oppositesattract♡

Fashion Model Yukhei!

Apocalypse Partner Renjun!

Teenage Werewolf Jeno!

Hellboy Hyuck!

[1:21 pm]

mark has a habit of hugging you at random times. you don’t mind though, seeing how happy he is each time he wraps his arms around you.

⚠️tw: tragic backstories and crippling angst lol, mentions of deceased parents, drowning mentions, implied suic*de, grief, renjun’s cute english (all mistakes in his dialogue are intentional. enjoy)

i had no idea this would get such enthusiastic reactions. thank you everyone who requested a continuation, hope this makes you feel something and answers some questions ♡

this is part three of merman!renjun, find parts oneandtwo here :))

1:44pm: “did it hurt?”

merman!renjun glanced up at runaway prince!jeno’s prompt, who stared expectantly at him through the bars of his cell.

“what?”

the prince gestured at renjun’s legs and spoke matter-of-factly. “your tail. it’s gone. did it hurt?”

“oh… yes.” he wiggled his toes. “it hurt.”

“a lot?”

renjun paused and hugged his knees a little closer into his chest. “yes.”

“and you… can’t transform back.” pirate!you lifted your chin to make eye contact with renjun, who pursed his lips and nodded in response.

“magic is no-come-back,” he said with a shrug.

“irreversible,” the prince offered.

“irressimble. no merperson ever come back from land.”

your heart and eyes sank to your lap. “right.”

poor haechan.

you found yourself getting to your feet. “i… i’m gonna leave you two to catch up.” dusting off your palms on your hips, you cleared your throat. “let me know if you, uh, need anything, alright?”

renjun nodded.

“right. um… your highness.” you offered a quick curtsey towards jeno, who scoffed lightly at the difference between your usual domineering behaviour and your attempt at character continuity.

as you made your way up the stairs, you remembered the time pirate!haechan had first opened up to you about his past. you had both been younger, yet already best of friends.

“cap'n the only family you got?” he tossed a grape into his mouth.

“we have an older sister. on land, though. runs an orphanage.”

he made a noise of interest. “parents?”

you shook your head as you reached for another grape. “shipwreck, funnily enough. you?”

“three siblings. all younger than me.”

you chortled at the thought. “you? the eldest?”

“i’m more responsible than you give me credit for,” he retorted, a dramatic hand placed on his chest in mock offence.

“yeah, right. i’ll give you credit when you don’t slack off.”

he laughed, and the two of you sat in silence for a moment.

you reached the top of the stairs, and took a moment to let yourself adjust to the sunlight. scanning the deck through squinted eyes, you spotted haechan at the bow of the ship, his back turned to you as he stared out at the ocean.

“your parents still around?” you had asked.

his brow had furrowed at the stars above and his chewing grew hesitant. you had started to apologise, realising you’d struck a nerve, but he shook his head and reassured you it wasn’t your fault.

“dad’s there, yeah. mum’s, uh… mum was a mermaid.”

a sound of surprise escaped your lips.

“—or so my father told us. she came to shore, grew legs and lived as a human. had my siblings and i… and loved my father. loved us.”

you chose to listen in silence and watch as he focused on peeling the skin off the grape he held in his hands.

“we were at the beach one day. i guess she missed her home, ‘cause she barely said anything and just stared out to sea.” he took a slow, shallow breath. “i asked her to come and… and play with us. and she… took my hands, told me she loved me… let me go, and—and just walked straight in. right through the waves. didn’t stop. never saw her again.”

you didn’t know what to say, so you went with the safe option. “i’m so sorry.”

“nah,” he said, trying to disguise his sniffling with a deep inhale, “all in the past. i used to be mad about it, but i’m over that now. she’s probably happier.”

you sighed at the sight of him. he was barely moving, but his loose shirt and hair whipped around in the wind. no, you aren’t.

leaning your elbows on the taffrail next to him, you watched the hull of the ship split the ocean surface, leaving waves in her wake and advancing still.

you weren’t taken aback when you turned towards haechan and was met with tears streaming steadily down his cheeks, their trail from his grief-stricken eyes shining in the sun.

he could barely maintain eye contact with you, his gaze drawn to the horizon again. a wet exhale left his lips before he pursed them tighter and gripped the railing until his knuckles turned white.

“the merman’s telling the truth, then?” he managed, his tone laced with anger. “you can’t transform back once you grow legs?”

“haechan, i—”

“you can’t transform back, then what happened to my mum, huh?” he demanded, perhaps towards you, perhaps not. “you’re telling me she walked in to die? to drown in her own home?”

“haechan.”

“you mean i let her go for what? for nothing?”

“hey—”

he sniffed and shook his head, “no. no, it can’t be true. maybe he just doesn’t know her. my house is on the other end of the earth, he probably never even heard of someone returning because he’s never met—”

“haechan.” you caught his shoulder and he gripped your hand, to throw it off or for support, you couldn’t tell—until his breath was sucked out of his lungs, his head hung and he gave in to the sobs that racked his body. his weight fell forward as his knees buckled, and you caught him with practised foresight.

the two of you sank to your knees, his face buried in your shoulder and balled fists clutching the fabric of your shirt. murmuring your words of comfort and drawing circles on his back, you let him grieve his mother a second and final time.

when he finally exhausted himself and you stopped having to remove your hand from his head to wave away anyone who approached you, renjun climbed onto the deck in search of you. he frowned in confusion when he recognised haechan and stayed wary as he drew nearer.

haechan noticed his presence and pulled himself out of your arms and onto his feet. clearing his throat, he raised his eyes to the merman’s.

“i shouldn’t have touched you,” he began awkwardly, “i was… stupid, and… it almost cost you your life. i’m sorry.”

renjun looked like he didn’t know what to respond with. “you are welcome,” he replied hesitantly.

taken aback at the unexpected answer, haechan cleared his throat again and walked past the boy.

renjun turned back towards you, tilting his head in puzzlement. “why is he sad?”

you sighed deeply before standing up too. “haechan’s mother was a mermaid.”

renjun’s lips parted in shock.

“she had legs, too, and lived on land. but she missed the sea, so she said goodbye and went back.” you gestured over his shoulder at haechan’s disappearing figure down the stairs, his gaze following your hand. “he never knew merpeople couldn’t transform back, so he thought she was still alive.”

the boy didn’t meet your eyes when he turned back around. a moment of silence smothered any further words you might have said.

“and he tried help me and push me back in water.”

“… yes. he thought… you would be happier in the water.”

another beat.

“he is not happy.”

“no, he isn’t.”

you paused to let him contemplate.

“but. she was happy.”

“hmm?”

“his mother. she was happy.”

then it was your turn to tilt your head to the side.

“mermaids choose legs,” he explained, “his mother choose land.”

“merpeople choose to transform permanently?”

he nodded eagerly, “choose to t…ransform pernamamently. i choose because you protect.”

“because i protected you?”

“yes. i am in danger and you protec-ted me. i choose tarnsform tail to legs.”

you mulled over this consideration. “i… i’ll let him know. thank you, renjun.”

“you are welcome,” he responded with certainty, offering you his first smile, albeit small.

you managed to smile back. “alright,” you declared, “how about some lunch? you hungry?”

i reckon there’s room for part four.. hm hm thoughts thoughts

part one|part two

taglist:@whattaweeb@radiorenjun

4:08pm: author!mark frantically texts neurosurgeon!jaemin.

Mark: HELP URGENT what do i need to damage to prevent facial recognition???

(Read at 4:10pm.)

Jaemin: Amygdala

Mark: THANK YUO

Mark: YOU

mark pushes his glasses higher up his nose bridge and pulls himself in his wheelie chair closer into his desk. his fingers find the keyboard in front of him and resume an excited pace, his eyes darting across his screen, getting lost in his own story.

⚠️tw: swearing, violence, haechan’s a bit of an ass in this, but he has his reasons

this is part two of this au!

1:24pm: “will someone remind me why it is we’re taking him with us?” pirate!haechandemanded.

pirate!you shot him a look. “he stays.”

he scowled back at you. “look at him,” he said, nudging his chin in merman!renjun’s general direction, “he can barely walk.”

glancing over, you had to admit that haechan’s observations were right—having given up attempting to stand a while ago, renjun sat alone on the edge of the deck. he was staring down at the wood under his new feet with a slight frown, like he was wondering why the dark grains weren’t rolling over each other as waves would. the clothes given to him were too big for his frame, and his hands and feet were barely visible in the sea of sleeves.

“he doesn’t belong here. why he’s stupid enough to stay, i couldn’t say.” turning around, haechan started to scrub the railing with more aggression than ever.

“well, he obviously didn’t want to go back, so lay off it, will you?”

haechan scoffed like he had given up. “you know what? fine.” throwing the rag back into the bucket, he shrugged rather dramatically. “i’ll just accept that i can’t possibly fathom why a merman won’t go back into the ocean.” with that, he left, stomping away with as much dignity as he could muster despite leaving his chore half-finished.

sighing in frustration at both yourself and him, you picked up his bucket and continued his job.

you decided not to chase him up—you knew the grudge he held, and you weren’t about to sour his mood further just for the sake of it.

you also knew haechan wasn’t being ridiculous, nor was his reasoning questionable. you remembered the terror in renjun’s eyes when he turned back at you, the wordless pleas to save him, his desperate hands clutching at your shoulder. you only had the capacity to be confused after you led him back onboard.

tossing the rest of the water in the bucket over the railing, you carried it below deck, then remembered you had yet to offer renjun some food. visiting cook!kunandcook!chenle in the kitchen, you cleared your throat to announce your presence over the rapid chinese conversation the two were engaged in. they poured you a bowl of a simple soup, and you blew on it softly to cool it down on your way above deck—you were sure renjun wasn’t used to steaming hot meals.

shouts and sounds of a scuffle caught your attention midway up the flight of stairs, and you rushed out to see what the commotion was about.

alarm overrode your senses as you recognised renjun in the crowd gathered at the far end of the ship—pinned down onto the railing by none other than haechan, who was yelling in renjun’s face about something you couldn’t quite make out. even in the chaos, renjun spotted you in his peripheral vision, and opened his mouth to scream for you.

you dropped the bowl and broke into a sprint, your breath hitching as haechan reached down and hooked his arm under renjun’s knees. panicking, the boy kicked out, which only aided haechan in lifting him completely off the deck. you almost swore his hand was searching for something to hold onto as he plummeted.

it all happened so fast, and you were so far—one moment, he was scrabbling at haechan, the next, he was slipping off the railing… then he was airborne, but not for long.

“what are you doing?!” you screamed, almost shoving haechan to the side.

“putting the fish back where he belongs,” he replied breathlessly, barely looking at you. “why? you gonna tell me i shouldn’t have?”

you caught the railing in your hands, leaning over to search for renjun in the water. a cloud of bubbles had risen to mark where the merman had landed, and you held your own breath as you waited, not knowing what to expect. was he just going to swim away? would he wave goodbye?

when most of the bubbles cleared, you caught a glimpse of the white shirt he had been wearing.

even though the blue of the ocean blurred your view of him, the pit in your stomach grew as you realised the shirt wasn’t sinking, and neither was it still. in fact, the sleeves were still flailing around erratically, the unnatural movements slowed by the density of the water.

barely thinking, you kicked off your shoes and threw off your hat. you were about to shake off your jacket when a hand pulled your shoulder back and away from the edge. you let out a cry of shock, whipping your head around to see captain!taeyong, who shook his head at you sternly. you tried to shrug him off, but he only held on tighter.

“haechan,” he said, “fish-boy’s drowning. you go get him.”

the boy’s face turned incredulous. “why me?”

“you threw him over. you get him. go.”

you weren’t shocked when haechan audibly swore under his breath, but started kicking off his shoes anyway. he wasn’t one to cross the captain’s orders, and he wasn’t about to start.

still grumbling, he jumped onto the railing, calculating the distance from the ledge to the water below. he spat out to the side, swore, then pin-dropped perfectly.

you watched as haechan disappeared under the surface, and reemerged a few moments later with a panicking renjun in his arms, yelling at him to shut up and relax.

two of your crewmates had lowered the rowboat onto the water when haechan had jumped. he dragged renjun towards it, pulled himself up and helped renjun in before leaning back and waiting for the crew to haul the boat back up.

when they were both back on deck, renjun was still spluttering up water from his lungs. you crouched next to him and thumped your hand on his back rhythmically, encouraging him to cough it out. tears flowed down his cheeks as he struggled for breath—he had obviously never experienced coughing before.

“for the stars’ sake,” haechan challenged, “why is he still here, inconveniencing everyone? huh?” he leaned into renjun’s face threateningly, “you get caught accidentally, we let you go, and you ignore that? you could have just transformed back and swam away, but no. you just had to make me get my clothes wet, didn’t you? why? you determined to piss me off?”

still doubled over on his knees, renjun had managed to stop coughing. he didn’t move from his position, his chest still heaving as he panted. you noticed his fingertips pressing into the wooden planks under his palms, his nails turning white with the pressure. his shoulders quivered and jaw was clenched tight.

your lips parted in realisation.

“he can’t.”

haechan probably hadn’t heard you over the sound of his own blood roaring in his ears. “what?”

“hecan’t,” you repeated, looking up at him, “he can’t transform back.”

renjun’s silence only confirmed your theory.

haechan blinked. his hands slipped off his hips, and his jaw went slack.

you could only imagine how haechan must have been feeling. how his chest must have tightened with the confronting truth, how he must have forgotten the world around him.

that you could only guess—you knew what thought was whirling through his mind.

“come on,” you said gently, gripping renjun’s shoulders. “can you stand?”

he nodded shakily, and you thought you heard him choke back a sob.

leaving haechan to some space to himself, you led a trembling renjun below deck to get warm. you sat him down on a crate next to the brig, murmuring reassurances to him, and started searching for a spare blanket.

“what the—renjun?”

you had almost forgotten the brig wasn’t empty, so you weren’t alone below deck. you turned to see runaway prince!jeno, who was usually rarely awake, clutching at the bars of his prison.

you frowned in confusion as renjun cried out incoherently, launching himself off the crate to kneel in front of the prison. “je-no!” he exclaimed, sounding just as shocked as the prince through his accent.

“you two… know each other?”

jeno glanced at you, then back at the merman. “renjun freed me and saved my life.” the boy nodded profusely in support.

“uh… you’re still very much imprisoned, your highness.”

“no, no, no—” the prince started to correct you. “—in the merpeople’s palace.”

part three

MAZE TRIAL ZERO: An NCT Dream x The Maze Runner AU (Report: Day One)

[WORLD IN CATASTROPHE: KILLZONE EXPERIMENT DEPARTMENT Memorandum]

Folder:MAZE TRIAL ZERO > Folder: Progress Reports > Folder: Week One > File: Report: Day One

Attached files > File: Potential Subject Profiles

Report: Day One (01/01/231)

• 12:00: SUBJECT 01 summoned to PREP WARD.
• 12:30: PREP SHOT administered to Subject during operation to insert BIO CHIP into Subject’s KILLZONE.
• 17:00: Preparations to insert SUBJECT 01 into MAZE completed.
• 17:00:08: ELEVATOR activated. Ascent into MAZE begins.
• 17:00:36: SUBJECT 01 wakes inside ELEVATOR.
• 17:00:41: Subject attempts to access NAME MEMORY FILE.

BIO CHIP indicates acute activation of sympathetic nervous system: elevated heart rates, incr. perspiration, heightened adrenaline and cortisol levels, widened bronchial passages, temporary deactivation of all immediately non-essential bodily functions.

BIO CHIP measures heart rate past 100 BPM. Peaks at 154 BPM.

Note: Side effects of PREP SHOT include impermanent retrograde amnesia, nausea, spatial and temporal disorientation. SUBJECT 01 may experience fluctuating perception of time in ELEVATOR.

Transcript of ELEVATOR audio recording at 17:00:00:

Recording Begins.

[Elevator gears grinding. Continues for approx. 36 seconds.]

Sedative properties of PREP SHOT fully wear off as SUBJECT 01 wakes with a gasp.

[Nausea causes emesis.]

[Spluttering as Subject recovers and orients himself.]

SUBJECT 01: What the… (inaudible.)

[Subject stands.]

SUBJECT 01: Hello? Hey! — hello?

• 17:01: ELEVATOR completes ascent into MAZE.

[Silence for approx. 5 seconds.]

[Elevator doors open overhead.]

SUBJECT 01:[REDACTED]!

[Silence as Subject recovers from sudden light.]

Remainder of audio consists of Subject climbing to exit Elevator.

Recording Ends.

• 17:03: Subject enters HOMESTEAD.
• 17:03:11: Subject attempts to access NAME MEMORY FILE.
• 17:03:31: SURVEILLANCE CAMERA #43 captures Subject examining the surroundings, spinning in circles as Subject processes INNER MAZE WALLS.

BIO CHIP indicates further activation of sympathetic nervous system: elevated heart rates, incr. perspiration, heightened adrenaline and cortisol levels, widened bronchial passages, temporary deactivation of all immediately non-essential bodily functions.

• 17:05:37: Subject collapses to knees. Minor bruising occurs. Remains in position for approx. 6 minutes.
• 17:05:55: Subject attempts to access NAME MEMORY FILE.

BIO CHIP indicates incr. activity of parasympathetic nervous system: decr. heart rate to 99 BPM at 15:10:22. Heart rate lowers to 94 at 17:11:03.

• 17:11: Subject stands and walks towards SOUTH WALL.
• 17:16: Subject reaches SOUTH WALL. Knocks on the stone twice. Places his fingertips on the stone and runs it along the wall until he reaches SOUTH DOOR.
• 17:18: SURVEILLANCE CAMERA #3 captures Subject reaching SOUTH DOOR and looking into the MAZE. Remains in position for approximately 1 minute.

BIO CHIP measures incr. activity in medial temporal lobe as Subject processes spatial components of the MAZE beyond SOUTH DOOR. Subject’s sympathetic nervous response is activated.

Transcript of SURVEILLANCE CAMERA #3 audio recording at 17:18:52:

Recording begins.

SUBJECT 01: What…?

Recording ends.

• 17:20: Subject turns and walks away from SOUTH DOOR. Subject approaches FOREST.
• 17:26: SURVEILLANCE CAMERA #93 captures Subject reaching FOREST and walking west along tree line.
• 17:28: Subject sits at edge of FOREST, looking to SOUTH WALL.
• 17:29:35: Subject attempts to access NAME MEMORY FILE.

BIO CHIP indicates activation of sympathetic nervous system and heightened activity in prefrontal cortex.

• 17:48: Subject stands and walks toward SOUTH DOOR.
• 17:52: SURVEILLANCE CAMERA #3 captures Subject pausing in front of SOUTH DOOR.
• 17:52:36: Subject enters MAZE SECTION 6.

BIO CHIP measures incr. heart rate, peaking at 137 BPM at 17:57:36.

• 17:53: SURVEILLANCE CAMERA #4 captures Subject walking slowly down SOUTH DOOR CORRIDOR.
• 17:54:19: Subject reaches first alternate path. After careful consideration (heightened activity in prefrontal cortex and medial temporal lobe), Subject turns right.
• 17:54: Further exploration of SECTION 6. Encounters 3 dead ends. Continuous active use of medial temporal lobe and hippocampus indicate spatial memory at work.
• 17:57:43: SURVEILLANCE CAMERA #7 captures Subject staring up at darkening sky, turning back after approx. 9 seconds and retracing steps to HOMESTEAD.
• 17:59:50: Closing of all MAZE DOORS initiated.

BIO CHIP measures sharp incr. in adrenaline levels as Subject breaks into a sprint.

• 18:00:00: MAZE DOORS close. MAZE BEASTS #1 through #8 are released into the MAZE from respective SECTIONS.
• 18:00:00: Subject collapses to knees. Further bruising occurs. Remains in sitting position for approx. 1 minute, recovering from fear response.

Transcript of SURVEILLANCE CAMERA #3 audio recording at 18:08:57:

Recording begins.

MAZE BEAST #6: [Screeches]

SUBJECT 01:[REDACTED]!

[Subject stands and distances himself from CLOSED SOUTH DOOR.]

Recording ends.

BIO CHIP measures activation of parasympathetic nervous system and incr. activity in hippocampus and prefrontal cortex.

• 18:10: Subject approaches ELEVATOR and opens hatch. Subject examines contents of Elevator and jumps in.

Transcript of ELEVATOR audio recording at 18:10:14:

Recording begins.

SUBJECT 01: [Reading labels on boxes] WICKED.

SUBJECT 01: What the [REDACTED] does WICKED mean? (Inaudible.)

Remainder of audio consists of Subject reading labels of equipment and supplies aloud.

[Click as Subject turns on a torch.]

Recording ends.

• 18:11: SURVEILLANCE CAMERA #43 captures objects being thrown out of Elevator. First, a sleeping bag, followed by a bag of clothing. Continues until all supplies are unloaded from Elevator.
• 18:15: Subject climbs out of Elevator and closes hatch. Proceeds to organise supplies.
• 18:23: Subject completes supply organisation. Begins setting up makeshift tent.
• 18:39: Subject completes tent set-up. SURVEILLANCE CAMERA #78 captures Subject starting to eat in rations.
• 19:11: Subject sets up sleeping bag and prepares for sleep.
• MAZE BEASTS continue to howl and screech throughout the night. As a result, Subject experiences difficulty falling asleep. Audio recordings from SURVEILLANCE CAMERA #78 coincide with BIO CHIP measurements of bursts of activity in sympathetic nervous system at 19:12:37, 19:23:40, 21:05:36, 22:46:29, 23:07:47, 23:07:49 and 23:34:40.
• 23:38:47: Subject attempts to access NAME MEMORY FILE.
• 23:39:56: Subject accesses NAME MEMORY FILE.

Transcript of SURVEILLANCE CAMERA #78 audio recording at 23:39:57:

Recording begins.

SUBJECT 01: Mark.

[Subject laughs and repeats his name twice.]

Recording ends.

[WORLD IN CATASTROPHE: KILLZONE EXPERIMENT DEPARTMENT] MAZE TRIAL ZERO: Official Proposal

Folder:MAZE TRIAL ZERO > File: Official Proposal to Dr Ava Paige

To the desk of Dr Ava Paige

Date: 03/01/230

To Dr. Paige,

I write to you in regards to a new experiment proposal from the Department of Experimentation.

In order to map out the neural pathways of those Immune to the Flare in hopes of developing a universal cure for all, there remains an inherent need for new and efficient ways to stimulate subjects with an adverse environment for observation as to how Immune brain structures differ from those susceptible to the Flare virus.

Thus we present for your consideration:

THE MAZE TRIALS

in which subjects are placed in an unknown environment (The Maze) and are tasked with escape.

Please see the Details of Stakes Involved, Predicted Cost and Ethical Implications, attached as separate files.

In its preliminary stages, we have selected 10 Potential Subjects to participate in the first Maze Trial, to which we have coined the term Maze Trial Zero.

Profiles of Potential Subjects have been attached as separate files for your viewing.

We thank you for your time and look forward to hearing from you soon.

Regards,

Jeong Jaehyun

Head of the Department of Experimentation

World In Catastrophe: Killzone Experiment Department (W.I.C.K.E.D.)

[WORLD IN CATASTROPHE: KILLZONE EXPERIMENT DEPARTMENT] MAZE TRIAL ZERO: Potential Subject Profiles

Folder:MAZE TRIAL ZERO > File: Potential Subject Profiles

Subject 01

Name: Lee Minhyung (Mark)

Age: 18

Origin: Toronto, Canada

Status: Immune

Notes: Given his being the eldest of the group, he has already displayed acts of leadership for his fellow subject candidates. Seems to have a particular affection towards Subject 02.

Subject 02

Name: Park Jisung

Age: 15

Origin: Seoul, South Korea

Status: Immune

Notes: Youngest of group. Initial tests showed highest fear response to given stimuli alongside Subject 04. Close observation and comparison of results recommended.

Subject 03

Name: Lee Jeno

Age: 17

Origin: Incheon, South Korea

Status: Immune

Notes: Most compliant to directions. Frequent mediator of conflict between subjects (see Subject Observation Report 03.1.3). Initial tests show increased intelligence and advanced problem solving skills. Physical tests show consistently high results. Seems to have formed a friendship with Subject 07, who arrived at facility on same day.

Subject 04

Name: Lee Donghyuk

Age: 17

Origin: Seoul, South Korea

Status: Not Immune

Notes: Brought to facility as control subject while recruiting Immune siblings. Initial tests show advanced problem solving skills and highest fear response to given stimuli alongside Subject 02. Close observation and comparison of results recommended.

Subject 05

Name: Zhong Chenle

Age: 16

Origin: Shanghai, China

Status: Immune

Notes: Brought to facility by mercenaries in exchange for reward money upon finding him Immune after Crank attack. Seems to have formed a friendship with Subject 10, who is the same age. Hostile towards staff. Total of 4 behaviour warnings issued thus far.

Subject 06

Name: Huang Renjun

Age: 17

Origin: Jilin, China

Status: Not Immune

Notes: Particularly uncooperative in initial transport process to facility (see Subject Observation Report 06.1.1). Additional personnel called in for restraint when subject managed to get a hold of guard’s taser and proceeded to attempt escape. Controlled doses of amnesia-inducing pills administered, subject now cooperative and willing to follow orders.

Subject 07

Name: Na Jaemin

Age: 17

Origin: Jeonju, South Korea

Status: Not Immune

Notes: Surrendered to W.I.C.K.E.D. by parents at Korean Peninsula control border. Mostly compliant, if not silent. Initial tests show increased stamina and physical ability. Seems to have formed a friendship with Subject 03, who arrived at facility on same day.

Subject 08

Name: Liu Yangyang

Age: 17

Origin: Düsseldorf, Germany

Status: Immune

Notes: Surrendered to W.I.C.K.E.D. by parents at Germany control border. Only speaks to Subjects 05 and 06, given the language barrier between the rest.

Subject 09

Name: Osaki Shōtarō

Age: 17

Origin: Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan

Status: Not Immune

Notes: Recruited at Japan control border. Has refused to speak since arrival to facility, even to Japanese-speaking staff. Otherwise unable to communicate with other subjects due to language barrier.

Subject 10

Name: Jeong Sungchan

Age: 16

Origin: Seoul, South Korea

Status: Immune

Notes: Seems to have formed a friendship with Subject 05, who is the same age. Initial tests show advanced problem solving skills and good physical ability.

MAZE TRIAL ZERO Masterlist

An NCT Dream x The Maze RunnerAU

What if Alby wasn’t the first Glader?

• enjoy as i write purely for self-indulgence, born from my love of the series and a passion for putting my biases in fictional situations of mortal danger
• this series will be formatted as report files from W.I.C.K.E.D. as they test out their maze on our seven boys from NCT Dream
• there is no y/n in this series, only secondary observation reports
• to clarify, this plot can be read as a ‘prequel’ to The Maze Runner by James Dashner. there may be references to preexisting characters, however they will not be active agents in this series. technically, this is an alternate universe for the dreamies, not thomas and his friends.
• the warnings below should be enough to prepare you all for what’s coming lol. buckle up

⚠️ tw: major character death, violence, grievers, swearing, graphic depictions of gore and blood, weapon use, possible spoilers for The Maze Runner series. i cannot stress enough that you should read at your own discretion.

naturally, the genre is horror and will involve scientific observations to suggest adverse emotions, such as fear.

• this is a work of fiction closely tied to James Dashner’s novel series, The Maze Runner. while i do not intend to plagiarise any of his works, i will be using many of his plot points, including the maze, grievers, w.i.c.k.e.d., and some characters, e.g. Dr. Ava Paige, etc., however, the details of the plot will be of my own imagination.
• i do not own these characters, nor do i own James Dashner’s name or those of NCT Dream’s members. i am merely borrowing them for alternate universe purposes.

Folder: MAZE TRIAL ZERO > Folder: Pre-Trial Preparation and Planning

1. File: Official Proposal to Dr Ava Paige
2. File: Potential Subject Profiles
3. File: Details of Stakes Involved
4. File: Predicted Cost
5. File: Ethical Implications
6. File: Map of the Maze

Folder: MAZE TRIAL ZERO > Folder: Progress Reports > Folder: Week One

1. Report: Day One
2. Report: Day Two
3. Report: Day Three
4. Report: Day Four
5. Report: Day Five
6. Report: Day Six
7. Report: Day Seven

Folder: MAZE TRIAL ZERO > Folder: Conclusion

1. File: Discussion and Advice for Future Development

⚠️tw: weapon use, mentions of blood

1:07pm: “well, you’re not cod.”

it was not the silky smooth skin (scales?), nor the somewhat fascinating slits for gills flaring in the creature’s shock that first caught your attention. not even the wriggling tail, shimmering golds and greens and blues even in minimal sunlight with every movement.

it was the eyes. the wild young eyes that defied the status of prey and established itself as a living being, not just a body of meat and bones. there was a soul there, so hungry and alive, barely containing the storm behind them.

it was startling how such fire could come from a child of the sea.

thetis had blessed you today with your first close-up look at a real merman, suspended above you in a fishing net. still hissing and thrashing, it bared its teeth at you and the crew, fighting for freedom, but only managing to tangle itself further in the process.

“lucky catch?” first mate!johnny mused, shrugging his shoulder.

“didn’t think we’d see merpeople in these waters,” quartermaster!jaehyunmuttered.

cook!chenle was shaking his head. “we can’t eat that,” he said, arms crossed over his chest.

“no shit,” pirate!haechan replied, “we’ve all heard the stories — men’s blood freezing up in their veins.” he shuddered. “don’t know about y'all, but i’m not about to have my blood turned into slush.”

your crewmates’ words hung about you like the low-hanging clouds on a still day, and yet you couldn’t take your eyes off the creature, so very clearly out of its element.

to see such a beautiful, fatal beast struggling in such a way under your hand, exposed and vulnerable — so wonderfully voyeuristic and intimate, you couldn’t help but become intrigued by it. him.

his eyes had turned from furious to panicked as the net was lowered down onto the deck, grabbing at the ropes and swiping desperately as if his claws could cut through in such a time.

you still had yet to say a word, still stunned with awe as he spilled out onto the wooden deck along with the rest of the catch — but found yourself lunging forward as you saw your crew stepping forward to handle him however they planned.

hand at your sheathed cutlass, you stepped in front of the merman, turning to face your crew with a daring glare.

“you won’t touch him,” you warned, raising your chin to challenge anyone to question your authority.

jaehyun let out a sigh and motioned for the others to step back. they begrudgingly obeyed, just as the captain’s quarters opened and captain!taeyong, your brother, stepped out on deck.

“what’s going on there?”

“merman, sir,” cabin boy!jisung piped up, “pulled up the fishing net and there he was, sir.”

“merman, you say?” taeyong repeated, taking his time down the stairs. “you mean that boy?”

looking back at him, your jaw dropped as the boy’s tail seemed to melt away, fins into flesh and bending into knees — real knees, ankles and feet and all — right before your very eyes.

the boy’s face was twisted with nausea and pain, and you realised he must have been enduring the sensations of new limbs being created in real time, bones fusing and scales sinking into skin, then splitting into two separate legs. you winced as he visibly fought back a strained groan of agony.

you took a second to process the transformation before you as the crowd parted for your captain like the splitting sea as he approached. you clenched your jaw when he signalled you to step aside, but you did so cautiously nevertheless.

crouching in front of the naked half-boy, taeyong ignored his (weaker) warning hiss and held a short blade under his chin, tilting it upwards so as to get a better look at his gills as they vanished, fusing back into the skin of his neck. he took a long gasp of air, strained with the position he was held in.

“now, what’s a pretty thing like you doing in our fishing net?”

instead of replying, he snapped at his hand, jaws opening to reveal a normal, human set of teeth. instead of flinching, however, like most of the crew, your brother gave him a warning of his own, stabbing downwards at the half-boy’s no-longer-webbed hands. the blade caught the gap between his thumb and finger, which would have pinned him to the deck had he still been in his merman form.

your grip tightened on your cutlass’ handle as the creature yelped in shock. “taeyong, enough!” nudging him hard out of your way, you reach down and pull the knife out, throwing it aside. you turn on your brother, recovering from his fall. “get away from him,” you snapped, only to be met with laughter.

“what’s it to you, whether it dies or not?”

“you’ll leave him alone, and that’s that.” you tried to put as much finality as you could into your voice, half-worried it wouldn’t be enough — but to your surprise, taeyong snorted and gave you a nod.

“suit yourself,” he placed his hands on his hips, “what would you have us do with it, then? leave it in the sun to dry?”

the merman let out a low growl at that suggestion, but you ignored it.

“we let him go.”

pirate!jaemin threw off his shirt to drape over the shivering boy as he was hauled up onto shaky new feet, legs buckling and knees giving in with the first few steps he took.

as soon as he could take certain steps, taeyong ordered for the plank to be taken out, and they were quick to usher him onto it to drop back into the sea. he hadn’t helped at all, squirming profusely in protest all throughout.

the boy’s previous feral ferocity had long since gone, and his eyes now screamed of a strange panic and fear. glancing from the horizon to his feet and the waters below and back, he seemed to be hesitating. wasn’t the ocean his home?

you didn’t dare move a muscle in anticipation until he looked desperately over his shoulder, staring straight at you — begging for mercy from the only person who had granted it to him.

pure instinct launched you forward, stepping onto the plank and tiptoeing over to him, ignoring your crew’s exclamations behind you.

“it’s okay,” you called out, “you can come back.”

the boy clutched at the shirt, wrapping it tighter around himself as he trembled in cold, beautiful face twisted in anguish.

“come back with me,” you beckoned, reaching your open hand out. “i can protect you.”

you realised you didn’t even know for certain that he knew what you were saying, but your eyes seemed to say enough for him. he managed a shaky step towards you, then another, and another, until he was within reach for him to take your hand (albeit tentatively).

the plank was nowhere near wide enough for you to support him side by side, so you offered your arm and shoulder for him to grab onto and lean on as you led him back onto the ship. the crew allowed enough space for him to collapse to his knees almost as soon as he climbed back on deck, and you ordered for jisung to bring him a new outfit.

soon, the crowd dispersed, returning to their duties — you looked up from helping him put on a clean shirt to taeyong, grinning down at you.

“you’ll be responsible for it from now on,” he said.

“i know.”

“good,” he nodded slowly, seeming to be proud of himself.

you fastened the last button for him and examined his face as he stared down into his lap.

“do you have a name?”

the boy’s pale lips twitched, like he was trying to form words as you had done.

you repeated your question, softer and slower.

you didn’t know what voice you were expecting from him, but it was more melodic and fragile than you could have ever imagined.

“renjun,” he murmured, “my name is renjun.”

—

part two

1811: the 166th day of your voyage in space with your sole flight companion, astronaut!haechan, starts like any other.

the mission had been running smoothly, with nothing remarkable on the schedule. analyse some samples, go through any new messages from earth, double-check supplies.

on paper, it was meant to be one of the least eventful days of the week ahead.

you had both been spending time in the gym in your rare overlapping break time, getting your daily exercise; running on the treadmill with him on the one adjacent, in the middle of a contest of endurance to see who could hold out the longest.

the ship spins around to grant you a once-in-a-lifetime view of earth through the windows, just a tiny blue speck against the vast void of space. your gaze locks onto your home, and you let yourself get lost in thoughts of your life. right there, on that pinprick of colour smaller than your fingernail, was everything you knew and loved.

“missing home?” haechan calls out, seeming to have noticed what your attention was on.

you glance over at him with a sheepish laugh. reaching out to slow the treadmill down, you catch your breath before you make to reply as he does the same.

“it’s been so long since i’ve seen my niece,” you tell him what you’ve been dwelling over for a few nights in a row, chest still heaving from effort.

he snorts, wiping sweat from his forehead with a towel. “she sent you a video message just yesterday. what was it about? her new elephant plushie she named after you?”

you can’t force the smile off your lips as you recall the very file he was referring to. “yeah, well… you know it’s different.”

he sucks his teeth and nods slowly. “fair.”

“just the thought of her naming a doll after me because i’m not there in person, you know?” you don’t need to verbally add that it breaks your heart for him to understand.

“yeah.” his eyes fall to the treadmill control pad in front of him. “hey, i’m sure she’s super proud of you. she’s probably bragging to all her friends that she has an actual astronaut in her family, and they’re ‘up in space at this very moment’.” he holds up air quotes and speaks in a proud, matter-of-fact voice in an attempt to imitate your niece.

your smile breaks wider at the image of her, beaming baby teeth and all. “hey, what about you? who’s boasting about you back home?”

haechan opens his mouth to speak, but is cut off by your yelp of surprise as your weight vanishes with warning, your stomach lurching with horror as the floor disappears underneath your feet. you register him cursing loudly as his body floats—floats—up, without the comfort of gravity.

you swear the ship has abandoned you.

you were, of course, familiar with the sensation of weightlessness in space—but only when it was meant to be so, and the very implications makes your brain go haywire.

“shit, shit, shit—” momentary panic forces your arms to flail out to grab onto something, anything—and a hand catches your wrist as haechan pulls you into his chest.

“i got you,” though comforting, haechan fails to hide his own shock and confusion, “i got you.”

he unwraps one arm from around you to gently push off the approaching ceiling, sending the two of you drifting slowly back towards the floor again.

grabbing onto the handlebar of a treadmill (you felt tremendously thankful for the fact that they were fixed to the gym floor), he pulls both of you as close to the floor as possible in case the gravity machine decides to function properly again without warning.

your heart jumps to your throat again as his back thuds on the floor and pulls you down with him, falling onto his chest. neither of you having let go of one another the entire time you spent in unplanned non-gravity. “are you okay?”

your stray hair falls on your face as you push your head off his chest and nod blankly in reply.

“well,that wasn’t supposed to happen,” he says, though his face shows no sign of joking like usual.

“no shit,” you breathe out.

you both flinch when an alarm blares through the speakers, screaming of certain impending doom in the form of a system malfunction.

dreamsafterhours:

nct dream and knives

because they’re cool

and i love enemies to lovers and you’re probably lying if you say you don’t

the one pinning you to the wall with a knife to your throat: renjun, chenle

the one you’re pinning to the wall with a knife to his throat: mark, jeno, haechan, jaemin, jisung

before you come at me for the second one, though, please consider what happens in the moments after:

you blink and find yourself pinned to the wall with your own knife to your throat: jeno, jaemin

you swear you already disarmed him, but he pulls another knife out of his jacket and holds the point to your stomach:haechan

you realise you’re not holding your knife as tightly as you should be when he disarms you easily and starts backing you up: mark, jisung

nct dream and knives

because they’re cool

and i love enemies to lovers and you’re probably lying if you say you don’t

the one pinning you to the wall with a knife to your throat: renjun, chenle

the one you’re pinning to the wall with a knife to his throat: mark, jeno, haechan, jaemin, jisung

01 liners drinking party

sungchan: /takes a sip of goryangju at chenle’s house/

sungchan, holding back visible tears: /winces/ not bad

chenle: weak /downs entire shot/

chenle, now also holding back visible tears: see? weak.

sungchan: i see tears

chenle, blinking profusely:incorrect

dreamsafterhours:

nct dream when protecting someone from an enemy

y'all know what i’m talking about right? the whole vulnerable loved one unable to fight situation, the boys standing in front of them/their bed to defend them with their life in the face of an enemy who taunts that they’ll take them away and this is their response

enemy: step aside, boy (or something along those lines)

mark: i don’t think so

renjun: over my dead fucking body

jeno: you’ll have to kill me first

haechan: i’d like to see you try

jaemin: you’re gonna have to get through me

chenle: we’ll see about that

jisung: i won’t let you

let’s be real renjun taking a fighting stance and readying his weapon while swearing may be the clearest image i have in my head

and jeno being more blunt about having to be dead for them to even touch a hair on his loved one’s head as opposed to jaemin who leaves it more open—always thought of jeno to use rougher and more direct language than jaemin in a situation like this

chenle and haechan hella scoffing whilst twirling their weapons? plus the tilt of the head? you can’t argue against that pls

mark straight up denying it’s going to happen with a shake of his head?

and jisung gripping his weapon tighter in his hands, trying to hide the bobbing of his adam’s apple as he takes a nervous gulp and throws out the bravest words he can muster. need i say more?

idk lol

shotaro: how many holes does a straw have

jisung: 2, of course

chenle: pfft no you ass it’s 1

jisung: (looking at sungchan expectantly) well?

sungchan:

sungchan: hear me out

sungchan: if a straw has 1 hole, then technically your mouth and your asshole-

jisung: NOOO WE’RE ON AIR