Welcome to Hell, Boys...
Black DragonThis was not the first time Sungmin had relived that night in the form of a nightmare that he couldn't wake up from. As always, he woke up breathless and dazed. Even the scar in his shoulder from Nero's bullet ached, stinging now as though it were fresh and bleeding all over again!
He had a lot of bad memories- but that one... He felt sick and almost dizzy. The combination of guilt, shock and horror that he felt at Jungmo's death remained as powerful as ever. Even though he hadn't had that nightmare in almost a year, he still felt every bit as guilty now as he had on the night when he died. But over the years he had started to feel as if the dream itself was a spirit warning from Jungmo that something bad was about to happen.
He climbed out of Kangin's bed with the silent grace of a cat and gathered up his clothes. He dressed quickly in the living room. He paused for a moment, at the front door of the apartment. He wanted to say goodbye, but instinct- and habit compelled him to leave.
The boss and his monkeys couldn't have found him already- Kangin was safe here. But Sungmin still felt restless, as though something was wrong- and that usually meant he had to get home...
He was only a few blocks from the Paradise Club- a large American style strip bar with really beautiful girls. Many of the girls were actually imported from the States to dance there. Downstairs it became clear that it was a lavish front for a gay club though. It was frequented by some really shady people. But Sungmin didn't need to go inside to find what he wanted. The Paradise Club saw a steady stream of rich johns drive around the area- at all hours of the day and night. They were always on the look out for an easy and it never seemed to matter if the available were male or female.
There was another warehouse popular with the streetfighting crowds nearby too. He was not techncally a part of this territory, but all of the regulars at the Paradise Club knew that he was not someone to mess with.
He left Kangin's apartment complex behind. As he was approaching the Paradise Club, the front door was slammed open loudly and a familiar looking tall man with long legs and spiky blond hair walked out of the club. He was gorgeous and expensively dressed in a handsome black silk suit that was ed half way down his muscular chest.
Sungmin watched him curiously, trying to figure out where he knew him from. The blond glared at the two girls who were racing after him in their six inch stilleto heels. "Oppa- oppa wait!"
Rather than wait, the man scowled. He got in his convertable and slammed the door, starting it quickly. One of the girls actually threw herself over the passenger side door though and into the car. She grinned sheepishly as she tried to straighten out her silver miniskirt after her ungraceful landing.
The licence plate on the handsome black car read A-Jax and Sungmin smirked walking over there. That had never happened before- an Idol in this neighborhood- and at this hour? This ought to be interesting.
"Dana get out." The man growled coldly. "This is ridiculous."
"B-But baby- I-" The girl was crying as she latched onto his arm, she was extremely pretty but her Korean wasn't very good. She was probably one of the girls imported just for the club upstairs. "I'm sorry... I didn't realize what was happening. I love you!"
"This was never about love and you know it. Just get out. I told our manager that this was never going to work."
"I-I'm sorry!! I'll try harder baby, I will. Just-"
The blonde shook his head. "No. Get out-"
"Hey there, gorgeous," Sungmin called and smiled leaning over the blond's door. He winked and then kissed him sweetly. "I hope I didn't keep you waiting too long..."
The girl stared at them for a moment and then scowled at him. Sungmin just grinned at her. "I think we both know you should leave..."
The girl growled. "I- wait... Kon!! You're joking, right? I mean- you aren't gay- you can't be..."
"Goodbye Dana." The blond told her, the other girl helped her intoxicated friend back out of the car and let her cry on her shoulder. The blond then turned to Sungmin. "Get in."
Sungmin smiled and obeyed. As they left the parking lot, he grinned. "I'm Sungmin."
"Thanks for the interference. I'm Hyeongkon."
Sungmin nodded, "Yeah, you're the leader of A-Jax. I recognize you from the TV. But you are actually better looking in person."
"Thanks," Hyeongkon said. "So, do you always hang around parking lots at 4 in the morning?"
Sungmin shook his head. "No, I'm usually at Centennial Tower's Host club."
Hyeongkon quirked an eyebrow at him curiously. "Seriously? Then what were you doing in a slum like this?"
"I snuck out," Sungmin paused, giving the idol a mischievous grin. "Because tonight I wanted to enjoy getting ed."
Hyeongkon smirked, "Did you find what you were looking for?"
"How about I let you know when you drop me off at the Tower later?" Sungmin offered.
"Deal."
"So how about you? Do you usually hang out with strippers at 4 am just days before a comeback?"
The blond scowled, "No. It was the management's idea. Trying to capitalize on our bad boy image for this comeback... If you know who I am, I'm sure you've heard what everyone's been talking about..."
Sungmin nodded reluctantly. It wasn't just rumors, technically. He had seen the actual pictures which had caused so much of the scandal. That was because the woman who took the photos worked for Black personally. But, he didn't say it. The general public had only heard whispers of what had happened that night.
Rumors of the once squeaky clean idol group A-Jax attending illegal streetfights and gambling on them should have been bad enough. Unfortunately, that had been only the beginning. Jaehyung was still in a coma- the group's visual caused a bad car accident after losing a big wager on one of the fights that night.
Luckily, A-Jax's rabid saesang fanbase was working as hard to contain the damage as their company was. That the smaller company had help in trying to protect the boys was probably the only reason they had not already been disbanded.
Sungmin would have considered their disbandment a tragedy too, because A-Jax was his favorite group; they were awesome. He could even overlook that his boss was one of their biggest backers. It wasn't the group's fault when they debuted two years ago, that their company had been having a difficult time of things finacially. That the Black Dragon had stepped in to 'help', wasn't their fault either.
Unfortunately for their company, the Black Dragon's help was never free. And this was further proof that his help was never 'hands off' for very long either. Sungmin hadn't managed to find out what the boss was pressuring A-Jax's management into doing, yet. But he did know, that unless they did as he asked, things would steadily get worse.
With so much going on in his life, Sungmin wasn't surprised that the idol had gone quiet. He wanted to talk to him, but this man wasn't a normal customer and he wasn't sure how to break the silence without seeming nosey. Sungmin took the time to look at Hyeongkon carefully. He was truly gorgeous, he decided.
But he found it interesting that he was still more drawn to Kangin. The American's massively broad frame was strong and enormously well muscled- it made him feel small and secure.
Hyeongkon was younger, and more classically handsome. The star was always in demand; he looked gorgeous and he knew it. He showed off his perfectly chisled body all the time on TV and in magazines. Sungmin still wanted to him, but after meeting his favorite idol in person, he wondered how much weight Kon had lost over the scandal.
He was taller than Sungmin but he was clearly lighter too. Sungmin spent most of his off time working out and practicing his martial arts, so he had never had a problem keeping his weight steady and his body fit. But Hyeongkon made him feel like he needed to go on a diet.
And yet, for all the chaos surrounding his group and their future, Hyeongkon seemed like he was holding up much better than Sungmin figured he would in that same situation.
Unfortunately, instead of taking him to one of the nice hotels in the area for a little fun, Sungmin noticed that they were heading toward Centenial Tower.
"I'm really sorry," Hyeongkon said. "I just-"
Sungmin interupted with a smile. "No, I understand, you have a lot on your mind. Thank you for the ride home. If there is anything I can do to return the favor, or just anything at all, please give me a call here anytime."
Hyeongkon blushed a little but smiled too as he stopped the car under the wide awning. "Thanks again."
"Keep fighting. A-Jax is the best," He said quietly. There was a lot more that he wanted to say, but he would see him again, he was almost sure of that. "Goodnight."
Sungmin knew it was still early, but the night security guards were definitely still awake so he didn't bother stalling. He let himself into the lobby and scowled up at Attilla who was waiting for him beside the elevator. Even dressed in sneakers, jeans and a sweatshirt, the massive bodyguard was intimidating.
"The boss wants to see you."
Sungmin looked at the clock above the security desk and quirked one eyebrow. "Now?"
Attila nodded. "Now. Leon is waiting downstairs with the limo. Let's go."
"What's going on?" Sungmin asked. He was suddenly afraid for Hyeongkon and Kangin he led the way to the parking garage and climbed into the limo.
"He wanted to see you last night- but no one could find you after your clients left."
Sungmin scowled folding his arms across his chest. He relaxed a little inside though, because if this was business from yesterday, it couldn't involve Kangin.
The ride to the lavish building where he had grown up was painfully boring. Attlia was tired and was clearly more interested in the drawstring of his hoodie than he was in talking. When they reached their destination, the limo pulled into it's parking place below ground and the two of them took the elevator up to the penthouse.
A servant who had worked here since Sungmin was a child, met them at the elevator and smiled kindly to him. She nodded courteously to each of them. "Welcome back, Sungmin-shi. The master will be with you shortly, please step into the back office to wait."
The back office? Sungmin growled. It was never a pleasant visit when they had to talk in there. But, he did as the woman asked. The lavish decor and the exquisite furnishings were exactly as he remembered- and of course everything was spotlessly clean.
The word apartment didn't fit this place. It was the size of a large mansion, at 15,000 square meters. And it was composed of the building's top three floors. The whole thing encased all in tinted glass and steel. There were dozens of rooms specifically for entertaining. But most of which had never been used. At least not that Sungmin could remember. Black entertained his friends and business interests frequently- but never here in his carefully guarded home.
Nero and Attila lived here too. Each had a lavish suite of private rooms, flanking Black's own actual living quarters on the top floor. Black's drivers, chef and the rest of the housekeeping staff, anticipated and prepared for their every need. But for the most part, the lavish penthouse mansion was painfully quiet and liefless. Even as a child he found it like walking through a museum- everything was beautiful yet cold and impersonal.
The palatial size and intricate decor meant it had a full time staff of four dedicated housekeepers to keep it clean. Black also manintained a chef and his personal butler. All of these servants- including James, the doorman who worked at Centennial Tower had been brought up to serve Black. Their families were proud to have been with his family in England for generations. But Black inherited his family's property just about the time that Sungmin was born, and he sold his beautiful ancestral estate for a fortune. Rather than give up the style of living he had grown up with though, he moved his whole staff here.
Sungmin opened the door to the back office and immediately swore under his breath. There were 4 teenage boys and what looked like a girl of the same age asleep on the sofa opposite the TV. The kids looked about 16 and the thought of them being stuck here as long as he had been made Sungmin physically nausious all over again. The slender female was especially pretty, with silky, shoulder length blonde hair partially obscuring her delicate face. Sungmin felt sorry for her when the time would come to separate her from her friends.
Sungmin turned and glared at Attila, but the huge man gave no sign that he had noticed. He walked past him and sat down in one of the overstuffed chairs flanking the sofa and started flipping channels on the 80" TV.
Nero came in a few minutes later, he smirked coldly at Sungmin and sat down on the far corner of the oversized mohogany desk. Nero was dressed in jeans and a tee-shirt, but Sungmin knew very well that the Desert Eagle was with him.
Instead of windows, Black's favorite desk sat in front of a 2,500 gallon aquarium that held his priceless collection of Japanese Koi. The tank was so big that it stretched almost from the floor to the ceiling and was so long that it formed the entire back wall of the room.
The girl awoke immediately when she heard the volume on the TV get turned up. She gasped but Sungmin saw that there was nothing feminine about her eyes. She also had a pronounced adams' apple and well defined shoulders when she nudged the largest of her companions. Satisifed that the girl was actually a boy, Sungmin stepped forward.
"Hi, I appologize for his rudeness in waking you up. I am Lee Sungmin. The over there is Nero. And this jerk is Attila."
The boy stared at him for a moment as if he was confused and then accepted his hand in greeting. "I'm Ren... What are we doing here?"
"Why don't we save the chit chat for when the boss gets here," Nero suggested in a low voice.
Sungmin sighed and glared at him, but they weren't stuck waiting much longer.
Black entered his office impeccably dressed in a charcoal colored suit. He went straight to his desk and sat down. "Good morning, boys." That was to Nero and Attila, who grinned and nodded back. The Englishman smirked at Sungmin. "I trust that you have noticed my latest acquisitions."
"Why are we here?" Ren asked, scowling."Who are you?"
"I am your new boss." Black said coolly. "You know those 10 year contracts that each of you signed, a little over a month ago?" He grinned like a shark. "I have come into possession of them. So now you belong to me."
One of the others scowled, sitting up. And when he spoke, it was in English with an American accent. "How is that possible?"
"Your company has been purchased by one of my subsidiaries and is undergoing some.... restructuring. The man who arranged the purchase already has- in his own words, an 'over abundance' of new talent. So he has transfered your contracts to me and asked that I 'keep you busy'. As we speak, Lee Soo Man is busy aqquiring another company as well. I appriciate ambition and his methods, but I am less than thrilled with his vision for the future of Kpop itself. He sees the market right now as cuttered. And if he allowed you to debut, it would make things unnecessarily difficult for his own little pet project."
"If he's that afraid of competition, why not just release us from our contracts and fire us?" This one spoke in English with an American style accent.
Black's smile broadened. "And take the chance that you would sign with someone else? I don't think so. Besides, each of you will fit in just beautifully with Sungmin's-"
The American growled, interrupting. " you. I'll get my contract annuled and go back to the States. I'm not putting up with this . Come on guys."
Attila shoved him back onto the sofa, and he landed hard enough to rock the massive couch. The American looked even more pissed and Sungmin sighed internally.
"Easy Attila," Black chuckled. He picked up one of the files that had been sitting on his desk and looked at the American with disdain. "You Yanks and your manners... So, Aron is it? While you've been training over here, your family has been struggling to make ends meet with your dad in the hospital. If you stay with your contract and do as you are told, my accountants will see that all of his medical bills are covered every month."
The American frowned, and fell silent as if he wasn't sure what to react to first.
Sungmin growled and decided to change the subject. "The other company you are after... You mean DSP, right? I don't understand though. A-Jax already belongs to you so why would you want to hurt them-"
Black simply shrugged. "While A-Jax has been a goodsend to my DSP investments, for the moment I'm just enjoying the fireworks. It amuses me that Lee Soo Man is adapting so well to my methodology. But he never asked if I had any connections with DSP and I haven't told him..."
Sungmin growled at him. "Bastard, why are you like this? You play with people and their whole lives like they are toys and then you act surprised that I have never trusted you..."
"I've always liked playing with fire." He shrugged and looked at the five kids still lined up on the overstuffed sofa. "As for you darlings, you are going to be trained as host boys, like Sungmin. I suggest you forget about the idea of going home and focus on performing your jobs well. You will live like royalty if you do as you are told and obey the rules that Sungmin will explain to you. But there are consequences for attempting to run away, and for not pleasing your clients."
The boy that Ren had been using as a pillow earlier frowned. He wasn't especially tall, but his shoulders were enormously wide. "You can't do this- we're singers. And we are all under-age too."
Black chuckled coldly. "Please, Baekho. None of you are still s. Besides, you still get to entertain people. Just make sure that you perform exactly the way your clients ask you to. Anyway, I have work to do. Nero, I know it is the weekend, but you are coming with me to the fundraiser this afternoon so get changed. Attila, take my pets and Sungmin to the Tower. See that Taj gets them settled in on the 10th floor. Clearly they had a rough day yesterday. So they will need to rest for tonight."
Sungmin was incredulous. "You are starting them tonight?"
"If you had obeyed the rules and stayed home last night, these boys would be settled in already, wouldn't they?" Black smirked, clearly pleased with himself. "You're early this morning. I'm pleased, puppy. But that only makes me more curious... Do I need to find out where you went last night, Sungmin?"
Sungmin shook his head. "No."
The Englishman grinned and casually waved them out of his office. "I suppose we'll see about that..."
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