I decided to turn this into a twoshot because I'm lucky I even began writing this. (I mean, the first part got uploaded like... last December.)

Some stuff in chapter two of this will make a lot more sense if you read the first part first. And, as always with my writing, everyone but Elsword is their Imperial class. Elboy remains a Rune Slayer.

Note: Ara does not appear because with the way the game's story is put together in my head chronologically, she does not meet the Elgang until the Hamel chapter.

There would normally be sound coming from the house on the edge of territories where the six heroes took up residence. A terrible lot of it, actually; whether it was screaming, arguing, or simple training, it was never hard to figure out which of them was home and what they were doing.

For tonight, however, the house was silent. Painfully, dreadfully silent. And Chung Seiker, former prince of Hamel, was caught up in the center of it and unable to escape. Though he loathed the tense atmosphere and wanted so badly to escape it, as a guardian he was unwilling to leave his friends when they needed him as much as they did.

After they'd successfully done away with the Dark Nephilim that had been summoned, there was still one loose end to clean up – Joaquin. The demon alchemist had run off some time in the middle of everything and left behind some particularly nasty chemicals and potions. Not only was clean-up necessary but they had to either contain Joaquin somewhere or kill him on the spot to make sure he didn't escape and start brewing his concoctions again.

It proved to be more hell than he was really worth. In trying to detain the alchemist, they were not only bruised and cut and bleeding all over, but were biologically contaminated via the potions they'd been working so hard to collect and get rid of. Joaquin throwing more at them hadn't helped, either.

Chung wasn't even sure how they'd manage to finish him off without falling all over each other in sickness. By the time their battle was done, the only ones stable and standing were him and Eve. Eve was a Nasod and powered by El, which prevented her from feeling any side effects. He was human through and through but because his Freiturnier was infused with El, the armor blocked and or prevented most of the contaminants from affecting him. He was dizzy for quite some time and had to be helped back to the Velder camp, but he'd been fine after resting in one of the tents. A rather lucky break considering he had no idea his armor could function as a purifier.

He wished the others shared his luck.

Elsword and Aisha had the worst reactions to the exposure. Magic users or not, they were only human and the chemicals Joaquin had on him were made to be fatal to them. Raven was miraculously not as bad as they were, something Chung was surprised at. The man was human himself, but perhaps his age and endurance had something to do with it? Rena, for sure, wasn't human; but she was apparently biologically similar enough for the chemicals to take their toll on her.

He really had to thank Elesis and the other knights who had helped get them back to their home. (Bless the person who situated them close enough to the Velder Kingdom.) He wasn't sure if they'd have made it without their help. Of course, Elesis was downright furious upon finding her brother in such a state – And without a doubt would have taken off Joaquin's head had he not already been dead. More than anything, Chung saw in how she moved and the way she handled Elsword on the way back that she wished she'd been there fighting with them. She wished she'd been able to protect him. As someone very familiar with military procedure, Chung understood that the leader of the Red Knights could not just abandon her troops and leave to fight so suddenly. It was against protocol and against her own inner code. Still…

The prince felt a tear in his heart as he remembered his father. It pained him to agree with her decision, but in war there was little time for thinking of family. There was only winning and losing and you had to do what you could to make sure you didn't wind up buried ten feet underground.; and it was a hesitant thanks to their newest acquaintance that that's not where his teammates were right now.

After trashing the Southern Gate, they'd met possibly the biggest nutcase Chung had seen to date: A degenerate copycat named Add who'd taken from Nasod technology and was greedy for more codes than he had already acquired. From his psychotic laughter to his interest in Eve, everything about the man was unsettling.

And yet, he was a scientist. A desperate, greedy scientist who was open for trade.

"If you're talking biological contamination, I could probably do something about that… but not without a price, of course."

Codes, of course. That's what he was talking about. Codes. Add's crazed grin should've been a turn-off right then and there. There was no indication that this man could be trusted. Elesis, somehow, seemed to think the ponytailed albino was alright due to him having helped the Velder army earlier. At the very least, she seemed more convinced than he was.

Chung was nowhere near okay with this man being anywhere near Eve. Or scissors. Or any other sharp objects, for that matter. Stable and trustworthy were not words he'd use to describe him.

That hadn't stopped the Nasod empress from accepting the terms and trading over something that Chung couldn't place the name of. He wasn't the savviest when it came to technology. Circuits? Maybe that was it? Either way, it was a piece of Nasod technology and Add had accepted it.

"This is the only thing you will be getting from me. There will be no transactions like this in the future. I hope you realize that."

"Fine by me. I was never planning on asking you for the codes, anyway. Hehehe…"

Chung knew it was for the best. Their friends wouldn't survive without something, some kind of medicine, to cleanse the chemicals from their systems. Even so… Though the circuit had been small, the fact that Eve gave a part of herself to the lunatic left a bad taste in his mouth.

Yet if they didn't have that same lunatic's help, it was very possible that Elsword and the others would have been goners by now. Instead, they were here a day later, still fighting with the contaminants and appearing to be at a standstill.

Chung looked out the window anxiously. The last bit of sunlight was disappearing from the sky, the blackness of night bleeding into the wisps of red and orange. It was almost time for their second dosage.

"Let me be very clear: They get two very small amounts injected into their arm and that is it. One now, one twenty-four hours later. There's a bit of a grace period, so you don't have to give it after exactly twenty-four hours… but best do it close, or you risk screwing everything up. I don't think this is something you want to do wrong."

He wasn't a doctor. He was no good with needles. He wasn't used to using them. He didn't know how to find veins, or anything else in the human body. Plus the idea of sticking the instruments into his friends' arms unnerved him to a large extent. Thankfully Eve could handle doing it. She'd be able to with steady hands, as opposed to him who would be shaking from nerves the whole time.

From the stairwell, Chung caught the sound of Eve's dainty heels. The Empress soon came into sight, moving past their resting area to the kitchen. Chung immediately stood up and went after her.

"Eve!" he called from the doorway. "Is it time?"

"As close to it as we are going to get," Eve said monotonously. She picked up the medicinal box from the countertop and turned around. "Would you like to assist?"

"Assist?" Chung repeated nervously. "I… um…"

"You do not have to handle the medicine itself," Eve reassured him. "I do not want to mistakes to be made. That in mind, I simply require that our friends be held down and do not move when I give them the cure so they do not mess up the injection."

"Oh… I think I can do that."

"Excellent. Come with me."

They were starting with the girls, he realized as they made their way up the stairs. Why, he didn't know.

"Umm, Eve?" he asked as they came to Aisha's room. "Couldn't we have made our way up and started with Elsword and Raven?"

"It will be much easier this way. Take my word for it."

And that was all she said on the matter before opening the door without a problem.

Surprisingly, Ophelia was already inside and at Aisha's bedside. Chung raised a brow. Yet something else questionable, but at least he had a probable answer for this one. Ophelia had probably been watching over the mage for a bit to make sure nothing drastic happened. Oberon was likely stationed somewhere as well.

Eve handed the small box to Ophelia, who held it up as her queen opened it and examined its contents. The Empress pulled out a vial of clear liquid and held it up to the waning light coming from the window.

"I can see that man was not exaggerating when he said only a very small amount should be given. I do not see how this is even enough for two people, never mind four. As no one has died following their first dose, however, I suppose I should not be questioning the medicine's effectiveness. It must be a very potent drug."

"… Eve…" Chung bit his lip. "I know why you did it, but… Did you really have to give Add part of your codes? I don't trust him. He's got a maniacal grin, and a laugh to match… Not to mention I doubt he'll use Nasod codes for the greater good. He looks like he's in it for himself and who knows what else."

"I quite agree. That is why it was necessary to trick him."

"… Say what?" Even put her hand down and stared at Chung.

"I would not be so stupid as to give that man any of my current codes. In that circuitry he will find nothing that could benefit him. It was an old part of my coding which was obsolete the moment I awoke for a second time. I stopped using it due to it being outdated and outfitting myself with newer, more updated codes. The Dynamo that man crafted were far too advanced for that coding to be of any use to him. However, I do not think he will notice for now. He is full of himself and too power-hungry to be able to tell the difference without close examination and he did not partake in such while we were still in Velder. I realize my actions may have consequences in the future, but right now they are not of my concern. I will deal with that man when the time comes."

Had the situation not been so serious, Chung would have laughed or at least smiled. He should've known Eve wouldn't trust Add. Leave it to her to pull a fast one like that with no hint of it whatsoever. He almost wished he could see the albino man's face when he realizes he got jilted in that deal.

Almost. He didn't want to get near Add again anytime soon, much less if he was angry.

By the time the guardian had finished his thoughts, Eve was already pulling the tiny needle from the vial of medicine and inspecting it. She scrutinized every part of it, checking to make sure it wasn't defective. When she was sure there would be no problems, she motioned Chung over.

"I will need you to hold her wrist down very tightly. Any movement at all could mess up the injection."

"Alright." Chung carefully pulled back Aisha's bedcovers and threw the corner off to the side.

The former prince winced as he got a good look at her. The mage's face was contorted in pain and she was breathing heavily. There was also no shortage of sweat coming off of her – Her hair was glued to her brow, her cheeks, and her neck as if the perspiration were an adhesive. The smell of sickness was all around and, though it was unpleasant, Chung knew he couldn't disobey an order from Eve and that this would be best in the end.

Ignoring the taste of the air around him, Chung knelt down beside Aisha and put his hand over her wrist. He gave a nod to Eve to give her a green light to do it. Eve carefully bent down and pulled Aisha's skin tight with her left hand, readying the needle carefully above.

The tip entered the mage's skin swiftly and precisely. Chung was amazed Aisha hadn't moved at all at the insertion. His amazement transitioned when his grip was met with a surprising amount of resistance. He pressed down harder as Aisha's arm threatened to break free, easily pinning it down with his superior strength.

Though her struggle lasted a few seconds, she just as quickly calmed down and stilled. Eve removed the needle and placed it in a separate pouch.

"I am finished here. You may remove your hand."

"Oh, uh, of course." Chung quickly retracted his limb and stood up, drawing Aisha's covers over her once again. "Are we going to handle Rena next?"

"Indeed. And I'm sure you will find that your job will become significantly harder each time."

"Huh?" Chung blinked. "What do you mean?"

"You will see."

He did see. He saw very clearly what Eve meant.

Aisha was a mage – Smart and powerful, but lacking severely in physical strength. She was easy to hold down. The others were a bit more tricky.

Rena almost flat out kneed him in the face out of reflex while he was attempting to hold her arm steady. He expected resistance, but not from her legs. She struggled for much longer than Aisha did initially as well. Thankfully Ophelia had put a stop to her moving before he could get a concussion.

Elsword was no different. In fact, had he been before Rena he might've been easier to deal with. He was smaller than the elf and Chung was in no danger of being kicked due to the swordsman's muscles not accustomed to bending that way in the first place. However, the strength of his arms was much more in comparison and the guardian found he had to use both hands to keep the redhead from messing up his dosage. Oberon, who'd been watching over him, hadn't even needed to help. (At that point, it became clear to the ex-prince that the servants had been put in charge of watching over the most vulnerable members of the team.)

Dealing with Raven was hell. Not only was Chung worn since holding the latter two, but the veteran was an adult who was just as strong as he was and had much more muscle. He also wasn't keen on having a foreign object inserted into his human arm, apparently. Chung hadn't even held his usual position that time – Ophelia took his human arm, Oberon had his Nasod arm, and Chung had his ankles. Avoiding a kick to the face was just as difficult as it'd been with Rena.

By the time they managed to both finish giving Raven the injection and sedating him, Chung was decidedly tired; and he knew it was going to last. He was still drained emotionally and his nerves remained wracked. He wouldn't be able to rest, figuratively and literally, until his friends were in the clear. Medicine or not, they still required care and watching over until they'd gotten the chemicals out of their systems.

Chung heaved a sigh, taking his customary glance out the window. This was going to be another long night.

Will try to get the second part up soon, but I'm plagued with ideas and schoolwork so... We'll see.