Hearts Awakened, Live Alive

Hongjoong: End of the Beginning

"Seonghwa... What are you doing?" Hongjoong asked, hesitant to even approach the man in case he did something rash in reaction. He really wasn't sure what was happening, what Seonghwa was planning but it was clear as day just how angry the man was at this moment. From his posture to the way his outstretched arm shook ever so slightly, to the look he had in his eyes; Hongjoong knew him well enough to recognize the emotion, though he had never seen it before. He recognized the gun he held now instead, too. Of course, he would, six years of fighting against that very same silver model, he could hardly forget it. On top of that, Seonghwa had pointed that very same gun at his head two months ago in a threat when Hongjoong still only knew him as Ghost. With those two pieces of information, Hongjoong could guess what the man was planning on doing. Hongjoong highly doubted Seonghwa had brought that gun only to fill it with non-lethal rounds.

"What does it look like I'm doing?" Seonghwa snapped, ripping off his mask and knocking his hat off in one motion, his eyes never leaving the Governor's as he spoke. "I'm ending this right here. Right now. Permanently."

Before Hongjoong could retort, the Governor broke into loud laughter.

"Oh my dear Seonghwa, you really are my son, even if we aren't biologically related," the Governor mocked through his laughter.

"Shut up," he shot back, clicking his gun cocked. The other agents in the room all pointed their guns at Seonghwa, ready to defend their leader. The Governor held up his hand, stopping them from taking any shots with a disgusting kind of smile on his face.

Hongjoong heard Yeosang frantically inform the rest of the team what was happening and requested they get where he and Seonghwa were as quickly as possible. Seonghwa took his own commlink out of his ear and threw it across the room. Hongjoong didn't understand what was happening, practically shocked into silence as he watched the scene play out before him.

"You've spent so long convincing yourself that I was the monster, that I was the psychopath responsible for all your problems," the Governor continued. "But look at you now, my son. You've killed your mother and now you're threatening to kill your own father."

"I said shut up!" Seonghwa shouted, taking a threatening step forward. The other agents followed his every move. "I didn't kill my mother. You did, you bastard."

"I may have pulled the trigger, but had you just followed orders she would still be alive, perhaps even sitting in this very room right now as you threaten to kill the man who gave you your life."

"You ruined my life!" Seonghwa shouted back. There were tears building in his eyes, the hand holding his gun was shaking. Hongjoong desperately wanted to reach out for him but he was afraid of what would happen if he made any sudden movements. But he had to do something. Where was all this anger coming from? Why hadn't Seonghwa talked to him?

He took a hesitant step towards the man as he said:

"Seonghwa... This isn't what we're about. Put the gun—"

"Don't touch me!" Seonghwa immediately snapped as Hongjoong reached out for him. Hongjoong recoiled back just as quickly, utterly shocked by the man's reaction to him. "You have to stay back. I could never forgive myself if you got hurt or died because of me."

"A touching notion, really," the Governor cooed over-dramatically. "But entirely meaningless coming from someone like you. Just look at your brand marks, boy. How much pain and suffering you've already caused... What's one more life in a pool of hundreds?"

"I didn't kill them," Seonghwa countered, his voice betraying his inner turmoil. "The fox agents, I didn't kill them. I lied. I'm Ghost. I've always been Ghost. I saved all their lives, hid them from you right under your nose."