The American soldiers were getting ready for battle and were just waiting for TOP and his forces to arrive so they could hand over the weapons and fight alongside them. All of them, especially Stephen were enthusiastic to have their Korean brothers fighting by their side.

            “I wonder what’s taking them so long.”

            “Come on, we have a war to fight!”

            “We have a battle to win!!!”

            The soldiers complained and complained but Stephen remained calm and collected, patiently waiting for TOP’s forces to show up. Finally, after quite some time of waiting, they sighted upon a troop of men led by a familiar looking general. Stephen looked closely and confirmed it to his men.

            “They have come!” Stephen said. TOP’s troops stood by him and as they approached the American soldiers.

            “Good day, comrades.” TOP shook Stephen’s hand. “Today is the day of battle.”

            “Yes. I see you have brought your men.”

            “Correct.”

            “And I know you are expecting your weapons.” TOP smirked at Stephen’s willingness to lend weapons, putting his trust in him.

            “Yes.”

            “Haul them in, boys!” Stephen commanded the other soldiers. They dragged in a box of weapons that TOP and his forces requested for. They removed the wooden lid of the box and revealed a load of ammunition, guns, grenades, and other weapons of wartime victory.

            “Thank you.” TOP said gratefully but deep in his heart, greed and power reigned. “You have helped.” 

            A short while later, as the  two parties were coordinating, a sea of armymen coming from the North could be heard. The cadence of their march and the aggressiveness of the footsteps told them that the enemies were nearby. Ever alert, Stephen took command and geared his men for battle.

            “MEN! YOUR WEAPONS! GET READY TO CHARGE!” Stephen loaded his rifle and headed the battalion of American, South Korean, and “South Korean” soldiers. As they ran towards the opposing army, their guns expended several bullets, costing the lives of the opponent’s soldiers as well as their own men being gunned down. TOP and Stephen commanded the teams, and so did the Commander General. The three heads fought with all their strength, bearing in their hearts and minds the freedom and their loyalty to their country.

            “Come on! They’re really powerful!!!!” Stephen rallied them and empowered them to keep going for the attack. TOP watched Stephen carefully, eyeing his every move and making sure that what he was planning in his head against the American soldier and his troops would fall into place.

            Foolish soldier! He doesn’t know that these soldiers I have sent are voluntary warriors, laying down their lives for the sake of a pathetic act. TOP found himself cackling evilly inside his mind.

            “Come on! We have more to defeat!” Stephen said as he continued to shoot the opposing forces, running and ducking for cover along with other soldiers. Some ceased fighting to aid the fallen ones but TOP and Stephen continued to fight.

            Later during their battle, it was evident that the American forces were winning over the dummy army that TOP sent, to stage everything. TOP stopped midway through attack mode to take a good look at the damage that he and his company had caused. Even his fellow soldiers who were riding with him paused for a while and looked at their work of art.

            “They’re too busy  attacking. They won’t even know.” TOP smiled smugly to himself. He reloaded his rifle and carefully approached the American soldiers. Undetected, he pointed his gun at the back of the soldier’s head and fired, killing him before he could even alert his comrades. 

            Stephen was too caught up in his battle that he did not realize that his men were being killed off one by one, soldier’s blood drenching the Korean soil.

            When TOP was greatly pleased with his work, he stepped up to Stephen’s back and whispered into the brave soldier’s neck.

            “I wouldn’t be such a fool if I were you. I’d heed my mother’s warning about the sheep in wolf’s clothing.” TOP said. This distracted Stephen as he turned to look at TOP A great horror greeted him when he saw TOP clutching Private by the neck, a gun against his head. Stephen’s heart sank at the sight of this and could not bring himself to believe that he let a traitor, a Pyongyang force take the better of him. And now, one of the best soldiers in the army was at the mercy of Choi Seung hyun and his army of brutal North Korean soldiers.

            “What are you doing” was all he could mutter. His hands shook as he dropped the gun on the ground and unconsciously, slowly raised his arms in surrender. TOP was a vicious North Korean spy who was posing as a military strategist and soldier.

            “Now that I have you and your men at my mercy, you have no other choice but to unconditionally surrender to my forces, and give Korea to us.” TOP demanded evilly. Stephen grabbed his gun and pointed it at TOP. The other soldiers saw the scenario and were distracted, leading to most of them to get killed, shot from behind or stabbed to death. Stephen was armed and along with a few other soldiers, desperate to save their comrades life.

            “We had an agreement!!!” Stephen cried. The Commander General saw what was going on and took evasive action.

            “Screw that mothering agreement, son. We’re face to face with a Northern man! It’s time to put him away!” the brave Commander General brought out his gun and aimed at TOP who hit Private ’s temple with the gun.

            “Shoot me and he dies, too!” TOP screamed. The Commander General slowly put his gun down.

            “That’s right!” TOP cackled evilly. “Now, if you do not want to get hurt, I suggest that you surrender the South to us, and everything will fall according to planned. No one gets hurt, no more get killed.”

            “You will never have this nation. Over our dead bodies.” Stephen boldly claimed.

            “Ah, might you say that if I presented another fact to you?” TOP smiled evilly. The entire US Army could not believe that someone who presented himself as an ally could actually turn his back on them and actually be a traitor. Nobody dared move, in fear of being killed. The Northern forces felt their most powerful.

            “I have no use for him!” TOP threw Private to the ground and watched as the soldier fearfully crawled back into his troop.

            “If all of you want to live, stand up and fall in line. Come with us!” TOP’s soldiers crowded around the American forces and threatened them with guns, rifles and bayonets. Fearing for their own life and strategizing anxiously in their minds, they followed suit. From there, the American forces were made to walk from South Korea all the way to the border where the headquarters of the North was. The walk was long and grueling. Fatigue, disease, and injury caused most of them to collapse, thus being shot and killed in the most brutal manner. If that wasn’t inhumane enough, the bodies were mutilated and left to rot in the sun.

            Stephen still had the strength to keep walking despite the harsh weather and the cruel circumstance that they were in. The thought that kept him alive was the thought that once the war was over, he was going to find Bom and marry her, bring her to America with him where she and him could live peacefully.

            I love you, Bom. This is for you. He pulled out a picture of the fair lass that he managed to get from her during one of their meetings and looked at it. She was radiantly young, innocently beautiful, and without a doubt breathtaking, whose good nature drove Stephen to the very limits of his endurance. He felt no fatigue and feared no one so long as she was on his mind.

[IN THE DUNGEON]

            After feeding her the scraps, Seung ri and Daesung decided that it was time to release Bom.

            “Finally!” Bom cried as Seung ri removed her shackles. She was still not fully clothed.

            “Don’t be too happy, toots. You have something far worse coming for you.”

            “What?” she asked bravely. The thought of being free gave her a new sense of strength.

            “We are releasing you because it is your execution day!” Daesung said. Bom’s heart sank and rapidly began to beat. She was afraid out of her wits and when Daesung grabbed her by the arm, Bom pulled away and ran back into the corner of the dungeon.

            “Get away from me! You are not killing me! I am innocent! I am innocent.” Saying was definitely easier than doing. Bom boldly claimed that she would face the death penalty for treachery but now, she was basically panicking and desperate to get away from the clutches of her captors.

            “You will be executed at the border, the headquarters. Before Master TOP.” Seung ri explained.

            “No!” Bom cried and pushed either man away, ran out of the dungeon in her underwear and dashed out in the streets. Onlookers’ eyes ogled as they saw a semi- woman running down the street. She was no exhibitionist but people treated it like a show. Bom was really desperate for her life.

            “AFTER HER!” Seung ri screamed. He and Daesung chased after Bom who just kept running without looking back. In her panic and hurry, she tripped down the cement street. Bom felt dizzy and lost consciousness. Seung ri and Daesung caught up with her lying flat on her chest in the middle of the road. They picked her up and proceeded with their mission.