"So, his signature is a maze. That's how they figured out his name." You lean back against the sofa, a drink in your hand as you discuss your newly assigned case with Thomas.

"What? Where'd you get that?" Thomas brings second cup of coffee to his lips, taking a sip. The two of you are back at your hotel room. It was only around 5 in the evening but you wanted to go over some things with your partner before going to bed.

You sigh, "did you not read the case files? From his first heist to the fifth, Minho left a maze filled with codes to decipher. They spent days figuring out the first one and eventually ended up with the letter 'M'". You explain to Thomas.

"Five mazes, each with the letters M, I, N, H and O". Thomas concludes, nodding his and you smile.

"Kind of smart, don't you think?" you muse as your eyes scan the photograph of Minho's first maze. It was so intricate and detailed, so complex yet if you looked at it the right way, the answers were so obvious. Maybe you'll get a chance to look at it with your own eyes, if Minho lets you.

"Don't tell me you're impressed by this guy, (y/n)". Thomas frowns as he downs the rest of his coffee in one gulp.

"At least I didn't try to start a fight with those detectives. I mean, what were you thinking? This is their city Thomas, they might have called us but we're on their turf." You scold him and even if you had found it amusing earlier, the seriousness of the case was starting to weigh down on you.

"But was I wrong? They've had half a year and they've come up with next to nothing. I bet we can catch this guy in half that time."

You frown, but your silence confirms Thomas' suspicion that you do in fact agree with him.

"They say they don't have anything concrete on him, but the truth is, they don't even know who this guy is. Minho could well be an alias and is most likely is. They've never even seen him in person, never made direct contact, what if Minho isn't even one person but a whole gang?"

"alright, enough with the conspiracies, Thomas. Get some sleep tonight, I have a feeling we won't be getting much for a while"

The time on your phone says it's almost 11 at night. It's quiet and being in a new city, all alone at night doesn't make you feel particularly welcome. Your grip on the weapon on your hip tightens as you turn into a small alleyway. Your eyes dart around and when you're satisfied that you're alone, you lean against the wall, waiting in silence.

A text message lights up your phone.

'alright, call if you need anything'. It's from Thomas, a response to your earlier text that told him you'd be out for a while, following a lead.

"You look like shit" you hear a familiar voice call out from the dark, almost startling you. Your grip on your phone tightens until you see his face under the dim light of the lamp post.

"You're late...and is that any way to treat an old friend?" the frown on your face is quickly replaced with a grin as Minho approaches you to give you a hug.

"You looked better when we were partners."