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Locks have gotten better.
What a shame.
It's only been sixty or so years since he was topside for long enough to be bothered by locks, but they've improved in many ways. Unfortunately, one of the ways they have improved is to allow for cards to do work formerly done by doormen.
Shame. A person would have seen him.
But, well. It worked out for him this time. He's been very careful to break in the mundane way - spirits know what sort of spells they have lain over their palace, and he doesn't want to risk getting caught before he has a chance to investigate.
They should be at a signing event for the next four hours.
More than enough time, Baby thinks, to find out if his Songbird is being held captive here.
Jinu has been gone for nearly three days, and Gwi-Ma has been unable to locate him. It is…concerning. Interesting, but concerning. Gwi-Ma believes that Jinu is alive, but Gwi-Ma can't find him - which means they can't be sure their 'master' didn't damage him in such a way that he's gone.
The hunters haven't given any indication that they know where he is - the lead hunter even asked Abby where he was just after he had gone missing, quietly and backstage
Baby hadn't been concerned at first - Jinu was prone to hiding when Gwi-Ma was displeased with him, nursing his wounds on his own until he felt ready to face others again. But this has gone far beyond his normal level of avoidance, and with the Idol Awards so close - Jinu's plan so close it's…concerning.
Not that he had worried. They just needed Jinu for their plan, and without Jinu they were fucked.
That was it.
And he could smell the blood on the little hunter, the stink of burned flesh. If Gwi-Ma couldn't read him- was he dead?
No. Baby would know if he was dead. Gwi-Ma would know if he was dead, certainly. But Baby would know. He had spent centuries with Jinu, he would know.
"Where are you, Songbird?" He murmured, as the elevator opened into the posh living space of the criminally rich. He follows his nose.
The scent of Jinu's blood leads him to one of the Hunters' private rooms, and not, thankfully, to some sort of Honmoon infused torture chamber.
He tracks the blood to the window, through the smell of chemicals makes an attempt to overpower it, and then backtracks carefully to a closed door - before opening it carefully, holding his breath.
Derpy locks eyes with him the moment the door opens, and the breath leaves him in a rush. If the tiger is here, when Jinu is probably not being hurt.
Not that he was worried.
Jinu himself it curled up next to the tiger, one arm thrown over Derpy's shoulders and the other curled to his chest. They're both thick with bandages, and a blanket is almost entirely wrapped around him, but Baby can see that he's not wearing a shirt and the bandages go up over his shoulder and neck. A large water jug with a straw has been left near him.
Cute.
Like he's a pet or something.
Baby hisses through his teeth and pads closer. "Songbird." He keeps his voice soft, gentle, touching his shoulder with careful fingertips.
It takes forever for Jinu to open his eyes, and he's not entirely sure he's seeing him when they do.
"Hey." He trails a finger over the arch of Jinu's cheekbone. "Ready to go?"
Jinu's forehead furrowed. "Sung-Woo?"
"Baby, now. Remember. The plan?" He chides gently.
Jinu sighs deeply, nestling his head into the tiger's shoulder with a little pout. "Don't want the plan."
"Jinu." Baby sighs. "Why did you come here?"
Jinu opens his eyes, gazing up at him thoughtfully. "I didn't. The tiger did."
"The Tiger brought you here?" Baby asks, staring at the creature. He had thought he liked him.
Derpy yawns at him, stretching briefly before curling back around Jinu.
"Why haven't you healed yet?" Baby asks. "Gwi-Ma can't sense you."
Jinu looks pleased, yawning briefly. "Yeah. Healing slow. But can't hear him." His hand against his chest circles briefly. "Haven't been able to."
Which is a lot to process in very few words. Fuck.
"Are they hurting you?" He demands. They have nine hours, and he needs Jinu.
Jinu smiles faintly, nuzzling into Derpy. "No."
Baby bites back a soft curse. He's stayed too long, and he needs Jinu to come with him. "Songbird?"
"Mhm?" Jinu hums, sleepy and relaxed.
"Songbird, we need to go. The others need you."
Jinu sighs again, and at least makes an effort to sit up - but he's clearly still in pain. "I can't walk."
Baby doesn't bother to bite back the curse this time. "Look. I can give you some energy. But it will draw the hunters to us. You have to move."
Jinu stared at him, eyes glazed and unfocused.
Fuck Gwi-Ma - he had to make sure Jinu was under his heel now? Baby hissed through his teeth, pressing his hand to Jinu's chest and pushing energy into the younger demon. It's weird, he's done this before and he's never felt anything like this. Almost like energy flows back to him, but altered. Changed.
Jinu's gaze cleared a little, and the breath he took was deep and shuddering. There's blood at the corner of his mouth, and his hands spasm loosely against his thighs.
"Come on." Baby says. "We need to go."
Jinu's eyes focus on his face, and his lips part as though he is about to say something - and then they roll back into his head and he slumps against the tiger.
Baby curses and teleports away.
*~*
Abby frowns at him. "Where's Jinu? I thought you said you knew where he was."
"He's hurt." Baby bites out, stalking across their apartment and grabbing a drink at random out of the fridge.
It's disgusting, and he looks at the label to discover it's one of Ro's fruity things. "Ugh. I thought you were to keep the health drinks in the other fridge?"
"It's milk tea!" Ro singsongs from the living room.
"Bullshit." He finishes it anyway, and crushes the can between his hands. His insides feel like ants, pin pricks of displeasure and dislike. Pinpricks of…whatever was in Jinu. "Mystery."
His old friend lifts his head, golden eyes finding him. "What happened?"
"I hope you can tell me." He walks to the couch, swinging a leg over his and settling into his lap. "I tried to give Jinu energy. And it worked. Sort of. There was…backwash."
Mystery studies him, hands settling lightly on his hip. "Backwash?"
Baby gives him a look, petulant. But it's rare he encounters something so odd and he wants answers more than he wants to try to explain the feeling.
"Backwash." Mystery agrees, and pulls him down gently to brush his lips with his own.
Baby lets himself relax - the subtle pull of Mystery's energy threading through his own is not a threat, he knows Mystery won't take too much. They have done this before, sharing back and forth - information, healing, energy.
Mystery is someone he trusts.
But the ants in his skin are agitated, and it feels like the energy of them is growing even more now.
"Shh." Mystery hums, breaking the kiss slightly, hands shifting to rest against his back, tangling gently in the oversized sweater. "Relax."
"I think you two just wanted to make out." Abby comments from the chair, flipping through his magazine.
Baby hisses at him, and shifts to rest his forehead against Mystery's collarbone.
He's the smallest, but only just. He and Mystery are rather close in size. He can fit against him, one flesh interlocked with the other, two bodies intertwined.
"If you want to feel it, you may." Mystery offers, and Baby tenses.
But the slow circle of Mystery's hand against his spine makes him be still - empty head, empty thoughts - ants crawling under his skin.
It's Ro who comes, and Ro is more a puzzle than Jinu - they know so little, but Ro offers all that he is with a seemingly lack of care.
"Oh. What is that?" Ro murmurers. "I've never felt anything like that before. Abby?"
"No. Weird." Abby agrees.
Wonderful. Baby wonders what Jinu has done to him, the idiot.
Seven hours until they're meant to preform.
Seven hours until Gwi-Ma does much more than fill them with ants if they don't.
Baby groans, twisting his hands in the overlong sleeves of the sweater Jinu picked out and pressing his face into Mystery's shoulder.
*~*
Demon's don't sleep deeply or well. It's one of the many, inherently toxic downsides of the selling of ones soul to a vicious, evil demon king.
They don't need sleep exactly, but they can sleep. Some even enjoy sleep for as long as the nightmares will give them peace.
The thing is, it has been actual centuries since Baby slept for more than an hour. Usually after a fight, to gather what healing energy he can.
It's unnatural to feel himself slowly rising back to consciousness, drool on his face, a damp patch under on the shoulder of the man snoring gently beneath him.
The light in the apartment has changed.
Baby doesn't move for several minutes, eyes at half mast, warm and warm and relaxed. Abby snores like a chainsaw, and Romance is tucked lightly against his side, a a blanket pulled around himself. Romance looks small and birdlike tucked against Abby like that, Baby's mind offers.
Birdlike. He's seen the sort of damage Ro can do. The thought would be amusing if he wasn't so confused.
Baby sits up slowly, trying to decide if he's sore from the odd position he fell asleep in or if it's just his body making aches known now that he's had a chance to relax. His mind is oddly quiet, no thoughts other than his own chasing him.
The weird feeling of ants burrowing under his skin has abated.
What in the hells happened? Why did they fall asleep?
How did they manage to sleep for so long?
He gets off of Mystery's lap, padding on quiet feet into the kitchen to check the clock.
It's midnight. They've missed the awards.
How did they sleep through that? How are they topside after missing the awards? Gwi-Ma must be furious with them. The punishment that awaits them will be terrible. He expects to hear whispers of it at any moment, but the apartment is quiet outside of the snores of his companions - still asleep.
Baby checks the drink this time - one of his, a fruity fizzy thing that has no weird powders in it.
He feels like he needs something stronger than soda.
What has Jinu done?