Stepping around the corner, I was in their full view. I had nowhere to hide, an open target. My pistol was pointed directly at the man in the middle of the group, between the man that resembled Peter Pan and another man. He was the shortest amongst them in terms of height but maintained a strong figure. He had short, silky blonde hair that was in an undercut hairstyle. His jawline was quite pronounced and it kinda seemed like his features had been sharpened, even though he had round, slightly chubby, marshmallow cheeks.

I could smell the danger that lingered around him as I looked deep into his captivating orbs. One of his dark eyebrows shot up as if in a dare. A dare to try and look away from his enchanting beauty.

I didn't look away. Instead, my eyes wandered all over his body, his features were interestingly symmetrical, but not quite. It was quite evenly spaced, like the traditional proportions of a human face, but there were subtle differences that made for the uniqueness of his face. I traced the outline of his plumb pink lips that suited perfectly against his delicate, doll-like facial features.

My eyes then fell on the tall man that stood beside him. He had a slightly slender figure, yet I was able to see the shape of his muscles through the arms of his shirt as he held up his gun. His huge doe eyes bore into me, making me see the universe behind his eyes, unable to resist his charm. His deep black raven hair was parted down the middle, flowing past his eyes, stopping right at his small, pointed hooked nose. His forehead was covered in beads of sweat making him look more attractive than he was; if that was even possible.

Unlike the other one, he licked the bottom of his lips in complete irritation. His lips weren't as thick and luscious as the other men but formed a satisfying shape that was seemingly perfect. His sharp angular jaw flexed with his sudden motion, making his jawline sharper than the blades that I stored on the side of my waist.

He brushed back his long, raven hair while placing his fully loaded gun back in his belt. He spared me a glance, looking me up and down before he let out an arrogant scoff towards me. As if I was just some sick joke someone was playing with him.

"Did he really bring me here just to babysit little girls for him?" He commented underneath his breath, making sure it was loud enough for everyone to hear. His voice wasn't as deep as PeterPan's but rather light, with a slight gruff undertone. He had that voice that made heads turn.

"At least, they'll make a good snack..." Said the blonde one as he wore a smirk that sent chills down my spine, not knowing what he was capable of. He took a step closer to me, and I took a step back, not wanting to close the distance between me and them.

I raised my gun higher, offering a warning "don't come any closer! I'm warning you! Where's my dad? Did you do anything to him..."A smirk played on the man's lips that matched with the rest of his group as he came closer towards me, not caring.

"Both of you quit it. We're on a mission." Peter Pan's stern voice made blondie stop in his tracks while earning an eye roll from the raven hair. He then looked towards me with an annoyed glance, "How about you listen to me and put the gun down? You probably don't even know how to use it."

"You listen to me!" I ignored his remark, "Answer my damn question! Where. Is. My. Dad?"

The fire in my voice disappeared when I saw the faint puddles of fresh blood on the glossed floor that matched the same red marks on the hands of the three men standing in front of me.

"WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO TO HIM?! S-stay where you are! MY-move and I'll shoot!" I hated that I couldn't stop the quiver in my voice as my blood rushed through me and my defensive skills started to kick in.

"What do you think we did to him?" The raven hair sneered in a confident accent. Holding a dagger in his hand that he spun at the tip of his finger while his other hand held it, now clearly amused with the games he's playing.

I was infuriated by his outrageous comments. The fury within me began to burn. His arrogance stabbed at me, provoking me to teach him a lesson.

What did he exactly take me for?

I was never the talented one with a gun; my sister was. She could shoot bullets with her eyes closed and still hit the bull's eye even though she was just eight years old... like how she was just eight when she was buried beside my mother's grave on that cold, rainy evening....

Even though I wasn't as good as my sister, I still managed to learn a few tricks from watching her practice with my mom during our training sessions. Without thinking, I shot the gun a couple of inches away from raven hair's foot, as a warning. As soon as the bullet made an impact with the floor, the others brought out their guns, pointing it at me as easily as a reflex.

Ready to shoot.

"I've had enough. Let's just kill her off, she's not someone important anyway." The raven-haired guy held out his gun, revealing the small tattoos that were imprinted on his pale skin on his right hand.

In one swift move, he would end my life, like I was a worthless bug that happened to get squished by his foot.

"What the fuck is happening?!" A strong, deep voice that had a sensational ring to it as it boomed through the halls empty echo halls, made a small tingle run down my spine. The steps grew closer as the three of them put down their guns but they still maintained their guard just like how I did with mine.

A tall, lean man appeared. He had a very manly body shape, but a curious face, like someone who spends a lot of time in his head. He had piercing brown eyes that almost looked fox-like, it was pulled at the ends but softens. His intense orbs were focused on me; they were almost viscous, like honey, but light. He had an incredibly cute nose. The bridge is straight and then at the end, it's like a subtle little curve of a slide, almost like serendipity. With a chiseled chin and a cutting jawline like the rest, he had rich, juicy lips to finish off his god-like appearance. This defined leader aura coming off of him filled the hall, almost making every monocle submit to him.

He stood in front of me, his smooth tan skin glistening in the light, making his bleached blonde hair seem lighter. The new man simply raised one of his thin eyebrows, demanding an explanation.

The man that reminded me of Peter Pan spoke up as he spared me a death glare that sliced through me. He fixed his blazer as he began to explain. Now that I noticed, they all wore expensive luxurious suits that cost more than anything I owned.

"Sorry hyung, the situation got out of hand." The man scoffed at his pathetic answer in response as he glanced away from him.

I observed him closely, wondering if he was the man who had sent me the texts....if he was the one that was holding my father captive, or should I say, was he my father's murderer?

"You're telling me you don't know how to tame a seventeen year old? You know very well that I don't take excuses."

"This won't happen again, sir." The two of the men said in unison as they gave him a small nod, looking at the floor in shame. While the raven hair didn't even bother to acknowledge the man's presence, he fiddled with the gun in his hand, completely ignoring what he was saying.

"Come with me, the boss wants you inside." His one sentence gained the raven hair's sudden attention as his stinging eyes landed on him. He gave the man a quick nod that was almost unnoticeable before turning around and strolling down the hall from the way the tall man had come out from.

"You two stay and keep guard. I don't want to hear anything more, you got that?" The two nodded in unison once again. The blonde one flashed me a small, subdued grin, only for me to see as they walked back to their positions.

The new man then turned his head towards me. He wore that one expression that has been haunting my life, even though it could only be faintly shown on his face. Yet, I could have spotted it a mile away.

The way small parts of his face soften a bit in sympathy, how his once deadly eyes became softer, letting me see beyond his walls, I could make out the glances of pity and sorrow that emerged within them, even though no one would have ever noticed it. The look made my heart clench from worry. His tone was almost a soft murmur but still held that even, bland tone... but it was just enough to scare me about what he might say next.

"I suggest you come along too shorty...if you want your father to keep breathing."

..................

I trailed behind the two of them as I followed in their footsteps. I could see a steel door coming into view at the end of the hall. My father's brittle voice rang in my head, warning me not to step beyond the hidden passage in the metal walls.

I was never allowed down in the basement. My mother had always forbidden it when I witnessed her death. I lost myself in a dark, cold place where it was hard to breathe... hard to smile... a place where you were suffocating in your own misery. I was broken. I wanted to forget the thing that made her leave me. I wanted to forget this lab that was always hidden in my life like it ceased to exist, yet it was stained onto me.

I hesitated to place my foot inside the room, but the thought of only hearing my father's voice in my head after today dared me to walk into a room that looked like nothing I imagined in my head as the years went by when I grew up.

The room was styled as a simple game room that you would have found in anyone's basement. A bookshelf ran across the wall that sat across from the pool table which was placed in the middle of the room. Some sofas and pillows decorated the room as a pitcher of wine sat on the coffee table, unused.

I glanced around the room. My father was nowhere to be seen; his warning still playing in the back of my head. My thoughts exploded like a mine explosion as I realized that all of this could have been a trap. Trusting people like my father was worse than trusting Satan himself.

My fingers slowly slid to the pistol that I tucked away in the back of my pocket but stopped midway as I watched the fox eyed man stride over to the pool table. His long fingers snuckunderneath the ledge of the table as he tapped something hidden underneath. I heard a small click, resembling the sound of a button. The floor began to rumble beneath me. I looked up to see the bookshelf splitting in half, revealing my father's secret lab.

The two of them walked ahead as I lingered behind, observing the room with complete fascination. The place was exactly like I had imagined, filled with green plants and technology that I didn't even know existed in the world. There were strips of long lights running down the edges of where the ceiling and wall meet, matching the glowing tabletops of the metal counters. Test tubes, funnels , and other equipment were scattered across the countertops, some still in use. Small white lights were installed in the glass cases where the green, vibrant plants were kept along with the insides of the transparent cupboards filled with containers full of different substances.

The room had a sense of unknown familiarity as if I had been here before countless times. But I had no memory recalling it.... Well, at least not that I remember of.

I was so lost in my thoughts that I hadn't realized the two men had stopped in front of me, causing me to bump into the tattooed hand's broad shoulders, but he didn't even notice. His eyes were locked ahead; his emotions were masked on his face. I followed his tensed gaze. A man was hunched over in the corner of the room, holding the side of his thigh while his other arm hugged his waist.

Trying to stop the flow of his blood that had already drenched the floor, the pain he was in was clearly visible in the way he clenched his jaw. Leaning his head back, he rested it against the steel wall, his eyes slowly fluttering shut. His head rolled to the side in a drowsy manner. He then spotted me as I gradually walked closer to the pool of blood.

My tears welled up in my eyes, threatening to fall as I realized who the man on the floor was... My small hands covered my mouth, muffling the sobs that managed to escape, seeing my father on the verge of his deathbed.