Fic: Painting it Red - Part 2 (Challenge fic for miracleshining's Impasse/AAO verse
Kyuhyun took it warily, eyeing the girl suspiciously as the girl ran off immediately. He unfolded the note, hands shaking as he read it. Sungmin leaned in.
“Do you want them back? Meet there. You know what I want.”
Attached to the back was a picture.
Sungmin and Kyuhyun immediately looked at each other, nodded and ran off.
Boss.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Kibum?”
Henry called as he looked up from his feeding at the duck pond. He stood up, walking back towards the older as he saw the face pale. Before he could reach Kibum, his phone rang.
“Hello?” Henry continued walking to Kibum, stopping short abruptly as he listened to the words. “Right.”
Henry hung up the call, rushing towards Kibum.
“Kibum! I need your help. Junsu needs help. Kangin and Yoochun have been kidnapped and Kyuhyun and Sungmin are…”
“Gone.”
Henry froze when Kibum completed his sentence. “How did you know that?”
Kibum’s answer was to pick up Henry’s violin case, handling it to the younger guy. Henry took his case, still staring at Kibum, who then showed him his cell phone.
“LCN2.” Henry didn’t get why that would tell him that Kyuhyun and Sungmin were gone.
“I’ll explain later. Where’s Junsu?”
Kibum said as they reached the car. Climbing in, Henry noticed how tightly Kibum was gripping the steering wheel and nodded. Henry rattled off the address.
“It’s a good thing we’re in Korea.”
“I know where they are.”
That was the first thing Kibum announced when they arrived at the training centre. Junsu and Eunhyuk stared incredulously at Kibum.
“What? Did you do it?”
Eunhyuk backed off a little when Henry shot him a look.
“No. Just trust me on this. There’s a long story behind it and we don’t have the time. I’ll explain briefly when we’re in the car.”
With that Kibum strode out, not waiting for any answer, Henry beside him. Bewildered, but still willing to trust, Junsu and Eunhyuk followed suit.
“Where we’re heading is the gang meets.” Kibum spoke as he drove. He hoped that he would get there in time to stop the other two from attempting something stupid or equivalent.
“I met Kyuhyun and Sungmin when we were younger and all in the gang. They train people to be assassins. I’m not one, but both of them were. They wanted to escape. I helped them, and erased any data of us being there and left.”
Kibum kept his eyes focused on the road, not looking at the stunned people in the car.
“How did they find them?”
Kibum shrugged. That was the question he had been asking himself.
Then he slammed the break suddenly, causing everyone to fall forward. He quickly exited the car, running towards two figures. Henry chased after Kibum, eyes instantly scanning the area. Kibum called softly as he was closer, noting how one had turned round ready to kill.
“What are you doing here?” Sungmin hissed as he realised who it was.
“What do you think you’re doing?”
The other three caught up as they all hid behind a wall.
“We told you so that you would be safe, damn it.” Sungmin hissed back at Kibum, ignoring his question.
“What are you planning?” Kyuhyun merely raised an eyebrow at Junsu and Eunhyuk.
“Saving them.”
“How? You’re not going to just crash the door open and shout for them to hand them over are you?”
“We have our plans.” Kyuhyun refused to say more.
“We’ve wasted enough time. If you want to help, stay here. Listen out for our signal. Run in. Get Boss and Yoochun and out. We’ll handle everything else.”
Kibum stared at the two, knowing exactly what they were planning.
“You’re not going to do it.”
“I’ll knock you out if not for the fact that only you know the signal.” Sungmin said, ignoring the steady glare Henry gave him.
“Please Kibum.” Kyuhyun’s plea stopped Kibum’s protest.
“You damn well get back here alive.”
Kyuhyun smiled genuinely before he nodded at Sungmin. The two started walking towards the door. Just before they got halfway there, Kyuhyun turned around a smirk on his face.
“Who do you think we are? Oh and Junsu-sshi, you might want to call police. They are highly wanted people.”
And they disappeared.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kyuhyun held Sungmin’s hand as they looked at each other as if memorising every detail on their faces, watching their own reflection in the eyes. Nodding, they turned towards the door, crashing it open.
“So, you came.”
“Where are they?” Sungmin shot out, scanning the area, immediately spotting where the two were held.
“Anxious are we? Well, you’re not getting them back until you give me what I want.”
“Release them and you’ll get it.” Kyuhyun answered calmly.
“Why should I believe you?”
“We’re here aren’t we?”
To that the head had no answer to.
“Bring them forward.”
Kyuhyun’s eyes hardened at the sight. There were bruises and slight cuts over the two. And though they were not serious injuries, Kyuhyun and Sungmin saw red at that.
“Release them.”
“Now, I’ll swap both of them for one of you as hostage. That way I know neither of you would leave.”
Kyuhyun looked at Sungmin and nodded. Their priority was Kangin and Yoochun.
Kyuhyun strode forward, walking unhurriedly down the walkway, cautiously noting how many people there were. As he stood in front of the head, he said once more.
“Release them.”
The head nodded, causing both Kangin and Yoochun to be shoved towards Sungmin, hands and legs still bounded together. Sungmin began untying the ropes, whispering to Kangin and Yoochun.
“Once I give the signal, run out towards the door. Henry and Eunhyuk would be there.”
“What about you? There are far too many people for just the two of you.”
“We’ll be fine.”
“But…”
“Right, we don’t have long. Ready?”
Sungmin did not give them time to object to it.
Yoochun glanced at Kangin then back at Sungmin. “Now!”
Sungmin threw a tear-gas towards the group, causing the gas to erupt and spread out over the whole place. He pushed the other two towards the door, catching Henry’s eyes. He smiled, nodded and turned his back.
Sungmin pulled the goggles over his eyes, immediately seeking out the people. He was trained in close combat unlike Kyuhyun who was trained in long range assassination. Sungmin slammed his arms down with just enough strength to crack the spinal cord, causing people he hit to be paralysed. He could here Kyuhyun’s silent bullets flying around, hitting the target as the people screamed. There was a reason they were the best team the gang had. By then the gas had cleared, but the people had dwindled.
Kyuhyun reached down his shoes, pulling out his first gun with the silencer on. Immediately he shot as he pulled the goggles over his face. He smiled satisfactorily as he heard the expected thuds around him. The only problem was that the head seemed to have disappeared. He certainly runs fast. Kyuhyun scanned the area for movement, knowing that Sungmin could take care of himself under the circumstances.
Sungmin looked around, cautiously getting further into the place, wondering where Kyuhyun was. Suddenly, he felt himself being pushed to the ground. Immediately, he elbowed the person, flipping over such that he was over the person now.
“Kyuhyun!” Sungmin gasped as he had a clear view of the person below him, noticing the blood that stained over the blue shirt the younger was wearing.
Kyuhyun smiled tightly at Sungmin, reaching out to pull Sungmin closer to him.
“You’ll be fine.” Sungmin croaked, the tears already welling up his eyes.
I love you. Kyuhyun mouthed as their faces got closer. Sungmin could taste his own saline tears mixed with the metallic blood as they kissed.
Slowly Kyuhyun’s hand dropped down, limp.
Not bothering to wipe his tears that still flowed, Sungmin turned towards the rest who had froze during the scene. He snapped. He dodged the bullets they shot at him, winding through the place, flicking the cards at them. It was a unique Kyuhyun’s method which Sungmin had learned off Kyuhyun. He felt satisfaction in watching the people drop one by one as the cards strike them. When it was down to the last one, Sungmin walked up, deliberately slow as the head dropped to his knees begging.
“I’m called the Killer for a reason. And it’d do well for you to remember that.”
Sungmin took a knife out, hidden in his sleeve.
“Please. Please. Please. Please.”
“What should I do first?”
“Please. Please. Please. Please.”
“Why not you do it yourself?” Sungmin smirked darkly, handing the knife over. He stared at the man daring him to do it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kibum watched from afar as Henry and Eunhyuk came back with Kangin and Yoochun, both battered. They could not do anything to help them for they had nothing in their car. They could only wait for the ambulance that had been called. Kibum did not want to leave the place. He was holding onto the promise that they would come out. He stared anxiously as the clock ticked by.
Suddenly there was an explosion.
He was up and running towards it before he noticed.
“Kibum!”
“Let me go!”
Henry held onto Kibum tightly, refusing to let the older man go.
“Let me go! They promised!”
Kibum clawed at the image of the flames that were burning the building.
“Damn it Min! Damn it Kyu! You’re supposed to be here!”
Henry hugged as Kibum shouted at the building, tears flowing down.
“Damn it. Damn you. You’re supposed to be here. Min…Kyu…”
There was nothing they could do except watching the flames paint the sky a bright, bright red.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
With trembling hands, the man took the knife, turning it to face himself. Sungmin watched long enough to see the knife lodged in the head before turning, walking back with a sad smile to Kyuhyun.
Laying down, placing his head on top of Kyuhyun’s chest, he brought Kyuhyun’s arms around his waist, holding it with other hand, almost waiting for the rise of Kyuhyun’s chest. He stared up, as something exploded in the front.
“Hi I’m Kyuhyun. You are?”
“Sungmin.”
“Sungmin ah, look at me. I can do this!”
Kyuhyun aimed at the board, firing, hitting the bull’s eyes.
“Min ah, meet Mr Bunny!”
Sungmin fell in love the bunny straight away, hugging Kyuhyun so tightly that Kyuhyun almost passed out from the lack of air.
Sungmin pouted. “You always shot my targets.”
“We’re a team, Min. They’re both our targets.”
“Hmph.”
“Meet Kibum.”
Sungmin shook hands with a silent boy, whom he thought would probably end up being wrapped round Kyuhyun’s fingers as well.
“I love you.”
Their first kiss. Hidden at a corner of the building just before their task.
“Kyu, what’s this?”
Kyuhyun handed a flower over. “Cactus flower.”
“Cactus flower? Cactus has flowers?”
Kyuhyun nodded. “Not all, only some.” Rare, like you.
“Kyu, I don’t want to do this anymore. I think I’m getting colder every time I do it.”
“Me too.”
He could sense Kyuhyun’s unwillingness to do that but Sungmin nodded. Sungmin winced as the card sliced his hand. Instantly though, his hand was realised allowing Sungmin to deliver a punch at the guy.
“I’m sorry Min. It was my fault. I should have paid more attention.”
“Sungmin!” Sungmin could hear Kyuhyun’s shout as he blinked.
He looked around him. Everyone - everyone - was died, with something broken in one way or another.
“Sungmin, Min…”
He hugged a hysterical Kyuhyun, the first time he had seen Kyuhyun like that.
He vowed never to let Kyuhyun feel that way again.
“Kibum said he’ll erase all our data. No one would know we existed here.”
Kyuhyun told Sungmin. It was like a dream come true for them. For the first time in ten years, they were going to taste freedom.
“Are we really out now Kyu?”
Kyuhyun nodded, burying his face in Sungmin’s hair. Sungmin did not mention the slight dampness on his hair afterwards.
“What shall we do?”
“What can we do?”
“I’ve heard of the underground boxing.”
Kyuhyun nodded at Sungmin’s words.
“I’ll do it. You can teach me the basics.”
Sungmin looked at Kyuhyun, remembering his vow, and nodded. It was the beginning of their new lives.
“Shall we?”
Sungmin nodded. And they entered the place the two were going to call home.
Sungmin laughed as Kyuhyun spun him around after his first win.
Sungmin remembered the panic when he saw the blade sticking out of Kyuhyun’s back. No. I’m not losing you.
“I love you.” He watched Kyuhyun mouth the words.
The orange-red flames that burned towards the ceiling painted their shirts red.
Sungmin slowly closed his eyes, one last thought in his head.
I’ll be there, Kyu.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The field was green again, but once more there were more stones littered over the hill.
Kangin stood there, looking emotionlessly, Yoochun by his side.
Junsu and Eunhyuk looked on at the other stones, wondering when it would be their turn.
Henry stood next to Kibum, offering his silent support.
Kangin bent down, placing the bunny they found, left behind in the training centre. Here was where it belonged. He held back the tears, refusing to let them fall.
Kibum walked up, placing his flower down, noting the odd plant placed in between the two stones.
“They’re at a better place now.”
He smiled.
It was a cactus.