Hi! I am back with a one-shot. It's basically setting up another story that I have been wanting to write, but of course haven't had the time to. A while back armycarat2020 asked for me to write a SVT and BTS centric fic. While I do want to make this into a full story and it does include some of the things requested of me, I still want to come up with a completely original idea, but it's taking me a while and I feel bad. So until then, I hope that this satisfies the request temporarily. This is set in the same universe as my story Collision Course. You don't need to read that first to understand this one-shot. Please enjoy!

"You asked for me, sir," A young man states with his head tilted to the ground in respect. His midnight black hair droops over his forehead like a willow tree, covering up a neatly shaved undercut. He wears form-fitting black clothes that highlight the sharp curves of muscle in the man's arms and thighs. Thick leather straps wrap around his upper chest and hips, concealing sharpened weapons. "Oh, will you stop that, Jihoon-ah! How many times do I need to remind you? You don't need to act so stiff and call me sir. It's Uncle or Juseok to you. You're like a son to me after all," A man in a black suit states from where he sits behind a mahogany wood desk. He flashes Jihoon a steady grin which highlights the deep lines on his face before running a calloused hand through his silver streaked hair. He pushes himself up from his leather seat and calmly walks around to the front of his desk. He leans partially against it before crossing his arms over his chest and letting out a breath. "Are you familiar with Moonlight, Jihoon-ah?" Juseok questions.

Jihoon nods his head without a second of hesitation. The story of Moonlight is one that anyone part of the criminal underworld is well aware of. They are a newly formed gang, but that doesn't mean that they are to be looked down upon. After all, the members of Moonlight were once a part of the top two ranking gangs.

Wildflower and Regulus.

Powerful as separate entities and even stronger united as one.

When they had become allies, only two years ago now, it had sent the underworld into a frenzy.

People had always feared Wildflower and Regulus, but that emotion drove them to avoid the gangs and not much else. The same could not be said when the news of their alliance broke out. That fear bottled within them quickly turned into desperation.

They lashed out, worried and threatened about the power that was looming above them. They did everything they could with no success.

Except for Charybdis, the only ones who were able to push Wildflower and Regulus to its breaking point. And even then, they too failed to take down either gang. They had planned ahead though and hired an assassin group to take out the current heads if they were unable to.

They had hoped that this would lead the gangs to crumple. They had no idea that the successors of Wildflower and Regulus would further their alliance by becoming one. In doing so, they protected both gangs from falling apart. They ensured that they would stay in power.

Since that day, the Moonlight gang was born.

"The top of the gangster underworld..." Juseok muses, "They've been active for less than a year and they have already claimed that title for themselves. Frightening...isn't it?" Jihoon's expression remains numbingly neutral. If he is scared, he doesn't show it in the slightest. "Are you not afraid, Jihoon?" Juseok questions simply, also taking notice at the lack of reaction from the young man in front of him, "It was us who dealt with the former leaders of Wildflower and Regulus after all..."

"Assassins of Spectre do not know fear," Jihoon states without missing a beat, "As they are the ones who command it." Juseok's eyebrow raises in surprise at Jihoon's answer. Once more, the young man doesn't appear phased at all as Juseok's lips press into a firm line and his eyes narrow slightly. The room falls silent for a moment, adding to the tension that is already building in the room. Juseok takes a step closer to Jihoon. Another. And then one more, so that he stands right in front of the young man. He raises his arm up and swings it down, clapping Jihoon's shoulder and squeezing it tightly. "This is why I knew you were the perfect one for this job!" Juseok exclaims. A wide smile blooms on his face. An expression that Jihoon doesn't return, maintaining his neutral disposition. "Lee Jihoon...my most talented and dedicated child," Juseok hums, "You would do anything for Spectre...wouldn't you?"

"Of course, sir," Jihoon states before quickly correcting himself when he notices his boss's lips twitch slightly, "Juseok-ssi..."

"Good," Juseok nods, "Cause this is an important assignment, Jihoon. It may be the most crucial one of your entire career. Spectre's future is on the line..."

"What do I need to do?" Jihoon asks.

"Moonlight's leaders," Juseok explains, "They...somehow...have caught wind that an assassin group is behind the death of their teachers. They, as expected, want revenge." He pauses for a moment, removing his hand from Jihoon's shoulders and walking over to a bookshelf pressed against the wall. He calmly adjusts a picture frame that depicts himself and a young boy standing in front of a brick building. "And as confident as I am in our skills, I am not stupidly so...I know the dangers that Moonlight poses. They can very well find us and have the abilities to destroy what I...we have worked so hard to build," Juseok says, "I cannot let that happen...I refuse to."

"Do you want me to take out Moonlight's leaders, sir?" Jihoon questions.

"No, Jihoon, that is not your mission," Juseok turns to look at the assassin, "Going after them now would be stupid. What I want you to do is watch them."

"Watch them?" Jihoon echoes.

"Yes," Juseok states.

"As in...reconnaissance...undercover work..." Jihoon murmurs.

"Exactly," Juseok says as he slowly meanders back to his desk, "I know for a fact that you are more than capable of performing a covert operation," "You have done something similar on assignments in the past..."

"Yes, but that was just to get close to the target...and in the end my job was always the same...to take out the target," Jihoon frowns.

"Nothing has changed Jihoon. You will still be doing the same thing. The only real difference is that you will be gathering intel on your target rather than killing them," Juseok shrugs.

"Since when has Spectre been a spy association," Jihoon huffs.

"Come now, you know that Spectre is more than just contract killers," Juseok says, "We are ghosts that live beyond the veil, pulling people into the cold embrace of death...but we are also lost souls who wander this world...always watching...always listening...unseen except for a cloud of breath..." Jihoon presses his lips together into a firm line, trying not to visibly show his disgust at his boss's words. They're not his own. Everything he just said is what people say about Spectre. It's all nonsensical rumors and overly flowery language brought on by fear. While Jihoon finds it rather ridiculous, Juseok relishes in the horror-like tales spun about Spectre. He's proud of the image his creation has. Too proud. Not that Jihoon would ever voice these thoughts out loud. "Fine," Jihoon relents, "What will my cover be? It has to be something rock solid or else Moonlight will be onto me. The loyalty of the members is too strong to accept just anyone into their ranks..."

"Which is exactly why you won't be trying to join Moonlight," Juseok says simply, "You will be joining Paragon."

Jihoon blinks in surprise, "Why?"

"They have recently made a deal with Moonlight to help fund the construction of an underground gambling ring. They will be in constant contact with Moonlight's inner circle. This will get you close enough for you to feed us information and keep you at an arm's length from danger. Paragon also has an affinity for picking up strays. Their head is a rather soft-hearted fellow for a gangster...or so I've heard. You should have no issues joining their ranks," Juseok reasons simply as he plops into his chair, "As for your alias, I will leave that up to you. I'm sure you'll come up with something that'll work just perfectly."

"Yes, sir," Jihoon states, bowing his head.

-------

Jihoon peers from around the corner of a musty alley. The sky is a dark shade of purple and a flickering street lamp is already turned on to prepare for the pitch black night. A soft breeze rustles through Jihoon's drooping hair which is damp with sweat. Unlike before, Jihoon is garbed in an oversized white top that has streaks of brown dirt over it. It does little to cover thick lines that circle both of his wrists. His blue jeans have similar marks, as well as harsh rips that look far from being on purpose. They reveal a gaping hole in one of his thighs where blood streams from steadily. His lower lip is cracked and turning green, which pairs nicely with the dark red that paints his collar from a bullet wound on his shoulder. Jihoon slowly nods to himself when he hears the soft hum of a motorcycle approaching. He takes a step back, his bare feet protesting in pain as the hard concrete picks away at already open wounds. Jihoon pushes past all of it. His face remains completely neutral as if nothing is wrong at all.

If anyone were to see him, they would freak out. Jihoon is hoping that is the case. He had gone all out after all, asking his coworkers to shoot at him and slice him up. Hell, he even digested some drugs to help sell it, not that they have much of an effect on him. He needs to look like an innocent young man. Someone who just escaped from some very bad people and is in desperate need of some help. He needs them to believe him. It's only then can his real mission begin.

The sound of motorcycles blares loudly again. Closer this time. "Show time..." Jihoon murmurs to himself as he lets his eyes fall shut. He slowly breathes in once before exhaling in a shaky manner. His eyes peel open to reveal glassy, unfocused orbs. He sways a bit as he makes his way out of the alley, quickly breaking into a frenzied run. He whips his head back and forth in a desperate manner, his chest rising up and down rapidly. He can hear the motorcycles revving as he stumbles, a cry of pain escaping his lips. "Hyung! Watch out!" Someone yells as Jihoon drops in the middle of the street with a loud thud. "Shit!" Another voice curses as the sharp squeaking of brakes echoes through the air. Jihoon's entire body shivers and shakes as the motorcycle comes barreling towards him, but he doesn't move in the slightest. He doesn't flinch, knowing that he won't get hit.

And he doesn't. At the last moment, with the wheel mere inches away from his head, the motorcycle comes to a complete stop. He has good reaction time, Jihoon thinks to himself. This mission of his is starting to become interesting.

The driver breathes harshly as he reaches to remove his helmet. His companions are quick to come to a stop and hop of their own bikes. "Are you okay, Seungcheol hyung?" Another unfamiliar voice asks.

"Yeah," Seungcheol states, "I'm fine..." Jihoon can feel the man's eyes land on him and he forces a soft whimper to escape from his lips. He groggily moves in a frantic manner as if trying to get away from the strangers that approach him. His sudden movement only seems to irritate one of his many wounds though and he lets out a sharp howl that captures the groups' attention instantly. Jihoon rolls to his side, revealing his bullet wound and eliciting multiple gasps. Jihoon flinches at the sudden sound, scrambling up and this time succeeding. His eyes are wide as he stares at the strangers in front of him. "Hey, hey, it's okay," Seungcheol says in a soft tone as he kneels to be on the same level as Jihoon, "We didn't mean to scare you. We can be kind of loud sometimes..."

"Hey..." The same voice that had shouted earlier huffs.

"He's not wrong, Seungkwan-ah..." The voice that asked if Seungcheol was okay murmurs.

"That's not the point, Mingyu hyung," Seungkwan frowns.

"See what I mean?" Seungcheol says with a soft smile, "They bicker like crazy, but they're harmless. My name is Choi Seungcheol. Is it okay if I come closer to look at your injuries?" Jihoon hesitates for a moment before relaxing his limbs entirely. Seungcheol takes that as a sign of trust and moves closer to him. He quietly scans over Jihoon. His lips press into a firm line, clearly not liking what he sees. He shakes his head and lets out a breath before rising to his feet and gesturing to his companions. Seungkwan and Mingyu move closer, glancing at Jihoon for a second before meeting Seungcheol's eyes. "He isn't looking good," Seungcheol whispers, "He has open cuts on his feet that need to be treated so he doesn't get an infection. He's been shot twice and already lost a lot of blood. Not to mention, there's drugs running through his system. He needs medical help as soon as possible."

"Do you want to take him back to the base?" Mingyu asks.

"I think it'll be the best decision right now," Seungcheol nods.

"Whatever you say, boss," Seungkwan says. Seungcheol flashes the two a grateful expression before going to speak to Jihoon again. "Hi...me again...can you tell me your name?" Seungcheol asks.

"Ji-Jihoon," The man stutters.

"Jihoon," Seungcheol says, "Can I bring you back to my place? We can get you checked over by our medics, feed you, and give you someplace warm to sleep. You'll be safe there. I promise. I know that we just met and you have no reason to trust me, but I assure you that I just want to help..." Jihoon stares up at the man with a dazed expression. It's less so an act this time around as this warmth bubbles inside of his chest. It's a foreign feeling. The more he stares at Seungcheol, the more it seems to build. Something like this has never happened to Jihoon before. Maybe, the drugs are having more of an effect on his body than he thinks.

Jihoon quickly pushes the warm aside and focuses on the task at hand. "O-okay," He stutters. Seungcheol smiles at him softly, nodding his head. He shifts his position a bit before reaching out to Jihoon's arm. Before he touches him, Seungcheol flashes Jihoon a quizzical expression. The warmth returns for a moment before Jihoon shoves it even harder away as he nods. Seungcheol lifts Jihoon's arm and drapes it around his neck. He then curls his other arm around his waist and uses his strength to lift him from the ground.

Jihoon doesn't think anyone has ever shown him this much care in his entire life. It's puzzling to him. How can someone be so kind to a complete stranger? He can't help himself as his eyes flit to stare at Seungcheol as he carefully guides him to his feet.

Jihoon almost feels guilty at that moment. It's too bad that he has to blindside Choi Seungcheol. If things were different, maybe this situation wouldn't be so fake. Maybe Seungcheol could have been Jihoon's something more.

And that's it for now. It gives you a basic idea of what a spin off story would be about. I do want to develop this one into something longform, but we'll see if that actually happens. I feel like I have so many ideas and so little time to write them all. Anyway, I hope that you enjoyed this little drabble. Please let me know if you would like to see this as a full story or not in the comments below. While you're at it, please also vote for this story, follow me, add this story to your library, and check out my story Collision Course! Until next time!