Author Notes: Hello again, everyone! Things are about to get nasty for some of our boys. Poor babies... enjoy :)

Beta & Co-author: jeangirlmy

- Chapter Start -

The circle of armed men move back as Er Jing steps forward with a grim smile, tugging on Wu Xie's arm.

"Er Jing," Pang Zi growls. "You worked for Wu ErBai for years, decades even. We trusted you!"

Er Jing ignores him, his eyes locked on someone else.

"HongHong. The Red-capped Daffodil. A famed diver yet so easily swayed by the bronze pieces."

HongHong blinks at him.

"You poisoned Liu Sang to make him go to Ganyang Section and be caught by Jiang Yuan only for Wu Xie and co to rescue him. You became a suicide bomber to kill everyone at the canteen only for Jiang ZiSuan to save you. Now here you are, selling out your friends for the third time."

"I told you no tricks!" Pang Zi growls at HongHong.

"I just want the antidote!" HongHong cries, hunching in on himself. "I want the voices in my head to stop and I'm sick of seeing shadows everywhere! You have no idea what it's like!"

"I do, thanks to you," Liu Sang says with a snort.

"Me too," Pang Zi says, "but this isn't helping."

"Don't listen to them," Er Jing says, patting HongHong on the shoulder. "Since you helped me find the people lurking in the dark, I will give you the antidote."

"Oh, thank you!"

"We're on our way to get it, but I'm sure you already know that, thanks to someone's hyper sensitive hearing." Er Jing glances at Liu Sang before turning to Wu Xie. "As soon as Xiao SanYe shows me where the other bronze pieces are."

"Huh." Pang Zi looks unconcerned despite the numerous crossbows trained on them, even cracking groundnut shells between his teeth. "And if he doesn't?"

With a nasty smile, Er Jing grabs the nearest crossbow with his remaining hand. Pang Zi pauses mid crack and everyone freezes.

"No need for that, Jing-shu." Wu Xie steps in front of him, both hands raised. "I'll take you to them as promised."

"I know you will," Er Jing agrees, still smiling. "But just so you won't try anything-"

He turns and shoots, faster than anyone expects. Jia KeZi cries out and slumps against Li JiaLi, red blooming in his shoulder.

"KeZi!" Li JiaLi wraps an arm around him at once, face going white in alarm.

"KeZi!" Wu Xie calls sharply.

"I... I'm alright," Jia KeZi says, gritting his teeth. Bai HaoTian goes to his other side to offer support.

Wu Xie turns to Er Jing jaw clenched, reining in his anger with difficulty.

"There was no need for that. I said I'll take you to them."

"Just making sure," Er Jing says calmly and returns the crossbow to one of his smirking men. "Unlike Jiao, I shot only one and it's a non fatal wound. Lead the way, Xiao SanYe."

- o -

If not for Huo DaoFu's iron grip on his arm, Jiang ZiSuan might already be confronting Er Jing with how furiously his blood is pounding in his ears.

"Calm down," Huo DaoFu hisses in his ear. "We two are the only element of surprise our friends have now."

Jiang ZiSuan nods, still breathing hard. He's a sniper; he's killed people before. Not all of them were guilty either; some just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Still...

"KeZi never hurt anyone," he growls. "He's kind. Gentle."

"I know, but we have to lie low and wait for our chance." Huo DaoFu's hand slides up to his shoulder and grips tightly like he thinks Jiang ZiSuan needs to be restrained. "Breathe."

Fisting his hands until his knuckles show white, Jiang ZiSuan does just that. In. Out. Repeats until the red haze dissipates and reason returns. He remembers coming across Jia KeZi and Li JiaLi back in that cave near Thunder City, their throats slashed and left to die.

He knows his reaction to such a horrifying scene now would be vastly different compared to that time. At least a shoulder wound isn't fatal if promptly treated.

"I won't let you die, KeZi," he vows. "I won't let any of you die."

There's a soft huff beside him and the vice on his shoulders loosens a little.

"Even HongHong?"

Turning to Huo DaoFu, Jiang ZiSuan turns nods.

"Even HongHong. I didn't save his life only for Er Jing to kill him."

"Good." Huo DaoFu's approving nod brings a small bloom of warmth amid Jiang ZiSuan's simmering anger. "Let's go."

- o -

They manage to tail the group from behind without being detected, at least not by Er Jing and his men. Jiang ZiSuan is positive that Liu Sang already knows of their presence from the one or two covert glances he sneaks in their direction. He's not sure about if Jia KeZi is aware of the same as he stumbles along with Li JiaLi's protective arm around his waist.

Shoving his anger back down, Jiang ZiSuan focuses on the task at hand and ignores how his shirt is sticking to his side. It's nothing. He's endured far worse.

Wu Xie leads the way to the second box of bronze pieces and Er Jing asks his men to take note of the location. Wu Xie then leads them to another section which has a hole to the level below.

"It's down there. I'll get it for you," Wu Xie says, taking out a long coil of rope from his backpack.

"Five minutes and then my men will come to get you," Er Jing warns him. "No tricks."

"You're holding all my friends hostage," Wu Xie says. "I wouldn't dare try anything."

He locks gazes with Er Jing for a long moment before he turns to secure the rope and lowers himself into the hole.

"Keep track of the time," Er Jing tells his men.

By now, Jia KeZi is leaning heavily on Li JiaLi.

"KeZi needs to sit down," Li JiaLi speaks up.

Er Jing nods absently and waves to his men, his attention on the hole that Wu Xie has disappeared into. Li JiaLi helps Jia KeZi to sit down and lean against a box. Pang Zi starts shrugging off his backpack, only to freeze when all crossbows swing towards him.

"The rest of you don't move," Er Jing warns.

"I need to see to KeZi's wound," Pang Zi insists.

"It can wait. No one is try anything until Wu Xie returns."

Jiang ZiSuan notes that Liu Sang is keeping still, not turning his head to listen as he normally does. It could mean that Wu Xie isn't doing anything. It could also mean that Liu Sang doesn't want to draw Er Jing's attention to himself... or his ability.

Jiang ZiSuan prefers the latter. His gaze returns to Jia KeZi whose face is pale with beads of sweat dotting his forehead. Li JiaLi wipes it with his sleeve, his face pinched with both anger and worry. Jiang ZiSuan can't help wondering if he's recalling that same time in the cave.

Just as the five minutes are up, they hear the scraping sounds of something heavy dragging on the ground. Er Jing and two men peer down the hole. Jiang ZiSuan sees Pang Zi's eyes dart around and both Bai HaoTian and Liu Sang shaking their heads at him.

They're right. It's too risky to try anything with them unarmed and Jia KeZi injured.

"Is that it?" Er Jing's voice is eager.

"Yup," Wu Xie's voice replies, sounding out of breath. "It's too heavy, I can't carry it."

He climbs back out and nods at Er Jing, still breathing hard.

"You have all the bronze pieces. Give us the antidote. Someone needs to see to KeZi's shoulder."

Er Jing nods.

"You have five minutes to patch up your friend."

Pang Zi and Bai HaoTian start shrugging off their backpacks at once, but Er Jing shakes his head and points to Li JiaLi.

"You do it. The rest of you, don't move. That includes you, Xiao SanYe."

Li JiaLi shrugs off his backpack and opens it. He passes a bottle of water to Jia KeZi and takes out a small first aid kit.

"Sorry, I'm no doctor," he mutters.

"You'll do fine." Jia KeZi gives him a wan smile.

"Quickly, now," Er Jing orders.

Li JiaLi makes quick work of cleaning and bandaging the wound although Jiang ZiSuan can't see it from where he's hiding. Before he can finish buttoning up Jia KeZi's shirt, Er Jing is hustling them to get moving again.

- o -

"I don't think he disinfected that wound properly," Huo DaoFu frets.

"It's good enough for now," Jiang ZiSuan says. "Look at Liu Sang."

Liu Sang has his head tipped to one side and is grimacing a bit like what he hears isn't pleasant. Jiang ZiSuan can't hear what it is, but he's filled with a sense of foreboding. He notes that Jia KeZi appears to be listening and frowning too.

They enter a dead end. There are some symbols painted on the far wall. Wu Xie and Er Jing inspect it while Pang Zi and co stand a few feet behind them, and Er Jing's men stand guard at the back, just a dozen feet away from where Jiang ZiSuan and Huo DaoFu are crouched behind more crates.

The wall turns out to be heavy canvas, painted to blend in with the surroundings. Wu Xie pushes it aside and Er Jing and he go through. Er Jing's men start prodding and pushing the others to follow.

"We need to get in there. I'm going to take one of them down," Jiang ZiSuan whispers in Huo DaoFu's ear. "Wait here."

"Be careful."

Jiang ZiSuan nods. The second last guard goes through and the canvas falls back into place. The last guard casts a final look around before reaching for the canvas. Jiang ZiSuan rushes forward, rendering him unconscious with a sharp chop to the side of the neck. With that same hand, he grabs the back of the guard's jacket to arrest his fall while his other hand snatches his crossbow.

Huo DaoFu helps him drag the man to a hidden corner where they strip him of uniform and cap. Rolling up Jiang ZiSuan's jacket and trousers, Huo DaoFu stuffs them in his own backpack.

"I'll take care of him," he tells Jiang ZiSuan. You be careful and look out for... everyone."

Jiang ZiSuan nods and goes through the canvas to find a room with the far wall hung with dozens of wall clocks, the old fashioned wooden kind with pendulums. All at once, the different and dissonant chiming and whirring assault his eardrums and echo in his brain.

Jiang ZiSuan looks around at the others. Pang Zi's broad shoulders are hunched. Jia KeZi as well, head bowed and face tucked into Li JiaLi's shoulder. Liu Sang is crouched against the wall beside Pang Zi, trembling hands pressed to his ears, paying no mind to the crossbow aimed at his head. The multiple discordant ticking would affect those with bronze poisoning or sensitive hearing. Liu Sang who has both, must be suffering the most.

"Stopped to take in the scenery, did you?" Pang Zi sneers, throwing a scowl over his shoulder at Jiang ZiSuan who freezes. Trust Pang Zi to risk annoying an armed guard! He jabs Pang Zi in the back and barks a guttural, "Shut up."

When Pang Zi frowns and starts to turn to him, Liu Sang grabs his hand without Er Jing's men noticing. Jiang ZiSuan doesn't see what happens, but Pang Zi's eyes widen a little and he gives a tiny nod.

"There's a false wall here," Wu Xie says at the same time. Rising to his feet, he stares at Er Jing with that same implacable calm, giving nothing away.

Wu Xie has never lacked for courage, something Jiang ZiSuan can respect. Maybe it's because Wu Xie has stared death in the face one too many times, but that eerie calm is something Jiang ZiSuan knows he could never emulate.

"Right. You have all the bronze pieces. Give us the antidote."

"Why should I?" Er Jing asks with a smile.

"Now, wait a-" Pang Zi begins.

"You promised to give it to me!" HongHong cries.

"And you believed me?" Er Jing's eyebrows shoot up.

Jiang ZiSuan can't help feeling a stab of pity for the gaping HongHong. Among their group, he was the first to be poisoned.

"Give me the antidote," Wu Xie says, holding up his backpack. The zipper is down, showing a glimpse of a carved bronze piece inside.

Er Jing's eyes narrow.

"Where did you get that?"

Wu Xie brings out a black hand grenade. Everyone takes a step back except for Er Jing who doesn't move.

"I believe this is one of the key components of the artifact from Thunder City," Wu Xie says casually. "I've wired it to this grenade. If it gets even a foot away from my body, it'll explode."

"Give that to me," Er Jing orders.

Wu Xie shakes his head.

"I want the antidote or I'll blow this up."

Er Jing snorts.

"Then you'll kill all your friends. You wouldn't do that."

"I will if I have to," Wu Xie says and Jiang ZiSuan can't decide if he believes him or not.

It seems Er Jing can't either as he tips his head to one side before sighing, looking regretful.

"Very well. Since Xiao SanYe is ready to sacrifice his friends, I'll save him the trouble and do it myself. Starting with her."

He points at Bai HaoTian who stumbles forward with a cry as if shoved from behind.

Jiang ZiSuan is moving before he knows it, shouldering his way forward and stepping into the space between her and Er Jing. Back towards Er Jing and cap pulled low over his face, he points his crossbow at Bai HaoTian and prays that none of his friends give him away.

"Hey! You're Jiang-" HongHong begins.

Jiang ZiSuan turns and fires at the man targeting Pang Zi.

- Chapter End -

A/N: Thank you for reading! Please leave a comment if you enjoyed it :)