The single bulb dangled above Ming Soo, its dim, flickering light barely illuminating the room. Shadows crawled across the walls like silent specters. The stale air pressed in on him. Every creak of the bulb's chain sounded like a countdown.
The tension clawed at his throat.
"What do you mean by that?" Ming Soo blurted out, his voice sharper than intended.
S1 tilted her head slightly, a subtle smile forming beneath her mask.
"Ah, that's why you're here," she said coolly, her Italian accent smooth as wine and just as dangerous.
"I do not know why the Sung favor you... but that's all we need to know, sì?"
Ming Soo frowned. "How would they favor me more?"
She chuckled. "Well, rumor has it—you are the son of one of their high-ranking members." Her voice dropped like a curtain at the opera.
"But that has never stopped them before... I wonder... why now?"
She leaned closer, her masked face unreadable. "So tell me, Ming Soo. Who are you?"
The question was genuine. So genuine, it pierced him.
"I don't know," he muttered, eyes drifting to the swinging bulb overhead.
S1 sighed, straightening up. "We'll find out eventually." She turned toward the door.
"Well, Mister Ming... it was nice talking to you. Let's meet again—if God allows, that is."
She exited, two armed men trailing silently behind her.
The tension didn't leave with her. If anything, it lingered, heavier than before.
"She really is something," S3 said with a sigh, his voice dripping with that Billy Butcher British charm.
"A real bloody ice queen, that one."
"Yeah," S5 replied simply, his UK accent calm, almost weary.
"I was intrigued when they said she'd be with us," S6 added with a short laugh. "Couldn't sleep last night."
"That's just the kind of person she is," S3 nodded. "Makes you piss yourself a bit—but in a classy way."
Ming Soo heard everything. But the only thing he felt was the pressure. Every nerve in his body screamed at him to get away from her. Why? Maybe the others felt it too but were too afraid to say it.
"It surprised me when she said she'd lead this mission," S3 said, glancing at S5 and S6. "She's a rare one. I'm the only one in my division who's ever seen her." He laughed, cocky.
"As if that makes me the chosen one, yeah?"
The other two laughed along with him.
She's probably their leader, Ming Soo thought.
Suddenly, the door burst open.
A short, slightly plump woman entered, carrying two large bags. Her glasses sat awkwardly over her mask. An armed man followed her, also lugging two bags.
"If you have time to laugh," the woman snapped, her German accent slicing through the room, "then you have time to help!"
S3 scowled. "What's crawled up your arse?"
She dropped the bags and shot him a death glare.
"Okay, okay, sheesh..." S3 turned to Ming Soo.
"Alright, now let's begin. We'd like you to participate. We may not look it, but we're professionals, mate."
Yeah, and I'm a unicorn, Ming Soo thought.
S2 opened one of the bags, pulling out a tripod and a camera.
"Bring me a table," she barked, tone all command and zero sugar.
"Yes, mom," S6 replied in his calm, booming voice as he left the room.
S2 set up the camera, adjusting the tripod to face Ming Soo.
"Whoa..." she paused, locking eyes with him. "Nobody told me he was this pretty."
Is S1 the only one taking this seriously? Ming Soo wondered. Or are they just that bad at this?
"It's better that way," S3 muttered, adjusting his suit with visible irritation. "He's easier to break when they don't expect the devil to look like a boy band reject."
"Wear this," S2 handed a lapel mic to S3.
"Here's what we're gonna do." She turned toward Ming Soo, smiling in a way that was both friendly and Frankenstein's-lab.
"We're recording a little message for your family, The Sung."
"How am I family with people I've never even met?" Ming Soo muttered.
"In this one," she said, still smiling, "you won't have to do anything."
Moments later.
Outside the Building
Lornad and Nightwalker stood just outside the doorway, bathed in moonlight.
"This the place?" Lornad asked.
Nightwalker nodded. "Yeah. Wasn't too hard to track."
"Easy for you," Lornad chuckled. "Still... there's no life inside. You sure this is the one?"
Nightwalker turned with a deadpan stare. "You questioning my abilities?"
"Nah, man," Lornad grinned. "Just saying there's no trace of Ming Soo here."
"Let's go in," Nightwalker muttered with a click of his tongue.
They entered.
"Helloooo?" Lornad called. "Anybody home?"
Nightwalker shot him a glare.
"No one?" Lornad smirked. "You gettin' old, man."
Ignoring him, Nightwalker moved swiftly up the stairs and into a dimly lit room. A table sat in the center, with a phone on top, screen lit, video paused.
"Lornad. Come here."
Lornad stepped in, eyes narrowing at the phone.
"Is that—?"
"Yeah," Nightwalker said, hitting play.
TheThe Video
On-screen stood S3, facin' the camera with the posture of someone who thought they were proper important. Behind him, Ming Soo sat tied to a chair, his face pale and worn.
"'Ello," S3 began. "Name's Crimson. And I reckon I'm speakin' to Sung, yeah?"
Nightwalker rubbed his eyes. "Oh, this is gonna be stupid."
"Shhh," Lornad whispered.
S3 continued, "That lad behind me? That's Sung Ming Soo." He gestured to the boy behind him, who didn't move.
"He's close to you, ain't he? Don't worry. We ain't touched 'im... yet." He smiled smugly. "Figured we've got yer attention now, eh?"
He raised Ming Soo's chin. "Let's have a little chinwag... if you're game."
Nightwalker groaned. "This is stupid."
"Shut it," Lornad said, eyes still on the screen.
"But we ain't daft," S3 said. "We reckon you lot might not keep your end of the bloody deal. So we'll leave a location. Meet us tomorrow, half eight. Don't be late."
The video cut to black.
Nightwalker slapped the table. "This is bullshit."
"This is fun," Lornad smiled.
"They're treating us like kids. Like we're just here to play on their little jungle gym."
"Well... we kinda look like it," Lornad grinned, running a hand through his hair. "Still, I didn't think I'd find fun in this place."
Nightwalker sighed, shaking his head with a grin. "I don't know why you're excited. But yeah... maybe it will be fun."
He stood, cracking his knuckles. "Time to stretch our wings a bit."
"Now you're getting it," Lornad said with a wink.