THE DREAMERS NIGHTMARE

13 The Fight

At 5:00 AM, today marks the day they plan to attack Kaito's base. Kun woke everyone up early to prepare for the mission. They had an early breakfast and then headed to the 5th floor, where their training gym was located.

Lucas initiated the training on physical combat without weapons, demonstrating techniques from basic to advanced. The group was quick learners, and after the demonstrations, they engaged in one-on-one fights to test their abilities.

"Johnny, come on, fight me," Haechan challenged. Johnny rushed in and attempted a high kick, but to everyone's surprise, Haechan stepped back, causing Johnny to lose balance and fall. Laughter filled the room.

"What a clever move!" they all complimented Haechan.

After the initial training, they had lunch, rested for an hour, then resumed training.

"Now, we'll teach you how to use weapons," Winwin said.

"These are the guns, smoke bombs, and other tools like crossbows," Ten explained.

The training commenced, covering shooting techniques and minor explosives. Their proficiency in shooting was exceptional, but some expressed concern about using these skills on real people.

"I can shoot perfectly, but I don't know if I can do it to a real person," Jisung confessed.

"It's okay, Jisung. We will help you," Yangyang reassured him.

By 7:00 in the evening, the training concluded. After dinner and another round of rest, at 10:00, just two hours before departure, Ten showed them the floor plan of Kaito's base. They memorized every detail, and before leaving, each member was equipped with three guns, two knives, some smoke bombs, three extra magazines, earpieces for communication, and night vision goggles.

At 11:30, they were ready to depart.

"Good luck, dreamers," Kun said.

"Keep yourselves safe," Taeyong advised.

"Remember your duties. We have to come back here, all of us," Ten reminded them.

"It's the last mission. We just need to succeed, and then this nightmare will end," Mark affirmed.

"Let's go," Kun commanded, and they began their journey towards Kaito's base. After nearly 30 minutes of walking, they reached their destination, separating to enter their respective locations within the base.

The team entered the base with Ten leading the way, expertly picking the lock to access the area. As they proceeded, they encountered dimly lit surroundings but had enough light to navigate. A group of three watchers was spotted on a bench, and Taeyong, Ten, and Jaehyun swiftly neutralized them.

"Basic," Jaehyun whispered, signaling the ease of the takedown.

Moving forward, they encountered more watchers in the corridors. Though outnumbered, they found the watchers to be weak adversaries, lacking firearms.

"Let's start," Hendery announced, and the skirmish began. Despite the watchers' numbers, the team found their opponents comparatively feeble. However, Doyoung suffered a minor injury, retaliating by using a gun for the first time.

"Nice one, but you're the first one to use a gun, so weak," Yuta teased, earning a collective laugh.

The situation escalated when a bullet narrowly missed Ten, prompting them to take cover behind metal barrels.

"It's too close," Ten muttered.

"Okay, now we need to use guns. Kaito must know we're here," Taeil analyzed.

"Don't waste your bullets. Every shot counts," Taeyong commanded.

And so, the intense firefight commenced. As they fired back at the watchers, they aimed for precise hits.

"We're certified killers now," Yuta remarked.

"We need to be," Hendery responded.

Taeyong then instructed Ten to fire, leading to an unexpected revelation of more watchers, potentially trapping them.

"What should we do now?" Taeil inquired.

"On the count of three, shoot together with two guns," Jaehyun strategized.

"Sit down if you need to reload," Taeyong directed. With everyone nodding in agreement, Taeyong began the countdown.

1... 2... 3...

They all stood up, firing their weapons simultaneously. After a minute of intense exchange, they began to reload, each taking a moment to prepare for the next phase of the battle.

The team found themselves at the end of their ammunition, a critical moment where they were defenseless. As the watchers approached, pointing their guns at them, tension filled the air.

"Hi," Yuta greeted.

"You naughty boys," a watcher retorted.

"What do you want now?" Ten asked in a hushed tone as he rose to his feet.

"You just lost, but you're still arrogant," the watcher replied.

"You will not defeat us," Taeyong countered.

"Really?" the watcher challenged, and a gunshot echoed. They discovered Taeil with a bleeding leg.

"What have you done?" Taeyong shouted.

"That's a lesson for some hardheaded kids," they coldly replied.

With their firepower depleted and Taeil injured, they were overpowered and confined to an empty room. Jaehyun used his shirt to create a makeshift bandage for Taeil's leg.

"Make it a little tighter," Doyoung suggested.

"It's just right," Taeil assured them.

"I hope you can still walk after this," Taeyong expressed concern.

"Of course, I will. The bullet didn't hit my bone, so I think it's not that bad," Taeil reassured.

As tension lingered, they attempted to lighten the mood with laughter until the door opened, revealing Kaito's entrance.

"You stupid rats! You invade my base and killed my watchers at the west entrance. You killed three-quarters of my allies!" Kaito shouted, visibly furious.

"What do you want us to do, greet them, kiss them, huh?" Ten retorted, smirking.

Kaito's rage peaked as he grabbed a gun and aimed it at Ten.

"Do you want me to kill you so you shut your stupid mouth?" Kaito threatened.

Ten stood up, facing Kaito, the tension between them palpable.

The tense standoff with Kaito was interrupted by a watcher delivering news about some members securing Professor Eros. This sudden development diverted Kaito's attention, prompting him to rush out, commanding the watchers to secure the area and leaving five of them stationed outside their room.

Locked inside, the team exchanged worried glances, concerned for Eros and their own predicament.

"I hope they free Eros now," Taeyong voiced his concern.

"Let's hope they succeed," Yuta echoed the sentiment.

"But what about us?" Doyoung voiced their immediate predicament.

"We'll devise a plan to escape," Ten assured them.

With no immediate options available, they were left waiting and pondering their escape plan, hoping fervently for the success of their comrades and the rescue of Professor Eros.