Sad Birds Still Sing (Bang Chan x Reader)

Rain

Word count: 1591

Chapter warnings: Mild language, themes

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The four, (but really three), spent the next three days traveling from frame to frame, replacing the sulfuric liquid with water containers. Even Jeongin wasn't comfortable with trying to dispose of the liquid, so they settled for hiding it, burying it, whatever they could do to keep it away from the military. As for the makeshift containers, they used anything they could find. Water had no risk of burning through, so they used milk jugs, wine bottles, mini coolers, if it was watertight, it was fair game. It was almost scarily impressive how easily Jeongin rigged them up to the frames- although there was definitely a copious amount of duct tape employed.

As they were sitting in Changbin's car, eating chips they'd pinched from the local gas station, she saw him staring out the window, brows furrowed. They had quite a few more frames to go, but they had to eat and rest- they'd be no use to anyone if they passed out.

"We'll get them all done in time." She reassured him. "We have all of tomorrow. The four day estimate was a lowball."

"Hmm?" He came back from whatever headspace he was in. "Oh, yeah."

They all fell asleep in the car, as they'd been doing for the past few days. They thought it would be faster to just trapse the perimeter of the city without going back home every night. Of course, they were still a little short on time, but at least this helped. With so many people in such a close space, she wasn't having any bad dreams, which she could not be happier about. Still, it was strange to wake up, smiling and ready to talk to Chan, and then... remember.

This time, though, she didn't have time to wake up as leisurely, instead being shaken violently by a firm hand. Coming to, confused and disoriented, she locked eyes with a panicking Changbin. His eyes were blown wide, fingers clenching around her arm, although she could feel them trembling through the pressure.

"What? What's wrong?" She tried to steady him by grabbing his forearm, but he didn't calm down at all.

"We're too late." He whispered. "They're already doing it."

"What do you mean?" She pressed, but he was spiraling. Looking up to the front seat, she made eye contact with Jeongin, who gestured out the window. Looking, her jaw dropped slightly as she saw what had him all worked up. The sky looked fake, distorted and warped, clouds curving into shapes that could never exist. It looked like they were looking through a lens, a plastic sheen. The film.

"What do we do?" She asked. If the film was attached to the framing, there was no way for them to move around to the outside and exchange the canisters.

"Don't panic." Jeongin reassured her. "You're forgetting, the only reason the film is there is to keep the mustard gas in. We know that there's not going to be any mustard gas, so we can just cut through it to get what we need done."

"But-"

"All this is is a little bit of a time crunch. We can still make it."

"What if they check?" She asked.

"I mean, didn't you say the mustard gas liquid stuff was clear?" Jisung asked, "How will they be able to tell if they check?" She looked nervous as she remembered the makeshift containers. A milk carton duct taped into their highly pristine government machine was definitely not going to raise any red flags...

They started back to work, rushing a bit more, now. Every second that passed, they were waiting for the acid rain of death to fall upon them, but it held out... With every exchange, she grew more and more anxious. It put her on edge- every noise, the birds singing- those stupid, fucking birds- she wished they'd shut up. She jumped when Jeongin called her over.