Last Breath - Part 35
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Taecyeon caught Onew when the smaller vampire came at him like he was nothing, lifting him off his feet and throwing him against the hall. At the loud bang, Minho couldn't help but peek around the corner to see.
Taecyeon looked directly at him, grinning. "You again."
Onew pounced and Taecyeon stumbled back across the hall, his attention torn from Minho. Considering the looks of the two, Minho thought Onew was doing well, but only for a too short lived time. It took surprisingly little for the larger vampire to beat Minho's to the floor, and once there, he sat on him and punched him, again, and again, and Minho saw no way for Onew to get out...
Then, there was the cool touch on his shoulder.
Minho spun around and saw Key. Key smirked and gripped the collar of his shirt, dragging him around the corner and towards the fighting vampires. "Stop, Taecyeon."
Taecyeon's fist froze mid-air, but he didn't look away from Onew. He was focused, this time. "Key. What do you want?"
"Will The Council look good if someone as close to them as you does something like this? Compared to the problems others have with him, you look petty."
Minho's voice shook as he nervously called Onew's name, like a plea for help.
Taecyeon stood up then, jerking Onew to his feet along with him. Minho shuddered to see his vampire's face soaked in even more blood, a flood of red falling from his nose and one of his eyes shut and swollen. He was surprised to hear a noise of disgust from even Key.
"Can't you control yourself?"
"It's not just about him winning before, Key." Taecyeon said, scowling just slightly. "You know the hell Nichkhun has been going through ever since he killed one of the humans here? That's against the law, you know."
"He's being punished in a way that The Council sees fit. I'm taking over from here, so go. Or I'll tell on you."
"You think you can handle him on your own?"
"I think I have about thirty years on you, so you better do what I say." Key said, tossing Minho aside and striding closer to the other vampires.
Taecyeon tossed Onew towards Key, saying "Fine." with a bitter, childish tone. Key grabbed tight onto Onew, but the other vampire's struggles were enough to cause them both to fall to the floor. Key was on top, laying flat over Onew with his fingernails digging into his shoulders.
"Sure you got this?" Taecyeon asked.
"I got it." Key said angrily, "Go."
Taecyeon swiftly walked past them, past Minho, without a second glance. As he did, Key was using all of his strength to scratch the hell out of Onew's shoulders, and Onew had to grab on his arms in defense, groaning under the abuse.
Minho stood there at a loss watching the two. He couldn't help, but it still didn't look like Onew could win.
"Calm down, human." Key said after it seemed several minutes had passed, sighing. "Idiot, do you really think I'd send Taecyeon off if I was fighting you?"
Key stood up, huffing, "My arms are going to be sore, you ass."
Onew scowled, pulling himself to his feet. "How the hell could I be sure? Why the fuck did you save us, then?"
"Shut up and follow me." Key said flatly, walking in the opposite direction of Taecyeon.
Onew stepped over to Minho, first about to pick him up, but Minho shoved away. "He's helping us?" he asked, feeling completely lost.
"We'll see." Onew said.
"We'll see? He.. he.. the things he's done.."
"He told me where to find Taemin, didn't he?" Onew grabbed Minho's hand, accepting that he was in no mood to be carried, and pulled him quickly after Key. It wasn't that long of a walk, and Minho felt a bit better seeing that Key followed the same directions he'd received from Hongki. Or at least, he thought so, but then it was becoming hard to think.
He squeezed Onew's hand as they walked, looking at Key's back with wide eyes. A person who he'd watched murder.. a person with a hand in Krystal's death... he was scared just looking at him.
Worse, the fact that Onew was so quick accepting his help now, it made him think of all the horrible things Onew must have done. Of all the horrible things that the two could or even would do together...
What kind of horrible intentions did Key have for helping them now? He even pondered whether or not they should just, stay.
Then they reached a room, a room that was big and looked like a tiny laundry mat, with washers and dryers lining one of the walls. There was a narrow door in the back.
Key stepped in front of it and turned around, "Don't run away when we get out there."
Onew glared.
Key rolled his eyes, "I'm not hurting either of you this time. You didn't tell them about Noh.. did you?"
Onew cringed. "I didn't."
Key nodded, biting down on his lip as a flash of emotion crossed his face. It was gone as fast as it came, and he quickly continued, "Then I need you to tell me exactly what Noh did, so I can tell them I did it."
Onew wrinkled his nose, "I don't know what Noh did."
"Then you need to remember." Key said, "You don't have time to fight me to get out of here, Taecyeon is going to be suspicious and.."
"I'll think about it--"
"Do you have any idea what I'm sacrificing here?" Key asked, and Minho thought his confidence seemed suddenly torn away, replaced with something worried and desperate.
Even so, he didn't want Onew to help him. He didn't want to be near him. Still, he did want to get out peacefully, so when Onew said, "I don't think we really needed your help." Minho stiffened, full of concern.
But Key quietly dropped down to his knees, lowering his head. "Please."
Onew stepped forward, grabbing onto Key's shoulders and jerking him to his feet, shoving him back against the door. "If I do this, the deal is when it's over, you never even look at Minho again."
"Deal." Key said.
Onew pushed him aside and jerked open the door. It was an darkened alleyway, with a knocked over trash can and the smell of death. Onew stepped back into the building, taking Minho's hand. Key walked out first, and Onew pulled Minho along after.
Minho immediately shivered as he stepped into the night air, shakily exhaling white smoke.
"The car is close." Key said, and glanced once again at Onew, raising a brow. "Wipe up that nose, will you?"
As Onew ran a fist beneath his nose to get rid of some of the blood, Key walked ahead.
"Are you okay?" Minho asked between chattering teeth.
"I will be." Onew said, quickly pulling him along to follow Key.
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