Yoon So-yeon sat on the living room sofa. She stared at an old childhood photo of Geon-woo and traced the faint scar on his cheek with her finger. A single tear rolled down her face.
The sharp chime of the doorbell broke the silence. So-yeon wiped her eyes and stood up quickly.
"Geon-woo, is that you?"
She peered through the peephole but the hallway was pitch black. No one answered. She frowned and cautiously unlatched the door.
"Geon-woo?"
The door had not even opened fully before three men barged inside. They were breathing heavily.
"Wh-who are you?!"
So-yeon screamed and stumbled backward. The leader walked toward her with a predatory smile.
"Get back! Stay away from me!"
The man did not say a word. He grabbed her by the hair and pressed a cloth soaked in chloroform over her face.
"Shh... it will be over soon. Just stay still."
So-yeon's body went limp. The leader handed her to a massive brute standing behind him.
"Get her to the SUV. Put her in the trunk. We cannot let the boss down."
The brute hoisted So-yeon over his shoulder and headed out.
Downstairs, an SUV sat in the dark with the engine off. The brute reached the car and popped the trunk. A long minute passed but the sound of the trunk slamming shut never came.
The leader sat inside the car and leaned out the window. He was irritated.
"Hey! What are you doing? Load her up and let's move!"
The alley remained silent. He shouted louder.
"Hey! Did you hear me? Move it!"
Still no response. The leader nudged the man sitting next to him.
"Go out and check. Did that idiot stop to take a leak?"
The man grumbled and stepped out. He walked toward the back of the car and scanned the shadows. "Where the hell did he go?"
Then he saw him. A man dressed in all black with a dark mask stood behind the car like a ghost. The goon jumped back in shock.
"Goddammit, who the hell are you?"
The man did not reply. The goon stepped forward to throw a punch. "You are starting to annoy me, you prick!"
Before the punch could land, a kick caught the goon square in the chest. It sent him flying toward the trunk.
THUD!
He scrambled to get up but froze in pure terror. The brute from earlier was sprawled inside the trunk. Blood was pooling from a deep slit in his throat.
"F-fuck!"
The leader heard the noise and scrambled out of the car. "What happened?!"
He arrived just in time to see the stranger draw a blade across the second goon's throat. It was done with the precision of a professional killer.
"Shit! You crazy bastard!"
The stranger turned. The knife dripped red as he took a slow step toward the leader.
"Who are you?! Who the hell are you?!"
The stranger did not speak. He exploded forward.
"Oh, fuck—!"
The leader hit the pavement with a cry. He scrambled backward on the ground because he was terrified of the sashimi knife.
The leader reached into his coat for a weapon but the stranger's boot slammed into his chest.
THUD!
"H-hurrk...!"
The leader was thrown against the car door and collapsed. As he tried to lift his head, the stranger drove the blade deep into his shoulder.
CRUNCH!
"GAH-AAAAAGH!"
The scream was cut short. The stranger moved the blade with cold efficiency and left the leader's body covered in deep gashes. The screaming turned into a wet wheeze and then silence. The leader lay facedown on the bloody asphalt.
The man wiped his blade and pulled out a phone. He dialed a number.
"President Choi. The target is safe."
---
Deep in Gaehwa Station, Geon-woo was finishing off the last of the thugs. He had no idea what his mother had just been through.
A black sports bike screeched to a stop at the station entrance. A rider in a black suit and helmet stepped inside. He looked over the railing and narrowed his eyes. Three guys had just beaten more than thirty goons.
'I guess I was not needed.'
He turned to leave but bumped into three reinforcements heading down the stairs.
"Hey! Who the hell are you? What are you doing here?"
The rider sighed and spoke through his helmet. "Just passing through. Out of my way."
One man blocked his path and reached for the rider's collar. "Passing through? Take that helmet off before I kill you!"
The biker let out a weary sigh.
"I told you to move."
His body blurred as he lunged forward. He snatched the man's wrist and twisted it outward.
SNAP!
"GAH—!"
The biker's elbow drove upward into the man's chin.
THUD!
The man's head snapped back and he went unconscious before he hit the ground. The biker dropped low and swept the second goon's knee. As the man fell, the biker drove a knee into his face.
CRUNCH!
"Y-you little—!"
The last man reached for a blade at his waist. The biker was faster. He slapped the man's wrist to drop the knife and buried a straight punch into his stomach.
WHACK!
The goon doubled over and gasped for air. Foam gathered at the corners of his mouth.
The biker dismantled the trio in a heartbeat. He shoved his hands into his pockets and crouched over the first man. He tapped the man's cheek with a gloved hand.
"Sleep tight."
The biker vanished.
Inside the station, Joe, Geon-woo, and Woo-jin stood among the bodies. They were gasping for air and covered in bruises. They looked at each other and shared a tired laugh.
"Man... I really thought I was a goner," Woo-jin wheezed.
Hyeon-ju ran into the station after abandoning the car. "Guys! Are you okay?"
A goon crawled back to his feet and lunged at her with a knife.
"Juju, watch out!"
They were too far away to help. Hyeon-ju did not panic. She spun around and drew a baton from her belt. She delivered sharp strikes to the man's wrist and temple.
CLANG!
CRACK!
The man collapsed. Hyeon-ju offered a playful smile to the boys.
"What? Didn't you call me Batwoman? Since when does Batwoman need a bodyguard?"
A small smile broke across Geon-woo's face. Then his phone vibrated in his pocket.
[ MY LOVELY MOM ]
Geon-woo answered immediately. "Yeah, Mom?"
"Geon-woo..."
So-yeon's voice was trembling. She was sobbing. Geon-woo's face went pale.
"Mom? What's wrong? What happened? Why are you crying?!"
The sobbing stopped. Geon-woo heard the heavy breathing of a stranger. A cold voice came through the speaker.
"Where are you boys right now?"