July 11, 2032 - 7am.

  Hwayeon and Taeseok woke up and headed to the kitchen. Hwayeon raised her brows at Taeseok, “You’re up early?”

  “I was hungry.”

  “I’ll make you something then.” Hwayeon chuckled and as they headed down…

  Ehem!

  “Ya finally up!” Junkie cackled in completely black attire with his guns ready at the bottom of the stairs.

  Seohwa, who woke up at 6 and jogged around Junkie’s farmland, entered through the front door and saw Junkie cackling, “Junkie? You’re awake? That’s surprising.”

  “Of course I am! We have our first job. Something easy for ya kids.” Junkie huffed.

  Seohwa brows twitched as she felt something was up, “What happened to the $500K we got for the lottery?”

  Junkie flinched, “… Oh, that?” He averted his eyes from Seohwa's intense gaze, “… I gambled it away… last night.” He spoke so quietly that it was almost incomprehensible but Seohwa could hear it with her heightened senses.

  Seohwa bit her lips as she breathed in deeply but no matter how many times she did it, she couldn’t get rid of her irritation. “Junkie…” She started softly but Junkie glanced at her face and knew she was boiling inside.

  “Let me throw you.” Seohwa smiled so pure but her eyes were cold.

  Taeseok, who was watching, shuddered, “Yikes. Been there, done that.”

  Hwayeon chuckled, “That was because you pushed in line for ramyeon and made Viper fall back then.”

  “… Don’t remind me.”

  Outside the house, the screams of one fellow Junkie could be heard…

  VIPER! NO! STOP RIGHT THERE!

  AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!

  ***

  07:30 - Living Room.

  Yerin, Minggu and Jiho woke up from Junkie screaming and saw him kneeling with a black and blue face.

  Minggu tilted his head and asked, “Want me to heal you, Junkie?”

  Junkie brightened up to which Seohwa replied in Junkie’s stead, “No thank you, Mantis. Junkie here needs to learn his lesson.”

  Junkie looked pitiful as Jiho being the most gullible, asked her, “Can’t he? Viper, he’s an old man and probably already frail.”

  Seohwa shook her head, “Still a no. Monkey, if he really was a frail old man as you say, he wouldn’t have spent every dime of the $500K lottery winnings on gambling.”

  “WHAT?!” Yerin yelled this time, “THOSE WERE FOR SHOPPING FUNDS!”

  Seohwa saw Yerin ready to freeze him as she gestured to Junkie, “Be my guest.”

  “Not you too?” Junkie groaned.

  After a certain amount of time, Junkie was lifted up by Taeseok as Taeseok sighed, “Guys, cut it out. Since he said we have a job, we should hear him out.”

  Yerin and Seohwa stopped torturing Junkie as Junkie nodded at Taeseok, “Thanks, Bear.”

  Taeseok shrugged casually. Junkie coughed, “As I’ve been trying to say for the last, well, hour and a half, we have a job. Now, I used some connections and applied all of ya as a mercenary group. I heard Jun—err, Stretch call ya Furies when we first met. I liked the name so I kept it for ya, now ya’ll are The Furies Mercenaries.”

  Minggu raised his hands, “What’s the job?”

  “Oh, something simple like retrieving something in a high security laboratory. Honestly, I just need two to three people for this job. I want to take a look at yar abilities.” He then glanced at Seohwa and Jiho, “Ya two sit out since I’ve seen what ya can do. The rest of ya pick three people.”

  “Then, I’ll sit out on this one for now.” Yerin fiddled with her hair, “I’ll be a bit busy these next few days, renovating my room.”

  Junkie was baffled as he chuckled, “Anyone else?”

  Hwayeon, Taeseok and Minggu shook their heads as Junkie smirked, “It’s settled then. Tigress, ya’ve seen my mustang right? Check it out and see if it needs any fixes. And Bear, ya drive.”

  “Me? I’m only 16, though?” Taeseok frowned.

  This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

  “This is America, 16 year olds can learn how to drive. And besides, we’re mercenaries. I need to make sure one of ya kids can drive. Anyway, hop on to it!”

  ***

  In the Mustang.

  Minggu wore his seatbelt as he watched Taeseok go pale in the driver’s seat. Minggu had never seen Taeseok ever pale except for when his chip packets run out. Junkie sat in the passenger seat with a wide, mischievous grin.

  Hwayeon got in the back next to Minggu as she asked, “Is this safe?”

  “A kid driving for the first time on his first job, are ya nuts? Of course not!” Junkie cackled.

  “Then why are you doing it?” Minggu gulped.

  This crazy psycho…

  “Well, I believe in learning fast on the job. By the end of the day, Bear here will have learnt how to drive. Trust me.” Junkie smirked.

  Everyone glared at his mischievous cackling and thought…

  That’s the thing! We can’t trust you!

  “Anyway, onward! Push the handbrake down, change gears to 1 and press the right pedal to go. The middle pedal is to break. And the very left pedal is when ya want to change gears and increase or decrease speed.”

  Taeseok followed his instructions as the Mustang began to move. Taeseok pressed the brake every so often since the car was moving and about to hit something.

  On the other hand, Jiho and Seohwa watched the mustang leave the Illusion field as Jiho asked, “Will they be alright?”

  Seohwa looked up at the clear bright sky, “With Taeseok-oppa driving? Let’s hope so.”

  ***

  10 hours later - Dugway Shadow Labs (DSL)

  Taeseok had red eyes as he parked the mustang in a location 2km away from the DSL of Salt Lake City.

  Hwayeon and Minggu couldn’t sleep a wink as Junkie cackled, “We here, ya brats! As for you, Bear, ya can take a nap. But ya have to be our getaway driver.”

  Taeseok’s head fell on the wheel heavily as he nodded before closing his eyes for the first time in the past few hours.

  Hwayeon and Minggu got out of the car and puked on the ground.

  Minggu wiped his mouth as he used his plant healing ability to recover, “I… am not doing that ever again.”

  “Same.” Hwayeon nodded as Minggu healed her.

  “Why ya whining, ya big babies?” Junkie scoffed with his arms crossed.

  Minggu and Hwayeon glared at him.

  It was your fault. To ask a learning driver to speed up to 130km/h!!!

  Junkie huffed, “Anyway, since we here, I can now tell ya what we here for.”

  Minggu and Hwayeon stood up and stretched as Junkie said casually while scratching his ear, “We’re here to steal a powerful biochemical virus that could potentially destroy everyone around us.”

  !!!

  Minggu rubbed his temples, “I should really stop being surprised at your antiques.”

  “Who are the lab subjects? Should we save them?” Hwayeon asked, remembering their own experience.

  “Lookie here, not all labs use children like the one ya were in. Some just use labrats. Now, I’ll tell ya the plan.”

  ***

  6:30pm.

  BOOM!

  Hwayeon, Minggu and Junkie were running from a horde of men chasing after them as they carried a child each. “You were saying, Junkie?!!!” She screamed.

  “Ok fine! How was I supposed to know that this lab used kids as labrats!!! Just be grateful that there were only three left that survived!”

  “NOT HELPING!” They both yelled as Taeseok stopped in front of them with the mustang, “Get in!”

  They placed the kids at the back as they got in.

  Taeseok used his ability and lifted the mustang to fly out.

  Junkie cheered, “A flying mustang! Great idea, lad!”

  “Hehe.” Taeseok drove the flying mustang as he asked, “Well, as you said, I got used to driving but I thought it would be easier this way. So, did you get the case?”

  “Of course we did. It’s right…” Junkie looked at his empty hand where the case was supposed to be, “…well, it’s supposed to be here.”

  Junkie felt the cold stares of the three as he huffed, “Ok, that was my fault! Let’s just go back and get it!”

  “Asshole.” Minggu swore.

  “The worst.” Hwayeon sighed as she checked up on the three kids they saved.

  Taeseok turned the mustang around as Minggu used his vines to get the case and easily retrieved it.

  Junkie reached his arm out as Minggu shook his head, “Why don’t I hold it for safe keeping?”

  “…” Junkie pouted, “Jeez, where’s the trust?”

  There is none!

  Minggu began to heal the kids they saved using his vines as they flew away.

  ***

  10pm - Rhyolite Ghost Town Church.

  “Ok stop right here. I’m gonna hand this to the agency.” Junkie took the case and whistled to the abandoned Church.

  Hwayeon sighed, “He’s absurd.”

  “Tell me about it. I usually go at my own pace but he takes it to another level.” Taeseok nodded.

  As they talked behind Junkie’s back, the kids slowly woke up as they hugged each other afraid.

  Hwayeon smiled gently, “It’s ok. We’re here to save you. I’m called Tigress, the one who healed you on the right is Mantis and the one at the driver’s seat is Bear. We also have another person called Junkie. What are your names?”

  “…” The kids didn’t answer as they were still cautious. Hwayeon signalled to Minggu as he nodded.

  He smiled at them and opened his palm, “Watch this.” Small flowers soon bloomed from his hand as the kids’ eyes widened, “I’m not the only one. Look at Tigress.”

  The kids looked behind as Tigress flicked a flame on each of her fingertips as she leaned the flame to them, “You can touch it, it’s not hot.”

  The three kids curiously touched her flames and were fascinated that it wasn’t hot.

  Then one kid pointed at Taeseok, “What does he do?”

  Taeseok chuckled as he got an unopened chip packet from his snack jacket and gave it to them, “Open it.”

  The kids curiously opened it as the chips began to float, “Woah!” They began to giggle as Taeseok’s lips curved slightly, “I make things float.”

  After a while, Junkie came back with two black cases as he got in, “Oh? The young’uns woke up, huh? How are they?”

  The kids then pointed at Junkie innocently, “What does he do?”

  Junkie smirked, “Well of course I do the most amazing job of all! And that is—!”

  “Sucking.” Minggu interrupted.

  “And snoring.” Hwayeon added.

  “Being a psychopath.” Taeseok munched on some chips.

  “…” The kids who got close to Hwayeon, Minggu and Taeseok looked at Junkie pitifully, “I-it’s ok, grandpa… you have a cool shirt.”

  Junkie’s lips twitched, “Thanks kids for trying… unlike these ungrateful brats! Anyway, ya three we saved, ya see the man in a suit behind me? Follow him out. He’ll take ya back home.”

  “No!” The kids booed as they tugged at Hwayeon and Minggu.

  “Ya don’t have a choice. I’m already taking care of 6 kids. I can’t take in another 3. So ya have to go. Just say yar goodbyes and get out.” Junkie huffed as he sat in the passenger seat.

  Hwayeon consoled the kids as they said goodbye to them. Hwayeon and Minggu waved at them as Taeseok lifted the mustang off the ground and flew back to Junkie’s hidden base.

  As they were in the air, Minggu asked, “So? How much did we get paid?”

  “Ah just a measly $1 million since it was a retrieval job.” Junkie began to count the cash.

  Hwayeon scoffed, “If Viper or Crane heard that you think $1 million is measly, they would have tortured you for many hours considering you spent $500K on gambling.”

  “… Ya have a point there, lass.”

  “So? What’s our cut?” Taeseok raised his brows.

  “Yar cut? Ya don’t have one. All this is mine since I have to raise the lot of you.”

  “…”

  Minggu’s brows twitched, “Hey Bear.”

  “Hm?” Taeseok glanced at the rearview mirror and knew what he wanted to say.

  “You thinking what I’m thinking, Mantis?” Hwayeon cracked her knuckles.

  Mantis smirked, “Yep. Bear, now please.”

  “What?” Junkie raised his brows, baffled when Hwayeon and Minggu took the two cases of cash from him. They then held his shirt to which Taeseok turned the mustang on its side and forced Junkie’s door open. Junkie dangled on the side door of the mustang, screaming, “YA BRAAAAAAAAAAATS!”