say my name again tell me you're caught in the m i d d l e caught in the middle and you're begging for me to stay 'cause e v e r y now and then my love calls like a whistle It calls l i k e a whistle and it's blowing y o u r mind again
ace’s hand still tingles from where their fingers were intertwined, and he presses them against the glass as if to cool them down, clear the buzzing in his head that was not even solely related to the alcohol that hadn’t even entered his body yet.
and he finds himself leaning against the counter, fist propped up against the counter, the other hand wrapped around his bottle of hite beer as he presses it against his lips. the corners twitch up at the request, his head nodding in approval at the choice of alcohol. “yeah, you know what, let me get one of those too,” he hums, and with this being the only bar he frequents after the years he’s been here… the knowing look from the bartender has him snorting.
he hums, gulping down maybe half of his beer before he starts sipping more leisurely, head cocked to the side. and looking at the other man like this– he can’t believe the universe, for throwing them back together like this in the cruelest of ways. his lips curl a little bit as he nods his head, “funny, huh?” and his smile droops a bit at the somber but true words, and he sits back to take a long swig, humming softly. he glances at zero, expression softening as he leans towards the other almost naturally, staring at him quietly. “yeah. me, too.” and it hovers there on his tongue, a name so familiar yet so foreign that he just has to… swallow it back down. because they’re not the same people as they were. not anymore.
he chases this thought away and he finishes his beer, holds the glass in his hand as he glances behind them, at the people mingling in the round booths, at the people dancing in their own world and in little groups dotted along the dark but neon-lit room. he hums softly, “do you… wanna dance? i haven’t in while.”
zero eyes ace up, the corner of his mouth pulling up into a smile. things always seemed to be so easy with ace, so calming and relaxed almost like it felt familiar to him not that he’d ever say that in fears the other would think he was weird. either way, he loved spending time with him.
“are you sure you’ll be able to handle it?” he teases, hand coming up to nudge ace ever so slightly as if to reassure he was just joking around. “don’t wanna carry you home like last time.” an airy chuckle rolling from his lips before he’s wrapping his fingers around the cool glass of his drink and placing it to his lips, taking a long swig. the burn of the whiskey is sharp but its welcomed, warming the inside of his throat and feeling the burn go all the way down.
it was times like this he almost forget about everything going on, the games and all the shit they were put through. almost like he was normal again. he shakes his head, and hums back to the other placing the drink back down on the bar. “mm i guess you could say that.” ace’s next movements catch zero off guard and he blinks long and slow. staring back at the younger male when he moves closer towards him. heart racing so fast that he could swear he could hear the thumping loud and clear in his ears. ace always had this effect on zero whether or not he wanted to admit that. “yeah..” he finds himself mumbling back, taking another swig of his drink moving on to signal the bar tender for another.
zero nearly chokes on his drink when ace asks, nodding his head so fast it probably came across as too eager. but he didnt care, he was up to do anything with the younger male, he’d made that obvious when they’d first agreed to hang out tonight. “yes! lets go.” he smiled towards ace, climbing up out of his seat and taking ace’s hand in his once again.
☆.｡.:* sometimes when she sits on a bench in the park allowing for the different scents of nature to stroke the inside of her lungs, she closes her eyes & briefly allows herself to pretend everything is fine. that if she were to open her eyes again her body would be normal, that she would see her family. that she could reach her hand forward & be reciprocated by something warm. in a rare stroke of a distant dream, her life would be normal again.
but it never will be. not anymore. yet minutes like these where she walks along a footpath & allows for her feet to gently nudge the fallen leaves, she thinks she can delude herself into believing her life is normal.
with the partner of the hour, it is not particularly difficult for her to do so. their names are foreign, but with that minor detail aside she feels as if the conversation could go down a route that has now become infected with weeds. they cannot upturn the plants whose roots dig deep into the soil, but they can constantly snip it.
❝ well, ❞ von pauses, letting the rest of her words roll on her tongue first. it tastes of an emotion she misses, but she shouldn’t keep it to herself for long. that would be vile. ❝ sweater weather offers no mercy when it roles in. ❞
there are times when he regrets himself having been taken and placed into the hell hole that was the hive, and the collective and anything god forbid anything to do with the mess he was in. yet at the same time he finds it something to keep his time occupied, to keep him interested. despite the odds being so high and basically risking his life every time he plays their game.
its a push and pull effect so to speak. and in these moments he wished he could be back in his old life, studying law and partying all night with his fathers money (often solicited from dirty tactics) without a care in the world. wished things could have been left on good terms with his father who wouldn’t recognise him now.
zero simply shakes his head and turns to the girl besides him, a girl who was in exactly the same position and knew exactly what feelings were swimming through his entire body. a small smile spreading across his lips as she speaks out and disrupts the silence that had fallen over them.
“i had almost forgotten just how cold it could get” he muses, tugging down the sleeves of his burgundy knitted jumper. anything to save fade the goosebumps that had slowly started to appear on his skin. “i’ll be wrapping up warmer from now on.”
an insight into the sorts of things zero posts : mainly comprising of darker night time aesthetics and far too many selfies for his own good. he likes to keep things simple, not revealing too much but also giving a glimpse into the fun he gets up to outside of the games.
it was mostly enjoyable hanging out with zero, she enjoyed his company when she wasn’t around to watch over him and make sure he wasn’t doing anything stupid but that’s what happens when you’re with someone a few short years younger. tonight wasn’t really all that different but gemini was not technically in a bad mood. they had been there for awhile, sitting on the leather couches inside the club, swirling her hands from the tips of her fingers.
"so childish. managed to get your drink all over the side of your mouth.” she teased, grabbing the free napkin on the table to wipe it clean for him.
zero was definitely drunk out of his mind, possibly not the first time this had happened so gemini was more definitely trying to keep an eye on him and even that was troublesome. she enjoyed the other’s company so she didn’t mind. “am i gonna have to play babysitter again? following your lead may not be the best idea right now unfortunately, as much as i want to. “ she breathes out, resting her hand on her palm.
there was something about those within vermillion he’d warmed up too, not all of the members within his own faction but there was a small few he’d grown fond off. gemini being one of those. over time she’d become somewhat of an older sister to him, he could count on her to help him in out in times of need, more so when he was drunk than anything else. but she would held regardless. like take right now for instance, he was drunk out of his mind but she’d come to his rescue.
he whined in a childish way, adding to her previous comment. “well excuse me for not being so perceptive- or whatever its called.”
swaying to the side ever so slightly, his eyes latched onto hers not daring to tear away once. “me? a baby!? are you kidding me.” he pouts, but he cant keep it for very long before he’s giving her a drunken chuckle. “i’d lead you to a night of fun! what are you talking about gemini.” attempting to stand up, but falling right back into the booth and chuckling more once again.
“now that sounds like a fun idea. snapping you in half. if only the sponsors would offer me that luxury,” speedy muttered, just loud enough for the other to hear. he kept his focus on cleaning the bench, but knowing full well that zero was in his proximity was putting him on edge. why couldn’t zero had just stabbed in the back with an actual knife? he’d rather be dead than have to deal with this pent up anger he felt towards the other. in his entire life, speedy had never felt such hate in his life.
speedy finished cleaning the machine and rolled his eyes, “brave of you to assume i haven’t attempted to get a restraining order on you.”
he pushed past the other (literally, seeing as how he rather childishly bumped his shoulder against zero’s) as he passed. “sadly, the request was denied.”
deciding that he didn’t feel comfortable with the fact the other was around, he decided he was done at the gym. he moved to the locker room instead, pulling off his tank top as he went to the locker to get his things. he was tempted to shower, but with zero around, he didn’t trust himself.
“too bad that im actually liked by the collective, they’d never let that happen.” he teases right back to speedy, eyes latching onto the other to see if he’d get a rise out of him. trying his best not to scoff at the other. after everything that had happened zero knew better then to fall back into speedy’s rotation, but at the same time he just couldn’t help himself, it was all just a big game to zero and he was certain speedy knew that by now.
“well, if you had gotten a restraining order i wouldn’t be here now, would i.” tilting his head to the side, a devilish grin spread from ear to ear.
finally the scoff fell from his lips when he’s bumped into, eyes lingering on the machine he’d just wiped down before turning on his heel to face the other’s back. “i wonder why.”
he followed the other, keeping a bit of distance between the two of them. eyes locking onto the others bare chest when he strips of his top. zero enjoying the show probably a little bit too much then he should. after all speedy was good looking and had a great body, it would have been rude not to stare.
the looks that he’s given make his stomach twist, giving him an uneasy feeling. just what had they faced and why were they looking at him like he was walking into a death trap. he knew that this would be a lot harder then what he’d already faced in the simulation but had it really been that bad. well it was supposed to be a b ranked mission after all, and he knew first hand just how taxing they could be. zero simply shakes his head and continues on down the hallway, a look of determination fixed on his face. he was going to get those points and nothing was going to stop him, he was stronger than he looked, a lot stronger, and this would prove it.
he’s startled at the sudden rush of a person on a stretcher sweeping past him. causing the uneasy feeling in his stomach to grow. he willed himself not to look back, to see whatever state that the candidate was in. he needed to do this, he couldn’t just turn around and decline now, not when the nightbound tournament was creeping up so quickly. so of course he refuses to decline, shaking off the masked figures before he’s shut inside the room he was now familiar with. however this time round things were a lot different.
zero finds his eyes widening ever so slightly when he’s approached by a person holding a syringe, he wasn’t scared of needles but he knew that this couldn’t be good. before he can react, he’s blinded once again and transported into the simulation world.
after what seemed like waiting forever, finally he hears that voice. squinting ever so slightly as he listens out to the mission in detail. everything seemed different. the voice had come so much quicker then before but he’d felt like he’d waited a long time. only to find out that he would not be going into this mission alone. not only that but he’d be having to work as a team, everyone knew that zero couldnt always play nice, the way he’d treated speedy and many others had been proof of that. yet at the same time, zero knew when to suck it up and take one for the team, listen to others and work to get the job done. that was always one thing he’d prided himself on and not to mention thanked the gods that he’d previously been learning to be a lawyer, it always seemed to come in useful.
he wants to sulk though, regardless of being in a team and once again he’s stopped from the voice adding even more information. “you fuckers” he finds himself saying. this time round he’d need his godmode, probably for a long period of time he’d thought to himself. hence why they’d given him some solution. however his thoughts are interrupted.
l o a d i n g ..... c a n d i d a t e . . . MUSTANG
l o a d i n g ..... c a n d i d a t e . . . ACE
l o a d i n g ..... c a n d i d a t e . . . LOTUS
l o a d i n g ..... c a n d i d a t e . . . WIDOW
“shotgun being the red ranger” he mumbles to himself, barely audible as his eyes scan over his fellow teammates, a small smile quipping at the corners of his lips when he realises at least he knew someone. though ace being on his team could be both a blessing and a curse, given his ever growing feelings for the boy.
once again zero has no time to think any of this over before he’s thrown straight into the mission. holding his breath as he looks around, great water. of all the places they could have dropped them its in a lake, or some shitty water thing. whatever the hell it was. he looks at the others, watches as how widow decides to go ahead before everyone and head to the surface. a great mistake. a bang rippling through the water before a pool of copper is visible. the poor bugger, before mustang is trying to signal his team to follow him and find a safer place to climb out. but things only seem to get worse from there.
once they all climb out at a safer distance thats when they hear them. the guards. followed by a loud bang and then mustang curling over and landing in a heap on the floor clutching his leg. he’d been shot, right in his shin a gaping whole where skin and flesh should be and crimson pouring out. the other three all exchange a look before banding together amidst the chaos to drag mustang behind some cover so that they could plan what to do. an injured member was not good, especially if it was a bad wound like the one the older male had. but then again they didn’t exactly have time to sit and come up with a full proof plan when they were a. being shot at and b. being closed in on. they’d need to make a decision and fast.
“zero you have guns right?”
“well yeah--”
“great! you can cover and shoot back at the guards.”
zero glanced down at mustang who was withering away in agony and screaming out. probably giving away their hiding spot (though zero was certain the guards had seen exactly where they’d hidden) “what are we gunna do about him? he’s no good to us if he can barely stand.” he watched ace’s expression change to a frown, flicking his eyes back to look at lotus who spoke up. “we cant just kill him, that would only leave the three of us to complete the mission.”
“better than being stuck here having to haul his ass around.”
“zero has a point.” ace’s words shocked zero a little, is this what he was really like on missions? so serious and so different then what he’d been like outside on their, dare he say it dates. it was refreshing and it made him swoon even more. he snaps himself out of his thoughts with help from the gun shots that were getting louder. “Well we need to hurry up and decide before we all die and fail this damn mission.” thats not what zero wanted. if he had his way he would have already shot him by now and the three of them could have merrily been on their way to find the blood diamonds and secure this under their belt. but that was easier said than done and even zero knew they’d need to all work together if they had a hope in hell in completing this.
“mustang can you walk?” lotus bends down and rests her hand gently on his shoulder, he replied back with a shake of his head before groaning out once again. she turned to look at the other two boys “we should wrap it up and then move onto somewhere a bit more safer.” zero nodded his head “they say exactly where we’d moved to and they’re closing in as we speak” pulling out his cylinder before revealing his dual pistols and holster that were now secured to his thighs. he leaned his head round the side of the wall and let out two shots towards the guards. “you guys decide but hurry it up, i can see three guards from here.”
ace wasted no time in getting on his knee’s and ripping a part of his shirt so that they could wrap it round the bullet wound on mustangs leg. lotus covering the older male’s mouth as ace secured the bandage so that he wouldn’t scream out and deafen all of them right there. the two of them then hoisting him up and helping him to walk so that they could get to a better position. meanwhile zero let off another two rounds before glancing over his shoulder to follow the others. eyes looking out for any other guards who would have heard all the commotion by now. they moved towards a set of containers, they needed to get back towards the dock where they had first landed. that was probably where the haul was from the mobster the voice had said. but at the same time that would have been heavily guarded and not to mention they’d given themselves away from widow rushing up to the surface like an idiot.
“he’s only gunna slow us down” zero mumbled. he hated to be the voice of truth but he was right. the wound to mustang’s leg was bad and they’d only have to carry him around for the duration before he passed out from the injury. he watched as lotus and ace exchanged looks while they carried on and into the maze of containers. “zero does have a point.” lotus finally blurts out, clearly struggling from having to carry mustang. he was a bulky guy with a big frame. “we cant just kill him, maybe.” zero and ace both cutting her off with a no. “he’d be taken and tortured till they found us.” ace nodding back to the girl. “i think we should just get it over with and then split up to find diamonds.” after a few more minutes of discussing they had all agreed it would be better in the long run, not to mention mustang’s physical body would be in agony at this point too. zero taking it upon himself to put the poor shit out of his misery, with the other two splitting up down different ways and zero taking off in a sprint.
by now it had felt like an hour had passed, probably not but it had still felt like that. zero, ace and lotus all searching high and low for an signs of the shipment they were after. zero hadn’t been lucky yet, but at least he’d taken out two guards and was now in the guise as one of them. hopefully the other two had gotten the same idea. it made it easier for him to blend in though he knew once the guards caught sight of his face they’d shoot on the spot. but he’d get there when he got there. for now he was closer to the docks, barely turning the corner when he hears shouts and someone running down towards him, before a thud and then another thud when he and lotus both hit the ground. she scrambles up quickly and heads off in a run again, leaving poor zero to slowly climb to his feet only to realise that guards were after her. it doesn’t take long before the guards shout more and open fire upon zero, who’s hat had been knocked off and his identity exposed. “shit.” he swears before turning back round the corner. where the fuck were these stupid diamonds.
he runs down one more row of containers when he stops, eyes peering round the side. there was a crane moving containers onto a huge tanker ship, with approximately five guards, two together with guns probably making sure no one interfered, one yelling at the workers to get a move on while the last two stand and check off the boxes to make sure they were the right ones. this had to be it, he just needed to make sure to find the right container, if they were in one that was. he stays there for a little longer before someone comes up behind him, their hand sliding over zero’s to stop him from screaming before finally he’s able to see ace’s bright smiling face peering at him. “im guessing we found it.”
“we just need to find which one.”
“im guessing its in that one container with the three extra guards by it.”
“i didnt see that one.”
“no but lotus did, she’s three rows up with eyes on, we were just tryna find you.”
“thats cute, now this might just be--” zero doesn’t get anything out before the guards are opening fire once again, the sound of bullets clanging against containers is loud as well as shouts all before an alarm bell is sounded. “oh shit.” they both said in unison. they must have found lotus. they both peer their heads round just a little to catch a glimpse, watching as three of the guards had moved, the two with guns both pointing ready to shoot anyone or anything that tried to get close to them, or even step foot into the open dock. ace and zero both slink off up the row and into the bit in the middle. dumb mistake. they both stop and stare like dears trapped in headlights when they see two more guards raising their guns towards them, with zero pulling ace back down from where they had come from and the all too familiar sound of pellets against steel. they were screwed. the other guards probably making their way down towards them to box them in and kill them.
“i’ll cover you.”
“dont be crazy zero you’ll get shot! or die!”
“i’ll be fine, i’ll cover for you and you run towards the container, i bet it wont be guarded now they’re all on alert.”
“but we dont know how many guards their are.”
“then we die trying.”
before ace can say anything else, zero pulls his guns out and begins shooting again, at the two guards that had made their way towards where they were. zero hitting one, before ducking when the bullet hits the container just above his head. tsking before trying to shoot again. thats when he activates his godmode, guns transforming into his staff before he steps out, to ace’s protest. spinning the staff and deflecting the bullets. “ace go!” i’ll cover you.” still spinning the staff, until one of the bullets slips past and graves his arm, ripping his shirt. zero winces. “i said go!” he repeats and watches as ace runs off into the cover of darkness. zero continues, but stops spinning the staff once the guard charges at zero, knife in hand.
zero clicks the button on his staff and separates it into two halves. getting ready for the charging guard that swings the knife relentlessly. he doges the first swing, but gets hit in the face his the guys elbow. zero grunts. swinging his staff and slices it across the guys neck, cutting it quite bad from its blade. zero ducking down to swing his leg and make the guy fall, before stabbing the staff end into his chest like a sword. he grunts and then instantly falls still. leaving zero to wipe at his nose, which by now was trickling blood. the damn bastard had gotten him good. but zero pushes on and towards the direction of where the two guards had come from, mostly in the hopes to check on lotus, and praying that ace was okay. he pushes on and runs forth, his godmode providing the strength and fastness he needs to get there quicker than normal. turning suddenly down the path of where lotus was supposed to be only to see her pinned against the container by a guard who was choking her. zero goes to charge to pull the man off but he’s knocked against the side of a container by something no. someone. the guy leaving no time to swing more punches in at zero before pulling out a knife to cut him up. zero barely has time to look up before moves to the side slightly, only just missing the knife and hearing it hit the container above him. zero tries to fight the man off, but he’s stocky and surprisingly fast. already swinging in for another punch to his stomach that knocks some of the air out. causing him to choke on his breath, and double over, all before once again the guy sends a knee to his stomach, knocking the air out of him entirely. he tries to gasp, watching as lotus tries her bast to fight back.
he shouldn’t of taken his eyes off before the guy pulls off and theres a gun shot. straight to zero’s abdomen. more guards having caught up and shot him right where he was. he places his hand to his side and watches as he pulls his hand back which is now soaked in blood. oh shit. that hurt. before his legs buckle and he’s sliding down the cold metal. he coughs. before theres another bang. this time to his chest. body flinching and everything suddenly going to black and immense pain.
suddenly he gasps out loud, body wanting to fight his restraints, only to fail and throw a mess of insults and curses out.
speedy didn’t even need to look up to know who it was. there was only one person who was on speedy’s shit list to the point that the sound of their voice actually could send speedy into a vicious rage. he believed he deserved the right to hate zero. no one had ever fucked someone over as bad as zero fucked him over and people have killed in the missions.
he was terrified when he was forced to come to seoul hive. he knew conversational korean for the most part, but this was a whole new place. zero had been nice to him and showed him around and maybe that should have been a sign that something was up. before long, speedy was head over heels for the other, but just when it seemed like things were getting serious for them, zero dropped a bomb on him. it was just a mission. it was a long con to fuck over speedy. it worked.
finishing his reps, he picked himself up, rolling his eyes as he looked at the other, “i’d break you. so maybe we should.”
deciding he was done with the weights, he picked himself up from the seat, rubbing his biceps as he walked past zero, to grab the cleaning supplies to clean up the weights for someone else to use. he sprayed the equipment before rubbing it down with paper towels.
“why are you even here?” speedy attempted, offering the other a untrusting look, “here to pick up someone who a decent person just to turn them into an asshole like you?”
he smirks wide. that same annoying and sickly sweet smirk that he was oh so famous for, he couldn’t help it after all it was just something that he did. but deep down zero knew that he was making speedy’s blood boil and that brought him pride in it, pride in practically ruining speedy.
call him an asshole.
“on seconds thoughts..” he thinks over the idea for a second and then quickly retorts back “you would probably snap me in half, and we couldn’t have that now could we.” he knew exactly what to say to get the other going, eyes watching over all the taller male’s features and taking in the whole sight.
while he had never truly fallen in love with the other or ever had romantic feelings, there was a physical attraction and a hell of a lot of sexual tension between the two of them. even zero couldn’t deny that and he was sure speedy felt it too.
“if you must know, i came here to train, just like you’re doing right now.” now being a little more serious then he had been before. “is that wrong? or am i banned from being near you at all costs hm?” he clicked his tongue, he knew what the other would say.
“besides it looks like your finished here anyway, that.. or i could just watch you.”
zero flips his jacket over his shoulder, holding it with two fingers like all the cool guys do in movies. except he’s not that cool and he’s no where near to being in a movie. still he smiles as the familiar blonde comes into view, feet picking up their pace as he b lines straight towards where she was stood.
he opens his mouth to shout her name before he’s already closing it. maybe calling out crow in front of hoards of people wasn’t the best idea. they were out in the public rather then being in the confines of the hive, he couldn’t afford to bring attention to themselves not when he could risk them both being punished for simply saying their code names outside of their safety net of the collective. so instead he opts for a more simple form of communication.
“hey beautiful! im sorry if i kept you waiting, my training went on for longer than i though ha.”
a while ago… ace had reasoned that he should stay away. shouldn’t get too close, shouldn’t make anything harder than it has to be, especially with the other’s memory riddled with holes. it was harder than he expected– especially under the weight of memories about years of friendship that he was carrying on his own. and the elation of seeing him again, of talking to him again, even under the terrible conditions it took for him to get her.
but yet here they were, slinking along through the streets of seoul, lights slowly flickering on as the nightlife scene emerged.
they round a corner and ace tugs on zero’s sleeve to stop him from going any further. he holds onto it loosely as he pries open a door, hidden along the edge of the brick wall, inconscpicuous. he lightly pulls on the other boy’s arm to get him to follow along, through dark hallways until the flash of neon lights adorning a bar counter flashes into view. it’s a relatively quiet scene, perfect for a night like this when. sometimes ace will go out of his way to throw himself in the midst of a throng of people, but today, ace doesn’t want to deal with the headache caused by the ruckus of other people.
he leads the older male over to the bar and hops up on a stool, tapping on the counter and grinning at the bartender, “think i’m gonna start off with a hite tonight,” and he nods his head in zero’s direction, “and whatever he wants, just put it on my tab.” his fingers tap against the granite countertop idly, his chin propped up on one of his hands as he glances over at zero.
“we met here, right?” he speaks up quietly, looking down at the swirling patterns on the dark granite, feet kicking against the counter. “a year or two seems like forever now,” he muses, a bit bitterly, letting out a soft sigh. “doesn’t it?”
it was crazy to zero that someone could have such an effect on him, especially given the circumstances they were under. that they could make him feel higher than anything else in the whole world, could put a smile on his face and give him butterflies in his tummy. it made him feel... vulnerable, and he hated it, but at the same time he also loved the feeling that it gave him. there was just something about ace that kept pulling him back each time, like a magnet.
he never wanted it to end.
there was a small smile on his lips as they traced through the streets, attention quickly being pulled away by the copious amounts of bars and clubs and their bright lights that lured people into them by a tug on his sleeve. stopping dead in his tracks to gaze upon his companion with a grin. hand gently sliding down and linking his fingers with another set as he’s pulled along and lead into a secret bar. a bar that was rather intimate and a place that would allow them to be alone in each others company, just what he always wanted.
he slides into the stool next to ace, resting his hands against the cold smooth countertop. “get me your strongest whiskey.” he mumbles with a nod. eyes scanning over the other male before he’s smiling wide like a little kid.
“now that you mention it, we did.” he lets his eyes flicker away for a second before the land right back to ace’s face. “well i mean its not surprising really, we’ve been through hell so its only natural time has flown by.” biting his lower lip “but i like it, like that we’ve been together for this long, y’know.”
L O A D I N G S E Q U E N C E
< L O C A T I O N : training center >
< F E A T U R I N G : speedy & @zeroblck >
he grunted as he dropped his weight back on the stand. he sat up from the bench, breathing a bit as he reached for his bottle of water, downing a good bit of it as he focused on his breathing. he rubbed his bicep, trying to sooth out the muscle fighting him.
speedy had been in the gym for nearly two hours now. the first hour was spent on the treadmill and the second was spent working on his arms. if he was anywhere but instead BLCKTMPL, he was certain his body would be at its limit, but if there was one thing they all had going for them, it was endurance. he had broke a sweat, but he wasn’t ready to call it quits just yet.
he stood up from the bench, stretching his arms in and out as he walked around the bench for a moment, just trying to get some energy back.
speedy wore a tight, black tank-top and loose black basketball shorts with black sneakers. he had a white towel around his neck, which seemed almost drastic with all the dark colors he was wearing, but it seemed to bring out his tanned skin.
he sat back down after a moment, taking another swig of his water before he was at it again. he laid down on the bench, his hands on the bar. he took a deep breath before he started his reps again.
if zero was being completely honest, he hadn’t hit the gym for a while. not wanting to become one of the collectives lab rats and because he was out doing other things with his time, like walking and going on hikes. and going out drinking, which would probably one day be his downfall.
however zero knew that if he didn’t hit the gym again it could damage his abilities when the collective next called on the members to do a mission. so he’d decided that going when it was late was the best idea. little did he know that it would end up blowing his face.
he walked in. his brand new black and gold sneakers (he’d gotten from one of his sponsors) squeaking against the tiles, taking a big fat swig of his water bottle.
letting his eyes scan around the room, scoping out what equipment was free and which were taken, though most of it was left empty. his eyes landed on someone benching weights. eyes lingering for a second before he caught a glimpse of just who it was.
zero could feel his jaw clenching a little, teeth grinding against each other before he tried his best to wipe the scowl of his face. maybe this could be a little bit of fun to zero. after all speedy hated his guts.
“bet you cant bench press me.” he finds himself mumbling out when he’s close enough, a devilish glint in his eyes.
good morning ( evening?? ) starshines the earth says hello !!
i tried my best to stay up for opening but it was like way past 3am when everything was done, curse my tz. coughs. anyway a lot of you already know me (by now ya’ll should) but im olive the mun behind zero who was around in the first run of blcktmpl, he’s a vet and known to be quite horrible, vermillion trash through and through, yikes. you can find more info at his stats page as well as a quick timeline of his past. i would looooooove to try to plot with everyone and get some threads and maybe a little bit of destruction going. if you’d like to plot then pls make that lil heart red and like this post so i can give you some lovin in the im’s.
park jimin aka zero / twenty one / vermillion
a vet with three years under his belt
weapon of choice is dual pistol guns that turn into a bladed staff
this allows him the best of both worlds with close combat and distance
he likes to believe he’s pretty durable (after all he’s survived this long)
sorta hates that he was taken away from his life on the outside world
but at the same time he really enjoys this sometimes.
he’s the son of a wealthy lawyer who isnt always on the lawful side.
has a track record of using dirty tricks to get what he wants.
bribing the jury and judges and makes sure he wins.
wants his son to be exactly the same way, but zero wasn’t always ready for that, tbh he sorta hated how much of an asshole his dad was.
zero WAS studying to become a lawyer tho before he was dragged away
one of those people that isnt afraid to stab you in the back or front
tends to look out for himself above anyone else
though he does have a few people he’s very loyal to
he’s mostly terrible when it comes to the games, anything to do with competing and he gets into the zone and will do anything to survive
outside of the games he’s a pretty alright guy, super friendly and fun
very sociable and loves to go out partying and to events
i dont really know what else to add ?? other than pls plot with me
perhaps being overly cocky wasn’t the way to go. or perhaps it was just the collectives way of letting zero know he shouldn’t celebrate too early of a victory, after all they had all the cards up their sleeves. something was bound to wipe the smug smirk clean of his face, this time it just came in the form of a blow to his stomach. if zero was being perfectly honest he hadn’t expected that at all. bastards, he thought to himself as he slowly looked up at the person who’d punched him.
it had left him breathless from catching him off guard (and not being able to tense his stomach) arm wrapping around his waist as he tired his best not to keel over right there and lay on the ground in agony. no. he couldn’t allow himself to be so weak. vermillion liked to pride themselves on their power and their strength, and he wasn’t going to let them down so easily.
once zero heard the familiar voice, he frowned a little. great another mission. as expected.
he heard the voice again, running through what the mission was this time round. he listened carefully this time round rather than brushing him off like he had done in the first one. this was a d level which meant it was supposed to be more challenging and if the stocky man before him had any indication towards what it was, he knew it would be a bit harder than the game of tag.
quickly he lets his eyes scan over the man.
noticing first his build (obviously) followed by the realisation that he was about the same height as him (great, even more reason for them to mock him. zero forcing himself not to roll his eyes, before finally his eyes fall on the gun holster. now things had gotten interesting. they were both gun users, though zero had the advantage of having an extra gun. if anything was permitted then this really was going to be a lot of fun to zero. he enjoyed these sorts of things.
however he is hardly left with any time to formulate any sort of a plan before the man is lunging towards him. zero barely leaping out of the way before he moved round behind the man. agility wasn’t his best but he had strength and not to mention his guns to help see him through -- that should be enough for now.
firstly he had to get the gun away from the man, so that zero could use his own guns and end this once and for all. it would probably be in record time too or would it. duck. he watches as the man swings another punch his way, zero ducking just out of the way and grabbing the guys arm as he does, hoping to bend it back and potentially break his arm. he doesn’t break it but he does hear the man scream out. he was fast and strong. at least zero was sorta both of those things. but he seemed agile despite being so stocky.
zero took his chance in striking a hard kick to the mans gut.
hand pulling out one of his dual pistols and shooting at the mans foot, whatever damage that would do. he swears under his breath before running back. giving himself some distance from the guy and praying he wouldn’t pull out his own gun. he doesn’t allow the man any time to recover before he pulls his left gun out and fires one more round this time at the guys thigh. but he doesn’t just stop their, he fires again with his right gun in the guys hip and bringing him down to his knees. zero charging at him and nicking the guy in the face with his gun (they could be great as a knuckle dusters sometimes) the guy gasped and zero quickly getting behind the man, pulls his gun under the mans chin grabbing it with both hands and pulling. trying to strangle him in the hopes he’d get lights out.
the man put up a fight however and tries to pull zero off of him. zero not budging one bit and diggs his heels into the ground. pulling tighter and tighter till the guys face was going red. his arms slowly began to lose their strength and after felt like 10 whole minutes finally he went limp and zero allowed him to fall to the ground.
and zero being zero, he shot him in the back of the head. just to make sure he really was dead before falling to a heap on the floor to catch his breath.
the collective never ceased to amaze zero with their new innovative technology that was far more advanced than anything he or anyone else had ever seen before. they were always finding ways to stretch the competitors to new extremes and this was by far the most amazing. all the more reason not to trust whatever it was they were doing.
but he hardly has anytime to comprehend just what ever contraption is was before he was temporarily blinded by a flash of white light. he really hated that, and curses at the masked man rather loudly before being transported to a different dimension, or what seemed like it anyway.
if it wasn’t for the fact this thing felt so artificial he might have actually believed his surroundings, but he knew the collective was always up to something. knew that actual magic and being able to teleport people couldn’t be done (at least not yet anyway). as his eyes adjusted after the blinding light it was clear to see this was just another mission but this time in the form of a simulation, it was very clever and zero knew all the tricks they’d used in the three years of him participating was only just the beginning of their talents.
he moves his hands, it seemed so real, everything in the simulation was correct and it was sort of scary just how well they had done everything. his eyes glanced around the streets. well at least he was still in seoul, or at least he hoped he was. however before he can think anymore of it he was told the information of just what his mission was.
when he had finally understood what the mission was his mind was set. it was easy really. to get from one point to another without being tagged. zero almost laughed at how easy it was, but he knew better then to assume things. without haste he’d decided to run forth, not wasting any time in waiting to be caught. the moment everything had materialised had been the moment whoever it was that was after him had already begun.
the collective loved to play dirty and he wasn’t risking anything.
his pace was fast, but not so much that he would tire himself out right away. just enough that would keep him going and just enough that if needed he could speed up and away from his taggers. he’d thought it was strange that they’d given him such a long period of time to complete it in. but then again any rookie would have already messed up somehow by now, or at least thats what he thought. keeping a steady pace as he headed for his destination. following the odd sign to make sure he was going the right way.
by now he was about just over half way, after 45 minutes had passed and still no sign of his taggers. he spoke too soon, because thats when he heard them. yelling that they’d found him. he swore under his breath before speeding up just a little bit. he was almost there. why did they have to show up now? but he didn’t let that phase him, just kept running. running and praying he could get there. to which of course a bright grin spread across his lips like wild fire when he saw it. he was home bound and nothing was gunna stop him. what ever the collective had planned next he was ready and waiting for it.
no matter what it was that the collective wanted, zero was willing.
his latest willingness to gain more points had put him in a game of russian roulette. a high stakes game just for the sake of each person getting more points to get ahead of their opponents. luckily for him he didn’t know anyone that he was playing with, which only made him want to beat them even more. to walk out of this sick game alive or wounded, either was better then getting killed.
there was a group of six, zero along with five others. each more nervous than the rest ( zero included ) even if they all tried to put up a front that they were fine, that they could do this as if it was nothing. zero could feel the young girl sat next to him fidget, shifting her weight as she sat there waiting for her turn. he knew that the odds were one in six, that one person would end up getting shot with the others walking out of this unscathed. but at the time he knew the collective too well by now to know there was probably more than one bullet loaded in the gun. that there would probably be multiple casualties because after all it was a high stake game, and the points were rewarding.
and if the stakes really were that high, would there be more then one round? would they keep going till one person walked out this as the victor. that was how the collective usually worked after all. the thoughts were swimming round his mind, hands clamming up from the million and one thoughts zero now had. eyes watching as one of the six loads the five rounds along with one blank into the revolver before spinning the cylinder with his finger. placing the now loaded gun onto the table.
each of them would take it in turns to hold the gun to their head, pulling the trigger to see whether or not they would receive a bullet to the brain or a blank. all of them hoping for the blank and all of them on edge with the outcome of the other members. zero inhaled and watched as the man who had loaded the gun picks it back up. “i may as well start then.”
“how do we know you don’t know where the blank is” another speaks up.
zero practically rolling his eyes. he saw him spin it, they all did. but he did sort of have a point, after all the guy could have calculated exactly where it landed.
“yeah? and thats why you think im going first? wow you really are a loser.” he retorts, placing the gun to the side of his head and with a shakey finger pulls the trigger. theres a loud bang, followed by the splattering sound of liquid landing on whatever it could find. the walls, the floor, table and the poor girl that had been sat next to him. she of course screams before the room falls completely silent.
eventually zero speaks up “well i think that answered your question.”
the girl shakes her head when two of the others grumble that its her turn. refusing to pry the gun out of the guys fingers. the one that had questioned the guy speaking up once again. “come on we all agreed to this, you gotta pick it up otherwise the collective will kill you themselves”. once again the man had a point and before anyone can say anything else she picks the gun up. holding it a little bit away from her head (compared to the guy who had held it dead set against the side of his head.) closing her eyes and muttering a prayer before pulling the trigger. theres another loud bang and she instantly falls back in her chair, body becoming limp and lifeless. the bullet jamming into her brain and killing her instantly. no exit wound and no blood splatter.
that was two of the 5 loaded bullets. there was three more and four people left to take it. everyone desperately wishing and hoping they would get the blank. the guy next to zero takes the gun and wastes no time in pulling the trigger with the gun against his head.
another loaded bullet.
by this point zero is shitting himself. the adrenaline pumping at full force through his body when his fingers take the gun, what the hell was he doing and why had he agreed to take the risk and go further. this had to be one of the worst things the collective had ever done to him and this was his third season. “oh my god” he mumbles as he places the gun against his head. finger trembling against the trigger as his eyes look up to the last remaining two behind him. “i guess if i die i died playing a good game.” he jokes before finally pulling the trigger.
theres a loud clicking noise, but no loud bang like the times before him.
the gods really had been smiling at him once he realises he’d been blessed with the blank. “live to see another day.” he muses, smug smirk growing on his lips as he watches the girls eyes widen next to him. she knew at that point her fate had been sealed, refusing to take the gun from zero’s hands. “if you don’t take it, i’ll shoot you myself.” zero remarks (though he knew he wouldn’t do it) with the girl finally taking the gun, she places it to her head but at the last minute lets out a loud shrill or a cry and shoots her self in the thigh, screaming out in pain and passing the gun to the final guy. he and zero both looked at each other with a weird look and then looked back to her. zero watching as she winced in immense pain “they never said we had to shoot ourselves in the head.” she splutters out, watching as the blood began to pour from her leg. “but what if they don’t heal you.” said the guy, placing the gun in his mouth and shrugging before pulling the trigger.
blood splattering against the wall, like the guy who had started. zero eyes wide and in shock. “what the fuck.” he calls out before the door opens and masked figures pull both zero and the girl away, congratulating the two survivors.
he had it all. he was wealthy, with plenty of money in the trust fund that daddy had created for him from his successful life as a lawyer. he was popular, attending all the greatest and best parities all because of his life among the elite. he was on track for a great career, one that followed in the footsteps of his father.
he’d had it all, and lost it in the blink of an eye. reduced to nothing but a lowlife lab rat.
he’d woken up in a state of panic. like when you suddenly wake up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat or jump awake from a nightmare. except the back of his t-shirt was not wet- quite the opposite. and he hadn’t suddenly jerked himself awake because a nightmare or bad dreams. instead his body had kick started something inside of him and he couldn’t help but suddenly sit up and let his eyes scan around.he finds himself in a container, surrounded by all its dense mental and its darkness that seemed to consume the confined space (thank god he wasn’t claustrophobic) though not completely un-seeable. there was a faint light illuminating somewhere.
thats when he realises this wasn’t the first time it’d happened.
and this time he wasn’t alone.
at first he’d thought the whole thing was a joke. just some dumb and mean prank his friends had played on him because he was well on his way to graduating and becoming a great lawyer just like his father was. but had soon realised that wasn’t the case. especially judging from the bandages that covered his body, and the way that his body ached. god it ached so bad. he was never one to be dramatic about things (or at least he likes to think so) especially when it came to pain, but this had been the worst thing he’d ever felt in his life. what had these people done to him? what had they put him through?
each time he’d woken up in the contained before hazier each time it had happened. memories threatening to re-surface in his brain. images that he’d rather forget or push out of his mind completely. it had been hell.
the pain on his wrist and his ankle sting. but he can shrug them off easily. but he shrugs it off, why flinch to something nothing more then a prick (more of a burning sensation really) when there were other matters, worse matters, at hand. like where the hell he was, and how he was going to get out this container maze (again). as well as why he had to answer so many questions before he’s knocked out and why so many machines, weapons and god knows what were trying to harm him before, you guessed it, he’s knocked out. that was the really strange thing about it. though, was it all just some test? and were the key (or keys) to his escape in the answers he’d given? even he wasn’t sure anymore. and that almost never happened to the great park jimin- no zero as he now went by. the new identity that had been given to him, all traces of his real name erased. his very existence erased entirely, though he didn’t know that part- not yet at least.
either way he wanted out of this shit hole.
he works with the people he’d woken up too in the same room as him. they’d become what you would could call unlikely allies. each one stubbornly cooperating with one another, with the ones who didn’t perishing in rather morbid and gruesome ways (he suspects the people who’d kidnapped them had sadistic and disturbing views, and he was probably right). but despite them coming together to work as a team, zero feels nothing towards them. merely works with them to get the job done so he could survive. like he had all this time.
something that’s quite clearly shown when he wastes no time in pulling the trigger on one of his allies. he was a survivor and would stop at nothing if it meant getting out alive. and he did.
