Clack, clack, clack. Sungyeol’s footsteps made sharp noises as he walked along the fifth floor’s corridor. In his hand was a folder filled with photocopies he’d gotten from the archive room. On his face was his usual aloof expression. Luckily, there was nobody else around, so he was spared from having to listen to the annoying chatter of his coworkers. It was too troublesome, he thought, to have to deal with those people. Troublesome, irritating, and…

Sungyeol had to stop himself from spitting his words out. “You don't have anything to do with me, and I don't want anything to do with you. Have I not made that obvious enough? Either that, or you're simply too ignorant to understand. Why do you insist on pestering me every time we meet?"

The dark-haired male gazed back at him. He had nothing to give as a response besides the mix of emotions flickering in his eyes. Anger, confusion, frustration, hurt… But what stood out to Sungyeol the most was the hint of determination among it all. Truthfully speaking, it rather startled him. He had convinced himself that Myungsoo would give up sooner or later, that he’d abandon all attempts to befriend Sungyeol. But that determination he saw in the ravenet’s eyes- the surprising note of defiance- told him he wasn’t planning on doing so any time soon.

‘You stubborn fool.’ Without knowing the reason why, Sungyeol felt frustration surge inside of him. He opened his mouth to snap some harsh words out. But before he could do so, the serious man in front of him spoke up.

“I’m worried about you.” The agent gazed at him steadily. His pen had rolled off of his desk when he’d stood up from his chair, but he gave no indication of picking it up. Either that, or he hadn’t even noticed when it had fallen to the floor. “"I thought we were going well. You and me, I really believed we'd end up being good friends. But then all of a sudden, you started acting like you didn't even know me, like how you were during your first day here. And that's where we are now. Back to square one…”

Sungyeol was aware that Myungsoo had more to say, but his mind was fixed on two words only: square one. Yes, Myungsoo was correct. He probably didn’t know how right he was, and perhaps he never would. But those two short, simple words summed up everything that Sungyeol wanted in HQ. Square one. Days like his first one as an agent. No friends, no relationships, no getting to know one another better… And certainly no letting anyone see behind the uncaring mask he wore.  He had already resolved not to let it happen again, not to let anyone climb over the walls around his heart. Why should he? Sungyeol didn’t need friends. He didn’t need anybody.

And he especially didn’t need this Kim Myungsoo to mess everything up for him, either.

Sungyeol arrived at the elevators. Reaching out, he pressed the ‘Up’ button and waited for the lift to arrive. It was still quiet around. Of course, the newcomer didn’t mind that. He preferred it to be that way. In his opinion, the calm, silent atmosphere of this floor was nicer and easier to work in than the noisy office where his cubicle was. Maybe, if he ever wanted to clear his head, he’d come back here later, wanting to get away from the boisterous sounds of other agents-

“Oh- Sungyeol! Hey, Sungyeol! Long time no see!”

Or maybe not.

Sungyeol stepped through the elevator doors. Maintaining his neutral expression, he nodded curtly at the person who was already in the lift. “Zelo.”

The weaponry agent beamed. To be honest, it was a surprise running into him here. Zelo was the last person Sungyeol would have expected to find alone in an elevator. He had only met him once, but he suspected the younger man spent most of his time in the artillery rooms. Plus, it was rare to see him without Yongguk or Chaerin around. Those three seemed like peas in a pod, never going anywhere or doing anything without each other.

Sungyeol turned his head away. He hoped his lack of eye contact made it clear that he wasn’t interested in talking. But as he was pressing the button for the nineteenth floor, he heard the junior agent chirp, “So, how’s it been going lately? I heard the Mockingbird case is keeping you guys real busy.”

“… hn.” Sungyeol kept his eyes straight ahead. “You heard correctly.”

Zelo didn’t look disheartened by his companion’s apathetic tone. Either that, or he was hiding it really well. “All of these murders are so strange,” he carried on. There was a gleam in his eyes that contradicted his worried speech. “Imagine how long it must have taken the killer to think of them. I mean, we’ve had to deal with copycat murderers in the past, but this is something totally different. The whole case gives of a creepy sort of vibe. Doesn’t it feel that way, Sungyeol?”

Seven, eight, nine, ten… The newcomer stared at the LED number pad. Were they really just passing the tenth floor now? Or was it just him, his distaste for people and small talk slowing time down? “I suppose.”

“Commander says not to worry, though.” Chuckling, Zelo sent an oblivious grin in Sungyeol’s direction. “The killer will slip up sooner or later. There’s no way he’s gonna get away with so many murders.”

“…” Sungyeol remained impassive. He continued to look straight ahead, but the thoughts in his mind were heading on a different road. The Mockingbird killer… Well, Zelo indeed spoke with some truth. Whoever this murderer was, he (or she- they couldn’t rule out the possibility of the Mockingbird being a woman) was a clever one. That was undeniable. But as the saying went, nothing was forever. The killer would stumble. He’d make a mistake in his crimes sooner or later. And when he did, the agents would be there, ready to catch him once and for all…

“- with the weapons, they were from the Taehyun guy’s murder, right?” Zelo’s voice brought Sungyeol back to reality. He looked round and saw that the younger man was still smiling at him. “I remember. It was awesome how you figured out what the weapons were beforehand. It took you like what, five minutes? That’s the fastest time I’ve ever seen. Even Chaerin was impressed, I could tell.”

A muscle twitched in Sungyeol’s jaw. Taking in a deep, silent breath, he answered quietly, “Somebody I once knew taught me well.” The image of a familiar face flashed in his mind, sneering, laughing, and silently mocking his entire being. As if he wasn’t aware of his own actions, Sungyeol tightened his grip on his folder and bit down hard on his tongue.

‘Families are useless and relations mess everything up. Who says you can find love in them? It’s only an empty, twisted, meaningless word…’

Zelo didn’t seem to notice the change in his companion’s demeanour. “Really? He sounds good, whoever your teacher was. He probably could have put mine out of business.” In an innocent, boyish manner that matched his appearance, the agent laughed aloud. “In case you were wondering, I took courses on weaponry for about four years, but when I first started here, Commander decided to train me again with his own knowledge.”

Pausing in his speech, Zelo gave a sideways glance to his ever-quiet colleague. “Hey, Sungyeol?”

The auburn-haired agent glanced at the number pad once more. Fifteen, sixteen, seventeen… Almost there. “Yes?”

“Can you teach me about weapons some time?”

His sudden request caught Sungyeol by surprise. Whatever question he had been expecting, it certainly hadn’t been that. “You’re in the weaponry unit,” Sungyeol answered after a moment. “What could you possibly need me for?”

Shrugging, Zelo sent him another grin. “I don’t know. You just seem like you know a lot more than we do. I heard from Commander how you handled that G3A4 rifle, too. It’d be cool if you could, you know, come over and show us again. Hang out for a bit.”

It was a nice offer. Maybe if Sungyeol was more of an open person, he would have accepted it. But he wasn’t. So it wasn't a shocker when he pressed his lips together, moving to face forwards once again.

“I didn’t come here to make friends,” he finally said. Just as he did, a loud ding  sounded in the elevator. The doors smoothly slid open, giving them access to the wide hallway of the nineteenth floor. About time they arrived. “Perhaps you think of it as fun and games, but I have a job to do. So I’d appreciate it if you'd let me continue with my work and not bother me with trivial small talk.” Without another word, Sungyeol stepped out of the lift. He didn’t care that Zelo was staring after him, blinking and trying to process what had just happened. He wasn’t concerned with the murmurs of the people who’d been waiting for the elevator, surprised by the little scene they’d witnessed. The newcomer left them all behind, moving steadily ahead without a single glance back.

Like he’d said. Square one. No friends, no relations, and no getting to know one another. These words invaded Sungyeol’s mind as he walked through the hall, footsteps echoing in the silence once more.

Clack, clack, clack...

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

Chen leaned back in his chair. He gazed at the person who was sitting across the table from himself- a haggard woman in her early fifties- and tilted his head. A sudden feeling of déjà vu entered his mind. It was just like when he had interviewed Park Changsun the other day. Only this time, there was Sungjong seated quietly beside him, and the woman he was interrogating was a suspect not for Lee Minhee’s murder, but for the one of Son Taehyun’s.

In other words, this woman had been brought in on the suspicion of killing her own brother.

Chen studied his interviewee. With her grey-streaked ponytail and lined, almost gaunt complexion, she didn’t have the aura of a murderer. She just looked like a tired middle-aged lady, caught up in a mess that didn’t have anything to do with her. But Chen knew better. He’d learned over the years how deceiving and manipulative appearances could be. Son Yejin would not be an exception.

He laced his hands together. “Ms. Son,” he began, “I’m certain you know or have a good idea of how we operate around here. We are a team that will keep pushing onwards, hunting for anything that could lead us to the answers we seek. We’re a determined group, madam. Sooner or later we will find what we're looking for.” The agent stared at the woman with a solemn expression in his eyes.

“So, knowing this, why not just give up now? Even if you do not think so, the killer will be caught in the end. Save both yourself and our agents the time, Ms. Son. Confess to your crimes.”

The older lady briefly closed her eyes. “I already told you, I didn’t do it.” Her voice sounded exactly like how Chen had expected- hoarse, tired, and like she just wanted to go home. “He was my brother, inspector. Why would I kill someone of my own family?”

“Because.” Chen answered her question in a soft, barely audible voice. “Often times, violence is shed the most between those of the same flesh and blood.”

He picked up a bundle of papers that was lying on the table. “We have records here, Ms. Son. Records that show us how much debt you’re in, no thanks to your unfortunate drinking and gambling habits. We also happen to know your brother left quite the sum of money for you in his will. Now, consider these factors: That money may be enough to clear your debt and help you survive for the next few months, give or take. You haven’t had contact with your brother for over a decade. By this point, he’s more like a stranger to you than a blood relation. ” The male paused and looked at her straight in the eye.

“Do you understand what I’m getting at?”

Son Yejin stared back at him. She didn’t seem to take note of Sungjong, who was quietly observing their conversation from the side. All she could see was the pleasant-faced man in front of her, accusing her of a sin which could have made the devil cry. “He was my brother,” she slowly repeated her earlier words. “I’ll admit, I could have been a better sister to him. In fact, I wish I had been. I regret not being able to now. But I grew up with Taehyun. He protected me, he cared for me, and I loved him.”

Releasing a heavy breath, Yejin closed her eyes shut. “Believe me when I say this,” she said in a whisper. It was like she had the desire to cry but couldn’t, as if she was too exhausted to form the tears and weep for her dead brother. “I’m not the murderer you’re looking for. I didn’t kill Taehyun.”

“I see.” Chen let his words hang in the air. For a few moments, he simply watched her with a guarded expression, not letting his mouth voice his multitude of thoughts.

A sudden click broke the stillness of the room. Chen, roused from his thinking, looked around a couple of times before realizing it was the tape recorder. Sungjong, too, had broken out of his silence. He coughed once and picked up the recorder, which happened to be placed on his side of the table.

“The tape’s run out,” he said, inspecting the device. The lithe man glanced up at his friend. “Should I go grab another cassette? It’ll only take a minute.”

Chen declined his offer. “No, that won’t be necessary.” He gazed at the listless woman sitting across from him. She had handled the interview rather well. It hadn’t been her first time talking with the agents (Chen vaguely recalled Kris saying how he’d questioned her before), so Yejin didn’t scream or cry out hysterically like most first-time interviewees did. She merely answered their questions in a worn-out tone, taking their interrogation like a person who had nothing left in her life. “I believe we’ve finished here, anyway.”

He stood up and extended a hand. “Thank you for your time today, madam. If we have any more questions, we’ll be sure to contact you.”

Yejin shook his hand back limply. “I’m sure you will.” Doing the same with Sungjong, she gave both of the men a weary nod. Her words sounded dull and like they had been programmed into her. Still, they could tell how sincere she was by the way she cast her eyes to the ground. “I hope you find him, whoever killed my brother. Taehyun didn’t deserve to die like he did.”

“No one does,” Chen murmured, almost to himself. He waited until the tired woman had left the room, then turned towards his partner.

“Did you catch everything on tape?” He sat back down in his seat.

Sungjong did the same. “Yeah. Everything’s there,” he said, waving the recorder to emphasis his point.

Out of habit, Chen began tidying the papers on the table. He wasn’t an overly-compulsive neat freak like Chanyeol (note the sarcasm), but thanks to his organizational skills, he wasn’t one to leave everything out in the open, either. “So, what do you think?”

“What do I think? Of what, Son Yejin?”

“Yes.” Shuffling the papers together, the slim man tucked them inside of a folder. “That was your first time seeing her in person, wasn’t it?”

Sungjong nodded. “I heard about her during the debriefings and all, but I was still surprised when she walked through the door today. She looked... different from what I imagined. More narcoleptic. Definitely not like the alcoholic gambler everyone described her as.” He hesitated for a moment, as if choosing his next words in a careful manner, before carrying on with his analysis of Son Yejin.

“I don’t think she’s the murderer. She had a strong motive, yeah, but her financial issues weren’t worth killing her own brother for. The expression in her eyes made that pretty clear. Like she told us, she’s not the person we’re looking for.”

“Interesting observation.” Chen glanced at the younger agent. “I suppose you’ll be crossing her off our list of suspects.”

Sungjong shrugged a bit. “What about you, then? What did you think of Son Yejin? From the way you were questioning her, it sounded like you were certain she was guilty.”

Chen smiled. “A technique, my friend, which I call contrapositive persuasion. I’m not sure if you’re aware, but back when I was in university, I majored in cognitive science and the art of psychology.” He placed the folder of papers down and looked at Sungjong. “It’s a useful trick I like to use in interrogations. The easiest way to explain it might be through an example... Let’s say when you came to work this morning, you saw me eating a banana. You saw very clearly it was a yellow, curved fruit I held in my hand. But when we meet a few hours later, I mention how delicious my apple was. You know it was a banana I ate, yet I insist over and over that it was an apple. Gradually, you nod and agree to what I’m saying. Do you know why?”

“Contrapositive persuasion,” Sungjong murmured.

“Exactly,” Chen said approvingly. “If you appear firm about what you believe, even if it’s the complete opposite to what’s true, the person you’re trying to persuade will eventually believe in it, as well. That’s what I was attempting to do with Ms. Son. If she truly was the killer and thought I was convinced as much, she would have shown more obvious signs of guilt and panic.”

Sighing, Sungjong brushed a strand of hair out of his eyes. “How cruel. You’re too manipulative for your own good, do you know that? Poor lady’s probably gone home sobbing with fright.”

“It wouldn’t be the first time I’ve made a woman cry.” Chen stood up from his chair. He motioned for his friend to do the same, indicating it was time to leave the prison-like room. “But even so, I highly doubt she’d be crying now. She looked utterly exhausted. I would think she’d want to go sleep than shed tears over my trickery.”

Sungjong gave no comment. Leaning against the doorway, Chen watched as he gathered up his belongings. Son Yejin wasn’t the only one who appeared tired, he mused. Sungjong was also looking rather pale and out of energy. Chen had figured it was because he hadn’t gotten any sleep, which was somewhat normal for the agents... But now, upon closer examination, the slim CSI detective wondered if his sleep deprivation had been caused by something other than the case.

“Sungjong. Are you alright?” Chen asked, crossing his arms.

The younger man paused in his actions. “Of course I am. Why do you ask?” He flashed a grin in Chen’s direction.

Chen eyed his happy-go-lucky expression. If he had been a stranger and not a fully trained CSI agent, he wouldn’t have noticed anything wrong about it. But, as he’d mentioned before, Chen had been a psychology major. He’d studied people- their language, body signals, and actions- long enough to know that Sungjong’s smile was forced. He was lying to him.

‘Do you really think I’ll believe your words if you top them off with a smile? Don’t be absurd.’ Chen inclined his head. “If you must know, there were a few things I happened to take note of. For one, you hardly said anything during the interview. Normally when we interrogate together, you’d be talking more than me and I’d be the one quietly observing. Perhaps I’d add my own two cents every now and then. And two...” He trailed his gaze to the bags underneath Sungjong’s eyes. He’d noticed them when they’d said greeted each other that morning, but now, they looked even darker and more visible than before.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you with such large eye circles before.”

Sungjong looked at him, cheery smile still stuck in place. “Oh, really? It’s probably because I didn’t sleep last night. There were a lot of things I had to finish, so I didn’t bother. Maybe I should buy some eye cream later. The cosmetic shop on my street is having a sale...”

Without a word, Chen raised a brow. He didn’t say anything to his friend; he didn’t have to. His thoughts were written clearly across his face, silently chiding Sungjong to tell him the truth, not the frivolous nonsense he was giving now.

After a long stretch of silence, Sungjong released another sigh.

“Sorry. Sorry, Chen. Ignore me right now. I’m just tired. I wasn’t lying when I said I didn’t get enough sleep.” He closed his eyes. “There’s been a lot of stuff on my mind lately...”

“I understand.” Chen’s tone was sympathetic. “With everything that’s been happening so far, nobody blames you for feeling the way you are now. But you have to remember, Sungjong, we’re running on a tight schedule here. We’ve already spent quite the amount of time trying to solve this case. We can’t afford to waste any more.” He sent a little smile in Sungjong’s direction, wanting to give some encouragement, but it was a futile effort. The tired man still had his eyes shut, as if he were trying to gather all of the energy he could in that short rest. “Bear with it for just a little more. Things will get better soon.”

Sungjong slowly opened his bleary eyes. “That’s what I keep telling myself, Chen. But it just doesn’t seem to happen.”

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

Zelo was walking through a hallway, stopping every once in a while to say hello to the people passing by. He had just finished an intense shooting session in the range, and boy, was he hungry. It was already half past noon. The young man frowned and quickened his pace. They were going out for lunch today, and if he didn’t hurry, Commander and Chaerin would leave without him. Of course, they’d probably bring back a carton of take-out for the junior agent, but that would take forever and he wasn’t in the mood to wait.

He stopped when he reached a familiar door. It was closed, but judging by the muffled noises he heard from inside, there were people occupying the encased room. Zelo sighed in relief.

“Good, they haven’t left without me yet.”

Zelo reached out for the doorknob. The moment his hand touched the silver handle, however, the door swung wide open, causing the gangly male to jump back in surprise.

“- I don’t think he’d care. But if you see him in the next ten minutes, call me and let me know what he wants anyway- Zelo! There you are!”

“Here I am.” Recovering from his initial shock, Zelo grinned at the person who was leaving the room. “Yo, Amber! Fancy meeting you here.”

The forensic agent laughed. That was a joke and they both knew it. Amber was close friends with Chaerin (actually, she got along with everybody in the weaponry division. It just so happened that she and the explosives technician had been best pals since high school), so it wasn’t a surprise to see her hanging around them at times. But lately, thanks to the Mockingbird case, Amber had been greatly caught up with autopsical reports or whatever Dongwoo was making her do. It had been quite a while since the last time Zelo had seen her.

“Good to see you too, Zelo.” Amber flashed a smile at him. “How’s everything been with you?”

“Awesome, everything’s great! I just finished some shooting practice by myself. Fifty-seven Perabellum bullets and only three missed the centre. If you ask me,” he added smugly, “I’m getting closer to beating Commander’s skills.”

“Well then, it’s a good thing nobody asked you,” a baritone voice interrupted. Zelo looked over Amber’s shoulders to see Yongguk approaching them. There was a smile on his face, but it quickly turned into a mock scowl when he spotted his protégée.

“When I was your age, I practiced by throwing golf balls as far as I could and shooting them down. Most I hit in a streak was 126. After I was done, all anyone could see was a dusty field, covered in the chalky bits of broken golf balls.” He clucked his tongue at them, although anyone who was looking could see the twinkle in his eyes. “Beat that, punk.”

“Oh, yeah? This one time, I had a Ruger LC9 pistol, and you know what I did with it-“ Zelo began heatedly, but Amber cut him off.

“Not this again.” She rolled her eyes. “It’s like every time I see you, you guys have to compete and outdo each other with tales of your stupid stunts.”

Yongguk frowned at her. “They’re not stupid. They’re sacred rituals that emphasize our masculinity and artillery talent.”

“Yeah! And they make us sound cool!” Zelo cackled. Chuckling, Yongguk leaned over to bump fists with him.

Amber looked like she was torn between laughing or hitting her friends on the back of their heads. Eventually, she decided on a compromise. “They make you sound like idiots, that’s what,” she told them, but snickered along. “Sometimes, I wonder how Chaerin can stand you guys... Oh! Chaerin! Shoot, I almost forgot! She’s probably already in her car by now. Thanks a lot, you two. Your lame stories made me forget the reason why I’m even here now.”

“Why are  you here?” Zelo piped up curiously.

Amber grinned. “Chaerin and I are getting lunch for all of us. We decided to buy take-out since you’d complain about bringing your food back so late. Am I right?” She laughed at Zelo’s muttering. “We decided on that new Thai restaurant a few blocks away. Well, Yongguk did, anyway. Are you cool with that, or do you want us to grab something else for you? You have ten seconds to say before I leave for the car.”

Matching her cheerful expression, Zelo shook his head. “Thai sounds good. Just don’t bring back anything weird. Remember the spicy eggplant thingy you got at that Italian place?”

“What? I thought it tasted okay,” Amber laughed. After bidding them a farewell, she slipped past the door and disappeared down the corridor.

Yongguk turned around. “Come on, punk, let’s go sit down. I have some diagrams of a new rifle model I want you to see.”

Zelo followed the muscular man into the room. Previously, it had been a basic storage room, with nothing but a table, some chairs, and a few filing cabinets. But after realizing nobody was really using it, Yongguk had decided to turn it into their little break room. He’d lugged in a sofa, a mini-fridge, and voila, a cool new hang-out spot had been born.

Plopping down on the couch, Zelo took the paper which Yongguk was handing him. “Oh, wow! Is this the new Sako M90?” he asked with wide eyes.

Satisfied, Yongguk sat down beside him. “Sure is. I don’t know how, but my friend overseas got a hold of these designs. He knows how much I like inspecting new artillery models, so he sent me a copy this morning.”

“Woah...” Stars could practically be seen in Zelo’s eyes as he gazed at them, taking in each and every detail of the sketches. “This is so cool! Look at the mechanics! Do you think when it comes out, we’ll be able to get a model?”

“Maybe. Depends on how generous Sunggyu’s feeling that day.” Yongguk shifted in his seat. He examined the designs for a few seconds, before asking conversationally, “So, what have you been doing all day, punk? I haven’t seen you since you swiped in.”

“Hmm?” With a bit of difficulty, Zelo tore his eyes away from the diagrams. “Oh, not much. Sunggyu gave me some tasks to do. He said it was to help the guys on the Mockingbird case. So I did them, and after I was done, I decided to practice by myself for a while.” He furrowed his brows, as if he was trying to remember a particularly evasive thought.

“Oh, yeah! And I ran into Sungyeol today. I haven’t talked to him since Myungsoo first brought him over.”

“Lee Sungyeol,” Yongguk mused, voice rumbling like a brass instrument. “He’s a strange one, that guy.”

“You think so?” Zelo cocked his head. “He’s cool to me. I mean, from the way you described him, he sounds pretty awesome. He can shoot, he can handle guns, and he even knows more about weapons than you do.” He snickered at the indignant expression on Yongguk’s face, then glanced back at the model papers.

“I asked him to teach me, you know,” Zelo said after a pause. “Earlier, when I was talking to him. Said that he seemed to know more than we do about weapons.”

“Oh? And what did he say to that?”

“Not much.” Zelo hesitated. “Actually, he sounded like he didn’t really care to make friends. I was kind of caught off-guard. When Myungsoo introduced us, he seemed like a chill guy.”

Yongguk glanced at his companion but said nothing. Zelo was so naive sometimes. He was a quick learner and a hard-working agent, yes, but the subject of people was still something he needed to work on. It didn’t surprise Yongguk that Zelo hadn’t figured out Sungyeol’s true personality sooner.

He reached out to give Zelo a reassuring pat on the back. “I wouldn’t think too much about it, if I were you. Just give Sungyeol some time to adjust to things here. He’s new, remember? He’ll open up to us sooner or later.” As these words left his mouth, the image of a certain ravenet flashed in his mind. Yongguk sighed to himself.

‘I thought you would have been able to help him, break down those walls of his... Exactly what are you waiting for, punk?’

“I guess.” The younger man played absentmindedly with the paper in his hands. “Yeah, you’re probably right. He seemed stressed about the bird case. You know, I saw a few other agents today who are assigned to it- like Myungsoo, Chanyeol, and Kahi- and they all looked tense about it, too. Well, maybe not Chanyeol. I don’t think that guy knows the meaning of stress.”

Laughing, Yongguk stood up from the sofa. He walked over to the little fridge in the corner, intending to grab himself a bottle of water. “You might be right about that, kid. Though I can’t say for sure, since I don’t see him as often as the others.”

“Mmm.” Again, there was brief pause. Yongguk was about to turn around and offer a cold drink when suddenly, Zelo broke the silence once more. “Hey, Commander?”

Yongguk glanced around. “What is it?”

“Why do you think the Mockingbird’s doing what he’s doing?”

Bemused, the leader untwisted the lid of his bottle. Taking a long drink from it, he reflected on Zelo’s question more than the refreshing feeling his water gave him. “I’m not too sure,” he answered at last. Yongguk screwed the lid on again and walked back towards the couch. “I’m not a cognitive expert like the intelligence group, but if I had to guess... I’d say the killer has an extremely good reason behind everything. It may not make sense to you and me, but to him, it justifies all of the merciless things he’s done so far. Or maybe he doesn’t even have a reason. Maybe he’s doing all of this because he’s a sick little bastard, and he wants to have some fun.”

Zelo sighed. It sounded too heavy for an innocent person like him, like he was finally understanding the cruelty of the world and the intentions of the people living in it. “That sounds insane. Whoever he is, the killer’s probably out of his mind...”

Yongguk stared at his water bottle. “Don’t be so surprised, punk. It’s a mad, mad world out there.”

[A/N]  Well, it's past 2am here and I'm practically holding my eyelids open, so forgive me if you see any grammatical errors. Also, there are a lot of things I bullted in this chapter. I have no idea if contrapositive persuasion is actually real, or if the various gun models are as cool as their names. But it sounds legitamate to me! hehe~

Also, I'm thinking of writing a Woogyu spin-off to this. It wouldn't be long, maybe 4 chapters at the most, but I'm still trying to decide... What do you guys think?

(and anybody catch that little Alice in Wonderland reference? :))