NOTICE! WARNING! THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS GRAPHIC SCENES. READ WITH CAUTION.

MISSION III

The headquarters were divided into 11 separate parts. Each member had his own building then each pair had their own space and lastly there was a common room for the rare occasions they were supposed to meet all together.

One of the members had a particularly big building assigned to him. The reason for that was, that the basement was a morgue and the first floor was a set of labs with an emergency room. This member didn't kill often. His role was different.

He was the number 5. Code name: SY. Identity: Lee Sungyeol. Age: 24.

Member of Infinite. Speciality: Doctor. Torture.

He was in charge of the members' health. In case they were hurt or sick, he took care of them. However... they didn't get sick. Period. And over the years he could count the number of times any of them was hurt on one hand. Afterall... who could have hurt them? They were above humans. The few times it happened, the injuries were caused by an accident. Fortunately, it wasn't anything serious. Yet, his position was not insignificant. 

Doctors are not only for curing the sick and injured, in the first place they are scientists. And so was the number 5. He invented many of the drugs commonly used by the action members as well as other chemically based weapons. Also, the missions were not always about elimination. Sometimes, they were required to investigate certain cases and sometimes that included an autopsy of the corpse. 

Sungyeol was primarily occupied by his research following by the investigations processes. Body checks, fingerprints, blood tests... He carried out all of the scientific procedures. However... here and there he had another type of mission assigned. Maybe they feared he would turn soft if he only kept playing with his microscope... and maybe they didn't have a reason at all... but the true speciality of the number five was the core of investigation.

Torture. 

Today was the day of such mission. There was a man in his late twenties bound to a chair in the room hidden far in the back of the basement. Sungyeol had limited information about him but that was not of any importance. The man himself didn't matter. Sungyeol was ordered to find out what the man knew and that precisely was what he had his focus on.

"Tell me what I want to hear and it won't hurt."

"Go to hell. You will kill me anyway."

"I didn't say I won't. I said it won't hurt."

"What?"

"You will die either way but it can be quick and easy or long and hard. The choice is yours."

"Screw you."

"Such foul language. Tsk Tsk Tsk."

The man only glared and Sungyeol leaned it.

"Hey, do you know how much is 1000 minus 7?"

The man blinked.

"1000 minus 7. Answer me. NOW."

Sungyeol punched the man.

"993."

"Good boy. Now 993 minus 7."

Another punch.

"986."

"Keep going. The numbers will keep you sane."

"979...972...965..."

Sungyeol pulled back. It was important to appear tough and rough in the beginning but the most intense pain is not caused by the simple punches or kicks. That only intimidates the targets. The real torture needs time and preciseness.

Needles. While acupuncture can help you, sticking the needles at the right places can also hurt. The best places are beneath nails or in the ciliary body of the eye. The man screamed.

"720...713...706..."

The next method of torture was burning. Sungyeol chose cigarettes. The man was a heavy smoker. To feel his pleasure burning his skin... After the burns, Sungyeol started craving. While he focused on the back with burns, for craving the ideal place was the chest. He carved the nice logo of their unit. 

"160...153...146..."

The man's voice was gone. He was only hoarsly rasping out the numbers. They were reaching the end. Sungyeol wondered what should he do next when the man stopped counting and looked at him. His eyes hollow and empty. Resignation clearly evident in them.

"What happened to this world? It used to be so beautiful.... but you know, even if the world is wrong... it doesn't give you the right to be evil."

Sungyeol didn't understand what the man was trying to say.

"When did you stopped being human?"

He asked and Sungyeol blinked.

"I was never human."

"Then what are you?"

"A monster."

"But can you die?"

"Yes."

"Then you are human. The true monsters are immortal."

What was happening? When did their roles turned?

"I am the one asking here."

The man smiled. Sungyeol stared. After everything... how could he... SMILE?

"But I won't answer. You see... us humans... we often have at least one thing that is more important to us than our lives and we would do anything to protect that. Do you have something like that?"

Sungyeol froze. The number six. L. 

"I will take your silence as a confirmation. So tell me? If you were in my place and answering the questions would mean the one you want to protect would be in danger, quite possibly killed, would you answer?"

Sungyeol looked to the ground. Would he? 

"Why do you think you are a monster?"

Sungyeol was at loss. Why indeed...

"You can die. You have someone to protect. That makes you human."

Sungyeol shook his head. No. The man was wrong. He took one of the knives and stabbed him, piercing his lungs. The man grabbed his hands and pulled him closer.

"And this is the most human thing you did today. Remember that."

With that the man died, leaving Sungyeol confused. And afraid.

Because he just failed his mission.

to be continued