It hurt. It hurt so much he could barely stand, but he had no choice but to bare it and move forward.

His body had been wounded, broken and nearly ripped apart so many times, that the usual pain-killers and anesthetics that were used by most doctors took no effect on him – his body just absorbed the medicine like water giving no relief. Only few knew what kind he needed to take to prevent him from feeling mind-blowing pain. The ones that were given to him definitely were not the ones.

He moved as fast as the burning sensation on his back allowed him to and headed straight to the nearest new construction site there was.

They probably moved from the warehouse to something more in to the city center, something still uninhabited, but good enough for hideout and possible place of staying for a longer period of time. Beside, if they assumed that he had survived, they wanted to settle as soon as possible and probably were close enough for one to know where to search to find them.

It could be a trap. No, it most definitely was a trap, but nothing mattered – nothing apart from getting SungYeol out of there safe and sound.

It was his entire fault that this had happened. It was the fault of his past self who gained enemies by finally disappearing from their sight and leaving nothing behind.

He died, but his past haunted him and wanted to pull him back in its pitch black depths again. He couldn’t allow that. Too many things and lives were now at stake. He had to finish this.

The construction area, where a new, modern block was being made from a scratch, with apartment and business buildings appearing from ground like solid concrete sprouts, was not that hard to find if one knew what to search for, and he knew. This was the basic pattern of a kidnapping which he used to be so good at.

The white van he had seen taking SungYeol away from the previous location was parked next to a business type of a building, obviously to attract his attention.

It was a trap, but he couldn’t turn back now.

He straightened out, as he was half bent-down most of the time, not so much to hide himself as the pain was pulling him closer to the ground and went to the front door of the building.

Faint voices were being heard from the inside, proving that if not all of them then the biggest part of them was there.

MyungSoo took a deep breath and pushed the door open, getting his blade ready.

The only sources of light in the room were still with plastic covered windows, making it rather dim. Forms of humans were scattered here and there around the darkest places of the room, but one figure, sitting on a chair, was left in the brightest spot across the room.

MyungSoo didn’t even have to think twice to understand who it was.

SungYeol.

He looked rather passed out, his long messy hair covering his face. His hands were pulled back, probably tied behind the chair; his legs were tied together.

The urge to call his name just to check, if he can hear, if he’s conscious, almost took over MyungSoo, but he remained calm. He had to focus.

He wanted to run across the room and just get other out, but the shadows moving around the dim light made him to stay still and wait. This was a trap and he was not willing to fall in to it completely.

“You’re here.”  A voice that seemed rather familiar spoke from behind SungYeol and a frame, wearing a disgustingly yellow tailcoat and blindingly purple pants stepped out of the shadow and stood next to SungYeol.

“Joker.”  MyungSoo uttered trough clenched teeth.

The ridiculously clothed males face was covered with a mask that represented the face of an American movie villain that once he used to draw on his own; his green-ish hair reminded more of a wig and his voice sounded more like gargling, but was still recognizable.

“How good to hear that you haven’t forgotten me.” Joker said in a mocking tone. “It’s been quite a while.”  He continued and placed one of his gloved hands on SungYeol’s shoulder, making MyungSoo to tense. “A lot has happened, a lot has changed, am I right, Jiu? Or should I call you MyungSoo?” he said with a bit of raspy laughter.

“Shouldn’t you be dead?” MyungSoo asked. He remembered how he sliced the man that was standing in front of him now. Beside, he couldn’t have survived the explosion.

“Shouldn’t you be too?” Joker asked in the same mocking voice.

“What do you want?” MyungSoo had no time for others games, which the said one liked to play way too much.

“He’s quite beautiful.” Joker ignored MyungSoo’s question and instead curled his fingers under SungYeol’s chin, raising his head up.

SungYeol’s eyes fluttered open as if he just woke up from a sleep. He almost immediately noticed MyungSoo across the room, almost as if he could sense him, and his eyes opened as widely as possible. He gave a muffled scream of other;'s name trough the duct tape covering his mouth and started to struggle in his seat.

The urge to run forward ignoring all possible danger stirred up in MyungSoo again, but he was aware of consequences so he stayed still.

“I asked, what do you want?” he said, trying not to focus only on struggling SungYeol, though it was probably the hardest thing he had ever done. He had to stay focused, as the shadows started to move around the room a bit faster.

“Nothing much.” The Joker said, forcing SungYeol to turn his head to him and smirking as the tied up one tried his best to struggle out of his hold and return his gaze to MyungSoo, “Just you to be dead.” He said with a smirk and at the very moment two of the shadows launched in to the light and straight at MyungSoo.

He was quite ready for that and it didn’t took more than few seconds until the two men attacking him was already on the floor with deep cuts in their chest. What he wasn’t ready for was the front door open and to receive a strong hit or rather a kick on his back, right where the chaser’s blade had split his flesh hours ago.

He could feel the stitches being broken and collapsed on the floor on his fours with a loud cry of pain.  He squeezed his eyes shut and tried to calm his breathing as he almost started to hyperventilated from the shock his body now felt, but a muffled yet loud cry made him to look up.

Joker had forced SungYeol on his knees, the chair being thrown somewhere in the dark. He had twisted his gloved fingers in SungYeol’s hair and forced him to look at MyungSoo. The other was struggling to get free and as it seemed to crawl to MyungSoo with all his might but just ended up hurting himself.

“I never thought I will see the day when all mighty and unbeatable Jiu will fall. Neither did I imagine seeing someone crying for him as if he would be the center of ones world.” The Joker said mockingly first looking at MyungSoo and then at SungYeol. “Maybe we should have included other participants too?” he asked with an obvious disgusting smirk in his voice. “Maybe the owner of the diner? He would probably put on a quite a show.” MyungSoo tore his gaze away from SungYeol and turned to Joker. “Or maybe his co-worker. He has quite the fighting spirit as I heard. Or maybe the one with the bright smile. Wasn’t his name DongWoo?” MyungSoo’s eyes went big and he started to slowly stand up.

Joker knew them, which was not a surprise, but if he was thinking about involving them in to this he might do it and MyungSoo couldn’t allow him to ruin their lives.

“Or even better,” Joker continued. “how about that high schooler?”

MyungSoo froze. SungJong wasn’t hanging around with them as much as other, so he was pretty sure he would leave SungJong out of this.

“He seemed so worried when you left. I think he wanted to join in.” Joker said with a laugh.

“What did you do?” MyungSoo hissed as he finally straightened out and tried not to sway, as his head started to buzz because of pain.

“Ouh, nothing. Some of my men just made a home visit.” Joker said.

MyungSoo looked at SungYeol, whose eyes were now filled with pure terror and it was all still MyungSoo’s fault. First SungYeol, then WooHyun, now SungJong and everyone else. That had to be stopped.

“You will regret that.” MyungSoo said and started to move forward. He didn’t run, that would tire him out and he wasn’t capable of running anyway. He walked in slow pace, taking each step slowly and firmly, so if anyone would decide to attack him, if would be harder to knock him down.

“I really doubt that.” Joker said and nodded toward the shadows.

Shadows, that were walking around, launched at MyungSoo, but didn’t even had a chance to touch him as they were left with deep wounds on which ever body part came closer first and second to MyungSoo. Few actually did hit him but he switched of his sense of pain. He had been selfish concentrating on it not on his main task – ending the nonsense he had created himself and getting SungYeol out no matter what happens to him.

No, he wasn’t Jiu who went in to a mission without thinking of the result other than success despite the lost lives on his side, he was MyungSoo with a purpose to keep ‘his side’ safe.

Soon the stream of men from shadows ended and the few that had remained stepped back toward where Joker and SungYeol were. Joker had let go of SungYeol and now seemed rather scared, though the mask hid his face.

“I see you haven’t lost your grip, Jiu.” Joker spoke trying not to show his fear, as there was a row of and groaning bodies behind MyungSoo, from which those who were capable enough run as fast as they could to leave the place, and the said male was just hand reach from him. MyungSoo had walked trough them like some sort of angel of death – making them fall down like leaves in autumn. All that was between the angel of death and the Joker were two shaking men that were trying to find a way to escape.

“This was a test. You can come back and serve to our purpose again.” Joker said, his voice shaking a bit, his amusement long gone. He had felt the cold radiating from Jiu now before, but never so strong and overwhelming. This was not the same person he knew before.

“Come back to what? Serve to what purpose?” MyungSoo asked, the hand he held his blade in ready to attack any second.

“New World Order. We can still accomplish our dreams.” Joker said and swallowed loudly.

“Those are not my dreams and they have never been.” MyungSoo said and launched himself in to attack, knocking one of the two remaining men out, making other to run for his life.

Joker stepped back and then headed out running, tripping over his own feet.

As soon as Joker was out of sight, MyungSoo kneeled next to SungYeol.

“I am so sorry.”  He said and started to open SungYeol’s bounds, starting with the one covering his mouth.

“Are you okay?” were the first words from SungYeol. He didn’t even breathe in enough air and ended up coughing.

“I should ask that.” MyungSoo said and untied others hands and then legs.

“I’m serious.” SungYeol said and without any hesitation wrapped his arms around MyungSoo’s neck, pulling him in to a hug. “You have no idea what kind of theories about you they had here for discussion. They were talking about this professional that was sent after you at the previous place and…” SungYeol stopped when he felt MyungSoo’s arms finally tightening in a hug around him.

“I’m okay… now.” Other said and SungYeol sighed, letting his hands to drop from MyungSoo’s shoulders to his lower back but as soon as he did that he drew back and looked at his hand that was now colored in red.

“You’re bleeding!” he exclaimed and didn’t hide his shock an fear.

“Hopefully that will help him to die for once!” Joker’s voice rang from behind them and said one came in, holding a gun in each of his hands.

Right when Joker pressed the trigger for the first time MyungSoo jumped up, pulling SungYeol along by his shoulders and straight behind and alcove in the wall.

The bullets flew pass them and then stopped.

“Come out! Let’s finish this, Jiu!” Joker yelled.

“I need to go out.” MyungSoo whispered and already leaned forward when SungYeol clenched in to his hand.

“Don’t you even dare thinking about that.” He whispered back. “You promised not leave as long you’re not being left and I am not leaving.”

“The mission is to get you out.” MyungSoo replied and pressed his lips against SungYeol’s for a quick kiss. “This time I might break my promise.”

He backed away and spun his blade in his hand once before detaching it from the wire he had around his wrist to hold in place.

“When you see a chance, run.” He turned back to SungYeol who was still holding on to MyungSoo’s sleeve.

“No.” he shook his head. “I can’t.” SungYeol tried his best not to cry as it wouldn’t help at all in this situation.

“Please.” MyungSoo said barely audibly and gently shook SungYeol’s hand off.  

He leaned forward, not enough to be seen out of the alcove, but enough to probably hear what was going on outside of it. He prepared the blade and with one swift move threw it out.

A cry of pain echoed around the room and he run out of the hideout to knock bleeding and nearly hand-less Joker of his feet.

The blade had left a deep cut on other’s wrist making him to drop one of the guns he was holding, giving a chance for MyungSoo to attack. The plan had one flaw, as Joker knew the only week spot MyungSoo had at he moment as soon as MyungSoo turned around for a split second to lift his blade, Joker kicked his lower back as hard as he could making MyungSoo to stumble forward and almost trip and fall, yet the said male kept his balance and the blade flew toward Joker again, this time catching the edge of his mask and splitting it, making it fall on the floor, revealing others burned, scar covered and distorted face.

“How do you like it?” Joker said with a laugh after seeing MyungSoo’s shocked expression. “Not everyone can get out of an explosion and stay who they used to be.” He said and raised his well hand to shoot, but MyungSoo was faster – he launched forward, grabbed his blade from the floor and left a deep cut in Joker’s thigh and with one twist also in his back making the later one to scream in pain.

“Bastard!” Joker cried out and turned around, pressing the trigger ending up shooting the wall as MyungSoo was already behind his back again, using his blade to split the disgustingly yellow fabric of the jacket and Joker’s flesh.

“Run!” he quickly turned toward where SungYeol was still hiding and yelled. The later obeyed but just few seconds too late.

Joker turned around and aimed at running SungYeol. MyungSoo had no time to aim the blade so he used the most primitive move he could. He launched his whole body at Joker and knocked him down. Unfortunately he landed on something with his back, that probably was the chair Joker had threw away before, and pain shot trough him, clouding his mind for a second.

In that time Joker had already stood up and got his gun back. “You fool. You have no idea who are you fighting against. I’m the mighty Joker and you are nothing.” Joker said, pulling his hideously scarred face in to grimaces of anger and triumph.  “This time you will die for sure.” He said and was ready to press the trigger when a shot echoed around the room.

MyungSoo looked behind Joker, who had frozen in mid air. SungYeol was holding the gun that Joker had dropped in both of his slightly shaking hands, aiming straight at its owner.

Joker turned around to shoot at SungYeol, but the later one directed two more shots at Joker, who collapsed on the floor right after.

It took a second or two for MyungSoo to snap out of what had just happened. He stood up and went, or rather limped to SungYeol, who was still holding the gun, aiming at nothing.

“Give it to me.” MyungSoo said and only his voice snapped SungYeol out of his weird trance.

He placed the gun in MyungSoo’s outreached hand and looked at it for a moment, until MyungSoo walked away with it to one of the men that were lying on the floor. He carefully rubbed the trigger and the holder with corner of the either dead or passed out guys jacket and then placed the gun in his hand, wiping the barrel afterwards. He stood up, picked up his blade and went back to SungYeol who was just standing and looking at him.

“I’m really sorry, that you had to see all this.” He said quietly, looking at SungYeol who let his gaze wonder around the room once and then focused back to MyungSoo. “I should have…” the pain in his back was back, as the adrenaline had worn off and it hit him harder than before, as now all stitches were probably broken. He could feel blood soaking his clothes and running down his back. He kneeled on the floor, squeezing his eyes shut. He opened them only when he felt a familiar hands lifting his face up.

“We need to go.” SungYeol said, looking straight in MyungSoo’s eyes. He let go of others cheeks and wrapped his arms around MyungSoo’s shoulders and helped him to stand up.

“Need to find phone… check on others.” MyungSoo breathed out and did his best not to trip over his own feet or anything that was on the floor as they headed out. His strength had finally left him and he just sagged against SungYeol.

“We need someone to pick us up too and get you…”

“No hospitals…” MyungSoo interrupted with a murmur.

“I know. We need to get you to some sort of doctor.” SungYeol said and kicked the half shut front door completely open.

“Funny. One could think you’re rescuing me.” MyungSoo said and SungYeol could swear he heard a bit of laughter in his voice. “I am so sorry, SungYeol.” He continued, this time seriously, but still as quietly.

“You don’t have anything to be sorry about.” SungYeol said, tightening his grip as he had the feeling that MyungSoo is slipping away and not only out of his grip.

“I have… so many things to be sorry about.” He said, his voice week and sleepy.

“Later.” SungYeol said and tried to somehow adjust their positions so he could move faster, but he couldn’t tale a step further, when a dark blue min-van stopped right in front of him.

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A~yo!
Again a bit of an action, but probably the last one in this fic.
I have nothing like this planned, and I am not going to change my plans no matter what!

So, I am just one subscriber away from 100!!!

What would you guys like for my 100 subscriber celebration when it happens???
WooGyu side story is already a promise, Christmas Special too, so this one is up to you. :]

Also, as I started watching ‘The Thousandth Man’ featuring our dear Namu, the next chapter might be a bit Namu biased, but just a bit.

Have MyungYeol, as they are back together again. ~