The Burning Lives

Bullets

Suggested listening: Needtobreathe - Bullets

Eun-jung was still on her mission when Chan-yeol called from an unknown number. The phone rang while Jin and Hwoarang were peacefully having dinner and chatting about the whatnot, and when it did, they both froze. It could only mean one thing: the debt was about to be paid, and no one could know the outcome of the violent request the biker had asked of them.

-Talon. It's time.

-Now? I still haven't finished my chicken katsu don. You're kind of rude.

-There's no time for jokes, boss. I have gathered my boys, now we're waiting for you two. We strike before midnight, they won't see us coming. They've just come back from a raid and they're tired. We're still outnumbered, but it's the best shot we have.

-Fine. Where do we meet?

-They're going back in their spot in Nakahara as we speak, let's gather in front of the Mitaka Nakahara Kindergarten and plan the ambush there. How much time do you need to get there?

-By car? Too much. I think we're going to fly.

-Good. See you there.

Click.

-So, the time has really come. I know we've been clear we won't kill anybody, but I'm not entirely sure that's what they truly expect from us, Hwoarang.

-I know. Chan-yeol is vindictive, one of his men has been murdered by the Butterflies, if I know him enough, he plans to slaughter as many of them as he can. And if he can't do it by himself, he will use our pact as leverage to make us fight harder... and by harder he will mean murder.

-I won't kill anybody. They're scum, alright, and they're murderers too, but I'm not. Not anymore. My life has been taken once already and all of Japan has its eyes on me, if anyone suspects I had anything to do with what goes down in Nakahara, it could get bad for me. And for Eun-jung too. I'm not risking that.

-I know. And I have no intention to become a killer either. If I get caught, there's a death sentence awaiting for me, and I won't awake once I'm dead unlike you and Eun-jung. Leaving her without a father is not on my to-do list.

-So we have a deal. And if Chan-yeol complains about anything, we remind him our side of the pact.

-Exactly.- Hwoarang sighed. -Now we better go. Turn, we'll be faster if you fly me there.

-I'm not an uber, you know?

-Shut up.

Hwoarang smiled and placed a kiss on his forehead. Jin turned into his Devil, and they flew to the Mitaka Nakahara Kindergarten, as agreed. When they arrived, the Rising Hawks were already there, all lined up behind Chan-yeol, who greeted the newly landed with a smirk.

-You weren't joking on the flying here.

-Nope. Before anything is said about what is about to go down, let me remind you that me and Jin will not kill anybody, and that this was a part of our deal, no matter what.

-Yeah, yeah, no blood on your hands, Talon, or at least, not that much. You have my word.

-You better keep it, or the next on the list will be you.

-Throwing threats already?

-Promises. And boundaries.

-There was a time when you didn't have any, and you would do anything you'd set your mind to, no matter how dangerous or unhinged.