his phone deep in his pocket, pulled his dart gun from its holster and rushed down the small dark opening. 

He ran between the crumbling factories, listening for more than just words, as Yeon-hyung had taught him. The alley stretched much farther back than he could see in the nearly non existent light, but he had ears and he could hear the raucous laughter and the soft whimpering of someone in distress. 

And Younghoon charged forward, caution be damned.

***†***

Jisung could hear his tormentors talking somewhere above him. What they were saying, or more likely planning, he had no idea, their voices a garbled mess of sound and words. His thigh throbbed where Chai’s kick had landed, and he was certain the slap he'd taken to his head had split his ear. 

Blood trickled down his face to his chin, dripping onto his Fairly Odd Parents hoodie. It was staining one of his most favorite presents ever. He sniffled quietly into the crook of his elbow. He'd rather face Park Bitgaram than these demons from his past.

He wanted Chan-hyung. Wanted him more than he'd ever wanted anyone, in his life. If only his phone wasn't smashed to bits, tossed aside and stomped on, he could've sent an SOS. But it was. So he crouched against the building, arms over his head, face buried in his knees, and hiccuped back the tears.

Eventually they'd get tired of playing with a broken toy. They always did.

***†***

Younghoon didn't have super hearing like Jungsu or Chan-hyung. He didn't have Namjoon's ability to sense powers, or Jungeun-hyung's scary innate ability to just know when something wasn't right. But as he raced down the dingy alley, an urgency clawed at his chest. 

He jumped a pile of broken bricks, landing silently on the other side.  Gunil-hyung would be so proud. There was another whimper, soft and muffled, but definite, followed by a harsh laugh.

A growl Chan-hyung would be proud of left Younghoon as he rounded the back of the building. His grip on the dart gun tightened, as the realization that he may actually need it set in. Shadowy movements danced up ahead thanks to an old flickering streetlight that had seen better days. 

He could see two figures, one large and one tall towering over a smaller one. Could see one of the figures raising something, whether fist or item, it didn't matter, because when he heard the tiny cry from the cowering form, fire burned hot in his chest. Burned so hot he was yelling before he'd realized.

“Hey!”

**†**

Jisung let out another tiny cry, expecting Chai to wrap things up with a couple solid punches. He wasn't expecting a yell from out of the shadows. He wasn't expecting Daejung’s startled meep or Chai’s annoyed curses. 

And he certainly wasn't expecting to recognize the voice. 

He turned his head, peering under his arms to look out into the alley. He blinked a few times in disbelief, because could it really- 

He was tired, he was hurt, and it was dark, but he definitely recognized that voice. 

That was his cousin. 

“Hyung!” he cried, shifting upright just a bit, “hy-ung!” Jisung's voice cracked and the tears from the last hour broke free. 

**†**

Younghoon moved down the alley, fingers twitching and flexing on the dart gun. He'd only had to use it a few times on missions and never on an actual person, but Hongjoong-hyung always said-

“Hyung!”

Younghoon's head jerked to the trembling form on the ground. That sounded like, it wasn't possible that-

“Hy-ung!” 

Jisung!? 

He shoved the dart gun in his pocket. It wasn't the tool he needed. Not anymore. 

He slammed his body into the bigger, bulkier teen, more than a little satisfied at the grunt it caused when the bully hit the ground. He hauled the demon seed back to his feet, one hand twisting in the kid's shirt, while the other landed a solid right hook. The thug bounced as he hit the ground a second time, writhing like a salted slug. 

Younghoon grinned rather evilly, and turned to the taller of the two terrors.

The scrawny kid danced backwards in a belated attempt to get away. But Younghoon was faster, smarter and angrier. He took two quick steps to the side and snagged the retreating bully, pulling him close. He executed a bone jarring head butt and the skinny piece of scum crumpled to the ground. 

Younghoon would have to thank Jin-hyung for teaching him that move. 

He moved to Jisung's side, reaching down to haul his cousin upright and crush him in a fierce hug. Anger rolled through him again when he saw his dongsaeng's ear, and the look on Jisung's face had him tightening his arms around the younger even more. 

“Hyungie,” Jisung sobbed into Younghoon's chest, “I was so scared.”

He tightened his hold again, murmuring soft comfort, then threw a glance over his shoulder to confirm the two pieces of trash were still down. 

Pity that they were.

Younghoon would have happily used his dart gun to subdue them a second time.

And had Jisung mess with their emotions while he did. 

Chapter Text

***

“Whoa, Felix, baby, slow down. Hyung doesn't understand. There was a goose?”

“Geese!” Felix sobbed, wrapping his arms around Jungeun and burying his face in the elder's shoulder, “they were everywhere!”

Jungeun looked over the boy's head at Minho, who shrugged. He was busy washing a large cut on Hyunjin's ankle and Jungeun wanted to know about that, but-

“Hyung, you should've seen it!” Jisung ran up to Jungeun, sliding across the floor on socked feet. “The geese were honking so loud we couldn't hear Felix, so we didn't know!”

“Didn't know wha-”

“But I wasn't honking, hyung!” Felix wailed in Jungeun's ear, “I was yelling, but they still didn't hear me!”

More confused than before, Jungeun turned to Changbin, who was standing by the front door, covered in feathers. “Bin-ah, what happened?”

Changbin blinked. Watched a feather float from his shirt to the ground. “There were birds, hyung.” 

Jungeun took a step towards Changbin, but Felix tightened his grip with a whine. “They should've heard me, hyung!” he cried, sniffling even harder than before.

“No one could hear anything. The psychotic geese wanted their treasure back,” Seungmin scoffed from where he was leaning against the kitchen counter, drinking a can of Dash, “Chan-hyung herded them all into the pen. Not just you.”

“Felix, baby, did you turn into a goose?” Jungeun looked down at Felix, brushing the shapeshifter's hair from his eyes.

“I didn't mean too!” Felix glared at Seungmin. “I was yelling when hyung closed the gate!” 

“Well, maybe you sound like a goose?” Seungmin shrugged. “How do I know? I was with Minho-hyung trying to calm the dragon!”

“He didn't sound like a goose,” Jisung giggled out. He was leaning over the back of the couch now, phone in one hand, “but he sure didn't sound like Felix either.”

“Yes, I did!!” 

“Dragon?!” Jungeun interrupted before an all out fight between the twins broke out. He looked at Minho again. “Minho-yah! What in the world happened?!”

“Dragons are just giant birds, hyung,” Changbin whispered before Minho could answer. The fighter still stood by the front door, trying to shake feathers from his clothes. 

“Bin-ah, honey,” Jungeun soothed, moving towards the teen and taking a whining Felix with him, “let hyung help you.”

“They're not all bad, hyung,” Jisung said, looking up from his phone, “some just want to eat.”

“Everyone has to eat,” Hyunjin said, rolling his eyes, “ow, hyung!” 

“Sit still and it wouldn't hurt,” Minho ordered with no sympathy whatsoever, “this dragon just wanted to eat its meal in peace.”

“Oh?” Jungeun asked, helping Changbin pull his hoodie over his head.

“Sheep, hyung,” Hyunjin said, limping towards the living room now, “better than people, right?” 

“Sure, honey,” Jungeun agreed, “but I'm a little concerned that there was a dragon.” He wrapped an arm around Changbin, hugging him tight. 

“The dragon wasn't a problem.” Seungmin tossed his empty can in the trash and headed towards the hall. “Unless you count her infatuation with Innie.”

Jungeun blinked. They were mad, the whole lot of them. They had to be. “What?”

“Channie-hyung had it handled,” Minho, closely following Hyunjin, offered with a shrug, “nothing to worry about.”

“Nothing to worry-”

“Hyung,” Changbin whispered, brushing at his pants, “I can't get the feathers off.” 

*Alright, honey. Do you want to change? There's no geese or dragons here, right?”

Changbin nodded. “No birds.”

“That's right,” Jungeun encouraged, leading Changbin further into the apartment, “get some pjs on and we'll watch TV, alright?”

“Hyung! You aren't listening to me! They locked me in the pen with the rest of the geese-”

“Channie-hyung locked you in the pen,” Seungmin corrected, grabbing the remote and turning the TV on, “the rest of us were busy.”

“I yelled for all of you!” Felix screeched. He was still clinging to Jungeun's arm and he stomped his foot in frustration. 

“Lee Felix, that's my ear,” Jungeun snapped softly, “you can be upset without yelling.”

“We finished the mission, hyung,” Hyunjin said from his spot on Chan's recliner, “the geese aren't bothering the town, the dragon got her food-”

The front door lock beeped then, and Jungeun looked down the hall. The door opened and Chan came in, a drowsy looking Innie on his back. 

“We're home, maknae-yah,” Chan said, gently jostling the teen. 

“Chan-ah, thank the heavens!” Jungeun rushed towards the two. “What in the world is going on?!”

“Hyung, how'd you get the dragon to let Innie go?!” Jisung exclaimed, flopping over into Minho's lap.

“What?! The dragon actually had Yennie?!” Jungeun gaped.

Chan nodded. “She did, but not for long.” Innie slid to the floor and Chan whispered to him.

“Baby, are you alright!?” Jungeun asked, reaching for the youngest.

“Not a baby, hyung,” Innie grumbled, but he wrapped his arms around Jungeun anyway, burying his face in the soft material of Jungeun's sweatshirt.

“The dragon just wanted something small and adorable,” Chan explained, leaning against the wall to toe off his shoes, “so I just had to find something.”

Jungeun blinked in confusion. “And what did you find?”

Chan scooted past Jungeun, grinning over his shoulder. 

“I showed her a picture of Jongho-yah.”

“What!?”

Chapter Text

*****†*****

“Hyung! Hyung, hyung, hyung!” Chan whisper-yelled, bouncing over to the table where Jin sat, “look at all these!”

“What is it, Channie?” Jin asked with a chuckle, “what'd you find?”

Setting an armful of books next to Jin's laptop, Chan dropped onto the seat beside him. “So much, hyungie! Our library doesn't have any of these!”

“I thought this would be a good place for you,” Jin said, moving his laptop to the side, “I haven't been here in a long time.”

“I love it. I'm really glad you brought me here!”

Jin ruffled the younger's hair. “Thank Geun-hyung for sending us on such a short recon mission,” he teased, “we don't normally finish them up so quick, huh?”

Chan shook his head. “No, and look at this!” he said excitedly. He pointed to a book titled Shine On - Superhero Facts and Fiction, then flipped it open. “Things were so different back when Geun-hyung was more than a board member!”

“That was ages ago, kiddo, I'm not surprised things have changed,” Jin said, dutifully looking at the page Chan was now pointing at.

“It's still a little strange though, don't you think?” Chan asked, leaning back in his chair to look up at Jin, “and what about this?” Chan pulled another book from the pile and flipped it open. “There's a ton of information about Xinate! Yeon-hyung still doesn't like to share much, you know?”

“Yeah kiddo, I know,” Jin said, “our Yeonnie likes his secrets. But you've got the world at your fingertips now, huh? And you'll figure it out. You're something else, Channie.” he answered, gently flicking Chan's ear.

Grinning back at him, Chan nodded. “It's why you love me.”

Reaching out again, this time to ruffle Chan's hair, Jin shook his head. “It's not the only reason, kiddo, but one of them, for sure.”

***†***

“Order for Kim Seokjin?” the man behind the tiny food stand called out, just as Chan jogged up. He moved around the others waiting in line, waving his hand. “That's my order!”

“All set kid. Have a nice day,” the man said, handing over the bag. He was moving to the next customer before Chan could even say thank you.

With his snack in hand, Chan headed back to the bus stop. The bus wasn't coming for another twenty minutes according to the schedule on the wall, so Jin-hyung had just told him not to dawdle.

Which was silly, because he wasn't Hongjoong. He knew how to run errands appropriately, unlike their maknae, who got distracted by everything from butterflies to sirens. He headed down the sidewalk, bag of Korean Street Toast in hand, and turned the corner towards the bus stop.

Then stopped.

There, at the edge of some steps to an apartment building, a rather short person stood next to a trash can…..with his head buried inside.

Gross. 

He was about to keep going, Jin-hyung had told him to just grab his snack and come right back, when the sound of said short person retching made him hesitate. 

But it was the soft muffled crying that kept him there.

Because there was no one around. 

No one that seemed to be worried or even acknowledging the possibly injured or distressed person. He was all by himself. And Chan couldn't just leave someone alone, possibly sick and crying. ‘Always help when you can, Chan-ah’, were Jungeun-hyung's own words, weren't they?

“Hey,” he called, mind made up, “hey,” he said again, a little louder, as he took a few steps closer, “do you need help?”

The body froze, but Chan heard his heartbeat kick up a few notches. “You sound sick, do you need me to get somebody for you?”

The figure shot upright then, hitting some part of his body on the trashcan as he did. It was a teenager, Chan saw, not much younger than himself. The kid turned terrified eyes to him, and wiped a sleeve across his mouth. 

“No!” he exclaimed after a moment of shaky breathing. He shook his head hard, then blanched white, his face turning three shades of green. 

“Whoa, kid, easy.” Chan dropped the bag of toast on the ground and darted to the teenager's side. “Don't move. Just lean against me for a minute, yeah?”

The boy just looked at him wide eyed, but didn't fight Chan's gentle tug. “Close your eyes, alright? And breathe easy. In, out ….that's it. Take it slow.”

The teen obeyed, his breathing slowing down after a minute, though his face remained flushed and a bit sweaty. 

“Can I help you get somewhere to rest? You look like you might need a Doctor. Did you eat something strange?”

The younger blanched again, swallowing hard a few times before answering. “No. There's nowhere to-” he stopped short, voice as harsh as it was weak when he went on, “I'm alright. Just…hungry.”

Frowning, Chan couldn't stop himself from reaching out to feel the other teen’s forehead. “Have you been sick for a while?”

Shaking his head against Chan's shoulder, the smaller boy sucked in another deep breath and let it out slowly. “Just a couple days. I…well, I left. I'm just hungry.” he said again.

Chan didn't think so. “Are you sure? Have you gotten injured or, I don't know, bitten or something?”

“Bitten?” the teen asked, blinking up at Chan with suddenly rather intense eyes. 

“Never mind. I have some Street Toast,” he offered, pointing at the discarded bag on the ground, “my brother is waiting for me at the bus station. Why don't we go talk to him for a minute and you can have some?”

The teen nodded, straightening so fast, Chan had to grab his arm to keep him from toppling over. “Easy there, baby.” 

“Not a baby,” the younger grumbled, “m’name’s Gunil.” 

“Mine's Chan,” Chan said, brushing the teen's hair from his forehead, “so how about you come with me, yeah? I promise you'll be safe, and our hyung will know how to help you,” Chan said gently. He was half supporting the other at this point, could almost feel the boy's strength slipping.

Gunil shook his head. “Can't. My Au-…it's not…says…useless. You don't, I'm not-” the boy froze, blanching white again. He leaned heavily against Chan's side and began to tremble. “I'm not worth-”

“Hush,” Chan said firmly, leaning down to pick up the younger, along with the bag of snacks. “I've got you now.”

***†***

Jin unlocked the front door and stepped inside, holding it for Chan. “C'mon, kiddo.”

Sighing, Chan crossed the threshold, and Jin closed the door behind him. 

“Chan-ah? Is that you? Jin-ah?”

“Yes, hyung. It's Channie and me,” Jin called back, hanging up his coat, “and hyung, you should probably come here.”

Chan darted another look at Jin, silently pleading. “I'm sorry, Channie. But you can't hide a person, sweetheart.”

Chan looked down at Gunil, who was sleeping in his arms, and then back at Jin. “We could try?”

Chuckling, Jin shook his head. “Tell hyung what happened, Chan-ah. Everything's going to be fine.”

“Boys? It's late. Where have you-” Jungeun stepped into the hallway, and paused a few feet from them. He looked from Chan to Jin and back again. “Chan-ah? What is this?”

“I couldn't leave him there, hyung. I couldn't!”

Chapter Text

***†***

If Seungmin was Innie, he'd be in Jungeun-hyung's lap, giving the elder sad eyes, an impressive lower lip and just enough whine in his voice to get anything he wanted. 

But Seungmin wasn't Innie. 

So instead, he sat on Channie-hyung’s chair, eating a breakfast bar and staring at the TV, wishing he was a little more like their maknae.

If Seungmin was Felix, he'd be crying, telling Chan-hyung all about how horrible everything was, and he'd transform into some small, fuzzy creature to get maximum cuddles.

But Seungmin wasn't Felix. 

So he was curled into the corner of the chair now, glaring at his phone, because he didn't like The Greatest American Hero, but he'd been outvoted and he was stuck here.

If Seungmin was Jisung, which is crazy, because never in a million years would he be Jisung, but if he was, he'd be using his power to make every single person in his family feel absolutely horrid, so they'd understand.

But Seungmin wasn't Jisung. (obviously) 

So he stormed from the living room to the kitchen, grabbed a can of Dash and sucked it down in one large, noisy gulp. 

Because Minho-hyung hated when they did that. Except, there was no one there to tell him off.

Because Chan-hyung and Minho-hyung were on a mission. 

A mission Seungmin should've been on. 

Stupid ear infection. 

**†**

If Seungmin was Hyunjin (ha!), he'd be whining non-stop about the injustice of the situation, hanging like a limpet off whichever hyung was closest, and reveling in the hugs said hyung gave. 

But Seungmin wasn't Hyunjin. 

So he ate his samgyeopsal that Jungeun-hyung made for lunch, talking only when he had to, and pretending to be very occupied with the newspaper crossword puzzle.

Seungmin hated crossword puzzles. 

If Seungmin was Changbin, he'd have whined at hyungs until they gave in, not for the mission, but for the gym. He'd be working off the frustration, and slamming weights like it was their fault his power was on the fritz. 

But Seungmin wasn't Changbin.

So he sat at the table, eating Jungeun-hyung's apple pie with ice cream. Because sure, he was upset, but Jungeun-hyung made the best apple pie. And who said no to apple pie?!

If Seungmin was Minho, he'd do something no hyung in their right mind would ignore, with the sole purpose of getting their attention any way he could. Then he'd pout a little and suck up the inevitable attention. 

But Seungmin wasn't Minho.

So, Seungmin sat on the counter in the bathroom, staring at his reflection and wondering why an ear infection made him glitch (as Hakny-hyung had said) and be unable to flash invisible appropriately.

It wasn't fair. 

If Seungmin was Chan-hyung, he'd have called Jungeun-hyung, explained his symptoms, gone to see Yoongi-hyung and then followed every direction given until he was better and could successfully apprehend criminals once more. 

But Seungmin was so not Chan-hyung. 

So Seungmin was standing on the balcony, overlooking the city, bright and colorful and busy, and wondering if there was any way he could get out without being seen. 

If Seungmin was Jungeun-hyung - well, Seungmin didn't actually know what their Biggie-Hyung would do in this situation. But something told him he wouldn't be contemplating absconding via the fire escape. 

He giggled a little at the mental image that pulled up, Jungeun-hyung climbing over the edge of the railing, his-

“Seungminnie? Are you alright?”

***†***†***

Seungmin was not alright. 

And Seungmin wasn't Innie or Felix or Jisung. 

He wasn't Hyunjin, Changbin or Minho. 

He wasn't Chan-hyung.

And he most definitely was not Jungeun-hyung. 

But Seungmin was sad. 

“No,” he said, pouting just a little. 

Jungeun-hyung joined him on the balcony. “Is your ear bothering you again, honey?” 

Seungmin shrugged. “Sort of,” he said, letting the tears well up a tiny bit. 

Jungeun-hyung put a hand on his forehead. “You are a little warm. Do you need more medicine?” 

Seungmin nodded. “Please?” he whimpered, so his hyung would feel slightly sad.

Jungeun-hyung pulled him close and kissed his head. “C'mon, baby, let's get those meds.”

“Ok,” Seungmin whispered, letting Jungeun-hyung lead him back inside.

*†*

“Are you feeling any better?” 

Seungmin shook his head, scooting just a bit closer to his hyung. “It's not fair,” there was just a teensy whine in his voice, “I wanted to go.”

Jungeun-hyung tugged Seungmin into his lap, hugging him tight. “There will be other missions, sweetheart.”

Seungmin thunked his head against the elder's chest. “I should be with them,” he cried softly, “it's not my fault I got an ear infection or that my power is malfunctioning.”

Jungeun-hyung carded a hand through Seungmin's sweaty hair. “I know. But you can't go. Maybe next time.”

Seungmin frowned, twisting a bit in his hyung's hold. “I could just go. I'm a superhero too. I'm registered. No one can-” 

A firm tap to his thigh had him snapping his mouth closed, pouting.

“You will not,” Jungeun-hyung said in that tone no one, not even Seungmin, disobeyed.

Seungmin let out a frustrated sigh. “I don't like it, hyung. Why am I glitching?”

Jungeun-hyung rubbed his back, up and down, the little tremors fading under his hyung's touch. “Your ear infection is messing with your system, baby,” his hyung said. 

Seungmin stiffened. “That's a reason, not an answer-”

“Hush, puppy,” Jungeun-hyung soothed, kissing the side of Seungmin's head and tightening his hold, “and let hyung take care of you.”

And Seungmin, not Innie or Felix, not Changbin or Jisung, not Minho or Hyunjin, or Biggie-Hyung or Chan-hyung, but Seungmin, relaxed in his hyung's hug -with just a teeny, tiny huff- and let him. 

Chapter Text

**Chapter 4 - Outro**

The door opened and Jungeun-hyung was standing there. He should've been more happy to see his hyung, it was why he'd come here after all, but when the elder just stood there, blinking in surprise, Innie kind of wanted to scream. “Jeonginnie? What're you doing here, baby?”

“Not a baby, hyung,” Innie mumbled, blinking back frustrated tears, “but I…I can't, you have to…Chan-hyung doesn't-” Innie sucked back the sob that had been threatening to burst for quite awhile now. “Seungmin-hyung is mad at me!” he cried, throwing himself at Jungeun. 

His hyung caught him, as Innie had known he would, and after a moment, the elder gently pushed him away from his chest.

“Innie-yah, can you tell hyung what's happened?” He ran a hand through Innie's hair and Innie sagged in his hold. “Why do you think Minnie is mad at you, baby?”

“Hyung,” Innie whined softly. He didn't like being called a baby. Although if anyone was going to forever call him one, he'd prefer it to be this hyung. And not…Seungmin.

Jungeun-hyung made a soft noise that Innie wasn't entirely sure how to take. “Do other hyungs know you're here, sweetheart?” 

Innie shook his head. “No,” he cried into the elder's shoulder. He didn't want other hyungs! “Minho-hyung knew something…and I had to go! Chan-hyung's not home!” 

“Alright. C'mon, Yennie. Let's go inside and make sure Minho isn't scouring the city for you,” Jungeun-hyung said, jostling Innie a little.

Innie clung tighter to Jungeun-hyung's shirt. “He's not,” he mumbled, “he'll check here first.” 

Innie felt the rumble of a laugh in his hyung's chest and he couldn't help but giggle back, even if it was a little hysterical. 

“That's true, sweetheart, but let's go inside anyway, yeah?” Jungeun-hyung asked, squeezing him tight.

Innie sighed and then nodded. He didn't think anyone could fix this. Not even Jungeun-hyung, but there was no other person he trusted to try- well, normally he would go to Chan-hyung, but that ship had sailed with Seungmin's blackmail threat- and there was no other place he'd rather be, if he wasn't at home.

Jungeun-hyung led him inside, heading for the kitchen. Innie's eyes lit up when his hyung opened the pantry because this hyung always had the best treats. 

Well, Biggie-Hyung and Yeon-hyung. Eric had told him that they had jujustars and Innie knew from Jongho and Ye-joo that their hyung's wouldn't get those, just like Minho-hyung wouldn't. Hwa-hyung had said something about them being nothing but straight sugar, but Innie had only been half listening because-

“Innie-yah, do you want something to drink?” Jungeun-hyung asked from within the pantry where he was rustling around.

“Do you have any Dash, hyung?” 

***†***

Jungeun-hyung set a plate of Dasik cookies on the table and Innie pulled the snacks close, grinning at the elder. 

“I asked Minho-hyung to get these last week and he said no!” Innie shoved a handful of the colorful treats in his mouth. “I don't understand why, hyung. They're so good!”

Jungeun-hyung grinned back at him. “Yes, baby. And the lot of you would polish off a box in less than five minutes. Easy now.”

Pouting just a tiny bit, puppy dog eyes wide and innocent, Innie grabbed a few more cookies just as the elder pulled the plate away from him.

“Oh, those eyes don't work on me anymore, honey. Joong-ah wore them out a long time ago. If you want more, you're going to need to tell me what's going on.”

“But, hyung!!”

**†**

Jungeun-hyung had to be magic. There was no doubt in Innie's mind. He'd heard Jin-hyung and Gunil-hyung joke about it before, Jin-hyung swearing it was the truth, while Gunil-hyung was more convinced that it was some mystery power versus magic. 

But it was magic. Innie was sure.

Somehow, in a ridiculously small amount of time, Geun-hyung - with the help of just Dasik and Dash, had wrung the whole story right out of him. Innie supposed it could actually be that he just sucked at keeping secrets and the pressure of it finally got to him..…but it was easier to blame Jungeun-hyung's mythical magic powers. 

Maybe Jungeun-hyung could use his magic to get the truth from Seungmin without dragging Innie through the mud. 

And hopefully keep Innie safe from retaliation. Because Seungmin had been so mean. 

“We'll get to the bottom of this, Innie-yah, hyung promises.” Jungeun-hyung said as he picked up his phone, “I'm calling Chan-ah now.”

Innie nodded, tucking his legs up under him and squishing himself into the corner of the couch. Chan-hyung wasn't going to be too pleased with Seungmin's secret, but he wasn't going to be happy with Innie and Jongho's unsanctioned walkabout either. 

Jungeun-hyung had looked him dead in the eye and asked, ‘just where did you and Jongho-yah go, Yang Jeongin?’ in that scary way he had, and Innie had spilled that secret as well. 

Jungeun-hyung hadn't scolded, but he'd given him one of his infamous looks and told him they'd have to tell Chan-hyung. 

Innie hadn't cried. But, he may have sniffled more than a little. 

Innie heard Jungeun-hyung saying goodbye to Chan-hyung, and the next thing he knew, the elder's arms were wrapped around his middle and he was pulled into his hyung's lap. 

And maybe he didn't fight it. Maybe he wanted to stay right there until Chan-hyung arrived.

Because maybe things would go back to normal now. 

Maybe.

Chapter Text

***

Chan typed the last bit of information on the newest creature found in the Warehouse District into his notes, then grabbed his ringing phone. 

“Hello?” He saved the document and closed his laptop. 

“Chan-ah? Have you seen today's paper?”

“No, hyung,” Chan said, setting the laptop on the coffee table, “I don't usually get a chance to look at it before the boys take it apart.”

“What? Why are the boys bothering with the newspaper at all?”

Jungeun-hyung sounded truly confused and Chan couldn't help but chuckle. “Minho looks for reports by Yeon-hyung, Innie wants the comics, Bin-ah has been following the Seoul Shakers Soccer team-”

“Alright, I stand corrected. There are reasons for them to want the paper. But maknae-yah, I think you should find it and look at the classifieds.”

“Hyung,” Chan said with another chuckle, “I haven't been the maknae in ages. And why the classifieds?”

“You'll always be my maknae, sweetheart. I think you'll find a particular ad of interest.”

“Don't tell Joong-ah that, hyung. We'll have a mutiny on our hands by the actual maknae,” Chan said, heading for the kitchen where he'd last seen Minho with the paper, “but I'm pretty sure I don't need anything in the classifieds.”

His hyung gave a soft snort. “I think you'll be surprised, honey. How are things? Are Bin and Minnie still bickering?”

Chan let out a heavy sigh as he searched the table and then counter for the daily paper. “We're on day four, hyung. I warned them last night that they needed to work it out before I have to resort to drastic measures.”

Jungeun-hyung hmm'd. “I thought as much. Did you find it, Chan-ah?”

“Not yet. I've got a few pages,” Chan said, pushing a pile of schoolbooks to one side of the table, “but no classifieds. I can't find anything in this place when I need it.”

His hyung made a noise like a choked off laugh. “That reminds me very much of when you boys lived at home. Chan-ah, I think you should check Seungmin's room.”

“Minnie doesn't bother with the paper, hyung. I've never even seen him pick it up.” Chan moved to the pantry, opening it and peering inside, just because one never could be too sure with his kids. 

“Trust hyung, Chan-ah, yeah? Just check.”

Nodding even though his hyung couldn't see him, Chan left the kitchen and headed down the hall to the boy's room. “Did you hear about Jacoby, hyung? Did Yeon-hyung call you?”

“He did. I'm glad they got that figured out. Jacoby should be less worried about his power going on the fritz now. Find anything?”

“Hold on, hyung. Minho is texting-” Chan swiped the screen to his texts, answered Minho's question about chicken or fish for dinner, then swiped back to the call.

“Ok, I'm back. He just had a question about dinner. He took a couple of the kids to the store with him.” Chan stepped inside Minho, Seungmin and Jinnie's room, crossing to his second youngest’s bed. “Oh yeah. Here's the classifieds, right on Seungmo’s bed…” Chan trailed off, confused. He picked up the paper and flipped it open.

“Page two, honey. About half way down the for sale section.”

“What exactly am I looking for, hyung?” Chan asked. 

“You'll know when you see it, Chan-ah.”

Chan looked the paper over, skimming through ads for couches and power tools and pool tables for sale, until his gaze landed on one that almost took his breath away. 

“Hyung!” he exclaimed, reading the ad again in disbelief. “Hyung, what-”

“You found it,” Jungeun-hyung chuckled softly.

“It's not funny, hyung!” Chan exclaimed, “I can't believe-”

“A little bit, Chan-ah. Our Minnie can't fight with force, so he fights back with words.”

“This is not ok,” Chan sighed, rubbing a hand over his face. 

“Of course it isn't, maknae-yah. But it's also slightly funny.”

Chan took in a few deep breaths. Maybe he could be convinced it was as funny as his hyung thought, a bit later. But right now? Right now he turned towards the hall and hollered, “Kim Seungmin!!”

“Chan-ah,” Jungeun warned softly, “no harm has been done. And Bin-ah did break something that belonged to Seungminnie.”

“I know, hyung. But-” Chan stopped as Seungmin came running in. He'd been playing a video game, if the controller in his hand was any indication. 

“Hyung?” the teenager asked, forehead wrinkled in confusion. 

Chan held up the paper and raised an eyebrow. “Care to explain this?”

Older brother for sale. Cheap. Looks nice. Generally helpful. Extremely loud and obnoxious. Refuses to apologize for destroying things. *Help*

Chapter Text

**†**

“Did you hear that?” Felix bolted upright from where he'd been laying on the couch, scrolling the newly created Heroes R' Us app. 

“Hear what?” Innie asked from across the room. He was lying on the floor near the television, reading an old Batman comic that Jungeun-hyung had given him. 

“That,” Felix demanded, “can't you hear it?”

Innie rolled to his side, giving Felix a look that clearly said he thought his brother was a bit batty. “I don't hear anything,” he said, rolling back over.

“Hyung!” Felix hissed next, peering over the back of the couch and into the kitchen, “do you hear it?”

Minho-hyung shook his head. “I didn't hear anything, Lix-ah,” he said, barely looking up from Yeon-hyung's most recent article in the newspaper, “I'm sure it's nothing.”

Huffing in annoyance - he had so heard something - something that sounded like a whine. Felix slid back down on the couch, x’d out of the HrU app - he'd look for a present for Wooyoung later - then tapped on Hulu. Maybe watching TV would distract him. 

But when Jisung tumbled into the living room a few minutes later, tossing a stack of National Geographics on the couch next to Felix, he had to ask.

“Do you hear it?” Felix asked. Because he definitely, for sure, quite possibly, he thought, had heard it again. 

Jisung flopped onto the couch, throwing his feet over Felix's lap. He grabbed one of the magazines and started to flip through it. “Hear what?”

Frowning, Felix smacked at Jisung's legs. “There's a sound,” he grumbled in annoyance, “kind of like a whine.”

“And?” Jisung asked without looking at him.

“No one hears it, but I swear -”

“I'm headed to the gym, hyung!” Changbin yelled at Minho-hyung as he came sliding in from the hall, narrowly missing the kitchen wall, “I'll be back in time for dinner!”

“You make another hole in the wall, Seo Changbin, and I'm going to freeze your gym membership for a month!” Minho-hyung threatened without moving.

Changbin yelped indignantly, shoving his feet into sneakers. “I don't break things on purpose, hyung! That's not fair!”

“Binnie-hyung,” Felix quickly interjected, “do you hear anything?”

“Only the really mean words of an unfair hyung,” Changbin muttered, hitting the keypad with more force than needed, and disappearing out the door before Minho-hyung could retaliate. 

Grumbling under his breath, that's not what he meant at all, Felix looked at his phone again, trying to settle into the newest drama that was playing there. Maybe he was just hearing-

“Hyung!”

And nearly jumped off the couch, shifting into the crazy looking primate on the front of Sungie's magazine without actually meaning too.

“Hyung!!” Hyunjin's voice rang out again, closer now as he came down the hall, “tell Seungmin that he can't- holy heck! Felix is that you?”

Growling, because freaking apes can't talk, Felix nodded and shifted back, Jisung not even phased by the twice over shift. 

“Do you hear that, hyung?” Felix asked, because he was sure he'd heard another whine, and someone else had to hear it.

Hyunjin was still staring at him in a bit of horror. “Don't do that again, Lix. Monkeys are creepy.”

Groaning, Felix banged his head against the back of the couch. “I didn't do it on purpose. Are you sure you don't hear anything?”

“No, but it's downpouring. All I hear is rain. And Seungmin, driving me bonkers.” Hyunjin headed for the kitchen, “Hyung! Tell Minnie to leave me alone! I don't need his help-” 

There it was again! He wasn't hearing things. Felix sat up quick, Jisung grumbling something he didn't bother to try and make out. He shoved his twin's feet to the floor, got up and headed towards the balcony. 

“I'm not doing anything, hyung!” Seungmin's voice preceded him into the living room.

“Leave Hyunjinnie alone, Kim Seungmin or I'll stick you in the toaster!” Minho-hyung threatened, this time sounding like he meant it.

The younger stormed into the room a moment later, crossed his arms and glared. “I'm not bothering Jinnie-hyung! I can make stuff if I want to- Lix? What are you doing?”

“I hear something! Do you? It's like a whine,” Felix answered from where he was peering behind the large bookcase near the balcony. He dropped to his knees, and using his phone's flashlight, looked under the shelf. 

“I don't hear anything but rain,” Seungmin said, crossing the living room to get down and look under the shelf as well, “are you sure you don't just think you hear something?” 

“That's happened before,” Hyunjin said from the kitchen doorway, “when you watched too much Criminal Minds, remember?”

“Hyung banned him from crime dramas for like, two months,” Jisung added, never looking up from his book. 

Felix punched the floor. “That's not this! I hear something!”

Seungmin sat on the floor, looking at Felix curiously, his power struggle with Hyunjin apparently forgotten. “All you heard was a whine?”

“Whines.” Felix corrected, moving to sit as well, “there were at least four. I'm not hearing things.” He leaned back against the bookcase and shut off the flashlight.

“I don't hear anything, hyung. No one else hears anything. Are you watching murder mysteries again?” Seungmin asked, scooting closer to Felix to peer over his shoulder, just as the front door beeped. 

“I'm not!” Felix cried, trying to x out of his show, “I hear a whining noise!” He gave up trying to change what was on the screen, instead batting at Seungmin's grabby hands. He got to his feet and moved to Chan-hyung's chair, dropping into it with a huff. 

He did hear something, it was a whine and he hated everyone. Well, not everyone. He hadn't talked to Chan-hyung yet. 

“Felix is hearing things again, hyung,” Hyunjin said as the elder entered the living room. Sighing, Chan-hyung handed the bags he held to Hyunjin, telling him to put them away.

“I'm not! I mean, I am, but there's an actual noise!” Felix cried, and maybe he was pouting a tiny bit, “hyung! I hear whining!”

Channie-hyung sighed again. He looked at Felix, then over at Seungmin, who shook his head. “No one else hears anything?” 

“Nope,” Jisung said, entirely too sure for someone who hadn't been paying attention at all. 

“It's raining,” Felix pouted, “and no one's really listening.” He glared at Innie, who didn't even look up, then at Seungmin for good measure.

“You've heard things before, Lix,” the younger said with a shrug, “you really shouldn't watch those shows.”

Chan-hyung looked much too sharply at Felix. 

“What shows?” he asked, heading across the room. Felix scrambled for his phone, but it had slid down between the chair cushions, and Chan-hyung snagged it from his hand as soon as he'd managed to pull it free.

The elder looked at the phone, tapping it a few times before handing it back. Then he looked at Felix like he was a puzzle that was really hard to solve. 

“No more murder TV for you, bud,” he said after a minute, reaching out to ruffle Felix's hair, “just for a few weeks, yeah?”

And Felix glared at him too. Because that was so not fair. “I heard a whine,” he grumbled, holding his phone close, “I did.”

Chan-hyung hmm'd. “Why don't you play some League of Legends, yeah? I'm going to start on dinner. Seungmin, Innie have you boys finished your homework?”

Felix glared down at his phone, ignoring the drama going down around him over unfinished homework. He had heard something. And he was going to figure out what it was. Or rather, Jungeun-hyung was. He tapped on Biggie-Hyung's name and started texting.  

Nobody argued with him. 

*†*

The rain was loud and heavy and it hurt, which didn't make sense. It shouldn't hurt him. He tucked himself into a corner of the balcony, wrapped his tail tight around his legs and squeezed his eyes shut, praying for the rain to stop.

He needed to talk to someone. 

But he couldn't when he looked like this. 

Chapter Text

**†**†**

The Meme-

My son is 12 and really getting into cooking. And his sister is 14 and has been gassing him up like ‘Wow buddy, you could be on Top Chef!’ or ‘This is so good! You are so talented!’ And I told her it was so sweet, but she said it's part of her evil plan to get him to make her cookies all the time. 

**†**

ImaMeWriter said this would be Changbin - because he totally likes Minho's cooking and Felix's baking but, also he's hungry, y'all. Like, he can't sleep, cuz he's hungry and Felix yells at him that he's always hungry and Changbin yells that he is so sensitive because he's so hungry. Don't they understand?! So if he can lovebomb them into making him the official taste tester…. He's set for life, right? 

Well, sort of.

Seungmin would figure him out. The kid was incredibly smart. But, he'd probably continue to do it anyway, because while the two of them went at each other almost on the daily, Changbin was aware they shared something special. They just didn't talk about it. 

Minho-hyung would thump him on the head as soon as he figured it out, likely chasing him from the kitchen and effectively halting any hopes of the elder making him food ever again. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea. Minho-hyung's dinners were legendary.

Felix and Innie would be beside themselves. They would revel in a hyung's praise for making the best food ever. And well, this could be a win-win. Felix and Innie needed all the praise they could get, and then there'd be all the brownies and pizza and kimbap that Changbin could get. No one could blame a guy for that scenario, right? (even with Innie eating more than his share of the goods) 

Jisung would give him that look that was both innocent and full of absolute sh!t. The one that made Channie-hyung sigh and do whatever it was, and made Minho-hyung swear. Jisung would look at him with those big eyes and tell him some utter nonsense - I can't cook without an adult, and you're the adult - and Changbin would just give up. The kid was really good.

Hyunjin couldn't cook worth anything, but he'd kept trying until Minho-hyung had banned both him and Jisung from ever setting foot in the kitchen again. But Hyunjin loved his hyung, and Changbin knew he'd offer watermelon and Dasik cookies and whatever goodies he could confiscate from Geun-hyung's house. And Changbin would fawn over it anyway. Food is food.

Channie-hyung would stare at him for a moment, looking at him with what they all called the disappointed dad look. He'd shake his head and tell Changbin he was old enough to get his own food. And his hyung would be right. Changbin could make his own food. But why should he, if he could get someone else to do it for him? Changbin would pout a bit then, and Chan-hyung would refuse. He'd look at Changbin for a few solid moments, concerned and confused and maybe a little bit worried. 

And then he'd make him French Toast.

Chapter Text

**†**

Shifting the grocery bags to one hand, Jungeun unlocked the door with the other. Pushing it open, he stepped into Chan's tiny apartment, and stopped short. He blinked in surprise, both at what he saw, and at the unexpected prickle of nervousness that shot through his chest.

There was a scrawny teenager sitting at Chan's little table. The kid was staring back at him, eyes wide, obviously rather nervous himself. Moving slowly, Jungeun hung his key on the hook near the door and gave the younger a gentle smile. 

The nerves left as quickly as they'd come, right as the teen grinned. “Oh, you have a key! I thought I had the wrong apartment or that maybe someone was breaking in! I'm waiting for Hyung to get here, I thought he'd be back by now. Does he know you're coming? Do you think I can get a key? I can get in without it, but a key would be easier-” the teen paused, sucking in a deep breath, “do you know when he'll be back?”

Jungeun chuffed a small laugh. “Pretty soon, I think,” he told the teen, “I'm Chan’s hyung. My name's Chae Jungeun. What's yours?” 

“I'm Jisung! I thought hyung would be here, but I knocked and knocked and he didn't come.” Jisung shrugged. “I didn't know Hyung had a hyung!” 

Chuckling again, the adorable imp was hard to dislike, despite his dubious entrance to Chan’s home, Jungeun crossed the small space and set the bags on the counter. “He sure does, kiddo,” Jungeun said, “did Chan-ah tell you to come by?”

The teenager shook his head. “No…I mean, yes, kind of? I've helped him a few times on missions! Yesterday, I almost caught the Hanzaki Bandit!” The boy frowned then. “Well, not really. Hyung was a little upset. He made me sit and wait while he went after him. It was really boring. Did you know that the Hanzaki Bandit’s real name is Sheldon Mudd?” Jisung asked, reaching for the bowl of apples on the table and taking one. “I’d totally change my name if it was Sheldon. Anyway, Hyung brought me out for lunch, and told me he'd see me around. So that's why I'm here.”

A bit confused, and a little sad, Jungeun leaned against the counter. “I see,” he said, even though he didn't really, “Chan-ah and I have dinner together a few nights a month. Do you like sticky chicken?”

The teenager's eyes grew large, and he began bouncing in his seat. “I do! Are you going to make that? I haven't seen anyone make food in forever! Did you know the bakery on the corner sometimes gives away donuts and bagels? I go there a lot, but I've never seen them make anything. Can I watch you? Can I help? Are you sure hyung is going to be here soon?”

Jungeun nodded, putting away some of the groceries, and leaving what he needed for dinner next to the stove. Pulling pans and dishware from the cupboards, he glanced back at the younger. “He'll be here any time now. I'm curious, honey. Just how did you get in here?”

Jisung pointed towards the balcony, still bouncing a little in his chair. “I went up the fire escape and came in that way. Hyung must've forgotten to lock the slider.”

Jungeun set the frying pan down a bit harder than he meant to. He turned to the boy, just looking for a moment. Chan didn't bother locking the slider because his apartment was six floors up. 

Then he shook his head. “Jisung?” he said gently, once he got his thoughts in order. 

“Yeah?” the boy said, not looking up from where he was using his fingernail to poke a smiley face into the apple skin. 

“Don't ever do that again, alright? It's not safe. I don't want you to get hurt.” 

The boy's head shot up and he stared back at him. “But, I don't have a key and what if hyung isn't here when I get here? I don't think they'll let me sit in the hallway for too long. It's not hard to come up the fire escape, and I can-”

“Jisung, absolutely not.” 

The boy froze, the apple halfway to his mouth now. He blinked up at Jungeun, tears flooding his eyes. A wave of guilt rolled through Jungeun's stomach, and he immediately backpedaled.

“Hyung's sorry. I'm not angry at you. But climbing up that way is dangerous.”

Sniffling, Jisung set the apple down. “I was really careful, sunbaenim. I had to come, I had to see Hyung again. I had…..I had to know…” the boy trailed off, a few tears sliding down his cheeks.

Jungeun's heart about broke, the guilt turning to tendrils of fear. He tugged out the chair nearest Jisung and sat down. “It's alright, baby. Take a deep breath for hyung. Good boy.” Jungeun gently wiped the younger's tears. “Hyung just doesn't want you to get hurt. No more climbing up from outside, alright?”

“But how will I get in?!” Jisung wailed, “I need to be able to get in!”

Sorrow clenched his chest like a vice, and Jungeun gave the teenager a sharp look. Something was very odd, but he couldn't dwell on it right now. “Jisung, honey, listen to hyung. Let's talk to Chan-ah, I'm sure we can come up with a plan, alright?”

“A plan?” Jisung sniffled, scooting his chair even closer to Jungeun. 

“Yes, baby. No more tears, yeah? We'll figure this out.”

Jisung got up from his chair, his knees bumping Jungeun's, and then the wiry little teen was climbing into his lap. The boy dropped his head on Jungeun's shoulder and let out a big sigh. “Thank you, hyung,” he whispered, still sniffling softly. 

Jungeun wrapped the boy in a hug, running a hand through the younger's tangled hair. “Of course, honey. Hyungs are here for you.”

***†***

Chan entered his tiny apartment and shrugged out of his coat. He leaned against the wall to kick off his shoes, then ran a hand down his face. Citizens could be worse to deal with than villains and some days he really did wonder-

 Wait. What was that smell? 

“Hyung?! Did you make sticky chicken? Like Jin-hyung makes it?!” Chan called, taking the few steps to the living room. 

His hyung didn't answer, but Chan saw him sitting on the couch, a small figure wrapped in a blanket in his lap. 

“Hyung?” Chan whispered, coming to stand in front of them, “who's this?”

Jungeun-hyung grinned up at him, tugging the blanket down for Chan to see. 

What in the world? 

“He was here when I got here,” his hyung said softly, running a hand over the boy's bangs, “he's pretty determined to stay here with you.”

The little brat had broken into his apartment!? Chan opened his mouth to say something, anything. He wasn't Jin-hyung or Yeon-hyung. What was he supposed to do?

“Hyung? Is that you?” Jisung rubbed his eyes and turned slightly to blink up at him, then shifted upright so quickly he nearly fell over, all tangled up in the blanket. “Hyung! Guess what?! Jungeun-hyung said we'd figure it out! Isn't that great? I'm going to stay here now!”

Chapter Text

***†***

Chan kicked off his shoes and ran down the hall. He caught the edge of the living room doorframe, effectively sending him into the room at a speed Jungeun-hyung would definitely take issue with. 

“Jin-hyung!” he exclaimed, seconds before launching himself onto the couch. He landed on his knees and grinned at the elder, who was sitting sideways with his foot on a pillow. 

“Chan-ah,” Jin scolded softly, “you're lucky your hyung's not here.”

Chan bounced on his knees a little. “He's your hyung too,” he said, completely ignoring the half hearted reprimand, “and guess what?! Mrs. Kang told me there's a library up north that could have what I'm looking for!”

Shaking his head, Jin turned, moving the pillow to the coffee table and resting his foot there. “I've only known you for four days, kiddo. He's not my hyung.”

“He is,” Chan said, shifting closer to Jin, “and I need you to bring me to that library. Hyung's so busy with work, that it'd be hard for him to bring me. I mean, he would if I asked, but if you bring me, maybe we can go out for ice cream and I can show you around!”

Jin sighed, reaching out to run a hand through Chan's sweaty curls. “What'd you do, run home from the Kang’s? And I can't do anything right now. Your hyung said I needed a few more days of rest.”

“I like running,” Chan said with a shrug, leaning into Jin's hand on his head, “and we can go after you're better!”

“Chan-ah, honey, I can't stay here. We've talked about this.” Jin said softly, gently scratching Chan's head.

Frowning, Chan moved closer to Jin. “You've talked about it,” he accused softly, “I haven't. And Hyung hasn't.”

“It's not that simple-”

“It is!” Chan snapped, sitting back to give the elder a somewhat pouty glare, “you don't have any place to go, so why not stay here? You like us, don't you?” 

Jin huffed lightly. “Of course I do, kiddo. But-”

“Hyung,” Chan whispered as he carefully climbed into Jin's lap and rested his head against the older boy's chest, “please stay.” 

“Aish,” Jin whispered back after a moment, wrapping his arms around Chan to hug him tight, “how does anyone tell you no?”

****††****

3 weeks later

“Large chocolate with chocolate sauce?”

“That's mine!” Chan rushed up to the counter and took his treat with a small bow of thanks. He headed back to the small table near the window where Jin-hyung sat, drinking a mocha coffee, and plunked into the seat opposite the elder. 

“I'm excited, hyung! Aren't you? I want to learn more about the outer planets and I want to show you where Hyung found me and where JayB-hyung lives, and maybe the park where we play ball and have picnics. I can't-”

“Slow down, honey,” Jin interrupted with a chuckle, pointing at Chan's ice cream, “eat your treat before it melts.”

Nodding, Chan shoved a spoonful of ice cream in his mouth, swallowing hastily and talking again in seconds. “I can't wait to show you Hyung's favorite restaurant! He used to eat there with Ujin-hyung all the time! Sometimes we meet Cheol-hyung there!” Pausing to pop another bite of ice cream in his mouth, Chan shot a grin at the elder when Jin chuckled. 

“You’re something else, honey,” the older teen chuckled, reaching out to ruffle Chan's hair, “but there's only so much we can do in one day.”

Chan looked at him over another spoonful of ice cream, his eyes glinting like they had the first night they'd met. “Then I guess it's a good thing you stayed, huh hyung?” 

Chapter Text

**†**

When the movie ended, Jisung was still clingy, all curled up on Chan-hyung's lap. He looked tiny and young and innocent, and Minho felt another twinge of guilt twisting through his stomach. The whole thing was his fault and Jisung shouldn't be in trouble. He'd told that to Geun-hyung earlier, but the elder had disagreed. ’Jisung made his own choices. And they were the wrong ones, just like yours.’

And even though Geun-hyung had made sense, it didn't make the guilty feeling go away. Not really. He leaned heavily against Geun-hyung, sighing deeply. Grabbing the cuff of his hyung's shirt, he began playing with the frayed bits, wondering just how long the elder had had this shirt. Hadn't SHINE's Hero Brigade been out of service for decades?

“Hyung?” he whispered after a few moments of quiet, “Sung-ah didn't…if I hadn't-” 

“Lee Minho.” Jungeun-hyung cut him off, his name sounding like steel, “Jisung made a choice. The wrong one. He didn't have to go anywhere. You did not make him leave. And Jisung is not a baby, and he absolutely knows the difference between right and wrong.”

“Agreed.” Chan-hyung said from his chair. He gently jostled Jisung, the younger sliding to his feet with a massive pout. “You both made mistakes. And I think it's time we took care of that. Hyung, can you and Bin-ah get dinner for us all?”

Minho blinked back sudden tears at the reminder that they hadn't actually talked this over yet. That he was definitely in for it and that the smack he'd gotten earlier, though it had certainly stung, was really just the beginning. 

Geun-hyung must've answered Chan-hyung, because the elder gently shifted Minho over in order to stand up, then leaned over to kiss his forehead. “Behave, Minho-yah. I'll be back in a little bit.” 

Minho watched them leave, Binnie eagerly going on and on about the different restaurants they could get dinner from and who had the better tteokbokki and would hyung maybe let him get him some yakgwa, because he was the only one not in trouble - Bin’s voice faded as they left the apartment and Minho took a deep breath. 

He looked over at Chan-hyung, who was holding a very unhappy looking Jisung's hand, and when Minho caught his eye, unsure what to do next, he saw the elder sigh. 

“C'mon. Let's get this over with.” Chan-hyung said, heading towards the hallway, a reluctant Jisung in tow. 

“Hyung! I'm sorry! I really didn't mean to get into trouble! I didn't know it was anything bad. Maybe hyung was just going out for snacks? And I was just-” 

Jisung stopped abruptly when Chan-hyung gave a bit of a yank to his hand. “Don't make this worse by lying, Han Jisung. You knew exactly what you were doing.”

Jisung looked back at Minho, begging, and if it wasn't for Geun-hyung's most recent words banging around in his head like a drum, Minho would've started pleading the younger's case. As it was, he ducked his head and followed Chan-hyung down the hall and into the bedroom. 

**†***

Minho didn't cry easily. It just wasn't a necessary response to most of life's situations. He preferred biting remarks that made his hyung's raise their eyebrows and chide. And while he'd cried earlier, that was very much due to Geun-hyung startling the absolute heck out of him, not to mention the after effects of Dr. Telerhk.

So he never expected that he'd be sobbing in Chan-hyung's chest, especially not when everything had been said and done for a while now. He had tried to apologize, but the tears wouldn't stop, and he just knew he was getting Channie-hyung’s shirt all gross. But his hyung just shushed him, whispering soft nonsense like, ‘let it all out, Min,’ and ‘everything's ok now’, and other gentle reassurances that made him feel so much better than he'd expected them too.

“I'm…I'm sorry,” he stuttered out after another few minutes, “is…is Sungie alright?”

He felt a chuckle rumble against his cheek and he pouted up at his hyung. It was a reasonable question. Chan-hyung was looking at him all soft and fond though, and Minho couldn't help the snarl of disgust when the elder pressed a kiss to the top of his head. 

His hyung ignored the objection completely, going so far as to pretend to kiss him again. Minho glared, even knowing that he couldn't possibly look all that scary with tears still running down his cheeks. “Sung is fine, kiddo. He's watching The Emoji Movie and eating a giant bowl of ice cream.”

Mollified for the moment, Minho pressed his face against Channie-hyung's chest once more, sucking in a few deep breaths. After another few moments, when the tears had almost stopped, he sat back a little, to glare at his hyung once more.

The elder raised an eyebrow, both curious and chiding, though how his hyung managed that without saying a word, Minho would never understand. 

“That hurt,” he accused, very aware of the whine in his voice.

Chan-hyung hmm'd. “Dying hurts worse,” he said sternly, “you scared the absolute life out of me,” he continued, his grip on Minho tightening, “don't ever do something like that again, Lee Minho.”

Blinking fiercely as the tears came racing back, Minho shook his head. “No, hyung. I won't. I promise.”

“You better not,” the elder whispered, “I plan on you being around for a very long time.”

And maybe, when Chan-hyung leaned forward to press one more kiss to the top of his head, maybe Minho let him.

Chapter Text

**†**

It's usually chaos when Chan arrives home these days. He's four dongsaengs in now, and Felix being the quiet one had only lasted the first week or so. 

He's rather used to it, he thinks. 

The boys chattering and bickering, the sound of the TV, Minho’s soft chiding. The distant video game chatter from down the hall, an occasional crash followed by someone protesting they didn't do it. 

It was home. 

He isn't, however, used to projectiles flying by, right as he steps into the front hall. He dodges purely on instinct, and something solid hits the wall behind him. 

“Hyung! Watch out!” Changbin's warning was just a little too late and Chan had to step back hurriedly to avoid taking a soaring sneaker to the face. 

“Boys, what the-”

He's cut off as one of Minho's pink runners whizzes by. It hits the front door, landing with a thunk near Chan's own feet. 

“Channie-hyung, he's gone crazy!” Jisung's voice now, from somewhere in the living room and Chan takes two steps forward, only to have one of his own ‘older than dirt, hyung’ combat boots come tumbling into the hall, too heavy to make the trek to its intended target. 

Which for some reason is him, he's quickly figured out. 

“Changbin! Jisung! What is going-”

“Hyung, he's mad at you!” Changbin hollers.

Thank you Changbin Holmes.

He takes a cautious step towards the kitchen, and ducks as one of Changbin's stupid expensive slides comes sailing through the air, end over end like one of Joong-ah’s stars. 

“That's enough!” he hollers, crossing his arms for good measure, “quit throwing things!”

“We tried that!” Jisung yells from wherever he's hiding, “but he's got terrible social skills! What'd you do, hyung!?”

He didn't do anything, thank you very much. “I haven't even been here-” 

Jisung's favorite pair - pair! - of Nikes came next, winging around like broken helicopter blades before dropping to the rug with a muffled thud.

“We haven't been able to calm him down since you called!” Changbin hollers from even further away than before.

Chan frowns, because he called over an hour ago, and- Oh. Oh. 

There has been a noticeable absence of Felix's shoes…

He heads for the living room. He has to bat one of Minho's slippers from the air as he does, rolling his eyes as the slipper's mate comes tumbling over the back of the couch.

“Lee Felix!” Chan says, “that's enough!”

“Hyung! Careful!” Jisung yelps again, as an unidentified shoe flies from the green couch and bounces off the opposite one.

Chan leans over the back of the couch. “This is not how you respond to a grounding!” he snaps, pinning his shapeshifter with a very unimpressed look.

“He's grounded?!” Changbin yells indignantly from wherever he's hiding. 

“What'd you do?” Jisung asks, popping up from behind Chan's chair. 

“Not me!” Felix snarls, “Minho-hyung! Stupid chores! I almost made silver!"

Chapter Text

***

“What is happening?!” Felix cried, running around Changbin to stay clear of the large gloopy glob of gross, “this is so weird!”

“I don't like it!” Innie whined from where he hid behind Chan, moving with the elder every time he sidestepped the slippery slab of slime, “it's like a Jello Gone Bad nightmare!”

“I mean, it could be worse!” Jisung yelled, racing behind the jiggly jelly of Jabba-likeness, “it could have legs!”

Snorting, Minho grabbed the emotion bending teen as he completed a full circle around the onerous oaf of ooze. “Stay put, you little punk. I don't plan on getting slug snot all over me!”

Giggling a bit madly, Hyunjin threw a small force field over Chan and their slightly-freaking-out maknae. “I think that's the least of our problems right now, hyung!"

“Seriously!” Seungmin yelped, flashing invisible as the vast, voracious villain crawled in his direction, “what is this thing?!”

I don't know,” Changbin yelled, crashing through the beefy blob like the Kool Aid Man on a bad day, “but it's freaking gnarly!!”

Chapter Text

***†***

“Come on, Joong-ah! Just eat it so we can go!” 

Hongjoong slumped back in his chair and crossed his arms. “No.”

“We're all waiting on you, sweetheart. You can do it.”

Shaking his head, Hongjoong glared at the table. “No.”

“C'mon, baby. It's just a couple bites.”

“Not a baby,” Hongjoong muttered petulantly, his foot thunking at the chair, “and I don't want it!”

“Please, Joongie. Eat it for hyung?”

Hongjoong hunched his shoulders, a mulish look on his face. “I don't like it. Yeon-hyung, it's disgusting!” 

“You're such a brat! We're never going to be able to leave!” Chan threw himself in a chair opposite his brother, head thunking down on crossed arms. 

“You can't call me that!” Hongjoong yelped, sitting up so quickly he hit his elbow on the table, "Hyung says not too!”

“Hyung also said to eat that,” Gunil commented quietly, pointing at the maknae's plate, “and you aren't doing that.”

“That's not fair!” 

“It is,” Chan mumbled, voice muffled against his arms, “c'mon Joongs, I want to go!”

“The boys have a point, sweetheart,” Jin said, gently running a hand through Hongjoong's hair, “you're holding everything up over a few bits of dinner.”

“Gross bits!” Hongjoong wailed melodramatically. 

“How about….uh,” Yeon floundered, looking helplessly at Jin, then Gunil, “how about…oh! I'll teach you how to use the dart guns! What do you think about that, baby?!”

“Yonnie,” Jin warned softly, as Hongjoong started bouncing in his seat, “you can't promise him that without asking hyung-”

“You mean it?!” Hongjoong cried, ignoring Jin as he jumped from his seat to run to Yeon, “do you promise?!”

Yeon darted a look at Jin, who shook his head. Looking back at the maknae, his face lit up with excitement, Yeon blew out a breath. “Eat what's on your plate, baby. That's the deal, yeah?”

Hongjoong nodded, grabbing Yeon in a hug. “Yes, hyung!”

“Sangyeon,” Jin's exasperated tone had Yeon wincing, “bribery is not what hyung meant.”

Shrugging helplessly, Yeon wrapped an arm around Hongjoong's shoulders and bent to whisper in his brother's ear. The maknae nodded hard and bounced back over to the table. 

“Hongjoong,” Jin said sternly, with a look at Yeon, “Yeonnie can't promise you that. You know Hyung has rules about weapons training.” 

Hongjoong kicked at the table leg, scowling fiercely at Jin. “But Yeon-hyung already said it.”

“Jungeun-hyung makes the rules, not Yeon-hyung,” Gunil said quietly, collecting the remaining cups on the table and putting them in the sink, “and you know hyung meant for you to just eat the spinach.”

Hongjoong turned his scowl on Gunil. “Spinach is gross. Vegetables are gross. Anything green is gross.”

“Joongie, baby. You just said you'd eat it!” Yeon whined softly. He gave Jin a distressed look, and moved across the kitchen to lean against the elder. “I'm sorry, hyung,” he whispered, “I just wanted Joong-ah to eat.”

Chan turned his head to half glare at Yeon. “I told you he's a brat,” the wolf shifter muttered, “ and you're just as bad as he is! I don't think you-”

“Chan-ah!” Jin warned, giving their middle brother a look, “that's enough.”

“If Yeon-hyung doesn't teach me the dart guns,” Hongjoong grumbled, crossing his arms and frowning at Jin, “I'm not eating that!"

“Hongjoong!” Chan shot upright. “Why can't you just do as you're told!?” 

“I can so do what I'm told!” Hongjoong snarled back, “and I'm telling Hyung you keep calling me names!”

“I didn't call you anything just now!” Chan yelped, “hyung, can't you just make him eat it!?” 

Jin chuckled softly. “Just how do you propose I do that Channie?” 

“I don't know,” the wolf shifter whined, “but I don't want to miss the Fair.”

Gunil looked worriedly around the kitchen. “Hyung didn't say we couldn't go,” he whispered, moving to lean against Chan's side and look at Jin, “are we not going to be able to go to Lights and Legends?”

Hongjoong froze, then looked at Yeon in betrayal. “Hyung!”

“Alright, alright!” Jin said, before Hongjoong could start another round of whining, “that's enough! Hyung never said we wouldn't go. He said to finish dinner while he showered,” he continued, giving Hongjoong a look, “and for you to eat your vegetables.”

“But it's gross!” the maknae cried, pushing the plate away. 

“Hongjoong!” Yeon whined softly, “don't you want to-”

Jin clapped a gentle hand over Yeon's mouth. “Hush. You've said enough. Channie, get the baby some medicine and a sweater. Yonnie, sit here. Hyung’s going to want to know why Joong-ah is mad about dart guns.” Jin pushed Yeon into the chair next to Hongjoong, then looked expectantly at Chan.

Getting to his feet, Chan nodded. He reached out to feel Gunil's forehead and frowned. “C'mon, Gun-ah. Hyung's got some of your medicine in my room.” He took Gunil's hand and led him out of the kitchen, offering one of his own sweatshirts when the glider insisted he didn't need one, hyung. 

“Hyung,” Yeon whispered, running a hand through Hongjoong's hair, “do we have to tell Geun-hyung what I said?”

Jin let out a heavy sigh. “Yonnie, you promised Joong-ah something you shouldn't have promised. You know Hyung's rules.”

Hongjoong sniffled, turning puppy eyes on his oldest brother. “I don't want Yeon-hyung to get in trouble!”

Blowing out an exasperated breath, Jin pulled out the chair on the other side of Hongjoong and sat down. “What Yonnie said was his own choice, but you refusing to eat a little bit of spinach, is yours. Eat your food and quit whining about things you know you aren't going to be allowed to do, and maybe that'll be the end of it. Yeah?”

Glaring through tear filled eyes, Hongjoong picked up his chopsticks and stabbed at the rather small helping of spinach. He looked at Jin again, who only nodded towards the plate. 

“C'mon, baby. You can do it,” Yeon encouraged, wrapping an arm around Hongjoong's shoulders and giving him a squeeze. “I don't want you to miss out. Don't you want us to all go together?”

Hongjoong pouted, still sniffling a little. “I do, hyung. But I really don't want it.”

Yeon nodded. “I know, baby. But I don't want you to miss the Fair. There will be lots of weapons training things to watch! I bet there's even some things you can try-” Yeon paused at the glare Jin sent over the maknae's head. “I mean, maybe there will be? We'll have to ask Geun-hyung.”

Hongjoong nodded sadly, swishing the spinach around in circles with his chopsticks. 

“Hyung? Jin-hyung?” Chan called from upstairs, “I can't find the baby's meds! Do you have some in your room?”

“I do, honey! I'll be right there!” Jin stood up and reached out to ruffle Hongjoong's, then Yeon's hair. “Finish that,” Jin said, pointing at Hongjoong’s plate, “no more stalling. I want it gone by the time I get back.”

Hongjoong pouted and Yeon jostled the youngest. “He'll finish it, hyung. I promise!”

Jin raised an eyebrow at them both. “No dart guns.”

Yeon nodded. “We know, Hyung. Go help Channie and the baby. I'll make sure it's gone.”

The moment Jin disappeared down the hall, Yeon grabbed Hongjoong's plate and pulled it close. “C'mon, Joongie. Jungeun-hyung has got to be almost done by now. Just eat it, ok?”

Hongjoong's eyes flooded with tears. “I don't want it, hyung,” he whispered, “it's so…gloopy.”

Yeon snorted. "Well you can't just blowtorch them, honey," he said, leaning close and kissing his brother's forehead, "alright. Just give me a minute. Let hyung think.”

The maknae nodded, pushing the plate away from him, as Yeon scoured the kitchen. His face lit up a moment later and he grabbed the plate, pulling it back. 

“Hyung, no!”

Yeon shook his head. “Hush, Joongs!”

Jumping up, Yeon took the plate and moved quietly across the kitchen, to a shelf near the window. With a glance down the hall, Yeon sucked in a deep breath, then tipped the plate, using the chopsticks to slide the goopy spinach into one of the tall tomato plants at the back of the shelf. 

He darted back to the table with another nervous glance down the hall. “Alright, Joongs. Go get ready. Hurry now!”

Looking at Yeon like he was Santa Claus, Superman and Aladdin’s Genie all wrapped up in one, the maknae nodded. He jumped from his chair, hugged Yeon hard, then raced down the hall and up the stairs. 

Thunking his head down on the table, Yeon let out a sigh. That had been…risky. But he'd do anything for Hongjoong. Chan-ah wasn't wrong about him being ridiculous, not really. Hopefully, Jungeun-hyung wouldn't catch on. At least, not until after they'd gone to the Lights and Legends Fair.

“Everything ok, Yeonnie? Everyone finish their dinner?” 

Yeon's head snapped up and he managed to grin at Jungeun-hyung. “Yessir! Everyone's getting ready now. Are you excited, hyung?”

Running his hand over Yeon's head, Jungeun smiled. “I am, sweetheart. Go get a sweater now, alright?”

Nodding, Yeon darted off down the hall. 

So far, so good. 

**†**

Hongjoong flopped against Yeon's side with a sigh. “That. Was. Amazing!”

Grinning, Yeon reached across the maknae to pull the buckle over and click it in. “Yeah it was. The archery demo was super cool!”

Hongjoong nodded. “Did you see the SHINE presentation on the different villains? I watched it with Chan-hyung while you and Jin-hyung tried out the hover cars!”

“I didn't see it, but Channie told me all about it when we ate lunch. Did you see it, Hyung?” Yeon asked Jungeun as the man settled himself into the middle seat of the van, Gunil in his lap. 

“I sure did, honey. Gun-ah and I watched it when he needed a break from the sun.” Jungeun answered, grinning over the seat at the boys.

“And I watched it twice, cuz Jin-hyung hadn't seen it!” Chan said as he climbed into the seat next to Jungeun and buckled himself in. 

“It was interesting,” Jin said as he started the van, “I'm not entirely sure I agree with the theory that every villain has the-”

“But what about the dart gun challenge?!” Hongjoong interrupted excitedly, “I've never seen anyone use dart guns like that before!”

Yeon wrapped an arm around Hongjoong. “That was definitely the coolest thing ever, baby!”

“You boys and your fascination with dart guns,” Jungeun chuckled as he shifted Gunil to the seat between him and Chan, “so what do you think, honey, are you glad you finished your spinach?”

Hongjoong shrugged, snuggling into Yeon's side. “Yonnie-hyung said I couldn't blow them up. So I invested them.”

Yeon shook his head fiercely. “Hongjoong,” he hissed, jamming a finger in the younger's side. Now was not the time!

“I think you mean ingested, sweetheart,” Jungeun chuckled, gently shushing Gunil when the glider let out a soft whimper.

The maknae huffed, a look that made Yeon's stomach do a double flip crossing his face. But it was the next words Hongjoong said that had Yeon's world turning upside down.

“Tomato, tomahto,” the boy muttered. 

Yeon fell apart.

Chapter Text

**†**

O. De was sitting on the couch tucked between Minho and Seungmin, while the leader asked him a bunch of gentle, quiet questions. O. De didn't say much, just nodding or shaking his head as needed. But then came the question he didn't want to answer, didn't want to even think about. 

“Where are your parents, kiddo? Do you have a hyung or a noona?”

Tears rushed to O. De’s eyes and he reached for Minho's hand. He wasn't entirely sure why, but the elder just felt safe. The older boy gripped his hand and gave it a squeeze. “You can tell Chan-hyung, honey. You're safe here.”

O. De shook his head. Safe or not, and he definitely felt safer here than anywhere he'd been in quite some time, it just wasn't something he wanted to share. Seungmin reached out and gently patted his knee in comfort, and O. De did his best not to wince. It wasn't the other teen's fault his knees were stupid, hurting even through the thick padding of the blanket.

“I understand you're scared,” the leader was saying, “but this is important. If there's someone who's worried about you, someone who's missing you, I need to at least let them know that you're alright.”

O. De shook his head so hard, it hurt. There wasn't a single person in all of Seoul who cared about him; there certainly wasn't anyone looking. When the leader raised an eyebrow, O. De swallowed hard. There really wasn't anyone, but he didn't know how to explain that…didn't think he could. 

The tears that had flooded his eyes moments before, overflowed. He sniffled hard, swiping at his eyes with the hand that Minho wasn't holding. The elder rubbed his thumb over the back of O. De's hand, then leaned close to his ear. 

“Honey, is there no one to contact or no one you want us to contact? We need to know. It's very important.” Minho asked, as he continued to rub O. De's hand.

Sniffling hard, O. De tried to suck back the tears. It was both, really. There was no one to contact, and he certainly didn't want them to contact anyone. That could be disastrous. 

“There….there isn't,” O. De managed to choke out, “there's no one. There just….isn't.”

Minho pulled him closer and gave him a nice, tight hug. The leader had a look on his face that O. De couldn't read, but there wasn't much time to think about it. There was a beeping noise that O. De didn't understand, and it took entirely too long to figure out. The leader was already up and halfway down the hall by the time he realized it was the door. 

There was the sound of the door opening and closing, followed by soft talking. He tried to tug his hand free from Minho's. He needed to escape before something- before he was taken, it had happened before, but the older teen held tight, leaning close to whisper a quiet reassurance.

“You're alright maknae. I promise,” Minho whispered, “it’s just hyung.”

O. De whimpered, and as the footsteps came closer, he nearly climbed into Minho's lap. Minho said something, but O. De couldn't make out what it was past the rushing in his ears. He felt Seungmin get up, and thought maybe the elder hadn't been talking to him at all, and as one set of footsteps faded away, another couple grew closer. 

“O. De-yah?” The leader's voice was that quiet-but-steady tone he'd had the entire time, and something in it made O. De look at him. And he had to stop his mouth from dropping open in surprise. There was a dark blonde young man standing next to the leader and he was looking at O. De like he was the single most important person he'd ever seen. 

But what had O. De truly mind boggled, was the teenager standing next to him. A cotton candy haired teenager…a cotton candy haired teenager whose hands, for some reason, appeared to be glitching.

“Don't be scared, maknae-yah. Gaon's power sometimes goes on the fritz. He's alright.” Minho's voice from beside him had him nodding, but he couldn't stop staring. 

The kid grinned at him. “I'm Gaon,” he offered, pointing at himself with one of his glitchy hands, “and this is Goo Gunil, my hyung,” he added, pointing at the man next to the leader, “can I sit next to you?”

O. De blinked a few times, looking from Gaon to Gunil and back again. “Um…sure, I mean, it's not my house, so, uh….yeah,” he stuttered, scooting back until he was nearly on top of Minho once more.

Gaon crossed the room and dropped down next to him. He gave a quick glance back at his hyung, then leaned in close. “So, what exactly is your power? Hyung didn't tell me. I'm half ghost, which sucks by the way. It's definitely not as awesome as Channie-hyung thinks.” Gaon said with a roll of his eyes. He scooted back on the couch, giving the leader a look that O. De would never. The leader only chuckled.

Shifting slightly, O. De turned to look at Minho, questioning. “It's true, kiddo. He's half dead. We don't really know how it works. But we love him, yeah?” Minho teased, reaching out to gently bat at Gaon's head. 

Gaon smacked at the elder's hand, leaning away from Minho. “Ugh, hyung. Gross.”

“Don't test me, Gaon-ah, I will kiss you-”

“You're really a ghost?!” O. De cut Minho off, staring at the slightly older teen in barely concealed awe. 

Gaon grinned. “Yep. First and only undead dongsaeng.”

“Thank goodness for that,” Minho snorted, “one Gaon is more than enough, don't you think, Gunil-hyung?”

Gaon gave an offended squawk, and Gunil chuckled softly, a sound O. De instantly decided was something he wouldn't mind hearing every day. 

Scowling, Gaon stuck his tongue out at his hyung and moved closer to O. De. “Just ignore the hyungs, kid. What's your power, huh? I bet it's better than Minho-hyung's.” 

“Yah!” Minho snapped, reaching around O. De to smack half-heartedly at Gaon's shoulder, “what a brat you have, Gunil-hyung!”

Grinning, Gunil moved closer to the couch. “Yeah, maybe,” he agreed, voice and eyes so soft as he gently ruffled Gaon's hair, “but he's mine.”

**†**

Goo Gunil was confusing. A puzzle that O. De didn't understand, at all. The man was quiet and gentle and…O. De didn't even have the right words. But he, along with Minho and the calm but intimidating leader, were the complete opposite of any other person O. De had ever known.

Gaon's hyung had joined them on the couch, moments after claiming Gaon as his. He pulled his slightly protesting teenager onto his lap and then smiled at O. De, reaching out to run a gentle hand through O. De's hair. 

They were all so nice. 

And then, Gunil-hyung had just sat there. Gaon had wiggled his way free after about five minutes, heading off down the hall in search of Seungmin and someone named Innie. Gunil-hyung had shifted back on the couch, crossed his legs and continued to just sit there. 

After a few more minutes of that, Minho had whispered that he would be right back. He'd collected their tea mugs and disappeared into the kitchen. O. De pulled the blanket even tighter around him, glancing back and forth between Gaon's hyung and the leader, who was sitting across from them in a comfy looking chair. 

The leader smiled at him then, tipping his head towards Gunil. “I didn't tell Gun-ah much of anything. I just asked him to come over and meet you.”

O. De blinked a few times, confused. What did that mean? He glanced at Gunil-hyung, and let out a surprised meep. The man was looking back at him with that same look he had when he first saw O. De, just a bit ago. 

“You don't have to tell me anything,” the elder said, “but the more we know, the better we can help.”

O. De wasn't sure if it was the look on the man's face, or the gentle understanding in his voice, but the sudden need to share at least some of the everything he kept inside bubbled up and without fully meaning to, words spilled out of him. 

**†**

“And that's why-” O. De paused, swallowing back yet another sob, “that's why I came here. There's just no…I mean there isn't anyone…I don't have any place-” O. De shook his head, gripping the blanket so tight his fingers hurt. “I heard the stories, sunbaenim,” he said, glancing at the leader, “I heard…heard you help kids who have no place to go.”

No one moved. 

No one said anything, until Minho let out a muffled curse. Gunil-hyung followed suit, though his curse was very much not muffled. He unfolded his legs, and scooted closer to O. De. There was an odd, almost dark look on his face, but the elder's words were just as kind as before. “You're safe now, aegiya, do you understand?”

O. De blinked hard in both surprise and confusion. Aegiya? No one had ever called him that before. It took him a minute, but he looked up at Gunil-hyung and nodded. He understood the words, even if he didn't fully understand why they were being said. 

“I'll be back soon. You stay here. You're safe, O. De-yah.” Gunil-hyung stood up and left the living room. The leader looked at Minho, who nodded, and then he too was gone, calling after Gunil-hyung in a tone that made O. De look worriedly at Minho.

“Don't worry, O. De-yah. Chan-hyung can handle his brother. They'll be back soon enough.”

The leader had brothers? 

“C'mon, honey. Are you hungry? How about we go find some snacks?” Minho suggested, getting to his feet and gently tugging O. De to his. 

Snacks? O. De nodded, stumbling forward a bit when he took a hurried step and tripped on the blanket. 

Chuckling softly, Minho removed the blanket and set it on the couch. “I think you'd best leave that here. C'mon, hyung is pretty sure there's hotteok and honey crisps in the kitchen. Do you like those?”

Hotteok and honey crisps?! Yes! Yes, he did!! He nodded fiercely and Minho took him by the hand. “Alright then. Let's go.”

**†**

O. De sat on the floor next to Gaon, eating his third, his third that no one had stopped him from taking, bag of honey crisps. He was giggling at Gaon, the older teen cracking stupid jokes and waving his glitchy hands around while he did. 

He heard the beeping of the front door, and happy as he was that he recognized what it was this time, he couldn't help the nervous look he gave Gaon. 

“It's just hyungs, I bet. Let's go see!” Gaon jumped to his feet and pulled O. De up, nearly yanking him out of the living room and down the hall. They got to the door just as it opened, and even though it was the leader and Gaon's hyung, O. De couldn't help but take a step back. 

Gaon's hyung still looked upset and the leader had his arm around his brother's shoulders. Gaon rushed forward and grabbed hold of Gunil-hyung's arm, looking back and forth between the two. “Are you alright, hyung? What happened?”

The leader took a step back and away, as Gunil looked at Gaon. The dark look faded and he hugged the undead teenager hard, whispering something in Gaon's ear. Gaon bounced a bit, his hands glitching as he nodded. 

And then Gunil-hyung looked at O. De. And that look, the one that O. De didn't fully understand, was on the elder's face again. 

And O. De wanted it to make sense. Because what he thought that look meant, couldn't actually be what was going to happen. Because it never had before. No matter how many times he'd hoped for it.

Not once. 

“O. De-yah,” Gunil-hyung said, stepping closer to him, the arm around Gaon gently pulling him with, “would you like to come home with us?”

Chapter Text

**

It was all Jungeun-hyung’s fault, really. 

Every last bit of this….this disaster. And Chan was going to tell him as much, once he was able to corral his chaos incarnate and get them out of here. 

*†*

“Chan-ah, I got you and the boys tickets to the Natural History Museum.”

It had seemed like a good idea at the time, Chan could admit that much. 

But now. Now. It wasn't. It was a terrible idea. A horrible, not so good, absolutely awful idea. 

The kind of idea that should never have made it past being an idea. 

*†*

“Hyung, isn't it awesome? It was so easy-” 

“He scaled that big column,” Seungmin pointed to a large concrete pillar, “and then jumped on!” 

Chan caught Changbin's eye from across the open space. “You didn't think that you should maybe,” he said, waving wildly in Innie's direction, “stop him?!”

Changbin shrugged, stuffing another veggie stick in his mouth. “Not my monkeys, hyung,” he said, voice muffled around his snack, “you left the circus-”

“Not your- Changbin!! The baby's thirty feet in the-”

“Not a baby!” Innie yelped from where he sat, “why aren't you happy for me?! I bet no one else-”

“I think you're in trouble, I.N-ah,” Seungmin chuckled, "Hyung looks like he's about to have a coronary-”

Chan rounded on his second youngest. “And you just stood there and let your dongsaeng endanger himself?!”

“He dared me!” Innie cried softly, leaning forward on the off white neck bone - shoulder bone? Chan wasn't sure, “he said he bet I couldn't do it in a million years!”

“A million years is a terrible challenge,” Hyunjin commented tiredly as he sat down in Changbin's lap, “no one lives that long.” 

Changbin wrapped an arm around the force fielder's waist before the younger slid to the floor. “Well, that's not entirely true, Jinnie, we know someone-”

“I was joking,” Seungmin interrupted with a roll of his eyes, “I didn't think he'd actually do it!” 

Chan glared at the teenager. “Didn't know? Every single time you've dared the baby to do something, he's done it.”

“Then why are you mad at me?! You should be yelling at him! Everyone else knows not to listen to the crazy stuff I say!”

“Hyung! I'm not a baby!” Innie whined from entirely too close to the ceiling, “could a baby have gotten up here? I've never seen a baby-”

“Jeongin, now is not the time to argue semantics with me!” Chan snapped, “and you,” Chan pointed a finger at Seungmin, “need to stop saying crap you know he's going to try and do!”

“That's not fair! I said I wanted to run over Detective Kamora once, and everyone, even Jeongin, knows I'd never, not in a hundred years! Ergo I am likely insane and cannot be held responsible for the baby's stupid decisions!” Seungmin crossed his arms with a smug huff. 

“That was hilarious, hyung! You should've been there! Detective Kamora’s face kind of looked like yours-” Changbin stopped short when Chan pinned him with an absolutely lethal look. 

“I think you'd better be quiet, Seo Changbin,” Chan ordered, before turning back to Seungmin, “just when did you speak to Detective Kamora like that?”

“You can't get mad about it now,” Seungmin squeaked as he took a step back, “it was ages ago!”

“It wasn't!” Innie called down helpfully, and Chan nearly did pass out as his youngest climbed down a few ribs like they were stairs, “it was two weeks ago, when you and Yeon-hyung went to the Weapons Training!”

“Jeongin!” Chan managed to breathe out when his brain remembered he needed air to live, “stop moving!”

“He got up there, hyung’,” Hyunjin mumbled drowsily, “chances are he can get back down.”

Changbin snorted. “He's not wrong,” he said, tempting fate as Chan laser eyed him, “I mean, we can't get him back down. Jinnie couldn't hold a force field right now if his life depended on it.”

Chan's mouth worked, but nothing came out. He waved his arm in Innie's direction again, finally managing, “Innie’s might!”

“I'm not going to die, hyung! It's perfectly stable,” Innie argued, crawling back up the side of the monstrous icon, “see? It didn't move or anything!” 

“It’s not meant to hold a teenager!” Chan yelped, rushing forward in case his absolutely ridiculous, clumsier than average, ninja child fell from the heavens. 

“I can't be a teenager and a baby, hyung,” Jeongin called from where he was now hugging the giant’s neck, peering over its side, “and I can come down all by myself.”

“Don't you dare!” Chan hollered, slightly louder than was maybe necessary, but the image of Innie crashing to the floor was flooding his vision, and he was allowed his slight over reaction. “Does anyone know where Minho is?”

“Aw, hyung! I don't need his help! I can get-”

“I swear to God, Yang Jeongin, if you move one more inch before Minho gets here, you're going to spend the foreseeable future confined to your room!!”

Seungmin let out a snort and Chan whirled on him. “Unless you want to join him, go find your hyung!”

His second youngest went wide eyed at the threat, nodded hard and disappeared down one of the halls. 

“Hyung?” 

Chan looked up at Innie, frowning. If his daredevil of a dongsaeng had moved so much as a finger, he was going to-

“Hyung, I'm sorry!” The little ninja was all puppy dog eyes and a pout Chan could see, even from the teen's perch atop the cretaceous creature. 

“Sorry’s won' help you,” Hyunjin slurred, something that was fairly normal for the teen when he was over tired, “other h’yung…Minho…Minho-h’yung gonna kill you. Don't like heights.” 

Changbin chuckled, tightening his hold on the younger. “He's not wrong again, hyung. Can I bring him to the van? He can't sleep here.”

Digging his keys from his pocket, Chan nodded. Subtracting dongsaengs was actually a plus at the moment. He hoped. Maths never was one of his best subjects. Changbin slung Hyunjin over his shoulder, crossed the floor and took the keys from Chan.

“Good luck, I.N-ah!” the fighter called extremely unhelpfully as he headed for the exit.

Innie whimpered from above him and Chan huffed in both frustration and worry.

“No one's going to kill you, Innie-yah,” Chan said after taking a moment to calm himself - every look at his youngest, way too far from the ground, made his heart race, “but you absolutely should not be up there! This is a museum, not a jungle gym!”

“But, hyung-”

Footsteps echoed off the walls and Minho careened into the open space, worried gaze landing on Chan. “Minnie said the maknae was in trouble, what happened!?”

Leave it to Seungmin to do as he was told while also being purposefully cryptic. Brat. 

Another whimper from thirty feet up - were tyrannosaurs thirty feet tall? He should've read the informational plaque - and his oldest slowly looked up.

“Innie-yah,” the rubber limbed teen breathed out, turning white faster than Gunil's half dead dongsaeng, “what're you- how did you…hyung?!”

“Yeah, Min, I know,” Chan soothed, his oldest looking more ghost-like by the minute, “can you get him down for me?”

“I really don't need help, I can do it!” their youngest whined. Jeongin wanted to die today. It was the only reason his child was still talking.

Minho stopped. 

Breathing. 

Chan poked him.

Minho glared. 

“Don't you dare!” the second oldest seethed, “I'll get you.”

Stepping under one of the fearsome relic's tiny arms, Chan's oldest eyed the distance, and his own arms shot upwards in a literal Stretch Armstrong move. He grabbed hold of their baby ninja's shoulders and carefully brought the teen to the floor. 

“What the actual hell, Yang Jeongin?!” Chan's feline phenomenon hissed the second Innie's feet hit the floor. 

Chan's thoughts exactly. 

Huffing, Minho pulled the teenager into a fierce hug. “Don't you ever do something like that again!” he scolded, voice shaking, into Innie's hair. 

“HYUNG!” Felix's voice hollered before Innie could respond, “Hyung! You have to come! Sungie's stuck!!”

No. Absolutely not. It wasn't possible that another of his kids was stuck, hanging onto, messing with or otherwise destroying museum property. It wasn't. 

“Stuck where?” Innie asked, eyes lighting up as he twisted in Minho's hold to be able to see the bearer of bad news.

“It's not that bad!” Felix defended his twin, “not like the time with the hot air balloon!”

Chan blinked. That was not reassuring. 

“Where is he?” he asked, his voice as dark as his face. Probably. Sue him. He stalked towards one half of his Sunshine Twins. 

“In the crocodile's mouth!” Felix wailed as Chan came close.

Don't kill the messenger, Chan whispered like a mantra. Don't kill the messenger. 

 This really was all Jungeun-hyung's fault.