dangerous | choi seungcheol

[ Chapter 7 ]

The wind was cold and crisp as it glided against Analeigh's face, causing her cheeks and nose to turn a light red color. The scarf wrapped around her neck and the long, black coat she had on was keeping her warm enough, knowing that she was almost there.
She knew her old neighborhood better than anything- every lamppost, every mailbox, every front door. Even though this was where she felt the most at home, nervousness still flooded her emotions. She had been gone for almost two weeks without giving any notice to her family as to why- One day she was there, and one day she was not.
How would she explain all this..? Tell the truth? Lie? Seungcheol had allowed her to visit home before they left for their next destination, and she didn't know how he thought that she could explain to her family why she hadn't called them for the longest time.
Soon she reached the familiar red brick house. Sighing and crossing her fingers, she made her way up the sidewalk, and stepped onto the small porch. So many memories remained here- hot summer days and seeking shade, her and her friends would lay down on the cold cement, trying to cool down from hours out in the hot, summer sun.
Reaching her knuckles up to the door somewhat hesitantly, she knocked three times. A few moments passed, and no one had come to the door. She glanced to the street, noticing that both her mother and her father's cars were there. She turned to face the door once more, and she was greeted by the surprised face of her mother.
"Analeigh.." Her mother whispered.
Analeigh nodded, unsure of how to respond.
"C- Come in..! Please, come in." Her mother quickly opened the screen door, and Analeigh stepped inside. She was hit with the familiar scent of cinnamon- home.
"Who is it?" Her father called from upstairs. A moment later, he emerged from his study, standing at the top of the steps.
Suddenly, Analeigh was enveloped in hugs from her parents, and then they stepped away.
"Where have you been..?" They both asked simultaneously.
"You didn't call us for the longest time.. We were so worried." Her mother added.
"We called the police.. And Charlotte has worried out if her mind since you never made it back to your apartment."
"You don't need to call the police.. I'm perfectly safe." She sighed. "And I'm going to be gone more."
"What? Why..?" Her mother looked concerned. Tilting her head to the side in concern, she let her long, messy, dark brown ponytail fall to the side.
Analeigh sat down and her parents did the same.
"I've got a lot to tell you." She paused for a moment, collecting her thoughts, and then taking a deep breath. "There's this group of people called the SCA..."
-
Soon enough she had made it back to Hoshi and Seokmin's apartment. Everyone was buzzing around, getting things ready for their trip to Tokyo.
Analeigh walked into the living room, opening her backpack and stuffing a few things into it on top of the clothes she had grabbed from home.
"Analeigh," May called. "Seungcheol said he needed some help getting things together. Can you go help him? I'm too busy helping Mingyu with the computers."
Analeigh nodded and the two exchanged smiles as she turned away, heading towards the small gray room where they had set up base a few days earlier.
"Seungcheol?" The brunette peaked inside, and the familiar figure turned around to greet her. He smiled slightly.
"I need your band for a second," He said, and Analeigh walked up to him, holding out her wrist for him. He took it, his grip gentle as he pressed some kind of hard drive against the somewhat circular top of the matte black band. A few seconds passed and the wristband let out three satisfactory bleeps.
"What does that do?"
"I just added a new feature. It's something we probably should have added a long time ago." He bit his lip slightly as he pressed the side of her band, securing it.
The small computer screen on the desk lit up, and it began to make a sound identical to the wristband, only in some sort of rhythm. It took her a moment to realize it, but the rhythm was her heartbeat.
"Your band already had the ability to detect your vital signs," He paused for a moment, clicking a piece back in place. "I just added an alert button. We can't always tell if someone is in trouble by their pulse." He gently released her wrist from his grip. "Yours was the last one I had to update."
"You really think of everything don't you?"
He paused, still looking at the computer screen. Then he smiled, letting a small laugh escape his lips. "I try. Some things just come to you after you really need them."
-
The air was hot, and the group of three weren't exactly calm. They were incomplete- their fourth member was missing. He was alive. They could tell, as his vital signs were still being displayed. The GPS system was shut down.. The Enemy was on their trail and they had no way to track them, or their missing comrade, Wen Junhui. They assumed he was safe, yet there was no way to tell.
Suddenly, the air stood still- and then erupted. A blast of heat shot through the windows, sending glass everywhere, and forcing an uncomfortable warmth down their throats. A quick second passed. Seungcheol rushed to the broken window after regaining his balance, taking in the scene below them. The building next to them had broken into a fiery explosion, terrified civilians scattering in every direction. He turned back to the other two, noticing their blank expressions as they watched the computer screen.
Wen Junhui's vitals were silent- nonexistent.
They had no clue any of this was going to happen, as there was no way for him to warn them.
--
Wooooooooo!! Over 300 reads!! Thank you all so much! I hope you guys enjoyed Analeigh's short trip home and then the little flashback at the end. (:
Once again, thank you for reading and stay tuned for the squad's trip to Tokyo (^:
-m.c.