Sunggyu, Dongwoo, Woohyun, Hoya, Sungyeol, Myungsoo, Sungjong. Chained down to the wall. Covered in blood and sweat. Left in darkness. Dazed. Confused. Desperate.

“Let me go!” Sungyeol screamed at the top of his lungs.

“You’re all cowards,” Myungsoo growled, staring out into the darkness before him, knowing there must be some audience.

“You bastards!” Dongwoo yelled.

“This is ing sick!” Sungjong said.

Woohyun ran up as far as he could and screamed. “Just kill me now!”

“It’s a lie… everything’s a lie…” Sunggyu deliriously mumbled.

Hoya had tears streaming down his cheeks but yelled in anger. “Soji!”

“So that was So-ing-ji!” Sungyeol spat. “Hope you had a grand time with your first love while the rest of us—”

“What did you even endure, Sungyeol, that was so terrible? Have you shot anyone lately?” Sungjong asked, suddenly glaring at Woohyun.

“You don’t even know half of the story! But yeah, I shot and killed two people—and then I left another one to rot! Why don’t you come here so I can add to that number?” Woohyun cried, running over to Sungjong. He was actually able to grab at Sungjong’s neck, but was knocked away by Hoya.

“That was you? You killed Somin?” Hoya asked, gripping onto Woohyun’s shirt.

Dongwoo kicked Hoya down. “The only person you’re ing with is—”

“Don’t start with me—”

“We all thought we were coming to Jeju to rescue you, but you—you betrayed us,” Myungsoo said.

“Well, no one asked you to come, L, who literally cannot fight to save his own life. Maybe if you weren’t so weak—” Sungyeol pushed Myungsoo up against a wall, but Sunggyu tore him back.

“Why do you never listen to directions, Sungyeol? If you hadn’t left your post—”

Sungyeol punched Sunggyu square across the jaw. “We listened to your posts, and it got us nowhere. Oh, but I bet it got you somewhere, didn’t it? Yeah, don’t think I didn’t know something was up between you and that nuna.”

“Well if we’re talking about relationships problem, just let Dongwoo tell you about his new girl and how she helped us get to this ing pit we’re in now!” Woohyun yelled, throwing Dongwoo onto the ground.

“Oh, you’re one to talk, Casanova,” Sungjong said.

“You nearly revealed us at the beginning of the day because of Hyemin!” Sungyeol said, kicking his brother. Sungjong pushed back, knocking Sungyeol onto Woohyun and Hoya.

“Hyemin was in tears when I saw her!” Hoya spat back, shoving Sungyeol off of him.

“She would’ve been fine if you hadn’t disappeared and we didn’t have to meet that ,” Sunggyu said, shoving Woohyun to the side. Woohyun lost his balance and fell, face first.

“Leave Woohyun alone! Can’t you tell he’s already injured enough?” Dongwoo said, stepping over Woohyun to get to Sunggyu.

“Shut up—I was the first to notice—”

“Oh please, like you ever cared about any of us,” Sungjong cried, pulling at Sunggyu’s hair.

“What are you saying? I do—”

“You never had any confidence in any of us, in this plan,” Myungsoo added.

“That’s only because—”

“You never even loved us when we were all together! You always tried to leave the circus, to leave us behind,” Woohyun claimed.

“You too—”

“You hated us,” Hoya said. “Your last words to your father—”

“Don’t bring my family into this!” Sunggyu yelled, lunging for Hoya’s throat.

The two of them struggled on the floor and the rest of the boys crowded around, pushing and shoving at each other. Myungsoo grabbed Sungyeol by the collar and jabbed him a few times, but it wasn’t long before Sungyeol had the upper hand. He wrapped his arms around Myungsoo and wrapped his chains around Myungsoo’s broken ribs, suffocating him. Myungsoo kicked aimlessly, hitting Sungyeol but also Dongwoo. Dongwoo grabbed Myungsoo’s legs and pulled him out of Sungyeol’s arms—and straight into Sungjong. Sungjong rolled Myungsoo’s body away and headed straight for Sungyeol—with a headbutt. Sungyeol lifted up his arms to protect his face from the hard wall before he fell at Woohyun’s feet. Woohyun moved around, but tripped over Hoya and Sunggyu. When he stood up again, he surveyed the scene—through his one good left eye.

Sunggyu’s knuckles were white and Hoya’s face was pale. Sungyeol’s arms were red and throbbing. Myungsoo was sitting upright, gasping for breath though no one was near him anymore. Dongwoo was crying deliriously into his chains. Sungjong stood against the wall, vomiting from the smell of the basement room.

“We… how did we get here?” Sunggyu asked, staring at the black ceiling. “How did we get here?” he repeated.

“H…hyung…” Hoya began, unsure of what to say or how to apologize.

“It’s true. Everything you’ve all said is true,” Sunggyu said. As he spoke, the rest of the boys were silent. Nerves calmed and breathing slowed as they listened, once again, to their hyung. They would fix their gaze on him, but when Sunggyu would return their gaze, their eyes would flash away. “I didn’t care about Infinite. I didn’t have confidence in Infinite. I didn’t love Infinite, even my… my appa and omma. I’ve failed Infinite and we’ve failed each other. We’ve done the wrong things, at the wrong time, with the wrong people. I’m sorry. We’re all sorry.”

Sunggyu began to tear up, but continued, “But that was because we were alone before. We were seven boys, barely men, doing the most they could in the present circumstances. And after that, we were left injured, hurting more than before, and further from our loved ones than ever. But now, we’re together again. And I’m never letting us get separated again.”

The room was full of silence again, but it wasn’t as cold and piercing as before. Dongwoo began sniffling. Woohyun helped Hoya sit up and breathe easier. Sungjong helped Sungyeol sit up. Myungsoo sat next to Dongwoo and let Dongwoo rest his head on his friend’s shoulder. When Hoya’s breath became normal again, he stood up and held his hand out to Sunggyu. Sunggyu shook it and brought his dongsaeng into an embrace.

“I’m sorry,” Hoya said.

“I’m sorry,” Sunggyu said, closing his eyes. Before he knew it, the rest of Infinite were apologizing to each other and going in for the group hug.

“We’ll rescue and avenge our loved ones, as one,” Sunggyu promised.

Then, out of the darkness before them, a creaking door opened, letting in an ominous light and echoing footsteps. The fluorescent lights of the basement began to turn on and then, before their own eyes, stood Gi Company, smug as ever.

Manjeok, Soyoung, Daniel, Eunjoo, Soji, Jihyuk.

“Finally, the masks are all off,” Manjeok said.

“And the lines are drawn,” Sunggyu said, stepping forward. Infinite was in chains, dressed in worn clothes, and covered in wounds, but they stood tall against their enemies. It was clear what had to be done, and there was no hiding anymore.