The road was eerie quiet-- devoid of any living motion, though an occasional gust would send torn up, old newspaper flying about like tumbleweed.  (Y/n) tried to as still and as silent as she could, wander through the street without riling up much suspicion or attention.  Though her mind, heart and body were fortified with months and years of training, the starking contrast with the deserted land that she now treaded through and the comfort of her home crafted the slightest ripples in her courageous heart.
        She was sent by the government to suppress a rebellion group.  It was unknown what they were called, but what was certain was that they were considered monsters.  Their destructive forces, sheer number and explosive power were anything but human.  And it was her, (Y/n)'s, goal to infiltrate their den and spy on them from the inside.

        As she continued wandering through the empty, desolate streets, she caught sight of a peculiar building out of the corner of her eye.  There was an invisible force that drew her to it-- urging her that something awaited her inside.  And so she started towards it.        The rusted iron handle, left gritty, brown residue upon her hand.  Pushing with a gentle force, the door clanked and creaked opened with a monstrously loud noise.  It was with quick haste and skill, that (Y/n) pushed it but a little further, and slipped her body through it.  If it were possible, the building's interior was even more worn and broken than that of the outside streets.  Shattered glass glittered on the floor, like diamonds.  The white walls of the hall that she had found herself in, were dented in with holes, mold and stains.  The lighting in the building; however, was functioning to (Y/n)'s surprise-- though some only hung from a singular support and seemed as though it could fall upon her head at any given moment.        Her footsteps, her breaths and every noise that she made resounded like a thunderous echo in the otherwise still and silent building.  It gave a sense of eeriness.  One that even made her uneasy.  She crept on tensed toes, through the abandoned hallway, passing under a few flickering lights that illuminated bits and parts of the hall.  Uneasiness festered in her chest, as she grew near the hall's end.        There was a slight recoil in her as she stepped into the open lobby of the building.  Yet nothing was there.  She took timid steps forward, surveying the room about.  As she walked, her body moved about in a centripical path; she turned about as she walked towards the middle of the lobby.

        There was nothing rather special about the lobby.  A broken desk, shattered glass on the floor again, metal gates, and a phone booth in the corner.  She stared for a while at the phone booth, looking at it up and down.  And then her blood went cold.        
        Her eyes met with a pair of cold, monstrous, piercing black eyes.  For what it seemed like eternity, she could not draw her eyes away.  They encaptured her.  And did not let her go.

        Yet it was no monster whose eyes captured her.  Instead, it was a young man that entralled her.  He sat leaning against the booth's bottom, adorned in torn, black, leather clothing.  His coppery hair, which had a shiny luster to it, was in chaotic disarray.  He was lazily glancing up at her, though she knew that he was on guard.  Head tilted downwards, eyes glancing up at her.  "Who are you?"  His smooth, yet sharp, voice broke her of her trance.
        In a well rehearsed manner, she replied, "M-My name is (Y/n).  I-I'm here to look for my brother."  She gazed nervously at the man.  It was a mere act, a lie, she had no brother.  "H-his name is Jackson.  Do you know him, or know where he is?"
        He did not reply, and for reasons unknown she could not help but be drawn back into those two eyes again.  They maintained eye contact for a long time before he looked away.
        "I don't know.  Find someone else," he responded finally.  He went back to staring off elsewhere.
        He was suspicious of her.  (Y/n) could tell by his mannerisms and his brief words.  She was supposed to interrogate him further-- uncovering information and details and hopefully getting led to where their main forces were.  But there was this feeling of hesitation and discomfort that alluded her.  For reasons unknown, her guise was faltering in his presence-- slipping, falling and breaking.
        "Thank you," she murmured before turning around and wandering off quickly.  She felt his eyes on her back as she walked away; her body tensed up as her paced quickened.
        (Y/n) paid no heed to where she was walking.  It was not until her body slammed against something, causing her to fall, did she finally look up.
        Her eyes widened in surprise.   It was a group men, in similar attire as the man that she just had the encounter with.
        "Oh?  Who do we have here?  A lost little puppy?  Where are you headed?"  One of them asked.  They circled about her, like a group of predators would for a singular prey.
        "N-nowhere.  I'm just leaving," she muttered as she attempted to push past them.
        "Hey now!"  Someone grabbed her arm.
        She attempted to pry herself from him, but there was no need.
        "X-Xiumin h-hyung!"  The man who had grabbed her arm suddenly unhanded her, but (Y/n) at the same time, pulled and stumbled backwards from the force.  Her momentum was gently stopped when a hand grabbed ahold of her shoulder and swung her about.  She was pressed against someone, her ear against his chest.  (Y/n) made an attempt to pry herself away, but the hand about her shoulder prevented her from doing so.  She looked behind her to see that the group as quickly as it circled about her, dispersed into a cowering cluster-- all stared horrifically in (Y/n)'s direction.
        Tilting her head with the slightest angle, her eyes met with the same cold and distant ones that she had encountered earlier.  They locked onto hers again, seemingly staring into her very soul.
                                                                                 ι'м иσт тнαт gєитℓє.

        His eyes slowly closed, but when they opened again, they had relocated her gaze onto the group of men in front of them.
        "Shouldn't you be gathering with Chen's force at the moment?  What are you doing here?"  The cold words that poured from his lips rivaled the cold of his icy gaze.
        As if he were a monster that had crawled from the depths of their nightmares, the man who grabbed her stammered in horror, "o-our apologies!  We will go to him right now...!" With that, they turned around abruptly and quickly disappeared out of sight.
        (Y/n) felt the relentless pounding of her heart in her chest.  Now that the hall went silent again, she could clearly hear her heavy breaths from the resounations in the hall.  The hand on her shoulder slid off as he backed away from her slowly.  She stared up at him.
        "You said you were going to look for your brother, right...?"  His voice was a quiet and smooth tenor, though it was only one flat and continuous note.
        (Y/n) nodded slowly.
        He started towards her, glancing at her with an unknown emotion in his stare, brushing softly past her, he continued to walk further and further away.  Then, pausing momentarily in his stride, he asked softly, "Are you coming...?"

        (Y/n)'s eyes widened slightly in realization.  "Y-yes...!" she replied before quickly following his pace.

        Their walk with one another was a silent one.  Yet unsettling for (Y/n) was not her worries about where this man would lead her, but her worries of her heart tremors.  It thundered heavily in her chest.  Fear?  Curiosity?  Worry?  Or something else?
        For a moment, he glanced back at her meeting her eyes.  And her heart raced.
        "Xiumin, is my name," he spoke monotonously.
        "It's nice to meet you.  I'm (Y/n)," she responded.  But then there was a barely visibly flinch that overtook her.  Instead of using her undercover name as she was supposed to,  she had let her real identity slip from her lips.  (Y/n) stared at Xiumin in a fearful gaze.
        There was no trace of emotion in his face though, she heard him whisper inaudibly to himself,  "... a beautiful name."
        The flattery sent her once again off guard and flustered.  She felt her cheeks rise with an intense heat that radiated from her in folding waves.  Her thoughts were incomprehensible, and she tried to hastily dismiss them and return her face to its original hue.  Regaining her conditioned composure, she continued to follow him in silence.
                                                                        ι'м gσιиg тσ мєѕѕ уσυ υρ


        They entered an underground parking garage.  It was silent, save for the dripping echo of water in the empty lot.  But as they went deeper and deeper down, there was a rumbling noise that grew louder and louder as they approached.  It was not until they came down onto the final levels that they saw the source of the noise.  A large crowd of men, chattering and prepping weaponry and armor.
        Once one of them spotted Xiumin and (Y/n), the rest of the men quickly grew silent-- until it was as silent as the entrance of the lot.  Yet Xiumin paid no heed to this, and walked straight through, the sea of men parting in his path.  (Y/n) froze in place.  Xiumin walked for a bit, before turning his head around and gave (Y/n) a questioning look.  She quickly ran up and caught up to him.
        They walked around for a bit, before Xiumin asked, "Do you see him anywhere?"
        "N-no," she replied.  "Maybe he's not here-"
        "Xiumin-hyung," a man approached the two of them.
        Xiumin looked over at him, the latter flinching slightly.  "What is it?"
        "Suho has left this message for you."  He held out a crinkled piece of paper for Xiumin.  Xiumin took the note, reading it over briefly before glancing over at the man.
        "Suho-hyung had said that he left this group under your lead, hyung."
        Xiumin looked down at the note again, before dismissing the man.  A moment of silence hung between them for awhile before he broke it.  "If your brother is not here, I can't go with you to find him."
        (Y/n) was silent for a moment, but she replied, "It's fine.  I'll..."  She made up her mind.  "Perhaps, he has not arrived yet.  Or by luck I'll run into him later on.  Can I stay here?  If that's alright with you?"
        Xiumin did not respond right away.  But a soft, "Alright," gave her his consent.
        ~~~~~
        She spent her time playing along with the group's movements.  (Y/n) assimilated right into the rebellion group.  She helped them prepare their explosives, plan their layouts, move between bases and much more.  Yet she always stayed around Xiumin.  Unusually, she found comfort in his presence, and he appeared to found solace in hers.  They grew accustomed to one another, and it was to the point in which he would be by her in a matter of moments if she were to stray from his side for a minute.  It was as if she had a new monster that was hidden in her shadow.  Unsettling, but even moreso, she had grown attached to him.  She would sit for long hours trying to patch him up when he got roughed up.  She would often help him get ready for whatever the day called for.  And on occasion, she would hold him back for unwarranted hostility at his men.  He never said anything much to her, but his appreciation for his presence would be noted through his subtle gestures and expressions he would show.
        Their time together flew by.  Weeks passed.  As she spent her time with Xiumin, she accumulated vital data.  Vital information.  News of a revolt.  It was her duty, her task, to report back.  But she hesitated.  Should she report back?  The return date was near approaching, and as was the day of the revolt.  She found herself sitting alone, staring out at the streets when a moving shadow caught her eye.
        It was a young man of familiar face.  Her eyes widened in realization that it was a fellow spy that she was acquainted with back home.
        He too, saw her and grew near.
        "Jane."  He addressed her by her spy name.  She covered his mouth quickly.
        "Not here," she whispered to him.  She took quick glances to see if Xiumin was nearby.  "Follow me."
        ~~~~~
        "So, you let your real name slip out?"  They sat together under a stairway.
        "It's fine."
        "What developments do we have here?  They seem to be mass movements from what I've seen."
        (Y/n)'s blood went cold.  He knew something was amiss.  Her reluctance gave urge to his asking.  "What is it?"
        "A...revolt..."  The words were instantaneously remorsed upon leaving her lips.
        His eyes widened, before he hastily asked, " Have you informed headquarters?"
        "N-no, not yet.  I planned to soon," she answered.
        "You should go soon," he said.  He stood up, looking at her in the eyes.  "Don't forget your duty here, Miss (Y/n)."
        ~~~~~
        (Y/n) found herself helping Xiumin getting ready to meet up with the rest of the eight leaders.  The day of revolt was eminent.  Twelve days away.  She handed him his black suit jacket.  He quickly put it on before turning around to face her.  She reached up to fix his collar.  Her finger brushed over the snitched number, '99' on his collar.
        It was most likely the last time she would see him.  After meeting with the rest of the leaders, the revolt would begin.  The group she was in now, would not meet up with him until the recon point on the eve of battle.  And she would not be here then.

       "Do you... do you have to go?" she asked him quietly.  "Do... do you have to fight in this?"
        He stared at her for a moment before replying, "Of course."
        It was not as if she expected something different from him, but there was the foolish notion in her that he would not.  "B-but what if you get hurt?"  What was she saying?  The words flowed out uncontrollably.  "What if you get captured?  What if you ...  what if you die?"  The last part came out as a choke.
        She bit her lip.  Staring down at the rocky ground beneath her feet, she tried to blink away any prodding tears that threatened to spill.  Her cheeks flushed.  (Y/n) the crunching of gravel, as Xiumin approached her.  Staring fixatedly at the ground, she saw his black shoes come only a few inches apart from hers.
        Then she felt a soft hand run through her hair.  Warm.  Comforting.  She felt him pull her close to him, until she was snugged up against his body.  Their breaths were synchronized; their hearts together in rhythm.
        "..Don't worry."  His short words were caressing whispers in her ear.  He looked down to meet her eyes, and she looked up to meet his.  Affection and attachment in his eyes were reflected into hers.  "Once it's over... I'll come and find you."


                                                                ι'ℓℓ gινє уσυ α нι∂∂єи тняιℓℓ
        He kissed her.

        ~~~~~~~~
        The day of the revolt, she stood at the border of the deserted lands at the sides of rows of guards and soldiers.  Mobilized by the government to suppress the revolt, the national army and guard were moments away from their launching offensive.  (Y/n) stood by them, trying to keep her emotions at bay.  Only a few months prior, did she cross this border alone.  And that was when she met him.  And now she was here once more, only this time to annihilate the rebellion.
        She felt sick.  Guilt and worry swirled about in her insides like a turbulent storm.  (Y/n) had went back to headquarters, originally planning on reporting that there was no special movement in the rebellion group, yet a spy ahead of her informed sightings of mass movement.  Such her true report was said, instead of withheld.
        Her lips burned.  Tingled.  Her heart thundered.  Pulsated.  Her mind permeated with thoughts.
        And then they went off.  The guards, dressed in black, holding batons and transparent shields, poured into buildings in search of the rebels.  Immediately, she ran to that building.  The one where she first found Xiumin.  Through the flickering halls and about the sharp corners, but her haste was in vain.
        Against the silver fencing, his body was pressed.  Two men, wielding batons beat him from behind.  His expression-- one of pain and hurt-- shattered (Y/n)'s heart to pieces.
        "Stop!"  She rushed over and pulled a guard from him.  "This is unnecessary!"  She stared at them with a fierce glance.  But then faltered in her realization of what she had just done.  Briskly, to amend her mistake, she justified, "W-we have to take the leaders alive."  The guards backed off.
        (Y/n) slowly turned around to face Xiumin, who had slumped down to the ground against the fencing.  He tilted his head up at the slightest angle, peering at her.  She knelt down to him.  Taking one of his hands, she cuffed his wrist.  His hands were warm.  And though roughed up with the toils of battle and hardship, they had a distinct softness to them, a tenderness.  She took his other and cuffed them together.
        Their walk to the transport van was a silent one.  Heavy.  He spoke not a word to her.  And her to him.  She led him not by the chain between the cuffs, or by pushing forth his shoulders along, but by his hands.  Her single hand clasped in his as they both walked towards their designated farewell.  (Y/n) choked on her breaths, biting her lips to prevent any cries of sorrow that may slip.  Tears were prodded at her eyes.  She felt his hand tighten around hers.  A guard came and took her away from him.

        She felt her heart disintegrate as Xiumin was lead away into the van.  She stood there-- paralyzed-- unable to move, as he was taken away from her.  (Y/n) stared tragically at him, unable to bring herself to his rescue and escape.  Yet never once during this, did he avert his eyes from hers.  Yet never once, did the emotion of betrayal and hurt reflect in his eyes.  For once, she saw him smile at her.  A smile of understanding and slight sorrow.  A smile of bond and forgiveness.  A smile of love.  And it was not until the black doors of the van shut him away from her, did their contact break.  And it was not until he mouthed her the words, "I love you," that she lost to her endless tears.
                                    ι'м єиgяανє∂ ιи уσυя нєαят.  ѕσ єνєи ιf ι ∂ιє, ι'ℓℓ ѕтιℓℓ ℓινє σи fσяєνєя.