𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙘𝙠𝙢𝙖𝙩𝙚. ♚ 𝙣𝙘𝙩 𝙢𝙖𝙛𝙞𝙖 𝙖𝙪

~ VI. ~

March 20

3:14 a.m.

   Mark woke up suddenly, his pillow drenched with sweat and tears in the corners of his eyes. He sat up and looked around the empty, dark room until his eyes focused on the alarm clock on the nightstand beside his bed. He frowned at the time and looked to the opposite side of the bed. 

    The empty space beside him made his heart ache. He quickly turned away from the empty space before he started crying again. He got up and left the silent room, walking through the dark hallways, the faint sound of a few people snoring echoing through them. 

    He entered in the camera to find Johnny struggling to keep his eyes open. Mark placed a hand on his shoulder, making Johnny flinch. "I'll take over from here," Mark whispered. Johnny didn't have the energy to protest, so he just nodded his head and left Mark in the room.

    Mark looked at the screen that showed his lover sleeping soundly in his room. Mark smiled at the image of the boy with his mouth slightly open, his hair going in every direction. He looked so peaceful, laying there alone. 

    Mark just observed the boy for a while. He watched the boy sleep like a rock. He wondered how the boy could sleep so peacefully without him, even though he could barely blink without worrying.

    "Alrighty, John. I'm taking over your shift." Mark heard Taeyong say, walking into the room. "Mark? What are you doing awake this early? It's 6 am." Mark turned back to face the cameras, seeing his lover remain still.

    "Oh, is has it been that long already?" Mark said, more to himself but Taeyong heard anyways. He groaned and turned to the younger.

    "Mark, how long have you been here? You need to rest. Remember what I told you yesterday?" Taeyong asked, sitting in the chair next to him. Mark just kept his focus on the cameras, clearly not wanting to argue with the older. Taeyong sighed. "Mark, I worry about you."

    "What do you mean? You have nothing to worry about." Mark replied quickly, tapping his leg rapidly as his anxiety began to rise. Taeyong picked up on this immediately, his expression softening.

    "You barely sleep when Hyuck's here, and with him gone I worry about your sleep schedule and your health. I think you should-"

    "Listen, Taeyong. I get that it's your job to worry about us, but I don't need a lecture from you right now. Just leave me to watch over him." Mark said flatly. Taeyong shook his head as he got up from his seat to leave the room. He opened the door and looked back at the latter, sighing once again before leaving him to stare at the camera screens.

~

    "Alrighty guys, tell me you got some information from someone today." Taeyong prayed once Chenle and Jisung entered his office, their backpacks swung on their shoulders and their uniforms messy from the long day they had.

    "Not to be offensive, but we go to high school. No one there talks about politics because they don't care. They just care about the hottest people on social media. We got nothing." Chenle explained, Jisung nodding in agreement. Taeyong groaned as he slumped in his seat.

    "Not even any rumors?" Taeyong asked. Jisung shook his head. Taeyong groaned once more. "There has to be a way we can learn something about what could possibly be happening." Taeyong said rhetorically, wracking his brain for possible solutions.

    "I think I know a way we can figure out." Renjun replied from the entrance of the office, pushing in an unfamiliar face. Taeyong raised an eyebrow, waiting for an explanation. "He used to work for Black Queen. He said recently that they started eliminating everyone at his rank out of fear that someone had leaked information about their base to prevent them from talking more. He wants to help us." Taeyong glared at the boy, who looked to be about Chenle's age, eyes widened in fear as he nodded along to what Renjun said.

    "How do we know he's a reliable source and not a spy they sent themselves?" Taeyong questioned, his expression hardening. 

    "Because I'm the leader's nephew. He took me in after my parents died, but when you invaded the bases, he wasn't hesitant to inform me I would die with everyone else in my rank. He wanted to save me for last." The boy said, his pleading eyes begging for help. Taeyong and Renjun exchanged glances.

    "His story checks out according to Lucas. He's solid." Renjun assured. Taeyong sighed and gestured for Jisung and Chenle to leave the room. He didn't like it when the younger team members participated in meetings like this.

    "First of all, what kind of information can you give me?" Taeyong asked, preparing to form a negotiation with the boy. The boy nervously played with his fingers.

    "I know why my uncle wants the president dead, but I can't give you the information about how he plans on doing so." The boy responded. Taeyong stood up and walked towards the boy.

    "Sounds like enough information to me. What's your name, boy?" Taeyong asked, standing directly in front of the boy. He gulped when he made eye contact with the older.

    "Guanheng. Huang Guanheng." The boy responded. Renjun rolled his eyes and spoke to the boy in Chinese. "Oh, sorry. Please, call me Hendery." Taeyong smiled and raised his hand out to the Chinese male.

    "Well then, Hendery. Let's get down to business, shall we?"

-

omg this is super short but if  continued it would be really long.

like how i'm starting to incorporate the other members? 

don't worry the others will arrive shortly ;)

and no, it wont be a nice reunion.

~p.b.