(no subject)
Title: Apologia Pro Vita Sua (Prologue and Chapter 1)
Authors: angelinaii, murasaki_plum, nemesis_cry (otherwise known as The Scorpions)
Characters/Pairings: All (kangteuk, shichul, kihae; potential kyuwook, eunkihae, shihanchul, yeshdong, yewook, minry)
Rating: PG-13 to R
Genre: AU, organized crime, postcyberpunk
Summary: In a world where money and crime go hand and hand, survival is not determined by the fittest, but the ones who will fight to live.
Warnings: violence, swearing, sexual situations
Banner by angelinaii
Prologue
A burst of smoke hissed through cold night air, condensing fast into an oily, dirty drizzle. It slid through pipes and spilled onto the sidewalk where a homeless man huddled under a cardboard box, rags and foul smell clinging to him like a second skin. He slept undisturbed as further up the street a boy strummed a violin, plucking the strings with little knowledge or talent. A hat at his feet lay empty. Not many people passed by this part of town, or at this hour. Not if they knew better.
Henry watched from a tall ledge, feet dangling over the wide abyss of the street. He was polishing what appeared to be a short bread knife with a curved end hook, but it was more accurately the sort of weapon you'd play around with only if you knew you wanted to kill. Under his palm was a silver dragon with rubies for eyes. It peeked out from time to time, as if glancing down contemptuously at the musician beneath them.
All was silent and lifeless but for the sound of that one screeching violin. It rang hollow with the sounds of a half-hearted concerto, the rehearsal partition-less, but still riddled with childish mistakes. As the bum rolled over creaking cardboard, so surely Chopin must have been rolling in his grave.
Divine interruption ended the spectacle.
"Yo, kid! Whatcha doing?" A pair of heels tapped a fast rhythm on the pavement, approaching or receding, it wasn't clear until they were followed by the sight of a group amassing on the corner of the street.
They were just children, but Henry still looked up, vaguely interested.
"This is disturbing the peace, ya know?" one of them pointed out, sauntering over to the violinist, his hands thrust in his pockets. It was a cold, cold night, ripe for harassment and crime.
"Yeah, this is disturbing the peace. It ain't allowed!"
The whole group snickered, the musician backing into the wall like a cornered animal. Henry cocked his head.
Stop-stuttering to the rhythm of his pulse, a voice croaked: "Leave-leave me alone..."
The dragon knife slashed through the air. Someone screamed.
Blood spilled onto the street as the group scattered, the musician not last to follow. The homeless man mumbled something in his sleep before rolling over again and falling into a deeper slumber, undisturbed.
A foot crushed the empty hat, lifeless. Henry jumped down, agile and quiet. He retrieved the knife and the violin.
Somewhere, a clock marked the hour. Four fifteen. Sixty minutes to sunrise, an eternity.
***
Welcome to Judoh, named the closest city to utopia by the United World Organization. You will find the quality of life higher than anywhere else in the world. Home of the Institute of BioComputer Research, our scientists developed the particle invasive computer implants that are now common practice today. Our police force is the best in nation, Judoh's crime rate decreases with every year. Further, we plan legislation to annex ourselves from the twenty-first district, known as the Bottoms by our local population. In doing so, as well as fortifying the walls around the city, crime and poverty levels will diminish substantially.
Whatever brings you to this city, whether it is to raise your family or to enhance your business, choosing to live in Judoh is the wisest decision you could make.
Sincerely,
Hyesu Choi
Mayor
&
H & E, Friends of Judoh
Chapter 1
Gravel moved loudly beneath car tires as his black and white rolled to a stop.
"Stay here," Yesung sighed as he stepped out of the driver's side, not even bothering to glance at the petrified officer seated next to him. It would've been easier to make this run on his own, but he had a mark on his file. Those with marks got babysitters. Luckily for him, his 'sitter' for the time being was content to wait in the safety of the squad car. Most of them were. Squaring his shoulders as if to signify he cared about the catcalls and exposed tattoos that greeted him on the way to the warehouse building.
"Popo's coming through!" a man laughed from his perch on the front steps. "Looking good today, officer."
He couldn't help but smirk, Shindong just had to be an ass about having to step into Judoh's Bottoms in full uniform. Keeping with routine, he put a hand on his holster and made a nod to the entrance. "I'm looking for a man named Kyuhyun. Do you know him?"
"Got a warrant?"
"Got something to hide?"
Shindong smirked and made a nod to the corner. "Try over there, might be napping."
Yesung glanced over his shoulder. The man in the squad car had long lost interest in whatever Yesung was up to, most likely was waiting for him to get killed or return with a payoff. Preferably money, but anything that could boost a career file would work just as well. When tailed, it was hard for Yesung to disappoint. He walked around the corner to stand in front of a prone body asleep on the ground. The only thing visible from beneath a tattered black jacket was an unruly mass of bleached blond hair. Yesung kicked at the man's boot and dropped a manila folder on top of the jacket. "Rise and shine."
A hand peeked out from beneath the garment to grab at the file before both things disappeared beneath it. "What's this?" a muffled voice asked.
"A personnel file." Yesung kicked at the boot again.
"And?"
"It says that he had a BCI put in two years ago, you'd know that if you bother to read it."
"You could have saved time by just telling me his name." Kyuhyun sighed, rolling over onto his side. This was the main reason people with modified brains got on Yesung's nerves, not only did they act like know-it-alls, they had the technology to back it up. After getting a toe in the small of his back, Kyuhyun sat up and gave Yesung a pointed look. "What do you want?"
"I need him alone without raising suspicion."
"Tell me where he needs to be and when." Kyuhyun said in a condescending tone that would have earned a quick punch in the face if Yesung wasn't in a hurry.
"Judoh port, dock four-two-five, thirteen hundred hours." Yesung stated after he rechecked the encoded message sent to him by Hankyung, realizing with some annoyance that Kyuhyun had a hand in sending the message and that he was wasting Yesung's time.
Kyuhyun closed his eyes for a few seconds and then looked blankly at Yesung. "Done."
"Done?" Yesung asked, unnerved by the glass-eyed unseeing stare the other man would take on whenever he was still connected to the internet.
"You asked for something easy. Anything else?" Kyuhyun tilted his head inquisitively, and Yesung could hear the movement mimicked by the security camera that was acting as the taller man's eyes.
"Can you stop that?" Yesung slapped his palm against Kyuhyun's ear.
"Alright, okay, what?" Kyuhyun spat as his gaze focused and he seemed to be paying full attention to Yesung.
With a barely repressed shudder, Yesung picked up the file from Kyuhyun's hand. "SMS Hankyung the location and let him know it will be the usual rate. I want deposit slips of our last transaction in the target's possession, Kibum should have wired the remainder into a new account by now. You can verify that for him."
Kyuhyun yawned and ruffled a hand through his already unruly blond hair, "Right, got a pen?"
Yesung pulled a pen from his notepad and passed it over. Kyuhyun pulled a blank business card out of his pocket and quickly scribbled what looked to be a barcode. "Scan it, access code 06-D-07410. Password: FUYSNG. Verify yourself. Anything else?"
"Fuck you too." Yesung smirked and flicked an envelope at Kyuhyun. "Go back to whatever."
"Sleeping, I've been working on Ryeowook's newest plan all night. His plans take a lot out of me." Kyuhyun broke into a small smile at the mention of Ryeowook's name. That never failed to make Yesung a little uneasy. Kyuhyun suddenly broke out of whatever reverie he had drifted off into to look back at Yesung. "Hey, be careful out there today, I can't explain it. I've been picking up the echoes of some messed up shit through the 'net. Nothing but bad vibes. Whatever it is, it is going to start today. Just keep an eye out."
"Perfect." Yesung sighed, noting just another thing to bring up to Kangin later. He just had to get this other business out of the way first.
Shindong waved Yesung over when Yesung approached. "So what're you gonna tell the fuzz waiting for you? Kyuhyun bribe you? You didn't find who you were looking for? I gave you important information on a weapons deal?"
"I am the fuzz. Got anything for me? Kyuhyun had nothing." It was a bold-faced lie and they both knew it. "There's a rumor out that there's someone working for the triad who's been setting up politicians in Judoh. Know anything about that?"
"You know me, I'm your favorite informant." Shindong beamed a bright smile at Yesung. Both knew that Yesung himself was the answer to the question asked.
"You're my favorite informant. You've never been wrong."
"Got to love my track record. I might know the guy, typically hangs out wherever he wants. Today I'm planning to meet up with him on some business, so if you follow me you might find him." A wink and a dismissive roll of his shoulders.
"Great help, that." Yesung rolled his eyes.
"Glad to be of service."
Authors: angelinaii, murasaki_plum, nemesis_cry (otherwise known as The Scorpions)
Characters/Pairings: All (kangteuk, shichul, kihae; potential kyuwook, eunkihae, shihanchul, yeshdong, yewook, minry)
Rating: PG-13 to R
Genre: AU, organized crime, postcyberpunk
Summary: In a world where money and crime go hand and hand, survival is not determined by the fittest, but the ones who will fight to live.
Warnings: violence, swearing, sexual situations
Banner by angelinaii
Prologue
A burst of smoke hissed through cold night air, condensing fast into an oily, dirty drizzle. It slid through pipes and spilled onto the sidewalk where a homeless man huddled under a cardboard box, rags and foul smell clinging to him like a second skin. He slept undisturbed as further up the street a boy strummed a violin, plucking the strings with little knowledge or talent. A hat at his feet lay empty. Not many people passed by this part of town, or at this hour. Not if they knew better.
Henry watched from a tall ledge, feet dangling over the wide abyss of the street. He was polishing what appeared to be a short bread knife with a curved end hook, but it was more accurately the sort of weapon you'd play around with only if you knew you wanted to kill. Under his palm was a silver dragon with rubies for eyes. It peeked out from time to time, as if glancing down contemptuously at the musician beneath them.
All was silent and lifeless but for the sound of that one screeching violin. It rang hollow with the sounds of a half-hearted concerto, the rehearsal partition-less, but still riddled with childish mistakes. As the bum rolled over creaking cardboard, so surely Chopin must have been rolling in his grave.
Divine interruption ended the spectacle.
"Yo, kid! Whatcha doing?" A pair of heels tapped a fast rhythm on the pavement, approaching or receding, it wasn't clear until they were followed by the sight of a group amassing on the corner of the street.
They were just children, but Henry still looked up, vaguely interested.
"This is disturbing the peace, ya know?" one of them pointed out, sauntering over to the violinist, his hands thrust in his pockets. It was a cold, cold night, ripe for harassment and crime.
"Yeah, this is disturbing the peace. It ain't allowed!"
The whole group snickered, the musician backing into the wall like a cornered animal. Henry cocked his head.
Stop-stuttering to the rhythm of his pulse, a voice croaked: "Leave-leave me alone..."
The dragon knife slashed through the air. Someone screamed.
Blood spilled onto the street as the group scattered, the musician not last to follow. The homeless man mumbled something in his sleep before rolling over again and falling into a deeper slumber, undisturbed.
A foot crushed the empty hat, lifeless. Henry jumped down, agile and quiet. He retrieved the knife and the violin.
Somewhere, a clock marked the hour. Four fifteen. Sixty minutes to sunrise, an eternity.
***
Welcome to Judoh, named the closest city to utopia by the United World Organization. You will find the quality of life higher than anywhere else in the world. Home of the Institute of BioComputer Research, our scientists developed the particle invasive computer implants that are now common practice today. Our police force is the best in nation, Judoh's crime rate decreases with every year. Further, we plan legislation to annex ourselves from the twenty-first district, known as the Bottoms by our local population. In doing so, as well as fortifying the walls around the city, crime and poverty levels will diminish substantially.
Whatever brings you to this city, whether it is to raise your family or to enhance your business, choosing to live in Judoh is the wisest decision you could make.
Sincerely,
Hyesu Choi
Mayor
&
H & E, Friends of Judoh
Chapter 1
Gravel moved loudly beneath car tires as his black and white rolled to a stop.
"Stay here," Yesung sighed as he stepped out of the driver's side, not even bothering to glance at the petrified officer seated next to him. It would've been easier to make this run on his own, but he had a mark on his file. Those with marks got babysitters. Luckily for him, his 'sitter' for the time being was content to wait in the safety of the squad car. Most of them were. Squaring his shoulders as if to signify he cared about the catcalls and exposed tattoos that greeted him on the way to the warehouse building.
"Popo's coming through!" a man laughed from his perch on the front steps. "Looking good today, officer."
He couldn't help but smirk, Shindong just had to be an ass about having to step into Judoh's Bottoms in full uniform. Keeping with routine, he put a hand on his holster and made a nod to the entrance. "I'm looking for a man named Kyuhyun. Do you know him?"
"Got a warrant?"
"Got something to hide?"
Shindong smirked and made a nod to the corner. "Try over there, might be napping."
Yesung glanced over his shoulder. The man in the squad car had long lost interest in whatever Yesung was up to, most likely was waiting for him to get killed or return with a payoff. Preferably money, but anything that could boost a career file would work just as well. When tailed, it was hard for Yesung to disappoint. He walked around the corner to stand in front of a prone body asleep on the ground. The only thing visible from beneath a tattered black jacket was an unruly mass of bleached blond hair. Yesung kicked at the man's boot and dropped a manila folder on top of the jacket. "Rise and shine."
A hand peeked out from beneath the garment to grab at the file before both things disappeared beneath it. "What's this?" a muffled voice asked.
"A personnel file." Yesung kicked at the boot again.
"And?"
"It says that he had a BCI put in two years ago, you'd know that if you bother to read it."
"You could have saved time by just telling me his name." Kyuhyun sighed, rolling over onto his side. This was the main reason people with modified brains got on Yesung's nerves, not only did they act like know-it-alls, they had the technology to back it up. After getting a toe in the small of his back, Kyuhyun sat up and gave Yesung a pointed look. "What do you want?"
"I need him alone without raising suspicion."
"Tell me where he needs to be and when." Kyuhyun said in a condescending tone that would have earned a quick punch in the face if Yesung wasn't in a hurry.
"Judoh port, dock four-two-five, thirteen hundred hours." Yesung stated after he rechecked the encoded message sent to him by Hankyung, realizing with some annoyance that Kyuhyun had a hand in sending the message and that he was wasting Yesung's time.
Kyuhyun closed his eyes for a few seconds and then looked blankly at Yesung. "Done."
"Done?" Yesung asked, unnerved by the glass-eyed unseeing stare the other man would take on whenever he was still connected to the internet.
"You asked for something easy. Anything else?" Kyuhyun tilted his head inquisitively, and Yesung could hear the movement mimicked by the security camera that was acting as the taller man's eyes.
"Can you stop that?" Yesung slapped his palm against Kyuhyun's ear.
"Alright, okay, what?" Kyuhyun spat as his gaze focused and he seemed to be paying full attention to Yesung.
With a barely repressed shudder, Yesung picked up the file from Kyuhyun's hand. "SMS Hankyung the location and let him know it will be the usual rate. I want deposit slips of our last transaction in the target's possession, Kibum should have wired the remainder into a new account by now. You can verify that for him."
Kyuhyun yawned and ruffled a hand through his already unruly blond hair, "Right, got a pen?"
Yesung pulled a pen from his notepad and passed it over. Kyuhyun pulled a blank business card out of his pocket and quickly scribbled what looked to be a barcode. "Scan it, access code 06-D-07410. Password: FUYSNG. Verify yourself. Anything else?"
"Fuck you too." Yesung smirked and flicked an envelope at Kyuhyun. "Go back to whatever."
"Sleeping, I've been working on Ryeowook's newest plan all night. His plans take a lot out of me." Kyuhyun broke into a small smile at the mention of Ryeowook's name. That never failed to make Yesung a little uneasy. Kyuhyun suddenly broke out of whatever reverie he had drifted off into to look back at Yesung. "Hey, be careful out there today, I can't explain it. I've been picking up the echoes of some messed up shit through the 'net. Nothing but bad vibes. Whatever it is, it is going to start today. Just keep an eye out."
"Perfect." Yesung sighed, noting just another thing to bring up to Kangin later. He just had to get this other business out of the way first.
Shindong waved Yesung over when Yesung approached. "So what're you gonna tell the fuzz waiting for you? Kyuhyun bribe you? You didn't find who you were looking for? I gave you important information on a weapons deal?"
"I am the fuzz. Got anything for me? Kyuhyun had nothing." It was a bold-faced lie and they both knew it. "There's a rumor out that there's someone working for the triad who's been setting up politicians in Judoh. Know anything about that?"
"You know me, I'm your favorite informant." Shindong beamed a bright smile at Yesung. Both knew that Yesung himself was the answer to the question asked.
"You're my favorite informant. You've never been wrong."
"Got to love my track record. I might know the guy, typically hangs out wherever he wants. Today I'm planning to meet up with him on some business, so if you follow me you might find him." A wink and a dismissive roll of his shoulders.
"Great help, that." Yesung rolled his eyes.
"Glad to be of service."