"Jeno, you should be proud," Taeyong says, looking at the data going through the computer, "very proud."
Jeno sat, confused.
"What is it saying?" Jeno asked, starting to take off the wires that surrounded him.
A mighty friend indeed, Taeyong thought, looking directly at the younger, a look of awe written on his face.
. . .
Jaehyun had carried the boy all the way to the downstairs, standing beside the desk with the security cameras, before he had pressed a button, opening another seamless door, which had a staircase leading down towards darkness.
Jeno couldn't see that far, so about when Jaehyun had taken him halfway down the stairs, the shadows had scared him, making him scream out, pain was still cascading through his body, but Jaehyun's stiff shoulder pressing into his stomach allowed him to focus his pain in one spot, and the stairs were helping,
Jeno didn't like this form of transportation, but he'd have to live with it, even though it was helping him in the long run, but eventually Jaehyun would have to let him down, and that was what he dreaded the most.
Jaehyun had made it to the bottom of the staircase, but the sound of quick footsteps made both Jeno and Jaehyun look up, seeing a rushing Taeyong making his way down the stairs.
Jaehyun had smiled, and turned a light on, illuminating a large chair, which looked quite like the old dentist chairs that were used, except this was completely white, with about three monitors set up around it.
Jaehyun walked over to the chair, and sat Jeno in it, who immediately started to shake a little from the pain that now flowed free through his body.
Jaehyun noticed it, and quickly grabbed the boy's wrist, applying just a little pressure, hopefully giving the boy enough to focus his pain there.
Jeno seemed to calm down, smiling appreciatively at the older.
Taeyong reached over Jaehyun, taking these wires with a nerve reader at the end of each, placing one on each of his temples, then two more further on his scalp.
There was some more placed on his stomach and arms, until Jeno felt like his whole body was alight with a buzz he had never felt before.
Jaehyun had been releasing the tension on his wrist since Taeyong started, until he finally just let go of his wrist, but Jeno wasn't in pain anymore.
He then got up and left the room, going into another room that was behind a small booth, where they could see what Jeno was doing.
Jeno felt like he was inside the interrogation room once more, except he could see Jaehyun's face.
Taeyong was still doing some last check up things, to make sure everything was correct, before pausing for a long second.
Then he, too, retreated behind the mirror. More footsteps rang out through the basement, as well as the distinct sound of the door closing behind those people.
Then Johnny, Taeil, Jungwoo, Lucas, YangYang, Kun, XiaoJun, Yuta and Sicheng came into the room, looking at Jeno curiously, before heading into the booth that Jaehyun and Taeyong were in.
Then Taeyong's voice sounded out into Jeno's mind, almost making him cry at the decibel, his voice monstrous in his mind. He cringed, but the truth was that Taeyong made sure that it wasn't too loud so that the boy wouldn't have that reaction. Jeno's nerves still seemed to buzz, especially when the message came into his mind.
Stand up, we're testing something. The only thing you have to do is stand there, and let yourself absorb. If you feel a certain pull to something after this is finished, like a heightened inclination to something, let me know.
Taeyong knew his message was long, but what he wasn't expecting was a response.
Just, please, get this over with.
The gruffness in Jeno's voice showed clearly that he was in pain, but the fact that he was able to communicate with Taeyong at that moment the way he did caused Taeyong to gasp slightly.
He took the notepad that was near the monitors that illuminated his face around him, and quickly jotted down that little detail, making sure to underline it three times, hoping that it could hit as to what the younger could do.
Jaehyun and the other boys looked at the writing, curious, but the young boy in the other room stood up, distracting most from reading the paper.
They all remembered what it was like being in Jeno's seat, getting ready to learn about their specialty. They remember the pain, and the humming of their nerves, but never were they to stand up, and they never would've wanted too, knowing that the pain would be too much.
Jeno stood up, stumbling a bit at the sudden rush of pain that spread through his body, and let out a yell.
Behind the glass, everyone felt the yell, but didn't quite hear it.
From Jeno's stance, and the monitors shaking, they can tell that it wasn't quiet, but they could only feel like they were under water, the sound distant and meld into the air.
"What the hell?" Johnny said under his breath, as Jeno began to stand still, waiting for what's next.
Taeyong looked at the boys expectantly, knowing they knew what to do.
The boy was young, so nobody wanted to hurt him, but Taeyong wasn't asking for rainbows and butterflies. Identifying oneself is much more than that. They needed hell.
Kun was the first to come out of the booth, looking directly at Jeno, who still had his eyes blazing and white hair dominant. He wanted to cower, seeing the boy clenching his teeth and body, muscles showing where his clothing did not cover.
Incredible, he thought, looking at the awaiting Jeno.
Jeno didn't know what the older was going to do, but he was ready to find out.
Kun wasted no time, and before he knew it, sparks were lighting, and flames were directed at Jeno.
Had it been normal, the other would normally get burnt, although slightly since they had almost ten times the healing time than humans, or the other would absorb it, and become one with the flame. That would show their inclination to the power.
But with Jeno, neither happened.
The flames did surround the boy, but nothing happened.
Kun stood there, perplexed at the sight, until the flames started to stop surrounding the boy, and disintegrated into the air.
It was until white sparks started around the boy, his gaze absolutely set at Kun, that white flames began to ignite, and before Kun could set up a fast enough defense, he, now, was surrounded by flames that burned brighter and hotter than his own.
Some of the fabric of his pajama shirt and pants began to burn, but since he had his inclination to fire, no other damage was done.
Jeno was out of breath, not knowing where the flames had come from, but still stood there, sweat now forming on his brow.
Taeyong's quick writing had been heard when Kun returned to the booth with wide eyes.
Sicheng was next to go out, with wisps of light grey air dancing about as he blew a gust at Jeno, not wanting to hurt the boy, only to find white wisps seconds later returning, but much stronger. Before Sicheng knew it, he was pressed against the wall beside the glass window, stuck in Jeno's wind. The glass beside him started to crack under the pressure, until Jeno's wind lowered, and once again, Jeno was out of breath, staring back at the older Chinese boy.
He returned to the booth, Taeyong scribbling frantically on his notepad, watching the monitors as if his life depended on it.
Jungwoo went out next when Sicheng returned, receiving a telepathic message from Taeyong as he went. He frowned at Taeyong's words, but knew he had no choice.
He went up to the furious looking boy, and held his wrist.
That was Jungwoo's biggest weakness. In order for his specialty to work, he had to be touching whatever he needed to influence, which was water.
He held onto the boy's wrist, until the choking of Jeno's lungs were heard,
Use his lungs.
That was the message Taeyong had told him. So that's what he was doing, using the fluids in the boy's lungs to potentially drown the boy,
Jeno growled harshly as blue lines rose up his body from Jungwoo, the lines creeping up his neck, the bold color strong against his paling skin.
Jeno growled, until Jungwoo could feel himself choking, with Jeno's own white lines crept up the older's neck.
Jungwoo let go as if he were burned, making Jeno stop choking and the lines disappear, but Jungwoo didn't stopl choking.
"J-Jeno, s-sto-p-p," he barely got out, until he felt the tension of his throat release, and the younger was once again breathing hard.
He didn't even need to touch me. He could do it without connection, Jungwoo thought, dazedly walking into the booth, where Lucas immediately held him.
Taeyong hadn't stopped writing, observing the boy as he acted.
XiaoJun was next, implementing his distortion of sight on the younger, completely becoming invisible, then touching Jeno's neck.
Jeno gasped, before he, too, disappeared from the rest of the boys' sight.
XiaoJun ended up beside the rest in the booth, Jeno still invisible,
YangYang looked at the older Chinese boy hesitantly before the older nodded in reassurance.
He quickly left the booth, standing in front of Jeno, before spotting the potted plant Taeyong had put in there before for instances like this.
The plant had long since died, but as YangYang focused, the plant became green with life, and growing huge as it wrapped around Jeno's feet and slowly made it up the older's body, wrapping tightly around his torso.
The green plant started to turn white, as the plant started to shrivel and become smaller. YangYang tried to override what Jeno was doing, but with YangYang being tired, and Jeno having buzzed nerves, the plant had been retreated, dead once again in the pot it began from.
YangYang made sure not to hesitate to go back into the booth, not wanting to be in the same room as Jeno anymore.
Lucas was next, quickly touching the wall quickly, and emulating the texture onto one of his arms, before bringing his arm closer to Jeno, who's eyes widened, before he, too, did the same as Lucas. Lucas grabbed Jeno's arms, only to see that Jeno had taken his power, metal on his arms.
Lucas gave him a confused look, until he looked into Jeno's eyes for answers. The only response he received was the blurring of his own vision, making him stumble from the suddenness of the situation.
Jungwoo quickly came from the booth, grabbed Lucas before guiding him back to the booth, his vision clearing as they shut the door.
Yuta went out next, eyeing the boy, but not looking directly in his eyes. He had been standing in the booth the whole time, but he was off put from what Taeyong was writing furiously, and one of the main points was to not look at him in the eyes. Lucas' mistake showed what the problem was, and illusions were his specialty, but he needed to see for them to work.
He approached Jeno, who was shaking from his own energy draining, but with the wires attached, he would always get a gust of energy, and when he finished with one person, it hurt even worse than just losing energy one time.
Yuta could feel the frame of his vision start to blur from his closeness from Jeno, but he simply took Jeno's face into his hands, and allowed an image to play in Jeno's mind.
It was the situation they were in right now, only it never ended. Jeno could feel the pain from the illusion, making his not-quite heard yell to ring out.
Yuta was still concentrating when an image started to play in his mind.
It was Sicheng, leaving him. Then Taeil.
He felt the heartbreak pull at his heart, tears wanting to fall as he felt his legs give out beneath him.
Illusions were his specialty, but he never wanted to feel it back.
Taeil and Sicheng rushed into the room. Taeil let Sicheng take Yuta back into the booth, before facing Jeno fully.
His raised his hand, which revealed an intricate design of an eye, that started to shine brightly. He watched as Jeno's eyes turned fully black, signally that he have influence over the younger's vision.
Then another image played in Jeno's mind, the present picture of Renjun and Jaemin laying on their bed reassuring each other with gentle squeezes, not wanting the other to realize the tears that had seemed to escape from his eyes.
Jeno felt his own tears start to run, before he was hit with the urge once again.
Every time any of the Neo City Members came in and used their power, Jeno would try his best just to absorb, like Taeyong had told him, but then so much time would go, and emotions would build up, until he let it burst.
Jeno tried to hold it back every time, but the urge was too much. It was like he needed to do it, no matter what happened.
Before he knew it, Taeil's eyes turned completely white, Jeno's energy coming off in waves, and he was showing the potential future of their losing to Abigail in the battle they knew was coming.
Taeil started to have tears fall with his straight face.
There were bodies everywhere he could see. He was frantically searching in the vision, until he found the bodies he wanted to see the least.
Neo City...
Taeil dropped to his knees, tears still running down his face, before Johnny came and swept him into the booth.
Jeno was left alone, and only Taeyong's presence in his mind to be company.
Johnny didn't need to attack Jeno, because it was quite clear as to what the younger was capable of.
Taeyong lifted his messy papers that he had collectively ripped out, checking the monitors one last time, before ushering everyone to leave.
They left through a door in the booth that led to the staircase.
Taeyong stepped out of the booth, before telling Jeno he could sit.
Jeno slumped into his seat, laying down immediately.
Taeyong leaned against the outside wall of the booth, looking fondly at Jeno.
He stood up to go to the monitors that were beside the younger boy.
"Jeno, you should be proud," Taeyong says, looking at the data going through the computer, "very proud."
Jeno sat up in the leather chair, confused.
"What is it saying?" Jeno asked, starting to take off the wires that surrounded him.
A mighty friend indeed, Taeyong thought, looking directly at the younger, a look of awe written on his face.
"You're the first I've ever seen, and you have two specialties. Quite rare Jeno," he answered, turning to Jeno, and started to help him take the wires off.
"Mind telling me?" Jeno said, laying back on the leather chair.
"You're a reflector," Taeyong said, before Jeno gave him a look.
"It's an ability where if you are ambushed with a different ability, you can make it your own and attack back, sometimes stronger and more dangerous. But your second ability is to mess with the senses. Jeno, how do you think I was able to help you tonight?"
Jeno looked at Taeyong sheepishly, "You heard me yelling?"
Taeyong shook his head, making Jeno look even more confused.
"Renjun had to come to my room, almost blind. You can effect seeing, hearing, and feeling. Your screams, no one could hear them. But Renjun could when he brought me back to your room. It's very astonishing, if I say so myself," Taeyong said, checking Jeno over once more to make sure he removed all of the wires.
Jeno was speechless, but Taeyong didn't mind, but helped the boy up.
"Come on," he said, giving the younger a towel to wipe his brow, "they're waiting for you."
Jeno smiled brightly at Taeyong, giving a contrasting feel from what the boy could actually do.
Jeno quickly wiped his sweat, before handing the towel back to Taeyong quickly, and rushing up the stairs, not wanting to be away from his boys any longer.
Taeyong smiled at the boys actions, before realizing he was still holding the sweaty towel that Jeno had thrown to him.
Cringing, he threw the towel in the washing machine in the next room, and ran up the stairs himself.
He was still holding the papers he had been writing on, so when he went back to his room, where Jaehyun was sleeping lazily on his side of the bed.
He quickly sat down, and let himself get comfortable in a sitting position, going over his evaluations of Jeno.
Johnny had informed him of his emotional state, as Taeyong himself kept tabs on his mental state, making sure not to miss a thing.
One thing stuck out to Taeyong in his findings. After looking over the papers, he realized that although Jeno was emotionally shaken up at the experience, he had complete control over his physical and mental states. He remember feeling the faint, but tight feeling of holding back as he had kept tabs on the boy, but he wasn't sure what it was.
As he sat, he realized that the boy had been holding himself back, meaning that the harm he did cause, although wasn't much as he could do, that he was extremely dangerous. But what was a redeemer was the fact that he had such disciplined control over his powers.
Oh god, the others are going to need therapy now, was all that Taeyong could think of before rubbing his temples.
He leaned over to the light he had turned on, quickly turning it off, and calling it a night, going quickly back to sleep.
Tomorrow's going to be hectic.