Vengeance

eleven

"On the count of three, we rush in, okay?"

Everyone nodded at Jackson's command, readying their rifles.

Seonghwa placed a hand on Changbin's shoulder, giving him a small smile.

"You're going to find him. I just know it."

Changbin managed a slight smile back, but he was too focused on the door to respond. His mind had one thought: find Felix. No matter what.

He would be one of the ten.

He had to be.

He had to get him out of here.

Wooyoung stood to his other side, his hands gripping his weapon tightly.

He couldn't stop thinking about Yeosang's words.

"Please. Bring him home."

Jongho was still in there somewhere. And they could really use his help. He was the smartest and the strongest member they had.

And...he completed them. He was their youngest.

Yet he'd taken on such great responsibility in the fight. He'd fought right until the end.

And he was waiting for them.

"Remember, only fire if you are truly in immediate danger. I know that sounds stupid but we need to save as many lives as possible. And we can only take ten. Once you've captured your mark, head back up the stairwell and load them into the cargo hold. It's not a perfect solution, but it's what we've got."

Everyone nodded, holding their restraints in their non-dominant hand. As Jackson placed his hand on the door, he turned one last time.

"If anyone here is bit, you come right back and go to the cargo hold. No selfless bullshit. We can't afford to lose anyone and we will do everything in our power to get you back. Do you understand?"

His words were intense, but everyone had been thinking them. They knew this already. It had been in the training. But they preferred to pretend it wasn't a possibility.

"We understand," Seonghwa said firmly, his eyes trained on the door as if Hongjoong stood right behind it.

Jackson looked around, making sure everyone nodded before he finally looked back at the door. Taking a deep breath, he pulled it open and everyone followed in.

They had anticipated a rush with the sound of the plane landing but there weren't more than two or three zombies waiting for them in the stairwell.

Everyone was silent as the passed, feeling guilty to pass by the children who could potentially be saved. But one term they'd agreed on was those most beneficial to saving everyone.

They couldn't take any of the young fans as they objectively didn't provide much assistance to their mission. They needed people who could fight, people who might have experience. That meant members, adult audience members, or staff.

So they had to keep moving.

Eventually they'd all reached the first floor and Jackson pressed an ear to the door, listening for noise in the hallway. Changbin stood beside him, listening along intently. Wooyoung stood right behind, anxiously. He was nearly pressed against the two. Yeonjun placed a hand on his back, steadying him.

Seonghwa turned to his left to Han and Yuta whose eyes glanced back and forth between the door and the zombie pacing on the landing behind them.

From what he'd heard, Seonghwa figured Yuta was facing all of this for the first time. He'd been in the dressing room fixing a wardrobe malfunction when everything went down.

He knew Han was trying to make up for his absence but he still hated seeing him here when he was so terrified. He knew there was no way of stopping him so he hadn't tried.

But he knew he would have to watch out for him. For Minho.

Jackson made a hand sign to let everyone know the state of the hallway. All clear.

Seonghwa didn't like it.

It was odd enough that the stairwell was clear after the plane landing, but a clear hallway was too much.

The hallways had always been packed with zombies, ever since the doors to the auditorium had opened.

"I don't like this," Yeonjun whispered to Wooyoung, trying to get Changbin's attention.

But when the two turned towards him, it was clear that there would be no going back. Not when they were so close to the ones they cared about.

Everyone understood.

The mission would continue.

Slowly, Jackson pressed the door open, holding his restraints tightly. He motioned for everyone to follow and they split up, heading out to their designated marks.