15 years before...

A ten year old boy was looking ahead of him. His wide brown eyes have a savage glint no other children his age should have had. But he did. And the intent look in his eyes could shook any soul who had enough courage or maybe just stupid enough to peer into those brown orbs. With a sudden charge forward, he brought two small shuriken from its holster around his waist and threw it with amazing precision towards the targets he had set his eyes on. Two bodies fall on the ground just second after. Twisting his small child body and throwing himself off balance, he caught himself with his palms flat on the ground and his legs stretched out for a kick and he clipped one in a jaw on two in the stomach. Letting his soles finding ground again, he felt hard jam of elbow into his side but that didn't hinder him as he threw a solid punch on the other face as counterattack, hitting only air. Feeling something coming to his own face, he kicked the ground and tumbled backwards, creating a few meters distance from his last enemy.

          In front of him was another boy, splattered of blood on his chubby cheeks and white uniform but most certainly not his own blood. Just like him, the other boy had defeated all of the other children and the bodies littered around them, limp and unmoving. He smirked, feeling his heart beating in excitement at this seemingly worthy fight ahead of him. Both didn't move their eyes away from each other. Air around them became thick and heavy as each waited the other to make the first move. It was the other boy first.

          A small shuriken flew across the distance, cutting the air and he had to jump to his left to duck but he felt burning pain on his left shoulder. How the hell he didn't see another shuriken flew his way? What a trick… Finally, someone who was worth the fight. Grinning even wider with malice in his smile, he bolted forward as the other boy did the same. Fast exchange of punches and kicks until the other boy caught his right fist which was aiming for the other's cheek and he caught the other's right wrist, both locked in a position with their faces close to each other. Harsh breath beating against their faces. They were definitely on par to each other for both skills and strength despite the other boy's frame being a bit larger than his. This last fight would have dragged on for long hours and came down to who have better stamina if not for the interruption that came in the middle of the fight.

          Sound of a clap of hands brought their burning eyes away from each other. "That's enough." A man in his twenties yet look older than his age stepped over other limp bodies on the ground towards the battling duo. The right half of his face was covered in a hideous scar which he had gotten from his own battle ten years back, just like these kids. He was known as the best agent in his time and still the best until now but he had a hunch that these two kids in front of him would surpass him as he witnessed the mass fight he had put them in. "You two, come with me." He beckoned the two boys who at first, hesitant to withdraw from each other but eventually did when the man clad in green uniform of an army turned and walked away.

          They were brought to a room they had never stepped in before. Not since they were recruited into this organization at the vulnerable age of six and had to spend four years of vigorous training for strength and skills in fighting and... Killing.

          The two boys stood across the shiny table and watched carefully as the man walked around the lone large table in this room. On his way, the tip of his index finger gently the name plate on the table. General Park Ji Man.

          The man took his seat on the large chair, his hands intertwined in front of his chin and his elbows propped up on the table as one good eye scanning the two boys in front of him. Even though his right eye was already blind, yet those no good eye still could render fear into anyone who dare to stare. "Do you have a name already?"

          The two boys looked at each other before shaking their head. They were brought up in this secret organization of North Korea government with only numbers and characters as their identity. They have no other memory than the ones when they were in this organization. No other identity. The smaller boy was the one to speak up first, much to Jiman's amusement. "I'm AD105, sir."

          Jiman nodded while looking up and down at the smaller boy. This boy had caught his attention half an hour after the battle of the AD batch started. The child was savage and he killed without hesitation. He even enjoyed it, as Jiman saw the enjoyment smirk permanently pasted on the child's lips as the child buried his blade into his comrade's bodies without even a speck of hesitancy. Weirdly, the kid could look so innocent even with blood all over his uniform and even hands and even on his face. The boy had a pair of wide hooded brown eyes, the light in the room reflected softly on those brown orbs, tanned skin which went well with his dark raven hair which was cut short in army style, the only hair style for those who were part of the organization. But Jiman wouldn't easily be deceived by those seemingly innocent orbs peering up at him strongly, he could see behind those orbs, the readiness to kill. But, his innocent physique definitely played out best for him and would be his advantage in the future.

          "I'm AD93, sir." The larger boy spoke up and Jiman's attention was brought to other boy. This boy had a larger frame than the boy standing next to him but Jiman knew it was AD105 who had smaller frame compared to the other comrades of his age, but still possess similar strength, maybe even more. This larger boy however was what Jiman would consider quite the opposite of the smaller boy. His eyes were small and dark and sharp, yet in those eyes, he saw hesitation. Most of the boys which had to confront this boy in the fight just now, were still alive though by now, Jiman was sure every single one of them were disposed by the other fellow in this organization. They didn't need liabilities. There were no place for weaklings in this place. Only the strong one would survive. However, despite hesitancy to kill, AD93 able to hold up his fight and even was on par with AD105 who went all out with huge intent of killing anyone in his way. He was strong. And if he able to train himself to enjoy killing, most likely, AD93 would be even stronger than AD105. But these two would balance each other out, he decided.

          "You two are the winners." Jiman said.

          The smaller boy's eyes narrowed. "There can't be two winners." He hissed like a viper.

          "Yes, it can." Jiman simply said, leaning back on his chair, amusement dancing in his eyes at this boy's defiance. No one have ever dare to spoke against him. No one. Yet, he didn't feel challenged, nor angry, just amused.

          "The rule are for each batch, there will be only one qualified agent."

          "I  am the rules." Jiman smirked when the boy looked away. "Starting from this moment, both of you will be working together. As if you two are of the same soul and body instead of two separate person. Understand?"

          "Roger." AD93 answered and Jiman's eyes staring deep into AD105's defiant eyes.

          "Understand?" Jiman pressed.

          "Yes, sir." AD105 finally answered.

          "Good. Do you two know what's next in the agenda?" Jiman tested.

          This time, it was AD93 the one to answer. "It's 'I' phase. Infiltration into enemy's base."

          Jiman nodded in approval. "Good. Very good." He left his chair towards the wall behind him. Pressing a hidden button on his uniform under the collar, a thousand dollar worth of painting moved from its place to the side, revealing a metal door of safe box with numbers coding as lock. He opened the door and took out two brown envelops before putting everything back to before. He tossed each envelop in front of each boys. "This is your new identity."

          AD105 took the envelop first, fishing out several documents and a scowl etched almost immediately on his face. "What kind of name is Bang Cheolyong." He complained and flipped to other documents. "A farm house? Can't get any better, can it?" He jibed, rolling his eyes and shoving back those offending papers into the envelop.

          Jiman chuckled. He somehow, like how defiant and gutsy the kid was. Something rare to find in this organization. One of a kind. However, this defiance, he thought, might come back to bite him on the . But, he would went with the flow for now just to create perfect duo of killing machine. The perfect agents. "How do you like yours?" Jimin turned to AD93.

          "Jung Jinwoon is quite an ordinary name." AD93 spoke out. "I don't have any complain."

          Jiman smirk. "Prepare yourself. As of now, you will start to live as what had been put in the envelop until order came in. Agents..." Jiman put two wristwatches for the kids and slide them across the table. "Today, you two are officially the shadow agents for AD batch. Tomorrow, you will leave North Korea and became South Korean. Your 'family' will be waiting there. Remember…" Jiman went to stood towering over the two boys, staring down at them. "If you can't come back alive, at least die as a legend that served our country with proud."

          The two boys nodded firmly. "Our life for the country and the great leader. Betrayal is worse than death." They said in harmony. The slogan they had been taught to keep in their mind.

          "Dismiss."

######

Jinwoon looked across the now empty bunks of beds to the end of the large room where Cheolyong was sitting on while fumbling with the wristwatch, learning what kind of function stored in this gadget. Cheolyong must have felt eyes on him as his eyes went towards Jinwoon and immediately turned sharp when their orbs met. Glaring.

          "So... We're partner from now onwards." Jinwoon started, breaking the silence in this seemingly large room after the death of their other 23 comrades of their batch.

          "We have no sort of relation in our new identity." Cheolyong replied casually, fastening the wristwatch around his small wrist.

          "But we're still partner. And there are only two of us left."

          "It should have been only me." Cheolyong seethed and threw himself backwards, facing the ceiling. His stared emptily at the dark ceiling and tried to imagine his new life in South Korea. He hated changes but he was trained for four years for sole reason to be an undercover spy in the enemy's country. "How many?"

          "...What?"

          "How many did you beat?"

          Jinwoon paused, his features contorted at the thought of the battle of survival they had before. "Twelve." He whispered back, trying not to choke.

          Cheolyong narrowed his eyes and pursed his lips. He killed one less than Jinwoon? That was a disgrace. But then again, if they weren't stopped by the general, he might have killed Jinwoon for all he knew and it would count as twelve.

          "But I don't kill most of them. They were just unconscious." Jinwoon continued.

          Cheolyong glanced shortly at the other. "That doesn't matter. They were surely dead by now." It was a long silence followed after and Cheolyong swore he felt some sort of sad emotion came from Jinwoon, making him gritted his own teeth in annoyance. Jiman was seriously putting him together with this softie? Emotion do no good to spies.

          Jinwoon sighed and lied back as well, pulling his thin blanket over him. "Tomorrow, we will have new family." He whispered, remembering back to the pictures stuck on the documents they were given all the while trying to erase images of this room which was full of kids his age before. New mother. New father. New families... Family... Something he had no chance to taste before. But did he really? Sometimes, he had dream of a woman with gentle smile and a man with strong built but had the same gentle smile... Were they his parents? He would like to think so.

          "They are not family. They are comrades." Cheolyong's voice brought Jinwoon out of his thought.

          Jinwoon sighed again. "Why are you so hostile? I'm not your enemy, you know?" Jinwoon knew he had never had chance to talk to Cheolyong before but he had noticed the boy. Most of the kids here were aware of Cheolyong's existence. A boy with overwhelming intent to kill and skills that par his intent. A boy whom all of them expect to be the sole survivor of this deadly camp. But also a boy who never tried to befriend anyone. Well, supposedly, they shouldn't befriend each other because eventually they had to kill each other. But Jinwoon didn't follow that rule. He befriend most of them but not Cheolyong. Cheolyong was hostile to everyone, putting up a wall around him where no one could trespass. Which also a reason that made Jinwoon like to observe Cheolyong and had small wish to befriend the loner of the batch. Because Cheolyong looked so painfully lonely even when he was the one withdrawing from others. But Jinwoon never got the courage or the chance to. He doubt that Cheolyong ever aware of his existence before this, though.

          Cheolyong snickered as he turned his head slightly to look at Jinwoon who was lying on his side to face Cheolyong. Despite the distance, he could see Jinwoon's frame clearly. "Indeed we're not enemy, but we're not friend either. We're comrades. Such words as friend and family can't exist in our world. It weaken us."

          "Don't you think having someone we love and someone we want to protect will give us more power? Willpower?"

          Cheolyong chuckled darkly. "Oh my god, you can't be so naive. It's a nuisance having to protect others. And do you really think our new 'family' would have care if we are down in mission? They will just welcome another new agent in their family. Ugh... Just by thinking I have to live under the same roof with those lowly informant agents, pretending to be one happy family make me want to puke." Cheolyong scowled.

          Jinwoon frowned. "But-"

          "Willpower is only an excuse weaklings use in a fight to pretend they have upper-hands with their enemy. Willpower doesn't exist." Cheolyong cut Jinwoon off.

          Jinwoon turned and lied back on his back after Cheolyong turned away from him, giving him only the sight of his backside. "We still have to keep in touch with each other."

          "If  there's a need." Cheolyong corrected.

          "Goodnight, Cheolyong."

          He got no answer. Tomorrow was a new life for both of them. New place. New comrades.

#######

Cheolyong lived his life strictly following his fake personality that he had created. One of a hyperactive boy that could liven up the atmosphere in one house with just his presence. He always had this annoying bright smile on his face that he needed to keep up despite feeling how stiff his facial muscle became. But it only felt awkward for first three years he lived in this farm house back in Jansung, South Korea. He got used to it eventually.

          It was another day in his new middle school. It had been six months since he started studying in this school and using his fake persona, it was easy for him to gain lots of friends in this school, having his own group of close friends, having seniors looking at him fondly, even having a few love letters from the girls of his school and his other school since other than his fake bright personality, he was also blessed with good look which were all natural by the way. Wide soft brown eyes that turned crescent when he beamed his sunshine smile, cute button nose in the centre of his oval face, slim feminine shape of face yet have the manly look with his strong jaw, and attractive cupid bow leading all the way to his cherry pouty lips. He even have shoulder length silky raven hair that sometimes people mistook him as his sister, fake sister if he had to add.

          It was still amazing to Cheolyong how Jiman able to find him a fake family that looked like a carbon copy of him though he had a suspicion that Jiman might have used some illegal genetic engineering in order for other people not to suspect any of his little group of spies. Cheolyong's fake mother and father were only some small trivial agent that had been put in South Korea for a bit over ten years, his oldest sister was also some small fry who held connection between their base in North and was in charge to report anyone of the spies in South who might seemed to be liabilities to North and like her job, she definitely had her eyes on Cheolyong. His fake second older sister seemed to be the only one of the same level as Cheolyong. But it seemed that she was still a sleeping agent. She had been a sleeping agent for five years as there were no really inquiries for her to move. Same as Cheolyong for these three years.

          However, these three years of having to live this annoyingly happy life without any task in hand, it didn't took Cheolyong's focus away. On the day he didn't have to pretend to hang out with his other friends, he went deep into the forest of the mountain that the organization had purchased under his fake family names and practice. He usually spend the whole day in the mountain for training which was also his outlet to vent his frustration off.

          He hated this! He hated this warmth! He hated being surrounded with happy people. He hated that he, himself have to paste a bright smile. All was sun and rainbow here and yet he knew perfectly was all fake! He didn't want to delude himself to be genuinely happy because he knew happiness wasn't for people like him.

          So today, again, after doing his daily appearance as the clown of the class he went to vent out his frustration on the trees in the mountain. He yelled out in rage, kicking and punching carelessly until his knuckles bleed, his skin bruised. It took him half an hour before he finally collapsed on the ground. The bright sky evening were being veiled by the dawn of the day.

          "Damn it..." Cheolyong whispered harshly, closing his eyes and used his arm to cover upper half of his face. "Damn it..."

          He wanted to deny it but... He felt warm.