Nerves didn’t let him sleep very well.  Minsoo was edgy and still tired when he woke up again after their group dinner.  It was still festive, like lunch had been, but there was a somber feel to the whole thing.  The food was good but it felt heavy in his stomach.  Standing at the doorway of his house, with Byunghyun and Jonghyun at his tense back, he could picture the way they’d all looked.

                Daniel and Jonghyun had been inseparable, stuck together as if glued in place.  But they were happy, or very good at pretending to be.  Smiles all around and forced laughter, despite the looming presence of the oncoming day.  Byunghyun was snarky as usual, with Chanhee quiet at his side.  They were close too, but not quite like his brother and Daniel.  Chanhee hovered, sticking near Byunghyun as the safety net he needed.  He kept pushing extra bits of food to him too.  It was cute in its own way.

                And then there was Changhyun: the newbie.  Seated between Daniel and Chanhee, he tried to be as bright as possible.           It was the food he’d brought that allowed them a better Day of Thanks than they’d had in years, but nothing could banish the why behind it.  Still, he’d tried.  Seeing the others smile like they had, especially his brother, was worth the hell they were going to be facing today.

                Taking a deep breath and exhaling slowly, Minsoo ran a hand over his hair and looked back, catching five pairs of eyes staring at him expectantly.  Honestly, he had no idea what to tell them.  “We ready?” he murmured, gaze flickering between Byunghyun and Jonghyun.

                “No,” the shorter man snorted with his hands stuffed in his pockets, looking nervous and unsure.  “But I’m still going with you,” he added with a muted shrug of his shoulders.

                Jonghyun gave his friend a wry, sidelong look and then nodded at his brother.  “Ready as I’m gonna be.”

                “You’ll be careful, right?” Daniel whispered in a trembling voice, both his hands holding onto Chanhee and Changhyun’s at his side.  He dwarfed them in height, but the comparison also made him seem so very skinny.  It reminded them all what they were stepping out there for.

                “I promise,” Jonghyun nodded, turning around to fix his boyfriend with an intense look.  Tears appeared on Daniel’s lashes but none fell as he his full lips and nodded quickly.

                “We’ll look after him,” Byunghyun assured them with a glance over his shoulder, trying to hide his nerves with bravado.  He caught Minsoo smirking at him and glared back, wrinkling his nose.

                Minsoo cleared his throat and glanced back at the door, pushing down the roiling sensation in his stomach with effort.  “We should go.  It’ll take time to check in and we need to get in position,” he reminded them all, reaching out to brush his fingertips against his brother’s shoulder.  Jonghyun flinched slightly at the contact, but held Daniel’s gaze for a couple seconds longer.  Minsoo almost felt like he was invading an intimate moment and he shifted in place uncomfortably.  “Come on,” he tried again, opening the door and ducking out into the cold, dark night.

                He felt more than heard Byunghyun follow suit, with Jonghyun coming after.  The door closed softly behind them and he didn’t look back, letting his gaze swing from side to side with his hands loose, at the ready.  They wouldn’t be ‘safe’ until they reached the brightly lit registration tent near the entrance to their district.  It glowed in the night sky, a erse beacon that drew the proverbial moths to the flame.  Whether they would burn in the light remained to be seen…

                “Okay.  So we check in, get past clearance, and then get as close to this place,” Byunghyun spoke softly as he jabbed his finger at the hand drawn map he’d pulled out, “as we can.”  His breath plumed out visibly in front of him and Minsoo was grateful for the worn but thick coats covering them all just then.

                “Why not here?” Jonghyun asked, drifting closer to point at another location on the map.

                Byunghyun opened his mouth to speak but Minsoo beat him to it, “Because it’s where most of the people looking to get the Elyixur will be lining up.”

                “You don’t know that,” Jonghyun grumbled with a scowl, crossing his arms over his chest.  He was probably annoyed but it was just as likely his hands were cold.

                “Yes I do,” Minsoo shot back evenly, slowing down to look back at his brother.  “I know you don’t like listening to me, but I’ve done this before, Jong.  That spot will be a bloodbath and I won’t have us anywhere near it when it goes down.”

                For a moment, it looked as if Jonghyun was going to argue, the familiar pressing of his lips warning enough, but then he took a soft breath.  “So how is coming in further away going to help us?”

                Minsoo didn’t answer for a moment, leading them on at a faster pace as he looked around.  Prying ears were everywhere and just because he didn’t see anybody yet didn’t mean they weren’t there.  Shadows flickered unnaturally at various angles and he knew others were making their way to the check in tent as well.  “Because there will only be a few people to worry about getting around or taking care of,” he whispered softly, his hand moving to feel the various tools and weapons hidden under his jacket.

                Firearms weren’t allowed at all but everything else was kosher, so long as they didn’t try to bring a bag or anything.  Game rules and all that bull.  He didn’t hear the helicopters yet but they’d start patrolling when the event began.  The mere thought made his back itch as if there was a target painted on it and he had to fight the urge to look up just in case.

                “Yeah.  And my dad figures this is a good spot to scale the tower so coming in on this side will help us get there quicker,” Byunghyun added, tracing his finger around the map to illustrate his point.  In the dim light, it was hard to see, but they’d all memorized it enough in the house to imagine.

                “Quiet,” Minsoo urged with a finger to his lips, the bare tip stark against the partial coverage provided by his gloves.  They stalled when he thought he heard someone else nearby.  “Put the map away,” he urged at Byunghyun with a hushed tone, pushing them back gradually to hide further in the shadows of the building.

                “Soo,” Jonghyun whispered, fingers grabbing Minsoo’s sleeve before sliding off, leaving him free to move.

                The trio noticed another figure come into view from a side alley, hopping out and peering around nervously.  He was dressed much like they were, in ragged patches of clothing, layered to protect him from the chill.  A smudged face appeared in the brief glimpse of light and he ducked out of it immediately, obviously trying to stay hidden.  For a second, he paused as if unsure where to go, eyes glossing over the shadows Minsoo and the others were hiding.  Then he exhaled, breath frosting out and dissipating in the wind, before shuffling forward.

                Minsoo tensed up as he got closer, shifting his weight to the balls of his feet.  He practically held his breath and stared, unblinking, as the stranger got closer.  When the other man drew abreast of them, Minsoo pounced.  He was quiet, appearing as a shadow from the shadows, and caught the stranger by surprise.  His target let out one surprised cry before it was cut off by a jumping jab to his jaw.

                “Minsoo!” his friends hissed in surprise.  He ignored them.

                The stranger stumbled to the side, crashing into the wall with ill grace.  Minsoo followed intently, grabbing him by the shoulder and pulling him away from it so he could loop his arm around the man’s throat.

                “Soo!” Byunghyun and Jonghyun called out, a little louder this time as they emerged from the shadows too.

                Minsoo shot them a cold glare to stay their approach and clenched his jaw against the sound of the stranger choking.  Claw-like fingers scratched at his arm but the coat protected him; he tried to pull away but Minsoo stood firm, his stance prepared.  Only when the stranger went limp in his hold did Minsoo exhale and let him go, switching his grip so that he could drag the man past his friends and deposit him in the alleyway.

                “What are you doing?!” Byunghyun hissed, still trying to keep his voice low despite being surprised by the whole encounter.

                “Taking care of the competition,” Minsoo explained as he pulled obscuring trash over the stranger to better hide the body.

                “But we haven’t even started yet!” Jonghyun joined in, grabbing his brother’s shoulder roughly.

                Minsoo stood up straight and brushed it off coldly.  “We started the minute we left the house, Jong.”  His hard gaze fell on Byunghyun who looked down uncertainly before he swung back to focus on his brother.

                “But… what if the grabbers get him?” Jonghyun pointed, obviously conflicted.

                “Then they get him, but he’s safer out here than he will be in there.  And it’s one less person trying to kill you when you get into that ring,” Minsoo stated simply, his face devoid of emotion.

                “Soo’s right,” Byunghyun sighed, still looking down with a distasteful twist to his mouth.  “My dad told me about it enough to know that much.”  He shifted uncomfortably in place, scuffing his toe against the ground as he pointedly ignored the body hidden in the alleyway.

                “It’s my job to keep you safe,” Minsoo murmured, his expressionless visage fracturing as he stepped close to Jonghyun and grabbed his shoulders in both hands.

                “I can take care of myself,” Jonghyun shrugged while he looked down and to the side.

                “And it’s my job to worry anyway.  No one is our friend today,” Minsoo went on.  “Just remember that.”

                “I know,” Jonghyun grumbled, pulling free as he rubbed the back of his neck.

                Minsoo let him.  He tried hard to not allow his brother to see this side of him, but he would need it today.  They all would.  “Let’s move.  We’ve got a magic potion to win, don’t we?” he prodded with a touch of humor, knowing it would get a reaction.

                “Yeah,” Jonghyun agreed, carefully looking up to meet his brother’s dark eyes.  “We do.”

                Byunghyun took a loud breath and visibly tried to pump himself up, shaking his fists in front of him once.  “We got this!”

                “Shh,” Minsoo cautioned with his finger to his lips again, though a half-smile pulled at his mouth anyway.

                “Right,” Byunghyun coughed, chagrined, but he was smiling too.

                “Come on,” Minsoo urged, patting Jonghyun on the shoulder with an encouraging nod, back to his ‘usual’ self again.  Once more, he felt rather than heard them fall into step behind him.  With the tentative plan clear and their path set, they didn’t need to talk and he didn’t want them to.  He needed to be able to hear and get them out of the way of other people.

                Along the way, they saw some lights on behind closed curtains or through slatted windows, and the clock tower in the middle of the city showed it was nearing three in the morning.  More shadows flickered in the dark and Minsoo was careful to keep them out of sight, ducking out of the way and taking alternate routes just in case.  One person was lucky.  Two or more were more trouble than they were worth.  And he was certain he saw at least one other body only partially hidden as they moved.  Something dark tainted their clothes though and he pointedly didn’t bring it the attention of his companions.  It was just as dangerous before the event started as it was during.

                After what felt like an eternity – it had the last time too – Minsoo finally led them to a large, well lit area where people were already milling about.  The light hit them hard and he had to hold up his hand to let his eyes adjust before he moved forward.  He almost smiled when he felt Jonghyun and Byunghyun move closer to him reactively.  “Get your hands out of your pockets,” he urged when he left his where the obviously armed guards could see them.

                There was a small army of them on foot: all wearing heavy armor with thick helmets and assault rifles in their hands.  Visors covered their eyes and Minsoo could only figure they helped them see in the dark despite the bright lights around them.  That or it was meant to be intimidating.  It worked either way…

                They weren’t approached outright but he could feel eyes on them constantly.  It didn’t help the cameras were already rolling.  News crews were stationed nearby with their vans and the reporters rolling as the contestants came in.  Somewhere above, Minsoo knew there was a blimp that would be showing the event on a screen for everyone to see if they didn’t have a TV at home.  Thanks government.

                “This way,” he urged calmly, glancing over both shoulders to make sure his companions were still right with him.  They were, crowding close and almost touching him.

                As if he knew what he was doing, Minsoo led them through the throng of people, bypassing other contestants and guards and reporters and ignoring every one of them.  He headed for the large tent where a steady flow of people went in, though they exited from another opening.

                “Where are we going?” Jonghyun whispered in his ear, the tension in his voice obvious.

                “Check in and pat down,” Minsoo answered without looking back.  “Gotta make sure no unregistereds try to get in.  And no guns,” he added softly, his eyes trailing to the rifles nearby.  He felt their mute acceptance and continued forward, putting on a brave front.  He’d been through it twice before but it didn’t get any easier.

                “Wrist band,” the guard at the entryway barked at him, holding his arm out so that Minsoo couldn’t go through before he showed that piece of proof.  Mutely, Minsoo pulled his sleeve back and raised his fist up so the guard could see.  He was tempted to flip him off but knew that wouldn’t do him any good.  “You’re good,” the guard waved when he scanned the code on it with a portable scanner.

                Minsoo walked through and heard Byunghun and Jonghyun being checked in turn.  He fell into line behind the next stranger who wanted to compete and smirked when they all ignored each other.  It was better if you didn’t know who you might have to kill.  The line moved quickly enough and people were motioned off to one of three different check-ins.  Just before it was his turn, Minsoo turned to look at the other two and nodded reassurance.  “Just stay calm and I’ll see you on the other side,” he explained.

                “Okay,” Jonghyun nodded tensely, nerves making themselves apparent.

                “Sure thing,” Byunghyun laughed, the sound stiff and forced.

                Minsoo had to stifle a smile before he was ushered off to the right.  A pair of guards watched over the room he stepped into and he looked at them both before he stepped into the middle of the small enclosure.  A metal table was set up on the side and a pair of female attendants in some sort of sterile, medical attire peered at him critically behind two pairs of clear framed glasses.  Their dark hair was pulled into a neat bun at the back of their heads and neither wore any makeup, making them seem even more sterile as people.  He hated this part.

                “Strip,” the one on the right instructed with a gesture towards the table.

                With a perturbed curl of his lips, Minsoo mutely did as he was told, shucking his outer layers to reveal the thinner clothes beneath.  And the weapons and tools he’d hidden: mostly a variety of knives, bolt and wire cutters, a foldable grappling hook, and the like.  He could feel the guards staring at him from behind and he kept his back stiff, pointedly not looking in their direction.  Instead, he focused on the woman who went through his pockets with gloved hands, methodically checking to make sure nothing banned was hidden in it either, noting the other one was moving towards him.

                “And the rest,” she added without looking at him when Minsoo had yet to shed any more layers.  It was his way of rebelling despite knowing what to do anyway.  And he only moved when told.

                Muttering under his breath the whole while, Minsoo stripped down to his underwear, revealing a toned, scarred body.  Random bruises colored his pale flesh and the occasional, raised welt rose over prominent bones or developed muscles.  Goose bumps appeared on his skin in the cold air and he grit his teeth together while she continued to rifle through his stuff, checking inside his shoes and making sure nothing illicit was hidden in the fabric of his clothes.

                The second attendant walked a circle around him, scanning every inch of his person with her eyes.  Her fingertips traced his skin where scars rose up, confirming they were natural and that he hadn’t managed to hide something in his body.  She paused behind him, carding her fingers through his hair to confirm it was clear.  Minsoo winced when she was none too gentle and clenched his fists until she was finished.

                “Clear,” she announced, wandering over to the other attendant who pushed his clothes towards him like they were infected with something.

                Without saying a word, Minsoo retrieved his belongings, put everything back on in a hurry, and escaped as quickly as possible.  He still didn’t know why they were as meticulous as they were since they encouraged as much death and mayhem as possible during the event.  He figured it was more a mind game to with their heads, to try and take away their pride even more than they already had.  And he hated it.  Granted, there had been that one idiot who implanted a bomb inside of himself.

                Minsoo shook his head when he stepped through the x-ray portal.  He hadn’t gotten past those and when they took him in for questioning, he said he was trying to destroy the tower so no one else could be hurt by the puppeteers who pulled the strings.  Interesting thought but it wouldn’t change anything.

                Minsoo wasn’t stopped when he exited the tent on the far side and he felt an undeniable sense of relief wash over him as he saw Jonghyun waiting for him.  He could tell his brother felt the same by the look on his face and the way he hurried over.

                “That was…” he started to trail off with a forced, nervous smile.

                “Bull.  I know,” Minsoo nodded, glancing around.  “Where’s Byunghyun?”

                Jonghyun shrugged with a look back at the tent.  “Still inside?”

                Even as he said that, they both noticed a very red and very annoyed Byunghyun making his way out now.  The short man turned to flip off the tent angrily, a scowl on his face, before he turned around and sent a scathing glare at Minsoo.  “What the hell was that bull?!” he growled, gesturing angrily at the tent behind them.

                “Standard procedure,” Minsoo remarked, trying hard not to laugh at his friend’s discomfit.

                “A little warning would have been nice,” he stated sharply, quirking his jaw to the side as the flush slowly started to fade.

                “Would it have helped?” Minsoo shrugged, failing in his battle with laughter as he chuckled anyway.

                “No!” Byunghyun scowled, crossing his arms over his chest, resembling a pouting child.

                “Big baby,” Minsoo snorted, slinging his arm over Byunghyun’s shoulder to drag him along while Jonghyun fell into step beside him.  He hovered close since the people were all pressing in now that they were waiting for clearance to head out.

                All kinds of people were gathered there, numbering in the hundreds easily.  Some looked poorer than dirt, some were sickly, some were most likely hired by the grabbers with muscle and health to their name, and others had apparently come from the middle class.  Those types were easy enough to see since they had nicer gear and better clothes; they looked healthier and there was a superior air about them.  They were also the ones that Minsoo knew they’d have to watch out for.  Plus any sleepers hidden in the ranks.

                His heart started to beat faster preemptively when he saw the gathering towers lighting up near the arena they were going to be traveling to shortly.  Blackest Friday didn’t start until first light officially, but they’d be split into groups based on which tower they wanted to start from.  Each tower signified a location closest to one of the prize points where people could fight for certain items.  The highest tiered prizes were never listed but everyone knew they were hidden in the central tower: including Elyixur.  It helped thin out the ranks and make sure that not everyone went for the same thing.  Some people really did have simpler tastes.

                The outer towers were the ones Minsoo had hit before.  He’d been successful the second time, after his first learning experience.  It had net him a voucher for a big screen TV, which he’d sold to someone in the middle class through a fence.  The profits had been enough to take care of him and his brother – and Daniel – for months.  This time, things were different.  He wasn’t just here for a voucher.  They needed medicine and the people they were going to be up against weren’t just common thugs or desperate fools.

                His hands clenched automatically at the thought, belly tightening in response too when the crowds shifted as one.  Almost like a bell had been rung, the people began moving.  Morbidly, Minsoo thought they resembled cows being led down the chutes to slaughter.  He didn’t know whether it was supposed to be funny or just depressing and he kept the thought to himself.  Both Byunghyun and Jonghyun were more nervous than they were letting on and he didn’t need to add to it.

                “Just stick with me,” he told them both, smacking the pair with the back of his hand in a friendly gesture.  “We’ll get through this.”

                Jonghyun just nodded, mustering a half-smile for his brother, but Byunghyun couldn’t hold his tongue.  “Of course.  As if there’s any doubt.  I mean, we just gotta kick everyone’s ,” he laughed, the sound dying off when a couple people nearby heard him and looked over.

                Minsoo stared back at them until they noticed his scrutiny and looked away.  There would be plenty of time during the event to crack skulls if they needed someone to beat up on.  In small groups, people began peeling off towards the respective towers they wanted to hit.  Since their goal was the Elyixur, they simply opted to head around the furthest side to where the least amount of people would be: presumably.

                At last, everyone was in place.  The fenced in area rose before them.  Barbed wire lined the top where poles curved back, keeping even the most determined from trying.  Wheeled gates were still locked but the lightening of the sky on the horizon told them they wouldn’t be for long.  The chill in the morning was finally starting to ease up just a touch and their playground beckoned before them.

                The arena was a huge enclosure rather like the rest of the city, complete with crumbling buildings and empty homes, set with eight ‘towers’: seven on the outskirts where the lesser prizes were and one central tower in the middle.  Each tower was comprised of several stories, most of which were littered with traps, dead-ends, and all manner of pitfalls designed to catch, kill, or maim the unwary.  Minsoo wasn’t sure if the entire complex had video running through it but most floors had a camera of some kind catching all the horrors that happened during the event.

                He grabbed Jonghyun and Byunghyun’s hands as the sound of incoming helicopters alerted them above.  Bearing the logos of the biggest Blackest Friday sponsors, the flying machines held sharp shooters inside, all of whom were ready to take out anyone trying to cheat the system or those who had somehow managed to get a gun on the premise.  They were a fell reminder that death was never far, even if they were by themselves.

                And above them, the blimp with the big screen TV came to life, flickering into vivid motion.  A myriad of split screens appeared, showing several vantages at once.  The people were too small to recognize and from that distance, everyone was faceless.  They wouldn’t start zooming in until it began.  Bloodthirsty bastards.

                “For Daniel,” Jonghyun murmured nearby, his hand tightening on Minsoo’s.

                Tension rose as the sky continued to lighten and Minsoo pulled them over to the side just a bit.  He noticed a handful of other people doing the same thing and he tried to keep them clear.  “What are we doing?” Byunghyun asked in confusion.

                “Getting ready,” he answered, swallowing tightly.  He noticed hands inching towards other hidden weapons in the crowd and he his lips.  Any minute now…

                A low, deep horn sounded in the air above them, vibrating through the sound system so that they felt it in their bones.  Before the echo died out, the locked gates opened and the barriers quietly rolled out of the way.  A chorus of cries rose up as the mob surged forward, but Minsoo held them back, his eyes scanning for the handful of others who remained.

                They looked at each other, sizing the remnants up, but none moved to act: yet.  Instead, their attention shifted to the rushing mob at the front, staring as the dying started.

                “Oh my god,” Jonghyun breathed in open mouthed horror.  Watching it on the big screen and seeing it in person were two entirely different things.

                “There is no god in there,” Minsoo muttered in response as he saw men, and women, stumble, fall, get trampled, and otherwise litter the streets with their bodies and their blood.  The first wave was always the worst.

                He saw when the other stragglers started moving and gave a firm tug on Jonghyun and Byunghyun’s hands.  “Let’s go.”