Baekhyun's voice floats through the foyer like a song, though Sehun would hardly consider it music to his ears. He quietly enters the complex, returning to the two older guys, receiving an oh so welcome greeting from Baekhyun himself. "So nice of you to join us again, Sehunnie," Baekhyun gibes. He lounges on one of the plush chairs with Chanyeol, who has his feet propped up on the small table centerpiece of the sitting area, legs outstretched and arms crossed, resting his head on Baekhyun's shoulder. Sehun's still wearing his signature frown and impeccable poker face, which at this moment, was actually difficult for him. He found the thought of Baekhyun and Chanyeol in handcuffs at the hands of Kyungsoo especially tantalizing after all they'd done to him. However, Sehun's mastered the art of hiding his emotions, so he stays calm and lets the two say all the stupid things he wishes they wouldn't.

"Where's Luhan?" Chanyeol asks, voice rising above Baekhyun's, saturating the air with his deep tones.

"I don't know," Sehun snaps, avoiding any sort of eye contact.

"What? You couldn't find him in this small little town?" Baekhyun jeers, and Sehun's thankful that he actually did find Luhan (and Jongin and Kyungsoo) because otherwise, he can't be so sure that he wouldn't be at Baekhyun's throat right now. "I'm telling you Sehun," Baekhyun continues. "He's long gone. He left you." When did Baekhyun start laying it on so thick? Sehun wonders. Though he guesses that Baekhyun's beginning to get impatient with Sehun hanging on by a thread and is working hard to thin it out more and more, turning it from steel to worn down wool.

Sehun flops on a chair adjacent to Baekhyun and Chanyeol, slumping into it as deep as he can manage and sprawling his legs out in front of him. He closes his eyes and exhales calmly, trying to forget about the two guys next to him. "Okay, Sehun," Sehun begins coaching himself, assessing his current situation and the mission at hand. All I have to do is get them outside.. he thinks to himself. When he hears Chanyeol's laughter, he peers one eye open to discover the source of it all. Though when his eye focuses, he sees Baekhyun's face in front of his, much too close for comfort.

"Hi, Sehuna," Baekhyun coos, placing a hand on the boy's cheek. Swatting it away, Sehun turns his head away in disgust, and sits up from his position. He springs up from the chair and walks away, deciding that now is as best a time as any to carry through with the plan.

"Let's just get out of here," Sehun glowers, turning away to leave.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" Baekhyun suggests. He lifts Sehun's bag from the floor, suspending it in the air by the strap with the strength of just two fingers. Sehun scowls at Baekhyun, ripping his bag from Baekhyun's hands and stomping toward the door. But before Baekhyun gives it up so easily, he grabs the strap more securely, pulling the bag, and thus Sehun, toward him. "You should trust us, Sehun," Baekhyun suggests. "You really should... It's what's best for you." Sehun gulps, still avoiding any form of eye contact. Baekhyun smirks and releases the bag from his grasp, stepping back and looking at Sehun with expectant eyes. Though his look simply masks his interest. In all actuality, he expects nothing at all; Baekhyun merely observes, finding a sort of entertainment in it all.

Sehun slings his backpack over his shoulder and roughly makes his way to the door, turning back to check that Baekhyun and Chanyeol were actually following. To his dismay, the two just stood there coolly, loitering at the sitting area, smirking at Sehun. "Let's go!!" Sehun yells at wit's end, clearly expressing a mix of rage and annoyance all at once. He realizes it doesn't take much acting to pull it off. Baekhyun lets out a breathy chuckle before straightening out and traipsing over to Sehun, a lazy wave of his hand instructing Chanyeol to follow.

"Alright Chanyeol baby, let's follow the cranky Sehuna," Baekhyun's tone really embeds itself deep under Sehun's skin, but Sehun keeps his cool and exhales calmly, hoping the air he releases will carry all of the toxins Baekhyun's injected him with out of his system. With that last breath, Sehun presses through the door, thinking only of Luhan, whom he can return to just as soon as this all ends. Kyungsoo can take Baekhyun and Chanyeol to jail, Sehun can finally reunite with Luhan and together they can take Jongin to Yixing, who will finally give him the help he needs for his family. Sehun focuses on these thoughts calmly, knowing that the operation will go smoothly; all he has to do is lead Baekhyun and Chanyeol right to them.

Though Baekhyun is no fool.

Just as they step out into the plaza, Baekhyun signals to Chanyeol and with one swift movement, Baekhyun appears behind Sehun with a knife pointed strategically at his back. "Don't move," Baekhyun whispers grimly. Sehun stops in his tracks, his hopes cracking and his breath practically stopping. It pains Sehun how close he is to getting Luhan back, but Baekhyun just has to go and make things complicated. Baekhyun always has to go and make things complicated. "Chanyeol," Baekhyun calls, using a wave of his head to direct Chanyeol toward Sehun. "Hold him for me, please. But don't get too close alright?" Baekhyun winks at Chanyeol, and Chanyeol returns the gesture with his childish, signature V sign that Baekhyun never fails to smile at. "Time to cash in on that insurance," Baekhyun teases. Sehun's feels his spirits falling. Luhan.. I failed..

"Come on out, Luhan!" Baekhyun yells, and Sehun's surprised to hear him calling his name. How did he know I was lying...? Sehun tries to shed his worries quickly, crawling out of them as best he can. Though the deadness of the feeling latches onto him, sticking to him as desperately as he wants to cast them away. He knows he can't dwell on the anxiety if he wants to make it out both alive and successfully, but the fact that he's being held hostage isn't doing anything to calm him. He never expected Baekhyun to catch on to the plan, so now he's at a loss with absolutely no shreds of certainty.

Baekhyun prances around the grounds calling out Luhan's name. Chanyeol joins in a bit too, echoing Baekhyun's eerily cheery voice. "Luhannie, I know you're here!" Baekhyun shouts.

"C'mon buddy!" Chanyeol coaxes, drawing from the remaining kind feelings he still holds toward the man. Baekhyun's been nagging at him to let it go, but Chanyeol can only reply, "What? We had a nice bonding experience going and getting gasoline together." Once Baekhyun's realized Chanyeol has no reason to hate Luhan like he does, he shrugs it off with a scoff and a "Whatever, Chanyeol." Though Chanyeol just beams a smile at him everytime. "Luhan hey! I got your Sehun boy here. Don't you wanna see us?" Chanyeol roughly manhandles Sehun, swinging him left and right in attempts to show him off to Luhan, maintaining his giant smile the whole time. Chanyeol's tight grip digs into Sehun's body with each harsh movement, a precise but shooting pain making his body sore. He tries to break free, but with Chanyeol's strength and all this movement, Sehun's not even sure Chanyeol notices. He wants so badly to tell Luhan not to come out, but he doesn't want to give his position away on the off chance that he actually doesn't come out. Sehun just hopes Luhan won't, lest he put himself in danger and gives away their element of surprise.

At the sound of Sehun's name, Luhan clenches his fists. He notices Jongin ready to spring from the bus station they're hiding behind, and he unclenches one fist with reluctance, using his open palm to press gently against Jongin's chest. "Wait," Luhan whispers. "They might know I'm here, but they don't know you are."

Jongin looks over at Kyungsoo, who nods at Luhan's comment. "It's true," Kyungsoo affirms. "I'm not too surprised honestly.. Baekhyun's a clever one... Dangerously clever. Be careful."

Luhan exhales as he heeds Kyungsoo's warning, slowly rising to reveal himself. He takes a few steps out into view, Baekhyun coming into his line of sight first.

"Luhan! There you are," Baekhyun chimes, as if he was the happiest person in the world to see him. Luhan cringes at Baekhyun's insincerity, but Baekhyun merely returns a smile, walking over to him with arms outstretched wide. "Come here, I wanna give you a great big hug." Luhan feels wary; Baekhyun has to have something up his sleeve.

Meanwhile, Kyungsoo and Jongin watch from afar as Luhan steps closer and closer to Baekhyun, though maintaining a safe distance. "I don't like this," Jongin protests. "Shouldn't we be there to back him up? I mean you said so yourself! These guys are really dangerous. And they've got Sehun!" Jongin's still wound up and ready to swoop to the rescue, but Kyungsoo knows better than to just attack head on.

"We will," Kyungsoo assures, placing a hand on Jongin's shoulder. The touch is gentle, though the grip is strong, and Jongin takes the hint, rocking back on his heels and releasing some of the tension. "You need to help Sehun. I'll take care of Luhan."

"But how?"

Kyungsoo looks around and surveys the area, looking for a discreet path for Jongin to make his way toward Chanyeol and Sehun. Though the wide open streets don't leave them with many options. "Hmm," Kyungsoo hums, contemplating. He turns behind him and notices the alley way between the two buildings to their left. "There," Kyungsoo points, directing Jongin's attention. "It'll be a bit of a walk, but it's the only way you can sneak around without Baekhyun and Chanyeol noticing."

Jongin nods while looking at the outlet, returning his gaze to Kyungsoo for further instruction. "Go through the alley way to the street behind, then make your way around and behind the gym behind them. Go all the way around, behind the building and hide on the right end." Kyungsoo uses hand gestures for Jongin to follow the pathway he's making for him and Jongin listens intently. "Creep from the right end, and you should be able to sneak up behind Chanyeol since both his and Baekhyun's backs will be to you. From there, you can..." Kyungsoo pauses as he tries to formulate the next step of his careful plan. Feeling around his person, he remembers the police stick on his belt and detaches it to give to Jongin. "Here, take this. You can strike Chanyeol with it. That should shock him enough to release Sehun and then the two of you just RUN. Run and hide. I know there's an apartment a couple blocks behind the gym - it's got a barber shop on the ground level. You can't miss it. Run and hide there. In fact, you should be able to get to the roof from the fire escape on the left side of the building so go up that way and wait there."

"Got it," Jongin ensures, grasping the police stick tightly. He carefully slips into the passageway to avoid being seen and looks back at Kyungsoo one last time before he's off on his mission. Kyungsoo takes a deep breath and watches the situation unfold between Baekhyun and Luhan, closely monitoring in case he's needed. Instinctively, Kyungsoo reaches for his gun, but when his fingertips reach the holster, he clasps nothing but air, realizing he no longer has it after his first encounter with Jongin. "!" he curses under his breath. Biting his lip, Kyungsoo exhales again, remaining calm as he returns much-needed attention to Luhan. He'll find another way. He always does.

After being rejected by Luhan the first two times, Baekhyun's smile twists into a smirk, and he drops his arms. He won't be receiving any love from Luhan tonight, not that he ever really wanted it. His hands rest on his hips, and he taps the bone with his fingertips, taking a few lazy steps in Luhan's direction. Baekhyun lets his fingers ghost over the knife he tucked away in his belt after threatening Sehun, the feeling of the weapon bringing a strange sort of comfort as he feels its shape through the fabric of his shirt.

When Sehun notices Baekhyun advancing on Luhan that way, the image of said knife pops into his head through the frantic thoughts and worries. He reflexively lunges forward, but Chanyeol's hold on his wrists restrain him from doing so. Chanyeol tightens his grip and pulls Sehun into his chest, draping one arm over Sehun's shoulders and across his front.

"Luhan!" Sehun yells instead, squirming in Chanyeol's grasp. "Luhan don't! He has - !"

Chanyeol s his arm up suddenly, using his sleeve to muffle Sehun's screams. "Let's not interfere okay?" Chanyeol advises coldly, denying Sehun the ability to communicate with the one person he cares about most.

His sudden outburst draws Luhan's attention, and Baekhyun's for that matter. Luhan looks past Baekhyun, and Baekhyun turns around to see how things are with Chanyeol. "Sehun!" Luhan shouts. "Let him go!" he commands, and Baekhyun doesn't turn around to look at him until a good five or six seconds later.

"Nah," Baekhyun shrugs. "He's too valuable to just give away."

"What do you want, Baekhyun?" Luhan spits.

"Nothing," Baekhyun replies, inspecting his nails as he speaks as nonchalantly as Luhan remembers. Though his voice quickly turns sharp, laced with an edge of seriousness. "Besides, what I want... You can't give me anyway." Baekhyun's eyebrows knot, and he balls his hand into a fist, lowering it by his hip and letting it dangle there lifelessly. Though not entirely so, an anxious twitch electrifying his fingers as they gravitate toward the sharp blade he's concealing in his belt.

"Stop being so dramatic," Luhan scoffs, and he's just about fed up with Baekhyun's mysteriousness.

"Dramatic?" Baekhyun laughs at Luhan's remark, his eyes glistening with the hint of unshed tears. Luhan shoves his hands in his pockets as he tries to decide whether or not he thinks Baekhyun is psychotic (though he's really leaning toward yes, yes he is.) "Am I really so dramatic?" Baekhyun asks whimsically. "Am I though? I don't think so, Luhan." When Baekhyun speaks Luhan's name, the letters sting on his tongue, the word acid in his mouth. "You... You almost killed me!" Baekhyun yells desperately.

"Killed you?!" Luhan shrieks, and his eyebrows knit into frustration and anger. "I saved your life, Baekhyun! And for what? This?!"

"No!" Baekhyun screams, and the nervous tic returns to him as flashbacks of Tao flood his memory. More specifically, flashbacks of the fresh gash Luhan so generously gave him. Baekhyun begins to see red again, the color blurring his vision, staining Luhan's image before him. The slash of Luhan's life saving action burns with a traumatic pain, and Baekhyun can't shake the cringing feeling of warmth escaping skin that was never meant to be broken. Luhan can't understand why he's reacting in such a way, but it doesn't take an idiot to see that it's affected him to the point of insanity. Is that why he hates him so much? "You..." Baekhyun calls, the grave tone in his voice shivering out from his shaking body. The dark shadow of emotions casting over Baekhyun's face alerts Luhan to go on the defensive, and he carefully slides his hands out of his pockets, bracing himself for whatever Baekhyun plans to throw at him.

Sehun still struggles in Chanyeol's strong hold, the burning desire to run to Luhan coursing through his veins. He can't understand why Chanyeol is acting this way, since he's normally so easy going and kind. Baekhyun always comes first- that's why- and Sehun knows it. In an attempt to just get Chanyeol's hand off his lips, Sehun tries to bite him, but the flatness of Chanyeol's palm proves too difficult to sink his teeth into, so he resorts to Chanyeol instead. The saltiness of Chanyeol's sweaty palm tastes gross on Sehun's tastebuds and his eye twitches in response. Unfortunately, the distaste on Sehun's tongue was all for naught, Chanyeol remaining unaffected. "Oh, you're a dirty one, huh?" Chanyeol teases, cocking his head to the right of Sehun's so he could look him in the face. "Well you'll have to do better than that," he challenges meaninglessly. "Baekhyun does much worse." Chanyeol laughs at his own joke, and Sehun winces in grossness once more. Until he can think of another escape plan, Sehun's eyes flick back to the situation at hand, watching his boyfriend make the effort to cool Baekhyun down.

"Okay, Baekhyun," Luhan coaxes. "I'm sorry..." Luhan tries to sigh through the insincerity, but he doesn't want to risk pushing Baekhyun any more off the edge, so he fakes an authentic apology as best he can. "Why don't we calm down, alright? Let Sehun go, and we'll part ways right here."

"NO!" Baekhyun screams again, and the telltale tremors become more violent. Baekhyun's breath becomes shallow, just about on the verge of hyperventilating. But this time, Baekhyun is more in control. He's not having a panic attack like last time, Luhan realizes. This episode is fueled by rage, and if Luhan knows what's best for him, he should get out... now. But Luhan faces Baekhyun boldly for Sehun's sake.

In the short time Kyungsoo takes to scrounge around for some kind of weapon, he hears a blood-curdling scream erupt from the scene he so briefly took his eyes off of. Whipping his head up and peering out from behind the metal structure, he takes in an eye-full of Baekhyun charging at Luhan with a knife. Where the did he get a knife?! Kyungsoo thinks nervously, but he doesn't have time to wonder where or why. He knows he needs to aid Luhan - and fast.

Baekhyun's not exactly looking to kill, or at least, it's not what's on his mind right now. All Baekhyun can think about are Luhan and pain being in the same sentence. Luhan's eyes grow wide and his mouth drops open in the split second he allows himself to react before stumbling back and getting the hell out of the way. He doesn't try to fight Baekhyun necessarily, but he knows he can't stay purely defensive this whole time - especially since Baekhyun has completely lost it now. Luhan dodges the flurry of swipes and stabs which come at him erratically. There's no consistency in Baekhyun's attacks, but then again, there's no consistency in his state of mind either.

Sehun's strong squirms challenge Chanyeol to keep him restrained, the taller male constricting Sehun even more in an effort to do so. "Man, you're a rowdy one," Chanyeol mentions bluntly. His mellow tone really degrades the gravity of the situation, and for the first time since meeting them, Sehun wishes he could punch Chanyeol in the face. "Alright, how about this - like the decent human being I am, I'll turn you around so you don't have to watch." Chanyeol effortlessly lifts Sehun off his feet and swings him around to turn his back to the quarreling Baekhyun and Luhan. Just as Chanyeol sticks Sehun back on the ground, he looks up to meet a flashing smile for a fraction of a second. With the bat of an eyelash, Chanyeol finds a real bat square on his forehead, in between the eyes. The sheer force causes him to stagger back, releasing his hold on Sehun. Chanyeol trips over his own foot and tumbles to the ground with great force, like a mighty oak tree fallen at the hands of a strategically placed axe.

"Jongin!" Sehun exclaims. He catches his breath, heaving in large gulps of air after having been held so tightly by Chanyeol. "We've gotta help Luhan!" Sehun manages between breaths, already making his way toward his boyfriend.

"No wait!" Jongin protests, hopping in front of Sehun. "I want to help him too, but Kyungsoo said we have to run.."

"I don't care," Sehun stubbornly states, and the fire has already ignited in his eyes - nothing can stop Sehun now.

"No, Kyungsoo will help -!" Jongin's efforts go to waste as Sehun ignores the commands, pushing past him and running toward Luhan with leaps and bounds. "Sehun -! ...ugh! Sehun!" Jongin gives up on convincing Sehun and follows Sehun in his quest to save Luhan. Unfortunately for Jongin, he finds himself face first in the concrete when Chanyeol grapples the hem of Jongin's pants leg. Jongin tries to shake him off, kicking violently, but Chanyeol's determined - even through the splitting headache he's acquired, courtesy of Jongin himself. The iron grip on Jongin's pants leg makes him realize why Sehun had such trouble escaping and breathing for that matter. Chanyeol's simple grasp quickly turns into the taller man clinging to Jongin, Chanyeol engulfing Jongin's leg in his chest and strongly inching up to try and get at Jongin's throat. "SEHUN!! HELP!" Jongin yells, trying to break free of Chanyeol encroaching upon him.

The urgency in Jongin's voice strikes a chord, Sehun stopping dead in his tracks. He turns back to see Jongin wrestling Chanyeol for his own freedom. "Sehun!" Jongin calls again. Sehun bites his lip, feeling as though there were two people on either side of him, pulling him and stretching him thin. His heart aches for Luhan, but when he sees Kyungsoo approaching, he takes his erratic heartbeat down a notch, deciding to invest some trust in Kyungsoo that he can get Luhan out safely. Once Sehun establishes that he can trust Kyungsoo, he dashes back to Jongin's rescue. When he reaches them again, Sehun finds Chanyeol on top of Jongin at this point, their faces uncomfortably close.

"What's the matter?" Chanyeol taunts, clasping his large hand around Jongin's neck with ease. "What's wrong, huh? Can't break free? Hmm?" Chanyeol taunts Jongin as Jongin chokes from Chanyeol's constrictive hold. "You want more?" Chanyeol torments, calculatively tightening his grip around Jongin's neck. "Good luck, pretty boy..." Chanyeol teases further, the cute smile he's sporting hardly reeking of evil, but the actions contrasting otherwise. Chanyeol smriks right in Jongin's face and Jongin's eyebrows knit together in distress. The huffs of air Jongin unevenly breathes (or tries to) ghost in front of Chanyeol, and Jongin hopes it's enough of a distraction to get him to back off, but apparently, Chanyeol has no sense of personal space, their noses practically tip to tip. "Careful," Chanyeol warns. "I can be deadly too."                                                                                                   

Thankfully, Sehun comes to the rescue, tackling Chanyeol off of Jongin. They engage in yet another wrestling match, but this time Sehun has the upper hand. Jongin rises to his feet quickly, gasping for air just as Sehun did minutes ago and then rushes to Sehun's aid as well, helping him to hold down Chanyeol. With two boys on top of him, Chanyeol was outmatched, growling beneath their control.

"Who's deadly now?" Jongin smirks, bopping Chanyeol on the head with Kyungsoo's police stick. The action seems so childish and out of place, and Jongin thought not much of it, other than the fact that he knows it's probably driving Chanyeol crazy right now. But the victory is short lived, Luhan's painful scream shattering Sehun and Jongin's small celebratory moment.

"Luhan!" Sehun cries, his attention returning to his boyfriend. He knows he's missed his chance to help him, especially now that they've taken down Chanyeol. If Sehun were to leave Jongin alone, he's almost positive Chanyeol would overpower him, and then they'd be back at square one. So he stays, pouring more of his trust into Kyungsoo, who he notices is still creeping his way up.

"Aghh!" Luhan screams, one of Baekhyun's lashes finally making contact with his skin, slicing a clear cut across Luhan's chest. It's not incredibly deep, but it's more than uncomfortable, cleanly cutting through his shirt and drawing glistening, ruby red blood. Automatically, Luhan's hand flies to the wound, clutching his now blood-soaked shirt. He applies pressure to control the bleeding, but he finds it difficult to do while continuing to defend himself. Now that he's at a disadvantage, Luhan decides to bring out his limited martial arts knowledge once again. With a dodge, Luhan swiftly moves aside as Baekhyun comes at him again, Baekhyun's attack just missing and affording Luhan a kick to push Baekhyun away. His foot lands on Baekhyun's hip, throwing him off balance, but consequently throwing Luhan off balance too. Luhan staggers, faltering before regaining his footing. Though it's all a second too late as Baekhyun was just a second faster and is already charging once again. Luhan's not quick enough this time, having to suffer the hit of Baekhyun's next swipe, this time earning him a slice to his neck - just above the collar bone. It's not a fatal wound, but it's much too close for comfort, and Luhan knows it could've ended him had he allowed Baekhyun just a few more inches north. Luhan's beginning to panic, and his defensive tactics are leaving him, everything in his head fading into white noise. In the time Luhan loses himself in confusion, Baekhyun's generously given him a couple cuts to the arms, and now Luhan doesn't know what to do.

He manages a few more dodges, but Luhan can feel the fatigue washing over him, and he's almost convinced he just might die. "Luhan!!" a voice from behind him calls, snapping Luhan out of his misery for just enough time for him to pay attention. "MOVE!"

Luhan laterally moves out of the way, spinning full circle on his way out to make a pathway straight ahead for the voice behind him. Kyungsoo, who had given up on formulating a plan after Luhan's third cut, charges ahead, straight for Baekhyun. In order to avoid the knife, Kyungsoo braces himself and slides clear across the concrete, feet guiding him towards Baekhyun's. Kyungsoo stiffens his feet and kicks Baekhyun directly in the ankles, causing Baekhyun to topple to the ground, the knife flying from his hand. Kyungsoo curls up in case Baekhyun lands on him, but luckily he's in the clear, and so he quickly stands up to go for the capture. His pants are all ripped from sliding on concrete, but it's the least of his concerns. Kyungsoo practically ignores it as he reaches for his hand cuffs, hopping on top of Baekhyun and fitting them on his wrists all nice and snug. "I've waited a long time to do this," Kyungsoo says out loud, and Baekhyun snarls at his defeat.

Although wobbly, Luhan makes his way over to Kyungsoo and Baekhyun, tiredly putting a hand on Kyungsoo's shoulder as a means of congratulations. Kyungsoo smiles with satisfaction, roughly pulling Baekhyun up. "Now to collect the other one," Kyungsoo says excitedly, pushing Baekhyun toward Jongin, Sehun, and Chanyeol's direction.

"What an honor," Luhan manages to say, staggering along.

"Finally," Kyungsoo breathes. "It's about time these two were brought to justice."

//ah it's been so long since an update D: but here it is! it's moderately long so i hope you enjoy~ i wrote too much of this while literally half asleep.... haha oops ^^; luckily i have a good editor so you won't have to witness all the mistakes haha. let me know what you think! <3