Chapter Count: 2/4

A pain filled scream broke the eerie silence of the search, spurring Sooyoung into action. Taking two steps at a time, she raced to catch up with Changmin who’d gone ahead with two officers while she cleared the lower floor with the rest of the team. Clearly that was a big mistake. The Archer had got to them. She could only pray that like Lee Sungjoon, he’d spared them death and kept them alive.

The sight that met her at the landing was gruesome one. The two accompanying officers were lying still, unmoving with multiple arrows to the chest. A check on their pulse confirmed them dead, unfortunately. Changmin was lying against the wall desperately holding on to his forearm, hand and wrist impaled to the wall by two arrows, bleeding profusely.

“Call it in,” she instructed the team that had finally caught up with her, stepping around the two to get to Changmin. His entire face twisted in pure agony, dripping heavily with sweat.

“Son of–argh!” any small movement sent blinding pain shooting up his arm. The only thing that kept him from passing out from the pain was sheer force of will and determination to prevent Sooyoung from going after the guy herself. Her gentle hands cupped his face, brushing the wet tendrils of hair from his eye the only consolation he could afford himself.

“Yah, Shim. Don’t pass out on me,” she warned him, eliciting a tired smile laced with agony. “Stay with me, alright?” it was useless to say, but it was the only thing of assurance she could think to offer at the moment. “Where are the medics?”

“On their way ma’am,” someone answered her, but she didn’t tear her eyes away from Changmin who unbearably pale.

“Shim don’t you fall asleep or you’ll get it from me,” she sounded when his eyes started drooping shut. “I need two with me to –” despite the commotion, she’d heard it. The banging of a door further up from the landing they were on. “You two follow me. The rest of you secure the area and wait for back up.”

Despite his weakened state, Changmin managed to grab her wrist before she got away from him. “Soo…kajima,” his words stilted by the pain. He couldn’t let that maniac do to her what he did to him. Officer or not, his priority was her safety than the Archer’s capture. But he was already weak, and much to his horror she easily broke his hold and slipped away. “Yah, Soo –”

“ –I’ll be fine,” were her quick words of assurance thrown over her shoulder, before taking off with the two officer close behind her doing a better job at keeping up with her pace than they did earlier. Of course she understood his concern for her, but they also couldn’t let this opportunity slip away. Catching the bow brandishing manic would be certain justice for those two police officers, Changmin and his other victims.

With her gun drawn, she led the assault through the door and onto the roof. The cold wind whipped her face while she scanned the darkness for any sign of him. Signaling the two to either side, she continued straight on.

Two thumps sounding in quick succession, followed by cries of pain informed her that her back up had been taken out. Only assurance of the mortality was the continued groans of pain.

Her hand tightened around the handle and finger hovered over the trigger, she whipped around trying to find the source. There he was a rapidly moving lump in the shadows. Her first shot missed him by a mile. “Stop or I’ll shoot,” he headed the warning, but his bow was already drawn. The arrow knocking the gun out of her hand before her embarrassing slow trigger finger could pull the trigger.

Damn it! She raised her hands in surrender, knowing her next move would be the difference between life and death. Even in with the dark concealing him for most part, she was aware this bow was already drawn with another arrow ready for release should she not comply. Unfortunately for her, the Archer was faster at the draw, able to release arrows faster than she could blink. “Let’s not be hasty alright. I’m getting down on the ground, see,” she offered false words of assurance while she descended, mentally counting to three and drawing a reassuring breath before she acted.

She went for her reserve holstered at her ankle ready to fire, but he demonstrated those lightening fast reflexes. Arrow slicing her hand viciously, forcing her to release the gun in pain. When she managed to think through the pain and scramble for the gun, it was too late. He was already gone. “Psychotic bastard,” she cursed retrieving her handkerchief to wrap her wound, before calling it in. “EMTs requested urgently. Two officers down. I repeat officers down. Emerald Hotel roof top, EMTs needed now.”

Sooyoung walked uselessly to the end knowing she wouldn’t find anything. He’d escaped cleanly without a single trace.

--~*+*~-:-o-:-~*+*~--

“Watch that pretty of yours. I don’t need Ginger on my back,” Be careful wasn’t something his tongue would ever allow him to say out loud, but his words were as close as he could get to it without him feeling like a sap. They weren’t said for Kris’ sake, but for his own.

“Are you forgetting who has the most bullet holes, Min?” slipping away with a smile. She understood what he meant and wouldn’t embarrass him by admit it. “Let’s move out.”

That had been just hours away and now he was in surgery, with doctors trying to make sure he could use his arm and hand again and there was no permanent damage. The other officers had made it as well, but were in intensive care with the families standing vigil outside of the room. Sooyoung had made the customary stop by their rooms to be assured of their condition.

The slice in her hand was unfortunately deep, and had required stitches, dressing and wrapping. It would be a while before she held a gun or did anything with it comfortably. Not to mention the constant care that would be required to curb away infection.

The chief hadn’t seen it appropriate to reprimand two injured officers. Even her insistence to stay on the case was sternly turned down, resulting in suspension when she remained adamant to ascertain she stayed away.

As for the case, the Archer had taken two other victims apart from the two officers that had been with Changmin. Park Yunshik, the owner of the Emerald Hotel who was rumored to entertain his high rollers requests for pleasure with trafficked persons. The second was Baek Taekyung, a corrupt prosecutor who lost cases for the right price to support his illegal gambling habit and thirst for the high life. One of the biggest slam dunks he took a dive on was a building collapse that killed five families. The uproar had been swept under the rug. He was also responsible for all of Yunshik’s tax evasion and people trafficking cases disappearing.

Bastards deserving of justice, but not vigilante justice served up by the psychotic murderous version Robin Hood.

Arms coming around her from behind and desperate kisses on her crown drew her out of her thoughts. He tired mind identifying the distinct cologne as Kris’ before he even spoke. “Do you know how crazy I was thinking you were hurt?” He didn’t have to tell her. The rapid beat of his heart beat against her back, and how tightly he was holding her was more than enough to inform her of this. “Are you okay?”

“I will be if you stop cutting off my circulation,” she gave a less that convincing laugh, touching his hand gently. “Seriously, are you viper?”

It was meant to assure him, but he tightened his arms. Her being in his arms was the only thing that assured him of anything. “Are you crazy woman? Right now I’m fighting the urge to whisk you away and lock you up, even if you kick my for it. Don’t complain.” What had happened tonight was exactly why he didn’t want her going after the Archer, but damn stubborn woman wouldn’t listen.

“Well your wish has come true. The chief took us off the case and is bring in the NDI to take over from now on,” she wasn’t even surprised at the sigh of relief he released. He’d been worried about her being on the case, and was probably happy she was off it, even if she wasn’t. Especially after what the Archer had done to Changmin and those four officers.

Gently turning her around he looked her in the eyes, “I’m not happy about how it happened, but I can’t say I’m not happy that you won’t be in danger anymore,” cupping her face, thumb caressing her cheek, “How is he?” He didn’t particularly like the bastard, because Changmin was snarky and still interested in his girlfriend, but he didn’t wish this for the guy. It was just unfortunate he got in the way.

“Alive, thank god,” why the Archer had killed the others and left Changmin alive she didn’t know, she was just relieved her partner and friend was alive. “The strength in his arm and whether he will be able to use it normally is what they are working to save now.” She fought the prickling in her eye not wanting to cry. Crying meant the situation was hopeless, and she wouldn’t allow herself to think that.

Sooyoung was the kind of woman who didn’t easily break, crying a rarity as was vulnerability. At the moment she was fighting tears and trying to stem any vulnerability. “Come here,” he pulled her back into his arms, resting his chin on her crown. “He’ll be fine. He’s too stubborn and proud to be otherwise.” Once again he’d say he didn’t like the guy, but he mattered greatly to her. She needed reassurance.

“Your right,” Sooyoung let go of a watery laugh, the tears escaping her despite herself. Stupid punk making her cry, Changmin was so going to get it when he got out of surgery. “Sorry for being such a girl.” Dealing with an emotional girl was probably out of his depth.

“Don’t be. It’s the only time I feel like I’m not your rich, y toy boy.”

The familiarity of his cologne was comforting, as was the warmth of his arms as he held her. Most of all it was his valiant attempt to make her feel better during such a dire moment, “Does your head feel heavy? Because, it’s getting bigger,” she teased against his neck.

“Do you really want to continue this conversation?” pulling back with a mischievous smile playing on his lips. “Its heading fast toward +19,” the innuendo was strong in his words.

“I was taking about your big brain, Wu. Not Lil’ John,” she countered with tsk, pushing him away playfully. “Even in public you can’t control yourself.”

Maybe he couldn’t control himself. Still being with her was a strong show of his lack of self control. “Sweetie I’m not ravishing you against the nearest wall. That’s the most self control I can manage around you in public,” he got a smack in the abs for daring, not that it wasn’t deserved. The elderly couple paces away were giving him the stink eye for it too.

She’d forgotten her injured hand and cradled it against her chest in pain after the hit, cursing up a storm.

“Aish this woman,” he admonished taking her hand gently, caressing it and laying a soft kiss in consolation. It wouldn’t be enough for what happened, but he’d spoil her rotten in the coming weeks and not out of absolution of guilt.

--~*+*~-:-o-:-~*+*~--

The Archer strikes again, Police are still lost in the woods.

Busan receives a visit from the Archer. Is he moving bases?

State of Crisis: Is the National Police Service overwhelmed by the Archer?

Behind the Victims: Are they really innocent?

The Archer: Hero or Villain?

The latest headline was too much. This vigilante had gone from being a public threat to being considered a hero in 3 short weeks. Were the media forgetting the people he was killing, both his targets and the ones who were unfortunate enough to end up as collateral damage?

Sooyoung still didn’t forget those two young cadets that were killed that night, and the three he injured that included Changmin. Heck she was still healing from the slash he’d given her. But, the public forgot because the other victims were evil? Two wrongs didn’t make a right. She wholly agreed that the people wronged deserved justice, but not one taken into the hands of a blood thirsty Robin Hood.

“I thought we talked about this, Soo,” Kris sighed, finding his girlfriend crumpling a newspaper she was holding on to too tightly. Anything about the Archer usually upset her so he tried minimizing her access to it, but being the determined woman she was, Sooyoung always got her hands on it anyway. “This only pisses you off,” snatching the paper from her hand, and dropping a kiss on her crown.

“Are you kidding me right now, pretty boy? They are starting to paint him as a hero, should I throw a party instead?” She got he didn’t want her upset, but damn right she was upset. That bugger was being praised for being a murderer, while she was suspended and kept out of the loop!

Sighing, he straddled her looking down at her. “Didn’t you say this Agent Jung Yunho and his team from the NDI were on top of things? Let them handle it,” she pouted cutely ready to rip him a new one, which he silenced with his lips. Only pulling away when she relaxed, “I didn’t know you found me pretty, love,” trailing kisses across her jaw and down her neck.

“This isn’t going to work, you punk,” she warned him, even if she allowed him to push her down on the bed. It was embarrassing how easily he distracted her. “Yah, do you want to die?”

“If it’s by your hands, then any day,” speaking the words directly into her ear in a husky tone that made her shiver. But he relented, rolling to lie beside her instead. “I know it’s bothering you not being involved, Soo. But you’re still suspended. Everyone is working round the clock to catch this guy, just do me a favor and relax. Or I’ll think you don’t like me anymore.”

There was softness in his eyes, despite the playful tone he ended with; it told her that he was just worried about her. He hadn’t hidden his delight at her no longer being involved in the Archer case, and had been attentive and helpful as her hand healed. “Unfortunately for me, you’re under my skin so I can’t help but like you.” He’d been spoiling her in hopes of distraction, but it didn’t work. Her words however reserved a bright smile.

She wasn’t the mushy type to profess undying love, but it was the care in her eyes that spoke loud and clear for him. Damn it, he was deeply in love and it was irreversible. And as dangerous as it was, he didn’t regret a moment.

Chapter Count: 2/4

Author’s Note: Two down one more to go… I think? The next one might be longer in length, before an epilogue. I have zero skills at editing nor do I have photo shop, so I hope the poster is okay.