When Hongjoong walked into the cafe, he wasn't entirely prepared for the sight that greeted him.

It was busy. More so than he had ever really seen it. Poor Wooyoung was behind the counter trying to juggle multiple orders and you could see that some of the patrons looked a bit annoyed, probably from their wait. The counter was a bit of a mess. Empty coffee mugs and small plates were piled up from customers returning their trays but the poor barista didn't have time to clean them.

The moment Hongjoong walked in and the bell over the door jingled, Wooyoung lifted up his head from where he was pouring water over the coffee grounds on the siphon. His smile was welcoming but you could see that the poor man was a bit overwhelmed. His shirt sleeves were rolled up but his apron had a few spots on it. His hair was disheveled from running his hands through it a few too many times.

"Hello, welco-" as soon as Wooyoung looked up to greet a potential new customer, his hand shifted and the hot water he was pouring spilled onto the counter and himself, burning him. "Ah! Aish...."

Hongjoong raised an eyebrow, "How come the cafe is in shambles and you've been here maybe an hour?"

"It's been awhile, okay?" The blonde grumbled as he dabbed a towel on his now burning lap. "And it's not like you know any better. You've only been here for, like, two weeks."

The red-head didn't budge to the sass. "Ok, and do you want Mr. two-weeks to help you or not?"

At that moment, there was the sound of breaking glass as a customer bumped their mug off the table. Wooyoung threw his head back in exasperation. "Oh dear god, yes."

Hongjoong smirked as he grabbed a spare apron from underneath the bar and tied it on. He wasn't in the rest of the uniform but he figured it didn't matter at the moment.

He made a grab for the broom and dustpan. "You take care of drinks, I'll handle the customers."

"Yeah because you suck at it," the blonde scoffed.

"What was that?" the red-head said as he made a motion as if he were putting the broom back.

"Nothing!" Wooyoung squeaked as he quickly prepared to pour water over the siphon once again.

"Uh-huh," Hongjoong hummed before walking towards the mess. "Smart choice."

For the next hour or so the two men were kept busy pulling themselves out of the weeds. Dishes were cleaned, broken or chipped mugs were replaced, and orders were filled. Slowly everything regained order and Wooyoung and Hongjoong found that they made a rather cohesive team. Wooyoung was good at making coffee and snacks. He had a rather efficient system that only he really understood but it worked. Hongjoong was friendly with an easy going persona that seemed to win over even the most irate customers.

The sun was just beginning to set on the horizon and the warm light filtered in through the window beautifully and cast all the seating in its golden glow. It made the entire dining area warm and appear more cozy. The rush had slowed as more people filtered out but there were still about two patrons still sipping Americano's and reading paperbacks when the door chimed again, signaling a new arrival.

"Welcome-" Hongjoong looked up from walking a tray of dirty mugs back to the counter. He looked over and the end of his greeting died out a little as he felt his mouth suddenly go dry. "Oh, Seonghwa."

Wooyoung, at the name, looked over from where he was shelving newly cleaned mugs. Sure enough, at the door stood the handsome suit clad man with his ever present briefcase in his hand. His shoulders seemed a bit tense but at the sound of his name, they relaxed a bit and a small smile took shape on his face.

"Hongjoong! I was hoping you were working today." The dapper man said as he walked further into the cafe to not block the door.

"I didn't expect to see you here," the red-head said in disbelief. He set the tray down on the bar and wiped his hands on a towel.

"Well I figured showing up here would be the best way to find you." The agent walked forward and sat himself down on a seat at the counter. "And I was craving the cup of coffee I was promised."

The waiter raised an eyebrow. "Well unless you like a little bit of texture in your coffee from the grounds, I don't think I'm the best one for that."

From beside him, Wooyoung snickered and the two looked over to where he was working. "Oh, don't mind me." The other apologized.

"You look familiar," Seonghwa tilted his head. "Have I seen you before?"

"Oh, I'm no one special," Wooyoung waved a hand dismissively. "Just the person that will have to save the day when Hongjoong tries to poison you."

"Yah!" the other protested while snapping his hand towel at the others. Wooyoung laughed before he snuck into the back. Since the cafe was slow, he figured that it would be easier to listen and keep an eye on the two from behind the door.

Hongjoong looked back at the agent sitting down. "Don't mind Wooyoung. He means well. I think."

"It's ok, I don't mind." Seonghwa chuckled. "This is a nice little hole in the wall."

The other smiled as he figured he should try and make a drink for the CCG agent. "Yeah, it was one of my favorite places to spend my free time before I started here."

"How long have you worked here?" Asked Seonghwa as he watched Hongjoong ready supplies.

"About two weeks." The barista answered while placing a filter on the siphon. He turned and scanned the jars of different kinds of coffee beans. "In the mood for anything particular?"

"Hmmm," the man hummed as he tried to look over the other's shoulders. "Surprise me."

Hongjoong grabbed a random jar and the grinder. He would be lying if he said he wasn't a little bit nervous. What was he supposed to do to "keep an eye on him?"

Here he was across from a man who could potentially kill him, the only thing separating the two was a wooden coffee bar. "As much as I appreciate the business, is you trying to check on me going to become a regular thing? Because I thought we already established that I'm ok."

"Showing up here is the only way to find you," Seonghwa said. "Coincidentally, you have my number but I don't have yours."

Smooth. Hongjoong puckered his lips for a moment before thrusting out his hand. The agent raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Give me your phone."

With a smile, the older reached inside his jacket pocket and pulled out his phone. The red-head took it and quickly entered his number before handing it back. "There, now you have it. No excuses."

"Thanks," Seonghwa took it back with a grin and looked at the new contact before placing it back into his pocket. After the phone was safely put away, the smile fell off his face. "Actually, a cup of coffee wasn't all I was here for. I actually had to talk to you about your case."

"My case?" Hongjoong said. He felt a sudden cold chill run down his spine. "The guy is-is dead isn't he? There, cut and dry."

"Yes well, I probably shouldn't say anything but since you were the one involved, I felt it necessary that you should know." Seonghwa shifted in his seat and rubbed at the back of his neck. "We took that Ghoul back to the lab with us. The director found it odd in my report that the guy put up such a fight. Normally he would have been a goner the first time I shot him and he fell over the railing. So, he ordered an autopsy."

The agent had the red-head's full attention as he set down the kettle of hot water slowly back down on the counter. He didn't like where this story was headed. "There was an unknown drug in his system, some kind of enhancer. That and a bloodthirsty monster is not a good combination."

"So the Ghoul you killed was high on some kind of PCP, LSD, or bath salt drug where they feel no pain?" Hongjoong said incredulously.

Seonghwa shrugged. "Probably more like steroids but we don't know if this kind of drug was a one-time thing or something that is being distributed in circulation. Until we can get a handle on it, you need to be careful. Have you heard of the Butcher?"

Hongjoong nodded and the other crossed his arms and leaned forward. "Ghoul activity is up because of his actions and if someone like that gets ahold of this kind of drug, who knows what could happen. The CCG is trying to get a handle on it but it's gonna take some time."

The student's mouth grew dryer the more the agent spoke. A lump formed in his throat as if he swallowed his tongue. "S-So what are you saying? What should we do?"

The barista felt the world tunnel in to himself and a ringing developed in his ears. This was such a fine line. What was he supposed to do? He was expected to fight now and not only that, but fight against super powered Ghouls. Not to mention here he was across from and expected to get close to a man that hunted people like him for a living.

Just when he thought he was on the verge of fainting, he felt something warm and slightly calloused touch his hand. He glanced up and met the eyes of the other. They were a deep chocolate brown and held nothing but warmth and comfort.

"Hongjoong," Seonghwa could see that he had worked the other up so he reached out and placed his hand on top of the frightened man's. He made sure to keep his voice level and calm. "Don't worry, the CCG has it covered. It just didn't sit right with me if you didn't know the full story of that night."

A beat of silence passed as the two just continued to stare at one another. The agent started to smooth his thumb over the younger's hand and Hongjoong felt his breathing slow to match the soothing strokes. The moment was broken however when the red-head's phone buzzed. The two pulled their hands away quickly, startled by the sound, and the barista scrambled to unlock it and look at the screen.

"Ask him if he has any more information on that." Wooyoung. The red-head looked up and glanced around for a second and spotted the door to the kitchen. That sneaky bastard was eavesdropping.

Hongjoong locked his phone and slid it back into his pocket. "S-So, do you have any more information on the Butcher? Or that drug?"

Seonghwa shook his head. "You knowing about the drug is a special case, since you were involved. Anything else you might need to know will be released to the public."

"You're just going to let people live in ignorance while souped up Ghouls walk freely down the street?" The few customers left in the cafe glanced in their direction as Hongjoong's voice inflection raised a little at the end. Seonghwa held up his hands and leaned back in his chair a little.

"If the public knew everything that the CCG does, there would be mass panic in the streets."

"I guess they say ignorance is bliss," Hongjoong said a little bitter. "Until people start dying."

Seonghwa sighed and had to resist the urge to rub at his eyes. "I get it, I do, but more people would be dying if they knew everything. Sometimes we have to pick our battles choose what information is released. If people are living in constant fear, more and more false reports will be filed and the CCG would become overwhelmed. We wouldn't be able to do our job properly."

"Just makes you wonder how much the CCG isn't willing to tell us." Hongjoong grumbled.

Seonghwa's eyes were tender as he looked at the other. "All you need to know is that you can trust us. We are doing our absolute best to serve the public."

The red head could argue more but he bit his bottom lip to keep from rebutting. He sees the other's point but he doesn't have to be happy about it. And he figured putting up a big stink about things would not be the best way to get closer to the agent. "What now?"

"Now," The dark haired male stressed as he stood from his seat. "I will go back to work and so will you."

Hongjoong huffed, "Fine, but I'm going to let you know now that I will get more out of you eventually. You give me an inch, I'll run a mile."

"Somehow that doesn't surprise me." The agent chuckled at the other as he buttoned his jacket back up. "Don't worry, I'll take care of this. You can rely on the CCG to protect you."

"I will hold you to that," the red-head pointed.

Seonghwa couldn't fight the large grin on his face even if he wanted to as he made his way towards the door. "Fine. Maybe next time I see you, it won't be work related?" The question was topped off with a raised eyebrow and a slightly unsure tone as he trailed off. The barista found it endearing.

"You really do take this 'hero' thing seriously." The barista teased while trying to fight back a smile. "I figured you'd be done with me for sure now."

"Nonsense," the dark-haired male shook his head. "I like you Hongjoong, you seem cool."

"Oh you will probably rethink that real soon," the barista said while finally letting that smile he had been wrestling to break through. There was no use fighting it anymore. "Just name the time and place I guess."

"Will do." Seonghwa nodded before giving a small finger wave. "I'll catch you later, Hongjoong."

"Later," the red-head said quietly with a tiny wave back. He watched the agent's broad back disappear as the door closed behind him with a sigh. He was glad for that interaction to be over.

"You suck at flirting," Hongjoong jumped at the sudden voice from behind him. His hand flew up to his heart as he whipped around. Wooyoung was behind him with his hands in his pockets and a bland look on his face.

"Wooyoung! Don't sneak up on me." The red-head tried to calm down his rapid heart before the other's words registered. "And flirting? I wasn't flirting! I'm just trying to make friends like you said."

"Uh-huh," The other hummed. "Could have fooled me but you were so bad at it, it was painful to watch."

Hongjoong sighed in frustration but chose to ignore it. "Whatever, are you going to get back to work now or what?"

The blonde's smirk fell off of his face. "Actually, I wanted to talk to you about training."

"Oh god," the student threw his head back in exasperation. "I was hoping you guys would forget about that."

"Not a chance sunshine," Wooyoung reached over to ruffle the red-head's hair but the other pushed his hand away before he could reach him. The young Ghoul didn't let it bother him and placed his hands back in his pocket. "I want you to meet San and I after locking the cafe up. It's time for your first lesson."

XxX

The elevator dinged to announce its arrival to the desired floor. The doors opened and Jongho and Yeosang made their way out. The weapons lab was on the basement level of the building, deep in the underground incase things went wrong and experiments failed. It was a place that agents didn't go to often and was mostly reserved for the lab technicians.

"I hate coming down here," Jongho muttered as they made their way down the hall. The corridor was lined with one way mirrors so directors or military officials could look at the lab's progress without disturbing the scientists working. "It's like a dungeon and all the technicians seem like they have a severe lack of human contact."

"Living the dream," Yeosang replied dryly. Jongho shot him a look before they stopped in front of the door into the lab. They pulled out their ID cards and held it up to the scanner beside the door. A infrared light scanned them and the door "beeped" before sliding open and accepting them. The two entered and glanced around the room before the door slid closed behind them with a hiss.

"Ah, Agent Kang, Agent Choi," a woman greeted them. Her name tag identified her as Dr. Oh. "The director called saying someone would be down. I heard you have a weapons order?"

Yeosang didn't answer as he just passed along the paper. The technician took the order and looked at it for a moment before nodding. She turned and started to walk further into the lab.

"Follow me." The two walked behind the woman and passed many questionable looking experiments. There was loud clanging, sparks, and talking. Jongho tried not to stare as they walked by.

The woman turned off to the side to a work station with a long metal table and a computer. The technician walked to the computer and pulled up a screen to start supposedly typing in the weapons order. The two stood in silence as the doctor did her work. The only sounds were the clacking of keys and occasional sounds from other scientists at work. The two let their eyes wander as they waited.

"Dr. Oh," Jongho began. The woman hummed in acknowledgement. "What is that on the table?"

"Oh that?" the scientist didn't even turn to look and see what the others were talking about. "That is a new Quinche another agent ordered. He should be around soon to pick it up."

Jongho nodded as he continued to look at the new equipment. The weapon looked like a type of twisted spear made of a green material. It was like someone had twisted two strings together. It was thicker at the bottom and got thinner at the tip, almost reminiscent of a drill. It had a handle at the bottom that looked like an upside down D for a better grip. It was a really nice piece of work it anyone was to ask the two agents taking it in.

"Dr. Oh," it was a new voice that joined the mix. The two agents turned to spot the newcomer. It was Xion. "Oh, hey guys!"

"Xion," Jongho said. "What are you doing down here?"

"I came to pick up my new Quinche." The boy smiled at his two temporary teammates. "I was told it was ready."

"It's over here," the technician cut in. Again, she didn't even spare a glance from her work on the computer as she threw a thumb behind her. "Feel free to take a look."

Xion's eyes grew wide as he took in the weapon on the table. He grew excited like a kid on Christmas. "Wow, don't mind if I do!"

The agent reached out and grabbed at the weapon and turned it this way and that to inspect it. The Quinche was long, about half the size of the man wielding it. "It's even better than I expected."

"What's with the new equipment?" Jongho asked as he stepped closer to get a better look at the weapon. "Didn't you already have a Quinche assigned to you in the academy?"

"I did," Xion replied, "but it broke during a particularly rough simulation. I put in a request for a new one but with Ghoul activity so all over the place right now, I figured it would take awhile to actually get one. Thanks to you guys, though, it only took about a week."

"So this one was made from that drugged up Ghoul?" Yeosang asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yup," the other nodded. "Surprised you didn't recognize the Kagune."

"About that," Dr. Oh cut in turning around from the computer for the first time. "Not much is known about that steroid the Ghoul took. There is a large chance that when the Kagune sack was extracted from the corpse it became unstable. I will need you to run field tests and report back to not only see if you can handle it, but also if it can even reliably perform."

Xion nodded at the instructions without taking his eyes off his newly acquired weapon. "Noted."

"Great. I'll get the paperwork for you to sign." the technician turned to get the said items, leaving the trio alone.

"So, Jongho, are you still using that massive meat mallet the academy assigned you?" Xion teased, half serious. "You were the only one who was ever able to pick that beast up."

While he was talking, the new member took a moment to fiddle with his new weapon. He spotted a button on the handle and pressed it. The twisted strings unfurled with a snap and the base ejected like a net to entrap the nearest target, which just so happened to be a young lab intern that was unfortunate enough to be passing by.

"Agh!" The tech yelled as he was wrapped up in the tentacles of the newly minted Quinche.

"Sorry!" Xion yelled out as he looked for another button. He fiddled with the handle before turning it to the side. The action didn't seem to release the other and instead the ropes started to retract, bringing the intern closer.

"Um, yeah, I am," Jongho replied to the earlier question as he reached over and pressed the same button again. The strings stopped moving and they released the tech unceremoniously and retracting. Once back to their starting length, they twisted back into its original shape.

"Thanks." Xion offered a sheepish smile before looking over at Yeosang. "What kind of Quinche did you get in the academy?"

"A whip," the brunette didn't even spare the other a glance as he answered quickly. He kept his eyes on the new weapon in the younger's hand.

Xion raised an eyebrow at his superior. "Makes sense..." Jongho ribbed him lightly with his elbow.

"Ow," Xion rubbed at the space where he was hit. "You know, you think you're playing but you really need to learn how to watch your own strength."

Jongho laughed at the other's pouting before the smile fell off his face. "Not sure if you've heard yet, but we got our marching orders."

The other grew serious then and nodded his head. "I got a message from Ravn a minute ago. They have some kind of meeting tonight. I assume that's why you're here? For the weapons order?"

The other two nodded. "We'll be put on standby for now but we shouldn't drop our guards. We can be called at any moment." Yeosang said.

Xion pressed his lips together and nodded. "It's getting real, huh."

"Too real." Jongho agreed. "Can you believe it? We are going to be fully realized agents. Our first field assignment."

"Well don't get lazy or complacent on me," Yeosang quipped as the tech returned with the papers. He walked over to her and took the offered pen, signing with a flourish. "I don't want to be the one responsible for saving your asses."

The two shared a look as the brunette turned and made his way back to the door.

"Is he always like this?" Xion asked out of the corner of his mouth.

"Unfortunately." Jongho sighed. One day he will thaw the iceberg that is one Kang Yeosang.

XxX

Yunho sighed as he stopped and wiped the sweat off of his brow. It was getting pretty late. Class had ended hours ago but he was struggling with a move so he wanted to run through the routine a few more times. He could feel the exhaustion settling deep into his bones but he was satisfied with his work for the day.

He grabbed his water bottle and took a drink as he started to get his stuff in order. He pulled out his outdoor shoes and changed out of the tennis shoes that he dances in. Once they were on his feet, he pulled out his phone from his hoodie pocket to check for any missed messages.

He had five messages. Three were from Mingi, interspersed throughout the evening. The first was from four hours ago, shortly after he had gotten to practice, telling him off for ditching him and whining that Hongjoong wouldn't eat with him either. The blonde did feel a little guilty for leaving the other but he really didn't feel like forcing himself to upchuck before a really rough practice. Yunho felt a fond smile stretch on his face as he read the last two messages though. The second one was about an hour old and the most recent one was from thirty minutes ago. These were just Mingi whining for a reply and that he would be at the cafe to hang out tomorrow if he was working.

The dancer made to reply when the other two messages caught his attention. They were both from Wooyoung. The first was saying that they were going to comence training with Hongjoong after the cafe closed for the night but the second one was what was alarming. It was from 10 minutes ago.

'Houston, we have a problem 🦋'

Normally, Yunho would have thought that the other was just talking about the cafe or some other non-serious issue but at the end of the message sat a little butterfly. It was code. The group had discussed early on that they would never talk about issues over the phone. They never knew who could be lurking around the corner. Phones are stolen all the time and it was too easy these days to pull text records or listen into calls. If there was a dove emoji at the end of a message, it was CCG related.

A butterfly meant one of their own.

Panicked, the blonde threw the last of his stuff into his duffle bag and zipped it up quickly. He threw the bag over his shoulder and pressed dial on his phone. He rushed out of the studio as the dial tone filled his ears. He felt his heart rate increase with each prolonged ring.

When there was no answer, the man huffed and stuffed the phone back into his pocket. He pulled the hood of his black sweatshirt over his head and rushed towards the cafe. He wasn't sure whether or not anyone would be there, but it was a start.

While he was jogging, Yunho heard a noise from one of the alley way he was passing. Slowing his pace, he heard the sound again only it was a little louder now. It was a kind of wet and grotesque splash followed by some shuffling. The blonde paused to sniff at the air. Unfortunately, he knew that sound and smell anywhere.

There was a Ghoul nearby.

Making sure his hood was on securely, he ducked into the alley way. The street was mostly dark but light from a few street signs and a full moon made it possible to see a small figure hunched over something motionless on the ground. Yunho approached slowly and cautiously as to not startle the other.

The sound of clattering caused everyone in the alley to freeze. Yunho's blood ran cold as he looked down to see his foot had tapped a can laying on the ground. The blonde resisted the urge to curse. The hunched figure leaned up and whipped around at the disturbance. Nothing could prepare Yunho for the site that greeted him.

"Hongjoong?"