"You came." Cheolyong's voice floated around the empty building. He didn't need to see with his eyes to notice the new presence inside this building.

          "You know that was a trap?" Onew asked, slowly approaching Cheolyong who was sitting against the windosill. His red blood muffler fluttered with the wind.

          Cheolyong side glance at Onew. "Are you Jiman's son?"

          Onew sighed, his eyes turned dark as he drifted his gaze down to the floor. There was shame reflected on his features. "I wish I was not." He leaned his back on the wall just beside the windowsill Cheolyong was sitting at.

          "You can't possibly hate your own parents no matter how much they did things that you hate." Cheolyong looked back to the distance. "I have no explanation why he did what he did. I really want to know where exactly he stand in this situation. That's why I agree to his offer."

          "And he betray you." Onew whispered, hanging his head low. His father kept on doing this. Really… If Jiman kept on doing things he hate, he might really despise his father. For real. He really wish his father would stop. Before he actually hate his own father.

          "Yet, you're there to protect me." Cheolyong smiled slightly. Just a little tug on his lips. He had almost went straight into the trap Jiman set for him but Onew came right on time. Not that Cheolyong hadn't already realize it was a trap but Onew help him to get out of there.

          " NIS is on move. I guess they really thought the president is here. And Jinwoon…"

          "What about Jinwoon?"

          "I guess he knew it too. I saw him there." Onew looked closely at Cheolyong's reaction wanting to read the younger's mind. "You're not worried?"

          "Jinwoon is not someone we should worry for. He is even better than me in taking care of himself." Both of them stayed quiet for a moment before Cheolyong spoke again. "What a joke. Why would the President do something as stupid as coming to South. I can't believe Jiman actually thought I'd believe that." Cheolyong laughed bitterly. "The only way we can get to him is by going to North."

          "Are you really going that far?" Onew asked.

          "Why wouldn't I? I need to end what I have started."

          "North is full of his people. Every crook of that place filled with his eyes." Onew reminded. "It sounds like suicide to me."

          "Suicide…" Cheolyong turned his gaze to Onew and wore a small smile, almost peaceful look. "…doesn't sound half bad."

          Onew sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose as if he was giving up. "And you're going to leave me with the long lists of North agents here? I know I'm strong but I can't handle all of them."

          Cheolyong hopped down the windowsill and stopped by Onew's side, clapping Onew's shoulder with a firm grip. "I left the list with NIS as well. Maybe you can work with them." He grinned knowing how impossible he sounded by suggesting someone from North to work with South.

          Cheolyong's toothy smile tugged another smile on Onew's face. Cheolyong might be a deadly assassin and he could never read this lad but one thing Onew was sure of, Cheolyong's smiles are beautiful. And he believed, deep inside Cheolyong was a beautiful soul even with his father's deed of tainting the pure soul or even when Cheolyong kept on saying that inside him was nothing but his own monster. Evil.

          "Then, why don't you let me come with you? To North?"

          Instead of answering Onew, Cheolyong's eyes sharpened in focus, his shoulders tensed and his legs slightly opened, feet anchoring the ground, in the position of defense and immediately, Onew was on the same position by his side. The question disappeared with the wind.

          Sounds of footsteps echoed through the abandoned building. Judging from how the cracks on the wall spitted out dust, the people filing inside this building must have been more than they expected.

          Cheolyong met Onew's eyes for a split second and they swifly pulled out their own weapon.

          Ruby is here.

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

Jinwoon spat out the blood from his mouth. He was breathing heavily as he slid down the grubby wall on the hidden alley. Using his thumb to wipe away the blood trickling down his chin, he inhaled deeply and tried to relax. He had barely escaped the Ruby's nest. Thankfully, there weren't many of them there. But Cheolyong was also nowhere in sight.

          Seriously… Usually he had no problem in tracking Cheolyong down. He always knew where his partner was but this time he couldn't seem to find out Cheolyong's whereabout.

          "Maybe Mir was wrong. You're not as strong as he said you are."

          Jinwoon jerked up, jumping onto his feet with alert eyes once he heard the voice. He turned his eyes towards the direction of the voice to find Onew standing a few meters away from him with his signature red muffler covering lower half of his face.

          "I thought I might find you here." Onew took a few more steps but paused when Jinwoon pointed a gun towards him. Onew couldn't help but laughed humorously. "Really, Jinwoon? What make you think you could kill me when you have never kill anyone?"

          Jinwoon scoffed. "I don't necessarily have to kill you. I can just severely injure you."

          Onew sighed. "Fine. I'm not here to harm you or anything. I'm here for Mir."

          Jinwoon's brows slowly gathered together and he put down the gun. "What about him?"

          "He's in Jiman's hands now. Don't panic." Onew quickly added the last sentence once he saw Jinwoon's small eyes getting larger. "It's part of his plan anyway."

          Jinwoon blinked, trying to digest Onew's words. His eyes trailed all over Onew's body. The blood red muffler looked a bit dirty with greyish dust and almost black sooth and only then he realized Onew did look a bit disheveled. "Did you blew something up?" He found himself asking before he even think.

          Onew looked down on himself, dusting off some of the sooth from his shoulder though it didn't do much to clean himself up anyway. "Mir blew the whole building up." Oncw shrugged casually, taking out one of the pieces of the chess set left under the remain of the abandoned building and hold it up to their eye level.

          "That…" Jinwoon sighed, remembering the chess set he had given Cheolyong. It was one of the boring day when both of them went out for fishing, he meant real fishing and not on mission where no fish took their bait and Jinwoon decided to just spend the rest of their time at the mall. They had fun at the mall like a bunch of teenagers louging around until Cheolyong shoved into his hand a chess set made of glass, mumbling that it was fun that day and that was his little gift for Jinwoon. Jinwoon swore Cheolyong looked shy at that time.

          It was a random gift but it made Jinwoon smiled for the rest of the day. It were these little things that made him so reluctant to let Cheolyong go as he was learning about his partner bit by bit.

          The week after that, Jinwoon gave Cheolyong half of the chess pieces, the white ones and excitedly tell the younger of what had he done on all the chess pieces.

          "He used it now." Jinwoon spoke, mind came back to present. "He was angry back then when I told him I turn all of them into a trigger bomb."

          "Oh… So that's what happened." Onew chuckled. "This is really neat." Onew juggled the dangerous chess piece.

          "Did he use all?" Jinwoon asked, snatching the chess piece mid-air.

          Onew shrugged. "I don't know. I only realized when the building exploded. I'm lucky I didn't get blown up together with those other Ruby."

          "So… You are on my side?" Jinwoon asked.

          "No. I am on my own side." At Jinwoon's questioning look, Onew continued with a smirk. "Which currently rooting for Mir and you. And who knows… Maybe South?"

          "That's so sweet of you." Jinwoon scoffed. "Take me where he is."

          "That is exactly what I'm here for. But, I'm not only taking you. Mir might have killed some of the ruby but there are still a lot of them and they could easily crush both of us. I came to you because I know you have back up." Onew explained.

          Jinwoon sighed. "Mir is not going to like it. They used to be part of Ruby after all."

          "He never listen to you, why should you listen to him?"

          Chuckling, Jinwoon nodded once. "You got a point there. I'll gather some people."

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

Seungho was frustrated with all of this unending chase. He felt thrown to all sides and now it was back to zero. Cheolyong left no clues. Not even after blowing up the whole building secluded a bit far from the city. And now, his collegues were combing through the crime site with nothing to find except for bodies of more Ruby.

          "It still shock me of how easily he could kill." Seungho whispered tiredly, rubbing his face with his palms. He plopped down on the seat facing Hyojin who closed her eyes with a calm look seemingly meditating in her mind.

          That was only until he spoke and she looked at Seungho with a prickly gaze. "What are you talking about? He is a trained assassin. I, too, have killed." Hyojin frowned, saying it as if it was not a big deal. She kept a straight face even with Seungho staring back at her with a dumbfounded look. "What? You know we are spies. And being a detective, surely you know what kind of things included in the jobscope."

          "But he left a blood bath back there!" Seungho shouted.

          "I'd say, he did quite a good job. Why are you so angry? Killing Ruby will only benefit South." Hyojin retorted. She would have threw her hands in the air just for the sake of it if it was not for the handcuff bounding her upper limbs together.

          "Ruby or not, they are still people. Don't you feel any remorse? We're not talking about flies or bugs! He is killing people!" Seungho hissed. "Don't he at least feel something for people he kill."

          The corner of Hyojin's eyes went up as she glared harshly at Seungho. "Why should he? Ruby had killed everyone important to him and me. Why should he feel something for those kind of people? What kind of feeling exactly he should feel? Huh?" Hyojin scoffed. "Sympathy? Empathy? They never felt that as they slaughter my parents. We don't feel anything for them except for maybe one. Hate."

          Seungho swallow. His throat felt dry as he stared fearfully at Hyojin. He didn't want to believe this lady once was that bright cheerful noona of his lovable maknae. That Cheolyong was no different from Hyojin or maybe even worse. His maknae… Was a killer…

          He had known that since before but he never want to even imagine such existence that he had known to be innocent and kind and sweet capable of commiting such henious act. But then again, all of those were only acting from Cheolyong's part.

          "Seungho. Sorry for interrupting, but your group members are here waiting for you in the lobby." Wonbin popped only his head into this dark room and quickly disappeared again behind the door so as not to get involved in the seemingly tense situation.

          "I'll be back." Seungho announced and just as he closed the door behind him, he heard Hyojin's fleeting whisper of,

          "Don't even bother."

          Seungho tilted his head but dismissed those words as Hyojin being bitter after their argument and went ahead to meet the MBLAQ members waiting for him. Once he reached the lobby, he saw not only the three members of MBLAQ but also Sangbae.

          "Hey, Sangbae?" Seungho called out even before the other four lads waiting by the lobby realized his presence.

          It was quite a surprise. Since MBLAQ debut, they hadn't seen much of each other as Sangbae was busy training and meanwhile MBLAQ was dragged all about by their tight schedule and naturally, they drifted apart. Even Cheolyong hadn't mentioned of Sangbae for almost a year that they basically forgot about this friendship they had established back then when they were still trainees.

          Sangbae who was sitting next to pale Byunhee on the couch in the middle of the lobby jumped up and went over to Seungho with a look of disbelief painted all over his features. "What? It is true? So, Cheolyongie… You… You're NIS agent! And Cheolyong? Is that true?"

          Seungho exhaled a long breath. His eyes met with Changsun who was watching from Sanghyun's side and once the younger nodded, he answered Sangbae's question with a weak "Yes. Whatever you heard from them is the truth."

          "No way…" Sangbae breathed. "There is just no way. It is not possible." He shook his head that his jet black hair flopped over his eyes. "It's Cheolyong. Our clumsy country boy." He looked back up to Seungho. His eyes said it all. He wanted Seungho to tell him that all that he heard was a nasty joke.

          "I'm sorry. But it is true. Hey… No one else should know about this." Seungho warned though he doubted Sangbae would tattle to the reporters.

          "Then… Where is he now?" Sangbae asked after a few minutes of silence.

          "That's what I want to know too." Seungho clapped onto Sangbae's shoulder two times and smiled understandingly as he walked pass the younger and went to Byunghee who was slouching over the couch. He looked worse up close that Seungho put his palm over Byunghee's forehead. "You're burning." He commented disapprovingly.

          "He's stubborn. I told him he need to rest but he insisted on coming with us when Sangbae came to our dorm to meet Cheolyong. Sangbae was worried when he saw the hiatus news and when he can't reach Cheolyong by phone. So… When he came to dorm, I don't really have other choice than to tell him." Changsun informed, hanging his head low.

          "It's okay. Sangbae is Cheolyong's friend after all. Might not be as close as before but they were undoubtedly best friend once. He still care and it is only right for him to know." Seungho rubbed onto Changsun's back with a kind smile. "You did the right thing."

          By the time Sangbae walked to join them, Byunghee spoke with raspy voice. "You still can't find him?"

          Seungho shook his head.

          Byunghee's eyes darted everywhere. There was conflict flashed in his dark orbs which didn't go pass Seungho's careful eyes.

          "Do you know something, Byunghee?"

          At Seungho's question, Byunghee pulled to sit up straight. He chewed on his dry lips until he finally let out, "Look for Jinwoon and you'll find him."

          "Jinwoon?" Seungho repeated that name while the other three were focusing on Byunghee as well, trying to figure out the meaning behind Byunghee's words.

          "Jinwoon knows… He should know. Don't ask me why… Please." Byunghee trailed his gaze elsewhere, showing how he wouldn't answer or explain anymore than he already had. Because deep down, he somehow believed that Cheolyong would have wanted to protect Jinwoon's identity. And he would, as much as he could.

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

Cheolyong's ears perked with each sound that fleeting around him. The sound of television opened didn't distract him from trying to imagine the situation in this room even with his eyes closed, pretending he was still asleep.

          From the footsteps and sound of people's voice, Cheolyong thought up of at least five men were in the same room as he was. And they weren't leaving him alone since they brought him here and his hands were bound behind his back and both his ankles were bound together. The soft feeling under him told him that he was put on a bed which was quite generous of those Ruby to let him rest on such comfy mattress.

          "Did you get the copter here?" Cheolyong immediately sensed Jiman's voice and held his breath just to listen even clearer.

          "Yes, Sir.  The president expect us in North by tonight." Another voice replied and Jiman hummed as the little exchange ended.

          Cheolyong waited until he felt a little dip beside him and Jiman's voice sounded just next to him. "You aren't asleep, are you?"

          Opening his eyes, he saw Jiman looking down at him in amusement. Cheolyong wriggled himself from his lying position and rested his back against the headboard. He fixed his gaze on Jiman fearlessly after deducing this place he was in probably some rental apartment which could give easy access for the helicopter they were talking about to land.

          "We're going back to North." Jiman announced. His one good eye was watching Cheolyong carefully, studying the young assassin. "Are you scared?"

          "I have never been taught to feel any fear." Cheolyong answered.

          Jiman nodded. "It's such a waste to let you get killed this way." This time Jiman whispered so only both of them could hear while the other four men weren't interested to listen in. "After spending so much time creating such a perfect killing machine."

          Cheolyong smirked. "You're such a coward."

          "No. I'm just smart. I know it would be useless to go against president with so little preparation." Jiman leaned in closer to Cheolyong. "I just have to create another you and Jinwoon. I have all the time in the world."

          Cheolyong seriously felt like beating the smug smile off of that deformed face but he held himself back, gritting his teeth while working silently on the bound that was tying his hands back. Easily, the bound loosened and he would be able to move freely but he didn't. Because he wanted to go to North. He wanted to face these people he hated to core. And seek revenge.

          "But, still… Such a waste." Jiman clicked his tongue and turned his face to the window. "Such a waste that I sometimes thought to let you live."

          Cheolyong rolled his eyes.

          "You see… You are different from me."

          "You're always talking in such puzzling way. Stop referring to something I said long ago." Cheolyong commented uninterestedly as he played with the rope behind him.

          "I picked up this habit from a friend of mind. Former friend of mine." Jiman looked back at Cheolyong with a small smirk. "Isn't this such an annoying habit?"

          "Obviously. But it make me knows you better." Cheolyong carved similar smirk on his face and watched as Jiman nodded to him.

          "I'll take my leave first and I'll be waiting for you there."

          Cheolyong stayed put. Yes… Jiman hadn't betrayed him. It went according to their plan. The only way to confront the president was by getting Cheolyong caught. And once Cheolyong let Jiman be the one to caught him, the president would layed trust on Jiman and would make their assassination plan smoother…

          "Once it is over, I'll let you take your revenge on me."

          That sentence had convince Cheolyong to take part in the revenge. Cheolyong let his gaze trailed to the window, to the blue sky ornamented with fluffy white clouds. The only regret was that Onew didn’t know this.

          He wished Onew won't hate Jiman too much because even now, Cheolyong could feel his hatred towards Jiman had slowly melt down. Jiman, too, have family. Jiman, too, was a victim of enemity between South and North. And slowly, he was following Jiman's footstep. Losing his family and friends. Dedicated himself into revenge. Letting the blood thirsty monster inside him to roar loudly.

          Maybe seeing how much himself resembled Jiman made the hatred slowly fading.

          It wasn't too long after Jiman left that Cheolyong decided to close his eyes for a moment. Not to take a nap. He would never let down his guard so easily. It was just the bright blue sky outside was hurting his eyes. Making him question why couldn't his life be as still and as peaceful as the sky.

          And it was too long after he closed his eyes that he heard ruckus coming from outside the room. Curios, his eyes popped open in time to see the door to this one room apartment being slammed opened and was shocked out of his mind to see Hyojin barging in, engaging into near combat with four burly men of Ruby, struggling to get closer to him.

          She's alive….

          "NOONA!"