Work Text
Thinking back to my life 6 years ago, I never thought it would come to this.
I pull out my gun, swiftly grabbing a clip from my belt.
I don't know why it had to come to this...
I take a deep breath and shove the new bullet mag into the butt of my firearm. Sweat beads slip down the side of my face. It was night time, darkness cloaked the world with a light set in fog. But I had eyes on the target right in front of me. The target was unfortunately my best friend.
Of course, it was always going to lead down this path. All previous warning signs and red flags of our past eventually made all of those isolated incidents point to this exact moment in time. I just never thought it would have come so soon.
One last time, I shot a final glance at the person in front of me I used to know. Someone who was like a brother to me years ago. I was a fool for not following the signs.
We used to be close. Yes, he used to give me problems. We butt heads like any good buds did. Was I too blind by my incessant need to bond with him, that I just didn't see this hurtful betrayal coming? Was I too nice and cared too much about what would happen to him that I didn't stop to think about what would happen to me?
A sad smile drew slowly across my face. I choke back the tears as I push my personal qualms aside in order to deal with the spiraling, conniving man I now see before me. He was no longer my friend. My brother. My partner in crime for life. He was now my enemy.I lift my gun to aim the barrel straight at his head. I duck down for cover behind some crates just in case a shootout began without the ability to use our words. "Lee Know, I don't wanna have to do this!" I yell with great pain behind my voice. Luckily the sound of the pounding rain covered the shakiness of my tone. A perfect night for a gun fight. The raging storm around us would cover up our final showdown. Not that I want to go toe-to-toe with a person I once called a friend. Lee Know only gave me a terrifying glare as I spoke my feelings."Dammit! I'm giving you one last chance!" I continued screaming so I could get my point across to him through the loudness of the beating rain. The younger man was behind a warehouse shelf unit packed full of marked boxes. Unfortunately, he didn't seem much for deliberation. Lee Know scoffed and poked his head out from behind his sanctuary. "I don't want it. You've already made your choice." Without warning, he took a shot which grazed the side of the boxes that I was hiding behind. I had to quickly duck down to shield myself from the debris and not allow my body to be exposed by the gunfire. A desperate sigh left my lips."Shit. Guess that's it then. No talking my way out of this one." I roll my neck, stretching it out to work out the kinks so I could get ready. My heart was pounding so hard in my chest, I thought I would suffer a heart attack. I take a few deep breaths to keep my hands calm and remain steady. "I don't want to kill him, but I will if I have to." I pop back up and keep my weapon gripped tightly in my hands. Steadying my aim, I fire off a round in his direction. Lee Know had come out from his hiding spot to calculate how far away I was from his position. I could tell by the way his pupils frantically darted all over the area we were hauled up in. Lee Knew made a rolling maneuver on the ground in order to dodge back behind the shelving units. I took this opportunity to advance forward. I make sure to stay low, crouch, and hold my gun up and aimed toward the horizon. The air was quiet, the silence built up as I lose sight of my friend turned enemy."Where did he go?" //
**Flashback**
(Unknown memories. Fuzzy flashes of reminiscence flooded Chan's mind during the final showdown)
[Three years ago]
(First day on the job)
The door to the office opened. A man with dyed orange hair enters a semi cluttered office. Desks with young hopefuls sit poised, energetic, and typing away at their keyboards. One particular man was sitting at the very end, right in the middle of two rows of desks. He was on radio duty. Listening to various frequencies, picking out code, deciphering encrypted messages, and relaying it back to the team on the computers. That was the man whom Christopher Bang was looking for. He closed the door behind him. Wanting to be a bit courteous to this business. And then made his way to the person he had in his sights. Chan had heard good things about this place from him. After all, Chan and this man went all the way back. They were friends. And good ones too."Lee-freaking-Know. How have you been?" Chan tapped the brown haired boy about his age on the shoulder. Lee Know seemed to jolt a little, not expecting Chan's touch."Oh?" The boy perked up a bit and pulled down one side of the headphones he was wearing and peered up at the man behind him who had just touched him."Hey! Chan! Glad you could make it." Lee Know beamed happily. He set the headphones down onto the table and stood up to properly greet his friend. Chan stepped closer and hugged his long time friend instead of going for the usual bro handshake or fist bump."Of course! Thanks for inviting me. So this is it, huh?" Chan said while taking a good look around the room. It was a bit crowded, but promising. "Well, don't thank me. Thank the boss over there." Lee Know turned his body to the left to point out a glass box set away from the rest of the employees. It wasn't much bigger than an average room, but it had important written all over it. It had blinds that were currenly drawn. A man sat at a fancy wooden desk, overlooking the rest of the team. From where Chan stood, it definitely looked like an office where a head honcho would sit."And that would be?" Chan spoke in a whisper to avoid disturbing the nearby computer workers. Lee Know gave Chan a soft smile and wrapped his arm around his newly arrived compadré. "Don't be so nervous! Mr. Oh is very nice. C'mon, I'll introduce you." Lee Know grinned. He was a very happy-go-lucky guy. One person you could rely on to crack a joke and make you laugh. He was poignant but knew how to have fun. "Alright, please do!" Chan laughed and walked alongside his friend to have a bit of a one-on-one with the boss. //
Shortly after that meeting, we were assigned partners. None of which were as good as Minho, Lee Know's knew covert name. It seemed like we went through a lot of those. Not that many of them died. Don't get me wrong, in our line of work? A lot of people die. But most of our estranged partners had become unwanted or fired. Some left the organization. A lot of time had gone by. Lee Know and I's friendship seemed stronger than ever. We went through hell together. Fought through so many battles.
Defeated many other organization members. But we always went back to home base and had a good time. Relaying our experiences with Mr. Oh, defusing weaponized objects, pouring drinks, cracking jokes with the other members on our team. It was a good time. Even though our group became smaller over time due to unfortunate incidences beyond our control, we all still found time to spread joy, laughter, and positivity. I was just. . .too stupid and naive to see the biggest threat of them all. . . Lee Know.
Working there... gave me a sense of purpose. A sense of belonging. A home. An escape from reality. I'd even grown close with my boss and had made deep connections with the other operatives. As time went on, as cheesy as this sounds, it had become a family. I made friends with these people. It's a shame Lee Know would later break that bond.
**End Flashback**
(A new memory resurfaces)
[Three years ago. 6 months into operations]
"Hey, how's about we go out and get a drink?" I say while slapping Lee Know's arm who was situated at his desk, overlooking some paperwork we had to turn into our agency."Not right now," He would say for the hundredth time I'd ask him. It never failed with Lee Know. He always had his nose buried into his work. And at that time? I didn't know any better. I would merely brush it off.
Not that it would matter now.
"Dude. You're always working. What is so important to you that you can't even pull yourself away for five minutes to humor your best friend?" I hummed as I drum my fingers on my hip. Lee Know didn't respond at first. Perhaps he felt guilty and was trying to let me off easy?"Chan, if you spent less time on leisurely pleasantries and more on training, than you might be able to improve your skills." My chest tightened. Ouch. Guess not.
It's funny, looking back now... How many odd quarrels we would come face-to-face with. I was so blinded back then by loyalty to Lee Know, that I never stopped to think why we had so many fights. These happenstances seemed to be more frequent than you could imagine. . .
//
[Three years ago]
(11 months into operations)
"What is your problem with me?" Lee Know stared at me as I refused to let him leave. I blocked the doorway with my body. His eyes held a wildfire of anger within them. A raging storm I could not wheather. "I'm tired. Now move!" He replied with a snarl. He grabbed onto my sleeve and attemped to force me away. My foot gave way slightly, but I stood my ground. I counteract him by grabbing his shoulders. "You're acting different. Why all the secrecy? Why won't you talk to me anymore?" I say as a last ditch effort to get Lee Know to hear my pleas. As fruitless as they were, I was willing to try."Some secrets are meant to be buried, Chan." I shake my head. My disgust weighed heavier than the truth I tried so hard to bury. "No. You're different, Lee Know. You stopped checking in. You haven't come to me for advice. Lee Know. . .important documents are missing. Are you leaking organization info?" Those words slipped out of my mouth equal to poison being doused on my tongue. It hurt to confront him about it. Because I was afraid of the very truth. A part of me already knew the answer. "You're delusional," Lee know laughed. "Now let go of me." He said as he gripped my arm with force strong enough to make me flinch. He ripped it away faster than I could brace myself. I stumble, falling over my own two feet as he took this time to grab the front of my clothes and further slam my body into the wall. It knocked the air out of me. As my eyes fell upon his face, all I could read on his face was an animalistic aura that had been provoked to the final stage. He seemed calm on the outside, but his eyes? They told a different story. They were wide, frantic, and crazed. It truly chilled me to the bone. To this day, I have no clue how he had become so far gone. He was hiding a big secret. And I honestly could not wait to discover what he had kept hidden in his closet of demons.
[Two years ago]
(1 year into operations)
The day where it all fell apart. . . It was summer time. The month of July. We were getting ready for a job together. It was the first time in my life where I finally felt like I had a proper partner who was like a brother to me. Somebody who, at one time, was someone I could fully trust and depend on. One person that I was able to lean on for support...That man was Lee Know. Sure, we bumped heads now and again. We fought. We clashed as it came to some of the jobs given to us, but we always managed to squash the skirmishes in the end.However, that was no longer the case. Something felt different. Something was different. There was a strange. . . shift in the air. Lee Know had betrayed me. He had betrayed the others. . .Killed Mr. Oh, our boss. The very man who gave us a second home. He was murdered. Lee Know also slaughtered many of our own. Well, at least, he betrayed us and got them killed by selling us out to a rival organization. There was no turning back from this. I had to get my revenge. Even if it was my own friend. EX friend. Mr. Oh's last dying wish was for me to get justice. // A gunshot has been fired. Lee Know jumped out and tackled me to the ground. I dropped my gun and watched it clatter away from me. Out of my reach. Lee Know was on top of me, grabbing me by my throat and slamming me down onto the ground. His murderous intent was not letting up."You couldn't let sleeping dogs lie, could you Chris?!" He snarled like a wild animal. Stars danced behind my eyelids. I could feel a hot burning sensation on the back of my skull and in the pit of my core. My breath was stolen from me. Regardless, I pushed through the pain and grabbed Lee Know's wrists and begun to pry his hands from my throat. My body convulsed as it became desperate for air. "L-Lee Know, you b-bastard. I could n-not turn a blind eye to your growing madness! I needed my revenge." I say between the gulps of oxygen I managed to take while my body was being dealt an onslaught of aggressive slams against the concrete underneath me. I tried my best to secretly reach for my gun that was a foot out of my reach. Dark laughter left Lee Know's mouth. An eerie sound I knew all too well. He stopped trying to crack my head open as he began another bout of insanity. "Don't worry, my naive little Chan, you can have your sense of accomplishment as I send you to hell. You're already halfway there, anyway."
What did he mean by that?
"W-what?" Was all I could say. The burning feeling in my stomach became worse. It was to the point where I was beginning to feel faint. Lee Know smirked and yanked me up slightly."You're bleeding. And pretty soon, you'll be dead. And I can move on with my fucking life without you breathing down my neck!" My eyes go down to my stomach and see that my lower abdomen was drenched red with blood. I didn't even realize I had been hit. It felt warm, wet, and stung terribly. When was I shot? It... Must've been when I shot my gun and. . .he jumped on me. Such an amateur mistake. Number one rule was never allow your enemy to exploit your weaknesses. But Lee Know was cruel. He had other plans for me."You know what? I could just leave you to die. You're slowly bleeding out. You'll be gone soon. You were easy to fool. Just like that old man." He threw his head back and cackled. He was distracted. And that was his mistake."But then where's the fun in that?! I'd much rather feel the satisfying relief of killing you myself. To see the light go out of your eyes and see your final breath drawn!" He tried to choke me again, but I gained enough strength back to lift a leg and kick him in the stomach with all my might. He faltered and slumped back for a moment, but he repositioned himself. Lee Know was lean, but he knew how to center himself and gain the upperhand on his opponent. It was just unfortunate that we both knew each other's weaknesses. We hold onto one another and Jiu-Jitsu roll a few times. Lee Know had moved to draw his remaining gun, but I kicked it out of his hand. I punched him square in the jaw. He rubbed his chin as a drop of blood fell from the corner of his mouth. He retaliated with a roundhouse kick, and I failed to dodge it.I stumbled back and held a hand to my wound. I was trying to apply pressure to the wound. But I understood my limits. I was losing blood. My handle on proper fighting forms had faltered. And Lee Know knew that. My eyes were heavy and the world was spinning. I had landed a few good hits on him, but it won't nearly be enough. I could not handle anymore. I was tired. My legs gave up and wobbled. My body was shutting down. I fell to my knees. My breathing was heavy. I could only stare at the gun lying in between us both."End of the line, Chan. I hope you've made peace with the world. You're weaponless and I have the advantage." Lee Know smiled. His evergrowing madness and narcissistic attitude had completely taken over his mind. Retaping itself fully over the man I once knew. That Lee Know was gone. He began walking toward me. He unfortunately saw the weapon and picked it up. My opened the chamber to check the bullets to make sure there was sufficient ammo. I had an idea, though. I wasn't about to fully give up. Not yet, anyway."Perhaps you're r-right, Lee Know. I'm not. . .so sure. . .I can keep going."Lee Know took another dangerous step forward. He aimed the gun right at my head."Ah! So you agree? Want to say your final prayers?" I muster up the biggest smile I could manage, showing off my deep leftmost dipple with blood coating my teeth."Just know, Minho, that. . .I forgive you. I understand why you did what you did. And I'm sorry. Perhaps, in the next life, we can begin again.""What?" Lee Know was confused. He narrowed his eyes at my sudden confession. The man was skeptical, but curious. "Chan? What are you talking a–"Without warning, I used the remaining strength I had built up and dashed straight at him. I left him with no time to react. I grabbed the gun and we wrestled for it. There was a lot of push and pull. During the midst of the power struggle, another gunshot went off. We both locked eyes as Lee Know and I weren't sure who it was that succeeded. Until I see his body fall to the ground. And I with it. My last burst of forced energy had faded. I lost too much blood. I now lay on my back, with one arm stretched out and my free hand covering my bullet wound. My eyes felt heavy as they look up into the harsh gray sky that pummeled hard rain onto my battered body. My head turned to look at Lee Know, seeing his eyes begin to flutter closed. I could see his lips move, but could not make out what he said. The storm had covered up his last words. He had passed before I could hear them."It's finally. . .over . . .isn't it my friend?" I say softly. I felt so tired. Like I could close my eyes and take a nap. Although I have regrets about how it ended, I knew that I was dying. But at least. . .I'm not alone. I take one last look at the beautifully cruel sky and close my eyes forever. 🎵"Even if you fall, keep crawling after me, follow..."🎵
"I'm sorry."