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Early The Next Morning
A.C.E's HQ

-

"So this is the place?"

I asked Xinya.

"Sure is~. This city goes by the name of Jiaodao. The biggest temple here is where A.C.E resides, and this entire city belongs to them"

She explained.

"So these guys must be pretty famous and powerful then, if they can run an entire city. If this place looks this cool, then I have high expectations for them"

"Welcome to our lovely city of Jiaodao~. What brings you travelers here~?"

A familiar voice rang in our ears, followed by a familiar face walking towards us.

"Byeongkwan~. It's good to see you again~"

Doyoung cheered as he came closer.

"Hyuuung... I told you to call me Jason... No one calls me Byeongkwan, except for you..."

He sighed.

"Sorry about that~. But about why were here, we really need your help. Are your other members here too?"

"You're in luck hyung. They're all currently up in the temple. I'll be happy to take you all there. But I have a question. May I ask why Sungchan has that turtle? And who are these two kids?"

Jason curiously inquired.

Doyoung and I explained everything about our situation, including the turtle and each of the kids. Jason and his other members have met Xinrei and Xinya before, but they just haven't seen them since they were babies.

"I see... That's quite the pickle... Follow me. I'll get you to the others as quick as I can"

Jason immediately walked off, with us following behind him.

He's as calm and collected as I remember.

-

"Well well. It's so good to see you guys again. Welcome back"

Sehyoon greeted us at the door to their meeting room within the temple.

He hasn't changed at all since the last time I saw him.

"You guys are here on serious business right? We hear it's pretty urgent"

Donghyun inquired, looking for clarification.

How'd he hear about it so fast??? Jason is the only one we told.

"Welcome..."
"...back~"

Chan and Jun greeted us.

They looked very happy to see us, despite knowing we were here on business.

"So, let's hear it. Something about Renjun sending you here to recruit us?"

"How'd you know about that already??"

Doyoung asked Donghyun.

"We have eyes and ears all over Jiaodao. Nothing gets passed us"

"Basically, we have very tiny spy robots that patrol the city 24/7. That way, we see and hear everything to ensure that everyone here stays safe"

Sehyoon clarified.

"I see... That's genius..."

I mumbled.

Doyoung and Jason explained everything to them once more, to get them up to speed on the situation.

"I'll go put the shields up"

Donghyun immediately left the room after our explanation.

"What...was that about??"

Xinrei inquired, noticeably confused.

"We have a device that puts up a shield around this entire city. That way, no one can enter that has evil intent. We've already decided to join you on your adventure, so he's putting it up before we leave, since we're the only ones who protect this city"

Sehyoon explained.

"We'll do all that..."
"...we can to help"

Chan and Jun added.

"Not to be rude, but is there a reason why they finish each other's sentences like that??"

"There is. Jun-hyung and Chan each have one power, but they have two powers that they share. One of them is called Life Link. Their life-forces are connected with each other, meaning that they fight and act as one, and they often share thoughts. With the link, they're able to amplify their individual and shared strength and powers. But, if they're separated by a long enough distance their power decreases, and they will eventually die if they're separated for too long. So because they share their life-forces, they always finish each other's sentences"

Jason explained, and the two of them nodded.

"I see... It must be very hard for you two sometimes right?"

"It..."
"...is"

They replied, with saddened expressions.

"We'll make sure to keep you together at all times then. It's also our mission to keep all of our comrades safe on our journey"

Xinrei smiled a bit, causing them both to smile too.

"The shields are up. We should get going"

Donghyun stated, standing in the doorway.

The tracker suddenly went off, and Xinya began to inform us of what to do next.

"Once we board the ship, our next destination is Planet Tieter. We need to find and recruit four groups there. In order, they're EXO, GOT7, MONSTA X, and Pentagon. After that, we can move on to the next planet"

"Sounds good. Let's get going everyone"

Xinrei ordered, leading all of us out of the room.

-

Hours Later

-

"Are you sure that our ship will be alright...?"

Hongjoong asked, looking out the window.

The Utopia Wonderland was attached to our ship before we departed, so it's flying along with ours across the galaxies.

"It'll be fine. We have a shield system, and so does your ship. It'll take a lot to destroy them, especially out in space like this"

"I see... I hope she's doing alright... This is her first time in space..."

It makes sense that he's so worried.

Captains always worry about the well-being of their ship, and often make the choice to go down with them.

I hope it never comes down to the point where he has to make that decision.

"Hey. Everything alright Bambi?"

Shotaro suddenly asked me.

We were eating and chatting together, with his Pokémon Luxray, who was also enjoying a snack.

"O-Oh. Yeah, I'm fine hyung. What were we talking about again??"

"Nothing really. Just about what we'd do once this whole journey is over. But, are you sure that you're alright?"

He persisted, looking me in the eyes.

I can't hide anything from him... He sees right through me...

"I...just can't help but wonder if Renjun-hyung and the others are doing ok. Who knows what they're doing him, and what torment they're all under..."

"I had a feeling that's what it was. You worry about the well-being of everyone so much. But even if they are suffering right now, we'll have everyone we need to rescue them soon, especially Renjun-hyung. But try not to worry so much, alright? It's not good for your health. And besides, I really love seeing you smile"

Shotaro smiled and put his arm around my shoulder, and Luxray rested its head in my lap to try and comfort me.

A small blush crept onto my face, along  with a smile from how cute they are. I relaxed and started petting Luxray, letting my worries wash away for a moment.

"Thanks you guys...~"