Chapter Text
Getting out of juvenile prison was weird, to say the least. It seemed like things had only gotten more intense since his absence. God Dogs were destroyed and Hostel was no longer even in the game.
Jake also knew that the Big Deal that Sinu left him… It was splintering apart under his own hands.
But he couldn’t afford to think about that. No, what he needed was to get Sinu back. And Vivi’s Club was his only clue, for now.
It was strangely easy to make his way inside. It seemed that the Workers were a lot more lax in their security than they let on.
He had a simple plan: find Old Face, beat him up for betraying them, then beat him up some more to find out where the fuck Sinu was.
After making his way through the crowd, Jake sat down at the bar, ordered a (very overpriced) drink to get the bartender off his back, and watched. It was easy to locate Old Face and his ostentatious display of betrayal. He was truly living it up, not a single hint of realization that karma was about to bite him in the ass.
He watched in amusement as he managed to get his ass kicked by Vasco with barely any fight. Just as he set down his drink and prepared himself to go confront him, Jake felt a delicate hand on his forearm hold him in place.
“Who—” Jake turned, ready to tear into the person touching him, when they locked eyes and he felt his anger dissipate.
The owner of the hand had long black hair streaked with blonde curled away from her extremely attractive face. She was wearing an emerald top with a black skirt and an emerald bag. Jake had seen many gorgeous women before, but never one like that, much less one that had hit on him.
“Are you free?” she asked, her voice slightly deeper than he expected. “I’d love to share some info.”
She wants my number!
“Sorry, but I’m looking for my boyfriend,” Jake said. Inwardly, his heart was breaking at the thought of turning down the first girl who had been flirting with him since getting locked up.
“Which is why you should just follow my lead,” she said, leaning in close. “You’ll find that I might know where to find exactly what you’re looking for.” Jake could feel her breath on his neck, and a shiver ran down his spine.
Focus on Sinu, Jake!
“I’m not—”
“Excuse me,” a voice cut in. Jake looked up, surprised to see the Chinese bodyguard from Workers standing right next to them.
Shit. I didn’t even notice him.
“Yes?” the girl said, tilting her head as though to say Why the fuck are you bothering me?
“Apologies for our late welcome,” he said. “But Miss Vivi would like to personally invite you to her private room.”
Jake tried to school his face into a stoic one, but his heart was racing. This girl was his way in. He wasn’t sure how, exactly, Vivi was involved with Workers, but the badge on the bodyguard’s ring was his best bet so far.
Except, without missing a beat, the girl said “No thanks.” Jake wanted to shake her.
“I really must insist,” the bodyguard said.
“Ugh,” the girl said. “Whatever.” She flipped her hair which, due to the length, hit the bodyguard square in the face. He didn’t even react.
“Miss Vivi assures you that it will be worth your time, Miss.” But the girl simply picked at her nails, blowing a stray piece of hair out of her face.
“Is there gonna be anyone cute there?” she asked. The bodyguard didn’t react to her clear dismissal of his own (admittedly impressive) physique.
“Yes,” he said. “You can even pick someone out, if you want.” The bodyguard’s eyes strayed to Jake’s, and the girl followed his gaze. She sighed, standing up from her seat.
“Fine, fine,” she said. She gestured to the bartender. “Hey, I’ll cover both our tabs.” The bartender quickly scrambled over, offering up the payment machine. Jake’s eyes widened as he saw her tap the machine with a small, black pin with the Workers logo engraved onto it.
Was this girl also a part of Workers?
The color wasn’t gold or white, but black. Was that more or less important than the ones he’s seen so far? Judging by the way the bodyguard was acting towards her, she was a big shot.
Does she know who I am, then?
Jake tried to think of all the women he knew to be involved in crews, but his head drew a blank. He couldn’t, for the life of him, remember any of their names. There were quite a few new big time players since he had been locked up (Burn Knuckles’ Vasco, for one, or the elusive Danny that took down Olly Wang), but none of them had female names.
“Are you coming?” the girl asked. Jake nodded, grinning.
“It’d be my pleasure.”
Club Vivi’s neon lights flashed against Goo’s obnoxious blond hair and equally annoying suit. The stench of alcohol, sweat, and drugs made her nose scrunch up in disdain, and the tight dress, heels, and chain purse that Goo insisted she wear was already starting to stick to her skin.
“Am I even allowed to go in there?” Zoe asked.
“Are you allowed to go around beating other people up?” Goo replied, walking confidently up to the two bouncers. A quick flash of his mysterious black badge and they were in.
Zoe rolled her eyes at the over-the-top way Goo interacted with the club workers. “I agreed to come because I thought we’d be training,” she said, grimacing as a drunk man tried to get handsy with her. A quick chop to the neck made him pass out.
“Who said this isn’t for training?” Goo asked, pushing through a raucous crowd of people. They all seemed to be cheering for something in the middle. Zoe struggled to keep up, especially in the egregiously high heels Goo had picked out for her.
Zoe shoved past the last person, finally at the front of the crowd. As she came up next to Goo, her eyes widened at the source of the commotion. “What the—Vasco?”
The aforementioned Burn Knuckles leader was going head-to-head with Club Vivi’s security team. And, by the looks of it, he was easily coming out on top.
“Oh, you know him?” Goo asked. “Huh. Well, I was planning on someone else, but he seems like a more level-appropriate opponent.”
It took a second for Goo’s words to process. “You want me to fight him?” Vasco, the leader of Burn Knuckles? Someone I took extra care to avoid in the hallways before Dani transferred? That Vasco?
“Obviously,” Goo said. “Get with the program!” He shoved her into the middle, directly towards Vasco, who had just taken out the last of the security guards.
“Zoe?” Vasco asked, lowering his stance. “What are you doing here?”
“I could ask the same thing,” she said.
“I don’t have time to talk. I need to get my payment.”
“What pay—” Vasco attempted to shove her away, but Goo’s training kept her feet planted.
“I need my payment, Zoe,” he repeated. He put his hand out to push again, but Zoe was ready for it.
With a small twist, she hooked her ankle with his, unbalancing him. Vasco tripped slightly, catching himself, but not before Zoe looped her purse strap around his wrists, binding him.
“Wha—Zoe! How did you do that?”
“What payment, Vasco?” Zoe asked. She could feel the curious eyes of the club’s guests around her. Vasco’s arms flexed, attempting to push past the chain straps, but Zoe could tell that he wasn’t putting all of his strength into it.
For some reason, that made her want to tighten the bindings.
“For my tteokbokki!” he said. “They ate without paying.”
Huh?
“Ha?” she asked, head tilting. “How much do they owe you?”
“Five hundred won!” Vasco stated. A quick search into her purse for the payment and that was it. Vasco walked out, head held high, as though he hadn’t been the harbinger of chaos moments before.
As Zoe walked back to where Goo had set up by the bar, already surrounded by various women, she already knew what her mentor was going to say.
“Boring!”
“I didn’t want to fight him,” Zoe said. “He’s one of my friends!”
“I fight with my friends all the time,” Goo said, taking a sip of his colorful drink. “Hey, you want one of these?”
Zoe shook her head, scanning the room. Meeting Vasco was unexpected, and definitely not the “training” that Goo was planning on subjecting her to. She wanted a clear head for whatever was—
“Wait, what are they doing there?”
“Sorry it’s so empty! But go ahead and sit anywhere you want,” Vivi said, gesturing around the decorated room. Like last time, Vivi’s cookies were displayed right in the middle. “Is that your friend?”
“Not really,” Daniel said, sitting at the edge of the booth. He fought the urge to tug his skirt down. “I thought there’d be other people.”
“Oh, they’re coming!” Vivi said. She grabbed two glasses, offering them to him and Jake. They both accepted, but neither of them took a sip. “It’s so nice to meet you! I’ve heard a lot about you.”
In the corner of Daniel’s eye, he could see Jake perk up at that. “Really?” Dani asked. “I have, too. I follow you on TikTacTok.”
“Oh, I’m so flattered!” Vivi said. “You should totally meet my friends, too. They’re on their way here!”
“I’d love to,” Daniel said.
“I also invited some influencers to hang out with us, I hope you don’t mind,” she said. “I noticed you followed a few of them on Ingstagram and TicTacTok, too!”
Daniel’s tilted his head. “I didn’t realize you knew so much about me.”
Vivi nodded enthusiastically. “Well, I make an effort to keep track of interesting people!”
Hm. Interesting people, huh?
Daniel noticed that Jake was extremely quiet throughout all of it. He hadn’t even picked at any of the food which, while smart, was a little suspicious. Xiaolung’s eyes were already trained on them, the barest hint of suspicion in them.
“You should eat!” Daniel said, grabbing a harmless cracker and presenting it to Jake. “What’s your name, anyway?”
“Eh? You don’t know his name?” Vivi asked, grabbing a piece of candy.
“We just met downstairs. I liked how he looked, though.”
“Wow. You have interesting taste, Dani.”
“Thanks!” he said, noticing how Jake tensed at the mention of his name. Did he finally recognize him?
Before Jake could answer, a knock at the door prompted Xiaolung to open it, revealing… a White Tiger worker, who was escorting the same group of rich kids as before.
“Miss, your friends are here. The influencers you invited are downstairs, as well.”
“You all made it! Sit, sit,” she said, gesturing around the table. “Guys, this is my new friend, Dani Park!”
They all exchanged pleasantries, talking about how hard the private flight was, how annoying their billionaire parents or grandparents were… Daniel could barely hold in his urge to roll his eyes.
“So, what does your family do, Dani?” the kid with glasses asked, taking a sip from his drink. The others in the room all perked up.
“Oh… ” Daniel already had a cover of sorts. He might as well stick to it. “We do a little bit of everything, but my, er, oppa has been in Korea for business and recommended I check Club Vivi out.” The others in the room all nodded, but Xiaolung and Jake seemed particularly interested at the mention of his “older brother.”
“What’s the name of your—” Before Jake could finish his question, another knock at the door revealed…
“Eh? Dani, what are you doing here?” Sally asked. Behind her stood Eli, Mira, and Joy, all dressed for a night out, alongside a few other faces Daniel recognized as up-and-coming influencers.
Daniel didn’t even have to fake his shock. “I could ask you guys the same thing!”
“Oh, you know them, Dani?” Vivi asked. “Wow, you know so many handsome people! Come on, sit down, there’s plenty of room.” The four of them all sat down at the table, the girls all immediately beginning to snack on the treats.
Eli sat down on the other side of Dani, eyes never straying from Jake, who had pulled his hat down in a vain attempt to hide his face.
“Dani,” Eli said, leaning down to whisper into his ear. “That’s Jake Kim, from Big Deal.” Dani nodded, smiling at Vivi, whose eyes were wide at where Eli’s lips almost touched his neck. “Do you know what you’re doing?”
He leaned towards Eli to whisper in his ear, “Trust me, okay?” Eli paused, then nodded slightly, leaving back.
“It’s so great you could all make it,” Vivi said, grasping Sally’s hands in hers.
“Thank you so much for inviting us!” Sally said, shaking hands. “Eli and Joy originally didn’t want to come, but I thought it’d be fun. I’ve never been to a club like this before.”
“I promise it’ll be a fun night,” Vivi said. Daniel wanted to puke at her fake innocent act. “But, wow, you’re all so much more beautiful in-person!”
“Aw, thanks,” Joy said. “You’re a lot prettier in-person, too!” They all grinned at each other. Jake and Eli were still staring each other off, but neither seemed keen on breaking the tension.
Xiaolung, still standing by the doorway, hadn’t taken his eyes off Eli since he stepped into the room.
Daniel had a million thoughts racing in his head, trying to pivot his plan to work around the unforeseen arrival of his friends.
“Vivi, are these the famous cookies I’ve heard so much about?” He made a show of grabbing one of them.
Vivi’s face lit up. “Yes, they are! Go ahead and help yourself.” The room’s occupants, sans Vivi and the rich kids, all reached out to grab at them. Before Mira, Sally, or Joy could take bites, Daniel struck his hand out and snatched the cookies away. “Hey!” Joy said.
“Aren’t you three supposed to be on a diet?” Daniel asked, making eye contact with Mira. Her eyebrows furrowed in surprise, before a look of realization crossed her face.
“How did you know?” Joy asked, pouting. “Also, aren’t you always going on about how we should eat whatever we want, so long as our bodies are healthy?”
“For boys, maybe,” Daniel said, and he internally cringed. “Eli, Jake, why don’t you take one of these instead?” He gave the cookies to each of them, making eye contact with Eli.
Trust me, okay?
Eli, with just a second of hesitation, ate the cookie. Jake, with the room’s eyes on him, also ate his cookie. “My sweet treat… ” Joy moaned. Sally patted her back, but Mira’s gaze was split between Daniel and the cookie plate. The two locked eyes, and Daniel subtly nodded his head to the exit.
“I don’t think I’m feeling all that great,” Mira said, holding her stomach.
“Oh, no,” Sally said.
“It must’ve been something I ate. Where's the closest restroom?”
“Oh, one of our guards can show you,” Vivi said.
“I’ll go with you,” Daniel said. “I’ll call Zack to come pick you up, too.”
“I’ll come with,” Sally said, and Joy also stood to tag along. Daniel could see Vivi’s careful mask stutter for a second, but it was gone in a flash.
“I hope you feel better,” Vivi said. “Hurry back, okay? I have some fun events planned after this!”
Jake and Eli sat in awkward silence after the group of girls left. Jake had a million questions running through his head — Why are you here, I thought you left, How do you know the rich chick — But the stares of Xiaolung and Vivi kept his mouth shut.
“Is Big Deal allied with Workers, now?” Eli asked, voice low.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Jake whispered, nodding his head along to the music. “That chick just invited me to join her here.”
Eli looked surprised at that. Jake idly wondered if they had something going on. “Dani did?”
“Yeah,” he said, nodding. Except, for some reason, nodding felt difficult. “She sssaid to… folloooow… herrrr… ” His head tilted downward, the world spinning. He saw Eli and the other influencers also falling.
The cookies…
As they entered the restroom, escorted by a Club Vivi guard, Dani turned to the three of them. “Call someone to pick all of you up. Now.”
“Huh?” Sally asked. “What do you—”
“There was something in the cookies, right?” Mira asked. Ever since stepping into that room she had felt on-edge, as though something in her body was telling her how dangerous it was. The small whiff of the cookies’ scent also made her whole body tense.
Dani nodded. She pulled out her phone and started to text. “I’ll get Zack and Jay to come pick you guys up. I—”
“Wait a minute, Dani,” Joy said, putting a hand out. “If there was something wrong with the cookies, why didn’t you stop Eli from eating them?” Sally stared at Dani as well.
“There’s something that needs to get done,” Dani said, turning to walk out.
“That’s not an explanation,” Joy said, but the other girl had already opened the door. She started to usher them to the entrance.
“Miss, I was told to bring you all straight back to the room with Miss Vivi,” the guard said.
“I think they all started to come down with something. I’ll say goodbye before heading back up,” Dani said. Mira, Sally, and Joy all traded glances, before nodding.
Whatever the problem was, they would trust Dani. At least, for now.
The guard didn’t seem willing to argue with that, and simply watched as they headed out. Dani split off from them right before they got out to the main dance floor.
“I’ll leave you guys here,” Dani said. “But I’ll make sure Eli makes it home safe, ‘kay?”
“I’ll hold you to that,” Sally said, narrowing her eyes at Dani. “And I trust that you’ll stay safe, too.”
“I will, I will,” Dani promised, before heading back inside with their escort. The three girls made their way through the dance floor, before yet another familiar face stopped them in their tracks.
“Zoe?” Mira asked. The other girl, who looked more than unamused, stared at them like a deer in headlights from her position by a blond man. “I thought you were busy tonight?”
“Uh, yeah,” she said, averting her eyes. “Are you all… ”
“We’re heading out right now,” Joy said.
“Are these your friends?” the blond man asked, grinning at them.
“Is this guy bugging you, Zoe?” Sally asked, standing up tall. “I can—”
“I’ll leave you guys here,” Dani said. “But I’ll make sure Eli makes it home safe, ‘kay?”
“I’ll hold you to that,” Sally said, narrowing her eyes at Dani. “And I trust that you’ll stay safe, too.”
“I will, I will,” Dani promised, before heading back inside with their escort.
“No need,” Zoe said. “He’s actually something like my mentor.”
“A mentor?” Mira asked. “For what?”
“Well, you know I started to learn to fight, right?” They all nodded. “So, Goo’s been helping me out with it. Nothing weird, I promise.”
“Saying that makes it seem weird,” Joy pointed out, but let the topic drop. They bid goodbye to Zoe, finally heading towards the entrance.
But, as they passed by a security guard, a horrifyingly familiar scent entered Mira’s nose. It was one that she could never forget even years later. It was, her mind supplied, also similar to the scent from the cookies.
She stopped directly in her tracks, turning to face the source of it.
“Miss?” the guard asked. “Is everything all right?”
“Are you wearing perfume?” she asked.
The guard looked confused. “No, why do you ask?”
“No reason,” Mira said. To her side, Joy and Sally were giving her concerned looks.
“Is the club making you feel worse?” Sally asked. “Let’s step outside.”
Sally and Joy stared at each other, trying hard to ignore the suspicion in their guts, but Mira was struggling to avoid looking at the bodyguard from before.
There was no mistaking that, somehow, Club Vivi was involved with the Pungsan Cult. And for the life of her, Mira knew she couldn’t keep it a secret.
After all, while Zack and Johan seemed convinced she had moved on from it, even she could hold space for pure, unadulterated hatred.
Jake’s head pounded. The world swirled around him, and he fought back the urge to vomit.
That fucking…
“Good, you’re awake,” a voice said. Dani, the girl who had brought him into this mess, leaned down over him, her hair framing her face and the lights behind her casting in an ethereal light.
Jake knew that she was far from an angel, though.
Quick as his body would allow, Jake jumped up, reaching a hand out to try and pin Dani down. But, and Jake could tell that it wasn’t just because of the drugs, the girl sidestepped faster than he could keep up with. “We don’t have much time,” she said, standing up straight. “Just so you know, the 3rd Affiliate has been drugging people to rape them in their sleep.”
“Wha—” Jake’s mind was finally beginning to clear. He could feel his stomach curdle from the knowledge, but his mind was yelling at him that he was there for one person and one person only.
But. Sinu would have wanted to help them. What if the drugged girls had been Luah, or Yeonhui?
He wouldn’t be able to face Sinu when he found him if he didn’t do something. But, he might not be able to find Sinu if he made an enemy out of Workers.
The crack of a body hitting the wall brought Jake out of his indecision. Jake turned to the sound, eyes landing on the crumpled form of one of the rich kids from before.
“Ah,” Dani said. “Eli must’ve woken up.” Just then, Eli appeared at the doorway, holding the other drugged people. It seemed they had yet to wake up.
“Dani,” he said. “What’s your plan?”
“Well, I honestly don’t think we need to do all that much,” she said. “After all, the 3rd Affiliate is already in trouble with Eugene.” Eli and Jake’s eyes narrowed.
“How do you know that?” Jake asked. “Who are you?”
“I’m someone who knows how you can get Sinu back. So long as you follow my lead here.”
“I’m not going home,” Mira said, hands crossed over her chest. “I’m just as much a part of this as you are!”
“If Mira’s not going home, then I’m not leaving, either!” Sally said. “Eli’s still in there!”
“I’m not going, either. I’ve been learning to fight, so I won’t be a weakness,” Joy said.
Zack, Johan, and Jay all exchanged looks. The longer they stayed outside, the less of a chance they’d be able to help Dani out. But letting the three girls fight for them?
“So long as you stay behind us at all times,” Johan said, stepping forward.
“Wait, you’re gonna let them follow us?” Zack asked. Jay’s hands came up as well, obviously distraught at the thought of them fighting.
“When have you ever been able to dissuade Mira from doing something she wants to do?” he asked, and Zack couldn’t fight with that.
“Just… Be careful,” he said, following in Johan’s footsteps.
As they approached the entrance to Club Vivi, Zack’s eyes caught on the strange tteokbokki stand right outside, manned by… Vasco?
“Should we get Vasco to help us?” he asked, nodding to the Burn Knuckles’ leader, who was trying to call over uninterested passersby to his stand. A quick conversation and rundown of the situation made him agree.
Once they reached the entrance, for some reason, the sight of Vasco approaching made the security guards immediately attack them. Within seconds they were taken down, and they stepped deeper into the club.
“It was her,” Mira said, pointing at a female security guard by a corner. “She smelled exactly like… ” Zack and Johan exchanged glances, before marching straight towards the girl.
At their approach, the guard straightened, glaring at them. “I’m afraid this section is—”
Wasting no time, Zack slammed a fist next to her head, cracking the wall by her face. At the same time, Johan kicked her feet out from under her, causing her to fall. A quick sniff in the air, and Zack could feel his blood run hot.
Mira was right.
“Woah there,” someone said, putting their hand on Zack’s shoulder. “Men shouldn’t treat such a beautiful woman—” Without looking, Zack punched the interloper.
Johan kneeled down next to the guard. “What do you know about Pungsan?” he asked, voice low. His face looked calm, but Zack could tell how angry he was.
“Pungsan?” she said. “I don’t—”
“Then,” he said, stepping on her shins. “What do you know about Workers’ drug business?”
“I don’t know anything!” she said. She tried to grapple out of it, but Johan was too skilled. As she twisted out from under his foot, he brought a knee up against her face, causing her nose to start bleeding. “Shit! Fine, fine, we just distribute the drugs, okay?”
“Vivi does?” Zack asked, glaring down at her.
“Yes!” she says, nodding her head. The blood from her nose stains her white dress shirt and dribbles onto the floor, painting a disgusting picture. “She brought all the drugs here because China executes druggies.”
“Where’s Vivi?” Johan asks. When the guard takes too long to answer, he raises his knee again, but she cracks quickly.
“She’s on the top floor! But you’ll need an executive’s badge,” she said, unpinning a thin badge and holding it out to them. “Just let me go… don’t mention it was me, okay?”
Johan quickly snatched the badge from her, shoving her away with a quick kick. She hit the ground hard and, if it had been Zack from just a year ago, he would’ve been offended on her behalf. But her involvement with the cult simply made him curl his lip in disgust.
“Let’s go,” Johan said, stepping toward the elevator. Zack spared one last glance at the downed executive, before following.
They met back up with Mira, Sally, Joy, Jay, and Vasco at the elevators. They quickly explained what the badge was, before pressing on the top floor and tapping the badge.
As it started to move upwards, the elevator suddenly started to shake. “What’s going on?” Joy asked, looking around.
“It might be—”
“AH!” Sally’s guess was cut off by Joy’s scream. They looked up, meeting eyes with a horribly disfigured, burnt face. Soon, countless other, similarly burnt faces appeared around them, tearing apart the elevator itself.
Johan, Zack, and Vasco all fought them off, continuously checking that the elevator was still ascending, but the sheer number of them was causing the floor to shake. No matter how hard they hit, they simply got back up.
Just as the door opened on the top floor, another wave of them approached. “Shit,” Zack said, bringing his bloody knuckles up, preparing for the fight.
But, before they could even get to him, a silver bat launched at the first person, knocking them out cold. As it fell, they all watched as a thin figure snatched it from the air, twisting her body around to slam it into another, and another, and another.
“Zoe?”
Mira rushed out of the elevator, heading straight to Zoe, barely sidestepping around the fallen men. “Are you—”
“What are you still doing here?” she asked, smashing the bat against another person.
With her help, they were finally making a dent in the crowd. “Did you find where they took Dani?”
“Wait, they took Dani?”
“Woah, these guys are pretty tough!” Goo said, idly kicking away one of the men when they tried coming at him. His steel-pointed shoes caused a sickening crunch , and the attacker fell to the ground.
Zoe didn’t even bother looking over, still weaving between their countless opponents. Some of the men had gotten dirty hits on her, ripping parts of her outfits. She could already feel the bruises starting to form under her skin.
“What the fuck is Goo doing here?” Johan asked, chucking one of the men out a window.
Overkill, much? Zoe thought, smashing the tip of her bat straight into the eye socket of her own opponent.
“Aren’t you looking for Dani Park?” he asked, tilting his head. Unlike the J-High students (and Sally), he still looked perfectly put together. “I would hurry, it seems like she’s on her way out.”
“You know who took Dani?” Joy asked. She had pulled her hair into a low bun, taking out multiple men with a small pair of batons. Zoe didn’t know she had been learning to fight.
“Well, I know who probably took her,” he said.
“Stop with the riddles!” Vasco said, shoving a group of four men down the stairs.
“Is that why you brought us here?” Zoe asked. With Goo’s help, the crowd was slowly but surely dissipating.
“Not really,” he said. “Who would’ve thought there would be two monsters arriving at the 3rd Affiliate today?”
“What do you mean by two?” Zack asked.
“Why, Dani Park and the boss’s little pet project!”
While Daniel was sure that the fight between Jake and Xiaolung before was impressive, they didn’t really have time for all of that.
“Dani Park,” Xiaolung said, brandishing his spear. “I didn’t think you’d come after the 3rd Affiliate. Nonetheless, I will not allow you any closer.”
“Well, it’s a good thing I’m not interested in fighting,” he said. “After all, Gun’s already eliminated you from running, and I’m sure the representative of your chairman will be here any second now.”
“Speak for yourself,” Jake said, pushing himself past Daniel. “But your Vivi’s got the answers I need.”
Daniel and Eli exchanged looks. “I told you that I will—”
“That’s not exactly a guarantee, is it?” Jake said, pulling on his leather gloves. “Besides, I have a feeling I’ll enjoy this fight.”
And so, the two started to fight. Daniel, who knew the outcome, turned to Eli.
“If we put them in spare hotel rooms, they’ll think they’re guests,” he said. “Can you—”
But Eli was already heading down the stairs.
At least I can count on one person being predictable.
Daniel stood to the side as he watched Jake and Xiaolung fight it out. It was brutal, to say the least, but certainly not the worst he’d ever seen.
Soon enough, Jake had Xiaolung on the floor, when the bodyguard started to bark like a dog. And, like clockwork, Samuel showed up, just as self-assured and cocky as before.
“Is Gun trying to test the 3rd Affiliate as well?” Samuel asked, cocking his head. “But it looks like you haven’t even lifted a finger!”
“Not everything has to be solved by your own hands,” Daniel said. In fact, most things couldn’t. He had learned that the hard way.
“Trust me, I know what you mean.”
“How do you know Gun?” Jake asked, turning to face him.
“You don’t know?”
“Know what, asshole?”
“She’s his darling little sister,” Samuel answered, smirking.
“You—”
“If you’re here for Vivi, then you can take her,” Daniel said.
Samuel ignored his comment, staring down at Xiaolung. “I didn’t think you’d actually bark! Unluckily for you, the chairman’s plans have changed.”
“You can’t take Vivi,” Jake said, standing between Xiaolung and Samuel. “I need her to find Sinu.”
“Well, I can help with that,” Samuel said but, like before, Jake didn’t believe him.
As they started to fight, Daniel was feeling like things were going far too well. Eli had the kidnapped influencers, the 3rd Affiliate was soon going to be under someone Daniel was sure he could defeat in the future, and Xiaolung and Vivi were soon to be taken care of. Mira, Sally, and Joy were all back home, safe from the fighting…
Honestly, it was a little disconcerting. Usually by now something…
His thoughts were interrupted by the lights flickering above. Daniel blinked, wondering if it was just his eyes, but they flickered once more. Samuel and Jake’s fighting ceased, also disconcerted by the faulty lights.
His stomach sank as heavy, slow footsteps reached his ears.
Turning, heart in his throat, he came face-to-face with the body he thought he’d never see again.
“Who the fuck—” Samuel was cut off with a sickening roundhouse kick to the face, quickly downing him.
Jake brought his hands up in a crossguard as UI!Daniel(?) sent a flurry of punches his way, his bones cracking sickeningly. A hand blade to the neck made him tumble to the ground as well.
UI!Daniel turned toward the last conscious person in the area: Daniel. “Shit,” he said, tensing, preparing himself to fight his second body, but the unconscious UI!Daniel simply stood there.
“Hello?” he said, taking a step toward his second body. No reaction.
Who are you?
Was this someone else’s second body?
Taking another step forward, he risked snapping his fingers. No reaction.
Daniel wasn’t sure what to do. It was clear, by the state of his second body, that someone had been taking care of it. So was it his place to “steal” his body back? Was it even his body in the first place?
As he was stuck in indecision, the sound of multiple people’s footsteps reached his ears, coming closer and closer. Daniel knew that, if they approached, they would quickly be taken out. “Don’t—”
Just then, quicker than he could react, a hand covered his mouth with a white cloth. Daniel instinctively breathed in, his eyelids growing heavier and heavier, until he passed out.
They met up with Eli at the staircase just before the top floor. “Dani said to trust her,” he said, taking in the disheveled appearance of everyone but Goo and Johan. “But I have a feeling… ”
“That she’s being dumb again?” Zack asked, ignoring the glare that Zoe sent him.
Eli sent an unimpressed look his way, before ascending the staircase. For some reason, as they grew closer to the top, the lights began to become more and more finicky, the air filled with a tension that Zack couldn’t put his finger on.
“It should be up here,” Eli said, opening the door to the top floor.
Immediately, Zack could feel his knees want to buckle from the sheer aura emanating from the hallway. With a quick glance at his friends, Eli and Johan lead the charge inward.
And, within seconds, they were bombarded by a series of kicks, punches, and techniques that Zack’s eyes couldn’t even hope to keep up with. Even Johan, who Zack still couldn’t hope to compete with, seemed entirely out of his league.
The man attacking them seemed entirely devoid of emotion, as though acting purely on instinct. His eyes were reversed, black pits of apathy that made the hair on Zack’s neck stand up straight.
Despite knowing he was probably no match for him, Zack couldn’t very well stand back and let Johan and Eli do all of the work.
He brought his fists up, joining the fray. Behind him, he could feel Vasco, Joy, and Zoe all join in as well.
It was… brutal, to say the least. It felt as though whenever they were close to getting a hit in, the mysterious man would simply hit back three times harder. Zack could feel bruises forming on his bones, could feel how indescribably out of his league he was.
Was this who had taken Dani?
“Truce?” a tattooed man asked, picking himself up from the floor. He held a hand out to… Jake Kim?
“Fuck you,” Jake said, but took his hand anyway. But, two new fighters made no difference. The man—no, the monster—simply batted them away like flies.
“Where’s Dani?” Vasco asked, pushing himself back up once more. His face was more blood than skin.
Of course, the monster did not answer, and simply sent a series of blows so quick they might as well have been invisible towards him, knocking him down once more.
Zoe’s bat had quickly been broken by the monster’s grip strength. She was now using her torn-up purse as a makeshift whip, but she wasn’t faring any better than anyone else.
Eli’s hair was matted with blood, his normally handsome face bruised beyond recognition. Joy had been knocked unconscious by a brutal spinning kick just a few seconds into the fight. Jay, somehow, was nowhere to be seen.
Johan was still standing, but only barely. As usual, he had begun to copy the monster’s moves, but it seemed like a pale imitation of the mastery that the monster had over fighting itself.
Just as the monster was about to step on Johan’s face, Zack rushed forward, hands outstretched. He could feel his arm shatter into little pieces as he protected the still-healing eyes of Johan from the monster’s step.
“Zack!” Johan yelled, rolling over. Zack clutched his arm, preparing himself for another attack, when Goo stepped in. They had lost him sometime in the fray.
“Wow!” Goo said, his glasses sliding down his nose. “It’s even more impressive than I thought!”
“Shut the fuck up!” Zoe groaned out, clutching her ribs. “Either help us or get the fuck out!”
“This was supposed to be your training, though!” He whined. “It’s a lot more skilled than I thought it would have been. Hm… ” He tapped his chin, and in any other circumstance Zack would have slapped him. “If you grab that girl over there, then I guess I’ll help you out.” He pointed to a trembling girl who was clutching a badly beaten Chinese man to her chest.
Without hesitation, Zoe crawled over to the girl, who started to back away before realizing she couldn’t move and still hold onto the man in her arms. “No, don’t—”
Quick as lightning, Zoe knocked her unconscious with a temple strike. “There, now help us!”
Goo shrugged off his jacket, grabbing a strange spear from the doorway. “Alright, let’s—”
The monster reached out and broke the spear straight in half. Goo’s eyes narrowed. “Never mind, then.”
Zack could barely keep his eyes open from the pain as he watched Goo and the monster fight. Despite his confidence, the blond was clearly taken aback by how truly skilled the other was. It was like he had been hiding his strength until an even stronger opponent appeared.
The last thing he saw before passing out was the sight of Logan Lee, hands in his trousers, strutting forward like he owned the place, and a strange man in a lab coat following behind.
Daniel was very, very sick of getting drugged. It had happened so many times in his previous life, but he had figured, at least with his power level now, that he would’ve been able to predict when it would happen.
Of course, who would’ve expected James Lee himself to kidnap a poor, unsuspecting high schooler?
“DG?” Daniel said, head still pounding from the chloroform. He could feel a plush mattress under his back, and quickly surmised that they were in one of Hotel Vivi’s suites.
Said killer-turned-idol was sitting cross-legged in a chair by his bedside, looking far too concerned for someone who had created the predicament Daniel was in.
“Does your head hurt?” he asked, bringing a hand up to touch his forehead. Daniel batted the hand away, sitting up.
“What the fuck?” he said, pushing the covers away. Luckily, he was still dressed in the outfit he had on before. It seemed that he hadn’t been unconscious that long, too, judging by the sky outside.
“I thought I told you to stay away from the Four Crews,” DG said, frowning. He didn’t attempt to halt Daniel’s movements to leave.
“A little late for that,” he quipped, stepping toward the entrance. “And you said to stay away from Charles Choi, not the Four Crews.”
“Does your mother know you’re doing this?” DG asked, and Daniel felt his blood run cold.
Turning around, he rushed toward DG, throwing a punch out where his head was. Of course, the idol simply tilted his head away from the blow.
“Keep my mother out of your mouth,” he snarled. “I don’t give a shit if you owe her any favors. I can do this on my own, and I don’t need a man who would drug a high schooler to help me.
“Dani,” DG said. “You don’t even know what Charles would do to you if he found out about you. To him, your mother had a son.”
“So, what?”
“Your mother never wanted this for you,” he said.
“Go fuck yourself,” Daniel said. He thought about the other man standing over him, the cold, wet dirt under his palms as he slowly died. “You don’t know anything about my mother.” Then, he marched out the door, just barely stopping himself from slamming it like a child.
Jake stared as the monster that had so easily beaten three crew heads and Goo Kim himself seemed to fall down like a puppet with its strings cut. The lab coat man pocketed the syringe into his jacket. “Even more dangerous than expected,” he whispered. “You truly exceed expectations no matter what, hm?”
Jake, who was sure he had at least a concussion if not brain damage, struggled to pin where he knew the man from. The lab coat, the hair…
“Uncle Jinyoung?” he whispered. The man whipped his head around, staring daggers at Jake.
“Eh?” he said, scratching his head. “Jake? What are you—”
“Mister Park, the chairman says we should go back ASAP,” Samuel said, pushing himself up.
“How quickly you go back to business,” Jake said, but his eyes never strayed from Jinyoung. “Uncle, how come you disappeared?”
“Jake… ” Jinyoung murmured, then clutched his head, eyes clenched in pain. Jake’s eyes widened as his uncle started to punch his own face.
“Uncle Jinyoung!” he yelled, but Samuel and the other worker executive were already escorting his uncle away. “Samuel, you bastard—”
“If you want information on Sinu,” Samuel said, back turned. “Then help me become king, Jake.”
Jake felt his face sneer, but he knew he couldn’t say no to the offer.
“Dani Park should be able to tell you everything you need to know,” he said. “Once she turns back up, of course. All I’ll need from you is a little favor.”
Begrudgingly, Jake nodded, watching dully as Jinyoung, Samuel, and the other Workers executive took the strange man, Xiaolung, and Vivi away.
Wait… Was Dani Park the same as the Danny Park that took down God Dog and Hostel?
Daniel quickly realized that, even though he hadn’t been asleep that long, he had clearly missed the resolution to the 3rd Affiliate. A quick check to his phone revealed hundreds of missed calls from his friends, all asking where in the world he was.
He managed to assuage their worries, assuring them that he was safe and sound. He told them that he had come down with a weird stomach bug and decided to go home after the Vivi fiasco and that, no, he didn’t meet a strange unconscious man.
Daniel wasn’t sure how his second body was connected to him. Or if it even was still connected to him, in this life.
Nonetheless, he couldn’t risk the connection being made. However, he did quickly realize that his second body must’ve fought his friends, seeing as they all were being treated by the Hongs’ personal doctor at Jay’s place.
There were still so many questions, of course. Why was DG there? What was the connection between James Lee and his mother? Or Charles Choi? Why didn’t he have control of his second body in this life?
It felt that, as much as Daniel had a handle on the information he knew previously, he still couldn’t predict a single thing.
And, as Daniel went to bed that night, he realized that his second body had clearly copied techniques that it shouldn’t have learned for months to come.