Kill me softly - Minsung

Chapter 26 Part 1

Minho's back was pressed against the cold concrete wall. His shirt clung to him and his hair was stuck to his forehead. He wasn't sure if it was because he sweated, there was a high possibility that it was because of a bleeding wound.

On his right, something exploded with an enormous noise, the wave it created hit him with a rain of gravel and dust. Urged him to close his eyes. He didn't have time to treat a wound so it didn't matter anyway.

He peered around the corner but before he could make out anything a bullet hit the wall right next to him and someone yanked him back by his shirt.

Gaenho, one of the members of their so-called group "New World" crouched next to Minho, tightly gripping his arm, looking quite furious.

"You'll look like a fucking swiss cheese the moment you step out of there you fool!", he shouted at Minho, trying to drown over all the noise around them.

"Well, we have to get back to the others somehow! In case you didn't notice, the situation back there wasn't exactly peachy either!", Minho shouted back and gestured in the direction they came from.

To describe their situation as 'not exactly peachy' was an utter understatement.

Minho didn't understand how everything went so south so fast. They had a plan. They had a back-up plan. They even had a back-up back-up plan. They spent almost every hour plotting and planning their attack for the last week straight. Additional to all of the already existing training they practiced, fought and exercised. They talked through every step of their mission, talking about all possible outcomes. Every one of the 9 guys stepped into the mission, thinking they were perfectly prepared for what was about to come.

That feeling lasted a total of 23 minutes and 14 seconds. That was when the connection to Ysangs' headset cut off. Right after clearly hearing him struggling with somebody. That was the first unscheduled encounter.

But they talked about what was to be done if one of them didn't make it. The main goal of this mission was Jung-Ho's death. At whatever cost.

The second AWUW (Agent With Unknown Whereabouts) was MG. Still, they would be able to make it. When push came to shove, the mission could theoretically be completed by two of them. As long as Minho made up for 50% of them, that was okay with him.

Joong came third and after that Minho lost track. Eventually, his earpiece was completely useless. There was nobody left to reach with.

That he found Gaenho, the tallest of the lot with black hair, was pure coincidence. And a lot of luck on Gaenho's side because Minho was this close to putting a bullet through him.

They all wore Jung-Ho's uniform to attract as little attention as they could. The only thing that differentiated them from the others was a red tag on the back of their helmets, the words 'ANewWorld' written on them.
Joong made sure to tell everyone about how he had made them himself, as he proudly handed them out.

Pretty fucking useless if you only saw your opponent from the front through clouds of smoke and dust, Minho thought. They were at least less obvious than the typical red cloth around your biceps.

A red light flashed over their faces, painfully reminding them of the situation they were trapped in. The red warning light signaled that the alarm in the headquarters went off. That meant the complete building shut down, allowing nobody to get out or in. Furthermore, it was a sign for all the agents to immediately ensure Jung-Ho's safety and get him to his emergency rooms ASAP.

Something they wanted to prevent from happening at all costs. Sagwa was supposed to shut their control system down. Another point of their plan that worked out just as smoothly as all the others did.

Minho didn't know if it was even possible but the infernal noise around them got even louder.

"We have to get moving. Now!", he made a solution, grabbed the weapon from Gaenho's back, propped it up on the partly destroyed concrete wall they were hiding behind and cocked it.

"What are you doing?!", Gaenho tried pushing him down and get a hold of his weapon but Minho quickly shook him off. They had to do something, they couldn't just sit here and wait while all hell broke loose around them.
"You won't be able to actually hit them, there's too much smoke! And this fucking ammo will kill us all it's not meant to be used inside! What are you doing?!", his voice started to sound really paniced.

"Honestly, I have no clue. If I tell you to run, fucking run!", Minho instructed as he yielded the large weapon around, pointing it up to the ceiling of the building.

"No-", he fired, the blowback almost ripping his arm off.

"RUN!"

And with that, they both stumbled out of their hiding spot. Dashing to the other side of the large room. Leaping over pieces of concrete, parts of cars or other vehicles and probably even some bodies while behind them, the whole ceiling came crashing down.

Minho prayed to whichever god or demon or other spirituality would listen to him, to just let them reach the entrance to the other side of the room.

He felt the floor beneath him shake and crumble, his legs burnt, his lungs were on fire but he urged himself to run even faster. Please. Come on. Just a few more fucking meters.

With his last piece of energy, he pushed himself off the floor and yanked himself through the entrance to the area that leads deeper into the headquarters. He clenched his head between his arms as he lay pressed to the cold floor as the massive metal construction crashed to the floor, burying everything beneath it.

The silence that followed was deafening.

Everything was wobbling and Minho felt as if someone had put him in a small container and shook it to see what would happen to him.

He took a shaky breath, not realizing that he was holding it in the first place.
He slowly released the grip on his head, rising up to his elbows. About half a meter from his feet a massive metal rib punched a hole into the ground. He had jumped just far enough.

"I fucking hate you.", a mumble came from Minho's left. He whipped around, Gaenho. On all four, wincing while pushing himself up. A breath of release escaped Minho's throat.
He offered Minho a hand, Minho took it and rose to his feet. He realized that Gaenho didn't put full weight on his left foot. At least they were alive.

"You could have gotten us killed.", he deadpanned.

"'Would have happened anyway if we had stayed there.", Minho argued.

"At least never touch my stuff again or so help you God.", Gaenho pressed through gritted teeth.

"I don't believe in God but that's nice of you. Now come on, I think we're almost at Jung-Ho's rooms. You okay?", Gaenho huffed at Minho's remark and they went their way.

Time was running but Minho made sure to keep his pace slower as the other's leg was very obviously injured.

When push comes to shove two people would be enough. Hopefully one and a half would still be enough.

---

Hello!

I decided to split this chapter up. Partly because this already has over 1000 words and I need your feedback to keep me motivated(simp) but also because I just want to get this out and you all deserve a new chapter!(simp)²

So again, only 2 chapters left haha fml.

I'll try to finish it as soon as possible but school's a major pain in the ass at the moment. I only allowed myself to sit down and write this because I've got an English exam tomorrow and this could theoretically be seen as practice, right?

How are you all keeping up with school atm? Do you have online schooling? Is it as stressful as taking your A-levels in my country? (Please tell me I'm not the only one suffering)

Then - as always - take care and stay safe, I'm out!