Missing in Action

9: Makeshift Meeting

The next morning, Five-Sided Polygon, Newest-W, In-City, Gots-Even, Icon, Wheener, Ex-Monster, Angels Ace and ten of the original eleven IOI members were all inside the bicameral committee's special meeting room. BoA herself personally suggested that the makeshift Supreme Six and Twilight Triad should also do their meetings there.

"Ah... it has been a long time since I last stepped inside here," Mino of Wheener inhaled deeply with his eyes closed and arms open wide.

"This room looked exactly like last year," Jay of Icon commented as he looked around the room.

"We really need to tell them to redecorate. This room looked almost identical to the one we remember eleven years ago," Jackson of Gots-Even mentioned.

Unlike the other groups, Wheener, Icon and Gots-Even had been to the meeting room before during the time when they became part of the Twilight Triad on separate occasions — all at the expense of Geefreend. Gots-Even was part of the sixth Twilight Triad, Wheener was on the fifteenth, and Icon was part of the sixteenth Twilight Triad. Because of their experience, they were casually entering the meeting room. However, Five-Sided Polygon, Newest-W, In-City, Ex-Monster, Angels Ace, and the present members of IOI were reluctantly stepping inside.

"Are you sure we can use this room? It's a place of power after all," Hui was hesitant.

"Well, the nine of them aren't here to scold you guys now, are they? Just take you seats in whatever order you like," BoA calmed them down.

"By the way, what's with the sudden meeting?" JR asked.

"In-City has something to report. And yes, it is all about yesterday's attack at Essim Province," BoA confirmed. "If you'll need me, I'll be in the Seer Suite next door."

When BoA left, the nine were confused on the seating arrangement. After all, each partition had a specific group's logo at the front.

"I guess we should sit depending on our number," Nayoung suggested.

In-City sat on X-O's and SVT's place. Gots-Even took Bulletproof Scouts' area. The present IOI members coincidentally took Wanna One's partition. Five-Sided Polygon sat on Two-Times' chairs. Wheener claimed Plackbink's table. Newest-W moved to Mommymoo's seats. Angels Ace were in Geefreend's spot. Thanks to the extra chairs provided on the room, Ex-Monster settled themselves on Velvety Red's position and Icon sat behind Wheener. Unlike what happened during the regular bicameral meetings though, the floors did not glow this time when the groups took their spots. Yes, the meeting platform might look simple but it was magical, all thanks on how BoA created it. It knew who were the current official members and thus, the floors would not glow when occupied by a different group.

"So, who should preside the meeting? Usually it's Wanna One who presides the meeting, but they are not here right now," JB of Gots-Even asked.

"Shouldn't the present members of IOI preside? After all, they were Hallyu's rulers before," Jimin of Angels Ace recommended. The rest of the groups nodded in agreement.

"If everyone agrees, then we will lead the meeting," Nayoung, the leader of IOI, accepted the responsibility. "Okay, so we are all here this morning as the temporary replacements of the currently missing in action Supreme Six and Twilight Triad. An invader who called himself the Source of All Evil has attacked us during the Entente Cordiale's assembly. He warned to cause mayhem in our kingdom for the next seven days if we will not surrender. Yesterday, he attacked Essim Province. In-City, would you like to report what happened?"

"Certainly," Taeyong rose from his seat and took over. "Yesterday morning, the Source of All Evil sent his personal assassin Shax and its underlings called warlocks to UN Village. We, along with Super Jr. and Shiny seonbaenims responded to the attack. Super Jr. and Shiny seonbaenims managed to hold off the warlock underlings as we took on Shax. He was very powerful, considering he easily countered our WayV sub-unit's X-Con attack. Fortunately, with a little luck, our next three X-Cons managed to finish him off."

"He needed three X-Con techniques to be finally defeated? Wow, that's remarkable and concerning all at the same time," Jinyoung of Gots-Even commented.

"Furthermore, based on our battle yesterday, we might have an important information," Taeyong added.

"What is it?" Hui asked for details.

"This Source of All Evil might not be human after all," Taeyong revealed.

"How can you say so?" Shownu of Ex-Monster said.

"When Shax and the warlock underlings die or were defeated, they explode in flames or turn to ash. That is not a very human-quality now, is it?" Taeyong shared the info. "Assuming that he and his underlings are of the same kind, the Source of All Evil and any future attackers are almost certain to be not humans."

"That is a very good information then. Knowing that they are not humans allows us to attack them with full force without holding back," Chungha told everyone.

"Disseminate this crucial information to everyone we know," Chaeyeon instructed everyone.

"Haa... Sungwoon's telepathy should be useful right now," Hyungwon sighed.

"What should we do in the next few days? Wait for the attack to happen and respond accordingly?" Jay of Icon addressed the body.

"We have no other choice, haven't we? We don't know where they are hiding right now," Mina answered.

"If this happens every day, won't we be too drained to fight back on the seventh day? He did say he will attack us with full force on the last day of his window of opportunity," JR was concerned.

"We can always tap healers from hospitals for help. And besides, we have our locations and numbers as an advantage. I don't think they will attack at the same exact place every single time. Let us just hope that wherever they will attack, the nearest squad will be able to handle them," Sejeong thought.

"Yes, that is correct. If the attacks are well spread out throughout the kingdom, then chances are, we will not be that drained by the time the seventh day arrived," Chaeyeon pointed out.

"Of course, as the interim Supreme Six and Twilight Triad, we must always be ready to serve as back-up," Mina continued.

"Understood," the other groups stated.

"The Supreme Six and Twilight Triad was originally made for this. I remember Wanna One's speech during their inauguration," Yugyeom of Gots-Even ran his hand through his hair.

"And by some twist of fate, they went missing when their purpose of existence manifested on our kingdom," Yuna of Angels Ace clicked her tongue.

"At least, we need to prove that Hallyu can still stand without them. It's the perfect chance to show the enemies that they messed with the wrong kingdom," Kihyun of Ex-Monster claimed.

"Let's keep the kingdom in perfect order until those missing nine come back," Jinho of Five-Sided Polygon encouraged everyone.

"Well, let's just hope they do have a kingdom to return to," Aron of Newest-W took a deep breath.

A phone call reverberated inside the room, causing everyone to stop talking.

"Hello? Oh, P.O.-hyung... WHAT?" Mino of Wheener talked to the person calling. "Ok. Ok. Contact us when the situation worsens."

"Oppa, what is it?" Yoojung asked.

"It was B-Block's P.O-hyung. QK Province is under attack," Mino of Wheener dropped the bombshell.

"WHAT?"