Chapter 5: Rise and Shine

It was to the cacophony of echoing drips, and the scurrying of sewage rats, that Jihoon awoke. Startled by fallen flicks of cold water against his face, he shot up from he’d been lying, eyes wide as they attempted to adjust to the darkness.

The world was spinning for a long time, a throbbing pain in his head sending his arms up to grasp at the dampness of his scalp. Even through the dullness of his vision, he could see blood against his palm; And, despite being overwhelmed so quickly after regaining consciousness, the pain in his leg followed promptly.

Jihoon choked out a cry. There was a sensation like a pounding heart against the strain in his foot. He couldn’t see it clearly, but he must have broken something… his ankle, probably. After taking that dumb risk yesterday, he supposed he was lucky to have escaped with such minor injuries. A concussion most definitely, cuts and bruises throughout, a sprained wrist, and his ankle was likely broken… After such a fall, it could have been worse.

Still, it hurt like a .

He followed a thin stream of light cascading down from above with a hazy stare. It was the hole he’d fallen from, now blocked up by a precarious plug of concrete t it's entrance. There was no way to tell how long he’d been unconscious down here, but judging by the light, he could assume it had only been through the night. He hoped so, at least. The kids were probably worried sick, and it wouldn’t be long before the investigative crew discovered this, and the rest of the escape tunnels.

He hissed through clenched teeth, pushing himself up and balancing against a wall, leaving the presumable broken ankle folded in the air, and hopping along on the other. For now, he needed to find a place to safely exit.

He really needed to get back to the hideout…

Without the Vulcan’s map system to guide him, the sewer’s tunnels suddenly felt like an unfamiliar labyrinth. Dark, and damp, and smelling like pure .

He hated to admit it, since it was probably going to take an hour of limping through the darkness to find the next manhole… But, he’d never been down here without his suit before. Wearing the Vulcan, this place always felt so small, like driving through a tunnel in the nighttime, an almost soothing familiarity. It was nothing like that, now. Maybe it was the pain, or the headache, or the darkness… Maybe it was the cold chill, or just the fact that all this was piled together, but it was rather depressing.

After a proper failure, though, he could have been prancing along a beautiful flowery meadow in the springtime, and it would still feel like hell. His body wasn’t the only part of him feeling the weight of this defeat…

Jihoon’s eyes squinted, the patter of his foot echoing down the dark tunnel as he trudged on blindly. He couldn’t sit still, though. If anyone found him feeling sorry for himself down here, it wasn’t going to end well. Especially if it ended up being Hwang’s maintenance crew. How would he explain this? Obviously they wouldn’t assume he was the Vulcan right away, but he hardly believed he could come up with a plausible excuse as to why he was hopping through the sewers. ‘Oh, I’m sorry officer! I just got lost on my way to work and fell through a freaking manhole! Care to show me the way to freedom?’

He chuckled unamusable to himself. It didn’t take a genius to know it wouldn’t be that easy.

By the time he reached a potential exit-point, his mobile leg was trembling. He hopped up the metal latter, which creaked precariously under what little weight he applied up his ascent. Reaching its peak, he pressed his ear against one of the small holes of the cover, listening. The floor rumbled slightly, and from the looks of it the manhole was on a neighborhood road. Likely not too far from Hwang’s house.

On the plus side, this wasn’t a busy neighborhood, so he’d be able to escape with little chance of getting hit by a car. Unfortunately, this also meant he was parked right onto snob-street. Surveillance was a to avoid in places like these. Jihoon tugged the neck of his sweater up past his nose in hopes of concealing his identity. He ensured little noise awaited him before pushing away at the cover of the hole, and crawling out to freedom.

He wished he could just lie on the pavement right then and there and let himself melt under the heat of the sun, but there wasn’t any time for that. He held the fabric over his face, limping with purpose towards a wall of shrubbery for some coverage.

There wasn’t a doubt in his mind that MANSAE would be on the hunt for him soon. In fact, they may already have his face plastered over every single news channel and ad-board in the city. The Vulcans pilot cavity must be littered with his DNA, which meant they most likely already knew his face and name. This ed his plans up significantly. He wasn’t going to be able to wander the city freely anymore, or use his regular persona as a disguise. Honestly, the only comfort he could reach for was knowing the hideout was still safe. He crossed his fingers that it was, anyways. The Vulcan should be completely useless in it’s current condition, and without power, there was no way to track the hideouts location using the navigation system.

The Vulcan had emergency features built in for scenarios just like this. In a situation where the Vulcan was destroyed badly enough to immobilize it, or greatly hinder mobility, an emergency exit system could be activated by hand. As well, it held an automated system, so Woozi could plan as many steps ahead as he needed, as long as the machine didn’t shut down prematurely. Along with all that, upon shutting down, the Vulcan would practically become a brick.

There was no way to charge it in it’s current state, Woozi had ensured that when he’d programed it. It’s a completely useless chunk of titanium now, so in the least, he didn’t have to worry about the safety of the kids.

…Although, this also meant he was going to have to rebuild the Vulcan from scratch. No money, no suit, no materials. Back to square one, he supposed.

As he wandered through the city, his heart was thudding in his chest. He must look suspicious anyways, hiding behind a heavy turtleneck in this hot weather. It was best not to draw attention, so he’d take as many back alley-way streets and detours as his path would allow.

Somehow, though… He’d expected this journey to feel a lot more urgent? A little more ‘holy , I gotta get home before I end up getting mobbed by the whole goddamn city’, and a little less ‘early afternoon stroll through the streets.’ He scanned the surrounding area for any signs of wanted ads, curiosity overwhelming the trembling of his aching leg. No matter how he looked at it, there was no sense of disarray among the people. Everything was calm; the ebb and flow of daily activity continuing on as usual. After everything that happened yesterday, shouldn’t they be...at least a bit on edge? The most infamous and dangerous criminal in the whole city was just defeated, it’s identity released to the public. Jihoon was here, wandering among the people, and yet anyone who spared him a glance would dismiss him as a dirty street-rat immediately.

Were all these people simpletons? He supposed he should thank god for their unbelievable poor eyesight, considering that if he was standing in the shoes of the passerby’s, he’d be collecting the huge bounty on the Vulcan’s head without question.

He sighed, hiking the neck of the sweater up higher on his face with a nervous hand. Something here… wasn’t right.

The sun was blazing, setting ripples of light in the open air before him like microwaves. If there was a record for ‘longest distance traveled on one foot’, Jihoon was certain he’d beat it. He reached the location of the hideout by mid-day, tcursing as he trudged through the grass. It was times like this when he fully regretted locating their hideout in the very outskirts of the city, right on the corner of ‘too ing far,’ and ‘one of a hill!’

To be fair, he didn’t walk here often. He rode the Vulcan through the sewers to get to the corner store at a reasonable speed. He wasn’t about to hike 8 kilometers cause the kids needed milk for their frosted flakes, okay?

Jihoon pulled away at grass and dirt with his nails, digging until a metal sheet was revealed just inches below. He cranked the turn-wheel with a grunt, straining against the rusted-shut lock. It opened with an undignified screech, falling open.

He stared down into the hole. Suddenly, turning off the lights to the manual entrance was starting to feel like a ing mistake. He sighed, shutting the hatch above him before beginning his climb down in pitch blackness. He just couldn’t get a ing break today.

“Hyung?” Chan quit his pacing immediately, freezing as Jihoon emerged from the opening of the old entrance. He dropped his phone without care, rushing to catch Jihoon as-in the realization of safety-his leg’s strength gave up “, where have you been? Are you okay?” Chan dragged him over to a chair, carrying his Jiihoon along his shoulders. He set him down carefully, eyebrows furrowed in worry.

“I’m fine… walking back just took ages.” Jihoon rubbed shaky hands over his hands, huffing. At that, Chan’s expression had fallen sullen.

“What happened? I only saw what I could from the news…”

“I… I ed up. I didn’t think the Sergeant was capable of losing his temper like that. It was an unprecedented outcome, and the Vulcan wasn’t prepared for such a battle. I had no choice but to abandon the Vulcan. When I fell down the escape tunnel, I guess I hit my head and got a concusison.” he sighed. “I’m sorry Chan… it seems like I’ve put us in a tight situation. It’s gonna be tough from now on.”

Chan pulled back a tuff of black hair, gasping. ", there's blood... I don’t give a that we lost the Vulcan…” He looked away, a careful thumb along Jihoon's scalp to check for fresh blood, but it was dry. “I’m just glad we didn’t lose you.”

Jihoon smiled, giving Dino’s hair a comforting ruffle. “You’re a sap, did you know that? Don't worry, I'd never let those MANSAE bastards win.”

Dino breathed out in relief. “I know… And, it’s fine that we don't have Vulcan… We can rebuild him. We built him from scratch once, we can do it again. It’ll probably be easier this time around, right?”

“I don’t know about that, Chan… With what happened yesterday, It’s not a smart idea for me to be scavenging for parts. Or any of us, for that matter. We may need to lay low for a while.”

“What do you mean?”

Jihoon quirked an eyebrow. “What do you mean ‘what do you mean’? My face is likely all over the goddamn world right now. Unless you’re planning on butchering it with some ty plastic surgery, walking around out in the open is not an option.”

Chan blinked a few times, shooting an odd look. “They… haven’t released any pictures of your face, Hyung. I’ve been watching the news outlets non-stop since yesterday.”

“That’s ridiculous, why wouldn’t they release it?”

“From what I’ve heard, they still don’t have a clue who you are. Han released a statement this morning to give the city an update on what happened last night.”

Jihoon let out a breath, mind racing. “But, they must know. The Vulcan’s cavity is full of my DNA. The MANSAE scientists have to have found something in there… And, I know for certain that my identity is recorded in the government database, I was in a ing orphanage. They must have found me… Maybe…. Could they be withholding the information?”

“Why would they? The more people who know your face, the easier it will be to find you. I really doubt they’re that stupid.” Chan got up to grab a bag of frozen peas, and a first aid kit from a far cupboard, setting it down on the floor with a thoughtful expression.

“I can’t understand why they would, but that’s the only explanation I can think of. Those -heads at MANSAE aren’t idiotic enough to slip-up on such a clear opportunity...” He cupped his chin, humming. “Those guys must think I’m a moron. I bet they haven’t released it thinking I’ll let my guard down, and go out in the open. Those sneaky bastards!”

Chan rested the peas against the bruise on his leg, deadpanning as Jihoon keeled over with a pained yelp. “You’re overthinking it. I don’t know how, but it really seems like they don’t know who you are. In his statement, Han said they’re currently working towards figuring out your identity with the resources they have. So, seems like they haven’t gotten that far yet.”

Woozi’s face contorted in pain, holding back his voice as the cold seeped into his throbbing ankle. “It only takes a simple scan of a flake of my skin to find me in the database… Unless they haven’t even attempted it yet, they should have found me by now. It’s not rocket science, and I’m pretty sure a lot of those guys are rocket scientists. I’m just not buying it, Chan.”

“What are you gonna do, then? Camp out down here until the world forgets about you?”

Jihoon sighed. “I don’t know… but I'm not taking any chances until we figure out what their game is.”

“But..-”

At the corner of his eye, Jihoon caught the opening of the hallway door, and from it the children had barraged into the room in a frenzied panic of screaming. A few of the boys jumped straight into Jihoon’s arm’s, earning a winded cry of pain from the poor, broken man.

Samuel cupped his face with two small hands, eyes rimmed red. “Hyung you-you, the Vulcan-I-I thought… I thought they got you!”

Jihoon gasped melodramatically, feigning offence despite the weight of multiple kids smothering his bruises. “What? No way! What have I always told you guys?”

Soojung beside him, hung onto his arm tightly, allowing himself a shy smile. “That you’re invincible?”

“Exactly!” He ruffled the boy’s hair with a smirk. “So, what’s with the waterworks, guys? Chan, didn’t you tell them I was coming back?”

Chan rubbed at his neck sheepishly. “Yeah, of course.”

“But-but, Chan was walking back and forth all night!” Samuel whined.

“Yeah, Chan hyung is a bad liar.”

A few other kids threw in their explanations of complaint, leaving Chan to consequently hang his head with an embarrassed flush.

Jihoon couldn’t help the endearing grin he let spread over his otherwise pained expression. He tussled Dino’s hair teasingly, voice softening into quiet reassurance. “I’ll always come back, Chan. Don’t ever doubt that I won’t.”

He scoffed, pulling his head away. “I didn't doubt it, you just took forever...You’re a sap. You know that, right?”

“Sure do, Channie.”

He sighed. “Call me that one more time and I quit, boss.”

Jihoon smacked him, grinning. His pride, his leg, the Vulcan… They were ed for now. He was facing an all-time career low, but, somehow being here made it all feel okay. Even if the whole world was after his personally, he would always have family to fall back on.. This stupid, underground lair, was the one place he found home.

~

“As you can see, sir… There are zero matches. Meaning, whoever the Vulcan thief is… he isn’t registered in the government database.”

Seungcheol sat down in the swivel-chair in his vicinity, opting to rest his legs before his anger could provoke him into round-house kicking the closest scientist in the building onto the moon. He leaned forward, fingers pressed together in an inquisitive manner. Although, from the scientists’ end, it must seem more threatening. “Listen, I’m no scientist, but there has to be a mistake. There has to. All you need to do is be born to have a file in the database! Am I wrong?”

The man stuttered, pushing back thin-rimmed glasses up his nose with a shaky touch. “No, you’re correct Sir-uh-Sergeant, sir.”

“Then there has to be a mistake! How many tests have you done?”

“Uh, well, we have done a complete removal of all pieces of DNA from the suit, and tested each respectively. So, about 800 tests overall, Sergeant. All have come up with nothing.” He scratched at his scalp, the skin revealed past his receding grey hairline sheen with nervous sweat. “I’m not sure how it’s possible, but he doesn’t exist within out database.”

Seungcheol leaned back, rubbing at his nose-bridge with an exasperated breath. “Is it possible he’s in the databases of other Countries?”

“Yes, we put the DNA through the databases nearly a hundred countries. All of them came up negative-.”

“Why haven't you run them through every country?” He snapped, desperation rising behind his otherwise furious tone.

The scientist took a flustered step backwards. “But-uh. Sergeant, sir, the-uh-“

“-The other countries, we either do not have access to their databases due to political reasons, or they do not have a proper database at all.”

Seungcheol turned to face the voice with a face contorted into petty stubbornness, crossing his arms. “Doctor Yoon.”

“Mr. Choi.” He smiled kindly, brushing blonde strands of hair behind his ear as he collected paperwork from the trembling frame of his colleague. “That will be all, doctor Jung, you’re dismissed.”

The man scrambled with his things, speed-walking out the room as if his life depended on it. Seungcheol rolled his eyes. It wasn’t as if he was going to hurt him, it wasn’t his fault the world wanted to make his life a living hell.

Doctor Yoon took a seat before Seungcheol, straightening out his papers. “It’s understandable that you’re upset. We all are, but I suppose you must be feeling the blow most personally.”

That was a ing understatement. Seungcheol leaned back in the chair, eyebrows furrowed. “You are the head scientist in this operation, are you not?”

“That’s correct.”

“Then tell me, what the hell are you guys doing now that our only lead is a goddamn bust?”

The scientist smiled earnestly, indifferent to Seungcheol’s harsh tone. “Many things, Mr. Choi. For a start, our team is working on a way to get the Vulcan up and running again.”

Seungcheol blinked a few times, perplexed. “What good would that do?”

“Tons. If we know how the current Vulcan runs, it will make facing any future Vulcan’s much easier. As well, judging by the computer-esque layout of the interior, that machine could be filled with useful information. Locations, future plans, perhaps even his name and face.”

It… made sense. As much as Seungcheol loathed the idea of waiting another day to find that bastard, he supposed his harrassing wasn't doing much good either. Seungcheol sighed, arms falling from their stubborn cross in defeat.

He leaned forward, peering up through long lashes.“How are you feeling, Mr. Choi?”

“Just dandy, Doctor.” Sarcasm rolled from his tongue with the quirk of a smile.

Doctor Yoon chuckled. “Well, I can’t help but notice that you’re stress levels have increased significantly since the fight. Perhaps not everyone can see through your walk of confidence, but it’s quite stark in my eyes. You’re lethargic, you frequently take medication for headaches.. Not to mention, you’ve been avoiding talking to anyone since the battle. Well, except our team of course.”

Seungcheol bit his tongue. Wasn’t it a bit rude to psychoanalyze someone without their permission? “What’s your point?”

“I’m not saying this because I want to upset you. As head scientist, I keep tabs on the mental health of my colleagues, it’s my job to ensure the team is at peak mental capacity at all times. I’m simply worried, is all. It’s not healthy to endure such high levels of stress.”

“I’m fine, Doctor Yoon. A headache isn’t going to kill me. Besides, aren’t you a scientist, not a counsellor?”

He held the name-tag against his white coat forward, displaying his name, and below that, his title. Yoon Jeonghan, Head scientist, building counsellor.

“I’m certified in both, I can show you my degreed if this isn’t enough to sate your suspicion.”

He sighed. “No, I believe it.”

“And you’re right, a slight headache shouldn’t kill you. However, longterm stress can lead to many problems, such as Cardiovascular issues, mental health problems, ual disfunction, and even hairloss.”

Without thinking, his eyes had wandered down to his lap with a wary gaze. His hand traveled up to check his hair, which was still there despite Doctor Yoon’s humored smirk suggesting otherwise. Seungcheol coughed, dropping his hands “If you’re trying to terrify me, fine, you got me. I don’t see how it’s going to help my ‘stress levels’, though.”

“I’m sorry, I just want you to understand the importance of your mental health. I’m a counselor, it’s my job to nag you on the matter.” He handed him a business card, name and number printed neatly against a beige background. “You can call me anytime, and I’m happy to help you work through this. Or, if you insist on watching over the work of my employees, feel free to stop by my office. I think allowing yourself to let go of whatever is hindering you will do  you some good.”

Seungcheol peered into the card, his stubborn façade melting under the kind gaze of the man before him. Doctor Yoon, as much as he irritated Seungcheol with all the phycological jargon, he had a point. “Uh… Thank you, doctor. I’ll consider it.”

The scientist leaned back with a calm smile, finger’s brushing against the corners of his papers thoughtfully. “I’m glad to hear that. Come by anytime, Mr. Choi.”

Seungcheol got up from the seat, exchanging a polite bow with the man, an air of professionalism between them. Around him, he could sense a fall in tension as he neared the exit, eyes of anxious workers following as he made his way from the lab. He was being a nuisance, he knew that… he just couldn’t rely on status reports alone. The only way to ensure anyone was getting their done, was to barge into the lab and check for himself.

Maybe doctor Yoon was right. This whole Vulcan thing was getting to him… He couldn’t relax, he couldn’t sleep at night. He’d just lay awake, staring at the ceiling with that metal face projected upon his mind. That battle felt as though it had never ended. Still, he could taste the metallic of adrenalin fueled sweat upon his tongue, the throbbing of his fists as they berated titanium flesh… He could still hear that voice.

The Vulcan… A being Seungcheol had once believed to lack any sense of humanity, had shown signs of life for the first time. Even through the robotic filter of the suit, Seungcheol had heard him cry out in pain. He had heard his breath, sporadic gasps of breathing beneath his hold . The begging of the robot rung clear in his memory… It had been the first time Seungcheol had seen weakness within him, leaving a daunting reality Chrystal clear in his mind. The Vulcan wasn’t simply a robot. Somewhere inside that shell of cold metal, had sat a person. His face, his age, unknown to all… Was the Vulcan even a man? It was a complete and utter mystery, one not even the top scientists at MANSAE could puzzle together.

Just who was this person?

He was going insane over this, honestly... consumed by an obsession with the Vulcan’s identity.

He needed to see him, to look the Vulcan in the eye, and search for an answer for the explanation behind it all. Perhaps if Seungcheol could see for himself, he would be able to grow some insight on why? There had to be a reason other than pure evil intent, as to what had driven him to commit to evil for so long…

In this moment, Seungcheol could only wonder.. What was the Vulcan doing right now? Scheming? Plotting the day he would return? He could have a robot lined up and ready to go this very second!

He stopped at a window, peering beyond the glass which overlooked the cityscape, blinding under the harsh glare of the midday sun. No one could say for sure when his nemesis would return, but Seungcheol would be damned if he was about to sit on his in wait. He was never going to let his guard down, not until the Vulcan was caught in his grip..

Whoever the Vulcan is, wherever he is… he’d better know that there was a cell on death-row tagged with a blank name-slate… And the moment That Vulcan bastard’s identity was revealed, Seungcheol was going to sign it himself.

~

Jihoon sneezed, rubbing at his nose with a forefinger, while his other hand kept busy at the keyboard. Day five of becoming a hobbit in the underground hideout, and still nothing. No news articles, no public statements, no sightings of unusual MANSAE activity… Not even the online superhero forums were abuzz with answers to his suspicions.

What the was going on?

Could Chan actually be right about them not knowing who he is?

It was an absolutely absurd notion, but at this point in the game, Jihoon had to take into account any, and all possibilities. The scenario where they knew who he was, and they were waiting for him to show his face? Very possible. The one of them not knowing who he is, and legitimately being the dumbest s in this known universe? It was a low possibility, but not impossible.

Jihoon pondered, staring into the cast around his ankle with a distant gaze. For what other reason had they not released it? There was zero possibility of it being a pity-case. Those douchewads wouldn’t know mercy if it punched them in the face, especially not towards their most hated villain. It was a puzzle to Jihoon, which was infuriating… He generally knew the answer to everything!

“Hyung?” Chan snapped his finger’s to break Jihoon’s thoughts, leaning against the edge of the desk with a stern expression.

“Yeah, what’s up?”

He stared into a clipboard with furrowed brows. “We have a problem.”

“When don’t we have problems?” Jihoon sighed, spinning in his desk-chair to face Chan properly.

“This is serious… I did inventory today, and we’re running out of supplies. Most importantly, we just used the very last of the generator fuel. It’ll run for a day and a night at least… but then that’s it, we’re gonna lose power.”

“God, me…” Jihoon rubbed his face in his hands, letting out a breath of frustration. The problems just never ended for them.

“I can go get them… I know which shop you buy it from.”

He peeked suspiciously through his fingers at Chan, who was biting at his lips as he waited for Jihoon’s response. That store was downtown… he got the best prices from a local guy who located in the hole ‘slums’ of Seoul. Jihoon was used to dealing with the guys in that end of town, but it was no place for a kid. “No way, that area is shark-infested waters, Chan.”

Chan’s mouth fell open in disappointment. “Hyung.. I’m not a child anymore, I can handle going shopping by myself.”

“I know you can shop, Chan. But I’m not risking you getting mobbed downtown. You just don’t know how ruthless those guys can be.” He explained in a calm tone, ignoring the boy’s pout.

“Then what are we going to do? I thought you were ‘hibernating’ until the world forgets about you… We need generator fuel. If you’re not gonna go, I will.”

Jihoon cupped his chin, humming. “No, I’ll go.”

“What?”

“See, I want to test out a theory. What I’m thinking right now, is, if the guys at MANSAE don’t know who I am, then I’m wasting my time down here. However, if they do, going out in the open should in the least, give me some insight on the matter.” He leaned back, scratching at his scalp quizzically. “I think no matter which scenario it is, it will be useful to know. I’d rather charge in like a moron with eyes, than continue to take the safe path and work blindly.”

Chan scoffed, crossing his arms. “What about your leg? Do you expect me to sit around here while you hobble downtown? There’s no Vulcan, Hyung. You can’t blast your way through the sewers today.”

“I’ll catch a cab. If I’m gonna waste the remainder of our cash on fuel, I might as well splurge on transportation, too.”

“Do you want to get caught?”

Jihoon chuckled. “No, of course not. I’ll wear a disguise. It’s not like the Cab company is associated with MANSAE or something, anyways.” Before Chan could open his mouth Jihoon had shushed him, expression serious. “And no, enough of the MANSAE conspiracy theories. They’re not in cahoots with public transportation, okay?”

“Then how did I meet Captain Copycat on my morning bus, hm? You can’t tell me this is all coincidence.”

Jihoon chuckled. “Doesn't he go to your school?”

“That doesn’t explain anything, he never takes that bus! Only when I’m there! I’m telling you, Hyung, he’s on to me.”

Jihoon hummed in mock consideration, nodding. “You might just be onto something, Channie… Or! You’re delusional, and maybe he just wants to be your friend.”

“One, don’t call me that, This is your last warning. Two, I would never be friend’s with superhero scum like him, so he’s wasting his time if you’re right.”

He smirked. “But you still think they’re in cahoots?”

“Of course.”

Jihoon chuckled, stretching his arms out as he got up from his desk chair. “Okay, I'll let you know if the Cab driver turns out to be Madam Marine, okay? I should go now, downtown get’s busier at night, so I wanna finish up before dark.”

“Whatever… Take your phone, call me when you get there. If I don’t get a call, I’ll assume something happened and check in, sound good?”

He snatched the phone from his desk, shoving it into the pocket of his jeans with a smirk. “Yeah. Don’t worry, though. I’ve been down this road before, I’ll be okay.”

“You’d better.”

Jihoon ruffled Chan’s hair as he made his way for the door. He quickly changed into some ‘inconspicuous’ clothing before venturing out. A plain grey hoodie with a large hood, a black medical mask, and a pair of non-prescription, round glasses. It didn’t cover his eyes, but sunglasses would be too much. He kind of figured covering everything would be more suspicious than a slight altercation in his usual appearance.

He snuck on the pair of long, protective boots Chan usually were in his ventures in the sewers. Generally, Jihoon used the Vulcan, se he hadn’t stepped on the floors of the sewers often before, but Chan used it to go to school regularly. Utilizing the map on his phone, he could get to the city through a shortcut underground, and exit in Chan’s usual spot. The journey there wasn’t too difficult. He didn’t bring crutches, it would make him seem venerable. Instead, he wore loose fitting pants, which covered the cast, and a pair of shoes too large for him so that they'd fit over it. It was only one shopping trip, his foot would be able to endure the pain for a short while.

In the cover of the sewer walls, however, he supposed he could still hop on one foot for a bit.

Jihoon stuck his thumb up, running towards the road as the cab approached. He swung the door open, eyeing his surrounding for clearance as he buckled up.

“Where’ya headed?”

The man looked back at Jihoon through his mirror, eyes dull and shadowed by the rim of his cap.

“Area 588.”

The man snorted, examining Jihoon’s appearance up and down with a greasy stare. “You sure about that, kid? It’s not a safe place for such a pretty face.” he drawled, eyes squinting.

Jihoon glared, leaning forward with the best ‘touch me and I kill you’ face he could muster. “I’m certain. Keep your eyes on the road, mister. I won’t be held accountable if you end up losing them.”

He flashed a pocket knife to the man as a shallow threat, quickly directing his shady gaze from Jihoon, to the road in front of him. , he wasn’t even there yet, and he was already dealing with bull.

The drive downtown wasn’t too long, but the air of tension in the cab did it’s best to keep Jihoon’s guard up. He needed to be careful today, for more than a few reasons.

He practically tossed the money at the driver as he left, not bothering to leave a word of thanks for a guy who didn’t know how to keep his erted mouth shut, and his eyes on the goddamn road. He was dropped in front of the shop, a rundown, two-story building that was falling apart at it’s foundation. Wooden sheets covering the windows where dirty thief’s had attempted to break in. The door creaked behind his hand, a sad jingle of bells above him alerting the owners of his presence. They didn’t get much daytime business… People like Jihoon weren’t the type these guys usually dealt with.

The owner emerged behind a tattered red curtain covering the back, ducking under the walkway. He rested his forearms on the counter, peering down at Jihoon with a temporarily suspicious gaze.

He lowered his mask, and the man’s expression changed immediately.

“Lee! It’s been a while, buddy, what have you been up to?”

Jihoon smiled, resting the mask under his chin. “Good to see you, Janghoon. I’ve been kind of busy lately, is all.”

“You here for the usual?”

“Yeah, but can you cut the order in half? I’m kind of tight for money right now…”

Janghoon frowned. “damn… you being laid off or something?”

“I’m just… out of work at the moment. I'll get the full order next time, this is just temporary until I can get back on my feet.” Jihoon smiled reassuringly. Janghoon was a kind man, Jihoon was glad to have met him. His 200cm stature did a thorough job at intimidating robbers, but behind it all, he was just a giant softie.

“You in some kind of trouble, Lee? You’re looking a little pale.” He nodded towards his complexion with a tinge of worry as he got to work packing Jihoon’s order.

That was probably because his leg felt as though it was getting beat by a baseball bat... He wasn't about to tell Janghoon that, though. He didn't have to hear Jihoon's sob story. He chuckled. “I’ll be fine… It’s nothing I can’t handle myself.”

Janghoon hummed quietly, turning towards the back to collect the rest. There was a moment of silence beyond the curtain, but Janghoon quickly returned with an arm full of jugs. Jihoon pulled out his wallet casually, hand freezing as he eyed the number of fuel bottled on the counter.

“Janghoon, this is the full order, I can’t afford it.”

He shrugged. “I’ll give you a discount. It’s the least I can do for my favorite customer.”

“, Janghoon… you’re a saint, thank you man.”

“No problem. And hey, if you’re ever tight with money, I always got odd jobs around the shop for you.” He kicked the side of the counter, causing the register drawer to pop open. “This piece of here could use your magic touch, Mr. mechanic.”

“You know I’m always happy to help.” Jihoon smirked. “Want me to take a look now?”

He fixed the register in no time at all. It was a matter of a missing screw in the interior, and a lack of lubrication on the trolley. He left the shop, waving at Janghoon with a bright smile. That man had a heart of gold… Even if he supplied for a number of local gangs. Jihoon might be his only normal client, which would explain why he was the favorite.

Nonetheless, he loved the guy.

The bags were heavy in his arms, and despite his best efforts to keep his injury on the down-low, it was hard to walk casually with the weight of two-weeks fuel supplies in his arms. As a result, Jihoon found himself walking in a hobbling manner towards the closest major road. There wasn’t a lot of people around, let alone cars. He’d probably have to travel a few more streets over to find his next cab. Luckily, thanks to Janghoon’s generosity, he had a bit of spending money now. It was reassuring.

Halfway down the block, Jihoon leaned against a wall, adjusting his grip as he caught his breath. This stuff was ing heavy…

His foot throbbed. The pain was bordering unbearable, but Jihoon could handle it… He just needed a ing cab to get him the rest of the way. He should probably call Chan and let him know he was here first, though.

Jihoon reached for his phone, but before his fingers could graze the device, something had reached out from behind him, dragging him into the alleyway with rough hands. Jihoon fell backwards into the grip in his moment's of surprise, bags abandoned on the floor as he struggled to escape his captors arms.

The man jerked his head up, face disguised behind sunglasses. Behind him, stood three other men, all dressed in black. Jihoon's heart thudded, wincing as he felt a stretch of tape wrap over his wrists.

The man spoke bluntly against his ear, whispering. “Don’t struggle, and I won't have to hurt you.”