GROUND ONE • LEE DONGHYUCK •

sixteen.

THE PERSON LET GO OF SAGE, THE WOMAN TWISTING THE KNOB OF THE BATHROOM DOOR.

It was locked. She turned back to the man who looked at her with concern almost. He looked a few years older than her and mature. His nose was sharp and so where his eyes. His red hair was slightly on his forehead but neatly done. He had a small but noticeable slit in his eyebrow.

"Who the hell are you?" she growled, her eyebrows furrowing.

"I'm Lee Taeyong. I can help you escape from Ground One Sage."

"How do you know my name and about Ground one?" she asked, hesitant about his intentions. He turned around and revealed the faded barcode on his neck. "This isn't the first time Ground One has done this. In fact, it wasn't even called Ground One back then. It was called 'The Fallen'," he explained. "Survivors from there have been tracking that damned place since we got out."

She was quiet. "That man you just put to sleep? He was there with us. Go ahead and open the file you had to steal," Taeyong pushed. She let out a breath before opening it.

Antidote to Reverse Ground One's Experiments

She looked up at the man once more with her eyes wide. "That's a fake copy because we knew they would be looking for it. But, there is an antidote. You don't have to go back there Sage, you can come with us."

Her eyes watered slightly, clearing her throat. "I cant leave yet," she whispered. "I have people I care about there I can't just do that to them."

He nodded. "Then take this," he bargained, grabbing her hand. "It's an alarming device. When you feel like it is the right time, press it and we will be there to help you escape. Okay?"

He placed a small, black box in her hand that had a red button on the top. "In order to escape, you have to cut into that barcode. There's a tracking device."

She thought back to her first mission when they ruthlessly killed Ha-Yoon for trying to escape. That's how they found him.

"Thank you," she quietly said. He softly smiled.

"I'm counting on you Sage."

Sage sat in her room, staring at the black device that was in her hands. After a few minutes, each and every one of the boys were in her room, waiting for her to speak up. "I have a way to escape," she spoke up. "The people from mission last night were taken by Ground One too."

"Wait we aren't the first people?" Jisung asked. She shook her head. "The owner of the club was one of the first along with the man who gave me this," she told them, holding up the button. "He said to press it and he will help us escape when the time is right. The folder Ground One had me steal was filled with information for an antidotes that stops what they are doing in those labs."

"I figured out a way to shut down the electricity here," Mark announced. "The vents access the power room. I went up there last night while you were on your mission," he explained.

"I cant stand another week in here," Jeno huffed. "I have bruises everywhere it's terrible."

"Well then let's give ourselves a week to escape. Start taking stuff from the training center that we can use as weapons and put it in your rooms. Mark will turn off the power in the vents and i'll alarm them," she planned out. The boys agreed.

Jaemin smiled. "Sage."

"Hm?" he head perked up to look at the man.

"You'll let me take you out after all this?"

A pillow was met with his face, causing the boys to laugh. "Jaemin i'm one second away from punching you," she joked.

"Do it I might like it."

Donghyuck groaned. "Be serious for once will you?"

Jaemin turned towards him with the same big grin that he always carried. "Jealous?"

"Shut up."

Sage cleared her throat. "One more thing."

"What?" Donghyuck asked, moving his attention away from Jaemin.

"He told me that we have to cut out the tracker in our barcodes in order to escape but i've never been able to actually feel it."

Jaemin stood up from his chair, throwing a glance at Donghyuck. "Let me find it."

Donghyuck held in his scoff, his tongue sliding against the inside of his mouth. He knew that Jaemin was doing it on purpose to piss him off. He didn't know if he was more mad at Jaemin or the fact that it was actually working. Jaemin moved her curly strands away from her neck, his finger gliding against the barcode. He stopped once he found a small bump, his face scrunching.

"You feel that?" he asked as he squished the tracker, the woman nodding. "Stop that it feels weird," she said, moving away from him. "We can cut it out that night and leave it in our rooms. Cant risk cutting it out now."

A smile was left on the their faces as they left her room, hope being brought to them for the first time in two months. Jaemin followed Donghyuck out of her room, grabbing the tanned boy's arm. He turned back with a small glare in his eyes.

"I know you like her which is why i'm doing shit to piss you off," he told him. "Don't lose your chance Donghyuck. Tomorrow isn't promised in this kind of place."

Donghyuck moved his arm away from Jaemin. "I don't like her."

"Then you wont mind me taking her will you?"

Donghyuck clenched his jaw, Jaemin smiling. "Stop lying to yourself Donghyuck."

And with that, Jaemin walked off and left Donghyuck in his thoughts.