Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The Sin family is all gathered in a conference room after being called in by the head of the family, Grandpa Sin. The family is rarely in the same room, which must mean a great change. He gathered his son and two granddaughters, but wouldn't explain the sudden meeting.

"I know you all must be wondering why I asked you here. In truth, I hired a very skilled group of individuals to act as a special bodyguard team."

Of the people in the room, the first to speak was Yeona, "What do you mean, Grandfather?". He only replied with a gentle smile, "You'll like them, fear not, they're very trustwo-" but he was cut off by the door slamming open.

In came a young boy with long-ish blonde hair who looked no older than 14, sprinting inside, being chased by a taller man with tan skin and tattoos covering his body. He looked enraged and was yelling in a foreign language, "YOU BASTARD"; they began running around. After a while, the older man began to catch up, grabbing onto the younger boy's shirt. The kid ducked and tripped over the carpet, bringing the older man down with him, falling into the wall, knocking some items off the shelves in the process.

Following not far behind was an impossibly large man with a scar on his face who immediately ran to get in between the males.

The VIPs in the room are left completely confused as two more men walk in, one with long blonde hair similar to that of the smaller boy, but the new man is taller and seems older; he's cackling madly at the scene. The other man had black hair and dark eyes that looked familiar, but they couldn't place them. He seemed much calmer and gave off an air of confidence.

The Chairman addressed the black haired man first, "Hello 002, it's nice to see you again." The black haired man, 002, responded to the polite greeting with a simple "Likewise," never taking his eyes off the struggling trio near the wall.

Then another pair came into the circus, but this time it was a smaller man with shaggy black hair and a mask, and a taller woman with piercing green eyes. The smaller man looked on, concerned at the trio and took a small step behind the woman, who was laughing hysterically at the scene before her. The bodyguards in the room, aside from the Chairman's own, were horrified by the scene. How could this group be the special team meant to protect their charges?

Again, the Chairman addressed 002, "Where is the rest of your team?" The question seemed innocent enough, but when the "team" heard that, they all snapped to look at the Chairman for the first time."001 is helping 016. These assholes knocked him over and broke his cane." The chairman nodded understandingly.

Jiyeh spoke up, "Grandfather, is this the special team you were speaking of earlier?"

"Why yes, it is," replied the Chairman 

All the seemingly sane members of the room looked at each other in confusion. So far, the only thing they knew about the team was one name, which wasn't even a name, and the fact that they're very skilled people. There were seven additional people in the room, and only one of their leaders was present; the family was expecting the other leader to be even worse.

What they didn't expect was for one of their youngest bodyguards to enter with his arm slung over a smaller man with curly blonde hair and an obvious limp. 

The reaction was instantaneous. "Ijin? What are you doing here?" Spoke Yeona incredulously. All the clowns suddenly stopped whatever they were doing and moved to stand in a line in front of the room, facing the meeting table, starting with 002 and ending with the first boy to barrel his way into the room. There was a small gap between the extremely large man and the one with a mask as Ijin began to help the limping man to the empty spot.

He then took his place at the start of the line next to 002, looking at the family as if this was completely normal. Seokju, who was remaining quiet most of the time, then spoke, "Ijin, what are you doing here?" 

The Chairman said suddenly, "Family meet the Numbers, they are a retired group of mercenaries renowned for their immense skill and combat prowess. Numbers meet my family, they are the ones you'll be tasked with protecting for as long as you work here."  

"Mr Koh, if you could." The projector in the room lit up, and a photo of the blonde boy, much younger looking, appeared on the screen. Mr Koh begins reading it out.

Name: Unknown

Number: 032

Nickname: Baby Bird

Age: 17

Blood Relations: Mother (Dead), Father (Dead), Elder Brother (Alive)

Affiliations: Ranked 9th within the Numbers

Speciality: Hacking

Notes: Young but deadly. A skilled fighter and tech expert. He's the younger brother of 006; his hacking and recon skills make him an invaluable asset. Though he is still growing, he's proven himself capable of standing alongside the elite. Subject is said to be very childish and playful with their actions; proceed with caution if approached. 

'032' grins as his information is read out. The projector changes, and a younger version of the masked, black haired man is shown.

Name: Unknown

Number: 018

Nickname: Napalm

Age: 23

Blood Relations: Unknown

Affiliations: Ranked 8th within the Numbers

Speciality: Explosives

Notes: He has black hair and wears a mask to hide the scars on his face. Mysterious and quiet, he's silent but not absent.

'018' squints, annoyed. Mr Koh continues, moving on to the man with the limp, who's still being supported by 018

Name: Unknown

Number: 016

Nickname: Birdseye

Age: 22

Blood Relations: Unknown

Affiliations: Ranked 7th within the Numbers

Speciality: Sniping

Notes: A master marksman. He's intelligent and logical, often acting as the voice of reason during internal disputes. The subject shows weakness in close combat and heavily relies on the use of machine weapons. It carries a concealed sniper disguised within a guitar case.

The non-combatants notice that '016' did, in fact, have a guitar case.

Name: Unknown

Number: 008

Nickname: Bear

Age: 30

Blood Relations: Unknown

Affiliations: Ranked 6th within the Numbers

Speciality: Brute Force

Notes: Massive and battle-scarred with a mohawk and skull mask. Despite his size, he's fast, efficient, and terrifying in close-range combat.

After the large man was the man with long blonde hair,

Name: Liam

Number: 006

Nickname: Smiling Jack

Age: 24

Blood Relations: Mother (Dead), Father (Dead), Younger Brother (Alive)

Affiliations: Ranked 5th within the Numbers

Speciality: Tracking and Handling

Notes: He's tall, blonde, and unlike most of the Numbers, he often smiles and maintains a lighter, more relaxed demeanour. He deeply cares for his younger brother, 032.

'006' grins just like his little brother as that is read out.

Name: Maya

Number: 005

Nickname: Baba Yaga

Age: 25

Blood Relations: Unknown

Affiliations: Ranked 4th within the Numbers

Speciality: Assassination

Notes: Specialist in Assassination and Recon. She's like an older sister figure, protective and dependable. She remains one of the few Numbers who show concern for emotional well-being, making her a rare blend of cold-hearted assassin and warm-hearted caregiver

005 glares ahead despite the kind words read about her. Next came the tattooed man

Name: Unknown

Number: 004

Nickname: Demon

Age: 26

Blood Relations: Unknown

Affiliations: Ranked 3rd within the Numbers

Speciality: Knife Combat

Notes: Hot-Headed and loud, but a terrifying close-combat expert. Can wipe out entire squads using only a knife. He has shown traits of sociopathic personality disorder. Extreme caution is advised.

The people in the room turn to look at 004; he glares back. Mr. Koh continues

Name: Unknown

Number: 002

Nickname: Trainer

Age: 28

Blood Relations: Unknown

Affiliations: Ranked 2nd within the Numbers

Speciality: Combat

Notes: The strongest after 001. Stoic and composed, he rarely speaks, yet commands immense respect. He's emerged as the de facto leader after 001's departure.

A much younger and battered version of Ijin appears on the screen

Name: Ijin Yu

Number: 001

Nickname: Cockroach/Jin

Age: 19

Blood Relations: Mother (dead), Father (dead), Paternal Grandfather (Alive), Younger Sister (Alive)

Affiliations: Ranked 1st within the Numbers

Speciality: Everything

Notes: Subject is the first known leader of the Numbers. He's calm, calculating and rarely shows emotion. Despite his cold exterior, he deeply values the bond he forged with his fellow Numbers, considering them as family.

There was a long stretch of silence before someone spoke, "What the fuck?" Instead of Ijin, 002 spoke, turning towards Ijin, "You owe them an explanation, 001." Then did Ijin acknowledge everything.

"After I lost my memories, I was taken in by a training program and was taught to survive in the harsh environment. I grew stronger and eventually became the leader of this team." 

They still looked confused, so 002 stepped in,

"We are ranked from strongest to weakest; the lower the Number, the stronger you are. I am 002, so I am one of the leaders. While 001 is the actual leader, we both work together to manage the team, but in the event of battle or decisions we can't agree on, 001 has the final say." 

Mr Park, Ms Jiyeh's personal bodyguard, speaks up, asking Ijin, "So when I asked where you got your training, you lied to me." He asked with his brows raised.

Ijin looked at him and spoke in a calm voice, "I have never lied to any of you." He said it so sincerely that they wanted to believe it, but with this new revolution, they found it difficult.

Before the interrogation could continue, the Chairman stepped in,

"The Numbers will be paired off to act as bodyguards daily with each of you, but in the instance that one of you is taken, all the Numbers will leave to take on the situation together. Ijin, do you have the assignments?"

002 speaks up, again, instead: "004 and I are with the Chairman, 008 and 018 are with Mr Sin, 005 and 016 are with Ms Jiyeh, and 006 and 032 are with Ms Yeona" 

Jiyeh then asks, "What about you, Ijin? Will you remain as my bodyguard?" 

"No, I'll rotate between all of the assignments to assist if necessary."

"What about training?" questioned Seokju.

"The Numbers will have special training led by one of us," responded 002.

"But," interjected the Chairman, "we'll be having a group training to welcome the Numbers to SW."

The Chairman stood to leave, followed closely behind by his family. Only when Ijin made a move to follow did the Numbers move.

Chapter Text

The early afternoon sun pierces through the windows of the corridor as the Sin family, their personal guards, and the newly employed Numbers walk towards the training center. There is an eerie silence between them.

As they walk, 016, who's being supported by 018, lags. They're approached by Yeona Sin, the youngest granddaughter of the Chairman, much to the dismay of her bodyguard, Seokju Koh. At first, she just stares. The Numbers don't say anything and continue walking on, ignoring her.

"Do you need help?" Yeona asks.

"No, I'm okay." 016 grimaces.

"Are you sure? You're limping."

"What are you gonna do? Fix it?" 018 replied snarkily, clearly annoyed about having to carry him.

"Well, no, but I can still help!"

"Yeona, just leave them alone; they clearly don't want help." Seokju intervenes, interrupting what was likely another comment from 018.

006 falls behind as well to help 018 and 016, grinning, "Come on, guys, pick up your feet, we ain't got all day."

"Fuck you," 018 replies while 016 stares impassively.

With the assistance, they eventually catch up as the group makes their way into the training room and are greeted by dozens of men beginning their warm-up.

"Everyone, I'd like to introduce the newest team working for SW," the Chairman announces. "Please meet the Numbers. They are a specialized team of retired mercenaries who have agreed to lend their services to our family, so please help them get adjusted," The men respond in the affirmative. The Chairman and his family move to the upper balcony overlooking the training center to observe.

The man leading the training, Mr. Kim, speaks up, approaching 001, "Ijin, what's going on? Why are you with them?"

"They're going to join the training."

"I can see that, but why?"

"They're gonna be working alongside the men, so they should've trained together at least once."

"But who are they?" Before Ijin can respond, 002 interrupts, "We can introduce ourselves later, just continue the training as normal."

Mr. Kim sighs, "Alright, men, gather around, let's show the newcomers how we do it here."

All the men finished their warm-ups and proceeded to sit on the floor in an orderly fashion. The Numbers looking on do the same, slightly confused. 001 and 002 remain standing while taking position next to Mr. Kim.

"What are you boys doing?

"I'm leading my team. 001, go sit down. I'm handling the training today." The men on the floor are left more confused as the strongest member of their team complies instantly and moves to sit down with the other team.

"Ooooo, the Trainer's back. How scawy," 005 pipes up, smirking slightly when 002 glares at her.

"Can you lot introduce yourselves then?" The Numbers glance at 002, who gives the affirmative, and introduces themselves, albeit slightly begrudgingly. As Ijin introduces himself as 001, it raises many questions. 002 explains the basics to them.

"The Numbers are an organized group ranked from strongest to weakest; the lower the number, the stronger. 001 and I are the leaders and will be in charge of the others. You don't have any power over them, so I'll be assisting in leading the training, for safety reasons, of course."

One of the men raises their hand, Mr. Kim calls on him, "What do you mean, safety reasons?"

002 only smiles.

"Oh, right, 016, you're off training today. Go up on the balcony."

"Yeah, yeah..."

Mr. Kim starts the training, "Alright, men, on the track, we're doing laps.

The men line up, and the Numbers copy their stance.

Then they take off, the Numbers quickly advancing ahead of the group. When they notice the formation of the others, they fall back, mimicking their form.

The difference between the groups becomes evident as the SW bodyguards start to stutter while the Numbers seem unaffected, although they remain in formation.

Suddenly, though, 032 breaks formation, running past the group, being chased, again, by 004. 032 had been chastising some of the older Numbers, and 004, ever the short-tempered one, reacted. He began chasing after 032 in a very similar manner to how they first arrived. When 004 started catching up, he was thrown off by a small object hitting his shoulder. A rubber bullet. He's struck again on the shoulder, leaving a red welt in its place.

"016, YOU FUCKER, I WILL KILL YOU!"

They turn to see 016 with his(?) sniper out, grinning from the balcony, seemingly unfazed by the threat to his life. 004 tries to advance towards the armed man, but he's grabbed by 008 and forced down, still yelling. He does eventually calm down, and they manage to finish the run without any major injuries.

Next was sparring. After that display, Mr. Kim decided to explain the rules of sparring.

"Alright, rules of sparring are 1. Always wear protective gear; we aren't trying to get hurt. 2. Respect your partner; be considerate of their experience and their ailments. 3. Avoid prohibited areas, which include the face, head, neck, spine, groin, and knees."

"What the fuck kind of rules are those! How the hell are we meant to fight?!" 004 pipes up again

"HA, What? Can you not fight without playing dirty, 004?" Replies 005 tauntingly.

"Or without a knife..." 018 states under his breath

"FUCK OFF! YOU WANNA HAVE A GO!?"

"BRING IT ON FUCKER!" 005 replies

Mr. Kim looks toward 002 for some kind of direction, as he was told not to order them, and noticed he was just looking on at them, not doing anything to stop this ensuing fight.

Then 002 spoke, "Enough." They both stopped and turned towards him in sync. They only glares at each other after receiving that warning.

002 turns to Mr. Kim and asks, "How do you want to do this? Number on Number or Number on SW?"

"You know your team best. What do you think?"

"Hm.... A combined practice would work. What's the ranking here?"

"There are no official rankings; the men are mostly equal.

"Equality doesn't exist in the real world... You can choose the pairings based on their skill level." Gesturing towards the SW bodyguards

Before Mr. Kim could begin to question that ominous statement, 002 spoke in a different language, "Go easy on whoever you're paired with; assess their strength and respond accordingly. Do not kill. 016, keep an eye on them." 016 responds with a mock salute.

Mr. Kim speaks, "Does anyone want to volunteer?" A man, Chul Lee, raises his hand, "I will, Sir."

Chul Lee was a man of many words; he was new to SW and believed that, due to his previous work as a special operations soldier, he was better than the rest. He'd joined after Ijin had begun to hold back, so he was unaware of the extent of his capabilities. 002 gestures to 006. They both move to the center and receive their safety gear. After a confused moment, 006 puts in on and gets ready to fight. Chul remains in a relaxed form, which confused 006 even more.

"You should know-" Chul states, "-I was in spec ops before this."

"Ooo, cool! What kind of stuff did you learn there?" The ever-friendly Number responds

"Heh, you're about to find out"

The whistle blows, and Chul advances immediately. He goes for a right hook, and 006 ducks but doesn't counter despite the opportunity. This fact goes over Chul's head as he continues to attempt hits on 006; the latter avoiding each one expertly. Chul is getting increasingly upset, embarrassed at not being able to hit a man much younger than him, "Stop avoiding me, you fuck!"

He throws a punch aimed at 006's torso, the Number catches it and grins with far too many teeth, "As you wish." 006 kicks him in the side, feeling a few ribs crack at the force, and Chul is thrown down. He recovers slowly but still tries to kick 006 in the stomach, but the long-haired Number grabs his leg and throws him back down. Finding himself on his back once more, Chul realizes that 006 had been holding back; this angers him more as he charges directly at the blonde, ignoring the pain in his ribs. The Number simply side steps and grabs him in a chokehold. Chul lasts a bit longer than the average person, likely fueled by his ego, but eventually taps out; however, 006 doesn't let go. Realizing this, 002 signals at 016, and the sniper shoots 006 in the arm; he lets go. The other men look on, a mix of amazement and horror.

An overwhelming victory for the Numbers. 006 smiles triumphantly and returns to his group, being greeted with a pat on the shoulder by 002.

A warning.

He only smiles at him and goes to stand next to his brother again, while Chul is taken to be treated for his injuries. 

After the commotion died down, Mr. Kim walked over to where 006 was and asked, "What the hell was that? He tapped out. You were supposed to let him go!"

"I was? It's a fight, aren't we supposed to knock them out?"

Mr. Kim stares at him like he grew a second head. 032 pipes up, "No, you idiot, if someone taps you or the floor, they are trying to get you off."

"Oh, oops. My bad." The vicious grin is replaced with a sheepish one.

"I don't want to see this again. Do you understand?" scolds Mr. Kim

006 not really listening, "Yeah, sure"

Kim sighs and asks, "Any more volunteers?"

The silence that ensues is deafening.

"Come on, men, are we really gonna let them show us up like this?"

005 takes the opportunity to taunt the men, "Yeah, come on, 'men', are you really that scared of a bunch of kids?"

Seokju, who had been quiet since the fight ended, spoke up, surprising everyone, "I'd like to go."

"Seokju, are you sure?" Mr. Kim's worry was justified, being that the black haired boy was the youngest alongside Ijin.

Seokju looks directly at Ijin, "Choose someone." 

"032, you're up." 002 states

"I'm better than your weakest!" The bodyguards are surprised. Seokju was the first person to directly address 002 besides Mr. Kim. 002 stares at him, as if dissecting every part of him; it sent a shiver down Seokju's spine. The older man looks to 001, who nods.

"If you can defeat 032, then you can take on someone else." 002 shrugs 

032 is equally annoyed, "Don't act so disappointed, I wanted someone stronger too."

"Be careful, 032"  001 speaks up, surprising the young Number

"Is he actually worth it? He doesn't look it."

"Not as good as a Number, but someone worth watching out for."

"Got it!" his grin matches his brother's earlier.

They move to the mats and put on their equipment. "How long have you been training? Wait, how old are you?" asks 032, hopping slightly in place.

Seokju stares as if trying to imitate 002's previous action, then answers, "I'm 19 and I've been training since I was young."

"Oooooo fun, so have I, but I'm 17. I've been bored lately, so I hope this is fun! Can you believe them? They don't let me spar with them anymore, like how am I gonna kick ass if I can't fight them?"

"032 shut the fuck up" 005 scolds

"Yeah, yeah-" he switches back to Korean "-I'm ready, let's go!"

The whistle blows, and they start to circle each other; neither willing to make the first move. Seokju is much more cautious than Chul since he's trained with Ijin. Each body is moving in an almost perfect sync.

Seokju realizes that 032 is copying his movements. After watching the previous fight, the black-haired teen figured out that the Numbers were accessing the skills of their opponent before going in for the kill.

Seokju decides that he isn't gonna wait until he learned his strength. He just had to beat him before he got the chance to adapt.

Maybe then, Ijin would notice him. 

The older teen pulses forward fast and manages to strike him in the stomach. 032 jumps back and grins madly, "HEH, you actually pack a punch! I guess I should try then." 

032 enters into a fighting position that Seokju recognizes. It was the one Ijin always used. After all the training they did together, Seokju knew how to counter it.

Just as Seokju was celebrating this minor victory, he realized that 032 had disappeared. He reappeared directly in front of him as Seokju was struck in the stomach. If he were a lesser man, he would have crumbled right then and there. He managed to hold out, but damn that hurt.

His strength was weirdly similar to Ijin's, but how is that possible? Ijin was the highest-ranked, but his punch felt identical to the weakest in his group. Seokju sneaks a glance at Ijin, but Ijin isn't looking at him; he is looking at 032. 

Jumping back, 032 states, "Ugh, I'm bored again." he raises his eyebrows mockingly, "Are you gonna come at me, or do I gotta go to you?" The blonde teen notices his gaze and taunts, "What, are you jealous? That he's looking at me and not you? HA, if you want him to look at you, then you should get closer to me."

Seokju starts seething at that; he makes the most common mistake in fighting, one that 032 is known to elicit in people. He let emotions cloud his judgment. He runs at 032, and the younger teen counters with a Jiu-Jitsu move, knocking Seokju to the ground and forcing him into an arm bar. Seokju tries to get out but fails and tries to tap out, learning from his brother, 032 lets go. 

032 extends a hand to Seokju to help him up, "Hey, that was kinda fun! No hard feelings, right?" Seokju glares at him, ignoring his hand, standing up, and moving to walk back to his group.

"Hey, if this is about what I said, I'm sorry! I needed you to get angry and let your guard down. You should take it as a compliment that I actually needed to think to get the better of you! Most of the time I don't!" 032 calls after him.

Seokju is stopped by Ijin, "You did well."

"Obviously not, I was beaten by a kid."

"You managed to get a hit on a Number, most can't say that."

"And live to tell the tale," the large man, 008, his brain supplied, pipes up

"Yeah, right." The black-haired teen walks back to his group, disappointed

"OK, that was... interesting. Does anyone else want to try?" 

No one speaks up this time

"Alright then, let's move on to the next drill, shall we?" Mr. Kim asks, "Next is knife training."

004 perks up at that,

"Same rules of sparring, without the gear, and we'll be using fake knives." 004 deflates slightly, "I think we should get a demonstration. Would any of the Numbers be willing, 002?" 

"Yeah. 004, 005, give me your weapons."

"First, we can't knock them out, now we can't use real knives, what's next? Fucking nap time!?" argues 004, 005 nodding along.

"We can't spill blood. I doubt any of these civvies have ever even seen a real knife before, let alone watched one in use. Now hand them over."  002 retorts

They both hand over a concerning number of weapons from their person, further enforcing the existing fear of them among the bodyguards. 

Grabbing the foam knives, they scoff, "How are we supposed to decide the winner if the other person doesn't die?"

Mr. Kim stares them down, "The goal of this practice is to disarm your opponent, not to kill." 

"Tch, boring." 

They move into position, the moment the whistle goes, they're on each other. Arms flying everywhere, making it hard to keep track. The bodyguards and Mr. Kim are amazed at this display; they're moving so fast they can hardly tell who is who. They seem to be on equal standing, both parrying, blocking, and attacking at impossible speeds. Both are grinning far too wide to be natural.

A glance at the other Numbers reveals they are completely calm, as if two people fighting like this is a normal occurrence. For them, it just might be.

A knife flies away, and they notice 004 on top of 005, holding one of her wrists in one hand, holding his knife to her throat with the other. The whistle blows, and 005 kicks him in the side, knocking him off, annoyed. They return to their group, 005 yelling at 006, who tried to faux-comfort her.

The guards and the team leader look on in shock. How was that even possible? They looked away for one second, and it was over!

Recovering quicker than the rest, Mr. Kim says, "Alright, thank you for the... demonstration. Everyone pair up!"

The guards pair up, intentionally avoiding the other group; meanwhile, the Numbers talk amongst themselves in their other language

"I think we scared them off." 

"Who's we, Napalm? What'd you do?"

"They're avoiding all of us, dipshit." 006 shrugs in response

"Are all the people you work with this pathetic, 001?" 002 sneers

"They're normal."

"And what? We're the freaks?"  Retorts 005

"You doubted that?" 001 replies

The Numbers are silent for a moment, then...

"Just fight each other," 016's voice comes from behind, carrying his guitar case 

"Why are you down here?"  Asks 002

"Those VIPs kept asking questions they shouldn't, so I just left."

"How are they meant to fight if you're not monitoring?"

"You have 001, use him."

"How did you even get down?" 

"Painfully, does anyone have drugs?"

005 pulls out a bottle of cheap pain meds from her jacket pocket and throws them at him

"Thanks..."

"Regardless, we aren't gonna fight each other; we can't work with them if they fear us."

004 spins a knife in his hand, "I don't see why not."

"Proper camaraderie is built with trust, not fear." 001 replies

"What would you know about 'proper camaraderie', Cockroach?"

"Shut up, 004." 006 retorts

"Who was talking to you?! You wanna have a go, fucker!?"

"004."  No matter how angry 004 is, he always listens to 002

"Everyone will rest until the next drill."

"Alright, gather round everyone, we will be trying out a new exercise today in honor of our new team." Mr. Kim starts, "We will be practicing marksmanship."

One of the bodyguards pipes up, "Like with guns?"

"Yes. Jun-Seo and Duri, would you mind going into the equipment room and grabbing the bags to the right of the door, please?"

"On it," both men reply

When the men return, Mr.Kim explains the exercise,

"Alright, the guns we'll be using will be military grade, but we'll be using rubber bullets, and everyone will wear protective gear for ears and eyes. Everyone will have to share the guns; there is a limited amount of ammunition, so out of the 10 bullets in each, use only 5. The goal of this practice is to hit as close to the target as possible."

"002, would it be alright if your sniper were to be the demonstration?"

The black haired Number gestures for 016 to go ahead, handing off his sniper to 008.

016 eagerly takes the gun, drops to the floor, ignoring the safety gear. Soon, 10 shots ring out in the air, every one landing square center of the target. 

016 ditches the magazine and looks back to see dozens of bewildered faces staring back at him. Mr. Kim snatches the gun away furiously 

"What the hell was that!"

Ignoring 002 walking towards him, he continues

"Not only did you ignore my instructions to fire only 5 shots, but you also didn't use any protective gear! You could've blown your ears out!"

"So?" 016 replies, confused

"So?! You could've been seriously hurt!"

"Yeah, so what? In case you missed it, I wasn't wearing any gear when I was shooting at the Numbers, and my gun is much more powerful than that toy," he points out, struggling to stand up

"YOU-" Mr. Kim starts, but is cut off by 002, moving to help 016 get up.

"Don't raise your voice. This is the way we were taught; we know no other way. We've complied with all of your wishes, so stop trying to argue with our ways." 

002 had always been protective of 016, more so than with the others. 

"I've made it clear that you don't order my group; you cannot tell them what they can and can't do."

Mr. Kim takes a few deep breaths, composing himself, then bows slightly

"You're right, I apologize for my behavior. I was only worried"

"Yeah, sure," 016 replies 

016 leans on 002 as he is led away from the upset man and makes station in the corner of the room, content to just watch the remainder of the training.

"Alright, guys, get started on the training. 5 for each person, and be sure to wear the safety gear."

The bodyguards, despite not having much experience with such weapons, do quite well. Some are better than others, namely, older members or those who have been to countries with more lenient gun laws.

With that last exercise, the training was complete.

"OK, great job today, everyone. As a celebration for the new team, we're getting a free dinner, go shower, and get changed."

The SW men excitedly follow the order, while the Numbers stay behind speaking confusingly among themselves

"That's it?" 018 starts asking 001

"Yes, training is very lenient here."

"How do you keep up with us with this piss-poor training?" 005 cuts in

"I practice on my own."

While the Number wait for the others to leave the changing room so they can change, the other men are talking too

"What the hell was that?" one asks

"Did you see them move? It was like animals fighting!" Another chimes in

"Seokju, did you know about them?" Duck-hwan (fantastic name), a veteran, asks 

Seokju recognized 006; he was the man he hit with a car, but the others, he knew nothing about.

"No"

"You and Ijin are close, though, right? Why would he not tell you?" Some guy piped up

"You've met him; he doesn't tell us anything."

"He's quiet... but how could we not know he led a whole team?"

They are all silent, thinking of all they knew about Ijin, realizing it's not as much as they thought.

Someone voiced what they were all thinking

"Dude... who is he?"

Once both teams finished changing, they decided on a local barbecue place. It was a small restaurant with a cozy atmosphere and excellent reviews. Some of the SW members had been there before and were raving about the lamb the entire way.

Deciding to try and break the barrier between the two groups, the leaders decide to have them all share a table. A 30-person party definitely stands out in such a small restaurant, especially someone as noticeable as 008.

The native Koreans quickly ordered their favorite meals, but the Numbers struggled slightly. Ijin took a few minutes to explain everything to them, and they tentatively ordered.

While they waited for their food, some of the guys decided to ask a few questions, pointedly ignoring some of the more aggressive Numbers.

"Sooooo, 032 was it?"

"That's me." 032 replied, not looking up from 006's phone

"If you don't mind me asking, how did a kid like you become a mercenary?"

He puts down the phone as the other conversations still waiting for a response

"I dunno, I was one as long as I could remember." 032 shrugs and fidgets in his seat next to 006

"Hmmm, well, who trained you then?"

006 pipes in, "We all helped train each other."

Another man states, "I'm surprised, Ijin never mentioned having a team; we always assumed he worked alone."

"Course he didn't"

"Huh"

"Oh, nothing, we Numbers are pretty private people, so I'm not surprised he never mentioned anything."

Conversations resume after that, some Numbers exchanging glances behind their backs. 

Gyeong, a friendly man, asks innocently to no one in particular, "What was Ijin like as a kid?"

008 responds, "Quiet, but he spoke if someone needed it. Kinda cute too." He added on after a second of thought and a glance at the other Number. 008 always had a soft spot for kids. Before he became a mercenary, he had wanted to work in some form of childcare, never expecting he would end up in a field where he hated seeing children.

"So kinda like he is now"

"Only bigger," 008 agrees

No more questions follow for a while after that.

001 closes his eyes and just listens; 004 and 005 are arguing about their spice tolerances, 032 is playing something on 006's phone while the older brother engages in a conversation with one of the older bodyguards, asking about his family. 016 is talking quietly with 002 about some grappling tactics. 018 is fidgeting with his mask, likely debating about taking it off to eat, with 008 encouraging him.

001/Ijin finally relaxes for the first time since the meeting in the conference room. He really hopes this works out well.

"What do you all think of the new team?"

The chairman and his family have returned to his office to discuss the events of the day

"They are... interesting," Jiyeh comments

"They are extremely unprofessional, borderline feral! Father, what kind of team are you bringing into the company?" 

"I admit, they're a bit unconventional, but they're a very skilled bunch. I have full faith in their capabilities."

"But..." Yeona starts hesitantly, "What about Ijin? Is he still part of SW or this new team?"

"Ijin is with whoever he believes himself to be in; it's his choice. We owe him that for how much he has helped our family."

"This is a bad idea, Father..."

Chapter Text

The early morning sun hits the window, lighting up the dark locker room with a soft orange hue. 

The Numbers had arrived earlier than most, except for 001, who wanted to have breakfast with his family. It was their first day acting as bodyguards for the SW family, and tensions were high.

"What the fuck is this?"

Even as early as it was, 004 still found something to complain about. He's holding up the finely pressed suit that was his uniform, glaring at the tight, constricting fabric.

"How are we supposed to fight in this?"

"You've fought in a suit before, 004," 008 points out.

"Not one this constricting!" 004 turns to the giant. "How am I supposed to grab a knife if it gets stuck in the fabric!"

The locker room is pretty small, with two rows of lockers—one against the wall and another in the middle of the room. Benches line the space between the lockers. A few feet away is a doorway leading to the showers on the left and a regular bathroom on the right. The Numbers busied themselves with their own tasks while waiting for their last member.

004 continued complaining about his outfit, with 005 joining him; 006 was helping 032 tie his tie, 002 sat on a bench holding one of 001's notebooks, probably reviewing some strategies. 008 was checking his suit, hoping it'd fit, and 016 and 018 were working to attach a rod to 016's leg to support the limb.

"You can't complain! You see this? My boobs are straining the buttons! Who do you have to suck off to get a damn shirt made for women?"

008 was pleasantly surprised that his clothes fit well.

006, having fixed 032's tie, reached into his locker and pulled out a second shirt.

"Here. This might fit." He holds out the extra shirt to 005. "Just tuck the excess fabric into your pants. You might look a bit stupid, but it's better than a button popping off and hitting one of the big shots in the face." He grins.

She huffs and takes the shirt. It fits better, but the extra fabric was gonna bother her. Well, better than her tits bursting out.

018 helps 016 stand; he does a test walk. It's not as good as a fixed leg, but it'll have to do.

008, finishing tying his tie, looks at the brothers. "I think you guys need to tie your hair up. You too, 005."

"Huh?" 032 responds.

"It's too long, according to the handbook; if it's longer than 10 inches, you have to put it up."

"Of course you read the handbook," 005 grumbles, pulling her hair into a high ponytail. 032 and 006 do the same

"You too, 004."

'What! I ain't doing that!" 004 protests.

"You have to," 008 replies.

Crossing his arms and turning away, he says, "I don't give a shit, I ain't doing it."

"004. You're doing it," 002 speaks up, having put away the notebook and stepped in.

"Tsk," 004 responds, but he puts his hair up anyway.

"Where's 001?" 016 asks from his spot on the bench, adjusting his pant leg

"He should be here soon," 002 states.

Just then, the door opens, and 001 walks in.

"Took you long enough, Cockroach. Did you get lost?" 004 sneers

Ignoring him, 001 goes to his locker and quickly changes into his suit.

"001, help 004 hide his knives."

Looking between 002 and 004, 001 resigns to his fate and shows 004 how to secure his weapons in the fabric.

The door opens again as some of SW's bodyguards walk in. 001 quickly covers himself and 004 before they notice any illegal weapons.

They greet 001 but intentionally ignore the other Numbers.

"Hey, kid. Which assignment are you going on today?" one asks.

"I'm with the Chairman," the teen replies.

"Damn, we'll miss you!" responds Jun-Seo.

001 smiles at him apologetically, surprising his team. He never smiled around them, not even in this peaceful country. It annoyed them that he would smile at these random men instead of his own team.

The SW bodyguards glance at the Numbers and quickly turn away, noticing their stares. They put on their suits quickly as more bodyguards enter. When it got too crowded, the Numbers finished up and headed out, dispersing to their assignments.

001 leads 002 and 004 to the Chairman's office, stopping momentarily to fix 004's sheaths. When they arrive, they're greeted by the stares of the other bodyguards on the Chairman's team. They don't look pleased.

"Ah, Welcome in. How was your travel?" the Chairman greets

"Good," 001 responds 

"Excellent, and you two?"

The aforementioned Numbers stare at him.

001 turns to stare at them, too, and they respond hesitantly, "Fine."

"That's great. Has Ijin briefed you on the schedule for today?"

002 nods while 004 continues side-eyeing the other bodyguards.

"Well then, why don't some of us introduce ourselves? Then we can be on our way."

The Chairman gestures to the two other bodyguards having a staring contest with 004.

"Sungmin Lee," the tall man with dark hair and a buzzcut, spoke.

"Ju-won Kim," a shorter man with dark eyes and a small scar on his face, introduces himself.

The Chairman gestures at the Numbers next. "002."

After 002 nudges him, "...004."

"Great. Shall we get moving then?"

They had three regular meetings and a lunch meeting on schedule. It was lighter than normal, likely to accommodate the new guards. The Numbers, while not known for it, did have experience acting as guards, and if the Numbers were anything, it was tenacious. They had to have a whole meeting on manners, too, so as not to accidentally or purposely insult their charges or any of their clients. Most had been very receptive, but 004 was 004, and he'd do whatever 004 wanted.

The first meeting was at 11:00 am with a fellow business conglomerate. He was the Chairman of the company OJ. A quick and easy meeting to discuss stock and other mindless business things. They arrived before the others. It was a medium-sized meeting room consisting of what you'd expect. There were four cameras in each corner of the room, constantly moving and recording. There were eight windows, six of which could be used for easy escape.

The Chairman sat at the head of the table, the guards each taking a corner of the room. The SW guards kept stealing glances at the Numbers. They'd only heard rumors of Ijin's past involvement in missions involving the other Sin family members, but had yet to witness what made the Chairman trust him so much. They especially didn't trust the randos he brought in.

The door opens as more bodyguards pour in, followed by a tall man in a nice suit carrying an iced coffee.

Sang-Ook Song was a pale man with dark eyes. He was the young son of the late Min Song, the man responsible for creating such a conglomerate. He was still new to the business industry, so he was allotted some leeway for keeping the Chairman waiting.

His guards swarm the room, staying behind the OJ Chairman as the bodyguards of the SW move to stand behind their Chairman.

"Heyooo, Chairman Sin. How's it been?"

Chairman Song had evidently not been briefed on proper etiquette for a business meeting, but the Chairman wrote it off as the grief of losing his father.

Thankfully, they had a very skilled accountant, Ming Guem, to assist the Chairman.

"Very well, thank you. How's your mother?"

"Oh, the old lady's fine."

Old lady?

The Numbers share a look. This man seems drunk or horribly hungover. Definitely not proper etiquette for a professional setting.

They decided to start the meeting regardless.

OJ was a sea-faring business that relied on the support of SW to make it to the next quarter. The meeting was to discuss the revenue brought in last quarter and the plans for the next one, but Chairman Song seemed less than interested in that. Mr. Geum was handling most of the talking while Mr. Song sat there fiddling with the papers in front of him.

Until he noticed 001 whispering to 002, which enraged him.

"HEY YOU!" he points dramatically at 001. Everyone turns to look at him, alarmed.

"Why're you talkin'?"

Chairman Sin steps in, "My apologies, Mr. Song. Ijin was simply discussing orders with his subordinate. Please don't mind him."

"You think cause you're all good looking, that you can do whatever you want?" Song begins to stumble, approach him, pointing an accusing finger.

001 remains quiet, watching the drunk man argue with his bodyguards and accountant as they try to push him back into his seat. He notices 004's getting increasingly annoyed at the scene.

He vaguely heard 005 speaking in his earpiece, probably to 016.

It's best if this situation calms down; they don't need two nutcases losing it.

Mr. Guem bows deeply. "My sincerest apologies, Chairman Sin. Mr. Song is still dealing with the death of his father."

"It's quite alright. It must be a difficult time for him. I'm sure you don't mind, Ijin?"

"No, Sir," he responds immediately, hoping to de-escalate the situation.

It didn't work.

"Nooo, I don't wanna hear it," Mr. Song slurs out, "I'm tired of this shittt... I'm glad the old man's dead, but I don't wanna deal with these damn meetings and all the damn fishhhh. I don't even like fishhh."

The Chairman sits in silence, staring at the intoxicated man incredulously as his bodyguards struggle to sit him back down.

"HEY, what did you just do?" Mr. Song yells again, at 001, as he gives a hand sign to the others, telling them to be prepared to interfere.

"I believe this should be rescheduled." The Chairman was starting to get annoyed, but kept it carefully concealed behind a calm expression.

"I'm not doneeee." The drunkard takes a step towards the Chairman, but is intercepted by 001, flanked by 002 and 004

Chairman Sin takes note of the expressions on his guards. Ijin had his usual calm expression, 002 wore a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes, and 004 was hiding none of his annoyed expression at the drunk man's actions. It's best to get this over with.

The Chairman stands, grabbing 004's shoulder as support, much to his dismay, "We will take our leave. My people will be in contact."

They walk out before they get the chance to argue.

"Well, that was... interesting," the Chairman states as they enter the car, "It's not normally like that."

Mr. Koh and 001 were in the front seat, with the Chairman sitting between 002 and 004. 002 grabs 001's attention and uses their unique signs to ask,

'PAST ix-THAT WHAT?'

'STRANGE NOT-ORDINARY' he replies

'WHAT DO?'

'CONTINUE'

(Translation: What was that?

That doesn't normally happen.

What do we do now?

We keep going.)

As they head to the next location, 001 hopes the others are having a better time.

005 and 016 walked to where 001 told them Ms. Jiyeh would be. It was a large office, but it was sparsely decorated with only a desk and some basic decorations strewn about.

When they walk in, Jiyeh doesn't even look up from the files in her hands. They had heard from 032's briefing that she was known to be colder than most of her family, but not even looking up from her work to acknowledge people was borderline stupid. They could be killers for all she knew. Well, they were, but not for her. This time. No wonder she kept getting kidnapped.

016 drops his guitar case, creating a thud that draws the patrons' attention. She only glances at them before looking back down. 005 didn't need to talk to her, but 016 had to tell her that he was gonna watch from a distance. Well... he could just leave, but he's supposed to be polite.

Sighing, he interrupts her focus.

"I'll monitor from a different building."

She gives the slightest of nods in response. He sends a glance at 005 and walks out, taking his case with him. The Numbers had a private channel in their earpieces so they wouldn't have to worry about communication. When he got a good distance away, he wished 005 good luck, happy not to have to be with the frigid woman.

005 decides to simply mimic the other guard, Kyong Park, and stands on the other side of the door until the Ice Queen decides to move. They stood like that for a few hours, with 016 periodically commenting on the surrounding area. She had no problem standing still for many hours; they had to stand guard at Camp hundreds of times.

Finally, she decides to move, heading to a waiting car, followed closely behind by Mr. Park and 005. 016 hops onto a motorcycle to follow them. Mr. Park glances behind them, eyeing the motorcycle. With his helmet on, 016 was not easily recognizable, so 005 spoke for the first time since entering the room.

"That's 016."

He stares at her, "How do you know?"

"'Cause he told me."

He turns back around, still eyeing the vehicle in the rearview mirror

"How do you know Ijin?" Ms. Jiyeh asks

Of course, the first thing she asks about is 001 

"We work together."

"He never mentioned you."

005 wanted to say, 'He never mentioned you either,' but held her tongue

"Weird if he did."

Jiyeh looks up from her tablet at 005

"So, he was always like that."

"He's a lot of things. You gotta specify."

"Quiet, reclusive, stupidly reckless."

"Oh, absolutely."

"So, he won't grow out of it," Jiyeh mutters under her breath

"Nope"

They arrive at a restaurant not long after. 016 moving to an adjacent building

Ms. Jiyeh addresses 005, "Call him over. He's coming inside."

005 stares before speaking in a foreign language into her earpiece

"016, get your ass back here, the Ice Queen wants you."

"What, why?"

"No idea, just get in here."

A motorcycle engine cuts through the air as he parks next to the car, and 016 limps in.

They go to a table, and Ms. Jiyeh sits down, her guards standing, watching over her.

"Sit down, all of you. Don't make me eat alone."

They hesitate. Is this a trick? When Mr. Park sits down, they reckon it's safe to join.

Having only eaten cheap, quick meals except for the company lunch, the Numbers don't know what to order or whether or not they should

"Why?" 016 asks, voicing the common question between them

"Why what?" She asks innocently

"Why are you having us eat lunch? If I remember correctly, you skipped dinner purposefully to test 001 when he started, so why are you doing this now?"

Mr. Park and Jiyeh look a bit surprised. 

After a beat of silence, "I owe Ijin too much to be treating his people improperly."

She meets their gazes; the stare they give her reminds her of Ijin, and she smiles a bit at the thought.

When the server arrives with their food, they start eating. The Numbers finish much faster; they weren't used to having a constant food source yet. When Jiyeh stands to use the bathroom, they all follow, the boys staying outside, and 005 going in with her. 

Jiyeh turns to look at her standing guard by the door

"Is that why you were assigned to my team? Because I was kidnapped from a bathroom?"

"Probably," 005 responded, she never questioned her orders.

Jiyeh looked displeased with the short answer, but decided not to comment. 

As she was fixing her lipstick, she spoke to 005

"You're pretty calm," she points out

When 005 raised an eyebrow at her, she clarified

"When I first saw you, you were constantly bickering with someone, whether it be the blonde boys or the dark one. So I thought you were unkempt, but I'm pleasantly surprised."

"We're professionals. We know how to act."

"So, the way you act now is not how you truly are?"

005 smiles, "You've seen how I am."

"Hmmm," Jiyeh hums in response

They hear a commotion outside, and walking out reveals one of the other patrons having a fit about 016's guitar case.

A man in his 50s is arguing with a member of staff when they return

"A homeless man must've left it. I don't want the impoverished folk intruding on my meal!"

Jiyeh walks up, "I'm sorry to interrupt, but that case belongs to us."

Eventually, this man didn't know the SW corporation or care because he got in her face, pointing a finger at her

"You should know better than to bring the homeless into such an establishment, young lady."

Mr. Park steps in front of Jiyeh, pushing the rude man's finger out of the way. 016 slips past them and grabs his case, holding it to his chest

"So, it's you!" the man points an accusing finger at 016, glaring daggers at the young bodyguard.

"Uh, yeah?" he responds.

"This isn't a charity. You can't get free food," the man scolds, walking towards 016, getting dangerously close to a world-renowned sniper.

The staff in the restaurant are doing little to stop him, seeing that 016 was dressed only in a plain suit, not an expensive, tailored one like the rude man.

Ms. Jiyeh starts again, "He's not-" 

She's cut off by a thud as both 016 and his case hit the ground, having been shoved over by the arrogant man.

...

Dead silence rang impossibly loud in the air

...

'Don't interfere unless your client is threatened,'  001 had said

'Fuck it,' 005 thought, 'I've lived long enough'

The man reels back to kick 016, but 005 sticks her leg out and kicks up, sending the man falling on his ass. She kneels to check on 016 despite the astonished looks of the other patrons. The staff moved to check on the red-faced man. Who they assume to be the man's wife storms over to the Numbers,

"How dare you! Don't you know who he is?!"

"I don't give a damn who he is; he attacked my brother! I'll kill you both!"

"We could have you arrested for this!"

005 had 016's arm thrown over her shoulder as they stood. They looked to each other and the door, tempted to just leave. It's not like this country's cops could catch up to them... but if they did, 001 would find out...

"I think not." Jiyeh steps in

"Who do you think you are?!"

"My name is Jiyeh Sin, and that was my bodyguard your husband assaulted."

"Sin? As in the SW company?" The older lady turns pale

"Indeed. You and this restaurant will be hearing from our lawyers."

005 grins smugly. For a moment, forgetting she was supposed to be professional 

"Let's go." Jiyeh struts out, followed closely behind by her guards

005 decides to take the motorcycle back, letting 016 take the seat next to Jiyeh.

The car ride is silent for a while. 016, despite being one of the friendlier Numbers, was too busy checking on the rod on his leg to make conversation, but that didn't last long

"What happened?" Jiyeh was looking at him, properly this time

"As you saw, Ma'am," he responds, distracted

"Not that. To your leg."

He stares at her for a long time. His leg injury was caused by not receiving proper medical treatment when he broke it years ago, but he couldn't tell her without raising questions. He also didn't know how much she knew about them. He looked away, choosing to stare out the window, trying to come up with a normal response.

"Old injury." He responds, intentionally vague, trying to add the inflection in his voice that 002 and 001 have, which leaves no room for argument.

It doesn't work, but Jiyeh doesn't press further.

This is gonna suck.

008 and 018 head to where Mr. Sin was supposed to be. 001 had issues with this man in the past; he's a very selfish man who would trade the lives of his family for the sake of power, so they weren't excited to work with him. 

He was a pudgy man with brown hair slicked to the side and a toad-like face. There wasn't much information on his personal guard, Mr. Choi, except for the one attempt the Vice Chairman made against 001's sponsor(?). 

008 after having heard that, disliked the man. 018 was just more weary than usual.

When they entered the office, the man didn't even bother looking up 

"You're late."

"What?" 018 asks

"You're late."

"We had to wait for 001."

"No, you work for me now; you come to me immediately, regardless of what that child tells you."

Choosing to disregard the man's statement, they begin their guard work. They're loyal to the Numbers; no way in hell would they do anything against the team. Unfortunately, though, that means going along with the man's delusions. 

When the toad-like man decides to go on a walk, they follow diligently.

As they walked to the door, Mr. Choi shoulder-checked 018, likely trying to elicit a reaction out of him. He failed. 018 simply glares in his direction, sending a look to 008. Choi, despite being rather crass, knew better than to try shoulder-checking someone as large as 008, but still sent him nasty looks as if personally offended by his presence. 

Outside was peaceful; children were running around the local playground, colorful flowers sprouted everywhere they looked, and there was a slight chill in the air, just enough to be refreshing without being overpowering. It was a stark contrast to C.amp.

Camp was bustling with activity at all hours, never a moment of peace. The children there held immeasurable sadness in their eyes, having witnessed too much for their small brains to handle. Everywhere they looked was always covered in a thick layer of dirt and dust. A dull shade of brown, nothing compared to the absolute beauty of the sprouting flowers around them. 

While in his musing, Mr. Choi had stuck out his foot and tripped 018 slightly, causing him to stumble forward. This didn't go unnoticed by Mr. Sin.

"Keep it moving. What kind of bodyguard trips over his own feet? Or are you a cripple like that other one?" the man sneered at 018. The question was rhetorical, but still angered the other Numbers at the jab to their comrade, but they begrudgingly brushed it aside.

Mr. Sin decided that he wanted to walk to a local cafe. 

While on the street, they naturally grabbed quite a bit of attention, but to Mr. Sin's ire, the attention was not solely on him. When a woman approached tentatively, Mr. Sin, assuming she was here for him, told her to move away, which garnered a confused look from the woman.

"How tall are you?" she looks up at 008

He didn't look at her, focusing solely on his job, but that upset Mr. Sin

"Come now, boy. Answer the nice woman."

He stares at the toad-like man, trying to decipher his intention

"210 cm," he responds, impassively 

The woman and passersby stare on in awe at the man's impressive figure. Someone from the crowd asks

"You're not native. Where'd you come from to be that big?"

Before 008 could respond, Mr. Sin spoke up, drawing the attention to him

"From a freak show, of course." He grins at the astonished look the crowd gives him

008 and 018 are getting increasingly annoyed at these people's antics. They may be killing machines, but they are still people ...somewhat

After a yell from Mr. Choi, the crowd disperses, resuming their previous tasks.

The rest of the day plays out similarly, snide comments about how they look and act, with many attempts to undermine their capabilities, before it boils over.

After they returned, there was a small bit of free time between meetings, and Mr. Sin wanted some entertainment. 

"How about a spar?" the man asks, looking between his guards, "Mr. Choi versus you, the big one." 

Mr. Choi grins at the idea, despite being on the job.

"What of work?" 018 questions 

Mr. Sin dismisses the question with a wave of his hand, further annoying the Numbers.

008 agrees, hesitantly. He was supposed to ask either 002 or 001 for permission before he fought... 

Welp, it's better to ask for forgiveness than permission

They go to a training center and get situated with gloves, disregarding headgear

008 and Mr. Choi go to the center maps, preparing to fight, while 018 stands with Mr. Sin, spectating the fight.

018 had full confidence in 008, after all, they were Numbers.

A whistle blows, and they start circling each other. Choi rushed forward, aiming for the larger man's leg. The best way to defeat a giant is to aim for what's supporting them. 008 expertly avoids it, confused. Sparring rules dictate that you can't aim for the legs. Choi doesn't seem to care, so 008 disregards them as well. 008 wasn't known for his speed; that was 012, but he wasn't inept. He aimed a punch at the older man's midsection and felt it connect briefly. Choi had managed to avoid the brunt of the hit but still took damage as he jumped back.

008 was strong, impossibly so, Choi knew this, so he had to turn the tables to shift his advantage. He planned to take out his knees, then use them as leverage to attack 008's head. They began to trade blows, Choi mostly aiming for 008's legs. One hit, unfortunately, left 008 kneeling to the ground, allowing Choi to enact his plan. 

But 008 was smart. He'd seen what 001 did to Mad Dog and asked the kid to teach him to counter it, so when Choi aimed for his face the same way 001 did those years ago, he expected it. Grabbing Choi, he slams the older man's head into the ground with a sickening crunch, knocking the man clean out. 

018 goes over to confirm the results. 

Still crouched over the body, he turns to Mr. Sin, glaring menacingly at him, unknowingly mirroring 008's exact expression, sending a chill down the next Chairman's neck.

There were no more comments after that.

006 and 032 follow behind Yeona and Seokju, keeping a healthy distance. They were supposed to be the friendliest of the group, but since they were also 001's friends, they weren't eager to stir up trouble.

Yeona kept shooting glances at the two of them, probably hoping to talk, but they had to get to their meeting.

The meeting was uneventful. Yeona was still new to working in the family business and mostly watched.

Seokju was openly staring at 006 from behind Yeona, as if trying to pick him apart. He wasn't doing too well.

As they left, Yeona was chatting animatedly with Seokju. She wanted to go to a nearby cafe to relax.

The cafe was small, cozy, with a calming atmosphere. It looked like a popular spot for kids their age; they must've rented it out for it to be so empty. Yeona sat in a corner booth after Seokju gently scolded her for choosing a seat in the middle. Her guards stood faithfully as she called out, "Come on. Come join me," pouting.

Seokju leaned down, whispering something in her ear, not taking his eyes off the Numbers.

"Nonsense!" she exclaimed.

"We should all eat together, come on."

She gestured for the Numbers to sit. 032 looked to his brother for guidance, 006 shrugged and grinned, taking the seat across from her. 032 quickly followed, sitting next to his brother. Seokju sat down cautiously. The waitress came to take their orders, but the Numbers declined.

"You too should get something, my treat."

"I'd love to, but I'm not a fan of sugar," 006 replied casually.

032 responded more bluntly, "It could be poisoned."

"It won't be," Seokju chimed in, probably trying to calm Yeona. 032 thought it was pointless.

When their drinks arrived, they sat in an awkward silence until Seokju stood and motioned for 006 to follow him. Confused but trusting 032's abilities, he complied.

They moved just around the corner, still able to see the group. "You're the one I hit with a car," Seokju said bluntly.

"Yup!" 006 replied happily, smiling. "Fun day."

"If you think for a second that you can use Yeona as revenge, you're sore-" 006 stopped him before he could finish, "Whoa, whoa, calm down, man. That's not what I'm doing. I'm just following orders."

"What?"

"Do you really think 001 would trust just anyone with his precious friends? He chose us because we were closest to him when he was younger, and he knows we won't hurt you guys. So relax." Seokju stared at him, still not convinced.

"If this is about you and 032 fighting, then you should let it go. We were trained to do whatever it takes to win. Honestly, aggravating people is the least dangerous thing, so be thankful." Seokju glared, but the suspicion was gone, replaced by annoyance.

006 grinned; he loved annoying people.

While they argued, Yeona and 032 had their own conversation.

Watching his brother leave made 032 uneasy. He wasn't very talkative and wasn’t keen on being alone with a kid his age—well, two years older, but still. Plus, it seemed Yeona had a huge crush on 001, which made things awkward.

"Sooo..." Yeona began, startling him. "How old are you?"

032 looked at her, confused. Was he supposed to answer or just stand guard? Damn, he was recon. He didn't work with strangers.

He hesitated but finally said, "17."

"Wow, you're pretty young. How did you become a bodyguard at such a young age?"

"I'm not a bodyguard. I'm a mercenary."

"Well, how did you become a mercenary then?"

He stared blankly, not knowing. All he knew was being a mercenary.

"...I've always been one."

"That's kinda sad."

He shrugged, unsure how to respond.

"Have you ever been to a gaming cafe?" she asked excitedly.

"Uh... no?"

"It's so fun! We have to go!"

"We should probably ask 006 and the black-haired guy."

"You mean Seokju. It'll be fine!"

"Okay..." He agreed, knowing he was supposed to listen to her. When the guards returned, Yeona shared her idea, which Seokju predictably shot down. After some persuasion, he finally agreed, and they headed to a local gaming cafe. 

They purchased time and sat down to start playing. Seokju and 006 decided to skip out and act as proper guards. 

"You kinda suck at this." 006 pipes up, looking over 032's shoulder at the 'DEFEAT' displayed on his screen

032 pushes his head off his shoulder, "I don't know how to play."

"Sureeee" 006 teases

"Hehe, it's okay, Ijin's bad at this too."

The brothers turn to look at her in surprise

"001's bad at something?!"

"He's human, of course he is." Seokju pipes up 

"You're not much better, Seokju."

"I'm better than him!"

"Sureeee," Yeona teases

Seokju, annoyed, grabs the chair next to Yeona and loads up, intent on proving her wrong. 

He never gets the chance because 032, now understanding the game, beats them easily. All those years behind a computer and on the battlefield finally paying off.

They play a few more rounds before they're approached by some boys around 006's age. 

The one with patchy bleached-blonde hair spoke first

"Hey, beautiful, I couldn't help but notice you from across the cafe and wanted to get your number."

"Sorry, I'm not interested in dating right now," Yeona replies

"Huh? Uhh.. I was actually talking to the blonde girl next to you." 

She turns her head to look at 032. He had changed into his regular red hoodie, trying to blend in, with his hood down, but he most definitely wasn't a girl.

006 bursts out laughing, hunched over and pointing at 032, "He- He thinks you're a girl!" 

He laughs harder when 032 turns around and his face is as red as his eyes. Yeona looks on, amused. 

Taking a few deep breaths, 006 composes himself and addresses the confused man

"Sorry, man, but that's my baby brother, Isaac. Not a chick."

The man stutters a bit and walks back to his friend, apologizing profusely.

They all stare at each other for a moment before bursting out laughing; even Seokju let out a few chuckles.

At the end of the day, after the other guards had already left, the Numbers regrouped in the locker room.

"What happened to your arm, 008?" 002 asks, noticing a bruise forming 

Looking down, 008 notices it too

"Oh, I sparred with Mr. Choi."

"What?"

002 walked over to 008, staring him down. 008 looks down at him with a gentle expression

"Mr. Sin wanted me to fight Mr. Choi," 008 spoke

"Plus, he was being an asshole." 018 added

"Huh?"

"You guys encountered an asshole, too?" 005 pipes up

"You too?" 002 asks

She nods, "Yeah, some old guy pushed 016."

Everyone looks to 016, but he only nods

"What'd you do?" 004 asks

"I knocked his ass to the ground, of course."

004 grins madly, "Heh, serves him right."

"What about you guys?" 016 motions to 001, 002, and 004, "Any weird encounters?"

"It was mostly normal, except the Chairman of OJ came in drunk."

"Did he piss himself or something?" 032 asks

"More like insulting his dead father." 

"Awesome."

They were just about finished when 006 spoke

"OH, I just remembered. Some guy thought 032 was a chick."

Said Number sputtered as 005 and 004 laughed at him

"You bastard!" 

He goes up to his brother, trying to punch him, but 006 dodges and flicks him on the forehead. 006 wraps his arm around the younger teen's shoulder and messes with his hair, 

"Don't be mad. You'd be a pretty girl."

"You little-"

"Did everyone encounter a weirdo?" 001 interrupts 

They look at each other. That was the consensus.

"We just can't catch a break. Can we?" 005 sighs

There's no rest for the wicked.

Chapter Text

"The Chairman has been kidnapped. Last seen near 254-2, Guro 3(sam)-dong, Guro-gu, Seoul, heading down Myeongdong Shopping Street. White van, license plate number QN-51450." (I have no idea what I just wrote)

Shit.

This just had to happen on their day off.

032 was spending time with Dayeon, while 006 was distracting 001. 004 was sparring with 002, 008 was working out nearby, 016 and 018 were relaxing like normal people, and 005 was doing whatever 005 did. It was late, around sundown.

When they heard the message through their earpiece, they sprang into action. 

"002, 004, follow the van," 001 ordered sharply. "008, meet up with 006 and 032, and go with the SW guards. 005, 018, you're with me. Once the location is confirmed, 016, set up."

002 and 004 jumped on a waiting motorcycle and headed to the last known location. They spotted a white van speeding away with no other cars around. They quickly caught up, confirmed the license plate, and reported back to 001.

"Heading east on 14-5, Donam 1(il)-dong. Keep left."

They saw more cars in the distance, likely SW's people. If they couldn't protect the Chairman, they were useless to the Numbers.

"They've arrived at a building," 004 reported.

The building was very large but poorly maintained. It was a huge operation; hundreds of men were likely involved. About a dozen cars were scattered around. Some appeared to be mingling; others appeared to be on lookout. They hadn't been spotted yet, staying just outside their range, until they were startled by a voice from behind.

"Heyo," two men appeared from the trees. The shorter one with blonde hair greeted them. The other was an impossibly tall man, making them wonder how they hadn't noticed him.

One of the bodyguards asked, "Who are you? This is private property."

"I'm 006, and that's 008. We're with the Numbers. Ya know, the special team for this shit."

The leader, whom they recognized as Mr. Koh, stepped forward as whispers broke out behind him.

"What's the plan?"

"No idea, we were just told to stay with you," 006 replied, shrugging.

"We need to keep them out of the way of the others," 008 added.

The Numbers had already begun to set up. 004 and 002 were on standby a few kilometers away. 016 was ready near a warehouse.

If it were up to them, this operation would already be underway, but they needed to keep an eye on the SW group and find out why the Chairman was taken. 

A younger guard, Joon Woo, spoke up, annoyed

"We don't need any damn babysitters."

Some of the others nod along. 

A voice cuts through the tension. This time, 001 spoke through the main channel shared with all the guards.

"001 taking command. 004 and 018 will get rid of the henchmen inside. 006, 008, and the SW guards will take the henchmen outside. 005 and 016 will provide long-range support. 032 is recon. 002, and I will get the Chairman. Refrain from gunfire near any Koreans."

He spoke with such finality that it left the SW guards speechless. Ijin was very soft-spoken; he tended to follow orders and go with the flow. This Ijin spoke with resolution, leaving no room for argument. He effortlessly took command as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Organizing the otherwise bousterous Numbers completely. 

The other bodyguards look to Mr. Koh for orders, not keen on following 001's just yet. They'll learn.

"What's going on?" Koh asks the two Numbers, eyeing the very illegal guns they somehow have.

"We follow his orders." 006 replies confused

"You're listening to a kid? What is he? 19?" one of the other guards, Eun-gyeol, asks

"He's 001, of course, we listen."

"But why?"

006 and 008 share a look before the giant responds, "He's proven time and time again that he's worth listening to. You'll see that soon enough. Now let's go, they're heading inside."

Looking out, they see 004 and 018 turn towards the building and take that as a cue to start moving. The Numbers burst forward, 006 taking a knife out of his hip holster and quickly cutting the jugular of the closest man. He moves to the next one, wincing as he witnesses 008 grab a man's face and crush it against a tree. Another man ran up to 008 but was quickly shot down by 016. The shot rang out in the air, startling the SW guards out of their stupor.

The carnage before them was horrendous. It'd barely been a minute, and the area looked like a battlefield. Blood and bodies covered the floor. The Numbers had somehow acquired huge knives from god knows where and cut a path to the entrance in a matter of seconds, allowing 001, 002, 004, and 018 to enter the building with minimal difficulty. 

The SW guards can only watch in horror as more and more bodies hit the ground, each face frozen with a look of anguish and fear etched impossibly deep into their features. 

Inside the building was in no better condition than the outside: dirty, decrepit, and filled with people. 

001 motioned for 004 to start, which the blood-hungry man jumped at the opportunity, slicing and cutting his way through the crowd like a skilled gardener handling weeds. The others quickly followed, albeit not as excited at the prospect of taking lives. 

They made quick work of the men and traversed deeper into the building.

When they encounter a large pocket of people, 001 orders 004 and 018 to make a passage to allow him and 002 to pass. After a moment, the area clears a bit, and they rush past, cutting down any strays. 

They run upstairs and down a long hallway, checking every room, searching for the Chairman. A report from 032 echoes in their ear,

"A recent deal made with OJ was broken, so the Chairman of OJ hired a bunch of gangs to 'convince' the SW Chairman to reconsider."

That explains the intent behind this, but not the anger. How butthurt could a guy be to hire a bunch of gangs to intimidate an old man into reconsideration? 

They turn down another hallway, finding it empty. As they slowly make their way down the hall, they hear a slight noise behind them as a man tries to sneak up on them. He's quickly shot down along with the others with him. The problem with involving many different parties is that they often can't work well together. 

They continue moving down the hall until they find what looks to be an empty meeting room. 002 motions from them to enter. Looking around, they spot a blueprint of the building. They were able to cross off most of the building and quickly identify which rooms were most likely to hold the VIP. They can hear gunshots ring out below them; hopefully, they're keeping the Korean's out of the fire. But knowing them, probably not.

Both rooms were viable options to hold a hostage, but the one on the left had too many windows, so the VIP's likely in the room on the right.

They set out immediately, dashing towards the right room.

If they remembered correctly, OJ was the organization from the failed meeting on their first day, well, not that it matters anyway.

The door to the right room bursts open, and the tied and gagged Chairman looks up, scared, at the two Numbers who quickly rush in and begin releasing him. 

"Ah," the Chairman states after being freed, "Thank you." 

"Quiet." 002 orders.

The Chairman places a hand on his head but remains silent.

001 exits the door first, motioning for 002 to follow behind, keeping the Chairman safely in the middle.

The carnage left in their wake is immense; the Chairman had to keep his focus on Ijin's back to avoid throwing up. It was... horrible.

They encountered a few stragglers who hadn't moved outside and quickly got rid of them. The swiftness and cruelty shown to the men shocked the elderly man. These kids were so young! How can they be so desensitized as to not even react to ending the life of a fellow human being?

He only shook his head and continued forward despite the pain in his heart.

When they reached the downstairs, they were greeted by an even worse scene. Every person there had been torn apart, and 004 was standing triumphantly in the middle, covered completely in blood and brandishing his usual deranged expression.

He made eye contact with the Chairman, and the older man flinched back a bit. It's good to see that, even in his old age, the Chairman was still wise enough to sense the danger that was 004.

004 looks away after a moment, turning his gaze to 001. "Took you long enough," he chastises, "Don't tell me you've gotten even weaker."

001 ignores him in favor of surveying the room. "Report."

"146 dead," 004 responds simply, toying with the knife in his hand. 146 seemed a bit short.

"018, record their deaths. 004, cover us," 001 orders.

They comply, and 004 moves to walk beside the Chairman as they make their way outside.

Outside is not better; the grassy ground is stained dark red as the dozens of bodies leak into the soil, returning to where they came from. This time, the Chairman can't hold back his bile, turning away and throwing up on the grass. Dozens of medics and other bodyguards rush to him, the last thing he sees before passing out is the unrelenting stare of the present Numbers.

"Tsk" 004 scoffs at the elderly man as his workers swarm him. 

"Report" 001 orders into his earpiece. 

"221 eliminated," 032's voice comes through the comm, "I'm tracking Sang-Ook Song now."

"Send the information to 004." 001 turns to the older Number, "Bring the Chairman and everyone working with him to the base." 004 grins, already walking off to follow the order.

001 sighs and looks up at the sky. The sun was almost gone, and there were a bunch of fluffy-looking clouds surrounding the beautiful sunset. It was weird; he never thought he'd ever see another sunset after escaping.

He looks back down to meet the stares of the SW employees. He's a bit confused, so he tilts his head. They look away without replying, so he decides to just ignore them and focus on organizing his team.

He rakes his eyes over their forms, checking for injuries. Once he finds none, he gives the orders to fall back, leaving SW to handle the aftermath. He can feel their gazes as he walks away.

The next day, the Chairman calls the Numbers to his office, minus 004. He recovered quite fast; well, he wasn't all that injured to begin with, but he recovered better than someone his age would.

He sat at his desk, with Mr. Koh standing behind him, both just staring at the team before them. After a long moment, the Chairman spoke,

"I'd like to formally thank you." He said, "Without your effort, there's no saying what could've happened." 

"We were only doing our job." 001 responded with his usual level of indifference. 

Koh minutely shakes his head at the teen.

"What are your conclusions?" The Chairman asks the rest of the Numbers.

Most of them just stay silent except for 018, who clarifies, "001 speaks for us."

The Chairman leans back in his chair and examines the faces of the team. Ijin was wearing his usual stoic expression, 002 having the very same one. The rest wore faces of indifference, occasionally glancing around the room, as if searching for something. 

"Where is 004?" The elderly man asks after noting the quiet atmosphere.

"On a separate mission." 001 states

Just as he says that, the door bursts open, and 004 saunters in covered, once again, in blood.

"Go back and clean yourself up." 002 orders him

"I just walked in!" 

002 only glares at him before he angrily walks back out. 

"I do have another question, but I believe it should wait until 004 returns," the Chairman says.

Said man returns after a few minutes, devoid of blood. The Numbers look towards the old man expectantly.

"After the... display yesterday and what I've heard and seen of Ijin's accomplishments, I became curious about the area in which you grew up. I'm only aware of Ijin's time as Jin, but I know nothing of his time as 001. I do hope I could learn more." 

The Numbers exchange glances, none seemingly willing to disclose much. 

"Our past is nothing for someone such as yourself to concern yourself with..." 016 speaks up slowly.

The Chairman stares at all of them for a long moment before a soft smile graces his face.

"It's alright, you don't have to tell me anything," he says.

"Is there anything else you need?" 002 asks bluntly

"No, that's all, thank you again," he states. The Numbers quickly take their leave, but not before the Chairman requests that Ijin stay a minute. 002 looks like he wants to say something, but instead shares a glance with 001 and follows behind the rest of the team. 

Ijin stands before the man once more, his hands carefully folded behind his back.

"You've been doing very well," the Chairman starts, "at first I was apprehensive about letting someone so young lead such a team, but it appears my worries were unfounded."

Despite the praise, Ijin doesn't move, only nodding in acknowledgment.

"I must admit that I tried to do some research on your team before allowing them to start working, but I found nothing. As a result, I asked my question. It was never my intention to make them uncomfortable." 

Ijin doesn't respond, simply stares at the man.

"As you know, being a member of the Sin family is a double-edged sword. The gift of luxury and fame is only a small consolation in the face of the pressure and danger that comes with the name. Your team has only worked here for a few days, but the atmosphere has changed. Jiyeh and Yeona seem less stressed, and I myself feel much safer with their presence. I am truly grateful for the opportunity to have them work for us." 

"Don't thank me. All I did was offer." Ijin replied. 

"I see..."  

A loud crash outside catches their attention. Ijin quickly bows and hurriedly leaves to deal with the chaos outside. The Chairman remains staring at the door, lost in thought.

There was another training session between group 4 and the Numbers; he should monitor that.

Later that day, everyone gathers again. The SW guards are now more cautious, keeping their distance from the violent Numbers. The other team seems unaffected.

The training proceeded similarly to last time, except that 002 joined, and it was slightly shorter in duration. The additional free exercise only heightened the fear of the Numbers among the crowd.

Before long, 008 had already broken a punching bag with his strength. Next to him, 002 and 004 fought with real knives, slashing furiously enough for spectators to hear the cuts in the air, while 005 sparred with 006 and 032, often ending with one of them being thrown across the room—only to jump back up as if nothing had happened and keep fighting. 018 and 016 weren't causing nearly as much panic, but even their ease in climbing the ropes made the SW guards uneasy; however, no one felt as terrible as Seokju.

He sat against the wall, legs pulled to his chest, chin resting on his knees, staring at the training fighters.

He felt... inferior. Since childhood, he'd been told he was a prodigy: a skilled fighter, someone capable of protecting Yeona Sin.

They said he was good. But never great. His grandfather was great, the Numbers were great, Ijin was great, but he was just good. Just good...

"Are you alright?" A voice interrupts his thoughts.

It's Ijin.

Skilled fighter Ijin, amazing bodyguard Ijin, intelligent leader Ijin.

"I'm fine," Seokju responds, turning his head away, but everywhere he looked, he saw someone doing something he could never do. It irritated him.

Ijin leans closer, filling his vision. He looks into the silver-haired man's eyes and feels part of his resolve weaken.

"It's just—how are you so strong?" He asks after a moment.

Ijin leans back against the wall, staring at the ceiling, carefully thinking about the question.

"Training," he simply says, but he looks... sad.

"Training?" Seokju asks, annoyed. He says it so casually, as if Seokju hadn't been training, as if he hadn't worked harder than anyone to become stronger, faster, smarter—like training was just another chore.

Ijin nods, a bit confused.

Seokju turns to the other teen, eyes blazing. "I've trained for years, worked so hard! How can you say it was just 'training' that made you so strong? How can you 'train' and still be faster, stronger, and smarter than me?!" he rants, surprising Ijin.

"They're all stronger than me! Even 032, your weakest! It's-" he sighs, running his hands through his hair, avoiding eye contact with the taller teen. "-I thought I was catching up to you, that I was your equal, but now... you're this strong, confident leader, and I'm just some poser..."

He glances at Ijin, hoping for a reaction, but flinches at the emotion in his eyes. His gaze shifts to the ceiling as if pondering something before slowly returning to Seokju.

"...If I had a choice, it wouldn't be like this..." he says quietly, as if it hurts him to say.

"...what?" Seokju asks. "But you're the leader of such a strong team; people respect you, notorious gangs cross the street when they see you coming!"

Ijin looks at the training team from a distance with a pained expression. Seokju’s stomach sinks at his look.

After a long moment studying the team as if searching for an answer, he speaks. "I never wanted to be..."

"...what?" Seokju replies, stunned.

"I never wanted to train, had no desire to get stronger; they just made me..." he says. "My title, 001... shouldn't have gone to me. 002, 005, or even 008 would've been better leaders; I don't know why I was chosen. But I was, and I regret taking it every day."

Seokju stares at him, trying to understand how someone like Ijin could be forced into such a role or be a bad leader. He’s kind and strong, and he commands respect.

"Why?" Seokju asks.

Ijin gazes at his team training in silence, watching them for a long moment. 002 looks over once but simply nods and resumes his task. 

"I killed 31 members of my team, one of whom with my own hands. If I never took that title, then they might just be alive." He admitted, "I'm not strong; if it wasn't for the team, I would've killed myself a long time ago. I'm not confident. I overthink everything I do, worried that if I make the wrong call or move the wrong way, then it's all over. I'm not a leader; I don't know how to manage the team, never have. If 002 hadn't been there to help me, I would've failed a long time ago..."

"WOoahh," A voice interrupts.

032 had been thrown again by 005 and landed right in front of 001. 005 looks over at him, but turns away when she sees 001 absentmindedly snake his arms around the younger teen's shoulders. 

Seokju passes him a water bottle, which he happily gulps down. 

"Hah... Whatca guys talkin' bout?" 032 asks.

They stay dead silent, but the kid doesn't seem to mind, probably used to it, so he keeps talking. 

"Can you believe her?" he starts, motioning at 005, "She has us both attack her, but she keeps targeting me! Like, pick on someone your own size!"

"She likely heard you complaining about not being able to train with them." 001 replies calmly, all trace of their earlier conversation wiped from his expression.

"I meant training with 018 or 016, not 005! I can't take on anyone in the top 10!" 

"Are you sure? It's been a while, and you've improved greatly. You even gave me some trouble back then." 

032's eyes light up, "Really!?" he asks, excited.

001 nods. 

032's grin stretches madly across his face, and he looks like he wants to get up but hesitates, waiting for 001 to let him go. Once he does, the younger teen rushes back into the fight with much more vigor. 

"Strength is relative-" Ijin starts slowly, "-strength's not always how much you can lift or how far you can throw. It's also your will, the ability to keep going despite hardships, the ability to fight even though it hurts, the ability to give when you have nothing left. That's strength."

"When you fought after being hit by a car, when you shielded Dayeon despite being cut down, when you comforted Yeona regardless of the pain. That was strength. When you kept getting up despite being knocked down, when you put yourself between a threat and Yeona, that's strength. A strength most people wouldn't have. Instead of comparing yourself to others, you should focus on what you have done, can do, and will do."

Seokju thinks over his words, really thinks about them. Maybe he was right...

"004! Take a break." Ijin calls out suddenly to the older man after seeing him take a particularly hard tumble.

"Fuck off, I don't need it!" he replies, angrily.

"You do, get over here." 

004 ignores him and keeps sparring with 002, only to have the dark-haired man grab him and, with the help of 008, sit him next to 001.

"Tsk," the older man said, crossing his arms, but despite his anger, he gladly drank from 001's waterbottle. The teen only shook his head at the action and started helping him wrap his injuries. Looking over, Seokju noticed 018 doing the same for 002; for such a dysfunctional team, they sure seem to care about each other.

Ijin's weirdly good at comforting people, Seokju realized. He's always so quiet, and even when he spoke, it was always very truthful, borderline hurtful, but in just 10 minutes, he comforted Seokju, 032, and even 004, acting in just the way they needed.

But maybe that was a curse. Always so caught up in helping others that he forgot about himself. He seemed to always be protecting someone, be it his family or his charges, often getting hurt in the process, but he never acknowledged it. 

"What about you?" Seokju asks, garnering Ijin's attention, who tilts his head in question.

"You care so much about everyone. When Dayeon and Yeona were kidnapped, you were right there with me. You also got hit by a car and had worse injuries, but you still fought too, more than I did. You comforted Dayeon, even though you were hurt too."

"I can take it," he replies too fast 

"And I can't?" Seokju asks, but it didn't sound like an accusation, more like a question.

"...you shouldn't have to. Not here," he replies quietly

Not here? What does that mean?

"When was Dayeon kidnapped!?" 004 asked loudly

"A long time ago," 001 responds, sending him a puzzled look. The older man looks away, muttering, "As if I care..."

001 sends him a knowing look before returning his gaze forward again. 

"That place where you trained..." Seokju asks, hesitantly, Ijin never spoke of his training or even his life before meeting his family, so he probably won't tell him anything, but he could try. "What was it like?"

004 chokes on a bit of water, turning to glare at the black-haired teen. Ijin flinches ever so slightly, but his eyes darken minutely, and he doesn't respond, just shares a glance with 004.

"It was... bad," he said, "People weren't treated well, and many lost their lives because of it." 

004 scoffs a bit at that but doesn't add in.

"I'm sorry," Seokju responds, not knowing what to say.

"We learned what we needed to and made it out alive. That's it." Seokju wanted to ask more, but his mouth went dry at the expression on Ijin's face. He looked so pained. Like the very memory hurt him, so he decided to keep quiet. 

004 tries to get up at some point, but 001 pushes him back down, much to the older man's ire.

This team was very weird, Seokju concluded.