Transient Global Amnesia.

That was what KQ had called it when Yunho had called that morning after Mingi had woken up. The type of amnesia that impairs memory in a normally healthy person's mind brought on by extreme emotional stress or a "mini-stroke". The effects normally only lasted a day, or so Yunho hoped, but the symptoms could include confusion, nausea, and headaches. Until Mingi recovered, however, he wouldn't be able to recall any of the events of the previous day and anything associated with it. Meaning, no one but Mingi knew of the kinds of things he might have saw while he was captured. All of that was locked somewhere deep inside his brain. The barista only hoped that they would be able to deal with the reality of whatever that was once it unlocked.

Yunho stood in the doorway and watched as Mingi walked slowly around his room, taking in every detail and staring at it curiously as if he were discovering it for the first time. In a way, it was, but the brunette didn't really know that. Coming across a bookshelf, the student paused and stared at a photo perched on display. He reached out and picked it up gently, rubbing a thumb over the glass.

"Is this us?" Mingi asked softly, his eyes never leaving the picture.

The barista took a few steps forward and glanced over the other's shoulder to take a look even though he knew exactly what photo the other was talking about. It was just a simple selfie of the two of them that Mingi took the day the boy had taken Yunho to the movies as a thank you. The brunette's cheeks were puffed up and his lips pursed like he was giving a kiss to the camer. Yunho stood beside him half smiling while throwing up a peace sign. It was the first time they had hung out by themselves and the blonde had seemed rather nervous but in the end they had fun. As soon as they started dating, Yunho printed out the picture and set it in the frame as a reminder.

Mingi continued to stare at it intently, as if he were trying to conjure up the memory. He recognized himself in the picture but any thought he tried to bring up of the blonde was fuzzy at best and he had no recollection of taking the photo. There was a vague feeling of warmth, however, as he took in the blonde posed next to him. His brain may not remember, but his heart did.

"We look close." The sudden thought struck the brunette. "Are we?"

The question took the other off guard as he stood a little straighter. He scratched at the back of his head anxiously. This would be a tricky question to answer. Was he truthful and run the risk of the other running off? Or did he lie and hope Mingi remembers sooner rather than later?

"Yeah," The barista exhaled heavily. He decided to go with a sort of half-truth. He had a feeling that Mingi would be upset if he remembered and Yunho didn't tell him at least this. "We are."

Mingi just nodded his head, eyes never leaving the picture, and easily accepted the information. It didn't seem weird to him, hearing those words, so he figured it must be true. It was an odd thing, to learn something about your life that you should already know, but there wasn't anything that he could do about it.

"Where's Hongjoong?" Mingi asked as he put the frame back on the shelf for the time being.

"So you remember him, huh?" Yunho asked with a small, sad smile.

"I remember everything," The brunette said. He looked over at the blonde beside him. He gave him a little bit of a sad, sympathetic look. "I just can't seem to remember you."

The barista tried not to show the pain on his face or the whine that wanted to be released from this throat. His chest stung like he had been stabbed. "Do you remember last night?"

Mingi pursed his lips and hummed as he tried to think. After a moment, he finally shook his head. "No, I can't think of anything."

"Figures," Yunho sighed. "Hongjoong went out for a bit. Do you want some coffee?"

The brunette shrugged one shoulder noncommittally but Yunho accepted the answer and together they went downstairs. Mingi looked around curiously as they walked through the hall. He recognized  the place, his feet familiar with this path, but  he couldn't recall any specifics, just that he got the feeling he had been there before.

Yunho opened the door to the main part of the cafe and Mingi stepped through. As soon as he entered and took in the space, however, he stumbled as a wave of dizziness struck him. The blonde quickly steadied the other to keep him from falling as the brunette held his head in pain. The room was the most familiar to him, and he knew he must have spent a lot of time here, but any memories he had were blocked somehow. Like a river that was dammed with only a few trickles of water breaking through. Flashes of scenes moved before his eyes, almost too quickly for him to register.

Working with Hongjoong. A blonde man named Wooyoung making coffee. Crying on the floor while Yunho held him.

"Mingi?" Yunho asked in alarm as he grabbed onto the other.

"I'm fine," The brunette spoke through gritted teeth. His head felt like it was being squeezed in a pressure cooker.

"Here, sit down." The blonde gently guided the other to a chair and sat him on it. Yunho rubbed at the other's back in soothing circles as Mingi continued to hold his head in pain. Finally, the aching ceased and the brunette took a deep breath.

"Better?" Yunho said softly with an arm still around Mingi. The student nodded and the blonde moved to stand behind the counter to ready a cup of coffee.

Mingi watched as the barista heated up some water before turning to reach for a container of coffee grounds. The blonde's movements were fluid and practiced, not a single bit of hesitation as he stared his work with concentration. There was a comforting feeling as the brunette observed, as if he had watched Yunho do it a thousand times before in the past.

"Hazelnut," Mingi suddenly blurted suddenly. Yunho paused and turned his head over his shoulder in confusion, his arm still extended. "You always make me hazelnut because you know it is my favorite and I don't like the french roast."

"You remember?" The barista lowered his hand and fully turned around to face the brunette. He tried to keep the hopeful tone out of his voice.

Mingi frowned, thinking for a moment, before sadly shaking his head in disappointment. Yunho managed to keep his face as neutral as possible for the other but his heart constricted inside his chest. Instead, the blonde reached out and placed his hand on top of the others and gave it a small squeeze.

"It will come to you," Yunho tried to reassure and stay positive. The brunette looked up and the corner of his lip quirked in an effort to make a smile but it wasn't convincing. It was rather unnerving when you could remember your whole life up until that point just to come up to some black hole of empty space. To have no recollection of something, as if a part of you was missing.

Yunho didn't say anymore as he poured the cup he had made, the hazelnut aroma warm and inviting. He set the mug down in front of the other and crossed his arms on the counter. "HOw about we just talk? Maybe that might spark something."

Seeing as he didn't really have anything to lose, Mingi shrugged and lifted the coffee cup up to his lips, blowing on it softly. Together, they talked about anything and everything to pass the time. Soon, they didn't even focus on their goal of getting the other to remember. Instead, they just relished in each other's company.

It was the best cup of coffee Mingi had ever had.

XxX

Seonghwa whistled as he spun his keys on his finger as he walked towards the door to the office. He typed in the passcode and waited for the click of the deadbolt being rolled back. When he walked through the entryway, he was surprised to find that the room already had the lights turned on, a consistent tapping sound filling the area. Turning his head, the leader noticed a sandy brunette head barely poking over the computer monitor.

"Didn't expect to see you here so early," Seonghwa commented off-hand as he walked closer, perching on one of the nearby desks. Yeosang didn't even pause in his typing to acknowledge his leader's greeting. Raising an eyebrow, the leader continued. "I see you got your cast off."

This time, the brunette did physically respond as he briefly held up his right arm, now sporting an arm brace instead of a plaster cast. He wiggled his fingers slightly, as if stating the obvious, and returned his fingers to the keys. Seonghwa frowned.

"What are you working on?" The older tried again, switching tactics. "He glanced at the screen and noticed freeze frames of the city street.

"Security cams," The brunette said shortly, as if that explained everything.

"What are you looking at that for?" Seonghwa raised an eyebrow before a thought dawned on him. "Are you still trying to find out information about that failed operation? Yeosang, most of the relevant tapes we needed were destroyed in the fire and we were told to stand down until we received new orders. Jongho is on the case now with a specially designed team. We have to trust that he will take care of it."

Yeosang's shoulders tensed as his leader spoke and his fingers slowed to a stop on the keys. Seonghwa didn't seem to notice and continued. "I know this is hard on you but you need to rest. The deep bags under your eyes tell me you're not sleeping and I'm sure you aren't eating. You're spreading yourself too thin."

As the leader talked, the brunette's shoulders rose higher and higher with tension, nearly up to his ears. Finally, he snapped. "I can't just sit here and do nothing!" Yeosang slammed his balled up hands onto the desk, rattling it with the force. Seonghwa jumped from the sound and looked at the other in alarm.

"Yeosang," The leader sighed after a moment. He sympathized with the other's feelings, he was in a similar state after Maddox, but he was only going to give the other so much time to throw a little pity party before they had to focus if they wanted to catch these guys. They were a team and it was about time they started acting like one again.

"Trust me, you aren't doing nothing. We will catch them." Seonghwa stressed, "Jongho just happens to be in a better position for that than us right now. We have to trust him. When he calls for us, we will be there."

The brunette's shoulders slumped abruptly and his clenched fists unfurled out onto the desk with a sigh. He rolled his neck to relieve the rest of the tension there. "I know. I guess I just needed something to occupy myself. Desk duty is driving me crazy."

"Why are you going through all that footage anyway?" The leader stood back up and placed his hands in his pants pockets. "Isn't it kind of a waste of time? We already went through them once." Seonghwa gestured to the bulletin board behind him that was still decorated with grainy pictures.

"I thought I could find footage of the people that attacked us and pull up other cams in the area to see if I could trace where they emerged from instead of just looking at the ones outside the building. With any luck, we might see one or two of them without the mask." Yeosang said, turning back to his work.

"Wouldn't that take a long time? That must be hundreds of hours of footage. How long have you been at this?" Seonghwa raised an eyebrow in surprise as his phone buzzed his pocket. He pulled out the device to look at  it while still replying.

'Mingi's awake' It was a text from Hongjoong. Seonghwa typed a quick reply as Yeosang responded.

'That's great. Do you need me to bring you anything? How is he?'

"Not long," the brunette shrugged. "Since about seven this morning."

"Seven?" The other popped his head back up to regard his subordinate curiously. "It's almost two in the afternoon."

"Is it?" Yeosang lifted his good wrist up to check his watch. It was. "I didn't notice."

"Yeosang." Seonghwa started as if a parent scolding a petulant child. He ran a hand through his hair as his phone buzzed again. "I'm ordering you to take a break."

'Can I see you?'

"One more tape and then I'll take a break." The brunette  brushed off. "I think I'm close to finding something."

Seongwha sighed as he looked at his phone. He shook his head at the other's  response. He would force Yeosang to rest whether he liked it or not. The leader typed a reply to Hongjoong's  second message and was about to put his phone back away when it vibrated one more time. It was an email notification. Tapping the banner, he read over the contents quickly and frowned.

"We're back!" The door burst open and in walked a cheerful looking Hwanwoong trailed by a Ravn who was suppressing a yawn. The skipping younger agent halted abruptly when he took in the new presence in the room and Yeosang's deadpan stare. "Oh, Seonghwa, when did you get here?"

"Just a little bit ago," The leader answered back while walking towards the two new occupants in the room. He shifted his gaze to Ravn. "Did you get it?"

The other leader schooled his face suddenly and took on a more serious expression. He nodded. "Yeah."

"Uh," Hwanwoong stood in between the two agents who seemed to be having a whole silent conversation and reminding them of his presence. "Care to share with the class?"

"We have new orders," Ravn announced to the room. "The Butcher hasn't struck since the botched operation and so his investigation is going on hiatus until further notice."

"Right now we are going to provide back-up to a raid." Seonghwa picked up. "Apparently an informant has notified us of a human auction that's been taking place."

"Wait, wait, wait," Hwanwoong put up a hand in a stop like motion. "Do you mean an auction run by humans or a human auction." Are Ravn's look, he quickly lowered his hand. "Right, dumb quesiton."

"As if they didn't get enough satisfaction from hunting us like animals," Ravn sighed as he rubbed at his brow. "Is there anything these Ghouls won't do?"

"There is a chance that the place will be crawling with big wigs," Seonghwa cut in. "We may even run into our old friends Lady Red."

This caught Yeosang's attention as he sat up at his desk. "When is the auction supposed to take place?"

"Possibly in the next week," The older of the two leaders answered. "Our informant is supposed to meet up with someone at some club to deliver that information. They want us to be the ones securing the area."

At the mention of a club, Seonghwa looked over at the other agent and furrowed his brow. It couldn't be the same one that Hongjoong had asked him to check out right? That would be too much of a coincidence.

"Pretty subtle place for an information exchange, don't you think?" The brunette raised an eyebrow.

"It will be loud and crowded. No one would think twice about two more people being there." Ravn shrugged a single shoulder. "We have to be the eyes and ears to prevent anything from happening."

Yeosang looked like he wanted to say more but a ringing filled the room. The whip- wielding agent looked down at his phone sitting on the desk. An unknown number had popped up.

"Sorry, I have to take this." The agent said as he grabbed the device and quickly scurried out of the room, three pairs of curious eyes following his exit.

As soon as he was in an empty hallway, Yeosang hit 'answer' and held the phone up to his ear. "I thought I thought I told you not to call me at work."

The agent's gruff tone was met with a distorted chuckling definitely caused by a voice modifier. "Easy princess."

"What do you want?" Yeosang didn't even rise to the obvious lure in the other's comment.

"Don't get snippy," The voice on the other end lost all the humor it had before. "You were the one that clicked on our link."

The brunette gritted his teeth to keep from snapping back but took a deep breath. "Fine, why are you calling?" He asked, a lot calmer this time.

"We found what you wanted." The gruff auto-tuned voice said. "Give us a week."

"A week?!" Yeosang said a little too loudly in surprise. Two people walking down the hallway shot him a look. The agent just ignored them and turned to face the wall. Quieter he hissed into the receiver. "Can't you get it any earlier? I'm paying good money."

"Can't," Denied the other. "Demand is high."

Sighing, Yeosang rubbed a hand over his face in frustration. "Fine. Just text me the place to meet when you have it ready."

The person on the other end agreed and Yeosang ended the call. He continued to look at his phone screen and watched as it went black, squeezing the device hard. He sighed once more before he put his phone back in his pocket and headed back towards the office to get some more work done.

He really hoped he didn't regret this.

XxX

Jongho wrung his hands together nervously as his eyes raked over the nameplates of the others that would be joining him at the conference table. It was finally time to meet the rest of the task force he would be sharing his time with and he was honestly a little intimidated. It was obvious that he would be one of the greenest agents in the room and he wasn't sure how the others would take it.

What made him the most nervous, however, were the odd seating arrangements. As usual, the head of the table is taken by whoever would be conducting the meeting and the one of highest rank, in this case Eden, and the following ranks would be sat at either side and then go in descending order. Jongho's spot, however, was directly to the right of Eden, a place normally reserved for the second in command and next highest officer. He had no business being in this position and the young man stayed perched towards the edge of his seat ready to bolt the second someone told him too.

The door to the conference room opened and Jongho stood up and bowed out of respect for whoever it was that had just entered. His actions were treated with a chuckle and he stood back up right to get a look at who had just joined. It was Eden.

"Relax, Jongho," The man said in an easy going manner. "You look like you're about to take off any moment."

"Sorry, sir." The younger apologized. Eden gestured for him to take a seat which he did so reluctantly. "I'm just a little nervous meeting everyone."

"Don't be, it will be alright." The leader took his place at the head of the table. In the next second, the door opened from behind the younger once more and four people walked through, two men and two women.

The first of the men was tall with platinum blonde hair and wore two small silver hoops in both ears. He had a rather broad chest and looked as if he was about to burst out of his suit. One flex and the buttons would surely pop off. Jongho gulped. He knew he was strong but it seemed like nothing compared to the other in front of him.

The next man seemed rather mild mannered and smiled brightly as he entered the room. His hair was died blue and a little longer in the back, like the beginnings of a mullet, but his bangs were split in the front showing off his forehead.

The first girl had cropped and layered shoulder length hair that curled outward just slightly. It was nice a light brown, almost auburn color that complimented her facial structure. She seemed tiny and compared to the two taller men beside her.

The other woman was only an inch taller but she exuded a confidence that made her presence more prominent. She had long dark hair that was lightly curled. She seemed at home in her loosely cut pant suit as she stood with her hands in her pants pockets.

"Jongho, meet the rest of the squad." Eden introduced with a wave of his hand. "Each one has their own specialties and have been specifically hand picked for this task force."

"Nice to meet you," The buff man spoke first. Despite his large muscles, he had a bright smile on his face and a friendly demeanor as he walked closer and held out a hand. "I'm Lee Hoseok but most call me Wonho."

"Choi Jongho," The younger reciprocated as he grabbed the hand presented to him. He winced as the other gripped just a little too hard.

"Whoops!" Wonho chuckled as he pulled his hand back to rub at the back of his neck. "Sometimes I don't realize my own strength."

"s'ok," The young agent brushed off as he shook out his hand. He was definitely a force. Jongho felt weak in comparison. Maybe he would go hit the gym after this.

"You'll have to excuse him," The woman with the long hair said. Her voice was deeper than the agent had expected. She held out a soft delicate hand. "Hi, Moon Byul-yi."

Jongho nodded and shook hands with the woman, just like he did with Wonho before looking over at the other two. The man with the dark blue hair just smiled and nodded before introducing himself.

"Lee Hoetaek, Hui for short." The blunette introduced. "Been with the CCG for years and I've never seen anything quite like this. I hope we can work well together."

"Dami," The last woman interjected. When the others just shot her a look she rolled her eyes. "Lee Yubin, us youngest have to stick together."

Jongho raised an eyebrow and nodded at the woman's response. The demeanor she carried made her appear somewhat mature,  he couldn't have been more than a few years older than him. The young agent opened his mouth to say something when someone cleared their throat. The group turned around collectively to see Eden still standing at the edge of the table.

"Well," he started. "Now that introductions are out of the way, why don't we all have a seat?"

The group heeded their new leader's orders and shuffled their way towards the chairs. Jongho sat back down in his original seat, despite his discomfort, and Hui sat across from him on the left of Eden. Wonho was on his other side followed by Moonbyul. On Jongho's left was Dami.

"Let's get started shall we?" Eden shuffled some papers in front of him to start the meeting when the sound of the door bursting open loudly caused everyone to jump. All of them swiveled their heads to look over and spotted a small man panting heavily in the doorway. He had choppy black hair that flopped over his forehead and dressed in the typical suits that the CCG were assigned to wear.

"Sorry I'm late!" The man exhaled heavily, still trying to catch his breath. "I had a last minute meeting that ran long."

"Ah, Jihoon," The eldest said in mild surprise. "I didn't think you would be able to join us today."

"I shifted my next appointment to squeeze in the time," The man, now known as Jihoon, said. He made his way from the door and walked around the table, taking a seat beside Dami to make the table distribution even. He seemed to know the other's at the table as they all shared a collective nod of greeting.

Seeing Jongho's confused face, Eden decided to introduce the new intrusion. "Jongho this is Lee Jihoon but most people in the field call him Woozi."

"Woozi?" The youngest raised an eyebrow at the name. It seemed like everyone here had something different that they went by in the field. It made sense, if anyone called out their name during a fight, then vengeful Ghouls wouldn't know their real names in order to track down their families as easily if they had them. Maybe he should consider getting a field name of his own.

The new arrival seemed to sit just a little straighter at the mention of his name, apparently misreading Jongho's tone. "Got a problem with that?"

"Oh, no no!" The youngest was quick to wave away. he really was out of his element here. "I just thought it was a rather unique name."

"Wait till you see him in the field," chuckled Hui. He knew how fiery The shorter could get but it was mostly a front, all bark and no bite, at least to those that didn't count. Against Ghouls, however, that was a different story. "You will find out real quick how he got his name."

"Noted," Jongho nodded swallowing the lump in his throat. He missed his old team already. He missed Hwanwoong's terrible jokes, Ravn's kind nature, Seonghwa's caring demeanor, and Yeosang's dry humor. A thought of Xion quickly flashed through his mind and he frowned, steeling his resolve. He was here for a reason and he was going to fulfill his mission no matter what.

"Well," Eden called everyone's attention back once more. "We have our first assignment."

There was an immediate shift in the room. Everyone sat just a little straighter and all humor seeped from their faces. It was time to get serious and find out the real reason they all had been brought together. Jongho tried to keep his leg from bouncing underneath the table, anxious.

The squad leader started handing out files and the rest of the table passed them down. Once he had received his, Jongho flipped it open to the first page and frowned. Several pictures of mangled corpses and crime scene tape greeted his eyes.

"Another team has been working a case regarding human auctions." Eden recited as the others looked over the details. "Just yesterday they managed to create a stake out operation and they have found the location where they believe an auction will be held later next week."

"They really do think this is all a game," Dami scowled as she flipped the page.

"And we are to assist with the sting operation?" Moonbyul speculated with a raised brow as she looked up from the folder. It was pretty standard procedure for other teams to be called in to assist with large jobs such as this one.

"Yes and no." The leader shook his head. "While we will be there physically, we will be working separately. It's not confirmed but there is a rumor that Lady Red will be present. We need to be ready in case that happens.

At the mention of Lady Red, the  folder in Jongho's hands crinkled as he tightened his grip. If  they were there, he may be getting his chance at revenge a lot earlier than he expected. The risk of this mission was high, and there was a very good chance that they would lose  a lot  of good agents in this raid, but Jongho was prepared. This was what he had been working  toward and he wasn't going to let this opportunity slip through his fingers if the bomber really was there.

"The raid is just a distraction then?" Wonho asked. He didn't like the sound of agents going  against a horde of Ghouls. "We're just using agents?"

"The raid serves a purpose." Eden shot down. "It's just not our purpose. Our priority is gathering  information and taking down the ones responsible for the building explosion. We don't know the full capabilities of this group or their end goals but one Ghoul is dangerous enough, let alone a united force with an agenda."

"So, we go in," Woozi said, "Then what?"

"We won't know much else until the informant has their last meeting sometime this week." THe leader answered back. "Once we hear back that's when we'll know."

"Step one: make a plan." Hui said, closing his folder. "Step two: throw the plan out the window."

Moonbyul gave a sudden snort of humor. "Sounds about right."

"I don't know about  you guys, but I could use a drink." Wonho said as he leaned back in his chair and stretched his arms overhead. His back gave a loud pop. "We can take the newbie out. See how he handles his alcohol."

"Oh no," Jongho tried to politely decline, feeling a small ball of panic form in his chest and feeling a little shy at having all the attention on him. He wasn't ready for anything like this. He had just met these people and it was already a little overwhelming.

"Don't be like that!" Dami said cheerfully as she patted him rather harshly on the back, causing the youngest to jolt with the force. "It'll be good. Team bonding and all that."

"You all go ahead," Eden said, standing from his chair and pulling his suit jacket from the back. "I think I will let you youngsters have all the fun, I still have some work to do."

"Oh come on," Woozi protested, also standing. "You say that as if you're ancient."

"In this kind of field, he kind of is." Moonbyul supplied with a small shrug, unhelpful. "Most tend to stick in the office dealing with bureaucratic red tape by now. You're one of the few that still goes out for some action."

"Well, not tonight he doesn't." Eden said with a smile and a chuckle. "You  guys have fun."

There was a chorus of 'booing' and 'you're no fun!' being shouted as the group congregated in the middle of the  room. Jongho hung back, feeling a little awkward and out of place until he felt a hand grab his arm and pull. The younger looked over to see Dami smiling back as she guided him over to the rest. He moved hesitantly but was enveloped into the group with open arms. They all smiled as they all continued to talk and bond as a team.

Jongho laughed at a joke as his eyes slid over to the still open case file, the smile on his face slipping away, the empty gaze of the dead woman staring back burning a hole in his mind.

XxX

"Thought I'd find you here."

Seoho turned around from where he was sitting at the edge of the roof gazing at the stars. Keonhee stood with his hands in his pockets, the roof door closing behind him. The moon was full and cast a light glow on his features, making them appear softer. The Ghoul sitting didn't answer as he turned back around.

"How'd you find me?" Seoho spoke, the other's footsteps growing closer.

"You always come here when you want to think." Keonhee said, settling himself besides the other. "Nice night, huh?"

"Where's Leedo?" The other ignored the question.

"Not here," The taller shrugged. "Messaged earlier that he wouldn't be around for the next couple of days. Said he had to take care of something."

Seoho just hummed in acknowledgement. "We all need a bit of a break. Boss has us running errands day and night."

"That Seongsu group has been getting worse." Keonhee sighed. "They're like zombies. Once you think you get rid of them all, they keep coming back."

Seoho shot the other a strange look. "Do you mean herpes?"

Keonhee just tilted his head curiously like a small puppy, his eyes wide with innocence. "Isn't it the same thing?"

The other just shook his head and decided not to comment further. Keonhee was his own special kind of person with a rather unique outlook on life. It was best to just drink his kool aid sometimes rather than fight it.

Figuring it was starting to get too cold outside, Seoho made to stand while dusting off the back of his pants. "We should get some rest. It is almost time for our patrol."

Their gang spent the majority of their days and nights in an abandoned building that they had adapted over their time there. Actually, it was more of a little commune in the area. Any time a company came to  try and occupy it, the rest of the group was always quick to scare them off. This place was home to most people as over half of the gang were either runaways or homeless.

In the beginning, when San had been running it, this  place had been a refuge for those who didn't have a place to belong. With him gone, the warm atmosphere that surrounded the place before had dissipated. Now, it just felt like an empty shell that just occupied space. The only reason that Seoho, Leedo, and Keonhee stuck around was to watch the younger ones under the new leadership and try to preserve some of what San left behind but they  were quickly growing tired. They knew it was about time they found their way out and take the youngsters with them.

Keonhee nodded and made to follow. As soon as Seonho reached out and grabbed the handle, there was the sound of an explosion from somewhere in the distance. The after blow was strong and the two had to brace themselves as the building shook and a wind brushed over them.

"What was that?" Keonhee gasped as soon as they righted their footing from the aftershock. Seoho looked over and caught sight of smoke rising from behind the other's shoulder. Not wasting any time,the Ghoul threw the door open with all his might and raced down the stairs, Keonhee not far behind.

Rushing towards the site of the blow, they would bump into and shoulder people rushing in the opposite direction. THey  didn't even pay any mind to this and continued to push forward into the haze. When they got closer, they skidded to a halt.

A wall of fire. It seemed to engulf everything in its path like a ravenous monster. Broken wooden  beams crashed to the ground as the building lost its structural integrity. The worst part was that this was the building they normally housed their youngest members.

Out of the corner of his eye, Seoho caught movement. "Jo!" He hollard, frightening the young teenager and causing him to nearly jump out of his skin.

Seeing that it was one of the group, the young boy named Jo jogged over. He was stick thin and on the shorter side. They had hoped when they  took  him in he would manage to  gain weight and grow a few inches with a healthy diet. His hair was matted with dirt  and sweat and his skin was coated in soot smudges.

Once the boy was close enough, Seoho grabbed onto his shoulders and leaned down to his level. "What happened?"

"I-I don't know," The poor boy stuttered, shaking like a leaf from the adrenaline. "One minute we were playing soccer outside and then the building blew!"

"Was anyone left inside?" Keonhee asked worriedly as he came up from the other side.

Jo shook his head. "Everyone was outside. The only one not accounted for is Junyoung but he  went to the arcade with some of the hyungs."

Seoho breathed a sigh of relief as his hands slid of the other's shoulders and he stood back up straight. He turned back to look at the fire still burning, the heat warming his skin. He ran a ragged hand  through his hair.

"Who would do something like this?" Keonhee asked in disbelief. Memories of when he had lived in that very same building crossed his mind. It was hard to believe the place he had spent so much time in as a teenager was now going up in flames.

There was a whistling sound followed by a thunk and everyone jumped back to avoid whatever had flown at them. Looking down, an arrow had stuck itself in the ground. Quickly,  the two Ghouls threw the young boy in between them and faced outward to both create a shield in case there were more arrows and to keep watch. There was a tense beat but no more arrows followed the first. Relaxing for just a moment,  the  two older Ghouls shared a look before Seoho walked forward a few steps to check out the arrow while Keonhee stayed close to Jo.

Once close enough, Seonho crouched down, noticing a piece of paper wrapped around the weapons and secured with a neat piece of red twine. Plucking the arrow out of the ground, the Ghoul stood.  Carefully, as if expecting something to happen, Seoho pulled one end of the string and watched it unknot.  Finally, he unwrapped the note, tossing the arrow to the side. No one moved as his eyes quickly scanned the contents. After a moment, the gang member looked up, expression serious.

"We need to call San."

XxX

Hongjoong blew softly into his cupped hands, bouncing on the balls of his feet as he tried to keep warm on the side of the street. It had been fairly mild that morning so he had decided to forgo his jacket but was severely regretting that now as the sun had set. He hoped he wouldn't have to stand there for much longer.

It seemed that his thoughts had been answered when in  the next moment, a sleek black car pulled to the side and slowed to a stop where Hongjoong was standing. Stepping off the curb, the red-head reached out and grabbed the handle pulling  it open. He stuck his head inside.

"It figures you would have a black car," The half-Ghoul said with a soft smirk and teasing tone.

Seonghwa chuckled from behind the steering wheel. "Came with the job."

The red-head slid inside, seating himself on the pre-heated leather seats and shut the door. Immediately he shoved his hands in front of the heating vent in front of him, sighing in relief as the warm air thawed his red fingers. Seonghwa shifted gears and did a quick glance in his mirrors before pulling away.

"You know," The agent said with a smirk as he drove forward. "You wouldn't be so cold if you had a coat on."

"Oh, gee," Hongjoong huffed lightly with a false pout. His voice was higher, imitating a sweet southern girl. "Why hadn't I thought of that?"

Seonghwa chuckled at the teasing before he turned on  his signal to switch lanes. "Seriously though, why aren't you wearing a coat? Didn't you hear? It is still winter in Korea."

"Maybe I wanted to give being a popsicle a try?" The red-head shrugged one shoulder. When the agent shot him a side eye, Hongjoong sighed. "I forgot it at the cafe. With Mingi waking up, it was the last thing on my mind to grab."

At the  mention of  the other student, Seonghwa's light smile slid off his face, the mood instantly shifting. "Is he alright?"

"Yeah," The student exhaled. "I think he will be. Right now he is having some memory problems."

"Do you think he will remember?" The agent pried lightly.

"I hope so," Hongjoong kept his eyes forward as he spoke. "Otherwise, we will never know what happened to him in that club."

There it was again. Mention of a club. He wondered if it was the same one. "Speaking of clubs," Seonghwa asked hesitantly, "What was the name of the one you wanted me to check out again?"

"Club Desire," Hongjoong answered before snorting. "What a weird name right? It is a real wonder  why Mingi even went there in the first place."

"Yeah..." Seonghwa said, his eyes shifting as if trying to read the thoughts crossing his mind.

"Thank you," The red-head's soft and rather meek sounding voice cut the other's speculations short. Seonghwa looked over as best he could while driving to see Hongjoong with his head  lowered and fiddling with his fingers nervously.

"For what?" The agent asked in confusion while rolling to a stop at a red light.

"Just...Just for being here for me, you know?" Hongjoong stopped messing with his hands to look up at the other, sincerity in his eyes. "You've helped me so much. Whenever I need you,  you're there, no questions asked. It kind of feels like I'm taking advantage sometimes."

Seonghwa just reached over and put his hand over the other's, his larger one nearly  covering them both. "You could never take advantage. I want you to run to me, remember? I can be that safe space for you."

Hongjoong looked down at the hand holding his before looking back up into Seonghwa's eyes. Even in the dim glow coming in from the street lights, they glowed. Smiling, the red head finally nodded. He turned his hand over, holding on to the agent's, and squeezed.

They didn't let go the whole way to Seonghwa's apartment.

XxX

Yeosang leaned back heavily in his chair as he stretched enough to put even a cat to shame. With a sigh, he rolled his neck to try and relieve the tension and rubbed tiredly at his face. The blue of the screen casting a harsh glow onto his normally soft features making the bags underneath his eyes that much more prominent. It was dark out now. The brunette hadn't even noticed when the sun had started to go down. He forgot how early sunset was this time of year.  Everyone else had already gone for the day and it was only him left.

Deciding to take a small break, Yeosang swiveled around in his chair and pulled out his phone. No new messages. Sighing,  the brunette tossed the device back onto the desk, slumping down the  cushions of the seat.

He missed Jongho. If anyone asked, he would deny it but It hadn't been that long since his transfer and the absence was sorely felt. The brunette had taken for granted how much time they actually had spent together in the office.

Of course, they still hung out outside of work. In fact, Yeosang thinks he had been over to Jongho's more often than his own apartment this past  week. They would spend hours together, either watching terrible movies and arguing over the characters or just sitting silently in each other's presence while they read or looked at their phones. It had become a routine. One that Yeosang was growing far too comfortable with but true to his work, Jongho didn't ever push for anything. He seemed perfectly happy to just  spend his time with the brunette, however he could get it.

Sometimes Yeosang would find himself staring. Just staring and taking in everything that Jongho was. He was strong, everyone knew that, but he  was also one of the kindest men that the brunette had ever known. He was caring and compassionate. Not to mention hardworking. The brunette loved to tease him and lived for the moments he said something just  humorous enough that his smile would become that soft gummy one that made his eyes crinkle at the edges.

Lately, Yeosang wondered what it would be like to just fold himself into the other's arms while they red books or to kiss him on the forehead when the younger fell asleep watching a late night program. Just the thought of those things caused a weird swooshing feeling in his stomach that wasn't exactly unpleasant. In fact, it filled him with something rather hopeful instead.

Gently swiveling in his chair, Yeosang brought a hand up and traced his bottom lip with a fingertip, the ghost of a touch just hanging on to the edges of his memory. He almost couldn't believe that Jongho had kissed him. He also couldn't believe that he had initiated a kiss with the other. His heart fluttered. Maybe he was more ready for something more than he thought.

Smiling softly to himself, the brunette brought his hand down and made to turn around to get back to work when the bulletin board stopped him. With everything going since that day, he had honestly forgotten that it was there and hadn't given it that much attention until now as something familiar caught his eye.

Standing from his chair, Yeosang moved over to the board and leaned to get a closer look at the grainy picture. Thinking, he snatched the photo off and quickly walked back to his desk, collapsing into the chair and typing furiously. Quickly, the light being cast onto his face as he quickly scanned the M-pegs on the computer. Finally, he stopped at one and pressed play. The agent sat back as he watched the scene on the screen unfold.

"Bingo." Yeosang muttered to himself. Quickly, he took a quick screenshot and downloaded the file. Opening up his email,  he searched for the correct person before composing his message, making sure to attach his findings. Once finished, he scanned it over once to  make sure there were no mistakes.

Finally, he hit send.

XxX

There was a jingling sound of keys from outside the door before a crack of light seeped into the room. Stepping inside, a figure reached over and flicked on a lamp as he toed off his shoes. From behind, another person followed.

"It isn't much," Leedo said as he stepped up into the entryway, his now sock clad feet padding softly on the hardwood floor. "But it's home."

Xion stepped inside and noticed a small kitchenette that consisted of a sink and a little gas stove to his immediate left. On the right there seemed to be a small bathroom. Following the other through a doorway, the younger stepped into the living room. Or, what he thought would have been the living room but also seemed to function as the bedroom, dining room, and laundry room all at once.

On the far wall there as a window with a short bookshelf underneath full of all kinds of stories of varying genres. In the corner was a standard bed with the sheets disturbed from sleep with a small night stand beside it with a lamp and a heavily used book on top. The only other things in the room seemed to be a washer behind a screen, a small wardrobe, and a little table shoved in a corner with two chairs.

"I'll say," Xion said as he took in his meager surroundings. This was definitely a lot different than  what  he was used to on the CCG's dime.

"Hey," Leedo chastised with no real heat. "I'm letting you stay  here, aren't I?"

"And where exactly is here?" The ex-agent raised a brow. "I only see one bed."

Leedo didn't respond and seemed to take on the challenge as he walked towards the bed. Leaning  down, he reached underneath and pulled something neatly folded out. Once he had a hold of the item he wanted, the Ghoul dragged it into the center of the room and unfolded it, the heavy material flopping onto the floor with a small thump. It was an ondole set. 

Leedo smiled up at Xion and patted the material twice while the younger looked down as  if to say 'are you serious?' The Ghoul seemed to find this amusing as he chuckled and got back up  to his feet.

"Don't worry, princess, you aren't sleeping on the floor." Leedo said, deciding to put the other out of his misery. "I'll change the sheets and you can have the bed."

Suddenly, Xion felt a little guilty. Here was someone being so nice to him and offering up his home unconditionally and he was acting like a spoiled brat. "You don't have to do that for me..."

"It's ok," The other waved off, already in the small wardrobe diffing for new sheets. "Can't have a former agent sleeping on the ground, can we? Besides, I like sleeping in ondoles. Kinda like indoor camping."

The younger bit the inside of his cheek as a small smile tried to form on his face. He still felt a little guilty but he had a feeling that Leedo wouldn't take no for an answer. It was strange, despite the utter chaos that had been this day and all the stress, the Ghoul had this strange effect of making Xion feel relaxed. It was like he radiated a calming aura that settled the younger's nerves and made him feel comfortable. He wasn't exactly sure how to process that feeling but he was too tired to care at the moment.

As if seemingly able to read the other's thoughts, Leedo stood back up from the bed where he had pulled off the old sheets and replaced them with the new. He smiled triumphantly.

"Here," The blunette gestured to the bed. "You must be tired. Get some sleep, ok?"

"Um," Xion suddenly felt awkward as he grabbed at his arm nervously. "Do you think I could use your show and borrow some clothes? I don't exactly want to keep smelling like a dumpster..."

"Oh, right," Leedo was quick to respond, his deep voice filling the room loud and clear. "Go ahead, you can borrow some of my clothes."

Nodding, Xion watched as the Ghoul pulled out some of his own sleep wear. You could tell they were old and well worn as there were a few thin patches but they were still wearable. As the agent gently took them from Leedo's hands, he could catch the smell of lemon from the wash. He ran his thumb over the soft material and for the first time, he truly took in what the other was wearing.

His clothing wasn't fast fashion and instead looked like it had seen better days. The denim was well worn and slightly torn at the knees in a way that Xion knew he didn't buy them that way. The ex-agent felt his grip tighten on the pajamas in his grasp. The clothes, the tiny box apartment, and the meager personal possessions. It all made sense. He wondered just how much Leedo had suffered in his life but still managed to push through and have a heart open enough  to still take someone in off the streets. It was mind boggling.

"I'll see you when you get out, ok?" The blunette said, already settling onto the ondole with the book from the nightstand, his thumb replacing the bookmark within.

Xion just nodded as he padded his way into the bathroom. Quickly getting out of his dirty clothes, the agent tossed them to the side as he turned on the water. The high pressure was nice and he let the spray wash over him and relax his overly tense muscles as he tried to keep his head empty of all thoughts. He didn't realize how badly he had needed this.

When he decided he had enough, the younger reached out and turned off the tap and toweled dry with a clean towel he had found in a little cabinet. Dressing, he stepped out of the bathroom with a billow of steam trailing behind while he kept rubbing at his wet hair with the towel around his neck. Walking into the living room, he paused.

Apparently Leedo had fallen asleep while the other had been getting cleaned up.  He was laid stretched out on the  ondole set with one arm behind his head and his  book  gently laid over  his face  concealing his soft breathing. He looked peaceful and fully at relaxed for the first time since they had run into  each  other.

Acting without thinking, Xion  stepped closer. As softly  as he  could, he managed to pry the book out of the other's hand, careful to mark the page, and set it back where he had gotten it from.  He unfolded the blanket sitting off the the side and gently laid it over the blunette.

Leedo seemed to have felt the change as he shifted. Xion froze, afraid that he had woken the other up when he just ended up grabbing the edge of the blanket and pulled it tighter before rolling over onto his side.  Xion breathed a sigh of relief before he chuckled at  the other's behavior.

Deciding it was time to go to sleep himself,  Xion walked over to the bed  and pulled back the covers and settled in. Just like the clothes he was wearing, the sheets also smelled like fresh lemon. He  reached out and turned off the lamp before snuggling into the covers.

"Goodnight," The ex-agent whispered into the night knowing he wouldn't get a response. He jumped when a deep voice answered back.

"Sweet dreams, Xion."

XxX

Seonghwa typed in his door passcode and flipped on the light before holding it open for Hongjoong to step through first. The red head slipped underneath the other's arm with a soft 'thank you' before taking off his shoes in the door way. Once barefoot, he made a beeline for the kitchen.

"You start the movie and I'll make us some coffee?" Hongjoong called over his shoulder.

"Coffee?" Seonghwa echoed in confusion before joining the other. He stood in the door way and watched as the other opened various drawers looking for various things. "It's late, why not make some popcorn? And since when did you know your way around my kitchen?"

"I saw you make it before and I think I remember where you keep your stuff." Hongjoong shrugged a shoulder before he opened yet another cabinet that didn't have what he was looking for. "And I don't want popcorn. I want coffee. I never did get you that cup you came in for awhile ago."

Seonghwa rolled his eyes fondly before walking over to the younger. Hongjoong froze as he felt the other's presence behind him, close enough that his senses immediately flooded with the scent of sandalwood. The red head closed his eyes and inhaled, lost in the moment for a second before he felt something being pressed into his hands. Confused, he blinked his eyes open and saw the toothless mug from last time.

"You were looking in the wrong place, silly?" Seonghwa whispered close to his ear with his warm hands on Hongjoong's shoulders. The red head shivered as the agent suddenly stepped away but he didn't know if it was from the other's breath on his neck or the sudden chill that surrounded him as Seonghwa's body left his.

"I'll go set up the movie!" The agent said cheerfully over his shoulder while walking into the living room as if he hadn't just done the most cliche seductive and flirtatious thing Hongjoong had ever experienced in his life.

"Jerk," The student said under his breath as he grabbed the scoop for the coffee grounds and started to shovel some into the coffee pot, his heart still racing. He would think of a way to get the other back, that was for sure.

Seonghwa chuckled to himself as he could hear cursing and some banging coming from inside the kitchen. While he loved being close to Hongjoong, he was finding it was almost just as much fun to tease the other. The agent smiled to himself as he crouched down by his DVD collection and quickly scanned the titles. From previous experience, he knew that Hongjoong probably wouldn't make it to the end without falling asleep but that was ok. The CCG leader enjoyed watching the student sleep. He always seemed so carefree and without worries. Besides, it wasn't like he would be missing a movie he hadn't already seen.

He really was a goner when it came to the other. Who knew that a Ghoul attack would lead him to where he was be he honestly couldn't be happier. Hongjoong was a dream come true and, though it was probably way too early to feel so deeply, it was like the man had fit that missing something in his life like a puzzle piece. Honestly, he hadn't felt this connected to someone since Maddox. But while they were truly brothers, Hongjoong was different. Hongjoong made him laugh and smile and feel carefree, something that didn't come often in his stressful line of work. Hongjoong made his heart jump when he smiled at him and die a little inside when he didn't. Maybe it was just puppy love but he was going to savor every moment while it lasted.

Running his finger over the bindings, he paused at one and pulled it out of the slot when he felt his phone buzz in his pocket. Standing up, he tossed the DVD onto the table and pulled out his phone. It was an email from Yeosang.

Opening it, he noticed that there was an attached video file. Figuring it might be something important and work related, Seonghwa clicked it first, ignoring the attached message. The file took just a moment to load before the image of a street filled his screen. As the video went on, the frown on the agent's face deepened and a line formed between his brow.

"Now, why in the world do you have decaf in your cupboard," Hongjoong said as he shuffled into the living room with two steaming mugs in his hand. "The fact that decaf even exists is a crime-" Seeing that the other hadn't responded, the student stopped in his tracks, noting the rather serious look on Seonghwa's face as he looked intently at his phone.

"What's wrong?" The student asked softly, suddenly afraid that something bad had happened. Seonghwa didn't speak. Instead he kept staring at his phone intently, as if trying to commit something to memory. The longer he looked, the more severe his expression got, as if crumpling in on itself. "Seonghwa, you're scaring me. What is it?"

Finally, the other looked up. There was no words to adequately describe the look on his face. Anguish? Pain? Betrayal? Hurt? Hongjoong wasn't sure but it was an expression that squeezed at his heart. Seonghwa turned his phone around, displaying the screen with a singular, frozen image.

"Is this you?" The agent's voice broke.

Hongjoong dropped the mugs.

Notes:

***The art for this chapter was created by the lovely sankissed_ please shower it with love! If you have any art to share, I would love to see it!

WHY DID THIS BLOW UP ALL OF A SUDDEN???? I was gone for a few weeks and when I come back there is literally 3K plus more reads, we finally broke over 1K votes, not to mention the MASS influx of comments, followers, and reading lists?? Honestly, it still kinda blows my mind that people read my little dinky story lol but I appreciate it.

Sorry for any mistakes in the chapter, my keyboard is getting really sensitive and I didn't proof this chapter to get it out faster. Also sorry for making y'all wait so long. Honestly, my mental health has been garbage and it has been pretty difficult but hey, I got something out haha. This chapter was SO hard to write and its really messy and odd in places but I really didn't want to make you all wait anymore. I tried to make it a little longer so it was more worth it? I don't know. It is 4am and I haven't slept in 72 hours lol

I know it was a little Oneus heavy and not everyone here really cares about them but literally EVERYTHING I write has a purpose somewhere. Even something super small that you wouldn't even think much of is there for a reason and serves a purpose to the story.

Also, yes, I included other idols. Their personalities will differ from their idol selves to fit my needs, that is just how it is. I really needed more characters and if you don't like the ones I've chosen, I'm sorry but it is my story. That and they are not main characters so they won't have big arcs or much development, they are more place holders. I say this because some of the comments and PMs I've gotten regarding what I do with my characters have made me a bit uncomfortable and I know it was said in jest but they did feel a smidge threatening. If you don't like what I do with my characters, feel free to stop reading. It is my story and it is not always going to be happy.

Ok last unrelevant note for those that do stan Oneus HAPPY HWANWOONG DAY and OH MY GOD I need Oneus to keep doing dark concepts. TBNTB MV was EVERYTHING and I SO want to write a whole series/story based on it but need to finish this one before I move on to something else because I know me, if I work on a new thing, then this story will be put to the side and I don't want to do that.

Anyway, you should all check it out! However there are some triggers. TW// lots of blood, gunshots (But also, if you are triggered by that....then why are you reading this story? lol)