Song of the Caged Bird (Ateez Fanfic)

Chapter Eleven

<a few hours later>

*Hongjoong's POV*

My feet landed on the pavement and I retracted my wings. Throwing open the door of the small tour bus, they had given us to get back and forth from arenas and hotels, stomping inside. There was a faint ringing in my ears because of how silent it was on the bus. Without Alex's laughter or the guys joking about something; it was complete, utter, silence.

"Hongjoong, we will find her." Seonghwa's voice came from behind me, making the ringing in my ears stop.

"We have searched this whole town. She can be anywhere in this state." I threw my hands up and sank into the booth. Feeling defeated. Crossing my arms on top of the table, I rested my head on my arms and sighed.

After four hours of silence, Mingi finally spoke up. "We aren't living up to our full potential."

"Mingi, what are you talking about?" I heard Wooyoung ask. With my eyes closed, I could imagine Wooyoung giving Mingi a dumbfounded look.

"What he means is that we haven't used the power that we have, to guide us in the right direction." Jongho said.

I looked up at Mingi and Jongho, "You're right."

"Damn straight. I am the wisest of the group." Mingi said, crossing his arms and his eyes glowed a bright purple..

My wings slid out and the soft feathers tickling my arms. "Why don't we go back outside and try the circle like Alex did in the dorm?" Yunho asked.

I gave a swift nod and got up from the booth. Walking outside Yeosang and Jongho took their spot in the North position, and we fell into our places. Yeosang called his element and the wind picked up. Next Wooyoung summoned his element, then San and Seonghwa. Bowing my head I called upon my element, our circle felt stronger than the first time. Mingi and Yunho took their spots in the middle

My eyes snapped open when I heard Yeosnag gasp. "I hear something." My head shot up, looking at him. His eyes were looking past me, off in the distance. My heart stopped when I heard a faint scream sounding in the distance.

"Alex!" Her name escaped my lips, as I sprinted past Yunho, Mingi and Yeosang. We took to the sky and followed the scream.

We are going to save you, my Angel.

*Hongjoong's POV*

"Lead the way, Yeosang." I slowed down and Yeosang blew passed me. I looked to my left and I saw Wooyoung's eyes and hands glowing blue, his wings beating faster to catch up to his best friend.

A bright orange light blew past me and San's wings spread out, as he soared through the sky. Fire burning brightly from his hands. Below me, Seonghwa and Jongho flew past as they took his spot directly under Yeosang. Yunho and Mingi slowed down to keep their guard on our backs and I found myself flying in the middle of the guys.

Weaving out of the buildings, we flew high above into the clouds. "I see them!" Yeosang exclaimed.

Picking up speed, we caught up to them only to watch Alex fall from Ryder's grasp. "No!" I heard Seonghwa scream. My heart stopped when I heard her scream, seeing her freefall. I watched as Seonghwa tucked his wings in and dive bombed to catch her. I heard Seonghwa cry out in pain when they crashed onto the top of a building.

I lowered my altitude, to see if they were okay but San's voice pulled me back up. "They are okay, our focus is on Ryder. We have Alex, but we need to take him down!" If I wasn't close to him, I wouldn't have been able to hear him over the hurricane- like winds.

Something caught my eye and my head shot to the right. "Yeosang! Wooyoung" My eyes went wide when I saw Yeosang and Wooyoung being consumed by a dark shadow. He was forced backwards, falling through the clouds.

Jongho, Mingi and Yunho dived down to help them, only to be struck with another cluster of dark shadows. Anger boiled the blood in my veins, clenching my jaw and balling my fists. I picked up speed and collided and pulled my arm back. My fist collided with Ryder's jaw and as we collided, his hands gripped my arms and we were spiraling down to the streets below.

"Foolish mundane." He growled as he gripped my neck, closing my airways.

Gasping for air, I focused on my elements. Power coursed through me, I drew back my right arm and swung at him again. His head snapped to the left, losing his grip and I was able to kick him away. I flung backwards but my wings opened and I caught myself. Coughing, I rubbed my throat, already feeling a bruise from across the front of my neck.

I watched as San threw a ball of flame at him, pushing him further down to the ground. I tucked my wings to my back and cupped my hands, a ball of energy formed in the middle. "Spirit paralyze Ryder!" I threw my hands forward and watched as the ball flew towards him.

But Ryder caught himself, flying upwards. I saw his hands shootout and the dark tendrils made the energy ball disintegrate. I tried to dodge the tendrils but I felt them wrap around me. Trying to get out of their grip, I felt myself fall.

My heart raced as I looked down, seeing the distance between me and the street closing in. I tried to command all the elements to help me break free, but pain shot through my whole body as I crashed onto the asphalt.

"Hongjoong!" I faintly heard the others scream, but the ringing in my ears made it almost impossible to hear anything.

I opened my eyes, my vision fading in and out, I could barely make out that it was Mingi kneeling in front of me. He sat me up slowly, and I groaned as the pain came back again. I felt a gust of wind blow from behind me and Mingi was thrown backwards.

Moving my head slowly, I couldn't believe what I was seeing. Yeosang and Jongho were stalking towards us. But something seemed off about them.

"No." I whispered, when I figured out what it was.

The shadows outlined them, the tips of their wings were no longer the color of their elements. They were turning black!

"Guys snap out of it!" My voice was raspy and came out almost a whisper.

They narrowed their eyes at me, bending down and grabbing both of my arms. "Good job, guys." I heard Ryder say and I looked up at him. He was standing beside Yunho, who was the same as Wooyoung, Mingi, and San darkness clouded their eyes. I looked over Wooyoung's shoulder and saw Seonghwa..

"Seonghwa, where is Alex!" I asked, as I struggled to get out of their grip.

"Hongjoong!" I heard Alex scream and Seonghwa shoved her to the ground, when they stopped in front of me. I noticed that Seonghwa didn't answer me. None of them seemed to acknowledge me.

"Guys!" I yelled and I heard Ryder laugh.

"You think this was going to be easy? You think you had the power to defeat me. But my plan has changed." Ryder grinned at me and stepped forward. Alex crawled away, but San stepped on her injured wing and she screamed, collapsing to the ground.

San seemed to show no mercy or envy emotion for that matter. Flames seemed to wrap around his arms, like Ryder's tendrils.

"I'm not going to kill her." Ryder shook his head and lifted his hand, twirling his finger.

My eyes snapped back to Ryder, but flashed back to Seongwha and San. I could see vines wrapped around Seonghwa's arms, making him look more dangerous.

"What do you mean you aren't going to kill her?" I felt a sense of hope, but it quickly fled as it came.

"I mean," He looked me, directly in the eyes, "You guys are going to."

My screams were engulfed by the dark shadows. I felt the tendrils crawling up my nose and I choked as they slithered down my throat. Feeling myself slip away, my mind went blank.