KAIRI

"Shoot me."

I pursed my lips and stared at the masked face, his sharp eyes flickering with adrenaline and anger, the very two emotions seething inside me. I had heard the gunshots, I had heard my bodyguards cry out in pain and collapse on the ground, the echo of that sound vibrating in my ears. The recent memory of the door slamming open and the figure covered in black from head-to-toe... It was playing like a movie reel and I was the lone audience, awaiting the ending. 

"Don't wait," I challenged. It wasn't an experiment on reverse psychology. My father might be lying dead in his bedroom and the loyal daughter inside me refused to run. "Pull the trigger."

Another figure ran inside. This one became frantic upon seeing me. He tried not to speak but his eyes flitted between me and the man behind the gun and I understood.

They weren't bad guys. They had come with a motive. And the motive wasn't me. 

"What would I get from it?"

The man behind the gun finally spoke. His voice was deep but far from intimidating. It was cold, but not rough, almost as if that coldness had been practiced and conditioned in him. He couldn't care less about me recognizing his voice in the future and the fear gripped me, the fear that maybe I wouldn't have a future.

"Shoot me," I repeated, my voice shaking. Why couldn't he just get it over with? Was seeing me on-the-edge satisfying him somehow? "I'm not the one you want, but I'm useless anyway. Shoot. Me."

The man's eyes narrowed and the figure behind him walked upto him, his movements more robotic. He placed a hand on the man's shoulder. My potential murderer looked at him from a peripheral glance, the second man nodding. My insides twisted and I closed my eyes. I'm doing this for our pride, I thought, hoping my dad would hear me from somewhere. I thought of Joon, my boyfriend. He was on his way here and I smiled to myself. At least someone worthy would see my dead body before the world could click it's pictures.

My eyes remained closed. And in that darkness, suddenly, I felt my body spin. Something blocked my mouth and when I opened my eyes, I found myself atop the man with the gun, who was now running down the stairs.

Was something worse than death awaiting me?

                                                                                                                WOOHYUN

One thing was for sure. She had inherited her father's pride.

That same pride that had killed hundreds. That same pride that had killed In Guk, my brother. That same pride that had distanced my own family from me, the ones who were now hiding underneath those corporate rocks like frightened mice. The world had changed, but this pride hadn't. This girl was proof of that.

I watched in amusement as she insisted that I shoot her. I searched her eyes for fear but found my interest growing as I saw nothing but anger. No resentment, I thought and a minor urge told me to obey her. 

"An eye for an eye makes the world blind." 

In Guk's voice echoed in my head. I heard footsteps run inside the room. I recognized Hoya's presence. He placed a hand on my shoulder and I saw him nod. He knew what I was thinking. Damn it, I thought and focused on the girl.

Her eyes were closed and my amusement crossed its boundaries when she smiled to herself. Was she suicidal? The possiblity of the girl being a helpless victim of her father's crusade brushed me but I pushed it away. No sympathy for him, no sympathy for them. 

I remembered his face as I walked towards this room. "Not her, please," he had begged, before Hoya knocked him out. 

Something flickered in my head. Next thing I knew, the General's daughter's mouth was covered in Scotch tape and her body was heaved upon my shoulder. I ignored Hoya's confused look as I ran down the stairs. I could hear her muffled voice complain as we passed the many unconscious bodies, the rabbit punch had worked well. I passed a tall figure doing a double-take as I ran out of the mansion with our extra baggage. I could already imagine Sungyeol throwing a fit in the car. As he followed Hoya and me, I threw her in our black van and switched on my phone. 

"We're done," I spoke. Seconds later, Dongwoo and L, masked like us, ran inside the van and irritation crept towards me as I heard another volley of shocked voices. 

"What the-???"

I had questions to answer, I thought as Dongwoo continued asking the confused Hoya about the change in plans. Right there and then, I saw the bike. SungGyu frantically tapped my shoulder but I raised my palm. Even the eldest of the group knew to stop when I had something in my mind. I stared back at the man, who was now gazing at us with utmost fear and incomprehension. From behind me, I heard something bang against the window. I turned around and saw the girl reaching out through the half-open door. The biker recognized her and his fear increased. 

"Kairi!" 

I heard the man shout but he didn't move. I stared at the girl named Kairi, whose eyes seemed to be widened in shock. But as seconds passed and nothing changed, I realized why the shock had hit her in a different manner.

She wasn't shocked with relief. She was shocked by his inability to move from his place. 

The man remained static, shaking. Confident and unafraid, I slowly walked towards the other side of the road. I heard SungGyu complain but I ignored him. He was a witness, a coward one. He was of use. 

"Hey, hey, wait, I-I-I'll go from here, just..." The man stopped talking as I stood right in front of him, unwavering. I studied him properly and removed my mask. The man's eyes widened as he saw my face. So Hara was right, I thought. My face certainly had frightening elements, elements that weren't mine. 

"I have a message," I spoke. The man gulped and nodded his head. His hand shivered, moving towards the handlebars of his flashy bike. I smirked.

"Don't even think of that," I said. The man nodded again and obediently placed his hands in front of him. 

"Listen carefully," I said. "I don't know who you are, but I know that girl has some connection with you. A relationship, a bond. Regardless of how damaged it now is, since you haven't really bothered about her, I have something you need to know and tell."

The man stammered. "Wh-wh-what?"

"Shoot me."

"I won't kill her." I narrowed my eyes. "I'll keep her alive, only because I'm not a criminal like the conductors of our government. But what will happen to her as her heart keeps beating... What do you think? Whether or not we torture her is upto your judgement of me, but I have shown you my face so remember--I'm not scared of you, or the General. I didn't get what I was looking for so I'm taking her with me. But my search will continue until he falls. Until THEY fall. I might see you again then. But when I do, my advice for you is to walk away."

I turned my back on the man--was he still a man?-- and walked towards the van whose engine had now been revved up for leave.

"Do you know what you're doing?" 

I turned around and saw L's face staring out of the darkened screen. Only he could stir doubt without being too agitated. 

"No," I said. "But I know that we're leaving this place behind. Let's move."