King groaned as he pushed himself up from where he'd come to on his back, a dull ache registering through him as he instinctively ran a system diagnostic (everything was functional, he was without a host, meaning he must have been placed in a digital space and his systems were giving him phantom sensations to maintain consistency, he could feel the ache of his scythe beneath his back so he must have maintained his connection).
A low growl broke him from his diagnostic, and his head lifted, systems calibrating as he took in the three larger canine-like creatures stalking out of the surrounding brush. Fluidly, the simulacrum flipped to his feet, scythe flickering from his back to rest in his hand, the weight reassuring as its edge lit with a mild flame. "Back off, Balto," he muttered darkly, "I really am not in the mood."
PART TWO of a REWARD SOLO for PROMOTION TO SECOND-IN-COMMAND
tw: death, branding, mutilation
“To prove that you would die for the gang and more importantly, for me, I had to get a little creative. Because I can’t make you die for me… That’d be fucking nuts. You can’t work for me if you’re dead, can you? I also considered making you cut off your hand or some crazy shit like that but… It’d be messy, and then it’d make you vulnerable and you still might die on me, then all of this drawn out shit will have been for nothing. But! I can’t just sit here and do nothing! One of our very own was a god damn traitor and I have got to make sure that doesn’t happen again. I need someone who is willing to fight for me, not someone who is looking to take me down. Whether it’s because you’re loyal to someone else, or because you want to be on top…” He pauses, a smile forming on his lips though the laughter that accompanies it is full of venom. It’s sarcastic and laced with annoyance, as if the very thought filled him with anger. “Because let me get one thing straight real quick… No one is taking my place.” By the time he finished his statement, the smile was gone and his expression was cold and stern. However, in the blink of an eye, he had bounced back and once again wore a smile and seemed to be playful, finding everything to be much funnier than it actually was. “So then it hit me… A good, old-fashioned branding. Because who the fuck would want to walk around with a Hydrus brand if they weren’t dedicated to Hydrus? Not to mention, it’ll show me that you’re willing to sacrifice something for me, and you’re willing to endure intense pain for me. It shows me where you stand without me having to kill you! A total fucking win-win situation right here. Now, let me just say, I considered telling you that we were going to do it somewhere really visible, like your face. But damn, you’re just too fucking attractive for that. I mean… No one would want to mess with you, that’s for sure! You’d look scary as shit, but that’s not what we’re going to do. I’ll tell you what… You choose.”
The warehouse floor is wet with blood.
The bodies of the men Jongsuk executed still lay where they fell on the cold concrete before him, forgotten the moment that the gunshots finished echoing from the steel walls. The crowd around him is restless now, excited from the bloodshed and eager for more. Drifter’s betrayal has wound the members of Hydrus into a frenzy. Spilling the traitor’s blood hasn’t satisfied their lust for revenge, and this execution only incited that bloodlust further.
If Jongsuk isn’t careful, his body could very well join the others on the warehouse floor before the night’s end.
He’s all too aware of Woobin and the others scattered throughout the crowd, watching the events unfold with narrow eyes and stiff shoulders. Should things turn south, they certainly won’t be going down without a fight.
Jongsuk doesn’t believe for a moment that the executions are the only test that King has in store for him tonight.
He isn’t disappointed.
The crowd rallies as King announces his decision to prove Jongsuk’s loyalty with a branding. Their cheers do little to help the uneasy curl in Jongsuk’s stomach at the announcement. It isn’t dread or fear settling in-- not really. He’s been hurt worse for less.
The thought of this many people seeing him vulnerable, though.
That thought makes him a little ill.
He isn’t about to back down, though. Lifting his chin, he gives King a lazy grin. “I get to choose, huh?” he says, pretending to mull over his options rather than balk at the branding as so many of the men gathered surely thought he would. After a moment, he tilts his head to bare his neck. “How about right here?”
Just in case the implication wasn’t clear enough, he even taps a finger against the bared column of his neck.
It’s nowhere near the reaction that King half-expected to receive from Dante, but he was also aware that his hopeful soon-to-be Second-in-Command was someone that didn’t scare easily. King loved that. A mixture of surprise and amusement overcame him and was visible from his expression, a huge grin forming on his lips. “Holy shit. You’re one ballsy son of a bitch, Dante. I give you the chance to choose… and you go straight for the jugular— literally!”
The crowd grows rowdy again.
This little show may be a public display of Jongsuk’s loyalty to King, but that doesn’t mean that Jongsuk will let these people see him bow.
He’ll serve his King-- he’ll just do it his way.
“You’re fucking nuts and that’s one of the main reasons I wanted you to be in this position. Somehow, you never disappoint.” He pauses, staring at the other male for several moments before quietly chuckling and stepping away to retrieve the iron. “Well, let’s stop bullshitting around and get this done.”
As King nears with the red-hot brand, Jongsuk is sure to hold the older man’s gaze until the leader stands directly before him. After a loaded pause, he tilts his head and bares his neck for King once more.
His eyes only close as the brand nears his skin.
The pain of the searing metal meeting his flesh is blinding. Jongsuk’s eyes clench shut tighter as he fights back the urge to scream, refusing to give the crowd the show they so desperately seek. His teeth grind tightly together as a sharp hiss tears its way past them, but it’s the only sound he allows, the only concession. His hands curl into tight fists at his sides.
It’s over in a moment, but it feels so much longer.
The pain only surges once the brand is removed from his skin. As air hits the seared flesh of his neck, the pain flares, morphs into a new kind of agony that Jongsuk is careful to keep smoothed from his expression. His jaw remains tight, but he forces himself to open his eyes once more, to raise his chin and meet King’s gaze unflinchingly.
The leader thought that Dante would have passed out from the pain. Hell, maybe he was even a little disappointed that he didn’t. However, above all of that, he was impressed and incredibly proud. The smile that he’s almost always wearing grows wider as he slightly shakes his head in disbelief. “Wow.” The single word is dramatically and softly exclaimed, filled with awe. “You took that like an absolute champ. What a fucking badass… I still can’t believe that you chose your neck. I almost want to ask that you don’t try speaking… Actually, I will… You don’t need to say anything, just listen. I want everyone to listen.” With his last sentence, his voice is raised as he addresses the entirety of the gang that is gathered around them. “Dante has just proven to us all that he’s loyal, respectful, tough as shit, and probably a little insane… Which I think is incredible. Not only did he accept my terms in an instant without putting up a fight, but he did so fearlessly, and perhaps even a little cockily… And I fucking love that. So, I don’t think I need to tell you all that this is the new Second-in-Command, because I think he’s fucking proven that shit on his own.” Once he finishes, he returns his attention to Dante and beckons for a medic. “We’ll take care of that for you. Welcome to the top, killer. I have a lot of expectations… But I don’t think you’ll let me down.” He pauses, his expression turning sterner as his entire body stiffens. “Don’t prove me wrong.”
PART ONE of a REWARD SOLO for PROMOTION TO SECOND-IN-COMMAND
tw: death, kidnapping
“I guess you’re probably wondering what the fuck you’re looking at right now, huh?” He pauses, a grin tugging at his lips which indicates that he’s having a much better time than the six Hydrus members tied up in the middle of the large factory floor. “Guess you probably recognize these unfortunate sons of bitches. I’m just gonna get straight to the point… I am about ninety-nine percent sure that one of our brothers here has been feeding more information to a rival gang. I know that we all identify as snakes here, but some of these people just take that title way too seriously. Now… A little bird told me that Lynx knows more than they should about our current situation, and I narrowed it down a bit… Tried weeding out the ones I knew had my back. All signs point here. The issue is… I have no way of knowing which one it probably was, and I know that none of them would flat out tell me.” He laughs a little, as if the situation is humorous to him. “We have a lot of mean, selfish people here. Hell, that’s what makes us so fun.” After another short pause, his expression hardens once again. “Which is what leaves us here… I’m going to let you decide what happens. Their venomous little lives are in your hands, Dante.” To punctuate his statement, he moves closer to Dante and puts an arm around him, briefly squeezing his shoulder and looking him in the eye to indicate that he trusts him to make the right call. Seconds later, he’s retreating and turning away as he continues to speak.
“If it were me, I’d just kill ‘em all to make sure I eliminated the threat, but… This is a test, so I want to see what you do to help this shit storm of a situation. Everyone in here is looking to you for a solution. If you want to be Second in Command to the King… you have to know how to lead your people and make these tough calls. So… Fix this.”
Jongsuk’s expression is carefully blank as he eyes the men lined up before him.
To anyone who doesn’t know him, he might even look bored by all the pomp and circumstance of this little test-- but this is a show meant only for an audience of one.
This is a show put on for a King.
So Jongsuk plays his part. He stands tall and listens to King’s monologue, to his taunts and insinuations. He doesn’t flinch when the old man throws an arm around his shoulders with a sharp smile either, doesn’t shudder despite the contact making his skin crawl. There’s no doubt in his mind that if he makes the wrong move here, his blood will be left to stain the filthy concrete of the warehouse floor right along with the blood of the men bound before him.
King’s little line up is a mix of familiar faces-- some more so than others. A few Jongsuk recognizes from past jobs worked together. Others, he recognizes only in passing. None of them are anyone he’d have considered worthy of note, however it's clear they've done something to land themselves on King's radar following Drifter's betrayal.
Time is not on Jongsuk's side tonight.
Under other circumstances, he would take his time with the six men before him, extract the information King seeks with his blade, but answers aren't what the boss is truly after. No. He'd bet his life on it that King already has all the answers he needs from this lot.
This isn't an interrogation.
It's a test-- King said so himself, after all.
All too aware of the boss’ sharp eyes on him, of the collective gaze of the Hydrus members gathered, Jongsuk reaches for the gun holstered at his hip. He draws the weapon with practiced ease and levels it at the man nearest him. His expression is cool, detached.
"After all this fuss, we can't afford to leave any loose ends," he decides before he squeezes the trigger.
