Chapter Text
Undisclosed Compound, Seoul, South Korea
October, 20XX
Report: Mission ACE- Interception of Data Regarding Drug Trafficking Routes
Spies:
Park Jongseong (Jay) - ID:042002
Sim Jaeyun (Jake) - ID:111502
Park Sunghoon - ID:120802
Affiliation: 02z - Decelis Private Intelligence
Mission Status: Active
~~~
Sunghoon likes to think he's a patient person—even despite the way Jay’s face always warps into utter disbelief when he says that.
You've got to be kidding, Jay had muttered after he had laughed in Sunghoon's face about it. You have the patience of a toddler, Hoon-ah—and that's after comparing you to Jake.
As much as it offended him, he's well aware that he’s impatient when it comes to small things, like poorly packaged snacks, or when he doesn’t get Jay or Jake's attention when they’re off-duty.
Everyone has their quirks, and he's certainly reminded of his own every time he sees Jay fight a snort—
But he's confident that his quirks haven't gotten them in near-death situations countless times, unlike two particular people he hates that he cares about enough to save.
“I should just leave them,” he murmurs like a prayer, clutching his gun in his hands as he winces at the sound of the angry men the two geniuses had alerted and the whirr of the bullets they were carelessly firing in the hopes of hitting him. “They can fix their own mistakes. They're grown men, for God's sake, bickering like children when they claim I'm the child out of all of us—”
“Sunghoonie,” the crackle of his in-ear greets him. “Hey, do you copy? We're…Jay and I are in a bit of a situation.”
“I wonder why,” Sunghoon drawls, trying to keep his voice to a whisper as he responds. “We were this close to getting through this without alerting these lackeys, Jake. They’re trying to kill me, and unlike the two of you right now, I have the desire to live.”
“I'm sorry, okay?” Jake whines on the other end, but Sunghoon doesn't know if he believes theatrics—he trusted Jake to get the papers they needed no problem with Jay while Sunghoon covered the perimeter—but now one wrong move and he'll have enough bullet holes in him to cosplay as swiss cheese. “It was fine until Jay—”
“Could you stop complaining about me and at least do something about these guys?” Jay’s voice interrupts in their communication channel. “You were the one that alerted them, by the way. If you hadn't torn this office apart looking for the papers and just let me help you we would've been fine.”
“Do either of you at least have the papers?”
“Jake does,” Jay replies, his voice sounding like his teeth were gritted in annoyance as the sound of bullets accompanies the crackle of his line. “It's the only thing he did correctly, so he better keep them safe while giving me some sort of support.”
“Where are you?”
“Office in the left wing. It should be down the hallway from where you are,” Jay says. “You good, Hoon-ah?”
“Barely,” Sunghoon grunts when the metal container he had hidden in shakes from the impact of a man kicking against it in annoyance. It was only a matter of time before he had to find a way out before they found him, and things were getting a little too close for comfort.
“They're trying to find me and kill me, of course. I don't have a lot of time or a lot of leeway before things get messy.”
“Fuck,” Jake curses. “Sunghoon, I really didn't mean for anything to happen, it's just that—”
“I’m going to try to get to you to give Jay backup so we can get out of here,” Sunghoon interrupts. “Can you at least keep the papers safe, Jake?”
“Yeah, I can,” Jake replies. “And for what it's worth, I think I got some additional information Jinhwan-nim could benefit from too. Something about an underground masquerade for Ace.”
“Really?” Sunghoon questions. There was little information about the elusive Ace as is, so for Jake to find anything about a party… “Is there a date, location, anything?”
“It seems to be everything you’d need down to the dress code,” Jake says. “I think this would really help—”
“But we need to get out of here first,” Jay interrupts. “Hoon-ah, make your way here—but be safe, please. I do not want to work with Jake solo for the rest of my career.”
“Hey!”
“Of course,” Sunghoon croons, reloading his gun. “But for saving you, again, you owe me steak and fancy tiramisu, Jay-ah—the premium kind.”
“Oh great,” Jay grumbles, but he hears a yelp escape him when the sound of a bullet seems to ricochet off the walls. “Fine, fine! Anything to get me and this idiot out of here. Besides, you bleed me dry anyways—what’s a couple thousand more won?”
“That’s the payment I deserve for saving you guys,” Sunghoon retorts. “Again.”
“I'm sorry, Sunghoonie,” Jake says rather pitifully on the other end. “But you have to believe me, I swear I didn't try to—”
“You guys better be ready to run,” Sunghoon hisses before the sentence can even be finished, gritting his teeth as he slips out of the container and prepares to fire.
Jake can convince him all he wants later, but now, Sunghoon has a craving for taking down criminals and getting those idiots (his idiots, he supposes, given that they're supposed to be a team) out of here with the information they need about Ace’s drug scheme.
“Because once I get there, we’re getting those papers on a one-way trip to base.”
~
“I hope you know you're lucky that you're the one with the pilot license out of all of us,” Sunghoon mutters, legs crossed over each other as he leans back against the helicopter chair.
It was a benefit that for all the chaos that ensued in the compound, they were at least able to bring their helicopter as a getaway.
He supposes that the least he deserved after the near-death experience of slinking past men and bullets was watching the figures of angry lackeys wave violently from below, getting smaller and smaller as the helicopter rises.
“Because you, Sim Jaeyun, are partially responsible for me getting stuck dealing with a whole crowd of guys before saving you,” Sunghoon continues, adding one last thing to prove his point. “Again.”
“I already said I'm sorry!” Jake retorts, turning his head in the pilot’s seat to look at Sunghoon's unimpressed expression with a pout. “Don't look at me like that, Sunghoonie—I found extra intel! You got to at least appreciate that.”
Sunghoon’s nose scrunches at that, gazing down at the manila folder Jay had tossed into his lap when they scrambled into the helicopter. His hand grazes over the cover, flipping it open to reveal the papers they had been sent for regarding the routes of Ace’s drug trafficking across Seoul—
And a simple invite, decorated with gold edges and cursive lettering, formerly sealed by what they knew was Ace’s signature seal—a deer with an arrow through its heart emblazoned in red wax.
The Grand Masquerade, it read. Ace invites his esteemed companions and clients to a night of fun behind elaborate masks to appreciate the beauty of JOKER in Seoul.
Wear your finest silks and create a mask of an animal of your choosing. Join us at Teeth Speakeasy at the stroke of midnight marking October 15th, 20XX, to celebrate Ace and his work in its entirety.
Sunghoon's eyebrows furrow, eyes narrowing as his eyes fixate on the finest print listed at the bottom of the invite in gold letters.
Attendees, if they stay long enough—will be able witness the reveal of a greater JOKER.
“A new version,” Sunghoon mutters. “He's releasing a greater version of the JOKER.”
Jay’s head snaps from where he was mindlessly gazing out the window to Sunghoon, and he sees Jake stiffen in the front seat.
“What?” Jay says, leaning close to Sunghoon to look at the writing with a narrowed gazes. “Fuck, you're right. The original drug is already doing enough as it is—”
“And he's making it better?” Jake interrupts, hands tightening on the helicopter controls. “It’s like he's trying to kill as many people as he can.”
“Maybe that's the point,” Sunghoon replies. “His victims have all practically been affiliated, related, or have been chaebols.”
“Guess he thinks his target audience aren’t dying quick enough,” Jay murmurs. “But he's killed others with the JOKER too. Crime has risen by three hundred percent in Seoul—”
“And all of them have damage to the amygdala,” Jake adds. “The autopsies show alterations to its structure. It's been bad enough as it is, and if he makes it any stronger—we’re so screwed.”
“It's a good thing you found this, Jakey,” Sunghoon hums, earning a delighted pump of Jake’s fist before he quickly smothers the energy. “But you're not off the hook—and neither are you, Park Jongseong.”
“What did I do?” Jay complains. “I protected that idiot so we could have these papers in the first place!”
“The tension you guys have when you're tasked to do something without me has gotten you both in trouble the last five missions,” Sunghoon retorts. “It's getting worse, you know—I’m tired of having to keep saving you from the problems you create for each other.”
“It would be fine if you didn't make us team up when stealth is involved,” Jay mutters, leaning his head back against the seat as he gestures vaguely at Jake. “Because Mr. Blabbermouth over here can't shut up to save his life.”
“Hey,” Jake glares, snapping his head towards Jay. “I'm flying the helicopter you're a passenger in. Don't make me crash this on purpose.”
“You won't because Sunghoon is here,” Jay says easily, without missing a beat. “Your love for him evens out how much you detest me.”
Jake falters at that, eyebrows furrowing like he was trying to formulate a response but it couldn't quite match Jay's, going quiet as he turns his attention back to the sky.
“Aww,” Sunghoon croons to lighten the air. “You love me, Jakey Jakey~?”
“Yes, of course, Hoon Hoon~,” Jake croons back, eliciting a fake gagging sound from Jay. Sunghoon rolls his eyes. He can't appreciate the beauty of the loving dynamic Jake and him share to save his life. “But seriously, Angry Bird over there is right—at least, on the fact that you pairing us up when we split off isn't a good idea.”
“There aren't exactly many combinations we can make for pairs, Jake,” Sunghoon replies with a quirked brow as Jay tries to burn holes in the back of Jake's skull with his eyes. “You and me, me and Jay, or you and Jay.”
“That sounds like at least two of those three pairings would work wonders on our stealth success,” Jay deadpans, turning to look at Sunghoon.
“Seriously, Hoon-ah—I don't understand why you insist that we,” he emphasizes, gesturing towards himself and Jake. “Absolutely need to work together by ourselves. Jinhwan-nim assigned us to be a trio for a reason—”
“And trios are supposed to have positive chemistry, even in duos,” Sunghoon retorts. “Which we pass with flying colors in all those duos except for the two of you. Jinhwan-nim is concerned, you know—”
“We haven't killed each other yet,” Jay sighs. “So I think we're just fine.”
“Yeah,” Jake agrees with a grumble. “Fine, totally.”
“You two are so stupid,” Sunghoon says with a shake of his head, eliciting a collective hey in retort. “If I didn't know any better, I'd think you guys are an old married couple.”
“Don't,” Jay and Jake reply in unison. “We're not.”
“Sure,” Sunghoon hums with a laugh. “If that's what help you guys feel better about your…dynamic.”
“Don't say dynamic like that,” Jay hisses. “And just come with one of us next time. Maybe you can actually get him to shut up when it counts.”
“I still think you both would benefit from some improvements to your own relationship,” Sunghoon replies. “Maybe therapy, or a date with just the two of you—”
“Sunghoonie, for God's sake, can you stop referring to our meetings outside of work as dates?” Jake complains from the pilot’s seat. “Especially when you talk about me and him. There's nothing remotely cute or date-like about being suffocated by the air when he breathes with his mouth open.”
“I do not breathe with my mouth open,” Jay retorts. “And if I did, at least I don't drool and slobber on anything in my mouth like a dog—”
Sunghoon decides it's time to zone out when Jake retorts back, his eyes falling back to the invite. The seal taunts him, the lines of the deer and the arrow through its chest making his mind swirl.
If Ace plans on releasing an improved JOKER—
Perhaps the time has come for Decelis Private Intelligence to set a plan in motion to eliminate him.
~
A knock on Jinhwan’s door elicits a murmur to come in, as Sunghoon twists the handle and opens the door, with Jay and Jake filing in closely behind him.
“Sunghoon-ah,” Jinhwan greets, settled at his desk with his arms planted firmly upon it.
Although he was, at the very least, seemingly ten years older than all of them (a very secretive man, as Jake had deduced after every question he asked was met with a polite smile and silence), with dark, short hair and lines beginning to form ever so slightly at the edges of his smile and eyes—there was a warm, friendly air he carried every time they stepped foot into his office.
They simply referred to him as Jinhwan-nim out of some sort of respect—he was their boss and the man who assigned them every important mission with the trust that they'd do it right.
He wears his standard crisp brown suit jacket and white collared shirt, complete with a simple black tie. The silver watch on his wrist gleams as it clinks against the table.
“Jongseong-ah, Jaeyun-ah,” he continues. “I trust that the mission went well?”
“We found the route papers,” Sunghoon nods as they come forward, sliding the manila folder across the table. “And in the process, Jake found an invite to Ace’s masquerade party.”
“A masquerade party?” Jinhwan repeats with a raised brow as the three of them settle in the chairs in front of his desk, opening up the folder and flipping through the papers, pushing the invite to the side for a moment. “How curious.”
“The party is strange enough,” Sunghoon replies. “But when I was reading it over…it seems he plans to release an improved version of JOKER at his event.”
Jinhwan stiffens. His eyes fall to the invite he pushed away, lifting it up and examining it closely.
“If anything that invite says is true,” Jake says softly. “Seoul might be in serious trouble, Jinhwan-nim. Beyond the chaebol cases and the crime increase—”
“If it's any more potent, the damage to the amygdala could be more severe,” Jay continues with a frown. “And given how awfully its altered the victims’ brains in the autopsies…it could fully destroy it.”
“I see,” Jinhwan muses, letting out a heavy sigh, setting the invite down, his fingers tracing the seal. “I suppose this means he's proven himself to be dangerous enough to be eliminated.”
“I think it's about time,” Jay agrees. “With how many people he's killed and injured with the creation and distribution of this drug…”
“We can’t let him continue to wreck havoc on Seoul,” Jake finishes when Jay trails off. “Crime has risen three hundred percent in the last few months alone. If Ace and the JOKER continue to perpetuate it—”
“It'll ruin Seoul,” Jinhwan interrupts. “I understand. But elimination…it is not the easiest task, you understand that, don't you, boys?”
“Of course,” Sunghoon acknowledges. “But he leaves us no choice. The reveal will only make things worse. If we can find a way to stop the spread of the new JOKER and eliminate him too, it'll prevent worse things from happening.”
“That requires getting close,” Jinhwan explains. “And you can't exactly get close to Ace without taking on a different role.”
“Like a client?” Jake suggests. “Or a distributor? Someone interested enough that fits the bill of being able to attend that party—”
“He won't fall for that,” Jinhwan says with a shake of his head. “He's well aware that we’ve been tracking his work. That would be too easy to uncover, and practically a death wish.”
“But what else can we do?” Sunghoon asks, eyebrows furrowed. “Danger comes with the job, Jinhwan-nim. There's nothing else any of us can pretend to be in order to be in a safer position—”
“False,” Jinhwan interrupts. “There is another role one of you can take.”
“Huh?” They collectively reply, watching Jinhwan lean back in his chair, lips pursed as he thinks for a moment in silence.
“What do you mean?” Jay has the courage to ask. “What exactly else is there—”
“Sunghoon-ah.”
“Yes?” Sunghoon snaps to attention, watching as Jinhwan examines him with the curious gaze. “What is it, Jinhwan-nim?”
“Over the course of time, the other teams who have worked on Ace-related business have learned about his…interests, per say,” Jinhwan says. “Outside of his work, he revels in his deep love and attachment to music…and company.”
“Company?” Sunghoon repeats. “What does that have to do with—”
“He has a type,” Jinhwan explains. “In the people he chooses to flirt with and entertain before tossing them to the side. Dark hair, pale skin, tall and well-toned…with features that are soft on the eyes. Pink lips, long lashes, beauty marks…you know. Someone like you.”
Sunghoon blinks at him once, then twice, as Jay and Jake stare at him and then back at Jinhwan.
“What…?”
“Although it wasn't in your training, Sunghoon-ah,” Jinhwan continues slowly, clasping his hands together as he leans forward. “In order for elimination to be successful…we need you to seduce him.”
Oh.
Oh God.
“S-Seduce?” Sunghoon splutters, as Jay and Jake exchange a look with each other, eyes widening. “Me? Jinhwan-nim—”
“I know it sounds crazy, but I truly do believe it will work,” Jinhwan says. “You know you're quite pretty, Sunghoon-ah. With an appearance like yours…he won't suspect a thing.”
“He will if Sunghoon's job is to seduce him,” Jay replies, as Sunghoon sits frozen in his seat, shell-shocked. “He can't flirt to save his life.”
“He's terribly awkward,” Jake agrees with a grimace. “The best he can do is flirt by staring into your soul blankly until he can read your entire being. It's not cute.”
“A little training and a few outfits can go a long way,” Jinhwan suggests. “And we know that Ace is a flirt himself. You don't have to woo him with your words—simply play along, banter with him. Get close enough until you can slice his neck open or put a gun to his head. Simple.”
“You say that, but…” Sunghoon trails off, his voice falling to a whisper. “I don't know if I can do that, Jinhwan-nim. I…I'm not well-equipped to deal with flirting either.”
“How cute,” Jinhwan croons at the sight of Sunghoon's red face as he fidgets with his hands nervously. “Why, have you never dealt with those kinds of matters?”
“Nope.” Jay and Jake answer for him, humiliating him entirely more.
“He's been single since birth,” Jay says. “And it's not like any of us have partners but…at least Jake and I know a thing or two.”
“He's so shy about those things,” Jake coos as he wraps his arms around Sunghoon's embarrassed form. “Our Hoon Hoon doesn't care for dating or flirting, and now he's been tasked with seducing Ace. It's a lot, you know, Jinhwan-nim?”
“I understand,” Jinhwan nods. “I apologize for not preparing you more for it.”
“I don't think that would've helped change how I feel about this regardless, Jinhwan-nim.”
“And how do you feel?”
“Like a fish out of water,” Sunghoon admits, prying Jake's hands away. “This…this isn't what I do. I…I'm not that kind of spy—”
“But all those kinds of spies started like you, Sunghoon-ah,” Jinhwan replies with a shrug. “It's never too late to learn. You're certainly young and capable…and would be of great use in destroying Ace for good.”
Sunghoon swallows the lump in his throat. When he came into Jinhwan’s office, he was expecting to discuss Ace’s elimination—but not this.
Him? Being the perfect fit to seduce Ace and take him out for good?
How was he going to survive this mission at all?
“But if Sunghoon were to…” Jay trails off, waving his hand. “You know. How would we ensure he's safe? It's not like we can follow him into that sort of mission but we can't just leave him to be fresh meat to Ace either—”
“You'd be watching and listening in through an in-ear unit,” Jinhwan replies. “And be on stand-by around the area in case he needs support. But Sunghoon-ah is strong and capable—I trust he can handle the task just fine.”
“But…how long do I need to keep that up?” Sunghoon asks. “Am I supposed to eliminate him at the event itself?”
“Good question,” Jinhwan muses. “Perhaps not. If you can find out why he's been doing what he has, and can record him explaining his reasons and possible extract information about if there is a way to counteract the effects of JOKER…it would do us a great benefit in aiding those impacted by the drug crisis.”
“So it would be for a while.”
“A longer mission, yes,” Jinhwan agrees. “But finding out Ace’s secrets about the JOKER’s origin and what motivated his actions throughout the underground and against the chaebols would be important information a dead Ace couldn't tell.”
Sunghoon's lips press thin at that, as he feels Jake's hand rest upon his shoulder.
“It won't be that bad,” Jake tries to comfort him. “If you're his type—that’s already half the work done to get close to him.”
“But I have to keep entertaining him,” Sunghoon retorts. “I fuck that up, I'm dead.”
“Not on our watch,” Jay replies. “If the 02z still need to be in existence, we can't lose our glue.”
“Exactly,” Jake hums. “Jay and I agree on that—”
“Even if it means you guys are stuck in a pair?” Sunghoon asks, watching as realization crosses both of their faces. “You know…what you said earlier makes me think that wouldn't work as well.”
“Is something wrong?” Jinhwan inquiries, looking at Jay and Jake. “You two can work together, right? I would suggest another pairing if either of you fell into the role that Sunghoon-ah does but—”
“We can make it work,” Jay sighs. “Reluctantly, but for Sunghoon's sake, we will.”
“You will?” Sunghoon raises his brows.
“You're taking one for the team by flirting with the greatest underground villain,” Jake says, patting Sunghoon's back. “I would hate to be in your position, so I'll take being stuck with him.”
“Gee, thanks, Jakey,” Sunghoon drawls. “I hope you know I really do not want to do this but…”
“But…?”
“If it means protecting Seoul,” Sunghoon sighs, looking at Jinhwan with a determined look in his eyes. “I'll do it.”
Jinhwan’s lips curl into a smile at that, pleased by Sunghoon's response, even though it feels like Sunghoon's actively selling his soul and his dignity away for a mission.
“Great,” Jinhwan hums. “I suppose a lesson in seduction and a wardrobe that fits the dress code of the masquerade are due.”
Sunghoon doesn't have the strength to do anything but sigh, letting his head fall against Jake's shoulder as the older comforts him.
“You'll be great at this,” Jake assures. “A real professional when you learn to stop staring at people like you can see them and all their past lives.”
“Our Sunghoonie, growing up,” Jay coos, as Sunghoon sends him a pointed glare. “Learning how to seduce a man before killing him.”
Sunghoon's cheeks flush red. He’d rather be back in the compound running past angry, gun-wielding men than deal with this—
But Ace, the JOKER, the seal—
The weight of it all is impossible to ignore.
He's silent as his mind processes the heaviness this new assignment carries.
Get close to Ace via seduction, find out his secrets, eliminate him and save Seoul—
And as unpredictable as this mission assignment has been—he supposes he can get it done quickly.
Ace, he thinks. If it means I get to kill you, I'll do whatever it takes.