#Genre: Crime

[haveyoureadthispoll]

In this, one of the most famous of Doyle's mysteries, the tale of an ancient curse and a savage ghostly hound comes frighteningly to life. The gray towers of Baskerville Hall and the wild open country of Dartmoor will haunt the reader as Holmes and Watson seek to unravel the many secrets of the misty English bogs.

[dapperdelphina]

Peaky Blinders (2013-2022) | Episode 1

[cinema-hallucinations]

Prompt: Write a movie concept where pets commit crimes behind their owners' backs.

Title: Pawsecuted

Logline: By day, Mittens the cat and Duchess the Doberman are pampered pets. By night, they lead a double life as notorious jewel thieves, pulling off daring heists alongside their ragtag crew of criminal critters. However, when a ruthless new dog gang enters the scene, our furry felons must put aside their rivalry and pull off their biggest heist yet to ensure their turf – and tails – remain safe.

Characters:

Mittens (Voice): A sophisticated Siamese cat with a penchant for luxury and a talent for cracking safes. He leads the "Petty Paw" gang, a crew of pampered pets who utilize their owners' routines to their criminal advantage.

Duchess (Voice): A tough-as-nails Doberman Pinscher with a surprising amount of finesse. She heads the "Doggone Dirty Dogs," a rival pet gang known for their brute force tactics. Despite their rivalry, Duchess has a grudging respect for Mittens' skills.

Squeaks (Voice): A nervous but enthusiastic hamster, the getaway driver for the Petty Paw gang. He uses his hamster wheel to power a miniature but surprisingly fast remote-controlled car.

Biggles (Voice): A cynical parrot with a gambling addiction, the lookout for the Petty Paw gang. He provides intel from his perch on the highest shelf.

Rex (Voice): A hulking Rottweiler, the muscle for the Doggone Dirty Dogs. He lacks intelligence but makes up for it with sheer size and intimidation.

Frankie "The Ferret" (Voice): A smooth-talking ferret, the brains behind the Doggone Dirty Dogs. He relies on cunning schemes and inside information to pull off his heists.

Plot Summary:

Mittens, the notorious cat burglar, leads his crew – Squeaks the hamster getaway driver and Biggles the lookout parrot – on a daring heist to steal a priceless diamond necklace. Their plan is flawless, relying on their owner's predictable schedule and Mittens' nimble paws. However, their victory is short-lived when a new dog gang, the Doggone Dirty Dogs, led by the ruthless Frankie "The Ferret," announces their arrival on the scene.

The Doggone Dirty Dogs utilize a more aggressive approach, terrorizing owners and leaving a trail of chaos in their wake. This disrupts the delicate balance of the "pet underworld" and threatens to expose the entire criminal animal network. With their territories and reputations at stake, Mittens and Duchess are forced to swallow their pride and form an uneasy alliance.

Their combined skills – Mittens' cunning and Duchess' brute force – make them a formidable team. They plan an elaborate heist to steal "The Emerald Eye of Cleopawtra," a legendary feline artifact, hoping to lure Frankie and his gang into a trap. The action-packed climax sees the two rival pet gangs facing off in a hilarious showdown, with Squeaks' high-speed car chase and Biggles' sharp beak playing pivotal roles.

Themes:

Teamwork and the importance of overcoming rivalry for a common goal.

Finding humor and adventure in the seemingly mundane lives of pets.

The unexpected skills and intelligence hidden within our furry (and feathered) companions.

Visual Style:

The film utilizes a combination of live-action shots (showing the "normal" lives of the pets) and animated sequences (depicting their criminal activities) seamlessly blended together. The animation style for the pets is expressive and cartoony, capturing their personalities and adding a touch of humor to their daring heists. The action sequences are fast-paced and visually exciting, showcasing the unique skills and gadgets used by the different animal gangs.

Pawsecuted is a hilarious and action-packed adventure that takes viewers on a wild ride through the secret lives of pets. It's a story that reminds us that even the most pampered and domesticated creatures can harbor unexpected talents and a thirst for adventure (and maybe a little bit of bling).

[misireads]

None of This Is True by Lisa Jewell

[ audiobook, listened in finnish ]

two women born on the same day, in the same area of london, have a chance meeting on their joined 45th birthday. one of them, alix, is a famous podcaster and the whole book is framed as a podcast and netflix true crime documentary series about the events that unfolded after the other woman, josie, asked if alix could do a podcast episode on her because her life is "about to thoroughly change" and she wanted alix to document it. josie is a bit unusual from the get-go and alix is intrigued enough by her to agree. both women also have problems in their marriages, which josie tries to use as some bonding leverage, but during the recording sessions for the podcast, she gradually reveals more and more about just how fucked up her marriage and entire life has been. things escalate when a badly beaten up josie appears at alix's door one night at 3am, saying that her husband attacked her. but this is only the real beginning of alix finding out what she's gotten herself into by connecting with josie.

➕ this was the first book in a long time that had me OBSESSED from the start, i couldn't stop listening for like three days straight. clearly a novel written for true crime documentary fans, which i am. the structure of the whole book follows the true crime doc format, with an innocuous enough introduction part and sinister hints dropped here and there, and then things start escalating little by little. this story even comes with baked-in descriptions of people saying something dramatic for a cliffhanger and then the screen fades to black and the netflix episode ends. jewell really nailed the mood with this one.

➕ given that the title literally says nothing about this is true, it was fun to try and guess which parts exactly were falsified. but the fucked up thing was that josie is written as a decently likable character in the beginning, so even the reader almost refuses to believe that she would be lying. she wouldn't, right?? the poor woman who's lived in an older man's shadow all her life and is only just starting to find her own spotlight!

➖ this too started dragging a little towards the end, it was on track to be a 5 based on the beginning because i was just that hooked, but then the excitement and momentum died a bit towards the end… the points were hammered in a bit too excessively during the uhhh climax. and the very end… could have lived without that.

➖ walter's character is so thoroughly disturbing, that left me feeling i have no idea what the fuck i just read. judging by reviews, everyone kinda feels the same way.

⭐ score: 4 -- i feel like i would have wanted to like this more than i did in the end. still, it was a really solid thriller experience, exactly what i look for. i think i'll try a couple more jewell novels next.

[a-dream-bookmark]

NEW ARRIVAL:

“One Day, I Will Return To Your Side” by writingmochi

translates to: "one day, i will return to your side" | a series masterlist

cast: detective!jake ✗ detective!fem.reader

synopsis: a man who has lost his memories awoken to find a detective telling him to investigate the dead body by the delta. together, they investigate the corpse, the fishing town it is in, the end of the world, and himself.

genre: mystery, thriller, adventure, noir, slow burn, drama, comedy?, angst, mature content (crime, drugs, explicit smut)

based on: video game disco elysium (2019) (set in the world of elysium, but not in revachol)

status: to be released

taglist? right here

message from the moon: if you have seen the banner before months ago, suffice it to say that i've expanded this into a mini-series cause the topics that will be discussed here WILL be heavy and only putting this in a one-shot will not be satisfactory. self-identification, political views, world views, different motives, etc; all will be explored through jake's clean slate from his amnesia...

the amnesiac detective's statistics (voted from this story excerpt post; can be used in disco elysium or adapted to any other role-playing game)

acts:

act i "this is a man with a lot of past, but little present. and almost no future."

warning(s)

act ii "that we continue to persist at all is a testament to our faith in one another."

warning(s)

act iii "i need you. you can keep me on this earth. be vigilant. i love you."

warning(s)

taglist: @raeyunshm @leilasmom @evidive @boba-beom @kwiwin @heesw1fe @aloverga @endzii23 @fluffyywoo @camipendragon @hiqhkey @wccycc @cha0thicpisces @y4wnjunz @yeehawnana @beansworldsstuff @kimipxl @blurryriki @amazzwon @reallysmolrenjun @stealanity @zyvlxqht @deobitifull @gandaengene @amaraeofsunshine @nyxtwixx @strawberrysavi

© writingmochi on tumblr, 2021-2024. all rights reserved

[detectivejay]

It's been a little while since I've made a poll, so I'm going to shake off the dust with a simpler question (although choosing an answer to this one is probably anything but simple for mystery fans.)

This is mostly oriented towards live action mystery/crime TV series, I'll probably do a later poll for animated shows or anime.

I can't possibly fit every series worth a shoutout in the 12 options Tumblr allows per poll, so please let me know your favorites in the tags and comments if it's not listed here. :)

Please reblog for a larger sample size, thank you!

[rythyme]

ok imagine 10 things i hate about you. now imagine 10 things i hate about you, but gay. now imagine that kat and bianca are assassins who kill corrupt politicians and businessmen. now imagine that this is real. many good and wonderful things are possible in this world if you watch thai dramas.

[theannypetite]

Batch #18: Mystery BL

It's been a while since I posted anything, but here's a batch of some Mystery-ish BL titles I wrote about while procrastinating reading SVSSS.

It’s been a while since I posted a batch. Or anything at all. It’s not been a lot of posts this year, but here is another one nonetheless and it’s not SVSSS, although I will post reviews of volumes 3 and 4 sooner rather than later. Believe it or not, mystery and crime are honestly my fav genres, aside from historical fiction, so it’s probably odd I don’t write about more mystery titles. But I’m…

[gunsatthaphan]

"do you agree? - yes."

[haveyoureadthispoll]

Just after midnight, a snowdrift stops the famous Orient Express in its tracks as it travels through the mountainous Balkans. The luxurious train is surprisingly full for the time of the year but, by the morning, it is one passenger fewer. An American tycoon lies dead in his compartment, stabbed a dozen times, his door locked from the inside. One of the passengers is none other than detective Hercule Poirot. On vacation. Isolated and with a killer on board, Poirot must identify the murderer—in case he or she decides to strike again.

[cinema-hallucinations]

Prompt: create a movie about a detective with a strange ability. When wearing someone's belonging, they can gain relevant glimpses of knowledge about their past. Mix the drama of crime solving with the occasional comedic effects of having to wear wildly inappropriate or merely uncomfortable clothes (such as a leather bondage hood or high-heel shoes). Not to mention tensions with colleagues and DAs with reasonable concerns about evidence tampering or contamination.

Tagline: What do your clothes say about you?

Worn Memories

Logline: A detective with the uncanny ability to access memories by wearing objects discovers a string of seemingly unrelated murders connected by a single, elusive clue. As he delves deeper into the cases, he must navigate the challenges of his unique gift while uncovering a sinister conspiracy.

Characters:

Detective Randy Kirkendall (30s): A brilliant but unconventional detective with a mysterious ability. He can gain insights into a person's past by wearing their belongings.

Dr. Pam Ballard (50s): A renowned forensic psychologist who studies the human mind and its relationship with objects. She becomes Randy's mentor and helps him understand his unique gift.

Captain Jason Folkus (40s): Alex's skeptical and no-nonsense boss. He initially doubts Alex's methods but gradually comes to appreciate his unique abilities.

The Killer: A shadowy figure with a complex motive and a penchant for leaving behind cryptic clues.

Plot Summary:

Detective Randy Kirkendall is investigating a series of seemingly unrelated murders. The victims have no connection, and the crime scenes offer few clues. Desperate for answers, Randy begins to experiment with his unusual ability. He discovers that by wearing a victim's clothing, he can gain insights into their final moments. Shoes reveal their movements, hats and wigs provide clues about their whereabouts, and glasses offer a visual perspective.

As Randy delves deeper into the cases, he uncovers a disturbing pattern. The victims are all connected to a secretive organization involved in illegal activities. The killer is leaving behind cryptic clues, using the victims' belongings to taunt Randy and the police.

Randy must navigate the challenges of his unique gift, often finding himself in uncomfortable or even dangerous situations. He wears a leather bondage hood to gain insights into a victim's final moments, only to be mistaken for a fetish enthusiast. He stumbles through a crime scene wearing high heels, drawing curious glances from his colleagues.

Despite the challenges, Randy's unconventional methods prove invaluable. He uses his ability to piece together the killer's identity, unraveling a complex web of lies and deception. The climax involves a tense confrontation with the killer, where Alex must use his unique gift to outsmart the villain and bring them to justice.

Themes:

The power of objects: The film explores the idea that objects can hold memories and emotions, providing a unique perspective on the past.

The dangers of incomplete information: Randy's ability can sometimes provide misleading information, leading to hilarious misunderstandings and costly dead ends.

The dangers of obsession: The killer's obsession with leaving behind cryptic clues becomes a central theme, showing the destructive power of obsession.

Ending:

Randy successfully apprehends the killer, using his unique gift to uncover their identity and motives. The case becomes a landmark in forensic science, demonstrating the potential of unconventional methods. However, Randy's experience leaves him changed, forever aware of the hidden stories that can be found within everyday objects.

[deoboyznet]

head's up! check out bar's new fic! pls remember to reblog as always <3

[TEASER] partners in crime – j. changmin

after a series of unpredictable events, you and ji changmin, the foster kid with a shady reputation, become partners in crime. in a world where every choice has a consequence, you two must decide how far you're willing to go as you balance on the edge of danger with the promise of a better life.

pairing: ji changmin x fem! reader

genre: criminals au. acquaintances to lovers. coming of age, slice of life. angst, hurt/comfort. thief! changmin. partners in crime au (duh). slight high school au. inspired by a real case of robbery in a jewelry store here lmao. also loosely inspired by the kdrama extracurricular!

wc: for the teaser :: 1k || for the full fic :: approx. 32k

warnings: for the teaser :: existential dread, a fake gun, robbery || for the full fic :: mentions of alcoholism and juvenile behavior, swearing, changmin's character is a little inconsistent at first. changmin is a foster child, dysfunctional families, yn's father is absent. mentions of minors going on dates with older men, a man trying to take advantage of the reader, a physical fight (with the use of a knife), more to be added as i edit lmao

SEND AN ASK/COMMENT TO BE ADDED TO THE TAGLIST! Posting when the editing is done and my beta reader gives me the approval and validation <3 (end of may??)

Eyes catching the glimmer of the silver chain in between your fingers, you press your skin into the metal and drag your nail over the stones in the pedant. You watch over the glass vitrines situated all around the store, various different shades of gold and silver staring back at you, almost laughing to your face with the prize tags slapped onto them, showing prices worth more than your groceries for the month. 

Contemplating your next decision, looking behind your shoulder to catch the security camera watching you, you think over your next steps. Angling your body so that it’s shielding what you’re doing with your hands, you gently take out the drawer that you’ve taken the silver chain out of, pretending to put the jewelry back where you got it from.

Your movements are careful, calculated. You’ve rethought this plan over and over again, birthed in your mind the moment you saw the sign ‘hiring’ on the glass door of the fancy jewelry store in the town center– made adjustments to it, tweaked it around and tried your hardest to make a good impression on your boss so she wouldn’t suspect anything– but now that you’re actually in front of the important part, the one that’s supposed to help you the most in your hunt for money, you can’t really bring yourself to do it.

Who knows. Maybe you could just keep the job– you don’t make much, though, considering you only work part-time. With the way your shifts are scheduled and the amount of time you have to put into working, you don’t really see the jewelry store as a good source of income– you are barely home and have time for anything. 

And it’s not the kind of money you need. Not at all.

Sighing to yourself, you shake your head to clear it off all thoughts– it’s time to do it. You can be sneaky. You can be uncaught. You just have to put your head to it.

Fingers shaking, you move the chain towards the front pocket of your jeans, ready to hide it in there and then sell it in the pawn shop a few weeks later to not raise much suspicion– when the sound of the front door opening brings you out of your thoughts, making you jump in surprise. Eyes snapping to the customer entering the store, you get ready to sport the kindest, warmest smile you can– to seem innocent and not at all suspicious. However, the grin stops growing mid-way as you recognise the appearance of the customer, smile freezing and turning into a concerned frown. 

This is not how you’d expect a customer of a fancy jewelry store to look.

The person is dressed in black, skinny jeans adorning their thighs, the hood of their jacket pulled over their head and a mask covering the bottom half of their face. Before you get a chance to dwell on it any further, they take out a gun– and they point it to your face.

There’s a moment in time where you feel like everything freezes. A moment in time where you just stare the gun into its eyes and wait for the person to shoot you, a moment in time where you can’t even think. Your brain clears, the only thought present at the tip of your tongue being– this is not how I imagined to go.

Your hands start shaking as you put them above your head, pupils dilating in terror. You guess this is something you should’ve expected when taking the job in an expensive jewelry store, but even though you’re aware a situation like this could exist in your timeline, you don’t really expect it. It’s like that with all bad things in life– you keep telling yourself that there’s no way something like that would happen to a person like you.

There’s no way your father would leave. There’s no way your mother’s world would crumble. There’s no way you’ll be left in charge of everything. There’s no way you’ll have to be the one to steal groceries because you can’t afford to buy food to put into your sister’s mouth. 

There’s no way a man would pull out a gun on you in the middle of your shift.

And yet, it happened. Everything.

In a moment of absolute terror, though, it feels like the world starts spinning again and the force clutching your chest relaxes a little when you stare into the man’s eyes. 

Strange, isn’t it?

There’s a sense of familiarity in his gaze. Something mirroring a weird kind of surprise, a weird kind of recognition. A million different thoughts flow through your brain, eyes scanning his figure– the skin of his hands as he grips the gun that you now recognise to be one of the kinds you use when you play airsoft, not a real one– the lean posture of his figure, but most importantly, the spark in his dark orbs that somehow invites you to do everything he tells you to. Not because he’d kill you if you don’t– but because somehow, you know this might be of gain for you.

Trying hard to play out your previous panic, riding off the erratic heartbeat in your chest, you walk over to the cash register and open the drawer. Eyes meeting with the intruder, you precisely take out the bills stacked in the register, throwing them on the counter in a careless, yet seemingly nervous manner. 

“The jewelry,” he mumbles, pointing towards the vitrines with his chin, waiting for you to obey his words. 

It doesn’t take you much to take out the drawers full of silver and gold, letting the man take whatever he pleases, his bag filled with expensive chains and rings, all while he keeps the gun on you to get the full effect. 

You could be given an Oscar for how good your acting performance was in this very moment.

Your eyes lock in another meaningful gaze, one that suggests that all cards are on the table now and you share a secret you will never be able to shake off, before he disappears out of the store into the dark. Acting stunned for the camera, you only reach for the phone when you’re certain he’s far enough to not be caught, dialing 911 and telling the line all about the robbery.

Ji Changmin chose the bad jewelry store to rob.

Or maybe, he chose the best one he could.

[misireads]

The Breakdown by B.A. Paris

[ audiobook, listened in english ]

on a stormy night, a young teacher is driving home from a party with friends and decides to take a shortcut through a winding forest path, where she sees a lone car parked on the side of the road. she gives the driver a chance to ask for her help but when they don't, she decides to keep driving and goes home. the next day, a story about a woman having been murdered in her car on the forest road is all over the news. weighted by the guilt of not having helped the woman in the car, the main character gradually spirals out of control with increased paranoia as she believes the murderer saw her that night and is now after her as well. at the same time, lapses in her memory make her worry she's on path to having early onset dementia like her late mother, and all of this combined is also making her previously happy marriage fall apart.

➕ yes i'm back giving ms paris another chance, because she was recommended to me. so did i like this better than behind closed doors? absolutely i did, here we have a genuine mystery thriller with all the cosy tropes and a plot with actual tension! i knew this was a superior book from scene one, it immediately set such a strong scene, i was just YEEHAAAW time to buckle in, finally. it's not the most masterful or unique story or anything and has a bit of a lacklustre deus ex machina resolution, but it's the good old thing. with an ending i didn't see coming, too! obviously behind closed doors immediately put me in the mindset of finding the husband suspicious but [spoiler] humouring that the best friend might be the bad guy was just a wild theory of mine, and i certainly didn't suspect two people. i thought it would just be choosing between the husband and the john guy, where either could be the culprit

➕ a spoiler-free plus point, more vaguely: there weren't a whole lot of suspects in here, but i think the story did a good job juggling with those it had and making you wonder which one it is, steering you this and that way as it went. i don't mind simpler mysteries like this because i'm not very smart so it makes me feel like i can actually participate in the guessing game GNDJGNDJ

➕ the main character is almost reminiscent of victorian era stuff, what a Woe Is Me dramatic bitch with larger than life emotions and melancholy. horrible but great

➖ these bitches be speaking all their stupid ass thoughts out loud in these books tho. sometimes you just wanna reach out a hand and put it in front of their mouths like shush…time to shut up. why are you saying these things in this situation. don't you have even a crumb of self-awareness. AND the fact that she immediately jumps into thinking the murderer is also after her (based on… umm… nothing???) because clearly she's such an important person, some real self-important buffoon behaviour. plus never once thinking the culprit could be a woman, not a man. heteronormative self-important buffoon behaviour?

➖ this isn't a massive complaint since i overall enjoyed the story but the pacing was a bit off. the beginning is a bangin' but then when we get to the silent calls and cass's dementia scares, well about half of those could have been halved or cut out tbh. and the SMS part in the end, it was not only some hyper turbo mode exposition stuff which seems to be a common problem in paris's writing judging by these two books, but also dear god, fucking insufferable to listen to in audiobook form LMAO

➖ speaking of phones. how are the characters in her books so dumb about phones? like, we are talking about mobile phones here, right? i had so many questions about the silent call sequences. why didn't she ever call the number back? track down where the calls came from? why didn't she just leave the line open to a forever stalemate/wasting the caller's time until they have to give up? how did she know the caller was a man? why didn't she just leave the phone be and only let the answering machine work when any important person needed to get to her? why do both the house phone and matthew's phone work but magically hers never does so she can't use it????? this all was some real tedious buffalo shit ass garbage plot-convenient turdmageddon stuff right here

➖ probably there was something else but i forgot because the phone stuff got me so worked up. oh now i remember! maybe the dumbest scene i've ever come across in any book (in recent memory anyway). the main character looking at a room, ""sensing"" that something is amiss (but not actually seeing a single thing, not going in to investigate, nuthin'), and proceeding to verbally freak out about it to the point of calling the police that someone has broken in, like, yes okay sure go ahead and have some fucking sixth sense, but did it not cross her mind for even a second that she could, oh i don't know, have like… evidence? to back her words up? and how it looks and sounds like that she doesn't??? i'm just, i can't. that scene was so fucking stupid, it made me second guess whether i like this book after all. like sure she's messed up from paranoia and drugs and whatever but that scene was very much set up as her being like, 100% confidently saying this shit and underlining how sharp she is feeling about it. well if you're so fucking sharp then put yourself in another person's position for five fucking seconds and think how what you're saying sounds like to them i beg you, jesus christ on wheels.

⭐ score: 3½ -- still, i liked it. maybe because i read it after behind closed doors, which i didn't like. so i was just so happy to have a genuine, atmospheric murder mystery to listen to that also managed to surprise me a little.

[pirateyang]

a comparative analysis of shows in my favorite genre: the girls are stranded!!

[stackofsnakes]

The trope "amazing detective, damaged person", is so pervasive in the crime genre, it's hard to think of fictional detectives any other way. Monk might take the crown here. Sherlock Holmes is an addict, Bones' parents disappeared when she was a child, Kate Beckett's mom was murdered, Jessica Jones, at least in the Netflix series, was enslaved by Kilgrave, Sam Vimes is an ex-alcooholic, Batman lost his parents, half the cast of Criminal Minds are fighting with serious personal histories or get put through seriously traumatizing situations over the course of the show, Harry du Bois is in the midst of unravelling as a result of a traumatic break-up and a long struggle with alcohol and drugs.

It's a trope that happens especially often in more contemporary crime media and with detectives with some sort of gimmick or genius abilities.

In comes Shawn Spencer, whose tragic backstory is a shitty relationship with his dad.

[deoboyznet]

heads up! check out clover's new piece! pls remember to reblog as always <3

BLACK HEARTS - L.SY C.CH L.JY

description: a mysterious trio rules the night, masked in balaclavas armed with whatever they could get their hands on… one favor can reveal a whole lot more than you expect. this is not your first visit to the black hearted universe.

member: sangyeon, chanhee, juyeon x you

genre: angst!action!crime!au!

channel: @deoboyznet

warnings: some violence! blood! reader discretion is advised.

a/n: big thank you to @winterchimez and @heemingyu for helping to curate the ideas to write this piece !! i just had a moment where i was like guys let���s put our brains together and that idea of spontaneity is what makes pieces like this special!

When imagining criminal talk, you imagine murder, guns, the same cold-hearted clichè you hear on the silver screen, however when encountering brains that are not well developed enough to find full time jobs to be honorable members of society you find conversations like these:

“I’m literally batman.” Sangyeon spits across the passenger seat where Juyeon is busy groaning in annoyance, left palm rested on his head.

“No because that would mean I’m robin which is just so wrong.” Juyeon retorted, looking out to the road ahead ignoring the disappointment from Chanhee who had the courtesy of listening to these imbecilic conversations in the back seat.

“Guys-” Chanhee began but was shortly cut off.

“I would be batman.”

“No you wouldn’t, I’m batman.”

“Literally how? I’m batman.”

“Guys?” Chanhee couldn’t seem to get a word in between the two grown men as they drove to their destination, seemingly forgetting all about any plans or what they had to do. “You both are batman, I’m robin.”

Being the only one with a degree in computer science and the brains to execute any plans, Chanhee didn’t mind being robin as long as it settled the childish arguments between the two.

“We’re 5 minutes out, I’ve got into the security systems and disabled the CCTV cameras so we should be good to go. The place closes in 10.” Finally getting his words heard, the other two boys nodded and Sangyeon stepped on the gas - a wide cheshire cat grin spread across his face.

The night was a deep navy, the clouds wrapping up the silver crescent moon in a soft grey blanket, the street lights flickered as the wind hurled and whistled like the sound of pained ghosts.

A small café, bar at night, dimly lit with warm lights stood out from the other stores on 7th street, the place always did well and attracted customers from all over the globe with its homemade goods, in house brewery and highly prestigious aesthetics.

You were working your late shift that night and if you hadn’t noticed the red security light on the cameras begin blinking and suddenly going out - you’d have no reason to believe anything was wrong.

On the phone to your manager, you frantically began asking whether the security had been breached, as you couldn’t get on the till machine to view the stores earnings either - being the lazy old man who you’d woke up from his beauty sleep, he of course began yelling and being entirely unhelpful.

“I’m telling you, I can’t get on to the checkout the lights on the cameras have gone off, I’m scared this hasn’t happened before.” You try to your best to explain how dire the situation was but it was clearly landing on deaf ears.

“Y/N, it must happen all the time. I’m going back to bed I don’t have time for your shit this evening.” With that he hung up, leaving you afraid and the sound of tires screeching from behind the glass window pane had made everything you suspected feel as if it was coming true.

Frantically you got down behind the counter, making an attempt to press the panic alarm but failing as the sound of the door being shattered into tiny crystals screamed through the store, masking your whimpers you kept a tight grip of your mouth.

“Hey kitty cat? You can come out we know you’re here.” A low voice purred, already mapping out the sequence of your death you kept quiet and tried to prolong the moment.

“Come on birdy, you can’t hide.” With that two feet landed in front of you with a slam, a man dressed in all black, features covered by a balaclava crouched in front of you, a pair of unsettlingly familiar cat eyes smiling at you. He reached out, gently pulling your hand away from your mouth. “You know, I won’t hurt you, we just want some cash darling.”

In his right hand was a smaller gun which he didn’t point directly at you, he just led you to the counter where you hadn’t transported the money to the safe yet.

You opened it allowing him to grab all the cash you’d made that day and stuff it into the duffel bag the other was holding.

“Thanks, princess.” The other zipped up the bag, noting the sound of sirens beckoning in the distance.

Since you were unharmed, you didn’t really care that they’d stolen all the money you’d earned that day, after all you never saw a penny of it anyways. However, you’d realized there was a third man in the mix, slightly daintier in frame who rushed out of the private stairwell carrying an arm load of cash stolen from the high security safe upstairs - how did he even get in there?

The sirens closed in, they began to panic as the red and blue flashes closed in on the store.

“Go out the back. It’s unlocked.” You had no idea why you’d told them that, however something in your conscience told you to, whether the devil on your shoulder had told you or you genuinely hated your job that much.

“Why?-” The familiar cat eyes asked, whilst the doe eyed one also stared in confusion over at you.

“Guys there’s no time let’s go.” The muscle of the group barged through the back door, just in time for officers to breach the building.

“Are you unharmed? Are the perpetrators still in the building?” An officer with a megaphone yelled into the store, you did the standard procedure and walked out with your hands in the air.

The last thing you expected was to be grounded to the floor by an officer, your face hitting the pavement lightly with your hands behind your back.

“You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided for you.” The officer spoke in a gruff voice, screaming to stop resisting as you laid confused.

“I literally work here. I didn’t do anything.”

“Ma’am this store closed hours ago, you have no-”

A shot, a deafening shot that began a frenzy, the officer behind you fell to the floor before you were grabbed and within half a millisecond told to sprint.

A jet black Mercedes had blocked the main road, the sound of chaos erupting behind you, before the door opened and you were let in. The driver sped to the scene before your saviour swept into the passenger seat, if they'd been able to send more police cars there would have been a high likelihood you'd have never gotten away. However, leaving the scene the immense stomach feeling of guilt consumed you.

"You killed a man? Why would you do that?" You yelled suddenly as a silence grew across the men that had gotten you in to the situation.

"Hey, I didn't kill him, it’s not fatal he’ll be fine.” Pulling off the mask, cat eyes revealed himself, his black hair, sharp gestures and sultry voice. Juyeon Lee? You almost couldn’t believe your eyes.. nevermind look at his.

“Besides he would have either killed you or you’d be behind bars. No state attorney would give you a good time in court, we’re just repaying the favor.” Also ripping off his balaclava the driver looked back at you in your seat, his honey skin and deep brown eyes. Sangyeon?

“Do you guys have no sympathy? Is this what you’re doing with your lives now?” You asked distraught over the entire situation that had unfolded.

“Sometimes it’s safer to be feared than loved, y/n.” Sangyeon looked back, a sadistic grin painted across his lips as he almost looked down on your tears.

“Just be quiet and we’ll talk more when we get back. Sangyeon drive.” The boy next to you spoke, his eyes engrossed in the laptop in front of him. He had a more ethereal appearance than the others almost fairy-like which must be a great disguise of innocence for the life he lived. Possibly the most shocking reveal of them all, Chanhee Choi.

Despite feeling as if your entire world had collapsed in front of you and the wavering feelings of guilt eating you up like a lion to steak, somehow it was the most alive you felt in a long time. However the most shocking reveal of this entire encounter was that the same people you’d went to high school with, were living double lives as some of the most notorious criminals in the city.

As you’d arrived a small home located in the middle of a forest area you hadn’t recognized before, the same familiar cat eyes had something to say after the others had already wandered inside.

“I don’t want to be anywhere near you.” You looked at Juyeon seriously folding your arms, had you not had history you probably would have been more grateful for his actions tonight.

“That was years ago, darling. Do you think I still love you? Do you think I still care?” He laughed, his teeth curling into a smirk and his tongue poking the side of his jaw.

“Clearly! You jumped in front of an armed police officer you absolute maniac. I was always right about you, you’ve become some kind of psycho, that’s why I broke up with you and why the hell is Chanhee even involved with you?” You yelled, quickly being hushed by his voice as he stepped closer.

“Maybe I do but remember, you wouldn’t be alive if it weren’t for me y/n and I told you not to fall in love with me.” He shook his head, looking down at you, tracing his finger across your jaw, bringing back all those feelings of safety you once felt. “There’s nothing left for you but me. Everyone else is gone. It’s always been that way and you know that.”

Unfortunately he was right.

TBC.