Chanyeol pressed the earpiece further into his ear when he heard Chen murmur a string of profanities.

“. Hyerin got bit,” Chen hissed.

“What?” Chanyeol demanded. “What do you mean she got bit?”

“By a night crawler. She was pinned down,” Luhan said. “But I think she’s okay now.”

Chanyeol felt his heart stir from the thought of Hyerin getting hurt. He sighed deeply, following his unit members towards the truck’s whereabouts. “Don’t we have to do something about that? Shouldn’t we be taking her out of the mission!?” How could they just let the girl fight when she was clearly injured?

“Chanyeol, she’ll be fine,” Luhan assured. “For now, focus on your task. We can’t let them get away.”

“But-”

“Chanyeol,” Luhan said sternly.

The tall boy scratched the back of his head in frustration as his unit finally came round the vehicle they have been looking for.

The engine was already running and the trunk was closed. To their dismay, it already started backing up and was ready to head out.

“Go! Go! Go!” Tao, the leader of Unit A, ordered. At once, they ran after the truck.

It was a good thing that it didn’t drift too far away, so the five of them easily caught up. Tao jumped on the vehicle’s front, landing roughly in front of the driver who, surprisingly, was human.

Tao growled and punched the glass, his fist breaking into the inside of the vehicle. He pulled the man through the broken glass and threw him to the parking lot. He jumped inside, easily kicking a crawler that was coming towards him.

Kris flew to the top of the truck with Lay in his arm. Once they landed smoothly on its metal surface, Lay retrieved a unique-looking dagger from his utility belt. He pressed a button around the handle and the knife extended a few more inches, spikes poking out of the blade. He stabbed the surface of the truck and proceeded to make a big circle for an opening.

Meanwhile, Kai had teleported Chanyeol and himself inside the truck, catching the night crawlers by surprise.

As Chanyeol proceeded to attack with his fireballs, Kai choked a crawler from behind, using a trench knife to stab it in its chest. Another crawler came and bared its teeth as if preparing to sink its dentures on Kai’s flesh. As it lunged at him, he used the dead crawler as a shield from the others bite.

Kai opened the vehicle’s trunk, exposing them to the deserted street. With all his strength, he threw the two night crawlers outside. Not too long after, Kris and Lay finally managed to break inside the truck as well.

Tao, at the meantime, was fighting with two night crawlers over the wheel.

He kicked the creature that was controlling the vehicle outside the window. He was pulled back by the other crawler to the passenger seat, kicking him multiple times until blood was coming out of his mouth. With all of Tao’s strength, he pushed it off, but the monster was persistent. It came crawling back to him, slamming his head unto the headboard before opening the passenger door and pushing him out of the truck.

Tao managed to hold on to the door’s handle, feet dangling in the air.

“!” he hissed, trying to regain his footing inside the truck but the crawler was swerving the steering wheel from left to right.

“Tao!”

Tao’s head whipped around to the sound of his name, only to see the M-LX van keeping up with the truck.

“Tao, jump!” Luhan yelled, looking from him to the road simultaneously, struggling with the steering wheel. The van’s sliding door opened, and inside was Chen.

“Come on, Tao! Just jump!” he exclaimed.

“You’re too far away!” Tao yelled. His sweaty palms were no help to keeping his grip tight on the handle. He turned back to the inside of the truck and saw that the crawler abandoned the wheel and was coming for him instead. Eyes widening, he turned to the M-LX van.

“Hurry the up!” Tao screeched.

Luhan bit his lip and swerved the van to the left, bumping roughly against the truck. Tao jumped inside the van just in time before the crawler had the chance to get its hands on him.

The night crawler was about to lunge towards the van. “Oh, no!” Chen growled, taking his emergency pistol out and shooting the creature perfectly on the head.

Tao raised a brow, struggling to level his breathing. “Nice aim.”

Chen raised a brow and shrugged.

“Guys, are you alright?” Luhan asked through his earpiece while driving back to the bank.

“Yeah,” Kris wheezed, leaning back against the truck’s metal wall wearily. “They’re all dead. Chanyeol’s taking over the wheel. The money’s still here.”

Tao closed his eyes, head colliding tiredly with the headrest. “It’s over.”

“Yeah. Hopefully the others are alright,” Chen said.

---

Units B and C stepped out of the bank through the main entrance, surprised to see M-LX staff and agents already waiting for them.

With the sight of them coming out, medics rushed toward them, ready to do their work on the battered rookies.

“Are they back?” Suho asked as he helped Xiumin walk towards the van where the paramedics were.

Just then, the M-LX van and the truck full of money made its way towards them. Suho sighed out of relief, and the others found themselves doing the same.

Chanyeol and Luhan parked the vehicles in the parking lot, and the staff immediately made its way to them. Kai had broken his ankle, Lay was bitten in his leg and the others were severely injured as well.

The boys went over to each other and checked if everyone was okay, but Chanyeol didn’t join the crowd.

The moment he saw Hyerin standing beside the paramedics, his feet acted on its own accord.

“Hyerin!” he yelled. The girl was clutching her shoulder when she whipped around to see who was calling her.

Chanyeol didn’t think twice and looped his long arms around her. He clutched the back of her head, her face buried in his shoulders.

“Wha–Chanyeol?” she asked in confusion.

“Thank God, you’re okay,” he mumbled in her hair. “You’re okay.”

Hyerin immediately felt at ease. The warmness of his body—which was probably from his power of fire—calmed her tense body from the cold airy night. It was weird, especially since it was coming from her, but she was comfortable like this.

“I’m okay,” she repeated, lifting her head up to meet his eyes. “What’s the matter, Chanyeol?”

“I-I don’t know. When I heard you got bit I was so worried. And when I saw you, looking like this,” he ran a hand through his hair, “I just had this urge to hug you, I don’t know. I’m just really, really glad you’re okay,” he said, hugging her again.

Hyerin’s eyes softened as she, too, wrapped her arms around the boy’s waist. She was surprised to find him so worried. They've only known each other for two months. Nonetheless, she was touched by his concern.

“Thank you, Chanyeol,” she said, squeezing him lightly. “I’m glad you’re okay, too.”

“Sorry to disturb,” a staff said to the two. “But Agent M and Agent Zero are calling for all of you.”

Hyerin looked up at Chanyeol and they both nodded.

“Hyerin.” Myungjae walked towards Hyerin, hugging her tightly. “I’m so happy you’re okay. We’ll get that fixed as soon as possible,” he said, referring to the night crawler’s bite.

“Well, seeing that you managed to get back the money, kill the night crawlers present and come back in one piece, I must say this is impressive for first-timers like you,” Agent Zero sighed, smiling slightly while the teenagers crowded around them. “A job well done. You are now officially agents.”

The young agents bowed ninety degrees and congratulated one another.

“One question though,” Xiumin said, raising his bruised hand. “You said that no one knows about M-LX, so how are you going to cover up all this?” he asked, referring to the building which was pretty much destroyed on the inside. "Wouldn't cops receive reports about this?"

Agent M smirked. “Aside from being blessed with amazing fighters and masterminds, one of M-LX’s strong points is also covering up. We have invented devices that will block out anything that the human senses can perceive, making it seem like nothing really happened to the place.”

He shrugged, retrieving a flask from his coat and opening its metal cap. “It’s troublesome to explain, so long story short, no one will know a thing about this unless you have an inkling for the paranormal or of supernatural descent. The bank will be fixed by sunrise like nothing happened,” he said, drinking from the container with what can only be alcohol.

“Mhm. Anyway, since everyone is good and well, then I guess it is only proper to say this,” Agent Zero said, placing a hand on Kris’ shoulder. “Mission accomplished.”

---

As the young agents celebrated over their completed task, Durus watched them, hands folded in front of him as he watched them from a rooftop. Beneath him, two night crawlers slithered around his legs.

“What is this organization?” he mumbled to himself, voice rough and slightly cracking.

Durus pulled up a brow as he observed them closely; they were just teenagers.

With one last glance over them, he turned in his heels to leave as the creatures of the night crawled away with him.

A pity it was that he would have to kill those kids eventually.

But what had to be done had to be done.

And nothing will stand in his way.