Chapter Text
“ You're leaving already?” Yoo Sangah asked with trepidation.
“ Yes. I have a lot to do.” Leonard responded earnestly.
About 5 minutes ago, he returned to Chungmuro with Lee Gilyoung while Jekyll stayed back at Hoehyeon. Since Gongdeok was in the direction of Hoehyeon. They decided that going through Hoehyeon station was the best course of action.
Also it was easier to get back to Chungmuro with only Lee Gilyoung.
Knowing Klein, Leonard believed that perhaps he had Jekyll stay back to clean up the station. Though it wasn't their job, it was morally right to give their bodies a proper rest.
He was eager to get his mission done quickly so he could meet back up with Klein and Audrey. He didn't want to stay in Chungmuro for too long.
Lee Gilyoung gave him an upset look. “ Take me with you again.” The child demanded.
Leonard was quick to shake his head. “ no. I said I'd only take you to Hoehyeon.”
“But I didn't get to do anything.” The child mumbled, somewhat agitated. The kids' insistence made Leonard wish he had Audrey's ability to just disappear from people's field of view. Perhaps then he wouldn't have to watch this child (who acted really mature around Kim Dokja) throw a semi-tantrum.
Leonard rubbed the back of his neck and sighed exasperatedly. “ didn't I say earlier that Yoo Sangah will need you here to help protect the station?”
“ you did... but..” the kid didn't seem to know what to say. As he sputtered over his own words and fell silent with a pout.
Yoo Sangah watches this interaction with a thoughtful smile. She crouched down to match Lee Gilyoung's height and asked, “ how about you help me out by using your insects to scout the nearby stations?”
Leonard agreed with a nod, his gloved hands on his hips. The child looked between the two, still clearly upset. But seeing that he was given something to do, he simply nodded at Yoo Sangah. Before walking away.
Leonard let out a breath he didn’t know he held and looked at Yoo Sangah with a thankful smile. “ Thank you Yoo Sangah-ssi.”
The woman stood back up and returned his smile. “ Don't worry about it. He must miss Kim Dokja so much that he must need something to do. You know.. to keep his mind off him.” She looked at the direction Lee Gilyoung ran off to. Her brows scrunched together with a profound concern for the child.
Leonard understood the kid in that sense. Back then he also did everything to keep his mind off.. things. Often drowning himself in work and missions.
He shook his head, ridding himself of those memories. “ Anyways. I don't think I'll be coming back this time. I have a lot to do.”
Yoo Sangah looked as if she wanted to ask him exactly what he was going to do. But decided against it and simply said, “ be careful Leonard-ssi. It's not safe being alone.”
“ will do.. see you later, Vice Representative~” he turned around and gave her a farewell wave with a sing-song voice.
Yoo Sangah smiled at the title and shook her head. Partially amused by the poet's antics.
Leonard quickly made his way back to the Hoehyeon station. When he arrived, the once bloodied mess was now fairly cleaned up. At least the bodies were disposed of. Leonard didn't know how, but he had a feeling he didn't need to know.
Jekyll was sitting on a bench, silently watching the railways. When he saw Leonard, he stood up and strolled over with a faint smile.
“ How's the station?” He asked.
Leonard shrugged his shoulders and replied,“ same as how we left it.”
Jekyll nodded before glancing down the tunnel. “ While you were away, I took the liberty of taking a quick peek at Gongdeok station. I couldn't get close, however I did see approximately 12 individuals. However, it's possible that there are more deeper inside.-”
Jekyll's pale eyes seemed to stare at Leonard for a moment before saying, “- there seems to be some division in their group however.”
“ oh?” Leonard perked up, curious about what the marionette was going to say.
“ I cannot confirm this. However I did hear a lot of arguing.”
Leonard took a mental note of it. If they were in fact an internal conflict. It could be in their favor. He summoned the Jiang tiger and patted the tiger's back. The tiger glared at him with irritation. Ignoring the big cat/human/spirit thing, he glanced down the tunnel and said, “ In that case, we better go check it out. Get a better view of it.”
The tiger looked at Jekyll with a hesitant look before giving in to his fate. Letting the old man onto his back.. They sped off towards Gongdeok and stopped about 200 meters away. They couldn't get too close in case there were patrol groups.
It was also the perfect range for him to possibly enter someone's dream and gather info.
Leaning against the tunnel wall, Leonard concealed himself before summoning one of his other spirits. He commanded it to go scout the station. It gave him a strange salute before flying off.
In turn, Leonard closed his eyes and entered his spirit body. He pulled the closest person from the station into a dream, a child that looks to be about 12 years old.
It's unfortunate that there was a kid in this station… no, not just one but two kids.
Choi Baekhyeon was sitting down on a bench in Gongdeok. His little sister; Choi Haneul, sat beside him. They watched silently as the adults around them started arguing again.
This happened ever since the beginning of the scenario. Their group wasn't exactly united, it was once, when their group was led by his mother.
However, when the 3rd scenario started, a group with high quality weapons stormed in and attempted to take control of the station. But their mom had a powerful ability and couldn't suppress her entirely.
After that Gongdeok was then divided into 2, the Jopok who came in, and their mothers team.
The world around him seemed to drown itself into silence. He narrowed his eyes to the side and noticed someone looking at him. This person didn't look like anyone he's met before. He looked like a foreigner. Black hair, green eyes, wore somewhat tattered clothes that looked like they came from a different time period. The man even wore red gloves, which he found to be cool.
He immediately thought this person was a cosplayer. The person in question wore a soft simper expression.
The man walked towards Choi Baekhyeon, crouched down in front of him and pulled out a piece of candy. “ Here, for you kid.”
Choi Baekhyeon looked down at the candy and hesitantly grabbed it from the man's hand. The man's expression seemed to soften more, but Choi Baekhyeon could see a gloom in the man's eyes.
“ What's your name?”
“ Choi Baekhyeon.”
“ Alright, do you know what's going on here? I heard arguing.” The man asked, looking around the empty station. The boy looked around and also noticed the empty station. When did it become empty? He then turned his head and noticed his sister was also missing.
“ My mom and that Jin Kwangjun man are fighting.” The boy answered honestly, without looking away from where his sister should have been.
“ Who's the representative?”
“ Jin Kwangjun.”
“ Why are they fighting?” the man asked, changing from crouching in front of him to sitting beside him. Resting his elbows against his thighs. Leaning closer ever so slightly, like he was listening in on a secret.
“ Jin Kwangjun is a criminal. Mom says he's a part of the Jopok, a gang of criminals. Mom wanted to take the representative role from him, but she can't fight back.”
The man seemed to have gotten an idea and switched his topic.
“ Does your mom perhaps want to be the representative?” the man asked with an inquisitive look.
Choi Baekhyeon took a bit to ponder this question before shaking his head. “ moms skills are powerful, but she’s is quite passive. She doesn't like the spotlight. She will just do anything to protect us. She wanted to take the representative role simply because she can't stand to see that man have authority.”
The man fell silent, unsure of how to respond to that.
“ Do you think you can bring your mother over to this bench? I'd like to speak with her.”
Choi Baekhyeon nodded slowly, scrutinizing the man. When he agreed, his vision changed and his eyes slowly opened. He felt drowsy and yawned. He didn't know when he fell asleep, but he wasn't an idiot.
That man.. though I don't remember much about what we talked about, I remember he asked to talk to mom… he doesn't seem like a bad guy though. Choi Baekhyeon pondered.
He looked to his side and saw Choi Haneul silently playing with a Bluejay crochet he had made.
The man's skill must have something to do with dreams. Perhaps he and mother can come to an agreement?
He looked up and stayed silent. His sister gave him a concerned look. She had just suddenly seen her brother abruptly fall asleep before waking up. She thought he wasn't getting enough sleep, which was partially true. After all, he had to protect her.
When Jin Kwangjun and his mother stopped arguing, which unfortunately ended with Jin Kwangjun using his authority to punish her. Haggard, the woman with long black hair that's braided, stumbled over to the siblings.
She collapsed on the bench and leaned on the siblings laps, exhausted.
Choi Haneul gently played with her mothers hair and Choi Baekhyeon glanced down. He didn't waste a second before saying, “ mom, someone wants to talk to you.”
The woman's amber eyes opened ever so slightly.
“?”
When Leonard awoke. He glanced at Jekyll with a relieved sigh. “ We might not have to kill everyone.”
When Leonard found out the station had children, he was genuinely disheartened. He didn't want to kill a child, let alone an innocent one. With the kid's answer however, he might have found a way to avoid that.
“ You were right. They do have internal conflict. Seems like some guy named Jin Kwangjun is a member of a Jopok, which judging by the kids words, I'm assuming is a criminal organization. He took control of the station, similar to what it was back in Cheolsoo. There's the minority and the mainstream.
The main stream this station has is the criminal organization, the minority is the civilians. However it seems one person from the minority refuses such a role and even attempts to fight against it.
I plan to talk to her and see if we can come to an agreement.” Leonard explained to Jekyll who was staring at him attentively.
He summoned his spirit back and got additional information. The station had about 48 people, which was a lot more than he had expected. 24 men in suits, 9 women, 13 men in casual clothes, and the 2 children.
Judging by the large contrast is weapon quality and how the men in suits weren't as battered up as the others. He quickly came to the conclusion that the men in suits were the Jopok group.
He closed his eyes and right where the kids were, he noticed another body. Perfect the mothers there. He mentally prepared himself for what he can assume is a mother with a fiery personality.
Upon entering the woman's dream, he was met with a crimson blade soaked in blood to his throat. Even knowing it was a dream, he didn't dare take a step.
With a gruff voice, the woman asked with deep hostility. “ So, you dare to use my son to get to me?”
Okay, this is a bad start to negotiations. Leonard gulped, feeling the blood from the blade trail down his neck. He raised his hands passively before explaining. “ I'm sorry, that wasn't my intention. My skill doesn't show me who's dream I enter. He and his sister just so happen to be in range.”
The woman's sharp glare attempted to pierce into his thoughts. She didn't seem to buy his lie. Nonetheless she asked,“ If that's the case, what do you want? The station?”
She's very intuitive and straightforward… Leonard nodded. “ Yes. I ask for your cooperation. Choi Baekhyun said that you and the representative fought? If we work together, we can kill Jin Kwangjun.”
The woman took a moment to ponder before her blade started to melt. Her hand; covered in a deep crimson. Pointed at Leonard's face.
“ Let me say this. I'll let you take the station. If you take the people who are left to a safer place. They are weak, both physically and mentally.”
Leonard nodded before saying, “ how about this. I'll give you and those alive a decision to stay or leave. As for the mentally weak, I know an experienced psychologist who would gladly help.”
Since Leonard didn't have a proper station for himself. He didn't know what would happen if he took over a station. Would the station be integrated into Kim Dokja's group station? Or would it cast him out of Chungmuro? In that case, he might need to guard this station.
He can't do that alone. At least not easily, So if he can get this group to stay and protect the flag while he's away.
Naturally, those who don't want to stay. He will take them to Chungmuro and let Yoo Sangah know. She would let them stay, so long as they helped out and stayed in check.
The woman seemed to have noticed the underlying meaning. Her amber eyes widened before she smirked. “ you got gale.. fine.”
She held her bloodied hand out. “ The name's Han Jiwoo.”
Leonard looked at the hand before taking his glove off and shook it. “ Leonard Mitchell.”
“ a foreigner?”
“ You could say that.”
The woman crossed her arms and sat back on a bench that suddenly appeared. Leonard's brows quirked up. He didn't summon that bench. This woman isn’t affected by the dream at all.. How?
“Before we get started, I'd like to mention. My skill is to manipulate blood.” She raised her bloodied hand and waved it. “If I get someone's blood on me, I can paralyze them or puppeteer their bodies for 2 seconds. I can also make weapons out of my own blood.”
Leonard was stunned. It's common sense to not mention your skills. So people can't figure out your weakness or a way to counter it.
“ Why are you telling me this?”
She shrugged, “ no reason. It's just the truth. The absolute truth.”
Well isn't that suspicious.. Leonard glared at her suspiciously before shaking his head in dismay. It didn't matter if she was telling the truth about her powers or not. He will just believe her for now.
“ So. What's the plan, Leonard Mitchell?” the woman said with a crooked grin.
Han Jiwoo woke up and was greeted with her beautiful children looking down at her. To be honest, she didn't trust that Leonard fellow. But she could tell he didn't seem like a bad person. He can't be any worse than that Bastard. Her eyes narrowed with sheer loathing.
“ Baekhyeon, Haneul. Things are going to get messy.”
They nodded.
“ People are going to die. But we will be safe.”
They nodded again.
“ but Jin Kwangjun will die today.. by a single bullet.” She raised her hand to her head and made a certain shooting gesture to the back of her head.
They froze. Eyes wide in shock. They couldn't comprehend what their mom was saying. But they knew one thing.
Whatever their mom says must be true. No.. it will become the truth.
Whatever their mom says will come true. So long as enough people believe it to be.
Han Jiwoo then stood up and made her way to the other battered people in the station. She whispered into their ears, even making the similar gun gesture she did previously with the kids. Their hopeless eyes gained some light.
With a wry grin, she turned towards Jin Kwangjun. A tall, broad man in a dress shirt and a blazer over his shoulders. She used her nail to pierce her wrist, drawing blood before marching over to the men in suits.
Fire burning in her gaze. She was determined to see the bastard die.
After talking to Han Jiwoo, Leonard and Jekyll quickly got to work. They bolted towards Gongdeok station. When they reached the platform, they already saw Han Jiwoo fighting with who he believed to be Jin Kwangjun.
A crimson blade and a silver one clashed repeatedly, sending sparks flying and making a strange muffled squelching.
The rest of the station stood to the side like bystanders watching a bar fight. The men in suits cheered while the others were silent, patiently waiting for something.
Knowing the oddity that was Han Jiwoo, perhaps they were waiting for him to appear.
The beyonder and puppet nodded to each other before Leonard rushed in, his Terror Banshee appeared and flew beside him. Letting out a maddening screech.
Everyone in the station covered their ears, groaning and cursing. “ what the fuck was that?”
“ what-”
“ were under attack!” Someone shouted before his forehead tore open. A small hole bore into his skull. Before the man collapsed, Han Jiwoo opened her palm, making sure a single drop landed on it.
Like a puppeteer, she manipulated that body to stab a nearby person. The corpses of two suited men fell to the ground in quick succession.
This attack urged the others forward, two of them took the dead Jopok members' weapons. With better weapons, their determination grew immeasurably as they joined the attack.
Jin Kwangjun clicked his tongue in irritation before grabbing Han Jiwoo's sword tightly. He yanked it, cutting his own hand. His other hand grabs her hair and slammed her against a nearby wall. “ This was your plan wasn't it?” His rage grew even more as the woman turned her head and smirked.
Right as he was about to slam her head against the wall again. Something flew into his face and began pecking his eye. He let her go with a pained gasp and grabbed the thing. The thing was a bluejay, seeing the bluejay peck the man's eye out. Han Jiwoo felt both pleased and worried. With her own blood she formed a dagger and stabbed it into the man's shoulder.
He cried out before throwing both of them off. “ You mother-son duo are a pain in my ass.”
He used his sword, which coated itself in fire and cut the bluejay in half. The bird screeched before turning into wool and burned away.
“ I'm going to kill you first. Then your annoying son, then your plague of a daughter. “ Han Jiwoo's expression darkened with murderous intent. “ I'd like to see you try.” She hissed before lunging at him.
Meanwhile Leonard was fighting a burly man whose punches hurt like hell.
You'd think a man in a suit wouldn't have the punch power of a giant mantis shrimp, nor the physique of a body builder. Having already been punched in the ribs (which he swore he heard a crack somewhere.), he knew being up close wasn't a good idea. However, after watching the man he knew even in close combat he could win.
He was slow, perhaps it was a downside to his ability.
Before the man could punch him again, he leaped up. Grabbed the man's shoulders and flipped over top of him. With the man's back exposed, black tendrils erupted from Leonard's lower back and pierced him. Surprisingly the man only groaned before elbowing Leonard. But it didn't hit, instead it was deflected by a hand.
Leonard uses that hand to grapple the man's arm and pull. Using his tendrils for more power, he leaped from the man's back. Dislocating the man's shoulder.
The man groaned harshly before grabbing his own shoulder. Leonard couldn't allow him to fix his shoulder. Twirling gat of the void in his fingers. He raised it and clasped tightly. He fired a single bullet.
With such a large target, naturally it hit the man's back. However, it did something Leonard didn't expect. Instead of the usual bang one would hear when firing a gun. It was deathly silent.
The next moment, he saw the man's body start convulsing. A black mass crawling up his entire body. Stunned, the man looked at Leonard in terror as black sludge leaked from every orifice like a fountain.
His eyes sunk in and skin turned pale, giving him a lifeless look. Before being entirely consumed by the black sludge that seemed to leak out of every pore like ink. The man then collapsed into a pile of melting sludge.
“...” perhaps because of the sheer chaos that was happening around him. No one seemed to have noticed what happened. Leonard's mind was in turmoil. What the hell was that? Was that because of Gat of the Void? Was this that 10% chance ability? Isn't 10% supposed to be very small? How did this happen?! Am I just unlucky?
Leonard knew he was eventually going to experience the revolver's ability one day. However he didn't expect it so soon. He clicked his tongue. It says it has recoil, would that happen to me? The Anonymous helper said not to worry about it. But I'm worrying about it!
Before the side effects could happen, Leonard needed to finish this fight asap. With that Leonard glanced towards Jin Kwangjun and Han Jiwoo. Who was pinned against the wall with a blade in her stomach.
The woman was grabbing onto the man's sword with a vice grip. Making sure it couldn't go anywhere as blood crept up the man's arms like infection vines.
Both Jin Kwangjun and Han Jiwwo were thoroughly exhausted and in immense pain. Both battered from their personal fight. Han Jiwoo glanced at the man's neck which was now coated in her blood.
With her blood in such a vital location, she knew she could win. But she had to wait, it was crucial.
Han Jiwoo's eyes strayed behind him and smirked as her eyes blazed with excitement and fury. There it is. The moment. She then chuckled, making the gang leader perplexed for a moment.
Her head, bloodied from being bashed open, tilted upwards more. Forcing herself to look up at him. “ check mate, bitch.”
A loud bang was heard as brain matter scattered across the floor. A hole tore through the back of the man's head. His body fell over, revealing the handsome man clad in black with red gloves.
A single bullet ended it all.
Han Jiwoo collapsed when Jin Kwangjun fell. While she pulled the man's sword out, she had forced all the blood she bled out to return to her. Making her regain her vitality.
Leonard glanced down at Han Jiwoo, whose head was turned towards the corpse. Her gaze was full of elation. She stood back up, stumbling in her ascent. She tilted her head towards the body. Getting the hint, Leonard bent down and pulled out the navy colored flag from his suit jacket.
[Congratulations! You have obtained the flag of the Gongdeok group.]
[Warning: you are not the representative of your station. You have two options.
1: return the flag to your station's representative.
2: abandon your station and take claim of the Gongdeok group.]
Knowing that this semi-solo mission was meant for him to become a king's Candidate. He didn't know what that entailed. But he knew he needed the station. He pressed option 2 and gained a new screen.
[ You have abandoned your station for taking the Navy Flag of the Gongdeok Group as your own.]
[ You have become the Representative of Gongdeok Station.]
[ You have been granted the right to walk the King’s Path]
Seeing their leader down and the flag taken. The rest of the gang members became restless and attempted to escape.
[You can now punish any member that disagrees with you.]
Using his newfound authority, Leonard quickly punished the runners. Forcing them to halt just long enough for the other station members to kill them.
The station’s group all cheered in its bloody aftermath.
Han Jiwoo glanced at Leonard, just about ready to thank him before her eyes widened and she stumbled back. “ Holy shit!”
Leonard's face was pale as black thin sludge leaked out of his ears, nose, eyes and mouth. His heart was beating rapidly as he keeled over, clutching his chest. The pain he felt was excruciating, like being stabbed and bludgeoned by his own organs from the inside.
His vision turned sideways and blurry with patches of black in his vision. Before he fell unconscious he had one thought. LIARS THE BOTH OF THEM!!