Camp Exodus

019 - Search, Divide

Kyungsoo was furious. After the suffering they had gone through just to get in here, there still seemed to be more suffering to endure before they would get any form of rest. His hand was stable in spite of his anger as he rubbed Chanyeol's back, soothing him from his pain. Looking up, he noticed that Sehun was looking around the area cautiously, his eyes narrow as he probably listened for any oncoming sounds as well.

When Chanyeol's pained pants quietened down to softer, dragged breaths, Kyungsoo silently urged him to stand, about to loop the giant's arm over his much smaller stature when Sehun interjected and held Chanyeol upright for him. Nodding, Kyungsoo silently thanked him with a nod of his head before leading the way, carefully, watchfully, further into the facility.

It was so...clean here. As though the place was brand new, or had never been touched or walked. As much as he enjoyed cleanliness, this place made bile rise in the back of Kyungsoo's throat. This institution must have been developed when the camp was, or at least shortly afterwards. It shouldn't look so perfect in this corridor leading from a forest. Not without any sort of skid marks or scuffing from people stumbling in; not without any dents or scratches on the ground or floor. It wasn't possible. This facility was at least twenty five years old.

"What if nobody had ever made it into the facility through this gate?" He questioned aloud quietly. Sehun's eyes narrowed whilst still looking straight ahead before he glanced at Chanyeol.

"What if nobody had ever made it into the facility at all?" He murmured. Kyungsoo's heart pounded but he said nothing, choosing to face forward so that his concern didn't show in his expression.

Indeed, if previous convicts had faced the same abstract disciplining approach, and hadn't been smart enough to figure out the puzzle to opening the gates, they couldn't have possibly been able to enter the facility. The thought of it made Kyungsoo's heart clench a little. By a little, Kyungsoo's heart was pounding to the point that he was beginning to feel light-headed from it.

They made their way slowly down the corridor, wary of any surprise attacks that may have come; after all, they had mechanical animals here on the outside, there weren't any indicators that they wouldn't have other machines ready to attack from the inside too. Approaching a door, the three came to a halt.

"That's my colour." Sehun said, squinting at the opaque stained glass window that didn't provide any view to the room it led to.

"There's my one." Chanyeol muttered, his voice a little ragged as he stared at another door. Kyungsoo noted a third door with his own colour and came to the conclusion that the glass was frosted and they were putting coloured screens inside it to change the colour in accordance with the gates they came through.

"I suppose we're meant to go in." He said, dully guiding Chanyeol's body in the general direction of his door before leaving him be to carry on. Before entering the room with his own colour on it, Kyungsoo turned back to the two tall men who had turned to look back at him as well.

"Be careful. Watch what you say and be mindful of how you act. Show no weak spots." Was all he said before entering his room. As he expected, the door slammed shut behind him. Touching the handle, his hand left it slowly after feeling a unique zing pass through it. Electrified handles, real mature, he thought as he recalled a similar prank Baekhyun had pulled on him a while ago, long before things had gotten too deep.

His fond smile slipped off of his face and he turned to look around. The room wasn't big, there was a rather large slanted desk with a chair positioned farthest away from the door. Seating himself, Kyungsoo blinked in surprise when the desk suddenly lit up.

~*~

"So this whole thing was a screen? Glad to know the nation's taxes are going towards the improvements of our country." Baekhyun commented wryly to himself as he stared the screen.