*Not Beta Read

"We're in."

Hongjoong spun on his heel and swiveled his head, taking in his surroundings in wonder. He had never been in such a fancy looking opera hall. Pillars of marbles stood proudly that blended in perfectly with the floor that was also laden with a red carpet that covered a set of wide stairs on the other end of the room. An elegant chandelier hung high above them and cast a luminously warm glow on the patrons there, all dressed elegantly in suits and gowns. Everyone there was dripping in the finest jewels while wearing opera masks like they were at a ball. It made Hongjoong feel rather plain in his plain and unassuming black one that covered his whole face, only his Ghoul eye being the only thing visible. They had opted out of his custom mask for the night as it might stand out too much.

"Stop looking around," A voice suddenly spoke in Hongjoong's ear. "This is high society, we are supposed to be blending in, not looking like a lost puppy that doesn't belong."

The red-head looked over just as the crowd parted just slightly. Though everyone was wearing masks, he recognized the blonde head of Wooyoung mingling in the middle of the ballroom. Like Hongjoong, he was also wearing an unassumingly plain mask that only covered his eyes made of black silk and lace. The blonde was a lot more comfortable than the other in this type of situation, seeing as he was a lot more used to it, and didn't have a problem showing part of his face to this crowd. Something told Hongjoong that this wasn't his typical mask, however.

The red head felt a hand clamp down on his shoulder and he turned to see a smiling Yunho. His mask covered the whole upper side of his face but came down into a sharp point on the right side of his face, vaguely reminding Hongjoong of the Phantom of the Opera. There was a smattering of blue and yellow stars that matched his Kagune trailing down the long side of his mask like a stream of tears.

"Relax," The younger said soothingly. "We aren't here to cause trouble, just recon."

The student released a breath from his chest he hadn't realized he had been holding up until now, the tension seeping from his body. "Then why are we talking in earpieces like we're about to assassinate the President?"

Yunho frowned. "San, Keonhee, and Seoho are keeping an eye on things outside. We have to do everything we can on our end to try and find the source of this drug and put a stop to it before this cult-" he spit the word. "Does any more damage."

Hongjoong mirrored the other's expression but didn't say anything else. He nodded, knowing how important this was. He also knew what finding this drug could mean. It may bring him one step closer to the people responsible for ripping his life upside down.

Not wasting any more time, the two of them split from one another, deciding that it would be best to cover as much ground as possible and scope things out. If possible, Hongjoong hoped that they could find the information they needed so they could leave before the auction started. He wasn't sure his stomach could handle watching people be sold like prime pieces of meat. He wished he could do something to help these poor souls but San and the others had informed them that there were over eighty people in attendance at this auction and the odds would be suicidal.

They had gotten word from KQ that the auction was in two parts. First, a sort of reception to welcome all the guests that were wealthy enough to come. Some would mingle and share stories while a string quartet played classical tunes in the corner. There was no dancing. Hongjoong was told that these auctions were strictly business affairs made for deals and as a show of power. The red-head had no idea that this many affluent Ghouls lived in Seoul right under his nose. Yunho had even told him that there may even be celebrities at gatherings such as this one.

Hongjoong let his eyes wander the floor a second time. Servers dressed in white shirts and black vests walked by holding trays with lids. Every now and then they would stop by a group of auctioneers and open the cloche, offering our de vours.

The red head didn't even want to venture and guess what was underneath.

"See anything yet?" San's crackling voice broke over the intercom and through the student's earpiece.

"It would be helpful if I knew what exactly to look out for." Hongjoong mumbled underneath his breath to keep from being overheard.

"I doubt anyone would be so open about drug trading." It was Wooyoung. "We may have to talk to people or listen in on conversations."

"I think I got something." Yunho's voice cut through. "Far side of the foyer, large woman with blonde hair."

Hongjoong quickly turned his head in the direction the barista mentioned. Sure enough, near the bottom of the staircase, stood a large woman in a velvet red dress. Her dyed blonde hair was intricately twisted into an updo and she was waving a large, white feathered fan that helped block the part of her face that the mask left uncovered. On either side of her stood people dressed in sleek black suits, bodyguards most likely. Every now and then several people passed and would bow out of respect.

"Why her?" Hongjoong asked curiously. She did certainly seem to have a commanding air about her but nothing else particularly stood out as a potential drug dealer.

"Important people attract important people. See that couple walking up?" Hongjoong did, it was a wiry looking man with a taller woman attached to his arm. "That's the third group of the night. They walk up, exchange a few words and then they bow while kissing her hand. Once they leave she reaches into her handbag. She must be slipping the drug to them."

"I'm still not so sure. Is she in charge of the auction?" Hongjoong didn't want to take any unnecessary chances unless he knew for sure.

Wooyoung listened and clung to the wall as he walked around the foyer. He was almost right by the woman in question, hoping to overhear something when a poster delicately placed in a gold easel caught his eye. He frowned.

"She's the main benefactor."

Hongjoong's eyes widened as he looked over to the robust woman who was fanning herself while laughing. If she was the benefactor of the auction, then she definitely would have some connections to some potentially shady dealings. The red head wasn't sure what he was going to do but he felt himself take a step forward before a bell from overhead chimed three times, signaling that the crowd had three minutes to take their seats inside the performance hall.

The auction was about to begin.

XxX

Yeosang groaned and smacked his lips, his mouth feeling fuzzy. There was something cold against his head and he shifted to get away from it but found that his hands and legs wouldn't totally obey him. From somewhere far away, he could hear the faint sounds of classical music drifting towards him.

Blinking groggily, the brunette opened his eyes slowly, wincing through a stinging pain shot through his head. The room was dark save for a small stream of light from a cracked doorway. His head seemed to be leaning against a metal cabinet and he was surrounded by dusty boxes. Nothing seemed familiar to him. Where was he?

Suddenly, everything came crashing back to him and Yeosang bolted upright. Frantic, he shifted his eyes around for any signs of the enemy. Attempting to stand, the brunette noticed that his hands and feet had been tied together with a thick rope.

His startled movements caused his elbow to slam into the metal locker beside him, creating a loud noise that must have been heard by whoever was stationed outside the room. There was a sound of shuffling before two shadows passed and Yeosang squinted as the door opened further and light from outside spilled further into the room and into his eyes.

"Well, well," The first of the goons mocked, a cigarette pinched between thin and chapped lips. "Looks like little princey here is awake."

"Pretty, ain't he?" The second one said with a sigh. Yeosang recognized the man as his captor. He scowled at the man as he took a step closer and kneeled in front of him. "D'aw. Don't be like that darlin'. You'll end up with wrinkles."

Yeosang spit in his face.

"Why you little bi-" The man reared back in disgust as he wiped his face. He reached out and grabbed the brunette by his hair roughly before yanking his head back harshly. Yeosang cried out as he could feel some of his hairs rip from his head. His breath came out ragged and his chest heaved with adrenaline but the brunette didn't let the treatment phase him as he stared the man down defiantly.

"You're lucky I can't touch that face of yours boy" Another harsh yank. "Auction's about to start. Can't sell damaged goods now can we?"

"I suggest you get your filthy hands off of me," Yeosang hissed. "Before I rearrange your face."

The burly man barked a dubious laugh and released the other, pushing him back enough so the agent's back hit the wall.  "You've got some mouth on you. I can't wait to see you put in your place."

Yeosang scowled as the two men turned to exit the room, their footsteps heavy on the cement floor. Judging by the area, the brunette ventured to guess that they were in the basement. But of what building he didn't know. The odds may have been stacked in his favor, however. It didn't seem that the two dunderheads knew that he was an agent with the CCG. That could buy him some time until he figured out how to get out of this situation.

Auction. His mind suddenly recalled the word the man had uttered. This was the target that they were supposed to hit this evening. If Yeosang really was here as part of the merchandise, then there was a high chance the CCG either knew he was here or they would be infiltrating soon enough. 

He just hoped that he could hold out until then.

Looking down at himself, Yeosang noticed that the men had enough sense to take away his jacket and cellphone, lest he be tracked by GPS. Normally, this would leave a captive quite vulnerable to their captors with not much hope of escape but he wasn't most people.

In the dim light of the room he could spot something metal sticking out of one of the boxes, the silver catching just slightly. Hoping hit was sharp, Yeosang leaned over and laid himself on the ground as best he could to try and crawl over to that side of the room. The concrete was cold and harsh, cutting into his knees as he dragged his body along, but he was determined to at least loosen these bonds.

Once he was close enough, he noticed that it seemed to be an old knight statue complete with a sword and shield that was probably used in plays for stage settings. The box it was in had been knocked over, toppling the relic over on the ground so it laid on its side. 

Heaving his body up, Yeosang hooked his hands around the sword, positioning it so the blade was against the section of rope between his wrists. It was a bit of an awkward position and the sword itself was dull, seeing as it was a prop, but it was the man's best shot at trying to at least wear the nylon down enough he could slip through. With a renewed sense of desperation, he moved his hands back and forth as quickly and as quietly as he could to not alert anyone.

He had no idea what would be waiting for him on the other side.

XxX

"Red Leader to Blue Leader. We are in position."

"Affirmative."

Seonghwa listened to the chatter over the radio and sighed, lowering his binoculars to stretch his neck just slightly from his position on a rooftop not far away. He had been stationed here, watching, for just over an hour as groups of Ghouls entered the opera hall completely unaware of the eyes currently watching their every move. This was a fairly large operation and they couldn't risk failing. There was a lot at stake here and they didn't know when they would have another opportunity to take out this many Ghouls all at once.

Seeing that the groups entering had slowed, it must have almost been time for the action to start. He sat back and reached into his pocket for his phone, checking for any notifications when he realized he hadn't closed a window and found a picture Hongjoong's unsmiling face staring back at him with sandy brunette hair and a mullet. Seonghwa felt a muscle in his jaw twitch. Earlier that day he had pulled up the boy's school profile to try and find any possible indication that he was a Ghoul prior to being found out but he had turned up empty. He should have known better, the creatures were masters of disguise and deceit.

Shaking his head, he aggressively swiped the window closed. He needed to get over this obsession and forget about it. At least now he knew the truth before he could lose himself any further. Instead of dwelling on the past, Seonghwa reached for the radio attached to his collar and held it close to his lips. "Blue Servant to Blue Leader, is everyone in their stations?"

There was a crackling from the other line before the sound of Ravn's voice filled his ear piece.  From his binoculars, he could just barely see his co-lead perched in a tree. "Negative. I don't see Yeosang anywhere."

Seonghwa frowned. He knew he had called in sick the other day but it wasn't like the spirited underling to miss out on an opportunity such as this. He was always talking about taking down Ghouls and doing everything they could to clean the streets, especially after Xion. There wasn't anything he could do if he wasn't here, however. They had planned enough man power to handle this situation. But Yeosang should expect a strong reprimand when they were back in the office.

"Forget it," Seonghwa grumbled back over the line. "We do this without him." 

"The music has stopped inside," Ravn changed the subject. "We move in five."

"Roger," The agent answered back when a movement from the right of his eye caught his attention. He moved his binoculars in that direction he could have swore he saw the end of what looked like a dog muzzle. 

Shibas.

"The perimeter is surrounded." Seonghwa warned. "Be prepared for resistance."

"Damn," Ravn cursed. So much for a smooth, clean entry. "I guess it figures. I didn't know the Madame would swallow her pride and hire help."

The Madame was a Class A level Ghoul but not by her own hand, just her ability to play the game. It was through Hwanwoong's correspondence with Siyeon at the club that they had found out she was responsible for the recent string of auctions taking place. She was wealthy beyond her means and had a nasty streak as wide as her backside. She was notorious for keeping operations internal in the organization and didn't shine to outsiders. It was one of the reasons she had been so difficult to catch. Her lackeys were surprisingly loyal.

"One group will just have to keep them occupied while the others sneak in." Ravn continued. "Hwanwoong and my team can handle it. I want you to to lead the others in through the back."

"Are you sure?" Seonghwa furrowed his brow. It wasn't that he didn't trust Ravn's leadership, or the other agents that they had been assigned for the night, but he wasn't able to get an accurate count of how many there actually were hidden around the building. They could easily be out numbered.

"Don't worry about me,"  Ravn said lightly. "We should have given them enough time. Get ready to move."

Seonghwa didn't reply verbally. Instead, he raised a hand with his index and middle finger pointed upward. He moved them just slightly and, instantly, people dropped from their positions in the trees and bushes heading as stealthily as they could toward the door.

Just as quickly, the Ghouls in hiding noticed the movement and made to move, and cut the other group off from entering when a black blur landed harshly in front of the moving Shibas. Slowly, Ravn stood up from his crouched position with his Sythe already out and catching the faint glare of the moon. He tilted his head, regarding the one's who would be his opponents for the evening.

"Going somewhere?"

XxX

San cursed as he looked ahead and stared down the CCG agent in front of him. This wasn't what he had expected to run into when they had agreed to this mission and Leedo wasn't here yet. His only task was to keep an eye on the outside in case anyone decided to deal in private or anything else went down. That was a mistake on his part judging by the amount of people he just saw run inside. Who knows however many there were in total. 

That didn't matter now though. His only job was to keep these guys occupied enough that the others inside could get out. The rest of the Ghouls could be captured for all he cared. It seemed like a fitting punishment.

The former Shiba leader leaned down and, with a hand behind his back, pressed a button on his phone screen. He hoped that the three would see his signal and know to get the hell out. Things were about to get interesting.

"Not much of a talker are you?" Ravn frowned before spinning is sythe a few times and stopping it in front of his body in preparation to strike. "Oh well then."

San didn't wait as Ravn hurtled forward and immediately jumped back, the tip of the agent's weapon slamming into the ground where he had just stood. From his back, he could feel his Kagune unfurl. He snapped it forward to try and clip the agent on the shoulder but Ravn managed to pull the sythe out of the ground in time to block the strike. They pushed and pulled on one another before snapping back.

Ravn jumped as a strike came from his left side and nearly clipped his ankle. A cheap shot to go low for the legs but, then again, the agent didn't expect this to be a fully fair fight. One of the other two Ghouls on either side of San had decided to intervene in that moment. Keonhee, hidden behind his Shiba mask, was crouched low as his Kagune swung behind him like a tail. It was a deep purple in color and seemed to shimmer just slightly. Out of the sides there were spikes sticking out, like a rose stem and its thorns.

From his other side, Ravn caught movement and turned to block an incoming strike when a blast of energy passed by his face, striking San in his middle and sending him flying backwards. The leader looked to where the source of the blast had come from and spotted Hwanwoong standing with his arm still raised and the cannon attached to his hand still smoking. 

"Took you long enough to get out here," Ravn said good naturedly. He knew that the other hadn't moved in order to try and  observe how the group of Ghouls moved. Hwanwoong knew that his leader could handle it for a few minutes.

Hwanwoong opened his mouth to say something when a barrage of deep pink crystals rained down from above and landed in between the agents, forcing them to spring apart. The two looked up to spot Seoho flying high in the sky with flaming wings that shifted through varying shades of pinks and magentas reminiscent of a geode of rose quartz after it had been cracked open, the minerals catching and reflecting all the light it could. 

Ravn and Hwanwoong shifted just slightly until they stood a bit closer to one another. They were surrounded. Faintly, they could hear growing sounds of chaos and yelling coming out from the opera hall. 

"Looks like things have started to get interesting inside, huh?" Hwanwoong quipped, his mouth twitching upward in a smile.

"Seems that way," Ravn nodded. "Think we can take all three of them with just the two of us?"

The younger agent just smiled as he powered up his cannon once more. "Can't let everyone else have all the fun now, can we?"

The group clashed.

XxX

Seonghwa allowed himself to feel the slightest edge of guilt before he shook it off and snuck through the door. He knew that from the back of the building and the roof, another team was doing the same to hopefully meet in the middle. Their job was to try and find out where the hostages were being held and get them out as quickly as possible with out getting detected.

The whole plan's success had been put on his shoulders, however, as he was responsible for making it to the stage rigging and hook it with a noxious gas strong enough to either put the room to sleep or incumber them enough to be able to take a large number of them out. If he didn't make it there safely, then everything could fall to hell and innocent lives could be lost. Seonghwa was determined not to fail. It was a simple enough plan in theory but things like this always had a way of blowing up in people's faces.

The leader and his makeshift partner had only made it four steps inside the building before two Ghouls patrolling the hall managed to find them. Seonghwa didn't waste any time as he threw his briefcase at one of the approaching attackers. The Ghoul caught it on reflex but as soon as his hands touched the metal of the case, it popped open and a gas seeped out from inside. It didn't have a large perimeter and soon the two swayed on their feet before slumping over and falling to the ground. 

Seonghwa didn't even spare them a second glance as he kept running.

He had almost made it all the way up to the second floor without running into anyone else when from further down the hall way, a door opened. Sliding as quickly as he could into an alcove he held his breath as a men stepped out. He was burley and, unlike the rest of the people in the building, was not wearing any kind of mask, revealing his stubble and deep bags under his eyes. 

The man grumbled to himself as he walked past, seemingly unaware of his surroundings, and had almost walked past the hiding agent without noticing when suddenly he pause. Seonghwa didn't dare move as the man tilted his head just slightly to listen before he sniffed at the air, presumably catching a whiff of his hiding spot. 

That was, until he crumpled to the ground. 

Seonghwa stood there with his pistol in his hand from where he had clocked the man on the head and, not risking anyone finding the unconscious man in the middle of the hall, put his hands underneath the other's arms and pulled, tugging him back towards the room he had just left. 

Dropping the man carelessy to the floor with a thump, Seonghwa stood and stretched out his back. The Ghoul was definitely not light and his dead weight didn't help. Just as the agent looked around the room for a place to bind the man, flickering lights caught his attention. 

Screens. At least ten of them were all stacked on one another and inlaid in the wall. Without realizing it, Seonghwa had stumbled into the security room. 

Stepping closer, the agent squinted as he watched the monitors flick through different images as they connected to various cameras throughout the building and even some outside. It had just been luck that the man in charge of watching these had stepped out of the room and wasn't very good at his job. Of course, the CCG had done their research and marked where the cameras were before breaking in but avoiding them wasn't always possible at times.

The image on on of the screens changed and Seonghwa could catch a glimpse of Ravn and Hwanwoong. They both seemed to be fine as they battled the three  apparently skilled Ghouls from before but neither was backing down. They seemed to be even in skill but it was only a mater of time before numbers and exhaustion came into play if the two agents didn't make a finishing move soon. 

Shifting his gaze, Seonghwa scanned the rest of the screens to get a look ad how the other Ghoul's were moving. He was looking at one screen when the image changed and suddenly the agent was looking at the inside of the opera hall. On the stage, two figures moved around rapidly on the stage as if they were locked in some kind of dynamic dance routine.

Wait a minute-

Seonghwa leaned closer and squinted at the screen. They weren't dancing, someone was trying to run away. Then, it clicked.

Yeosang.

XxX

Yeosang could feel the sweat beading on his forehead and drip down his temple. The agent leaned his head over to his shoulder and wiped it away before it could get in his eye but didn't slow down his movements. His arms were burning as he continued to rub the ropes against the dull of the knight's sword. He had already felt some of the smaller braided threads snap and the tight knots loosen. If he could just keep this up for a little longer he could be free-

A sound. Yeosang, his heart pounding, shifted as quickly as he could and slid the ropes away from the knight and scrambled a small distance from it as to not appear suspicious. In the next moment, the door opened and the two men were back.

"Did I say you could move?" The gruff man from before said as he stepped into the room to find that their captive had shuffled away from his previous spot.

Yeosang didn't back down. "Bite me."

The man seemed to find this amusing and just smirked. "Believe me, if I could, I would. I bet that smart mouth of yours would be just delicious."

The brunette growled and jerked as the other man grabbed one of his arms and tugged him up from the ground. "Get your hands off me!"

"I sure hope you sell for a lot," the burly man continued to talk, ignoring the agent's struggles. "Other wise, this was not worth the hassle."

Yeosang continued struggling as the man twice his size continued to hold him and basically drag the agent out of the room. There wasn't much he could do, seeing as his legs were still bound together, but he did his best to keep his wrists low and pressed together so his captors didn't notice the frayed rope. 

The brunette was brought out into a brightly lit hallway and Yeosang fought to keep his eyes open against the burn of the florescent lights. It was best to try and keep track of every step lest he need to find his way back in this direction for an exit. 

The group walked a bit further and gradually, the lights began to grow dimmer as it felt they had ended up somewhere underground. Once they were close enough to their apparent destination, Yeosang felt his body being released and he pitched forward, unable to catch his balance. He winced as his shoulder slammed into the ground.

"Going up," One of the men said sinisterly as he pulled a lever. Yeosang sat up slightly and, from . underneath, he could feel the floor shift and begin to move upward. He was on a stage lift.

Above him, a trap door opened and bathed him in a bright stage light. Slowly, his body was lifted through the hole in the stage and he could see, in the distance, face after face grinning manically back at him from behind various styles of masks. There was roaring cheering as the lift came to a halt and the eyes from the seats gazed upon their potential target. 

"Ladies and gentlemen!" Yeosang jumped as a voice boomed from beside him. A man stood to his left dressed in a fine black suit and a clown like mask spoke joyously into a old school mic hanging down from the rafters. "Esteemed Ghouls of all ages, I present to you, our first item for auction."

Various 'oohs' and 'ahhs' could be heard coming from the crowd that were cast in shadows from the dark of the house. Each person seemed to have brought opera glasses up to their faces as they tried to get a better look for bidding. Yeosang scowled out at the crowd, feeling useless like a piece of meat on the slab. 

"But before we start this evenings bidding," The jovial clown continued. "We decided to provide you all with a little bit of entertainment." The man's voice had turn dark at the end, twisting with a twisted sense of humor.

Before Yeosang could react,  the stage rumbled again as another trap door opened. From the other end, a figure was being lifted up. First, the top of his head was shown, the entire thing encased in some kind of red bandana that seemed to be suffocating if it wasn't for his nose being visible.

As more of the man became visible, Yeosang's eyes grew wider. The other was huge at least four times his size and was in no way a natural human. A studded collar sat around his neck and the top half of his body, a large pot belly, was bare. He was dressed in a pair of tattered black pants and wore no shoes. 

In his right hand sat a large battle axe that still had blood on the edges.

"We have been informed by this man's handlers that he is rather feisty," The clown gave a playful growl like a cat. "We hope that he has kept that fire and will keep you all entertained and excited for the items to come!" The announcement was followed by cheers and whistles. "Bidding will begin at $50,000! Winner shall collect the remains afterwards!"

The crowd broke into such wild cheers that Yeosang almost had to cover his ears from how deafening the sound was. A sea of number plates were held in the air along with shouting bids that came so fast the auctioneer didn't even have time to keep up with them all. Absently, the brunette heard the bidding reach up to $160,000 in record time.

Yeosang's heart beat heavily in his chest and his breathing became more rapid as his eyes darted around the crowd of unseen faces. This was it. He was really being sold.

Suddenly a shadow was cast over him and he had barely enough time to roll out of the way as an axe was brought down on the spot he had just been sitting. The wood of the stage splintered horribly from the impact and the remaining splinters rained down from the air. Yeosang stared on in horror, realizing that it would be him if he hadn't moved. The crowd cheered at the attack and yelled more obscenities and commands on how to take him out.

"Take his head!"

"Chop off an arm! An arm!"

From somewhere in the crowd sat a horrified Hongjoong as he leaned over to speak to Yunho. "They're really doing this?"

Yunho didn't say anything and just pursed his lips tightly together and watched.

Yeosang quickly rolled on to all fours as he did his best to crawl away with his legs still bound. Fortunately for him, it didn't seem that the big brute had much of a brain as he grumbled and whined to pull his axe out of the floor of the stage. He had to find something sharp to free his legs. There was no way he was going to last long if he couldn't use his legs. 

There was a woosh and Yeosang flinched as something landed with a thunk close to his head. Warily cracking open one eye, he could see a small dagger had been tossed to him, sticking itself in the wood of the stage. He looked up and noticed the clown from before hanging from a swing that had descended from above.

"Give us a show why don't you?" Yeosang could just sense the sinister smile that no doubt lurked underneath the safety of that mask but he didn't wast anymore time thinking about it. Instead he quickly pulled the knife from the floor with both hands and flipped it in ward, first sawing at the already weakened ties on his hands. They popped open with minimal effort and he quickly set to work on the ties on his legs. This one took a little longer as it hadn't been loosened in any way. The knot was intricate and he had no idea how to untie it. His work was less than graceful as he hacked away at his binds, wincing as part of the knife slipped and nicked his fingers.

Finally, the ties bust open, and just in time for Yeosang to roll out of the way of another strike. The idiot must have been able to finally pull his precious axe free and he had lumbered over for another go at his helpless pray. Yeosang grit his teeth as he looked at the feebleness of his weapon against such a hulking mass but it was a weapon none the less and he would made use of it. He wasn't a trained CCG agent for nothing.

With his now free legs, Yeosang stood stably and ran to the backside of the man while he was distracted. He quickly plunged the knife into the lower part of his back before pulling it out. The hulking man gave a howl of pain and he began to swing his arms around like a pissed off mindless monster.

The brunette moved to get out of the way but he was a moment too late and a meaty fist blind sided him and slammed into his middle, flicking him away as easily as some kind of bug. Yeosang choked on air as his back slammed into the stage and he bounced before sliding to a stop. He gasped for air as he rolled over, clutching at his side. He easily had a broken rib or two if not bruised. 

Through his pained gaze, he looked up and noticed that the front and side of the stage was kept empty. There were too many Ghouls to really get away but maybe he could get far enough and hide while he contacted Seonghwa and the others. If this really was the target they were meant to hit today, they should be somewhere close to this area. 

Standing on shaky feet Yeosang made a dash for the side of the stage and into the wings before a blinding pain, like a bolt of lightning, shot through his body. His muscles twitched and spasmed before he finally managed to stumble a step back. Panting and holding onto his already injured side, Yeosang looked up and noticed for the first time barely there wires, almost completely naked to the eye, still sparking with electricity.

An electric fence.

Yeosang moved his gaze and, now that he was aware of what he was looking for, noticed that the wires ran all across the front of the stage and the wings. These bastards really were treating them like cattle. Keeping them caged and shocking them if they tried to escape, keeping them in their place.

His only option was to stay and fight. He only hoped he lasted long enough.

With a renewed sense of vigor, Yeosang turned around, staring down his opponent who was still lumbering in pain on the other side of the stage from his minor stab wound. He adjusted his grip on the knife. He was pissed. If they insisted on treating him like cattle, he was going to be the worst imaginable. He wasn't going down without a fight. 

Yeosang gave a roar and charged, brandishing his knife in hand. As nimbly as a cat, the brunette launched himself at the flailing man and scaled up his target's back. He wrapped an arm as best he could around the other's meaty neck and squeezed. The burly man cried out in surprise and increased his flailing, attempting to throw the brunette off. Yeosang increased his hold and wasn't planning on letting go. 

As soon as his grip was secure enough, the agent brought his other hand up, the one holding the knife, and reached around, jabbing it sharply into his attacker's eye. The burly man let out a screech of pain and his flailing began anew but this time Yeosang' was fighting to stay on like a bull rider at a prized rodeo. 

With a mighty yang, Yeosang pulled the knife out, the blade covered in the man's blood, and dropped from the other's back. His attacker seemed to be in a rage as he reached out for anything and everything. He wasn't even trying to get the agent anymore and instead grabbed the curtains and ripped them from where they were hanging from the rafters. He clasped his hands together and smashed them into the ground, creating yet another crater. Yeosang half expected him to pound on his chest like an angry gorilla. 

"Junior!" A voice cried from the audience. Yeosang could just faintly see a large woman in red standing from the balcony seats, her hands on the rails. 

"Mama!" The burly man spoke for the first time besides grunting. He was obviously in pain and was looking for comfort. It was honestly strange to see such a large man sound so...infantile?

"You imbecile!" She hollered at him, much to the shock of the brutish attacker. "Take his head! Show him what you've got!"

"Yes Mama!" The man answered back. He lumbered over to his forgotten axe and with a mighty pull, managed to free it from its confines. Yeosang wasn't going to back down, however, and he held up his knife once more, preparing for battle. Though, the stark contrast of the two images was not lost on anyone. 

From somewhere else in the building, an explosion rang out.

XxX

"Seems that things are picking up downstairs." A man said from atop of the opera house roof, his white cloak stained red at the edges to match his red half mask. From behind him, three agents laid dead in a pool of their own blood. A fourth, still alive, groaned as he gripped his arm in pain.

"You won't get away with this!" The agent cried. "The CCG will stop you-"

The man didn't even get to finish his protests for a stream of blood suddenly burst forth from his neck, throat slashed. The man in white didn't even spare the fallen a glance as he pulled back his Kagune, swift like the scorpion's tail it resembled and just as red, dripping with blood.

"Oh how the righteous like to hear themselves talk," The man rolled his eyes with zero remorse. "It seems that it is your time to shine. Are you ready, mon cheri?"

A blur and then a woman was kneeling beside her leader, primed and ready for battle. She was dressed similarly in white but wore a full white face mask with one eye hole. It was decorated with a red X on her right cheek.

"Of course, sir," She practically purred as she stood up. She pulled something from out of her cloak. "I happened to spot an old friend of mine inside. I'm sure he will be happy to see me."

The man chuckled at her words. "What luck. Be sure to give him a warm welcome, will you?"

The woman beside him nodded enthusiastically. She opened her hand slightly to reveal a trigger with a glowing red button. She placed her thumb neatly on top.

"I'll see you soon....Seonghwa."

She pressed the button.

Notes:

Well, here it is. Part 1 of the Auction. I hope that it didn't disappoint. It's a bit shorter than the others but if I added more I felt like it would have gotten a bit clunky or not leave me enough material for part 2 but it let me post a little early :)

 I hope it wasn't too much of a mess with the cut scenes because it might get a bit worse in the next chapter. EVERYONE is basically coming all together for the first time so its a lot to juggle all at once and may make the action feel slow at times, sorry. 

For anyone confused on how Yeosang got in this situation (because I saw some comments that people were confused)

In Motive, Yeosang was desperate to prove himself after Jongho's forced transfer. While laying in bed he decided to look up information on his own and clicked on a link to the dark web. In Wake Up Call, the dealer contacted him for the first time. In Secrets, he got the meet up time. 

These are how small my clues are. If you skim, you probably missed it. There are some others around for different things too. See if you can find them all before everything is revealed hehe.

**NEW STORY ALERT**

If you haven't already seen my ideas on my profile, I do plan on doing both eventually. It seems that some are more interested in the first one so I started working on it and, in the spirit of Halloween, wanted to post the first chapter then. (Hopefully I can keep my promise) 

(working on title) 😭 
FIRST CHAPTER: OCT 31st KST

If someone had told Hongjoong a year ago that people would be standing before him claiming that he was a Halfa- born from a Witch and a Mortal- he probably would have called you crazy. Now, with his parents missing and no known guardians willing to take him, Hongjoong finds himself sent to a prestigious academy for the Magical Arts where the halls were flooded with strange occurrences and pretentious students who frowned on those with Mortal blood. By his 21st passage around the sun he would have to make a choice: embrace his magical self and forever forsake his Mortal half or give up magic forever. But it is said in the old lore that a being of forbidden blood could become the most powerful of all and hold the keys to salvation.

There will be some changes to the summary as I type and flesh things out but please look forward to it! I don't know how often it will update as Asphyxia is my main focus but couldn't pass up the timing with the subject matter.