♚; thank you for breathing
The world had been waiting for the day he would break. They hoped and they prayed with every breathe they had that he'd crumble under the pressure. What they didn't know though was that Tablo had already long been broken. Days were spent drowning in a sensation of restlessness and jitters that no amount of coffee could treat. Life had become an organized schedule from hell. Despite the 'freedom' he had during his solo mission abroad, there hadn't passed a day he felt free. His mind itself had become just an oversized cell and it left him trapped and uneasy, never a good feeling for a man of his personality and tendencies.
Being back at base only made things worse. The absence of his little brother's presence and the strict order not to do anything about it pushed him into a corner without enough space to even breathe. A man like him could never live a life like that and it was in that moment a sense of defiance had been planted deep inside him.
Two hours went by and then four and then six. Night had fallen quickly and with it, Seonwoong's spirit and patience. Grabbing only what seemed like a necessity, the man packed everything into a bag and slipped out of the headquarters in mere minutes. He glanced back one last time at the place that had been his home since he'd been born. Everything he ever had had been devoted to his clan. It was unarguable that Lee Seonwoong held the most clan loyalty besides Minsoo himself.
Everyone had their limits though and today he'd reached his.
Each step that brought him closer to his brother seemed to every so slowly but surely lighten the weight that had settled into every corner of his heart. How many times had he promised to protect and be there for the younger boy, only to get pulled away for the Renegades. Today marked the day he'd keep his word. Today marked the day he would finally become the older brother he'd been dying to be.
It didn't take long for the mutant to track down where the government held his brother hostage. By the time he arrived at the institute, he'd already memorized the entire blueprints of the building, planned out an escape route, and hijacked the security system and cameras. If all went well, in approximately 8 minutes and 49 seconds, he'd finally get to see the very person he'd been waiting to see for already two months.
Luckily, although not surprisingly, everything went smoothly and with bated breath, he slid the entry card in and the lock lighted green.
A chill went up his spine as he cracked open the door to peer inside. He killed mere babies and old grandparents without batting an eye. Thousands and thousands had been mercilessly tortured and slaughtered by his hand and they'd never once caused him to have trouble sleeping. This room though, left him shaking like a new recruit and completely seething with anger.
He scanned the hallways before locking the door behind him. For whatever reason, he felt as though he needed to prepare himself before turning around this time. Taking in a deep breathe, he only hoped that Hyunku's condition would be better than the previous times he'd been captured. He slowly pivoted to face the broken body strapped to the surface of the table. Even in the dim lighting, he could easily make out the scars and bruises that littered the young boy's body. His eyes narrowed in disgust as he inspected all the machines hooked up to Hyunku but more importantly, at how his brother shivered in the cold from being stripped naked. It took everything he had not to go out and brutally slaughter everyone who'd harmed his brother in revenge. 'Hyunku... Hyunku. You gotta get him to safety.' He repeated over and over again as a mantra to keep him calm and focused.
Slowly, he approached the sleeping figure, his heart wrenching to see him so broken and battered. Seonwoong placed two fingers under Hyunku's nose to check how his breathing was before finally placing his hand on the other's cheek, gently grazing his thumb across the surface. "How many times have I failed you now?" He muttered to himself, a tear rolling down his cheek and onto the boy's face. Knowing that he didn't have time to waste though, the older man quickly wiped at his eyes before shrugging his jacket off to place over the boy's naked body.
