Mingi turned this way and that as he looked at himself in the mirror tried to take in the last touches of his outfit as he waited for Yunho to finish up. The club opening was tonight and he had wanted to make sure everything was in place. He adjusted his slightly gelled back hair as he snapped his collar straight one last time.

What he was wearing was fairly simple, just a white and black striped button down with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows that tucked into black ripped skinny jeans cinched with a belt. The first two buttons were undone to show off the silver necklace he wore. A matching silver watch was on his wrist and a few rings. A pair of lace up black Doc Martens tied everything together.

"Well don't you look handsome." Mingi turned to see Yunho standing in the doorway of the room he had just exited. His grown out blonde hair was lightly curled with small traces of make up around the eyes to add depth and a dangly silver earring. He had on a burgundy red silk button down tucked into tight black jeans and a black belt with a silver buckle. Black ankle boots adorned his feet. Mingi felt his mouth suddenly go dry.

"Wow...just...wow."The brunette exhaled. He resisted the urge to run his hand through his hair, ruining it. "I've hardly ever seen you out of your work clothes and when I have, it was after dance practice."

"I can clean up well sometimes," The other chuckled at his boyfriend's gobsmacked face. He really was bad at masking his expressions. The barista walked over and kissed the brunette on the cheek. "Ready to go?"

Mingi snapped his mouth closed with a snap. "Yeah, I'm all set."

Together the two exited Yunho's apartment and walked down the stairs. They made their way towards the nearest subway station and scanned their transportation cards. Since it was late, the subway was fairly crowded with young people dressed up to go out. Not seeing any seats, the two huddled themselves near the door. To pass the time, Yunho idly scrolled through his phone. Whenever he found a funny posts,  he would turn his screen to show Mingi.

Once at the stop, they exited and walked out and went up the escalator to the street. Outside there were already groups of women in heels and men in nice fashion walking around ready to club. The couple followed the directions on the flyer and soon found themselves standing outside a building with rotating red lights that illuminated the ground with the club's logo and bouncers standing outside managing the line. Above a large set of doors that looked like they belonged on a European church was the club's name emblazoned in elegant font.

The two made their way to the door and presented the flyer and their IDs. The bouncer took the presented items and examined them all for a moment. Finally, he nodded and moved the velvet rope aside to let them in. They walked through the large doors and down the stairs into a black space with pulsating lights and booming music.

The inside of the club had lived up to its seductive name. The space was dark but when the lights panned over it there were gothic fixtures and velvet drapes hanging from the ceiling. There were chandeliers dangling above red couches in the resting area for ambiance. A DJ was up on a platform bopping to the beats he was spinning.

On the other side was a lit mahogany bar with attractive bartenders dressed in black, the club logo on their chests. They were dishing out creatively themed drinks. Some were smoking with dry ice and shots were being served in thin test tubes for aesthetics. Some of the staff were carrying trays of them and handing them out on the black and white checkered dance floor that was already full of dancing bodies.

 "Do you want to grab a drink?" Yunho grabbed onto Mingi's arm to make sure they didn't get separated in the crowd.

"Can you have alcohol?" The brunette looked over and raised an eyebrow at the other. He had to raise his voice slightly over all the noise.

"Nope," The blonde responded, popping the 'p'. "But that doesn't mean you can't have a good time." The student opened his mouth to respond but was cut off by a voice from behind.

"Mingi?" The couple turned to spy a girl in black shorts and a club t-shirt that was tied up above her navel. Her makeup was dark with various reds and blacks. A few glittered black rhinestones were glued onto her face and her hair was tied in twin buns. She was holding a tray of shots in test tubes.

"Sunny?" The brunette squinted in the dark to get a better look. The girl smiled brightly to match her name.

"Yup! I'm glad you could make it." The girl said cheerfully. "This the ol' ball and chain?" She said, leaning slightly to peek at the man behind the brunette.

Mingi moved back and slid his arm around the blonde, bringing him forward a little. "This is my boyfriend, Yunho!" He presented the other, smiling proudly as if he had just won a grand prize.

"Ah what a cutie for a cutie," Sunny said with a dramatic sigh. "Why must all the good ones be taken or gay? And in your case, both?"

"Yunho, this is Sunny, she is the one that gave me the flyer to get us in."

The barista blushed at the other's tone and just waved shyly at the woman. "Nice to meet you."

"Well, I hope you don't plan on staying by the wall all night. Here, take a few shots. I won't tell if you grab an extra." She presented the tray and they both took one each but didn't drink them right away. "I should probably get back on the floor. It was nice meeting you, Yunho. Hope to see you around Mingi!"

With a wave, the girl was engulfed back into the moving blob of people. Once she was out of sight, Yunho handed over his shot to Mingi. He raised an eyebrow for a moment before downing them both in quick succession. When he was finished, he set them down on the tray of another shot girl that had walked by.

"Come on, let's dance." Yunho grinned, playfully grabbing Mingi's hands and dragging him into the fray. The brunette could do nothing but smile and follow him.

XxX

Jongho stood at the kitchen counter and sighed as he looked at the text on his screen. He felt a presence slink up behind him. Hands and a chin rested themselves on his shoulders.

"You okay?" A sleepy Yeosang spoke. It was getting late and he had fallen asleep on the couch. When he awoke, Jongho wasn't anywhere in sight. The past few days the brunette had been over quite often. They didn't do much, just watch TV and talk but it was comfortable and relaxing. In these four walls of Jongho's apartment, Yeosang was finally letting him in.

"I will be," The younger said as he locked his phone. He set it down on the counter and reached up behind him to rub at the hand holding his shoulder. "They're all coming over."

"Now?" Yeosang questioned. He pulled away at the same time Jongho turned around.

"Best to break it to them sooner rather than later." The other shrugged before walking back into the living room.

The brunette trailed after the younger. "Are you sure that you want to do all this though?"

Jongho was about to answer when the doorbell chimed. "Too late now," He commented as he walked towards the door. He opened it to reveal Seonghwa and the others on the other side.

"I think this is the first time I've ever been to your apartment, Jongho." The leader greeted as he was let into the other's home.

"What is with the late night summons?" Hwanwoong was the next to enter. "This feels almost like a late night booty call."

"Why do you always take it there?" Ravn rolled his eyes as he removed his shoes and coat in the doorway.

"Because it's fun to watch you squirm," Hwanwoong grinned as he poked him in the shoulder. You couldn't take half the things that came out of his mouth seriously. He was a fun loving kind of guy that always knew how to bring a lightness to the room.

Jongho didn't respond as he guided the group into the living room to grab a seat. Seonghwa raised an eyebrow at Yeosang already sitting on one of the chairs comfortably but chose not to comment. The group managed to squeeze themselves onto the couch and looked at their youngest expectantly.

"So, what did you call us all out for so late at night?" Ravn asked. Jongho moved in front of them all and perched himself slightly on the armrest of the chair Yeosang was sitting in. He wrung his hands together nervously.

"I'm leaving." The youngest said. He decided he just had to rip it off like a bandaid. A silence swept over the room.

"What?" Hwanwoong cried, gobsmacked. For once, he didn't have a teasing comeback. Of all the things he had expected to hear, that wasn't it.

"What do you mean leaving?" Seonghwa asked. Jongho almost couldn't look into his leader's eyes and the hint of betrayal that was present.

"I've been reassigned." The younger tried to keep his head held high and resist the urge to look down at his hands. "Effective next week, I will be working on Eden's Lady Red task force."

"This is about Xion, isn't it?" Ravn cut in from his corner of the couch. He was facing forward with his hands laced together, leaning forward. He seemed to be the least shocked about the news out of all of them.

Jongho didn't make any outward reaction. "That bomber needs to be taken out any way possible." The younger just stated matter-of-factly. "And I'm going to be the one to take her down."

"Jongho," Seonghwa started softly. "I hope that this won't just be about revenge. You can't let it cloud your judgement."

"That's rich," Snorted Yeosang, speaking for the first time. "This coming from the guy who has held a grudge against Eden for a year now."

The leader sighed. He unfortunately knew exactly what they were talking about. He rubbed a hand over his face. "No, I didn't mean it that way. I just meant that if you become single minded, you might blind yourself to the obvious. I just don't want to see you hurt."

The younger blinked, a little taken aback by the words. "So, you're saying...you're okay with this?"

Seonghwa nodded. "While I will miss working with you for the time being, I understand your drive. Actually, it could be beneficial for both of us."

"What do you mean?" Jongho raised an eyebrow.

"We already know there is a mole in the CCG, but we won't be able to figure much out if we only interact within our own team." The leader started. "With our failed mission, it is unlikely that we will get a new lead on the Butcher any time soon and we might very well be reassigned. If you are on a new task force, you can feed us information from the outside."

"So you want Jongho to be a mole to catch the mole?" Hwanwoong said. he pointed and crossed his index fingers as he tried to work it out. "Whoa, trippy."

"Wait," Yeosang objected. "Don't try to use Jongho as your information guinea pig. That is just asking for all kinds of trou-"

"I'll do it." The younger cut in before the brunette could finish.

"Jongho!" Yeosang whipped his head up to look at the other sitting above him on the armrest. The younger's face was still facing forward, stoic in his resolve. "You can't just agree to be the middleman. Do you know how much risk you are putting yourself in? If Eden or the director found out you were feeding information from a classified task force, you could get in big trouble."

"But it is something I have to do." The younger turned his head to look down at Yeosang. "You know just as well as the rest of us that something big is going on. We have the edge pieces to a jigsaw but we are missing what connects it all to get the big picture. If there is any way that I can help you, then I have to do it."

"Ahem," Hwanwoong coughed, breaking up the little moment. He grinned devilishly. "Don't you mean, 'any way to help the team?'"

Jongho and Yeosang's ears grew pink. They turned their heads away, completely avoiding eye contact. The rest of the team were mildly confused at the reactions but didn't pry. It might have been a bit of a touchy topic.

"Anyway," Seonghwa cut in, breaking up the awkwardness. "It could be handy to have someone on the inside. The Lady Reds have something to do with the Butcher and I have a feeling that the drug we found in that one Ghoul from before somehow plays a role in all this too. We are messing with something a lot bigger than ourselves here, so we have to be careful."

"Are you sure that you are still insisting on working on this all by ourselves?" Ravn questioned his fellow leader. "This just feels like it is growing way too big for us to handle. We don't want to bite off more than we can chew."

Seonghwa nodded. "If we told anyone else besides the people in this room, we run the risk of the group disappearing for good. We can't let anyone else know until we at least flesh out this mole. We will have to hold our cards tightly to our chests."

"I still don't like that we are laying all of this on Jongho's shoulders." Yeosang grumbled lowly.

"There isn't much we can do about it," Seonghwa said apologetically. "To keep it safe, we should discuss anything having to do with the case away from the office. You never know who is listening."

"We can keep meeting here if you want," Jongho suggested, offering up his home.

"Perfect," The leader nodded. "I think that sounds good for tonight. It is getting late, I should probably head back home." The rest of the group agreed and they stood. They said their goodbyes as they shuffled their way towards the door.

"I should probably go too," Yeosang whispered as he passed by Jongho.

"Are you sure?" The younger had to resist the urge to frown and reach out for the other. He was quickly getting used to the brunette spending time over. Saying goodbye each night was steadily growing more difficult.

"Yeah," The older said while eyeing the group congregating by the door and putting on their shoes. "It might be suspicious if I stay any longer."

"Fine, but text me when you get back home so I know you made it back, ok?" The younger agent asked.

Yeosang rolled his eyes. "Fine," He pretended to be annoyed but he was fighting back a smile. He stuffed his feet back into his shoes and joined the rest out the doorway.

"Best of luck, Jongho." Seonghwa said with a smile. He patted the younger on the shoulder in a sign of support. He had really started to think of the whole group as the beginnings of a family so it was a bit bitter sweet to be separated, even if it was only for a little while. "I hope this all blows over soon and you can be placed back on the team quickly."

Jongho nodded in agreement. "You and me both."

He waved a final goodbye to his former teammates and shut the door behind them, locking out the cold air. He walked back into the living room and pulled his phone out of his pocket which still had the messenger app open. He looked at the last message he had received from Eden. He moved his fingers over the keys and hit send.

'I'm in.'

XxX

Wooyoung shuffled through the crowd as he made his way through the club. He really wasn't sure what he was supposed to be looking for. If a group was doing something shady or illegal, they wouldn't exactly announce it. Instead, he tried to shuffle his way to the bar. He managed to make it there and squeeze into a spot at the counter.

"Pretty good opening, huh?" He yelled over the pulsing beat. The bartender closest to him looked up at the sound of his voice. Wooyoung flinched a bit in surprise. The worker was a man with a pierced lip and eyebrow but what actually unnerved him was the intense red colored contacts that had a cat like pupil.

"Yeah, boss should be happy," The bartender nodded. Despite his bold look, the man was friendly. "What can I get for you?"

"Uh..." Not expecting to order, Wooyoung quickly scanned the menu. All the names had been changed to fit the theme so he wasn't even sure what was what. "Corpse Reviver?" He muttered, not even sure what he was ordering. Just the words felt odd on his tongue.

The bartender smiled as he grabbed a shaker. "Good one. It's been pretty popular tonight."

"Great..." Wooyoung tried to keep his face stoic despite the subtle twisting in his gut. He tried to distract himself by gazing out into the crowd. The bass was bumping and bodies were moving so close together the blonde wasn't sure where one person ended and another began. Something cool touched his arm and he turned around to spy something that looked like a blood bag. He recoiled his arm back in shock.

The bartender seemed to find this amusing as he chuckled. "Relax. It looks scary but it's just spiced brandy with a little sweet vermouth."

"Interesting choice of container." Wooyoung took the bag and held it up to the light to examine it. Oh this was definitely not his scene.

"What can I say," The bartender shrugged. "Seoul is full of freaks wanting to fly their flag." He smiled showing sharpened canines.

 "I'm starting to see that," Wooyoung smiled politely as he paid and took the bag. He walked further out into the club. 

Shuffling through the crowd, he inconspicuously left his drink on a table as he walked by, knowing he couldn't drink it. Instead, he weaved his way in and out through the crowd. He was really starting to regret not talking to San about his decision to check the club out. He didn't even really know what the other was hunting down here.

The blonde sighed and considered leaving. There was no point in staying in some Halloween horror club if he didn't know what to look out for. Wooyoung turned before the crowd parted just a little and he spotted something that caught his eye.

"Yunho?"

XxX

San leaned back against the brick wall as he typed orders to his boys on his phone. He had been at it for a solid week at this point and he wasn't any closer to figuring out what he was searching for. He had gone to two new clubs this week but hadn't managed to find any information on his suspected drug ring or cult of Ghouls. He had nearly wanted to give up and just see if anything would pop up on its own. You know what they say, when you stop looking for something, it will come.

The tattooed Ghoul sighed as he checked his phone once more. Wooyoung also hadn't texted him all night. It wasn't so unusual, given that it was late at night, but he could really talk to someone as a distraction. He was also trying to keep his end of the deal and let the other in on his work. Maybe another perspective or talking it out would help him untangle the knots in his head.

"Hey," San looked up as a voice snagged his attention. Leedo walked out of the shadows, his hands stuffed inside his pockets. "What are you still doing out here?"

"What and let you guys do all the heavy lifting?" The shop owner grinned as he stood up from the wall. "Where is Seoho and Keonhee?"

"They're canvasing the east side. Bosses orders." Leedo shrugged. "Still feels weird calling someone else boss."

"Well, you're going to have to get used to it for a little while longer." San mentioned before releasing a yawn.

"It's late," The other said. "You should go home and get some rest. We're used to this kind of life and you're a bit out of practice."

"Is that your way of calling me old?" The tattooed Ghoul scoffed. "I still have plenty of game left and need I remind you that you are older than me?"

"Sure, you are." Leedo rolled his eyes. "You have your shop and Wooyoung. The big bad gang leader has been domesticated."

"D-domesticated?" San nearly choked on the word. "You wish!"

The other man laughed, his deep voice resonated through the dark. "I'm just joking. But seriously, you should sleep. You can get a fresh start in the morning."

The Ghoul seemed like he wanted to protest but sighed instead. "Fine, you win."

Leedo smiled as he waved goodbye to his former boss. "Have a good night."

San didn't turn around as he waved over his shoulder. As soon as he was out of sight the other Ghoul turned to head out in the opposite direction. He breathed into his hands before rubbing them together to generate some warmth. He had made it down a few blocks and was walking past an alleyway when a sound caught his attention.

Stopping, Leedo looked over into the darkness. There was another sound, like a rustling and glass bottles clinking, as if something was going through trash. Curious, the Ghoul took a cautious step forward. For all he knew, it could just end up being a raccoon.

Once closer, the man caught a whiff of the air. There was a bit of a sweet scent that was rather enticing to his Ghoul half but at the same time, a tinge of something sour. Leedo had almost made it to the end when he caught sight of something that made him pause.

There was something there, in the dark. It was just barely discernible in the shadows but something was hunched over with a cloak thrown over it and ruffling through a pile of garbage. It was a person, probably homeless. Every once in a while it would find something and hold it up to their face before making almost a gag like sound and tossing it away, dissatisfied.

Leedo approached with caution, a hand suspended in the air between them. "Hello?"

The figure stiffened at the sound of his voice, the piece of garbage in its hands dropping down the ground.

"Don't worry, I won't hurt you." The Ghoul tried to keep his voice as soothing as possible. He took another step forward. This person already seemed skittish, like a feral cat. Anything could cause it to run.

Leedo seemed to have pushed his luck, however, for as soon as his foot hit the ground, the figure whipped around. At the same time, a cloud moved away from the moon and cast the alley in it's ethereal glow. It also allowed the gang member to catch sight of the figure's face.

A one-eyed Ghoul.

XxX

Yunho and Mingi moved close together to the beat of the music. The club was dark and pulsating with flashing lights that felt alive. The brunette was a bit stiff but he could tell that the other was quite enjoying himself and living. The blonde was definitely in his element as his movements were graceful and drew everyone's attention. Mingi always enjoyed seeing the other's eyes light up whenever he got to dance. It was one of his favorite things about the other.

Mingi smiled as Yunho tried to guide him in a complicated move. While everyone else was just bumping together, the two were truly dancing in the very limited space they had. They didn't care how ridiculous they might have looked to everyone else, they were just enjoying being close and spending time with one another.

"Ok, ok!" Mingi laughed as a song ended and faded into a different one. He tried to catch his breath as he wiped some sweat from his brow. "We all get that you're a better dancer than me. Let us lesser people catch a break."

"Oh, come on!" Whined Yunho playfully. "That was barely anything!"

"To you!" The brunette had to holler over the changing beat of the music. The DJ wasn't half bad, if he did say so himself. He chuckled. "Hey, I'm going to run to the restroom. Too many shots. Don't move, I'll be right back."

"Ok," Yunho smiled and placed a quick kiss on the other's cheek before going back to his dancing.

Mingi shook his head fondly as he tried to meander his way out of the crowd to find the nearest facilities. He didn't think he would ever get used to that. The brunette scanned the walls quickly but didn't see anything that looked like it might be what he was looking for. He was about to try the other side when a hallway caught his eye. Figuring there might be something down that way, he walked in that direction. There wasn't anything saying it was for employees only so it couldn't hurt to try it.

The brunette walked closer, stepping through the entryway and into the corridor. Almost instantly, the sound from the club seemed to dampen to just a dull, far away roar. The hall must have good insulation to be able to do that. It made sense if the bathrooms were this way. Girls tended to go in packs and would want to find a more quiet place to talk. 

Mingi walked further into the hall when he saw a sliver of light coming out of a cracked door. Figuring it was what he was looking for, the brunette stopped. Not seeing another door, he leaned in to get a quick peek inside and make sure he wasn't going to walk in on anyone. Apparently looking through doors was his new thing.

At first, all that appeared to be was an empty room dressed in red just like the rest of the club. There were a few couches and hanging lights for ambiance. The brunette, figuring he was in the wrong spot and had stumbled upon a private room of some sort, made to stand up when movement caught his attention.

There was a shirtless man sitting on a chair with his hands tied to the armrests and a blind fold over his face. He didn't seem uncomfortable though as there was a disturbing grin on his face. A woman with black hair in a tight lace dress and black stilettos paced slowly behind the man, running her finger tips like feathers over his arm and shoulder. Once she was behind him, her hand slid towards his front and over his chest.

Mingi grimaced from where he was, mildly uncomfortable. He didn't need to see this. He knew that some higher end clubs had private rooms for parties but he never would have expected to actually stumble across one. Many times seedy things went down in those kinds of rooms but he didn't think that he would run across a backdoor operation under the guise of a club. Though, he shouldn't have expected anything less from a place named Desire.

The brunette averted his gaze but when he looked away he noticed something else. In the corner of the room was another girl with dyed purple hair. She stood regally with a wine glass cupped delicately in her hand. She didn't seem to want to interfere with the scene happening in front of her and observed. The first girl looked over and caught the eye of the one on the wall. They seemed to have a silent conversation before they both nodded nearly inpercievably at one another.

Standing up from the wall she was leaning against, the girl with the purple hair walked closer, setting her wine glass on a table that she passed. From a pouch on her hip, she pulled out something. Mingi watched intently as a plastic cap was removed revealing a rather sizable syringe underneath.

The brunette suddenly felt like he couldn't breath as stiletto girl held out her arm. With a tap of the needle, the woman with the purple hair reached out and felt for a vein in her companion's arm. Finding one, she quickly pierced the girl with the syringe. The woman in the black dress threw her head back and sighed as soon as the needle entered her arm, like a junkie finally getting their fix. 

As soon as the instrument was removed, stiletto girl lifted her head back up slowly, her eyelashes fluttering. She tilted her head to one side and the other and shook her shoulders as whatever had entered her blood stream settled. Once it had, she pounced.

Mingi flew himself backward, landing on the floor with a thump as he watched the woman sink her teeth into the man's clavicle, his screams muffled by the blindfold being yanked down from his eyes and jammed around his mouth and pulled back like a gag. The brunette's heart was suddenly in his throat and he fought the bile rising. Were these women Ghouls? Or was he just seeing things as a result of drinking? He didn't see their eyes change but the room wasn't exactly that bright.

Realizing that he was still on the floor and that there was no way the girls didn't hear his fall, Mingi scrambled and tried to get to his feet, tripping on his own feet along the way. He had to get Yunho and get out of here. This place was just a disguise to hunt young people. There were probably too many sweaty bodies for the blonde to have noticed that there were other Ghouls here or if he did, chose not to say anything under the assumption that they were just here to have a good time.

He had almost made it to the end of the hall when there was a thump of something slamming into the back of his head. He felt the world shift on its axis as he collapsed forward onto the ground, bouncing slightly from the impact. His body felt numb as his vision swam. The brunette blinked as he tried to regain his bearings and right his world. All he could make out was two boot clad feet entered his hazy field of vision.

"Oh Mingi," A female voice sighed lightly. It sounded vaguely familiar. "Didn't your mother ever teach you it was rude to spy?"

XxX

Hongjoong grit his teeth as he tossed the ball of messed up wrapping paper to join the others in his wastebasket that was currently overflowing. Starting over, he moved the box onto a new pre-cut piece of paper. Once more he attempted to fold the edges neatly without wrinkles. After he got it into the desired shape, he tried to hold the paper in place as he attempted to tear a piece of tape off with the other. He fumbled with the roll before placing a piece between his lips to tear some off with his teeth. He ended up missing and dropped the tape with a thud on his wood floor. Frustrated, Hongjoong sighed as he watched the material roll away from him and further into the center of the room.

This pattern had been going on for the past few hours: attempting to wrap presents before something would inevitably go wrong and the red-head would grow more and more frustrated at his own inability to wrap a damn present. Tape would fall, corners would rip or the wrapping would look lumpy. The holiday had already passed at this rate but Hongjoong had been so busy that he was behind on presents. Though, he was quick to discover that he was terrible at wrapping.

Whipping his hand across his face, the red-head glanced at the digital clock sitting on his night stand and seeing it was nearly one in the morning. Mingi was still probably out with Yunho and most normal people would be asleep by now. Hongjoong shifted his eyes to the pile of presents he still had to go. Sighing, he stood up and shuffled his way out of the room. If he was going to get anything done, he should make a stop at the 24 hour convenience store for some cheap coffee. It wasn't nearly as what they had at Utopia but desperate times called for desperate measures.

He grabbed his jacket from the closet and stuffed his feet into his shoes before opening the door to the harsh night air. With a shiver at the sudden change in temperature, he walked down the steps while avoiding the icy patches. Luckily, he wouldn't have to be outside for long. Korea had a convenience store or two on every block.

Hongjoong stuffed his hands in his pockets to keep out the chill before stopping at the convenience store closest to him. He reached out to grab the door handle when he noticed a sign in the window saying the cashier was on break for the next hour. It was a little humble store, owned by a friendly old man and his wife. Being that it was late, it was the perfect time to take a short break since business would be low for the next few hours until all the drunkards stumbled their way home at first train.

Shrugging, Hongjoong decided to walk a little farther until he came across another one. It wasn't like he had to go too far. The lights outside were dim as he was in a more residential area but he still had enough visibility. He would have to try and walk towards a more main street to find anything still open.

From the shadows, a man watched the red-head head move ignorant of his position. In the dark, the figure grinned, only the shine of his crooked teeth visible. This would be too easy.

"Found you."

Hongjoong turned the corner when he felt a hand cover his mouth and pull him back. He let out a yell of alarm but it was muffled by fingers. The red-head struggled and clawed at the hand that were holding him back but they were strong. His breathing came in harsh, panicked breaths and his heart beat rapidly in his chest. He needed to calm down if he was going to get out of this. This wasn't going to be like last time. He had fighting practice now.

The red-head exhaled heavily against the hand across his face, the breathe hot. Moving swiftly, he ran his foot along his captor's shin before slamming it hard on top of the person's foot. At the same time, he slammed his head backwards, hoping to make contact with the man's face and that the shock would be enough that his attacker would release him.

 His plan paid off as there were two harsh cracks snap into the night. His captor cried out in pain, releasing Hongjoong from his grasp. The red-head didn't waste any time, as soon as he was free he took off like a shot, making a beeline for the main road. If he could just get in public then maybe the attacker would be less likely to keep going and back off.

Hongjoong ran but the ground was slick with ice and slush. He slipped on the asphalt, crashing to the ground. He threw his hands out to catch himself and winced as they scrapped themselves on the ground. He shivered from the cold as his body collided with melting snow and seeped into his clothing.

The red-head didn't let it slow him down, however, as he tried to scramble back up but something crashed just beside his face, making a whole in the ground. Hongjoong managed to roll away just in time to avoid the impact. That was when he saw it. Two red and black eyes glaring back and him and flashing sinisterly. The Ghoul grinned as he pulled his sword like Kagune out of the ground with a yank.

"Though you could escape, huh?" The rather plain looking man said, nostrils flairing with a trail of blood seeping from his broken nose. He cracked his neck. "Think again."

Panicked, the red-head rolled once more to avoid another strike. This time, he managed to pull himself up onto his feet. He didn't think, he just ran, dodging another strike as best as he could. He felt faster and lighter, more agile as he tried to slip past the other. He had trained for this but he wasn't planning on having his first real confrontation like this.

The Ghoul had a Kagune similar to San's: dense and effective but not as quick as Wooyoung's wing-like darts. He was also older, with his improved speed, he may actually be able to outrun the man without doing anything. He didn't know why he was being attacked by a Ghoul but he must have seen him as an easy target, walking alone at night. 

Hongjoong panted as he pumped his legs faster. He cast a quick glance behind but just nearly managed to duck a swipe from over head. The Ghoul's Kagune was similar to a sword or javelin in shaped but what was unexpected was his ability to be able to extend it outward and increase his striking range. The man didn't even have to catch up to be able to reach Hongjoong if he wasn't careful.

The red-head skidded around a corner, his feet kicking up patches snow, but he halted as he came up upon a dead end. All he could hear was the roaring of the blood in his ears as he stared at the wall, encumbering his escape. He scrambled to think of a way out. From behind, he heard the footsteps following him come to a halt.

"Well, look what we have," The man mocked. "A little bird in a cage."

"What do you want!" Hongjoong yelled as he whipped around to face his attacker, chest still heaving as he tried to catch his breath. "Who are you!?"

"Nothing personal kid," The Ghoul croaked, his voice grated like gravel. "Just trying to get my money."

"Money?" The red-head cried. He felt a sense of anger take root within the fear. All of this for some lousy cash? Not for food? Did he even know that he had attacked another one like him? "You want money, here, take it!"

Hongjoong shoved a hand into his jacket and pulled out his wallet. Reaching inside, he grabbed the meager fist full of cash and tossed it into the air between them. They both watched it gently float to the ground before being sullied by the slush and grime. A new meaning to dirty money.

The Ghoul barked a laugh as he watched the student's actions. "Sorry kid, you're lunch money isn't quite enough. You're wanted by some pretty big ballers and I tend to milk that cash cow."

The red-head felt himself take a step back in alarm at the other's words. He was being hunted. This isn't some mugging attempt or another Ghoul trying to eat him. No. This was a bounty with an actual target on his back. Hongjoong's throat clenched tightly as he tried to swallow air.

The attacker didn't waste any more time talking as he pulled his arm back and thrusted it forward. Hongjoong, still stunned from the news, was a little slow on his reaction time. He had only managed to throw his arms up as a meager defence. He winced as the Kagune sliced into his forearm and felt his eye-patch slip from his face. The weapon must have nicked the string when it struck.

 Warm blood seeped into his sleeve as the sword was pulled back to ready itself once more. The red-head moved while gritting his teeth as there was a pinch in his back. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw his own Kagune spring forth and manifest itself. His training with Wooyoung and San was paying off at least but he still had trouble controlling it at times.

"Well," The other Ghoul grinned while spotting the other's uncovered eye. "Look what we have here. Guess they didn't tell me everything."

"Who sent you," Hongjoong hollered. He felt his Ghoulish eye pulse as the dark veins spread outward. "Why are you hunting me?"

"Wouldn't you like to know-" On the last word, the man lunged forward and tried to strike. Hongjoong brought his own Kagune up and blocked the attack. The impact created sparks as the sword tried to slice through like a piece of bread.

"Kill him." Hongjoong winced as he heard a voice whisper through his head. His concentration slipped and his hold loosened. The weapon slipped through but at the last second, the red-head managed to toss it aside before it got to him.

"Relax," The man hissed. "I won't kill you. They said to capture you alive. They didn't say how alive."

Hongjoong squared his feet. He needed to create an opening to escape. He still wasn't much of a fighter but it was time to put that training to good use. He moved forward with his arm pulled back. He swung his fist but cried out as his hand made contact with what felt like a metal barrier. He was sure a few bones in his hand had cracked with the impact. The Ghoul had transfigured his sword into a shield.

The man gathered up his energy to push the red-head back, the force hard enough that the younger Ghoul's back slammed onto the alley wall. Hongjoong choked as he felt the air knocked out of him before a fist slammed itself into his stomach. The red-head felt himself slide down the wall as his breath came in choked, desperate inhales.

"Let me out," The voice in his head continued to hiss. "You're going to kill us. LET ME OUT!"

"No!" Hongjoong gasped just before he rolled out of the way from another attack. He couldn't get up fast enough and felt a strike to his head, knocking him over onto his side. He managed to roll over in time to block the Ghoul next attempt to stab him in the heart. His Kagune acted on its own, coming up to protect him like a reflex.

"You're always too weak." The voice said, it's words ripping through his mind. "Always pathetic, letting others do the work for you."  The red-head squinted through the pain, his head felt like it was starting to split in half, as if something were banging on his skull, desperate to get out.

"Useless!" Hongjoong gritted his teeth, the word echoing like a bell after it had been struck. The two Ghoul's continued their power struggle as the red-head focused on pushing back, the two forces giving and taking. He was at a disadvantage on the ground unless he did something and fast.

"I. am. not. USELESS!" The red-head spoke through clenched teeth. Pulling strength from somewhere deep inside, he pushed forward with all his might, forcing the attacker back.

"Now we're talking!" The show of power seemed to excite the other Ghoul as he laughed gleefully. "Honestly, I wasn't sure why they wanted me to hunt down some weakling but you might be worth a fight after all."

Hongjoong scrambled backup to his feet, his breath ragged, as he stared the other down. 'Weakling' His mind seemed to fixate on that word as it tumbled around and around in his head and a switch seemed to have flipped. With speed that was almost inhuman, he charged forward.

"Aha!" The Ghoul chuckled as they collided, Hongjoong's Kagune impacting with the other's. "Bring it! I want to watch you beg for mercy!"

The two sprang apart into the air. The red-head landed on the building wall, crouched like a cat, before he leapt back forward as if jumping off of a spring board. The other Ghoul mirrored his actions and the two came together again and again midair before retreating again. Sparks filled the air from their impact, their movements difficult to follow if you weren't a Ghoul yourself.

Hongjoong released a nearly inhuman growl as this continued, neither of them giving any ground. He could feel his clothes being sliced open and minor cuts appearing on his skin as if by magic. It was like he had lost all rational thought. His only single minded goal now being to take down the person in front of him.

"Kill him..." The voice was back.

They collided once more, the attacker winced as a piece of his Kagune chipped off and nicked him on the cheek.

"Kill him!"

Another strike and Hongjoong felt his pant leg tear. A punch to his eye.

"KILL HIM!"

"AHHH!" With a yell, Hongjoong surged forward one last time, pooling all his strength. There was a ripping sound followed by a squelch. Everything went still.

The red-head's chest heaved. He blinked, as a fog that had settled over his mind seemed to clear. A dripping sound entered his hearing, short and stacatto, before it was followed by a splatter, like pouring water on the ground. Hongjoong looked up into the face of his attacker. The man coughed and blood sprang forward from his lips before a stream dribbled down his chin from the corner of his mouth.

"You...you got me good...kid." The man wheezed. As if time slowed, Hongjoong's eyes trailed downward where he saw his Kagune had stabbed itself through the man's middle. Horrified, he gasped as he moved away, unintentionally pulling his weapon out of the other's abdomen and leaving a gaping hole. The Kagune seemed to have been holding the man up. Now without support, he slumped to his knees before crashing forward. Dead.

Hongjoong stumbled backward, his hand coming up over his face with terror. What had just happened? What did he do? He slid to his own knees before collapsing forward onto his hands as his stomach heaved and he retched dryly. He was sure if he actually had anything in his stomach right now, it would be gone.

He had killed a man. He really did it. He became the very monster that he had hoped to avoid. A drop landed on his hand, followed by another one. He hadn't realized he had started crying. Reaching up, he touched his cheek. When he pulled his fingers away, they came back red.

He brought his head up. Across from him was a broken mirror that someone seemed to have had tossed out with the rest of the garbage. There were multiple versions of him staring back as the cracks spidered outward from a single point. In one of the larger pieces, he could make out his full reflection. He still had his normal dual toned eyes winking back at him that separated him into two different worlds. Not fully human but not fully Ghoul either. He was in between and some days it felt he was wanted by neither side. From his Ghoulish eye was where the tears fell, just a bloody trail tracking red down his cheek.

He felt as shattered as that mirror.

A weight settled itself around his back and a joyful laugh sounded by his ear. In the mirror he could see his Ghoul half grinning smugly as they caught each other's eyes in the glass. Hongjoong felt his heart seize upon seeing him.

"I told you to kill him."  The blunette whispered with a small happy chuckle. There was not a single shred of remorse in his tone. The red-head reached up, as if to touch him but was just met with air. He blinked. The Ghoul was gone.

Stumbling to his feet, he took one last look at the body on the ground, his blood mingling with the slush and dirt. He suddenly felt numb. He should be cold with how soaked and ripped his clothes were but he just felt nothing. Something dropped onto his nose, cold and wet. Hongjoong tilted his head skyward as the clouds opened up and rain began to fall, at first just a few drops before it started to come down harder, washing away any remnants of the fight that just happened.

Hongjoong let the water rush over him, not even bothering to move or seek shelter. In books, rain was said to be purifying. Like a baptism of the land, washing bloody hands clean. He had always used to think there was some truth to this. That with water came new beginnings and a cleansing of sin.

He wasn't so sure he felt that way anymore.

Bringing his head back down, he blinked the water out of his eyes. He spared one last glance at his attacker as his blood was washed away, mingling with the water from the downpour before it found its way into the storm drain. There was only one thing he could think of to do now.

He ran.

Notes:

Uh, so hi. I don't really have a lot to say on this chapter other then it was kind of a mess but here we are. As always, thanks a lot for the reads, votes, and comments <3 Almost at 9K reads, 2K comments, 170 reading lists, and almost 750 votes. W O W 사랑해요! I have started on the next part but it might take a bit to get out.

Song recs:

This time I'm recommending songs from Road to Kingdom! It was SO  GOOD! If you have time, watch it or at least the performances! They were all so amazing and some even have MVs!

Comeback Home- Oneus
-Has a performance and MV. Idk why but I listen to this song A LOT lately. Their LIT performance was cool and they also performed a song by H.O.T and used SO much of the stage and props and I loved it. 

신세계 (New World)- ONF 
-They always have bomb song arrangements so check out their other performances like Everybody and It's Raining  from RTK too because they are A M A Z  I N G! This one literally sounds like an anime though. It also has a live performance and a performance video

Basquiat- Pentagon
-This one also has a live and a performance version. I've always loved Pentagon and their other performances were really good too like their cover of Follow by Monsta X, Very Good, and their mashup of Spring Snow and Shine that made me SOB. They also did a collab of kill this love with ONF.

Photo-VERIVERY (Road to Kingdom performance) 
-This was probably the only performance I truly LOVED in RTK because I am so into the dark stuff but they also did Mansae as Naval officers and Gogobebe as Aladdin and it was really fun!

T.O.P (by Sinhwa) performed by Goldenchild
-This performance did not get the love it deserved. P E R I O D. They also performed Wannabe and I love that song too.

TOO (a newer idol group) also participated and they did so well for being new! I really loved their performance of Rising Sun the most.

The Boyz. 
Look up ALL of their performances because they are all INSANE like my god: Sword of Victory, Danger, REVEAL (Catching Fire), Heroine (collab with Oneus), Quasi una fantasia, and CHECKMATE.