Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Two rapid footsteps jump in between stores, complexes and roofs. The terrain distorting in bizarre ways that makes them scale from staircase to window to white tiles in this mock imitation of a city. Agent Choi was running slightly quicker than Agent Bronze, though he was catching up just fine even with the carrier in his hands. The grip on it was tight even as they were both drenched in sweat.

It was luck really, coming across Agent Grapes in a Disaster that brought victims into a false urban area. It would look like a normal empty shop street until you ventured further. The words on the signs of permanently closed stores would melt and the roads would twist. The street reveals more buildings with only the vague idea of what humans actually used. The way to exit the Disaster was simple though. As written in the posters and pamphlets previous agents have left in the area, you just had to run far enough in the city for the Darkness to ‘break’ and lead you back to the real world.

Daydream must have been hoping to cultivate the Disaster to make it more dangerous for profit. That would be the only reason they’d bring Agent Grapes into this place.

“We’re getting closer Grapes, we’ll be out of here in no time.” Bronze said to the carrier in between ragged breaths. Choi smiled at Bronze’s words even if he couldn’t see it. They were so close to getting Grapes out of there.

Out of his carrier.

Out of that company,

They could bring him back to the Bureau where they could fix him back up. And even if they couldn't, Bronze and Choi promised to love him all the same.

Choi broke out of his thoughts when he noticed an end to the rows of buildings they’ve been parkouring, “Agent Bronze, slow down.”. Agent Bronze did as he was told while tightening the grip on the transport carrier. The two agents looked down from the ledge of the building they were on. The sight was both relieving and anxiety inducing.

The ground of the area became a steep incline with a slight rounded look, like the ground was cut into with a cookie cutter and pressed with a large finger. Buildings of various heights and unclear purposes were planted haphazardly. The advertisements went from humble melting signboards to unreadable large billboards and lights. Previous agents have done their best to add ladders, climbing rope and bridges where they could to make the land more traversable. Walls surrounding the area were covered in posters reminding the reader to not be afraid, to keep going.

Because this was typically the last homestretch before the Darkness would let the victims out.

The two agents looked at each other and nodded. They can get out with Grapes safe. Bronze points to another building roof below them, the jump was three stories high but the both of them have been through worse falls. The problem was just allowing Bronze to safely roll as he landed with the carrier in hand to prevent injury. 

Agent Choi looked at the carrier for a second, “I’ll jump first, then you can throw the carrier over to me.”

“... Is that okay?”

“Well, Grapes will have a bit of a rough ride but he’ll forgive us for this, right Grapes?” Choi made a childish grin as he turned to the carrier entrance and clapped his palms together. Yellow eyes only blinked at him twice. Grapes has been awfully quiet during their entire journey but to be fair, the two had no idea what mental state Grapes was in right now with his new form. His brain could be completely shut down for Daydream to puppet for all they knew. 

They didn’t want to think about that. The Bureau could fix him. They have to.

They agreed to do it. It wasn’t worth getting Bronze injured at this stage or the carrier getting damaged with Grapes still inside. After strapping his jakdu blades tight on his back, Choi jumped to the other roof with a smooth landing. He still made an exaggerated show of rubbing his sides, “Aigoo, I’m getting too old for this!” Bronze rolled his eyes but slightly snickered. It’s been too long since they felt this lighthearted.

When Choi showed that he was ready to catch Grapes, Bronze took a few deep breaths, “Just endure a bit more Grapes. Let’s make up for lost time okay?” 

Bronze threw the carrier to Choi.

It moved rather slowly in the air due to how gentle Bronze tried to throw it.

Then their hope for a smooth trip back home was immediately shattered when a large beastly hand made of teeth, slit eyes and wolf ears grabbed the carrier.

“GRAPES!”

Bronze’s feet moved faster than his head and he jumped to the carrier with enough force to hopefully pry the carrier off the hand. Instead he could only catch empty air as the hand quickly pulled away. He landed right in front of Choi on his chest, it hurt but there were more important matters.

Choi pulled Bronze back up while looking to wear the hand was retracting to. Two men in black constricting belted suits emerged from the side of a roof bulkhead. The arm retracted back into the one with the face mask. It formed a normal looking human hand holding the carrier handle. 

“It’s pretty rude to steal from people.” The man in a paper badger mask said to the two agents in a friendly tone unfitting for the situation. He kneeled to the carrier the other man was holding and spoke gently, “Roe Deer, are you okay?” 

Tap

Both he and the other man sighed in relief, “Thank goodness.” 

The yellow eyes stared at the man’s arm. He noticed where they were staring and waved his hand with a smile, “No worries! We can handle it. See? We’re already healing up.”

On his arm, the man’s suit looked to have been torn in a circle and a bullet hole punctured his flesh. It was healing but the exposed wound clearly pulsed and ached. The man holding the carrier had the same wound on his torso. The blood on their bodies and clothes have dried but it still looked like it hurt.

“Wow, you guys broke out of your rope bindings quick!” Choi said to them in a cheerful tone. The other two men looked wary but Choi continued, “You know, we had those things upgraded at the workshop. It was supposed to keep you guys down for 20 minutes…”

Choi and Bronze didn’t understand how those two were able to move so quickly from the start of the area to here, but it didn’t matter. The one in the badger mask stared at them for a bit before replying with a small smile, “Well! Some magic tricks are better left as a secret you know.”

When Park Minseong and J3 came across the agents in the darkness with Kim Soleum in tow, they had a brief talk before the agents started asking to see the darkness in their carrier to come out. When they refused, the agents pointed out that the three were there on behalf of Daydream to find ways to cultivate the Darkness they were in, which went against the Disaster Management Bureau’s goal. Communication continued to break down until Agent Bronze shot the security team members with a high grade bullet and binded them with their best rope before snatching up the carrier.

The security team members, fueled by their want to get Kim Soleum back and their contaminations, broke out of their bindings in under 10 minutes. Jay was able to track where the agents were going by scent and they quickly weaved through the Darkness area with inhuman speed to hide and catch them when they least expected it.

And now they were there, standing facing each other in a stand off.

“Haha! You guys must be really strong then!” Choi laughed slightly while rubbing the back of his neck. “Jay and Badger wasn’t it? Daydream really doesn’t mess around with their security team-”

“Excuse me…” Jay’s voice came out languid but loud, “You… were the one that shot at us first…”

The air became tense and silent with only the whistling wind to make up for it. Even Park Minseong was a bit taken aback. The sergeant usually spoke in a relaxed apathetic tone but now there was a serious undercurrent to it. Like he wasn’t just upset about what happened, but angry too.

Agent Choi wasn’t sure on how to proceed before Agent Bronze stepped in, “I was the one that shot you, I apologise.”

The security team duo stared at him with blank expressions, Park Minseong could have sworn he heard a huff from Jay.

“But,” Bronze continued, “We need Agent Grapes back.”

“... Hm?” Jay titled his head with a raised eyebrow.

“The carrier, he’s an agent of the bureau. Thus we are obligated to bring him back to be healed from his contamination.” 

“He’s… a very valuable member of our team. He went missing half a year ago and we had no idea where he went. All we knew was that it had something to do with that company.”

“Please, let us bring Agent Grapes back.” Bronze looked up at them pleadingly, even though he did hurt them, Park Minseong can’t help but feel his desperation. He remembers feeling it too when he first saw Soleum again in his current state. 

Jay’s expression relaxed but his gaze remained unwavering. He closed his eyes and sighed before placing the carrier on the ground and kneeling down. The agents got hopeful for a bit, thinking that maybe they could actually get Agent Grapes back without having to fight. 

Jay tapped the carrier once.

Silence.

The two agents were starting to get nervous while the security team members looked at the carrier with growing concern.

Jay tapped the carrier again.

…

Long silence, until…

Tap tap

…

Tap tap

“...!”

“Roe Deer?”

“Wh-what’s wrong? Agent Grapes?”

Tap tap… Tap tap… Tap tap… Tap tap, tap tap, tap tap, tap tap, tap tap tap tap tap tap-

The double tapping quickened their pace. Choi and Bronze notice the security team member’s expression growing  more unreadable with concern. Choi takes a step forward.

“Grapes..?”

“You can’t take him.” Jay’s voice was sharp and clear even through his face mask. “He doesn’t want to be with you.”

Bronze’s eyes widened, “Grapes?! What’s wrong? You don’t want to go to the bureau?”

The tapping ceases and goes back to being silent. Choi purses his lips, “Grapes, if there’s something going on we can help you. If you don’t want to go to the bureau, that's fine too.” 

“Respectfully speaking,” Park Minseong cuts in while stepping in front of Jay and the carrier, “Roe Deer has already made it clear he doesn’t want to be with you.”

Choi is quiet for a second. Then his intense gaze meets Park Minseong’s, “You don’t know that.”

“... What?”

“Grapes could have easily broken out of the carrier while I and Bronze brought him here, it’s not us he’s afraid of.”

“...” Park Minseong narrowed his eyes. The sergeant behind him observed his conflicted expression while tightening the grip on the carrier handle.

“Something is wrong, Grapes doesn’t want us to know but we can’t just leave him to deal with it alone.”

That’s just not how the bureau does things. That’s not how Hyunmoo Team 1 does things.

“I know you’re not a bad guy either Badger, you and Jay just want the best for Grapes too right? Say, why don’t we just walk out together with Grapes? Then we can hear him out together.”

Jay doesn’t miss the way Bronze was quietly shuffling behind Agent Choi. He looks back at Minseong, “... Hey.”

Park Minseong clenched and relaxed his fists for a moment. He took a deep breath to calm his fast beating heart.

“It’s alright sergeant,” Park Minseong turns back to Jay with a smile, “I want to help Roe Deer the best I can too.”

J3 understood what Park Minseong meant. He sighs and closes his eyes. The grip on the carrier handle tightens again before he raises it slightly. 

Then he quickly unlocks the carrier. His arm morphs into the same beastly arm from before as he throws it behind them as hard as he can, away from the agents.

“Roe Deer, run!” 

“Grapes!” 

Bronze didn’t even have time to point his glass gun at Jay. Smoke bursted forth out of the carrier and the form resembling a familiar man was vaguely seen through it and the yellow light. Choi could have sworn the man looked back at them with an expression that twisted his heart before the mass of smoke quickly disappeared leaving a trail that led back to where they just ran from.

Only the echoing thud of the transport cage landing on the ground somewhere snapped the agents out of the daze of what happened. Their breathing turned hard from the way their hearts shattered.

“Hah… haha…” Bronze brought his shaky gaze to the back of Choi’s head when he heard that pained laugh.

They were so close to bringing him back. He left them again. They promised to each other so many times that they wouldn’t let him go no matter what happened next time. 

Choi put a hand to his face and ran his fingers through his hair. He had a strained grin on his face while his eyes reflected the pain of losing Grapes again and again, “You Daydream bastards…”

Bronze steadied his frustrated breaths. What was the point of all their efforts? If other people kept prying their rookie from them every chance they got?

“You guys probably get off to this kinda thing huh?”

J3 stepped forward to Park Minseong’s side. “We,” Park Minseong sucked in a breath, “our job is to assist Roe Deer, because we’re his friends too.”

Choi’s hands tightened into a fist and he strains his voice through gritted teeth, “You guys… really know nothing about how Grapes is.”

Jay’s eyebrow twitched, “...Hah?”

The security team stare at them with unchanged expressions but Choi continues, “Grapes, he… He’s always hiding how bad things really are for him. He never wants other people to know even when he’s in unimaginable pain.”

’I just want to go home.’

“That guy would rather chop his arm off than to sacrifice anyone, he’d risk his life before choosing to go to anyone! Why would you ever be okay with just letting him go like that!?”

Choi raises his head and Park Minseong actually flinches at the anger and frustration on his face, “If he couldn’t even go to any of us for help, why would he go to any of you bastards? If you were really his friends you’d know that-

“Shut up.”

Jay cuts Choi’s monologue off. Annoyance dripping off of his voice. He can’t stand how these guys were looking at him and Park Minseong like they were a bunch of idiots.

“Sergeant…”

“There’s no point in talking cordially to guys aiming a gun at us.” Jay says while pulling his face mask off. Likely to make his voice clearer.

Jay felt how hot his body was getting. His heart was pumping faster the longer he looked at these government agents talking on a high horse. These people knew nothing and they acted like they did. He hasn’t felt this in so long.

He felt furious.

“Hey you.” Jay pointed a finger at Bronze who was already equipping his glass gun, “What kind of person do you think Roe Deer is?”

Bronze and Choi were a bit surprised at Jay’s direct callout. Bronze blinked for a second before finding the resolve to take a step forward and answer, “Agent Grapes is a good person. He’s capable and responsible, but he shoulders on too much sometimes.”

Bronze can still see Kim Soleum in that white robe laying defeated in front of the centipede sage. He remembers the despair in his stomach when he saw the agent so ready to die. They were able to save him then and they will save him again.

“He embodies the ideal agent, which is why we need to help him no matter what.”

“So you’ve seen how capable he can be haven’t you?” Jay responded, getting more impatient.

“… Yes, that’s one of the reasons he’s a great agent.”

The sound of a tongue clicking reverberates, “So what are you saying right now?”

“… What?”

“That guy… He’s smarter than all of us combined. Put him in a locked cage and he’ll look for a way to open it.”

Jay remembers back when he and Kim Soleum got stuck in that painting. While everyone else cried and raved about how hopeless the situation was, Soleum was able to drag them all out to safety. 

Jay glowered at the two men in front of him, “You think you’re the only ones that’s seen how strong that guy is? One of us here is only alive cus of him. Have some goddamn awareness.”

Bronze and Choi looked a bit surprised. Park Minseong only turned away while clenching his fists. Jay continued, his voice getting louder, “A guy like that… knows how to ask for help. If he hasn’t then that just means he doesn’t want your help.”

But Kim Soleum wanted his, that’s why he asked him for more information about Daydream. Jay would offer his assistance to Soleum when he was a spy at the bureau and he accepted it just fine. Because he knows exactly what Soleum needed, because he knows Kim Soleum.

“You say we don’t know him? Hah?!” A foot stomped on the ground, not on purpose but it was the only way Jay could deal with all this sudden energy. His voice started to distort while shouting, “Hey! Badger’s been his senior longer than you guys knew him, and I’m the one you saw helping him at that lab! If we don’t know him, what the hell d̷͙̂́ô̷̩͔̭͌͛ ̸̧̞͓̏̚ý̴̟̗͗̕ơ̴̢̼̳͐͝ṵ̶̢͓̻͐̓͗ ̸̦̘̈ķ̶̞̏n̸͔̊͌͆o̴̬̝̮̬̾̍w̷̭̙̱̎̀͘͜?̶̙̩͚̥̈̒́̆!̷͓̼͙̞͌͋͊́””

Jay’s yelling shook the air. Extra eyes and teeth appeared on his face briefly. The agents readied their weapons but otherwise stayed quiet. They didn’t know how to respond to Jay’s words. 

“Sergeant.” Park Minseong placed a hand on Jay’s shoulder to ground him. An eye looked at Park Minseong while Jay panted. Jay sighed and continued talking after hunching over his shoulders.

“It was… so easy… he was so so close… All he had to do was clock in, do work and clock out… he wasn’t even that worried when he had that 1 month deadline…” It’s been so long since Jay’s throat felt sore from talking so much. Then he raised his hand again to point at Choi with a cutting judgement, “But then you had to ruin it.”

Choi tightened his grip on his blades.

“That guy… would never vouch for a bad person… but I still hate you… I hated you the moment you tried to trick him with that recorder. Talking about accepting him and letting him stay… lying through your goddamn teeth so you could imprison him…”

“What..?” Park Minseong’s eyes widened and shame washed over Choi’s face for a brief moment.

Bronze raised his arm in front of his sunbae like it could shield him from further scrutiny, “Agent Choi was acting as a Bureau agent with the limited knowledge he had. We aren’t going to imprison him again.”

“Liar.”

“We-

“Bronze, it’s alright, he’s right.” Choi said while sighing before quickly putting up a strained apologetic small smile to his hubae, “I made some really lame moves lately, it’s embarrassing but there’s no harm in admitting it.”

Choi focuses his attention on Jay with a tone that was much more agreeable than before, “Yes, you’re right. I lied to Agent Grapes, and I’ve hurt him by putting him in the glass prison.”

Park Minseong sucks in a breath, Jay scowls.

“But that’s also why I have to bring him back, I need to make it up to him now. I need…”

Choi needs to apologise to Kim Soleum properly. Choi needs to bring him and Bronze to the hot springs. Choi needs their rookie back. Choi needs to atone.

“I need… to help him. I’m sorry but I can’t let him go again.”

He won’t chase Kim Soleum away this time. He and Bronze were going to give Soleum a home.

“Sorry I called you guys bastards, that was rude of me,” Choi said that last part lightheartedly with a gentle smile, “After we fetch our friend, I’ll treat you guys to grilled beef as an apology.” He didn’t shy away from the security team’s judgemental gaze. When he hurt Bronze with his decisions, he knew he deserved it.

Park Minseong looked at Jay for a moment. When the sergeant didn’t reply immediately he spoke instead, “And if we don’t let you go?”

Choi closed his eyes and rested his larger jakdu blade on his shoulders, “Mmh, as Agent Grape’s teammates, we won’t let you stop us from chasing him.” Then Choi looked at them with a determined look, “Officially though, we are required by protocol to apprehend anyone that disrupts the Disaster Management Bureau’s duties.”

“Don’t you think this counts as personal affairs rather than official business?”

“Ah, but you two would make for great interviewees for the investigation regarding Daydream’s involvement in recent Disaster events no? That counts as disrupting bureau duties.” 

The corners of Jay’s mouth twitched to bare inhumanly sharp teeth, “You… gonna try and imprison us?”

“Hmm well,” Choi looks at Bronze, who nods and readies his glass gun, “Maybe we can’t imprison you, but nobody can blame us for trying to fight you at least.”

Jay clicks his tongue, “You agents use the same tricks… It’s getting boring…”

“Hey hey, it’s not too bad, even your other fellow employees have admitted how delicious the food was!”

Bronze added in, “We won’t keep you for long, we would just need to ask a few questions.”

Jay’s face twisted in frustration, his fangs now in full display. He steps back while asking Park Minseong, “Supervisor, don’t you think these guys are being threatening?”

Park Minseong was stunned silent by Jay’s statement before realising what exactly he was asking. He takes a deep breath and speaks in a professional tone, “… Yes it appears that they are threatening Daydream’s staff and operations.”

Rifts started to open around them, as if the fabric of the environment was being torn open. The sounds of children’s laughter started to echo around the men. Children’s stationery fell out of those rifts around them. Choi and Bronze already knew what was coming next and reminded themselves which pocket their respective glass prison marble was in.

“The protocol?”

“… Sergeant, they’re still Roe Deer’s friends. We can’t kill them.”

The agents tensed at what was being discussed between the other two. Jay huffed, “We won’t kill them, we’re just going to scare 'em away with the appropriate amount of force.”

“… As merely the control support, I can only ask you what you deem to be the most appropriate amount of force, sergeant.”

Their conversation was scripted and stiff. Choi and Bronze knew that it was only being had so that they weren’t technically lying if they had to report it to Daydream.

Jay hummed, “They shot at us and are armed, we have proof of this on our bodies, the carrier’s proof they broke and stole company property,” his eyes falls on Choi as he points at him again more lazily this time,

“I know that one can handle a half bleeding face and a bitten arm at least.”

“Understood, sergeant.”

“Don’t bother holding back, these agents can take a beating.”

“Damn,” Choi and Bronze readied their stances to run and jump to a twisted apartment complex they’ve been eyeing, “It’s a shame communication broke down like this huh?”

Park Minseong sighed and said, “Agents, I’m sure you’re good people… but I’ve never seen Roe Deer that scared before.”

The agents watched Park Minseong pull out a handbook with the words ’KINDERGARTEN EDUCATIONAL HANDBOOK -COPY-’ written on it from the air as he spoke, “Roe Deer has a goal, and I don’t want to see his efforts get trampled.”. The pages fluttered open as more rifts began to open and floating large thumbtacks appeared beside him. Meanwhile, Jay stood there unaffected by the display. He kept his narrowed eyes on Bronze and Choi.

“So please, either surrender and retreat or get hurt.”

The agents didn’t say anything for a while as they looked at each other. Surprisingly, it was Bronze that replied out of the two, “It’s an unfortunate option to choose, but we’d rather keep trying to retrieve our agent.”

Choi also spoke rather sincerely, “Hey, for what it’s worth, that grilled beef offer is still open even after this.”

“Enough,” Jay raised his hand wanting to cover his face with his hat or mask out of habit, but then having to switch to just putting his hand on the back of his neck when he remembered neither was present, “… Badger…”

“Understood.”

The agents sprinted towards the roof edge ready to jump.

Then, the teacher read out the copy of ▇▇ Kindergarten’s handbook.

▇▇ Kindergarten is here when needed. The rules always apply during class time. Everything is where it should be. I am a proud and loving teacher. Everyone is safe, and happy as they can be. Our ▇▇ Kindergarten is a haven where everyone follows the rules!

Welcome teachers to our outdoor class dry run! Teacher Park Minseong and our class president will guide you through it.

Now, Teacher Ryu Jaekwan and Teacher ▇▇▇▇, no running during class! Especially far from the group!

Chapter Text

A heavy mental pressure weighed down on the two agents and they crumpled to the ground. Their heads were filled with images of a neat kindergarten and cheerful giggles during playtime. Their legs felt weak, after all if they were going to use them to run it’s better for them to not be able to use it at all.

Choi reached into his pockets while fighting the throbbing pain. He tried to crawl towards his hubae with his hand stretched out, “Bronze!”

“...!”

“Hmph.” Jay let out a disappointed sound. These people were confused that Soleum didn’t go to them for help? They couldn’t even handle this much. His legs shifted into that of a beast as he stepped forward. Jumping effortlessly from the roof where he and the kindergarten teacher stood. He slowly approached the two men on the ground while turning his arm into one with jutting claws. Now all he had to do was just grab them and throw them out of the darkness on their own.

He stretched out his hand.

And winced in pain when Choi’s blade cut off its fingers.

“!!!”

Choi had a small smirk on his face as he stood up. His large jakdu blade pointed towards Jay while his other arm dropped something to the ground. A candy wrapper and a needle.

“Man, we wanted to save those, but using them against Daydream’s crazy strong security team members is the right call isn’t it?”

Jay was more surprised than hurt, Park Minseong’s mental suppression should be crushing these two already. He stepped back realising that Agent Bronze also had the wrapper and needle in his fist. Jay’s hand injury spurted a black liquid that only resembled blood, “That…”

“Recognise these? Ah, I guess you would. They were parting gifts from Grapes.”

Jay responded by swinging his other arm to tear Choi’s face off.

Teacher, harming the class president is against the rules! Following the rules is how you become a proud teacher!

Yet, Choi was still able to block Jay’s hand with a swing of his blade, the jakdu digging into the large palm. The blade trembled in his grip while Jay kept trying to push and twist against it, but remained firm.

“Hahh, so that’s how it works, the Hungry Hangman disaster reaches into the person’s being to instill the rules huh?”

“... How?” Jay tilted his head at Choi. Agent Bronze trembled while he stood up even with the nostalgic candy and the happiness painkiller.

“Hmm maybe cus we’re more similar than we thought? I’m guessing J3 isn’t your actual name either haha.” 

There’s a reason why the kindergarten can’t apply its rules to a non human being. It burns the words into your very own personhood. However, if you never had a name to begin with or you lost it somewhere else then… while the kindergarten can still punish you for breaking the rules you won’t have the compulsion to listen.

But humans could still never be completely immune to it.

Both J3 and Choi pulled away when thumbtacks started to land near the agent to pin him down. Jay’s arm visibly started stitching itself up back together, “Badger, keep applying the pressure. They won’t hold on forever.”

More children’s stationary began to appear and fall to the ground. Choi grabbed onto Bronze’s arm and ran towards the ledge to the apartment complex, they didn’t have as much momentum but they’ll make it. As they ran and jumped, they heard the noises of flesh churning and making way for something less human. They didn’t land on the roof, barely grabbing onto a pipe that gave them access to the gangway. 

That might have been the better choice in the end, because the shadows of something with too many legs went over them. Broken distorted howls shook the building and made their ears ring.

The hungry big bad wolf is here. It's come to break down your brick walls and swallow you whole.

“Bronze! The billboard!”

“Heard!”

They climbed up the pipe to the exposed hallway and ran towards the other end where they could run onto a billboard’s platform. Their movements felt more sluggish as rifts opened around them and dropped more children’s supplies. Bronze staggered and Choi gripped onto his arm tighter, “Bronze?”

“It’s… Is it getting longer?”

Then Choi realised it, the vision must be stronger for Bronze but when his eyes unfocused the floor of the gangway warped where the stationary tools were placed. Revealing more toys and decorating the apartment doors with stickers and signs that labeled various classes. The floor changed to a clean bright wooden one and the platform was getting stretched out to fill space for small lockers and shoe racks for the little ones that will be attending soon.

The older agent shook his head and blinked to clear his vision, and realised that they didn’t make much progress in crossing the exposed hallway at all.

Choi swore under his breath when he saw the forelegs of something wolf-like appear from below the building and climb onto the gangway railing beside them. A rising wall of jaws and eyes started to cover the long end of the platform. The mouths aim to rip and tear and swallow.

A long snout with too many eyes lunged toward the pair and they barely dodged its bite, smashing into a wall and breaking it apart. They would have loved to go in for more protection but generally entering buildings in this Disaster often lead to people disappearing into them forever.

A large paw swung at them, this time Choi cut it cleanly off causing it to gush out black blood and the beast to roar. Choi takes another swing at another limb before getting an idea, “Bronze! Make it lose its grip!”  Bronze only nodded and took the chance to shoot fluffy soft paws of the kindergarten’s class pet claws that clung onto the pristine windows covered in cherry blossom stickers railing. The beast snarls from the pain and more emerges from the flesh.

Teacher! You harmed the assistant teacher which is against the rules! As a fellow teacher I have to take away your movement! No harming the assistant teacher!

Bronze’s eyes watered and bled from the pounding headache. Words from the kindergarten handbook filled his brain, barely able to look up at his sunbae trying to fend off teeth and claws,“Choi..!”

Agent Bronze pushed Choi out of the way from a wave of giant thumbtacks that flew through the gaps of incomprehensible fur and flesh. They could see the kindergarten teacher staring at them with his hands clasped together from a building rooftop.

More thumbtacks rained down onto the pair.

Between the mental suppression, dodging the thumbtacks and attacking the beast, Bronze’s aim and Choi’s swings got progressively slower. Eventually, Bronze slipped and that gave enough time for a thumbtack to pin his arm against the wall. Splattering blood against where he was pinned and the floor.

“Bronze-!” In that moment of distraction, Choi’s shoulder was bitten by rows and rows of teeth. He was only let go when Bronze’s bullets hit one of the eyes of the thing.

Bronze tries to aim at Jay again but the mental pressure makes him slump, hung only by his pinned arm. Choi lets out a frustrated noise, “Dammit..!” quickly grabbing his smaller jakdu and raising it up. 

A high pitched metallic sound rang and a rain of blades fell onto the backs of the beast and the kindergarten teacher. Inhuman screams followed.

Not wasting even a single second, Choi began cutting off the remaining limbs that stubbornly clung onto the railing. When the final paw was cut the beast finally lost its grip and fell to the twisting roads and alleyways below. Choi noticed the teacher next but he was distracted with a blade stabbed through his shoulders. Taking the opportunity, he quickly pulled the thumbtack out of Bronze’s arm and ran towards the billboard.

—-------

Choi felt so much relief when they were able to cross 2 or 3 more buildings without being chased and sat Bronze down onto the stairs. Finally, they took a moment to collect themselves. Taking deep breaths in and out in silence.

“... We can’t keep going like this.” Bronze uttered. Choi remains silent in agreement.

Grape’s candy was doing wonders with repairing their body from the injuries. The painkiller kept their minds calmer than if they didn’t have it. However, at the rate they were going, either they’d wear off before the fight was over or they’d lose Grapes forever again.

“There has to be a way to get one over those guys.” 

It was possible, it was definitely possible. But those two together were so overwhelming especially for two normal humans. There had to be a way though. They were agents, dealing with Disasters was their specialty. What would Grapes think if he saw them struggle like this?

… Actually-

“... What would Grapes think..?” Choi whispered under his breath but it still caught Bronze’s attention.

Now, Choi wasn’t delusional, he could never know what Grapes was thinking even if he spent years with the guy. Jay was right on that front. Still, the rookie had a way of thinking that led to Disasters being resolved like nothing. His knowledge ran deeper than that of an experienced agent that neither Choi or Bronze had access to... but if he wanted to come up with an explanation for how he came up with the solution…

The children’s supplies, the rules, ghost stories about wolves…

“Bronze, how’s your nostalgic candy?”

“It’s still here, it could still last for a while longer.”

“And your glass marble?”

“... I still have it, yes.”

“Okay,” Choi flashed a reassuring grin, “We might still win this.”

—-------

From below, stalking footsteps filled the air. A pack of wolves cover every corner of the surrounding area’s alleyways and streets. The crowd was so dense it trampled over the streetlights, cars and whatever else stood in their way in the city. But a closer look would show that the pack was one giant creature, each individual ‘wolf’ either had extra eyes, mouths or legs and were welded together by flesh. The damage the beast sustained was immense so this was his way of still covering ground while slowly healing.

A man slowly walks up to the main street, surrounded with too tall twisting buildings and dark streets. He held a blade in each hand, one smaller than the other, as he looked to the approaching creatures with glowing eyes circling him.

“Is it still too late to talk this out?”

No response. Only the sounds of footsteps around him.

Choi shrugged, “Figures.”

Eyes scanned the area around him and every little hiding spot of the city. And yet the other man was not seen.

“Don’t worry about the other guy, sometimes you need to give younger people space to do their own thing you know! Ah well, I guess you don’t need to be the one to hear it from me.”

The creatures keep circling him. They’re a lot more wary to mindlessly attack after Choi demonstrated what he could do.

“You know, it would have been nice if Grapes was able to introduce us to each other at a party or something. Heh, if only we worked in more normal jobs.”

Silence persisted, Choi continued, “The other day, during the man in the screen incident, you wanted to show me Grapes right?”

The circling doesn’t stop, but eyes narrowed at him. Choi smiled with gratitude, “Thank you, even though you hated me then, you still did that. You’re a really good guy. You give solid advice too.”

The chime of bells ring out as Choi raises his larger jakdu blade to an approaching beast with 5 eyes, “Thank you for taking care of our Grapes.”

Just as the wolf was about to strike, a gunshot could be heard in the far distance. Every leg stopped moving and every head looked in that direction.

Away from the two, on the rooftop of an office building, the kindergarten teacher clutched his bleeding arm. The culprit lowered his gun to take a good look at him. The teacher’s wide smile twisted in pain, he was already injured from the blade and now Bronze was able to sneak up on him to shoot. 

Teacher Ryu Jaekwan, how could you hurt your fellow teacher! That’s against the rules!

Bronze almost dropped his glass gun, he wouldn’t be able to use it anymore. Not on the teacher directly at least. Thankfully, hurting the teacher wasn’t entirely his goal anyways. He put a hand on the binding rope looped on his hip.

“Teacher, it’s so hard to keep track of all these rules, you have to remind me of all of them don’t you?” 

Right, Bronze was able to confirm something by shooting the teacher, “You only told me to not hurt the assistant teacher, not you.”

Bronze was only vaguely aware of the Hungry Hangman disaster but it was an infamous one within the bureau. Victims couldn’t call for help within it, and entering it only guaranteed agent deaths. It was characterised with harsh rules imposed onto the victims. One of the ways it kills aside from the hangman game was punishing them when they didn’t meet the kindergarten’s expectations.

However, the rules that the teacher used were deliberately imperfect copies of the original handbook. This was to avoid further contamination while still utilising its effects.  As much as Daydream loved exploiting its contaminated staff, they still wouldn’t want to get to a point where they were too contaminated to work.

 There was a flaw however.

“Your rules aren’t as perfect, there’s many loopholes and work arounds aren’t there?”

Making ▇▇ Kindergarten’s less perfect meant that the standard of a broken rule must be lowered as well. Park Minseong was aiming to make a fairer and more forgiving class session for the teachers. It was fair to not punish teachers if they haven’t heard a specific rule yet.

“We’re lucky you’re such a nice guy, thanks.” 

Rifts opened around the kindergarten teacher as even more children’s stationary was placed onto the ground around them. Bronze assumed breaking them might be a rule so he made a mental note to not step on them. The rooftop began to warp to look more like a kindergarten classroom. Large thumbtacks began to appear in the air and aimed to pin Bronze down.

Bronze knew he couldn’t run this close to the teacher. A thumbtack flew towards him at a dizzying speed. 

Remember teacher, running is against the rules! Following the rules is how you become a proud teacher!

Bronze gathered as much strength as he could, and leapt out of the thumbtack’s way. The sharp end of the pin created a large impact that tore the colourful puzzle mat broke the concrete floor.

“... Teacher, you didn’t say anything against jumping.”

From afar, the pack of wolves stared at the direction where Minseong and Bronze were. Their movements slowed to a halt before the tide of beasts began to shift. The beast quickly understood that they had to regroup with the kindergarten teacher. However, a high pitched metal sound rang and blades fell onto the road in front of the pack.

“Oops, thank goodness I didn’t hit you, sorry, if you want to get to your partner you’re going to have to go through me.”

The bright yellow eyes stared at Choi, before they started circling him once more, this time quicker. Choi readied his large blade and paid close attention. Wind kicked up dust and the packs slowly became a blur.

Then, like a flash of lighting, a jaw with jagged teeth lurched forward to the agent.

By pure reflex, Choi was able to block it just in time and kicked it away. The wolf that attacked him returned to the circling pack. Choi took a moment to breathe but another small beast was already sprinting towards him, leaving a nasty scratch even when Choi was able to fend it off.

The phrase ’A death by a thousand papercuts’ entered Choi’s mind as more and more wolves pounced, bit or scratched his skin and returned to the circling mass around him in increasingly rapid frequency. 

‘But,’ Choi grinned while putting a hand in his pocket to feel the last happy maker and nostalgia candy their rookie gave them, ‘It’s better this way, this will give Bronze a bit more time.’

Choi slices at another wolf, then another, and another and another. Despite getting injured, he was keeping up with the beasts just fine.

Choi called out to the mass, “Come on! You’re gonna have to hit me with something larger than these small things!”

‘Hurry up and turn…!’

Another pounce, another gash that would close back up, and another strike of his blade. This was a battle of endurance, and Choi couldn’t afford to lose. 

“I’ve climbed mountains that’s given me more trouble than you!”

‘Just take the bait already…’

Monstrous growls filled the air. Choi felt like he was getting closer to getting what he wanted.

“Do you think you can protect Kim Soleum with just this much?!”

Quiet.

Something began to change, the pack slowed down. Choi could see the injuries he gave it as all the wolves began to morph into one another.

The mutated sounds of ▇▇ and ▇▇▇▇ filled the air. The sight of flesh ▇▇▇▇▇▇ made Choi’s eyes water and his legs felt weak. No, he had to stay strong, he’s seen worse than this.

Eyes, teeth, claws, fur, the things that make up a wolf were haphazardly stuck onto this bizarre creature. 

Oh grandma, what bright eyes you have. Oh grandma, what hairy skin you have.

Oh grandma, oh grandma.

Oh grandma, what sharp teeth you have.

A large maw opened around Choi, and the hungry big bad wolf swallowed him whole!

Choi remembers the conversation he had with Bronze on the stairs before they separated. He also tried to get another nostalgia candy inside his mouth as he was being pushed down the dark wet tunnels of whatever digestive system he was in right now.

“We have a golden opportunity here, Bronze. Together those two are way too much for us but now they’re separated.”

“What are you suggesting?”

“Divide and conquer, we’ve already done the former, all we have to do is the latter. Bronze, you deal with the teacher and I deal with the wolf.”

“Oi, holdon, could you at least explain yourself. What makes you think you can handle that thing alone?”

“Well, you remember how the little red riding hood story goes right?”

That’s right, the big bad wolf swallowed the little red riding hood whole, but she didn’t die immediately. And surely, the Disaster based on this story would at least follow that logic right?

In this state, the beast couldn’t actually hurt him aside from the acid that would melt his skin. Thanks to the nostalgic candy and happy maker though it was the safest thing about this beast.

‘Seriously, thanks Grapes.’

Choi rummaged through his pocket amidst the pulsating acidic flesh. And he pulls out a glass marble. 

The beast stood still and the man inside it sighed. He went too far. The guilt was already beginning to settle in. Kim Soleum was going to be upset with him that he lost control of himself and ate his friend. This is what happened when he was in this state for too long.

Well, he’ll throw the agent back up later after a bit of time. That agent was just so annoying and loud and rude…

He sighed again and was just about to retch the agent out of his stomach-

Then, he felt it. Something churning in his stomach. Bubbling shards were covering his body starting with his stomachs.

When the beast tried to throw up, hands grasped his throat and jaw from the inside.

The beast continued to heave and gag, then vomited out a man and a glowing marble with arms that was still gripping his face. A paw shot out to break the glass orb but the claws dug into Choi’s back instead. The agent had immediately covered the marble with his body.

The paw retracted as it too got covered in the shards. Choi backed up a good meter away and watched the beast struggle against the bubbles and hands. Occasionally the furious face of a man peaked through the monster's body. J3 was getting pulled into the glass prison.

Howls and screams slowly faded away as more of the beast’s body was stuffed into the marble. J3 gave Choi one last glare that basically told him that he was never going to forgive him for this. At least, Choi never looked away and accepted it.

“I’ll ask them to give you the best galbitang we have, then I’ll take you guys out to whatever you guys want okay?”

By the time Choi said that. The marble was left rolling on the floor, having successfully captured the contaminated security team member.

The agent swiftly picked it up, and didn’t wait to quickly run towards where Bronze would be.

”Ahhh, I hope the guys at the glass prison won’t be too freaked out…”

—-------

Bronze told Choi he might need 30 minutes at most. 40 minutes if things got really dicey. Bronze wouldn’t have suggested that himself if Choi didn’t make a few good points during their discussion.

First of all, Choi is more suited to fight J3 even though Bronze is more affected by the mental suppressions. It’s much safer this way.

Secondly, Bronze has a stronger mental fortitude than most agents. The kindergarten may be on the upper ends of contamination he has had to deal with but with the happy maker, Bronze was able to endure it.

And thirdly, the theory regarding the rules was convincing enough.

“The glass marble could count as hurting the teacher though…”

“Yep, that’s why you’re the only one that can deal with it. You’re the best at using the bullets and rope!”

‘Idiot…’ Bronze huffed before jumping and rolling to dodge another new batch of pins shot at him.

Teacher Ryu Jaekwan! It’s not safe to move around so much! Stay still, teacher!

“… But teacher, how could moving around not be allowed during an outdoor class? Isn’t physical activity the point of such an activity?”

..!!!

The kindergarten teacher’s face contorted. Yes, maybe running is banned because there’s a risk of children running too far from the group, but surely jumping, climbing and walking should still be allowed right?

Furthermore, Bronze was able to see beyond the kindergarten illusion much better. Thanks to the other aspect of this Disaster that he got to test out. Challenging the rules itself.

“It doesn’t make sense that we’re inside a building during an outdoor class, isn’t that right teacher?” And as if the contamination agreed with him, the kindergarten class around him flickered and faded out of his vision.

‘It’s not completely gone, but I have better footing now at least.’

When Choi suggested all of that to Bronze, he was surprisingly receptive to the idea. Probably because it sounded exactly like something Agent Grapes would suggest.

“Teacher, I’m glad you’re a teacher that is open to other opinions.” Bronze said that sincerely but it sounded like a taunt to the other person he was speaking to. Suddenly even more pins appeared, then pages from the handbook the teacher was holding began to tear off while dripping dark tar like liquid.

Bronze remembered a similar description of handbooks that latched onto the victim’s face and immobilised them in the Hungry Hangman Disaster reports. These ones were probably weaker but still dangerous to get hit with.

Sweat poured from Bronze’s face as he tried to make way to the east side of the large roof they were on. The pins and pages continued to try and stop him from moving any further. He jumped, ducked, rolled and crawled behind vents and pipes to avoid the projectiles. His body was burning from all the movement.

The illusion of the kindergarten class slowed him down. He felt nauseous from the vertigo and motion sickness. The room and cute decals melting and warping every time he tried to reorient himself. And yet, he persists.

If Grapes were in his shoes he’d persist too, Grapes had been through far far worse. Bronze could do this much at the very least.

Finally, Bronze was where he needed to be. In front of him stood the teacher, and now behind the teacher, were vents and metal structures that mimicked a ventilation system. Bronze aimed his finger gun.

Already agitated by Bronze, the kindergarten teacher stepped back and readied more pins and practically yelled into Bronze’s mind.

TEACHER RYU JAEKWAN, DON’T HURT YOUR FELLOW TEACHERS. IT’S AGAINST THE RULES.

Bronze’s head throbbed and felt like it was about to split open. His vision blurred, his body shook when he coughed and blood came out his eyes and mouth. He couldn’t shoot the teacher. His body and mind won’t let him.

Bronze took in a deep breath, ignoring the taste of iron in his throat.

But teacher, I swear I saw something behind you.

Teacher my eyesight hasn’t been very good and I’ve been getting hallucinations but I swear I saw something behind you.

I had to shoot it to protect you and the children.

Teacher, I didn’t mean for the bullet to ricochet from the vents to the back of your throat.

Teacher, please forgive me teacher.

…

A high pitched bloody scream. Dark red liquid spurted everywhere.

Bronze couldn’t waste another second. He needed to suppress the teacher before he could order him to stop the marble from pulling him in. Even though he wanted to grovel and beg for forgiveness from the teacher, he had to grab his binding rope and ran towards the hunched teacher.

While muttering apologies, he tied the rope around the teacher. This one wasn’t as enchanted as the one Park Minseong and J3 broke out of, but with the mental suppression bullet it should keep him down for at least 10 seconds. Which should be just enough time for the glass marble to encase Park Minseong.

Bronze threw his glass marble to the ground. Bubble-like shards began covering the teacher, and the stationary around it. Hands quickly shot out the marble and restrained the teacher even further.

10…

9…

8…

The rope binding was already beginning to fray and tear. The teacher was breathing heavily while the handbook he dropped shook madly. If the teacher broke out of the bindings before the hands could get him inside, Bronze would have to make peace with the life he was able to live so far.

7…

6…

The rifts appeared again, larger this time. Large enough for Bronze to be able to see through them to reveal a children’s ball pit. Bodies and hands began climbing out of it.

OH DEAR OH DEAR OHDEAROHDEAR, A TEACHER GOT HURT, MAY SOMEONE PLEASE COME IN AND TAKE OVER THE OUTDOOR CLASS PLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASE?

5…

4…

3…

Figures all wearing different coloured aprons stiffly approached the rifts. They all began trying to squeeze through them, grasping and crushing each other. Bronze had to close his eyes and cover his ears. He bit his tongue till it bled to make sure he didn’t start untying the kindergarten teacher he hurt, he didn’t mean to hurt him he really didn’t he didn’t meantodidn’tmeantodidn’tmeantodidn’tmeanto-

2…

1…

Quiet.

Bronze slowly opened his eyes.

It was as if the rifts, stationary supplies and kindergarten class were a lie. All that surrounded him was wind and a glass marble in front of him. He very gently picked it up like he didn’t want to interrupt the silence around him.

‘What was that? Did he call for help from the Disaster he was contaminated by? Are all of Daydream’s security team members capable of that?’

Terrifying, he didn’t understand it at all but clearly Daydream was biting off more than they could chew.

Bronze sighed, “Another headache that they will dump onto the bureau eventually…”

…

Bronze felt a bit awkward standing there alone while covered in his own blood. His hands aching to grab a handbook-

“A handbook… That’s oddly specific, weird. Must be the contamination...”

“Bronze!! You got him!!”

Bronze shrugged to himself and immediately shook off the lingering thoughts induced by the mental suppression. He turned to his superior who was climbing up some sort of fire escape attached to the building. Then jumped when he realised how bloody Choi looked.

“M-mmh, are you okay? You still have the nostalgia candy?”

“Ah.. ugh that guy was tough, I had to take the last one that Grapes gave us.” Choi said while waving around another glass marble, confirming J3’s capture.

“It’s fine, it’s better for it to be used than not.”

“Haha, yeah.” Choi laughed before his face shifted to something more serious, “Now, ready to catch our rookie?”

Bronze smiled but then looked as if he just realised something. His expression was conflicted when he said the next few words, “… We can’t, we have to bring you to a hospital.”

“Wha- Bronze?”

“How’s your nostalgia candy?”

“Are you worried about that? I still have plenty left-“

“And what kind of injuries did you sustain?”

“Nothing that could kill me.”

“Are you telling the truth?”

Choi didn’t answer, Bronze sighed, “We need to go back. What are we going to do if we chase after Grapes and the candy is gone while we’re here? You’ll bleed out to death without the hospital.”

Choi wanted to argue but he couldn’t. He was just in the stomach of an eldritch wolf beast. Who knows what state his body was in when the candy wore off. 

He hung his head and clenched his fist. It felt like they won the battle but lost the war with the security team. 

What was the point of fighting those two?

“… Bronze we’re so close…”

“I know.”

“If we leave, what’s going to happen to Grapes?”

“… He’ll be fine.”

Choi whipped his head up to Bronze smiling bittersweetly, “Remember? He’s our rookie. He can get out of here with no problem.”

Choi’s eyes widened, then he looked back down resigned. His mouth opened and closed a few times. Then he said barely above a whisper, “Next time, we’re taking him and we’re not letting go.”

Bronze replied in a firm tone, “We’ll get him back home.”

The two men nodded at each other. With a heavy heart, the two quickly traversed further out of the city to the Disaster’s exit. Looking back occasionally to see if they can catch sight of that black smoke and its figure.

They had guests to interview, they couldn’t waste any more time.

Chapter Text

In a twisted alleyway, amongst jagged roads, my arm reached down to grab a transport carrier on the ground. I had to travel away from the exit again just to at least bring back some equipment. With two personnel lost, this was the only way to make up for it.

I sighed inwardly, I got the item, some sort of space warping mirror that was being promoted in one of the shops, but at what cost? Would the company accept this loss?

Well hopefully they could sort something out and retrieve Park Minseong and J3… Hopefully without hurting Agent Choi and Agent Bronze. I didn’t actually see them get taken but considering they weren’t at the exit of this Darkness waiting for me, that’s the only logical conclusion.

I felt something in my misshapen body tighten when he thought of the two. It was probably my heart somewhere. I still wasn’t sure on how to proceed with the agents.

At least… It seemed like they accepted my current condition now…

[How touching! Ahh but they were still so foolish to go up against those security team members.]

‘Yeah… In that way they’re pretty amazing…

[I know you value bravery, friend. But there’s a fine line between bravery and stupidity!]

‘Hah, I’ll keep that in mind Braun.’

I was a bit unsure what to do myself as I fiddled with the transport carrier. Well maybe I can talk to Kwak Jaekwang about getting Minseong and J3 back. I began walking back towards the exit of the Darkness.

Maybe I can also somehow meet with the agents too while retrieving Park Minseong and J3.