Super

27. nothing personal

"Oh, great," Baekhyun muttered.

The moment Irene finished speaking, the three were on their feet, simultaneously reaching behind their heads to draw the masks over their faces. The waiter gasped as Baekhyun stepped forward, and the girl next to him pressed the mouth of the gun against his temple.

"One false move, and I blow his head off," she said. Her voice was less sweet than Irene's, as blunt and effective as a rusted knife. It could give you blood poisoning. "Take another step. I dare you."

"Oh, Jisoo, honey, you really need to work on your language." Irene tutted, then turned to Baekhyun with a gracious smile. "Thank you for leading us here, we truly appreciate it. And do forgive the disturbance, it's nothing personal." She lifted a single shoulder in a graceful shrug. "I see not all of your little team is here, which is sad. I would have liked to see Taemin again."

The rest of his face was covered by the mask, but Ten's wide eyes betrayed his shock. "You know Taemin?"

"Of course! We're old friends." Irene raised her eyebrows. "I'm sorry to see he hasn't told you about me. I'll make sure the introductions are proper the next time—but for now, it's better if you step out of the way and let us do our job."

"What are you going to do, kill these guys?" Ten asked. "Because if that's what you plan on, then I'm sorry to say we're going to have to stop you."

Jisoo laughed. "You can try."

"Wait a second," Jae said. He sounded breathless, the kind of breathlessness with which you can't tell if one is fearful or excited. Ten glanced at him uncertainly, only to see his eyes were shining. "Bae Irene?" He laughed, apparently in delight. "I've followed you for years, and I have to say, it's amazing to finally—"

"Are you kidding me?" Ten exclaimed, and at the same moment, the waiter kicked backwards. Jisoo let go of him, more surprised by the fact that he was brave enough to try to fight than the kick. The waiter started forwards, but ended up tripping down the stairs, and Lucas charged forward before he could hit the ground. Jisoo raised the gun, rolling her eyes, and shot in his direction with an almost bored look on her face.

"Chan!" Jae cried out.

"I have him!" Lucas grunted, pulling him up with effort. When he turned the boy over, he found that Chan was gritting his teeth, and his face has lost all its color. A better look told Lucas that he had been shot in the leg.

"Oh, god, that hurts," the boy moaned, before his eyes rolled back in his head and he fainted.

"Protect the files! That's my life's work and probably what she wants!" Jae yelled, and Baekhyun's eyes turned a solid gray as he began to float a few inches off the ground. The air around him crackled, and Jae stepped back as he heard a distant rumble.

Lucas realized what was going to happen before the others did, picking up Chan and moving quickly. "Take cover! He's going to blow the roof!"

Ten rushed towards Jae, tackling him and rolling under a reinforced table in the corner. Lucas dropped Chan off next to them and stood as near to Baekhyun as he dared as the hum in the air became stronger. There was a crash and a burst of light as the roof was torn away, chunks of metal and debris falling everywhere. The lights went out in a shower of sparks. Lucas closed his eyes to concentrate, opening his hands and baring himself to absorb as much power as he could in one go.

Irene and Jisoo had run up the stairs for cover, and Lucas followed them as Baekhyun gasped and dropped to the floor, somehow managing to stay on his feet. Ten gritted his teeth. "Put pressure on the entry wound," he told Jae, gesturing to Chan who was still out like a light. "Don't move unless you see something. If you do, call for help."