Hongjoong awoke to a gloved hand closing around his neck.

He startled awake immediately, one hand flying up to keep the hand from pressing down harder, the other frantically flying over to his nightstand in desperate search for his gun.

It was gone.

Hongjoong kicked and fought frantically, trying to locate his attacker in the dark room but he could not see anything, his brain too panicked to think clearly where to hit.

Hongjoong had to yield completely when something heavy dropped down on his body, quickly wrestling with his fists. Hongjoong was rendered useless when whoever settled down easily above him, pressing his hands above his head with one hand of his own, while the other moved to press a metal barrel right against Hongjoong's groin, making him splutter.

"Stop moving, Sheriff, you don't want to stain the bed now do you?", a low voice whispered above him, making Hongjoong decide that this fast person had to be a man indeed.

He did indeed still down, feeling way too exposed but pushing aside the shyness in order to try and get an eyeful of whoever this was.

He thought he could make out an oddly shaped head, a person wearing a hat most likely. Weakly he pulled against the hand holding him, feeling the leather slide against his wrists smoothly as the other's grip just tightened a bit more.

"Who are you?", Hongjoong whispered with as much of a threat as he could manage in his voice, hoping to scare him away.

"I'm nobody. Nobody you have to care about for now. I just wanted to... check our new sheriff out." The man was obviously smirking even if Hongjoong could see no facial traits in the dark room and he felt annoyance and rage creep up in him.

"You are either some way too confident townsperson or one of those dirty bandits, what is it now?", he growled at the man impatiently, thinking about how to throw him off his body.

"A beautiful revolver you have there, by the way... I wonder how those engravings taste? Tell me, please and shut the hell up."

Hongjoong confusedly opened his mouth to tell the guy off, pretty sure by now he was just some stupid boy playing a prank on him when suddenly the barrel of his own gun was thrusted down his throat, making him choke on the heavy metal. The weapon tasted of dangerous gunpowder and Hongjoong felt his whole body seize up at the thought of getting shot through the head like this.

While his insides were all clenched, however, his body had gone stiff and frozen, not daring to move in order to avoid being shot.

The stranger purred appreciatively, making Hongjoong's hate burn hotter but he did stay still, letting the other man talk.

"Now I truly might be anybody right? Don't play any tricks on me, you may hurt a civilian, dear sheriff. Just stay here, all calm and pretty and I shall leave immediately."

Hongjoong could not let him leave. He had to stop that man, keep him from running away and also capture him. He had to know which people dared to attack him in the middle of his first night here and he had to make sure it would not happen again.

His weak gurgling protest was shut up again with his gun, harshly scratching the inside of his sensitive throat when it was pushed even deeper, making him gag around it. A dark chuckle sounded from above him. It seemed to amuse the man how Hongjoong's throat locked up around the weapon, how his feet kicked weakly in protest when his heartbeat started to rise at the lack of oxygen.

"Stay calm. You will get your revenge on me as we shall not meet for the last time."

Hongjoong was released at that, the weight leaving his body and he immediately rolled around, heaving and coughing. His revolver hit the matress next to him with a soft thud and he gripped it immediately, pointing it at his nightly visitor.

However the man had already disappeared, leaving Hongjoong alone in his room when he lit a lantern with trembling fingers.

Goddamn it.

-

Hongjoong had not slept after that.

It was by far not the first time he was threatened at gunpoint and also not the first time people tried to kill him in his sleep.

What put him off were the words of that man.

After describing the incident to a worried Yeosang, Hongjoong got another opinion on that stranger. They both were absolutely sure that it was one of the bandits as the townsfolk would not do that. However he had come and disappeared like a shadow, no traces being left.

So why did he play the innocent civilian card? Was there any chance of the townspeople hiding something from Hongjoong? There would not possibly be somebody in the city supplying the enemy with information, right? But if not, how could he have known so fast?

With his suspicions rising Hongjoong stayed awake thinking, trying to find a way on how to gather the correct intel. If there actually was a bandit undercover here Hongjoong had to move more carefully from now on.

He gave a loud yawn where he was sitting in Yeosang's inn, the man having served him breakfast for free as an apology for the rough night. He did feel remorse for not hearing the commotion but he also did pout the whole day about his holy ground being desecrated.

Hongjoong was at his second cup of coffee when the swinging doors opened again, some broad man walking in. They nodded at each other curtly before the man disappeared behind the counter. Hongjoong tiredly rubbed his eyes.

The inn started filling with time, people coming to get some food before going out for work or spending their days on a thin thread of life held by alcohol. Some of them greeted Hongjoong already and he was welcomed by the rest too, feeling just slightly uncomfortable at the coquettish giggles two women directed at him.

Jaebeom was in too, greeting the other people with boisterous yells before he started some drinking game with them. Hongjoong could only chuckle at them.

The stage was lightened some time after, another man playing the piano coming up with the same singer as the day before in her red dress. Hongjoong saw it whirl from the corners of his eyes a while before he decided to look up too, oddly intrigued by the fast pace of the tunes.

However, when he did set his eyes directly at the dancer for once he found himself blinking confusedly.

Was that...

Hongjoong had to squint.

He was pretty sure that was no woman.

No, it did not make sense. The person sometimes stopped dancing to sing instead and their voice was just a tad too deep to be female.

Hongjoong leaned over to some man on the table next to him, nodding to the stage.

"The dancer, who is it?" He was pretty sure he had not met the person before but if that was Yunho in a dress or something he would not have recognized him either.

"Huh? Oh, 's Jongho. Our muse." He grinned a broad, nearly toothless smile and Hongjoong just nodded, writing it down distractedly. The longer he looked at the guy the less female he seemed. He was way too broad, muscles bulging under the red fabric and his movements sharp and less fluid like a female's would have been.

"He is no woman is he?"

At that the whole table errupted in laughter.

"Nah, 's not! But that d'sn't matter, we all just pr'tend he is 'cause ya find no bett'r p'former out here! 's fine, he'll be down if ya ask 'm for a night. Ah, sometimes he do comedy ev'nings too!"

Yeah, Hongjoong could see that. It was obviously an ongoing comedy to pretend that huge of a man would be a woman.

Still he jotted down some notes about him, reminding himself to ask Yeosang later whether Jongho might join them on their expedition out to the mountains. He was already planning on doing that tomorrow.

Hongjoong had to leave soon after, not having the time to listen to Jongho's next song and instead wandering over to his office to wait for Wooyoung there. His throat still hurt from the rough treatment the night before and he had pondered seeking out Yunho but he was actually not that keen on getting turned into a tumbleweed by accident.

So he just rubbed at his skin with a grumble, walking into his office only to screech immediately.

Wooyoung was already here but he was not alone.

He was sitting in the lap of somebody on one of the chairs in the room with his back to the door. He was full on occupied, a tongue down his throat and the other man's hands down his pants while their breathy moans filled the air.

Hongjoong slapped a hand over his eyes before he had to see his obnoxious assistant grinding down on the other male, flushing a deep red.

His screech had startled them at least because a panicked noise was to be heard, the rustling of bodies stilling.

"I'll be out at the barn today just join me whenever you're done but goddamn it please learn it to do that elsewhere!", Hongjoong ordered quickly, fleeing the scene before anything else happened.

He stood outside panting then for a minute, feeling his face grow hot again at that picture.

He should have tried to see the other person. An eye for an eye, Wooyoung.

With a shudder Hongjoong started walking north, greeting everybody he met and quickly interviewing the people that he had not seen before. By the time he passed the northern part of the city he also met Mary again, the pretty blonde that lived close to Jaebeom's.

He had met her already on the day before walking the streets in a plain dress but with her golden locks still calling for attention and she was actually really nice.

Today she was carrying a basket with food and flowers inside and her face broke into a happy smile when she saw Hongjoong close up on her.

"Sheriff! Good morning, are you already working again?"

Hongjoong raised his hat at her, returning the smile. What a sweet and pleasing presence after Wooyoung's hungry lips.

"I sure am. Somebody has to protect the place, no? Are you out for work too?"

She nodded brightly, giving a shy smile down to her basket.

"These are for Seong- Mister Park. I am helping him out a bit at home these days as he is injured." A slight blush dusted her cheeks, making Hongjoong grin all the more. Seonghwa could need that indeed.

"Send my greetings. I hope he can recover soon."

She nodded again, hurrying off then to go see her crush.

Hongjoong thought it was endearing seeing them all fall for the same man. Seonghwa must indeed have some charms working for him.

Hongjoong calmly reached the barn then, visiting Wave and then sitting down on the fence close to her to do a rough sketch of the mountains in the North. Their ragged tops did indeed look like some dangerous teeth, looming darkly against the sky.

When Wooyoung finally joined him most of the townsfolk was out and working already, the city bustling with life.

Wooyoung did not come alone, he had another man with him that walked in a certain distance from him, his steps absolutely soundless and careful like that of a tiger.

He looked so obviously wild, the look in his eyes untamed that it was not hard to guess who he was. And if Hongjoong was right, he had some gossip to share now too.

Hongjoong still waited patiently to be introduced.

"Morning, Hongjoong. And... sorry for earlier. It won't happen again. I told Yeosang off."

That person had not been Yeosang at all and Hongjoong bit back his grin when he noticed himself having found a whole gold mine there. He could memorize that.

"This here is San. He arrived this morning." Wooyoung stepped aside with the tension visible on his face while Hongjoong hopped down again to greet the hunter, grinning broadly at him.

"Nice to meet you. So when are you up to showing me around in the plains?"

San's smirk seemed sinister, his gloved hands cool against Hongjoong's skin.

"We have horses right here, let's go."