Chapter Text
(Earth 456)
The smell is all wrong, that‘s the first thing he notices, even before he opens his eyes. It’s duller, farther away and muted, merely a faint memory of a scent that still lingers in some part of the brain, while the world has long since forgotten.
When he opens his eyes and looks around, he finds himself in unfamiliar surroundings. A small, sleek black room with gold fixtures, elegant yet quite cold despite the warm hues. It looks expensive and entirely pretentious. Something he might have preferred when he was still living alone, before the whimsy of his mate‘s interior design taste moved in with him.
There is a black mask on the nightstand, geometrical and just as cold, belonging to someone who might want to keep the world shut out — or himself shut in, he can‘t entirely tell.
Yet the most disturbing thing, that finally jumpstarts Hwang In-ho into action — his omega is not sleeping next to him. Worse, he can‘t even detect his scent, that familiar honey-sweet warmth, which with time has settled throughout their entire house. It is nowhere to be found, not even on himself anymore, and that is a truly alarming discovery.
He jumps out of the bed and is startled by how much slower his body is reacting than he is used to, as if he is still half asleep. His clothes are unfamiliar too, a grey coat with a sleek cut — who would sleep in something like this? He does not know why his hands instinctively reach for the mask and put it on, but he has always trusted his instincts. It fits as if it was made just for him.
“Gi-hun?“ he calls out into the silence, heart thumping in a rhythm that makes him a bit nervous. The voice comes out distorted, which irritates him for a second, before his brain provides that there is also safety in it. Whoever this mask belongs to, if he is lucky enough, he might just pass for him.
But where is his mate? Did he get sick again from their little one pressing up against his insides?
“Gi-hun? Baby, are you here?“
He looks around, leaves the strange bedroom and finds himself in a corridor with doors lining both sides, more black and gold, all built in a way that feels almost claustrophobic. He does not recognize any of it and he has to take a deep breath and center himself for a second, because his body feels so off. He can‘t tell if Gi-hun is even in this strange apartment, let alone someone else.
Is he alone? He walks towards one end of the hallway that opens into a bigger space. He finds one singular armchair in front of a big screen. In-ho stills. There he is, looking slightly strange in the black and white grainy footage — his mate. For a second relief simply washes over him, until he notices the shorter hair, the thinner face, the ugly stained tracksuit. And one thing he can absolutely tell: his mate is in distress. He needs to get to him now.
Before he can form a plan, there is a knock on the far opposite door. In-ho turns, walks back through the narrow corridor and — can’t find a door handle. He looks around, there is a button, he pushes it with his gloved hand, nothing happens, maybe fingerprint? He looks up into a red blinking light and — beep, the door slides open.
He almost takes a step backwards, but thankfully his body falls into a familiar alpha posture that is supposed to be just shy of threatening.
“Sir,“ the person in front of him says.
They are dressed in a pink suit and also wear a mask, albeit one with less angles and a white square on it. What an odd outfit, but he supposes, it explains his own over the top attire.
It irritates In-ho that he can neither smell their first nor second sex characteristics, but from the stance and build, he might be talking to a beta male.
“Where is m–,” he almost ends in “my mate“, but instead finishes with “Gi-hun?“
It is a gamble to start with this question before he has found out anything more about this place. But he needs to know.
The pink suit hesitates just a second too long before he answers.
“Player 456 is in the cell you asked to secure him in. Would you like me to bring him to you?“
“Yes.“
“Very well, sir.“
It takes too long and In-ho can do nothing but pace for almost twenty minutes.
When there is finally another knock on the door, the first thing In-ho sees is more pink. Behind the pink mask he saw the first time, there are two triangle masks with machine guns in their hands, and two circle masks that have struggling a Gi-hun between them.
The gray track suit is actually green with the number 456 on the left chest and a red X on the right one. Both weapons are pointed at him while he does his best to thrash against the hold, even though his hands are cuffed behind his back and his feet are shackled with a short chain that will only allow very short steps.
What is this supposed to mean and why is Gi-hun seemingly a highly guarded prisoner? Yet the worst thing — Gi-hun is not so much trying to get away from the guards, as he is trying to lunge towards In-ho.
“You killed him, you fucking killed him!“ Gi-hun is snarling, eyes wild and angry, his whole body struggling to get to In-ho.
At least he is alive! Bloody, sweaty, struggling and yelling, but alive.
“Dismissed.“ In-ho looks at the square masked guard, suspecting a sort of hierarchy behind the different shapes.
“Sir?“ The tone is unsure, as if the pink square is unsure if In-ho can handle his own omega.
“Leave. Him,“ he snarls in his best alpha tone, mostly sure now that he somehow outranks the pink soldiers.
Even with a mask on, In-ho can tell the square guard still has a doubtful look on his face, while the circle guards finally push Gi-hun into the room and down the corridor.
Gi-hun is thrashing against their hold, keeping his eyes on In-ho, who leads them towards the armchair.
”You bastard, you killed him!“
His omega was always stubborn, and even though In-ho has no idea what he is talking about, he can feel the distress and anger rolling off Gi-hun. He is agitated in a way In-ho has never seen him, and it makes worry pool deep in his stomach.
When they have almost reached the armchair, Gi-hun manages to fight his way out of the guards’ grip, giving him a chance to lunge at In-ho.
But the chain binding his shackled feet together is too short, and In-ho‘s body too slow to react, so Gi-hun just stumbles forward and crashes face first to the floor. In-ho forces himself not to make a fuss, even when his mate wiggles towards him. Tears are streaming down his face and it‘s not quite the usual omega whine, but it still hits In-ho like a punch.
“I hate you, you killed him, you killed them all!“
The square guard pulls a small key out of his pocket and puts it on the table next to a glass and a bottle of whiskey, then gives a short bow, before all five of them leave.
As soon as the door closes behind them, In-ho crouches down and pulls Gi-hun off the floor, trying to gently guide him into the armchair.
“It‘s me, baby it‘s In-ho, are you hurt?“
But Gi-hun does everything in his power to charge at In-ho again, who finally just pulls him into a tight embrace.
The struggling omega is still yelling and crying, but for a moment he doesn‘t care, too occupied with the relief to see his mate alive and well.
”Did you hurt yourself, did you fall on your belly?“
He pulls off both of his gloves and throws them carelessly to the side, before he slides one hand onto Gi-hun‘s stomach. The tracksuit is so bulky that he couldn’t really see any baby bump before, but now that he can feel his omega, his belly is entirely too flat, curving inwards, no baby and not even any food for days, it seems.
A cold terror runs down In-ho‘s spine.
“What have they done to you, did they hurt you, did they do something to the baby?“ The words come out cold and mangled through the voice modulator, even when In-ho feels frantic and like he is about to throw up in this stupid mask.
But Gi-hun doesn’t really hear him. Instead sobs of “I hate you, I will kill you!“ leave Gi-hun‘s mouth.
“I know baby, I know,“ he whispers. The mask distorts his voice, but his alpha pheromones should calm the omega down any second now.
Somehow it doesn‘t happen.
Gi-hun keeps struggling, distress wafting off him in waves, and all In-ho can do is to hold him close, hold him through it, comfort him without words, hoping the body contact will work its magic on his omega like it always does, until after what feels like an eternity, Gi-hun has finally tired himself out.
He slumps into In-ho‘s arms, still sobbing, but no longer struggling.
“Shhh, I got you. I‘ll take care of you,“ In-ho whsipers, petting a hand through Gi-hun‘s hair.
“You killed him…“
He did not, would never do anything to his mate, especially not pregnant. He would never ever harm his child, he would do anything for the two of them.
“You killed Jung-bae…“
What?
“Why would I kill a beta?“ he asks incredulously.
Finally Gi-hun is tired enough to let himself be gently guided into the armchair. This stupid mask must confuse his mate, maybe everything here is so muted that he can‘t smell In-ho after all. He finally pulls the mask off.
But instead of the relief he expected, there is a look of horror on Gi-hun‘s face.
“Young-il?“ The words are barely a whisper. “You‘re… alive?“
Apparently there is a lot of killing going on in this place, if his mate is this rattled.
“Yes of course, but Gi-hun it‘s me, In-ho,“ In-ho says.
“In-ho…“ There is absolutely no recognition in the way Gi-hun repeats his name. ”You are the frontman.“ It isn’t a question.
“What are you talking about? I woke up in this strange place without you by my side, you call me Young-il, you think everyone‘s dead?“
He has tried to hold it together as best he could, but the hollow way Gi-hun says his name finally makes him start to unravel. For the first time in a long time, control is slipping through his fingers fast.
Gi-hun huffs. The tears are starting to ebb, and his eyes are glassy and empty.
“You betrayed me.“
It isn’t even an accusation, just a simple statement.
“Just like Oh Il-nam. You pretended to be my friend and I — I believed you.“
The fight has entirely gone out of him now, which, in a lot of ways, is even more frightening than seeing his omega snarling and wild.
“Something is very wrong,“ In-ho finally says.
“Yeah no shit. You run a death game for fun. And I’m your silly little racehorse, aren’t I?“
“What are you talking about?“ In-ho kneels down before Gi-hun, hands on his knees, so they are eye to eye.
This isn‘t his omega. He is sure now. He can‘t smell him very well, but there is a hint of bitterness his Gi-hun never had. And when he takes a closer look, there are less smile lines on his face, he is thinner and looks almost gaunt.
This omega isn‘t his, but In-ho still feels a deep worry for him.
“Don’t touch me,“ Gi-hun whispers, no bite in his words, and with his hands cuffed behind his back, he can‘t do anything about it. Would he want to?
“The last time I saw you, you were five months pregnant with our child. We are a mated couple. I don‘t run any death games and you don‘t hate me...“
Gi-hun just rolls his eyes.
“Either this is some very hurtful prank, or I – I woke up in a different universe or something.“
“You are crazy if you think I will ever believe any of this bullshit.“ The coldness in Gi-hu‘s words hurts, but at least In-ho finally starts to make sense of everything strange in this place.
“I’m serious! This isn’t my body! It’s slower, I can’t smell everything I’m used to. And you act like you don’t even know me when we are mated with a baby on the way, because you aren’t you! There must be a way to prove it to you!“
“Maybe you hit your head and now you are even more of a crazy bastard than you already were.“ Gi-hun laughs entirely without humor.
“If this is a different universe, there must be similarities. I have the same name, the same body. Obviously there are some differences.“ He slides his tongue over his upper teeth to feel the lack of fangs.
“So there must be things that only I know about you. Like that your secret kimchi ingredient is pineapple juice!“
Gi-hun‘s eyes widen slightly, but he still shakes his head.
“Anyone could know that.“
Alright then. Something more intimate.
“You go crazy when I kiss your inner thighs.“
In-ho leans into Gi-hun‘s space, both hands sliding up his thighs, gently squeezing the inside of them to demonstrate his point.
Gi-hun swallows. “You – you have never done that. You and me, we will never… if you come any closer I will kill you.“
In-ho looks right into Gi-hun‘s eyes, hands sliding up even higher.
He can‘t stay here. He can‘t live without his mate, and the way this omega looks at him is filled with hate and hurt. In-ho desperately misses his Gi-hun and the way his eyes fill with only love when they look at each other.
“You think she will be a girl,“ he whispers. “You want to name her Ga-yeong.“
Gi-hun makes a hissing sound, then curls his lips. In the next second he jerks his chin forward and spits into In-ho‘s face. “Fuck you!“
In-ho lifts up one hand and wipes the saliva away. Really, he‘s had worse from his mate
“Don’t you dare mention my daughter to me, don’t you dare mention her! And you know what her name is!“ Gi-hun roars. “Don‘t act like that is some special knowledge from a different universe or some shit!“
So this Gi-hun already has a daughter with someone else? In-ho feels a pinch of jealousy he quickly pushes down. Focus.
“You have nightmares of losing her to tuberculosis.“
Gi-hun blinks. Ah, now they are getting somewhere.
“How would you know about that?“
“You told me. Sometimes you wake up in the middle of the night screaming and I hold you and caress your belly until you fall back asleep.“
Gi-hun looks away, a slight flush coloring his pretty face.
“That‘s utter bullshit.“
“You said your mother told you that‘s how she lost your sister.“
Gi-hun is silent, unmoving. In-ho needs to pounce now.
“Say I‘m lying.“
“You‘re lying.“
Time for desperate measures.
“Apparently I am the one calling the shots around here, right? And you seem to be a prisoner, I can help you get out! Why don‘t you just tell me everything you know so I can figure out why I’m here? I might have a chance to return to my omega!“
“If what you say is true and my In-ho is with some other version of me, your omega is already dead. In-ho hates me.“
In-ho swallows at the first part. No. He has to believe no version of himself would ever harm any version of Gi-hun!
“This In-ho doesn‘t hate you,“ he finally says. “To the contrary. I can feel this body‘s heartbeat quicken and its temperature rise slightly when I look at you, my pupils dilate — and there is a bit of tightness in my groin.“
Gi-hun groans, but he blushes even as he rolls his eyes.
“Please stop…“
The anger is now mostly gone and a painful look on his face.
“I can‘t smell you the way I can smell in my own body, but this body is definitely drawn to you.“
“For fuck‘s sake,“ Gi-hun groans, and looks down to hide his beet-red face. Shame.
“Even though this body is not as powerful as my own, I think if he wanted to kill you, he would have. But you arouse him.“
“Please just shut the fuck up!“ At this point it‘s really more of a plea than it is a demand.
Got you, In-ho thinks to himself, and for the first time since waking up in this nightmare, he feels a twinge of hope.