"Did you hear that?"

 

"My ears are ringing..."

 

"It sounds like someone yelling my name."

 

"Maybe it's all in you head, hyung."

 

"Will you two shut the up? Maybe then we could actually hear if it is something." Sungjong pushed between the two rappers, rolling his eyes. Sometimes they're were just too annoying to handle, even here. 

 

"What's got you all worked up, maknae?" Dongwoo asked, sarcasm dripping from his voice. 

 

"Let's recap, shall we?" He held up his hand, ticking off points on his fingers. "We've been kidnapped. Sunggyu hyung looks like he's taken the worst beating of all of us. You're both sick. This one is my personal favorite; the government is trying to kill us and every single one of our friends. For what? To stop the attempt at peace? Sorry if I'm not calm enough for you two idiots."

 

The look of embarrassment over the older men made Sungjong sigh and wrap his arms around them. The guilt was already weighing him down. He didn't apologize though; there was nothing to apologize for. 

 

"I-I'm scared..." Howon sobbed softly, making the two around him only hold him tighter. 

 

They were all scared. 

 

"There... th-they-" Myungsoo panted as he came around a corner. He looked as if he'd been running hard. He rested a hand on his knee as he pointed to the group. "There..."

 

Sunggyu ran around him, looking panicked. He beckoned for them to follow. "S-Sungyeol..." was all he had to say for them to know something terrible was happening. 

 

Dongwoo bit his lip as the little color he had gained back in his cheeks faded away again. Howon grabbed his hand and pulled him after the leader, knowing he would need help to move. 

 

"And so it begins," Sungjong said under his breath as he sprinted to catch up with the others. He nearly ran into Dongwoo, however, when he stopped at the entrance of the room they started in. He followed the rapper's horrified gaze and took in a silent breath.

 

There was so much blood.

 

"What... What hap-" Dongwoo stuttered, stumbling backwards into Sungjong. 

 

"Hyung, he needs us," the younger said softly. "He needs us with him. We have to go."

 

"N-No... No... I cannot watch my b-brother... look... h-he's dying."

 

"So what if he is, then? What if he's dying and you're not there with him, making him wonder where the hell you are? Sungyeol needs us. He needs you, his hyung..." 

 

Sungjong took Dongwoo's arm tenderly, heat curling in his throat. He followed along tentatively, tears already flowing from the older man's eyes. It hadn't even been an hour; where was the "fun" in that?

 

"H-Hyung!" Sungyeol coughed as Dongwoo fell beside him. "I-I'm okay. Don't cry..."

 

"I managed to slow the bleeding," Woohyun said calmly, failing to hide the fear lingering in his tone. 

 

"See... I just need to rest a little and then I'll be just fine."

 

Sunggyu had his head in his knees, his body shaking violently in what Sungjong could only assume were sobs. It was hard to imagine what he was feeling: guilt for not being able to protect Sungyeol, the pain of knowing he was going to lose someone so special to them all, the humiliation of everyone around the world tuning in and watching them crumble apart already. 

 

"Y-Yeol..." Dongwoo whispered, shifting his body to lay next to him. 

 

"I'll be okay but only if you stay with me, hyung. Don't leave me, okay? There is no one better to lay with that you while everyone else goes back out."

 

"Yeol..."

 

Sungjong looked away; it was too much. At least MBLAQ had had over a week to spend together before anyone had died.

 

Sungyeol wailed in pain again, tearing the maknae back to reality. He was clutching at his arm, Dongwoo sitting up quickly to hold it out.

 

"What?! What is it?" but Woohyun stopped as he noticed that a small patch of his skin that was blistered almost seemed like it was glowing.

 

"It's a... burn... H-How..." Howon stated slowly, reaching to touch it. Woohyun slapped his hand away. 

 

"That's a new twist to the game we've been dying to show you, no pun intended. Your trackers have shock sensors. We control how strong they are. We can re-open wounds, as you've seen with Sungyeol. But if we wanted, we could make it worse." That voice, that wicked narrator's voice boomed and echoed around them, silencing them as they blinked hopelessly down at Sungyeol's arm. 

 

"Th-There's nothing we can do for him..." Myungsoo whispered.

 

"Are you ing kidding me? How is anyone allowed a ing chance to live if you just kill us as you please?" Sunggyu was standing by then, looking up at the cameras. "How the hell can anyone survive now?"

 

"Hyung... please, stop." 

 

Even though his voice was barely a noise at all, everyone heard Sungyeol as if he were the one screaming  

 

"Don't piss them off. You have to live. You all have to live. For me."

 

"No! No, Yeol, you won't die. D-Don't let go..." Dongwoo laid back down, his arm draping over the blood. "I'll stop this. I'll fix you. How did you even get this? Y-You've always been so clumsy..."

 

"I'm not sure. You know how I am..." Sungyeol smiled weakly, trying to laugh. Blood stained his teeth and slowly trickled from his mouth. 

 

"Yeol." Myungsoo sobbed as he rubbed his hyung's hair, lost for what to say. 

 

"Will you guys sing to me? Sing something so our fans will sing along too. I like hearing our fans sing with us when we're on stage..."

 

"This isn't a stage, hyung."

 

"I know, Sungjong, but it's what he have right now. We always make the best of what we have." He was so calm, so serene. Maybe dying made you feel peaceful at the end.

 

Sungyeol smiled as they started, Sunggyu deciding "Paradise" would give him something to anticipate being in soon. He hummed along a harmony, making Dongwoo cry harder, clutching as tight as he could. 

 

He reached for the leader's hand as he spoke with his last breath. "Thank you, everyone, for being part of my dreams. It wouldn't have been as wonderful without any of you..." 

 

Sungyeol turned his head up to Myungsoo and smiled, his eyes closing. 

 

The clock on the wall flashed. One down, six to go.

 

The game was on.