The Monster From The Nightmares

18. Conflict

Jongin appears in the living room, Autumn in his arms. Chanyeol, Baekhyun, Chen, and Suho were there.

"You're back," Baekhyun states, getting up. His eyes fall on Autumn, "Where are the other three?"

"I'm going back," Jongin answers, dropping her onto the floor, "Get a cuff on her before she wakes up though. She doesn't have good control."

"What do you--" Chen tries to asks, but Jongin is gone before he can finish.

He appears back in Autumn and the boys apartment. It looks abandoned. He sighs and is about to leave, but someone knocks him over, breaking his concentration.

"YOU TOOK AUTUMN YOU BASTARD!" the person cries, their voice high pitched and cracking. Not Kris or Luhan. The time controller.

He blocks a punch from the boy and grabs his wrist. He tries to transport, but the time controller is ripped off and a new person pins Jongin against the wall, his arm over his throat. He starts to fight back, until he sees the person's face.

Although he had changed everything about himself and had matured, Jongin could instantly recognize him. The furious look in his eyes gave him away. Kris.

Jongin stops fighting against him and hangs limp while Kris presses harder against his throat. Jongin can no longer feel anything from the physical world.

He is so conflicted internally. He loves Yixing, Chanyeol, Baekhyun, Chen, Xiumin, Sehun. He loves Suho as well, even though he overly aggressive.

But at the same time, he missed Luhan and Kris. How they'd comfort him when he was scared, their soothing words lulling him to sleep.

Kyungsoo did that too. He had never been the one to pressure Jongin into anything. When they first met, he hadn't even spoken. He had just brought Jongin food and watched as he ate. He had come into the bathroom and waited for Jongin to finish and then waited until he was asleep in bed. Jongin found out later he hadn't been asked to do that. He had done it to make sure Jongin didn't try anything stupid.

"Kris, let him go," Jongin hears Luhan say. The pressure on his neck is released and he drops to the ground, gasping for breath. He looks up at the three boys looming above his fallen form and immediately looks down again. He made his decision.

"I'm sorry," he murmurs.

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Autumn wakes up in the cage, again. She wasn't alone. Yixing was sitting across from her, a deep frown on his face.

"You dyed your hair," he comments.

"No derp, Yixing," she dares to roll his eyes. She can see the anger spark in his eyes, but he doesn't move.

She is in the same outfit as before. The only difference were two pretty metal cuffs. One on her upper arm, one around her ankle.

"What's this?" she asks, puzzled.

"It's something that will control and contain your powers," Yixing answers, "Jongin told the others you didn't have good control."

"He wasn't wrong," she mumbles, "They just developed yesterday. Or the day before, depending on how long I've been out."

"Three days," Yixing answers her unasked question. Her eyes widen.

"Three days?!" she cries, "I was out for three days?!"

"Yes."

"What..." she was going to ask about the boys, but she trails off, scared of the answer.

"I'm sure you know what we are going to offer you because you have powers."

"Luhan told me, the answer is no."

"I figured that would be your answer," Yixing sighs, and gets up.

"Why did you give yourself up so easily?" Yixing asks curiously.

"I saw you and Xiumin with Jongin and Sehun at the school," she whispers, "I wasn't sure why you were there until Sehun said my name. Then, I knew you were there to threaten Z and Lulu."

Yixing scoffs," Already calling them by nicknames when you don't know anything about them."

"They told me about themselves," she defends herself.

"You don't know anything about the real them. And you never will."

With that, he exits, locking the cage behind him. Autumn is left confused. What did he mean?

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Jongin flops down on his bed face first. His neck hurts and there is a fresh bruise on his cheek. He knew he made the right decision, so why did he feel so awful. Was it because he betrayed people he had cared for and still cares for? He sighs and runs his hands through his hair. He gets up and looks in the mirror across from his bed.

He didn't look bad anymore, but he didn't look good either. His once athletic body was now thin, his cheek hollow. He didn't look sickly however. No more makeup needed.

He groans and sits back down on his bed. He was bored. There was no way Suho would let him near Autumn, Kyungsoo was currently still dead, and daytime TV sucked.

He could go to the dance room... He grunts. It was so boring to dance alone. He was going to have to talk one of the others into going with him. He gets up swiftly to accomplish the task.

He sees Chen first.

"Chen," he calls, running up to the older boy. Chen turns to face him.

"What's up?"

"Will you go dance in the studio with me?" he asks, adding a pleading tone to his voice, "I'm bored and it's no fun to dance alone."

"Sorry Jongin, Suho needs me right now. Ask Chanyeol or Sehun and I'll come join you when I'm finished," Chen answers, then continues on his way.

Jongin pouts, then goes to Chanyeol's room and knocks on the door. Chanyeol opens it with a large, floppy grin on his face.

That's the happy virus for you.

"Ayo, wassup?" Chanyeol asks, Jongin raises an eyebrow. He was trying to hard.

"Will you go dance with me?" Jongin asks, still in a pleading tone.

Chanyeol's grin becomes a beaming smile.

"Of course!" Chanyeol answers excitedly, "Come on!"

He grabs Jongin's wounded forearm and drags him to the dance studio, not hearing Jongin whimper in pain.