Leaving the CRC felt like leaving an unlikely home. It wasn't so much the length of the time the group spent here, but all its events that changed Wooyoung's life forever. It was difficult to depart from a place that seemed so relevant, so close to their hearts.

Without this facility, as scary as its mysteries were, none of this would have been possible. For so long, it was a looming shadow in the distance, a foreign ruin of the old world they needed to bring Seonghwa to. Then, it had become an echo of horror from those slaughtered so brutally in the name of science. And now it was cozy. It meant healing and forgiveness. A sanctuary after such a long race.

Wooyoung would have considered making it his permanent shelter and watching the forest come back to life under the sun and the rain, but their duties called. Now that Jongho sprang around in delight again and babbled tirelessly about all his niche interests, the group was ready to move on. And San's worried heart still tugged him toward his home.

The group splitting up had been inevitable, but they promised each other that everyone was always welcome to check in on how things were going. The shelter in the desert Jongho reformed to a safe haven would center their individual interests. Everyone was welcome there, and Wooyoung was glad no one would venture out alone.

Jongho and Mingi were attached at the hip. They would return to their shelter to get Mingi's business into motion, but this time, with the added cunning of knowing exactly what people needed and how to relieve their disorganized new lives, thanks to Seonghwa. They would bring the laptop along so Seonghwa could communicate with them. Although the AI fulfilled its purpose, Jongho didn't want him to be alone. Seonghwa assured him being dormant was nothing to a computer program, but he counted as their friend. Jongho cherished him more than ever.

Wooyoung would accompany San to find his colony. He needed to know if they made it or if there was anything worth salvaging. Whenever the topic came up, a deep sadness filled his eyes. Though they never said it out loud, he was glad Wooyoung would come along. And Wooyoung was glad that San allowed him into this part of his life. Compared to Wooyoung, whose story was as simple as being a raider and Yunho's partner, San was full of mysteries.

Disjointed from their initial plans, Yunho wouldn't stick with Wooyoung. Not that they could be apart for long, but Yunho wanted to leave Wooyoung and San the space for this private moment of mourning. He would go ahead with Yeosang to spread the news about the sky and nature, and help people understand how to deal with it. That, and they wanted to find a team of medically trained people to mass-produce the antidote and heal as many infected as possible before they turned.

It was a grand plan that seemed sheer endless, but Seonghwa promised to be with them via radio and help wherever he could.

They had the hardest time deciding what to do with Hongjoong. His sanity couldn't be restored entirely, even when some clarity returned as he consumed fewer painkillers and was treated like a normal person. He still often sat in his corners, giggling and swaying back and forth with his arms hugged around his legs. He refused to leave Seonghwa's avatar, but they couldn't leave him alone. In his state, he wouldn't survive.

Ultimately, Seonghwa could coax him into joining Yeosang's team. He knew about the antidote and showing him new sights would be better than locking him up in a dark shelter. Although Seonghwa had to express his mourning that he couldn't be healed, he believed Hongjoong had a chance for survival with some help. As long as he stubbornly followed the avatar he had a crush on, Seonghwa could guide him through the world and its dangers.

"You can take the car," Yunho assured Wooyoung once he shouldered his bag. Everyone else already packed up and snatched as many rations as the researchers left behind. They were rich in water and found some fuel in the basement after cracking its lock.

"Are you sure?" Wooyoung marched downstairs with the rifle on his shoulder. San loaded his bag into the trunk and Jongho sat on the front seat with Seonghwa on his lap and babbled about neurons or something like that. The life had fully returned to his eyes and filled his cheeks with frequent smiles. He radiated, almost his own little sun, and Mingi's grumpiness was miraculously cured, although he resorted to hiding under his hat more often again.

"By the time Yeosang or I learned to drive, we reached civilization on foot. We have the maps, so we will be fine."

They halted at the gates. Yeosang stood with his own backpack now and he donned it proudly after they found it in the muffy basement. He treasured it as his personal item and helped Hongjoong adjust the straps on his when he struggled. The latter clutched the hand radio with Seonghwa's transmissions on it in one hand and Yeosang's sleeve in the other. Out of all the group members, he trusted the former slave the most.

"I will miss you," Wooyoung muttered, head falling until his hair hid his expression. Yunho pulled him into a warm hug and as much as Wooyoung adored San, Yunho's hugs were the best in the world. He sunk into it and breathed in Yunho's clean scent.

"It won't be for long. We will look forward to catching up with you two."

It would be long for their routine. A month at least, perhaps longer. Wooyoung was sad to realize he could live without Yunho now, and he refused to want to.

After a long hug, they pulled apart. Wooyoung's smile felt like a grimace as they exchanged their goodbyes with the others. Hongjoong didn't dare get too close, but he sent Jongho his frenzied version of a kind smile. After helping Jongho and sharing his passion for Seonghwa, he established his very own understanding of one another.

Wooyoung waved at Yunho until his trio appeared between the trees westbound. After bringing Mingi and Jongho back to their shelter in the desert, San and Wooyoung would venture south to his colony. Mingi's leg was doing fine, but it wouldn't make such a long trip, so they took the detour gladly.

Everyone settled in and this time, Mingi happily stretched out on the back with his feet in Jongho's lap. He fell silent, but his general aura was less hostile than it had been in the beginning. Once San slipped into the driver's seat, they were ready to go. Jongho had checked the car for any repairs and they had everything they needed. As the engine roared to life, Wooyoung took a last good look at the CRC. He doubted he would return since this chapter of his life was over, but this location would always be the most sacred place to him.

In no rush, they returned to the paths they had tentatively inched forward on before. Fresh plants covered the ground of the forest and the clear blue sky had Seonghwa teaching San about an appliance above his head that existed just to block out the sun.

How hilariously practical.

The open space of the desert looked different from before. No more water balls served as landmarks and crowds of people now gathered at the new pools of water. The heat was unbearable, but everyone seemed eager to make a profit from this peculiar situation. Not a single infected coyote crossed their paths and though the car didn't halt to help these people understand, Wooyoung realized this was what Seonghwa meant with the big change. Humanity would get back on its feet all by itself with the proper resources. As the jeep chased past, ideas sparked in their minds, and at once, life seemed worth living.

A simple change in perspective could do so much.

"I'm so proud of you, my light," Jongho sang to Seonghwa as the AI took in all the change he provoked. "You healed us all, yes, you did."

Confident as Seonghwa was in his numbers and his pixels, his avatar expressed his bafflement by sitting down in the center of his screen.

"I want to go to Europe. Find those people who made you. They must be so surprised you made it all the way to your destination with your limited abilities," Wooyoung snickered when he imagined their confusion as the skies cleared. Seonghwa had no hands or feet. One voice healed them all, just as he was intended to. Brought the light.

"It will take some time to get there," Seonghwa muttered, but he didn't refute it as an impossibility. Nothing was an impossibility now. With the right amount of madness and a good team, they might just make it work.

After dropping Jongho and Mingi off at their shelter, Wooyoung shared a tearful goodbye with Jongho. They promised to visit before they met up with Yunho and Yeosang and, thus, their leaders returned to their lair with Seonghwa. He provided Wooyoung with another hand-held radio, so they didn't have to be alone and then it was just the two of them. Just Wooyoung and San.

The roar of the engine was deafening in the barren lands leading to San's home and he got quieter and quieter the closer they got. Wooyoung left him his space and accepted when he pulled away early from their kisses. He shared San's anxiousness in silence, although the answer was clear.

It took them another five days from the shelter down to the area where San's eyes started recognizing the landscape. According to their map, they should arrive at their destination in the evening, but at noon, they found themselves blocked off.

An endless stretch of blue lined the desert. It reached further than their sight went and it came with a constant rush. When Wooyoung and San stumbled from the car in shock, they realized all of that was water.

So, so much water.

Had they been so rich in water all this time? It had hovered in the skies, throwing long shadows over the land, but there was so much of it now.

And it blocked them from reaching San's people.

Or rather, as Seonghwa already predicted, it was now above San's people.

And it was far too much to leave anyone alive if it came crashing down hard enough to make the world tremble.

Stunned into silence, San stood in the wind ruffling his hair. His skin glowed in a healthy tan from all the sun it drank up, and his fungus scars were unapologetically on display. The sight was breathtaking, but it also meant they had been right.

San's colony couldn't be saved.

Wooyoung stood in silent support, sad for San and what he lost. He didn't comment on the beauty of the ocean or all the emotions that crossed San's attractive features.

So much time had passed and while they couldn't see evidence of what happened and it was difficult to grasp, San allowed himself to feel his pain. It was raw on his face and Wooyoung felt with him, mourning his people even when San made his decision.

After a long time, San finally felt for Wooyoung's hand. The action made Wooyoung's heart leap, and he tentatively wrapped his fingers around San's. They stood, gathering their senses, but neither of them was alone. What San lost, he regained in another place.

"Okay," he muttered in a coarse voice. When Wooyoung glanced up at him, San gulped in a fresh breath of air.

"I'm okay now. Let's go check on the others."

"Are you sure?" Wooyoung didn't want him to rush, didn't want him to hide away and bear the guilt alone.

But San's nod was steady.

"I pity them, but... Seeing what we did and still have to do, I know of our opportunities. Let's focus on those," he soothed himself and Wooyoung's heart felt warm in his chest. He stepped closer to wrap his arms around San's neck and pulled him down to kiss his scarred lips while the ocean wind ruffled through their hair.

Unafraid of his peculiar skin, San held Wooyoung close against his body and engraved his promise into his lips. As the sun bore down on them to bring heat and new life, they gradually pulled apart to join their friends in carrying Seonghwa's message into the world.

*******

Here we go! Mission Bluebird is finished and the world is finally fixed ^^ Thank you everyone for enjoying reading and leaving lots of feedback. Albeit dark and bleak, this was a fic I really wanted to do when Halazia dropped. And of course my first spin on a zombie apocalypse.

Since I am figuring out some irl stuff I will have to leave you hanging for a week or so but then I will be back with another Seongjoong fic! It's set in Norse mythology and folklore so if that interests you, look out for my publishing update on Twitter! (Susimau_s)

Until then take care and see you soon (maybe) and thank you for reading ^^