Mission
Ragnarök
Jung Taekwoon watched N nervously as the van pulled up in front of the enclosure's gate. Worry plagued him as he thought of the ways returning to this place could possibly effect his companion. Despite Taekwoon's diligent efforts to keep N from this mission his superior was relentless. Their success was dependant on N's involvement.
Taekwoon was aware of the vital role N needed to play, being the only one whom had ever been within the compound before, but there was too much risk, especially considering the man's lack of memory. Nervous thoughts filled Taekwoon's mind. What if something happened to N? What if the holes in his memory started to fill and he had a breakdown? What if Leo couldn't keep him safe?
His mind wandered to the day N had woken from his coma those three long years ago. The tan man had been so scared and confused, not knowing much, including his own name. What he did know had been a ray of hope to the world. Ragnarök had a cure and he remembered exactly how to reach it.
From the moment Taekwoon had found N, he had remained by the man's side. With every passing day his love for the beautiful man grew stronger. Every time N got injured Taekwoon's heart ached with fear. Despite being aware of N's strength, Taekwoon couldn't help but want nothing more than to keep him from the dangers of this cruel world.
A long glance at the object of his affection made Taekwoon's chest tighten painfully. N had a flare for acting. No matter his injuries, despite his fear, in any situation, he managed to remain calm. To all of their companions, Taekwoon was sure that N's brave front was believable. Nobody knew the tanned man quite like he did, and Taekwoon could tell that under the serene exterior, coming back to this place was terrifying to N.
~~~
As the van neared the gates, N gripped Taekwoon's hand a little tighter than he had intended to. A sudden urge to vomit threatened his cool exterior. There was no doubt that they needed to unlock the secrets behind those high steel and concrete walls but every bit of him was terrified of what secrets he'd unlock about himself once they entered his forgotten home.
"Are you going to be able to do this, N?" Taekwoon questioned, his voice full of concern. A blush crept into his cheeks, making him grateful his tanned skin helped to conceal such embarrassing displays of emotion. Realization of how tightly he must have been holding Taekwoon's hand made him feel shy and pathetic.
"It doesn't matter because I have no choice." N sighed, shaking his head as he forced a shakey smile. "I'll be fine."
"You guys ready to do this?" Jaehwan questioned from behind the wheel of the van, Wonshik sitting in the passenger seat to keep an eye on him, Daehwan occupying the floor between them both nodded grimly.
"Let's get it over with." N shrugged and stood. Yoonchul and Hongbin were already passing out weapons and first aid kits as Hyuk and Nakhun jump out of the van, scanning the area for any infected life outside of the gates.
~~~
Han Sanghyuk checked under the van for any hidden dangers as Nakhun investigated the perimeter around the gate. Once satisfied that the silence was simply quiet and not a precursor to imminent danger, they gave the all clear for the others to exit the van. All eyes were on N, whom found his way instantly to the gate's control panel. Not a single person dared to breathe as N entered a code. The lock gave a rusty click inside the wall, giving way to the noisy screech of a grate, damaged by age and elemental abuse, rising to uncover the actual gate. Sanghyuk stepped closer to Hongbin, vowing that no matter what were to spring out of those gates once they opened, he would die protecting his boyfriend.
Taekwoon and Wonshik stood on either side of the gate, each opening it carefully. Sanghyuk moved between them as the three inched inside, ready for an ambush. When the atmosphere remained calmed the others were waved inside.
"Time to split up." Sanghyuk stated dryly. There was nothing he detested more than dividing their numbers, despite his understanding on the importance of it. Smaller groups meant a slimmer chance for detection and a quicker examination of the grounds. Yet the loss in numbers also led to vulnerability and a higher chance of a hoard wiping you out.
"He's right." N affirmed, pulling a hand drawn map out of one of his many pants pockets. "Sanghyuk's team should take the school on the west wall. Wonshik and Jaehwan should search the houses on the east wall."
"What will you do?" Sanghyuk questioned as he helped Hongbin adjust his tactical vest for better protection.
"Taekwoon and my team are going through the experiment housing center in the middle since they will have the most security and I'll have to bypass it." N rolled up the map, a dark but determined expression on his face. "We'll all meet in the courtyard in front of the labs and go together to find the antidote." Sanghyuk had to admit, at that moment in time, he admired the way N faced the unknown head on with no hesitations. He wasn't sure he could ever do so himself.
~~~
Lee Hongbin hadn't realized the research compound was more than some science lab inside a fence. He certainly had never imagined it was similar to a small town, though in reality he couldn't honestly imagine how it would have worked any other way. The Ragnarök project had been going on for at least three generations before any of them were born and, being so top secret and secluded, the families weren't exactly free to mingle with the public.
Nakhun and Sangyuk were discussing strategies for their task at hand, Nakhun showing immense displeasure at having to enter the school. Hongbin felt himself inclined to agree with him. There was something about tiny, undead children that sent a chill through his very soul. Solace came in the form of Sanghyuk's reassurance that after three years locked within the walls with no access to fresh prey, the zombies should have festered into nothing but a pile of possibly still slightly sticky bones.
Despite the fact that Hongbin's boyfriend was most likely correct, the man could not bury the feeling of dread forming deep within him. More than anything, he desired the opportunity to destroy the creator of the virus, or at the least, the one whom had created the first animated corpse and had felt it necessary to continue down that insane path rather than destroy the virus before it could become a danger. To play the role of a god, it was no wonder the people behind the virus were the first victims.
~~~
Lee Jaehwan contemplated their branch of the mission. Housing. That, at the very least, held the possibility of being the least terrifying and dangerous of the three sectors. Momentary relief washed over him. Despite having been trained to kill zombies, and even having disposed of a few himself in the three long years since the outbreak had started to spread, it still hadn't remedied his immense fear and tendancy of screaming like a pre teen girl whenever faced with the rotting monsters.
Jaehwan felt blessed to have Wonshik and Daehwan by his side, always there to fall back on when his will was fracturing. Without their support he was nearly certain he'd have perished their very first mission. Daehwan provided him with the emotional relief he so desperately needed in these trying times, truly the best friend anyone could ask for. On the other hand, Wonshik was brave and strong, the hero Jaehwan so diligently worked to emulate, not to mention the increasing object of his affection.
"Jaehwan, let's go." Wonshik placed a hand on Jaehwan's shoulder, causing his cheeks to warm slightly at the romantic thoughts dancing through his mind.
"Yeah. Right behind you, Wonshik." A sigh escaped him as he hoisted his ammunition pack onto his shoulder. Romance would have to wait, for the moment, it was time to get serious.
~~~
Kim Wonshik watched as Sanghyuk's crew head toward the west, N's team disappearing down the center. A slight disappointment grated at his nerves for a moment, wondering why, for the millionth time, he was abandoned with the two members of their group that lacked courage. The irritation was replaced quickly by gratitude, knowing he would have lost his mind with worry had Jaehwan been in any other unit but his own. If being secure in the man's safety also meant taking responsibility for Daehwan, he found it hard to remain resentful toward his situation.
"Keep an eye out for anything unusual. Maybe we'll find the key to N's identity in one of these houses while we eliminate the infected." Wonshik ordered the other two as they made their way toward the housing district, both grateful and on edge at the eerie silence within the compound. More than anything, he hoped Sanghyuk was correct and the inhabitants within the walls had long since withered into nothingness.
Despite his hopes, concern was not high in his own list of emotions. Wonshik had lost count of how many missions they had succeeded in the years since war against the virus had broken out but he was aware that in all of them, they had never lost a man. There was no reason for this instance to turn out any differently than the others before it.
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