Morning light bore over them far too soon, and the footsteps of The Sergeant rang out through the trench.

The thirteen of them had barely slept a wink, too afraid of what was to come. Too riled up to even think of relaxing.

They knew that they needed their energy, but they still hadn’t found it in them to close their eyes and sleep.

Even so, they were twitching with anticipation for what was to come. They were anxious, that was true, but they knew that this was where they made a difference. Their lives had been leading up to these final moments of battle, and now that the time was finally upon them….

They were ready to win.

With heavy hearts, they all donned their gear and made the walk up to the front where the battle was in full swing.

“Hey, are you alright?” Chanyeol asked as he came to walk beside Hani, throwing an arm around her shoulders as he did.

Hani hummed, letting one of her hands cling onto the back to Chanyeol’s shirt to keep her steady, “Just nervous” she admitted, “This is… Well, this is it, isn’t it? The final hurdle. The last chance to prove ourselves. I’m just scared, Chanyeol”

“Don’t be, Hani. You’ve got your big brothers to protect you” Chanyeol smiled slightly, though it didn’t quite reach his eyes. Truth be told, he was absolutely terrified too, he didn’t know what the outcome of all of this would be. Sure, they had a one up on that woman now, but it didn’t mean much if they couldn’t get to her, couldn’t kill her.

Hani laughed uneasily, “I know that. I’m not scared about the war. I just… Can I tell you a secret? And you have to promise not to tell a soul, not even Baekhyun”

“Hani, what’s wrong? You’re freaking me out a little, kid” Chanyeol got out softly, giving the girl a small, comforting squeeze.

“Just… promise me”

“Alright, I promise”

Hani took a deep breath, “I’m gonna die soon, Chanyeol” he said quietly, so not to be overheard. “That woman… I… I’m one of the people connected to her. I didn’t know what was happening at the time, I didn’t get much choice in it either… But once you take her down, I” her voice wobbled, “I die too”

Something in that moment made the blood in Chanyeol’s always heated body flow cold. He’d never felt something like this before, like ice had infiltrated his being and was forcing its way through his veins. He could already tell that his face had turned white as he held onto Hani that little bit tighter, as though keeping her close would protect her from the inevitable.

He knew that there was no way to change her fate, no matter how much he wanted to, no matter how much he needed to. This girl that had over time become a little sister to him… She was doomed to die, and there wasn’t one damn thing he could do, because if he saved her, then the whole war would have been for nothing.

“Hani…”

“Don’t” Hani whispered, “Please don’t. I can’t do this, Yeol… I can’t be the girl you feel sorry for. Let’s make this mean something, okay? Let me die for something right, let me make a good choice, make my life mean something more than a girl that was on the wrong side at the wrong time”

Chanyeol swallowed the lump in his throat, “I really do love you, kid” he croaked out, “I’ll make sure that suffers for what she’s done to you”

“I love you too… Oppa” Hani smiled sadly, “Baekhyun’s found a good guy with you. I hope you keep him happy, because you both deserve it”

Chanyeol laughed shakily, “I’ll tell you what, consider one of mine and his future kids named after you, yeah?” he said, “I’ll make sure she knows how amazing her aunty was”

“Stop it” Hani laughed as tears began to trail down her cheeks. An ‘o’ of surprise found its way to her lips, “I…” she said, raising a hand to her cheek and feeling the wetness that was there, “I’m crying… Chanyeol, I’m actually crying… I didn’t think… I thought I’d never…”

Chanyeol stopped in his tracks, not caring that they were making their way up front, he had to let this sink in. Had to let it sink in for her too.

He wrapped her in a warm hug and pressed a lingering kiss to her forehead, “Surprises strike at the craziest of times, kid” he whispered softly to her, “And this is one ing crazy time”

“You can say that again” Hani sighed, hugging the giant back.

“What’s the hold up?” Baekhyun asked, snapping the two from their moment. The pair of them turned back at the small boy turned soldier, each of them trying their best to not look as defeated as they felt.

Chanyeol smiled softly, “Just chatting about how far we’ve come” he half-lied, “You know how it is”

Baekhyun frowned, “What aren’t you telling me?” he asked, not bothering to beat around the bush as they began to walk again and made their way into the trench at the very front, the others had already settled down and were using the scopes to peak up and see what the enemy were doing. There was a fair amount of soldiers from each side in the middle – it seemed that no man’s land was a Normal concept, because here the battle raged on, there was no hiding from it. And they knew that in just moments, they would all be up there and there was only one way that they’d be walking out of it alive.

“Alright” Hani says, “Truth is I’m just really nervous about all this and Chanyeol was trying to calm me down. I asked him not to tell you because I was embarrassed” she lied convincingly, “I didn’t want my favourite guy to think I was lame” she grinned.

Baekhyun chuckled and ruffled her hair playfully, “You’re always gonna be the lame little sister, so don’t worry” he joked, “I still like you though, so it’s okay”

“Guys” Junmyeon called from up ahead, “Come on. We don’t have time for this…” it was obvious to anyone that was there that the last thing he wanted was for them to be going up to fight, but there was no other option and his friends were about to face what could be their death.

It's as Junmyeon was telling them that they needed to focus that Yixing walked over and pressed a hand to Hani's shoulder.

“I meant to do this last night” he said “But now's as good a time as any I suppose” and just like that, a soft breeze blew past and the burns on Hani's arms began to heal and fade as though they never existed. The dark caverns where her eyes once were, began to grow new skin and as if like magic, her eyes slowly began to reappear, though they were a striking white, with no iris or pupil to be seen. “I can't make you see again. I don't know why, it's as though there's something blocking me... Like some kind of power that I've never even felt before. But the rest of you is in tip-top shape. Well, almost. Your... vines... they're really faint. I don't know if you can still use your powers…”

Hani smiled softly, “Thanks, Yixing. It's more than I could have ever asked for...” she reached forward and let her hand run down Yixing’s arm slowly, showing him that she really was grateful for the effort even if her words didn’t quite get the point across.

Yixing pressed a hand to Hani’s cheek, “Keep your chin up, kid. It might not end how you think it will” he said, “I’ve seen a lot of amazing things, maybe you might get to see some more one day”

“Well, suppose we’ll find out after the war” Hani said, “Now, Junmyeon’s right, we don’t have time to dawdle, let’s take these ers down”

With that, they jogged to catch up with the others who were now practically at the front, where the noise had grown and people were using their powers to their fullest.

Kyungsoo ducked out of the way as a Rouge shot past him, almost taking him out too, “ing hell” he hissed under his breath as he gave the others a swift nod and then they were running into the middle of the battle, guns a-blazing as they fought with everything they had, knowing that this… this was where it counted.

As Kyungsoo fought, he wondered how this would have been for The Normals. He’d read in Normal History books about these epic world wars, but he knew that life on the front must have been so strikingly different to this. This… Because who they were fighting had no tact. There was no quiet strategizing, it was chaos. Full out mayhem and it was such a vulnerable feeling.

There was no waiting for the cover of darkness to make your move. There was no trembling in fear as you in hid in the front most trench. There wasn’t a no-man’s land, because it was a constant fight. Being a Special made War that much easier, but also that much harder. Having abilities wasn’t much of an advantage when everyone that you fought had them too.

There was a constant sense of unease that hung over him, and he barely had time to glance and ensure that his friends were alive as he fought to keep his own life intact.

To his right, he could just make out Yixing and Baekhyun. They had Hani with them and were fighting a large group of Rogues, assisted by Specials that he didn’t know. Some of them amazingly talented at fighting hand to hand.

Further past them and slightly to the front he could see Kris, Junmyeon and Tao too were fighting well. Junmyeon was like a tidal wave of rage as he used his powers like an extension of himself. It was as though he only had to think of what he wanted and the freezing water blasted from him saw it through.

Tao was like a draft of air, one moment he stood still, the next he was fighting like nothing Kyungsoo had ever seen. And Kris was using his ability to shift to his advantage, as a large white Dragon screeched and let hell rein down on his enemies.

From behind, he could sense Jongin more than he could see him. There was the tell-tale movement of the air that told Kyungsoo it was being moved to cater to Jongin’s body as he took his power as an advantage on the unsuspecting Rogues.

Chanyeol was there too, Kyungsoo could feel the heat of the Phoenix on his back as Chanyeol engulfed himself in flames and charged at those who saw fit to try and ruin the world as it stood.

Just in front of him was Jongdae and Luhan. The two of them were using their powers together. Jongdae producing lightening whilst Luhan moved it through any Rogue that came near. Luhan was  being attacked from the side at the same time, but every time there was something thrown his way, he managed to block it with something or someone, all the while never letting his focus slip as he and Jongdae worked together in their fight against the Rogues.

To his left, Minseok was making what looked like Ninja Stars from ice and sending them hurtling at his attackers. Sehun was by his side, using small tornadoes to blow away particularly difficult Rogues as well as using his control of the wind to speed up Minseok’s stars for him as they were thrown.

Everyone was sporting a fair few cuts and bruises, but they still fought vigilantly and pushed through. They weren’t going to be stopped by a few split lips, black eyes or bumps and grazes. They were far, far stronger than that and it looked as though the Rogues were starting to realise it.

Of course, they were afraid. All afraid of dying, of seeing their loved ones die. But more than that, they were afraid of losing this war. Of having the Rogues come out victorious and that fear was their driving force. They would win this and they would make damn sure of it too!

“Do you trust me?” a voice whispered into Kyungsoo’s hear, and there was no doubt as to who it was as Kyungsoo gave a small nod in return, “Earthquake” Jongin said and then he was gone once again.

Kyungsoo let out a long, slow, breath and closed his eyes. He faced his palms towards the ground and began to feel it rumble beneath his feet. He felt a presence beside him and what he knew was Sehun’s hand grabbed firmly onto his shoulder as the wind picked up around him. A familiar heat was then by his other side as Chanyeol’s fingers curled around his wrist and the Earth below his feet began to crackle with heat. Next came two palms resting flat against his shoulder blades and it felt like there was a cool water flowing through his body.

What came last was a hand pressed against his forehead. He opened his eyes to see Luhan watching him intensely. His eyes were almost black with how dilated his pupils were.

“Make it shake, kid” Luhan said lowly, and that was all it took for Kyungsoo’s eyes to snap back shut and for the Earth to move more harshly below him. He knew people were screaming but all he could hear was a high-pitched whistling in his ears, like a kettle left atop of a flame for too long.

And then, just as Kyungsoo felt like his ears were ready to burst, it stopped.

There was a heavy silence around them as  the hands left Kyungsoo’s body and he opened his eyes again. It took him a moment to see properly, but when he did he realised what they’d done.

Around them, hundreds of Rogues lay dead on the dirty ground, though many remained standing, looking down at their fallen in disbelief.

It took Kyungsoo a moment to realise the point of it all, but then he spoke in awe, “We’ve levelled the playing field” he said “We’ve evened out the numbers…”

“It was Jongin’s idea! Luhan said calmly, “He said if we took away their one advantage then we’d be sound. Probably could have taken more, but with the amount of elemental power going through you, you’d have probably dropped dead too” he said, “See. You’re bleeding as it is”

Kyungsoo frowned as he lifted a hand to his face and sure enough blood was dripping from his nose.

“Jongin came up with this?” Kyungsoo asked, trying to hide his surprise in his voice.

“Yeah” Sehun spoke this time, “He remembered what you did that day in training and thought that maybe if Luhan joined in this time, he could manoeuvre the flow, target the worst ones and give us more of an upper hand” he sounded a little drained himself, thought Kyungsoo.

“I hate to be the barer of bad news,” Junmyeon sighed, “But no rest for the wicked” he nodded to where the Rogues were beginning to look more pissed off and readying themselves with vengeance in their eyes.

Chanyeol lit himself up again, “Then let’s show them what we’re made of” he growled.

And just like that, they were back at it.

When he spots her, he knows that she wants him to. She sends him a shy smile before she ducks into the cover of the trees.

This woman was like a red flag to a bull. She managed to get under Kyungsoo’s skin no matter how hard he tried to not let her. And she knew it too.

He knew this was it. This was going to be the last act of the play. The final scene before the curtains closed. As soon as he followed her into those trees, only one of them would be coming out again.

Kyungsoo was set on the woman, his mind only occupied with her, getting to her, wringing her skinny little neck between his hands and feeling every ounce of life drain from her.

He manoeuvred his way over to Yixing on careful feet and pulled him to one side, ignoring the look of confusion that Baekhyun shot him as he caught his eye.

“It’s time” Kyungsoo said calmly, leaning forward so that he could whisper into Yixing’s ear. “I need you to keep him busy. But keep him safe for me, Xing. Please just keep him safe…”

Yixing nodded, wrapping his arms around Kyungsoo in a tight hug and shifting them slightly as a Rogue shot a wall of flames at them. He left out a soft his as it hit his back, burning his flesh harshly before the flames dropped and he was able to heal himself, “I’ll keep him out of harm’s way, Soo. Go finish this. For good” he said firmly, “I love you…”

“I love you too” Kyungsoo said, “I love you all” he gave Yixing’s cheek a kiss and then he was sprinting over to the trees, careful not to be noticed or followed.

The light was dim under the cover of the trees, giving the place an ominous feeling, the feeling of finality.

A soft laugh echoed around him as he moved deeper into the woods until he stepped out into a small clearing.

She was stood across the way, her back facing him and her hair swaying in the gentle breeze of dusk.

“So this is it, then” the woman spoke softly, almost regretfully.

Kyungsoo hummed, his palms faced down to get a feel for the Earth around him, “Looks like it. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were disappointed”

“I am” she laughed softly before turning to face Kyungsoo, “I hate to waste such talent. I like you, Kyungsoo. You know I do. It’s just a shame that you think with your heart and not your head”

Kyungsoo smiled and began to walk around the circumference of the clearing, his eyes not leaving the woman as she began to mimic his movements, always staying opposite him. “Maybe I think with both. But I doubt that thought have crossed your tiny mind” he taunted as a small parade of stones began to dance around his ankles.

The woman’s brows furrowed slightly before she schooled her features into a controlled expression once again, “Don’t be rude, Kyungsoo. It’s not a good tactic to use with me”

“Alright” Kyungsoo shrugged, “What should we chat about? Maybe Kai? That seemed to stir up some interesting reactions last time… Where shall we start? Oh… We could go for the big news. I turned your boy into a man” he purred, a wicked smile on his lips as he watched the rage flicker through the woman’s eyes.

The woman’s irritation was clear and it did well enough what Kyungsoo had intended it to – distracted her from the stones that were picking up the pace around his ankles.

“Bite your tongue” She forced between clenched teeth, “He’s not that kind of boy. He knows better than to just… just… sleep around! is for pro-creation! To expand our race!”

Kyungsoo raised a brow, “Since when did you know him so well? I must not have known about how close the two of you secretly are” he drawled sarcastically, “I should apologise for tarnishing his good name. I’m ever so sorry, my dear”

The woman’s nose turned up in annoyance, “Don’t” she said, “Do not push me, Kyungsoo. I don’t want to hurt you. I want to make this quick for you. But you keep pushing me and I’ll kill you slowly”

“You seem to be under the impression that you’ll be able to” Kyungsoo smiled sweetly, as though he were merely commenting on the weather.

He watched as the woman’s nails grew into something akin to claws and her eyes darkened, “Don’t be so foolishly naïve!” she spat, “I have far more experience, you don’t stand a chance!”

“Then why are you so worried?” Kyungsoo asked calmly, “Why all the theatrics of getting me alone out here?”

The woman faltered for a brief moment before rolling her eyes semi-convincingly, “I didn’t want my son to see me kill his friend. I do have a heart, you know”

“Wrong” Kyungsoo said, “my boyfriend knows as well as I do that I can handle myself. You’re worried because you know he’d kill you himself if you so much as looked at me funny in front of him. But neither of us want that. This is about me and you. Jongin isn’t even a part of it. Not really. This is simple – it’s revenge. And you’re scared because you know that I won’t stop until I get it.”

“You think I’m afraid of you?” The woman asked, her eyes narrowing slightly.

“Oh, I know you are” Kyungsoo replied, “Your whole body screams it. You’re afraid and you think I’m in with a chance. It’s why there’re no witnesses. Because you’re not planning on playing fair”

The woman’s lips quirked up in a smile, “You’re right about one thing. I’m not planning on playing fair”

“That’s okay” Kyungsoo smiled easily as they continued to pace around the clearing, “Because neither am I”

The woman smirked, “Is that so? And here I thought you stood on some moral high ground where cheating was wrong” she sneered.

Kyungsoo rolled his eyes, “Sometimes you have to get your hands dirty,” he said, “and trust me, I’ve never stood on a ‘moral high ground’. But as much as I count myself as being a good person, I can be just as much of a nasty one when pushed. And you’ve been testing my limits since before I knew you”

The woman’s smile widened, “So I’ve finally brought you the side of you worth seeing?” she laughed savagely, “How interesting”

“Don’t think so highly of yourself. You’re one of many things that irk me. You’re just an itch that I can’t quite scratch” Kyungsoo said, butting her laughter short.

“I beg your pardon?” She asked confusedly.

Kyungsoo shrugged, “I’m sure you’re smart enough to understand a metaphor. Don’t play stupid, it doesn’t suit you.”

As time drew on, it occurred to Kyungsoo that this was probably the most dangerous situation he’d ever been in. He mocked the woman, sure, but it didn’t take away from the fact that she was an incredibly gifted individual. She was powerful and he’d be a fool to deny as such.

This woman was smart too. She had not only managed to coerce an entire army into following her, to believe in her, but also to give themselves over to her. She had managed to convince a good percentage of them to willingly give her their advantage in life. She grew stronger and they watched in awe despite feeling themselves grow weaker.

And Kyungsoo had to admit, despite how much he thoroughly despised the woman, she was magnificent in her craft.

Maybe in another life she would have seen it through to the very end, but in this life there was Kyungsoo.

And whilst Kyungsoo may have been on the side of Saints, he’d made it clear a very long time ago that he was not to be mistaken as one.

Just as this woman was dangerous, Kyungsoo could be too, and that was where she underestimated him. Whilst she saw him as skilled, she didn’t necessarily see him as an overwhelming threat, and in that respect, he would advance.

But Kyungsoo was all too aware that this didn’t always play out as expected. That life could trip you up on the last hurdle and make you watch as you lost everything you’d ever worked for. He knew that things didn’t always go as planned and that the more time you spent stressing over that, the worse it would all get.

Nothing ever really prepared you for standing face to face with your parents’ murderer, wondering if you’ll make it out alive. Wondering if you’re about to let down all of the people that you held dear.

And maybe it was dangerous to wonder, but he would that he couldn’t stop. He was facing this woman and whilst he hoped he’d make it out, that he would live to tell the tale… he wasn’t a seer. He wouldn’t know until those final few seconds which of them would be walking away from this fight.

Kyungsoo’s life had been hard. It was just a fact by this point and he wasn’t looking for any sympathy or for pity, he was simply being factual. He’d spent far too long living as though it were his last day and as a result of that there were things that he’d done that he wasn’t entirely proud of.

He wasn’t one to exaggerate the truth, or to tone down a lie. But he had always been open about himself as a person and the matter of the fact was; that whilst he did want the best for himself and for his friends, he had never really cared too much about the fate of the world until recent years.

His mind had been so filled with the idea of needing to find something, to have an end game that he had lost all sense of what it meant to be a good person.

Or at least it had that way been for the longest of times. He didn’t consider himself a wholly good person as it stood, but he had most certainly come a long, long way from where he was. And in truth, it was down to one event that would fill him with both guilt and relief whenever he looked back on it.

There was one night , back when he and Baekhyun had first made it to EXO, that he’d almost gone down a completely different path.

It was a brutal winter, to say the least. The ground was frozen and Kyungsoo felt oddly trapped. He’d thought for so long that he had been craving a home. A save heaven, but now that he had it, there was no contentment.

He’d just returned from eavesdropping on Onew’s conversation with The Guard and his blood was pumping. They’d spoken of a woman – a woman that planned to ruin this world as they knew it. A woman, that the more they spoke of, the more Kyungsoo saw red.

He’d never really felt anger like that before. Had never felt the incessant need to feel a life drain from another living thing, but God how he wanted it now. He wanted it so badly that it seemed as though nothing else mattered.

He was going to get it.

He looked around the small room where Baekhyun slept soundly in the bed beside his. Baekhyun would be okay here, there were people that could look out for him better than Kyungsoo ever could. Or at least he told himself so. It didn’t quite manage to rid him of the guilt that poked at him though.

But guilt or no guilt, he had to do this. He had to.

He took another glance around the room. He knew that he’d not be able to get out the front doors – Minho was doing his rounds. But there was always a way around getting caught. Hell, he’d survived this long.

He silently got up from the bed and threw on a leather jacket that Onew had gifted him as he walked over to the large window.

The soft sound of his steps echoed lightly against the stone floor, giving off an ominous feeling, but Kyungsoo ignored it as well he could.

He flicked the latch on the window and pushed it open, allowing the chill of the night to seep into the room.

He pulled himself up onto the large stone windowsill and swung his feet out, ready to jump and let the Earth catch him.

But a sift ruffle of bedsheets and a tired voice stopped him in his tracks.

“Please don’t” Baekhyun whispered, a frailness to his voice that made Kyungsoo’s heart break.

He turned to see a look of terror on Baekhyun’s sleeping face as the slightly older boy fisted desperately at his sheets. He knew right away what was going on in Baekhyun’s dreams, and that was a horror that Kyungsoo would not wish upon anyone, even in his vengeful mind set, what happened to Baekhyun was a thing he’d not wish upon even his worst enemy.

Kyungsoo had never seen somebody look so fearful in his life and there was a tugging inside of him that brought him down from the windowsill and over to Baekhyun’s bed, where he crawled in beside him, wrapping Baekhyun up in his arms.

“Shh,” Kyungsoo cooed, “I’m here. I’ve got you. I’ve got you, love” pressing a kiss to Baekhyun’s forehead as he rocked them softly before a warm light enveloped them both as Baekhyun woke and Kyungsoo began to sing to him in a gentle voice; “When you feel all alone, and the world has turned its back on you, give me a moment please, to tame your wild, wild heart. I know you feel like the walls are closing in on you, it’s hard to find relief and people can be so cold… when darkness is upon your door and it feels like you can’t take anymore…

 “Let me be the one you call, if you jump, I’ll be ready to fall, lift you up and fly away with you into the night… And if you need to fall apart, I can mend a broken heart, if you need to crash, then crash and burn you’re not alone.

 “When you feel all alone, and a loyal friend is hard to find, you’re caught in a one-way street, with the monsters in your head. When hopes and dreams are far away and you feel like you can’t face the day… Let me be the one you call, if you jump, I’ll be ready to fall, lift you up and fly away with you into the night. If you need to fall apart, I can mend a broken heart, if you need to crash then crash and burn you’re not alone…

 “’Cause there has always been heartache and pain, and when it’s over you’ll breathe again. You’ll breathe again…

 “When you feel all alone… And the walls are closing in on you… It’s hard to find relief, and people can be so cold…

 “Let me be the one you call, if you jump, I’ll be ready to fall, lift you up and fly away with you into the night. And if you need to fall apart, I can mend a broken heart… If you need to crash, then crash and burn, you’re not alone… You’re not alone…”

It was as he held a trembling Baekhyun that he realised just how big of a mistake he was about to make. Baekhyun was the only family he had left and Kyungsoo had lost enough family for one lifetime.

“Where were you going?” Baekhyun asked softly, at Kyungsoo’s jacket.

Kyungsoo sighed softly, “Nowhere, Baek” he said, because despite having a lot of choices, Kyungsoo would always choose the one that was right by his loved ones. And right then, in that moment – and Kyungsoo suspected forevermore – Baekhyun was the only choice that mattered. “I’m not going anywhere”

Kyungsoo stopped pacing, choosing instead to wait as the woman caught up with him. They were stood face to face as she ran a finger down the side of his face, so lightly that it was as though she wasn’t even touching him at all, “My dear, you haven’t spoken for a fairly long time, I was afraid I’d lost you” she said, her voice a little too motherly for Kyungsoo’s liking, though there was the definite undertone of mocking.

Kyungsoo looked up, his hand coming up to capture hers and hold it just slightly away from his face as he looked her directly in the eyes, “I was thinking about how we have a lot of choices in life” he told her honestly, his fingers tight around her hand, “And how even when we make bad ones, we can always rectify our mistakes. But you never seem to realise that the choices you make are the wrong ones… I wonder if that’ll be your downfall”

“This naivety of yours is becoming tiresome, Kyungsoo” The woman drawled, “When will you realise that his life you lead, this world you’re trying endlessly to save is for nothing. Do you think they’re grateful for what you’re doing?! Do you think they care how many of our kind die just to save theirs?! They don’t care about you, they don’t care about any of us and they never will because they will never understand what it is to be us”

Kyungsoo raised a brow as he let go of the woman’s hand, and pushed it away from himself roughly, “That’s all well and good,” he said, “But the hypocrisy in that statement is absolutely astounding. You think that you standing there telling me they don’t care, that they don’t understand would be fine, but doesn’t the sentiment go both ways? When did you ever care about them? When have you ever tried to understand the lives that they lead? This is exactly what I meant – you don’t understand that the choices you’re making are ridiculously misinformed. So tell me, how do you convince yourself that you’re the good in all of this?”

“I don’t have to convince myself” The woman rebutted, “What I’m doing, what I plan to do will help our race thrive! Why should I feel bad about wanting the best for my people?!”

“BECAUSE YOU’RE COMMITING GENOCIDE WHILST YOU’RE DOING IT!” Kyungsoo yelled back, forcing the woman to take a step away from him in surprise, “You think you’re the best thing since sliced bread, when in reality you’re nothing more than a pathetic little woman with nothing but your own gain on your mind! You are literally worth less than , and you expect people to fall to their knees when they see you. You’re not a leader, you’re not a queen, you’re a woman that got lucky and because of it gained far too much power. You might be talented in what you do, but don’t ever mistake yourself for something you’re not”

The woman’s eyes narrowed, “Don’t. Speak to me like that.” She said lowly, “You think I don’t know what’s best for my people?”

“Darling, I don’t even think you know what’s best for yourself” Kyungsoo said, he knew that perhaps taunting her wasn’t the best idea, given their current situation, but he’d never quite grasped the concept of not saying what was on his mind.

“You frustrate me, Kyungsoo” The Woman sighed, “It’s like you want me to hate you. Like you want me to hurt you”

Kyungsoo smiled, “Not at all” he said, “I just don’t want you to be too surprised when I hurt you. Because I certainly plan to”

“Is that so?” The woman tilted her head to one side before she began to slowly circle Kyungsoo.

Kyungsoo hummed, following the woman with his eyes as he came to and from his line of vision, “Are you genuinely surprised or are you just enjoying our idle chit-chat?”

“So clearly” she laughed bemusedly, “As I’ve so often expressed, Kyungsoo. I am rather fond of you, so I want to prolong this… I’m looking to remember you like this, and not how I plan on leaving you”

Kyungsoo nodded slowly, “Interesting that you think you’ll be the one walking away from this”

“You think I won’t be?”

“I think it’s fair game to either of us” he admitted, “You can’t honestly tell me that you think I don’t stand a chance here?”

The woman paused by Kyungsoo’s right, “I think you’re a very gifted man, I won’t deny that. But I also think you’re overconfident in your skill because you’ve only battled people below your standing. You’ve never fought anyone even comparable to as skilled as I before, sweetheart. But I admire your confidence, even if it’s on the edge of stupidity”

 “Thank you” Kyungsoo rolled his eyes in obvious sarcasm, “But the backhanded compliment wasn’t necessary”

“Oh but it was” The woman laughed menacingly.

Kyungsoo hummed, “If you insist, then”

It was obvious beyond all measure that the chatter was about to end and the real battle was to begin. But Kyungsoo had been anticipating this for a very, very long time and he’d be damned if he let this woman throw him off.

But the woods had its advantages. At least here, under the cover of the dark trees, he was in his element, still though, an ominous feeling was thick in the air.

"Are you ready to end this, Kyungsoo" the woman's voice purred into his ear. He could feel her pressed against his back, her hair tickling at his neck.