The Trials of Neo City [WINWIN • YUTA]

🖤 18. ...Ready For It? 🖤

Today was the day.
Naturally, Sicheng couldn't sleep last night.

Of course, all of the tributes woke up early and were dressed in identical and regulated clothing; light, ashy brown jackets, long black pants with many pockets, combat boots, a gray shirt, and thin black gloves.

Their makeup and hair was done lightly as well because, of course, the Games are entertainment and the tributes are still expected to put on a show. So, even whilst fighting to the death, they're supposed to look pretty.

Yeonjun nearly cried while doing Renjun's hair, sobbing quietly about his little "Taehyunnie". Soobin had to stop fixing Sicheng's eyeliner multiple times to calm his husband down before he had another manic episode.

Renjun didn't even complain about being called Taehyun this time, too afraid for himself. Or maybe he just suddenly understood.

Both Soobin and Yeonjun gave Sicheng a tight hug by the time they were done. They'd bid him goodbye, Yeonjun breaking the hug to fuss over Sicheng's split ends and Renjun's eyeshadow.

They were shuffled to a runway towards midday and boarded some sort of aircraft, oddly shaped with convex walls and slick, black steel. The other tributes were sat by district, accompanied by their stylists and mentors who were supposed to see them off... as well as ominously dressed Gamemakers who said nothing.

The plane took off; Gamemakers dressed in white coats and shiny white helmets stood next to them on the hovercraft as they rode in silence. As the hovercraft hummed and soared through the air with little turbulence, the Gamemakers in coats retreated to the back of the plane and returned with syringes.

They started at the top of the seats with Chenle, pulling away his jacket sleeve and stabbing the syringe into his arm as he whimpered in shock and pain. Then Johnny -the tall kid- and then Ten, who didn't even wince.

They went down the line, injecting everyone with the mysterious syringe. Yuta had to calm down Shotaro, who was apparently afraid of needles. Subgchan's injection apparently didn't settle correctly, so they had to administer it again. Then they approached Sicheng and Renjun, preparing for some sort of a fight.

"Get the fuck off of me!" Renjun growled, thrashing in his seat as two Gamemakers held him down as another pricked his arm and injected him with the odd vaccine.

"It's a tracker, that's all." Jeno reassured from a few rows down, looking at Renjun with a soft, assuring smile. Renjun stopped thrashing as the needle was pulled out of his arm and thrown away. He growled once more as they approached Sicheng with a new needle.

Sicheng willingly offered his arm and looked away, feeling the stinging prick on his arm but refusing to look. He sighed and looked at Renjun, who rubbed his arm and muttered under his breath. Renjun's eyes locked onto his brother's and he smiled weakly.

The aircraft had soon gotten to the arena grounds and the mentors, stylists, and tributes were escorted away separately, to rooms in a mysterious and dark bunker.

After that, Renjun was separated from Sicheng without so much as a goodbye. Lay had explained that it was customary to keep all tributes away from each other until the Games began.

Sicheng felt sick to his stomach. Renjun's pitiful sobs replayed in his head as he realized he may never see his little brother again and he wasn't even allowed to say goodbye to him. Bile came up quickly and he gagged, but swallowed it down as Lay walked with him down the halls to his doom.

"Who's with Renjun? Lay, please-" Sicheng's voice was worried, but Lay stayed calm.

"He's with Soobin and Yeonjun. They're more comforting than I am, so I advised that they walk him to his launch." Lay reassured, placing a hand on Sicheng's shoulder. "That kid's tough. He's got a chance."

Sicheng still felt sick, but slightly relieved that Renjun wasn't alone, wasn't afraid and by himself while Lay was with him.

A countdown ordered the tributes to step into their tubes, which sat at the end of the hall. Every step Sicheng took, he felt his own legs threaten to fail. Lay had been holding onto his arm, urging him to breathe and keep it together.

Two Peacekeepers in white uniforms holding shiny, loaded guns stood on each side of the tube. Lay and Sicheng approached the vessel, but the teenager was too afraid to step forwards when the announcement demanded that he did.

So, Lay helped him in, holding on as Sicheng took shaky steps and stood in the tube, feeling the air around him become rather tight.

"Do what it takes, Sicheng. Only one of you can win." Lay advised, cracking a small smile as Sicheng's tube closed. Lay walked backwards, into the hall and behind the red line on the floor when it shut.

Sicheng's heart pounded in his chest and his eyes widened, realizing that there was no escape. The speakers counted down to launch, a mechanical woman's voice that made his throat dry up. He looked at Lay and panicked, starting to feel claustrophobic in the tube. It was airtight and it was going to launch in a matter of seconds and Lay couldn't even help him.

Lay stepped back with a sad smile and a wave, a gray metal wall closing between the two as the countdown ended. There was a whirring noise overhead and Sicheng braced for the tube to begin raising...

And then the whirring stopped and a screen appeared where the metal wall was.