Changjo kept his hood up and his eyes locked on the feet of the girl walking a yard in front of him as he made his way down the deserted street. He couldn't recall exactly when he'd started following her, but he knew he had to hurry up and finish the job before Minsoo and the others began to wonder where he was. Changjo had been sneaking out to take a lot of 'walks' recently. In reality, he'd been following and feeding on girls. He could still taste the blood of the last one in his mouth, saltier than usual, but just as delicious as any other. The girl he was currently following, pretty and petite with a red ribbon tied tantalizingly around her neck, smelled vaguely like citrus. He lifted his head for a moment to check the street; they were the only two to be seen. His eyes shifted back to her as she approached an alleyway, and he knew it was time to pounce. 

With inhuman speed, he rushed up behind her, grabbed her wrist and pulled her deep into the alley on their right. She was too shocked to scream; yet. With practiced ease Changjo slammed her small body up against the cold bricks and pinned her wrists to the wall. She let out a small, pained whimper, but that only drove him on. A devilish, self-satisfied smirk cut across his face as he leaned down and bit the ribbon around her neck, untying it by pulling on the loose strand with his teeth. He moved his body close to hers, holding her against the wall with his hips before moving her hands together and tying them tightly with the ribbon. He placed them over his head so that they circled his neck, ensuring that on the off-chance that somebody did walk by, they'd just think that he and the girl were nothing more than overly hormonal teenagers necking it in an alley.  By now, the girl had regained her voice. 

"Let me go! What do you want, you creep? Let me go or I'll scream!" she yelled, trying to glare defiantly at Changjo, but her eyes only betrayed her fear. He was really beginning to enjoy this.

"Even if I told you what I wanted, you wouldn't believe me," he purred, leaning to whisper into her ear, "and after I'm done with you, you won't be able to tell anyone else either." She struggled beneath him, trying to free her hands from the ribbon, but he was too strong.

"Yeah right! I'll go straight to the police!" she cried, but he just laughed and let his tongue slide from her jaw up to her earlobe. She tasted like lemon and panic, a surprisingly delicious combination that Changjo was desperate to get more of.

"They'll never believe you," he crooned, nibbling on her ear for a moment, "you're a little short, aren't you? Well, we can fix that." Changjo slowly ran his hands down her body before hooking them behind her knees and wrapping her legs around his waist. His nerves were jumping with excitement as he her neck, preparing for the bite.

"Please don't scream. It ruins it for me," he pouted, "plus, if you behave yourself, I might be nice." Changjo didn't wait to hear her retort before he plunged his fangs into her pale skin. He felt her body stiffen and pushed closer, sinking his teeth just a little deeper into her veins. The girl was too shocked to scream properly, much to Changjo's relief. Her legs were practically frozen in place around his waist, so he let his hands wander up to the collar of her blouse. In one fluid movement, he pulled the fabric apart, ing it down to her navel. She twisted and jerked suddenly beneath him, and he stopped drinking her blood long enough to look at her.

"Trust me, I'm doing you a favor here," he growled, blood dripping from his lips and onto his own shirt. She was as white as a sheet, her face blank but her eyes spilling tears. Changjo felt a distant pang of guilt, but pushed it down when he saw the red liquid dripping down her neck. With renewed intensity, he began drinking it once again. He didn't stop until he felt her slump against him, her legs slipping off his waist and dangling uselessly in the air. With a roll of his eyes her neck clean, sealing the multiple puncture wounds that seeped blood. He gently laid her on the ground, taking a moment to wipe the tears from her face. Then he left her there, making sure to put his hood back up as he walked down the empty street in the fading evening light.

xxx

Ricky's eyes snapped open as he heard the front door of the apartment close. He'd been in his room all day, locking himself away from the world that had  become soaked in red. He hadn't fed since the day Changjo arrived, and though he'd successfully hidden the Signs for a while, they were now unmistakable; as was his thirst. His body ached, but he didn't care. Let the Virus take him. Minsoo would probably kill him if he went crazy, and then this whole nightmare would finally be over. Ricky could sense Chunji in the apartment, feel his movements and smell his blood. It practically drove him mad, but he closed his eyes and tried to push it out of his mind just as Changjo slipped into the room. Ricky caught the distinct scent of something red on him and shot upright, turning to face the other boy.

"Where were you?" he asked, his eyes narrow.

"On a walk, like usual," Changjo said, shrugging off his hoodie and throwing it on the floor, "have you gotten out of bed today?"

"Don't lie to me," Ricky barked, standing up and advancing on Changjo.

"Woah, calm down! And stop yelling! I'm not lying to you." 

"Why do you smell like blood?" Ricky whispered fiercely, cornering Changjo and sniffing the air around him. His eyes locked onto a small dark stain just below the collar of Changjo's t-shirt. "Explain."

"...do I really have to?" Changjo murmured, looking at the ground, "I'm sorry."

"How long has this been going on?" Ricky was shaking, with anger or hunger he couldn't tell.

"It was just once! Just today! I couldn't help it, it was this girl she just--" Changjo stammered. Lying was not his forte. 

"Did you...?" Ricky interrupted.

"Did I what?"

"You know what! Don't play stupid with me! Did you kill her?" Ricky shouted, smacking the wall on his right with such force that a small dent appeared.

"No. At least, I don't think so. I'm sorry, Ricky. But not everyone is like you! Nobody is like you! Other Systems can't resist blood like you can," Changjo retorted defensively. Ricky shook his head and walked away, slamming the bedroom door behind him. He wanted out of there, to be anywhere but this apartment with the smell of blood threatening to suffocate him and the sting of Changjo's betrayal cutting through his already aching body. Instead, he walked straight into Chunji. Ricky backed up a step, holding his hands to his head. He could feel his control slipping away, his body fighting his will.

"Go," Ricky moaned, his fangs piercing his lower lip. Chunji didn't move, frozen by confusion and fear.

"Ricky! Are you okay?"

"No! Go! Get out of--" Ricky began, but his resistance failed. He launched himself at Chunji, grabbing his shoulders and plowing him onto the floor. Before he could think he was sinking his teeth into the other boy's neck, hot red blood flowing into his mouth. The relief was, as always, instant. But he wanted more. He drank greedily as Chunji struggled beneath him, crying out and pushing uselessly on Ricky's chest.

Ricky had never been hit by a freight train, but that was the only way he could describe the force that hit his body and knocked him off of Chunji and into the floor. Literally into the floor. He felt the wood crack and break beneath him as he tried to gasp for breath, but instead was treated to a searing pain in his chest. A fist came out of nowhere and slammed his head so hard that he lost consciousness for a moment. Ricky tried to move but couldn't. Suddenly, he was picked up and thrown into the wall, the drywall giving way beneath him as well. There was shouting, he thought, but his ears were ringing so badly he couldn't tell. His head was hit with several more skull cracking whollops before he fell completely into darkness. 

"Byunghun! Stop it! What the hell do you think you're doing? You're gonna kill him!" Minsoo screamed, trying to pull Byunghun away. Changjo caught Ricky as he fell forward out of the hole his body had made in the wall, his frame limp and broken. Byunghun jerked and struggled for a second in Minsoo's arms, his eyes wide and distant. Niel helped Chunji up and quickly shepered him into the living room, holding his hand on Chunji's neck to slow the bleeding.

"What the hell is going on?" Minsoo shouted, shaking Byunghun slightly, "what the are you doing?"

"Chunji..." Byunghun mumbled, blinking several times.

"Chunji's fine," Niel called from the other room.

"He bit Chunji," Byunghun finished, sliding out of Minsoo's arms and onto the floor. Changjo cradled Ricky in his arms, wiping the blood off of his chin and checking for a pulse.

"So you decided to ing kill him?" Minsoo yelled.

"I don't know what happened," Byunghun said quietly.

"He's alive," Changjo interjected, "he has more than a few broken ribs and a possibly dislocated jaw, but I think I popped that back in place on accident. His nose might be broken too, but other than that he's okay. Maybe. Can we take him to the emergency room?"

"I will," Minsoo said, stepping around Byunghun and picking Ricky up out of Changjo's arms, "I'll be back later. Try not to kill anyone else while I'm gone." With that he stormed out of the apartment, carrying Ricky bridal style, pausing only to grab his keys. Changjo eyed Byunghun carefully.

"Did you know you could do that?" he asked, nodding towards the two massive holes in the floor and wall. Byunghun shook his head slowly.

"Not really," he answered, his voice hollow. Changjo stood and walked over to Byunghun, pulling him up onto his feet. The two boys stood there in silence for a few moments. Without a word, Changjo slunk back into his bedroom as Byunghun staggered out to the living room.

"I'm fine, really," Chunji said, tentatively attempting a smile as Niel wiped the remaining spots of blood from his neck with a wet paper towel. Byunghun just stood in front of them, his eyes glazed. Niel cleared his throat nervously before getting up from the couch and walking off to his room.

"I'm sorry," Byunghun whispered, his voice strained. The image of Ricky lying broken in Changjo's arms swam before his eyes in the form of tears. Chunji shook his head.

"Everything's going to be okay. Systems heal fast. Minsoo's just taking him to the hospital to see what the damage is and they'll be back soon, probably with a lot of reserve blood for Ricky," Chunji said, grabbing Byunghun's hand and pulling him onto the couch.

"I just...I didn't even--" Byunghun began.

"I know," Chunji whispered as Byunghun rested his head on his shoulder, "it'll be alright."