TARGET

스물 여섯

They moved as a collective body of shadows within the underbrush thicket surrounding their target. The soft winter breeze tossing around the powder-like snow that resided after the last time it had precipitated. It glistened under the caged sunlight that shone in the cracks between sea drab clouds ever so often, but as time passed, those grace periods of light decreased in frequency and duration- signaling the adverse weather than crept upon the city.

Soonyoung led their pursuit, the trainees armed behind him, with Minghao as the caboose with the territorial scanner that would give them thermal and physical surveys of the area before them.

Masks, bulletproof vests, dressed from head to toe in dark fabric, it was your typical spy-movie get up, and akin to that, it was exhilarating.

Minghao's breath would hitch when he felt the barren branches drag across his ankles, chills running down his spine in an adrenaline-pumped elation.

The city ambiance faded behind the group as they silently descended down into the valley in which the base would reside, Minghao watching the thermal feedback to make sure they didn't have any unexpected company-

The outline of a body flickered across the edges of his screen, blurring the east most region of the scanner,

Minghao's heart rate spiked, momentarily composing himself before he nonchalantly pushed past the trainees to get to Soonyoung, his voice coming out raspy,

"Can we have lasagna for lunch?"

From behind his mask, Minghao watched the latter's eyes glint in realization, understanding what Minghao meant, curtly nodding.

Minghao could hear blood rush through his head, internally tense as he watched the figure advance closer until it was practically beside Minghao.

"Extra cheese,"

6 o'clock, Soonyoung.

Pressure built up in his chest as he heard the faint click of a pistol,

Snapping his fingers twice, everyone got the signal they had constantly rehearsed in times like these, and dropped to their knees while Soonyoung bolted towards the perpetrator's head first, whipping out his knife,

The figure, a relatively tall and well-built man in a crisp suit, predicted the attack due to the bluntness of its nature, lurching to the side and grabbing Soonyoung arm and twisting it behind his back, they both toppled over due to impact at landed the feet of Minghao.

Minghao, shot up, striking the guard with the sole of his boot off of Soonyoung, who expeditiously straddled the fallen guards' lower back and held a knife up to his neck, pulling his head up in a chin-lock,

"Make a sound and your head gets put in a display case," Soonyoung growled into his ear,

The guard grunted, and kicked Soonyoung's back with his leg, with enough flexibility and force that he could briefly hover off the ground, rolling the two over-

Jisung yelped, jumping up to aid the elder, Minghao holding up his palm shaking his head.

The Chinese boy's lips curled into an impish grin,

"Believe me, Soonyoung got this under control, this is a cake walk,"

Soonyoung huffed, brushing his fringe out of his hair with a cock of his head, despite being pinned down, "So I guess the hard way it is-"