It was 6 AM when the elderly man arrived to the police department, he gave his usual greetings to the officers ending their night shift and continued his journey to the break room. Doctor Han was a common sight this early in the morning, he had always enjoyed the calm hours between the shift changes which was why he always came ahead of his working hours. He poured the usual cup of coffee and walked down the corridor, taking small sips of the hot liquid. In his other hand he carried a case file of his latest autopsy. It had been a troublesome occasion for obvious reasons, the body had been chopped into multiple pieces and all of the parts had not even been recovered yet. It was like assembling a 3D puzzle using human body parts. Han headed to his office deep in thought, he entered the dark room, placed the half emptied cup to his desk, and walked over to  the switch to turn on the lights. What he saw then was a sight he didn't expect. He was shocked to see a familiar brown haired young lad sitting on his couch in such a state. The boy was gripping his chest tightly and his breathing sounded hoarse, he was exhausted and in pains.

 "Sehun......"

<<<------------->>>

"You have few fractured ribs, two from the right and one from the left side, they'll heal but you'll need plenty of rest. These injuries won't stop you from doing your job but from a doctor's point of view I'd restrict you from working on the field and advice you to stay put in the office for the next 3 weeks." Han stated as he examined the results of the x-ray. Althought Sehun didn't complain the elder couldn't help but to notice the many bruises around his torso. Undoubtedly the injuries were received from a heavy beating. With one look he could tell it was done by professionals since the damage was in areas where it would cause significant pain but would not kill the other. Han had seen such marks many times before especially when the case had something to do with organized crime.

"You know I can't do that." Sehun pointed out while buttoning up his shirt. Han had fetched him a clean set of clothes from the dressing rooms. He had also poured the usual cup of instant coffee he used to offer Sehun every time he paid a visit to his office.

"Sehun, you were in a hospital not too long ago, you're not in shape to go roam around the streets on your own. It is already a miracle that you're still standing after everything you have gone through the past 36 hours."

"Han please, just give me the painkillers." The elder looked at the younger who wore an expression he had not seen before. At that time Han decided it was better for him stop being a doctor and listen to what the other had to say as a friend.

"I was informed that you intruded an enemy hideout on your own and jeopardized the success of an important operation. This is of course only one side of the story and I can tell there's much more into it than what I have been told. If possible I'd like hear your side of the story regarding the events from the other night." Han leaned over his desk eyeing Sehun who had just finished changing his clothes. The lad turned to face the elder worry showing in his eyes. The events from that night had clearly affected the younger, somehow he seemed more mature. Sometimes knowledge comes with pain, and sometimes knowledge is the reason for one's untimely death.

"I see....I understand. I won't prey on the matter."

"Thank you." Sehun let a small sigh of relief escape his mouth.

"Sehun before you go there's something you need to know. While you were hospitalized Sambyul was nominated as the next main investigator, he'll take over your case regardless your protests. The higher ups have already made their decicion and it's final."

"What? What the hell are they thinking for stationing Sambyul back to the case?" Damn Sambyul, the second I turn my back he walks over me. Sehun clenched his fists in anger, Sambyul's nomination didn't promise any good to Sehun nor the rest of the unit.

"There's no helping it, he was the only choice they had. Sambyul is the only higher ranked personel besides you that has investigated the case, and no one else wanted get involved. Especially after seeing what happened to you." Sehun sat on the couch elbows leaning to his knees, and rubbed his temples, trying to process the sudden news.

"I didn't expect the situation could change so fast....This case, it's getting out of hand, and with Sambyul leading the investigations again, nothing good will come out of it. Someone must be backing him, there's no other way that he would have been repositioned to the post after his poor performance from last time."

"I know, even I don't trust him very much and neither should you. He may be a police officer but his actions speak otherwise." Han spoke from experience since he had been in the police department even longer than Sambyul, and had seen many things along the years.

"Yeah, I have noticed his nasty attitude a long time ago."

"It's better for you to not challenge him but stay vigilant when he's around. He'd gladly make your life miserable."

"Of course." Sehun muttered. Han observed as the boy was taking his leave and bowed, high respect towards the elder reflecting in his actions.

"Thank you for treating my injuries and filling me in on the situation. I'll need to remain updated of the current events in case I'll face trouble within the office." He was obviously referring to that certain person he didn't get along, and the doctor couldn't agree more. Sehun grabbed the door knob when Han suddenly shot up from his chair remembering something of great importance.

"Sehun wait!" The lad stopped in his tracks, gazing at the other. "I suggest you report to superior Sangwoo as soon as possible. I heard he wants to discuss with you."

"I will, take care of yourself old man." The young detective flashed a small smile at the elder before he disappeared to the hallway leaving the doctor alone in his office. Han glanced at the empty coffee cup placed next to his. He couldn't help but to feel pride and saddness, the kid he once knew had grown into a fine man.

"There's nothing more I can teach you. Now you'll have to find your own path." Han smiled fondly, looking at the photo frame next to his computer, where was a photo of Sehun when he first joined the police department under Han's supervision.

Sehun had always done things his own way althought in some occasions it resulted in an utter disaster. He was called a wild card when the others referred to him, which was actually very accurate expression. Since the beginning he had caused more chaos in the department than anyone within the past years, yet he was very liked by his colleagues.

<<<------------>>>

The homicide unit's head, Sehun's superior Park Sangwoo, was indeed outraged. He slammed his hands to the desk, a half-emptied coffee cup shaking from the brute force. It was good that the superior's office was soundproof otherwise the whole department would have heard his lashing. Althought the shutters were closed Sehun could tell there was a curious crowd gathering on the other side of the glass.

"Detective Oh Sehun! Do you have any idea in what posision you're putting me? The drug unit leader was furious,  the way you just intruded to the scene and messed up the whole secret operation was outrageous! They had been planning it for months and now that they had all the evidence they needed you almost ruined everything! I should fire you straight away for your irresponsible actions!" He scowled at Sehun, his head red from all the yelling. All the detective could do was to stand there and listen until the lecture would come to an end, and face the concequencies of his actions.

"Not to forget your most recent stunt! You disappeared from the hospital without any notice! We thought someone had taken you; we had people search the hospital and caused an unnecessary mayhem!" Huffing the man took a break from his preaching, and gulped down the remains of his cooled off coffee. Without a doubt the elder was stressed over the situation, he received major pressure from the drug unit and the higher ups. They demanded a heavy punishment for neglecting orders and conducting investigations on one's own accord. Yet Sangwoo felt it was difficult to let go of such a promising lad. He had never during his career met another detective as capable as Oh Sehun. He may have caused chaos in the unit but he had also brought life to the dusty old office.

Sangwoo rubbed his temples and glanced at Sehun with a tired expression. It had been a long 36 hours with all its ups and downs. The younger seemed rather composed, thinking that he's just been accused for jeopardizing an important secret operation. A long sigh escaped the elder's mouth as he shook his head, sat down to his chair and pulled out a paper from the drawer, facing it towards Sehun.

"I need you to sign this."

"What's this?" Sehun frowned, studying the form on the desk confused.

"It's a written apology where you admit breaking orders and conducting unsupervised investigations, which brought unnessecary harm to Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency. Therefore you'll take full responsibilty for your reckless actions and accept whatever disciplinary measures that's seen nessecary." - In other words it meant the SMPA washed their hands off the incident and all the blame would fall on Sehun alone.

"Are you mental? You're telling me to confess something I didn't even do!" Sehun slammed the cursed piece of paper to the desk, it was pure bull to be asked to sign something like that. Sangwoo knew it as well so he calmly let the younger to vent out his anger, it was the least one could do in the situation. The higher ups often used scapegoats to solve complicated conflicts and this was no different. One couldn't help but to feel sorry for the chosen victim.

"If it settles you to know I told them in your defence that it was pure coincidence you happened to be at the scene. The drug team's operation was highly classified so there was no way you would have known the exact time for their raid. Despite these facts were layed down, this was all I could do to help you." Sangwoo leaned over his desk offering the agreement once more wearing a discreet expression. He had seen many cases like this in his career but never had it occured to one of his own unit.

"I was able to talk them to let you keep your job but you'll be moved to other duties - Sehun this is the best offer you'll get. There won't be another chance. Either you'll accept the terms or stand down, it's your choice to make." Sehun stared his superior, the elder had done everything to help him yet it was no use. Those who did honest work could not confront the wide spread corruption among the leadership. The young detective faced this injustice now at first hand, he was like a lamb thrown to the wolves.

"Unit head---Superior Sangwoo" Sehun began. "I respect everything you have done for me but I cannot confess something I have not committed." Determined he stated his decicion and placed his detective's badge and gun to the desk. The elder seemed quite surprised over the younger's confident words but then he felt respect for the other's choice since not many had the guts to defy the higher ups.

"Sehun....Are you sure about your decicion? You do realize that after you step out of this office you're no longer part of the police."

"Ah, I have set my mind on this."

"Very well. I accept your resignation and expect you to clear your desk before end of the day." Sangwoo rose from his chair and walked over to Sehun, offering his hand as a friendly gesture. "It was great to have you here within our ranks detective, I wish you good luck in the future." Sehun shook the reached out hand firmly agreeing with the other.

"Thank you for everything." The lad responded politely before giving a deep bow to his superior and taking his leave. Sehun had chosen the path he believed in although it could mean taking few steps beyond the law.

As the lad stood in the corridor he couldn't ignore the interested heads peeking from the cubicles. To be honest their curiosity knew no limits, Sehun even caught some red-handed trying to eavesdrop his conversation with the unit head. Of course they had heard nothing since the room was soundproof but it was still bothersome. The young detective was once again the center of attention in the department with rumors and speculations the night's events flowing here and there as a result no one dared to approach him.

Sehun let out a troubled groan, it would be only a matter of time before the whole office would know about his resignment. He preferred to collect his stuff in peace without a crowd observing his every move thought he knew it was impossible at this point. The lad headed to his work station greeting his colleagues along the way, who were still clueless about his situation. Sehun gazed upon his cubicle, it was just the way he had left it when he last time visited the lot, a complete mess. He proceeded to his desk, pulled out a box beneath it and started packing. Soon he found himself reminiscing the first time he had come to the office, this particular cubicle had been his since the very begining.

"I knew this was going to happen if you pursued Mr. Kim's case." Sehun's thought was broken by a blunt stament from the IT unit's trainee Heo, he had appeared to greet his friend after hearing of his return from the hospital. "You, packing your stuff means only one thing, you got fired. Seriously when do you ever listen to sense? I had warned you to stay away but you never listen!" Sehun let out a small laughter because he couldn't take the other's frantic gestures seriously. Heo liked to have it calm and work in peace without fear of being shot, which was partly the reason he was fuzzing over Sehun.

"I'm fine thanks and I wasn't fired, I was offered to stay but I chose to leave on my own." Heo stared his friend dumbfound, he couldn't believe what he had just heard.

"Are you an idiot? You chose to leave? Why the hell did you do that? Now the other's will start picking on me again!" Heo didn't like the idea of Sehun leaving him alone to deal with the rest of the homicide unit, hence they had a nasty habit of teasing the newbies.

"I know it's sudden but I just thought it was time to try something new. You know they say it's good to have some change in your life once in a while."

"Haa haa, that's a nice cliche. See how convinced I am." Sehun was amused over the other's remarks, he really had been a good friend for the short time they had known but unfortunately their last time spent together was cut out short when a presence known all too well to Sehun made his apperiance.

"I heard you ran away from the hospital causing a major mayhem among the personels." It was no surprise Sambyul had also heard of Sehun's scandal, and had taken full advantage of his fellow colleague's downfall.

"It was a mere misunderstanding, I was discharged early, that's all there is to it." Sehun pointed out sharply. Both men glared each other, studying their foe until Sehun broke their eye contact, shifting back to his friend who was clearly feeling pressured by the presence of the two.

"Heo, I think you should go---" Sehun started and returned to face the man before him "---this is between me and Sambyul."

"O-Okey, good luck Sehun. See ya around." The other jetted off quickly leaving the two in the small cubicle. I'm sorry Heo but It's better if you don't know too much and live your life peacefully. I hope you won't have to face the same fate as I did. Now that the bystanders were out of the scene Sehun could fully concentrate on the uninvited person intruding his space.

"I guess you have already heard the news about my new position as the main investigator to your case." A complacent look was showing all over Sambyul's face, he truly enjoyed this rare occasion to humiliate the younger who had always received everything on a silver platter when he on the other hand had had to fight his way up on the ladder.

"So what's your problem? You got your beloved case and even got a promotion, isn't that enough? What more are you expecting?" Sehun scowled at the man interrupting his packing, he was in no mood to have a conflict with Sambyul yet he had to endure his harassing.

"True I've got everything I wanted---" Sambyul began while closing in on the lad standing next to the desk "---almost." Surprised at the elder's sudden advance Sehun tried to back up only find himself falling over his desk. He winced in pain at the rough contact, apparently his body could still sense pain despite being under the effects of strong pain killers. Sehun leaned backwards as Sambyul brought his face even closer, close enough for Sehun to feel the man's raspy breath on his skin. With a sneer on his face the elder whispered to the other almost inaudible.

"All that I'm missing is making your life miserable." The man pulled back satisfied at the reaction he gained and observed the disorganized lad before continuing his taunting.

"Why don't you try waving that of yours to the higher ups and beg, then maybe they might reconsider saving you." At this point Sehun had enough of Sambyul's remarks and pushed the elder off of him.

"Ah, and maybe you're too young for me because I seem to prefer old s." That last sentence wiped off the complacent smirk on Sambyul's face, which was replaced by an angry frown. The man chuckled slightly amused and collected himself, standing tall before the other.

"We'll see whether you'll remain so proud after you face the crude reality." Sehun watched as Sambyul left and disappeared to the maze cubicles. The lad felt annoyed at himself, he had let Sambyul's taunts get under his skin for a second when usually it was the otherway around. Frustrated Sehun collapsed to the nearby office chair. Things couldn't get any worse than this. It was hard to admit but he had no clue what to do next, the vampire killer case had so much more to it than it let out. The case had to be investigated throughoutly but without the aid of the police forces, conducting the investigations would become difficult. To top it off Sehun was an unwelcome sight in front of the head board especially now after defying their authority.

Sambyul was long gone when Sehun finally decided to continue his task at hand and gather the rest of his personal posessions lying around the small space. Quickly he sorted the things he wished keep and those to be thrown out. As he was going through his past report files a photo slipped down onto the floor. It was an old picture of his team, and among the team members there was also their supervisor. That very person Sehun considered to be his closest friend, Han. When no one cared Han had always been the first one to come to their aid, even when there was no need for him to get involved. The elder shared a strong sense of justice, which is why he was highly respected among his fellow colleagues.

"....I think you knew how I was going choose, you knew I'd hate it if it was made into a scene." The lad had a mild smile on his face while studying the picture that held precious memories. He tucked the picture in his pocket and continued his project until the cubicle was clean of the extra stuff, looking the way it was before Sehun. Tired after completing his clean up only one thing remained undone, checking his work mail. He wasn't surprised to find his inbox filled with the unit's inner news as well as old posts from his colleagues and  superiors since he rarely had the time to check his mail. Just as he finished emptying his inbox and was about to close the computer, a new window popped up suddenly. It was the police agency's inner chat channel meant to share important news quickly between the different units.

DODO93:
It must to be exploited like that -  One moment you're their best asset, the next they feed you to the wolves.
 

Sehun stared at the message flickering on the computer screen, everything written there would go straight to the whole building. Only the higher ups had the access to the system so who the hell was using the chat? Could it really be that an outsider had broken into the main servers and messed with the department's inner communications freely.

DODO93:
If you're wondering about the chat being public, I have taken care of that. I have seperated a small area from their server to create this private chatroom so it's safe to talk. No one can intrude this conversation nor can they notice it because by the time we end our discussion this chat no longer exists.

Sehun:
How did you manage to do that? This is a highly secured communication line.

DODO93:
Are you stupid or what? These protections are from the age of dinosaurs, it was a child's play to get around the system.

Sehun:
Just who the hell are you and why are you talking to me?

DODO93:
Are you unable to read as well? Can't you read the text? It says DODO93, doesn't it. This is why I told them not to choose a cop, they're so stiff.

Sehun:
Seriously, cut the crap and get to the point. What do you want from me? I know for sure that only an idiot would hack into our systems without a proper reason.

DODO93:
Whatever, you were boring me anyway. I have a proposal, either you take it or ignore it, the choice is yours. We won't deny you the possiblity to backdown on our offer. BUT. Keep this in mind when you make your decicion - This is a once in a lifetime offer.

Sehun:
You're basiclly telling me to make a choice, when I don't even know for what I'm signing up for. Okey, then let's say I accept your proposal, what happens then?

DODO93:
Soon an errand boy will come to the office bringing a package carrying your name. Open it, there you'll find a key. It fits a specific locker so whether you locate the correct locker or not totally depends on you.

Sehun:
Wait, don't you give me any directions?

DODO93:
Narrow down the possibilities, follow the lines and avoid attracting unwanted attention. This is all I can tell you at this point, besides our time is running short. Make your decicion. And good luck, Detective Oh SeHun.

-DODO93 has left the chatroom-

The chat window closed as soon as the other had logged off, leaving no tracks of their conversation. Sehun stared at the screen full of questions regarding the mysterious chatter named DODO93. The chatter knew precisely who he was talking to, he also seemed to know the details of Sehun's situation, which were classified information. How in the world this guy knew everything when the lad had learned the truth just few hours ago? All Sehun could firure out was that something consequential was going to happen very soon. His deep thought was broken when he heard his name being called.

"A package for Oh Sehun." That moment Sehun recalled the other's words. The lad shot up, bringing his head above the cubicles so he could quickly scan the floor. A delivery guy from DHL had come to the office exactly as he was foretold.

The detective studied the brown cardboard box carefully, it seemed normal, very light thought, and no suspicious ticking sounds came from within. When Sehun was assured the box didn't contain a trap he ripped it open. Inside the box was the mentioned key which had a red number tag hanging from it. It was weird how the key reminded him of something very familiar, but he couldn't quite grasp what it was. Then it occured to him where he had seen the particular keys, they were designed to open older lockers found on various stations. Nowadays they were found mainly on buss stations and rarely on subway lines. Quickly Sehun logged back on his computer, searching for the stations that still had the old lockers operational. He detected a handfull buss and few subway stations spread around the city that all had the old lockers in function.

"Follow the lines", he must refer to the subway network, so the locker has to be on one of the few subway stations. Where would I go if I didn't want to be seen? Every station has security cameras, it's a fact, but one of the stations must have a blind spot, allowing one to go unnoticed. Also if the station is fairly busy it helps one to blend into the masses. A station with these properties - That's the station I need find, and only one place fits the description.

<<<----------->>>

This is it, Sehun thought as he observed the busy traffic from afar. The hectic subway station was the perfect place for one to go unseen. People came and went in rapid pace, no one paid much attention to what the the detective was doing since he was just another one of the many travelers passing through. Sehun navigated smoothly in the masses, he was a trained police after all. While on the move Sehun scanned the hall of its surveillance cameras, taking notes of where they were focused. The lockers were placed behind a corner with no cameras able to have a complete vision to what happened there. He moved swiftly, taking advantage of the cameras' dead angle, to get to the specific safety locker. It was indeed chosen by its ideal location, Sehun couldn't but to wonder how everything seemed to be so well planned. He pulled out the key and opened the safety box, within he found a smartphone of the most recent model. Apparently they weren't short on money for being able to affort the newest technology unlike his unit back in the police department. Quickly he slipped the phone to his jacket's inside pocket and trailed his path avoiding getting caught on camera. He walked in a fast pace, keeping up the speed until he was few blocks away from the station. Only then he thought it was safe to pull out the phone to have a better look at it.  His research was interrupted as the phone vibrated, noting he received a message. Althought it said unknown number Sehun could guess who the mystery sender was.

Unknown sender:
Congratulations on making it this far. I didn't think you'd be smart enought to find the locker.

Sehun:
That proposal of yours better be worth it or I'll make sure to nail your for making me run around.

Unknown sender:
Pseh, like that could ever happen. I'd kick you half-way to China if you ever got anywhere near my . But, moving on. Go to Sungnyemun, we have arranged a contact for you to meet there.

Sehun:
Okey, so how do I recognize him or are you expecting me to figure it out on my own again?

Unknown sender:
You're a quick learner! And yes, it is up to you to locate him. But because I'm feeling so generous today I'm going to give you a hint. He's a prick.

Unknown sender:
That's all for now. Good luck.

"What the---?" That's not a frigging hint! It's your goddamn personal opinion!  Sehun cursed as if the other could hear him, which he probably did, most likely he was observing the detective from somewhere even now. Sehun sighted frustrated, he just couldn't understand what the other was thinking with his random hints but at least this time Sehun knew where he had to go. His destination was located in the city center, Sungnyemun in other words Namdaemun. It was a massive stone gate going all the way back to Joseon dynasty and it holds the status of being Korea's first national treasure. The structure was in an open area where one could see to each direction and detect anyone approaching. Sehun stood in front of the building, inspecting his surroundings, seeing various people passing thought the area but no one seemed to fit the image of a contact he was looking for.

Just where the hell is this so called prick supposed to be? All I see is a bunch of tourists and locals going wherever they are going. I have been looking but I just can't seem to detect my contact. I'm starting to think there's something off with the situation, even with the little knowledge I have of these guys I can tell they know what they're doing. They wouldn't just disappear, not after having all that trouble contacting me and the preperations they made. Sehun glanced at his newly received smartphone waiting for something to happen or a new message, yet nothing. He didn't like waiting in open spaces, the large area was hard to control and there were just too many possible openings. As time passed Sehun couldn't ignore his growing suspicions, he felt as if he was being observed, but by who he couldn't tell. The detective flinched as he felt the smartphone started vibrating in his pocket. 1 New Message received.

Unknown sender:
A change of plans. Go to Seoul station, locate and follow the contact. DON'T lose sight of him.

A sudden change of plans was never a good omen. One didn't have to be a detective to guess that things had not gone as planned for the other party. This was obviously their plan B going into action and Sehun was merely a chess piece in their game. Althought he knew it, the lad traced his steps towards the mentioned station, which was about a 5-minute-walk away from Sungnyemun. Seoul Station, the busiest station in the city, where people either tranferred to another subway line, changed to the railway or simply continued their journey by foot. How in the world was Sehun supposed to locate his contact from the vast amount of people coming and going? This was like searching a needle from a haystack.

Now where are you? Show yourself.....The detective scanned the masses from second floor, looking for any person that stood out from the crowd. That's when a particular person on the ground level caught his eye. He wore different clothes but it was definately him. The guy from that night, he'd recognize that cocky attitude from anywhere. Sehun hastened his steps following the guy's movements from the higher ground, noticing the man was walking down to the subway platforms. At this rate Sehun was going to lose sight of his target if he didn't act quickly. He excused himself and abruptly pushed through the masses trying to keep up with the guy who was about to disappear underground. As Sehun couldn't find his way down fast enough, he took note of the tunnel and where it lead, and tried to locate a shortcut to the platform where the man was headed to.

When Sehun arrived to the subway platform he managed to catch a glimpse of the dark haired man passing through a service door. The detective continued his pursue so focused he almost bumbed into two electrician men carrying metal ladders. Swiftly he slipped under the metal without breaking his pace, leaving the two amazed men behind. The training Sehun had received back in police academy had come in handy in the years, pursuing  targets being one of his fortes. Without hesitation Sehun entered throught the service door into a tiny room filled with meters and electric wires. He saw rapid movement in his peripheral vision and turned to face his perpetrator only to get slammed up against the white tile wall, air leaving his lungs at the forceful impact. The dark haired man glared sharply, covered the other's mouth, telling him to be quiet. Sehun was confused over what this was all about and attempted to push the guy off until he saw the tiny black device taken off from his coat's collar, and crushed.

"It seems that the police won't even trust their own anymore. Lucky for you this kind of bug doesn't work too well underground. And if you didn't notice, you are being followed, there's at least 3 or 4 men sent after you." The man pulled back releasing the shocked detective. A flush of questions was rushing through him. How was this possible? Were they seriously chasing him down because he refused to take the blame for the incident or was it because he knew something he shouldn't? Whatever the reason, in the end Sehun was turned into a moving target. The other man observed Sehun's betrayed expression turn grim as the new information was starting to sink in.

"I never imagined I'd be the one being hunted down by my own colleagues." Sehun clenched his fists agitated. First being accused, then betrayed by his own people. What was there to be expected other than feelings of frustration and anger.

"..... this ....They got me by the neck" The detective smacked his fists hard enough to the wall to leave red marks on his knuckles.

"We don't have time for this!" The man grabbed Sehun, shaking him to return focus at the situation at hand again. "They'll chase you down as soon as they notice the bug is gone. We have to move before we lose our advantage. All you need to do is follow me and try not to fall behind." They left the room seperately, Sehun leaving a minute after the other. He followed the man, not walking too close whilst it would arouse suspicions. It was within their best interest that the two men could not be connected. Following the contact was easier said than done since he moved in a fast pace, further away from Sehun surrounded by constant flow of people. As they moved in the tunnels they used diffent stairs to get on the ground level than where they came from and headed to the station's main entrance. Sehun observed his surroundings intently in case anyone started approaching him aggressively because if what he was told was true, his pursuers would be on his tail by any minute now and he had to be ready to make a run for it when they did.

Two shady figures started following Sehun as soon as he got up from the underground. They were the obviously pursuing him, gradually sneaking their way closer to their target. The lad didn't pay attention to them since he knew well how the police acted during chase and running at this point would only cause an unnessecary alarm, leaving Sehun nowhere to escape. The contact continued his stride unaffected althought they were being tailed until a loud crash echoed in the large space. A major scene had broke out when the pursuers had collided with the same service men Sehun had seen earlier on the subway platform. People started to gather around to see what was happening making it harder for to the pursuers continue their chase and eventually their line of sight was broken; an opening to run had appeared. The dark haired man didn't miss the opportunity and picked up more speed Sehun being right at his heels. They had succeeded in slipping away from the scene, out of their pursuers reach.

They were few blocks away from all the hassle, moving by foot. Police patrol cars passed them sirens , heading to Seoul station. Apparently the scene had escalated enough for someone to call the police. Just in case they were on the look out for Sehun the two men avoided main roads. The detective kept a close eye on the contact from afar. Thought he had no idea where they were headed to,  it had to be somewhere secluded, without any curious eyes. It was after a good walking distance, the station left behind them when they arrived to an underground parking lot, which Sehun assumed to be their final destination. The parking lot was full at this time of the day since everyone was still at work but even so the place was eerily quiet. As they got further in the building Sehun was convinced now that they were alone and hastened his steps until he reached the man. Without any warning Sehun grabbed the man by his coat, shoving him against a wall.

"You! What the hell is going on! You'd better confess me now if you had anything to do with this mess because just few days I was a detective, but now - I'm a goddamn suspect!" Sehun lashed his anger at the man he barely knew yet they had co-operated twice already in different occasions. They just kept bumping to each other like it was some cruel twist of fate. Sehun's life had turned upside down ever since he had met this stranger. Everything that could go wrong, went wrong. He'd lost his friends, job and freedom - All in one day, or to be more precise in one morning.

"We have nothing to do with your downfall, you should actually thank us for saving your sorry from getting ed up." The man observed Sehun's reaction keenly as he spoke his mind. "According to our intel they have been watching you ever since you left the police station. Whatever you did at the department caught someone's attention to send his dogs after you. If I had to guess, it was the same people who put that bug on you." Sehun's eyes widened at the revelation, backing up from the other. He started going through all the contacts he had in the morning and there were only a handful of people that were close enough at the time to put a tracker on him. Some of the possible suspects being his friends, including Han.

"Pseh, this just shows you how blind you really are to the situation you're currently in. And you call yourself a detective when you're this clueless." Sehun twitched as he heard those words leave the other's mouth and glanced back at the man.

"What do you know about this then?" Sehun asked agitated, his voice echoing in the halls. The other simply narrowed his eyes and responded to the defying by intensily glaring back.

"Apparently much more than you do. But that's beside the point - Now let's get to the reason we contacted you." The detective tilted his head listening the man intently. For a long time already he had wanted to hear an explanation and hopefully gain some answers as well.

"We know that you have pursued a difficult case involving many factors that are still a mystery to you. I'm here to offer you co-operation regarding the case you were investigating. We both have our own goals but we're looking for the same guy, the suspect called Lucius." Somehow these guys had managed to get their hands on Sehun's case files and were him proposing an allience. Sehun lifted his brow in suspicion, this offer had to have something more to it, he just knew it in his bones. Why in the world otherwise a secret organization would offer such a thing to one man who had practically nothing left if they didn't have ulterior motives.

"If you don't remember it but I'm no longer part of the police and to add up I'm a wanted man. There's simply nothing I can do to help you."

"We are aware of that, which is why you'll need our help to solve your case."

"Then you just expect me to believe that you're doing this out of good will. Do you take me for a complete fool? Just what is it exactly you expect me to do?" Sehun stood face-to-face with the guy, wearing sharp a look. The other didn't avoid his gaze but slowly the shade of blue started appear in his eyes.

"That - You will find out in time." He sneered at the detective, gesturing him to back off. "So will you take the offer it or not?" Althought the offer sounded ominious and was filled with holes somewhere deep within himself Sehun's instincts told him to take the chance, that whoever these people were they could be trusted. Also considering his situation he was in - He was in dire need of allies. The case could no longer be solved on his own nor could he survive alone in the city with an unknown enemy chasing him. In the end this was the only option he had. It was either them or nothing.

"Alright, I'll accept your offer and its terms whatever they may be."

"Then it's settled. I was given the orders to bring you to our vantage point if you were to accept our offer. When we get there you'll receive a short briefing of the situation going on before we'll plan our next action. I was assigned to be your partner on the field, the rest of our team will provide us support when nessecary. We'll cooperate in this case but understand, when working with us it's like acting with shadows. We exist on one hand on the other we don't." What the other told made sense since after all they seemed to be the type to act beyond the law in various ways. But what still bothered Sehun was the fact his companion had yet to reveal his name.

"Then what sould I call you if I am to pair up with you?"

"You can call me Kai."
 

W/N:

Surprise, I finally updated! It's a bit late but this is better than never.

So our mystery guy from ep1 was Kai, which someone kind of guessed already. Oh well, it's nice if my hints about the characters come across. Writing Ch5 was a bit long progress because I wrote about 3-4 different versions of it until I came up this. You can only guess how frustrated I felt at times, when I realised the version I was working on was not good enough, that it's lacking something.

Currently I'm working on Ch6 but it's making kinda unstable progress, so dunno when I'll get it finished. And last week I kinda fell ill so I didn't get much done so sorry for the late update. (>.<)"

Anyway, enjoy reading and I hope you like this! And please, do share your thoughts about the new chapter.