037. Rotation
[037] Rotation, Hankyung/Kyuhyun (2/100)
Title: Family
Length: 1574 words
Author: wobaozhewo
Rating: PG (swearing, mild blood/death)
Genre: Experimental/Ninja/Self-Reflection/First Person
Summary: The goal is to climb ranks. And to slaughter the corrupt. What other purpose is there to life?
Author’s Note: I played around with tenses, and also is my first time doing this kind of story from first pov >_> c/c welcome x]
Time is ticking.
Is it going faster?
No… the same pace it’s always been.
I stare at my watch. Tick-tick-tick-tick.
Is this over yet?
Soon. Or now.
He walked up to me, a smile genuinely curving on his haggard face. He was too tired. Too tired for his smile to reach his eyes.
He wore the exact same outfit as I did, as he should’ve. But it was different. I was wearing an all grey level-3 uniform. He was wearing the same, only his attire was pitch black, not an inch of skin showing other than his head. The sign of a high-rank guard. Level-5 it would seem, from the marks on the lapel of his gi. The highest rank.
I could not smile back as I bowed nearly 60 degrees, eyes on him at all times, to hand him the keys. Never take your eyes off the other, friend or foe.
We watched each other quietly.
I could not acknowledge it, but I knew.
The guard… I did not know him. Not a surprise, since no one knew what the high-ranks looked like. But he showed his face to me.
That meant only one thing.
He motioned for me to follow, as another low-rank appeared to take the keys, and also my position.
-
Time is ticking.
It’s going faster.
No, it can’t be.
I cannot look at my watch as I cannot fall out of formation. I would tremble, but they would see.
The stone walls flickered with shadows of fire. My eyes begged to dart with them, but could only stay fixed on the figure of the high-rank.
Slowly… but not hesitantly, he steps closer… and closer. His posture could only be described as softly rigid, his gaze as gently hard.
I know.
It’s time for the next level.
-
Time is ticking.
Is it slowing?
My gift apparates into his hands.
His movements are so swiftly sluggish that I can’t distinguish them from a dream.
As I receive my black gi, I struggle to keep my years of training intact. If I break the silence now, the punishment… I wouldn’t live through it.
I change into the new uniform I would now wear for as long as I would live.
I stand at ease.
I’m ready… Ready to do my duty as a citizen.
… Aren't I?
-
Time slows for no one.
He signaled for us to move, the one called Hankyung, the one who led me to my promotion.
“You will be training under me until deemed worthy for a mission,” he says.
I only nod in reply.
He walks a circle around me, shoulders relaxed. Is he scrutinizing me? Does he not like me? Am I too small?
“Relax yourself.”
In my anxiety, I just hallucinated that he said to relax.
His quirked a brow. “Is my Korean bad today? I meant for you to stop looking so nervous.” He smiled tiredly, same as before. “We are a family from now on, but if you don’t relax, then it’ll be harder for us to complete the already difficult training.”
Family…
There was anxiety hanging in the air-a thrill I’ve never felt. The wind rushed across my cheeks as we raced towards the home of Senator Kangin.
I was to make the final move with Hankyung as lead and another one named Sungmin as lookout. Teams of three-necessary precautions, in case one of us suddenly gained a heart. The hard months of training would not be for naught.
All my training was for this moment, to make sure that nothing would go wrong, that nothing would go awry. I swept into the room of the sleeping politician. Hankyung watched me from the entryway. Hyung… There was no way I could fail.
“During a mission, there’s only two things to remember other than the mission itself: speed and silence. If you cannot obtain those skills, you are done for,” Hankyung lectures.
I stand, legs an arms-width apart, and arms spread wide-eagle, each hand holding five-gallons worth of water. My muscles are feeling the strain, but less than before. My eyes are the only part of me that moves, to watch the sunset.
He is next to me in the same position. Always. Never letting me suffer alone.
For him, I persevere.
The knife gleamed under the stream of moonlight seeping through the window crack. If I succeeded in this, I would be that much closer to highest rank.
A fabricated peace marred the features of this corrupt man.
Just one swift flick of the wrist… ksst!
The senator-or should I say, a traitor, a lackey, easily bribed by the biggest crime syndicate in Korea-would not live.
“Get them!” a voice suddenly cried. A short wisp of wind rushed past me. I didn’t need to look to know that it was time to run.
Shing! Too late. A blade was already at my neck.
“Kyuhyun, you’re a little slow today. Were you nervous or something?” came a whispered taunt.
-
Time slows for no one.
My chains chafed. Would I be able to escape? The guards at the house were incompetent… but they had help.
Hankyung was skilled and able to get away. My incompetence cost me. My freedom.
Would they save me?
We are a family…
No. Expendable.
Just as I was replaced at the gate, they would replace me in the team... That traitor as well.
Would I be remembered?
Perhaps as a ruthless assassin with only one kill to his name. A failure.
A congressman entered, hands behind his back, in a speculative posture, and wide-eyed smirk. His hair, a most flamboyant shade of red, twirled around his fingers as he grinned, as if this were the most exciting thing to happen in years. “Is this the one that killed him?” he asked the guard.
“Yes, sir.”
“Ah, well then,” he eyed me with a grin, “ I owe you a favor.” A wider smile. “But we’ll still have to punish you. What do you say? Life sentence? Lethal injection?”
Years of training produced my less than friendly expression.
The congressman only smiled. “Execution, it is. Sorry, my good sir. We can’t have murderers running about… Unless you want to work for me?”
The mirth in his eyes made me throw up in my mouth. I hocked it at him.
He jumped back to dodge it, but failed, exclaiming, “Oh my god! This suit is Burberry. FUCKING BUR-BER-RY! You better be thanking your fucking lucky stars I wasn’t wearing Armani, you cretin, or else I’d kill you slowly myself! Prepare to execute him!”
Mm, can’t have murderers like me running about. But we can have corrupt politicians bringing our country to debt and poverty while hoarding money and riches for their own selfish needs like the sick pigs they are.
-
Time is ticking.
It waits for no one.
It especially does not slow for those like me, that live their lives for the sole purpose of murder.
They put me in a cell. Off chains. What? They think that since they’re going to kill me, I wouldn’t want to leave?
I find it ironic that they would be willing to kill me, who is working for their benefit, for killing someone that was only to their detriment if left alive. Life never is fair…
Schwoop! The sliding peek window of my cell opens abruptly.
Hyung?
I bolt upright. He opens the door and signals for us to leave.
Walking out, I see the bodies. Hyung…
Not expendable… I…
I look at Hankyung. His eyes widen. I’m not supposed to look back. Move!
He follows directly behind me.
I see Sungmin ahead motioning me to follow.
He winks at me.
Really… Let me in on the plan, guys.
-
Time reveals all secrets.
“Kyuhyun, you did well,” Hankyung said, in his lilted accent.
Sungmin grinned, as he clapped his hand on my back. I winced. “Yeah, last time we pulled a prank like that, guy accidentally killed three baddies he wasn’t supposed to. Broke eight protocols and we didn’t know what to do with’im! But good thing this time,” he smirked, “You marked that other one. What a loogie you spit! He was on the list for years and we finally got him alone when he was cleaning that crap off.”
Sungmin turned to look at Hankyung, who was standing there with his haggard smile that could not reach his eyes, and said, “He’s better than Yesung was, huh? This one isn’t so cocky.”
Hankyung stared at me. “He’ll be even better with time,” he replied, in a voice so gentle, I never would’ve suspected he’d had the courage to hurt a fly, nonetheless kill 43 of the most hated people in the world.
I spoke up, voice rigid, “I thought you would not come for me.”
Sungmin eyed me with a knowing smirk. “Maybe if you were unlucky enough to be in another team,” he laughed.
Hankyung walked over to stand face to face with me, and put his hands softly on my shoulders. In his gentle accent, he stated, “I’ve told you. We are a family. You are we. We are you. Leaving you behind is not an option.”
Not expendable. Not replaceable. Yet. But that was enough.
Time is ticking and it will not stop. But I am still needed by you and that is enough.