[CONTENTID1]Chapter 13[/CONTENTID1]

[CONTENTID2]            "Are you in?" Sehun rumbles into his earpiece, skeptically eyeing his surroundings with a taunt body and alert, heightened senses. If he could concentrate enough, the assassin could hear the faint skitters of mice, behind the large, decayed crates of outdated weapons and whatever else. Tiny insects climbed the peeling walls of the long abandoned enemy hideout, and an old, stale smell of gunpowder decorated the air like poisonous fumes. 

            "Almost," Kai grunts, sounds of clumsy footsteps and heavy thumping following his soft, awkward voice. Although his voice wasn't as deep as Sehun's, nor as smooth and confident, in an endearing way, it sounds like a nice, summer day filled with joy and love, in contrast to the assassin's mysterious midnight escapades. "This vent—it's too tight. I'm going as fast as I can, but it's not..." 

            "You should hurry," Sehun sighs, "Seventeen and I are already in." Seventeen was Minseok's code name, in case someone were to intercept their calls. It changes every mission. They had to memorize a slew of code words, something that didn't particularly sit well with Kai. The boy had the most difficulty with that, while the other three passed with flying colors. 

            "I did it!" The accomplished boy cheers. Although he was nowhere near in sight, Sehun easily conjures up an image of him smiling widely, his pearls shining in the darkness. "Okay, I just joined with Mi—Seventeen. All I need to do now is get into their database. Then, we'll be done in no t—" 

            "Alert!" The panicked sound of Yixing through them both off. "Eight," he uses Kai's code name, "get the out of there with Seventeen—they figured us out. You have about ten seconds before—" 

            A loud boom cuts him off, leaving Sehun wide eyed and worried.  

            His teammates were in danger. 

            Kai was in danger. 

            "Six," Jongdae buzzes into Sehun's ear. "Get out of here. I'll take care of the two, just don't get involved." 

            Frozen, the tall boy stands there conflicted, until he makes up his mind. 

            "Sorry boss," he yanks off his earpiece and heads to where Kai and Minseok were, "I'm going to help them no matter what you say." 

            And with that, he runs full speed to them, his assassin mode activated. 

            "What the were you thinking?!" Jongdae yells at all of them. "You! Kai!" He points at the currently wounded boy. The explosion had been the closest to him, causing the most damage. Debris had fell on him on the way out, causing a sprain on his leg and other minor injuries. "You stayed in there for longer than necessary! I know that you're dedicated to your mission, but when it endangers your life, that's how you know you need to back out!"  

            "I got the information you needed," the tan boy argues back weakly. He was laying in a hospital bed, looking frighteningly smug for someone who got hurt. 

            "And Sehun!" The shout vibrates through the air, as scary as a bullet whizzing through the assassin's ear. "I thought I specifically told you to not get involved! And what did you do?!" 

            "I saved Jongin and Minseok from getting killed," the boy answers, unfazed. A vein shows up in Jongdae's temple, threatening to pop from frustration. "If it weren't for me, we would've lost two valuable members." 

            "That wasn't the point," their mentor hisses, fist punching the nearest wall, leaving a large, cracked dent in its place. "The point was that you disobeyed me. If this happens again, you'll be put on probation. The Resistance doesn't deal with troublemakers." And with that, Jongdae leaves the hospital room, a trail of guilt and silence in his wake. The awkward air hangs low, a thick fog that cloaks all other feelings. 

            After awhile, Minseok leaves, followed by Yixing.  

            Sehun stands there, fists clenched, looking at Kai's sprained leg. Then, with a deep breath, he tells the wounded boy, "Take my advice and join Yixing in inside jobs. You have a gift for computers, use it. If you get hurt because of these action missions again, I might just die from insanity." 

            And just like that, the paler boy takes off without another glance. 

            Sehun tip toes to Kai's hospital bed in the middle of the night, when the moon was brightest and the sky the darkest. The curtains were drawn open, and the window half closed, letting in small whispers of wind. 

            His mind a whirlwind of disorientation and uncertainty as he stealthily creeps up on the sleeping boy. In the silver moonlight, Kai looked like a fallen angel, casted down on Earth to bring good to the world. His rising and falling chest gave a sense of mortality, an imperfection that wasn't really a flaw. 

            He caused Sehun to go against orders. 

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