You Call Me Monster

Sehun banged on the door with his fist, glancing up and down the alley as he did so. He and Suho were the only ones there, or so it seemed.

The door opened and a man peeked out. “Who are you? What do you want?” he barked.

“I’m here to see Byun Gyeong,” Sehun replied.

“There’s no one here by that name,” the man sniffed. He tried to close the door, but Suho blocked him with his arm.

Sehun narrowed his eyes. “Tell him Oh Sehun’s here to collect his favor,” he said quietly.

The man’s eyes widened and he bowed before scurrying away. Sehun and Suho stepped into the darkened room, Sehun pulling off his gloves.

“Why did you bring me, again?” Suho whispered.

Sehun slid his gloves into his trench coat. “Because Gyeong can sometimes be...problematic,” he replied.

The man returned, slightly out of breath. “Byun Gyeong will see you now,” he said, bowing low. Sehun smirked and stalked past the cowering man, Suho following him closely.

They walked down a long, impossibly narrow hallway lit only by naked bulbs hanging from wires. A door stood cracked at the end of it, letting out a thin beam of light.

“Gyeong,” Sehun called, entering the room. A man sitting in an armchair looked up and grinned. “Sehun!” he said, standing stiffly. He wasn’t much older than Sehun, but had suffered injuries in a turf war that had never fully healed.

“To what do I owe this visit?” he asked, glancing between Sehun and Suho.

“I helped you once, and you said that you owed me,” Sehun said. “I’ve come to collect on that debt.”

Gyeong bobbed his head. “Yes, I remember. What can I do for you?”

“Four of my men were arrested last night. We need to get them out.”

Gyeong burst out laughing. “Break four men out of jail? One, maybe two, but four isn’t possible!” He wiped his eyes with a calloused hand. “I know you’ve suffered a lot of loss over the last several months,” he said, “but that’s the way the game works. I’m sorry, I can’t help you.”

Sehun buried his hands in his jacket pockets. “Unfortunately, that wasn’t the answer I was looking for.”

Suho kicked Gyeong in the stomach, sending him to his knees.

“I’m afraid letting my men rot in jail isn’t an option,” Sehun said, pacing back and forth slowly. “Would you like to reconsider?”

Gyeong looked up, still clutching his abdomen. “It isn’t possible,” he repeated. “The risk is too great for only four men. I can’t…”

Suho kicked him again, knocking him down.

“Please!” Gyeong shouted. “I heard only this morning that one of them is already in the lower levels. I’m not lying, I swear!”

Sehun stopped pacing and turned to look at Gyeong. “The lower levels?” he repeated.

Gyeong nodded. “He was convicted of illegal gang activities and awaits sentencing.”

Chen? Chanyeol? Kai?It could be any of them, he thought. A new thought made his blood run cold. What if it’s Nari?

He knelt down beside Gyeong, examining his face. “You’re one of the most influential gang leaders in the city. I was under the impression you could actually get things done. Was I mistaken?”

Gyeong looked up at Sehun tentatively. “My influence isn’t what it used to be.”

Sehun stood fluidly. “Then I guess you’re no longer a useful ally.” He gave Suho a significant look, handing him a small pistol from inside his coat.

“Wait!” Gyeong cried. Sehun paused, looking down at him.

“I...I can’t promise anything,” Gyeong said, “but I’ll do everything in my power to free your men.”

Sehun smiled and put the gun back into his coat. “Excellent. We’ll be in touch.” He swept out of the room, Suho on his heels.

“What was that?” Suho hissed, following Sehun out to the alley. “You said you were calling in favors. We just threatened a very powerful man with a gun! Aren’t you afraid of the consequences?”

“Powerful?” Sehun said, turning to face Suho. “How many powerful men sit alone, without guards or any sort of protection? He is weak, Suho. If others didn’t listen to him, he wouldn’t survive another moment.” He leaned in, casting a watchful eye around them. “He’s a figurehead, and figureheads can be easily persuaded.”

Suho considered this for a moment. “What do you mean to accomplish?” he asked.

“Despite his protests, Gyeong has contacts everywhere, including within the prison. We’re getting everyone back, even if I have to threaten every leader in the city to do it.”

They returned to the hideout, where Xiumin met them at the door.

“How’s Lay?” Sehun asked, unbuttoning his coat.

Xiumin looked back at the couch where Lay sat, propped up on pillows. “He seems to be alert, but his wound looks red. I’m afraid it’s starting to get infected and he’s just not saying anything.”

Sehun furrowed his brow. “Has he said anything about last night, any details the others missed?”

Xiumin shrugged. “I don’t know. He hasn’t been speaking much. Maybe you can get through to him.”

Sehun walked over to the couch. “How do you feel?” he asked, pulling up a chair.

Lay nodded slightly. “I’m fine,” he whispered, staring into the distance.

“Xiumin says your leg looks inflamed. Does it hurt?”

“Not really.”

Sehun sighed. “I see.” He fell silent for a few moments. “Can you remember anything from last night?” he asked.

Lay didn’t move or reply, still staring intensely. After a couple minutes Sehun got up to leave.

“I saw her.”

Sehun stopped, sure he’d misheard. “What?”

“I saw her,” Lay repeated, a tear rolling down his cheek. “And she saw me.”

Sehun sat down again. “Was she hurt? Were the others with her?”

“The police...the police were there,” Lay continued. “They were dragging her away. I could’ve sworn she looked over and saw me too. Then I got shot and she was gone.”

That means she’s definitely in jail, Sehun thought, his fear confirmed.

The door opened again and D.O swept into the room, his jacket sprinkled with snow. “I just left the police station,” he said, shrugging off his jacket. “Kai’s been convicted of illegal gang activities. He’s due to be sentenced tonight.”

“How? How do they know so much?” Xiumin wondered aloud.

D.O exchanged a look with Suho. “Kai...went back for Tao the night he died,” D.O confessed. “The police must have seen him and marked him as a gang member.”

Sehun closed his eyes in despair. Oh Kai, he thought, dread filling his spirit.

“Did you learn anything else?” Suho asked.

D.O nodded. “Chen and Chanyeol are in custody, but they don’t have any solid evidence against them. It’s likely they’ll be released.”

“Unless someone recognizes them and sends them down with Kai,” Lay said, finally surfacing out of his stupor.

“Did you hear anything about Nari?” Sehun asked desperately. “Lay saw the police take her away last night.”

D.O shook his head, crestfallen. “Not a thing. I didn’t even know she was there.”

Sehun felt his desperation rise. No, he told himself firmly. You have to remain calm. They won’t make it out if you lose your head.

He stood up and clasped his hands behind his back. “D.O, Xiumin, see if you can get a message to Chen and Chanyeol. We’re making a plan, so they should be ready. Suho,” he said, turning around, “I need you to…”

The door opened again and everyone tensed, a hush falling over them. “Baekhyun?” Sehun whispered, looking at Xiumin. Xiumin shook his head and Sehun gritted his teeth, pulling out his gun. He saw D.O and Suho pull out their own weapons, moving silently to the hallway.

They heard a pattering of feet and they braced themselves. A girl came around the corner, wearing a white dress that was ripped and stained with dirt. Her feet were bare and filthy, and her dark hair hung tangled around her shoulders. She looked up slowly, revealing a pale face and large brown eyes.

Sehun’s gun clattered to the floor. “Nari?”

Notes