The people of Edge were nowhere to be seen, leaving the streets desolate, as the cold air started to chill the night. Pulling his lapel closer to his ears, Donghae didn’t blame them. It was freezing out here and Donghae couldn’t help but to curse the man beside him for convincing him to not bring the car. He stuffed his hands in his pocket, truly considering tackling the other and stealing his ridiculously huge but seemingly warm, fur hat. They were just going to a local bar for information anyway, why walk?

“Please tell me we’re close,” Donghae mumbled to the other.

“Almost, Hae,” he answered.

“Why are we walking again?”

“To blend in, Hae,” his companion sighed.

“But this ,” Donghae whined.

“No one said that being a Turk was going to be easy, Hae.”

“But still-“

Donghae instantly stopped talking as his companion took a sharp left and started towards a building hidden in a dark alley way. Donghae scrambled to keep up with the other, nearly tripping over the descending stairway. This was not the way to the bar. He sighed as he took in the place, nothing about it screamed safe. It had a single heavy metal door and no windows or signs to bring any attention. The place was completely hidden and Donghae was questioning how his partner even knew about it.

“Hyuk,” Donghae whispered as his partner tapped on the heavy door three times, “What is this place?”

“Just relax Hae,” Hyuk answered, “I’ll handle everything.”

Donghae raised an eyebrow but still nodded, trusting the other completely. Maybe this was another bar that they would hit up for info. Maybe Hyuk wants to try their plan on a different clientele. He understood that, but he wish he was told of the change earlier. He wanted to help.

The door creaked open, a burly man standing menacingly behind it. As Eunhyuk spoke the man down, Donghae looked beyond the other’s shoulder, taking in what he could on the place. It did seem like a bar, but it was obviously old and underused. Its age shown clearly in the leaking roof and cracked floors. The tables looked as though they haven’t been cleaned since before Meteorfall. The shelves that were once lined with liquor are now all filled with empty, broken bottles with yellowing labels. However, what really caught Donghae’s attention was the fact that besides the two men that sat at the very edge of the room, the bar was completely empty. This wasn’t an unknown underground hangout like Donghae once thought. This was a deliberate meeting place, a place where Eunhyuk deliberately planned to meet someone in. He made plans without Donghae’s input.

That might not have seem like much, but in their line of work all they had were each other. They were partners,and had been years before they donned black suits. They planned everything together. One didn’t do things without the other. That wasn’t how they worked. They were a duo – a team. They were meant to trust each other with their lives. Now Eunhyuk was making plans without his input.

“I see,” the oversized guard spoke pulling Donghae from his thoughts, “So you’re the one that the boss been waiting for.”

“Right,” Eunhyuk replied.

“What about the little one behind you?”

“He’s my partner,” Eunhyuk looked back at Donghae, but Donghae turned away before their eyes could meet.

“Partner?”

Hyuk turned back to the other smoothly, making sure that the guard didn’t see the silent argument the two just had, “Yes my partner. Your boss brought his right-hand, I brought mine. He knows I was bringing one more.”

“Is that so,” the other said suspiciously, “I’ll go ask.”

The man left then, the gigantic metal door he was holding ajar slamming in his absence. Once making sure that the man was deep in the building, Donghae headed to the steps, ready to leave his partner behind. If he was making moves without him, he could obviously handle this on his own.

“Really Hae,” Eunhyuk called to his retreating back, “You’re just going to leave.”

“You don’t need me, Hyuk,” Donghae called without turning, “You’ll be fine.”

Eunhyuk ran after the other and grabbed him just as Donghae’s foot touched the top step. He spun the other on his heel, nearly sending both of them tumbling down the steps. Donghae tried to jerk free, but he couldn’t make the other let go. Eunhyuk always been a little stronger than him and if he pulled too hard they would fall. So he let the other pull him back down the stairs to the steel door.

“If I didn’t need you, you wouldn’t be here, Hae.”

Donghae sighed, obviously angry, “Let me go, Eunhyuk.”

“Look Hae,” the other frowned at being called by his full name, “I’ll explain everything to you afterwards. I promise.”

“What good are your promises to me now?”

“Hae-“

The metal door opened once more, its large keeper opening it wide enough for the two others to fit through. He bowed as they walked pass letting the door slam loudly shut behind them. They duo were ushered to their table, their faces emotionless as though the spat they just had a few minutes ago never happened.

They cut an imposing figure to anyone that knew of their names and their dark suits – and everyone knows of their names and suits. The two men sitting before them knew as well, making sure to bow to them deeply as they took their seats.

“Eunhyuk of the Turks,” the man spoke, “I’m glad you decided to meet with me, despite things.”

“You know of my partner right,” Eunhyuk said as he removed his fur hat and gestured to Donghae with it.

“Of course,” he spoke again the smile of an admirer on his face, “Donghae of the Turks. How can I not know about him? The Eunhae duo is very well known in Edge.”

“For good reason,” Donghae spoke menacingly, “But of course you know that.”

The man visibly gulped, “Of course. I know that the two of you are not to be trifled with.”

“Then let’s get down to business,” Eunhyuk said with an easygoing smile as he shot Donghae a warning gaze. It told him that now wasn’t the time.

“Right.”

“You need someone taken care of, correct,” Eunhyuk questioned lightly as he fiddled with his hat.

“Not anymore,” the man said, “I want to hire you for a different job. The one you requested wasn't available anymore. We discussed this.”

“That was not what you told my partner earlier,” Donghae easily lied as his eyes burrowed into the other.

Donghae noticed his comrade’s eyes flicker to him at his words. He could feel the other’s gratitude in the glance, but that didn’t make Donghae any less angry. However, no matter how angry he was he would always play his role and do his duties as a Turk. He never wanted to wear the black suit but he couldn’t deny the connection he felt towards it and the sense of identity it gave him. Even if Eunhyuk tarnished their commitment to one other, Donghae would never tarnish the commitment he had with the Turks.

“I was sure that I told him I gave the job to someone else,” the man responded as he withered from under Donghae’s look.

“So, you’re saying that we’re liars,” Eunhyuk stated with a blasé wave of the hand. He then turned to Donghae just as casually, “I don’t really like being called a liar.”

Donghae bristled at the words and he was glad that the man across from him thought the reaction was because of him. He knew that Eunhyuk was speaking to him. He could feel his blood boil at the action. How dare Eunhyuk have the nerve to challenge him? He was the one in the wrong! However, he stuck to character, the desire to finish things with these people so he could do the same with his partner egging him forward.

“And I don’t like changes,” Donghae continued making sure to keep his glare on the man across from him, “Because I’ve been told that this job was ours. Why else would we be here?”

“You two came too late,” the man’s partner spoke for the first time, “We gave the job to someone else.”

“To YNK,” Euhyuk said, “I presume.”

“You ‘presume’ too much.”

Donghae reached across the table, pulling the man’s partner to him while shoving a Dessert Eagle to the man’s Adam’s apple, “Watch how you speak.”

“Just answer my question before he starts blowing people’s brains all over the place,” Eunhyuk shrugged but showed no signs of pulling Donghae back.

“We don’t have to answer to you,” the man in Donghae’s grip barked back. Donghae could feel the circular shape of a barrel digging into his thigh from underneath the table. Donghae tightened his grip and removed the safety.

That told Eunhyuk that he needed to wrap this up – fast.

“I suggest we hurry this up,” Eunhyuk chimed the calm mask still on his face.

“He won’t shoot me,” the other growled, “Rufus doesn’t want the scandal.”

“I wouldn’t try him,” Eunhyuk said, “He’s had a bad day. Plus President Shinra couldn’t care less. He has an empire to run. Why would he care about you?”

“He ‘had’ an empire to run,” the man spat in Donghae’s face. He chuckled as he shifted to pull the trigger, thinking he was unnoticed, but by the time the other got the last laugh out he was already dead on the floor.

“Told ya.” Eunhyuk then turned to the burling guard that they met at the door and shot a bullet through his eye, watching as the oversized body crumbled to the floor.

“You want to tell us what we want to know now,” Donghae growled as he wiped the spittle from his face, “Or you can have a bullet too.”

“And with how secluded this place is,” Eunhyuk added, “No one would ever find you.”

“Especially if ‘we’ willed it!”

“Ok, ok,” the man pleaded as he held his hands up in surrender, “I-I did give the mission to YNK. If you want I can call them off of it and give it directly to you.”

“No need for that,” Eunhyuk said.

“No need?”

“Nope,” Donghae smiled finally seeing where his partner was going with his plan.

“Just give us the copy of the file you gave to YNK that you have hiding behind the rotting bottles,” Eunhyuk said, surprising both Donghae and their ‘guest’ with his keen eye, “And we’ll be on our way.”

The man scrambled to the shelves to the right of them, the Eunhae duo following him with unimpressed eyes. People can really be cowards. They both watched as he tossed bottles carelessly behind him before he finally came back with the file, handing it to them with both hands and a bow.

“Does this mean I can live?”

“And have you rat us out like you just did YNK,” Eunhyuk questioned.

“We would usually, but like my partner said,” Donghae said as he raised his gun to the other man’s eye level, “I’m having a bad day.”

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

The two stared as the embers and smoke dispersed into the air around them, both watching enthralled at the reds, oranges, grays and blacks. They watched until the fire crumbled the building and deformed the iron door that once stood strong and daunting. They stayed until the bodies within became less then ash, the raging flames now a withering light and the sun parted through the overbearing smoke. The day has change, the evidence long gone and Donghae hasn’t spoken once.

Euuhyuk turned to the other, glimpsing at the yellows and blues of a clear sky that reflected off the other’s face. The lights caressed over his set jaw and thinned lips. They dance on the lashes of his glaring eyes and he sighed. Donghae was still angry.

“You’re ready,” Eunhyuk said softly to the other.

“You care,” Donghae responded sharply then sighed, most likely hearing the childishness in his own words, “Just go on without me. I need to think.”

“I’m not leaving you at a crime scene, Hae,” Eunhyuk said as he rolled his eyes.

Donghae caught Eunhyuk’s eyes then. Eunhyuk could feel the heaviness in them. His partner was really hurt. He was hurt and Eunhyuk couldn’t really understand why. He acted on his own, but it worked.

“Is this some sort of game to you,” Donghae asked facing him, “Am I over reacting to you?”

“You know what, Hae,” Eunhyuk said with harden eyes and harden resolve, “I do think you’re over reacting. I made one little plan without you. So what? It worked.”

“Only because I was there,” Donghae said, “What would have happened if I was too slow to play along or if you went in alone? They would have killed you.”

“But everything worked out,” Eunhyuk said.

“This time,” Donghae yelled as he threw his hands up, “What you did was reckless and stupid!”

“Hae-“

“Look,” Donghae sighed as he visible tried to calm down, “There’s a reason we’re a team. I trust you to look after me. I trust you with my life – more than my family, more than the Turks. I trust you to help me survive. You know what that stunt you pulled showed me, Hyuk? You don’t care about the trust that I give to you. You‘ll throw it away without a second thought. You force me to go into a death trap blind, Eunhyuk! How is that looking after me? How is that protecting my life?”

“Donghae I-“

“No – how can I even protect you if I don’t know what’s going on,”Donghae said near tears, “I see it as my duty to look after you and protect you just as you’ve done for me. I can’t do that if you don’t tell me things. This isn’t about plans. This is about trust.”

Eunhyuk’s features soften. He never wanted Donghae to think that he didn’t trust him. He didn’t want his partner to feel like he didn’t value the bond they shared. However he didn’t think that he had to tell the other everything either. At least now he can understand why Donghae was so upset. Now he can fix things.

“I didn’t mean to do that, Hae,” Eunhyuk said softly to his partner, “I do value our partnership and you know I won’t let anything happen to you. I won’t do this again.”

“I know you didn’t mean it,” Donghae sighed, “But you have to take these things into consideration, Hyuk.”

The blonde smiled at the usage of the nickname. He was forgiven.

“I will from now on,” he said sincerely meaning it. As far as assignment were concerned he will tell Donghae everything.

“We should get out of here,” Donghae said as he turned from the slow burning flames that remained.

“We should,” Eunhyuk agreed, “We still have to get these files to Kyuhyun.”

“Aish,” Donghae snapped, “I forgot about that. Do you think that little is really going to help us?”

“I think so,” Eunhyuk smirks deviously as he stood in front of Donghae and placed his hat on the other’s head, “He won’t be able resist this.”

Eunhyuk opened the file that they killed three men to obtain. Inside was the information for a young man, younger than them even. The accompanying photo captured the youth’s honey eyes, golden skin and brunette hair. His full lips held a smirk that reminded them both of the computer genius they were speaking of earlier.

“Why would Kyu be interested in -,” Donghae asked before stopping himself as he read further along the file, “Did that say Rocket Town?”

“No,” Eunhyuk grinned, “It says computer genius from Rocket Town.”

“That young,” Donghae questioned.

“Yep.”

“Kyu’s going to be watering at the mouth at this information,” Donghae said as the familiar smile of a prankster spread across his thin lips.

“My thoughts exactly as soon as I heard that bastard’s 'job'.”

“This is going to be much easier than I thought.”