They had to wait until the water had lowered a bit to step out. Their clothes had not even dried fully when they already slipped in the waist-high water again, Seonghwa leading the way to the exit. He had no qualms whatsoever to leave his fellow bandits to their own devices, not even sure himself whether some of them could actually swim.

Hongjoong was right behind him, cleaning White Rose in the stream surrounding them. He did not quite put her away after, rather keeping her now loaded barrel pointed at Seonghwa's broad back. If he got nobody else he would at least make sure to see to Seonghwa's imprisonment and the man seemed to know not to agitate him further. He was on the losing side.

Hongjoong saw Seonghwa rub unconsciously at his neck with those slender fingers of his where Hongjoong had left a dark bite out of pure spite. His chest swelled a bit at the thought that it hopefully hurt even when the other man did not seem to mind much. He had deserved it.

They walked in relative silence, Hongjoong sometimes slipping with a shout of surprise and Seonghwa catching him before he could disappear in the water with wide eyes. Apart from that they just searched quietly and it was only minutes before the actual western exit came into view that they found another man dressed in black hanging from some ledge.

Seonghwa took them down like a lost kitten and pulled them against his body in his ripped open shirt (also courtesy of Hongjoong).

"It's Mingi.", he mumbled softly, pushing some red locks out of the other man's pale forehead. Hongjoong crossed his arms and watched on as Seonghwa checked his pulse, inclincing his head as if to listen to it.

"I'll take him with us." With that he carefully maneuvered the tall man onto his shoulder, climbing through the exit.

The plains looked as boring ever, still and untouched while the inside of the mountain had been such a mess. There was a constant trickle of water now running down the cliff, wetting the stones they normally climbed on.

Hongjoong grimaced while Seonghwa just sighed.

"This will not be too hard. I know my way around."

Hongjoong trusted Seonghwa once again when he led them further around the mountain instead of down, quickly exchanging the dripping wet stones with dry ones again. Hongjoong admired his stamina for carrying Mingi around even though it made climbing remarkably harder for him.

After some long minutes of Mingi nearly slipping and falling to his death they reached the trail connected to the main entrance of the mine that was locked by a heavy red door that let nothing more than a thin trickle of bloodish-red water trickle through the crack at the bottom.

Seonghwa sighed once again.

"You did well. Everybody was probably pushed down here and smashed to death by the water and everything inside of it. Rest in peace, friends." He sounded bitter, turning without another word and stepping down the shadowy trail. Hongjoong glanced at the sturdy door one last time before he hurried to catch up with the other man, looking at him unwillingly.

"Are they friends? Do they deserve respect for their killings, rape and robbery?"

"There were women and children in there too. Women from the town who grew to love a bandit just like Wooyoung or Yunho did. Are they worth less for their love?"

"Why steal? Why not live in the town in peace?" Hongjoong was desperate, wanted to know the real cause behind everything even when he knew there would be no good answer.

"Kill or get killed. Exactly what you just did. Congrats on living." Seonghwa gave him a wry smile before he quietly went his way, Mingi's body like dead weight over his shoulder.

Hongjoong just shrugged it off and followed them to the horses. Jaebeom's and Venus' were still here too and they all were nervously testing the air for any danger. Hongjoong helped Seonghwa put Mingi on Jongho's horse before the other bandit slipped behind his friend, holding his limb body close. Hongjoong himself mounted Wave and left the other two horses. They would return by nightfall if nobody came to get them.

Their ride back through the plains was overshadowed by loss and mourning. Killing was never a good thing to do, no matter who it was. Hongjoong prayed that his friends managed to get out.

When they arrived by the next day the townsfolk had already started rebuilding Hehetmon while Yeosang was ordering them around with his arm in a sling. His face still looked horrible, the whole right half burned badly and Hongjoong just nodded at him while he rode through with Seonghwa and Mingi.

People stared but they kept absolutely silent, not commenting the depressing procession even when they slid from their horses and disappeared inside of Hongjoong's office. Mingi had awaken by now and had confusedly told them about trying to save Youjin but only succeeding in accidently ripping the other man in two when his arm stopped supporting his weight. He was still in shock, his eyes empty and he said nothing when he was put into the cell next to Seonghwa's.

Hongjoong had barely finished locking the door behind the leader when he had already turned around, wrapping his cuffed hands around the heavy bars of the cell.

"Will you hand us over?"

Hongjoong ignored his closeness in favor of stepping over to the wanted posters on the wall, ripping one down to put it down on his desk.

"I will. I will make a call right now and have you collected by tomorrow. Yunho will probably want to see Mingi first. I will get you San too if he is awake already. Yunho and Wooyoung might get a trial but they have a good chance of getting freed with some jail time.", Hongjoong explained quietly, not watching the way black hair fell into Seonghwa's forehead when he nodded slowly.

Hongjoong left it at that, stepping out and locking the door behind him. Wooyoung had keys to his office but not to the cells so him going in would be in vain.

With his hands in his pockets and his hat pulled down low over his eyes Hongjoong stepped to their phone mast, dialing in the city hall's number in the closest bigger city. While waiting for the signal he noticed his hair had grown quite long in the back, tickling his shoulders already. He would cut it as soon as he was home. He deserved a time-out after this and depending on Yongguk's plans he might not be needed again here anyway.

"Hello, this is Lee. What can I halp you with?"

"Oh, hi. This is Kim Hongjoong from Fort Davis. I caught some criminals waiting to be executed. When can you get them?" Hongjoong painted some circles in the dirt with his shoes, keeping his head lowered.

"Fort Davis? Give me a second... Ah, I see the trains have not gone there for quite some time now. Is there a problem with receiving them? We cannot send a train when there is nobody to operate them there."

What a sly bastard.

Hongjoong had to laugh exhaustedly, looking out over the sunset behind the mountains in astonishment. He had really pulled all the strings.

"Yeah, that's right, I see. What to do with them then? I could take them by horse but it might be risky."

"Is Bang Yongguk still there?"

"Yeah, he wanted to leave in a few days though. Please send a new person over for the trains."

"You can get his permission to execute them yourself no problem. Shooting them is enough if you have no gallows available."

"M-Me? I'll shoot them?"

"You're the sheriff, no? If there is no other sheriff it's you, obviously. The book says put them in front of a wall with obscured eyes and shoot them then. But honestly dude, if they did much damage I'd understand if you'd want to let them see it coming. I'll keep a secret."

Hongjoong had to shoot them himself. He might be the one needing a blindfold.

"Got it, thanks. I'll keep the records and bring them to the office later."

"Alright, have fun."

Hongjoong slammed down the phone with more force than necessary, throughoutly disgusted by the man. Killing never was fun. That man was sitting in some nice office and had never seen a dead body in his life who was he to talk like that?

Hongjoong went to Yunho's first. He was in luck as Wooyoung was thankfully passed out right now so he made quick work in getting Yunho to follow him with San over his shoulder. Before he left, he unhooked the keys to the office from Wooyoung's belt, needed to be extra careful right now.

"So... How did it turn out?"

"You, my big friend will accompany me to the city in a few days together with Wooyoung. But first I want you to meet somebody." Hongjoong felt numb, just opening the door to the hall slowly and stepping in before locking it again when Yunho had joined him.

He silently took San to Seonghwa's cell and then left Yunho and Mingi alone, instead sitting down at his desk to stressedly rub his eyes. Time for some paperwork.

Hongjoong listened to their conversation with one ear while concentrating on the forms, ignoring Seonghwa's heavy eyes on him completely.

"You- You returned."

"I... Seonghwa took me. I did not plan to."

"Why did you... I knew you were out there so- Why didn't you-" Yunho was all chocked up by tears already and Hongjoong felt a migraine coming but he was glad they were not yelling at each other at least.

"Yunho, I'm sorry, I-" And Yunho kissed him. He kissed him while heartwrenching sobs interrupted them. He kissed him with the desperation of somebody who had not seen his lover in three years and never stopped loving them.

Hongjoong was so tired of all this and his leg hurt.

"Boys, there's... There's a room with a bed over there. I'll let you in there but I'll shoot without asking if I hear the window move." He rose to his feet with a groan, getting them out of there to the room Wooyoung had actually finally finished setting up. The window was old and squeaky without any hopes of opening silently so he was not that worried. He pulled the door shut behind them even if he would have to hear to their sobs for a while now.

With a sigh he sat down again, rubbing his temples.

Seonghwa was still watching him silently.

"What is it? Do you need food? Something to play with? Please just let me do my work already."

"What is agitating you so much? Shouldn't you be happy to have caught or killed us?" His voice was gentle and oddly soothing. He was contradicting with his own personality so much and Hongjoong hated knowing how closely he had been watched.

"I'm tired. Leave me be. You got your fill."

"Is it the trains? You can't send us out, right?"

Hongjoong lifted his bloodshot eyes to him, scrutinizing this handsome bastard he had caught. He still looked beautiful even after everything he had went through these past few days and Hongjoong was annoyed by that.

"Right. I'll play nice though. You'll get a blindfold. I owe you that much."

"I don't want one."

Hongjoong knew where this was going. Seonghwa wanted to stare at him even when he shot him, wanted to make him hesitate and feel remorse. He wanted to play with his power over him until the last minute.

"Not a chance. If Jaebeom comes back we can also make him do it. He has ten years of experience and Yongguk just needs to approve." He rose again with a sigh when the room started to go dark, lightening a lantern and putting in next to the entrance so he could still watch Seonghwa attentively.

The dark eyes of the man seemed like the most deep pools to lose oneself in and Hongjoong felt it pull on his nerves. He was terribly tired but he would get no shut eye this night.

San was still sleeping peacefully on the bench behind Seonghwa, looking oddly nice and young in his sleep.

"How old is he?", Hongjoong whispered faintly, hearing the low rumble of Mingi's voice as he tried to calm Yunho down. It sucked. Knowing their lover had to die sucked. No matter who they were. Hongjoong understood.

"Younger than you. Mingi too."

"How old are you?"

"Old enough to look the man who will kill me in the eye."

It was settled after that.