Among The Anomalies

Minho took half a step forward before he even realized.

But he didn't get far.

Because a sharp growl-not loud, but low and clear-ripped through the air. Quokka. The companion was floating beside the couch like a miniature guardian spirit, fur bristling, eyes locked onto Minho with pure, unmistakable hatred.

Leebit had moved forward instinctively, as if to calm him, but stopped short.

Minho's gaze flicked from Jisung to the quokka. His heart thudded harder. "I-"

"You know him?" Chan's voice was calm. Too calm.

Minho couldn't speak. His throat burned.

He nodded once.

Chan folded his arms, gaze heavy. "Good. Then explain."

~~~•~~~

Felix's steps were light but urgent, his arms steady around the unconscious boy as they made their way to the small medical room tucked into the corner of the house. Jeongin was right behind him, unusually quiet, his gaze flicking between the boy and the quokka that refused to leave his side.

Quokka hovered close-silent, vigilant, his wide eyes darting around the unfamiliar space. Leebit trailed in shortly after, expression unreadable, but there was a weight in the way he floated. A recognition, maybe. A guilt.

Felix gently laid the boy onto the medical bed, his fingers already glowing with soft, golden light. Jeongin watched quietly from the side, arms folded and face unusually serious.

"His body's... wrecked," Felix murmured, more to himself than anyone else. "Not just the wounds, it's like-he's been overused. Like they pushed his powers to the edge again and again."

His hands hovered over a gash across the boy's side, the light slowly beginning to stitch skin back together. It was steady work, but there were some places the magic hesitated. Old scars too deep to erase. One, long and jagged, carved across his chest like a warning.

Jeongin leaned in. "Can you get rid of all of them?"

"Most," Felix replied, voice low. "But not the one on his chest. That one... whoever did it meant for it to stay."

Leebit shifted in the air, ears low. Quokka floated beside the bed, silent still-but his body pulsed with worry, like a warning flare.

Felix finished what he could, then placed a soft cloth over the boy's torso. He turned to Jeongin. "Hey... can you stay with him a sec? Just until I come back."

Jeongin nodded without hesitation, eyes flicking once more to the boy's face. "Yeah."

Felix gave Quokka a nod-one of quiet respect-then slipped out of the room with leebit after him as he closed the door gently behind them.

Meanwhile...

"I didn't know," Minho said the moment Chan turned to him, his voice sharper than he meant it to be. "I-I didn't even recognize him at first."

Chan's arms were crossed, he was calm, almost too calm. "You do know him"

Minho hesitated.

"Yes," he said finally. "We're childhood friends."

Chan's brow raised. "That's it? Because that Quokka-looked like he wanted to kill you."

Minho looked away, jaw tight. "We... had an argument. Things got bad. I didn't think I'd ever see him again."

Leebit, who had now appeared beside them now, gave him a sharp side-eye. Chan caught it, narrowing his eyes.

"That's not just a childhood argument, Minho."

"I know," Minho muttered. "But it's not my story to tell."

A beat of silence. Chan stared him down for a few more seconds before sighing and running a hand through his hair.

"Fine. But if this boy's as messed up as he looks, we need answers. Soon."

Leebit huffed softly, glancing toward the medical room. His ears twitched-he could feel something breaking in the air, like a storm that hadn't landed yet.

Chan turned, eyes heavy with thought. "And when he wakes up, I want to be there."

——————————————

5 days later

The subway air was stale and thick with static, the flickering overhead lights casting a sickly glow on the crumbling walls. Chan and Minho moved like shadows through the station, their footfalls light and precise. Signs of distortion buzzed through their comms-an anomaly, not the worst kind, but left unchecked, it could spiral fast.

"Tunnel two. About twenty meters ahead," Chan said, glancing at the flickering radar device on his wrist. "Seungmin says it's unstable."

Minho nodded, already summoning small orbs of light to hover around his shoulders, pulsing faintly in the gloom. "Let's end it quick."

Wolfchan glided ahead of Chan, eyes narrowed, ears twitching. Leebit floated beside Minho, arms crossed and gaze sharp. He did a dramatic eye-roll when they hit a particularly damp patch of floor, clearly displeased.

A shriek cut through the station. The creature revealed itself from the collapsed platform ahead-long and low, like a digital centipede gone rogue, its form glitching and flickering, crawling on twisted limbs. Its body glowed with unstable energy, the air around it warping in waves.

Chan smirked. "Definitely not the worst we've seen."

"Still ugly as fuck," Minho muttered, stepping forward. The creature hissed and launched itself at them.

Minho rolled sideways, hurling a light orb into the anomaly's path. It detonated with a flash, staggering the creature. Leebit zipped around the blast, posing mid-air like he had fired the attack himself.

Chan followed up with a burst of amplified energy, his aura flaring as he surged forward. The anomaly reeled from the impact, screeching as its glitching body spasmed.

WolfChan dove in, circling the creature with expert precision, leading it into Minho's line of fire.

Minho moved smoothly, a practiced rhythm in every step. Another orb formed in his palm and launched. This one hit dead center, sending ripples of light across the creature's warped body.

The creature screeched, momentarily disoriented, and Chan darted forward with inhuman speed. He was all fluid motion, one hand glowing with his energy-amplifying pulse, the other landing a punch that sent the thing skidding back against the trees, bark splintering from impact.

"Nice one, old man," Minho smirked.

"Less talking, more wrecking," Chan muttered, wiping his knuckles.

The creature recovered faster than expected, flailing violently. One tentacle-like arm lashed out toward Minho. Leebit shot up, body glowing in warning. Minho flipped backward, dodging cleanly, and hurled another orb straight into the thing's center mass.

Boom.

An explosion that had the creature shrieking in agony.

Chan took the opening and surged forward, his energy swirling around his fists. "You're done."

With one anomaly crumbled with a sickening crackle, dissolving into smoke and static, its body evaporating like ash in the wind.

Minho exhaled, chest heaving. "Well that was anti-climactic."

"I'm sorry, were you bored?" Chan raised a brow, brushing dirt off his jacket.

"Maybe a little. I was hoping it'd at least last longer than my patience."

"Maybe next time we'll let it nibble on you first."

Minho scoffed, turning to Leebit who fluttered smugly beside him. "I'm flattered by your concern."

Just then, Their comms beeped simultaneously and Seungmin's voice came through, urgent.

"Guys-he's awake. The boy you brought in. He just woke up."

Minho froze. Leebit stopped mid-hover, ears perking.

Chan blinked. "Are you sure?"

"I wouldn't call in the middle of a goddamn mission for fun. He's up-and looking like he's gonna bolt any second."

Minho didn't wait for a response. He was already moving.

Leebit followed fast, the usual mischievous expression replaced by something unreadable. Behind them, Chan exchanged a glance with WolfChan.

He sighed, already following. "Guess debrief can wait".
Wolf Chan huffed lowly, before launching after them

~~~•~~~

The door was shut.

But the tension leaking from inside the medical room was suffocating. Everyone was gathered outside like storm clouds before the thunder-Hyunjin leaning against the wall with his arms crossed tightly, Jeongin bouncing anxiously on the balls of his feet, Seungmin with his jaw clenched tight.

Leebit floated near the ceiling, ears twitching. FoxI.Ny was perched on a shelf nearby, observing with a cool, silent stare. Dwaekki, unusually quiet for once, hovered next to Jiniret, who was wringing his paws with barely contained worry. Even Puppym was still.

Inside, only Felix and BbokAri remained.

Minho stepped forward almost instantly. "I'm going in."

Chan grabbed his arm before he could touch the door.

"No, you're not."

Minho turned sharply. "What the fuck, why not?"

Minho." Chan's voice was calm but firm, that commanding edge cutting through. "I get it. But if he sees you first-he might lose it."

Seungmin nodded. "He's right. Kid's clearly been through some serious shit. You walking in there could set him off."

Minho's fists tightened at his sides. "You don't even know what happened between us-"

"Exactly," Changbin cut in, stepping forward. "None of us do. But it doesn't take a genius to notice how protective his companion is around him. Or how he reacts when you so much as step into the room."

Leebit hovered behind Minho, silent but twitching, eyes narrowing.

Minho sighed through his nose, frustration thick in his chest. "I didn't mean for it to be like this..."

Chan placed a hand on his shoulder, gently this time. "I know. But if you want to fix it, let Felix and I handle him for now."

Minho closed his eyes, jaw tight, then finally gave a small nod. "Fine."

Chan offered a brief squeeze before turning and heading for the med room door.

The air inside was different. Thicker. Like walking through fog.

Jisung was awake, curled on the edge of the bed like a cornered animal, eyes wide and shaking, his hands faintly glowing with vibrating energy. His chest rose and fell like he was drowning.

Quokka stood protectively in front of him, arms spread wide like a shield despite his tiny body. His ears twitched in warning as Chan entered, but he didn't lunge. Not this time.

Felix was crouched low, hands out, calm and steady. "Hey-hey, you're safe, I promise. No one's gonna hurt you here. We've just been helping."

"I don't know you," Jisung snapped, voice cracked and dry. "I don't know where I am. Why the fuck am I here?!"

"You collapsed in the street, remember?" Felix said gently. "You attacked us, but we didn't hurt you. You've been unconscious for five days. We've been taking care of you-me, BbokAri, and the others."

BbokAri floated near Quokka, offering him a brownie. Quokka accepted it with twitchy hands and stuffed it into his cheeks, still on edge but no longer defensive. He and bbokari had gotten along over the past few days and he was starting to trust them, even if Jisung wasn't there yet.

"You're lying," Jisung muttered, but there was a tremble in his voice that didn't sound like anger anymore. Just fear.

"No, we're not," Chan said from the doorway.

Jisung jerked at the unfamiliar voice. His powers spiked instinctively, the air vibrating with a low hum, but Quokka turned around and waved his arms rapidly, trying to get his attention.

Chan raised his hands. "I'm Bang Chan. I lead the team here. You're in our base. You're safe. That's a promise."

Jisung didn't answer. He just stared, shoulders tight, jaw clenched.

Chan took a cautious step forward. "Your companion-the Quokka-he knows. He's been watching us for days now. If we were going to hurt you, don't you think he'd have acted up already?"

Quokka gave an indignant little hop, nodding.

Felix managed a small smile. "He actually bit Changbin."

"Twice," Chan added with a tired chuckle. "He bites hard."

That earned the smallest flicker of confusion in Jisung's expression.

"And we didn't touch you without his permission," Felix added. "We just wanted to help. That's all."

Jisung looked between the three of them, chest still heaving. Then slowly, the glow in his hands started to fade.

The air settled.

Quokka exhaled too, visibly relieved. He floated up beside Jisung and rested against his side, munching the brownie like nothing had just happened.

Jisung's voice was barely above a whisper. "Where... am I really?"

Chan stepped closer, eyes soft. "A better place than you came from."

He didn't press further. Didn't ask questions. Didn't push.

And for now, that was enough.

The silence stretched a bit too long after Jisung's question, but no one pushed him further.

Instead, Felix stepped away and returned with a tray-simple food, a bottle of water, a soft towel. A warm scent wafted through the room: rice, chicken, steamed veggies, and a few pieces of fruit. Nothing fancy. Just home-cooked comfort.

Felix set the tray on the table beside the bed and smiled softly. "Figured you'd be starving."

Jisung stared at the food, eyes narrowing faintly.

He didn't move.

His fingers curled slightly around the blanket like he was fighting the impulse, the war of hunger and caution flickering across his bruised face.

And then-before he could even blink-Quokka zipped forward, snatched a cube of fruit, and shoved it into his tiny mouth.

Jisung immediately jerked back snatching the plate away from his companion.

"Are you insane?! That could be poisoned, you suicidal marshmallow".

Chan and Felix went silent, startled at the boy's sudden burst of personality. Then Felix burst out laughing.

"I swear it's not. If we wanted to get rid of you, we'd have done it a long time ago. I mean you've been knocked out for 5 days now and you're still alive".

“Comforting," Jisung muttered.

Still, he glanced at Quokka-who was still very much alive, now licking his paws dramatically-and hesitated. His stomach gave a pitiful little growl.

After another pause, he picked up a piece of chicken and took a tiny, cautious bite.

And the second it registered as real food, his body seemed to override all caution. He devoured the rest of it with a desperate kind of hunger-quiet at first, then feral, shoveling rice and meat like he hadn't eaten in days.

Which, to be fair, he hadn't.

Felix blinked at him in surprise, then grinned wide and leaned back in his seat, satisfied. "That's more like it."

Chan leaned against the wall with his arms crossed, watching closely-not judging, just observing. After a moment, he asked gently, "Do you remember what happened before you passed out?"

Jisung wiped his mouth on his sleeve, ignoring the towel on the tray, and chewed slowly through his last bite. He didn't answer right away, just flicked his gaze between the two of them, shoulders still tense, but not as locked up as before.

Jisung tensed slightly, his hand gripping the bottle tighter. "Some of it."

"You were in pretty bad shape," Felix added gently. "You attacked us, then collapsed."

"Sounds like me," Jisung muttered with a dry snort. "Real friendly first impressions."

"You were scared," Chan said simply. "We don't blame you."

Jisung looked away.

His voice came a bit slower. "They... the place I was in. They used me. A lot. I didn't want to do half the shit they made me do."

"Agency?". Chan asked hesitantly.

Jisung nodded. "One of the big ones. Or at least they think they are."

"You were an agent?"

"Sure. If you want to call it that. More like... existing while being fucked up for a paycheck I never saw."

He snorted. "Lets say I was more of a company lab rat."

Chan's gaze darkened, but he kept it cool. "I'm glad you're not there anymore."

"Yeah." Jisung chuckled dryly, trying to mask the tremble in his voice. "Lucky me." he muttered before his mood shifted drastically once again.

"Bet you were expecting a dramatic backstory huh? Sorry I'm not just a misunderstood stray with a heart of gold."

Felix snorted softly. "I mean... you do kind of look like a stray."

"Rude."

"But one with a cool companion," Felix added, nodding toward Quokka.

Quokka puffed up proudly.

Jisung's eyes flicked to Chan. "Are you gonna ask more?"

Chan shook his head. "Nope. Only what you're ready to share. No one's forcing anything here."

Jisung blinked at him like that was the most foreign sentence he'd ever heard.

Chan turned toward the door. "Rest. You're safe for now."

As he left, Felix offered Jisung another warm smile, one that reached his eyes. "You're not alone anymore, you know."

Jisung didn't respond at first. But when Felix turned to follow Chan out, he heard it, soft and barely audible behind him:

"...thanks."