Emergency Measures
Power
Bang Yongguk met Hyoyeon's eye a split second before she fell forward. He dropped his gun - realizing but not caring that he was now defenseless - and he jumped forward to catch Hyoyeon before she fell. He knelt down to his knees, cradling her, aware of the quick beating of his heart.
Hyoyeon was still breathing. The bullet had hit her in the back - it wouldn't kill her instantly, like it would've if the bullet struck her heart or head. That being said, she was losing a lot of blood, and for all Yongguk knew, it could have hit a vital organ. Most likely outcome was that she would die in a few minutes.
"Hyoyeon," he croaked, his voice hoarse. Her eyes began to slowly shut, and he shook her. "Come on Hyo, stay with me!" he said, getting desperate.
He heard the sound of a gun behind him, and turned to face Kim Himchan, who had a gun pointing at him. He had his finger on the trigger.
Yongguk laughed bitterly. "Go on," he said. "Pull the trigger. Kill me. Then kill her. Give her a quick way out," he spat.
He could feel Himchan watching him. "I have a proposal to put to you," he said.
Yongguk knotted his eyebrows in confusion. "What?"
"Join me. Together, no one will be able to oppose us."
Yongguk scoffed. "Yeah, an alliance like I had with the others? There's no way I'm becoming your second in command, Himchan."
"But you won't be," Himchan said. "You can rule the north of the city, I'll rule the south. I've been thinking, when we're divided, we're just going to clash time and time again. And I have ideas on how we'll be able to keep our alliance, but I'll explain them later."
Yongguk hesitated. Yongguk looked up at Himchan. "What do you have to lose?" the latter asked. Yongguk looked back down at Hyoyeon, whose eyes were closed, yet he could still feel her breathing - even though her breaths were shallow and rapid. He was unsure. There was as much chance he's end up with a knife in his back then not if he sided with Himchan. Yet, unless they worked together, Minzy would most likely win this game of hers.
"I know someone, she's a doctor. She may be able to save her," Himchan added, gesturing to Hyoyeon.
Sold. Yongguk turned around, daring to hope. "Fine," he snapped. "Take me to this doctor, and I'll side with you, for tonight at least. And when this is over, we'll talk."
Himchan nodded. "Agreed."
Yongguk stood, still holding the barely-alive Hyoyeon in his strong arms. "Minzy's going to burn down the Zone. You need to send someone to kill her."
"What?! You're telling me this now-"
"Listen! Time is short! You need to send someone to kill her before she gives the order to set it alight!"
Himchan turned. "Zelo!" He stopped. "Zelo?"
The teenage boy was gone.
***
Daehyun watched as U-kwon tightened his grip on the purple-haired woman's neck. Then someone heavy - a boy - bowled into U-kwon, screaming like it was doomsday.
"What the ?" U-kwon managed, before the boy - a teenage boy - sent his fist into his jaw, once, twice, three times.
Daehyun quickly considered his options as the boy aimed his gun at U-kwon. Suddenly Daehyun remembered the boy - he had seen him with that Zelo kid, he must be one of his friends. He frowned, trying to remember. He looked young enough, maybe seventeen. Daehyun had read through all of that Youngjae's "secret" files, and he remembered that Youngjae had one on this kid...but what was his name?
Moon Jongup. That was it.
Moon Jongup. That was it.
Happy with himself for remembering the kid's name, he refocused.
If things didn't go his way, it may be handy to have an ally in U-kwon. So Daehyun took out his gun, aimed, and fired.
The bullet hit the boy - Jongup - in the arm, and he yelled and fell back. U-kwon pushed him off and stood. The woman screamed and ran to the boy. Daehyun ran out of the shadows.
"Get out of here, I'll finish this off!" he snarled. U-kwon didn't need to be told twice; he scampered away.
Daehyun turned to finish off Jongup, but suddenly, the purple haired woman pounced on him. "Hyosung!" he heard Jongup yell.
"You bastard!" Hyosung yelled, hitting Daehyun in the jaw before he could defend himself or raise his gun. Daehyun kicked her in the stomach and she fell backwards onto the ground. Out of the corner of his eye, Daehyun saw Jongup get to his feet.
He aimed the gun at Hyosung and fired.
"No!" Jongup yelled, throwing himself in front of Hyosung. The bullet hit him instead, hit him in the stomach. He fell to the ground.
"Jongup!" Hyosung screamed, tears in her eyes. She moved to the boy, and Daehyun shot her in the stomach and smirked. "I'm disappointed," he said. "I thought this would be easier."
He his heel and walked off into the night.
***
Seohyun heard a banging on the door.
"Who is it?" she whispered.
"Kim Himchan," came the familiar voice. Seohyun unlocked the door, and Himchan came in, followed by an unfamiliar man she had never seen before, who was holding an unfamiliar woman in his arms.
"Listen," growled the man. "You need to help her. She has a bullet in her back, please, help us!" Seohyun could hear the desperation in his voice.
The two men laid the woman down and Seohyun inspected her wounds. "I'll have to dig the bullet out," she said. "She may survive, but there is a high chance that she'll die."
Himchan nodded, looking warily at the other man. "Do what you have to do."
***
Minzy stood on the roof of the building. She didn't have a clue where Hoya was, but she wasn't gonna wait for him. And Daehyun should be here soon. Most of her people were out of the Zone, which was still fighting.
"Light it up!" Minzy yelled at the top of her voice. "We'll set the world on fire," she said in a sing-song voice.
She watched as her people threw the torches into the houses that she knew were covered with gas on the inside. Almost immediately she saw red and gold flames flicker from inside the first house, then spread to the next one. Her people started to run, so they wouldn't burn, but Minzy would stay here for the time being. She wanted to watch the Zone burn to the ground.
Minzy heard footsteps behind her, and she turned around. She was alone, or so she thought.
Zelo stood at the other side of the roof, gun in his hand, his eyes widening as he watched the flames spread from house to house.
"You're insane," he muttered.
Minzy ignored the comment. "So you followed me," she stated.
Zelo nodded. "As soon as you shot Hyoyeon, I knew it was a diversion. So I followed you."
Minzy grinned. "Killing Hyoyeon was something I should have done years ago. She caused me so much trouble." Minzy tilted her head. "You know, she helped your sister escape."
Zelo looked at Minzy, his eyes wide. "Ji..Jieun? She escaped?"
"I have her in captivity," Minzy said. "Lower your weapon Zelo. Join me, and you can have your sister back."
Zelo's eyes flickered for a moment, but then hardened. "You're lying!" he yelled, aiming his gun and firing.
***
Himchan watched Seohyun wash the blood off her hands. He looked over at the unconscious Hyoyeon. Yongguk sat by her, holding her hand.
"She's alive a the moment," Seohyun said. But she's in a critical condition," she explained.
Himchan nodded. "Thank you."
A strange scent filled his nostrils. "Is that-" he sniffed. "Is that smoke I'm smelling or is it just me?"
Yongguk turned around to face him. "I can smell it too."
"Holy ," gasped Seohyun, who was standing at the window.
The two men ran up to see what she was looking at.
"," Himchan breathed.
A red haze was filling the sky, and from here they could see the roaring flames devouring the other side of the Zone. The screams had changed; they were no longer the curses and yells they had been when men were getting shot, these were the long torturous screams of people burning to death. There was a huge BOOM - an explosion. The air was filled with the smell of smoke and burning flesh.
"She did it," Yongguk said. "I can't believe Minzy did it!"
"We need to get out of here," Seohyun said. "The fire will be here shortly."
***
Hyosung crawled over to Jongup. He was still alive. Barely.
"oh Jongup," she muttered.
"Noona," he managed, his eyes half closed, blood on his torso. "How are you still alive?"
"You pabo!" Hyosung managed. "I was wearing a bullet-proof vest! You got shot for nothing!"
Confusion crossed Jongup's face. "A bullet proof vest? Well ," he said.
Hyosung looked up. The whole street was on fire, roaring flames devouring everything they came into contact with. If they didn't get out of here soon, they'd burn to death.
"You might still live," Hyosung said, standing up, and grabbing his foot. She tried to lift him, to carry him, but he was too heavy.
But she'd bloody hell would get him out of here. She began to drag him.
"Seohyun may be able to heal you!"
Jongup shook his head. "Noona, you need to go. This whole place will be burnt to the ground soon, and if you don't get out of here, you'll die. You'll be too slow if you're dragging me along with you," he managed. He was losing a lot of blood, and his eyes were nearly closed. "Go on without me. I'm dead anyway."
Tears spilled from Hyosung's eyes. "I'm not leaving you!" she said defiantly.
"Then we'll both die. Please noona, think of it as my dying wish."
Hyosung let out a sob, and dropped his foot. "I'm sorry Jongup. This is my fault!" The heat was getting unbearable, the flames still spreading.
Jongup managed a smile. "Goodbye noona."
Hyosung sniffed, then kissed Jongup on the forehead. "I'm sorry Jongup."
"GO! Before it's too late!"
"GO! Before it's too late!"
Hyosung stood and nodded, turning and running through the burning street. At the corner she turned for a last glimpse at her dongsaeng. Then she ran again, just as the fire engulfed the street that would be Jongup's final resting place.
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