This chapter starts on the Thurs/Wednesday after Comedy of Errors finishes.

And This Is Why They Live In Hearth And Not The City

His head hurt. Yong Soo groaned, eyes blinking several times before he realized that the reason he could not see was because the room was dark. Finally he started to realize what had happened.

I should have listened to Sadiq... now that's not something anyone thinks often.

Not that Yong Soo often knew what people thought. The mind-reading binoculars he had invented had failed somehow. Which reminded him, that was a project worth getting back to.

"Either go home or pretend to be a druggie," she said.

"I'll be a druggie," Yong Soo said happily. She groaned. "If you really wanted me to go home, you would have flipped me over again or something, right?"

"They call him Drain," she continued, head gesturing to her right. Yong Soo looked over to see the group in the alleyway. He assumed the one called 'Drain' was the one that looked like he was in charge. He assumed he was in charge because he was freaking tall. Tall like Ivan or Berwald tall. But much thinner than either of them.

"He's like a twig."

"A twig that could break you in half. He's like you, his looks are deceiving."

"Right. What else do I do? Long...?"

Long... Yong Soo managed to sit up, no help of his right arm. Yeah, the bullet probably was not helping that. He hoped she was okay.

And Pipe had forgotten to take the money from him. Yong Soo felt through the bills. This would very much pay for that painting. Single score, that made this trip worth it. Well, worth it as long as he could get out of here. He reached around the inside of the crate, trying to find an opening.

"Pipe'll have what you need."

"Pipe? Ha! Is there a Sink too?" Drain looked annoyed, but shrugged it off. Yong Soo thought it through. To make a convincing druggie... "Uh, dude?" That sounded like Alfred. Though he was a doctor and dealt with drugs. So yes, that was accurate.

Actually, he had had no idea what a druggie acted like. He knew what drunks acted like, though... maybe he should have tried that.

"Hello! This is rather uncomfortable!" he called out. No one answered. At least they had taken the broken bottle of chloroform. He would prefer to be conscious, shot, and trapped in a box than unconscious, shot, and trapped in a box. While conscious he could do things. Being unconscious was boring.

"You idiot? Why did you knock him out?" Long asked, pulling him up by the arm.

"I didn't mean to," Yong Soo said honestly. "But I figured you wanted the evidence...?" He handed over the package of white powder. Long's eyes widened as she took it.

"Idiot. I do not need evidence. I need to get in."

"No, I think you needed the evidence." With her adverse reaction to that, he decided not to hand over the money. She might become even more upset.

"Who is in charge?"

"You are. At least, of me."

"...right."

Alfred would not believe this.

Which is when it hit him. Alfred. Where was Alfred? He had been looking for him in the first place. Where was Alfred?

Probably better of than he was...

The previous day...

"...which is when I told Ivan that he was a lot more creepier now than he was before!"

Yong Soo and Gilbert laughed, the latter whacking Alfred's arm. Thankfully his arm kept steady, because it was attached to his hands which was right now attached to the wheel of the truck he was driving. If his arm did not stay steady, it could be easily promised this scene would have been a disaster.

"I can't imagine Ivan with a cat," Yong Soo said.

"I can't imagine dat Russian keeping anyding alife!" Gilbert corrected, still chuckling.

"Bet it's going to be dead within the week?" Yong Soo asked, pulling out his wallet.

"It'll be dead before we get back to Hearth!" Gilbert crowed. "How much?"

"Hey, hey... No betting," Alfred said, causing Yong Soo to groan and Gilbert to snort. "Don't you start complaining! You can't bet, you don't have the money," he reminded Yong Soo, who groaned again, pouting in the passenger's seat. "And you took my bet," he told Gilbert, who grinned.

"Not my fault if you're so slow!"

"Why're you here anyway?" Alfred asked Gilbert.

"'Cause I hafe stuff to do," Gilbert shrugged. "Like people do."

"Suit yourself."

The drive into the city did not take too long. Just the better part of a day if he did not stop on the way. Alfred was regretting not stopping however, because he was not certain if he wanted either Gilbert or Yong Soo driving on the way back and he easily got sick of doing the speed limit.

Oh well.

It was late afternoon by the time they arrived, Gilbert asking to be let out on some random block. Yong Soo coughed out very obvious words of randomness, which started Alfred snickering. Gilbert pretended to ignore them.

"See you tomorrow then?" Alfred asked as Gilbert hopped out on to the sidewalk.

"You better!" Gilbert exclaimed. "Leafe me in dis town, Alfred ant I promise dat–"

"Drive away before he starts ranting!" Yong Soo whispered. Alfred, knowing full well Gilbert could start ranting like his younger brother (just usually about more interesting things) decided that Yong Soo's idea was a great one and simply shut the door, gave Gilbert a wave, and drove off to the warehouses.

Sadiq had been quite happy to see him, though more than surprised to see Yong Soo. Alfred thought about explaining it.

They both had (directly or indirectly) been involved in messing up Eduard's perfect life. In particular, a painting. Alfred broke the frame that Gupta was going to buy to replace the one that was broken and Yong Soo had broken everything else. Alfred had already paid Berwald and Tino for the damages. Yong Soo had yet to raise the money to make up for the very expensive painting.

Eduard could pay for it to be fixed himself. He probably already had. But Yong Soo was going to have to pay for the accident. And as Alfred was not in that much need financially, paying Yong Soo off to keep him company was fine with him!

Kiku had not been that happy, but then again Kiku was strange. Kiku did not like Yong Soo. Alfred was not exactly sure why and after months of unsuccessful prodding had decided it was none of his business.

Except for that last tumble off subject, Alfred could have said the rest of it to explain why Yong Soo was here, but then he remembered Sadiq was really unlikely to care why Yong Soo was here, just more that he was.

Fair enough.

"When'll I have the pleasure of seeing Yao and Muhammad again?" Sadiq asked, looking over the list. Yong Soo shrugged. Alfred thought about it.

"The break is healing well. I'd say the cast will be off in three weeks. So not next time, but the trip afterward I'll be out of your hair."

No need saying why Muhammad was not around. Deciding to take his vacation days the same period of time Yao was not working? Definitely not subtle. At least to anyone but Yao who missed every sign.

"Good."

Alfred was not certain how Sadiq read any of that. His hat came down so far on his face Alfred was not certain if the man really had eyes. Still, he seemed okay with whatever happened, because he nodded, jamming the clipboard under his arm.

"Yer load will be ready by the 'morrow," Sadiq said, watching as Yong Soo wandered off into the building. "Where does he think he's going?"

"He doesn't," Alfred responded. Nevertheless, he took the few steps over to drag Yong Soo out of the warehouse and back out front.

"Y'both staying at the Agency?" At Alfred's nod, Sadiq frowned. "Be careful."

"Careful? Of the pretty women who will be staying there?" Yong Soo asked hopefully. Alfred laughed, but Sadiq did not seem amused. Which was beyond him, it was a pretty accurate description of the place. Hearth was small, this place was huge. Who knew why?

"Of the gang fights happening in the area." Sadiq folded his arms across his chest. Alfred nearly laughed again.

"Psh, gangs." Alfred rolled his eyes. "Not really worried, Sadiq."

"Imagine if a gang tried messing with us!" Yong Soo put his fists out in front of him. "They'd never know what hit them!"

Alfred was inclined to agree and said as much. Sadiq was not impressed, but then again Alfred had never really seen Sadiq impressed except when coming up with insults about Heracles.

"Yeah, I could really imagine hitting some thugs with you."

"As long as it's not hitting on some thugs with me!"

"Okay, Kiku was right, you're weird."

"Compared to Kiku?"

Sadiq shooed them off before they distracted his workers further.

Alfred had been right earlier during the drive. The Agency was absolutely wonderful. He had always thought that big brother and Muhammad were not thinking right in taking this job, which usually seemed too boring for him to ever consider, but getting to stay here the nights they had to wait in the city had to be the perfect setup.

And going to a bar which did not include Elizaveta leering at you was pretty cool too. So was getting to talk to people that you did not know, which was not something that happened very often in Hearth.

"What's your name?" Yong Soo asked the Vietnamese looking woman sitting on the stool next to him.

"Don't even try to hit on me," she rolled her eyes, propping her head in her hand.

"Nah, he's not hitting on you," Alfred leaned over the bar from where he was sitting on Yong Soo's other side before Yong Soo could tell him to butt out. "If I started talking to you, that would be hitting on you. But Yong Soo's just talking. He doesn't know how to hit on someone."

"I invented hitting on people!" Yong Soo protested.

The woman's slim eyebrows shot up. "Yong Soo? Korean then."

"On some planet... yeah. My name's Alfred," Alfred offered a big grin.

"I'm telling Kiku~" Yong Soo whispered loudly.

"That I was... talking to someone?" Alfred asked, for some reason confused. In Yong Soo's opinion Kiku had chosen a very strange person to crush on. To be more specific, he had chosen the one person to crush on which meant that a relationship would go nowhere. Or maybe that was what Kiku wanted? Wow, he sure fooled everyone!

"Mary Jane," she offered, sliding around on her stool so that Yong Soo had a very wonderful view of the back of her head.

"Dude, I can tell that's not your name."

"And I do not care."

"I think it's a beautiful name!" Yong Soo piped up, elbowing Alfred in the gut. Finally she turned around to look at the both of them, eyes still narrowed.

"Is he for real?" Mary Jane asked Alfred. Alfred was grinning for some reason.

"Yes, I am very much for real!" Yong Soo made certain to say before Alfred could say something else stupid.

"Good." She nodded. "Because that tells me I should take my drink and sit over there. Tạm biệt." With that she up and left, leaving Yong Soo to sigh into his drink.

"Tough luck man."

"I was doing fine until you interrupted!"

"Actually, I think you just picked a difficult chick, but put the blame wherever you want."

Yong Soo grumbled into his drink, but decided picking a fight with Alfred would be rather stupid since he was the one paying him to help out. Plus, Mary Jane's empty seat was quickly filled by another beautiful woman.

This city was definitely wonderful.

"What are you doing?" Yong Soo asked, completely wasted out of his mind. Not that Alfred could tell the difference other than the man could not stand upright for long while drunk.

"I promised to call mom." Alfred rolled his eyes with his statement. Made him feel like such a child. He really needed to move out, but not like it would make much of a difference. Arthur would still make these requests and in living in Hearth he would still have to deal with the consequences if he did not follow them. It sucked.

"I need to... call... big brother..."

"Sounds too 1984," Alfred let out a whistle, falling onto his back on the other bed. The phone being picked up snapped him back into paying attention. "Mom?"

"Alfred? How was the drive?"

"Long and interesting," Alfred said, before rethinking it. "Interesting because I had Yong Soo and Gilbert to talk to, not because anything really happened."

"You certain about that?" Ah, now it was probably suspicious because he clarified. Just wonderful.

"I just called like you asked me to," Alfred stopped himself from rolling his eyes just to look over at the unconscious Yong Soo. Well, as long as he was not awake to hear... "Night mom, love you."

He could hear Arthur chuckle. "I love you. Don't get in too much trouble, okay?"

"Mom! I've done this a few times without messing up! Honestly!"

"All right," Arthur hesitated, the sound of something loud in the background obviously distracting him. "I have to go, I think Maddox is on the roof."

"Nothing new." Alfred grinned. "G'night."

"Good night Alfred."

Alfred dropped his cell phone on the pillow next to him. Staring at the ceiling for a few minutes, Alfred could have sworn he had just blinked when he heard his cell phone going off. With a groan, he picked it back up. "'ello?" he said quietly.

"Alfred, we've got trouble."

It was Sadiq and for a moment that did not make any sense. "How'd you get my number?" Alfred asked, sitting up.

"You put it in when y'filled in the checklist," Sadiq responded. "But that's not the problem. The truck's gone."

"The... truck?" Alfred swore, putting on his shoes. "How?"

"I told you, gang activity is getting insane lately. I can only afford so much security over the wares."

"Shit. What am I supposed to do?"

"I called the police. I guess until they find the truck you're gonna have to sit tight."

He could not sit tight. Yao was going to kill him. Then Arthur would kill Yao. Then Yong Soo would kill Arthur and Roy and Brian would kill Yong Soo and then four people would be dead, Roy and Brian would be in jail, and Vash would be pissed. None of that sounded awesome.

"Where are you?" Alfred asked. Sadiq hesitated. "Well?"

"I'm not helping you do anything rash," Sadiq said firmly. This time Alfred did roll his eyes.

"I can't just sit around and wait for the authorities to take forever about it. This isn't Hearth." This was not Hearth where Vash barely ever slept if something had not been resolved.

"I know."

"Then I'm going to have to get the truck myself."

Sadiq laughed for a few moments before choking off. "You're serious? Damn... I still can't help you. I wasn't there when it happened an' I don't know much about the situation."

"You knew enough to warn me about it," Alfred reminded. Sadiq coughed.

"Anyone would know enough to warn about it! Did'ja ask anyone else?" Alfred grumbled in response. He had not taken it very seriously, so why would he have mention it? "Thought so."

"Who can I talk to?" Sadiq stayed quiet. "Sadiq, who can I talk to?"

"Heracles."

Alfred burst out into quiet laughter, only allowing himself to get louder as he left the room. "Heracles? You serious, man?"

"Look, neither he or the people that go to that god forsaken library ever have anything to worry about. Doesn't take a genius to guess he has some sort of deal going on with the troublemakers in the area."

And as ludicrous as it sounded, Heracles was just strange enough to be capable of it. Alfred ground out a thanks and left the hotel.

"Alfred?"

Yong Soo stretched out, blinking into the darkness. Fumbling for the light he turned it on to see what he had thought he had seen earlier even though it was too dark to see anything. Alfred was gone. Yong Soo got up and checked, making certain that Alfred had not shrunk or something. Hey, anything could happen!

With a slight frown Yong Soo got dressed and returned down to the bar. Had Alfred come back up? He had thought so, but maybe Alfred had gone back down.

The bar was still almost as filled as it had been earlier. Wondering whether today was a special day, or whatever reason people could possibly have for still being up this late, Yong Soo took a quick look around for Alfred. Well, not so quick. And he did not find Alfred. Surprisingly, he saw Mary Jane. And considering how she still had a drink in her hand Yong Soo took it to himself that he would have to step in.

"You should probably stop drinking now," he said. Mary and the man she was sitting with looked back at him.

"I drink what I want when I want. Ignore him," she rested her hand on the other man's chest before she put her arm around him. "Now what I was saying..."

"You trying to take a picture?" Yong Soo asked, leaning over the back of the couch. The man looked surprised and Mary turned her head and glared at him.

"I like taking pictures of attractive men," she slurred, waving her cell phone in front of her. Yong Soo reached forward to grab it.

"I'll take the picture for you!" he said kindly.

"Want me to get rid of him, Jane?"

"Hell no, I'll do it."

She gave the man a smile before standing up and gripping Yong Soo's arm in hand. He was surprised by her steady and firm grip. She seemed surprised for a second as well, but the alcohol easily seemed to make her forget. At least, Yong Soo thought so. He thought that until she dragged him over to one of the other walls.

"Will you fuck off?" she hissed at him, dark hair framing her face. "I'm busy!"

"You don't seem very drunk," he observed, pulling her to his side. Mary began to say something, but he took the picture before she had opened her mouth.

"That's my phone!"

"Yep! Here you go!" Yong Soo smiled happily, giving it back to her. She glared at him before turning her attention back to her phone. She stared at it for a moment, then looked back up at him.

"You're... very photogenic," she commented, staring at the picture.

"Couldn't you tell?" Yong Soo asked, a little hurt by the incredulous tone in her voice.

"No." She shoved her hands into his chest, pushing him back against the wall. "Now leave me alone."

"I got a picture of him too," Yong Soo said, slightly cowed by the ferocity of her words. She paused and looked back down at her phone. "You wanted the picture of him, but I honestly don't think he looks nice at all. He would ruin a picture of you, so he can be in one all on his lonesome."

It seemed like a good idea to him. Mary was much too beautiful and the man she had been sitting with looked... well, he looked like one of those gang bosses in some of those Hollywood movies. She was definitely wasting her time with him, she could do much better.

"When did you take my phone?" she asked slowly, looking at him quizzically. Yong Soo thought about it.

"When you stood up."

"Look." With that she bent over slightly, grabbing something from under the lining of her dress. Yong Soo knew he should look away, but he ended up looking at the curve of her leg anyway. She held up a badge and it took a moment for Yong Soo to begin to think of what it was. "Agent Long Phan. I'm busy. Get it?"

"Sort of," Yong Soo said honestly, rubbing the back of his neck. Now that her dress was back over her leg he could look away and he noticed as another man began talking to the man Long had been hitting on. "Is that guy really a bad guy? Ooh! Can I help?"

She stared at him for a few moments before moving once more, putting her badge back where she had taken it from. "You are for real..."

"We established that earlier." Yong Soo blinked.

"Then why have you not got the message?" Long asked, turning around to search the crowd. "Where'd he go?"

"Oh, he left when some other guy showed up." Yong Soo shrugged. Long stared at him, turned and began walking away. "Wait, Long!" he reached forward, catching her by the shoulder. Which turned out to be either a really big mistake or the best thing he had ever done in his life.

Long turned around, punching him in the face and flipping him on to his back. Yong Soo caught her elbow and she ended up on top of him.

"Wow," he said. Long punched him in the face again.

Okay, mistake.

"Ow," he rephrased. She got off of him. "You'd get along with Vash." Long did not bother to respond, walking off. Yong Soo got up and followed after. Long glared back at him once more, but did not say anything.

And it was only after the man called Pipe shot Long, caught him, and had thrown him in the crate with the drugs had Yong Soo even considered maybe Long really meant that she had not wanted him to come along.

Totally part one of two. Yong Soo and Alfred are very capable of getting in trouble on their own. Kiku's real reasoning 'Don't go with Yong Soo because you'll both blow up the city or something'. But Kiku is a lot more tactful than either, so he did not say that.