Sooyoung sat in the passenger’s seat of the car; her head turned to absently watch the passing scenery. It was past twelve midnight and though she would usually be at home at this time of the night snuggled in her warm bed beside her husband with her children in the room next to theirs, the day was nowhere near normal. What was supposed to be a happy party for Jessica and Jaejoong’s daughter turned out to be a nightmare as far as some were concerned. When she, Yunho and the rest of their friends had left the agency years ago, she thought that anything and everything related to being a spy was all part of the past. She never expected her former job to keep her away from her children after all these years.

“I’ll go.”

Sooyoung’s eyes went wide as she entered their bedroom, turning around abruptly to face her husband. “What?”

“I’ll go.” He repeated as he entered the room after her, shutting the door with his foot. He knew that the conversation they were about to have wasn’t going to pretty and shouldn’t be heard by their children. “I’ll go alone.”

Her jaw dropped. “You’re not going alone, Jung Yunho!”

The dark haired man sighed patiently, taking a few step closer to her. “I don’t know what everyone else will decide on but Boa needs our help, Soo.”

“Did it ever cross your mind that Kibum and Chae Rin need you more?” She raised her tone, hoping that the two children, who were busy playing in their room, wouldn’t hear them. She didn’t mean to sound so selfish but she couldn’t let him go on his own.

Yunho pinched the bridge of his nose. “Soo… I know you know that Boa needs us. Her life is on the line. You of all people should know the gravity of the situation. If I go, there’s an assurance that there’s one of us who’ll come to save her. We don’t know what everyone else will decide on. Worse comes to worst, no one will come. She's going to die.”

The brunette didn’t answer right away, opting to sit on the bed before she replied. “If that’s the case, then I’m coming too.”

“You’re not going with me, Choi Sooyoung!” His eyes went wide this time around.

“In case you’ve forgotten, I am a former agent too. I am more than capable of helping save Boa unnie.” Sooyoung stared at him defiantly. 

He shook his head stubbornly as he came to stand before her. “You are not coming, Soo.”

“Do you think I can stay behind, knowing that there’s a chance for you to never come back to me?”

Yunho fell silent, knowing that he couldn’t argue with that reasoning. If the roles were reversed, he wouldn’t allow her to go for the same reason. “How about the kids? No one would be left with them if the worst happens.”

“I don’t know…” The gravity of the situation finally sunk in. She buried her face in her hands and it wasn’t long before her husband heard soft sobs. “Yeobo, what are we gonna do?”

                He squeezed his eyes shut for a moment, opening them so he could crouch before her. Gripping both her wrists, he gently pried her hands away from her face. A soft sigh escaped his lips as he saw the tears rolling down her cheeks. Yunho knew they were in a very sticky situation. On one hand they both knew they just couldn’t let Boa die like that with no one to come and even try to save her. She was one of their closest friends and one of their co-workers; a person who was by their side through the highs and lows of being a spy. But they were parents too and if the worst case scenario happens, their children would be left on their own.

“We’ll both go.” Yunho whispered, waiting until she was looking at him before he continued. “But promise me, Soo. Promise me you’ll make it out alive.”

“I promise.” She sniffed, freeing her hands to wipe the tears off her face. Surprising him slightly, she held out her pinky. “Promise me too, oppa.”

“I promise.” A small smile reached his lips, lifting her pinky and intertwining it with hers. Lowering their hands, he brought his lips to hers.

                Yunho looked at his wife from the corner of his eye, frowning at the look of sadness on her beautiful face. Taking one of his hands off the steering wheel, he reached out and held her hand in his, squeezing it reassuringly. She turned her head to face him; tears glistening in her eyes. His hand momentarily left hers to caress her face; the pad of his thumb catching the tears that fell. They both knew they were getting nearer to their intended destination, inevitably getting closer to the unknown.

“Everything will be fine.” He did his best to sound very assuring both for her sake and his.

                Soon, almost too soon, they had reached the intended meeting place near the abandoned building where Boa was being held captive. Yunho glanced at the rear view mirror, checking if one car and a truck were behind them before he parked his own car; he and his wife exiting soon after to gather their firearms in the trunk. A car parked near them; Jaejoong and Junsu exiting the vehicle soon after. The truck soon parked right behind the two cars; Yoochun and Changmin exiting the driver’s seat to open the back of the truck.

“I got a call from Liyin. She said she’s ready with the helicopter anytime we need it.” Yoochun said before he disappeared inside the truck; everyone else preparing everything they needed for the rescue before following him inside.

‘And how are the kids doing?” Changmin asked, silently worrying for the sanity of his friends.

Jaejoong leaned against the wall; a slight frown marring his features. “Sica said they’re handling the kids well… put them to bed and all that.”

Junsu muttered incoherently under his breath, obviously not happy about the fact that he was away from his family. “Let’s go over the plan again and get this thing over with.”

“The agency had taken care of installing cameras and detectors all over the area earlier.” Yoochun sat on his seat before his command post consisting of monitors and other technical equipment. “Yunho hyung and Jaejoong hyung are in charge of getting the subject. Changmin and Junsu hyung are to assist while Soo is in charge of retrieving the files that started all this to begin with.”

“If I had it my way, I’d burn those files so that not even the agency can use it.” Yunho scowled from his spot beside his wife.

Yoochun sighed, reaching for a tray of earpieces and night vision googles and handing it to no one in particular. “She’s being held in the fifth floor. The computer centre is in the third floor. Don’t forget to plant bombs and cameras along the way.”

“Looks like we’re all set.” Jaejoong took an earpiece and goggles for himself, passing the tray to Changmin after.

                One by one, everyone in the truck except for Yoochun piled out and readied themselves. In the midst of preparing her gear, Sooyoung felt herself get pulled into a pair of very strong arms. Willing herself not to cry, she allowed her husband to hug her as if she was his lifeline, hugging him back the same way. It was the most difficult mission either of them had to face, having their children and the life of Boa at the back of their minds.

“Stay safe, okay?” Yunho whispered against her ear. “I love you, Soo. Oppa loves you so much.”

She let one tear escape her eyes. “I love you too, oppa. Always will. Whatever happens, I always will.”

Changmin sent the couple a sad smile before cocking his gun; everyone now donning their night vision goggles. “Let’s go kick .”

                Very cautiously, the group made their way to the old abandoned building a couple hundred metres away; Yoochun guiding them from the truck. Each of them kept a sharp eye on their surroundings, alert for any enemy that may come their way. Yunho had insisted on keeping his wife by his side, knowing that they had to part ways once they reached the entrance of the building. They idly noted the numerous firearms hidden amongst the tall blades of grass; all of which are controlled by Yoochun. It was very dark and they all knew that those inside the building were going to have a hard time seeing them. But the advantage wouldn’t last long once they started killing their way in to get Boa and the set of files.

                Inching their way closer and closer to the building, they flattened themselves against a wall at Yoochun’s command. The group soon found themselves lowering to the ground as the numerous firearms planted around the building blasted away; Yoochun carefully controlling the equipment so as to avoid the fifth and third floors. The firing subsided soon after and the sounds of chaos and panic were heard from the building. The spies took it as a cue, entering the building and instantly firing at the enemies they came across.

“Sooyoung, you have to go.” Though his voice held a lot of authority, Jaejoong’s eyes reflected his concern for his friend. “Take care of yourself.”

Yunho practically pulled his wife to his chest, pressing a kiss to her lips before gently pushing her towards the stairs that led to the third floor. “I love you.”

“I love you too.” Sooyoung replied through the headset; everyone practically hearing her reply though she had already disappeared from sight.

“Let’s go, let’s go!” Junsu exclaimed as he followed behind Changmin as they ascended another set of stairs on the other side of the building, firing away at the enemies and planting cameras on the wall to help Yoochun assist them better.

“Boys, just continue going up the stairs. A lot of armed men are on your way so be alert. Once you get to the fifth floor, Boa is kept in glass-walled room at the other end of the building.” Yoochun instructed through their headsets. “Soo, once you get to the third floor, the computer centre is also in the other end of the room. There are a lot of guards on the floor so watch out.”

“Copy.” Sooyoung managed to reply as she planted another camera on the wall, shooting one of the armed men that came charging at her in the process, just as Yunho let out a curse at the news that Yoochun had given. “Oppa, I’m fine. Concentrate.”

Yunho let out another curse roll off his tongue as he shot another armed man. “I’m trying.”

                The boys soon reached the fifth floor, moving slower and more cautiously towards where Boa was being kept. They could see her all the way at the other end of the room, seemingly unconscious and quite battered and bruised. The quartet cursed under their breath at the sight; Yoochun soon joining his friends as soon as Changmin had planted the latest camera. The four soon separated; everyone still advancing towards their intended target. Changmin and Junsu handled the shooting of as many enemies as they could, distracting the armed men so that Jaejoong and Yunho could make their way to Boa.

“The coast is clear. Hyungs, you can go get her.” Yoochun’s voice was heard once more. “Still keep watch. I can see many more men heading your way.”

                As Jaejoong and Yunho entered the room to free Boa, Changmin and Junsu kept guard outside; both hands occupied with guns that were aimed at the entrances to the fifth floor. The younger of the two men inside the room proceeded to free Boa from the ropes while the other made sure she was conscious enough to escape. Through their headsets, they could hear guns firing and they all knew that Sooyoung was in the midst of fighting. They all knew she could hold her own but they couldn’t help but worry for her.

“Soo, are you okay?” Yunho paused momentarily in his attempts to untie Boa when he got no reply. “Sooyoung!”

“I’m alive and breathing, oppa.” The reply came moments after; her breathing ragged and uneven.

Boa took quite a while to regain her stability and consciousness. “Where’s Sooyoung?”

Sooyoung smiled at her unnie’s concern despite the situation; Yunho’s wife soon reaching the computer centre after knocking another man unconscious. “Tell her I’ll see her later.”

“She said she’ll see you later.” Jaejoong echoed the brunette’s words as he assisted Boa to her feet, handing her a gun for her to use before helping her wear her own earpiece. “C’mon, we need to get you out of here.”

                Sooyoung hurriedly laid the bag she was carrying on the table, taking out numerous storage devices from inside. It wasn’t difficult for her to locate the main computer, seating herself before it so that she could start saving the files that had brought Boa’s life in danger. A snarl escaped her lips as she realized that the saving took quite a while, turning around just in time for her to shoot an armed man that entered the centre. She could hear that Jaejoong and Yunho had difficulty getting Boa conscious enough to escape; Junsu and Changmin furiously firing at the enemies heading their direction. Just how many enemies were there all in all? She didn’t have time to ponder on the question as the files finished saving; the brunette soon removing the storage devices before deleting all the files in the main computer. Sooyoung had just thrown in the devices in her bad and slung it around her neck when the man she knocked unconscious a while ago sat up, aiming a gun at her.

“I should’ve killed you earlier.” She muttered herself as she shot him dead; her eyes soon widening as she caught sight of the object in his hands that soon rolled to the ground.

                Jaejoong, Yunho, Junsu, Changmin, and Boa all stopped dead in their tracks; their eyes widening at the sound of the very loud explosion that blasted through their ears. Yunho felt his heart shatter in a million pieces as tears welled up in his eyes. In the helicopter, Liyin’s eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets at the sound she heard, wanting nothing else but to go the building where all her friends were. She was about to ask what happened when four very distinct males voices all yelled in horror while Boa screamed soon after; Liyin soon realizing from who she heard the explosion from. Yoochun stared wide eyed at the screen that was displaying Sooyoung moments earlier – the screen now showing that he had lost his connection – not quite believing what he saw right before his own eyes.

“SOOYOUNG!”