Super

69. the hardest part

Baekhyun was the first to unfreeze. "What do you mean, you're not coming with us?" he asked, looking at the two suspiciously. He looked like his worst fears had just been realized, whereas just a few seconds ago, he'd been ready to do take up the mantle of responsibility.

Jeonghan and Shao exchanged another look. Jeonghan's face was unreadable, but the emotions in his eyes seemed to flicker like the colors of the Aurora Borealis when his gaze flicked over the group. "Our job here isn't done yet."

"What job?" Ten asked softly. He looked tense all over like a bowstring pulled taut, as if he was bracing himself for the worst possible answer. "Everyone's out, Irene's gone. What else could there possibly be to do?"

"We have to go back to the asylum," Shao replied.

"The asylum?" Taeyong echoed, his face twisting in disbelief. "That place is still burning. It won't survive for more than a few minutes."

"That's exactly why we have to go in," Shao murmured. She looked hesitant, but the look in her eyes was determined, and Baekhyun knew immediately that she wouldn't back down no matter who it was that tried to stop her. "You got the artificial Supers, but you didn't get the people we got the DNA strands for the serum from. They're still in there somewhere."

Baekhyun frowned, looking doubtful, but Mark's face cleared. "The cryogenic freezing chambers," the raven-haired boy realized, then his eyes widened. "You can't go in there! You'll die!"

"No, we won't," Jeonghan said firmly. "I can flash freeze the inner walls so the building will hold."

"Jeonghan, ice isn't that strong," Ten said through gritted teeth. His hands were shaking. Ten seemed to realize that too, because he closed them into fists to hide their trembling. "You've already wasted most of your energy in the freezing from before, and when you pulled Sicheng and Kai through the dimension—you won't be able to handle it."

"Shao will help me," Jeonghan murmured. His chin was raised slightly, his eyes hooded in the haughty manner that reminded Baekhyun of a prince...or perhaps an angel. Proud and unyielding. "Would you rather we left all those people to die?"

"You can't go in," Kai muttered, but his words were weak and listless, his face ashen. The pallor just under his tanned skin made the specks of blood in his purple hair stand out like little cuts. "You won't be able to hold up that long. Do you even know where the chambers are kept?"

"Well," Shao mumbled, "not completely."

"Not completely?"

"Let us go with you," Ten insisted. "We'll get the job done twice as fast."

Jeonghan smiled gently. "You already have a responsibility of your own."

The air seemed to still. Dawn was breaking, and yet the sky seemed dark, as if some of its energy had wilted at the words. "You can't," Ten repeated softly.

"They have to stay," Lucas murmured. His voice sounded like it was coming from somewhere else instead of inside him, Baekhyun's very bones rattling with its depth. Lucas glanced at Baekhyun, and when their eyes met, he saw that the taller man's eyes were glassy and unfocused. "We don't have enough time."

"Time." Taeyong pressed his lips into a thin line, but his chin trembled. "There's never enough time."

"You can put it on my tombstone," Shao joked half-heartedly. "There wasn't enough time."

"There won't be a tombstone," Taeyong said viciously, but he sounded more like he was trying to convince himself.

She shrugged. Her scar twitched, turning a shimmering gold in the weak sunlight. "Maybe not," she said, trying to sound convinced.