TARGET

서른 하나

Instead of seeing the sleek bullets pierce through the honeyed melanin of the target, sharp clanking sounds resonated through the room. The bullets falling in a shower around the figure accompanied by incandescent sparks that flew, raining on the juniper rug below his feet.

Minghao's pupils dilated as he regained his composure, breathing heavily from shock. His head pulsated in the virtual silence that followed the ambush.

Soonyoung, experimentally, had decided to shoot down the target.

But something was off,

There was no crimson red painted on his figure, no blood-curdling shrieks, no pierced flesh, not a body toppled over-

Instead, his skin glowed a metallic hue atop of the honeyed skin, causing him to glimmer in luminescence and bask in his invincibility.

It took a second too long for Minghao to pry his jaw off the floor and peel his eyes away, awe stricken by the phenomenon. Cursing under his breath, he found the nearest pillar to take cover behind, crouching.

"I know, I saw. That's quite the stargift,"

Scanning the area, Minghao could vaguely make out the silhouettes of guards stationed around in the crevices of the area, most likely waiting for his call.

"Wonwoo, what even is that?" Minghao huffed out, checking the ammo on his firearm,

"Well, I'm trying to wind the tape back, but that dumbass wouldn't stop shooting at him so I cant really see anything.Give or take, its probably a metal-mold gift on steroids,"

Soonyoung sheepishly apologized over the line but Minghao was too preoccupied in thought:

If that where to be true, then our guns would be useless. It would be best to initiate close combat, but that would be in the case that the target is not able to mold metal externally, which would most likely mean that it would be even harder to reach him-

The howl of bullets echo throughout the expanse. It had officially started.

"Well... have fun I guess," The line hissed once again before it cut off.

Minghao rose, brushing off his lap and holding his gun up to eye level,

"Will do,"

Cold.... so cold...

The only thing he could feel was a biting cold envelop him, slipping through consciousness and the latter.

His eyes fluttered, lashes heavy from the frost that brushed over them. All he could perceive in his state was a sea of glistening, iridescent crystal, that strangely emitted a soft yet frigid, numbing, gale in its stationary form.

Ice.

Wait..

Ice.

Renjun.

Mission. 17th Circle.

Jeonghan shot up, ache shooting through his spine from laying on the rigid bed of ice. In taking his surroundings, he realized he was trapped in a dome of the substance, the only light being a flashlight light that lay ajar across the makeshift room,

He lifted a shaky hand to his ear, snaking the other around his torso to provide some type of warmth, "Wonwon? Line?"

His line hissed, choppy words that he couldn't make out strewn together with the white noise of the telecom.