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Shots.
Shots ring out around them, shattering the peace so rarely granted to them.
They all duck behind random furniture, guns drawn. Small slivers of light leak through bullet holes in the blackout curtains.
"What's going on?!" 004 yells.
"All the windows are covered in blackout curtains, yet the shots were so precise. The shooter must have a camera inside to see our locations!" 008 exclaims, searching the room for hidden surveillance.
They hear a soft buzz from the corners of the room; a camera is precariously placed, offering a perfect view of the entire room.
"This is a warning." A familiar voice calls out.
"Alice!?"
"Do not take on Forest's request." She orders, as if she weren't threatening one of the best teams in the world.
They all exchange glances with each other before 002 speaks up,
"And who are you to say which requests we're allowed to take on?"
"I don't want to do this either. You were the ones who saved my brother. I really don't want to fight with you." She claims, almost sounding sincere.
"That bitch! We saved her and refused Forest's offer, and this is how she repays us?!" 004 yells, almost standing up to go fight her, if it weren't for 008 grabbing his arm.
"Huh?" She responds, sounding genuinely confused.
"You know what? Screw you! For this, I'm going to take on Forest's request myself!" 004 exclaims, breaking free from 008 to stand up, rage clear on his face.
"Wait... what are you talking about?" Alice asks.
"Alice, we never took on Forest's offer to begin with." 008 replies, his voice calm. He looks tired of all this.
Alice is quiet for a minute, trying to figure out what happened.
"Get up and call Forest for me! Tell them I'm going to take on their little request!" 004 orders from inside the house, no doubt completely serious.
She leans back, a hand on her head, "I'm sorry... did I mention that this was just a mere warning?"
"Screw you." 002 replies.
"I'm really sorry about that, everyone. How about we go grab drinks? My treat." She offers.
"Go fuck yourself!" 004 yells.
Alice quickly packs up her sniper and makes her way down the hill to their base. She approaches the door, her hands raised in surrender. 002 opens the door, his face carefully expressionless.
"Sorry, this must be a misunderstanding." She tries to explain.
"A MISUNDERSTANDING?!" 004 yells from behind 002, clearly enraged.
"LET ME AT HER! I'M GOING TO SHOOT A BULLET THROUGH THAT FAT BRAIN OF HERS! MISUNDERSTANDING, MY FOOT! COME ON! COME AT ME!" 008 has to physically hold him back from attacking her.
"I definitely received info that you all accepted Forest's commission. As I mentioned earlier, I didn't want to fight with you. That's why I merely warned you to reject the commission."
008 turns his head around, his hands still holding 004 back, "We rejected it from the get-go. All of it was too ideal for Forest. We would take you out, and we would suffer losses and casualties in the process."
"Oh..." Alice mutters.
"Just accept the commission and kill her!" 004;s now grabbing onto 008's face, pulling on the skin.
002 stares long at her, as if dissecting her. His gaze makes her legs feel weak, and her arms heavy. Weakening her with his glare.
"Moonshine Tavern. 30 minutes." He says, finally, turning away, closing the door behind him.
Alice can only stare at the heavy wooden door in confusion. She hadn't expected them to agree. She didn't mind getting them a drink, she'd offered, but where the hell was Moonshine Tavern?
Inside, the reactions were split.
"Why the fuck are we going to drink with her?! She tried to kill us!" 004 exclaims, still being held by 008.
"I'll take your drink if you don't want it." 006 grins at him, clearly unaffected by the attempt on his life.
"Fuck off! Aren't you upset that she shot at you?!" 004 turns his anger on the blonde man.
"I'm pissed that she shot at us while 032 was here, but there's nothing we can do about it now. She apologised and offered a free drink. Water under the bridge." He shrugs.
"I'm not a child." 032 replies indignantly.
"Yes, you are, but you're also a non-combatant. i.e you don't get involved." 006 replies, jabbing a finger at his chest.
032 huffs but doesn't bother responding. There's no use arguing with his brother.
"Anyway, we should travel separately." 005 speaks up, "I can take 006, 016, and 032." She turns to 002, searching for approval.
"016 will go with us." 002 replies, leaning against the wall.
"Okay." 005 responds, already heading towards the door.
"See you guys later!" 006 calls out as they leave. He gets no response other than 004 flipping him off.
They leave silence in their wake.
"Gear up." 002 orders, getting up from the wall to go towards their weapon wall. (They canonically have a wall of weapons in that safe house.)
018 wanders over to a nearby crate to grab more weapons and to grab a pair of civilian clothes, his thoughts racing.
Why was everyone so fine with this?
This isn't even the first time she'd shot at the Numbers. She shot him twice! She didn't even get punished!
018 lets out a small huff, feeling the old wounds aching at the memory.
002 was a good leader. He wasn't a 001, but he was still good. But he really hated how little he took their emotional well-being into account. Not all of them were as emotionless as him.
He'd never admit it out loud, but he sometimes missed 001. Back when they were kids, 001 wouldn't let anything happen to them, and if something did happen, he'd make sure it never happened again.
It was raining. You learned in this country that rain never meant anything good.
"You useless piece of shit!"
Mad Dog was yelling again.
What had he done this time?
Oh, right. He'd fucked up the mission. He miscalculated the radius of a bomb. It still destroyed the building, but it blew up part of his own face. It wouldn't even affect his performance, but Mad Dog was still pissed.
He looked really mad...
Oh, he's about to hit him. Hopefully, it'd be a short beating...
In an instant, 018 hit the ground, but instead of it being from Mad Dog's hit, he was tackled and lay gently on the ground.
He looks up to find 001 leaning above him, who quickly spins around, standing between the irate man and 018. The short kid glares up at the imposing man, his expression completely devoid of anything.
"What the fuck do you think you're doing, 001?!" Mad Dog orders.
"He's my Number, I will decide what happens." He replies simply.
018 looks up at 001's back, amazed.
Why was he helping him?
He was ranked 18th. Why would 001 help him?
"You little shit!" Mad Dog yells, striking 001 across the face, leaving an angry red welt on his cheek.
"You think that because you're the leader of this shitty group that you have some say-" Mad Dog angily rants before he quiets down, staring at 001.
018 can feel it too. The predatory glare.
001 was glaring at Mad Dog, his fists clenched at his sides. His glare was impossibly colder, looking up at Mad Dog like a predatory animal, despite being much smaller.
"Get the fuck out of my sight." Mad Dog must've felt the pressure, too.
001 quickly grabs 018 under the arm and half-walks half-drags him away. He pulls the taller kid into his barracks, pushing him onto the bed.
"Get rest." He orders.
Before 018 can respond, 001's already gone. 018 stares at the door.
He shouldn't let his guard down. He shouldn't sleep. But he feels... almost safe for some reason. He feels his eyes grow heavy; he hasn't slept in so long.
Maybe it was okay...
He found out later from some of the other Numbers that 001 had stood guard outside his door for hours. Letting him rest.
"018!" A voice brings him back to the present, "Let's get moving."
Everyone was either already outside or waiting by the door. 008 had called out to him, motioning with his large hand for him to come on.
"Yes," He responds, grabbing his weapons and heading out.
They were taking a normal-looking van to blend into the small town, but the inside was decked out with heavy metals and extra weaponry.
002 gets into the driver's seat, 008 takes the passenger seat. Everyone else fills the seats behind them.
018 took the very back, with only an empty seat next to him. 004 and 016 take the other two seats in front of him.
He gingerly runs a hand along the still-healing bullet wounds on his hip and leg. They still hurt from time to time, serving as a nice reminder of why he dislikes Alice. He couldn't bring himself to hate her. She was protecting her brother, but damn, it hurt.
He hated how easily she got off, though. He'd heard some of their conversation while still actively bleeding out. He just had a conversation with her, then let her go. After shooting him! Twice!
"Can you put this back there?" 016 interrupts, holding out his sniper, hidden in a guitar case.
018 nods, grabs the weapon, placing it on the seat next to him.
"Are you sure this is a good idea, 002? 018 asks, hesitantly.
002 eyes him in the rearview mirror, dissecting him.
"She's offered an olive branch, we won't deny it. She's a strong ally." 002 responds coldly, his gaze returning to the road.
018 knew it wasn't his place to question his leader's decision, but is he really not even worth the effort? Did he mean so little to 002 that he would just let Alice shoot him without consequences?
He wallows in his self-depricating thoughts until he feels the van stop.
The tavern is pretty small; it has an antique-looking design. The outside has a large sign with Moonshine Tavern on it and aged walls.
018 hops out of the van, pulling the guitar case with him. He quickly hands it off to 016 and continues examining the building.
The walls are peeling and weathered. There's a faulty gutter system that no doubt causes damage to the roof, and the outside porch is worn down from how many pairs of feet have walked there.
They head up the steps and enter the building, feeling the eyes of nearby civilians fall on them immediately. They'd put on regular clothes to blend in, but their presences are enough to raise internal alarms within people.
"You guys came." Alice's voice speaks up. She sounds a tad surprised.
"Yeah. Where are the others?" 002 replies, looking around for the rest of the Numbers.
"The blonde group? They haven't arrived yet." Alice responds.
That was odd. 005 and her group had left before them. Did they get lost?
"Aww, did you miss us?" 006's voice interrupts, coming from behind them.
They all whirl around to find 006 standing there, grinning. He holds up a few plastic bags with a cartoon chicken on them. 004's eyes light up a bit at the sight, clearly having been craving the chicken.
"Where'd you get fried chicken from?" 008 asks, grabbing some bags from 032.
"Who cares, let's eat." 004 mutters, looking around for a seat.
Alice motions them over to a nearby table. It's the largest in the tavern, consisting of a few smaller tables.
Ten seats, two at each head and eight down the sides.
002 and Alice take the heads of the table, everyone quickly taking the seats on the side according to their ranks, except 032 sitting next to 006. Leaving 018 being the only one sitting next to Alice, glaring ahead at the empty seat in front of him.
A tired-looking waitress walks over to their table.
"Welcome to Moonshine Tavern, my name's Mandy, what can I get ya'll to drink?" She asks politely.
Everyone orders their drink.
"I'll take two beers, please." 006 smiles at her.
032 tries to order but stops when 006 pinches him under the table.
"Just water." He mutters, rubbing his leg.
The waitress leaves to put in their order.
"Underage, remember?" 006 says, bumping shoulders with 032.
"Fuckass..." The teen mutters under his breath.
"Child. Anyway, let's eat some chicken." 006 responds, tearing into a nearby bag.
The chicken's properly distributed by the time their drinks come. They're in cans, weirdly enough, but they won't complain about free drinks. 006 passes his extra drink to 032 after the waitress leaves.
018 has never been fond of taking his mask off in front of stangers and he definitely doesn't want to take it off in front of Alice, so he opts not to drink. Instead, he listens to the conversations around him.
006 was poking fun at 004 for complaining about the chicken while eating the most out of all of them, with the tattooed man getting increasingly annoyed. 008 was preoccupied with keeping the fight under control.
005 had asked Alice about her hair care, despite being almost opposite each other at the table.
016 and 032 were discussing different range techniques, both normally taking an off-the-field approach to battle.
002 was sitting quietly, occasionally taking sips of his drink. Just watching the group.
This felt too mundane...
Why were some of the best mercenaries in the world just sitting in a tavern drinking together?
They should be going punch for punch, bullet for bullet in a battlefield.
It's what they were made for.
Made for blood.
Fights.
War.
They weren't made to sit in a tavern and have casual conversation.
But when was the last time they just had a break to relax together?
It must've been when 001 brought them all chicken.
Or was it the coronation ceremony?
When every Number gathered for the first and last time. When they all sat, drank, and relaxed as best as they could.
It was so peaceful...
Every moment after that was so chaotic.
Blood and bullets flying.
A hand is reaching for his drink him.
He flinches away.
"What was that?" 005's voice brings him back to the present.
Everyone was staring at him. Alice had her hand outstretched; she'd opened his drink. She wasn't going to hit him.
They all stared at him, expecting an answer he didn't have. He couldn't admit that Alice reminded him of the handlers.
He shakes his head, "Nothing." He mutters.
After a moment, they return to their drinks. 018 lets out a soft sigh.
"Sooo, I've been meaning to ask, what happened to Alice after she shot 018?"
Of fucking course, 006 can never shut the hell up.
005 and 006 turn to 002, awaiting an answer. 002 doesn't look up from his drink.
"What happened?" 005 demanded. She'd never admit it, but she was quite protective of the weaker Numbers.
Still, 002 doesn't say anything.
"It's noth-" 018 tries to say, but one glare from 005 shuts him up.
"Nothing happened. 002 let her go." 008 speaks up, wanting to clear the air. He receives a harsh glare from 002, but the giant shrugs it off.
032 was the one who spoke up; surprisingly, he normally didn't get involved with their issues. "Wait, she shot 018, and you let her go?"
005 looks furious, "What the hell were you thinking?!"
Alice looks around the group, feeling uncertain.
"I didn't find it necessary." 002 finally responds, his face carefully blank, staring at 005 and 006.
"What part of sharing our grudges do you not understand?" 006 asks, condescendingly.
"Who the fuck do you think you're talking to?!" 004 yells, standing up. Thankfully, they were in a secluded area away from the masses because their conversation would definitely turn some heads.
002 raises a hand, and 008 pulls 004 back down. He huffs but complies, glaring at the three of them.
"You, of all people, don't have the right to preach our rules back to me." 002 replies, glaring at 006's smiling face.
"Betrayal means death, graces are repaid before grudges. We share the graces of our comrades, and we share the grudges of our comrades, until we share the graves of our comrades. These are the rules we lived by back then and that we still hold onto to this day. 018 was shot, and you, the current leader of the Numbers, did absolutely nothing to her." 006 points out, his smile dropping halfway through.
"Yes, I am the current leader of the Numbers. I have my reasons for my decisions, so you don't question them." 002 states, glaring them down.
"You're not my leader." 005 replies, angrily.
002 stares her down, clearly expecting her to just comply.
"Hey, Haunting Dog, I've got some interesting information for you."
They all turn to look at 006. He's holding his phone to his ear and speaking happily into the device.
"Don't call me that." 001 replies from the other line.
"Did you know 002 did absolutely nothing to Alice after she shot 018. I mean, nothing. Barely a lecture." 006 replies, ignoring the earlier comment.
"You bastard." 002 says, his fists clenched on the table.
'Who the hell is Haunting Dog? ' Alice wonders, looking between all the Numbers.
004 and 005 looks completly pissed, both for different reasons. 006 looks happy, but she can tell it's a facade. 032 looks annoyed; he sends concerned glances to 018, who looks like he'd rather be anywhere else. 008 and 016 just look uncomfortable, their drinks abandoned.
"He wants to talk to you." 006 claims, holding the phone out to 002.
He stares at the phone for a second before taking it and placing it to his ear.
"Is it true?" He hears on the other line.
002 leans back in his seat so the others can't hear their conversation.
"It doesn't matter to you." 002 replies coldly.
"You're right. What you do with Alice has nothing to do with me, but if you ruin the relationship between the Numbers, then that does affect me."
002 remains quiet.
"Did you ask 018 if he's comfortable being around Alice?"
He doesn't respond.
001 doesn't seem to be expecting one because he continues, "Back at Camp, everyone was in a complete state of survival. How we felt didn't matter; we had no time to care. But here, you have to consider them. You're the leader of the Numbers; you need to respect them so they will respect you. If cracks form, especially in a group like the Numbers, they won't be fixed easily."
"...What should I do?" 002 asks finally.
"Come up with a solution and ask if that works for 018. Take his opinion into consideration. Remember, the members of the Numbers are more important than the leaders."
002 sits there, holding the phone to his ear before he hangs up, not responding. He throws the phone back to 006, who catches it easily. He leans his head back to look at the ceiling, clearly mulling over his words.
"I'm sorry." He says, finally, his gaze solely focused on 018.
"What-" 018 tries to say.
"I didn't consider your opinion and dragged you into an uncomfortable situation that could've been avoided had I considered my team over a possible alliance. I apologise." 002 says, bowing forward slightly in his seat.
The Numbers looked on, completely bewildered. 002 had never apologised to anyone. Not even when he accidentally shot 001 in the leg. But now that they think back, he probably did that on purpose...
"It's fine-" 018 replies, uncomfortable at the notion that one of the best Numbers is lowering his head to him.
"No, I should've been more considerate. I'll make up for it in the future, for now, though, there are other matters to attend to." 002 says, turning his gaze to Alice. She looks alarmed as he runs his eyes over her face, not accustomed to 002's scrutiny.
"How many times were you shot?" He asks, turning to 018 again.
"You can't remember?" 005 accuses.
006 places a hand on her shoulder, smiling softly at her. She huffs out a breath, ploping back down in her seat.
"Once in the right leg and once in the right hip." 018 reports.
032 whistles lowly, "Damn..."
002 nods, "The crime committed against you shall be repaid in full."
"What?" 004 asks, slowly reaching for another piece of chicken off 008's napkin.
"018 will shoot Alice just like she shot him."
A feeling of understanding passes through the group as Alice watches wide-eyed.
She hadn't planned on getting shot today.
"Do I get a say in this?" She asks, raising her hand slightly.
She can feel everyone's eyes turn to her, deadly, but she focuses on 002. His eyes are clear, focused, completely serious.
"And if I decline?" She challenges, raising an eyebrow at him. He can hear the other Numbers shift in their seats, ready.
002 is silent for a moment, watching her.
"Then you'll only be making it harder for yourself." He replies simply.
Alice glances briefly at 018. He's staring at 002, his face almost unreadable under the mask, but his eyes show hints of admiration.
"Not here." She reluctantly accepts.
"Obviously," 002 replies, finishing his drink in one swift motion.
They all stand in unison, leaving either finished or half-finished drinks on the table. Most walk out of the building, 002 stands by the door, watching as Alice pays for their drinks at the bar.
They travel to a nearby field, far enough away from the town to not cause a disturbance but close enough to get Alice medical help. She rides with 005 and 006, sitting in the backseat next to 032. They watch her from the front seat, suspicious.
"032? How's the nearby medical centre?" 006 asks, eyeing the kid in the rearview mirror.
"As shitty as you'd expect but better than nothing." 032 replies, not looking up from his phone, where he looks to be playing some mobile game.
"You're going to let me get medical help?" Alice asks, confused. Why bother shooting her if they were gonna help her get medical treatment?
"Don't take it too personally. We aren't gonna leave a fellow mercenary to bleed out in a random ass field." 005 replies, staring out the windshield.
That's kinda endearing...
The car screeches to a stop. 002 and the others are already waiting there, 018 holding a simple handgun, checking its hardware.
"We have the prisoner." 032 announces as he hops out of the car.
How endearing...
002 watches her as she walks in front of 018, the rest of the Numbers gathering around, keeping distance.
For some reason, she doesn't feel nervous.
She knows it's coming, but she doesn't feel nervous.
*BANG* *BANG*
It doesn't hurt as much as she thought it would...
She hits the ground hard, immediately jolting up to put pressure on the wounds.
"Get her to the medical centre." 002's cold voice orders.
Alice feels herself being lifted off the ground. She's hauled easily into the familiar backseat, watching the door close and 008 walking back to the other group.
005 and 032 join her in the backseat, wrapping bandages around the wounds. 006 takes the driver's seat and speeds off to get her treatment.
"Let's go." 002 orders as soon as their vehicle is out of sight. They all head back to the van in a calm silence, only broken by 008 asking,
"Do you feel better?"
018 looks up at the giant, still holding the gun.
"Not really, but at least we're even." The dark-haired man responds, shrugging.
He hadn't really wanted to shoot her, but it's better than getting 001 involved.
They scurry into the van, intent on getting back as soon as possible.
Apparently, though, they were a bit too ambitious.
*WEE WOO* *WEE WOO*
Red and blue lights flash behind them as a police cruiser with the town name tails their van.
"Just floor it." 004 pipes up from the back.
002 slows down and pulls off to the side, much to 004's indignation.
The officer, a heavy-set man with dark hair, signals for him to lower the window.
"License and registration." He commands, shining his flashlight around the car, landing on each of their faces.
002 produces the (fake) documents and hands them over to the man. He walks back to his car to run the information before returning to them.
"Do you boys know why I pulled you over?" He asks, handing their information back.
"No idea, officer." 002 responds, his charming demeanour falling effortlessly into place.
"Well, you were going 80 in a 40 zone. The sign's a bit hard to see, but you couldn't possibly think that was right." The older man scolds.
"I'm sorry, officer. I really didn't see the sign; I was just really excited to be with my friends again. I'm really sorry." 002 replies, a soft smile on his cracked lips.
The rest of the Numbers are on guard. 002's fake charismatic demeanour could fool even the most hardened soldiers, but the Numbers knew the truth.
It was all a facade.
Even after all these years, it's still unnerving to see 002 in his element.
"Hmm..." The officer hums, eyeing the other members of the car. This felt suspicious. The men in the back were too stiff, too focused on the driver.
"Is something wrong, officer?" 002 asks, drawing his attention again as his gaze lingers on 004.
"No, nothing's wrong," He mutters, "Here's what I'm gonna do. I'll let you off on a warning, but don't let me catch you guys again. You hear?"
"Of course, officer. Thanks a bunch." 002 replies, his signature grin carved onto his face.
The officer eyes all of them before heading back to his cruiser.
"Fucking dumbass..." 004 mutters as the car starts to life again.
"He's just doing his job." 008 replies.
The rest of the car ride is silent. When they finally got back, 018 went over to a nearby table to continue working on one of his bombs, but a voice interrupted him.
"018." 002 calls out, walking into a nearby room.
The masked man sighs softly before following the taller man.
002 sat in a comfortable chair, one leg crossed over the other, his hands neatly folded atop his knee. He motions to the chair across from him, inviting him to sit. The air around them is tense. 018 rarely had the chance to talk to 002, let alone be alone with him.
002 observes him for a long moment, 018 shifts uncomfortably in his seat.
"You didn't say anything." 002 states simply. It's more an observation than an accusation.
"It wasn't my place." 018 responds, keeping his gaze on the floor.
"Your... place." The taller man repeats. It sounds like a threat, likely unintentional.
018 sighs, louder this time. He'd much rather be working on the bomb.
"I'm the lowest rank here; I'm in no place to be questioning you." 018 explains, meeting 002's blank expression with his own bored one.
"032?"
"He works for 005."
"And because you're of lower rank, your opinion doesn't matter?" 002 asks. His voice sounds light, but the indication is anything but.
018 stares for a long moment, "Obviously."
002's eyes darken minutely, but 018 catches it, shifting slightly in his chair.
"The members of the Numbers are more important than the leaders." 002 snaps his fingers to draw 018's eyes up, "That's what 001 told me over the phone."
"...Kay," 018 responds after a moment of silence.
"I admit that I'm not the best leader. I manipulate the people around me to get what I want, and that's not what I should be doing. The reason 001 worked was that he built trust among the Numbers. It led to everyone being able to work together and, more importantly, listen to him. If I continue to ignore the wants and needs of my team, then I'm going to lose them."
018 stares at him, incredulously. The stone-faced, manipulative 002 was opening up to him? More importantly, what does he expect him to do with this information?
"I need to get better at considering others, so I ask that you correct me if I ignore someone's needs." 002 concludes, his eyes softening slightly as he leans forward, placing both feet on the ground.
"If I may, what makes you think I'd be good at identifying that?"
"You spent the most time watching how 001 acted, and you're the first to notice when something's wrong with another Number."
"Its really not difficult." 018 mutters.
"Well, it is for me, now will you help me?" 002 asks, sounding sincere.
"Of course... I need this team." He admits.
"Good, let's go, I think 004's throwing a fit again." 002 replies, a ghost of a smile dancing on his face as he stands up, making his way to the door.
"Hey," 018 calls out. 002 turns around, an eyebrow raised. "You can start your redemption ark by not treating your teammates like dogs." He gives a snapping motion to emphasise his point.
002 looks at the shorter man's hand before nodding,
"Understood."