Chapter Text
"This is bad. Really bad,” Soonyoung bites his lip while he concentrates on moving his spider cams out of range of their scramblers.
“Remind me why we let Soonie hyung be in charge of tech,” Minghao laments.
“Jun and I are almost at the side entrance. Let us know when to head in,” Jihoon mutters.
“What happened? Can you see anything?” Mingyu grabs Seungcheol’s offered hand and squeezes tightly.
“The cameras are back up!” Soonyoung and Chan shout in unison.
Soonyoung immediately pales.
“They’re- Oh-” Chan’s voice suddenly cuts out.
“Channie? Hao, Kwannie, are you guys okay over there?”
“Code red. They got caught.” All playfulness leaves Soonyoung’s tone. “Gyu, get ready to go in. Cheol hyung-”
“We’re ready,” Seungcheol states, tugging on Mingyu’s hand.
“Wait, hyung!” Chan’s shout makes them flinch. “Jisoo hyung’s trying to tell us something!”
Soonyoung’s eyebrows furrow. A wicked grin slowly sprouts across his lips. “He’s a genius.”
“Tell us something we don’t know,” Jihoon lets out a long breath. “What’s he up to, now?”
“They’re being taken directly to Jeonghan hyung. I’m pretty sure Jisoo hyung had this planned all along,” Chan grins.
“I don’t think so. I think he just has a ridiculous amount of back-up plans,” Seungcheol replies fondly.
“So is it still a code red or are we just gonna let them be taken?” Seokmin joins.
“I trust Jisoo hyung,” Hansol whispers. “Wonwoo hyung, too.”
“We just got in from the side. There was no one guarding the door,” Junhui whispers.
“Be careful. Looks like they have traps set up in each room,” Soonyoung replies. “There’s one a few meters ahead. Go around the boxes clockwise or you’ll cause a cardboard avalanche.”
Jihoon and Junhui carefully make their way around the pile of boxes, following Soonyoung’s advice.
“Soonie, do you need help with anything?” Seungcheol asks, patting Mingyu’s head when he lays it on his shoulder.
“Be ready for backup. I trust Ji hyung and Wonu too, but...”
“Anything can happen,” Seungcheol finishes for him.
“How about us? What can we do?” Seokmin asks.
“Be ready for backup too. Junnie, Hoonie, status check?”
“All clear. We’re making our way down a hallway.
"It’s kinda dark,” Junhui whispers.
“Just got eyes on you two. Make a left at the end and take cover in the closest room. I’ll wait for Ji hyung’s signal before we move forward.”
“I hate waiting,” Minghao whispers.
“You’re lucky because you can see what’s going on. Soonie hyung, any chance you can connect your camera feed to one of our phones?” Seokmin asks.
“Wait a sec.” Soonyoung closes his eyes. “Done.”
“Don’t push yourself,” Hansol whispers. “We don’t- Woah-”
“I wish we brought popcorn. This is better than any detective movie I’ve ever seen.”
~~~~~~~~~~
Jisoo ducks under another punch, letting his reflexes defend for him. I wonder if we have mandatory self defense training. Wouldn’t be surprised if Cheol or even Soonie makes us train everyday. He blocks a kick aimed at Wonwoo and wordlessly switches opponents with him.
The hooded figure whispers something under his breath, crouching close to the ground. Jisoo braces himself for an attack... but nothing happens.
His opponent finally reveals his face. Jisoo recognizes the wide-eyed look of shock before the other boy glares at him.
“Sorry Changkyun, but powers don’t work on me.” Jisoo hears the other take a sharp breath as he jumps back a few meters.
“The bigger they are, the harder they fall,” Changkyun whispers, spreading his arms out like he’s ready to catch an unconscious person.
Jisoo continues to grin as he takes a step closer. “I can also understand English. I would suggest-”
“Stand down or you don’t want to know what we’ll do to your team member,” a voice growls threateningly as he clutches his bruised chest.
Jisoo and Wonwoo drop their arms, Jisoo standing protectively in front of a panting Wonwoo. “You can’t-”
“You read our letter, didn’t you?”
Jisoo frowns. He guesses Jooheon must be talking about the ransom letter they sent his team members while he was still asleep.
Jisoo meets Wonwoo’s seemingly emotionless gaze and catches a hint of fear. He nods once, watching the fear flicker away into determination.
They let them tie their wrists behind their backs. He keeps a careful eye on Wonwoo while they’re led further into the warehouse.
“Don’t try anything or I can’t promise the safety of your team member.”
“We won’t,” Jisoo assures. He hears the excited shout of Soonyoung announcing the cameras are back on and subtly twists his fingers into different shapes, trusting the others to get his message.
“Hey, stop moving!” His shoulder gets shoved as they finally make it into the storage room.
Jeonghan’s eyes widen when they meet Jisoo’s. The younger boy smiles reassuringly as he walks closer to block Jeonghan from the others’ views. Wonwoo stands guard next to Jeonghan’s huddled form.
“Ji, what are you-”
“No talking and stay a meter apart. We have a few conditions we want to discuss.”
Jisoo ignores the husky voice, kneeling in front of Jeonghan. “Hannie, do you trust me?”
“Hey, I said no talking!”
Jeonghan nods. “With my life.”
Jisoo smiles, standing to his full height. “I have a few conditions, too.”
“We’ll be doing the talking.” Changkyun huffs.
“Changkyun.” Jisoo smirks when Changkyun’s whole body stiffens. Did he think what happened earlier was a fluke? “Minhyuk hyung.” He nods toward the person standing in front of him. “I know Monsta X wouldn’t kidnap someone without good reason. You’re all registered heroes, are you not?”
“Who? We don’t know who you’re talking about.” Jooheon feigns innocence.
“Jooheon,” Jisoo nods toward him. “Kihyun hyung,” he nods toward the person standing in the back watching everything with a calculating gaze.
“We’re not going to be threatened by you,” Kihyun steps forward. “We’ve gone too far to back out now.”
“Where’s Hyunwoo hyung?” Jisoo doesn’t miss the worried flicker in their eyes. “Did something happen to his memory?”
“Who the hell are you?” Jooheon stomps forward to grab Jisoo’s hood and throw it off. “And what do you want from us?”
“That should be my question,” Jisoo counters. “If you need something from us, then it’s only right that we get something back of equal value.”
“And what do you want?” Hoseok glares.
“I want you to untie my friends and escort them out of the warehouse. And don’t try to cross me. I’ll know if any funny business happens in between.”
“Ji-”
“Hannie, I’ve got this. Tell everyone I love them and I’ll be back soon.” Jisoo crouches down again to bring their foreheads together.
“Why does it sound like you’re going to disappear forever?” Jeonghan whispers.
“I won’t. Now go before they change their mind.” Jisoo sneaks a kiss to his ear.
Jeonghan feels something slip inside and relaxes when familiar voices crackle in his ear. He nods toward Jisoo then stands on wobbly legs, making his way to Wonwoo’s side.
“We haven’t agreed to release you yet.”
“Hyungwon hyung,” Jisoo greets. “We’re actually friends in my universe. I wouldn’t mind if we became friends in this one too.”
“Now I want to visit Jisoo hyung’s universe. Do you think all the vigilante teams are actually idol groups? Oooh I want to meet Twice!” Seungkwan exclaims.
Jisoo relaxes at the younger’s cheerful voice. Sounds like things are going well on their end.
“Maybe. But you could still meet them here.”
“They’ll probably think we’re villains and try to take us out.”
“Yeah, it won’t be the first time that’s happened.”
“Stop talking or we’re going to miss the most important part,” Jihoon hisses, instantly quieting the others.
“Take those two out and release them,” Hoseok motions toward Jeonghan and Wonwoo. “We should focus on one person at a time.”
“But they know our names. If we let them go-”
“We promise not to disclose any personal information if you let them go. What happens in this warehouse will stay here,” Jisoo reassures.
“I still don’t trust you,” Changkyun glares at him. His gaze flickers to the open doorway where Kihyun and Jooheon are leading Jeonghan and Wonwoo out.
“I don’t either, but I’m probably your only chance at getting Hyunwoo hyung’s memories back.”
“What do you mean?” Minhyuk crouches down until their gazes are level. “What do you know?”
“How did he lose his memories? Was it power-related?” Jisoo replies with his own questions.
The distant sound of a slamming door reverberates through the windowless room.
“A villain wiped his memories,” Hoseok breaks the silence. “I think the shock put him in a coma.”
I thought so. Then my plan wasn’t for naught.
“I can help.”
“How?”
“I’ll tell you after I’ve confirmed my friends are safe.” Jisoo sits cross-legged on the ground.
“Well we aren’t that patient-”
“I have eyes on Hannie hyung and Wonu! Never thought I’d say this, but Wonu's piggy-backing hyung to our car. Doesn’t look like anyone’s following them,” Soonyoung exclaims. Jisoo can hear the relief in his voice.
“That was quick.” Jisoo rises to his feet. “Sounds like you met my conditions. Now-”
The warehouse walls shudder as a loud creaking sound fills the storage room.
“What happened? Ki, Honey-”
“Hyung, get out of there! The building’s falling apart!” Soonyoung shouts. “Jun, Hoonie, go in for backup!”
“Jun and I are almost to the storage room,” Jihoon updates.
“Don’t.” Jisoo sprints across the room, following Hoseok’s retreating back. He has a vague idea of where the older one is heading. He’s led through a long hallway that ends in an unexpectedly cozy room. Bingo.
Hoseok turns at his footsteps. “What are you doing here?”
“I don’t have much time to explain. If you untie my hands, I might be able to undo the villain’s power.”
“Will Hyunwoo hyung get his memories back?” Hoseok’s eyes fill with hope as they fall on Hyunwoo’s motionless face.
Jisoo’s glad Hoseok is the one standing in front of him. He’s always been a trusting hyung. And I won’t betray his trust now. “I’ll try my best.”
Hoseok hesitates. Then he grabs a knife and slices the rope around Jisoo’s wrists.
Jisoo ignores Hoseok’s protective look as he places both hands on Hyunwoo’s forehead. He can feel a swirl of energy lingering around his mind. “I’ve never done this before-”
“We tried everything,” Hoseok whispers. “Trying to get your leader was our last resort. I’ll be happy if he just wakes up.”
“I’ll try my best,” Jisoo repeats, closing his eyes.
~~~~~~~~~~
“This hallway is so creepy,” Junhui mutters, keeping both hands on the wall as they make their way toward the storage room.
Jihoon doesn’t answer, grabbing Jun’s trembling hand and squeezing tightly.
Junhui squeezes back. “Hey Hoonie?”
“Hm?”
“I don’t know if Haohao meant for our rings to be used like this but-”
“Jun, you’re rambling.”
“We could use them as a lamp? Like a...flashlight?” Junhui offers his right hand.
“That’s actually pretty smart. Okay.” Jihoon lets go of his hand and grabs his other one, smiling when a soft glow illuminates the room.
They immediately move closer when they notice another presence in the room.
“Wow, we have so many visitors today.”
Junhui can feel the anxiety and annoyance dripping from their words. He tries to smooth over their emotions, covering the person in a blanket of calm. He feels them relax and nods toward Jihoon.
Jihoon quickly jumps forward, tapping the tall stranger on their neck. The person's face scrunches in confusion.
“Let’s go.” Jihoon pulls Junhui down the hallway.
~~~~~~~~~~
“What’s happening? Where did Jisoo hyung go? Hey Soonie hyung-”
“Give me a sec! Okay, I have visuals on Woo and Gyu. Woah, I’ve never seen them look so serious.”
“Do you still have eyes on Jisoo hyung? Or is he heading out?” Hansol whispers.
“Not yet. He ran after one of them and I’m not sure where he went.”
“How about Junnie and Hoonie hyung?” Chan asks worriedly.
“Hurry up, hyung! Or all of us are going in!” Seokmin shouts.
“What’s your ETA? The building looks like it could collapse any second!”
“I have eyes on Jisoo hyung! He’s in the room at the far corner!”
“Guys, did you-”
“We’re on it.”
~~~~~~~~~~
“Honey hyung. Where’d Hyungwon hyung go?”
Mingyu shivers at the slight growl in Wonwoo’s low tone. He’s hit by another strong bout of admiration and yearns to hug Wonwoo from behind.
“He’s getting our tech- Shit, he might need help!” Jooheon speeds off down the hallway.
“Have I ever told you your voice is super sexy?” Mingyu strides in to hug him from behind.
“Have I ever told you there’s a time and place for everything?” Wonwoo chuckles at Mingyu’s pout, giving him a quick kiss on the jaw. “Let’s go save Jisoo hyung.”
~~~~~~~~~~
Seungkwan hugs Chan tighter, nearly pulling him onto his lap. “Even if something happens to Jisoo hyung, you can’t leave. You have to stay with us. Promise me you’ll stay with us.”
Chan chuckles. “I already promised Jisoo hyung and Wonwoo hyung-”
“Promise us,” Minghao slides his arms around Chan’s waist, joining their hug. “Promise us you’ll stay.”
“Why does that sound like a threat?” Chan laughs nervously. “I’m not going anywhere.”
“We almost lost you once,” Junhui's voice filters through their earpiece, “we’re never letting you go again.”
“That still sounds like a threat,” Chan mutters. “And it’s not the first time-”
“Channie, I thought I raised you better. Was my tough love not enough?” A familiar smooth voice joins their comms.
“Jeonghan hyung!” Chan exclaims. “You’re okay,” he sniffles, hiding his face in Seungkwan’s sweater.
“Of course I am,” Jeonghan reassures. “Nothing can keep me from being with you guys.”
“Wow, that was really sappy,” Seungcheol chortles. “Did a whole day away from us make you soft?”
Jeonghan fakes a scoff. “What do you mean? I’ve always been nice.”
“If you say so.” Seungcheol smiles, offering a lukewarm plastic bowl to Jeonghan. “Make sure to eat it slowly or your stomach might get upset.”
Jeonghan takes the bowl, but refuses the spoon. He holds it under his chin and opens his mouth expectantly.
Seungcheol’s smile widens as he feeds Jeonghan, finally feeling the relief sweep through his chest. The wave travels up his neck and past his cheeks, settling into his tear ducts.
“Shhh, Cheol. Don’t cry. I’m right here. We’re okay.” Jeonghan pulls his head closer to rest their foreheads together. “Everything’s going to be okay.”
Matching sniffles can be heard from the other end of their comms.
“I haven’t seen you cry this much since your high school graduation,” Seungkwan sniffles, rubbing Chan’s arms. Minghao continues to place soft kisses along Chan’s shoulders and neck.
“Tha-t’s because I- I didn’t think anyone would come,” Chan chokes out, rubbing his eyes.
Seungkwan squeezes his wrist. “We’ll always be here for you. Always.”
“Yeah. We’re not going anywhere,” Minghao promises.
Chan stifles a sob against Seungkwan’s chest.
“I know we don't tell you this enough so I'll tell you now," Seungkwan mutters in his ear. "We love you. We love you so much. We tease you endlessly, but that's because we know you're ours. Because we trust you'll always come back to us." He pulls back a bit to give Chan a meaningful look.
“Really, Kwannie?” Minghao whispers. “Can’t you wait until after Channie’s settled?”
“I-I’m okay, Hao hyung,” Chan whispers. “I just... needed a moment.”
“You should let it all out,” Seungkwan mutters. “But afterwards-”
“I promise.” Chan grabs both their hands and traces his thumbs over their rings. “I promise no matter what, I’ll always come home.”
~~~~~~~~~~
Jisoo knows he’s cutting it close when a dull ache spreads through his entire body. But he can feel the villain’s corrupted energy slowly slipping from its hold over Hyunwoo’s mind.
A sharp pain bursts through his chest, making him fall to his knees. Harsh breaths leave his open mouth. Almost there...
“Hey, are you-”
“Hyung!”
He feels someone shake his shoulders. Another pair of hands try to pull him away from Hyunwoo.
“No-!”
“We need to go hyung! The building’s gonna-!”
He’s barely conscious by the time he feels the last wisps of the villain’s energy disperse. He opens his eyes and is met with familiar dark hues.
Hyunwoo’s gaze immediately shifts to the boy standing frozen at the foot of his bed. “Seokie? Why are you crying?”
Jisoo moves away, but not before seeing Hoseok mouthing a silent ‘thank you.’ He feels his body tilt, only to be caught in a gentle embrace.
“Hyung, what’s wrong? Jisoo hyung!”
He lets darkness consume him, surrounded by the calls of his friends.
~~~~~~~~~~
“He’s been... sleep... days...”
“I don’t know... Why?... Doctor...”
Jisoo hears a distant beeping sound through the fog in his mind. He can feel a dull ache spreading from his left arm and leg.
“I think he’s waking up!”
He gradually opens his eyes, taking in the concerned faces surrounding him.
“Hyung, you’re awake!” Strong arms wrap around his neck. A sense of deja vu takes over.
“Where’s Channie?” He winces at his hoarse voice.
Seungkwan hands him a cup of water. “He hasn’t woken up yet.”
“How long has it been?” Jisoo struggles to sit up. Seungcheol and Jeonghan step in to help, rearranging his pillows. Jeonghan keeps a hand on his shoulder while he takes small sips of water.
“Three days. We...” Seungcheol trails off, rubbing his face. Jeonghan catches his hand and intertwines their fingers.
“Is he...?”
“He has no injuries. You took the brunt of the fall,” Wonwoo whispers.
“We don’t know why he won’t wake up,” Hansol adds.
“The doctor said stress or trauma might be keeping him from waking,” Jihoon mutters. “It’s more mental than physical.”
“Maybe he’ll wake up now that Jisoo hyung has!” Seokmin exclaims, bouncing on his toes.
Jisoo sinks into the pillows, letting their conversation take a backseat in his mind.
I’m back in my own universe.
He knew there was a high chance of being sent back before tying up all the loose ends. He was willing to take the risk if it meant helping his brothers. There’s just one thing I wish I had done before I came back.
During their planning session, he’d convinced Chan to stay home to be in charge of their comms. It had taken almost half an hour of convincing before Chan begrudgingly agreed.
“Hyung, I thought you agreed to take me with you.” Chan pouted.
“I promised to include you in our plan, not take you with us.” Jisoo ruffled his hair. “I need you to protect our base. And to keep us updated if anything happens.”
“But-”
“You have nothing to prove,” Jisoo whispered, stuffing a buttered slice of bread in the younger's mouth. “I know you feel obligated to save Jeonghan. I won’t lie, I feel the same way. But, there’s a difference between doing things out of guilt and doing things out of compassion.”
“Is this because I’m the only one who knows everything that’s going on?” Chan grabs the bitten slice and nearly slaps Jisoo in the face with it.
“That too. And I trust you. I trust you’re mature enough to know when to lead and when to listen.”
Chan hummed in thought, before taking another bite. “I can never win against you.”
“So you’ll hold the fort while we’re gone?”
“Only if you promise we’ll have a movie night when we get back.”
“Of course. How else would we celebrate?”
Damn. I was really looking forward to our movie night. He fidgets with the thin sheet covering his legs.
“Mmmmm.” A soft hum comes from across the room.
Soonyoung and Minghao run to the other bed, faces hovering over the younger boy’s scrunched nose.
“Channie?”
Chan’s eyes flutter open, squinting up at Soonyoung’s face. “Hyung?”
Soonyoung dives in for a hug. Minghao follows, burying his face in Chan’s neck.
Chan’s eyes suddenly widen. “I... The building was gonna go down and- Jisoo hyung! Where’s-”
“I’m right here,” Jisoo mutters, waving his free hand towards Chan.
The youngest brightens when he sees how comfortable Jisoo looks. “Are your ribs okay? And hyung- you really need to stop trying to do everything on your own. There’s literally twelve other people waiting for you at home.” Chan grins.
“Ribs? Are you talking about Jisoo hyung’s injuries? I thought he hurt his wrist and leg?” Junhui slides closer and gives Chan a confused look.
“He’s right about us being there for him, though,” Seungcheol states. “I thought you’d think first before taking action, but I guess your protective instincts override everything else.”
Chan’s bewildered gaze flickers around the room, until it settles on Jisoo’s amused expression.
Jisoo smiles. Looks like I get to tie up all the loose ends, afterall.