"Hello, Minho hyung."

Minho stifled a groan, and forced open his eyes. Standing over him was Joong Ki, staring at him with unblinking eyes that Minh found rather creepy. Then he realized something even creeper - he had called him hyung. 

What had happened?

He struggled to sit up, but a bolt of panic flashed through him as he realized that he couldn't move his left arm. It hung limpy at his side, and when he tried to move it, he couldn't feel anything either. Joong Ki noticed the panic in his eyes and quickly said, "Don't worry - you were ... erm, electra - el - electrocuted?" he stumbled over the words clumsily. "Ugh. Anyway, the doctor said that you might feel numb and not be able to move things for a while but not to worry because it's most likely only temporary."

"Ah yes. Left arm, his it?" The doctor appeared at Joong Ki's shoulder, causing the younger boy to jump and edge away. The man bent down at checked a couple of moniters, and then prodded his arm a couple of times. Minho shifted uncomfortably - it was bad enough being on the hospital bed before, but he just hoped he was able to move around. 

Th doctor seemed to have heard his thoughts. "Well, I'd advise not moving from the bed for the first day or two," he said cheerfully, "Because your body is still pretty weak from the shock, and your nerves have taken minor damage so you might suddenly go weak at time -" Minho was slightly creeped out by how jolly the doctor sounded even when speaking aboout such things "- but in a good few weeks you'll be up and about, good as new. On the other hand, I have a fwe more patients to check up, so I'll be going. Good day!" And with that, the cheerful doctor left. 

Joong Ki stared after him, a bemused expression on his face. 

"He's happy."

"Certianly," Minho agreed. He shifted around under the covers for a few moments, then asked slowly, "What actually ... happened?"

"Um ..." Joong Ki looked into a corner, and Minho saw Sooyoung, whom he hadn't noticed at first, seemingly texting someone on her phone. "Sooyoung noona?"

"Well." Sooyoung put down her phone and glanced at the door. "It was all very dramatic, really. I was outside the bathroom -"

"What were you doing outside the bathroom, noona?" Joong Ki cut in, raising his eyebrows playfully. Sooyoung turned and red stuttered - "Yah - that's not what I  - anyway. Yeah, so then Minho came out, and then he looked kinda worried, and then suddenly there was this flash of white light and then he was on the floor, unconcious and doing those weird jerking movements and then the doctors came in and then I couldn't see anymore until they'd stabilized you. It was a minor shock, they said."

Minho suddenly felt the small, round object hidden in his chest pocket rather uncomfortable. 

"What caused it?" he asked - though he was pretty sure he knew what had caused it. Damn.

"We ... don't know," Joong Ki's brow furrowed. "There wasn't anything on the scene. No faults in the electircal equipment that could have gone off."

I know exactly what caused it, thought Minho. He shifted again - he was a danger here. It could detonate and kill anyone in the building - or anyone near him. 

He looked at Joong Ki and Sooyoung in sudden anxiety. 

What if that was their intention?

It probably wasn't, not originally. The Dagger didn't work that way - he knew. He spent his life training to rule the gang - he knew how they worked, but there was still some things - so many things - that were helped from him. Kept a secret. But he knew how they worked, and even if they hadn't wanted this orginally, they were going to work out what else they could do with it soon. 

And then he would be a danger.

"Um ... when can I go?" he asked. Sooyoung raised an eyebrow. "You've been given an electric shock, woke up like five minutes ago, nerve damage, an unresponding left arm, and you wanna go."

"It's my left arm, I'm right handed," protested Minho. "And it was ages ago. Nerve damage was minor."

"But hyung, the doctors said ..." Joong Ki trailed off, looking uncertain. Then suddenly, a look of confusion swept over his face. "You're not trying to go because ..."

Uh-oh. 

"Wait, you're not trying to find Ji Hyo and Yuri again, are you? And your brother?" Sooyoung blinked. "With that arm?"

"No, it's -" Minho stopped himself. No, don't deny it, his mind told him. It's a good story. Go with it. So Minho shook his head, and replied, "... yeah."

Joong Ki sent him a skeptical look, and Minho's stomach did a little flip. Damn, why is that kid so sharp?

"Oh. Well, don't worry -" Sooyoung's expression wasn't what her words were saying since her look was a stifled panic "- they're both just as capable as any of them. You have numbers and strength and strategies, but we're clever. And we know how you work."

"Don't say you," Minho cut her off. "I'm not with them. I ... I was once, but now ..."

"Oh. Yeah. Right." Sooyoung looked abashed. "Sorry."

Minho waved it off, then looked around again. "So can I go now?"

Silence.

Ji Hyo stifled the urge to cough as the dust settled in her lungs. Opening her eyes carefully, she squinted through the crack in her eyelids - to see darkness.

Immeadiately, she panicked. Was she blind? Did she die?

Then she quickly realized, no, it wasn't really possible for her to be dead. One, she could still smell, almost hear, and unfortunately, taste everything around her. Two, there was a throbbing in her ankle that was not a good sign, but if she could feel the pain, at least she was