Byunghee stared at Sanghyun who had been crying since he woke up in this hospital and Byungki came in to inform that Changsun was missing. With a heavy sigh, Byunghee went up to Sanghyun and his eyes flickered once to Sanghyun's bandaged ankle, grateful that the visual maknae wasn't injured too much, only a sprain on his ankle and he wrapped his arms tenderly around Sanghyun's body.

          "Hush now." He whispered soothingly but Sanghyun only cried harder.

          "What if they did something to Changsun hyung? What if we will never see him again?" Sanghyun sobbed, burying his face into Byunghee's shoulder.

          Byunghee bit his lips. He was dead worry over Changsun too and it had been hours yet there were still no news on the dancer. Seungho, too, after showing up here for only a few minutes to make sure both Byunghee and Sanghyun was fine, even the leader went missing until now. It made Byunghee nervous. But at the same time, he felt weirdly assured when Seungho told them he would find Changsun before he left. Somehow, he wanted to believe the leader. Like he had always did despite all the secrets he knew leader was keeping from him and the others.

          "Didn't Seungho told us he would find Changsun?" Byunghee tried, pulling away and strecthed a smile. "We just have to wait. Everything will be fine." He cooed, patting Sanghyun's brown hair.

          "Really, hyung?" Sanghyun looked up with teary eyes.

          That just call another tender smile from Byunghee as he nodded to convince Sanghyun. Sometimes, Sanghyun did look like the maknae. Then again, Sanghyun was not that much older than Cheolyong after all.

          Oh yea… Now that he was reminded of their maknae…

          Byunghee pulled away slightly but paused when he felt Sanghyun clung on his arm. "Where are you going?" Sanghyun asked nervously, looking scared.

          "Oh, I just want to look how Cheolyong was doing while we're here." Byunghee informed and seeing as Sanghyun made to stand up from his hospital bed, Byunghee pushed Sanghyun back down by shoulders. "What do you think you're doing?" He asked with raised brow.

          "You said you want to visit Cheolyong. I'm coming with you." Sanghyun replied, wiping away his remaining tears, not wanting the maknae to see him cry and ended up being consoled by the younger when he was supposed to be the older one. He just didn't like to depend on Cheolyong, instead, he'd feel better if Cheolyong was the one to depend on him. So, he couldn't be weak, at least not in front of Cheolyong.

          "Uh, no." Byunghee replied dryly, cutting off the chain of thought in Sanghyun's mind.

          "Eh…? Why?" The younger pouted.

          Bunghee tilted his head downwards, eyes trailed down to Sanghyun's bandaged ankle. "Just rest here. Get some sleep and tomorrow we can go together to see him. He's probably already asleep by now, anyway. I'm just going to take a look."

          "But-"

          "No buts." Byunghee threw a look at the younger which the younger cowered immediately. Seungho might be the leader and the scariest in MBLAQ but Byunghee's force as one of the oldest member and also the mother of MBLAQ couldn't be ignored.

          "Okay, hyung."

          Byunghee chuckled softly at the dejected look on Sanghyun's face, patted the younger's head once before making his way out of his shared ward room with Sanghyun, down the hallway and taking elevator to the two upper floor and not too long later, he reached the room where the maknae was residing in while healing. He was about to push open the door when he freeze at the sound of something hitting the ground. Gasping, he was invaded with worries and in the short moment, a lot of imagination pass through his head, one worse than the others starting with Cheolyong falling while trying to go to the toilet and injured his back again.

          Pushing open the door, he frown at the darkness of the room. Another gasp escaped his lips when he saw a bundle of black on the floor, realizing it was definitely a person. Who the hell? Approaching closer, Byunghee hesitated at the way the figure lying on the floor presented himself. It was a… Probably a boy, wrapped in all black, almost looking like a costume of a secret agent he always watched in a drama, even the boy's hair was hidden under the same dark hoodie and half of his lower face was hidden behind a skeletal shaped mask, revealing only his closed eyes. But, even then, that figure seem familiar.

          Kneeling behind the boy in black, Byunghee hesitated a bit more before using an index finger to poke into the unconscious person's shoulder. No reaction. Poking a bit more and was sure the other boy wasn't conscious and seemed like wouldn't be in the nearest time, Byunghee gathered his courage, swallowing loudly and slowly pushing the hoodie back, revealing a tuft of long soft brown hair. Byunghee felt his heart skip a bit at those silky tresses he knew well. No… It can't be. It can't be him.

          With one slow motion, Byunghee pulled the mask away, finally revealing a face he knew all too well. "C-Cheolyong…" He stuttered, unable to think enough to answer all the piles of rapid question jumping inside his brain. "Cheolyong-ah. Wake up! What are you wearing? G-guns? Are these real? Why do you have guns with you? What happened to you-" Byunghee had shook onto Cheolyong's limp figure, demanding answer when he felt the sticky warm liquid seeping through the completely black uniform.

          Already half guessing what had stained his hand, he still retreated his hand and looked at his trembling limbs. His eyes opened even wider despite knowing what was it deep down. Blood… B-blood… Cheolyong's blood! When he lost focus to his own blood stained hand, his eyes caught the shard of glass, also stained with blood lying not far from Cheolyong's foot.

          "N-no… C-Cheolyong! Cheolyong!" Byunghee pulled onto Cheolyong's figure, maneuvering the weakened body onto his laps as he patted gently onto Cheolyong's cheek. But the younger was silent and unresponsive. Pulling Cheolyong closer to himself, he felt his whole body tremble and drop of tears started wetting his flushed face. "What should I do? What should I do? Please Cheolyong. Don't do this to me. Wake up. Tell me! What should I do? Cheolyong-ah!" Panicking, Byunghee jumped at sound of footsteps nearing the room.

          Didn't know what was happening and all, Byunghee followed his instinct. To protect his dongsaeng. He didn't have time to ponder over the right or wrong decision, he just know he had to hide Cheolyong, so he jumped to his feet and ran to the door, closing it before the hospital staff walked past the room and even putting a chair in front of the door since it couldn't be locked from inside. Panting a little, he went back to Cheolyong. He had loads of questions in his mind but that didn't matter right now. His priority was Cheolyong.

          Gently gathering the injured maknae in his arms, Byunghee was stopped dead when he heard strange sound coming from outside. From the window. Was someone out there? But this was supposed to be the seventh floor. However, when the window started to creak opened, Byunghee felt his whole senses numbed as he put Cheolyong back on the floor, out of impulse, taking one of Cheolyong's gun and retreated into the shadow, grateful he didn't flick opened the light in this room. He waited in silence and had to put a hand over his mouth when he saw another figure in black leapt from outside the window into this room without making any noises. Almost like a butterfly. Not a sound. If only Byunghee didn't witness the presence with his own eyes, he wouldn't believe there was someone other than him and Cheolyong in this room.

          Seeing as the figure approaching closer to the injured maknae on the floor, Byunghee had seriously considered of firing at the mysterious figure with Cheolyong's gun that he was clutching on tightly now with his trembling cold hands but he didn't. Because he noticed the similarity of the black overall outfit and the exact identical skull shaped mask. He watched silently as the figure kneeled beside Cheolyong, running his hand over Cheolyong's cheek and stopped at his arm as he gave a little shook, probably to reconfirm if Cheolyong was fully out cold. The mysterious figure then took the mask lied abandoned next to Cheolyong since Byunghee had taken it off before and put it back to cover Cheolyong's identity. Easily, the figure grabbed onto Cheolyong and carried the injured MBLAQ maknae into bridal style and made sure to take the evidence of the blood stained glass shard with him before making his way back to the window.

          Byunghee felt his heart stopped when the figure paused by the window and his head slightly turned over his shoulder. Byunghee swallowed the lump in his throat as he felt like that mysterious figure might have known him hiding in the shadow, watching. But when the figure in black turned back to the window, Byunghee felt his life wasn't as threatened as before. Maybe it was just his feeling? Maybe that mysterious person didn't even notice him and he was just freaking paranoid in this situation.

          And just like that, the figure took Cheolyong and jumped through the window, dissapeared into the night sky.

          Only then, Byunghee let out the breath he had been holding and all the strength finally left his legs as he fall down onto the floor. His eyes fall unto the gun in his hands. What had just happened?

############

With a grim look and a huge dark cloud over himself, Jinwoon glared at the wall of the secret room unknown inside 2am dorm he had built in for his and Cheolyong's use while waiting for Cheolyong to wake up. He had fixed all the injuries, sew the open wound and put a drip to keep Cheolyong hydrated.

          For two hours straight, he stared at wall, unmoving. Similar question ringing non-stop at the back of his mind. How do I tell Cheolyong about this? And that question increased the anger, the agony, the fear of what would be of Cheolyong's reaction once he able to speak out what had been bothering him.

          Jinwoon only took off his eyes from the wall when he saw movement from the corner of his eyes. He gazed with watchful eyes as Cheolyong pulled himself up from his lying position, looking better than when he first saw his partner bleeding on the floor and almost falling off the brink of death.

          Jinwoon kept quiet. Letting Cheolyong to gather back his memories and his thought until their gaze met. He was quite surprised, to be honest, when he saw Cheolyong's cold gaze that he almost thought that maybe, just a small possibility that maybe Cheolyong already knew about the dreadful news he was supposed to convey, but that was until Cheolyong opened his mouth to speak.

          "I want you to do a background check on Seungho."

          Jinwoon frowned. The way Cheolyong spelled Seungho's name, as if Seungho was his enemy. What had happened? "Seungho?" He asked for confirmation. Just in case there was any other Seungho. Unlikely…

          "Yes."

          "Seungho as in Yang Seungho?"

          "Yea."

          "Seungho as in your hyung?"

          "Uh-huh."

          "Seungho as in the MBLAQ leader?"

          "Yes, him! Who else do you think I'm talking about?!" Cheolyong exploded only to feel dizzy right after, almost falling off the bed when Jinwoon rounded one arm around Cheolyong's back and one hand grabbing Cheolyong's arm.

          "Why?"

          "Just do it." Cheolyong said dryly and rest his head against Jinwoon's shoulder. "And where did you go? I have been trying to reach for you."

          "That's…" Jinwoon swallowed loudly. "I was…" He hesitated. "I-I… T-there is something I have to-"

          "Oh ! What time is it?" Cheolyong jolted up, cutting off Jinwoon's words.

          "Uh… Seven in the morning."

          "Already?" Cheolyong stood up, stumbling a bit at the dark spots covering his sight for a while. When he was sure he wouldn't collapse again, he stopped the drip and took it out of his vein, looking back at Jinwoon who was still sitting on the bed, spacing out. "Hello, earth to Jinwoon!" Cheolyong waved his hand in front of Jinwoon, bring back the other to the real world. "Hey, I won't ask this if I'm totally fine with getting myself back inside the hospital but since I probably lost a pile of blood already, I need you to bring me back before my doctor start her round."

          "Sure." Jinwoon said, snapping out of his thought and scooping Cheolyong into his arms just like he did when he found the other boy on the hospital floor, bleeding out to death.

          "What are you doing?" Cheolyong squeaked, grabbing onto Jinwoon's collar when he felt he was suddenly up floating in the air.

          "Huh? What?" Jinwoon asked back dumbly.

          Cheolyong rolled his eyes, punching lightly on Jinwoon's shoulder. "What is wrong with you, seriously? Is something on your mind?" Jinwoon looked nervous for some reason. "First, put me down." Cheolyong ordered and the said boy slowly let Cheolyong back down. "And take me to the hospital with your car and help me sneak in. That's what I mean."

          "Oh okay."

          Along the way, Cheolyong had glanced a few times back at Jinwoon. Jinwoon was acting weird. Something must have happened. But Cheolyong decided to wait until they got back to the hospital first before anyone find out he was away on the night just a few hours after his surgery.

############

Byunghee sat on the floor of the ward room. He didn’t move since last night. He just sat there, that gun still in his hand and his head all muddled up. He sighed again and ran one hand over his face. "Who are you, Cheolyong… Who are you, really…?" He stared at the gun.

          The only time he finally moved away from his spot was when he remembered about Sanghyun, alone, staying at their ward room two floors below. He moved the couch back to the original place and was about to head out of the room when he saw shadows moved right in front of the door. Clasping one hand over his mouth, he jumped into the built-in bathroom inside this room and peeked through the narrow slit that was there as he left the door slightly opened.

          And that was when he saw Cheolyong came in with another boy, taller and a bit larger than Cheolyong but was standing with his back facing on Byunghee so Byunghee couldn't see who was it. He stayed quiet and listened attentively.

          "Her car is still not in the lot. I guess she won't start her round early today." Cheolyong sat down on the bed with the help from Jinwoon, talking about the young doctor who was in charge of him along his stay in this hospital. He stared up at Jinwoon once he settled down with his legs hanging off the bed. "What is it? You have something to tell me, right? I'm listening."

          "Maybe some other time. You should rest." Jinwoon mumbled, made to back off when Cheolyong caught his hand. "Cheolyong…"

          "Tell me." Cheolyong demanded, his voice came out deep and his gaze looked stern.

          Jinwoon sighed. He inhaled and exhaled a few times before he crouched down, still facing Cheolyong and put both hands on Cheolyong's knees. "Did you know about our family?" He started and watched as Cheolyong's features softened.

          "Is… Is your family… Are they your real family too?" Cheolyong asked back, closing his eyes when Jinwoon nodded at his question. When he felt Jinwoon's hand cupping his cheek, he opened back his eyes finding Jinwoon's orbs staring right into his.

          "How did you know?" Jinwoon asked softly, gazing deep into Cheolyong's soft brown orbs.

          "I remember. Somehow." Cheolyong answered shortly.

          Jinwoon smiled sadly. "Do you want to know how did I know?" Seeing as Cheolyong stayed quiet and just stared at him, he continued, "I went back home yesterday only to find their dead bodies and this." He took out a piece of white cloth with something written on it.

          Cheolyong gasped and snatched the cloth, his eyes moving fast over the lines of the sentences written on the material.

Jinwoon, child…

We're sorry for all these time we couldn't tell you. But believe me, we want to tell you. We want to tell you so much and live with you happily like we used to do before you're taken away from us.

Jinwoon. You're are our real son. My beloved son whom I fail to protect. Fogive this weak mother of yours.

The Ruby is finally on move. They have been targetting batches under Jiman and by the time you get this letter, they probably had gotten to us as well.

Jinwoon. Stay alive. And if Cheolyong is with you. Take him with you. Protect each other.

When both of you are in training under Jiman, we, and Cheolyong's family had met as well and they are just like me and your father. They grieved over Cheolyong and we grieved over you but we decided to stop grieving and start fighting.

The North had never done anything for us.

Fight them so there will be no more people like us.

          "Ruby…" Cheolyong whispered. "Are they the personal armies under Jiman?" He asked.

          "Cheolyong." Jinwoon took Cheolyong's hand, and without answering the smaller boy, he continued what he had started, "The reason why I didn't respond to your mail was because… As soon as I found this letter, I went down to Jansung." Jinwoon felt the stabbing pain on his chest at how the color left Cheolyong's face at the mention of that place.

          "No.. No.." Cheolyong chanted under his breath. "Don't… Stop!" Cheolyong put his hands over his ears. He didn't want to listen. He didn't want to know! "Shut up! Stop talking!"

          Jinwoon wrapped his fingers around Cheolyong's wrist and pulled both of Cheolyong's hand down. He kept Cheolyong inside his embrace when the boy started to struggle. "They are not with us anymore, Cheolyong."

          "NO!" Cheolyong shouted, his heart breaking into pieces, his tears ran down his face like a stream.

          Jinwoon bit his lips and pulled Cheolyong closer, muffling Cheolyong's heartbreaking cries into his jacket as another tear slipping down his own cheek. "Mianhae, Cheolyong. I was too late." He tightened his own arms around Cheolyong but stumbled back when Cheolyong pushed him away with force.

          "Jiman is going to die!" Cheolyong raged out, there was wild fire burning inside Cheolyong's eyes that almost scared Jinwoon but when Cheolyong started towards the door, he was stopped with a hand gripping his shoulder and he was yanked until his back met Jinwoon's chest before those arm surrounded him once again. "Let me go!" Cheolyong seethed. "Ruby or whatever it is, I'll make them bow at the step of my parents' grave!"

          "Cheolyong please, don't. You're bleeding!" Jinwoon warned seeing the crimson now staining Cheolyong's shirt and the stain was getting larger with Cheolyong's intense struggles against him. The stitches must have torn open.

          "I don't care! I want them to pay!" Cheolyong raised his arm and started to strike Jinwoon but even if with such rage, he had taken too much damage before and Jinwoon easily nulled his attacks and now was pinning him down on the bed. "Let me go! I want to kill them!"

          "BANG CHEOLYONG!" Jinwoon raised his voice and Cheolyong froze, glaring up at Jinwoon. "I know we went through some hellish training and I know you got one heck of a skill but you seems to forgot this. We're not invisible. We got shot, we'll bleed. We got beaten, we'll bruised." Seeing as Cheolyong stopped struggling, Jinwoon sighed. "I want to kill them just as much as you do, but we don't know how many of them out there. If we go out there without a plan, it's a suicide. And my parents, as well as yours wouldn't want us to do that, would they? And for your sister."

          "My sister?" Cheolyong frowned in confusion.

          "Hyojin noona. She probably still alive. I couldn't find her anywhere."

          "She is?" Cheolyong asked again in a small voice, the wild fire inside his orbs slowly died down.

          Jinwoon nodded and pulled away, pulling Cheolyong up and into his embrace again. "So please. Don't act rash. I promised them to protect you and I can't do that if you, yourself walked straight into the death trap."

          "B-but… I haven't even had a chance to tell them I love them." Cheolyong whispered brokenly and sobbed into Jinwoon's chest. "All these time. They were so close to me yet I don't even recognize them. I don't even remember them. Those people robbed it from me! They took me away from my family! And now they took my family away from me! I hate them! I hate them!"

          "Shhh… I know, Cheolyong. I know well how it feels like." Sound of nearing footsteps broke the hug and Jinwoon stared sadly at Cheolyong, his own tears threatening to fall. "But we have to stay in character. I'll look further into this. You have to wait. Can you do that for me?" Cheolyong nodded. "I have to go now." Jinwoon said and went to towards the window, disappearing like always.

          Cheolyong, wiping all the traces of his tears, he pulled the bed sheet up to his neck to cover the blood staining his shirt and pretended to sleep when the doctor came inside the room, asking him a few questions, joting down a few notes on the medical chart hanging at the foot of the bed and when the doctor finally left, Cheolyong stood up from the bed.

          "Mianhae. I can't wait." Cheolyong said and took his things and jumped out of the window where Jinwoon had disappeared through.

          Once Byunghee was sure the room was empty again, that was when he stepped out ouf his hiding in the bathroom and felt his tears raining down his face non-stop. What he had heard break him more and more. And to listen to Cheolyong's distressed cry, and couldn't do anything about it, it just shattered him into small pieces. As much as Cheolyong was broken, him too, had been scarred.

          Byunghee looked down at the gun he still held. "How much have you suffered, Cheolyong-ah? Eottoke? What should I do, Cheolyong-ah? I don't know… I really don't know."