Chapter Text
The next thing they knew, the gloomy atmosphere was gone. The wind swirled but was losing speed. Most of the group looked around confused. But two of their party recognized their city immediately. Calling over the wind, Yeon-ssi ordered, “Shin-ju! We need to find out where we are. And if they are close.” The pair ran off.
The others were taking in their nice, clean, bright surroundings. This place could not be more of a contrast to the hell they just left. Moments ago, it had been dark, dreary and utterly cold. The warm rays bounced off the building walls, sun glaring off windows. While they took this new world in, the wind died out. And with it came a loud thud.
Horrified, Yeon-ah caught out of the corner of his eye the sight of his brother’s unconscious form plummeting onto the hard surface. Skidding next to the half breed, he cried out, “Rang-ah! Moo-young!” The unforgiving light only highlighted how much his brother had suffered at the hands of the demon. And without the gumiho power flowing through the young fox, his pallor had turned ashen. With vivid clarity, it was easy to see the gaunt features, multiple bruises, blood and grime on his pale, broken skin. His hair dull and matted. It was difficult seeing him like this.
Concern creasing his brow, Moo-young expressed his frustration, “There’s not much I can do here. Even if I were to treat him with my blood, it can only do so much. He’s pushed himself beyond what any of us could have imagined. Banishing an army and then transporting a group of people across time and space. We should be thankful he’s still alive.”
Yeon-ah pulled the younger fox to his chest, eyes blurring. His heart ached for his brother, who was in no state to go after the demon. But they had to save Cheol-min or Yeon could lose them all.
Yeon-ssi and Shin-ju-ssi came jogging into the alley. “We are only a few streets over from where the boys first arrived. We could still get a faint scent of Min-ah and that monster. But there’s no way to know how long ago they arrived.” He had deliberately ignored his counterpart and brother while he gave his report. It would do them no good if he let those feelings overpower him.
Hong-ju stepped up, “How the hell are we supposed to find them? They could be anywhere.”
Stevens interjected, “And where exactly are we? We aren’t getting anything on our comms.”
“You won’t Sergeant. This is Seoul in 2024.” Startled by this revelation, the soldiers murmured among themselves for a moment. Focusing on the more important issue, Yeon-ssi agreed with Hong-ju. “It’s true, we don’t know where they are but we do know at least one of his targets.” Turning back to his faithful servant, he said, “Call Yuri. I’ll check on Jiah and Cheol-soo.” The contemporary foxes pulled their phones from their pockets and dialed their spouses.
Yeon-ssi was beyond relieved when Jiah answered so quickly that his knees wobbled. “Jiah! Are you okay? Is Cheol-soo with you? Is he okay? Where are you? Has anyone come by you don’t know?” Shooting off questions rapid fire it was all Jiah could do to get a word in.
“Yeon-ah!” She managed to interrupt. “Yes, he’s eating at the table. Thank god you’re back already. But were you able to complete your mission in so short a time? We only just got back a few hours ago.”
Stunned, the modern fox could hardly believe that only hours had passed in their world while days had passed in the other. But no matter how you looked at it, they were running out of time now. “Yes, but I need you to listen to me. Don’t ask questions. Just do as I say and I will explain everything when you get here.”
“Of course. What do you want me to do?”
“We are just a few streets down from where we jumped back. I’m sending you my location. I need you and Cheol-soo to get here as fast as you can and keep me on the phone. We don’t have to talk, just keep it open so I will know if anything happens on the way.”
There was a slight shuffling sound as Jiah waved the boy over and led them out the door. “We’re on our way. I hope you’re being cautious because you missed me. But something tells me it’s more than that.”
“Much more. Just hurry.”
Shin-ju-ssi finished his call and turned to his master. “Yuri and Soo-oh are on the way.” Glancing at the rest of their troupe, the vet asked, “What are we going to do about them?” The large group of American military men in full gear, muddied and worldworn would definitely be noticed. And even with American bases in Seoul, their attire didn’t match modern practices.
And that was a conundrum the fox was already contemplating. Thinking aloud, he considered, “I don’t think we can get away with a re-enactment. Those guns look way too real.”
“And it’s not practical to have them change and stash their gear.”
“No, but we have some time to figure something out while the girls get here.” Watching the group, Yeon noticed Stevens and Sanchez huddle up briefly, most likely discussing options from their perspective. Watson and Rogers had edged their way over to Yeon-ah and Rang, their calculating gazes and matching frowns only added to his worry. But he needed to remain focused in order to get them all to a safe place and regroup.
The question now was where to go? If that monster pressed Cheol-min, it was possible for him to lead them back to his apartment and the vet clinic. And there was no way they could take them all to Jiah’s parent’s home. They needed a place that could handle everyone while still be secluded enough that they would not be found so easily. And most importantly, they needed a safe space for Rang to recover. A memory of his brother pale and close to death taunted him and yet may have also provided an answer. It may not be ideal but it was the best he could come up with on short notice.
Listening briefly to his phone, he heard the two getting on public transport. With nothing else to do but wait for now, he squatted down near the fox pair. It was hard to believe that this husk was once his vibrant brother. His worst nightmares had been realized. Tenderly, he pushed back the ebony fringe, being extra careful as he traced all the bruises and cuts. There had been no part of his brother that had been spared. How does one get past such torment?
In a rare moment of mutual compassion, Yeon-ah placed a hand on his counterpart’s shoulder. “He’s alive. And he will make it through this. He doesn’t know how to give up.”
A sound bubbled out of him that was a mix of both a sob and a laugh. Frantically wiping at his damp cheeks (when had he started crying?), he teased, “When I met him, I told him I liked those monsters more than a kid that gives up.”
“I remember.”
“I also told him that salvation doesn’t come to those who can’t save themselves.” Yeon-ah nodded. But after all that’s happened, Yeon-ssi has realized that isn’t entirely true. “But I was wrong. Being strong enough to save yourself is one thing. But being strong enough to ask for help is another. And yet, being willing to save others when it could cost you your own life takes even greater strength.” Reaching out to cup that marred face, he wondered, “When did you get so strong?”
Soft and reminiscent, long haired Yeon answered, “From the day we met him, he’s been fighting. With every challenge he has pushed himself harder and harder. And now he has surpassed even me.”
Yeon-ssi huffed and nodded in agreement. “Yes, he has passed us both, beyond my expectations.” A part of him was so proud that Rang has become something so much more. But gazing down on the bruises, scrapes, hollowed out features, his heart skipped. Fearful that he might lose Rang after all that’s happened, he pondered bitterly, “Was it worth it though? Sharing father’s message. Would his life have been littered with as many obstacles and hardships if I hadn’t told him? Would he have pushed himself this hard, sacrificed so much?”
“His full gumiho power didn’t prevent the half breed curse,” Yeon-ah scowled, then continued, “but it did give him the ability to fight back. He has faced so many enemies and won, achieving new heights in his abilities. His stubbornness may frustrate me, yet I would not change him.”
While he was glad to know that this Yeon did not begrudge him, these thoughts still weighted heavily on his heart. A part of him believed that Rang’s life became even more difficult once his gumiho power had been tapped. Ironically, he recalled a moment when his counterpart accused him of this very concept when they first met. However, in light of their search for Rang and their various conversations, the accusation was more a heat of the moment thing and not a truth.
That didn’t mean that Yeon-ssi didn’t have his doubts still. If he hadn’t told Rang about their father’s words, he may never have developed his portal ability. And the government would not have used him during the war. And this monster would not be threatening his family. Of course, there is the opposing truth, if not for Rang’s found abilities, he may have been killed earlier, lost this family that Yeon only just discovered, his nephews may have never been born. So did the good outweigh the bad? Looking at the broken figure of his brother, Yeon couldn’t say.
“Shin-ju!” Yuri cried before launching herself into her husband’s arms. Soo-oh stood awkwardly behind them, doing his best to avoid watching their affectionate display. Instead, focusing on the strange group loitering in the alley. He had a rough idea of what was going on but still missing a lot of details.
Yuri released her husband, “Did you find him?” During their call, she didn’t dare ask. And he seemed urgent in getting her there. It was an old habit she still hadn’t shaken. Back in the day, when Rang called and told her to come, she learned not to ask questions, just do. Her savior was on her mind a lot recently, and if their mission was a success, would she finally be able to see him again?
The bright smile on Shin-ju’s face fell at her question. Tersely, he nodded then glanced further down the alleyway. Apprehension filled her at his change in demeanor. Cautiously, she followed his gaze to find the group of foreign soldiers as well as a long haired version of Yeon cradling someone. Her heart skipped a beat. Edging closer, she moved to get a better view and instantly tears were in her eyes, hand covering her mouth. Falling to her knees next to the Yeon she knew, Yuri’s heart broke. “Lee Rang-nim?” Her hand reached out to touch his face, but stopped fearing even that gesture could cause him more pain. So she sat there bawling.
Shin-ju went to comfort his wife. Yeon stood and stepped back to give her space. Soo-oh came up to the older man curiously, “Is that really ahjusshi?”
“Yes and no,” he answered honestly. However at the confusion on the teen’s face, he clarified, “He isn’t the man you knew, but he is Lee Rang.” Apart from Yuri’s sniffles and Shin-ju’s mutterings of reassurance, a quiet fell over the group. Many of them still trying to absorb the current situation.
“Lee Yeon!” Jiah called from the entry of the side street, followed immediately by an excited, “Keunaboji!” Breaking free of the kind woman, Cheol-soo darted for his uncle. Yeon-ah opened his arm invitingly, “Soo-ah!”
While the two embraced, Jiah made her way over to her husband. Making a show of hanging up her phone, she asked softly, “Would you like to fill me in on what’s going on now?”
The happy reunion over, the young boy noticed the figure his uncle had been holding and gasped, “Appa?” Falling over the man, the boy wept for his father.
Clearing his throat, Yeon did his best to keep his emotions in check. With all the heartache in the air, it could have easily been mistaken for a funeral. Even Soo-oh did his best to hide wiping his face periodically. Yet Rang was still alive. And they needed to get him somewhere safe so he could be treated. Refocusing on the tasks at hand, he answered his love, “It’s a long story.”
“I don’t doubt.” She smirked up at him. However, the scowl on his face made her worry.
“You said we left only a few hours ago?” Yeon-ssi wondered aloud.
“Yes, I wasn’t expecting you back for a few days at least.”
“We have been in their time for almost a week.” Thinking about the drastic time difference, he wondered aloud, “So how long ago did they get back? We only lingered a few seconds before following.”
“Who?” Jiah inquired.
“Where’s Min-ah?” Tears spent, the youngest Lee had sought out his brother for comfort only to find him missing.
All Yeon could say was, “He’s alive.”
“But he’s not here! Where is he? You were supposed to protect him! You promised!” The boy stomped over to the modern fox and hit him in the gut, unfortunately catching him in the wound made by Xie’s sword. Grunting and dropping to one knee, Cheol-soo’s expression quickly changed. Concerned now, “You’re hurt?”
Recovering, Yeon-ssi got back to his feet saying, “As I said, it’s a long story, one better discussed after we have gotten off the street.”
“And how do we do that? It’s not like you guys won’t be noticed.” Jiah pointed out, gesturing to the soldiers.
Grinning, Yeon-ssi raised his eyebrows, “I think I have an idea. Wait here.” As he started for the main road, he called, “Shin-ju!” His faithful servant hustled up behind him. On the sidewalk, he glanced around for the bus stop he thought he saw earlier. Walking over, he checked the sign and saw the next one would arrive in about a minute. Perfect.
“What are you planning on doing?”
“I need you to get everyone off while I convince the driver to help us.”
Picking up on the unspoken context, Shin-ju made a face. “And what am I supposed to tell them?”
“Tell them it’s some sort of emergency. Once everyone is off, go tell the others to get on board.” Just then one of the buses pulled into the stop, a few people departed as Yeon forced his way on, both eyes glowing orange.
---
It had been an awkward journey and erasing the bus driver and the reception’s memory was easy enough. But now there was a large group huddled in the sparse apartment. They had all agreed years ago to keep it in the event they were able to bring Rang back or find his reincarnation. They never expected it to become their sanctuary under such bizarre circumstances.
Yeon-ah refused to relinquish his burden, Cheol-soo clinging to his side. Yeon-ssi led them to the bedroom, followed by Moo-young, Rogers and Watson. He let Yuri, Jiah and Hong-ju handle the rest of the squad. The Shin-ju’s continued on, risking a trip to the clinic to secure additional supplies not just for Rang but all the injuries procured during the battle.
With great care, Yeon-ah placed Rang on the bed. Knowing what must come next, Yeon-ssi suggested, “Soo-ah, you should go wait with Jiah.”
“No,” came the wet but stern reply.
Yeon-ah wrapped an arm around his nephew and said over his shoulder, “Leave him be. It’s not like he hasn’t seen this before.”
Sighing, Yeon-ssi was not comforted by that knowledge. Cautiously he pressed, “Has it ever been this bad before?”
At his question, the long haired fox’s shoulders slumped, head bowed slightly, admitting, “No, never.”
Resolutely, the modern fox made up his mind. This was already going to be hard enough on them, he could not let the boy see his father in such a way. Kneeling down, he called Cheol-soo over to him. Reluctantly the boy left his uncle’s side to meet this alternate version. Gently, he suggested, “I know how much you miss and want to be here for your father. And I think your presence may be of great help to him once he wakes up. Until then it would be a great help if you could work with Jiah on getting him some simple food he likes that he can eat when he wakes. He will need his strength to help save your brother. Can you do this very important task?” The boy nodded. “In the meantime, allow us to take care of your appa so he can get better quickly. I promise to get you as soon as he has been treated.”
Cheol-soo glanced back at his uncle, who nodded. Then over to the frail figure of his father, tears threatening to fall again. Lip quivering, the youngest Lee turned back to his other uncle. “Okay.” Offering a reassuring smile, Yeon-ssi hugged the boy and sent him off. Now that they were free to work, the mood in the room quickly turned somber.
Rogers and Watson had automatically started unpacking their med kits knowing they were wholly inadequate but at least a starting point. Stepping up, Rogers said, “We need to get him stripped and cleaned so we can do a full assessment of the damage. Hopefully Shin-ju can offer anything more we need.”
“Agreed,” Moo-young spoke as he was taking off his jacket and rolling up his sleeves. Allowing the men to work, both Yeon’s hovered close but did their best to stay out of the way. The other three made quick work of the shabby cloths his brother wore. There was a collective gasp when Rang was bare.
On the verge of skeletal, the younger fox was covered in old and new bruises, cuts, gashes. Even the soles of his feet had puncture marks and cuts. There truly was no inch that had been free of pain. Moo-young had gotten a basin and towels to start washing the grime and blood away. The medics took turns swapping the water and towels while the other would treat and bandage the more severe wounds.
When they had finished the front, they moved to flip the man over. His bloody, rancid shoulder had seeped onto the white sheets, pulling them a bit before giving way. Had they all not been desensitized by the horrors of war, the sight of the mangled, infected mess might have made them gag. It still managed to turn their stomachs. After cleaning it as best he could, Moo-young cut his finger allowing several drops to fall into the ragged wound. The medics packed it and wrapped it, then gave Rang a few emergency shots of antibiotics and painkillers.
Yeon-ssi had pulled a nice set of dark blue, silken pajamas they could clothe the broken man in. The brothers worked together to get him dressed while the others changed the bed sheets. Once settled and tucked back into bed, they let the man rest while they gathered for a quick pow wow. Moo-young began, “Those bullet wounds are bad. I don’t know how much my blood can do this time. It’s been too long.”
“They are highly infected,” Rogers agreed. “We need to keep an eye on them, if we don’t see some improvements soon, we may have to go in and cut out some of the rotted flesh. And we still don’t have a clear picture of any internal damage. I felt some broken ribs, a few more bruised. And those large puncture wounds in his arms are also concerning and showing signs of infection. His temperature is high enough I think we should get some ice packs going to prevent it from getting dangerous. And he obviously needs some nutrients. After what we’ve been through, and all we have seen, let alone his healing ability, it’s going to take him weeks if not months to recover from all of this.”
Yeon-ah sighed, knowing their shared history. “We’ll be lucky to keep him in bed even a few days. And that’s not even considering the fact we have to hunt down this demon and save Cheol-min.” The thought of Rang taking on the demon now sent a chill up his spine.
Just then the Shin-ju’s came waddling in, each sporting full backpacks and a crate between them. Without preamble, the vet announced, “I brought all the IV bags I could and an infusion pump, as well as most of my stock of medications.” They unlatched the bin and flung it open as he spoke. The medics quickly descended and set about getting the various flows going with the vet’s help.
Shin-ju-ah stood by his master’s side. The older fox reminded them, “Work fast. You know this will only last as long as he’s sleeping. Get what you can in while you can.”
“There’s nothing more we can do for now,” Yeon-ssi admitted. “We need to figure out some sort of plan.” The medics set about making sure the IV’s were in place and working.
“If we don’t, Rang will undoubtedly do something foolish once he wakes.” With that ominous possibility hanging over them, the group headed out to the main room to figure out how to find and defeat this demon.