MAVERICK: Back in the Game (TBZ)

Chapter Seven

Sangyeon, gripping tightly to his weapon, makes his way through the hallway. Where did they go? He looks in any room he finds, thinking that they took off and hid. He winds his way through the halls, not knowing where he is.

"You're the one who's corrupted, not me!" a voice shouts out from up ahead of him.

"Screw that!" another voice snaps back.

Sangyeon creeps forward toward a massive laboratory-like room with glass windows. A door is open to one side and he can see two figures inside. One of them has the other pinned up against the wall.

As Sangyeon gets closer, he realizes who they are. Hyunjae! Juyeon! They're alive!

"Just because I'm prettier than you, doesn't mean I'm the bad guy!" Hyunjae snarls, kicking out at Juyeon. (Sangyeon can see it's Juyeon who's got Hyunjae pinned against the wall.)

"You are not!" Juyeon growls and leans forward, sinking his arm into Hyunjae's neck.

Sangyeon can see both men are littered with cuts and bruises. He watches both men. Hwall's snarky voice echoes in his head, "Oh, and there is someone amongst you who's helping me out."

Hyunjae lifts his rifle and jams it into Juyeon's stomach.

Juyeon stumbles backward, releasing his grip on Hyunjae.

"Shoulda grabbed a weapon, Ju!" Hyunjae snarls.

Juyeon launches at him and they both crash to the ground. Hyunjae whirls Juyeon around and slams him against the ground.

One of them are corrupt, I know it!

Slowly, Sangyeon's mind twists and his hands goes into the black bag looped around his arm. He unzips it and reaches inside. His hand finds a grenade, a gun and a coil of rope. He absentmindedly closes his fingers around the grenade.

I can't let either of them get out and harm me.

He storms up to the door, watching the two with dark eyes. He whips the grenade out of the bag with one hand and the other goes to the doorknob.

At that moment, Hyunjae and Juyeon freeze and look up to see him. Juyeon has a bloody cut on his lip and Hyunjae has a massive nasty bruise stretching down his cheek. They blink in shock.

Sangyeon tosses the grenade into the room, popping the pin loose and pulls the door shut.

"SANGYEON!" Hyunjae and Juyeon scream, scrambling to their feet.

Sangyeon grips the handle, pulling with all his might to keep both of them inside. He can hear the grenade explode and see in the glass, the smoke penetrating the room, filling it with a poisonous fog.

Hyunjae and Juyeon race to the windows and look out, banging.

Sangyeon blinks, still gripping to the door. He sees the panic and terror in their eyes. Tears threaten at the corners of his eyes. I can't kill them, no! They're innocent! It's not either of them!

Sangyeon stumbles back, letting go of the door. His eyes land on the two as the smoke reaches them. Juyeon staggers in place, his eyes glazing over and then rolling back and he hits the ground with a sickening crash.

Hyunjae's hand is pressed against the glass. He blinks, his eyes glassy and red. Then he falls forward, slamming against the glass. His eyes close and he drops to the ground with a thunderous bang. His hand is the last thing that remains in Sangyeon's vision, but gradually it slides, limply, away and out of sight.

Sangyeon gasps in horror.

The smoke clears in the room and he rushes to the window to look in. He sees the two crumpled, unconscious bodies sprawled on the floor inside. His heart pounds in his chest and he darts to the door, shoving it off the hinges.

He can smell the burnt rubber of the grenade's explosion, his eyes landing on Hyunjae and Juyeon.

I'm a murderer. No worse than Hwall.

"I...killed...Hyunjae...and...Juyeon..." Sangyeon gasps out. He shakes his head in disbelief and steps backward.

"NO!" Sangyeon turns and races away from the room. From the horror.