“You must be out of your goddamn mind!” Junmyeon yells. “He is NOT joining the gang!” Sehun sighs and opens his eyes, listening to everyone fight at the table. They’ve been at it for almost an hour now. 

“What do you suggest?” D.O asks. “The boy is in danger.”

“Kai, this isn’t a good idea!”

“No,” Kai finally says with a sigh. “It’s the best plan.”

“But-”

“Suho, if you don’t want your stupid brother to die, this the ONLY way.”

“We can help him, Suho,” Xiumin speaks up. “We can all teach him together.”

Sehun slowly sits up and blinks a few times. He rubs his face before leaving the black couch and heads to the meeting table. “I can hear you guys, you know.”

“Sehun, you should be asleep,” Junmyeon scolds.

Sehun crosses his arms. “I can’t.”

Kai huffs. “Don’t be a ing baby and get back to-”

Some of the boys flinch when Sehun slams his hand on the table. “No! I was almost and killed in that goddamn hotel!” he snaps. He’s sick of everyone telling him to sleep, relax. He’s not fine. “I had to blow some guy’s ing brains out and then I find out that this dangerous er boss with an extremely violent history is probably after me! And every time I shut my ING eyes I just imagine that man’s hands on me, choking me, touching me!” He continues to shouts. “Stop telling me to sleep! I don’t want to SLEEP!” All of the boys silently look at him, seeming unsure what to say.

Kai stares at him for a moment before sighing and standing up, pulling his jacket on. “Come on, let’s go.”

“Why? Where are we going?!”

“Walking.”

"I don't-"

"Just get your damn shoes on and get moving. It's about time you and I talked."

Sehun accepts when Junmyeon helps him shrug on his coat. Sighing, he follows the leader out the door, slamming it behind him. Kai stops to light cigarettes, offering one to the boy. 

“I don’t smoke,” He declines.

“Wanna start?”

Sehun stares at it for a moment before sighing and taking one. He sets it between his lips, letting Kai light it for him. “Not your first one, huh?” He notes but Sehun just shakes his head. They walk in silence for a few minutes before Kai speaks up. “I’m not gonna lie to you,” Kai begins to say. He exhales smoke into the air and sighs. “Things didn't go to plan.”

“No .”

"You should be home or whatever you do. The plan was for you to get the plans, get out, go home," Kai explains. "That douche wasn't even supposed to be in his room."

"He wasn't?"

"No," Kai says. "We looked at his schedule and it..." He sighs. "He wasn't scheduled to be there. Look," He turns to face Sehun. "I wasn't lying- the only way for you to be safe is to join us."

"Why, though?" Sehun asks. "Wouldn't that just...get me in more danger?"

"In the long run, yeah," Kai conforms. "But that's only if you decide to stay. For now, you'd be safer if you joined us- if King knew that you were part of our gang, he'd be less likely to shoot you randomly."

"Less likely," Sehun repeats.

Kai continues to walk, only stopping a couple of times. "If King does attack you, you'll always be around us or have someone nearby. "

"Kai," Sehun calls out. 

Kai stops and turns to look at him. "What?"

"Why do you care? You don't give two s about me."

"You're right," Kai affirms. "I don't really care about you."

"Then why are you doing all this?"

"Suho," Kai says as if it were obvious. "I respect him and he seems to care a great deal for you."

"I don't understand why."

"Me neither. But that's just how Suho is. Suho even took a bullet for me, I owe him."

"And I'm, what? Your way of repaying him?"

"Pretty much."

Sehun leans against a nearby wall as he exhales. He rests his head back and closes his eyes. "Join a gang and possibly be protected. Or tell you to off, and get shot."

"By King."

"Or by you."

"I'm not going to shoot you. You already did your part," Kai assures him. "You don't have to make up your mind now, but I wouldn't wait too long If I were you." Kai drops his cigarette and steps on it. "Just in case." Sehun sighs and slowly slides down onto his , staring up at the gray sky. He isn't sure to the full extent what he's getting involved in. He knows he's protected as long as Baekhyun and Junmyeon are around, but what happens when something happens to them and Kai doesn't like Sehun? The same thing that happened to that man? His throat slit. 

But back at the hotel, Sehun proved he had it in him to kill someone. He isn't a murderer, no, of course not. Maybe he's just a survivor. Joining the gang, doing anything Kai wants him to- isn't that just...surviving? Isn't that's all Baekhyun was doing? For money and protection? That's all Sehun is doing. And it's not like many people would miss him if he died. Junmyeon and Baekhyun. That's not a lot of people.

"Alright," Sehun says to Kai as he stands up. "I'm in."

"Thought so," Kai smirks. "Welcome to EXO."

"No way!" Junmyeon shouts. "You can't join, Sehun, it's dangerous!" He watches as Sehun packs a bag. "Your father will-"

"My father doesn’t care about me, okay? He won’t know I’m gone for a few days."

"Sehun..."

"Junmyeon," Sehun sets the bag down and faces his brother. "I know you're worried but this is better than waiting to die. If I do end up dying, at least I put up a fight this way."

"Sehun, reconsider."

"Look, back in the hotel, I didn't even hesitate to pull that trigger. That shows I know it was either him or me," Sehun explains. "I'm not a killer- I'm a survivor."

Junmyeon sighs and sits down on the bed. "You're just like Baekhyun. He says that whenever he kills someone."

"He's my best friend," Sehun laughs. "I'm not surprised."

"He was just like you when he killed his first man. He was so shaken up. But um he took...longer than you to recover."

"What about now?"

"He can shoot a man without flinching an eye. And...if you stay with us, so will you."

Sehun zips up his bag and sighs. "I'm not planning on staying permanent-"

"You'll have to torture someone."

"Wha..." Sehun looks up from his bag, towards his brother. "What?"

Junmyeon sighs and goes to the window, looking out. "I'm not supposed to tell you but...Kai will make you torture someone." 

Sehun slowly shakes his head. "No, I can't!"

"If you refuse to torture someone, he'll make you shoot them."

Dread fills his gut. "I don't ever...want to shoot someone again, Junmyeon!"

"Well," He shrugs. "Now you..." Junmyeon trails off. "Oh, ."

"What?" Sehun stands up when his stepbrother quickly shut the curtains. He goes to Sehun and pulls him down so the two of them are crouching. After pulling out his phone, he dials a number and puts it to his ear. After a few moments, Junmyeon speaks up. “We need you to get down here. It’s King’s men.”

Sehun widens his eyes and glances at the curtains. “K-King?”

“Send a car.”

“Why is he-” Sehun’s interrupted by a loud ring in his ears, followed by the sound of glass shattering. 

He screams as Junmyeon covers his head and pulls out his own gun. He peeks out the window and takes a deep breath. “This isn’t a warning,” He says as he looks down at the broken glass now littered around Sehun’s bedroom floor. He bites his lip for a moment before shaking his head. “ it!” He grabs Sehun’s heavy bag and pushes his brother toward the door. Sehun cries out at another row of bullets. “Come on,” Junmyeon says, grabbing his brother by the hand and pulling him out the door, into the hallway. He kicks their parent’s door open and heads for the window. He tosses the bag out before crawling out the window and hanging over the ledge. 

“What’re you doing?!”

Junmyeon lets himself drop, buckling his knees right before he lands. He stumbles very slightly but seems to easily recover. He shakes his head and looks up at him. “Your turn!” He calls up.

Sehun gasps. “No way!”

“Fine! Stay up there and get ing shot then!”

Sehun is taken aback by Junmyeon’s harsh tone. He glances back toward his room before and following his brother. “You’ll be fine. Just relax your body and keep it straight. Bend your knees before you fall!” Sehun shakes his head in disbelief but he copies Junmyeon regardless. He groans a bit and looks down as he hangs now. 

“I’m not so sure about this,” Sehun grumbles. “Maybe I-” More gunshots ring through the air, starling Sehun and causing him to accidentally let go. He screams as he falls, trying to relax; but he ends up falling hard on his back, right into his step-mother’s rose bushes. He coughs and rolls off, smacking his face right in the grass. “Aw, .”

“Could have been worse,” Junmyeon chuckles and helps him up. The two of them stare at the almost flattened roses. “I suppose you could say you rose up to the challenge.”

“I hope you get shot,” Sehun jokes, rolling his eyes and grabbing his back. A black van pulls up nearby, now idling beside them. When another gunshot rings, Sehun watches as the window rolls down and Xiumin’s head pops out, his own gun in hand. Junmyeon grabs Sehun tightly by the wrist, ducking down and pulling him along toward the car. Kai swings the door open and scoots back to let them inside. 

“I’m surprised” Kai chuckles. He looks back as another car arrives. “They’re not usually this angry- must have pissed them off, Sehun,” He yells over the sound of bullets. Junmyeon glares at him and slams the door. He pushes Sehun’s head down, away from the window. Sehun shuts his eyes tightly as Chen drives off, shouting out his window. 

“Why the hell did you bring our most reckless driver?!” Junmyeon shuts.

“Because our best driver’s on another job!” Kai shouts back. Sehun groans at several sharp turns; the sounds of wheels shrieking, gunfire, and screaming fill the air. Junmyeon keeps his arm around Sehun’s head protectively. He feels his sleeve suddenly gripped tight, causing him to open his eyes. His eyes widen as Kai stares at him, blood dripping from his mouth. He looks to Kai’s torse; his hand covering a bloody, gun wound.

“Hos…” Sehun his lips. “W-we need a hospital!”

“What are you-” Junmyeon looks over and gasps. He lets go of Sehun and grabs Kai’s arm tightly. “Boss!”

Xiumin looks from the passenger seat before smacking Chen's arm. "Hospital! Boss got shot!"

"What?" Chen looks back and curses. "! Again?!" 

Sehun watches as Junmyeon stares in shock, seemingly trying to decide what to do. He needs to help. Remember the view lessons of medicine he’s read, he pushes Junmyeon away. “Look, j-just keep shooting, okay?! I’ll...I’ll help him.” Junmyeon looks to him and nods, giving Kai one last glance before going back to the window. Sehun looks around in a panic, searching for something to use. When he finds nothing, he notices the knife peeking out, Pulling it out of Kai’s pocket, he cuts a large piece off his own shirt before wrapping it around his hand and pressing it against the wound. He applies pressure with his palm, holding it in place. He swallows hard at the blood now staining the pale of his hands. He tries not to hyperventilate. Right now, he needs to help and not act like the kid he is. He looks out the window when the gunfire stop but the van keeps its fast speed.

 “Look like they lost interest!” Xiumin yells, sitting back in his seat. “They probably gave up when they saw they shot boss!”

“We’re not in the green yet,” Chen announces.

“Stop driving so recklessly!” Junmyeon snaps and the driver scoffs.

“Oh, sorry! I didn't know you wanted our ing boss to die!”

Chen makes a sudden turn, causing Sehun to lose grip and get slammed hard against the side of the van. He cries out as he makes contact. But he pushes himself, grabbing the cloth again and reapplying it; ignoring the new pain in his own shoulder. He can feel his hands tremble when Kai seems to become unconscious. Sniffing, he uses a free hand to lift the leader’s chin before feeling for his Adam's apple. From there, he slides his fingers into the groove between the Adam's apple and one of the large tendons on either side of his neck. He lets out a relieved sigh when he feels a pulse. He shuts his eyes momentarily when the van comes to a shrieking halt, the engine still running when Chen jumps out of the driver's seat and swings the doors open. He grabs the cloth from Sehun’s hand, keeping it pressed against Kai's wound; with the help of Junmyeon, they managed to carry him out and through the hospital doors. Sehun pants heavily, staring after them before slowly looking at his own hands. Xiumin reaches over and turns the van off before jump out as hell. He sighs and smiles at the boy.

“Hey, you okay, Sehun?” He asks.

Sehun shuts his eyes tightly as he continues to shake. “I’m so sorry.”

“What for?” Xiumin asks, grabbing the boy by his arm and helping him out of the vehicle. 

“I...I got Kai shot,” Sehun says.

“Oh,” Xiumin shakes his head. He walks beside Sehun into the hospital in time to see Kai pulled away on a stretcher. 

“This is ing bull! Let me go with him!” Chen shouts.

Junmyeon grabs him and smiles apologetically at the nurse. He pulls the driver away, pushing him toward the waiting room. 

“Excuse me?” Sehun slowly turns his head to look at the nurse. She looks at the blood on his clothes and he looks down as well.

“N-no,” Sehun shivers. “No, this is…”

“He’s the one that tended to our friend,” Xiumin answers for him. “I think his shoulder got hit really hard.”

“I’m alright,” Sehun lies. When the nurse pushes off his hoodie to look at it, she gasps.

“You dislocated it!” She exclaims. “How on earth did you not feel that?”

“It...does hurt a lot, actually,” He points to the double doors. “Will Kai be alright?”

“We don’t know, honey, we just got him. Come follow me so we can take a look at your shoulder,” The nurse says, putting a hand gently on his back and lead him away.

--------------------

Oooh! It seems our Sehun has a bit of knowledge in the medicine/first-aid biz!"