“Jesus Christ, I didn’t know the guy even had a daughter.” Agent Himchan gripped the steering wheel tight and swerved the sleek black car sharply around the bend, the headlights illuminating his path as the group drove through the forested depths into the city. Now that it was dark, the shadows and other creatures of the night came out with the sudden radiance. Headquarters had always been hidden in the bushier parts away from the city so that it was safe when explosives were tested and firing ranges were utilised but such isolation also had its detriments. Now that there was no going back, the group had to get Zelo out as if he never existed to begin with.

“I didn’t know the guy could even have children…” Youngjae sat in the back next to Zelo but leant his head against his palm, arm propped up, resting against the window. He trailed off but then continued his train of thought, “he was a little too crazy, if you know what I mean.”

Himchan glanced at his fellow accomplice’s reflection in the rear-view mirror even though it was dark and hard to see. “What are you implying? That he lacked the capacity?”

Youngjae shrugged looking idly out to the blackness through the window, “No, just that I didn’t think anyone would want to have offspring with someone like him.” He finished his sentence just in time as Yongguk turned sharply and shushed the both of them from the passenger seat, reprimanding them for the immature banter.

“Yes. He has a daughter. Now just focus, alright?” He grumbled, turning around again and resting his gaze back on the road. He looked at the envelope and the small screen of the tracking system that showed the location of the address when he had entered it into the data base. They still had a while to go before they would reach the site; it looked like a small block in the outskirts of Seoul. He found himself wondering how the old-man could keep such a secret; the complete omission of his family was a hard thing to miss. How can you just leave out the fact that you had a daughter?

Agent Daehyun sat in the back also, Zelo sandwiched next to him in the middle, separating him from Youngjae. He looked on at the robot in awe and prodded the latter’s cheek with a hesitant finger, pulling back sharply as he felt the skin indent under pressure, the soft suppleness of the flesh surprising him. Even though Zelo was now dressed in a loose t-shirt and jeans, he still sat rigidly, looking to the group in curious confusion. “And you’re sure he’s made of metal? Completely indestructible?” he spoke up to the leader, without once taking his eyes of the spectacle.

Yongguk huffed, “That’s what I assumed. The old man said he was dangerous…” He turned around again to look at the appearance of the young boy behind him. His bright eyes blinking innocuously back giving the perceiver the thought that he could never be harmful. “But I guess we’ll just have to find out ourselves.”

Zelo cocked his head to the side at the remark and the face-mask he wore, dropped a little, unhooking from his ear and flopping open to reveal his previously hidden mouth and chin. Daehyun instinctively leant back and looked on strangely. Yongguk who was still staring at the two noticed the action and gestured gruffly to Daehyun, “put that thing back on.”

Daehyun furrowed his brows and did as told, fingers cautious to not brush against that artificial skin again unnecessarily.

“Why does he even need to wear it?” Youngjae swivelled his head back from the window and looked at the youngest addition, gaze judgemental.

With disinterest and without bothering to look up, Yongguk spoke again, “Something about hiding the ‘on switch’.”

Simultaneously, Daehyun peeked at the tattoo inked under the boy’s chin and nodded to himself, before replacing the fabric veil. Himchan turned from staring out at the road, now they were finally able to see lights and the dull illumination of the empty highway, to look at the leader. “Did the mad-scientist tell you to cover him up?” he asked casually.

The eldest didn’t answer. Just squeezed his eyes shut and began rubbing his temples. The rest of the members then pressed no further, knowing that it was his signature move when he was tired, refusing to answer any more of their persistent questions. There was just the loud zoom of the car as they sped off, closer and closer to their destination. It had been a long night and all of them were leaving behind everything – they could not go back. Whoever had crashed the system and infiltrated Border Agency Protection was definitely after this new creation. All there is left now is the expanse of road and a future of fraud.

It was another hour of silent travel before they reached the address. The whole ride, Bang Yongguk rattled his brain as to how he would execute the task: introduce himself and give her the envelope and subsequently, boy robot? No, that would be too risky, she’d ask too many questions and things would get out of hand. What if she called the police? He shuddered at the thought of more trouble.  Their main goal had to leave her in blissful ignorance. It needed to look accidental – the whole situation had to seem like it happened out of the blue. He thought the best thing to do was just leave him there and wait for her to take the bait. They’d wait on parole and if all else failed then they’d just have to implement plan B: straight out telling her what was happening and why she needed to co-operate. But until then, they’d just stake out and wait.

Himchan and the rest of the boys dropped Yongguk and Zelo off at the site, it would be too risky for them to stay too long and there was simply nowhere inconspicuous to park, especially when the stylish, sleek black vehicle they were driving in stood out from the rest. Thank god it was dark though, because the roads would’ve been a lot busier in the day. Zelo shuffled over Daehyun and as soon as he stepped foot on the ground, Himchan sped off, turning cuttingly into a corner and past the lights. It was an old apartment block, one of those ordinary, meagre looking buildings with rows of neat windows one after the other along the length of its square. Yongguk looked at the address on the envelope which wrote level 3, apartment 2 whilst Zelo dusted himself off and looked straight ahead.

It was about 3’oclock in the morning and Yongguk was hesitant about the first meeting. He ushered the younger closer to him and the two walked up to the entrance of the building. Overgrown bushes that were just beginning to whither sprawled out over the front of the structure. The pavement was a dirty concrete and stickers that were advertising one product or another were peeling off and yellowing on the side of the building wall. Seeing as the place was quite derelict, it shouldn’t have been surprising that the door wasn’t locked – it was just a push glass pane and thanking the gods for his luck, the two walked straight in, searching around for the stairs instead of using the elevator in case they bumped into someone unsuspecting.

“Where are we going?” Zelo piqued inquisitively. Yongguk shot him a look, but it wasn’t menacing, sort of foreboding. He paused on the step and lowered his gaze fully at the robotic mannequin who stepped up to reach him.

“Zelo, this is going to be your new place for the while.” He whispered, “And I you have to behave.”

Zelo nodded obediently, not knowing any better. He waited for the elder to either continue scaling the stairs but Yongguk made no move to step any further.

“Now, what I want you to do is to knock on the door and tell her that her dad sent you. Don’t answer any of her questions – tell her you don’t know. If she asks you to leave, tell her you have nowhere else to go. If she forces you, then use any method to make her choose otherwise. You must stay with her no matter what. I’ll be watching in the shadows to see if anything goes wrong but once you’re in, you’re on your own.” His deep voice was lowered to a soft hush and although Zelo didn’t need to move closer to hear his words properly, he hunched closer anyway, mirroring the movement.

“You must not leave the girl. At no cost, under no circumstance can you leave the girl. Do you understand?” Urgency rose in his voice.

Zelo was curious as to why all this was necessary but knowing not to bother Yongguk any further, he nodded again, “Understood.”

With that said, the two continued up and up, till the two finally reached the third level. The light was already on which only made Yongguk feel exposed and uncomfortable in his own skin. He quickly scanned the parameters and found the plaque which had the number 2 on it, poised next to a metal door. He walked hesitantly up to it and looked around; then turning to Zelo, he pressed the envelope into the younger’s hands who looked at it peculiarly. He then gestured for Zelo to press the doorbell. The robot didn’t understand at first but then after a repetitive series of hand motions, he got the action and did as asked whilst Yongguk dived back into darkness of the stair case, stance already defensive.

There was a soft ring of a melody behind the door and in those seconds the air became so stiff but afterwards nothing happened. Zelo turned and looked to Yongguk again, cocking his head to the side and the leader only asked him to repeat the action. He did so and still no reply.

‘Maybe she’s asleep’, he thought, ‘it is roughly 3 in the morning’, shoulder slumping in the shadows whilst Zelo stood on. After trying again for the third time with the same result, he decided they would just have to wait and he ushered Zelo to sit down in front of the door as Yongguk himself, kept guard. Upon sitting down, after 5 minutes Zelo went into sleep mode, his eyes glazing over, eye-lids getting heavy. Yongguk yawned but kept his pose steady. He looked out from the night and wondered how this would end; if it would go well and smoothly or in chaos.

It was another 30 minutes before the finale came. Having nearly nodded off, the sound of the elevator buzzing onto the level awoke Yongguk like a gunshot, his eyes shooting open and body poised for attack. He watched with a hawk’s glare the girl that exited the elevator, gait clearly stumbling in exhaustion and backpack falling off her shoulder.

He watched her slow fumbling for the keys and how her long black hair fell into her eyes as she checked in the dim light which one was the right one for the door. He then watched her small yelp of shock as she found the robot, positioned perfectly, almost sleeping, at her feet.

Yongguk’s lips upturned in smug glee. Thing’s would be turn out alright like this. This would be the beginning to a good ending. He stayed long enough to see her look around frantically for any sight of another person, putting a comforting hand on the boy’s shoulder as he woke from his slumber. Yongguk watched as the two exchanged a couple of words; Zelo was still drowsy while she flustered over his almost drugged-like state. He could tell that she was hesitant to let the strange boy into her life but she knew no other way to help him. She obviously thought he was either drunk, homeless or a victim of drug-abuse but his clear and concise answers after he woke proved otherwise. Then, upon hearing her father being mentioned, she tensed and then wordlessly helped him inside.

Mission: success.

~

A/N: Thanks for reading so far. It's such a long chapter, I only realised when I had to paste it in. Don't worry guise! I haven't forgotten about JongUp! He's going to appear very soon as a character in  different role!