[SM, Japan]

We had gone back to Korea safely and after a tiring trip, I remember fall asleep to the sound of everyone welcoming us back. The next two days were filled with us waiting for Sehun to contact us back when Luhan came in to wake me up because there was news. I made my way to the meeting room to see that it was Seojun, my oldest brother making a speech to the reporters and if I could teleport, I would have already attacked him right there on the spot.

“I am devastated,” he said, his eyes glistening with tears. “Johnny Suh, a terrorist and a sociopath has kidnapped my younger sister, Oh Dana. I’m here to pass the information to him that I will do anything…. Anything to get her back.”

I scoffed and I saw Johnny blink, pointing at himself. Xiaozhan clicked his tongue and I could see Winwin and Sungmin working on the recording device that we got from the syndicate meeting. It had sparked when Wooseung was stuck in the vents and it turned out that a lot of the information was cut out but Winwin was trying his best to extract it as carefully as possible.

“It has come to light that my brother was framed for our parents murder and he is now cleared of all charges,” Seojun continued. “What we want right now is my sister back. She is very dear to us….”

I didn’t even want to listen to him anymore, instinctively grabbing the remote and putting it off. At the same time, Shotaro came running in and told us that there was an incoming network and we hoped that it would be Sehun.

And it was, my brother’s face appearing on the screen. He looked around warily but I could see Ong Harin in the background.

“Sehun,” Xiaozhan began and Sehun nodded. “Where are you?”

“In Korea. We just came back. I have to make this quick.” Sehun said and he began to tell us that he told the syndicate that he would recruit two people. Taeyong and Yuta and that we had to find a way to figure out what people had to do to get into the U.S. “I can’t take the syndicate down alone. I need more people with me.”

“That’s very risky,” Doyoung said, frowning. “But it would work, right?”

“It has to,” Sehun replied. “However, the syndicate has no base so we’ll be moving around a lot. Shotaro and Chenle, do research. How about the recording? Any luck?”

“We only get bits and pieces but I don’t think it’s enough. It’s also not time to publicize it yet,” Winwin said. “The core of it sizzled.”

“Why did you choose Taeyong and Yuta?” Johnny asked.

“They are sons of politicians, it made sense to me that they would agree with what the syndicate would be going for,” Sehun answered. “And Dana, how are you doing?”

“Hoping that Seojun will be behind bars soon,” I told Sehun, my brother nodding and reassuring me that it would happen. “Take care of yourself, Sehun.”

“Will do. I won’t be able to contact any of you for a while. Yuta, Taeyong…” He paused. “I’ll see you soon.”

And the screen went black. I turned to see Yuta and Taeyong pale at the thought of becoming syndicate members, Shotaro already tapping down on the computer. Chenle was beside him, the two hackers rapidly slamming the tips of their fingers down on the keyboard.

“I don’t know where to start,” Chenle said, frowning.

“Me either.”

“Start from the end and backtrack it,” Kyungsoo told the two. “Go to the list of names that are in the syndicate and start from the lower tier. We have some, don’t we?”

“Yes.” They chorused.

“Hack into the database and run a search on their names to see what their history is like. Mostly likely, there would be a pattern.”

Kyungsoo was a strategist for a reason, Chenle and Shotaro suddenly exclaiming that they got a lead.

“Look at this, this person. Kenta Miyazaki,” Chenle said, pulling up a photo of a Japanese man. “He’s a lower tier member of the syndicate. When I searched him up, newspaper articles from seven years came up. He had open fired at a bank—didn’t kill anyone but injured a few. No one understood why he did it, didn’t seem to want to steal money either. It was covered by reporters and he was sent to jail for two years.”

“But he has no criminal record in the database even if there are digital traces of the article written by him. Seems like the syndicate had wiped it away.” Shotaro squinted at the screen. “And he had to serve jail time for two years but look—I ran a photo recognition software. This is him, six months after on a beach appearing in someone’s selfie.”

“This is the video of him in the bank when he went in there with a gun.” Chenle pulled up a video and it was off a man shooting a couple of people but it seemed like he was purposely aiming for their legs. It was then, Kenta Miyazaki yelling out “Under God’s plan, I shall forfeit my freedom!”

“Weird.”

“Look, another person. Tyson Scott,” Chenle went on. “Same thing. Went to a mall and opened fire, yelling out the words “In God’s plan, I trust”. Injured a few people, taken into jail. A week later, spotted at an alley in Bangkok.”

“So, you’re telling me that Yuta and I have to go into a public place. Fire a few bullets and shout out a godly phrase to get the syndicate’s attention and they will bring me out and take us in?” Taeyong asked, Shotaro shrugging.

“Seems like it.”

I saw Taeyong and Yuta exchange looks, both of them nervous when Xiaozhan told them that they didn’t have to do it if they didn’t want to.

“Or I can always go in the syndicate instead since Sehun is there,” I said, Johnny turning to glare at me. I blinked at him and he shook his head, turning to stare at Taeyong and Yuta who lowered their gaze.

“We’ll do it. Ace is right.” Taeyong nodded. “The best way to bring a syndicate down is to make sure we bring it down from the inside. There is simply no better way to do it.”

“And we’ll be together too, right?” Yuta asked Taeyong, NCT’s Leader patting Yuta on the shoulder.

“That’s right, Yuta. It’ll be fine.”

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Yuta and Taeyong were on their way to going to a hotel, both of them with guns tucked in their belts. They have chosen one of the biggest hotels in Korea, both of them stepping down from the car that Luhan was driving. They had travelled to the heart of Seoul and the Korean and the Japanese made their way into the lobby. The ceiling was high and a big chandelier glistened under the golden lights of the lobby.

Yuta didn’t seem nervous but Taeyong was and both of them exchanged a look. With a nod, Taeyong grabbed the gun and lifted it above his head, shooting the chandelier multiple times. The blasts rang throughout the lobby and Yuta shot out another round. Screams echoed and guards began to surround both of them when they moved closer, their backs hitting each other.

Yuta fired another bullet, the bullet slamming against the upper leg of an innocent passerby when Taeyong bellowed out.

“I am following the path of god!” Taeyong raised his voice, trembling. He hoped it would work. What if it didn’t and they were just going to be put to jail? His eyes darted back and forth, Yuta yelling out at the same time.

“Under God’s plan, I have been enlightened!”

And with that, there was a small sting by his neck, Taeyong reaching up to feel something against his skin. There was a thud and when he turned, Yuta was on the floor and it wasn’t long until Taeyong saw the world spin, his own limp body collapsing.

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Yuta stirred- and he could feel his breath against his nose. When he opened his eyes, it was dark and he shook his head, feeling a bag covering his face. His hands were tied behind his back and his feet bound together. He could hear Taeyong moving behind him, both of them still feeling woozy from the effects of the sedative.

“Hello?” He heard Taeyong speak when there was a shuffle and the bags that were covering their faces were pulled off. Yuta and Taeyong squinted by the sudden light, both males trying to see what was going on when their vision stabilized and they saw that they were in a room. One wall was made out of glass and the others were tinged with dark grey concrete.

“Nakamoto Yuta. Lee Taeyong,” a voice said when a man emerged from the shadows. “Former agents of SM. I am Joon Park, one of the members of G.O.D and you are here under recommendation of Oh Sehun. However, only one of you will be taken in.”

There was a click and Joon Park took out a gun, and both males watched him add a bullet in.

Behind the glass sat Sehun, Harin, Seojun and the rest of the top tier members. Sehun was nervous and he didn’t know what the syndicate had in mind. Harin slipped her hand into his, her fiancé watching Joon Park give them the gun.

“Russian Roulette,” Seojun mused. “How fun.”

Sehun’s heart twisted and he prayed that both Taeyong and Yuta would be safe.

Back in the room, Taeyong watched the man move closer.

“Shoot the gun and one of you will die,” he said simply. “The one who survives, lives and joins us.”

Joon Park moved behind Yuta and undid his handcuff before moving to Taeyong. Both of them were free now, Yuta rubbing his wrists when Taeyong was given the gun and they stared at each other warily. What would they do? Joon Park didn’t have to say it was Russian Roulette for them to know. Taeyong gulped, lifting the gun to the side of his head and pressing down on the trigger.

Click.

No bullet.

He threw the gun to Yuta, Yuta catching it. Yuta swallowed, bringing the gun up to his head and pressing his finger on the trigger.

Click.

No bullet.

Yuta let out a sigh of relief, his heart beating in his ears and he threw it back to Taeyong, the strategist trembling at the increase of the possibility that he could get shot. He brought it up to his head and was about to press the trigger when he had an inkling feeling—No.

Yuta followed his eyes and Taeyong mouthed a small sorry, turning the gun to Yuta. Yuta’s eyes widened, Taeyong lowering the gun when he quickly pressed on the trigger and a bullet shot out. Yuta howled, the bullet embedding into Yuta’s leg as the Japanese fell onto the ground in pain.

Taeyong let out a sigh of relief, finally opening the gun to see that there were indeed no more bullets.

“That wasn’t part of the rules, child.” Joon Park said to Taeyong who raised an eyebrow at the Director.

“All you said was shoot the gun. The one who survives stays and joins you.” Taeyong reminded him. “We both survived.”

“Why didn’t you kill him, Lee Taeyong?” Joon Park asked.

“How many people do you know, Director, who can pilot a plane, ride a jetski, and drive a car at a speed of 215?” Taeyong asked back. “Yuta is an asset and much better than all of your skills put together—”

“Careful of your words, boy,” Joon Park warned but Taeyong flashed him a smile.

“We’re agents, Director. You need us.” Taeyong threw the gun to the ground. “Because without us, you are nothing against Johnny Suh. Just a bunch of old men, leading a group of old people.”

Behind the glass, Sehun smiled, his heart rate slowing down. Taeyong was good and he had a point.

Joon Park exhaled, his gaze on Taeyong before he smirked.

“Welcome to the syndicate.”

[Joon Park, G.O.D member]

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“They are in,” Sehun was telling Xiaozhan and Xiaozhan smiled. “Lay low and let us do the work.”

We were having another one of our calls from Sehun and he told us about how Taeyong shot Yuta. We were worried but it seemed as if Seojun and the rest of the G.O.D members as well as the top tier members of the syndicate trusted the two.

“What are you going to do now, Sehun?” Kyungsoo asked, my brother smiling.

“As Xiaozhan once said—” Sehun clapped his hands together. “If this was a movie—cue the montage.”

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Seven days later

People have been leaving the syndicate and Sehun could feel the tension between the syndicates top tier members. Seojun was pacing around the room, his hands in his pocket. He had just received a phone call that a few members of the syndicate had been missing and there was no way to contact them.

The only way to leave the syndicate was to die, and it seemed like they wanted to leave.

So, they disappeared instead.

Taeyong’s eyes followed Seojun back and forth as Yuta sat there with a wound on his leg. He wasn’t given anything to do yet since he had to heal but Taeyong was enjoying the uneasiness. People had lost trust in the syndicate and they were leaving on their own.

“This is not okay,” Seojun was saying. “People are disappearing. Off the map.”

“Maybe they are just on vacation,” Yuta said and Seojun glared at him, Yuta blinking.

“I feel like this is planned. People are planning together to leave the syndicate at the same time. We need to make rules.” Seojun brooded. “Taeyong, write this down and make sure it gets delivered to every member. Anyone who meets with a syndicate member should inform us first.”

Taeyong complied and Seojun tapped his fingers against the table.

“We need to keep a close eye on them.” He glanced at Taeyong who nodded. “Start from top of the list and keep a close eye on them for any suspicious behavior.”

Taeyong raised his eyes onto Sehun who cracked a small smile. They both knew what that meant—

And that it was time for Taeyong to plant fake evidence.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Seven days later

Sehun had asked the head members of the syndicate to keep the people they brought to parties small. After what happened in Germany, he managed to convince them that they couldn’t trust translators and secretaries.

And that is why Yuta was there to translate for a very important Japanese member. Mr. Aki-san, a man who was related to Japan’s hereditary monarchy. He was a new