Guilty Parties [ NoRenMin ] | ✓

- Fifty Four -

Renjun's limbs were heavy with sleep as he headed down the stairs to the observation room.

He joined with Jeno and Jaemin, as Jisung helped a very sleepy Chenle stay steady in the small room, along with Mark who had a serious case of bedhead with Donghyuck trying to fix it.

"You are going to go under a series of tests for a potential identification process that we've come up with," Taeyongrvoiced out, his clear tone like ice water on the younger boys' conscious.

Donghyuck's hand froze above Mark's head as he heard the older.

"What do you mean by that?" Mark asked, a raspy tone coming out due to his tiredness.

Taeyong knew the question was coming but he didn't want to answer it directly.

"Abigail's done some things, things none of you remember, or not," he said pointedly at Renjun, "and we need to find out what those are."

They all nodded in ignorance, the onslaught of words cloudy in their minds.

Although Renjun seemed to attach himself to the words, hoping what he was gathering wasn't true. He knew Abigail had done terrible things to himself, never would've he of thought that she had already done them to the others. He had just met them not too long ago, but the thought of them experiencing the same torture without knowing it made him hate Abigail with a new intensity.

Taeyong looked at him knowingly, the boy's determination towards something that Taeyong would never know burning bright.

"Remember the letter I sent to you before you came to Neo City?" Taeyong asked.

A chorus of 'yes's were heard from each boy, most differing in tone due to different levels of tiredness.

"This couldn't of waited until after breakfast?" Donghyuck asked, who had stopped messing with the mess of Mark's hair and instead leaned on the older.

Taeyong smiled at the retort of the youngrt boy, needing the sense of humor to surround the boys and lessen the upcoming tension.

"No, Donghyuck, because right now you are in your most weakest state, and that's the prime time for testing," the older responded, feeling the tension start to grow.

He had failed to tell them that it was actually about two o'clock in the morning, and that they were going to have a challenging time ahead.

He let himself sigh, before telling the boys to all go into the room connected to the back of the observation room, where they wouldn't have the access to see the tests of the other boys and their capabilities.

After reaching the dark room, the boys hesitantly settled themselves on the large black couch that resided there, and hoped that the large T.V. screen would allow them to see what was going on in the other room.

"We can monitor the tests, right?" Mark asked, looking at Taeyong who stood in the doorway, watching the stiffness of the others.

Taeyong wasn't going to let them see initially, but he knew how attached they all were to each other, and on a last minute decision, affirmed that he would allow them to watch the screen.

"First up," Taeyong said as he clutched the wooden clipboard he grabbed off of one of the counters in the observation room, "Mark Lee."

Mark was nervous, shaking slightly as he stood, until he felt a warm hand quickly wrap around his own. He looked down to see the supportive looks he received from all the other boys, and the reassuring look of Donghyuck's, who had taken a hold of his hand.