REPLICA (BOOK 2)

Loose Cannon

Half of the Serpent Corps were still at the destroyed mansion site, working day and night to figure out how they could get into the high-security safe. They've tried everything, but it's indestructible.

"All of you are fucking useless!" Jungkook shouted.

The Red Dragons and the Black Legion squad were scattered around the perimeter. Mingi and Yeosang set up cameras in every corner, along with hidden body cams on everyone's chests. Wooyoung wanted to believe they had the upper hand, but without his husband, he was terrified.

"What's the order?" Lia whispered.

"We move out." Karina raised her mask over her face, then swiftly took off.

"Wait." Wooyoung winced with fear. He should've expected the women would follow their own rules. Although he trusted their abilities, he was still responsible for their safety.

He followed close behind, not wanting to be too far away from the action. It wasn't necessarily to be a part of it, but more so to keep track of the seventeen he went in with. Unfortunately, he knew this group too well. Someone was going to go against the stealth approach, and go guns blazing.

And he was right to believe so.

Fast bullets were being fired on the west of the site. Unsurprisingly, that's where he sent Yunho, Jongho, and Ryujin. He and Hyunjin made a bet to see which small group would do their own thing first: them or the other squad that consisted of Hongjoong, Felix, and Yeji.

"Should we join them?" Winter awkwardly asked, not sure if everyone was supposed to abandon the plan.

"Absolutely not." Wooyoung shook his head, still wanting to lay low. "I need you to stay close." He had the rest of the women with him. It took him a moment to realize that they didn't follow Karina's lead because of Yuna. It was no secret they were still mourning her loss, but they were determined to prevent that from happening to anyone else.

"Wait, Wooyoung, do you hear that?" Ningning asked.

"Put your masks on now." He sternly said, knowing exactly what it was.

Datura.

His heart started to pound out of his chest. He knew what they were about to face, but he wasn't so sure about the rest of the team.

"Is that...smoke?" Felix asked, looking down at the ground.

"I don't smell fire." Yeji shook her head.

Both of them lightly gasped at the sound of faint laughter.

"No." The blonde whispered in fear, watching the captain fall to his knees while gripping his hair with a wide smile. "Hongjoong, hey."

"What's happening?" Yeji panicked, immediately trying to get them both off the ground. "Guys, we need to move. We can't do this here."

"Hongjoong, it's not real." Felix shook him lightly.

"I killed...everyone." The clone faintly said, then slowly stood up. "Everybody...dies, and it's all my fault."

"Holy shit, he's lost his mind." Yeji mumbled.

"No, it's the Datura. The fear toxin that fucked with Hyunjin."

"Shit."

"You did too." Hongjoong laughed, holding up his gun to Felix.

"Yeji, run!" They had no choice but to abandon the plan.

Hongjoong was now a much bigger problem.

"Oh, come on!" He smiled. "Don't hide from me."