Fic: The Heist (Part II)
Sep. 22nd, 2015 07:43 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
boxxsaltzTitle: The Heist
Author: Boxxsaltz
Pairing: Yoona/Yuri
Rating: R
Summary: There was no job and no money worth the kind of brokenness Yoona endured ever again…except maybe this once.
Part II
A hand brushed back stray wisps of hair.
Yoona brought up her eyes to meet another pair right in front of her. Their stare was intense but calming. Yoona shook with nerves, sweat dampening the back of her neck.
“Relax,” said her father.
The arm on his timer was winding down and winding down fast. The safe in front of them remained uncracked. She didn’t have the luxury of stressing herself out to the point of carelessness.
“I can’t do it.”
His hand was rough but soothing against her cheek. It was such contrast to the seriousness in his calm voice. “Do it. Do it now.”
“Yoong?”
She gasped.
Like a vacuum, she was sucked from the landscape of her dream into a hospital room. Delicate fingers were on her forehead, stroking back through her hair and she sat up to see Seohyun staring worriedly down at her.
“Are you okay?”
She took in a few long breaths to calm her racing heart. Her mouth was dry and her chest ached. Dreaming about the night of her father’s death always resulted in a rude awakening. She never let Seohyun see her this way and she wouldn’t now. She fought against the rush of emotions and pushed on a smile.
“Yeah. Wow, you’re up.”
Seohyun’s eyebrows stayed pulled with concern, but she didn’t press for more. “I woke a few hours ago. I didn’t want to wake you.”
“You should’ve.”
“Have you been here all night?”
Yoona leaned back, stretching out her muscles. She was stiff. “Did you think I’d leave you here alone?”
“You didn’t have to.”
“I’d wait an eternity by your side.”
Seohyun rolled her eyes, but she couldn’t hide the way her face glowed pink. Yoona’s smile was genuine this time. She never grew tired of making Seohyun blush for her.
“Are you hungry? I’ll get the nurse.”
Bland hospital food was brought in by the hands of a nurse who check machines and tubes once more before leaving them to be. Yoona snatched Seohyun’s pudding (she never liked sweets anyway), and ate it while watching a muted game show on the room tv to distract herself from the fact the doctor’s were,
“Still waiting for test results.”
And that,
“There’s a possibility she can be released today.”
Yoona reasoned that they weren’t the only ones in the hospital and not the only ones just as anxious as her. She’d just have to deal with being a random number on the waiting list
“Will you bring me some clothes? I don’t want to leave in a gown.”
“But it looks so good on you.”
“Everyone will see my butt.”
“So?” Yoona wiggled her eyebrows.
Seohyun swatted her arm.
Laughing, Yoona stood and moved the tray and table away. “Scoot over?”
Seohyun slid over as much as she could and Yoona maneuvered around equipment to climb into the bed. She curved her body around Seohyun’s, head resting just below her chin. It was uncomfortable but the closeness eased Yoona’s nerves. Being able to hear her heartbeat right against her ear eased the fear that the end was nearing. She wouldn’t believe that.
The thoughts alone brought back the hazy reminder of her dream.
“Hey, Yoong?”
“Yeah?”
“I dream about it, too.”
Yoona went rigid. Face hidden in Seohyun’s chest, an arm curved around her shoulder as her body gave a shake. A soft press of the lips touched the top of her head and she closed her eyes, refusing to let tears fall.
-/-/-/-
Test results were always nerve-wracking regardless if Yoona knew these things would happen. She held Seohyun’s hand through the doctor’s entire report, nodding and asking questions and jotting the important bits down on a notepad.
They left the office with hope, but the worsening state of Seohyun’s condition could be seen in the new weights sagging down her shoulders. It took everything in Yoona to hold her cool, to keep her head up and to push on smiles and press a gentle hand to Seohyun’s shoulder when all she wanted to do was break down. This was not just happening to her best friend, it was happening to her family. It was happening to the both of them.
She waited with her feet folded in the chair as Seohyun changed into a new set of clothes. It was a white sundress - Seohyun’s favorite. She thought it may help lift her friend’s mood some but she only half smiled and eyed the new set of equipment they issued her.
Oxygen machine. They knew this day would come, but Seohyun’s acceptance of the reality was slower than her own. Not that Yoona wanted to accept it, but she knew how living in the realm of hope and denial, and she knew just how harshly reality broke you to shards when it came in swinging like a bat against the spine.
“Ready?”
Seohyun nodded, picking up her bag.
“Hey.” Yoona stopped her before he could reach the door. “We’ll find a donor.”
Seohyun shook her head, voice low and shaky. “It’s not the donor. It’s the operation.”
Yoona ducked her head so Seohyun had to meet her eyes. “We’ll find a way to pay for it, okay? I’m going to take care of you. I promised I would.”
“You promise too much.”
“I’d promise you the moon and it would never be too much.”
Seohyun’s lashes fluttered back the tears she’d been holding onto.
Thumbing a stray one off her cheek, Yoona took her hand. “Let’s go home.”
-/-/-/-
Medicine taken and food in her stomach, Yoona rushed Seohyun off to bed early.
“Doctor’s order,” she’d reasoned. Seohyun never argued with doctors.
She made sure her oxygen was set up correctly with all tubes in the right place before kissing her cheek goodnight and slipping from the room with the door shut tight.
Seohyun would sleep until seven the next morning. That gave her enough time to be in and out and back with an hour to spare to chop fruit for breakfast then get some sleep of her own. For now she-
Her phone buzzed. The private number was enough for her to know who it was.
Grabbing her coat, she slipped out of the house and hurried out into the cold night. A few paces away was a dark car parked on the curb. She yanked the handle and dropped into the backseat beside another figure cloaked in black.
“Miss Im.”
“Miss Hwang.”
“Miss Choi,” mocked the driver. Yoona recognized her as the gunmen when she turned around with a broad smile. “Hi, I’m Sooyoung.”
“You make a great first impression.” She had to hide those bruises on her arm from Seohyun beneath long sleeves.
Sooyoung’s smile was apologetic as she pulled off the curb and veered into the street.
“This is for you.”
A duffel like the one she’d been given the first time dropped into her lap.
“Shouldn’t you wait until after you know I’m really on your side? I could take the money and run.”
“Usually, but I thought this would ease your suspicion. We’re serious about this job and we’re serious about you. You don’t need to snoop around if you have questions. You could ask me directly.”
"I’m more the lone wolf type. I can figure out things on my own.”
“Did you?” Tiffany’s eyebrow quirked.
She did a small amount research to find out that Stephanie Young pulled up a face much like Tiffany’s with a history attached to law offices and legal matters within Y&K. Other than that, her record was clean and the name Tiffany Hwang kept taking her to some famous singer that was definitely not her.
The dirt and the facts she wanted were uncoverable with her lack of expertise. Seohyun’s father was good at those things. He was the one who taught Yoona how to hide her name, herself, and an entire family if need be.
“Not enough. Not yet,” she said, eyeing the woman beside her.
“Reassurance, Miss Im. Reassurance.” Tiffany tapped the duffel as the car made a quick turn and slowed down. “I hope you don’t mind us taking a small pitstop.”
Shaking her head, Yoona squinted through the tinted windows, confused by the sight of neon yellow and red lights.
“Welcome to McDonald’s, how may I help you?” chimed a voice through the intercom. Sooyoung began rattling off orders right after.
Yoona turned to Tiffany, incredulous.
“Order now or forever hold your peace.”
-/-/-/-
They ended up on the edge of the city limits in the remains of an old warehouse district. Yoona stepped out, sipping the last of her sweet tea. Her shoes crunched against gravel as she followed Sooyoung and Tiffany through an abandoned building full of broken car parts and holey plastic thrown over mechanical projects left unfinished.
At a wall on the far side, Tiffany jammed a prong like key into what looked like nothing more than an electrical socket. Giving it a twist, she pushed upwards so the panel rolled like a garage door allowing them to step through.
It was one large room with makeshift walls to create cubicles in the center. At one sat a girl with short, blonde hair, head bobbing up and down to whatever tune was playing through her headphones as her fingers worked fast on dual keyboards in front of large, flat screens.
Wires spiraled from ceiling beams and snaked down walls and attached to a spread of equipment that blinked and glittered in their dormant settings. In one corner sat an entire entertainment center with couches, chairs, TV, and a small camping style kitchen amped up for continual and more practical use.
The place was very unlike the gutted and revamped video store her dad worked out of. What they had done was easily put to shame by the numerous amount of government issued gadgets and pricey set up that one would only imagine to exist in movies.
Yoona blinked in awe. If Tiffany wanted to give her reassurance, this was it.
With a tilt of the head, Tiffany motioned back to the girl listening to music. “That’s Sunny. She’s our tech.”
“And the greatest hacker you will ever meet.” She smiled. “Welcome to the cube.”
Yoona returned her greeting with a bow as Sooyoung handed Sunny a bag of food. She stuffed a fry into her mouth and went back to work while chewing.
“Don’t touch her equipment unless you ask or you know how to use it,” Tiffany warned.
Yoona’s heeded her warning. She didn’t even trust herself enough to touch that stuff. Her father was simple and old school. She knew he’d be like a kid in a candy store had he been able to see what was in the warehouse. She smiled at the thought.
Rounding the last of the cubicles, they came to a long table set up in front of a giant projector screen. At the head sat a woman with blonde hair lighter than her own, fringe just touching her lashes. She stood once they approached, hand held out.
“This is Kim Taeyeon.”
“Y&K - Young and Kim,” said Yoona, shaking her hand. Her grip was firm and Yoona tightened her own to match it.
“You’re right.”
“And you’re my real boss.”
She gave off the same attentive and calculating vibe as Tiffany, but where the former felt stiff and no-nonsense, Taeyeon had a comfortable nonchalance that showed in the way she cooly slinked back into her chair and gestured with a loose hand for Yoona to do as well.
“Have a seat.”
She sat next to Tiffany as Sunny left her post to join them with a laptop cracked open in front of her. When Yoona looked around, she didn’t find Sooyoung. Only the remains of her crumpled bag of food left on a table in a cubicle full of dismantled gun parts.
“I was happy to hear from Tiffany that you decided to join us.”
Yoona shrugged. “I have my reasons.”
“Your reasons are our reasons. Even if you’re only with us for a short time, welcome to the team.”
“You’re welcome.” Tiffany side-eyed her at the same time Sunny glanced up over her laptop screen. Immediately Yoona tagged on, “And thank you.”
Taeyeon nodded, a slight smile on her lips. She went on, “I’m telling you upfront that this heist doesn’t involve money or jewels. What we’re going after is much more delicate.”
“Like what? Fossils?”
Sunny snorted. “Weapons, smartass.”
“Biological weapons,” Tiffany clarified. With the flick of her remote, the projector screen sprang to life.
“In the new age of warfare, guns and bombs are quickly going out of style,” started Taeyeon. “The use of biological weapons has gone up forty percent in the last fifty years. With rapid technological advances that hit in the eighties, and an epic boom in the new millennium, more and more of these bioweapons have begun to incorporate neo-tech.”
“Like nanobots,” Sunny chimed.
Taeyeon nodded as Tiffany expounded, “The stuff they’re dealing with nowadays is any sci-fi techno geeks ultimate wet dream. And that is exactly the kind of stuff we’ll be dealing with. I take it you’re familiar with Ionic Corporation?”
Yoona’s eyes shifted up to the projector screen that showed the large Ionic Building of Science. She knew of the place from when she was younger and her dad took her and Seohyun both to the science museum run and funded by the corporation. Inside was an entire exhibit on the new things that were being discovered and produced at Ion.
Yoona remembered watching the big, Imax screen inside as the narrator droned on about things she learned in school. She gave it half her attention but Seohyun was so drawn in that she couldn’t stop talking about the place for days.
“What about them?”
“Ionic Corporations has been working for years in the bioweapons business linked with, countries all over the globe.” Clicking a button on the remote, Tiffany changed the screen to a map with lines branching from Korea to various other locations. “You might be familiar with a Hong Kong flu or even Swine flu. These came about as small trials to test the effectiveness of their creations before modifying them into even deadlier, weaponized, forms.”
“However,” stepped in Taeyeon, “their ways were beginning to be seen as primitive, outdated, to a lot of investors. To help them on a more progressive path, they sought the help of Zero1 Technology. Their partnership was unstable and Z1 never fully lent their help or support until just a little over a year ago. It was in this time that both corporations were commissioned for a new form of weapon by-”
“-The Lotus Group.” Tiffany changed the slide to show a group of people standing with refugees in a place Yoona couldn’t name. “They’re a Chinese based branch of military. On the outside, they appear as a sort of missionary program. They go to countries claiming to help but...well you get the picture.”
Yoona held up a hand, pausing the brief. “Big corporations are killing people with their caveman ways, people died, bad, bad. What does this have to do with me?”
Tiffany pursed her lips. “We want those weapons, obviously. To sell.”
“Who would buy?”
Sunny laughed. “Who wouldn’t? But who do you think has their head stuck far enough up their ass that they think they’re entitled to everything?”
“My boss?” Yoona deadpanned.
Tiffany didn’t give her joke a second to sit as she continued, “The United States Secret Military Organization, or if you want the short version, the USSMO. They’ve heard wind of the project - rumors from what they think - but we know there’s truth in those rumors and we know they’d be willing to pay more than what they waste on their military boys to blow up cities overseas for them.”
Yoona cut her eyes away from the new slide on the screen to look at Taeyeon. “How do you know?”
“Soo’s been on it. Arms Dealing is her game and she knows all the names.”
“Including names that also want to get their hands dirty for the Americans,” added Sunny.
“But we’re going to get there first.”
“So what do I do?”
Another slide brought up the face of a woman in a business suit. She had deep, black hair pulled back into a neat, high ponytail. It was an airport picture. Yoona could see her bodyguard blurred out of focus in the background, ushering away the nosy press.
She was pretty. Without a smile and sunglasses covering her eyes, she looked cold and unapproachable. But Yoona had been with enough business professionals to know there was always an Achilles heel. There was always something that made them turn to putty right in her hands.
“Who’s is she?”
“Ion Corps new face and the CEO’s daughter, Kwon Yuri. The Kwons keep everything in the family even if one of the leaves of the tree is a little unorthodox.”
Yoona cocked an eyebrow.
“The pride is strong with this one.” Sunny smirked.
“And Senior Kwon doesn’t like that but it’s also his link to Z1. All because of her. Jessica Jung, Chairman of Z1.”
Yoona’s eyebrows shot up at the blonde woman on the screen. Slender, all business, chic, and a million dollar smile flashed to whoever was paying attention. By the looks of it, everyone had their eyes on Jessica, and who wouldn’t?
Tiffany placed the remote down on the table. “She’s why Z1 never fully committed to helping Ion. Past issues caused a bit of strain between the two families. The Jung's and the Kwon's have been big names for years, at one point in competition with each other, but Jung suddenly took interest and made a signed partnership the moment Yuri was appointed to President.”
“She has good taste,” muttered Sunny.
Tiffany cut her a look that didn’t go unnoticed. She cleared her throat. “We don’t know exactly what Jung is up to, but we know she wants up Kwon’s skirt. That’s where we need you.”
“You want me to get close to Kwon? A woman?”
"Yes.”
"What makes you think I'd be up for that?"
"You slept with me four months ago. Red hair. Momsen makeup. You can call it a test run."
"Or a free ride,” Sunny slipped in.
Yoona narrowed her eyes. She knew those pearly whites looked familiar. "You bite.”
"We know,” said Sunny and Taeyeon both.
Tiffany winked in Yoona’s direction. She wasn’t too sure what to make of that, but her mind started creating racy mental images.
“Like we were saying,” Taeyeon went on, “Kwon won’t suspect a thing. She’s a baby - naive - and that’s what makes her an easier target than Jung. The only reason she was brought on was because her brother is a drunk.”
“And a pedophile," Sunny tacked on.
“Senior Kwon has been working tirelessly to clear up his son’s name and his own," said Tiffany. "The entire ordeal brought their family and their motives into question.”
Taeyeon rested folded hands against the table. “Yuri’s clean record makes her the perfect face, but that’s all she is. If she knows that or not, it doesn’t matter. All we need is for you to get close to her, which in turn will help us get as much information on what’s going on behind those walls as we can.”
Yoona waved a hand in Sunny’s Direction. “You have a hacker. Why not get it that way?”
“They got all new security,” Sunny informed. “It was a present from Sicaboo to her Yurirresistible crush. I’ve been working for months trying to crack their coding but I’ve only managed to get bits and pieces and I have to decode that. It’s tiring.”
“And taking too long,” said Tiffany, leaning back in her chair. “Not to mention they've upped their security since taking on this project. If this information gets out, it could change everything on a global scale. We have to be delicate and we have to be precise."
“Also patient," added Taeyeon. "The project isn’t supposed to be completed for another four months, but we'll begin as soon as possible. With situations like this, being in now can help us cover bases and give us an advantage we wouldn't normally have waiting until d-day. We’ll be able to know our targets personally and intimately. The more we have their trust, the less likely they’ll suspect anything shady happening under their nose."
Yoona's brow creased. “I have to keep it up for four months?”
She thought of how long much time that would take her away from Seohyun, how much secrecy she would have to create in order to keep it from her. This was the very thing that made Yoona hesitant from the beginning. Because nothing no longer just involved her. Seohyun was attached in every piece and every move.
Taeyeon shook her head. “No. Once we have everything we need to know-"
“-You can cut that bitch off.” Sunny snapped her fingers in a scissors motion.
“Then you can await your pay in the silent safety of your home until the operation is complete.” Tiffany clicked off the projector, plunging them back into the ambient glow of lights coming from various lamps and can lights strewn throughout the room.
“You’re a vital part to this assignment, Yoona,” said Taeyeon, coolly. She looked straight at her with a focus that made Yoona feel as if she was seeing through her. “When the time comes, you will be leading us in getting those weapons out of there. We’re not here to waste your time. If we could do it alone, we would, but we know we’ll be actually successful having you with us.”
Her eyes shifted away from the serious draw on Taeyeon’s face only to find the same expression echoed on Tiffany and Sunny. The pressure of Taeyeon’s words created a familiar panic in her chest. It was the same thing her father said to her, in his own way. They were words he told her later he regretted because he drew her into his world of schemes, lies, and crime. But she made the choice to stay with him. He was her father, and doing the task together with him was better than sitting at home ignorant of the danger he faced.
Looking at their faces, Yoona knew it was the togetherness Taeyeon forged with these girls that kept them running - kept them strong. It was the same for Yoona, and once it was snatched from beneath her, she abandoned it. Until now. Until the invitation was extended to her. And like the way her father had done, she wasn’t accepting for the benefit of her, but for the other life she could save.
“That’s it then?” asked Yoona, swallowing down the lump trying to swell in her throat.
Taeyeon nodded. “That’s everything.”
“Okay.” She got up.
Tiffany stopped her. “Where are you going?”
“I still have a job,” she lied.
She just wanted to get back home to Seohyun and to let everything she was told sink in. If she has to be honest with herself, it made her nervous.
“There’s no need to worry about that,” said Tiffany. “It’s taken care of. You’ve already requested the night off. Hyuna is covering your shift.”
“And don’t worry about your friend,” said Sunny, tapping keys on her laptop. The mention of Seohyun in he mouth made Yoona’s jaw tighten. “You sent her a reminder at six thirty the next morning to take her medication. Fruit is...now in the fridge. Sooyoung says everything is safe and sound. She even double checked the front door.”
Yoona shuddered under Sunny’s prideful little grin. This girl was as intrusive and unnaturally brainy as they came.
“You know how creepy all of you sound, right?”
Sunny laughed and shut her screen. “You’re one of us now, Bambi.”
She gagged at the pet name. “So, what now?”
Taeyeon turned to Tiffany. She gave one order.
“Blindfold her.”
-/-/-/-
The car rumbled against the pavement beneath them a soothing and unsettling sound within the silence. Yoona had no idea who was in the vehicle with her. All she knew was that Tiffany covered her eyes and led her out of the warehouse where another set of hands grabbed her and escorted her into a car. No one spoke once the blindfold was put over her eyes and no one dared to speak now.
A reminder her father once said chimed in her head.
"Always know your enemies, but always know more about your friends."
She considered this group neither, which lent itself to the fact she didn't know them. At all. They'd gained enough of her trust for her not to panic in the moment but there was still so much undiscovered that her instincts were thinking up every way to get away at the first sign of betrayal.
If she could get away, that is.
The car slowed and soon came to a stop. Engine simmered down and doors creaked open. A hand grabbed onto her and led her by the elbow across the hard ground. Yoona took in a breath. They were still in the city. She could taste the polluted air mixed with the brisk scent of coming winter and the toxic burn of exhaust fumes.
The cold air surrounding her gave way to the stuffiness of what felt like a tunnel. But tunnels didn't have stairs. She was made to take them, flights and flights and flights until the muscles in her legs began to strain and she panted up the last few until there were no more.
Metal creaked and the coolness of the night returned. The sound around her was low but still buzzing with faint noises of life. The air was a little thinner but no less tainted.
She licked her lips, heart racing behind her ribs. She knew where she was. She never did like heights.
The cloth came off and she fluttered her lashes, willing her eyes to adjust to the darkness surrounding. When she could finally focus, she sucked in a nervous breath.
As she guessed, they stood on a rooftop overlooking city lights competing with candle light glow in skyscrapers windows. On the ledge stood Tiffany, Sunny, and Sooyoung with their backs to her. One step forward and they would plummet to their death.
"You're worried about them." Taeyeon’s voice was low and calm but the suddenness of it behind her made her jump.
She went to turn around but a firm hand on her shoulder kept her in place. Once she stilled, Taeyeon spoke again.
"You hardly know us, but your heart started racing when you saw them. That's compassionate instinct. Most, not all, have that. What I need from you is more than that. These girls are not just hires, they're my sisters. They're my Seo Juhyun's and I am putting not only mine but their lives, into your hands.”
Yoona stared at the backs of the others. She couldn't deny her fear for them, but it was nothing in comparison to hearing Taeyeon mention Seohyun. Like when Sunny had, her jaw clenched and her mind raced.
What if she failed? What if she couldn’t pull it off? What if she wasn’t the one Taeyeon needed? What if she met the same fate as their fathers and she would leave Seohyun in the state both of them had tried for so long never to reach. Being alone.
Breath blew against the side of her face and she shivered as Taeyeon whispered into her ear.
“I know what this job means to you. From your past, I know how much family means to you. But I need to know, right now, that you are willing to go to the ends not only for yourself but for all of us. From this moment on, this is not only about helping your friend. You are helping us all, helping yourself, and like the rest of us you will feel the weight and bear it the same. If that is something you can't handle, if your own selfish needs cannot be put aside to accommodate us all, then you turn around and you leave."
Yoona thought about the things Taeyeon was saying. She was laying out the truth of what this job really meant, what it really entailed. It wasn’t about money, or tricks, or false identities, or weapons. It was about trust. It was about family and Taeyeon was giving her an out - giving her a chance - to save herself from being tied to something that had caused her past grief all over again.
“I don’t want to lose everything again,” she muttered into the night.
“I don’t either.”
Yoona’s fist balled at her side. She didn’t know anything about Taeyeon, but she knew there was truth and understanding in her voice. That was enough for her.
"I can bear it."
Taeyeon stepped away from her leaving her to stand alone in the cold. Only a single command dropped from her mouth touched her,
"Show me."
Tiffany's movements were quick. She barely had to do anything to shove Sooyoung over the edge.
Yoona gasped, horrified at the sound of Sooyoung's shrill scream as she plummeted. She whipped around on Taeyeon only to get the barrel of a gun stabbed into her stomach.
"You have forty seconds to save her."
Yoona gapped. "What?"
Taeyeon was chillingly calm. "Thirty-five seconds, Im. You said you could bear it."
"I'm a thief, not a secret agent!”
"Thirty seconds, Im!” she snapped. Yoona started. “You let my girl die-" the gun cocked, "-you die."
"Any day now, Bambi," Sunny called.
The gun snapped up to rest right above her heart. All softness in Taeyeon’s face and voice were gone, turned frigid.
"Go."
Yoona gritted her teeth.
They were crazy as hell. But so was she.
Pivoting, Yoona ran for the edge.
And she jumped.
Air rushed passed her ears in a deafening sound. It stung her eyes and cat at her face. Just below she saw Sooyoung, arms and legs spread out and face full of horror as she free fell towards the traffic below.
Yoona's heart hammered. She was going to die. They were both going to die.
She pushed the thought from her head and straightened herself out. She couldn't die. For Seohyun - for herself - she couldn't.
Arms at her side, she shot forward like an arrow.
"Yoona!" Sooyoung hollered.
"Come on, come on, come on!"
She willed herself faster, head tilting down so she was as aerodynamic as a bullet.
"Yoona!"
Sooyoung's voice was close. Yoona opened her eyes. She was close but the pavement was getting frighteningly closer.
"Goddammit, pipsqueak, if I hit this damn street!"
"Shut up, I'm trying!"
"Try harder!"
"Give me your hand!"
Arms reached out and Yoona groped. She caught air the first try. Their fingertips just brushed on the second. She made the mistake of looking past Sooyoung again. Car lights were no longer blurs but focused shapes.
"Oh, come on!"
Yoona snapped back into attention. She thrust her arm forward, fingers stretched to their furthest to-
Her palm smacked into flesh and she gripped. A lanky arm swung up to make a secure hold around her neck and legs locked themselves around her own.
"Brace yourself," Sooyoung whispered.
"What?"
Whiplash stung her neck as she went ricocheting upwards by a grip around her waist. The traffic only meters from them grew smaller and smaller until it was nothing but pretty twinkles at the bottom of a skyscraper yet again.
The hold on her let go and she tumbled onto the cement rooftop winded, sore, and buzzing with adrenaline.
"Nice job, Im."
She looked up through wind-tossed hair to see Taeyeon grinning. Beside her Tiffany took off a helmet and dropped the harness of her bungee cord to the ground.
Yoona heaved a sigh of relief. Planned. It was all fucking planned.
"She almost killed me, Taeng," hissed Sooyoung while fixing her cropped, bronze hair.
"I almost thought she wouldn't jump," muttered Sunny hopping down from where she sat on the ledge. She threw Yoona a thumbs up.
"Another second later and I'd be pavement. And you!" Sooyoung whipped around on Tiffany who didn't even flinch. "Did you have to push so hard?"
"It's not my fault you weigh nothing."
"I'm doing the shoving next time. See how you like it."
"The bungee would snap you in half from the weight."
"Yeah? Say that to my face you orange valley!”
"You passed. Here." Taeyeon sat a water bottle down by where Yoona remained on the ground and handed her two painkillers. "You're free to go."
She was still too shaken and winded to elaborate from her breathy, "Thanks."
Popping the pills into her mouth, they ended up right back out and in the dirt when vodka rushed into her mouth instead of water.
Sunny’s laugh was loudest of them all as the begun to poke fun at her.
Yoona flipped them off and scrambled to get those pills and swallowed them dry.
She still didn't know what to make of this group, but she figured they were just alright.
Part III
-
Author: Boxxsaltz
Pairing: Yoona/Yuri
Rating: R
Summary: There was no job and no money worth the kind of brokenness Yoona endured ever again…except maybe this once.
Part II
A hand brushed back stray wisps of hair.
Yoona brought up her eyes to meet another pair right in front of her. Their stare was intense but calming. Yoona shook with nerves, sweat dampening the back of her neck.
“Relax,” said her father.
The arm on his timer was winding down and winding down fast. The safe in front of them remained uncracked. She didn’t have the luxury of stressing herself out to the point of carelessness.
“I can’t do it.”
His hand was rough but soothing against her cheek. It was such contrast to the seriousness in his calm voice. “Do it. Do it now.”
“Yoong?”
She gasped.
Like a vacuum, she was sucked from the landscape of her dream into a hospital room. Delicate fingers were on her forehead, stroking back through her hair and she sat up to see Seohyun staring worriedly down at her.
“Are you okay?”
She took in a few long breaths to calm her racing heart. Her mouth was dry and her chest ached. Dreaming about the night of her father’s death always resulted in a rude awakening. She never let Seohyun see her this way and she wouldn’t now. She fought against the rush of emotions and pushed on a smile.
“Yeah. Wow, you’re up.”
Seohyun’s eyebrows stayed pulled with concern, but she didn’t press for more. “I woke a few hours ago. I didn’t want to wake you.”
“You should’ve.”
“Have you been here all night?”
Yoona leaned back, stretching out her muscles. She was stiff. “Did you think I’d leave you here alone?”
“You didn’t have to.”
“I’d wait an eternity by your side.”
Seohyun rolled her eyes, but she couldn’t hide the way her face glowed pink. Yoona’s smile was genuine this time. She never grew tired of making Seohyun blush for her.
“Are you hungry? I’ll get the nurse.”
Bland hospital food was brought in by the hands of a nurse who check machines and tubes once more before leaving them to be. Yoona snatched Seohyun’s pudding (she never liked sweets anyway), and ate it while watching a muted game show on the room tv to distract herself from the fact the doctor’s were,
“Still waiting for test results.”
And that,
“There’s a possibility she can be released today.”
Yoona reasoned that they weren’t the only ones in the hospital and not the only ones just as anxious as her. She’d just have to deal with being a random number on the waiting list
“Will you bring me some clothes? I don’t want to leave in a gown.”
“But it looks so good on you.”
“Everyone will see my butt.”
“So?” Yoona wiggled her eyebrows.
Seohyun swatted her arm.
Laughing, Yoona stood and moved the tray and table away. “Scoot over?”
Seohyun slid over as much as she could and Yoona maneuvered around equipment to climb into the bed. She curved her body around Seohyun’s, head resting just below her chin. It was uncomfortable but the closeness eased Yoona’s nerves. Being able to hear her heartbeat right against her ear eased the fear that the end was nearing. She wouldn’t believe that.
The thoughts alone brought back the hazy reminder of her dream.
“Hey, Yoong?”
“Yeah?”
“I dream about it, too.”
Yoona went rigid. Face hidden in Seohyun’s chest, an arm curved around her shoulder as her body gave a shake. A soft press of the lips touched the top of her head and she closed her eyes, refusing to let tears fall.
-/-/-/-
Test results were always nerve-wracking regardless if Yoona knew these things would happen. She held Seohyun’s hand through the doctor’s entire report, nodding and asking questions and jotting the important bits down on a notepad.
They left the office with hope, but the worsening state of Seohyun’s condition could be seen in the new weights sagging down her shoulders. It took everything in Yoona to hold her cool, to keep her head up and to push on smiles and press a gentle hand to Seohyun’s shoulder when all she wanted to do was break down. This was not just happening to her best friend, it was happening to her family. It was happening to the both of them.
She waited with her feet folded in the chair as Seohyun changed into a new set of clothes. It was a white sundress - Seohyun’s favorite. She thought it may help lift her friend’s mood some but she only half smiled and eyed the new set of equipment they issued her.
Oxygen machine. They knew this day would come, but Seohyun’s acceptance of the reality was slower than her own. Not that Yoona wanted to accept it, but she knew how living in the realm of hope and denial, and she knew just how harshly reality broke you to shards when it came in swinging like a bat against the spine.
“Ready?”
Seohyun nodded, picking up her bag.
“Hey.” Yoona stopped her before he could reach the door. “We’ll find a donor.”
Seohyun shook her head, voice low and shaky. “It’s not the donor. It’s the operation.”
Yoona ducked her head so Seohyun had to meet her eyes. “We’ll find a way to pay for it, okay? I’m going to take care of you. I promised I would.”
“You promise too much.”
“I’d promise you the moon and it would never be too much.”
Seohyun’s lashes fluttered back the tears she’d been holding onto.
Thumbing a stray one off her cheek, Yoona took her hand. “Let’s go home.”
-/-/-/-
Medicine taken and food in her stomach, Yoona rushed Seohyun off to bed early.
“Doctor’s order,” she’d reasoned. Seohyun never argued with doctors.
She made sure her oxygen was set up correctly with all tubes in the right place before kissing her cheek goodnight and slipping from the room with the door shut tight.
Seohyun would sleep until seven the next morning. That gave her enough time to be in and out and back with an hour to spare to chop fruit for breakfast then get some sleep of her own. For now she-
Her phone buzzed. The private number was enough for her to know who it was.
Grabbing her coat, she slipped out of the house and hurried out into the cold night. A few paces away was a dark car parked on the curb. She yanked the handle and dropped into the backseat beside another figure cloaked in black.
“Miss Im.”
“Miss Hwang.”
“Miss Choi,” mocked the driver. Yoona recognized her as the gunmen when she turned around with a broad smile. “Hi, I’m Sooyoung.”
“You make a great first impression.” She had to hide those bruises on her arm from Seohyun beneath long sleeves.
Sooyoung’s smile was apologetic as she pulled off the curb and veered into the street.
“This is for you.”
A duffel like the one she’d been given the first time dropped into her lap.
“Shouldn’t you wait until after you know I’m really on your side? I could take the money and run.”
“Usually, but I thought this would ease your suspicion. We’re serious about this job and we’re serious about you. You don’t need to snoop around if you have questions. You could ask me directly.”
"I’m more the lone wolf type. I can figure out things on my own.”
“Did you?” Tiffany’s eyebrow quirked.
She did a small amount research to find out that Stephanie Young pulled up a face much like Tiffany’s with a history attached to law offices and legal matters within Y&K. Other than that, her record was clean and the name Tiffany Hwang kept taking her to some famous singer that was definitely not her.
The dirt and the facts she wanted were uncoverable with her lack of expertise. Seohyun’s father was good at those things. He was the one who taught Yoona how to hide her name, herself, and an entire family if need be.
“Not enough. Not yet,” she said, eyeing the woman beside her.
“Reassurance, Miss Im. Reassurance.” Tiffany tapped the duffel as the car made a quick turn and slowed down. “I hope you don’t mind us taking a small pitstop.”
Shaking her head, Yoona squinted through the tinted windows, confused by the sight of neon yellow and red lights.
“Welcome to McDonald’s, how may I help you?” chimed a voice through the intercom. Sooyoung began rattling off orders right after.
Yoona turned to Tiffany, incredulous.
“Order now or forever hold your peace.”
-/-/-/-
They ended up on the edge of the city limits in the remains of an old warehouse district. Yoona stepped out, sipping the last of her sweet tea. Her shoes crunched against gravel as she followed Sooyoung and Tiffany through an abandoned building full of broken car parts and holey plastic thrown over mechanical projects left unfinished.
At a wall on the far side, Tiffany jammed a prong like key into what looked like nothing more than an electrical socket. Giving it a twist, she pushed upwards so the panel rolled like a garage door allowing them to step through.
It was one large room with makeshift walls to create cubicles in the center. At one sat a girl with short, blonde hair, head bobbing up and down to whatever tune was playing through her headphones as her fingers worked fast on dual keyboards in front of large, flat screens.
Wires spiraled from ceiling beams and snaked down walls and attached to a spread of equipment that blinked and glittered in their dormant settings. In one corner sat an entire entertainment center with couches, chairs, TV, and a small camping style kitchen amped up for continual and more practical use.
The place was very unlike the gutted and revamped video store her dad worked out of. What they had done was easily put to shame by the numerous amount of government issued gadgets and pricey set up that one would only imagine to exist in movies.
Yoona blinked in awe. If Tiffany wanted to give her reassurance, this was it.
With a tilt of the head, Tiffany motioned back to the girl listening to music. “That’s Sunny. She’s our tech.”
“And the greatest hacker you will ever meet.” She smiled. “Welcome to the cube.”
Yoona returned her greeting with a bow as Sooyoung handed Sunny a bag of food. She stuffed a fry into her mouth and went back to work while chewing.
“Don’t touch her equipment unless you ask or you know how to use it,” Tiffany warned.
Yoona’s heeded her warning. She didn’t even trust herself enough to touch that stuff. Her father was simple and old school. She knew he’d be like a kid in a candy store had he been able to see what was in the warehouse. She smiled at the thought.
Rounding the last of the cubicles, they came to a long table set up in front of a giant projector screen. At the head sat a woman with blonde hair lighter than her own, fringe just touching her lashes. She stood once they approached, hand held out.
“This is Kim Taeyeon.”
“Y&K - Young and Kim,” said Yoona, shaking her hand. Her grip was firm and Yoona tightened her own to match it.
“You’re right.”
“And you’re my real boss.”
She gave off the same attentive and calculating vibe as Tiffany, but where the former felt stiff and no-nonsense, Taeyeon had a comfortable nonchalance that showed in the way she cooly slinked back into her chair and gestured with a loose hand for Yoona to do as well.
“Have a seat.”
She sat next to Tiffany as Sunny left her post to join them with a laptop cracked open in front of her. When Yoona looked around, she didn’t find Sooyoung. Only the remains of her crumpled bag of food left on a table in a cubicle full of dismantled gun parts.
“I was happy to hear from Tiffany that you decided to join us.”
Yoona shrugged. “I have my reasons.”
“Your reasons are our reasons. Even if you’re only with us for a short time, welcome to the team.”
“You’re welcome.” Tiffany side-eyed her at the same time Sunny glanced up over her laptop screen. Immediately Yoona tagged on, “And thank you.”
Taeyeon nodded, a slight smile on her lips. She went on, “I’m telling you upfront that this heist doesn’t involve money or jewels. What we’re going after is much more delicate.”
“Like what? Fossils?”
Sunny snorted. “Weapons, smartass.”
“Biological weapons,” Tiffany clarified. With the flick of her remote, the projector screen sprang to life.
“In the new age of warfare, guns and bombs are quickly going out of style,” started Taeyeon. “The use of biological weapons has gone up forty percent in the last fifty years. With rapid technological advances that hit in the eighties, and an epic boom in the new millennium, more and more of these bioweapons have begun to incorporate neo-tech.”
“Like nanobots,” Sunny chimed.
Taeyeon nodded as Tiffany expounded, “The stuff they’re dealing with nowadays is any sci-fi techno geeks ultimate wet dream. And that is exactly the kind of stuff we’ll be dealing with. I take it you’re familiar with Ionic Corporation?”
Yoona’s eyes shifted up to the projector screen that showed the large Ionic Building of Science. She knew of the place from when she was younger and her dad took her and Seohyun both to the science museum run and funded by the corporation. Inside was an entire exhibit on the new things that were being discovered and produced at Ion.
Yoona remembered watching the big, Imax screen inside as the narrator droned on about things she learned in school. She gave it half her attention but Seohyun was so drawn in that she couldn’t stop talking about the place for days.
“What about them?”
“Ionic Corporations has been working for years in the bioweapons business linked with, countries all over the globe.” Clicking a button on the remote, Tiffany changed the screen to a map with lines branching from Korea to various other locations. “You might be familiar with a Hong Kong flu or even Swine flu. These came about as small trials to test the effectiveness of their creations before modifying them into even deadlier, weaponized, forms.”
“However,” stepped in Taeyeon, “their ways were beginning to be seen as primitive, outdated, to a lot of investors. To help them on a more progressive path, they sought the help of Zero1 Technology. Their partnership was unstable and Z1 never fully lent their help or support until just a little over a year ago. It was in this time that both corporations were commissioned for a new form of weapon by-”
“-The Lotus Group.” Tiffany changed the slide to show a group of people standing with refugees in a place Yoona couldn’t name. “They’re a Chinese based branch of military. On the outside, they appear as a sort of missionary program. They go to countries claiming to help but...well you get the picture.”
Yoona held up a hand, pausing the brief. “Big corporations are killing people with their caveman ways, people died, bad, bad. What does this have to do with me?”
Tiffany pursed her lips. “We want those weapons, obviously. To sell.”
“Who would buy?”
Sunny laughed. “Who wouldn’t? But who do you think has their head stuck far enough up their ass that they think they’re entitled to everything?”
“My boss?” Yoona deadpanned.
Tiffany didn’t give her joke a second to sit as she continued, “The United States Secret Military Organization, or if you want the short version, the USSMO. They’ve heard wind of the project - rumors from what they think - but we know there’s truth in those rumors and we know they’d be willing to pay more than what they waste on their military boys to blow up cities overseas for them.”
Yoona cut her eyes away from the new slide on the screen to look at Taeyeon. “How do you know?”
“Soo’s been on it. Arms Dealing is her game and she knows all the names.”
“Including names that also want to get their hands dirty for the Americans,” added Sunny.
“But we’re going to get there first.”
“So what do I do?”
Another slide brought up the face of a woman in a business suit. She had deep, black hair pulled back into a neat, high ponytail. It was an airport picture. Yoona could see her bodyguard blurred out of focus in the background, ushering away the nosy press.
She was pretty. Without a smile and sunglasses covering her eyes, she looked cold and unapproachable. But Yoona had been with enough business professionals to know there was always an Achilles heel. There was always something that made them turn to putty right in her hands.
“Who’s is she?”
“Ion Corps new face and the CEO’s daughter, Kwon Yuri. The Kwons keep everything in the family even if one of the leaves of the tree is a little unorthodox.”
Yoona cocked an eyebrow.
“The pride is strong with this one.” Sunny smirked.
“And Senior Kwon doesn’t like that but it’s also his link to Z1. All because of her. Jessica Jung, Chairman of Z1.”
Yoona’s eyebrows shot up at the blonde woman on the screen. Slender, all business, chic, and a million dollar smile flashed to whoever was paying attention. By the looks of it, everyone had their eyes on Jessica, and who wouldn’t?
Tiffany placed the remote down on the table. “She’s why Z1 never fully committed to helping Ion. Past issues caused a bit of strain between the two families. The Jung's and the Kwon's have been big names for years, at one point in competition with each other, but Jung suddenly took interest and made a signed partnership the moment Yuri was appointed to President.”
“She has good taste,” muttered Sunny.
Tiffany cut her a look that didn’t go unnoticed. She cleared her throat. “We don’t know exactly what Jung is up to, but we know she wants up Kwon’s skirt. That’s where we need you.”
“You want me to get close to Kwon? A woman?”
"Yes.”
"What makes you think I'd be up for that?"
"You slept with me four months ago. Red hair. Momsen makeup. You can call it a test run."
"Or a free ride,” Sunny slipped in.
Yoona narrowed her eyes. She knew those pearly whites looked familiar. "You bite.”
"We know,” said Sunny and Taeyeon both.
Tiffany winked in Yoona’s direction. She wasn’t too sure what to make of that, but her mind started creating racy mental images.
“Like we were saying,” Taeyeon went on, “Kwon won’t suspect a thing. She’s a baby - naive - and that’s what makes her an easier target than Jung. The only reason she was brought on was because her brother is a drunk.”
“And a pedophile," Sunny tacked on.
“Senior Kwon has been working tirelessly to clear up his son’s name and his own," said Tiffany. "The entire ordeal brought their family and their motives into question.”
Taeyeon rested folded hands against the table. “Yuri’s clean record makes her the perfect face, but that’s all she is. If she knows that or not, it doesn’t matter. All we need is for you to get close to her, which in turn will help us get as much information on what’s going on behind those walls as we can.”
Yoona waved a hand in Sunny’s Direction. “You have a hacker. Why not get it that way?”
“They got all new security,” Sunny informed. “It was a present from Sicaboo to her Yurirresistible crush. I’ve been working for months trying to crack their coding but I’ve only managed to get bits and pieces and I have to decode that. It’s tiring.”
“And taking too long,” said Tiffany, leaning back in her chair. “Not to mention they've upped their security since taking on this project. If this information gets out, it could change everything on a global scale. We have to be delicate and we have to be precise."
“Also patient," added Taeyeon. "The project isn’t supposed to be completed for another four months, but we'll begin as soon as possible. With situations like this, being in now can help us cover bases and give us an advantage we wouldn't normally have waiting until d-day. We’ll be able to know our targets personally and intimately. The more we have their trust, the less likely they’ll suspect anything shady happening under their nose."
Yoona's brow creased. “I have to keep it up for four months?”
She thought of how long much time that would take her away from Seohyun, how much secrecy she would have to create in order to keep it from her. This was the very thing that made Yoona hesitant from the beginning. Because nothing no longer just involved her. Seohyun was attached in every piece and every move.
Taeyeon shook her head. “No. Once we have everything we need to know-"
“-You can cut that bitch off.” Sunny snapped her fingers in a scissors motion.
“Then you can await your pay in the silent safety of your home until the operation is complete.” Tiffany clicked off the projector, plunging them back into the ambient glow of lights coming from various lamps and can lights strewn throughout the room.
“You’re a vital part to this assignment, Yoona,” said Taeyeon, coolly. She looked straight at her with a focus that made Yoona feel as if she was seeing through her. “When the time comes, you will be leading us in getting those weapons out of there. We’re not here to waste your time. If we could do it alone, we would, but we know we’ll be actually successful having you with us.”
Her eyes shifted away from the serious draw on Taeyeon’s face only to find the same expression echoed on Tiffany and Sunny. The pressure of Taeyeon’s words created a familiar panic in her chest. It was the same thing her father said to her, in his own way. They were words he told her later he regretted because he drew her into his world of schemes, lies, and crime. But she made the choice to stay with him. He was her father, and doing the task together with him was better than sitting at home ignorant of the danger he faced.
Looking at their faces, Yoona knew it was the togetherness Taeyeon forged with these girls that kept them running - kept them strong. It was the same for Yoona, and once it was snatched from beneath her, she abandoned it. Until now. Until the invitation was extended to her. And like the way her father had done, she wasn’t accepting for the benefit of her, but for the other life she could save.
“That’s it then?” asked Yoona, swallowing down the lump trying to swell in her throat.
Taeyeon nodded. “That’s everything.”
“Okay.” She got up.
Tiffany stopped her. “Where are you going?”
“I still have a job,” she lied.
She just wanted to get back home to Seohyun and to let everything she was told sink in. If she has to be honest with herself, it made her nervous.
“There’s no need to worry about that,” said Tiffany. “It’s taken care of. You’ve already requested the night off. Hyuna is covering your shift.”
“And don’t worry about your friend,” said Sunny, tapping keys on her laptop. The mention of Seohyun in he mouth made Yoona’s jaw tighten. “You sent her a reminder at six thirty the next morning to take her medication. Fruit is...now in the fridge. Sooyoung says everything is safe and sound. She even double checked the front door.”
Yoona shuddered under Sunny’s prideful little grin. This girl was as intrusive and unnaturally brainy as they came.
“You know how creepy all of you sound, right?”
Sunny laughed and shut her screen. “You’re one of us now, Bambi.”
She gagged at the pet name. “So, what now?”
Taeyeon turned to Tiffany. She gave one order.
“Blindfold her.”
-/-/-/-
The car rumbled against the pavement beneath them a soothing and unsettling sound within the silence. Yoona had no idea who was in the vehicle with her. All she knew was that Tiffany covered her eyes and led her out of the warehouse where another set of hands grabbed her and escorted her into a car. No one spoke once the blindfold was put over her eyes and no one dared to speak now.
A reminder her father once said chimed in her head.
"Always know your enemies, but always know more about your friends."
She considered this group neither, which lent itself to the fact she didn't know them. At all. They'd gained enough of her trust for her not to panic in the moment but there was still so much undiscovered that her instincts were thinking up every way to get away at the first sign of betrayal.
If she could get away, that is.
The car slowed and soon came to a stop. Engine simmered down and doors creaked open. A hand grabbed onto her and led her by the elbow across the hard ground. Yoona took in a breath. They were still in the city. She could taste the polluted air mixed with the brisk scent of coming winter and the toxic burn of exhaust fumes.
The cold air surrounding her gave way to the stuffiness of what felt like a tunnel. But tunnels didn't have stairs. She was made to take them, flights and flights and flights until the muscles in her legs began to strain and she panted up the last few until there were no more.
Metal creaked and the coolness of the night returned. The sound around her was low but still buzzing with faint noises of life. The air was a little thinner but no less tainted.
She licked her lips, heart racing behind her ribs. She knew where she was. She never did like heights.
The cloth came off and she fluttered her lashes, willing her eyes to adjust to the darkness surrounding. When she could finally focus, she sucked in a nervous breath.
As she guessed, they stood on a rooftop overlooking city lights competing with candle light glow in skyscrapers windows. On the ledge stood Tiffany, Sunny, and Sooyoung with their backs to her. One step forward and they would plummet to their death.
"You're worried about them." Taeyeon’s voice was low and calm but the suddenness of it behind her made her jump.
She went to turn around but a firm hand on her shoulder kept her in place. Once she stilled, Taeyeon spoke again.
"You hardly know us, but your heart started racing when you saw them. That's compassionate instinct. Most, not all, have that. What I need from you is more than that. These girls are not just hires, they're my sisters. They're my Seo Juhyun's and I am putting not only mine but their lives, into your hands.”
Yoona stared at the backs of the others. She couldn't deny her fear for them, but it was nothing in comparison to hearing Taeyeon mention Seohyun. Like when Sunny had, her jaw clenched and her mind raced.
What if she failed? What if she couldn’t pull it off? What if she wasn’t the one Taeyeon needed? What if she met the same fate as their fathers and she would leave Seohyun in the state both of them had tried for so long never to reach. Being alone.
Breath blew against the side of her face and she shivered as Taeyeon whispered into her ear.
“I know what this job means to you. From your past, I know how much family means to you. But I need to know, right now, that you are willing to go to the ends not only for yourself but for all of us. From this moment on, this is not only about helping your friend. You are helping us all, helping yourself, and like the rest of us you will feel the weight and bear it the same. If that is something you can't handle, if your own selfish needs cannot be put aside to accommodate us all, then you turn around and you leave."
Yoona thought about the things Taeyeon was saying. She was laying out the truth of what this job really meant, what it really entailed. It wasn’t about money, or tricks, or false identities, or weapons. It was about trust. It was about family and Taeyeon was giving her an out - giving her a chance - to save herself from being tied to something that had caused her past grief all over again.
“I don’t want to lose everything again,” she muttered into the night.
“I don’t either.”
Yoona’s fist balled at her side. She didn’t know anything about Taeyeon, but she knew there was truth and understanding in her voice. That was enough for her.
"I can bear it."
Taeyeon stepped away from her leaving her to stand alone in the cold. Only a single command dropped from her mouth touched her,
"Show me."
Tiffany's movements were quick. She barely had to do anything to shove Sooyoung over the edge.
Yoona gasped, horrified at the sound of Sooyoung's shrill scream as she plummeted. She whipped around on Taeyeon only to get the barrel of a gun stabbed into her stomach.
"You have forty seconds to save her."
Yoona gapped. "What?"
Taeyeon was chillingly calm. "Thirty-five seconds, Im. You said you could bear it."
"I'm a thief, not a secret agent!”
"Thirty seconds, Im!” she snapped. Yoona started. “You let my girl die-" the gun cocked, "-you die."
"Any day now, Bambi," Sunny called.
The gun snapped up to rest right above her heart. All softness in Taeyeon’s face and voice were gone, turned frigid.
"Go."
Yoona gritted her teeth.
They were crazy as hell. But so was she.
Pivoting, Yoona ran for the edge.
And she jumped.
Air rushed passed her ears in a deafening sound. It stung her eyes and cat at her face. Just below she saw Sooyoung, arms and legs spread out and face full of horror as she free fell towards the traffic below.
Yoona's heart hammered. She was going to die. They were both going to die.
She pushed the thought from her head and straightened herself out. She couldn't die. For Seohyun - for herself - she couldn't.
Arms at her side, she shot forward like an arrow.
"Yoona!" Sooyoung hollered.
"Come on, come on, come on!"
She willed herself faster, head tilting down so she was as aerodynamic as a bullet.
"Yoona!"
Sooyoung's voice was close. Yoona opened her eyes. She was close but the pavement was getting frighteningly closer.
"Goddammit, pipsqueak, if I hit this damn street!"
"Shut up, I'm trying!"
"Try harder!"
"Give me your hand!"
Arms reached out and Yoona groped. She caught air the first try. Their fingertips just brushed on the second. She made the mistake of looking past Sooyoung again. Car lights were no longer blurs but focused shapes.
"Oh, come on!"
Yoona snapped back into attention. She thrust her arm forward, fingers stretched to their furthest to-
Her palm smacked into flesh and she gripped. A lanky arm swung up to make a secure hold around her neck and legs locked themselves around her own.
"Brace yourself," Sooyoung whispered.
"What?"
Whiplash stung her neck as she went ricocheting upwards by a grip around her waist. The traffic only meters from them grew smaller and smaller until it was nothing but pretty twinkles at the bottom of a skyscraper yet again.
The hold on her let go and she tumbled onto the cement rooftop winded, sore, and buzzing with adrenaline.
"Nice job, Im."
She looked up through wind-tossed hair to see Taeyeon grinning. Beside her Tiffany took off a helmet and dropped the harness of her bungee cord to the ground.
Yoona heaved a sigh of relief. Planned. It was all fucking planned.
"She almost killed me, Taeng," hissed Sooyoung while fixing her cropped, bronze hair.
"I almost thought she wouldn't jump," muttered Sunny hopping down from where she sat on the ledge. She threw Yoona a thumbs up.
"Another second later and I'd be pavement. And you!" Sooyoung whipped around on Tiffany who didn't even flinch. "Did you have to push so hard?"
"It's not my fault you weigh nothing."
"I'm doing the shoving next time. See how you like it."
"The bungee would snap you in half from the weight."
"Yeah? Say that to my face you orange valley!”
"You passed. Here." Taeyeon sat a water bottle down by where Yoona remained on the ground and handed her two painkillers. "You're free to go."
She was still too shaken and winded to elaborate from her breathy, "Thanks."
Popping the pills into her mouth, they ended up right back out and in the dirt when vodka rushed into her mouth instead of water.
Sunny’s laugh was loudest of them all as the begun to poke fun at her.
Yoona flipped them off and scrambled to get those pills and swallowed them dry.
She still didn't know what to make of this group, but she figured they were just alright.
Part III
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no subject
Date: 2015-09-23 04:53 am (UTC)I gotta love the rush of adrenaline here.
The way the group gaining trust is surely nerve-wracking lol but they all are such a bunch of cool people. They truly expertise their field to the fullest and almost leave us no gap to find the flaw.
I also like how they bond. Man, for Yoona to be able to risk her life at point one shows us how ready and willing she is for this.
Even when I knew the group must've planned rescue attempts, it still makes me nervous haha I like the group already.
Still look shady, but they show how serious they are.
The object of operation is also intriguing. One of the most dangerous and strongest weapons out there.
And naive Kwon Yuri hm? that's an interesting character to put with Yoona's. And a Jung in the way? I'm all up for this! (Y)
I'm so ready for many rush of adrenaline ahead! Liking this already <3
no subject
Date: 2015-09-28 01:08 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2015-09-23 05:39 am (UTC)Holyyyyyyyy yaaaaasssss this freaking team right here. YOONG JUMPED OFF THE FRIGGIN ROOF FOR A STRANGER BUT IT'S SOOYOUNG BUT OMG THIS SISTERHOOD.
Tae is BADASS. And I still have the crush on Tiffany. >.>
I see Yoona getting her Sense8 safe cracking on. Yuuuss I love learning about her skills and.....what are these Collide feels happening with Yoonhyun?? I'm watching you. >:(((
D-does Seohyun love Yoona? I'M STILL WATCHING YOU.
Tiffany Hwang kept taking her to some famous singer that was definitely not her-- Heh. Of course you mention your irl crush, boxxy. ;)
And
"You bite.”
"We know,” said Sunny and Taeyeon both. -- YES, YES, AND YESSS I LOVE THIS TEAM ALREADY. Btw: BIO FREAKIN' WEAPONS. Good choice, gurl.
I totally snorted at the "And a pedophile" line from Sunny. Because even though Yuri's brother is quite good-looking, homie be working his wispy attempts at facial hair. Now, it reads "pedo stache" in my head and I thank you for the laugh.
Um, and then, I realize that this fic.has subtle TaeNy, possible YulSic and some YoonHyun. Royal fam. Am I lost??? WHERE AM I?? D:
Sorry if this comment ran long. I was in a terribad mood and reading this really helped. Thank you so much for sharing your gift, boxxypants. <333
no subject
Date: 2015-09-28 01:12 am (UTC)I see you trying to push on that soona. uh huh. stop that! this is my fic! None of your delusional shipping here, you. But lol look at you liking taeny d’awww~~
Shh there’s no Collide feels here (lol i thought this myself in the middle of writing too tbh). Analyze yoonhyun as much as you want /shrug/. She’ll die anyway :3
Royal family? Now, now when have I ever given readers what they think will happen in the end? You know this. You know there’s curves to come. Hush yourself.
I love your long comments always, bugsie. See you arounnd next chappie, partner
YAAAS (02)!!!
Date: 2015-09-23 06:19 am (UTC)And the Young & Kim crew is revealed: business woman Tiff, honeypot (and Sly Cooper master thief) Yoong “Bambi” Im, arms dealer Soo, tech wiz Sunny, and Big Boss Tae, Excitement!! Also, love the fact that Tiff’s Alt ID leads to a “famous singer” -- this leads to SNSD’s Tiff, right Boxx ;P?
And the hit: Bio-weapons via Ion Corp’s new, naive CEO Yuri “Yurirresistible” Kwon via her lady-loving persuasion -- ahaha loved the line “the pride is strong with this one”. Also, love the fact that Jess “Sicaboo” Jung (CEO of arch rival company) is also trying to get in her skirt via friendly business tactics and that Tiff is getting all all jealous when Sunny makes that “good taste” remark. Also, I saw a tag that Krys might also be featured in this fic? Haha Yoong is gonna have to fight off multiple ladies to get to Kwon. Dude, I can’t wait til ish hits the fan to see how all these little details play out. >:)))))))
Lol and the reveal that Yoong already did a test run with Fany… and that Fany’s a biter and apparently Sun and Tae somehow know this quirk, too… I’m thinking Taenysun had a crazy threesome… maybe even Soo was in on it, too XD? Please confirm… or better yet, please write a bonus chapter featuring this (jk. jk ;P). Awesome, awesome.
Big Boss Tae has some deep ish going on, thinking of the YK crew as her family and her “neither do I” response to “I don’t want to lose everything again”... will we get to learn what she lost, Boxx? I feel like there’s a secret here -- heck, I think all of them are gonna have cool secret backstories and I hope Yoong gets to hear all of them -- then WHOA straight into the Boxxtwist of the crazy initiation test. Holy guacamole, man.
And one more thing… OMGGGGGGGGG!!! They stop in the middle of business matters for McDonald’s!!! I love it! I don’t know if you like Shrek 2, but there’s a scene like this in there and I lose my ish everytime I watch it. Thanks for including this little nugget.
Thank you for the great update, Boxx. I’m looking forward to the next chapter.
Re: YAAAS (02)!!!
Date: 2015-09-28 01:18 am (UTC)I love that ppl are taking to this group of criminal crazies and already catching onto the subtle dynamics of them. You saw the tag and you’re right. Krystal will pop up at some point and she’s def a conflict for Yoona (no spoiler here i promise). Bonus chapter? HAH! maybe if i get bored i’ll write something just for funsies and share it way later. Who knows lol
Your questions always make me smirk because they’re questions that’ll be answered (some you might have to find in hidden places). And omg i didn’t even think about Shrek until I read your comment! Now it’s even funnier hahahahaha glad you liked it.
Ayyy thank you as always :D
no subject
Date: 2015-09-23 12:13 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2015-09-28 01:13 am (UTC)From the person in love with your mind
Date: 2015-09-24 11:20 am (UTC)You know what I thought when I read the first chapter? Tiffany's so fucking hot. Like seriously!!!!!
{On the couch sat another woman in a chic, black skirt suit tailored perfectly to fit her thin, petite frame. Dark stockings lined with the crisscrossing patterning of fishnets encased toned legs and black hair swept to one side led down into deep cleavage.
Yoona found herself glancing at it before she brought her gaze back up. The woman’s lips drew a sick, inviting grin that turned her eyes into soft crescents. Yoona usually would've fallen for it, but right now it was giving her an acute sense of unease. She could’ve sworn she’d seen that smile before.
“You have ten seconds to tell me who you are before I call for security.”
A husky voice filled the room thick as cigarette smoke. “My name is Tiffany Hwang. I’m here to hire you.”} (I don't know how to quote. I tried and look want happened. I ended up posting an incomplete version of this comment and it's embarrassing. Please delete that. Please.)
When she first came out I was like: DOMINATE ME, WOMAN!
Why you make her like thisssssssssssssssssssssssss? It's unfair! My poor heart and feelings can't. And then, you add more spice on her character in this update. She's so stiff and lowkey insecure (Idk but she gave that vibes. Idk, okay? Idk. Probably coz she's a control freak?) but I think that's perfect... Makes me wanna... help her relax? In a not very innocent way.
Okay, I'm being a perv but it's totally your fault for making her hot!
And putting Sunny beside her makes her even more interesting!
Can we talk about 2ny? Ok. Let's talk about them, okay? Okay? Because you could probably write a whole chapter of 2ny just talking with each other or doing each- some stuffs and I'll still swoon all over because their chemistry is just that lovely. Sunny makes them, the whole 2ny chemistry, work, okay? She's the marshmallow to Stiffany's stone pie, if that makes sense. Actually, no. That doesn't makes sense but whatever. It's SunFany pie so it's probably very delicious.
(add Soo in the fun too... just because.)
(Anyway, I love Sunny. She’s adfghadfgadfgadfgadfg. Witty and cute and cuddly . I wanna coo at her for some reason. I can’t get enough of her. Help!!!!!)
ARGH!!!
Okay, self. Stop.
Boxx, my feelings is overflowing and I’m trying so hard to contain my feelings right now, so please understand me and my once again messy commentary. I have the thought of YulSic pulsating in the back of my mind while writing all this. It’s already making everything in my head just go sfklgjsdfklgjafjgkladfjgksjdfgkljsdfg and 2ny adding to those feels is not helping me calm down at all.
So okay. I love all your characters in this one! Their dynamics are perfect and interesting, makes me wanna get to know all of them more! I love how they interact with each other and I would love to see them clash with each other bwahahahaha. (That’s just my curiosity talking. Please don’t take that seriously and make them kill each other.)
Taeyeon comes off a little distant to me, despite you describing her as the one that hold them together. She seems like the all talk but too goal oriented and uncaring deep inside type of person. Idk why I think of her that way. Maybe I have trust issues… Maybe because YOU gave me trust issues and anxieties when you heartlessly killed Yeri in Milk. Idk. IDK. But well see. I’ll just watch her for now.
Anyway, Sooyoung and Yoona. SOOYOUNG AND YOONA. SOOYOUNG AND YOONA!!!!! They barely have moments but I like them already. Ever since the first chapter; the moment Sooyoung pointed a gun to Yoona, my heart skipped a bit. Idk. I can’t explain it. I feel like if anyone of them will be the closest to Yoona, it would be Sooyoung. Idk. Huhu. I really can’t explain it especially now that I’m itching to talk about Sicaboo and her Yurisistible. I’m so sorry. I’ll try figure how to say this later.
(I promise I’m gonna talk about YoonHyun soon but this is so important. I can’t wait.)
Re: From the person in love with your mind
Date: 2015-09-24 11:21 am (UTC)YulSic.
Jajan!!!!!!!!
OMGSDHFSDFHKLSDHFKLDFKLDSHFGJHSDFKJHASDJKFHSJKDFHJKSDHFKJSDHFKJSDHFKJSDHFJKSDHFJKSDHFJKSDHFJKSHDJKFHSDKJFHSDKJFHSKDJFHSJKDHFKJSHD BOXXXXXXXXXXXX I KNOW THIS IS YOONYUL BUT IM PLEADING IM BEGGING PLEASE PLEASE GIVE YULSIC SOME MEMORY WORTHY MOMENTS COZ I LITERALLY CANNOT CALM THE MOMENT YOU INTRODUCED BOTH OF THEM LIKE SERIOUSLY ON MY FIRST READ THE MOMENT THEY GOT MENTIONED I FORGOT EVERYTHING THE BIOLOGICAL WEAPON THE REASON FOR THE HEIST TIFFANY’S CLEAVAGE I FORGOT THEM ALL ALL I COULD THINK OF IS THAT THERE’S A CHANCE MY DEAD OTP WILL HAVE A MOMENT HERE I WILL SOUND REDUNDANT IN THIS PART COZ I CANT THINK PROPERLY OKAY I NEED THEM TOGETHER OKYA A LITTLE TIME A LITTLE SPACE IN THIS FIC PLEASE LET THEM HAVE A MOMENT BOXXY GODDESS OF ALL EVIL FANFIC WRITERS PLEASE PLEASE LET THEM HAVE SOME MOMENTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! BOXXY PLEASEEEEEEEEEE
Anyway, the part where you introduced YulSic made me giggle. Please don’t ask why. I can’t say a lot about them yet. I could only speculate that Jessica is probably a go getter type in. A kind of a selfish too.
You know what scares me? Yuri gives me the Milk-Yeri vibes. I literally had Milk-Yeri flashbacks when you described her as a puppy. You’re going to tangle her in something she didn’t deserve to be in and I fear for her. For what’s to come in her way. Plus, Tiffany gives me a fishy feeling. The bitter-past-lover fishy feeling. I’m really curious on how you’re going to use Yuri’s character in this fic, specifically with YoonHyun’s situation and I’m looking forward to that.
YoonHyun gave me a warm feeling. At the first chapter, I doubted if they’re just friends. I mean, if there’s something romantic going on between them but with the second chapter, I suddenly thought that nah, probably not; they’re probably not gonna happen because they won’t let them happen. Just a feeling, ofc. There’s this blushing thing going on between them and they ain’t acting on it, so yeah, that’s what made me think like that.
I love how Yoona was still unreadable in this fic, like the way Yoona is unreadable in real life. She’s not someone who’d talk about herself in a very personal way and the best way to get to know her is by utilizing people around her. I think Seohyun’s character would be very important in defining Yoona’s character in this fic. Yoona’s character isn’t someone who’d abide by the social norm. I think her definition of what’s wrong or right was whether it would be good for Seohyun or not (with the way Seohyun was always the reason behind Yoona’s decision makes me think that Seohyun dictates Yoona’s morality somehow.) Also, through Seohyun, you’re showing us the humanity in Yoona. So, kudos to that.
For now, I can’t say I’m excited for YoonYul yet, but I am looking forward for them in the future chapters. Naïve Yul and realist Yoona; I wonder how that would play.
LAST BUT NOT THE LEAST,
THE INITIATION PART GAVE ME ADRENALINE! OMG. DON’T JUDGE ME BUT WHEN TAEYEON TOLD THEM TO BLINDFOLD YOONA, I THOUGHT YOU’RE GOING TO PULL A FIFTY SHADES! (I BLAME TIFFANY ON THIS!) That part was so fun! I enjoy their banter a lot! Just the perfect way to make us warm up with the characters. ^^
Commentary ends here. It’s really long and unorganized but I do hope it made sense lol.
P.S. I was supposed to comment when the first chapter came out but just when I was to post the comment, my google chrome snapped. Just my luck. -_-
P.P.S Please delete that incomplete comment I accidentally posted. Thanks.
Re: From the person in love with your mind
Date: 2015-09-28 01:33 am (UTC)I made Tiffany this way to torture poor souls like yours. Just imagine her with a whip :o and it’s totally not my fault you’re such a perv. You’re just a dirty woman but that’s okay I still accept you.
2ny? What 2ny? Where? What? You’re another one of those shoving your delusional ships into my fic! Be gone! “She's the marshmallow to Stiffany's stone pie” this make sense. She is :) and Tiffany can’t get enough of Sunny either ;) if you ;) know what I ;) mean ;)
I swear you and your YulSic self…I think I’ll continue being evil and not give you what you want. You’re seriously waaaaay too excited for that. Contain yourself. I think Milk scared you a little too much. Do you need therapy? I’m sorry I hurt you so bad that it’s influencing other fics hahahaha.
Of course you pick up on the subtle things. I won’t point out which ones just for mystery sake but it’s nice to see. Not like I’m trying to hide things completely otherwise later you’d be like, “now wtf that makes no sense how?”
It wasn’t time for Tiffany to show her true dominatrix side yet. That’s later. Chains included /snort/
Thanks for your novel comments. They were a joy to read (even though half of it was yulsic spazzing)
See you around
no subject
Date: 2015-10-07 12:54 am (UTC)"Order now or forever hold your peace."
Bless this line.
I always like to throw myself into these types of situations the characters face. To try to imagine how I'd deal with them. It makes me feel in a way connected to the character(s). Does that even make sense? I can't put my thoughts into words. It's one of the many reasons why i dont usually comment on stories. Forgive me. lol
I like Yoona the most so far. She's able to put herself into these dangerous situations, all for the sake of her best friend. Please, excuse me while i cry. I do really appreciate all the Yoonhyun. Even if it's just friendship. One of my guilty pleasures.
same with yoonyulAm i forgetting something? Probably a lot.
On to the next.
btw..
boss lady taeng is everythingSunny Bias Hyo Who?
Date: 2015-10-21 07:12 am (UTC)But oh well... About this one. I'd surely slap Taeyeon and give up after this. What the hell? She almost gave ME a heart attack and I was only reading! What a way of dealing with newbies! And yeah, they're creepy knowing where Seohyun is and going to her apartment and all... Geez. And what Yoona was thinking for God sake? How did she expect to save Sooyoung if she was not tied to any rope or something? Is she crazy??
To my individual appreciation: Taeyeon is so different from every fic I ever read here, such a great boss, I just loved her but I'm still shocked. I'd still slap her and tell her to f**** after almost giving me a heart attack like that. "-.- Sooyoung is quite nice, Tiffany is so so... But Sunny gained my heart. I don't why I just loved her and for now she's my bias for this fic. I can't tell much about YulSic yet (my biases in real life) but I just love they seem to be a couple and oh well... Yuri, a "naive baby"? Oh lord LOL Is she really? That's something I have to see to believe it. She's too cool to not have a card up on her sleeve. Let's see then. YoonHYun? Just great. But... What does Seohyun have? And Hyoyeon. Oh I soooo hope she has a nice character this time and nothing like a CENTAUR please "-.- And thanks.
Oh, and could you please make it easier for me to understand what is this all about? I'm terrible to understand business conversations (that's also why I don't follow much fanfics about this) so I'm terribly lost on what Yoona really has to do. All I understood is that she has to be a friend of Yuri... So, explain as if I were five, please? >.<
I love your writing, sigh... But please, come back with Dissonance I BEG YOU </3 My heart can't take it anymore not knowing what will happen to them. At least tell me ;.;