“We need to stop meeting like this, don't you think?”

“How about we stop meeting, period?”

“You wound me, wonder boy,” the person continues, walking a slow circle around the hero.

“Oh wonder boy, that's creative,” Mark bites back sarcastically. He tries to wriggle his way out of the binds that keep him from knocking the villain into next week, or at least throw him off the roof that they're on. The back-up throwing knives hidden in his boot are too far to reach, the rest having been thrown already chasing the absolutely insufferable criminal standing before him. It's not only that the other masked figure insisted on making conversation with him, but the fact that he got away. Every. Single. Time. Mark doesn't know how—he was, and probably still is, one of the top heroes, starting his career in the States and moving to South Korea to help out, but this guy, he just doesn't understand how he can slip away from between his fingers. His anger only fuels him to struggle against the ropes harder.

“Should I call you Red instead? Oh I made a rhyme!” He raises a hand to cover his giggles, ignoring the way Mark growls at him. What did he do for this type of verbal abuse, if only he was free or if his “partner” would show up and help him out. He watches the villain twirl the diamond bracelet he stole (among other things) around on his finger, rather carelessly considering the fact he intentionally went to go steal it. One thing that he doesn't get is that the entire safe of diamonds and money was emptied out, yet the man in front of him only had a single duffel bag and the single diamond bracelet. It never made sense to him—Mark would chase after him while Jackson surveyed the damage before following after him, but what Jackson tells him about how much was stolen, it doesn't match what he sees the other man carrying. There was never any indication that the rest was stashed somewhere. However, every time, there would always be a symbol of what looked like a rectangle, only two corners weren't joined. Like two backwards “L”s.

“It's humiliating enough you caught me, but do you really have to call me names too?”

“Where's the fun in that? It's proper hero-villain etiquette to have little nicknames for each other, don't you know! Red is much cooler than En Point, in my opinion,” Mark narrows his eyes, ignoring the jab at his self-picked choice of name, and continues to stall by indulging the other's penchant for conversation. He remembers the laser pen Youngjae, Youngstar rather, made for him buried somewhere in one of the compartments in his belt. If he stalls long enough, he can probably get it and free himself, and hopefully Jackson would come as his back up. He never took this long.

“Is it? Well it's a little difficult to come up with a nickname for my enemy if I don't even know your name.” It's with that comment the grin is wiped off the other's face, the first time he doesn't have his ips pulled into a smile, Mark notices. His mouth makes an “o” shape, and that's all Mark has to guess that the villain is shocked—masked eyes and such. It's the first time Mark really notices how pink and plump his lips are.

“You...haven't figured it out then? And I thought the amazing En Point would've figured out the name left behind at every scene would be,” the other man laughs, taking a step towards Mark. He reminds the hero of a cat, his steps are light and silent even with his boots, and all his movements looked purposeful and graceful. His costume only adds to the image, tight black clothes that leave nearly nothing to the imagination. But Mark has to remember that he's dangerous, he can't get too close or it won't end well. They never got into a physical fight, not with the way the other manages to keep at least five feet away from him at all times. Every time they met, it would be a conversation with words rather than fists or abilities. That's what makes Mark weary, he doesn't know what the other can do. 

He's digging through his belt, eyes still on the figure in front of him, “What name? All that's left behind is a rectangle stamped on the wall!” His hand closes in on the thin pen, lifting it slowly to not attract the attention of the other.

“You should look more closely next time,” the villain chides. Mark notices him getting closer, and is about to step back when an explosion from the building next to them distracts them both. The other man, Mark notices, has his mouth turned down in a dissatisfied manner, like he knows something is wrong. It's another thing that doesn't make sense, the crime's already done and he's here with the stolen goods, what is he doing concerned about the explosion? It's Mark that should be concerned, was Jackson just blowing things up? At this rate he was getting close to having 200% switched as his partner.

Mark stops thinking when he activates the laser and cuts himself free from the ropes, taking the moment the cat-like man is distracted to tackle him to the ground. He goes to deliver a punch on his face when he realizes the man he just had pinned down isn't there anymore.

“Do you ever wonder why you've never caught me?” The voice comes from behind him, he turns to see the his enemy standing a few feet away, both hands clutching at the bag.

“Because you're a snake, escaping every time, sometimes even before we even get there,” Mark says, rising up to his feet.

“Is that what you think?” A smile plays on his lips, “I'm glad you hold me up to such a degree,” Mark wants to interrupt and say he's doing no such thing, but he's just reluctantly acknowledging his loss. “But are you sure it's nothing else?”

Mark doesn't understand what he's getting at. He would've noticed if it was something else that allowed the person in front of him to get away, he's a hero. It's his job, to right what's wrong and bring those wrong-doers to justice.

“What are you getting at?”

“Do you ever wonder why you're so quick to chase after me?”

“Stop asking questions you obviously know the answer to! It's my duty to chase after you, if not what kind of hero would I be if I didn't?”

Neither of them move, staring each other down. Mark doesn't understand it, why he's still here, why he's still talking, why he isn't moving to take down the target that is right in front if him. He doesn't understand it.

“You know, you're really popular. You and your teammate, Thunder Strike, was it?” he laughs, “Always in the papers about how quickly you catch the criminals and leave them at the police's feet. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't impressed.

“You would get to the crime scene so fast and put an end to what's going on, or chase after who ever it was without a second thought until they were on the ground and handcuffed. What a scary hero you are—”

“What are you getting at?” Mark doesn't know if he says it to make things go faster, so he can escape and Mark can go back and tell everyone he got away again, or if he's genuinely curious. 

“Yet you aren't so quick to end things with me. You respond to me! I never thought you would, but you did.” The smile on the villain's face, makes Mark frown. He's never thought about it. “It makes me feel rather special.” He knows the other is intelligent, through their past "conversations" they've had. He's articulate, albeit playful in a way, he knows how to use his words. He's different from all the thugs he's seen, witty and still maintaining that shroud of mystery since the first time they crossed paths weeks ago. Maybe that's why he does it, to hear what he has to say, to see if he can uncover anything about the masked villain he knows absolutely nothing about.

“So tell me,” the masked figure is suddenly in front of him, and he notices that he's slightly taller and what he can see of his face is bright and clear, “am I special to you?” Mark swears their lips brush for a quick second and he can't breathe, but before he knows it, the thief is back where he originally was.

He's stunned, watching as the other man back his way up to the edge of the roof. He watches as he raises one hand in a strange salute; his thumb, index and middle finger up while the other two were down, reminding Mark of what little kids did to pretend they had guns. He feels like there's more to it and the other man wants him to figure it out, but what?

But before he can ask, it's already decided their time is up.

“I'll see you around, Red. Think about me, okay?” And he falls backwards off the roof top.

“Wait!” Mark reaches a hand out to try and catch up, but all he holds is air, just like every other time he's tried. He's leaning over the edge, to try and catch a glimpse of the masked villain or the glittering of diamonds, but all he sees is an empty alley way. They were up high, and there was no way he would've survived a fall that high. Maybe he really is a cat, he thinks. It's another mystery added that he can't solve.

He's going to get off the roof, maybe call some of the other heroes in the area to see if they know anything, but before he can a voice calls out to him from the alley he was just looking at.

“Yi-En!” 

Only one moron would blurt out his real name like that. He stomps back to the edge to yell down at the person on the ground.

“Tell the whole world why don't you! What do you want, Thunder?” Mark knows Jackson is rolling his eyes right now.

“Did you see where the perp went? I was in the middle of fighting him when he just bolted!....Wait, why are you up there anyway?” It takes Mark a minute to process what Jackson relays to him—he was just fighting the...? It couldn't be.

“What are you talking about? I chased him up here the whole time!”

“No way dude, didn't you see that explosion? It was him trying to blow me up! How the hell would he have gotten on the roof if he was right in front of me the whole time?”



Then it clicked for both of them.

“Call Youngstar, 200%, and Bam%, we need to talk.”




Mark doesn't realize how long he stayed up last night talking to the others until he's sitting in his 9:30 class trying to keep his eyes open. It's a long hour and a half of trying to look like he's awake and taking notes, but he gets through it and nearly crashes into Yugyeom during the break they all share.

“Rough night, huh?” Kunpimook chirps, too chipper for Mark's taste. Youngjae gives him a pat on the back and hands him a can of coffee that he probably needs.

“I can't believe we didn't notice for this long,” Jackson groans, slapping his hand on his forehead.

“Don't worry, hyung. We'll help next time,” Yugyeom says.

Mark's glad they all somehow found each other, coincidentally all of them went to the same university in the day and patrolled relatively the same area at night. It's easier to rely on more than just one person, and maybe with a few more brains pooled together they can catch the mysterious duo that's been robbing the city little by little. Too busy keeping the younger ones from getting loud and staying awake at the same time, he doesn't notice the bespectacled boy with the diamond bracelet hiding under his sleeve walking towards the library or the boy with the diamond stud earring covered by his hair walking in the other direction.

yeah their superhero names are fansite names except i changed mark point to en point bc yeah and if you were wondering the "rectangle" is 「」 get it do you see what i'm getting at

i am so bad with words wow bye

(just one more and i'll be done xposting hooray)