Yixing can’t argue. He’s bound and gagged, and one wrong move from him could see him facing an eternity of black courtesy of Seunghyun. He’s forced to watch as Jiyong walks over to the Chinese boy’s roommate, an evil glint in his eyes.

Yongbae holds Suho by the elbows, arms restrained behind his back as his accomplice takes the knife, slicing into Yixing’s roommate’s finger, far deeper and further than was needed; perhaps out of spite. Suho only winces a little, concentrating on pulling his finger back and out of the reach of Jiyong.

“Read it to me.”

Jiyong scrunches up his face in confusion. “What?”

“I said: read it to me. Read me the contract. It’s only one page. I need to know what I’m signing up for.”

“Don’t you think you’re in the wrong position to be demanding?”

Suho decides the only way to get him and Yixing out of this alive is to lie, so that’s exactly what he does. Lies through his teeth, but does it confidently. “The fact that I have the police around the corner. I called them when you started looking suspicious. I saw each of you three and I knew Yixing was missing, so I told them exactly how many people would be in which location. I told them not to act until I give the go ahead.” Yongbae looks shocked, and something like scared. Holding Suho hostage like this, he’d definitely be cuffed and charged for assault.

“Either you let Yixing go free, or they’ll see you smuggling him out of this alley and arrest you on the spot. Maybe they’ll shoot you for taking a hostage. Who knows.”

Seunghyun suddenly snorts. “You’re taking us for mugs. If you’d called the cops already, why offer yourself forward? You’re trying to pull the wool over our eyes.”

Ah, Suho’s thought of this. One doesn’t just come up with a lie without coming up with answers for possible questions. “I knew you’d be vindictive enough to keep trying until you got one of them. If I give myself to you, you won’t need to do that.”

Finding enough reason, Jiyong reads the A4 contract out loud. It’s not long, and very basic. He’s to be retained in the facility, not allowed visitors since it could corrupt the experiment (bull alert), and on top of that, they control him entirely. What he says, when he sleeps, when he eats, everything. Since it was catered to the smaller people, Suho picks out segments in his head to correct.

“Any problems?” Seunghyun asks, once Jiyong is finished.

Suho nods. “Yes. You see, I don’t fit those exact regulations. Not to mention how I will definitely need a copy of that entire contract to ensure you don’t screw me over. If you’ll accompany me to the apartment, we can amend the whole thing and make a copy, then I will sign both and you can take me whenever.”

Seunghyun seems to consider this. Suho can tell by the way his pupils flick to his friends, then to the boy in his arms, then all around the alley in thought. Finally he looks back at Suho, narrowing his eyes in challenge. “Call off your cops.”

Suho shuffles his feet in an attempt to look like he still has the control, though Yongbae gives a tug on his neck to prove he’s still being held captive, and therefore the weaker one of the scenario. “First agree to amend the contract in my apartment. I’m a reasonable man, I won’t exactly make you bow down and then cancel the whole thing, will I?”

After much deliberation, Suho is able to pull his phone out and order the police that everything is fine, convincing them he must have misread the situation. ‘I was mistaken’, he tells them. They have to listen and fall back, that’s their job. They can’t arrest someone if Suho has told them they’re innocent and they have no evidence.

Seunghyun jerks his head towards the end of the alley. Jiyong and Yongbae walking there after Suho is jerked free. The powerful male then begins to shuffle there himself, dragging the Chinese boy in his arms with him.

Suho puts a hand on his own chin and jerks it side to side, trying to get the feeling back after rubbing his neck some. He also rubs the blood off his finger and onto his jeans. The wound isn’t painful, just annoying. “Let him go. Do you think it won’t be suspicious if you a bound up person into an apartment building?”

Yixing is thrown to the ground roughly, hitting his head and lying there for a second before Suho is by his side, rolling him over. “That wasn’t necessary,” the elder of the two growls as Seunghyun strides away and pulls his sleeves down professionally.

“Come along. I don’t have all day.”

Suho pulls his roommate off the floor, tilting his head slightly up to inspect any damages and make sure he’s okay. “Why are you doing this?” the younger asks quietly, eyes scared. He knows what those scientists can do. And it’s not pretty or enjoyable.

“I won’t see you hurt,” is all Suho replies. “I’ll explain better at the flat, you deserve that much at least.”

“I don’t deserve anything else,” Yixing replies as he is helped up, then brushed off. “You just saved my life and offered yourself in my place. If anything, I should dedicate your remaining days with us to serving you. I feel like I owe you so much more than you get.”

“You don’t owe me anything,” Suho replies as he wraps an arm around Yixing’s waist to support him as they walk. The Chinese male falls into Suho’s side, leaning on him almost fully due to being