The sound of snapping fingers made him look to his right.

"Hey," 005 was standing over him, a roll of bandages in her hands," Take off your shirt. I know Mad Dog bruised your ribs."

He huffed, but upon her expectant look sharping to a glare, he listened to her orders. Wincing, he gingerly took off his shirt and sat facing her.

The purple and green bruises were almost bright against his pale skin. 005's melanin-filled hands were a further contrast against his skin, her dark hands quickly, but carefully wrapping up his ribs.

"What happened this time?" she asked. His question had prompted him to look around the camp discreetly. And upon seeing that it was just the two of them in their little corner of the camp, he explained.

"I didn't finish my mission before sunrise." Even though he had arrived a few minutes after dawn, that had been enough reason for Mad Dog to punish him.

She clicked her tongue in annoyance," Fucker," The quiet curse made the corner of his mouth quirk up for just a second before he schooled his face into a blank look again," One of these days 001, I swear I'm going to get the fuck out of here. And I swear I'll come back for you and the blondies."

He scoffed.

005 smacked him on the side of his head, just hard enough to get her point across.

"Hey," she scrunched up her nose, her brown eyes scrutinizing him," I'm gonna try and get out of here. If I die, you better try to escape too you hear me?"

It was an empty thought everyone had had at one point in time.

The thought of escaping the camp, of being able to go off and live their own life.

For a long time, the thought of escaping is what fueled all of them to keep on going from day to day. But after a few years, all hope of ever escaping had been long diminished.

But for some reason.

He felt a sliver of hope when 005 said it.

"Okay."

That single word was enough to make the older girl grin.

She helped him get his shirt back on and helped him stand up," Come on squirt," He didn't let his slight annoyance appear on his face," Let's go get something to eat. You're tiny for a 10-year-old."

"I'm 12."

"Oh so that's how old you are," She was generous enough to leave him on a cot, and within a minute, she was back with their rations," I'm 18. Six years older than you."

Oh.

He didn't realize that 005 was the oldest.

She flicked the space in between his eyes, the charm on her bracelet jangling as she did so," I'm not that old little shit."

Barely restraining the pout, he rubbed at his forehead. Unlike with the other numbered (excluding 006 and 032), he didn't mind when 005 did such acts against him.

Maybe it was because she treated everyone the same way.

006 and 032 said that she acted like a mom, but he didn't really understand what they meant by that.

All he knew was that out of the numbered, 005 was the nicest one of them, as well as one of the few females. She would help them wrap up their wounds and would make sure that they ate.

He didn't know what it was like having a mom, but what he did know, was that 005 was the only numbered that was respected by each and every single one of them. Even though he was 001, he still had some problems with the others.

With a supporting hand under his back, she helped him lay back down on his cot. Her help allowed him to find the least painless position possible.

"Get some sleep squirt," He could barely see her face in the dark tent, the most visible part of her was the white of her eyes and her white teeth ( He never did understand how she kept them so white)," I have a mission tomorrow morning. But I'll give you and the blondies a haircut when I get back," She ruffled his hair, emphasizing the fact that his hair was already too long.

He quietly agreed and within minutes, he was asleep.

She never came back.

He felt something die inside him that day.

006 settled down right next to him, 032 doing the same on the other side as they sipped at their water bottles.

It was the second week of them joining S.W with him, and everyone had already gotten over their shock of finding out that there were two more teenagers that were just as skilled as Ijin.

A flash of bronze caught Ijins eye, and he found himself glancing over at 032's wrist.

He stared at the formerly silver bracelet for a few seconds. 032 quickly noticed, a almost anxious look on his face as he explained.

032 pulled his wrist closer to his chest, a sullen look on his face ," 005 gave it to me before she left. I was on the morning shift."

He nodded in understanding, his heart sinking as he was reminded of the girl that took care of them until they were 12 and 10 years old.

Just like that, they were all sullen within seconds.

"I think she knew she was going to die." 006 said slowly, leaning his chin against his bent knee," she hugged me before she left."

He must have been on the morning shift too then.

Ijin ruffled his hair slowly, remembering the way 005 had ruffled his hair after helping him to bed. He didn't say anything.

He didn't know if 005 had been planning to die. He didn't think she had been planning to die, but he didn't say anything.

"Remember how I stared at her when I first met her?" 032 suddenly chuckled out, a small blush on his face," I deserved it when she hit me."

Ijin laughed at that," She hit me too." Rightfully so, as they had been staring at her for a couple of minutes as if she was something alien.

"She didn't hit me. I had seen black people before. I don't know what your excuse is man." 006 said while pointing at Ijin with his thumb" At least this guy had amnesia, she was probably the first black person he had seen. Our neighbor was black dude. We ate at her place a few times."

032's fair skin did nothing to hide his blush.

"Shut up."

They chuckled at his response.

The sound of the door opening caught their attention, and out of habit, they glanced at the door.

The fact that it was a black person, made them do a double-take. As anyone that was darker than tan was not common in Korea.

Someone must have been pulling the strings to their universe or something.

The three of them made eye contact with the black woman, they were sitting against the wall, less than four meters away from the door that was against the same wall.

They stared at her.

005 stared at them back.

Ijin was the first one to scramble to his feet, but 032 was the first one to wrap his arms around her. Ijin got to her second and made them stumble back, and if it wasn't for 006 straightening them back up, they might have fallen into a heap on the floor.

The gym had fallen completely silent.

An arm wrapped around his neck, a hand rested on the side of his head as he was pulled closer.

"You guys sure got big. Fucking giants."

That made them chuckle wetly, tears were brimming their eyes as they held onto the girl-now woman- that took care of them for the first few years they were with the camp. They stayed like that for a few more seconds before pulling away.

Like they did, she had tears in her eyes. Her hair was much longer now, no longer being a few centimeters long, but was in long braids that fit her. She wasn't taller like she used to be, now, she was just as tall as 032.

" How did you guys get away?"

Ijin wiped away a tear with the knuckle of his index," I faked my death when I was 15," He was quickly recomposing himself again, a light bubbly feeling in his chest," These two did the same this past year. "

"What about you?" 006 asked suddenly, a wide smile on his face, ecstatic to see their old teammate still alive," We thought you died."

"I almost died," She explained, and now that they looked carefully, they could see faint scars on her face and neck, scars that extended down to her chest and below the neckline of her shirt," I got hit with a frag grenade by the river and fell in. Didn't 004 see?"

004 absolutely did not tell them that.

"004 told us that you got blown up." 032 said seriously, and just like that understanding dawned on all of them.

005 must have been flung into the water, and after the dust had settled (as it was always dusty in that shithole) 004 must have mistaken her absence as her being blown up instead of her falling into the river.

Well that made sense.

She shook her head dismissively," That doesn't matter now. What are you guys doing here?"

"We're working bodyguards here. What are you doing here?" Ijin shot back almost immediately.

"You guys know Ms. Adebayo?" They all looked at Kyong, who had been the only one out of the others who had approached them.

005 stepped up, and just like they were children again, she was standing in front of them," We trained together when we were younger," Her voice hardened into that tone she would use when she would scold them," Is that going to be a problem?"

"005, its okay," Ijin gently corrected her. 005 gave him the side-eye as she said," We're old enough to take care of ourselves now. You don't have to protect us anymore."

He saw her eyebrow twitch.

"Is that so?"

"ow-ow-ow-005."

She was tugging at his cheek, like she used to when she found out that one of them was hiding an injury," All I see is the little shit that used to hide from me when it was time to change his bandages."

"That's when I was 12."

Kyong just watched with wide eyes as the woman, the one he hired to be the new weapons instructor, pulled on the cheek of one of his best men. Thoroughly confused on what was happening.

"Its okay," 006 followed up, suppressing a smile," She's just scolding him. She took care of us until we were 12."

"Yeah," 032 said with a smile, laughing at the way 005 kept on pulling at Ijin's cheeks as she scolded him, bringing up all of the problems Ijin would cause for her," She's really protective of us. I swear she was like everyone's mom."

Her gaze snapped over to 006 and 032, and without a single ounce of hesitation, she grabbed a strand of their long hair and started pulling on it.

"And what about you two huh? I thought I taught you guys to keep your hair short. Its too easy for someone to grab you like that. "

"Ouch!"

"We can take care of ourselves 005!"

"Hahhh? Is that why I can do this?" she grabbed them by the base of their ponytails and started scolding them for having their hair so long.

Ijin watched with a small smile as his hand rubbed his bright red cheeks.

Kyong was still extremely confused.

"Is…is this normal for her?"

Ijin chuckled.

"This is her way of showing her concern for us. I promise she won't act like that with the others."

"I should hope not. I hired her to be our weapons instructor."

And just like that.

Ijin, 006 and 032 stopped to look at him.

"She's what?!"

032 started to try to escape," Oh, I think I'm getting a phone call."

"Please tell me you're joking sir." Ijin said seriously.

Because despite her 005 status.

005 had been one of the best weapon users in the camp. Just like 025 was specialized in sniping, and how 006 was specialized in grappling and pinning.

005 was specialized in most weapons.

005 grabbed onto Ijin's collar, her other hand being occupied by 006's and 032's ponytails. She had a feral grin on her face as she started to drag the three of them to the mats," Lets catch up while we spar."

That had to be the first time they saw Ijin complain about something.

...They didn't know how to feel about that...