After Tao escaped from the governor's mansion he had to go into hiding, because half the soldiers in Seoul were looking for him now. It must have been the governor that he'd met on the balcony, since he had seemed to be very commanding towards everyone he spoke to. He muttered curses under his breath as he ran across rooftops with steps so light he blended in with the sounds of the wind. Tao swore he'd rain hell upon whoever told him this was a good idea. All his rage caused him to underestimate the jump from one rooftop to the next, so he fell between the space into an alleyway. Luckily, he fell on top of a hut and didn't fall through it. However, that didn't mean he fell without injury. Tao bit his lip to keep himself from making a sound as pain shot up his spine. When he heard rustling coming from inside the hut he knew there was no time to lay around. In a hurried dash, he took off before whoever was in the hut could check out what had fallen on them.

Tao tried to figure out where he was, but after falling into an alleyway and running off in a hurry he had no idea where he'd ended up. He paused for a bit to listen for familiar sounds, but everything was dead silent. Silence meant he was somewhere in the center of the city, because near the edges of the dome one could usually hear the wind outside hurling dirt and small rocks at the walls. He was a little frustrated at times like these where if he got distracted for even a second he could become hopelessly lost. It had been so much easier when he could remember landmarks and always find his way when he saw them, but he had to readjust his entire way of life after the bomb hit. Even though he hated it there was nothing that could be done about it. At least there weren't soldiers chasing after him anymore, but his fake ID would be flagged now. 

"What are you doing in this part of town, Bubble ?", an all too familiar voice called out to him. Tao kept a hand on the handle of the knife in his back pocket, ready to throw it in the voice's direction if needed. Sehun smirked and stepped closer to him. "Ah, always so tense.... It'd be so much easier for you if you just accepted my offer. Then you wouldn't always have to be living on the edge. You'd have the comfort of working in a large group, and get the benefit of a larger pay. Not to mention the personal benefits I also offer....", his voice sounded like a typical charismatic salesman as he trailed his fingers over Tao's shoulder and down his side like he was playing a scale on a piano.

"You would think someone who has lost a hand would think more before using their good hand to on someone who loves knives... Be careful or you'll soon be more machine than man.", Tao threatened lightly and stepped back, so that Sehun couldn't touch him again. 

Sehun chuckled a bit and kept his distance from Tao now, since he knew the other honestly would be glad to chop off the five good fingers he had left slowly one by one. "Well, you already think I'm a fool anyway, so there's no use trying to act smart around you. What's so wrong about a little touch though? You always get so tense at the slightest things. It makes me wonder if someone hurt you. That's why I continually offer you a better life. You always seem to be struggling, and I just can't watch a dear friend of mine go on like this. Come with me and you'll never have to worry again. The police won't dare touch us, and you know you love it when I touch you.", Sehun kept trying to persuade him as always to join the gang he was in. 

"Since when am I a 'dear friend' of yours?", Tao scoffed and started walking away,"I haven't got time for your pathetic attempts to get me to join the Seoul Snatchers, or get into my pants", he said as he started trying to figure out in his head which way was south.

"Your stubbornness will get you killed some day. Maybe even.... today?", Sehun chortled and caught up with Tao. "You don't seem to know where you're going. Your place is back the other way.", he said as he walked alongside the other.

Tao never trusted a word Sehun said, so he just kept walking in the direction he'd already been going in. He could never bring himself to admit that Sehun was right either anyway. That smug bastard would never let him hear the end of it if that happened. "Is business really so bad that you have to hound me so desperately and deal out fortunes as a side job? Other recruiters would've given up on someone as stubborn as me after a week, but five years go by and here we still are, going around in circles. Give up already, Babohun.", it had been a long while since he'd called Sehun that, but he also hadn't seen Sehun these past couple months either.

The nickname caused Sehun to laugh a bit and wrap an arm around Tao's shoulders. "Well other recruiters don't usually try to get into the pants of their recruitees either, but you and I have a special bond you see. These past five years have a very special place in my heart, as do you. Other recruiters would also try to offer you a position as one of their underlings, but I offer you a place by my side. It's true that technically you'd be my right hand, slightly beneath me, but we'd be pretty much equal almost and it'd be far better than being bottom of the food chain.", Sehun kept on trying to persuade Tao even though he couldn't sense even in the slightest that Tao would budge from where he stands on the matter.

Tao flung Sehun's arm off of him instantly,"I hope you don't forget that we're both crippled, so I can kick your guilt free. Touch me again, I ing dare you...", he threatened and moved off more to the side to get more distance between the two of them. He definitely didn't like to be touched.

Unafraid of Tao's threats as always, Sehun ran up and tackled Tao to the ground playfully. Tao drew his knife from his back pocket within seconds and tried to stab him, but Sehun lurched his body out of the way just in time. "Too slow, Honey Thighs~", Sehun snickered and got up. He did wince a bit though when Tao managed to land a kick to his shin.

"Ugh, how have I not killed you by now?...", Tao muttered to himself as he got up. 

"Because secretly, deep down in that pit that once was your heart before it got so small that it imploded, you really want to me. You just don't want to give in to me, because of your pride and stubbornness. One day you will though, either that or you'll finally kill me. I think I'll play the odds though and stick around you until that day comes.", Sehun brushed the dirt off of his jeans then rushed to catch up with Tao again, who had gotten far ahead of him now.

"You really do have a death wish....", Tao sighed and started to run now to get away from Sehun. He could hear the other chasing after him, but after he cut a few corners the sound of Sehun's footsteps gradually grew more and more distant until finally it stopped. For a few minutes as Tao caught his breath there seemed to be no other sounds, but then someone dropped down right in front of him. "Sehun, I swear I will ing end you....", Tao hissed and shoved him.

Sehun had dropped down from the roof of a low building to surprise Tao, but ended up being the surprised one as the harsh shove caught him off guard. Before he could even think up a smug comment, he was sent flying backward into a large pile of rubbish. What was strange about the pile he noticed after falling on it is that nothing was being crushed beneath his weight. The pile was a solid structure. He started brushing away some trash and discovered a hut had been concealed under it. Sehun made sure to make a note of where they were in his mind, since people didn't typically hide their huts if they didn't have valuables. He got off of the hut since he'd been laying on top of the roof. It sort of amazed him that the thing could be so sturdy. They must've built it with tools, which were hard to come by amongst commonfolk nowadays. When he heard Sehun draw his gun, it piqued Tao's interest a bit. Tao went over and stayed quiet as Sehun quickly pulled back the board that was being used as a door. Inside, was a frightened little boy who stared with wide eyes at the barrel of Sehun's gun. The little one seemed to be paralyzed with shock and fear. "Aw jeez... It's a kid....", Sehun sighed and seemed disappointed as he checked to see if anyone else was around first, then put his gun away. "Hey kid... I don't want to hurt you, I'm not so sure about that one over there, but I didn't mean to scare you.", Sehun pointed over at Tao as he spoke. 

"Ha Ha.... You're SO funny.... Now leave the kid alone before he pees himself.", Tao said sarcastically and then walked off again,"Come on Se-creep, I'm staying at your place tonight.", he gestured for the other to follow, even though he knew the other would've regardless.

"Well, the Mrs. is calling so I gotta run now kid. Sorry I ruined your camouflage, but it shouldn't be too hard to put back up.", Sehun said, and turned to go, but then felt something tug on his shirt. He looked back to see it was the little boy.

"Wait.... Are you two soldiers? Only soldiers wouldn't try to rob me....", the boy said and looked up at Sehun with big hopeful eyes.

"Um... sure kid, we're soldiers, and we have very important duties to attend to, so we can't hang around here all day.", Sehun gently opened the boy's palm to get him to let go of his shirt, but the boy just grabbed it tight again. 

"Do you know what happened to my Kris hyung?? He's a soldier, and he hasn't been home in 5 whole days!! He was supposed to be back at sunrise...", the boy started sobbing into Sehun's shirt as he clung to his leg. 

"Woah woah woah kid.... I don't know your hyung, but I'm sure he's fine. I haven't heard about any deaths recently, and trust me, that kind of news spreads like wildfire around here. So no more worrying okay? Now you go back to sleep, it's probably way past your bedtime.", Sehun said as he gently pulled the kid from his leg. After he saw the little boy nod and go back in the hut, Sehun put the door back where it was supposed to go. Then he covered the hut in trash again to make up for messing it up before heading off to go find Tao again. "Still don't know where you're going hm?", Sehun teased when he finally found Tao.

"How about I poke your eyes out and you try being the blind one for a change? Hell, I'll let you chop off my arm and give it to you if you give me your sight. At least with an arm you can get a fake one and still be considered legal. I have to find someone new to steal an identity from every year, because of the annual census.", Tao huffed and folded his arms across his chest,"Lead the way then, Smughun-.... ah !", Tao groaned as pain shot up his spine again. All the adrenaline from being in a chase earlier must've worn off now, because he was really feeling the toll that a fall from a building took on him, plus he was tackled onto his back earlier so that can't be good. "You really ed up my back...", Tao muttered.

"Ah... I was hoping you'd say that after I had my way with you....", Sehun couldn't resist getting another crack in. 

"Idiot, it really ing hurts you know....", Tao winced as he held his back and kneeled down on the ground. Usually no matter how badly he was hurt Tao wouldn't show that he was in pain in front of others, but with Sehun he really didn't care for once. Maybe Sehun really was the closest thing he had to a friend, even though he would never admit to it.

"So you CAN feel pain? I thought you weren't human, but I guess being human is just a perspective thing nowadays... Remember when we were all human?", Sehun said as he walked over to Tao. He crouched down beside him,"Hop on, you must weigh like nothing with that womanly figure you've got, so I don't mind carrying you.", he offered with a grin.

Tao looked over at Sehun and sighed as he took his sweet time trying to protest the idea in his head. Eventually though, he hopped onto Sehun's back. All Tao really wanted to do was go lie down somewhere and sleep for a while, so he didn't care too much on how he got there. He knew it would be faster if Sehun carried him than if he walked by himself, since he couldn't get very far without stopping to hold his back. "Don't go all philosophical on me. No matter how smart or charming you make yourself sound, you'll always be the biggest idiot that ever lived in my eyes.", Tao grumbled and rested his head against Sehun's back as he held onto him.

Sehun stood up and held Tao up on his back by grabbing his ,"Whatever you say, Sweet Cheeks~", he chuckles and starts heading for his place.

Tao flicked the side of Sehun's head,"Don't make me take those ing fingers...."

"Yeah yeah... I know, I'll be more machine than man at this rate blah blah....", Sehun rolled his eyes. Tao aggressively kneed Sehun's side the best he could, but it wasn't very effective given their position. Sehun moved his hands to hold onto Tao's thighs instead,"I dunno, I think being a cyborg would be kinda cool, but I do need my body still. I still have to persuade you into my bed one day, and I'll need human parts for that~ Maybe after that I'll go terminator style and take over Seoul or something"

"Idiot...", Tao huffed and closed his eyes.