Hongjoong needed a moment to think about the implications of Seonghwa not being hurt at all. It did not necessarily have to mean anything bad, it could be petty reasons as wanting to have a bit more free time from his job or maybe fear from getting attacked again by the bandits. It could mean literally anything but the way Yeosang was still looking at him patiently with those knowing eyes of his made Hongjoong hesitate to choose an easy solution. It was too strange for that, Seonghwa's act too well thought through.

"It's not just that, right?"

Yeosang just shrugged, nodding upstairs. Seonghwa was still there somewhere, by now most likely awake and waiting for Hongjoong to return to him. Not suspecting of his secret having been found out.

"It certainly means that some things might work differently than we thought. Yunho is his doctor. Is Yunho in? Is he not? What does this imply about Mary spending all of her time with him? She must have known. I don't want to accuse just anybody but I think this is a thing you could discuss with him. Of course you did not get that information from me."

"No... Of course I did not.", Hongjoong mumbled, feeling that ugly darkness of doubt spread in his heart. While he and Seonghwa might not have known each other for long Hongjoong always made sure for the man not having to doubt him. So how was it that now it was the other way around?

"I need to talk to him. If word gets out and this is another one of these misunderstandings I want to be ready. Oh, but also... it could be another trap to distract me."

"But that would mean he's a complice either way or no?" Yeosang thinned his lips, standing up again to look out over the room. His eyes caught on something and Hongjoong turned around in his chair, feeling another migraine coming already.

Outside there were people running and for a long second Hongjoong did not even question it, his mind filled with different thoughts but when a harsh bang sounded and one of the hectic people went down he flinched violently.

"They're here! Everybody barricade!", Yeosang shouted even faster than him, Hongjoong finally springing into action and down his chair. His hand flew to his hip first, cursing when White Rose was missing at his side.

Of course he had left his rifle at his office.

"Your shotgun, give it to me!", he yelled at Yeosang in a panic and promptly the heavy metal filled his arms, making him stumble back. The first people started streaming into the room, helping each other in and also finding their way through the secret back door. They were talking all over each other, their panic palpable in the air. Some childrem were crying.

"Kill some of these bastards and let's talk after." Yeosang looked much more savage than earlier, his body tensed and hard muscle showing on his bare arms when he started throwing tables and chairs over to create protective shields. His eyes were fierce and not to be questioned twice. Hongjoong listened to his growl, immediately stepping outside. To his right there were people running for their lives. To his left there was a group of people on dark horses slowly riding into the village, their guns cocked and aiming at whoever was moving.

Hongjoong crouched down low, bringing the rifle to his shoulder and marveling about the smoothness of its trigger only once when he pulled it. One bandit down, another one and two horses going wild before they spotted him.

Hongjoong rolled aside, narrowly dodging a bullet the bandit at the very front shot at him and diving down into the alley at the other side, leaving the inn alone so it could become everybody's safe heaven again. He started reloading the weapon quickly, his breathing flat while he tried to listen to any noises that came from the street.

There were two more shots, the confused neighing of the horses dying down and then silence. No more hooves on the ground going forward.

"Is this you, Sheriff Kim? Come on out and show us your pretty face, we missed it in between all of that dust."

The voice was teasing and dominant, the order and threat in it just as uncomfortable as the sugary-sweet allure. Hongjoong grimaced.

"Leave this place! You are not welcome here!", he shouted out, letting his rifle snap back into place with an audible click. Soft laughter sounded from the outside, some horses snorting impatiently.

"Don't be angry at us for taking so long to come visit you. We were all dying of curiosity. No eavesdropping, dear." Hongjoong violently flinched when another shot sounded, a woman screaming in the distance.

They had some talented shooters for sure and that might become a problem.

Hongjoong shifted, quickly trying to think of a plan. He could impossibly take down all of them but he also had to get them to leave.

"Won't you come out? We may leave if you are good."

Should he? He risked getting shot down by approximately sixteen bullets if he did and if not he risked them bringing death and despair over the town.

Hongjoong moved.

With silent steps he sneaked around the house and up the stairs to the second floor. From there on it was easy to climb up to the roof and lay down there, carefully pointing his rifle at them.

He shot down another one without a second of hesitation, seeing some unrest come up between them, nervous glances being exchanged. Some horses were trying to break out out of nature, skittish with every move.

The leader however, the one at the very tip of their little V-shaped group turned his head to stare right at Hongjoong, his dark eyes playful. Hongjoong believed to see him grin but it was impossible to tell from that distance.

"There you are."

Hongjoong shot again but the man was too quick, pulling his horse around so the bullet hit the man at his side instead of him. It took him a bare second to pull his own weapon and it would have taken Hongjoong two to duck.

His shoulder flared up in pain when the bullet hit him, lodging deep inside of his flesh and making pain akin to hot lava burn through his veins. His muscles locked up, the rifle dropping from his hands and to the roof he was laying on. He cursed loudly, writhing in pain.

"Get me that clown down here so I can see him for real.", their leader ordered and the sound of boots hitting the ground was heard. Hongjoong winced, trying to get his body to move and block the blood flow at the same time. His ears were tingling, for a second disorientating him and then there were already two hands grabbing him and hauling him up. Hongjoong cried out when his shoulder was roughy pushed against another person's, his sight nearly going black.

He could not move, he had to move!

Hongjoong weakly struggled to keep his eyes open, his whole being shouting at him to shut down and rest already but he could not, he had to stay awake. He vaguely noticed being carried away, trying to breathe through the pain.

The next time he blinked he was already down from the roof, getting dropped on the dusty ground. He blinked then, biting his teeth against the pain of the bandit behind him holding him down at his shoulders and seeing that leader bandit stand in front of him.

His hat had been blown off from the power of Hongjoong's shot and was laying in the dirt some meters away. He had not bothered to pick it up again and Hongjoong could now see his long hair pulled together in a ponytail.

He stepped closer to Hongjoong, crouching down in front of him and gently knocking the hand gripping Hongjoong's injured shoulder away, tsking at the man behing him. He studied the wound first, then giving some signal to one of his people. Only then he looked in Hongjoong's face, his dark eyes studying every detail.

"They sent a child this time around, huh? Damn government people. Are we really worth so little to them?"

Hongjoong was really fed up with this whole kid thing. He could not move his jaw to answer, suspecting a scream to rip out of his throat so he just gave that man a withering glare. He was also tsked at.

Some other woman stepped closer then and in her hands she was carrying two things.

One was some sharp kind of tongs, The other one a gleaming red branding iron. It was just a regular one used on horses or cows, the hoof shape looking quite menacing up close.

Hongjoong immediately moved away, trying to escape but he was grabbed again, his weak fists getting pulled behind his back. He sluggishly kicked and moved, not getting anywhere while the leader took the tongs with a nod.

"Stop moving already you are just making this harder. Honestly you should be thankful. How many of you enemies usually treat your injuries?" With that he grabbed Hongjoong's shoulder, jamming the tongs in the wound and grinning when a broken scream sounded through the village. Hongjoong's voice cracked, dying down somewhen and hot tears filled his eyes by now.

"Shh, keep calm. All of your people are watching you don't want to disappoint them now, do you?", the bandit sing-songed full of glee, ripping the bullet out roughly. Hongjoong felt his stomach churn at the feel of more blood bathing his form in red, dripping all over the place.

He was given no time to rest, the hot iron following right up without a break and pressing against his injured flesh.

Hongjoong passed out from the pain. He was not gone for long, only for the few seconds of it touching his flesh but when he came back he immediately vomited all over himself, weakly coughing and gagging.

The leader did not even grimace, just handing the iron back and nodding at the burnt flesh around Hongjoong's wound. It had stopped bleeding already.

"There, that's it. Guys, we'll go. See you soon, Sheriff. We still have a lot of games to play." With that he stood up, Hongjoong beind dropped completely and feeling himself get sick all over from the pain again.

He probably passed out again because when he blinked the next time the bandits were already out of the village, their forms flimmering on the horizon as they left. Hongjoong was too hot and too cold at the same time. He needed to rest but he also needed to follow them. Everything was blurry and he heard voices but he could not understand them.

Why was it so hot?

Hongjoong weakly rolled around, looking at the building next to him where the heat seemed to come from.

His eyes widened when he found the inn brightly aflame, its wooden planks being the perfect material for the hungry flames to feed on and screams being heard from inside and out. There were people moving inside, crashes being heard followed my cries of agony and the flames were unstoppable. There were people running, carrying water from the well to uselessly splash it against this hellfire. The air was heavy with the smell of burnt flesh and wood.

It looked horrible, like a nightmare come to life and Hongjoong was aware that he needed to help but he could also not move. He could only watch weakly as the house burned from all sides.

Next to him something moved.

Worriedly he dropped his gaze, finding one of the bandits he shot earlier coming to his feet with his hand pressed to his arm where the bullet had hit. He stumbled a bit, turning around barely when he noticed an uncontrolled whine coming from Hongjoong.

He was wearing no mask or hat anymore and Hongjoong immediately recognized the distinct white streak in his black hair.

"S-Sa-"

The man turned around fully, his face contorted in rage. He lifted his leg, bringing it down hard against Hongjoong's head and making him tumble in another darkness that made all pain disappear in its mercy. The last thing he saw was that black clad man disappearing in the burning inn before his head finally shut off, letting him have his rest.