Chapter Text
It all started during Mingle. For the first time since the games began, Nam-gyu felt truly alone. How had this happened? He wasn’t used to this. Everything had been so easy. Every other game, they had mastered, every other game, they had gotten through together. But this? Now? This was everything but mastering, this was also everything but together. He knew he ought to be looking for a group. He would die if he didn’t look for someone to team up with right now. But his eyes were transfixed on the clock above him, counting down the seconds. There were shouts all around him, but he hardly heard any of it. His legs were too heavy to get up from the blood-stained floor.
He had just been dancing with Thanos, spinning round and round, jumping and laughing while the drugs worked their into their brains, making this all so fun and easy. But now Thanos was gone, there was no dancing, just the looming of Nam-gyu’s inevitable death.
Ten seconds left.
He couldn’t do it in ten seconds. He needed three other people—it was impossible. There were people around, he knew at least one group needed a fourth guy, but were there even enough rooms left? In no way had they enough time to find one. It was best to simply give up now. Nam-gyu was dead, it was easiest to accept it now. He sighed
“I’m sorry, Thanos…” Although he wasn’t sure if the other man would even miss him. He had never even gotten his name right, so he couldn’t care that much, could he?
There was a yank under his arms and strong arms pulled him to his feet. He had not time to look around who had pulled him up, he was only allowed a last glance at the clock.
Seven seconds.
He almost strained against whoever pulled him. He just wanted to die in peace, not be pulled into a room with a bunch of strangers. He couldn’t see the patch on the guy in front of him, and he did not recognise the back of his head either.
A door slammed shut behind him, and the guy who had pulled him in sank down to the ground, breathing heavily. Fucking pathetic. Have some dignity, you’re embarrassing me. He looked up at the other people in the room. No one he recognised. But all their faces were scared, yes, almost terrified. They were huddled in the very back of the small room, and their red X patches clear evidence who’s side they were on. Great, I would have really rather died than be stuck in a room full of X’s. What will Thanos think if he sees me come out of this room? “Why would you bring him?!”, the shrill shriek tore him from his thoughts. One of the people pressing against the wall on the far side, lifted her finger and pointed at him. Her hand was shaking furiously. “He will kill us before we get out of this room again!”
The guy who had pulled him in got on his feet again and turned to look at Nam-gyu, who leaned against the door with his arms crossed. “You’re the guy who’s with—the purple haired rapper, right?”, he asked weakly, as if he as well only just now realised who he had pulled in with him. “His name is Thanos, asshole.”, Nam-gyu spit out, and everyone in the room but him recoiled. He sighed. They were all so pathetic he almost felt sorry for them. But only almost, because they were X’s, and therefore the enemy. “And why the fuck did you pull me in here, eh?”, he narrowed his eyes. He backed away now too, joining the one’s pressing away. “Wanted to play fucking hero?”
The guy shook his head. “I—we just needed a fourth player! And, and you looked petrified! I thought you wouldn’t make it in time, so I just—”
He shook his head, groaning, drowning out the guy. “You’re yapping a whole lot, do you know that? I would have been fucking fine, even without you cunts dragging me in here. I can take care of myself, thank you very much.” He turned to look out the door. The guards were cleaning up the bodies by now, and he tried to get a glimpse of Thanos’ purple hair behind one of the doors but could see nothing. Where was the asshole? Surely, he made it. He had Min-su, Se-mi and Gyeong-su. He shook his head. What was he thinking? Of course, Thanos made it. In no world would a game like Mingle get him killed.
After a while of pretty awkward silence within the room, the doors finally unlocked again, and Nam-gyu stepped back out and on the platform. He needed to find Thanos. So when the platform began spinning again, he went on searching. But with every second that passed in which he did not spot the—very obvious—man, he grew more panicked. He had to find a group soon, and Thanos was no where to be seen. What if—no, he was thinking it again, and it was simply impossible. After what felt like forever in his drugged, muddy brain, the platform halted, and he almost fell over.
Three players
Chaos broke out once more, and usually, Nam-gyu would have loved it. He would have grabbed Thanos and one more, who, Nam-gyu didn’t really care, and they would have run to a room, pulled out players inside if necessary and easily one the round. But now? He was alone. And being alone was a lot scarier than being with Thanos. He knew that even if they didn’t make it, then they would die together at least.
Nam-gyu turned around, his head landing on two players, and his eyes narrowed. He stepped over quick and grabbed the woman on the shoulder. “Hey, do you need a third guy?”, he tried with a smile, but the two backed off quickly. “W-We’re fine…”, the man mumbled and quickly pulled the woman away. Shit. Was his reputation really that bad? Would they really rather risk their lives than team up with him, even if it was just for a couple of minutes. On the other hand, they had been X’s anyway, so maybe it was better that way.
He kept spinning and turning, and for the tiniest second, he believed to spot a mob of purple hair, but when his head spun back in the direction, it was gone. Shit, fuck, shit… this all the fault of those X’s. If I had died last round, I wouldn’t be pissing myself now.
But it didn’t matter now. The rooms were getting lesser and lesser, and if he didn’t hurry, he wouldn’t have any time left. He allowed himself a glance at the clock.
Seventeen seconds left
On the next spin, he saw someone. It was an X, fucking shit, but it was someone. And he was alone, looking around like a kicked puppy. Well, maybe he at least wouldn’t complain if Nam-gyu wanted to team up. After only two passing seconds, his hand was on his shoulder. “Come with me.”, he said, and the guy looked at him. God he looked stupid. But at least he nodded, and together, they found a third person in the chaos. An 0, so at least they outnumbered puppy-guy. Now it all came down to rooms. They needed a room. Nam-gyu took the initiative and ran them down, glancing into every slit. Perhaps this way he would at least Thanos. Then he could maybe even ditch the other two and go in with Thanos. God, he really needed to see him again. That stupid grin, the purple hair, his hands and the cross around his neck—their insides as well. He needed to hear his voice as well, his dumb, half Korean-half English sentences that Nam-gyu just barely understood.
Deep in thought, Nam-gyu almost missed an empty room. “Come on!”, he yelled over his shoulder and pushed inside. Puppy-guy and the other man followed, and Nam-gyu threw his entire weight against the door. They were fucking safe, and he wouldn’t risk anyone trying to pull them out. The room was quiet, there was nothing but the shouting and the music playing outside. Until Puppy-guy cleared his throat.
“So, uhm, what are your names. I am Dae-ho!”, a pathetic smile spread on his lips, and Nam-gyu couldn’t help it. He rolled his eyes. “I don’t give a shit what your names are.” Dae-ho looked a bit taken aback, but his smile faltered for only a quick second before he turned to the other man. “Well, I want to know your names! So, what is yours?”
“D-Do-yun…”, he mumbled, glancing over at Nam-gyu every couple of seconds. He rolled his eyes. How did someone this pathetic voted for 0? Not that he was complaining of course. If not for—what was his name again?—they would probably all he home by now, continuing to life their pathetic lives.
And when they both, Dae-ho more than Do-yun, looked at him expectantly, he figured it would be a lesser pain in the ass if he just told them. “Nam-gyu.”, he said dryly, and then averted his eyes. What was taking those guards so long? The shooting at begun, and the screams, but they had to be done by now. Dae-ho was talking again, but it was more towards Do-yun than it was to him. Until he was met with a question, he was sick of hearing. “Aren’t you the one who is always with the rapper, Nam-gyu?”, it came from Dae-ho, of course, and Nam-gyu felt the strong urge to punch him square in the jaw. “Yes.” Was that the only thing he was known for? The guy who was with Thanos. He did not even bother telling them that that was his name. Then he would be saved in their minds as the guy who hangs with Thanos. “Well, I think you are a lot nicer than him!” Both Nam-gyu and Do-yun looked at Dae-ho like he was crazy. “I am not nice.”, he hissed at him, baring his teeth a little. But Dae-ho’s smile did not even falter for a second after that. It was strange, and Nam-gyu didn’t like it. “I think you are! You have done nothing to prove me wrong of that, yet? I mean, you are not really empathetic with Myung-gi, but that is okay!”
The mention of Myung-gi made Nam-gyu ball his fists. Do-yun seemed to notice that and backed off, but Dae-ho did not. He just kept smiling. It was disgusting, really.
Luckily, it must have been Nam-gyu’s lucky day, the doors clicked open, and they all left the room again. “Maybe we can play the next round together as well? Then we can stick together until the end of the game!” Do-yun nodded quickly, but Nam-gyu just scoffed. “Yeah, fuck no. Either of you, never speak a word to be again or I’ll fuck you up.”, and with a scowl on his lips, turned away from them. He half expected Dae-ho to call after him, but there was nothing. Good. Back to searching for Thanos. The platform begun to spin, and he immediately pushed through the crowds. How was it this hard to find a purple-haired guy? He should be the most obvious one!
The platform halted once more.
Six players
Nam-gyu groaned. Big groups were the hardest to find. Or at least that was what he thought, but before he could even spin around to find a group to team up with, he was grabbed by the arm and yanked towards a room. “Wha—”, he began, but didn’t strain against the pull. If he was safe, he was safe. And to his luck, the guy who pulled him had a blue 0 patch. At least.
This round was so quiet it was boring. They got to six players and into the room as one of the first, with more than twenty seconds left. Maybe if he threw in another pill, and Thanos was here it would be nice, but whatever. Thanos was not here, and his pills weren’t either. So, Nam-gyu slid down on one of the walls and glared at every single person who dared to look at him. Of course, the inevitable question came, and he ignored that one as well. Those fucking losers, if they couldn’t remember him for who he was, then they didn’t deserve his attention. He wasn’t Thanos’ lapdog, he was his friend. At least, that was what he thought he was. Because what if there was a reason why he couldn’t find Thanos. What if he didn’t want to be found? What if he had ditched him? Nam-gyu shook his head. Thanos had no reason to do that. But just the possibility made his heart ache so immensely, he could almost not bear it. Had he done anything wrong before?
Or, worse, had he found it out?
It was inevitable for Thanos to find out at some point, but what if Nam-gyu had done something to reveal it, and now he hated him. What if he thought it was disgusting? Wrong? No. Thanos hadn’t found out. He couldn’t have. Nam-gyu had been so careful, it was basically impossible.
Shaking just the tiniest bit, he walked out of the door when the doors opened, walking away from the five other players without even acknowledging their existence. Maybe he should give up looking for Thanos. As much as he wanted to tell himself he was wrong, it was the most logical explanation. So, he simply stayed in his spot as the music began to play. His vision blurred ever so slightly before he blinked furiously to get it away. He wasn’t about to cry over some asshole like Thanos. If he had ditched him for real, well then fuck him. He would get through this all alone. Or perhaps, as much as he hated it, maybe he would vote X the next time. Not because he wanted to quit like a pussy, but because it would annoy the fuck out of Thanos. The music felt longer than before. Perhaps that was because he was not doing anything, just standing there, looking just as pathetic as everyone else around him, thinking about voting X, hating this game for real for the first time.
The platform stopped.
Two players
Okay, that couldn’t be too hard. Except it was. He ran around, but everyone paired up in duos, and soon, he felt like he was alone on the platform. Rooms all around him filled up, and every time he spotted someone alone, they had found someone before he got there.
He was beginning to panic. It wasn’t the clock that fucked him up this time, or the players, but the rooms. He knew there wouldn’t be enough for everyone. Fuck.
Suddenly, there was no more air in his lungs, and he choked, his eyes watering up and his hands going to his throat. His jacket had buried itself into his neck at the force of being pulled backwards. He stumbled, almost falling. The platform vanished between his feet and he was left of blood-slick ground, where staying upright was even harder. He couldn’t even see who was pulling him, and the joy of having found a partner was relatively small, considering that he was hardly getting any air.
Then, the large, circular room was narrowed down to the rectangle of a small one. The pressure on his neck was released and he gasped for air. But before he could turn around to yell at whoever had just almost assassinated him, the door was slammed shut and a flash of purple sprung towards him before he was pulled into the tightest hug of his life.