With his face hard as steel, the masked henchman positioned the pistol straight and unwavering at Minghao’s stunned face — his intention to kill the Chinese boy was as clear as day and Minghao’s breath stopped.

Then the henchman’s finger moved.

Minghao didn't think. Instead, he just act. Relying on pure instinct and luck, Minghao struck out his hand with wild abandonment, even as he squeezed his eyes shut in fear. Please! He begged desperately in his head, even though he didn't know whose ears were the plea for.

Despite the lack of sight, Minghao could still feel a strangely familiar thrum of energy zapping through his arm in a fraction of a second. It was the same sensation that he had felt on that night where he had conjured a protective force field around himself — Minghao just didn’t noticed it back then but now that he was placed in almost identical situation, with his life hanging in the balance once more, he remembered.

I really am one of them. Minghao realized in dull resignation, his emotions a mixture of relief and dread at the confirmation.

Then, the masked henchman released the pistol’s trigger without the slightest bit of hesitation and everything else happened in one split second. The bullet shot out from the pistol, just as a glowing shield erupted from Minghao’s palm and it enlarged almost immediately to form a translucent barrier, not unlike the one from that night. It was roughly the size of a regular shield and protected the fallen boy from his head to knee.

I did it, Minghao thought in growing pride, gazing at his shield with queer fondness, before there was a piercing sound as the bullet crashed against the force field.

The bullet recoiled from the force field and slammed straight towards the masked henchman, heading for the space between his eyes. For one brief moment, Minghao thought that the henchman was a goner for sure — there was no way he could survive the bullet to his forehead — and almost let his guard down.

To his utmost shock, the henchman dodged the bullet with surprising grace and speed. Perhaps unintentionally, the pistol flew from his hand as he dropped to the basement floor, as quick as a bullet. The real bullet soared above his head before embedding itself into the wall behind him. The pistol slide a distance away before skidding to a stop.

“What?” Minghao exclaimed, taken back by how fast the henchman was. He had reacted faster than any normal human would have and it frightened Minghao greatly. His concentration gone, his force field disappeared, flickering into nothingness, and Minghao stared wide eyed at the henchman who got back to his feet easily, as if nothing had happened.

“What are you?” Minghao demanded as fiercely as he could even though his voice had trembled with barely restrained fear.

The henchman didn't say a word; instead, he picked up the whip, which was still wrapped around Minghao’s ankle, and roughly pulled it back. Yelping, Minghao’s leg straightened from its earlier bent position and his rear jerked forward few inches towards his aggressor.

Damn it, I forgot about the whip. Minghao swore mentally as the henchman loomed above him like a menacing shadow. He tried to think amidst his growing fear. I need to untangle that whip before I can do anything else.

“Come here,” the henchman growled lowly as he wrenched Minghao closer towards him before descending on him.

“No!” Minghao yelled as he jerked his knee up instantaneously, slamming into the sensitive area between the henchman’s legs.

The effect was immediate.

The henchman let out a wail of agony, clutching at the injured area as he fell to his knees. Without pausing, Minghao quickly set to work in freeing his leg from the whip. The whip had sliced through the denim material of Minghao’s jeans and there was now a red line circling his ankle. It was bleeding, albeit slowly, and Minghao hasn't quite registered the pain yet.

Stay calm, stay calm, Haohao, Minghao chanted to himself like a mantra as his sweaty fingers untangled the whip from his ankle.

The process seemed like it took forever; thanks to Minghao’s blood and sweat mingling together to make both the whip and Minghao’s fingers slippery and clumsy. Not to mention, the whole situation Minghao was in of being attacked and eventually killed, only served to make the boy even more nervous and he fumbled with the whip ungainly. Said attacker may be incapacitated at the moment but Minghao knew that the kick to his groin only caused temporary pain and inaction. And maybe it was just Minghao but he could have swore that the henchman’s cries of pain was lessening.

That's bad, that’s really bad, Minghao warned himself. He’s already recovering and I’m still trapped. He thought, just before the whip finally slipped from his ankle and fell to the floor.

Yes! Relief filled Minghao as he tossed the whip aside. The blond boy jumped to his feet, ignoring the stab of pain from his ankle, and was about to dash for the pistol when there was an unrelenting hand around his ankle.

, no, Minghao cursed uncharacteristically as the henchman yanked his leg backwards, his fingers locked in a tight, painful grip around his bleeding ankle. Down Minghao went like a bag of flour, his centre of gravity abruptly changing, and he struck out with his hands in hopes of breaking the fall.

However, his hands were a second too slow and he only managed to turn his head to the side before the floor came rushing up towards him and he received the full impact of the floor. Another vulgarity slipped from Minghao’s lips as agony erupted within him and for one moment, Minghao swore he could see stars.

“,” Minghao spat out in bitterness and pain. His right cheek ached excruciatingly and he could taste the coppery flavor of blood in his mouth where he had bit his tongue when he fell. Then, there was a grunt behind him and Minghao forced himself to stay focused.

Looking up, Minghao could spy the pistol a mere few inches away from him. I can still do it, I can still grab it. He stretched out his hand to take it when he was abruptly flipped and all the air went out in a rush as he slammed against the hard floor once more.

There's definitely going to be bruises. The blond boy winced. That is, if I’m still alive.

“Ouch,” Minghao vocalized humorlessly, with the henchman standing over him intimidatingly. He didn’t seemed to have appreciated the younger boy’s dry snark.

“Look, kid, you shouldn't have done that,” the henchman sneered angrily as he descended onto Minghao. Despite Minghao’s struggles, the henchman climbed on top of him easily and saddled the smaller boy and limiting his movements. “You're going to regret what you just did to me.”

The man seated himself on Minghao’s navel and Minghao was stuck in a humiliating submissive position. Groaning softly, Minghao attempted to shove the henchman away but he was too weak to toss him off him.

Minghao opened his mouth to snap out a snarky comeback but to his utter shock, the henchman punched him in the face, his clenched fist meeting his throbbing cheek. Whatever Minghao wanted to retort became a mess of gasps and curses as pain flared from his already aching cheek.

What the , Minghao cussed in his head, not daring to voice it out — not after what his last remark caused him. Instead, he tried to reach for his cheek but the henchman pinned both of his hands together above his head. With his hands trapped and the henchman on top of him, Minghao was completely and utterly vulnerable and defenceless.

“No, you shut your bloody trap.” The henchman hissed threateningly at the younger boy whose face was now pale but his eyes still defiant. Without warning, he clouted Minghao in the other cheek and this time, the Chinese boy spat out crimson blood onto the floor. The sight of blood and the pain he was in made Minghao dizzy.

“You should have just cooperated with me and surrender,” the henchman snarled ferociously as Minghao whimpered pathetically after each punch. He prayed that he wouldn’t lose any of his teeth. “Then, none of this would have happened, you wouldn’t be in so much pain and you would just be dead.”

Being dead right now really does seem like a better alternative. Minghao dryly remarked in his mind, the pain clouding his head. He couldn't remember ever being in such pain — his face was burning under the henchman’s blows, his torso bearing the weight of a larger and much heavier person and his ankle was still aching and bleeding where the whip had cut through his jeans and into his skin. He’ll give anything for Jisoo to appear and heal him back to normal.

“But freaks like you deserve the pain,” the henchman continued ranting, pouring out his frustration on the poor boy. He grabbed Minghao’s chin, his grip painful, to force him to look at him. Minghao could only stared back blankly at him with a dazed expression and glassy eyes. The henchman scowled at him before letting fly more and more punches and Minghao dimly realized that his hands were now free.

Blindly, while receiving more blows, Minghao d for the pistol lying above him. He couldn't see and his entire body was in pain and suffering but he was still lucid to know that the pistol was his only hope of surviving then. He was in too much pain and too weak to generate another force field and neither did he even entertain the thought of teleporting — the superpower that he supposedly had but had never used it, saved for that one, single time which he had zero recollection of.

I need the pistol. Minghao reminded himself, the only clear thought in his otherwise fuzzy head. Thankfully, the henchman was too engrossed in punching Minghao to a bloody mess to notice that the blond boy was fumbling for the gun.

Please, Minghao pleaded as the ends of his fingers brushed against the metallic surface of the pistol. He strained a bit more, his arm burning with the stretch, and finally, his fingers wrapped around the grip.

Weakly, Minghao managed to croak out, “hey, bastard.”

His fists faltering at the sound of the derogatory noun, the henchman began to glower furiously at Minghao as he growled, “I said, shut your —” His voice died as he came face to face with the barrel of his own pistol, Minghao’s finger at the trigger and terror appeared on his face.

Minghao didn’t say another word. He pulled the trigger, and there was the bittersweet sound of the bullet bursting from the pistol and slamming straight into the middle of the henchman’s forehead. His eyes widened in shock, almost comically, as he let out a wail of pain.

Blood spattered all over Minghao’s body as he closed his eyes, diverting his face to the side. He felt wetness hit his cheek and bile rose in his throat as the lifeless body fell to the side. Disgust filled his whole body as the henchman’s blood rained all over him but at the same time, there was a queer sort of calmn