"Shoot her. Now," Himchan's face had a hard expression.

"What?" Amber yelled. "You can't!"

Himchan glared. No one told him what he could or couldn't do. Ever. "Watch me,' he said.

"No!" Yelled Zelo. Great. Now the maknae was on her side.

Two of Himchan's men grabbed Amber. She began to struggle.

"Please hyung!" Zelo yelled. "She saved my life!"

Hyung? That kid only ever called Himchan "hyung" when he was begging Himchan for something. "Hyung" coupled with aegyo was Himchan's weakness. Only when it came from Zelo. The rest of his men rarely called him hyung.

"Please!" Amber begged.

"You can't hyung!" Zelo exclaimed. "She saved me and killed five of our enemies!"

"And killed some of us!" Himchan yelled.

Both Amber and Zelo gave him a confused look.

Himchan glared at Amber again. "You were there," he said. "The night of the first attack."

Amber met his eyes. "Yes I was. But I didn't kill anyone. I swear. I swear on my life."

Himchan rolled his eyes. "You could be a spy."

"If I was a spy, I wouldn't have saved your maknae. Or killed five of my allies."

"So they were your allies?"

"No, if I was still loyal to Zico, they would be allies. I'm no longer loyal to him."

"Who are you loyal to then?"

"Myself. I saw who was going to win this thing. What was the point of staying with Zico?"

"If you'd betray Zico as quick as that, how can we expect the same loyalty from you?"

Amber scoffed. "I was never loyal to Zico. When I was younger, I thought he was the best leader there was. I thought he'd end up leader of everyone - and that was before this whole shindig started. Most likely scenario is that you, Kim Himchan, will come out on top."

Himchan tilted his head. He gestured for his men to let go of her - for now. He saw Zelo with a relieved look on his face.

"What makes you think I'll come out on top?" He asked Amber.

"You're on your own," said Amber. "Together - Jiyong, Minzy, Zico, Yongguk - their numbers and weapons and ammo outnumber you ten to one. But they're concentrating on taking each other out instead of focusing on you. I can almost guarantee - before you go head to head with them, one of them will be dead and buried."

Himchan nodded. "Interesting. Tell me more." He gestured to a seat and nodded to the guards, dismissing them. Zelo motioned to leave.

"Thank you hyung!" He mouthed behind Amber's back. Despite himself, he smiled.

"Well," Amber said, jerking him out of his thoughts. "I'm not really important enough to be in all the top meetings, but I hear things.

"Minzy is afraid of Yongguk. She stays in her own place, plotting everyone's deaths, no doubt. She sends her two people in - Jung whatshisname, Daehyun and Kim...Kim Hyoyeon."

Himchan processed that information. He remembered Zelo saying that Daehyun was the one who killed CL. No matter what happened, he was gonna get what was coming to him. 

"Yongguk, I don't really know much about him," Amber admitted. "To be honest, he seems like the only one who doesn't plot and scheme like the others. Not that Zico plotted, but Youngjae does. Did," she corrected. "Zico's under Jiyong's influence now. He's as good as dead."

"How do you know, if you're not that important?"

"Youngjae told me. He's Zico's brain. He was pissed. He was ranting. He trusts me, you see."

Himchan nodded. "Tell me more about this Daehyun. And where do these meetings take place? Tell me everything you know."
 

"OK. That's it. Choi Junhong, you are no longer allowed to leave this house without my permission and without me accompaniment," Jongup said sternly.

"What?" Zelo asked, confused.

"Let's review that last few days. You leave to get ramen; attacked by men in the street. You heard a noise; you go out to investigate and were kidnapped. You went out with CL, ambushed. Went out for a walk; you were nearly drowned."

"I don't need a reminder of these last few days, Umma."

"Yah! Do you know, how hard it's been not only for you, but for me?"

"Huh?" Zelo asked, looking at his hyung. Jongup sat beside him.

"You disappear. I'm worried sick for nights, wondering if you're even still alive. You turn up, cut and bruised and half dead and broken inside, and then the process repeats itself."

Zelo stayed silent. "I guess...I never imagined what it was like for you. Sorry."

"Yah, don't be sorry for me, be sorry for yourself."

Zelo looked at his hyung. Jongup closed his eyes to avoid making eye contact. "I'm sleepy," he announced, putting his head on Zelo's shoulder. Zelo smiled to himself. He let him stay there, head on his shoulder, his body leaning against his own.

"Sleep well hyung."

Hyoyeon lay in her bed, trying to make sense of the confused flurry of emotions running through her.

She kept replaying it over in her mind - Yongguk's kiss. She blushed and her heart fluttered whenever she thought about it.

To say she was confused was an understatement. Her last conversation with Minzy replayed in her head.

"You have some amount of feelings for him. Don't deny it."

"Ok. I admit it. So, have me swap with 'Sica. Problem solved."

"Hell no! If he returns these feelings, we can use it to our advantage."

"What?"

"Go along with it. Gain his trust. Have his heart. And then when the time comes...crush it."

"No. No way."

"Listen Hyo. I've been questioning your loyalty lately. And if I ever think your not 100% on my team..."

It was at that point Hyoyeon noticed her knife on Minzy's belt. The one she had given to Jieun. That meant a few things; either Jieun had been recaptured or left the knife behind, and Minzy knew it was Hyoyeon behind her escape. And Minzy had threatened her; it had been sugar coated, what she really meant was; "I know what you did. Either do this or I'll kill you. Your choice."

Hyoyeon groaned, rubbing her hands over her face. What Yongguk also ran through her mind. "I want you on my side..."

If she went onto his side, would he be able to help protect her from Minzy's wrath?

What if he was only pretending, and using her the way Minzy wanted her to use him?

But what if he actually meant what he said?

What if they were in it together and testing her loyalty?

What if Minzy came out on top?

What if, what if, what if?

Hyoyeon sighed. Her heart was telling her one thing, her head was telling her another.

Jieun woke up. She was lying in the same place she'd been last time she woke up; a damp, dark basement with insects in the wet bedding and rats scuttling in the corners.

She shut her eyes and waited for sleep to take her again. That was the only thing that passed the time.

Hyosung crept into the apartment. 

"," she whispered.

A young woman was asleep in one of the beds. Hyosung crept forward. A PDA was on the table next to her. Hyosung snatched it up. This might be useful in her information-hunt.

She turned it on - a few messages popped up. All addressed to "Jessica" or "Sica". Hyosung presumed the sleeping woman must be Jessica.

She crept over to her and took out her knife. A gun would be too loud. She raised it high above her head and prepared to take her first life.

Jessica woke up.

The next thing Hyosung knew, two legs hit her full force in the stomach. She fell back, crashing into the chest of drawers.

Jessica pounced, trying to grab Hyosung's knife, but Hyosung pushed her down. 

"," Jessica snarled.

Hyosung was sitting on her, pinning her down.

Hyosung, being Hyosung, stopped and raised an eyebrow. "Really? Really? I'm about to kill you and you go with ""?"

Jessica twisted, freeing an arm. She yanked a fistful of Hyosung's hair, pulling her off her. Hyosung cried out and fell over, and Jessica rolled over on top, reaching for Hyosung's knife.

Hyosung kneed her in the gut, and placed her two hands around Jessica's neck. Jessica gasped. "No time for knives," Hyosung thought as she squeezed, cutting off the other woman's air supply.

Jessica's eyes bulged and her face turned colour. She was struggling madly underneath Hyosung's grip.

Hyosung gritted her teeth.

Jessica stopped struggling and grew limp.

Hyosung stood up. Her heart was pounding. "That," she said. "Was for Jieun."

Yongguk heard a knock on his door, He stood up, and walked over, wondering who it would be at this time of the night - wll, morning. He was a bit of an insomniac.

He opened the door.

"Hyoyeon!" he said, surprised. He opened the door wider, letting her enter.

His throat was dry.

"I've decided," she said. She met his eyes and grinned. "Screw Minzy. But...let's not tell her that."

Yongguk's grin was wide. He took a step towards Hyoyeon. "Does that mean you've chosen a side?"

Hyoyeon's grin was the reflection of Yongguk's. "Yes, I have. I've chosen yours."

Yongguk raised his hand and touched her cheek. "I'm glad," he whispered, before leaning in and kissing her.

A/N

14 CHAPTERS BABY! WOO!

So, by my calculations....ten chapters (?) left. Is taht too long, cause I can shorten it, if you guys are getting bored.

To my 31 subscribers; I love you with all my heart. Thank you so much for subscribing and reading and commenting and supporting my story.

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-Until next time,

-ScissorsandElves